HP: The Dropout Who Saved the World

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Dumbledore sat in his office with his feet up, satisfied as he made the final stroke on a piece of parchment.

This was his "Summer Schedule," designed to give Jane a healthy, positive, and uplifting holiday education.

However, his good mood was interrupted by a pile of invitation letters, and an ominous feeling crept over him.

Jane pulled out a stack of letters from her robes, with the gleaming Malfoy family crest prominent on the topmost envelope.

The sight was so jarring that he closed his eyes and even removed his half-moon spectacles.

Even the most kind-hearted person would likely curse internally at the sight of those responsible for their dismissal.

Jane "innocently" asked if she could visit her classmates over the summer.

Dumbledore took the invitations and flipped through them one by one... House of Greengrass... House of Flint...

No! Absolutely not!

Who knew what kind of pure-blood ideology these parents might instill in children!

What if they corrupted Jane and returned her to him spouting "mudblood" and looking down her nose at everyone? How would he handle that!

Such malicious intent - perhaps they aimed to infiltrate the Order of the Phoenix through Jane, undermining their support!

Or maybe they planned to poach her outright, using her as leverage against him!

Putting away the letters, he took a deep breath and forced a benign smile:

"Very good, very good, I see you're getting along well with your classmates—"

He couldn't bring himself to continue praising, so he changed tack:

"However, this summer, we'll be visiting the Scamanders, so I'm afraid you'll have to inform your classmates you already have plans."

Jane smiled and readily agreed.

She hadn't planned on visiting her classmates anyway, but being able to slightly irritate the presumptuous Dumbledore with these letters had improved her mood considerably.

Having dealt with the pile of letters, Dumbledore's mood also improved. He picked up the parchment from his desk again, ready to read aloud his detailed plans to Jane.

"I have many old friends who, having heard about you, are very eager to meet you."

"We'll first visit the Flamels, I remember you promised them last year—"

His words were interrupted by an owl frantically banging against the window.

"Oh, sometimes surprises come quite unexpectedly."

Dumbledore muttered, and with a slight movement of his wand tip, the office window opened by itself.

Simultaneously, his smile vanished and that ominous feeling deepened—

Because in the owl's beak was a red, writhing Howler!

Jane had never seen Dumbledore look so disturbed.

Using two fingers, he pinched one corner of the squirming Howler and laid it flat on his desk.

"If we don't open it immediately, it will explode and shout even louder," Dumbledore said with a wry smile. "We may have to hear some crude language, or perhaps you'd like to cover your ears?"

Though her curiosity about the gossip was nearly overwhelming, Jane respected his privacy and covered her ears.

But she never expected the letter would give her no chance to "respect privacy," as its thunderous roar was far beyond what covered ears could block. Nearly everything in the headmaster's office shook, and the portraits all voiced their complaints.

"F****** Albus, I never would have thought—"

"You ** adopted a child without telling anyone, you **!"

"H** s* this is such an important matter—and you ** just mentioned it in passing!"

Jane could feel the anger contained within, given the high frequency of words beginning with 'f' and 's' - it was practically verbal abuse. She had never heard anyone speak so rudely at Hogwarts.

"If you don't bring her here, don't ever set foot in my pub again! I mean it!"

The scarlet letter angrily tore itself to pieces, burning to ashes on the desk. Dumbledore's crooked nose was covered in soot, and when he tried to wipe it off, the smudge only spread further.

"Perhaps we'll need to slightly modify our plans," he sighed, drawing a large addition mark at the top of the parchment. "That was my brother, Aberforth—I hope you won't be frightened, he's a good person, just... not very literate."

He looked quite troubled, the wrinkles on his forehead becoming more pronounced as he pressed a hand to his temple.

...

Hogsmeade Village.

The two walked in silence.

Dumbledore appeared lost in thought.

But he quickly caught himself, remembering the child beside him, and began to lighten the mood:

"Hogsmeade is a wizarding settlement. Usually, students can only visit from third year onwards, with guardian permission—I hope you'll like it here."

He paused on his way to the Hog's Head, felt his money pouch, and decided to show Jane around the village.

They entered Honeydukes.

"Would you like something?" Dumbledore had fully recovered his jovial manner. "Sweets can improve one's mood. Perhaps some Chocolate Balls?"

Jane symbolically chose a small bag of strawberry cream-filled Chocolate Balls. But when she turned back to Dumbledore, she found his shopping basket was already overflowing.

The shopkeeper—Mr. Flume—clearly knew this old customer well, staying close by his side and recommending Ice Mice, Fudge Flies, and toad-shaped Peppermint Creams.

"It's rare to see you bringing a student here," Mr. Flume teased. "She looks wonderful, must be a student you think highly of!"

Hearing his child praised, Dumbledore's wrinkles seemed to smooth out, and the corners of his mouth beneath his white beard turned up unstoppably, like any proud parent:

"Oh, indeed—she is quite exceptional, having earned the Award for Special Services to the School two years running."

Mr. Flume keenly noticed how his flattery pleased this old customer and continued his praise:

"Merlin's beard—such an outstanding student, under your guidance, surely has a brilliant future ahead!"

"I wouldn't dare make such guarantees," Dumbledore chuckled. "If she could be as successful as you, that would be wonderful—enough, enough, this is several months' worth already!"

Though he said "enough," his hands never stopped selecting treats, and he accepted a second shopping basket from Mr. Flume.

"I was merely lucky," said the owner of Britain's finest sweet shop modestly. "If I hadn't met Professor Slughorn, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Oh? You're still in touch with him?" Dumbledore's eyebrows twitched slightly in approval. "He has an undeniable eye for talent."

"Of course!" Mr. Flume confirmed. "I send him crystallized pineapple every birthday, and I visited him just two months ago!"

Dumbledore pondered for a moment before speaking:

"I hope he's doing well. Perhaps I should pay him a visit too."