Heaven

Heaven

-- Chapter 2 --

Lunch was a sombre affair; it was the four-year anniversary of the Diagon Alley Bomb and had affected many of the students and staff alike. Before the meal began, Dumbledore rose from his seat and said, "Let us have a moments silence, in respect for all those who have suffered as a result of the attack on Diagon Alley."

He took his seat again, feeling the air in the hall crackle with tension. The revered silence was punctured by the choking sobs of a Hufflepuff boy and girl, sitting next to one another. The MacMillans Dumbledore acknowledged. Derek and Frances.

Their mother and baby brother had been killed in the blast. Dumbledore's heart went out to them. Even so, he found his mind wandering back to his office, and to the last name on the list.

The food appeared and people began to talk to their neighbours in hushed voices. Albus glanced to his right to see Professor Sprout dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

The bell rang, signalling the start of afternoon classes. Most people seemed glad to leave the hall and got up to go, but Dumbledore was not most people.

Yes, Albus Dumbledore knew he was different. 'Eccentric' was the polite term one used, he believed and the term 'barking' the not-so-polite one.

Most people dismissed the eccentricity on account of his 'deeds'. He had discovered the twelve uses for Dragon's blood and defeated Grindlewald, at least that was the information that made it to the Chocolate Frog cards. Albus rarely thought about his accomplishments, and talked about them even less.

Reluctantly, Dumbledore stood up and filed out of the Great Hall only to be stopped by someone outside of it.

"Prof- Albus," Hermione corrected herself. "May I speak to you for a minute?"

"Of course, Miss Granger," he replied, smiling.

"Well, okay," she began. "You see, Albus, I've just assigned my seventh years an assignment on Potions Veritas and it's due on Friday. By Saturday, I will be up to my neck in N.E.W.T essays. So, what I mean to say is, err...I don't think I can make it to the reunion on Saturday."

She waited nervously for his answer, trying to avoid his twinkling gaze and instead focusing on the wrinkles on his forehead.

"Hermione, I understand if you are unable to attend," he said casually, "but as past Head Girl, the reunion would be incomplete if you did not at least make an appearance. Think of it as...your last Head Girl duty."

Something in Hermione's brain clicked. He had said the magic word. (A/N: No pun intended) She took no time in changing her mind.

"Of course I will go Albus, I have a responsibility to the school," she spoke in a business like tone but couldn't hide her delight.

The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. "Right then," he said in a satisfied voice, "I expect you have a class to teach, Miss Granger. Who are no doubt making a great deal of mess and noise in your absence."

"Oh, yes," said Hermione giving him a small smile, which he returned. She then turned and ran in the most respectable fashion possible toward the dungeons.

Dumbledore's mind snapped back to his office and his smile faltered. He could easily floo to his there, but thought that walking would be better. And would take longer, he mused.

He walked up the grand staircase in front of him, remembering to jump on the second last step. He rummaged through his robe pockets until he found what he was looking for, "Sherbet Lemon," he thought, " Haven't had one of those in some time."

Popping the sweet into his mouth, and tasting its bitterness seemed to somewhat strengthen his resolve. He strode forward much more purposefully than before and soon arrived at the stone gargoyle.

"Canary Creams," he said clearly.

The gargoyle moved aside and Dumbledore stepped onto the moving staircase, which wound slowly upwards until he arrived at the top.

"Good afternoon, Fawkes," he greeted the phoenix. The red and gold bird gave a soft sigh of assent as Dumbledore proceeded to stroke its magnificent plumage.

He then went over to his desk and sat down behind it. Raising his wand once more, he wrote...

To Mr. Harry Potter

You are cordially invited to attend the Hogwarts Reunion for the class of 1998

The event will commence at precisely 8 o' clock on Saturday 7^th December at the function room in the Leaky Cauldron.

Formal dress robes are requisite

Please send reply with return owl.

Yours truly, Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry," Albus could not suppress the thought. "What have I done to you?"

Dumbledore had last seen Harry Potter, the Harry Potter he knew at least, on his last day of school at Hogwarts. It was on Platform 9 ¾ that Lucius Malfoy had kidnapped Harry and took him to Voldemort at an unidentified location. Dumbledore now knew that he had been taken to Little Hangleton, the Riddle House to be exact. Albus could only speculate what occurred during Harry's time there, for he never told a soul. However, Harry was returned to Privet Drive a week later, with more scars than Alastor Moody and unbeknownst to him or anyone else at the time, under Imperious.

The Dursleys didn't notice any change in Harry, or give his disappearance on the last day of school a second thought. Why would they?

Dumbledore had since deeply regretted his decision to make Harry stay there. Recently he had come to realize that Harry needed more than charms to keep himself safe from danger, that he needed a family.

Even if the Dursleys had noticed something strange, they wouldn't have informed anyone, let alone owl Dumbledore himself. So no one knew of the change in Harry. That is, until he visited Grimmauld place in August.

By that time nearly all of the physical scars had healed and it was only Harry's change in attitude, which alerted the others. Most of the order members put Harry's reclusive tendency to the fact that he had seen Sirius die two years previous and since then witnessed many more deaths firsthand. Hermione and Ron left him alone and hoped he would pull himself out of this depression.

On the 31^st August 1998, in the middle of the night, Harry Potter attempted to murder Percy Weasley. It was young Virginia who put herself between Harry and her brother. She stood no chance against Harry and unfortunately was the receiver of the worst Unforgivable curse. Avada Kedavra.

Percy was the first to react. He abandoned his wand to beat Harry unconscious with his bare fists. Remus Lupin stunned Percy and brought Harry to Ministry of Magic via the Floo Network.

When word of Ginny Weasley's death got out, the wizarding world was in complete and utter shock, which soon turned into smouldering fury. The Daily Prophet sold more copies on the 1^st September 1998 than on any other day in the paper's history. They took no time in determining Harry's guilt, which Albus understood. The evidence against Harry was substantial and his days seemed numbered. But what Dumbledore could not understand, is how Harry passed the Veritaserum test. He told the Ministry of Magic that the last thing he remembered was getting off the train at Platform 9 ¾.

At only 18 years of age, Harry Potter was sentenced to life imprisonment. The only reason Harry escaped being Kissed was because Albus Dumbledore had defended him, much to the dismay of the Weasley family.

Arthur and Molly felt totally betrayed by Dumbledore, and asked him why he protected Harry. The answer was simple, Albus felt guilty for Virginia's murder. He knew deep down Harry was not in control of his actions at the time but could not prove it. However, the fact that Harry had been so easily taken by Voldemort made Dumbledore believe he had failed.

He was constantly thinking, "What if I had told Harry everything from the start? What if he had lived here, at Hogwarts? At the Weasley's? Maybe things would have been different..."

But soon the 'what if's' and Albus' own guilt no longer mattered.

Harry had no chance of surviving in Azkaban. It was impossible. He was alone and surrounded by Dementors 24 hours a day. Five minutes reliving his parents' murder had caused Harry to fall off his broom. What would ten years do to him?

At one of the rare visits to the prison, Harry had said:

"I'm drowning, Professor...and I know there's no hope of being rescued."

That comment from the Harry forced Albus to make a decision. If he were ever to get Harry out of Azkaban alive, he would need help. That's when Dumbledore went travelling and made two stops en route.

The first at 12 Grimmauld Place and the second at Ottery St. Catchpole.