Author's Note: Hello everyone, and hello to all the new readers. I'm trying to get to reviews and respond to them, but FF is giving me issues. This chapter isn't exactly what you're all expecting, but I think you;ll enjoy it regardless. Thank you to everyone who is reading and those to take time to review. MNF

Chapter 10:

The Headmaster

While Harry, Sirius and Remus were preparing to leave their new home, breakfast was being served at Hogwarts. Hermione and Neville were dressed in their best robes, Hermione's a surprise gift from Sirius by owl post the day before. They were chatting happily, somewhat removed from the others at the table, but given that examinations were completed, few students were up early.

Minerva was seated at the head table, chatting happily with Professor Flitwick. He was explaining that Emme Vance was coming up from the Three Broomsticks to Floo to Gringotts with him. The Headmaster made his entrance, his lavender coloured robes swirling around him, and seated himself next to Minerva, in his throne-like chair. She sighed, wishing she could sit anywhere else at the table.

"I see most of your lions are not here yet, Minerva," Albus grumbled. "Were they partying last night?"

"No, Albus, although there was a rather fierce Gobstones competition going on quite late, at least according to the Prefects prefects report," she said in a near monotone voice. "With no classes or exams, the students are taking the opportunity to sleep."

"Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom are awake early, I see," he continued the conversation. "I wonder why the youngest Mr Weasley isn't with them?" Minerva looked at him aghast.

"The Weasley children are all but shunned in the tower," she explained. "What their mother did, to Harry, has my students in an uproar. I'm afraid the youngest two Weasleys are bearing the brunt of the anger. The twins and Percy have admitted they disagree with the actions their mother took and wish to apologize to Harry as soon as they can."

"Minerva, my dear, perhaps you need to go in and smooth things over for the Weasley brood. What is done is done and it will not happen again," Albus suggested with his best twinkling eye.

"I stopped the physical hazing of the children, but I cannot make my house like someone when what their mother did was unconscionable."

"You know that Harry will need to spend some of his summer with the Weasleys, as he always has," Albus stated while he prepared his tea.

"Harry will never set foot in that house again," Minerva said bluntly. "Especially now that Sirius has blood adopted him. Harry even bears a striking resemblance to Sirius. I saw them last night and their new home is lovely."

"If I remember correctly, no one will call the Black townhouse 'lovely'."

"They aren't living in the Black townhouse," Minerva said plainly. "Where they are living, however, is not something I can tell you."

"I hope Harry enjoys his vacationholiday with Sirius, as he will need to go back to his aunt and uncle for part of the summer," Albus said just as plainly.

"Harry would rather die than go there. Also, if what Sirius told me about the spells he helped Lily prepared for Harry's bedroom, it wasn't a sacrifice on her part that saved Harry, but rather James's. His death powered the trap they'd laid, the only reason it didn't succeed fully was He-who-should-not-be-namedHe-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wasn't fully in the room when he fired his killing curseKilling Curse. If it was James's sacrifice, then there never were any protections for Harry and the Dursleys and you were lucky no one ever found him."

"I placed proper blood wards, based on Lily's sacrifice on that house. It is Harry's home, and he will return there!" Dumbledore said loudly enough for the pair of Gryffindors eating together to hear him and then shake their heads.

"Albus, Harry will never live there again. Sirius will kill anyone who tries to force him to spend even a minute in their presence. As for your part in this debacle, it has yet to be dealt with but know that I find your behaviour beyond the pale. I will be leaving the castle with Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom in less than an hour." With that, she stood and left, but not before reminding the two Gryffindor friends to meet her in her office in thirty minutes.

Albus became suspicious when both Filius and Severus told him that they too would be leaving the castle this morning. While Filius would share nothing with the headmaster, Severus was at least a little forthcoming.

"I'm required at Gringotts this morning," he said.

"Why?" Albus asked after no other information flowed from the potions master's mouth.

"I am not sure," Severus confessed. "I just know I received a letter three days ago asking for my presence this morning. Now, if you will permit me to leave, I have a few potions set to brew that I must remove from the heat before I go." He turned and walked away, robes billowing out behind him. Albus had always been jealous of the dramatic motion it created. Unhappy he didn't have the flair the other wizard did, he went to his office and sat behind his desk.

Albus too-many-names Dumbledore was certain that the goblins were reading the will of James and Lily Potter. At the time of their death, he had quickly sealed the Ministry copy of the will, as he did not want Sirius Black to have custody of young Harry. Firstly, he wasn't sure that the Black family hadn't somehow infiltrated the young man's mind. Monty had shared just how badly broken he'd been when he arrived at the Potter's home that fateful night. Dumbledore had been concerned since then that Sirius was more Black than Potter, at least in his mind. Secondly, he was immature. Albus couldn't have Harry growing up as a pampered prince, like James had. He didn't have that long before Voldemort was back, and Harry would be the one who had to face him. No, Harry needed to be pliable. If he'd grown up with any of the other families mentioned – the Longbottoms, the Bones or even Minerva and Remus – he would understand wizarding society and that would never do. Ignorant, pliable, and prepared to do what was needed.

Albus was forced to place Harry with the only people James and Lily had specifically said not to place him. While he'd not anticipated the physical and emotional abuse that Harry had lived with at first, he realized it was moulding the boy into the perfect opponent for Voldemort. Harry would have so little self-worth he would willingly do what was required of him, for the greater good, which he would have ensured Harry understood fully. Albus ensured his body was always repaired but left his mind alone.

Albus's plans, however, were quickly unravelling. Black should have never escaped that damned prison with his mind intact. He suspected the Marauders had become Animagi while at school, but Albus did not know that being such protected one's mind from Dementors. He'd never been able to achieve the magic himself.

Dumbledore worried what would become of Harry now that Sirius had him. Sirius had always loved the child; he was wonderful to him even when Harry was a baby. Harry would have his first taste of unconditional love, at least that he'd remember, and it could be dangerous. Allowing Harry to have some understanding of who his parents were was risky this year. Remus had done exactly as Albus had hoped. He gave Harry nuggets of memories, but not too much. While he had been a good friend with both James and Lily, he didn't have the relationship that Sirius and James had. After Sirius went to live with the Potters, they began to refer to each other as 'brother'. Having Harry truly learn about who his parents were, and the magics they were willing to tap into to catch Voldemort could unravel everything Albus had worked for. By the end, the headmaster had felt that the Potters had gone 'grey', and they were taking much of the Order with them. Harry needed to be like the white the little daisies that grew along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

It would be much harder to remove Harry from Sirius' care now that the elder wizard had not only become head of the House of Black, but Harry had also accepted his position as Heir Potter and also Heir Black. Then there is was the ridiculous Blood adoption. It was impossible to undue if Minerva had been correct about it. Perhaps he'd need to seek out a more permanent solution to his problem. While he wouldn't do it himself, he never dirtied his hands, having the one person who loved him be taken away could just be what Harry needed to fall back into Dumbledore's plan. He'd need to consider it more.

While Albus sat at his desk, spinning around in his desk chair while his hands stroked his beard and contemplated how to remove Harry from his now blood relative, Sirius Black, he didn't notice a thick tome disappear from the edge of his desk.

The portraits in Albus's office were rarely spoken to by the current headmaster, something that was unheard of with previous administrations. However, the portraits still communicated with each other. Dilys Derwent was the first to notice the book disappear. She then noticed that a few others simply vanished from the bookshelf near his reading chair. Without attracting attention to herself, something she was quite good at, she moved into Armando Dippet's frame. He had also been watching items go missing from around the office.

"He hasn't noticed, has he?" Dilys asked.

"No, but why should that surprise us. He rarely notices much in the castle anymore. I think his brain has gone woozy," Armando replied. These were harsh words from the man who had not only nurtured Dumbledore as a student, but as the headmaster who had hired him to teach Transfiguration.

"Woozy or not, something is going on," Dilys said, just as a large object in a small closet dematerialized before them.

"It's my great-grandson," Phineas' Black said, joining the pair in Armando's frame. He had the largest one, and therefore it was often the meeting place. If they all needed to converse – like they had the year before regarding the Chamber of Secrets – they went to a bucolic pasture painting on the sixth floor. It was a long haul, however, so the former heads only did it when necessary. "He's blood adopted the Potter boy. He brought my portrait from Grimmauld Place to his new home so that I can spy on Albus for him."

"You're willing to spy on Albus?" Armando asked, incensed.

"That man," Phineas said while pointing at Dumbledore, "let Harry, my several times great nephew, be beaten by his guardians, stole from them and allowed my great-grandson to be imprisoned without the benefit of a trial. Yes, I'm willing to spy. Oh, he's going to miss that!" He said as a cloak disappeared.

This had been going on for a good ten minutes before Dumbledore reached for the oft referenced tome, and realized it wasn't there. He stood, going to his bookshelf and began to look, but was surprised by the number of empty spots on his usually full shelving.

"Where would I have put that?" he asked the air, and the trio in the portrait laughed quietly.

Albus looked for a few moments, without any luck, before he stopped and considered what exactly was missing. Then, with a sinking look on his face, he went to find other books and discovered them missing as well. Panic struck the old man, and he went to the small closet, only to determine the Pensive he'd used for years was gone.

He opened the drawers and found them empty. He ran to his quarters and found that bags of coins he stashed away were no longer in their hidey holes. The gold cauldron he'd lifted from the potions lab in Godric's Hollow was gone as well. His heart sank. He knew if he opened the chest he'd carefully shrunk and hidden away he'd find it empty. All of James and Lily's notebooks on spells, their reference books, Harry's baby books and their photo albums. All of it was now gone.

Albus slumped into his reading chair and pondered what to do next while the portraits continued to watch him. They were certain he'd not take their advice, even if they gave it, so they remained quiet; well almost all.

"You blithering idiot," Phineas said, "I'm quite certain everything you stole from that young boy is back in his possession."

"Some were gifts from the older generations?" Dumbledore said.

"From whom? I know my dear Dorea didn't think much of you and she was married to the more levelheaded brother. Charlus put up with your ideas, but he didn't put much stock in them. Monty on the other hand swallowed them hook, line and sinker – for a while. I know why you fell out with Fee and Monty."

"How could a Black possibly know what the Potters were thinking?" Albus asked him dismissively.

"My granddaughter married into the family, and trust me, a hundred years ago the only thing we argued about was whether Muggleborns should be brought to Hogwarts or have a school for themselves – a debate that has gone on for a millennium. The Potters were just as picky about who they married back then, and we oft dined with each other. Dorea and Charlus picked each other, and as head of the family I was pleased with the choice. Dorea came to visit my portrait weekly, even once she was married. Anything she knew, I knew, as she sought my advice." Phineas was proud of the girl. He also knew where his dear Callidora's Book of Secrets was and would tell Sirius if the need were to arise. He would see Dumbledore destroyed for what happened to his great-grandson.

"You are re-writing history, Phineas," Albus muttered.

"Albus, it's you who is doing the re-writing. Sirius must have had the will read and I wouldn't have put it past young James to have recalled anything that you'd 'borrowed' from the Potters returned immediately," the painting responded.

"Why am I sitting here?" Albus asked himself.

"Don't go to Gringotts, Albus," Armando cautioned. "They know you've stollen from that sweet boy. You'll never leave."

"I am Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot of the United Kingdom and Chief Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards," Albus spouted as he stood. "They will never hold me. It would start another war between our races."

"Armando and Phineas are right, Albus," Dilys pleaded. "Stay here and just ignore what has been returned."

"But I need the boy! The future of the wizarding world depends on him!"

"Albus, Harry Potter is a thirteen-year-old child," Armando quietly stated. "How can the wizarding world depend on him? Hasn't he given enough?"

"Surely you can let the boy have a life now," Dilys suggested.

"Let my grandson give him the life he was denied. Can't replace his parents, but Sirius loves Harry fiercely. Sit down, Albus," Phineas stated.

"I can't," Albus said plainly. "It ruins all my plans." He threw some Floo powder into his fireplace and called out Diagon Alley.

"Well, that will be a disaster," Dilys said.

"Perhaps I should go find Minerva and clue her in to what is about to happen?" Armando asked. The others just sadly nodded in response.