Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and all these other people are characters belonging to J.K. Rowling. I claim no rights to them, their surroundings, or their situations. Much to my sorrow.

--- 9 Dumbledore: On the Evil and On The Good

Moving at a leisurely pace, Albus allowed his comrades to leave him behind; so engrossed in their own conversation they never noticed as the old wizard dropped to the rear of the crowd. He smiled quietly to himself...already ideas and plans were flowing like butterbeer, exactly as he had hoped.

Behind him, in the kitchen, he heard Minerva's voice rise in indignation and chuckled softly. He would not care to be standing in Sirius' shoes at the moment.

Minerva would no doubt have words to say to him later as well, but he had no intention of apologizing; he had deliberately seized onto Severus' absence as an opportune moment to begin the debate. He'd been sure that someone would bring up the question of Slytherin, and that the Head of Gryffindor House would step up to defend her counterpart--and put paid to the issue far more effectively than Severus himself could have done, bless her. The endorsement of a senior Gryffindor was far more valuable in this situation than anything Snape could have said in his own House's defence.

Of course it might all be a moot point if the man did not, in fact, recover. That possibility could not be dismissed, and it troubled Dumbledore on more than one count. He was fond of Severus, for all the younger man's shadowy past and abrasive demeanor, and he very much doubted that Slytherin House would survive this crisis if its patron did not.

He was glad, very glad, to know that Hermione Granger was at Severus' side right now. It came as something of a surprise, given their history; but if the girl had taken it into her head to see the Potions Master through this, then he would be hard-pressed indeed to shuffle off this mortal coil. Once she had set her sights on a goal, the young witch was not easily deterred. And Snape had proved astoundingly resilient on many prior occasions. No, Albus decided; on reflection, he wasn't overly concerned about the outcome of that situation...

The door to the kitchen flew open and Minerva came striding out, her lips pursed so tightly in disapproval that Albus had half a mind to caution her that her face might freeze that way. But he contented himself with saying instead, "Ahh, Minerva. I trust you and Sirius have settled your differences to your mutual satisfaction?"

Only his old friend could convey such depths of scorn with a single heartfelt 'harrumph,' he thought as she gave voice to her frustration.

"Albus, I thought one of the things that was supposed to set us apart from the likes of You-Know-Who was our capacity for things like forgiveness and trust, and to look beyond the superficial." McGonagall shook her head in exasperation. "Sometimes I am forced to wonder whether I've been deceiving myself all these years...perhaps we aren't really so different from the Death Eaters after all."

Dumbledore stopped and turned to take her hand, patting it reassuringly. "My dear, you are very correct, on both counts...we are set apart from our enemies by our choices and our actions, and the things that we most value. But we, no more nor less than they, are only human in the end."

He smiled ruefully, drawing her arm through his as he resumed walking. "Light and darkness are not mutually exclusive, as much as we find it convenient and comforting to think of them so."

"I know." Minerva did know, he was certain of it, but her expression suggested she had never quite fully believed it. "And old prejudices can be very difficult to abandon, particularly when they have a basis in fact. I have my own to wrestle with, of course, like everyone else...but it seems so unfair, Albus, when someone has gone to such lengths to atone for past wrongs..."

Albus nodded. "It is indeed, my dear. If there were some spell that could set right the mistakes of the past, wouldn't we all have learned it long since? But there is a Muggle philosopher of whom I am rather fond, who spoke most eloquently to the heart of these matters. 'Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.' "

"Oh yes, I know the one you mean--isn't he the same 'philosopher' whose films made a hero out of a chirping dustbin on wheels?" He chuckled and bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

McGonagall went on, "But if you believe that, then how can you place your faith in someone like Severus, or young Draco, or--or even Ginny Weasley? It has to be possible to turn back, Albus, we've all been tempted at one time or another..."

Dumbledore raised his hand in a conciliatory gesture. "You misunderstand my point, dear lady. One can most assuredly return from the dark places, I have seen it happen many times. In fact, it may surprise you to learn that I hold out, to this day, some hope even for the likes of Lucius Malfoy.

"But one cannot return untouched...never unscathed. Nor without leaving marks upon others that cannot be wholly obliterated. Severus has learned that lesson well, to his sorrow--perhaps too well," Albus continued. "I fear he has given up hope of absolution, beyond what you and I and the Ministry have already offered; truthfully, I don't think he feels he deserves even that much. And there are those, like Sirius, who would agree."

"Well, they're wrong. And I, for one, refuse to stand by and watch one of our Houses dismantled by ill-informed opportunists, no matter how unpopular it is!"

Albus smiled to himself and allowed McGonagall to vent to her heart's content as they rejoined the larger group. Her sense of justice was one of the many fine qualities that had inspired his implicit trust since soon after they had met. He relied on her more than even she knew, and was confident that when her turn came, she would make an outstanding Headmaster.

It saddened him only slightly to think that the day would be upon them sooner than anyone save himself knew. But not quite yet...Voldemort was the last great task of his time, and he would see it through to the very end.

May the Powers that Be grant that all of those he had come to hold dear would be there to see it with him.

Comment