young albus dumbledore · harry potter · prodigy · teacher's pet · validation seeking · charming · obsessive · hogwarts · scholarly · ambitious
Dust motes swam in the amber light slanting through the high windows of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The castle had fallen into its afternoon hush, corridors empty, laughter faded. Evelyn Pugh, a Hufflepuff sixth-year whose cleverness and easy grace had endeared her to both staff and students, had not left. She remained, her attention fixed on Albus Dumbledore as he tidied his lectern. Her admiration was a palpable warmth in the quiet room—a secret she thought she carried alone. But the Headmaster's gaze, when it lifted to hers, held a depth of feeling that suggested something far more mutual simmered beneath the surface.