Harry Potter
The Family Business.
Chapter 2
08/09/13 15/03/15 Corrections thank you Alix33
I don't own the Harry Potter verse. Just playing.
Summary: A summer before 6th year Sirius Black's will reading changes everything story with a reverse Reptilia28's challenge twist. A callous manipulative Dumbledore needs Harry to freely say the magic words to generously give his inheritance from Sirius to him for His Greater Good. But his abuse of the Dursleys backfires. Big time. HHrLL NLSBHA, Ronald will be bad because of the injury he suffered at the DoM from the brains.
Chapter 2. Freedom for Hermione.
-The Family Business. Start of flashback-
Wednesday 10th July 1996 8:00pm. Two days earlier flashback.
Order of the Phoenix meeting held at the Burrow.
Tonks was tired. She had an early morning patrol that Wednesday at her real job at the DMLE followed by a guard duty shift caring for Harry Potter at No4. Caring for Harry is something she had done many years ago before the Potters went into hiding. She had baby sat, fed, bathe and changed Harry's nappy as the cute baby boy changed his hair colour for joy showing he was a natural metamorphmagus. The other witches had said something about Harry being able to make a witch very happy one day but she had no clue what they were talking about. But she did remember the happy bright emerald eyed baby that she did not see in Harry today. During her guard duty shift she saw a very unhappy abandoned lonely child, and it broke her heart to think that the great leader of the light Albus Dumbledore was doing this to him. Then she was relieved at 7:00pm to have some dinner, and clean up before attending the Order of the Phoenix meeting held at 8:00 pm at the Burrow.
On top of that, Tonks was still very upset with the death of her favourite uncle Padfoot. It had all gone to hell after the Potters and the Longbottoms were attacked, and Uncle Padfoot disappeared to Azkaban. Then when he escaped, it was confirmed he was innocent, and had been left to rot there. She knew he was Harry's godfather so he could never betray Harry or his parents. So they, her parents and Aunt Narcissa, were not sure if it was for the control of Harry that Sirius was sent to Azkaban or greed that had kept him there. The most ancient and Noble house of Black were very wealthy. Most of the wealth of the Malfoys has been the dowry that came with Aunt Narcissa, along with the use of the Black Country Manor. The Blacks were almost as wealthy as the Potters. And both had been very good at keeping that wealth away from the Ministry, Malfoys and most importantly Dumbledore. Sirius had been stuck in Azkaban as neither the Ministry, the Malfoys nor Dumbledore wanted Sirius to touch the gold. But it also kept Sirius alive as none of the greedy three wanted to share that gold too.
Tonks had heard that the reading of Sirius' will was today, and Dumbledore was going. So they will find out what happened as she knew her Aunt Narcissa was also going but not her mother Andromeda as they had cast her out of the Black Family for marrying her muggleborn father.
Tonks arrived just before 8:00 pm, and there were only a few members attending tonight; Snape, Molly and Arthur, Minerva, Moody and herself. Dumbledore had been talking privately to Molly before the meeting started, and she served tea and biscuits. Snape reported how disappointed the dark lord was that Narcissa failed to gain the Black family fortune. That meant her aunt is probably suffering from the Cruciatus Curse. She feared for her, and the sneer on Snape's face just made her hate him all the more. But it was the grin on Dumbledore and Molly's face that concerned her. Dumbledore cheerfully reported that Sirius had left everything to his godson, and after some minor issues are sorted out, the headmaster was sure that Harry would generously give it all to the Order for the Greater Good. Their cheerfulness turned Tonks stomach to think Dumbledore would just take away Harry's inheritance from his godfather. As if they knew Harry would never need it.
Tonks reported her concerns for Harry trapped alone at No4 but Dumbledore sadly insisted that it was for his safety that he had to stay there to recharge the wards. The headmaster went on to say he will be checking the wards on Friday night, and if they are sufficiently charged then Harry will be able to come to the Burrow. Tonks watched the look Molly and the headmaster shared.
The meeting finished at 9:00 pm, and Snape, Moody and Minerva left while Arthur went out to work in his shed. Tonks was about to leave when she heard a loud voice upstairs. She decided to go, and have a word with Hermione but she could hear Ronald argument at Hermione about homework, and about having the squib Longbottom and Loony staying with them. It seems the brains that he had summons to himself during the battle at the DoM, had sucked away what little good that was in Ronald, and what was left was just a shell worst than her cousin Draco.
Tonks pulled out her wand as she went to open the door of the twin's old bedroom. They had moved out to their flat over their new store, and had left the bedroom magically enlarged. The Ministry-six-less-one had used the large room as a common area to get away from Molly and her endless chores. But Ronald's anger had made it into a DMZ. The noise Ronald was making indicated he was standing to the left, and close to the door. Tonks' Silencio hex hit him hard in the back, bringing a sudden silence to the room, and everyone turned to the door to see a smiling Tonks blowing away the imaginary smoke from the tip of the wand in her hand.
Ronald's reaction was immediate. His face turned Vernon purple with rage, and steam actually came out of his ears. He wordlessly yelled at Tonks something disgusting for hexing him again. Thankfully no one heard but Tonks could lip read, and it sickened her to read what he had just called her. Ronald threw his not-yet-started homework parchment at Hermione with a look that said you better do it right now, stormed out of the room, and went into his bedroom slamming the door and shaking house.
Tonks watched as Hermione picked up the torn grubby pieces of parchment from the floor. Neville was sitting in the armchair with his arms around a crying Luna on his lap doing his best to comfort his friend but what did he know anything about crying females? Ginny jumped up with hopeful eyes, and asked the question she had asked every time she saw Tonks.
"Have you brought my Harry this time?"
Tonks cringed. The way Ginny just acted like she owns Harry when she was at the Burrow was ringing alarm bells. She had known Ginny was obsessed with the-boy-who-lived long before she ever met him, and she still had not received any counseling after her terrible first year at Hogwarts. But to own? Something was not right here, and it is time to find out what is wrong. "No Ginny. Dumbledore said he has to stay at his relatives place for his safety."
"But mum said my Harry will be here soon." Ginny said hopefully. "Well I better go to bed as I need my beauty sleep. I hope you don't snore again tonight Hermione?"
Ginny floated out of the room and went to bed. Tonks looked at the three remaining. She waved her wand at the torn grubby pieces of parchment in Hermione's hand, casting a silent detection charm as she spoke to Neville and Luna. "Glad to see you two have found each other." Both Hermione's hand and Ronald's greasy paw prints on the parchment glowed pink.
Neville went bright red as Luna spoke. "Oh no. Neville is my best friend but he fancies Susan Bones." Luna said in her sad dreamy sing song voice as Neville turned an even brighter shade of red. "He was just protecting me from the red headed Nargle."
"Oh." Tonks said as she silently cast the detection charm over the book Ginny had been reading, and her finger prints glowed pink.
"Yes with Neville being part of the Ministry-Six-less-one, he has become very desirable boyfriend material." Luna said. Then she lent closer to Tonks to stage whisper. "But he does not know that both Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot really fancy him."
"Oh!" Tonks said as she cast her silent detection charm on Neville and Luna who showed no reaction.
"Yes." Luna whispered. "But Neville is so sweet, shy, noble and totally clueless."
A stunned Neville was trying to come to terms that he had overheard the cute redhead Hufflepuff, Susan Bones fancied him. He liked that idea. While Hermione was wondering what Luna's red headed Nargle was.
"Did you see the pink Wrackspurts?" Luna asked in her whisper. "Everyone here has them except for Neville and me. Ronald, Ginny and Hermione's pink Wrackspurts are fresh and bright but yours are very pale."
"What!" Tonks exclaimed. She cast the silent detection charm on herself, and saw the slight pink glow. Alarmed, she took out a phial of red antidote potion from her cloak, and took a slip. She glowed a pale red for a moment as her mind cleared as if a very light mist had disappeared. She handed the phial to Hermione.
"Do you trust me?" Tonks said as she waved her wand to close the door, and silence the room.
Hermione looked at her, nodded her head, and took a long drink from the phial. She glowed bright red and exploded. "That stupid selfish controlling bossy woman! How could she think that I could ever like that angry selfish git..."
Hermione was on her feet walking around the room as she ranted for thirty minutes about every nasty terrible thing Ronald had said or done to her. Starting from the uncharitable remark she overheard on the first day, as she left Harry's compartment on the Hogwarts Express with Neville to look his toad. Ronald had never learnt to speak quietly, and his nasty comment. "Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," That had cut her to the bone. She had just wanted to make a friend in Harry Potter, and she had met Ronald Bilius Weasley. His parents were totally correct to name him Bilius as he was full of bile.
Tonks was amazed at Hermione's Eidetic memory but saddened at how much pain and abuse she had suffered from the red headed Nargle. When Hermione had run out of steam, Tonks wrapped her in her arms as she sat on her lap, and cried into her shoulder. She was surprised when Neville and Luna were able to take up the rant, and continue to list all the things they could remember that Ronald had done or said about Hermione when she and Harry were not there. Plus the rude hand gestures and faces he made while they were not looking. It was not a pretty picture.
When Hermione had cried herself asleep. Tonks used her wand to levitate Hermione over to Neville and Luna so they could just hold her.
It was now quite late, and everyone had gone to bed. Tonks cast silently the Homenum Revelio charm to reveal four sleeping Weasleys plus the three teens sleeping in the room. She cast the silencing charm on her feet as her renowned clumsiness was just an act to hide her ability, and she really hated that stupid ugly umbrella stand. But now She had some serious investigating to do, and needed all of her Auror training to keep her calm and objective. She will deal with Ronald and Molly later but for now she needed to know how far the Potion Witch had gone, and where she had hid her stash.
Tonks walked down the stairs, and into the darken kitchen. She silently cast the Specialis Revelio charm around the kitchen, and Molly's spice chest, the secret of Molly's famous cooking, lit up like a Yule tree. Tonks could see the monitoring and locking wards around the spice chest, and that it had a hidden compartment below the spice bottles. She removed the wards, and opened the hidden compartment. It had been enchanted to be enlarged, and contained racks full of phials, specimen containers, and a large bottle of a violently hot pink potion with a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and the steam rising in characteristic spirals of Amortentia! Concentrated Amortentia! So this is where the twins got their special WonderWitch products.
Tonks had a look at the rack of specimen containers. They just had a single letter on them but A, C, G, M, R and W had red hair with G very long and A very short. D had a lot of very long silver white hair, H was short black and messy while Hr was long bushy brown, and N was long bubble-gum pink. Some days Tonks is glad she is not a Pure-blood as she used her muggleborn logic side of her heritage from her father to quickly deduce that the letters stood for Arthur, Charlie, Dumbledore, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Molly, ToNks, Ronald and William.
She noticed two dusty phials at the back with Nymphadora + C on one and Charlie + N on the other. 'Well that explains my sudden crush on Charlie Weasley in seventh year. Molly must have tried to get us together to stop Charlie going off to chase Dragons.' She thought.
Tonks pulled out a rack of phials marked 'Order of the Greater Good', and there were phials for each member of the Order of the Phoenix. With a member's name + D. Except for Remus, Tonks, Kingsley and Moody. That made sense as Remus was a werewolf, and the Aurors are regularly checked for potions, plus her contamination was only a trace residue of youthful indiscretion. It also explained why Dumbledore always regarded Molly as a very important member of the Order, and tolerated her fiery temper for what she really did for the Order other than cook. She would prepared their refreshments in the kitchen, and then personally served each individually. She chuckle to see a phial marked Severus + D. No wonder Dumbledore trusts Snape when Snape loves him. Molly must be good to get past Snape. She must sneak it in masked by that treacle syrup the bat has in his tea. Serves the bat right to have a sweet tooth. She wondered why everyone had a separate phial when she realized that the phials kept record as to how much everyone had been dosed, and who needed a top up. She found some very old half full phials with Peter + D, James + D, Lily + D, Alice + D and Frank + D, on them. Only half used as they went into hiding. That sickened her to see how far back the betrayal went. She carefully returned the rack. With the Order high on Amortentia, no wonder so many carelessly died devoted to Dumbledore's Greater Good.
Tonks pulled out the other rack marked OBHWF. She wondered but saw that they were all Weasleys phial plus Harry and Hermione. So OBHWF meant 'One Big Happy Weasley Family'. A phrase she had heard Molly say a number of the times. So it was more than just words. There was a phial marked Arthur + M next to Molly + A. So Molly was keeping the magic alive, and self medicating. Wonder what will happen when that stops as Arthur is a department head for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, and it is against the law to be under any controlling substance or spell.
Then Tonks found the four phials she was looking for. Harry + G, Hermione + R, Ginny + H and Ronald + Hr. Molly was potioning Harry and Hermione to be with the youngest redheads. Even potioning her own children. If Ronald needed Amortentia to even just "like" Hermione, what would his behaviour be like without it?
Standard procedure was to neutralize the Amortentia with the red antidote but she only had enough left for the four phials for the children. So she acted to protect the children as the rest were adults, and responsible for their own stupidity. She added a drop of the red antidote potion to each phial, and put them back. Then emptied the rest into the large bottle of concentrated Amortentia. She repacked the chest, and replaced the wards plus adding a very strong compulsion hex to not notice that Hermione, Neville and Luna were not there. So every time Molly or someone else came into the kitchen they would forget about Hermione, Neville and Luna.
It was time to go. Tonks quietly went back to upstairs, packed Hermione, Neville and Luna's things, gathered up their books and school work, and shrunk their trunks. She went back to the twin's old bedroom, and she smiled to see Neville there asleep with Hermione and Luna snuggled into each side. They looked so cute. Fortunately Neville was a light sleeper, and Tonks was able to wake him.
"Neville?" Tonks asked. "Do you have an emergency Portkey to Longbottom Manor?"
"What? Er yes Tonks but it does not work inside this house and wards." Neville said. Then he realized who was snuggled next to him.
"Don't worry about that. My lips are sealed for now." Tonks said with a wink. "But we need to leave now. Can you carry Luna?"
"Er sure."
"Good." Tonks said as she cast a feather light charm on the sleeping Hermione and Luna, and a silencing charm on Neville's feet. She pulled Neville up, he turned and swept up the sleeping Luna bridal style into his arms while Tonks pulled up the sleeping Hermione, and put her over her shoulder fireman style. They made their way quietly down the stairs, out the door, and walked pass the wards. Neville activated the emergency Portkey, and they disappeared to Longbottom Manor.
They landed quietly in the entrance hall of Longbottom Manor with Neville steadying Tonks to stop her falling over. He led to way upstairs to the bedroom next to his, and carefully placed the sleeping Luna into the large four poster bed. Tonks carelessly flipped Hermione onto the bed next to Luna but she did not wake. Tonks climbed up between the sleeping Hermione and Luna, and snuggled in.
Turning to Neville. "Thank you Neville. You are a good guy to watch our backs. Us girls are having a sleepover. Could you wake us for lunch?"
Summarily dismissed, Neville was too tired to argue, just nodded, and went to his bedroom. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Only to be awaken by the scream of his Gran when she found him in his own bed the next day.
-The Family Business.-
Ronald woke up late, got dressed, and went to find Hermione to see if she had completed his homework as he had ordered. It did not bother him that Neville's bed had not been slept in. He walked into the twin's old bedroom, and found his torn grubby pieces of parchment on the floor, unfinished. Fuming he checked in Ginny's bedroom only to see Ginny still asleep and two un-slept beds. Getting angrier, he stormed off to the kitchen to find Hermione.
"Mum, have you seen Herm..." Ronald started to say as he stormed into the kitchen but stopped mid sentence as he forgot what he was talking about. "Oh food."
"Good morning Ronald." Molly cheerfully said. "Here, have your pumpkin juice. You always feel better after you have your pumpkin juice."
Ronald drank his pumpkin juice, and certainly did felt better. It was as if a mist had lifted off his mind, and he tried to remember something but it had gone. So he threw the torn grubby pieces of parchment into the fire under the stove. Then he tried to remember why he was ever friends with that loser Potter and that mental what's-her-name. He did remember how following Potter into the Department of Mysteries to save his mental godfather had almost got him and his sister killed. Then he remembered seeing the power of the dark lord. So much power. All for the taking. Then it dawned on Ronald. He was on the losing side.
Being the chess master he made his plans as he ate his breakfast. When his mother left the kitchen to wake Ginny, he made his move, and used the floo to go to Malfoy Manor.
-The Family Business. End of flashback-
…...Then out of a shadow walked a tall figure clapping his hands, and wearing a black cloak and hood hiding his face.
"Bravo! Bravo Harry! Well done! Well done indeed! Again you have surprised all of us, Harry." Said a cheerful yet darkly sinister voice as everyone turned to see. "Congratulations Harry my dear boy, you have fulfilled the prophecy!"
"WHAT?"
"Yes! Harry my boy, you have vanquished the dark lord, and fulfilled the prophecy." The tall figure said in a distinctive voice and serious-comic performance. While the silenced Dumbledore face turned a bright shade of Vernon rage red as he wordlessly screamed at them. The tall figure pulled back his hood revealing the smiling face of...
"You're Death." Harry said repeating what the ring with the black stone had told him, while at the same moment.
"You're Vincent Price!" Aunt Petunia cried finding her voice.
"Correct and correct my dear madam. Vincent "Death" Price at your service. You may call me Vincent." Vincent said with a bow to a blushing Aunt Petunia. "I have borrowed the appearance of my dear friend Vincent, when I make house calls. It stops all the screaming, fear, panic, weeping and gnashing of teeth that I got before. You know the skeleton in a black hooded cloak with a traditional wooden scythe. Now people say hello, look for the hidden camera, and ask for my autograph. It is quite fun actually."
Vincent picked up the glass of whiskey floating next to Dudley and drank it in one go. "Wow that is the good stuff Vernon. Glenfiddich 50 Year Old single malt whiskey if I am not mistaken?"
Vernon nodded as Aunt Petunia handed Vincent her visitors book, and a pen.
Vincent took the visitors book, pen and wrote.
"To my dear Petunia,
Nice house but don't forget to take the time to smell agapanthus.
Life will be over before you appreciate it.
Trust me, I really know.
Best wishes.
Vincent "Death" Price."
Vincent returned the visitors book and pen to a thankful gushing Aunt Petunia who quickly read what Vincent had written.
She turned to a frightened Vernon. "Vincent likes the house, and my prized agapanthus. He even knew my name." She said excitedly.
"Yes dear, but I think that has more to do with the "Death" part." Vernon said in a whisper.
"Shush you. You're just jealous that someone has taken the time to notice, and he has such beautiful hand writing."
Harry watched his aunt's reaction, and then found his voice to ask the right question to get back onto the right topic.
"Oh. But Dumbledore could not be the dark lord of the prophecy. He is the leader of the light. Isn't he?"
Dumbledore nodded in agreement with Harry.
"Well he wasn't meant to be to start with, Harry. But things change. Just give me a moment to tie up some loose ends, and I will explain everything." Vincent said.
"Everything?"
"Yes everything, Harry. After what you have suffered, lost, and then gained. You need to know everything."
Harry was going to continue to ask questions, but Vincent waved his hand about two feet in front of Harry's scar as though he was feeling for a spider's web thread caught in Harry's hair. Then Vincent's hand caught the black thread, and Harry felt a pull on his scar.
"Sorry Harry but this may hurt."
Harry nodded and braced himself. He had felt an awful lot of pain through his scar over the years. But Vincent looked like he was going to pull something out. He wrapped the black thread around his fingers. Looked Harry in the eye. Harry nodded, and Vincent gave the black thread a sharp pull. The pain in Harry's scar was intense that made his eyes to water, and he could feel something like blood seeping from his scar. Then nothing. The pain was gone, and Harry's head seems to clear up as if a black veil had been lifted off his mind. He wiped the tears that ran down his face, and looked at the black evil looking octopus thing struggling on the end of the black thread. It seemed to know who was holding the thread, and was trying frantically to find something to grab onto, and get away from the hand.
The new reborn Aurora Phoenix Fawkes had regrown to his full adult size, and lent over to cry tears into Harry's bleeding scar. It smoked, hissed and healed up to a very faint line while the Phoenix tears ran into Harry's eyes. Harry took his classes off to rub his eyes as they had gone blurry. He turned to Fawkes on his shoulder to say thank you, and instead of seeing a blurry white mass of feathers. He saw Fawkes clearly.
"Wow Fawkes. I can see clearly now. Thank you. Thank you so much." Harry said gratefully as he threw away his old glasses.
Then Harry turned to Vincent who was playfully waving the fanatically struggling black evil looking octopus thing in front of Dumbledore's face who was trying just as frantically to avoid the black evil looking octopus thing.
"Thank you Vincent. What is that thing?"
"This Harry, is a Horcrux. A soul anchor. A part of Tom's soul was anchored into your scar. It is the connection you felt to Tom."
"It looks evil."
"It is Harry. Very evil. It requires the sacrifice of an innocent to tear one's soul to make a Horcrux. Albus could have easily removed it, and spared you a lot of pain and suffering. Who needs an evil dark lord like that sociopath Tom stuck in their head. It speaks volumes for your integrity Harry to keep it at bay." Vincent said as he still played with the black evil looking octopus Horcrux anchor in front of Dumbledore's face.
"Hold your head still Albus, and stop being such a baby. You made Harry suffer unnecessarily with it for years so now it is your turn. Oops! There it goes. See, didn't hurt me a bit!" Vincent said with an evil sinister laugh.
The black evil looking octopus Horcrux anchor had caught onto the end of Dumbledore's long crooked freshly healed nose, and quickly crawled up the anterior nasal passage into his head. His eyes showed absolute fear as the bright blue colour dimmed a little. Vincent reached across to a second black thread attached to the old wizard's head. He wrapped his fingers around it, and gave it a sharp pull towards Dumbledore who silently screamed and fainted with the pain. Momentarily a second black evil looking octopus Horcrux anchor appeared attached to a gold ring. It frantically tried to get away from the right hand of Vincent. His left hand caught the gold ring, and the second Horcrux anchor immediately released it. Vincent gave the gold ring to Harry as he tied the second Horcrux to the first black thread, and the black evil looking octopus Horcrux anchor ran along the first black thread to whatever was at the far end.
"There that's done. Now to enlarge the room as we are expecting company. You don't mind do you my dear?" Vincent asked Petunia who shook her head, as he wave his hand around the room, and it grew to ten times its size, and more couches appeared.
Harry was still troubled with the idea of Dumbledore being the dark lord of the prophecy when he remembered a part of that prophecy. The bit about how 'either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.'
"Vincent? The old goat deserves death for what he has done, but I don't want to be the one who kills Dumbledore." Harry pleaded.
"After all that you have suffered because of this old fool. That is very noble of you Harry, but you only had to vanquish him. And you did that brilliantly." Vincent said.
"But the prophecy said 'either must die at the hand of the other'. So he has to die by my hand?"
"It did? Did it?" Vincent asked looking at Dumbledore. "And who pray tell told you this particular version of the prophecy?"
"Oh!" Harry realized something and looked at an angry Dumbledore in disgust. "The prophecy didn't actually say that bit. Did it?"
"No Harry. You were given the power of Love to vanquish the dark lord to protect others. Even those who hated you. That is all you had to do. Love doesn't kill, it saves. It was Dumbledore who chose for you to kill." Vincent said still looking at Dumbledore. "What better way to hide in plain sight, than to pretend to be the great wise Merlin, to have a mantra that says do what is right rather than what is easy, to say forgive and give second chances to the guilty, to say be good and better when you support and trust with your life someone that is so full of hate that he abuses children in a school. Then you tell the son of the late Lily Evans Potter that he alone has to kill the monster that murdered her. A child who has been beaten all his life, and learnt to not resist for fear of an even worst beating. A child who just lost his dogfather to that monster. His friends injured and no communication. To destroy his soul to kill and die on your command while you keep your hands clean and your image unblemished. You're evil Dumbledore. You are Despicable!"
There was silence, Aunt Petunia coughed.
"Er, Harry if I might?"
Harry nodded.
"No offense dear but you hit like a girl."
Uncle Vernon said as he stood up, walked across the room, and rammed his big meaty fist into the despicable old goat's head crushing his nose fat to his face and breaking his jaw again, then returning to the couch with a grin.
"No offense taken dear. But I think the long crooked nose is healing faster and growing longer."
"Not a problem my dear."
WHAM!
WHAM!
WHAM!
"That's better. Thank you dear."
"You're welcome."
Harry pointed the wand at Uncle Vernon's hand and healed the cuts and bruises. Uncle Vernon looked amazed at his hand, even the old scars and warts were gone along with the touch of arthritis. He brought both his hands together to compare the differences when Harry zapped that one too. He nodded a thank you to Harry as Aunt Petunia carefully checked his hands. They were as smooth as a baby's bottom.
Then Harry pointed the wand at the liquor cabinet which opened itself. The bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old whiskey floated out, and topped up their glasses with a very generous measure of the single malt whiskey, and floated back to the cabinet. Harry pointed the wand at the refrigerator in the kitchen, it opened and two cans of Dudley's Diet Coke floated to Dudley and Harry. Dudley nodded a thank you as did the adults except the old goat who was not doing anything but automatically healing again.
Vincent smiled as he enjoyed the whiskey then continued. "Harry, Dumbledore is a Machiavellian manipulative evil insane sociopath. He always chose the easy path because he was not leading. He was not the "leader" of the light because he did not lead. He manipulated! It is a big difference. He was manipulating sheeple, bigots, bullies, murderers, and monsters, who always do what is easy. He manipulated them by using their pride, greed, ignorance and fear. He had devoted his life to manipulating others for his Greater Good. When that didn't work he used magic. When that failed he arranged their deaths. That is why he dumped his version of the prophecy on you. He was manipulating you to go and kill each other leaving him to be the last great wizard standing. Dumbledore has been trying to destroy you Harry, mind, body and soul."
"Why?"
"To be the Greatest Wizard of all time, Harry. But either you are truly the Greatest or you have to destroy the one who is."
"But I am not great. I am just Harry."
"Yes just Harry who just vanquished the greatest dark lord with Love. With Love I say as you knew he is worthy of death, and you did not kill him. You tried to save him. You are great Harry, but you have suffered so much shit because of him."
"Oh. My life just stinks!"
"It would have stunk even more except you were granted two wild cards. To replace your parents."
"Wild cards?"
"Yes! Wild cards, something that the old goat could not plan for, Harry. Behind every great man is a greater woman. A soul mate! You were given two. Two special girls to love you, and that will be with you always. You were given one soul mate to help you at the start. But with the old fool's manipulations getting so bad and dark, a second soul mate was added to give you hope."
"Hermione and Luna?"
"Yes."
"Without Hermione's love, care and knowledge I would have died long ago." Harry said as Vincent smirked. "And Luna is a free spirit her love is just burst of sunlight on a dark day. They gives me hope. Without them my life would be utter darkness. That is why the old goat kept on obliviating us whenever we got together one way or another. They made me happy and strong, and he could not have that."
"No he did not want you happy and strong, and they were not your Dumbledore approved and controlled girlfriend / Pure-blood acceptable wife / future very rich widow."
"Ginny?" Vincent nodded as Harry snorted! "That figures. My only Dumbledore approved and controlled best friend was that jealous time wasting anti-knowledge bigot of a bully super snoring git Ronald, who reported to Dumbledore everything I did, and had Hermione, Luna and me obliviated so many times. Do you have any idea how much it hurt Luna to be obliviated, and to wake up totally friendless again? Then the only Dumbledore approved family was the Weasleys with Molly as his biggest supporter who would do anything he said. My Dumbledore approved Nemesis, Nemesises.."
"Nemeses. Nemeses is the plural of nemesis. It's pronunciation is \ˈne-mə-səs\" Vincent added helpfully with his perfect orthoepy.
"Thank you Vincent. My Dumbledore approved Nemeses were Voldemort. Draco, Snape, the Ministry, Ronald when he is in a bad mood, and my relatives." Harry turned to the Dursleys. "No offense." They shook their heads. Harry turned back to Vincent. "Dumbledore used the bigotry, bullying and hatred of Snape, Draco and Ronald to create a war zone in Hogwarts that he controlled. So many were caught in the crossfire, they suffered, and were hurt, learning nothing. Potions was an utter disaster. I can't believe that he did all this just to be greater than me?"
"Sadly, yes he did. He had it planned for years, he manipulated Hogwarts, the sheeple, the Ministry, the Wizengamot and the ICW for that one sole purpose. But you have won Harry. You just need to learn how to live now."
"Hermione and Luna will help me there?"
"Yes they will. Don't worry about Dumbledore. He threw away his chance to be truly great because he was too damn Machiavellian manipulative, selfish, and greedy. He didn't teach, didn't share, didn't care, and didn't love. There is nothing that will save him now. This is his destiny that he made for himself, Harry. His time has far passed, and I am so sick of him sacrificing others to die in his place. Besides the actual prophecy is still a prophecy, and the fine print means that you will not be able to live completely while this one is not completely dead. Lucky for you, Harry. You have me on your side. So don't worry about killing him as that pleasure is all mine." Vincent smiled.
"Thank you Vincent."
"You're welcome Harry. Now to deal with the puppet, er invite our other guests."
"Puppet? You mean Tom?"
"Why yes Harry." Vincent said as he flicked the black thread coming out of Dumbledore's nose. "They are a pigeon pair now. You could even say soul anchored mates. Can't take the one without the other." Vincent laughed at his own humour. "Besides when Tom lost his body in 1981, he should have crossed over then if not for this particular anchor so he has been living on borrowed time."
"Oh."
"Have seat Harry, and enjoy the show." Vincent said as he took hold of the black thread with both hands, and gave it a pull. Only for the black thread pull back, and Dumbledore's head jerked.
"Oh goody! They are going to fight!" Vincent said excitedly as he planted his feet, and started this tug-of-war, sorry death struggle. "Let battle commence!" And gave a cheer. An evil sinister cheer.
Thanks for reading.
-The Family Business.-