Hindsight

A Chapter Ends

Harry and Hermione pushed open the door and walked stiffly into the study. Dumbledore was behind his desk as usual, stroking Fawkes absentmindedly with one hand.

'Ah, Harry. Miss Granger, you may go.'

'Hermione's staying, Professor,' Harry replied as politely as he could.

Dumbledore frowned. 'Harry, What I'm about to tell you could be…sensitive. It's best if we spoke…alone.'

'I trust Hermione more than anyone else on Earth,' Harry declared, 'She's staying.'

'I must insist – '

'I must insist, too,' Harry interrupted. 'Headmaster, you can talk to both of us or not at all.'

Dumbledore's face grew more impassive. 'Very well, sit, please.'

Harry and Hermione sat down across from Dumbledore. Hermione squeezed Harry's thigh under the desk reassuringly.

'You must know why you're here, Harry.'

Harry shook his head. 'No. There are a million things you could call me into your office for. I can't possibly guess at them all.'

'We're here to talk about last night,' Dumbledore said, unfazed, 'And what happened.'

'You heard it, Professor,' Harry replied, 'Voldemort returned, Pettigrew and Crouch were captured.'

Dumbledore nodded. 'You should know that while you were gone last night, the Defence Against the Dark Arts office was searched and the real Mad-Eye Moody was found locked away in his own trunk. He has been sent to St Mungo's for recovery.'

Harry nodded stiffly. 'That's great.'

'I'm glad you think so,' Dumbledore said nonchalantly. 'We need to talk about the events in the graveyard, however.'

'What about them? Voldemort returned, the Death Eaters are at large once again.'

'Ah, yes, but all of them?'

Harry did not reply.

Dumbledore smiled. 'I managed to see a report made by the Aurors who were sent to the graveyard early this morning.'

'And?'

The Headmaster's smile changed into a frown. 'In total, twelve dead bodies were found, three of whom were left to bleed out overnight. Do you have no other comment on the deaths of these ten men, three of whom suffered a great deal in a slow and no doubt painful death?'

'Right, because I'm so worried about the lives of thieves, rapists, torturers, and murderers,' Harry replied sarcastically.

'They're men and women who could have been redeemed, Harry,' Dumbledore protested in his usual serene voice. 'They could have been made to show remorse for their past actions. Now that they're dead, they cannot.'

Harry snorted. 'Because they showed remorse and changed their ways after they were given their first chance. It's better for everyone that they're dead and unable to commit those crimes again.'

'Would you show more sympathy if you were given their names?' Dumbledore wondered out loud. 'There was Carrow and Carrow, Flint, Gibbon, Lee, Nott, Pucey, Selwyn, Rowle, Travers, MacNair, and young Goyle. Ten people who had families, loved ones, careers, future – '

'Which they threw away in favour of becoming terrorists for a ridiculous cause,' Harry spat.

'Be that as it may, surely you're not justifying the use of force against them, Harry?'

'I've already done so,' Harry replied flatly, 'I killed them. I don't regret permanently removing them from Voldemort's ranks.'

Dumbledore gasped. 'Harry, you have not!'