Chapter 9: The Angered Lioness
After Madame Pomfrey left, Severus checked on the boy. He was barely awake, but he politely asked where the bathroom was so Severus reluctantly let the boy walk down the hall to it, but he insisted that Harry return to bed the when he was finished. He also reminded the boy that he was to stay off that ankle as much as possible. Harry nodded before walking into the bathroom. Once he was finished, the potions master led the little wizard back into his room. The boy was out like a light the minute his head hit the pillow, but unfortunately he had to sniffle quite a bit and his breathing was a little rough, but nothing serious. It was normal for those with the flu. The potions master however was determined to keep a close eye on him should anything get worse. He would've sat next to the boy's bed and caught up on his potions research, but he had a floo call to make to a certain transfiguration professor. Severus figured he had best get this over with. He may have to restrain her for a time, but he wasn't sure how long he could keep her down here and away from the headmaster.
So when he reached his living room, he grabbed a handful of floo powder and called out Professor McGonagall's office. "Severus?" she asked she answered his call.
"Minerva, if you would step through, I have something I must discuss with you urgently." He replied.
The older professor nodded so Severus stepped back to let her through. As she brushed the soot from her robe, she asked, "So what was so urgent you had to interrupt my morning?"
Professor Snape motioned for her to have a seat on the sofa as he took a seat in his favorite chair near the fireplace. Once she had sat down, Severus opened his mouth to tell her the awful truth of what happened to Harry Potter. "Minerva, what I am about to tell you is not what anyone would consider a…pleasant topic, but you must hear the truth in its entirety. However, I must ask you to reign in your legendary temper before I even begin." He gave her a pointed look as he finished the last sentence.
The older professor raised her eyebrow at her colleague, "And what makes you think I will lose my temper so easily?" She asked.
"Because it's is about a young boy that goes by the name Harry Potter." Severus replied.
McGonagall's eyes widened, "You found him?" she asked with a hopeful tone in her voice.
Severus sighed, "Yes, but we have discovered some…unfortunate circumstances about his upbringing."
He hadn't yet even mentioned the boy's horrid relatives and already he could see that the protective lioness of Gryffindor was already going to explode in fury. Her eyes had narrowed and you could almost see fire dancing in them as she growled, "What. Have. They. Done. To. Him?"
By now there was no way the younger professor could beat around the bush or even attempt to calm her down. Severus already knew what was going to happen when he answered her question and honestly, he almost felt very sorry for the headmaster. Dumbledore would be lucky if he even survived the night once Minerva found out the truth of the boy's childhood. As he began to tell his former professor the tragic story, the potions master couldn't help but feel a little bit of fear as he watched her anger grow. As he revealed the truth of the abuse the boy suffered under the "care" of his relatives, McGonagall had nearly broken the arm of his sofa by squeezing it so tight. If she had been in her cat form, said sofa would've been ripped to shreds which is what Severus thought would happen to the headmaster's throat once Minerva had heard the whole story.
When he had finally finished, the potions master could almost see the steam coming out of the woman's ears. Oh there was going to be hell to pay. Severus wondered if it would be inappropriate to hide a camera in the headmaster's office just to see his face when the angry Head of Gryffindor marched in. The younger professor honestly wouldn't have been surprised if the whole office was set on fire by this woman's wand.
It was nearly possible to see the wind whipping her robe around her (which Severus was sure she stole form him) as she marched out of the potion master's quarters and up towards the headmaster's office. This time, Severus didn't old back a smirk as he watched her go and even though it was somewhat childish, he just couldn't miss this chance to see the headmaster get what was coming to him. So, after quickly checking on Harry to make sure he was still sleeping, the young professor took a few different, secret passages to catch up with the severely angered lioness.
Minerva was just about to bang on the door when Severus finally caught up to her. She however didn't wait for the headmaster's permission to enter the room after the first knock. The transfiguration professor simply barged in and stomped over to Dumbledore's desk. Severus entered the room, but kept his distance from the two of them. He told himself he was simply here as back up if Minerva took it a little too far, but like I said, that's just what he was telling himself. He was really just there to see the sparks fly and hope the headmaster was going to get what was coming to him.
McGonagall did not disappoint. For as soon as Dumbledore looked up at her from his papers, she opened her mouth and the castle almost shook with the amount of fury that came out, "YOU KNEW THE WHOLE TIME! YOU KNEW HOW THOSE CREATURES FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL WERE GOING TO TREAT THAT BOY AND HERE YOU SAT ON YOUR FAT ARSE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT! I TOLD YOU LONG AGO THAT THEY WOULD NEVER TREAT THAT BOY PROPERLY, BUT DID YOU LISTEN?! NO, OF COURSE NOT! WHO COULD POSSIBLY BE SMARTER THAN THE GREAT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE?! WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHO! A SIMPLE FIRST YEAR COULD'VE SEEN THAT PLACING AN INNOCENT WIZARDING CHILD INTO THE HANDS OF SUCH CRUEL-HEARTED, SPITEFUL, LOW-LIFE, MONEY-THEIVING, SACKS OF HIPPOGRIFF SHIT WAS THE WORST IDEA YOU COULD'VE POSSIBLY COME UP WITH! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU ARROGANT, THICK-HEADED, BRAINLESS BASTARD! IT IS YOUR FAULT THAT THIS POOR BOY SUFFERED TERRIBLE AMOUNTS OF ABUSE FOR MOST OF HIS SHORT LIFE! HOW THE HELL CAN YOU JUST SIT THERE AND DO NOTHING?! I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU, ABLUS DUMBLEDORE! EITHER YOU MEND YOUR WAYS AND SEE TO IT THAT, THAT BOY HAS THE BEST CARE YOU CAN POSSIBLY FIND OR I'LL WRITE UP A REPORT ABOUT THIS FOR THE BOARD OF GOVENORS AND HAVE YOU THROWN OUT ON YOUR ARSE!" Some of the strange nick-nacks and other artifacts all around the office and fallen from their shelves and crashed during the woman's rant. You could feel a high level of barely controlled magic swirling around her as she bellowed all these things in the headmaster's face. Severus didn't know whether he should laugh or run for the safety of his dungeon apartment. She was just that terrifying…almost worse than the Dark Lord himself.
As for the headmaster, he was barely able to conceal his…well, I wouldn't call it fear, but it was definitely a stronger feeling than just simple worry. He remained completely still after Minerva had finished her rant. She was breathing heavily as she continued to glare daggers at Dumbledore. He was giving her a few minutes to calm down, but honestly, it was doubtful that she'd be anywhere near come within the next…few days or so. The headmaster had no choice but to face the music. "The blood protection was just too critical for the boy's safety. If he hadn't been placed there under it, Voldemort's followers would surely have come for him."
"YOU FOOL! THERE ARE OTHER WAYS YOU COULD HAVE EASILY PROTECTED HIM WITHOUT SUBJECTING HIM TO THE ABUSE AND MISTREATMENT HE SUFFERED AT THAT HELL-HOLE! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO USE THE BLOODWARDS AS AN EXCUSE?! LILY WOULD'VE NEVER APPROVED OF THIS! SHE WOULD'VE KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT THOSE DESPICABLE EXCUSES FOR HUMAN BEINGS WOULD DO TO HER ONLY CHILD! NO, THERE WERE OTHER PLACES YOU COULD'VE PUT HIM AND PROTECTION SPELLS AND WARDS WOULD'VE BEEN ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM SAFE! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER EXCUSE FROM YOU ABOUT YOUR STUPID AND COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS DECISION REGARDING THIS BOY!" The headmaster stayed silent after she finished her second rant. He hadn't known the severity of the abuse the boy suffered until Severus had told him, but he had known that the boy wasn't necessarily treated as well as his cousin. When Severus had told him the whole truth, Dumbledore realized that he should've been checking in on the boy rather than just letting Arabella Figg keep an eye on him. Clearly the woman was too busy with her enormous amount of cats to even be able to see outside her own window.
"Alright, Minerva. I've already informed Severus that I will never send the boy back. Even I can admit that I made a mistake and it is indeed one of the worst ones I have ever made. It cost a little boy nearly his entire childhood and I doubt there will ever be anything I can possibly do to pay for such a terrible mistake. I swear to you now that Harry will be placed in a home that is both happy and safe for him." He replied remorsefully.
McGonagall had calm down slightly, but her voice was still thick with anger, "You'd better or I will make what is left of your life far more miserable than even your 150 year old brains can imagine." She threatened before she stormed out of the office with a swish of her robes (which was a move she definitely stole from Severus).
The potions master was still too stunned to do anything but watch the old headmaster sigh and place his face into his hands. "I don't know what else to say, Severus. What I have done is indeed unforgivable, but now, we must all focus on making sure Harry gets to enjoy what is left of his childhood."
Severus nodded, "Yes, but first we must find him a family that will be up to the task of raising him."
Dumbledore nodded, "I've already compiled a list of candidates for the job and I've examined each and every one of them."
The potions master gave him an impatient look, "And which family is the most appropriate for the boy?" he asked.
Then the old headmaster gave the much younger man a smile that was dreaded by so many others. It was that all-knowing smile that Severus of all people especially hated. The young professor immediately knew exactly who the old man had in mind and a part of him knew that the old coot had, had that name picked out from the start. A feeling of complete dread filled Severus as he continued to stare at the face of his employer. "Heavens no, no, no, no. You can't possibly say what I know you're going to say."
Dumbledore chuckled as he replied, "Yes, my dear boy. You are indeed the only one who could possibly give that poor child exactly what he needs."
Author's notes: Thank you all for being patient with me. I'm in my junior year and just transferred to a new college 3 and a half hours away from home so things have been a little stressful and busy. However, you don't care to hear about my boring life so I will move on.
Chapter 10 will (and I'm serious this time cause I've already written it) be posted within the next day or so. I want to see how this chapter goes over. Let me know how you feel about this chapter. I know you've all waited a long time to hear McGonagall totally blow up at Dumbledore so I hope I did her justice.
Oh, and if I've messed something up about times and dates in here, please point it out so that I may fix it. I keep thinking that I did, but then I can't find it and I feel like I'm losing what's left of my sanity. Thank you!