Dumbledore's Man

Harry Potter and Co. are not mine. I certainly could never write a more touching death of Dumbledore than J.K. Rowling did. I’m lucky if this gets you to feel a quarter of the sadness I felt as Dumbledore died and I cried my way through the last four chapters.

I really hope you like this story. When the funeral happened, I really wanted (and expected!) Harry to make a speech. Since he didn’t I wrote one for him. Lol Please please please leave a review after you read this. Let me know if you love it or hate it, or whatever! I just really want to know what you think. Thanks! <3 <3 Erin

As Hagrid carried Dumbledore’s body up to the long platform, Harry felt his heart stiffen. This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening. He CAN’T be dead. These words played over and over in his head as a man Dumbledore probably never knew went on and on about how he lived his life. Harry couldn’t stand it. If there was one thing Dumbledore deserved it was a proper funeral speech. A speech about him, and his true life, not a reading from a book about his greatest accomplishments. As the man concluded his speech and sat down, Harry got the feeling they were waiting. Was anyone going to speak? This is one of the greatest wizards of all time and you have nothing to say?

He knew at that moment it was him they were waiting for. They wanted to hear the boy-who-lived recount all his adventures, and tell them how Dumbledore had always been so fatherly towards him. Well fine, he’d make a speech, but it wasn’t going to be the one they were expecting. As he rose and walked past Ginny out into the aisle, sure enough, everyone broke out in quiet whispers. They treat this like it’s a game. They treat it like it’s an event that’s going to be in the history books and they want to be a part of. This was a man’s life we’re grieving over. A man who gave so much of his life to others sometimes he never had any left for himself. If only they knew. If only they knew how much he had sacrificed, how much he had done to make this place safe, to make Hogwarts a home, they wouldn’t be so eager to be here now. They’d be afraid. Afraid that now this man was gone, everything he worked so hard for would fall.

He approached the podium and the crowd fell silent. He turned to face the mass of people and saw the look of anticipation of their faces. He cleared his throat and, summoning a great amount of courage, began to speak, “Dumbledore was a man that has been involved in my life since I was born. He took me to the Dursley’s house when I was only a few months old. He saved my life before I could even talk, and took me to a safe place. Granted that place was a living hell and I hated every moment of it, but I was safe, and am still here today. He made sure I would always be fed, however little it might have been, and always have clothes on me, however many sizes too large they were. He realized that he was just a part of life, not the main focus of it, and always tried to better it for others. He’s made countless sacrifices for me, and this school, and all the people sitting here today. Through his judgment many great things have happened. New laws have been passed and old ones rewritten. He was a man who never wavered in his opinions, and showed the best that sometimes they still had a lot to learn,” he stopped and cast a look at Fudge, who turned as green as his bowler hat before continuing.

“But some of the greatest things I learned from Dumbledore were not lessons you can learn in a school book. They weren’t spells or wand techniques. They were lessons so much more important than that. He taught me it’s okay to love and loose love, to mess up, and walk blindly into things. It’s okay to get mad, and yell until you can’t yell anymore. It’s okay to be wrong, and to fail. Because it’s what you do after you’ve cursed the world and fallen to your knees that makes you stronger. It’s when you pick yourself up after you’ve been through hell and back, and give it another go. That’s what builds character, that’s what prepares you to face the world.

“Many people think of Dumbledore as this legend, this God, this icon of reverence. But he’s not. He’s a man that knew the simple things in life you took for granted could one day vanish. Some of his most prized possessions were pink earmuffs, wooly socks, and chocolate frogs. He always saw the good in people. Often times more than he should. He wanted so badly to believe that no one was truly evil that he forgave the man who ended up killing him. If he hadn’t trusted Snape, he would probably still be alive with us today. But he made mistakes. Quite a few, or so he told me. He’s said wrong things, and lost his temper, and yelled and screamed just like any of us. What made him different was his actions. He chose not to let his mistakes define him. To not accept his mistakes and say, ‘well I’m only human.’ He screwed up, got back up, then screwed up some more, until he finally got things done. He wasn’t proud of his faults but he didn’t hide them either. He knew that it’s when you admit what you’ve done wrong and work to fix it good things can happen.

“He meant more to me than… well most people. He’s always been there with guidance and wisdom, and most importantly, room to let me grow. He’s risked his life numerous times just so I could be safe. This is a man of great courage, and resolve, and compassion. I don’t know where I’d be right now without him. He’s been my mentor, my guide, and my friend for the past six years. And to think of my life without him, to think of defeating Voldemort without his guidance to lead me, to think of me never being able to seek his advice, is almost unbearable. I hope none of you ever have to feel the way I felt the night he died. I wouldn‘t wish it on my worst enemy.”

With this he walked away from the podium, leaving the crowd in silence. He didn’t even see as the coffin burst into flames, his face was too clouded by tears. He walked determinedly away from the crowd over to the lake. He came to rest at a large tree, and just fell to the ground, head in his hands, sobbing like he had never sobbed before. Everyone he had ever loved was slowly but surely being taken away from him. His dad, his mum, Sirius and now Dumbledore. Four of the people he loved the most, and they were gone. They had died because of him. The tears fell thicker and faster as his body slumped to the ground. He didn’t know how long he had laid there, mourning the loss of his most prized teacher. He felt something land on his shoulder and he looked up, wiping his tears away. Fawkes had come to join him in his time of desperation, and his words from just a little while ago flooded back through his head.

He taught me it’s okay to love and loose love, to mess up, and walk blindly into things. It’s okay to get mad, and yell until you can’t yell anymore. It’s okay to be wrong, and to fail. Because it’s what you do after you’ve cursed the world and fallen to your knees that makes you stronger. It’s when you pick yourself up after you’ve been through hell and back, and give it another go. That’s what builds character, that’s what prepares you to face the world.

Harry looked at Fawkes and couldn’t help but laugh. He dusted himself off and stood up, ready to give it another go. Even in times of darkness and despair he was still Dumbledore’s man through and through. As he walked back to join his friends he realized he wouldn’t have it any other way.

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