Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights to JoRo.
A/N: Someone on a Harry Potter online community was out James-bashing and posed the question, "Why would James turn down Dumbledore's offer of Secret Keeper?" I had absolutely no idea and couldn't come up with a response. I thought about it for years when I realized I had to be thinking like a husband and father who's wife and son were being threatened. He would do anything to protect them, right? So I decided that James felt Sirius (and later Peter) would have more incentive to keep Harry safe than Dumbledore did. This scene is largely inspired by the Season 6 finale of 24.
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It was the morning of another sleepless night. Albus Dumbledore collapsed into his chair, feeling very old. He was tempted to just close his eyes and let it all slip away. The pain of losing the McKinnons was unbearable. And Dumbledore couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault, which of course it was.
There was a sudden and loud banging on the door and Dumbledore miraculously (or magically) gave the appearance of calm and untroubled. "Enter," he said.
The door swung open, and there stood a tall young man with messy jet-black hair and hazel eyes beneath rounded glasses.
"James," Dumbledore greeted, feeling as though the morning may bring a positive note. "Have you considered my offer?"
"Shut up!" James ordered.
Dumbledore, a man not used to surprise, could only gape. James was beyond angry, he now realized. And all that anger was directed at the old, greying wizard James was now staring down.
"How dare you," James said. "How dare you offer your protection to me, my wife, and my son hours before you sell out the McKinnons!"
James eyes were murderous, but he did not go for his wand, which Dumbledore took for a good sign.
"James," Dumbledore said slowly, "please let me explain."
"You don't have to explain!" James shouted. "I already know! Aberforth told me!"
Dumbledore's heart sank and the feeling of terrible shame overpowered him once more.
"He told me how you said that Marlene McKinnon was the most powerful witch in Great Britain and Voldemort knew that!" James spat, stepping threateningly towards the desk. "He told me how you were responsible for setting up the protective wards around her family's estate!
"You knew Voldemort would work past them in a matter of minutes!" James said. "You knew how easy it would be for that psychopath to break in! You were setting a trap with Marlene as the bait, hoping she could defeat him!"
Dumbledore would've spoken up... if anything James had accused him of so far had been a lie.
"Only it didn't work, did it?" James continued. "Voldemort survives and now the Order's lost their most valuable asset within the Ministry!"
Dumbledore hung his head and brought his hand to his brow. "It it had worked-"
"It didn't work!" James screamed. "It would never have worked! Marlene may have been a powerful witch, but Voldemort is better! He's always better! He's always going to be better!"
"That's not true," said Dumbledore, nearly matching James in volume. "You know that's not true!"
"I know what you told me!" said James. "That my son supposedly has the power to vanquish Voldemort according to some prophecy from your new Divinations teacher!
"You think it's fate, or destiny, or providence that my one-year-old son could actually stand a chance to defeat him?" James said. "Which is what, incentive to use him as bait, and I watch you sell out Harry and Lily the way you sold out Marlene today?"
"James, I would never-"
"But you have!" James screamed. "You have proven to me that there is nothing you won't do to stop him! Am I supposed to put it above you? Am I supposed to believe that if you think Harry could defeat Voldemort, that you won't tell Voldemort exactly how to find him?"
Dumbledore stared at James, partly appalled at James' implications, but mostly shamed because he knew that James was telling the truth. For the first time in forty years, someone saw Dumbledore for what he truly was.
"Sirius'll be secret-keeper," James said, his volume going down, but menacingly so. "I need people I can trust. Because right now, I don't care if Harry is destined to defeat Voldemort. I only care that he's safe. And I know Sirius would see to that."
Dumbledore watched as James turned and opened the door to leave. "James," he called out, and James hesitated but didn't turn around.
Dumbledore swallowed heavily. "I am sorry."
James didn't say a word. He was gone a moment later. Dumbledore sat in stilled silence for a long time. He heard Minerva knocking, but he didn't allow her to enter. He set his glasses down on his desk and buried his face in his hands. For the first time since Ariana died, he wept.