Chapter twelve
The lunch at the Three Broomsticks went okay, Harry hardly looked up, but Minerva, Hermione, Neville and Luna kept talking to him. People walked past and kept thanking Harry like they always did, but nothing was ever brought up about what had been in the Daily Prophet. Harry hoped that this meant he could go out again and no one would bring it up.
Harry was still pissed off with the aurors partner and was determined to find out who it was. So finally he sent an owl to Witch Weekly explaining that he would give them the story if they could find out who had been the one to sell that story to the Daily Prophet.
It was two weeks before Harry got an owl from the editor of Witch Weekly, they found his name, Carter Brant and he worked in the floo network at the ministry, they also sent a description. Harry wrote back and made a time for a reporter and photographer to be at his home the following day. Harry dressed but this time he wore a black shirt, his good black dragon hide pants, boots, long coat again in black, he wanted to look as intimidating at his could.
Once he was satisfied with his look, he left his house and headed to the ministry of magic. The moment Harry was seen, everyone stopped, staring as he walked past, some talking about the way he looked. He got stopped and had his hand shook just like always. Harry just gave everyone a smile then got into the lifts. When he reached the floor, Kingsley, Andrew and the other auror were waiting for him.
'What are you doing Harry?'
'I'm going to see someone minister. Why are you here?'
'To stop you.'
'Then arrest me, because nothing will stop me,' Harry moved around the minister and the aurors but heard them following him.
'You can't do this Harry?'
'You don't know what I'm doing.'
'You're going to confront him aren't you?'
'Him, who?'
'Don't play dumb Harry it doesn't suit you.'
Harry shrugged but kept walking. He stepped into the magical transport office, floo network and all eyes turned to him and the place fell silent. Harry walked over to the man at the desk who was gaping at him, but Harry could tell he was shaking. He pulled his wand and pointed it at the man.
'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it, please, don't kill me.'
'The money you got for selling that story, it goes to Hogwarts, right now. Otherwise you just might find out how good I am with this wand.' Harry voice was calm, but his face was hard and cold, he never raised his voice or showed any anger, but he was heard by everyone.
'Okay, Hogwarts can have it, just don't hurt me.'
Harry flicked his wand and the man ended up hanging upside down, 'You should have realised that selling that story about me would piss me off, only Voldemort ever pissed me off, now you. I killed him, what do you think I could do to you?'
'Harry, he said he'll donate the money, let him down.'
'Why aren't the aurors doing anything minister? The man was wrong for doing that to Mr. Potter, but they should stop this?' a woman asked.
'The aurors have decided to let Harry do what he wants, since it was there fault this happened, well, one of them let this happen. It's there way of saying sorry to Harry.'
The woman who was old stepped closer to Harry, 'You are too nice a man to do something like this Mr. Potter. People look up to you, children look up to you as their hero, you don't want to spoil that for the children do you?'
Harry turned his head and looked at the woman, she had greying dark red hair and bright green eyes. He flicked his wand and let the man down but kept staring at the woman.
'You're eyes.'
'Yes, the same colour as yours. I have been told by my friends that my pictures of me when I was young do resemble you're mother.'
'You do, you do a lot.'
'So this is the man that told the Daily Prophet what happened to you as a child?'
'Yes, he sold that story for one hundred thousand galleons.'
'He has said he will give it to Hogwarts, so why don't you let the minister and the aurors go with him so he can do that, we can go talk if you like?'
'I'd like that.'
'We'll take care of it Harry, I'm sure Minerva will write and tell you it was done.' Kingsley said as he nodded to the woman.
'Just so you know, if I don't hear from Minerva McGonagall that she received that money, next time I won't hesitate, you might not be able to speak, walk, maybe even shag, ever again.'
'I'm sure he will Harry, let's go have something to eat,' the woman smiled then she took Harry's hand and led him out of the room.
'Carter, let's go, right now or he will do what he threatened,' Andrew said.
'I'm at work, can't we at least wait until after work?'
'Do you want Harry to come back because if he hasn't heard from Minerva in the next hour, he will return and nothing any of us could do will stop him, Harry's too powerful.'
'Fine,' carter said then looked at one of the woman at the other desk before following the aurors and the minister from the room.
Harry and the woman sat down in the ministry's dining room and because it was Harry Potter, he was shown to a private corner that was very secluded.
'Tell me Harry, how did that man find out?'
'He was the partner of the auror. Kingsley and his guards came to see me, I told Kingsley what happened. I needed to explain why I couldn't become an auror, my heart. Andrew, the auror he told his partner because he always told his partner everything, he never expected he'd go to the Daily Prophet. But if you're facing that amount of money, it can make people do things you would never expect them to. But Kingsley also wanted to know why I didn't go to the ball, everyone expected me to turn up, but the last thing I want to do is remember, I just want to forget, forget about everything, especially my past.'
'Yes, money can make people greedy. Now have you been talking to someone about your past?'
'Minerva, we've become close, I haven't told her everything, too embarrassing, too humiliating.'
'Nonsense, Minerva McGonagall is a wise woman that has seen her fair share of horror, I'm sure she could handle anything you have to say. But you don't need to be humiliated Harry, that man and his friends did that to you, a child. If we could prosecute muggles then they would be locked up. You were a victim in this, so never let them have that power over you. You could have hurt that man, doing that is giving those men the power to make you do that, don't let them. You are a true Gryffindor, use that courage to face what was done, then and only then can you put it truly in your past.'
Harry gave the woman a smile, he couldn't believe he was sitting here with her, a stranger, a woman he'd never seen or met before. Something was telling Harry to trust her and he did, but he had no idea why.
