Dumbledore's Point of View

These poor children. They've been through so much, all because of me. And only one of ever had to go through any of it. Sometimes I feel as if I never should have let him come to Hogwarts, that I should have simply taught him everything myself, so that he wouldn't endanger others. Only, it couldn't happen. He needs more support than I can give him.

Or does he? Does he really need anything? Sometimes I look at him and see nothing there. He greets those around him cordially and always shows his best manners at the dinner table, but I rarely see anything behind it. It's almost as if he's lost too much in his life to really care. Ever since he lost Sirius.

After his third year, Sirius gave him so much hope, hope that he had almost lost before they met. But then, in his fourth year, he had too much hope and lost it too quickly. But somehow he still had something left inside of him, until Sirius died. That's when he lost his hope, his care for anything, and I had to take away more by telling him the truth about his life, past and future. I terrified him…but I lied about it also.

Even if he does defeat Voldemort, he still doesn't have a future. Not now, anyway. Wizards will greet him on the street, wanting autographs and photos, and he'll comply with a robotic smile on his face. When I told him the truth, I said that he could defeat Voldemort, but not that he could really have a life. That's what he thinks though. He might live, but for what? For fame? I worry all of the time.

And now we're here. Harry doesn't really care about what happens to him, and I'm not quite sure if he really cares about those around him. He has simply grown used to their company, to their willingness to help out where they can never help out. He tells them that he worries for them, that he cares so much for them, that he'll never let go of them. He shows all of these things to them, and they believe it because they need to, because they too are terrified and need something to hold on to. He shows that he cares, but I don't think he really does. I'm not sure if any of them know.

And now they're all here, just as I knew they would be someday, and one of them is lost forever. I don't really know what to say to them, so I simply let them speak, interjecting with a few curious questions. I know what happened, and don't see any point in making them relive anything.

But then Percy comes in. I don't know how he remembers, but he can still tell all of his brothers apart. I watch as a family holds each other and comforts each other. They all truly care. They've lost so much, the Weasleys, but they still care so deeply for each other. I look away respectfully, but then I see Harry with Hermione in the corner. I know how Ron feels about her, but he cannot object at the moment. Or maybe he just doesn't want to, because he sees what I see. Perhaps he too doesn't think that Harry really cares so much for him or Hermione. I don't want Ron to see them like this, and take away more of his hope.

So I usher Harry and Hermione out of the room. Hermione looks back at the family before she leaves, but Harry simply looks straight ahead. He's always looked straight ahead, waiting for something to happen. But he forgets about the moment, and what is happening while it happens. He never truly thinks things through. And now I know that it's because he doesn't really care about what happens in the future, he just wants it to happen and go away as soon as possible.