Albus Dumbledore awakened in a white light that quickly coalesced into the train station at Kings Cross, where students board the Hogwarts Express. As the scene became more apparent, he spied a young girl who smiled and waved to him. She greeted him, "Hello, mister."
The girl pointed toward the waiting train and announced, "It is time for you to get on the train for your next great adventure."
"Where have you heard that expression, my child?" asked Dumbledore, pleased to hear his common refrain used here.
"My family always calls death by that name," she replied with a smile. "Now, let's get on the train and leave this place."
"I cannot go on yet. I must wait here for Harry Potter to appear. Eventually, he will have to fight Tom Riddle and come here. That day, I must make certain Harry goes back to end the Dark Lord."
To Dumbledore's great surprise, the child stamped her foot and ordered, "Get on the train! No one is allowed to linger here. Get on the train, or you will be lost forever."
Shaking his head, the wizard attempted to sound wise when he said, "Child, I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and I have accomplished many great things in my life. Death will make an exception for me."
Shaking her head, the little girl replied, "No. Here you are no different than any other soul."
Dumbledore smiled gently, knowing that a child would be convinced that he knew best by muttering a few kind words. "Now, Miss…whatever your name is. I shall remain here, but you go on and enjoy your next great adventure. Perhaps we shall meet again someday."
Sighing mournfully, the child replied, "No, you won't see me again."
Then she hurried to the train and climbed onboard. Out of Dumbledore's sight, the girl met a second young girl. They don't look back as the first girl morphed into Dumbledore's grandmother, Lucinda Dumbledore nee Sturgis, and the second girl grew into Ariana Dumbledore.
"I am sorry, Ariana. He chose not to come," Lucinda explained as she held her weeping granddaughter, and the train left the station without her grandson's soul onboard.
Not paying any attention to the train as it left the station, Albus wandered over to a bench near a doorway he decided he must have used to enter the station. The child already banished from his memory, the man who had been a wizard stared at the stone bench and 'wished' it to be softer and more comfortable. After a moment, he sighed when he realised his wish was not granted.
'Perhaps time here passes differently, and it won't be long before Potter appears,' Dumbledore thought. 'I must make certain he returns to die with Voldemort and move Magical Britain into the era of Light Magic only.'
After what seemed ten minutes or ten years – he can't be sure of time here – Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment. When he opens his eyes again, the mists appear different, so he studied them intently. He saw something dark from the corner of his eye and turned to his left. A slick wall of dark stone appeared about three feet from his bench. He turned to the right and found the same wall there, and it expanded, threatening to encircle him. Albus attempted to rise from the uncomfortable stone bench and found himself stuck. The wizard struggled for a minute, long enough for the wall to fully enclose him in a circle of stone. Glancing upward, he saw the light far above his head.
'This is another nightmare,' he decided. 'I must fight the dream and wake up.'
Suddenly, he could stand, but excruciating pain returned to his left arm. He raised the arm and found that his left hand was gone, but the fire of the curse from the ring still raced up the rest of this arm. His body was covered with cuts and blood from the explosion that sent him here. His ribs were broken and made breathing impossible. One leg collapsed, and he fell heavily back onto the bench. He was barely aware of the ashes falling around him, much like heavy snow. He quickly found himself wishing the bench was wider so he could crawl underneath it. He wished the ash would stop and then wished for his wand…any magic wand. The ashes of his life piled upon Albus Dumbledore and buried him.
Announcements and Changes (17-31 August 1996)On 17 August, the goblins at Gringotts Bank published an official statement on many simultaneous deaths in Britain on 15 August. Among the dead were purebloods Greg Avery, Thomas Mulciber, Evan Rosier, Stanley Goyle, William Crabbe, Paul Selwyn, Lucius Malfoy, Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Augustus Rookwood, Walden MacNair, one werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, and two half-bloods, Albus Dumbledore and Tom Marvolo Riddle. Surprisingly the list included Narcissa Malfoy and her son Draco.
There were no bodies or reports from survivors of any battle. While there would be family memorial services for the purebloods and two funeral services for Dumbledore (the first at the ministry and the second at Hogwarts), no one claimed to know the half-blood named Riddle.
In the sudden vacuum of power in Magical Britain, Cornelius Fudge strutted back on the stage and ignored the looks cast his way from Amelia Bones, Augusta Longbottom, and others. On 18 August, the minister escorted Delores Umbridge to Hogwarts to permanently install his minion as headmistress. When the toad and her boss stepped into the castle, and the wizard made the announcement, Hogwarts ambient magic grabbed the pair and transformed them into toads before Umbridge could do more than croak aloud once. There were half-hearted attempts by the castle staff to undo the transformation while Fudge's Auror guards sent for the Unspeakables.
Two Unspeakables came to the castle and laughed before levitating the toads into a conjured terrarium. The shorter Unspeakable announced the toads would be taken to the Department of Mysteries for study and experimentation. Minerva noticed both toads desperately attempting to leap from the enclosure before it vanished out the front door with the Unspeakables.
In the ministry, officials celebrated the 'departure' of Fudge without a fight in the Wizengamot. Declining to take the minister's position, Director Amelia Bones suggested that Amos Diggory be selected as Minister for Magic. The man's continued grief over the death of his son made him rabidly opposed to all Death Eaters and protective of all children. He was willing to cooperate with the muggle government if any 'problems' appeared with wizards wearing strange white masks.
The same afternoon as the incident of toad transformation, an unassuming but famous wizard appeared at the school's gates with his wife. The wizard was greeted by the head elf who escorted the couple to an interview with a restored portrait of the founders and the spirit of Hogwarts. Newton Scamander was happy in his retirement, but after discussions with the spirit and the portrait of the founders, the wizard agreed to take the position of Headmaster for no more than two years. During the twenty-four months he held the office, Scamander would conduct an extensive search for suitable candidates to be the next headmaster or headmistress. Once candidates were selected, the portraits and spirit would conduct the interviews.
Newton's wife, the American Auror (retired) Porpentina Goldstein, was asked to take the positions of Professor for DADA and head of Gryffindor House. Upon being informed of these decisions by Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall was incensed. She protested until the portrait of Godric Gryffindor spoke to her sharply and offered her the alternative of dismissal without reference.
Severus Snape left the castle on 19 August and was never heard from again. To fill the position of Professor for Potions, Headmaster Scamander and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall contacted Andromeda and Ted Tonks, a pair of successful healers in private practice. The headmaster asked if one could take the position for the coming year. In a compromise, Andromeda took the classes for students' first three years, and Ted took the classes for the fourth year and above. Remus Lupin was hired as the Professor for History. Professor Silvestra assumed the role of Head of Slytherin House, and she started the year with a hard grip on the house. As the year progressed, the number of detentions she passed out to her Slytherins decreased dramatically.
Author's Note: There'll be one more chapter that covers Harry's sixth year.