Harry's continued exploration revealed some interesting places on the first floor. He came across an empty classroom in which there were a dozen burnt textbooks strewn over the floor, an old storeroom whose dust was curiously unsettled (as if someone had been standing against the wall or lying on the ground), and a small room containing a barrel of water balloons. However, given the sheer size of the castle itself (not to mention its ability to change), Harry knew that it would take ages to get a decent idea of what was up here. He therefore spent the last few evenings of his Christmas holidays exploring the second floor, with the rest of the school returning on the evening of Sunday, the fifth.

"Happy new term!" said Daphne. She ran up to Harry and stopped just short of hugging him in the now-packed common room. "I haven't seen you since last year!"

And then she giggled.

"That joke only works on New Year, silly," said Pansy. She shook her head and then looked at Harry. "Did you get our presents? Mine was the best, right?"

"No, mine was," said Daphne.

Deciding to keep the peace, Harry said that he appreciated everyone's gift, though he secretly excluded the Dursleys from that statement.

"So, what did your Muggles get you?" Pansy asked. Her question was overheard by Harry's roommates nearby, and they strode over like a bunch of hungry hyenas. "Lemme see!"

"Yeah! Show us!" said Daphne. She was joined by Susan and Tracey, the former eyeing Harry in a sceptical manner as he responded.

"Well ... they sent me some money, yeah." Shouldn't've thrown it in the fire, damn.

"Muggle money?" Draco asked. "Might as well put it in the toilet. But let's first see it."

"Yeah," said Theodore. "Let's see it."

Harry's eyes darted to the fireplace, on his right, as he tried to think up some kind of an excuse. "I accidentally dropped it in the fire, sorry. Real bummer, that."

"What?" Pansy lowered one brow, and slightly raised the other. "That's just stupid. Were you drunk?"

"Bladdered, more like," said Daphne. Then she flopped onto the couch behind her. "Ask them to send some more, then. C'mon!"

"Nah, it's fine," said Harry. "I mean, it's not like I'll need it here anyway."

Although the topic of the Dursleys' gift was soon dropped, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that Susan was on his case. She watched him like a hawk as the group of ten discussed their holidays at a corner table. Then, once they were alone, Susan leaned forward and said, in a whisper: "I know you're not happy there."

"Huh?"

"It's so obvious," said Susan. "You never talk about them. You never get any mail from them. Your cousin watched some musical while you didn't. Heck, you just so happened to no longer have their present. Did they actually send you anything, or were you just lying?"

"I already told you, they sent me money."

Unfortunately, Susan wasn't buying it. She sat up straight in her high-backed chair and narrowed her eyes a bit. "Oh really? So where's the envelope or whatever, then? You couldn't have dropped the whole package into the fireplace."

"I threw it away, obviously." Harry felt a jolt of irritation in his gut. This was turning into more of an interrogation than anything else. "Feel free to go bin-dipping if you're that desperate."

"There's no need to get rude," said Susan, looking offended. "It's just, well, something doesn't feel right about you and your guardians, Harry. Are they mean to you, maybe? I can owl my auntie whenever I want, so feel free to speak your mind."

Harry was never going to show weakness at Hogwarts, let alone in Slytherin. So he got up from his chair, said that he wished to get an early night's sleep, and then made his way to his dormitory. But no sooner had Harry stepped foot into the room than Draco and the boys rushed him at the entrance.

"Harry!" said Draco, waving the invisibility cloth in the air as he spoke. "Where in the world did you find this? Do you have any idea what it is?"

"Some kind of cloth that turns you invisible, yeah."

"An Invisibility Cloak!" said Blaise, reaching to swipe the Cloak from Draco (who tried to get it back). "Did you get this for Christmas? Who the hell would send something like this to a first-year? Do you know how much they go for? Even Mother won't get me one. Mind you, she's quite cheap on the whole."

"I still can't believe this is an actual Invisibility Cloak," said Theodore. He swiped the Cloak from Blaise and held it up to the lantern light above, as if inspecting it. "I mean, Draco and I were just about to go for a test run when you came in."

"Does it really work out there?" Vincent asked.

"Think you can get into the kitchens with it?" Gregory added.

Harry nodded, though he wished he hadn't left his most prized possession – his inheritance – just lying out here in the open. But now that one of his biggest secrets was out, Harry felt a surge of dread in his stomach. If this was the reaction of Harry's own roommates, then what about the rest of his house?

"You've got to let us test this Cloak out," Draco said as he stood facing the door. "I mean, just think of all the trouble we can get the other houses into, especially those hot-headed Gryffindors!"

Theodore grinned while rubbing his hands together. "Yeah! We might even be able to get their password with this! I know a few guys who got some scores to settle up there. What do you say, Harry? Just give us an hour or two with your Cloak."

But before Harry could even respond, Blaise chimed in with: "The third-floor corridor!"

"Huh?" said the rest of the group.

"We could use Harry's Cloak to see what that old idiot's stashed up there!" said Blaise. "'A very painful death', remember?"

Draco's expression lit up in excitement. "Damn, Blaise, you're right! If the overworked man-hag's got something illegal up there, well ... I suppose it's only right that the board of governors be notified at once. No way Father would stand for having a most painful death in this school. Let's investigate!"

"Yeah!" said Theodore. "How many of us can fit under that Cloak at once? Three?"

Draco nodded as he held up the Cloak. "Without Crabbe and Goyle, of course."

Although Vincent and Gregory said nothing, Harry could tell that they would do anything to join in on the Cloak adventure. And that was when Harry made a startling realisation.

"Hey, now, hold on," Harry said, taking back his Cloak (much to his roommates' disappointment). "You just insulted the Gryffindors earlier, and yet you're acting like them now."

Draco looked aghast; his mouth hanging open.

"Breaking into another common room, sneaking up to the forbidden part of the third floor, starting grudge matches ..." Harry gave a slight sigh. "Are you even listening to yourselves? Just think of the points you'll lose Slytherin if you're caught – and you're bound to be."

"Just think of the points we could gain," said Draco. The others nodded in unison.

"It's really selfish of you," Harry said while folding up his Cloak, "especially when we're still suffering from all those points we lost a few months back. I want that seventh trophy no matter what."

"Come on, man," said Theodore. "Don't be like that. It's bad enough that you hang out with the girls more than us. But now you gotta be such a drag, too."

"What?" Harry felt a rush of heat in his chest.

"He means you're ruining the fun," said Blaise. "Come on, Harry, just a few nights with the Cloak. Please?"

Draco added his bit by saying: "We won't damage or lose it, we swear. Pure-blood honour."

"He just made that last part up," said Theodore. "But, really, just give us a few nights with the Cloak. Come on."

"OK, fine." Harry left his Invisibility Cloak at the foot of his bed. Then he gathered his pyjamas and approached his bathroom door. "Just do whatever. But don't blame me if you get caught."

As much as Harry hated lending his father's Cloak, he would rather start the new term without any drama. The sooner he got his roommates off his back, the better. He just hoped that they wouldn't be caught.

"All right, cool," said Draco, throwing the Cloak over Blaise, Theodore, and himself. "We'll be back in about an hour or so. Then I'll take you two" (Vincent and Gregory) "with me next."

Harry, meanwhile, got freshened up before heading to bed at around ten past nine. He shut his curtains and tucked himself in while ignoring the loud, excited chatter between Vincent and Gregory in the room. The sooner everyone was preoccupied with their schoolwork, the better.

Monday morning started off pretty much as per usual for Harry, until he saw the looks on his roommates' faces. They were all packing their bags without even saying a word.

"Morning," Harry said after opening his curtains. "How'd it go last night? Where's my Cloak?"

"Yeah, erm, about that ..." Theodore crammed his History of Magic textbook in his bag. "As it just so happened –"

"We got caught," said Blaise. "Snape got us before we could even leave the dungeons."

Harry's heart sank. "Snape?"

"Yeah," said Draco, slamming his Herbology textbook into his bag. "It's like he was waiting for us at the stairs, or something. Stupid, nosy half-blood."

"And my Cloak?" Harry asked. "Tell me it wasn't confiscated."

"Actually, it was," said Blaise. "Snape's got it locked up tight in his office. At least we didn't lose too many points, though. Snape only took two each and gave us all detention tonight – including you."

Harry was about to respond when Gregory said what the former already knew. "Probably 'cause it's your Cloak. Me and Vincent didn't get detention. Just you four."

"You might as well just say 'Told you so' now," Draco told Harry. "But you know what? I don't care. Maybe I'll get my own Cloak from Father without Snape even knowing. Ha! That'll show him."

Fuming, Harry kept silent as he carried on with his morning routine. He got freshened up, packed his bag, and stopped just short of storming out the common room. He wasn't going to throw some stupid tantrum like Dudley. But even so, Harry couldn't believe that Draco, Blaise, and Theodore had been so inept as to get caught before even leaving the dungeons. How in the world was Harry supposed to get his father's Cloak back from Severus Snape, of all people?

"Good morning," Susan greeted Harry at breakfast. She tilted her head a centimetre to the side while watching him take his seat opposite her. "And now? Don't tell me you're still upset over last night? If it helps, you can keep your secrets, OK?"

"Do a pinkie promise," said Tracey. Susan rolled her eyes.

"I don't do that rubbish."

But Harry wasn't paying that much attention to the girls. He kept thinking about Professor Snape, and how Harry was going to get the Invisibility Cloak back.

"Helloooo?" Daphne said, waving her fork in front of Harry. "Earth to Mister Potter. Did your brain just die?"

"How can his brain be dead if he's still alive?" Susan asked. "Don't be silly, Daphne. Maybe Harry's just super preoccupied with work – like Hermione Granger always is."

"That's what I always say," said Pansy, setting down her spoon. "Granger's an alien from planet 'Bookworm', and Harry's the translator. He's the only one who can understand her, yeah?"

They all laughed, except for Harry.

"OK, seriously now," said Daphne. "What's got you all miffed, Harry? Is someone messing with you? I'll beat their grid good."

"I want my Cloak back from Snape."

"Your ... cloak?" Daphne asked, while the others exchanged quizzical glances. "But you're wearing it right now. See, there's your plain black robes, there's your hat on your head, and here's your winter cloak over your robes. All checked! Oh, and there's your socks, shoes ... and whatever else you're wearing."

Just then, one of the older students – a broad-shouldered girl – sitting on Tracey's right spoke. "Hey, not to interrupt you kids or anything, but is it true that Potter got an Invisibility Cloak for Christmas? Malfoy's talking about it up there. Everyone's talking about it."

Pansy and her roommates immediately looked at Harry, who nodded. The four girls went wide-eyed, cupped their hands over their mouths, and gasped.

"Wow," said Daphne. "For real?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Draco, Theodore, and Blaise got caught using it last night."

Just as the older girl had said, the topic of Harry's Invisibility Cloak soon spread like wildfire across the Slytherin table – and beyond. Many students were whispering to one another while looking in Harry's direction. And Harry reckoned he had a good idea of what they might be saying.

"Trust Draco to run his stupid mouth," Harry said, groaning. "Now everyone'll think it's ridiculous for a first-year to have a Cloak."

"They're really rare, though," Susan said. "I mean, I've only ever seen one –"

"Your auntie's, right?" Pansy asked. And when Susan agreed, Pansy followed up with: "Wew, wew."

"Anyway," – Susan ignored the jibe – "I hear it's very hard to make an Invisibility Cloak, which makes it very, very expensive. Who sent it to you?"

Harry shrugged.

"No gift card or anything?" Susan asked, looking as shocked as her roommates. "Not even a name?"

"Maybe it's illegal," said Pansy, "which means you're under arrest, Harry. Watch Susan whip out those handcuffs. I know she keeps them in her bag, just in case."

"Wew, wew!"

"Don't steal my joke!" Pansy told Daphne. "And besides, you're saying it wrong. Yours sounds more like 'Wayew wayew'."

Daphne narrowed her eyes and made a slight groaning (or was it a growling?) sound.

"It does seem a bit suspicious, though, doesn't it?" said Tracey, leaning forward to speak past Daphne. "I doubt it's anyone in our house."

"I doubt it's even a student," said Susan. "Or even a staff member. Do you know anyone else out there, Harry?"

"Nope."

"Which makes no sense," said Pansy. She looked diagonally across the table – at Harry – and said, "You're Harry Potter!"

"Really?"

Ignoring the sarcasm, Pansy followed up with: "You should've made many, many friends and stuff. Enough to fill a big jumping-castle, at least."

"Yeah!" said Daphne, smacking her hand on the table. "How come you don't have more friends? You should've had enough to start a big party with lots of ice-creams and stuff. Ithink Susan's right about you not being happy at those Muggles."

"Just drop it," said Susan. "If Harry doesn't want to talk about it, then leave it. Let's get to class."

And so they fell back into their routine of History of Magic, Herbology (where some of the Ravenclaws questioned Harry on his Cloak), Transfiguration, and Charms, after which Harry and the girls discussed various ways to convince Professor Snape to release the Cloak. But try as they might, none of them could think of anything that would work.

"This is hopeless," Harry said as they made their way up to the Entrance Hall. "Snape's never going to give it back."

"He can't keep it forever, though," said Susan.

Dinner was a subdued affair that evening; Harry ate in silence and later joined Blaise, Draco, and Theodore as they went down to the Potions classroom for their detention. Professor Snape assigned each of them ten cauldrons to clean without using magic. And after at least an hour's worth of scrubbing, Blaise, Draco, and Theodore were allowed to leave, while Harry was told to stay behind.

Here we go.

"It never ceases to amaze me how extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter," Professor Snape said as he stood before Harry in the dimly lit classroom. "He, too, had a habit of lending that Cloak for others' misdoings. Oh yes, you may not have told your friends about where that Cloak had come from, but I know perfectly well which idiot had owned it before you."

"So you sent it, then, sir?"

"I'd sooner toss it in the fire," said Snape. He stood up straight and clenched his fist at his side. "But, unfortunately, that Cloak remains the property of a student. One that's every bit as arrogant as his fat-headed father, it seems."

Harry had had enough. He was getting sick and tired of listening to Professor Snape berate James Potter at every available opportunity. "Why can't you leave my dad alone?" he asked. Snape glowered at him.

"Because you're acting like him. And as Head of Slytherin house – your house, Potter – it is my duty to stamp out any delinquency in my students. But, fortunately, I've managed to save your little friends from your infectious –"

"They're the ones who wanted to use the Cloak," said Harry, feeling his hands tremble at his sides. "Not me."

"Shifting the blame, are we?" Snape's upper lip curled into a sneer. "I wonder who else was fond of doing that?"

Harry proceeded to tell of how Draco and the rest essentially pressurised him into lending the Cloak, though Snape hardly seemed to care.

"Pathetic," Snape said. "This reminds me of one of your father's friends, actually. The most inept prefect Hogwarts has ever had."

"Who?"

"Get out!" said Snape. "And don't expect to get your Cloak back until the end of the year, is that clear?"

"He said all that?" Susan said in a hushed whisper later that night. She and her roommates were sharing a corner table with Harry in the common room. "That's it. Where's my quill? Perhaps a suspension will stamp out the delinquency in him!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Pansy said beside her. "Just because your aunt's the top cop doesn't mean she can stick her nose in everyone's business. I'm sure there's boundaries in the Ministry."

Susan tilted her nose in the air as she said, "For your information, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement stands a good chance of some day making Minister for Magic. So how about I get Auntie Amelia to put Snape in his place? He keeps picking on Harry!"

"Rather ask your aunt to get us some doughnuts," said Pansy. "I'm hungry."

"I'll take chocolate-chip ones," said Daphne. "Or doughnuts with lots of thick, sweet cream. They mustn't be too hard and crispy, though. And definitely not too oily."

Harry shook his head. "You people are like vacuum cleaners, sucking up all the food."

"Look who's talking!" said Tracey. She joined in on the conversation as it went from Professor Snape to all sorts of desserts; a verbal U-turn if Harry ever saw one. "You should try adding some runny honey to a doughnut. Or put it inside with some pudding as well. Mmm, yummy."

Daphne beamed. "One time, Dad fried us doughnuts with raspberry ice-cream inside. He even made us big ice-cream doughnuts with hot chocolate inside. That was delicious."

"Must be nice to use magic in food, huh?" said Harry. Pansy nodded in an exaggerated manner.

"Yeah! Which you should've got instead of living with stupid Muggles."

And that was when Harry realised that he was long overdue for another meeting with Professor Dumbledore.

"Sorry to break up the party," said seventh-year prefect Virginia Abberton. "But I must ask that you go to your dormitories now. Better to get a good night's sleep than to sit here chatting about food all night."

While the others stood up and left to their dormitories, Harry was called aside by Prefect Abberton (or 'Ginny', as she was often called).

"Just so you know," Prefect Abberton said, "we've heard rumours of some people wanting to steal your Invisibility Cloak. But don't worry," she added, seeing the alarmed look on Harry's face, "they so much as try to break into your room, and there'll be hell to pay."

But Harry wasn't entirely convinced. He mentioned that although Professor Snape had the Cloak, someone was bound to make their move once the Cloak was returned. Prefect Abberton agreed.

"Invisibility Cloaks are extremely expensive," she said, "not to mention rare and difficult to make in good quality. And from what I've heard, yours is right up there with the best."

Harry dropped his shoulders and gave a slight sigh through his nose. "Let me guess, Draco Malfoy said so, right?"

"Mm-hmm. Who sent it to you anyway?"

Harry shrugged.

"Huh, that's odd. In any case," – Prefect Abberton (politely) shooed Harry towards the far end of the room – "off to bed with you now."

Despite feeling paranoid over his Invisibility Cloak, Harry still had a decent night's rest as he dreamed of Snape kicking and screaming while being thrown in the back of a police car. But then the scene changed to Harry, himself, being thrown in the back of the Dursleys' car. Harry woke with a start.

I am not going back to the Dursleys, he told himself, wiping away the beads of sweat on his forehead. They are not my family. That is not my home.

And he fell asleep again.

The rest of the first week consisted mainly of classes, homework, and Quidditch-talk. Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, though Harry had more important things on his mind. He tried to set up a meeting with Professor Dumbledore but could only be accommodated towards the end of the second week, which was fine. In fact, Harry was even willing to miss the match if it meant getting a chance to discuss the Dursleys again.

"You are treading on dangerous ground, Potter," Professor Snape said in his office during the second week of term. "The Headmaster, as I'm sure you're aware of by now, is an extremely busy man. And yet some first-year dares to storm my office demanding to see him?"

"I'm not demanding anything," Harry said. "And I came in here quietly, sir."

Professor Snape spoke in an almost theatrical manner, as if wanting to provoke Harry. "Let the ordinary people worry about being accommodated by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore! Famous Harry Potter gets whatever he wants, whenever he wants! When he says 'Jump', we ought to ask 'How high?'!"

"I don't expect you to understand, Professor," Harry said while keeping his tone as polite as possible. "But if you were living with the Dursleys, you'd want to get away as soon as possible, too. I can barely even call them my family. Not even my blood-related 'aunt', Petunia."

If anything, Professor Snape looked even more irritated than usual, if that was even possible. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward at his desk as he said, "Grow some spine and deal with it, Potter. Don't pester me with your family squabbles. What? Is an affluent, middle-class neighbourhood not good enough for the saviour of the wizarding world?"

"I don't have a problem with the place," said Harry, feeling his chest heat up and his heart-rate increase. "It's the people I'm living with."

"And why should I care?"

"Because" – Harry decided to use Snape's words against him – "that's your duty as my Head of House, isn't it? You're supposed to care about your students, Professor."

It felt as if Harry was talking to a brick wall, especially as Professor Snape followed up with: "Are your guardians arguing or fighting, Potter?"

"Not really, no."

"Does your uncle constantly berate you for no good reason and essentially hate everything? Does he beat up your aunt? Is your aunt powerless to stop him? Is your family bordering on poverty?"

What? Those questions sounded awfully specific, though Harry wasn't sure why Professor Snape would go into such details. "Not really – well, er, they all pick on me if I ask questions or even mention something out of the ordinary, yes."

"I see no problem," said Snape, with an air of wanting this conversation to be over and done with. "Though I do see a spoiled little brat expecting a five-star luxury-hotel over the holidays. In fact, I once knew someone of this very same mindset, Potter."

"Who?"

Professor Snape ignored Harry, and carried on by saying, "This brat also had quite an affluent home – much like you do. And yet he, too, felt hard done by his family and decided to move out when the time was right. Oh, and have I mentioned that he, too, inherited a decent share of wealth to spend as he pleased? Pathetic."

Was this another one of James Potter's friends? Or was it the man himself again? Harry shrugged it off and decided to ignore Snape's mind-games. "What did Professor Dumbledore say, sir? Is it a yes or a no?"

"Take this and leave, Potter."

Professor Snape gave Harry a roll of parchment, which Harry unrolled as he stepped out of the office and made his way down the corridor.

Dear Harry,

If it is convenient to you, I shall see you in my office this coming Saturday at the conclusion of lunch. Please refrain from waiting outside my office during the Quidditch match or during lunch, as I do not wish to hinder your participation in either of those events.

Yours sincerely

Albus Dumbledore

P.S. Chocolate Frogs.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle after reading Professor Dumbledore's letter. Why did the Headmaster have to be so formal when writing to a mere, scrawny eleven-year-old? Regardless, Harry tucked away the parchment and carried on with the rest of his evening. He couldn't wait to resume his talk regarding the Dursleys, and this impatience plagued Harry throughout the week – even on to the big day itself.

In fact, Harry was so preoccupied in rehearsing whatever came to mind that he was only half focused on the Quidditch match on Saturday. Throughout the game Harry found himself daydreaming about his upcoming meeting. And by the end of the fifty-three-minute showdown (which ended two hundred and ten to a hundred and twenty in favour of Slytherin), Harry all but rushed up the slippery lawns on his way back to the castle.

"Hey! Chill out, silly!" said Pansy, rushing to keep up with Harry. "You still gotta wait until after lunch's officially done, remember? Have some patience already!"

"What's so important about this meeting anyway?" Daphne asked. "You're legging it just to chat with Big Boss? You still didn't even say what it's about."

Harry was spared the trouble of answering as at least a dozen older-Slytherins came rushing past. They were all cheers and celebrations, much like the rest of the house that afternoon.

"Ravenclaw's still leading, though," said Tracey, as the crowd made their way into the castle. "But only by forty."

"Yeah!" said Pansy. "So have a little faith, man. Higgs did his job, and that's what really matters."

That wasn't entirely accurate. The rest of the team had also played their part in the league standings so far. And as things currently stood, Ravenclaw were in the lead with four hundred and forty points (after two games), then Slytherin on four hundred points (after two games), then Gryffindor on seventy points, and Hufflepuff on fifty points. The next match would be Gryffindor against Hufflepuff, on the twenty-second of February.

But Harry wasn't all that focused on Quidditch at the moment. He rushed his meal and waited out the remainder of lunch before finally heading up to the Headmaster's office. Professor Dumbledore was already waiting for Harry, who took his seat without hesitation.

"Well then," said Professor Dumbledore, "I believe we last concluded on the issue of your family, correct?"

"They're not my family," Harry said without a moment's hesitation. Then he spotted some of the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses muttering among one another in their portraits, though Harry ignored them. "Nothing's going to change the Dursleys and their ways, Professor. They'll always hate me, you, and everything else that's not 'normal' – no matter what."

"And yet, be that as it may," said Professor Dumbledore, "your aunt still took you in all those years ago. She may have done so grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, and bitterly; but the fact remains that she accepted you into her home."

None of this made any sense to Harry. Was he supposed to be thankful for being accepted and then, quite literally, thrown aside? "As a prisoner, yes," he said. "But I don't think any child should have to 'grow up' locked inside a tiny bedroom beneath the stairs. And neither should any child do nothing while the rest of his 'family' have a great life, Professor. I'm never going back to those awful strangers."

Professor Dumbledore stared for a moment at one of the strange, silver instruments in the room. Then he looked back at Harry and said, "Please understand that your safety is my utmost concern at this point. And for that reason, Harry, I simply cannot remove you from number four, Privet Drive."

"And what exactly makes it so safe there?"

"Let's suppose that I do remove you from the Dursleys," Professor Dumbledore said as he placed his arms on his desk and locked his fingers like a puzzle. "Where else would you stay during the holidays, then, might I ask?"

"Susan Bones," Harry said without hesitation. "Her aunt's the top cop – er, Head of magical police. So it's definitely safe there, right?"

Professor Dumbledore looked at Harry for a few seconds, and then he said, "Well, Madam Bones is by no means an incapable witch, yes. But the fact remains that she does not live with her niece. Miss Bones, as I'm sure you've been told, currently lives with her parents."

"But Susan said her aunt'll definitely move in if I come to stay with them, Professor."

"The protection you are afforded at the Dursleys is, to put it rather plainly, highly advanced magic, Harry," said Professor Dumbledore. "I do not wish to elaborate on the finer details at this point, but its complexity is such that neither Lord Voldemort nor any of his followers could hope to harm you during your stay at the Dursleys. Both you and your family are currently being afforded the greatest protection there is."

But Harry wasn't buying any of this. "Susan said her family knows loads of spells, too. Plus her aunt can get those, er ... Aurors to help boost what she already knows."

"Indeed, though conventional enchantments can be broken – as was evident during the war. However, the level of protection bestowed upon you and your family is ... remarkably different."

Harry felt as if he was talking to a brick wall, not unlike with Professor Snape. "Then maybe copy that protection over to a new place, sir. I'm sure you, of all people, can definitely do that, right?"

If Professor Dumbledore was flattered at the compliment, he hid it well. "No, I'm afraid that I cannot do so. This protection I speak of is exclusive to you, your family, and your current home."

"And what if the Dursleys decide to move, sir?" Harry asked. It was a valid question after all.

"Then you shall remain protected. And that is all I am willing to say, for now."

Despite Harry's best efforts, he simply could not find a way to persuade the Headmaster to remove him from the Dursleys. Whatever this magnificent protection was, it seemed to trump Harry's own quality of life. Harry gave a slight sigh through his nose.

"So I'm stuck with the Dursleys no matter what, huh?" he said, frowning. "There's nobody else who can beat that mysterious, amazing protection of my 'family', is there?"

"Unfortunately," said Professor Dumbledore, "even the best conventional spell can fall to the most determined wizard out there. And I believe it is safe to say that many of Lord Voldemort's supporters remain acquitted and at large, as you are aware."

"But why am I so important to protect anyway?" Harry asked, more to himself than Professor Dumbledore. "I mean, even if Voldemort does somehow come back someday, there's better wizards than me who can take him. You can go after him, Professor. I just want a decent home."

That comment, if anything, made Professor Dumbledore pause for thought before saying, "Should Voldemort ever return, he would make it his life's ambition to hunt – well, I do not wish to burden you with such knowledge, Harry. Please enjoy the rest of your afternoon. I believe your fellow Slytherins ought to be celebrating their victory, yes?"

"I'm not stupid, sir," said Harry, refusing to take the cue to stand up and leave. "I know Voldemort'll come for me first. But I don't care. I just want to go home to a place where people don't hate me. And where I don't have to spend all day trapped in a small bedroom. It's horrible."

"Damn child. You were told to leave, so lea –"

"Thank you, Phineas," Professor Dumbledore told the sly-looking portrait who had just spoken up. Surprisingly, Harry saw that it was a Slytherin who had gone all hostile on him. "Perhaps I ought to have Professor Snape return your Invisibility Cloak."

Harry shrugged. "It's probably safer there, seeing as people are looking to steal it. And besides, I thought we were talking about the Dursleys, sir? No way is that place my home, sorry."

"I'm sure you do not mean that, Harry. Would a polite word with your family be preferable?"

"Won't work," said Harry. "They'll never ever change. It'll make things worse, actually."

"Well then," – Professor Dumbledore sat back in his chair – "we shall discuss this again at a later stage, I suppose."

Exasperated, Harry stood up from his chair and stared at the desk for a few seconds. Then he looked at Professor Dumbledore and said, "It'll just be the same conversation again, sir, no offence. I can't go back to a place that's not my home. It's like, I don't know, torture or something. I might as well go live with Professor Snape." Oh crap, I did not just say that.

Professor Dumbledore shook his head and said, "I doubt that Professor Snape would be willing to accommodate you in his home. In any case, you are safest at your relatives."

"I told you, they're not my –"

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Harry."