- Rating:
- PG
- House:
- The Dark Arts
- Characters:
- Albus Dumbledore
- Genres:
- General Horror
- Era:
- Multiple Eras
- Stats:
-
Published: 03/09/2004Updated: 03/09/2004Words: 1,128Chapters: 1Hits: 317
Best Served Cold
Mila
- Story Summary:
- Professor Binns just woke up one morning and went to class without his body. This is his story.
- Chapter Summary:
- Professor Binns just woke up one morning and went to class without his body. This is
- Posted:
- 03/09/2004
- Hits:
- 317
- Author's Note:
- This is a response to DragonBetween's
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
17 January 1856
Fifth year Albus Dumbledore sat down at his seat in History of Magic class and placed his satchel on the floor beside him.The rest of the class trickled in slowly, rubbing their eyes tiredly and grumbling about having the single most boring class in the curriculum for their first period class... and for a double period at that.
Morpheus Malfoy dropped tiredly into the seat beside Albus, smirking at the his grumbling classmates. "Do our wonderful classmates not realize that this is their chance to catch up on their sleep?" he muttered out of the side of his mouth to the Gryffindor beside him.
Albus chuckled quietly. "Don't worry, Morpheus," he replied succinctly. "They will take advantage of that fact soon enough."
Morpheus rolled his eyes and studied the class, most of whom were dozing off as they waited for Professor Binns to begin class. As his eyes roved around the room, he noticed something odd and frowned. He leaned over towards Albus, never taking his eyes off of the student that concerned him. "Albus," he muttered quietly. "Gelidd hates Binns, doesn't he?"
Albus didn't notice the Slytherin's apprehension, busy as he was shuffling through his satchel. "With a vengeance," he replied. "Have you seen my hawk-feather quill?"
"Albus, he's done something."
This made Albus stop and blink. He looked up and followed Morpheus's gaze. "Gelidd Eldon looking inordinately pleased with himself before a History of Magic lesson," he said as if to himself. "Do you think he has done something?" He asked turning to face Morpheus.
The apprehensive look on Morpheus's did nothing to calm his worries. "Albus, something is wrong here," he said, tension entering his voice. "Gelidd Eldon is capable of anything and everything. He's grown up on the streets, and there is sufficient evidence to prove that he has killed in the past." Morpheus paused and glanced at Albus's face. "And I know that he wasn't in the Slytherin common room or dormitories at all last night."
Albus stared off into space, thinking for a bit. He glanced at his pocket watch and commented, "Professor Binns is twenty minutes late. Do you believe we should summon Headmaster Nigellus?"
Morpheus glanced at the door and sighed in relief, "No need, he's -- Oh good Merlin!"
Some of the girls shrieked in horror. Out of the corner of his eye, Albus noticed Jeanette Longbottom slump over in a dead faint on top of the person sitting next to her. But he too was transfixed by the sight of his History of Magic professor. The same History of Magic professor who had been quite corporeal and solid the day before was now quite the opposite. As Albus stared through Professor Binns, he muttered absently, "I think I'll be getting the Headmaster now."
"Albus -- tell me that didn't really happen. Tell me I was dreaming again."
Absently, Albus noted that Morpheus sounded quite desperate as he repeated his request over and over. As the Slytherin was about to say it again, Albus stopped walking and turned to him. Placing his hands on Morpheus's shoulders, he shook him slightly and said, "Get ahold of yourself, Morpheus. It was real. It happened. It's now over."
Letting go, he continued walking down the stone corridor towards the library.
Morpheus stayed standing where he had been when Albus shook him for a few seconds, then jogged to catch up to his friend. "But Albus, what do we do?"
Albus raised an eyebrow and replied, "Do about what? He's dead."
Morpheus stared at Albus and replied in wonder, "You really don't know?" Then he blinked. "Of course you don't. You went to get the Headmaster."
Albus stopped and looked towards the door to the library wistfully. It was only a few steps away, but this conversation wasn't the type that you could really hold in such a place. Turning to Morpheus, he said, "If you would be so kind as to fill me in...?"
Morpheus studdied the worn stones beneath his feet. "After you left, Professor Binns said that he had to take care of some business and he went into his office. I glanced over at Eldon and -- Merlin, Albus, I swear to you he looked as though he was sitting in a room full of boggarts. He was all white and trembling and sweating and .... and ...." He took a deep breath. "And he turned and looked at me. He whispered, 'It's gone wrong. Good Merlin, it went wrong.' And then he yelled, 'He was supposed to die.'" Another shuddering breath. "And he ran out. And, Merlin, Albus, that's where he was last night when he didn't come to the dormitory. He was murdering Professor Binns."
Albus was staring at Morpheus very seriously. The normally-stoic Malfoy whispered, "What are we going to do, Albus?"
Albus studied Morpheus and replied quietly, "You are going to report this to the Headmaster and the proper authorities."
Morpheus paled further and he seemed to be physically shaken. "No, Albus, I can't--"
A hand came down on the Slytherin's shoulder. "You can, Master Malfoy, and you will," said Phineas Nigellus from behind him. "If you will accompany me?" He looked at Albus. "Please return to your common room, Master Dumbledore. Classes have been cancelled today."
Albus nodded his head in respect. "Of course Headmaster," he replied. He waited patiently until he had seen his friend and the headmaster turn the corner before he, too left.
The Ministry came that afternoon. Albus watched from Gryffindor tower as aurors escorted a shaken-looking Gelidd Eldon out of Hogwarts.
He never did learn what had happened at the interrogation. Morpheus had arrived at the library and slumped down into the seat next to his. He didn't say a word, just stared at the tabletop.
Albus wondered if perhaps he should approach Master Ediew, the School Healer, about Morpheus. There was something off about him -- as if he were expecting another Gelidd to jump out from nowhere and come after him instead.
As dinner approached, and as Albus was seriously considering on his plan of action, Morpheus looked up into his friend's concerned face. "They're not going to have a funeral," he said, in an almost absent-minded fashion. Albus nodded -- a talking Morpheus was good. "Professor B-- he said that it was pointless as he wasn't really d-dead." Albus pretended not to notice the Slytherin's inability to say the dead man's name, or how he stumbled over the word dead. Morpheus looked back down at the table.
A few minutes passed and then he looked up again and directly at Albus's eyes. "Don't worry," he told him. "I'll be fine."
Albus nodded. It would all be fine.
17 January 1856
Fifth year Albus Dumbledore sat down at his seat in History of Magic class and placed his satchel on the floor beside him.The rest of the class trickled in slowly, rubbing their eyes tiredly and grumbling about having the single most boring class in the curriculum for their first period class... and for a double period at that.
Morpheus Malfoy dropped tiredly into the seat beside Albus, smirking at the his grumbling classmates. "Do our wonderful classmates not realize that this is their chance to catch up on their sleep?" he muttered out of the side of his mouth to the Gryffindor beside him.
Albus chuckled quietly. "Don't worry, Morpheus," he replied succinctly. "They will take advantage of that fact soon enough."
Morpheus rolled his eyes and studied the class, most of whom were dozing off as they waited for Professor Binns to begin class. As his eyes roved around the room, he noticed something odd and frowned. He leaned over towards Albus, never taking his eyes off of the student that concerned him. "Albus," he muttered quietly. "Gelidd hates Binns, doesn't he?"
Albus didn't notice the Slytherin's apprehension, busy as he was shuffling through his satchel. "With a vengeance," he replied. "Have you seen my hawk-feather quill?"
"Albus, he's done something."
This made Albus stop and blink. He looked up and followed Morpheus's gaze. "Gelidd Eldon looking inordinately pleased with himself before a History of Magic lesson," he said as if to himself. "Do you think he has done something?" He asked turning to face Morpheus.
The apprehensive look on Morpheus's did nothing to calm his worries. "Albus, something is wrong here," he said, tension entering his voice. "Gelidd Eldon is capable of anything and everything. He's grown up on the streets, and there is sufficient evidence to prove that he has killed in the past." Morpheus paused and glanced at Albus's face. "And I know that he wasn't in the Slytherin common room or dormitories at all last night."
Albus stared off into space, thinking for a bit. He glanced at his pocket watch and commented, "Professor Binns is twenty minutes late. Do you believe we should summon Headmaster Nigellus?"
Morpheus glanced at the door and sighed in relief, "No need, he's -- Oh good Merlin!"
Some of the girls shrieked in horror. Out of the corner of his eye, Albus noticed Jeanette Longbottom slump over in a dead faint on top of the person sitting next to her. But he too was transfixed by the sight of his History of Magic professor. The same History of Magic professor who had been quite corporeal and solid the day before was now quite the opposite. As Albus stared through Professor Binns, he muttered absently, "I think I'll be getting the Headmaster now."
"Albus -- tell me that didn't really happen. Tell me I was dreaming again."
Absently, Albus noted that Morpheus sounded quite desperate as he repeated his request over and over. As the Slytherin was about to say it again, Albus stopped walking and turned to him. Placing his hands on Morpheus's shoulders, he shook him slightly and said, "Get ahold of yourself, Morpheus. It was real. It happened. It's now over."
Letting go, he continued walking down the stone corridor towards the library.
Morpheus stayed standing where he had been when Albus shook him for a few seconds, then jogged to catch up to his friend. "But Albus, what do we do?"
Albus raised an eyebrow and replied, "Do about what? He's dead."
Morpheus stared at Albus and replied in wonder, "You really don't know?" Then he blinked. "Of course you don't. You went to get the Headmaster."
Albus stopped and looked towards the door to the library wistfully. It was only a few steps away, but this conversation wasn't the type that you could really hold in such a place. Turning to Morpheus, he said, "If you would be so kind as to fill me in...?"
Morpheus studdied the worn stones beneath his feet. "After you left, Professor Binns said that he had to take care of some business and he went into his office. I glanced over at Eldon and -- Merlin, Albus, I swear to you he looked as though he was sitting in a room full of boggarts. He was all white and trembling and sweating and .... and ...." He took a deep breath. "And he turned and looked at me. He whispered, 'It's gone wrong. Good Merlin, it went wrong.' And then he yelled, 'He was supposed to die.'" Another shuddering breath. "And he ran out. And, Merlin, Albus, that's where he was last night when he didn't come to the dormitory. He was murdering Professor Binns."
Albus was staring at Morpheus very seriously. The normally-stoic Malfoy whispered, "What are we going to do, Albus?"
Albus studied Morpheus and replied quietly, "You are going to report this to the Headmaster and the proper authorities."
Morpheus paled further and he seemed to be physically shaken. "No, Albus, I can't--"
A hand came down on the Slytherin's shoulder. "You can, Master Malfoy, and you will," said Phineas Nigellus from behind him. "If you will accompany me?" He looked at Albus. "Please return to your common room, Master Dumbledore. Classes have been cancelled today."
Albus nodded his head in respect. "Of course Headmaster," he replied. He waited patiently until he had seen his friend and the headmaster turn the corner before he, too left.
The Ministry came that afternoon. Albus watched from Gryffindor tower as aurors escorted a shaken-looking Gelidd Eldon out of Hogwarts.
He never did learn what had happened at the interrogation. Morpheus had arrived at the library and slumped down into the seat next to his. He didn't say a word, just stared at the tabletop.
Albus wondered if perhaps he should approach Master Ediew, the School Healer, about Morpheus. There was something off about him -- as if he were expecting another Gelidd to jump out from nowhere and come after him instead.
As dinner approached, and as Albus was seriously considering on his plan of action, Morpheus looked up into his friend's concerned face. "They're not going to have a funeral," he said, in an almost absent-minded fashion. Albus nodded -- a talking Morpheus was good. "Professor B-- he said that it was pointless as he wasn't really d-dead." Albus pretended not to notice the Slytherin's inability to say the dead man's name, or how he stumbled over the word dead. Morpheus looked back down at the table.
A few minutes passed and then he looked up again and directly at Albus's eyes. "Don't worry," he told him. "I'll be fine."
Albus nodded. It would all be fine.
Author notes: This story will fit in with a series that I'm planning on writing that will focus upon Albus Dumbledore's childhood and his life through Grindelwald's defeat.
Morpheus Malfoy is a Slytherin, if you were wondering. But back then, before the rise of the first two dark lords, there wasn't as much tension between the Gryffindors and Slytherins. And, no, Morpheus isn't directly related to Draco; he's his great-great-great-uncle. ;)