Dang…dang…dang…dang…
Big Ben's eight o'clock chime exploded.
"Ugh! Too loud! Too loud!" Garfield immediately slapped his paws over his ears.
"Why did I agree to meet here of all places?"
As the final bell toll faded, a swirl spiraled open on the clock tower.
Albus Dumbledore stepped out of it, beard drifting in the wind like it had its own theatrical instincts.
He noticed Garfield glowering at him.
"Garfield," Dumbledore said warmly, "You arrived early."
"Anyone who knows you must arrive early." Garfield shot him a withering look.
"If I come on time, Big Ben will blast my eardrums into another dimension. Next time, choose a place that isn't a national alarm clock."
Dumbledore chuckled and placed a hand lightly on Garfield's cat shoulder. "Very well. Let's change locations."
A new vortex opened, swallowing the pair whole.
Only then did another cloaked silhouette appear… too late and after scanning the empty tower, the figure slunk away in frustration.
…
Cool night air. The soft hiss of waves.
Garfield sniffed, identifying familiar scents.
"Still near London," He muttered. "Moonlight, a beach, an old honey-bee wizard, and a cat."
"The atmosphere is completely wasted and not romantic at all."
He squatted on the sand, tail wrapped around himself. Dumbledore stood beside him, silent.
Minutes passed.
Finally, Garfield sighed and scratched his chin. "Okay, Dumbledore. If you don't tell me why you dragged me out here, I'm leaving."
"I prefer the warmth of Peggy's bed to freezing on a beach with a man who smells like lemon drops."
Dumbledore exhaled deeply. "Very well."
"First… thank you. Thank you for guarding Grindelwald this past year."
"He's your old lover anyway." Garfield flicked his tail. "Oh and I did ask him if he wanted to write you a letter."
Dumbledore's eyes softened. "And he said no?"
"Of course. As expected of a couple."
A blush crept up Dumbledore's cheeks. "I only want him to turn away from the path he's chosen."
"Ah yes, the Three Hallows plan." Garfield rolled his eyes.
"Wizards stepping proudly onto the global stage. Very idealistic, you're lucky he's mellowed a bit after my… special education."
"But if you called me out here just for this, I'm leaving."
Garfield lifted a paw to open a portal~
"Wait," Dumbledore said quickly. "I still have something to ask."
"Well then say it. Don't waste a cat's sleep schedule."
Dumbledore inhaled one steady breath. "Come to Hogwarts. As a teacher."
Garfield mind instantly conjured images… Tom Riddle's future reptile face. Harry's drama. Malfoy's whining.
The constant death aura clinging to the school like faulty plumbing.
Teaching meant staying put, signing Hogwarts' ancient magical contract, assuming responsibility… enduring students.
And worst of all… sharing fate with the school's accursed plot armor.
No fried chicken in peace.
No freedom.
No naps.
He weighed the possibilities, rubbed his chin, and gave his verdict.
"…Nope. I make tens of millions a minute. I cannot sacrifice my freedom for chalk dust."
Dumbledore's shoulders sagged. He had truly hoped Garfield would guide Hogwarts' more… explosive students.
Seeing this, Garfield sighed.
"I like teaching, occasionally. Call me if you're short on staff. Or if you need a food appreciation class."
Dumbledore blinked. "A… food appreciation professor?"
"Listen, old bee. Follow what your heart tells you, but don't expect an orange cat to sit politely in one place forever." Garfield flicked his tail, already certain.
"My goals don't match the limits of this world… but Grindelwald? If you'd asked him to teach, he would've agreed in a heartbeat. Nothing he'd love more than gathering his own personal army of young wizards."
Dumbledore gave a helpless sigh. Garfield stretched lazily.
"Anyway," Garfield continued, "You know how to find me."
"Carter Manor, Newt's place, Goldstein's place in America… or just drop a letter through my shop. I'll show up if I feel like it."
Dumbledore nodded gratefully. Then, almost reluctantly he added…
"By the way… news from the Ministries. Britain and America have nearly finalized the agreement. Grindelwald will be escorted back soon."
Garfield narrowed his eyes. "Well, let me spoil the ending for you. Grindelwald is not going to be escorted safely."
"Prepare yourself, for political backlash, for ministry suspicion, for the biggest wizarding turbulence in decades."
"So you sensed it too." Dumbledore's shoulders fell a little.
"Of course I did."
Another weary sigh escaped him. "The laws of both America and Britain are outdated… especially secrecy laws. Pure-bloods, half-bloods… everyone is angry."
"A wizard accidentally exposes magic and faces Azkaban or a death sentence. And the Muggles involved face no consequences at all."
"It's unfair and… the discontent is mounting."
Garfield gave him a feline grin. "Then fix it, Dumbledore."
"How?" The old wizard blinked.
Garfield tapped his paw on the sand. "Run for Minister of Magic."
"Raise the banner of reform and build a magical world that actually deserves the next generation. And do not disappoint the people who trust you to change things."
Dumbledore hesitated. "I still believe teaching children is important. Guiding them while they're young, so they avoid the darker paths…"
"Stupid Dumbledore." Garfield snorted.
Dumbledore choked on air.
Garfield continued mercilessly. "Children are already poisoned by society before they ever enter Hogwarts."
"Even if you scrub them clean, the moment they graduate and re-enter society, they get soaked in that same poisonous tea again. And then they become exactly the adults you hate."
Dumbledore opened his mouth, but Garfield wasn't done. "You act like teaching and leading are mutually exclusive. They're not."
"Half your classes could be handled by senior assistants if you pulled your head out of your beard and let people help. Defense and Potions for the lower years don't require master-level wizards."
"Delegate and train the next generation."
"Free yourself." Garfield poked Dumbledore's shoe with his paw.
"And when those kids grow up… when your kids grow up… you'll finally have the time to reshape the wizarding world from the top. You can win, Albus. You can fix things."
A portal opened behind Garfield, glowing gold.
He stepped through halfway, tail still flicking in annoyance. "Think, Dumbledore. The world won't collapse without you hovering over it every day."
"Stop letting the Ministry of Magic drag you around like some overworked house-elf. If you follow my advice, you'll gain far more than you ever will by staying stuck the way you are."
And without waiting for a reply, Garfield vanished through the portal.
Dumbledore remained on the beach long after Garfield disappeared.
The wind shifted and the tide rose and fell. He stood unmoving… remembering, regretting, hoping.
When the first rays of sunrise touched the horizon, the light washed over his face.
The confusion in his eyes slowly faded.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
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