I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.

Hello everyone. Hope all have a lovely day and a Happy Halloween if you celebrate it.

I wrote this chapter a few weeks ago and to my surprise, it coincided with Halloween, completely unplanned. I debated sticking to my usual schedule of a Wednesday update, but decided I liked posting this chapter on Halloween. I was also really excited to share this chapter in particular.

Some of you may know, but how I approach writing is like this. I have a rough theme/premise, and think of several milestone scenes or events that I want to make sure I include. I then basically just write until I get to that scene and then keep writing to the next. This scene was one I had in mind since the inception of this fic and it grew into what it is today based on the changes to the fic I made along the way.

I really hope people enjoy it. I am rather proud of it and I think it answers a lot of questions people had. If you don't like it, don't tell me. I'm delicate.

As always, thank you for reading and your comments and reviews and follows and favorites. It means the world to me. I write for you, the reader. I write to provide entertainment and for something for you to look forward to enjoy. Nothing makes me happier when I hear that you were able to forget the real world for a moment and enjoy a different one. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you for making me a part of your fanfiction family.

Have a wonderful week and a Happy Halloween!

-0-0-0-

A Taste of Magic

89th Course – Conviction

There was a pall over Hogwarts. The air felt colder than it should, before the coming winter. Things were gloomy and a pervasive sense of unease filled the air and saturated the stones. Students moved from place to place a little more swiftly, not meandering at all. Even the professors felt affected by it, being a little more reserved.

In contrast, Hogsmeade felt more bright and airy. Laughter could be heard all over and the students acted more open and free there. It was as if the chilly atmosphere did not reach them there and they were taking full advantage of that.

"Hey Kid," Aberforth greeted when Harry walked into the Hog's Head.

"Hello Mr. Abe," Harry greeted back. He embraced Willie and Nillie and exchanged cheery comments with them. "How've things been?"

"Not too bad," Aberforth said. He looked at Harry with a slightly uncomfortable expression. "You got a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?" Harry asked, concerned.

Aberforth rubbed his neck. "I normally wouldn't ask this, especially not to a kid. It isn't your concern. But you mind checking up on Al for me? He's been a little out of sorts."

"I've noticed he's been a little more reserved at meal times," Harry said. "I was actually going to ask you and Auntie Ari if he was okay."

"We've been trying to break him out of his funk but we haven't been successful," Aberforth confessed. "Nick and Penny and Drake haven't been all that successful either. I hate to ask you 'cause you're a kid and you shouldn't be worried about stuff like this, but he thinks highly of you and well, we'd appreciate it."

"Of course," Harry said. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Not entirely." Aberforth sighed deeply. "But this funk isn't exactly new. It's just deeper this time. He was like this during the wars. He gets like this when he has to wrestle with something mentally."

"I don't know what I can do," Harry said slowly, "but I'll do what I can. He's done so much for me. I want to help."

"You're a good kid," Aberforth said with a small smile. He patted Harry on the shoulder. "Thanks."

"Of course. I'm one of you, right?"

Aberforth's smile grew. "Yeah you are, poor kid."

-0-

Dumbledore looked up. Belatedly, he realized that someone had been knocking on the door for some time. "Come in," he called out, feeling slightly embarrassed. Embarrassment became pleasant confusion when he saw Harry come in bearing a tray. "Oh hello Harry. What brings you to my office?"

"We haven't had a tea in a while," Harry said. He put the tray on Dumbledore's desk. "Thought it would be nice for us to share one. Don't worry, I already finished my homework for the day." He grinned. "Good thing I'm not a prefect and have the time, right?"

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "Surely you have better ways to spend your time?"

"I don't think so," Harry said frankly. He laid out the food. Fresh scones, still warm, sat alongside small tarts filled with fruit and custard. Bacon sandwiches and cucumber and cress sandwiches were cut into triangles. A pot of black tea puffed gently and small bowls of extra fruit jam and clotted cream waited beside the sugar and cream for the tea.

"That looks wonderful, thank you," Dumbledore said sincerely. For a few moments they ate and drank in silence together, nibbling and sipping. He sighed once more and looked at Harry. "Did Abe and Ari put you up to this?"

"Mr. Abe asked me to check up on you, but I noticed you've been a little down too," Harry said honestly. "I don't know how much I can help, but I'd love to try. I don't have as much…experience as you do, but you listen to me all the time and maybe I can help."

Dumbledore smiled a little again. "You are far too kind," he said. He sipped his cup of tea. "I have been a poor headmaster it seems. One of the pecularities of Hogwarts is that it sometimes reflects the mood of the headmaster. I have let mine get the better of me and it has impacted the school and the students. Quite shameful of me."

"You told me it's hard separating emotions from things sometimes. When I made that meal for…Marge and the Dursleys and it didn't taste as good as it could," Harry said softly.

"That is true," Dumbledore said. He looked even more pained and shook his head. "I do not know if I should be sharing what weighs on my mind with you. It is not terribly appropriate to do so."

"I promise I won't tell if you don't," Harry smiled.

Dumbledore chuckled a little. "You look so much like your father," he said very quietly. "And of course you have your mother's eyes, but I just now realized you have your mother's smile."

"I do?" Harry asked, delighted.

"You do. It is a very good one, one that is warm and invites compassion and comfort." Dumbledore sighed again; his small good humor once more evaporated. "Another fault of mine. Their loss I mean."

"I don't think it was your fault, Sir," Harry said quietly. "It's not like you made Voldemort…kill them."

"No, but my inaction did not help."

The silence between them was heavy.

"You see, that is a very large fault of mine," Dumbledore said quietly, closing his eyes. "There have been many times where I could have done something, should have done something, and by the time I actually did something, the damage was done. So much could have been avoided if I was more proactive, more diligent in my duties and responsibilities."

"That doesn't seem very fair to you," Harry said.

Dumbledore snorted sourly. "No?" He shook his head and looked out of his window, looked at Hogsmeade in the distance. "Did Ariana ever tell you how she got her injury?"

"She said it happened from a bad incident involving a friend of yours," Harry said. "But wouldn't say more, said it wasn't her place."

"Even now, she minimizes my role in it," Dumbledore said bitterly. He took a deep breath and he seemed to age before Harry's eyes. Dumbledore always looked old, there was no denying. However, his usual bright and pleasant demeanor, his twinkling eyes, his warm voice gave him an energy that defied his apparent age. Now, however, he looked incredibly weary, lacking energy, warmth, life. His eyes grew haunted and he sounded terribly old.

"Our father died in Azkaban," he said. "Tried and convicted for the crime of defending his daughter against Muggles. You could argue he went too far, but the fact remains that he was found at fault and punished for it. It happened when I started my own time here at Hogwarts and while I was angry with the whole situation, I was angry with how it affected me."

His smile was small and sharp and cruel. "I felt like his actions and the fallout was a weight on my shoulders. I had to prove myself to be better than the stigma of being the son of a criminal. I had to rise above, to prove that I was better than that. And I did what I could. I excelled. I did the best I could and I was going to go on and do great things."

His smile disappeared. "Then our mother passed in an accident and all of a sudden, I was responsible for my younger brother and sister. All my dreams, my ambitions, gone. I had to take care of my little sister who could not control her magic. And I resented them for it."

He looked at Harry, his eyes wet with unshed tears. "How horrible of me right? Resenting my parents who had passed too young, resenting my little siblings for things they could not control? What kind of brother and son was I? What kind of human was I?"

"I'm sorry Sir," Harry said, meaning it. Seeing Dumbledore like this frightened him somewhat. Here was a wizard that Harry admired greatly, one that had seemed infallible and strong despite all the times Dumbledore had said he was not. Seeing him like this, so vulnerable, shook Harry a little.

"Me too," Dumbledore said. "I am terribly ashamed of who I was." He shook his head. "So, I had resigned myself that I would be caring for Ariana and trying to get Aberforth to take his education seriously. I thought I would spend the rest of my life in our little village." His face twisted, making a complicated expression. "Then he came."

He looked at Harry. "What do you know of Gellert Grindelwald?"

"We learned a little about him in History of Magic," Harry said. "He was a Dark Wizard who was prominent in World War Two. And you stopped him. That's about it."

Dumbledore snorted. "Oh how upset he would be to know that is all students learn of him. Well, students here anyways, I am sure it is different elsewhere." He sighed. "He came to the village, a relative of his was a neighbor of ours. He was a breath of fresh air for me. He was talented in magic like I was. We shared the same thirst for knowledge, shared the same burning ambition."

He looked out the window. "I fell in love with him and I like to think he did for me as well, in his way." He flushed and looked at a slightly uncomfortable Harry. "I am sorry, is this what you call, too much information?"

"Oh no Sir," Harry stammered. "I mean, yes sort of, I mean, I'm sorry." He felt better when Dumbledore chuckled genuinely. "It's just, never thought of you being in a relationship before and it threw me a bit, but in the same way as I would with Remus and Sirius."

"I know what you mean, and thank you," Dumbledore said. He sighed once more. "When we were together, we thought anything was possible. We made plans. Such grand plans of taking what was ours, making the world a better place for us, for Magicals. We even spoke of revealing ourselves to Muggles and making decisions for them and for us." He looked disgusted. "'For the greater good', we would say. Despicable.

"Aberforth and Ariana never liked him much. Ariana tolerated him to a degree and Aberforth less so. Aberforth thought he was rude and arrogant and did not like how Gellert treated him and Ariana. And I was so lost in love and desire that I did not notice. Until it was too late."

Dumbledore seemed to age even more somehow. "It was before the school year would start. Gellert and I were planning on leaving, to start on our grand plans. Aberforth was angry, thinking I was abandoning Ariana and wanted to stay home from school. I was not going to, I was thinking of taking her with us, which Gellert did not know and did not approve of. He wanted to leave her with his great-aunt. He and Aberforth began to argue, and the argument became a fight, which became a duel.

"I spent the first few moments frozen in fear. I have seen and heard them argue so many times but this was the first time it came to blows, both physical and magical. When Gellert cast a very severe Curse at Aberforth, I was finally goaded into action. I tried to separate them, protect them from each other, but they were fighting in earnest and Gellert…Gellert was dueling to harm."

Dumbledore shuddered. "Ariana was so afraid. She had lost her mother and father and saw the danger of losing us as well. She ran in and her magic went wild. Geller grew afraid and he deliberately aimed his wand at Ariana and the next thing I knew, she was lying on the ground with her throat torn open."

Harry gasped, feeling his chest tight and his hand went to his own throat.

Dumbledore continued, lost in the terrible memory. "I remember dropping to my knees and cast every healing spell I knew but they did nothing. I wrapped my hands around her neck, feeling her blood pulse between my fingers, and I poured my magic into her. I told Aberforth to find aid and I was there for so long, begging every power and deity I could think of to not let her die, to please spare her. To not take her from me."

His eyes were wet. "Nine minutes. I learned later I was there for nine minutes. Each minute felt like a hundred years and I desperately tried to keep her alive. Emergency medi-magicals arrived from St. Mungo's and took her to heal her. They actively worked on her for over an hour and when they finished, she was comatose. They said the damage was so severe, that she lost so much blood, that they did not know if she would wake or not."

He looked back out the window, at the tiny Hog's Head in the distance. "She laid there for 21 days. I was by her bedside from morning to night and left only when forced to. I forced Aberforth to attend school but the headmaster at the time allowed him to come on the weekend. I sat there for 21 days, watching my sister lie in a state of limbo. I begged and pleaded and prayed and bargained with anything and anyone I could think of. Now, the wool had been completely removed from my eyes and I saw the fruit of my actions, a price my little sister paid for no reason aside from being my little sister."

"I'm so sorry," Harry whispered.

The tiniest of smiles appeared on Dumbledore's lips. "When she woke, on the 21st day, I thought I was dreaming at first. I saw her open her eyes and stared at her dumbly. And you know what was the first thing I heard her say? After 21 days of me imagining all the things she would say to me, of what I would say to her?

"'You look like shite'."

Harry laughed and laughed, shocked out of his apprehension and Dumbledore laughed with him. They laughed for a long time and Harry wiped his eyes. "That's such an Auntie Ari thing to say!"

"It really is." Dumbledore's smile faded. "Bless her, she never truly blamed me. Said I did not make Gellert cast those spells. Still, I felt responsible for it. As you know now, she recovered and thankfully her magic stabilized. The time I spent after, helping her with rehabilitation, I also taught her how to use her magic and that is where I found my passion for teaching. That I was surprisingly good at it. After I helped her attain her education, I helped others. Tutored some, taught ones that could not attend Hogwarts at the time. And I eventually became a full teacher."

"What happened with Grindelwald?" Harry asked softly.

"He had fled of course," Dumbledore said bitterly. "Mere moments after the duel, he had left the country. He never tried to reach out to me after and I did not either. Time passed and I tried to forget all about him. But then the Second World War happened. While the Muggles fought, so did the Magicals. He rose to power, taking advantage of the chaos and created a movement of disenfranchised magicals that wanted to fight, that wanted to rise above and take what they deemed was theirs. It slowly became known that our plans of peaceful and benevolent guidance were more like iron-fisted rule. That he was doing terrible things to both the Muggles beneath him and the magicals that did not follow him."

Dumbledore rubbed his eyes. "I finally confronted him. I was appalled by what I had learned and I reached out to him, begging for a meeting. I thought I could convince him to stand down, to try and do what we thought was the right thing all those years before. Ironically, he thought he could convince me to stand with him, to lend my strength to him like I promised to do back then. We argued back and forth and when he finally realized that he could not convince me…" His voice died.

"He attacked you?" Harry asked, horrified.

"Yes. He decided that if I would not aid him, he would remove the possibility of me opposing him in the future." Dumbledore shook his head. "We dueled and it was one of the worst duels of my life. We fought and it was not long until I realized that he was actually trying to harm me. I started fighting back just as violently. I began to see Ariana lying on her bed in my mind and my spells turned vicious too. It went back and forth before I gained the upper hand and he was lying on the ground."

Once more, his eyes lost focus as he stared into the past. "I remember standing over him, wondering what to do, what to say. He looked up at me and smiled and for a moment, he looked like the person I fell in love with. And he opened his mouth and he said his greatest regret was that he did not kill Ariana and Aberforth and set me free, that all that promise we had was for nothing."

Harry gasped, incensed, and Dumbledore's expression mirrored his. "So I killed him." His admission was quiet, almost a whisper. It echoed around the room, louder than thunder, as fragile as a heartbeat. "I shot him in the throat with the same spell that he used on Ariana and for one terrible moment I felt intense pleasure that I killed the man that tried to kill my little sister and who attempted to kill my little brother."

He slumped back into his chair. "And I was called a hero for that, the one to stop the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, the one that ended a magical war, when I succumbed to my most primal instincts and killed a man in cold blood. A man I loved."

"I'm sorry, that must have been very difficult," Harry said, unsure of what else to say.

"I learned something about myself that day," Dumbledore said. "That underneath my accolades and my persona of intelligence and geniality, I am just a man. A vindictive and terrible man at that. But what terrified me most was that I saw what Gellert did and I almost was at his side doing the same. But for the grace of magic or God or my family, I would have been committing the same atrocities in some misguided sense of superiority. I learned then that I did not deserve to wield such influence, such import. That I could not be trusted with such power."

"But you did what you thought was right," Harry protested. "You fought against him when it mattered."

"But it was almost too late," Dumbledore said. His voice rose. "And just like that, history would repeat itself yet again. And in this, you should truly come to despise me for my faults."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused.

Dumbledore sighed again. "Tom Riddle, who would become Lord Voldemort. You see, I was the one to introduce him to the Wizarding World. I met him in an orphanage and told him that he was one of us, a wizard. Yet, even from that moment, I knew that he would be someone to be wary of. He was already familiar with some of his 'abilities' as he called them. He had a coldness to him, a hunger that was deep and ravenous. I watched him grow, turning into a talented wizard but that hunger never went away. It became worse, bigger. It consumed him and all around him."

Dumbledore rose from his chair and started to pace. "You see, he was much like you in the sense that he had no idea of who his parents were. Unlike you however, he had no one to tell him stories, to tell him of them. He became obsessed with magic and his lineage, of proving himself. He dived deeply into the Dark Arts, thirsting for power and recognition. He was selfish, willing to sacrifice anyone and anything to obtain what he desired.

"When he fully assumed the mantle of Lord Voldemort, he declared war on those he deemed unworthy of magic. Which was anyone who would not submit to him. He preyed on the fears of the Purebloods and turned them on the Half-bloods and Muggleborn. He destroyed what he could not keep, killed those he could not subvert, and would not stop in his goal of dominance."

He sat down limply. "I tried. I tried to curtail him when he was a student, show him other schools of magic, show him the beauty of magic. But I was also so afraid of being so close to another. Afraid of bending him to my will which I had no right to do. So afraid of seeing another fall on their path to a darkness that frightened me. For a time I tried to help him and when he refused, I tried to stand apart. To try and let the government handle things and maintain Hogwarts as a school, as a safe place."

"I finally felt compelled to act when one day, another family was lost. The family had been cruelly slain by his followers and they were happy of it. Proud because of it. Can you believe it? Proud! Pride in their heinous acts because they thought they were right and they killed to prove it!" Dumbledore nearly sobbed. "My own students, ones who I taught, killed brutally by others I had taught. Once again, I had failed them, Harry. Another failure to add to my ledger."

He sighed deeply. "So I entered the War. I started fighting in earnest, defending the innocent, fighting back against wanton death and cruelty. And as I was getting ready to confront him, he attacked you and your parents and he was stopped by you. And so the War was over, and you were hailed the hero and I had failed you now, because if I acted sooner, you would have your parents here. And so many others would still walk this earth with us."

Harry blinked a few times. "But you didn't force him to attack me. You didn't make him do all that?"

"Did I not? He was growing desperate with my inclusion. Desperate people do desperate things."

Harry chose his words carefully. "No offense Sir, but you're assuming a lot of responsibility for things you don't control." He shrugged a little at Dumbledore's look. "It's like when you said I wasn't responsible for the way the Dursleys treated me."

Dumbledore winced. "No, that is true you were not. But you would not have been with them at all if it were not for me."

"But you did not force them to treat me like that either," Harry protested. He took a deep breath. "You didn't force her to…lie to me."

Dumbledore looked out the window.

"If it isn't fair for me to think it was my fault for the Dursleys, that I deserved how they treated me, I don't think it's fair for you to assume all the responsibility for everything Grindlewald or Voldemort did," Harry said quietly.

"That is kind of you to say," Dumbledore whispered. "Too kind."

The silence between them was still heavy.

"Are…were you thinking about this because it's Halloween?" Harry asked softly.

Dumbledore groaned and buried his face into his hands. "I had forgotten it was. I am so sorry to be burdening you with all this, today of all days."

"No it's okay, I mean, I totally didn't bring that up to make you feel worse, I'm so sorry," Harry said, flushing. "I was just curious."

"No, I was thinking of all this because of my current worries." He looked at Harry directly. "Harry, you asked me before why Tom attacked you. At the time I said you were not ready to know. Would…would you wish for me to tell you now?"

Harry's heart plummeted and his stomach roiled. After a moment he nodded.

"There was a prophecy," Dumbledore said. "It essentially said that Voldemort would mark someone as his equal and that neither could live while the other survived. That only one could best the other."

Harry blinked a few times, letting the words sink in. "Oh."

"You are taking it rather well."

"I think it's still registering," Harry said. He shook his head. "But, isn't he dead now? So it already happened, right?"

"Sadly, no. It has come to my attention that Tom is still alive through dark means."

"Oh." Harry sat back, winded. "Does that mean, I'm in danger?"

"Honestly, I am unsure," Dumbledore admitted weakly. "I think there is some, yes. Considering all that has happened to you these last years. But I do not think you are an active target at the moment."

"Well that's a relief," Harry said, sounding half-genuinely-relieved and half-sarcastic, making Dumbledore smile a little.

"Quite," Dumbledore said softly.

"Do other people know?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Part of me learning of it is accounts from Sirius and the Tonkses, from Remus and Filius' thoughts as well as Gringotts as well. And the Flamels and Drake are aware as well."

"Oh, well that's good then," Harry said, feeling better. "With all of us, we can handle anything."

"You have a lot of faith in them," Dumbledore said. "Which is warranted. They are all good people and talented."

"And in you Sir," Harry said.

"Have you been listening to me?" Dumbledore asked sardonically. "I believe I have given you ample evidence on why you should not."

"And you haven't considered what you have done for me," Harry insisted. "You've done so much for me Sir. I wouldn't have met Drake or the Flamels if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't have grandparents now."

"That is true," Dumbledore said slowly.

"You helped us get Sirius' trial and prove his innocence. You helped me get my job at the Hog's Head and I wouldn't have met Mr. Abe or Auntie Ari. Through Professor Flitwick I became friends with so many goblins and learned so much at Gringotts," Harry continued. "You even introduced me to Household Charms in the first place. You gave me a chance to go to the kitchens when you barely knew me. When was the last time you took a student to the kitchens like that before me?"

"A very long time," Dumbledore said, looking at Harry.

"I wouldn't have met and became friends with Inky, Ebbers, Quarters, or any of the other house elves. The fact that I have learned so much from cooking and everything now was because of you," Harry said earnestly. "You helped me leave the Dursleys. You've given me so many opportunities, so many possibilities. How can you say I shouldn't trust you, Sir? How can you ignore all the good that you have done?"

Dumbledore stared at Harry.

Harry blushed and coughed a little. "I'm just saying, even if you feel responsible for the other things, you should feel responsible for the good things. And like you said, people are like magic right? Capable of good and bad, and what matters is what you do."

"I did say that," Dumbledore said quietly.

"Then keep doing good, Sir. It's not too late. And I'll do what I can do, to keep on trying, like you taught me."

Tears glinted in the elder wizard's eyes. "I…I do not know what to say," he said honestly. "I am heartened by your kind words, my boy. I do not believe I truly deserve them however."

This time, Dumbledore's vulnerability did not shake Harry. He saw a change in the older man. A change he had seen before with Remus, Sirius, and the Flamels. This kind of open honesty made him feel warmer somehow. He broke a scone in half and lavishly daubed it with cream and jam and gave it to Dumbledore. "I'll believe in you like you believe in me, how does that sound?"

He noticed how Dumbledore looked at the scone. "I'm sorry, did you want extra extra cream and jam?"

Dumbledore laughed. It looked like years fell from him as he laughed and the longer he laughed, the brighter and lighter he looked and sounded. "No, it is perfect." He put it down and took the other half and liberally covered it with cream and jam and gave it to Harry. "Come, let us go outside."

"Sure, what for?" Harry asked. He smiled when Dumbledore popped the entire confection in his mouth and he did the same.

"Something that should be quite cathartic," Dumbledore said through a very full mouth.

-0-

Fawkes and Hedwig had joined them as they made their way through the castle, following them as they got onto the grounds. Dumbledore summoned a large amount of firewood next to a pile by the castle. He stacked them and started to wave his wand.

Harry gasped with delight seeing the wood shiver and shudder, changing shape and color. His delight became awe as he slowly recognized the shape the wood was turning into. "Is that Number 4?"

"As far as I can remember it," Dumbledore said. "I have a decent memory most of the time." He continued to wave his wand and soon a perfect miniature facsimile of the house and gardens was there on the ground, surrounded by tall stones. "What do you think?"

"That fence post is broken," Harry said, pointing at one. "Dudley broke it one year and blamed me and I got punished for it."

Dumbledore hissed under his breath and the post cracked under the weight of his ire. Regaining his composure, he picked up another log and once again transfigured it. It shook in his hand and slowly took the shape of a man with piercing eyes and neat hair, dressed in robes with a curious symbol over his breast. Without saying anything he put the figure in the middle of the house and stepped back.

"Fawkes?" Fawkes looked at Dumbledore eagerly. The man pointed at the model home. "Have fun."

Fawkes trilled, flying high into the air. His voice was like a trumpet, brassy and triumphant. He dove sharply and Harry fully expected to see the bird splat against the wood but instead of doing that, Fawkes seem to dive into the wood and it burst into flame. Harry took a step back as the whole thing turned into a contained inferno, the fire roaring and rising high as it hungrily ate the wood. The phoenix jumped out of the fire and dove back in, like a dolphin in water, dipping and diving and jumping and cackling with glee.

"Some cultures believe in burning the past," Dumbledore said conversationally, looking at the fire, "as a way to forget and move on."

"Fawkes looks and sounds really happy," Harry remarked. Fawkes continued to sing, his voice like a symphony of brass instruments, as he flapped his wings hard, fanning the flames to greater heights and intensity.

"I suppose he truly wished to burn down Number 4," Dumbledore mused. "I believe this to be the next best thing however." He noticed Hedwig flying off. "Is it too hot for her?"

"I don't think so," Harry frowned. "I've seen her sleep in front of the fire at Grimmauld." After a short time, he saw her flying back. She was carrying a bundle of things in her talons and he watched as she threw things one by one into the fire.

"What is she burning?" Dumbledore asked.

"Those are my oldest things that the Dursleys gave me," Harry said quietly, recognizing the clothing. "I kept them at the very bottom of my trunk." He and Dumbledore watched as Hedwig took great glee in throwing those articles of clothing in and Fawkes would snatch them out of the air and shred them before immolating them to ash. "Should I be worried at how much they seem to be enjoying this?"

"Perhaps," Dumbledore smiled. "But we can let them have their fun too, I suppose." He let out a deep breath, feeling a weight slowly lift from his shoulders.

"You look a little better," Harry said with a small smile.

Dumbledore smiled too and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I do feel better, thanks to you. I promised you that I will continue on to the best of my ability, and I hope to not fail your faith in me."

"I'll do the same," Harry said stoutly.

They stood together in the glow of the cleansing bonfire, watching the owl and the phoenix fly about and burning things until there was nothing left. The fire slowly died down but the coals and embers behind smoldered and burned, keeping the coming night's chill at bay.

"It'd be a shame to waste such pretty coals," Harry said at last. "It's a nice clean fire, right?"

Dumbledore smiled. "It really would be a shame," he agreed. "Ebbers? Inky?"

The house elves popped beside them. "Hi Harry! Hi Headmaster!" Inky said brightly. "Hi Miss Hedwig! Hi Fawkes!"

"That is a nice fire," Ebbers commented, holding his hands out.

"Yes and Harry said it would be a waste to let it go unused," Dumbledore said. "Have you begun decorations in the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast?"

"Not yet," Ebbers said. "Have the baked treats done but were about to start other feast things."

"Would it be too much trouble to do an outdoor feast?" Dumbledore asked.

"Shouldn't be," Inky said. "Probably should not have all the same decorations, but can make good food out here, especially if Harry helps."

"I know you normally do something else on Halloween," Dumbledore said to Harry.

"I think this would count," Harry said softly. He took a deep breath and nodded. "But a nice outdoor feast to celebrate all of us here at Hogwarts sounds nice on Halloween, right?"

"I think it sounds wonderful," Dumbledore said sincerely.

"We can do sausage sandwiches in buns and hamburgers," Harry said. "And roast vegetables on skewers and in the coals. Some roasted apples would be lovely with the other treats you already made and I'd be happy to share some tiramisu."

"That sounds good!" Inky said, clapping enthusiastically.

"How about some soup?" Ebbers asked excitedly. "We can put the super big cauldron on the edge and keep it full. Chicken and lovely veg."

"Oh and we can do some roast fish too," Harry said smiling. "Put them on spits and slow fire roast them."

"That all sounds lovely," Dumbledore said. "Would a few hours suffice?"

"Easily with Harry," Ebbers said and Inky nodded.

"Then let us make it so. I will inform the Heads and we will feast outdoors tonight," Dumbledore said.

"Can Mr. Abe, Auntie Ari, and Willie and Nillie come?" Harry asked.

"I will invite them right now," Dumbledore said warmly.

-0-

The atmosphere on the grounds was merry and bright, a sharp contrast to the previous gloom of the castle. Despite the darkness around them, the students and professors and elves were happy and warm. Small bonfires on the ground lit the space around them and kept the chill away. The very large original bonfire in the middle was mostly coals at this point but they radiated plenty of heat as well as many savory smells as the food cooked over them.

Jack-o'lanterns floated about as well as trays full of the treats that the kitchen elves had already made. People only had to walk to the big central fire to pick up other food that was in ample supply. Instead of tables and chairs, there were wide blankets all over and plenty of cushions and mats to sit on. Everyone ate together, sitting in groups of friends, and were not segregated by House or table.

"What a fun idea!" Lavender said, munching happily on a cheeseburger. "I'm glad you and the Headmaster thought of it."

"It felt right," Harry said happily. "And it's a lot of fun."

She peered at him closely. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

He smiled and hugged her. "I'm okay. Just…heard a lot of stuff today but it's okay. I think."

"That's good. You'll let me know if you need help though, right?" she asked, hugging him back.

"Of course," he said. "You can help me eat these baked potatoes."

"If I must," she said with mock-weariness, making them smile.

"It's very nice to see everyone like this," Parvati said, looking around. "Very different from the usual."

"I don't dislike it," Blaise said seriously. "And there was a time I thought differently."

"You don't think," Pansy, Daphne, Tracey, Astoria, and Millicent said together.

"I think!" Blaise retorted while they laughed.

"I think!" Pansy repeated mockingly. She then yelped and jumped. "Luna! Why?!"

"You said the words to get pinched by," Luna protested. "Like last year."

Parvati laughed uproariously before she too squealed with indignation. "Hey! She pinched you! Not me!"

"You started this mess!" Pansy retorted, pinching her back.

"No I didn't! That was Millie and Lav! Why am I being assaulted by all the prefects?!" She yelped and smacked a grinning Susan. "That wasn't an invitation!"

"I didn't want to be left out," Susan said with a big smile.

Harry started laughing and the friends joined in, save for the brawl that Parvati started with Padma, Hermione, Pansy, and Susan.

-0-

"You look better," Aberforth said.

"I feel better," Dumbledore said, smiling fondly at Harry and his friends.

"Good. Get your head out of your arse over everything?"

Dumbledore snorted softly. "Yes, actually. And Harry was to thank for that. And you tangentially, I suppose."

"You're welcome," Aberforth grunted. He took a big bite out of his hamburger. "What was the problem in the first place?"

"I was ruminating over the past and comparing it to the present," Dumbledore said softly. "You know, with Gellert and the first time with Tom."

"Ah. Yeah, I can see the parallels," Aberforth said softly. "What did you decide on?"

"That I will continue with no reservation," Dumbledore said sincerely. "I will do what I can do and not delay. I will not fail Harry again, not this time. And in doing so, hope I can gain the forgiveness of those I failed before by preventing further pain to the best of my ability."

Ariana tapped her glass against his. "Good," she said, her voice sweet and strong. "And we're with you to the end. Let's make sure we end it completely this time and gut that bastard before he lays on a hand on Harry."

Aberforth tapped his glass against the glasses of his siblings. "Damn straight."

"Damn straight," Dumbledore nodded and they shared a toast.

"So what brought this about?" Ariana asked, gesturing to the outdoor feast. "Not that I mind of course, it's very lovely."

"After Harry and I had a very good talk, I thought I would mimic a past-burning ritual and transfigured an effigy of Gellert and a facsimile of Number 4 Privet Drive," Dumbledore said. "It proved to be very cathartic."

"You burned Privet Drive without me?!" Ariana said loudly.

"A facsimile of one! We are not burning the actual location!"

"Don't look at me," Aberforth grunted with a smile. "I'm upset you didn't invite me to burn Gellert's smug arsehole face."

"And here I thought Fawkes to be the pyromaniac of the family," Dumbledore said snidely. "At least he has an excuse! He's a magical creature partly made of fire!"

"I bet Nicky and Penny and Drake will be upset too," Ariana sniffed.

"For mercy's sake," Dumbledore sighed. "Fine, the next time there is a chance for simulated arson, I will ensure that all of you will be there. Happy?"

"Maybe," she sniffed. "I want another burger too."

"Go get one then," Dumbledore snorted. He softened a little. "I told Harry all about what happened by the way."

"Oh? How did the poor dear take it?" she asked.

"Rather well, thankfully. He was very upset with Gellert as well and how things ended up." Dumbledore smiled softly. "He thinks very highly of you two."

"The thinking is mutual," Ariana smiled.

"Just as well he knows, he's one of us," Aberforth said comfortably. He smiled slyly. "You know, if you discount the whole 'trying to murder us thing' and everything else he did, he wasn't even the worst of your ex's."

"Right?" Ariana smiled. "Remember that one-"

"I forbid the both of you to discuss my personal relationship history with Harry! Do you hear me?!" Dumbledore nearly shouted while Aberforth and Ariana cackled and laughed.

"No need to mentally scar the boy for the rest of his days," Ariana giggled, face red.

"I hate the both of you," Dumbledore grumbled.

"We hate you too," Aberforth said, resting an arm on Dumbledore's shoulder.

"Very much so," Ariana said, leaning against his other side.

-0-0-0-

odonnellzoo99 - Indeed. He's the kind of soul that encourages people to be kind in turn. Petling food comas must be adorable. I love hot pot. It's one of my favorite things to eat in the world. Thank you.

Hands Off MY Wolfie - I think Hedwig would wait for it to cook. She likes to eat things properly and hot pot has a proper way of going about it. She would enjoy dipping things I think. Thanks for reading.

DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - Hope you like today's chapter. I think it hits what you wanted and answers some of your questions.

alix33 - I totally endorse you doing hot pot at home. I know you live somewhere with harder to get ingredients, but I'm sure you can find some similar things and enjoy it.

poka - I really want her to feel like her still even with the character growth. I don't want her to be some strange facsimile with the same name. I wanted to keep some of her nature here while showing genuine character growth and still be her recognizable Pansy self. I really hoped it came through well with her. I'm glad you like her growth though, I'm rather proud of her.

Kaya - Thank you so much.