Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Web of lies.
Alec wasn't very surprised to see that he was alone when he woke up. It had become routine for the past six days. He usually woke up around nine and had a bit of breakfast that the elves had already laid out for him. After he was finished, he got dressed in some muggle clothing, left the headmaster's rooms, and wandered through the castle.
He wasn't even allowed to go out and fly since his grandfather was afraid that it might attract too much attention. So, he usually ended up in the library; there at least he had something to do, and since Madam Pince hadn't returned from her holiday, he was able to leave his books sprawled on the tables when he left.
The elves always made sure to bring him lunch and dinner there. He usually didn't ask for it, but he suspected that Dumbledore had made sure he would always have his meals on time.
He knew that the teachers had taken to eat in the Great Hall, but he didn't feel comfortable enough to join them without an invitation. The return to his rooms late at evening was just as lonely; his grandfather obviously felt that the elves would keep an eye on him so he worked until late, making everything ready for the student's return.
That day had started just the same as the last six, but the routine was broken when McGonagall suddenly appeared in front of him. Harry was grateful he had just been reading a Quidditch book, because if she had caught him with his books on animagi she would not have been pleased with him, and it would have arisen many questions.
Looking up, he stared at her curiously. "Good morning, Aunt Minerva."
The woman smiled thinly back at him. "Good morning, Alec. How are you doing?"
The boy shrugged lightly; he knew that complaining wasn't going to help him so he chose to keep quiet. After all, Dumbledore had already done more for him than anyone else before, he should be able to accept that the man simply didn't have the time for him. "I'm fine, Professor."
The deputy-headmistress looked at him for a long moment, doubting he was being entirely truthful but also unwilling to press him further on the subject. She could guess what was wrong, but this time she couldn't do anything about it. Erasing her concern with a smile, she spoke gently to the boy sitting in front of her. "Can you get dressed in some robes? Albus has asked Severus and me to take you to Diagon Alley and get your things."
Harry brightened up at once. "Really?" Then he frowned a bit. "But I don't have any money, and Granddad gave me most of the things I need for my birthday."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Albus has given us enough money to see to your needs, and you still need to buy your books, robes, and wand."
Harry glanced up at her for a moment, and then he stood up. "I need to speak with him. Is he in his office?"
Minerva glanced down at him, a bit confused at his serious tone, but nodded lightly. "Very well, go ahead. Severus and I will be waiting for you in the entrance in an hour, is that enough time?"
Harry nodded absently, already making his way out of the library and towards the man's office.
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Dumbledore didn't seem very surprised to see him appear in his office. He glanced up from his papers for a moment before looking back down and speaking in a stern tone. "We're not going to argue about me paying for your things."
Harry, who had been about to speak, closed his mouth abruptly. "But..."
"I said we're not going to argue about it; I'm your grandfather, and as such, it's my duty to do so." Dumbledore finally looked up at him again. "If you want to, consider it an apology for ignoring you these past few days."
Harry's insides ran cold, and he became pale. Harshly, he glared at the other man. "You don't need to buy me."
The old headmaster looked very startled at his outburst. Then, his face softened, he stood up and headed towards him. "I'm not trying to buy your affections, Alec. I just want to buy your school things just like any other caring relative does, and I would prefer if we didn't have to have a huge argument about it. I'm very sorry I can't spend more time with you, but I usually have all this paper work done before the first week of August. Being away from Hogwarts has put us all terribly behind our usual schedule, and we're trying to make it up."
Harry sighed softly. "I know that. I'm not angry about it, just a bit lonely."
Albus raised an eyebrow. "And yet, you always eat on your own."
Alec looked a bit uncomfortable. "I didn't think you wanted me around, I thought you used those meals to discuss school things."
Dumbledore shook his head sadly and hugged the boy to his chest. "Of course we want you around. The other teachers are very curious about you, they just didn't want to bother you by approaching you."
Harry groaned softly. "Wonderful, just what I need, to have all my teachers ready to interrogate me as soon as I set a foot into the Great Hall. If it's the same to you, I'll keep eating on my own."
The headmaster laughed out loud and ruffled his hair. "That's easy enough to solve, child. Just use your shy act and hide behind Severus, I'm sure he will force them to leave you alone."
Harry laughed with him and moved out of the man's arms. "Talking about Uncle Severus, I need to get going, there's no need to annoy him when he's probably already cross with me for dragging him out of his dungeons and baby-sit me."
Albus looked down at him with twinkling eyes. "I wouldn't be so sure about it, but it's always better to not let Severus wait for long, he has a nasty temper."
Alec had already wandered to the door when another thought struck him. "Granddad, what about my wand? Do I need to get a new one? And what is Ollivander going to say? You know how he gets with people, last thing we need is him starting to tell everyone my name and what wand I bought."
The old man returned to his seat and looked at him seriously. "I talked to him this morning, I can't do anything to hide you from his senses so I just told him to expect you."
Harry gapped at him. "You did what!? You haven't even told Professor McGonagall about me!"
Dumbledore raised a hand. "I know, Alec, but I didn't have a choice in this matter. I trust him, he has been around longer than anyone could guess."
Harry scowled a bit and opened the door. "I still don't like it; it's bad enough that I have to start my first year all over again, the last thing I need is for people to start finding out about me."
Dumbledore nodded but didn't answer. They shared a last look before Harry left the office and headed up to his room to fetch a dark blue cloak.
Severus and Minerva were already waiting for him. Quickly he apologised for the delay, and together they left Hogwarts behind.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta reader, Vinnie.
Web of lies.
Alec wasn't very surprised to see that he was alone when he woke up. It had become routine for the past six days. He usually woke up around nine and had a bit of breakfast that the elves had already laid out for him. After he was finished, he got dressed in some muggle clothing, left the headmaster's rooms, and wandered through the castle.
He wasn't even allowed to go out and fly since his grandfather was afraid that it might attract too much attention. So, he usually ended up in the library; there at least he had something to do, and since Madam Pince hadn't returned from her holiday, he was able to leave his books sprawled on the tables when he left.
The elves always made sure to bring him lunch and dinner there. He usually didn't ask for it, but he suspected that Dumbledore had made sure he would always have his meals on time.
He knew that the teachers had taken to eat in the Great Hall, but he didn't feel comfortable enough to join them without an invitation. The return to his rooms late at evening was just as lonely; his grandfather obviously felt that the elves would keep an eye on him so he worked until late, making everything ready for the student's return.
That day had started just the same as the last six, but the routine was broken when McGonagall suddenly appeared in front of him. Harry was grateful he had just been reading a Quidditch book, because if she had caught him with his books on animagi she would not have been pleased with him, and it would have arisen many questions.
Looking up, he stared at her curiously. "Good morning, Aunt Minerva."
The woman smiled thinly back at him. "Good morning, Alec. How are you doing?"
The boy shrugged lightly; he knew that complaining wasn't going to help him so he chose to keep quiet. After all, Dumbledore had already done more for him than anyone else before, he should be able to accept that the man simply didn't have the time for him. "I'm fine, Professor."
The deputy-headmistress looked at him for a long moment, doubting he was being entirely truthful but also unwilling to press him further on the subject. She could guess what was wrong, but this time she couldn't do anything about it. Erasing her concern with a smile, she spoke gently to the boy sitting in front of her. "Can you get dressed in some robes? Albus has asked Severus and me to take you to Diagon Alley and get your things."
Harry brightened up at once. "Really?" Then he frowned a bit. "But I don't have any money, and Granddad gave me most of the things I need for my birthday."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Albus has given us enough money to see to your needs, and you still need to buy your books, robes, and wand."
Harry glanced up at her for a moment, and then he stood up. "I need to speak with him. Is he in his office?"
Minerva glanced down at him, a bit confused at his serious tone, but nodded lightly. "Very well, go ahead. Severus and I will be waiting for you in the entrance in an hour, is that enough time?"
Harry nodded absently, already making his way out of the library and towards the man's office.
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Dumbledore didn't seem very surprised to see him appear in his office. He glanced up from his papers for a moment before looking back down and speaking in a stern tone. "We're not going to argue about me paying for your things."
Harry, who had been about to speak, closed his mouth abruptly. "But..."
"I said we're not going to argue about it; I'm your grandfather, and as such, it's my duty to do so." Dumbledore finally looked up at him again. "If you want to, consider it an apology for ignoring you these past few days."
Harry's insides ran cold, and he became pale. Harshly, he glared at the other man. "You don't need to buy me."
The old headmaster looked very startled at his outburst. Then, his face softened, he stood up and headed towards him. "I'm not trying to buy your affections, Alec. I just want to buy your school things just like any other caring relative does, and I would prefer if we didn't have to have a huge argument about it. I'm very sorry I can't spend more time with you, but I usually have all this paper work done before the first week of August. Being away from Hogwarts has put us all terribly behind our usual schedule, and we're trying to make it up."
Harry sighed softly. "I know that. I'm not angry about it, just a bit lonely."
Albus raised an eyebrow. "And yet, you always eat on your own."
Alec looked a bit uncomfortable. "I didn't think you wanted me around, I thought you used those meals to discuss school things."
Dumbledore shook his head sadly and hugged the boy to his chest. "Of course we want you around. The other teachers are very curious about you, they just didn't want to bother you by approaching you."
Harry groaned softly. "Wonderful, just what I need, to have all my teachers ready to interrogate me as soon as I set a foot into the Great Hall. If it's the same to you, I'll keep eating on my own."
The headmaster laughed out loud and ruffled his hair. "That's easy enough to solve, child. Just use your shy act and hide behind Severus, I'm sure he will force them to leave you alone."
Harry laughed with him and moved out of the man's arms. "Talking about Uncle Severus, I need to get going, there's no need to annoy him when he's probably already cross with me for dragging him out of his dungeons and baby-sit me."
Albus looked down at him with twinkling eyes. "I wouldn't be so sure about it, but it's always better to not let Severus wait for long, he has a nasty temper."
Alec had already wandered to the door when another thought struck him. "Granddad, what about my wand? Do I need to get a new one? And what is Ollivander going to say? You know how he gets with people, last thing we need is him starting to tell everyone my name and what wand I bought."
The old man returned to his seat and looked at him seriously. "I talked to him this morning, I can't do anything to hide you from his senses so I just told him to expect you."
Harry gapped at him. "You did what!? You haven't even told Professor McGonagall about me!"
Dumbledore raised a hand. "I know, Alec, but I didn't have a choice in this matter. I trust him, he has been around longer than anyone could guess."
Harry scowled a bit and opened the door. "I still don't like it; it's bad enough that I have to start my first year all over again, the last thing I need is for people to start finding out about me."
Dumbledore nodded but didn't answer. They shared a last look before Harry left the office and headed up to his room to fetch a dark blue cloak.
Severus and Minerva were already waiting for him. Quickly he apologised for the delay, and together they left Hogwarts behind.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta reader, Vinnie.