DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros.,
Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is
intended.
Many thanks to Niamh, for her superior betaing skills. All of her stories
should be on your reading list and you can find them at FF.Net listed
under, Dame Niamh.
Albus IV
Early hours of the morning.
You knew that was going to happen, didn't you, Arcanus?
You set Minerva up, manipulated the people and moments she holds close, for varying reasons, under the glare of inquisition and then sat back and watched her crumble under the stress.
Have you taken to gifting people with grief, for I assure you, you need not bother? There will soon be more than enough grief for anyone not vowing allegiance to Riddle. Why drag all this ancient history up from the depths? It does little benefit to the aggrieved parties, other than to continually pick at the error of their past mistakes.
Are you questioning the gift or the necessary results from accepting the gift, Albus?
I'm questioning why you feel the need to make people jump through hoops that you've never really defined. When last you visited me, you gave me a gift that served to help others. This time, well this time I'm not so sure what your motives are, but if hurt and humiliation are 'gifts', I'd sooner you just find some other specks to gift.
You're angry with me, yet you don't really understand why I'm here. I wonder if the gift of wisdom was a poor choice for you, Albus? You seem intent on ignoring it at this moment and that troubles me.
I'm angry because you hurt her.
Who?
Minerva of course. Why, who else have you been hurting?
Minerva must forgive herself the past. That is her key. How she chooses to enact the pull exerted by the gift is her business alone. Your love and protection served her in the past, but it's long since past the time that she needs to manage her own history. She wants to move on.I can sense her need to move on, but she's scared of so many different factors.
She's scared you'll abandon her if she seeks to redress the past.
How can she redress the past, when the past would happily chop her up for amusement?
That is not your concern, Albus. You are a conduit, not the adjudicator.
And you are, I suppose?
Sarcasm does not befit you. You who is so used to being obeyed, must learn your own task. Do you remember when I told you all those years ago that wisdom came with its own price?
What of it?
Power and wisdom are snares if you choose to protect the few to spite the many. Wisdom begats power, but power does not necessarily require wisdom. The price of wisdom is the inability to discern might over right. You have the might and power to effectively stop Minerva's quest for forgiveness, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have the right to do so.
I know that. I'm not a complete imbecile.
Do you, Albus? Are you sure about that? Your anger and rigid epigraphy tells me a different story. I can feel the vitriol and sarcasm dripping from your quill.
I want you to stop hurting her. She doesn't deserve to be treated like an experiment.
How strange. I had thought to say the same to you, Albus.
Mid morning.
I'm tired of deception and I weary of your obscure answers, Arcanus. I cannot help Minerva, nor the others if I don't know what role you wish me to play. I feel like a marionette, strung up and waiting for you to decide in which direction I must now dance.
I saw Minerva at breakfast. She looks like she hasn't slept for days and her eyes betray the fact that I know she's been crying. It hurts me to see her anguish so plainly on her face.
Severus glanced nervously at her all through breakfast, as though Minerva was about to detonate and he is already so taut with his 'activities'.
I feel like I'm of no use to anyone any more.
Are you still angry with me, Albus?
Who else have you been hurting?
I'll take that as a yes, shall I?
I weary of your evasiveness, Arcanus. Can you not answer a simple question without adding another question or your own shade of wit to the dialogue?
To which riddle would you like an answer? You have only to use your wisdom to ask your questions, Albus. I have no emotions and any appeal or anger you direct at me, must be logical. You seek to make me that which I can never be.
You seek to make me human.
Why are you here, Arcanus? Why now? Why hold me as the conduit?
I have always been here, Albus, you know that. You are not using your wisdom. That was a stupid question.
I am here now, because I need to be here now.
You also know the answer to the third question, Albus. For your wisdom to be useful to all who seek it, you must be resilient. I could approach the keys myself, but should they query my intent, all hope would be lost.
Hope for what, Arcanus?
Hope for everything.
Albus IV
Early hours of the morning.
You knew that was going to happen, didn't you, Arcanus?
You set Minerva up, manipulated the people and moments she holds close, for varying reasons, under the glare of inquisition and then sat back and watched her crumble under the stress.
Have you taken to gifting people with grief, for I assure you, you need not bother? There will soon be more than enough grief for anyone not vowing allegiance to Riddle. Why drag all this ancient history up from the depths? It does little benefit to the aggrieved parties, other than to continually pick at the error of their past mistakes.
Are you questioning the gift or the necessary results from accepting the gift, Albus?
I'm questioning why you feel the need to make people jump through hoops that you've never really defined. When last you visited me, you gave me a gift that served to help others. This time, well this time I'm not so sure what your motives are, but if hurt and humiliation are 'gifts', I'd sooner you just find some other specks to gift.
You're angry with me, yet you don't really understand why I'm here. I wonder if the gift of wisdom was a poor choice for you, Albus? You seem intent on ignoring it at this moment and that troubles me.
I'm angry because you hurt her.
Who?
Minerva of course. Why, who else have you been hurting?
Minerva must forgive herself the past. That is her key. How she chooses to enact the pull exerted by the gift is her business alone. Your love and protection served her in the past, but it's long since past the time that she needs to manage her own history. She wants to move on.I can sense her need to move on, but she's scared of so many different factors.
She's scared you'll abandon her if she seeks to redress the past.
How can she redress the past, when the past would happily chop her up for amusement?
That is not your concern, Albus. You are a conduit, not the adjudicator.
And you are, I suppose?
Sarcasm does not befit you. You who is so used to being obeyed, must learn your own task. Do you remember when I told you all those years ago that wisdom came with its own price?
What of it?
Power and wisdom are snares if you choose to protect the few to spite the many. Wisdom begats power, but power does not necessarily require wisdom. The price of wisdom is the inability to discern might over right. You have the might and power to effectively stop Minerva's quest for forgiveness, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have the right to do so.
I know that. I'm not a complete imbecile.
Do you, Albus? Are you sure about that? Your anger and rigid epigraphy tells me a different story. I can feel the vitriol and sarcasm dripping from your quill.
I want you to stop hurting her. She doesn't deserve to be treated like an experiment.
How strange. I had thought to say the same to you, Albus.
Mid morning.
I'm tired of deception and I weary of your obscure answers, Arcanus. I cannot help Minerva, nor the others if I don't know what role you wish me to play. I feel like a marionette, strung up and waiting for you to decide in which direction I must now dance.
I saw Minerva at breakfast. She looks like she hasn't slept for days and her eyes betray the fact that I know she's been crying. It hurts me to see her anguish so plainly on her face.
Severus glanced nervously at her all through breakfast, as though Minerva was about to detonate and he is already so taut with his 'activities'.
I feel like I'm of no use to anyone any more.
Are you still angry with me, Albus?
Who else have you been hurting?
I'll take that as a yes, shall I?
I weary of your evasiveness, Arcanus. Can you not answer a simple question without adding another question or your own shade of wit to the dialogue?
To which riddle would you like an answer? You have only to use your wisdom to ask your questions, Albus. I have no emotions and any appeal or anger you direct at me, must be logical. You seek to make me that which I can never be.
You seek to make me human.
Why are you here, Arcanus? Why now? Why hold me as the conduit?
I have always been here, Albus, you know that. You are not using your wisdom. That was a stupid question.
I am here now, because I need to be here now.
You also know the answer to the third question, Albus. For your wisdom to be useful to all who seek it, you must be resilient. I could approach the keys myself, but should they query my intent, all hope would be lost.
Hope for what, Arcanus?
Hope for everything.