Ok well, here's my first attempt at writing anything outside an English classroom, and i've finally got up the guts to post it, so hopefully its at least half decent. I'm pretty sure I'll carry this on so, enjoy...
Dumbledore's Diary
November 1 1981
Ah, the paradox. Today should be one of my happiest days in the past eleven years. Voldemort is gone (for the time being at least) and the whole of the wizarding world is celebrating. Why am I not amongst them? Ah but that's the easy question, its simple. Instead of thinking of the immediate future and its Voldemort free wonderfulness. I think instead of the past and of all of those we have already lost. I think of the distant future when Voldemort shall return to wreak more havoc on our already damaged world. Yes, for I know the truth that few do. Tom Riddle is not dead, a part of him lives on. He shall return one day and then even more innocent, brave people shall be slaughtered for his enjoyment. However they do not die needlessly, no they die to show others that there are things worth dying for, they die to show Voldemort that he does not have power over all and that there are those who aren't afraid to stand up to him, they die to show the only person who can truly defeat the Dark Lord what he needs to be shown - that he should continue to fight no matter how tough the situation may be.
These lessons are hard to teach and are even harder to learn. Many never learn, but this one person needs to. It will be hard beyond belief, but he has to learn - for all our sakes. He holds the key to our future happiness, a key he doesn't even know he possesses but which I will have to look after. It's difficult though. I know, every logical bone in my body tells me that he is safest with his aunt and uncle. Of course he is. However emotion and logic rarely go hand in hand. If I listened to my heart, I would take him back to Hogwarts and raise him there myself, or I would find a nice wizarding family to take him in. Surely someone, especially from within the Order would be more than willing, and capable, of looking after the boy. Yes, I would be able to watch over him easier if he was in the wizarding world too. This is what my heart was screaming at me even as I watched Hagrid approach with little Harry in his arms, to make things harder Minerva echoed in her words some of what I'd already considered. But no, for the sake of Harry, and the rest of the wizarding world, I had to make the tough choice. I left Harry at his aunt's house. It took more strength than I would care to admit to leave him on their doorstep. But I did. Knowing what I know, it would have been grossly irresponsible for me to do anythingelse. Harry is still in terrible danger from the remaining Death Eaters and when Riddle rises again, well the only place he truly can not be touched will be the place his mother's blood lies.
Ah Lily, did you foresee the full consequences of your actions? No, probably not. In all likely hood what you did was instinctive, an innate reaction to defend that which is yours, to give up your life in the hope that it would be enough to save your precious son. Yes, you probably knew that your sacrifice stood a good chance of saving your son and it's a price you paid without a moments thought.
What I find curious is the interesting combination of circumstances that came to bring about the downfall of Tom Riddle. I suppose these events were set in motion by Sybil Trelawney and her blasted prophecy. The first half of this prophecy was heard by one Severus Snape. Snape, being the good and faithful Death Eater that he was at the time informed his Dark Master of all he'd heard. Upon hearing who the prophecy referred to poor Severus begged Tom not to go after the Potters. Predictably Tom ignored such protests. This is the reason Severus became a spy for me, he came to me and begged me to hide his precious Lilly. And I did, as best I could anyway, though now I see it was not nearly enough. I spoke to Severus earlier today, the poor boy is heart broken.
However it is interesting to see how much sway he had over Tom. Apparently Severus had heard, yesterday afternoon, that Tom was planning on going after the Potter's last night. He made one last plea before the Dark Lord to spare Lilly Potter. And surprisingly Tom was somewhat willing, Lilly was given the option to live because of Severus's love for her. Lilly voluntarilygiving up her life for her son, lead to the downfall of Tom Marvolo Riddle. Truly amazing how things works out, even more ironic is that nobody except me knows of what a great hand Severus Snape, Not-As-Loyal-As-Previously-Thought Death Eater, had in bringing about the circumstances necessary for Harry Potter to became the Boy Who Lived