an: behind every great man there is a story, and this is Dumbledore's...
set a few decades ago, with the first rise of Voldemort, when Dumbledore was but a young teacher...i hope you enjoy my little epiphany.
(¯`'·.¸(¯`'·.¸ ¸.·'´¯)¸.·'´¯)
----His Loss ----
(_¸.·'´(_¸.·'´ `'·.¸_)`'·.¸_)
by flutterfly blu
All around him he saw destruction, heard the cries of witches and wizards returning home to find those they loved killed. The scent of smouldering timbers filled his nostrils and chilled him to the bone. All around him he felt the intoxicating evil that was Voldemort. He was gone, of course, he knew that, and yet, somehow, the evil of what he'd just done remained to scar the land.
Entering his house, a fluro green skull hovering overhead, he knew what he was about to find. Nothing could prepare a parent for finding their children dead, still huddled in the corner, their tears still damp on their faces. "Zachary…Prudence…" He walked over to them, wrapped his arms around their limp bodies and began to sob. They were tiny…so tiny. Clarissa had sent him an owl only a day earlier to say that she'd managed to buy two small toy broomsticks for the twins' sixth birthday, in three weeks time. "Clarissa!" His voice broke up as it wafted through the remains of the house, though, seeing the twins' cold pale faces, he held little hope for his wife. He knew she wouldn't have left the twins alone, not in times such as these, not when the dark arts were rising with such savage force.
"Clarissa's wasn't here," came the quiet voice of an old witch as she made her way down the stairs, "she left the two in Twist's protection when she went help old Mrs Mathews, who'd returned early after being wounded in battle. She did not know he was so close. Nobody did. The attack was a surprise, even to her. Come, we can take the twins and bury them on the hill in Pine Forrest. They always loved it there."
The young wizard nodded. In one night he'd lost his family, as so many others had.
"What about Clarissa?" he croaked, through muffled sobs, knowing that his wife, pregnant with their third child would have suffered the same fate. But he had to hear it, he wouldn't believe it until he heard the words.
The old witch, Clarissa's mother, looked away sadly, shaking her head. "There is no body, dear. I'm sorry. I should have been here…I should have known…" Her eyes glistened with tears.
"It's not your fault, Celeste…nobody knew…"
Minutes passed, and they sat in silence, the man staring at his two small children, as if to etch their lifeless faces into his mind. Finally he stood, taking them in their arms.
"We should go; no doubt there will be much to do for the families which are left."
The old witch nodded, dabbing her eyes with a small white hanky. "You are so self-less. One of the many fine qualities Clarissa saw in you. One day…one day I know we will be rid of them. In the meantime, Albus, never give up. Whatever you do, just don't give up."
* * *
a/n: jkr said in an interview that some of the teachers were married, and I wouldn't be surprised if something like this might have happened to poor ol' Dumbledore, 'cos, hey - you never know until JKR writes otherwise! Thank you for reviewing!
set a few decades ago, with the first rise of Voldemort, when Dumbledore was but a young teacher...i hope you enjoy my little epiphany.
(¯`'·.¸(¯`'·.¸ ¸.·'´¯)¸.·'´¯)
----His Loss ----
(_¸.·'´(_¸.·'´ `'·.¸_)`'·.¸_)
by flutterfly blu
All around him he saw destruction, heard the cries of witches and wizards returning home to find those they loved killed. The scent of smouldering timbers filled his nostrils and chilled him to the bone. All around him he felt the intoxicating evil that was Voldemort. He was gone, of course, he knew that, and yet, somehow, the evil of what he'd just done remained to scar the land.
Entering his house, a fluro green skull hovering overhead, he knew what he was about to find. Nothing could prepare a parent for finding their children dead, still huddled in the corner, their tears still damp on their faces. "Zachary…Prudence…" He walked over to them, wrapped his arms around their limp bodies and began to sob. They were tiny…so tiny. Clarissa had sent him an owl only a day earlier to say that she'd managed to buy two small toy broomsticks for the twins' sixth birthday, in three weeks time. "Clarissa!" His voice broke up as it wafted through the remains of the house, though, seeing the twins' cold pale faces, he held little hope for his wife. He knew she wouldn't have left the twins alone, not in times such as these, not when the dark arts were rising with such savage force.
"Clarissa's wasn't here," came the quiet voice of an old witch as she made her way down the stairs, "she left the two in Twist's protection when she went help old Mrs Mathews, who'd returned early after being wounded in battle. She did not know he was so close. Nobody did. The attack was a surprise, even to her. Come, we can take the twins and bury them on the hill in Pine Forrest. They always loved it there."
The young wizard nodded. In one night he'd lost his family, as so many others had.
"What about Clarissa?" he croaked, through muffled sobs, knowing that his wife, pregnant with their third child would have suffered the same fate. But he had to hear it, he wouldn't believe it until he heard the words.
The old witch, Clarissa's mother, looked away sadly, shaking her head. "There is no body, dear. I'm sorry. I should have been here…I should have known…" Her eyes glistened with tears.
"It's not your fault, Celeste…nobody knew…"
Minutes passed, and they sat in silence, the man staring at his two small children, as if to etch their lifeless faces into his mind. Finally he stood, taking them in their arms.
"We should go; no doubt there will be much to do for the families which are left."
The old witch nodded, dabbing her eyes with a small white hanky. "You are so self-less. One of the many fine qualities Clarissa saw in you. One day…one day I know we will be rid of them. In the meantime, Albus, never give up. Whatever you do, just don't give up."
* * *
a/n: jkr said in an interview that some of the teachers were married, and I wouldn't be surprised if something like this might have happened to poor ol' Dumbledore, 'cos, hey - you never know until JKR writes otherwise! Thank you for reviewing!
