CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

DUMBLEDORE'S SECRET

Harry was without a wand and out of his own control. He knew he was tricked and now, under the Imperious curse, he unwillingly went to the head master's office and walked towards the bedroom of Dumbledore. As he stepped towards Dumbledore's bedside, he wondered what Crouch was asking his body to do. Harry awaited for his body's action since he had no control over it.

His body went to Dumbledore's desk where it grabbed a metal letter opener. It was a long and slender piece of metal with the letter D engraved on it. He felt the cold metal in his hand as his legs carried him close to Dumbledore's bed. He raised his arm with the letter opener pointing at Dumbledore's sleeping body. His mind was now in alarm. Crouch was commanding his body to stab and kill Dumbledore. He concentrated hard in efforts to battle against Crouch's curse and not kill Dumbledore but he did not succeed.

Suddenly, he heard Crouch's voice in his head. He knew how Crouch was able to speak to him through his mind. Crouch was a talented occlumens so probably he was an able legilimens as well, able to penetrate into another's mind. Harry could hear Crouch's cold voice as clear as crystal resounding in his mind.

"Now, you will kill the biggest obstacle in my way to greatness. I never needed your wand to gain control of your body. I didn't need your wand to do this Imperious curse. I just didn't need you not cooperating with me. Now, be a doll and kill your dearest Albus Dumbledore." These words were echoing in Harry's mind, Crouch's voice-- full of malice.

Like a strike of lightning, Harry felt his hand, gripping the fairly sharp letter opener, swoop in towards Dumbledore, engaging in stabbing Dumbledore. Harry closed his eyes, awaiting the moment when he slashes Dumbledore, anticipating the feeling of warm blood to rush out.

He never felt it. Just in time, Dumbledore turned over and away, avoiding the letter opener. Harry felt relieved. Dumbledore stood up and looked at Harry and then Crouch.

"Mr. Crouch, you have done enough. Stupefy!" said Dumbledore whilst pointing his wand at Crouch, who was behind Harry.

Crouch was launched into the air as Dumbledore's spell hit him. His control over Harry was disconnected immediately.

Dumbledore now raised his wand and was pointing to Crouch's stunned body on the floor.

"You have done your share of evil and now, it is time for you to die" said Dumbledore.

Suddenly, Harry screamed. "No!"

Harry knew he had to stop Dumbledore because of a personal reason. He wanted to know what Dumbledore was hiding that only Crouch knew of. Dumbledore did something to Voldemort and what this was, Harry had to know before he allows Crouch, the only bearer of Dumbledore's secret, to die.

Dumbledore remained silent for a few moments, eyeing Harry intently.

"Why, Harry" said Dumbledore finally " are you willing to let Crouch live when you expressed your agreement with my decision of killing him before?"

"I agree you kill him" replied Harry "after you tell me what you did to Voldemort."

"How did you know of this?"

"I overheard you speaking about it. You said that you wanted to kill Crouch so nobody would know what you did to Voldemort. You wanted your secret safe and since Crouch was the only one who knew of it, you want to get rid of him."

Dumbledore just stared at Harry, not knowing what to say.

Finally, Dumbledore broke the steady silence.

"Harry, I was going to tell you what I was hiding but I didn't know how. You seemed so happy and I didn't want that to end. Everything was going smoothly until Crouch's return and when he did, I knew my secret was not safe unless I kill him."

"What did you do to Voldemort? " asked Harry with force.

"Do you remember how you defeated Voldemort, Harry?"

Indeed Harry knew the events leading to Voldemort's defeat. It was one of those things that never truly depart from one's mind. Harry remembered it well. He was in the Ministry of Magic with Voldemort. He was alone that night, without anyone to help him. He was limping from a broken leg due to a spell from Voldemort. Harry's body was beaten with torture and pain courtesy of the Dark Lord as the thunder resounded in the big halls of the Ministry of Magic The Dark Lord was now standing over Harry's limp and beaten body. Voldemort, evil incarnate, raised his wand and pointed it at Harry. Closing his eyes, Harry waited for the final pain that came with death. He was preparing himself to see his parent's and to finally be with them. He had no escape, not with a broken leg and a banged up body. He waited for death to take him and end the madness around him. He heard his ticket to heaven in Voldemort's cold voice-"Avada Kedavra" and just when a blinding flash had appeared, he heard another voice saying the exact same spell. WIth that, Voldemort wasn't able to kill Harry and instead, the Dark Lord fell on the ground.

"Of course. He tried to put the Avadra Kedavra curse on me when you did the same curse to him at his back." Harry finally answered Dumbledore.

"Yes, but that makes me the one who defeated him. "

"Yeah, I guess. So? "

"That fact changes everything, Harry. Since it was I who defeated Voldemort, he is not truly beaten."

"I don't understand. "

"Remember the prophecy, Harry? It was clear there that the chosen one is the only one capable of killing the Dark Lord. Only you, Harry. "

"So he is still alive? "

"Precisely. This was what I was hiding from you. I didn't want you to know for I was concerned about you. You have been so peaceful after the whole Voldemort matter was resolved years ago that I didn't want to let you know that it has not been truly resolved at all. "

Harry couldn't believe his ears though what he just learned made perfect sense. Voldemort was still alive.

"Where is he?" asked Harry.

"After the battle with him when I casted the Avada Kedavra curse on his body, I knew he was still alive so I brought his weakened body to the Department of Mysteries and slid his body under the veil. "

"You mean to say that he is in the Dementors' Realm?"

"Yes and well" paused Dumbledore. "You must defeat him once and for all."

"I feared you were to say that. I know though what I must do. "

"Harry, now that you know the truth, forgive me for not telling it to you sooner. When Crouch went into my mind with his Legilimens ability and knew of this secret of mine, I became more bent in concealing this information from you. Forgive me, Harry. Forgive me for I cannot bear the fact that you are angry with me when my days are already numbered."

Harry's mind went upside down. Did Dumbledore just say he was dying?

END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE