October 18, 1996
Dumbledore smiled serenely at the head of the table as I leaned back in my seat, feeling full and content with Molly's cooking. I had always found weekends to be relaxing, especially while working undercover as a muggle for the Prime Minister. He had been anxious after our Minister mentioned that I was a wizard, but he seemed to be coming around to me again after he privately proclaimed to me that I was 'Such a normal seeming bloke.'
I was increasingly grateful for Arthur's review on muggle items before taking this position and that six months overseas on an exchange with MACUSA during my early years as an Auror. America was very paranoid about blending in with their muggles at least on the surface level, and people with their government who studied muggles and their technology were well respected. It was a part of their policy on blending in muggles.
The Burrow had a warm feeling to it even with most of the children having moved out in some fashion or another. The twins had managed to attend tonight's meeting, their heads pressed together as they fiddled with something for their shop. I was choosing to not ask questions as it felt safer not to know anything about it. This seemed to be the route the rest of the Order had chosen as well, Minerva, Molly and Arthur seemed to be the leads to follow in this area and I was willing to defer to their expertise.
Remus was half asleep in an armchair in the living room, I could watch him jerk himself awake from my position at the table. Dumbledore had asked him to come to this meeting specifically for reasons I was not entirely sure of, but they must be good ones to risk him leaving the werewolf pack for a few hours. That was not a job I would be able to do, the internal politics of werewolves were beyond my comprehension, though I was learning more about it whenever I saw Remus.
"I had an interesting meeting the other day," Dumbledore's voice rang through the room like a bell. Quiet, slightly detached but attention grabbing.
"With the board of governors?" Minerva raised an eyebrow from where she sat across from me. "You have one of those every month."
"No, not the board this time," He continued to smile, content to draw this out for his own amusement as he folded his hands in front of him on the table. "I was accosted by a House Elf two weeks ago while I was leading Scrimgeour's people on a merry little adventure along the northern coast of Scotland. She was very insistent that I take the letter she was hand delivering for her mistress." His smile widened as he looked at each of us in turn. When he spoke again his voice was even, though there were tremors of laughter beneath. "She threatened to cut off my toes with her knife if I did not read it immediately."
I fought back a grin, Arthur was chuckling as he went to take a sip of water and help himself to a second helping of casserole. I wanted another helping myself, but it was just going to be too much. Molly was a wonderful cook and perhaps I could take some leftovers home instead.
Dumbledore reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a piece of parchment, folded in perfectly straight lines that became clearer as he opened the letter.
"Dear Headmaster Dumbledore," he began, his tone serious, but wry with amusement and the Weasley's kitchen came to a slow halt to listen. Molly had stopped washing dishes in the sink, Minerva had leaned forward, her expression curious and catlike.
"I first wish to apologize for the imposition of this letter, you do not know me, but I know a lot about you as I am sure many in the Wizarding Community do. My second apology is for any aggression on Tinsy's part, she is a very good elf, if overzealous, and a loving soul.
"I am writing to you today to ask for a favor, one you have no obligation to fulfill. Five years ago, my brother Alex Graves left the United States to pursue journalism in London. In the years he's been gone, I've not heard a word from him. I do not know if he is well, though from what I have found, I have doubts about his safety and security.
"I arrived in this country a year ago to try and find my wayward brother and have had minimal success, and I write to you today to ask for your aid and counsel, the conditions I believe my brother to be in are not ones I feel I can put to paper. If you have the time I wish to meet with you. I know to ask such a thing in times such as these is a real leap of faith that is not always warranted, but the things I must discuss with you are of a sensitive nature and privacy may be paramount to the safety and security of all involved parties.
"With that in mind, I feel I must inform you as to reasons you would not wish to meet with me. I rue the opportunity to deceive through omission should I be the one asking for aid. I am currently working for the Minister's office as a secretary-" Molly dropped something in the sink with a bang while the twins looked on with disbelieving expressions. "-and I am aware of Scrimgeour's opinions and actions against you. Rest assured that I will bear no ill will if you throw this letter into a fire and never think of it again, but I also offer the acceptance of any vow you deem appropriate for your own security, magical binds do not frighten me as much as never getting closure for my brother's self imposed disappearance.
"With Warm Regards,
Audrey C. Graves."
Dumbledore folded the letter neatly along the fold lines and returned it to his pocket.
Well, that was an unusual letter.
"The Minister's secretary?" Molly turned away from the sink so quickly it was like she was trying to apparate. She glanced between Dumbledore, Arthur and her boys for several seconds with questions about her wayward son doubtlessly on the tip of her tongue. The mention of the Minister's office left a momentary disgust on Arthur's face. The twins appeared quizzical and whatever sat on the tip of their tongues was quickly silenced with a look from their mother that they could apparently feel through the backs of their heads. Though the momentary fear of their mother did not quell the questions and sarcastic comments that I knew they were sharing with one another through glances and other nonverbal communication.
"I often receive letters asking for favors or advice, but I must admit that I have never received one quite like this. So I extended an invitation to Miss Graves to come to my office and meet with me, something I often don't do with strangers."
"Albus!" Minerva's voice was sharp. "What if she's a spy preying on your good will?"
Dumbledore raised his hand, a quiet smile on his face. "Well, it is a bit late for worries, Minerva. I met with Miss Graves this afternoon and she is every bit as delightful as her letter implies. She put the portraits into such a fuss and insulted the sorting hat with an offhand comment on its cleanliness."
"It's not as if we've not tried to clean the hat, Albus," Minerva's eyes rolled, as she heaved a sigh, unwilling to state her opinion on a thing that had already come to pass in the last few hours. "It just has a mind of its own."
Dumbledore nodded slowly, "One of the many responsibilities of being Headmaster is to try and wash the hat every decade or so."
I felt an eyebrow raise at the idea of struggling to force a cleaning spell on a sentient hat.
Dumbledore turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "Now, Miss Graves is looking for her brother and she at present believes him to be involved with a woman named Thalia. A name I feel one of us may be familiar with in some capacity."
There was a cough from Remus, who raised his hand quickly, jarred awake by the twins' commotion. "Thalia's a herbalist and a potioneer who lives in Yorkshire. Nice, but grouchy, lives alone with her dogs. Do you want me to ask her about the brother?"
"Yes, Remus, I think that would be wise. Miss Graves showed me confidence and trust and I gave her my word that I would look into this matter for her. It never hurts to have allies in unexpected places."
The Graves girl sounded the type to pay any debt she felt she had. Helping her find Thalia and her brother by turn would perhaps turn the tides later, though I felt there was more to the story than what Dumbledore was telling us.
"I'll stop in on Thalia in the morning and send you a message as soon as I can."
"No, have Thalia send it to Aberforth, I've given Miss Graves the password. Tell Thalia if she wants to meet with Miss Graves it must be after the next Friday.
Remus nodded slowly, committing the request to memory.
The rest of the evening passed with more regular affairs about the management of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, movements through the world and who had been kidnapped, poisoned or threatened this week.
When the meeting came to an end, I found myself leaving before the others with Dumbledore. Our positions required us to be out at the first light of day. Dumbledore to attend to administrative matters at Hogwarts and my own position with the Prime Minister.
I was always good at spotting opportunities to ask questions.
"You asked for no vow or binding from the girl?" I asked quietly as I followed Dumbledore into the cool night as we departed the Burrow. "Isn't that dangerous?"
Dumbledore nodded, "It is, but if I bound her word through magical means, she would have never trusted me enough to provide the information she gave me."
"Information?"
"Miss Graves is a very well connected young witch, I have given my own vow of silence on the matter but she has offered me connections that we should take advantage of should they prove trustworthy."
"That seems desperate on her part."
"Love can motivate a person to risk everything, she loves her brother enough to risk herself in a way that few can comprehend and perhaps in time, help us turn the tide with new allies."
"I understand."
Dumbledore looked down at me with a smile. "I'm sure you do."
I would never be arrogant enough to make assumptions about Albus Dumbledore, but sometimes I wondered about the events of his life that had taken him to this place of wisdom and understanding of people.
"You can't trust someone only after one meeting, especially if they have motives of their own."
"No, true trust is built with time, but all that comes from impulses of the moment. Miss Graves has a very honest demeanor."
"So the Minister's secretary may be willing to turn on her employer for personal gain." My thoughts were collecting quickly. "You brought this up tonight at the Burrow instead of at our last meeting because you wanted Molly to keep hoping the son of hers would see sense."
Dumbledore inclined his head with a slight smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
"There is something you learn when you teach. That sometimes we can hear our peers above all other voices. I'm sure Molly understands that better than most."
My thoughts drifted back to my school days where I had been talked into taking a swim with the giant squid in the Black Lake with some friends of mine. Very stupid.
The look Dumbledore was giving me seemed that he was remembering the same incident I was.
"I think that swim helped create the responsible young man who got into the Auror program."
The Headmaster chuckled and bid me goodnight before apparating away with barely a sound.
Oo0Oo0
Author's Note: I like the idea of the Sorting Hat being a particularly irate, cleaning adverse pet.
This story will basically store a series of side scenes from the main storyline of One for Sorrow Two for Joy, but they can be read as standalone stories. Infrequent updates on this, anything I add to it will not be long and it's easier to keep all of it together.