Disclaimer: The Universes belong to Rowlings and Lee. I am fortunate enough to be a dimension hopper.
Chapter 11: Confessions and Answers
Hogwarts Great Hall
Order of the Phoenix
After everyone had retired to their offices, Arthur Weasley knocked on her door and was told to enter. With a quick explanation, they took the floo to the Three Broomsticks and walked up to the school.
When they stepped in the doors of the Great Hall, Madame Bones was surprised to see so many people gathered around a single large, circular table. She turned to her escort.
"Arthur, what in Merlin's name is this?" she demanded angrily.
At this point Dumbledore stood and made himself known.
"Welcome, Amelia Bones, to this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix." he said, and she looked around the table to see all the people seated there.
The one face that really took her by surprise was Alastor Moody. But that wasn't the only surprise as she started to notice members of her own department sitting at this table.
"Moody, I thought you were being held in France to await trial." she growled as she stared at him.
"Nope. Port-keyed away." he chuckled as he grinned at her.
"I see." she said, then turned to the other members of her department she saw there, studying them with a jaundiced eye.
Before she could get started on a proper rant, Dumbledore decided to speak up, trying to salvage something out of this.
"Please, Amelia, there are things you need to hear before you lose your temper." he said trying to muster his old grandfatherly persona.
"The last time you started this group up, you cost me my brother and his wife, so I'm not inclined to be very damned forgiving. Why are you doing this again?" she demanded.
"Please, I know I've made some mistakes but this is very important. I brought these people together to once again stand against the darkness." Dumbledore pleaded.
"And how many will you sacrifice this time, you old fool?!" she asked scathingly, "How many will lose their lives to your grand ambitions as a master chess player? Answer me that!"
"If you would have a seat, I will tell you what I have done so far and then you may judge me as you will. I have been made to see that I cannot continue as I have. As it stands now, I may have already doomed our world to fall under Voldemort's rule. It is my hope that you can help rectify my mistakes." Dumbledore said as he slumped back into his seat.
Amelia looked at the defeated posture on this once great wizard and felt a small spark of compassion for him. She took a seat next to Arthur and looked at him.
"I'm waiting. This better not be a waste of my time." she warned, an edge of hardened steel to her tone.
"Very well, Amelia. It began almost seventeen years ago when I was interviewing a candidate for the newly opened Divination post.." he started, and began by showing the prophecy, which made her jaw drop in shock. Then he continued on with the Potters and Longbottoms, as well as all the decisions he made and why he made them. His tale took several hours with Amelia asking questions at some points to clarify certain things.
"But when Harry made his decision to leave England, I was left with ashes as I watched my plans turn t dust in front of my eyes." he finished.
"So you set Mad-eye to try and retrieve Harry, along with three of my Aurors after he cast the Imperious curse on Lord Black?" she said in disbelief, "You have lost touch with reality, Albus. And you, Alastor. You know better than this. I should haul your butt into Azkaban myself. But we have a bigger problem to deal with."
"What is that, Amelia?" Minerva McGonagall had to ask.
"Are you really that blinded, Minerva? Don't you remember Harry Potter's last words to the Prophet?" Amelia demanded.
"Surely Mister Potter spoke out of anger. He wouldn't really abandon his home for all time, would he?" Minerva argued.
"Minerva, he snapped his damned wand and left with his guardian. A guardian appointed at his request by the ICW. Even now he is preparing to leave for parts unknown and I don't believe he will ever return because of the machinations of one beleaguered old fool." Amelia growled, then turned and snarled at Dumbledore, "By rights I ought to haul you out in the middle of Diagon Alley and make you share this confession there. But I can't do that."
"What are you going to do?" a worried Molly Weasley spoke up.
"Where Harry Potter is concerned, nothing. You all made this mess and I'll be damned if I help you clean it up. But we can't be fractured now. For all intents and purposes Albus is the only thing that stands between you know who and the rest of our world. So, here's what we're going to do. I'm not going to arrest your sorry selves right now." she said, thinking.
"Then what do you have in mind?" Dumbledore wanted to know.
"You will maintain yourself as the purported Leader of the Light. As of right now, everyone here will answer to me and me alone. You will continue on with most of your duties with the Order but if I catch any of you trying to cause problems for Harry Potter or crossing other lines, I'll hang your asses."
Everybody looked at what her when they heard those words and there was steel in her eyes that shook them to the core. They couldn't see any humor in her as they watched her face.
"What are the chances that Harry might accept an apology from the children at least?" Molly decided to ask.
"What are the chances that you know who might walk up and give you a fluffy krup?" Amelia countered.
Those words were enough to make them all shudder and drive her voice point home. But she turned to Dumbledore and made it a point to meet his eyes.
"You might have one chance to even speak to Mr. Potter. But that is to find some way to send him a message with all of the information you've just given me and your own regrets and apologies." she told him.
"What do you suggest?" he asked, considering options.
"Perhaps a pensieve memory would suffice for what happened in this memory. But that doesn't matter. Harry is forever out of your reach for now. Leave him be. I'll deal with you later. For now I've got to take care of other things." Amelia said as she got up and headed for the doors to leave.
She walked out of the Great Hall and off the grounds of Hogwarts, leaving the Order to consider what they had done and the consequences of their actions.
A/N: I apologize for the short chapter. But I hope to get back up to speed soon. To everyone that has reviewed I thank you for the Critiques and pointing out some of my shortcomings. I hope to be up to my usual standards again soon.
