Sides

Gregory Goyle stumbled along the corridor as he tried to look both behind him and ahead at the same time. He hadn't honestly thought it would this difficult. Malfoy was forever talking about the number of times Potter did it. If Potter, Weasley, and that mudblood freak could do it, it wasn't like it was hard.

He had nearly bumped into Snape as he'd passed the History of Magic room. Even Gregory was not stupid enough to believe that Snape would be biased enough to leave a student out of bed unpunished.

What was hard was finding the right entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Those stupid twins who thought they were so clever had let it slip. They'd all but shouted it at breakfast. 'Oy! Lee, where did you say you lost your spider? Right outside the common room on the third floor wasn't it?' All the stupid, girly girls had 'eep'ed. But she hadn't. She had just rolled her eyes and spread strawberry jam onto her toast.

The paintings around him were snoring. They were nicer paintings, he noticed, than the ones near the Slytherin common room. Instead of the stiff portraits that lined the grey corridor back there, the ones here were warm ones, filled with families, children, and romantic scenes. The only portrait that had a picture of a baby in it on the Slytherin corridor was Sobbing Skyla, a painting of a red-haired witch from the forties who held a fat baby and cried endlessly for the husband who died in an attack from one of the bad wizards back then. Malfoy always said it was no use even talking to the paintings unless they needed a password. They were just dead people, not even real. A spell on the canvas he said it was.

"Ah, Mr Goyle." I see you did decide to appear tonight."

There was no mistaking that deep voice or the silvery light reflected from his beard.

"Professor Dumbledore," he grunted non-committingly. "I was, uh, sleepwalking."

"I believe I have already heard that excuse tonight," said Dumbledore gently, "twice if you take into account that the Weasley twins said it in unison."

The Headteacher stepped out of the shadows. Gregory shoved the small parcel in his arms under his pyjamas.

"I must warn you that the two Weasley boys have set a booby trap outside their common room. Rather a clever one actually. It's designed to only set off should a Slytherin near the area. I do hope they remembered to exempt Professors' Snape, Vector, and Grubbly-Plank from their little trick.

"Why don't you give them detention then?"

"The Weasley boys?" said Dumbledore airily.

Malfoy was right, that know-it- all attitude was annoying. Worse than Granger actually. "I did not feel it necessary. After all, this is not an area of the castle that non- Gryffindors regularly habit. Besides, it was a rather complicated charm and it would be a tragedy for them to see their efforts destroyed, don't you agree?"

"Uh, yeah," muttered Goyle.

"Now Mr. Goyle, we must address the reason for you being out of bed."

"I told you, I was sleepwalking." grumbled Gregory.

"Now, Mr. Goyle, I have been a teacher here far too many years to find myself falling for that ruse. Although I must say, Lee Jordan's expressions when he pretends to wake can be most amusing. I know that you are here to deliver that package that you so deftly hid under your night-things just a moment ago."

"So I can't be nice to someone without getting punished now?" Gregory said.

"In this instance I think we may forgo the punishment, just this once," said Dumbledore.

Gregory frowned.

"You mean you'll wait until tomorrow to punish me?"

Dumbledore started, as though surprised by his words.

"Oh dear me, you'll find one day that as you age you do start to say the most unnecessary things. I meant that perhaps I might let you off the punishment, just once mind."

"Uh, thanks."

This did not mesh with Malfoy's comments on Dumbledore. Malfoy always said that Dumbledore always favoured Potter and that lot when they broke the rules, but always punished Slytherin more, just to make up for it.

"Now, I think we both know to which Gryffindor girl that package was intended for." Gregory must have gasped. "Do not worry, you and I remain the only two people to be aware of that fact; it shall most certainly remain that way."

"Uh, thanks."

"But I must ask you to forget the girl in question." This was new. Since when did Dumbledore interfere like this?

"Why?" he demanded.

"It would not be beneficial to either party. Both yourself and the girl would lose much more than you would gain."

"Please consider the current state of affairs our world is in. There will always be people who stick to one side without question in war." Dumbledore continued.

"Like Malfoy? And Parkinson?" he said. He had no idea what this had to do with anything and so he kept his eyes to the floor.

"Yes. And on the opposite side, the Weasleys, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Potter. But others, such as yourself and Mr. Crabbe, are in the middle. You have not allocated yourself a side yet."

This did not seem in the least bit true.

"Yeah, I have. My parents, and Malfoy-"

"Yes, it is true," said Dumbledore sadly. "They are players who have already chosen. But do not think that your house, your friends, or your family, dictate that side. You must choose a side to which you remain you would remain loyal to until death. One that you approve of and no-one else."

"W-what if I can't choose? Between your side and-"

"You must choose," said Dumbledore firmly. "War is not something that you can remain neutral in for long. If you do you shall remain an enemy to both sides rather than to one."

That was enough to make Goyle sweat, even in the chill. Having Dumbledore on one side was bad enough. Having You-Know-Who on the other was horrifying.

"What if I-I choose Malfoy's side?"

"Then I should prefer knowing that you were on his side of your own choice rather than in blind follow-ship. There is nothing worst that fighting someone who has no desire to be where he or she is." Here the heavy tone left the elder's voice but it carried a gentle warning. "Once you have made that decision I only ask that if you do choose the other side, that you leave the young lady alone. It is one thing to ask her to put herself in between two feuding houses, but quite another to force her into the middle of a war."

Gregory Goyle nodded, feeling as sick as he had done after eating that funny cake in second year.

"But what if I choose your side?" he burst out suddenly.

"I understand the difficulty of your situation Mr. Goyle. If you do choose this side, then your life shall not change. You may still hang around with Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Crabbe, you may still taunt the Gryffindors as you do now, and you may still try to accidentally-on-purpose transfigure Professor McGonagall's tail into a feather duster (although on that I do try to discourage you). Just be aware that one day I shall ask you which side you have chosen. If you choose this side, then I will expect you to fight. If you choose that side then I shall send you away without a word, and Lord Voldemort shall expect you to fight." Dumbledore's soft eyes did not change when Gregory flinched. But his tone lightened when he spoke next.

"Now Mr. Goyle, I think it is high time you returned to your bed. I believe you have History of Magic first lesson? I am sure you wish to be wide awake for that."

"What is going on here?" A snarkish voice interrupted the proceedings.

"Ah, Professor Snape. Mr. Goyle here appears to have been sleepwalking. I was just discussing the phenomenon with him. I must say it is rather fascinating hearing about it from someone who experiences it first hand. If you would be so kind as to wait at the end of the corridor, you may escort him back to his dormitory." Snape cast a suspicious look towards Goyle that said he in no way believed that Goyle sleepwalked. But as it was loosing Slytherin no points he was not going to complain.

"Incidentally Professor," called Dumbledore, "I believe someone has painted your face with the words 'Gryffindor shall conquer!', and it looks to be semi-permanent. Still, I have no doubt that it shall have disappeared by lunchtime. Quite amazing what charms the students can create isn't it?" Goyle had the survival skills to realise that it would be a fatal mistake to laugh at his head of house's expense.

Dumbledore did not speak again until after Snape was out of earshot. He kept his hand gently on Gregory's shoulder.

"Alas is does seem that Messrs Weasley and Weasley forget to exclude your head of house," he offered Goyle a wink and leaned in closer to the boy so that even the paintings would not be able to hear.

"May I just say though, that dark chocolate in traditionally an ill- received gift where a young lady is concerned. If you are at a loss for ideas do not hesitate to find me, I can give you some excellent hints on how to make a gift slightly more personal. Now, to bed with you."

Dumbledore smiled faintly and sent the bemused boy away with a wave of his hand.