Over the next week, Harry noticed he was trapped in a corner.
"I need a new place to stay," Harry muttered to himself. He had rented a room at the Leaky Cauldron with what little money he had, but he did not want to make it his permanent residence. He had no doubt that someone would noticed the strange, James Potter look-alike that was staying here, plus, he somewhere secret so he could plan. Though this wasn't his dimension and he had no real business in it, he couldn't stop himself when it came to Rose's safety and Voldemorts demise.
Voldemort was forever his enemy…
He had already made plans when it came to Voldemort's inevitable resurrection. By the time Voldemort would use Rose's blood for his resurrection, all of the Horcruxes would be destroyed, and Voldemort as mortal as the next wizard.
"Don't worry Voldemort. Your time will come to an end soon. Quicker then you may imagine." Harry said with a smirk.
While he did have some money with him, he still needed more, but getting a job was out of the question. He briefly toyed with the idea of pawning off some of the meager possessions that he had managed to bring with him, but that idea was soon discarded. All he had in his trunk were his and Voldemort's wands, a few books, a change of clothes and some scattered potions ingredients. Still, as a phoenix animagus, he has a way to flame teleport that no ward could stop. Harry devised a plan to teleport into known death eater's homes, and rob them blind. It wasn't the most honorable way of making money, but it was effective and made Harry feel good and by the end of that week, he was filthy rich. Harry opened himself a Gringotts bank account as soon as he was able to fleece his stolen goods and deposited all his money in it.
Harry spent the rest of the morning shopping. He needed the ingredients for the nutrient potions for Rose, new clothes and battle gear for them both and he decided to purchase an owl, as Hedwig didn't make the trip with him. Harry already missed his first and closest friend, though he was pretty sure that Rose had a version of Hedwig at Hogwarts. Harry's owl, a proud eagle owl he named Natasha, perched on his shoulder and preened his hair fondly. It seemed that no one wanted her as she was an older owl at easily four years old, and as such, Natasha was grateful to finally be out of her cage and in the free air. Harry's last stop was to pick up a care package of sorts for Sirius. Even though Harry was sure that Sirius was staying comfortably somewhere in the tropics, it wouldn't hurt to be careful. He purchased some food, a moderate sized tent (two bedroom), and a spare wand.
That afternoon, Harry told Tom, the barkeep at the Leaky Cauldron, that it would be his last night staying there and he ordered a late lunch of fish and chips, and a butterbeer. As he ate, Harry penned a short note to Sirius.
Padfoot,
I'm a friend. I'm not sure that you need any of this, but it never hurts to be careful. Rose sends her love.
He signed it with his self given Marauder name.
Feathers
He quickly gave the package and note to Natasha and sent her out a window with instructions to wait for a reply, and sat down with a copy of the Prophet. What he read nearly made him choke on his drink. There, on the front page, was a headline that read: Aurors Still Clueless in Robberies. Quickly scanning the article, it seemed that he hadn't been as discreet has he had hoped. Still, he made sure not to leave any evidence behind, and was pretty sure he wouldn't be caught. That and the ministry had no records about his existence.
Harry then turned to the real estate section. He planned on finding a cheap little cottage in or around Hogsmeade so he could be closer to Rose and Hogwarts. Speaking of Hogwarts, he was awfully worried for Rose after he received a sad, heartbroken letter from her. From what she told him, things were not going well for her.
Dear Harry,
It's been less than a week but I already miss you so much. When are you coming back to visit? I'm soooo lonely here with out my friends. They still won't talk to me. Well, Hermione is now, but she still seems skeptical about it all. It's nice to have someone to talk to again, but I can't help but think about you all the time. It got me in trouble in charms class. We were working on summoning charms and I accidentally summoned the stack of books from underneath Flitwick instead of my ink well. Fortunately I only lost Gryffindor five points.
I miss you terribly, Harry. You cant imagine what it feels like to have the whole school against you, and its not the first time. Remember, I told you about my second year and the basilisk? Everyone except the twins and Hermione again thought I was a dark wizard. Everyone's sneering at me and calling me a fake, especially the Hufflepuffs. Anyway, I have to go. I hope to see you again soon. Write back!
With love, Rose
Though Harry may not have known her for long, Harry's feelings for Rose were mixed. On one hand, he worried about her constantly. On the other, he knew she could take care of herself but didn't want to let her. He wanted to embrace her and protect her from everything. He was hoping it was simply the love for a sibling or something similar, but not having had any siblings, he wasn't sure what that felt like. After the fiasco with Ginny, he didn't want a relationship with anyone anytime soon. Especially not with 'himself'.
Sometimes, relationships were nothing but trouble.
(((o)))
Rose had been in a depressed slump ever since her name had been spit from the goblet and she had been chosen as the fourth champion. She couldn't help but feel how unfair her lot in life was. She hated being The Girl Who Lived and everything that came with it. Why did everything have to happen to her? Not only did she have to deal with her former friends who were jealous, but people badmouthing her behind her back as well. The moment she had entered the Great Hall on Monday, all conversation ceased and everyone began staring at her.
The younger students were looking at her in awe and worship, but the older classmates… the Slytherins had only hissed her with the usual nicknames and insults, the Ravenclaws were looking at her with a look of distrust, Hufflepuff looked angry, and Gryffindor, her house was looking at her with mostly pride, especially the Weasley twins. She didn't want this though. She hadn't put her name in the goblet.
With a sad sigh, Rose headed over toward her table, looking for an open seat. She noticed that Hermione was glaring at Ron and Ginny about something but none of them made any room for her, and she sat nearest the entrance, as she had all week. The only reason she remained strong was because of the letter she received from Harry that morning. He was sweet and had given her some words of strength.
Dear Rose,
Hey, how are you Rose? Me, I'm busy at the moment. Since I'm here to watch the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I'll have to look for a temporary place to stay or possibly, a home. Maybe actually buy a permanent residence near Hogwarts should you ever want company during Hogsmeade Weekend.
Anyhow, how are things going? Sorry, that was a stupid question. I know things may seem quite hard for you at Hogwarts, but stay strong Rose. You're a Potter and we Potters can handle those idiots who are too blind to see and listen to the truth. Rose, eventually, everyone will realize the danger you are in and that you didn't really want to participate in the Tournament. They will all come to beg you for forgiveness in the end, trust me.
I know what you're thinking. After three years of friendship, why the hell would they turn on me now? Well, let me tell you something Rose, if they can't trust you and value your friendship now, they are not your real friends. True and real friends are people who trust you and believe your words. Those who never doubt you and leave your side, those are people who value your friendship.
Now, as to why I am writing you this letter, I need to tell you some important things. Apparently, it's going to be a busy week for me, so I won't probably be there to help you train and start handling out those 'Health Potions' this week. Give me a week or two and I think I'll be settled in that time. Don't worry Rose. You'll see me at the end of this week. I know you need a friend and a person to talk to, so I'll try my best to be there for you.
I got to go now, Harry…
Rose cheered up a bit when she thought of how understanding Harry was. They had only known each other for a little while, but she trusted him explicitly. There was something about him that told her he would sacrifice his life for her regardless if she told him not to. However, there was also something suspicious about him. Like how he had just popped out of nowhere and claimed to be her cousin. Though she didn't doubt him one bit that they were somehow related seeing how he definitely looked like a Potter, she trusted her instincts first and her instincts told her to be trusting, but wary. Once she finished her lunch, she picked up her bag and made her way to potions. She had double potions that day and was dreading every minute of it. Today was the day that Snape had promised to test their antidotes on them.
Rose shook her head, trying to clear it. She didn't want to think about that greasy git, and instead turned her thoughts back to her cousin. Before she could think more about her new cousin, she was jarred from her musing by a familiar and annoying drawl.
"Hey Potter. Like the badges I made?" sneered Malfoy. He and his gang of thugs blocked her path in the hall, all of them wearing badges. At first, Rose thought they had all joined S.P.E.W. but she glanced closer at the badges and saw that they read, 'Support CEDRIC DIGGORY, the REAL Hogwarts Champion!'
Rose fought the urge to strangle the little blond ferret as she was already in a bad mood from the cold shoulder Professor Sprout had given her. Today was Friday, the last day of class and the end of the week. She really didn't want to put up with Malfoy right now.
"That's not all they do, Potter, look." said Malfoy loudly. He pressed the badge into his chest and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed in violent green: POTTER STINKS! The Slytherins all howled with laughter. Each of them followed their leader like a pack of dogs and all of their badges mirrored the blonde.
Out of the corner of Rose's eyes, she noticed that Hermione and Ron and Ginny deliberately ignoring the preceding. Rose's temper flared at how unfair this situation was as the Slytherins continued to laugh. "Oh, reeeeeal funny, Malfoy." She snapped.
Hermione sighed and stepped up to Rose's side, knowing what was going to follow. Ron and Ginny however stayed in their spot by the wall. "Want one Granger?" Malfoy asked, holding a badge out to her. "Just don't touch my hand now. I don't want it slimed up by a mudblood."
In a flash of movement, Rose had her wand pointed at Malfoy's chest, and he at hers. "Go on then, Potter." Malfoy sneered.
Hermione tugged desperately on Rose's arm. "Rose, it's not worth it. Come on." She begged, and reluctantly, Rose lowered her wand. "Thank you. Now, we don't want to be late for potions…" she said, leading a very angry Rose away from the Slytherins. Hermione cast a scathing glare over at them, then at Ron and Ginny.
Upon reaching the potions room, Rose slumped in her seat and glared sullenly at the front of the room. Of all the low, dirty things to do…
Hermione took a seat next to her. "What was that all about?" she asked.
"You saw the badges," Rose snapped at the other girl. Hermione recoiled at the force of her voice. "Sorry," Rose said, not really sounding like she was. She was glad that Hermione was trying to mend their friendship but she still hadn't forgiven the other girl. Hermione looked down at her potions text on the desk gloomily and muttered an acceptance.
Rose was surprised when a sudden voice spoke in her mind.
"Hey Rose, how are you?"
"Harry!" Rose said out loud in her mind in surprise. She had forgotten that she and Harry had the ability to speak mentally when ever they needed to.
"Oww…" groaned Harry. "There's no need to yell." A mental image of Harry grabbing his head in pain was sent to her.
"Sorry," Rose thought apologetically. "Hey, I thought you were busy?"
"I was, but I'm done now. All I need to do now is to look for a home here in Hogsmeade. At the moment, I just left the Leaky Cauldron and I'm staying at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade now. Since I'm sitting alone and just drinking butterbeer, I thought about mind whispering to you and seeing how you're doing."
Rose was excited at the prospect of having Harry that close by, but the thoughts of her day so far put a damper on her spirits. She proceeded to tell him all about the badges and how Hermione finally took her side again, but before Harry could respond, Snape swept into the room and ordered silence. He cast a cold glare in Rose's direction.
"That's Snape huh?" Harry asked. "The over grown greasy bat you told me about on Sunday?"
Rose couldn't stop her giggle at his description of the potions teacher as she had mentioned how awful Snape treated her in the conversation they had the night they met.
"Potter!" roared Snape, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Do you find something so amusing you need to disrupt my class?"
"No, sir," Rose said quietly. She pictured him being eaten by Hagrid's pet acromantulae, which made Harry to laugh in her mind.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for the disruption then," Snape sneered as his Slytherins were chuckling at her and flashing their badges.
Rose could only grit her teeth. "Say Harry, you might have to close the link, I need to concentrate for Potions," thought Rose.
"You know, I'm pretty good at potions myself. I could help you if you wanted me to." Harry offered.
Rose gratefully accepted and she had opened some of her senses to him, hearing and complete vision through her eyes. Right as the class was about to start and Harry was preparing to help Rose show the greasy git up, there was a knock on the dungeon door and Colin Creevey timidly stuck his head in. Harry groaned inwardly as he remembered what was going to happen.
"What is it Mr. Creevey?" hissed Snape, looking at the small Gryffindor threateningly.
"Please sir," Creevey whimpered pathetically as the Slytherins sniggered and flashed their badges again. "I'm supposed to take Rose Potter upstairs."
Snape simply sneered. "Ms. Potter, it seems like your boyfriend needs you outside for an emergency." Snape said in amusement for everyone in the Potions room. The Slytherins burst into laughter at this and Rose was felt her neck heat up with anger.
"Rose, give me control of your voice and body!" demanded Harry. There was no way he was going to let Snape get away with that jab.
Rose didn't know what Harry meant, but she gladly relented control.
As soon as Harry had control, he stood up. "I think you have been misinformed Professor," Harry said the word 'Professor' mockingly. "But Colin is not my boyfriend. I'm sorry that you're so lonely that you need to make jabs at your students. Maybe if you actually washed your hair once in a while, you might actually get a girlfriend, but I doubt anyone would be interested in you Snivellus." Harry hissed coldly as everyone in the Potions Laboratory went silent at her words.
For the first time ever, Snape actually looked shocked and speechless. His faced showed many different emotions, the only one many could identify, was clearly anger. His hand was twitching as it was approaching his wand.
"I dare you to pull your wand and hex me Professor," Rose smirked icily in a way which was not like her usual self. "Once you utter a single spell or even think about using Legillimency, I swear, I will have you fired and reported to the Board of Governors so fast, your head would be spinning and even Headmaster Dumbledore would not be able to get you out of Azkaban." She said as she flicked her wand and all of her things went into her rucksack. As she was stepped out of the Potions classroom, she spoke to the shocked and angry looking Professor.
"Maybe, they might even give you a Dementors kiss if I tell them about your little hissing secret," Harry sneered. "C'mon" she snapped. Grabbing Creevey by his arm, she pulled him gently out of the Potions classroom, but not without slamming the door loudly, leaving a silent classroom behind.
An instant later, Harry had let go of his control on Rose who was shocked at what Harry had done with her body.
Creevey, who was silent throughout the whole time, burst into loud and excited laughter from Rose had said to Snape.
"Oh my god, Harry…" she said in shock.
For a moment, Harry thought the red head was going to be angry at him for what he had done, but he was surprised when Rose burst into laughter both outwardly and inwardly.
"Oh Harry, that was so cool! I would never have the courage to do something like that to Snape!" Rose said in her mind when her laughter finally died down.
Harry chuckled mentally, but had calmed down himself. He was sure that what he had just done in the classroom would affect Rose's future here at Hogwarts. He cursed himself inwardly for losing his temper. No doubt Snape's hatred toward Rose would increase ten-fold.
"Sorry Rose," said Harry, apologetically. "I just got a bit angry seeing how nasty he was treating you. It's not my fault that I feel a little protective of my cousin."
Rose sent a mental image of a smile in return. It felt nice having a family member being protective over you. Sure, she had been protected before by her friends and Mrs. Weasley, but Harry's protection was different. He was a blood relative that cared about her. She had never experienced the feeling of having a real family member being protective of her before.
"It's okay Harry, but I have some questions. What is Legillimency and what did you mean by having Snape being kissed by a Dementor if the Ministry had a look at hissing little secret?"
Harry, knowing that Rose deserved to know, he decided to tell her. He knew that if he kept her in the dark, he was no better then Dumbledore, the manipulating old bastard. He was eventually planning to tell Rose who he truly was anyway, but not until things calmed down in her life. Clearing his throat through their mental link, he sent an image of himself, wearing Professor like robes. When he spoke, he spoke in a way a teacher would speak to a student.
"Legillimency is the art of mind and memory reading. It is considered a Dark Art in the Wizard World because it can be used to invade people's mind," said Harry feeling Rose's surprise through their link. "The most direct way to perform Legillimency, which is used mainly to forcefully rape someone's mind and steal memories, is by using a wand and saying the incantation. However, to perform it discreetly without anyone knowing… all a legillimancer needs to do is look directly into your eyes. I don't know if he has ever used it on you, but I have a feeling that he has. Tell me Rose," Harry said calmly. "Whenever he stares into your eyes, do you ever get the feeling that he is examining you or that he knows exactly what you're thinking?"
Rose, who was shocked to hear that there was an ability to read people's mind simply by looking into their eyes, nodded speechlessly. There were a few dozen times when she had felt the feeling that Harry had just described, once when she had maintained eye contact with the potions teacher in her second year so Hermione could sneak into Snape's private ingredient stores and many other times throughout her three years in the castle.
"I see," Harry said as he watched several memories flash through Roses mind. "He has been using Legillimency on you Rose and I need to tell you that it is illegal. Snape could be sent to Azkaban for a long time for simply using it against a persons consent, much less a student. There's a chance he could even get a dementors kiss from performing it on you, the heroine of the Wizard World."
Rose didn't care about getting Snape in trouble. All she could think about was this strange mind-reading magic. "Harry! But… but… is there a way I can block him out of mind? I don't want him to read my mind!" said Rose, about to go hysteric as Colin Creevey was leading her to an unknown room.
"Don't worry Rose," Harry spoke comfortingly. "There are ways to block Legillimency. I'll teach you how."
Rose nodded depressingly and she felt dirty at the thought of Snape being able to sift through her mind and sort through her memories.
"Good luck!" An excited Colin said leaving Rose at the door to the antechamber.
Harry decided to sit back and watch through Rose's eyes as she attended the meeting. Harry remained silent however, because he didn't want to give away more than he should know, lest he make Rose more suspicious than she already was. He was thankful that the upcoming conversation about Snape's forearm had been driven from her thoughts as she entered the room.
Rose blinked in confusion before uncertainly opening the door and entering the chamber. Entering the room, Rose was unsurprised to see some familiar faces and well as some unfamiliar faces. One face caused her to blush, as she had developed a slight crush on him throughout last year.
Cedric Diggory…
Harry, who was feeling these odd emotions, burst into uncontrollable laughter, and rather embarrassed her. And underlying it all, Harry didn't know why, but he felt slightly jealous that Rose liked Cedric.
"Oh, leave me alone Harry!" Thought Rose, her embarrassment coloring her thoughts. "Shouldn't your magic be running low since we've been communicating for a while?"
Harry shook his head mentally. "My magic reserves are pretty big," Harry had said in a mocking voice. "I can chat with you for as long as I want." Harry lied smoothly. Honestly, he could only maintain the connection for another couple of hours if he wanted to have enough energy to check out the houses in Hogsmeade. He was simply enjoying Rose's mortification too much.
Inwardly, he found it funny when he had arrived in Hogsmeade a while ago… people were simply speechless when they saw him. He looked almost exactly like James Potter, except he was slightly taller had his mothers eyes. All in all, he cut quite a handsome figure, but he would never say as much. If Hermione or Ginny were around, he was pretty sure they would say he was acting quite modest about his looks. Harry had never been very vain.
Rose however, wasn't paying attention to Harry. She was busy being accosted by Rita Skeeter, the well known Daily Reporter cow.
While Rita was trying to drag information out of Rose, Harry was pondering about what to do with the beetle animagus. He didn't want Rose to through the same humiliation that he had to go through, so he decided he would have to put the reporter in her place after the 'interview' she had with his Rose.
He was so engrossed at the thought of scaring the Skeeter, he didn't notice that he had considered Rose to be his.
(((o)))
Later, after Harry broke contact with Rose, who was in the middle of ranting about how that blonde veela was putting the moves on Cedric, he followed Rita to her apartment where had gone to retrieve something before heading to the Daily Prophet to publish her 'scoop.'
It didn't take much to scare the witch senseless. Harry simply changed his eye color a hazel and masqueraded as the ghost of his father. He confronted her as she left the apartment building and threatened to reveal her animagus form to the public if she published her article about 'his' daughter. No doubt every wizard and witch in the wizard world would try their best to kill every green beetle they saw. If that didn't stop her, Harry threatened to then leak the same info to the ministry, and Rita paled at that threat. The ministry didn't take illegal animagi lightly and Rita didn't have many friend there.
Not to mention, he would haunt her till the end of her days, never leaving her a moment of peace…
Plus, he would make sure she would be placed under a dementors watch, for all eternity.
He left a hysteric and crying Rita Skeeter behind as had flashed his hazel eyes red and had scared her even more by melting into the shadows, making sure the last thing she saw, was his cold threatening red eyes.
Meanwhile…
While Harry was busy dealing with Rita Skeeter, Rose was having her own problems since Dumbledore had called her to his office about the disrespect she showed to the potions professor. "You wanted to see me Headmaster?" Rose said avoiding the Headmaster's eyes. Harry had told her he heard from his guardian that the headmaster used legillimency to read a person's mind and she didn't doubt it one bit as she remembered the feeling of him 'reading' her during the night her name was picked out of the Goblet of Fire.
Though Harry did tell her that she was temporarily safe, as his mind link spell would prevent any intrusion, she was still weary of the old man, as Harry had called him.
"Good afternoon Rose and yes, I wanted to see you." Dumbledore said pleasantly. "Would you like a Lemon Drop?" He asked first.
Rose shook her head, 'no'. Another thing Harry had warned her about was how the headmaster laced his candy with cheering and truth serum. The person eating the lemon drop wouldn't expect anything was amiss, as they were feeling too cheerful as they happily spilled all their secrets.
"Very well Rose," Dumbledore had softly said as his twinkle dimmed slightly with her negative reply. Usually, she would happily accept candy from the Headmaster. "I was informed a while ago from Professor Snape that you had deliberately insulted him and had mocked him. Is this true?"
"Harry!" Rose said in panicky voice. "I need help! The Headmaster is confronting me!"
"Give me temporary control," said Harry as he had shifted his magic to be drained instead of Rose's. From what he observed, Rose would be drained in five to ten minutes should she continue to open the link as she was hungry and weary.
"What did you just do?" questioned Rose when she felt her magic shift around.
"I'm making it so my magic is drained instead of yours," said Harry. He was currently somewhere in Wales looking for one of Voldemort's horcruxes. "You're hungry and tired at the moment. You won't be able to keep the link up for much longer than ten minutes or so, so I'll let my magic be drained instead."
Rose's eyes closed briefly as Harry took control. When she reopened them, she spoke. "I don't deny it Professor," Harry said looking the older man in the eye. Harry felt a discreet legillimency attempt and Harry gladly fed it false information and feelings of anger and distrust.
"I'm disappointed in you, Rose," Dumbledore said. He masked his surprise at Rose's hostility toward him.
"As I am with you and Professor Snape, Headmaster," Harry said coolly. Dumbledore's eyebrows rose minutely at his sharp tone.
The Headmaster wasn't the only person surprised. The portraits and Rose herself were shocked at Harry cold voice. "I am disappointed to hear that Hogwart's own headmaster and his employees would use legillimency on defenseless students. You do know that is considered an illegal act, Headmaster?" Harry said, immediately erecting his occlumency barriers inside Rose's mind. Dumbledore's mask of calm finally slipped at this, and the shock registered in his eyes.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Rose shouted. She tried to eject Harry from her body but Harry wrestled control back. He had a few things to say to Dumbledore if he was going to get him to back down.
"I'm setting him straight. I won't let him use the guilt trip on you or let Professor Snape get away with things he shouldn't be doing. If he doesn't start doing things fair, the best way to set him straight is to threaten him. And as sad as this seems, I have to resort to this. He needs to know that you're a capable woman in your own right, and he needs to stop letting Snape, and you for that matter, do what you please. This is the only way I can see to get the point across."
"It's not like he lets me get away with things," Rose protested weakly.
"How many times should you have been expelled in the past three years?" Harry asked simply. "Snape treats Malfoy the same way."
Rose was speechless at her cousin's words and just how right he was. For the past three years, she was pretty sure she should have been expelled at some point, but the headmaster was constantly bailing her out of trouble and smoothing things over with the offended parties. She couldn't keep letting Dumbledore treat her as he had been. It would simply mean that she was a hypocrite complaining to her friends, as the headmaster had clearly favored her as Snape had obviously favored Malfoy.
"You're… you're right," Rose said quietly. Things were simply going too fast for her and she was almost overwhelmed. Ever since she had met Harry, her life was changing. She wasn't sure if it was for the better or not, but she decided she would be more cautious around Harry. Something definitely wasn't right with him.
She had always held the Dumbledore in the highest esteem, but being told that Dumbledore had read her mind at times made her weary of him.
While Rose sank deeper in her thoughts, Harry, who was controlling her body and voice, stared at a truly shocked Dumbledore. "When did you learn occlumency, Rose?" Dumbledore asked quietly as the office stilled.
"Just recently Headmaster. I found a book on it while I was looking through the library trying to find out how someone got my name in the goblet of fire. And, no [rofessor, I don't use legillimency on anyone. I'm afraid I don't have any talent in that field; just occlumency. I'm not quite sure, but I think it's one of the talents that Voldemort had given me when he gave me this," Harry said, lifting Rose's fringe a bit and showing her scar. "But back to the subject about your Potions Master. I'm sick of the obvious hatred he shows me and the fact that you have done nothing to stop it or his show of favoritism to his house."
"Rose…" Dumbledore said, trying to placate the fuming girl. He was still speechless that he child in front of him knew occlumency, not to mention that she was a natural. "I did not know anything of Snape favoring his house."
"I'm sure…," Harry said sarcastically, knowing full well Dumbledore was lying. Dumbledore was claiming that for the past ten years Snape had been teaching, he had not known a thing? "I find that odd, as you are the Headmaster and I've been hearing that nothing is able to sneak by you. I wonder what the board of governors would say when I, The Girl Who Lived tell them that the headmaster of Hogwarts hired a biased potions master that has ruined many students promising futures and yet turned a blind eye to it. Please don't tell me you do not know of Professor Snapes favoritism his own house. I am not that ignorant."
Dumbledore wondered what had happened to the girl in front of him to make her speak to him this way. She was down right hostile. "Rose, you are dismissed. I will handle this matter and look through it more thoroughly." He needed to clear his mind to figure out Rose Potter's sudden hostile attitude and natural mastery of occlumency. "As for punishment for back talking to your Potions teacher, twenty-five points from Gryffindor."
Harry nodded in acceptance and turned toward the door, but as she was about to step out, she left a hollow threat behind. "You know, Professor… I heard from the guest students from Beauxbatons that their school is quite nice. I might try and transfer there since this school is obviously not fair and I seem to be in danger every year." Harry had said in French. Harry knew that Dumbledore knew French.
She closed the door without another word and Dumbledore was left surprised yet again.
Relenting control, Harry was immediately chastised by Rose and he could feel her confusion from his conversation with Dumbledore.
"Okay Harry, everything is simply going to fast for me here," she said seriously through their mind link. She slumped exhaustedly against the wall and began to massage her temples. "The Tri-Wizard Tournament, me being chosen as Champion, my friends betraying me, you appearing, Snape, the Headmaster, and just witnessing myself tell off Snape and the Headmaster. This is all going so fast, I can't… there are so many things I don't understand and so many things I don't want…" Rose babbled, unable to stop the tears that came unbidden to her eyes.
Harry fell silent through the link and suddenly felt remorseful for what he had Rose do. He knew it was time to tell her the truth. He really didn't want to tell her who he really was until things finally calmed down, but he didn't have a choice now. She was so confused, distraught, lost, and unsure of what to do, and he couldn't blame her for crying. She had been chosen as the fourth champion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, her friends had abandoned her, she discovered that her most hated teacher and favorite teacher both were able to read her thoughts and memories, and lastly, she had met a lost member of her family; himself.
He really didn't want to hide from her in the first place, he realized offhandedly. Considering that she was technically a female Harry, he knew that she hated having things kept from her. Just like when Dumbledore finally revealed the prophecy to him, Harry was sure of what Rose's reaction would be. It was fair game, though, and Rose deserved to know who he truly was, not just a cover story. He didn't want to be hypocrite.
"Rose, I think I'm going to have to explain something to you. Maybe then, it will ease your mind a bit." Harry said softly through the mind link. He added a burst of calm and comfort. "Meet me tonight at nine in the shrieking shack. Make sure you bring your marauder's map and invisibility cloak."
Rose simply nodded, but inwardly, she was surprised that he knew about the marauder's map and invisibility cloak, having never even mentioned it to him. She had even left them out when she was telling him about her time at Hogwarts. There were some things she had wanted to keep a secret for herself. She immediately began to wonder what Harry had wanted to tell her, but Harry simply told her not to be late and closed the link.