The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Five)

Chapter 18

That night harry looked at the clock and said, "Well Jessica and I should be going. Dumbledore will be expecting us soon."

Together Harry and I walked up the stairs past the gargoyle and knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in," he sounded.

The pensieve was in the middle of the floor again, "What memory will we be looking at today?" Harry questioned.

"You will be looking into one of mine today," came the reply.

I cocked an eyebrow, "Your own? Of what?"

"WHy that is for you find out," he said with a glint in his eyes as though he was up to something.

I looked at Harry who nodded. Together we went over to the pensieve and all three of us were transported back in time to relive one of Dumbledore's memories.

It was easy to spot Dumbledore. He was a bit younger to the point where his hair was still auburn colored, and his wrinkled weren't as pronounced but he looked very much the same as he did now. Aside from his clothing that is. In this particular memory he was wearing an odd suit that was a very bright shade of purple and seemed to be far too tight for the man wearing it. I smirked to myself.

We followed the memory as we walked up the stairs to a rugged looking building and approached the girl working at the desk right beyond the main doors, "What can I help you with sir?"

"I have an appointment with Ms. Cole, would you be so kind as to get her for me?"

"Ms. Cole!" the girl bellowed, "This man says he's here to see you!"

In a few seconds an older woman appeared looking hassled. Her hair was up in a bun and the bags under her eyes made it seem as though she didn't get much sleep.

Still she smiled politely at the young Dumbledore if not looking at him a bit oddly because of his suit choice, "Ah yes, you had given me a call. Let us go to my office."

Once we were all in the office watching the scene in front of us she asked, "You said you wanted to discuss one of the boys here at the orphanage, Tom Riddle? Are you family?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, I am merely a teacher of his. I want to discuss his arrangements to come to school."

"What school would that be? One his parents signed him up for before they died?"

It seemed as though Dumbledore wasn't expecting any questioned so I could see him silently cast a little confundus spell on a sheet of paper and give it to her, "I think this should put everything in order. Now I just have a few questions about Tom. He was born in this orphanage I know. Can you tell me anything about either of his parents?"

"One day this girl came through the door in labor. She gave birth to Tom, and died soon after. The only thing she was able to say was that she wanted him to be named Tom, for his father, Marvolo for her father, and the last name to be Riddle. No one has come for him since, so he's stayed here. I suppose that is until now."

"Yes it seems so. He will of course come with me once everything's in order."

"I suppose you want to see him?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Thank you."

She led him up the hall to an unmarked door and let herself in saying, "Tom you have a visitor."

There was small boy covered by a grey blanket on the bed who looked up from his book when the two of them walked in, "This is Mr. Dumbledore, he's from a school you'll be going to. I'll Leave you to it. I'll just go get all the paperwork together."

"How do you do Tom?" Dumbledore asked.

"I know why you're here. You're here to take me away to an asylum. I'm not crazy though! I didn't do anything to Bobby's rabbit or to Sue!"

"I am not here to take you away. I do not think you are crazy Tom. I am here to take you to Hogwarts. It's a school for people with special abilities. For people with magical abilities."

Tom stared up at him as if expecting the punchline to come, as if he didn't believe a word Dumbledore was saying, "Are you serious?"

Dumbledore nodded softly, "I am."

Tom's face lit up. His features became even more hollowed out and pointed, and the grin on his face was almost maniacal, "I knew it! I knew I was different. I can do things to people to hurt me, I can hurt them back if I'd like. I can make things move without touching them, and I can make people do what I say."

The smile from Dumbledore's face fell, "Yes you are a wizard Tom."

"You're one too aren't you? Prove it!"

"If you are going to come to Hogwarts you will address all your professors much better than that. You must call them sir or professor."

"I'm sorry sir. Would you please-"

He was cut off by Dumbledore taking his wand from his pocket and causing the close to light on fire.

ONce it was extinguished Tom exclaimed, "Cool! I can talk to snakes too. Is that normal for someone like me?"

Dumbledore's face froze a bit, "It is unusual but no it is not unheard of. I'm sure you will learn more once you are at Hogwarts."

The real Dumbledore said to us, "I think that is enough for now," and pulled us out of his memory.

I was puzzled as to why we had seem that memory when Dumbledore had us sit down in his office.

"Did you know sir?" Harry asked in a small voice.

Dumbledore replied, "Did I know that I had just met the most powerful dark wizard to ever come across the planet? No I suppose I did not. I cannot say that I was unaware of his already great power. You could tell from that memory that he had no friends and had no qualms about using his abilities against others, to get what he wanted, or simply to hurt them because he could."

"And he was a parselmouth," I added, "Did you know that meant he was related to Slytherin then?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "I did not know anything of that sort. I was intrigued by Tom, but I thought that some time at Hogwarts, being taught about the correct ways of magic would eliminate all these tendencies. After all it is not what you are born but rather what you decide to be that really matters. There is in fact one thing I'd like to tell you both. You saw how he had no friends. He did not care for a moment that he didn't have any, and I believe he still doesn't . He does not consider his followers friends, they are merely pieces in his game."

It was as if Dumbledore knew that I was growing attached to Lord VOldemort during our dueling sessions. As if he somehow could tell that I was beginning to accept that Voldemort liked me. There was no way he would know this though, my mind was safely guarded against anyone's intrusion.

"I think that time has escaped us once again. I think it is time for both of you to get to bed now," he told us, "It would do you well to not forget what you saw here tonight. These are the beginnings of the man you are attempting to destroy. You cannot fight someone without first understanding who they are and where they came from."

We both nodded and took this as our cue to leave, so we did. We didn't speak all the way to the Gryffindor common room, and only when we parted ways to go to our separate dorms did we finally say goodnight.