"I agree, sir. I'd feel better if we could get a detailed Intent Scan, see if there's anything drawing them here." Shacklebolt said.
"How would we go about that?" Paddy asked.
"I'd have to make a floo-call, Intent Scans are really detailed and while I've done a basic one and found nothing, I'm not powerful enough to do a detailed one." Shacklebolt shrugged. "For that we'd need Dumbledore or someone from the ICW's R&C department."
Paddy glanced over to Titania, who gave him a tiny nod, so slight that no-one else recognised it for what it was.
"I see." Paddy said. "I think… it might be a good idea. I'd prefer to know exactly what's going on."
"In that case, Mr Grimmley? May I use your floo?" Shacklebolt asked.
Albus Dumbledore approached Paddy, Amos and Titania, as they sat on the patio overlooking the back yard. The young girl smiled as she looked at his deep plum coloured robes and mandarin-styled cap with folded brim, Dumbledore usually had the worst taste in clothes, but what he was wearing was almost sedate. Plush and extravagant, yes, but compared to the bright orange and purple robes that he wore for the Christmas feast in Harry's sixth year, this ensemble was sedate.
Thank Merlin.
"Mr Grimmley?" Dumbledore twinkled at him. "Albus Dumbledore."
"Headmaster Dumbledore." Paddy nodded, he was a little hesitant to welcome the older wizard. They might have already been to Gringotts for testing, but that was decidedly different to opening his home, and access to his daughter, to the wizard who is arguably the greatest wizard in the country.
"Allow me to allay any fears. My detection charms have had a similar result to Auror Shacklebolt's." Dumbledore smiled his grandfatherly smile. "There are no animal summoning charms or wards. Nothing that would draw them in. Nothing in the wards, nothing on the land, nothing on the buildings. And most importantly… nothing on Miss Titania." He paused. "I did find two Familiar Bonds, although currently, only one is active, while the other remains dormant."
"Which means… what?" Paddy frowned. Familiars? Two familiars?
"With your permission, if Titania attends Hogwarts this coming school year, she will be permitted to bring her familiar, or familiars, with her." Dumbledore answered. "If you like I may be able to assess the active bond, to determine which of her… friends that will be."
"No, I've a fair idea who it'll be." Paddy sighed. "It's going to be the pyrehawk and quite probably the dormant one is the griffin cub."
"Ah. You're aware of the bond, then?"
"Yeah, I figured it out when the hawk kept giving her feathers for quills. Blasted featherbrain nearly plucked himself naked, before I found a quill-grip that let her keep a feather for any length of time." Paddy ran his hand over Titania's head and held out a finger to the pyrehawk that was perched on her shoulder.
"Interesting. Few bird familiars bond that closely with their chosen person, that they'd give up feathers." Dumbledore mused.
"Apollo gave me feathers before we bonded, Mr Headmaster." Titania whispered, leaning against her father.
"Before?"
"Yes, sir. When I pulled him out of the pond, he gave me a wing feather and when I put him in my fireplace, he gave me a second one." Titania answered.
"When she got the local blacksmith to make her a tall firedog and put that in the fireplace, he gave her a tail feather." Paddy added.
"I see." Dumbledore tilted his head as he studied both the girl and the bird. "Might I ask? Do you have a wand, yet?"
"Yes, sir." Titania nodded. "Ash with thunderbird feather and claw."
"Feather and claw?" Dumbledore's brows rose. "Most unusual to have a dual core."
"It liked me." Titania ducked her head and leant further into her father's side.
"That is good to know. Thunderbird feather wands are notorious for being fickle, if it chose you, then it will likely never accept another, not while you live." Dumbledore assured her. "Not even if someone were to try and force it."
"Oh, okay." Titania kept herself tucked into Paddy's coat.
"Once you have activated your second familiar bond, I would suggest visiting a wandier, perhaps Madam Blishwick or Master Tingston. And ask if they would make you a second wand with dual cores from your familiars. It will likely pair well with your thunderbird wand." Dumbledore added.
"Not until you're older." Paddy said. "I don't want you losing control of a pair of custom wands, so maybe third or fourth year, but not before then."
"As you say, Mr Grimmley." Dumbledore nodded. "And that brings me back to schooling. After Auror Shacklebolt contacted me, I reviewed the enrolments for the coming school year and spoke briefly with Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, who is normally in charge of student notifications. As I was coming here, I volunteered to deliver Miss Titania's placement letter. And I can authorise her bringing her familiars with her."
"Not the cub, not yet." Scamander shook his head as he joined them. "It's too young to have around too many people."
"Newt." Dumbledore greeted his old student-turned-friend.
"Albus." Newt gave him a tired smile and dragged the older wizard into a rough hug.
"You were saying?" Dumbledore asked as he stumbled back a step.
"The cub. It's too young to have around too many people. Or for the bond to come in, strong enough for Titania to control it, if someone is aggressive towards her." Newt said. "And first years get a bit of a ribbing."
Paddy smothered a snort.
"Something amusing?"
"Oh, hell, yes." Paddy laughed. "Anyone trying to rib this kid is in for a hard time."
"And why is that?"
"Da calls me his princess of pranks." Titania said, her smile looking more like a kneazle that had caught a snidget in its bowl of cream.
"Ah…" Dumbledore's eyebrows rose.
Paddy laughed, a bright and cheery laugh, that for some reason had a familiar echo, to Dumbledore's ears.
"She's got the local lads, muggle and magical, all terrified of her." Paddy explained. "Not afraid, as in, for fear of their lives. But more in, for fear of her talking to their mothers. Heaven knows what she's got on them, but every so often, one will push her limits and embarrassment will ensue. Embarrassment for them, not her. No matter how much we know she's responsible, we can't pin anything on her." He shook his head. "It's frustrating, so frustrating. We can't catch her in the setup or the take down, but we know she's responsible."
"And you never will, Da, never." Titania threw an innocent smile at the three wizards.
"I see." Dumbledore smiled. "I shall have to keep an eye out, then."
"You can try." Titania challenged.
Dumbledore threw his head back and laughed. "I shall enjoy the next few years."
"No, you won't." Paddy said, as though he was only pretending to be serious, when in fact he was totally in earnest, Dumbledore was not going to enjoy the next few years at all.
"Hmm…" Dumbledore twinkled at the challenge. "Your letter, Miss Grimmley."
"Thank you, Headmaster." Titania accepted the parchment that was held out to her and tucked it into her pocket.
"Excellent." Dumbledore beamed at them. "Shall I make a note that Miss Grimmley is bringing a Familiar with her?"
"Yes, please. Just Apollo, though." Paddy glanced down at his daughter. "I'll keep the cub here, at least until he's older. We'll let Mr Scamander decide when he'd ready to join you. Okay?"
"Okay, Da." Titania nodded.
"So, I assume that you'll be keeping him, then, Titania?" Amos entered the conversation for the first time since Dumbledore arrived.
"Yes, please, Mr Diggory." Titania nodded, again.
"And what are you going to call him?" Newt asked.
"Helios. Titan of the sun." Titania answered, causing the four visiting wizards to blink in surprise.
"We've been studying ancient history and the Greek and Roman gods since late last year, hence the pyrehawk is Apollo and now the cub is Helios." Paddy sighed.
"They're the god and Titan of the sun." Titania explained. "They're the same, but different. Just like they will be for me. Both my Familiars, both just as important to me as each other but each of them will bring different things to our Bond."
"Ah…" Dumbledore and Newt both made understanding sounds, while Amos hummed and Shacklebolt just nodded.
The summer flashed by as the father and daughter duo got ready for the start of the school year. Books were checked against the school listing and carefully placed in one of the trunks that they'd got from the Room of Requirement, along with a small portable potions cupboard and all the other items that were on the list.
After that it was clothes, uniforms and casual clothing, enough to last the girl throughout the whole year. Then books again, only this time it was novels and story books. They knew she wasn't allowed a broom, but it was so tempting to try and sneak one in, Paddy wanted to but Titania wasn't going to risk it.
Lastly, it was supplies for Apollo's care. Food, a spare firedog for the trunk's fireplace. And that meant a floo-call to Dumbledore to explain that as Titania and Apollo needed a lit fireplace, all year round, Paddy had purchased a trunk that was expanded and contained that fireplace and would the Headmaster approve her keeping it? Approval was given and Titania beamed for a whole week. She had privacy, a fireplace for her beloved Apollo and a way to contact her father, if she needed it.
August 31st and Titania was bouncing around like a jackrabbit, not being able to focus on any one thing, for longer than a few minutes.
"Are you really looking forward to it that much?" Paddy asked. "To going to school?"
"Not the lessons, but the school? Yes." Titania smiled, a wicked little smile. "I can't wait to prank the twins."
Paddy laughed, relaxing back into his chair. "So, what have you got planned for the red menaces?"
"I'm not telling you." Titania said. "I'm taking no chances that anyone will know before it hits them."
Paddy frowned. "Then how am I supposed to know what happened?"
"I'll send you a memory for the pensieve." The girl smirked.
"Ooh… ooh, yes, that will work nicely." Paddy nodded. "And if they catch you?"
"They'll know it was me, they'll just never be able to prove it." The girl laughed.
"Oh, dear…" Paddy sighed.