The Phoenix Prophecy

Chapter 17: Epilogue - Part 13

Monday — July 21^st

Harry:

“Are you all right, Professor?” I had never seen him look this exhausted before. He looked exactly like I felt.

“I will be fine. I just need some time to rest,” he replied and smiled at us. His eyes still had their customary twinkle to them, but the expression on his face told me that something was wrong, very wrong. At first, I didn’t know what to think. After studying his face for a few seconds, I came to the realization that he was worried. He was obviously preoccupied with something that concerned him deeply.

“Professor, where is Alec?” Hermione asked, hurriedly looking all around us. A note of panic crept into her voice when she didn’t see any sign of him. Glancing at the shield, I suddenly felt a sense of dread quickly growing within me as well. If Alec were still inside the shield, he would be dead by now.

“Alec is fine. Lemke returned Alec and Walt to the Realm.” There was something in the Professor’s voice that told me he was deliberately not telling us everything. Not that there was anything unusual about that.

“Where are the others?” I asked, suddenly remembering the Professor’s comment about being held prisoner in the cottage.

“Several of Lemke’s brothers transported all of the others back to Lemke’s home. They are in good hands and quite safe…at least for the time being.” Professor Dumbledore barely whispered the last part of his statement, but both Hermione and I heard it just the same.

“What do you mean by that?” Hermione asked cautiously, throwing a questioning look in my direction.

Professor Dumbledore did not answer immediately. For several seconds he looked at us as if he was debating what to say. I was just about to ask if something was wrong when he finally spoke up.

“I have some things that I must say to the both of you. I do not know how much time we have, so please just listen to what I have to say,” he began.

“About six months ago, Professor Trelawney lapsed into a deep trance, during which she prophesized that Tom Riddle would have a successor and that your son would be the only one with the power to defeat this successor.”

Hermione and I both gasped at the same instant, our hands coming together as we looked at each other. The implications of what the professor had just said were staggering, not the least of which was the fact that we would be married someday and have a son. This thought immediately brought back the agonizing memories Nyssa had forced on Hermione. Had she been showing us part of our future? Up until now, I had been inclined to discount the entire episode as jealousy on Nyssa’s part. Now I was not so sure.

“I have every reason to believe that this prophecy is genuine,” he continued. “Whether your future son defeats this successor as an infant—in a manner similar to the way that you defeated Tom Riddle when you were just an baby—or whether your son defeats him at some later stage of his life, we have no way of knowing. As you can see, prophecies can be extremely frustrating. Down right maddening actually, if you want my opinion. Prophecies have a profound impact on our lives, but provide very little in the way of substance on which to base our actions. This particular prophecy is the primary reason that I have encouraged you to attempt to acquire the ‘Impervious’ charm. If I am correct in my assumptions, Tom Riddle has also learned of this prophecy, or will do so at some time in the near future. This knowledge will renew his desires and efforts to kill you both as quickly as he can. I fully expect that he and his death-eaters are already at work, planning some kind of attack on you before you return to Hogwarts. The fact that very few people know your current whereabouts allows you to concentrate on obtaining the ‘Impervious’ charm without looking over your shoulder for death-eaters at every turn of the road.

“As dangerous as this quest is for you, it will seem like nothing compared to the dangers you will face once you graduate from Hogwarts and enter the outside world. I am not trying to scare you, at least not out of malice, but without the protection afforded by the ‘Impervious’ charm, I do not think you will live long enough to have a child. Tom Riddle knows that he cannot rest until one or both of you are dead. He will continue to pursue you until he succeeds in destroying you or dies trying. If it were not for the prophecy about your son being the only one capable of defeating Tom Riddle’s successor, I would strongly suggest that you remain in the Realm. There you would be able to live out your natural lives without the threat of being killed constantly hanging over your heads. Even if you manage to obtain the ‘Impervious’ charm, your lives will be in constant danger.”

“Voldemort fears you. As long as you are around he cannot be too open in his actions,” Hermione said. My mind was racing furiously, trying to absorb the meaning of everything the Professor had just said. Unfortunately, that was impossible.

“Regrettably, Tom does not fear me as he once did. His dark powers continue to grow stronger and he gathers more new followers with each passing month. In addition, I will not be around forever. Your best chance for survival is to obtain the ‘Impervious’ charm and complete your seventh year at Hogwarts. Even then, you will have to be constantly on your guard, lest you suffer the same fate as James and Lily. It saddens me to have to tell you these things. You will face more than your share of challenges in the next several years. The only advice I can offer you is to take comfort in each other. Your love for each other is strong and will help you through the worst of times. Depend on each other. Trust each other. When in doubt, trust no one but each other. I know this may sound cynical, but you will need that to survive.”

“It would seem to me that Kai and Nyssa are just as dangerous as Voldemort,” I said. “Even though they saved us from the Dark One’s flames and have not professed a desire to kill us, our lives are not our own. We must figure out some way to prevent them from dictating how we live our lives.”

“That is never going to happen!” thundered a deep, menacing voice from some distance behind where Professor Dumbledore was sitting.

Both Hermione and I jerked at the sound of the unexpected voice. My hand instinctively moved to my wand, but Professor Dumbledore cautioned us to sit still with his a slight movement of his left hand, while drawing his own wand with his right hand. As the Professor rose smoothly to his feet and turned to face the source of the voice, I spotted two very large individuals standing ten feet from where we were sitting. They appeared to be every bit as large as Hagrid, or at least it seemed so from where we were sitting. I was quite sure that I had never seen either of them before. Dressed in full length, dark-gray robes, their presence was even more commanding as their clothes served to accentuate their enormous size. One thing about them was instantly apparent. They were evil. Even without the small, but noticeable, horns on the tops of their heads, the look in their eyes was enough to send shivers of fear shooting up and down my spine and tie my stomach in knots.

Both of the individuals had long, jet-black hair, which appeared to be braided. The skin on their faces was a deep, leathery brown. The larger of the individuals was holding a long spear with three barbed tines at one end. It reminded me of a picture I had seen of ‘King Neptune’ in a book on ancient myths. The other individual was holding what appeared to be a length of coiled rope. The rope was pulsating as its color changed rhythmically between black and a deep red.

“Your lives belong to us. We will do with them as we please,” the smaller of the individuals said. This voice was higher in pitch, but just as menacing as the first voice. I guessed that this individual was probably a female. The first voice must have belonged to the other individual and was most likely male. From the way they were dressed, it was difficult to tell anything about them.

“Who are you?” Hermione demanded as she leaned to her left to see around Professor Dumbledore. I was leaning to my right so that I could get a good look at them.

“We are your masters. Henceforth, you will live and die at our discretion. There is no escape. Attempt to do so, and you will be severely punished. This is a lesson that your friends, along with those meddling elves, will soon learn,” said the male, his voice was so loud that it hurt my ears.

“Is this your true form, or are you once again projecting yourselves using the form of others?” Professor Dumbledore demanded, his voice loud and strong.

It suddenly dawned on me that we were facing Kai and Nyssa as they actually looked. I glanced at Hermione. She was looking back at me, a thoughtful look on her face. Obviously, she was not as surprised as I was.

“We have chosen to appear in our true form so that we may impress upon you the fact that we truly are your masters,” Kai answered.

In one swift movement, Professor Dumbledore’s hand emerged from the sleeve of his robe and he pointed his wand directly at Kai and Nyssa. At the same instant Nyssa’s arm moved so fast that it was just a blur. A sharp crack shattered the air and I watched in horror as Professor Dumbledore’s right hand dropped to the ground. The hand bounced once and his wand rolled to a stop several inches from the severed hand’s out-stretched fingers. I fought down the urge to throw up as I looked up to see Nyssa re-coiling the rope, which was in fact some kind of whip.

“Your pathetic magic is no match for the power that we possess,” Kai spat out. His contempt for us was obvious, as was his belief in his own superiority.

I was just about to leap to my feet, as was Hermione, when Professor Dumbledore shouted at us to remain seated.

“What is it that you want from us?” Professor Dumbledore asked. His voice was still steady and firm. How he was able to even talk after having his hand severed was beyond me.

“Amusement. You are the latest addition to our little menagerie,” Nyssa gloated, her smile—if you could call it that—was twisted into an evil grin.

“Ah, I see your poor dragon can not even stand on his own feet,” Kai said after he glanced at a dragon lying on the ground, which I had failed to notice. “Do you know that the only way to kill a dragon is to pierce its’ heart?”

“I guess none of you knew that,” Kai replied after we said nothing.

“Watch, I’ll show you how to slay a dragon,” he continued and took a step in the dragon’s direction. There was something familiar about the dragon. Then it hit me. The dragon was Cetus. How he got here, I had no idea. What happened next happened so fast that I didn’t realize it was happening until it was over.

Professor Dumbledore leapt towards Kai, pointed a wand that he was holding in his left hand straight at Kai’s chest and cast what looked to be a killing spell directly at him. A beam of angry red energy struck Kai in the chest. At the same instant, Kai impaled the Professor on his spear.

I watched in utter disbelief as two dark red circles quickly formed on the back of Professor Dumbledore’s robes. At the center of the circles, the outer tines of the spear were clearly visible. As the Professor collapsed to his knees both Hermione and I jumped to our feet, screaming from the sight we had just witnessed.

“And now to slay this pathetic excuse for a dragon,” Kai said as he savagely yanked his spear from the Professor Dumbledore’s body.

As Professor Dumbledore fell face down at Kai’s feet, I felt an intense hatred—the likes of which I had never felt before, not even for Voldemort when he killed Cedric—quickly take over my mind and body. I was ready to kill Kai, but I could not move. The horror of seeing Professor Dumbledore killed before my very eyes had paralyzed me.

Cetus vanished when Kai took another step in his direction. “So much for dragon bravery,” Kai mocked, returning his attention to us. “Don’t worry. You will not be alone for long. We will fetch the rest of your friends shortly.”

“Nyssa, remove the old wizard’s head. I will plant it atop a pole just outside the cottage as a reminder to these two, and the others, what happens when someone challenges us,” Kai added.

Nyssa moved off to the Professor’s side and began uncoiling her whip.

“Make one move and your heads will be planted next to his,” Kai barked when he looked at us again.

I wanted to shut my eyes and turn away, but I was unable to do so. Not only were Kai and Nyssa despicably evil, they were barbaric as well. My hatred for them was so intense that I felt like I was going to explode at any second. Had it not been for Hermione, I would have attacked this hideous creature knowing full well that I would die just as Professor Dumbledore had died. To just stand here and do nothing seemed like the ultimate act of cowardice. How I was going to live with myself after this, I had no idea.

Nyssa drew her whip behind her in preparation to strike. I heard two loud pop’s, followed by deafening, angry shrieks that pierced right through me. The pain in my head, from the shrill cries, was so intense that I had to cover my ears with my hands. I looked up just in time to see two phoenixes attack Kai and Nyssa. The first phoenix slammed into Kai, puncturing Kai’s chest with its long, razor sharp talons. Kai screamed out in agony and terror. The second phoenix impaled Nyssa just as Kai’s screams started piercing the air. Nyssa’s lungs must have been punctured, as she did not utter a sound. Her face showed a mixture of fear and excruciating pain.

The phoenixes wrapped their powerful wings tightly around Kai and Nyssa’s heads and shoulders. I could still hear Kai’s muffled screams as both phoenixes bust into intense balls flame. Within a matter of seconds, Kai and Nyssa’s bodies, from the waist up, were reduced to piles smoldering ashes. What was left of Kai and Nyssa toppled to the ground, their legs twitching spasmodically for several times before finally becoming still. Small columns of smoke drifted lazily up from two large piles of ashes. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open, unable to believe what had just happened.

Finally, I managed to make my legs move. I walked over to where Kai and Nyssa’s remains were lying on the ground. It was obvious that they were dead, but I kicked Kai’s body as hard as I could anyway. Anger still gripping me, I stood back and used my wand to set the rest of their bodies on fire. I really didn’t give a damn how much of a stench their burning clothes and bodies gave off. I would not rest until Kai and Nyssa were completely incinerated.

A slight movement in one of the ash piles caught my attention, so I stooped down to take a closer look. The head of a newborn phoenix was just emerging from the ashes. It looked up at me and then sank back down into the ashes. Hermione’s shouts broke through my fascination of watching a phoenix being reborn.

“Harry, he is still alive!”

“What!”

I was at Professor Dumbledore’s side in a single heartbeat. I helped Hermione gently roll the Professor onto his back. Placing my ear to his chest, I could hear a distinctive gurgling sound as he breathed. A lot of blood covered the ground. I could not believe that a person could loose that much blood and still be alive. After I straightened up from listening for a heartbeat, I took his left hand in mine and began to rub it gently. Hermione sat down cross-legged and rested the Professor’s head gently in her lap.

“Professor Dumbledore, can you hear me?” I asked while I continued to rub his hand in hopes of getting some response. Hermione had two continuous streams of tears flowing down both cheeks and onto the Professors face. Tenderly she brushed his long white hair away from the sides of his face. Much of it was caked with a mixture of blood and dirt. She gently wiped the dirt and blood from around the Professor’s eyes, nose and mouth with her bare hands.

“He…is going to die…isn’t he?” Hermione choked, her words barely able to get past her lips.

“No, he can’t die…he just can’t,” I croaked as I felt hot tears begin to run down my cheeks.

“Harry, is there anything we can do to help him?”

“There must be, but I just can’t think of anything.”

“What about the phoenixes?” Hermione asked, looking at the two piles of smoldering ashes.

“It will be at least a day before they are strong enough to be able to help.”

“That’s right. I forgot.”

Professor Dumbledore’s eyes fluttered several times and then they opened. He opened his mouth to speak but only a small trickle of blood emerged. He coughed, which sent a spasm of pain shooting through his body.

“Don’t try to talk,” I said when his eyes looked directly into mine. At first, he didn’t seem to know who I was, but some of his usual sparkle returned when he finally realized who I was.

“Your wounds are very serious. Save all of your energy,” Hermione said as she lovingly caressed the sides of Professor Dumbledore’s head.

“Ka…”

“Kai and Nyssa are dead,” I said, once I figured out what Professor Dumbledore was trying to say. “Fawkes and Iseult killed them. I burned what was left of their bodies.”

For several seconds he said nothing further. Twice he closed his eyes and I thought he had died.

“Harry, what are we going to do?”

“All we can do is sit here and hope that someone comes back for us.”

“I feel so helpless.”

“So do I, Hermione. So do I.”

The professor’s eyes opened once again and he looked up at us for a few seconds.

“Don’t cry for me,” he finally managed to say. “I have had a long and good life.”

“Don’t talk. You need to save your strength,” Hermione implored him.

“I must, as I have some things that I need to tell you before my spirit departs this body,” he replied. Drawing on some inner strength he continued on, his voice soft but clearly audible.

“I did not tell you everything you should know about the ‘Phoenix Prophecy’”

“Professor, you never tell us everything about anything,” I interrupted. This brought a small smile to his face.

“What I failed to tell you was that the prophecy predicted this event.”

“What are you talking about?” Hermione asked.

“The prophecy states that the Seeker and Reader’s mentor would one day sacrifice his life so that the Seeker and Reader might live to defeat the dark forces of evil. The Seeker and Reader would each be watched over by the mentor’s phoenixes. Fawkes and Iseult have begun doing so by destroying the evil beings that threatened to enslave you. They will remain with you all the days of your lives. You are now bonded with them, as they are with you. Care for them and they will do the same you.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” I asked. I was stunned by what I had just heard.

“You were not ready to bear the burden of my death.”

“What makes you think we are ready now?” I asked rather more loudly than necessary.

“Listen closely as I only a few moments left. In time, you will come to understand that the price I paid for your future was a small price to pay when balanced against the fate of all wizard kind. I know that you will miss me, but I will be with you in spirit for as long as you need me. Remember that it is the choices we make in life that define who we really are. Ultimately, all of our choices boil down to whether we choose to be good or to be evil. I know that you will never choose the evil path. It has been my great honor and privilege to have had a part in your nurturing as you grew from children to young adults. I could not be more proud of you even if you were my own flesh and blood. Let your love and courage be a beacon for others to follow. You will light the way out of the darkness that now casts its shadow over our world. I love you both…

The twinkle faded from the Professor’s eyes, never to be seen again. Hermione gently closed his eyelids, bent down, and pressed her lips to his forehead. As I kissed his forehead, a wispy white light emerged from Professor Dumbledore’s body and hovered near us for a period of time for which I had no measure. Time had somehow ceased to have any meaning. At some point, I realized that the light was gone and I felt drained.

Hermione:

Kissing Professor Dumbledore goodbye without breaking down took every ounce of control that I could summon. With every breath I took, I felt as if I would start crying and never stop. My jaws and face hurt from holding back the grief that was aching to be set free. As much as I loved Harry and wanted his arms around me, I knew that if I even looked at him I would come undone and start sobbing. Next to Harry and my father, I held no greater respect for any man than I did for Professor Dumbledore. He had spent his entire life in the service of others and had given his life so that Harry and I could have a life of our own. I could only pray that Harry and I would be worthy of his sacrifice. To contemplate otherwise would be suicide of the spirit.

I was sure Harry had seen Professor Dumbledore’s spirit leave his body, just as I had. The presence of his spirit had helped to calm the terrible ache that threatened to plunge me into a bottomless pit of misery and despair. Even though the Professor’s spirit was no longer in his body, I refused to move his head from my lap. Letting go of his body would be the final step in acknowledging that Professor Dumbledore was no longer with us. I was not ready for that just yet.

Harry laid the hand he was holding across Professor Dumbledore’s chest and got slowly to his feet. I felt his hands touch my shoulders as he knelt down beside me. He raised the Professor’s head while I backed away. After placing Professor Dumbledore’s head to rest on the ground, Harry took off his jacket and carefully placed it over the Professor’s head and shoulders. When Harry turned and looked up at me, his face on the verge of breaking, I lost it. Collapsing into his arms, I allowed all of the grief and sorrow that I was feeling overtake me.

…

Some time later, I felt a pair of hands touch my shoulders. Looking up, I saw Madelyn standing over me. Her eyes glistened as she helped Harry and me to our feet. Sirius was carefully wrapping Professor Dumbledore’s body in a blanket with Lemke’s help. No one spoke a word until Sirius was finished. Madelyn stood behind us, a hand on each of our shoulders. Several times, I felt her hands tremble as she sniffed back her tears.

“We are ready,” Sirius said to Lemke after he picked up Professor Dumbledore’s body and stood next to us.

“Wait,” Harry cried out. He quickly ran to the piles of ashes and scooped up the two baby phoenixes. Picking up his jacket, he made a small nest for the birds and carefully placed them in it.

Lemke touched Sirius with one hand and held out his other hand for the three of us to touch. I blinked back a tear and we were back in the Realm, at Lemke’s home.

Everyone was there waiting for us. Cries of despair arose as soon as it was apparent that Professor Dumbledore had died. I expected that great-grandmother would be especially devastated, but she seemed to be holding up better than the others were. I kissed Harry on the cheek and went to hug grandmother, which resulted in more tears on my part.

“He died so that Harry and I might live and be free,” I said after I had managed to recompose myself.

“I am aware of that, as Albus and I discussed a number of possible outcomes from our being abducted. How are you and Harry holding up?”

“About as well as can be expected. I have never experienced the death of someone close to me before.”

“I know what you are going through. Sadly, it does not get any easier as you get older. Only time will diminish the ache and emptiness you now feel.”

“I know that, grandmother. Are you going to be all right?”

“I will sorely miss Albus. All of us at Hogwarts will for that matter. Forgive me for seeming to lack faith in your generation, but wizards like Albus don’t come along very often.”

“I’m not offended. I have never known anyone who could hold a candle to Professor Dumbledore, present company not included,” I added and smiled up at grandmother.

Harry walked over to where we were standing. He was still holding his jacket with the two baby phoenixes nested inside.

“Professor, what do you know about caring for phoenixes?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. It has been my experience that they can pretty much take care of themselves. Perhaps you should just find a safe place to set them and they will do just that.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Harry replied and headed for the door in the tree. He returned a few minutes later, just as Sirius informed grandmother that Lemke’s brothers had finished preparing a funeral pyre.

Sirius did not get a chance to add anything further as three dragons landed about fifty feet away. In the dark, it was difficult to make out their features, but the voice that filled my head was a most welcome one.

“Please accept our most heart-felt condolences in this time of great sorrow,” Cetus’ voice said reverently. “Grand Wizard Dumbledore was a great man and he will be missed by one and all.”

“Thank you, Cetus,” Harry replied aloud. “I am glad to see that you survived.”

“An explanation is in order concerning my sudden departure. If I had been unable to escape and Kai had pierced my heart with his spear, a burst of magical energy would have been released and you would have died instantly. I would not expect you to know this. I hope that you did not feel that I abandoned you just to save my own skin.”

“No, Cetus. We did not even consider that possibility,” I replied. “Harry and I were thankful that you were able to escape.”

“Thank you for being so understanding,” his voice replied.

“Don’t mention it,” Harry added.

We walked in silence to the edge of the plateau where Professor Dumbledore’s body was resting on top of a large pile of logs. I held onto Harry’s hand as we walked, but let go so that I could put my arm around his waist once we reached the cremation site.

Sirius walked over and placed his hand on the Professor’s body. For several seconds he just stood there, silent and unmoving. After placing the Professor’s wand on top of his body, Sirius turned to face us and began to speak.

“On this day we have all lost…no, we have been parted from, our most trusted and valued friend. We can never truly lose the essence that he was. His spirit will be with us for all the days of our lives. That he will be sorely missed goes without saying. In all the years that it was my pleasure to know Albus, not once did he ever give in to despair. He was the eternal optimist, always finding a way out of every crisis, no matter how dark the future appeared. This day is no exception. Albus willingly sacrificed his life for the future of all decent beings. Because of his selfless act, we are no longer at the mercy of two foul creatures that would enslave us just for their own amusement.

“Personally, I owe my life to Albus many times over. He never lost faith in me and was there when I needed him the most. Besides being a strong and wise leader, he was…next to James, the best friend…I have ever had…

Sirius’ voice cracked and I found it impossible to swallow because of the lump in my throat. Madelyn left our side and walked over to stand beside him, taking his hand in hers. After a few seconds had past, Sirius continued to speak.

“As much as I will miss Albus, it is the staff and students at Hogwarts that will miss him the most. He was as much a part of the school, as the very stones from which it was built. To almost all first year students, the Headmaster was a most intimidating figure. As the years past and we began to realize that Albus’ presence not only guided the school, but also protected all of those within from the evil forces, which desired to bring great harm to many of its students. He was truly remarkable for the compassion he showed to all those students that needed his help and guidance.

“I pray that Albus’ spirit has moved on to a better place. One where he can rest from his never-ending battles to defeat the forces of evil and wickedness that constantly threaten out existence. He has been, and will continue to be, an inspiration for us all.

“We will now reduce his body to ashes and scatter them upon the winds so that his presence will be felt in every corner of the land, as that was his wish.

Sirius backed away from the logs and four of Lemke’s brothers set the logs ablaze. Within seconds, the flames engulfed Professor Dumbledore’s body. Watching the burning embers shoot skyward, I could only hope that Professor Dumbledore was happy and smiling wherever he may be.