The Faith of Albus Dumbledore
It was most likely his greatest failure. It was the failure which would most likely haunt him until his finale breath, because in the end he could have corrected it so easily, so many times. All this death because he could not understand the ambitions of an young man, refused to see what was plainly in front of his weakening eyesight until the Man was to far gone and he was powerless to stop him.
Such where the thoughts which coursed threw Albus Dumbledore every night since the War started. Tonight was no different as his mind was plagued by these thought all over again.
It was an starless night in which he wandered the silent streets of Godric’s Hollow.
However, there was one light which Dumbledore could cling to. The War was over and the suffering at last ceased.
His destination was the Potter Hideout, where tonight at last the Dark Lord was defeated.
As he approached the formerly secret hideout so was he greeted whit the sight if numerous Aurors erecting illusion charms around the Potter Cottage. Of all the faces, some vaguely familiar did one stand out to him.
“Amelia, how are you doing my dear?” Dumbledore greeted her whit an pleasant smile.
“Quiet well now that it all is over Dumbledore, however there is still much work do be done” came the neutral response of Amelia Bones.
Miss Bones was one of the few people Dumbledore could not quiet charm, but he was not offended. No quiet the opposite really, whit her neutral stances was she quickly climbing the Ranks in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and as such would proof to be an vital ally, one he had to work for.
“Yes quiet much work is yet to be done… but surely you inform an old Men of what happened.”
“I am quiet the busy woman Dumbledore… but if you insist. The Dark Lord came here tonight and he died here so much you know. His death in itself would be hard to belive in, but what really shocked us all was the how.” Here the Woman took a deep breath, an thoughtful expression settling as if she still tried to think of the Solution to her riddle.
“The last spell that was used by the Dark Lord was the Killing Curse… however it was he himself that fell victim to it. It rebounded Albus. The boy, Harry, he has an cut at his forehead from it. Harry Potter survived the Killing Curse.” the awe in her voice was unmistakable for who had ever survived the Killing Curse?
This was quiet shocking and Dumbledore himself reflected on how it could be possible, that maybe- no that mystery had to be addressed another time.
“That is quiet the Mystery… the Boy, the Children both survived then I hope?”
“Yes, both Children survived Professor McGonagall elected to look after them for the time being.”
“Then I shall elect to join her, I hope we see again Miss Bones” Dumbledore excused himself from the busy Woman but she was already gone and began to order around all that where present before he could invite her to tea. No matter, he would invite her to tea some other Day.
But as Dumbledore approached the dark cottage so did his heighten mood leave him again. The air grew cold around him and he was reminded that this was an victory that should not be celebrated. Albus silently passed the few Aurors who guarded the house.
Entering from the backdoor he was greeted by the foul stench of dark magic assaulting his nose. It was an deeply rotten and biting smell. So bad that he had to cough the entire way up the stairs.
When he could finally bare the stench so did he come across the shrouded form of James Potter.
James was by all means a bright Student, a Prodigy in Transfiguration even, and he had such an bright future. A Gryffindore through and trough, oh but could his “Pranks” make the Headmasters day long and exhausting.
An sad smile crossed his face. And it was all put to an end, cut short by an Dark Lord. An Dark Lord he himself helped to create. The Potters sacrifice would never be forgotten, that he would make sure of.
Slowly he continued onwards further along the dark Hall and through the destroyed doorway into what he could only assume to be the nursery of the Potter Twins.
There he was greeted by one of his dearest friends.
Minerva McGonagall stood admits the ruins of what once was a happy family.
The silence was deafening between the old friends but faintly, he could remark whit an hidden smile, he could hear the soft breaths of two sleeping children. Hesitantly he approached the crib which stood to the farside of the room, not daring to make a sound least of all he woke the Infants.
They where cuddled together under an blanked far to large for the crib.
“I thought that it would be better to lay them down together, they lost so much today Albus, I… I just wanted them to know that they still had each other…” Minerva began to justify herself, not bearing the heavy silence of the room.
There was really no need for justification, Dumbledore could only thank her for the consideration towards the… the Orphans.
“Minerva…” Albus sight, he did not know how to approach the subject at hand. He knew that deep down she still saw James an Lily as the first years that came under her guidance, that she saw all her students as such.
“And… it was so cold… Albus it was so cold, all the live sucked out of the house. They needed a blanked least of all they get sick but I only found-”, Minerva spoke quickly, she had so many emotions bottled up. She was leading figure, people looked up to her and yet here she was trying to justify her action as if he still was her professor and she broke an rule.
Dumbledore stayed silent as she rambled taking swithed steps towards her. He hugged her softly, they both needed it. For a few moments they could be just friends comforting each other.
“Albus what are we going to do?” Minerva whispered because what could they do? What could best mend the wounds inflicted tonight? What was best for the Orphans?
Steeping back from the hug Dumbledore had to let his mind wander for a bit. Walking back towards the crib he thought of options while Minerva came to his side also observing the sleeping Children whit an sad smile.
“What of Sirius? Were James and Sirius not both… oh what did they call themselves, Maurauders? Did he not become the Godfather of one of the Children?” surely he would take both under his wing. Albus knew so, the Children needed an Family, a place where they would be at home.
“Yes, yes the Marauders where truly a handful, that they where.” Minerva had to think back to all the detentions she had to endure whit these troublesome Boys, her smile grew nostalgic.
“He did become the Godfather of Azalea, yes. I gathered that since Harry was born first and Sirius had no aspirations to settle down that they made her his Heiress so that both Children would have Houses of there own. Of course that is under blood adoption, Black may not be fond of the Dark Arts but he is still an Pureblood nonetheless.”
Lord Potter. Lady Black. Quiet the formidable duo they would make once they would enter the political scene. Dumbledore could only smile hopefully at the bright future they could shape together.
“...but sadly we where unable to contact Black once the News got out of James and Lily’s death… surely you don’t think he- he was…” the unspoken question burned on Minerva's tongue but still she could not dare to speak it out.
“No. No Sirius would never betray his oldest Friend. James and him where practically brothers from what I know.” Dumbledore spoke whit absolute certainty, Sirius was as loyal as anybody could hope a Friend to be.
“It is a shame though that Sirius is unresponsive, whit him the Children could grow up in an loving family.” Yes they could have, still will if Dumbeldore had anything to say. Whit Sirius, Remus and Peter they would have gotten all the affection they could ever hope for.
Dumbledores gaze dropped towards the lightning bolt upon Harry’s forehead, he has an cut at his forehead from it. Harry Potter survived the Killing Curse.
The-Boy-Who-Lived, Dumbledore chuckled. He could already see it on the News papers.
There was an contemplative silence between both Professors, both gazing at the sleeping Children while searching for Ideas, Possibilities, Options. Where would the Children be brought to, at least for the time being.
Then there was also the mystery of how exactly Harry survived the Killing Curse, how an Infant could not only defy the most absolute spell there was but send it back towards Tom.
Dumbledores gaze rested on the Children again
The Boy, Harry, had an unruly mop of auburn hair atop his head, his face was that of his Father and of course the lightning bolt cut.
The Girl, Azalea, on the other Hand had midnight black hair falling in waves around her face, no doubt the effect of the blood adoption. Her face was very much a carbon copy of her Mother, so much Dumbledores ageing Eyes could still make out.
“...there is another option” Minerva began slowly, uncertain but why would that be? “From what gathered Lily Potter had an Sister… an Muggle Sister”
Ah. So there in lies the Problem, doesn't it?
Minerva was glancing at him while he still fixated his gaze on the Children, he knew where her hesitance stemmed from. It would be most… unexpected to bring Heirs to Noble Houses to an Muggle family, even the most light oriented House would be… in opposition to such an Idea.
“She is still there family Minerva, all they have left of there Family. It would not be forever, once Sirius contacts us we would be able to place them whit him. Surely she would be kind enough to house them for a few Days, Weeks at most.” Albus argued, truthfully he wished that Sirius could take them but he was not here and there where no real alternatives.
“But how in Merlins Name will you bring the Wizengamot to accept this? Temporarily or not they would never allow to see one of there own being anywhere but whit one of them.”
“We can not risk the Children by giving them to the old Houses, even the most loyal of them have family members whit the Mark. The chance of an Death Eater avenging Voldemorts death is far to great.”
But how to justify this to the Noble Houses? An truthful answer they would never accept but Dumbledore was not where he stood today if he couldn’t conjure up justifications out of nowhere.
“Blood Wards, we will tell them that the Children are still in mortal danger, which is true enough, that only whit direct family members could they be safe.”
Minerva seamed unconvinced, her Eyes narrowing at him,”and how long would this charade go? How long would we hide the truth? How long before someone finds out? Albus the public outcry at such an deception…” her tone was harsh yet quiet, balancing between scolding Dumbledore and keeping the Infants asleep.
He knew of the risks, that she was right to be apprehensive. But the Children had lost so much he felt he had to make sure they where in good hands, at least until the Noble Houses could decide which one of there own would take in the Children.
Dumbledore did not want to imagine the young Children, unprotected, whit an hidden Death Eater sympathiser at there home.
“My Dear, how much did we sacrifice?” Dumbledore wandered towards the window besides the crib. In slow, deliberate steps neared he and peered outside and into the night.
“All we had Albus, we gave all we had, everything we had we gave.” Minerva told him whit curiosity, determination and a bit of sorrow.
“What we all achieved, Minerva, is only what we can make it to be. Yes the Death Eaters are being convicted, but how many will go unpunished? How many will assemble again waiting for the next dark Lord to rise? This War is not won, not yet. Only once these dangerous Ideals themselves have died out will we all be safe again, will our Families and there Children be safe again”
It was what Dumbledore tried to achieve in Hogwards, to stop future Death Eaters from manifesting. To stop the next dark Lord before he could even become dangerous. So long he lived would he try to promote Interhouse relationships, would he try to promote peace and love and friendship between all the Student he had.
“The sacrifices we all made where too great Minerva. From the first dead men to the last orphaned child. This War was to much , the cost to great from the very beginning. Families where turn apart into light and dark, killed each other in cold blood. Wizardkind and Mugglekind both lost Fathers, Mothers… Brothers, Sisters… Sons and Daughters-”
and it was all my fault, was left unsaid nonetheless did Albus know it to be true. That if only he did something different could this all have been avoided.
Minerva did not join him at the Window, instead she regarded him from behind.
Threw the window Albus could see the backyard filled whit tenseAurors, could see Miss Bones yelling at them to hold back the Reporters threatening to breach into the House.
Down the street did he see Wizards and Witches gather about, many anticipating conformation that it was all over. The word travelled fast of Toms defeat.
What he could see in all these faces. Desperation, Anxiousness, Fear, Sadness, Tiredness. But what he could see oh so clearly was the Hope. The hope that it would be over, that the war was finally over, that brighter days lie ahead.
Up in the sky did Dumbledore see the heavy clouds part, exposing brilliant shinning stars.
The Dawn of a new Age.
And it would be hear in this room, in this night that Albus Dumbledore had to make a decision that would shape this new age. It was now that he had to make the hope of the People turn into reality. Here it would start, here it would end.
“The Children, Minerva, will be send to the Sister. If Sirius will be unable to take them in so will we let the Noble Houses decide. Until then have I faith in the Woman to give both the Children an loving home.” there was underlying uncertainty, but so was his voice finale, filled whit the believe in the good of humanity as a whole.
He could only hope then, that he made the right choice.