"Absolutely not." The man with the white-blond hair turned away from his guest, to look blandly out a window.

"Come now, think of the entertainment of it all."

"Entertainment? I find human magic vastly dull, as you should well recall."

"You find it more entertaining to sulk here?"

Turning briskly from the window, he queried in a bored voice, "How is your brother doing these days Albus?"

The guest refused to be dissuaded "He's quite well, actually. All the better for the fact that he's never spent years pining away if he's lost at something."

The blond man's jaw tightened, and he tugged on his left glove, as though to make certain it was secure. "I am unaware of what you could possibly mean."

"Such a pity." Dumbledore said, aware that it was a favored saying of the man he was visiting.

"I have given you my answer, Dumbledore. I suggest you leave my castle."

"Only a year, Jareth. Is that such a terribly long time? A chance to get back in touch aboveground, without dealing with too many Muggles?"

"I have personally sworn off human relations, as that fool Mockridge could easily have told you."

It seemed a wise moment to switch tactics, a notion Dumbledore was perceptive of. "Imagine his face if, after the last time you barred him from your kingdom, you began teaching in his back yard."

"No."

Dumbledore turned toward the door. "It was never like you to back down from a challenge, Jareth. But it is your decision." Without warning, he Disapparated.

Jareth scowled, and kicked a small pig-faced goblin across the room.

Several weeks later, Professor Dumbledore walked into his office to find Jareth sitting on the desk, looking for all the world as if he belonged there. "Hm? Changed your mind, did you," the Headmaster asked.

"There is something I need for you to do."

"Is there now?"

"There is a a boy. Quite brilliant, and well ahead of his peers. I need you to bring him here." Jareth made the request sound no more involved then cleaning off a shelf.

"What year is he?"

"Ah, the difficult part. He's an American. Their system missed him; but he has gotten plenty of private instruction. He's quite young, but I'd say he knows as much as your fifth-years. If not more."

"Jareth--"

Jareth interrupted with a sneer. "Do you want me to teach, or not?"

Dumbledore walked around his desk, reaching out to greet Fawkes. "I was only going to say that he will no doubt find it difficult, but I can understand your desire to set things right. The Williams boy will be taken care of."

Jareth stood, looking with bland disinterest out the window. "How ever did you know it was the Williams boy."

Dumbledore smiled warmly. "I know you, Jareth. You know when the term begins, I assume you remember enough of us here to manage your own affairs?" Turning from Fawkes, he found Jareth had vanished. Dumbledore smiled again in his empty office. Things were turning out better then he had hoped.

~~~