Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
A/N 1: I really have no idea why so many of you thought the last chapter was a cliffhanger. If you thought that, then this one is going to throw you all into a snit. You've been suitably warned. :)
A/N 2: And, yes, I'm really taking the mickey out of Dumbledore in this chapter... just as you've been warned I will. The point Harry's making, if you can't figure it out with all the advanced clues left for you, is to demonstrate Dumbledore's shenanigans up via over-the-top parody.
Chapter Sixteen - 'Alby-Walby Above-the-Law Dissemblemore'
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―==(oIo)==―
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First, Harry let off a charm that had the first riff of the brass band version of 'Hail to the Chief' blare out as he, taking reasonably long strides, strode into the room. He held his head high.
What those in the room saw when they focused their gazes on him, drawn to him by the blaring trumpets, was the missing Lord Peverell quite outlandishly dressed. He was dressed in pure white old-fashioned closed robes with near-neon coloured and completely animated fireworks going off in the embroidery, covering the entire set of robes. On his head was a narrow-brimmed conical hat with the peak tightly 'rolled' forward and down. On his feet were white wizarding slippers, which just peeked out from under the hem of his robes as his feet scissored back and forth as he strode. The only non-colourful part of his dress was the two crests on his breast signifying him to be the Lord of the twin Houses of Peverell and Potter.
The entire chamber had gone silent as he entered. It could have been due to the blaring of the trumpets, his outlandish dress, simple shock or any combination of the three. Either way, they remained silent as he walked forward.
Focused only on Bones, who looked back at him in gaping shock, he lightly smirked at her when her monocle dropped out of her eye socket. And came to a stop slightly forward of Dumbledore.
"Ameeeellia, my dear guuuurrllll!" he cheerily called, clearly mocking Dumbledore. "How wuuun-derful to see you! I'm suuuurre you'll excuse me for being a condescending tool by not addressing you by your rightful title. I am, after all, Alby-Walby Above-the-Law Dissemblemore, Headjob of Pig Pimple School of Prankcraft and Trickery, Dictatorial Head of the Order of the Flaming Flamingo, Leader of the Bright!"
Using a hidden rune in the cuff of his off-hand sleeve as he spoke, suddenly his hat unfurled straight up on the word 'bright' and, as the red pom-pom on top appeared to rattle a little, it actually gave the sound of a loud raspberry. Then it immediately rewound down and tight. In an imperious and condescending tone he added, "You may... genuflect!"
That had quite a few in the Members' tiers start snorting and snickering; though they also tried to muffle it.
Appearing almost as an after-thought and before the chamber could recover from its collective shock Harry raised his right hand flicked it about the room saying, "Wandless compulsion charm... Wandless compulsion charm... Wandless compulsion charm."
That had a few, especially in the Members' tiers, snap out of their shock and draw their wands for a quick scan of themselves.
"Really, Lord Peverell," snapped Bones, one of those first to scan themselves... and come up clear.
"Now, Ameeeelia; you can call me... Dictator Dissemblemore," he returned before pointing a finger at his eyes. "Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle."
That earned him a few more snickers and a quick, short burst of laughter.
"I, of course, demand... sorry... insisty-wisty you address me by my proper title while I address you by your first name, just so you understand that I am superior to you," he said. "Of course, I also address you as 'my dear girl' to further cement within your minds that you are an innocent child to my wise and more powerful adult self."
That earned him a few angry exclamations.
That's when he turned to look at Dumbledore. "Al-bus!" he mock-exclaimed. "My deeeeeear boooooyyy! It appears you have managed to finally get yourself... arrested!"
One of the Members gave an explosive snort of amusement before he started giggling.
Giving an overly-dramatic gasp of shock, Harry ignored it and asked, "Gasp!... Alby?... Have you gone... dull?!"
That had the giggler start laughing. Quite a few were now snickering and snorting in amusement.
"It's you who is dark, Peverell," the old man practically snarled back.
"I can't be dark, Albie-my-boy," Harry condescendingly returned. "For I am the leader of..." striking a heroic pose, "The bright! While you, Albie..." Then gestured at the chained older man. "The gold of the prisoner's chains just do not go well with the muted fuchsia, Albie-old-boy."
That earned him a few more snickers, chuckles and giggles from the Members as Dumbledore spluttered in near choleric anger.
Turning his attention to the gurney, Harry looked at the again unshrouded face of Riddle, held his left hand up as if cupping under a skull and said, "Alas! Poor Tommy; for you knew him... Albus."
"Lord Peverell!" barked Madam Bones; the only one, besides Dumbledore, who didn't seem amused by Harry's antics.
Immediately adopting a choir-boy-like expression, even if it was ruined by the slight smirk on his face, Harry looked back and asked, "Yes, Ameeeelia?... my dear giiirl?"
"Stop that!" she snapped back.
"Oh?" he asked, still smirking. Indicating Dumbledore he said, "Old Albus, here, behaves like a condescending tool all the time. Don't you, Albus?" Then he immediately ignored the man, deliberately denying him a response, as he turned back to Bones. "I figured everyone let him get away with it because he supposedly earned the Order of Merlin, First Class. Since you're trying to hang the same award around my neck... I also figured it was alright to behave with the same condescending attitude he constantly employs with all of you."
"No!" barked Dumbledore. "You can't give him an Order of Merlin... not even Third Class! I'm telling you, Voldemort will be back!
"This is a trick by the dark... probably some plan dreamed up between Voldemort and Peverell... to lull people into a false sense of security! They want everyone to believe Voldemort is dead so the light becomes easy pickings."
That little diatribe stunned everyone.
Harry was one of the first to recover, gave a snort and said, "Wow, Alby my dear boy! For your upcoming trial I see you're going for the mentally incompetent strategy. Can't say I blame you. With the wealth of evidence mounting against you, I think it's your only viable option."
"I am not losing my mind!" snap/growled the old man.
"More dissembling, Albus?" asked Harry. "I didn't say 'losing your mind', I said 'going for the mentally incompetent strategy'.
"Even though you near-constantly go with the fake wise old... and dottery... grandfather schtick you've had going on for years, I do not believe you're losing your mind. Your ability to constantly give an answer that isn't an answer, but is rather a one-off statement that gives the appearance of an answer, is truth enough of that!"
"Gentlemen!" snapped Bones, cutting in when it appeared Dumbledore was going to snarl something back at Harry.
As soon as she saw both turn their attention to her, she said, "Lord Peverell, we asked you to join us to give a statement describing what happened... what led to the death of Lor―" She suddenly paused and gestured to the body of Riddle. "Tom Riddle."
"Oh, him," said Harry, as if he'd only just figured that out. "He sent a triplet of his bully-boys out to my girlfriend's place to... shall we say... collect me. They then, whether I wanted to go or not, took me back to Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire; Riddle's supposedly super-secret hideout.
"While there and while surrounded by thirteen of Riddle's thugs... including the Chief Thug Riddle himself... I was fortunate to be able to defend myself long enough to free myself of their... let's say... unwanted and unappreciated company.
"In the process of accomplishing that, Riddle and his top thugs... otherwise known, I believe, as his Inner Circle... were all killed."
"You killed them," she stated.
"He murdered them!" declared Dumbledore.
Harry looked at him and grinned for a moment before he returned his attention to Bones. "See? I told you he'd immediately claim I'd murdered them. You owe me a sickle... Ameeeelia, my dear guurrll."
After a quick glance back at Dumbledore, Harry said, "In self defence I killed them, yes. And... as you would know and as is according to magical Britain's laws, Madam Bones... the use of lethal force in defence of self when lethal force is being applied towards yourself is lawful."
"Yes, Lord Peverell, it is," she firmly stated, scowling at Dumbledore as she did. "As such, no charges will be levelled towards you regarding the deaths of Tom Riddle or his supposed Inner Circle."
After another glare at a fuming Dumbledore, she asked, "And, Tom Riddle?"
"During the fight and recognising him to be the greatest threat to my life, I was luckily able to get a shot through his defences." Indicating the body, he said, "The piercing to the forehead of his body, there, is the result of that.
"I think I managed to get through the defences of most of the other thugs... Inner Circle... when they were momentarily shocked I was able to get through Chief Thug Riddle's defences.
"I consider myself both very lucky and very fortunate I'm still standing."
With a nod she added, "And, as Tom Riddle was already declared a dark lord... even if using his sobriquet of Lord Voldemort... there was a kill on sight order out on him and his followers, anyway. As such, there could never be a charge of manslaughter lawfully directed upon you."
Standing up proudly, he declared, "I... the one you should call Alby-Walby Above-the-Law Dissemblemore, Headjob of Pig Pimple School of Prankcraft and Trickery, Dictatorial Head of the Order of the Flaming Flamingo, Leader of the Bright..." Again and just as suddenly as the first time, his hat unfurled straight up and, as the red pom-pom on top appeared to rattle a little, it gave the sound of a loud raspberry. Then it again immediately rewound down and tight. "... have slayed the beast, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and his bully-boy thugs known as his supposed Inner Circle... and won the war for the forces of the BRIGHT!"
In an imperious and self-gratifying tone he added, "You may... applaud!"
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―==(oIo)==―
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In the Wizengamot chamber, quite a few people actually did start to applaud. That surprised Harry, quite a bit. He was going for comedic flippancy and the people in the chamber took him serious.
Out in the rest of Magical Britain, those who were listening in on the Wizarding Wireless Network, heard the applause slowly start, before it turned into what was nearing a full ovation.
It lasted for about half a minute before the Chief Warlock, Ogden, brought his gavel down for a couple of short and sharp raps on the little wooden disk on the bench before him. He wanted silence and quickly got it.
Harry was grinning at him.
Choosing to ignore the young man standing on the floor before him, Ogden turned to Madam Bones. "Madam Minister?" he asked. "Does what Lord Peverell shared with us match your own knowledge of the events?"
"It does, Chief Warlock," she firmly replied. "I was present and one of the first on the scene after the battle Lord Peverell had with Riddle and his Inner Circle. Other than having covered the bodies with clean white sheets... as he'd had to lead two previously kidnapped children out of a hidden chamber down behind a wall cabinet in the room in which it occurred and he didn't want the children to see the bodies... our forensic investigators from within the Auror Corps and from Saint Mungo's confirm what Lord Peverell has told us.
"A forensic examination of the scene showed that Lord Peverell was standing in the middle of the floor of the room and was surrounded by a ring that comprised all thirteen of Riddle's latest Inner Circle; with Riddle, himself, sitting on a throne-like chair on a low platform. At least three of the Inner Circle had, as their most recent casts reflected on examination of their wands, cast Killing curses at Lord Peverell during what was obviously a battle. Others had also cast dark or otherwise lethal curses at him.
"An examination of Lord Peverell's wand also shows he did not cast any dark curses back. However, what he did cast back was clearly effective and match what killed Riddle and the Death Eaters."
On an apparent roll, she continued, "It is the recommendation of the Minister's Office that Lord Peverell be awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, for his actions in destroying both the dark wizard known as the Dark Lord Voldemort, together with the entirety of his Inner Circle; and, therefore and as he claimed, ending the war. As you would know, the Order of Merlin, First Class, is always awarded to one who def―... who kills a dark lord, saving society from their depredations.
"However, Lord Peverell claims he will refuse any such award until such time, as he sees it, where previous such awards were awarded in error or not awarded as they should have been, are corrected."
"What, in Merlin's name, does that mean?!" barked Ogden right back, first and loudest to respond. Almost the entirety of the Wizengamot were apparently just as incensed as they were just as vociferous.
Before Bones could say anything, Harry firmly stated, "Perhaps you should direct your question to me... the Leader of the Bright!... considering I'm the one who said it and I'm standing right here."
As the Members quieted down again, amidst a great deal of muted anger and denunciations, the Chief Warlock turned his angry countenance on Harry. "Well?" he barked.
Harry's knee-jerk reaction was to go for flippant and answer, 'Yes, I am; thank you for asking', but he could see that would only make matters worse.
"The Order of Merlin has, in my opinion, become a joke," he replied, turning serious. "At least, to whom and why it is awarded in magical Britain at least."
Before anyone else - including the Chief Warlock - could arc up again, he began to explain. "The second last person in magical Britain awarded the Order of Merlin, even if it was a Third Class, was Peter Pettigrew. I understand it has since been stripped from him when it was discovered it should have been awarded to the person who he set up to take the fall for his crimes - Sirius Black. And that it has now correctly been awarded to Lord Sirius Black.
"However, there was a second person awarded an Order of Merlin, Third Class, surrounding those events - Cornelius Fudge. Cornelius Fudge was awarded the Order for supposedly capturing and taking into custody Voldemort's supposed right-hand wizard - Sirius Black. You now know Sirius Black was not the supposed right-hand wizard of Voldemort... and never was... and yet you've done nothing to rectify Cornelius Fudge being awarded the Order of Merlin, Third Class; an awarding... you all now damned well know... was for false purposes. And you knew that years ago."
He gave that a moment to be mentally absorbed by the members before he started on his next one.
"Next is the awarding of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, to Gilderoy Lockhart. I have it on very good authority, together with a memory strand of a situation where he blatantly admitted to two boys that he did not accomplish any of those feats of bravery defeating supposedly dark creatures he wrote about in his books. The two boys in question, whom he admitted this to, were Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter right before Harry Potter entered the Chamber of Secrets in June of 1993 to rescue an eleven year old girl.
"According to Gilderoy Lockhart himself, he wandered the world in search of others who had accomplished such acts and had them tell him all about what happened. Then he obliviated them of doing it, taking their feat unto himself and writing his books as if he was the one who performed them.
"He now, if I recall correctly, resides in the Janus Thickey Ward of Saint Mungo's, where he ended up because he tried to obliviate both Misters Weasley and Potter with a broken wand just before Mister Potter went on ahead into the Chamber of Secrets. The wand caused the obliviation curse to backfire, hitting him with his own curse and also bringing down the roof of the underground cave which lead to the Chamber.
"Then there's Mister Potter's heroic act of going into the Chamber of Secrets to rescue that then eleven year old girl. He knew it was very likely a basilisk he'd be facing and, apparently, he was right. Mister Potter fought a sixty plus foot long basilisk one-on-one with nothing but a sword... and came out victorious. I remind you that, at the time, Mister Potter was only twelve years old.
"Now, for any wizard to face such a fearsome beast should earn him a suitable award for bravery. That he did it when twelve years old... that he did it while only wielding a sword... that he did it to save a young witch... should see that award being an Order of Merlin, Second Class, at a minimum. That he did it to also save the entirety of the then population of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... full of all your heirs... should see that award upgraded to an Order of Merlin, First Class."
Out of the blue, one of the Members called out in a scoffing, disrespectful voice, "You expect us to believe Harry Potter, at only twelve years of age, killed a basilisk with a sword?"
Harry turned a flat stare on the man for long enough that the man slowly went white in fear, before he answered, "Yes. Actually, you can also ask old Alby, here," gesturing to Dumbledore, "If what I told you was the truth. Directly after Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Ginevra Weasley... the young girl they went down to rescue... returned from the Chamber of Secrets and before they were even taken to the infirmary, they were escorted by Minerva McGonagall to her office where Alby; his pet Death Eater, Severus Snape; and the Weasley parents, Arthur and Molly; awaited them.
"At the time, Ronald Weasley had a broken leg, Ginevra Weasley had just been freed of a partial forced possession and Harry Potter had just been bitten by that basilisk and only saved from dying from the bite by the Phoenix, Fawkes, crying tears into the wound.
"Even when this was explained to old Alby - and in the presence of Minerva McGonagall, Death Eater Snape and Arthur and Molly Weasley - medical aid was still not called. The Weasley parents took their children to the infirmary, where Ronald Weasley's leg had him in a bed and dosed with Skele-Gro for the night, but young Miss Weasley was taken directly home by her parents. After more than ten months of a forced partial possession, young Miss Weasley received no medical treatment, not even being attended at least once by a certified mind healer."
"That's criminal!" exclaimed Master Healer Stanwyck, who'd most recently given an expert medical opinion as to the cause of death and identity of Riddle's body.
The man strode forward from where he'd taken up station off to the side and was making a bee-line for Dumbledore. "Dumbledore, you bloody fool!" he barked. "Are you naffing insane?"
Dumbledore spluttered for a few moments before he imperiously glared back and declared, "I assure you, all the children were fine."
"Again with the naffing unqualified assurances, you old twit?" barked Stanwyck. "Need I remind you, yet again, you are not a Master Healer... let alone a Mind Healer... let alone even a bloody medi-wizard?"
As Stanwyck continued to glare at Dumbledore after snarling at him, Harry took the narrative back up. "Old Alby here, who has no medical qualifications whatsoever, decided she needed no such medical intervention and declared her fit enough to return home; and the Weasley parents took his word for it... because he is, after all, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and his word is... good enough."
"No, it's bloody not!" barked Stanwyck.
"As for Harry Potter," Harry continued, "After interrogating the poor boy for an hour... and even when the poor boy showed Albus, McGonagall and Snape where the basilisk bit him... Albus continued to interrogate the boy until he, the mighty Albus Dumbledore, had wrung every skerrick of information out of him that he could.
"Then... get this... he did not then order the boy to go to the infirmary. No, old Albus here ordered the boy to return directly to the Gryffindor tower... and even had McGonagall directly escort him there, just in case young Harry decided for himself he needed to go to the infirmary, after all."
"Also criminal!" barked Stanwyck.
Harry then turned to stare at Dumbledore himself and said, "Now... Alby, my boy... have... I... lied?"
As soon as Harry had turned his attention to him, Dumbledore looked down and away, scowling. However, he never said a word.
Harry gave him a good ten seconds before he turned his attention back to the Chief Warlock. "You can take it from his silence that Albus does not refute my claims. He really can't because he knows that Arthur, Molly, Ronald and Ginevra Weasley, Minerva McGonagall and Poppy Pomfrey... at least... can back up what I've said here concerning that issue.
"I'll further point out that Old Alby, here, as claimed magical guardian of Mister Harry Potter, it was his responsibility to ensure Mister Potter's medical needs were met. That he knew the boy to have been bitten by a thousand year old basilisk... and did not ensure the boy was immediately treated by competent medical professionals... means Old Alby here is guilty of child neglect... and he, the Weasleys, McGonagall and Pomfrey know it."
"Albus Dumbledore!" barked a clearly incensed Ogden. "Is what Lord Peverell and Healer Stanwyck just informed us true?... You will answer in full and correctly my question... or, I will demand a motion to have you dosed with Veritaserum right here and right now!"
"Young Harry was fine," said Dumbledore. "All he needed was a good night's sleep and―"
Riding over the top of the old man, Harry suddenly said, "Did you notice he didn't immediately say 'No'? Alby is, once again, dissembling."
Before Ogden had a chance to say anything, Harry added, "Albus said 'Young Harry was fine'. Does Albus secretly hold a mastery in healing, after all? If he doesn't, how is he able to declare 'Young Harry was fine' and that all he needed was 'a good night's sleep'?"
"No, he doesn't!" barked Stanwyck, who appeared to be getting more and more riled.
"Albus!" barked Ogden again, staring in fury at the old man. "Was Mister Potter given immediate medical attention that night for the basilisk bite? Yes... or No?"
Dumbledore stuttered for a few moments before he tried to sit up straighter under the chains and said, "As I was saying―"
"Yes or No, Albus!" barked Ogden. "This is your last chance to directly answer the question with either 'Yes' or 'No' before I order you be charged with child neglect and immediately dosed with Veritaserum!"
Dumbledore fumed for a few moments before he quietly replied, "Nnno."
That had the entire Wizengamot and many of those sitting in the chamber as guests and visitors getting all up in their wands and shouting.
It took Ogden quite a few minutes to again get a modicum of silence.
Finally getting the silence he wanted, Ogden snapped, "Right! Minister Bones, have our acting Director of the DMLE charge this old bastard with child neglect of two minors under his care, would you? And, Minister Bones, inform the School Board they are to fire his arse as Headmaster."
"What?" exclaimed Dumbledore. "Nooo! You can't! I need to remain at the school to protect the students for when Voldemort returns!"
"Protect the students?" scoffed Ogden. "By your own admission in not having Mister Potter immediately seen to by a qualified healer regarding a purported bite by a basilisk, shows you won't protect the students."
Not waiting for Dumbledore to say anything else, he turned back to Bones and said, "And have someone collect Minerva McGonagall and take her to a DMLE interrogation room, when you've got a chance. I want to know why she didn't act as she should have either."
Bones nodded and replied, "As you say, Chief Warlock."
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Back at Hogwarts Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn were all looking to McGonagall with shocked anger. McGonagall was wincing and had her eyes closed.
"Minerva!" exclaimed Flitwick. "How could you have done such a thing?"
"I don't know!" she firmly, but quietly, returned. "I don't understand it. I remember that happening, but I have no idea as to why I behaved that way."
After a quiet few moments, Slughorn said, "A compulsion charm or potion."
When the others looked to him he explained, "It had to be a compulsion charm or potion, Minerva. It's the only thing that makes sense."
"But, who―?" she began, before she quietly sighed in mental pain, "Dumbledore."
"Indeed," said Slughorn.
With another sigh, McGonagall said, "I'd best take myself to the DMLE and save them the trip here."
"Without Albus here you have control of the wards, Min," said Flitwick. "You'll need to hand them off before you go."
Almost distractedly she gave a nod back and said, "I'll go up to Albus's office and move them to you."
"Then I'd best come with," he declared, hopping off his seat.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Harry waited as the noise levels once again dropped before he asked, "Shall we return back to why I will not accept the Order of Merlin, Chief Warlock?"
"There's more?!" demanded Ogden.
"Oh, yes indeedy," said Harry. "Returning to the issue of Mister Potter... as he, at the age of twelve, single-handedly faced off against and killed a thousand year old basilisk with a sword... is there anyone here who does not believe the boy rightfully earned an Order of Merlin that night? And, if you do, then why was he not so awarded?"
"We were unaware of it," snapped Bones.
"Yes, you were. Or, at the least, the Wizengamot was," disagreed Harry. "At the time, Albus Dumbledore was Chief Warlock of this very body. As such, Albus Dumbledore was the official representative of this body. Therefore and as such, the Wizengamot were aware, through its official representative, that Mister Harry Potter, Heir Apparent of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter, successfully battled to the death a class 5X dangerous magical creature, a thousand year old basilisk. As such, the Wizengamot had the information of what happened... and yet Mister Potter did not receive the Order of Merlin... as he surely was due."
More glares were aimed at Dumbledore with the current Chief Warlock muttering, "Shit... shit... shit!"
"Bloody hell, Dumbledore!" he barked. "Why, in the seven Hells, did you not pass that information on to the rest of us!?"
Again, Dumbledore scowled back for a few moments before he quietly replied, "I did not receive any proper evidence that young Harry actually battled, let alone killed, such a creature. I only―"
Harry suddenly laughed, which shut Dumbledore up again.
Looking to Ogden, he asked, "Did you take specific note of what Dumbledore actually said? Did you notice he was, yet again, giving you a dissembled answer?"
"What do you mean?" demanded Ogden.
"He did not say he did not receive any evidence; he said he did not receive any proper evidence," replied Harry. "In other words he was saying he did receive evidence, just not what he considers proper.
"However, it seems Albus has forgotten he did receive proper evidence. For a start, he received eye witness accounts from Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Ginevra Weasley. That's three sources. Having stripped his own memories away back to when he was a small child, Gilderoy Lockhart could not be considered a reliable witness."
"They were children!" snapped Dumbledore. "Children are well known to be unreliable witnesses."
Ignoring the old man, Harry continued, "Next, he also demanded from Mister Potter the sword Mister Potter used to kill the basilisk. That sword was... is... the Sword of Gryffindor. As a goblin forged blade, the blade of the sword takes within itself that which makes it stronger. As the blade became coated in basilisk venom, the blade absorbed some of the venom. Albus would have easily been able to detect that as well as the blood of the basilisk, which was also on the blade at the time; and on Heir Potter's robes."
Knowing he couldn't argue with that level of logic, the old man kept silent, just scowled and looked away again.
"And finally, Albus's phoenix companion, Fawkes, was also in the Chamber of Secrets and aided Mister Potter in killing the basilisk by pecking out its eyes. Does Albus claim his phoenix companion is an unreliable source?"
Turning back to Dumbledore, he asked, "Well, Albus my boy? Again. Did I lie?"
Instead of answering, Dumbledore demanded, "How do you know all this?"
Ignoring the man and his question, Harry turned to Ogden. "Did you notice Albus completely avoided the question, this time, Chief Warlock? Instead of answering with a dissembled response, his usual method, this time he's chosen to ignore it completely."
Turning back to Dumbledore before Ogden could respond, Harry said, "I asked you a closed question, Albus my boy. It has only four possible responses: 'Yes', 'no', 'I don't know' and 'I'm sorry, but I do not understand the question'. There was nothing confusing about the question so that drops the fourth off the list of options. Because the question relates specifically to you and your actions that drops the third off. That leaves you with the options of answering either 'Yes' or 'No'. So, let's try again, shall we? Again, Albus my boy. Did... I... lie?"
"I do not answer to you," huffed the old man
"No, but you do answer to us," cut in Ogden. "'Yes' or 'No', Dumbledore. Did Lord Peverell lie?"
Dumbledore grumbled for a few moments before he snarled, "No."
Again, Members in the tiers of the Wizengamot voiced their displeasure.
Harry waited until Ogden got control of the chambers back and, before the man could say anything, he said, "So, you now know Mister Potter should have been put forward for the Order of Merlin back in June of 1993. You also now know Gilderoy Lockhart should not have been awarded the Order of Merlin, back when he was, because he did not accomplish the feats he claimed he did.
"Moving on!
"So far we have Peter Pettigrew being awarded the Order of Merlin, Third Class, though later it was correctly stripped from him. Relating to that original incident we have Cornelius Fudge being awarded the Order of Merlin for capturing the so-called right hand wizard of Voldemort, when he did not; and the man's Order of Merlin has still not been stripped from him. Next, we have a feat of heroism from Mister Potter in June 1993 for which he should have been awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class, or better; and he has not. And we have Gilderoy Lockhart being awarded the Order of Merlin, Third Class, for feats he didn't actually perform.
"Now I direct your attention to the night of the 31st of October, 1981... Yes, that night."
As quite a few people, Members and visitors, squirmed in their seats a little, Harry ignored it. "This is the night that Harry Potter... according to practically everyone... killed Riddle the first time.
"Now, I might be wrong here, but the Minister was telling me earlier that when someone kills a recognised dark lord that's the immediate earning of an Order of Merlin, First Class. The Minister's answer to me as to why Mister Potter was not awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class... as everyone believed he was the one who killed the dark lord that night... was that it was blocked by... Albus Dumbledore.
"Now, if the Order of―"
"But Tom lived," interrupted Dumbledore.
With a sigh Harry said, "That night, Tom Riddle's body was reduced... by every account of the event I've read... to a pile of ash. All that was left of him was his robes and his wand."
Turning to Stanwyck he asked, "Master Healer Stanwyck; if a person's body is reduced to ash... that is, no heartbeat, no brain activity, no nothing... would he be considered dead?"
"Yes. Certainly," the healer immediately replied. "That he managed to get himself another body and come back is irrelevant. He was dead until then."
After a nod to Stanwyck, Harry said, "That aside, with the apparent exception of old Albus, you all believed until June 1995 that the dark lord, Tom Riddle a.k.a. Lord Voldemort, was dead and that the infant Harry Potter killed him. Therefore, according to you, young Mister Harry Potter earned that night... irrespective of his age... an Order of Merlin, First Class. According to the laws... at least that's what Minister Bones tried to tell me this morning... it was, according to law, mandatory that young Mister Potter be awarded the Order. You did not do that. You did not award him the Order.
"Minister Bones also told me this morning, that it was Albus Dumbledore that blocked Harry Potter from being awarded the Order. Albus Dumbledore supposedly used his authority as Mister Potter's magical guardian to block him from receiving it.
"Now, here's my problem with that. Firstly, as Sirius Black was Mister Potter's rightful magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore had no right to claim magical guardianship of the boy. He could claim legal guardianship, yes. However, it is magic which decides who holds magical guardianship, not the Chief Warlock, nor the Wizengamot at-large; and magic never stripped it from Sirius Black. That was discovered by you in June 1996. As such, as Albus Dumbledore was not Mister Potter's magical guardian, he could not use magical guardianship status to refuse it on Mister Potter's behalf.
"Secondly, 'Mandatory' means just that; as in, it will be awarded whether anyone likes it or not, including the magical guardian. You people... and by that I mean the Wizengamot as a body... broke international law by doing what Albus Dumbledore wanted and allowing him to block the awarding of the Order of Merlin, First Class, from Heir Potter for killing your dark lord for you.
"Shame on you! Shame on you all!" he glared at them. "What's now annoying the Minister is that, because you've now created a legal precedent where the Order of Merlin, First Class, can be refused when it is supposed to be awarded to someone who kills a lawfully recognised dark lord... it's put me in the position I can now refuse one if you're hell-bent on awarding me one for killing Riddle."
When the Members and even some of the visitors got all up in wands about that, Harry just waited them out with a recalcitrant bearing and stern expression.
Finally, Ogden managed to reign all the noise back down and looked to Harry. "And if we decide to award it, anyway?"
"I'd still refuse it," said Harry. Then, before anyone could start yelling again, he continued, "Besides the previous incidences where Orders of Merlin were either falsely awarded and were not awarded when they should have been; there's still one Order of Merlin, falsely awarded, I want to see rectified first."
"And what would that be?" snarled one 'light' Member wizard of the Wizengamot before anyone else could get in first.
Harry smiled back and indicated Dumbledore. "Old Albus, here, was awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, for killing Grindelwald... right?"
"What of it?" snapped the wizard.
Harry smiled again, ignored the man and turned to Dumbledore. "Tell me, Albus my boy, did you actually kill Gellert Grindelwald?"
Dumbledore huffed and said, "Are you trying to imply something?"
"Nope!" said Harry. "And nice avoidance of the question. Shall I ask it again? Or, are you actually going to answer it without me having to do that?"
"Everyone knows I defeated Gellert in battle," scowled the old man.
Harry grinned back and turned to look once more at Ogden. "Did you notice Albus's answer? I once again asked him a simple yes or no question; and, once again, Albus responded with a statement that did not answer the question. Once again, Albus provided a dissembling response. This time he attempted to change the nature of the question by changing the question from 'Did you kill Grindelwald?' to 'Did you defeat Grindelwald?'.
"That's his usual modus operandi when asked questions he doesn't want to answer, nor wants anyone to know he didn't actually answer. If he doesn't like the question, he'll reword it to what he's willing to answer and answer that instead. Dissembling.
"So, let's try again, shall we?" He turned back to the old man and said, "Albus my boy; did you kill Gellert Grindelwald? Yes or no?"
This time the old man snarled back, "I've already answered the question. Your harping on the subject is nothing but a trespass on my reputation."
Harry chuckled and once again looked to Ogden. "And still Albus will not answer the question."
"The question is a nonsense!" snapped Dumbledore.
"And I beg to differ, Dumbledore," said Bones, speaking up for the first time in a while. "Answer the question. Did you kill... not defeat, but kill... Gellert Grindelwald?"
Again Dumbledore huffed, "I will not answer such a question. It is an affront for you to even ask it."
She grinned an evil little smirk at him. "It appears Lord Peverell is correct. When asked a direct question you are reluctant to answer you will dissemble a response.
"Very well," she continued, then turned her attention to Ogden. "Chief Warlock..."
When the man looked more fully to her he semi-formally asked, "Minister Bones?"
"A few hours ago it was brought to my attention Albus Dumbledore was not being entirely honest about the result of his supposed duel with Gellert Grindelwald back in 1945," she replied. "I was provided what I consider sufficient evidence that Gellert Grindelwald was, in fact, alive."
She paused as she knew what the result of that statement would be. The light would get up in their wands about anyone questioning Albus Dumbledore, while the dark, what there now was of them, would immediately 'recognise' Albus Dumbledore had perpetrated a fraud and wanted him dealt with there and then. She was right.
It took Ogden a long minute plus before he recovered control of the chamber again.
Finally he stared at Bones and demanded, "Perhaps you'd best explain that remark, Madam Bones."
"And I'm happy to," she replied, before she thought about it for a longer moment. "Actually, I'm not happy to, but needs must."
Seeming to rearrange her notes a little first, she said, "As I said, it was brought to my attention during a morning meeting, together with what I felt was sufficient evidence, that Albus Dumbledore was not entirely forthcoming regarding his duel with Gellert Grindelwald. Further, that evidence showed that Grindelwald was still alive."
Before anyone could arc up again, she forged ahead.
"Immediately on the conclusion of that meeting I directly contacted the ICW regarding the issue, to confirm that the ICW had not retracted its 'kill-on-sight' order against the man. They had not.
"I then informed the ICW that I had evidence Gellert Grindelwald was still alive, together with where he could be found. And, in return, was informed by the Head of the ICW Combat Force that they would immediately investigate. Then waited for word back from them.
"An hour later they were back in contact with me to confirm that Gellert Grindelwald was found alive where the evidence I was provided indicated he was. AND..." she shouted the last word to get over the sudden rise of noise her remark elicited, which immediately quieted everyone down again. "And... as per the still existing kill-on-sight order, they immediately put the man to death."
"WHHAAAATT!?" Dumbledore loudly exclaimed. "How DARE they!"
To Harry, Dumbledore was the loudest of those who exclaimed their anger/disgust/horror at what they'd just learned because he, Harry, was both the closest to the old man and felt Dumbledore had also 'pumped' magic into his bellow of anger.
Harry waited until the rest of the noise died down, with Ogden again having to judiciously bang his gavel quite a few times to accomplish it, before he said, "Aaaaand... Dumbledore's reaction, just then, proves he knew the man to be alive. I'll also point out... Dumbledore has never said he'd killed Grindelwald; he has only said he defeated him. However, he knew everyone thought he had... killed him, that is.
"Dumbledore might think that means he hasn't lied, but he did. It's called a lie of omission. That means it's fraud.
"And, secondly, accepting the Order of Merlin comes with it a financial benefit - the reward money. The reward money for Grindelwald was only payable on his death at the hands of whomever killed him. As Dumbledore accepted the reward money, when he knew Grindelwald was alive, is embezzlement. That he did it from the ICW's own funds makes it an international crime and, therefore, prosecutable only by the international courts.
"Therefore, while you want to prosecute him for the highly dangerous act of casting Fiendfyre right at the main doors of Gringotts in Diagon Alley... for which the goblins want to prosecute him, as well... the ICW are going to want to put him on trial, first."
Then he turned to look at Dumbledore with the moist disappointed expression he could muster. Then, yet again mimicking the old man, he said, "Ah, Albus my boy; I'm sooo disappointed in you. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Dumbledore just glared back in hate, but never said a word.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
While McGonagall was apparently still on her way to the Ministry to attend the Wizengamot chambers, the other three heads of houses of Hogwarts were still sitting together in Flitwick's office listening to the wireless.
Flitwick sighed and said, "Well, it looks like Albus won't be back."
Sprout gave a huff and said, "Good riddance, if everything we've heard is correct."
"I do not doubt it," said Slughorn. "Apparently, Lord Peverell's been right on the galleon with every other issue he's raised. I find myself actually impressed with how much he seems to know about what happened regarding young Mister Potter during his time as a student here."
Flitwick nodded and said, "Yes; which means, Min's in trouble."
"Not necessarily," said Sprout. "I, too, do not believe Min would have allowed Mister Potter to return to his dormitory without first going to the infirmary to have the bite on his arm checked out. That particular potion smells off to me."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Harry had just made his disappointment remark to Dumbledore when Minerva McGonagall walked into the chambers through the main entrance.
Harry hadn't spotted her, but many of those facing him from the Members' tiers did. Ogden was first to speak, which drew Harry's attention to the woman.
"Professor McGonagall, what brings you here?" he called.
As Harry turned to look when Ogden was looking he could see a quite angry McGonagall walking towards him, but with her attention on Ogden.
"After hearing much of what has been said in these chambers today via the wizarding wireless, I thought it best I come in before aurors were sent to fetch me," she replied. "I come to offer my own testimony about what Lord Peverell has spoken about concerning Mister Potter's time at Hogwarts."
"And, can you?" he asked.
"I can report that what Lord Peverell said concerning what happened on Mister Potter's return from the fabled Chamber of Secrets is, to the best of my knowledge, true," she flatly stated.
"Minerva!" exclaimed Dumbledore, shocked his deputy would 'confirm' such a fact.
She turned to scowl at him for a long moment and said, "Go blow it out your ears, Albus," before she turned her attention back to Ogden. "Further, Chief Warlock, I offer no explanation as to why I acted as I did that night. I also have no explanation as to why I acted the way I did with a lot more of what happened regarding Mister Potter during his time at Hogwarts... and before.
"However our Potions Professor, Professor Slughorn, believes it reeks of me having been under the effects of compulsion potions or charms at the time; as does Professor Flitwick. I have no other explanation, as I know I would not have acted that way if I wasn't under such effects.
"Further, I'm willing to offer a magical vow as to the truth of my words."
"We may just get to that, Madam McGonagall," said Bones, getting in first. "It all depends, I guess, on whether or not we, the Wizengamot, are going to be able to put Dumbledore on trial; or if it will be, as Lord Peverell posits, the ICW putting him on trial first."
"First?" asked Harry. "Oh, I do not think you understand. You see, whether he admits it or not, old Albus here... by putting Grindelwald in Nurmengard instead of actually killing him, as he knows most people thought he did... was actually harbouring a fugitive dark lord; even if that 'harbouring' was by way of locking him inside a prison cell. Under International wizarding law, harbouring a recognised dark lord is an automatic death sentence."
He heard McGonagall gasp in shock as she was led off to the side by a pair of aurors. However, she was by far not the only one to do so.
"Old Albus here... since it's now been proven he was harbouring Gellert Grindelwald, a lawfully recognised dark lord, even if that harbouring occurred inside a prison... is bound for the ICW to face justice," he explained. "I doubt he'll live much beyond his trial in front of their courts."
That there were very few who got up in their wands about that little declaration told Harry they were either all in numbed shock or nothing much about the old man's depravities would surprise them now.
Instead, he decided to break out into a song for which he'd rewritten the lyrics in his head while on Hadrian; the Great Pretender.
"Oh yes... he's the great... dissembler..."
Then he triggered yet another rune stone in the hem of his sleeve. This one provided the 'backing' vocals. That it was in his own voice the pitch was modified, so no one but Sirius and Luna recognised it.
"(ooh-oh ooh-oh)"
"Preteeennn...ding he's... doing goo-ood. (ooh-oh ooh-oh)
"His need... is such... he deceives... so much;
"He'll lie and... deceive you... he wou-ould.
"Oh-oh yes... he's the great... dissembler; (ooh-oh ooh-oh)
"Hidden... in his lies... of his ow-wn. (ooh-oh ooh-oh)
"He plays... us-for fools... but he's reaaa-ly a tool;
"Just laaaau... ghing at us... like a clow-wn.
"Untrue... are his tales... of his... greatest feats;
"Not real... when I feel... what the truth... can't conceal."
"Ah-oooh-ooh-aah―"
"Lord Peverell!" barked Bones.
The sudden interruption of his singing caused Harry to cough and hack a little before he looked at Bones in hurt surprise.
"In the middle of the chorus?!" he whined. "Really, Amelia... my deeear guuurl... I'm sooo disappointed in you!"
That actually earned him a couple of sniggers from among the Members.
"Lord Peverell," she sighed. "Please stop with the theatrics."
"Oh?" he asked, feigning surprise. "Again: Did you ever demand the same of old Albus, here?"
When she just scowled back, Harry had his answer. "That would be a 'No'," he quietly said.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Across the country where most of the population by then were listening in via the wireless, there were quite a few snickers and even open laughter at Harry's singing and other behaviour.
Molly Weasley, after sending her youngest son outside when he came downstairs complaining of being hungry yet again, just sighed in disappointment at what she was hearing. Her youngest, Ginevra, had already set aside her knitting so she too could focus on what was faithfully being reported via the wireless.
"I know that singing voice," said Ginevra. "I'm sure of it. I just can't remember from when or where I heard it."
At Hogwarts, Pomona had given her own snort of amusement and quietly said, "The young man has a decent singing voice, at least; tenor, I think."
"Somewhere between that and baritone, yes," said Slughorn.
And at other places around the country others were showing their own amusement, tempered with anger towards Dumbledore, or quietly giving their opinions to one another of what they were hearing.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Back at the Wizengamot, Harry turned his attention from Bones and addressed the entire body. "In case I have failed to make my point through parody, I've acted the way I have purely to show you lot what you have allowed this old fool..." indicated Dumbledore, "... to get away with for many years.
"If you are unwilling to allow me to get away with the exact... same... behaviour when I clearly demonstrate it for you, then you show yourselves to be hypocrites. Are you hypocrites?"
He let that sink into the minds opposite, seeing many look away in apparent shame, before he continued. "Your failure to act to curb Dissemblemore's mind games aside, you people demanded my attendance here today. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was because you were planning on hanging a pretty medal around my neck.
"Well, you've now been informed as to what you need to do to gain my compliance to go along with that.
"To summarise it all for you, you need to... One: award Heir Harry Potter an Order of Merlin for facing one-on-one a Class 5X highly dangerous magical beast, slaying it with a sword and saving the lives of all your heirs... all those others who were students at Hogwarts in the 1992/93 school year, at any rate, together with the entirety of the population of the rest of the school at that time... from being killed by said beast.
"Two: strip the Order of Merlin, Third Class, from Gilderoy Lockhart. The man is a complete fraud and only got the basis of his fantasy tales by stealing them from the people who actually performed the feats. He's also, if you haven't figured it out yet, guilty of the illegal performing of obliviations and magical assault.
"Three: strip the Order of Merlin, Third Class, from Cornelius Fudge as he did not capture 'The Dark Lord's Right Hand Man', after all, for which he was awarded his Order of Merlin; making the award having been awarded on a false premise.
"Four: award Harry Potter the Order of Merlin, First Class, for killing Tom Riddle... a recognised, at the time, dark lord... back on the 31st of October, 1981; as you were bloody well required by International law to do.
"And, five: strip the Order of Merlin, First Class, from Albus Above-the-Law Dumbledore as he did not kill Gellert Grindelwald, after all; and of which Minister Bones can now provide proof.
"As far as I can see... as far as the evidence shows... the only persons to have been fairly awarded the Order of Merlin in magical Britain in the last century are Hector Dagworth-Granger and, recently, Lord Sirius Black.
"Once you've completed those five tasks, then... only then... will you gain my compliance. Until those conditions are met you can all, collectively, shove it where the sun doesn't shine. I believe the award to be tainted until those matters are rectified. And I will not be placed in the same category as frauds and liars."
As he'd been laying out his demands the noise from the Members rose until he'd had to almost shout to be heard over the resultant din. However, he intended for it to be laid bare and refused to quiet down until he'd finished laying it all out. Once done he shut up, folded his arms across his chest and just stared back at Ogden with an eyebrow cocked and a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
It took Ogden quite a while to finally regain control. When he did, though, he glared right back at Harry and firmly stated, "The Wizengamot will not be blackmailed into meeting your demands."
"Then don't be," Harry immediately returned. "Just know, though... if you do not do exactly as I require... you can, as I suggested, take your Order of Merlin and shove it up your collective arses. And I'll swear to that on my magic, if you attempt to push it.
"I will also take this entire matter before the ICW and have them do what you will not have done. As the Order of Merlin is an International award, they have the power to award or retract any and all Orders of Merlin... as they see fit. And, if they do such, the rest of the international magical community are going to know they did it... and why.
Once again he shut up, folded his arms across his chest and just stared back at Ogden with an eyebrow cocked. But didn't smirk back this time.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
A/N Footnote: See? And I had to split the chapter here, both because of length and because there's too much to go on within the Wizengamot scene to jam it all into one chappie.