Grindylows Receiving News

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, all belong to the genius, J.K. Rowling

Hi everybody, this is a multiple chapter fanfic about Albus' 17th summer. I really hope you like it. It will take a while before he meets Gellert, but hang in there. I feel that the first few chapter give context. Please take time to review and please feel free to be critical, in fact I encourage it, it helps with the writing. Also any grammar/spelling/coherence mistakes.

Thank you. Enjoy!

Albus Dumbledore lay back on the groaning bed in his room at the Leaky Cauldron. He absentmindedly flicked his wand and the most curious of scents filled the room: rain, ink, smoke, pot roast, each one masking the last.

He thought back to a few weeks ago, shortly before the end his NEWTs, remembered sitting beneath a young beech tree near the edge of the Black Lake. He and his friend Elphias Doge had been trying to escape the common room and library where the feeling of stress and, as Albus liked to think of it, slightly manic panic pressed down on the like a heavy rain cloud.

Albus thought that the calm outdoors and the lack of over-worked students would be a prosperous environment for revising. Or, at least, that is how he put it to Elphias who, like the rest of the fifth and seventh years seemed reluctant to leave the protected indoors.

Elphias handed him a thick Charms textbook.

'Quiz me.' Elphias knew that his friend did not need to study but that did not mean that he got the morning off too. Albus reached over and started flipping through the book. His long fingers passed over the spesia charm and the calorid charm, a useful spell that made objects vibrate so subtly, yet so quickly, that, within seconds they became hot to the touch.

Albus did not really need the book to quiz Elphias, he knew it and much more, by heart, but he often found that people seemed to be more likable if they at least appeared to be working for their results,

'Define the protean charm.'

'This spell is used to make any number of objects perfectly imitate an object of the same nature,' Elphias promptly replied .

Albus smiled. Elphias grabbed a handful of leaves. He muttered under his breath for a few seconds, gently tapping one leaf.

Albus picked up the leaf and, with a small swish of his wand, turned it blue. The other leaves in the small pile morphed from green, to turquoise, to a light sky blue.

'Perfect!' Albus exclaimed. Elphias beamed at his friend. Albus continued to question him for the next few minutes, comfortably sitting cross-legged. Elphias was under the impression that he wasn't fully focusing entirely on his task, he kept looking to the other side of the lake where a few boys and girls lay talking. One girl in particular kept looking back.

'Looks like Elsa Morrison has her eye on you,' Elphias said, no longer as happy as he had been a few minutes ago.

Albus turned towards him. 'I suppose that she'll be disappointed when you go off traveling with me,' Albus chuckled 'There are other grindylows in the pond.'

'Yes well, you seem to be a very popular grindylow, in a very attractive pond,' replied Elphias.

Albus frowned slightly. 'How do you know she isn't looking at my hilarious grindylow friend?'

'Oh come on Albus,' said Elphias, losing all metaphoric pretence, ' All the girls are running after you, remember at Christmas when Marjorie cornered you underneath that mistletoe.'

Albus picked up on his slightly jealous tone. 'And she didn't even want to hear about how the tradition actually originates from Norse mythology. But I'm sure where we're going there will be plenty of girls for the girls for the both of us.'

Elphias brightened at the idea of their trip. As soon as school ended they would be starting out on a world tour beginning in Greece. Albus wanted to visit the hill where the Ancient Greek sought advice from 'The Oracle'. It was rumoured that 'The Oracle' has in fact been a witch and a seer. Albus exclaimed this to be 'An extraordinary collaboration between the magical and muggle worlds!'

Albus handed Elphias the textbook.

'You'll do fine on the exam.'

Elphias Doge, a small pockmarked man walked into the room, pulling Albus out of the past,

'Have you been cooking in here?' He asked curiously, as he frowned, sniffing the air.

'No, no, just fooling around,' said Albus as he flicked his wand and the smell of pot roast left, leaving behind the smell of mice and dust-mites.

'Did they take your cat?' Elphias had been at the animalerie, trying to find a place that might temporarily adopt his small black cat.

'Oh, yes, when I told the owner she was quarter kneazle he seemed quite happy to oblige, he said something about experimental interbreeding.'

'Great, would you like to accompany me for a pre-dinner drink?' Asked Albus.

'That would be lovely.' Elphias nodded.

'Why don't you meet me down there, you know how long it can take to get a table, I just have to find a galleon. Elphias agreed and set off down the creaky stairs. Albus searched his magically enforced back pack. He found his money pouch just as he heard a rapping on the window. He saw Tempest, his family's tawny owl on the window pane. Albus walked over and in flew Tempest, landing on the bed. He flapped his wings and hooted gently as Albus untied the letter from his leg.

Albus- (the letter said)

Ariana had one of her episodes, I was down the street. She couldn't help it, it wasn't her fault.

Mother died. I should have been there. This is my fault.

Come home.

Aberforth

Albus read and re-read the letter. He did not cry. He could not believe it: his mother, Kendra Dumbledore was gone and was not coming back. It was his fault for not watching Ariana closer. It was the muggles who attacked his sister so many years ago's fault. It was his father for getting himself stuck in Azkaban's fault. Aberforth probably blamed him for not being there.

Albus could hardly think, hardly breathe. His mother had not been amazing, she hid from her fears, she forced him to feel guilty for not helping more with his half-crazed sister. But she was his mother, his only parent and as pathetic as he had often thought her, she fed him and clothed him and got him on the train towards relief and pleasure every year.

He was now and orphan, an orphan with a family to support. He was the oldest, the one responsible for his crazy siblings. Come home- these had been Aberforth's last words. He, Albus Dumbledore would not be traveling the world, exploring the mysteries of Greek oracles and Egyptians pharaohs, learning different cultures, he would be holed up, tending the hearth. Albus started to cry.

He was so angry, so sad, so disappointed, so shameful. Tears streamed down his face into his long hair.

'Albus? Are you in there? I've got us a table-Albus?' Elphias burst into the room. He saw Albus' tear streaked face and looked at the letter shaking in his hands.

'Oh god, are you okay?' he asked as he advanced towards his friend.

Albus looked bleakly up.

'My mother is dead.'