Chapter -24.
In a corner of the leaky cauldron...
"She must be home by now," Theodore said, taking a hearty gulp of butterbeer, his thoughts still tangled up with the enchanting lady—his so-called fiancée.
Now don't get me wrong, he'd had his share of romances while living in the Muggle world. A lively life, indeed! But let's be honest, the thrill of potentially hooking up with a wild woman destined to become an evil villain with just a nudge was way more exhilarating than those boring, mushy relationships filled with cuddles and warm snuggles on chilly nights.
"Anyway, enough about that! Why haven't those Auror goons called me in for at least an interrogation?" he grumbled. "If they're just going to sweep this under the rug, can't they at least do it with a bit of style?" He understood that the dark mark business was probably going to stay buried in Diagon Alley, but he figured the competent Ministry would at least check in on folks who were present at the scene. I mean, come on, is it too much to ask for a little follow-up after almost a day? But nope! Not a whisper from the authorities!
At the same time Old Man Dumbledore had something on his mind, but it wasn't really bothering Theodore.
He figured that even though Dumbledore was getting a bit senile, whatever he wanted wouldn't be too heavy or dramatic—definitely not something like asking him to seek out death! So, there he was, sipping on some delicious butterbeer, lost in thoughts about Bellatrix and the Ministry's incompetence.
Time passed, and just when he thought Dumbledore might be caught up in some work and would have to catch up later, he felt a familiar presence at his table. Looking up, he saw the old man with the long beard and a sheepish smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting! My old bones just don't enjoy the thrill of apparition anymore," Dumbledore said.
Theodore couldn't help but tease a little. "Well, maybe you could ask old Fudge to lift the ban on carpets. I'm sure he'd do it out of respect for you!" He smiled, knowing he wasn't exactly close enough to Dumbledore to joke around too much, but this felt okay. Plus, he had always dreamed of flying on a carpet in the wizarding world—it would definitely be a more comfortable ride!
Dumbledore chuckled at Theo's comment, feeling a mix of emotions. He pulled out a chair and sat down, saying, "That's a clever idea, Theo! But we'd have to make sure they don't look too much like muggle objects. If we're not careful, the magic carpet might lose its charm! And you're right about Fudge—he might just do it if I press the issue, but I'd rather not deal with his requests later on, if you catch my hint."
There were already whispers around that Fudge had a close connection with Albus Dumbledore, the great wizard of their time. It wasn't hard for people to put two and two together, especially since Fudge sent dozens of letters a day to someone before taking few important descisions while sitting in his Minister for Magic chair!
Theodore chuckled to himself, imagining the pressure that old toad must be putting on Dumbledore while drowning him in a sea of letters. But not wanting to waste any more time, he decided to get straight to the point.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it 'help' since you're now a professor at Hogwarts too, but it is a bit of a pressing matter," Dumbledore replied, his starry blue eyes studying Theodore closely. He then pulled out an admission letter from his grey robe and handed it over to Theodore, who watched Dumbledore playfully dance around his words.
Theodore couldn't help but laugh inside as he took the letter from Dumbledore's hand. After reading it carefully, he was taken aback—it was a Hogwarts admission letter for none other than Harry Potter, the so-called savior of the wizarding world!
"Harry Potter? Is this the same boy?" Theodore asked, feeling a bit silly for even asking, but he pressed on with another question, "But since he's a wizard's child, shouldn't he be getting this through owls?"
He was eager to learn more from the headmaster himself. The whereabouts of the savior of the wizarding world were a mystery to most, but as a transmigrator, he had a unique perspective. Still, he had been so focused on his own life that he hadn't thought much about the young hero.
"Yes, it is him. But there's a situation regarding him that I can't disclose to anyone—seriously," Dumbledore said, emphasizing his point as he noticed Theodore's skeptical look. "Right now, he's living in the Muggle world with his mother's only relative. Unfortunately, they still seem to have some prejudice against wizards. That's where you come in, Theo. You've lived among Muggles, so I was hoping you could deliver this admission letter to Harry and have a chat with Petunia and Vernon Dursley, his only living relatives."
While Dumbledore didn't share much beyond what he could, Theodore, being a transmigrator, quickly picked up on a few key words that hinted at the ancient magic surrounding Harry and his family—magic that parasitic Voldemort would likely seek out after being defeated by the young savior for the second time.
The address on the letter was still the Dursleys' house in Little Whinging, which was a relief! He definitely wasn't going to follow them to that small, messy place in the middle of nowhere. But hey, thinking about it, this could be a great chance for him! It might help him earn a good number of character summoning cards in the future, especially if he can boost the savior's character, which has been stuck in timid mode for almost ten years.
"Absolutely, I'd love to do that, Headmaster! But since you're here, I was hoping you could give me some guidance. After all, you're a master alchemist!" Theodore jumped at the chance and wanted to make the most of this opportunity.
"Oh, I wouldn't call myself a master alchemist just yet; there's still so much for me to learn. But if it's something I know about, I'd be more than happy to help you!" Dumbledore replied with his usual warm smile.
'Ah, playing with words again, I see!' Theodore thought, admiring the old man's cleverness. But if Dumbledore could be helpful in his experiments, he was more than willing to go along with it!
Note : please give me some power stones, it will motivate me to write more. [You can also share ideas if you have some] :)