"The person who gifted this potion does not wish to reveal their name, so I must keep it a secret. It was a gift given out of goodwill, and I believe it would sadden him if you refused to accept it." Dumbledore did not reveal Snape's intentions, as the man's dual identity needed to be kept completely confidential for the time being.
"I understand. Thank you, and please pass my gratitude along to that friend as well." Alan was not one for excessive sentimentality. Since someone insisted on the gift, refusing it would be disrespectful, and he wasn't that sort of person. Besides, with a potion this extraordinary, Alan truly couldn't bear to turn it down; it was simply too valuable to pass up.
"I will convey your thanks. The Potters and Sirius asked about your recent well-being a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to stay peacefully in my office to care for the students for quite some time. Do you have anything you'd like to say to them?" Dumbledore had been traveling extensively, either lobbying the Wizengamot members or consulting with the Order of the Phoenix elders on strategy. Most of the time he spent in his office was dedicated to a flurry of correspondence and monitoring Death Eater movements. Dealing with the Dark Lord was clearly consuming a vast amount of his energy.
Hearing this, Alan realized it had been quite a while since he had corresponded with his friends. "Could you please deliver a message to Sirius for me? Just tell him not to mess up the room I spent so much time tidying again."
Dumbledore nodded with a chuckle.
"Also, please tell the Potters that I am doing very well and that I am very grateful for their gift. At the same time, please tell them to stay safe and be wary of being targeted by Death Eaters."
Alan didn't know if his presence had truly changed the course of history. In his understanding of the original timeline, the demise of the Potter family might have occurred during that previous Christmas attack. He remained deeply worried about Lily's safety. He had voiced similar concerns many times while staying at her home, but to the Potters, confronting the Dark Lord and facing danger was part of daily life. He wasn't sure if they had truly listened. If Dumbledore could reinforce the warning, the effect might be better.
"Oh? Why do you suspect the Potter family would be specifically targeted by Death Eaters?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, looking thoughtfully at Alan.
Alan spoke truthfully. "It's simple. During the Christmas attack, a group of Death Eaters disregarded the main battle to sneak in and ambush Lily and Alice. That was too calculated to be a coincidence. One of them even took a Blood Frenzy Potion during the fight. Given the situation, if they had appeared on the main battlefield with that potion, it might have turned the tide of the fight. Therefore, I concluded those Death Eaters were there specifically for Lily or Alice."
After hearing Alan's reasoning, Dumbledore nodded admiringly. "Then how do you know they weren't targeting someone else in that room?"
Alan looked puzzled. "At the scene, there was only me, Augusta, Lily, Alice, and their two children. If they wanted me or Augusta, there would be no need for such a grand scheme. As for the infants, there is no logical reason to target them."
Dumbledore considered the fact that Alan had reached such a conclusion without knowing the prophecy, which only further proved the boy's wisdom. He nodded. "Don't worry. I have considered this as well. They will be very safe, I promise."
Relieved, Alan bid farewell to the Headmaster and returned to his Forbidden Forest cabin.
"A very intelligent young wizard, wouldn't you say, Albus? Truly worthy of Slytherin," a portrait on the office wall remarked once Alan had left. It was the same portrait that had glared at him earlier.
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. However, Phineas, you should know that this young Slytherin is Muggle-born."
Phineas Nigellus Black stared wide-eyed. "That's impossible! How could Slytherin accept a wizard of Muggle blood? You must be mistaken. His ancestors must have had noble blood flowing through them."
"That's not necessarily true. I remember a Muggle-born wizard entering Slytherin during my time as a professor. It's not completely unheard of, merely very rare," a portrait several frames away from Phineas interjected.
"Shut up, Dexter! I will not allow you to tarnish the glory of my House!" Phineas roared, glaring at his colleague.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore remained in his chair, listening to the former Headmasters argue like a disinterested spectator as he reached for a handful of candy and began to chew slowly.
Time flew by, the snow melted, and Hogwarts welcomed the spring. Besides his daily study of spells and runes, Alan took on an additional task: helping Hagrid cultivate the vegetable garden outside the cabin. Alan had Hagrid buy various seedlings, which they planted together in the small plot.
Hogwarts was nearing the Easter holiday, which also lasted two weeks. Alan had previously written to Sirius and Lily to ask if he could visit. However, the letters sent to the Potters were not delivered; it was as if the owls couldn't find them. Furthermore, Alan found he could no longer recall Lily's exact home address.
Sirius, on the other hand, replied promptly. He seemed incredibly busy and advised Alan not to go to his previous residence, as it was no longer secure. When Alan asked about Lily, Sirius only mentioned that the family had been placed in a safe location where no one could find them.
This finally put Alan at ease. He realized the Potters must have been hidden by Dumbledore using powerful magic—likely the Fidelius Charm—which explained his inexplicable memory loss regarding their address. Consequently, Alan decided to stay at Hogwarts for the duration of the Easter holiday.
"I've fully mastered Occlumency; I should reach true proficiency very soon. My self-defense spells are also up to standard. I can now begin trying to develop some of those research topics from the Charms Club," Alan thought, planning his holiday schedule.
In the recent Charms Club meetings, Quirrell's Amplifying Spell was progressing rapidly. He could already enhance sound reception and focus it in specific directions. However, as Alan had expected, the incantation had become so long that it was difficult to recite in a single breath. Surely, they wouldn't end up with a spell that required a mid-sentence pause just to finish it.
<><><><><><><><><><>
POWERSTONES are greatly appreciated. It helps me push this story
For Advanced chapters.(+40)
[patreon .com /daydreamer7] (no blank space)
If you are not capable no worries-you'll get the chapters soon enough. Appreciate you being here!