Chapter 107

The Headmaster sat with his eyes closed looking like he was constipated. "Harry," he said. you do such a thing?"

"Why

ever

would

"It was you who told me in my first year, Sir, to 'Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself'," explained Harry. "Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, and I'm using his proper name, as you directed."

With another sigh, Dumbledore said, "Yes. Well. I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And, now I must ask you not to do that," he instructed.

"You want me to lie about it, Sir?" asked Harry, adopting a mien of confusion. "That's not right. Besides, enough people have heard it now the cat can't be put back into the bag. I'm not now going to go around telling people I misspoke. I won't lie to them, Sir."

"No, no," the Headmaster back-pedalled. "No, you can't do that. I'm just asking that you not... volunteer... any further information concerning Vol- Riddle."

"If you wish, Sir," replied Harry.

"I do," he said. "Now, about you not believing you were hit by the killing curse..."

"Again, Sir," Harry cut in. "I never said that. I asked why everyone else believed I was."

"Because you were, Harry," Dumbledore tried to explain.

"Really?" he asked right back. "How do you know that? Because, frankly, I can't see it."

"What do you mean?" asked the old man.

"There are two points that clearly show that belief to be in error," Harry explained. "The first is that a mere fifteen month old infant survived being hit by a curse that has never, and has never since, been survived. That, in itself, is ludicrous. And, second, the killing curse never leaves a mark on its victims. And yet I, supposedly, received this scar from it." He said, lifting his fringe to display the much faded scar in question.

"Next, there are no survivors from within the cottage that night, except me. Therefore, there was no one there to witness what curse was supposedly cast at me by Riddle. With those points considered there is no possible way anyone could know what really happened in my nursery at that time. I recognise that Pettigrew was probably around somewhere nearby, but I'd laugh at anyone who said he was the one who fancied up the story I survived the curse. No, I was the only survivor and no one's ever asked me for my version of what supposedly happened.

"It's my belief that whoever went around spouting off that I survived the killing curse that night, was spouting hippogriff dung. And I challenge them to prove their facts. Someone was just out to fancy me up as some kind of superhero so they could sell books or other products about me; or they have some other, malevolent, purpose.

"I neither asked for, nor wanted, the Boy-Who-Lived appellation. I have absolutely no intention of being anyone's hero, other than to these two ladies right here," he indicated both girls. "If the wizarding world needs a hero, you be that hero, Sir. You've done it before and I don't want the job. And, if anyone tries to force it on me, they'll get it flung back in their face.

"My family have done enough. I've more than paid my price. I lost my parents, and my paternal grandparents, to that nut-job. And, likely, my maternal grandparents. I lost my godmother and her husband to them; and my godfather lost twelve years of his life to them.

"More personally, I suffered ten years of slow emotional, psychological and physical torture to them. Yes, it was those arseholes, the Dursleys, who did that; but, I'd have never even have met them if not for Riddle and his lickspittles. I have paid enough. And there's nothing anyone can say to me to tell me otherwise. "With that in mind, last weekend we secured the services of a renowned wizarding legal firm. One of their tasks is to go after all the people who have unlawfully used my name to sell their products. Their instructions are to go after those people for every single knut they've made off my name, together with costs in damages to both my name and reputation. If it drives them into bankruptcy, I have no sympathy for them. They're just vultures who were looking to make a quick galleon."

Sitting back with another sigh, Dumbledore said, "Thank you for your time, Harry. You may go."

Harry immediately rose and, waiting for the two girls to stand, escorted them from the office without a backward glance.

"It seems spending a greater amount of time with Miss Greengrass and Miss Granger is making young Harry a bit more... forthright and confident in speaking out," Dumbledore said to Snape.

"He's even more arrogant than usual," sneered Snape.

"No, Severus," the Headmaster scolded his Potions Master. "I said forthright and confident. The boy is most definitely not arrogant. He's lately been proving he inherited Lily's clever mind."

Snape sneered a little more but held his tongue on the subject for the moment. "If that will be all, Headmaster; I have a class to conduct."

"Oh; certainly, Severus," replied the Headmaster, seeming to come back to himself from his thoughts. "Then, don't let me keep you from your duties."

As Snape stood and strode to the door, the three bondmates were already well on their way to their next class.

"Did you have to rub his nose in it, Harry," asked Hermione, scolding him a little.

"Anything to keep the man from meddling, my love," he calmly replied. "The more we can keep him hopping about trying to put out 'fires' I start, the less time he has to meddle in our affairs.

"You know he's looking for a way around our bonds to force me back to the Dursleys, don't you? He's going to be even worse after the night of the third task."

Hermione sighed and said, "I know. But he's the Headmaster, Harry. We're supposed to respect him, position."

at

least

for

earning

that

With a light unladylike snort, Daphne said, "And he abuses that position, Hermione. Where Harry lives outside of school terms is none of his responsibility or business. I fail to see how you can excuse him for his actions simply because he's in a position of authority."

"He's also Harry's magical guardian," Hermione explained. "That's why he has the authority to order Harry back to the Dursleys."

Daphne stopped them in the corridor, right then. "What do you mean, he's Harry's magical guardian? Harry's not muggleborn; he doesn't need one."

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