Peek-a-boo! (open)

[Thuomas Abercrombie]

It was probably one of the warmest days in July, and you could definitely see it on the people. Half of them were passing by eating ice cream while others held something cold to drink. The man was feeling hot as well. He was for once sitting in muggle clothes – a white tank top that showed his pale long arms and jeans. Jeans was not something he usually wore, but on a relaxing day like this and with the jeans being new on the market, he had decided to give it a try. They were held up by a leather belt that had a scorpion symbol up front and it was shining in the sun – as well as the earring in one of his ears and his bracelet which both had the same symbol. He was wearing expensive Egyptian sandals and was sitting on a bench outside the park with one leg resting upon the other. His ankle was laying on the side on his knee and in his lap was an open book. The book was a muggle one and it was called Orgins of Species by Charles Darwin. Usually Thuomas was not into muggle literature, but he had to admit that he really enjoyed this book. It told him everything he believed in and natural selection fascinated. It was not hard to put two and two together and realise how muggles were the weak ends of evolution and will die anyway whether it was by wand or just because they would not be able to survive. His foot that was resting on his knee was moving to some music that was playing inside of his head as he turned another page.

Next to the long haired man was a little boy – he was no more than one year old and had just learned to walk. The young boy was standing up on the seat and holding his small hands on he back of the bench – looking at the green trees behind his father and at the park and the many pigeons that were flying around. He made small noises with his mouth which was not unusual. Jasper Abercrombie – Thuomas' son was a boy who liked to talk. He either sang or spoke his own young language. Jasper had not been a troublesome kid to raise and he was in a very good age now. He was able to say some few words, he could walk – even run a little and he laughed very often. Irina, Thuomas' wife was taking a day off and the man had therefore taken his son to Hogsmeade so they could enjoy the nice weather together. In an outsider's point of view, Thuomas might seem as if he did not care or kept an eye on the little black haired boy with big blue eyes as he was sitting there and reading. But that was definitely not the case. The death eater had his experienced eye on his son all the time and always knew what he was doing.

Jasper sat back down and extended his small hands, ”Adi, ada.” He said and looked up at the long haired man. It was not hard for Thuomas to understand what his son wanted. ”Adi” was his way of saying daddy, and he guessed that ”ada” was water because when the man took up the bottle of water from the bag the little boy extended his arms even further and started saying, ”Eh eh eh eh.” Thuomas carefully tilted the bottle while holding it up to his son's mouth and the little boy drank some. He placed his small hands on top of his father's long slender fingers while helping with holding the bottle. Jasper was a very smart kid, he learned very fast and if you were careful he was able to drink directly from the bottle. The child finished and while the young man was placing the bottle back in his bag, the boy somehow managed to get down from the bench and started to run in the direction of some pigeons. Luckily there were no cars or bicycles to look out for in the wizardry world, but still Thuomas jumped up and ran after the little boy. His long legs only had to take a few steps to reach him and his long arms wrapped around the small laughing child and he lifted him up ”Gotcha!”. Jasper let out an even louder laughter when he saw that his father has caught him and he giggled happily as Thuomas placed his mouth against his small belly and made farting sounds. His blue eyes that were identical with Thuomas' were shining in the sun – there was nothing better in the world than playing with your father.

[Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore]

Oh what a wonderful day it was. It was exactly as one would imagine a day in July to be: birds singing, grass sprouting, green trees, a soft breeze coming from the south, and it was sunny, cloudless and warm – exceptionally warm. Actually it was the perfect weather to retreat from work, go outside instead and relax and enjoy instead. One shouldn’t spend such a day locked up in a castle, surrounding oneself only with moving images and their inhabits, and with scrolls, books and ghosts, and occasionally with other teachers or staff.

That was what Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, thought also. Away from the Hogwarts castle walls, and if it was only for one day. All the bureaucratic work could wait. The pending letters to students, telling them they were accepted at the school, and what books they would need next school year, what items they would have to purchase until the first of September, next year’s class schedules, the shopping list for the castle’s kitchen, the research work, the tedious work on restoring important, valuable books in the school library – it could all wait for one more day. Even replying to the Minister’s owl, the advice he was asked for, could wait – it wasn’t a very pressing matter. It was July, the last school year had just ended, and even the Headmaster had earned himself a little spare time.

And so, Albus stepped out of the castle’s grand entrance doors and blinked, the sunlight blinding him. He stopped, letting his brilliant blue eyes get accustomed to the bright light. He inhaled deeply, and let all his senses take in the summery Grounds. Albus pulled his deep violet velvet cloak closer around himself and began to walk. He was not sure yet where he was walking towards. But he wore a smile, and his eyes were sparkling behind his half-moon spectacles, and he hummed along his way, humming a melody he was making up this very moment.

No one, who would have crossed Albus’ way now, would have imagined that actually, that smile the elderly but stout wizard wore was pretence. Despite the wonderful weather, the holidays, and the lemon drop he currently was sucking on, Albus always – at all times – had a very sad, pressing feeling in the back of his head. That feeling was connected, on the one hand, to his family, a topic that constantly brought guilt and pain up in Albus’ mind, and on the other hand, to the Order of the Phoenix, all the losses the War against a man called Lord Voldemort had already brought, and to all the losses and the pain that the War yet may cause. Albus Dumbledore, the mighty wizard so many people look up to, felt helpless against those two topics, and the emotions they caused. Albus could not turn back time and make all the bad things that happened to his family during his youth undone. Neither could he bring Voldemort down, with or without the Order. Albus knew, Voldemort’s defeat would be a very long process, it was no war that could be easily fought and decided in one single battle. And it was a war that bore the risk of them – the Order – losing, and Voldemort winning.

Albus sighed. Somehow, his feet had taken him towards Hogsmeade. It was a village he actually liked very much, and yet – the fact that his brother, Aberforth, the only remaining other member of their family, lived and worked there made Albus feel a tad fidgety. He never had been able to mend their broken friendship and brotherhood, although he wished for it so much. Each time Albus would be at Hogsmeade, he would avoid coming too close to the Hog’s Head Inn, where his brother Aberforth worked. He wanted to avoid a confrontation, and he wanted to avoid being reminded of the terrible deeds he has done in his foolish youth. Perhaps those deeds had been the cause for Albus to start the Order of the Phoenix.

Albus stopped walking. There was a little scene that had caught his eye, a father-son interaction. A father, chasing his son, picking him up, making the little boy laugh very hard. Albus noticed the belt the young man wore – it had a scorpion crest on it. The old headmaster knew that symbol, and now looking a little more closely at the man, Albus was almost sure that he was an Abercrombie. Actually, there was no doubt – the man had to be Thuomas Abercrombie. Studying the Daily Prophet each day, and having a general interest in remembering and knowing people and their history, and, finally, having contact to a great number of people at school and at the Ministry, Albus had the talent of knowing a person’s name, even although they never had met before.

”Your son is a real sunshine! Full with laughter. You must be very proud of him.” Albus commented, smiling amiably at Jasper.