Merriman paced back and forth in front of Albus's desk. Albus knew better than to ask what was wrong; he simply waited.
"Our final battle is approaching," Merriman said abruptly.
Albus said nothing.
"This summer."
Albus said nothing.
"If we lose, you will know almost immediately. If we win, it will be quite a bit less obvious."
There's something more, Albus thought. He's leading up to what he really wants to say. He nodded, and said nothing.
"If we win, there are several different things that could happen."
Merriman was silent for a long minute. The only sounds in Albus's office were his footsteps as he paced.
"I may not return, if we win. Then again, I may. It depends."
Merriman did not say what it depended on. Albus didn't expect him to.
"If, this fall, the Dark does not rule and I do not return... then one particular outcome will have happened."
Quiet. Whatever Merriman was trying to say, he seemed to be having a rather difficult time with it.
"I want you to do something for me, if I don't return."
Albus waited.
"Will Stanton is a... colleague of mine."
The pause, not to mention Merriman's expression, told Albus a great deal.
"I want you to... look in on him for me. I..." Merriman trailed off. He didn't need to continue; Albus was fairly sure he knew what Merriman meant but was trying very hard to avoid admitting.
"Of course," Albus agreed.
"Thank you." And he was gone.
It was the last time Albus Dumbledore would ever see Merriman Lyon.
Summer, 1987
Will Stanton.
When Albus had agreed to find Will Stanton, he'd had no idea how difficult it would be. After all, he had no idea what continent, let alone country, to begin looking in. He had no idea whether to look in the Wizarding World or the Muggle, how old Will Stanton was, or anything about him.
But he'd finally tracked him down. It had taken him years, but he'd tracked him down at last.
Whatever he'd been expecting, it wasn't the young man he saw before him in this Muggle library.
Will was Severus's age, or perhaps a few years younger, with straight brown hair and a thoughtful expression on his face as he read. He looked perfectly ordinary, which was perhaps the most surprising thing of all- although it really shouldn't be, Albus thought wryly. Nothing about him seemed at all magical, very differently from Merriman, who had always radiated power.
Still, Albus was certain that this was Will Stanton. There was really only one thing to do now; talk to him.
"Excuse me? Would you happen to be Will Stanton?" Albus inquired, approaching the young man.
He looked up immediately. Blue-gray eyes met Albus's. "Yes," he said with some surprise. "Yes, I am." Will looked with interest and amusement at Albus's violet robes, which stood out like a sore thumb in a Muggle environment.
"My name is Albus Dumbledore. Some time ago, a friend of mine mentioned your name: Merriman Lyon? I'm afraid it took me a rather long time to find you..."
Will jerked, seemingly involuntarily, at Merriman's name.
He sat down next to Will and said, "Merriman asked me, some years ago, to look in on you if he had to leave."
Will said, voice studiously indifferent, "Did he?"
"Yes," Albus said quietly, looking at Will thoughtfully. He hesitated, looking at Will's face. He opened his mouth to speak- and closed it. Not yet.
Will stared at him in silence. Perhaps he is more like Merriman than I thought at first. Sometimes you had to focus more on what Merriman didn't say than what he did, after all. He had an idea that Will was the same way.
He'd intended to speak to Will and leave, having fulfilled Merriman's request.
He changed his mind.
"I'm the headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. During the summer, I often have guests stay at the school. You're welcome to come and stay, if you'd like."
Will hesitated for a long moment. "Okay."
Will did not volunteer information about Merriman and the Old Ones, and Albus never asked.
"How much do you know about the Wizarding World?" Albus asked on Will's first day there, shortly after holidays began.
Will shrugged. "Next to nothing."
Albus smiled at him. "Would you like to remedy that?"
Will nodded and said, "Okay." He looked at Albus with curiosity. Albus could practically hear Will thinking, Why are you doing this?
Albus wasn't entirely sure.
"An' this here's Fluffy," Hagrid said proudly.
Will looked at the three-headed dog with mingled fascination and wariness. "Fluffy?"
Albus chuckled. He'd thought the same thing.
"Down, Fluffy! He'll let yeh pet 'im, if yeh'd like, 's long 's I say it's alrigh'."
Hesitantly, Will stroked one of Fluffy's heads. That head licked his hand, but the other two started barking. Will jerked backwards out of reach hurriedly. "What did I do?"
Hagrid laughed. "They all wan' ter be petted, o' course."
Albus interrupted, "Will, Hagrid is an expert on all the magical creatures that can be found at Hogwarts. I asked him if he would show some to you, if you are interested."
The excitement on Will's face was all Albus needed as an answer.
Albus said cheerfully as they walked into the dungeon, "Hello, Severus. Will, this is our Potions Master, Severus Snape. Severus, this is Will Stanton, a guest of mine."
Severus said curtly, "Albus, I'm busy at the moment."
Albus twinkled at him. "We won't interrupt. Continue working as if we aren't here." It's good for Severus to have some contact with the outside world.
Will hesitated, shooting an uncomfortable look at Albus. Albus smiled at him and said, "Don't mind Severus, he can be rather grumpy sometimes."
If glares could kill, Albus would be dead quicker than you could say "Avada Kedavra."
Will looked around the dungeon, curiosity overwhelming awkwardness. He peered at the ingredients in the cupboard and looked with interest at the old potion books. Finally, his gaze rested on Severus's potion.
"What is he working on?" Will murmured to Albus.
"It's the Draught of Living Death. It causes the drinker-"
Severus interrupted, "If you must chat, can't you chat somewhere else?"
Albus chuckled. "If you insist, Severus. We'll come back another day."
He heard Severus mutter under his breath, "I can't wait."
One day, Albus found Will outside, sitting nearby to the Whomping Willow and reading. His pile of books was an interesting one: A History of Magic, Magical Theory, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and Unfogging the Future.
Albus smiled and said, "It's not everybody that would read textbooks for fun."
Will looked up from A History of Magic with surprise. Too caught up in his book to hear me coming. "They're very interesting. And anyway, if I want to learn about the Wizarding World, what better way is there than reading some first year textbooks?"
"And a third year textbook, but I see your point. Are you enjoying A History of Magic?"
"I find it fascinating. I like history."
Albus nodded. "I have some more recent history books, as well, if you're interested."
"I'd like to read them, as soon as I'm finished with these."
"I'll leave you to it, then."
Albus often found Will in the library, deeply engrossed in one book or another. So it wasn't really a surprise when Will came into the library one day six weeks before school began.
Will glanced curiously over Albus's shoulder at his book as he passed. He said hurriedly, as Albus looked over at him, "Sorry, am I bothering you?"
"Oh, no. I'm just trying to think of who I could persuade to take the Ancient Runes job. It's not a very popular subject, I'm afraid; most people seem to find it quite pointless."
Will said with interest, "Ancient Runes?"
"Yes, the writings of the earliest wizards." Albus flipped a page in the book. "This is one type- this particular group of runes is famous because nobody has been able to translate it."
"It's a cipher."
Albus twisted to stare at him. "What?"
"It's a cipher," Will repeated, sitting down next to him. "It can't be translated without a corresponding group of runes." Catching Albus's startled look, he explained, "I've seen runes almost exactly like this before."
An idea was growing in Albus's mind. "Do you know what these say?" He turned to another page in the book.
"'The beast was huge, and fire flew from its mouth,'" Will translated.
Albus nodded. "A famous description of a dragon. What about these?"
"'Stir twice to the left and three times to the right.'"
"Potions instructions. What about these?"
They looked at runes for several hours, long enough for Albus to ascertain that Will could, in fact, read all four types of ancient runes with apparent ease.
Albus considered his idea for a moment as they left the library. Yes. It could work.
"Will? Would you be interested in teaching Ancient Runes here at Hogwarts next year?"
Will stared at him, looking stunned. "What?"
"Teach here," Albus repeated patiently. "You understand Ancient Runes and I need someone to teach the subject. Why not you?"
"I don't have any idea how to teach," Will protested. "And I don't know much about the Wizarding World."
"I'm sure you'll learn about both soon enough. Anyway, we have six weeks to prepare, don't we?"
Will hesitated. "I... I don't know."
Two weeks before school began, Will said, "Okay, I'll do it."