1
There was a great deal of shouting and a thunderous crash. Dumbledore headed back towards the double doors he had just left, Cornelius Fudge blundering on his heals. There, sitting on the floor, were the two aurors they had left only moments ago. Fudge let out a great squawk and started sputtering about kidnaping, murder, and defenses.
Dumbledore surveyed the situation through the top of his half moon glasses for a moment and then walked briskly over to where the curtains hung over the large one way glass. Leaning slightly he lifted the drape to reveal the small hunched form of a child. The girl looked up reluctantly and met his eyes. She expected to be yelled at, perhaps even a good smack, what she didn't expect was the gentle chuckle that came from the man and actually flinched from it. Dumbledore knelt besides her watching her for a moment when the auror behind them yells, "Get away from her, she is dangerous."
Not moving Dumbledore simply continued to look at the girl. Softly he asks her, "Are you dangerous?"
"If you try to curse me." And although it was meant to be haughty the words came out more like a plea to the older man.
"Indeed it would seem so." Dumbledore chuckled again, blue eyes shining. "Pardon me for a moment." Still holding the curtain he rose up from his position and turned to the other men. "It does appear that stunning her is not going to work." With half a chuckle at the grown men still cowering on the floor not that unlike the young child huddled under the raised curtain.
"Well then what do you suggest?" Growled the other auror as he pinched a free flowing cut on his arm. The young man had joined the auror department a few years earlier and was known for his arrests and daring skills. He was more than a little irrate with having a child thwart him.
Dumbledore simply looked back down at the girl who was watching him warily, knowing that he held the answer to what was going to happen to her.
"Why don't you excuse us for a bit."
"And that is all I know of it. He came walking out with the girl as docile as could be. We took her to St Mungo's and then when it came down to what to do with her Dumbledore stepped in again and offered to keep an eye on her at Hogwarts. Legally he adopted the girl and though he always let us question her she remains as silent as that chair." Fudge sighed with irritation. "I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to have told her to stay quiet about anything she knows." Fudge sighed, looking at the pretty barmaid who smiled and offered him another glass of rum.
"No thanks Rosmerta, I must say it is getting late and I am best off to get back to the Ministry. You won't mention what I just told you though, I daresay it may upset some people. Pride is still a bit tender of where that little girl getting the better of them." Rosmerta laughed and agreed to remain quiet, however Fudge had no sooner left than she was chatting happily with another couple who were very interested in what she knew.