A Taste of Magic

Chapter 34: 34th Course - Hunger and Thirst

"Albus! Good to see you!"

Dumbledore smiled broadly and shook the man's hand firmly. "Drake, good to see you too! How are you?"

Drake Tepes smiled and embraced Dumbledore after their handshake. "Oh you know me, going where the wind blows and what interests me."

"I do, and am always glad to see you blown to my doorstep." The pair left the Hogsmeade station and began walking to the castle. "I know you are not terribly fond of Britain."

"It is okay to visit here and there," Drake sniffed delicately. "The majority of people here leave something to be desired however." He noticed the patrolling Dementors and scowled. When one approached, he glared at it, his warm brown eyes turning deep red. The Dementor stopped and drifted the other way. "Case in point," he said dryly as his eyes shifted back to brown.

"Not to mention the dreary weather," Dumbledore said lightly, as if nothing had happened.

"Actually, one of the few pleasant reasons to visit," Drake chuckled. He made a show of inspecting his alabaster skin. "One must protect their complexion after all."

"Still terribly vain," Dumbledore snorted.

"And terrible otherwise," Drake smiled brightly.

"What brings you to visit?"

"Nicolas of course. He mentioned you wished to speak to me?"

"Oh yes. I did not think that was enough to interrupt your busy schedule, my apologies."

Drake waved a hand. "Nonsense. I had just finished some work in the States and he got a hold of me. I have nothing pressing for a while and it has been some time since you and I spent time together. I will be going to France after this to visit him and Perenelle. They have acquired a basilisk? From here no less?"

"That's right." Dumbledore gave Drake a summation of the events from last year as they entered the school grounds. He finished by the time they reached his office and had ensconced themselves comfortably.

"Quite the story," Drake said, eyes glinting with amusement. "Of course, letting Nicolas anywhere near a basilisk should be cause for worry."

"Thankfully he has Perenelle with him," Dumbledore chuckled.

"She's worse than he is," Drake snorted. "She eggs him on at least a third of the time."

"They get bored easily it seems," Dumbledore laughed. "Something you can relate with."

"True enough," Drake smiled. "I have been terribly bored as of late." An expression of melancholy crossed his face briefly before he looked up. "So, you wish to rejoin the world stage then?"

"Something like that," Dumbledore said.

"And what of the opinions of your countrymen?" Drake gestured out the window at the distant cloaked figures floating. "As if they have any opinions of note that is."

"Still rather isolationist and stubborn," Dumbledore admitted. "I am hoping to bring some things to light and to try and shift opinions a bit."

"My friend, you have not been successful in many years," Drake said sympathetically. "What makes you think you can change things now?"