A purpose in life
By Goblet of Fire
Albus Dumbledore was 20 years old wizard. He graduated with full marks in every subject. He was very powerful. He was young, lively, and handsome. He married a woman whom he loved, and who loved him back. He had a pretty 1 one year old baby girl. He had caring parents. He had a job which he loved, althought not very well paid.
In a world, he was a fulfilled man.
---------------------------------------------- One day ----------------------------------------------
- This class is dismissed.
The chatty crowd of Six year students grabed their things and rushed out of the room. Albus collapsed on his chair and rubbed his eye. This had been a harsh semester. He was Head of Gryffindor house and Transfiguration Teacher. That was a lot of work and he never got much sleep. Well, anyway, the Winter Holidays were there, and his last class was over. Albus smiled. He was going to go home and be able to spend two entire weeks with his family.
---------------------------------------------- Later ----------------------------------------------
- Albus ? Over here !
Albus turned around, and saw his parents and his wife with their baby
in her arms wawing at him. Albus rushed towards them and wrapped both latters
in a suffocating hug.
- Hey, Albus, you don't exactly need to strangle us.
- Sorry.
He gave her a quick kiss, and then hugged his parents.
- How are we going to get home ?
- Mmmhh … Just Apparating, I guess.
- OK. Can I hold my daughter ?
- Sure. She's getting heavy.
Albus took the child, and put an arm around his wife's shoulder. They
all apparated to the little village they lived in.
- Home, sweet home !
Albus had his daughter in one arm, lifted his trunk with the other,
and began to tap dance in the snow.
- Albus ! You're going to traumatize the baby !
She snatched the little girl from him, which caused her to began to
cry. Albus tripped, and fell on his back in the deep white mantel of snow.
Lucie ( an : that's his wife's name. ) handed the baby to his parents and
bent over him so he was seeing her upside down.
- Albus, you're being silly again.
- Awww, Lucie, help me to get up.
She sighed, and gave him a hand. Instead of getting up Albus pulled
her down on the snow next to him.
- ALBUS ! Not only you're being silly but you're making me look ridiculous
!
- Well, weren't you already ? Albus asked with a fake look of surprise.
- NO !
She got up, and threw a snowball at him. Because of his position Albus
was enable to duck and it hit him square in the face.
- OOOWW !
This time he eagerly stood up and fought back. Soon the snowballs were
filling the air and Albus ended up chassing Lucie around the narrow streets.
The two elders smiled and headed for the house.
Meanwhile, Albus finally caught up with Lucie in a blind alley.
- Ha ! I finally am going to catch you !
- No way ! That's only because it's a dead end.
Albus wrapped his cloak around his face so he only showed his eyes,
and advanced on her faking an evil look.
- Oh, you're scaring me. She said sarcastically.
Albus put two arms around her waist. They stood there, looking at each
other, he smiling, her pouting.
- Albus, you didn't even say hello to me !
Albus turned round, to find himself facing his best friend, Alastor
Moody, a young Auror.
- Hey, Alastor, old buddy, how's life going ? Finally managed to find
yourself a girlfriend ? Where does this scar come from ? That doesn't help,
does it ?
He patted his friend on the back so hard it made him chocke for at
least one minute.
- Albus, what kind of drugs did you take on the train ? He asked with
a concerned look.
- You see ? Even Alastor agrees with me ! You're just hyper.
Lucie pointed an accusating finger to her husband's chest.
- I never said I wasn't, did I ?
- Aaaahh, sweet love. Alastor teased. You two lovebirds, how romantic
!
The "lovebirds" looked at the face Alastor made and exploded with laughter.
When they finally calmed themselves down a little bit, they kissed and
Alastor pretended to cover his eyes up. In fact, he took a picture. When
they pulled away, Albus told his best friend :
- Alastor, you can say nothing. You still have got no girlfriend, do
you ?
- Aaah, I'm just too good for them !
The young man bowed mockingly.
- Alastor, just blame yourself. You don't even try !
- That's because I don't like any of them !
- Anyway, let's go home, Albus. We've got a surprise for you.
- Hey, I must hurry ! My Mum's waiting for me !
- Run, Alastor, run, you won't escape a dinner with us !
- I'll see that ! He shouted while running home.
The two young people left headed home in the snow.
- It's chilly out here. Lucie shivered. Albus took his cloak off and
put it on Lucie's shoulders.
- Thanks. Aren't you cold ?
- I'm not cold, as long as I'm with you.
-Albus, you're not my boyfriend ! We're not flirting anymore !
Albus laughed and Lucie smiled sheepily.
Soon, they entered the house. Lucie hanged both the cloak and her coat
on the hatstand. Albus walked directly in the kitchen accross the
carpeted hallway.
- Mmmmh, it's smelling good in here !
His Mum wore a scandalous face :
- Albus ! Take those muddy boots off ! You're letting melted snow everywhere
on the carpet !
- Ooops. Sorry.
Albus wawed his wand and his boots automatically put themselves away.
Instead he now had on his feet warm and cozy slippers. His mother shook
her head smiling.
- Albus, will you make dinner for us ?
Albus grinned.
- What do you want ?
- Oh, I'd actually like a dish of fish and some ratatouille. We'll
also have salad, and there's going to be a cake to celebrate your return.
- I'll try that.
He wawed his wand again, and four plates appared with forks and knifes,
and napkins. A trout with lemon, a ratatouille suddendly were on it. A
white table cloth appared in the oven. The table covered itself with cake
- Mmmmh … There may be a mistake here.
The whole family laughed, while the dough slowly dripped on the dinning-room
carpet. With a spell Albus fixed everything, apart from the stain on the
floor.
- Oh, well. Not that it matters, does it ?
His father took his own wand and cursed the carpet neat.
- Hey, that was supposed to be a souvenir !
Albus faked a sulky look. After a good laugh the family sat down to
eat.
After the main dish Albus asked :
- What was the surprise Lucie was talking about ?
The parents and the young woman exchanged knowing looks.
- While you were away …
- We got a letter for you …
- It's from the Ministry …
- Here, read it.
Albus opened the letter. It was a hiring letter. He was invited to
be Minister of the Fight against Grindelward. ( an : I don't know if that
exist, but, Oh well … / Grindelwards in the current Dark Lord. )He
raised his eyebrows. What was that ?
- Yeah, and so what ?
- Well, aren't you going to accept it ?
- No way ! I like my job ! I like teaching !
- Albus, his mother pleaded, this job is much better paid, and you
won't be so tired then.
- Mother, I-like-my-job-at-Hogwarts ! I am not going to change.
- We will live much better lives if you took this job. And you won't
be away from us so long.
Albus did not answer. What for ? They knew his answer.
The joking atmosphere in the room grew tense, and Mrs.Dumbledore was
eager to escape from it to fetch the dessert. The disagreement was sensed,
and a heavy silence fell over the opponents.
Tap. Tap. Tap. A midnight black owl was at the window. It fluttered
its wings, trying to attract attention. Albus pushed his chair back loudly.
- I wonder who is it from ?
He opened the window and let the owl in. A little of the winter bitterness
entered with it. Immediately after the letter was pulled off his leg, he
flew off again, obviously not waiting for an answer. The letter read :
Albus, come at Hogwarts at once. We are having a meeting. This is an emergency.
It had no signature, and Albus didn't recognize the handwriting. Well,
anyway, it was an emergency, wasn't it ? He took his cloak and wrapped
it around himself.
- It's an emergency. When I'll be back, I hope you'll have thought
have what I told you.
Lucie gave him a pleading look, but his glare was cold. He opened the
front door, not looking back once.
He apparated to the edge of the Forbidden forest, which he needed to cross, because of the anti-apparating spell which was cast over the British school of Witchcraft and Wizardy. It took him half an hour to walk to the castle, and the sky was getting darker every second. He was walking slowly, for he did not want to return as soon as possible.
It was strange nobody was here to greet him and to lead him where the
meeting took place, but he was too deep in his thoughts to notice it. He
pushed the front doors open, and walked in. The castle seemed as joyful
as ever, with a hudge Christmas tree in the corner. Some remaining students
were chattering in the Great Hall. He asked one of his Gryffindors, a red-head
:
- Hey, Weasley, can you tell me were the teacher meeting is ?
- Huh, Professor, you're back ? He was looking bewildered. What meeting
are you talking about ?
The students around shot him strange looks, like he was turning insane.
He sighed. Of course, Fleetcher ( an : it's the current Headmaster. ) didn't
want to alarm the students. Well, he was going to ask the Headmaster himself.
But he won't be in his office, if he was at the meeting. Pheew. What a
case. Well, he could always try. First, he had got to find his office.
Twenty minutes later, he was in front of it. He knocked at the door.
- Yes ? Come in, the door is not locked.
He pushed the door. Really, it was not locked.
- Ha, Dumbledore. What brings you here ?
- Err … What is that meeting thing about ?
- Meeting ? What meeting ?
- Oh never mind. Goodbye, Headmaster.
So even Fleetcher didn't know. He tried the Potions master, althought
they didn't exactly like each other. The scornful Slytherin smirked and
asked if he was taking any kind of traitement. He left this office cursing
under his breath. The nurse asked if he was ill, and the Charms master
wanted to know if he had been dueling lately. Prat. They were all making
fun out of him. And suddendly, on his way to his own office, it hit him.
Something was wrong. Really wrong. The odd handwriting, the black owl. He should have known !
He started running like mad. The students shot him even stranger looks. But he didn't care anymore. He shot a spell at the heavy front doors, which opened like two sheets of paper. It was now completely dark outside. There was no moon. And Albus ran. Twice he got himself lost, even if he knew the Hogwarts grounds by heart. Several times he fell in the deep damp snow. He was wet to the bones, and freezing. Part of his wet cloak began getting solid with ice. But it was nothing compared to the bitterness in his heart. They were mad at him. He was mad at them. The last words he told them were reaprochful. They couldn't leave before he begged for their forgiveness !
He eventually reached the edge of the Forest and promptly apparated in front of the little white house. But what little white house ? The spot he was standing in, was just facing some remains of burned walls, which seemed to once having formed a dwelling.
Inside, neatly laid on the cenders, were four bodies. One old couple, one young woman and one baby. No, it couldn't be true. He must have apparated in the wrong place, didn't he ? He gazed at the little crowd standing behind the fence, not daring to come in.
The Dark Mark was hovering over the house.
He recognized some faces. Alastor, his parents. Everyone was looking at him. His glare swiped between his friends, and what was once home. Not understanding, not wanting to understand. Then realisation dawned. He fell to his knees. Facing the still fuming vestiges of his happiness. And he cried.
He had never cried like that before. It was all his pain, all his sorrow, all his hatred coming out.He sobbed like a little child. He fell face to the ground, and he wanted to die … And then all that existed was darkness …
---------------------------------------- In Alastor's point of view --------------------------------------
- AAAAAHHH !!!!
I woke up with a start. That scream, that scream was … tearing. Almost
inhumain. I could see lights apparing in windows everywhere in the village.
It was not a dream. I wasn't the only one that heard.
I quickly got dressed, cursed while searching for my wand, which I had to go whitout, for I didn't find it, and jumped out the window. Luckily, my bedroom was in the ground floor. My parents were upstairs. I didn't have the time to wait for them.
Outside, everyone was heading in one direction. I followed them. Then I saw it.
Was it possible ? It looked like it was Albus' house ! But it couldn't be ! Albus was the most powerful of us all, he would have fought back, wouln't he ?
And I saw the bodies. Four bodies. There was one missing. The Dark Mark was there, teasing us, mocking us. We could do nothing, just stare and wait.
Wait for my best friend to come back. Wait for him to get a maybe mortal schock. That was all we could do. Wait. We did not dare to cross the fence. We did not dare to penetrate this sanctuary.
Then, with a small pop, he apparated. He was inside, in what once was a beautiful garden. It was the first thing he saw. He looked at us. He looked back.
But was it really Albus ? No. Albus was happy, joyful, and joking. It
was not this devastated man I had in front of me. He kneeled down, and
began to cry. It sent shivers down my spine. He fell face to the ground
and all you could hear was his sobs. Then, nothing. None of us dared to
budge. Eventually, I got afraid. He wasn't moving at all. I jumped over
the fence, and turned him over. No sign of life. I tried to carry him,
but he was too heavy. I shouted :
- Someone here help me !
That was it. The silence was broken. Everybody began talking at the
same time. Three persons rushed to help me. We carried him to my house,
where he was laid on my bed. This night, I didn't sleep, I just watched
over him, sometimes feeling his temperature.
---------------------------------------------- Later ----------------------------------------------
He was sitting in an armchair by the fire. Everyone came to visit him. Some tried to comfort him, some just sat there to keep him compagny. But he didn't listen to them. He did not hear them. He only catched little parts of conversation like "poor guy", "so young", "guilt of the survivor" … Still he didn't understand what they meant. For two month he stayed like that. The first week he had a very high temperature and was always delirious. The doctor said that if he hadn't been young and strong, he would be long gone by now. The visitors were numerous by the first month, but they decreased as the time passed. But Alastor always was there.
When Albus stayed up, Alastor stayed up. When Albus slept, Alastor slept. When Albus fasted, Alastor fasted. When Albus ate, Alastor ate. When Albus cried, Alastor was there to comfort him. With this silent comfort only best friends could give. When people asked him if he wanted anyone to relay him, he would shake his head and say : "That's what best friends are for.".
All Albus could think of was them. He remembered the first day Lucie and him met, at Hogwarts. He remembered their wedding day. The day he first held Amanda ( an : it's his daughter's name. ) in his arms. How proud he felt.
And then when he tried to picture them, all he saw was lifeless bodies. Lying on the ground, with absolutly no wounds. Looking perfectly healthy, but just so scaringly still … Just to remind him still better of the time when a soul inhabited them.
For they were dead. As dead as his childish innoncence, as his youngster's mischief. In one hour he had learned more then during seven years.
What he hadn't been mad at them ? What if he hadn't left them ? What if he hadn't been dense enough to believe in their ploy ? What if ?… Could he ever forgive himself ?
One day, he hopelessly realized that he had nothing more to live for.
That's when the voice in his head spoke. His sub-consciousceness ? Revenge, Albus.
His one moment before still dreamy eyes grew cold. His fists clenched on his chair's arm. His body was now slightly bent forwards in a rather aggressive way. Grindelwards. It was all his fault.
Revenge is bittersweet.
Alastor wasn't without noticing the transfiguration.
- Albus ?
- I HATE YOU !!
Albus had sprung himself upwards, standing up his full height. He was not looking at Alastor thought. He was staring at some faraway point beyond him. He was now pacing jerkyly around the room. Alastor was stunned. His best friend hated him ?!
- I hate him.
Albus was calmer now. He had stopped walking and pointed a finger at Alastor. The latter sighed. He understood now. Who Albus hated was rather obvious. At least it was not him.
Suddendly Albus' wand, which had been put in a drawer two months during, appared in his owner's hand. With a wawe of it Albus had all the furniture in the room crash into the opposite wall. With another wawe everything returned to normal.
Alastor was dumbfounded. He knew this was a very difficult spell. What did he do that for ?
Albus grinned satisfactorly. Bitterly. He looked at his best friend.
- I'm still powerful, aren't I ?
Alastor smiled.
That, was the Albus he knew. The Albus who stood and fought back. He was now standing near the window gazing outside. With completely different eyes. He turned around to stare at his friend. Alastor walked up to him.
- I know it seems a stupid thing to say, but I'm proud of you.
The two friends just stood there for a moment. And they both were smiling. The wounded one was cured. If this kind of injury ever healed. The new man Albus was walked back to the window.
- Now, now I've got a purpose in life.
Author's note : OK, I know it's impossible for Moody to be quite as
old as Dumbledore, but it just popped out my mind. And Dumbledore is not
taking drugs, they were just joking ! Tell me if you want a sequel. REVIEW
!