For in Dreams...

A Visit from Mr. Albus

Following that meeting, Ryanna and her family would receive a visit on her birthday regularly from the man she would come to know as Mr. Albus. Every year, he would arrive after her party guests had left. He would hold her, look at her, and ask her parents questions about what she had done and what they were doing to help her. Sometimes, the reports were not pleasant to hear; such as the time she caused the motor on the lawn mower to explode when she wanted to play in the yard at the same time her father wanted to cut it.

Dumbledore made a special visit one winter's night after her father noticed that she hadn't been sleeping.

He arrived a few days before Christmas and William greeted him and led him into the lounge, which was colorfully decorated with red, green, and gold ribbons and the tree strung with white lights and ornaments. "We're glad that you're here, Albus," William said. "We're at our wits end with this. Ryanna hasn't been sleeping now for days. Her teachers are concerned since odd things have been happening during class. She's started coloring pictures with her hands and she's been saying that she dreams of owls and brooms. I was about to go as far as to try my hand at mixing up a sleeping draft."

"Her teacher called before Christmas break," Helena broke in. "She said a girl her age shouldn't be lying."

"Owls and brooms you say?" Dumbledore said curiously.

"Yes," Helena replied. "You haven't been saying anything to her about those, have you, Albus?"

"Of course not," he said. "When have I had the opportunity? Might I be able to see her?"

"Of course," William replied. "She's in her room. We asked her to try and sleep."

"She's afraid to," Helena interrupted again. "Sleep, I mean. She said that there's more to her dreams than owls and brooms."

"I see," Albus replied. "Let me have a go at finding out what's troubling her."

"Thank you," William said as Albus walked upstairs. "It's the second door on the left."

Ryanna lay in bed looking up at the ceiling trying to hold on to the last thought in her head when there was a knock at the door. "Come in, Mr. Albus."

The door opened and Mr. Albus walked in, allowing a small sliver of light from the hallway to enter before shutting the door. "Good evening, Ryanna."

"Hello," she smiled.

"How did you know it was me at the door?"

"I don't know," she said as she set up. "I just knew."

"I see," he said. "May I sit down?"

"Yes, please do."

Mr. Albus sat down beside the little girl and rested his hand on the bed. "Your mother and father tell me that you haven't been sleeping."

"No, I haven't," she replied." I don't know why, really. I think it's because of the dreams I've been having."

"What kind of dreams?"

"Well, Mummy got a call from my teacher about something I was telling my friends. It was about a dream I had. She said that I made it up and I shouldn't be lying."

"What was the dream about?"

"Owls."

"Owls?"

She nodded. "It's the same one I've always had. I always dreamed that I'm sitting on my bed and an owl comes to sit on my windowsill. It has something in its claw but I don't know what it is."

"I see," he said. "What else do you dream about?"

"I dream about flying all the time," she said cheerfully. "And about fires, and a castle, and about the things that will happen to me when I'm older."

"What kind of things?"

"People that I'll meet. They're dressed like you sometimes. I see myself teaching like Daddy and flying on a broom."

"Interesting . . ." Mr. Albus said. "Tell me, have you been able to do things that your friends couldn't do?"

"Yes, loads of things," she said excitedly. " I stopped a ball in the air when Mark Hornsby threw it at me, and when my friend Alice was teasing Margaret about her classes, her hair caught fire. Oh! I can talk to people in my head, too."

"Really?"

"Yes," she nodded. "There's Molly, she lives in Surrey, Abby is in Leeds, Brian's and Sheffield, and Thomas is in London."

"When do you talk to them?"

"At night mostly," she said. "They're all good to know. Brian is teaching the Welsh and Thomas is teaching the Latin."

"I see," he sighed. "Ryanna, you have some very special gifts and you should be careful about what you do with them. Tell me, do you write down your dreams?"

She shook her head. "I remember most of them."

"Why don't you try?" Dumbledore replied as he reached into his cloak and removed from it a leather-bound book. "Use this to write them down."

She took the book from him, looked up at his face, and smiled. "Thank you."

She couldn't help but look in his eyes, a clear almost mirror like blue.

She may just be a Seer, after all. She heard his voice echo in her mind.

"Mr. Albus? What's a Seer?" she yawned.

"Where did you hear that?"

"You were just talking about it," she said. "But, you didn't move..."

"That's correct, Ryanna," he said. "A Seer is something I'll explain at another time. Right now, you should try to get some sleep. All right?"

"Okay," she said as she sank under the blankets and her head came to rest on the pillow.

Mr. Albus adjusted her covers and headed for the door.

"Mr. Albus?" She said softly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me sleep," she yawned again.

"You're quite welcome, Ryanna. Goodnight."

"Good night..." she whispered as she pulled her covers up to her neck. "Mr....Al..."

As he opened the door and walked out, he took one last look at the young girl. He knew that she would have to mature before she should have to, and with the right guidance, she could be a powerful Seer.

Before leaving, he stressed to her parents that they ask her about the people she is able to talk to in her head and to help her write down her dreams in the book he gave her.