Chapter Text
Part VI: Albus Dumbledore II
Albus wandered down the beach. It wasn't long before he found a boy in swimming trunks and a black dog. The dog noticed him first and raised his head. At least they didn't run away. He felt like they wanted to be found.
"Harry, Sirius."
"Albus," Harry greeted and sipped his cocktail.
"I think you have something that is mine, my boy," Albus said in an amused tone.
"I don't know what you mean, young man," Harry said as he twisted the elder wand between his fingers. The dog snorted into the sand. Albus raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?" Albus asked.
"It's Florida - what do you think I'm doing here?" Harry asked.
"Are you planning to retire?"
“I'm 128 years old, Albus. We all deserve retirement,” Harry explained.
"People will think you're crazy if you tell them that."
"Oh I really hope so," Harry replied with a grin.
"You're not crazy," Albus pointed out.
"You can't prove that," Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You stole my wand - don't you think you owe me an explanation, Harry?"
"No," said Harry. “But I'll give it to you anyway. I was a little confused when I got here ... and it's difficult to remember things that happened over a hundred years ago. Therefore I'm no more crazy than you are."
"Why pretend?"
"How many times have you been asked to solve a problem for the Ministry of Magic?"
"Ah," said Albus understandingly. "What about Voldemort?"
Harry pulled a terrarium out of a suitcase that reminded Albus a lot of that of another former student. Inside was a small, red-eyed snake.
"Shatterproof glass, indestructible. The suitcase is warded too. Proved by Scamander. Rolf Scamander that is. In my first life he was married to one of my wife's best friends and showed me some tricks.“
"That's what you used the wand for."
Harry let out an approving hum. But there was one thing he did not understand. If Harry didn't plan to give Tom to the Aurors… "Why is he still alive?"
Harry tapped his forehead. "Horcrux," he explained. Albus thought he was going to be sick.
“It was sheer dumb luck that I survived the first time. I don't think I'll be that lucky again. So I destroyed his other six anchors and put him under house arrest. He'll die when I die. I think a hundred years in a terrarium is punishment enough for him."
The snake gave a hiss. Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, yes, you are a big, bad Dark Lord and one day you will kill us all." Harry turned back to Albus. "He feels better if he's allowed to keep his dellusions.“
The snake attacked the glass and fell back, dizzy. The dog snorted into the sand again, amused. Harry shook his head with a grin.
"It looks like you're in control," Albus stated. "What are you going to do now?"
“Well the resort here has 116 different cocktails and they think I'm a 65 year old retiree. I think I'll manage."