Dumbledore's Daughter

Prologue

The laughter of small children rang out through the street, bouncing off of the faces of silent stones houses and the darkened windows of storefronts. After all, who else in this quaint Muggle cul-de-sac would be awake at the ungodly hour of four in the morning, besides the rare unfortunate business man and the children of the orphanage at the end of the road. Oh, and Albus Dumbledore, of course.

Albus Dumbledore never woke later than five am, any day of the week, rain or shine. And it was that small detail of his long life that led him to this very street, walking down the cobble-paved path towards a homely looking building that could easily be mistaken for another small shop by any random passerby. However, take a closer look and you may just spot the small, warn sign hanging from the porch – Elizabeth H. S. Orphanage.

And that was where our dear Albus was headed. Sources said that this particular orphanage housed a girl. Not just any girl, however. A girl who's path could very well change the course of history for the Wizarding World forever. Were these so-called sources reliable? Well, Albus was about to find out.

He knocked on the door thrice. A drawling "come in," greeted him as he entered, the voice evidently belonging to Muggle woman who was seated at a desk across from Albus. Dumbledore sent her a warm smile, and her demeanor softened in the slightest, though it still stayed tense. She scrutinized him heavily, taking careful note of his blood-red robes and heeled boots. His half-moon glasses and grey beard tucked neatly into his belt. No doubt he looked exceptionally strange to this Muggle woman.

"Hello sir," She greeted. "Is there something I can help you with?" Albus made a small noise that the lady at the desk couldn't decipher, though she did let out a small squeak when he reached into his robe. Placing the small stack of papers on the desk, he gave her another pleasant smile as she began to examine me them.

"These...seem to be in order..." She murmured. "Are you really her legal guardian?"

Albus nodded. "I am." He could practically hear her voice through the look she gave him. "Then why has it taken you five years to come for her then?" "Unfortunately there have been some, ah, hurdles that I have had to overcome."

"I see. I will... I will bring her here."

[ ㅅ ]

"Is that... is that a castle?" The small girl asked. Her voice was almost lost in the wind as her and Albus soared above the fields and outer valleys of Scotland via broomstick. Albus nodded silently, knowing from experience that no words could describe the feeling of pure awe that overcame a person after laying their eyes on Hogwarts Castle for the first time. Slowly, the two began their decent.

The landed on the grounds just shy of the Quidditch field.

"This doesn't seem like a school," The girl observed, glancing at Albus, who smiled.

"Trust me, Annabelle, it is. One of the best there is, in my humble opinion." Annabelle 'oooohhh'd and Albus could see her barely contained excitement and curiosity. "Would you like a tour? You will be living here, after all."

Maybe Annabelle's eyes grew as wide as saucers. Maybe she squealed in excitement and began to blindly sprint towards the castle before promptly remembering Dumbledore. Maybe, or maybe not. The details were hazy to eleven-year old Annabelle, but what she did remember was the overwhelming feeling of joy when she first entered Hogwarts.

She would never forget the overwhelming pain that faced her when she would be forced to leave only a few years later.