"Harry I want to hear introduce you to a good friend of mine and also of your father and mother Remus Lupin," Sirius introduced. "You've talked to him over the two way mirror but this is your first time meeting him officially."
"It's very nice to meet you," Harry greeted Remus shaking his hand politely. "I'm happy to meet you officially. You were mentioned in my parents will, which was never executed due to a certain headmaster. I would like to execute it and give you your bequest."
"That isn't necessary," Remus protested.
"It was my parents wish that you receive your bequest and do you really want to go against my father's wishes? My father who is no longer with us," Harry said.
"I suppose not," Remus said trying to hold back the tears as he remembered his good friends James and Lily. Being back with Sirius and finding out he was innocent had helped the lonely werewolf a great deal, but he still missed Harry's father and mother every day and he knew Sirius did as well.
"Dumbledore has caused all of us so much pain and grief," Harry told Remus understanding far more than most 11 year olds. "Also, just so you're aware I know about your furry little problem as my father used to refer to it and I don't hold it against you."
"How?" Remus asked the logical question despite his fresh grief, even though James and Lily had been dead for over 10 years.
"My parents will," Harry explained not bothering to explain to Remus that Sirius had let the cat out of the bag even if he had already known due to his parents will. "My father will referred to it that way and it didn't take me long to figure out what he meant."
"So you know I'm a werewolf and that doesn't bother you?" Remus question in disbelief.
"No it doesn't," Harry shook his head. "Why should it? If it didn't bother Sirius or my parents when they lived why do you think I should bother me?"
"Most people shun me when they find out what I am," Remus explained softly.
"Then those people are idiots!" Harry told Remus vehemently. "The British wizarding world is so far behind the times that they are lucky they just haven't stagnated completely. Societies most advance or they become irrelevant to an advancing world and that is definitely true in Britain."
"How is it you know so much you're only 11," Remus said. "Then again, you take after your mother who was also very intelligent for her age."
Sirius chuckled at his old friend's confusion as he knew the reason that Harry seemed so much more intelligent than your average 11 year old. However, he wasn't about to spill the beans and would wait for Harry to reveal exactly what he was.
"There is a reason," Harry told Remus with a mischievous expression that reminded me so much of James that it made Remus tear up all over again
"You see I am not completely human," Harry explained and immediately dropped the glamour.
Remus's mouth hung open in shock as Harry appeared, but with differences like his pointed ears that were still slightly rounded and his slanted eyes. His hair was also slightly longer and his face had a slightly alien cast to it and his cheekbones were sharper, his chin more pointed.
"You're sidhe?" Remus said after a long silence.
"Half sidhe," Harry said. "I'm sure you can figure out which of my parents was a Seelie."
"Lily," Remus said immediately. "I never knew she wasn't human, did James?"
"Yes, from what I was told my mother told him after they got engaged. She probably would've told you and Sirius eventually, but they were killed when they were both young. My mother especially was barely more than a child really."
"She was 22 like James that meant she was grown up," Remus protested.
"Seelie live for a long time, much longer then even magicals," Harry explained calmly. "By that standard she really wasn't more than a child when she was murdered."
"All right," Remus accepted Harry's explanation. "I suppose by that standard she was still quite young. "So who told you that you weren't completely human?" Remus asked Harry.
"My grandfather," Harry explained. "My mother's father. When grandad learned about his daughter's death he was furious and went looking for the perpetrators. However, he discovered that it wasn't one of his many enemies that had done the deed and at that time he could do nothing about Voldemort once he discovered who was responsible.
"He then learned about the fact that he had a grandson and he immediately begin looking for me and figured that I had been placed with Petunia, Lily's supposed sister. The truth is, that my mother wanted to attend Hogwarts and her parents allowed it figuring it would make her more tolerant of other species as she grew. They also figured it would protect her from their enemies.
"They also approved of her marrying my father James Potter, but stayed in the background, because of the dangerous times. They visited each other quite frequently before my parents went into hiding.
"Grandfather regrets that his daughter and son-in-law didn't come to him when they knew they were in danger, as they could've hidden in his realm until the danger was past. Granddad would've been happy to give all of us shelter for a time. People might've thought they were dead, but when they reappeared unharmed most people would never have questioned where they had been except of course for the illustrious headmaster. Dumbledore would have barely had the courtesy of giving them time to settle back in before he began to question them about why they were still alive.
"The thing is though that they never mentioned that they had an evil megalomaniac after them whenever they saw each other and granddad still isn't sure if they were for some reason prevented from telling him of the trouble or if his daughter didn't want him to get involved.
"My mother, as I've already stated, was still quite young by my grandfather's standards and she could also be stubborn and so he had to go along with what she wanted if he wanted a chance to see his grandchildren once they arrived."
Harry explained all this calmly with Remus and Sirius across from him.
"So if I'm understanding your story your grandfather is a Seelie princeling and found you with Petunia and her husband," Remus said. "He then took you away to Underhill."
"Not quite," Harry corrected. "He took the time to get to know me and stuff me with food at every opportunity, because I had been badly abused and was extremely malnourished. All I got from the Dursleys was scraps from their plates and considering that Vernon at least was extremely obese you can imagine there wasn't much left. If granddad hadn't found me when he did believe me I would be calmly sitting here, as I would've committed suicide or run away and died on the streets."
"Dumbledore!" Remus nearly yelled, so angry he could barely see straight. "I don't believe the headmaster could do that to you, have himself named your guardian, then didn't bother to check up on you make sure you're not being mistreated?"
"Not even once, according to what Harry told me," Sirius finally spoke up never having seen his old friend so angry. He had every right to be Sirius thought, because both he and Remus had loved Harry from the moment he was born. To hear that he had been badly abused and that Dumbledore had never bothered to fulfill his duties of guardian, never bothered to check up on him to make sure he was happy and being treated right infuriated the normally calm Remus.
"In any case, granddad, rescued me and I actually took the time to get to know me and I finally agreed to go back to Tír na nÓg with him. Granddad told me the time if I had been younger like three or four, he would've taken me without my permission, because I would've been too young to make a decision on my own."
Harry explained the rest of the story in chronological order and Remus listened intently.
"Don't bother going to look for the Dursleys," Sirius told Remus once Harry was done. "There's no point of getting yourself in trouble, especially considering that you are considered a dark creature by the Ministry of Magic."
"Are you telling me that the Dursleys don't deserve to be punished," Remus growled that his friend, surprised that Sirius wasn't seeking revenge.
"No I'm not," Sirius said seriously an unusual state for him. "If you remember the books about Seelie what is one of the things that they will not abide?"
"They love children," Remus said automatically, "and can't stand to see one being abused and will make sure the one responsible face an appropriate punishment. You're telling me that Harry's grandfather has already punished them."
"He did," Harry agreed. "I didn't agree with him at the time and argued against, it but I was only six when I did so. Granddad didn't punish them right away. Getting me safe was more important and there was an alert woven into the wards that were around the Dursley home and when they crashed they would've alerted the headmaster who would come running. However, when we returned just before I turned 11 and got done with our business at Gringotts my grandfather who had never forgotten what they had done dealt with them."
"What exactly did he do?" Remus asked now intrigued instead of angry.
"He didn't want to tell me it first, as he wasn't sure I was mature enough to accept the information but he finally did. I did request that he not kill them and he abided by my wishes," Harry said. Harry, then, told Remus exactly what his grandfather had done to the Dursleys.
"I love it," Remus guffawed loudly laughing so hard he fell off the couch and onto the floor.
Sirius watched this in amusement, as his reaction had been exactly the same.
"I won't say I agree with my grandfather's idea of punishment, but then I know I'm young and granddad told me that they won't learn any better unless they are severely punished.
"Your grandfather is exactly right," Remus told Harry once he had stopped laughing and finally gotten to his feet sitting back on the couch. "I know you're only 11 right now, but just look at all the Death Eaters who joined Voldemort. They are responsible for spreading terror and for causing many deaths, including your parents."
"I suppose," Harry said.
"I would love to meet your grandfather and I'm happy that he rescued you from the Dursleys tender mercies. His punishment for them was truly inspired."
"I said the same thing when Harry told me," Sirius said. "I've met his grandfather David Rossi and he's really nice as we shared tea and he's been to visit several times since. He's made them basically immortal until they truly repent their actions, which I think is more than deserved."
"I hadn't thought of that," Remus said.
"You would have eventually, as you did you find out I'm not exactly fully human," Harry said. "I know it was a shock and it'll take you a while to start thinking properly again."
"I might've been shocked, but it was a good shock," Remus told Harry. "I miss your parents every day Harry, believe me. I also believed that Sirius was the Secret-Keeper and guilty of their murder. I should've known that Sirius would never have betrayed them, but it never occurred to me that James and Sirius had switched Secret-Keepers."
"We didn't tell you because James and I thought you were the traitor but if we had a questioned you like we should have it soon would've been proven that it was Peter, but it never occurred to us. That was just dumb," Sirius admitted.
"You were young and in a time of war Sirius," Harry told the older man. "Not to mention Remus is a supposed a dark creature and you just figured he'd turned coat. Leave the past in the past where it belongs we all have many regrets, but to dwell on them is not a good idea because you can forget to live."
"Wise advice," Remus said the subject was then changed as they chatted with each other.
~~~Dave and Harry~~~
The holidays were turning out to be a blast, Harry thought smiling, as he got dressed for the day. He didn't remember the only Christmas he had celebrated with his parents Sirius and Remus, but then, he had only been a few months old at the time. Still, Remus and Sirius had showed him a memory of it in the Pensieve that his godfather had retrieved from his vault, along with a lot of other memories of his parents. It had only been about three days and there was still plenty of time to enjoy the Christmas period.
Harry had spent hours simply immersed in getting to know as much about his parents as he could and he was very grateful to finally know what they had been like. It wasn't the same as meeting them in person, but it was the best he was going to get. It was clear that his parents had been deeply in love, just as his grandfather had told him. Its not that he had disbelieved his grandfather, but still it was nice to see for himself.
"I'm actually surprised that Dumbledore didn't try to prevent you from coming home for the holidays," Sirius mentioned, as soon as Remus had served up bacon, eggs, toast and sausage.
"I'm surprised you haven't mentioned it before now," Remus said, as he placed his own plate on the table. "I knew it was something that was on your mind."
"Hey, I've matured a lot thanks to my stint in Azkaban," Sirius protested.
"That's true," Remus conceded winking at Harry. "Sirius maturing was not something I ever thought I'd live to see happening. I thought he'd remain a big kid for the rest of his life."
Harry simply laughed knowing that the two were teasing each other and nothing malicious was meant by it. "To answer your question Sirius, I believe Dumbledore knew that if he tried to get me to stay at Hogwarts that I would've contacted you and my grandfather and he would've had more trouble than he could handle. He also might feel a little guilty for what my life was like before granddad found me. Granddad is still pretty disgusted with him, doesn't trust him an inch and despite his many faults Dumbledore's not an idiot."
"No, that's one thing you can't excuse Dumbledore of being and that's stupid," Remus agreed. "He's a very smart and intelligent wizard, but I have to admit, that after everything I've learned about him I'm rather disappointed. I never believed he could leave an innocent man in Azkaban just because it didn't fit into his plans. I mean there are so many lives he's destroyed due to keeping secrets including my own, yours, Sirius's and a lot of others I'm sure I don't know about. I used to revere Dumbledore, as he is the one that allowed me to come to Hogwarts, even though I was a werewolf. I was always grateful for his support and that he made arrangements for me for the full moons."
"Remember, he might have believed I had a trial when he wasn't present," Sirius said. "I have my doubts, but it's possible."
"We all agree that at the very least he's lost sight of the fact that people have a right to make their own decisions without being manipulated. Believe me, grandfather is watching the situation closely and any hint that things are not right he'll pull me out of school so fast Dumbledore's head will spin. He needs nobody's permission to take me away from a place where I'm in constant danger, especially if it's a danger that Dumbledore's engineered. I can always take my exams at the Ministry."
"The Philosopher's Stone?" Sirius asked.
He had heard all about the Philosopher's Stone from his godson over the mirror. They knew that Dumbledore had likely let Harry hear about the stone and that Voldemort was after it, so Harry would go after it. So far Harry had been ignoring the hints that he was sure that Dumbledore made sure he heard about it. Harry wasn't stupid and he had known that Dumbledore was likely to try something and he figured that Dumbledore wanted him to go after the Sorcerer's Stone and protect it from Voldemort. Despite being a Gryffindor Harry wasn't at all impulsive...well, most of the time anyway. He knew he would be severely punished if he put himself in unnecessary danger by both his godfather and his grandfather, so he had no intention of doing so despite the headmaster obviously wanting him to prove that he was capable of ending Voldemort when the time came.
Why would the stone be in the school if not as some kind of test for Harry? If Dumbledore was supposedly protecting the stone for his old friend Nicholas Flamel, then all he would have to do would be to put it under a localised Fidelius Charm and keep it on the shelf in his office. If it was a scheme of Dumbledore's he wanted nothing to do with it and the headmaster was just going have to be disappointed. He wasn't going to prove himself to an old man who liked to manipulate people instead of being honest with them. A man who had been warned to not try to manipulate him or his friends and yet Dumbledore was still trying his best to do so, as he saw the headmaster wanting him to go after the stone to protect it from Voldemort as being manipulating. Of course, he could be totally wrong about the headmaster wanting him to go after the stone but he didn't really think so.
"Yes," Harry answered simply.
"I can't believe that Dumbledore set traps for Voldemort inside a school," Remus said shaking his head obviously disappointed in Dumbledore. "How did you find out about it anyway?"
"Sirius gave me his copy of the Marauder's Map from out of his vault. Wanted to show me how it worked so that I could take it to school, even if all I used it for was to raid the kitchen," Harry said and Remus nodded. "Both Sirius and I watched as the staff kept moving back and forth in one area seeming to be involved in some sort of big project. Once I got to school and Dumbledore announced at the Welcoming Feast that the third floor corridor was off limits if we didn't want to die a painful death. I, then, knew exactly what the staff had been doing as the third floor was where they had kept going frequently, likely setting up some kind of traps. I don't know exactly what the traps are, as the map doesn't show that, but I suspect it's some kind of trap for Voldemort."
"It could also be some kind of test for you, as I'm sure Dumbledore expected you to try to figure out why the third floor corridor was forbidden," Sirius suggested.
"I've already figured that out thanks and if that's true, he's going to be disappointed," Harry snorted contemptuously. "I might've been sorted into Gryffindor, but grandfather taught me how to think and not just rush off."
"I'm still having trouble believing that you're half elf," Remus said shaking his head. "It's not that I have anything against sídhe I just know that they don't usually mate with mortals."
"It's sex nothing more," Harry told him chuckling at the shock that appeared on Sirius and Remus's faces at his bluntness. "Most sídhe don't get married in the normal fashion they just take multiple sexual partners, even if that partnership lasts for decades or even centuries. Actual marriage is very rare among their kind, especially for full sídh. That's not to say that those partners don't love each other, just that sídhe live a very long time much longer than any other race I know of and it's quite possible that partners can fall out of love considering how long they live. They usually have several partners or more in the course of their very long lives."
"But your mother married your father?" Sirius pointed.
"I said most sídhe," Harry pointed out smiling. "Some do marry, but if they do it's permanent, well, at least it is you marry another sídh and go by their traditions. There's no such thing as divorce, so they have to be very sure that their love is strong enough to handle the hardships of life and will last until their deaths. As for mom and dad they got married the wizarding way, so it's possible that they would have stayed together or they might've got divorced down the road if they hadn't been murdered."
"No, they loved each other very much and while I now know that Lily would have outlived James they would've stayed together until James passed away," Remus said and Sirius agreed.
"Alright, I believe you," Harry said smiling. "I doubt that mom would've married again after dad passed away, though she likely would've taken partners just like all sídhe do once they are grown. I believe that dad was her one true love."
"Definitely," Sirius said. "Though it took James forever to make a fall in love with him while he was infatuated with her from the very beginning."
"He had too mature a great deal and deflate his head quite a bit in order to get your mother's attention," Remus chuckled. "Lily wasn't one to fall for arrogant showoffs."
"She died way too young, especially for a sídh," Harry sighed. "Sídhe live for a very long time as you know and she was only in her very early 20s when she was murdered, which is barely an adult in the wizarding world much less human society. For a sídh who can live many centuries longer then even magicals she wasn't, even really out of the child stage, not by those standards."
"Sídhe live that long?" asked Remus in shock.
"The full ones do," Harry answered. "That's not to say that they can't be killed by treachery, by betrayal, by murder or a lot of other ways, but so long as they watch out for that kind of thing yes, they can live that long, but it's not a sure thing. It depends on what kind enemies they have and how clever they are."
"What about half ones like you?" Sirius asked curiously.
"We still live a very long time, but only about half of a full sídh," Harry said. "I'll be able to be here for my descendants for a very long time so long as I don't get myself killed taking down Voldemort or one of his supporters doesn't manage to kill me off even after he's gone."
"You'll have plenty of help I promise you," Sirius said. "Remus and I will be there to help you. There are also others that were with the Order that are still alive. We should also get Amelia Bones on board."
"Granddad and likely some of my cousins will be there as well," Harry said. "Granddad has plenty of children that are considered adults, even if they're still young by sídhe standards. I'm also sure he has other allies that will be there for the battle and will handle the Death Eaters at least in keeping them off my back so I can deal with the dork lord."
"Well, that's a relief, because I doubt well have many magicals there for the battle, except some Aurors possibly," Sirius said.
"I have to agree that most magicals, even if they have the proper fighting skills and did well in Defense Class aren't going to want to be involved," Remus said. "Most of the ones that were brave enough to face Voldemort in the first war are dead so I can't really blame people for not wanting to be involved when Voldemort makes a comeback."
"I'm going to take out Voldemort because he'll never leave me in peace until I do," Harry said. "However, I'm not doing it for the cowards here in England, I'm doing it so I can live in peace, perhaps find someone to love, have a family. I want plenty of children to carry on the Potter name."
"Yeah, your parents wanted quite a few children too," Remus said remembering. "They were planning on having at least five."
"Which never happened," Harry sighed looking rather sad. "It would've been nice to have siblings. This is something else I can place directly at Dumbledore door."
"Why do you say that cub?" asked Remus.
"I don't have any proof of it, but I suspect that Dumbledore, is at least partially responsible for my parents deaths. He was and is so obsessed with fulfilling the prophecy the way he believes it was meant to be fulfilled that he likely put both my parents and Neville's in the crosshairs. Neville could've been the other boy in the prophecy because his birthday is only a day before mine. However, once Voldemort visited the Potter's cottage and he gave me this scar I became the Boy Who Lived. I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore let that information out. He wasn't the Secret-Keeper, but Peter Pettigrew was and I can just imagine Pettigrew making out a piece of paper with the Potters address on it and giving it to Dumbledore."
"Who then might have given it to an agent of Voldemort," Sirius said beginning to look angry.
"I don't know for sure so don't go confronting Dumbledore, Padfoot," Harry warned his godfather with cautiousness in his tone. "It's quite possible that the night my parents were murdered Dumbledore didn't have anything to do with it and I might be accusing him of things that he didn't do. Granddad believes that Dumbledore's simply misguided and that he would never do anything so evil as to give Voldemort the Potters address through an intermediary, but I'm not too sure about that. However, I promised granddad I would give Dumbledore every chance to prove that he's simply misguided and not evil, so I will. We can guess at Dumbledore motives until we're blue in the face and we might even be at least partially right, but there's no point of dissecting what possible motives he could have for his actions. It will only make all of us angry and an angry person often doesn't watch what they say."
"I suppose," Sirius agreed finally.
"Harry's right, Padfoot," Remus said. "Dumbledore's motives will either reveal themselves in due time or they won't. In the meantime, let's enjoy our first Christmas in many years together with Prongs son."
"Well, I suppose, that once Dumbledore found out I wasn't actually guilty of the crime I was accused of he did help get me out of Azkaban," Sirius conceded.
"While that's true, if he had done his job in the first place a decade ago it wouldn't have been necessary," Harry said.
"That's true too," Sirius admitted.
"Oh, did I tell you granddad will be joining us for a few days starting tomorrow," Harry said. "I just got word from him."
"He's always welcome," Sirius said. "We need to buy him a gift or something though, as that would only be polite."
"I wouldn't worry about it Sirius," Harry said shaking his head. "The sídhe don't celebrate Christmas and he's only coming to spend time with the three of us. Besides, they can ken anything they want so long as they've seen it at least once. I could do that too if I really wanted to instead of buying my friends presents."
"Still, we need to buy him a present as it would be rude not to," Remus said.
"Well, I suppose if you want to," Harry conceded. "I'm sure granddad will appreciate anything that you get him and I admit some things are easier to ken with sídhe magic then other things. Something edible for example, as some foods are easier to produce with magic and have them taste right, while others are more difficult."
"There is an idea," Sirius mused.
"It's also hard to produce somethings like books unless you know that book word for word," Harry added.
"Perhaps a first edition of something," Remus suggested. "First editions of books of well-known authors can become quite valuable over time. Something like Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol."
"That's a good idea," Harry immediately agreed.
"Who is this Charles Dickens?" Sirius asked.
"He was a famous Muggle back in the 19th-century. His books are now considered popular classics and some of them are read in school by Muggle children as part of their coursework. Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations or A Christmas Carol. Even though he didn't have much education he edited a weekly journal for over 20 years, wrote 15 novels, 5 novellas and numerous short stories. His father ended up in debtors prison, so he left school early and started working in a factory to help pay the bills.
"Despite that, he inspired a whole generation of the poor who chipped in ha'pennies so that someone would read that weeks work to them. His works were mostly published as weekly or monthly publications and are considered the start of serials, where each part is often left at a cliffhanger. He inspired a whole generation of readers as he wrote about what he knew, like what it was like to be poor.
"He also strongly campaigned for children's rights and education. His characters from his novels are still very loved in today society and his works have been republished multiple times over the decades," Remus lectured.
"I think somebody secretly loves Charles Dickens, as you sure through see know a lot about him," Harry teased his honorary uncle.
"My mother loved him," Remus shrugged casually accepting the teasing with a smile. "I learned to love him through her. It was a way for me to remember the many times she's spent reading me one of Charles Dickens works after the full moon, when I was stuck in bed. It was our special time together. Remember, it was long before the Wolfsbane Potion was invented, so I was often stuck in bed for at least a day or two after the transformation."
"So do you think that these books Remus mentioned are something that your grandfather would appreciate?" Sirius asked Harry.
"Yes, he loves to read. I can't guarantee you he hasn't read Charles Dickens, but he would still appreciate them," Harry said. "He might even have met him for all I know."
"I'll see if I can track down some first editions in the next few days," Remus offered. "I can't guarantee anything though, because we had no idea your grandfather was coming until a few minutes ago so we didn't buy him a gift."
"If you can't then he'll appreciate anything, something that isn't made by magic," Harry said. "While kenning it is possible it's not the same as a gift that is made by hand or even by machine and bought."
"A gift is always more special then buying it yourself or in this case making it by magic," Sirius said. "I remember how excited I was when I actually got a gift from one of my friends for Christmas. My family weren't exactly very big on the holidays and we got practical things. Clothes, or replacements for our potions ingredients that we had used during our lessons. There was never anything that could be considered using for fun. We usually got lectured about how lucky we were to grow up with so much and that we got food, clothes and that was more then enough. After I met James and Remus it was different."
"My Christmases weren't even that good," Harry said, "I didn't get a damn thing from my relatives other than having to fix Christmas dinner that I didn't get to eat. I had to watch while Dudley got more presents than anyone has a right to and I couldn't show how sad I was or I was punished. They claim that I got more than I deserved, as I got fed after all. I never had a single new thing until grandfather rescued me and I was forced to wear Dudley's old clothes. That wouldn't have been so bad if Dudley hadn't been much bigger than I was, as he was already overweight even at the age of six. He was a heart attack waiting to happen as you can only be so much overweight before it's very unhealthy."
"Yes, if Dudley is as you described, I wouldn't be surprised if by the time he was in his late 20s if he didn't have a heart attack," Remus said.
"We'll make sure that both our Christmases are better from now on," Sirius solemnly. "I didn't think anybody could have a worse Christmas then I did as a child, but apparently I was wrong. I don't know how anybody can treat a child so callously, even if you were placed there by somebody who had no concept of what you're supposed family would do to you."
"Technically, you weren't related to the Dursleys, not that that's an excuse or anything," Remus said.
"I told Sirius this, before I went to Hogwarts, but granddad saw into Petunia's mind and said even if Lily had been her blood sister and I had been left with her, she would've treated me the same. He said that she was one twisted individual and Vernon wasn't any better. Dumbledore didn't do his homework and simply assumed that Petunia would care for me like her own child. I'm not sure if that's just his overconfidence at work or if he didn't care. I have every right to hate him, though I'm sure he'll claim that's the path to going dark. Really though, I don't hate him as you know."
"He would," Sirius snorted. "People have a right too hate, dislike or loathe other people without someone trying to tell that person that they don't have a right to their feelings, because it's the path of going dark. The only way you'll turn dark is if you take it to far and actually do something to that person due to your feelings and don't feel guilty afterwards."
"You know that's actually quite profound," Remus mused. "I didn't think you had it in you to be so profound Padfoot."
"Things change," Sirius said simply. "I've had my eyes well and truly opened to Dumbledore's manipulations for instance. He might not be totally responsible for me seeing the inside of Azkaban, but it is at least partially his fault for not doing anything like getting me a trial. He dropped the ball and I paid the price. He is Chief Warlock so that was well within his authority, he just didn't bother.
"I'd hate him for that reason alone, but I have multiple other reasons to hate the old coot. He might believe that he's doing the right thing, but his idea of the right thing is so out of the realm of reality in many cases, it's ridiculous. He so charismatic though, that people follow him and don't think for themselves."
"Let's just enjoy the holiday forget about that manipulative old codger," Harry suggested. "This is already the best Christmas I've ever had, as I get to spend it with my friends and my family. Let's concentrate on the positive instead of the negative. If Dumbledore tries anything we'll handle it and my grandfather will have something to say about it too. Trust me, you've never seen my grandfather really mad before. I promise you Dumbledore will regret the day he was ever born if he really gets grandfather furious."
"Something I can't wait to see." Sirius chuckled looking almost gleeful at the scenario that painted in his head. "Well, so long as it isn't directed at me."
"You know all grandpa would have to do was take me back to Tír na nÓg and there's no way Dumbledore could find me there, because he doesn't have access to the land of the sídhe. I can stay there for the next hundred years and only reappear once I was sure that old manipulator was dead. The only problem with that scenario is that Voldemort would take over in that amount of time and that's something I can't allow. Not only would my friends likely be dead or forced to serve him he would've taken over the world in that amount of time not just Britain.
"That's a very good point," Remus admitted.
"My main complaint though, is Dumbledore and the ministry should have handled the problem before that prophecy was ever uttered then we would have anything to worry about now. My parents would still be alive for instance, but because it was mostly purebloods that were joining him of course, the ministry did absolutely nothing afraid they'd kill off some pureblood scion. As for Dumbledore, he's very good at sitting back and doing nothing, even when he should be taking action," Harry said
"I have to agree with that," Remus sighed. "He did absolutely nothing to get Sirius a trial, even though all the Death Eaters got trials."
"We know or at least suspect, why he didn't go and not just because he believed I was guilty," Sirius said. "Even if Dumbledore hasn't admitted it to himself I have no doubt that he mainly left me in Azkaban, because I was Harry's godfather. He know that he wouldn't get guardianship of him if I was free and there was no way he would've been able to convince me to give him control of Harry, though I probably would have allowed him access to him."
"Of course, he never expected there to be a relative in the picture. Someone who is a very dangerous person to cross, even more dangerous than Snape," Harry smirked. "Even if you weren't around Sirius there is no way that granddad would allow Dumbledore to use me in his plans. We studied every move the headmaster has ever made, so I know more about him then he likely does about himself. If I really wanted him to granddad could bring down his wrath on Snape for the way he treats everyone except Slytherins, especially me. Granddad can make Snape regret treating me like trash beneath his heel, but for the moment I'm willing to put up with his attitude.
"I have no doubt Dumbledore's responsible for a lot of deaths indirectly, because he didn't tell people they were in danger because he believes he the only one who can use such information correctly," Harry added rolling his eyes to show how disgusted he was with Dumbledore. "He doesn't ever release information until he absolutely has to and by then it's usually to late to do any good. Of course, trying to tell him that will not do any good so the less I interact with him the better, since I just want to strangle the old man with his own beard."
"I don't think either of us can blame you," Sirius said.
The three let their conversation trail off before they started to discuss other things like what they were going to do for the rest of the holidays putting the conversation about Dumbledore to the backs of their minds for now.
~~~Dave and Harry~~~