Disclaimer: The same as the previous chapters.
Chapter 33
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry
Scotland
31st January 1960
Madam Irene Moonstone informed the gathered staff members that there was little she could do. They would indeed have to wait for the uniquely powerful petrificus spell to wear off. It was quite baffling in nature because it was not allowing her to give Ogg the simplest of potions. It was only allowing her to read his vitals. As of now, his status was normal.
Hagrid whispered," How long do you think he is going to be like that…?" staring at his mentor the Half giant sniffed. Ogg was stern and dispassionate, but he cared for the expelled student. Deep down, he knew Hagrid was a victim and not an offender. He had seen how much the gentle giant cared for magical creatures, so he had accepted the offer of Professor Dumbledore and Former headmaster Dippet to train him.
Patting his heavy arms the Mediwitch smiled apologetically," Oh! He is fine, just knocked out. He will bounce back before you know it. He is Ogg, he never disappoints us."
Way down the castle at the Hogsmeade Village, inside the private quarters of Abeforth Dumbledore a rather unsavory conflict was rearing its head up.
Albus Dumbledore fumed from his chair beside the small dining table as his brother continued to give him a cold shoulder, tending to the meat.
"So that's all? You went up the mountains beside the Great Lake with your goats and found Ogg lying there among the ancient trees. You tried sending me a patronus, but you found you failed to conjure one?"
"Yes, Al, that's it. That is how it happened. It won't change even if you ask me a thousand times!"
"So you cared for him on your back down the hill. That is where you chanced upon Hagrid. Aren't you being casual about it?"
"Look who's talking!"
"Abe, it is not the same thing…" Albus sighed.
He was forced to look away when the other turned and half shouted, "Oh! Is that so? Unlike you Al, I don't pick favorites. Hogwarts is supposed to be your family now, but look at you, here you are trying to skew me, instead of finding out on your own what caused the man to get petrified in the first place!"
"Abe!"
"Oh! Shut it Albus! Tell me, had it been Filius or Minerva would you have been this casual!" The keeper of the Hog's Head Inn threw off handedly.
Abruptly getting up, the headmaster strode up to the fireplace and gripped at the mantle in order to steady his nerves.
"Leaving already, perhaps, I could finally manage to knock some sense into your scheming head!"
"Abe there is no point in continuing this discussion with you, when you insist on being unreasonable."
Shoving the meat inside the oven, Abe closed the latch forcefully and cursed, "No Albus, you are the bloody problem. You think that the whole world should rotate around you, but guess what, that is not the case. If you could have stopped agreeing to Gellert blindly and paid a little attention to your family and siblings, we would have Adriana with us, and we wouldn't have lost Mum and Dad like that!"
The younger brother watched the other older wizard's back stiffen ever so slightly and then he disappeared into the mist of green flames of the fireplace.
"Honestly Albus you have the world at your disposition, but look at you. Look at you brother, how alone you stand and how lonely you feel." Abeforth sighed and dropped down on the same chair his brother had occupied. A standard gringotts owl flew in. Offering it a bit of meat to chew on, he read the message and sighed," The forest has nothing else to offer, besides the distant whispers of Old."
Returning into his office, Albus Dumbledore roared in frustration then dropped down on one of his armchairs feeling utterly lost. It was so easy for Abe to judge him. There was a soft knock on the door and a little later Filius Flitwick walked in.
"I knew I would find you here, Albus."
"If I am that predictable, why didn't you offer your name for the post of Headmastership those many years ago?" Albus sneered and hid his face into his hands.
Offering him a tumbler of firewhiskey, Filius Flitwick came and sat next to him and said," Well Like I have said before, I don't like the Board of Governors and neither do they like me. Especially with the difference of opinions and the height!"
Dumbledore chuckled and downed the drink, then muttered into his glass, " You know Minerva is young. I am aware she has been seeking your counsel. I would like you to continue being her listening board, like the muggles put it."
"And may I ask where would you be off to?"
"I don't trust Riddle. I have learnt a lot from my past mistakes, Filius. I had a talk with Nicholas Flammel and I have owled to several of the magical schools around the world. None of their answers are satisfactory. All they have to offer, that perhaps, the magic embedded into the foundation of the school is readjusting itself. I have my doubts, I don't think it is so simple, Charms Master."
"What else do you wish me to do, Albus, other than continue to be the common friend between the two Dumledores and train the feisty tabby cat?" Filius jested.
"Can you continue to have my back? I know, you look out for me, is ways no one would have ever thought. Oh! Yes, I wonder if I have offended your brother by not appearing at the Bank today." Albus smiled and Filius noticed the twinkle in his eyes was back.
"He is not as stubborn as the pictures portray him. He understands. Though I think a small letter would keep him satisfied, for the time being. Oh! And if your hands are full, I would like to suggest a few names over the span of a week."
"Whatever for?"
"Students don't like to watch Albus Dumbledore joking that the castle is sneezing because it caught a cold! Miss Pince has already skimmed through the stacks in the library. I am sure a couple of Slytherins are at it now and so are some of the Gryffindors. I saw The Head boy and the Head girl coming out of the library with magical architecture books in hand." The charms Master informed.
"Filius?"
"Yes?"
"There is one more thing that is bothering me and I am unable to do anything about it. I am not going to fight Riddle when the time comes all by myself, yes, it will happen in future. But I will not fight him, instead I will try to make the Ministry take things more seriously. And in the sidelines, I am also planning to build up a team or order a society sort of a thing of able wizards and witches to fight against Dark Forces. It will take years, but I don't think I will have enough time to address the other glaring issue." The Headmaster watched his colleague intently.
Flitwick whispered," You are planning to train witches and wizards to fight from a tender age. Are you going to rehash the Defence against dark arts studies?"
"Not really, but I am planning to include Muggle Studies from the next session. The Board of governors have agreed but for Mr. Malfoy. I want the students to learn from the two Muggle wars waged pretty recently and come up with their own questions."
"Interesting approach, Albus. I say it will definitely work. In the meantime, if you want I can tailor my lessons to ensure that the students begin to ask questions instead of read and sit for exams and forget everything at the end of term." Flitwick's eyes shone with enthusiasm.
"Oh no! Your lessons are quite engaging already. Minerva told me about that little glass cleaning spell over breakfast. Congratulations Professor for influencing a student to come up with something so handy. You have been mobilising many brilliant wizards and witches. Consider Fleamont for example. Every year, he keeps surprising me with one odd contraption or the other. But that is not what I am asking of you, my friend."
"I am always trying to seek out the best in a student that walks into my classroom Albus. That is all I do. Now, just tell me, how came I help you?"
"I have heard the rumours Filius, that magic is dying. I know deep inside, I know it is dying. I can't explain the feeling exactly, but I wish I could do something about it" Dumbledore looked tired all of a sudden.
"Well, time and tide stops for none Albus. The cycle of Life must get completed at some point," the Ravenclaw reasoned.
"But must it stop? I don't think so? Filius all I am asking from you is to look into the matter as extensively as you can. If our end is near then so be it, but we cannot give up without a fight. I can't let Evil forces trample over every good thing that Magic stands for. Drumstrang Headmaster Andres Poliakoff wrote a while back that somehow, the school is incapable of admitting female students. He says, the hills surrounding the school sings in a language they can't quite understand. It so happens that Anatasia Krum is the only female student to have successfully completed her seven years course. She is currently pursuing her apprenticeship program."
"Not a good news, what do you think is stopping female students from attending the school?" Filius asked.
"I don't know. But I fear, if something like that happens to Hogwarts."
"Oh! Merlin, Albus, that's quite a stretch but I will try to look into it. Though Albus, if it was me, I would have pointed my finger at Drumstrang's stringent policy of inducting only pureblood students."
"Well, whatever it is, we just need to know more about it. I am counting on you, Filius."
"And you have my word, like always my allegiance lies with Hogwarts." the Charms professor nodded.
"Well then, I think a bit of tea can set our dueling minds to rest. Ahem, Abe...when you go down, could you...I mean would you?" Dumbledore's bit his lips.
Filius laughed at his expense," If you want I can tell him, That Great Albus Dumbledore is sulking in his high castle and wants to say sorry..."
"I am not going to apologize, this time there was nothing to apologize for. The twit rather tried to jump down my throat!" the Headmaster huffed.
"Oh! Merlin, and here I was flipping through books. I missed the fighting match. On a serious note Albus, Abe cares about you, even if he fails to show it. You, in turn look after him through your many minions," pointing his finger at himself the Ravenclaw Head of the House winked.
Albus was about to call from his personal house elf, when the floo connection came alive and Minerva McGonagall stepped in. Eying him closely, she pursed her lips and muttered, " At least there was no dueling this time! Now if you are feeling up to it, why don't we all go up the mountain and see for ourselves…"
"Ah! That's one thing Abe will agree on…" Albus sighed then turned at the fireplace. The floo connection had come alive once again, but this time, it was the face of Fleamont Potter hovering over the green flames.
"Fleemont, are you alone or you have a small band of wizards trailing behind you?" Albus asked, making a point to hide his emotions behind his grandfatherly smile.
"Headmaster, it's just the three of us, Septimus and Reverend. We got something important to discuss, and it can't be done through an owl."
"Then by all means please step in gentlemen." The headmaster conjured a couple of chairs for the newcomers and mused perhaps it was just the thing he was waiting for. Together they could go up the mountain look about. Unlike what Abe said, Albus Dumbledore was truly worried about every resident of the castle and he was not going to rest until he found the assailant responsible for petrifying Ogg.