AN: I know the last chapter was somewhat short, so I decided to upload the original second half to it a little early.
Enjoy!
Breakfast at the Great Hall was livelier than it had been in years, even though the student tables were silent and empty. The staff was happily eating the eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, and more provided at the Head Table. Even McGonagall had a small upturn to her lips as she read the Prophet. The only one not joining the good mood was Severus Snape, scowling down at a plate of two sunny-side up eggs and curved smiley-faced bacon that appeared in front of him (which he was willing to bet several of the staff bribed or requested the House Elves to provide specifically to him).
Early in the morning that day, the owl was sent out to Harry Potter. The sense of hope that had been hard to come by since his disappearance had returned. Of course, the rest of the Wizarding World didn't know, but Dumbledore had something in mind to gently tell the general public that their savior was alive and returning.
Dumbledore himself was happily munching on a lemon muffin he had specially ordered. Since that day four years ago, he'd felt an enormous weight of anxiety and fury being lifted off of his mind. At last, Potter would be found again. He would return to the Wizarding world as is right. He would learn under his tutelage and fight Voldemort or die trying.
Though, he still had questions. Many questions for the boy when they found him. And Albus Dumbledore was hardly used to not having the answers.
For one, what happened to the Potter vaults and wealth? When he'd visited to check on the status of the vaults, he'd discovered the goblins confused from a long, mysterious paper trail leading to several definite facts.
As of December 25th almost four years ago, Harry Potter became a ward of an unknown party.
Said party had control over the Potter vaults.
Said party held control over the Potter influence and power.
Said party held control over all of the contents of the Potter vaults, themselves.
And, finally, no matter how much the goblins investigated the entire bureaucracy of Gringotts, "Said Party" had no name in any of the forms, but still existed. From the account manager to the goldsmiths who made the key, the papers circulated around the rungs of Gringotts always came back with a denial for Albus Dumbledore's involvement with the Potter accounts with no reason, but the decision could not be circumvented, altered, or reasoned with.
The goblins were furious at first, believing some form of fraud was involved, but quickly turned to confusion and mild anxiety as it all still somehow proved legitimate.
The only reason Dumbledore was able to use Potter funds for rebuilding Number 4 Privet Drive was because the necessary amount had just barely been removed in time for the mysterious transfer of guardianship.
So, not only were these people capable of combating and confounding an entire system of magical beings dedicated to paperwork and bureaucracy, but they could do so without even naming themselves in the process. A feat not even he could pull off.
Then, of course, there was the other night.
The aged headmaster's eyes darkened in frustration as he glared briefly at his poor, innocent muffin before composing himself and reflecting.
*flashback*
Dumbledore watched the quill write out Harry Potter's invitation letter and sealed the envelope before paying attention, especially, to the address.
"Mr. H. Potter
Third Seat on the Right Side of the Dining Table.
The Mansion.
The Forests, New York
The United States of America"
His mind sputtered in confusion. Yes, the first part of the letter was fairly standard. Name with the uncanny knowledge of exactly where the recipient will be upon receiving the letter (if all went smoothly), but the magic associated with the quill and Book of Students was absolute and precise.
"The Mansion" is far too vague!
What mansion? What was the name of the mansion? It couldn't just be called "Mansion mansion"!
Then, "The Forests, New York". New York State, contrary to the large, urban city it's known for, has millions of acres of dense woodlands. It was too generic, there were no national parks just named the Forest, the quill would pick up on the proper name of the forest at the very least! Otherwise, it would give the nearest town or the county the forest falls under. It couldn't possibly just be "Forest".
Lastly, how in the world did Harry Potter get all the way to America! It was simply confounding!
His mind raced and whirred and bubbled with anger and thoughts as he processed all of this before the quill had even enough time to levitate to the next parchment for a relatively unimportant student.
No, no, he had to focus on Harry Potter at the moment. He could not spare Oliver Rivers a second thought. This took precedence.
He took the sealed and addressed envelope from ending up in the general stack of others to be mailed out later that morning. Instead, he enacted his plan.
With all of the other staff watching his movements, he marched purposefully to the window and let out a high whistle. A moment later, a tawny owl flew through the open window and onto a perch by Fawkes' own (usually reserved for resting owls from Ministry business or similar). He personally handed the letter to one of Hogwarts' most reliable owls in the Owelry, Dusty.
The bird took the letter in its beak, a faint golden light shone over the two indicating the owl had accepted the enchantments of the letter to get the missive to the recipient at all costs.
Now was the moment of truth.
About 3 and a half years ago, his attempts to contact Harry Potter were thrown through a loop as the enchantments and methods he'd used to get owls and various messenger animals to locate the boy suddenly stopped working.
It was at that point, he'd feared the worst. It took a while to get the owls to find his magical signature enough to try to bring the letters despite returning confused and frustrated or never returning at all. Then, the owls returned to simply flying in a circle around the tower and returning sadly to the window indicating that even with the (illegal) charms and enchantments, they now couldn't find him.
That only happened if the recipient was no longer on Earth, no longer in the present time stream (it had happened before)-
Or dead.
This was why it all rested on the ancient magic of Hogwarts' letters. The Book of Students listed children dead or alive, but the quill was the one that confirmed they were able to receive their letter. So, Harry Potter was alive.
Now it came down to whether or not he would still receive his letter.
The owl flapped its wings and flew out the window. Dumbledore's heart almost stopped as the owl flew in a circle around the top of the Astronomy tower.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Then, a faint, blue light shimmered across the owl and formed a spiderweb-thin thread of archaic magic in a one specific direction before vanishing. The owl stopped circling and moved along the line, now imprinted in its mind.
The dark shape of the owl glided silently through the night.
And Dumbledore couldn't help but grin triumphantly.
Now, biting into the lemony breakfast treat, he could feel relaxed for once without his plans being interrupted by the constant stream of questions regarding the boy's health. He could plan and focus properly for the first time in a long while.
"Albus!"
He turned to Minerva's gasp and saw her staring at the roof of the ceiling, he calmly followed her gaze and rested on the most peculiar bird he'd ever seen.
It looked like a large raven or a black eagle, but that was the most he could make out. Instead of a bird, it seemed more like a three dimensional silhouette or shadow of a bird. It was entirely black with no defined feathers aside from those in the silhouette itself, no defined separation between wings, legs, beak or otherwise. The only discerning feature were two ruby-red eyes glowing in the head. If it weren't for the eyes shifting around the head as it turned and the figure casting its own shadow behind it, the creature could very well be considered a very well-defined shadow cast on the ceiling by an unseen bird.
The shade ceased circling before landing in front of the aged Headmaster, carrying an envelope with a small, black seal over it. He had never seen the curious stamp on it. A simple circle with two lines forming a cross through it. It hadn't belonged to any family or organization that he knew of. More-so, the addressee was listed as either himself or Minerva.
He allowed his deputy to briefly glance at her own name on the front before her eyes widened. He ran diagnostic charms for everything from curses to poison to junk mail and it all came up negative. He opened the seal and removed a simple page of muggle paper. He read.
Headmaster Dumbledore or Deputy Headmistress McGonagall,
We have received Harry Potter's letter of acceptance and we have some concerns about him attending. We are aware of the magical world to a degree, but prefer to stay away from it if possible.
Over the years, Harry has developed fairly powerful control over his magic as we are able to discern as well as attain a large degree of special tutoring.
Harry himself has decided to consider your school, though he has two friends who may also share his ability that he requests may come as well. We will be able to fund all three tuitions, so that is no concern.
We just want to know more about this school and whether or not it is the right choice for Harry and his friends.
We thank you for the opportunity and information.
Sincerely,
-Solomon Lindermann
P.S. Please send your reply by way of the messenger bird provided. We apologize for the state of your owl, but several of our residents have a peculiar taste for birds.
He stared at the post script, eyebrows knitted together-
There was a shriek followed by a loud *thunk!* as a mass of feathers landed on his breakfast plate.
Dusty the owl was weakly cooing in the middle of a splatter of egg and bacon. Hagrid immediately rushed over and scooped the small creature in his large hands, bringing him over to Flitwick to begin conjuring bird-sized splints and perform charms for knitting tissue together.
"Pr'fessor?" Hagrid says quietly. Dumbledore motions for him to continue, "This 'ere bird's almost been eaten, sir. Bite marks on the wing. Ne'er seen teeth anythin' like it, s'matter of fact." He bent down and gently held the wing to examine the semi-circle of red tooth marks.
"Hagrid, could you care for the owl while I write a reply?" Dumbledore asked, eyeing the shadowy bird perched on an extinguished torch. The Headmaster wandlessly and wordlessly summoned a spare bit of parchment, a spare envelope and a fully-inked quill to him from his office, keeping appearances before the teachers.
Another wave of his hand ensured the splatter of food was gone and he had a clean space to write. He touched the quill to his lip in heavy thought as he contemplated the first letter regarding the existence of Harry Potter in years. Lindermann was not a pureblood, halfbood, or otherwise magical family name that he knew of. Then again, he wasn't terribly interested in what happened outside of England and his sphere of influence.
However, regardless of the family itself, they apparently knew about the magical world. What's more, they knew enough to train Harry Potter in it. He did not like the sound of it. What had they taught him? What has been drilled into the impressionable boy's mind after all these years? For all he knew, they could be dealing with an unpredictable Dark Lord in the making on their hands.
Normally, as was the case with Tom Riddle, he wouldn't care all too much and still allow admittance or push for admittance seeing opportunities to keep a firm reign on them, but for someone so powerful magically, politically, and socially, Harry Potter had the power to completely dethrone him from the public's opinion. Perhaps even without trying.
There was too much at risk. Too many variables in place that he didn't see the patterns to. And as much as he was loath to admit, too much he simply did not know.
He needed to start off slowly. Too forward and he'd possibly drive them away, too little and he may not convince them to come here where Potter was needed. Keep the boundaries there, but slowly push them.
Where to start? The two students. It was not unheard of, but it was still a minor inconvenience to him that he could (regardless of how little work there actually is involved in that process) ingratiate this Mr. Lindermann to himself by admitting the two unknown students. Additionally, they could serve as routes of influence on Mr. Potter himself. These two students in his school provide new methods and options for gaining control over Harry when he arrived.
He began to pen a reply;
Mr. Lindermann,
I admit I am surprised and relieved to discover Harry is well and under your care. Your two students can, of course, be accommodated as soon as the necessary paperwork is completed.
As for your concerns, I have the utmost confidence in the quality and safety of my school, so you need not worry at all about Mr. Potter or his friends.
I am sure we can provide your children with the highest quality education in the magical world. Please provide a more exact location so my fellow professors or I may personally escort Mr. Potter to Britain to purchase supplies and provide housing in London so he may board the Hogwarts Express on September First on time and safely.
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot
Supreme Mugwump of the ICW
Order of Merlin (First Class) Recipient
He sealed the missive in an envelope and before he could attempt to write the address as he'd remembered it, the black bird swooped down onto the table and snatched it in its beak before taking off and out the window. Dumbledore was too stunned to do anything and by the time he'd collected himself, the bird was long gone.
His staff watched the window in stunned silence for a few minutes. Finally, McGonagall turned to him and murmured low, "Albus, please tell me what, exactly, is going on. What was that bird? Why did it come here?"
Dumbledore debated internally for a second before answering. "Ah, Minerva, that was the response from Harry Potter's guardian." The table gasped collectively as they leaned in anxiously. "He has come under the care of a "Mr. Solomon Lindermann" in America. I can't seem to recall anyone of that name, do any of you?"
He was displeased when he saw headshakes all around, no progress on that route. "In either case, Mr. Lindermann has expressed concern over our school. Naturally, I wrote to put him at ease with it." They nodded, happily content that the Headmaster's words would be trusted and followed. "However, we should prepare for two new students. He has informed me that he has two other magical children with him at the moment interested in coming with Harry."
"I'll begin the transfer papers immediately." The Headmaster nodded and McGonagall rose from her seat dropping her napkin in her place. She froze in place, staring upwards and he followed her gaze again.
That blasted bird was back! It was just sitting there on the extinguished torch again-
-with another letter!
They watched as the now-noticed bird swooped onto the Head Table and delivered the next letter. The bird returned to its spot, watching them. The elderly transfiguration professor was still poised to stand and slowly sat back down, "Albus? Is that another letter from Potter?"
Dumbledore looked at the letter in his hands and slowly broke the seal.
Albus Dumbledore (not even a single title, he thought irritably),
We would prefer to speak with someone in person prior to making such a decision. Of course, we will consider Hogwarts, but we would greatly appreciate a reliable source to provide more information.
As for the coordinates, we would prefer to meet in London. If possible, we recommend Hyde Park, Queen Victoria's Memorial, or some similarly notable tourist landmark between 12:00 noon and 3:00 in the afternoon.
Sincerely,
Solomon Lindermann
Dumbledore read the letter aloud to his colleagues then sat in his throne-like chair in pensive thought. McGonagall voiced one of his primary interests, though.
"How could that bird get a response so quick? We've barely witnessed it leave and now it returns with a response! International owls take hours to reach such distances. Days even!" She cast a nervous glance towards the ominous creature eyeing the staff.
"I am aware, Minerva," he replied in a placating voice, "but right now, I believe we have a missive to reply to."
"Who will go with them?" Professor Flitwick squeaked, "I admit I'm rather unfamiliar with the London area given my appearance and the Statute of Secrecy."
"The Quivering Tracheathorns are in a delicate stage of development," Professor Sprout added, "I'm afraid I will be unable to leave them long enough to escort Mr. Potter. Even then, I haven't visited muggle London in years."
Dumbledore briefly glanced at Professor Snape… then remembered he wanted to not scare them away. He smiled genially, "I believe Hagrid may do an excellent job."
The half-giant as well as a majority of the staff were stunned and a little flustered, "M-me, sir?"
"Yes, Hagrid. I trusted you all those years ago with transporting Mr. Potter and I feel it fitting that you be the one to reintroduce him to the Wizarding World." He continued beaming confidence. In reality, Hagrid was more reliable to ward off anyone interested in getting too close to Mr. Potter as well as encouraging the correct image of himself and Hogwarts. Mere conversation with the overly-caring man would ensure the seeds of interest in Gryffindor, the Light, and the good image he, the Headmaster, had cultivated over the decades.
"With all due respect, sir," Snape hissed, rising from his spot at the end of the table, "Have you gone completely senile? Hagrid is more conspicuous in the muggle world than Flitwick and he is not qualified to adequately introduce a muggleborn or muggle-raised student into the proper Wizarding World. Let alone provide the proper information Mr. Lindermann is searching for. Not that we need the Potter brat in the first place." He mumbled the last.
"Yes, but I-"
He was cut off by McGonagall, "Albus, I've trusted your judgment for years, but I really must protest. As Deputy Headmistress, it falls on my shoulders to ensure the non-magical families of students are informed of Hogwarts. I've done it countless times and I am sure I can provide a good enough impression to ensure Mr. Potter's guardian is comfortable with Hogwarts."
Dumbledore's eye twinkle dimmed slightly before coming back full force, "Very well, Minerva, I shall inform them so."
Minerva McGonagall was good a second choice. While a little too willful and opinionated, she was still entirely dedicated to the Light and towards his own good image. She would do well enough and, perhaps, give Hogwarts a better light than Hagrid could. Plus, knowing Minerva, she was infinitely more subtle in obtaining information.
Yes, she was an excellent choice in retrospect.
He picked up the quill.
Mr. Lindermann,
We have discussed among the staff and have come to an agreement that Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall will be your escort.
However, due to your location, we strongly encourage you to simply provide your coordinates. It is far easier for yourself and you will find that Wizards and Witches have ways of getting to locations regardless of an inconvenient distance.
We look forward to Mr. Potter's enrollment.
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot
Supreme Mugwump of the ICW
Order of Merlin (First Class) Recipient
As he expected, no sooner had he sealed the envelope did the black bird come down and try to snatch it away. He simply held it out and watched the bird take it in its beak before he twisted his hand under the table, feeling a silent, wandless, basic tracking charm attach to the letter as it sailed out the window.
The staff did not get up this time, instead watching the window anxiously. Ten minutes later, the bird came through again and directly flew down onto Dumbledore's spot.
Mr. Dumbledore ('Mr.'?! Such disrespect, he fumed silently),
We appreciate the offer, but we would prefer to meet in London. Any other locations would prove to be inconvenient or unwise to meet.
Solomon Lindermann
P.S. The gift is unappreciated
In his reading aloud, he neglected to include the post script. He was nervously aware of what it meant, but thought it better not to tell the staff. His own tracking charm that he, personally, had placed on an outgoing parchment, was now mysteriously attached to an entirely different piece of paper like some object that could be stuck to different surfaces… what did muggle children call them? Stickers!
What's more, reading the letter brought a small shiver of discomfort at the word 'unwise'. It felt directly threatening, but at the same time he couldn't find a reason behind his paranoia.
Minerva spoke, "I am familiar enough with muggle London to escort Mr. Potter. I've introduced enough muggleborn families to know several landmarks they prefer to meet. I believe Noon at the Soho Square Gardens. It's one of the closest tourist landmarks by the Alley. Tell them I will have a red and gold flag with me."
Snape snorted, "Gryffindor much?"
She ignored him, "I believe tomorrow should prove acceptable to my schedule."
Dumbledore penned the information into the letter before the bird took it and flew off. Minutes later came the reply.
Headmaster Dumbledore,
Please express our gratitude towards Professor McGonagall for agreeing to our requests. We believe the time and location are acceptable.
I must inform you that I will have to allow several other wards to accompany us on the trip. They are aware of magic and should not be terribly bothersome.
I will arrive tomorrow.
Solomon Lindermann
The aged Headmaster nodded in slight relief that the issue at hand had been dealt with rather well into his favor. However, his thoughts were cut short as a second of those blasted birds came with another letter.
He opened the seal and read:
I apologize for neglecting this information, but if we choose Hogwarts, I must insist on several wards and myself accompanying the three for at least the first week to monitor their adjustment.
S. Lindermann
The request was odd… no, highly unorthodox. To think, allowing muggles into Hogwarts! He had been Headmaster for well over half a century and not once had any muggleborn parents the gall to request such a thing! His school was absolute and to question it (and by extension, himself) was practically unheard of. Then again, they were American.
He bit back a scowl, not just at the brazen attitude but at the extremely emphasized "if". They were constantly holding it over his head that they had not decided yet and were continuously suggesting that Harry Potter could go anywhere other than Hogwarts. Unthinkable!
Through the (less-than-legal) mail redirect, he'd acquired the letter from America's Salem Academy of Magic and summarily rejected it on the grounds that he was Mr. Potter's magical guardian (though at the time he wasn't, technically). He repeated the process for the multitude of international organizations and academies offering scholarships or positions or brochures for a rather prominent figure in Wizarding Britain.
His reply was terse, but informed Mr. Lindermann that he would allow it. Hogwarts was large and had plenty of rooms for House Elves to convert into guest quarters with relative ease, but having Mr. Potter's family so close to the castle could prove beneficial to himself. He could meet with them, learn from them, and summarily manipulate them into giving up their hold on Harry. For the Greater Good.
He left the table and returned to his office to begin the actions necessary to prepare for Mr. Potter's guardian's arrival. He soon found himself alone in his office and pulled out the Elder Wand. A prize from his former friend Gellert Grindelwald.
He absentmindedly swirled it, letting sparks drift from the tip to form a small spiral galaxy. He enjoyed watching it spin slowly in place before suddenly slashing across from it with his wand and plummeting the whole constellation of meaningless sparks into chaos. It was rather empowering; creating a galaxy and destroying it on a whim.
He focused on the wand again, though.
It hadn't worked since, but…
He bent over and held the stick a foot above the floor. With minor willpower, he let the wand levitate in place. He connected with the wand from a distance and murmured, "Point me."
The wand spun violently in place before shuddering to a stop, releasing a fountain of foul-colored sparks, and falling to the ground.
Dumbledore sighed. The same reaction as before. He hypothesized after the first time that where the wand stopped was actually the correct location, but repeating the spell caused it to point in different locations each time. What's more, a simple follow-through of the spell's original direction revealed it pointed to somewhere in Australia, not New York. The second spell to India, third spell to Canada, fourth to the Arctic Circle, and so on.
He wandlessly summoned the powerful artifact to his hand and tucked it back in his pocket. He reached for a small bowl of lemon drops, savoring the sweet and sour flavor. While he did not agree with a majority of muggle technology, their confections in any time period are certainly nothing to scoff at.
*chime*
A tiny bell hidden above his doorway indicated that someone approached the gargoyle below. He checked one of the bobbles on his desk not related to Harry Potter and it formed a smoky image of Hagrid. He checked the massively-confusing pocket watch of planets, stars, moons, and baubles before he nodded. Right on time.
He sat back and let the half-giant caretaker get close to the door. He was just raising his hand to knock-
"Come in, Hagrid."
A little bit of the awe-inspiring impression of omniscience never hurt.
It worked, the large man walked in the door mildly awestruck. Truth be told, the man was awestruck by half of the things Dumbledore did on a regular basis. "You wanted to see me, Headmaster?"
"Ah, yes, Hagrid. You see, I have a mission that I need you to carry out. I trust you explicitly for this job." He large man glowed with pride and a little bashfulness at the praise.
"I need you to pick something up from Gringotts-"
AN: I hope you enjoyed this update!
I own nothing!
-Crow
P.S. Thank you to everyone for your words of support. They really help.
P.P.S. Did anyone catch what I did with the letters?