All I Truly Believe

It can't be

(as from book six)

He did not knock upon Dumbledore's door, he hammered; and the calm voice answered 'enter' after Harry had already flung himself into the room.

Fawkes the phoenix looked round, his bright black eyes gleaming with reflected gold from the sunset beyond the window.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk looking out the window.

"Well, Harry, I want you to meet someone."

For a moment or two, Harry didn't understand; the conversation with Trelawney had driven everything else out of his head and his brain seemed to be moving very slowly.

(my story onward)

"Meet…someone…?"

"Only if you wish to, of course."

"If I…"

Harry couldn't think, why did he need to meet someone wasn't it usually the other way around? Didn't everyone want to meet the so called boy who lived?

"Meet…who…?

"Do you wish to meet them or not?"

Harry noticed Dumbledore didn't answer his question.

"Meet…who…?" he repeated.

"Do you wish to meet someone or not Harry?"

Dumbledore sounded irritated.

"I...guess."

Harry wasn't quite sure why he had agreed, but he hoped it wasn't so sort of trick.

Dumbledore stood up and crossed the room, over to what looked like an old wooden cabinet. The cabinet wasn't much taller than Dumbledore himself and it was neatly carved and polished. He opened the cabinet and the hinges squeaked as it was flung open.

Harry's jaw dropped as he recognized the face of the man that haunted his dreams.

"D-dad?"

Harry stared at the older split image of himself standing, now, next to Dumbledore. He blinked, this couldn't be real.

"Dad?" he repeated.

The man smiled.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore, who nodded.

"But, but, this can't be true." Harry was practically speechless.

"Miss me?" said the man holding out his arms.

Harry stepped back. This did have to be some sort of trick. A sick joke...could it be Voldemort playing around with his mind again?

The man frowned and turned to Dumbledore. "See Dumbledore I knew he would react like this."

"Give it time James," said Dumbledore looking at Harry, Harry was confused.

"How-how could you be alive? Voldemort killed you…" Harry was surprised that James didn't cringe at the sound of Voldemort's name.

"That's a good question Harry," said Dumbledore sitting down in his chair, "I myself would like to know."

Dumbledore motioned to the two chairs in front of him.

James sat down with no fuss, but Harry refused to move. He was back tracking his past few hours, if Voldemort was sending him subliminal messages there would be what Harry described as a jump in his unconscious mind. Since the frequent reoccurrence of these visions Harry had found it hard to tell apart what was real and what only occurred in his head, it was completely by accident that he had found this 'jumping' technique.

"So please," said Dumbledore now ignoring the disordered Harry. "Tell us your story, long story cut short if you don't mind, I'm quite behind on time."