Happy Christmas.
I wanted everyone to have a good Christmas present for Christmas day.
Anyway enjoy, and please let me know what you think.
The Treasure Hunter.
"Harry, what were you thinking!?" Hermione demanded as she and Ron followed Harry through the castle following what had happened in the Great Hall with Malfoy and those memories he had of the blond Slytherin's antagonistic history. Personally, Harry didn't really know nor did he really care about the notion he had just made the school look bad, but if they had bothered to think about what was happening in the school, rather than play Dumbledore's infantile games, it wouldn't have happened.
Harry sighed. The main trouble with Hermione was just how short-sighted she actually was. "You'll have to be more specific."
"You know what I mean. Harry!" Hermione lashed out, grabbing onto Harry and swinging him around.
Harry, despite his shock at being manhandled like this, glared at her. "You mean showing those memories?"
"Yes!"
"The memories of Malfoy?"
"Yes!" Hermione looked like she was about to tear her hair out while Ron just stood there, cluelessly. Nothing new there, then.
"You mean the memories of Malfoy being a bigot? The memories of Malfoy attacking muggle-borns; you remember muggle-borns, the minority in the magical world you yourself belong to, but more importantly the same minority my mother belonged to? The muggle-borns who are attacked every single day in the same school where professors like McGonagall lie to them, saying how welcoming this school is when it isn't? The memories showing how Malfoy openly spews out his hatred towards the muggles and muggle-borns, shooting out that disgusting name like it's going out of fashion. Why are you so bothered, Hermione, or do you simply just care about house-elves? While I can understand that, surely you can fit in a dedication to better the rights of muggle-borns everywhere?" Harry had his arms folded by now while he glowered into the face of Hermione Granger, who was openly staring at him in shock over what he had just said.
Harry didn't feel bad about what he had just thrown into her face any more than he regretted what he had just done in the Great Hall. He was just so tired of having to fight the same childish battles with the blond fool, who believed wrongly he was his greatest enemy, he had needed to do something drastic to make Malfoy just back off; he had problems of his own and he truly did not want some petty, pathetic, little bigot wannabe behind him. Harry knew Malfoy was going to do something to get him back for what he'd done.
The humiliation of Hogwarts was just the icing on the cake. Harry had stopped caring about the so-called honour of the castle a long time ago. He was tired of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape from just bullying students and dismissing it at the same time. He was tired of not going through a single year in Hogwarts and having to put up with those so-called 'adventures' where he was risking his life for some reason. For this year he was being forced into a dangerous tournament and if Dumbledore and McGonagall, and all the students believed he was just going to stand back and let everyone hurt him physically and mentally.
While Harry didn't particularly like what he had done himself since it had shown his hand towards Dumbledore in three ways; first, Dumbledore had just seen he had knowledge of a particularly powerful and complex spell. Second, he was not going to forgive and forget. Third, Dumbledore now knew his weapon had a brain of his own, and it was more than he'd expected.
"You can't just show those memories of Malfoy, Harry! You'll get into trouble with the teachers!" Hermione went on.
"She's right, mate!" Ron put in; Harry noted Weasley had been looking confused for a few moments. He had been looking between Hermione and Harry for the last few moments, unsure of what to think or what to say.
"Oh, why?" Harry folded his arms and quirked a brow.
"What?" Ron blinked back.
"Why is Hermione right?" Harry clarified for the brainless oaf. "Why shouldn't I have shown those memories?"
"Because….," Ron stumbled, but Harry interrupted before either members of the so-called 'Golden Trio' interrupted and spoke over him.
"I showed those memories because I was sick and tired of dealing with Malfoy's stupidity. For the last three years, that bastard has bullied everyone around him and felt good about it because he was the one doing it. I showed those memories because I was sick of how no-one did anything to stop him," Harry said, eyeing the two with barely hidden contempt, not even commenting about the fact Hermione didn't seem to care about house-elves and muggle-borns. "I came to this school to become a wizard, to learn how to use magic…. Not to take the crap from some little bigoted parrot who lacks any kind of common sense, and I was tired of how Dumbledore and Snape have made a mockery of this school."
Hermione and Ron both looked at him in open-mouthed shock.
"What, you mean you're unaware of how Snape has deliberately and childishly taken away the dreams of dozens of students? Ever since he took over as the Potions Master, Snape has methodically ensured there are few healers, aurors, and a host of other occupations which need potions. Some might not think it a big deal, but sooner or later, Dumbledore is going to need to face the music; I've heard stories that some do not like the shortage, and the more they cry out, the more this school is going to be observed," Harry said, not even needing to exaggerate the truth, although he did make it clear to Ron and Hermione those people crying out for new healers, aurors, and all the other occupations needing new blood were imminent.
The truth was worse.
Those voices were already calling for a demand for new aurors and healers. Every day, people from the magical hospitals of Britain and from departments in the Ministry, like the DMLE were screaming at Dumbledore to address the problem, but the senile old fool wouldn't do it.
By telling the two spies this little detail, he knew they would run to Dumbledore and he'd realise the Boy-Who-Lived knew more than he would like, but Dumbledore would be reassured that Harry didn't have any further knowledge, but his suspicions would be raised.
The only reason Harry had told them about the disaster caused by Snape and his appalling teaching methods was to make it look like his reasons for humiliating the castle were basic; the last thing he wanted to do was to go for the more complex reasons, the reasons relating to magical education. They would not only run off to tell Dumbledore, but it would cause problems for him down the line since he didn't want the old wizard to realise he knew too much.
Ron and Hermione just gaped.
"What do you mean, taking away the dreams of dozens of students?" It was a good indicator of just how shocked she was that Hermione would focus on that part and not automatically defend Snape even if he was scum.
"He has. Do you know how many kids likely come to this school, hoping to become Aurors, Healers? They need potions for that, and thanks to Snape's arrogance and petty nastiness, many of them have given up."
"No," Harry rolled his eyes when he saw now the shock was gone, Granger was all 'no, he'd never do that; he's a teacher. A professor… an authority figure.'
He hadn't expected anything less.
"He'd never do that; Professor Dumbledore wouldn't-," Hermione went on with her protest.
"Wouldn't lift a finger to help. Face facts, Hermione; Dumbledore does not care about the students of the school. He might protect the castle from the scum who'd either like to torture or hurt us, but beyond that, he doesn't care about us. Think about it; why did Dumbledore keep the Philosopher's Stone in the castle? Why didn't he do more to stop the basilisk in second year? For that matter why didn't he evacuate the castle when it was clear he was out of his depth, and don't you do say he wasn't," he added harshly when he saw her open her mouth angrily, a preprogrammed argument already on the tip of his tongue designed to defend Dumbledore, "he was. He never helped anyone. Think about it; he has dozens of contacts, yet he never used them to scour the school for the basilisk, nor did he help anyone who was petrified. How long was Colin Creevy petrified? How about Justin? Months. They missed out on almost a whole year when a responsible headmaster would have closed the school down and ensured they received mandrakes for the potion needed to bring them around. You can't deny that!" Harry shouted in her face, suddenly very angry.
Hermione and Ron both recoiled. But Harry didn't calm down. Remembering second year was not a pleasant experience for him at the best of times, but as he thought about it, he was more offended especially since his mother was a muggle-born, and if she had been petrified not only would pureblood supremacists like Malfoy and his ponce of a father be crowing about it, Dumbledore and the rest of the staff would not lift a finger to help them break the petrification.
Harry sighed, becoming bored with this entire boring argument. It wasn't getting them anywhere. In any case, why did they think scolding him right now would help. It was insane.
With a sigh he walked away from them both, hoping to get some peace and quiet instead of having the two spies poking and prodding their way into his life expecting him to tell them everything about himself.
XXX
"That brat has gone too far!" Snape bellowed as soon as Maxime and Karkaroff were both out of the office, although it was likely both heads were still in earshot and listening to every word being bellowed.
Dumbledore groaned as he held his head. He had had a splitting headache thanks to the argument with the two heads from the foreign schools, and what made it worse was how not only were Sprout and Flitwick not helping, but he knew it would just get worse. Crouch Senior and Fudge were likely to get involved, and that was trouble beyond his limits.
And now he had Snape bellowing.
He might agree with the message Snape was giving out, of course, but couldn't he just speak at a lower volume? If this went on, Snape would learn why Voldemort had feared him. It would show the arrogant Head of Slytherin house not only who was in charge, but it would be a long-overdue message to Severus to keep the Slytherins who had Death Eater parents in line for a time.
Maxime and Karkaroff were both unimpressed with the way Draco Malfoy was allowed to bully the students of the castle, even laughing at the fact one of the victims he liked to needle had lost his own parents, believing it to be the biggest joke he'd ever heard in his miserable, spoilt little life. They were going to put pressure to ensure Malfoy was used as an example, that such bullying was not tolerated although Dumbledore knew they didn't care about that matter. They cared more about how Malfoy was allowed to spread his bigotry freely without any kind of limitation. Dumbledore was personally at a loss about what to do about that, but he would need time to come up with something so this didn't happen again.
"What did you expect, Severus?" Sprout asked, folding her arms and glaring at the angry Potions Master with barely hidden contempt while her expression showed just how tired and irritated she was. For Dumbledore, it was like looking at a mirror to his own thoughts and emotions. "He was never going to go along with that stupid demand to forgive or forget what young Mr Malfoy said, and he was prepared for it."
"Yes! You should have listened to me, Albus!" Snape instantly latched onto what Sprout was saying like it was a lifeline or an epiphany to all of life's problems. "I tried to tell you the boy was going along too easily with what you wanted him to do, but you wouldn't-."
"Enough Severus!" Dumbledore didn't shout, but the tone he used was enough to make it seem like he had bellowed loud enough to crack Hogwarts in half. "Yes, I am aware of how much of a mistake it was to believe Harry would do as I wished…."
"A mistake!?" Snape shrieked, making Dumbledore close his eyes and use all of his occlumency training to clamp down on the desire to take out his wand, and give Snape a magical beating he would never forget and would make everything he had endured in the past seem pale in comparison. "The boy humiliated us-!"
"Humiliated you, don't you mean? Humiliated young Malfoy? Showed everyone the kind of individual that little parasite is?" Flitwick interrupted, glaring at Snape angrily.
"You dare….?!" Snape snarled at the half-goblin.
Flitwick's eyes flared with anger at the perceived threat. He whipped out his wand and sent Snape into a wall, smashing into it. Some of Dumbledore's possessions were likewise sent to the ground. Dumbledore leapt to his feet, wand out.
"Filius, Severus, enough!" He roared, looking pained at having to make such noise, but his expression was resolute. "Severus, I will speak with you later; I will no longer be tolerant of your attitude, regardless of whether or not it's justified. Filius, please do not curse anyone else in my presence."
Flitwick's expression told everyone he would not follow that credo unless he had no choice.
"Now," Dumbledore sighed, closing his eyes, "we need to find a way to deal with this problem completely. Suggestions?"
"We can't heap the blame on Mr Malfoy," Pomona Sprout said practically. "That would be exactly what Fudge does every time a problem he can't deal with crops up, and he blames on others. No, we need to find a different way, but if we didn't allow this to happen in the first place, it wouldn't take place. But that's what happens when you come up with a policy which calls for blanket forgiveness and turning a blind eye towards bullying."
Dumbledore sighed again.
"No, I mean it, Albus," Sprout went on, "I know I have no right to say this, given what's happened, but we need to change. If we don't, it would not just cause problems for the school like there is now, with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang being aware of how a boy from a rich family like the Malfoys is speaking about them. But if we just shrug our shoulders, this will only get worse."
"Yes, but can this problem actually be solved, Pomona?" Flitwick asked quietly, staring at his longtime friend and colleague with solemn sadness. "Let's face it, Maxime and Karkaroff will be bleeding this for all its worth, and they will ensure the diplomats and ambassadors know precisely what Draco Malfoy said. They will also know Hogwarts itself allowed it to happen and how none of us really had a plan in solving it. I have no doubt when they consider what happened in the Hall, they will realise I only punished Mr Malfoy for his remarks towards Mr Potter, not to the slights towards them. How many times did I stop students here from calling muggle-borns by that foul name, only for you to tell me to stop and let live and let live, Albus?"
Dumbledore remembered the incidents well. Voldemort's rise to power had sent waves throughout all of society, but Dumbledore's hope would have been to show the pureblood's in Hogwarts the error of their ways. And he said as much to Flitwick at that moment.
"Show them the error of their ways? Albus, I once overheard Bellatrix Black laughing about the soft punishments you gave her, and let's face it, nothing you said or did, changed their ways did it?" Flitwick said.
"We can worry about this later, the question right now is what are we going to do? Maxime and Karkaroff will not be satisfied without some kind of change," McGonagall pointed out, her voice low. She had taken everything Harry Potter had revealed badly, especially since it was a step or two above the revelation he had been nearly burnt to death in a fire at the hands of his muggle relatives.
"Punishing Malfoy is but one step; we need to take it further. We need to make a zero-tolerance policy towards slander towards our foreign guests," Sprout said.
"Pomona-."
"No," Sprout interrupted with a snap, glaring at Dumbledore. She was tired of this. She was tired of how this old wizard just….didn't seem to be with it. "Don't you realise, if you do nothing, the Ministry will put pressure on us through the Board of Governors? Fudge doesn't really care about witches and wizards from beyond Britain's shores, but he will jump through their hoops because he cares more for publicity, and for looking good than anything else. He won't care about what one young wizard said, but he will pretend he does and he will make plenty of noise to appease them. You know it, so why won't you act?"
XXX
At dinner, everyone was tense.
It had only been a few hours since Harry Potter had publicly humiliated Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore, and Hogwarts in one go. Many were uncertain, exactly, of what to do or what to think about the strange turn of events. Many in the castle were angry about the way Potter had embarrassed Hogwarts; some like Zacharias Smith, who was naturally aggressive and didn't care about shoving his face into the personal space of those who got in his way, wanted nothing more than to go to Potter and make him pay. But they were stopped by their more forward-thinking schoolmates. If Potter could do that to Malfoy and Dumbledore, all in one go, humiliating them and the school, then what would he do to them?
Harry was currently sitting at the Gryffindor table, out of the corner of his eye he could see the look of disappointment and weariness on Dumbledore's face, noting the stress on the faces of Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and McGonagall's faces as well, but unlike Dumbledore, there was a resolve there. Clearly, whatever had taken place in Dumbledore's office earlier, they had pushed it through, but it had been a stressful time for them as well.
Snape, on the other hand…
Snape was just being Snape.
The greasy, arrogant Potions Master was glaring at him with even more hatred if it were possible, along with the very real mental promise of causing pain so he, Harry, would come to regret his actions in embarrassing the school, but namely him and Malfoy. Well, if the arrogant wizard thought his victim to be was scared, he could think again. Harry had no intention of letting the Potions Master attack him ever again. It seemed a little demonstration was in order, and the Potions Master would hopefully by the end of it realise who was in charge. If not…well, the magical world would need another Potions Master, but Harry had the perfect ammo for the job, and it would spoil meals for the teachers as well.
He wondered if Dumbledore would summon him up to his office, but he hoped it never happened.
If Dumbledore couldn't see the damage to his plans had already been done, that his little weapon was neither week, gullible, or malleable… well, that was his problem.
Dinner was actually quite fun in a way. Aside from being glared at with hatred by Snape, as well as anger and hatred by Malfoy, disappointment by Dumbledore, Harry actually enjoyed the way the students were also sending him looks of fear. They were frightened of antagonising him the same way Malfoy did on a daily basis, and even some of the foreign students were looking at him in concern. None of them wanted to be humiliated in the same way, but Harry saw no reason for that to happen.
If they left him alone, it would never happen to them and if they confronted him, another public display would be in order. Only then he would tell them all he would not cause problems for them unless they provoked him. Malfoy had always provoked him, and now he was going to fight back. By showing everyone what he had done, Harry hoped to send a clear, concise message.
He was going to fight to protect himself.
Ron and Hermione were sitting near him, as always, uncertain of what they should say or do; Harry knew it would not last. He knew they had both been summoned to the Headmaster's office, and it was likely Dumbledore had told them both to keep a close watch on him. Harry would worry about that later, in the meantime he looked around the hall while he openly used his wand, speaking clearly in Latin as he ran spells over the food and drink in front of him; only those who had a clear idea of what he was doing told their neighbours he was scanning his food and drink for potions or spells.
Hermione was one of them. "Harry, what are you doing, scanning your food for potions and spells? Surely you don't think the teachers would put spells on you?"
Harry had to hide the smirk. It was rare, really rare, for Hermione and her strident voice to be a benefit. In his peripheral vision, he could see Dumbledore looking like he was wishing he was anywhere but there, and he guessed the old wizard was going to scold Hermione for this. Well, not his problem if she couldn't keep her mouth shut. She should have been more careful with the volume of her voice.
Even better, many of the students - Hogwarts and foreign - looked horrified by the implications of their own food and drink being tainted. Hogwarts' reputation was taking a battering, and he had shown how bad Hogwarts had gotten thanks to Dumbledore's tenure as Headmaster. Many of the foreign students had lost whatever respect they had for the old wizard, now it looked like they were losing more.
Even better, it looked like they were thinking.
Now all I need to do is stir the pot, Harry thought maliciously. "When a wizard sentences you to an abusive home, only to be burnt alive with only your innate magic to protect you, and has no problem humiliating you in public with a bad and desperate little daddy's boy who needs to get a life or get laid, you expect anything. In any case, this is a precaution, especially since Snape looks like he wants to murder me."
At the mention of the Potion Master's name, everyone jerked in their seats. Snape himself was forced to flee the hall at that moment when he saw how everyone was looking at him in fear, while the professors glared at him in warning. But before Dumbledore himself could intervene, say anything to placate or reassure the crowd, Snape had already left the hall.
"You shouldn't have said that, Harry," Fred breathed at him in awe while Hermione looked pale with horror as the full realisation of what she had just said settled into her mind. She recognised now if she hadn't openly said that, Professor Snape would not have left like his life was at risk. And it likely was. Dumbledore could control the wards and what information passed in or out of the school, but there were limits, and besides those limitations did not apply to the French or Eastern European wizards. "Now Snape's gonna be pissed!"
"Man, our Harry's got balls of steel!" George smirked.
The use of 'our Harry' by a Weasley made Harry lose whatever appetite he had left.
