Chapter 5: Introductions

The next morning Dumbledore was the first one to wake up. He passed Kenna's room on his way to the main office and saw her curled up. Her whole body wrapped around the stuffed animal and only half her body was covered by her sheets. Her mouth was partially open, and her hair had mostly fallen out of the braid they'd put it in the night before. Her facial expression was content and it took a lot of will power for him not to laugh.

Making his way to his desk, Dumbledore spent the first hour writing a few letters to take up to the owlery and checking his never-ending stack of mail. He heard movement down the hall before the bathroom door shut. Noting that his new daughter was now awake, he sent a note down to the kitchens to have breakfast brought up. At about the same time the food arrived, Kenna walked into the office. She looked at the food before turning to see the headmaster.

"Good morning sunshine!" He said brightly.

The young one blinked up at him, and he could tell she was still half asleep. He chuckled and walked over to pick her up. Once she was held at his hip he walked both of them over to the breakfast table. Once she was sitting at her chair she stared at her options for a moment before reaching for a biscuit. Slowly, she woke up and became more aware. He could tell with her breakfast consumption. As requested by those at St. Mungos, he'd made sure that all of the meals and options placed in front of her were nutrition heavy. He tried to encourage her to have a little of everything and to serve herself. She understood the concept of only eating as much as she could handle. Unfortunately, as much as she could handle was still very little. She ate like a rabbit, both with the amount she took and when she picked up finger foods with both of her hands and nibbled. Dumbledore couldn't complain too much, as she was eating more than the days before even if the change seemed micro. Once she was beginning to slow down on food intake, she started to watch him.

"Today I think we should walk the school grounds. I need to take some things up to the owlery, and you can get a bit more familiar with the school. I think we could also visit Filch and a few others here in the castle."

Kenna nodded her head in confirmation.

"First though, why don't you go get dressed and we can comb out and braid your hair again." Before he was even finished with his sentence the girl was climbing down from her chair with one of her cheeks still filled with half an orange. She left her stuffed animal on the table and barely took two steps before spinning around and summoning it to her. He watched it float straight into her awaiting hand. "come out here if you need any help" Dumbledore was able to say before she scuttled back down the hallway and into her room. She spun around at his voice and gave him a short nod and a curtsy. He'd come to terms with the curtsies being some form of politeness that he wasn't sure if he should address just yet.

The door remained open, and soon she was walking out with half of her dress unlaced, her hair in a mass of unbraided curls, a comb. Her cat had been traded for her bear and her shoes were precariously hanging from her fingers. She dropped one shoe on the floor because her hands were full, and slipped it onto one foot instead of leaning down to carry it. Dumbledore admired her bright eyes and excitement, even though she always tried to suppress it. He had a feeling she too was wondering the likelihood of her luck changing. She was still cautious with what he did, and always did her best to avoid upsetting him by doing everything he asked of her immediately and always saying yes if he invited her to do something.

Dumbledore finished off his tea and moved the slightly lifted chair so he could sit behind it. Kenna set her stuffed animal down first, very gently onto the chair. Then she placed the second shoe down, handed the comb to Dumbledore and turned around for him to finish with her dress. He knew this was only their second day together, but he could tell she was already getting more confident with how she held herself. He laced up the back of her dress and ran his fingers gently through her curls. They were a half-inch longer than her shoulders. She held very still. Dumbledore summoned a mirror for her to see him in. At the appearance, she jumped, but when they made eye contact through the mirror, Dumbledore smiled at her.

"What do you think? Should we do two tails," He pulled her hair into two pigtails at the top of her head watching as the natural ringlets bounced, "Or should we do one braid down the front and to the side," He put his finger on her forehead and mapped out a French braid, "Or we can braid the front and leave the back down?" Again, he pulled the hair he was thinking about back to show her.

She stared wild-eyed at the mirror thinking about her choices. She wasn't used to having a choice in anything still.

The third one.

It sounded more like a question than it did an answer, but Dumbledore nodded and pulled the comb softly through the hair in the front of her face. After a few moments of silence, as he began to braid the first side of her hair into two small braids, he spoke up again. "We need to work on your pronunciations aloud. Do you want to start with the alphabet today?"

Why?

Dumbledore paused and made eye contact with the young one again. He'd forgotten what smaller children were like because he spent so little time around them. She was young, but the curiosity in her eyes was slowly finding its own way into her voice. Her personality was edging out of her shyness.

"Because some people don't like speaking non-verbally, and many do not know how."

Why?

He chuckled and finished his first small braid, starting the second one. "They don't know how because it's a very difficult thing to do. And they feel like you are going into their head. And many people want their head to be private, so we need to respect their privacy and ask them verbally if it is okay first." She went to nod her head but realized that his hands were still working on her hair, so she stiffened a little bit. Her tongue licked her lips as she opened her mouth.

"A" Her voice was very rough and very small. It sounded like she was sick, even though she was the healthiest she'd been in years. She tried to clear her throat, but the level stayed very low. "B" She put her hand to her throat and continued through the letter M. Dumbledore had moved on to the next set of braids when she started coughing. He paused and pulled the apple juice from the table over to them magically. The girl took a drink.

"That's good for today. We can do more after lunch, a little every day, okay?"

Her lips pursed a little and her legs kicked out beneath the chair. She stared at herself and at Dumbledore in the mirror watching his hands carefully move through her hair. Dumbledore hummed a jolly tune as he pulled the rest of her hair back and turned the hair tie into a purple bow to match her purple dress. "Purple is my favorite color you know." Kenna stared at him curiously.

Why?

Dumbledore put his head next to hers. "I don't know. Not everything has a reason." He winked at her shocked expression in the mirror before helping her down from the chair. She slipped on her shoes while Dumbledore walked over to grab his small bag and place his letters in it.

They made their way up multiple staircases, having to detour once because one of the staircases they needed was in a different position. Dumbledore pointed to the missing stair as they walked up the staircases and he pointed out some of the main rooms- McGonagall's office, The staff conference room. They passed an art room and Dumbledore motioned to some of the drawings students had done over the years. Kenna met quite a few of the portraits and their varying personalities. She didn't speak when they were introduced, but almost always offered a small smile and a wave.

She couldn't remember any moving photos where she'd been before. But maybe because her memories were always outlined with darkness?

Just before they reached the final staircase for the west tower, Dumbledore spotted one more person, sitting on a bench next to a suit of armor with a book in her hand.

"Hello, Helena. How are you this morning?"

"I am fine. People will be returning soon. I will miss the quiet of the Castle" She took notice of the small girl just behind the headmaster and gave her a polite smile. "I've heard of a child being in the castle. She is rather small."

"Yes, this is Kenna Hope, our newest resident." At the introduction the girl curtseyed, causing the woman to give her another smile. "She is actually quite the book worm" He turned to speak to Kenna. "This is Helena Ravenclaw, she's the ghost of the Ravenclaw house. If you need a book recommendation, she's read nearly all of them. Am I right?"

"I gravitate toward the fiction, but yes, I am available if she needs me."

Kenna gave the woman a smile in return and waved as she floated away from them. She looked up at Dumbledore in wonder. "She likes quiet places in the castle. Today's nice outside, and the view from the owlery is very pleasant." He opened the final door in the hall to the said location.

The room was slightly colder than the hallway, and it was easy to tell why with the lack of glass in the windows. Multiple birds hooted at their entrance. Kenna took half a step backward before moving closer to Dumbledore, still curious. They were much smaller than Fawkes, but Dumbledore didn't say anything. Instead, he lifted her up and pulled his letters out of his bag, setting them down alongside some of the owl treats. "This is how we send mail." He showed the name on the envelope to his daughter, and then to the first owl he pulled down. He gave it a treat, and then tied the letter to its leg before walking it to the window.

He got the second owl and set it next to Kenna, carefully taking her hand and showing her how to feed it and tie the letter around its foot. Together, they sent out seven letters with the owls before they began to head down the stairs once more. Kenna asked Dumbledore how many rooms were in the castle, to which he just chuckled.

"I'd never counted. Hogwarts has many secrets, no one knows all of them. I'm sure you'll get a chance to explore, but it is very big, so maybe for the first few months we can have you stay close to people you know and the rooms you know." They continued the brief tour, walking passed his office again which he gave her the password to and explained the purpose of passwords, they walked past the great hall, and he pointed out the pear to tickle to get into the kitchen. Eventually, they reached the entrance hall. Dumbledore pointed to the staircase that leads to the boats and asked Kenna if she knew how to swim.

The girl was very quick to shake her head. She informed him she'd never been to a place with water. Dumbledore just nodded. "We'll see about getting you some lessons in swimming then. Hogwarts has a hidden swimming pool after all" The old man gave her a sly grin as the doors opened. It was about 11am, and with a slight breeze, the weather was nearly perfect. Kenna squinted up at Dumbledore who covered his forehead like a visor. "We can go down to the lake, and around to the Quidditch pitch."

Kenna nodded and sniffed the air. After being in London, it was much fresher. She could smell the trees and the grass and the water. She turned and looked back at the entrance to the school. It was so big. When she glanced over her shoulder, Dumbledore was already halfway down the staircase. She bounced down them after him.

They walked around the castle and down the hill to the lake first, Dumbledore making his way to the edge. He pointed out toward the middle of the lake were large squid tentacles seemed to poke out, bathing in the sun. Kenna stood on her tip-toes to try and get a better look, and Dumbledore lifted her a little higher. The squid gave a wave, and Kenna waved back. The wizard noticed that her smile was a lot more outgoing towards the squid than it had been toward the ghosts and photographs they'd met earlier. Dumbledore also mentioned the Merpeople that lived in the lake, causing the girl to search the water in hopes of finding one.

"Maybe after some swimming lessons we can go visit. I have not been down to see them in quite a while." Dumbledore laughed at her big eyes and how quickly she nodded her head. Her curiosity seemed to be growing as the day went on.

From the edge of the lake, they made their way past Hagrid's hut, which Dumbledore identified. He mentioned the field where care of magical creatures usually took place when they were outside. Behind it and surrounding the lake was the forest. Dumbledore knelt down so he was eye to eye with Kenna. "This is the Forbidden forest. You know what that means, right?"

You shouldn't go there?

"Very good. Unless Hagrid or another adult like myself is with you, you shouldn't go in there alone. There are all kinds of beasts and creatures that live there and we don't want you to get hurt." Noting Dumbledore's tone, Kenna nodded her head enthusiastically. She wanted to please Dumbledore with her compliance. And, She made one big glance into the darkness of the forest, She figured it was probably too dark and scary to go in alone anyway. They continued to walk around the grounds of the school, Dumbledore noting when Kenna seemed to get more tired. She started to walk slower and had to focus more on the ground infront of her. He began to pause more often to point things out, before exclaiming it was time to head back up to the castle.

As they made their way up the hill to the school and Dumbledore promised they'd make it out to see Hogsmeade within the next few weeks for a staff dinner at one of the inns. He swooped down to pick her up when they reached the stairwell. Kenna relaxed in his arms but still watched the direction they were going in. He opened the door magically and they moved back into the main entryway. They walked toward the staircase when Dumbledore noticed the tail in of a cat. "Mrs. Norris?" He slightly called to her, causing the cat to turn and make its way closer to the two guests. It's bright eyes followed them as it sat. "Might you take us to Mr. Filch, our school caretaker?" Dumbledore asked.

The cat seemed to understand the request and trotted away from them and up one of the staircases. Dumbledore adjusted his new daughter and followed after. They walked down the second-floor hall past some storerooms and study rooms. Filch noticed them immediately when they turned the corner. He was in the midst of polishing some of the photo frames on the floor, a rag in his hands and potion of some sort. He adjusted himself when he saw Dumbledore. It wasn't common for them to cross paths unless one of them searched the other out. Filch liked his routine during the summer. He'd walk the grounds, do five chores a day, and then rest and listen to his radio or something similar. The man frowned when he saw Dumbledore was not alone. His eyes narrowing at the child.

"Good Afternoon Mr. Filch."

"Headmaster" The slouched man picked up the cat and stood a little taller.

"I'd like to introduce you to my new daughter, Kenna. Kenna, this is Mr. Filtch the castle caretaker."

The man grunted at her. "Do we really need another hobgoblin running around?" He grumbled out. "You need to show her all the rules for forbidden items. and you need to remind her not to be out after hours. And also I'd like to reinstate the Manacle punishment with the students this year." He began to go on, his eyes still pointedly watching Kenna. The young girl shrunk into Dumbledore under his gaze, but she didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry but I will not be allowing that I don't believe students' parents would be very forgiving." Dumbledore shifted the young girl a little more on his hip. Her eyes remained watching Filtch's every move. "Kenna will be staying out of your hair, but if you have any concerns you can address them with me." While his voice was gentle, there was an underlying tone of authority that even Filtch could catch on to. He grumbled inaudibly but nodded his head and shoulders. He set Mrs. Norris back on the ground and returned to his cleaning.

Albus paused and watched him, glancing at Kenna before making his way back to the staircases. He was surprised Kenna didn't flinch at Filch's bad attitude toward her. She took it in stride, though she did hold on to the old man a little tighter. Once they walked away, she trembled in his arms. She looked up at Dumbledore and he saw a glimpse of something a little more haunted in her eyes. At the slight nudge into her mind, he realized her walls were up higher than he was willing to climb to see what was wrong. Leaving it alone for a moment, he gave her a reassuring smile as they walked. While his original plan was to go straight back to his office for lunch, he decided to take a detour to make her feel a little more comfortable again.

Instead, he led her to the library. They were able to make four more introductions with ghosts, who were spreading themselves out to meet the new castle member. It slowed his progress, But with each ghost she seemed a little more comfortable with their presence. Dumbledore hoped that she'd find a way to get along with each of them better. He did notice that the more you could see their cause of death or the more dangerous they looked – such as the bloody baron – the more likely she was to close off. The safety mechanism she'd developed was unusual, but she was not a normal child, to begin with.

Their entrance into the library was met with Kenna's widened eyes of excitement. The walls of books and large tables created a maze that she walked further into on her own, without Dumbledore's prompting. He realized it may take more effort than he'd originally expected to keep her out of the library and maintain an eye on the types of books she was reading. He also realized he should probably speak with Madam Pince, the librarian to make rules for the number of books she could check out at a time. If she was anything like him growing up, she would stack up the books faster than she could read them. As Kenna made her way around, Dumbledore thought about the possibility of putting two bookshelves in her room for the books she'd inevitably collect in the next few years. Perhaps once she finished the ones they bought in Diagon Ally they would need to make a more specific trip to Flourish and Botts for a better selection. He also wondered if he should get her a journal to write in.

Can I take one?

His thoughts were brought back into the library when he noticed Kenna was standing across the room and staring at him. Her hand was on the spine of a book. Giving her a small smile, he shook his head. "We must wait until Madam Pince, the librarian returns to check a book out to you. You have a few to finish upstairs too. If you finish those before she returns then we can sit down here in one of the large chairs and read without taking books out. Is that okay?" Kenna digested his words for a few moments before nodding her head. She ran her finger down the spine of the book she wanted and then walked back over to him. Her hand took his.

I want to read. She told him. He wasn't sure what exactly that meant, but he let her walk him out the library door.

"Let's get lunch in my office and then you can read for as long as you want."

The girl looked at him and nodded her head. Then she led the way up the staircases two more floors. He was relieved to note that her memory seemed to include directions and locations. She knew exactly where she was going and how to get there. When they arrived at the door she didn't say anything, but rather looked up at him. Dumbledore said the password and they stepped onto the stairs.

When his office door opened, he noted that Fawks had returned. The bird ruffled its feathers and looked at them when they walked in. Kenna zig-zagged over to him. The head tilt the bird gave her left space on its neck for her to scratch. She seemed to know exactly what he wanted and let her fingers softly press into his neck. Dumbledore walked around them and set his bag on the desk. He called up a house-elf and requested lunch be brought to them. The elf told him it would take a few minutes but it would be right up.

Kenna kept her body turned toward both him and the elf, and even while petting Fawks she tracked the elf's movements in the room with a hyperaware eye. She tensed when the elf disappeared, not fully comfortable with its ability to come and go as it pleased. Dumbledore once again noted her behavior in the back of his mind and motioned her over to sit down in the comfy armchair across from his desk. The girl looked at Fawkes for a moment, he could guess she was saying something or other to the bird before she pat the feathers down quickly and scampered into the chair. When she settled she watched the older man lower himself onto his own office chair.

"What do you want to do tomorrow for our walk?"

I want to see the owls again.

He couldn't help but smile. Animals sounded like a good way into the child's good graces. "We can do that." He watched her as she looked down at his desk.

Do you have the list? She asked. A child of few words, Dumbledore wasn't too sure what she was talking about at that moment.

"What list?"

She replayed the moment in her mind when Filtch had told him he needed to make sure she knew the list of items that were unacceptable in the castle. And the rules. Dumbledore chuckled.

"You don't need to worry about that."

There was a pause where the girl shifted her body on the chair. She pulled her feet up under her. Her eyes shifted down. I don't want to make him angry. The haunted look briefly returned. Rather than fidgeting, she sat still and silent. Dumbledore thought for a moment on what the proper response should be. He decided to go with comfort.

"Kenna Hope Dumbledore," he began. "No one in this castle will hurt you. Fitch gets angry easily but I'm sure you will not have many run-ins with him, and he is not allowed to hurt you or any other student." He watched her reactions. She nodded to herself and relaxed. Her eyes met his with a little more trust then she gave him a small and reassuring smile. Dumbledore smiled back.

A/N: The first five chapters have been written on my computer for months, it may take a while to get the others up neatly. The more Reviews though, the more likely I'll get them finished quicker. As I've said before, this story has been planned out for a while, it's just fishing all the details together into a single piece.

Lots of Love from the Middle of Nowhere Asia!