[Profound astonishment detected.]
[Chest draw in progress.]
[Gold Chest obtained ×1.]
The notification was still sounding in Black’s mind.
Another precious Gold Chest.
For once, however, he had something else to think about.
He stared helplessly at his right arm.
Fawkes was perched on it, looking perfectly at home, and was affectionately rubbing his head against him.
What the hell is going on?
Black had no idea what to do.
Dumbledore appeared equally astonished.
So astonished, in fact, that Black received a Silver Chest from him as well.
Fawkes did not bestow his affection indiscriminately.
He was a proud phoenix, and Dumbledore had never known him to greet a strange boy with quite such warmth.
‘So you came for him, did you, Fawkes?’
He regarded Black with dawning interest.
‘What sort of bird is that?’ Hermione asked eagerly.
‘He’s beautiful!’
She wanted to stroke him but didn’t quite dare reach out.
She had never seen a phoenix before.
‘Er… I don’t know.’
Black kept his knowledge to himself.
An orphan raised among Muggles wasn’t supposed to recognise one either.
Before he could decide what to do about the bird on his arm, Fawkes startled him again.
The phoenix began to cry.
Tears fell onto the back of Black’s hand, where a few shallow scrapes remained from his first desperate dive out of the Hidebehind’s path.
Under the phoenix tears, they vanished instantly.
Why is he healing me?
Black looked sharply at Dumbledore.
Had he told Fawkes to do it?
But the old man looked even more puzzled than Black felt.
Apparently not.
Only a short time had passed since Dumbledore’s arrival.
He had surveyed the clearing, watched Fawkes fly to Black and now approached the children.
‘Are you Professor Dumbledore?’ Hermione asked tentatively.
‘You know who I am?’
‘I’ve seen your photograph in a book!
I’m starting at Hogwarts this year.
My name’s Hermione Granger.’
She looked at him with undisguised admiration.
Ever since discovering the magical world, she had longed to see the school she had read so much about.
‘How splendid.
I’m delighted that another promising student will be joining us.
Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Granger.’ This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Hermione beamed.
Black remained rather more guarded.
There was something peculiar about this whole afternoon.
The Hidebehind might have been sheer bad luck.
But why had Dumbledore appeared here?
Why was Fawkes treating him with such affection?
Above all, why had his tag suddenly repaired itself?
And why did the completed inscription have to give him a surname as troublesome as Grindelwald?
Dumbledore turned towards him.
He had only just met the boy, yet that inexplicable sense of warmth persisted.
‘And I take it you’ll be joining us this year too?’
‘No,’ Black answered honestly.
‘Oh?
Haven’t you received your letter by owl?’
‘An owl?
Hermione told me about that.
But no, I haven’t had a letter.’
That, at least, was entirely true.
He had been waiting for an owl for ages.
None had come.
Perhaps he hadn’t reached his birthday yet.
As an orphan, he didn’t actually know when it was.
Dumbledore was surprised.
Young witches and wizards in Britain generally attended Hogwarts unless their parents chose otherwise or sent them to a different magical school.
Even then, that decision came after the invitation.
Hogwarts sent letters to all eligible children.
Yet this boy had apparently received nothing.
Perhaps he hadn’t turned eleven yet.
That would explain it.
Black continued to look politely puzzled.
He wasn’t especially worried that Dumbledore would see through his pretence.
The Starter Pack had given him Basic Occlumency.
It might not stand up to Voldemort, but he reckoned it would be enough here.
Dumbledore was hardly likely to force his way into a child’s memories with Legilimency.
‘Then how did the two of you come to be here?’
Dumbledore had assumed they already knew each other.
Since Hermione knew about the magical world, it had seemed reasonable that her companion did too.
Apparently, things were not quite so straightforward.
Black explained what had happened, leaving out the parts he couldn’t afford to reveal.
Dumbledore listened with growing surprise. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
He had taken them both for children from wizarding families—or Hermione, at the very least.
Instead, both had been raised among Muggles.
Black had grown up in an orphanage.
Their introduction to the magical world was very recent indeed.
‘I’ve always thought it was some sort of special power,’ Black added.
‘I used to practise in secret.
It wasn’t until Hermione explained it just now that I knew it was magic.’
There.
That accounted for his Transfiguration.
He had been practising an ability he’d discovered for himself, without knowing what it was called.
He was very glad he hadn’t used any offensive incantations during the fight.
Those would have been much harder to explain.
Dumbledore showed no sign of suspicion.
If anything, he was more astonished.
No letter meant the boy hadn’t yet bought his school supplies.
He had no wand.
He had accomplished all this Transfiguration without a wand.
What might he achieve with one?
[No chest obtained.]
Black struggled to keep his expression neutral.
Useless system.
Dumbledore gave a quiet sigh, then smiled.
‘It is a very great relief to find you both unharmed.
Hidebehinds are difficult creatures to deal with.’
His gaze moved between them.
‘You showed remarkable courage.
Had this happened at Hogwarts, I would have awarded twenty points to each of your houses without hesitation.’
Then he addressed Black again.
‘Now, you haven’t told me your name.
Perhaps I can find out when your birthday is once I return to Hogwarts.
The Book of Admittance should have both.’
Hermione had introduced herself.
Black still hadn’t.
‘Thank you, Professor.
That would be wonderful.’
He spoke eagerly.
‘My name’s Black.
Black Grindelwald.’
Dumbledore’s eyes widened.
‘You… what did you say your name was?’
[Extreme shock detected.]
[Chest draw in progress.]
[Supreme Chest obtained ×1.]