Chapter 111
"Where's Pomfrey?" Dumbledore demanded.
With the smile on Robinson's face suddenly dropping
away, he stared back and replied, "She's in Saint
Mungo's and quit. I replaced her. I believe you were
told that, last night."
As Dumbledore struggled to sit up, Robinson said, "I
wouldn't do that, if I were you."
"You don't get to order me around," Dumbledore
snapped back. "Where's my wand and glasses?"
"As the school medi-wizard, when it comes to the
inhabitants of this school I most certainly do get to
order you around when it comes to your health," he
replied. "My word is law in matters of health. It's in my
contract.
"As for your wand and glasses, if you looked, you'd
see they're on the bedside table."
Quickly picking up his glasses, donning them and
then grabbing his wand - the same wand that hadn't
worked right for him since he'd recovered it from that
infernal Bones woman - he hopped off the side of the
bed and staggered as he tried to take a step.
"I did warn you," said the medi-wizard. But he didn't
reach for him to help steady him. As far as Robinson
was concerned, if the old fool wouldn't do as he was
told then whatever injuries he sustained falling over
after being told not to get out of bed were his own
damned fault.
Dumbledore snarled something unintelligible back,
braced himself up and made his way from the wing
without even bothering to thank the man.
As he walked he felt his energy returning. He also
noticed he no longer felt the pain in his half-twisted
ankle, in his left hip near his tailbone or right shoulder
he'd developed as a result of Minerva's 'unwarranted
attack', getting bounced off the wards or landing on
the cobblestones outside the main gate. So, the medi-
wizard had at least healed him.
Arriving back at the gargoyle, Dumbledore demanded
entrance. The gargoyle ignored him.
As he stood there, fuming, it was some seconds later
before the gargoyle suddenly stepped aside.
"About time," he harrumphed
Not even waiting for the stairs to raise him he climbed
them to the top. And then tried to open the door.
"Try knocking!" he heard firmly called from within as
he drew his wand to magically unlock the door.
With his temper again ratcheting up, he knocked and
then tried the door. Again, that didn't work.
Then he heard, "Come in, Albus!"
This time, the door opened for him.
He'd made it only a few steps within when he noticed
the major changes and stopped dead in his tracks.
Seeing him suddenly stop and appear shocked,
Marchbanks called from where she was sitting behind
the desk, "What's the matter, Albus?"
He couldn't even call it his desk as that desk was not
the one she was sitting behind where his desk should
sit.
"Do you not know where to find your office?" she
smirked.
"This is my office," he snapped. "What have―"
"No, Albus," she grinned back, speaking over him.
"This is my office. I told you back in the Entrance Hall,
when you were being rude then, that you're not the
Headmaster any more.
"As I'm in need of a new Professor of Transfiguration,
you hold a mastery in the subject and have already
taught it once before, that's your job for the moment."
"And I told you, Griselda," he snarled. "I'm not
surrendering the post of Headmaster.
Standing up straighter and appearing quite pious he
said, "I have tenure. I cannot be fired."
She openly laughed at him. "Oh, Albus," she chortled.
"That's quite amusing."
When he appeared confused in his anger, she
explained, "You have tenure as a professor; not as
Headmaster. You've not been fired from Hogwarts.
You've been replaced as Headmaster. You're currently
welcome to take your place as Professor of
Transfigurations or quit. For the moment, that choice
is yours.
"Trust me; very careful research was conducted to
ensure we were right in this."
"We?" he carefully but more quietly asked.
"We, Albus," she confirmed. "The School Board
wanted to make sure to what limits they could go to
get you out of control of Hogwarts. That's when it was
discovered your tenure only applies to your position
as a professor, not your position as Headmaster.
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Chapter 112
"Your position as Headmaster only occurred after you
convinced old Headmaster Dippet and the then School
Board to no longer offer tenure to professors. Your
new position as Headmaster, therefore, did not fall
under the clause of tenure you held as a tenured
Professor of the time.
"As such, they could remove you from the post of
Headmaster. With Minerva no longer permitted to
teach, that freed up the post of Professor of
Transfiguration for you. That's the position you're
now, once again, filling.
"You'll find your personal effects already in your
apartments and office." With a gesture of dismissal,
she added, "You may go, Albus. I have a great deal of
work ahead of me." Then she chose to ignore him.
Feeling impotent in his internalised rage, Dumbledore
spun about, ready to head out the door again. His own
recollection of the rule regarding tenure-ship showed
she was right.
"Oh," she said, just as Dumbledore reached the door.
When he spun back to glare at her she said, "And
don't think you'll be offered Deputy Headmaster or
Head of Gryffindor back, either. As your tenure-ship
doesn't apply to either of those positions, I have in
mind others for those."
With a silent snarl of rage he stormed from the office,
not even bothering to slam the door behind him. He
just left it open.
Marchbanks gave a flick of her wand and the door
closed and latched. Then let loose a full-throated
laugh for someone of her age. It came out as a cackle.
"Was that absolutely necessary?" asked one of the
portraits in a chiding voice. None of them had spoken
until that point.
Glancing up she saw it was old Eupraxia Mole. The
one, she remembered, who never spoke to
Dumbledore.
"Yes, dear," she replied. "Albus needs to learn his
place. If I tried to be gentle about it he'd just pretend I
didn't say anything, ignore me as he would usually try
to and fill the air with platitudes. He needs a firm
hand."
Phinneas Black said, "If I remember correctly, you
were a Slytherin, were you not?"
"Ravenclaw," she replied. "You're thinking of my
sister. I was also Head of House for Ravenclaw for a
while and Acting Deputy Headmistress for a time,
too."
"Pity," he said. "Your move with the School Board was
worthy of a Slytherin."
"Just because one was not sorted into that House,
does not presuppose one was not worthy of that
House, dear," she smirked. "I simply did not want to
be in the same House as my sister, at the time. And
the Hat acquiesced to my wish."
"All too true," the Hat suddenly said from off its perch
on one of the shelves. "And I still say you would have
been a great Slytherin."
"Oh," snorted Phinneas in amusement. "A true
Slytherin, then."
She didn't bother to reply and neither did the Hat.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Later in the morning, in the clothes Hermione had
'ordered' him to wear, Harry felt he had finally
'recovered' from the horrifying experience of being
taken clothes shopping by the Granger women. That
was also when Wendell returned from his and his
wife's dental surgery.
Harry immediately took him aside, glared at the man
and asked, "What did I ever do to you?"
Wendell grinned back and asked, "I take it shopping
did not go well?"
"Oh, it went well enough," he grumbled. "For the
ladies, that is. For me, I've never felt so much like an...
an... object... as I did today.
"They treated me like a 'dress up doll'. 'Try this on,
Harry.' 'Hold your arms out while I check to see the fit,
Harry.' 'Take that off and try this colour, Harry. That
colour doesn't suit you.' 'No, Harry, not that. Try this,
instead.' 'How do those pants feel in the crotch,
Harry?' 'Slowly turn around, Harry. I want to see how
well those look fitting your bum.'"
By the time he'd ranted out, Harry was looking a little
morose while Wendell was trying... and almost
succeeding... not to laugh.
"It's not funny," Harry moped. "They also don't seem
to understand that, if Cousin Andromeda gets her
hands on me and has me taking potions that are
meant to fix my size and weight, all those clothes
aren't going to fit me any more within a few weeks.
Then we're just going to have to do it all over again.
"When I tried to tell them that buying that much
clothing was just a waste of money, Hermione said, 'If
you have that much money you can think the cost of
erecting expensive wards on my parents' home was
insignificant, then you have more than enough to buy
two full wardrobes.' I think she was actually using the
opportunity to punish me for something I did that
wasn't wrong for me to do!"
That was it for Wendell. Harry's all-too-accurate
impression of his daughter broke the dam that he was
struggling to maintain to hold his laughter in. He was
now leaning against the wall, trying to hold himself
up, as he was letting forth with great gales of laughter.
He even had tears flowing from his eyes.
Harry crossed his arms and stood there, staring at the
man, both annoyed and not a little hurt by his host's
amusement at his earlier 'predicament'.
"Oh, God!" Wendell managed to get out after a good
deal of seconds. "Tha... that impression of Hermione
was bloody hil-ar-ious!" And lost himself to laughter
for a little while longer.
Harry gave a huff of annoyance and headed outside
onto the back patio to mull over his thoughts.
When he thought it over in his own mind he could see
how it looked from Wendell's point of view. If
something like that had happened to someone like
Neville, he'd probably be laughing his arse off, too.
Wendell found him outside about ten minutes later.
Sitting in the other half of the pair of patio chairs of
which Harry was sitting on, he said, "I'm sorry, Harry. I
should have warned you."
"Warned me?" he asked.
Nodding, Wendell replied, "I know what Monica is like
when it comes to clothes shopping and I knew
Hermione was turning out similar. I should have joined
you so I could rein them both in.
"I didn't because... well, I wanted you to experience
what it was like."
Curious, Harry asked, "Why?"
Wendell thought how to answer for a bit before he
said, "I wanted to see how well you'd handle it."
Harry's expression of curiosity deepened into
puzzlement. "Hunh?"
"Harry," his host kindly said. "For someone who is
obviously incredibly smart - you had to be to pull off
your fake persona for so long at such a young age
and not have anyone figure it out - on one subject, at
least, you're also not a little dense."
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Chapter 113
"Alright," Harry gave a slow nod, still confused. "What
am I missing?"
"It's not your fault, mind," said Wendell. "By the
sounds of it... and from what little the aurors, you and
Hermione have let slip... you were abused while under
the supposed care of your relatives."
Harry's expression immediately turned to one Wendell
would call 'guarded'.
"And that's one example of what I'm talking about," he
continued, ignoring it. "You never refer to them as
your 'aunt and uncle'; you refer to them as 'my
relatives' directly, or 'the Dursleys' indirectly. You refer
to your cousin as 'their son'; while referring to your
distantly-related relatives on the Black side as your
'cousins'. You've even hinted obliquely at how they've
treated you, almost slipping up and telling us some of
the horrid things they've done to you.
"So, let me ask you directly, did or have they ever
shown you love?"
Relaxing a bit, Harry thought about it and replied, "I
saw them say they loved each other many times."
"And by your answer I'm also hearing that they never
directed that love towards you."
Harry frowned and Wendell could see the boy also
defensively curl up. "No."
"The fault for that lays entirely with them, Harry,"
Wendell gently said. "Denying a child love is simply
another form of child abuse; one that's emotional, in
nature.
"Why it's considered child abuse and not just neglect
is because the child learns how to recognise love
directed to them by others by the love directed to
them by those who are supposed to care for them.
And it's from experiencing that love that they learn to
love back.
"What you also need to understand... and accept... is
that there are people who do love you, right now. I
have no doubt that your parents loved you, very
much. After all, they gave their lives to protect you so
that you could live.
"But, there are people, in the here and now, that also
love you. Your godfather, Sirius, is clearly one of
those. And... so is my daughter."
Harry was beginning to think of his relationship with
his godfather and the man's focus on him when he
heard Wendell mention Hermione. It was such a shock
he tried to whip around so fast to look at the man he
almost toppled himself off the chair.
Managing to unconsciously catch himself in time he
stared, almost horrified, at his friend's father.
"I thought so," said a satisfied Wendell. "You didn't
know."
"No!" blurted Harry. "W-we're just friends!"
"You're lying to yourself, Harry. You just don't realise
it," Wendell firmly stated back. "You don't see it
because, as I said, you lacked love being directed at
you as a child. Sirius loves you, Hermione loves you
and I dare say there are others I don't know about yet.
"Don't try and deny it; try and accept it. Don't just
think me wrong until you've given yourself time to
seriously think about it.
"You're a smart young man. Analyse it, then reach
your conclusion. Otherwise, all you're doing is leaping
to a conclusion before you've analysed the evidence.
Isn't that something you accuse those in the
wizarding world of doing? Leaping to conclusions
based on opinions rather than confirmed facts?"
When Harry didn't answer, but appeared to be deep in
thought, Wendell said, "I'll leave you to it." He then
rose from his seat and returned inside.
Wendell didn't know if Harry heard him or not because
the boy-man didn't react. But he knew, somewhere in
the young man's mind, that he did.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After finally going to his 'new' office, the one that was
his back until he became Headmaster in 1969,
Dumbledore walked in and sighed. All his personal
effects from out of his office were now in there. The
larger items were standing on their own; the smaller
items were all in open-topped boxes. Even his desk
from out of his... the Head's... office was there, having
replaced Minerva's. So was his chair.
After a long and disappointed sigh before drawing the
Elder Wand out of his belt, he began rearranging
things back to how he preferred it. The desk was
moved to allow light from the window not to fall
directly on the desktop, his office chair tucked in
behind it. This then necessitated the moving of the
shelving.
Next he moved his small tables into places he wanted
them and placed chairs either side of one. He'd often
sit on those chairs at that table with a friend, just to
discuss matters. With the office being somewhat
smaller than the Headmaster's office some of his little
tables that used to only have trinkets placed on them
had to be removed completely.
Once the furniture was laid out he then began to
empty the boxes of their contents onto the desk, the
shelves and the occasional tables.
As he worked he soon realised he was missing what
he considered some of his things. Most of the
important books were gone; so were other small items
he'd acquired over the years. But, more importantly,
so were the little trinkets that were monitors he used
to monitor young Harry - his health, his mental state,
even the scrying device he could use to find the boy if
he was to ever 'disappear' that was based on the boy's
blood.
He became so focused on his 'Harry Potter' monitors
missing, the reason for why the items, including the
others, were missing never crossed his mind.
Angrily, he called for an elf. It arrived with a small pop
of displaced air.
"Yes, Perfesser Whiskers?" it asked.
"It's Head... damn it," he began. "Where are the rest of
my personal effects?"
The elf quickly looked around and replied, "Theys be
in Perfesser Whiskerses apartment."
Snapping his gaze to the door leading into the
apartment, he took the few steps needed to reach the
door, opened it and entered.
After his eyes quickly swept the room he yelled, "Elf!"
"Yes, Perfesser Whiskers?" the little elf asked. It was
standing in the doorway.
"I mean the rest of my things from out of my office!"
he snapped at it.
"Headmistress lady said to elveses to bring all
Perfesser Whiskerses thingsies to Perfesser
Whiskerses new office. Elveses dids that."
"There were things in my office that are not here!"
snapped the old man. "Where are they?"
"There were thingsies in Headmistress lady's office
that were not Perfesser Whiskerses thingsies," replied
the elf. "Headmistress lady told elveses to puts them
elsewhere and only Headmistress lady to know.
Headmistress lady told elves not to tell."
"Bring them to me," he ordered.
"Headmistress lady be tellings elveses not to brings
dem to anyone else but Headmistress lady," replied
the elf. "Elveses be obeying new Headmistress lady,
not Perfesser Whiskers."
"Damn it!" snarled Dumbledore. "GET OUT!" he
bellowed.
The little elf popped away without another word.
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Chapter 114
Noticing the time was getting on to lunch, Harry reentered the house and went into the kitchen. He didn't
know if Wendell had eaten yet and was very sure no
one else had, either. So, set to making lunch.
Cooking helped him think. It's what he used to do
while at the Dursleys. The Dursleys left him alone
while he was cooking, so he could use that time just
to figure things out.
He found himself standing there for a few moments
trying to clear his mind of what Wendell had told him
so couldn't think of what to make.
"Dobby!" he softly called.
"Yes, Master Harry?" asked the elf.
"Help us out, Dobs," he replied. "I can't think of
anything to make for lunch. Wendell's got me all
confuzzled over something."
Dobby took a long look at his master and said,
"Dobby will cook. Master Harry Potter, Sir, be in no fit
state to be cookings now."
"Master Harry Potter, Sir, be needing... damn it. I need
to be cooking at the moment, because I need to think
about something. And cooking helps me do that,"
explained Harry. "I tell you what; how about you be
head chef and I help? That way you can teach me
something."
"Dobby cannot be havings Master Harry Potter, Sir,
helping Dobby," the elf firmly replied. "Wizards not be
helping house elveses; house elveses be helping
wizards. It be not right, other way 'round."
Harry sighed, stood there and massaged the bridge of
his nose. Taking his hand away he said, "Fine! You
cook or make lunch and I'll go find something else to
do."
"Thank you, Master Harry!" declared the elf, happy he
wouldn't have his master in the way when he was
trying to do his job. Then got right to it as Harry
walked back out of the kitchen trying to think of
something else to do.
As he walked out and into the main part of the house
he almost collided with the senior male auror
currently stationed there. "Sorry!" he blurted.
"No, My Lord," replied the auror. "My fault."
Harry was about to disagree when he just shook it off
and asked, "Where is everyone?" And negligently
gestured.
The auror looked off into the distance for a moment
before he looked back and replied, "Mister Granger is
in his office, Madam and Miss Granger are up in Miss
Granger's room on the top floor."
"Hunh!" said Harry, giving a verbal nod. "Thank you."
The auror gave a small smile and a nod before he
moved off downstairs towards the servants' quarters,
while Harry headed for the stairs heading up.
He'd go see the two ladies and hoped he wasn't
interrupting something important.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Hermione and her mother were chatting and had been
catching up with what was going on with the wider
Granger and Puckle families - Puckle was Monica's
maiden name. However, that's only what Hermione
thought was going on. Monica was subtly trying to
work out just how in love her daughter was with the
'messy, raven-haired boy with those enchanting green
eyes' who was their current guest.
To that end, she also had her daughter telling her
stories about the boy. She was using the words and
terms her daughter used about him, together with her
expressions, to gauge that.
She'd finally developed a very good idea when there
was knock on the door.
"Come in!" Hermione called. It was, after all, her room.
The door gently opened to see Harry standing there.
To Hermione he looked a little confused. Then, when
he looked at her, he appeared slightly more confused.
"Harry?" she asked. "What's wrong?"
He gave himself a little shake, smiled at her and said,
"Nothing, really. It's just something I need to figure
out for myself.
"I just thought I would come up to see if you ladies
had anything interesting to do."
"Don't you usually cook when at home and fly when at
Hogwarts when you need to figure something out?"
she asked.
He gave a nod and replied, "Yes, but I can't fly here
and I just let Dobby toss me out of the kitchen. He's
cooking lunch, by the way."
"You could always study," she suggested.
Harry looked back in shock for a moment before he
suddenly grinned, snapped his fingers and said, "I
knew there was something I needed to do! I'll be right
back!"
He suddenly spun about and ran across the landing
from the doorway and down the stairs.
Hermione looked at her mother and was about to say
something when she heard Harry come running back
up the stairs again.
He burst in through the still open doorway, holding a
book. Excitedly, he walked across the room and
handed it to her.
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Chapter 115
Taking it she read the cover, 'Occlumency for
Beginners'
"Occlumency?" she asked. "What's that?"
"Occlumency is the magical mind art of sorting out
your thoughts and memories, as well as protecting
your mind from a Legilimencer," he replied. "As well
as improving your ability to retain memory of what
you read, see, hear or experience it gives you
significant protection from someone using
Legilimency against you."
"What's Legilimency?" she asked.
"Legilimency is the magical mind art that grants you
the ability to... enter someone's mind to view their
memories, scan their surface thoughts and, in
extreme cases, interfere with their ability to think," he
replied. "Severus Snape was a master at it. And
Dumbledore used to use him to spy on the minds of
people, especially those around me; including you."
Both women appeared horrified.
"He could do that?" squeaked Hermione.
"That would be an invasion of privacy," said an
offended Monica.
Harry nodded back to both with a serious expression
on his face.
"What about Dumbledore?" Hermione hesitantly
asked.
"From all the experience I had of the man, it's not
something he ever did to me," he replied. "I think he
couldn't. Being able to become a Legilimencer is not
something anyone or everyone can do. And I have no
idea how Snape was able to develop it.
"I only know Snape can do it because he tried it on
me, right from the start - in that first potions class we
had with him in First Year. That's why he was staring
at me so much.
"Every time I felt him trying it would cause my scar to
hurt; and he tried quite a few times, especially when
he was with Dumbledore in Dumbledore's office with
just me. But, when I was in Dumbledore's office
without Snape there, or when I met Dumbledore
anywhere else, I never felt that pain.
"I think it's part of my mother's blood protection she
placed on me that's blocking it. And why I think I'm
immune to the Obliviate and Killing curses."
"Which is why you think Dumbledore can't do it," she
added.
He grinned and nodded back before he said, "Snape's
ability as a Legilimencer is one of the reasons why I
think Dumbledore kept him around."
Looking down at the book and brushing her hand in a
caress across the cover, she asked, "Have you read
this?"
"I've read it, yes," he replied. "However, I can't do it.
Again, I think it has to do with my mother's blood
protection. As I said, it's another form of mind magic."
"And you're immune," she added.
Again, he nodded.
"Thank you," she quietly replied, looking back to him.
He grinned and said, "You're welcome."
"Thank you, Harry," said Monica. "I don't like the idea
one of these... Legilimencers... could read my
daughter's mind."
Setting the book on her bedside table, Hermione
turned back and said, "Now, you wanted something to
do. How about, after lunch, we go for a walk around
the neighbourhood a little, so you get a feel for the
place?"
Surprised by the idea, Harry replied, "That would be
nice, thank you."
Stepping back he said, "In that case, I'll leave you
ladies to your chat. I have something I need to ask
Sirius."
"You forgot to ask this morning?" asked Hermione.
"You could say that," he smiled.
He'd only just made it out the door when Dobby
popped in beside him.
"Lunch is served, Master Harry," he said.
"Thank you, Dobby," he replied before turning back to
the door.
"Ladies, I don't know if you noticed but Dobby just
popped up to let us know lunch is ready."
"Excellent," said Monica. "I'm starved!"
Hermione just rolled her eyes.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Walking into the Great Hall in a new set of robes due
to the damage to the set he wore to the Clan Stewart
village - stalking in, really - Dumbledore ignored
everyone and made his way directly to his chair at the
head table. However, on arriving there he realised his
chair was now no longer 'his' chair. And it had been
removed, anyway.
Marchbanks was now sitting at what used to be his
place on a chair with a more comfortable-shaped
back, with no armrests; not one that was straightbacked like his own. And was showing a weakness of
fortitude by sitting on a large cushion, to boot!
He had been a little delayed as he had stopped a
couple of Gryffindor students to find out if they knew
where young Harry had gone when he left the school.
One of them had told him they thought the boy had
gone to stay with Miss Granger, as the two had been
inseparable since the First Task - and they'd also
heard Neville Longbottom tell someone else, but
didn't mention who.
As he looked at Marchbanks, she noticed and said,
"Good afternoon, Albus." Then indicated a chair quite
a few away from her own. "As Professor of
Transfiguration, your seat is down there."
Moving to a chair only two separated from hers, he
said, "I can sit here."
"Can, yes," she replied. But, as he began to reach for
it to pull it out and away from the table so he could sit
on it, she added, "However, that is the seat for the
Head of Ravenclaw. And you, Professor Dumbledore,
are not that person.
"You may sit on any seat that is not my own or the
three either side of me, so long as no one has already
chosen that seat for themselves. The closest either
side of me, for the time being, are reserved
respectively for the Headmistress and Highmaster of
Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The next two either
side of me are for the four Heads of Houses. Left to
right, they are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and
Slytherin; the same current order as the four house
tables.
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Chapter 116
"Oh! And Hagrid, due to his size and weight, has the
special chair on the end on my left. Same as he did
when you were Headmaster; and Professor Flitwick
has the special chair two to the right of Professor
Sprout, due to his diminutive stature.
"Now, please do go and sit down. I wish to return to
my lunch and being brought up to date as to the
happenings of the school by Professor Sprout." Then
she turned away from him to her right to return to her
lunch and discussion with Sprout.
Angered by the rebuke and brush-off, Dumbledore
had little choice but to stomp off towards her left
down near Hagrid's chair. He sat in the one next to the
half-giant's. However, Hagrid was not currently there.
No one was currently sitting near where he chose to
sit.
Finally turning his attention towards the house tables,
he was shocked to see just how few students actually
remained. More than three quarters of the Slytherin
students were missing, half of the Hufflepuffs, about a
third of the Ravenclaws and about two thirds of the
Gryffindors. Looking along the Gryffindor table he
even saw that the Weasley children were missing.
However, even more annoying for him, was that Harry
Potter was missing. A second quick check and he saw
that Miss Granger was not there, either.
He thought, 'That was right before I foolishly allowed
my temper to escape my normally tight rein.' And
frowned to himself.
'Everything was humming along exactly as planned,'
he thought as he began to build a lunch plate for
himself. 'Right up until the point young Harry entered
the arena for the first task. Then everything turned
into dragon dung.
'How had I missed it?' he wondered. 'How had
Severus missed it?' And then remembered that
Severus had told him the boy seemed to have natural
Occlumency barriers.
'Not Occlumency barriers,' he thought, 'Barriers that
existed because of the soul fragment of young Tom
that resides in the boy's head.' He'd already figured
out that it was the soul fragment that was blocking
any Legilimency attempt on the boy, similar to how a
werewolf's mind was protected by the inner wolf.
That's how they both came up with the idea of using
Legilimency on young Ronald and the Granger girl. If
they couldn't get Harry's thoughts and memories from
him, they'd get them second-hand from the youngest
Weasley boy or the girl.
It was not until the First Task he realised the boy was
also keeping secrets from the both of them. He
suspected that part of that was because he'd figured
out that Molly, the foolish woman, had set in place her
own plans for the boy. She too, it seems, was after the
Potter fortune. That was something else he'd missed;
but the boy, it also seemed, hadn't.
After finishing his meal he quietly left the Hall to
return to his apartment in the Transfiguration corridor.
Now that his new office and apartment had been set
up and, as he had no classes to teach or assignments
to mark, he was left with nothing to do within the
school for the moment.
'Time to go talk to young Harry,' he thought. 'He needs
to see reason and return to the safety of the school.'
He quickly checked his effects and found his private
notebook, charmed so only he could open it. He
flicked through it to the back where he had the
addresses of certain people. One was the muggle
address and apparation co-ordinates of the Granger
girl. He quickly refreshed his memory of them both.
Using the floo in the office after first setting his
password for it, he flooed out to the Leaky Cauldron.
And, as soon as he stepped out of the floo at the other
end, apparated away.
Moments later and for the second time that day, he
found himself smacking hard into an anti-apparation
barrier. Then everything went black.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Harry and Hermione were both checking to make sure
they had everything they needed for a walk around the
neighbourhood when there was a deep, reverberating
two-tone sound of two gongs being struck.
The male auror who was with them snapped out an
order. "Go into the servants' quarter's parlour and
stay there! Do not come out until you're told to!"
Then, with his wand already drawn, he headed for the
front door. The other auror, the female, had already
reached it.
Seeing the stunned look on Hermione's face, Harry
immediately grabbed her by her upper arm, to drag
her along if necessary, and charged through the
parlour into the transverse rear hallway, down the
stairs and through to the servants' quarters as
directed.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, as she was being
dragged.
Ignoring her, he didn't let her go until they entered the
quarters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
Chapter 117
As soon as they were inside he released her arm and
drew his wand, ready to defend the both of them, if
necessary.
"Harry, you didn't have to drag me," she complained.
Both Granger parents, hustling in not a few moments
later, looked to both teens and gave relieved
expressions.
"Maybe not," he replied to the girl. "However, you
were just standing there looking shocked and
surprised. We might not have had time for you to snap
yourself out of it. I wasn't prepared to gamble with
your safety like that."
"I take it that was one of the wards," said Wendell,
before Hermione could retort.
"Yep," replied Harry. "Someone just tried to apparate
onto the property. By the dual tone we heard, I think it
was Dumbledore."
"If it was, wouldn't he have been stunned?" asked
Monica. She had moved to stand with her daughter.
Because he was looking at the door he didn't see her
hold a finger to her daughter's lips when it looked like
she was going to get angry with Harry.
"He should have been stunned," replied Harry, still
looking at the door. "However, we've not been able to
test them yet to make sure. I think you can consider
this a... 'test in the field'."
"I think you mean 'field test under actual conditions',"
muttered Monica. But Harry could see she was only
voicing her thoughts because she was a little worried.
Three minutes later, which felt like over an hour, one
of the aurors announced themselves outside the door
before they opened it and walked in. It was the young
male and he had a smug smirk on his face.
"Dumbledore?" asked Harry.
"Dumbledore," he nodded. "We found the old man
laying on the footpath just inside the front gate. He
was, as you'd expect, knocked out cold.
"It also appears he managed to bang himself up a bit
when he landed. He's got a dislocated shoulder - his
left shoulder. Your house elf was standing over him
looking ready and willing to hex him into next week."
"He's a little protective," muttered Harry.
"After we sent a message off to Madam Bones about
it, my partner portkeyed with him direct to the DMLE,"
continued the auror. "She'll be back after
Dumbledore's been handed over and she's given a
report of the incident. In the meantime, we can expect
a replacement for her to arrive within a minute or
two."
The auror suddenly stiffened and looked off into the
distance, as did Harry. He, too, felt the alert. Coming
back to himself the auror smiled and said, "That was
quick. They're here."
As the four followed him out of the servants' quarters,
now the auror detail temporary break rooms, there
was a knock on the front door.
He spun to them and said, "For a moment or two,
please wait here. As I'm on my own I want to take that
extra precaution."
"We'll wait," said Wendell.
The auror opened the door with his wand at the ready
while using the door frame as a protective barrier, saw
who it was, smiled and invited them in. Harry
immediately recognised Master Auror Robards.
"Folks," smiled the Master Auror.
Coming around Robards, the young auror, Auror
Cassidy, made the quick introductions. "Master Auror,
this is Doctors Wendell and Monica Granger and their
daughter, Hermione; together with Lord Potter.
"Doctors Granger, Miss Granger and Lord Potter, this
is―"
"Master Auror Robards," finished Harry. "Nice to see
you again, auror."
"And you, Lord Potter, Miss Granger," he replied
before looking to Wendell and Monica. "Nice to meet
you, folks. My first name is Gawain."
"So, Brian was telling us..." started Monica.
'Brian!' thought Harry. 'That's the young auror's
name!'
"... That Mister Dumbledore was injured in his...
collision?... with the wards." she continued.
"Collision is a pretty good word for it. He dislocated
his shoulder," nodded Robards. "Our Healer had him
to rights with that in only a moment. Popped it back
while he was still stunned; then healed the bruising."
"I certainly hope they're not going to just wake him up
and release him," said Harry.
"Not happening, Lord Potter," said Robards. "You can
expect an important visit, very soon, so arrangements
can be made or changed."
"Well, after all this excitement, I think I'll put the kettle
on," said Monica, turning and heading for the kitchen.
"Hermione and I were just about to head out for a walk
around the neighbourhood," said Harry.
"I'd rather you not do that, at the moment," said
Cassidy.
"As would I," added Robards. "As I said, I believe
you'll be receiving visitors soon."
Harry gave a sigh and muttered, "Fiiiine!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
Chapter 118
Just as suddenly as the previous time that day,
Dumbledore woke with a start to notice he was lying
flat on his back with a healer or medi-wizard leaning
over him with wand drawn.
"He's awake," said the healer, pulling away.
"Of course, I'm awake, you blithering idiot," muttered
the old man, trying to sit up.
"I'll thank you not to abuse my staff, Mister
Dumbledore," snapped a voice Dumbledore
immediately recognised and hated - Bones.
"Ah, Amelia," said the old man, swallowing his desire
to snarl at the woman.
"Pris-on-er Dumbledore," she shot right back,
deliberately drawing out and emphasising his 'title'.
As Dumbledore swung his legs to sit on the edge of
the bed he realised he wasn't on a bed, after all; it was
a bunk. He was, yet again, in a cell within the DMLE.
And, again, he was missing his wand, glasses and
portkeys.
With a sigh he quietly asked, "Why am I back here?"
"Criminal Trespass," she replied.
"You are in error, Amelia," he said.
"Am I, Prisoner Dumbledore?" she asked back.
"That's peculiar, Prisoner Dumbledore, because you
were found stunned unconscious at the scene of the
crime."
"Then someone has been playing games, Madam
Bones," he declared. "I was on my way to visit the
family of a magical ward of mine when it seems some
foul chicanery has been involved."
"And what foul chicanery would that be, Mister
Dumbledore?" she politely asked.
"Someone has erected an illegal anti-apparation jinx
or ward around her home," he replied. "It will need to
be investigated, at once."
"Very well," she said. "And what is the name of this
magical ward of yours, around whose home you
believe an illegal anti-apparation jinx or ward has been
erected?"
"Her name is Miss Hermione Granger, muggleborn,"
he replied. "A student of mine."
"Well, that's surprising," said Bones. "On a multiple
number of levels."
He frowned at her and asked, "Oh? Because someone
would erect an anti-apparation ward around the home
of a muggleborn under-aged student?"
"Nope," she said. "It's surprising for the following
reasons: One; there is no record of you being the
current magical guardian of anyone, any longer,
Professor of Transfigurations, Albus Dumbledore.
Two; Miss Hermione Granger's magical guardian is
Madam Minerva McGonagall. Three; according to the
first two points, you had no business being there.
Four; there is an anti-apparation ward on the home of
Miss Hermione Granger, but it is not illegal; it is there
with the permission of the owner occupiers of the
home. Five; your arrival point for your apparation
was... rudely... well within the property boundary. And,
six; and this is the one which changes your charge
from simple Trespass to Criminal Trespass, Lord
Potter was also on the property at the time and you
were warned during your very recent trial what would
likely happen should you bother Lord Potter. You,
crashing into the wards on a property in which he was
in, setting off alarms all over the place, means he was
bothered.
"In the short time you've been back in custody, I've
already heard from Lord Black, who had a monitor on
the wards. He's pressing charges against you. I also
have an appointment with Lord Potter; who, I've no
doubt, is also pressing charges against you. And I'll
be speaking with Doctor and Doctor Wendell and
Monica Granger who, as owners of the property, I've
no doubt will also wish to press charges against you.
"Oh, and just so you know, I'm always looking to the
safety of our Lords and Ladies as it's part of my job
description. To that end I made enquiries into the
backgrounds of both Doctors Granger.
"Doctor Wendell Granger is what the muggles call a
Justice of the Peace; or 'JP', for short. That gives him
the authority, in the Queen's name, to issue what is
commonly referred to as a 'bench warrant'. That is, he
has the authority to issue things such as a Warrant of
Arrest. He can have people arrested with the weight of
the crown backing him. Theoretically, he can order
Master Auror Scrimgeour, for instance, to go to
Parkinson House, enter without permission to do so
from the Parkinsons and arrest Lady Parkinson. Not
even myself or the Minister has that right. However,
because his authority comes direct from the crown, he
does! He also has the authority of Low Justice and
can sit in judicial review any case or matter that can
have a criminal conviction with a punishment of up to
six months in gaol.
"In other words, since the crime is Trespass,
Magistrate Granger can have you arrested, charged
and brought before him; where he can then convict
you and have you tossed in prison for six months.
And it's all completely legal and above board... you
twit!
"And Doctor Monica Granger is what is known as a
Commissioner of Declarations; or 'CD', for short.
That's a title Doctor Wendell Granger automatically
has as a Justice of the Peace. That means, in both
their cases, any legal document they sign is
automatically seen as a sworn statement.
"You, Albus Dumbledore, in one foolish move, have
managed to not just kick over the legal version of a
doxie nest, but have then proceeded to stomp all over
it.
"So, make yourself comfortable," she smirked at him.
"You're going to be here for a while. If Magistrate
Granger... not Doctor Granger... is of a mind, he has
the legal authority under the crown to have you
tossed in Azkaban for six months."
Then stood to leave.
As she walked out, while accompanied by her people
and blatantly chuckling to herself, Dumbledore closed
his eyes, leaned back against the wall to which the
bunk was bolted and sighed as if in pain.
Dumbledore knew the Grangers were well-to-do as
their daughter never needed access to the Hogwarts
Muggleborn Assistance Fund. But he had no idea they
had such legal authority, as well.
The background that was developed on each student
included the student's parent's names, muggle
nobility titles (if they had one), addresses, ages,
occupations and whether or not there were other
children, together with their ages and schooling.
Reviewing her file in his mind he recalled seeing the
letters 'JP' after Doctor Wendell Granger's and 'CD'
after Doctor Monica Granger's names, but thought
they were related to academic qualifications or
professional associations, as such letters usually
were. It was never thought to include what other
qualifications they had, as it had never occurred to
anyone that it might be important. Well, it clearly was,
as in this case.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
A short while later Auror Cassidy again stiffened and
stared off into space. Then he smiled and looked back
at the Grangers and Robards. He said, "The Boss and
troops are here."
Robards had been using the 'opportunity' to begin to
familiarise himself with improvements in modern
muggle homes, by asking questions of the Grangers.
It had been a while since his last refresher course on
moving in the muggle world and he believed 'a wasted
opportunity was wasted time'.
Cassidy immediately moved to the door and opened it
before using the wall and frame to peek around it and
out with his wand in his hand and ready. It would not
do to mess up procedure when a Master Auror was
watching you, no matter how secure you felt in your
protections.
Once he'd satisfied himself as to the identity of those
outside he swung the door open and stepped out.
When he returned he was leading two more aurors,
then Madam Bones, then another three aurors - six, in
total.
"We're going to need seats," said Harry.
"No need, thank you," said Bones, gesturing to him
with a wave off. "Aurors, Ward Masters, you know
what you need to do."
All but two of the aurors that accompanied her all
quietly said, "Yes, Ma'am." And went back outside.
Before he had a chance to ask, she explained to Harry,
"They're checking the wards again to make sure
they're all in good working order. Dumbledore's quite
the powerful wizard and he hit them with significant
force."
He nodded back.
She then turned to Wendell and Monica and said,
"Magistrate Granger, Commissioner Granger..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
Chapter 119
That had both Granger parents give a start of shock.
"Officially, I am Lady Regent Amelia Susan Bones of
the Noble and Ancient House of Bones, Director of the
DMLE. As Director of the DMLE my title is simply
'Madam Bones', but you may call me Amelia."
"Wendell and Monica," said Wendell, gesturing
between himself and Monica. "May I ask how you
come to know those titles? I didn't think magicals paid
all that much attention to the muggle world."
"I wouldn't have known if I hadn't looked into your
background," she said. "Part of my remit is the safety
of our world's Lords and Ladies, even if I'm
theoretically one of those. And I looked into your
backgrounds when I learned Lord Potter was going to
be staying here for a while."
"I see," nodded Wendell. "But, you should know, that
title only applies on the very rare occasions I sit the
Bench. And, even then, I sit with at least one but
usually two others. In such situations, I'm addressed
as 'Your Worship'. Every other time I'm simply and
informally, Doctor Granger."
"And I'm never addressed as 'Commissioner'," Monica
smoothly continued. "It's a title that's appended in
writing. That is, in writing or signing specific
documents; in such situations, I'm Doctor Monica
Granger, Commissioner of Declarations. And Wendell
is Doctor Wendell Granger, Justice of the Peace."
"Justice of the Peace?" Harry suddenly asked.
"Vernon applied for that once. He felt it would raise
his standing in the community to be able to append JP
to his name. He was knocked back because he failed
the psychological testing he had to undergo as part of
the training for it."
Turning to Madam Bones, he continued, "For about
half of the cases that the professors and those others
who sat to be tried before the Wizengamot, in the
muggle world they would have sat before a Bench of
two or three JPs. Wendell may well have been one of
those two or three."
Wendell clarified, "As long as none of them deserved
a conviction that included a stay in prison over six
months for any one charge, or multiple convictions for
any two or more charges that exceeded one year total,
then yes. Any cases that we find deserves greater
punishment, we're required to pass up to the Crown
Court. In your case, I believe, that would be the
Wizengamot sitting in judicial review."
Seeking clarification, or simply trying to press
Wendell to act, Bones asked, "So, you can sit your
Bench for Dumbledore and have him serve up to six
months prison at Azkaban for trespass?"
"No, for two reasons," he replied. "One; it's against
me. I'd have to recuse myself. And, two; sitting such a
Bench would have to be with at least two magistrates -
the Chairman and one or two Wingers. You'd need at
least one more JP to join me."
When Bones looked disappointed, he grinned and
said, "However, I can issue a Warrant of Arrest. I don't
know how it would apply in your world since your
Wizengamot and Ministry don't seem to care one whit
about the Laws of the Crown in the muggle world, but
it will still be a valid legal document. Under our law
you can then hold him for seventy-two hours while
you and your people investigate."
She gave a shark-like grin back. "I think I can make
that stick. Your authority comes direct from the
Queen, does it not?"
"Not quite," he smiled. "My authority as Justice of the
Peace comes by way of the Lord Chancellor in the
name of the Sovereign. And, yes, she eventually signs
off on it. He's also the only one who can take it away
again; but only once he's sought advice from the
Chief Justice and has the Queen, again, sign off on it."
"Close enough," nodded Bones.
"What would also interest you to know is that Justices
of the Peace were created pursuant to a proclamation
by then King Richard the First in the Twelfth Century,"
explained Wendell. "The first official Act determining
the positions of Justices of the Peace was the
Justices of the Peace Act of 1361 almost two
centuries later. Therefore, it predates your Statute of
Secrecy of 1689... which has effectively and illegally
seceded your world from ours... by over three
hundred years. As such, unless it has been
specifically stripped away, it should still be a law on
your books."
Madam Bones gave a pained expression, let her
monocle fall the length of its chain and brought her off
hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose to massage it
with her eyes winced closed.
Wendell looked at Harry with a grin. While nothing
was said between them, Harry knew the man was
thinking, 'You're not the only one who can make
magicals look like daft morons with hardly any effort.'
With a sigh, Madam Bones said, "A simple 'yes' would
have sufficed."
Harry was quietly chuckling, almost giggling really.
With a second sigh, she dropped her hand, opened
her eyes, looked to Harry and quietly said, "That's
quite enough out of you, Lord Potter."
"Sorry," he grinned. And belied he wasn't by laughing.
"Back to the point," she said, looking back to Wendell
and choosing to ignore Harry. "If you issue a Warrant
of Arrest for Dumbledore's attempt to breach your
wards, can it include that requirement that allows me
to hold him for seventy-two hours while I
'investigate'? I may not be able to get the Wizengamot
to otherwise properly punish him, but I think sitting
another seventy-two hours in one of my holding cells
could be considered punishment enough for this
particular occasion."
"That, I can do," he said, rising with a wide grin. "As I
said; while I can't try his case, I can issue the Warrant.
Come with me to my office."
By the time she left about thirty minutes later, Madam
Bones had her signed arrest warrant together with a
signed complaint of Trespass against the old man,
had her aurors make sure the wards were still stable
and undamaged and left behind a third auror to raise
their standing auror complement from two to three.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After lunch, when she informed the staff she would be
holding a staff meeting an hour later in the faculty
'break' room immediately behind the Great Hall,
Marchbanks left the Hall to return to her office to
collect her notes for the meeting.
"I expect to see everyone there," she'd declared.
"Even Argus Filch."
She'd just turned away and had taken a few steps
from the table when she turned back and said, "And
someone please tell Albus if they see him. He's
'bolted' again." Then turned back to continue on her
way.
Back in her office she had collected her notes and
made a few more about what she wanted to talk to the
entire staff about when the flames in her fireplace
turned green with a whoosh. A moment later she saw
the face of her friend, Amelia Bones, in the flames.
"Gris?" asked Bones.
"Amelia, dear," she called back. "Do you wish to come
through?"
"Yes, please."
She gestured with her wand towards the fireplace and
said, "It's open!"
Barely a couple of seconds later Bones stepped
through and turned to her.
"Gris," she said.
"What brings you to be visiting an old lady with a look
of such seriousness on your face?" asked
Marchbanks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
Chapter 120
"Dumbledore's currently, once again, in one of my
holding cells," replied Bones.
Marchbanks sighed, put down her quill from where
she was holding it while writing her list of topics, sat
back and said, "Tell me."
"Almost an hour ago, he tried to apparate into a
property that's the home of one of your muggleborn
students - Hermione Granger," explained Bones. "He
has a pretty fair idea that's where Lord Potter is
currently staying. He's right.
"What he didn't know was that Lord Potter caused to
have set up wards on the property. And those of my
aurors, who I've detailed off to bodyguard him for the
moment, have added temporary and further alert
wards to those."
"That would have come as a shock," smirked
Marchbanks.
"Dumbledore tried to apparate right into the property
and smacked into the wards pretty hard," Bones
grinned back. "He dislocated his left shoulder in the
process."
Marchbanks cackled and said, "That's the second
time, today, he's smacked into a set of wards while
trying to apparate in."
"Second time?" asked Bones.
"He tried to apparate directly into the castle from
wherever he got to this morning; very soon after he
must have felt the wards shift from him to me and
tried to apparate back," she explained. "It left him
bruised and battered. Our medi-wizard had to heal him
up."
Bones laughed.
When she calmed down again she said, "Well, Lord
Potter was being quite clever with having those wards
erected on the Granger residence. He had the wards
erected one yard in from the property boundary."
"That's different," said Marchbanks. "What made it
clever?"
"One of the problems we've always had about
charging people with trespass who've tried that sort
of stunt before, is that we can't charge them because
the wards blocked them from actually trespassing. It's
not illegal to attempt to trespass.
"By setting the wards up one yard in Dumbledore
actually had to cross that one yard before he hit the
ward. Therefore, he actually trespassed."
Again, Marchbanks cackled. "My!" she wheezed. "That
is actually clever.
"Do you think Lord Potter realised that you would be
able to charge someone with trespass if he set the
ward up one yard in?"
"There is no doubt in my mind that he knew," grinned
Bones. "That boy has been spending the past almost
two weeks making the rest of us look like idiots."
"So I hear," she smirked.
"Anyways," said Bones. "Taking a leaf out of Lord
Potter's book, I'm here to ask you to do something for
me."
"Oh?"
With a grin Bones said, "I need you to tell me, to tell
Albus, you're not happy with him and you'll be having
words with him about his behaviour, together with the
fact he's not at the school where he should be, once I
release him on Monday after lunch."
"Amelia, dear, what a dastardly thing to do," grinned
Marchbanks. "Very well. Madam Bones, when you
next talk to Albus, please tell him I'll be wanting to
have words with him, immediately after he's released
by you on Monday afternoon, about his behaviour. I'm
not happy he won't be here in the school, come that
morning, where he's required to be."
"Thanks, Gris," said a happy Amelia Bones.
"Now, perhaps you can tell this old lady how it is
you're going to manage to hold him until Monday
afternoon?" asked the older witch. "If I recall, you're
supposed to release him within twenty four hours for
such a trivial offence."
"Ah!" said Bones. "Well, you see, Miss Granger's
father, Doctor Wendell Granger, is also what's known
as a Justice of the Peace. In the muggle world he has
the authority by the Queen to dispense low justice.
But, more importantly to this issue, he has the
authority to issue Warrants of Arrest.
"As part of asking if he wouldn't mind giving me one
related to Albus, he included in that warrant the
authority for me to hold Albus for up to seventy-two
hours while I investigate matters. He was happy to
comply."
"And you were able to use that because the Granger
residence is in the muggle world," said Marchbanks.
"Very clever, dear."
"Thank you," smirked Bones. She never said anything
about how it was covered under a Thirteenth Century
law because that could draw things out too long to
explain. And she was busy.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Back at the DMLE a little later, Madam Bones walked
into Dumbledore's cell and grinned at him.
As he rose, he said, "Finally here to release me, are
you? It's about time."
"Nope!" she happily replied.
Unrolling the 'scroll' he didn't see in her hand until
then, she glanced at it and said, "I have here a Warrant
of Arrest for one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian
Dumbledore, signed by a duly appointed and
authorised officer of Her Majesty's courts. It also
grants me the authority to hold you for seventy-two
hours, while I carry out and complete my
investigations into your actions relating to your
alleged Trespass of the property of one Wendell
Marcade Granger and Monica Temperance Granger.
"Further, I also have here a formal sworn affidavit
from Doctor Wendell Marcade Granger stipulating a
formal complaint against you for trespass of property.
Lord Potter, acting as magical guardian, has co-
signed it."
While rolling both back up together again she grinned
and said, "Take a load off, Albus. You're going to be
here for a while."
"I bounced off the wards!" he snapped back.
"Therefore, I did not trespass!"
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," she retorted.
"You see; in setting up the wards, whoever did it was
being very clever. They set the wards you bounced off
one yard in from the property boundary. And, since
you just confessed to bouncing off the wards, that
means you had to have entered the property. Thank
you for that, Albus."