A/N World War II is finished but that is not the only pain an old man is suffering. With the end of a war there comes the tidings of another.

I Don't own the Harry Potter world or its characters

The New Headmaster

The old man stood up from the chair he had been sitting on. He placed the glass he had been holding at the table in front of him. His silvery white beard swayed slightly as he turned to face the bar man. The two men's blue eyes met as the bar man nodded. The bar man had been gazing at the old man sited at the table for quite some time now. But the gaze had softened over the years. Just ten years ago it would have been a glare. But not now, especially not today.

"Good luck today Albus. Hope your first day goes well." The bar man spoke up.

"Thank you Aberforth." Albus replied as he turned to leave the bar. Aberforth stared at his brother's back for sometime before sighing slightly. Albus had redeemed himself in his eyes but only slightly. That had been ten years ago but neither man spoke of it or referred to it but their relation had improved since Albus became known as The Man who Defeated Dark Lord Grindelwald.

Albus Dumbledore walked slowly towards Hogwarts. He had won the battle with Grindelwald but he still had his internal battle to consider. What had pained him most was the fact that he had known Grindelwald quite well. They had been friends. Albus had trusted him and had been ready to form a better world with him. He scoffed as he remembered the teenage caption he had used so often and the one Gellet finally used for his army. For the greater good it had been. But in the end it had been for everyone's good that Gellet Grindelwald be defeated. Dumbledore had never been afraid of facing Grindelwald magically. What he had been afraid of was something totally different.

Grindelwald's last words before he had collapsed from the array of spells on him and magical exhaustion would always haunt and burn deep in Dumbledore. They had been two sentences but had turned Albus into an old broken man. "It was your wand Albus. Not mine." Albus had aged at that moment both from the magical strain of the duel and the emotional bomb.

Dumbledore had been offered the post of Headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry immediately after Armando Dippet died. He had accepted the offer but was now a little unsure of it now. He looked up suddenly as he realized he had already reached the castle. He shook his head slightly and went past the gates, entering the grounds for the first time as a Headmaster. Exams were coming up soon and the castle was silent. Dumbledore walked across the grounds towards the castle when he saw a tall figure in the distance. Although the man looked large and menacing Dumbledore knew he was an absolute loyal and gentle person.

Watching Reubus Hagrid made him remember the new rumour that had begun spreading in the wizarding world. They were many but always whispered. There was raw fear in the rumour it self. People took the name after glancing around and only whispered it for the intended person to hear. Voldemort. A chill suddenly travelled up Dumbledore's spine. Had he let his student Tom Marvolo Riddle become Voldemort just as he had let Grindelwald become the Dark Lord.

"Maybe I shouldn't have taken this post." He thought as he entered the castle.

"Professor, perhaps you can look into a small matter I have her. I have confisticated this box of sweets here from the Prewetts. They were intending to give to all the students outside class and it is forbidden to eat anything in class. They claimed their sister has sent it for them." Pringle the caretaker interrupted Albus' thoughts. The Prewett brothers had been a problem for him for a long time and had finally resorted to threatening him to wait for their little sister to arrive at Hogwarts. But he would have them now. Although this was a minor infraction but if he could convince the new headmaster to start being strict from the very start all the troublemakers would be dealt with in no time.

"Yes, yes Mr. Pringle. I am aware of that rule. I shall look into it." Dumbledore sighed, a look of sadness in his eyes. He knew the Prewett brothers well and had heard a lot about their sister Molly who was a fire brand who always got her own back. But Dumbledore did not care about that at the moment. He soon reached the gargoyles that immediately sprang to the sides letting him pass into the office.

He was almost deafened by the cheers that erupted when he entered his new office. All the portraits on the wall were applauding and waving to Dumbledore. "An absolutely perfect choice." An old man with an ear trumpet was yelling wildly.

"Thank you very much but I really need to consider some things." Albus said as he looked at the box in his hand. He opened it and saw that the sweets were acid pops and he decided to have one. He had just placed the sweet in his mouth when there was a loud bang and Dumbledore, the greatest wizard this century and the defeater of the Dark Lord Grindelwald stood shocked as he noticed that his long beard had taken to display a dazzling array of the seven rainbow colours.

Dumbledore suddenly chuckled as a small tear ran down his cheek. He had not done that for ten years. He wondered if Molly Prewett would ever realize she had pranked the new headmaster before she even came to Hogwarts. He ran his fingers through his new colourful beard feeling oddly light and free of burdens. A feeling he last remembered having has a student.

A simple prank had powers he had not imagined before and he gave another chuckle before he thought that he might not be a bad headmaster after all.

A/N This was an entry I submitted to the FAD Last Author Standing in Cosforums. Hope you enjoy it.