James and Lily Potter had liquidated everything they had when they went into hiding. Every estate, vacation home, investment, everything. James and Lily, most unfortunately, had also not left a will, only setting up a trust vault for their son.

Albus now realized this was the issue with James and Lily taking so much responsibility when they were still just barely past being children. Albus hadn't bothered checking the vault last time, his own guilt getting in the way of doing his best for Harry, now he realized that had been an error. Millions of galleons sat in a vault, not just being put to no use, but not accruing interest. Albus had figured that Harry would have a good nest egg when he entered the adult world, the goblins being trusted to handle any investments until that day, but now…The goblins would be happy to invest for the young man, they liked watching money grow, he would send them a letter.

Albus had also noticed differences when he arrived in the place of his past self. Young Harry was far more educationally focused than he remembered Harry being, though Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy might have taken a hand in that. Maybe it was that he wanted to take after his mother as well, an added driving force that the decidedly just above average Harry from before did not have. Albus had been told by the elves that Harry had created a Protego shield, which wasn't unheard of for his age, but was still rather impressive. He figured he should encourage that, certainly more than he did before.

His mind drifted back to what he had originally been on this morning. He needed to keep Voldemort in line, without controlling Harry the way had. In regards to the coming year, it wouldn't be difficult, he'd just fire Quirinus and teach the class himself, seeing as he'd be stepping down from the ICW immediately. He wouldn't need Tom in the school for long this time, seeing as he already knew everything he needed to and frankly, he just didn't have it in him to micromanage a psychopath, he'd already spent a life doing that.

Harry…would be left alone. Informed, despite Albus' unwillingness, but free of his intervention. The boy would receive training on his own terms, and Albus would oblige of course when that time came, but Albus had realized it would be better for Harry to confront his future now, so that he could heal.

Now for someone he would micromanage, Draco Malfoy. The Patron wouldn't hold it against him if it improved Draco's life, right?

——-

Draco Malfoy was nervous. His entire life he had been warned about Albus Dumbledore, his manipulation and schemes becoming the stuff of legend in the pureblood community. Of course, Draco was just a bit too young to truly understand why it was scary, just that his father was scared, and that was enough for Dumbledore to be, in this moment, the embodiment of Draco's fear.

"Hello Lucius. Draconis, I presume?"

"Yes, sir.", 'of course he said that blasted name.'

"How are you both this evening?"

"Well, Dumbledore, yourself?", Lucius drawled out.

"Delightful, Lucius. Draco?"

"I'm well, Sir."

"Very good. Harry!"

The boy entered the room at Albus' call, having already been informed to be there by the house elves.

"Yes headma-oh. H-hello."

Harry went from casual and comfortable to agonizingly stiff and nervous immediately. He hid it well, for someone so young, but the stoicism present in pureblood society would make hiding any fear from Lucius impossible. Draco, though, wasn't quite so alert.

"Harry, would you take Draco here through the castle? Show him some of what you've found?"

"Yes, sir."

Harry wasn't happy but he would oblige, Albus knew. He looked at Draco expectantly.

"Well… go on Draco.", said boy's father urged, the man hiding his disturbed surprise well.

"Okay.", Draco hopped up and followed Harry down the winding stairs.

Once the boys had left, Lucius turned to Albus.

"Tea?", Lucius stared at Albus, hesitantly taking the cup and sipping.

"What are you playing, Dumbledore."

"Whatever might you mean, Lucius?"

"Oh stop that! You're more manipulative than anything I or any politician has ever been. You just showed me a boy that you knew would throw me off and I'm too tired for ediquette, how long have you been overseeing Harry Potter!", he had risen from his seat and pounded his fists on the table. Malfoy was quick to anger, he always had been, and today was not a good day to be put in some political trap by Dumbledore.

The room went ice cold, the air freezing and the light seemed to flee. Out of nowhere, Lucius found himself sitting, a cup of tea in his hand, and his entire surroundings…perfectly mirrored from where they were before. The door that had been on the right side of the room was on the left and so on.

"What…"

Everything rushed back to how it was and Dumbledore stared at Lucius in such a way he felt fear for the first time since the dark lord has died.

"I've never responded well to anger, Lucius."

"Ha…to think that's all I ever had to do to make Albus Dumbledore reveal himself."

"To think all I had to do to destabilize the great Lucius Malfoy was show him an 11-year-old boy."

"Touché. The question remains, Albus, why is Harry Potter in this school."

"Because it's his time."

"What time."

"You already called my out for playing coy, Lucius."

"He is gone."

"No."

"He is GONE."

"The day a boy not a quarter of a year past his first birthday kills a dark lord is the day I eat my socks and turn this school into a daycare."

"Fine. Then why show him to me? Of all people? Leverage?"

"Yes."

"I dont know if you're aware, you're not really supposed to admit that when doing these-"

"I'll have access to your sun all year, Lucius. It just so happens that Draco takes after his godfather with an extreme gift in potions."

"What? No he doesn't and how would you…it doesn't matter, does it."

"No. His particular skill does not matter."

"You would use a child against me?"

"I would use *two* children against you."

"You're not any better than him."

"I don't claim to be. I do have a better cause though, a cause I hold above all."

"What? The light? You call this actions of the Li-"

"Children."

"What?"

"I would give everything for my charges in this school."

"I'm not a threat to these-"

"You are by far the biggest threat I can think of at this point to these children."

"What do you want from me?"

"You will not, in any way, ever let your son near another Death Eater or the Dark Lord while he attends this school or I will do my best to remove him from your care. I will burn the Earth to make sure not a single child under my care is recruited to the Death Eaters or anyone associated with them. In return, I will not influence your son towards my cause or away from your family, which you know I can. I have the backing of someone very interested in meeting your son, someone you would never find again if I do chose."

"No one could hide from me forever."

"Someone who is everyone could very easily hide from you."

"I…won't play riddles with you, Albus. I'll acquiesce. You would force me so…why?"

"The light is in my heart. Just as the dark is in Tom's. But I do not supersede the needs of the children I'm trusted with, and their greatest need is security."

"If he returns..he will kill me."

"Maybe so."

"This is an impossible task."

"Well, as I find the muggles love to say, that is not my problem."

"I'm going home."

"Have a good evening, Lucius."

"Bugger off. Also, it's morning-the sun is setting."

Lucius whipped around but Albus was gone. Their wasn't a door. Lucius shivered.

——

Albus watched as Lucius shivered, then left the room, the door clicking shut behind him and the echoes of his footsteps had faded.

"You can come out now."

A young woman whipped a grey, transparent cloak from her shoulders, becoming visible to the world.

"Someone who is everyone? Really?", Nymphadora Tonks exclaimed in her special brand of dramatic.

"Technically it's not wrong, Nym-"

"Ugh. Don't say the name. I guess your right…what did you do to him anyway?"

"I spiked his Tea."