Wizarding Savior?

Chapter 11

That same day, Harry went back to Greengrass Manor and sat down to have a conversation with Rupert. He dropped a bombshell, "I just found out today that Dumbledore's master plan has been for me to be killed by Voldemort, so that he can ride in and save the day. He wants to be the hero of the wizarding world once again."

Rupert replied, "That doesn't surprise me. How did you find out?"

Harry answered, "He apparently confided in Molly Weasley that he intended to allow Voldemort to take over, so that I would be cut off without support, which would guarantee that I would go down fighting. She also insinuated that Dumbledore told her that Voldemort couldn't be killed unless I died, too."

Rupert frowned, "That would lend credence to our Horcrux theory, but that would mean that you are a Horcrux as well."

Harry nodded grimly, "The thought had crossed my mind. The question is, how do we remove a Horcrux from me without me having to die?"

"I don't know, Harry. This is magic beyond my understanding. I'll contact Daryn, and have him look into it. He can put the American equivalent of the Department of Mysteries on it. He also has some connection in the Far East, which is where the Horcrux ritual was actually invented."

Harry sighed, "Well, then, I guess I will just have to wait for an answer."

Rupert patted him on the back, "Don't worry about it for now. If there is a solution, you can count on Daryn. Now, there is a conversation that you and I need to have." "What about?"

"Daphne?"

"What about Daphne?"

"I don't think you are putting in enough effort to get to know her better. I realize you have had a lot on your mind, and you have attempted to include her in our plans, but you have to do more than that. You need to go on a date."

Harry paled, "I just don't know what to say. I've only been on one rather disastrous date, and I'm a little unsure of what to do."

Rupert grinned, "Why don't you have the house elves put you together a picnic basket tomorrow, and invite Daphne to have lunch with you out on the grounds. It's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow, and you can relax and get to know each other. The longer you wait, the harder its going to be for the two of you to find common ground. Remember, you will be married once she reaches her majority."

Harry straightened with resolve, "I understand. I'll go and ask her right now."

Rupert chuckled as Harry headed for the den, where he knew Daphne to be. Harry walked in and said, "Daphne, could I talk to you for a moment?"

She set the book she was reading aside, and focused her attention on Harry, "What do you need, Harry?"

Harry took a deep breath and then plunged in, "I would like to know if you would be interested in accompanying me on a picnic tomorrow for lunch."

Daphne smiled, while Astoria giggled from across the room. She replied, "I would be delighted to have a picnic with you." She stood, while giving Astoria a dirty look for giggling, "I will be ready for lunch at half past noon."

Harry attempted a suave bow, and said, "I will be awaiting that moment most heartily."

The next day, the two of them danced around each other throughout the morning, with Daphne giving Harry a slight smile once or twice. Just after noon, Harry went to the kitchen and picked up the basket that the house elves had prepared. He met Daphne at the front door, and held out the arm that wasn't holding the basket to her. She grinned and linked arms with her, and the two of them took a stroll out onto the grounds. They found a spot under a shade tree that Daphne particularly liked, and Harry spread the blanket for the two of them to sit.

As the two of them pulled the food out of the basket, Harry began, "I owe you an apology, Daphne. Yesterday, it was pointed out to me that I wasn't putting in enough effort for us to get to know each other better. I would like to do what I can the rest of the summer to correct that, but I have to warn you that I have no clue what I'm doing."

Daphne smiled, "I don't see how that could be possible given all the girls that brag about having had you in a broom closet."

The blood drained from Harry's face as he protested, "But, I've never been in a broom closet with a girl."

Daphne giggled, "I didn't figure any of it was true, given what I've seen of you the last few weeks. It doesn't change the fact that according to the Hogwarts rumor mill, you are quite the ladies' man."

Harry reddened, "I must have been born under an unlucky star to have such a life."

"I don't know. If you weren't who you were, you wouldn't be getting me as a wife, and that would be a shame."

As Daphne intended the remark caused Harry to chuckle ruefully, "I suppose that is true. However, I wish I could dodge all the other garbage and just enjoy being a teenager."

Daphne shrugged, "Sometime being a teenager is overrated. You have several advantages from being declared legally of age, and you will just have to deal with the limitations that places on you in return for the benefits."

Harry nodded, "True, but I didn't invite you out here to discuss being an adult, or to talk strategy. I invited you out here to learn a little more about you, so I propose a trade."

Daphne eyed him suspiciously, "What do you mean, a trade?"

"I suggest that I tell you something that you don't know about me, and then you reveal something about yourself in turn. I think that we will get to know each other that way."

Daphne nodded, "I'm impressed. Very well, you go first."

For the next three hours, Daphne and Harry traded anecdotes and stories about themselves until they packed up the remains of the picnic, and walked back into the house hand in hand, which was a far cry more intimate than the formal escort position that Harry had adopted on the way out.

The rest of the month of July passed quickly with Voldemort finally intruding on their thoughts. The Death Eaters resumed raiding the relatives of Muggle Borns, which had been their Modus Operandi during the first war. A few members of the Order of the Phoenix attempted to make contact with Harry at the Greengrasses, but they were quickly rebuffed, except for Remus, who informed Harry that several of the members of the Order had quit over what Dumbledore had done to him. He also confided in Harry that several more had considered it, but had decided that remaining in the Order to watch Dumbledore would be a better use of their time. Harry informed Remus that he still wasn't prepared to entrust anyone in the Order with information about himself, and that they would just have to do what they thought best. Harry and Daphne continued to get to know one another better, with Astoria quickly becoming a beloved little sister by Harry.

Harry used the fact that he was now no longer bound by the underage magic laws to practice magic. He smirked as he remembered something Daryn had told him, "Harry, the average witch and wizard have some bizarre view that there are powerful spells that only the truly elite amongst us can cast, and nothing could be further from the truth. The only difference is in the power that we can put into those spells, which allows us to achieve some spectacular effects. However, they are still the same spells. For example, a flame spell by someone with average power will produce a small jet of flame, but I can use that same spell to produce a gigantic ball of fire to hurl at my enemies. Most would assume that I cast a spell that they don't know or aren't magically powerful enough to cast, when in reality I used the incantation Incendio."

So, with his power unbound, Harry practiced with controlling his spell work to receive the desired result. It took him the better part of a few weeks, but getting it down to an instinctual level finally came. Something he knew to be necessary before returning to Hogwarts, so that he didn't accidentally obliterate someone.

Before they knew it, it was time for the Board of Governor's meeting, and he and Daphne prepared to go to it with Rupert and Eleanor. Upon arriving they were greeted by Augusta Longbottom, and shown to a witness room. She said, "I will have you summoned when it is time for you to present your request to the Board. I can't guarantee it will pass. I know we don't have the votes to have him removed yet because it takes ten votes without me or eight votes including mine to remove a sitting Headmaster, and I can't guarantee more than four. I only have to have five votes to put monitoring in place or fire a teacher. So, you only have to persuade one."

When it was time, the Greengrasses and Harry were called into the room. Augusta asked them to be seated and then continued, "It has come to my attention, Lord Greengrass and Lord Potter that both of you have concerns about Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster."

Rupert stood, "Yes, Governor Longbottom. Several deficiencies in the quality of education and the safety of the students at Hogwarts have come to my attention. Since, I only know of these problems second hand, I have brought my daughter to give her impressions of the occurrences of the last five years, and Lord Potter is here as well to give an accounting since most of the events in question surrounded him."

Harry stood as Rupert sat and addressed the Board, "I come before you asking at the very least that some sort of system to keep Albus Dumbledore's excesses in check during the following year. He has done many things concerning me that are questionable, as anyone aware of the most recent Wizengamot meeting can attest. He has had the proverbial rug pulled out from under him in the last month, and numerous newspaper articles vilifying his deeds have been published. While I am at the center of the events that brought about this deterioration in his reputation, I am not solely responsible. However, the Headmaster deems this to be my fault, and is obsessed with having me under his influence. It is this that I am addressing, and why I wish for him to be monitored more closely than in the past. To give the Board a better understanding of why I feel this way, I will give a short recap of the occurrences of my years at Hogwarts, and how I have been in mortal danger every year, most of which occurred because the Headmaster was more concerned with me being tested than he was with the safety of the student body." What proceeded from then was a summary of the events of Harry's first five years with Daphne lending an outsiders point of view on the events, and the reactions of the students and staff to the incidents. The Board interrupted constantly, and questioned Harry and Daphne vigorously, but in the end the testimony came to an end.

Augusta Longbottom banged her gavel, "We will now have a vote." She looked to the guests, "We'll be raising a privacy shield, so you may stay and await the results of the vote." The shield went up, and the Board appeared to be arguing for several minutes before they finally calmed. Approximately, twenty minutes later, the privacy shield came down, and Augusta summoned a house elf, and handed it a note to deliver. She said aloud, "We will wait for the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout before revealing the ruling of the Board."

The four professors entered the room, and Dumbledore inwardly cringed when he saw Harry Potter in the room. They were seated and then Augusta banged the gavel again, "Headmaster Dumbledore, the Board has heard some disturbing things about occurrences in this school over the past five years. It has led us to the conclusion that you may not be the best choice as Headmaster for Hogwarts." Dumbledore started as heard this, but calmed as the next sentence left Augusta's mouth, "However, we have decided to place you on probation. Have you found a replacement for the Death Eater, Severus Snape, as Head of Slytherin?"

Dumbledore answered her, "Yes, I have procured the services of Horace Slughorn to return as Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin. We have also hired Nymphadora Tonks as the Defense Teacher."

Augusta perused the Board with her eyes, and they all nodded, "That is good, since you now need to find two more teachers. The Board has achieved the votes necessary to fire Professor Binns and Professor Trelawney."

Dumbledore protested, "That only leaves me with three weeks to fill both positions. Can't the two of them be placed on probation?"

Board member Davis shook his head, "No, that is out of the question. We should have taken action on those two members of the staff long ago. The only reason that we haven't is that we accepted your word that the complaints against them were unfounded as their only failing was being uncharismatic, but the testimony that we have heard today along with the events of the last month leaves us with little reason to trust your judgment on such matters."

Augusta continued from there, "The terms of your probation are as follows. You will handle no disciplinary measures. You are not allowed to deduct points or issue detentions. All those matters will be dealt with by the Heads of House. Also, any changes to rules must be approved by the Deputy Headmistress as well as at least one of the other Heads of House. If they don't approve, the matter may be brought before us. Is this acceptable, Headmaster, or do you wish to resign?"

Dumbledore was tempted to tell her exactly where she could stick her probation as he was seething inside. He managed to keep the grandfatherly expression on his face as he replied, "I have little choice but to acquiesce to the Board's demands, and I look forward to the day when I have the full trust of the Board once again."

The rest of the meeting dealt with minutia about the budget, and other day to day affairs. Then, the meeting broke up, and as Harry was heading for the door, he was stopped by McGonagall. She said, "Mr. Potter, as you have been unreachable by owl, I need to know what classes you will be taking into N.E.W.T. level."

Harry nodded, "I would be happy to oblige you, Professor McGonagall, but as I don't know what my O.W.L. scores were, I don't know what I am eligible for."

"Of course, Mr. Potter. I have your scores in my office. Since, owls were coming back early in the summer with your mail unopened, I didn't even attempt to send them out. If you would follow me, we will retrieve them." Harry followed her, while the Greengrasses trailed behind, and spotting the possible problem, several members of the Board descended on Dumbledore to keep him busy.

After receiving his scores, and being informed of the lowered requirements for admittance into Potions, Harry decided to continue with Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, and asked if he could add Arithmancy.

McGonagall appeared puzzled, "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but you haven't taken Arithmancy before. You would have to start in the class with the third years."

Rupert Greengrass inserted himself, "That's not entirely correct, Minerva. The by-laws allows him to take a proficiency test to get into the fifth year class. Assuming, he scores well enough on the O.W.L. at the end of the year, he could take another placement test at the beginning of next year, and be in the N.E.W.T. seventh year class."

Harry nodded, "That is what I would like to do. I was tutored earlier in the summer somewhat, and it was discovered that I have somewhat of a knack for it. I'm positive that I could pass the proficiency test."

McGonagall nodded, "I will set everything up with Professor Vector, but you need to have a back-up as you must continue with five classes."

"Put me down for Care of Magical Creatures, just in case then."

After that, Harry and the Greengrasses beat a hasty retreat from the castle to avoid encountering Dumbledore.

A/N: Next chapter will have the last bit of summer, and then the train ride. Then, its back to Hogwarts. To all those that review, I appreciate it. For those of you that ask questions for clarification, I answer if the answer won't give anything of the future story away. So, if don't answer a review it is because I can't do so without compromising the story.