There You'll Be

There You'll Be

Prologue

Slumping back against his chair, Albus Dumbledore rubbed his tired eyes. He'd just finished going through the last of the recommendations for the Muggle Studies position, and none of them were quite right. After winning the Wizard Lottery, Professor Dipstick decided to retire so he could spend more time with his family.

"Where am I going to find another teacher?" Dumbledore sighed softly. With a gentle swish of his wand, a steaming cup of hot chocolate appeared before him. He raised it to his mouth and sipped carefully.

As he placed his mug back onto his desk, there was a firm knocking at the door.

"Lemon drops," he said aloud, causing the door to open outward.

As the door swung open, in stepped Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of the school. Walking towards his desk, she handed him a piece of paper. "This just arrived from Joshua."

"Wonderful," he said as he took the parchment, and started reading it. The visible weariness disappeared quickly replaced by pure interest. His eyes darted quickly across the note as he read.

Joshua James was once a teacher of History of Magic at Hogwarts. Eight years before, he retired so he could spend more time with his granddaughter and great-grandson. A year after he left Hogwarts, he retired to Florida.

"Ah, Delilah's asking me to come to her dance program," Dumbledore explained when he finished with the letter.

"Oh, really? How are she and Aaron doing?" Minerva asked curiously.

"They're doing well. Delilah's almost finished with her schooling, and Aaron's being a terror as usual, Dumbledore answered proudly as he looked his associate.

"That's excellent," Minerva said, giving him a small smile. She liked hearing how Delilah and Aaron were getting on with their lives. She felt as if they were one of her own.

"Have you found a teacher for the Muggle Studies class?" she asked when she saw the stack of parchment near his elbow.

Sighing, Dumbledore shook his head. "No. While all of these applications are all fully qualified, none of them seem right."

Nodding, Minerva paused for a minute, then spoke. "Professor, I do have a suggestion."

"Ok," he said, nodding for her to continue.

"What about asking Delilah?"

"Delilah?"

"Yes," Minerva answered. "She seems qualified, and would have the experience and knowledge needed for the post.

"I never thought of that," Dumbledore murmured as he drummed his fingers on his desk. "Now that you mention it, I believe that would make an excellent decision. I'll ask her. Thank you."

Dumbledore quickly scratched out a note on a small piece of parchment. "Please owl this out immediately. I'll be leaving in the morning. As soon as I find something out, I'll owl you the news."

"Very well," she said, taking the note he held out to her. "Have a nice trip."

He thanked her, and she left quickly.

Dumbledore stood and walked over to another table. Sitting on the table were various stacks of parchments and envelopes. After searching through the stacks, he pulled one out and stuck it into his cloak pocket. Then he left the room, the lights extinguishing as he left.