Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 159: Lost Power
1 SEPTEMBER 1996
DUMBLEDORE POV
After finishing his welcoming speech in the Great Hall, Albus Dumbledore slowly made his way back to his office. The familiar spiral staircase carried him upward, he arrived at his office looked slightly exhausted.
The moment he stepped into his office, he gently closed the door behind him and walked toward his desk. His gaze instinctively drifted to his right hand and he can feel slightly pain on his arm because of the withering curse.
Normally, the first night of a new school year filled him with quiet satisfaction. Watching students return, seeing the younger ones marvel at Hogwarts for the first time, it always reminded him why he had chosen this path long ago.
But tonight, his thoughts on something else especially after seeing Steve Roger and Harry Potter.
The moment he stepped into his office, he gently closed the door behind him and walked toward his desk. His gaze instinctively drifted to his arm which has charred, blackened by the terrible curse contained within the Gaunt ring.
This is the only Horcrux he had found and destroyed it and now thinking about the future and how many horcrux had left to be destroyed.
Even now, faint traces of dark magic pulsed beneath his skin make his hand constantly in pain. Severus Snape had managed to slow the curse and reduce the pain but they both knew the truth that this is not a solution.
There is no cure for Withering curse, once you get casted you need to live with it.
Dumbledore sighed quietly and sat down but not long after that, he was visited by someone who he did not expected. Although it didn't surprise him when someone wanted to visit him especially on the first night Hogwarts reopened, but the guest who come make him feel something gone wrong.
Knock! Knock!
"Headmaster," came a polite voice from outside. "May I enter?"
Dumbledore eyes narrowed slightly because the one who come are not professor but a brilliant student named, Dudley Dursley.
That alone was surprising.
"Please come in," Dumbledore replied calmly.
The door opened, and Dudley stepped inside with an expression far more serious than what one would expect from a student his age.
Dumbledore observed him carefully and years of looking at people he can feel from his body sign that Dudley are angry and also wanted him to explain something.
Ever since last year, the boy had become something of an enigma and had tore off his mask and show to the world his real self.
First, Dudley had somehow managed to repel Voldemort himself. Even now, Dumbledore struggled to understand exactly how that confrontation had ended with the Dark Lord retreating.
Then there was the potion, Maxima and Thunderbrew potion that helped Dudley defeating the enemy.
A potion so powerful that even Dumbledore himself had been astonished when Dudley demonstrated its effects. Combined with the Edurus potion, it created a defensive capability far beyond what most wizards could achieve and shortly after that confrontation… Voldemort disappeared.
Snape reports confirmed it, the Dark Lord had withdrawn into hiding, ordering the Death Eaters to remain silent and hidden among the wizarding population.
According to Snape, Voldemort had begun studying something even darker than before.
Something that would make the next war far more dangerous. As if that were not enough, another unusual student had appeared this year, that student was Steve Rogers.
Dumbledore had only observed him briefly, yet the boy radiated a strange calmness and maturity that felt unnatural for a first-year student.
Two anomalies.... Two children who behaved nothing like children.
Usually he can guess what happen to the others but for Dudley and Steve, he didn't know what had gone wrong with the two of them.
Dumbledore folded his hands together as Dudley approached his des
Dudley's eyes briefly flickered toward Dumbledore's injured arm.
That tiny movement did not escape the old wizard notice.
In that moment, a troubling thought crossed Dumbledore mind.
'Does he know?'
'Does this boy somehow understand what the withering curse was?'
'What curse had been triggered?'
Dumbledore blue eyes sharpened slightly behind his half-moon glasses.
Because if Dudley truly understood what curse had struck him and the curse that was now slowly killing him, then the situation had become far more complicated than Dumbledore had anticipated.
"You are dying, Headmaster," Dudley said suddenly.
His blunt words shocked Dumbledore. For a moment, even the usual twinkle in his eyes disappeared. He had expected many things the moment Dudley stepped inside his office, perhaps questions about Voldemort, the war or the events of the previous year but certainly not this.
Cut story short, he are doing what Dudley had requested which is to show him pensieve and the set of memory.
But when he raised his wand, a flash of magic casted to him.
Dumbledore felt the familiar force of a Disarming Charm strike him and because he didn't defend himself using protego due to surprised with Dudley sudden attack. His wand flew out of his hand before he could properly react and Dudley caught it smoothly.
The moment Dudley fingers closed around the wand, Dumbledore felt something strange on, his body, part of magic suddenly left his body.
The connection between him and the elder wand… vanished.
It was as if the wand itself had accepted Dudley.
A second later, Dumbledore finally found his voice.
"Mr. Dursley…" he said slowly, staring at the wand now spinning between Dudley fingers. "What exactly have you done?"
"Professor, you are dying," Dudley replied calmly. "And I don't want Voldemort to take this wand from you."
Dumbledore mouth opened slightly in surprise.
Dudley continued before the old wizard could interrupt.
"Yes, Professor. I know the origin of this wand."
"You know?" Dumbledore asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yes," Dudley answered. "Some magical creature created this wand long ago to deceive the three Peverell brothers."
Dumbledore inhaled slowly didn't expect that Dudley had learned about the tale of three brothers, but what unsettled him more was the certainty in Dudley voice.
For a brief moment, the old wizard remained silent before asking another question.
"Are you not afraid of the curse?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
Dudley shrugged slightly.
"We will eventually die one day, so why should I be afraid?" he replied calmly. "Besides, I don't believe this wand itself is cursed. Instead, its reputation is the true danger."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"The users made it known that they possessed the wand. That reputation turned them into targets. Others believed that if they killed the wielder, they could claim the wand power."
Dudley lightly tapped the Elder Wand against his palm.
"But when you are the one holding this wand, no one dares to challenge you directly. They fear you too much."
Dumbledore stared at him for several seconds.
"Excellent," the old wizard finally said, clearly impressed. "Mr. Dursley."
Dudley smiled faintly.
"Professor, do you want this wand back?" Dudley asked, casually twirling the Elder Wand between his fingers.
Dumbledore looked at the wand, then back at Dudley.
After a moment, he shook his head.
"No," he replied quietly. "I believe you are the one who should hold it now. You are, after all… the rightful owner of the wand after manage to defeat me."