Sunday May 10, 1998
"The problem with too many Quidditch players,
is that all their brains are in their head."
Attributed to Bill Shankly
Two days later Harry left the Burrow for Hogwarts. Ginny was not at all happy with Harry coming and going like he was doing. She was expecting him to be firmly fixed to a kitchen chair at the Burrow rather than carrying on cavorting about the place. At least he left in the late evening so they had a good time walking about Dartmoor. On the other side of the coin, Mrs. Weasley was getting concerned about having Harry and Ginny spending too much time together, alone, and unsupervised. That is why when Harry headed back to Hogwarts Mrs. Weasley was not at all sad while Ginny became lethargical and uninterested in the rest of the day.
Harry slept well in his old bed in the Gryffindor tower. He knew his days of using the Gryffindor tower were numbered. Once school started in September he would be using Professor Snape's rooms.
The portrait of Professor Dumbledore hug to the side of the desk in Professor Snape's old office that Harry was now using as his own. For most of the time Dumbledore was away in his other portraits: how many of which Harry did not know. When he did visit Harry the conversations were more the form of questions and answers as Harry had questions and, he hoped Professor Dumbledore had answers.
Harry's first question was, "If you are dead, why can I talk to you here?"
"Good start Harry. Yes indeed, if I am dead how can I be here in this painting hearing and answering you and giving you the confidence that it truly me and not some dark magic at work."
"Yeh, something like that."
"Cast your mind back to your second year, the year when Miss. Weasley found a book in her basket. The same book she tried to get rid of and the same book which you found. A book that could answer your questions as though it was alive.
"Magic can be used for good as well as evil. Sometimes the same spell can be used for both depending on the context into which it is placed. For example, a book could be endowed with power to speak the words on the pages. If the words were a nice story, then you would sit back and enjoy the tail. If the words were a spell, then all hell could be unleashed at a predetermined time."
"Can that be done?"
"Oh yes, Harry. That can and has been done with devastating effect. If was common here at Hogwarts before I arrived. Bits of paper were hidden in well known places that 1st year students would go. Upon opening the paper, the unsuspecting student would read the words and then the trick would happen. The goal was to make the words relate to the trick. Like, 'the sun rises in the morning' and then the paper bursts into flames. The ones I found most interesting were the ones for bedtime. A common one was, 'stand up and see the moon at the window.' Of course the unsuspecting student would go to the window and look at the moon. That is when his pajamas would become stiff as boards and locked the poor person in place. Of course with effort it was possible to get out of the pajamas: much to the amusement of all.
"Now, going back to your question. If you have been reading A history of Magic? If you had read it you would know that in the Beginning everyone was endowed with the ability of discernment. If you have been feeding that ability you would know by your feelings if I am telling the truth or not. Sadly Tom did not understand that ability and his feelings were all withered up and basically were non-existent. That is why he used threats, malicious actions and fear to force people to keep him informed.
"By feeding the ability, discernment will grow and develop until, when you are older, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
"Free from what?" Harry quickly asked.
"Free from error."
"That's not an answer, is it?"
"That is the answer of an old man to a young man. As you grow up you will understand the meaning of that answer. You have patience where Tom did not. You will gain where Tom could not. You will see where Tom was blind. Patience brings the blessings Tom missed because he expected it all at once. That is the folly of youth over the experience of age.
"And as we talk, you will know by your feelings that I am telling you the truth. If it is a guess, then I will tell you. And as you know, my educated guesses are pretty good: not perfect, just pretty good."
"So where are you? Not the you in the picture, you as in your soul?" Posed Harry.
"Remember our discussion after Lord Voldemort used a killing curse on you, or so he thought."
"And we met in Kings Cross?"
"Yes."
"And you said it was my show and I had the ability to choose. Choose to stay or go on."
"That's the one." Replied Dumbledore
"And I wasn't sure if it was real or in my head."
"I think we have ascertained which encounter it was. Real or not. Actual or figurative. Or whatever you want to say. By then I had moved on to the next step in my progression. A step, as you well know, all will have to face. Even though I am actually there this portrait holds a faint image of me. It is that image you see and are talking to. I shall forever stay here slowly fading into history and insignificance. One day, as a dusty, old and cracked painting, enough paint will flake off to cause all to freeze into place just like a muggle painting. At that time, the magic is broke and I will never be able to visit that painting. Slowly the other paintings will do the same and we will disappear from memory and only exist in stories whispered from the very dust of Hogwarts.
Breaking to gloomy spell Dumbledore cast he said in a bright voice, "Since that is in the distant future, I think we have time to talk."
"The magic doesn't last for ever?" Harry quickly asked.
"Good heavens no. Everything decays, some things faster than others. That decay is only to do with this period of our existence. In the next period time itself will not be needed as we will have all eternity to enjoy.
Sometimes Harry found Dumbledore hard to follow. He has the annoying ability to flip from the past to the present and then have a quick look at the future. All very interesting but not too applicable to Harry and his up and coming worries. So he asked, "So what about Harveture?"
"Ah yes, what about Harveture. One of the oldest aspects of wizards and wizardry not created at the dawn of time. However, it was created to help young men not make a fool of themselves by falling head over heals at the first girl that passes by. Harveture was created to force young men to think with their brains for a change."
Harry looked dubiously at Dumbledore and asked, "Have you ever fallen in live?"
"Good gracious me! Do you think I was born looking this old? As a matter of fact, I was considered by some to be rather hansom, in a rugged way. Yes, of course I have fallen in love… several times."
"How old were you the first time?"
"Now that is going back a bit." Dumbledore sat down, got comfortable as he stretched back into ancient history. "I would have been ten or eleven. Either way I was in my last year at Dingley Dell Infants School. We had a trainee teacher for about two months and she was my first love. She was tall, black boots, black stockings, black leather skirt scandalously short for that time, tight black jumper, long black hair and bright red lips. Oooo every boy in the class was head over heals in love with this goddess. I can still see her when I close my eyes… Us boys would talk about her before, during and after school. While she was our teacher no one stepped out of line as we knew she had eyes at the back of her head. She knew when someone was messing about as that resulted in either chalk or the eraser flying across the classroom with deadly accuracy. She was that good.
"You know Harry it is through her I really gained a firm appreciation of books. She would read to us a classic muggle book called Moonfleet. She had the knack of stopping just as the action was getting interesting. Feeling very frustrated about her stops and starts I went to the local village and bought the muggle book myself. Good thing to as she left before she finished the book. Between her and Moonfleet I found books to be beguiling, not so much as she was, beguiling none the less.
"Years later, once I entered the noble profession of teaching our paths crossed from time to time. Harry, there is no substitute for your first love… Once a goddess, always a goddess.
"And before you ask another question, let me pose one to you… Are all the Hogwarts professors single? Ever thought about that Harry? Where are their other half? Living, dead, home, gone, run away, done a bunk?
"No I think not. All came through the First Wizard Wars fighting with all they had, sacrificing much, caring little for them selves as they knew the price of failure. Tom made it a special point to destroy the families of those who were against him. Not just the immediate family, no! He would go after the extended family with the intention of wiping their names from every scroll, parchment and book known in the wizarding community. Tom was trying to put the price of defiance so high, no one would think of opposing him. He thought wrong.
"Each professor paid a very high price, a very high price indeed."
Missing what Professor Dumbledore was driving at, Harry asked, "Does that mean you were married?"
Following Harry's direction Professor Dumbledore replied assuredly with, "It does Harry, it does indeed."
"But it's not in Rita's book."
"Sadly Miss. Skeeter tends toward the trite, light and more scandalous sections of life. In her haste she misses the real substance of life. To be first to the press she concentrated on my life in this country and failed to follow my footsteps to foreign parts. Tom did not make that mistake. I was blissfully ignorant of his powers and reach. The 'accident' caught me off guard and I assumed, like everyone else, that what happened was really an 'accident.' Only later did I find Tom's hand at work."
"You were married?"
"Like I said, I have not been old all my life. Yes I was married with children. Plural, that is. Tom, as you well know, had a long reach. He had his spies, informants and those under an imperius curse. I would assume he had me followed virtually all the time from our last meeting at Hogwarts. Then, bingo, all gone."
"You never said anything about your family."
"What would be the point? Once you knew Tom was back history was of little use. I was looking forward trying to understand the difference between Deathly Hallows and Horcruxs. Sadly greed got in the way and you were the one to see the difference.
"So you would know all about my parents… and my grandparents?"
"I knew them all." Was all Dumbledore offered.
"And?" Prodded Harry.
"You already know the basics of your parents. I'm sure you will find out more. Just like Hagrid, who gave you an excellent photograph album of you and your parents, others will assist you in a similar fashion. Your grandparents will be different. Yes I knew them and yes Tom tracked them down. Once he found he could not use them as leverage he discarded them."
"That's it!"
"Sadly that was it. Of course I was not there. I pieced the broad outline together from bits of information I gathered along the way."
Professor Dumbledore was not trying to be cruel, just honest about the facts. "Sorry for being so blunt, you would find out sooner or later as many others will come out of hiding, again, saying all sorts of fanciful things. Best you hear it first here."
"Didn't know. I mean Neville has a grandmother…"
"Parents in St. Mungo's. Three grandparents murdered, only one alive."
"The Weasley's have none…"
"Natural causes."
"The Patel girls have all four…"
"Not important to Tom."
"Cho…"
"When she dropped you she became safe and nothing happened."
"Safe?"
"Mmm Certain persons in Hogwarts were trying to find out who she was and how important your relationship was. She did the right thing to keep her family safe."
"Did she know?"
"Never asked."
"Nor did I.." Harry said as if running out of steam. He found the conversation taxing. So much to learn, sift, file, and ponder over. And he knew there would be more episodes like this now the impending doom of Tom was gone.
A light bulb went off and Harry quickly asked, "Did your brother know you were married?"
"Alas no. We were not on good terms and it happened abroad, quickly and quietly. I was going to tell him… then things started to spiral out of control and the war was on. I fear telling him might be like a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans: and you know what a disaster that can result in!"
"So you never told you own brother?"
"Not so while alive, and I fear the opportunity while dead might not present itself. So, I suspect it will be no to both. However, if I am found worthy I shall be reunited with my family in the future and that makes bearing the pain tolerable."
"Okay, one last question…"
"Only one?" Professor Dumbledore asked in a gently chiding tone.
Harry had to smile. Dumbledore knew him very well. "Only one… for the moment. Professor Snape's potions book. Did you know I would end up with it?
"One of my better tricks I must admit. I was trying to ensure you would ingratiate yourself with Professor Slughorn. As you will remember he had a memory that proved most useful in filling in key details otherwise missing. I'm afraid Professor Snape was most unhappy parting with what he considered a masterpiece of work. He was devoted to the arts of potion making and, as you read, was far more skillful than most of us professors put together. That is why I had no qualms turning to him in times of need. And before you ask it would not matter which of the two books you selected. Whichever one you picked would have been the right one. We had the two books under a last minute substitution spell.
"With Professor Snape no longer with us, I suppose you are the correct owner of the book. You can do no better than repeating some of his work with effort being applied as to why his way is far superior to the textbook way.
"And if I remember correctly, your parents' house was not really destroyed. I think you would find you parents bits and bobs still there."
"Bits and bobs?"
"The items accrued, collected, acquired by various means whilst wandering the halls of Hogwarts."
"I thought the house was destroyed… I saw it."
"Harry, how many times have I told you not to accept what you see at face value? Just remember Professor Snape. Tom killed your parents he did not destroy the house. I thought a 'ruined state' was as a good way to keep visiting wizards away. I anticipated, one day, you would want to move back home to Godric's Hollow: assuming you survived Tom. I had not anticipated 12 Grimmauld Place being bequeathed to you. Anyway… all you have to do is walk up the path, put your hand on the doorknocker and say, 'Blubberworth' and you will be allowed to enter the house."
"You did that?"
"Those were black days Harry. Tom and his followers were strong and gaining strength. To enhance their stature certain troublesome elements had to be removed. Your parents were certainly troublesome to Tom. That is why he personally went after them and, more importantly, you. Between your parents and you, you were the prize. Remember the prophesy?" Harry nodded as Dumbledore continues with, "Tom got to your parents and you first. I was a slow second. Hagrid and Black were third and fourth respectively." Dumbledore paused for a moment then said, "This might sound bad, but remember we were in the middle of a live or die fight. Once I saw your parents were dead and you were alive I quickly rearranged the house to resemble an explosion. Then I was off trying to ascertain Tom's whereabouts. Leaving you alive meant something had happened, exactly what I did not know. That is why Hagrid was called to assist in your rescue.
"Once you were safe with your in-laws, your parents were honored by a proper burial: it was the least we could do."
"So no explosion?"
Sorry, Harry… nothing as spectacular as that. However, my quick action has kept gawpers at bay. It didn't turn the place into a shrine. And I think I achieved my goal.
"Talking about your parents' funeral. It was well attended by many notable Gryffindor members. Chief was Remus Lupin as Peter Pettigrew had faked his own death and fingered Sirius Black. Challenging days indeed.
"As you know the church holds a special place in my heart. My family is buried there. Sadly we were never allowed to re-inter my father. Once you die in Azcaban, you stay in Azcaban. No exceptions."
"Why weren't you buried there?"
"Without father I couldn't see the point. Aberforth will be buried at Mould-on-the-Wold, as that is where we originated and the bulk of the Dumbledore family is buried. So I thought I'd rather stay at Hogwarts and enjoy the scenery. And, it seems, I have good company. Young Colin Creevey has moved into the neighborhood.
"And now, Harry, I really do feel it is time for me to stretch my legs and go pay a visit on some of the illustrious people in the paintings dotted about Hogwarts. During my tenure as a professor, and then as headmaster, I neglected my duty to spend time with them. Now I have all the time in the world I am rectifying that neglect." With that Professor Dumbledore stood up, nodded toward Harry and started walking out of the painting.
"Bye," Said Harry.
"Stay out of trouble Harry!" Said Professor Dumbledore as he left the painting at a good pace. Harry noticed Dumbledore's withered hand was all healed.
It was after Professor Dumbledore had left the painting that Harry realized Dumbledore had said nothing of substance about Harveture. This was becoming a recurring theme whenever he asked someone about Harveture.
