Albus Dumbledore had truly thought that he had more time. Harry had survived for fourteen years, surely he could manage one more month with his 'family', for lack of a better word. Oh, how that assumption had come back to haunt him- literally.

"Assumptions are deadly, you know," came a voice. Yes, Dumbledore knew that now. Well, he had always KNOWN but now he truly understood.

"I speak from personal experience," the voice added helpfully. The old and now rapidly aging wizard sighed. He had wanted to speak with Harry, and now he had the chance after the boy had avoided him for the past year. If he were still attending Hogwarts, it would be easy. But since he had died and become a ghost, it was much harder to pin him down.

"I suppose you want to know why, since I died at Their house, I haunt Hogwarts?" Since dying, the child had become slightly less Gryffindorish and rather more like certain Slytherin Head of Houses.

"It's simple, really. I can't tell you what truly makes a ghost a ghost, trade secret and all that, but it is a relatively well established fact that most ghosts tend to haunt the place of their death or with a special meaning or attachment." Sneer, sneer. Was he taking lessons or was he a natural at this? Minerva was glaring slightly, but not at her ahem, former student. She rarely did much else in reference to the headmaster nowadays. Severus still sneered and gave his famous Death-is-imminent glares, but surprisingly (or not) none were directed at his famous target.

"I may have physically died there, but I died where it counted here." The other two Heads didn't look overly pleased either. And if the teachers were angry and upset, the other room occupants were furious, rapidly approaching livid. His friends and semi-adopted family had agreed, per Harry's request, to postpone judgment on the matter until Harry told his side in front of Dumbledore. Which took a while, since Harry had wanted to first get used to his new…conditions and let his anger cool off a bit.

"That alone would have qualified Hogwarts, but since I always considered it home anyway, the matter was really already settled. I kind of figured, but it was nice to have a sort of official recognition." Why hadn't he let the boy go home with Sirius? Why hadn't he checked in on him? What was he thinking, taking full responsibility for the child without actually fulfilling any of it?

"It's rather obvious why I considered here home, I think, considering my manner of death and all that. I suppose you want me to explain what I mean by saying that I died here, right?" If looks could kill, Albus knew he would be dead so many times over it wasn't even funny. Especially since it was a distinct possibility.

"I had of course, been taught from an early age that you really can't trust teachers, especially with important things. A few incidents here quickly reaffirmed that belief. Kids are just here to be ignored at will, since obviously we can't have any sort of understanding about important stuff, right?" Why had he chosen to ignore the signs? Why, why, why? He knew the answer, he just didn't like it.

"It was then I realized that I was stuck with the fight on my own. Even so, I tried to ask. It just didn't work. You-" accusing finger, "didn't listen. You didn't want to see, because it would have thrown a wrench in your precious plans. Because you like everything marching to your tune. Because I was never important enough-the Child of Prophecy was, the child wasn't. I wasn't treated like just another student, but I wasn't really given careful consideration, was I? Not where it counted." And there it was, out in the open. It didn't matter anymore, the resignation was in his desk.

"I hope you are pleased with how well your plan worked, Sir."He had condemned the child to death because he had wanted to remain in control of his precious wunderkind of the media. It wasn't enough for him to take the childhood, oh no. He had wanted the rest of his life as well. All three weeks of it, as it turned out.

"I confess myself curious as to your reasoning. You truly may not have known-not that it excuses you, you practically made yourself my guardian, it was your business to know- but I told you, after I defeated Voldemort at the ministry that I wasn't going back. I told you. Not everything, but it should have been enough to give most reasonable people the idea that it was bad. But you said I had to wait until Sirius could be cleared. You told me I should stay. You sent me back by portkey before I had a chance to protest any further. You killed me. Physically it was Vernon. Mentally, it was you." Where was a rogue killing curse shooting Death Eater when you needed one?

"I hope your stupid plan was worth it. I would have killed old Mouldy anyway. I did have motivation. But what were you thinking? The Ministry could have been a complete disaster. If you had simply told me, I wouldn't have fallen into the trap. But nooo, The Albus Dumbledore knows best for everybody. What would have happened if Sirius had fallen into the Veil? Or Voldemort had succeeded in possessing me rather than me draining him?" It could all have gone so wrong, he saw that now. He had climbed into his ivory tower and forgotten how to climb back down.

"I could go on. But I guess it really isn't too bad, is it?" Cheerful now. A cheerful, Slytherin, resentful, ghost. This had to be a dream. Maybe a fume from Severus' lab had gotten to him.

"They let me keep my glamour. And my broom! They figured they owed me at least that." Would it look too inappropriate if he started to bang his head on the desk? And there was still the fact that at least a dozen people REALLY wanted to kill him right now…and none of them were Death Eaters.

"I can't say I'm too upset about the trial. I'm not especially vengeful, but seeing Vernon get his was a nice bit of closure." Maybe now would be a good time to leave, before they started firing off hexes and curses.

"I know you said you thought you had more time. You do realize that you are implying that you had at least some knowledge of what occurred?" Yes. It had been another mistake on his part. And the chances of leaving the room in good health were getting slimmer by the second.

"I can be myself now, you know. Whilst alive I had to be the perfect Gryffindor hero. Now my Slytherin inheritance has come through. Did you know my mum came from a squib line of Salazar? So that puts paid to your 'Voldemort gave you your Parseltongue ability' theory. The mistakes are really stacking up against you, you know that?" Yes, he did.

"But once again, I'm the one who had to pay for them. I suffered because you chose the family. I suffered because you accused an innocent man. I suffered because you decided what I didn't need to know. I suffered because you can't hire a decent DADA professor to save your life- with the one exception of Remus. Even broken clocks are right twice a day, true? I suffered because you, in all your glory, decided that any pain I went through at my so-called HOME didn't outweigh the 'risks'. I suffered because you don't listen to anyone but yourself." What could he say to that?

"And not just me, but many others were ill-affected by your decisions as well. Sirius, Cedric, his family, need I go on?" No. The sins were clear.

"I have nothing further to say, except try not to kill him. I don't want anyone going to Azkaban, even without the dementors there. It's not worth it. And besides, I'm finally able to be myself. Not quite how I wished it, but still. At least I don't have to do homework, right Ron?"

The End.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. are not mine, nor do I claim them. I just annoy them to get a reaction then run away before they can retaliate.