CHAPTER 16: The Truth About Dumbledore

It took some time, but eventually Hermione Granger calmed Harry Potter enough where she felt his extraordinary magical power wane and fade away from both visible and physical sight. The shaking of his body and his tears stopped, the extraordinary colours of his magic ceased. She eased back from him, letting his head go back to the head- board, his shoulders propped up on pillows. The sweat was pouring from him, his eyes still wide and his expression still looking a bit frantic. Hermione still held his hand, but it was Professor McGonnagle who spoke first.

"Harry, it's ok. Everything is fine. The chairs, lights … it can all be fixed. Nothing is valuable. And … after everything you have been through and what you have revealed to Meghan yesterday, then in your …. chat with me, you have every right to be angry. I do not blame you one bit. The blame lies with me, if it lies with anyone. I allowed situations to happen when I did not stand up for you. As a good friend of you grandparents, your own father's Godmother, even from the point of view that Lily was one of my all-time favourite pupils, you were … are … James and Lily's son and I have let you down badly."

Harry and Hermione were both looking at their Head of House with some astonishment. Hermione, who knew much about Harry but not the whole story, said,

"Professor. When are you talking about? So much has happened to Harry."

"I promised you the truth, Harry, about Dumbledore's and my involvement in your fostering out to the Dursleys. If you are ready, well, this is the time. I was party to what went on that evening nearly fourteen years ago, as was someone else. Miss Granger is here to help you. Meghan is here as well. If you wish, both can stay, leave or either one, it's up to you. Or, if you are still upset at me, we can put this off to another time."

Harry Potter looked at his Head of House, currently his minder and protector. He so much wanted to have no more to do with her but somehow, even in his disturbed, confused and badly injured condition, he sensed that this was the time, the time he would learn what actually happened all time ago.

He looked at Hermione and asked:

"What … what do you think I should do, Hermione?"

"Harry, you have told Ron and I many times that you have wanted the adults in your life to be honest with you. Well, Doctor Meghan has been straight with you about your injuries and you have trusted her. Maybe it time for you to let the truth come out. I am here with you, I'm not going anywhere. I will keep you calm and comfort you if you need it. Please Harry, listen to the Professor. I think you need this and … I think that I need this too. It will help me understand all the more why you are the Harry that I … is my very best friend. It will help me figure some stuff out."

Harry nodded slightly at Hermione, then turning to McGonnagle, said'

"OK, Professor. I'll listen and I want Hermione and Doct …Meghan to stay. Both know quite a bit already, they may as well here the rest. I will try and keep my temper; Hermione will help with that. She knows how to calm me down better than anyone else. And Professor, I want to hear it all …. Please."

Magonnagle looked at the two other witches; a small nod came from both, followed by a "Harry will be fine, Professor." from Hermione. She saw that the young witch still held Harry's wand hand and had moved round to be right next to him leaning back against the headboard. She had a very brief thought. 'Doubt if he needs a wand from what I've seen and heard about him.' Then:

"Back to the night of the 31st October, 1981, then. Voldemort had been hunting the Potter family for weeks. He had already killed Susan Bones' parents, four members of the Bones' family, actually. …"

A gasp of shock came from Hermione, an indrawing of breath from Harry. …. "Oh, Susan" …. Said Hermione.

"Ah, I take it that neither of you knew this. Susan Bones father had been an auror but had progressed to being a senior Investigator, a very good one. Her mother was like you Hermione, a muggleborn. She was a very close friend, from school days and onwards, of Harry's mum, Lily. Susan was born only five days before Harry. Neville Longbottom was born the 30th July, the day before Harry. All three sets of parents were close, always visiting each other and letting Harry, Neville and Susan play together. There was a fourth family, close as a result of the mum again being friends since school with Lily and Neville's mum, that was the Greengrasses. …" Another gasp of shock from Hermione …"Yes, Daphne Greengrass of Slytherin. Her birthday is early in August. Miss Greengrass is the youngest in your year. The four of you children all had loads of time together as toddlers until a prophesy made by Cybil Trelawney was made known to Voldemort by one of his spies. Basically, that a child born as July was ending would have the power to vanquish the dark lord. Voldemort took this prophesy as genuine. Do either of you know about Neville Longbottom's parents?" …. Two shakes of the head. …. "Well, it is not for me to say. Both are alive, but that is for Mr Longbottom to tell, not me. So, Neville and his parents, Susan and hers, and the Potters, all targeted and attacked by Voldemort. Susan was not at bones Manor when her parents and relatives were killed. She was with her Aunt, Madam Amelia Bones, away from the house. Neville's grandmother, Dowager Lady Longbottom, is a very powerful and formidable witch as well as a very good friend of mine from our Hogwarts school days. She saved Neville and his parents from death, outfighting Belatrix LeStrange, no less, plus three other death eaters, killing one of them."

McGonnagle took a breath, then asked.

"Following me so far?"

A nod from everyone as a yes.

"Right. Needless to say, the Potters were next, and due to the fact that Harry's birthday is the very end of July, the 31st, you were target No.1. It is common knowledge, supposedly, that your parents went into hiding away from Potter Manor at ….."

Harry interrupted, asking "What is Potter Manor? I've never heard of it. All I know of is Potter cottage where the attack happened?"

McGonnagle was staggered and the look of surprise on her face was evident.

"You.. You have never been told of Potter Manor? Your family ancestral home?"

"No!"

"Oh my! Harry, the Potter family are a relatively new family in the magical world, only five generations, but the name is ancient indeed. It goes back some 1000yrs to my knowledge. Potter Manor was built around 450 to 500yrs ago, late 15th century. The Potters became very wealthy as a result of international trading, first in Europe, then the far east, then the New World. But the Manor was Muggle built, no ward stones, no runes, nothing magical at all. Over the more recent magical generations, some warding had been done on the place but nothing major. The Potters were not a warring family, had friends from all houses. In fact, the first magical Potter, your great, great grandfather, Henry Thomas Potter, was in Slytherin! His sister, Euphemia, was a Ravenclaw. Only your grandfather, Fleamont Potter, your father James, and yourself have been Gryffindors. Other extended members of the family have been in all four houses. As recently as in my time, your great aunt Rosina was a Slytherin and a very fine witch she is too!"

Harry looked at his Head of House Gryffindor in amazement.

"Did you say 'is'? She's alive?"

"Well … yes, she is. Very much alive, as far as I know. She is your grandfather's sister, aged 78 I believe. Lives somewhere in the south of France, nowadays. Her husband is a French wizard, a diplomat on the ICW, that is how they met. Rosina was working for the Department for International Cooperation, oh … some 50-odd years ago and they met at a conference. Now what was his name ….. Eh! …. Maurice Delacour! That's it. A very fine gentleman he is too. I quite took a fancy to him myself, but Rosina beat me to it."

Harry and Hermione were both shocked at hearing of Harry having other living relatives that he knew nothing about.

"Professor, why have I never been told this before? As far as I knew I was the only Potter left."

"AH! Harry, you are the only Potter left, but that does not mean you do not have other relatives alive, albeit distance ones, that are not Potters. I am sure your father had cousins living abroad. Your grandparents and James used to go to a property in France often; most summers and even some winters and spring for skiing. … Harry, give me time to find out more about your relatives. I have met them a number of times, but not since a good few years before your grandparents died. Let me get back to telling about what happened. Potter Cottage is a magical cottage from it's conception, with protection built into it; ward stones, runes, a fidelious charm at the time; you name it, Potter Cottage had it, so your parents took you to live there for safety reasons, away from Potter Manor. It had originally been gifted to your dad when he married your mum, so it was your family home in many ways. They did the right thing because, on the same night Bones Manor was attacked, Potter Manor was attacked and razed to the ground, literally nothing left apart from foundation stones. All the history of the Potter family, both magical and muggle, that was kept in the family library and grimoure, burnt.

We, that is the wizards fighting against Voldemort, thought you Potters were safe. You had every safeguard and protection that magic could give. However, just one man led to your parent's death and you receiving that scar … Sirius Black, your parent's closest friend. He was the secret keeper of the location of the cottage but, unknowingly to anyone, he was also a Death Eater. He …."

"No, he wasn't, Professor," interrupted Harry, who's temper was beginning to rise again. "and no, he did not betray my parents to Voldemort. He couldn't."

"What? What do you mean? He was captured for the offences and for killing muggles when trying to escape. He was convicted and sent to Azkaban. You know he escaped and came hunting for you last year!"

Hermione joined in at this point, as much as to keep Harry calm as well as helping to explain.

"Harry, don't get in a tiz again, calm down. Let me tell this bit. Professor, Sirius Black could not have betrayed Harry and his parents, you see, he was not the secret keeper of Potter Cottage and he was … in fact, still is … Harry's Godfather!"

"WHAT? …. But that means that he …

"Would have lost his magic and died if he had betrayed them. Sirius is innocent. We found out that information last year when he we helped him capture Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew was the real secret keeper of Potter Cottage, not Sirius. Professor's Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin know all about this. And … Harry and I … we were the one's that helped him escape from Hogworts. On a hippogriff, the same one that we let go free from Hagrid's when Lucius Malfoy and the Minister cooked up a destruction charge on an innocent creature. Sirius flew free on Buckbeak and we helped him."

"By Merlin's magic, so THAT is what happened. This information has been kept so secret and there has been no rumours at all around the school. How did you do it?"

"The time-turner you gave me for my lessons. It came in very useful indeed."

"Merlin! That … that is some story, one that I must hear more of. But how did you get the idea to ….."

Harry cut in again. "Professor, can you finish up about how I ended up with my relatives. After all, that's what you promised. We can tell you about Sirius another time. "

"Oh … oh, yes! When you were left orphaned, Sirius had gone off after Pettigrew. Professor Snape was first at the cottage and alerted the Headmaster. He and I attended at the cottage with Hagrid. We did not know at the time what had happened; whether it was Voldemort, or Death Eaters, the Lestranges. We only knew that your parents had been murdered but for some reason you were alive but with that scar. We had to get you out of there. Dumbledore had Hagrid take you back to Hogworts for a while, for safety. Dumbledore knew of your only close relative, Lily's sister, Petunia Dursley. He sent me to observe them for a while. I spent the day there in my animagus cat form. They were the worst of people, particularly Vernon. Arrogant, bigoted, a bully but a coward, obese, just a horrible man. Petunia so hated your mother and anything to do with 'freaks of nature', as she called magicals. I warned Dumbledore against leaving you there, but he insisted and managed to persuade me that it was for your protection, that the familial blood bond would keep you protected. He added some other magical protections to the property before he had Hagrid fetch you on a flying motorbike from Hogworts to the Dursleys. We left you there with a note, in a basket on the doorstep. So, you were hidden from the magical world for the next ten years. All the stories about you, what happened that night at the Cottage, how you lived, were living in luxury, were a boy with special powers and were some magical knight rescuing young witches in distress, were all made up by the Ministry for the wider magical community. They gave licence for your supposed story to be told willy nilly. So, when you arrived at King's Cross station and onto the Hogwort's Express, then at Hogworts itself, that is why you were treated like some sort of superhero."

Hermione was shaking her head, in tears, but furious.

" 'The Famous Harry Potter, The Boy-who-Lived'. If only they knew how their hero had really been treated. How could you abandon a child, Professor, a 15-month old child, to such horrible people? It's … cruel and savage and …. and ….. horrible! How could you? He had been attacked and injured, his parents killed in front of him, with every chance he would still have been hunted down and attacked again! He had no protection against anyone, magicals or muggles! Professor, you … you …. OH! I am so angry at you."

Harry was in a rage, magic once more flowing from him, the air shimmering around the bed and loose objects beginning to rise. A tea- cup flew from the bedside table to smash against the opposite wall. All conversation stopped, except from him. His voice, kept under strict control but with the anger in him very evident, said,

"Best you all leave now, especially you, Professor. I do not want to hear anymore, not right at this moment. I need some time; time to … to … think all this through. I don't want to hurt anyone else. So go, now!"

Hermione still had hold of his hand, was still right next to him. She spoke to him quietly but intently.

"Meghan and the Professor can go, Harry. I am not going to leave. You will not hurt me, Harry, I trust you."

"Hermione, please! I don't want anyone here. I'm …"

"No chance, Potter. I am staying right here. You need me."

Then, turning to the two McGonnagles, she said,

"I'll stay here with Harry. Professor, Meghan, if you could go now, please. I know Harry. He is ….. unhappy at you, Professor and so am I. Right now, it is just best you go. Harry will not hurt me, no matter how angry he gets, so better me here than anyone else."

Doctor McGonnagle nodded her head, then turning to her aunt, she moved to her and placed her hand on her aunt's arm, saying,

"Aunt Minny, come on, let's leave, I think it best."

The senior McGonnagle sighed then got up. "Yes, I think it best too."

As both the McGonnagle witches reached the door, the Professor turned to her two students with a look of deep regret and sorrow in her eyes.

"Harry, I do not know if this is too late or if I will ever have your forgiveness, I certainly don't feel I deserve it. But …. I'm sorry, from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry."

They left, leaving the two young Gryffindors to their thoughts.

-HJP – HJG -

Addendum: From Me.

Evening folks. I have written this, the first 48hrs or so of this story, with a lot of detail so I hope it hasn't made for slow going considering we have reached Chpt. 16. I needed to give detail so that you, and me, know where this is going. So, with Harry in deep dragon dung and in a very unforgiving mood, I now hope to speed this along.

Coming up, Sirius will be informed, the Weasleys, Remus and … Oh yes, old AD himself will find out. The dd will hit the fan at the ministry, McGonnagle goes ballistic at old Albus. Return to Hogworts, the gargoyle in pink, Fudge is a pain in the rear-end.

There will be a bit of romance down the line in this story, but not for a while. A Harry crush on an older witch or two will be there. (REMEMBER: A certain YOUNG witch is still older than Harry!)

The DMLE investigation unearths wholesale corruption, Tonks is a superhero, Moody is … well, Moody.

Ta much for reading and following/favouriting this story and for all the comments. I am seriously chuffed to bits.

Kindest Regards

Davinius G. Fogg (or David, makes it easier!)