Albus Dumbledore, Pleased to Meet You
He knew his feet were moving under him, or at least he knew they must as he was willing them to, but he couldn't notice if the world moved with him, his eyes not noticing of even the slightest detail that went past. The last week had been spent entirely in his head, even as his body packed up his life and moved from one reality to another, from normality and the life he loved to Magic and, for him at least, emptiness.
Packing up his life had turned out simpler than he had envisioned, after the ordeal with Kate that still took centre stage amongst his night time dreams he felt a numbness that made him escape anymore sorrow. To him Kate was his life, not his other friends in Bournemouth or the places he knew, without her they all meant nothing. He hadn't even had the energy to tell most, the third of his trio was Mike and he barely received a `bye' as Harry phoned him the day of his moving. The world without her was darker than before, winter had seemed to reach England already and September had barely begun. Harry's stomach lurched violently as he remembered Kate's philosophy on the first day of each month, how they didn't really count as they were really just trials for the month ahead. If it didn't go well then you could just quit that month and stay home.
He hadn't spoken to Kate since, he had tried to phone only once and had received no reply and that took all his energy away from him. To actually hear her voice again would probably end up killing him, he thought. He hadn't asked Mike how she was but still he had felt the need to describe her pain in detail for Harry anyway. He heard, unable to speak, about how she had cried for a whole week, barely eaten, before hitting the town with anger, drinking her way to mental oblivion before she went home to cry herself to sleep. Harry couldn't help but sense a slight vindictiveness in Mike's voice as he spoke, but knew he must have been making that up as Mike had been his best friend for more than a decade, at least until Kate came into his life.
Now Harry found himself walking through a castle that would usually have amazed him, even blown his mind. Now though all he saw in the moving paintings was people who weren't her. The eyes of the cat that followed him weren't hers. The stars on the Halls ceiling were stars she had ever seen, and never would.
His mother had given him a quick tour that day, as the castle sat empty waiting for the children to arrive that evening. He had forced himself to make all the right noises during this as she became enthralled so passionately about a place that meant so much to her, and Harry didn't want to rob her of this feeling, he knew what it meant to be in love, and she very much loved this castle. She had been good to her word and had bought a small property for them in Hogwarts, Harry didn't want to live in the hustle and bustle of this castle, lessons would be bad enough, and he knew he'd need the solitude of his home to relax. Boarding school just wasn't a very good fit for him.
He approached his destination, and gave the password he had been told, a strange password but not interesting enough to bring Harry out of his thoughts. The Gargoyles sprang sideways to allow him through and he walked up the steps that were moving to bring him to a door. Without pause, or consideration for what lay on the other side, he knocked three times.
After a moment the door sprung open and he walked on into the strangest room he had ever been in. It was full of silvery machines that was whirling and moving, emitting little puffs of grey smoke as they did whatever they were supposed to. Harry couldn't help but allow his jaw to drop slightly as he looked around, seeing that every single one of the portraits on all the walls staring straight at him, evidently rapt with attention at his arrival. There was a large model of the solar system floating idly around the sun complete with meteors and shooting stars, Harry guessed that it was accurate. It was all too much to take in at one time and Harry thought that he could spend a week, or a month, in this room and still find new things to be amazed at.
"Ahhh, Harry" a voice called from behind the desk, snapping Harry's attention from a strange basin of silver to the speaker. As he looked at the man he knew immediately who it must be, Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard in the world. He had stood to welcome him and Harry could tell that he was over 6 foot, with his long white beard coming down at least half of that impressive size. He was wearing red and gold robes and had a smile attached to his face as he looked at Harry.
Harry smiled back and took the chair that he had been offered by a wave of Albus' hand. He waited for him to speak but all he did was lower himself down onto his chair and examine Harry for a few moments, he could see behind his half moon glasses that a glint was in his eye which made him seem young and vibrant for a moment.
"I'm very pleased to meet you Harry" Albus said kindly "and I am sorry it didn't come before today" Harry could see that he genuinely meant this. Thinking back on his old Headmaster at Poole High he couldn't help but be bemused. Mr. Short was a very angry, red, man who was funnily enough rather short. Nothing like the man before him.
"Me too, sir" Harry said back trying to smile as sincerely as he had, but realized it must of just looked a bit demented instead as he saw the hint of a smile appear on his face.
"So, Harry, are you looking forward to starting Hogwarts, even if it is under rather unusual circumstances?" He asked Harry directly. He couldn't help but be impressed, actually taking time to care if someone is happy, but to be honest with himself he wasn't. All he could muster was a shrug and a smile as he didn't want to lie to this man. For a moment he thought he could see a glimmer of sadness in his eyes but that disappeared so quickly that he wasn't sure it had actually happened "I hope you enjoy your time here, with a mother as a professor it must be quite strange?"
"I guess so…" Harry said shrugging again, wondering to himself where the tendency to shrug had suddenly sprouted from "but it's ok, really. I guess I'm happy I actually know someone here, even if it is my mother"
"True" he replied and seemed somehow proud at Harry's response. He sure was a strange man "I hate to do this to you, seeing as it's the first day here for you and things must seem overwhelming, but I need to ask you some questions…"
"Sure…" Harry replied, and as he saw the trepidation appear on his face he knew what these questions must involve.
"Trust me when I tell you this, that although answering the questions may seem hard or awkward, I only ask in order to prepare you. There are…people… here who may know things you don't, is this ok with you?" he asked, Harry could see he was nervous himself, but then again talking about the murder of a students parent can't be easy for anyone, especially if you were one of the people helping to keep them safe. Harry nodded to let him know it was fine for him to ask and received a warm smile from Albus in return "How much of, that night, do you know?"
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking… why didn't you just ask my mother, or Remus, what they've told me?" Harry asked as the question sprung to mind before the answer. Another part of the truth was that he didn't enjoy talking about what happened, even now.
"I'm sorry, Harry" Dumbledore started honestly "but I feel it much more necessary to find out what someone actually knows, rather than what they've been told". It made sense to Harry, people did work out a lot of things by themselves.
"Well, sir, the truth is my mother has been completely honest with me" Harry answered truthfully "When I was younger certain things were withheld, but once I turned 11 and had to turn down Hogwarts she had to tell me the whole truth"
"Ahh…" Dumbledore said, Harry could tell he was working out if his mother had told him the whole truth or just part of it and he knew nothing of the rest.
"And I trust her" Harry continued to answer his unasked questions "Because she told me that I had been destined to defeat Voldemort because a prophecy was made about this… anything else that could of happened couldn't have been any worse, could it?" Dumbledore smiled but Harry could tell he was thinking fast, he just didn't know what about.
"I see she has told you everything. I must admit I am impressed, if I had been in Lily's position I don't know if I could have burdened you at such a young age" he explained smiling throughout, eyes shining with what looked like thought.
"But it's over now, there isn't any burden left. Voldemort's dead" Harry said shrugging "and there's no way I blame myself for what happened! Some freak tried to kill me as a baby, I'm not messed up enough to think it was my fault"
He watched as Albus eyed him purposefully, like he was trying to work out a lie here, like something was wrong with Harry's words, but this really was the truth, he didn't blame himself. It's true that it was bad he had lost his father, but he never really knew him in anything other than the memories of Lily and Moony, and if he could change things he would in a heartbeat. But he had his mother, who he loved without a doubt, Moony who was like a really close uncle and friend as well as a life that a lot of other people in the world would swap theirs for. He had always had people to love, and was loved back, and he knew that too many people in this world had a lot less. Kate was proof of this, her mother was a Catholic drunk, father left when she was young, had spent time in a couple foster homes while her mother was in rehab. Compared to her Harry's life had been a blessing.
"It's good to feel that way, Harry" Dumbledore said kindly "You really have become a fine and good young man" Harry didn't know what to say so he just shrugged, again. A few moments passed as the two men watched each other, before Albus broke the silence "Well, I guess its time that you were sorted"
"What?" was Harry's only available reply. With his family, Kate, Albus, Kate, Voldemort and Kate on his mind the ways of Hogwarts had been temporarily erased. Quickly he realized what was meant and gave a better response "Sure, why the hell not?" earning a chuckle from Albus.
"Usually this is done as a first year and in the main hall with the rest of the students…" he spoke as he walked across the room and took a large, weathered leather old hat from on top of a cupboard and brought it back, standing next to Harry with expectation in his eyes "…but given the…unique… situation at hand, I'm afraid you will have to make do with my office"
Harry felt the hat lowered onto the top of his head, where he felt kind of silly. A moment passed where he wondered what would happen, he knew it chose what house you were in, but he didn't know quite how this occurred. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a voice spoke to him.
"Oooh…Harry Potter…" he looked around the office quickly looking for the source before he realized it actually came from inside his own head "…good, good…a lot of talent here I see as well as practical skill…"
Harry listened slightly unaffected. He couldn't help but feel, well, a little lame. A talking hat that judged you after a couple seconds of reading your thoughts? He couldn't help but think a questionnaire and an interview might give a better reading of someone's character.
"…a cynical mind as well, I might add…" Harry didn't put much stock in coincidence, so for him it was obvious. The hat could read minds "…You are brave, I can see you have that in stock…but a certain disregard for the rules is strong in you…where to put you, where to put you…"
Harry had heard a lot about the houses and thought he knew which one he belonged in already. If truth be told he could only see himself in one house.
Ravenclaw, smart and studious? He was never destined for that one. Hufflepuff, with the hardwork ethic? Not that he was lazy, but that was pushing it a little too far. Slytherin? He killed the second most famous one of all time, be it as a baby. That only left Gryffindor, and although he didn't fit perfectly it was undoubtedly the better.
"…Gryffindor you think? Interesting? And only discounting Slytherin because of he-who-must-not-be-named?" Harry couldn't help it, he had to laugh at that one. How the hell could a hat be scared to say a guys name? As the hat continues Harry was surprised to find it not insulted at that most recent thought, but then again it was only a hat "…A man's choices can tell us more about him than his abilities, so it must be…"
The last word was spoken out loud in a shout, and unsurprisingly Harry was now a Gryffindor. He felt a release of pressure as the hat was taken of and looked up to see a beaming Albus looking down upon him. Obviously he had thought that the sorting might go differently.
"I'm sure your mother will be pleased with that one" he said cheerily replacing the hat on its cupboard "and the Marauders would be delighted"
"You mean Moony?" Harry said startled, slamming himself for using that name.
"Moony? I must admit that name has rather thrown me, Harry, and that is saying something. I was talking about your father and his old school friends, naturally one of which was Remus" Albus said softly looking at Harry. Harry was relieved beyond comparison when Albus didn't press anymore on the name Moony, he knew that even if Albus knew the name Marauders he didn't know the bigger of their secrets. And if he asked he would have no choice to lie, that secret must be kept.
"Remus told me you didn't know about the Marauders?" Harry asked, keeping of the topic of the Moony.
"In that regard, they obviously appear to have been mistaken" Albus said with a small laugh and a smile. Harry could tell from that one look that not much got past him in Hogwarts.
"Wait till I tell him!" Harry said laughing, knowing how embarrassed Remus would be.
"If you'll allow me to make a suggestion?" Dumbledore said, his voice dripping with conspiracy "maybe, over the coming months, we could have a little fun with that information?" Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud, he knew how nervous Remus could become if Dumbledore did that right, and he knew how fun it would be to watch.
"That sounds perfect!" Harry said still laughing, he realized that this was his first laugh for a week, but as he realized this he stopped. Laughing only a week after that day with Kate seemed somehow sacrilegious to him, he carried on however with the conversation the best he could "Sir, can I tell you something?" he wasn't sure if he could say it, Albus had put him at ease but he was still his headmaster.
"That completely depends on what the something was" Dumbledore said simply "but fortunately I have a hearing problem that sometimes plays up. So far I've been lucky and it has come at very convenient times"
It took Harry a moment of thinking about his words before he realized what they meant and smiled.
"It's just that you're nothing like I pictured you to be" he said perplexed, like this was actually a question.
"You thought I'd be somewhat more…" Albus started but Harry interrupted him.
"Boring" he said simple, almost putting his face in his hands as the word came out and embarrassed himself. Luckily though Albus just laughed heartily at this bringing Harry out of his misery.
"I think that a pretty good compliment for someone of my age, and a lot better than some of the things Filch informs me are written on the toilet walls!" he said chuckling which Harry shared with him. For a few moments they were like a pair of equals, friends, catching up, not the student and teacher they actually were.
"I think it's time you went down to the Hall, Lily will be awaiting the results of your sorting rather eagerly I suspect" Albus said seriously again making it clear, but not nastily, that the meeting was over. Harry smiled and nodded before standing up and heading for the door. Before he reached it however Albus had spoken again, making him turn to look at him again.
"Harry…" and after this Albus paused for a moment, like he didn't know what words he wanted to speak next "…Your always welcome to come by, and if you need to talk to anyone I will always be available"
Harry could tell by the kindness and honesty in his face that he was telling the truth, and as he shut the door behind himself he couldn't help but smile.
*
I hope that was alright, meeting Albus Dumbledore is probably the biggest thing that can happen to Harry, so I had to dedicate a whole chapter to it. Plus you have a few answers to what happened to lead them here, although a lot more is still to come out.
I just want to take a moment to say that the title `Hogsmeade' is picked for artistic reasons (however sad that sounds!) as this story is about Harry returning to the magical world and as it isn't solely based around Hogwarts I felt Hogsmeade was more adeptly named.
Next chapter will bring with it Harry meeting his year…and so the trio will sit around a table for the first time…
Jms Granger…
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