Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, 'nough said.
Chapter 4 – An Evil Wizard Visits Hogwarts
"So you began to suspect Grindelwald was up to something?" Elijah said, his brow crinkling. He ran a hand through his thinning black hair.
"Indeed," Albus admitted, inclining his head in a half nod. "I try not to be a suspicious man by nature, but I could not see a reason for his pursuit of Arabella, and that, in combination with the rumors I'd heard of him, my suspicions with regard to the world in general, and a sudden desire never to see either of the Figg girls come to any harm..." he halted, feeling the swell of loss again. He pulled out his kerchief and dabbed at his eyes without apology.
Nicholas patted his back, "There, there, Albus." The added look of sympathy made Albus suddenly angry at his oldest friend. They were all close. Nicholas' wife, Perenelle and Lorelei had become dear friends, trading recipes for both foods and potions, and shopping together quite often. Albus knew that Lorelei would have cried a deluge at learning of either of the couple's death, and the fact that Nicholas' grief had been limited to one brief outburst more than an hour before, was starting to wear on his normally endless patience.
"Did they all come to the quidditch match?" Elijah prompted.
"Oh yes, they most certainly did. It was a regretful happening and the last time Grindelwald and I would 'double-date', as you called it, though not the last time our connections to the Figg women would find us in the same location." Albus traced the edge of his glass with a long finger.
"The quidditch match pitted Slytherin against Ravenclaw, and both teams were impressive," Albus recalled. "The stands were quite empty for that event as more than a few of the students had been rushed home by their families. The threat from the chamber of secrets and the death of dear Myrtle had weighed heavily upon the muggle born students, effectively frightening many away, which was saying something as many of them went home to air raids and the constant threat of war. A few more students left in protest because Rubeus Hagrid was to stay at the grounds, though not as a student. I daresay I thought the prospect of a match was somewhat ludicrous under those circumstances, but it was not my decision."
In his memory, Albus could picture exactly the reaction of all three guests to the famous school. Grindelwald had attended a German school, and Arabella had never been invited to Hogwarts, even to see her sister graduate. Though it had been the place Lorelei had studied, it was before Albus had come to work there, and much had changed since her years. Very few of the professors had remained from those who had taught her. Also, she seemed to see it anew from her sister's eyes.
The match had been a hard fought battle that lasted over three hours. In that time, both Ravenclaw beaters were severely injured, and yet they had only lost the match by ten points. Despite their loss, the point spread was such that they won the cup anyway --a fact that had spawned a great deal of discontent from the Slytherins. The two sides had very nearly come to blows before the staff was able to get control of the situation. Albus had rushed to help and then apologized profusely to his guests as he rejoined them. Then they couldn't help but recount the match in excited tones.
"I cannot believe he caught that tiny snitch before falling from his broom!" Arabella had gasped, as the four walked back from the quidditch pitch toward the castle.
"Thank goodness you are quick with your wand, Albus, or the boy might have fallen to his death," Lorelei had added, keeping stride with him and watching him with admiring eyes.
"Yes, but can't interference of any type be considered a foul?" Wilhelm Grindelwald had argued.
Albus stopped and turned to the foreign wizard with a curious gaze. "I merely slowed his fall so he wouldn't break his neck," Albus had responded. "Katherine tends to frown on being asked to resurrect the dead." He tried to sound as if he were joking, though he was pretty certain the school nurse would lose all respect for him if he could stop a death and failed to do so. Lorelei sniggered under her breath, her shoulders shaking slightly, though she never made a sound loud enough for Wilhelm to hear.
Albus gave them a tour of the facility, stopping first to introduce them to the headmaster properly. He had notified Professor Dippet of his invitation beforehand and had briefly introduced the group prior to the match, but the lengthier meeting took place in Dippet's office.
Dippet had greeted all politely, asking each a little about themselves. Poor Arabella had looked completely mortified by the questions and had shrunk into the chintz armchair that Albus had conjured for her to sit in. "Dear Arabella is a bit bashful, Headmaster," Albus had supplied. "However, I understand her shy demeanor mysteriously disappears on stage, and we have therefore become determined to persuade her to offer her talents to the Hogsmeade Players. I had opportunity to see their recent production of "Midsummer Night's Dream" and it was most dreadful. They definitely need someone to show them how it's done." He winked at Arabella and she flushed with pleasure, smiling ever so slightly. Lorelei mouthed the words, "Thank you," and smiled beautifully where only Albus could see.
It had gone over magnificently until Wilhelm interjected, "Arabella would not do a ministry task such as that which Lorelei or myself might do, Professor. She is a squib." Dippet's gaze locked on Arabella, and though he said nothing, she seemed to shrink again under his gaze. Lorelei's eyes flashed with anger and Albus turned an apologetic face to Arabella, sure now that he probably should have prepared Armando Dippet in advance so that she could not be so humiliated.
"If it is alright, Headmaster, I'd like to finish my guests' tour and see them off. It would not be right to keep them out too late," Albus had said.
From there on the tour had seemed to spiral downward. Willhelm's insults were well-veiled, but kept coming, leaving Arabella further and further downtrodden. When they reached the Slytherin corridor, Albus took the opportunity to introduce the group to his friend Horace, who was the head of house for the slytherins. Horace Slughorn liked to collect influential friends and Dumbledore knew he would find Grindelwald fascinating. When Horace inevitably struck up a conversation with Wilhelm, Albus took the opportunity to separate the parties, claiming he had wanted to show Lorelei and her sister around his own office and asking Horace if he would be so kind as to lead Wilhelm back when they had finished their chat. Horace had readily agreed, never suspecting that he'd been put upon.
"Forgive me," Albus had flirted lightly as he led the two women into his office, "I could not miss the opportunity of having two such lovely ladies all to myself for a while." Arabella, who had been looking utterly miserable, suddenly giggled slightly and covered her mouth with her hand as she blushed.
"You are very sweet, Albus," Lorelei had responded. She then turned flashing eyes on her sister. "If you don't lose that twit you've been seeing soon, it's going to drive me stark raving mad!"
Both Arabella and Albus were taken aback. He had thought for a moment that Arabella might cry. "Oh, he is dreadful, isn't he?" she burst suddenly and dropped into a chair in a defeated manner.
"I haven't wanted so much to transfigure someone into a toad in years!" Lorelei replied.
That was very nearly too much for Albus who began to laugh heartily. "Dear me, I had feared I was the only one," he admitted through guffaws. The three of them laughed until tears ran, Albus' own amusement bolstered by the mental image of Wilhelm the toad, madly hopping down the corridor in an effort to escape, only to be summoned repeatedly by Lorelei's wand-work.
But for Arabella, the laughter was short lived. She sighed once loudly and fidgeted, turning twice to watch the door. "Father likes him," she stated finally. "I'm afraid I may be stuck with him."
"You are hardly a child, Arabella, and needn't do everything Father says," Lorelei chided.
"Perhaps that is true for you. You are a witch and the pride of the family, but I've never so much as transfigured a teabag. Between you and our brothers, there is enough magic to impress the minister himself. Then there is me – the disappointment. If I could make a powerful match, I might be accepted," Arabella argued.
Albus watched her sympathetically. "Surely there must be another wizard who will treat you with more respect, Arabella," Albus countered.
She smiled and shook her head sadly. "Not in twenty five years," she remarked.
It was then that Horace and Wilhelm knocked at the door. "Forgive me, Albus," Wilhelm said with a tone that wasn't quite as polite as the words suggested, "but I really need to take Arabella home. I have an early meeting with the Minister of Magic tomorrow."
"Of course," he replied, before offering his fire so they might travel by flu powder, a much quicker choice than walking outside the special protections on the castle and grounds where they had to go to apparate freely.
They bid a quick farewell, Lorelei kissing Albus' cheek briefly before departing with her sister and beau. "Beautiful girl, Albus," Horace had teased with an eyebrow cocked. "She and her sister keep interesting company. A few of the boys stopped by and they seemed to hit it off well with Wilhelm Grindelwald. He might have holiday jobs for a couple of them, organizing the remaining records that Wilhelm retrieved from the destroyed German Ministry."
Albus had not known at the time why that prospect so disturbed him. He had even chided himself for assuming that Grindelwald's disregard for Arabella's feelings would translate to mistreatment of his students. Somehow he had been unable to convince himself to stop worrying.
"Within a week," the present day Albus told Elijah and Nicholas, "I made my first visit to Bartemius Crouch, who was then simply Assistant Head of Magical Law Enforcement. That first visit was merely to feel him out and see if he had investigated any of the rumors regarding Grindelwald. I was told in no uncertain terms that Grindelwald had the Minister of Magic's full confidence and that he was beyond reproach. I was strongly advised to cease any questioning of his character."
Elijah looked stunned.
- - - - - - - - - -
Please be a dear and review. I love reviews.