Chapter 3- An Interesting Proposition
Natalie loved Hogwarts. She had only been living in the castle for two weeks but she thought it was absolutely the most wonderful place in the world. Her former school, Durmstrang, had been exquisite and grand but it lacked the homely and mystical feel Hogwarts had. At Durmstrang, everything was neatly organized and ordered This theme was exemplified in the school's symmetrical and tidy outward structure, its systematical arrangement of rooms and classrooms, its very intelligent and refined teachers and even the sophisticated and elegant portraits lining the school's walls. Natalie admired the beauty Durmstrang had to offer but she always associated a sense of emptiness with the school. It was too perfect, lacking a human air. The school was devoid of the familiarity and homeliness she craved. Friendships never extended past old family acquaintances or exclusive cliques.
Contrary to outside opinion, the school was very open and welcoming to Muggleborns and half bloods, having learned the dangers of such discrimination following Grindelwald's war. The protectionist, conservative and outdated values held by many ancient pure blood families carried little influence in Durmstrang.
However, what annoyed Natalie the most about her former school was its distinctively snobbish and hypocritical feel. In order to be admitted to the school, Durmstrang required students to pass a very difficult test assessing their magical ability, claiming that they harnessed and developed the best magical talent in the wizarding community. The class sizes were very small, resulting in many magical individuals, who lived in Bulgaria, being unable to attend the school. Judging by these strict guidelines and the school's well maintained appearance, one would never assume that some of magic's darkest and most evil figures had been pruned and refined here. As a result, Natalie frequently was struck with the impression that the school was overly conscious of itself, refusing to acknowledge its grim past and visible flaws while continuing to exist with an infuriatingly condescending air.
Hogwarts was a completely different story. Whether it was the castle's irregular Gothic appearance, its randomly changing assortment of staircases, corridors and pathways or its brash and loud portraits, the school in its own imperfect way was very welcoming. With her own unique past, Natalie felt very comfortable in living in such a dynamic and eccentric environment. She especially liked the teachers ; most of whom stayed at Hogwarts during the summer. They all invited her to their offices, showed her their books and urged her to take their courses. Such openness would be regarded as a sign of weakness at Durmstrang but at Hogwarts, it seemed to merge in with the school's lighthearted mood. Whereas Durmstrang represented a wealthy, aristocratic but cold and distant family, Hogwarts resembled the tightly knit, carefree and accommodating, albeit slightly dysfunctional, family everyone wanted to join.
Most of all, Natalie loved Albus Dumbledore. In the past two weeks, she had numerous talks with him either in his office, during mealtimes or in the corridors. His wittiness, intelligence and kindness were amazing but Natalie was truly fascinated by the fatherly presence he cast. He was neither intimidating nor overbearing but the unmistakable aura of certainty and confidence he emananated seemed to silently state his proclamation that he would not let the magical world slip out of his control. During their sometimes hour length discussions, they would talk about everything ranging from the current dire state of the wizarding community to Dumbledore's favorite Muggle sweets. With Dumbledore's piercing, intent blue eyes gazed upon her, she felt comfortably exposed. She was aware he would be able to sense and uncover her insecurities, fears and desires but she had an unusually numbing trust in Dumbledore. For anybody else, such trust would be considered romantically irrational but for Dumbledore, it seemed oddly perfect.
On one of these bright, sunny afternoons in his office, Dumbledore looked at her through his spectacles with keen, twinkling eyes. Natalie sensed he was excited to talk to her about something.
"Natalie, tonight, I have a couple of errands to run. Seeing as you haven't been out of the grounds in the two weeks you've been here, I think it would be appropriate that you accompany me. Your safety won't be too much of a concern given that these errands are merely domestic and you of course will have me as your companion."
"What are these errands?" Natalie asked eagerly. Despite how she much loved the castle, it would be refreshing and exciting to see other parts of the British magical community.
"Oh, just to pick up a student and hopefully persuade an old acquaintance to come teach at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore casually.
"Which student?" questioned Natalie. She wondered why any student would need to be escorted by the Headmaster.
"Harry Potter. I'm surprised we have not talked about him. But yes, I intend to escort Harry from his aunt's home to his friend's house where he will spend the rest of his summer. "
Natalie clicked her tongue in annoyance. Despite all his achievements and supposed bravery, Harry Potter was not a person Natalie admired. In her view, he was a self centered idiot. "Ah, so you're really going to serve the famous and absolutely brilliant Harry Potter," said Natalie, not bothering to disguise the sarcasm and contempt in her voice.
A slight frown appeared on Dumbledore's face. "I gather you are not a member of the Harry Potter fan club. I trust you have not based your interpretation of him on the Daily Prophets' accounts because that newspaper is suffice to say, completely wrong."
"Of course not! I know fully well that the Daily Prophet is merely a puppet of the corrupt Ministry. Last year, he was a delinquent to them and now he's the Chosen One. What a bunch of waffle, if you ask me," scoffed Natalie.
Dumbledore gazed at her with a determined glint in his eyes. "He is one of the most severely misunderstood people I have encountered. If you come with me, you'll find that he is in fact quite a shy and engaging young man."
Natalie scowled. "Professor McGonagall told me all about him. From what I have heard, every year he has been at Hogwarts, he has gotten himself caught up in some outrageously dangerous adventure that attracts the eyes of the entire wizarding world. Seems to me that he is just an attention seeking prat who escapes death by pure luck," argued Natalie vehemently. She was starting to get irritated with Dumbledore for defending Potter. If Dumbledore did have a weakness, it was his willingness to see the good in people despite their very recognizable faults.
"You are not the first to say that about Harry nor will you be the last. I would say that the boy has a very dark past and consequently, trouble tends to find him. He is guilty of only being too curious in the mysteries of his own life, hardly a crime in my opinion. This school year, you'll come to realize he is our truly best hope for lifting the magical world out of Voldemort's stranglehold."
The firmness and matter of fact tone in Dumbledore's voice rendered Natalie silent for a moment. She considered his statement but then countered that Potter was far too young and immature to face Voldemort. Anyway, it would be a long time before he attained enough experience with magic to face Voldemort. Before she could make her point known to Dumbledore, he raised his hand to hush her.
" I think we've had enough of this discussion. Now Natalie, are you coming tonight with me or not?"
Natalie considered his proposal. If she did agree to go with Dumbledore, then she would at the very least travel to somewhere outside of Hogwarts. She would be able to meet whatever new professor Dumbledore had chosen and she thought in disdain, she would get her first look at Harry Potter. What was so special about him anyway and why did Dumbledore seem to think he was some child prodigy?
She took a deep breath and said evenly, "Yes, I'll come."
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled and his face beamed in pleasure. "Very well, then. I have to say it will nice to have some company. These tasks can get quite tedious. We'll be leaving at six'o clock. Bring a jacket. "
Natalie nodded and with that acknowledgement, she left the office, not knowing what to expect.