The Summer Of 1899

Prologue - In The Graveyard

Dusk was falling over the small town of Godric's Hollow when Albus Dumbledore walked into the graveyard. The graveyard lay just behind the small church which was in the heart of the town. The town itself was very old, one of the oldest wizarding settlements, and the graveyard contained rows and rows of tombstones, some even about a hundred years old.

Albus walked slowly along the many graves until he reached a freshly dug patch of earth. There was no tombstone over this grave. Albus sat down, removed his shoes and let his feet sink into the soft grass. He had always loved the feeling of the grass tingling his feet. His mind wandered over to his childhood. When Albus was five, he used to sit down at his mother's feet, and she used to tell him old wizard stories. Albus looked on with awe as his mother told him about the adventures of Merlin, the great wizard, or the stories of ancient Egyptians and Indians. She used to read him stories from The Tales of Beadle the Bard, which was one of Albus's first books. In a way, she had been Albus's first teacher, he thought.

Would his mother now know that he was sitting right there at her feet, just like old times. Would she know that he was thinking of her, of all those memories of a carefree childhood. What a stupid thought! But then all his thoughts seemed stupid these days. Less than only two weeks ago, Albus had been here, digging the grave for his mother's burial. He had stood right there as the village priest had lowered the coffin. He had sprinkled a handful of dirt on the coffin along with his little brother and sister.

That was the day his life had taken a turn. He remembered about his days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Brilliant as he was, he had won every major award in the school. Not only that, he had gotten several of his articles published and he also maintained close correspondence with several notable wizards. He remembered how his mother used to beam with pride at her son's achievements. There was a bright future that lay ahead of him, a future Albus was so keen to explore. He had his whole life ahead of him, and he was thrilled to grab all the opportunities it offered. He had even written a letter to the noted alchemist and one of his correspondences Nicholas Flamel, for a chance to work with him.

After leaving Hogwarts, he was supposed to take a traditional world tour with his friend Elphias Doge, a plump and timid boy. They had everything planned out and Albus had never been so excited. He still remembered that night when the owl had landed on the window of the Leaky Cauldron, a dingy little inn in London where they were staying. They were to leave the next day when the owl arrived with the news of his mother's death. It completely shook Albus. How could his mother, the strong and steadfast woman who supported her three children with such grace and dignity, be gone. He just couldn't accept it.

He came home, the trip forgotten, to find Aberforth, his brother and Ariana, his sister crying in an upstairs room while the elders of the village were preparing his mother's body for the funeral. The rest of it was a complete blur. He remembered only parts of the funeral, he remembered Ariana and her desperate cries and he remembered Aberforth trying his best to comfort her.

And just like that, Albus's life had changed. He was now the eldest member of the family, he had his siblings to take care of. Ofcourse, he couldn't go to the trip now, nor could he even dream of working with Mr. Flamel. No. He had to stay here, in this little town. He had to find something to do here, he had to look after his family. What am I even gonna do!

He did not remember how long he must have sat there, but it was quite a long time because night had fallen. He had hoped his mind would clear a bit after coming here, this was the first time he had visited her grave after the funeral. But all he felt was a terrible sense of loss. His feet were cold now, he put on his shoes and stood up. Taking one last look at the grave, he turned around with a deep sigh.

He had walked only a few rows when he spotted a shadow at the end of a line of graves. Looking closely, he saw it was a young boy, about his own age with golden hair which were gleaming even in the darkness. He was solemn and contemplative as he stood at the feet of a grave, with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. Albus had never seen this boy in town before. He was apparently new. But then what was he doing in the graveyard, if he had just arrived. There couldn't be one of his families buried here. Or was he the relative of some long forgotten person who had been buried here. The boy must have sensed he was being watched, because he took one glance at Albus and disappeared behind a row of bushes.

Strange, thought Albus as he made his own way out of the graveyard, out of the church, and into the town square. The square was mostly deserted except for the pub which was bustling with music and the chattering of people inside, and a few shops which were about to close. Albus stopped by a shop to buy some bread and a pumpkin pasty for Ariana. Then, slowly, he made his way back home, across the dim narrow lanes of Godric's Hollow.