Chapter 24: Dreams of Power
Ron looked vaguely surprised, but nonetheless, the two of them left the room—Lockhart strolling through the door as though in a daze. Leaving him alone with Harry, who was looking nervous again. Albus merely gave him a kind smile as he crossed to one of the chairs by the fire and asked politely, "Sit down, Harry."
Harry hesitated for a second before he walked to the seat opposite from Albus and sat rigid in the chair, as if he was afraid of what he was going to say. Albus gave the young boy a kind look before saying with pride and gratitude flowing through him, "First of all, Harry, I want to thank you. You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."
At the mention of his name, the phoenix fluttered down onto his knee and demanded to be stroked. Albus grinned at him before looking back at Harry who was also smiling in embarrassment.
Albus watched Harry as the smile slowly faded from his face to be replaced with a nervous and troubled look—as if he was lost and didn't know what to do anymore. Albus didn't need Legilimency to see what was going on in Harry's head to know what was bothering him.
"And so you met Tom Riddle," Albus said caringly. "I imagine he was most interested in you…"
'That's putting it lightly,' he thought to himself. This wasn't what he had expected to happen. Harry wasn't supposed to have learned about Tom yet. He wasn't supposed to have gone through all this at such a young age. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the young boy, who looked like he was on the verge of saying something.
Harry opened his mouth once or twice, as if he was having the trouble finding the right words to express his worries. Albus waited patiently until finally, Harry was able to choke out, "Professor Dumbledore… Riddle said I'm like him. Strange likenesses, he said…"
Albus knew that this was true. Harry did have much in common with the young Tom Riddle, so much that it was almost frightening. But he also knew that there was one major difference between them that set them apart. "Did he, now? And what do you think, Harry?"
He waited, wondering just what Harry thought about all this. Wondering just who Harry considered himself to be.
A look of determination came over his face and he said in a loud voice, as if he hoped the louder he spoke, the more it would make it true. "I don't think I'm like him! I mean, I'm — I'm in Gryffindor, I'm…"
But he trailed off as doubt came over his face. He looked a little scared as he thought something over. Albus looked at him in concern, before Harry said quickly, "Professor, the Sorting Hat told me I'd — I'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while… because I can speak Parseltongue…"
Albus hesitated. Wondering just what he should tell Harry. He knew that he was more prepared for this information than he was at the end of last year, but it was still too much for him to know everything yet. No, Harry was still too young to know about the prophecy, and he felt sickened at the thought of telling him that his life had been pre-determined before he was even born, just when he had come out of the Chamber of Secrets and saved Miss Ginny Weasley's life. Albus gave him another long look, wondering just what he could say to console the child. Finally, he decided on a small part of the truth.
So he then said in his most serene voice, hoping that it would help calm Harry down, "You can speak Parseltongue, Harry, because Lord Voldemort — who is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin — can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar."
He felt his heart clenched tightly at the thought of what he suspected was now inside Harry. Truthfully, this was something he had been wondering of for some time, but it wasn't until the diary—which he glanced at, still sitting on the desk—did he begin to fully realize what was happening. He looked back and said, "Not something he intended to do, I'm sure…"
A look of the utmost horror came over Harry's face and he gasped, "Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?"
As much as he hated to admit to it, that's what everything was pointing at. "It certainly seems so," he confessed to him, knowing that there was no way that Harry would be let this go.
The poor boy was looking scared and desperate as he gasped, "So I should be in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it —"
Albus raised his hand and interrupted evenly, trying to let Harry know that the Sorting Hat didn't make a mistake. He remembered listening in on the Hat's words just last year as Harry was being sorted, and he knew that this information must've been haunting him all year. "Put you in Gryffindor. Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness — determination — a certain disregard for rules," he fought the urge to laugh at that. Though now that he thought of it, that last one could've applied for anyone in any house who had a talent for breaking rules. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."
Harry was looking miserable as he said in a despairing tone, "It only put me in Gryffindor… because I asked not to go in Slytherin…"
Albus beamed; pleased that Harry said it. This was an important lesson that he needed to learn and he explained happily, "Exactly, which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
Harry didn't move, he just continued to give him a confused look, and didn't say anything. But Albus understood what Harry was going through. The desperation of wanting proof of where you belonged, knowing for sure that you were in the right place—and the disappointment of having the Sorting Hat fill you with doubts.
For he, himself, had also once asked the Sorting Hat if it had put him in the wrong House. He remembered it as if it happened yesterday.
*Flashback*
A much younger Albus Dumbledore was sitting in front of the current Headmaster's desk, waiting for his meeting with Phineas Nigellus to ask for something that he had been desiring for quite some time. Looking around at the room, he stared at the colors of green and silver silk walls that stood for the Slytherin House along with looking at several dark and sinister objects sitting on a table. They looked so dangerous you would've thought that they should be outlawed… which he reminded himself just might be.
As a student, he had been in here multiple times, to receive some award or to accept congratulations from some famous witch or wizard with whom he had been in correspondence over his seven years here. This occasion, however, was completely different. Instead, he was here to ask for something that meant more to him than anything else in the world… and he sat there, his foot tapping nervously on the floor; worried about what he would do if he didn't get it.
At long last, he could hear footsteps behind him, and he turned in his chair in time to see the door open and Headmaster Phineas Nigellus walked in with a scowl.
"Good evening, Professor," said Albus politely, knowing that getting what he wanted just got a little bit harder if the professor was in a bad mood.
The man grumbled a barely intelligible answer before walking around him and sinking crossly into the chair behind his desk tiredly. He met Dumbledore's gaze briefly before grumbling, "As if I don't have enough to worry about, controlling these wretched, pathetic excuses for wizards that we call students… now I have to deal with former ones as well?"
Phineas scowled again as he glanced back at Albus and barked, "Well?"
Albus blinked in confusion, before saying in as respectful tone as he could, "Well what, sir?"
Phineas looked annoyed and asked slowly as if he was talking to someone dim, "Why are you back here bothering me, Albus? Don't you have better things to do with your free time now that you're free of this place? Go and win some prizes or to make some more magical discoveries? Or do you just like irritating me?"
A well-mannered smile spread across Albus's face, though inside his felt as though he was being torn apart. Yes, that was what he wanted more than anything else in this world. He wanted fame, to shine… to escape and be called great… but things have changed. Reality came in and gave him a hard slap in the face and woke him up from his fantasies.
"Actually, sir, as I said in my owl, I wanted to talk to you about something important," he said quietly.
Phineas rolled his eyes before saying harshly, "I know that. But WHAT do you want to talk to me about? What is so important that you had to come here and bug me about it?"
'He goes nothing,' Albus thought before he took a deep breath and said a little quickly, "I wish to become a teacher here at Hogwarts."
Phineas looked disbelieving at him as if he just spoke in some foreign language, and cried out, "You want to be a what?"
Albus took other deep breath and explained as calmly as he could, hoping that his old Headmaster wouldn't push the matter to much. This wasn't something that he thought that he could ever talk about to just anyone. "I suddenly discovered a passion for teaching that I never knew I had. I've been told that the Transfiguration position is now open and I am curious as to whether or not I can come back and fill that place?"
Phineas snorted, "And why would you want to become a teacher, Albus? You have talent; why waste it slaving away, attempting to teach snot-nosed brats who can't tell the difference between a wand and a quill or stop them from blowing up their potions homework every other day?"
Albus only shrugged and said, "I just know that it's for the best. I want to teach, Professor. I am certain that this is what I want to do. So please, do you think that I just might be able to? I know that I'm still pretty young, but I just have to stay here at Hogwarts."
Phineas studied him for a moment before smacking his hand over his face. "I can't believe I'm doing this… but… you were a brilliant student," he conceded reluctantly. "Perhaps you can knock some sense into these hopeless cases."
A huge smile spread across Albus's young but drawn face. "Thank you very much, sir. You do not know how much this means to me. I promise that you won't regret it."
Phineas flapped his hand impatiently. Before he could say anything else however, the door opened and Professor Ravenwood, the Herbology teacher, had come running into the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you Headmaster," she said quickly. "But a couple 4th years had set fire to the Great Hall and we need you down there."
Phineas swore as he rose from his seat."Stay here," he ordered Albus as he headed to the door. "As a teacher, that's the first part of the job! When I return, we shall discuss the terms of your employment."
Albus nodded obediently and watched the older man hustle angrily and Professor Ravenwood giving him an apologetic look before she shut the door behind them. Albus sighed in relief. Good, he was now a teacher… he was finally safe… safe from the world's temptations of power. Maybe now he can hope to find some sort of closure.
He then allowed his eyes to roam over the surrounding objects once more, taking more in than before. It was then he locked onto a battered item sitting on a shelf just behind the desk. To anyone seeing it for the first time, it looked like nothing more than a weathered wizard's hat drooping in a most dejected manner.
However, Albus remembered when he had tried on the hat years ago on his first night here. He remembered sitting underneath it for a short time as the Hat as it committed on which House he belonged in before shouting out Gryffindor.
Without knowing exactly why he did it, he strode across the room, pulled it down from the shelf and placed it upon his head, waiting…
After a few seconds, a sly voice said in his head, "Well, well. Bee in your bonnet… Albus Dumbledore? It seems like only yesterday I was last sitting atop your head, trying to decide what to do with you. But it has been several years since then hasn't it?"
"Yes," responded Albus, still uncertain as to why he was now wearing the school Sorting Hat like he did when he was still a child. "I'm sorry to bother you like this, but you see…" he didn't know what he was going to say, but the hat knew that already.
It chuckled. "Oh yes, I remember well. I had quite the time trying to figure out where you would fit best. Hufflepuff was the first House that sprang to my mind. I could see loyalty… and you were hard-working, no doubt about that. And yet, at the same time, it somehow didn't suit you completely.
I next thought of Ravenclaw. You were truly one of the brightest minds I had ever seen, still are in fact. You were witty and different—yes, you would've done well there. And yet, there was something in you that didn't seem to fit… and so my last option was Gryffindor. I could see a brave and reckless part of your heart. A longing to do the right thing. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, I debated with myself. Equally incredible, though, was your bravery and kindness, you're willing to help others. And so you ended up in Gryffindor in the end."
Albus relaxed without realizing it, relief flooding through him. But when the Sorting Hat continued he felt his insides freeze, "Sometimes I think that we sort to soon. I mean, just because someone was one way when they were eleven doesn't mean that they will remain that way after a few years. I can only read what's going on inside people's minds at the time, not their futures. Take you, for example."
Albus was starting to shake, wanting to rip the hat off, but he couldn't seem to be able to move. "I had difficulty placing you, like I said. But never once did I consider Slytherin. Yes, I could see that you had a gift for lying… but it was the kind of lying used to protect others from what you thought would be too much for them to take. At the time, I never saw anything to ambitious or that indicated a thirst for power and a talent for manipulation. But now…"
The hat trailed off for a moment before going on, "I see a great deal of frustration and resentment towards others that you were supposed to protect. As well as seeing that you refuse to take responsibility for your actions and duties; preferring to place them onto others."
Albus remembered his younger brother and sister, looking to him to care for them now that their mother was dead. How Aberforth grew to hate him for his lack of commitment, and Ariana in one of her fits, causing all the windows to break and glass flying everywhere.
He wanted the Resurrection Stone to revive his parents and lift his responsibility of caring for Ariana off his shoulders before seeing that same sister lying dead before him. How he, his brother, and former best friend suddenly realized that she was there—no longer moving. Aberforth let out a cry of heart-broken grief before he threw his wand away and rushed to her side. He picked up her head, trying desperately to awaken her, holding her close with a gesture of pure love and protection. Gellert was stared at the scene before him before turning and running from the room.
Albus just stood there, unable to move as Ariana's dead eyes stared up at him from her brother's embrace. A slight surprise look that, to him, looked almost accusing, as if she couldn't believe that he let this happen to her.
That was what slapped him awake.
The hat continued, suddenly pulling him from his terrible living nightmare, "There is also a disturbing lust for power… the kind of power that seek to control and rule over those you consider inferior."
He suddenly saw the memories of him sitting beside a boy with golden curls as they went over dozens of maps, books, and diagrams as they made their plans. Words such as "natural superiority," and "the greater good," floated between them.
"But most of all…" the hat sighed. "I see fear. That is why you have returned to school and why I am now sitting on your head isn't it?"
Aberforth screaming that it was his fault that Ariana was now gone before punching him in the nose and running off—screaming that he never wanted to see him again.
Albus remained where he was on the ground. His heart broken into a thousand pieces… the fear that his younger brother was right and that he was the one who killed Ariana. Not just from his neglect, but that it was he who cast the spell that ended her life. That was why he came back to Hogwarts. This was where he would be safe—to ensure that he would never fall again to the promise of power.
The hat made one more sad sigh before finally saying, "It looks like that I might've been wrong about you all along, Dumbledore. Perhaps Slytherin would've been a better place for you. But, then again, I'm just a hat."
Albus pulled the hat off his head, feeling sick. Why was he so surprised? The hat said exactly what had been haunting him all this time, hadn't it? What was he expecting it to say? He shoved it back onto it's shelf before collapsing back into the chair in front of the Headmaster's desk with his face in his hands.
He knew that the Sorting Hat was right. He had desired power and fame, despised the weak, felt proud of his abilities and accomplishments that made him feel superior, even fit to rule. He couldn't have been more wrong… and look at what it cost him.
His family.
Albus vowed from that moment on, that he would never seek power again, never would he try to rule over anyone else—whether they were magical or not. Human or not… he would never be fit to rule. He locked away all thoughts and desires of unbeatable wands, death-defying stone, and magical cloaks… of world domination and selfish dreams of power.
He would devote the rest of his life to protecting others in place of the sister that he should've protected and care for all along.
And he wouldn't stop until he could look in the mirror again and not feel ashamed of the face he saw there.
*End of Flashback*
His memories continued to haunt Albus to this very day. He looked back into the scared green eyes of a boy who reminded him of himself in a small way. No… this boy reminded him more of Ariana than anyone else he ever met.
Ariana had suffered greatly in her young life. And yet despite all the neglect and pain that she went through, her true self had always been kind and gentle.
Harry was just like Ariana when she was calm and sweet. He suddenly saw so many similarities between them, that it almost frightened him. Harry was locked away—hiding from the world just like he did to Ariana. Both were young and innocent… both suffered great tragedy early on in their lives before spending most of their lives in the dark, both had loving mothers who did everything they could to protect their child, and both ended up losing that mother to death…
But most of all—they both had family members who wished that their responsibility caring for them would just go away. Wishing that they would simply disappear.
But just to give Harry even the slightest peace from the war for at least a little while, was something that he'd been striving to do since Voldemort's failed to kill him that Halloween night.
He continued to stare into those bright green eyes and wondered if this was how he looked that day he tried on the Sorting Hat again—desperate for proof of where he belonged. He smiled gently at Harry, wanting to give him the peace of mind that he, himself, wasn't able to have for so long. "If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this." He reached over to pick up the sword off Minerva's desk and held it out to Harry who began examining it, not understanding what he was supposed to be seeing.
When he turned it over, he saw the name of Godric Gryffindor engraved upon it. He looked back up at him with a look of stunned disbelief, completely at a loss for words. Albus, knowing what he was about to ask said simply, "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry."
And then the boy smiled at him. A look of relief and pure joy—one that filled Albus with the same hope that the effects of phoenix song did. For a few minutes, neither one spoke. Until at last, Albus got up and pulled out a quill and ink. "What you need, Harry, is some food and sleep. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban — we need our gamekeeper back."
He had to fight the urge to send a Howler to Fudge, telling him to hurry up and get Hagrid out of that terrible place or the childish way he wanted to say, 'I told you so'. But he was suddenly reminded of the now memory-less Lockhart and he added thoughtfully, "And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too. We'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher… Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"
Harry looked ready to laugh as he got up and placed the sword back on the desk with reverence; before then crossed to the door, looking like he longed for some food. Albus watched him leaving, but just as Harry reached for the handle, the door burst open and Harry had to jump back to avoid being hit with it.
Albus looked at the newcomer, and to his slight surprise, he saw that it was Lucius Malfoy. The man was looking furious, and extremely disheveled as if he had come here in a hurry. But what caught his attention the most was the small House-elf cowering at Lucius's feet.
"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly, wondering what he wanted this time.
Lucius shoved Harry out of his way as he came marching in the room with anger practically radiating off him and the elf scurrying after him—looking scared and carrying a stained rag.
Lucius ignored the elf at his feet and fixed all of his attention on him. "So!" he said coldly, and once again, Albus had to fight the childish instinct to say 'So what?'
"You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."
Smiling, Albus just said, "Well, you see, Lucius, the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too… Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."
Lucius had gone even paler and looked angrier. "So — have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered frostily, though Albus could detect the hint of fear in his voice. He raised his eyebrows at that, wondering why he seemed afraid. "Have you caught the culprit?"
"We have," he told him with another smile.
"Well?" said Lucius as if he thought that Albus was delaying telling him on purpose, "Who is it?"
"The same person as last time, Lucius," he answered truthfully. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."
He reached over and picked up the book and held it in front of Lucius's face, looking straight into his eyes, and thus—into his mind to see what he was hiding. And to his horror, he saw that Lucius not only knew about the diary, but was also the one who had it in the first place. He saw the images of Tom—Voldemort then—handing the diary to Lucius and telling him to keep it hidden. He ordered him that the diary was the key to opening the Chamber of Secrets and that he was to pass it onto a student when he gave him the signal to do so. But he never had the chance to, because not long after that, he disappeared. He then saw the anger that Lucius had at Arthur Weasley's new bill and wanted to do something to get rid of it. And he came to the solution.
To plant it onto one of Arthur's children, and hope that they would be caught wiping out Muggle-borns, to try and discredit him.
"I see…" Lucius said slowly. Albus put the diary down, trying to see how on earth that Lucius could've slipped Ginny the diary as he said in as calm a voice as he could muster, trying to hide his anger. "A clever plan. Because if Harry here," Lucius turned to give Harry a glare before turning back to look at him, "And his friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, why — Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will…"
Lucius didn't say anything, and Albus saw that his mind suddenly closed to him. Feeling disappointed, he went on saying, "And imagine, what might have happened then… The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns…" Which he knew was what Lucius was hoping for all along. "Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise…"
Lucius looked as if he was speaking against his own will when he choked out, "Very fortunate." Though he didn't need to use Legimency to see that he was close to losing it.
Suddenly, Albus heard Harry's voice speak up and he turned to look at him and was surprised to see his livid glare at Lucius. "Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" he said in a cold voice.
Lucius rounded on him and snapped, "How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?"
'Because you gave it to her,' Albus thought, his anger rising once again.
"Because you gave it to her," said Harry. Albus looked at him again, bewildered to how he suddenly knew this. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"
Ah, so that's what happened. Of course, he remembered reading about the fight on the morning before the students arrived. So that's how he slipped the horrid thing into an innocent girl's belongings. He looked back and was angered again to see Lucius giving Harry an enraged look as his hands clench as though longing to reach for his wand.
"Prove it," he hissed at Harry.
Albus smiled at Harry in a silent thanks before saying, "Oh, no one will be able to do that. Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you…"
For a long moment, Lucius didn't move. Albus knew that he was very close to trying to curse them both, which Albus dared him to try. But reason must've taken over and he took his anger out on the elf that he now knew had to be Dobby.
"We're going, Dobby!"
He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, and he kicked him right through it. Albus was quickly thinking of a way to try and help the brave little elf when Harry suddenly said, "Professor Dumbledore. Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"
"Certainly, Harry," he told him, wondering what the boy was up to. "But hurry. The feast, remember…"
Harry nodded once and grabbed the book before following Lucius out the door. Once they were gone, Albus looked to the painting to see that Armando was still there, staring at him in shock.
"Follow him for me, Armando," Albus smiled. "I want to know what he's planning to do."
Armando immediately snapped out of it and nodded as he turned and walked out of his portrait. Letting out a sigh of relief, Albus went back to his letter, letting Fudge know that the person responsible for all this was caught, and that he should release Hagrid as soon as he got this letter. Once he had finished and called Fawkes to him, Armando came back into the portrait.
"Well, Malfoy sure got his due!" he called out in a wheezy voice. "You should've seen it, Dumbledore. The look on his face was priceless!"
"What happened," he asked excitedly, feeling as if a great weight was lifted off his shoulders.
Armando laughed happily. "That boy thinks fast. He took off one of his socks and stuffed the diary into it before giving it back to Malfoy. That alone was worth it if you ask me. And as Malfoy ripped the sock off, the elf caught it!"
"And Lucius was tricked into freeing his own elf," Albus smiled before he burst out laughing. He felt happy for Dobby, now that he was freed from that terrible life of slavery. And equally pleased that Harry forgave the elf after all the trouble he put him through this year. But he then realized that there was no way that Lucius was going to let this go so he asked, "What did Lucius do?"
Armando looked grumpy for a brief second before smiling with a smug satisfaction and said, "He tried to curse Harry. He looked like he was off his rocker if you ask me." Noticing the anxious look on Albus's face he said quickly, "But you don't need to worry. That elf—Dobby—took care of everything." He laughed again. "Got blasted down a flight of stairs before leaving."
Albus felt his fondness for Dobby rise and also laughed again, glad to see that Lucius was paying for his selfish acts. "Where is Dobby now?"
Armando shrugged. "No idea. He thanked Harry several times before disapperating. And that's the end of it. Harry headed down to join the feast."
Albus nodded. "Good. You can take the rest of the night off, Armando. I don't think we need to watch Harry as closely for the rest of the year now that the danger has passed."
Armando saluted, looking glad and said, "Good. I think that we can use a break from all the spying and sneaking around." But the smile soon faded off as he asked quietly, "I noticed that you still didn't tell him about that prophecy? Not that I'm complaining, or anything," he added as Albus's smile also faded once again and he looked sorrowful.
"I think that it's too much to take in for a child myself," Armando stated, "But I was kinda expecting that you would tell him now that he knows about Tom Riddle and solved this whole Chamber of Secrets and Heir of Slytherin mystery. Tell me, do you regret not telling him yet?"
Albus frowned as he thought it over. "No, I don't believe so, Armando. I am sticking to my belief that Harry will be a better person if he is not burdened with his charge so early in his life. The longer he can believe himself to be, for the most part, a normal young wizard, the better for him."
He sealed the envelop with a sigh and finished by saying, "As soon as he hears the prophecy, he will never again know a moment's peace, and I don't want to take that away from him just yet."
Armando thought that over for a moment before nodding. "Understandable," he said. "But I seem to remember you saying something before about a potential flaw in your plan? If you don't mind me asking, just what is this flaw that you were talking about?"
Albus just gave him a sad look. "You don't need to worry. I alone, can prevent this mistake from coming true. I know what I'm doing."
Armando just shrugged and left. Though Albus was willing to bet that he was going back to his own portrait to gossip about what he just heard to all the others. Chuckling at the thought of them all talking about this while he was gone and going to demand answers as soon as he got back, he stood up and Fawkes flew to his shoulder.
"I need you to take this to Fudge," he told the bird. "The quicker we can get this to him, the quicker that they can release Hagrid."
Fawkes trilled once in understanding as Albus held out the letter for him and in a flash of crimson fire, both Fawkes and the letter were gone. He left the room to enjoy some much needed food.
*Early the next morning*
Albus had finally returned to his office at around 7 in the morning, feeling tired but happier than he had been all year. The Chamber of Secrets had been closed for good, the monster slain, and all of his students were safe again.
Yes, he was overjoyed at this.
The feast had been one of the most memorable ones he ever had. Everyone, teachers included were in their pajamas for celebrating the end of a horrible nightmare and the start of a new day. He watched with happiness as all the students who were petrified came running into the hall about half an hour after the feast had started and to their friends. The Gryffindor table was especially loud when they found out that they were sure to win the House Cup for the second year in a row, while the Slytherins were, unsurprisingly, all looking sulky.
He beamed happily when Hagrid suddenly turned up at around three and thanking the trio so hard that Harry and Ron were knocked into their plates. Not that they minded, they just laughed as they wiped off the trifle from their faces.
Minerva looked over at him not long after that and he nodded in agreement as she stood up and announced that all the exams had been cancelled as a treat. Though he knew that it was for those students who were attacked for it wouldn't have been fair for them to take the exams while they had been in the hospital.
He then stood up himself after the cheers of the next exam-free few weeks had finally faded and announced that Lockhart would not be able to return the next year owing to the fact that he needed to leave and get his memory back.
He and the other teachers were unable to hide their enthusiasm for that announcement as well.
The feast lasted all night, and only ended once the sun had risen. Classes were all cancelled for the rest of the day and soon, everyone got up and went off to bed.
Albus took off his hat and sighed in reprieve, glad for some peace and quiet in his office. At least until his portraits all began asking for details of what happened as soon as he entered the room. Albus smiled at them all tiredly and promised them all that once he had gotten some sleep, he would fill them in on everything. Until then, he bid them all goodnight.
He walked passed them all, who were looking at him in disappointment and straight to Fawkes who was looking at him rather sleepily. Albus pulled the cuttlebone that he had been saving for him and gave it to the phoenix as he stroked his beautiful feathers.
"Thank you," he whispered to his old friend. "For keeping him safe."
(Awwww. I hope you all thought that this chapter was worth the wait. Sorry for taking so long, but school has been rough. Now that the second year is over, we're moving onto third year next! The next chapter will be about the start of year three, and I hope that you are all looking forward to it. I promise that it will go up as soon as I finish it.)
