Everything.
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half- moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything."
Harry stared at Dumbledore and slowly sat down in a large purple chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore began to pace the room again as Harry felt a rush of fear again before Dumbledore's feeble but sturdy voice broke the silence.
"Your parents were also, as you have been, recognized as being members of the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore stopped pacing and again looked at Harry, before walking over to his desk, opening a drawer and pulling something out. Dumbledore tucked whatever he just picked up in his robe before turning back around. "Harry, they say it is the wand that chooses the wizard and each wand is made from a magical creature. Long before the days of Lord Voldemort the magical beings of the world came together and formed the Order of the Phoenix. They vowed to never let evil inflict the people of the world."
Dumbledore paused and cleared his throat looking at Harry, he continued, "unfortunately evil did come. With the rise of Lord Voldemort, he sent his servants to kill thousands of magical creatures. Your parents spent the years up to their deaths collecting many magical creatures and their feathers, talons, and anything from these creatures, so that they could be used one day, if they were needed.
"The old crowd Harry - they were the only remaining members of the Order. Many of them were killed during the rise of Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore then simply stared at Harry again, looking old and feeble.
Suddenly Harry realized something, "Dumbledore?" He asked. "If both Lord Voldemort and I have a wand from the same phoenix," he said, looking at Fawkes who was gently resting on a perch sitting on Dumbledore's desk. "Then isn't Lord Voldemort a member of the Order of the Phoenix as well?"
A look of relief overtook Dumbledore's face, most of which was hidden in his long silver beard. "No, Harry. That is where our power has been sustained though. None of us wanted Tom to leave, but he left the Order the year after he left Hogwarts. Without all seven members, evil lurked into the world. A member of the Order could only be killed if his host wand was destroyed or of old age. The members of the Order were so magically powerful that their very life flowed through magical veins. When one member died, another would soon be born. We lost three members around the time you were born, your parents and one other. From this one other you were appointed a member."
Harry looked pensively at Dumbledore and after a short pause replied, "Who was it?"
Dumbledore looked at Harry, "Tom Riddle died ten years ago and Lord Voldemort was born. That is why the same magic flows in both of your veins. When he died, he was no longer a member of the Order. That is why he wanted to kill you Harry. If he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, his magical powers would be greater than anyone in history. By using our powers, he could destroy the magical world. "
Harry looked down at his hands, realizing for the first time, that the magic flowing through him also flowed through Voldemort. Fawkes, who was now awake, flew over to Harry and sat on his hand, humming a soft song into the air.
"The truth is often a painful thing" Dumbledore said, looking at Harry, who was lost for words. "As you first year, I should have told you, so you would understand why, but I didn't think you were ready. You know what this means though. If Lord Voldemort is ever finally killed, your magical powers will be shattered. That's why I was against telling you. Harry, the future is not going to be peaceful. The coming years will be painful and you shouldn't expect peace. The magical world is about to be changed forever, and so will you. With the return of Lord Voldemort we will stand together.
From your parents two other members of the Order were born. What was strange about this was that one of them happened to have been already born. On the day of their death, one a muggle-born and the other a pure-blood both died and were reborn. The pure-blood was born on that day and the muggle born was rushed to the hospital, stone- dead, before returning to life, right after your parents died."
Harry knew who the two other ones were. It was something that he had always known, even before he knew that he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He had always felt at comfort with both of them. "Ginny, Hermione," Harry said, his voice weak and soft, as if he now felt weak, knowing the truth.
"Your magical powers serve you well Harry", Dumbledore replied. "Although they are both unaware of it, they are both in the Order of the Phoenix and their day of awakening will come. Harry, know this though. You are not to tell anyone any of this, under any circumstances. I've thought about what I just told for years Harry. This is the secret of the wizarding world, it is why Fudge is so weak to resolve the crisis, why your parents are dead, why Voldemort has risen again, why things are about to be the way they are, and the wizarding world is not ready to know yet."
Harry nodded, his lightning bolt scar visible behind his thick tufts of black hair. He slowly stood up and allowed Fawkes to fly back to Dumbledore, who now stood face-to-face with Harry.
"I believe that you were ready to know this." He wisely remarked. He then clapped his hands together. "I believe that it's time for dinner, how about washing up and getting something to eat. I'm sure this has been quite an afternoon for you. You'll need to rest as well." He said, putting his warm hand on Harry's back.
The two now silhouettes walked out of Dumbledore's office together, putting the past behind them and awaiting what was about to come. Right before the door closed, Dumbledore slipped something into Harry's hand before whispering into his ear, "Your parent's wand will serve you well." Harry looked down at the two long pieces of wood he was holding and held them close to his body, grateful for the life his parents lived, knowing they also lived on in him
* * *
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half- moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything."
Harry stared at Dumbledore and slowly sat down in a large purple chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore began to pace the room again as Harry felt a rush of fear again before Dumbledore's feeble but sturdy voice broke the silence.
"Your parents were also, as you have been, recognized as being members of the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore stopped pacing and again looked at Harry, before walking over to his desk, opening a drawer and pulling something out. Dumbledore tucked whatever he just picked up in his robe before turning back around. "Harry, they say it is the wand that chooses the wizard and each wand is made from a magical creature. Long before the days of Lord Voldemort the magical beings of the world came together and formed the Order of the Phoenix. They vowed to never let evil inflict the people of the world."
Dumbledore paused and cleared his throat looking at Harry, he continued, "unfortunately evil did come. With the rise of Lord Voldemort, he sent his servants to kill thousands of magical creatures. Your parents spent the years up to their deaths collecting many magical creatures and their feathers, talons, and anything from these creatures, so that they could be used one day, if they were needed.
"The old crowd Harry - they were the only remaining members of the Order. Many of them were killed during the rise of Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore then simply stared at Harry again, looking old and feeble.
Suddenly Harry realized something, "Dumbledore?" He asked. "If both Lord Voldemort and I have a wand from the same phoenix," he said, looking at Fawkes who was gently resting on a perch sitting on Dumbledore's desk. "Then isn't Lord Voldemort a member of the Order of the Phoenix as well?"
A look of relief overtook Dumbledore's face, most of which was hidden in his long silver beard. "No, Harry. That is where our power has been sustained though. None of us wanted Tom to leave, but he left the Order the year after he left Hogwarts. Without all seven members, evil lurked into the world. A member of the Order could only be killed if his host wand was destroyed or of old age. The members of the Order were so magically powerful that their very life flowed through magical veins. When one member died, another would soon be born. We lost three members around the time you were born, your parents and one other. From this one other you were appointed a member."
Harry looked pensively at Dumbledore and after a short pause replied, "Who was it?"
Dumbledore looked at Harry, "Tom Riddle died ten years ago and Lord Voldemort was born. That is why the same magic flows in both of your veins. When he died, he was no longer a member of the Order. That is why he wanted to kill you Harry. If he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, his magical powers would be greater than anyone in history. By using our powers, he could destroy the magical world. "
Harry looked down at his hands, realizing for the first time, that the magic flowing through him also flowed through Voldemort. Fawkes, who was now awake, flew over to Harry and sat on his hand, humming a soft song into the air.
"The truth is often a painful thing" Dumbledore said, looking at Harry, who was lost for words. "As you first year, I should have told you, so you would understand why, but I didn't think you were ready. You know what this means though. If Lord Voldemort is ever finally killed, your magical powers will be shattered. That's why I was against telling you. Harry, the future is not going to be peaceful. The coming years will be painful and you shouldn't expect peace. The magical world is about to be changed forever, and so will you. With the return of Lord Voldemort we will stand together.
From your parents two other members of the Order were born. What was strange about this was that one of them happened to have been already born. On the day of their death, one a muggle-born and the other a pure-blood both died and were reborn. The pure-blood was born on that day and the muggle born was rushed to the hospital, stone- dead, before returning to life, right after your parents died."
Harry knew who the two other ones were. It was something that he had always known, even before he knew that he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He had always felt at comfort with both of them. "Ginny, Hermione," Harry said, his voice weak and soft, as if he now felt weak, knowing the truth.
"Your magical powers serve you well Harry", Dumbledore replied. "Although they are both unaware of it, they are both in the Order of the Phoenix and their day of awakening will come. Harry, know this though. You are not to tell anyone any of this, under any circumstances. I've thought about what I just told for years Harry. This is the secret of the wizarding world, it is why Fudge is so weak to resolve the crisis, why your parents are dead, why Voldemort has risen again, why things are about to be the way they are, and the wizarding world is not ready to know yet."
Harry nodded, his lightning bolt scar visible behind his thick tufts of black hair. He slowly stood up and allowed Fawkes to fly back to Dumbledore, who now stood face-to-face with Harry.
"I believe that you were ready to know this." He wisely remarked. He then clapped his hands together. "I believe that it's time for dinner, how about washing up and getting something to eat. I'm sure this has been quite an afternoon for you. You'll need to rest as well." He said, putting his warm hand on Harry's back.
The two now silhouettes walked out of Dumbledore's office together, putting the past behind them and awaiting what was about to come. Right before the door closed, Dumbledore slipped something into Harry's hand before whispering into his ear, "Your parent's wand will serve you well." Harry looked down at the two long pieces of wood he was holding and held them close to his body, grateful for the life his parents lived, knowing they also lived on in him
* * *