Chapter 450: Responsibility and Burden
Chapter 450: Responsibility and Burden
Harry finally emerged from a fireplace, his feet landing on the carpet. He looked around and realized he was in the Headmaster's Office, which had been vacant since Professor Dumbledore left.
Everything was just as it was on the day Dumbledore departed: the exquisite silver instruments on the table occasionally emitted puffs of white mist. The portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses were dozing quietly on their canvases. Harry gazed out the window, where a soft gray-green hue hung on the horizon, signaling the slow approach of dawn.
The office was silent, the only sounds coming from the occasional snore or sniffle of a sleeping portrait. Harry could not bear the stillness; he was deeply worried about his friends who had accompanied him into the Ministry of Magic, as well as the Order of the Phoenix members who had come to their rescue. They had been scattered in the chaos of the battle, and Harry could only silently pray they were all safe.
As he stood by the windowsill, lost in thought, a bright green flame suddenly shot out of the empty fireplace. Dumbledore's tall figure emerged from the flames, and the wizards and witches in the portraits around the room woke up abruptly, many of them bursting into enthusiastic cheers.
"Thank you, thank you all", Dumbledore said, pulling a chick-like Fawkes from his pocket and gently placing it in the gilded perch, on a dish of fine ash where the adult Fawkes usually perched.
"Oh, Harry", Dumbledore finally stepped away from the young Phoenix and addressed Harry, "there is some good news I need to tell you. Most of those who followed you into the Ministry of Magic survived. In such a dire situation, it's nothing short of a miracle."
"Most?" Harry's heart sank at the word, and he asked in a trembling voice, "How—how are they exactly?"
"Madam Pomfrey is treating them", Dumbledore said, "the younger ones are doing better. Nymphadora Tonks and Sirius Black might need to stay at St. Mungo's Hospital for a while, but it seems they will recover quickly. Sirius Black, however, was outnumbered and hit by a Death Eater's Dark Magic, losing his left hand. But I believe it won't affect his life too much."
"You said most of them survived. Who didn't make it?" Harry struggled to ask, feeling as though someone else was speaking through him, his entire body floating in a cloud.
"Liam and Hermione", Dumbledore's voice also grew somber. "No one saw their deaths, but after my conversation with Fudge, I investigated the archway. I can confirm that both of them crossed through it."
"That archway—" Harry closed his eyes, remembering Liam's words when he entered the room: "Cross the veil, and a person vanishes from our world, never to return alive."
"They—are just gone?" Harry's voice trembled, a mix of question and answer. "Because of me, they're gone?"
"I know how you feel, Harry", Dumbledore said softly. "Losing loved ones because of one's actions is a painful experience. I've faced it many times in my life—"
"No, it's different", Harry sat down, his fingers digging deeply into his hair. "Your past mistakes were just that—mistakes. But this time, I sent my friends to their deaths. I keep thinking that if I had listened to you and not gone to rescue them alone, maybe Liam and Hermione would still be alive."
Harry felt utterly drained, his voice hoarse. "Liam was actually against the risk from the start, but when I decided to rescue them, he chose to come along because he was worried we wouldn't be able to handle the Ministry of Magic's complex magic. Hermione felt the same way. They didn't have to come, and I—I feel I've betrayed them."
"They were indeed very knowledgeable about magic, and their concerns were not unfounded", Dumbledore nodded. "I examined the archway and, based on others' accounts, I can confirm that they both stood their ground against the surge of deathly energy at the archway. If they hadn't, those on the platform would have had little chance of survival. They saved everyone—except themselves."
Dumbledore paused for a moment. "So, there was nothing wrong with them following you. You alone wouldn't have been able to resist that kind of death force. I didn't expect that Liam would have progressed so far in Magic. However, I believe they knew what they were facing when they saved you, and they still chose to do it. They were very brave, braver than most adult wizards."
"So, it's my fault—" Harry muttered, his head down, but Dumbledore interrupted his self-blame. "It's not just your fault; it's also mine."
Harry looked up at Dumbledore, surprised, and saw a hint of apology in his eyes. "I've been Headmaster for too long. My long experience has made me more inclined to look at the big picture rather than from an individual's perspective. When Sirius Black was kidnapped, I was only thinking about finding the best solution to save him while minimizing harm to the innocent. But I didn't consider that he is your only living relative, and I overlooked your feelings."
"Harry, I apologize to you for this. I also apologize to Liam and Hermione", Dumbledore said, each word deliberate. "This is an old man's reflection on his mistakes. I realize that my long life has given me not only experience but also some stubborn and incorrect notions. As the world's foremost White Wizard, this honor and responsibility sometimes make me overlook the feelings of many people. I realize this is a grave mistake, and I should not forget the feelings of ordinary people."
The sun had risen, casting a brilliant orange glow on the mountain ridges, with the sky above clear and bright. The light fell on Dumbledore, illuminating his gray eyebrows, beard, and deep wrinkles. At that moment, Harry realized that Dumbledore was indeed old, and the heavy burdens he carried might not allow him to consider everything in detail.
"By the way, what exactly was that Orb of Prophecy that Voldemort was fighting us for today?" After a moment of silence in the office, Harry asked his next question. He wanted to know what his friends had risked their lives for.
"This is a long story, Harry. I think it would be better to show you in a more direct way." Dumbledore stood up and walked past Harry to a black cabinet near the Phoenix's perch. He bent down, unlocked the cabinet, and retrieved the Pensieve. Then, raising his wand to his temple, he extracted several silvery, spider-web-like strands of thought, which he attached to his wand and then placed into the stone basin.
Harry and Dumbledore both lowered their heads into the Pensieve. After about fifteen minutes, they lifted their heads. Harry looked at Dumbledore and asked, "Is this what you've been hiding from me? Everything started because of a prophecy?" As a wizard raised in the Muggle world, Harry had never been particularly impressed by prophecies. This feeling only intensified after taking Divination classes at Hogwarts. So, when he learned that his entire life had been shaped by a prophecy, he felt a sense of absurdity.
"Yes, even though Voldemort only heard the first part of the prophecy: the boy born in July, whose parents thrice defied Voldemort. He still came to try to kill you, but he failed due to your mother's protection. However, he left a mark on you, marking you as his lifelong enemy", Dumbledore explained slowly.
"The prophecy's conclusion— it says— both cannot live while the other survives—" Harry's heart sank. "One of us must kill the other—"
"Yes, this is the burden you will carry, heavier than anyone else's I have known. On this path, you will witness many sacrifices— of family, friends, and even yourself. Unfortunately, Liam and Hermione are likely just the beginning, and the best you can do now is to try to minimize such tragedies."
Harry stood there in silence for a long time after hearing Professor Dumbledore's words—
(End of Chapter)
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