Chapter 8: Truthful Dumbledore

They had a few carefree days before they were interrupted. Harry had gotten all his letters out and had received all the replies in return.

Hermione had written him, and they set up a time to get their supplies with Ron for the end of August. It was a good thing that Harry had written Ron, he and the twins were about to fly to Surrey again to rescue the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry's letter had arrived just in time.

They had heard that Sirius had escaped prison, then heard that he was innocent, but had not been seen. They were unsure as to his intentions on Harry. Harry wrote back letting them know that Sirius was his godfather, and that he was with him now.

Sirius and Harry had talked about it. It didn't matter who knew. No one could take Harry away from him. They were going to Gringotts today to get the wills read, and that would make it official.

Since Sirius was still suing the ministry, he still hadn't gone there to get his stuff, or answer any questions. When they sent him letters to come in for questioning, he referred him to his lawyer, which was his cousin Andromeda Tonks.

They were sitting eating a full English breakfast, that both Kreacher and Dobby cooked, when there was a knock on the door.

"Dobby will be getting it," the elf said, snapping his fingers and popping away. Dobby had been hired on as a friend in need of work. He didn't want to take a bond, just yet. He wanted to test to see how long he could go without one, before he needed to bond with Harry. Harry was fine with that, as long as Dobby was good physically. As soon as his health was in jeopardy, then they would bond.

"I want to see this," Harry said, sneaking to the doorway. He waved his hand and made an invisible shield that hid him from sight of the door.

"Why?" Sirius said, coming up behind him. He too would not be seen.

"I think it's Dumbledore," Harry whispered, having felt the man's signature. It felt like sweets. That man ate far too much candy. It made the teen wonder if wizards got type II diabetes. Not that he knew much about that, but he was sure it had something to do with age and sweets.

Remus just shook his head and continued to eat his breakfast. He was upset with the headmaster for so many things, especially since Harry had told them about his first two years in Hogwarts. He could just suffer whatever Harry did to him. He knew that Harry was keeping some secrets from him, and that was okay. He didn't need to know everything. All he knew was that the teen had a power upgrade, just not how much of an upgrade. It was for the best. He was still debating on whether to ask the boy if he could cure him.

Dobby opened the door and saw the old man standing there in a summer rain. He too was upset over the trials the man had put his soon to be master through. He thought that the headmaster was a kind man, but now he saw him as a manipulative old man. One that had hurt his soon to be master. He would pay.

"Ah, Dobby, I see you've found work. Does that mean Harry is here?" Albus asked, trying to enter the home, and failed.

"Yous is not being wanted here," the elf informed him, putting up a barrier preventing the man from coming in.

"Whatever do you mean? I am a friend of Sirius's and Harry's," the confused man asked, waving his wand, and taking down the barrier. He stepped forward again, only to be met by another barrier. "My dear elf, why are you hindering me?" he asked, his hair and beard getting soaked with rain. The hair plastered to his head and body like a white river.

"Yous is not being wanted here," Dobby repeated, this time with menace, which looked strange on the normally docile elf.

"Can you please inform Sirius that I am here?" Albus tried a different tactic. He didn't understand the elf's anger. Hadn't he given the little creature a job when no one else would. Shouldn't that have endeared him to the elf? Why was there such menace now? Did Harry tell him something? He hated when stories were broadcasted without his input. Now he would have to do more damage control.

"I wills be telling him. Yous wait here," the elf said, closing the door on his face, almost getting his overly long nose.

"Dobby, that was brilliant," Harry said, leaving the doorway and patting the elf on the back. "Give us a few minutes to clean up breakfast, then let him in," he said, going back into the kitchen. He was going to finish his breakfast. The old man could wait a minute or two.

"Why are we letting him in at all?" Sirius wanted to know. He was surprised that Harry didn't turn him into a teacup. He had done it to the Dursleys. Though Remus didn't know that, and hopefully never would. "It's not like we have anything to say to him," he added, still not sure why they were letting him in.

"He's not really hurt me directly," Harry said, scooping up the last few bites of his eggs and jamming them in his mouth like only a teen can do. He still thought of Dumbledore as a kindly old man, something akin to a grandfather. Sure, he was a bit manipulative, but he had never directly hurt Harry, and he had saved him a time or two.

"But he has indirectly," Sirius said, pushing his plate to the middle of the table, showing he was done. It disappeared via house elf.

"Yeah, but I'd like to know what he has to say. It's not like he can send me back. The Dursleys are gone," Harry said, swallowing more than was good for him. "For all I know Dudley's been put in the system. I'm not going through that." He pushed his plate in the center of the table.

"Well, let's let the headmaster in out of the rain," Remus said, getting up from the table and heading to the door. When he got there, he opened it and saw the old man had conjured an umbrella.

"Ah, Remus, my good man, may I come in now?" Albus asked, not seeming the least bit put out at being left on the doorstep.

"Come in, Albus," the werewolf said, holding the door open and letting him in.

"I see that you have cleaned the place up a bit," Dumbledore said to Sirius, taking in the cleanliness of the hall. He put the umbrella in the troll stand at the foot of the stairs. He looked and saw the beach scene and wondered what had happened to Mrs. Black, but he decided not to ask. He knew that Sirius hated his mother.

"Dobby and Harry did quite a good job," Sirius said, turning and leading the way to the living room. He still didn't want the man here, but he might as well hear what he had to say.

"Harry?" was the questioning reply.

"Yes, Headmaster?" Harry said, coming out of the kitchen chewing on an apple.

"Ah, my boy, I thought I'd find you here," the old man said, like he had discovered he was right about something the whole time.

"Where else would I be?" Harry asked, a confused look on his face.

"A very good question," Albus said, turning and following Sirius into the living room. "One I will endeavor to answer," he said, waving Harry to join them.

Harry shrugged and took another bite of his apple as he entered the room and sat next to Sirius on the sofa. Remus took one of the chairs, as did Albus.

"Why are you here, Albus?" Sirius asked, not one to beat around the bush. "We have an appointment soon," he added, knowing that they needed to get to the bank before noon.

"I was wondering where Harry was, and now I've found him. I need to inquire if he knows what happened to his family," the old man said, smoothing down his beard to sit in his lap.

"As I told the cops; we all went to bed one night, when I woke up the next morning they were gone. Well, Vernon had gone to hospital the night before, but Petunia and Marge were gone the next morning. Dudley was there, but all the adults were gone," he said, his face a mass of confusion, like the whole thing was a mystery.

"You heard nothing in the night?" the headmaster asked, thinking only a magical could make a family disappear. But the question was why?

"No, nothing," Harry said, looking to Sirius.

"Sirius?" the old man said in an accusing tone.

"Don't you bloody well even think of accusing me of anything," Sirius said, pointing his finger at the old man. "I don't even have my wand. I haven't done any magic since I escaped. Ask Remus, only he and Harry had done any," he pointed to his friend and godson. He was lying through his teeth, he had found a wand here in the house, but he hadn't done any magic before they got here.

"Harry is underage," the old man pointed out.

"You know that law is bullshit in houses like this one," the infuriated man said, still pissed that the headmaster would try to pin this on him. "That still doesn't negate that I haven't done any magic. I don't even know where Harry was living. I don't like that you're trying to blame this on me," he said, slamming his hands on his legs. Ready to punch the man in his overly large nose.

Harry was internally panicking. He had no idea they would try to accuse Sirius of getting rid of the Dursleys. It would fit though. They disappeared the same time he escaped. Just in time for him to get custody of the Boy-Who-Lived. That would not look good. He would have to do something. He lifted his hand only for Sirius to grab it. He looked to his godfather, who shook his head.

"But…" Harry said, looking at the headmaster, who was giving him a queer look.

"No," was all Sirius said, then turned to the old man. "I'd drop this if I were you," he told him.

"I apologize," Albus said, seeing he was upsetting Harry. He would come back to it if he got more evidence. He would have to go to Privet drive and take a look around.

Harry once more raised his hand, only for his godfather to grab it again. "Excuse us," Sirius said, dragging his godson out of the room. They made it to the kitchen, where the dogman threw up a privacy ward. "You can't make the headmaster disappear. He's too important to just vanish." As much as he'd like that, there were probably too many people who knew the man was here.

"He can't just go around accusing you of a crime you didn't commit," Harry said, just as harshly. He didn't understand what the problem was.

"He's got nothing on me," Sirius said, waving it away, and the man didn't. He could chase shadows all he wanted. There was nothing to connect him to this crime.

"Maybe I can make him tell the truth, like I did with Peter," the teen suggested, liking that idea. If the headmaster couldn't lie, then he couldn't go around accusing Sirius of crimes without evidence.

"He's too wily for that. You'd have to go a step further, and let people know that he's manipulating them, or exaggerating. Like a sign above his head that he can't see, or something," the dogman said, chuckling at the thought. He could just see it now.

Harry liked that thought and waved his hand and did just that. The headmaster would no longer be able to lie, and when he told the truth others would know if he was being completely honest for honesties sake.

Sirius took down the ward and they went back into the living room to hear the last of the conversation between Remus and Dumbledore.

"… there is still a job if you want it," the headmaster was saying. Little did he know, there was a sign over his head that said, 'minor manipulation' in neon green. It was blinking so it couldn't be missed.

Remus was looking at the sign and wondering where it came from. "What is the real reason you want me there?" he asked, not looking at the two hiding in the doorway. He figured that Harry was the reason for the sign. He wasn't going to give it away. Let the old man be oblivious.

"I would like for you to keep an eye on Harry. You were his father's friend, and he needs to be kept on the right path," the old man said, like Harry was hanging around the wrong crowd. There was a sign over his head that said, 'mostly true' in neon orange.

"Harry is a good kid, who, as far as I can tell, has good friends. Why does he need watching?" the werewolf asked, not sure what the old man wanted.

"He might be influenced by the horcrux in his forehead," Albus blurted out, then looked startled that he had said that at all. "I mean, he might be influenced by Voldemort," he tried, both times the sign said, 'truth' in neon pink.

"Harry, is there a horcrux in your head?" Remus asked the teen, who was looking shocked at the news.

Harry shook his head; he knew there was no dark magic in his body. The lightning had cleansed him of everything impure. He knew that instinctually.

Sirius took him at his word and glared at the headmaster.

Remus got up and waved his wand at it and it came back clean of magic. "There is no magic behind this scar," he said to the old man. "First you accuse Sirius of murdering the Dursleys, now you accuse Harry of harboring dark magic, what is your problem?" the werewolf was getting angry.

"No, that can't be true," the old man said ignoring the accusations, getting up and drawing his wand to check himself. He got the same results, which shocked and confused him. "How?" he asked, backing up and sitting in the chair. "How did you get rid of it?" he directed the question to Harry.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Harry said with confusion showing on his face. There was no way he was telling this old man anything. His image of the man was completely changed in one afternoon.

"I must go. I have much to think about. Remus the job is yours if you want it. No strings attached," Dumbledore said, the sign showing he spoke the truth.

"I'll think on it," the werewolf said, looking to Sirius.

The old man all but ran out of the house.