A/N: Thanks so much for all of the reviews from the last chapter! As promised, here is the next one!
.
.
.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
.
.
.
Harry exited the den, immediately setting his gaze over the crowd to look for either Hermione or Ginny. Because of Slughorn, he had neglected them both… a fact that he was starting to feel guilty about. Especially with Ginny… He owed her some dances, and he hadn't cashed in on any of them yet.
Not seeing anyone that he was looking for at all, Harry walked forward, searching all the while.
Until he, quite literally, bumped into someone.
"Ofph!" Harry let out, immediately feeling embarrassment at the fact that he hadn't been looking where he had been going. He looked up at the person he had run into, and recognized the blue gaze of Dumbledore looking back at him. "Oh… I'm sorry, Sir."
Dumbledore smiled down at Harry, the twinkle never leaving his gaze. "It's quite alright, Harry. No harm was done. How are you enjoying your evening?"
Harry smiled up at his mentor. "I was pulled away by Professor Slughorn to meet his former students for a while…"
This news seemed to please Dumbledore greatly. "I'm glad to hear it, Harry. It pleases me greatly that you are taking your assignment to get close to Professor Slughorn seriously."
Harry beamed at the praise. Normally, any compliment from any other person made him feel uncomfortable. But any praise coming from Dumbledore actually felt well deserved… and as a result, made Harry feel mighty pleased with himself.
Then Harry suddenly remembered what it was that he needed to ask Dumbledore as soon as he saw him. He hadn't the chance to ask him since he had been on Wizengamont business all week. "Sir? I was wondering if we could speak in private after the ball? I have something that I would like to talk to you about…"
Dumbledore's aged face grew serious as he took in Harry's nervous expression. "Of course, Harry. I will see you in my office after the ball."
Harry let out a breath, and nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Sir."
Dumbledore nodded, and turned to walk away. Before he paused and turned to look back at Harry. "Oh, and Harry, I happen to really like snickerdoodles… do you?"
It took Harry a second to understand the random question, before he brightened and nodded. Dumbledore gave one last nod, before he took his leave.
Now that was taken care of, Harry was now free to enjoy the rest of the ball. He returned to his search for Ginny or Hermione, walking all the way to the other side of the room.
He didn't see either of them among the crowds for a while. Until he spotted the coveted sight of fiery, red hair by the far wall. Harry's brows furrowed as he noticed that she was alone as she was staring out the window at the chilly, night sky. Why was she alone? What happened to Collin? And where was Hermione or Ron?
Harry chose not to question it any further, instead he strode forward and made his way to his beautiful, Ginger Firecracker.
He stopped when he was right behind her, and wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her waist.
Her reaction was immediate. She jumped at the contact, before she simultaneously twisted in his arms while pushing him away. Then Harry was shocked to find her wand pointed in his face, right at his nose.
"Gin?" Harry asked, concerned as he looked cross-eyed at the wand directed at his nose. His hands were thrown up in surrender.
"Oh." Ginny let out, lowering her wand instantly as she realized that it was him. "H-Hi. I thought that you were someone else..."
With her wand now gone, Harry could now focus on her face… and what he saw caused his heart to break. Her eyes were red-rimmed… she had been crying.
"Gin, what's wrong?" Harry asked immediately as he lowered his arms. "What happened?"
Ginny sniffled, and shook her head. "I-It's nothing. It's all silly, really."
Harry shook his head and stepped forward, gathering her into his arms. Her body was stiff against him, and he could tell that she was purposefully trying to hold in her emotions. He wished that she didn't have to feel the need to do that around him. But it was one thing that Harry knew about Ginny since he had first met her… and that was that Ginny Weasley never cried over silly reasons. "It's obviously not nothing. Tell me what's wrong."
Ginny let out a shuddering breath against his shoulder, in a way that told him that she was gathering her wits. "It-It was just that Dean had said some things… and so did Romilda Vane. And I couldn't find any of our friends or you… so, I felt a little abandoned, and… well, it's all silly."
Harry denied this claim by shaking his head. "No. It's not silly… In fact, it's perfectly understandable. And I'm sorry that I wasn't around… Slughorn had gotten to me and pulled me to meet some of his former Slug Club members. I'm not sure what happened to Hermione or Ron, but where did Collin get off to?"
At the mention of Collin, Ginny pulled back from him slightly and actually smiled. "He went off to snog a fourth-year boy."
Harry's eyes widened at this information, before a deep-settled anger and annoyance bubbled inside of him. He had trusted Collin to look after Ginny…! And not only had Ginny been left alone, it seems that Dean had gotten to her in the meantime! "Well, he shouldn't have left you alone!"
Ginny shook her head, and immediately started to defend her friend. "No. It's not like that. He asked me if he could dance with him, and I said yes. I don't think that he knew that I wouldn't be able to find any of you guys to spend time with. I didn't even know it."
Harry took this at face value and let it go, if only for Ginny's sake. He didn't want to ruin her night any further by getting into a row about her 'supposed' friend. But he still let out a huff of annoyance, and let one hand go of Ginny to run roughly through his hair, mussing it up a bit. "I'm sorry that you felt abandoned…"
Ginny shook her head, and smiled up at him. "It's alright. You're here now."
At that, Harry found himself melting, his anger starting to leave him, as he started to smile at her. "That's right. Now, let me make it up to you. I know that I owe you a dance, Miss. Weasley."
Ginny smiled, but she hid it by leaning her forehead against his chest… He felt her lips kiss the clothed skin there, and he sucked in a breath at the feeling.
"That would be nice." Ginny whispered.
Harry unwrapped himself from around her, but left one arm securely around her waist as he led her to the dance floor. He wanted to spend the rest of the night making up his absence to Ginny. Because even though he knew that it wasn't his fault that he was pulled away from the ball, he still felt like a cad for inadvertently being one of the reasons she cried.
When they got into the middle of the dance floor, Harry turned to face her, pulling her flush against him. And on the very next note, he began to lead her. He stepped and she followed. They turned together in twisting circles, until Harry thought that it was an adequate time to step back and twirl her.
Ginny laughed merrily as she was pulled back into his embrace, and Harry grinned broadly at the noise.
He couldn't change the last hour for her… But if nothing else, at least he could give her this.
"You've gotten better at this!" Ginny exclaimed, with a large grin stretching across her beautiful face. "Dancing, I mean."
Harry beamed at the praise, and accentuated it by suddenly bending her back into a low dip. Ginny squealed with laughter at the unexpected action, as Harry brought her up and back into his arms again. "I had Hermione teach me a bit during our free periods. I wanted to practice so that I could surprise you."
Ginny looked up at him and pecked him on the lips. "Well, I am. Pleasantly surprised! Who knew that Harry Potter had it in him?"
In response, Harry merely chuckled.
The music then changed into a new song, the tempo for this one much slower than the last…
Harry held her close to him, reveling at the feeling of warmth her body gave to him - as well as the tingling sensations that he always got from her close proximity. His cheek was pressed into the side of her hair, his nose close enough that he could smell wafts of the flowery shampoo that she always used… the very scent that he smelled coming from the amortentia love potion.
Ginny, herself, had her own cheek resting upon his shoulder, her face tilted away from him.
He heard and felt her give a contented sigh, as her body started to relax its tense posture from earlier. He closed his eyes as they swayed back and forth in the single spot, choosing to give up fancy dance moves in favor of intimacy. Having her, in his arms, felt like home to Harry. He never wanted to give the feeling up… he never wanted to give her up.
"Harry…?" Ginny whispered, as she turned her head so that her face was pressed into his neck. Harry hummed in acknowledgement, letting her know that he was listening. "Why are you with me?"
Harry's eyes snapped open. What?
He backed away slightly so that he could look at her face. Her expression had a level of uncertainty as she looked up at him, but was otherwise unreadable. "What do you mean?"
Ginny swallowed, and averted her eyes down to their feet. "I mean, what do you even see in me?"
Harry dropped one hand from around her waist and brought it to her chin, lifting her face so that he could see her beautiful eyes. "Gin… where did this come from?"
Ginny bit her lip, worrying it for a moment, before she let out a huff of annoyance… presumably at herself. "I-I don't know… I guess it was just something that Romilda Vane had said to me earlier, about me not deserving you. I guess it brought back old feelings of insecurity."
Harry's expression hardened as he felt his blood start to boil. He abruptly stopped dancing. "Come with me."
Harry unwound his arms from around her and grabbed her by the hand. Then he was leading her, none too slowly, out of the Great Hall. He kept walking until they were a ways away, in an abandoned, darkened hallway… where he pulled her into the first alcove he found.
"Harry…?" She started, before he cut her off by pressing her into the castle wall and kissed her.
And it wasn't gentle. He didn't wait for the silent permission before he immediately shoved his tongue into her mouth, tangling it with her own and coaxing it to life.
Ginny let out a startled moan from the back of her throat, before she forgot about what she had been about to say - as well as her insecurities - and threw her arms up around his neck… kissing him back.
Merlin, it was difficult not to get lost in this… in the feeling. But there was a rhyme and reason to his abruptness. He was doing this to prove a point.
He forced himself to pull back, startling her once again at the abruptness of the action, as she looked up at him with a confused and dazed look.
"First off," Harry started, panting as he tried to find his breath. "Romilda Vane is a bitch." Ginny's eyebrows rose at the vulgar term, but she pointedly didn't argue against it. "And I would never be interested in her even if you and I weren't already going out, and I wasn't just about barking crazy for you."
Then he leaned in, and planted his mouth on hers again. Kissing her passionately for a moment, before he pulled away yet again. Only this time, not so far… she was only a breath away. Ginny whimpered at the loss, and tried to bring her hands up to coax his mouth back to hers… but Harry managed to resist.
"Second," He continued. "What I see in you is that you are smart. No one else thought to resurrect my parents like you did."
Harry leaned to the side, and planted a long, lingering kiss on her cheek.
Against her cheek, he kept on. "You are so funny that you make me laugh, even on my broodiest days."
His lips trailed up and he kissed her temple.
"You never take anything lying down and you are not a pushover."
He was at her ear at this point, and he took the lobe into his mouth and bit it lightly, causing her to gasp. Harry tried not to grin at the response.
"But despite that, you still have a big and kind heart." He was at her shoulder now, and his teeth made indents where he nibbled at the bare skin there.
"H-Harry…!" Ginny gasped, her fingers coming up to tangles themselves into his hair, musing it up even further to the point that it must have looked as messy as it always did.
"You have an inner strength and perseverance that knows no bounds… so much so, that it has been known to inspire me on occasion." His lips were now at her collarbone, sucking the protruding skin around the bone into his mouth. Her fingers tightened in his hair, tugging on the strands.
"You are loyal, and I know for a fact that you will always be willing to stand by my side. Even when things get difficult." He was up to her neck now, sucking a bit of skin into his mouth as he nibbled on it… giving her the most delicious of pressures.
Then he finally let go, and straightened so that he could look deep into her eyes. From the surrounding darkness, he couldn't make out the warm color of them. But it didn't matter, because he had the color memorized and burned into his mind.
"And if nothing else," Harry whispered, bringing his hands up to frame her face. His thumbs brushed back a few stray hairs that had been stuck to her cheek. "Before we were even a couple, you were a friend when I needed one most. You really think that Romilda Vane could be any of those things to me, if not all of them like you are?"
Ginny bit her lip and stared up at him with furrowed eyebrows. "But still, you could have any girl in the castle…"
"I don't want just any girl. I want you." Harry said, passionately, revealing the utter truth of his words. "Gin… you are all that I've ever wanted. You make me forget all of the bad things in my life… in fact, you make me happy. Since I was young, that was all that I ever wished for. And you gave that to me."
Ginny stared at him for a long moment, before her face launched forward, attacking him with a long kiss. Harry came willingly this time, allowing himself to get lost in snogging her. Enjoying the sensation of getting lost in the new roughness they had never tried before.
If the tenting in his trousers were any indication, he quite liked it.
Ginny suddenly used her weight against the wall to lift both of her legs so that they were wrapped around his waist. Harry nearly choked at his shock by the action, but quickly helped her secure her slender thighs around him.
Her long, blue dress hiked up a bit. A fact that Harry was very acutely aware of as his one hand landed on her bare, creamy skin. His fingertips trailed up and down at the newfound skin, there… creating feather-light touches that caused Ginny to shiver in delight every time his fingers passed.
His other hand was at her waist, fisting the fabric of her dress into his hand.
It was as though he were living in a dream…
He tilted his head even further to the side, trying to deepen the kiss even further… a plan that Ginny seemed to be quite the fan of.
Merlin, would he ever get used to her taste? Her scent that was attacking his senses? He really hoped not.
They broke apart, both desperately needing air to fill their lungs. Ginny panted into his mouth, sucking in mouthfuls of air.
"Will you come up to my room tonight?" She asked, surprising Harry as his eyes snapped up to hers. "We could continue this up there… snog in my nice, comfy bed…"
Harry groaned just at the mental picture that she had painted for him. Merlin, did he ever want to say yes… He was tempted beyond belief.
But…
"I-I can't…" Harry said, his voice implying how much he really wanted to, and his head bowing slightly in his regret. "There is something that I need to do tonight… Something important with Dumbledore."
He hated having to tell her this. To disappoint her in such a way, especially after she had spent the evening feeling abandoned by everyone.
Ginny frowned slightly, and her eyebrows furrowed in concern. And regretfully, she slipped her legs down from his hips until she was standing on her own two feet. Harry mourned the loss immediately. "Oh? Anything you need my help with…?"
Harry shook his head. "It's not anything bad… nothing life-threatening."
Ginny's brow furrowed even further. "What is it?"
Harry bit his lip, debating on what he should tell her. On one hand, he wanted to tell her everything right away, just to bask in the excitement of the idea. But on the other hand… what if he were to fail? He was sure to need her to cheer him up, if that were the case. But he didn't want to get his hopes up any more than they already were, which would happen if he told Ginny now. "I can't say anything now…" Harry confided, running his hand where it still touched her hip. "But I promise, that I'll tell you everything tomorrow. When we are alone, even if it works or if it doesn't. I'll tell you every detail."
He could tell that Ginny didn't much like this… but she nodded anyways, accepting reluctantly.
Harry smiled reassuringly at her, and planted another kiss on her lips in apology. This one short and sweet. A vast contrast to the kisses they had just been sharing.
And when he pulled back, it was to see a slight smile growing on her lips again. "I'm going to hold you to that promise, Potter."
Harry grinned, hearing her usual confidence come back to her voice. "Oh, I believe that you will. I wouldn't expect anything different."
…...
"Snickerdoodles." Harry stated to the gargoyle statue, and it opened immediately for him, revealing the spiraling staircase. Harry nervously stepped onto the first step, and it started to move up the towards the office for him, just as it did every time.
He had just kissed Ginny goodnight at the portrait door for Gryffindor tower. A part of his heart was still there… with her. Wanting more than anything than to take up her offer and to just join her in her bed as she had asked.
To just forget about the impossible task he was about to set out to do.
But he couldn't. This had to be done. He would never forgive himself if he turned back now.
"Enter." The Headmaster's voice come from within the office, and Harry hadn't realized that he had been standing in front of the closed door.
He took a deep breath, and opened it.
Dumbledore was standing next to his desk, holding a watering can which he was using to water a bundle of dead lightbulbs that were tied together by twine. It was just the sort of odd behavior Harry was used to seeing from the Professor.
Dumbledore looked up as he closed the door behind him. "Ah, Harry…" Dumbledore greeted, setting down the watering can on the corner of his desk. "Did you enjoy your time at the ball?"
Harry grinned slightly as he thought back on how he and Ginny had chosen to spend the remaining time at the ball, and nodded. "Yes, actually. It was a lot of fun."
Dumbledore nodded in return, accepting his answer as he rounded his desk. "I'm glad. Though… I remember your hair being a tad tider than it is now, when I had bumped into you earlier…"
The suggestion in his tone spoke volumes, and Harry flushed at being caught in what he had actually been up to. The embarrassment didn't help with his nerves, at all.
Harry chose not to reply to the Professor's blatant observation, and Dumbledore didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pulled back the ornate chair in front of his desk and sat down in it.
"Now, Harry," Dumbledore started as he folded his hands in front of him on top of his desk. "What is it that you wished to discuss with me?" There was a hint of curiosity in his tone, but the Professor hid it well. From someone who didn't know him as well as Harry did, they wouldn't have caught it.
Harry swallowed.
Coughed.
Then swallowed again.
There seemed to be a lump in his throat that refused to disappear. Harry watched with uneasy eyes as Dumbledore watched him fidget from foot to foot, swaying from side-to-side.
"You know that you can talk to me about anything, Harry."
Harry froze for a moment before nodding. Dumbledore nodded in return, and put his hand up in offering, indicating to the chair across from him. Harry took the hint and sat.
They sat in silence for a long moment, while Harry worked up his nerve.
"I-I wanted to ask you something, sir."
"What is it?"
Harry huffed out a long sigh before finally sitting up straight in his chair, leaning slightly across the desk towards the Headmaster.
"I-I had introduced my parents to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny a while back through the Resurrection Stone..." Harry paused for any sort of reaction that the Headmaster would have to this, but only saw that Dumbledore looked unsurprised by this revelation. So Harry continued. "And after I had introduced Ginny, she said some thoughts that were rather interesting..."
Dumbledore still looked rather unbothered and calm as he nodded for Harry to continue.
"She said that she didn't understand why it was called the 'Resurrection Stone' if it didn't actually resurrect people. So, we've been researching ever since for ways to resurrect them. My parents and Sirius."
Dumbledore's face finally dropped into shock.
"Harry..."
"But we haven't been having the best of luck with the research." Harry quickly continued on, afraid that Dumbledore's interruption would ruin his momentum. "That was why I was in the restricted section that night, Professor. It was to find more information about resurrecting the dead."
Dumbledore stared at Harry, aghast. His eyes looked as though they wanted to bore holes into Harry's skull. Seemingly unable to say anything.
"About a month had passed with no answers, and my mum and dad told me that I should stop my research. They thought that I should focus on other things, you see. But a couple of nights ago, I got a letter from Remus. In the letter, he told me about how he had lost his copy of Sirius' will, and that he had looked everywhere for it. It wasn't until he remembered that he could just go to Gringotts and request another copy, did he finally find the solution. He then went on to tell me that if at any time, I lost all hope at finding answers, it is best that I retrace my steps and go to the source. At first, I couldn't understand why him telling me this struck such a chord with me... before I realized that it was the solution to my problem. All that I had to do was go to the source!"
Dumbledore stared at him, emotionless. Harry was in too deep to his tirade to care at the moment.
"Don't you see, Professor? You were the one who gave me the invisibility cloak! You were the one who first told me of the Deathly Hallows! You were the one who gave me the Resurrection Stone! And you were also the one who told me that you hunted and researched the Deathly Hallows for quite some time, yourself…! If anyone knows anything about the Deathly Hallows, it's you. You have the knowledge about them... far more than any book could tell me, and-"
"I cannot help you, Harry." Dumbledore interrupted, his voice grave and his eyes looked aged beyond belief… the twinkle now gone from his gaze. "Not because I can't, but because I shouldn't. Resurrecting the dead isn't natural, Harry. And there are bound to be consequences. Dire ones, at that. You best just move on and be glad that you have this gift to communicate with your parents from beyond the grave."
The air was sucked from his lungs. No… He couldn't do this to him. He can't!
"No. I'm not giving in that easily." Harry said, his voice resolute, as he abruptly stood from his chair and slammed his hands upon the Headmaster's desk. "You owe me, Professor. You owe me for my lost childhood... You could have assured Sirius a proper trial, so that I could have been raised by him, but you didn't. Instead, you gave me to the Dursleys. And you know what? I was raised without a single thought of love or kindness in my life. It's a wonder that I didn't grow up to be a dark wizard…!"
"Harry-"
"No." Harry interrupted, throwing his hand up in a universal sign that the Headmaster should not speak. "You know what they did to me?! What he did to me?! They had me sleep in a cupboard underneath the stairs! They would just shove me in there and lock it to be rid of me! For days! With no food or water...! Did you ever wonder why I was so small as a first year? It was because I didn't have the proper nutrition! Especially as I was showing signs of accidental magic, they would punish me. Uncle Vernon would whack me and encourage Dudley to hit me with sticks! Aunt Petunia would try to swat me on the head with a frying pan! They would constantly call me a freak. Made me cook their meals before I could even reach the counter, and not even allow me to have any of the portion of food that I had cooked. Instead, all I ever got was their scraps, if there ever were any. Do you know how many oil burns that I had gotten over the years just from cooking their fried food?! And that's not all… Uncle Vernon would curse me openly and praise Dudley all in the same breath! I would get regular beatings while Dudley got new toys. They abused and neglected me. And you not only left me there, but you still make me go back there every summer!"
When Harry cut off, it was to a deafening silent room. Even the portraits stared at him. But Harry didn't care. It felt good to finally have it all out there in the open. To finally show the Professor all the damage that had been done.
He was right when he had said that it was a wonder that he didn't end up as a dark wizard, after all of the abuse he had endured as a child...
"Harry…" Dumbledore breathed, his eyes wide, and his face entirely broken with what looked to be a mixture of guilt and regret. "I had no idea that it was that bad."
"Well," Harry said, as he glared down at the floor. "You would've known if you had ever bothered to check up on me."
Dumbledore was quiet. Staring at Harry in absolute shock.
It was clear that Dumbledore wasn't used to seeing Harry go off like this.
"You owe me some happiness." Harry said, lowly. Carefully. "Besides, you told me that in order to defeat Voldemort, that I have to have the power of love in my life. What is more powerful and instant than the love that parents have for their child?"
Dumbledore removed his half-moon spectacles with a sigh and rubbed at his closed lids, with his good hand. "I suppose that I do owe you that much."
Dumbledore dropped his hand and opened his eyes wearily, staring at nothing on his desk. "For what it's worth, Harry, I am deeply sorry for my part in your upbringing."
And Harry could sense that it was the truth… and that fact made him feel a slight guilt over the fact that he had just went off on the man before him.
"I don't blame you entirely." Harry admitted, scratching a hand down through back of his head. "It's like you said… you didn't know. How could you have known that my mother's sister would allow me to be raised in such a way? I just wish that you had thought to check up on me."
Harry sat down slowly in his chair, once again. Feeling a calmness start to take form in his chest.
"I was too focused on the bigger picture, Harry." Dumbledore sighed. "I was so fixated on the enchantment surrounding Privet Drive which kept you safe from outside sources, that I didn't think about whether you would be safe within the enchantment."
Harry exhaled as he finally was offered the explanation he hadn't known had been plaguing him for years. "Thank-you for telling me that, sir. It's nice to finally know why…"
Dumbledore nodded, before he finally lifted his eyes to meet Harry's. "I need you to do something for me after this is done. It is a part of your training, and I want to make sure that you won't lose focus on it."
Was that a partial acceptance to help him? Was Dumbledore really going to go against his better judgement and help Harry resurrect his dead family?! But only if a favor was returned, apparently… So, Harry hesitated before nodding. "What is it, sir?"
Dumbledore stood and made his way over to the pensive. They had been using it for his training for quite a bit of time, now. The Professor rested his hands upon the sides, before he looked back at Harry, still seated by the desk. "As you know, we have been looking into Tom Riddle's past… trying to figure out when he had exactly become the Dark Lord we know as Voldemort."
Harry stood and came up to stand behind him, looking into the blank pensive along with the Headmaster. Dumbledore graced him with a slight, sideways smile before taking out a vial containing what Harry recognized to be a memory. "I remember, sir."
Dumbledore poured the memory into the pensieve. "After you, Harry."
Harry leaned his head forward, the closer he got the more of the familiar sucking sensation overcame him… until he was suddenly submerged completely.
It wasn't long until Dumbledore had followed him and together they watched the memory unfold. Harry immediately recognized a younger Slughorn, holding a get-together of what Harry believed to be the Slug Club. Among the students there, Harry saw that one of them was Tom Riddle in his later Hogwarts years… He looked about the same as he had from his memory in the diary.
Tom was charming… almost eerily so. Like a snake in sheep's clothing.
It wasn't long until the memory shifted… and it was only Professor Slughorn alone in the room with Tom.
Tom was saying something about how he had found something in the restricted section that he didn't understand. And that he couldn't think of any other Professor to go to ask other than Slughorn.
"As I understand it… It's called a-" Suddenly the memory became muffled and muddied and Harry couldn't understand what Tom was saying no matter how much he tried to strain his ears.
And as soon as it happened, it sooner became sharp and clear as Professor Slughorn started to yell at Tom. "I don't know anything about such things! And if I did, I wouldn't tell you! Now get out of here AT ONCE! And don't you dare go around mentioning it again!"
Harry gasped as he was sucked out of the memory.
"Confused?" Dumbledore asked, looking at him with his usual level of calm. "I would be surprised if you weren't."
"I don't understand…" Harry began, looking down at the pensieve that still contained the memory. "What happened?"
"This is perhaps the most important memory that I have collected." Dumbledore said, with a sudden urgency. "It is also a lie."
Harry's eyes widened at the implication, but still struggled to understand it.
"This memory has been tampered with." Dumbledore continued to explain, his eyes looking imploringly into Harry's, urging him to see... "By the same person who it belongs to… Our old friend, Professor Slughorn."
If possible, Harry felt his eyes widen even further. "But why would he tamper with his own memory?"
"I suspect that he is ashamed of it."
"Why?"
"Why, indeed." Dumbledore mused, his hand coming up to stroke at his long beard as he thought over the theories. "I have asked you to get close to Professor Slughorn, and you have done so. Now I want you to persuade him to divulge his true memory. In any way you can."
"I-I don't know him that well, sir." Harry admitted, thinking back to all of the times he had been forced in the Potions Professor's company, and how he usually dreaded every second of it.
Dumbledore dipped his good hand into the pensieve. "This memory is everything. Without it, we are blind. Without it, we leave the fate of our world to chance. You have no choice… You must not fail."
Harry paused at the grave nature of the Headmaster's words, before he found himself nodding seriously, but still rather uncertain.
"Now, I should hope that with the resurrection of your parents, as well as Mr. Black, that you will be more focused on the assignment that I'm giving you now… Correct?"
Harry found himself nodding more firmly now, trying to convey to the Professor how serious he took this matter.. "I promise, sir. I promise, literally, on my parents' lives."
Dumbledore stroked his long beard once again, musingly. "Then, I suppose that we shouldn't put it off any longer, shall we?"
For the first time since entering the office, Harry actually started to smile. The pricking of tears started to gather in his eyes behind his spectacles. "Th-Thank-you, sir… You… You have no idea what this means to me."
Dumbledore smiled fondly at him, resting his good hand upon Harry's shoulder affectionately. "I only wish the best for you, Harry. You must know that. I will never set out to intend you any real harm."
Harry nodded, and Dumbledore pulled his hand away and put his hand into his robe pocket, retrieving his wand…
"Harry… Feast your eyes upon the Elder Wand… The last Deathly Hallow." Dumbledore explained, holding up the wand in question for Harry's awed inspection.
Harry's eyes widened at the sight. The wand looked old and worn… but also gave off the sense of great power. He realized, quite acutely, that many wizards had killed over this very wand. And here it was… in Hogwarts in the possession of the Headmaster.
"Harry, you must claim the wand for yourself." Dumbledore stated, still holding the wand up for Harry to see.
Harry reached out to grab the wand for himself, but Dumbledore pulled it away. "No, Harry. You must disarm me using Expelliarmus. Only then will the wand recognize you as its true master."
"But…" Harry started, in confusion. "If that is how it works, then how come it doesn't happen for other wands?"
"Because this is no normal wand, Harry. This wand came from Death, itself." Dumbledore explained. "Now, take out your wand, Harry."
Harry did as he was asked, taking out his Holly and Phoenix feather wand, and pointed it at the Professor.
"Whenever you're ready." Dumbledore said, holding up the wand even more.
Harry focused all of his attention on the wand and stated clearly, "EXPELLIARMUS!"
The wand snapped out of Dumbledore's hand, flying the short distance to Harry, where he promptly caught it.
Dumbledore sighed and smiled at Harry. "Congratulations, Harry. You are now the Master of Death."
Harry's eyes bugged out at this and he looked down at the ancient wand within his grasp. "How does that help in resurrecting my parents?" He couldn't help but ask.
"To master Death, means to control Death, Harry." Dumbledore explained, a slight bit of worry in his eyes as he said so. "It is precisely the reason why Death was so adamant on claiming all of the Peverell brothers for its own."
The thought should have been terrifying to Harry, but all that he found that he had the energy for was the naked determination to bring his family back to life.
"So…" Harry said, in a whisper. "What do I do next?"
It was clear that Dumbledore's last statement had been the Headmaster's last ditch effort to get Harry to change his mind. And as a the opposite result happened, Dumbledore slumped his posture slightly, in defeat.
"Take out your cloak and the Resurrection Stone." Dumbledore instructed, and Harry quickly followed what he was asked.
Dumbledore then instructed him to donn his invisibility cloak over his shoulders and to hold the stone tight within the grasp of his forefingers and to hold it out far in front of him. Oddly, neither his parents or Sirius appeared this time as he held the stone...
"Now," Dumbledore continued, as Harry did as he was told. "Point the Elder Wand at the Resurrection Stone."
Harry did just that, feeling as though his heart was about to beat out of his chest at any given moment. "What is the incantation, Sir?"
"This stems from the most ancient of magic… it requires no need for spells or chants. Just point the wand, Harry. And think about what it is that you want to be done. Close your eyes, and picture their faces in your mind."
Harry pictured Sirius… His strong, brave Godfather. A man who lost his life in trying to save Harry. A man who gave him the first taste of what it felt to have a real family…
Then his father's face came to mind… His funny wit, his unwavering loyalty… How he had lost his life to Voldemort while fending him off with no wand… all to buy time for his mum to escape with Harry as a baby.
Then he thought of his mum… His beautiful mother. Who was fierce in her beliefs that all people needed to be treated fairly. Who had willingly given up her life so that Harry could live.
They all sacrificed their lives so that he could live… It was only fair that he give their lives back to them.
As he pictured all three of their faces, Harry suddenly found himself overwhelmed with love. Unconditional and pure.
Harry felt the strength of the magic run down his arm and through the wand. Even through his closed eyes, he could see the brightness of the light that followed.
Then, in a flash of a second, the light was gone.
And Harry was left afraid to open his eyes… That is, until he heard three pairs of gasping breaths break the silence in front of him.
With a snap, Harry opened his eyes...
.
.
.
A/N: As you can see, this chapter is very long and I spent a lot of time on it. I would really appreciate a review from each and every one of you to let me know what you thought of the chapter! What was your favorite thing that happened? I know that a lot happened, for sure! Leave me a review so that I don't get discouraged! :)