Lessons About A Price Too High

Chapter 02 Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

"Get UP, GET up!" Harry regained consciousness with a start. Well honed reflexes forced his body to get into a defensive position before he could think, which only resulted in another WHACK to his head as he fell in a heap on the floor. Was it the floor? Harry could never remember the floor being so springy. Groaning now, still not completely awake, Harry concentrated on the noise that woke him up in the first place. Sounded like a banshee… an extremely malicious banshee… except that banshees weren't malicious. After another scream and a hard rap, the creature moved away. Trying to get his bearings, Harry sat up carefully. Light spilled in from what seemed to be a vent to his immediate left, though why a vent would be there, he didn't know. Trying to peer out the vent led him to no avail either. For one thing, his vision was blurry as hell, which didn't make sense as he distinctly remembered taking a potion from the Black vault that would enhance his vision among various other things. Then he remembered the events of the night before and quickly turned to lie on his stomach. If that was Aunt Petunia screeching at him to get up, than the next event wouldn't be far behind.

Sure enough, just seconds after turning, the sound of a rampaging elephant thundered above him. Dust and other elemental particles fell along with several spiders. Harry remembered the time when he accidentally overslept and hadn't turned over when Dudley came bounding down the stairs. He was having a nightmare and woke from the sound, panting, only to have a spider fall down his throat. He had probably spent a whole ten minutes choking and spluttering. Needless to say, Harry developed a dislike for spiders after that. In fact, the only reason that he didn't fear them like Ron had was because he was forced to live with them and face his fear. Still, the memory sent shivers down Harry's spine.

Shaking his head to make sure that no spiders were caught in it, Harry slowly made his way out of the cupboard and into to the kitchen. "Oh Duddykins, only two days from your birthday! Aren't you excited dear?" said a doting Aunt Petunia with a proud smile on her face. Upon seeing Harry, that smile changed at once, into a scowl. "What are you standing there for? Go and do the dishes boy." Harry sighed and started working on the dishes. Until he had a time to think and sort out what to do next, he would just have to put up with his relatives…

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office rubbing his temples tiredly. It was only the start of term and the Weasley twins were already wrecking havoc. If it weren't for the Weasley's loyalty to him, he would have considered just tossing the lot out permanently. A knock on his office door interrupted his train of thoughts. Ah… must be young Percy Weasley come to brandish another list of rule breakers. One would think he's a prefect already. With expression set blank and twinkling in place, Dumbledore wandlessly waved the door open and said "Come in".

Percy Weasley walked in, indeed with a sheaf of parchment, but not looking nearly as pompous as he normally did. "Ahh Mr. Weasley, what can I do for you today?"

Percy handed Dumbledore the letter his mother had sent him and shifted nervously as he watched the esteemed headmaster read it. Inside, he was burning with shame and anger. He was furious when Errol arrived at the breakfast table with a letter from his mother, asking him to give up his education so his brother Ron could come to Hogwarts. What kind of mother is she? HOW DARE SHE ask ME to give up MY future to cater the necessities of HER favorite son? It wasn't as if there weren't other, cheaper wizarding schools that Ron could go to. Why does she have to take away the best thing that ever happened to me? While he raged and ranted inwardly, nothing suggested that Percy Weasley was anything but perplexed and bewildered on the outside. He knew he was a Weasley only by looks and not by heart. It was undoubtedly why he was the one chosen to be taken from the school even though he knew that Fred and George both would have agreed in a heart beat. As much as he would have loved to hate his "dear" mother for this act of treachery, he knew he couldn't. If he was anything, it was logical, and he knew what it boiled down to. Money and power, two things that the Weasley clan didn't have. Well he would change that. He would have both. He would make sure that his children NEVER had to worry about money. With both fists clenched tightly now, he promised himself I will never be poor again.

Albus Dumbledore looked up from the letter in his hands and inwardly sighed. He should have known this was coming. He turned back to Percy and motioned for him to sit down. Before he could say anything, Percy started speaking.

"Professor Dumbledore, our family is barely managing to tide over this year and with Ron coming to Hogwarts, I'm afraid we won't have enough."

"And when is your brother coming to Hogwarts Mr. Weasley?" He needed to ask that, if only to show that he was indeed, concerned, before telling Weasley that there was nothing he could do.

"Next year, sir. He's very excited. He's wanted to come here ever since he was born and…" Dumbledore tuned out Percy's ramblings as he thought about the words Next Year. So the youngest Weasley son was coming to Hogwarts at the same time as Harry Potter? This could be used to his advantage. He needed to watch Harry and keep him under control and what better way than to have a Weasley his own age to condition in him loyalty to the light? This might just work. Dumbledore turned on his kindly grandfather expression and refocused back on Percy who was still going on and on about god-knows-what.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Weasley calm down. Rest assured that you will not be forced to leave Hogwarts. I will owl your mother to set up a meeting with her and your brother and we'll have Ron take some tests and see what we can come up with."

He dimly heard a "Thank You Professor Dumbledore" before Percy sprinted out of the office presumably headed for the owlery. Meanwhile, the portrait of Philleus Nigellus woke from his pretend slumber and called out " Now what was that all about? You know as well as I do that there is no scholarship program here at Hogwarts. What's this about tests and meetings? What are you up to Dumbledore?

Dumbledore squinted up at the portrait and promptly replied, "I could tell you… but where would the fun be in that?"

"And may I ask where you plan to get this money for young Mr. Weasley's education?" asked the portrait, choosing to ignore Dumbledore's earlier comment.

Eyes now twinkling madly, Dumbledore turned to the portrait. With a hint of a smile he said, "Why, from the Potter trust fund of course."

(A/N: Lol, I kind of went on a tangent didn't I?)

gallandro-83

Thank you. We'll get to see more of Harry's life with the Dursleys in the next chapter.