Chapter 16

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 As Harry stepped onto the platform as the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade station, a half-giant came into view. Rubeus Hagrid. At that very second, an unbridled rage surged inside Potter. He'd forgotten all about the forest ranger, hadn't he? Ron and Neville, instantly picking up on their friend and leader's change of mood, tried to stealthily pick him up under his arms and drag him forcibly towards the carriage. The robes were wide and it looked as if the three boys were walking very close to each other. In such a crowd it didn't attract attention.

- Which one of us should have had our wands taken away," Neville grumbled, sitting down on the seat next to Harry.

 Longbottom wiped his forehead with his sleeve and glanced at his black-haired friend. He looked frowning, and it was obvious that he was lost in memories, and not pleasant ones at that. The boys decided not to touch him, hoping that by the time they reached the school gates their friend would have calmed down. Both of them understood Harry's feelings about Hagrid very well. They understood even better than Harry himself that the half-giant was his first friend. It was he - the Keeper of the Hogwarts Keys - who had been the one Potter had given that honourable title to. It was him, not Ron. He was given this title because of the fact that he had opened up the world of magic to an unwanted orphan. It was Hagrid who had given the first gift to a child unloved by his relatives... He was the one who, by his disbelief in Harry's innocence, inflicted the deepest and still unhealed wound on his heart. Hagrid had betrayed the one who had been his true friend and protector. Betrayed, preferring the side of Dumbledore, the one who had ruined the life of a gullible Gryffindor, first by making him believe in his, the headmaster of Hogwarts, death, and then by throwing him into Azkaban so that no one would know about the dark deeds of the "great and bright" wizard...

 They rode to the castle in silence. Harry was gradually pulling himself together so as not to give anyone any unnecessary thoughts. They had one unpleasant task ahead of them today. They would finally meet the people who would start paying the bills very soon. In the Great Hall, the three Gryffindors sat side by side. Not where Harry and Ron had sat before, but where Neville always sat. Hermione gave the trio confused looks, which changed to displeasure when she realised that two thirds of the Golden Trio were just ignoring her.

- What, Granger, they don't need you anymore? - Draco smirked as he passed by the scarlet-sign faculty table.

- 'Shut up, Malfoy,' Hermione's voice filled with obvious resentment.

- Has Potter really come to his senses and realised that someone like you isn't his friend? - Nott interjected, standing next to Malfoy.

- Mind your own business," the Gryffindor replied angrily, glaring at her 'friends'.

- It's a lot of honour to mind your own business. Merlin forbid I get dirty," Theodore chuckled and walked with Draco to his faculty table.

 The Gryffindors looked at Harry and Ron and Hermione in surprise, not understanding why the boys were letting the Slytherins insult their friend. They didn't even look in her direction, talking animatedly to Neville about something. The boys could hardly wait until the welcome feast was finally over. Harry was very annoyed by the numerous questions about where he had disappeared to this summer. The damning articles had done their job, and now Potter could only dream of peace. And soon he and his friends would be torn apart, all that was left was to wait for the moment when the goblet would produce a very interesting piece of paper. But first, it was necessary to prevent himself from snapping during the meeting with Dumbledore. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that the meeting would take place today.

 And indeed, as soon as the feast was over, a paper crane dropped down in front of him. It was a note from the old man, asking, or rather ordering him to come to his office right now. Harry mentally cringed at having to play the part of the obedient boy. How he hated that old bastard, how he wanted to torture him into a vegetable. Potter consoled himself with the fact that once the tournament participants were named, he could finally be himself. Harry rose leisurely from the table and headed for the exit. He had another ten minutes to finally get his feelings under control. Mentally he was working out who exactly would be present in Dumbledore's office when the 'great and bright' began to shame him. After all, in the old man's eyes, Harry was a selfish teenager who had been missing for the summer when the members of the Order of the Phoenix had been searching hard for him. As the young man thought, the old man's office would be filled with Weasley seniors, possibly Lupin, probably Kingsley, and certainly Snape. And if the latter was on his side, the rest were clearly in favour of Dumbledore. He wasn't quite sure about McGonagall, though. The Dean of Gryffindor was a dark horse and had not directly harmed him in THAT life. Still, who knew what was going on in her head? One had to be extremely careful with this lady. His intuition told him to stay away from her, because in his past, and current studies, she had always chosen the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

 "I wonder what he'll call those who were involved in my quest? After all, about the Order of the Phoenix I supposedly do not know yet, "- thought Potter, approaching the gargoyle. He knocked a couple of times on the door, purely for the sake of decorum, not out of respect for the old man. Hearing the invitation to enter, Harry pushed open the massive, oak door and entered the study. He surmised correctly, the room was packed with exactly who he thought it was. Snape was standing at the window, his back to everyone gathered. Lupin and the Weasley couple sat in chairs across from the Headmaster's desk. Minerva McGonagall occupied the chair next to the phoenix's perch.

- 'Hello, my dear boy,' Dumbledore greeted the Gryffindor with a sweet smile.

- Good evening, Professor," Harry nodded back at him, leaning his shoulder against the wall not far from the door.

- Have a seat," the old man gestured to a vacant chair next to Lupin.

 The young man hesitated for a couple of seconds, then sat down in the indicated seat. The chair was hard and uncomfortable, apparently the Headmaster had decided to show him his displeasure. Potter didn't give a damn about the old man's attitude to his person. Dumbledore noted that the Gryffindor didn't look guilty at all, which surprised him unpleasantly. The last time he'd seen the boy at the Dursleys' house, he'd been overjoyed. There was no doubt about that. Except that the old man hadn't realised that Harry Potter was not happy that the Headmaster had visited him, but that he was happy to see the Potions Master alive again.

- Harry, I'd like to know where you spent this summer," Dumbledore said, watching the student's face carefully, hoping that he would be able to correctly interpret the emotions that would be reflected on him.

 He cursed the boy's ability to unconsciously hold a powerful block on thoughts that was 'beyond even him'. Even though he had personally blocked that ability, Potter's mind was still well protected. He planned to deal with that next year, and Snape was going to help him with the problem.

- I can't say," Potter shook his head.

- Harry, I'm your Headmaster and I'm responsible for you. It's my responsibility to know where you've been. Especially since your family had such an accident over the summer," Dumbledore's eyes flashed with anger for a moment, but he immediately pulled himself together.

- I'm sorry, Professor, but I'm not allowed to reveal that information. The only thing I can say is that I was safe," the green-eyed wizard was pleased that the old manipulator wouldn't get the information he was so interested in.

 He used to tell everything to this spider, naively believing that the Headmaster of Hogwarts was infallible and doing everything only for his good. How blind he had been! This old man never cared about him, he always acted only in his own interests.

- Harry, you must tell Professor Dumbledore everything," Mrs Weasley said sternly. - Your disappearance has been very frightening to him and to us. We were worried sick not knowing where you were. Be a good boy and tell us where you spent the summer.

- I'm really sorry you were all so worried about me, but I can't really tell you where I've been. I promised that I would keep quiet. - Harry spread his hands.

 Dumbledore pressed his lips together angrily. The boy didn't seem to get the subtle hint with the chair. He was showing how comfortable he was sitting on it, and he didn't seem to notice that he had always been offered a chair instead of this bare wooden one before. Well, I guess we'll have to do things differently.

- Would you like some tea, my boy?

- No, Professor, thank you. I've just come from a feast," Harry smiled and shook his head.

 Anger flashed in the old man's eyes again, and Potter marvelled at how blind he had been in THAT life. Why he had never noticed what was so easily readable on Dumbledore's face. Apparently his belief in his sainthood had blinded him.

- Mr Potter, why didn't you warn the school authorities that you were without guardians? - McGonagall asked.

 The young man smiled broadly at these words and said in a cheerful tone that made those present grit their teeth.

- I have a guardian.

- And who is that, may I ask? - half a minute later, the transfiguration professor asked when she had pulled herself together.

- A very nice man," the smile never left Harry's face.

- Name, Mr Potter. Give me a name," Minerva demanded.

- Harry," the young man said confused, mentally laughing uncontrollably at the woman. - My name is Harry. Haven't you forgotten, Professor.

 As he turned to answer his Dean, he could see the Potions Master's shoulders shake. He was openly, though silently, laughing at the way the student was pissing off the head Gryffindor.

- Not yours, Mr Potter," McGonagall raised her voice.

- Whose is it? - The look of incomprehension was clearly written all over Harry's face.

- Your guardian! - shouted the woman, her left eye twitching nervously.

 Potter wondered if both of her eyes could twitch. And if so, what would it look like? So he continued to wind her up.

- Why do you want to know?

- I'm your dean!

- Well, it's only for the duration of your studies," the stroppy wizard stretched out.

- Harry, we're responsible for you," Dumbledore decided to intervene, seeing that his deputy was already in an almost inadequate state.

- But Headmaster, it's only for the period of study," the young man didn't give up.

- My boy, you don't understand. You are very important for us and the whole magical world. We are worried about you, in case you got into bad company. What if that guardian hurts you and we can't even come to your aid. Don't be stubborn, tell us the man's name.

- He won't hurt me. What makes you think he's bad company for me? He's a hundred times better than the guardians I had before this summer," Harry persisted in not giving a name, and there was no guardian.

 He's considered an adult because he's the Head of the family. No, sure, he could name Sirius to maintain the legend, but Black wasn't his guardian. But it was too early for them all to know about that, and Snape was the only one in this office, besides himself of course, who was in the know and he wouldn't say anything.

- Of course he's bad company for you! - Molly exclaimed. - Look what he's done to you! What kind of growth potions did that horrible man put you on? You can't grow that fast without health problems. Or was it not potions? Maybe he did some kind of forbidden, dark ritual on you? Where are your glasses? And why did he let you grow your hair so long? Who is he trying to make you into? You don't look like yourself at all!

- He didn't give me anything! He didn't do any rituals. And my eyesight fixed itself, too! - Harry jumped to his feet, acting out his excess of emotion.

- Why are you so protective of him? Why don't you say his name? Your parents wouldn't approve of such a thing. They must be very disappointed in you now, looking down on you from Heaven," Mr Weasley, who had been silent until then, said with a shake of his head.

- You have no right to say that. My parents would approve of my guardian. I won't tell you his name. I don't want you to deprive me of the one who gave me a family. If that's all, Headmaster, then I'm going to bed! Harry decided to play the world-hurt, cranky child who wouldn't listen to intelligent adults. Seeing that Potter was offended, Dumbledore decided to give him time to calm down. He would find out the name of the person who got custody of the boy anyway. For now, let him go, it's not worth ruining relations with him, because teenagers at that age become uncontrollable maximalists and can hold grudges against adults for a very long time. No method would work on him now, especially since he refused the tea, which had a little subjugating potion in it. Although it had never happened before, and he couldn't be forced to use potions, the boy's magic was too unpredictable. There was no need for him to trash the office or maim someone. Well, he, Albus, would wait. Patience had always been his hallmark.