Professor Dumbledore drummed his fingertips together, he waited patiently for his guest to find his seat, "Liquorice snap?" Alastor Moody eyed him suspiciously and moved to take one, "Careful, they're sharp."

Moody withdrew his hand, "How can I help you headmaster?"

"I've got problems Alastor," He was trying to maintain a strict air to the meeting but he simply couldn't resist twirling in his chair. Alastor gave him a peculiar look, "twirl with me."

"I'm fine Headmaster," the man shook his head.

Professor Dumbledore rolled his eyes, "old age has made you boring."

"It's this new leg," Alastor nodded rigorously, "it won't allow it."

"Oh," Albus couldn't help but peer at the prosthetic curiously, "what's it made of?"

"Titanium," Alastor fixed his normal eye on him but the magical one was still on high alert, "they've enchanted it to behave like a normal leg but it's heavy as hell."

"Looks heavy," Albus agreed.

"How can I help you headmaster?" Alastor repeated, he grinned wilfully, "Or am I hear because you enjoy looking at me?"

"Charming," his smile fell, "no, I wanted to discuss Harry Potter's dragon from earlier." Albus sat up straight as a pin and put on his business demeanour, "is it me or was it much more aggressive than the rest?"

"I think it might be speciel," Alastor shrugged it off, "Arthur's boy seemed to think the horntail was generally more aggressive than the rest."

"You see," Albus got up and began to pace, "I studied dragons and I can't let it go that easily."

Alastor eyes his sceptically, "Isn't a more accurate description that you once read a book on dragons?"

"I also did some experimenting with their blood," Albus crossed his arms with pride, "I think that makes me an expert."

"Does it?" Alastor tilted his head expectantly, "does it really?"

"We're digressing?" Albus shook his head, "Would you like a brandy?"

"It's Thursday," Alastor countered.

"I said 'a' brandy, not a bottle," Alastor rolled his eyes, "don't mind if I have one then?"

"No," Alastor shrugged, "be my guest."

"I was told it is technically cognac by my last guest from whom it was a gift," he chuckled to himself, "You know that this hat and this drink were both made by subsidiaries of the same conglomerate?"

Alastor sighed deeply, "I don't even know what a conglomerate is?"

"Age has made you boring indeed," Albus poured himself a glass of brandy and dropped back into his seat.

"I'm sorry Albus but I have a stack of fourth year tests as tall as I am," the man's magical eye rolled wildly, "waiting to be graded."

"Oh, you should try giving Kurt Hummel a 'B'," he chuckled, "he simultaneously tried to strangle and set the last teacher who tried that on fire."

"And you objected to me questioning a student who'd attempted murder," Alastor sounded pleased with his autonomy, "I did well to question him and I still think there's something funny about him."

"No, you didn't do well to question him when I'd told you not to," Albus shook his head, "he wanted you fired, especially since he feels you don't honour the curriculum. I stuck my neck out to save you and I had warned you."

"Does that not sound like a dangerous student to you?" Alastor banged his fist on the desk, "Mr Hummel is a menace and should be monitored as such."

"Mr Hummel is a great many things but he is neither a menace nor is he dangerous," Professor Dumbledore assured his old friend as he sipped his brandy, "And Kurt Hummel is under my constant supervision, he is as loyal to me as you, yourself, are."

"You seem to trust this boy implicitly despite his family's long history of less than savoury behaviour," Alastor eyed the headmaster wearily, "he must have you bewitched."

"I don't think I'm in any position to judge people for the actions of their parents," Professor Dumbledore smirked, "not with my history."

"I hardly think the two are the same," Alastor shook his head, taking a swig from his hip flask.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled at how the man was unwilling to drink with him despite their long history, sticking to his paranoia and drinking his own beverage. The headmaster smirked, "why are you so determined to believe the worst of Mr Hummel? What is it that Bellatrix told you of her son that makes you so keen to see the boy ostracized?"

"The last time we let one of them into our midst, we were betrayed," Alastor sounded self-satisfied, as if all he believed about Kurt Hummel was affirmed by this piece of history, "Or have you forgotten that Sirius Black killed Pettigrew, sold his best friend to the Dark Lord and killed twelve muggles."

"I do not lightly forget the loss of innocence," the headmaster snapped back.

"The madness of House Black is inescapable," Alastor gave a distorted smirk, "it's in his blood."

"Do not speak ill of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black!" The portrait of Phineas Nigellas Black roared angrily, "Least of all of the fine example of the family's prowess and superiority that Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, mentioning him in the same context as that Sirius Black fellow."

"That's enough Black. Alastor, old friend, you should be careful," Professor Dumbledore raised a precautionary finger, "you're starting to sound like the other side. We do not draw distinctions between them and ourselves based on our heritage," The headmaster rose to his full height, "I will not have any of my students mistreated on any grounds; be it Kurt Hummel, Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy! These children are exactly that, children."

"Are you forbidding me from looking into Mr Hummel?"

"I'm advising you not to single out any student on any grounds," Professor Dumbledore's voice was firm and authoritative, "do not treat Mr Hummel any differently than you would any other student, he too is innocent until proven guilty."

"Yes Headmaster," the stoic man resigned to his defeat.

"You know, I didn't call you here to rant and rave," the headmaster let out a defeated sigh in spite of his victory, "I actually intended to discuss Harry Potter, not in his capacity as a student and not in your capacity as his Professor."

"Then in what capacity did you wish to discuss the boy?" Alastor asked, his enchanted eye working double time.

"In his capacity as a Triwizard champion," Professor Dumbledore leaned forward, "and in your capacity as an Auror; I still believe that Harry Potter was entered into this tournament under suspicious circumstances. I would like it if you kept close watch over the boy, guide him as much as you can and ensure his safety."

"That happened to treating all students equally?" Alastor teased.

"This falls outside the realm of academia," Professor Dumbledore shook his head, "and as a teacher you fill two roles in your students' lives; that of educator, imparting knowledge and helping them grow their knowledge base, and that of surrogate parent." Professor Dumbledore took a deep breath, "the two roles are quite polarized and should never overlap, and as such they tend to contradict each other at times."

Bonus chapters are designed to impart further knowledge that cannot be organically integrated into the main story.