The Alpha Dynasty (Sequel to MARKED FOR DESTINY) (Book 2 of 2)

69. Nature's Highlight

Before giving anyone a chance to speak, Dumbledore spoke again, wanting to get the worst over and done with.  He had asked for their respect and he knew that with Harry's surge of calm, this would be met.  He had been very blessed in all aspects of his life, to have met, first the boy and then the man, that would make their world a better place.

Harry Potter.  He had certainly come a long way, and while the choice was his to make on how to leave this world, the only person who's opinion mattered to him at that moment was Harry's.  Somehow he didn't want to disappoint him, not again.  Not the same way he had, when he had left him with those terrible muggles.  Not the way that he had raised and groomed him to be a weapon.  And not because of it either, but because he loved Harry.  And he would until his last breath.

"I have been offered the chance to transcend.  To go and live a life of peace, although that would be ironic, considering I've been living one my whole life, excluding of course the war that Tom Riddle started".  Some of the people sitting at the table shifted in their seats.

"I can either go up, move on, as it were.  Or I can absorb my magic and be dispersed and divided into tiny magical objects, or....", and here, Dumbledore took a breath.  "Or, I can do neither, and die a natural death as it was intended.  I have chosen to do the latter", he breathed out, hoping that they would understand his reasoning.

"That way I can visit my portraits, and still be able to communicate with you.  If I had made the choice to transcend, my visits would have been monitored, and very few.  I would have longed to have come back, and that is not a life I wanted.  I don't want to be remembered as a frail old man that has to ask permission to come and say hello to the people he knows", he finished.

"The option for my magic to be absorbed is horrifying, and I am not the first wizard to shun it, and I highly doubt that I will be the last.  If history is correct, only three have ever chosen this option".

In a sense, Harry felt relief.  The thought of his own magic being absorbed disgusted him, and if he were ever given the choice, this would not even be one to consider.  That his Headmaster had taken the natural way of doing things, seemed to him, to be the most plausible, if not level headed decision of them all.  He let out a breath, and was glad that it was over.  But the staff inside the office wanted answers.  He could feel it.

"How long do you have Albus?", asked Mcgonagall.  

He smiled at her and said, "Less than a year Minerva, which leaves me time to get my affairs in order", to which she choked out a sob and stood up out of her chair.  

Turning her back on everyone, she went to stand at his window, looking out over the grounds.  She felt soft tears slide down her cheeks, and wondered how she was going to handle the death of this great wizard.  

"Who told you?", came the next question from Madam Pomfrey.  "Who told you how long you have?".  He flicked his eyes towards Harry who discreetly nodded and gave his permission to answer.  "The Nature Wizard", he replied.  Glad that there were no more secrets, and that Harry had allowed him to tell them.  

"And ya hav cepted it, jus like tha?" cried Hagrid.  Dumbledore looked at the gentle giant, and smiled.  "My dear Hagrid, I could not change it, even if I wanted to, which I don't.  I told you at the beginning of this meeting that I am tired", he said kindly.

"Bu wha are we s'posed to do withou ya?", he cried out again.  Hagrid's emotions were always on the soft side, but he wanted to be told everything.  How was he going to live now?  

"There there Hagrid, it isn't goodbye after all", he said, repeating the words that he had spoken to him on that fateful night when they had left Harry on the doorstep of No 4 Privet Drive.  "I will still be here, in my portraits", he offered.  But Hagrid took out his very big handkerchief and wiped away at his eyes, his body shaking with sadness.

Professor Flitwick asked if he was going to step down as Headmaster, and rest for the remainder of his days, to which Dumbledore replied emphatically, "No".  He also didn't want to upset the students, and so would not say anything to them.  All he asked was that when the time came, for them to please tell the truth at his funeral, so that the students could understand.  No reason to burden them with this, when they had other things to focus on.

They all asked their own questions, even Lucius and Severus, and when he had answered all of them, he turned his attention to Harry, who had been disturbingly quiet in all of this.  He wanted to know how the man felt about his choice, and he wanted to know if Harry was going to be all right.  Which was strange, because he was the Alpha.  Of course he was going to be all right.

Harry saw him look at him, and said that he had no questions, only one request.  Dumbledore nodded and told him to ask it. 

"When the time comes, for you to leave us, will you have Fawkes deliver the news please?", he asked, his voice trembling.  Finally facing what he didn't really want to, and when Dumbledore looked at his bird, he nodded and said this would be done.  He didn't understand why Harry would ask such a thing, but who was he to argue.

They all left the office, with thoughts of their own.  Bodies shaking, tears falling, everything muddled and in dissarray.  Their lives had just been thrown out of whack, their school would never be the same.  They would never be the same.  Their world would never be the same.

Harry had stayed behind, telling Lucius that he wanted a private word with the Headmaster.  When they were alone, he thanked the man for telling them.  

"I had another dream Harry", he said with pride.  "David already knew of my answer, and he respects it, and I thank you for doing the same", and Harry smiled.

"The beauty of all of this, is that I would never dream of taking your choice away from you Professor, and I must say you are extremely brave.  But please, for the love of Merlin, can you please please try and stay until my twins are born.  I would love for you to meet them", he begged.

A small chuckle came from Dumbledore, and Harry knew then that they everyone and everything was going to be in order.  The world needed death, just as it needed life.  The same could be said in his situation.  His parents had died to save him, and Dumbledore was going to rest, and give someone else the opportunity to see the world as he had done.

And that would be his final act.

Totally selfless, and full of love.