Chapter 125: Red and Green

Chris looked confused at first, then seeing Dumbledore's smiling face, she calmed down.

"Still... sorry Professor. I shouldn't have..." Chris said. "Er... How long are you here?"

"Not too long." Dumbledore replied. "Sit."

Chris sat on the chair in front of him and remembered why she was there in the first place.

"Professor... I..." Chris stopped and then said, "How did you know that I was under the invisibility cloak yesterday?"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"I've my ways." He replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "It naturally happens at my age."

Though Chris knew it's not because of his age, after all he was the greatest wizard of his time; Chris decided to drop it and get back to Crouch and Bagman.

"Professor! Mr Crouch's son. Do you really think he's alive?" Chris said urgently. "And did the Minister is going to take only Bagman's job from him? He's involved Professor... he tried to take Mr Crouch to some lady and...."

"Calm down, Christina." Dumbledore said seriously. "I know all of it. We interrogated Ludo Bagman yesterday with Veritaserum, I think you know what is it?"

"Yes. It's the strongest truth serum." Chris replied. "Wait. We?"

"Yes. I and Professor Snape." Dumbledore answered Chris's questioning glance. "You still don't trust Professor Moody, do you Christina?"

"Er... No... it's just this feelings, Professor. I can't shake it off like that."

"I understand." Dumbledore sighed, "and after your suspicions about Crouch came clear, I started to have them too."

Chris looked carefully at Dumbledore, trying to understand what was he saying.

"But Alastor is my old friend. So it's really difficult to understand what's wrong." Dumbledore continued. "Right now the most dangerous thing for us is, Barty Crouch jr. is somewhere, we don't know. Also I heard from Dobby, what you said to the house-elves in the kitchen."

"Er..." Chris awkwardly looked around.

"And I must say, I'm thankful." Dumbledore smiled. "Dobby told me few days ago that Winky was talking about her young master, Barty Crouch jr, and how she took care of him. Now I realize she was talking about, after Crouch tricked the Dementors and brought back his son."

"Professor... I heard Mr Crouch saying in your memory, that people are helping Riddle to gain power... and his son is helping him the most. Who are those people?" Chris said. "I mean they can't be the death eaters, do they?"

Hearing this Dumbledore smiled.

"And why do think they can't be the death eaters?"

"Because if they were loyal and old followers of Riddle, then they must've done something sooner." Chris replied.

"Right. I also don't think these people are Tom's old followers." Dumbledore said. "But I'm sure they've some personal gain in this."

"So you think he's really getting stronger?"

"Tom Riddle?" said Dumbledore, looking at Chris over the over the Pensieve. It was the characteristic, piercing look Dumbledore had given her on other occasions, then he said, "I think he's."

Dumbledore sighed again, and he looked older, and wearier, than ever.

"The years of Voldemort's ascent to power," he said, "were marked with these incidents. Bertha Jorkins has vanished without a trace in the place where Voldemort was certainly known to be last. Crouch's confession . . . And there was a third disappearance, one which the Ministry, I regret to say, do not consider of any importance, for it concerns a Muggle. His name was Frank Bryce, he lived in the village where Voldemort's father grew up, and he has not been seen since last August. You see, I read the Muggle newspapers, unlike most of my Ministry friends. I can see they're all linked."

"But Professor, the Minister didn't look like he believed you."

"I know he didn't. Fear is a big thing, Christina. You'll be surprise how much it can effect your every decision." Dumbledore replied. "I knew he'll not believe me. I've to work on my own, I guess. Well.. what were you wanted to tell me, Christina, before you got lost in my thoughts?"

"Oh yes. Professor I went to meet Bagman yesterday and...." Chris described everything happened last night. She told Dumbledore about the mirror and the lady. Luckily Dumbledore didn't ask why she went to meet Bagman.

"Hmm.... I knew that much but unfortunately we didn't find the mirror. He dropped it somewhere in the woods, he said. It'll be good to know who's magical signature was in it." Dumbledore's said.

"But Professor what about Harry?" Chris asked. "There's something fishy about the championship. Why will someone want Harry to win? It's still not clear."

"I know and I'm worried about that more than anything else."

"But you all can stop the championship."

"No we can't Christina. Don't you know why Harry had to compete in this?"

"Magical binding contract." Chris answered. "Harry told me but I didn't understand, what the Goblet of Fire will do if he refused to compete?"

"It'll burn him alive." Dumbledore said with sharp voice.

Chris looked shocked for few moments.

"So Harry will die eventually no matter what." She sighed.

"That's the problem. All four of them have to compete in the last task or the Goblet of Fire will punish them for breaking the contract. The contract will end after someone wins and I'm worried about the winner, right now ..." Dumbledore got up, he went to the cabinet, lifted the basin, carried it over to his desk, placed it upon the polished top, and sat back in the chair. "Do you know what's it, Christina?"

"I think so. It's a pensive, isn't it? Because I was inside your memories." Chris said and then it hit her, her dreams looked like the same, what if they're not dreams but the memories of the founders.

"Indeed." Dumbledore said. "Anything else Christina?"

"Professor... I.... I never told you one thing." Chris said, frowning. "I usually have some dreams... they're always clear like your memories... I see myself standing there but no one hears me or sees me... and they're all related to the Hogwarts founders."

"Really?" Dumbledore looked more interested in that information. "How many dreams you had till now? When you started having them?"

"It started... I think, after I came to Hogwarts and I don't remember how many dreams I had... I never counted."

"So they're enough to loose counts?"

"I guess so."

"Hmmm.." Dumbledore drew his wand out of the inside of his robes and placed the tip into his own silvery hair, near his temple. When he took the wand away, hair seemed to be clinging to it — but then Chris saw that it was in fact a glistening strand of the same strange silvery-white substance that filled the Pensieve. Dumbledore added this fresh thought to the basin, and Chris, astonished, saw her own face swimming around the surface of the bowl.

"Er... Professor I saw Mr Crouch's son in your memory... it was his trial day... Well... were they talking about Neville's parents?"

Dumbledore gave Chris a sharp look then said, "Do you know anything about them?"

"Yes. Neville told me how they were torched. I just never thought Mr Crouch's son was involved in that." Chris replied quietly.

"Neville's father, Frank, was an Auror just like Moody. He and his wife were tortured for information about Voldemort's whereabouts after he lost his powers, as you heard. The Longbottoms were very popular," said Dumbledore. "The attacks on them came after Voldemort's fall from power, just when everyone thought they were safe. Those attacks caused a wave of fury such as I have never known. The Ministry was under great pressure to catch those who had done it. Unfortunately, the Longbottoms' evidence was.... given their condition... none too reliable."

Dumbledore again started to pour memories in the pensive.

Chris thought about the horror, if Neville sees the four people in front of him, who tortured his parents. What'll he do? Will he be scared or it'll make him brave enough to stand up? After few moments, Chris spoke, "So the Minister took Mr Crouch and Bagman with him?"

"Yes. I don't think Crouch was in state to give me more information but then again who knows..." Dumbledore sighed. "And Bagman really didn't know what's going on. He never did... He's always been this kind of...."

"Idiot?" Chris completed.

Before Dumbledore can reply, there was a knock on his door. Dumbledore hurriedly put back the basin with a wave of his wand and closed the cabin.

"Come in." He said after that.

Sirius Black came in looking very serious. As he saw Chris, he looked a little surprised, but then smiled at her. Chris smiled back.

"You called me Dumbledore?" He said seriously to Dumbledore.

"Yes Sirius. I think you've already got a letter from your godson about what happened here last night?" Dumbledore said calmly.

Sirius nodded.

"Good. We need to discuss about that a little." Dumbledore turned to Chris. "I think I'll miss the breakfast, Christina, but you shouldn't."

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Chris checked her watch and saw it was nearly her first class's time.

"I've potions first." Chris jumped up. "Professor Snape is going to kill me if I'm late. I should go, Professor."

Chris ran towards the door.

"Bye Sirius." She waved and ran out.

Chris straight ran towards the dungeon. There was no time for breakfast, luckily her bag was with her. Breathing heavily, she reached the potion classroom and knocked.

"Enter." Snape said from inside.

Chris pushed the door and entered, everyone in the class was looking at her. Chris saw Ginny and Colin sitting in a corner. They lightly waved at her.

"You're late Miss Norton." Snape said with a stern look.

"Sorry... Professor... I lost... track of time.." Chris replied still panting.

"Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape said giving a pleasant smile.

The Gryffindors groaned.

"And if you don't want to.." Snape continued. "...loose more house points then sit down quickly and start."

Chris hurriedly tried to walk towards Ginny and Colin but Snape stopped her.

"We're doing today's potion in pairs, Miss Norton, and I want you to work away from your dear friends." He said with a dark look on his face.

Chris sighed and started to look around, there was only one Slytherin boy, who was sitting alone. Chris had met him before, he was really irritating pure-blood boy. Then she saw Jason was sitting with a boy behind Snape. As their eyes met, Chris gave him a pleading look and Jason chuckled. He pushed the boy and told him something and the boy obediently gathered his things and crept towards the lonely boy. Grinning Chris sat beside Jason.

"Thanks for saving me." Chris said.

"You shouldn't come late to classes." Jason replied, pushing a notebook towards her. "Here, read the introductions carefully before you start blowing off our cauldron."

"Very funny." Chris rolled her eyes.

"Where were you?" Jason asked while chopping some daisy roots, perfectly. "You wasn't even at breakfast. I asked Weasley but even she didn't have any idea."

"Yeah... I was at...."

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Norton," said an icy voice right behind them, and both of them jumped, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten more points from Gryffindor."

Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking.

"Sorry Professor. I was just instructing her about the steps to make this potion correctly, as she was late." Jason lied.

"Sure." Snape replied without looking at them and walked away.

"We both were talking but still, only I lose house points. Why?" Chris said fuming, while looking at Snape's back.

"Relax." Jason said smiling. "Let's finish the potion first."

As Chris and Jason started working while whispering and smiling, Snape's face darkened seeing Chris and Jason grinning at each other. Chris noticed this and gave a confused look towards Jason.

"I think because he hate Gryffindors and don't want his students to associate with them." Jason whispered and shrugged his shoulders.

Chris gave a side glance towards Snape and saw he was looking at them, so Chris quickly concentrated on the potion. During the entire lesson, Snape glided many times by their table to check if everything was okay with the potion. He clearly didn't like Jason being friendly with Chris.

But Chris and Jason were first to finish the potion and it was perfect, so Snape gave them ten points each. After the bell rang, everyone gathered their things, walked out and before Jason can resume their talk, Ginny and Colin grabbed Chris.

"Sorry, Jason but we need to talk to Chris. It's important." Ginny said and dragged Chris away.

"What the hell? What's wrong?" Chris said as Ginny and Colin released her in a empty corridor.

"You tell me what's wrong?" Colin asked.

"Right." Ginny crossed her hands on her chest and looked seriously at Chris.

"Er....." Chris thought for a moment what to say.

"Chris you weren't at the room last night, and this morning..." Ginny said impatiently.

"Not even in Gryffindor tower." Colin said looking more serious.

"Exactly and also didn't come for breakfast... Jason also had no idea, where were you?"

"Umm.... I think we're going to be late for charms." Chris replied with a sigh. "Can we talk at lunch? Please."

Ginny and Colin glared at her for few minutes then they nodded.

"But we need a big explanation." Ginny said. "So you better be prepared."

"Alright." Chris said smiling. Though she wasn't feeling very happy by the thought of telling her friends the truth.