Drabblefic #2: Dumbledore, "Mars, Bringer of War"

[gilpin25]

For tegdoh, who wanted Dumbledore and moon, and has ended up with Firenze too, which I hope she doesn't mind. "Coughs* These are getting longer, but they will peak soon and then go downwards again. ;) This one arrives at a fairly brief 597 words.

Comments

[katyscarlett76]

Oh Dumbledore... *gives Dumbles a squishy hug*

That was lovely but very bittersweet. It is nice to see Dumbledore acknowledging what he put Remus through. If only he had chance to do it (you know I nearly said "in real life" there, LOL! Note to self: Harry Potter = not real!)

[gilpin25]

Thank you!:D

I like to think that in the lonely hours of evening, Dumbledore must have been filled with as many doubts and worries as everyone else. And he surely must have had some idea of how such a mission would take a toll on Remus, so I thought I'd imagine that he called on Firenze one night as someone he could talk to with no pressure for a man-to-centaur chat... ;)

You mean fanfic isn't real life? NO! Who says?!

[mrstater]

Now this is the Dumbledore I used to know and love before The Book That Shall Not Be Named turned him into the artist known as Manipulative Old Bastard. His sadness and loneliness are really compelling, and I also think you've captured a real sense of inevitability and fate with the stargazing and Firenze, who I can't believe you haven't written before now! (He's very sexy, with his back legs crossed. Write him again sometime? ;))

[gilpin25]

I've always had a secret hankering (hoofering?) to write Firenze, but I could never think of a flimsy enough pretext for him to turn up in a fic before. I'm glad you think he's sexy; horses do rest one hind leg against the other when they're relaxed/dosing, so I thought I'd put it in for him. I'm aware that it's only a short and very dangerous trot from this to writing centaur romance, so I'm stopping now!

As for Dumbledore, I think we were meant to know how much he loved Harry and Co. in DH, but also that he'd lived a life of secrets and manipulation and it had taken its toll. (Trouble was, I think the latter came across much clearer than the former.) Also that in order to win you have to make the tough decisions on your own. But I like to think that he must have had doubts, and been very lonely and afraid at times that he was doing the right thing, so perhaps one night he did call on Firenze for a quick bit of star-gazing and man-to-centaur chat?

Thanks very much. And I will try and find a flimsy pretext for him again. ;)

[lady_bracknell]

Oh, that's just brilliant and perfect ♥.

[gilpin25]

Thanks!:D I've always had a hankering (hoofering?) to write Firenze, and he and Dumbledore seemed a fun combination. Especially as I could get the latter to express all that remorse about badly timed werewolf missions that he clearly felt deep inside, lol.

Am struggling now to resist the temptation of centaur romance...

[hrymfaxe]

Oooohhh, I love how you bring some meaning into the centaur stargazing (even if it still remains quite mysterious, which, frankly, makes it even better!). I also really like how you have Firenze calmly, if sadly, accepting what the stars predict. It shows how deeply rooted the centaurs' trust in the stars is.

Your portrayal of Dumbledore is great! He is not frightened either, only saddened that he hasn't done all he wanted to yet, and also that one he thought was taken care of has refused that care.. Ah, the woes of a man who likes to be on top of things.

Wonderful drabble again! :D

[gilpin25]

I'm sorry I missed replying to this. I'd like to blame LJ, but I think it must be my either dodgy eyesight or faulty memory, neither of which is a great excuse!

Especially as I want to thank you for such a lovely comment. :) I do enjoy writing Dumbledore, and was quite sad that one of the things I lost a bit of in DH was how tough it was to be the man making the life and death decisions about people he loved in order to win a war. He really had no one to confide his worries and fears in, which is where the idea of Firenze came along as I've always had a hankering (hoofering?;)) to write him, and he was a character with no agenda who Dumbledore could unload a little on in the dead of night when all the doubts over what he was doing were there.

Firenze was a lot of fun. Might go back to him one day... ;)

[godricgal]

As Tater said, this is Dumbledore as we loved him prior to DH, and as we would have loved him to be for Remus. You write Dumbledore so well, whether he's contemplating Snape's surprise or the more serious issue of what he asks of those who follow him. You did a great job with Firenze, too -- though from Tater's comment, I'm now wondering if more than one us is contemplating James McAvoy as the mental image. ;)

[gilpin25]

Thank you.:D I do like writing Dumbledore and I am a little saddened by the fact that, for his part in DH, I got how hard it was to be the man making the life and death decisions in order to win a war, but slightly lost the sense of how much he loved those involved while doing so which I'd always had previously. So it was nice to remember what McGonagall said about him in the hospital wing, as I'm sure he would have regretted Remus leaving Tonks and not intended it at all.

The interesting bit about Dumbledore is that he has no one to confide in or trust, which was where Firenze came in handy. I've always had a hankering to write him, though I'm saying nothing about James McAvoy images... ;) There's only one way with centaur romance and I think that's not to do it!

Thank you again for a lovely comment.