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Stars
Chapter 9: The Easel
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Summary: What if Harry wasn't taken in by Petunia? What if, instead, he was taken in by another wizard who moved into number four after Petunia forced her family to move to avoid taking in the freak? Neutral!Harry
Beta: Cauchy! Big thanks to her for being my beta! This means less confusing words and spelling errors and brains flying around.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own character.
A/N: Harry is neither stupid nor daft. He simply doesn't believe that Voldemort is alive. Considering how many people think he's dead, would you? If someone who looked like a baby and claimed to be a dead person, no one would take them seriously. Harry doesn't either—he thinks someone is impersonating Voldemort.
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"And that's what happened!"
Harry looked up at Cygnus, whose eyebrow had risen until it almost vanished in his hairline.
"So… let me see if I understood you correctly," Cygnus said carefully. Harry leaned forward on the Hospital Wing's bed, watching his dad's hands. Cygnus was folding and unfolding his napkin repeatedly, as he always did when something worried him.
When Dumbledore had shown up, he had insisted Harry be taken to the Hospital Wing to receive a check-up while he called Cygnus. Cygnus had come relatively quickly and Harry poured out the tale over a light evening snack. As Cygnus had not thrown Dumbledore out of the room, the old man had stayed to listen.
"You met a baby who claimed to be a dead guy," Cygnus started, "who wanted you to get a rock out of a mirror, which apparently the baby couldn't get for whatever reason. Because you couldn't get the rock, Quirrell wanted to kill you, which failed because of my wards. Then you had a chat with the not-yet-but-really-should-be dead man-baby and Dumbledore rushed in when they were about to leave anyway."
"That's about the gist of it," Harry said, nodding along. Cygnus looked at Harry closely, then turned to Dumbledore, who was standing by the door.
"So, what is this rock and why is it in a school full of children?" Cygnus asked sharply, looking irritated. "If this is one of your convoluted plans to get Harry to become a weapon, Albus, I swear, you'll find yourself in deep trouble."
Dumbledore didn't reply immediately, stroking his beard as he thought.
"This stone was entrusted to me by an old friend of mine," he said finally. "It has the power to make someone immortal by producing the Elixir of Life and can create gold out of any metal. I simply wanted to keep it safe."
"For a man who is supposedly a war hero and is quite politically powerful, you sure lack resources when you need them the most. I repeat, why is this object in a school full of children?" Cygnus snarled, his fists clenched.
Dumbledore looked at the irate man in bewilderment and Cygnus exploded.
"You stupid, stupid man!" He bellowed. Harry jumped in alarm, wincing away from his father. "What would you have done if Quirrell decided to KIDNAP someone for the stone?! Would you have left a CHILD to die for the "greater good"?! What would you have done if he had sealed children in a classroom and refused exit until you gave him the stone?!" Cygnus took a deep, shuddering breath, his eyes flashing, but then continued, in a calmer, but clearly still angry voice. Harry had never seen his father so furious before. "You are just lucky that I put up wards that would have prevented Quirrell from hexing my son or scrambling his brains! You have hundreds, maybe thousands of people who are willing to help you and you chose to endanger the school and all the children?! Are you daft?!"
Dumbledore's eyes were very wide by the time Cygnus finished his rant. McGonagall had burst in the Hospital Wing in the middle of it, holding up her wand but freezing as she processed the words. She was looking at Cygnus in astonishment, as if no one had questioned Dumbledore's judgment before. Harry was staring at his dad, completely bewildered at seeing Cygnus lose it.
"To be fair," Dumbledore said, looking very grim, "I didn't know that Professor Quirrell was the one who was assisting Voldemort."
Cygnus looked like he was about to have an aneurism, but Dumbledore held up a hand.
"But I will apologize for keeping the stone in Hogwarts. Clearly, I should have thought things through," Dumbledore continued. "I'm afraid I did not consider that Voldemort might do something like hold a hostage or kidnapping Harry."
"You fought in a war, Albus!" Cygnus sneered, his eyes flashing with anger. "Tell me that war was all pretty and no one had to die. Tell me that war is fair. Tell me that you did not witness children being killed or heartless cruelty."
Dumbledore didn't reply, his blue eyes grave. Harry knew the answer even without Cygnus saying it.
"You can't," Cygnus said, scowling. "You can't because you know what it's like. So tell me then, why should I continue Harry's schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? You've proven yourself incompetent as a Headmaster. First with the troll, then with Quirrell, and now with Voldemort and the supposed stone. Clearly, there leaves much to be desired in your decisions."
McGonagall gaped a little. "You… you can't do that! Hogwarts is one of the finest schools in the entire Wizarding world!"
"Harry's been here for less than a year and he's been repeatedly attacked, nearly died from magical exhaustion, nearly crippled from brain damage, almost beaten to a pulp, and one of your very own instructors was assisting a mass murderer. Woman! Does this sound like a school you would like to send your children to?!" Cygnus snapped at her. "Stay out of it!"
Dumbledore looked at Cygnus sadly, his eyes almost shimmering with tears. Cygnus felt his anger cool just a little.
"I know I have erred," Dumbledore said. "I am an old man, who has come to understand that many people are selfish. I could not find the heart in me to place the stone somewhere where someone might be tempted for its power or they would be targeted."
"So, what you're saying is that it's alright to target the children here?" Cygnus growled.
"Of course not." Dumbledore sank into a chair, looking older than Harry had ever seen him. "But the fact that I am here… and Voldemort has always been wary of my abilities… I never dreamed that he would infiltrate my school and try to steal it right under my nose."
"If that truly was Voldemort, I have my doubts, then you should know better than anyone," Cygnus said, his brow furrowed. "He's desperate! Desperate men do irrational things!"
"Voldemort has been missing for many, many years," Dumbledore said. Harry looked at McGonagall in surprise, wondering what she was doing. McGonagall was doing this strange flinching motion every time someone mentioned Voldemort's name.
"And he was biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to regain all of his strength, his magic, his body at once. Which you provided and baited him with!" Cygnus growled at Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded.
"Now that I know he is truly alive—" Dumbledore started, but Harry cut him off.
"But how are you sure it really was him?" Harry asked suddenly. McGonagall looked scandalized.
"Mr. Rowan! You will show your respect to the Headmaster—" she began, but Cygnus cut her off.
"He's not about to be his Headmaster for very much longer. I believe I told you to stay out of it!" Cygnus snarled. McGonagall promptly snapped her mouth shut, glaring at Cygnus darkly. Cygnus ignored it.
Dumbledore paused. "What do you mean, Harry?"
"Couldn't it be someone impersonating him, like you were impersonated?" Harry asked. "Even if it wasn't, how are you so sure that it really was Voldemort? Voldemort was supposedly killed by a rebound Killing Curse. The Killing Curse is said to be one of the few spells that can't be blocked."
"And yet, you survived," Dumbledore said kindly. Harry frowned.
"Not sure how or why," Harry said. "Cygnus said there are some wards that can deflect strong curses and hexes, but the stronger the curse, the more magic it takes to deflect."
"If it were something as powerful as the Killing Curse, Harry," Cygnus said, looking at him. "It would have killed whoever was supplying it with power. The only exception would be if the wardist had as much control as I do in their magic supply, but even that is very, very risky. Too many spells or an overpowered one would overwhelm the ward and kill the wardist. I am no exception to that rule."
Harry looked worried, but turned back to Dumbledore. Cygnus reached over with a hand, gently holding Harry's hand as the boy's lip trembled a little.
"The Killing Curse rebounded because of your mother's love. Love is a very powerful magic," Dumbledore said gently. Both Cygnus and Harry gave him a stare that said 'are you for real?'
"…Harry, I would guess your mother read something about warding and tried it, not fully understanding what she was getting in to," Cygnus said after a pause. "Not everyone can learn warding and not everyone survives, even the initial warding practice."
"Okay, Dad," Harry said, nodding.
He thought of all the things Cygnus had told him about his birth mother and father and felt a rush of pride through him. Cygnus mostly got news from the goblins or papers and had dug up the papers back when he had first moved in to show Harry the stories.
Harry wondered if Dumbledore was truly that daft or if he thought of Harry as a stupid child. Love might have been a powerful motivator, but many children and parents were murdered in the last war. Where was the love then? Did those mothers or fathers somehow love their children any less than Lily loved him? Lily Potter wasn't unique in that aspect.
Cygnus stood up, his eyes serious. "Harry, do you want to stay here? If you don't then I can enroll you in another institution, perhaps one that takes pride in protecting their students from inside and outside dangers."
Dumbledore held his breath, feeling very much like he should protest, but unable to find a good reason to. Cygnus was completely correct in his decision and he has a very good reason to remove Harry from Hogwarts. The school's reputation would take a blow when the Boy-Who-Lived withdrew to transfer to another school, but Dumbledore would much prefer that then the potential damage that Cygnus, as Harry's father, could do if were he to inform the media of this.
The Prophet was always looking for a story to sell, no matter how many people's lives were ruined because of it. It was controlled, but only partially and Dumbledore was sure that this story was far more valuable than the amount of money that he could afford to pay for it to be suspended.
Harry looked at Cygnus before glancing at Dumbledore. Cygnus sighed.
"You don't have to decide right away," Cygnus said. "Make your decision during our trip and I'll decide the next course of action."
Harry nodded at Cygnus. Dumbledore spoke up, unable to take the silence anymore.
"I would like it very much if you would continue in Hogwarts, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "I understand that you are… wary of the dangers that this year exposed you to, but I suppose there was a reason that Cygnus had warded your trunk and your person."
Cygnus gave Dumbledore a glare and frowned deeply. Harry glared at Dumbledore.
"Those were wards against students. Not trolls or dead Dark Lords," Harry snapped. "My dad did not anticipate me getting attacked so savagely or your lack of protection to students who were under your care. My dad could have—"
"Enough," Cygnus said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, I want you to finish up your exams this year and then we'll go on our trip. I would like your answer during the trip and will arrange the rest." His hand slid down to Harry's hand and he gripped it lightly. "For now, get some rest. You need it after the insanity that had transpired."
Cygnus glared at Dumbledore and stood up, dropping Harry's hand. "As for you, I believe I have quite a few more words for you. Such as you not putting in the paperwork for me to adopt Harry magically and leaving him an orphan for you to manipulate."
"My dear boy, I would hardly call it—" Dumbledore started, but Cygnus grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. Dumbledore could have easily hexed it off, but the vexed Cygnus seemed rather determined to take this conversation outside. McGonagall scowled at them as they left and Cygnus glared right back.
"Call it what you want, but it's manipulating." Cygnus finally spoke when they reached Dumbledore's office. "I want a full explanation. Now, Albus! And for the record, I am not 'your boy', 'your dear', or 'your' anything! Never call me such again. It's highly condescending and I don't appreciate the familiarity." He let the old man go and sat down in a chair facing the desk.
Dumbledore sat down, contemplating his choices. Cygnus was an adult, but there seemed to be cultural differences that he didn't understand. Such as how Cygnus didn't withhold information from Harry and preferred to tell him outright. Such as how Cygnus didn't seem to care that he was mentioning a relatively sensitive topic in front of a potentially scared boy.
"Why did you tell Harry about Voldemort so quickly? A child his age shouldn't need to know these things," Dumbledore said instead of answering Cygnus' unasked question.
Cygnus frowned at Dumbledore, knowing exactly what he was doing. Nevertheless, he answered the question. "A child his age also shouldn't have lived through attempted murder, but he has. I told him a truth, Albus, which might be a lost concept on you, but it isn't on me. It's the cold hard truth that he will learn sooner or later, and I would rather it sooner so he would not fall victim to the nasty rumors and crazy theories that the students conjure. Despite what you think, keeping this information from him will not help him. In fact, it could only hurt him."
Dumbledore paused, thinking. He was well aware of the types of rumors that spread around the halls of Hogwarts. Harry, with his kind of fame, could learn something about dealing with it, if Cygnus had given him a chance. "Surely you understand you will not always be there to protect him and to tell him things. You are not all-knowing."
"I am well aware, Albus," Cygnus sniffed, slightly offended. "The question is, are you aware that you aren't either? I know Harry best, as I raised him. I raised him to succeed, but as a child, he needs guidance. He needs the truth, or he will never understand why. What do you know about Harry?"
"He's a good child," Dumbledore defended. Cygnus rolled his eyes.
"So what? That doesn't mean he'll stay good. Especially if I lie to him," Cygnus said, "Albus, I am not a fool. You know next to nothing about my son because you never bothered to see him as him. You only see what you want him to be. I'm telling you right now, if you withhold information from me, Harry will never trust you. You want him to defeat Voldemort because of some stupid prophecy. I will not put him out on the battlefield. I will find another way. If that means that I go face Voldemort myself, then so be it."
"You are a dedicated father, but not the kind that Harry needs," Dumbledore tried to reason. "You must understand that telling him this early about his role will cut short his childhood. He needs gentle teaching."
"I put expectations on my son and he knows that," Cygnus said, frowning deeply, insulted. "Keeping secrets from Harry will not help him. It will not stop people from attacking him. Ignorance is not bliss, Albus. Answer my question. Why did you not tell me about the adoption process?"
Dumbledore sighed deeply and folded his hands. "To be honest, I was wary of you."
"That's bull," Cygnus said sharply. "I'm a wardist. I dare you to find someone better than a wardist to take famous Harry Potter in. There is no one better suited to protect a child."
"Not of your abilities. Of you," Dumbledore corrected.
"Of me? What is there to be wary about? Whether or not I would be a suitable father?" Cygnus raised an eyebrow. "You knew nothing about me and you judged me on my appearance? My job? My skills?"
Dumbledore smiled gently and leaned back in his seat. "Do you understand? You are a stranger to our lands."
"Harry was a baby. I doubt he'd know the difference," Cygnus said. "And why would my foreign background matter to you? You are not Harry's grandfather, his father, or his godfather. Such a decision shouldn't matter to you."
"As a close family friend…" Dumbledore said thoughtful. "It matters to me simply because I care."
"You care about what? Your ability to control Harry? Or Harry's happiness? Which is it, Albus, because it certainly isn't his happiness," Cygnus asked. He seemed exhausted. "I tire of your games, old man. You're not doing us any favors by hiding such a thing, so why bother? Plus, you are no longer in a position in Harry's life where you can decide such a thing for him. You want to use Harry to kill Voldemort. I don't agree with this, but for the sake of argument, let's say that I was out of the picture. What in the world would you have planned for that poor child?"
"It's for the greater good," Dumbledore sighed. "You weren't here at the time, but Voldemort was a nightmare to everyone in Britain. You do not understand the fear and terror that people experienced. The horror."
"I imagine it is exactly what war is like," Cygnus said, frowning. "Harry stopped all that, but Voldemort will rise again. So what? You want to throw Harry into that horror?"
"You are still young. You don't understand," Dumbledore said, shaking his head.
"Don't patronize me," Cygnus hissed. "I may be far younger than you, but it does not mean I have not experienced war or suffering." He glared deeply at Dumbledore and then looked away. Dumbledore looked taken aback, as if he had not expected that kind of response.
"Albus, tell me, do you honestly care what happens to Harry? To any of the students in your care?" Cygnus asked quietly. "From what I can tell, the answer is 'no'. Can you say something that will prove me wrong?"
Dumbledore looked at his hands that were still folded. "I want the best for children. It's just… I know that some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Through experiencing them. There is a time to tell the truth, but I'm afraid that it isn't now. I fear, telling Harry too early would impact his mentality as a child."
"Who are you to tell me that? I know my son better than you do. Albus, I prepare for the worst. That includes the possibility of my death. Death is one of those cruel experiences that Harry will, sooner or later, have to deal with. You haven't even experienced that yet. Are you trying to get others to? Are you trying to get children to?" Cygnus sighed heavily.
"I am a coward that ran away from the truth," Dumbledore said. "Yes, even death."
"I will not let Harry make that same mistake. To run from the truth will not falsify it in the end," Cygnus said. "I will protect him from death. Even if it costs me my life."
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"Mister Rowan, your father is extremely rude! You should tell him to respect the Headmaster more," McGonagall said, looking indignant. Her hands were crossed over her chest and her face was quite severe.
"Professor," Harry said, looking at her. "I am not your middle man. If you have a problem with my dad, tell him directly." Harry was about to turn away, but then thought of his folly. He lacked insight on Dumbledore's character and therefore someone was able to impersonate him. Perhaps he should strive to correct this folly. "You seem to talk highly of Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall. Why is that?"
McGonagall paused, her anger vanishing. "Mister Rowan, are you aware of what Professor Dumbledore has done in the past?"
"My dad mentioned he was a war hero. I fail to see why that would make him famous," Harry said, shaking his head. "A life is something that can't be replaced and if Professor Dumbledore killed people..." He trailed off, looking meaningfully at McGonagall.
"Rowan, there are Dark Wizards at large. It's not as simple as plain murder," McGonagall said. "Professor Dumbledore has done his best in two wars, one of which he won. He removed the horror and fear in our lives."
"Does he forget that everyone that you kill has a family? Friends? People aren't born out of thin air. When a life is lost, all they can do is grieve," Harry said, shrugging. "If he hasn't forgotten that, then I bet he's not happy in the least in being a war hero."
McGonagall looked at Harry and sighed. "It is true. But in battles where it's our life against theirs, what choice do we have?"
"And yet, you've made that choice already. That's why you're here," Harry said. "You want to live. Same with Professor Dumbledore. He wants to live so he's fought his way through it. Even if it meant taking lives. And sacrifices."
Nodding, McGonagall looked at the ground, her face grim. "Yes. That is how war is."
"And you respect him for that?" Harry asked, looking at McGonagall.
"I respect him for all the sacrifices he has had to make in the past. Friends of his. His family… He gave them up to fight for us and without him, we might not have won," McGonagall said.
"I see… But the sacrifices are still dead," Harry said honestly. "I will pay my respects to them, like I do to my parents."
McGonagall didn't seem to know what to say to that.
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The rest of the year passed in a daze. The weather warmed quite dramatically. The area around the lake turned into a popular hangout, but Harry preferred the isolation of his dorm room.
Draco continued to stalk Harry, but now Harry appreciated it a lot more. If Draco had been watching him at the time, he wouldn't have gotten kidnapped by Quirrell so easily.
Harry wondered where Quirrell had gone. The ex-Professor seemed to be in hiding, if the lack of news was anything to go by. There were rumors around the school each more ridiculous than the last, but Harry knew that the man would have to remain hiding for the rest of his life.
Exams weren't very difficult, but that may have been because the teachers had went easy on him. It seemed like they had known about the truth of the face-off between Harry and Quirrell while the rest of the school cooked up rumors.
As for the baby Voldemort, Harry felt a little sorry for whoever it really was. After all, he had been able to scare Quirrell into obeying him them. They must have been one powerful wizard. To have been stuck as a baby, permanently or not, must have really sucked.
Harry thought about Voldemort and his supposed return. He also fished through the library about immortality and finally managed to find out the identity of the rock that Dumbledore had been guarding in Hogwarts. The Philosopher's Stone was a rather precious item in itself, but supposedly, Dumbledore had destroyed it. Harry felt like that was a bit of a pity; with an item like that, Harry could help so many people.
Money might not buy happiness, but money could buy things that made people happy. Money could buy food, water, shelter, even lives. It was a complete waste of an artifact to simply let it sit there. Immortality wasn't something Harry wanted or needed—he would much rather have the gold portion of it.
To be honest, Harry didn't really understand why Dumbledore placed the stone in Hogwarts. According to the text, Nicholas Flamel was Dumbledore's old friend and the owner of said stone. Why would it suddenly become safer when placed with Dumbledore? Dumbledore was no wardist. He was a powerful wizard, sure, but Dumbledore wasn't exactly placing the stone on his person to protect it.
Harry sighed heavily, looking at Draco as he shut his trunk. He had a lot of homework for the holidays, but he was hoping Cygnus would let him do it after the trip.
Taiwan was an island; a beautiful island with the mountains and ocean nearby. Harry enjoyed the brief visits. The food was strange, but also quite delicious.
He left his trunk to go to the feast, walking with Draco the entire time. Draco was rambling on about his manor and how much Harry would love it, but Harry was hardly paying attention. His mind was occupied with thoughts about Voldemort-baby and Quirrell. Perhaps Harry should tell Draco about it. Draco seemed like a good friend, even if Cygnus didn't think so.
Cygnus seemed against Harry being friends with the younger Malfoy. In Harry's opinion, Cygnus had not spent enough time with the younger Malfoy to judge. Would it be worth it to try to prove Cygnus wrong?
"Draco, I need to tell you a story. A…" Harry hesitated, debating on whether to tell the truth or not. He decided on half the truth, just in case Cygnus had been right about the younger Malfoy. "…A dream that I had a couple days ago."
Draco was surprisingly attentive as Harry recounted the details to the younger Malfoy.
By the time Harry finished, Draco had frozen up.
"You… You met He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?! In your dream?! And he was a… a… baby?!" Draco burst out laughing, struggling to breathe as he gasped for air. Harry gave a sheepish grin as Draco continued to laugh, clutching the wall.
"Well… Considering that no one really knows what he looks like… I guess my mind ran away on its own," Harry said, blushing a little.
Draco took a few minutes to catch his breath and then looked at Harry. "It is strange that Quirrell went missing. I knew he was an incompetent teacher, but running away like that was really odd. I wonder what happened to him."
"Rumors say he got dragged off by the vampire he was trying to ward away," Harry said, grinning. "Or maybe he really did run off with a baby who pretended to be Voldemort."
Draco flinched a little and shook his head. "Can you… stop saying his name? It is somewhat taboo to. The Dark Lord as a baby… ah…. I should tell my mother. She would have a good laugh."
Harry was pleased to note that Draco seemed a lot more pleasant during the feast. Draco didn't even make one nasty comment when Hermione came over to compare test answers. He simply ignored the girl, as if she didn't exist.
Draco's good mood continued through the train ride home. Harry gathered his trunk and walked off the Hogwarts Express, laughing with Draco. Even the sight of Cygnus talking with Lucius Malfoy in King's Cross didn't bother him.