The untold Story of Grindelwald and Dumbledore

Chapter 3 - Home they say

"Condolences", murmured Professor Fortinbras as he pressed my exam result into my hand. I did not have to look at it to know that I had achieved an Outstanding in charms. I nodded courtly, unable to say anything more. Professor Dippet my teacher for ancient runes and at that time head of Gryffindor extended a hand to shake mine in a firm grip. "I am very sorry for your loss Albus and I imagined your leaving of this school far more ceremonial. You could have achieved so much more but you still can do so. Don't forget that." "Thank you Professor. Your lessons have always been refreshing. What are ,y results.?", I forced out as politely as possible. You could have achieved so much more. So much more. What was presumably meant as comforting compliment did not appear to me as a mockery from life itself. So much more. How very right he was. "Outstanding. I have never read an exam as good as this dear boy.", Professor Dipped answered and gave me my results. finally I had reached the end of the line of teachers who pressed the exams into my hands and condolences that I felt like I could not hear them anymore and we had just even started. As I had almost outgrown my fathers original height in the last years I was a bit taller then Phineas Nigellus whom I faced last. On a golden Pergament with a red seal and the violet sign of Hogwarts with a serpent, an eagle, a badger and a lion who circled around the letter H my results were written officially. He offered it to me. "My congratulations Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore. No student leaving Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardy has ever reached such high results." He smiled as if knowing exactly that this was currently of no help to me. I bowed. "Thank's sir."

I would leave the school at the side of Aberforth who had waited for me in the fore room of the headmasters office with our trunks in his hands. Elphias Dodge must somehow have managed to join him and now  hurried over to assist me with the trunk. I had said my goodbyes to most of my friends earlier and had told most of them some maid up story about having to arrange a few things before leaving with Elphias and only a few knew the truth as I did not want more pitiful looks and to be told how great and how brilliant I had done and what a waste of talent all this was. " Shall I not wait anyways?", asked Elphias for about the hundreds time. "I could wait until you have found someone who can take care of her." He was clearly speaking of Ariana as I had told him as well that she needed to be taken care of because of her illness. "There is no one else who can do this and it cannot be cured so shut up will you?", shot Aberforth at him and the discussion was done and it was once more obvious to me that I would spend the next years in Godricks-Hollow as Aberforth was entirely right and there was no one else who could take care of my sister. "Thanks Elphias but we have to go now and catch the portkey. You have been one of my best friends here. I owe you a great deal." I took my trunk from his hands and opened the office dort again. The teachers looked at us with eyes full of sorrow and pity. Only Phineas Nigellus managed to look as if he trusted me to carry the burden even though his lack of pity might come from different reasons. The portkey was an old quill. I exchanged one single look with Aberforth, we both seized the quill and I left this school finally not as great young wizard but as family head without parents.

"Is this all you are bothering about? Asked Aberforth gruffly. "No." I answered truthfully. We were sitting at the kitchen table. The portkey layed on the table alongside with a just finished dinner of hot stew. Bathinlda Bagshoot had prepared it here while looking after Ariana. My sister sat next to me, playing with the feather, seeming to be inside her own mind. Only Aberforth looked at me in anger while I stared at my parchment with the official results. I had reached N.E.W.T.S. on Outstanding level in every subject I had taken. "Fine then help with the dishes.", Aberforth demanded bringing me back to my mind while he already started collecting the plates so I couldn't even complain. I tossed the useless paper aside. "Can you help too sweety?", Aberforth asked Ariana. I was surprised how soft his voice suddenly sounded and to my even greater surprise Ariana lifted her dreamy gaze, nodded and even smiled at him before she went to wash the dishes. I longed for the wand inside my pocket with which I could have done the dishwashing a lot faster but Ariana does not like magic around and I couldn't risk to provoke her. Thinking through that I realised that I would not know what to do if there was an outburst and that I did not really seem to know my sister. Mother would know but she is not here. This thought waked me up and I decided that I could also accept my fate from now on and at least try to understand the two people for whom I was required to look after from now on.

"Come on Ariana. I will bring you to bed.", I said as friendly as I could manage when we were finally done. "I am not a baby Albus.", these were the first real words my sister addressed at me. "She did let me get ready for bed on my own you know." I was perfectly aware of who was meant by she but as there was no time to discuss now I just nodded. "I am sorry Ariana. You are not a little girl. I know that." I watched her slim figure disappear upstairs. "She likes you better.", I said to Aberforth and hated how pathetic that sounded. I should have rather been glad that there was at least one she seemed to feel comfortable with. But still. "Aberforth she needs to grow familiar with me. When you are back in school she needs to be alone with me." Now I felt sorry that I had spent most of my holidays reading and writing to famous people but afterwards one knows always better, I realised with bitterness. "I won't go to school if she's not well.", Aberforth said. "Yes you will. You need to finish school.", I answered trying to give a tone that was not to be discussed. "If Ariana does not trust you I need to stay or you will mess it all up.", he said furiously. "You will finish school and I will deal with our sister.", I gave back. "You speak of her as if she was some some...thing. But she is a living being Albus and she needs someone and if that is not you it is gonna be me as mum is not here anymore." He shouted it into my face and rushed upwards. I had about a million responses on my tongue which would silence his arguments immediately but honestly he was right. I did not know my sister neither did I know my brother. Ariana couldn't handle to be failed, so if I wanted Aberforth back in school I needed to gain her trust. I took a deep breath and shouted up the stairs: "Are you ready Ariana dear? Can I come saygoodnight?"