She's clever, talented, exceedingly positive, and prone to breaking out in song. It's time he had a chat with this Mary Poppins.
Dumbledore took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was no use, there was no getting around the facts. He couldn’t hide from what he had to do. People were starting to talk, and in no time at all the talk would lead to people digging around. He should just jump to action, but he had to know how she did it.
“Mary?”, he called to the young girl waiting outside his office door, “you can come in now.”
Mary Poppins strode purposefully into the office and nodded to Dumbledore.
“Good Morning Master Dumbledore”. She reached the chair in front of his desk and sat down. “I presume its OK if I sit down. I’ve been pacing around outside for what seems a frightfully long time.”
“Not nervous to talk to me surely, Mary? That’s not very Slytherin of you.”
“Well, I must say I am not sure at all what you mean with the tone underlying that statement”, waffled Mary unconvincingly.
“How did you do it, Mary? You are the single least Slytherin person I think anyone in this school has ever met. And yet the Hat selected you. I know the motive. You wanted to be in the same house as Tom. I just need to know how you managed to break a system that has stood for countless generations.”
She looked at her shoes, noticed a small piece of dust on one toe, brushed it off and smiled in satisfaction. “I’m afraid, to say dear Dumbledore, that it was in fact incredibly simple”. She drew herself back upright in her chair, pretense falling away. “I didn’t actually change what the hat said, that’s impossible. I just cast a spell that changed what you all heard.”
Dumbledore, put his glasses back on and looked at her. “Thank you, my dear. I knew you would not be able to lie to me. I think you have an incredible amount of talent, and your spirit is inspiring even to an old fool like me. I can see why he likes you so much. It saddens me, what I must do.”
“Well then”. Mary blinked back a tear. “Let's move it along then if you have already decided. Spit spot.”
“Mary Poppins. I am devastated to say that I must ask you to leave this school and return to life among the muggles. Our traditions must be upheld, and your flouting of them, while born of love cannot go unpunished.”
Mary stood up and nodded once more to Dumbledore. “Will I be allowed to say goodbye to Tom?” Her voice cracked as she spoke.
“Yes. I will tell him before the rest of the faculty and the students.”
“Thank you.” Mary turned and marched to the door. As she touched the handle she turned once more. “I have always admired you Dumbledore. I’m sorry I put you into this position. But mostly I’m sorry for poor Tom. He’s such a passionate young man. He’ll be heartbroken. I hope he is not too angry.”
Later Dumbledore would reflect on this moment, as the greatest mistake of his life. He would tell himself he would never throw away the potential of a brilliant student for rules. But that would come later. Now he called for his assistant.
“Can you send for Mr. Riddle. I’m afraid I am going to have to break some difficult news to him.”
Dumbledore feared that he would take it rather poorly. He smiled despite himself as he thought of something Mary would often say, but he had nothing to sweeten this medicine.
