"Sorry, Aunt Petunia."

Chapter 2: Dumbledore Is Less Than Useless

“Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, how dare you!” Professor McGonagall hollered as she strode into the office, Professor Snape in tow.

Harry initially wasn’t too happy when Professor Snape had said that they would need to inform her, but now, brought along to see her verbally chew out the person responsible for his placement at the Dursleys’, he was quite content.

But Dumbledore didn’t look concerned. And that made Harry feel concerned.

“What seems to be the problem, Minerva?” he asked jovially with a unnatural twinkle in his eyes.

“You said that you were keeping an eye on him!” she screeched, motioning vaguely in Harry’s direction. “You said that he was being treated properly!”

“Harry is standing here alive and with a healthy outlook on life,” Dumbledore said, finally putting away his quill. “I don’t see anything wrong.”

In that moment, Harry knew he had already lost. He had let himself feel hope when Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and even Madam Pomfrey had expressed concern about his well being.

But in the end, the decision would fall to the headmaster.

And he didn’t seem to think that there was anything amiss.

“‘Healthy outlook on life’?! What is that supposed to mean?!” Professor McGonagall looked like how his primary school’s librarian had when she’d seen the fire that Dudley had made in the library, using books as kindling.

The fault, obviously, had fallen on Harry.

“Harry was brought up to be a humble, friendly boy,” Dumbledore explained. “That’s all I could’ve asked for.”

“Albus, he was kept in a cupboard,” Professor Snape said quietly, as if keeping his voice low was the only way he could restrain himself from violently attacking the headmaster. “That’s not really the best environment for a child.”

Dumbledore’s shoulders froze mid-shrug, as if realizing halfway through the movement that it wasn’t really the best thing to do.

“What was done is done,” he said, finally. “We can’t change the past; we can only move forward.”

“So you agree that Harry should not go back there anymore?” Professor Snape asked.

“Don’t be absurd, Severus.” He made a sound that sounded dangerously close to a snort. “Of course he’s going back there, it is crucial that he does.”

“Crucial?” Professor McGonagall wore the look of cold fury that Aunt Petunia reserved for the rare times when Harry misbehaved in public. “How is sending him back to an abusive household crucial?

“Crucial for what, exactly?” Professor Snape’s voice was still quiet but even more lethal. “Albus? What are you planning?”

Dumbledore looked ready to evade the answer.

“Perhaps Harry should be taken to bed…” he suggested. “It is, after all, late…”

Professor McGonagall pointed a finger at him. “This is not the end of this discussion! You will answer me as soon as I return from taking Harry to the common room!”

Taking hold of Harry’s arm, she led him out of the room and down the moving stairs.

He was pretty sure that that was, in fact, the end of the discussion.

***

“What are you doing, Severus?” Dumbledore asked as soon as they were alone.

“Fulfilling my promise, as far as I’m concerned,” Severus said dryly. “You did make me swear to protect the boy. Or have you forgotten?”