The Hidden Marauder (Harry Potter FanFiction)

Dumbledore

-CHAPTER FOUR-

Dumbledore

The day following the decision Katherine had made with Sirius; Harry, the Weasleys, and Hermione decided that it would be the opportune day to visit Diagon Alley on the mission retrieve their supplies for the next year of their education. Ron, Harry and Hermione were, after all, going into their fifth year – the year when all their studies and education became much harder, and much more important. For such a change in content, it was only expected that a change in materials would be required.

Katherine, however, decided that it would be an opportunity to visit someone she had not seen in a very long time – Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and a long list of other titles Katherine could never remember. She needed to ascertain that she would be able to attend Hogwarts – as a teacher, of course – alongside Harry before she told him, as she didn’t want to risk raising and dashing his hopes. It was with that philosophy that she waited until he had disappeared from 12 Grimmauld place before leaving herself.

“I shouldn’t be long.” She told Sirius and Remus, who had been told of the prior decision, and were seeing her off. “There’s not a lot to discuss.”

“Alright.” Said Sirius, still decidedly glum, “Tell him about Lucius, will you?”

Katherine nodded.

“If he offers you Defence Against the Dark Arts, don’t take it.” Remus said, jokingly, “It’s a cursed position.”

This time, Katherine shook her head and grinned.

“I’ll bear it in mind.” She said, stepping into the large, rustic fireplace of the Noble House of Black having thrown a handful of Floo-powder at the fireplace. “Hogwarts!”

*

Katherine arrived in a roaring, crackling green fire, immediately stepping out of the fireplace before the fire returned to normal and burnt the bottom of the set of robes she had donned for the occasion. She daintily bushed the ash from her clothing, a habit she’d never been able to shake from where her father had drilled it into her, and raised her head to view the room.

Dumbledore’s large office was much the same as it had ever been, walls, tables and shelves lined with interesting looking trinkets, muggle and magical sweets. A large wooden desk was near the back of the room, the man himself relaxing comfortably in it. The man himself, Albus Dumbledore, was wearing mysterious looking deep purple robes with silver crescent moons decorating them, had long white hair and a long white beard, as well as a pair of spectacles perched on the end of his nose; all making him appear as wise as he was. He had a slight smile on his wrinkled face, his blue eyes twinkling in the light.

The person opposite him, however, had a face that read nothing but shock. Her, supposedly, long brown hair was tied into a neat, tight bun at the back of her head, and she too, had a pair of spectacles balanced on her nose. She wore simple, yet elegant, black robes, and lines across her face that could have told stories by themselves.

“Well,” Said Dumbledore, his enigmatic voice travelling across the room, “This is a surprise.”

“Albus.” The woman, Minerva McGonagall, spoke across from him in an elegant Scottish accent. “It isn’t-“

“Yet it is.” He replied to her unfinished question with a flourish, “Miss. Katherine Mercer. Back from the dead?”

“Of course Professors!” She said, grinning and walking towards them, “You know me... Nine lives and all?”

“Hm.” Professor McGonagall frowned and turned her head away in disapproval, “I still should have reported you all for that. What were you thinking? Unregistered Animagus’?!”