"Isaac, if you're not busy lately, could you do me a favor?" Dumbledore knew how to divert Isaac's attention.
That was what he said to Isaac.
Professor Vinda knew at once that the two of them wanted to discuss something private. She had no intention of eavesdropping.
She immediately stood to take her leave.
"Please wait, Professor Rosier. I may need your help as well," Dumbledore said, stopping her.
Professor Vinda paused, then smoothly sat back down.
Dumbledore took out a handwritten letter and handed it to Isaac.
"I need you and Hagrid, our gamekeeper, to fetch something for me from Gringotts.
"You should know what it is."
Isaac nodded. He didn't need a prophecy to know Dumbledore meant the Sorcerer's Stone he had obtained from Nicolas Flamel.
When Isaac had read Harry Potter in his previous life, he had always assumed Dumbledore had specifically asked Nicolas Flamel for it.
Now it seemed that wasn't the case.
Nicolas Flamel and his wife had probably lived long enough and wanted to embark on their next great adventure. But they had given the Sorcerer's Stone to Dumbledore.
That had also given Dumbledore a choice: if he wanted to, he could live for as long as he liked.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore could hardly wait to begin his own next great adventure.
So he had simply turned the Stone into bait for Voldemort.
And their dear senior Tom had taken the bait.
No wonder Voldemort, even at the height of his power, hadn't dared get in Dumbledore's face.
Tom really was no match for Dumbledore.
The clearest evidence was that the Sorcerer's Stone had passed directly from Nicolas Flamel to Dumbledore.
Only those two knew it had changed hands.
Dumbledore had deposited the Sorcerer's Stone in Vault 713, one of the most secure vaults in Gringotts.
The goblins at Gringotts knew better than anyone which side their bread was buttered on. Why would they side with Voldemort while Dumbledore was still alive?
Isaac strongly suspected Dumbledore himself had leaked the news that the Stone was in the vault.
Then, not long after the news got out, he had Hagrid bring the Sorcerer's Stone back to Hogwarts.
All to lure Voldemort into finding a way into Hogwarts and facing Dumbledore himself.
At that thought, Isaac readily agreed.
"No problem, Professor Dumbledore. Leave it to me. Nothing will go wrong!"
Once Isaac agreed, Dumbledore added at an unhurried pace, "Oh, and Hagrid will carry the item."
Isaac's eyes went wide. "You don't trust me?!"
"I trust you very much, Isaac." Dumbledore shook his head kindly. "But I don't want you turning all of Hogwarts into a golden castle."
You old bastard, and you still claim you didn't use Legilimency!
Isaac was dumbfounded. He was just an ordinary young wizard. Did Dumbledore really need to guard against him like this?
Besides, wouldn't a golden castle look incredible?
When Hogwarts students graduated, they could brag to wizards from other countries, "My magic school was made of gold." Imagine how jealous everyone would be!
It would even solve the problem of students struggling to make ends meet. Anyone whose family was hard up could chip off a bit of wall or pry up a corner of the floor, and there was their living allowance. Everyone won!
Seeing Isaac's disappointment, Dumbledore felt increasingly glad he had made the right call.
The boy was a good child, all right. He was simply far too unpredictable.
Thank goodness Dumbledore had sent Hagrid along as a safeguard...
Dumbledore suddenly realized that the young wizard before him might prove even harder to handle than Tom Riddle.
Oh well. He would leave it to future generations to figure out.
He had already dealt with Grindelwald and kept Voldemort in check. He couldn't take on any more than that.
He was only a lonely old wizard, after all.
Dumbledore turned to Professor Vinda. "Professor Rosier, if it's convenient, I'd like you to introduce a young wizard to the magical world in my place."
"Oh?" Professor Vinda looked interested.
Dumbledore stood above everyone else in the Wizarding World. Very few wizards received a personal introduction to the magical world from him.
It took Professor Vinda only a moment to realize whom he meant. "The Boy Who Lived you have here, Harry Potter?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"Under normal circumstances, Harry should have received his admission letter by owl long ago.
"But we still haven't received a reply.
"We've sent more owls, but..."
Dumbledore shook his head. Honestly, if he hadn't been so busy, he would have gone to see for himself what was happening with Harry.
Isaac's arrival had made Harry Potter considerably less central to Dumbledore's concerns.
But Harry was still the son of heroes who had fought Voldemort, and Dumbledore had built so many plans around him.
Dumbledore hadn't wanted to trouble Vinda Rosier, either.
But Hogwarts had only so many staff around during the holidays, and Harry Potter was currently living with a Muggle family.
Whoever went to introduce Harry to the magical world ought to look reasonably human, at least.
That ruled out Hagrid and Professor Flitwick.
As for Professor McGonagall, the elderly cat lady was already run off her feet. Dumbledore was lucky she wasn't hissing at him. If he gave the Cat Headmistress another task, she might really revolt.
As for Professor Snape...
With Harry looking the way he did, would Dumbledore dare send Snape anywhere near him?
One glance at Harry and there was no mistaking a Potter. Every inch a Potter.
Finally, Headmistress Sprout had several greenhouses of plants to tend, and she rarely liked going out anyway.
Dumbledore had been ready to hold his nose and send Hagrid, but now he had a better option.
"Isaac, I'd like you to go with Professor Rosier when the time comes."
Dumbledore didn't dare send Vinda Rosier to meet Harry alone. Bringing Isaac along gave him a safeguard against her.
Just as Hagrid was a safeguard against Isaac, Dumbledore always liked to have a backup plan, or several.
Professor Vinda understood what Dumbledore meant, but she didn't refuse the request.
She nodded and accepted it on the spot.
On July 31, Harry Potter's birthday.
Isaac, Professor Vinda, and Hagrid arrived at Diagon Alley.
"Come on, Hagrid. Let's fetch that item for Dumbledore." Isaac patted Hagrid's leg. With Hagrid standing eleven and a half feet tall, his leg was all Isaac could reach.
"All right, Isaac. Let's go."