Chapter 9: Am I in trouble?

We had just been welcomed to Ravenclaw Tower and I had barely started unpacking when Flitwick told me that the Headmaster wanted to see me in his office.

To be honest, I have to idea how to handle the situation. I don't think that he's a manipulative evil mastermind, but I can't be sure and he did leave me with the Dursleys and never checked on me. Either way he's far from the perfect person the wizarding public believes him to be, if a group of schoolkids have to save the day not just once, but seven years in a row, the adults in charge aren't as responsible as they should be.

Well, here goes nothing.

"Hello, Harry."

Dumbledore seemed nervous and a bit sad, almost resigned.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No. I think I should probably offer an apology. I should have made sure that you had been alright at the Dursleys. I knew that it wouldn't be perfect, but had I known just how bad it was I'd have done something. When I found out, it was too late and you were unreachable."

"How did you find out? Just out of curiosity."

"About a week after you left Privet Drive forever, I noticed that Arabella's latest letter seemed... off. When I visited her, she was furious at me. I was shocked to find out just how bad the situation had been and I am truly sorry for that. When I asked where you had gone, all she said was that you were in a safe place with loving family. I contemplated tracking you but decided against it. I didn't hear from you again until you showed up here today, with one exception."

He pulled out a copy of Magical Discoveries Monthly from about one and a half years back. The one with the article about the Potter-Lupin method.

"I have to say, I was quite positively surprised. A delightfully counterintuitive method, but successful where many others have failed. Congratulations."

"Oh, I completely forgot about that… Remus wrote the article. I just had the idea."

"I take it that Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were who you lived with the past two years?"

"Yes, I had originally gotten Ms. Figg to hire Remus as a tutor so I could learn some magic in advance. When Sirius got out of prison he adopted me and we went to live at 12 Grimmauld Place. That place has quite the security. Technically I'm Harry Black in the muggle world, but that's just to make it more difficult for anyone to track down the Boy-Who-Lived through muggle paperwork."

Dumbledore looked surprised.

"That's quite paranoid, isn't it?"

"Well, since I didn't have those mysterious protections you put on Privet Drive any more, I kinda took every other precaution possible. The scar on my forehead used to be a lot more lightning bolt shaped until we went to a muggle plastic surgeon. I always dyed my hair when I went to Diagon Alley. I went to a random muggle school far from home under the Black name. That's where I met Hermione, by the way, I saw her blast some bullies with accidental magic and told her that she's a witch. Remus taught both of us how to defend ourselves. I can cast Protego, Expelliarmus and Stupefy quite well, which is more than what I'd have learnt at the Dursleys."

"Impressive. I have a friend who'd approve. He's the one who found Pettigrew and caused Sirius to be released, by the way. What a tragedy that situation was."

"Well, I guess things weren't ideal, but they'll work out from now. Apology accepted. I guess I should return to Ravenclaw now and finish unpacking. Goodbye, Professor. Oh, and before I forget: Sirius mentioned my father had a cloak that he lent you?"

That went a lot better than expected, I thought as I headed back invisibly.

-HP-HP-HP-

"We have to say we were quite surprised to receive a note from Harry Potter requesting our help. So, here we are, what is it?", asked one of the Weasley twins.

"Well, you see, I live with my godfather, and he and my father were part of a little group that got a reputation as pranksters, they were always up to no good. So now I'm expected to live up to that, but I don't really know how to manage mischief that well. I heard you two were the current experts in that field."

"You want us to help you do pranks?"

"Pretty much."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Something big and impressive, but harmless and not traceable back to me. Ideally targeting the entire school equally, I don't want to get caught up in the Gryffindor Slytherin feud."

-HP-HP-HP-

"I can't believe it! Half the class didn't even stay awake! And not just the Hufflepuffs, but Ravenclaws too!"

We just had History, and Hermione is furious. To be honest, I agree. Binns is a terrible teacher. I'll have to think of something.

-HP-HP-HP-

"..that is, if you're not the kind of dunderheads I usually have to teach."

"That sounds rehearsed,'' whispered Terry Boot next to me in potions class.

"It is. He used the same speech in the Gryffindor and Slytherin class."

Dangit, hopefully he won't realise that that class won't happen until tomorrow. Well, it was probably the same speech last year.

"Potter! What's the result of combining powdered root of asphodel with an infusion of wormwood?"

Hey, that's even the same first question. I guess there's a reason for it. That language of flowers theory could be it.

"Both are required for Draught of the Living Death, but it has to be in the correct ratio of thirteen to seven, at exactly the right temperature while stirring counterclockwise, otherwise you'd get a Draught of Very Real and Very Painful Death. The plants asphodel and wormwood also symbolise death, mourning and regret."

"Correct. What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Both names refer to the same genus of plants, Aconite. Monkshood is also a garment and Wolfsbane is also the name of a potion, although an obsolete one."

Snape looked a bit surprised, then he probably realised that I had made it obsolete and continued.

"Of course, you'd know all about that. Well, where would you look if you had to get me a Bezoar?"

I pulled one out of my pocket. Snape stared at it and answered.

"One point to Ravenclaw."

That went well. Throughout the rest of the lesson, Hermione earned another three. Wouldn't have happened in Gryffindor. Me not being a dunderhead in the first class helped, too.

All in all, Hogwarts is proving to be a rather enjoyable experience. Except for Defence class...