I would like to thank everyone for the kind reviews; it means a lot to me to know people appreciate the hard work me and every author on puts into their work.

In Great Briton the public Muggle schools break up around the 27th July for 6 weeks, as I don't remember J.K.R saying when Hogwarts breaks up for the summer holidays we can only guess it's before the 17th of July as that is the date of Bill and Fleur's wedding, so I believe they break up around the 7-14th July for 7-8 weeks.

If anyone doesn't like the idea of me splitting Harry and Ginny then please don't review telling me, because I am anyway so there!

Nearly all characters are owned by J.K Rowling, and no money is, has or will be allowed to be made from or through this book. (sadly)

Dlikee

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Chapter 2

To say Harry and Tonks were surprised by the new arrival would be an understatement, in a fraction of a second both spun round and with the speed of lightning drew there wands upon the stranger who appeared behind them.

Before them stood a tall and thin wizard, with red hair, bright light blue eyes and a purple cloak over red robes. Though nether Harry or Tonks could say they knew this wizard, both couldn't help but feel there's something familiar about him.

"Who are you, how'd you get in here?" demanded Tonks as she steeped between the stranger and Harry,

"my dear Nymphadora, you are right to be wary as I did appear most unannounced, however I can assure you there's no need for your wand, so let us assume you have invited me in and we can take a seat, this may take a while to explain" with this he steeped around them, a small distance away as not to cause any trouble and proceeded towards the two large chairs in front of the fire, "if you would both take a seat we may continue discussing the matters at hand" and with a small flick of his wand a third chair appeared opposite the original pair which he promptly sat in before gesturing them to take a seat as well.

Harry and Tonks cautiously followed never lowering there wands, just as they sat down the stranger held out a small yellow bag,

(a/n if you haven't guessed who it is by now then this next bit will defiantly let you know, I also couldn't drag out the suspense anymore lol)

"Sherbet lemon?" he asked, the reaction from Harry and Tonks came simultaneously

"Albus?"

"Professor!"

"Yes, but I'm not your professor anymore Harry" chuckled a much younger and very much alive Albus Dumbledore,

"No, you can't be him! You're too young, I saw you die, SNAPE KILLED YOU!" shouted Harry out of shock as much as anger at the thought that someone would dare impersonate his departed headmaster, "what is your favourite flavour of jam?"

"Raspberry Harry, though as I said before, if I were a death eater, I would have done research into my own jam preferences before impersonating myself." With this Harry had no doubt this was Albus and ran straight into an embrace, all the pain all the sadness and guilt Harry felt came flooding out with the tears and emotions he had held in since his friends death,

"How could you do this to me, I thought you were dead! I thought it was my fault, that, that…" was all he managed to get out before Dumbledore returned a supportive hug to reassure his grieving student.

"I'm sorry Harry, I should have told you the truth all along, I see now all I have done is cause you more pain" replied Dumbledore with tears in his eyes.

Since their discovery of Albus's identity all Tonks could do was gape in awe, finally the ability to talk returned and now she wanted answers,

"Why didn't you tell anyone? How did you survive? Why do you look so young? Where's your beard and glasses?" interrogated a shocked and breathless Tonks

"I'm sorry for any pain caused through the level of secrecy in my actions these past twelve months, however at the time I had no other choice, too many lives were at risk. However you do deserve to know the truth, so I think we had best start at the beginning…

Just before the start of the last school year professor Snape had an unexpected encounter with one Narcissa Malfoy and her sister Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa explained to Severus of Voldemolt's plans for my demise and asked for his help knowing that Voldemort knew young Draco wasn't up to the task and was doing it for revenge for his fathers failures, Bellatrix wasn't as trusting in Severus and made him perform an unbreakable vow, a form of wizards oath in which should the oath be broken the one to break it dies a most gruesome death" noticing Harry's want to interrupt with some unnecessary comment Dumbledore quickly proceeded

"The conditions of the vow, were to watch over young mister Malfoy as he carried out Voldemolt's wishes, to try his best to protect him from harm and should Draco prove unable to perform the task, he was to carry out the deed in his place"

"The instant of their departure Severus made sure to warn me of the Voldemolt's plans and together we had to set into motion our own counter measure."

"firstly we had to make plans of how to fulfil this vow and then we would start plans for Severus's safety as his safety as mole for the order was now greatly imperil, you may have noticed that I placed professor Snape into the defence against the dark arts position last year, we both knew the risks our plans involved so I decided it only fitting to prepare for the worst and allow Severus his chance at the defence against the dark arts position he wanted as we knew it was to be his last year at Hogwarts and may even be his last as a loyal and fully trusted member of the order of the phoenix…"

"WHAT! How can you claim he was a loyal order member, he MURDERED you in cold blood! How can that be classed as loyal?" interrupted Harry in shock and anger

"I can assure you Harry he was following my orders even when he committed said murder, please, allow me to continue to explain… I am, or is to say I was old Harry, and not as agile as I used to be, when I went to find the Horcrux which was Marvolo's ring last summer, there were traps that should have clearly taken my life, luckily I managed to escape while only injuring my arm with thanks to my prodigious skills" Albus chuckled "and the help of Severus's potions skills, it was then that we decided it best to make 'the phoenix potion'"

Tonks whom had been quiet for the best part of the explanation was now feeling a little more then confused,

"Albus, I don't mean to interrupt but what do you mean a Horcrux? And what's the Phoenix potion?"

"ah yes, sorry my dear Nymphadora" Tonks growled at the repeated use of her first name "as I have explained to Harry a few weeks previous, a Horcrux is an object which contains a fragment of a persons soul and can only be made through the use of a very powerful forgotten dark spell and murder, this ritual allows the witch or wizard to be granted near immortality, but at a price, as the soul is meant to be whole and by committing murder, effectively splitting the soul, the witch or wizard becomes something less then human, even in death the witch or wizard can never find peace as they are forced to stay earth-bond by the Horcrux… forced to remain a shadow of their former self."

"The phoenix potion is an almost forgotten potion that can only be made by a witch or wizard who has been chosen by a phoenix to be their familiar, once consumed should the witch or wizard die their spirit will merge with the phoenixes for one burning cycle."

"Upon the witch or wizards death the phoenix will find a safe location before forcing a burning day upon itself, the witch or wizard will also experience the burning day cycle and will be reborn beside the phoenix, unlike the phoenix however, the witch or wizard will be reborn not as a child or young infant, but as the way they were the day the phoenix became their familiar, you see when a phoenix chooses a familiar a part of the phoenixes magic is transferred to the witch or wizard, and a part of their own back to the phoenix, unlike the human body, magic never ages, there for when the witch or wizard is reborn they take the form of their former self from the memory of their own magic stored inside the phoenix."

"thanks to the phoenix potion I am alive, however the potion has one major flaw, it can only work for one burning cycle…When the phoenix next has a burning day the witch or wizard dies as well, also because the soul merges with the phoenixes so too does the witches or wizards magic, any spells used by the witch or wizard drain the magic of the phoenix, advancing the date of the phoenixes next burning day and shortening their own life."

"So you see, I may be alive, however my magic must be restricted to little more then that of a Squib until a time it is needed most, although you must remember Harry, it may be your job to destroy lord Voldemort, but it doesn't mean you can't have help along the way, I will be there for you to help advise and train you and your mind for the battles ahead and I'm sorry I can do no more then that"

"So that's how you survived, and why you look so young, but how can you truly still trust Snape? He's already killed you once!" Harry stated as nicely as possible while holding back the rage he felt towards the traitorous potions master

"Professor Snape Harry, I know you may never be able to forgive or forget all the things that have happened between you and Severus; however I must ask you to trust my judgement with him, as I already mentioned before Severus was only following my orders that night"

"The effects of the potion consumed to claim that last Horcrux was slowly and very painfully ending my life, using the last of my strength I made sure you would be safe and waited for Severus's help… to avoid suspicion from the other death eaters present we communicated briefly using a form of Legilimency before I ordered Severus to end the pain quickly and humanly, it was never his choice to do it Harry, only mine, he also promised he wouldn't allow any of the other death eaters to harm you Harry, please let that be enough to at least trust my faith in him"

"Albus, you say you will only live for one burning cycle but how long is that?" inquired Tonks

"That is hard to say Miss Nymphadora, it depends on the phoenix I'm afraid, they can live any time between 65 – 200 years, however I presume while sharing Fawkes's soul with me, I believe an estimate of 60 - 95 years would be about right, plenty of time to set my affairs in order."

"Alas it is getting late and I'm sure you're both tired from your trip, I took the liberty of arranging the sleeping arrangements to that of Gryffindor tower, ladies on the left young men on the right" chuckled Albus "now I must be off. miss Nymphadora" small growl escaped from Tonks "I now leave Harry in your hands, please train him in the ways of the Auror as you see fit, I fear Voldemort and his forces will not stay quiet much longer and we'll need to be ready, good-night Harry, miss Tonks" and with that he apparated away.

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Ok I'm sorry it took awhile but I have been very busy, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know its long but lets face it, its bloody hard to bring someone back form the dead you know!(LOL)

Once again thanks for all the reviews and please continue to do so, everyone loves feedback on their work.