Power, Rage, and the Thin Ice of Manipulation

He paused for a moment looking for the right words to answer Harry's question and avoid angering the younger wizard further. Young Potter had proven last night that he was a very powerful wizard, though Dumbledore didn't know how he'd gained this power.

 While he was fairly certain that Harry's basic character hadn't changed all that much, Dumbledore knew he was treading on very thin ice where the boy was concerned. Harry had never been one to intentionally harm another, and would only hurt those who had first hurt him and given that he had done a great deal of harm to the boy, though most of it had been unintentional, right now Dumbledore knew he was a prime target for the boy's rage.

The last thing he wanted was that power turned on him the way it had been turned on Voldemort. He decided to tell him a partial truth. "You have no choice about coming back, Mr. Potter. When you first set foot on the Hogwarts grounds, you became subject to a binding magical contract that is intended to insure that you would complete your education there unless, as I said before, there is a request to change schools submitted to and approved by the Wizengamot. It will force you to return, since your name is on the roll of returning students for this year."

"You know that's twice now I've been told I'm subject to a binding magical contract and I've never seen either contract." Harry observed then glanced at Greeva. "I didn't know it was possible for minors to enter into legally and magically binding agreements and I know my Aunt who is my legal guardian, at least for now, didn't agree to it. So it can't be binding, can it?"

Surprised and yet oddly pleased that the most powerful wizard of the age trusted a goblin to tell him the truth instead of Albus Dumbledore, Greeva told him, "A minor can not enter into a magically contract, however, once you set foot on Hogwarts grounds, that constituted your aunt's acceptance of the agreement. Even if your Aunt never gave her vocal or written approval, by allowing you to go at all it was considered implied consent."

"So in other words I have no choice in this matter."

The comment was directed to Greeva, but Dumbledore answered it. "No, you don't, Mr. Potter, at least not until you turn eighteen or complete your magical education, whichever comes first."

"And what if I choose to ignore your 'binding magical contract'?" Harry inquired. "Will you send Aurors or members of the Order to fetch me, assuming they are brave enough to come? "

"You have no choice." Dumbledore repeated. "The contract will force you to comply."

Dumbledore wasn't really sure about that, but he could bluff with the best of them. The school might indeed consider the contract null and void in Harry's case, given that he, who in essence represented the school and all powers contained within it, had indeed snapped Harry's wand.

" Ah, so there is a legal version of the Imperious curse." Harry commented. "You just use it on children. I wonder if the parents of muggle-born children are told. I doubt it because if they knew, they wouldn't let their children within a thousand miles of any magical school."

Dumbledore's face grew stormy at the thought of the spell that insured magical children got a complete education being compared to the Imperious curse. "We do not use the Imperious curse on children."

"You don't." Harry just smirked. "What would you call a spell that forces a child to return somewhere they don't want to go? I suppose it does something to encourage them not to change their minds. That is coercion, Dumbledork. Look it up in a dictionary."

Dumbledore knew there was nothing he could say to change Harry's mind about the purpose of the spell that insured children completed their magical education so he didn't even try.

His face once more an expressionless mask, Harry resigned himself to spending one more year among the hypocrites of the wizarding world, before he could finally be free of it for good. He could probably break the spell, but that would mean going to Hogwarts anyway, since it was probably the source of the spell.

The problem was that if the spell had existed since the Founders time, then it was probably woven into the other spells surrounding the castle, which would mean any attempts to negate it, might bring the castle crashing down. Thinking about it for a few moments, Harry decided to comply, at least for now. In a way it was a better solution for the long run, he wouldn't have to rush disposing of whatever property he had in the wizarding world and he would have a chance to make those fools at Hogwarts pay. Yes a much better solution all round.

Deciding not to let Dumbledore know he'd won so soon, Harry asked, "Where's Remus?"

"I'm sorry." Dumbledore hoped he looked puzzled by sudden change of topic. He hadn't expected this question so soon, but he should have.

"Where… is… Remus… Lupin?" Harry repeated a little slower as if talking to a small child. "He wasn't at Azkaban with you last night and he certainly wasn't at that farce of a trial I got, so where is he right now? And while we're on the subject, where's Hedwig? I know she wasn't killed by those fools in Gryffindor House, so where is she?"

Knowing he couldn't avoid the issue, Dumbledore just hoped that Harry wouldn't kill the messenger. "Remus didn't believe you were guilty of killing Neville Longbottom."

Harry snorted. "So someone in the wizarding world had some brains. At least Remus learned, unlike the rest of you, not to judge things by appearance."

"Yes," there wasn't anything else Dumbledore could say to that, given that it was the truth. "Anyway, he was looking for the proof of your innocence, when he was killed."

"How?" Harry growled sounding almost like a wolf himself.

Knowing Harry would get angry if he found out later that any details were withheld, Dumbledore told him what little they knew. "Remus was found dead the night after the full moon. He'd been stabbed with a silver knife."

"Which meant it was someone who knew he was a werewolf. Which would be just about everybody in the wizarding world thanks to Severus 'I can't let go of a grudge' Snape." Harry pointed out.

Dumbledore knew that accusation was true. Prior to Snape's telling the Slytherin's about Lupin's condition, only a handful of people had known about it. "We assumed at the time that it had been someone with a grudge against werewolves who that knew he was one. Anyway, now that you've been proven innocent, we must assume it was a Deatheater, trying to prevent him from learning or possibly revealing the truth. Once they go to trial, we'll know which one it was."

"I'll bet it was Percy." Harry closed his eyes, determined not to let Dumbledore see the pain he was feeling. He would be sure to try and capitalise on it. "Where is he buried?"

Knowing nothing could take away the pain of losing the last link to his parents, Dumbledore did hope this information might ease some of the sorrow. "I had him buried in Godric's Hollow. Next to your parents."

"I'll have to be sure to go visit their graves. It's about time I was allowed to anyway." Harry commented more to himself than anybody else. Burying the pain, at least for a little while, he asked. "Where's Hedwig? Did those fools from Gryffindor kill her after they destroyed everything else I owned, while the teachers stood by and watched?"

"No, Hedwig is alive." The Headmaster was quick to reassure him. "However… I don't know where she is. Miss Granger decided that she would keep Hedwig, but Hedwig must have decided she didn't want to change masters."

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