DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, he belongs to J.K Rowling and if you are reading this and think any different then St. Mungo's should be your next port of call.

Chapter 16: Wallowing in Incompetence

1st September 1991

"You" Fudge said noticing Harry for the first time then when he realised Harry had his wand out and pointing at him Fudge cried "Aurors he's in here"

"Hello Minister." Harry spat the name like a curse and the Minister visibly shuddered.

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As the Minister shuddered and took a step back towards the door he had just entered from two Ministry Aurors entered looking very businesslike. They glanced at Minister Fudge who was trying to manoeuvre himself between them. They looked at Dumbledore who was just watching the seen calmly though the Aurors didn't miss that his eyes were very alert. They finally looked at what must be little Harry Potter standing on his feet wand in hand before one of them spoke.

"Yes Minister." One of the Aurors spoke in what sounded like the way someone would speak to royalty whilst the other rolled his eyes ever so slightly at his colleagues tone of voice.

"Dawlish" Fudge greeted the Auror who spoke. Dawlish was a well-built man who looked very sturdy though slightly slow on his feet if the need ever came for running. His hand was gripping his wand tightly like Harry might try to assassinate the Minister any second." Shacklebolt" Fudge met the eyes of the other Auror but everyone present could tell that Shacklebolt held very little respect for the Minister apart from the man himself. Shacklebolt was an athletic man who looked very trim and muscular. He had dark skin and had a gold earring in his left ear making him look quite mean.

"Cornelius I really must ask that this can wait to another day. Harry has had a long day and will not be going anywhere anytime soon so perhaps we could have this meeting at a later time." Dumbledore spoke to the Minister who looked like he was choking on something.

"You are letting him stay here Dumbledore, for god sake he will just spy on you and report back to Black. The boy is evil. I can sense it. Now all we want is to ask Harry a few questions now and there will be no need for us to take him back to the Ministry." Fudge told Dumbledore who looked defeated.

"While I seriously doubt you can sense anything magical Cornelius, I suppose I will have to allow you to ask your questions but Harry has the right not to answer them." Dumbledore told the Minister with an edge of finality in his voice.

While the Minister was talking to Dumbledore Harry was just standing there wand ready not liking the Minister one bit and he had no intention of giving the Minister or them two Aurors any answers and he was prepared to fight for that right. Then the Minister turned and spoke to Harry.

"Boy, sit down and give that wand here, not that you know how to use it properly anyway." Fudge told Harry in a condescending tone whom bristled at the insult and kept his wand firmly in his grasp though. He sat down making himself comfortable as he had a feeling that it was going to be a long time before he left the office.

"Potter, the Minster said put your wand on the table. So obey him before I have to take it by force." Auror Dawlish said the grip on his wand-tightening ready to disarm an eleven-year-old boy who was disobeying the Minister, his Minister

"May I remind you two gentleman that Mr. Potter is eleven and is not a Death Eater." Dumbledore said placidly yet the message got across to the Minister and the scowling Auror while Auror Shacklebolt slightly tipped his head at Dumbledore in an apologetic fashion.

"Dumbledore, this boy is disobeying my instructions. Put the wand down NOW." Fudge bellowed at Harry who did no such thing as he was watching Auror Dawlish. Sure enough it came, very predictable.

"Expelliarmus" Dawlish shouted and it hit Harry right in his chest on sending his wand into the hands of the Auror who looked delighted. Harry had expected this and with quick thought his Dads wand was in his hands and he fought back.

"Stupefy, Ceruchus, Accio" In quick succession the three curses hit their mark and while Dawlish was stunned and bound being caught totally unaware, Harry's wand returned itself to him and with two brief thoughts, both wands went back to their respective holders.

Fudge looked like he was about to have a heart attack and the wand that he had held in his hand had dropped to the floor due to his hand shaking so much. Auror Shacklebolt had his wand out but the look he gave Dumbledore suggested he didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary. Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment and then clapped his hands. Suddenly all the wands in the room apart from his because the wands were in his Auror holsters went straight into Dumbledores hands.

"Auror holsters Harry?" Dumbledore rhetorically asked Harry who just realised that when clapping his hands Dumbledore had just done some sort of mass disarming charm. "Cornelius I think that to just ask Harry a few questions, Aurors won't be required. Why don't you have them wait downstairs? I'm sure the house elves can get them some food if they're hungry." Dumbledore suggested though in a way in that there was no arguing with him.

"I think that would be appropriate." Auror Shacklebolt said as Dumbledore banished his wand back to him with just a flick of his finger. He grabbed the still bound Dawlish and made for the door.

"Thank you Kingsley." Dumbledore called after the departing Auror. "Anyone care for tea or a lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked to start the questioning off again.

"Stop delaying Dumbledore and before we start can you please ask Mr. Potter to give you his wands." Fudge asked with fake politeness.

"Harry can I just please have your wands. I assure you that you will get both of them back as soon as Cornelius leaves. I promise you will come to no harm." Dumbledore asked Harry expecting him to give his wands to him without question.

"No thank you Professor, I prefer to keep them on me and Minister I promise that unless provoked these wands will not leave the holsters and if they did Professor Dumbledore is capable of having them in his possession before I even think about using them, isn't that right?" Harry spoke to Dumbledore who just nodded.

"Right now we have sorted that out, where are Sirius Black and Remus Lupin hiding out." Fudge started with the most predictable and the most laughable question to Harry.

"Earth" Harry's reply was in a flat tone.

"Give me some respect boy or we can take this to the Ministry". Fudge shouted not impressed at all with the way things were going. He took Harry's silence as an apology and moved on.

"Did Sirius Black and Remus Lupin ever hurt you?" Fudge asked fake concern plastered on his face asking the question that most of the public wanted to know the answer to.

"No" Harry said in a tone that boded no argument.

"You must know Harry that they have caused a lot of pain, just tell me where they are and everything will be alright." Fudge asked in his impression of a caring voice that couldn't have been further from it.

"Europe" Harry gave his response in a monotone voice trying to hold down the urge to curse the minister.

"NOW LOOK HERE BOY WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THEM MUDERING SCUM FOR YEARS AND IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHERE THEY'RE THEN YOU'RE COMING TO THE MINISTRY FOR QUESTIONING, BY FORCE IF NECESSARY". Fudge had jumped out of his seat and was screaming at Harry who was just looking at the Minister face devoid of emotion.

"I'd like to see you try." Harry responded in a challenging tone to the Minister as he rose to his feet.

"SIT DOWN" Dumbledore shouted at the pair of them patience finally running thin. His aura had flashed for a couple of seconds and Harry marvelled at the brightness of it and the power it held. "Look this is getting no where, Cornelius ask Mr. Potter one more question and then please leave, Mr. Potter won't be telling you anything he don't want to." Dumbledore scolded the Minister.

"You don't have no jurisdiction over me Dumbledore." Fudge told the Headmaster a scowl on his features.

"As the Head of Hogwarts I do, like I do with all the others." Dumbledore gently reminded Fudge who finally looked defeated.

"The boy has to understand Dumbledore, they are evil, they betrayed his parents and when Voldemort died they took his place. They've killed numerous witches and wizards over the years. THEY NEED TO BE STOPPED SO STOP MESSING AROUND YOU EVIL LITTLE BRAT." Fudge's anger had came back in full force as he shouted at Harry who was slowly losing the battle with his emotions and for the first time since the Minister arrived anger was displayed on his face.

"Listen here Minister, I will tell you this once and then you will leave before I curse you back to your office. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are innocent, they didn't betray my parents, are not Death Eaters, they aren't even Dark Wizards. It was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed them, he was the secret keeper, my parents changed at the last minute. All of them other attacks were from other Death Eaters. They even caught us once. I saw some of them. I can even name them you bumbling oaf. Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange are the only two that were left standing but there was loads, how incompetent are you." Harry spat at the Minister who was too far in his rage to have noticed the edge to Harry's voice.

"Preposterous! What lies have they fed you boy? Pettigrew has been missing for years, it is widely believed that Black and Lupin went back to finish off the last of their school chums. Lucius Malfoy is one of the most respected men of the Wizarding World and regularly makes large donations to several wizarding facilities. You don't know what you are talking about boy." Fudge was about to start shouting again when Dumbledore spoke up.

"I think that it's time to call it a night Cornelius." Dumbledore told the Minister in a tone full of conviction that many brave people had dared not argue with.

"Don't think I won't get the information Dumbledore, your days are numbered Potter and pass the message on to your two buddies that a few Dementors are ready to say hello to them and have a kiss in store!" With that Fudge stormed out of the office slamming the door rousing a few of the paintings that cursed the Minister.

With that Harry got up to leave not interested in anything else that Dumbledore had to say to him.

"Harry, wait, one thing I have to know, was what you told the Minister true?" Dumbledore inquired while Harry felt a funny feeling in the back of his head that felt unfamiliar almost like probing.

"Yes, every word." Harry told Dumbledore harshly the weariness of the day catching up with him and this was something that Dumbledore immeadiatly picked up on.

"Gryffindor Tower is on the seventh floor, password is "Godric". It's the portrait of the Fat Lady. Good night Harry." Dumbledore said in a kind way that sent shivers up Harry's spine due to the emotion in the voice. Harry was just not yet prepared to accept Dumbledore.

"Night." This was the only reply Harry gave as he walked out of Dumbledore's office back down the moving staircases and out passed the stone gargoyle that shut with a faint click as soon as he stepped back into the hallways.

Harry had no trouble finding his way to Gryffindor Tower as he had looked up the route to Gryffindor Tower in Hogwarts: a History while Sirius and Remus told him of passages that could get him up there very fast. Harry decided against attempting to navigate the passageways and slowly made his way up the staircases thinking about how badly his meeting with the Minister went.

"I am going to have to try much harder than I thought I would to convince the Minister of the innocence of Sirius and Remus." Harry thought to himself as he wearily stepped on to the seventh floor. "I might just add another thing to my list: get that bumbling oaf Fudge fired. I have never met a man so incompetent." Harry's head was pounding by now with all the thoughts in his head as he walked up to the portrait.

"Godric" Harry told the Fat Lady who was looking the new arrival up and down in an even voice.

"Bit late aren't you dear, you should be in bed." The Fat Lady told him as he stepped through the portrait into the Gryffindor common room intent on getting some much-needed sleep.

As Harry stepped into the common room, the ten or so people that were still up all went silent. They all looked at each other waiting for someone to make the first move and find out what he was doing in their common room. Harry though was too tired to care less.

"Anyone know where the first year dormitories are?" Harry asked bluntly not wanting any confrontation, just sleep.

Then one boy stood up, badge gleaming on his chest as he surveyed Harry. He was soon joined by two of the people he was sitting with and Harry was thinking, "here we go again".

"What do you mean Potter and how did you get in here?" The boy with the badge asked and Harry could see now that this was the Head Boy. Harry was sure he heard one of the other boys muttering about Dark Magic.

"Well I got in through the portrait and I'm sure my question was quite clear. As Head Boy I would have expected you to grasp that quite quick. I will ask again though, where are the First Year Dorms." Harry ended in a clipped tone that was voicing his frustration of all the events that had happened today.

"You could do with some manners Potter, you evil worshipping brat. You are not staying our tower, go on go, I'm sure Slytherin will welcome you." The boy to the left of the Head Boy piped up his wand drawn while the one on the right did the same.

"I will ask once more, where are the first year…" Harry never got to finish as one of the boys just threw a curse at him. Harry rolled to the side drawing his wand ready to attack if necessary.

"I just want to go to bed, so tell me where to go or you will regret it." Harry stated in a dangerous tone that shocked the older lads.

During this argument most of the spectators had put shield charms up to protect themselves while few retreated to their dorms disgusted at there fellow House members behaviour.

"As Head Boy Potter I order you to lower your wand." The Head Boy commanded in his tone of authority.

"No thanks I'd rather have it where it is, I will harm no one if they don't harm me." Harry stated watching the three boys for reactions. The Head Boy looked impassive but unwilling to fight but the other two looked seething.

"You'll get it Potter, my father was killed by that traitor Black, REDUCTO" The boy bellowed at Harry who dodged to the left as he raised his own wand.

"Petrificus Totalus" Harry shouted but the spell was easily deflected. Harry had to dive very quickly to avoid three spells that were heading his way and he rose again ready to finish this duel.

"Is that all you know Potter, all first years know that curse." The boy on the right taunted while raising his wand again in a striking motion.

"Praestringo, Subsisto" Harry waved his wand so quick that the human eye could not distinguish the movement and sent off the curses so fast that the two boys were hit before they could raise their shields that in all honesty wouldn't have held up. One of the boys was bound tight and the other was hit by an advance version of the stunner.

The audience was in shock. Most had not heard of the curses Harry had just used and the older ones that had were even more impressed as they were basic auror curses. Now it was only one on one Harry and the Head Boy looked at each other for a moment. The Head Boy looked like he was debating whether or not to attack but with one last glance at his friends he sprung into action.

"Redimio, Confuto" The Head Boy sent vines spraying at Harry as well as a strong paralysis that surprised Harry.

"Protego" Harry's shield held firm against the first but he didn't want to risk it against the second spell so diving forward he closed the gap between the pair and while rising shouted.

"Subsisto" Harry waved his hand twice muttering "stupefy" as two wandless stunners made his way towards the Head Boy. Harry had gone past caring what people knew about his talents and he just wanted to get to bed.

"Protego" The Head Boy quickly raised his shield that cracked with the force of the spell but didn't break. He sensed wandless magic as well and out of instinct raised the weak shield he had taught himself. It didn't hold though and to the crowds disbelief the Head Boy slumped to the floor unconscious beaten by a first year.

"Where are the first year dorms." Harry asked harshly, all patience lost.

"Third door up the stairs." One girl squeaked out.

Harry didn't acknowledge the girl but headed up the stairs feeling much more tired than he was 10 minutes ago and he was shattered then. On the way out he flicked his wand three times while mutter counter curses and the boys stirred. He entered the dorm room glad that there was a spare bed.

Too tired to enlarge his trunk, Harry just took off his robes lying them by his bed and collapsed on the four poster bed not before casting a few privacy charms that he knew.

The last thing he thought before he fell asleep was "Sure Sirius I am well on my way to making friends, knocking the Head Boy unconscious will do loads for my friendly reputation."

AN

Next chapter we see what is going on with the rest of the world and Harry will experience his first day of school. It will be long but it should be out on the weekend

I'm back. Sorry if this chapter is a bit sub-standard, Amsterdam rocked me a bit and I still do not feel 100%. I will make any revisions later if the chapter is that bad.

This story is already mapped out right to the end near enough so any ideas for the rest speak now or forever hold those suggestions in.

I am starting to plan my next story. It will probably be 6th year but I want it to be original, any ideas?

charmedlily: Dumbledore doesn't think Harry is evil, I have never said that and if I have I apologise and will go back and change it. Dumbledore just "believes" that Sirius and Remus are evil but that is diminishing with every chapter. Anyway he is heralded as the greatest sorcerer living so why should he be afraid of an eleven-year-old child who might know a few spells. He doesn't know the full extent of Harry's powers…yet. Hope that clears things up and thanks for the review.

Jeanne2: Tanks for the comments they were welcomed. I know Dumbledore seemed slightly OOC but this is AU and the last ten years have been different to that of canon but I am trying to make him his usual self.

Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers!

Cheers

Halstead