Susan Bones

Albus was working on some paperwork over preparations for the 1996-1997 school year. He stopped writing when he heard a strange noise coming from near the end of his desk. Looking towards the source, the headmaster widened his eyes to see that one of the silver instruments stopped working (the one that was monitoring the blood charms around the Dursleys house on Privet Drive). The other silver instrument, that one keeping track of Harry's physical location, was emitting blue smoke. The tracking spell revealed that Harry was over at Bones Manor. Panicking inwardly, Dumbledore got up, left the office and headed to outside the wards surrounding the school. Once there, he apparated to just outside the wards surrounding Bones Manor. Then Albus walked up to the front door and knocked. The door opened a minute or so later, with Amelia's niece having answered the door. Susan was identified by her shoulder-length bright-copper hair hanging down and brown eyes.

"What may I do for you, professor?" asked Susan, contempt clearly dripping from her voice.

"I need to speak with Harry, Miss Bones," said Albus in his grandfatherly voice. "He's in mortal danger."

"I seriously doubt that, professor," Susan told the headmaster. "But you can come in if you want him to tell you yourself. But he won't listen to you."

Susan opened the door wider to allow the Hogwarts headmaster inside. Dumbledore had no idea that Susan was smirking when she closed the door and followed him to the living room. Dumbledore not only saw Harry sitting on a couch, but Neville Longbottom (a portly brown-haired boy with brown eyes) and Hannah Abbott (a girl with blue eyes and her blonde hair in long pigtails). After Susan sat down next to Harry, the four teens glared at Dumbledore as they folded their arms across their chests (Harry, most of all).

"Harry, I'm afraid you must return to your family." Dumbledore insisted.

"What family?" Harry replied in a furious voice. "The so-called family who enjoyed nothing more than making me as miserable as possible? The same ones who beat me for minor infractions or no reason at all, feeding me the bare minimum and allowing Dudley to steal my food if he had the bloody chance, worked me like a slave and getting almost nothing in return, making me sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, locking me in my bedroom around the clock, getting yelled at out of spite, and even making sure my birthdays were the worst days for me. How do you explain that, professor?"

"I'm sure you're exaggerating, Harry," Albus asserted in his grandfatherly voice. "Family doesn't do that."

"Precisely," stated Harry, again in a furious voice. "And the Dursleys were never family to me. They were just relatives and their house for me was just a bloody place to live. They made it clear to me for as long as I can remember that I was never welcome there."

"Harry, I'm afraid you're proving to be ungrateful," Dumbledore tried countering. "Your aunt took you in to keep you safe. I've already explained the bond of blood charm to you and how it works."

"Petunia only took me in bitterly and grudgingly," said Harry in a matter-of-fact voice. "You said the charm only works if it was done willingly and if Petunia treated me like her own son. Not only that, but I don't think such charms were even there."

"She still took you in, Harry," the headmaster tried asserting once more. "That's all that matters."

"Like I said," Harry replied, getting more agitated. "It was only done bitterly and grudgingly. You can't force me to call a place home when I'm basically unwanted there. After you told me that lame prophecy, I realized you were using me as a pawn in your plan for the Greater Good. If you want it fulfilled, find somebody who's willing to do it. I'm living my life on my terms and you have no right in dictating my life for me. At least I have zero intentions of being a criminal, so be grateful it's not happening that way."

"And how crazy do you have to be to use that blood charm you lied to Harry about using?" Susan asked the headmaster, outrage clearly in her voice.

"Miss Bones, I'm afraid you have no say in this," Albus claimed. "Harry needs to return to his family to be safe."

"Harry's safe right here with us," Susan replied in a rather fierce voice, as Harry, Neville and Hannah nodded their heads in agreement. "And I can have a say in this discussion because this is my home and you can't tell a student what to do in their own home. Auntie Amelia is the only one who can tell me if I can or can't have a say in discussions. You'd be in deep trouble if she were to find out that you used a bond of blood charm around the Dursleys house, if you truly did, because that charm is extremely illegal to use. That's because family isn't always blood, it's about loyalty and who's been there for who unconditionally."

"And you should've known that Harry and I are godbrothers, professor," stated Neville. "Since his mum was named my godmother and my mum was named Harry's godmother. I spent my pre-Hogwarts days without knowing Harry because of you."

"And having Harry suffer, too?!" Hannah told the headmaster in an incredulous voice. Then she continued on in a sarcastic tone of voice, "You sure know how to be a great role model."

"How nice of you to drop by, Albus!" an unexpected (but familiar) voice blurted out behind the headmaster.

Dumbledore jumped in surprise and turned around to find not only Amelia, but several other aurors (including Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had dark-skin and a deep voice). Amelia had her monocle off and was glaring at the headmaster with her arms folded across her chest. Susan was shouting triumphantly inwardly because she knew it was a long-shot in trying to lure Dumbledore out of hiding, as he had that tendency anytime her aunt tried to confront him.

"Amelia, to what do I owe the honour?" Dumbledore greeted.

"An explanation as to why you're here!" snapped Amelia. "The wards alerted me to your presence, as I didn't give you permission to just show up uninvited."

"Your niece allowed me inside, so I could talk to Harry." Dumbledore defended his actions.

"Something which I'm glad happened," Amelia informed a now-panicking Albus. "Since we have your surrounded now, it's time we take you into ministry custody so we can find out alot of what you've been hoarding."

"Dumbledore even revealed that he used the bond of blood charm to supposedly keep Harry safe, auntie." Susan informed her aunt.

"Either you didn't really cast the charm or you did but the charms didn't last long or were very weak." Harry told Dumbledore.

"Albus Dumbledore, you're under arrest for usurpation of Harry's legal guardian, child abuse by proxy, using an illegal charm, and many more crimes," Amelia informed the soon-to-be former headmaster, as he was placed in magic-suppression handcuffs. "You don't have to say anything, as it may harm your defence in court. Anything you choose to say can be given in evidence."

Dumbledore was led out of the manor and outside the wards to be taken into ministry custody. Amelia praised her niece for helping lure Dumbledore into that trap before leaving to return to the ministry. Then Susan turned her attention to Harry.

"How would you like to go swimming with us, Harry?" asked Susan.

"Well, I don't know how," said Harry sheepishly. "I've never had any swimming lessons."

"We can all teach you if you want." Susan offered, with Neville and Hannah nodding their heads in approval.

With a smile, Harry got up and headed for the guest room he was staying in. Inside the wardrobe he found a pair of red swimming trunks. After changing into his swimming trunks, Harry stepped out of the guest room and found Neville (who was also in a pair of red swimming trunks) waiting right by the door. A couple minutes later, Susan and Hannah stepped out her bedroom and the upstairs bathroom respectively. Susan was in a pink bikini while Hannah's bikini was sky-blue. Harry felt his stomach giving flip-flop feelings to see the Hufflepuff girls before him in bikinis (even more so when he saw Susan in her's). Then the four headed out into the backyard where the swimming pool was located. With Dumbledore finally suffering the consequences for his actions, Harry was free from his manipulations and could now live life on his terms. For once, luck was on his side.

The End!