Dumbledore glanced up, smiling pleasantly, as the door to his office burst open.

"Ah, hello Arthur," he greeted. "I have to say, I was expecting you."

Ignoring his greeting, England stormed over, his expression clouded with rage.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" he demanded. "Why the bloody hell would you allow those two into the school?! Are you out of your bloody mind?!"

Dumbledore stared at him for a moment.

"I assume you are talking about our newest visitors?" Glancing behind him, Dumbledore's smile grew wider. "Ahh...and here they are now."

"Yes I know that," England snapped. "I want to know why you allowed them into the school!"

"Hey Dumb Whore!" America waved, cheerily. "What's up?"

"Oh for godsake!" England whirled around and glared at him. "His name isn't -"

"Oh, it's quite alright," Dumbledore said, cutting him off. "I am always ready to try knew things - nicknames are one of them."

England stared at him, looking disbelieving.

"Nothing much has happened," Dumbledore told America, his eyes twinkling merrily. "I have simply been trying a few of the new sweets I picked up from Honeydukes."

"Dude, awesome," America said. "I've just been talking with Iggy."

"Don't call me that!" England glared at him.

"Ahh, if it isn't the fairy headmaster." Russia took a few steps forward and smiled. "It is nice to see you again - we really must have a conversation. You see, there is something that I failed to mention to you the last time I saw you."

"I'm sorry," England spluttered. "Did you just call him the fairy headmaster?!"

"Yes." Russia nodded his head.

"Unfortunately, I am only a wizard," Dumbledore told him. "As for that conversation - well, go on."

"Oh this is just ridiculous," England muttered. "Just tell them to leave, and we can all get on with our lives."

Ignoring him, Russia directed his full attention towards Dumbledore.

"A while ago, my country was attacked by a group of wizards," he said. "Soon after, it was attacked again."

He stared at Dumbledore, looking expectant.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," England snapped. "You're telling me you came all the way here, just to tell us about some terrorist attack?!"

"It was your wizard's that attacked my country, England," Russia replied, a hint of malice slipping into his voice.

"Oh please," England snorted. "Why would anyone bother to attack Russia? You have one of the smallest magical communities out there."

"It's true," America interjected. "They attacked me too. They were those Death Eaters you mentioned once - I'm sure of it."

"Preposterous." England shook his head. "Why on earth would they bother attacking foreign countries? What would be the point?"

Dumbledore coughed, loudly. The three nations turned to face him.

"Yes, well," he said. "It may not be as...'preposterous' as you think it is, Arthur."

"You know something about it?" Russia took a step forward, his expression darkening. "Were you responsible for this?!"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" England glared at him. "Albus has nothing to do with Voldemort!"

"Perhaps I should explain things to you," Dumbledore suggested.

Russia glanced at him; he then turned to face America.

"Shall I hammer the head of the fairy?"

"Dude," America said. "He's a wizard -"

"Would both of you shut up?!" England turned to face Dumbledore. "Go on then, Albus. Tell us what's been going on - because I certainly have no idea."

"Well, you see...as you know, Voldemort has once again risen."

"Dude, no," America replied. "How would I know that? I barely pay any attention to my magical community, let alone Iggy's."

"Shut up, you idiot, he was talking to me," England snapped.

"I am talking to all of you," Dumbledore corrected. "But yes...Voldemort has once again risen. The Ministry continue to deny his return but...well, we all know the truth."

"Dude, no." America shook his head. "Iggy know's that - the Commie-bastard and me don't."

"The Commie-bastard and I," England corrected.

Russia glowered at him.

"Yes, well..." Dumbledore glanced at England. "Arthur, before I approached you, I spoke to a number of magical communities from other countries. I thought I may be able to gain more help that way - increase our chances of defeating Voldemort -"

"So you asked Russia?!" England sounded disbelieving.

"What is wrong with my country?" Russia growled. He fingered his pipe.

"Nothing!" England replied, quickly. "I'm just saying - you don't exactly have a large, flourishing magical community, like I do -"

"Are you saying you are better than me?"

"I wasn't -"

"Dudes, can we get back to the story?" America turned to Dumbledore. "Keep going, Dumb Whore."

"Yes, well, as I said - I spoke to a number of magical communities on the matter. France and Bulgaria were my first choices - both have rather large magical communities. However, both refused."

"Of course they did," England muttered. "Bloody France."

"America was my next choice," Dumbledore continued. "I spoke to their ministry - they didn't give me a definite answer. I spoke to Russia's ministry soon after -"

"So my country was attacked because of you?" Russia's eyes narrowed.

"Unfortunately, it certainly seems as if I indirectly had a part in it," Dumbledore sighed. "I'd tried to keep it as secretive as possible - obviously, it hadn't worked very well. Voldemort found out."

"So, why did he attack us?" America asked. "Was it because our magical communities had agreed to help?"

"It was to warn them off." Dumbledore settled back in his chair and sighed. "After the second attack, the Russian magical community backed right out. I assume that they didn't want to get involved in something they had nothing to do with."

America's eyes narrowed. "And then they attacked my country."

"Hold on a minute." England turned to stare at Russia and America. "Are you trying to tell me that both your magical communities had been considering helping mine -"

"You don't have to thank us, Iggy," America interjected.

"I wasn't going to thank you, you idiot," England snapped. "I was going to ask why the bloody hell neither of you had heard about it."

"My magical community is tiny," Russia responded. "I really see no point in bothering myself with them."

"...They are citizens of your country." England sounded slightly disbelieving.

"I think you will find, my country is very large," Russia replied.

"Wizard's really don't do much, other than shoot out bright lights from long sticks," America said. "So yeah...I mean, the lights are pretty cool, but I can't make them. So why bother?"

"...They're your citizens."

"Well, yeah." America scratched the back of his head. "But uh...my country is pretty big too."

England shook his head, looking disbelieving.

"So," Dumbledore said. "I think that should answer your question. Of course, we have lost the help that the Russian and American magical communities had been considering giving us - and I haven't heard a word from any of the other countries I contacted." He stared at Russia and America for a moment. "Perhaps if you two could have a word with -"

"No can do, Dumb Whore," America interjected.

"It is funny how the fairy thinks that I actually care," Russia chuckled.

"He's a wizard," England snapped.

"Right, well." Dumbledore continued to smile, despite the dismissal. "Now that all of that has been cleared up, how much longer will you two be staying with us?"

England's expression changed to one of horror.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "They aren't staying! They're leaving, right away!"

"And what makes you say that?" Russia raised one eyebrow. "Perhaps I would like to stay in the ugly castle for a little longer."

"Albus!" England stared at Dumbledore, desperation in his eyes. "Tell them to leave!"

"Now, now," Dumbledore replied. "I see no reason why they can't stay. After all, Alfred is your brother, isn't he? Family is always welcome."

England glared. "He isn't my family!"

"You can't choose your family," Dumbledore pointed out.

"I didn't choose anything," England snapped. "He made that decision."

America lowered his eyes.

"Ahh." Russia smiled. "There is tension, da?"

"You two may stay as long as you like," Dumbledore said. "And I'm sure, once Arthur gets over his...surprise...he will be very pleased."

England glared. "No I bloody won't!"

"Dude, Iggy, can't we stay for just a bit?" America stared at England with wide eyes. "I haven't been in this place for years!"

"No!"

"We will be staying, da?" Russia smiled. "I would like to examine this hideous place. It might prove to be useful."

England stared at him. "What the bloody hell do you mean by that?"

"Excellent." The three nations turned to stare at Dumbledore; the headmaster smiled. "I'll organize some rooms for you two, then."

"They aren't staying!" England cried.

The doors of the office suddenly opened, and three figures entered the room. England immediately groaned when he saw who they were.

"Hey! It's those dude's from before!" America waved, a smile spreading across his face.

Harry's eyes drew upwards and narrowed when he caught sight of the occupants in the room.

"Oh," he muttered; England could hear the unease in his tone. "It's you lot."

"Ah, my dear boy," Dumbledore greeted, smiling broadly. "What can I do for you?" Glancing past Harry, he extended his smile to Ron and Hermione.

"I...uh..." Harry seemed to hesitate for a moment; he glanced at England, and then at America and Russia, looking unsure.

"We'll be leaving then," England said, moving towards the doorway. Russia and America followed close behind.

England hesitated for a moment and then turned back.

"They aren't staying for more than a few days," he growled. "Alright?"

"It would be rude of me to put a limit to their stay," Dumbledore responded. "They may leave when they please."

England shot him a glare and then stormed out of the room, muttering obscenities under his breath.

"Dude, I love Dumb Whore," America cried, once they were a fair distance away from the office.

"Oh shut up, you idiot," England muttered.

...

"What were they doing in here?" Harry's voice was tinged with unease. "And...are those other two staying?"

Behind him, Hermione and Ron exchanged uneasy glances.

"They are," Dumbledore responded. "Lovely, isn't it?"

"Professor..." Hermione took a step forward. "I...we have something to talk to you about."

"Yeah." Ron nodded his head. "It's about Professor Kirkland."

"Oh?" Dumbledore raised one eyebrow. "And what seems to be the issue?"

"Well...uh..." Harry struggled to find the words to express what he had seen in the penseive.

"He's dead," Ron said.

Well...that worked.

"I'm sorry?" Dumbledore raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean by that? I just saw Arthur and, let me tell you - he is very much alive."

"No, Professor," Harry replied, shaking his head. "We don't think that it's really him - we were looking through Snape's penseive and -"

"You were looking through Snape's penseive." Dumbledore stared at Harry, his eyebrows raised. "Can I assume that you did not have permission to do this?"

"We had a good reason." Harry lowered his eyes to the floor. "But...uh...that isn't the point. The point is, we saw Professor Kirkland die. Voldemort...he killed him."

Dumbledore stared at him for a moment.

"Yes," he said at last. "I know."

For a few moments, no one said anything.

"What?!" Harry gaped at him. "How...what do you mean you know?!"

"Professor." Hermione's voice sounded slightly choked. "How - what on earth - I mean, does that mean Professor Kirkland is...dead?"

"No." Dumbledore smiled at them.

"What?" Ron sounded bewildered. "You just said the bloke was dead!"

"I said he died," Dumbledore corrected him. "I never said he was dead."

Harry let out a noise of frustration. "What does that even mean?!"

Dumbledore stared at him for a moment.

"I cannot tell you that," he said, at last. "That is information that Arthur will disclose to you, if he feels the need to."

"But he died!" Hermione cried. "And...now he's alive! And you're saying that it's really him...how is that possible?!"

"I trust Arthur with my life," Dumbledore responded. "Of course, I cannot ask you to do the same - you do not know him as well as I do. But trust me."

"Tell us what's going on," Harry pleaded. "Please - you won't tell me anything, at least explain this to us."

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore sighed. "I cannot to that."

"...So that's it?" Harry's voice was disbelieving. "You aren't going to tell us? We don't get an explanation?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I am sorry."

Harry stared at him for a moment; then he stormed out. Hermione and Ron followed close behind.

The door slammed shut behind them.

"Harry," Dumbledore sighed, to the empty room. "I have no doubt that you and your friends will discover it all, on your own."

...

AN:

Tell me what you think :D