The Adventure of a Riddle

Prolouge

***

Albus Dumbledore has never been particularly fond of snow. He much preferred the spring time, when new life blossoms in the most beautiful ways. The grass would grow green after being a wilted crunch of the murkiest of brown. The once dead and forgotten flowers and shrubs would come back to remind you of their unimaginable beauty. Perhaps this is the reason for the inevitable feeling of dread that had suddenly settled in his abdomen.

For a new life has been brought forth, and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about it. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that it isnt the spring. Although the new life mentioned is undoubtedly beautiful, such as in spring, he couldn't deny the fact that the atmosphere unsettled him in the ruthless blizzard.

As soon as he heard of the child's birth, something clicked. He knew he must save her. It pained him greatly to even look at her, but he knew he must. For there is a very thin line between love and hate, and he was almost positive that her parent earned both from Albus.

So there he was, sneakily walking past the wards of the most gruesome of castles in the dead of night, with a pink bundle in his quite sturdy arms. She was sleeping soundly through the freezing cold, and apparently unaware of the bumpiness from which he was stealthily providing.

As though she sensed something was amiss, as soon as he thought of her, she opened her eyes to gaze up at the mysterious stranger holding her. Albus Dumbledore's heart stopped. In fact, he stopped all together the moment they made eye contact. For one of her eyes was the iciest of glass blue and the other a startling deep brown. He did not even realize he was crying until a tear slid from his chin and landed on her little nose, to which she promptly gave a soft sneeze.

It would've been absolutely adorable, Albus thought, had it not been for his newly growing beard to promptly catch fire.

"Dear me," he gasped as he patted down the admittedly impressive flames, "I was just starting to grow this out, little one. I suppose this is what I get for internally complaining of the cold."

He rearranged her so that her face was pressed upon his shoulder, not wanting a repeat of the inferno flames. He had no time to ponder how on earth she managed to use magic while only being a few weeks old as he apparated away, clinging onto the child as though she were a lifeline.

As he walked up the cobblestone way of a small cottage, uninvited, Albus Dumbledore swiftly knocked on the old— yet rather tasteful brown oak door. He did not have to wait very long before the quite old face of Nicholas Flamel opened the door to the cozy cottage in France.

"Albus? What on earth— dear Merlin is that a baby?! Come in, hurry, it is far too cold!"

Albus murmured a polite thank you, and proceeded into the much warmer cottage filled with magical trinkets and dusty old books. As he sat on a red sofa by the blazing fire in the sitting room, he swiftly examined the child. It seemed she had fallen back into slumber during the travel. He did not know whether he felt relieved of the fact that her eyes had closed once more, or guilty for wanting to peer at them again.

She was white as the snow that they just escaped, with pink hues cast upon her cheeks and nose. Albus smiled at the tuft of white hair lain upon her head. Flamel came into the room with a tray of two tea cups and a bottle and sat them down, his ancient age causing his dense bones to shake and rattle.

"I'm sorry if I woke you, I assure you that this was not planned," said Albus as he took the bottle from the tray and fed the child in his arms.

"Surely... surely this is not your child? Of course not, what am I thinking? Who's is sh—"

At that precise moment, the child in question opened her eyes at the taste of warm milk she was generously being fed. Nicholas Flamel promptly dropped his teacup in shock.

"Albus, you kidnapped her?! Are you out of your mind?!"

"It had to be done. I was planning on raising her myself, in fact. Alas, that cannot happen anymore— she will not be safe. He will be able to sense her miles away. I'm sure you can feel the power radiating off of her. It is unorthodox, best case scenario. She will be weaponized and you know this. We must give her the maximum protection, and for that, I must ask a favor."

"I know you quite well, Albus, and trust you just as much. Can this not wait until morning? You both must be exhausted from your journey over."

Albus gave him a patient look.

"Oh, alright! What is the plan?"

Looking at Flamel's old and worried face, he replied carefully, "Time... it is the only way he will not find her. We must send her into the future. It will ensure her safety— he cannot not find her."

Flamel grimaced. "I see why it must be me then. I am guaranteed to still be alive. You are very clever for that, Albus, I'll admit. Very well, where shall I take her?"

Albus gave a soft chuckle, "Considering her rather... unique traits, I was thinking of the Malfoys. It will not be odd for a pure blood to be powerful, and admittedly, the blonde hair and pale skin would match that of a family such as theirs. It isn't ideal, family wise, however we have to draw as little suspicion as we can."

Flamel nodded and started to stand up. "Very well Albus, very well. I shall fetch my time turner while you say your goodbyes, yes?"

As he walked out of the room, Albus Dumbledore turned to the small child who was now awake and staring intently at him. He sent her a small smile.

"I have grown rather fond of you, little one, I admit. Perhaps in another world, I wouldn't have to depart from you so untimely. As a thank you for allowing me the great honor of being in your mere presence," he said softly as a tear slid down his cheek, "I shall name you. How about Aurora? You know, in my family all of our names were to start with an A... Therefore I see it only fitting to give your middle name as Ariana... after my sister. Aurora Ariana Malfoy? Grindelwald? Dumbledore? I suppose it does not matter."

The baby was staring at him intently, as though she knew everything he just said. She grabbed one of his fingers tightly and closed her eyes. Albus let out a startled laugh as he felt his beard growing back longer than he originally had it, and when he went to touch it, he found the most beautiful flowers grown of all colors— the colors reminding him of the spring he envisioned in his mind only an hour ago.

This would be his first true understanding of Aurora's magic.

When he looked back down, she was fast asleep once more. With a wave of his wand, he made a a glass blue necklace with a dangling flower in the same color. In deep brown words in his loopy yet elegant handwriting, were the words "Aurora Ariana G.D."

If Nicholas Flamel was confused as to why his close friend now had bright flowers in his auburn beard, which were nonexistent two minutes prior, he kindly said nothing of it.

Clipping the necklace around her, he kissed her forehead and said, "We shall meet again, Aurora. Safe travels, young one."

Of all the monsters that Albus Dumbledore created, none of them were quite like Aurora.