A different kind of Dumbledore, one who has learned from being an educator most of his life that being round-a-bout in answers to young kids usually doesn't teach them anything. Sometimes you've got to spell things out for kids to learn the lessons you're trying to teach them. Dumbledore answers Harry after Harry has complained about having to live with the Dursleys at the end of first year.

Dumbledore looked closely at Harry, as if measuring him for worth. "Let me be frank, Harry. Do you want to grow into being a man, or a mewling sprog that can't wipe his own arse?"

Harry spluttered for a bit, unsure of what to say, or think. "What?!"

"It's a serious question. I expect you to think upon it. What kind of a man do you wish to grow up to be? Do you wish to be a whiner, someone who expects everyone to do everything for you and make your life easy? Or do you expect to become your own man, master of your fate? Able to brave the hardships and weather the storms?"

"My own man?" Harry finally responded.

"Hmm, you don't sound too sure about that. From what you say, you've had a bum deal at your aunt's house. Your parents were killed before you were two years old. You were left with your mum's sister so that I could place protections which would keep all the followers of Voldemort from finding you or your family. They may have not loved you, but they did feed and clothe you. You've gotten the same education their son had. What did you plan to do with your life? From what you tell me, they weren't going to do much to help you, but what did you do to help yourself? You know that muggles have scholarships for students with excellent grades. Did you attempt to work hard for a scholarship to make your life better? Or have you just been keeping your head down while not working to change your circumstances?"

"You've barely lived for 12 years. I've been alive for over 100, and the world you live in has changed greatly from the one I grew up in. But even so I've kept up with the changes, and I know there are many things available to you that you could take advantage of to make your life better."

"When I was a fifth year here at Hogwarts some muggles attacked my younger sister who wasn't even 10 years old. They tried to bash in her head. She survived, but she lost her ability to reason, or even to control her magic. My father, in a fit of rage, killed those that brutally attacked her. The ministry in its infinite stupidity made an example of my father because they were afraid of the muggles starting a hunt for wizards and witches. He died in Azkaban prison a couple years later."

"At the end of my seventh year my sister suffered from a fit that caused her magic to lash out and my mother died as a result. So after graduating, instead of going on a trip around the world learning magic like most of my peers, I took up the mantle of the head of the Dumbledore family, and tried to take care of what remained of my family."

"I made a friend that summer who I would talk to about magic, politics, and the world. My younger brother thought I spent too much time talking with my friend and not taking care of our sister. One time he started an argument with my friend, which devolved into a duel, in our home. Our sister died as a result of my friend's spells. Naturally he was no longer my friend after that. My brother and I have never been on good terms since. He blames me for bringing that friend into our home, while I blame him for starting the fight in the first place."

"A few years later I married a good woman who gave me a son. They were visiting family in the year 1914 when the Great War broke out, and they died before they even knew what was happening. I served in that war for Britain, and it was bloody. Never had the muggles ever had a war before with all their new instruments of death. Many young people died, even as young as you."

"Before the magical world was just worried about the muggles because they outnumber us 1,000 to 1. But now, with these weapons, they were terrified. And terrified people often do stupid things. A story for another time."

"When that war finished, I threw myself into being a teacher, hoping that by teaching the youth how to live their life, I could overcome the specter of death that I always saw in my sleep as a result of the War."

"But then came World War 2, and I found out that the friend I'd made that summer after I'd graduated, the one who took my sister's life, had created a magical army and fought with the Nazis to conquer the world. My brother and I joined a unit, and we fought. We cornered Grindlewald, and ended his reign of terror."

"And ever since I've remained here at Hogwarts, attempting to teach the youth how to live their lives well. And yet, one of the most promising young men I'd seen come through these walls couldn't rid himself of his own vile hate, and turned into a monster. He started a civil war, and once more I was called to fight. It was a different fight than the great wars. There were no armies standing across from each other. It was guerilla warfare. Terrorist warfare. No one knew who was the enemy. No one knew who would be a target, until they knocked your house's wards out at 3 in the morning."

"And that was the state of affairs until Voldemort's reign of terror was ended by one toddler. A baby who couldn't defend himself from the terrorist army of a madman. A terrorist army that would love to torture and kill a baby who somehow was the cause of their Lord's downfall."

"I've told you a bit about my history to let you know that you are not the only one who has had bad things happen to him. You are not the only victim of hate or circumstances beyond their control. But it doesn't mean you have to remain a victim."

"So, no, I don't feel bad about hiding you at your Aunt's house to keep you alive. I am sorry your childhood was less than ideal. But, I ask you, Harry, what have you done to make your life better? You haven't talked to any teachers about how bad your home life is, so how are we supposed to know to help you change your circumstances? What do you want to do from now on to make your life better?"

"From what I've seen of you so far this year, you have been content to take things as they are and follow the example of your friend Mr. Weasley and not take the opportunity to study and get ahead in life. Even after you've made the friendship of the driven Ms. Granger, you seem content to play and not work to make your own future any better."

"So I ask you, Harry, what kind of a man do you want to be? What kind of a future do you want to have?"

"While it's good that you're finally asking for help to change your situation, you have left it for the last minute, and seem to expect me to wave my wand and fix it. How can anyone do anything to help you with the few days remaining until summer? If you'd been proactive you could have asked in advance to be included in your friends summer plans, to spend a couple weeks at a time with your friends. As it is last minute, you would be asking others to change their schedules to accommodate you, which is difficult. So, what do you hope to happen, and what are you going to do, in order to make it happen, Harry?"

And Harry took a moment to think back on his first year of magic school. It didn't take long for Harry to realize that Dumbledore was right. He had been letting Ron dictate how much effort he'd put into schoolwork. Before he became Ron's friend he'd been really excited about the fact that magic existed, and he got to learn it. It was his way out of the dreary mundane life the Dursleys always harped on about being the end all and be all. He had been determined to learn all he could so he wouldn't end up like the Dursleys.

But Harry had been so afraid of losing his first friend ever, he never told Ron off when he did something Harry didn't like. He'd never said no to a chess match when he knew he had an essay due the next day. He never did more than the bare minimum to get by.

And he hadn't been very fair to his other friend, Hermione. He never took her side in arguments, even when he knew she was right. Even when she was nagging them for their own good. And he didn't really like that he'd turned out like that. He almost felt like he was acting as dumb as Dudley. And didn't that thought make Harry's gut churn in disgust.

Harry thought he would have learned more magic by now, but because he'd been limiting himself to Ron's standard, he felt inadequate. And now he would be going to be stuck at the Dursleys for over two months. He wouldn't be able to practice magic, or talk about it. They would probably have him do all the chores, and lock his trunk up in the cupboard for the summer. He really hadn't appreciated the chance he'd gotten to learn magic until it was about to be taken away from him for the summer.

So Harry really began to think, and to plan out what he would do from now on, to get the kind of life he wanted to live.

While Dumbledore silently watched as Harry thought hard and began to plan, with a little smile on his face. Dumbledore so loved it when he was able to nudge a student onto the path of being the best they can be. Sometimes they required the barest hint. Sometimes they required a heavier lesson. And sometimes they never learned the lesson, no matter what you did. So it was always gratifying to see it happen, to see a student begin to take charge of their life and education. To hold on tight to life and wring everything they want out of it.

It often made his mind wander to the bittersweet memories of his lost wife and son, and speculate on how their lives may have gone if they'd lived. Being a teacher was the closest he'd be able to come to that feeling he'd had, back when his wife and son still lived. But he'd just have to make do, until he caught up with them in the next life. And when they were all reunited, his wife, his son, his father, mother, sister, and brother. Well, then that day will be a glorious day.

The start of a new adventure.