Disclaimer: I own nothing and I don't see why we need one of these when the site it's on is called But, alas, it is not my opinion that counts after all; just the people with the big money that can sue the poor people like me.
The Curse of Albus Dumbledore
By Patilaputra Jeanne
Chapter Two
Harry looked around and realized that most of the Hogwarts faculty were here, the only one that looked to be missing was (possibly Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts) Professor Snape. Harry was soon being seated between Dumbledore and Remus and across from someone he had not noticed on his way in, someone who looked strangely familiar. Harry didn't dwell on this though, as his stomach was demanding food of him.
"How is your summer going Harry?" Dumbledore asked politely. Harry noticed that some of the other people sitting there were listening as well. "Apart from the Death Eater attacks that is."
Harry chewed his food thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "Alright I guess, other than being stuck at the Dursley's with nothing to do but my Homework. I finished it all in the first couple weeks of vacation, so I've been reading through all the books I've been sent in the past couple weeks."
"Who's sending you books?" Professor McGonnagal asked curiously. They all knew that Harry was never the studious type when it came to school.
"Hermione, the Weasleys, and Remus even sent some to me while he was going through old school things of him and Sirius." Harry said. McGonnagal quirked an eyebrow, getting a little suspicious of her student, especially when he mentioned the name of his recently deceased godfather so void of expression. "I've been trying to keep myself occupied with reading up on different Defense Against the Dark Arts tactics, spells, ideas, whatever I can get my hands on," the Gryffindor explained, mostly to his head of house.
"Well, Mr. Potter," the Deputy Headmistress said. "If you keep that up, your dream of becoming an Auror may soon become a reality." Harry smiled at the compliment, a little embarrassed of her announcing it to everyone.
He went back to eating his dinner, although he didn't get far until he felt someone staring at him. He looked up to see it was the stranger sitting across from him.
"What did you say your name was?" the stranger asked, looking at Harry in an odd way, as though trying to remember who he was.
"I didn't," Harry said rudely. "I'm Harry Potter though, if you missed the scar." Harry went back to eating, wanting to actually get a good amount of the food that was set out on the table into his stomach before he had to back to eating sparingly at the Dursley's. The stranger clearly had other ideas.
"I thought you looked familiar," the stranger said. "You're Uncle James's son aren't you?" The man had an odd look on his face. "The last time I saw you, you were only a year old. Before they were betrayed, that is. At least they caught Sirius Black again though, even if he is dead."
Before the man could even look up, there was a wand pointed at his head, right between his eyes, making him go cross-eyed. Harry was holding the wand, not taking his eye's off the man in front of him. Remus was standing next to Harry, equally, if not more, furious. The only difference between the two was that Remus had a little bit more control over his actions and kept his wand at his side.
"Don't ever speak of things you know nothing about," Harry said in deadly voice, just above a whisper. "He was betrayed just as much as they were, only he paid for it with 12 years in Azkaban before his death."
"Don't tell me I know nothing about it when I watched my mother, my grandparents and my aunt and uncle be murdered in front of me." He was able to spit out, although Harry was now pressing the tip of his wand to his head, forcing him to lean back farther.
"Oh, but you do know nothing about," Remus spat at him. "Peter Pettigrew was the one who betrayed your aunt, uncle and cousin here. Sirius Black was the one who tried to catch the traitor, but, for the first time in his life, Peter was quicker than Sirius."
"Sirius had him cornered," Harry said, picking up where Remus left off. "Pettigrew cut off his finger, blew up the entire street killing the 13 Muggles that Sirius was accused of, and scuttled down the storm drain in his animagus form of a rat."
"Sirius was sent to Azkaban without a trial," Professor Dumbledore added. "And there he remained until he escaped, to rescue Harry from Pettigrew who had managed to sneak into Hogwarts as a student's pet."
"Pettigrew escaped though, returning to his master," Harry said, continuing. "He was the only loyal servant Voldemort had at that point, and the main reason that he returned last year. Sirius, my godfather I might add, died last June because he was trying to distract Bellatrix Lestrang from me. I watched him fall through that veil, trying to save me."
The hall was silent as Harry stopped talking and no one continued. Harry knew that no one else there had heard or seen him fall through the veil besides Remus, and it was him who continued after the long silence.
"I had to hold Harry back since he was trying to go and pull him out," Remus whispered. "You have no idea how hard that was, watching your only boyhood friend left vanish from the earth and then having to hold back his godson from going after him when you want to yourself. You really do have no idea, even if you've witnessed so many deaths of loved ones before."
The man Harry had his wand pointed at was nothing far from aghast. Remus force Harry back into his seat and Harry did so, putting his wand away, but his eyes never leaving his cousin's face. The whole table gradually went back to feasting on their supper, though the conversations were sparse. Harry didn't say another word after the spat with his cousin.
"Harry, Remus, I think it would be better if you both stayed here tonight, if you have nothing urgent to attend to," Professor Dumbledore said. "I'm sure you don't want to go back to your relative's house tonight, Harry. You might want to give them some time to come to terms with the attack on their household. "
"Do I still have to go back there?" Harry asked in a complaining voice. Now that Dumbledore knew that Voldemort could attack Privet Drive, surely he wouldn't send him back there.
"That will be part of our discussion that we will be having after breakfast tomorrow," the Headmaster said simply. "Now, you two may want to sleep in the faculty wing, but if you wish to sleep in Gryffindor Tower, I will not say anything against it. I think that is everything, and so I say to you all to have a pleasant night's sleep." The Headmaster got up and started to leave the hall but he had forgotten one last thing. "Remember what I said William." And with that, he departed.
"What is that supposed to mean?" William asked. "Remember what?" He looked up and down the table trying to figure out what on earth the old man meant and getting only heads shaken at him and shrugs. Harry offered some helpful advice though.
"That is just the curse of Dumbledore," Harry said. "It's rather odd not being at the end of it to tell you the truth." Harry was being somewhat unhelpful, but the curiosity of a Potter usually out weights the repercussions as it did then.
"The curse of Dumbledore?" William asked uncertainly. "You must be in all kinds of trouble to know that much about the Headmaster." Which was somewhat true, as William was quite the rebel himself.
"I'm in his office all the time," Harry said truthfully, earning himself an odd look from Remus. "I don't try to get in trouble though, unlike Fred and George or the Marauders. Trouble usually finds me."
"I didn't go looking for trouble!" Remus and William said together, getting a couple raised eyebrows and a couple coughs from the professors. "Well I didn't!" they said together again.
"When you're a prankster, you make trouble, you don't get into trouble." William explained to his cousin.
"Exactly," Remus said. "And then you cover it up so well that they can't blame you for it so that you don't get in trouble."
"And then when they know you're the prankster," Harry said wisely. "You get blamed for the prank whether you did it or not." They both opened their mouths to retaliate but nothing came out.
"Well said Mr. Potter!" exclaimed Professor Flitwick.
"I rest my case," Harry said, folding his arms across his chest. The other two just glared at him.
"That still doesn't explain why you know so much about Dumbledore to call his cryptic answers a curse," William said.
"You all may talk of that tomorrow at breakfast," Professor McGonnagal said. "You all need your sleep, since the new day promises to be one of excitement."
With the Deputy Headmistress dismissing them, Harry and Remus decided to take up quarters in the faculty wing, along with William who also happened to be staying the night. The faculty wing was much like Gryffindor Tower with a common room and hallways instead of stairs moving off into the directions of female and male dorms. The only difference was that they each got a good-sized room to themselves.
Harry felt the day wearing down on him as he climbed into bed fully dressed, only pausing to take off his dirty shoes. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow, not even registering that his wand was poking into his thigh from where it lay in his pocket and his glasses were still on his nose.
I know that my punctuation is terrible, but live with it. Again I would like to point out that this story is just for fun, and is not in anyway serious or meaningful (at least not to me.) Please let me know if anything is spelled wrong, particularly the Professors' names that I am too lazy to look up.
