To Live is the Rarest Thing

Chapter 16

And so, on a frosty morning in early March, Harry sent off his resume to Dumbledore, hoping the old man would be intrigued by Jack Bird enough that he’d hire him instead of waiting for a candidate who’d already received their Potions Mastery. Harry expected to get his Mastery within a few months, since the improved Wolfsbane potion was performing perfectly in the human trials, as Harry knew it would.

Thankfully, Harry received a reply the very next day written in Dumbledore’s looping handwriting, inviting him to Hogwarts that afternoon.

“Are you nervous?” Tom asked as they both slipped into a more formal style of robes.

Harry shrugged as he stepped into the bathroom to slap on some cologne. “I don’t know. A little, I guess.” Harry frowned and glanced up at Tom as he stepped into his shoes. “Won’t Dumbledore remember that time you applied for the Defence position and you ended up cursing it after Dumbledore all but kicked you out?”

“I doubt it, since Dumbledore already saw me as Voldemort then and he literally can’t remember our connection. There’s nothing to be worried about,” Tom was quick to assure him. “And if we don’t get the jobs for whatever reason we simply continue our business. Set it up across mainland Europe. And then we can apply for a teaching position at Hogwarts another year.”

Harry considered that as he led Izzy into her crate with a smoked pig’s ear. “You’re right. We’ve really got nothing to lose. If we don’t get hired we’ll simply find something else to do.”

“That’s the spirit. Don’t fall for the old man’s head games. He needs us more than we need him.” Tom grabbed Harry’s elbow the moment they passed their wards and apparated them to Hogsmeade.

Walking up the long path to Hogwarts with Tom by his side was an invigorating experience for Harry. Here they were, once enemies, soulmates, older than dirt, devoted to each other in ways no other people could possibly hope to be, and most importantly, Dumbledore had no clue about any of this.

They had this in the bag.

The doors to the castle opened at Harry’s slightest touch and Tom led the way to Dumbledore’s office, just to keep up appearances with the portraits, seeing as Jack Bird had officially never set foot in Hogwarts, after all.

For Harry it was an interesting experience to be back at Hogwarts again. Of course, he and Tom had been students there multiple times over their many lives, but never while reliving their original life and that added to the excitement, at least for Harry. Though judging by Tom’s gleaming eyes, he was probably feeling something similar.

“I have an appointment,” Harry told the gargoyle, which obediently slid to the side. One quick ride up the moving steps and they were ready to meet with their shared adversary.

“Come in!” Dumbledore called after Harry knocked on the closed office door.

“Good afternoon, Headmaster,” Harry said in a nice, thick American accent as he walked inside the office.

“Ah, Mr Bird,” Dumbledore said with a smile while seated behind his massive desk. “I was wondering if you’d have trouble finding my office.” Dumbledore’s smile slipped off his face not too subtly when he saw who entered his office behind Harry. “But I see you brought an escort along.”