A Little Help from a Snake // Tomarry

Part 32*

Harry himself spoke, mostly answering questions to elaborate on a particular memory here and there.

"You did not know anything about the wizarding world at all?" said Madam Bones, aghast.

"I did not until I met Azure when I was ten," replied Harry.

Murmuring broke out in the courtroom, and many people turned betrayed looks to Dumbledore. He had stated time and time again that Harry was perfectly fine and loved. What they were hearing contradicted all of the above. And based on the memories, it wasn't Harry that had been spoiled rotten.

Dread coursed through Dumbledore as he watched. He had hoped to diffuse the tension, but it was clear that his usual tactics would not work. His mind was working in overdrive as he tried to come up with a solution. It had been bad enough that Harry had been Sorted into Slytherin, but if he allowed Sirius to take custody of him, he would be lost forever.

When the Dursleys were sentenced to a lifetime of prison, Dumbledore decided to finally speak.

"I believe the next course of action would be to find a good home for Harry," he began, rising to his feet. "Since Sirius is seeing a mind healer, I am concerned that Harry will be vulnerable under his care."

"Yes," Madam Bones said dryly. "You are concerned now, yet you did not check up on Mr. Potter at all while he was living with his relatives."

"Yes, but —"

"Despite the fact that you were, at the time, his magical guardian."

More murmuring sprang up around them. In the shock of the revelations, many had forgotten that Dumbledore was the magical guardian for all Muggle-raised wizards and witches. If he hadn't check on Harry Potter, their savior, did that mean he didn't check on other children as well?

Dumbledore almost shrank back at the furious gazes. "I would have checked, but I am a very busy man," he defended himself.

Madam Bones gazed at him for a long moment, making him actually shrink back. "It would've taken less than an hour of your time to visit and even less time to see that he was abused."

"Very well." Dumbledore lowered his head, knowing that he was not getting away with this. "But we should still talk about Harry's new placement."

"Mr. Black is doing very well for someone who had been imprisoned as long as he had," said Madam Bones, not wavering in the slightest. "By the time school is out, he should be perfectly capable of taking Mr. Potter under his wing."

When Dumbledore didn't have a response, the session was closed.

Once more, Rita Skeeter's article sent the Great Hall into disarray.  Even those that had looked up to Dumbledore could not find anything to counter the accusations made against him. The students that were not as blind to the headmaster's faults were more focused on Harry's abusive upbringing. It was no wonder that he didn't idolize Dumbledore and made an effort to avoid him as much as possible.

McGonagall's face blanched and she turned to face Dumbledore. "I warned you," she hissed, sounding very much like her Animagus form. "I warned you they were the worst sort of Muggles. And you never even bothered checking on him. Not even once!"

"I didn't think it would be a problem!" Dumbledore protested. "Petunia is Lily's sister. Family is everything."

"Not to Petunia," Remus growled, fists clenched so tightly around his copy that it crumpled in his grasp. "You've met her before. It wouldn't have taken a minute to realize just what kind of person she is."

Dumbledore gulped, seeing the golden glint in Remus' eyes. His wolf was very close to the surface, and it didn't help that the full moon had just passed. "I thought Petunia had changed, Remus. You have to believe me."

"Well, I don't." Remus stood and, ignoring all eyes on him, marched out of the Great Hall. It had been bad enough knowing about the abuse, but to hear Petunia and Vernon screaming horrible words at Harry as they were dragged away hurt worse than any curse or transformation.

Harry watched him go. "I'm going to go see how he's doing," he said, standing up.

The Slytherins murmured their goodbyes as he made his way out of the Great Hall.

"I can't believe this," said Hermione.

"Me neither," said Ron, his face slightly green. "I mean, Rita's known for her less-than-truthful writing, but —"

"But there's proof." Tears pricked at the corners of Hermione's eyes. "There's concrete proof that Dumbledore did this. And I actually..." She trailed off, wiping her eyes. Child abuse. It was something she had — rather foolishly she had to admit — thought didn't happen in the wizarding world.

Ron shifted in his seat, fork absently pushing around the food on his plate. "Why would anyone do that?" he wondered. First Scabbers had turned out to be a full-grown man that had murdered a dozen innocent people and framed another, now this. Sirius Black had given him an owl to replace Scabbers, but it didn't do much to cheer him up.

Hermione sighed and threw the copy down as if it would hex her. She tried to eat, but the food was dry on her tongue; she could barely swallow. "We've been so unfair to Harry."

"Yeah." Ron winced as he remembered how certain he had been that Harry was evil — and for what? Sharing a rare trait with Salazar Slytherin? Being a Slytherin? And here was Albus Dumbledore, a man he thought he could trust fully, who was actually vile and twisted.

He looked over at the Slytherins. Harry always looked content with Malfoy and Parkinson and all of the other snakes. And for once, that was perfectly fine with Ron.

Harry knocked on the door. "Moony?" He stepped inside. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not." Remus was sitting by the empty fireplace, staring into it distractedly.

"Yeah, that was a stupid question," said Harry, seeing Remus' briefcase against the wall, its contents scattered across the floor. He sat down next to him. "What are you going to do?"

"Right now, I don't know. What I want to do is make Dumbledore choke on those wretched lemon drops of his," Remus growled.

"Make sure you coat them with cyanide first," suggested Harry, only half joking.

Remus gave a short laugh. "I'll keep that in mind." He fell silent, and Harry was content to sit there with him.

A second knock at the door made Harry turn. It was Professor McGonagall, who walked in with an uncharacteristic hesitance in her step. "All classes are canceled for the day," she told them quietly.

Remus didn't seem to have noticed her, too wrapped up in his thoughts.

"I do want to apologize, Mr. Potter," said McGonagall. "If I had known, I would have taken you in myself."

Harry stared at her, puzzled. "Apologize for what? You didn't know I was being placed there, did you?"

"I did." And McGonagall was not about to hide that, either. "I had been watching them all day and thought they were very... unflattering."

Harry snorted. "Five points to Gryffindor for understatement of the year," he said dryly. "If you knew, then why didn't you do anything?"

McGonagall cast her eyes down. "I had too much faith in Albus. I thought he knew what he was doing."

He definitely knew, Harry thought darkly.

"I just thought you should know."

"Thank you for telling me," said Harry.

McGonagall dipped her head and, with a last concerned glance at Remus, left the room.

Once upon a time, bashing was something I sought out in fics. But now? Keep it as far away from me as possible, ESPECIALLY if it includes the Weasleys and Hermione.