Chapter Text
Spirals of Existence
(Albus’ Beginning)
As Dumbledore placed little Harrison Potter on the doorstep of the Dursleys, he did so with a calculated hand, his moves on the grand chessboard of destiny precise and unforgiving. For Dumbledore, this was but another round in a relentless game of strategy and sacrifice, where every piece, including Harry, was expendable for the sake of his ultimate victory. In every iteration, Dumbledore's fate was sealed - death awaited him, his final demise looming like a specter in the shadows, a grim inevitability that he sought to outmaneuver at all costs. But this time was different, a desperation that gnawed at the edges of Dumbledore's mind. This time, it was his last chance, his final opportunity to ensure his own survival. And Harry, poor Harry, was merely a means to an end, a sacrificial lamb destined for the slaughter.
Yet Dumbledore's mastery over the game was not absolute. He was bound by the constraints of his own power, limited by the rules imposed upon him by forces beyond his control. He had only nine resets at his disposal, granted to him by a grim bargain with death itself. And so, he had to make this one count. Initially, Dumbledore had tried to save the boy, to steer him away from the path of destruction that seemed to follow him like a shadow. But each attempt ended in failure, a cascade of tragedies that culminated in Harry's untimely demise and Voldemort's reign of terror.
The first cycle was perhaps the cruelest - Harry, unprepared and vulnerable, fell victim to the machinations of darkness, his innocence snuffed out before it had a chance to bloom. In subsequent loops, the pattern repeated itself, each ending more tragic than the last. Harry and his companions, brave though they were, could not escape the inexorable pull of fate.
But it was the fifth cycle that cut the deepest, a bitter twist of fate that left Dumbledore seething with rage. For in that iteration, Harry emerged victorious, vanquishing the darkness that had plagued him for so long. Yet Dumbledore could take no solace in his triumph, for he was consigned to the sidelines, a mere spectator in Harry's moment of glory. While Harry basked in the adulation of his loved ones, Dumbledore languished in the afterlife, his efforts forgotten, his sacrifices in vain.
And so, as Dumbledore gazed upon the scene from beyond the veil, a cold fury consumed him. All his scheming, all his sacrifices, had led to this moment - a hollow victory, a bitter reminder of his own mortality. In the end, Dumbledore realized, he was no more than a pawn in a game he could never hope to win.
Flashback
Death regarded the old wizard with a knowing gaze, a faint smirk playing on its lips.
"A pig for slaughter? No, no, Albus. That's not quite how I recall it. He was fated to meet his end, yes. But it was you who pleaded for his salvation. That was your desire... How you've changed, Albus. Your motives, once shrouded in noble intentions, now reveal a darker truth. Self-interest, perhaps?" Death's tone carried a hint of amusement, a wry chuckle punctuating its words.
Dumbledore's grip tightened on his cloak, his resolve hardening with each passing moment.
"I still possess four resets, you insatiable creature. And only then will I entertain the thought of joining you willingly!"
As Death drew nearer, a sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air, like a shroud enveloping them both.
"Enjoy your remaining chances, Albus. May they unfold as you wish... or perhaps as you fear." With a final, cryptic utterance, Death faded into the ether.
End Of Flashback
Dumbledore's luck took a turn for the worse in loops six and seven, each twist of fate more harrowing than the last. In the sixth iteration, a chilling act of desperation stained his hands as he extinguished young Harry's life in his crib, a mere month into his infancy. The consequence was a world turned askew, where Neville Longbottom emerged as the chosen one, destined to confront the darkness that loomed over them all. But even as Neville triumphed over Voldemort, Death itself seemed to mock Dumbledore, snuffing out his own existence with a cruel and mocking laugh.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, an unforeseen and merciless blow, plunged the world into chaos, leaving Voldemort to reign unchecked, his malevolent grasp tightening with each passing day. Dumbledore, now a mere pawn in his own game, suffered the torment of endless torture at Voldemort's hands, a punishment for his own hubris and folly.
In the seventh loop, Dumbledore's missteps led to the premature demise of Sybill Trelawney, sealing the fate of all who dared to oppose Voldemort. The Dark Lord's wrath descended upon Dumbledore, accompanied by his legion of followers, Harry and Neville falling victim to the merciless purge that followed.
In his eighth attempt, Dumbledore embarked on a new strategy, a departure from the familiar path of neglect and abuse. Determined to nurture Harry's potential, he entrusted the boy to a seemingly kind and caring Muggle family. Yet, as fate would have it, Harry's burgeoning magical abilities proved to be his undoing once more. At the tender age of seven, his adoptive father, unable to comprehend the magic coursing through the boy's veins, struck him down with a cruel and final blow.
It was a bitter revelation for Dumbledore, a stark reminder of the folly of his ambitions. Harry, spoiled and unruly like his cousin, proved to be far from the hero or martyr that Dumbledore envisioned. Instead, he was a mere shadow of the sacrificial lamb that Dumbledore had hoped to groom.
Undeterred by his failures, Dumbledore pressed forward with renewed determination. This was his ninth and final chance, his last opportunity to shape Harry's destiny and secure his own salvation. With unwavering resolve, he crafted a new plan, one born of desperation and defiance.
Upon the tragic demise of Harry's parents, Dumbledore orchestrated his placement with the Dursleys once more. But this time, the boy would not languish in their care until the age of eleven. Instead, he would be whisked away to the Thomases at the tender age of five, where he would find sanctuary amidst a family already acquainted with the world of magic. With a half-blood son destined for Gryffindor, the Thomases offered the perfect environment for Harry to thrive and fulfill his potential.
As Dumbledore set his plan into motion, a glimmer of hope flickered in his heart. Perhaps, this time, victory was within his grasp. But in a world steeped in darkness and deceit, even the best-laid plans could unravel with the slightest twist of fate.