Albus was quite excited as he accompanied the Dumbledore family into the Leaky Cauldron. The Leaky Cauldron was a small wizard rest house and pub near Charing Cross in London. Percival entered first, and then Albus, Kendra followed clasping Ariana in her hands and last came Aberforth, wearing a slightly glum look on his face. There were not many customers that day and only the housekeeper cum landlord Stanley Barnibus looked up to them with a huge smile upon his face.
"Ah! Percival and the Dumbledore's! Long time, we have not seen you here and this young lad with you be your son Albus, eh? Fine, young lad, Percival, looks like a brilliant kid. So, excited, Albus, going to Hogwarts this year, aren't you?"
Albus nodded.
"So, Percival, I see you have brought your other kids as well, Aberforth and cute little Ariana, they are, aren't they? Good, good, so off to Diagon Alley? You know the way, Percival. Off you go that way yonder or will you stay drink with me? The business is quite low, you know."
"No, Stan Got to go. A quick trip to Diagon Alley and back home."
"Ok, then, see you around, Percival and you too my lady, you too young lads" said the landlord, waving them goodbye but Albus could see a disappointing look on his face.
They trotted to a small door where Percival tapped the walls three times with his wand. The bricks shifted forming a small opening. Diagon Alley opened up in front of them and lo! It was crowded.
Percival beckoned Albus forward. Albus strode and looked out. It was the first time their parents had taken him out of their own villa; his own childhood spent playing with Aberforth or reading those heavy magic books that were to be found in their house library. Rarely did the Dumbledore children fraternize with anybody. Percival Dumbledore did not command as much respect as his ancestors even though he was pure blood. He was perceived as a blood traitor among those magical people. Rarely did they get invited to a party or a ball. When they did get, Percival and Kendra left their children home to save them ridicule. Sometimes, these ridicules burned a fire in Percival and he stopped going to the functions. This fire in Percival was thrust upon young Albus; Percival wanted him to rise to glory and become a respected wizard. Recognizing Albus's talents, he set to work with Albus. But Albus was a breed in himself. The father's fire was one thing; it was his own thirst for knowledge beyond his years that began to devour him.
The talent pool almost always skipped certain generations like it did in Percival and like in Aberforth. Percival was talented in his own right and so was Aberforth. But compared to his father and son, Percival was considered a mediocre wizard. And so was Aberforth. Ariana showed similar behavior as Albus but Percival waited as she was too young to start studying anything.
As Albus walked on the cobbled streets, he turned towards his father and asked, "Father, why did not we come here by Floo Powder?"
Percival looked at him askance and said, "Son, you got to also know how to enter Diagon Alley by the Muggle side. It is always good to know everything."
Albus nodded and continued forward. He never looked behind. Kendra was walking silently, sometimes waving to her erstwhile school friends with a slight smile on her face. Aberforth bore Ariana in his arms; he wasn't about to let her wander freely, he still considered her a small baby, even though Ariana was five.
They soon came to Ollivander's. It was a small shop from the outside but once they were in, it began to seem huge. There were boxes everywhere filed neatly in various cabinets. An old man came tumbling towards them.
"Ah! The Dumbledore's! I wondered when I would be seeing you lot." He said in a squeaking voice.
He saw young Albus and said, "Ah! This is Albus, isn't he? I am Gervaisse Ollivander, owner of this shop, wand maker."
"Good morning, Mr. Ollivander" said Albus, smiling.
"Amicable child. Now for your wand."
He strode over to a few cabinets towards the right and took out a small box. He opened it up and removed a twelve inch wand. He looked at it, his eyebrows furrowed in a V-shape and handed it over to Albus.
"Elm and phoenix feather core", he said in his squeaky voice.
As soon as Albus held it in his right hand, reddish light glowed around him for a second.
Gervaisse smiled, his face betraying a look of small surprise. "Seldom is it seen that at the first time itself, a student has chosen his wand. We normally have to try many times before the right wand gets chosen."
Percival nodded. For him, it had required five tries.
"Give it a wave, child" asked Gervaisse
Albus pointed his want to a table and said, "Entwinus creperius"
A white streak of light jetted from the wand before striking the table at the point of which a white plant emitting a greenish glow began to grow. At a point the plant branched into two, each branch entwining each other. The growth stopped and the plant hovered for a moment before disappearing entirely as Albus waved his wand again, shouting "Evanesco".
Ollivander looked at him in awe and said,"Privately tutored, I see. Inexplicably performed spell, not to be done so perfectly by an eleven year old. Good job, Percival, his stay at Hogwarts shall be memorable. But I do not see Albus needs coaching at the school. He is doing pretty well privately, if you ask me."
"He has high ambitions, Ollivander" said Percival
"I see. I am sure he will do it and Hogwarts will assist him to his greatness."
Percival began to answer but shut his mouth as a high pitched voice spoke, "Ah! Look, mommy, The Dumbledores!"
They all looked behind and to their disgust, evident from Percival's face, on the doorway were standing a tall blonde witch who seemed to be in her thirties, her face drawn long and expressionless and dangling beside her was a young boy of the same age and height as Albus who was taller than most boys his age, his hair golden with a tinge of white, his face resembling the woman beside him.
"Now, now, Brutus, show some respect." The woman said. Her voice was entrancing and musical yet there was a sense of guile.
She saw Percival and Ollivander and strode forward to meet them. "I am Bianca Malfoy and this is my son, Brutus." Looking up at Percival, "You must be Percival Dumbledore. How nice of you to meet us here! Fortune has favored us." Brutus sniggered at this.
Gervaisse Ollivander strode between them, fearing an altercation. "Now, now, Mrs. Malfoy, you have come here for a wand. Come here, boy."
Brutus brushed past Albus who watched him with pure distaste.
Percival beckoned to Ollivander and said, "We must now take your leave, Ollivander. We have other errands to take care of before we return to our house."
Ollivander nodded. But Bianca could not hold her malice inside. "Thank God, we do not have to stay in here with Mud bloods and blood traitors anymore."
Percival stiffened and Kendra winced, shooting Bianca a piercing look, "Do not mind, Percy, the Malfoys have always been like that. Come on, we do not need a fight right in the midst of a crowded alley." Said Kendra.
But Albus was not about to be kept quiet. He quietly removed his wand from his clothes and pointing to an oblivious Bianca, he shouted, "Stupefy".
Bianca stumbled, stunned by an eleven year old boy, falling down amidst some boxes kept some way yonder. Brutus ran all the way down to his mother, crying.
Percival held Albus by his arm, "Albus, you must remain calm and enduring. Do not let anger creep into you."
The wand maker strode towards him, "Son, tread carefully around the Malfoys. Their behavior may be despicable but they are one of the richest pureblood families in Britain. You do not want their enmity. They can give hell to you and your family."
"I would like to see them try. They have no right to call my mother such despicable names. I would not have it so." shouted Albus.
"I agree what they did was wrong. Now, you are still under age and magic is not allowed. You still have got the Trace on you. Although the Ministry cannot harm you here because it is a wand shop, you cannot do so outside. You do not want a blight upon your career, upon your life. Do not be so hasty. Your father has great plans for you. He expects so much from you. You have got talent, Albus. I have never seen an eleven year old stun a fully grown witch and Malfoy's at that. But you must not do it again. It is not a warning, it is an advice. Heed it."
Albus nodded. "I will, Mr. Ollivander, but I am not sorry for what I did."
"Still, that must be expected." Turning towards Percival, "Do not be harsh on the boy, Percival. He has erred this just once, I think and it can be forgiven. But I doubt they will." Beckoning towards the son and the mother.
Percival nodded. Albus looked at his dad. He could see shame and embarrassment on his father's face. He decided never to be so hasty again. He knew he must endure ridicule with patience.
Ollivander looked at them, "Do not worry, Percival, I shall take care of them. Now, go."
"Thank you, Ollivander. I know not how to…"
"That would be nothing, Percy. Your father helped me many times, skilled as he was in wandlore. Perhaps, I see such skill in your son as well. A time may come yet. Now, good bye there and enjoy your trot."
The Dumbledore's soon skidded out into the alley and disappeared from the wand shop.
Ollivander however pointed his wand at the boy and the mother and whispered, "Obliviate."
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