Harry Potter & the True Power

Chapter 21: The Dumbledore Dilemma

Spatart was reeling under the effects of crucio. It was far worse than any other crucio as it was the dark lord himself who was cursing him.

Fifteen minutes earlier

The Wizengamot meeting had just been disbanded and Fudge had gone with Madame Bones for an extended meeting. Most of the Wizengamot members had a smile on their faces today. After a long time, they had faced the facts today. More than that, as they were being honest with themselves, they had decided to do something about it. Madam Bones, with her background in Magical Law Enforcement had already started to make out plans for the safeguard of them and their families. The plans would be finalized by the evening and they would be put under active safeguard. This, more than anything else, had enabled them to be free of their fears and make some good decisions.

Jason Spatart and Susan Shrimple were the two pureblood wizards who were secretly working with the dark lord. They were the backup sources of information that had been setup by Voldemort long time back.

Lucius was allowed to be visible so all concentration of the order of phoenix was on him while his low-key team did all the work.

As they gave the report to the dark lord of what all had transpired at the Wizengamot meeting, he got furious. In an instant, as if to relieve the strong magic which was burning inside him, he cast a crucio on the bearer of the bad news, Spatart.

About ten seconds later, he released the curse and sat back on his throne.

This was a war and more like, if he were ever to be honest with himself, more like a guerilla tactics. And they key to all such activities is intelligence. His ventures since his return had been more all too successful because of the stupidity of the minister of magic. He had denied his existence hence nearly nobody believed the young potter. Even after the quibbler article, total belief in his return was not there. The truth was nobody wanted it to be true. He understood it and he made use of it.

But now with Bones as the acting minister, he had to think of something. He remembered Bones from his earlier days, she…he couldn't kill her. She was under too much protection anyway. If his attack failed, his reign of terror might take a back step. Zabini might be a good option. He was a neutral but with a slytherin background and had refused to join him on a couple of occasions. The last time around, he had been in the list of people he would go for, but the prophecy had come into light and he had forgotten about them. Manuel Zabini would be a good target.

"Wormtail," he bellowed.

The whole atmosphere inside the vault was pretty sotto. For the first time, he now knew to whom to be thankful for the love he had felt at Hogwarts. Then again, he found out things about phoenixes that nobody knew. He also knew the secret behind the dementor's kiss. It was just the opposite of Phoenix tears. The tears could heal a dying man whereas the dementor's kiss would kill a healthy one.

But then, this wasn't the real reason he was called here. This whole thing had been an explanation of the two legends in his vault. But why were they even there.

"So grandpa, why did you really call me here?" he asked the question which had just came to him.

Everybody grew serious. Merlin decided to reply and said "Harry, Godric here has something to ask of you. All I can ask is that you hear him out before deciding what to do."

Harry had a quaint feeling that this would be about Dumbledore. He had not seen him and their recent meetings had been far from friendly. Moreover, he had nearly destroyed his reputation. Rather, it was just that for the first time, the Prophet was doing its job. Rita had reported facts. He had made it possible for those facts to be known.

After such a long time, he still had a bit of anger against him. Though, his anger was nothing what lily had promised to do to him just before she was going to leave. She was a very powerful soul right now. After getting all the training from different people side by side with Harry, all she lacked was his raw power. But she was far above average power in her own right anyway. This was one event he didn't want to miss. He was sure she could kick Dumbledore's ass any time, any day.

Now, as Harry looked at Godric (while in human form, Harry had decided to call them by their human names and while they were in their phoenix for, he would call them by their phoenix names.) he was looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Harry" he began "I guess I should start from the beginning. When I first encountered Albus, he was a very powerful wizard but had one weakness. He was too ambivalent. He had this thing about studying things too much from both the sides. Though that is a good thing, the problem was that he was never able to make a decision. I saw in him the potential to be far more than a wizard as well as his dedication to the good side.

So we decided to give him a push. The reason for the ambivalence was his lack of only one thing, confidence. You see, Dumbledore comes from a long line of powerful wizards. His brother Aberforth was far more powerful and flamboyant in his earlier days. His parents were powerful sorcerers as well. In this environment, because of too many expectations, Dumbledore grew reticent and ambivalent. Though he had the potential, he didn't use it.

"When I found him, I decided to become his familiar and give him a bit of confidence. I already had a feeling that he would be a major factor in the fight against darkness. And so he has been. I won't say that he has not made mistakes or that he has not committed acts of folly. But I would like you to remember that he is just a man. He may be a very powerful wizard, but his follies are what make him human. Hindsight is perfect, but when deciding, that liberty is not afforded to those who are making it."

"As far as you are concerned personally, since the day he met you, he has liked you. His plan may have resulted in a horrible childhood for you, but all he did was what he thought was best."

"At that time where all these incidents occurred, we were at war. Things were happening too fast. He was trying to juggle too many balls and alas, there is only one of him."

"Now, I don't know why, but the latest attack has left him totally broken. You can't even find a bit of the older self in him. He is afraid Harry and only you can save him. If you can find it in yourself, please forgive him. He is dear friend of mine and it hurts me to see him like this."

Harry was hearing the endearing plea from Godric. He looked back at his days with the professor and saw all the things he had said or done. True there had been manipulations by him but that could also be seen as a helping yet invisible guiding hand. He himself could see similarities between both of them. Had he just not manipulated the Wizengamot by giving them evidence? One might think that he was doing his civic duty but in his hearts he knew, there was an extra bit of revenge against him.

He had to think about it.

Looking at expecting faces of Godric, Salazar and Merlin, he said, "Give me a few moments to decide"

Then he closed his eyes and went to speak with his mother.

It was evening and the crowd at WWW had long since receded. The twins were checking their stock registers. Hermione had long since left to the Grimmauld Place's library. She was doing some research. Since the beginning of her employment at the WWW, she was a changed person. The incident with Ron compounded with everybody being busy and nobody having any time for her, she had to grow up.

Ever since she could remember, she had a support mechanism in place for her. Be it her parents or later Harry (Ron could never support anybody) or recently Mr. & Mrs. Weasley. But now, she was alone. One person she had absolutely trusted was nowhere to be found. She used to worry for him all day and was one of the major reasons why she had involved herself so much into research.

Ginny was finished checking the cash register. Everyday, she would match the accounts and tally it with the stocks. Everybody else was too busy or too lazy to do so. But in the last few days, she had taken up an escape route from all the worries and disappointments. She had always been the youngest and a spitfire. She had always felt herself invincible. Alas, the dream was broken in the very first year when the Riddle incident happened. In the break following it, she was given numerous potions to enable her to sleep. She got addicted.

However, with her family's help, she got over it. The other main concern in her life was Harry Potter. Since she was old enough to understand, her mother had told her the story of the boy who lived. If she ever had a hero whom she romanticized, it was this green eyed boy. Yet again, in all her years with him, he had never looked at her as more than Ron's little sister.

Slowly, she got comfortable and had accepted her fate until last year once again, when due to DA, they grew closer as friends. Though she had been dating at the time, she knew that she could break up with him anytime. Her friends had suggested that she does not make herself too available. After all, this was the boy who lived. If there was anything he respected, it was respect.

She had to respect him, become his friend and if the fates would allow it, a bit more. By the end of the battle, she had risked her life for him and then, he didn't even write to her. He just disappeared without letting her know. She broke.

During her job at the WWW, she had met a few people on the wild side. She shared a potion with them once and now, she met them everyday. She thanked her gods that she was at the till. She made her accounts and took a galleon everyday. It was her incentive.

That is how she had survived. This is how she now lived.

Ginny Weasley was now an addict.

Harry appeared in front of his mother who was reading a book. Actually, it was just a memory of a book Merlin had left for her to study. At least she appeared to read. As Harry appeared in front of her, she said, "I have been waiting for you to come."

Harry did not say anything as there was nothing to be said. Both of them knew that in his heart, he had decided to give Dumbledore a second chance. It was just that Dumbledore owed so much more to lily than to him, he had to ask her permission. He had not known Dumbledore and had placed no trust on him, but lily had and she had always felt betrayed.

They had been discussing that it was about time that he came out from hiding and try to finish this before much more useless killings. They were waiting for the Wizengamot meeting to decide how to go about it. They had already planned a brain-storming session later in the night.

Lily just said, "Make sure nobody manipulates you anymore. Make your decisions. I will stand by everything you decide. I trust you."

And that was all that needed to be said. Trust was one thing he had given and received even greater for the first time in his life. Everybody he had trusted had betrayed him or doubted him at one time or the other, but not here.

He nodded and went back to the real world.

Vincent Jaggery was the head of the most able group of death eaters. Most of them were the alumni of Beauxbatons and were very able wizards before they had joined him. The last two weeks had only given them a greater edge.

He was very shaking. Wormtail, also known as the dark lords' valet, had just called him into the dark lord's presence.

As soon as he saw the dark lord, he knelt on his and bowed as instructed awaiting orders. Voldemort smiled.

"It seems you have been taught well. Approach young Jaggery"

Gaining a bit of confidence, he approached the dark lord and resumed his position.

"Wormtail! Give Jaggery the plans," the clear voice of the dark lord filled with contempt for a second. Truly afraid, Wormtail picked up a roll of parchment and handed it over to the new inductee.

"Here are all the details of one Manuel Zabini, his wife and his daughter. He is a member of Wizengamot and has displeased me. I want the entire world to see what it means to displease me. Make a plan accordingly and attack today. I want the entire world to wake up tomorrow and remember the fear they seem to have forgotten. If you succeed, you will have a place in my inner circle. If you don't, remember this is but a taste of what I have in store for you."

An instant later, the young Jaggery was writhing in pain and crying out loud. Some seconds later, the dark lord ceased and Jaggery once again bowed and left.

The dark lord returned to his library.

As Harry opened his eyes, he saw Merlin looking at him with a sparkle in his eyes. He must have known what I would do. We have been family for nearly twenty years now. Remembering the admonishment from his mother, Harry looked at Godric and said, "Prove that his mistakes were decisions he had thought were right and I will think about it."

Only too eager to take up this chance, Godric showed him many memories of Albus as seen as through his own eyes and felt through his connection.

Over the period of several hours, Harry saw Dumbledore in different stages of life. As it showed pretty much what had been explained to him, he felt a bit calmer about the whole situation. Soon, the time came when it was his own life under the scanner. He saw the prophecy, his parents being told about it. Following it, he saw several steps being taken by Dumbledore to protect him from Voldemort. He felt Dumbledore deciding that the peer pressure might be too bad for him as well as the benefit of the blood wards. He saw that Dumbledore knew many death eaters were out there ands should he be staying in a Wizarding world, even more attacks would be levied upon him and he would again be leading a life under protection. Harry practically shivered at this thought.

Then he saw the mistakes and all the good intentions behind or sometimes lack of information and many times error of judgment. In the end, he saw him as Fawkes brought Albus to his house after the magical explosion. He saw how tired he was. And the fact that he could not even climb the stairs. Then he saw the despair on his face as he took out an orb devoid of any and all magical energy and last he saw the shell of a man Dumbledore had become.

Piecing it all together, he came to the conclusion as to why Albus had broken up. Now he only had to conform. No doubt, Merlin would have come to the same conclusion.

He looked up and said, "Okay Godric. I have seen enough. I guess I should forgive him. But I will not forget."

Godric was truly elated. Harry continued, "You do know why he is so broken up, don't you?" he asked Godric.

Godric was clearly at a loss. He had been brooding over it for so long. Any other time he would be cursing himself for not finding something a fledgling had deduced rather than him. But so worried was he Albus that he could not even think about such thoughts.

Harry smiled and said, "You Godric. You broke him. Or rather Fawkes absence did."

Everybody looked at him agape except Merlin. He was laughing with pride. He nodded, motioning Harry to continue.

"From the day you bonded with him, Dumbledore knew that he was on the side of the light. All through your adventures and events, as long as you were with him, he was cocooned by the fact that you were with him. He knew that phoenixes were the epitome of light. He felt that as long as you were their and were supporting him, he was doing the right think. He never looked back at the wrong decisions as you were still bonded with him and he felt the decisions he took were on the side of the light. If he had not been or if he was going to make a bad decision, he trusted you to make it known to him."

"But when you left him, and did not come back. Not only that, but you left with me; he would have felt that he had done something wrong. That would have started the whole cascade and he has been re-thinking all the decisions he made. It's all these year's guilt which has broken him. The other things were just happening at the same time."

Harry finished.

Godric looked glob smacked, Merlin was beaming so wide, his lips were going to be permanently enlarged and Slytherin put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I would have been proud to have you in Slytherin."

Pleased with himself, he just said, "Let me know when you want me to meet him. I must go out and look after some things."

Everybody nodded as Harry moved to his office.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was in frenzy. Luna Lovegood, a 4th year was missing from the new director's office. There were no leads as to how she had released. As she was an editor of the foremost newspaper in the Wizarding Great Britain, Shacklebolt was clearly not enjoying his first day on the job.

Added to that, he had just been informed that the residences and family of all the Wizengamot members were to be given extra security. He was in a quandary and didn't know what to do first? Should he make plans or find the Lovegood girl? The day really wasn't turning out as he had hoped.

As soon as Harry appeared in his office, he found Ragnok there pacing from end to end. He was clearly worried about something. As he saw Harry appear, he quickly started to talk.

"Harry" during their long friendship, they had dropped the formality sometime back. "I have some disturbing news for you. First, there was an emergency Wizengamot session today and fudge was impeached." Harry was stunned. He had been very sure that either Dumbledore or Fudge would get them to postpone the decision until an independent verification of the claims of daily prophet could be made. Yet, he had totally forgotten that Dumbledore was sleeping under Godric's influence and Fudge had gotten late. "Shit! Voldemort would do something today." he thought. He had hoped to have a plan laid out by the second session.

Calming himself, he looked again at Ragnok, who clearly had some even more disturbing news.

"The death eaters are going to attack the Zabini family today."

Not doubting the intelligence, he looked at the clock. It was nearly nine.

"Do you have a time schedule and the place of attack?" Harry suddenly moved into his own center. Here, he became a machine fully oiled, completely loaded with all those years of training.

"Zabini Residence. Approximately 2 AM" Ragnok told him and put down several scrolls on his table. "I have three security details ready for your protection." Ragnok informed him.

"No. I don't want you involved. If somebody found out, it would be trouble for all of you. Remember, you are family. I am responsible." Harry said, suddenly taking over the role of a guardian.

"So are we Harry, so are we. They are going, it's final." Ragnok turned and walked out without listening to Harry who was calling him.

Harry could have taken all the Zabinis out of the trouble before it began to brew. But he wanted to kill two birds with a stone. He had seen the security detail attached and saw that Tonks was leading the team. He knew her and could take their help.

Secondly, if death eaters came and found nobody, it would be a psychological victory for them for they would destroy everything. However if they came and lost, the rein of terror would start to break hold over the Wizarding world.

Now for the first time he really understood what Dumbledore had to go through. Each decision could cost lives. It was not a happy thought.

He started to prepare for his night out.

Severus Snape was not a happy man. For the last two weeks, none of his masters had called upon his services. Though Dumbledore had become so weak that he was hardly even an image of the sorcerer, the dark lord had become more powerful than ever. He was starting to be afraid for the first time in a long time. He had known what the fate of a normal double agent is. He started to make plans to ensure his longevity.

He forgot that he was in Hogwarts and that she had a mind of her own.

At approximately 12:30 AM, Harry appeared inside the Zabini residence. He had already informed Luna about the pending attack and had placed numerous magical cameras all over the estate to take photographs of the events. They would decide which one to print and have an interview of Harry.

It was going to be a sellout. Harry often wondered about Luna. No-one in their right mind would put a fourth year, fifteen year old in-charge of the biggest daily newspaper. It was only when he found that she was a child prodigy who was actually finished with schooling at an American school long time back as far as theory is concerned and that she was already in college had he seen the benefit of his actions. But to be truthful, he never knew about it till a few hours ago after his cat stunt. He was amazed at the team he had planned.

Now, he sat down in lotus position, he started to feel the wards, the charms in place, the enchanted object and everything about the Zabini manor. After committing everything to memory, he started to put a special ward over and above all the other wards. This was just not a battle for power; it was a battle for the Wizarding kind. Like it or not, appearances meant a lot. In the pictures tomorrow, not even a pane of glass would be broken.

Manuel Zabini was just going to lie down on his bed when he felt something touching the wards. As is, after today's meeting, every one of them were a bit afraid despite the security cover they had been given. However much assurances may be given, none of them had forgotten the last rein of terror. So, it was much too troubling for him that somebody had touched his ward.

Then he figures it figures it might be one of the aurors. Instead of just asking them for help, he took the communication bracelet that he had been given and said, "Auror Tonks, I just wanted to check everything is fine. I was just going to retire for the night."

"Don't worry Sir. Everything is fine." He got the reply.

He tried to lie down but could not go to sleep. Something in him told him that this was not an ordinary night. Something big is going to happen. Manuel had risen so high in his business and politics because he believed in his instincts. He followed them once again.

He picked up his wand and placing a silence charm on his sleepers, he came out of his room and went to the living room. As soon as he reached there, he saw a young man sitting in a lotus position, all lost in himself. He was sure that he not one of the aurors he saw during his introduction to the security detail. But again, his instincts told him to trust him. Before he could say a word, the young man opened his eyes and Zabini laid eyes on the greenest eyes he had ever seen.

Author's Notes

I thank all of you, for your reviews. as always.

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