AN: And I'm back to the main story. Either the Next Chapter or the one After will be a Character Interlude. Anyone you guys want in particular? Now, a conversation with Dumble's and starting on his plans.
After Dumbledore's little joke the rest of class was spent with him answering any questions we had about magic. Hermione herself asked about half of the questions in total, which was impressive because every other student had one of their own. After class though he told me that he wished to speak with me but had me wait as Rose was also there to speak with him. For over fifteen minutes I was left wondering what they were discussing. I of course tried to listen in but there seemed to be spells preventing eavesdropping, so I backed off as I had no desire to attract more attention from the man than I already had. When Rose finally emerged, she seemed distracted, telling me that she was going to spend the rest of the day at her dorm and to not bother looking for her later. I couldn't give her situation my full attention though as I was called in.
While I understandably felt wary of being alone with the Wizard, especially because I didn't know what version of the Headmaster I was stuck with, I decided to give him a chance due to the excellent lesson and the distance he kept from my situation so far. He was standing behind his desk at the back of the classroom, staring out a nearby window as he watched some of the students mingle. As I approached, he waved to a seat in front of him before taking one himself. We simply stared at each other, and for a moment I was worried that he was trying to read my mind, but I felt nothing of the sort when I checked. Finally, he sighed and the aura around him seemed to recede, leaving not the Wizard of Legend that he was but rather a weary old man, tired and regretful. When he spoke, there was remorse in his voice, a sadness as he addressed me.
"I believe I should apologize, Mister Potter, for the wrongs I have committed against you."
This was not what I was expecting, a demand for why I didn't go with the Potters or how I could heal, but not an apology.
"It seems in my attempt to keep you safe in your youth I have inadvertently hurt you in ways I can only imagine. I never meant for you to grow to despise your parents, or for you to suffer like you have." Here he looked down, and Fawkes, on a perch next to the desk, let out a mournful note that caused a slight discomfort.
"There are many things about that night, sixteen years ago, that remain secret from you, and one in particular that would have seen you in great peril. I had persuaded your parents that night to keep you away, and even suggested you Mothers' sister as an ideal candidate, still imagining her as the young girl who so desperately wished for magic, and not the woman she became. They were reluctant, of course, and tried to place you with your Godfather but I managed to persuade them that it would do you better to grow away from our world, away from the scrutiny your name would bring and the shadow your sister would cast. Your Aunt agreed to care for you, with what was at the time reasonable requests, such as a small stipend be sent for your wellbeing and to keep away from the family and allow them to raise you in peace. I accepted those requests, and it was agreed that she would care for you until you started School here." There was a pause, and I saw a tear roll down his wrinkled cheek as he looked back at me.
"I never would have imagined that they would treat you the way they did. I, blinded by my belief in the better nature of man, allowed them to mistreat you to the point that you had to learn of magic by healing yourself. And for that I am truly sorry. When I confronted Petunia, she attempted to hide her misdeeds but was unsuccessful, though the method I used to find this out cannot be used against her." Here he seemed to become angry, whether at himself for allowing the situation to happen or my aunt was unclear to me.
"While nothing can be done to the family without proof, I would not ask that you return to them either. Nor will I ask that you reside with the Potters, as I understand that some wounds take time to heal, though I ask that you do not blame them for the poor judgment of an old man. Instead, come the End of the Year, I will with your permission set up a place for you in Diagon, covered by myself, for you to stay until such a time as you either find a new place of residence, or you graduate from this School.
It is the least I could do for my mistakes." He told me, staying silent and allowing me a moment to come to terms with what he told me.
What the hell changed that I would be in danger as a baby with the Potters? If it were about protecting the Girl-Who-Lived, then Rose would have been most likely sent with me or we all would have moved to a different country. And from what I can tell he must have drawn his own conclusions about what I told Hermione at the Start of Term Feats and must have used Legilimency to discover Petunia's sins. Obviously not the whole truth or he would start asking questions that I had no answer to, but enough to confirm my lie. This was both an unexpected boon and a troublesome problem. While having my own place in Diagon for the next few years would be excellent, it would also mean that Dumbledore will now have a larger say in my life. Still, it could be worse, and I couldn't find any deception with [Covert Talent]. For now though, I had a part to play. Slipping into the mindset of an angry teen trying to mature wasn't that much of a difficulty, and the previously mentioned talent should make this more convincing.
"You have given me much to think about Headmaster, and I will give you a reply at the end of the year. If you excuse me, I will be taking my leave." My voice held traces of concealed rage, body trembling slightly and gaze hardening.
Without giving the man a chance to respond I stood from my seat and walked out the class, and he simply watched in silence.
As that had been the last class of the day, I still had a few hours till dinner. Today had shown me that I was not all knowing about this world like I had deluded myself into thinking, that the enemies I faced held actual power that could threaten me, and that I still had far to go. I had made plans, of course, but they had been made without the sense of urgency I now feel, the utter weakness I experienced. So, I needed to speed things up, and my first stop, the friendly Half-Giant who lived on the grounds. It wasn't difficult to find him, considering his Hut was visible from the entrance to the school, and luckily for me he seemed to be home, tending to the garden he kept.
"Excuse me, you're the Groundskeeper, correct?" I called out to get his attention, causing him to stop and face me, a look of confusion on his face.
"Ay, tha be me lad, an who're who?"
"Harry Potter, sir. I had a couple of questions that I was hoping that you could answer for me,"
He seemed to be surprised at that, probably never expecting a student to seek him out.
"Ah, Rose's brother then. I met ya when ye were just a wee lad, after that terrible business with You-Know-Who. Now, wha can I do fer ya?" He asked, standing to his full height nearly three times my own, and I wasn't exactly small either thanks to the boost from [Body Tune-Up].
"Well, I was wondering, seeing as I grew up in the muggle world, what kind of magical creatures reside at Hogwarts."
I swear that the man's face lit up like the sun at that. He quickly shook himself off and invited me inside his Hut, already rambling about this beast or that, and I knew then that this would take a while.