A/N: I only own the plot
Harry really wished that Justin had not been petrified. It really was difficult to deal with all the rumors flying around and the rueful Hufflepuffs. There really was no reason for them to act this way toward a second year. It was not his fault that a basilisk ran free throughout the school. Come to think of it, the person they should be angry with was Salazar Slytherin. He was the one who placed a basilisk in a school full of children, after all.
"I really wish they would stop blaming me. If anyone is to blame, it's Salazar Slytherin's fault, or Tom Riddle's. It's definitely not mine." Harry complained as he dropped down at the breakfast table.
"Who's Tom Riddle?" Draco asked curiously.
"He's Baby Voldemort." Harry explained as he took out a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote out Tom Marvolo Riddle and then I am Lord Voldemort. "Voldemort is an anagram. He's really a half-blood with daddy issues."
"What a hypocrite!" Draco exclaimed as he looked down at the parchment in wonder. "Why would anyone follow him?"
"He's a very good actor?" Harry suggested as he cut up an egg and began eating it. Draco sighed and picked up a hard-boiled egg. Severys (they had decided to spell him with a y to differentiate between the snake and the Snape) popped out from underneath Draco's sleeve and Draco handed his snake the egg.
The Trio ate their breakfast in peace when suddenly, Hedwig swooped down and dropped a letter. She then perched on Harry shoulder, expecting a piece of bacon for her trouble. Harry gladly gave her some meat and pet her feathers before he opened the letter.
"It's from Dumbledore." Harry announced curiously. "I wonder what he wants."
"Maybe he wants to check and see if you really are the Heir of Slytherin." Draco suggested. Harry shook his head.
"He knows I'm not. He knows Riddle is." Harry explained. He got up. "Well, no reason to postpone the meeting any longer. I'll see you guys later."
Hermione stood there shocked. "He wants to be on time for something? He always waits until the last minute!" She exclaimed. Draco rolled his eyes and continued to eat his breakfast.
"Our Harry's growing up." He told her. She shrugged and also continued on with her breakfast.
Harry walked over to the statue that protected the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He muttered "Gum drops" and walked through the door way. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.
"Come in." Dumbledore offered. Harry walked in and sat down in a chair across from the professor.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Harry asked. At that moment, the door burst open. Harry turned expecting Hagrid to come in defending him against the accusations of him being Heir of Slytherin. Imagine his surprise when instead of Hagrid, Remus Lupin stood just inside the doorway, panting.
"He didn't do it, Headmaster. Harry is innocent! I will testify in open court. I was there the night the Chamber first opened this year and I can promise he was with me all night." Remus informed him. Harry looked shocked.
"What are you doing here, Remus? Not that I don't appreciate you being here to support me, but I wasn't expecting you today." Harry said.
"Yes, Mr. Lupin, shouldn't you be preparing for tonight?" Dumbledore asked subtly. Remus scowled at the insinuation.
"Harry has been sending me letters, telling me about the Chamber of Secrets and the events surrounding it. I wanted to come and encourage him after hearing about the accusations from last night. When I got here, I ran into Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. They said that Harry had been called to your office, sir. I just wanted to make sure you didn't make any other accusations against the innocent." Remus panted, still trying to catch his breath.
"I assure you, Remus, I am planning on doing nothing of the kind. Now if you would kindly wait for Mr. Potter outside, we have some important things to discuss." Dumbledore informed him. Remus nodded, turning to Harry.
"I'll be in the Great Hall. Come and find me when you're done." Remus instructed. Harry nodded and turned back to Dumbledore. Once the door closed, Dumbledore began.
"Now, Harry, is there anything you would like to discuss with me?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry thought for a moment.
"About the Chamber of Secrets? No. However, I did have a question about the summer." Harry paused for a moment, gathering his courage. "I can't spend another summer at the Dursleys, sir. They beat me. They don't feed me. They treat me like a house elf. They lock me in my room. I lived in the cupboard under the stairs until my Hogwarts letter came. It is a very hostile environment and I really would like to stay here, or somewhere else. Anywhere, just not the Dursleys."
"I'm sorry, Harry, but it's for the greater good, and it's in your best interest." Dumbledore apologized. "You have to go back to the Dursleys."
Harry jumped out of his seat in anger. "Who placed you as my magical guardian? What right do you have to decide where I stay?" Harry accused. Dumbledore remained silent. Harry huffed. "I'll take my leave, Professor. Good day." Harry turned and walked out the door, leaving a stunned Dumbledore behind him.
As he walked out of the revolving staircase, he came across Hermione and Draco.
"What did he want?" Hermione asked.
"He thinks it's for the greater good and my best interest to stay with the Dursleys!" Harry blurted out. Draco looked at his friend stunned.
"Did you tell him what happens there?" The blond asked his friend. Harry nodded.
"I told him all of it. He said I had to go back." Harry replied angrily. "I got to go. Remus is waiting for me." Harry informed them as he stomped off.
"I got to go, too." Draco excused. His godfather needed to know this! Hermione gave him a confused look.
"Oh, okay. See you in the common room later?" Hermione asked him. He nodded. He then ran off in the direction of the dungeons.
When Draco arrived at his godfather's office, he began pounding on the door.
"Uncle Sev! Uncle Sev!" He called out frantically. Severus opened the door and Draco almost fell into the office.
"What is it, Dragon?" Severus asked him as he helped stabilize the boy. "You're acting like a werewolf is chasing you."
"He knows." Draco panted. Severus quirked an eyebrow.
"The werewolf?" Severus teased. Draco shook his head.
"No, Remus is in the Great Hall." Draco blurted. He then slapped a hand over his mouth. Severus sighed.
"Ignoring the fact that Lupin clearly cannot keep a secret, what is wrong?" Severus asked his godson, concerned.
"Dumbledore knows Harry's abused and he won't do anything about it." Draco informed him. Severus sighed.
"We already went over this, Draco. What new evidence do you have?"
"Harry just came from a meeting with Dumbledore. He told Dumbledore all about the abuse, pleading with him to send him somewhere besides the Dursleys for the summer. He told Harry that it was for the greater good and his best interest that he go back there!" Draco told him. Severus took in a deep breath.
"He's doing it again, I see." Severus sighed. Draco quirked an eyebrow.
"When did he do this before?" Draco asked. Severus shook his head.
"That's beside the point." He looked seriously at the blond. "Draco, you are to tell no one about this. I will handle it, but it must be done carefully and quietly. I don't want you to do anything Gryffindor-like." Draco nodded.
"Thanks Uncle Sev." Draco sighed in relief.
"You should get back to your friends. No one can know you came to me." Severus reminded the boy. Draco nodded in agreement.
"Okay. See you around, Uncle Sev." Draco said and walked out the door. Severus slumped in his chair and held his head in his hands. What could he do?
Meanwhile, Harry found Remus in the Great Hall, having a friendly chat with Professor McGonagall. Harry smiled and walked up to Remus.
"Hi, Professor McGonagall. Hi, Remus. I just finished up my discussion with Professor Dumbledore." Harry announced. Professor McGonagall looked confused.
"You had a conversation with the headmaster without your head of house present?" Professor McGonagall asked suspiciously. Harry shrugged.
"Well, yeah." He replied. We had them all the time last time. He thought to himself. Professor McGonagall shook her head.
"Well, I'm sure he had a good reason to break protocol. Well, Remus, it was lovely seeing you again! You really should come around more often." She chastised. Remus smiled.
"I'll try, Minerva." Remus responded. He turned to Harry. "How about we go to that room we were in on Halloween. It's a bit more private for us to catch up in." Harry nodded.
Once they arrived, Remus shut the door and motioned for Harry to sit.
"How did your conversation go, Harry?" Remus asked as he himself sat down on a leather recliner. Harry suddenly got angry.
"He knows about the abuse and he's still sending me back there." Harry blurted out. Remus looked shocked.
"What abuse? Harry, what's going on?" Remus questioned, suddenly concerned. Harry suddenly calmed down and averted his eyes.
"It's...It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Remus." Harry lied.
"If you think I could possibly not worry about it, then you don't know me at all. Harry, is someone abusing you?" Remus prodded gently. Harry looked down at the ground and nodded. "Who is it, Harry?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll have to go back there, anyway." Harry sighed. Remus looked thoughtful.
"Harry, who are you staying with over the summers?" Remus asked.
"The Dursleys." Harry replied.
"Who are the Dursleys?" Remus continued, brow furrowed.
"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon." Harry clarified. Remus jumped from his chair in anger.
"You're living with Petunia Evans? Of all the people you could have been sent to, the Headmaster sent you to Petunia? Lily hated Petunia, and the feeling was mutual. You should never have been sent there. What did they do to you?" Remus asked. Remus slowly sat back down, prepared to hear Harry out.
Harry spent the next half-hour describing how the Dursleys had treated him for the past eleven years. When he finished, he looked at Remus expectantly. Remus remained silent. He then got up out of his chair and stormed out of the room.
Once Remus left the room, he stomped toward the direction of the Headmaster's office. Thankfully, at that moment, Draco appeared. He stopped the werewolf in his tracks.
"What do you think you're doing?" Draco questioned. Remus pushed the boy out of his way.
"I'm going to give the headmaster a piece of my mind." Remus told the lad, once again heading toward the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore. Remembering what his godfather had just said, Draco stopped Remus from going further.
"No, you can't. Uncle Sev is handling it." Draco promised. Remus looked down at the boy in shock.
"Uncle Sev?" Remus shook off his confusion so that he could make his case. "I promised James and Lily that I would look after him. Here, I find out he's been abused. I've failed at my one job!"
Draco contradicted him. "As long as he's still breathing, you have not failed. Maybe you could check up on him in the summers. I know his address, I've been there before. I can tell you where he is." Draco appeased. Remus huffed and nodded.
At this time, Harry came out of the Room of Requirement. He said his goodbyes to Remus and led Remus out of Hogwarts. Draco considered how different this time had been. Before, Harry had no one around to protect him. This time, he had many.
Chapter End
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Love, Esha ❤