The Truth is Not What it Seems

Ch. 8-The Office

The trip to Dumbledore's office is patronizing. Madam Hooch makes no move to either confront or converse with the two first years. Not that they need to. In fact, the only word Hooch says is when they arrive at the Phoenix statue in front of the headmaster's office to say the password.
"Lemon drop," Hooch anonuces coldly.

Harry fights to keep a laugh inside while Aaliyah outwardly rolls her eyes and scoffs quietly at the password. Luckily, Hooch is not looking at the two at the time. The statue swings open, and the three enter inside. Hooch knocks twice before receiving the affirmative from Dumbledore to come in. The headmaster's office is unique for lack of better words. Over a hundred painting hang on the walls detailing past headmasters and headmistress. A pensive stands near the left side of Dumbledore's desk fairly untouched unlike the desk itself which is strewn with papers and parchments of all kinds. On the other side of the desk, to the right, is a large size birdcage with a Phoenix inside. Harry swears he hears Aaliyah intake a shaking breath and whisper the name Fawkes, but Aaliyah will always deny saying it.

With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore tells Hooch to leave and soon all that is left are the three humans and the phoniex. The headmaster looks up from his desk his grandfather facade in place.
"Well", he says. "I wasn't expecting you to grace my office so soon Harry-." The headmaster is about to continue but Harry cuts him off making his opinion of the old wizard known.
"Mr. Potter actually sir. I do not believe we are on first name basis as we are but mere acquaintances."
For a moment Dumbledore looks flustered as if he was not expecting the words that come from Harry's mouth. It is gone in nearly a second back to his grandfatherly facade.
"Of course, my dear boy. My apologies. It is just that I was close to your parents during and after their school years here."
That's not creepy at all. Harry thinks. Plus, where you really close to my parents? Harry stops there knowing full well that his mental shields aren't strong enough to block out Dumbledore's prodding in case he tries to read his mind.
"Now, back to the matter at hand. The reason the two of you are here. What you two did was incredibly brave and selfless but also very dangerous and reckless. Do not forget the two of you are merely first years and that there were more equipped people to handle the situation. The teachers would have taken care of the bludger as they are supposed to. Now-"
"Excuse me sir," Aaliyah ventures making her presence known. "Madam Hooch was the only teacher on the field, and she made no move to help the students or stop the bludger. Nor did she when we began trying to stop it ourselves. I would also like to ask how the bludger might have started rampaging in the first place. It seems to me that you should not be focusing on us but rather your incompetent teacher and the how, who, and why of the bludger."
"Yes of course my dear girl. Miss....?"
"Gushkin."
"Yes. Miss Gushkin. Would either you or Harry enjoy a lemon drop? I have plenty to spare. They have always been one of my favorites."
Harry refuses not trusting anything Dumbledore gives him within a 9 foot pole. Aaliyah on the other hand refuses as well. Throughout the last few weeks that Harry has gotten to know Aaliyah, he has memorized the face she gives when a potion is being used for the wrong means. She is wearing that face now. Deep inside his brain, Harry hears Aaliyah say," The lemon drops are laced with calming drought and compulsion potions. I can sense them from here. I wouldn't eat them Harry unless you want to end up wanting and following Dumbledore's every whim for the next 24 hours."
Tucking the new information away about how Aaliyah is able to brush into his mind and speak inside without Dumbledore noticing, Harry turns back to the true villain.
For another second Dumbledore looks annoyed at not being able to control the two kids, but it's gone as soon as it's there.
"Very well. Unfortunately, I will have to take 15 points from both Slytherin and Hufflepuff. On the bright side, I have invited Marcus Flint and Adriana Purcey. They are the captains of the Slytherin and Hufflepuff quidditch teams. I believe Harry would make a good seeker and Miss..ah-"
"Gushkin."
"Right. Miss Gushkin a beater."
"You want us to be part of the quidditch teams! Isn't that against the rules? " Aaliyah asks affronted.
"Yes," Dumbledore responds just before he tells the two captains to come in.
"They're compelled." Aaliyah's voice floats through Harry's mind again. "I doubt they would be happy to have first years on their team."
Harry senses it too. It's astonishing that no one else feels the such obvious sense of magic tied to Dumbledore's signature. That's not all. Apparently, Aaliyah isn't done with Dumbledore yet.
"Let me get this straight!" She almost yells sarcastically. "You call us up here, scold us, take away 15 points from each of us and then you tell us that you want us to be on the quidditch team!"
"Another 5 points will be taken away from Hufflepuff. This is an honor Miss. Gushkin. Be happy I have not given either you or Mr. Potter detention," Dumbledore says slowly getting frustrated at the young girl. Aaliyah smirks. Apparently it doesn't take much for the legendary Dumbadoor control to slip away into what it really is. This time Aaliyah makes no move to hide the thought from Dumbledore's remarkably strong, but pathetic to Aaliyah, attempts at Legilimency.
Sensing the rising anger in Aaliyah, Adriana tells her, "You'll make a great beater. The other houses will have to watch out. Isn't that right, Flint?"

A short time later, the new Slytherin seeker and one of the Hufflepuff beaters leave Dumbledore's office. Standing against the opposite wall is Hermione looking a mix between awe, fear, curiosity, and confusion. She walks right up to Harry grabs his arm and tells The-Boy-Who-Lived,"I need to talk to you. Meet me and Neville in the library. Around a half an hour from now, okay?"
Without waiting for a reply, the mugglborn turns on her heal and hurriedly disappears away leaving two belittled first years behind.