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

55. Transcendence

"I have told Harry the exact words, and perhaps he has more answers than I do", pleaded Dumbledore.  He sat back down after Harry had hugged him, and waited for the Alpha to speak of what he knew.  

Harry took a deep breath.  He hated being put on the spot, but he wasn't going to keep anything from them.  He was going to tell them everything, and then from there, decided what was next.  "When I ran into the forest, I was so angry", he said remembering the feeling.  

"I was disgusted that the Nature Wizard told you what he did.  In my anger, all the animals from the forest came to me.  All the magical creatures did as well, and after I had calmed down some, Firenze the centaur spoke to me.  The love I felt coming from all of them was, well it was surreal", he said.  After he had spoken, they all shot arrows into the air, in a show of respect, I suppose.  Not for me, but for you Professor", he said looking at the Headmaster.

"Firenze said 'Death is not the end Harry Potter.  Albus Dumbledore is a supreme wizard.  He is to transcend'", and when Harry said that all hell broke loose.  Everyone was trying to talk at once, and even though it confused him, he felt a thrill go through him, as if what he had just said was good news, not bad.  He didn't know who to pay attention to, because they were all wanting to voice something at the same time.

"Transcend?", asked Ron with a frown.

"He really said that?", asked Narcissa.

"Transcendence is only awarded to some", said Snape.

"A supreme wizard, that part's true", said Mcgonagall.

"Oh my, that is an achievement", said Hermoine.

"Sweet Merlin, are you sure those were his exact words?", asked Draco.

Harry couldn't concentrate, and he didn't know who to address first, so he raised his voice to speak again.  "Oi!", he shouted.  "One at a time, please.  I have no idea what it means, so please be gentle with me and explain what the hell you all meant by what you said", he begged.

Draco giggled, as if the heavy mood had never been there in first place.  "Oh Harry, I keep forgetting you don't know everything about our world.  Come here angel", he said, opening his arms, so that his husband could sit next to him.  And Draco started talking to him, in that teaching voice of his that Harry adored so much.

"Transcendence only happens to those who are chosen Harry.  Because of their service to our world, including their bravery, courage, kindness, fairness, their ability to detect mystery and solve it.  In other words, it happens only to supreme wizards that share an unknowing knowledge of the world around them.  Professor Dumbledore is a prime example of this.  He knew how to stop Voldemort and garnered your assistance, even before anyone else knew that Horcruxes even existed", finished Draco.  And while Harry was processing what he had heard, the next person started speaking.

"Transcendence doesn't mean that you are going to die.  It means that you are going to live.  It is different for some of those who have achieved it, but the bottom line is the same.  Some who are granted or gifted transcendence, choose not to take it, and some choose to take everything that is offered.  It is a very personal choice, forcing the one to have to think long and hard before coming to a decision", offered Hermoine.

Harry was blown away, but Ron beat him to it.  "What, for the love of Merlin, does bloody transcend mean?", he asked.  Hermoine took his hand and tried to explain as plain and simple as possible.

"It means you have the choice to stay and die a natural death as it has been written, or if you don't want that, you can leave the physical world and go for a lifetime of rest", she answered.  

"But that's the same bloody thing 'Moine", he said back.  "Leaving the physical world by means of natural death is dying yes?", he said.  She nodded her head.  "So, if he's not here in the actual physical world, and leaves us, then he is dead as well, yes?, he asked again.  

"No", said Draco sternly.  Honestly, how could Ron be so blunt at a time like this, he thought.  "To transcend means that he will not die now, or for a while at least.  He will be taken to a supreme world where he will live out his days resting.  Yes he will eventually die there, but this way he has just basically been granted another 100 years for example.  If he dies here physically, the only way you would be able to communicate with him is through a portrait.  If he transcends, then you may call on him to talk to him in times of need.  But these are few and far between", said Draco with finality.

Good lord, thought Harry.  "So, what you're saying is, if Professor Dumbledore says yes to the transcendence he gets to live for longer and we can see him when he visits, but if he says no, then he will die his natural death, and only be available in a portrait.  Have I got that right?", he asked, hoping so because he really didn't want to repeat himself.

"Yes", replied his husband.  They all turned to look at the Headmaster as one, and knew that he had a hell of a decision to make.  The man smiled at all of them and told them that he had at least half a year to consider his options, he wasn't going anywhere for a while.  But there was one downfall to this.  The longer he took, the more his body would deteriorate, making his trips to the physical world much less, if he were to decide to transcend.  So they actually didn't have much time.

"There is a third option though", whispered Snape.  They all looked at him with hope.  "If Albus decides that he does indeed want to transcend but not rest, his only option will be that his body absorbs all his magic, and divides itself into small magical objects", he said knowingly.

Draco had forgotten that option.  So few wizards took that route, and it made him wonder if the Headmaster would do this instead.  He looked at him deep in thought, and hoped that he made the right choice, the one that was right for him and not for anyone else.  

Harry squeezed his hand in agreement with what Draco was thinking.  Wow.  He had never known of this, what else was he going to find out about his own world.  He felt stupid and uneducated.  Thanking the gods for Draco, he kissed his temple, and leaned back into the chair.  Dumbledore rose from his chair, and said he had a lot to think about.  "Thank you for having me, I will be at Hogwarts if you need me", he said kindly and flooed back to the castle.

The rest of them were each left to their own thoughts, the main one being, that six months left with the man was not enough time in any world.