Disclaimer in part 1

A/N: Ok, a lot of the French used was gleaned from a free translator. I have no idea if it is right or not, that's why I've included the translations.

And thank you to my Beta Cait who's very through.

Chapter 3: Paris

The morning greeted him lazily as he got up at his usual time of 6 o'clock. Albus sleepily got up and opened his windows. Dawn was stretching and chasing away the night sky. He padded his way to his bathroom and did his morning ablutions.

Then just before his bath he trimmed his beard. The auburn hair had become unkempt in the week he had left it. He mentally reminded himself to take his shaving equipment with him.

His blue eyes were sleepy, but after a splash of water he stared into his reflection in the mirror. Windows to the soul. He didn't think so, he had learned to mask his true feelings, and his eyes never betrayed him.

He chuckled at that. His blue eyes were inherited from his grandmother, Regina. Both his parents had brown eyes which Aberforth, his brother, had inherited. He smiled; he could see in his reflection his grandmother's wisdom. He really missed her, her death although not surprising still hurt him. He had hoped she'd come back as a ghost but not so, his only link to her was his memories of her and her eyes.

Having trimmed his beard, he went for his bath then changed into his clothes for the day.

The rest of the school was not yet awake, so he went to the kitchens for breakfast. The house elves greeted him with smiles, and made him his breakfast. He watched as they scurried around making breakfast for the rest of the school and for him. They were so happy working at Hogwarts.

Having finished his breakfast he made his way to the entrance. He had already packed his belongings and had shrunk them to fit in his pocket before he left the room. Julius was there too, looking at some papers.

Noticing Albus approaching he smiled. "Good morning, Albus. I trust you have had a good night's sleep and some breakfast?" he asked.

"The best from Hogwarts kitchens. The houselves really do outdo themselves," he said smiling.

Julius beamed. "I have the necessary papers for your lodgings, passes to find her and a file on her. Please open them when you are settled. Her superiors recommended her to us, as they know we're looking for a teacher. She doesn't know anything about this, so please be…..tactful and sensitive" said Julius carefully.

"Aren't I always?" asked Albus mildly.

Julius chose not to reply. "Have a safe trip, and send me an Owl tomorrow, I'll let you get settled in today."

Albus and Julius shook hands and Albus walked into Hogsmeade to apparate to Paris.

He concentrated, looking at where he was supposed to be, and POP! He was in Paris.
"Bonjour monsieur, comme puissent je aide tu?" asked the clerk.

Albus looked around. He was in some sort of hotel, which was massive. Judging from the size of the entrance Hall, and grand! He hoped Julius was paying for this, because he certainly couldn't afford it.

"Bonjour. Je m'appelle Albus Dumbledore. J'ai chambre reserves ici." he said

'Seems like all those French lessons mother made me go to are paying off' he mused as the clerk checked his book for his name.

The clerk apparently found his name and looked triumphant, "Oui monsieur. Signe ici s'il vous plaît."

Albus signed and was given a room key. His room number was 145.

He thanked the clerk and made his way to the lift. A bellboy was there and asked him what floor he wanted to go to, he told him and off they went.

'What on earth is this?' he thought as the lift lurched up the floors, he looked around panicked for a way out, but the only way was through the doors. His whole body was lurching as the lift went up. Shaky convulsions threatened to display his fear to the bellboy.

Soon, the lift stopped and the doors opened. He practically ran out of the lift and to the safety of his room. The room itself was comfortable, but not grand.

'Seems like Julius didn't go all the way' he thought looking around.

He was surprised to note his room had a balcony, stepping out he saw it was morning and the Parisians were bustling around. He smiled and went to sleep.

The apparation had taken a lot out of him as it was to another country.

When he awoke, he found that it was night and feeling hungry he went out of the hotel to explore and found that he was in a wizarding hotel. That explained why the clerk was not surprised to see him apparate.

As soon as he was 10 feet away, the hotel disappeared when he looked back. He panicked. But when he was near the hotel's front entrance, it reappeared.

He chuckled, 'Magic' he thought.

His explorations showed Paris was as busy and bustling at night as he had observed in the day. After a lot of walking, he managed to find a restaurant and ordered some authentic French cuisine. It was really quite delicious. He was surprised to note that everything was very cheap and he told himself to come here to eat.

This time, when he came back, the hotel appeared again as if coming from nowhere. He took the stairs, still frightened of the lift and settled down to read the file on the new teacher.

Her name was Minerva McGonagall. Her stern face looked at him seriously from her photograph. She was by no means a striking beauty, but she radiated authority and knowledge. She had attended Hogwarts, but Albus never recalled teaching her.

Perhaps she had been there, when he had gone travelling. He checked and she had.

His eyes scanned the file and he found that she had no family, no children and wasn't married. That was interesting to note.

He had expected her to have children or at least a husband. He was amused, since he was in the same position. He was getting older, but he had not found anyone willing to put up with his studious habits, vague comments and him, in general.

Putting away the file, he stepped out onto the balcony and whispered to himself, "Elle c'est une de charctere et flot. Pourquoi ferait elle voulez a soient un professor de e'cole?