Sacrifice

Author: Leta McGotor

Sorry, that I needed this very (I could write about 30 of these "very"'s) long time. Surely you won't believe me, that I had this chapter half finished on my pc for over half a year now, but I never managed to end it, somehow. It was not, to be honest, because I had a writer's block, but I really had no time. You may say now, that you need not so much time to end a half finished chapter, but somehow… I hope you understand, that sometimes one cannot write on, because there are so many things one has to pay attention to and when you really have time to work on – then you are just human: you forget all about it, you want to relax or you want to do other things.

You wonder what brought me finally back to this story? I'll tell you: Reviews. Really, no joke. I got a review for this and for some of my other stories and I felt bad about not finishing it, because this is the last chapter. So, here it is and I hope you can enjoy it.

Chapter 8: The Last

He couldn't tell what this look meant – was it shock, disbelieve, anger? Would she slap him right across the face any moment? Thousands and thousands of such thoughts raced each other in Albus' head. Why had he done it? Why hadn't he thought twice about his actions – why not even once?

Minerva slowly sat up straight but never broke the eyecontact to Albus. Had he really kissed her? Was it just a dream? No, it felt too real to be imagined. It had to be real.

"Minerva, I… I…" Albus stammered not knowing how he could explain this sudden surge of emotion. He shrugged, he felt lost for words, but tried nevertheless to explain without really knowing how to do so. But Minerva silenced him by putting one finger over his lips.

"Ssshh, don't say a thing now.", she whispered while the wind ruffled softly through lose ends of her hair. Albus gaped, but while she just sat there and did nothing, he calmed down again and his heart got a normal beat rate. After a while she took her finger away. Albus didn't move. Every inch of his body seemed to scream another order to his brain and his brain was too confused to even react in the slightest.

Slowly Minerva bend forward and where her finger head been only seconds before her lips met his ones in a silence but passionate and sweet kiss.


"Do you think they'll come back?" Carni asked for the hundredth time looking out of the window again and again.

"I do think so. He loves her too much to let it happen that she goes into her death without trying anything for her rescue."

"I know how much he loves her."

"No, you don't"

"I do. He has told me everything about his feeleings and all." Carni answered looking at the woman who was sitting relaxed on one of the tables swinging her legs.

"You don't, believe me. You are a good listener and it seems you undestand all what is told very well, but it is as it is – you are a man."

"What has this to do with the whole matter?" He crossed his arms while she sighed and shook her head.

"Most men – not all, but nearly – can't undertand love properly. They feel love as they feel it. But love is more than just a feeling one person has for another. Love is a feeling, is life, is everything. Love rules our life. Everyone loves somebody and if it is the very own mother or the best friend in a way. Love doesn't exist only between man and woman but between everything – even between a little child and an interesting butterfly the child has seen. Love is in and around us and you belong to that type of man, who has to realise that before he can really understand. But this is not a fact you can learn from a book – this is something you have to feel inside yourself – you can't control it. Women often are better with such things – just believe me."

Carni stared at her in disbelieve. She had spoken about things he didn't want to know, but somehow it gave him great comfort for in his head there was more than just chaos right at the moment. He shook his head and turned to the window again.

"You know that I read a lot in the late time, don't you?"

"Of course. You have done nothing else. I thought you'd never speak to me again."

"I… I believe I have found a cure for her." He muttered.

"Pardon? Are you sure? Why haven't you told them immediately. Carni, that is wonderful. You have to tell them. You can rescue her and then – with it – you can reascue so many others. You'll see, you'll become famous with it. Are you really sure about it all? I can't believe it. I thought we have to do so much research – and now you tell me, you have already the solution… Carni? Carni, what is the matter?"

He sighed as if a very heavy burden was lying not only on his shoulders but on his heart as well.

"She can't be cured without his help."

"And? I thought we had had the question answered about his love towards her. He would do everything for her."

"Yes, yes, I know. But this thing…"

"Don't be so secretive, tell me what it is, come on."


Albus and Minerva felt as light as feathers in the wind when they entered the house again, hand in hand. They had needed a long time to go back, because at every beautiful spot in the gardens – and there were indeed many of those – they had stopped and looked and finally had kissed each other. Surely they had seen the beauties of the nature there – but to be honest – they had more eyes for each other than for anything else and it was hard for them to let go of each other and continue the way back.

Finally they had reached the house – smiling in in the highest of spirits with their hearts lighter as air and with their arms around each other. After some time Albus and Minerva had reached the room where they knew Carni was in waiting for them. Albus knocked and when they heard the familiar voice, they entered without further thinking.

Carni was alone in the room. Sitting at his table he looked more than just depressed. Albus and Minerva were the complete contrast to him. They had joked and smiled and laughed, but when they spotted Carni, they stopped suddenly. Silence fell in the room. Albus slowly approached the man, who supported his head with his hands.

"Carni, what happened? You look horribly sad and depressed." Albus asked in a whisper. Carni shook his head and looked at Albus, than he watched Minerva for a second and looked back at his friend. His eyes clearly asked him to send her away. But Albus shook his head also.

"All what you have to tell me, she will hear, too." Carni sighed.

"I have found a cure." He said shortly.

"Really? That fast?" Albus beamed. "That is unbelievable. I thought we would have to look for ages for it. When did you find out?"

"I had it already found when you two arrived here."

"But why didn't you tell us immediately? But it doesn't matter now. What will we have to do? Is is a potion? A spell? A combination of…" Albus stopped in his enthusiasm for Minerva had touched his arm and interrupted him.

"Albus wait, let him speak." She said quietly as if afraid someone could be awakened from a deeply needed sleep. Deep inside Minerva knew something wasn't right. She didn't know whether she was afraid of Carni's answer or whether she really wanted to hear it. But she was sure she had to know it now. Albus looked back at Carni and suddenly it became obvious that nobody seemed to be happy about the finding of the cure. So there had to be a problem. Was he the only one who hadn't got a clue about what was going on?

"It's… it's hard to explain. You know I had that idea and I looked it all up and so on. I had to test something to be completely sure. For this test I needed one hair from you both. Marvelie helped me with that. She said it was easy with you, Albus, you are a good sleeper, but she had had her problems with you. She was always afraid you would wake up." He looked at Minerva and Albus and his expression softened for a short moment. But then his face darkened again.

"The test was very positive. It showed me that the idea I had would really work. I must admit, when you asked me and explained what this all was about, I thought I would be happy when I have the solution, but when I finally had, I was more than just depressed." He sighed again and shook his head.

"The problem is that… that…" Helooked at Albus and sighed agin before he spoke. When he started he looked him in the eyes as if he would address only him and nobody else. "You have to sacrifice something, without it she can't survive."

"Don't be so secretive, Carni. It doesn't matter to me what it is, I will do it."

"I told you so." Said Marvelie from a corner of the room.

"You have to sacrifice your magic. You will never again be able to do the slightest bit of magic. You have to give up your whole life you have led until today. You have to become something like… not a muggle, more a… a squib."

Silence fell in the room. All felt suddenly cold. Minerva stared at the man sitting at the table. A part of her wanted to be angry with him, wanted to storm at him, strangle him – Albus Dumbledore couldn't just become a squib. He was one of the most powerful wizards the history had seen. She turned towards the man that stood next to her, but before she could voice her thoughts, Albus answered.

"I will do it."

"Are you mental?" Minerva crossed her arms. "You can't. Have you forgotten who you are?"

"No, Minerva, I have not. I am the man who loves you more than I can think of. I can't live without you and if there is a cure for you, I will do all to make it work, understand?" Lightly he touched her cheek.

"But…"

"Carni, let us begin."

"I was afraid you would say something like that." He stood up and beckoned them to follow him, Minerva still with her arms crossed.

"So let me see… you sit down here…and you…"

"Albus, don't, please. I'm not worth…"

"Never say or even think that you are not worth it, you are worth more like all and you can't stop me now." He answered in a stern voice. Then his expression softened. "I love you." He kissed her once more.

"You sit here, Albus… so right. Close your eyes, both of you. Well…on the count of three then …one… two… three."

A white light erupted between Minerva and Albus, which soon became thicker and stronger, then it parted into several small streams of different colours, like a red, golden rainbow. The light became stronger by second and soon both of them were completely swallowed.

Suddenly all became dark and silent. Nothing was to hear, not even the light wind outside or the breath of a living beeing right next. Had something gone wrong?


It was a warm day in the middle of August. A man sat at a table which was loaden with certain dishes for the evening meal. He himself did not care about all the delicious things in front of him, he payed his fullest attention to the newspaper in his hands.

"It is unbelievable. This new regulations are completely unnecessary."

"I told you so", answered another man looking out over the fields and the wood that lay in front of him. "But I will not complain. Soon I will be far away and nothing whatsoever the ministry does will bother me."

"True, Carni, but what the ministry does or not has never bothered you."

"Yeah… and I had a good life this way."

"You talk as if you had reached the end of your life already." A woman had come from another room carrying some other dishes.

"Everyone at our age, I believe, has to think of the own end."

"No, and these are no pleasant thoughts. Believe me, I know what I am talking about. It is an awful feeling when you know there is only a short time left."

"But that is it, Minerva. You know what I am talking about and what I want to say is: Seize the Day – that is what I want to do and maybe you should try as well."

"Nothing in the world can enrich my life in the way my wife does, Carni, and so I can't say that I miss something. So why should I travel around the world? I have seen it so often, that it is quite boring, but there is nothing more interesting and fascinating than my wife."

Carni rolled his eyes. "If anyone could hear you… The great Albus Dumbledore is completely satisfied by reading the Daily Prophet and by gardening without magic. But it is your life." He shrugged.

Albus smiled. Yes, it was his life which he could lead together with his wife, Minerva. Nothing could be more wonderful to him. It didn't matter that he could no longer use magic for all, but he had learned quickly that one could do things without it. All that counted for him was his Minerva, whom he loved about all, and who loved him as much in return.

And if they both were completely honest – not that they would be in front of Carni about this topic, just to tease him a bit – not all magic was gone. "Why shouldn't I use it for the household? It's there, isn't it?" Minerva had once said, and, what could he add – she was right. Why shouldn't they?


So, that was FINALLY the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed it although I didn't update for such a long time.

Please, review. Remember that such reviews were the reason why I started to write again. So I would be very pleased to read some of those. Thanks for all, who have reviewd until now and thanks to those, who press the little button to tell me their opinion.