Dumbledore's Man

"Mr. Potter, the Headmaster wants to see you right away." Professor McGonnagall said as she approached.

Harry blinked owlishly.

"Yes ma'am." Harry nodded as he stood up from his dinner.

"Just go to his office. He'll meet you there." She ordered.

"Yes professor." Harry agreed before he walked away.

I've been ignored for several months by the headmaster and then out of the blue he wants to see me? I don't understand.

A five minute wait in front of the Headmaster's office led to his entrance and first actual discussion with the headmaster that year.

"Harry, I realize that you were probably hurt by my actions; notably ignoring you and I'm sorry. However, I had reasons to do so. Still, something has come to my attention that I cannot ignore." Dumbledore sighed quietly before he continued. "I've been trying to guide you, and make you into the man you have to become but someone's been interfering with that."'

Harry's eyes widened.

"You've been manipulating me sir?" Harry demanded.

"The short answer, yes. But the long answer is that I did everything I did for you. For starters, yes I did place you at the Dursley's fully knowing that they weren't the best people. However, it protected you from people like our friend Lucius Malfoy who would have used you for their own greed. Then I watched from a distance and placed anti-assault wards on your home. While you weren't protected from verbal abuse, at least the physical abuse was nonexistent while inside your home." Dumbledore's eyes were moist with unshed tears. "I did what I could while obeying the laws of the land, and to still keep you safe from the enemies hands. After you returned to the wizarding world I was able to take a much larger role."

At this Dumbledore stopped for a moment, grabbed a lemon drop, and placed it in his mouth. Once he had he offered the bowl to Harry who shook his head. Dumbledore smiled lightly and placed the bowl back on his large desk.

"I thought that you could become the man you need to become with the right friends and so after looking at several Wizarding families I found the one that was noble in spirit, and had several successful children. I found the Weasleys. I asked Molly to meet up with you at the platform so you could be introduced to her youngest. I had thought that young Mr. Weasley would be like his older brothers, confident, intelligent, hard working, and loyal. To my slowly dawning horror, he was anything but. Miss. Granger became my new hope, after she became your friend. She was an unknown factor; she still is actually. Almost immediately she proved to be what I had been searching for to befriend you. But, by the time I realized that it was too late. You had already befriended her antithesis. By this point I was...as the Americans say 'Sweating Bullets'. However, the Troll incident befriended you all. At this I felt relief." Dumbledore's popped another lemon drop in his mouth.

"To my shock, Miss. Granger's influence seemed less than that of Mr. Weasley. So I decided to wait, and give you time. Before I knew it we were here, in fifth year. I was baffled. It seemed the longer you went, the duller your mind was getting. In first year you had some brilliance that made me have hope, in second you put together pieces of a puzzle that many would have not. But, by third year you were being led around by the nose. Others guided you like a puppet. It was much the same last year. You could have figured out a way to get out of the tournament. However, it would have taken out of the box thinking and as a judge of the Tri-Wizard I wasn't able to tell you or even help prod you in the right direction. But, you just accepted it." Dumbledore shook his head tiredly.

"So, I began to wonder. What was causing this? Why were you seemingly getting duller witted? Then it occurred to me that you might indeed be getting duller. So, I investigated. That's when I finally put the pieces together."

"What pieces Sir?" Harry asked his headmaster with a shocked look engraved upon his face.

"Mrs. Weasley knew that her youngest would constantly be jealous if you out preformed him. So, she made a concoction and told her son to give it to you. It is called the mind-voiding potion. It's excellent if you need to dull someone's senses or mind for a time. Healers use it to keep patients calm while undergoing complex treatments. However, if it is constantly administered it leaves the victim in an primal; easily angered state. People who are under it for long bouts of time become reckless, angry, brooding, and they stop thinking things through. The fog envelops their minds completely." Dumbledore explained.

"So that's why..." They heard a horrified whisper.

Dumbledore's eyes snapped away from Harry and to a figure standing in the doorway.

"H-Hermione?" Harry gasped in shock.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried, raced to him and gave him one of her near legendary hugs.

Dumbledore chuckled lightly at the scene in front of him.

"Miss. Granger why did you come up here?" Dumbledore asked.

"I came because I was worried about my friend." She replied.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Very impressive Miss. Granger."

Hermione nodded absently before she turned attention back to the boy she was hugging.

"Harry, how are you feeling?" She asked in concern.

"It's okay. I'm fine." Harry said mechanically.

"That's another side effect of the Potion; to be unable to tell others how you actually feel." Dumbledore noted clinically as he rummaged through his desk drawers.

While Hermione held him Dumbledore let out a small laugh of triumph.

"Here it is!" Dumbledore said; pleased.

"Here is what?" Harry asked dumbly.

"The antidote. A mind-restoring draft." Dumbledore handed it over to the two teens.

Hermione investigated the potion for a long moment before she nodded.

"It is Harry. It should help you out a lot." She confirmed as she handed it over to the raven haired boy.

Harry dully took the potion and a few moments later his eyes sharpened and he seemed more alert.

"My mind was dulled." Harry admitted.

"I can already see the differences." Hermione said.

Harry stared at Hermione before he started to sob.

"I'm so sorry Hermione!" He held onto her like a lifeline.

"Harry? What's the matter?" She asked worriedly.

"I was a terrible friend, and a horrid person to be around!" He managed to explain through his sobs.

"It's okay Harry. It wasn't your fault." She said soothingly as she rubbed his back.

"But it was! I should have-" At this Hermione interrupted.

"Your mind was just a step above Neville's parents. There isn't much you can do in a state like that."

Hermione comforted the distraught boy until his sobs receded to an occasional tear.

"Thank you Hermione...For being my friend, for everything." Harry said weakly.

"It was my pleasure." Hermione said gently.

A few moments later Dumbledore spoke.

"Miss. Granger, I also thank you for being Harry's friend. He needs them. Also, I need to make sure that there isn't any potions in your system as well Miss. Granger." Dumbledore said.

"Potions in my system?" She questioned.

"That's right."

"You see, after I grew suspicious of Mrs. Weasley and her youngest two children I found out Harry was doused with potions. However, it didn't explain the 'why' to it. Mrs. Weasley wanted you to be the wife of young Ron Weasley, and Harry to be the husband of Miss Weasley."

"Ron and I?" Hermione looked mostly repulsed at the very idea.

However, to both Dumbledore and Harry it seemed as though there was a lingering affection within her. Instantly, the aged Headmaster shot to his feet and began an intricate waving of his wand. The old man's eyes widened as he saw Hermione glow in a pink, crimson, and yellow aura.

"What do those colors mean sir?" Harry asked.

"The pink aura stands for a love/and lust potion. It's been keyed to Mr. Ron Weasley, the Crimson is a potion that causes a person to gradually dislike a close friend, in this case; Mr. Potter, and the yellow is a loyalty potion; and it is tied to the Weasley family."

I'm pumped full of potions?" Hermione asked in horror.

Dumbledore looked a century older.

"Yes." He replied grimly.

Dumbledore quickly rummaged through his desk again and passed over a series of potions to Hermione.

"Please take each of these. The green one will probably make your stomach upset so you'll want to be beside the garbage bin." Dumbledore warned.

"Why does the green one do that?" Hermione asked.

"It makes your body reject the Love potions and helps clear your bloodstream of them. Because it's the one the flushes your system in such a way it needs to be the first one you take." Dumbledore told her.

Hermione nodded, and after a moment swallowed the contents of the vial in one gulp.

She grimaced at the flavor.

"Sorry about the taste Miss. Granger, however it was the only way to clear out the love potions."

"Wait...If I was intended for Ginny, then wouldn't it make sense that I have some of those potions in my body?" Harry asked worriedly.

Dumbledore nodded.

"You're quite right. I'll scan you to find out if they've already done that to you." Dumbledore agreed and did a scan.

Harry glowed a light pink.

"You'll need the green potion as well." Dumbledore noted and dug through his desk drawers for another potion.

While he did so the green potion began to cause Hermione to heave.

Harry winced and rubbed Hermione's back as she expelled the contents of her stomach in the garbage bin. For a good ten minutes she constantly heaved. Weakly, she wiped the edge of her mouth clean. She smiled at Harry hesitantly.

Harry smiled back at her before he acted. He quickly banished the contents of the garbage bin and helped Hermione into a set.

Then Harry took his potion.

Once they had finished with the potions Harry and Hermione turned their attention back to the aged headmaster.

"Harry, I had originally planned to let you learn how to live, and how to win on your own. However, I've come to the conclusion that even the child of Prophesy needs some guidance."

"Child of Prophesy?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded.

"It has been foretold that a new hope would come to us. However, I can't tell you the contents of the prophesy until you learn how to defend your mind. Originally I was going to have Severus teach you how to do this. However, with everything that's happened, I will teach you myself."

Harry's eyes widened in shock.

"Thank you sir. And sir?" Harry asked.

"Yes Harry?" Dumbledore prodded.

"Is there a way for me to keep a clear mind so the potions don't take me again?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore sighed.

"There is only one way to protect yourselves from this. Don't take them again. However, I will do scans from time to time and give you any antidotes needed."

"Thank you sir." Harry smiled.

"It's my duty to protect my students, and while I do not have the power to expel Mr. And Miss. Weasley I can keep an eye on them."

Hermione glared at this.

"Why can't you?" She demanded.

"Politics. If I were to expel a pureblood, even a Weasley at this time the decision would be reversed and I would lose what little ability I have to counter their movements. I also would no longer be headmaster, or even an instructor here."

"Umbridge." Harry mumbled.

"That's right." Dumbledore agreed quietly.

Harry mumbled a few choice words under his breath.

"Harry!" Hermione chastised.

"Sorry." He apologized.

"There is one other thing I think that you two can do. It will help gain you support and loyalty from your fellow students."

Harry and Hermione looked at their headmaster interestedly.

"You see, Delores Umbridge is not teaching students how to defend themselves..."

IDEA: Dumbledore's a good guy who thought that Ron would be like his brothers, and since he isn't Dumbledore decides to intervene. HP stupid from mind-dulling elixir given to him by RW from Molly. Molly, Ginny and Ron have their reasons....But none of them good for Harry/Hermione.

Paring? Do you need to ask? ^.^

This is during 5th year...

Radiant Chaos chapter is currently being revised and edited, extra chunks will be added. it's going a little slower but it should be much better because of it.