(Dumbledore POV)
"No Pomona, the request for another greenhouse cannot be approved." I have lost count of the number of times I have said that. "Because we have to use the budget to replace all the school's flying brooms this year. We have had 5 incidents this year alone, with 2 resulting in injuries."
"Finally! I have been asking for it forever. Please don't buy the cheapest one this time." Hooch exclaims.
'Well, brooms are still going to be cheaper than a greenhouse. If only those board members haven't cut down on budget this year.' I think, while cursing one particularly troublesome man with bolde hair.
With that done, next was Snape's budget for potion materials, followed by Aurora's request for a field trip to observe some celestial phenomenon. Pretending to Bathsheda that I'm negotiating hard with Beauxbatons for that rune manuscript, which I absolutely am not, and Pince's request for new books.
'If it is up to them, the school's yearly budget will be empty on the first day.'
Everyone thinks that managing the students or the board members is the hardest part of the job, but no. It's sitting through these meetings and trying to find a new way to say 'No' every time that drains me.
'Sigh~ I miss the younger days, when a spell to the face was all it took to silence somebody.' I lament my fate at not being able to do that anymore. 'Why did I become the headmaster again?'
"Okay, now that this is done-"
"Actually," Pomfrey speaks up, "We are running low on many potions and salves. And since winter is approaching, I would like to stock up on pepperup potions as well."
Everyone looks at me, waiting for my decision. Now if I say no here, then I am the villain. So what choice do I have?
"Now we can't have students sick, can we?" I say, despite my bleeding heart. "Order whatever you feel is necessary. And Severus, have a class on how to make pepperup potion, when students feel the effort that is put into it, maybe they'll take better care of themselves. And send the surplus to the infirmary."
"You do realise that a single mistake can poison them, right? And you still want me to send these student-brewed potions to the infirmary?" Snape says with contempt in his voice.
"Well, I am sure you will see to it that only the best are used for the purpose." I say smiling, despite all the eyes I can feel on me.
'I am used your stares by now, look all you want.'
Once that is finally done, we move on to the students and their performance. It starts with Severus berating the Gryffindor as usual, McGonagall complaining about the Weasley twins, Filius worried about a few student's OWL preparations, the usual.
"Ms. Tonks also seems to be getting along with her peers better. I even saw her talking with students from other houses." Pomona says.
"That is a relief." I say, truly glad for the child.
"The Potter child is still a headache." And there it is. I started to wonder if he had forgotten about Harry.
"Mr. Potter has broken quiet a few rules, I have to agree." Minerva agrees with Snape.
'Wow, Harry must have really broken quiet a few for McGonagall to take Severus's side.'
"How about you hand him over to me for detention? I need a few hands to replot some plants."
McGonagall looks a bit hesitant at the idea, and understandably so. When Pomona says she needs a 'few hands', it usually means bending over plants for hours on end. Even the Weasley twins are scared of it.
"Very well. This will be a valuable learning lesson for him." Severus almost breaks a smile, almost.
"And Mr. Patil? How's he faring?" I ask, not having had the time to check up on him since he came back.
"The boy can follow written instructions. That's more than I can say for the other dunderheads." Snape comments.
'Knowing him, that's high praise.'
"The boy has shown great interest in Astrology. He actually asked to use the telescope on his own time at night. I can't remember the last time a kid showed this much interest in studying the stars' arrangement. If he wasn't a first-year, I would've loved to allow him." Aurora claims.
"Hmm, that is nice to hear."
"Give him to me. I am saying again that he has potential that is being wasted." Hooch says again.
"I have said it before, this decision lies with Mr. Patil himself. It is not me you have to convince, but him." I say, skilfully dodging the issue.
Hooch crossed her arms and didn't say anything anymore. I look towards Filius and Minerva for their thoughts.
"The boy is attending all his classes now." Minerva says, while looking as if deciding how to say the next words, "But something is weird."
"Oh, how so?"
"I might just be because the boy is still shaken from the troll incident, but he hasn't performed a single spell in class."
"Hmm, that isn't good. He should be focusing on the lessons." I am pretty sure a few detentions will help him focus in class.
"No, he is focusing Albus. I see him trying his best in every lesson." Minerva defends him.
"Then I am confused, what do you mean that he hasn't performed a spell?"
"The boy hasn't performed a spell. He like he tried, many times, but failed to. Not even a spark." Minerva says.
I have no idea what to say to that. How does that even happen? Is he that bad in transfiguration?
"Well, we all have things we are bad at. I am sure the boy will improve with practice."
"I have observed the same thing in my class headmaster. The boy failed to perform any magic. Not even the levitation charm." Filius claims.
Okay, now that is strange. I have seen him casting charms before.
"Now that you mention it, I don't remember him ever using his wand. He always asks that metamorphmagus girl to take over at the parts that require wand-waving." Snape says.
"So let me clear," I look at all three of them, "you are saying that you have not seen Mr. Patil use magic since he came back?"
They all think for a few seconds and then nod.
"Now that you mention it," Irma says, "He has stopped reading books with upper-year incantations. Now he mostly reads up on basic spellwork like 'Simple spells for Simpletons' or 'Why your spells fail'."
"It has been a while since he did anything stupid and came to me." Pomfrey mentions.
"Do any of you remember seeing him cast a spell, any spell, after the incident?" I ask them all.
All of them replied no.
"Well, this is certainly strange. I don't know what the reason could be behind this, but I will try to look into it. In the meantime, try to keep an eye on him. Maybe we just didn't see his cast a spell. He was doing it on his own time before as well."
"Yes, but he was also causing all kinds of trouble when he was doing that, I have not heard or seen anything like that now." Minerva says.
I promise all of them that I will look into it and we end the meeting there.
After all the professors have left, two remain- Hagrid and Irma.
"Anything you want to say Hagrid?" I ask.
"Oh, oh, nothing important." He says, his eyes darting towards Irma, "Why don't you go first Professor. I can wait."
'Don't tell me he has some new dangerous creature in his hut.'
Keep that worry aside, I turn to Irma.
"It might not be anything, but I have seen a Gryffindor kid with Mr. Patil often. Now Mr. Patil haven't been to the library in the past 2-3 weeks, which is strange in itself, but last week the Gryffindor kid issued several books on Magical Maladies and particularly, Obscurus."
"….Well, a Ravenclaw not visiting library is certainly strange, but nothing to be worried about. After all, kids usually hate spending their time with the books." I say, calming her and me both. "And kids have curiosity about everything. Maybe the kid you mention wants to become a Mediwizard, and found Obscurus to be an interesting topic."
She says nothing after that and leaves, leaving me with some pressing matters to think about.
I turn to Hagrid, as he seems to be debating with himself whether to tell me something or not. After a few minutes, he looks at me ready to speak.
"Professor Dumbledore, actually about Ansh… uh.." He fidgets with his finger, looking nervous "Yesterday I was with him, he came to my hut at night to watch the stars, you know, with my place being safe and all. I wanted to send him back but somehow I got into talking with him and before I knew it, it was day. So, right before the sun came up, he.. he was…"
"Hagrid," I say as I put a hand on his shoulder, or try to but settle on his arm, "Sometimes, telling secrets to others might feel like betraying your friend's trust. But as a friend, it is also upon us to do the thing best for their well-being."
"Yes, yes. You're right… it's just.."
"I promise to help him to the best of my ability. And if you are worried about him not talking to you afterwards, then believe me, friends fight a lot, but they also forgive each other. And that makes their bond stronger."
He nods, takes deep breath and then tells me what happened….
"So, you a saw a black fog come out of Ansh, and it attacked you."
"No, no Professor Dumbledore. Ansh didn't attack me." He says frantically waving his arms. "It was that weird fog thingy. And it was just a light swat on the arm, no big deal."
"Can you show me your hand?"
He presents it forward. It seemed to have been burned badly by something, the skin has blackened and cracked. I wave my wand over the wound, and after a few incantations, a swirling mist rises from the wound.
"Go see Pomfrey after this. The wound should have no problem healing now."
"Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid says right before leaving the office, "Ansh isn't in trouble, right? I can tell he didn't want to hurt me."
"Don't worry Hagrid." I say, calming him. "I know Ansh didn't want to do it. And you did good thing telling me about it, now I can help him."
"Okay. He isn't sick or something, is he?"
"…. No Hagrid, he is not sick. But if what you said is true, then he is in pain. But I can assure you, I will do whatever I can to help him." I say, promising to myself.
That seemed to relieve him, and he went back.
I sit on the chair, not knowing what to think. If what Hagrid has told me is true, coupled with the other professor's claim of not seeing him perform magic, this might be a much greater problem than I imagined.
'An obscurus.'
I can't help but remember them. The ones that trusted me…. The ones I couldn't save.
'Can I do it right this time?'
************************************
A/N: So, I finally have some idea about where this story will go. And I can confidently say that most of you are not going to like it ＞︿＜. Because I myself would've given up on reading a story if it happened. But it is the most natural flow I believe, so I have decided to do it.
(～￣▽￣)～