HPF45-50

Chapter 45

"Yes, Master Harry," replied the elf with a little bob of

his head before he disappeared with a light crack.

He was back moments later with the tea serving before

disappearing again.

The other four sat and waited for Matthias to return.

When he suddenly pulled his head out of the liquid,

Harry almost dropped his saucer.

Matthias blinked a couple of times, before turning to

look at Hermione and Harry. "Well, that's a surprise."

Harry nodded as Matthias sat back, deep in thought.

"How is it that we are unaware of all this happening?"

Matthias asked. "You'd caught Pettigrew... and I know

it was Pettigrew because I knew him when he was a

student here... why have we not heard anything yet?"

"Then that takes us to what happened after that," said

Harry, sitting forward again.

Harry then stepped all four Greengrasses - Daphne had

not heard the full story before - through what

happened after the confrontation in the Shrieking

Shack. All three older Greengrasses interrupted, at

times, to clarify a few points. Harry was happy that

Hermione was able to answer many of their questions.

In concluding, he said, "So, no one will believe three

school kids, Remus is a werewolf and considered a dark

creature, Snape won't say anything because he

despises Sirius... Padfoot... and wants to see him Kissed,

when we spoke to the Minister about what we knew

he brushed us off and still demanded the Dementors

be brought in to see my godfather Kissed rather than

admit the truth. Even Headmaster Dumbledore

couldn't get the Minister to see reason and at least get

my godfather a trial, because it would make him look

like a fool to the wizarding public."

With a sigh of his own, Matthias said, "And I'm

guessing the favour you want to ask of me is to see to it

that Black gets his trial."

"In part," replied Harry. "The favour I want to ask of

you is to organise for me a solicitor to represent both

my godfather and me in all legal matters. There are

other issues as well that we simply cannot discuss with

you as yet."

Matthias was nodding along as Harry spoke. Then he

said, "I can do that. You'll need a solicitor who has

political clout, is experienced in criminal trials, can

liaise directly with the DMLE, and won't take being

browbeat by Minister Fudge."

"Plus," Harry continued, "I need him, or her, to be able

to go after the publisher of those books about me for

using my name and image without permission, has

experience in matters relating to libel... especially with

the publishers of those books and the media... and is,

above all else, scrupulously honest; and known for

being so.

"As soon as it becomes public that Sirius is being

represented by a legal firm or individual, Fudge is going

to directly attack through slander myself, Hermione

and Ron, at least; probably even Professor Dumbledore.

I want him slapped down if he tries to go that route."

Matthias sat and thought before he frowned and

muttered, "He would."

After they sat for a few moments to let that bit of news

sink in, Matthias shook himself a little and said, "Now,

you said you were going to tell us why you showed us

those names on the school Honour Roll, and the award

for that young Mister Riddle."

Harry smiled and said, "I was just going to tell you

about it. However, that was before you showed me

what a pensieve was and what it could do. How about I

give you the memory of Ron Weasley, me and

Professor Lockhart heading down into the Chamber of

Secrets to rescue Ron's little sister, Ginevra Weasley?

It's related."

"How long?" asked Matthias.

Already having thought about it, Harry immediately

replied, "About an hour. But, it's a very intense hour."

"Fine," said Matthias, after a few moments. "However,

I think we'll display this memory above the bowl, so we

can all watch."

First, Matthias scooped the memory out of the bowl

and showed Harry how to return it to his mind. Once

Harry was satisfied it was back, Matthias then took a

much larger memory out. This time the mass gathered

on his wand tip almost like silver cotton candy.

Once Harry was satisfied it was all out, Matthias

withdrew his wand and allowed the mass to drop into

the bowl.

This time, instead of dropping his face into the liquid,

he used his wand tip to activate a couple of runes. And

the image played out in an almost ghostly fashion

above the surface of the bowl.

The memory started with Harry and Ron cornering

Professor Lockhart in his office, forcing him to

accompany the two at wand point to the girl's

bathroom on the second floor. It went through the

opening of the entrance leading to the Chamber,

Lockhart's attempted mind-wipe of both boys, the

collapse of the tunnel roof, and Harry going on alone

and opening the inner door to the Chamber proper.

Then the talk with Riddle's 'shade', the battle with the

basilisk - where both girls immediately went to Harry

and nearly cut off the circulation to his fingers holding

his arms so tightly from either side - Harry being

wounded, Fawkes's tears, the destruction of the diary

and Riddle's shade, Ginny waking up, and Fawkes

carrying them all back up to the bathroom.

When it finished with Harry, Ron, Ginny and Lockhart

meeting Professor McGonagall in the bathroom, the

others sat there in stupefied silence for a few

moments.

Matthias shakily called one of his house elves and

practically demanded a glass of firewhiskey for himself

and Deece. Both adults downed the fiery concoction

without a further word.

With steam coming out of his ears, and a light burp of

flame, Matthias sat forward and almost moaned.

Daphne walked over to Deece and, sitting alongside the

woman, they cuddled each other.

"Y-you were twelve," Matthias softly said.

"Yes," replied Harry. He then pulled his wand and, with

almost a mutter, cast, "Expecto Patronum!" His

patronus, Prongs, surged forth from the tip of his wand

into the fully corporeal animal shape of an adult stag.

Prongs moved around the room a little bit before

returning to face Harry. The almost solid white and

glowing shape effused a feeling of love to all in the

room.

"Thank you, Prongs," Harry smiled before banishing the

charm.

Looking to the others he asked, "Feeling better?"

"Merlin, that was a powerful patronus," said Deece.

"Thank you, Harry."

Harry just smiled in response with a tiny shrug.

Chapter 46

"And that sword," said Matthias, finally gathering

himself, "The Sword of Gryffindor?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "I believe the Headmaster

currently has it in his office in a display case."

"Amazing," breathed Matthias, shaking his head; still

somewhat disbelieving what he'd just witnessed in the

memory. "And, how much did you make from the

potion ingredients and hide of the basilisk?"

"Sorry?" Harry quizzically asked. "I... don't know what

you mean."

"When you harvested the basilisk," explained Matthias.

"Surely, you've done that."

Harry slowly shook his head. "I didn't know I could."

Quite surprised Matthias asked, "Do you mean to tell

me the carcass of the basilisk is still lying down in the

Chamber?"

"Well, yes," shrugged Harry.

Matthias looked quite pained and explained, "That'll be

something else I organise for you, then. A basilisk of

that size will be worth millions of galleons, Harry."

"I never thought about it, really. I was just happy to get

out of there alive." Changing the subject he looked

resolute and asked, "After listening to Tommy-boy's

story; do you understand, now, why I took you to the

trophy room, first?"

Nodding, his mind elsewhere, Matthias replied. "He

Who-Must-Be-Named is really named Tom Marvolo

Riddle."

"Yes," said Harry. "Tom Marvolo Riddle; born the 31st

of December 1926. As you saw in the memory, his

made-up name is an anagram of his real name.

"His mother was Merope Gaunt; a near-squib witch

who lived in Little Hangleton in a shack in a small copse

of wood. His father, Tom Riddle, was a muggle squire of

the same village, living just up the hill in Riddle Manor.

So, Tom junior is a half-blood. So much for his

pureblood supremacy nonsense, yes?

"His mother, apparently, dosed his father with

Amortentia to get him to pay attention to her. When

she stopped using the Amortentia before Tom junior

was born, Tom senior dumped her in London. Tom

junior was born and, an hour later, his mother died due

to complications with her health and the birth. The

muggle medical staff was unable to help her.

"Tom junior was then raised in a muggle orphanage in

south London. An orphanage where the other children

knew he was different and treated him as an outcast.

That treatment may have tipped him over the edge into

what he became in later years. Though, even before

Professor Dumbledore took him his acceptance letter

to Hogwarts on his eleventh birthday, he was already

doing nasty things to his fellow orphans; and was

somewhat of a sneak thief and vicious. He used to kill

the pets of the other children, just to spite them. And

see it blamed on others.

"Once he became a student, here, he hid his origins;

but knew little of it, anyway. However, he spent a lot of

the school breaks researching. It was during first year

he discovered he was actually an heir of Salazaar

Slytherin, himself. He told very few people about that,

at the time. Those he did were all purebloods. It led

him to tracking down his maternal uncle, Morfin Gaunt,

in that same shack in Little Hangleton. During that

meeting he discovered his birth father was a muggle.

He then killed his birth father and family, implanted

false memories of the murder in the mind of his

maternal Uncle Morfin, and bespelled his uncle into

confessing to the DMLE he'd done it. It saw the man

sentenced to Azkaban; where he later died.

"In 1943, he also discovered the Chamber of Secrets

and released, at that time, the basilisk. That's how

Myrtle... you know her as Moaning Myrtle, the ghost...

died in the girl's bathroom on the second floor. Tom...

he was a prefect by then... and as with his uncle and

kids at the orphanage, blamed the whole thing on

another; a fellow student and Gryffindor, Rubeus

Hagrid. That's where his award came from.

"Tom junior figured out pretty quickly that the money

in the wizarding world is mainly with the old pureblood

families. To get hold of that money, he knew he had to

pass himself off as a pureblood. So, soon after he

finished Hogwarts, he ventured over to the mainland

and learned what he could. When he returned, he

came back and out with the name of Lord Voldemort.

And told all and sundry he was a pureblood.

"Using his false background of a pureblood he

demonstrated how he was the heir of Slytherin. He

then used that to gather pureblood supporters to

himself. And they brought him the money he needed

and wanted to prosecute a war against the wizarding

world.

"He told them that their perceived difficulties and fear

in life stemmed from muggleborns and muggles. He

then turned their fear of those people into hate, and

sent them after the muggleborn. That's a tactic that's

been used by megalomaniacs for many centuries.

Adolph Hitler was one such recent expert at doing that.

Later, he sent them against his real targets... other

purebloods... by referring to them, just as Grindelwald

did, as blood traitors.

"Tom is... was... not really a 'blood bigot'. Or, not in the

way people think. He's a 'blood bigot', alright. His

bigotry, though, goes counter to what people think. He

despises purebloods and their bigotry. He despises that

the purebloods control the wizarding world. It must

give him great joy to use the very people he despises to

attack and kill other purebloods.

"Look back at how many pureblood lines have been

wiped out by Riddle and his people - Meadowes,

Prewett, McKinnon, and Fenwick are examples. Take a

look at how many lines are close to extinction - Potter,

Bones, Longbottom, Rozier, Lestrange, Greengrass, to

name a few. Riddle was either directly or indirectly

responsible for them all.

"So, everything you thought you knew about

Voldemort and his origins, unless it gels with what I've

just shown and told you, is a lie. Sorry."

Both Greengrass ladies were in tears; Matthias, nearly

so.

"It was all a lie," sniffled Deece.

"Yes, Ma'am," replied Harry.

"How in Merlin's name do you know all this?" asked

Matthias, before he provided his own answer.

"Wait. Those three."

Harry couldn't correct the man's belief, due to the

confidential 'contract' but it didn't matter so long as he

was believed. Besides, he simply couldn't tell them he

knew the knowledge from their future. That was still

forbidden.

"Will you help us, Matthias?" he asked instead. "Will

you organise such a solicitor for me?"

"Yes, Mis... Yes, Harry; I will," replied the shaken older

man.

"Thank you," said a relieved Harry. "I thought I might

have had to go to the goblins to organise one for me."

"Oh, they'd organise one for you, alright," Matthias

nervously chuckled. "But, only one who was willing to

pay them sufficient kick-backs. But, that's not the sort

of one... or more... you need or want."

Chapter 47

"That's how I figured it," sighed Harry.

Nodding, Matthias continued, "I'll owl you with the

details; and ask, what ever solicitor I find, to do the

same. But, given the nature of the issues, it might be

more than one."

"Understood," Harry frowned and nodded. "I... hadn't

thought of that, before. But, of course, you're right."

For the rest of their visit, the Greengrasses and the

future Potters spoke of inconsequential matters. It

ended with an invitation.

"This Christmas is out, if what I'm hearing is correct,"

said Deece. "But, I'd like for you two," she said,

indicating Harry and Hermione, "to think about coming

to stay with us at Greengrass Farm for at least part of

both the Easter and summer breaks."

Harry glanced at Hermione and, between them, they

each knew the other would want that.

"We accept," replied Harry. "And, thank you."

Deece smiled and said, "There's no need to thank us.

You're bonded to our eldest daughter. You're now

family."

After the Greengrass parents left, and Astoria headed

back to her own House, the three sat down to talk

about what was discussed.

"Why didn't I know of all this, Harry?" asked an upset

Daphne. "I was here. Why does none of the rest of

us know this? Not how big the basilisk was, not about

Riddle, not the true story about your godfather,

nothing."

"Because Dumbledore's been hiding it all," replied

Hermione. "Think about what would have happened if

the wider wizarding community knew of all this?"

"Dumbledore would have been sacked on the spot,"

said Harry. "If not lynched."

Thinking a bit, he asked Daphne, "What do you know

about what happened to Professor Quirrell in first

year?"

With a quizzical frown, Daphne said, "He was injured in

the last month of the year and retired. Understandable,

really; as a defence Professor rarely makes it to the end

of the year."

"Daphne, Professor Quirrell is dead. He was being

possessed by Riddle and I killed him in self defence,"

Harry flatly said.

Daphne stared back in dawning horror as she went

white. "No!"

"Yes," said Hermione. "I didn't see Harry actually kill

him; but, I know when and where it happened. Clearly,

that's something else Dumbledore's covered up."

"But, how?" asked Harry, clearly confused. "We've got...

what... three hundred and fifty students, here? How

could news of all this not have gotten out?"

"Area wide charms?" Daphne asked while looking at

Hermione.

Hermione frowned back and said, "It's possible.

Something tied into the wards, perhaps?"

"It would have to be something very subtle," mused

Daphne. "It'd be detected by parents or guardians each

time the students returned home on breaks,

otherwise."

"It would only need to be subtle," Harry cut in. "All it

would have to do is make the student think it was

unimportant to discuss with others. It wouldn't be an

obliviation, so much as a consideration that the

information the person had wasn't important enough

to tell anyone else."

"A mild compulsion, then," said Daphne. "It could be

tied into the wards; or, it could be in potion or charm

form. The first makes more sense than the second or

third, because there are some students who

deliberately carry around potion and poison detectors...

especially in Slytherin... and a compulsion potion, no

matter how weak, risks being detected.

"And a charm would have to be quite powerful to last

the entire time of the student's break. That's the sort

of thing that's also aimed at an individual, rather than

an area effect as this seems to be. No, it's a ward based

on a charm; it has to be."

"Then, it's Dumbledore," sighed Harry. "No one else

has control of the wards. Dumbledore's supposed to

hand the wards off to McGonagall if and when he

leaves the school grounds. However, I'm very sure he

never does that. The fact there is compulsion charms

tied into the wards should be spotted by McGonagall

pretty quickly if she gets the wards handed to her."

"If it's hidden under or behind other wards... or forms

part of another or more wards... she wouldn't," argued

Daphne. "She'd have to go looking for them; and she

has no reason to do that."

After the conversation petered off, the three decided to

shelve everything else and head down to the Great Hall

for the evening meal.

Chapter 48

The rest of the weekend passed without any event of

note. On the evening of the Greengrass visit, the two

girls, once again, joined Harry in bed. And, again, he

made no comment or move, other than to allow them

to slide in on either side of him. They did the same

thing the next night.

Once they were all settled on the Sunday night, he

asked them, "Though I certainly don't mind, you know

there are two bedrooms with their own ensuites that

aren't being used now?"

"Don't be silly, Harry," chuckled Hermione. "We still

use our own bedrooms and bathrooms. Where would

we get cleaned and dressed if we didn't have them?"

Harry had to bite his tongue not to answer that one.

However, Daphne had clearly come to the same answer

on her own. "Not yet, Harry; alright?"

"You know I don't mind," he responded. "Whatever

you're comfortable with is fine by me. If you want, we

can discuss each step... each stage... before we take

that step. What do you think?"

After having already turned out the lights, Harry was

unable to see the expressions on the faces of the other

two. So, he just waited to hear what they'd say.

Hermione answered first. "That makes a great deal of

sense."

"Mmm," murmured Daphne. "Yes. I... think I'd like

that."

Within a few minutes, with all three thinking about

that plan, they drifted off to sleep.

Monday morning began when the three bondmates

walked in to the Great Hall for breakfast, it was to see

the Headmaster once more sitting at the table; though

looking quite unwell.

The three looked at the elderly man strangely before

heading to the Gryffindor table to break their fasts.

When they arrived, but before sitting, it was to see the

two youngest Weasleys also sitting there. That stopped

the three of them cold.

Furious, Harry stormed up to the head table.

From a distance of about two feet from the leading

edge of the dais he shouted at the aged Headmaster

while pointing back at the Gryffindor table. "What the

Hell are those two doing here? Why aren't they in

either a Ministry holding cell... or, better yet...

Azkaban?"

"Potter!" Snape loudly snarled. "You arrogant little snot.

How dare..."

Which was as far as he got before Harry pulled his

wand from his pocket and, with a loud bellow of

"Stupefy!" launched a knockout curse right at the tall

black-dressed man.

Snape had to dive sideways out of his chair as the back

of it nearly shattered from the impact of the curse.

"Harry!" exclaimed the Headmaster, quite shocked.

"Sorry, Professor!" Harry smartly replied. "I was under

the Imperius curse! Either that, or it seems to be a

compulsion of some sort that makes me attempt to

defend myself from verbal assault each time some

person abuses me."

"Now, Harry," stuttered Dumbledore. "I don't think

that's possible."

Meanwhile, Professor Snape repaired and retook his

seat, clearly looking to hex Harry right back, but - after

a sneer from Fake-Moody where the man was still

filling his role as the real Moody and appeared ready to

defend the three teens - withheld himself.

"Ah!" Harry happily exclaimed to Dumbledore. "So, you

agree that all those claims of being under

the Imperius curse by the alleged Death Eaters in 1981

weren't possible. Well, seeing as you know

that... and as you're the Chief Warlock of the

Wizengamot... I'm sure we can soon look forward to all

those perjurers facing justice and being sent to

Azkaban for their crimes.

"How soon will we be seeing them on trial, Chief

Warlock Dumbledore?"

With a look crossed between one of sorrow and anger,

Dumbledore replied, "I think we'll take this to my office,

right now, Mister Potter," and moved to stand.

"And miss breakfast... the most important meal of the

day... Sir?" Harry shot right back.

Hesitating a few moments with a steely look at Harry,

Dumbledore replied, "After breakfast, then," and

settled back down again.

"In the meantime, Sir," Harry smoothly asked, "Perhaps

you can tell me why Ronald and Ginevra Weasley are

currently sitting at the Gryffindor table? After all, they

tried to poison me with love potions only a few days

ago. And it appeared they were planning on doing the

same to my bondmates."

"We'll discuss that in my office after breakfast, Mister

Potter," the Headmaster firmly stated with a hard look

back.

"In that case, Sir," Harry firmly said, "We three will

enjoy our breakfast at the Slytherin table. I don't want

to heighten the risk of any of us being poisoned again."

Without awaiting a response, he turned to Professor

McGonagall and clearly said, "Professor. As we have

been summoned to the Headmaster's office after

breakfast... a man who, when we last visited his

office, illegally attacked both me and Miss Greengrass...

as mine and Miss Granger's Head of House, I ask for

your attendance, as well. I have no need to ask for

Professor Snape's attendance on behalf of Miss

Greengrass as I have no doubt he'll be there; whether

his attendance is requested, or not."

Without awaiting a response from Professor

McGonagall either, Harry turned and led the two girls

over to the Slytherin table.

During breakfast, Harry broached the subject of the

three of them being re-sorted.

"I think we should, just to get away from the Weasley

potion princesses," Harry quietly said to the other two.

"Plus, I can see how uncomfortable it is for Daphne to

sit there or here."

"Then what House would we go into?" asked

Hermione.

"Harry's right; and Ravenclaw," replied Daphne, equally

quietly. "The three of us are clearly going to be

considered smart enough to be in that House. We'll just

need to convince the Hat."

"The Hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw during my

initial sort," Hermione admitted. "But, I begged it to

put me into Gryffindor; because that's the House

Headmaster Dumbledore was in when he was a

student here."

"You already know I was supposed to go into

Slytherin," Harry added.

"And it considered sorting me into Ravenclaw, as well,"

said Daphne. "So, we're agreed? Ravenclaw?"

Harry and Hermione both nodded their heads.

Chapter 49

Harry quietly said, "Now for the next problem. I think

it's time I lost my temper with the Headmaster in his

presence."

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Hermione, a little

worriedly.

"I believe... know... the Headmaster is going to try to

blow me off," he replied. "I intend to lose my temper

with him to get what we want."

"And that is?" asked a wary Daphne.

"We all know there is no way in Hell Dumbledore

wants to see me leave Hogwarts," replied Harry. "If I

was to leave, he'd lose control of me. And,

he's never going to allow that to happen. So, I'm going

to give him a very strong ultimatum. If he doesn't meet

it, I threaten him with withdrawing and going back to

the muggle world. That's something he'll never allow

to happen. So, we can force some changes out of him."

"Clever," said Daphne. "In that case, let's go through

what we want to see happen to make things better

both around here and for us."

And the three made plans.

Once they'd finished breakfast, where Harry could tell

Daphne was still unhappy about sitting at a table

anywhere near Theo Nott, he led both girls back to the

head table. Dumbledore had already left but Professor

McGonagall was clearly waiting for them.

"Ready, Mister Potter?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry replied.

The walk to the gargoyle at the base of the stairs

leading up to the Headmaster's office was done in

silence. Professor McGonagall led the way with Harry

almost directly behind by a couple of paces. As per

usual Daphne was on his left and Hermione on his

right.

After the Professor gave the password, the only words

spoken, the four ascended the stairs. Usually, the

Professor would chat with Harry on his way to see the

Headmaster. However, this time she did not. Harry

could see his soon-to-be ex-Head of House was quite

tense.

Walking in to the office, Harry could see around the

Professor and see the Headmaster seated behind his

desk; and, of course, Professor Snape sitting on his

stool in the corner, glaring back with a sneer firmly

affixed to his face.

"Thank you for bringing Mister Potter, Minerva," said

the Headmaster. "You may go."

With a short bow, the Professor turned around and

began to leave before Harry, looking straight at her,

asked, "Where are you going, Professor?"

When the Professor turned back to Harry he said, "It

is I who asked for your attendance here as my Head of

House, and as is my right to have you in attendance

when I'm being interviewed by the Headmaster. Why

are you leaving?"

"Now Harry..." stuttered the Headmaster.

Harry ignored him and continued to stare at Professor

McGonagall. "Professor?" he prompted her.

Surprisingly, Professor Snape kept his mouth shut.

With a frown the Professor turned fully back and

replied, "My apologies, Mister Potter. You are, of

course, correct." Then, looking at the Headmaster, she

said, "I'll be staying, Albus."

That was it for the Potions Master. "Potter! You're as

arrogant as your father!"

Showing great restraint, Harry merely cocked an

eyebrow at the black dressed Professor as the

Headmaster held up his hand and said, "Severus, that is

enough."

Turning once more to his Head of House, Harry said,

"Professor. For the past three plus years I have been

subjected to ongoing systematic abuse from Professor

Snape. In almost all that time I have bided my time

waiting for the senior staff of this school to curb his

behaviour. I have bided in vain.

"So, I put to you, that if you do not curb Albus's dog,

forthwith, I will kill the fucker!" he said with the last

five words given with a pronounced snarl while staring

at the shocked woman. "Have I made myself perfectly

clear, Professor?"

"Harry!" exclaimed the Headmaster as Hermione did

the same, but continued with, "Language!" Professor

McGonagall's eyes near bugged out as her jaw dropped

open. As such, she didn't respond.

Harry, quite furious, turned back to the Headmaster

and coldly but vehemently said, "Everyone has a

breaking point, Headmaster. I have reached mine. If

you're worried about whether or not I'll go dark, this is

how it'll happen. I have had a fucking gutful. I will

tolerate no more."

He then turned to the man himself and said, "This will

be your first and last direct warning. Abuse me ever

again; I will do my absolute damnedest to kill you. And

I won't necessarily come at you from the front or with

wand in hand. You have now exceeded my patience."

After coldly staring at the man for a few moments

longer, Harry turned back to the gob smacked

Headmaster and said, "Now; we are here to discuss

why the two youngest Weasley children are back in the

school after their criminal attack upon my and my

bondmates' persons. I'd like to know why."

The Headmaster, clearly and utterly stunned by Harry's

remarks, sat staring back at Harry for a long few

moments with a look of complete shock on his face. No

one said a word. Everyone else was too shocked to

utter a sound.

Eventually, the Headmaster blinked away his surprise

and said, "Err... y-you've given me a lot to think about,

Harry. I-I'll be up late considering your words."

"Don't blow me off, Headmaster!" Harry interrupted

with a snarled yell. "I came here to get answers as to

why the two youngest Weasley children are back

where they can, once more, attempt to poison myself

and my bondmates. I will not put myself or my

bondmates at risk another minute more. I'll need

a damned good reason, right now, why I shouldn't take

my own action to rid myself and my bondmates of that

threat."

That was it for the Headmaster. Losing his own temper

and beginning to radiate power the Headmaster shot

to his feet, glared right back and snarled, "You do not

get to dictate to me, young man. I am the Headmaster

here. And, what I say goes.

"You will calm down, right this second, or you will find

your wand snapped, your magic bound and

being expelled."

As anticipated by the three and not backing down one

jot, Harry snatched his wand out of his pocket and

threw it into Dumbledore's chest, where it bounced off

before landing on the desk. "Then, there's my

wand... snap it! After what's happened to me this past

three plus years... the amount of times my life has

been at risk under you as Headmaster... I'm going to be

a lot fucking safer back in the muggle world."

While the boy and the man stood facing off one

another, Professor McGonagall gasped in horror at

what Harry said. Even Professor Snape went a little

white and lost his sneer. Hermione dropped her face in

her hands, quietly sobbing, while Daphne appeared

flat-out stunned.

Chapter 50

When it dawned on the Headmaster what it was Harry

said, he too went a little white and near collapsed back

into his chair before properly retaking his seat. He

simply did not know what to say.

A little quieter, Harry snarled, "I've had it, Headmaster.

I am not kidding when I tell you I've had enough. I have

finally reached the end of my tether with the fucking

lot of you; and, unless things immediately become a lot

safer for me around here, I'm gone!

"You can snap my wand, you can bind my magic, you

can expel me from the school; the bond between

Hermione, Daphne and I has not been finalised; so,

doing all that will not unnecessarily harm them."

After a short hesitation he said, "I'll even make it easier

for you. Tell me, right now, what the Hell is going on

with the two youngest Weasleys being back here, or I

head to the DMLE and demand my immediate

expulsion from the magical world. I'll be gone from this

world before the sun sets."

The Headmaster knew right then things had escalated

to the point where all was lost unless he immediately

acted. He sighed and sat forward with his elbows on

the desk, his hands clasped and resting his forehead on

them. As he looked down, he could see Harry's wand

sitting on the desk between his elbows, waiting to be

snapped.

Harry waited for a few long moments. When the

Headmaster still didn't say anything he huffed and said,

"Right." He spun around to look at Hermione and

Daphne. "Sorry, ladies," he said to them both. "But, it

looks like this is where we part ways."

He then stepped forward to give Hermione, still

sobbing, a hug. He needed to say goodbye. "Take care

of yourself, Hermione. If Malfoy calls you a Mudblood

again, give him a good swift kick in the goolies for me,

yeah?" and pulled back.

While holding her in the crook of his left arm, he used

the ball of his right thumb to brush away the tears on

her cheeks as she looked back and nodded.

"Hey," he said. "You know I can't stay. Sooner or later

one of these death-defying risks to me in this school

will no longer be defied; and, I'll be dead. Its better I go

now, before the bond finalises and risks your health

along with mine."

"I know," she sobbed. "You need to take care of

yourself, Harry. I'm going to miss you." Then she kissed

him on the cheek before backing away.

"Me too," he replied, before turning to Daphne.

Daphne immediately came forward and enveloped him

in a hug of her own; which he returned. "Goodbye,

Harry," she said. "I'm sorry things didn't work out for

you... for us."

Pulling back, she then broke down in tears.

"Hey," he softly said. "Please don't cry on my behalf.

You know I need to do this."

"Mister Potter," the Headmaster called.

Harry ignored him, for the moment, as he tried to calm

Daphne down.

"Mister Potter," the Headmaster called a little more

loudly.

Giving it another couple of moments while he held

Daphne, Harry then turned to Dumbledore - who had

quite the unusual expression on his face - and replied,

"I'm not ignoring you, Headmaster. I'm saying goodbye

to these two lovely ladies."

"Mister Potter," the Headmaster said once more. "I

cannot expel the two Weasley children because they

have not yet been found guilty of a crime."

Harry snorted back and said, "No, maybe not. However,

you most certainly can suspend them until the results

of that trial are determined.

"However, we've gone beyond that, now. The two

Weasleys are only the latest of my issues with you, the

rest of the staff and this school. Now that we've

reached that point it's easy for me to recognise the

truth. If things stay the way they are, here; I'm going to

die before I can graduate.

"So no thank you, Headmaster," Harry sighed. "I've had

enough. And I can't see you, with your 'you must learn

to forgive' bullshit, doing what needs to be done to

make the rest of my time in this place non-life

threatening... even if securing the safety of your

students is your primary responsibility as Headmaster."

"What do you want me to do, Mister Potter?" the

Headmaster quietly asked.

"Headmaster, you can't be..." exclaimed Professor

Snape.

"Silence! Severus," the Headmaster half-bellowed in a

snap right back at the man. "Things

have clearly reached the point where Mister Potter

feels quite comfortable... and that it's his best option...

to give up his magic rather than stay here another

moment, as the way things are. And I find

that horrifying.

"Clearly, I have been incredibly remiss in my

responsibilities as Headmaster; and I intend to rectify

that, immediately." He then turned back to Harry and,

in a softer voice, again asked, "What do I and the staff

need to do to change your mind, Mister Potter."

Harry stared back at the old man with Daphne still in

his arms, and thought about it for a few moments.

Finally, with a huff, he replied, "Fine." With a nod of his

head towards Professor Snape, he said, "Professor

Snape needs to immediately and forevermore cease his

attacks on myself, other students and the memory of

my father. I will not tolerate a single instance of abuse

from the man, ever again. The fact that he abuses a

student... any student... should see him immediately

placed on probation; and, any further instances,

summarily dismissed. He may be one of magical

Britain's premiere Potions Masters, but he sucks as a

teacher. Instead, he's a bully.

"He takes points for things like 'blinking too loudly' or

'asking a question'. That is, of course, if you're not a

Slytherin. If you're a Slytherin, you get points for things

like 'looking attentive' or 'wearing green'. It makes a

complete mockery of the points system. And the points

system is a fundamental core of your discipline system.

Many students now ignore the system because

Professor Snape has tainted it to the point its nought

but a joke. As such, many... if not most... students now

can no longer be bothered with earning points or losing

them."

The man in question seethed in his place, but kept his

opinions to himself.

"Next," Harry continued. "The ongoing abuse of

students by other students, for whatever reason, must

end immediately. Use of the term 'mudblood', or

similar sneers, must see swift punishment of the

offender. And, the punishment must be sufficient

enough to have those who offend think twice before

doing it again. Make terms like 'mudblood' and

'half-breed' taboo words anywhere on Hogwarts

grounds, on the Express and on both train stations. It's

flat-out bullying and needs to be dealt with.

"This year, you've told us we're to have delegations

from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Do you really want

them to experience Hogwarts with none of that fixed?

What sort of image does that promote?