The Gift of Disdain

"Professor McGonagall, Dobby said you wanted to see me." Harry stood in the doorway of the Headmaster's office a blank expression on his face.

"Come in, Mr. Potter." She ordered. "Have a seat."

"I'll stand ma'am." Harry told her as he went over to look out the window. "What did you wish to see me about? I was involved in some research in the Library, since I wound up with an unexpected free period."

McGonagall just stared at him. "Come now, Mr. Potter, I don't think it was quite as unexpected as you are making it sound. At least I doubt it was for you."

Harry shrugged. "I knew it was coming. I just didn't know when."

"Why did you have Professor Snape and the Headmaster arrested?" McGonagall wanted to know. Remembering his comment at Ollivander's she asked. "Is this how you planned to get the Headmaster back? Are you going to be having us all arrested?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "I said I would deal with Dumbledork in my own good time. You should also be aware that sometime within the next week an Auror will probably come to take me to Snape's hearing and if they've arrested Umbridge, probably hers as well. As to last question, professor haven't you been told that thinking someone is out to get you is the first sign of paranoia? You'll end up like Moody, if you aren't careful."

"I think I could be somewhat justified in my belief, given what I am told you sent to Miss Granger." McGonagall countered dryly.

"Oh," Harry smiled. "She got her present. I am glad." At the concerned expression on McGonagall's face, he asked, "Are you telling me she didn't like her gift and after all the thought I put into finding just the right thing to let her know how much her friendship meant to me? I mean I know how much more she cares about house elves and other non-humans than her supposed friends, so I thought it would be the perfect present."

"I doubt anyone would appreciate receiving a box of decapitated house elf heads as a gift, Mr. Potter." McGonagall pointed out. "Especially if one of them is still bleeding. I think it made her afraid she might be next."

Harry shook his head again. "That wasn't my intent at all. I know how worried she is about the house elves and wants them to have equal rights with wizards so I thought she would appreciate having these to take care of. Like I said, I know she is far more concerned with their welfare than with the welfare of her human friends. And after all the trouble I went to make sure they got there, she still didn't appreciate the gesture." He lowered his voice slightly as if he were sharing a secret. "I had to take a lot of care with the package before giving it to the postman, because he might not have delivered it, especially if he knew what was in it."

McGonagall realising she wasn't going to get anywhere else on this topic, returned to the reason she'd requested he join her. "What charges were brought against Professor Snape and the Headmaster?"

"Professor Snape was arrested on charges of mind rape and assault." Harry reported flatly. "Dumbledore was arrested as an accessory, probably because he allowed Snape to do what he wanted to me unmonitored, even though he knew the bastard hated me because of my father."

"Potter!" McGonagall snapped at him. "All of your teachers have told you they will not stand for you speaking about them and to them in such a disrespectful manner."

Harry's face was an expressionless mask. "And the last time you said that, I told you that the first time around my respect was freely given. This time it will have to be earned. Was there anything else ma'am ?"

"Yes, there is the matter of your detentions." McGonagall remembered the complaints from the teachers who had assigned him detention. "You haven't shown up for any but the first and after that one, Mr. Filch said he would not oversee any more of your detentions."

Harry smiled at the memory her words conjured up.

.....

Flashback

Trophy Room

Filch and Ms. Norris were waiting for Professor McGonagall to bring Mr. Potter down for his detention. He had purposely allowed Peeves to mess up the room as long as nothing was irreparably damaged, just to give the arrogant brat some real work to do.

"Potter, you will be serving your detention with Mr. Filch." McGonagall told him as she left him at the doorway to the trophy room.

"Get in there, boy." Filch ordered, once the teacher was gone. "Your job is to clean this room until it is spotless, without using your wand to clean it. I'll be back in an hour, so you'd better get started."

Harry didn't move.

"Get a move on, boy," Filch ordered. "You have to have it all done by curfew and that's in an hour."

"It's already done." Harry countered, leaning back against the wall outside the doorway. "Hard work it was too."

Filch grabbed the young man by the arm and prepared to drag him into the trophy room only to stand there stunned in amazement as he looked at the now empty room.

"What did you do, boy?" the caretaker growled.

"I'm going to give you this warning only once, Filch." Harry told him, his eyes filled with icy fire. "Do not ever call me boy again. I promise, you will not like the results."

"What did you do?" Filch shrieked.

"Calm down, Filchie." Harry patted the man on the back. "I just did exactly what you told me to do. The room is now spotless. And I didn't use a wand to do it either."

"Put them back." Filch growled.

"Now why would you want me to do that?" Harry gave him a confused look. "I thought you'd be happy. Especially since I went to all the trouble of making sure you'll never have to clean this room again."

"Put everything back the way it was." Filch demanded. "Or I'll make sure you are expelled."

"You know Filchie, that threat only works if someone really cares about staying here." Harry told him. "Your threats are meaningless, because I really didn't want to come back here in the first place. You have no power over me because there is nothing you can threaten me with that will make me do what you want. Not to mention the fact that Dumbledore wants me here, so he won't expel me. If you want those stupid trinkets back, I suggested you ask me nicely ."

Looking at the implacable expression on the boy's face, Filch knew he had lost and that if he wanted the items he was responsible for back he was going to have to do what he really didn't want to do. "Please, Mr. Potter, put the trophies and their cases back where they belong."

Harry clapped the caretaker on the back. "See that wasn't so hard." He gestured toward the trophy room. "There they are and I even cleaned off what Peeves did to them." As he turned to leave, he added, "not very nice of you by the way allowing Peeves make an even bigger mess in there."

End Flashback

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