I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Hi everyone. I have some exciting news. I have recently done a commisison for cover art for The Family that Chooses You. I posted it up so go take a look, it's so adorable. I also commissioned some of some other stories, my main ones, so they'll be going up when they finish. Babbling Brook is doing them and I think people will like them. As always, thank you for reading, have a lovely day!
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A Taste of Magic
45th Course – Moving On
Harry was feeling many complicated emotions at the moment.
It had been a very busy last few days and it was coming to an end. When school ended, Harry rode the Hogwarts Express back to London like one normally did at the end of the spring term. This time however, when he arrived at King's Cross, Dumbledore was waiting there for him to accompany him to the Dursleys. Vernon and Petunia had also been upset when they saw Dumbledore arrive and when they learned why, they were even more so.
The Dursleys were caught at a crossroads. For years they had claimed Harry was unwanted and a burden, though admittedly when Harry started cooking on the regular, those complaints have subsided. When Harry became the reason their social lives were vibrant and popular, they never said as much at all while somehow never thanking Harry for his efforts.
Now with Harry leaving them, they did not know how to react. They were upset and angry that they would not be throwing nearly as many dinner parties and the like, at least without Harry's cooking being the main attraction. On the other hand, they were glad to not have Harry around and be 'responsible' for him.
After hearing that they already had planned for a dinner party, Harry said he would be willing to stay and cook for it one last time. A part of him was still waiting for that appreciation, that genuine happiness he so desperately craved. No matter how hard he tried to, despite all he had endured all these years, there was still a tiny ember that smoldered deep in his core hoping to be accepted by the Dursleys, to be thanked for his efforts, to be appreciated.
As the years passed, after attending Hogwarts, it was harder to do what he did for them like he used to. Their responses were all he knew and he saw it as the norm. Lavender and the others have slowly broken that mindset of his, showing him true kindness and appreciation and affection. He had been terrified last year, worried that he would resent the one thing he truly enjoyed. Thankfully that had not been the case. He knew that he deserved more, to know what was right. Yet there was that tiny little ember that continued to burn, still hoping.
The Dursley's happiness that he was willing to do one more catering for them had been tempered by horror when Dumbledore said he would attend. At first they said they would refuse him but when Dumbledore said he was perfectly willing to sit in the back garden and wait, in his finest wizarding robes, they begrudgingly allowed him to come as a guest.
On the day of the party, even Harry had been impressed when Dumbledore arrived. Dumbledore was dressed in a very smartly cut suit and it was charcoal grey. His tie was his concession to vibrancy, a very deep plum color and he had a lapel pin that surreptitiously shifted colors throughout the evening. His hair appeared short and neatly trimmed and his beard was groomed and also neat. Dumbledore told Harry that he made use of some of Drake's glamour and styling charms to great effect.
Harry put his heart and soul into his cooking that day. He made all the favorites for the Dursleys: steak, roast chicken, perfectly roasted vegetables, as well as making dumplings and a wellington, things he learned and perfected at school. A large cake and trifle were for pudding and all the guests had enjoyed it heartily.
Dumbledore had amused himself by informing all the guests that he was Harry's Headmaster, which was true, and told everyone that Harry had received some excellent opportunities that summer to further his knowledge and abilities, which was also true. This infuriated the Dursleys because they had told the guests they did not know why Harry was 'abandoning' them and had to swallow a bit of pride when Dumbledore helpfully 'informed' everyone the true reason. All the guests who had come to these parties before offered their congratulations and well-wishes to Harry, something that was very new to him and he enjoyed.
Eventually the party came to an end and the guests left. Harry cleaned everything and got the last of his things together. He looked around the kitchen one last time, feeling somewhat melancholy when he realized that everything was over, and that this was the last time he would be there for a long time.
If he ever came again.
"How was everything?" he asked.
"The party was good," Vernon replied.
Harry sighed, he knew that the response would be something along those lines. He gestured to a large pot on the stove. "This will be done in a little more. You can then freeze it in portions, I made a lot so you'll have some for a while."
Dudley lifted the lid and frowned at it. "Oh, it's just beef stew. Why did you make this?"
Harry frowned too. "It's our family beef stew," he said slowly. "The one Aunt Petunia taught me."
"Oh that? We don't have a family beef stew," she said, waving a hand negligently.
Harry felt something in him shudder. "What? You taught it to me, said it was my mum's favorite and you two had it together."
"Oh right, I did tell you that," she said.
Harry stared at her and Dumbledore stared too. "What…what do you mean by that?" Harry asked.
"I don't know what Lily's favorite dish was," Petunia said. She said it so plainly, a statement without any kind of emotion. She spoke as if commenting on something banal, like the weather. "Or if I did, I don't remember. We didn't have a family beef stew recipe. That was just a recipe I found somewhere and we had beef to use and I didn't want to watch it, so I taught it to you."
Harry felt his heart creak and crack. "That…that was one of the first times I learned to like cooking. I wanted to learn and cook more because of that. You…you were so nice to me that day."
"Good thing you did that," Vernon said, nudging his wife. "Really worked out for us, didn't it?" He and Petunia laughed while Dudley chuckled along.
Harry's heart shattered.
They looked back and slightly blanched at Dumbledore's expression of sheer fury. But when they saw Harry's face, their good humor firmly died seeing him standing there with a completely blank face. He just looked at them, as if truly seeing them for the first time.
"Of all the horrid things you could have done," Dumbledore seethed. The air around him seemed to twist and the Dursleys shrank back. "How could you possibly do this to him, to even find amusement and do not dare justify this!" His voice shook and thundered when Petunia opened her mouth. "I have lived a very long time and even I cannot even dream of the cruelty you have done!"
"It's okay Sir," Harry said, his voice small.
"No it is not!" Dumbledore said loudly.
"It really is," Harry said. "I guess I really know now." He slowly took off the apron, the one the Dursleys had given him to use during dinner parties. He had taken good care of it, mindful of the threat to never stain it or misuse it. He slowly folded it neatly and put it on the table and pushed it over to a silent Petunia. "There, as good as the day I got it."
He picked up his meager belongings and looked at Dumbledore with dead eyes. "I would like to leave please. And I don't think I will ever like to come back."
"Agreed." Dumbledore rested a shaking hand on Harry's stone-still shoulder and gently ushered him out of the house before him. Before he left, he turned and looked at an open-mouthed Petunia. "I am so disappointed in you," Dumbledore said, his voice cold. "And I know Lily would be too." He and Harry walked into the back garden and disapparated in mid-stride.
Petunia stood there for a very long time, staring at a kitchen that felt cold and empty, staring at a folded apron that looked far heavier than fabric ever should be.
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Harry looked up when the door to the dormitory knocked.
"Harry, may I come in?" Dumbledore asked.
"Of course, Sir," Harry said. He watched as Dumbledore entered. They had come straight to Hogwarts and Harry eventually found himself sitting on his bed in the dormitory of Gryffindor tower. The castle had felt silent and empty, just like it did during the other holidays. He had felt lost in a haze, sluggish and unsure.
Shortly after finding himself in the dormitory, Hedwig had kicked the window to the room open and had installed herself on his lap, cooing and nuzzling. He was grateful for her presence and hugged her, enjoying hearing her feathers rustling and feeling her fluff against him. Fawkes had come soon after and he had sat on Harry too, the two birds just being there with him. Eventually they started a singing competition and doubled their efforts when they saw Harry smile a little.
Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat across from Harry. "Harry, I am so sorry for what I have done to you."
"What did you do?" Harry asked, genuinely confused.
"I sent you to the Dursleys when you were a baby." Dumbledore looked every bit his age. His face was lined and he looked incredibly weary. "I…I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought Petunia loved her sister and she in turn would love you. There were protections that you had needed a blood relative's presence and I truly hoped that you would have a home there."
"Protections?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore sighed. "As you discovered through your encounters with the Dementors, your mother died for you," he said gently. "She invoked a magic that is old and powerful, one that would protect you with a powerful strength. She died for you, sacrificed herself for you. That magic is incredibly powerful and it did protect you that night."
"Oh." Harry touched his scar, running his finger tips over it.
"I failed you, Harry," Dumbledore continued. "With Sirius in Azkaban, with everything in turmoil, I genuinely thought you would be safe in the Muggle world with your blood Aunt to watch and care for you. I thought you would be safe there. I had hoped you would find a home there."
Tears started to carve a track down his face. "I have forced you to suffer something no child should. In my attempts to protect you, I had tortured you instead. I have lived a very long time and have many regrets and this will be among my worst. I am so sorry, Harry, and I hope you will allow me to make amends."
Harry looked down for a moment. "My mum loved me, didn't she?"
"So much."
"And my dad?"
"Yes. Without question."
The silence was still and heavy between them.
"I…do think you were trying to help," Harry said finally. "I understand, I think, and well, I'm not going to blame you. You didn't make them treat me like that."
"No, but perhaps I could have tried to keep tabs on you, keep an eye on you, and I did not. There I failed too."
Harry nodded but not in agreement, but for something to do. "But they didn't have to treat me like that either."
"No, they did not," Dumbledore said angrily.
"Why?" Harry looked up. "Why did they do that to me? I did what they wanted. I was happy cooking for them, because I thought that was something they wanted. All I wanted was to…be wanted."
"Oh Harry," Dumbledore said sadly. "People are capable of such wonders and such terrors, and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason."
"Just like magic," Harry said, remembering their conversation from the year prior.
"Indeed. I have seen people do incredibly good things and incredibly bad things." He sighed. "I have done both. People are capable of both. But good people will always do good and try to be good to the best of their abilities. Just like you."
He continued when Harry snorted softly. "Harry, you have endured horrific trial and the boy, the young man you are today, is proof positive that you have overcome such things. You are good. You care for your friends. Even with a…'family' such as that, you do good. And while your skills and love for food and cooking came from a terrible moment, you have made it your own. She taught you one thing but you have learned on your own and from others since then. You did. No one else. Take pride in that."
Harry looked up at him, slightly hopeful.
Dumbledore pushed on. "You learned from experience and from other sources. You worked and practiced time and again out of a desire to better yourself and to enrich the lives of others. You have a kindness that is yours and people can see it. Nicolas and Perenelle, they had sequestered themselves off from most of the world before meeting you. Yet after, they are becoming more active once more. Drake was like a zephyr, blowing about without direction but now he is making changes and doing things on his own want and will.
"The Elves love you and let me tell you, none can force that. The House Elves, especially the ones here at Hogwarts, can be incredibly stubborn and are masters at doing things to the letter and never more. Yet they want to do things with you because you treat them with kindness and respect." Dumbledore smiled at Fawkes who sat on Harry's shoulder. "Fawkes is terribly picky about who he interacts with. He usually is quite aloof with most students and nowadays, if I do not see him about, then I know he is with you."
Fawkes nodded emphatically, warbling warmly and emanating a soft comforting light.
"They have taken so much from you," Dumbledore said. "Do not let them take your love of cooking from you. You made that your own. It is yours and no one else can lay claim or take credit. You deserve it and to be proud of it."
Harry felt a little better. "You think so?"
"I know so," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps this can help you see it another way. When a forest is overgrown, no new life can be had. Resources are choked, opportunity for life is throttled. A fire is needed to burn out the detritus before new growth can be had. A fire is a destructive thing, but a necessary one in the right circumstances. The forest that comes back after the fire will be much healthier, more vibrant, and will grow to be bigger and better than before."
"Are you saying we should set fire to Number 4?" Harry joked feebly.
Dumbledore threw his head back and laughed. "I have said it before but I admire your capability to find humor in moments where it is hard to find. No, unfortunately not, I am not saying that." He gave Fawkes a pointed look and Fawkes turned his head and whistled unconvincingly. "That said, I am making a clumsy metaphor saying to compare your…Petunia's actions in that incident as a fire that cleared you for future and better growth."
"That is a nicer way of looking at it." Harry took a deep breath. His mind filled with all the memories of his time at Number 4, the innumerable dinner parties, the social gatherings, all the food he made for them, all the things he wanted to say and hear, all the things that went unsaid and unheard. As he breathed out, he felt them shift ever so slightly in his mind.
"I really appreciate it, Sir," he said. "Thank you and you've done a lot for me since I came to Hogwarts."
"And I will continue to do so," Dumbledore said. "So I swear on my name and my honor, tarnished as it is."
"Thank you. Maybe clue me in on large changes that involve me from now on?" Harry asked, half-jokingly.
"Deal." Dumbledore extended his hand and Harry shook it firmly. "I will try and never disappoint you again Harry. I would say I would not but I am not infallible, clearly. I will always do my best, however, and make amends when I can."
"I understand that and that's fine with me," Harry said.
"Splendid. Thank you, Harry." Dumbledore sat back. "Would you like to rest for the remainder of the day and night? Or do you feel up to starting your next endeavor? The choice is yours of course."
Harry hesitated a little. "Is it okay if I'm not at my best right now?"
"I think so. It will be somewhat casual. If you rather wait, we can definitely do that, you will not lose the opportunity." Dumbledore looked at him kindly. "Some people find it easier to move on by throwing themselves into something new. Others prefer having time away to recover. Both have merit."
Harry sat there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I guess, I learn better by doing and being active is good, helps me think about something else for a moment."
"Said like an English gentleman with proper grit," Dumbledore said proudly. "I think you will enjoy yourself and allow me to say this, you will soon be given ample opportunity to see me in a different light."
"That sounds fun and ominous at the same time," Harry grinned.
"Quite," Dumbledore chuckled. He rose to his feet and waited for Harry to join them. "Come along then Harry. To moving onto better and brighter things."
Harry felt just a little bit better. "To moving on," he echoed.
-0-
The silence between them as they walked was a comfortable one, one that did not need filling. They were both mulling over things in their minds but did not feel awkward around one another. Harry walked alongside Dumbledore, not questioning where they were going. He recognized the path out of the castle and down the hills towards Hogsmeade.
The summer air was warm and comforting, the sun beginning its westward track towards sleep and night. A light breeze blew over them as they walked, smelling of sunshine and grass. Fawkes and Hedwig would sit on his shoulders as they walked or would fly about here and there, always returning and sometimes chasing each other in the air. Hedwig did most of the chasing of course.
They walked through the village and Dumbledore greeted many of the residents by name, smiling genially and waving. A word or two of small-talk but he never ceased walking, saying that he had important business to conduct with Harry. They finally slowed as they approached a building that stood on a side-street. "Harry, welcome to the Hog's Head Inn."
Harry looked at the building. It was older and slightly less neat and polished as the other stores in Hogsmeade. A large sign dangled over the door, emblazoned with a large boar's head. He followed Dumbledore inside and looked around the room. It was large and older looking, especially compared to the Three Broomsticks. Where the other tavern was brightly lit and polished, this one was a touch dingier but still clean. It was also a lot quieter. A long bar was at one end with tables dotting the large open space remaining.
The man at the bar turned when the door opened and gave Dumbledore a tired look. His eyes opened a little wider when he noticed Harry standing there too, as well as Hedwig and Fawkes sitting on his shoulders. Something about the man made him seem familiar to Harry, though he was not exactly sure why. He was reasonably sure they had never met. It took another moment for Harry to notice that the man's hair and beard was remarkably similar to Dumbledore's in color and quality, and he also had blue eyes, though they did not twinkle.
"What's with the kid and the birds?" the man asked, cleaning a glass with a cloth.
"Harry, this is Aberforth Dumbledore," Dumbledore said. "Aberforth, this is Harry Potter." He smiled at Harry's look of shock. "Yes, he is my little brother." He sighed when Aberforth snorted. "In age, and not in size as you see."
"Nice to meet you Sir," Harry said politely.
"No need to call me that," Aberforth said. He looked over at Dumbledore. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Dumbledore repeated dryly. "As we have discussed beforehand. Surely you did not forget."
"No but you didn't mention that he was a kid or the birds."
"Hedwig and Fawkes came along to visit, they will not be here all the time," Dumbledore said smoothly. "And I did say that Harry was young and a student."
Alberforth grunted. He looked at Harry, looking him up and down. "So, you're a cook?"
"Yes…uh…what do I call you if not Sir?" Harry asked. "Mr. Dumbledore?"
"That might get confusing," Alberforth snorted when he and Dumbledore both looked like they were about to respond. "Plus I don't want to be called that neither. Abe's fine, that's what he calls me anyways," he said, jerking a thumb at Dumbledore. "Old man or barkeep works too."
He snorted again when Harry looked mildly uncomfortable at that. "Well, off you go then. Go into the kitchen, cook what you think you'd serve here. Four portions at least. Use anything there, don't be fancy."
"Okay, what do you normally serve here?" Harry asked.
"Food. Now go on, time's ticking."
After Dumbledore gave him a comforting look and an encouraging nod, Harry walked to the kitchen and Hedwig and Fawkes fluttered to the window to sit so they could watch while giving Aberforth a cool look.
"Would it kill you to be kinder?" Dumbledore asked, exasperated.
"You came to the wrong place for kindness. Seriously, why did you bring him here?" Aberforth asked.
"We have discussed it," Dumbledore sighed. "You could use the help as well as revamping the menu so to speak. Harry needs the experience in cooking for strangers and a more professional environment."
"What exactly in this place says professional?" Aberforth asked. "Or me?"
"As in not in a home or club kitchen for people who are not his friends," Dumbledore retorted. "Also, the main reason is that I trust you, Abe."
"Trust me to be an ass," Alberforth grunted.
"That and many other things," Dumbledore said dryly. "You can teach him much."
Aberforth put the clean glass away and picked up another one. "We're not exactly a really busy place and not known for eating," he said. "Why didn't you get him a place at the Broomsticks?"
"I have my reasons, chief among them are the ones I already told you," Dumbledore said, sitting at the bar. "Rosmerta is a fine tavern owner and businesswoman yes, but she does not have the time nor temperament to help Harry."
"And I do?"
"You do seem frightfully busy right now," Dumbledore said, looking around the empty room.
Aberforth barked with laughter. "Fair. But what the hell am I supposed to teach him? Swear words and rudeness? He's a teen and he'll have that in spades."
"Harry's actually a very well-mannered and polite young man."
"Even better, you want me to ruin that?"
"I would be impressed if you could," Dumbledore said darkly. He sighed when Aberforth raised an eyebrow. "He has some very unpleasant relations, ones we left today under awful circumstances."
"Ah, that sucks."
"It does," Dumbledore said quietly. "But things will improve, I hope. When Sirius is established, he will be assuming his duties."
"Oh boy, he's definitely going to be ruined once Black gets a hold of him," Aberforth said. He sighed. "I don't know about this Al."
"Give it a shot," Dumbledore said. "I think he will surprise you and you both will benefit from it."
"I'll treat him like an actual employee, no matter that you like him," Aberforth warned.
"I will hold you to that."
Aberforth sighed. "Fine. If it doesn't work, I'm blaming you."
"You may blame Ari," Dumbledore smiled.
"No way, I like my bits where they are," Aberforth said seriously.
After some time had passed, Harry came out holding some trays. He put down a plate and a bowl in front of both men. "I saw roast chicken and decided to make a ste…a soup with it," he said, stumbling over his words briefly. "If it cooked longer the flavors would meld a bit more but it's still good I think, you have a lot of nice vegetables. And I really like your kitchen, it's very open."
Aberforth blinked. "First time someone's said that," he muttered.
"I sliced up the roast beef and made cold sandwiches with it," Harry continued. "If we had some horseradish, I could make a really nice sauce for it but the mustard is good with the mayonnaise and lots of lettuce and tomato. I baked some chips too."
"This all looks and smells wonderful," Dumbledore smiled.
"It really does, and you did all this with what's back there," Aberforth said, looking at the food closely.
"Here's the four portions," Harry said, putting the other two sets down.
"Why did you have him prepare four?" Dumbledore asked.
"One's for him of course and one's for someone coming," Aberforth said, putting a cloth cover over one set. He watched as Harry cut his sandwich into three and poured the soup out into two more bowls, growing more surprised when Hedwig and Fawkes joined them at the bartop to eat. "Huh, that enough for you?"
"I'm not that hungry and I can make more things," Harry said, smiling as he watched the birds eat happily.
"Well, alright," Aberforth grunted. He bit into the sandwich, eyes opening wide as he chewed. The beef was cold but tasted good. It had already been roasted and waiting but Harry had seasoned it with some more salt and pepper as well as the mustard and mayo. The lettuce was crisp and crunchy and the tomatoes juicy, the bread toasted well. The soup was warm and inviting. The chicken soaked up the broth well and the vegetables were soft but still held their shape. Notes of pepper, thyme, and garlic could be tasted with the sweetness of carrots and the savory taste of celery.
"This is legitimately good," he said, looking at Harry with a new light. "You've done this a lot?"
"I…like to cook," Harry said slowly. He shook his head and his face hardened a little. "I do like to cook," he said more firmly. "I like to make people happy by giving them something good to eat."
"Okay then," Aberforth said, noticing his brother's look of pride and soft sadness. "So, looking at the kitchen and what was back there, what else would you make to serve here? Stuff like this?"
"With roast chicken, you can make a nice chicken salad sandwich or even roast chicken sandwiches," Harry said thoughtfully as he ate. "You can make chicken soup and vegetable soup, even some boiled dumplings with it. Roast beef sandwiches or even serve the roast beef when it's first done with some roasted veg and mash, same with the first time you roast a chicken. I can make a chicken pie with bits from the roast. Chips are always good with everything or oven potatoes."
Aberforth nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. You can do all that?"
"Yes Mr. Abe."
Aberforth pushed a smile away. "Okay then. And you actually want to spend time here when you can be relaxing and being a kid?"
"I like to cook and learn," Harry said again. "And the Headmaster trusts you, so I feel like I can."
"The idea is to have him spend afternoons and early evenings here," Dumbledore smiled. "Learning and doing what he can. Filius has mentioned his opportunity will start next week and Harry can go there during the day and leave shortly after noon, giving him time to rest before arriving here. Or we can swap off days if the schedule is too much."
Aberforth nodded. "When you're here, you're going to work. You're not Harry Potter here, you're Harry. You got that?"
"I do, and thank you," Harry said gratefully.
Aberforth looked at him for a long time. "Alright. Welcome to the Hog's Head then."
"Thank you!"
"Don't thank me yet, you might regret it," Aberforth said gruffly. He half-turned when a small bell on the counter behind him started to chime. "Ah, here she comes."
"Oh that is why you had him make the fourth portion," Dumbledore smiled.
"She'd have our beards if there weren't any for her," Aberforth snorted.
"Prepare yourself, Harry," Dumbledore said.
"For what Sir?" Harry replied, growing slightly nervous.
The door to the inn opened and the three of them turned to look. A woman stood at the door wearing a traveling cloak and a scarf wrapped around her neck. Her eyes were also bright blue and her hair was long and grey, braided neatly. She looked surprised to see Dumbledore for a moment before smiling broadly and coming in, closing the door loudly behind her. She walked over and her eyes widened when she saw the food before narrowing at Aberforth.
"Shut up," Aberforth said in the tone of voice only an older sibling could cultivate when confronting a younger sibling. "Yours is right here." He pulled off the cloth cover and snorted when she sat down and smiled happily.
"And who is this?" she asked. Her voice was soft and raspy but warm. She smiled at Harry from around Aberforth.
"Harry, this is our little sister, Ariana," Dumbledore said, introducing them. "Ariana, this is Harry Potter."
"Charmed," she said pleasantly, offering her hand and shaking his firmly. She immediately tucked into her food. "Mmm, this is wonderful! Where did it come from?"
"Harry made it," Aberforth said.
"Delicious!" She smiled at him again. "Oh! This is who you were talking about, right Al?"
"Indeed. Harry is very talented." He smiled at Harry's look of delight. "She does in fact call me Al and Aberforth Abe. We call her Ari in return."
"You've made those lovely tea foods," Ariana said brightly. Though her voice was still very quiet and had a rasp to it, there was no mistaking the friendliness. "Abe and I have had some the last few years."
"The leftovers I could save from Fawkes," Dumbledore said.
"I would have made more for you to take if I knew," Harry said, feeling bad.
"No bother at all, now we can get it straight from you," she said cheerily. "I'm glad you're here. Abe doesn't eat properly when I'm not here and it'll be good to have proper food about."
"I'm older than you," Aberforth grumbled. "I know how to take care of myself."
"Knowing and doing are two different things," she sniffed, taking a chip off his plate.
"So what's your excuse when you knowingly do something wrong?" he asked gruffly.
"I'm the cutest of the three of us," Ariana said pertly.
"She's not wrong," Dumbledore smiled.
"You've got no competition with us," Aberforth snorted. "Easy win."
"What do you do, Miss Ari?" Harry asked.
"Miss Ari! I like you," Ariana smiled. "I help out here when I can, which is a fair amount. I do a lot of potions work and travel a lot so that's my secondary job. Working here is my third job and minding these two idjits is my primary job."
"She's bad at it," Aberforth said, looking sourly at her when she took more of his chips.
Harry grinned. It was funny to see two wizened wizards, one he was used to seeing as a wholly respectable figure of authority, sighing with an expression he saw on the Patils a lot when Ariana took his chips too. Aberforth seemed to change a lot with Ariana there, growing more vocal and mellow and less purely grumpy. "I can make more chips and things. What else would you like?"
"More soup and chips please," Ariana said happily. "I'm starving and this hits the spot."
"Same for me please," Dumbledore smiled.
"Sure why not," Aberforth grunted.
Ariana watched him leave the counter and go to the kitchen. Fawkes and Hedwig flew to the window once more to watch and offer suggestions via hoots and barks and songs. "Did something happen to the poor boy?" she asked. Aberforth and Dumbledore heard her very clearly, her voice louder and not accompanied by the harsh rasp.
"His relations did something terrible to him a long time ago," Dumbledore said angrily. "And it came to light today."
"Oh no," she sighed. "You can tell it sits heavily on him, his magic is hurting."
"Kid's had a hard life already," Aberforth said quietly.
"I am hoping working here and learning from you two will help, and then he will be able to spend time with Sirius and Andromeda as well as working with Filius' relations and friends."
"Oooh, that's going to be interesting," Ariana said. "And difficult. Does he know? Filius is darling of course but his relatives are a bit on the rough side."
"That's why you want him here first," Aberforth chuckled. "Want me to toughen him up a bit?" He glared at Ariana when she slapped him on the stomach.
"I have faith in him," Dumbledore said sincerely. "He will learn and thrive from the experience, there and here." He gave Aberforth a stern look. "And just so you know, Nicolas and Perenelle are incredibly fond of Harry. Not to mention Drake."
"Say no more," Aberforth said. "I don't want to piss any of them off."
"You're such a grumpy crup," Ariana giggled. "Outwardly so grumpy and barky but such a cuddly thing underneath. Hey!" She gasped when he took her last chip and ate it in front of her.
"He's making more," Aberforth said, rolling his eyes when she pouted. "Act your age."
"You act yours!"
Harry watched from the kitchen, seeing the three Dumbledores talking and squabbling. The sight made him smile and he continued to cook, feeling more than a little better.
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Arnie1701 - He's not visiting them.
Mitkon2001 - I hope you like thie next series of chapters. I have been waiting to explore the goblin part for so long and am really enjoying writing them. When I said in the past that I'm hoping to explore some unseen parts of the setting, these are what I was referring to. There will be some romance eventually, but spoilers, going to be a while more yet.
Jaysto - Yeah, that sounds exactly the kind of expressions they would have. Hedwig exercises too much to get fat though, don't worry.
doRodrigo - Here's another chapter. Thank you for reading.
odonnellzoo99 - Luckily recovery has been fairly decent, little pain and headache. Hedwig and the Patronus dancing and chasing Parvati around was my favorite bit. Yeah, I'm trying to have Dumbledore be a bit more proactive and intelligent here, and hope it's coming through.
MauricioPS - That sounds like a really cute mental image.
Kaya - Thank you. I always want to improve on my dialogue and character development. Especially with this fic and setting where character development feels a bit better, with bits of action here and there. 4th year is going to be different, and I hope people enjoy the differences when they come. Thank you so much.
xXMoonlitSorrowsXx - I think it will be a good one.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Thank you for reading.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - As you may have found by the end, yes, he does. Hopefully you enjoyed the first bit of it.
Guest - Thank you.
poka - Goodness, you are entirely too kind, thank you. I've seen so many super evil and manipulative Dumbledores and they can be fun here and there, but some are cartoonishly evil. I have done a few different ones so far: the flawed and somewhat inconsequential one from Family, the one way out of depth in Ruthless, the one barely spoken of and quite bad one in Defiance. What I wanted to have him here is that Dumbledore that has his reputation, and uses it properly. He is wise and learned and experienced, and he is going to stand up to his reputation. I wanted him to be a consequential figure in this fic, to have a reason for being there, and to see if I can make him into an understanding character that is aware of their own flaws and abilities. I want him to feel human, to be funny, to be emotional, and to be a person. I'm grateful you enjoy him. I'm glad you enjoy my penny dreadfuls and hope to continue to enterain and delight you. Thank you for your kindness.
alix33 - Seared salmon is like a pan cooked fish, so if you like salmon, you'll like it. I like it a lot more than smoked. Those boerewors rolls look really good.
DarkRavie - Thank you.
- Thank you so much.