Brian didn’t know how he made it through the rest of the day. Who knew that there was so much theory behind magic? Or how important wand movements were? Other than his supposed achievement in the one class, he hadn’t been able to perform any magic all day. His favorite class had actually been everyone else’s least favorite: History of Magic. They were talking about the Salem Witch Trials in the United States, something that Brian had actually learned about in school. Around Halloween last year, he’d even written a paper on the reasons for the witch paranoia. The professor had thoroughly enjoyed a “muggle’s” perspective, about the possibility of rye bread causing ergotism. Brian now knew that the commotion had been caused by a dark wizard and that true witches and wizards had been able to apparate themselves far, far away from the trials before being harmed.

He sat down for dinner and helped himself to some potatoes. At least this day was over with. He couldn’t wait to get back to the common room and just relax. To be able to accomplish this, Brian would probably have to stay clear of Howmione, who was already discussing the History of Magic essay they had due. It needed to be a parchment long, which Howmione assured him was a short assignment. Brian had no idea how long a parchment was. Maybe if he wrote big enough he’d get through it without too much difficulty.

To his dismay, this essay won over Brian’s care-free evening. He had plopped down in a plush chair, and Nick had sat nearby with similar intentions. Then Howmione had given them a short speech on how easily they could fall behind.

“But Howie, this was the first day of classes!” Nick said.

Brian, however, already was years behind so the speech was effective on him. He sat down next to Howmione and pulled out his textbook while stifling a yawn.

“What is that?” Howmione asked.

“A pen,” Brian said confused.

Howmione shook his head and laughed. “Here, I have an extra.”

Now it was Brian’s turn to ask.

“This is a quill pen,” Howmione said.

They couldn’t even use modern writing tools? It took him five minutes just to write his name as he tried to get used to dipping the pen in ink. Brian was getting frustrated when a student came up to him. He looked like a first or second year, and he was staring at Brian’s scar as he handed him a piece of paper.

Brian opened it up and mumbled a thanks, wondering what it could be. The student stood there another moment until Nick shooed him away. “Do you want an autograph or something?”

The student scrambled.

“What’s up?” Nick asked.

“It’s from Dumbledore.”

“I thought they didn’t need to check you since you blocked the curse...” Howmione said.

“No, this is about tutoring. I’m supposed to go and meet with him right now,” Brian explained to them.

Nick’s jaw dropped. “He’s not going to tutor you personally, is he?”

Brian shrugged. He left his things at the table and headed for the portrait hole. He hoped not. Wouldn’t that be awkward, being instructed by the headmaster himself? Brian didn’t want Dumbledore to realize how little he knew.

As he emerged into the hallway, it occurred to him that he didn’t actually know where the headmaster’s office was. Luckily he ran into Alex and AJ.

“I need to find the headmaster...”

“In trouble already? Nice,” AJ said.

Alex elbowed him. “In one day? That was quick. What’d you do?”

“Nothing,” Brian insisted. “New student thing,” he said, not wanting to explain that he needed tutoring.

“Well, I’ve certainly been to his office enough times...” AJ smirked. “I even know a short-cut. Come on.”

He followed AJ, and Alex decided to come, too. They walked around the corner and stood in front of a large portrait of a wizard standing in a hallway. It looked like a Hogwarts hallway, but the painting showed doorways where this hall had none.

“Think you can let us in?” AJ asked the man in the picture.

To Brian’s surprise, the wizard answered. He was middle-aged, with a pointy black hat that had an “H” on it. Brian assumed that stood for Hogwarts.

“Have you talked to Matilda?” he asked.

“Yeah,” AJ said. “She’s warming up to the idea.”

The wizard smiled to himself and opened the door in the painting. “Right through here,” he said.

AJ motioned for Brian to follow. Alex was right behind them. Brian wasn’t sure how they could possibly fit through but... as they walked towards the doorway, it got larger. Or perhaps they were getting smaller. Before he knew it, they were inside the painting. There was another doorway that AJ opened and they were out again, on a different floor of the castle.

“What did he mean about Matilda?” Brian asked.

“She’s a witch in the painting down on three. He’s always had a crush on her, so he’s hoping that she’ll start visiting his picture frame.”

Brian smiled and nodded. As with everything else, this only led to more questions, but he didn’t want to keep Dumbledore waiting. A moment later, they were standing outside a doorway.

“Quincy,” AJ said and there was a low rumbling. That must’ve been the password because a staircase appeared. Brian thanked AJ and Alex and climbed the stairs, soon finding himself in an office. He nearly stepped on a black cat that was lying on the doorway. The headmaster was sitting at his desk, still wearing his long, pointed hat, robes, and looking a little tired.

Without looking up, Dumbledore said, “Ah yes, Brian, come in.”

Brian took a seat opposite him. Dumbledore was writing something, so Brian glanced around the room. On the wall behind Dumbledore were hangings of what looked like past headmasters. There were parchments scattered around the desk. Brian was able to read the signature on one upside down: Kevin Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Brian was a little surprised that the headmaster shared his name.

A moment later, the headmaster put down his pen. “I’m terribly sorry. First of term paperwork is always a hassle, but it must be done. I am also sorry that the hour is growing late, but I did not want to put off speaking with you.”

Dumbledore leaned forward and rested his arms on his desk, peering at Brian with his deep blue eyes and raising his thick eyebrows slightly, as if surveying him.

“How were classes today?”

“Fine,” Brian mumbled.

But Dumbledore seemed able to read between the lines. “I do not imagine this year will be especially easy for you. The ministry is claiming that the delay in your return was due to worries about your safety.”

“Was it?” Brian asked. He added “sir.” That wasn’t anything he had ever needed to say at school back home, but Hogwarts seemed a bit more formal.

Dumbledore smiled. “It is regrettable how easily incompetence is masked by politicians. What you were told was true: they simply did too good a job at hiding you.”

Brian nodded. He wondered if it were too late to forget this wizard thing entirely and go back to his old life in Kentucky.

“Of course, there is nothing we can do now to bring back those years of schooling. We are forced, then, to do what we can this final school year. In order to accomplish this task, I have asked another student to meet with you twice a week to review your schoolwork.”

Brian had already known this, but he nodded again.

“I do not know that this will be enough, though, so I would like to personally become involved in your education. You come from a line of very strong wizards and witches, and I intend for you to leave this school as skilled as your ancestry indicates.”

He gulped. Personal lessons with the headmaster? So that was what was going to happen. As if he didn’t already have enough to stress about.

“I would like for you to return to my office every Monday evening for these lessons. Please get out your wand,” Dumbledore said.

Brian did so. He was dressed in his normal clothes right now, and it was really weird to walk around with a stick in your back pocket. It was one thing when your school robes had a wand pocket, but it didn’t work as well with jeans. He wondered where they hid their wands when walking around the muggle world. Surely people would notice? Maybe wizards had special jeans that solved this problem.

He told himself to focus. Daydreaming about pants during his first lesson with Professor Dumbledore was not a good way to start these lessons.

“I’d like you to wave your wand. The sparks that it emits is one of the most basic demonstrations of magic,” he explained.

Brian wondered if Q had already told Dumbledore how elementary his skills were. He waved his wand, but nothing happened.

He was worried that he was going to get scolded, but Dumbledore simply raised an eyebrow. “Well, sometimes when wizards are nervous they have trouble performing magic. I expect with this being your first day, you have many things on your mind.”

Brian was relieved for the excuse, but he couldn’t help notice that Dumbledore seemed befuddled.

“Professor McGonagall told me about your incredible show of talent today in class.” Dumbledore didn’t continue, but Brian felt that he was being prompted to answer.

“I didn’t know what I was doing, to be honest.”

Dumbledore nodded again, obviously thinking hard. “Well, I expect you’ll want to return to your dormitory and prepare for another day of classes. I shall see you next week.”

Brian nodded. “Goodnight, sir.” He decided, as he attempted to find his way back to Gryffindor tower, that he was going to get to bed early. The quill pen writing could wait until tomorrow.