Chapter 15: Reunions, Revelations, and Returning Home
There were very few things in the world that Albus Dumbledore was afraid of.
An angry Daphne Dressler was one of them.
Currently, the aforementioned Auror was standing in Albus's office, her arms crossed across her chest, her posture straight and upright. She was also fixing him with a vicious glare.
"I'm waiting, Albus. I'm waiting to find out why you let this happen. I'm waiting to find out why you have allowed my son to be ostracized, harassed by his fellow students and a certain potions master, and verbally and mentally abused by the aforementioned potions master. I know the laws, Albus. And I know that using Legillimacy on students is borderline at best, illegal at worst. He was invading my son's privacy, and Thank Merlin that Harry actually included that he was getting headaches around that mind rapist, or I never would have known." She said this slowly, with a deadly calm that terrified all but the bravest. And even for them, it made them uneasy. The fire blazing in Daphne's eyes was frightening in and of itself.
"I must apologize Daphne, for I erred greatly. I should not have allowed it to get to this level, but I don't want to be viewed as playing favorites-"
"Albus, if it weren't for the prophecy, Harry would have been transferred into the Magical Academy of Ottawa with his friends. But just because he stands for it doesn't mean I will. Harry hasn't said it out loud, because he didn't want me to do just this. As for Severus, you might be inclined to speak with the little Death Eater. As is, I'm starting to think about teaching Harry Occlumency."
"Daphne, please. You know that he is too young. His mind is not developed enough." She sighed, defeated on that point, but didn't relent.
"Albus, give me a reason outside the Prophecy that I should allow Harry to return to Hogwarts. And once you've done that, explain why exactly despite my best efforts, a pair of eleven year olds were able to access the Philosopher's Stone, and nearly die because of it. Hermione would have bled out, and Harry's magical core is dangerously depleted. I don't even want to know what happened there."
"I made a grave error, Daphne. One that I will do my utmost to correct. The Wizarding World makes the mistake of painting me as infallible. I assure you I am not."
"No, you aren't. At least you can admit that much. I don't want to do this, Albus. But I love Harry to death, and I won't let him be abused like this. I never could have imagined this. And don't think I've forgotten about the Mirror. What in Merlin's name were you thinking, putting that where a student could access it? Especially a student dealing with as much as Harry?"
When Daphne had arrived on the Hogwarts Grounds, she had been sought out by an almost inconsolable Minerva McGonagall. The resulting conversation had been both enlightening and alarming in what it revealed. Harry had been hiding quite a bit from her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to confront him or not.
"Don't let it happen again, Albus," she warned."And I want you to have a long discussion with Severus Snape. I'll challenge the bastard to a duel if I have to, and you know there won't be much left of him."
"Severus is a talented duelist, but alas, I fear he would be no match for you. The only two, besides myself and Lord Voldemort that can are in Azkaban."
"I'm going to see my son now, Albus. I expect you to act on what you have learned. And to not be as complacent next time. We cannot take that risk. The Prophecy doesn't make Harry immortal, indeed, I take it to mean that 'by the hand' can mean servants, creatures, anything that answers to Lord Voldemort."
"I agree with you, Daphne. That is why you cannot remove Harry from Hogwarts. It isn't the safest environment, but nonetheless, he can only learn what he needs to learn here. He has dealt with much, and emerged better from it."
