Chapter 1: It's About More Than A Fate

AN: The Long Coming Rewrite. I think I added a lot to the complexities of it. I hope you all enjoy it. R&R.

By the time the long, worrying, and eventful night had ended, there were many things that Albus Dumbledore had come to regret. Each and every one of these regrets revolved around the wellbeing and more precisely the fate of one eleven-year-old boy. Harry Potter's destiny was never one of a normal child, but now Albus saw how somehow, he'd removed the word childhood almost completely from the vocabulary making up the boy's life.

Yet, somehow the child had one of the purest hearts Albus had seen in his (at least a hundred year long) life. Such was proven by the stone still clutched in his hand when Albus had found him. And for all that he was coming to regret, he was thankful for Harry and that somehow the boy had found the stone.

That night, when he'd left the castle for duty as the Supreme Mugwump at the Wizengamot, he'd done what he did every time he left the school without his protection. He checked over the wards and looked at the protections around the stone to see that all was in order as he left before leaving Minerva in charge. Apparently, his old age had not given him the wisdom to listen to his instincts. It was only after he started his work at the Ministry that he decided to turn back.

It was lucky he did. The boy's friends hadn't even made it to the owlery to contact him when he'd returned. He wasn't sure what had prompted the decision, but if he hadn't come back things would have been much worse. That was, if not for Harry. Only someone with the noblest of desires, with the want to help with no selfishness in any part of him could have done it. When Albus had arrived in the final chamber it was to see Harry looking feverish as Quirrell burned away under his grasp. Harry's other hand reached for the headmaster grasping feverishly as Albus picked him up, pulled the stone out of his hand, pocketed it, and carried the boy to the hospital wing.

The other children were there waiting, trying to keep Madam Pomfrey from giving them calming potion as they asked about Harry. McGonagall appeared as frazzled as the children and gasped when she saw Albus return with Harry in his arms.

"Harry!" Ron and Hermione immediately looked up as Dumbledore laid the black-haired boy into a bed. Ron tried to get up but Madam Pomfrey pushed back into the bed and ran to look over at Harry.

Dumbledore took a seat close enough to keep an eye as Madam Pomfrey did her work but not near enough to be in the way. He looked towards McGonagall and Snape who both stood there waiting.

"The stone?"

"The stone?" yelled Ron. "What about Harry?"

"Mr. Potter will be fine," Pomfrey hushed him. "If you go to bed and sleep then you will see so in the morning. Ms. Granger, it will do you some good to take that calming potion and get some rest yourself. You may come and visit in the morning."

"But—"

Looks from both Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall made Hermione sigh as she said goodbye to Ron and made him promise to look after Harry. McGonagall had moved to shoo her out and try and get Ron to sip his drought.

Snape had kept his focus on Dumbledore trying to ignore both boys in their hospital beds and the women fussing over them.

"The stone is safe," Dumbledore said finally. He turned back to the boy with a soft look in his eyes. "Thanks to Miss Granger, Messrs. Potter, and Weasley."

Snape scoffed. His arms were crossed, and his black eyes had not moved from Dumbledore. "Three first years. What kind of protections was it that they were able to get past it?"

"Enough Severus." Dumbledore would not explain his reasoning any of the times he'd been asked."Many full-grown witches and wizards would have panicked and not survived such scenarios. Professor Quirrell being one of them. We are just lucky that Mr. Potter and his friends have proven themselves not to be ordinary."

He ignored Snape's mutterings about filling the boy's head with praise and dismissed him. The potions master's cape swept away, blending into the black night just beyond the door. His absence allowed the tendrils of darkness and silence to seep into the hospital wing, so loud only moments ago. Now it was nearly silent, with only the occasional tutting from Madam Pomfrey as she worked.

Dumbledore sat and watched the entire time. Even when Madam Pomfrey asked him to leave, he stayed to watch while she went to her office in resignation. His eyes rested on the scars above the boy's thick fluttering lashes. After tonight it wasn't the only mark on his face, but it was still the most outstanding. A marker of his history and of his destiny.

His hand reached unconsciously to swipe the hair off the boy's forehead. A strong voice in the darkness stopped the action and his thoughts on their track. Sitting up in his bed was the youngest Weasley boy, evidently not asleep.

"Did you mean for it to happen?" Dumbledore turned his focus from Harry startled as the other boy continued. "Because Snape's question made me think. And I'm not as smart as Hermione or anything, but I can put together the pieces if I need to. The tests were things we learned about this year. You knew Harry could sneak out. You saw his cloak. Did you want him to do this?"

Ron's icy blue glaze gestured to his unconscious friend before moving back to Dumbledore's own blue eyes. Dumbledore was studying him as much as he was studying Dumbledore. Finally, the old headmaster sighed. "I knew about the cloak. I was the one to give it to him, as it is his. And I meant the words I sent along with it. Use it well."

"Use it well," Ron repeated with a scowl. "To go after the stone, you mean. You've been moving the pieces on the board all year. Harry's just your pawn."

Dumbledore became rigid and fixed the young man with a stern gaze. "Harry's destiny, his future may be influenced by people like you and me, but it is well out of our hands."

"Then why were the tests so easy? And why did you send him with Hagrid to Diagon Alley when he got the stone? You're supposed to be the smartest person there is! No one is dumb enough to do all that without a reason."

With another sigh, the Headmaster turned back to his thoughts for a moment. He had told the truth. He had not meant for this. Harry's destiny was up to two people, only himself and Lord Voldemort. Yet, Ron Weasley was correct in sensing his influence. Perhaps he had done it unknowingly, perhaps not.

"You are correct that the protections can all be beaten by first years. You learn about magical creatures like a Cerberus and troll in Defense Against the Dark Arts, learn about Devils' Snare in Herbology, and learned to fly. It is easy to forget things we learn in our earlier years. I doubt many full-grown witches and wizards would have gotten as far as the troll.

"It was the final three protections that mattered the most. The chess match, which you beat is something only a few strategic minds could accomplish. Not many are able to beat Professor McGonagall in Wizard's Chess. In fact, I'd like to test my skills against yours at one point if you're so inclined."

Ron's ears were noticeably red, but he crossed his arms after a moment. "That's not an answer."

"It is part of one. Like the chess match, Ms. Granger helped Harry pass a challenge only a few could pass. Returning from that challenge is nearly impossible without help from Professor Snape or I. After all, once inside the final chamber the test is getting the stone. I shall allow Harry to tell you that part, but I assure you. Neither Professor Quirrell nor Lord Voldemort could have gotten to it. They would have been left waiting even if they did with no way out of the chamber, only surviving on the Elixir of life. And what is there to enjoy of life if you're stuck in a dungeon room alone with nothing to experience?"

Ron stayed silent for a moment. "A trap."

"Exactly. Perhaps I made it a bit too easy to access. I had no intention of you or your friends getting hurt."

There was another moment of silence as Ron digested all of this. Dumbledore's words had revealed enough. He'd lived with Fred and George and he knew how to read between the lines. The headmaster meant to catch Voldemort before he got to the stone. There was also no coincidence in the skills being so catered to Harry and his friends. Whatever the last test was, only Harry could have done it. Dumbledore had likely planned to keep the stone there until Harry retrieved it, however long that took. It was some type of test or training.

Finally, Ron nodded. "I believe you.

"Would you mind telling me why?" Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling once again.

"Harry," Ron said simply.

Dumbledore turned to where the other boy was beside him confused. "Enlighten me. I'm afraid I still don't understand."

"You care about him. He told me about everything at Christmas, and when Hermione and I saw you… You were worried."

There was another moment of silence. Dumbledore finally pulled the hair away from Harry's scar. He pulled the boy's glasses from his pocket and fixed them with a tap of his wand before placing them on the bedside table.

"There. Now that that is done," he said turned back to Ron Weasley. "I worry about all my students."

"Not like that," Ron shook his head. He looked towards his friend gently. "If anyone needs to be cared about, it's Harry."

Dumbledore nodded. "There are many that would agree. He is special—"

"No. Not because of that. It's because he doesn't know how it is when someone worries about him or cares for him. You should have seen him when he got presents at Christmas. I don't think he ever got any before."

Dumbledore stiffened once more and turned carefully back to the redhead trying not to show how surprised he was by the statement. "Did Harry get many gifts? His relatives sent something, did they not?"

"Money. Hermione says it's worth less than a knut. My mum made him a sweater and some sweets. And he got stuff from you, Hagrid and Hermione." He was interrupted when Harry turned suddenly and muttered a little in his sleep. Dumbledore startled. Ron sighed. "Don't worry. He does that a lot."

"Does that wake you often?"

Ron went on to explain that he needed to be a deep sleeper if he wanted to rest because of all the noise in the burrow, but sometimes when Harry fell asleep before him or was still asleep when he woke, he heard it. The other's in their dorm had said so as well. "All you need to do is wake him up or wait. He stops then. He doesn't even realize he's doing it most the time. He doesn't always remember his dreams."

"Ah, that we all could remember those things that visit us in the night."

Ron blushed again suddenly. "Professor?"

"Yes, Mr. Weasley."

"I'm not in trouble. Am I?"

"No. I rather enjoy being told when I'm wrong. It doesn't happen often, and it is the best way to improve."

There was a small shake of the head. "Not for that. For the stone. Hermione says she did too well to get expelled. But…"

"No. You are not in trouble. I think you have learned your lesson about what follows this type of adventure. All that will happen is your mother will receive a small notice that you broke your arm."

"And Harry?"

"Is in no trouble either."

"But will you write to the muggles? Cause I don't think it matters much either way."

"I suppose so." Dumbledore sighed. "Now get some rest Mr. Weasley or Madam Pomfrey will be upset at both of us. I see you have given me a lot to think about."