Chapter 45
Dumbledore's First Lesson
Note from the Authors: So, this is rather an important chapter, and so we hope we've done it justice. Some answers will be here, but there are more mysteries to come. As you have read, canon is practically going out the window, and this chapter is an explanation as to how and why. We hope you like it.
Lily felt excitement and nervousness as she and Ginny entered Dumbledore's office, where the headmaster was sitting, waiting for them, at his desk. "Ah, good evening, Lily, Ginny, thank you both for coming," Dumbledore said.
"We've been looking forward to this sir. We don't know what we'll be learning, but we know it'll be important," Ginny said, returning the smile.
"Indeed it will be. Tonight, we'll be speaking more about what you saw last time in the pensieve, and Crouch Junior," Dumbledore said. "I am certain you have already been told of what had become of Mr. Crouch, so before we start, do you have any questions?"
"Uncle Sirius said he did it because of his love of his wife, but in the memory you showed us, just before you froze it, he denounced his son. If he loved his wife that much, why did he not get him out sooner? And why get him out at all?" Lily asked.
"Two excellent questions, Lily," Dumbledore smiled at her, a look of pride on his face. "Of course, those are the two most important questions, and the two we don't have any definitive answers for, but I do have my suspicions."
Dumbledore indicated two chairs for Lily and Ginny to sit down on, which they did, with pineapple juice there for them. Both accepted the drinks, listening to Dumbledore as he spoke.
"The answer to the two questions is the same, I believe. Barty Crouch was very much against the Dark Arts, and in the last two years of the war, with him helping to lead it as the head of the Auror's, he authorised the use of the Unforgivable curses against any suspect working for Lord Voldemort and was exceptionally vocal about what would happen to any who supported Voldemort, or even hid or aided his people," Dumbledore began.
"After the fall of Voldemort, it was expected that Barty would become the Minister of Magic, a position he wanted, and didn't make a secret of his desire. He believed that he would make the wizarding world better, but then when the trial of his son happened, it made people question how the son of someone so against Voldemort could become a Death Eater. It was decided that Barty Crouch had failed at home, and if that was the case, how could such a man be given control of the Ministry?" Dumbledore explained.
"Which would have made him angry, right?" Lily asked. Dumbledore nodded.
"Indeed, although he would never admit it. He was placed into the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Cornelius was promoted to Minister of Magic. You have seen how well Cornelius has performed in the role, although he admits he has made a number of mistakes, chief among them not allowing Remus Lupin a fair trial. Of course, that decision was made by Barty, but that is a separate matter," Dumbledore explained.
"Do you think he refused to help his son at first because of the loss of his promotion?" Ginny asked.
"I do," Dumbledore confirmed. "Barty was a man who loved being in charge, as he felt he was able to help the wizarding world, so much so that he did fail in his home life. From what we have learnt from Winky, his wife became withdrawn after their son was sent to Azkaban."
"Even after everything he had done, she was upset?" Lily felt a little uneasy and disgusted at that.
"What you must realise Lily, is that for Andrea Crouch, family was everything. She was born into a pure blood family, and her family was very much about protecting their own, so it was drilled into her that a parent must do anything for their children. Your mother felt something similar, and whilst the circumstances are very different, their reasonings were the same. Andrea Crouch sacrificed herself for her son, as did your mother. Please don't feel angry at her," Dumbledore practically pleaded.
Lily understood exactly what Dumbledore was telling her, and he was right; it had been a sacrifice. It didn't matter what he had done, to Mrs. Crouch, Barty Junior was her son, and that was all that mattered.
"There is something else I've been wondering about," Ginny said softly. "I remember what Karkaroff said at the trial, the torture of… of…"
"Neville's parents, yes," Dumbledore confirmed. "What I am about to tell you, I must ask you never to repeat. I am sure Neville has his reasons for not sharing the story, but please, do not tell anyone."
"It isn't our story to tell, Professor," Lily said. Dumbledore flashed her a small smile of gratitude.
"Thank you both," Dumbledore said, before continuing his story. "After the end of the war, some of Voldemort's most devout followers were angry, and tried to find their master. Several of them, led by Bellatrix Lestrange, and her husband Rudolphus, along with Junior, tortured several people, including the Longbottom's. They were Auror's and had helped fight against Voldemort. Bellatrix used the Cruciatus curse on them until they were driven insane. They still reside in St. Mungo's hospital right now."
"Is that why Neville struggles? Because he still feels… I don't know, anxious or suffers from some kind of trauma from being a baby?" Ginny asked softly.
"Yes, I believe. However, being friends with you both, and your other friends, has helped him greatly. He has more confidence than he did when he first arrived here; to that, I credit you, Lily," Dumbledore said.
"Me? How? I just… I'm just his friend," Lily exclaimed, her eyes widening.
"You are also the one helping him to be more confident, and since the Yule Ball, and his date with Miss Patil, I have seen a remarkable amount of progress from Neville, in terms of his confidence," Dumbledore explained. "Now, whilst I would like to continue, what I have to say is very important, and I believe it will help you to survive in the long run."
Lily and Ginny shared a look at one another, before looking at Dumbledore.
"What I am about to tell you, Lily, perhaps I should have told you long ago. There is much I have kept from you, and you have every right to be angry with me for doing so. Sirius, of course, does not know all that I am going to teach you, or tell you, and perhaps that, too, was a mistake," Dumbledore began.
Lily felt shocked. A mistake? Keeping stuff from her? What had the professor not told her? What did it have to do with Voldemort? She had so many questions racing through her head, and only Ginny holding her hand kept her grounded in that moment.
"Since you have come here, you have felt pain in your scar, and I told you that there was a piece of Voldemort within yourself, which occurred when he attempted to murder you that night in Godric's Hollow. What I didn't tell you is that there is much more to it than that," Dumbledore said.
Lily felt numb as Dumbledore continued. "When you re-joined the magical world, it became clear to me that the connection between you and he was dangerous. You see, you have seen visions, such as what you saw during the summer holidays, and my concern was that Lord Voldemort, if he were to realise this connection existed, would attempt to strengthen it, and so use it to enter your mind, to either spy on us, or attempt to control you."
"Wait… is that… how is that possible?" Ginny asked, as Lily felt a coldness run down her back. She saw her reflection in the mirror and noted that the colour had drained from her face.
"Unfortunately, such a thing is possible, or I should say, was possible," Dumbledore said, a small smile on his face. "However, I do believe that it is now impossible, and for that, Ginny, you are to thank."
"Wait… Ginny is the reason… he can't get into my head?" Lily's voice was barely a whisper.
"Indeed. Whilst Lord Voldemort is exceptionally powerful, the most powerful wizard in centuries, I dare say, there is a type of magic to which is he woefully unprepared for, and that is Love," Dumbledore still smiled as Fawkes gently sang, sitting on the desk near to Lily, which helped her start to feel a little better.
"Love?" Ginny looked as surprised as Lily felt.
"Love," Dumbledore confirmed. "You see, for one such as Lord Voldemort, who has never known love, it is impossible to understand."
"Never known love? Didn't his parents love him?" Lily asked softly.
"He never knew his parents. He was an orphan, and when he first came to Hogwarts, he was an outsider. He was also surprisingly gifted, and students flocked to him in awe of his power. You already know that his father was a muggle, by the name of Tom Riddle Senior, and Voldemort killed him when he had a chance. I will tell you more another time of that, but for now, we must talk more of the two of you," Dumbledore stated.
"Your mother, Lily, sacrificed herself for you, which is why Voldemort can't touch you. It is an ancient kind of magic, and it protected you against his curse. But I knew that Voldemort would return, and so, I needed to ensure you were protected. My intention was to place you with your aunt, on your mother's side, who is a muggle. However, Sirius reached you first, and so, altered a course of events to which I had carefully laid out. He did not know this, and when I saw him that night, he was full of anger and rage at what had happened," Dumbledore said.
"Because he thought Uncle Remus had betrayed us, but it had been Peter Pettigrew all along," Lily intoned.
"Indeed. I saw the look on Sirius' face when I arrived with Professor McGonagall, and I knew that I needed to rethink my plan. I am quite gifted when it comes to planning ahead, if I may say so, but even an old man like myself can make mistakes. If my original plan had gone ahead, I fear things would be terrible for you. I had suggested that Sirius be the secret keeper, but he then told James that Remus would be better. I suggested you go to your muggle relatives, and he refused that. In taking those two actions, events have indeed changed, beyond what I could plan," Dumbledore continued.
"And so, I performed an ancient magic at your uncle's home, so that no one could harm you whilst you were there. Your uncle and your father were second cousins through marriage, an occurrence that is often seen in the pure blood families. In fact, your uncle and Arthur Weasley are third or fourth cousins, I believe, again through marriage. All the pure blood families are interconnected," Dumbledore told them.
"I… I… I never imagined that," Lily admitted, looking at Ginny. "So, you're telling me that Uncle Sirius is the reason Voldemort isn't able to possess me and the reason why I grew up happy?"
"Indeed. I feel I owe you an apology, Lily, for even thinking of such a plan which would, most likely, not have given you a happy life. Whilst my primary concern was to keep you alive, I did not initially factor in the quality of life. Having seen the muggles several times, I am now confident that Sirius was right to adopt you," Dumbledore said.
Lily looked at Dumbledore, seeing the genuine remorse in his face. She felt confused; a part of her wanted to be angry at what the professor had planned, how he was going to make all the decisions in her life, and she knew Sirius wouldn't be too happy either, but at the same time, she could also understand why he had done such a thing.
"Professor… I don't know how my life would have been if I'd have gone with the muggles… but… you've always watched out for me. I'm not angry over a what if scenario. This is what life is, right here, me being myself, and being with Ginny," Lily said, after a few moments.
Ginny smiled at Lily. "She's right. You told me that I shouldn't blame myself for what ifs after Voldemort's diary possessed me, and I was worried about what if I had helped to kill someone," Ginny pointed out. Dumbledore's usual, charming smile returned.
"I must confess, you make this old man proud, with how mature and wonderful you both are. I have seen many students come through this school, but you do yourselves, your families, and the school proud with your actions and your heart," Dumbledore said.
As Lily took another sip of her pineapple juice, Ginny looked at her, and then at Dumbledore. "Does anyone else know this?"
"No one," Dumbledore replied. "I believe, however, that Sirius, Remus, and your closest friends do deserve to know, but I must ask you to ensure they do not tell others. There could still be a danger, and I will not allow that to happen," Dumbledore said.
Lily and Ginny both nodded their agreement. "Of course, and I know the others won't want that to happen either," Lily said.
"I also wish you to ensure that neither of you are alone at any point for the rest of this year. The final task is approaching, and so whatever plan Barty Crouch Junior has intended has only one chance left. Professor Moody is taking charge of security for the final task, and there will be a number of Aurors there, as well as Cornelius and his deputy minister. I understand that you have had extra lessons with Professor Moody as well?" Dumbledore asked. Lily nodded.
"He's shown us some new spells, curses and protection wards. As he keeps saying, Constant Vigilance," Lily confirmed.
"Indeed. For now, I think that will suffice for today. We will pick up again in the new term, since you have much to process, and you should have that time," Dumbledore stated, as the girls finished their drinks. "I believe that this is an important milestone, and when we resume our sessions, by the time we finish, you should be more than prepared to face Lord Voldemort."
"Wait, what? He knew you wouldn't have had a good life but wanted you to be with Petunia anyway?" Sirius demanded angrily. Lily could see his canines elongating, so she took his hand.
"Uncle Sirius, please, don't get too angry. I wasn't sure how to react, but whatever his plan was, it didn't happen," Lily pointed out.
"If it had, then Sirius would likely have been in Azkaban because of Peter," Remus stated bitterly. "I still… I still have nightmares… Sirius…"
"Moony, it's okay, take a breath," Sirius took Remus's hand, and kissed it softly. "At least you wouldn't have faced that darkness if I had been there."
"No, you would have," Remus replied, his eyes looking fearful. "I…"
"That's all a what if scenario," Lily said. "Uncle Sirius, you would never have let me be raised by those muggles, even if you had been the secret keeper."
"No, you're right, and anyone who thinks overwise is an idiot," Sirius replied. "I'd have made sure you were raised properly. That's what a real godfather does."
"Or I would have," Remus agreed. "Right now, I guess we should be thankful that you messed up his plans."
"And you know what, I'm glad. Dumbledore was right, he was an idiot to think that his plan would have worked," Sirius agreed. He then laughed. "I screwed up two of his plans and made things better. Who knew that would happen?"
"It's you, Uncle Sirius, who'd have been surprised?" Lily asked, chuckling softly. She then looked at Ginny, and gently wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "It's what he said about Ginny that's important. I didn't ever imagine such a link could happen, and yet, Professor Dumbledore said how much that has changed us. I mean, if we're stronger now, how much stronger can we be?"
"I don't know, but I will always be thankful to you, Ginny, for staying with Lily and helping her the way you have," Sirius told the now blushing Weasley.
"I just… I feel lucky to have Lily," Ginny said, smiling.
"I feel the same about you, Ginny," Lily told her, returning the smile.
"As sweet as this moment is," Fred began.
"We need to focus on the last task," George finished.
"Agreed. This will be the last time for Junior to do whatever he has planned. No going anywhere alone, training every day, and most of all, keep a look out everywhere," Sirius insisted. Lily nodded; she had no intention of letting Crouch Junior win, no matter what it took.
