Dereliction of Duty
Prologue – Albus Dumbledore

The fog clears in my mind, and I look around, astonished.

I don't know where I am.

The last thing I remember is pleading with Severus. I knew the Oath he had taken. I did not want him to die. I did not want Mr. Malfoy to die. And so I pleaded with him, praying that he'd understand.

And Harry… oh, Harry… I pray he's all right. I have failed him. I know I did.

I get slowly to my feet, starting as I realize that I do not recognize the surface upon which I stand. I reach into my pocket in search of a lemon drop – they are always such a comfort to me – only to realize that, not only do I have no lemon drops, but I have no pockets.

I don't know where I am.

There's mist all around me. I can't see through it.

Ahead of me, a couple steps through the mist.

"Hello, Albus," James says clearly. "Welcome to the next great adventure."

Lily smiles at me, and I stare at her. Behind them, Sirius steps through the mist, followed by Cedric Diggory.

"You did it again, Dumbledore," Sirius says harshly.

"Sirius!" Lily admonishes. "Now is not the time to be holding a grudge!"

"Now is the perfect time," Sirius growls. "When have I had a chance to scream at him in the past year?"

"I'm all for demanding what the hell he thinks he was doing with our Harry, Sirius," James says slowly. "But we should give the man a moment to adjust. This is a big transition."

"I agree, Sirius," Cedric says with a slight smile, and I stare in amazement. Here he is; yet another child that I have failed.

And I am even more amazed when, rather than ignore him, Sirius grumbles under his breath and then nods in defeat.

"Fine," the man says angrily. "Fine. Dumbledore, welcome; make yourself comfortable. Don't go far."

After he drifts away, there is silence.

"Why didn't you teach him to fight?" a quiet voice asks, and I turn to see Lily watching me. "You know he'll need to. You know that finding and destroying the horcruxes isn't enough. You know the Death Eaters will be guarding the others."

"I do," I agree. "But I felt… and still feel… that Minerva, Filius and Remus need a chance to do right by him, as I was never able to do."

"We saw," James says, as Cedric drifts a ways away to give us privacy. "We saw every minute of his life with the Dursleys. Dumbledore, we told you not to put him there."

"I know," I whisper, and a tear slides down my cheek. "I know. I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I never thought…"

And I hadn't. I'd never dreamed they would treat him this badly. Oh, how often I've dreamed that I did things differently, that I took him away from that place or, better yet, never brought him there… How much I longed, at the end of his first year, to tell him not to get on that train…

But I know that, no matter how much I wish it, I could never have kept him safe. Even at Hogwarts, I couldn't keep him safe.

I have failed him.

"We know you didn't expect them to be so cruel, Albus," James says softly. "And we know that once Petunia took him in, the protections were sealed. He needed them. But… You need to understand. You're not the only one who says and does everything for a reason."

I nod sadly, wishing desperately that I had some lemon drops… And smile brightly when a bag of them appears in mid-air before me.

"James! Lily! Come see this!" Sirius shouts, and I turn to see him standing several feet away and staring… down.

The couple rushes to his side, and I follow them. A moment later, Cedric rejoins us, standing on Sirius' other side, and, to my shock, Bertha Jorkins and Bartemius Crouch move beside him. Then come the Prewett twins, who merely nod calmly at me before turning their gazes downward. Beside them, an elderly man whom I've never met appears.

"Well, Frank, looks like you were right," one of the Prewetts says. "Ol' Lupin's finally growing a backbone."

"Told you he would," the old man – Frank – grunts. "He has the look of a veteran, that one."

"I knew Moony wouldn't let us down," James says with a smile, and Lily reaches out and takes his hand.

Curious, I lean forward.

I'm not quite sure how it works, but somehow, I can see right into Grimmauld Place. Harry is sitting on the couch, looking quite astounded, and Remus is sitting before him, speaking earnestly. I listen carefully and hear him say, "…of course, I hope you'll let me help you."

I smile proudly, even as Mrs. Abbott, Edgar Bones and Marlene McKinnon join us.

I've failed him.

But not everyone has.

And maybe, just maybe, he'll be all right.

You know the drill. Review if you have something to say.

Cheers,

LIZ