4th Fic Challenge - Dumbledore's last letter - CLOSED

Dear Harry Potter,

Please pass these precious messages on,


You may grieve on my leaving but I can say this, I may have gone never to return but love is stronger then hate, I shall always live in your hearts. A strong band of people have always been in my lives or have just entered but I wish to thank them greatly. First Minerva McGonagall, you don’t know how much I appreciate you standing by my side and fighting for every last minute, for that I thankyou. Next the staff of our splendid wizard and witchery school good ol Hogwarts, you have served the students and I well, and for that I thankyou. I must also as well thank the students of Hogwarts, my students you may not know this but it did not matter how small you served me but as a group you served me well, for that I thankyou. Even though this part of the letter will greatly take up the most of it, it does not mean I do not thank others as much as I thank this man.
Harry Potter you were born to save this world, I thankyou for aiding me but you in the end will and can do it by yourself. I call you a man now because the journey you have travelled on for the most of your young life, you have acquired to become a man, maybe on the outside but most certainly on the inside. By my side you fought and maybe saved many lives, your heart was always beating strong and your mind had not been taken over by hate, but love. If you Harry in the end must defeat him, Voldermort with only a single thought in your mind. Forget about the scar that marks your face, remember those who love you and those you love. You journey of life had not even begun when you had to take upon the perilous life and you chose to start it and save our world, your world. For that Harry Potter the boy who lives I thankyou with my past life and in this world I have entered.
This life we were all born into, this generation we all have a journey even when a dark cloud passes over our minds and homes. But as one we can defeat this dark cloud, diminish it and let it pass over never to return. But keep in mind that this world is a pure one not an evil one to be sort again and returned. These past years may have been clouded with death and evil but the further years; I promise you will not be clouded. They will be full of your happy and fulfilled lives I beckon you forth in this world to regain it.
But now, now for my final goodbye, love always conquers and each life is valued but always remember your memories, and never let go of the good past but the bad past. Look into the future and never look back into the days of old,

Sincerely yours,

Dumbledore

Hogwarts, December 21st 1981

Harry-

There are not many things that I, looking back at them, regret doing. Believing in you was not one of them. I always knew you would make the best out of what has been given to you, and I am faithful that with your courage, and the personality you have built up, everything will come to a most pleasing end. I know many people might not agree with me in many things, but all I can tell them is that an old man has his reasons and they should not question them. Maybe my mind has deteriorated over the years, and I have really become the strange, confused old man, many have thought me to be, and maybe everything I worked for will turn out to be a mistake, but yet again, I do not regret any of it. As long as you fight for it with all you can give it is the right thing to do.
I remember saying that to a student that was quite like you, a long time ago. He unfortunately disappointed the faith I had in him and although I am confident you are stronger than him, I need to warn you. Power is a most deceiving thing, it can corrupt and break the most humble and honest man. Do not make the same mistakes this young man made. You, as well as him, have the power to change the hole wizarding world, but you need to use it wisely. At the time I am writing this, you are but a mere 17 months old and have already had to suffer one of the most harsh fates, a young boy can experience. I know that, at times, you may doubt my presence of mind at the time I decided to let you grow up in this Muggle family. I had good reasons to let you stay there, and you will soon find out what they were, although I cannot tell you myself anymore. But I ask you never to forget your parents loved you, and no matter how hard the times will seem for you, know they are thinking of you wherever they are. As long as you keep this in mind, you will be unstoppabe. Many people you love will part with you, disappoint you, and be ripped form you. But do not let grief overcome you.
The best thing you can do succeed is hope. The situations you will find yourself in might, and will most probably, seem like a dead end at many times, but if you remember my words and believe in yourself and the ones that shared your way, it will be no problem for you to find a solution. Harry, this letter has a charm placed upon it to be sent to you should I part from you before my time. Do not quail. I was old and old men seem to characteristically stop breathing at times. And please tell Hagrid he can have my Remembrall. He has always liked the bright colours of it.

Yours Sincerely, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dear Harry,
If you are reading this then i will no longer be here to guide you. I want you to know that, whatever happened to me, it was not your fault - i knew that someday my task would be left to you.
I leave to you my phoenix, Fawkes, who will help you through the difficult task you have ahead. I also leave you my life's mission: you must defeat Voldemort for good. I know that you are still young, but I have faith that you will be able to complete this task.
When your parents died, they left a letter asking me to be your legal guardian. No-one knows about this letter. Perhaps I should have taken their advice and helped you to have an easier childhood, and also prepared you better for the tremendous task that you have to perform. However, I admit I underestimated you, I thought that it would be too dangerous for me to look after you, as it might have allowed Voldemort to work out the true meaning of the prophecy which he so thankfully has not yet learnt the true meaning of. Therefore you were left to your aunt, without my protection, but with the protection that your mother left you through your aunt. I now see that I was wrong in leaving you there, and I ask your forgiveness.
You have proved yourself to be a true Gryffindor, and have proven a true loyalty to me, which I thank you for. I have every confidence that you will be able to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes, with the help of your friends and the Order of the Phoenix, who you must now lead through these difficult times. Remember, the Sorting Hat would not have put you in Gryffindor if you had not the true courage that is required to carry out your destiny. You have proved yourself an outstanding student and an excellent team player (both on the Quidditch pitch and with your friends), both of which are qualities which will aid you throughout your life and the troubles you face ahead. Remember, problems seem less daunting if you share them with other people.
Although I know that my passing will seem like abandonment to you, know that I believe in you, and I know that you will be able to defeat Voldemort without me. Perhaps, in some ways my leaving you will help you through your quest, in that it will enable you to start to believe in yourself, and not to attribute all of your successes to me.
I know that your parents, if they could have been here, and your godfather, Sirius, would have been very proud of you. Remember though, that these are not the only people who care for you – I don’t think that you could stop Hermione and Ron, or the Weasleys, Remus Lupin or anyone else in the Order, from helping you if you wanted to!
I am immensely proud of you, and I know that the future of the wizarding world is safe in your hands. I feel privileged to have known you, Harry.

Good Luck and Goodbye,

Albus Dumbledore

Being Dumbledore man through and through I am praying to whatever god or deity may exist that I get his character right. Here goes nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry,

Although I suspect, I am writing this not knowing exactly how or when I left for my next adventure. Do not be angry Harry, anger is not what will get you through that which lies ahead. Your heart, however, will. What I need you to do now Harry is focus on those around you, those that care for you and those you love, they are the key to your victory.

I would like to apologize for not being able to stand by your side at the moment. You have a terribly large burden on your shoulders, yet I hope I prepared you well enough to be able to handle that. Whatever comes Harry, I believe that you will face it to the best of your abilities and I have no doubt that you will be successful.

Keep in mind Tom Riddles weakness: He has never been able to fully comprehend the emotion of love and the remarkable power it can have. That is your greatest advantage over him, Harry. That and your friends. Mr Weasley and Miss Granger have been by your side since your first year and they are the reason that you are still alive today. Do not push them away Harry as you have tried to do so before, you need them now more than you ever have before.

As for the others, only let in those you truly believe are trustworthy. The only two I can suggest you trust with everything are Remus and Minerva, they will not betray you, Harry, I swear that to you. If I am right, I am well aware that right now you are not quite sure of my words when I tell you a person is trustworthy, but please Harry, believe me.

I will not tell you that your following battles will be easy Harry, because I am certain they will not. But I believe in your skills, your power and most of all, your heart. You are all that Riddle is not Harry and that is why I know you will fulfill the prophecy and the outcome will be in your favour.

Harry, I am sorry I did not see what Tom Riddle really was back when he was a student. I am sorry for all you have had to endure these many years. I am sorry for keeping things from you that you had a right to know. Most of all, I am sorry for your childhood at the hands of your apparent family, you did not deserve that.

And yet, I do not truly regret anything. I most especially didn't regret your life with the Dursleys after you came to Hogwarts alive and well, if a bit under-nourished. I am still sorry for it however, though I believe that it the experience of living under their roof that has made you the man you are today. You are not like others that you could have easily turned out to be similar to if you'd experienced a much more advantaged childhood. And although I won't say names, I believe you know who I am speaking of.

I must say Harry, I am proud of you, of the boy you came to me as and of the man you have grown into. You have loyal friends and a moral fiber that even I admire. Your marks at school may not have been the best, but you are a talented and powerful wizard none the less. And I am thankful that I had a chance to know the real you, the young man behind the scar.

All that is ahead of you now Harry is out of my hands and in yours. But do not feel you are alone, there are people who will be right by your side each and every step of the way. And remember, those who love us never really leave us. I, just like your parents Harry, will always be a part of you, there when I am needed.

There is not much more for me to say, except one last word of advice for the future: You may think you know who is on which side, Harry, but you must look deeper.

Sincerely,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Dear Harry,

If you are reading this then things may not have gone according to my original plan. However, all is not lost! As you know, I have a sort of resourcefulness and I would be foolhardy to rely on one single plan when dealing with an enemy as resourceful and unpredictable as Tom Riddle!

But let me not get too far ahead of myself.

I have left you a number of different letters, each of which I have arranged to be delivered to you under differing circumstances. Reading this particular one means that, sadly, I have left you on your own due to the unfortunate incidence of my death, most likely at the hand of Severus Snape. It is possible that I have been killed by Draco Malfoy – but I don’t see young Draco as a killer and I expect that he is unable to carry out his Dark Lord’s instructions.

If I have been killed by Draco or some other Voldemort minion, then that is unfortunate and, in the fullness of time, you will receive another letter from me which contains, hopefully, all manner of useful advice aimed at supporting and encouraging you to carry on the battle, as I know you will.

But in the event of my death at the hands of dear Severus… Ah, that is indeed another matter.

Harry, I know that you have difficulty in understanding the utmost trust that I put in Severus Snape. Given his position of trust in the camp of the enemy, the nature of his duplicitous role as a double agent and the hatred he apparently seems to bear you, how can you logically think otherwise. In the past, I know that you have asked why I show so much confident trust in such a person and that that you have never received an adequate answer beyond the fact that ‘Dumbledore has his reasons’.

Now I can make a few revelations, some of which will surprise you greatly.

Firstly, Severus does not hate you and never has done. The antipathy he shows towards you is all part of the persona he has to maintain, a persona that dates back to the days of his friendship with your father. Ah, I sense your eyebrows raising as you read that last sentence! It is true that Severus was the butt of a lot of the pranks pulled by James and his cohorts but that all stopped due to the intervention of one Lily Evans – you may find the name familiar. She was always sympathetic to Severus and eventually found out about the dark secret that lurks inside him, something so dark that it twisted his psyche. He became involved with Voldemort, believing that such people were the only ones who might hold a place for him. Lily broke a promise that she had made and told James about Severus’s inner turmoil. James was instantly contrite and forced Severus into a long conversation with him. Having learned Severus’s great and terrible secret, James argued long and arduously to convince Severus that, under the circumstances, there was nothing else he could have done and that there was no real reason for feeling such guilt. No-one had ever shown Severus such understanding and he was forced to do a lot of rethinking. The outcome was a growing friendship between Severus and James. This was at the time of Voldemort’s first rise to power and Severus made the bold and very brave decision to remain in the Dark Lord’s camp.

Now, if Severus is able to follow the plan he agreed with me, he will be in hiding for some time, but then he will seek you out. Please listen to what he has to say, because he will have gleaned the last intelligence possible from the enemy’s camp. Coming to you he is declaring himself as a traitor to Voldemort.

Harry, please do not act precipitously on the information he brings you. By all means share it with members of the Order, but take no action until I am once again able to give you some guidance.

I sense those eyebrows rising again!

Oh, you don’t get rid of a wizard as old and wily as Albus Dumbledore as easily as that. You cannot cheat death and you cannot bring the dead back to life, those are two immutable laws – but there are other things that can be done, especially if you make use of some very ancient and little known magic which requires the assistance of someone in whom you have absolute trust – yes, I refer to Severus.

The change that has been wrought upon me will take some time to reverse, but I will be back!

Meanwhile, it is necessary to make best use of my apparent death. Apart from Severus, only Minerva and Hagrid know of this great subterfuge, so please keep my secret until I am ready to return.

So, do not mourn a loss that has not really taken place. Take care of yourself until I see you again. Remember, you are not alone in this battle, you have the support of those who love you – and I can tell you, Harry, the number of those who love you is much greater than you could possibly imagine.

Sincerely

Albus Dumbledore

Dead, but most certainly still kicking!

I actually decided to make a little oneshot out of this challenge...it has a little beginning and an end before and after the letter. But here is the letter bit of it...I hope it qualifies...

Harry,

Forgive me. Forgive, if you will, this final mistake of an old bumbling fool.

As I write this, I see that you have discovered the identity of who was eavesdropping on myself that fateful night in the Hog’s Head Inn. Professor Snape, Harry.

I apologise that I cannot explain this fully to you, Harry, but I will try. Severus came to me during the summer holiday to inform me of an Unbreakable Vow he had just taken part in. He had vowed to carry out Draco’s task, should he fail. He was obliged to complete this vow in order to ensure his place amongst Tom’s inner circle of Death Eaters. He is trustworthy, Harry and he is honour-bound to help you at all costs. He will come to you with information when he has acquired it. I pray that you will not turn him away. He will tell you his story when he is ready.

I know that I would have to die tonight, Harry. It is inevitable that sacrifices will be made in a war. It is, by no means, your fault. I sacrificed myself, I can tell you, knowing the consequences of my actions. I would have pleaded with Severus, most likely, to perform his task.

One more issue I need to reveal. It is with reference to the love that you and Miss Weasley share. Use it, Harry. Love is, by far, the most powerful weapon against any form of evil. You must nurture you love for each other; do not make the mistake of throwing it away. Talk to her. If I know you well, and I pride myself on saying I do, you will break off all relations with her to protect her. Harry, your love for each other is as much, if not more than the love your parents shared. I can see it in your eyes. It can give you strength during the final battle. If you let it.

Harry, your friends make you who you are. Do not push away any of them. You need them as much as they need you.

As my last piece of advice to you, Harry, please tell Remus and Minerva about the Horcruxes. They, too, can help you. Remus is another father figure to you, as the last Marauder. He is a wealth of information and memories to say the least. Minerva is, in fact, a distant cousin of yours. They both can be trusted, as can the Weasleys.

Harry, Voldemort took away your family all those years ago. But unknowingly, he gave you a new one. The Weasleys, Hagrid, the Grangers, Remus and Tonks, myself…we are all as close as we can be to you as your parents would have been. We love you.

I must end this letter now, Harry. You are on your way to my office, most likely in a burning rage. I do not know what will happen tonight but I write this in the hope that you can use this, my last dash of guidance to you. I believe in you and if you keep in mind the spot of light in the distance, I know that you will fight your way to the peace and happiness that you so rightly deserve.

Remember the saying, love conquers all. In this instance, there could not be more truth in it.

Do not mourn me. In my aging mind, death is but the next great adventure and I embrace it with open arms. Those who love you never truly leave you, Harry. I will always be with you in spirit.

You are ready, my boy. You no longer need me to guide you.

Goodbye.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Dear Harry,

From the moment I first set eyes on you long ago, I knew that you were going to grow up and have the same strength as your mother and father had.

I remember the excitement that you held upon your face when you first came to Hogwarts. And through these years, I have watched you grow from being the Potter boy-who-lived, to Harry Potter, the young man who has great strengths and an even greater heart. You've shown me that despite all the hardships that you have faced, you've not let hatred consume you. And that is very important, Harry. For the task that lies ahead; the task that you must face is filled with much hate and resentment from those who fear you.

Yes Harry, Lord Voldemort fears you and with good reason. You have so much love in your heart, so much dedication that that alone produces a strong power than he, himself can never have. I want you to be cautious, Harry. Cautious, but not afraid.

You have faced many great losses over these years. Your parents, Cedric Diggory, Sirius, and now myself. Your next question is how do I know that I am next?
Well, I can not tell you that now, Harry. But, I can say that you will find that answer on your own when the time is right.

I also ask that you not weep for me. Death may close one door; but Life, Harry. Life opens a new door.

If you remember your second year at Hogwarts, Harry; you will recall the death and rebirth of Fawkes. It is no coincidence that he has been by my side all these years. A soul is much like a Phoenix. It is born, it lives out its time, and then it is gone. But, it doesn't die. It goes on. My belief is that there are missions that the soul must complete on its own, without a body. With its light, its glow and its essence.

And Lord Voldemort's soul has been slowly trying to complete a mission. One where he will be whole again to come back and destroy those who do not cower before him. I know you think that you can't go on without me, but let those thoughts blow away with the wind. You will always find me in your heart, Harry. But I believe that in this world, you no longer need my help.

You're ready to complete your own mission now, Harry. One that has been in your heart since that tragic night that Voldemort left his mark upon your forehead.

This will be the most dangerous mission of all for you, Harry. But keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer in your sight, and trust in the purity of your heart. In it, you will find the strength to fight and defeat the one who's haunted you your whole life.

I will not say goodbye to you, Harry. For we will meet again...


Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore