When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 91: Burial of Bitterness

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 91: Burial of Bitterness

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

June 1997

The cries sounding through the area made him just as sick as the ones made by the Death Eaters the night of Dumbledore's death, but for a different reason. He cringed as he heard the arrows whooshing through the area and the Mermen singing along with the phoenix in the sky. Heartbreaking sobs pierced through all of that, letting the world know of the mourning taking place.

He wanted to be amongst them, but for obvious reasons, he could not. He might've cried, but that ability had been beaten out of him as a child. Very little would ever elicit that kind of response in him. And he hadn't forgotten the way Dumbledore had treated him. He missed the man, but the grudge against him would always be there.

So he stood and watched from a safe position in the darkness, able to witness all the events with almost perfect clarity. His face showed nothing, but his heart was filled with remorse and his mind replayed the image of Albus Dumbledore falling by his hand.

He watched as they closed the white porcelain tomb and more people cried. He took a step back, further into the darkness, despite being under a disillusionment charm. Though he was concealed with a spell, he wouldn't risk any chance that the dozens upon dozens of wizards present would see him.

For now, the ministry wanted him. That would change as soon as the Dark Lord gained control. That would take less than a few months. Death eaters were now openly doing whatever the Dark Lord said to do and very little could stop them.

The first thing they'd done was take over Azkaban and the dementors. They'd freed everyone that was captured, including his old friend Lucius Malfoy. If he could be called that after all the time that had passed.

He just had to stay out of sight until the Dark Lord forced the governors of the school to install him as headmaster. Which he knew would not be difficult, considering the castle welcomed him. That would be something that the smarter wizards would find odd, but would probably dismiss.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He felt the castle's protection of him. It strummed through him like a steady hum. He could sense what was happening within it. He noticed that no matter how the sun changed its position, it seemed as if he were always covered in shadows.

It recognized him just as Dumbledore said it would. It sensed in him that he wanted to aid the students. That he wasn't corrupted. He never knew how strong of a connection the headmasters' had with the castle, but now he did.

Soon he'd be able to set foot here without the charm, and he couldn't help but wonder what would happen. He knew the staff and teachers would make trouble for him and whoever else the Dark Lord placed there, but to what extent both intrigued and worried him.

It wouldn't be his comfortable home anymore, but a field of defiance and hatred to navigate amongst.

Not much different from your school days, only with more Potter-like people.