Wish Upon A Star

The Burial

At breakfast the next day, Dawn brought Ashlyn a letter. At first, she was expecting Malfoy to write some excuse for not coming for breakfast, and she would write back calling him a dunderhead for skipping the most important meal of the day.

But Dawn had brought her a letter from Dumbledore.

'To Miss Clarke
I ask you to join me in my office for a brief chat before your classes start.
Albus Dumbledore.
PS I wouldn't mind if you brought a few toffee eclairs.'

Ashlyn abandoned her toast, jumped to the feet, and hurried out of the Hall, paying no mind to Harry, Ron, and Hermione's questions.

"Please don't tell me she is going to Malfoy," Harry said weakly as they watched her rush out of the Hall.

"He's not there at the Slytherin table," Ron pointed out gloomily. "...D'you think...You know...if she fancies him?"

Hermione sighed as Harry groaned.

"I hope not," Hermione said. 

"That counts all three of us," Ron grumbled, glaring at the Slytherin table.

.....................................

"Toffee eclairs," she said clearly and the gargoyle sprung aside.

"Enter," Dumbledore said when Ashlyn knocked on the door.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" she said as Dumbledore motioned to the chair in front of him, indicating that she should sit down.

Ashlyn sat down, the frown on her face becoming more pronounced as the seconds ticked by.

"Miss Clarke," Dumbledore started.

"I really don't want to listen to what you're going to say, sir," Ashlyn sighed. 

"Harry will get the memory soon, and you are on the verge of finding the place where Voldemort's Horcrux could be hidden, and then..." she trailed off.

"That is good news," Dumbledore sighed. "I was wondering if my pursuits would go to waste,"

"They won't," Ashlyn said shortly.

"And, have you tried talking with Draco?" Dumbeldore said. "I have Severus trying to persuade him, but I do not think that is working. I wish you would try your hand too,"

"I told you, I am not doing it!" Ashlyn cried angrily. She wasn't looking at Dumbeldore, but at his blackened, dead-looking hand.

Reluctantly, she looked up into his bright blue eyes, which still seemed to twinkle with life.

Dumbledore sighed. 

"I understand. I must have been asking too much from you,"

"Yes, you have," Ashlyn shot back. "All the time. Harry has to defeat Voldemort all the time, now he has to go on a Horcrux hunt, and then you are making Snape kill you, you want me to help Malfoy fix that cabinet, you know all the misfortunes these actions would bring. Even then! You..."

Ashlyn dropped her gaze angrily to her hands. She let out a long sigh.

"Must they do this?" she said softly. "I know that this is necessary and that it has to be done, but why do they...? They are just children. Harry, he didn't ask to be targeted by a Dark Lord, he didn't ask his parents to be killed, he didn't ask for all this misery. Draco, he didn't ask to be used by Voldemort, he didn't ask his family to be threatened, he didn't ask to be tasked with murder. They are just sixteen!"