Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell is J.K Rowling's.

Chapter 84: The King and I

I watched as he walked away, not even five minutes after he put his fork and knife down. His black hair disappeared beyond the door. He barely spoke all through breakfast, letting me do most of the talking as I explained what had happened last night to Ron and Hermione. And Neville…who left once I explained Alya's role in the night's events, as silently as Harry did, with a face that was so broken that he didn't even let us see it, quickly turning his back and exiting the room.

I wouldn't blame him if he cried…even if half the tears would be anger…to even lay a comforting hand on a person who was so evil, so unnecessarily unkind…what did she gain from making him love her? Was she so sick to get pleasure from him finding out, as she must know he would have…there was a clatter as the fork I was holding fell to the floor and I yelped in pain.

There was a long red welt across my palm where the heated fork was seconds ago, just another scar. Madam Pomfrey had tended my wounds once I walked through the door but they were not that bad. The wound at my shoulder that Blishwick had given me with the icicle had been healing well, the only wound I allowed her to see to last night before I went to see Sabre. She insisted on me joining Mi and Ron in the hospital wing but I somehow won that battle, letting her shove some Vitamix down my throat to help combat the effects of the Torture curse courtesy of Kat.

"Has he spoken to you about him yet?"

Mi's voice was soft, partially because Ron was fast asleep but mostly because she was drowsy from all that medication. Anger churned in my veins at the thought of the curse Dolohov had placed on her, grateful he never said it aloud which would have made it stronger, but angry that he managed to hit her with it in the first place. They was a chink as the plate before me broke in two down the middle.

"Is it me, or is your magic back with a vengeance?"

I stared at the broken plate, deep in thought. I never paid much attention to my magic last night, just happy that it was in working order, but when I think about it my magic came so effortlessly that you'd never think it was almost out of commission. Maybe it was the adrenaline.

"Whatever it is, I'm just happy it's back. He hasn't and I'm not going to ask."

"I still can't believe this has happened. To think just yesterday all we had to worry about were exams. And now we have Bellatrix's children and Palbei and…Sirius."

She sniffed and I looked down at my broken plate again, "I should never have let Harry leave Hogwarts. I should have put my foot down! I knew it was a bad idea, I knew something didn't fit but I let him hop on a Thestral…let us all…"

"Mi, you and I both know nothing you said would have stopped him."

I knew it was the look on my face that stopped her rant, and not my words. She was silent for a moment and then I felt delicate fingers touch my arm and I looked away from my broken plate.

"What's wrong?"

I knew that she meant other than every other wrong thing that happened yesterday, but I couldn't tell her what I was feeling because Harry hadn't told her about the prophecy as yet. I didn't expect him to either, if anything my reaction to it would make him want to never tell another soul, but I knew he will tell them…he just needed time. I squeezed her hand affectionately in answer, not knowing what to say.

"Get some rest, I'm going to find out if there's any news on Nessie and Minnie."

She looked like she wanted to push it, but the gleam that came into her chocolate eyes dimmed as her eyes slowly fluttered, her soft snores quickly heard in between Ron's loud ones as I closed the door behind me.

I sighed and leaned against the closed door, greeted by an unwelcome face.

I knew I couldn't avoid him forever. He looked out of place in the corridor, I never saw him in a corridor before, he always just appeared in the place he was needed, I never imagined how he had got there. I definitely never imagined him leaning against the very same wall Harry used to lean against when he waited for me to be released from the Wing after the cave-in.

"May you favour me with a walk?"

His blue eyes twinkled down at me, and I looked away quickly, knowing that I would give in to his gaze. I was so exhausted, but not tired enough to relent. I moved my head up and down in the slightest of nods that I could manage and walked down the stairs. He followed in silence, nodding at students as they enthusiastically greeted The Only Man He Ever Feared.

"I am happy to see you are well."

I kicked a random stone as I walked across the expansive lawns, he followed compliantly behind.

"Am I to understand that you will never speak to me again?"

I glanced up at him, "Alya Bellamy is Bellatrix-"

"I am not here to find out the events of last night. I must admit that I am curious and it is imperative that I know and I trust you will tell me soon, but I find we have a much dire matter that needs tending to."

"And that is." I trudged further forward, ignoring all the stares as they looked up from their seats on the grounds, enjoying the end of exams out in the bright sun. I even saw a flash of light and knew if I followed it I would find one of the Creevey brother's beaming at me.

"I am right in thinking that Harry has informed you of our earlier discussion?"

I kicked at the ground, dislodging both grass and soil as I bit my lip in anger at the thought of the prophecy.

"I see, he has."

I didn't respond and continued walking, finding that somehow my feet had taken me to the Owlery. I stared at the large stone tower which lay silent before me, its inhabitants fast asleep.

"I used to have an owl in my school years. Iris. A barn owl. She was very beaut-"

"You had no right to keep it from him."

He sighed, "I am aware of that, yet I do not regret it."

I turned around furiously, "You don't regret it! How can you not! Who are you to play with the lines of fate, to tug and let go when you feel like it! If you told him, he would never have left! If you told him, Sirius wouldn't be dead. If you told him…he…" I wiped at my face as the tears started again, at the thought of Harry and the Prophecy.

"Believe me Kyrianna, all your thoughts have been mine. That is why I have no regrets; I did what I thought was right."

"Right for who? For you?"

"You are angry, I understand that. You have found that the boy you love has to walk a very dangerous path in deed, but never for a second, even out of anger, think anything I do is for my benefit. I am an old man, having no qualms with death like Voldemort does. Everything I do, I do for you. I do for Harry. For all of my students."

I didn't want to listen to his holier than thou reasons right now, "It's just like with my Ability. You never gave me an option! You just dictated and enforced your ruling."

He looked down, away from my eyes, "For that I am sorry. I stand by my decision, but you must understand the reasons for what I did Kyrianna."

"HOW CAN I!" My breathing was ragged and my head pained with exhaustion but I wanted him to know what he has done. "How can anyone when you never explain! You just do! And you expect everyone to just follow because how can the great Albus Dumbledore be wrong!"

He looked up, his eyes sad and his smile grim and I flinched inwardly at the disrespectful way I spoke yet the bitterness in my heart had me show an unapologetic look upon my face.

"I cannot apologise for this, not because I am right but because I am an old fool. An old fool who loves you, and Harry. Who tried to protect you from the truth, to keep you innocent and young for as long as I could."

"You think us weak!"

"No, no, my cucciolo, I think you brave. Both of you. The lives you have led and continue to lead, I want to keep you from any more pain. I would rather know and have the effects of knowing the truth kept only to myself than share that burden with you. Do you not see why I have done what I did? Voldemort cares for your ability more than you know. Look at what he has done to retrieve this prophecy? What would he do if he finds out that you have such an ability! I will not allow him to find out! I will not allow anymore hurt to fall on your head."

"You hurt me!" I whimpered, so furious at him. "You hurt me!"

"I am sorry! So sorry." He looked like he wanted to come forward but stayed where he was instead. "But the anger you feel is exaggerated…I have disappointed you in a way you never expected. You placed me on a pedestal that I was never worthy of yet to see that wonder in your eyes, that respect and admiration, I tried my hardest to climb upon yet the look you give me now makes the fall that much more painful."

I opened my mouth, just to let it fall shut again.

He was right, most of my anger came from the disappointment I felt that he had failed. He failed when he was never supposed to. When he was the best and the brightest and my Nonno and he failed. He failed and he was human. He failed and he was normal. He failed and he stopped being unbelievable. He was supposed to be indestructible; he is supposed to be the greatest wizard ever. Yet why is it Harry's job to fight Voldemort? Why did he have to have the prophecy on his shoulders?

"Why can't you just kill him!" It was immature and naïve yet I wanted it from the bottom of my heart! I wanted it because I believe in it, I believed in him.

"If I could Kyrianna, I would. Do not think I have never tried. My intention in every meeting I had with Voldemort was to bring his existence to an end for I know he is beyond repentance."

"And you failed, yet you expect Harry to win."

"Of course I do. For Harry Potter is a much better wizard than I am."

"I don't deny that Harry is brilliant, but you're supposed to be the greatest wizard of our generation, if you cannot beat him…How can you put this on Harry!"

"Because the opposite of evil is not great, Kyrianna. It is good. Just as the opposite of dark, is light. And nobody has more good within than Harry. And no other with a brighter soul. And of course I can put this on Harry, I can place the fate of wizard kind on his shoulders, because I placed something of much greater importance to me in his hands and she stands here before me, bruised but whole."

My lip trembled at his words as my anger slowly ebbed away, "I don't want him to die."

The tears rolled down my face, this whole conversation made me feel petulant and immature, yet I didn't care how I sounded.

"Neither do I. And I will do everything in my power, and as you said it is quite an immense power, to prevent that. I know I do not have to tell you to have faith in him."

I took a step forward, already embarrassed at my behaviour, "I have faith in him, of course. I just…wish it wasn't him. I wish it was anybody but him."

"That is the selfish way of love Kyrianna." He placed his long-withered hand on my shoulder and I leaned into him as we made our way back to the castle, "But I expect Harry would feel the opposite soon, after the loss and pain he feels dulls. He will trust nobody else with such a cause."

I didn't debate that fact, knowing that it was true. Good or bad Harry's hero complex maybe, it was a part of him and it didn't seem to be something one can grow out of. Plus, he wasn't alone. I would be there the whole time, my magic greater than before and my ability back, Mi with her intelligence and Ron with his loyalty.

"Nonno?"

"Yes?"

"I am sorry for shouting at you."

"It is quite alright cucciolo. I find shouting at me to be quite therapeutic myself."

"Nonno?"

"Yes?"

"Voldemort knows about my ability." Kat surely would be telling him everything, now that the surprise she had planned was spoiled.

He stopped walking and I looked up to find him with his eyes closed. He slowly opened them, his midnight blue eyes twinkling.

"How unfortunate for him."

"What?" I cocked my right eyebrow up at him.

"Well to set his sight on a Queen that is so heavily guarded. I would like him to just try and lay a finger on you with the cavalry you have on your side."

I smiled, knowing he meant to reassure me. "As long as that Queen analogy stops at me being me locked up in some tower guarded by a dragon, away from all the action."

I laughed but he didn't join in, "Nonno…"

"Charlie Weasley could probably get us a dragon."

"Nonno!"

"What Kyrianna, it was your suggestion. Were you not arguing that I should treat you like an adult and take you seriously?"

"That was a joke. You're not going to lock me up somewhere are you?"

He walked up the front steps, frown on his face, "Astronomy tower is much too open, now-"

I ran after him, "It's not funny. Stop! Nonno!"

He finally laughed, twinkling down at me. I joined him, feeling a little lighter than I did this morning. Students stared at us but we didn't stop, I even saw another flash from the Creevey camera but I didn't mind. I made it a good laugh, right from the pit of my stomach, because I felt like this might be the last time I laughed again. And something in Nonno's face made me think he had the same feeling, as our laughter died down I looked down at the floor.

"They say he died with a smile on his face."

"I can't imagine him any other way. My only regret is not having cleared his name before he died."

"Everybody who mattered knew the truth. He wasn't happy in that house…I think being out there, in the battle…it was…"

I didn't want to say it out loud, that he would want to go that way. "I agree. Come, your brothers are waiting."

I nodded, the sentence not bringing its usual excitement to my heart at the thought of having to relive yesterday's drama. I walked slowly up the grand staircase as carefree face upon care free face ran past us, and I knew Nonno was right.

Harry would trust nobody else with the cause he found before him, just as I would trust nobody else to be his Queen…

Knowing full well that the Queen is just another sacrificial piece…

A/N: A bittersweet chapter. I didn't want her to be angry at Dumbledore for too long, so sorry if it feels like she forgives him quickly. What do you think about their interaction?

Have a lovely day, wherever you are!

Kalina