Nico, Voldemort's Older Brother (Being Rewritten)

Dumbledore XXXII

"That did not end as expected," I remarked to Fawkes after Minerva and Severus had left. "My little children are straying."

Fawkes gave me a look that conveyed that he thought I was insane.

"I think toning up the senile part is most likely the best way to excuse the manipulation and... everything." I continued, "'I'm a crazy old man that doesn't know what he's doing'!" I shrugged, "What do you think, Fawkes?"

Fawkes said—of course—nothing, because he was a bird.

"Of course, Fawkes," I smiled, "Thank you for believing in me."

I heard my ward alert me of someone approaching my office and let a relaxed smile rest upon my face. The door creaked softly, but no one came up the stairs.

"That's strange," I muttered to myself, standing up to check. "Hello? Is someone there?"

"Only your worst nightmare." A voice said.

"Who are you?" I demanded, "Show yourself!" I raised my wand in alarm.

"Oh, but it would be so much more fun otherwise." The voice replied. A vase appeared out of thin air and flew towards my head.

I ducked, causing for it to crash into the wall behind me. "Peeves!"

"Oh, I'm not Peeves. I'm something much scarier." The voice cackled. "Your reflexes are getting slower, old man. Perhaps you should retire." Another vase appeared, this one full of water. It promptly proceeded to empty itself upon my head.

I dried my robes with a flick of my wand. "I will not hand over the school to someone that will bring it harm." I couldn't let whatever the thing was get ahold of the children... how was I to influence young, moldable minds otherwise?

"No one could do more harm than you are doing already." The voice sneered, "Not even Voldemort."

"How dare you?" I snarled, "Voldemort would kill all of us!"

"Better death than brainwashing." The voice retorted. "How is he anyways? Maybe I should ask for him to come pay you a visit."

"In the school?" I asked, horrified at the prospect. If Voldemort chose to attack us, I would have to fight him. No one could know that I would most definitely lose.

"No, at Honeydukes." The voice said in an annoyed tone. "Of course at Hogwarts!"

"Never!"

"Idiot of a headmaster," The voice muttered, "What kind of influence are these poor children subjected to?"

"I am not an idiot!" I was scandalized.

"Good point," The voice said, and I felt calm. "You'd be an insult to idiots."

"What?" I cried.

"Bye, bye." The voice sniggered, "Oh, and stay out of messing with Harry Potter's life. It's rather unbecoming of an old man spending so much time with a young boy... people might get the wrong idea."

As sudden as the attack began, it ended. The door slammed shut and all was quiet.

"What just happened?" I blinked, waving my wand to return everything to its normal place. "Fawkes, what do you think?"

Fawkes shrugged, tilting his head to the side.

"It must be Peeves." I mused, "Who else could it be?" I sat down at my desk, taking a lemon drop and plopping it into my mouth.

Immediately, a disgusting taste filled my mouth. It tasted like... how bugs smelled, but combined with the aftertaste of dragon dung and pickles. I spat it out into a napkin, but the taste still remained.