Professor McGonagall dropped unconscious on the ground. Harry looked around, in a daze. What was Hogwarts? What was it really? He looked at it now, seeing a Hogwarts without Dumbledore. His eyes squinted tightly shut, and he realized that Hogwarts was gone. It had died with Dumbledore. He heard feet stomping down the steps. He stared intently at the corner. Surely the teachers didn’t stay at Hogwarts during the holidays. It wasn’t the teachers. It was Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.
“Harry!” Ginny yelled in relief as soon as she saw him. She ran to give him a hug, but he didn’t move. He didn’t even feel her touch. He was numb, the castle was numb. Hermione saw Professor McGonagall lying on the floor and gasped, rushing up to her side.
“What happened, Harry?” Hermione asked. Ron looked at Harry, his eyes full of concern. Ginny frowned, looking around the castle.
“Something’s different?” she said. “What’s wrong with the castle?” she asked urgently. Everybody stopped moving, listening and feeling the mood around them.
“The castle...” Ron said, his eyes going blank with terror. “It’s crying.” Harry looked at Ron. He wasn’t crying. He had no tears left. He had no emotions left. He was a curse to his friends. He remembered his thoughts last year, when Hagrid had died. He felt sure this time, there would be no recovery. All that was left of his heart was the part that told him how to walk, to breath, to blink and all the other necessities to stay alive. But even now, he didn’t want to live. Ginny was crying now, after watching his blank face.
“What happened?” Hermione whispered. Harry looked at her, and saw nothing. She wasn’t his friend. She wasn’t anything. She was just some girl that felt stupid things like love, fear and happiness. He smiled, as he thought of happiness. Happiness was not a good thing. It was too short, and hardly worth all the pain of living for it. He cleared his throat.
“Hogwarts is dead,” he said. Hermione frowned.
“What?” Ron asked, confused.
“The Dementors, they came, and killed Hogwarts,” Harry explained. “They killed everything. They killed me. They killed you guys too,” he continued, as if they were talking over breakfast. Ginny was crying.
“What’s wrong, Harry?” she wailed. “What happened?” Ginny watched Harry as he went to sit on the ground, leaning back against a wall. He seemed to be staring very hard at something right in front of him. Ginny walked over and sat beside him, following his gaze. A tiny spider was crawling by them. Harry stared for a long time, not moving, not even blinking. Then, completely without warning he balled one of his pale, shaking hands into a fist, and slammed it down onto the spider. Everybody jumped, staring at Harry. He slowly raised his fist into the air and they saw the small spider smashed into the ground. Harry smiled. The spider was dead. Just like Hogwarts. Just like Dumbledore. Just like he would soon be.
“Come on Harry,” Ginny pleaded, pulling him up with her. Harry got up, looking down at Ginny. Hermione was shivering none-stop, looking around them.
“I’ve never felt Hogwarts this empty before,” she said. “I can’t even hear the House-Elves rustling quietly about,” she whispered. Ron put his arm around her, nodding silently. He was also looking very scared. Then they heard a far off swishing noise. Everybody froze, even Harry. Then the most beautiful sound filled the air. They saw something coming down the hallway. It was as if they were in a black and white film, and the only color was the bright red Phoenix flying towards them. Fawkes was singing softly, but it wasn’t his usual happy, uplifting tune. It was one of desperation, and tragedy. He swayed sadly back and forth and landed in front of Harry. It was then that they realized something was clamped in his claws. He laid it in front of Harry, and stepped back slightly. Harry just stared at the object in front of him. It was Dumbledore’s pensieve. Fawkes nudged it slightly.
“Fawkes...” Hermione said, and then she realized something that Harry still refused to say to them. “Harry...is Dumbledore...dead?” she said. Ron looked abashed, staring at Hermione like a mad woman. He looked at Harry, expecting Harry to laugh about how that was stupid thing to say, of course Dumbledore wasn’t dead. He didn’t however, and when Ron saw Harry’s blank face, he knew that Hermione had been right. He, Hermione and Ginny said nothing. They couldn’t speak.
“No...” Ginny said, backing away, her eyes filled with terror. “NO!” she screamed. Hermione fell backwards, not unconscious, but unable to hold herself up. She would have hit the ground if Ron hadn’t been there to catch her. She started sobbing loudly, burying her face in Ron’s robes. Ron started to cry to, silently, his heart breaking. Harry looked around him.
“Stop...” he muttered so quietly nobody could hear him. Nobody stopped. Ginny was crying to now, shaking with unheard sobs. “Stop,” Harry said a little more loudly. They couldn’t stop however. “STOP!” Harry yelled with all his strength, and when he couldn’t stand it, he grabbed the pensive and slammed his head into it. His friends and their crying vanished, and he was thrown forward. He landed hard on the ground. He coughed loudly and looked around him. He was in Dumbledore’s office. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk.
“Please sit, Harry,” he said, apparently talking to him.
“Dumbledore?” Harry muttered. Dumbledore didn’t say anything. Harry figured that this couldn’t be too long ago. Perhaps a couple of days.
Dumbledore’s gaze switched to the chair, and Harry quickly sat down, so that Dumbledore was looking directly at him. Dumbledore rubbed his eyes, as though very tired.
“Harry, I do hope you are sitting now,” Dumbledore said. Harry nodded, although he knew Dumbledore wouldn’t see it. “If you are getting this, then Fawkes most likely brought it to you. I am dead, Harry.”
“No, Professor, you’re not. Please, you can’t be,” Harry muttered, crying once again. It surprised him, he hadn’t thought he had any tears left.
“I know, you are probably in quite a state,” Dumbledore laughed sadly as he said this, and Harry saw him wipe a tear off his own face. “I know you think that I am immortal. I know also that you see me as always strong. This is hardly true. I have many weaknesses, the main one is you, grandson. I would go to many lengths for your happiness, as you have probably just seen.”
“I’m so sorry Professor,” Harry muttered. His voice crackling.
“I want you to realize, however, that my death was not your fault,” Dumbledore firmly. “I do not know if you have been able to tell your friends or not, but I would like you to know, take your time.” Harry nodded. “Also know, that now that I have passed away this war has officially begun. Watch out for yourself, Harry. I don’t mean to pressure you, but the fate of this war is in your hands. You will not be able to beat Voldemort if you can’t get over my loss,” Dumbledore said.
“I can’t do it though, professor. I can’t deal with it any more. I...” but Dumbledore’s image interrupted him.
“Harry, you must be strong for your friends. Don’t push them away. I do not know the outcome of the meeting with the Centaurs, but I’m sure they joined for you. You’re Harry Potter after all.”
“I don’t know how I can deal with this Professor. I don’t know what to do anymore. You’re gone, Hogwarts is dead.” Then Dumbledore looked straight into Harry’s bright green eyes, almost as if he was back again. Harry couldn’t look away.
“You will find that I will only trulyhave left this school when none here are loyal to me.” Harry froze at this. Dumbledore was right. Harry was being selfish, his friends needed him.
“You're still here, Dumbledore. You’re still here,” Harry assured.
“Isn’t that sweet,” said a sneering voice from right behind Harry. He turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing there, wand out. Harry took a deep breath, and looked back at Dumbledore.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading these past chapters. I know they have been rather depressing, but Harry will get his act together, and soon we meet...LORD VOLDEMORT! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW.