"All right, I agree."
Aberforth finally accepted after some moments of internal struggle, his voice came rough but resigned.
"However," he added, straightening slightly and fixing his gaze on the small figure partially hidden behind Tonks, "it would be best to ask the person in question for her opinion first. She should have some say in this matter."
He turned more toward Amy, and his voice softened noticeably, losing some of its typical gruffness. "Are you willing to live here, little girl? In this place?"
Fear—that was the first clear expression to appear on Amy's pale face, flickering across her face like a shadow.
This reaction was hardly surprising. She had suddenly been pulled to a completely unfamiliar place by strangers, told she would be living here indefinitely, and what's more, the place looked undeniably dirty, shabby, and rather pitiful—hardly the kind of environment anyone would choose for a traumatized child.
The tavern smelled of old alcohol and unwashed dishes, the lighting was dim and bleak, and everything about it spoke of neglect and decay.
It was truly asking a tremendous amount of this frightened little girl to accept such circumstances.
Just as Adrian was about to step forward and help Amy politely refuse, to offer an alternative solution, she slowly nodded her head.
"Thank you," she said, her voice soft as a whisper and carrying a noticeable trace of timidity.
Adrian was genuinely somewhat surprised by this unexpected acceptance. The words of gentle dissuasion that had already formed completely in his mind and reached the very tip of his tongue stopped short, left unspoken.
He looked carefully at Amy's lowered face, studying her expression. Those eyes were focused intently down on a dark stain on the floor, refusing to meet anyone's gaze directly.
Then he smiled with understanding. This child had a remarkably strong spirit buried deep down beneath all that trauma and fear—she probably didn't want to cause them any more trouble than she already had. Children who had survived long abuse often developed this particular quality, this desperate need to be accommodating.
However, since Amy was genuinely willing to try living here, since she'd made the choice herself, Adrian wouldn't presume to stand in her way or override her decision.
"Then it's completely settled," Tonks announced brightly, clapping her hands together with deliberate cheerfulness. Her voice carried a light, optimistic tone that instantly worked to dispel the heavy, oppressive atmosphere that had been weighing down the room.
"I'll come visit you very often, Amy," she continued with a warm, reassuring smile, reaching out to affectionately ruffle Amy's head. Her fingers messed up the girl's golden hair into a chaotic tangle. "At least twice a week, I promise. We'll have tea and tell stories."
With this arrangement finally decided and settled, the heavy weight that had been pressing on Tonks's heart and conscience could finally lift somewhat.
"Thank you sincerely for this, Aberforth," Dumbledore said with genuine gratitude, relief was evident in the easing of tension around his eyes. "I know this isn't easy for you."
Aberforth waved his hand dismissively, as if brushing away the gratitude like an annoying fly. He bent down with a grunt and retrieved a dusty, cobweb-covered broom from beneath the cluttered counter.
"I'm just providing a place to stay, that's all," he muttered somewhat defensively, his gaze sweeping over Amy's small, fragile figure with something that might have been concern. "Nothing more than that. Don't make it into something grand."
He straightened, holding the broom awkwardly.
"Now, let's be perfectly clear about the situation—I only have one empty room upstairs that isn't being used for storage, and it needs a thorough, proper cleaning before anyone can reasonably live in it. It hasn't been touched in years."
Clearly, despite his gruff facade, he was well aware of the less-than-ideal sanitary conditions of his own neglected tavern.
"Leave it to me!" Tonks immediately raised her hand with enthusiastic energy, practically bouncing on her toes. "Let me show you—I'm actually very proficient with cleaning charms. I can have that room spotless in no time."
She winked at Amy reassuringly.
Without further delay, Tonks took Amy's small hand gently in her own and immediately began climbing the narrow, pitch-black staircase that led toward the second floor.
"The room is on your left at the top," Aberforth called up after them, his voice echoing in the stairwell.
For a long moment afterward, only the two Dumbledore brothers and Adrian remained standing in the quiet tavern hall below.
Aberforth returned slowly behind the barrier of the bar and sat down heavily on his stool with a weary sigh.
"Now," he said gruffly, leaning forward with his elbows on the counter, "tell me more about that child—everything, in proper detail, preferably. I need to know what I'm dealing with here."
His expression was serious now, all business like.
Adrian proceeded to carefully recount everything that had happened at the Black family's ancestral Manor the previous night—the mysterious girl appearing at the door under obvious magical control, Bellatrix's triumphant revelation, the violent eruption of the Obscurus and the desperate battle that followed, the destruction of the house, and finally his successful but temporary containment of the dark force.
He included his speculation about how Amy had become an Obscurial in the first place, the torture and magical suppression that must have created such a phenomenon, giving as complete an account as he could manage without becoming too graphic.
Aberforth listened in heavy silence throughout the entire explanation, his face was growing darker with each detail. His fingers unconsciously pressed against the worn dents in his old wooden tankard, tracing the familiar grooves as if seeking comfort in the repetitive motion.
After Adrian finished speaking, Aberforth let out a heavy sigh.
"I never thought such terrible things would still be happening in this era," he said with genuine feelings.
"The Death Eaters can't escape responsibility for this atrocity," Adrian replied firmly, his own voice carrying an edge of controlled anger.
"There's a reason this particular power has attracted the covetousness and interest of two Dark Lords," Dumbledore interjected quietly, rotating his shoulder as if working out a persistent ache. "Even though it's fundamentally unstable and ultimately self-destructive. The raw destructive potential is simply too tempting for those who seek power."
"Two Dark Lords?" Adrian was slightly startled by this revelation, his eyebrows rose with surprise. "You mean Voldemort and...?"
Aberforth snorted through his nose in a sound of pure contempt.
"Grindelwald," he spat out the name with an expression of extreme disgust twisting his face, as if the very word tasted foul in his mouth.
"Back in his day, in his prime, he also wanted desperately to exploit Obscurials for his grand plans, to turn them into living weapons for his war. Fortunately, he never actually succeeded in the end before his defeat."
Adrian knew the name Gellert Grindelwald well from history books and passing references—the dark wizard Dumbledore had famously defeated in 1945 but this was the very first time he'd heard anything about this particular connection to Obscurials.
"Well," Dumbledore interjected, "that's not a topic worth bringing up again or dwelling on. The past should remain in the past."
He deliberately shut down the conversation before it could go further.
In a little while, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over them, light footsteps sounded clearly on the wooden stairs above.
Tonks returned to the tavern hall with Amy in tow, and the girl still had some wispy cobwebs clinging to her golden hair despite Tonks's obvious cleaning efforts.
"That room was really incredibly filthy," Tonks said with an exaggerated wave of her hand and a dramatic grimace. "I mean truly disgusting—I found things I couldn't even identify. Multiple Scouring Charms were absolutely necessary."
"The sheets and bedding will also need to be completely replaced with new ones," she continued, gently pressing Amy's thin shoulder in a caring gesture. "And Amy needs several changes of proper clothes too."
"I'll have someone prepare all of those things," Dumbledore said warmly, his voice regaining its gentleness. He smiled slightly at Amy with kindness. "By tomorrow morning at the latest, everything will be properly arranged."
With those arrangements made, Amy's situation now finally came to a satisfactory conclusion.
"Ah, right," Adrian suddenly remembered something important he'd meant to address earlier. "For safety's sake, for everyone's protection, we also need some preventive measures specifically against the Obscurus. A failsafe, just in case."
As he spoke seriously, he drew his wand smoothly from his waist ease.
He approached Amy carefully, not wanting to startle her, and gently tapped her wrist with the wand's tip. He began murmuring a complex incantation in a low voice.
"Immobulus... vinculum... custodi..."
A silver light slowly flowed from the wand like liquid mercury, coiling gracefully into shape and solidifying visibly before their eyes, finally taking form as a delicate bracelet woven entirely from silvery-white rope that seemed to shimmer with light.
The bracelet settled lightly against Amy's thin wrist, fitting perfectly as if it had been measured specifically for her.
Amy twisted her wrist in obvious confusion, examining the strange new ornament with wide eyes. She was somewhat at a loss, clearly uncertain about what had just happened.
For a moment, everyone present was drawn to this unusual bracelet, staring at it with varying degrees of fascination and curiosity.
"What exactly is that?" Aberforth asked with puzzlement, leaning forward to see better. "What does it do?"
Dumbledore wore a thoughtful expression, his eyes were studying the bracelet's construction with interest.
"A safeguard," Adrian explained clearly, making sure everyone understood. "If the Obscurus erupts again unexpectedly, this bracelet will immediately activate and control the situation, containing the dark energy before it can cause destruction. It will protect the safety of Amy and everyone around her."
"Just with this small thing?" Aberforth's face showed a deeply skeptical expression.
Could such a delicate, small bracelet truly possess such powerful and important functionality? It seemed impossible.
To be completely honest, he didn't believe it for a moment.
"No problem," Adrian's tone was full of absolute confidence, showing no doubt. "But note carefully that it can only be used once—it's a single-use protective measure. Once triggered, it will be consumed."
He turned to face Aberforth, his expression becoming serious and his voice took on a tone of firm instruction.
"If the bracelet is triggered at any time, please write to inform me immediately, as quickly as possible, and I'll come personally to prepare and install a new one."
Aberforth still harbored doubts about this magical solution, his expression remained skeptical. His rough fingers reached out tentatively and lightly touched the silvery-white bracelet to examine it more closely.
The instant he made physical contact with the enchanted object, a sudden flash of understanding and recognition crossed his face like lightning.
His eyes widened slightly.
So that's how it works, he realized.
"If only we'd had this thing back then," he murmured quietly to himself. His distant gaze passed over Amy without really seeing her, looking instead into painful memories. "Things might have been different."
With all matters finally settled and arrangements made, Adrian apparated back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place with a soft crack.
Amy and Tonks remained at the Hog's Head to help the girl settle into her new temporary home, while Dumbledore went off to contact his trusted friends in Hogsmeade who would help with Amy's daily care.
When Adrian entered the dining room back at Grimmauld Place, Sirius and Remus had already returned from their investigative mission and were sitting casually at the table, looking tired but relatively satisfied.
"Adrian, how is Amy's situation?" Sirius asked immediately upon seeing him, pausing while chewing on a piece of hard, dry bread. "Is she settled? Where's she staying?"
"Dumbledore has her living temporarily in Hogsmeade," Adrian answered simply. "She's already been settled safely."
"Is that really all right?" Remus seemed genuinely somewhat worried, his brow was furrowing with concern. "I mean, given her condition..."
"Don't worry at all, she's staying at the Hog's Head—it's actually very safe there," Adrian reassured him.
"..."
The worried expression on Remus's kind face somehow deepened rather than easing.
He certainly knew exactly what kind of place that was, and he was personally acquainted with the proprietor's difficult temperament.
Back when he had wandered aimlessly as a werewolf during his darkest days, unemployed and unwanted, he'd frequented that shabby tavern more than a few times, seeking cheap drinks and anonymity.
"What about you two?" Adrian changed the subject, casually finding a chair and sitting down at the table. "Did you manage to find Amy's parents or her original guardians? Any useful information?"
"The address on Amy's adoption agreement has been completely vacated," Sirius reported, swallowing the last bite of bread and brushing the crumbs from his hands onto the floor. "It's now occupied by a bread factory of all things. Oh, the bread there tastes pretty good, actually—I bought a loaf."
'That must be the one he was holding,' Adrian thought wryly.
"We wandered around the neighborhood for quite a while, asking questions and checking records," Sirius continued with a sigh, "but no one seems to know where the original orphanage moved to after closing. Someone deliberately covered up all the information—finding it again might take considerable time and effort."
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