Aww thanks Connie, and I am sorry to hear that you are having some issues in your life outside SS. I hope they get resolved quickly!

Horace stood there looking around the room and feeling horribly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, trying mentally to decide what was more important to him: the fame of having taught Harry Potter and Abby Carson or the safety of hiding and keeping himself on the down low.

I was staring at him intently when Dumbledore emerged from the bathroom, eyeing a page in his magazine curiously.

"I really ought to give this whole knitting thing a go," he said to us with a warm smile. "Nothing quite like a warm, fuzzy scarf you know."

Horace's mouth fell open slightly but he quickly closed it again after realizing it was probably rude to look at Dumbledore like that.

"Well, we better be on our way. It is late after all, and I am sure Harry and Abby are looking forward to Molly's home cooked meal!"

Dumbledore opened the door and swiftly walked out of it, and Harry and I made to follow. I gave Horace a little nod of the head before following Harry out of the house and into the street. Dumbledore was walking slowly, admiring the streetlights as we went.

"Why isn't Dumbledore doing anything?" asked Harry, looking at me.

"Because he doesn't have to," I said with a gentle smile.

In that moment the door behind us opened and Horace came running out of it.

"Wait, wait!!" he hollered at us. We all stopped turning to look at him. He looked annoyed at what he was doing but knew it was too late to turn back now. He was already out here and he knew how badly his reputation would be soiled if Dumbledore went back to Hogwarts telling everyone that he was too frightened to come and teach at the school.

"Yes Horace?" asked Dumbledore, acting surprised.

"Alright, alright! I'll take the position."

A huge smile spread across Dumbledore's face. "I am so glad to hear that you have changed your mind Horace. I'll see you on the first day then?"

"Yes, yes, I reckon you will," grumbled Horace.

"Excellent. See you then!"

Dumbledore held out each of his elbows for Harry and I to grab on to, which we did, and the next thing we knew we were being sucked into the annoyingly familiar suction tube, Horace's disgruntled facial expression our last visual before we landed amongst the high grass of the Weasley's yard.

"So Professor, why were you..." but Harry stopped once he realized that Dumbledore was no longer with us.

"I guess he has somewhere to be?" I said with a little chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go inside...I'm starving!"

Harry took my hand and led me up to the Weasley's door, which was yanked open with force by Hermione who nearly tackled us both to the ground. We spent the rest of the evening eating the delicious sandwiches that Mrs. Weasley had prepared for us and chatting before we headed up to bed. Hermione and I joined Harry and Ron in Ron's room after we were sure that everyone else had gone to bed.

"So, why do you think Dumbledore wanted to recruit him so badly?" asked Ron.

"I don't know," said Harry. "Did you catch any thoughts Abby?"

I shook my head. "Not really. He seemed kind of preoccupied in there though..."

"Preoccupied with what?" asked Hermione, turning the page of the Daily Prophet.

"I don't know. I kept seeing flashes of a boy in his mind, but the boy was younger, almost like a first year, but not like anyone I knew. And when I say flashes I mean very, very glimpse images."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "I guess we'll find out eventually once we get to Hogwarts."

"Why do we always have to figure things out at Hogwarts?" groaned Ron.

"Because if we don't no one else would," said Harry with a little chuckle. "Look at our track record Ron."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Ron, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Don't worry, one of these days we'll actually be able to go to bed not having to worry about what we'll wake up to in the morning," said Hermione, looking out the window with a curious expression on her face.

"Yeah, that'll be the day," said Harry, giving my hand a little squeeze.

We all fell asleep in Ron's room that night, all of us wondering what the new year at Hogwarts would bring. I didn't know what was so important about Horace Slughorn or the boy that seemed to be swirling around in Dumbledore's mind, but I could tell that this year Dumbledore wasn't going to leave us out of the loop like usual.

After all like Mrs. Weasley had said, Dumbledore was getting old and when the time came Harry and I might have to do what we need to do without him.