The Time-Meddlers [Harmione]

10. Barty Crouch, Jr.

"I understand," replied Harry.

"Very good." She sighed. "All that I've mentioned being true, plus the fact that Professor Dumbledore was unreasonably stubborn regarding Mr. Snape does not negate the fact that you were insubordinate to the headmaster. You must at least respect his position."

Harry sighed, remembering how at different points in the previous timeline both Umbridge and Snape had served in Dumbledore's position at Hogwarts. "I don't respect positions - just people. If someone behaves in a manner that I respect, then they have my respect. If they abuse their position, then they don't have my respect." He sighed. "Snape obviously abused his position, and I believe that the Headmaster was abusing his by insisting that Snape continue on here no matter how many students, parents and staff members disagreed. It's like he was dictator here and was going to have his way no matter who didn't like it." Harry then added, "He didn't even care what his Deputy Headmistress thought."

Minerva seemed to be silently agreeing with his statements, although Harry knew she'd never admit it. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, she replied. "You speak much more like an adult than a child."

"I haven't really been a child since Dumbledore abandoned me on the Dursleys' porch," he replied sadly.

Her face paled slightly. "That day, I watched your family as a cat and tried to talk the headmaster out of leaving you there." She seemed hesitant, but pressed on like a true Gryffindor. "How bad is it with them?"

Harry decided that bluntness was the best approach, but truthfully had never really told anyone but Hermione about his time with his 'family.' Even then, he only skimmed over to worst parts. He took a deep breath, deciding to start with a simple fact. "You may or may not know it, but my first Hogwarts letter was addressed to 'the cupboard under the stairs.'"

"What?" she asked, clearly shocked.

He nodded nervously, taking another breath, while beginning to feel a slight stinging sensation behind his eyes. "Th-that's because that was my bedroom." He blinked his eyes, realizing that tears were actually threatening to come. He thought he'd done enough crying for his lifetime while locked alone in his cupboard, and hadn't cried in years. "My cousin Dudley had two rooms to himself while I was locked in a cupboard, and only let out when they had chores for me to do while their baby whale sat in front of the tele!" Now, he wasn't just feeling self-pity; he was feeling rage that he'd suppressed for years. He half-yelled, "I didn't know my name or birthday until they had to send me to school. I was always called 'Boy,' or 'Freak' and told my parents were drunks who died in a car crash."

She looked down at her desk, obviously battling her own emotions. "Hagrid mentioned that last part to me," she said softly. She looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "Will you be alright spending the summer with them?"

He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, trying to get his emotions back under control. "I'm not sure. We came to a deal last summer after I met Hagrid. They want me to find other arrangements for this summer, and to tell you the truth, I'd just as soon never see them again."

Sighing heavily, Minerva said, "That'll be all. Your detention is over." With a slight smirk, she added, "If anybody asks, I had you scrubbing the floor of the Transfiguration classroom until you passed out in exhaustion."

He grinned at her. "Thanks, Professor McGonagall."

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The next morning at breakfast, a brown owl flew in with the rest of the mail and landed in front of Harry. He gave it a piece of bacon before relieving it of its rolled up parchment. He carefully held it so that only he could read it, mainly because he didn't want Neville or anyone else to see it. He'd tell Hermione what it said later.