ruins ; harry potter [1]

thirty two ; holi-daze

[ Diana Riddle Moodboard above ]

Diana's friends left for the holidays, but she wasn't ready to leave quite yet. She wanted the situation with Draco to blow over before she was confronted with Harry, for she was hoping that he wouldn't ask any questions if she waited.

Diana, with only her bag around her body, trekked down to Hogsmeade to stay in the Hog's Head, much to Aberforth's happiness. She stayed for a few days, drinking ungodly amounts of butterbeer and stocking up on a few supplies with the ten galleons she had gotten for announcing during the Quidditch game. It wasn't until Christmas Eve day that she heard from Dumbledore. He asked her to come to his office in the castle, and that's what she did. She slung her bag around her once again and trekked all the way up the snowy path to the castle.

She arrived at the castle, walking through the deserted corridors and stairwells, and finally she made it to his office, where she muttered the password and she strode into the room and to her usual seat across from Dumbledore.

"Severus is having a difficult time managing Draco, it seems," began Dumbledore at once. "Severus told me of the conversation that Harry overheard."

"There was nothing I could do until it was already too late," said Diana. "I was finally able to get through to Severus, but Harry had already heard too much. We already know he's incredibly suspicious of Malfoy, and I'm worried that he's going to get in the way."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Good thinking, using Legilimency. Extremely impressive that you were able to get through to Severus."

She chuckled weakly. Her body had begun warming, but her face still felt frozen. "I was desperate, and I think that's why I was able too." She took a deep breath and pulled her hat lower onto her head. "I'm worried, Dumbledore. It seems like everything is falling apart."

He smiled gently at her and it was silent for a moment. "What are you worried about?"

"Are you kidding?" she breathed with a dry laugh. "I'm worried about everything! Harry, Voldemort, Hermione, Ron, the Order, you..." she trailed off, for she could list the things that worried her for hours on end. He continued to smile gently at her.

"I have lived a very long time," he began quietly, "and though I have suffered as you have, and though I have lived through tragedy and horror that most couldn't bare, and though I have often felt weak and powerless, there is one thing that I have learned indefinitely." He leaned forward, and replied in a whisper, "I have learned that everything works out in the end. No matter how painful it may be, no matter how terrifying or difficult, I have discovered that the universe has a funny keenness for harmony."

"How do you do it?" she asked him quietly. "I mean, everyone always expects so much of you, yet you still manage to keep your sanity. How do you do it?"

He chuckled, much to her surprise. "Who ever said I was sane? Insanity doesn't have to be a bad thing."

She laughed quietly and wrung her fingers. He watched her with a small, sad smile.

"If I'm am being honest," he began seriously, "I don't know how I do it. I haven't the faintest idea of how I've managed to keep it together, but you know what? I have. No matter how many times I thought of giving up, I didn't. And that's why I'm here today.

"Sometimes, Diana, you just have to keep going. It is much harder than it sounds, I know, but one day you're going to look back, and you're going to think of what a long and fulfilling life you'd had."

She gave a dry laugh. It sounded almost sinister. "No, I won't. Do you want to know why? Because I'll be dead by next year."

"Life has a funny way of working things out. Don't give up just because you believe you have no chance."