November came and went and Cybele still hadn’t received any summons from the Potions Master to resume their research. As much as she wanted to talk to him, she was determined that she should wait for his invitation. In Potions class, as always, the professor acted as if Cybele’s seat was empty.
Eventually, the Headmaster called on her instead, shortly before the Christmas holidays. Flitwick pulled Cybele aside at the end of Charms to inform her that she was to meet the Headmaster the next evening.
Cybele was full of apprehension. Surely the headmaster was about to inform her that Professor Snape could not undertake the duty of her researches anymore and that she was to wait until some other scholar would volunteer. She even had involuntary formed images to dread upon, such as Lockhart using the duelling ring to test his clumsy hexes on her.
On Friday evening, Professor Flitwick escorted her to the Headmaster’s office. He didn’t stay for the meeting.
It was the first time she came back to the office in which she had first spoken to wizards. Nothing had changed since the year before. The atmosphere, perhaps, would have been dimmer at the beginning of the winter if a particularly joyous fire had not been burning in the chimney and Christmas decorations were not already hanging lavishly all over the place.
‘Good evening, Miss Philius,’ the Headmaster greeted. ‘Pray, have a seat.’
Cybele sat back in the exact same chair she had occupied over a year earlier, recollecting the meeting which had taken place at this occasion.
‘A year has passed, Miss Philius,’ the Headmaster was stating, thinking along the same line, ‘since we had the pleasure to meet and to welcome you to Hogwarts.’
Cybele recalled that she had at the time broken unknowingly into the boundaries she now regarded as sacred of Hogwarts.
‘I have called you to check on you, Miss Philius, and to renew Hogwarts’ welcome.’
This is not very substantial, thought Cybele who, all in dread as to the expected news of the withdrawal of Snape, nevertheless expressed her warm gratitude.
‘How do you feel following Hogwarts education?’ the Headmaster asked conversationally.
He was now gazing down at Cybele with a piercing look, all attention. Well, pretending to cast spells is not exactly thrilling, memorizing Latin formulas for the sake of pretending is highly frustrating, having to wave a wooden stick in particular ways for no reason at all borders nonsense, the new DADA teacher is a practical joke, and could someone please just tell Binns that he is dead? Boring, she thought.
‘It is easy enough to mix and follow the topics involving wand work, but I have not yet learnt to use my wand. I learn a lot in Herbology and Potions, too,’ she answered mildly.
‘Good, good,’ the Headmaster stated with satisfaction, ‘I still take that your main motivation in continuing to attend Hogwarts is to pursue the researches on your own Magic.’
Cybele nodded apprehensively. Surely now, the Headmaster was about to explain Snape’s silence.
‘Miss Philius, would you consider doing your school a favour?’ he asked unexpectedly instead. ‘If Hogwarts could use, in a very serious matter, your special abilities to solve a problem, would you accept to help us?’
‘Of course,’ Cybele answered without hesitation. ‘I am at you disposal, it’s the least I can do,’ she trailed.
The headmaster smiled warmly before he assumed a serious expression.
‘In this case, I will have to give you information that must never go out of this office;’ he did not pause and delivered. ‘We suspect that Mr Draco Malfoy may know something about the accidents which happened to Mrs. Norris and Colin.’ He looked at Cybele and said no more.
‘Headmaster, you believe Draco is involved in the attacks?’ she asked in disbelief.
‘No,’ Dumbledore assured, ‘I do not think so, even though I cannot exclude any possibilities at the time. But I have reasons to suspect that Draco may have heard information about possible attacks when he was among his acquaintances during the summer holidays.’
Cybele did not answer that. She felt puzzled. Dumbledore was accusing possibly Draco’s family in front of her and she did not see what he was expecting of her. She decided against asking any question and merely looked at him expectantly.
‘It would be of great service,’ the headmaster explained, ‘if you could read Draco’s mind to settle the matter.’
Cybele’s jaw dropped. She had not expected that sort of service. She could have travelled long distances, found hidden object or countless of other wonders for the sake of her school, but this was… not so straightforward.
She could not. She would never betray the trust of a friend. Draco may have been an insufferable git and she may not have had a civilized conversation with him since November, but he trusted her. She could not even account for him not to be involved in students’ attack, as it was, but she would not more likely peer into his mind than steal from McGonagall’s purse.
She could not understand how the headmaster could ask her such a thing. It seemed out of character from the straight and upright old man. Surely they were other means.
‘Can I ask you a question, Headmaster?’
‘You will find that you can. Whether I will answer it or not, I cannot promise,’ he answered.
Wise old monkey, Cybele thought unkindly.
‘Have you requested from Professor Snape to attempt to use Legilimency on Draco?’ Cybele knew well about Professor Snape’s Legilimency abilities, as he had tested them, unsuccessfully, on her the previous year.
The headmaster gave Cybele a sizing look that she found calculating.
‘I considered this possibility, but then again, I have reason to suspect Draco to be able to perform Occlumency. I could not take the risk to have him realizing that he was being investigated. Do I take that you are reluctant to use your ability at reading minds to help us?’ he asked directly.
‘I am not reluctant to this, Headmaster,’ she corrected carefully, ‘I am reluctant to deceive a friend.’ She hesitated, then added, ‘I can offer, however, to speak openly to Draco.’
‘Wouldn’t that, Miss Philius, also be a way to deceive him, if you are to report everything to me afterward?’ he asked with interest.
‘But, Headmaster, I would not hide it from him,’ Cybele explained, as if it was obvious.
The headmaster seemed to ponder her latest statement.
‘You do realize the gravity of the circumstances, though? Surely in such an exceptional context, a deception, later openly explained, could be considered?’ he insisted.
Cybele looked shocked and distressed at the very thought. She answered quite vehemently.
‘No circumstances could ever prevail. I simply cannot. You must understand that I would simply be unable,’ she stammered, looking frightened.
The headmaster looked preoccupied. The whole conversation sounded fishy to Cybele but she could not pin down exactly why it wouldn’t all be genuine.
‘I understand,’ he said eventually. Seeing the apprehensive look on the Ravenclaw’s face, he added, ‘I really do. It is all for your honour to be so loyal and to express it so clearly.’ He smiled at her.
‘Professor, please, I really would do anything for the school,’ said Cybele, distressed now at having had to refuse.
‘I won’t ever ask you again something that you cannot in good conscience do, Miss Philius. It was my mistake. But would your special abilities be one day, in another way, useful to the school, I shall not hesitate,’ he stated warmly.
‘I will speak to Draco, as I offered.’ Cybele nodded and made to leave.
‘Miss Philius, please note that your research meetings will resume after Christmas. You are to meet Professor Snape in his office the first Friday of the New Year.’
The peculiar interview had driven this main issue out of her mind. Cybele broke into a wide smile at this, all the rest forgotten. She could have sang as she danced her way down from the headmaster’s office.
Dumbledore did not move from his desk as he wandlessly locked the door of his office closed on Cybele Philius’ back. He did not move as a dark figure emerged for a hidden corner behind the meeting table and came from behind him to sit silently opposite to him.
‘Thank you, Headmaster,’ Snape said.
Dumbledore nodded. ‘I dare say this conversation has been useful. It does confirm your fears.’
‘It does,’ Snape agreed.
‘Your theory is that she is equally bound to be loyal to us and to Mr. Malfoy?’
‘As well as to all her friends, her good-doers, anybody whom she had accepted friendship from.’
‘She is very skilled at finding a way out, you may have noticed,’ pointed Dumbledore encouragingly.
Snape looked up. ‘While closing a door, you had been very careful to open a window, Headmaster. Our trap was carefully deficient. What happens when a Magian cannot find a way out of their contradictory bounds?’
‘They always do. Tiaras disappear,’ Dumbledore suggested.
‘If they don’t?’ Snape insisted.
‘I do not know, Severus,’ Dumbledore answered gravely.
‘I fear she may be in grave danger.’
‘She won’t as long as you watch over her,’ the older man assured. ‘You must talk to her.’
‘I will,’ the Potions Master agreed.
But he never got the occasion to do it in time.