Chapter 4
Sullivan looked up as somebody entered the lounge, where he was sitting, curled up in a plush armchair with a book on wand crafting. He noted the fact that he still felt perfectly relaxed, while just a few days ago he would have jerked violently and hex whoever entered.
It was Dumbledore, Sullivan noticed. It was obvious he wished to talk, so Sullivan sat down his book on the nearby sidetable, before flicking his hair out of his eyes and turning to Dumbledore. The headteacher moved to sit down next to Sullivan, who watched him as he drew close. “Hello, Sullivan.” Dumbledore smiled warmly.
“Hello there, headmaster,” Sullivan returned, smiling back. Dumbledore inclined his head towards the wand-crafting book that Sullivan had been reading.
“Wand-making? An interest of yours?” he inquired. Sullivan nodded and pulled out his wand from its holster.
“This was one of my first,” he revealed, “Thunderbird tail feather with Aspen wood, 14 inches, nice and supple. I made it at thirteen,” Sullivan doubted Dumbledore had a real interest, but if he wanted to stall, then Sullivan wouldn’t stop him.
“Impressive,” Dumbledore acknowledged, running a long finger over the smooth wooden rod resting in Sullivan’s hands.
They chatted about the details of wand-making for another few minutes, before Dumbledore spoke again when there was a lull in the conversation. “Sullivan, child,”
Sullivan raised an eyebrow at the address; he had not been a true child in many a year. “Yes, Headmaster?” he questioned. Dumbledore then moved on to the true reason he was here.
“I believe it would be beneficial for you to complete your education. I see no reason you cannot attend Hogwarts under a fake identity.” Sullivan leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. He had been thinking about this; he no longer wanted any connection to his ‘father’. He doubted Dumbledore meant for him to change his identity entirely; he merely meant for him to adopt a fake name while keeping his birth one, but he felt it would be better to make a new identity and scrap the old one. He no longer wanted to be ‘Sullivan Erbus Riddle’. Sullivan said so, and Dumbledore agreed. “Of course, my boy, that would mean travelling to Gringotts- under heavy glamour, of course, and having a blood adoption done, as well as all paperwork redone.”
They agreed Sullivan would travel alongside Severus to Gringotts the following day. He would have a masking adoption (multiple part-adoptions used to cover up the remaining traces of the birth family) done, and a full adoption (two adoptions by the ones who wish to become the parents).
They made arrangements, and Dumbledore explained how Gringotts would send out letters to the muggle community, asking for samples of blood for which to use for the adoptions (the goblins would give the muggles an excuse to cover up the real reason for the blood), making Sullivan a nondescript muggle-born.
Gringotts would choose muggles that would have had to leave the child at an orphanage, and Sullivan would say he had grown up in one. Never knowing his ‘parents’. Gringotts would implant false memories so that the muggles if questioned, would stick to the story.