Chapter 49 -
Dumbledore was in his office, calmly thinking, well...not calmly, his thoughts were coming and going so fast that he could barely keep up with them. He was pacing back and forth as he often does when he is thinking, ignoring all stray thoughts that came into his head was an easy thing to do with the large amount of practice Dumbledore had.
One of the things that Dumbledore was thinking about was young Draco Malfoy, apparently Draco had been tasked to kill him by the dark lord. A laughable idea really, Albus Dumbledore being killed by Draco Malfoy, really? Dumbledore, along with Snape and every other death eater, knew that this was merely Voldemort's way of punishing him. Naturally that hadn't stopped Draco from making a few attempts at doing so, unfortunately for him his attempts had backfired so far and all ended up nearly killing members of Slytherin house. The seventh year female Slytherin prefect had gotten in contact with the cursed necklace that Draco had wanted to send him and somehow another seventh year Slytherin ended up drinking the poisoned drink that Draco had tried to get him to drink. Fortunately they were both saved on time, with how little was left of the magical population, the world could not afford any more needless deaths.
Though Dumbledore was not too worried about Draco, Severus had assured him that he could handle it and bring Draco to the light side. Dumbledore truly believed and hoped that he would, perhaps young Draco could be the Severus Snape of his generation and prove what Dumbledore had always thought, that people are redeemable.
After a short while Dumbledore's thoughts had returned back to something, or rather someone, he thought about quite often, Harry Potter. Dumbledore had previously tasked young Harry with getting the true memory Slughorn had of the time he spoke to a young Tom Riddle on the subject of horcruxes. A short while later Harry had gotten it, according to Harry he had been able to guilt trip Slughorn by using the memory of Lily Potter, who was one of Slughorn's best students, a very Slytherin approach. That would be the last one of Dumbledore's tests for Harry. All of his previous tests had shown that Harry was becoming the wizard that Dumbledore needed him to be.
In his first year he defended the school and the philosopher stone from Voldemort, unfortunately he ended up unintentionally killing Quirrell in the process but that could hardly be blamed on the poor boy. In the boy's second year Harry had defeated Slytherin's monster with the help of Fawkes and the sorting hat. Defeating a giant snake with a phoenix and Godric Gryffindor's sword, if that wasn't a ringing endorsement of being a light wizard then what was? Then in his third year Harry had not only spared the life of Peter Pettigrew but he had also mastered the Patronus charm, a powerful spell that many dark wizards could not do, in fact even very few light wizards could do it.
Harry's fourth year was when things started to get a bit rough, Harry seemed to have had a bit of a personality change. All of the things the poor boy had suffered had clearly gotten to him, though Dumbledore supposed he couldn't judge the boy too harshly, if a younger Dumbledore was in Harry's position that he would have likely acted far worse. Since then there had been some ups and down but in the end Dumbledore felt very satisfied with where Harry was, the boy had a loving family to teach him the power of love and the fact that Fawkes approved of the boy meant that any lingering doubt he had about the boy was gone.
In fact, Dumbledore could sense his bond with Fawkes was weakening, at first he suspected that it was because he was dying but he acknowledged the possibility that it could be because Fawkes was choosing a new master, after all a phoenix would be able to outlive their master's so it made sense that they could chose another one. If Dumbledore had to guess then he would say that Fawkes was loyally waiting until such a time when his master was finally ready to go on to the next great adventure, then he would move to his new master who was likely to be Harry Potter since Dumbledore had never seen the red phoenix like anyone like he liked Harry.
Dumbledore was well aware that he was going to die sooner or later, but he had come up with the plan to allow Severus to kill him so to cement his place in Voldemort's army. Nobody would doubt Severus if he is the one responsible for killing the great Albus Dumbledore, it would also spare young Draco from killing while also allowing Dumbledore a painless death, it made perfect sense. He knew it was going to happen after he returns from helping Harry retrieve the horcrux. From there it would be up to Harry to find the final horcruxes while using the clues that Dumbledore would leave him.
Thankfully the boy would have Nymphadora Tonks and Miss Delacour to help him out, along with Sirius Black and the rest of the order. Dumbledore thought it was a shame that Harry was unwilling to make amends with Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, two people who he thought could help in the war, but he had to concede the reasons why Harry had refused. After all those two had betrayed him before and it was understandable that he didn't trust them. Dumbledore would have offered them both spots in the order if not for the fact that they were both underage and there was no way that the other order members would allow them to join. Harry perhaps since he was the boy-who-lived, a very strong wizard and had fought Voldemort and his heir multiple times, but not those two, especially if Molly Weasley had anything to say about it.
Dumbledore also could not help but think that Harry was starting to act more like his mother, father and grandfather. Both of his parents were smart, cunning and ruthless when they wanted to be, that's was why Voldemort had tried to recruit them. Lily Potter was just as cunning as any Slytherin and in school she was able to trick many Slytherin's into attacking each other and getting in trouble. Of course she didn't get into trouble because she had wisely covered her tracks.
James was a very Gryffindor-ish lad, though sometimes Dumbledore couldn't help but think of him as the 'snake in lion's clothing'. The pranks that he performed were genius, many of the times he did so there was no proof that he did it. Of course everyone knew that he and the marauders had done so but there was no proof most of the time so they didn't get punished. James and Lily had also come up with some great plans while in the order, Dumbledore's only real reason to mark them down was that the two were very insistent on killing their enemy's despite Dumbledore's lectures to not do that, so he avoided sending them out if he could.
Then there was James's father, Fleamont Potter, that man was a Slytherin's Gryffindor if ever there was one. Powerful, smart, cunning, rich, well liked by the student and teacher population with great marks. He had never gotten a single detention after his first year in school, though Dumbledore knew that he was hardly the perfect student as there had been many students (mostly Slytherin's) put in the hospital wing. They didn't blame him but their fearful gazes told enough of the story.
Truthfully Dumbledore was glad that Harry would not be influenced by his family, because while they might be good people, they were not what was needed for the savior of the wizarding world. No, Harry needed to follow the path that Dumbledore had laid out for him, that's the only way.
"Alright," Harry said as he entered an abandoned classroom for his defense against the dark arts lesson, today was supposed to be Kingsley's turn to come and teach him. "so what's the lesson..." Harry trailed off when he saw none other than his girlfriend, Nymphadora (do not call me that!) Tonks. She was wearing black high heels, a black skirt that ended just above her knees and a white blouse that had the top few buttons undone.
She had a pair of glasses on which drew attention to the blue eyes she had adopted, her hair was blonde and shoulder length. She was sitting on the top of a desk with her shapely legs crossed, she was leaning back with her hands on her side and her chest thrust out, Harry also could not help but notice that her chest was bigger than before.
"Ah, hello Harry." Another voice said as Fleur appeared, wearing the exact same outfit except she had a ponytail, she moved and stood behind the desk, both of her hands were placed on the desk and she leaned forward, bringing attention to her breasts.
"You know on the one hand I want to rip both of your clothes off, but on the other hand I also want to keep them on because you two look so fucking hot! I don't know what to do!" Harry admitted as he moved forward to the two smirking girls, as he got close Tonks raised her right leg and Harry found her shoe pressed against his forehead and stopping him from moving closer.
"Slow down lover boy." Tonks said with a - for lack of a better word - sexy grin. It took every single bit of Harry's self control to stop himself from rubbing his hands up and down that beautiful leg. "Lesson first." She said as she brought her leg down, allowing the sole of her shoe to slide down his chest and body.
"Kingsley was unable to make it today," Fleur said as she walked past the desk while Tonks began rubbing the sole of her shoe against Harry's groin, causing the emerald eyed boy to groan. Fleur pressed her body against Harry's back as she wrapped her arms around his waist and softly bit on his ear and neck. "Tonks and I have volunteered to take over." She said, rubbing her body against him.
"Really?" Harry gasped out.
"Yes," Tonks smirked. "as for how we're dressed...consider it motivation."
"Motivation?"
"Oui," Fleur breathed into his ear as her hands rubbed all over his body. "if you be a good student then you will be rewarded."
"Really?" Harry grinned.
"Yes, you had better earn it."
Near the end of the year Harry found himself walking through a cave, following behind Dumbledore, both had their wands out and ready with Dumbledore using his own to light the way. Harry had his invisibility cloak stuffed in the back of his pocket and his wand was ready in his hands to hex anything that even slightly moved. Their goal was simple, find Voldemort's horcrux which Dumbledore had believed was located in the cave. The two came across a lake with a small island in the middle.
"I believe that this is our transportation across." Dumbledore said as he gestured to an old looking boat.
"That looks about as clean and stable as Snape, are you sure that can take us both across?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded, ignoring Harry's jab at Snape. "it is my belief that Lord Voldemort was not worried about physical mass but magical power and experience, this boat will only transport one adult wizard. While you are very powerful Harry, you are not an adult yet, so it should take us both."
"Fine but if this goes wrong then I'm drowning you in that lake with me." Harry replied.
"Fair enough." Dumbledore replied as they both got in.
Several minutes later Dumbledore and Harry were on the island where a basin was in the middle, the horcrux was inside the basin but that presented a new problem since the water was filled with a very dangerous potion.
"I'm afraid that I must drink the poison." Dumbledore concluded after several minutes of examination.
"What? You can't just dump it out or burn it or something?" Harry blinked.
"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore shook his head. "Tom would have known somebody would try that and would have placed protections against that. It must be drunk and I must be the one to do it, I don't believe that the potion will kill me straight away, knowing Tom he would want to keep someone alive long enough to find out what they know while also torturing them in the process. It might paralyze me, cause me to forget what I am here for, create so much pain I am distracted, provide illusions or render me incapable in some other way. Tom's very creative so it's hard to say, it might even cause genital discomfort. I hope not but it's possible. In all seriousness it will likely stop me from being able to continue, if that happens then it will be your job to make sure I keep drinking, even if you have to force the potion down my throat. Do you understand?"
"I understand but...are you sure? I mean this is madness."
"Life is often full of madness." Dumbledore replied. "Do you promise to force me to drink it all?"
"Sweet Merlin, fine...I promise." Harry sighed. "Just...I'll do it."
"Thank you Harry." Dumbledore said before he waved his wand and created a goblet for himself, he filled it up the top and took a deep breath. "Well...bottoms up Harry." Dumbledore said before he drank it all in one go. "No..." Dumbledore said to himself after drinking it. "no...I...I must...one more." He said before filling it up and downing it all a second time. "Oh...oh my." He said, he was suddenly very sweaty and swaying on his feet.
"You've got to keep drinking." Harry said, snapping Dumbledore out of it.
"What? Yes...yes I must." Dumbledore said before taking another goblet full of the poison, this repeated a few more times until Dumbledore had fallen down and was leaning against the basin.
"I'll help you." Harry said as he took the goblet and filled it up. "
"No...no...make it stop!" Dumbledore suddenly cried. "I want to die...I want to die! MAKE IT STOP!"
"The key to that is drinking this." Harry said as he forced another goblet full of poison down Dumbledore's throat.
"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" Dumbledore shouted.
"Just drink." Harry ordered as he made Dumbledore drink another goblet full. After several more times the basin was nearly empty. "Just one more." Harry told him after filling up the goblet once more.
"Please! I don't anymore!"
"Blame your past self, he was very insistent." Harry replied as he placed the goblet to Dumbledore's lips and forced it down. "Drink it." Harry said, placing a hand over Dumbledore's mouth to stop him from spitting it out. Dumbledore reluctantly swallowed it down and gasped when Harry let his mouth go.
"Water..." Dumbledore gasped out. "...I need water." He said in a pained voice.
"The goblet's not filling up with water." Harry said after a couple of attempts to fill it, "fuck it." Harry said before blasting Dumbledore in the face with water. "Does that work?" Harry asked.
"A little bit." Dumbledore coughed heavily.
"I dare say you're going to need more than water." A familiar voice said. Dumbledore and Harry turned around to see Voldemort standing there with Apophis standing next to him. "Isn't this lovely?"
"Hello Tom," Dumbledore said in a calm voice, as if he was not poisoned and met with the the greatest dark lord in history. Internally though he was terrified, he forced himself to his feet with a little help from Harry but he still couldn't stand and had to lean against the basin. "how did you find us?" Dumbledore asked. "Was there an alert ward that I missed?"
"No," Voldemort chuckled as Apophis aimed his wand at Dumbledore, the tip was glowing red. "you did not. A little birdie told me, a certain spy, can you guess his name?"
"Severus...Severus would never betray me." Dumbledore said in a confident voice.
"Oh but he did Dumbledore." Voldemort smiled. "Why would you think that he wouldn't? Because he was in love with Potter's mother? You fool, Snape may have lusted after Potter's mother but if you think he is capable of anything beyond that then you are only fooling yourself. He only went to you on my orders. I had ordered him to do so in return for sparing Lily Potter."
"You're lying." Dumbledore said, even though doubt creeped into his voice. After all many people over the years had questioned him about Snape, Harry included, but no...no Dumbledore trusted Snape.
"Am I?" Voldemort drawled. "I swear on my magic that I am not, but that is besides the point. Even if Snape had not told me I would have still known about you coming here."
"How?" Dumbledore asked in a tired voice.
"Quite simple," Apophis said, speaking for the first time since coming here. "he would have told us." He said as he gestured with his wand past Dumbledore. Dumbledore frowned before looking over his shoulder just in time to see Harry aim his wand at him, before Dumbledore could say anything he was hit with a stunner and his world turned black.
Dumbledore groaned as he felt himself wake up, he didn't wake up naturally either, which meant that somebody had cast a reviving charm on him. Dumbledore's throat was dry, his head was ringing, his body was tired and his eyes were heavy. It took several moments before he was able to see clearly and realize what was happening.
He was sat against the basin, chains tied him to it. His hands were broken and in a numb sort of pain, he couldn't feel his legs either, which was not comforting. He looked up and saw a trio of people standing in front of him, Voldemort was standing on Dumbledore's left with Apophis standing on Dumbledore's right and in the middle Harry Potter was standing. Harry was holding what looked like a large pile of white hair in his left hand.
"Really Dumbledore," Harry said as he tossed the hair away. "making the bottom part of your beard a portkey? I'm impressed, that's ingenious." Harry complimented, Dumbledore looked down and saw the bottom part of his beard was indeed missing. "Plus there are the other five portkeys we found on you," Harry added as Voldemort got rid of any remaining hairs from Harry's hand with a wave of his wand. "a bit excessive but very impressive."
"Harry!" Dumbledore gasped out. "What...what..." Dumbledore trailed off when he saw two wands resting in Harry's right hand, one of which was the elder wand!
"Glad to know you can still remember my name," Harry smirked, Dumbledore blinked, looking as if he couldn't believe what was happening. "can I get you anything?" Harry offered. "A small drink or something to eat?"
"You...you're working with Voldemort?!" Dumbledore shouted out, he couldn't believe it! How?! How was Harry working with Voldemort?! Why was he working with Voldemort?! Voldemort had killed his parents for Merlin sakes! How on Earth did he manage to deceive Fawkes?! Fawkes should have told him if Harry had become lost to the darkness!
"Working for Voldemort?!" Harry laughed loudly as if Dumbledore had told him the most hilarious joke in the world. "Oh my...ha...that's a good one Dumbledore. I mean really? Me working with Voldemort?! Are you mad?! I would never work with the guy who killed my parents!"
"But...but what..." Dumbledore blurted out, was his mind deceiving him? Was this some side effect of the potion? He was sure he could see Voldemort and Apophis standing with Harry.
"Like I said, I'm not working with Voldemort." Harry smirked, he raised his left hand and clicked his fingers. A second later Apophis was kneeling down on one knee with his head bowed to Harry, and if that wasn't shocking enough then Voldemort was doing the same thing. Dumbledore couldn't believe it, this was Voldemort! He didn't bow to anyone! "I'm not working WITH them, they are working FOR me." Harry grinned.
"But...you...I...how?!" Dumbledore said, not even sure if he was still awake at this point.
"You look so adorable when you're confused." Harry laughed.
"Harry! I..."
"Alright calm your hairy tits Dumbledore," Harry interrupted as he kneeled down in front of Dumbledore and looked him in the eye. "I will tell you, I'm going to tell you everything."