He fidgeted around aimlessly; Madam Pomfrey refused to let him go until the headmaster had seen to him. He'd gotten painless use of his bones back after casting some spell on himself; he was surprised to find out that due to his lovely new curse, Madam Pomfrey was unable to do so herself. She had opted to show him how it was cast instead. The healer had given him his wand to do so; he was a little disconcerted to find it in her possession.
He stared down at his right arm; he'd opened up the bandages to see what they were like, with the healer's help. He frowned when he found two bite marks on his shoulder, there was a dark purple hue surrounding them both, when he looked down the right side of his arm, he found more purple blotches going down it. It seemed they weren't able to fix it. He sighed when he realised he'd be stuck with such an outlook.
"Do you feel anything? Unusual?" Pomfrey asked, as kind as she could.
Rodrick shook his head towards, "Feel pretty normal, I mean it looks horrible but... I don't feel different?"
Madam Pomfrey looked away; she felt sorry for the poor boy to be stuck with such a disfigurement...
He was about to ask how long he'd been on the wing for before he saw the headmaster appear through the two doors, he looked like he was rushing towards him.
"Hello, Rodrick, how are you feeling?" The old man started, a small smile on his face.
The two spent some time getting rid of the pleasantries, Rodrick found himself too tired to bother trying to push through them, he was tempted to bring up his dream but figured it was best to simply ask his grandfather.
As he was about to change the subject to something else, he found himself lacking for one, he looked to the headmaster and saw a familiar looking twinkle in his eye. He watched slightly wary as the headmaster asked for some privacy from the healer. He steeled his nerves as he spoke.
"How did you find me... I mean when you showed up?" Rodrick asked.
The headmaster's reaction didn't change.
"Miss Lovegood had taken me to where you were; I must say it was a smart idea to call for a professor's help although why you stayed behind yourself is something I don't quite understand. "
Rodrick sighed at that, "I had a weird dream the night before... When I reached the corridor, it appeared again..."
The headmaster's eyes almost sparkled as he listened in, "Do you have them often?" he asked.
Rodrick shook his head at that, "Few times really... I had the same with the troll incident only I saw what would've happened." A light of understanding filled the headmaster's eyes at that.
"I can understand why you decided it was important not to hold back in that case."
Rodrick could only nod at that before he explained the fact he'd seen the Basilisks eyes in his vision which in turn caused his paralysis and so he was unable to actually leave, even if he'd wanted to.
"Remarkable, to think the Basilisk's vision is strong enough to affect a person to that extent..." The headmaster remarked, the bright-eyed look on his face resembled a first-year learning their first charm.
Rodrick could only shrug at that. It was then he quickly reached his hands to his face slightly worried, before he frowned, wondering how his magic was still in place.
Dumbledore chuckled at that earning the boys attention, "You have Miss Lovegood to thank for that, she wouldn't let me see your face without your permission," He started before explaining the young girl's action after having arrived at the scene.
Rodrick could only let off a smile at the idea that a hat would've stopped the greatest wizard in Britain. Britain not the world. Britain. His grandfather was still alive.
"While I am against someone hiding like that... Everyone has their own reasons in the end..."
Rodrick nodded again... He knew the headmaster was more than likely dying to know... He sighed deciding it might be best to simply show him, however before he could do anything like that the headmaster spoke.
"While what you did is certainly a wonderful thing for the castle... I must warn you, that using such dangerous curses... I cannot in good conscience allow them, Rodrick, what happen to you..." Albus Dumbledore spoke, a stern tone to his voice but kind eyes, they were gazing to his arm. "It could've been so much worse."
Rodrick lowered his head at that; he was wondering just how much he knew... Fiendfyre was a fairly obvious spell but...
"Especially the killing curse... I will not say anything about it this time, the situation you were in... However, if it happens again..."
Rodrick quickly nodded his agreement; the bloody curse never worked anyway. He felt some relief when the headmaster had agreed to let its use pass.
The two fell into a small silence at that, Dumbledore settled back slightly unsure how to approach the next subject, however to his good fortune it was Rodrick who spoke first.
"You want to know?... Don't you? What I am hiding, where I learned all those spells" An almost resigned voice filled the room.
"It would certainly help to accommodate to you," Dumbledore sighed, "I do not want you feeling Hogwarts is a place you need to hide in, at the very least I don't want you to feel afraid from its staff."
Rodrick chuckled, earning a raised eyebrow from the headmaster. "Last years defence professor was Voldemort... This year's one is a fraud who Obliviates people and steals their accomplishments."
Dumbledore's eyes were shining with mirth at that, "Is that so?" he moved his head a little closer, "Where did you learn that?"
Rodrick shrugged, "Friend of mine guessed it, he's usually right."
Dumbledore nodded along to that as if to say it was plenty of evidence. "What do you think should be done about him?" he asked amused.
Rodrick shrugged, "I don't really care, long as he doesn't try to steal my achievement of killing that Basilisk."
Dumbledore chuckled.
Rodrick sighed slightly before he reached for his wand, and removed the Transfiguration at his face.
Albus Dumbledore watched with keen interest as he saw the boy's face morph and change, it truly was a remarkable level of magic, to think a boy at such a young age could perform it... His enthusiasm, however, was quickly replaced as he saw the familiar face... It was only then that he truly noticed the boy's eyes properly and how the familiar looking face fit it...
Rodrick was staring on slightly confused, the reaction he was getting wasn't what he expected. He had thought the Headmaster would feel cautious... Instead, all he could see in his face was regret. He was not ready for the next part.
Dumbledore watched in open shock; his past came back to haunt him slowly... One of his biggest failures as a teacher staring back at his face. A Mournful look took over his face as that same failure was screaming at his face. He was left speechless before he spoke of the first words he could think of that were appropriate for the poor young man...
"I... I am truly Sorry..."
'Sorry!? What? What is he apologizing for? Surely he realizes?' "Headmaster... I don't blame you for what you did; you really didn't have much choice in the matter..." Rodrick spoke, slightly fearful.
Dumbledore was brought out of his sadness, what was the boy talking about? He locked eyes with him but ignored the temptation to enter his mind, he was eyeing him almost cautiously before he decided to speak, "I don't understand what you are referring to Mr Gr-"
However, Rodrick couldn't help himself as he cut him off.
"My grandfather... I am referring to him..." Rodrick spoke warily.
Dumbledore took a whirl at that... 'Grandfather? Who is-' He was about to ask before Rodrick added on first.
"My grandfather... Gellert Grindelwald."
Albus Dumbledores eyes widened at that... His mind was burning through every memory it had, piecing together a puzzle he had never understood... It was slowly beginning to fix itself, in his head... All it brought him was sorrow. His mouth opened and closed, unable to comprehend an answer. His memories took him back remembering... 'How could I not see it? How could I...' The pieces made sense... they made too much sense... The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he'd failed his oldest friend.
Rodrick watched as the headmaster got up and told the boy they would continue talking later, he told him he was free to leave for the Gryffindor common room before he swept his robes out. His voice laced with sorrow. Rodrick could only watch in silent shock as the headmaster left, 'What on earth is he? Gryffindor!? Where did that come from? I am in Slytherin... His voice... I don't understand any of this.'
Rodrick cursed slightly... He better not give Gryffindor points for killing the Basilisk...
Rodrick blinked at the thought before he started laughing at his priorities; he just saw his headmaster look half mad for a second and the only thing he could think of was house points. He moved out of the bed and made to leave the hospital, he eyed the healer's frowning face but gave off a smile, to which she sighed. As he reached the door, however, he turned back to her and asked her how long he'd been in bed.
Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow at that before she answered, sending the boy into slight shock.
"2 Months, I believe you just missed your houses second game"
Rodrick cursed out loud earning an even more disapproving look before he quickly swept out, '2 months!? How many points did Gryffindor get in that time..." He frowned at that, 'Priorities Rodrick, Priorities.'
Rodrick had pocketed his hands before he felt something soft in his pockets, taking it out of his hospital clothing he found a single Phoenix feather. He raised an eyebrow at that before smiling slightly, that bird must really like him to give him a souvenir.
...
Albus Dumbledore had just entered his office, to find his pet Phoenix waiting for him in its cage, a sorrowed look copying him on its face. Dumbledore could only nod at it, understanding the sentiment. For the first time in all his years, since his sister's death, he felt truly lost.
He sighed as he felt his body slack into his chair. He eyed the book in his desk; he remembered how they'd found it almost a month ago, it seemed without the Basilisk the Horcrux in the book had grown desperate and kidnapped young Ginny Weasley, thanks to Harry Potter opening the chamber, found in the first-floor corridor. It wasn't difficult to piece those two pieces of information together; Myrtle wouldn't exactly keep quiet about the large snake's death, calling it vengeance. He felt somewhat bad for Rodrick; the ghost seemed almost obsessed with him now.
He had made his way down with young Potter and his friends to the chamber; he'd quickly dispatched of the younger looking dark lord by using a vial of Basilisk Venom on his diary. Severus had been over the moon after his storage of Venom increased thanks to the large dead Basilisk.
Of course, the highlight of that day was when young Harry Potter had effectively stolen Lucius's house elf. The man had been around trying to pin the blame of Rodrick's condition on him for a while... Not that he was wrong too, only he wasn't blaming him for the right thing, Dumbledore thought somberly.
HE sighed, there were still two things he needed to deal with soon, well three if you counted the whole failure thing... Best not to dwell on that, it would do no good, he will simply have to make up for it with the third generation. The other things that needed doing naturally involved informing the Greengrass's of the boy's recovery... Merlin knows the Matriarch will finally be glad and stop trying to raise hell towards him... Hopefully...
And of course, trying to figure out who would be winning the house cup for the year... Harry Potter, after all, had saved a fellow student's life... Turning his attention to the current house points, Dumbledore sighed, some battles simply could not be won. He chuckled slightly wondering how on earth Rodrick had caused Gryffindor to lose so many points; it really was a talent.
"Did I call him a Gryffindor?" Dumbledore spoke out loud.
Hearing a screech from Fawkes, Dumbledore turned towards the bird and saw what he assumed to be an amused look on its face.
Another screech had Dumbledore nodding along to the bird, "That's right, I'd nearly forgotten that... They were in Gryffindor weren't they?" Dumbledore smiled slightly, "You don't think he'd mind if I gave Gryffindor Points because of that?"
Fawkes could only screech disapprovingly at that.
Dumbledore sighed, "Alright, I suppose that is true..."
Fawkes screeched again.
"No, we wouldn't want to give him a reason to follow in his grandfather's footsteps I suppose."
...
"Gellert has got a lot of explaining to do..."
Fawkes snorted.
"Indeed,"