Hey everyone,
I'm going to be honest, I am probably going to be bashing on a lot of characters in this story, though that is just meant to be constructive bashing. Not to mention the whole "reason" that the wall send the Cooper Gang to Harry's world. I know that Dumbledore thinks that the "Dark Times" are an indication to Voldemort's return, but I don't want to limit these Dark Times to just one matter, to just one problem.
All clear, good,

Venquine1990

Chapter 20
A Proud Professor

25th of November 1994
Transfigurations Corridor
Carmelita's POV

I am very glad for the new bond I have with my Ringtail. As we left the Hospital Wing, I realized that I had kept Hermione from bringing up a negative topic, only for my question about her teachers to have the same negative effect. Yet Sly had picked up on this and while we walked, he had mentally comforted and reassured me. And now I feel like doing the same for Harry, so I put my hand on his shoulder and gently tell him.
"Don't worry, Harry. You just give Hermione time to think on the things that Galleth told her. I'm sure that she'll come to the right conclusion." Hermione and Galleth are walking a few steps ahead and it's obvious that the girl is focused on both guiding Galleth to her next class and on her own personal thoughts. Harry smiles at me and nods in agreement. I smile back at him as it's obvious that Sirius' answer cheered him up.

I might not know what Sirius told Harry, what the man's answer to Harry's question might have been. But I take a lot of reassurance out of two things. One is the emotions I felt coming off of Sly when Sirius gave his answer. And the other is the fact that Harry's eyes are still full of love. And I can only imagine that this is thanks to Sirius' answer. "He called Harry his son. He said you're my son." Sly then mentally tells me.
This really hits me deeply and makes my grin widen quite a bit. It also makes em feel even more determined to see the man pardoned. I feel Sly's pride fill me from within as he must be able to sense my determination grow. This sensation feels divine as it almost feels like I am back in my Ringtail's arms. Yet at the same time it makes me miss being in his arms. "Same, love. But we're still together. We're always together now."

Sly's words fill me with a sense of bliss. But then Hermione calls out to us and tells us that we might be late, thanks to the fact that we're still three hallways away. Instantly Harry tells her to get on Galleth's back. The girl looks hesitant yet Galleth's grin convinces her. The knight makes sure that she wraps her legs around his waist and then the both of us put a hand on either of Harry's shoulders. The boy crouches down and speeds off.
Hermione yelps and screams Harry's name as her friend rushes through the castle, yet Galleth and I just grin in excitement. Harry also shouts something and my eyes widen as his shout makes a portrait open up just before he rushes through it. We reach a courtyard that has a stone corridor surrounding a beautiful park-like field. And as Harry slows down, I spot a group of students waiting in front of a closed door on the west of the field.

A lot of students look shocked and a few even yelp when Harry stops in front of them. Hermione gasps and pants as Galleth lets her down, yet he also holds onto her as she seems a little wobbly on her feet. I spot Ron glaring at Harry and he wants to open his mouth. But before the boy can say anything disparaging or insulting, the door opens. And a woman who has a real stern look on her face and her hair tightly in a bun steps out.
Hermione instantly stands up straight and tries to hide how she's out of breath. Yet McGonagall seems more interested with Galleth, Harry and I. She stares at the three of us for a moment and then she says: "Mr. Potter, five points from Gryffindor. Please ask your ancestor and Mss. Fox to take your cane back to Madam Pomfrey. You are well aware that weapons are not allowed on students, regardless of you being a Hogwarts Champion."

My eyes widen with shock and disbelief. I feel Sly's rage growing within me and feeding my own. Yet I shake my head and think: "I can't lose control of my temper now. It won't help Sirius or his case. I just need to prove my worth to her for now. Just cool yourself, love. I've got this." My words slowly cause for the anger to abate and I hear Sly mentally encouraging me. I also feel his pride and his love for me and this motivates me.
Yet it's only then that I notice that I'm not the only one who was angered. "Professor, that was completely unfair. You just judged Harry without giving him any chance to defend himself. This is like bloody First year all over again. And don't forget, back then you were wrong as well about the whole thing with the dragon. Something you could have known if you had just remembered that Harry was friends with Ron, whose brother works with dragons.
Not to mention his friendship with Hagrid, who everyone knows loves dragons above all other creatures. And besides, the Headmaster gave Harry permission to have his cane on him as long as he doesn't use it unless he has no other choice. The Headmaster also agreed with the Cooper Clan that one ancestor can escort Harry to all his classes and he and High Lord Solde recognized Mrs. Cooper for her profession as an Interpol Inspector.
She's here to work on two cases that are both quite important and I know for a fact that she'll want to question you as a witness to at least one of the two cases. And funnily enough, that case and what you just did are eerily similar. In both cases the whole situation was judged before a proper investigation could bring the truth to light and the right people were never questioned. Though personally I really thought you'd know better than that."

A lot of the students standing around the boy named Neville are staring at him in awed shock and McGonagall seems at a loss for words. Galleth and I share a glance while Harry beams at his fellow Lion. I notice something moving behind me and turn my head to see the Headmaster approach. Yet then McGonagall regains herself. "Mr. Longbottom, that will be ten points from Gryffindor and two nights detention."
Even Hermione yelps is disagreement at this, but Neville seems unaffected. He just defiantly glares at the woman and says: "Then I guess you can fail me in today's project, Professor. Because I refuse to go to a class led by a teacher who is so full of herself, she can't even accept it when someone calls her out on her mistakes." The boy pulls his rucksack slightly higher on top of his left shoulder, turns around and wants to walk away.

"Now what is going on here?" The Headmaster asks as he comes to stand behind me. Everyone turns to the man and Professor McGonagall wants to walk over. Yet Galleth goes to stand between the two and firmly tells her to keep her mouth shut, lest she speak more lies and untruths. The woman bristles in rage at this, but Galleth remains steadfast. And while he doesn't have his cane in hand, I can tell he'll pull it at a moment's notice.
I instantly take this as my cue and turn to the Headmaster as I say: "Supreme Mugwump Dumbledore, my brother-in-law, ancestor-in-law, Miss Granger and I had just reached this corridor when Professor McGonagall stepped into the hallway. She took a short look at the three of us and then proceeded to treat my brother-in-law most unfairly. She took five points from him for his cane without even asking him why he had it in the first place.
She also blatantly ignored my new role as Mrs. Cooper, though I admit that I consider her slight against my little brother to be a much worse offense. And when young Mr. Longbottom called her out for it and told her exactly why Sir Galleth and I were here, she took a further ten points and even attempted to issue two nights of detention against him. Now I will admit that his tone was slightly disrespectful, but his courage was exceptional.

He was standing up for a friend and he was punished for it. In return he decided that he lost the desire to attend classes. And considering that he brought up an event where Professor McGonagall punished him and my brother-in-law, again without doing proper investigation into the matter, I can definitely see why he chose to make this decision. I understand that Transfigurations is a core class, but I cannot deny my pride in him for his loyalty to young Harry."
Dumbledore looks at me thoughtfully for several minutes and then he thanks me. I nod as the man uses both my new name and my title as Inspector. The man then turns to Galleth, who calls out to him. "I have a confession to make, Headmaster. This is not the first time that I was brought here to this realm. In 1298 I and my Cooper Order were also brought to this realm by the magic of the wall. And I will not deny it, my good sir.

I am currently experiencing an incredible sense of déjà vu." The Headmaster's eyes widen at this, yet I also notice something else. McGonagall's lips turn thin as a line and her nose thrills flare up in rage. Instantly I realize what is actually going on here. Professor McGonagall is unwilling to believe that their world needed the help of other creatures three times over or that she is making the same mistakes that were made almost 700 years ago.
"And I thought Le Paradox and General Tsao were arrogant. Then again, those two weren't directly in charge of young, impressionable kids that depended on them to grow into responsible adults. You might want to do something about this, gorgeous." Sly encourages me from the Hospital Wing and I feel his pride fuel my determination. I try to mentally nod, yet I feel my head move at the same time. I ignore this and just decide to go for it.

"Professor McGonagall, with all due respect. You seem like the kind of person who likes to strike first and ask questions later, so let me give you a taste of your own medicine. First of all, the Wall brought us to Harry. Not the Minister, not the Supreme Mugwump, not you – Harry. That, in my eyes, means that he is the one who needs our help above everyone else. And trust me, it's not just my soul-bond that makes me want to help him.
I want to help him on a personal level as well as a professional level. And while I normally don't base my judgement of someone on just a first impression, yours so far has not given me any desire to get to know you better. If anything, it makes me want to call on Murray, have him activate the Time Machine, grab Harry's shoulder, have him dash for the Time Machine and lárgate de este Castillo. Ahem, apologies, I switch tongues when angered.
What I said is that I want to get him out of this here castle. And trust me when I say this, Professor McGonagall, if you push me enough that my partner and I do decide to take Harry back to our own time and world, you'll never see him again. He may be your student, but he's my little brother. And to quote every Cooper I have met so far. Coopers Stand United." And with those words I cross my arms and stare at the woman.

McGonagall seems unable to comprehend that I just talked her down like that. She stares at me in bewilderment and then she turns to Dumbledore. It's obvious that she expects him to defend her and berate me, but the man just stares at her in disappointment and concern. "Minerva, Inspector Cooper is indeed right about who she appeared before and why. I don't like it anymore than you do, but we cannot deny the truth."
At this the woman seems to see an opportunity and she states: "Albus, Mr. Longbottom made the delusional statement that we once sentenced someone without giving them a chance to defend themselves. I can't even begin to imagine who he was talking about. No one in their right mind would send another person to Azkaban or worse, the Veil, without first asserting their guilt in the matter. Not to mention your role as Chief Warlock.
I took those points as my way to defend your honor against such a slight." I raise my eyebrow at this and mentally I hear Sly scoff and call her words a weak defense. I silently agree with him and hear Neville mutter about how he got his evidence for his words in a previous class. McGonagall turns to glare at the boy, but he just frowns back at her with his back still turned. The boy obviously stayed back because of Dumbledore's arrival.

"Minerva, I believe it's best if we move this into your classroom. As it stands, there are now four matters that need to be discussed." The Headmaster states and yet McGonagall seems shocked. I quickly realize that she had expected the man to just agree with her and thank her and I can't help but let my gaze turn to Galleth. The knight turns his gaze my way and he gives me a single nod. I nod back and we head inside.
The classroom itself is nothing special. There is a blackboard at the front of the class and there are several desks set in front of it. Some are paired in duos, others set for three. Harry gives Hermione a quick smile and then softly asks Neville to go sit with her. After this he takes a seat at a desk at the front of the class for three and Galleth and I join him. And when Neville joins Hermione, the girl sends Harry a grateful smile.

Harry twists his hand behind his back and I spot him give her a thumb's up from the corner of my eye. Harry himself keeps his eyes forward and I easily see why. McGonagall is staring at my younger brother and her gaze as well as the tension in her stance speak volumes. The woman is, for whatever reason, waiting for Harry to do something that she can punish him for. I frown at this and suddenly a thought occurs to me.
My eyes widen and I think: "That can't be right. There's no way she would let her anger at us out on him. He hasn't done anything wrong since we got here." But then I remember what took place in the Hospital Wing and Sly reminds me of the confession Harry made to him. I also remember Harry telling me that McGonagall is his Head of House and him asking Hermione how often McGonagall had visited their common room.

And because I'm sure that he asked this of her because the number of times is just unacceptably low, I start to glare right back at the woman, my opinion of her dropping steadily. Then Dumbledore speaks up. "Minerva, there are four matters we need to discuss. First is you refusing to acknowledge the bond between Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. Another is your method of defending my rights. Then there's Sir Galleth's statement.
And the last, I am sad to say, is that there is indeed a case where a person was send to Azkaban without ever being guilty of a single crime. I never truly played a part in it as it happened while I was busy with young Harry, the Potter funeral and asking the ICW for help restoring England. Though I admit, I am also curious about what Mr. Longbottom said. About how you apparently judged Mr. Potter without doing proper investigation once before in his life."

The shock and disbelief on McGonagall's face slowly grows as her boss speaks. I really want to shake my head as the woman obviously thinks that Dumbledore believes her to be without fault and that he will support her regardless of the circumstances. I know that she's not going to like what I am about to do, but the presence that is on my right takes away any care I might have for this fact. And my recent discovery makes me completely apathetic.
I turn to Dumbledore and say: "To be honest, Headmaster. There are two more matters that need to be discussed. One is the fact that Professor McGonagall is apparently Head of Gryffindor and yet her classroom and office seem quite a bit away from her House, which I can only assume leads to her own students being less inclined to come to her with their troubles. The other is an impression that the Professor just gave off to me.

While we were simply heading for our seats, Professor McGonagall was staring constantly at my little brother. And the look in her eyes was very obvious to see. She was impatient and judgmental. She was apparently under the assumption that, somehow for some reason, my little brother would do something to break the rules and was expecting that she'd be able to punish him for this. The problem is that Harry has yet to do anything wrong so far.
The ones who have, I admit, attacked her or offended her are myself, Sir Galleth and Mr. Longbottom. So based on that Professor McGonagall might have only one motive for wanting to punish young Harry. She feels offended by the actions of my ancestor and myself, but she doesn't feel like confronting us direction."

The woman snarls at me, but I just stand up with my arms crossed and ask if I'm wrong. And the fact that the woman falters and continues to glare at me says everything. A few of the students around me look shocked and a few even whisper words of disbelief and quietly ask each other how their Head of House could do such a thing. McGonagall silences them with a frown and then turns back to continue glaring at me, yet I remain steadfast.
Mentally I think about how she needs to remember that it's not just my own strength of will that she is now dealing with. The elation I feel coming from Sly over this motivates my strength even more. "I am an officer of the law, Professor McGonagall. However, if there is one thing that my partner has taught me is that nothing in this world is just black and white. Good does not mean perfect and bad does not always mean evil.

A perfect being – if one even exists – is grey. They are neither pure light nor pure dark. They embody the purity of the light and the strength of the dark. They take pride in their sense of justice, but they are also willing to admit their faults. And in my eyes, no one embodies these virtues more than the Cooper Line, which is probably why their line has managed to survive since the Ice Age, as proven by Caveman Bob Cooper.
And no, I am not saying this because I married a Cooper. Until about two years ago I considered Sly Cooper my target and my case and nothing more. But even then I was able to respect his strength, his ability to help me take down the scum of the underworld and the fact that he was always there to help me out in case I got in over my head. However, if there is one thing I am willing to admit, it's that I made many mistakes concerning him.

For a short moment I turn to Harry and silently, without words, I ask him for permission. It takes my younger brother a moment to understand why, yet he nods his consent. At the same time, I notice how he moves one hand to rest on the cane that is attached to his hip and uses his other arm to push his chair closer to Galleth's. The knight notices the same and he quickly follows Harry's example and moves his own closer to Harry's.
The fact that Harry feels the need to seek shelter and protection really doesn't sit well with me, but at the same time it motivates me to do what's right. I turn from my little brother to McGonagall and notice that Dumbledore has come to stand with her. I share a short glance with the man and I can tell that he has noticed the same. Instantly it hits me why the man did what he did. He wants to keep McGonagall from lashing out at Harry.

I smile gratefully at the man and then turn to his colleague. And before McGonagall can start speaking, I speak up myself. "Professor McGonagall, over the lunch break my husband and I managed to earn Harry's trust to the point that he revealed a secret about himself that even Miss Granger over here didn't know. A belief that he has kept secret for all these years. However, you have just proven this secret to be true in the worst way.
Young Harry told me that, when he first stepped into this school, it felt like everyone already had their opinion of him ready even before they ever got to know him. And over the past three years, Harry has really learned what these opinions were. To you and your coworkers, Professor, he is not just young Harry. He is either the Boy-Who-Lived, James Potter reincarnated or Lily Potter's clone turned male or something of the sort.

And you may want to argue and say he never complained before. But if you are an eleven year old boy and you get told what to do by someone with your severity and your strength of character, you are not easily willing to say no. Especially if you come from an unhappy household and just want to do what you can to please those above you and be accepted. Did that ever occur to you, Professor McGonagall? That Harry did what he did – for you?"
The woman falters and her anger seems to abate. Then Dumbledore turns to Harry and asks: "My boy, can you give an example, perhaps?" Yet Harry seems to have really given into his fears as he turns his head into Galleth's armor and frantically shakes his head. Yet again, just like Sly did before, I get the impression that Harry's ten or younger and not fourteen. A lot of those behind us look shocked at seeing Harry like that.

Then Neville speaks up again and says: "I can give two, Headmaster. Though I'll leave at just one. Quidditch. Yes, Harry likes playing with the team, because he has grown to like them and he considers Alicia and Katie to be like older sisters. Angelina sometimes scares him, but he does deeply respect her. And of course everyone knows that he's friends with the twins. But the game itself doesn't appeal to Harry like it does McGonagall.
Harry prefers flying over playing the game. He just plays because of his rivalry with Malfoy, because he doesn't like to give Malfoy the impression that he's scared of him or something and because he knows that everyone expects him to win. But whenever a game comes up, everyone seems to put their full focus and desire to win on Harry. That makes him scared of what they'll do to him if he accidentally fails to win.
They pressure him so much, even he forgets that Quidditch is a team sport, regardless of how many points the Snitch is worth. Personally, I do think that Harry's speed and agility are perfect for a Seeker, but that he'd be emotionally and mentally better off in another role in the team, just because it takes some of the pressure of his shoulders. And besides, speed and agility are also very much desirable for Stunt Flyers."

McGonagall seems to slowly regain herself and I can tell that, with everything Neville says, the woman's pride is slowly being replaced with humility and even a sense of shame. I smile at this in relief and then Neville shrugs and says: "Of course, the full blame for this doesn't lie with the Professor. I mean, every Lion in the last seven years knows how bloody fanatic Wood was about the damned game."
And while Hermione exclaims about Neville's language, a lot of students laugh in agreement with this. McGonagall might not join them, but I do spot a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. Then Dumbledore asks about the other example. Neville falters and he turns to Harry and Hermione for a moment. Harry just keeps himself hidden in Galleth's comforting and reassuring embrace and Hermione, after a moment, nods encouragingly.

"It happened near the end of our First, Headmaster. Harry and Hermione had been caught out on the Astronomy Tower by Filch and Draco Malfoy and I had been caught out after curfew by Professor McGonagall. The four of us – the Professor, Hermione, Harry and I met – in the Professor's office and that's where it went wrong. You see, I had heard Malfoy talk about a dragon and how he wanted to get Harry in trouble for it.
I was worried, but I had also already deduced what was going on thanks to a few facts. I was just really easily frightened back then so I didn't speak up when it mattered. But really, you only need to remember that Harry is friends with Ron, whose older brother works with dragons and that Harry is friends with Hagrid and you get the whole picture quite easily, especially if you take the Astronomy Tower into account.

Obviously Hagrid had been the one to get a dragon, even though he couldn't take care of it. To be honest, I remember the grounds being in a pretty bad state by the time this all happened, so I guess Hagrid was so busy caring for the dragon he forwent his other duties. Yet Harry and Hermione had obviously got him to stop doing this and had used the Astronomy Tower to get the dragon to Charlie for safe transportation to Romania.
However, Professor McGonagall thought otherwise. She thought that Harry had tried to pull a prank on Malfoy to get him in trouble and that he must have thought it really funny that I fell for the same prank. I really don't get why she even thought he would be like that, Harry doesn't have a mean streak like that. It still doesn't make sense, even now.
Anyway, she hardly gave us five seconds after asking if we had anything to say for ourselves and then went and took 50 points each for being out after curfew. And the worst of it all was that she didn't even have the common decency to report how the points were lost to the students afterwards. And when they drew their own conclusions and started to bully and hurt Harry over it, she did absolutely nothing to stop them.

AND DON'T ANY OF YOU BLOODY DARE TO OBJECT! NONE OF YOU HAD THE DAMNED COURAGE OR INTELLIGENCE TO ASK ANY OF US HOW THE POINTS WERE LOST. YOUR HOUSE IS LIKE YOUR FAMILY, BUT YOU TREATED HARRY WORSE THAN MOST PUREBLOODS TREAT THEIR HOUSE ELVES! AND DON'T DARE BRING HARRY INTO THIS EITHER!
I saw the pain on his face several times over those two to three months, but he kept his damned mouth shut and just weathered it. Why? Because anyone with eyes or who has ever heard Harry talk about his home life with the Muggles can see that Harry is a bully victim. One who, in the past, tried to report his former bullies only to have that report make everything worse. Harry never reported any of you jerks out of sheer fear."

A lot of those around us look at either Neville in shock and awe or Harry in concern and even a few in disbelief. I shake my head at these few and then Neville turns back to McGonagall and Dumbledore and says: "However, what upsets me the most is that, after all that, McGonagall went and served us detention in the Forbidden Forest after curfew, while she was trying to punish us for being out after curfew.It was just completely hypocritical."
Yet the woman speaks up and says: "I did no such thing, Mr. Longbottom. I merely issued the detention. Professor Hagrid was the one who volunteered to supervise it. I did nothing else." Neville stares at the woman in shock and then I hear Harry whisper something under his breath. I turn to him and he seems to have been given something. He pulls out of Galleth's embrace and walks over to his Head of House.

"Professor, isn't this your handwriting?" He asks as he hands the woman a small note. The woman takes and studies the note and just her wide eyes speak volumes. "Mr. Potter, while I admit that whoever wrote this note did an incredibly good job at replicating my handwriting, it isn't mine. I wrote your time for the detention down on the homework I returned to you the day you were meant to serve the detention."
Harry's eyes widen and Dumbledore quickly assures them both that he will get to the bottom of this. The both of them nod and yet I suddenly realize something. Instantly I tell the Headmaster about how Harry has ComC next. The man nods and says: "Then alongside you and Sir Galleth, I too will escort this class there, Inspector." I nod gratefully at the man and Harry returns to his seat with a happy relieved smile on his face.

Nice Dumbledore,
Okay, so at first I wanted to make this just another case where the whole thing was Hagrid's fault and that he was in the wrong for taking Harry and the others into the Forest. But I feel like that's completely overdone, so I decided to try and make the whole thing a little original. And in this original I am going to give a very unlikable character an older brother. Someone who, so to say, inspired him to be his nasty, unlikeable self.
This'll be good,

Venquine1990