Chapter Two – Changes Chapter Two – Changes

He looked down at the small child. Looking at her, he could see that deep underneath all the intricate layers of her personality, her spirit belied her small stature. He asked gently

"May I come in?"

She looked thoughtful and then produced, in a very reasonable voice

"My Aunt says that I mustn't speak to strangers or people without 'forms of identification'".

Albus almost smiled. He could hear the quotation marks fall around that particular sentence. The child was indeed intelligent for her age. The reports that he had read from the Muggle School had said that she was very bright indeed.

"Did you receive a letter this morning Megara?"

Meg stared at the man. How did he know her name? She certainly hadn't told him, because she had never seen him before. He knew her full name too! Almost no one knew her full name; it was so unusual that she didn't like to use it, because it just invited comment from people. Usually from people with names like Joe and Sally, ordinary names. They always asked why was she called that. What was she supposed to answer to that question? The stock answer was "Yes, thank you, I think it is". Only, she didn't think it was a nice name; it just made people notice her more. Her feelings were written across her face and were extremely easy to read.

"Ah I see, maybe I should just call you Meg then? Would that be alright?"

Meg nodded slowly. What was he even doing here? He was even wearing a dress. Meg thought she probably didn't know very much, but she did know that men didn't wear dresses, and they definitely didn't wear brightly coloured dresses with embroidery on them. Even most of the women that Meg knew didn't wear dresses, except the one that Aunt referred to as "That Woman". The capitals sat on those words nicely.

"I suppose you have a lot of questions, Meg? Could I maybe come inside?"

"You haven't shown me 'a form of identification' yet, sir".

And would I even know what one of those is, she thought to herself wildly. But he produced an object anyway, and looked carefully at it before he showed her. It had a dark burgundy cover and the man flipped one of the covers open and held it close to her face. Inside had a small picture of his face; he looked solemn, and businesslike in the picture. And at least he was wearing proper clothes, she thought.

"Will this be acceptable, do you think?". If Meg had been just a little older or a little wiser regarding people she may have noticed the mildly ironic tone he used with that question.

She looked at the paper some more, the picture was definitely of him, she thought. It said his name was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Gosh, his name was even more outlandish than hers! The paper also said where he was born, but the letters were so small she couldn't read them. Meg's eyes quickly scanned to the next line down, he was born in … 1881? Surely not she thought, after some quick mental calculation where she managed to only mouth the numbers and not whisper them, as the man looked on in amusement, she realised that that would make him over ninety years old. But he looked so sprightly. She looked at him quickly and he smiled with his eyes.

"I'm afraid to say its all true, dear."

"But that makes you really old" she said, and then gasped. Gosh he must think she was so rude. Her face was on fire now; the heat was creeping up her cheeks, to light her face up like a beacon. With his eyes still smiling he replied

"I am indeed 'really old' as you put it, child, and yes I have a more outlandish name than you too. Perhaps this really old man might come inside to sit down now?"

"Oh G-gosh, of course, the paper thing looks all right, I'm sure it's all right".

She opened the door, and let him in. He crossed the room and sat down at the table, almost as if he belonged there. He made himself comfortable by putting his elbows on the table and leaning forward, he steepled his fingers and placed his chin on them. This made his face much closer to the table and once Meg had sat in her seat, opposite him, it meant that she could more easily look into his face. She almost snickered when she looked at him. He looked so undignified sat there, his position at odds with his dignified person. Well Meg thought, that he would look dignified if only he weren't wearing a dress.

"Now Meg, did you recognise my name when you read it?"

She racked her brains, Dumbledore? Dumbledore? She was thinking hard now; her eyes strayed across the table to the letter with the elaborate writing. Of course, it was Dumbledore. He was the man who wrote the letter.

"But surely sir, that letter was a joke wasn't it". She laughed nervously. "Witchcraft doesn't exist, I know all about it, I read a book in the library. It said that there were scientifric, scientrific"

"Scientific" he said mildly

"Yes! Scientific", she was cross that she hadn't got that word right, "scientific reasons for everything that people said the witches had done, so there really aren't witches, sir".

Dumbledore sighed and looked her straight in the eyes

"Yes of course there are scientific reasons for all those things. But Meg, have you never wondered, what if there were really witches, and wizards. Magic and dragons and maybe there is a school that teaches people how to use it. Not in bad ways like those people said about the other witches, but in good ways, to help people and to protect them, but also to have fun. A place where you could learn about magic." Meg thought that he was starting to look mildly fanatic now, there was an odd glow in his eyes.

He looked at her shrewdly and said, "Don't you want to learn, Meg, and don't you want to harness that power that you know is inside you? Did you never make anything odd happen before?"

That set her to thinking. Yes, odd things had happened before. Once the teachers hair had flashed neon pink before changing back to a nondescript mousy brown, and another time, she had been able to outrun the fastest bully in the playground, she had thought it was just by sheer will.

"Look mister, I'm going to the library now because it's my birthday today, so you are going to have to leave. And this isn't funny you know, don't you know that men don't wear dresses".

At this Dumbledore started chuckling and Meg sat at the table becoming more and more indignant. She glanced at the clock. Great, the morning was nearly completely gone, now she would have even less time at the library, and all because this man though he was funny. This was her birthday things like this shouldn't happen on your birthday.

Dumbledore rudely interrupted her thoughts. "Miss Meg, did you read the letter that you received this morning?"

"Yes, I did, it wasn't real though was it?"

"Yes, it was real, I sent it myself so I know it was real. What I need to know now, is do you want to go to Hogwarts, you don't have to say yes, you can go to a Muggle School if you would like".

"What's a muggle?"

"A muggle is a non magical person".

"Like Aunt?"

Dumbledore paused, and with a thoughtful look on his face he said "Yes, like your Aunt, but you are a witch and so should go to a magical school so you can learn how to control your magic".

"Are you sure this isn't a joke, sir? If you are sure it isn't then I would like to go to the school" she said shyly. She wondered how so far, she had been so bold that she could talk to the man without stammering or looking at the floor. He did have a very kind face though.

"Yes I am sure it isn't a joke Meg. You can call me Professor Dumbledore if you like, I'll be your Transfiguration teacher at the school. Now I shall send another teacher to you shortly as you need to go shopping for your school things and your mother needs to be informed of your decision. Do you know when she will be back?"

Meg shook her head sadly; she never knew when she would be back. After all it was 'no business of hers'.

Dumbledore only said "Hmmmm" and shook his head softly. He would send Minerva he thought, she would adore this sweet child who was so neglected.

"Now Meg, I shall have to go as I have more children in the same situation as you to see, but I shall send another professor to take you shopping, her name is Minerva McGonagall, and I shall inform her to bring a form of identification with her, shall I?" he asked jokingly.

Meg blushed and looked at her feet, she was wearing socks that didn't match, one pale blue one and one pale green one. When she looked back up, Dumbledore had gone.