Chapter 24: Negotiations

"You seem to have something to tell me, Mr. Weasley" The headmaster said as he got up from his seat and went to one of the cabinets in his office. He no longer had the severe expression from before, his words were gentle and his expression was friendly, he gave the feeling of a kind old man. He picked up a bowl from inside the cabinet and placed it on his desk, it was full of candies, "you fancy a sweet?" Said as he unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth.

"Are you a pedophile?"

"Cough... cos... cos" The director gulped down the candy, choking upon hearing me ask that.

"Why do you ask that, Mr. Weasley?" I ask while he composed himself.

"You have a good position of power that gives you access to the students, are very famous, and have a good reputation as a cover, acts very friendly enough to gain trust with the image of a friendly and familiar old man... even offered me candy" I said, causing a laugh from one of the paintings that stopped, suddenly hiding it when everyone else looked at it.

"Hehehe" he chuckled slightly, "Mr. Weasley has a particularly strong sense of humor"

"I'm not denying it" I said as take one of the candies from the bowl.

"Although not everyone is capable of supporting it, like Miss Granger, for example" he said waiting for my reaction. I only paused for a moment and then nodded to him, to which he said intrigued and in a questioning tone "You don't seem surprised that I know"

"It would be weirder if you don't know considering that you run the castle," I told him, "which may surprise me a little is that you haven't stopped me"

"I thought to give you a warning if you continued like this. It's not good to play with a girl's heart to this extent, but you stopped before I did anything" He explained, acting normally as if an old man were advising a young man "I'm interested to know what it's Mr. Weasley wants from me to request a punishment as a way to stay here"

"I wanted to meet with you, although it seems strange that we haven't done it before. I thought that after showing some of my skills I would be called here, but it seems that I was wrong"

"Hehehe, you're not the first person with something special. Just like your shape-shifter friend. We don't meddle in students' lives because of their 'special characteristics' unless it's dangerous to other people inside Hogwarts"

"Hmm, just as doesn't meddle in students' lives because of rumors like this…" I said, so that we both stayed silent for a while "Though I should thank you for that, it was thanks to your abstinence that I was able to achieve my goal, although I didn't think it would get as far as to make it to the wizarding world's journals... well not so soon" I said as I picked up 'the prophet' from the desk to look at the news about me, although my name was not written on it luckily.

"Are you trying to say that everything you said earlier was a lie and did you plan all this on purpose?" He asks, raising an eyebrow in false surprise.

"We both know that it's true and that it's not. I don't believe that if you know about Hermione, you don't know what Tonks and I did. I was a little surprised that you didn't say anything during the discussion, although nothing was to my expectations. The only thing that you may not know is the reason I really did this, since only I knew it"

"I didn't say anything because I wanted to see what you were going to do. I wasn't going to expel them or anything like that anyway, least of all considering the howlers your mother sent me like at the beginning of the year because you were placed in Slytherin or the night of yesterday when she found out about her situation. Truly a scary woman, but she takes very good care of her children, I don't want to mess with her" He said laughing as leaned back in his seat and then getting serious to continue "When I hear what you said about your situation in Slytherin I felt a little guilty so I let you go on. I wouldn't have gotten too much into it anyway, even if it's intentional, it's still a couple of kids who don't understand the consequences of their actions, although they caused a problem particularly big. But you're right about something, I don't know why all this" he got a little serious when affirming the last part.

"Now that I think about it, maybe it's just for fun" I said and we both stood in silence looking at each other for a while "And because I wanted to have something else to Negotiate with"

"Negotiate?" He said intrigued.

"Yes, the reputation of the entire school and several teachers are at stake. If I pushed more to the wrong side, everything could get worse, I guess Rita Skeeter would be very excited to receive a full interview" I also leaned back in my seat.

"How bold!" It was heard from one of the paintings on the wall.

"I don't understand with what guts a simple first-year student dares to threaten the headmaster" continued another.

"Yes, it should expel you for what you did" Another.

"Silence," Dumbledore silenced them, as the murmur was building up. "Why are you so sure of this?" he said, not flustered like the other directors in the pictures.

"Because, considering how famous you are, must have many enemies who would take advantage of any opportunity. 'Politics', I hate, but we can't avoid it unless we have the power to break them all"

"Hohoho, you're right that over time there are many people who disagree with me and that many expect to see me spiral down, but that doesn't indicate that what you did is really a problem without a solution" He laughed quietly, it was something amazing that in all our conversation his friendly demeanor has never changed.

"It's true that considering your influence it wouldn't be much of a problem for you, but if things continue like this, Hogwarts will remain an unsafe place for children, and someone like Harry Potter would associate with people like me in a place like this could end up causing public opinion and the interference of certain people to complicate what you plan for him" I finally said getting another expression out of him, he narrowed his eyes when he heard me mention Potter, but he quickly composed himself.

"Why do you think I want something for Mr. Potter?"

"You're not going to tell me that you don't treat him differently, leaving aside my jokes about your interest in children. I've seen how you looked at him at the selection ceremony, your particularly happy face when he entered Gryffindor. That the keeper of keys goes to look for him personally after not receiving answers to his letters when that is the job of the teachers, because as far as I know, Rubeus Hagrid is forbidden to do magic so he could not prove the existence of the magical world to his tutors... is if were almost as if you already assumed he was coming to Hogwarts anyway. There's also the fact that after breaking the rules he became Seeker for the quidditch team when, in reality, he should be punished... That's it special care. You could tell me that it's a bit of compassion because he's an orphan, but I don't think he's the only one who lost his parents. There was a war a few years ago and many children lost their parents as parents lost their children. Susan Bones, for example, but I don't see her getting the same treatment" I ranted a bit using knowledge of the original story, but no one knows that, I can just say I heard it.

"I was an acquaintance of Mr. Potter's parents and..." he said, stroking his beard as if explaining the whole reason for the matter.

"Believe what you want to believe" I interrupted him before he started a speech to excuse himself.

"I don't understand where I get such ideas, Mr. Weasley, I won't treat my students differently. I still don't understand why you do all this, if I needed something it wasn't necessary to use such drastic means" He said, still denying it, but already trying to get an answer from the child who was not behaving like one.

"I used these means and I tell him these things without fear because it is very convenient for me in the future and I am almost sure that you will not kill me after listening to me so we could reach an agreement"

"It seems that you have a very bad idea about me if you doubt that, Mr. Weasley. I would never harm one of my students, my duty as headmaster is to protect them and guide them on the right path if they stray" he explained without the slightest disgust for my words.

'And how have you been so far?' I thought.

"Then what do you want from me? To have gone through so much and to receive a rejection from everyone just to be able to 'negotiate' with me, it shouldn't be something simple. I want you to remember that there are things that are out of my power" He clarify thinking that my requests could be either very simple for being a child or very complex.

"You are very famous and very old, your means are beyond many people, I think you could achieve almost anything in today's world," I told him while crossing my legs and connecting my fingers together "I actually thought of many things that I want, but none very urgent. I'll think about it when I have something else to blackmail him with" I said causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"I don't think it's appropriate for you to have such ideas, Mr. Weasley, utilitarianism will not necessarily bring the best result. If you always seek the end, regardless of the means, you will hurt many people who may be important to you. Even if you achieve everything that you want, if in the end you are left alone it won't matter anymore" he advised me beyond the current private conversation.

"I understand that, but I still have to do certain things, but let's not delay this any longer" I said, since I got tired of so many laps. Part of the conversation was to establish me before him, I knew things and I wasn't a normal kid, I didn't want to leave a bad impression, but I only came up with this way.

"Okay, tell me what is that you want so much to blackmail your director" he said somewhat comically, but very seriously.

"You know about the ministry of magic program where seventh-year students do their internships in different places to practice a trade, where Tonks is... I want to join the same auror department as well" I said, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"You'll have to excuse me, but even if you threatens me, I can't do that. You're very young and they wouldn't let an eleven-year-old boy participate in the program, that's not within my control, it's part of the ministry" he denied while opening his hands.

"Come on Gandalf. I'm not an ignorant child who doesn't know anything, I know well that with your contacts you can do something, if you want all Hogwarts students to participate in that program, although it's difficult I think you could get it. What costs you one? If you wanted, you could have been a minister without anyone having been your competition, I know that you can do something, and it would be very easy for you"

"I might have a better chance of making it happen, but I won't. I told you that my duty is to protect my students and that's too dangerous, seventh graders have various knowledge to defend themselves unlike you. If you were to ask me to join some administrative part or something here inside Hogwarts, then I would agree more to your request, but in the auror department, you will be exposing yourself to the real danger that I won't allow. You may want to accompany your friend, but just It will get her in trouble by wasting her time trying to protect you, putting her at risk as well, and I don't think that's what you want, right?

"Hahaha, I'm not as reckless as a Gryffindor. You wouldn't think that I, having gotten here the way I did, would put myself in mortal danger just because" and I snapped my fingers making my clone appear next to me "He would be the one to send in my place, I won't be in the slightest danger"

"Certainly I had forgotten about your ability, something quite convenient, really" he said looking at my clone while rubbing his chin, but still disagreeing with my request. "But what does it tell me that if I let you into the program "he's signaling my clone" he wouldn't stay here and you'll go with the aurors, I don't plan on risking it" He made an excuse.

"Okay, I'll prove it to you" I said as I grabbed one of the knives to open envelopes that were on the table.

My clone rested his hand on the desk and I clenched my teeth as I cut his little finger, surprising the director. My clone used blood magic to prevent the bleeding from the wound on his hand, while I did the same with the severed finger while raising it in front of the headmaster.

"See" I said holding back my tears and my cry of pain, if it weren't for [Calm] and [Essence of Will] couldn't keep my seriousness.

Looking inside the clone's severed finger, could see that there was no bone or meat, everything was red. The inside was made of blood, but at different consistencies. Where there should be bone, there was blood with the solidity of bone, where there should be meat, there was blood with the consistency of meat, and so on with the rest of the clone's body.

"You can check it yourself anytime, though not too drastic, I hope" I said as I undid the clone, so both the clone and the finger disappeared.

"Fuush" he sighed "I guess I should admire your determination" He said clearly conflicted "I don't understand why you can't use it like so far, reading books in the library"

"Because it's not all in the books, it took some field experience if I want to improve"

"And why this eagerness to become stronger?" He asked confused and one of the questions that mattered most to him after seeing that I didn't mind cutting my finger to prove it since he saw that I clearly felt it.

"Just be strong, do what I want without anyone controlling me, protect what I want to protect, be free, and prepare myself for the possible dark future that we will have" I said, causing him to frown.

"Why do you wait for things to get dark?" He was truly intrigued.

"I don't understand why you ask me that. You yourself survived two dark lords, who say that I will not have to face a third, fourth, or one hundred and twelfth. Something inside me repeats to me that something bad is going to happen, and I am someone who follows my instincts "instincts, my knowledge about the original story, one, or the other, but it is not necessary to say it "That's why I am preparing myself, when whatever happens I will be prepared" try to show confidence in my words.

"Even if something bad were to happen, that's something for adults to figure out, it's not something a child should worry about at this age" he had a tired and somewhat melancholy face without the previous mood.

"Can you assure me that nothing bad will happen or if it does happen I won't be affected in the slightest just for being a child? If so, I have no problem putting everything aside and enjoying my life at Hogwarts like any other child" I stared at him waiting to see what he would say.

"I can't do it" I sighed somewhat bitterly "the fate of each one is something mysterious, but even so I think you should take things easy, I don't agree with your request" He said something down, but he resumed his momentum by refusing my request again.

"You should agree after understanding my reasons" I complained, somewhat tired of the old man's refusal "I don't think you have become the most famous white magician sitting at this desk, right? I won't say anything about the creature of four-star classification that is kept inside the castle, which I think is a little... very illegal" I said, drawing his attention again with a frown "I don't know why you have it in such an accessible area, like in the third floor near the classrooms behind a door that can be opened with a simple opening spell"

"Hehehe... There's nothing to worry about him, it's well controlled and isn't a danger to the students" he laughed strangely while scratching his beard, I guess for some embarrassment "I personally made sure that he couldn't harm any student," He clarify as if that was a sufficient answer.

"Still, what do you think parents would say about something like that, so close to their children? I suppose this would help a lot for those who want to see you fall" I raised an eyebrow at him "I don't care why it's there, I don't plan on getting in their way like I hope you don't get into mine either. I won't say anything, as I want us to be on good terms for future exchanges. I won't say anything about the dark wizard teaching classes either"

"Dark wizard?" He concealed his surprise, although he was no longer surprised at what he was saying, as if he already saw that it was possible for me to jump with anything.

"You're not going to tell me that you don't know, if so, I think I'm talking to the wrong person. I have an ability that allows me to sense the vitality and power of nearby creatures, although weak it still allows me to know when there is someone rarer than usual, you, for example, don't have as much vitality as other magicians I know, but your power makes you look like a lamp in the dark"

"Interesting, and who do you say is the black magician in the school?" He asks already determined not to try to hide anything.

"Quirrell"

"Professor Quirrell? I thought I'd say it's someone like Snape, I know he's not well liked by the students... but your choice seems interesting to me. Even with an ability like yours, your assumptions can be wrong" He says, sneakily asking for my answer.

"Snape is a bit insufferable, but he's not a bad guy at all, he's a good teacher who gives his all to his subject, in his own way. And it can't be anyone but Quirrell. He's just entered this year as a teacher, so no one would notice something in a short time. His acting of weakness is too believable, he's like me in Slytherin, if I showed an ability to defend myself then they would pay more attention to me and it's the same with him. If he shows weakness, more people will reject him as a suspect, unless it's someone who looks further and knows that being weak is even more suspicious. His insistence on covering himself in garlic to cover up the natural smell of black magic that he gives off, I don't know if he is an undead that is rotting inside, but that smell is torture"

"Interesting deduction, I suppose that's why you stopped going to his classes, isn't it?"

"No, it's because he's a lousy teacher, even if he wasn't just any black magician or was You-Know-Who himself, would go to his classes if I had something to learn from them. But I'm surprised you don't try to deny it now, like you always do with the things I mentioned before"

"I don't think you'll believe me if I do" he made a surrender expression.

"Very likely, but I won't get involved in your choice of teachers either, you do your thing, I do mine. I think I've shown enough kindness for you to reconsider my request."

"humm" He went to one of the windows of the room and looked outside. He was no longer looking like a friendly old man, but more like a tired old man" I guess you were ready for this, I'm between a rock and a hard place" he said comically "I don't agree with what you do or you ask me, but I guess at this point I'll have to reconsider" he began to think, although I don't know if it was about what I said or about other things.

"I think it's the best for both"

"You know, when you were very little I went to see you at your parents' request" he brought up the subject out of nowhere.

"...I don't think I remember"

"You were too small, you still didn't walk" he sighed "When I saw you I didn't see a normal baby, your gaze was not that of a child. While your parents were worried, I wasn't, no matter how different you are, you were a child after all and the only thing that mattered is that you enjoyed everything that children should enjoy without having to worry about the dark times we lived in... But I don't feel that things have turned out well now. You are too mature and you will lose many of the wonders of youth because of it. You shouldn't worry and feel obligated to do what you do, it would be nice if for a moment you were just a child and enjoyed it, otherwise, you might regret it in the future when the responsibilities and weights of an adult fall on you"

"When I acted like a child, Hermione's happened" I reminded him, although I understood his words. I was not like a child, despite my temperamental attitude.

"Every child makes mistakes, though yours are particularly... 'interesting'"

"I'll fix it later, can I get an answer?" I got up from the chair.

"I will consider your request, Mr. Weasley, but I want you to know that not everything is about power, there are also people with whom you can befriend and enjoy life, even within the turbulent tides and the darkest darkness."

"I'll take it as a yes. And don't worry about that, I have friends to share with and others to recover... besides, my clone will take care of the hard part, I'll continue here having an almost normal student life.

"Okay, you can go, is late for your class. Let's say your punishment will be postponed for now" he laughed and dismissed me, but he clearly had things to think about "and I would appreciate it if you didn't say anything mentioned here, even with his close people" he reminded me, looking me through his glasses.

"That was already clear from the beginning, and please stop trying to look inside my head, I can feel it, that's an invasion of privacy, old pervert" I told him to go through the door and leave his office, but not before being able to hearing some laughter from one of the office cadres that stopped suddenly again.

When I finally got out and walked a bit down the hall, I was mugged by three anxious people. It was Tonks and my brothers who were waiting for me.

"Red! How did it go? What happened?" Tonks asked impatiently "why did you stay?"

"Yeah Red, you won't get expelled, right?"(Fred)

"If so, we'll take it upon ourselves to blow up all the toilets in protest"(George)

"All the things we've done added up are more than this"(Fred)

"If they didn't expel us for that, then they can't expel you (George)

"Everything is fine, I needed to talk to the headmaster alone about something, I won't be expelled or anything, everything is fine and things will be cleared up by noon"

"Whew" Tonks sighed "Seriously, I'd better get away from you, I don't know why I agreed to your plan, we could have been expelled" she complained about how close we got.

"But everything went well" I reminded her.

"That's right, you caused quite a stir throughout the school and beyond, according to Tonks"(Fred)

"And you came out without any consequence, you make us proud"(George)

"I think you might outgrow us in time"(Fred)

"It's the same, luckily I'll only stay here until Halloween and then I'll stay away from you. I feel that if I stay close to you for a long time my heart won't take it" she said jokingly, but also with some sincerity to herself.

"LOL"

"why are you laughing at?" X3

"Nothing, we're just going, we have classes. By the way, here's the map." I gave the marauder's map back to my brothers so they can give it to Harry in the future, if the original story didn't change enough.

After that, we divided up and each one went to our classes or other things. Everything was normal, apart from the judging looks I received. When noon arrived, I went to the Gryffindor table, but away from Hermione.

I sat next to my brothers, in addition to seeing how Ron and Harry looked at me strangely, it seemed that they had heard the rumors, but from their looks, they didn't quite understand my situation and how significant what was being said about me was. Hermione didn't even look at me after seeing that I sat down in Gryffindor.

The remarkable thing is that Errol arrived, almost throwing our food if it weren't for the fact that he was caught in the air by Fred.

He had something for me, it was a red envelope that when I took it began to get hot, it was a vociferous letter, when the others saw it they were also surprised. I knew it was from mom, but I didn't plan to listen to it. If I didn't open it, it would explode, so I quickly opened it, but before mom's screams could be heard, I used my blood magic to drown the letter inside a floating ball of blood.

"Glu... glu... glu..." something was heard in the air.

"Glu... glu... glu..." something was heard in the air.

The card has enchantments that would prevent something like this from negating the screams being heard, but the blood I'm handling is loaded with my blood magic, which is interfering with the magic on the card itself. After submitting it for a while, the letter stopped, I don't know if it was because the message ran out or because I destroyed it with my method of shutting it up, but I don't care. I left everything as before the letter appeared and continued eating, some people looked at me for what I did, some who knew it was that letter were astonished, like my brothers, but I ignored them.

It was in the middle of lunch that the headmaster called everyone by hitting a cutlery on a glass, taking into account that we are in a room full of children and adolescents, one would think that it would be impossible to establish order with that simple action, but the man's prestige It helped a lot and before long there was silence in the room.

"Dear students, I have brought your attention to put an end to a situation that has been going on at Hogwarts for a few days now. I think you all should know about the rumors going around about the student Red Weasley" he said, causing the murmurs and glances at me will explode throughout the room" Silence! I'm here to be able to deny those rumors, since they have caused a lot of damage to the school and those involved" When he said those words, everyone was silent, somewhat surprised, although most took it as something normal, considering how easy it would be to ruin the reputation of the school with such rumors.

Headmaster Dumbledore started his speech where he's practically telling the story that I had told in front of the professors in his office, although much more elaborate and much more believable, it is the benefit of the experience I suppose. He did much better than me. . He even use my drug-dealing joke, just a little more refined and PG-friendly, so to speak.

"For this reason, I hope you stop judging the students and teachers who were sadly involved in this great misunderstanding so much. It would not be the first time that an innocent person is affected by a simple confusion, and possibly not the last. I personally made sure to ascertain that all of these rumors were false and I would like us all to go back to our lives as before the rumors started circulating.

There were different expressions all over the room. People like Percy, Penelope, Tonks, and my Brothers were relieved to see it all worked out and some of them were amazed that my plan to fight poison with more poison was working.

Most of the Slytherin hated me even more, I may not really be a slut like they thought, but I still tarnished the name of the house, plus the blame for my actions fell mostly on them, even if the headmaster didn't say directly.

The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were somewhere between embarrassed to believe the rumors and outraged, especially Hufflepuff, who was one of the main sources of spreading. Ravenclaw, for their part, although they mostly believed it, didn't say anything about it, so it didn't change much for them.

The outrage was directed mainly at Slytherin, as usual, a source of trouble. Adding today thing was like adding another stripe to the tiger, but even so, several students from different tables were dissatisfied with them.

And at the Gryffindor table the only one I cared about, besides my siblings, was Hermione. She seemed completely surprised by what she heard, it seemed that after what happened, for a moment, she cut off her contact with the real world, so she hadn't found out what was happening. It was the first time that she intentionally looked at me again after what happened, although she quickly averted her eyes when she noticed that we were looking at each other. In addition to surprise, I also saw in her face some indignation, which changed to guilt and then hate again.

And so the rumors at Hogwarts ended and life returned to normal, or almost. When I returned to the Slytherin dormitory accompanied by Snape, I received deadly glares from several people. Snape gave a speech where the first half if he had genuine dissatisfaction with his students, and the other half was said out of sheer obligation. The snakes had to agree to everything I said and apologize from time to time, causing even more hatred against me.

Then he went to where my room was, and looking with disgust at the place, he waved his wand and the words 'Blood Traitor' disappeared. After that, he left, and all the snakes wanting to jump on my neck, but they didn't, not after a few minutes after the teacher left, they only contained their hands and strengthened their gazes. This is going to get ugly later, I'm pretty sure.