Summary : Albus Dumbledore has seen peace and war. He's done many good things in his pursuit for power and has dirtied his hands in the name of the Greater Good. He is a master of the mind arts. Everything he's done had a purpose that's often lost on the lesser minds of his fellow wizards and witches. It is for that reason he often keeps his cards close to his chest, hidden even from his closest allies. However, when Harry who was very much on the line between life and death demands answers pertaining his involvement in his life since childhood, he complies.

Harry potter opened his eyes and looked around. Everything was white. He remembered getting Voldemort's favourite green spell to the head and then he appeared here, wherever "here" was. However, now that he gave himself up for the Dark Lord, no one can make him do anything anymore. As he was looking around, he thought that maybe, just maybe, he has finally earned his-

"Harry,"

... peace. *Sigh*. At least the voice he heard further confirmed that he died. The problem is that it brought a lot of emotions such as indignation, frustration, dread, resignation and more.

"You wonderful boy... You brave, brave man." Albus Bloody Percival Sodding Wulfric Rotten Brian Blasted Dumbledore said as he approached Harry, oblivious to the young man's reaction to him.

He did not even turn to answer, hoping against hope that this might be his imagination or that he might go away "Professor, I'm really not in the mood for your platitudes right now."

From the beginning, Dumbledore knew this meeting could go in one of two ways. Harry is swept by everything, believing him and doing what he is told, even indirectly. On the other hand, he could burst like a broken dam like he is about to do so now. After all, he experienced the first for a long time until Harry did the second and broke almost everything in his office. He had to pacify him for now "I understand you may be angry. But-"

The stress finally reached its peak as Harry snapped at him "Angry? I am pissed! I am bloody livid! It is simple logic, professor. Once is happenstance, an isolated incident. Twice, we can call it a coincidence. Third time, it is a pattern. And I think we both agree that in Hogwarts, the safest place on earth as you claim, my life was in mortal danger WAY past three times. And all of them can be traced back to you, one way or another."

Dumbledore frowned at that. He knew he may have wronged him, but, "You can't really blame me for every little thing that's happened to you, Harry."

Harry looked at him for a moment and said, "First year, you have knowingly allowed Voldemort, a known national terrorist and mass murderer, to roam the halls of Hogwarts unimpeded, to teach ALL the children unsupervised. You basically told the WHOLE SCHOOL you are hiding something in the third floor as BAIT. You HAD to have known. Let us not forget how you sent four first years to search the Forbidden Forest at night when you knew something was killing Unicorns.

"Second year, what's with the trigger-happy Obliviation adept fraud of a teacher? How could you allow something like a Horcrux in the form of Diary-mort to exist in Hogwarts? If such a thing can be brought in, what other dangers can students bring? Let us not forget how a 1000 years old Basilisk was roaming Hogwarts under your watch AGAIN. And, because you did not protect Hagrid properly, we had go talk to Aragog and survive a whole horde of Acromantula. I had to kill an over sixty foot bloody Basilisk or HE WOULD HAVE KILLED GINNY!

"Third year, you allowed a Horde of Dementors instead of Aurors to 'protect' the school. Moreover, I find out that apparently Animagi like Pettigrew can come and go as they pleased. You let a Death Eater sleep in the same room as CHILDREN for THIRTEEN YEARS!

"Fourth year, we get a deranged Death Eater as a teacher impersonating someone YOU considered a trusted friend, someone you've known for years if not decades. You allowed the use of NESTING DRAGONS with LIVE EGGS for a task where a fourteen year old was forced to compete. You let me be taken away and let Voldemort get his power back!

"Fifth year, yet another year with a useless DADA teacher. Yet another teacher who TORTURED CHILDREN you allowed in Hogwarts.

"And I'm still limiting myself to what happened in Hogwarts! And by the way? If I was really blaming you for every little thing that's happened to me, the list would much, MUCH longer."

Dumbledore understood the young man's need to rant and vent out his frustrations so he listened carefully until he finished and stayed silent for a few moment as he calmed down a little "Harry, I understand your anger, more than you know. Therefore, I will answer any questions you have. I am but a man; I make mistakes, both big and small. Believe what you will about me. But, understand that everything I did was out of necessity!"

"..." Harry was not even looking at him. He believed that, even in death, Dumbledore would just try to dupe him with more non-answers.

"Everything bad that's happened in your life where I was involved in some way was for what I believe to be valid reasons. Not because of me wishing you ill. Far from it. It's only because there was no better way!"

Harry turned to glare at him.

Dumbledore gestured towards comfortable chairs that were not there a moment ago and sat "As I said, ask your questions. I will answer. And hopefully, you will understand. I will not ask you to forgive and forget. However, it is my sincere hope that, in time, you'll come to accept both the bad and the good that made you what you are today."

Harry looked at him for a few seconds then sat and said "... How about you start from the beginning. Why the Dursleys?"

"I believe the beginning go a bit before that. So I think I should start there."

"Fine."

He unnecessarily cleared his throat "As you know, there is a prophecy that foretold the arrival of someone, the only one capable of defeating Voldemort. A prophecy about you."

"But prophecies can be interpreted in many ways! It might be just a coincidence that I satisfied whatever hints it-"

Dumbledore gently raised a hand to stop him "Of course, my boy. I know. However, besides logical reasoning, there are magical ways to unravel it. Ways only currently available to certain ancient families and those in high enough position in specific organizations. Ones like the Department of Mysteries where the Unspeakables work."

Harry was still doubtful "So you're saying that it IS about me? Beyond the shadow of a doubt?"

Dumbledore shook his head "Not at first, no. You were, however, a viable candidate. And while prophecies are neither infallible nor absolute, they represent the most likely outcome. For several centuries, it has been the general consensus that purposely acting against an active prophecy instead of going around it or outright breaking it would spell untold disaster. The examples are numerous. But, I digress."

"Umm..."

"It's fine if you don't immediately understand everything. You may look into it another time and I am quite certain your friend Miss Granger will help you find the appropriate information. But, right now, we are discussing something that isn't related to the obscure intricacies of Clairvoyance."

For a moment, Harry forgot he was 'dead' and made a mental note to ask Hermione about this later "... Alright."

Dumbledore continued, "Despite being powerful in the grand scheme of things, prophecies do allow the ability to choose, especially for those involved."

"And out of all the candidates, Voldemort chose me."

"Close. He came personally to you while sending some of his most trusted lieutenants to another. Young Neville was the other candidate."

Realization came to him "... That is how his parents ended up in St. Mungo's, didn't they? He told us what happened, but... none of us knew why."

"Not exactly... What happened to both your parents and his was a tragedy. It was my idea for your parents to hide under the Fidelius. The Longbottoms, however, were attacked for another reason. When Death Eaters heard their master was dead and you survived, they wanted to find you. Unlike Sirius, Alice Longbottom was known to be your godmother and therefore the most probable candidate."

Guilt began eating at him "So it was-"

"-NOT your fault."

"I know, but... force of habit, I guess."

"I understand. Back to the subject, your parents, with the Potter ancestral home being too big and too well known for such a spell, had to find someplace else. So, they bought a house in Godric's Hollow."

"Potter... ancestral home?"

"I'll tell you, later. They chose Sirius as the Secret Keeper, and he told the secret to you and your parents, to Peter and Remus who were their friends, to me so that I can keep a few monitoring spells active and to Hagrid because he runs errands for me."

Harry objected, "But Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper!"

"He was, for a time, until your brilliant mother found a way to switch a Fidelius' Secret Keeper without taking it down."

"Wouldn't it just be easier to take it down and put it back up again?"

"While it is an immensely complex charm to perform, your mother was more than capable of casting it. However, dispelling it and casting it again would require the secret keeper to go around revealing the secret to those deemed necessary. It would risk both leaking the secret and revealing that the secret keeper was switched. At least, that is my understanding on the matter."

"And, how did you know it was... my mother?"

"She was the smartest of the group, loved to research magic and had excelled in charm-work. It seemed only obvious. On that fateful night, I was alerted to several other attacks made by Tom. I only realized they were distractions until it was too late. That is why I was not available. The Aurors, the volunteers and the mercenaries we hired were stretched thin as it was. And while we knew we had a traitor in our midst, we didn't know who it was."

"So, at the time, you had Sirius, Pettigrew and Remus as suspects since it couldn't have been you, Hagrid or my parents."

He nodded "Quite so."

"And since you thought Sirius was the Secret Keeper, it had to be him."

"He was the most probable one, yes. But it didn't absolve the others from suspicion."

"And then?" He prompted.

"After being alerted to Tom's arrival, I told the only person I could trust that can go there."

"... Hagrid."

"He, of course, knew the risks. If Tom or his followers were still there he would have most certainly died that night. Even more so that he is not exactly inconspicuous. Unfortunately, I had my hands full with the attacks and I had no one else. Therefore, he volunteered and went to retrieve you, the only one whose life sign was still present in my monitoring spells. He took you from Sirius and brought you to Madam Pomfrey. And before you ask, St. Mungo's would not have been a viable option, even if we do not account for the fact that it was swarming with patients. If a Healer finds something new, something exotic shall we say, they are bound by oath to report it to their superior, who then reports it to the Ministry. And living soul related anomalies are such rare occurrences..."

"... You knew about the Horcrux in my scar since you saw it the first time. No, when Madam Pomfrey found about it and alerted you about it."

He shook his head "I didn't even think of Horcruxes but I did strongly suspect he dabbled in something dangerous that affected his soul based on knowledge he demonstrated after his rise. Fortunately, since I am both her superior and hold a high enough position in the Ministry, she fulfilled her oath. As for why I did this, if the Ministry got hold of you, the best case scenario is that you wouldn't have lived for more than a few agonizing months."

Harry was horrified "How is that a best case scenario?!"

"As I said before, living soul related anomalies are rare occurrences. In addition, you had a soul fragment attached to you that was leaching off your life force and magic. It was only later that I even suspected that it effectively functioned like a Horcrux. Should the Ministry get wind of what you have in your forehead, you will be kidnapped and taken to study the soul fragment and its effects on your body, mind, magic and soul. Then, come the experiments. And finally, in the unlikely event where you would survive, they will intentionally do to you the same that happened to Gilderoy Lockhart. And that is if they were feeling generous."

"What?! They can't be that cruel!"

"Surely by now you have noticed that wizards and witches view the world much differently than muggles. Magical beings are, on average, hardier and longer-lived than others are. Even excluding that, broken bones are a simple injury to us as a simple visit to a healer or potioner can quickly fix you up. Whereas muggles consider something like that to be quite serious. You'll be put in a cast and must heal for several weeks or even months."

The young man looked shocked. Whether it was because he did not expect it, or because he did not notice, he did not know.

"My boy, you need to understand that to us, wizards and witches, Magic is power. In addition, to us, power is everything. What's the life of one person compared to new precious knowledge?"

"A-And you believe that?"

He tilted his head and looked at him for a moment before answering "... Partly."

"At least you're being honest..." He grumbled in a low voice. "You said that the 'soul leach' worked like a Horcrux. Why?"

"This is purely conjecture, but, since Tom has done the Ritual several times, his magic may have tried to repeat the process with what it had when his soul fractured once more."

"Like... a Pavlovian response?" Harry carefully pronounced the word he was not used to saying.

"Quite." From the way he said it, he did not have bad memories with it so he suspected his female friend told him that word. He will ask if there is a story in that later "After he cast the Killing Curse on you, your mother's protection activated and rebound the curse on him. His already fractured soul splintered. His magic, used to the process that happened after splitting his soul continued said process. And since you were his 'target', it latched on to that. Thus, creating an unintentional Horcrux. One he still isn't even aware of."

"And that's how he 'marked' me..."

"Perhaps." Dumbledore nodded "In a prophecy, the term 'mark' is too vague. Anyway, after that happened, Sirius arrived and mourned your parents' deaths. Then he heard your cries and took you from the ruins of your home. Hagrid, who I sent at the time, intercepted and told Sirius you were to be taken to Hogwarts for safety. Sirius hesitated but was still consumed with grief and anger. He wanted Peter to pay. He accepted and even gave Hagrid the keys to flying motorbike. You were then brought to Hogwarts and was put under the tender care of Madam Pomfrey."

"And when she found something she couldn't understand in my scar, she reported to you."

"That's right."

"Which you tried to understand, found something weird, quickly decided to cover it up and started planning to hide me from people who would harm me for new knowledge."

"Yes. Nevertheless, I needed to keep an eye on you, in case something actually happened because of your scar. So I hired someone who I mistakenly thought was appropriate for that."

"You mean you didn't tell her to ignore the abuse?"

"No. I have later discovered that Ms. Figgs seems a little mentally... impaired in some areas."

Harry frowned "Mentally impaired... I thought she treated me nicely. But looking back, she actually treated me like I was one of her cats."

"And I am sorry for that. I had to decide quickly how to protect you. As a Potter, you are related to several other wizarding families. And the closest ones would be the Blacks. Suspicion of the Black family in aiding Tom aside, I could have entrusted you to Andromeda Tonks or even Arcturus Black. However, there were many amongst them who would dispute your adoption and have the political, social and financial means to get you. In the end, I honestly did not have ANYONE I could trust with you. At least, no one in the wizarding world."

"So squibs and muggles only..."

"Yes. Petunia being Lily's sister made her your closest living relative."

"To be honest, I'd rather you've left me in an orphanage."

"Even if that was a viable option, which it is not due to you having relatives in both muggle and magical sides, it would only make it difficult to bring you to Hogwarts as child services would keep an eye on you. Not to mention keeping track of you would be hard should a random couple adopt you."

"Oh... And What if the Dursleys decided to move out of Privet Drive?"

"I... did not think of that."

Harry merely snorted in response.

Dumbledore unnecessarily cleared his throat again, "After that, we needed to deal with backlash of the war. I immediately blocked any mail from getting to you in fear of what you might get. Then, I discreetly came back and erected some wards around number four Privet Drive that were based on the remnants of your mother's protection. Their purpose was twofold. First, to hide you from the Wizarding World. Second, to reinforce your mother's protection and make it last."

"You told me the protection was powered by love. Considering my childhood, shouldn't it have faded by the time I went to Hogwarts?"

"It was only initially powered by love. After that, it was well established and merely needed to last longer. If my meagre understanding of what your mother did is correct, it has some similarity to how the Patronus is cast. I believe you are quite familiar with that particular charm."

"... I only need the emotions that come from happy memories for the initial casting. The rest is maintained only with focus."

"Exactly. To this day, I still do not understand how she managed such a feat. I am, however, within my ability to empower or prolong magical effects when certain conditions are met. And while in this particular instance, I couldn't provide it with more power; I managed to give it, and you, more time."

"Did you ever check on me?"

"... At the time, I believed your relatives would welcome you, as any family should. I didn't even remotely consider their behavior towards you would be bad."

"And how come the obliviators never came? I know that if they even made me forget, I wouldn't remember the times I used accidental magic in public."

"Most muggles don't really believe in magic unless it was glaringly obvious. And obliviators only go when doubt of magic's existence after witnessing it is more prevalent. Either way, they weren't needed."

"Sure, I turned my teacher's hair blue and I had to be carried down by firefighters from the roof of a building because apparated to escape from BULLIES who were led by my cousin. I got punished BOTH TIMES."

"I-"

"Just to be clear, when I say 'punished', I hope you understand that it's less about taking away pocket money privileges that I never had in the first place and more about taking away water, food, fresh air and sunlight privileges. In case you were curious, I had to use a bucket."

"I-I'm so sorry, Harry."

"Don't worry, those weren't the only times. How about the time I got far better grades than Dudley did? They went to the teachers and convinced them I was cheating. No, wait, I got the belt for that... Oh yes, my first day at school, the teacher kept calling my name and I did not know it. What did I think it was, you ask? Good question! I thought it was FREAK! When the teacher told my uncle, he merely informed him that I was an incurable troublemaker. He painted me as some sort of evil delinquent clown and was even believed. AND I WAS STILL PUNISHED FOR IT!"

Dumbledore had his mouth hanging open, not knowing what to say.

"The list is still quite long and colorful. I neither need nor want your apology. You wanted me to understand your actions? Well, I want you to understand their consequences. At least I learned from experience to dodge when my aunt decides to swing a frying pan in my direction." He could not help but put his face between his hands "Just so you really understand that I am not understating anything, my uncle actually scares me more than Voldemort ever did! I never told this to anyone but, when Moony was teaching us the Riddikulus charm, I was half suspecting the Boggart to take HIS form! If I ever faced a Boggart after my third year it would have been him since I can actually defend myself from a Dementor!"

The more Harry talked, the heavier the weight on Dumbledore's heart felt.

"I stood up to a colony of Acromantula, a thousand years old Basilisk, a horde of Dementors, a Dark Lord and his Death Eaters and more! And my uncle still scares me more than each and every one of them!"

Dumbledore wisely dropped the matter waited for a moment before asking "... Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

"... No." He knew it would do no good to tell anyone anything. It never helped before. Even then, he could not help but release some frustration.

"Very well... Now, you are eleven and you got your Hogwarts letter. Well, the first one at least."

"Yeah, about that, it was even addressed to the 'Cupboard Beneath the Stairs'."

Dumbledore closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I am truly sorry, Harry."

"..."

Despite being dead and not needing air, Dumbledore drew a deep breath and forged on "The standard Hogwarts letters are written each year by Minerva, but the addresses are written with some old magics that date back to around six hundred years ago."

"Okay, what about the fact that I received dozens of them?"

At that, the headmaster's eyes lit up with mirth as he finally found a way to cheer his student up a little. "That, my boy, was actually your father."

Harry was caught completely off guard "Wh-What?!"

"In order to make that delightful piece of magic that is the Marauders Map, they had to explore everywhere and map everything they could. Eventually, they found the letter room. It was created to duplicate a few parchments, put them in a letter envelope with an appropriate address and send it using owls to all magical children on their eleventh birthday. Should the recipient not get his letter, another would be sent with different magics and processes involved that I will not bore you with. I discovered that the Marauders, most likely your father based on the magic used and his modus operandi, left behind a prank. Each time, more letters would be sent instead of just the one."

Harry shed a tear and said in awe, "My dad pranked the Dursleys..."

Dumbledore chuckled "It would seem that way, yes."

"But then, why was Hagrid sent instead of one of the other professors? I mean, I like him. And he got me Hedwig so I will never regret meeting him. But, as you said, he is not exactly... inconspicuous? That was the word you used?"

"Yes and yes. He kept asking for permission to visit you and I ended up allowing him to introduce you to the Wizarding World."

"He didn't even tell me how to find the train platform."

"That... I did not know."

"I only found from Ms. Weasley. She kept shouting about how the platform was full of muggles. Then she asked Ginny about the platform number and told her she'd go to Hogwarts next year."

Dumbledore started massaging the bridge of his nose out of habit and muttered "God damn it Molly. You can give me a headache even when I'm dead."

Harry was surprised, seeing this reaction for the first time "For a while I suspected you told her to do that so I would make a connection with them. But then I remembered she can be a little..."

"Loud, obnoxious, overbearing-"

"Professor!" Harry did not notice he said that in a manner very similar to a scandalized Hermione.

"You try to be on the receiving end or in the vicinity of her howlers for decades and then you can object. Plus, I'm already dead." Ha gave a nonchalant shrug "I don't have to pretend to like anyone anymore."

"O-Oh. Well, I guess it's best to take her presence in small dosages..."

Dumbledore snorted at that "That's one way to say it. And yes, I did not tell her to do such a thing. An action like that is not only highly illegal, but would also put risk on her family and could easily be traced back to me."

"I see. And my wand?"

"A fortunate event, in which I had no hand in, I promise. I still do not know if it was Tom's influence, Fate at play or a mere coincidence. Either way, it gave you an advantage. It is also possible that it has nothing to do with what happened between you two and the fact that you have 'brother wands is merely an interesting trivia. In any case, I do not know for sure."

Harry nodded. "I kind of figured as much. Wait, aren't fate and coincidence the same thing?"

He shrugged "It is 'Fate', with a capital 'F'. According to some, yes. Others would think differently. I just happen to belong to the latter group. Finally, you come to Hogwarts. And you would not imagine my ELATION at finally seeing you in person. In no way does it make what happened to you right. However, despite my mistakes, despite what was done to you, you were ALIVE and HEALTHY. And..." He closed his eyes and calmed a little. "Anyway, you get sorted into Gryffindor despite the sorting hat's wish to sort you into Slytherin, and eventually befriend the youngest Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger."

"And I'm guessing you didn't try to influence my sorting?"

"I did. I knew of the possibility that some Death Eaters would tell their children to sabotage you one way or another. The hat told me I had no right to hinder your future. So I dropped the matter."

"You gave up?"

"It was merely another layer of protection I failed to give you. Despite your misgivings about Severus, he WOULD have protected you."

"As much as I hate to say it, I know he would have."

"Good. After that, I gave you back your father's invisibility cloak so you could hide from trouble should you need it. It was a coincidence that Tom chose that year to come to Hogwarts, one that pushed me to return your invisibility cloak before I deemed you ready for it. I do not know why he did that. But I assume he abandoned his original plans when he found about the Philosopher's Stone."

"The traps you made for the stone were crap by the way. Many Gryffindors went down there and quite a few found the mirror."

Dumbledore chuckled "Don't be absurd, Harry. Not all the traps were set until later. Even then, merely having Miss Granger with you got you through the front door, the devil's snare and the firewall quiz. Mr. Weasley lucked out in his chess match. You just happened to be a good flyer. On top of that, both Fluffy and the troll were already taken care of when you entered."

Harry objected, "They are still not things that would keep Tom of all people away from his prize."

"True. But, do you really think you'd keep Tom from his prize with such low level obstacles?"

"I don't understand..."

"The 'trials' you faced were merely the ones you could see but not everything. There were many fake deadly traps he had to dismantle in order to progress 'safely'. The whole thing was designed to stall rather than protect something that was not even there. Everyone who went down there must have ignored the hidden wards. Those who could detect them would need to have enough knowledge that they could not beat them by themselves. Tom on the other hand would not allow himself any mistakes. So he had Quirinus comb through everything and took a lot of time, as was intended."

"You're telling me the stone wasn't there?!"

"Of course! It was hidden under a Fidelius in my office."

Harry groaned and lowered head in his hands and muttered "I did all of that for nothing..."

"On the contrary, you proved your mother's protection still worked and gained us considerable time when you disembodied him."

Harry sighed, "Well, there was that at least. Oh, right! Why did you take a broom to the Ministry? If it were an emergency, using the Floo, a Portkey, or even Fawkes would have been much faster. I do not believe for one second that there was no other way to get there. Or that it was necessary to go in the first place."

"You'd be surprised, actually. But, no. I was tricked into doing so by means of esoteric magic I had little knowledge of that was similar in function to a Confundus and a Compulsion. By the time I cleared my head and freed myself, I was already flying on a broom and far from Hogwarts. Even the broom I took was defective in that it can go at a high speed for a while but then would slow down dramatically. And since I was in the middle of nowhere and Fawkes recently had a burning day, I used a Portkey to the edge of Hogwarts' wards and then apparated to my office. By then, you've already met with Quirinus."

"What about the first time I found the mirror? And lying about what you saw?"

"That was just me wanting to have a private talk with you. And I did not lie about the socks. They were part of a joke that I received every Christmas until a few years before then. They were from a very dear friend who died."

"Oh... I-I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. I understand why you thought I lied. In a sense, I did tell a lie by omission. But I digress. I believe the only other thing I did was grant you those points at the end of the year. It was merely an easy thing to do to bolster your reputation a little and gain your favor."

"Okay, then I'm sent back to the Dursleys."

"Yes. And there, you had the pleasure of meeting your new little friend."

"Dobby..."

"I admit I never expected a House-Elf capable of simply bypassing the wards and avoiding detection."

"He can be very sneaky when he wants."

"Quite. In any case, I didn't do much beyond intervening in your trial and covering up the outcome of the flying car incident."

"Yeah, sorry about the second one."

Dumbledore smiled "I wasn't part of the 'cleaning crew', as they say. And beyond a few frustrated conversations with the Minister, I received no inconvenience due to your actions. It was, however, quite amusing."

"By the way, since the 'monster' that killed Myrtle was found, why didn't you get Hagrid innocence known? He'd have been able to wield a wand again."

"Did you know that when someone is expelled, they either need to have enough OWLs or be accepted in another school, otherwise, they'd be obliviated of the magical world?"

"What? Why?!"

He shrugged "I wouldn't know. However, in Hagrid's situation, due to his heritage, he would either be killed or thrown in Azkaban. I did everything I could and allowed him to live and work at Hogwarts. So, to answer your question, he asked me not to. He said he was already used to his life and having a wand would not change anything, if he were even granted the right to a wand in the first place. Hagrid has lived long enough to understand that some battles are more trouble than they are worth. And the Ministry would rather drag everyone through the mud than acquiesce to being wrong, towards someone who's not only a non-pureblood, but with Giant blood no less."

"I guess, as long as he's fine with it... Oh and how did you find us under the cloak?"

"I scanned the room with Legilimency until my eyes landed on yours."

"... What?!"

"Calm down. I only did that to subtly confirm your location. Please believe me. I have never, ever looked inside your mind. If I did, I would have known what I inadvertently subjected you to."

Harry looked at him for a moment then nodded.

"Moving on, in your third year, we housed several delightful guests, courtesy of our esteemed minister."

"Yeah, somehow, they were even worse than the basilisk. With the latter, I was only afraid of dying. The former, however, kept reminding me of my mother's death..."

"I'm so sorry for what you had to go through. I promise that I had my hands tied and couldn't refuse the deployment of the Dementors without dire political consequences."

"That clown had your hands tied?"

"You should not underestimate him. He is a coward, yes. Nevertheless, he did not become minister by being foolish. It is even more so when he had backing from people like Lucius."

Harry sighed "Fine. So, you did not know about Sirius and... the rat?"

"At the time, no. I didn't even suspect a thing along those lines."

"Okay, why did you send me and Hermione, two third year students, to rescue Sirius when you could have come with us? Or better yet, why didn't you do it yourself?"

"I was under heavy scrutiny. If I did anything, I would have been found out and either Sirius would die or I would be forced to be on the run."

"That's-"

"-an opportunity many would seize. While the minister considers having me as an ally to be good, he would much rather get rid of me."

"But he seemed so passive and pathetic."

"You do remember your fifth year, don't you?"

"... Point."

"In any case, you went to your home and I prevented you from contacting anyone."

"Yeah, about that... Was it really necessary?"

"You were under much scrutiny and I was worried someone would track the letters to either you or Sirius."

"Would it have been too much to tell me that?"

"To be honest, no. And the reason is that I am too used to delegating and being trusted by allies that, most of the time, I do not explain my reasoning. I am sorry."

Harry sighed "its fine. Then I guess, fourth year?"

"Yes. And we arrive to the tournament fiasco."

"An apt epithet. I remember the Weasley twins using an aging potion to get past the Age Line in the Tournament's selection. They were confused it didn't work."

"I'd give them points for effort. It would have probably worked, depending on the potion's potency. Unfortunately for them, it would not have mattered either way since I did not use it in the first place. Instead, I implemented several other wards that no unauthorized student should be able to breach. And, as I said, I know much. But the magic Barty Jr used was, even now, beyond my knowledge and understanding."

"So, why did you say you were using an Age Line?"

"Generally, it is discouraged for a wizard or witch to share information about their magic without a valid reason such as compensation. And telling others the details of how you protect something is the same as telling them HOW to get past said protections. It is outright foolish. In this case, even if I did not expect someone of Tom's caliber to personally interfere, Barty Jr was still capable of outsmarting me. What he did to the cup to allow it to Portkey you out of Hogwarts' grounds also still eludes me."

"How could you not notice Moody being impersonated? Wasn't he your friend?"

"Yes. Suffice to say that both his personality and paranoia worked against him this time, giving Barty Jr an easy role to perform. In the end, even when he was caught, our esteemed Minister decided to bury the whole thing by killing him."

"He seems to have it out for me since the end of third year."

"Ah. I believe he expected to be thanked for his actions that year and all he received was 'absurd' declarations of Peter Pettigrew being alive and the innocence of Sirius Black."

He looked at Dumbledore incredulously "And he simply chose to ignore that I was almost killed several times by Dementors?"

"You were fine in the end. You did not demand reparations. Therefore, he doesn't think there is a problem."

"That's-"

"-the way the majority of non-noble wizards and witches think."

"That's moronic."

"While I agree with you, I never could do anything about it. Even less now." He shrugged.

"What about my entry in the tournament? Was it really impossible to safely remove me from it?"

"Of course not. The Goblet was only there to choose participants and cannot force you to do anything. Not even if you entered willingly."

"... What?! Then why the bloody hell did you make me compete?!"

"Language. And while I could, I decided not to out of fear of what the perpetrators might do."

"What do you mean?"

"They had this convoluted plan to include you in the tournament and push you to either win or die. They even put poor Mr. Krum under the Imperius to remove himself and Ms. Delacour from the equation through non-lethal means. Can you imagine what would happen if they wizened up and went with a simpler plan? Such as kidnapping you from the start?"

"Erm..."

"While you certainly were in danger, you were still in a relatively controlled environment and relative safety for most of the year. In addition, I knew of the dangers you would face, aside from what happened after you grabbed the cup, of course. I am guessing you would prefer that to being in the real Moody's place and not in Hogwarts. No?"

"I just wished the whole thing could have been avoided. Cedric had to pay for that with his life." His mood turned somber at that thought.

"I completely agree. But, while I am in no way condoning Cedric's death, thinking of what Barty Jr could have done if he fought his way out with you as a hostage fills me with dread."

After a moment of silence, Harry spoke again "... Fifth year?" He received a nod "I really hated the silent treatment. I kept blaming myself for Padfoot's death. And you made sure I had no one to depend on. I had nightmares about Cedric's death almost every night. But I guess after Quirrel-mort, Basilisk and the Dementors, I'm well acquainted with sleepless nights."

Dumbledore's face was pained. He wanted to apologize so much but refrained. "As you recall, I did not take your mental state into consideration. A mere slip of the tongue with you and it is something that Tom can exploit. I thought to give you space to grieve. In my long life, I lost many. I always grieved alone. It is only after your outburst in my office that I understood what I have done to you. Except for my brother who hated me, there was no one left alive for me to depend on. And I... projected my experiences on you."

Harry was sympathetic. He intimately understood the pain of loss. "I-"

He was quickly cut off "Please don't dwell on that. I only shared that so you can understand as I realized that despite all my achievements and experiences, I never got to truly be a parent until my death. /Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love./" AN: Taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry did not completely understand what he meant, but he nodded anyways.

After another moment of silence, Dumbledore started again "Now, how about we start on fifth year proper?"

"Right. Having to tolerate the pink toad while Voldemerde kept trying to get into my head."

Dumbledore snorted when he heard the Dark Lord's new epithet. "What?"

"I picked that up from Fleur. Anyway, I really don't understand why you didn't have someone competent teach me Occlumency."

"Ah, about that." Dumbledore shifted slightly. "Teaching you Occlumency was never the intention."

Harry could see the guilt. Not like someone who committed a crime, but like the Weasley twins after doing something and they would rather not talk about it. "What did you do?"

"Well..." He coughed in his hand.

"Are you telling me all those headaches I suffered for days after those... sessions, were for nothing?! Oh wait, someone did get something from all of that. Snape finally had the go ahead to satisfy his own sadistic-"

"Calm down." He said firmly yet gently "While it's possible that Severus may have caused you unnecessary pain despite my explicit wishes, the process was, in fact, necessary."

"... What 'process'?" Harry asked in trepidation.

"It's not possible to learn Occlumency within a few years, let alone a few months. In order to organize your mind, you must first clear it of distractions by sorting your memories, which you have to view again, albeit faster. Without any talent or affinity to it, it may take half a decade to create an acceptable level of protection, and probably several decades more against someone like Tom."

"What. Process?" Harry said a little forcefully with even more trepidation.

"... Severus is very knowledgeable in the mind arts. While I may best him in Legilimency and the organization aspect of Occlumency, he is better at protecting his mind than both Tom and I at least in a short amount of time. The plan was to get you to open your mind so he could easily invade it and make it difficult for Tom to navigate. To that end, he rearranged your memories and made it so that should Tom ever have access to your mind, he would have to navigate through the most useless, inane and distracting thoughts and memories."

Harry was outraged "... You had SNAPE rearrange my MIND?! Have you gone bloody SENILE?!"

"I am old Harry, so, probably?" He shrugged "Joking aside, I took an Oath from him that he wouldn't do anything harmful beyond a few days of headaches. He is very good at Occlumency and he was our best bet at delaying and hindering Tom."

"He's very good at potions and he's still absolute shite at teaching it!"

"He wasn't teaching you Occlumency-"

"NOT the POINT!" He almost yelled while grinding his teeth.

"Calm down, Harry. I literally had no choice but to proceed in this course of action. It was either that or have Tom himself rearrange your mind into his loyal slave. And before you ask, the best one to do that beside Severus would be me. Nevertheless, I doubt I could have protected your mind as well as Severus did in the time we had. I promise you Harry, he did NOT do anything to you beyond protecting you from possession and giving you a few headaches. I know him. While he might cause you pain for reminding him of your father, he would NOT harm you, if only for reminding him of your mother."

Harry closed his eyes and drew a long breath "Let's just... move on."

"If that is your wish."

"I guess did work as well as you hoped, since Tom couldn't control me in the Ministry."

"No, Harry. Severus could only help you stall Tom from using the distant connection you share with him, which I suspect worked to a certain degree leading up to your encounter with him. He couldn't control you because you pushed him out."

"Oh... On that subject, why you let him go? I do not believe you could not have fought him there. And there were even a lot of wizards and witches that came and saw him right before he escaped. You could have at least called for Aurors to help."

"And amongst those very Aurors and even members of other departments are more Death Eaters. If the fight continued, the panic alone would give them the opportunity to do much damage. I told you before that I do not fear death. Even then, I could not die yet. Not without being certain to at least take him down with me. With his Horcruxes, any sacrifice I make would be for naught."

Harry looked thoughtful at that.

"My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. I am sure you found it peculiar that I have three middle names instead of only one like you and most of everyone else. I changed my name and I didn't do it... how did the MACUSA delegate say it... ah yes, 'for shits and giggles'." Harry snorted amusedly at that. "Despite what he may claim, Tom fears me. Not only my prowess as a fighter, but because he grew knowing me as a powerful wizard. The same can be said for anyone else. I carefully and diligently created a persona and earned myself several titles and names for one purpose. Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamut Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, Holder of an Order of Merlin First Class, and so many more that I've lost count, all for one purpose. And that is to create a legend, a myth."

"Forgive me for what I'm about to say. But, isn't that a little pretentious?"

"For anyone else, I would say more than just a little, maybe outright insane even. For me, I simply do not believe any of it. The image I created for myself, while difficult to maintain, makes it easier for me to, amongst other things, intimidate dark wizards. With Tom, specifically, I forced him to be careful, gaining more time to find his Horcruxes by simply being alive and looking intimidating."

Harry snorted again at that. "And I got my legend merely at Hagrid's drunken ramblings."

"Actually, yes. Hagrid understands his own faults and that is the reason he has always did anything I asked, no questions asked. On the off chance where he slips up though, I do my best to direct some convenient rumors here and there and tried to snuff out others."

"I figured as much, but didn't want to assume."

He nodded "Good. Also, never making assumptions is a good strategy to live by. Anyway, we now get to the final thing I did. The golden snitch."

"Ugh. Yeah, that was a crappy thing you did."

"True. But I did what I thought necessary."

"For me to die."

"For you to prepare yourself for a most probable death, yes."

"And what my parents and Sirius told me-"

"-was exactly what I needed you to hear."

"... What?"

"You don't really expect your own parents, including Sirius, to send you to your death, do you?"

Hearing this, Harry was feeling very snarky "You don't really expect me to actually know what parents do and don't, do you?!"

"... Forgive me. That was ill thought of me."

Harry kept glaring at him.

"The Resurrection Stone has a very dark history. As far as my research on it led me, not a single one of its owners survived for long after using it. They all met an early end, one way or another. Accidents, illness, conflict, suicide, but never old age. I can personally attest to that. So even if I were to give you the actual stone, which I would be reluctant to do at the time, I wouldn't do it just before an important event where your continued existence is absolutely vital."

"S-So, they were- I didn't-"

"I'm sorry, but no. I had no choice but to do what I did. I do not regret doing it. But I do regret having to do it."

"... I know I should hate you. But, for some reason, I can't."

The weary old man smiled "You can, Harry, and I would never blame you. Hate is something very easy to have, especially towards those who wronged you. But you are a strong, wonderful person and you chose not to."

"Strong?! But all I've done is walk up to Tom and let him kill me!"

"How many people do you know, or have even heard of that would do what you did if they were in your position? No family to protect. No one to help you. And you still decided to give your life for what you believed was the right thing to do."

"..."

"You can include all those I know of and you can be sure that it's a very, very small number of people. All of whom are great people in one way or another. And you, young man, are not an exception."

Harry kept silent with his eyes closed, still processing everything.

"And that, as far as I remember, is the extent of my 'interference' with you."

"Doesn't Occlumency give you a good memory?"

"You'd be surprised how much one would forget when they're my age. To give you a little perspective, you must remember that by the time I died, I taught over ten thousand students at Hogwarts. I remember much less than a tenth of them, if that. And even then, it would be random anecdotes or the like. And that is only in my capacity as part of Hogwarts' staff. The human mind, as wonderful as nature has made it, is not designed to live too long. Occlumency can only help so much."

"What about others who lived that long? Or longer? Like the Flamels, for example."

"They have their own methods. I am not privy to what my old teacher and his wife did. However, my own method would have been along the lines of removing useless memories, then cataloguing and storing them outside my mind."

"Fine then. What about the crap teachers in Hogwarts? And I don't just mean Snape."

"There are several reasons for that. But they are mostly caused by the Department of Magical Education. Ever since the beginning of the first Wizarding War against Tom and his Death Eaters, Hogwarts suffered major budget cuts. Much of Hogwarts' finances come from the greenhouses and potions. As the war went on, we donated as much as we could. Therefore, we had to make do with what we could manage. Which led to professor Binns never getting replaced and a few other extra subjects to be removed."

"What about Divination? You can't tell me there haven't been better replacements."

"The Divination teacher is required to be a seer, regardless of their teaching ability."

"B-But that's-"

"-Absolutely moronic. I know. Even more so when a seer's specialty is Clairvoyance and not Divination."

"You mentioned that earlier. What's the difference?"

"I believe you're quite familiar with the Point Me spell?" He received a nod "Any piece of magic with the purpose of gathering and providing information in the present technically falls under Divination like the Revelio charm, as is any that defend against or counter them like your invisibility cloak. Madam Pomfrey's medical scans, which you are also deeply acquainted with," He added with a chuckle, "are the same. Another example would be some of the charms in the Marauders' Map. Clairvoyance, on the other hand, encompasses the magics of gaining information from the past or the future. Thus, prophecies and the centaurs' star reading fall under Clairvoyance."

"I wish we were taught actual Divination. It sounds much more interesting than Clairvoyance. Not to mention the lack of the 'inner eye'" He made air quotes with his hands "in most students."

Dumbledore nodded "Personally, I agree. Back to the matter at hand, Severus teaches his subject exactly as mandated. He tried to teach it differently but was severely warned not to deviate from the imposed curriculum and the teaching methods." He raised a hand "And no, when it came to teaching, he didn't try to sabotage you in any way. He is sour about many things, but is not THAT petty. Another subject would be Muggle Studies. While you did not take it, it was painfully outdated. Care of Magical Creatures would have been another subject that suffered if Hagrid did not step in. And while his methods are unorthodox, it was reported to me that he actually imparts the spirit of the lessons. And finally, you, of course, know what happened to the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. What SHOULD be taught in Hogwarts and what you are actually learning are vastly different. I fought long and hard to give my students the education they deserve. It is one of the reasons I hold three major positions. And even then, the Ministry wants its citizens easy to manipulate and thwarted my every attempt."

"So much for the finest school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world. I guess I should not be surprised. I mean, it's also called the safest location in the wizarding world and I almost died there on a yearly basis."

Dumbledore wisely chose not to respond.

A moment later, Harry had another question "There's something else I've been wondering. What about the Death Eaters? The ones who escaped incarceration with money? I am curious if you did anything about them. Besides giving them a 'second chance' I mean."

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated. But, I will answer nonetheless. While it's true many of the free Death Eaters donated a lot of gold, it was only to protect their reputations and prove their already found innocent verdict."

"Wait, are you telling me that ALL Death Eaters who claimed the Imperius were actually telling the truth?!"

"Well, no. At least not for the majority of them. However, it is not too far from the truth. They were under Tom's control, yes. Only, he used magics far more dangerous than a mere Imperius Curse."

"More dangerous than an Unforgivable?" Harry asked incredulously.

"If you cast the Imperius, you have an aware yet unwilling servant under your control, one who will resist your every command. It requires the caster to be strong of will, preferably but not necessarily stronger than their target, and a semi-constant focus to keep the magic working. However, what about obliviation, confounding and compulsions? While it is far more time consuming, it is possible to condition a victim and get even better results. For someone who is both smart and careful, they can use those spells a few times and you'll have a loyal willing, possibly even fanatical, servant."

"Surely they can't be that powerful if they're even available in the library at Hogwarts?"

"I'm sure you remember the effects of a certain potion taught at Hogwarts that smells differently depending on the one it is keyed to?"

"... Amortentia." He sighed, "Based on what we were talking about, we're taught how to brew it even though it's forbidden to use because there are potions with more potent effects."

All he got from the old man was a smile and a glint in his eyes.

"Please don't tell me those spells aren't forbidden just because they're convenient."

"Actually, they are not forbidden for two more reasons. They are relatively easy to defend against and while reversing them can be difficult, it is still in the realm of possibility. On the other hand, the Unforgivables are declared to be the absolute worst magics there is. Can you guess why? Why just those three and not Horcruxes or Fiendfyre, for example."

"... So that people wouldn't go look into something worse?"

"Exactly! They are known by many. They are moderately difficult to learn and are relatively easy to cast while requiring above average power and a specific mindset. The only reason they are labeled as the Unforgivables is because of their common trait that is being difficult to block or counter. Nothing more, nothing less. A caster of the Blood Boiling curse is given the exact same treatment as someone who cast an Unforgivable. Horcruxes are almost unheard of to the average wizard and witch, and even those who knows of them would not know where to even begin. Fiendfyre..." He arched an eyebrow at his student. He smiled when he received a nod "While a bit more widely known, it isn't something just about anyone with a modicum of intelligence would dare to learn, let alone use. Most of the time, even those who are knowledgeable in the Dark Arts such as Tom, Gellert, Severus or myself would be reluctant to unleash such a dangerous, volatile and often double-edged spell. Now, imagine if wizards and witches knew how to replicate what Tom did to come back from being killed. Imagine that every Death Eater had three Horcruxes."

He saw the horror that creeped up his student's face. He understood the gravity of the situation in such a scenario. The image of an even more reckless, more unhinged Bellatrix or Greyback that would come back every time they were killed. The sheer chaos and destruction that would follow in their wake. Even more, what would happen if they had a ready system that restores every Death Eater wraith back to life, like well-oiled machine?

"Tom didn't share that even with his most trusted lieutenants like Bellatrix or Barty Jr. He could have told every one of them and kept all of their Horcruxes with himself as insurance. Despite gaining an immortal army with that, the secret would still be out. The reason for that is Tom was afraid of death and would rather keep his secret to immortality to himself. The same with any secret he has. They are tools that, in his mind, prove his superiority over others. I, on the other hand, keep such secrets because of the danger they pose, to deny any evil being the advantage. Back to the matter at hand, when the various wizards and witches were subjected to dangerous, obscure magics that not only took their free will, but also did not require the caster's constant focus, we had to cover it up. Each of them provided as much proof as they could such as memories and testimonies under Veritaserum in private and those found innocent were told to 'confess' they were under the Imperius later."

Harry felt the world as he knew it crashing down for the umpteenth time today.

"Make no mistake. Many of them were NOT coerced into servitude. They knew Tom was the half-blood son of a squib and still accepted his power. They submitted to him willingly and underwent the same spells that 'coerced' them into doing what they already agreed to do. However, that only made it difficult to discern who is guilty and who is not, but not impossible. Admittedly, only those we were certain of were sent to Azkaban."

"What about someone like Lucius Malfoy? He was going to cast the killing curse on me when I tricked him into freeing Dobby."

Dumbledore glared "First, challenging him like that was very reckless of you, even if it was quite satisfying to see Lucius like that. Second, I knew you were 'up to no good' when you asked for the diary so I was actually close by and would have intervened if your elf friend did not do anything. And third, you stood up to him. What were you expecting? For him to laugh it off? He had every right to retaliate to a slight upon him and his House. Many would have done far worse to you."

Wincing, Harry held up his hands in front of him in surrender "Okay! All right! I understand that it could have gone very bad. I'm sorry."

Dumbledore shook his head "I didn't say this to make you apologize. I just want you to understand that actions have consequences, repercussions. And through your actions, you freed an elf in exchange for burning bridges with the Malfoys."

Harry was confused "I would have thought you wouldn't want me to be friendly with the Malfoys. Is this something, erm, political?"

"While I can understand why you would arrive to that conclusion, you are mistaken. I heard about your first encounter with the youngest Malfoy. Your friend Mr. Weasley was bragging to everyone left and right how you sided with him against the, and I quote, 'slimy Slytherin'."

"Damn it Ron..."

"And about Lucius, he just wanted the political power. Whether it was before he joined Tom or after, he had no intention in sullying his hands, or involving his family in the shadier side of business for that matter."

"It's just one thing after another. I know that there are no absolutes, no black and white but... why can't the world be a little clearer?"

"There are no shades of grey either, Harry. The world is not THAT clearly defined. It's all subjective."

"Well, that's just fantastic."

"What you are struggling to come to terms with is something we all face." He told him with sympathy.

"I know. It is just... What is the point? I am already dead. At least things can't get-"

Dumbledore caught what he was about to say and firmly cut him off "Do NOT finish that sentence!"

Harry was surprised at his mentor's frantic reaction "What?"

"My boy, I am going to give you a very important lesson. When you say something along the lines of [What else can go wrong?], it is the consensus of the brightest minds in history, magical or otherwise, HUMAN or otherwise, that the universe will answer like this [Was that a challenge? You think this is bad but it can always get worse. Here, let me show you...]. No matter the situation you are in, it can ALWAYS get worse. Ask Miss Granger about something called 'Murphy's Law'."

"But I'm already dead! What could possibly-"

The professor cut him off again with a glare "WHAT did I just TELL you?" He received a pout "It would not matter whether you were alive or dead. The universe ALWAYS listens and will ALWAYS find a way. Moreover, while I can understand the misunderstanding, you are NOT dead. At least, not permanently."

Blinking from both surprise and confusion, Harry asked a question eloquently "Wha..."

"This place isn't the afterlife, Harry. Some call it 'Limbo', while others call it the 'in-between'. It is believed to be the... 'Place', for a lack of a better word, between life and death. When Tom cast his favourite verdant spell on you, he hit two targets at once. The first to succumb to its effects was the shard in your scar. It was enough to push you here, but not all the way through to the other side."

"Then, no offence but, why didn't Sirius or my parents come instead of you?"

He answered with some amusement "None taken. And, of course, I understand you would rather meet with your family than me. The answer to your question is quite complex, but the short of it is because they don't know how."

Harry did not know if it were something you would ask about dead people but..."A-And how are they?"

Dumbledore smiled kindly at his student giving him an expectant look "They are resting, Harry."

Harry sighed in a semblance of both relief and longing. Then, he caught something in his mentor's eyes "I know that look. Bloody hell... I have to go back, haven't I?"

"I believe Miss Granger, would tell you to watch your language." He said with a little mirth "And, that is up to you."

"It is never up to me..." Harry said sourly.

When the young man stayed silent, he decided to add something as an incentive "... What I am about to tell you will, hopefully, ease your burden, if only a little. Two pieces of information I confirmed after my death."

"... What?" His voice was a little flat.

"When you die, eventually, you'll be able to do two things. First, you will be able to meet your loved ones, those who passed before you. Not in the same way you do with the living, but it is similar enough. Second, you can watch over those still alive."

"Oh... S-So, mum, dad and Sirius..."

"Yes."

"And I will..."

"Yes."

"And you want me to go back."

Dumbledore shook his head "As I said, that is absolutely your choice. However, if you will take the advice of an old man, live. Live your life to the fullest. Fight for what you believe in. Enjoy the hobbies you like. Pursue the person you fancy the most, or even all of them if you wish. Have however many children you want. Discover new things. Explore the world. Experience the wonders of magic. And finally, die of old age, surrounded by your loved ones. It will definitely not be easy. Nevertheless, it will be worth it. And I can tell you, from what I know of them, you have always made your parents proud. However, stop surviving and start living. For your own sake and no one else's." He finished with a pleading tone.

Harry was staring down for a while. Then, he looked at his mentor for a moment and answered with conviction "I will."

"Good." Dumbledore nodded as relief washed over him. It was as if a burden he did not even know he had was lifted from his heart. Then with an innocent look he added "On a completely unrelated note, I'd like you to go to my old office after this business with Tom is done and over with. Behind Fawkes' nest, there is a glass cabinet. Knock on the bottom left drawer three times then open the top right one. Retrieve the book you find there. It is a book with a secret compartment entitled 'Gellert Grindelwald's Gilded Greater Good Grimoire'. In it, you'll find the real Resurrection Stone along with everything I managed to find on the Hallows."

"Wha..."

"Have fun." He smiled and winked at his student. "Well then, I have to say, getting this all out in the open feels quite cathartic!"

"I'm glad at least one of us is feeling better."

They sat in silence for a moment until Dumbledore spoke again.

"This is off topic but, earlier when you said 'Pavlovian response', am I correct to suspect a story there?"

"Hm? Oh! That. Last year, Hermione and I were talking about Ron's bad eating habits. I jokingly told her we should train him with a 'carrot and stick' method, reward and punishment depending on how he eats. She objected. She said Ron was way too stubborn and might end up developing a Pavlovian response to associate food with pain."

Dumbledore chuckled at this and silently agreed.

"Now, since this is a rare opportunity, are you curious about anything else?"

"Wouldn't it be best to return as quickly as possible?"

"This... 'Place', for lack of a better word, is metaphysical, Harry. Meaning, it is beyond the laws of both magic and mundane that you are familiar with. Time here is relative. You can stay here for as long as you wish. When you go back, only a few seconds, or minutes at most, would have passed." 'Or at least, that's what would happen as long as you believe it to be true.' Dumbledore thought with amusement.

"Okay... Do you have any idea how six school children, four fifth years and two fourth years at that, managed to face twelve Death Eaters and live?"

"I believe it was a combination of teamwork, using the environment to your advantage, being underestimated and them needing you and not the other way around. If you didn't have even one of those, I'm afraid the casualties your group sustained may have turned into fatalities."

"So, I didn't get my friends killed because I got lucky."

"Far from it. While you did get lucky, you must remember that you trained them well. I know this because despite their injuries, both Miss Granger and Mr. Longbottom prioritized giving their memories of the events to give you space to grieve."

"... Oh."

"I suspect the others would have done the same if they were awake at the time. Cherish them, Harry. You don't find that kind of loyalty easily."

He mutely nodded, still coming to terms that people other than Ron and Hermione actually value him that much, or at all for that matter. Him, Harry Potter and not the Boy-Who-Lived. He never thought of it before as he always focused on what he lost. But now that he thought of it, Ron, who fears small spiders, STOOD by him against ACROMANTULAS. Hermione ALWAYS looked after them and forged ahead for their sakes. The shy Neville and both the younger Ginny and Luna threw caution to the wind when they, along with his two oldest friends, followed him knowingly to what they knew was a trap made by Voldemort. Oh, he would cherish them all right. He will make sure they know how grateful he was, that he appreciated them and did not take them for granted. Maybe he'll ask Fleur if she had a few cousins she could introduce to the boys?

He was cut off from his musings when he heard Dumbledore ask again "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"About that Potter ancestral home you mentioned..."

AN: I tried to rationalize everything (as far as I could remember) Dumbledore has done with Harry and expand a little on a few things. Obviously, this is merely my view on why Harry Potter's life happened that way in canon.

AN2: Hope you liked this. Please give me your opinion and check my other stories.