Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 8:
Albus Dumbledore was a great man.
It is something Rubeus has always said, always known, and what he maintains. Albus Dumbledore was a great man.
But. It had been Harry, after the war was over and repairs under way, who had questioned Rubeus' statement. Or rather he had spoken what Rubeus had left unheard. Albus Dumbledore was a great man, but he was not a good one.
It is a difference most do not see. Indeed, most feel that to be great it is a must to be good, and therefore a great man is synonymous with a good one in their minds. But for people like Rubeus and Harry, there had been a wealth of difference to be found in the two simple words. Great, for them, was a man willing to sacrifice a few for the sake of many. Great was the man who had held secrets close to his heart and had played a game of chance with their lives, while hiding his intentions under the chess board. Great was the man who allowed a child to way to his death so that adults could live for their children.
Albus Dumbledore was a great man, but not a good one.
A good man, according to Rubeus and Harry, would have been one who would not have turned a blind eye to the dangers the students under his care faced due to prejudice. A good man would have stopped the bullying of the many students at the hands of the powerful few. A good man would not have blamed the victim of the prank for his actions almost getting him killed (Snape was a sore point to Harry, it hurt to know that you sympathized with your abuser for the actions against them at the hands of your loved ones). A good man would not have allowed Rubeus to go on with his misconceptions about the toughness of humans.
(It had been hard for Rubeus to realize, to completely understand, the difference between human and half-giant physiology. Molly had sat him down and explained to him the reasons why certain creatures were harmful to humans, and not just because of prejudice. The knowledge that Rubeus' had been putting so many students in danger due to his love for the creatures was a sobering one. The fact that despite that many of these students loved him was humbling.)
A good man would not have left a child to an abusive environment, especially when, as a teacher he had to have been knowledgeable about the signs (Tom, Harry, Severus, Sirius, Remus, to name a few). He should not have allowed abuse to occur in his school, especially abuse that was as open as the conflict between the houses (Severus being turned upside down in public, Regulus being caught four to one by his brother and his friends, Lily being verbal abused in the corridors by the Pureblood students, Dark arts being practiced on others by those with Death Eater sympathies, the list goes on).
Albus did what he thought was right to win the war, but he also forgot the ones who fought the war were people, humans with feelings and emotions, with memories, a past and a future. Or maybe he chose not the remember that.
It is for these reasons, and more, that they say, Albus Dumbledore was a great man, but not a good one.
It is also for these reasons, that Rubeus is currently contemplating throwing Albus Dumbledore out of his home by the ear.
AN: Hello! I am sorry for the delay, this chapter was like pulling teeth!
Anyway, here it is, and a new chapter should be available by this weekend!
Thank you for your patience! And for Reading!
Bye!