A/N: I have noticed while editing these last few chapters, that they are quite short. I am sorry about that. As I have finished the story, writing wise, I have to just hope that it lengthens.
Chapter Thirty-Nine:
That night at dinner, James stands at the staff table. "Today, my fellow staff members and I were witness to a couple of students being bullied for excelling in their classes. I understand that my standing up for them may look like I am playing favorites, but in actuality, I am trying to save you kids a trip to the infirmary at the very least. Harry is at a point that if you mess with his wife he is liable to retaliate. Harry has a untouched level of power that he only taps into when he is provoked." The student body as a whole are disbelieving, so the man is about to go on, but is interrupted by Professor Riddle standing up.
"You all know who I was. You know what I have done. What you don't know is what Harry has done in our many meetings. I admit that I have tried to kill him many times; as a baby, his first year, second year, fourth year and lastly the battle last year. What did Harry do in those confrontations?" Riddle asks and the projects the scenes for all to see.
He starts with the invasion of the Potter home. They students witness how he ruthlessly kills both James and Lily. James is silently crying as he never saw Lily's death. He gathers his wife to his side as they watch what happened to their boy. Baby Harry sat in his cot and stared Riddle in the eye. When he cast the AK at him, Harry picked up and waved his tiny fist and the green light hit his crib toy with a mirror, the spell bounced back to Riddle, cleaving his soul fragment from his body.
Next, the school watches as the three professors run to the girls bathroom and see the knocked out mountain troll and the three kids. Later, a first year Harry walks into the chamber where Quirrel/Riddle is trying to retrieve the Sorcerer's Stone from the Mirror of Erised. They see how the surprise of Quirrel being there ebbs in the face of what he is trying to do. Harry taunts him and achieves the impossible task of getting the stone. When Quirrel launches for the boy, Harry throws up his hands. His touch seared the man's flesh. He then deliberately went for the man's face and neck. Quirrel flaked away, leaving the smoky shade of Riddle behind.
Harry's second year was when he found out about Riddle's betrayal of Hagrid. The students and staff alike gasped at how big the basilisk was. Harry had passed it off as quite a bit smaller than that. They watch as he battles the king of snakes and then destroys the diary that Riddle was using to control Ginny. Greg and Astoria are both greif riddled at the sight of her prone body on the water soaked marble.
"I didn't have anything to do with him in his third year. I was out hunting for a new body. My necromancy aside, I hear that Professor Lupin taught him the patronus spell to help him ward off his appeal to the dementors. That stag that you seventh years saw today, saved Harry and the beaten up Professor Black from around 200 dementors."
Riddle then shows the school what happened that night in the graveyard. They saw Cedric's death, Harry being tied to the reaper angel and his blood taken. They saw Harry's big eyes when Riddle opened his for the first time, Harry being subjected to the Cruciatius over and over again. All four Longbottoms are silently crying along with the Potters and Mars families. Finally, they see Harry fight the spell off and stand, before he and Riddle duel. The dome forms and the power is shown as the two hold each other off. The Potters see themselves fly at Riddle, as Harry runs to Cedric and accios the cup.
Riddle ends his spell and looks at the gathered students. "Everyone agrees that I am an talented wizard, in truth, I am only ever scared of Harry. Albus and I combined on that boy. He has never shown his true potential. I know he was always holding back even against me and I had all I could do to fight him off.
My advice is to back off and learn from those two. Mrs. Potter has been said to be the most powerful witch since Ravenclaw for how many years now? Why would you want to anger a pregnant witch with that much raw power and that many spells at her disposal. Mr. Potter on the other hand has never lied about his abilities other than to make himself sound less talented to fit in with his age group. You would never hear him boast about his prowess. Now eat and if I hear of any more threats or bullying I will campaign for you suspension or expulsion. At very least, any and all detentions will be served with me on this matter." Riddle sits down as the students reevaluate their stances on the Potter couple.
