Headmaster meet

Soon enough the end of the feast is announced, and the respective houses were told to return to their dorms. The First Years were given to their House's prefects so they could properly introduce them to where they'd be staying.

Harry followed along at the very back of the congregation, only to have the Prefect Gemma Farley tell him that he was wanted by the Headmaster...

"Okay? What do you want me to do about that?" he irritably questions while sending a glare at the girl.

"You need to make your way to the Headmaster's-, office... Ah..." she shakes her head with slight mirth at her mistake and tells the male Prefect to escort the First Years while she took Harry to the Headmaster's office.

Harry's led through the Castle, eyes scanning the place and noting down points of interest while he mentally catalogues the rough directions and pathways. He found the portraits which held seeming living and moving people within them an interesting concept, and to his admittance, probably a better way of storing someone else's knowledge than turning them into a skull as he had done Grindelwald.

Though, there was probably a requirement for the personality in the picture to be a willing subject, which would have been impossible in Grindelwald's case. Of course, there was also the obvious fact of these moving portraits being used by the school faculty to spy on the students. Judging by how liberal the Headmaster and his pet were in using mind magic on him, he didn't think it would be too far out of the ordinary to expect it.

He wasn't given time to speak to any of the portraits for any length of time however as Gemma continued leading him. Eventually, they reached a corridor on the Third Floor which had a large bird-like statue at the end of it.

The duo approach and Harry is momentarily put on guard when the thing turned it's head and looked down at him, revealing itself to be a gargoyle...

"Don't worry Harry, this old statue can't attack anyone even if it wanted. Its only purpose is to allow access to the Headmaster's office." Gemma states before stepping forward and pulling a note from her pocket, "Peach Sour-Pop." she says, causing the Gargoyle to move to the side and give access to a staircase leading upwards.

"Peach Sour-Pop...?" Harry inquires, confused.

Gemma shrugs, "Don't tell anyone I said this but the Headmaster's a bit..." she twirls a finger near her temple, "Loony. Every time I've been up here the password has been based on strange muggle candies, I've heard stories of people just listing off a bunch of them and accidentally getting it right." she says with a suppressed chuckle.

"Hm? Is that so..." he drawls in thought.

She nods, "Alright, off you go then, I'll wait here and escort you to the dorms once you're done. The way to the dungeon from here is even more confusing than the way to the Astronomy tower."

-------------------------

Harry walks up the staircase and goes through the large wooden double doors at the top, stepping into a large, luxurious-looking office filled to the brim with various magical curios, artifacts, and other items Harry would dearly like to acquire in future... Kali even says that her magical senses were going haywire with how much enchanted stuff was in the room, a dangerous fact.

At the side was a tall red and yellow bird perched atop a strange metal stand, its feathers giving off a small yet intense magical glow. Even without Kali's remarks, he knew this was no ordinary bird.

"Massster, can I eat thisss?" Nanthisk questions, his tongue flicking out from his maw.

"No, not right now at least." Harry responds in Parseltongue, as far as he was concerned this was a scouting mission in enemy territory. Do not show your hand, as the saying goes.

"I see you've taken an interest in Fawkes."

Of course, the whole atmosphere of magic and wonder was thrown out the window as soon as Harry noticed the pile of shit covered in colourful robes sitting at the desk at the far end of the room.

"I have, where can I get one?" he simply asks, while walking over and sitting down on the provided chair in front of the desk.

Dumbeldore's eyes twinkle at the question, and Harry actually finds it difficult to not stare at them... Was that some kind of minor charm spell to make eye-based Legilimency easier?... Very devious.

"Unfortunately not, Fawkes here is a phoenix, one of the rarest and picky magical creatures you can find." the bird turns its beak upwards as it hears this, "I'm ever grateful to have such a wonderful partner. Never has he let me done, nor I him... I see you've formed a similar bond with your own familiar, what's his name? If I may ask? I've never seen a species quite like him-, her?" he asks, nodding at Nanthisk.

"... Nanthisk. I'm not sure what race he is either, I just picked him up one day."

"Hm? Nanthisk? A strangely suitable name, is there a meaning to it?" Dumbledore questions, sounding terribly interested despite the seemingly inane subject.

"No. Not one you'd understand... Why have you called me here, Headmaster?" Harry bluntly asks, getting to the point.

"Albus, call me Albus. I was actually close friends with your parents, Harry. James and Lily Potter, a beautiful couple who would have done great things if tragedy hadn't befallen them." he offers with sincerity.

"That doesn't answer my question, Headmaster." Harry repeats, easily spotting the crease in the old man's forehead at his completely disinterest in his parents. No doubt he thought he'd be on his knees begging for a single piece of information regarding the Potters, especially if he'd been brought up as Dumbledore intended in the Dursley's house of despair.

Dumbledore lets out a sigh and places his glasses on the desk beside him, "I suppose we can reminisce at a later date, the Hogwarts Express is a tiring journey even for adults... Ah-, before we begin..." he gestures at the bowl next to him filled with wrapped yellow sweets. "Lemon drop?"

"No."

Dumbledore nods and eats one himself, swirling it around his mouth before audibly cracking it between his teeth. "Where have you been all these years, Harry?"