Albus gave a long look at the two Gryffindors in front of him.

"Alright then, I suppose I have to ask. What on earth happened to you two?" he asked at the sight of their haggard face. "Did something happen during your little party?"

Harry and Aberforth blankly looked at him.

"That bad?"

"You have no idea."


When Harry had seen the blonde man wearing what Harry had recognized from watching a few TV programs muggle clothes from this era over what looked like a magician-like cape with red lining, he hadn't thought much of it at the beginning.

And yet, after a few minutes, he hadn't helped watching the golden fob watch the man standing next to him had retrieved from a pocket.

"Sorry sir, what time is it?" he hadn't been able to help asking.

The man had then closed the watch. "Depends. Time is a very relative concept so when you want to measure time you need to set a referential beforehand. What time is it in Hogwarts, what time is it in London, what time is it in Paris, what time it is in New York… At the exact same instant the answer will considerably vary."

Harry had then fought the urge to face-palm. "What time is it here then?"

"Nine twelve. But the answer you probably want is nine seventeen." Harry had blankly looked at him and the man had shrugged. "I did say you need to set a referential. So, even though it is nine twelve here, it is the time at Greenwich you probably want to know."

And Harry to that had just said, "Ah."

The blonde man's lips had then curled. "My father was a clockmaker," he had begun explaining as he was pocketing his watch, "and to charm his clocks, he had to be near the Royal Observatory. I've always found it funny," he had wistfully commented. "So be careful with that kind of things or you'd skip a day if you attempt to travel the world because of some bet."

"Are you... Are you actually referring to Around the World in Eighty Days?" he had incredulously asked

The man had snapped his fingers. "Exactly. Fogg should have had two clocks on him and he got very lucky he noticed his mistake before it was too late. So, if you ever buy a wizarding watch never forget what I've just told you and ask him where he's charmed it." He had then smiled and extended his hand. "Patrick Evans."

And Harry not knowing the mess he was about to get himself into had taken the hand and shaken it. "Harry Potter."

"Like Mesmer's new student? I have to say, it is not every day he gets surprised and has a new student suddenly appearing without him knowing. It must have been a very spur of the moment decision for you to startle him like that. Gifts like theirs, it takes either that or quite a lot of skills to fool their Third Eye."

Harry had blinked at that. "You're… You're talking as if you don't have it."

"I don't. I don't have… ah, let's just say I do not have their talent, or yours. Still, I have some... skills the guild rather likes." He had shrugged and then smiled. "Would you like me to show you?"

Looking back, Harry didn't know why he had accepted, nor why he had even tried to make conversation. For some reason, he had felt at ease in the middle of all this madness.

"You're not from here. You're a traveller, correct?"

"… Yes."

"So, where were you before coming to Hogwarts? No, don't tell me." He had raised a hand as Harry had started tensing. "I think I can find out myself."

Harry had helplessly tried to find a way out but finding none had decided to occlude his mind the best he could and shrugged.

"Because, you see," the man had begun, voice slightly deeper than before, "I've travelled quite a lot myself so it shouldn't be very hard. I've travelled all thorough our dear United Kingdom, Austria, France, Russia… I even went to New York not so long ago. Even our dear colonies, I've been here. And let me tell you, the weather was absolutely dreadful."

At that Harry had rolled his eyes. At least the man wasn't using legimency, he had thought. He might not be very good at occlumency, he knew that much.

"But you… You, I see you in none of those places. Oh, you've travelled," he had said before Harry could interrupt. "I have no doubt you've travelled, I can see- sorry, I can See that much. And I can see… I can see… I can see you have not been in the continent, nor have you been in America, Africa or even Asia or Oceania. I am sure that many of your classmates have asked you and none of them has so far figured it out. And it annoys you as much as you must privately find it very funny what they can imagine about you."

Harry's lips twitched.

"Who knows? Next thing, one of them will probably ask you if you're not from Mars."

Harry had burst to laugh and the man had lowly chuckled.

"What? It could be possible, I suppose. Still, we both know you're from our good old little world."

"Yes," he had confirmed between two snickers. "I'm not a Martian. I'm from Earth. Human too," he had added for good measure.

"Yes, I can clearly see that. But there will come a point when their guesses are going to be more and more ludicrous. That's human nature. And no matter what, they will always keep trying to find the secret. But how can anybody figure out where you're from? After all-"

The man's emerald eyes had then shined in amusement and, finally, he had smirked.

"You didn't travel through space, did you?"


Harry shakily hid his face behind his hands.

The man had then laughed at him and with a wink had told him it was time for him to do his job and tell the guild it was time to leave or they'd miss their portkey and thank you Mesmer for the invitation, I can see why you love this place. The audience here was absolutely delightful.

Professor Mesmer had then chuckled and later said as Harry was about to leave that he shouldn't worry too much. He's known Evans ever since they were children and, with a profession like his, he made a point in never revealing any secret. So he could be sure that, whatever he's discovered about him, he wouldn't tell anybody.

What was wrong with these people? You couldn't just throw a bomb like that and just leave! That wasn't allowed!

"Cassandra Trelawney was here," he heard Aberforth telling his brother.

Albus hummed, "What she? Considering how sought she is, one would think she wouldn't find the time to come to our school."

"Well, she did. It was very…"

"Dramatic," Harry helpfully added.

"Y-Yeah." He pointed in Harry's direction. "That." After a moment of hesitation, he said, "She took some of us in a room one by one to tell us our future."

Albus raised an eyebrow. "That was tremendously kind of her. I suppose…" His lips curled. "I suppose that explains a few things about the others." Seeing Aberforth biting his lower lip, he sighed. "What did she tell you about your future?"

"It's not what she told me really." He grimaced. "It's… It's what happened afterward. I think… I think she made a prophecy when I was alone with her."

Harry sharply raised his head. "She what?"

But Albus just raised an eyebrow. "She made a prophecy when you were alone with her," he repeated.

"Yes!" He ran a hand through his auburn hair and grimaced. "Like, I had my hand on the doorknob and suddenly there was that strange voice and-and she…" He shuddered. "I asked her what on earth she was doing but afterward she acted as if nothing happened and-"

He stopped when he saw his brother's lips twitching.

"My poor Aberforth," Albus said not without a hint of amusement in his voice, "you must have been rather shaken up for you to behave the way you currently are."

Aberforth blinked a few times. Finally, he growled, "This is serious, Albus!"

"Of course, of course," he indulged him. "My most sincere apologies, Aberforth." His lips twitched again. "Well then, what does that so-called prophecy she made when you were alone with her say?"

"As if I'm going to tell you!" he thundered before angrily heading to the dorms.

Albus sighed. "I probably could have handled it better," he admitted. "Now then, what about y-"

"Sorry," Harry said as walked past him and went after the younger Dumbledore, "I have to go."

Albus looked at the empty Common Room.

"I was only trying to be nice," he whispered as he headed to bed with a sigh.

When Harry faced the door leading to the Third Year boys' dormitories, he didn't bother knocking.

"Leave me alone, Albus!" Aberforth's voice shouted when Harry opened the door.

It was then followed by several angry voices, clearly displeased at being woken up this way.

"Sorry," Aberforth mumbled. Finally noticing it wasn't his brother, he suspiciously looked at Harry. "What do you want now?"

"What did she tell you?" Aberforth tensed and opened his mouth as if to shout again.

But looking at Harry's grave face, he changed his mind. "Is Albus still down there?"

Harry looked at the Common Room and shook his head. Aberforth sighed and left the Third Years' dorms. "At least you're not laughing at me," he mumbled as they headed back to the Common Room.

"Believe me, there is nothing funny when it comes to prophecies."


"The end is only the beginning," Harry slowly repeated the prophecy's first words. "Everything ends before it even begins. That- That doesn't make any sense!"

Aberforth angrily ran a hand through his hair. "I know, but that's what she said. And, frankly, I'm more worried about what she said after that."

Harry grimaced at that.

A broken home, unfortunate souls lost in despair, an innocent screaming for help... No matter how he was looking at it, that prophecy felt ominious.

"I don't know what to say," he confessed. "That was definitely a prophecy, but this was is rather… well, it's very vague."

The one Professor Trelawney had given in Third Year had been very straightforward. It had even said it would happen that very night. It had been very precise, all things considered. It had talked about 'the Dark Lord' and his servant when all Cassandra Trelawney's prophecy was talking about was at best some 'great adventurer', whatever that was supposed to mean.

"Do you… Do you have any idea what it could be about?" Harry tried while Aberforth startled. "The one Prof- my former teacher gave me was in some way related to me," he explained, "and she did make the prophecy in front of you. So, maybe-"

The Third Year crossed his arms. "Not really." He started musing, "maybe the part about…" He stilled and shook his head. "No, that can't be it," he nervously chuckled. "N-no idea."

But Aberforth began biting his fingernail. "A-Anyway, maybe…" He gritted his teeth and didn't say anything else.

Harry sighed. "I know it's creepy," he told Aberforth who startled. "Believe me, I know. I've been there. B-But…"

Remembering the one Professor Trelawney had made in front of him and how it ended, he grimaced.

"It says some great adventurer will bring these people home, right?" he tried, purposefully ignoring the part about silver blood and golden wings. "So it's not completely bad."

"I suppose," Aberforth reluctantly acknowledged.

"And we don't know how prophecies work," he added. "The one I've heard was pretty straightforward but this one? I think we shouldn't jump to conclusions for now."

The auburn-haired gave a long sigh. "Maybe. And also, Trelawney literally confused me with Albus so it's most certainly dragon dung anyway."

Harry frowned. "Does she even know him?"

He replied with a shrug. "She said I'd work with kids and a phoenix would watch over me so I know she was really talking about him." Harry's eyes widened but Aberforth didn't notice it.

"She… She must have thought it was him and wanted to sell him on divination." The younger wizard nodded to himself. "And-And she faked making a prophecy because I wasn't buying her act." He nervously chuckled. "I usually hate it but I think I can let that one slide. I admit she freaked me out b-but…"

He looked away and heavily sighed. "I don't know what to think," he finally confessed. "I don't know if it concerns me or not, and I don't know if I want it to or not."


Now that October was gone, the first thing in anybody's mind was naturally the beginning of the Quidditch season in a few days. As always, the first match was going to be Gryffindor vs Slytherin and, as always, it was the one that interested Hogwart's students the most if only because of the infamous rivalry between the two houses.

The current rumour mill was saying that the new student would somehow manage to catch the snitch, defeat Higgs and lead Gryffindor team to victory. So far this prediction was the least unlikely, in Albus' honest opinion.

From watching the team training under the pretence he was here to encourage his brother, Albus could reliably say the team was good. Would the team be good enough to finally defeat Slytherin now, he supposed they would know soon enough as the match was to be played this Saturday.

Albus sighed and entered the classroom.

Harry glanced at him and sighed.

"You really should stop spending so much time in the library," he informed him as Albus sat next to him. "I know you mean well but, believe me, that's not healthy."

Albus gave him a smile, attempting not to show his slight annoyance. "Are you speaking from experience per any chance?"

"Yes. Well," he amended, "I rarely go to the library but I've got this friend, Hermione. She's so often in the library Ron and I often have to drag her out of it."

Albus couldn't help raising his eyebrows at how informally the new student was referring to his friends. "Ron and Hermione."

While it was true he himself was on first name basis with his friends and they with him, he knew most of them, save Elphias, could be uncomfortable with such familiarity. Albus didn't quite understand as he was firmly convinced this was the best way one had to connect with somebody.

Alas, in Queen Victoria's England, this wasn't just done. So Albus with his friends were often seen as some rude and impolite wizards when all Albus was trying to do was to change the mentalities on the subject.

But for the new student who so far had made a point in not using any name to refer to him…

"You and your friends must be very close," he carefully remarked.

Harry gave him a fond smile. "That we are."

Before the wizard could say more, the witch in front of them gasped and they both turned their head, trying to see what had startled her.

He then stilled.

For several minutes, Albus stared at the scene in front of him, unable to comprehend what was happening as Harry began taking his quill with a sigh.

What was going on? What happened? How?

A ball of parchment fell on his table. Quickly followed by another he numbly looked at for a few second before taking it.

Tell him, the first note said. You're prefect, you tell him, said the second one.

The one that hit his forehead was from Virginia Selwyn: I will not say anything, nobody will. It has to be you.

Albus sighed and discreetly banished the notes. Finally after a few deep breaths, he hesitantly raised his hand.

The Professor stopped his lecture and looked at his hand with some kind of amazement. "Mister –er-?"

"Dumbledore, Professor. I was just" –he grimaced- "I just wanted to point something out. You… may have forgotten something."

His professor scoffed. "I most certainly did not, Mister Darlington. What do you think I've forgotten, exactly?"

"You forgot your body, I'm afraid." Professor Binns slowly blinked and Albus deeply inhaled. "Y-You're a ghost, sir."

Binns slowly raised his arm. "So I am," he said at the sight of his now translucent hand. "I'm a ghost."

Albus tried to find something, anything to say to the now dead man but what could one say to this? "You have my most sincere condolences, sir."

Binns lowered his ghostly hand. "I see." A couple of seconds passed. "Now, where were we?"

Albus startled. "W-Well…" He looked at the blank parchment on his table and nervously chuckled. "I have to admit that I did not-"

Harry began reading his notes, unperturbed. "Ragnok's attempt to murder Greyson Ollivander failed and Aurors' investigations revealed the goblins were intending to make a coup."

"Ah yes. Ragnok the Fool confessed the attempted crime and taunted the goblins would free him and make him king. Naturally-"

And under the rest of the class incredulous eyes –minus Harry who was dutifully writing what the ghost was saying- class resumed as if nothing was wrong.


"I do not see any problem," Phineas Nigellus Black cruelly remarked.

The professors around the table uncomfortably looked at each other. "Headmaster, Binns is dead."

"I can see that," he replied, pointing at the translucent professor floating above the chair he used to sit on and where Merrythought had the misfortune to find the body a few hours ago. "Admittedly, he has never been very lively to begin with but he looks even paler than usual. Still, as I said, I do not see any problem."

"But-"

"Did Binns miss class?" The teachers on the table frowned. "He didn't, did he? Now, it would be a different matter if Binns here was unable to teach but it is clear after this morning that he is still able to continue his lessons. As such, there is no need to find a replacement."

Merrythought, who was still a green-horn when it came to dealing with the Headmaster, shook her head. "With respect, Headmaster, Binns is dead."

He raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"So?" she spluttered. "Shouldn't we- Shouldn't we- D-Doesn't he deserve to- He's dead! He shouldn't teach!"

Hogwarts Headmaster sighed.

"Binns here, like all of you may I remind you, has signed a permanent contract to teach at Hogwarts. Only expulsion, his inability to teach or his own demission can terminate it."

"Yes but-"

"Nowhere is it written that death allows you to neglect your duties to Hogwarts."

The people in the room all froze.

"Meaning, and it should go without saying, that Binns is still legally obliged to teach History of Magic and that we cannot actually fire him for this motive as he clearly is still able to teach. Besides, should any of you fail to fulfil your duties to do so, it is perfectly within Hogwarts' rights to demand compensation."

"Can you sue a dead man?" O'Connor asked Dippet in a whisper.

Dippet helplessly shrugged.

"Now, Binns here can quit at the end of this school year," Phineas Nigellus Black conceded, "but he still is under the obligation to stay and teach History of magic until July and notify us early enough for Hogwarts to seek a replacement." Finally turning to the ghost, he spoke, "You told me not so long ago that you didn't think a life would be enough to study the complex subject that is goblin rebellions."

"Binns," O'Connor hissed. "Don't-"

"I did," the new ghost confirmed.

"I have to hand it to you, you were correct. But if a life isn't enough, maybe a death can be. Goblin rebellions may not be the work of a lifetime, it can be the work of a deathtime if you so wish."

And under his colleagues' horrified eyes, Binns agreed and decided with a small smile that he could not think of a better death for him. In fact, he found death to be quite freeing as he was no longer bound by the limitations of his body and it would be a pleasure to pursue his work at Hogwarts and thank you for this amazing opportunity, Headmaster. You really are the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever had.

Professor Black coughed and waved his hand. "If that's what makes you happy. Personally I'd- I suppose one man's hell can be another's heaven," he started musing. "Nonetheless, it must be said that you are a credit to Ravenclaw and an example of integrity and devotion to your colleagues."

Said colleagues uncomfortably looked at each other.

"He's going to use that against us, isn't it?" a voice whispered once the Headmaster had left the room.

Prince grimly nodded. "I don't know how, but he will."

Mesmer intently looked at the ghost who was back to reading the notes still on the table. "He's probably going to use Binns' death when either of us will ask for a raise, or a sick day," he absent-mindedly commented.

After a few minutes, Merrythought whispered, "How could this happen?"

Mesmer's lips slowly curled. "The matron said he probably died last night in his sleep, correct? A student of mine had 'foreseen' this so perhaps it was his fate to die then. After all, it's rather poetic, don't you think?" He turned his head and, seeing his colleagues' confused faces, he explained further, "Dying on All Hallows' Eve. It should have been obvious he would die and be reborn as a ghost on the day the dead walk among us."

But Professor O'Connor scoffed at the idea. "We're trying to find more concrete reasons for his demise, Mesmer," she dryly said. "Something more realistic than some higher being wanting him dead."

"Alright then," Mesmer crossed his arms and asked, "who was in charge of reminding Binns to eat and feeding him by force if he forgot these last three weeks?"

Prince, Dippet, and Merrythought froze.

Mesmer's electric blue eyes seemed to stare at their very soul. "It is because of people like you that we can't have nice things here."


"You should look at the bright side," Harry tried as he handed today's notes, "now you can see the blackboard through him."

"How can you be so insensitive?" Elphias Doge exclaimed and Albus blankly looked at him.

Harry grimaced. "Sorry."

He supposed now was not the time to remark he and his classmates had literally thrown gum at the ghost whenever his back was turn and snickered whenever one hit the head.

"I don't know how you can just…" Elphias glanced at Harry's note Albus was copying with the gemino charm. "Your professor becomes a ghost and you just take your quill and take notes?"

Harry gave an embarrassed smile.

He couldn't tell he had forgotten Binns was supposed to be alive now, could he?

Elphias turned his head in the direction of Albus. "How long do you think it will take until Headmaster Black finds a replacement?"

"I am not quite sure, I confess." The auburn-haired began musing, "It may take a couple of weeks. But it may also take more."

Harry blinked and tilted his head. "A replacement? What for?"

The two other wizards blankly looked at him for a moment.

Elphias finally decided not to comment. "Do you think they will want us to go to the burial, Albus?"

"The burial, I do not know," the prefect slowly began, "but I have heard the ghosts are intending to make a welcoming feast for their new comrade. Their words. I do not think they would mind terribly if we join in their festivities."

"A welcoming feast."

Dumbledore nodded. "They do not necessarily see their death as a tragic incident. Why, I've even had the honour of being invited by Sir Nicholas for his four-hundreth deathday party on my first year here." Seeing Harry's incredulous smile, he smiled back. "It was quite an enlightening experience, I have to admit. I only wish I've had the foresight of taking something to eat beforehand."

Harry couldn't stop a snort as he remembered what had passed for food during Nearly-Headless Nick's five-hundredth deathday party.

Elphias gave a loud sigh as he took his copy of Harry's notes. "I wonder who will replace him."

"Oh, nobody. Binns is staying."

Elphias rolled his eyes. "Potter, you cannot actually think he will keep teaching, do you? Yes, he taught us this morning but I am sure he was was in denial and has yet to understand what has happened to him. Once he does, Professor Binns is going to leave."

"Nope."

"Please, be serious."

"I am serious. Dead serious, in fact."

"Oh for-"

After a few minutes of bickering in front of Albus who ultimately decided to leave and help a few First Years, the two Gryffindors decided to bet two sickles on it.

With the rumours currently saying he was a seer, Doge should have known what a folly that was.


"No, I did not foresee that," Mesmer repeated the next day. "Frankly, I was as surprised as you were when you told me my colleague was dead. I only have an excellent poker face."

Harry had felt the man's eyes on him when the class had informed him of Binns' death the day before but he had no far not said a thing about Harry predicting his death weeks before Halloween.

The man paused. "One rule to remember is this one: no matter how deep you delve in the occult, there will always be something you will not see. Divination is many things, but it will never be an exact science. You should never forget that. Now, open your book page fifty-three, we will study astrology. For those who have talked with my colleage Sepharial the other night, I am sure this will only be a review but I want to be thorough. As our esteemed Professor Black used to say when he was still teaching Astrology-"

"Astronomy," Black's voice automatically corrected.

Mesmer's lips curled. "As he used to say when he was still teaching, the sky is a map. If one ever gets lost, he only needs to raise his head to know where he should go. Now, if any of you were to encounter one of the centaurs living in the Forbidden Forest, you will quickly discover that, like many astrologers, they firmly believe it is not only space, but also time that is written in the starry sky and that these celestial bodies have some sort of conciousness. Will your own future be written in the stars now… Centaurs believe it will not, arguing we hardly hold any importance to them, but wizards on the other hand argue that-"

As the man began explaining 'the language of the stars', he considered the prophecy Cassandra had given to Aberforth Dumbledore.

He had the day before tried to find if there was a book explaining how prophecies worked but those he had found were only compilations of predictions and the rest seemed to be in the restricted section.

Still, if it seemed like the younger Dumbledore was now making a point in not talking about it, Harry felt he couldn't be allowed that luxury.

This prophecy was mentionning some 'great adventurer'. And while the wording was considerably vague, it had been giving him an uneasy feeling ever since he's heard it.

It has been proven many times that Harry Potter had terrible luck when it came to prophecies after all.


Albus heavily sighed as he read Harry's notes in History of Magic. His were usually not that succinct but he supposed that would have to do.

He frowned and tilted his head. After a few seconds, he gave up and turned to Harry sitting next to him. "Sorry, what did you write here?"

Harry got even closer to him and frowned. "This part?" he asked as he pointed at a specific line.

Albus mutely nodded.

"If the Wizengamot considered each wizard had the right of owning a wand, it ruled that goblins, like any other magical creature, did not." Finally leaving Albus' personal space, he added, "I don't have the best handwriting, sorry."

He coughed. "It's fine. Th-Thank you," he managed to say.

"You're welcome."

For a while, they didn't say anything. Albus trying to read the copy he's made of Harry's notes, Harry finishing his essay on astronomy.

Eyeing what the other wizard was writing, he pointed out a mistake he had just made.

Harry blinked. "Right. Thank you, err… Thank you."

Albus sighed as he posed his notes.

"Harry," he slowly began, "I could not help noticing the past few weeks that you have had trouble referring to me by my name."

He truly wished he didn't have to say this but after two months, he had to point it out. Maybe he was partly to blame for this situation, but it was time in his opinion to take care of the problem at hand.

The new student uncomfortably scratched his head. "So you noticed. O-Of course, you noticed." He sighed. "It's just..." He swallowed and didn't say anything else.

"I tend to do that," he kindly remarked. "And I know why you have such difficulties. I get it. The name of 'Dumbledore' has quite a history after all."

Dumbledore was these days a difficult name to bear. Whenever one would mention it, the first thing on everybody's mind was the now infamous Perceval Dumbledore. And whenever Albus would give his surname, he needed to go past it and prove Albus Dumbledore was not like the idea they had of his father. Time and time again.

"Nonetheless, I'm afraid I must stress this: I am my own person. And I am not that Dumbledore."

Harry startled and painfully closed his eyes and sighed. "I know. I-I know and… I'm sorry. It's just- I don't actually know what I should call you," he finally confessed. "When I look at you, I sometimes see him and-" He abruptly shook his head "Sorry. This isn't very fair to you, all this."

"It is not," he acknowledged. "But it is quite pointless to lament over this. Also, I suppose I am to shoulder some responsibility on the current situation between us." Seeing the other man frowning, he allowed himself to smile. "I have been calling you 'Harry' every since you've been here but not ever once have I told you it was fine for you to call me 'Albus'. I tend to tell my friends to call me by this name so but it seems like I have not told you. Maybe I'm being quite presomptuous but perhaps you will stop seeing him and start seeing me if you do?"

Harry frowned and carefully mouthed the name. He then made a confused face, and strangely looked at him.

"I suppose I can try."

It wasn't really the answer Albus had been seeking. And he knew it would still take time for Harry Potter to truly be comfortable with him.

Still, it was a beginning.