CHAPTER 12
Albus Dumbledore had never felt this confused in his long life.
He entered the house with James, who for some reason did not seem as respectful as he usually did. On entering, he saw a really strange sight.
Lily, with Harry in her arms, was laughing with Sirius.
It wouldn't seem strange at any other time, but considering the circumstances, it was pretty strange.
How could Sirius have come before him? More importantly, how did he gain entry, when not even he himself could do so with his years' worth of talent and experience? And how come Lily is laughing? Shouldn't she be sad?
It was safe to say that Albus Dumbledore was hopelessly confused.
Suddenly Lily turned around, saw him and the laughter died on her lips. He didn't see the awed and respectful look that she usually gave him. Even though he was bewildered, he attempted to salvage his remaining dignity by giving her his patented grandfatherly smile. She smiled back, albeit a little reluctantly. He shrugged it off as the after shocks of the attack.
"Ah Lily and Sirius. And of course little Harry. So sorry to hear about the attack my dear, I am so sorry that I couldn't have done anything to prevent it.."
James looked on in disgust as his former headmaster gave his condolences to them. He still didn't fully understand how Dumbledore was responsible for their fate, but was putting together the pieces of the puzzle. When Dumbledore had told him about the monitoring ward, the first question in his mind had been that how could Dumbledore have not prevented the attack if he had a monitoring ward? He tuned the old wizard out and thought about this. After a few moments he noticed that Dumbledore had stopped going on about whatever he was going on about. He now decided to take the bull by the horns.
"Professor?"
"Yes my boy?"
Insert grandfatherly, benign, I'm-superior-than-you-so-worship-me-smile and the famous eye twinkles.
"I.. well, you mentioned some monitoring wards outside in the garden. I was, well, wondering if you had gotten some warning about the attack then um, why didn't any rescue party or Aurors or even you yourself come?"
Something flashed in Dumbledore's eyes that he couldn't quite place, but it didn't seem good whatever it was.
The old professor smiled sadly and said, "Ah.. Yes James. The monitoring ward. You see my boy, I had been able to place a ward that would alert me about any damage caused to the occupants of the house. So only when the first lethal spell had been cast I had gotten the warning. Alas I had been otherwise occupied at the time and not in my office so I had not been able to hear it. It was only when I returned, around five minutes after that I noticed it and then I rushed here. Then I found my arrival impeded by that protective warding over the grounds and was not able to breach it and come inside despite my best efforts. Speaking of the warding, you wouldn't know anything about it, would you Lily?"
Lily gave a look to James, conveying in a single look that "They had to talk later."
Then she turned to the professor with a pleasant yet confused smile, "No professor, I am honestly very sorry to say that I don't know how it was cast and how come its protecting us. I was hoping that you would be able to shed some light on this. Why, I only got to know about when I looked out of the window and saw the beautiful bubble like covering and you standing outside!"
Dumbledore said, "Ah I am sorry my dear but it seems that this ward is arcane even for me! But I did have one question for you my dear, and for Sirius too, that how come he was able to come when I couldn't gain entry?"
Lily looked panicking at James and he too was confused about how to answer this without giving the game away.. when Sirius saved the day.. or night, whatever.
"Ah professor! You see when I came here, I was too distraught to think about anything other than James and Lily and Harry. I didn't have any intention to find out things, or think about who vanquished the Dark Lord and stuff like that. I was acting on raw emotions. Maybe the bubble sensed my emotions and let me in?"
James was impressed. He was sure Sirius was going to say that he had not seen any bubble which was the truth. But it would have made Dumbledore suspicious since he didn't know anything about the rune. That's why he was worrying so much. But Sirius had pulled this off perfectly. Without making Dumbledore suspicious about anything..
"James? You told Sirius about the prophecy? He just used the phrase vanquished the Dark Lord."
Ah.. famous last words.
"Yes professor. I did. After all, Sirius is Harry's godfather and he has a right to know. And it was better I told him for if today hadn't gone the way it had, it would have been up to Sirius to do something about it." James said as he was quite sure Lily had just now told Sirius about it and that was why he had used the phrase.
Dumbledore considered. He wasn't happy by any means, but knew that tone. It was when James was convinced of something or convinced that the other person was wrong. It seemed that there was not much he could do about it, short of obliviating Sirius. But that would lead to an enraged James and a furious Lily and considering that one of them had managed to cast a spell to defeat Voldemort himself, he didn't want to take a chance.
"Ah. I agree with you my boy. Just a few more questions if you don't mind?"
"Sure professor."
Dumbledore considered. What to ask first?
"James. If you could recount what happened to you? What all do you remember?"
"I was in the living room with Lily and Harry, professor. We were reminiscing about old times, when the wards went down. I panicked and ordered Lily to take Harry and go. She rushed up the stairs just as Voldemort came in through the front door. He taunted me and we battled for a few minutes until an Avada caught me. I knew nothing else till I woke up."
Dumbledore looked expectantly at Lily.
"I went up the stairs and tried to apparate since the wards were under our control and should have bent to my will. But it seemed as if Voldemort had arranged his own anti - apparition wards since I couldn't apparate. I then put Harry in his crib and said my goodbyes to him, all the while looking for anything that would save us. I heard the Killing Curse being spoken by Voldemort and had screamed then. Voldemort came up and surprisingly ordered me to leave Harry and turn away. I obviously refused and he then simply spoke the Killing Curse and my last thought was a prayer to Merlin, the Founders, Morgana le Fey or whatever deities there were to save Harry and let him live a fruitful life. Then I woke up to find Sirius and James leaning over me with Harry in the crib."
"I see." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Sirius what did you see?"
"I reached here to find the house demolished and James lying still and cold in the hallway. Lily was in the same condition in the Nursery. But Harry was in his crib and was crying and there had been a lot of damage to the nursery. I picked him up to notice a scar on his forehead and it was bleeding. I tried to heal him. Then I turned back and went to James's body. I touched his face and felt it warm. I started and tried to revive him and it worked. We then did the same with Lily."
"Hmm.. there was no body of Voldemort?"
"No professor. Nothing except for robes."
"I see. I should now take my leave, since I have to notify the Ministry and the Aurors to stop searching for Lord Voldemort as he is dead. Also the Order has to be disbanded and I suppose you would like to celebrate too without a senile, old professor crashing the party." His blue eyes twinkled.
Lily laughed a little while James just smiled politely.
Dumbledore nodded to them and smiled at Harry who smiled toothily back and took his leave.
Dumbledore reached the edge of the bubble like covering and turned on the spot, only to appear at the gates of Hogwarts. He walked to his office contemplating the night and the surprising events that had transpired. Even though his plan of eliminating the parents of little Harry to gain his control had failed but it was no matter since he had other plans and just needed to tweak them a little. It was a relief to know they were still alive though, since it had been hurting his conscience as the Leader Of the Light to allow two of his best students and fighters to be murdered. At least the events had accomplished one thing - he finally had confirmed who would be the downfall of Voldemort. The only snag now was the cool attitude of the Potters and Sirius towards him. Though it wouldn't have been noticed by an outsider, Dumbledore had noticed that James and Lily were polite and not enthusiastic in their greetings and Sirius was quite cold, which was extremely surprising and unnerving since Sirius had always been a very enthusiastic supporter of Dumbledore to rub it in the faces of his family and disappoint his insane mother.
Dumbledore supposed that the cool reception might have had something to do with shock and grief at discovering that a dear friend was a traitor.
Also, now the biggest variable was Tom. Albus was fairly sure that he was not dead, given the lack of a body and the prophecy which told of another encounter between Tom and Harry.
Dumbledore sighed as he sat down behind his oak desk. He picked up a piece of parchment and a quill as he started writing a letter that would bring relief to the majority of the Wizarding World and would hopefully usher in a new era of peace and happiness.
