Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Please read and review thanks love Hermione xxx
Severus looked more drawn then Draco had seen him looking in a long time. "I call to order this meeting. Now does anyone have anything they wish to share with us? What say you Severus you look a bit the worse for wear my boy!" Dumbledore said as he scowled. I mean talk about stating the obvious. What an utter fool he was.
"Well as you know Lucius has always been one of my best friends but things with the dark lord are not ok. I have no idea what is wrong with him as he wouldn't tell me but he did give me two tasks. For my first task I had to torture Lucius again for reasons he would not tell me. If I didn't do it he said he'd kill me so I did. It was very hard indeed for me!" he said as everyone looked at him with great interest.
"Maybe Voldemort doesn't want you to know what is wrong with him right now but maybe all will become clear in a while. What was your second task please?" he asked as Severus straightened up.
"Simply put Albus he knows you're after something or protecting it he's not sure which and it's my job to find out what you're up to this year at school while I am teaching. If I find anything out I am to let him know. He interrogated me using truth serum for the whereabouts of Draco but was dismayed I did not know it. He said he had felt sure I would know and I was disappointed Draco didn't confide in me where he was going. He knows he's gone to France but he knows he'll need to return for school and said he'll speak to him during his Christmas holidays at home! I just wish Draco hadn't been so bloody foolish! I have more things to worry about then his bloody whereabouts. I swear to Merlin sometimes that boy can be too fucking selfish" he said as everyone watched him. Dumbledore nodded deep in thought. Draco watched in fascination. It was obvious Lucius was being tortured by Severus because the dark lord could not find Draco to take his dark mark for him. He thought Lucius deserved it and in a way so did Severus. He loved Severus more than anything but he'd always been a jerk to Harry and it wasn't ok anymore. There would be none of that from now on. He'd make sure of it. Also where in the hell was this sass about him coming from? He'd also see that there was an end to Severus and his tantrums in particular. In fact just the tantrums as Severus seemed to be an expert at throwing them at this stage. Why was he always such a fucking sass mouth?
To be honest he'd suffered enough abuse at his father's hands and it was high time he got a taste of his own medicine. It wasn't cool when the shoe was on the other foot was it? He didn't feel one ounce of pity for the man. He knew he probably should have but couldn't. At least here he was safe, had love and would be protected always. You see he had a brave streak in him and it was one that he didn't let out very often. It was this streak which had led him to talking to Harry in the first place and asking him for help. He was glad he had followed his instincts as it had paid off.
"Well I'm sorry but whether we like it or not Draco will never be as important as Harry in the grand scheme of things. I am sure he will come back and probably just took a vacation in one of his families many manors and didn't tell his daddy or something silly like that. Harry however is the saviour of our world and I get so very nervous the more he is away from us. I mean is he even eating properly? I just don't think he can survive well on his own. Also how could he say he's gay? He's broken my Ginevra's heart and I won't stand for that!" Molly thundered as Harry jumped in his seat. He hadn't seen that coming. Molly looked very defeated indeed. It was like she had no energy left or something. Had something else happened to her which she wasn't mentioning or something? She looked to be more on edge than ever. He had never seen her like this even in their second year when she had looked frazzled. People around the table all shared a look that neither he nor Draco could actually read. It was weird to say the least. Finally Minerva spoke.
"Well I am sorry to say that his sexual orientation truly matters nothing in this situation. Hearts have been broken for less and it is high time that Ginevra learned to grow up. Whether he is gay or not is actually irrelevant as the outcome will always be the same. He'll still need to fight Voldemort although I do think we should be doing more to aid him in that. I didn't say that to be cruel Molly. Ginny is one of my brightest students actually which I do think many others could learn from but people often get their hearts broken. I am just saying she is not the first and she will by no means be the last either!" she and as Molly went to reply in fury but was stopped by an irate looking Arthur who looked like he'd had about just enough of everything. Had he always looked so old and fucked? Was this a new thing? He looked a little bit drawn and Harry could have sworn he saw something in his eyes solidify and thought it looked like Arthur was finally growing a back bone. If this was to be true it would be wonderful as he needed one stat.
"Molly Anne Weasley you will remain silent and do as I say right now. We have been foolish people for long enough and I have the sense to admit when I am wrong and say I am sorry. Clearly you haven't learned that lesson yet!" he said slapping his hand on the table in rage before ploughing on as he was far from finished ranting at her and those present.
"You see when you have so many sons and only one daughter it is natural that she will be spoilt whether intentionally or not. When she said she wanted to grow up and marry Harry Potter from her adventure books we indulged her in her fantasy but just like finding out Father Christmas does not exist as she got older we had a responsibility to tell her that would not be possible and we failed to do that in turn failing her as parents. I will not have Harry Potter shamed because he made choices that were not my daughter. He is a wonderful young man and I will not hear any more on the matter!" he said as Molly finally lost it.
"And what the fuck will you say Arthur William Weasley when he asks to marry Ronald huh? What the hell will you tell our daughter then? What the hell will Ronald do? He's not gay himself! Do you really think Harry Potter will just take that rejection lying down? People would expect Ron to say yes and would be sickened if he didn't. He'd be a fucking social pariah and I will not have that I tell you that now" she snapped as Harry got a little bit sick in the mouth from what she was implying. He would most certainly never want Ron. Draco couldn't help but laugh finding it really entertaining. It was after all priceless.
"I will tell Harry that he may proceed as he wishes without judgement as he gets enough of it from everyone else without needing it from me. There are plenty of great men out there for Ginny and I promise you I will not let her be with one unless I think he's perfect for her. When her next love interest comes along she will get over Harry Potter. We shouldn't have continued to encourage her but we did and we are wrong for that. I am sorry everyone!" he said as Albus and Severus exchanged knowing glances much to the shock of everyone else at the table. Clearly they knew something the others did not. Everyone was stunned when Sturgis Podmore spoke.
"And who is to say he'd choose Ronald anyway? You're very presumptuous Molly. I knew James Potter quite well and know he'd be disgusted to have a gay son completely however I do also know that Lily would hate him for feeling like that. She'd support Harry no matter what and she would be right. You see Severus when people admit they are wrong it can be good from time to time. James was wrong and so are you. I have heard about your so called teaching methods. Ladies and gentlemen he was so bad that he was the boggart of Neville Longbottom in case you didn't know that. Yes Albus I can see you didn't know that did you? What do you think now?" he sneered as Albus appeared to lose all colour in his face. If things had gone differently it would have been Neville who was the one who was the boy who lived. It freaked him out totally that Severus was the boy's boggart. How could that be remotely true? My goodness hadn't Neville suffered enough.
"This is most concerning. Neville Longbottom has suffered enough what with his parents permanently in Saint Mungos after the Lestranges tortured them to insanity. He didn't need this as well. Just how are you teaching your classes Severus? He's a Gryffindor this shouldn't happen!" he snapped as Severus rolled his eyes.
"In every lesson the instructions are there to read and then complete. Now either Longbottom needs glasses or something else but he never gets anything right and his potions almost always explode hurting not only himself but everyone else too. He is reckless and yes I do shout at him when he gets it wrong. I mean what would happen if one of those explosions got one of my snakes huh? Are you really ready to deal with all those pureblood angry parents?" he sneered as Minerva freaked out.
"You may frighten Neville Longbottom but you'll never frighten me. My lions matter just as much as any other house. They don't matter more or less and that is a risk you'll have to take. If you taught your damn lessons properly and were a better staff member like me things would be better and you wouldn't be his damn boggart!" she snapped and before anyone else could respond Filius who was present did and he was not at all happy. Harry had never seen him passionate about anything which wasn't charms related.
"You can't say that you hypocrite! When have you ever helped Harry? When have you ever even been present in your house? For those not in the know I am there every week in my house and you know what I am ashamed. Ravenclaw is not perfect as I initially thought it was. I discovered mass bullying going on inside it because one of my members is a seer and doesn't understand her abilities spouting nonsense as a result. However she is very insightful. Harry came to me before because he could not trust his head of house. Did you know that? He asked you for help and you advised him to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. He needed help and not a fucking lecture!" he snapped at Minerva who shrunk back slightly at his tone.
The truth is he was right and she couldn't deny it any longer. She'd not been available. Harry shed a tear at everything Filius had said. He was the first adult to care who had listened and taken him seriously. Yes he was often in trouble but you see Filius had been stunned when he'd learned that Luna was a seer and not able to process her new talents and worse yet that she'd been bullied for it. She had resorted to using silly words and phrases to cope with her new talent as she hadn't known what it was. When he'd found out about the bullying he'd doled out so many punishments that Cho and Marietta's heads had spun. When Harry had come to him for guidance last year that he wasn't getting from his own head of house Filius had been totally stunned and had vowed literally to always help Harry as much as he could.
How could Minerva have taken her eyes so off the ball? Albus also seemed stunned entirely that Neville had been targeted and saw nothing wrong with Harry having been targeted and this much he'd made clear before. "Now, now Filius none of us are perfect and it's not right to go blaming Minerva like that. I myself have often asked too much of her for which I am very sorry. If she has been absent it is my fault. Mr Potter had no right to go to another head of house complicating matters and making them worse. It's not like you don't have enough to deal with without needing his drama on top of it!" Dumbledore snapped as Draco's head snapped to him at that. He was being entirely unreasonable and he hated that. He shed some tears himself. Why was it that Harry was always put on the damn back burner? Why was he not cared about at all? Why was it considered an insignificance that he needed help? The fire burst into flames as Mad Eye stepped out of them. He dusted himself off and smiled.
"Sorry Albus the time difference between here and France is one hour after all. I didn't see Harry anywhere there. Do you know if the Potters had any French Properties?" he asked as Albus regarded him seriously.
"Welcome Alastair. No they definitely did not have any French Properties. I am more concerned with who his secret keeper is. I mean we are all here and who would he trust more than any of us? Oh my goodness I know who it is now and it is someone I would never have thought of. Oh isn't he clever. I believe Mr Longbottom would know where he is. Alastair I want you to question him on it at once go now and then return please!" he said as the disgruntled Auror nodded once and re-entered the floo leaving again. He returned in ten minutes.
"I assure you Albus that Augusta complied with my actions and truth serum was used. He knows nothing of where the boy is and I do believe him to be telling us all the truth. Unfortunately for him he's a bit clumsy and wasn't watching where he was going so he bumped into me and I accidentally stepped on his wand snapping it. I will be buying him a new one. I had to use a mild compulsion on Augusta though because she was becoming irrationally angry about it and almost slapped him. She will give Neville a cleansing potion as he goes to bed tonight and I will buy him that new wand tomorrow. It wouldn't do to see her lash out at the poor boy. Merlin knows he's suffered enough!" he said sitting down and pouring himself a cup of tea.
Augusta thanks to his compulsions actually felt bad about what she was going to do to Neville and asked him to take the cleansing broth which exploded inside him and various compulsions and blocks in him were broken. It was a tearful and ashamed Augusta who had gone to bed early feeling horrible for the first time in her life. I mean his core had been blocked by great uncle Algie who was now dead. She had always been so bitterly disappointed that Neville wasn't good enough and this explained why. Boy would he be different tomorrow. She wouldn't even recognise his level of confidence. Thankfully though, Neville was a forgiving man so all would be well. He loved his grandmother and didn't hold her responsible for something uncle Algie had cast on him. It wouldn't be fair to do that. The meeting continued with various things being hashed out before it was disbanded. As everyone left though Molly and Arthur hung back and brought Ginny in while locking and silencing the door. This would be interesting indeed.