`Let.me.out,..Harry.said.yet.again,.in.a.voice.that.was.cold.and.almost.as.calm.as.Dumbledore.s..
`Not.until.I.have.had.my.say,..said.Dumbledore..
`Do.you.‐.do.you.think.I.want.to.‐.do.you.think.I.give.a.‐.I.DON.T.CARE.WHAT.YOU.VE.GOT.TO.SAY!..Harry.roared..`I.don.t.want.to.hear.anything.you.ve.got.to.say!..
`You.will,..said.Dumbledore.steadily..`Because.you.are.not.nearly.as.angry.with.me.as.you.ought.to.be..If.you.are.to.attack.me,.as.
I.know.you.are.close.to.doing,.I.would.like.to.have.thoroughly.earned.it...
`What.are.you.talking.‐?T.
.It.is.my.fault.that.Sirius.died,..said.Dumbledore.clearly..`Or.should.I.say,.almost.entirely.my.fault.‐.I.will.not.be.so.arrogant.as.to.claim.responsibility.for.the.whole..Sirius.was.a.brave,.clever.and.energetic.man,.and.such.men.are.not.usually.content.to.sit.at.home.in.hiding.while.they.believe.others.to.be.in.danger..
Nevertheless,.you.should.never.have.believed.for.an.instant.that.there.was.any.necessity.
for.you.to.go.to.the.Department.of.Mysteries.tonight..If.I.had.been.open.with.you,.Harry,.as.I.should.have.been,.you.would.have.known.a.long.time.ago.that.Voldemort.might.try.and.lure.you.to.the.Department.of.Mysteries,.and.you.would.never.have.been.tricked.into.going.there.tonight..And.Sirius.would.not.have.had.to.come.after.you..That.blame.lies.with.me,.and.with.me.alone...
Harry.was.still.standing.with.his.hand.on.the.doorknob.but.was.unaware.of.it.
.He.was.gazing.at.Dumbledore,.hardly.breathing,.listening.yet.barely.understanding.what.he.was.hearing..
`Please.sit.down,..said.Dumbledore..It.was.not.an.order,.it.was.a.request..
Harry.hesitated,.then.walked.slowly.across.the.room.now.littered.with.silver.cogs.and.fragments.of.wood,.and.took.the.seat.facing.Dumbledore.s.desk..
`Am.I.to.understand,..said.Phineas.Nigellus.slowly.from.Harry.s.left,.`that.my.great‐great‐grandson.‐.the.last.of.the.Blacks.‐.is.dead?..
`Yes,.Phineas,..said.Dumbledore.
.`I.don.t.believe.it,..said.Phineas.brusquely..
Harry.turned.his.head.in.time.to.see.Phineas.marching.out.of.his.portrait.and.knew.that.he.had.gone.to.visit.his.other.paintingin.Grimmauld.Place..He.would.walk,.perhaps,.from.portrait.to.portrait,.calling.for.Sirius.through.the.house.….
`Harry,.I.owe.you.an.explanation,..said.Dumbledore..`An.explanation.of.an.old.man.s.mistakes..For.I.see.now.that.what.I.have.done,.and.not.done,.with.regard.to.you,.bears.all.the.hallmarks.of.the.failings.of.age..Youth.cannot.know.how.age.thinks.and.feels..But.old.men.are.guilty.if.they.forget.what.it.was.to.be.young.…
.and.I.seem.to.have.forgotten,.lately.…..
The.sun.was.rising.properly.now;.there.was.a.rim.of.dazzling.orange.visible.over.the.mountains.and.the.sky.above.it.was.colourless.and.bright..The.light.fell.upon.Dumbledore,.upon.the.silver.of.his.eyebrows.and.beard,.upon.the.lines.gouged.deeply.into.his.face..
`I.guessed,.fifteen.years.ago,..said.Dumbledore,.`when.I.saw.the.scar.on.your.forehead,.what.it.might.mean..I.guessed.that.it.might.be.the.sign.of.a.connection.forged.between.you.and.Voldemort...