PB5

Disclaimer – Just having fun, making no money.

Chapter 5

Lucius led his little group into the courtroom. Harry and Dudley followed him, Narcissa brought up the rear with Draco. They had spent a few hours talking strategy with Severus. Severus was up in the seats overlooking the courtroom floor. They'd decided that under no circumstances would they reveal that Severus was already acquainted with Harry and his family. They needed a spy in Dumbledore's camp.

Vernon was better use to them home 'gravely ill' and a point of sympathy. There was a full Wizengamot, Lucius was sure they all wanted to see Harry Potter whether they were needed there or not. To his relief, Albus was not presiding – Cornelius was, as Dumbledore's employee was in question, here.

Albus looked uncertain – he didn't really know what was happening and had not had much time to find any information. Severus had sent a note that Albus had scrambled around searching for reasons that they had left Privet Drive and had come up empty – he'd questioned Arabella Figg instead of the muggle neighbors … and was still unaware that Petunia Dursley was dead – didn't even know when they had left Privet Drive.

Perfect.

Hagrid was sitting in the much-too-small-for-him chair, magic suppressing shackles in place. He looked miserable, which seemed to distress Harry. Lucius frowned; he kept forgetting that Harry had a rather empathetic heart.

Cornelius read off the charges and read the report that Madame Bones had taken. There were murmurs in the gallery and a general sense of unease. Everyone knew that Dumbledore had championed the half-giant.

Dumbledore immediately leaped in with a condescending, "You must realize this is all a great misunderstanding." Lucius glowered, Albus had his 'kindly grandfather' persona on. "We were simply trying to get young Harry his Hogwarts letter… it was believed his muggle relatives were keeping it from him."

"Why ever would they keep it from him?" Fudge asked in astonishment. "Everyone has heard you say that his Aunt dotes on him …?"

Lucius waited patiently for the right cue to leap in, Harry by his side. Narcissa, Draco and Dudley sat nearby, watching gravely.

"Well, that's just it … her sister did die at the hands of a wizard, she might be reluctant to let Harry out into the wizarding world." Albus answered with a kindly smile. Harry could feel the room shift … Albus' explanation seemed reasonable.

Madame Bones wasn't impressed, though. "So you send your gamekeeper to reassure them? A rather intimidatingly large half-giant - and you broke throught wards with a portkey used by black-ops Aurors to get into places warded by the very worst criminals? A total misuse of of your authority! How could having Mr Hagrid burst in on them that way possibly make them feel better? Why didn't you or your Deputy Headmistress go?" Bones glared at the Headmaster, who looked a bit taken aback. "At best that was unwise … at worst …" She glared again. "… why would you need to intimidate Harry Potter's muggle family?"

Lucius almost smiled … it was coming, he could tell. He was very glad that the reports had not said that Petunia had been missing from the scene. It hadn't mentioned her, he knew Bones had thought Petunia was out shopping, but it hadn't said she wasn't there.

Albus hastily broke back in. "I merely wished to impress on Harry's Aunt that while the blood wards she provides are considerable … we do have formidable wizards who can protect Harry just as well – Hagrid for example." Harry felt the courtroom waver again … Albus was good at this, Harry mused.

His cue! Lucius almost smiled, but managed to look irate instead. "So, you do think the blood wards important? … I was beginning to wonder." Lucius broke in loudly. As Harry's adult representative, he was allowed his say in these proceedings – but he did have a good lawyer there as well in case things went wrong.

"Whatever do you mean?" Cornelius asked a confused look on his face.

"The Headmaster has assured us all year after year that Harry Potter is protected and well cared for … we've been regaled with stories – even this summer - about his idyllic home life and the strength of the warding." Lucius struck a pose, leaning on his cane, head thrown back and his other hand on his hip. Up in the stands Severus smothered a grin. Lucius was so very good at posturing.

"Well, of course his Aunt's blood warding is strong …"Albus didn't know where this was going, but he didn't like it.

"So you keep a very close watch on Harry, his warding and his home life?" Lucius said eyebrows raised.

"Well, until they suddenly appeared in you Manor, they were … that was very irresponsible, Lucius" Albus chided, feeling more sure-footed. "I had a friend - a squib named Arabella Figg - who was living on the same street, keeping close watch."

"Ah – a squib who could not possibly know how the wards were doing." Lucius looked down at the puzzled Harry. "Did you meet this Ms. Figg, Harry?"

"No, we never met." Harry answered.

"She never spoke to you, was inside your home?" Lucius pressed and Harry answered with another no.

Time to go in for the kill. "So, she was also, then unaware that your wards came down last Christmas when your Aunt Petunia died?" Lucius dropped the bomb while staring into Dumbledore's eyes – he wanted Albus to remember that it was him who stuck the knife in.

Shocked voices cried out at this. Dead – the Aunt was dead?, the crowd murmured. Albus froze in horror. This was bad – very bad for him.

"So for over half a year, there have been no blood wards and you were unaware of this … also clearly you didn't know that Harry and his family left that home two months later and were practically living on the streets …" More horrified gasps from the courtroom. "… since you hold Harry's key and he and his family didn't know he had a vault set aside to keep him quite comfortably - and he had no way to contact the wizarding world …" At least not that Dumbledore knew of. "…I was quite shocked when Vernon Dursley applied for work – but I am quite glad I was able to rescue them from an untenable situation …" Lucius leaned over to emphasize his words to the court. "… an unnecessary situation – if they really had been looked after by the man we were trusting to keep the 'Boy Who Lived' safe." Lucius used the title deliberately, reminding the court what was owed Harry.

The courtroom almost erupted after that and Cornelius banged loudly for order. Harry was gleeful to feel the courtroom practically panting for Albus' blood. His ability to feel surface emotions was quite useful at times.

"How could you let this happen, Dumbledore?" Marchbanks barked, disgusted with herself for having listened to the old goat.

"Why didn't he have his key?" Cornelius asked faintly.

"I didn't think it was necessary …" Albus cast about for an excuse and found none. "He could get it when he entered the wizarding world." There was silence – the implication was clear … Albus Dumbledore didn't trust the muggles …

"You don't understand what you did!" Harry shouted at Albus – startling the courtroom. "I got a statement from Gringotts – I had plenty of gold in there, I could have made my Aunt's last months comfortable, we wouldn't have had to worry about Uncle Vernon losing so much time at work to stay with her when she was dying." Harry had tears on his face by then; it felt good to throw all this at the man that had left him helpless. "We could have kept our house … the house we lived with Aunt Petunia in. We had to leave it all … we had a garden – one that Aunt Petunia, Dudley and I planted. It had roses and lilies and petunias in it." Harry choked on furious tears, and ended in a hoarse voice. "…We had to leave all of it."

There was the sound of sobbing in the gallery, and even the men were struck dumb by the tale. Rita Skeeter was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief while her quick-quotes-quill scribbled furiously. It was intolerable, most of the wizarding world considered that they owed their freedom to Harry – they had thought him safe in Dumbledore's hands … now they had to hear this?

Lucius gazed at Albus, triumph in his eyes. Albus grimaced, yes, Lucius had shoved him into a grave and now Harry was kicking the dirt in on him.

Tiberius Ogden shook his head. "We've been saying it for years, Albus – you've simply got too much to do – and you just won't delegate. This is the result – something important left undone or done badly."

Albus grasped onto that – anything was better than being thought a criminal. "Yes …" Albus sighed sadly. "… I thought I had adequate eyes and ears on the situation and didn't double check, myself. Everything seemed quite alright … and now this."

Cornelius knew a good opening when he heard it. "Perhaps you should pick where to concentrate your efforts? So nothing like this happens again? The courtroom or the school …?" Fudge asked quietly giving Albus the choice of which. Albus would have liked to loudly refuse, but the full force of disgusted colleagues and angry wizards and witches in the gallery said he had no choice.

"Of course, I will step down from the Wizengamot …" So it won't be on record that you threw me out, Albus thought. "… and concentrate on the school."

The courtroom shifted in discontent. Lucius wondered if he should push to get him out of Hogwarts as well. But no – by next week it would be decided that Albus was merely overworked, as he said and the slap on the hand was enough and he would have more time now he was off the Wizengamot. The defeater of Grindelwald and leader of the Light against Voldemort in the last war wouldn't be defeated this easily.

Lucius patted Harry's shoulder and muttered "well done."

Meanwhile the court looked at Hagrid uncertainly.

"If I may?" Severus stood in the gallery, and now had every eye on him, just as they had planned – if they got this far victoriously. "I believe Hagrid meant no harm … the transcript clearly shows he had incorrect or perhaps misleading information …" the court's eyes turned to Albus who hunched further. "I think if Hagrid was merely sent to a Dragon Reserve to work, it would be enough."

Harry nodded and smiled happily at the Wizengamot, who immediately agreed; glad to do something for Harry. Harry turned a smile on Severus – as if he was a total stranger who had caught his attention by his kindly act. Severus nodded his head at Harry and sat.

With the circus over Lucius led his family, Harry tucked tightly to his side, toward the floo. They walked with a crowd of reporters and well-wishers surrounding them. Lucius had told Harry that they would be shouting questions at him and to simply answer the ones he wished. So Harry just smiled at the crowd and answered the easy ones.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon would be quite well in another week … Yes he liked the house they had – it was huge! … he loved riding the horses there …" Harry waved and flashed a cheeky grin at them as they entered the floo.

Narcissa, an arm around both Draco and Dudley were also fielding question. She made it clear to anyone watching that she was quite fond of Dudley – her cousin Harry's cousin … and yes, Dudley was a muggle, now that you mention it.

They landed at the Manor and the boys raced to update Uncle Vernon.

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Severus flooed to the Main Hall and went to his dungeon. He knew better that to see Albus at present. He didn't crucio the way Voldemort had … but if he thought Severus was betraying him he would be back in Azkaban in no time.

He waited until late afternoon and went to the Headmaster's office then. Minerva and Albus were both there, glaring at him a bit. Minerva was obviously unhappy that anyone had the nerve to question Albus and he was the closest target available.

Minerva sniffed and went out the door with her nose in the air as he sat down.

"Well, your thoughts on the events of the day, Severus?" Albus barked.

Severus watched Albus from under his curtain of hair. Albus was angry and suspicious. He'd not been outmaneuvered like this in decades – if ever.

"A very well plotted … and executed plan – the Malfoys have been planning it for a while. They seem to have Potter believing they are in support of him." Severus allowed a sneer to slip through – he needed Albus to believe that he hated Harry – as Albus had always intended. "I saw the whelp looking at Hagrid in pity – I asked for the clemency to have him look kindly on me … he is obviously easily swayed." Albus' eyes started taking on a light of understanding. "I can get an invitation to the Malfoy Manor – find out what they are up to with the Potter brat on the strength of that."

"You must do more than that, Severus, you must befriend him … get him to look to you as a mentor, even." Albus said intensely. "Above all he needs to be steered away from joining Slytherin – they'll be trying to get him to do that, I'm sure."

Severus had no problem sneering. Albus was easy to manipulate by Severus, as he totally trusted him after a decade of servitude by him. Severus hadn't minded at first – but after all the revelations over the years he'd started studying Albus. Albus rarely bothered to mask his actions or motivations when it was just Albus and Severus. Albus felt that he had Severus totally under his power and didn't need to.

Severus snarled, "I don't know if I'll be able to behave pleasantly for long while I'm talking to the little prince."

Severus watched Albus with amusement, while the Headmaster struggled. He and Minerva had been trying to stoke his hatred for years – now Albus had to try to make him think kindly of Harry.

"Severus," Albus said coaxingly. "I was obviously mistaken in how young Harry was living. He needs you to rescue him from the trap he has walked into … he is Lily's son, too, remember. Don't leave him in their clutches, all alone."

Severus dropped his eyes and hunched his shoulders as if he was caving to pressure. "Oh, very well, for you and Lily, then." Severus muttered. He would have dragged it out longer, but he'd almost burst into laughter as it was.

Albus sat back with a satisfied smile, his most reliable soldier was falling back into line, it had been quite clever of him to suggest the leniency for Hagrid. He popped a lemon drop laced with calming draught into his mouth while Severus stalked out – back rigid with what was likely resentment.

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Severus waited until the next day before going to Malfoy Manor and made sure that Minerva saw him leave with a sullen scowl.

He arrived in time for brunch and they all had a good laugh over the meeting with Albus, with him urging Severus to be friendly with Harry.

"He wants me to 'steer' you toward Gryffindor." Severus said, earning another round of laughter. If only Albus knew.

"Have you seen the papers as yet?" Lucius asked and when Severus shook his head he handed over a rather thick edition of the Daily Prophet – of course they had rather a lot to write.

The Headlines blazed "Dumbledore Fumbles It!" the articles were rather juicy – '… Blood Wards dropped due to inattention …', 'The Boy Who Lived impoverished because Dumbledore hoarded his key …' On and on it went. Rita Skeeter was her usual vicious self, lampooning Albus' age, senility, and general absent-mindedness.

There was some hesitant praise for the Malfoys, having 'rescued Harry Potter and his muggle relatives'. There was even a mention of Severus having 'pulled Rubeus Hagrid out from under the Knight Bus, where Dumbledore had tossed him'. Likely it was only mentioned to further insult Albus and because Harry had approved of it.

"Rita is going to be here in a few minutes for a short interview with Harry. If you want to watch you'll have to do it in your Raven form." Lucius said.

"Raven, you're a Raven?" Dudley gasped in delight. He'd read about animagus' and thought it was brilliant. He'd never felt jealous of Harry's magic until he'd read about that … but getting to watch was almost as good. Severus smiled and changed, making Harry and Dudley clap in enthusiasm.

Rita arrived by floo – Severus escaped out a window and stalked Harry and Rita as a Raven – it was a very useful form. Draco and Dudley had gone to the riding ring to practice some low jumps with the horses. Lucius made himself scarce. It was Narcissa who escorted Harry and Rita around the grounds. Narcissa had said that the very catty reporter could best be handled by someone who also had feline instincts - namely her.

Rita mostly behaved herself, though. She was at present wanting more dirt on Dumbledore – he was a sacred cow she had long wanted to pull down, butcher and roast. She could target Harry or the Malfoy's another time. They watched Draco and Dudley for a bit while Harry told Rita how much the nearly canonized Aunt Petunia had enjoyed watching the thoroughbreds race.

Rita was dragged into the barn to admire Rusty. "He was the one my Aunt most liked to watch." Harry leaned forward as if to impart a secret. "I met him the first time we went to the track and he told me he was going to win … it was great fun to watch him finish first, just like he said." They had all agreed to give Rita that tidbit – it would make her cooperative and it wasn't like the rest of the wizarding world didn't already guess that Harry was powerful.

"He told you?" Rita's eyes gleamed with pleasure – oh, the article she could write over this.

Narcissa hustled forward, as if to hush him. "Now, now … enough boasting Harry."

Rita was happy to be shooed off with all the information she'd already dredged up and left with a cheery wave.

Severus also left, so he could report his visit. Albus listened with rapt interest.

"I made sure he knew that James and Lily were both Gryffindor and that James took great pride in that." Severus curled a lip in scorn. "He seemed eager to hear stories about his parents. Lucius and Narcissa were in much higher years than James and Lily when they attended school, so he was happy to listen to my tales." Albus nodded happily – Severus was falling in with his plan.

"It is imperative that he be Gryffindor … he'll never learn self-sacrifice elsewhere. Minerva can steer him in the right direction." Albus muttered.

Severus looked at the Headmaster narrowly. "I'm not sure I understand, Headmaster."

Albus sighed, he needed Severus' cooperation. He slowly told the tale of the Horcruxes to his Potions Master, making the man turn a little green. "… and when I picked young Harry up to set him on the Dursley's doorstep – I was sure – his scar also holds a piece of Voldemort's soul. It's not a true Horcrux, but it's enough to tie him here."

"So we need to destroy all these Horcruxes before killing the Dark Lord?" Severus said slowly and watched Albus solemnly nod. "And the boy …?" Severus looked into the Headmaster's steely eyes and dropped his own. "… the boy must die?"

"Yes, Severus, the boy must die." Albus answered with carefully crafted sorrow.

Severus nearly threw his teacup – and an Avada Kedavra – at the old rotter. Severus didn't care if Voldemort did come back – Severus knew how to survive that and he would make sure Harry did as well. He couldn't believe Albus thought Severus would participate in this … although as far as he knew, Severus hated Harry and only protected him to pay a debt.

"I see …"Severus answered slowly. He stood and fought his rage down. Albus would pay for this. Harry wasn't going to die … Voldemort and this twinkling old sod would … or worse…

Severus lifted his head and managed to meet Albus' eyes. Severus had the beginnings of a plan. Harry's enemies would rue the day they had angered Severus Snape.

"Very well, I need to go plan." Severus nodded to the beaming Headmaster and left.

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A/N –I know, I know – Raven animagus' for Severus are a total cliché – but that's because it fits him perfectly.