The move was a quiet affair. They told nobody but close friends and family where they were going, though Albus suspected that his mother would refrain from keeping in touch with any of them -- his father had been the social one in the family. Albus didn't mind; he had never been one for playmates, and generally preferred his own company. Aberforth might have minded losing contact with the Wizarding children of Mould-on-the-Wold a bit more if he wasn't still shaken by their father's arrest and Ariana's condition. It had been at least three months since he had bothered visiting Harvey Ridgebit and his pet Crup.
Albus had expected it to take a while for them to find a new place to live, but surprisingly it was only about a week before Kendra found a small cottage in a village called Godric's Hollow. From the name, Albus assumed that it had been named after Godric Gryffindor, one of the four legendary founders of Hogwarts. The thought gave him a small degree of pride; his father had been a Gryffindor, and it had always been his secret hope to be sorted into the same house as his father. What would people say, though, when they heard that a Gryffindor had been the one to attack some poor Muggle children? Albus felt ill at the thought. If only they knew...
On the day of the move, Kendra used Floo Powder to bring her children directly into the house so that no Muggles would come knocking and ask awkward questions. Albus understood that there were several Wizarding families present in Godric's Hollow, but like most settlements of its kind, it was largely populated by Muggles. He felt vaguely resentful at the thought; his one comfort was that the Dumbledores would most likely be staying indoors as much as possible. If anything, the attack on Ariana had made them wiser about the world around them.
Albus was the first to step through the emerald-colored flames of their fireplace; when he had stopped spinning, he stepped forward, shook the ash off of his robes, and had his first look at their new home. It was a moderately-sized, cozy wooden cottage built in the Tudor style with wooden floors, whitewashed walls, and oak beams lining the walls and ceilings. The windows were small yet bright, and offered a view of the town square; Albus peered out of them eagerly.
It was actually a fairly quaint village; while Mould-on-the-Wold was more of a grubby town left from the Medieval ages, Godric's Hollow looked like something out of a postcard. A cobblestone town square was at the center of the village, and was surrounded by several houses, a post office, and a small church. Past the church, Albus could see an old graveyard with a kissing gate at the front. The winter snows were beginning to melt, giving the village a sparkling look in the sunlight.
He heard his brother appear behind him, spluttering ash, followed by his mother carrying Ariana. He turned to see his brother surveying the house with mild interest.
"Wow, it's big," Aberforth said. He turned hopefully to his mother. "Mum, d'you reckon me and Albus can have our own rooms?"
"Yes," Kendra said, the faintest flicker of a smile appearing at the edges of her thin lips. "You may."
"Brilliant," Aberforth said, his face lighting up. Albus couldn't help but smile; this was one of the first things that his brother had gotten excited about in ages. Perhaps this move was exactly what the Dumbledores needed after all. As Aberforth bounded off up the stairs, Albus followed him slowly, taking time to appreciate the wide, sunny rooms he passed and the hand-carved oak banisters on the staircase. It was certainly a nice house, neither two big nor too small, and it had a certain warmth about it that made it feel like home.
As Albus came to the top of the staircase, he found his brother standing in the middle of a fairly large room.
"This one's mine," Aberforth said quickly, spotting Albus through the doorway.
"That's fine," Albus said with a small smile. He looked around at the available rooms; one room, a small one, was located next to Aberforth's, and a door connected the two rooms. Preferring not to have to share any more space with his brother than was necessary -- being in the same room as him for seven years had been quite enough -- Albus bypassed the room and went on to the next. The sight took his breath away.
The room wasn't very large, but it was cozy. The most noticeable feature was the big dormer window at the far side of the room; it had a brightly-lit window seat with a midnight-blue velvet cushion. Albus approached the wide glass window eagerly; as it faced the rear of the house, it had a magnificent view of the surrounding moor. The landscape was a bit boggy in the low parts, and was still covered with scattered patches of melting snow; but the grassy rolling hills went on for miles and miles under a sunny blue sky, and the overall effect was beautiful. For the first time since Ariana's attack, Albus felt at peace.
"This is the one you like, I see," Kendra said suddenly from behind him. She was surveying the room with mild interest. "I thought you might. The window seat will be good for reading, I suppose."
"I really do like it," Albus said earnestly. "Could I have it, mum? Please?"
"Yes, yes," Kendra said dismissively. She gave the room a quick look-around once more, then flicked her wand. Albus's bed, his trunk, and his small stack of personal belongings appeared in the room. "I put Ariana in the room next to Aberforth, which leaves the fourth room for me," she added, more to herself than to Albus. She gave another distracted look around the room, then strode out into the hall to check on her other children.
Albus flung himself onto the bed, old feelings of happiness stirring from somewhere deep within him. This place was perfect. He pictured himself spending sunny afternoons reading on the window seat, exploring the village, studying strange creatures in the moor... yes, this change was exactly what they needed. The only thing missing was--
A knock rang out suddenly from the first floor. Albus sat up in his bed in alarm, then dashed into the hallway in time to see his mother hurrying downstairs, flicking her wand and changing her witch's robes into a plain Muggle dress, a look of worry on her face.
"Mum, who is it?" Aberforth called from his room.
"Be quiet!" Kendra hissed from somewhere downstairs. Albus ran back into his room, threw open his trunk, and quickly began to change into his own Muggle clothing. How did anyone know that they were here? No one in the village should have known that they were moving in, Muggle or Wizard. Why, then, was someone coming to call just moments after they had arrived?
He tore off down the stairs in time to find his mother opening the door.
The woman standing on their doorstep was somewhat short, with flyaway, mousy hair that was turning grey at the temples. She was wearing a faded green dress, and had a large carpet bag hooked around her arm. She had a bright, cheery expression, though she gave off an air that was distinctly flighty and scatterbrained. The woman bustled inside without invitation; Albus felt his heart skip a beat fearfully as he wondered why the woman didn't quail at the look of shocked fury on his mother's face. Perhaps she simply hadn't noticed.
"Hello, hello!" the woman said cheerfully, surveying the house with fascinated interest. Her eyes fell on Albus, who had stopped halfway down the stairs, and her face broke out into a wide smile. "This must be your son! Hello there! Would you like a sweet?" She began rummaging through her handbag. "I think I have a few somewhere in--"
"Excuse me," Kendra said loudly, her voice icy. She clearly did not take kindly to this strange woman barging into her home. "Who are you?"
"Oh, silly me!" the woman said, laughing airily. "My name is Bathilda Bagshot! Welcome to Godric's Hollow!"
"I see," Kendra said, her expression still stony and mistrusting. "And how exactly did you know that we were moving in today...?"
"Oh, my Secrecy Sensor started going off," Bathilda said loudly, waving her hand dismissively. "It's overly sensitive, it starts vibrating at the first sign of magic... but it's never done it so violently! So, I told myself that some Wizarding family must have finally moved into the house next door."
"Ah," Kendra said, her expression relaxing slightly, and Albus could tell what she was thinking -- this woman was clearly a Witch, not a Muggle, meaning that they could relax a bit. And while Kendra was hardly friendly, she could be at least marginally polite when she had to be. She shut the door behind Bathilda to keep out the cold, and so that no Muggles would overhear them.
"My name is Kendra Dumbledore," she said, inclining her head slightly. "This is my son Albus, the oldest; my youngest son, Aberforth, is upstairs getting settled." Albus couldn't help but notice that she had failed to mention Ariana. Were they keeping her a total secret now? He supposed it was the best way to keep people from snooping around, but it still felt wrong to pretend as if he didn't have a sister.
"Kendra, Albus, and Aberforth," Bathilda repeated aloud. "Dumbledore... you know, I think that name rings a bell."
"Does it, now?" Kendra said quietly, her expression stiffening. "I couldn't imagine why."
Bathilda stood there thoughtfully for a moment, then shook her head dismissively. "Oh well. It's gone. Now, Albus," she said, taking him by surprise by addressing him directly. "How old are you?"
"Ten," Albus said before he could stop himself. He hesitated, then added, "I'll be turning eleven this summer."
"So you'll be going to Hogwarts next fall, then?" she asked, eyes lighting up.
"Yes ma'am."
"Then you'll be reading my book, no doubt," Bathilda said excitedly. She rummaged around in her huge handbag, then pulled out a crisp new book and handed it to him. "A History of Magic. I always carry a spare copy. Consider it a housewarming gift."
"Thank you very much!" Albus said, delighted, taking the book eagerly and running his hands over the smooth cover. The words A History of Magic, First Edition, by Bathilda Bagshot were written in smooth gold script on the front cover.
"It's autographed inside," Bathilda chimed in cheerfully, tapping the cover. "Now, when you're taking the class, be sure to give Professor Binns my regards, he's a close associate of mine."
"Mum, who's here?" Aberforth called from upstairs.
"One of our new neighbors come to wish us welcome," Kendra called, in a tone of forced cheerfulness. "Mrs... Bagshot."
"Miss," Bathilda corrected, beaming. Kendra nodded curtly. Albus could tell that she was perfectly keen to get rid of this unwelcome surprise visitor, but he was in no hurry for her to go. He couldn't help but like this woman; anyone who knew enough to fill a book was fine by him.
"Oh," Aberforth said vaguely, coming down the first few steps to get a better look at the newcomer for a moment. His curiosity satisfied, he then turned his attention back to his mother. "Mum, Ariana's just sitting on the floor shaking... she won't stop."
Kendra turned pale, her wide eyes locked on Aberforth, and Albus felt the room freeze over. Bathilda seemed unaware of the tension in the air; she smiled at Kendra with polite curiosity.
"Ariana?"
"She's... my youngest daughter," Kendra said stiffly. "She's terribly frail, however. Very ill. She can't have any visitors. At all."
Bathilda looked distraught. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear it. Perhaps I can--"
"Thank you, but we really do have a lot to get done," Kendra cut in. She opened the door and held it expectantly.
"I... I see," Bathilda said, looking a little affronted and confused as she stepped outside. "Well, another time, then? Perhaps your family could come over for tea some--"
"Perhaps," Kendra said curtly, sweeping the door shut in one movement and slamming it in Bathilda's face. Albus winced; that could certainly have gone better. He wouldn't have minded having tea with Miss Bagshot, but he knew that it was now out of the question in his mother's eyes. And yet, while he felt bad for Bathilda, the look on his mother's face was the worst part; she looked positively sick. Obviously, letting their neighbor know about Ariana hadn't been part of her plan. Albus understood why; what if Miss Bagshot suspected that something fishy was going on, and sent the Ministry or a Healer to investigate? They'd lose custody of Ariana to St. Mungo's because of her condition. They had already lost their father; their family surely couldn't withstand the loss of anyone else. Albus glanced at his mother once more; she was now looking up the landing at Aberforth with a glare of such intensity that Aberforth's eyes widened in visible terror. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted up the stairs; Kendra was close behind.
"What -- did -- I -- tell -- you?" she hissed.
"I'm sorry, Mum, I'm sorry!" Aberforth wailed from somewhere upstairs.
Albus sighed, crossing to their new sitting room. He tried to drown out the sound of Aberforth's howls, mixing with Ariana's, by focusing on A History of Magic. However, it was no use; he couldn't focus. His mind was swimming with thoughts of Ariana, his father, and how different things were going to be from then on. They had found their change of scenery, true, but was that really enough? Could their new settings make them any less of a broken family?
It was no use wondering at this point. What good ever came from living in dreams? All they could do now was try to find what happiness they could in their new home. How else could they survive?
