Frost and Fire ! grindeldore

1 - enchanted

The summer of 1897 had stretched endlessly for Albus, weighed down by the responsibilities of caring for his younger sister, Ariana. His mother's persistent pleas to abandon his beloved books and break free from the confines of his room had left him longing for the respite that Hogwarts offered. Now, on the first day of September, Albus found himself spending his sixth year at Durmstrang for the Triwizard Tournament.

"Aberforth, dear... Wake up your sister for me, will you?" Kendra's voice carried a gentle plea, addressing the middle child of the three siblings.

Ariana, the youngest of the three with her adoration for Aberforth ever since their dad was taken and killed at Azkaban, seemed to have forged a special bond with him, so it's best to let Aberforth wake her up.

Aberforth nodded, setting aside his own breakfast and rising from the table. He grabbed a portion of food for his beloved pet goat before making his way to Ariana's room.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Dumbledore's exasperated gaze fell upon Albus, who was engrossed in the pages of a book.

She sighed, a mixture of fondness and frustration evident in her voice as she placed plates of steaming food and cups of juice that she magically cooled on the table. "Seriously, Al. If you aspire to become the champion of Hogwarts, I suggest you pry yourself away from that book once in a while."

Albus nodded, acknowledging his mother's wisdom, though not wanting to be a champion at all. While knowledge was his passion, he also longed to experience the world beyond the confines of parchment and ink, but didn't know where to start.

Once Albus had finished his meal, his attention turned to the task of preparing the rest of his trunk. Just as he was about to make his way upstairs, a giggle reached his ears. Ariana, the youngest of the Dumbledore siblings, descended from the creaky staircase with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

"Albus! Albus! Guess what?" Ariana exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement. "Aberforth just threw goat dung at a girl outside!"

Mrs. Dumbledore let out a weary sigh, casting a knowing glance at Aberforth as he clumsily descended the stairs. "Really, Abe? Let me guess, was it poor young Smeek again?"

Aberforth rolled his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he placed a plate of food in front of Ariana. "So what if it was? She's quite bothersome, and her obsession with my brother is rather annoying."

Mrs. Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes brimming with maternal pride. "Ah, my eldest son, forever in the spotlight! I wouldn't expect anything less from a prodigy like him."

Albus let out a weary sigh as he gathered his books in his arms. "I need to make sure my trunk is all packed." he said, casting a glance towards Aberforth and Ariana. "And you two better get a move on as well. I don't want to be the one packing your belongings last minute like I did last year."

The clock on the wall showed that it was already fifteen minutes past ten, and they needed to hurry if they were to catch the train on time, as it takes about thirty minutes to get to King's Cross. Albus made his way up the stairs, entering his room, which stood in stark contrast to Aberforth's. While Albus took great care to keep his room scented and tidy, his brother's room had a distinct odour of goat poop, and it resembled a chaotic mess.

Albus often lent a helping hand to Aberforth, as they were not permitted to use magic outside of school. He would assist his brother in cleaning and organising, relying on manual labour to keep the room somewhat presentable, but Abe didn't like it.

Albus began packing his belongings, carefully placing his books, robes, and other essentials into his trunk. As the minutes ticked away, Albus ensured that everything was in order before closing his trunk. He glanced around the room, a mix of fondness and exasperation in his eyes as he surveyed the familiar surroundings for the last time until next year.