Harry Potter And Bellatrix Lestrange

The young lord of Polairix stared down at Dumbledore for several long moments, trying to sort through his thoughts. "I'd love to say you got what you deserved, Dumbledore. After all you've done to me, you certainly do. But like I told Hermione, I can't afford to get angry right now. If I get angry at you, I'd have to be angry at the whole damn wizarding world. Sure, you made my life a living hell by condemning me to Azkaban, but you were only the catalyst. The entirety of the wizarding world was the one who collectively turned their backs on me. You… you just made things worse by starting them off. And what's worse, we need your help, now more than ever."

Harry glanced at Dumbledore's wand that the recovery teams had found and placed on a table next to the ancient headmaster's bed. "You know what? That's a lie. I'm angry. I'm so very angry, I almost wish you'd die. I'm so angry I almost let Voldemort have a go at the wizarding world, and this time you wouldn't be able to stop him. I'm tired, Dumbledore. I'm sick and tired of playing the hero, of playing the incorruptible saint that I have to be, because everything I do, every decision I make, is debated, scrutinized, and criticized by people who haven't a clue on how to do a better job. And you know what? I'm sick of it. I'm only human. They expect that they can treat me like trash whenever they feel like it and I'll still come to the rescue. I have my limits, Dumbledore. Like every freakin' human being on this planet, I have my limit. And you almost crossed the line. In fact, for a time, you did. I swear, if it hadn't been for Bella, I would've turned my back on the wizarding world."

The young wizard let out a bitter laugh. "You know what's sad?" Dumbledore naturally didn't reply, but Harry continued anyway. "What's sad is that Bella, someone I thought I'd sell my soul to get a chance to kill, is the one who redeemed me. And you know how that happened? Because she showed me that despite almost overwhelming evil, despite whatever she'd done in her past, she'd found her way back to doing what's right. After everything she did, all the people who hated her… she still found the strength to turn around and say, 'the hell with Voldemort, it's time I did what's right.' And you know what? I don't think these people deserve what we're doing for them. They're letting others fight their war for them, good men and women who're dying and getting no recognition from the wizarding world whatsoever. I truly believe the wizarding world would be better off dying out than continuing on its self-centered egotistical path it's on, but I'm trying to do what's right. I'm trying…" Harry trailed off as he wiped at the tears leaking from his eyes angrily.

"You have no idea how close you came to being utterly annihilated, Dumbledore. I'm sick and tired of pulling the wizarding world's ass out of the fire and getting this… this crap in return every time. Every year! First year I was lauded a hero. Second year I was the menace, the heir to Slytherin. Third year I was back to being a hero who needed to be protected from his godfather, whom no one had bothered to check with veritaserum! Fourth year…" Harry chuckled mirthlessly. "Fourth year, I was the insane kid with an attention-seeking complex. Did you know the things Umbridge did to us? She made us write lines with a blood quill . A blood quill! These things are considered illegal dark artifacts! And don't even get me started on the rest of my fifth year - that whole mess could've been avoided, and Sirius would still be alive, if you'd goddamn trusted me! But no, I always was the little kid to you, someone who you had to protect, despite the fact that I always ended up doing your dirty work for you! You kept so many things from me, ignored what I tried to tell you so many times. You'd figure after everything I've been through, after everything I've faced, I'd earned just a little respect!"

Harry slowed down, taking deep breaths to calm down. "And then this! First Sirius, and then me. It seems you never check people with Vritaserum these days, despite the fact that that's exactly what it's for. And I didn't even get a chance to properly defend myself, unless you call those three words I could say before Fudge cut me off a defense! I'm sensing a pattern here, you know," he spat bitterly to the face of the unresponsive headmaster.

"The wizarding world needs a wake-up call. It needs to figure out that it can't continue with its xenophobic, self-centered ways, because if it does, it will eventually end up with more enemies than just Voldemort. And you know what's worse? Tom Riddle is your fault! That's what you tell everyone, but you're just making an excuse for the wizarding world. Sure, you ignored him and kept sending him back to the orphanage over the summer, despite him telling you not to, but in the end, Tom Riddle was a product of his environment. You're surprised why Voldemort turned out the way he did? Be more surprised I didn't turn out the way he did, with the way the world keeps changing its opinion of me on the drop of a hat! I'm sick of it, Dumbledore, so damn sick of it. But I can't go around and say 'this better be worth it,' because I know it won't be. The wizarding world will just continue on the way it's been, and all this will have been for nothing. It'll keep going until one day, there won't be anyone to save it, and that's the day the wizarding world is going to die."

His tirade done, Harry turned around to leave the room, only stopping to say a few last words. "But you know what? Whenever the wizarding world is going to end, it won't be now. Because I'll do everything in my power to stop Voldemort. Not for you, not for Hermione. Not because it's the right thing to do. No, I'm doing it for myself. For my parents. For Sirius. For all the friends and family Voldemort has taken from me. Just goddamn once, just this once, I'm going to be selfish. And if the wizarding world doesn't like it, well, tough luck." Harry took a deep breath. "This one's for me, old man. For me, and Bella, and our child. I know Voldemort outguns me. He's got way more experience, and logically, I should roll over and die. But you know what? The hell with him. The hell with you . I'll do whatever's in my power to stop him, and I'll laugh at the irony that you have Bella to thank for that."

He was about to leave when a sound caught his attention. With a roar of flame, Fawkes appeared in the center of the room within a sheath of fire, accompanied by notes of Phoenix song. Green eyes widened in surprise, since Harry hadn't seen Fawkes in years, yet now the bird was there, soaring across the room, before finally settling on the table next to Dumbledore's bed. The Phoenix cocked its head to the side as it stared at Harry intently with its black eyes, before trilling and leaping over to settle on Harry's shoulder. Fawkes nipped at Harry's ear and trilled happily, as if greeting an old friend, and Harry found himself stroking the bird's magnificient feathers.

"Hey, Fawkes," Harry managed once the surprise had faded. The bird sang in reply, and Harry found the depression and irrational anger fade. Fawkes peered into his eyes, and he could see understanding in the Phoenix's gaze, almost as if he'd listened to Harry's tirade and was telling him that it was all right. Fawkes sang for a few more moments, before settling down on Dumbledore's chest and shedding a few tears. The bird made its self comfortable, and began singing again, a different song this time, one that changed Harry's awareness of the room. He could almost feel the intangible magic in the castle, the indeterminable lines of power that permeated the walls and halls of the fortress that converged on him, the master of Nair'i'caix. And then he suddenly became aware of the energy flowing out of Dumbledore. And just as quickly, it slowly stopped, then reversed direction.

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