19 Tricks and Dumbledore (Part 2).

"Please sit down. Alan, right?" - Dumbledore said with polite and warm voice. It didn't seem to be fake.

"Yes, Headmaster."

"You can call me professor Dumbledore or just Dumbledore. Cookies?"

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry." - Alan sat into a chair and looked around, curious about nearly everything. Seeing this Dumbledore smiled in his beard with amusement. Sometimes, one needs to observe to understand instead of talking.

He took a letter from McGonagall and read it within ten seconds. After finishing his face was a sight to behold. Mainly, he was shocked and stared at Alan with incredulity. His eyes shone and after that face of old wizard changed again.

To the shock of the boy, he knew there was intrusion judging by changes in Dumbledore, but never Alan was able to detect one. He is a master of mind reading, no doubt.

Somehow it was not only full of praise, but guilt, remorse, compassion and even protectiveness. Just like Dumbledore was a master, Alan's Vibe gave some bonuses two.

When the old wizard was about to say something, a door to his cabinet was literally kicked open and here she is, Valkyrie of Verga team, Selena Links in person with wand at hand and two teachers beaten black and blue at her back, one of them was Snape, another Flitwick.

That gave Alan a whole new level of respect for his headstrong aunt. To bring down both of them is one hell of a task. No wonder aurors cried crocodile tears when they hear news about her retirement. She is a true magical juggernaut.

"Dumbledore, if you dare to do anything to my Alan, I swear to God I will fight you to the end!" - she yelled and when she saw Alan seating there with a plate of untouched cookies in front of him and gawking at her antics, she felt her face burning.

"Professor McGonagall, please take professor Flitwick and professor Snape to infirmary, let them be checked."

She nodded, gave a dissatisfied glance over Selena whole figure and went away.

"You did well Selena, I'm proud to think that a wizard like you was once a student of Hogwarts." - finally said Dumbledore. And that were his true fillings. After what he saw about her in Alan memories it is hard not to admire the girl. - "But next time please don't be so rash. First I need to apologize." - and thus he stood up and bowed his head in front of a eleven years old kid.

"Professor!" - Alan roughly understand for what he is asking sorry but he never thought he will do it in such direct manner.

"Let me do it. I used legilimency on you and saw some really dark memories. Considering everything you have being through..." - he sighed. - "I don't know what to say and do for the first time in many years. I want to know, why have you come to study in Hogwarts and why did you decide to study magic?"

"For the later part – to control my life myself to the best of my abilities and to have ways to protect the ones I deem worthy of my protection." - Alan answered after some contemplation the true reason that finally cemented itself in his heart after he gave a verbal answer that is like a vow to him. But later he added inside his mind so no one will see: and to remove the ones who had to be removed. - "And for the former... I guess the best answer is... I don't know why Hogwarts. I mean there are many reasons for that." - than he remembered the dialog with a Sorting Hat, somehow it was able to make him to say the answer with all his heart.

Maybe Alan is yet to understand himself. Or maybe it is truly to find home. Will he be able to do it or not is another question.

"It is fine, as long as you are here you will find the answer one day." - Dumbledore nodded with a smile. - "Can I ask you couple of questions?"

"Sure."

"When I saw a part of your memories they were very clear. Usually it happens with the case of eidetic memory."

"My case exactly." - nodded Alan and standing on toes looked at the book on the desk for a brief moment. Than he opened his mouth and recited it word after word under shocked gazes of two adults. He found no reason to hide it, after all this can give a proper answer to his mastery over some arts of magic.

However even he didn't know that Dumbledore asked this question because of a different reason and truthful answer more or less saved him. Because the second reason for memories be so clear is that they were recently forged.

"Outstanding indeed. Actually, no wonder wandless and non-verbal magic is quite easy for you. It will make things easier. Then again, I will repeat myself, if the question is to hard to answer just say so and we will stop." - Alan nodded, he briefly showed a very troubled expression and even unwillingness with some grumbling, putting blame on the old man entering his head and was sure to show these thoughts to Headmaster. After all, it will be quite strange for a kid to behave docile after he knew that his memory was read.

"When I saw your memories there were two guards that talked about a snake, Nagini. What can you remember about it?" - Dumbledore rested his chin on the palms in thought. The subtle mind play was able to make his tense mind relax. He thought the kid was too calm, but found it understandable after all that happened to him.

"Well, first, whenever I saw her I felt like it is in charge of a place and not others. Also, once Gram had a conflict with it and yelled at her saying that it is just a sacrificial pawn for revival. And later the guards said a word I don't know about. Horcrux." - at that point Dumbledore stood up and stared at Alan, but later can tell looking at his eyes that he didn't try to read his memories anymore, it was just an act of utmost shock over the news.

'Seems like he has a certain level of depth he can see through in fast pace. And he wasn't able to see everything and memorize everything. Good to know.'

"I understand, this information is very serious and can save many lives. But I must warn you two not to talk about it with anyone." - he fixed his gaze at them for a brief moment. - "Okay, lets talk about your aniform. For now keep it under wraps, I will write a letter to Delacour family for them to not talk about it too. When you start third year, I will take you to register as an animage myself."

"Thank you, professor Dumbledore." - Alan inwardly breathed in relief. He was most uncertain about that part.

"It's fine." - he waved his hand. - "I saw that origin of your form was an obscure and you used a spell to form it into a fundamental core, later creating aniform, is it true?"

"Yes."

"In that case, can I ask you to meet someone? You might be able to solve his lifelong regret."

"Is it about obscure?" - Alan looked at the eyes of the old man.

"Yes." - said Headmaster as plainly as possible.

"Is it mister Newt Scamander?" - Alan asked with interest. He really wanted to get to know the man and look at his collection of magical creatures.

"You are quite well read." - praised Dumbledore and nodded. - "Indeed, it is him. I can go there with you and have another bout of philosophical lectures from old Newt."

"I can do that. It will be good." - said Alan. Having favors from two outstanding mages of current world is a thing to be glad of.

"For me to get lectured?" - smiled Dumbledore, but whether it is Selena or Alan, both froze for a moment. Was it just a joke of sorts? From Dumbledore? - "Khm... anyway, Alan, my boy, can you now explain in..." - he looked at Ollivanders letter. - "constructive way, best without profanities, what is going on with your wand problem."

"I don't know, professor. Actually, when I came to Ollivander shop he tried to find a wand for me, but eventually failed. He even vowed to create a wand for me to wield one day. All he said is that I will eventually destroy any wand he has. And for a wizard destruction of a wand is no laughing matter, so he didn't sell a wand to me." - the more Alan talked, the more Selena grew restless. She never heard him saying anything about inability to wield a wand!

"So it is like that." - Dumbledore although downplayed the reaction but inwardly was shocked. And after that, his manipulative part of an old-time wizard kicked in.

He thought of Harry.

And then realized, that the best weapon against Voldemort on Harry side will be Alan Salvatore, however his allegiance can be said to transcend the conflict. His parents were murdered surrounded and outnumbered while fighting for peace and order. It can be said that first wizard war was still fresh in their minds, so they welcomed order under rule of the Ministry. Even if it goes as far as closing their eyes on some of it's mistakes. But they later were betrayed by the Ministry. And in a very cruel way, so cruel it made hearts of many aurors fighting for it grew cold.

If he can correct this wrong Alan surely will be very grateful. And not only him. Dumbledore found a very convenient way to enlist several new names under Order of Phoenix.

However a moment later Dumbledore looked at the kid of eleven years old in front of him and felt ashamed of himself. He sighed and let it go, for now. One way or another he saw Alan fighting on their side. He values personal ties. With his parents giving their lives away to stop Death Eaters it will be impossible for him to join Dark Lord.

Joining Ministry force before they right the wrong they have done seems unlikely too. So it will leave only one side – his friends and Hogwarts itself.

In some sense Dumbledore thought that the best he can do is just be a bench sitter. He was an old cunning fox alright, he guessed Alan's character very well. But he never thought, that the Enemy Alan and everyone will face several years in the future will make all their wars for supremacy just kindergarten on outing.

"Well, Alan, I have a rough idea of things and won't look deeper into it. But you must know young man that there will be no indulgence for you. Courses must be aced with the wand or without it." - he turned from grandpa next door to a Headmaster of Hogwarts he is.

"I understand, professor." - Alan nodded.

"Oh, and take this." - Dumbledore taped a side of his already heavy breathing with age tea table and extracted from it a wand. It looked like some broken twig. - "You need a cover up, no?"

"Can I have something... different?"

"Why? Don't you like it?" - Dumbledore observed his magnificent creation with satisfaction. - "Isn't it stylish, like in tales of old!"

'Oh, spare me! So fashion sense of grandmas and grandpas is bad not only in division of clothing, but wands too? Never gonna use it!'

"Fine... I guess." - he sighed under expectant eyes of the old man.

"Than it settled." - Dumbledore clapped his hands and hummed, clearly very pleased with himself. "Okay, go back to your class. Selena, you too. And please, next time don't be so heavy handed."

"Hmph, it is fine with Flitwick, but you brought a former Death Eater to teach students?" - she said directly while placing hand on the wand in a holster. - "It is good enough that I didn't rip him apart right there and then. I already wasn't heavy handed." - she turned to Alan and asked him to give them some time to talk.

"Dumbledore. I'll be frank with you." - Selena said after the door closed behind the boys back. - "You can see it too, right? He nearly never smiles or laughs and even if he does it is hard to notice, as for most part he does it with the same emotionless face. You see, he is like that all the time. Tense, vigilant to his surroundings and cold, but he can't realize the severity of the issue himself. It creates a wall between him and others."

"I saw as much, Selena. But what is your point?"

"We both know how you are. Let's not play games. You are not bad, but to manipulative for your own good due to old age, perhaps? Don't touch Alan." - she said strictly, no, even with a threat.

"Looks like you haven't forgiven me for what happened back then." - sighed Dumbledore.

"I won't lose another person due to idiotic mistake of trusting in your capabilities, Dumbledore! And for the record, I still don't believe even a tiny bit that he could have done it!" - she finally said and walked to the door.

"Oh, and one more advice. You better start some training sessions for your employees. Because now..." - she glanced at the direction of the door where Snape and Flitwick were lying around in pain. - "... they are just meat."

With that she went out in a huff, leaving old wizard alone to contemplate his options.

Selena dragged Alan away with her, until they stopped in the middle of the hall where she was still fuming with rage.