(Harry Potter) Worthy of you: Chapter 5 – Burned View

Chapter 5 – Burned View

Summary: As truths come to light, an old man is left to confront the weight of his past—and the cost of his choices.

Albus watched the door close behind Harry and Remus as they left for the hospital wing.

Even as Harry left his office, perfectly dressed in his school uniform, Albus felt as though his eyes had x-ray vision—he could still see the scarred skin beneath the clothing.

The image of the young chil—no, young man—standing before him, shirtless, with more scars than most war veterans, tears streaming down his cheeks from painful memories Albus had forced on him through his negligence, haunted the old wizard.

Albus would admit, at least to himself if no one else, that he had anticipated Harry facing a hard decade when he left him on the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive.

He only knew Petunia Dursley from her one letter and the stories he’d heard from Lily over the years, but he could read between the lines. The woman was bitter and jealous of her sister.

Knowing this, Albus predicted Petunia would favor her own son over Harry, causing the boy to lack the warmth of a true mother and live at a relative disadvantage. But in Albus’s mind, it was an acceptable sacrifice for Harry’s safety.

That opinion solidified when Albus began suspecting that Tom had survived that Halloween night. So much so that he ignored Hagrid’s warnings about what he’d seen and heard from Harry when delivering his letter.

Albus even ignored how skinny the boy looked, brushing off Poppy’s pleas to investigate Harry’s home life after his first treatment, considering it a necessary sacrifice for the greater good.

Suddenly, Albus choked on air, and his blood froze in his veins. Those words… Did I really? All this time, had Gellert’s words lingered in his mind so deeply that, without realizing it, he had begun to act according to them?

Albus began to spiral, losing control over his thoughts, until the voice of his old friend brought him back to the present. “The poor boy. I told you, Albus, what kind of Muggles they were.”

Albus gave her a tired nod. “I know, Minerva. I realize the fault lies with me. Harry quite pointedly laid out just a small fraction of my failures regarding so many people.”

Tears returned to Albus’s eyes. “The Bones, the Blacks, Peter… so many people paid the price, and even to this day, some still do because of my incompetence.”

“I am glad to see your eyes opened to your flaws at last, Albus,” the portrait of Dilys Derwent spoke from her place on the wall across from him.

Albus turned to her, confused, but it was the portrait of Dexter Fortescue who elaborated. “We advised you long ago that you had spread yourself far too thin. It is obvious in all your duties.”

Before Albus could respond, another voice—Eupraxia Mole, another past headmistress—cut in. “While I do not agree with your methods, Albus, I will say that right now you are a single pillar holding the entire country, and you are no longer a young wizard. What will happen if you pass on during the coming year?”

With growing horror, which likely reflected on his usually calm face, he gasped, “The people will fall into chaos, and the dark faction will seize control.”

Then it was Armando’s turn to speak. “Consider, Albus, that all your secrets will die with you. Without that information, there will be no stopping Tom once he returns.” Albus’s predecessor gave a heavy sigh. “Truly, Albus, I have no idea what happened to you after I named you for the job. You worked so well with young Newt and shared all vital information with him. Now you treat young Harry as a tool for you to wield.”

“That’s absurd!” Albus denied from the bottom of his heart.

A voice behind him snorted, and Albus turned to see the sneering face of Phineas Black. In his usual condescending tone, Phineas said, “Your plan was quite brilliant, if I dare say so myself. Leave the boy in an abusive environment so you’ll appear as his savior. Keep him ignorant of the magical world so he’ll be isolated. Ensure he befriends a family under your control. Send the most incompetent staff member to introduce him to the magical world. Use him as a trap to draw out the Dark Lord in his first year and test him by the end of it. Then let him be bullied and humiliated for most of his second year while a monster looms, threatening all the students. If only the boy hadn’t grown up from the experience, your plan would have been perfect. Of course, that’s not even mentioning the prophecy about the boy or the other dirty secret you’re hiding.”

There was complete silence in the room following Phineas’s words. Until a chair next to Albus screeched as it was dragged across the floor. Albus turned to see the end of a wand pointed at him. That wand was held by a furious Minerva, now standing in a fighting pose, ready to throw the Killing Curse.

Her voice was a venomous hiss. “Albus Dumbledore, if what he says is true, I will send you to meet Lily right now!”

Albus raised his hands calmly and said with as much sincerity as he could muster, “Of course not, Minerva. I would never use a child in such a despicable manner.”

Minerva lowered her wand slightly, still ready to strike, and demanded, “Then explain. Why was Hagrid sent to Mr. Potter and not me, as per protocol?”

Albus sighed heavily. “Was it wrong of me to assume Harry could use a friendlier personality during such a troubling time? You must admit your personality is quite strict. I was worried it might scare him too much after the upbringing I suspected he endured.”

Now it was Minerva who sighed heavily. “Yes, Albus, you were wrong. What Harry needed at that time was someone who could show him the world he was about to enter, more than anything else.” Then her gaze hardened again. “Were the Weasleys part of your plan?”

This time, Albus frowned. “No. It’s concerning how Harry met them. I assumed he met Mr. Weasley on the train, but for them to be on the Muggle side of the station, shouting those words…” Albus took a moment to consider the details he’d gleaned using Legilimency, before arriving at a worrying theory. “Molly, like everyone else in the country, knew the year Harry would arrive at Hogwarts. She had a son his age and a daughter a year younger. The image painted here is quite troubling. She never even informed me of the bars on Harry’s window.”

Minerva frowned with concern as well. “I see. We will need to keep a closer eye on the Weasley family.” Albus nodded in agreement. Then Minerva moved to the next accusation. “Headmaster Black mentioned a prophecy? I demand to know.”

Albus was about to refuse, stating how dangerous it was for her to know, until the voices of the past headmasters returned to him. He took a deep breath and said in a serious tone, “What I am about to say must never leave this room.”

Minerva gave him a determined nod, and so Albus resolved to continue. “That was the reason I hired Sybill. Just before the end of the interview, she made a genuine prophecy. Yes, I know you don’t agree with Divination, but there is no denying that some prophecies in the Ministry have come true. As much as I wish it were otherwise, the Department of Mysteries confirmed this one is real.”

With an aggravated sigh, Minerva asked, “And what does this prophecy say?”

Albus chose his next words carefully. “I’m not going to repeat the exact words, but it boils down to either Harry kills Voldemort, or Voldemort kills Harry. There is no other possible outcome once Tom returns.”

The fury returned to Minerva’s face. “And instead of training him, you kept him ignorant of magic until he was eleven? And even now, you’re only offering him an ordinary education?!”

Albus was quick to retort, “The boy deserves to have an ordinary childhood!”

A snort from the portrait next to Albus drew the attention of both professors. Irritated, Albus asked, “Anything to add, Phineas?”

The man sneered from his portrait. “I’m just wondering where you’ll bury the boy.”

Albus looked completely scandalized. “You have crossed the line, Phineas Black!” he boomed.

The man kept sneering, asking in mock innocence, “You yourself just days ago assumed that the Dark Lord would regain a body within the next three years. Do you really believe the boy, on his current path, will be able to defeat a wizard on your level?” After a long silence, Phineas delivered the final blow. “You are grooming the boy to be a lamb to the slaughter. What childhood is worth anything if you don’t even live to see the end of your youth?”

While Albus’s worldview was once again shattered, the voice of his predecessor Armando spoke in an amused tone. “My, my, Phineas. You sound like you care for the boy.”

For the first time in Albus’s memory, Phineas answered with a straight face, without a trace of a sneer. “I never gave a damn about my reputation, Dippet, but make no mistake—I became a headmaster to guide and protect our students, not to see them killed by convoluted plans. The fact that the boy has Black blood in his veins merely forced my hand to intervene.”

Ah, yes. Dorea Black, James Potter’s mother. Albus had nearly forgotten that fact. And yet Phineas’s words continued to echo in his mind, painting an ugly picture of himself that Albus despised.

“Things will have to change, Albus,” Minerva pointed out, breaking the tense silence that followed the portraits’ words.

Albus was tired, and he felt his head was too heavy to nod. “I agree. But you’ll have to allow an old man some nights to reconsider his actions and how best to amend them.”

Minerva gave him a look full of pity before she nodded and began walking toward the exit. But she stopped short of the door, as if remembering something. “Albus, Mr. Potter pointed something out to me after class today that intrigued me as well.”

Albus chuckled. “The young man is full of surprises today. Do not keep me in suspense, Minerva.”

Minerva glanced out the window before speaking. “Mr. Potter informed me that it is possible to purchase the potion to counter the effects of petrification with relative ease, and that we could have had the students back in classes in a couple of weeks.”

Albus looked surprised and answered honestly, “Severus told me his potion was the fastest and best option, with no side effects in sight.”

Minerva frowned slightly. “While I would never deny his skill in potions, there were alternatives. Buying the potions from an outside source would have ensured a faster recovery, even if not immediate.”

Now Albus was frowning as well. “I trusted Severus’s judgment on the matter, as it is his area of expertise.”

Minerva huffed in disgust. “That man allowed dozens of students to suffer for months just to satisfy his pride and ego. If one of his house members had been among the victims, I assure you, his answer would have been different. Why you insist on trusting such a vile man is beyond me, Albus.”

After taking a deep breath, Minerva opened the door to leave and called out a parting line. “Something for you to ponder in the coming days. I know I have much to ponder myself.”

With that, the door closed, and Albus was left alone in his office. All he could do was stare blankly at his desk.

Suddenly, there was a weight on his shoulder and a trill in his ear that pulled him out of his self-pity.

Albus looked into the eyes of his familiar and asked in a lost voice, “What am I to do now, my old friend?”

The phoenix trilled again, and Albus could hear the comforting deep voice in the back of his mind. “Do what I do every month. Your view has burned; let a new and better one rise from its ashes.”

Albus let those words sink in. But as he did, he heard the deep voice again. “He is quite a special young one.”

There was no doubt in Albus’s mind as to whom Fawkes referred. “Indeed he is. I have wronged him so much; I hope that one day I will be worthy of his forgiveness.” After another moment of thought, he asked, “Harry heard you speak, didn’t he?”

The bird bobbed its head before speaking inside Albus’s mind again. “The boy has the trait to understand me, but the taint behind his scar is blocking many of his skills. Today, for a mere moment, the taint lost its hold on his magic, allowing my words to pass through.”

Albus stroked his beard. “Something worth investigating in the near future. It might be the key to saving the poor boy.”

Fawkes trilled again before flying back to his perch, leaving Albus to his thoughts.

Albus looked at the glasses on his table and said quietly to himself, “It is time to change my view. I must take care of the trees if I wish to see the forest flourish in the future.”

There were many things for Albus to consider, and even more to do once he chose his new path in the time he had left.