Disclaimer: Four out of five doctors agree that if you're reading this, then you're delusional.
Regression of a Wizard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Five~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry meandered about aimlessly, much more at ease in the upper levels especially since he had long ago lost his pursuers. After finally getting to relax a bit further, he was able to take in much more of his surroundings. These floors seemed to be decorated much nicer than the lower levels, giving off a more homely feel, though the castle was still unmistakably medieval in design. The floors were a mixture of marble and sandstone and covered with exquisite carpeting. Colored glass filled most of the windows and while they did not let you see the outside, they depicted many incredible scenes that would have been home in countless fantasy novels.
Torches still lined the walls at closely spaced intervals, and here it gave the rooms a cheerful splash of color. He looked left and right at all the doors that stretched out before him. Some appeared to be classrooms, while others looked like storage areas, but all appeared old and outdated. He had found a few clear windows along his path. It appeared that he had made it to one of the top levels. He could see the grounds spread beneath him outside and even spied a massive spire jutting out into the early morning sky, but he never found a path that could lead him there. In the distance he could make out several giant rings suspended high in the air, placed at opposite ends of a football pitch. Their purpose he could only imagine.
Harry couldn't tell what time it was, but judging by the amount of light outside, it was extremely early. He had not heard a single sound for the past hour or two and had yet to encounter a single person in his wanderings. Earlier, he had stopped for a while and dozed fitfully beneath the statue of an ugly one-eyed witch before waking and forcing himself to resume his trek. Even in his sleep, he was unable to escape that suffocating warmth that seemed to be guiding his feet.
The pictures had long since stopped trying to talk to him, though their eyes continued to follow his movements. Their stares had unnerved him at first, but their kind smiles calmed him somewhat and eventually Harry had learned to relax around them.
Suddenly, Harry came to an abrupt halt. In front of him, the corridor ended with what looked to be a giant statue of a stone gargoyle. Just as Harry began to turn around and backtrack, the gargoyle beckoned him closer. Harry blinked at it stupidly for a moment before shrugging his pillowcase clad shoulders, deciding it was no stranger than anything else in this freakish place.
He cautiously crept his way closer, keeping a weary, green eye on the creature. The gargoyle smiled widely down at the young lad before, with a scrape of stone on stone, twisting out of the way to reveal a spiral staircase that lead upwards to parts unknown. His curiosity overcoming his fears, Harry tiptoed upstairs, peering around the corner. Behind him, stone rumbled again as the gargoyle moved back in place effectively trapping Harry in the stairwell. With no other choice, he made his way quickly to the top of the stairs where he found a wooden door that was propped half open, a silvery light shining through.
Harry peered warily through the crack and into the room beyond. He could see no one nor could he hear anything other than some strange, metallic clicking noises.
Gently, he pressed the door wider and slipped through.
He could not stop the small gasp of surprise that escaped his lips at the sight that waited before him. He was in a circular room that was filled floor to ceiling with various odd gadgets and gizmos. Ancient books lined the walls along side whirling, silvery instruments and various other odds and ends. There were devices that puffed plumes of multi-colored smoke and giant crystals that reflected colors that Harry had never seen before.
Silvery suits of armor stood on either side of the room, obviously ancient and in much need of repair (and a good dusting) but Harry was untraced by the way the light reflected off of their bronzed shields and golden swords. Moving further into the room, he noticed bubbling cauldrons, the air shimmering over them but with no fires lit beneath their bottoms. What really caught his attention was just beyond, up on the second level.
A massive, golden, wire frame globe easily dominated the upper level. Beside it, there stood a telescope with a multitude of lenses and apertures and knobs of all sizes. It all looked terribly complicated to Harry, but he was willing to bet every toy solder he owned that it could see a speck of dust on the moon. Beneath the telescope, there was a massive mahogany desk littered with piles of paper and several smoking goblets. And sitting next to the desk…
"Wow."
A small golden eye blinked in amusement at the young boy, as if it found the entire situation humorous. The eye belonged to the most magnificent bird Harry had ever laid eyes on. It sat proudly upon a golden perch as it stared serenely down at him. Its red feathers glistened softly in the early morning sun's rays and it spread its wings out to either side before bowing slightly to the young man. It looked at him expectantly.
Harry goggled at it for a moment, but when it was apparent the bird was not going to move, he awkwardly bowed back. Satisfied that protocol had been observed, it trilled soothingly at him before hopping down from his perch onto the desk. Entranced, Harry slowly approached the bird, doing his best not to startle it. The red and gold bird observed the kid's actions with an air of a kingly patience. Harry's hand shakily reached out to gently stroke the bird's fringe when it seemed to look at something past his shoulder.
Harry whirled around…but saw nothing. Frowning in confusion he turned back to the strange creature but was startled once again when he saw that there was an old man standing where he had not been a moment before. Stepping back in fright, Harry prepared to bolt when he old man spoke.
"Ah, I see you have met my friend Fawkes here." His voice was kind and seemed to thrum with a kind of power that left Harry in silent awe. The warmth around him seemed to respond to this new person's presence, but Harry took little notice of it, too distracted by the newcomer to care. The man patted Fawkes' head affectionately. "He's a magnificent creature isn't he? Without a doubt, he is a phoenix of the highest breed. Incredibly bright, loyal above all others and a superb judge of character." Fawkes preened under the praise.
Quickly looking him over, Harry was puzzled by the man's appearance. He was fairly tall and rather on the thin side. He seemed to have the brightest blue eyes when he peered at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. His beard was simply the longest Harry had ever encountered in his admittedly rather short lifetime. But it was his clothes that really got his attention. He was in what looked to be a bright purple and blue bathrobe, covered head to knees with stars that twinkled and shimmered as his robe moved. His legs were covered with rainbow colored socks and his feet clad in fuzzy, black doggie slippers. The slippers barked and growled at each other quietly whenever his feet stood too close together. Harry was dumfounded at the outfit. It had to be the most outrageous thing he had seen yet.
The man smiled kindly and quietly said, "Hello there young Harry. How are you feeling this morning?"
"How do you know my name?" he blurted out incredulously before covering his mouth in shock. You never ever asked questions. That had been drilled into him for as long as he could remember. Questions caused pain. But the professor laughed the question off.
"My dear boy, I know a great many things." His eyes twinkled down merrily. "I have known you since the day you were born.
"I've never seen you before," Harry replied sullenly. The headmaster laughed amiably.
"Just because you've never seen me, does not mean I was not there." Harry grudgingly accepted this at face value. "Now, come here my boy and let me get a good look at you." He paused a moment. "Don't ever be afraid to ask questions young Harry," Dumbledore chided the boy gently. It was almost as if he knew what Harry had been thinking. "Seeking knowledge is never a crime."
"Why are you wearing pajamas?" Harry asked the headmaster innocently. He could not help himself. The old man's attire was just too fascinating.
"Excellent question my dear boy! I'm not quite sure as to the answer, but it did seem like a good idea at the time." He grinned at the toddler. "Why are you in a pillowcase?"
Harry frowned in thought before replying. "Seemed like a good idea at the time," he replied truthfully. Dumbledore grinned.
Harry shuffled slightly closer to the professor, slightly embarrassed about his pillowcase clothes, but only slightly. They were actually fairly comfortable and fit a darn sight better than any of Dudder's old castoffs. Dumbledore eyed the underweight boy critically.
"Hmm…very interesting," the professor said. "Very interesting indeed, wouldn't you agree Fawkes?" The phoenix amiably chirped in agreement.
Harry waited patiently for the old man to elaborate further.
Dumbledore pulled out what at first glance appeared to be a wonky looking stick with a handle and Harry eyed it warily and shifted uneasily at the sight of it. The only sticks he ever saw had been ones used to whip him with. Dumbledore looked at him gently. "You look a right mess there Harry, let me get you cleaned up. Now, this won't hurt a bit."
Harry looked confused as the headmaster waved his funky stick, but strangely enough, all the dirt and grime and blood accumulated from his romp around the castle simply vanished without a trace. Another wave transformed his raggedy pillowcase clothing into a nice set of blue jeans and a t-shirt. Harry looked down at his new clothes in amazement. The words `Gryffindor's Goldenboy' flashed on and off on the front in dazzling gold and silver, though Harry hadn't the slightest idea how to read.
Harry looked back up at the old man with a newfound sense of wonder in his young eyes. "Wow," he breathed. "It's like..."
"Magic?" Dumbledore questioned with a chuckle as he quickly conjured two comfortable looking, squishy armchairs. "Have a seat." He offered. Harry happily scrambled up into the chair where he promptly sank halfway into its surface, nearly disappearing from view. He giggled a bit before once again slapping his hands over his mouth.
"Hmm," the professor said, eyeing his botched bit of conjuring. "You're quite right; I don't think I managed that one right. A bit too squishy, though I never thought I'd hear myself say such a thing." Harry thought it was spot on perfect, but he'd never argue directly with an adult, for that was the quickest way to a three day stay locked in his cupboard.
Dumbledore squinted his eyes in concentration and the very tip of his tongue poked out the corner of his mouth as he gave his wand another wave. Instantly, Harry felt the warmth around him stir and swirl about him. He rose up nearly a foot while several soft, multi-colored cushions appeared beneath him, bringing him nearly eye level with the old man. Harry grinned.
"Now, that's much better!" Dumbledore exclaimed, obviously pleased with his improvising. He settled into his own chair wish much gusto before reaching into his robes and withdrawing a small tin. He popped the lid open to reveal a small pile of little yellow candies. He took a moment to eye them before carefully choosing a particular one (though Harry could not see any difference in one from another) before offering the tin to the boy.
"Lemon drop?" he asked pleasantly.
Harry's mouth dropped open. No one…no one….had ever offered a candy to him before. Shock would be too mild a word to describe Harry's emotions. Dumbledore watched sadly as a tiny, shaking hand reached out and gingerly picked up a sweet. Harry cradled it in his hands a moment before lifting it up and finally plopping it into his mouth. He involuntarily closed his eyes, savoring the sugary morsel for all it was worth. He knew that this moment would be forever ingrained in his memory.
"Well now that both our sweet tooths have been momentarily sated, perhaps we could have ourselves a pleasant chat." He withdrew the tin and placed it back into the folds of his robes before crossing his legs and leaning back comfortably.
"So, Harry, I must say that you've had us all extremely worried about you. When you vanished last night from the hospital wi…from the hospital, we sent several people out to help find you." He peered over his half-moon shaped spectacles and leaned forward. "Care to tell an old man how you managed to hide from them?" He asked in a whisper, as if it was a secret just between the two of them.
Harry was confused. "I don't know, sir," he said quietly. "I wasn't really trying to hide. I didn't see anyone besides that ghost when I first woke up."
"Curious," he said simply. "And tell me, what about that odd hallway with all the shattered mirrors? Did you see anyone else there?"
Shaking his head in the negative, Harry began to feel afraid. Scared that they would send him back to his aunt and uncle's where they would once again lock him up in the cupboard for misbehaving. Or even worse, lock him in a dungeon! Everyone knows that all castles have dark, scary dungeons. It wasn't his fault though! He hadn't meant to break all those mirrors. He never meant to cause trouble; stuff just seemed to happen around him at the most inopportune times.
Dumbledore looked intrigued. "Really? How odd…how odd…" He looked thoughtfully over at Fawkes, who simply shrugged his feathery shoulders. The wizened old wizard turned back to Harry, his eyes twinkling like mad. "Tell me lad, have you felt odd at all since you awoke? Felt anything unusual at all since you left your bed last night?"
Harry hesitated only a brief moment before telling the headmaster everything he could remember. He explained about his head hurting fiercely as he woke up, about his anger when the mirrors exploded, and about the all encompassing warmth that constantly pressed against him and guided him though the castle. Dumbledore took it all in stride as if it was exactly what he had been expecting to hear.
"I see. Well, fret not Harry, we'll get this all situated soon enough. In the meantime, you will stay here with us, I think. I'm sure you'll enjoy that as this old castle has many entertaining facilities that you might find amusing. You would like to stay here for a bit, wouldn't you?"
Harry very much wanted to if only to get away from his relatives, but was afraid of his uncle's reaction if he did not come home and begin his chores. He feared the wrath of Vernon more than death itself. He squirmed guiltily on his many cushions before voicing his concerns to the Headmaster.
"Badumbledoor, sir? What about my aunt and uncle? Won't they be mad at me for staying away all night? I don't…I don't want to get in any more trouble," he finished quietly, his eyes downcast.
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "There is no need to worry; it has all been taken care of. Tell me, what is the last thing you remember before waking this morning?"
Harry hesitated again. "I was locked in my…room. I was hurting a bit for a while. I thought someone had taken me to the hospital, but nothing looked right."
His mouth twitching with a frown hidden beneath his beard, Dumbledore said, "Yes yes. I can see what you mean." He stood looked outside the window at the bright light that was now streaming through the windows. It was still early, but breakfast was fast approaching and he had many matters to attend to. Plans had to be set in motion soon.
"Tell me Harry, are you hungry? Would a spot of breakfast make you feel better?"
Harry nodded, but then frowned. "But I don't know where the kitchen is sir. I can make you some breakfast if you'd show me how to get there."
Dumbledore forced a laugh. "No, Harry, I mean would you like something to eat? My treat!" He stood and stretched mightily, various bones and joints popping and cracking noisily. He leaned over. "You can have whatever you want!" he said with a wink.
Looking excited at the prospect, Harry literally bounced with excitement, nearly upending himself off of his cushions. "Anything?" he asked after steadying himself, just to be sure. Dumbledore nodded once and Harry looked suitably thrilled at the chance.
"Toast? And jam?"
"Of course Harry, anything you desire. Strawberry, grape or anything in between." Harry finally let loose with the first full, all out smile since he woken up. Dumbledore's heart broke at seeing such delight in such a simple thing and resolved to make it up to the boy somehow, no matter what it took.
"Now Harry," Dumbledore said as he wordlessly vanished his chair and continued around to the opposite side of his desk. "I want you to stay here for a little bit. You may feel free to look around, but please do not touch anything without asking Fawkes if it is ok first."
Harry raised an eyebrow at the thought of asking a bird for permission for anything…but who was he to argue? He had just blown up an entire hallway earlier, so really, stranger things had happened. He readily nodded his assent.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore exclaimed. He picked up a silvery object from his desk and put it in one of his pockets before coming back around to stand in front of Harry. He gently ruffled the boy's already mussed hair. The poor boy must have been cursed with permanent bed hair in a previous life. "Now, I am going to go arrange for a good friend of ours to take care of you for the next little bit."
Good feelings vanished into nothing as horrid images of Mrs. Figg and her multitude of cats rushed into his mind. Dumbledore laughed heartily as he saw the expression on Harry's face.
"No no," he rushed to explain. "You will like this person. She will take the absolute best care of you. She is both kind and caring and I know for a fact that she is extremely anxious to see you. So, do not fret."
"'kay," Harry responded simply. Obviously he still had his doubts, but if there was anything he was a master at, it was going with the flow. After all, just about anyone could beat the crazy, old cat lady at being a better babysitter.
"I shall return shortly, my young friend." He turned to Fawkes and waggled a finger at him. "Try and stay out of trouble, both of you."
Fawkes blinked innocuously at the headmaster before launching off of the desk and lighting gently on Harry's head. Harry looked up at the phoenix, delighted and then they both looked at the headmaster with identical looks of angelic innocence.
Albus was not fooled in the slightest, nevertheless he said, "I will return shortly." And with a twirl of his robes, he vanished out the door. He forced himself not to worry as he made his way down the stairs. After all, how much trouble could one toddler and an overgrown bird possibly get into?
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Author's Notes: Famous last words, eh? Yes, Dumbledore has finally arrived on the scene and the mystery surrounding our young Harry deepens as more questions arise. Where is our intrepid professor off to? What errands does he need to attend to so urgently? What horrific events shall befall our brave toddler in his absence? Stay tuned for next weeks adventure…same Potter time, same Potter channel.
As always, thanks to my loyal reviewers for I write for you guys. The next chapter, Harry gets a new guardian. Fifty points to the house of your choosing if you can guess who it is. Leave me some love!
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