SOLSTICE

006

Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.

"Professor isn't that you?" Pandora commented.
"It does look like Minnie. What are you doing there, Minnie." Sirius asked.
"How would I know Mr. Black."
"Professor, isn't that you?" Pandora remarked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Sirius, his eyebrows raised in mild surprise, chimed in with an inquisitive tone, "Indeed, it does seem like Minnie. What, may I ask, are you doing there, Minnie?"

McGonagall, maintaining her usual composure, replied with a hint of bemusement, "How would I know, Mr. Black?"

The use of his last name caused Sirius to scrunch his face in irritation.

A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.

Everyone looked at dumbledore inquisitively. Everyone wanted to ask questions but again it was future.
Barty couldn't resist making a comment about Dumbledore's eccentric fashion sense.

"Dumbledore's fashion choices are like a dueling hex for the eyes. Stare too long, and you might hex yourself," he quipped.

Evan, sitting nearby, joined in with a playful remark of his own. "I heard Dumbledore's robes once caused a unicorn stampede. They mistook him for a magical rainbow."

Their words earned them a few snorts of laughter from those nearby, but also disapproving stares from some of the professors. Meanwhile, Regulus, who was seated between the two troublemakers, found it increasingly difficult to keep his lips from twitching with suppressed amusement.

Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known." He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again -- the next lamp flickered into darkness.

Almost everyone's eyes shined, some people's with curiosity then some's with mischief.

"Oh, what is this splendid invention, Professor?" Gideon inquired with an exaggerated flourish.

"It's the Diluminator, my dear boy." Dumbledore replied with twinkle in his eyes.

"Do you have it with you now, professor?" A certain darked haired female ravenclaw asked.

James and Sirius jumped into the act, their eyes wide with feigned anticipation. Dumbledore chuckled heartily before dramatically extracting the device from his cloak. He demonstrated it in the Great Hall, and the students put on a show of being absolutely starstruck, complete with dramatic gasps and overly expressive expressions of amazement.