Albus Severus Potter and the Cloak of Wisdom

Chapter 5: The Painting

A few weeks later Albus and Tyler were playing Exploding Snap, and Quinn was working on her homework.

“Why don’t we go and visit Micky again? After Potions class this afternoon?” she offered, and Albus agreed.

“We should. But we have to finish our Defence Against the Dark Arts essay Mrs Chubbs gave us too!” Tyler sighed.

“I hate her. She’s a fat, annoying, mean git.”

Quinn looked at him and said: “Well, she does know what she does, doesn’t she?” Albus sighed.

“We have way too much homework lately. We still have Slughorns essay about Bezoars, Chubbs’ about Cornish Pixies, Binn’s about the founders of Hogwarts, it’s too much. We probably can’t visit Micky today. I also got extra work from Flitwick, you know, the Charms project, as I’m further than anyone.”

Quinn went on with her homework, and said: “We shouldn’t just be working. It’s bad.”

Rose came into the common room. “Hello.” She said, and went to the chair her books were stalled on.

“Hi Rose, how are you?” Albus asked, hoping this ignoring would stop.

“Fine, and you are too, with your sweet friends.” She said.

“How’s your homework going?” he asked, trying to avoid another row.

“Fine. I’m doing work for after Christmas. Weather’s cold outside, isn’t it?” she pointed out.

“Yeah. It’s October, what do you expect.” Tyler grunted.

“I know that, Tyler.” She said, and turned back to Albus.

“I overheard you about going to Micky. Who’s Micky?”

Albus looked at her: “Micky is a house-elf that works here.” Rose scoffed.

“A house-elf? House-elves are servants Albus, the free ones disserved their masters. Mum recons they’re ever so bad treated, but she’s wrong. House-elves are useless.”

Albus jumped up. “House-elves aren’t useless. They are treated wrong. They should be treated equal to humans. You should know that, as you know everything from you stupid books. Nerd.”

Rose beamed at him and snapped: “Books aren’t stupid. Just because you don’t look in them!” Albus snapped back.

“At least I can do something without books!” Rose rolled her eyes and ran up the stairs to the girl dorm.

“I need to be alone for a moment.” Albus said, and he walked off.

***

Albus walked along the corridor, angry at Rose. He came across one he didn’t know, and stopped for a moment. They had explored the halls many times already, but never came  across this one. “What the-” He looked at the paintings on the wall. There was one with a group of giggling girls, one with a wizard duelling another, one with a café, where an old man, which looked very familiar to Albus, was talking with the barman, and one where someone was painting something. Albus looked at the café, and cleared his throat.

“Ahem, excuse me, I’m lost, how do I get back to the Gryffindor common room?” he asked politely, and the old man turned around.

“Harry? Is that you?” he asked, and Albus shook his head.

“I’m Albus.”

The man seemed to examine him, and whispered: “You’re a son of Harry Potter.”

Albus nodded. “I’m Albus Potter” the man smiled broadly, and said: “I’m Albus Dumbledore.”

Albus now recognized him from his father’s chocolate frog card in the drawer in his study.