Chapter 25
Sirius grinned. The goblins, who didn't care if you were a convict, a felon on the run or a fish, if something happened with your account, they let you know. They'd sent him a letter to let him know that Harry had indeed taken hold of the account he'd left him. So Sirius at least knew that Harry wasn't being held captive.
From the was Dumbledore had spoken it had sounded like Harry had been abducted but now it was seeming more like he'd simply run away. But why would he do that? Or maybe he had been abducted and he'd just gotten free. He wasn't too sure yet. But he wasn't sure he should tell Dumbledore about this development either way.
"Kreacher!" He called out and the disgruntled elf appeared with a pop.
"What can Kreacher do for blood traitor master?" The elf barely bowed.
"Kreacher, I want you to burn this letter. I want you to scatter the ashes. I want you not to give the ashes to anyone. I want you not to tell anyone about this letter. I want you not to read this letter. I want you not to do anything with the letter other than to burn it and then scatter its ashes and I want you not to make any attempt to inform anyone of its existence." Sirius said, covering all his bases with the psychotic elf.
Kreacher grumbled to himself darkly as he snatched the letter from Sirius and disappeared with another pop.
Dumbledore paced his office for possibly the hundredth time that morning. Today was his trial regarding Voldemort's upbringing. He wouldn't even get the chance to see how Corey and Dana acted in class like he'd been planning to. Oh well, they were Order Members, they shouldn't be too bad. He hoped.
"Mr. Albus Dumbledore, is it true that you were the guardian of Mr. Harry James Potter?"
"Yes." He hadn't been expecting that question.
"And is it true that you placed him in a home found to be unfit? That you repeatedly returned him to that home though he asked you not to?"
"Yes." Oh shit, he saw where this was going now.
"And were you the guardian or Mr. Thomas Marvolo Riddle?"
"Yes."
"And when Mr. Riddle repeatedly asked not to be returned to his residence at the orphanage he lived at, you sent him back anyway?"
"Yes."
"And when you found young Mr. Riddle's father was alive, did you attempt to inform him?"
"I did not."
"When Mr. Riddle was growing up in Slytherin, and he began gathering followers, did you do anything to dissuade him from his path to becoming a Dark Lord?"
"Objection, Mr. Dumbledore had no way of knowing that the path he was on would lead Mr. Riddle to becoming the Dark Lord."
"Sustained."
"Mr. Dumbledore, when Mr. Riddle was gathering followers growing up did you do anything to steer him towards the light?"
"I gave him Head Boy status."
"And when it became clear that he was going to follow the path he did, what did you do?"
"I tried to fight him."
"You didn't try to have him institutionalized?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"By the time I realized what he was doing it was too late. He was already too powerful to incapacitate and he wouldn't go willingly."
"So you clearly weren't paying enough attention?"
"Objection."
"Sustained."
"Now, do you admit to using similar guardianship techniques with Mr. Potter as you did with Mr. Riddle?"
"Yes."
"So you did something to someone when you knew the last time you did it it resulted in a Dark Lord?"
"Yes."
"So you were trying to make Mr. Potter into another Dark Lord?"
"No."
"Mr. Dumbledore, you just admitted to raising Mr. Potter the same way you raised Mr. Riddle. Why would you think he would grow up any differently?"
"I suppose I didn't really think about it."
"That much is obvious."
"Mr. Albus Dumbledore, you have been found innocent of attempting to raise Mr. Potter into a Dark Lord. You have been found guilty of child neglect in regards to both Mr. Potter and Mr. Riddle. It has been decided that you shall be stripped of all titles and authorities, including those you hold with Hogwarts. Mrs. Minerva McGonagle as Deputy Headmistress will be promoted to Headmistress. You have been sentence to 3 years of Azkaban prison after which point your mental faculties will be looked over by St. Mungo's staff of mind healers and if you are found to be fully functioning you will be released back into society."
Harry trudged up to the Headmaster's office; Marshal was walking with him. He had to tell the headmaster what had happened earlier, and he knew the earlier he told him the more credible he was and the more likely it was something could be done about it, but that didn't make it any more comfortable.
"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Hawthorn, a pleasure to see you both. Though it looks from your faces as though something is wrong, care to tell me what that is?" Headmaster Forbes waved them towards some seats.
"Professor Forbes, it's about Jason Moore." Marshal started.
"Mr. Hawthorn, I thought you said you weren't going to have action taken against Mr. Moore?" Joseph prompted.
"He's not. I am." Harry spoke up.
Joseph perked up. "Oh, what did Mr. Moore do that you would have action taken against him?"
"He... he was going to rape me." Harry said, closing his eyes.
Joseph frowned. "He 'was going to'?"
"Harry was tied up, naked, gagged and blindfolded when I walked into the dorm sir." Marshal offered.
"And did anything occur before Mr. Hawthorn found you Mr. Malfoy?"
"He tried to hit on me when I got to school and I left him upside down and he... he told me he didn't take no for an answer. He told me to. He told me to suck him and when I didn't he forced this weird gag onto me that kept my mouth open and he made me anyway." Harry choked out.
"Well then, I hate to ask this, but is there any evidence left? Any traces of what he did on your person perhaps?" Joseph looked decidedly uncomfortable asking that.
"Um, I accidentally swallowed some of it." Harry suggested. "Is there some way of magically identifying something in my stomach?"
"No, but since it sounds like you came up here shortly after the incident, I would suggest vomiting so that we might gain proof that way. I'll also need to document any marking he may have left on you. You said you were tied up?"
"With silk scarves sir, there were no marks." Harry grumbled but stood anyway, prepared to vomit if that's what it took.
"Do you have something I could vomit into sir?" Joseph promptly conjured a bucket for Harry who shoved a finger down his throat and vomited quickly. He shook his head when he was finished. "God I hate doing that."
Joseph took the bucked after also conjuring a few nose-plugs for everyone. "You seem rather proficient at it though. May I ask why?"
"Long story" Harry dismissed it carelessly and turned to leave. "Is there anything else you need Headmaster?"
"No, I will contact you when I need anything further. Hopefully this matter will be resolved by the time classes start. In the meantime I will have Mr. Moore moved to a solitary room so he will not be bothering either of you."
"Thank you sir." Harry nodded and Marshal stood as well to leave.
"I'm sure you're glad Mr. Moore will be taken care of." Marshal faltered.
"I'm glad that what happened to Harry will be acted upon." He replied diplomatically and hurried out of the office.