The hall was glittering with lights from the fairies in the chandeliers, and the shifting colors of evening dresses gave the room an air of brilliant gaiety. Aberforth Dumbledore liked to see people being happy, even though he didn't understand what it is they found enjoyable at the party he attended, with his parents and younger brother. It was a party that Mr. And Mrs. Slughorn were hosting.
"Hello Mr. And Mrs. Dumbledore," Mrs. Slughorn Greeted her guests, "I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Gaunt "
"Hello, I am Mr. Dumbledore," said Aberforth's father, and putting his arm around Mrs Dumbledore's waist, he said, "this is my wife, Melissa, and this-" he said, resting his hand proudly on his younger son, "is our son Albus "
The Gaunts stood looking expectantly at Aberforth.
"Oh," he added a moment later, waving his hand dismissively at his eldest child, "and this is his brother" he said, as if just remembering the obligation to notice, "he's also our son."
"His name," said Albus clearly and deliberately, "is Aberforth." For some reason, Albus looked extremely angry.
Aberforth stood looking at the Gaunts, smiling foolishly, unaware of the manner in which he was introduced. He didn't mind being second to Albus. He knew how much his little brother worshiped him. Albus always regarded his older brother with a reverence reserved for the almighty.
When Aberforth started learning at hogwarts, Albus managed to attach himself to the Hogwarts express, and arrive at the castle claiming that he is ready for school. It happened every year, until Albus finally turned eleven, and got the letter from Hogwarts too. He would disappear at the Kings Cross station, and a few hours later someone would pop into the fire at the Dumbledore home and announce, "we found a little boy who claims to be ready for school, like his brother. Is he your son?"
"Yes, he is," his mother would reply faintly, "please send him back."
A little boy, who looked more like a ball, rolled by, and was caught by Mrs. Slughorn. "You've met our son Horace," she said.
"He grew up so nicely," answered Mrs. Dumbledore "how old is he now?"
"I'm four years old " announced Horace, and then he plunged right into a long discussion about the important new friends he made, and, "do you want to come and meet them, Albus?" He asked ignoring Aberforth totally.
"Look at him," said Mr. Slughorn proudly, "he is not even half your son's age and he already introduces him to important people "
Aberforth followed Horace and Albus without being invited. For his age, Horace sure knew a lot of big kids. He met Hephziba Smith - a descendent of Helga Hufflepuff, Marvolo Gaunt, a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, he even befriended Howard Roark a descendent of the great Merlin
"Now that we all know each other, let's play a game of Quiddich " Little Slughorn declared.
The older children obediently divided themselves into teams and appointed Slughorn to be the referee.
Aberforth stood at the side watching them. He was never allowed to play, but today he decided to charm the balls against the players. Oh man, did that infuriate the boys
That night he met the goat.
He was walking home with his family, when he heard someone singing to himself, "Nobody likes me, every body hates me..."
He looked around but he didn't see any person there besides his parents and Albus. THEY weren't singing. None of them heard the song either. He slowly walked towards the sound when he found a little goat grazing in the feild.
"Are you singing?" he asked the goat incredulously.
"Yes, I am," the goat answered.
"You can talk?" asked Aberforth.
"All goats can talk. Not all humans understand us, though."
"I understand goat language?"
"Lookes like you do."
Aberforth said, "Marvolo Gaunt can talk to snakes, so everyone calls him a Parseltounge. I can talk to goats, what does that make me?"
They stared stupidly at each other for a moment.
The goat cocked his head at Aberforth after a stretch of silence. "I always wanted to walk on two of my feet, like a human, and to scratch my back with my front paws..." said the goat.
"No problem." said Aberforth, and charmed the goat to do so.
"Wow, thank you This is great,"said the goat, dancing a jig.
"Anytime."
Their friendship blossomed through the years, and Aberforth kept charming his goat to do the standing and scratching. No one ever knew about this peculiar friendship, until one day young Dagny Skeeter, saw a goat acting very strange. As she got closer to inspect, she saw a tall thin man charming the goat to stand and scratch himself.
"What's you name," she asked.
"Aberforth."
"What are you doing?"
"Charming my goat."
"Your goat?"
"It's my pal."
"Really," said Skeeter amazed, "when did you meet? Do you charm it often? Does it like it? How does it feel to have a goat as a mate, instead of a human? Were you rejected by your peers? Do you feel like a loner?" she preceded to interveiw Aberforth for twenty hours, before she was satisfied.
The next day when the Dumbledore family picked up the Daily Prophet they were mortified to read about the scandal of the century, "Man Charms A Goat", the man in question being none other than their own Aberforth Dumbledore. Both parents were too embarrassed to leave their house for a week. Aberforth, however, remained unconcerned. He proceeded to charm his goat completely oblivious to the pointing and staring.
and till this day, if one would walk into Aberforth's home or workplace, they will always smell that special friendship. And if they would be drunk enough to ask, he would tell everyone how a stray hog once saw the goat act funny, and thought it meant that the goat had a 'thing' for him. Well, that's a whole 'nother story that is.