Dumbledore knocked on the door of Saint Nicholas's Home for Wayward Children, smoothing the old-fashioned business suit he used to meet with muggles. He donned his trademark smile despite the worry that was eating away at his insides like it did everytime he had to make one of these visits. The door flew open as a small woman favored him with a stern look.
"Are you the Headmaster the matron told me to look out for?"
"Why yes I am. I'm Professor Dumbledore, it is a pleasure to meet you, dear." He said her chill demeanor did not affect Dumbledore in the least. With a quick nod she ushered him into the orphanage.
"I'll take you to the matron's office," the woman said as she strode off with not another word, Dumbledore followed close behind. The rundown interior of the orphanage did nothing to abate Dumbledore's growing fears, as they came upon a door that declared in bold black letters 'MATRON'. The woman lightly raps on the door. A soft come in can be heard on the other side, inside the office sat at the desk was a woman with greying hair, rummaging through various papers.
"Matron Gregory, I have Professor Dumbledore to see you." The now named Matron Gregory looked up taking stock of the room's new occupants.
"Thank you for showing him here, Agatha, you may go back to watching the children," said the Matron. "Professor Dumbledore, please have a seat so we can discuss your visit and I'm sorry if Agatha didn't give you the warmest of welcomes the children put a lot of stress on us."
"No apologies needed I understand children can be a handful my school understands more than most," Dumbledore said.
"Yes about that, your school, Hogwarts was it, why exactly haven't I heard of it," asked Matron Gregory.
"Oh my school is very private, we like to keep to ourselves," Dumbledore answered "A lot of the children that attend our school come from powerful families that wish to go unnoticed."
"And why might a teacher, the Headmaster no less, of such a private and influential institution come to my orphanage," she questioned, her eyes narrowed.
Dumbledore's smile widened under the hard stare, "No need to worry madam, I came myself because I prefer to be the one that invites the orphans to attend my school."
"You want one of the children here to go to your school, why?" Excitement bloomed on her face at the thought of it.
"Why because their family wanted them to attend, of course, their name has been in the book to attend since they were born. We just found out they were staying here recently and I have come with a letter inviting them to attend." Dumbledore chuckled at the matron's now surprised face.
"Who?"
"A Mr. Caelum Matthews." And as soon as he uttered that name the matron's face, that was once filled with surprise and excitement, paled and became clouded with apprehension. Dumbledore frowned at the odd reaction and the worry he had forgotten while speaking to the matron came back full force. "Is there a problem, Miss Gregory?"
"N-no not at all it's just that this b-boy is the last I would expect to attend such a prestigious school," she said, stumbling over her words.
How very curious, thought Dumbledore. "And whatever do you mean by that Miss Gregory."
"I-it's nothing overly serious, just he hasn't been the most behaved b-boy since he has gotten here and strange things always seem to happen around h-him." The dark thoughts that had been swirling in his mind slowed at that. The muggle response gave him hope that there wasn't as much wrong with the situation as he feared.
"Well Miss Gregory, I would like to give a chance, we all deserve chances to grow don't we?" Dumbledore said, his eyes sparkling behind half-moon frames.
"Yes, yes Professor Dumbledore you are quite right," she said. She stood and gestured for him to follow her out the door of the office and up the stairs to the right of the entrance. Laughter and screaming can be faintly heard from the children playing in the park outback. A soft thumping can be heard as they approach a door labelled 'C. Matthews', once upon the door the mantron banged three times. "Mister Matthews, you have a visitor," said the Matron. With a nod to Dumbledore she hurried away back to her office.
His smile firmly in place, Dumbledore opened the door. Dumbledore found that the curious thumping he heard from before was a rubber ball about the size of his fist being bounced off the far wall in the room coming back to a boy with dark wavy hair, who seemed a little tall for his age. The boy looked up at the sound of another entering his room revealing dark blue eyes. Once Dumbledore had a good look at the boy's face he couldn't help but think that the boy looked hauntingly familiar. Further thought was cut off as the boy spoke.
"Shouldn't you be off looking for a hobbit?" Caelum asked in a bored tone.
The question caught him off guard not only for its contents, for he had no idea what a hobbit was, but also by the suddenness of it. "What exactly is a hobbit, my boy?" he asked, curious, as to what the boy thinks he should be looking for.
"And he doesn't even get the joke. It's a tough crowd here, you know, everyone is so boring, and I thought 'That's a very wizardly looking bloke he'll love this', but no you don't even get it. Do you even read?" Caelum asked, his question only causing the Headmaster more confusion.
Flabbergasted by the annoyed reply Dumbledore decided to push on. Dumbledore cleared his throat, "In any case, I am Professor Dumbledore, and I'm here young Caelum because you are special."
Caelum snorted, "The old lady finally decided, huh. I knew she thought I was crazy, just like all the rest of them, but I didn't think she would toss me in a loony bin." Dumbledore chuckled at the response.
"Hogwarts isn't a psych ward my boy, it is a school."
"A school for crazy people."
"A school for magic, my boy. And you, my young Caelum, are a wizard." Dumbledore reached into the pocket of his coat and produced a Hogwarts acceptance letter addressed to one Caelum Matthews.
He took the letter and glanced up at Dumbledore, "How do I know this is real, that you're not just trying to get me to go with you?"
"Hasn't something ever happened ,young Caelum, that you don't understand, that you don't know how to explain?" At this Dumbledore received a hesitant nod. "You're not alone my boy there are many like you, like us, out there if you know where to look."
"Prove it."
Dumbledore smiled at Caelum bringing out his wand pointing it at the small wardrobe next to the door one moment it was as it always was, and the next it was consumed in fire. Caelum flinched at the sight and took a step away from the wardrobe. Dumbledore, having noticed the boy's discomfort, cut off the spell leaving the wardrobe as it was before as if it had never been in flames at all. "Don't worry my boy, all your things are safe. I just find something dramatic adds a bit of flair and makes it a bit hard to deny."
"I don't really like fire," Caelum said, clearly still upset by the previously 'burning' wardrobe.
Dumbledore, having seen the boy's mounting distress, reached into his coat once again."Sherbert Lemon," Dumbledore asked, holding out one of his prized candies, "they always lift my spirits when I need some cheer." Dumbledore watched in stunned silence as the boy actually reached out and took one.
"Thank you Professor, it has been a long time since I've had one of these. They were my mum's favorite, you know," Caelum said, eyes far away, lost in a long forgotten memory. Dumbldore's eyes dimmed at what he heard, he reached out and placed a hand on Caelum's shoulder.
"It never gets easier young Caelum missing them," thinking of his dear sister, "but they live on in our hearts and they'll be there waiting for us when it is our time to meet our next great adventure." Dumbledore squeezed his shoulder, stood and turned away to wipe the stray tear making its way down his wrinkled face.
Dumbledore coughed trying to get back his voice. "Now I must ask my boy, do you wish to attend Hogwarts?" A slight smile had made its way back to Dumbledore's face, the eye sparkle back to full display.
"Yea, yes I think I will."
"Excellent, do you wish for me to escort you for your shopping? It wouldn't be a problem." Dumbledore asked.
"N-no, I'll be fine. I-I've been doing things on my own for a while now," Caelum said. Dumbledore was slightly disappointed by the answer, he had grown quite fond of the boy after all, and went to take his leave.
"I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts my boy, don't be caught up in any trouble before then." Dumbledore winked and quickly exited the room, still not able to shake the thought that the boy was somehow familiar.
A/N: Welcome to the fic. Hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment with any critiques you have, they are much appreciated.