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Albus sat back down after giving his start-of-year speech, and picked up his goblet, taking a sip of pumpkin juice laced with a splash of brandy - just the way he liked it, even if Poppy insisted if he kept it up he would develop gout.
He let his eyes wander around the hall as the usual bustle of the feast began to rumble and the students started to relax. Albus was always interested in how the students behaved when they forgot they were being watched. Cho Chang would gaze wistfully down to where Cedric Diggory used to sit before picking up her fork reluctantly. Ron Weasley, his hair shining out like a beacon, would help himself to some chicken, passing Miss Granger the plate next, despite her sitting three seats down on his right. And little Ginny Weasley, almost in imitation of her brother, would try not to look at Harry, stubbornly staring at her plate until the temptation became too much, and then she would glance over, sigh, and pull her eyes quickly back as if she had been caught stealing.
Albus chuckled to himself, ignoring the look Severus shot him - he should be used to this by now, familiar with the all-seeing role he had taken upon himself, trying to work out each and every student until he’d managed to fit them piece-by-piece into his steadily expanding jigsaw puzzle of war.
Albus finally indulged himself, and swept his gaze back over to his central piece. Harry was eating as he usually did, with too much nervous energy for a boy his age, and a little hesitantly, as if he was embarrassed to be seen taking too much from the serving dishes.
He looked on as Harry smiled gingerly at Ginny, his cheeks darkening as he started chewing on his lip. Albus shook his head at the awkwardness of youth, his eyebrow arching in astonishment as Harry’s gaze flickered over to the Slytherin table, hyper aware of the possibility he may be being watched - both hopeful and nervous about the prospect.
Albus turned his head towards Draco Malfoy, who sat lording it over his table, regaling Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini with an impressive tale, if their adoring gazes were anything to go by.
Feeling someone watching him, Draco’s head shot up, and he found Harry immediately, picking him out from the rest of the red and gold, as if there could only be one person who would ever look at him like that.
Their eyes locked, and an intense wordless exchange took place before it was severed by a Hufflepuff standing up to reach across his table for a bread roll.
Albus stroked his beard absentmindedly, noting Miss Parkinson’s frustration at suddenly having Draco’s attention diverted, and she poked him hard in the ribs until he pulled his gaze back.
Maybe there was something there that Albus could use after all, just when he’d thought at the end of last year that all had been lost. With Voldemort’s numbers growing stronger, he needed all the help he could get.
He gently opened up his mind further, letting Severus probe around his newly formed plan, and then deeper until he hit the memories of cake by the fire in the hospital wing. Then just as slowly, careful not to alert him, he pushed him back out, ignoring his piercing stare.
Indeed, there were many avenues yet to be explored, and he planned to take full advantage of them all.
He let his eyes wander around the hall as the usual bustle of the feast began to rumble and the students started to relax. Albus was always interested in how the students behaved when they forgot they were being watched. Cho Chang would gaze wistfully down to where Cedric Diggory used to sit before picking up her fork reluctantly. Ron Weasley, his hair shining out like a beacon, would help himself to some chicken, passing Miss Granger the plate next, despite her sitting three seats down on his right. And little Ginny Weasley, almost in imitation of her brother, would try not to look at Harry, stubbornly staring at her plate until the temptation became too much, and then she would glance over, sigh, and pull her eyes quickly back as if she had been caught stealing.
Albus chuckled to himself, ignoring the look Severus shot him - he should be used to this by now, familiar with the all-seeing role he had taken upon himself, trying to work out each and every student until he’d managed to fit them piece-by-piece into his steadily expanding jigsaw puzzle of war.
Albus finally indulged himself, and swept his gaze back over to his central piece. Harry was eating as he usually did, with too much nervous energy for a boy his age, and a little hesitantly, as if he was embarrassed to be seen taking too much from the serving dishes.
He looked on as Harry smiled gingerly at Ginny, his cheeks darkening as he started chewing on his lip. Albus shook his head at the awkwardness of youth, his eyebrow arching in astonishment as Harry’s gaze flickered over to the Slytherin table, hyper aware of the possibility he may be being watched - both hopeful and nervous about the prospect.
Albus turned his head towards Draco Malfoy, who sat lording it over his table, regaling Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini with an impressive tale, if their adoring gazes were anything to go by.
Feeling someone watching him, Draco’s head shot up, and he found Harry immediately, picking him out from the rest of the red and gold, as if there could only be one person who would ever look at him like that.
Their eyes locked, and an intense wordless exchange took place before it was severed by a Hufflepuff standing up to reach across his table for a bread roll.
Albus stroked his beard absentmindedly, noting Miss Parkinson’s frustration at suddenly having Draco’s attention diverted, and she poked him hard in the ribs until he pulled his gaze back.
Maybe there was something there that Albus could use after all, just when he’d thought at the end of last year that all had been lost. With Voldemort’s numbers growing stronger, he needed all the help he could get.
He gently opened up his mind further, letting Severus probe around his newly formed plan, and then deeper until he hit the memories of cake by the fire in the hospital wing. Then just as slowly, careful not to alert him, he pushed him back out, ignoring his piercing stare.
Indeed, there were many avenues yet to be explored, and he planned to take full advantage of them all.