Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: the Combat

9. Safe Haven

Albus carefully knocked on the headmistress' door. He tried to straighten out his clothes, which were muddled after a night up in the Nursery, but to no good. Even though he had missed the End of the year Banquet completely, he knew that the people attending had had him in mind and it caused him some embarrassment to think about.
Before leaving him the evening before to finish the banquet with a speech, Professor McGonagall had told Albus that she would inform the whole school about the happening at the forest, so that no one would go near the place before leaving with the Hogwarts Express the following day. Albus hadn't quite comprehended the sense in that. The voices, which the headmistress was yet to know of, were inside of his head. Not outside it.
"Come in."
Minerva McGonagall sat once again behind her desk, wearing her reading glasses. At the table in front of her was a piping hot cup of tea. She looked at Albus as if she scanned him with her sight. "Please sit, Potter."
He did as she asked and felt all the eyes on the portraits surrounding them be drawn to him. He glanced down in order to avoid them, most ardently examining his shoes. The dust on them were yet to disappear.
"So, Potter." The professor took off her glasses. "How come that I always seem to have the same difficulties with you as the previous headmaster had with your father?"
Albus shrugged. "Genes."
"Yes, that's probably part of the problem. But unfortunately, it stretches over two directions: you and your father, and Delphini Riddle and... Voldemort."
"What do you mean, Professor?" Albus asked, just as a courtesy.
Of course he knew the answer.
McGonagall stood up and walked around the desk with the concerned frown in place. She paused in front of him. "Have you eaten breakfast today, Potter?"
"Eh... no. I went here directly."
In a swift movement, the professor waved her wand and a plate of sandwiches appeared out of nowhere, as well as an additional cup of tea.
"Eat", she demanded. Then she sat down again and didn't stop glaring at Albus until he grabbed one of the sandwiches. "I have written to the Minister for Magic, and she's aware of yesterday's events."
"Great", Albus muttered, his mouth full of crumbles and cheese. "I can just picture my welcome-home parade."
"Albus Severus Potter, this is a serious matter and I propose that you treat it as such."
The sudden outburst and the mentioning of his full name was slightly overwhelming, but he was more worried than offended when he noticed new wrinkles in McGonagall's face. "Professor, are you alright?"
The headmistress sighed. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you. It's just age that claims the powers." She shook her head and looked up above the frames of her glasses. "You wanted to tell me something, Potter?"
"Yes, but... it's a little complicated, I suppose."
"I'm listening. Have another sandwich."
Albus stuffed his mouth again and swallowed. "I didn't just go to the forest to be alone. I... I was upset with Rose."
"Miss Granger-Weasley?"
"Yes. I sort of followed her around and then she yelled at me. I went where no one would see me, and I must have fallen asleep..."
"You weren't sleeping, Potter."
For a moment, Albus stopped chewing and gazed at the professor. "What? I mean, excuse me?"
"Hagrid found you twisting and twirling on the ground, as if you were in pain, but we weren't capable of waking you up. You continued doing so until you awoke by yourself."
Thoughts stormed through his head. A small piece of memory struck through everything else. A laughter. A voice.
"Professor, I heard something before, in my sleep."
McGonagall leaned forward. "And what was that, Albus?"
"It was..." He had to swallow hard to ignore the panic brewing inside. "It was Delphini."
The headmistress grabbed the edge of the table, clearly disturbed, and continued with a shaky voice. "Are you absolutely certain? What did she say?"
"She said... 'Kill the spare.' But there's more, Professor..." Albus doubted his ability to express himself sufficiently. "I think... she wasn't speaking English."
"What did it sound like?"
"It was like - whispers, I guess. I've never heard anything like it before."
She rose from the chair again and started pacing around the office with long steps. "This is highly serious and urgent, which I assume you all understand." She turned to a painting of an old man. "Professor Dippet, please inform the Ministry about Potter's story. Make sure that no one but the Minister for Magic and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement hear about it. Tell them to make sure that every prisoner is still in Azkaban." She moved on to another man. "Professor Nigellus Black, please go to your portrait in the Slytherin Common Room and ask Mr Scorpius Malfoy to bring Mr Potter's things with him on the train."
"And what if he isn't there?" the old headmaster asked with no apparent interest in the matter.
"Then you wait until he gets there." McGonagall turned lastly, more tiredly this time, towards the portrait behind the desk. "Professor Dumbledore, please tell Ginny Potter that her son is returning with Floo Powder, not the train."
"Of course, Minerva", Albus Dumbledore said, all while peering at his namesake.
The portraits went empty within a few seconds. Professor McGonagall quickly went over to her fireplace, and made a flaming, green fire rise from the ashes with her wand.
"Professor!" Albus protested and stood up too. "What's the rush? Why can't I just take the train?"
She looked at him over her shoulder, weary. "I didn't lie when I told you that you would be watched over, day and night. Madame Pomfrey's been guarding you in the Nursery and the rest of the time I've had members of the staff sitting outside the Slytherin Common Room at night. Yet, you've managed to walk around on your own and even hide in the forest. I fear that you aren't safe here any longer."
"Will I be safer at home?"
"If we all put our resources into it, we can at least make a barrier strong enough to protect you from attacks from the outside. We've done that before. Now, Potter..." The headmistress stretched out her wrinkly hand towards Albus. "... we must leave."

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