Chapter 5 - Dangerous
Uther Pendragon was an intense man. Merlin had already known as much from his first meeting with the man, of course, where he had tried to coerce Gaius into a political meeting instead of just meeting his son's friend. However, Merlin couldn't say that he was that disappointed to have been spared the full attention of Arthur's father on that occasion.
This time, on the other hand, he was being subjected to the full-force scrutiny of Uther Pendragon. Merlin couldn't say that this was an unfamiliar feeling. With Cencred and Morgause he had grown used to having watchful eyes on his back that found his every move lacking. However, Mister Pendragon seemed to nod approvingly after looking between Harry and himself.
"You're both rather skinny. Scrawny-looking. Good. That will make it easier for the board to sympathise with you, most of them are parents so frail-looking children will help sway them." Only after that glowing compliment did he step forward with his hand outstretched. "Uther Pendragon, a pleasure I'm sure," he said charmingly, his voice taking on an entirely different quality that Merlin was sure had won him his election.
"We've met," Merlin said cooly, stepping in front of Harry, but not moving to take the offered hand. Even if Merlin hadn't been feeling averse to touch these last few days, he was pretty sure he still wouldn't have taken it, not after being called scrawny and frail-looking. "This is my brother, Harry," he introduced politely (because the man was still helping them, even if Merling could see exactly where Arthur had learnt how to act like a prat from), but he kept his place half-stood in front of his brother, almost shielding him from Mister Pendragon's inspection.
"Hello," Harry said awkwardly. Merlin could see that he was refraining from insulting Mister Pendragon back, but Morgana had sent them a second lengthy letter with advice on how to deal with the man, and blatant rudeness would not help any of them. They were supposed to be working together right now, so they couldn't afford to let their distaste for his words show. "Thanks for agreeing to this," he added, a little more genuinely.
"Of course," Mister Pendragon said, his voice settling into something more sincere. "A man like that shouldn't be allowed around children. Even if my own weren't involved, I would do whatever I could to help."
He nodded then to Gaius, who was standing in the doorway watching their interactions, and Merlin felt himself bristle at the reminder that he was doing all of this with Gaius's disapproval hanging over him. Not that he regretted doing whatever he could to help Harry . . . he was just afraid of the after. After all of this was over, once Harry was back at Hogwarts and Merlin didn't have an excuse to dodge the man all day. He was afraid of what was waiting for him.
And yet, apparently Mister Pendragon no longer cared to forge any association with the man, because he made no move to initiate a conversation. He seemed to know that Harry had only turned to him because Gaius had refused, and despite what Merlin was sure were his many flaws, Uther Pendragon really did seem to care about getting Snape away from Hogwarts. And, for now, that was going to have to be enough for Merlin.
"It's a long drive to Scotland, we should get moving," Uther informed them, opening the backseat door for them before moving to the passenger side of the car. "Seatbelts," he prompted automatically as soon as they were all inside.
There was a driver sitting quietly in the front, probably being paid quite a lot to not ask questions about why the Prime Minister was picking up two children from Devon that were not his own.
"Feel free to sleep or read or even talk amongst yourselves as long as you do so quietly," he stressed. "I will be doing paperwork and making phone calls. I have a very busy schedule which this hearing has disrupted, so I trust that you will allow me to do what work I can in peace."
"Yes Mister Pendragon," Merlin said compliantly.
After that, he made sure to keep his words to a whisper as he pulled out Gwaine's Christmas present to him, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, thinking of the simpler times when it was just he and Harry in the Hufflepuff common room, reading fairy tales. Harry didn't even last an hour before he was falling asleep on Merlin's shoulder. But Merlin read on, silently this time, knowing that if the last few days had proved anything, Merlin falling asleep would lead to anything but silence.
They were met at the gates by Albus Dumbledore himself. Uther had done his research on the man. A war hero, child prodigy, shoe in for minister of magic - and yet had turned the position down to instead be the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Uther couldn't stand men like that. Not men who didn't like involving themselves in politics. No, that was fine by him, one less idiot's opinion to worry about. What he hated were the types of men who claimed to abhor politics, and yet stuck their nose into it any chance they got. Because taking in Harry Potter as a ward of the school was a political move if Uther had ever seen one.
"Welcome, Mister Pendragon," the man said genially. "It's very heartening to see one of our Muggle parents getting involved with the school."
And let the false niceties commence, he supposed. "Yes, wonderful to meet you Headmaster," he said with his fakest and most charming smile. "I found I simply couldn't not get involved when I heard about the situation going on at my children's school. I of course have young Mister Potter to thank for bringing the matter to my attention."
And that was when the old coot finally turned his attention towards the two boys behind him.
Uther watched as he turned a grandfatherly smile onto Harry. A kind facade with just a touch of disappointment laced into it.
Uther watched with interest to see their reactions. Two young children, orphans, whose only guardians have been abusive at worst and let downs and best (yes, he had done his research on the children too). It would be only natural for them to crave the approval and acceptance of the headmaster, expertly playing the doting grandfather.
And so, it was with repressed amusement that Uther watched as young Harry Potter's face hardened at the sight of Albus Dumbledore. Merlin Emrys was subtler, his expression falling into more of a blank mask, a lack of emotion more than anything else. But the message was clear. Neither of them cared for this caricature of a caring old man.
Uther was surprised. Though perhaps he shouldn't have been. Anyone who had earned the approval of both of his children were clearly not to be underestimated.
However, Dumbledore pressed on nevertheless. "I must say that I wish you had come to me with your concerns, Harry, before you resorted to such drastic measures." The boy arched an unimpressed eyebrow and Uther could not have conveyed the sentiment better himself. "That is to say, I only wish that you would have told me that -"
"Told you what, sir? I thought that you already knew Snape was a Death Eater. What did you expect me to tell you that you didn't already know?"
Oh how Uther hoped this boy would exploit his early start in fame to go into politics. He would be rather excellent at it. There was a disarming bluntness to his technique that was working wonders on the Headmaster's composure. Though perhaps it was only so effective because said bluntness was coming from a child. Ah, well, Uther would see in a few years.
"Well, my boy -"
"I'm pretty sure you already knew what he was when you hired him, Professor, and I don't know what Harry going to you first would have changed," Merlin said boldly, speaking up for the first time. He had seemed the type to follow instructions almost to a fault, from what little time Uther had spent with him, so this little rebellion was a refreshing surprise. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Headmaster, the meeting is supposed to be starting soon and I think we'd better be on our way." The child didn't wait for anyone's dismissal before walking past and taking his brother with him.
Uther was trying to form his own judgement of the boys, unbiased to what his children had mentioned when trying to convince him to take the time out of his schedule to help (little had they known that Uther had been on board as soon as he realised what danger they could be in, trapped in a school with that man there. But still, it had been good practice for them to try and talk him around). They had obviously mentioned the famed Boy Who Lived, and how said fame would aid Uther in his interest in wizarding politics, but that wasn't the thought current on Uther's mind.
"Helping Harry will win you over some allies. And, honestly, in a few years I think he'll make a good political player himself if his instincts in this are anything to go by. In ten years I think he'll be a useful person to owe you a favour," Morgana reasoned.
Uther had watched his son's face sour at the idea of holding something like this over a child's head for years to come but he wisely kept silent (which might have had something to do with the fact that Morgana was almost definitely pinching his thigh under the table).
And then, fascinatingly, she sent a questioning, almost guilty, look towards Arthur before opening her mouth once more, this time to say, "And Harry isn't the only powerful ally I think you can make from this. Merlin Emrys . . . I think he might be one of the most powerful wizards alive." How curious. "And if he isn't right now then he will be soon."
"Merlin?!" Arthur had asked incredulously, a sentiment Uther shared, after all this was only a twelve year old boy. "Morgana you can't be serious?"
"Explain," Uther prompted, giving her the chance to elaborate.
"His magic almost brought half of the castle down earlier this year, and it was accidental. It was like an earthquake, the walls and floors were trembling. That's powerful magic to have been done accidentally," she said seriously.
Yes, that sounded worrisome indeed.
"Yeah, but that's just accidental magic," Arthur said dismissively. "You were starting fires and smashing windows whenever you got upset, this isn't that different."
"Of course it is!" she argued. "Hogwarts is ancient and it's imbued with magic, one child's emotional breakdown should threaten to tear the thing down. And Arthur, you told me so yourself how even Professor McGonagall's magic couldn't touch him after the incident."
"Is this boy dangerous?" Uther asked immediately. A potentially mentally unstable child with the ability to bring down the castle that his children were living in three quarters of the year . . . that certainly sounded like another cause for concern on top of this Death Eater situation.
"No!" Arthur protested without thought. "He's not dangerous, he's my friend."
Uther remained unmoved by the declaration, his eyes on Morgana's hesitant expression. He could see that Arthur, too, was looking at her with something akin to desperation in his eyes.
"Morgana?" he pressed.
But Morgana would not look back at either of them.
Uther shook the thought away. He did not see anything dangerous when he looked at that boy. Though he knew, appearances could be deceiving.
The boys clearly did not care for their Headmaster's opinion of them, and to Uther's great amusement, Albus Dumbledore turned his accusing eyes towards him. As though he had been the one to inspire such rebellion in them. Uther had hardly spoken a handful of sentences to either of them and therefore could not have possibly have had any impact on their opinion of their Professor, but that didn't stop a self-satisfied smile from forming on his face at the look of disgruntlement on Albus Dumbledore's face.
"I believe the boys were right, we really should be making our way inside. Thank you though, Headmaster, for greeting us personally at the gates. I'm quite certain that the children appreciated the time you took away from preparing your statements for today's discussion just to say hello," he said smugly. "I look forward to seeing you in there."
The Great Hall looked different with all of the house tables out of the way.
It was huge, and it looked far too big for only twenty of them to be in here. Now, that sounded like a big number, twenty, it was enough to fill a classroom. But in a room meant to seat hundreds of children all talking over each other, the echoing footsteps filling the empty space only made the whole situation feel that much more intimidating.
The twelve members of the Board of Governors sat at what was usually the staff table. None of them had particularly expressive faces so it was difficult for Merlin to try and gauge exactly what they were thinking as Mister Pendragon stood up to talk. It was only the man sat in Professor Dumbledore's usual seat who seemed to glare as the man approached the center of the room.
Despite the emptiness of the hall, when Mister Pendragon began speaking, he seemed to fill it effortlessly. "I am, quite frankly, appalled that such a thing has been allowed to happen," he began dramatically.
The Headmaster and the four Heads of House who sat with him exchanged a few interesting looks. Professor Snape even rolled his eyes. Merlin could see how little they cared for this meeting. Apparently none of them thought it was anything to be worried about, not anything to be taken seriously.
Merlin couldn't wait to see them proved wrong.
"A man with his history has no place in a school full of children," Mister Pendragon continued, either not noticing the Professors' indifference or simply too professional to let it bother him. "Pardoned or not, Severus Snape has committed crimes, and yet you let him teach, let him influence the children at this school. They are to be the future of the wizarding world, your future, left in the hands of a murderer."
Speculating whispers and uncertain looks broke out at that.
"You have no proof of that," the blonde man in the Headmaster's chair said calmly.
Equally calm, Uther approached the table and casually dropped a thick folder in front of the man. "I have the court records from his trial," he said arrogantly.
The alarm spreading across Professors Snape and Dumbledore's faces was just as satisfying to watch as Merlin had hoped. He gripped Harry's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
"Those records are supposed to be sealed in accordance with my pardon," Professor Snape hissed furiously.
"I am the Prime Minister of this country," Uther said slowly as though speaking to an idiot, made all the more gratifying to see after Merlin had watched Snape use that exact tone of voice with so many of his housemates in the past. "And that includes your people and your ministry. I have access to whatever records I wish to see. So when I found out that a criminal has been teaching my children for the last year, I endeavoured to find out all pertinent information on the subject."
That seemed to sour the expression of nearly every adult in the room. Apparently they were only now realising who exactly they were dealing with. They had obviously dismissed him as some muggle politician, sticking his nose where it didn't belong, but that's where they had been mistaken. This was his country, and all of it was under his purview.
Harry looked up at him, hope clear in his eyes, and Merlin finally let himself believe that they might just win this.
"Please refrain from calling Professor Snape a criminal," Dumbledore objected unconcernedly, "He was pardoned."
"As long as you refrain from calling him a professor, because he certainly won't be one for much longer," he quipped easily.
"Please, Mister Pendragon, continue," a shrewd-looking woman prompted, unimpressed with the pointless remarks. She seemed to have been the only one who remained unshaken at Mister Pendragon's show of political power.
"Yes, thank you, Madam Longbottom. As I was saying, Mister Snape is a murderer. He confessed to the murder of multiple muggles. Are we truly supposed to believe that he holds no ill will towards the muggle-born children under his supervision? For all we know he could have killed one of their parents, grandparents, uncles or aunts." He took a moment then to glare at Snape, and Merlin finally saw just how personal this was to Mister Pendragon.
"He willingly followed the man that waged a war on this country," he continued, Merlin managing to pick up on the suppressed anger in his voice. "A war not just on my people, but on yours too. Just as many witches and wizards were killed in his tirade as muggles. I wonder how many deaths Mister Snape is personally responsible for."
"While I agree that Severus has made some mistakes -" Professor Dumbledore started, in an attempt to underplay the severity of it all.
"The purposeful killing of a human being cannot be labeled as a mistake," Mister Pendragon furiously interrupted.
"That being said," the Headmaster carried on, as if Mister Pendragon was just an errant student interrupting class. "Severus saw the error of his ways. He realised that the path he was on was wrong. He repented his mistakes, and in turning to spy on Voldemort he risked his own life in the effort to save many more. And while, of course, that cannot bring back those who were taken from us too soon -"
"Taken by him!"
"- does he not deserve a second chance? Severus was a teenager when he joined the Death Eaters, too young to realise the consequences his actions would yield. He did not comprehend the reality of the cause he had joined. And by the time he had, it was too late, if he deserted then he would have been killed. So when he came to me, looking for a way out, I promised my protection in return for his aid in ending the war. He held his end of the bargain, for Voldemort would not have been defeated that day if not for Severus's interference, and I intend to uphold mine."
To their dismay, the Board was being swayed. What was it about Albus Dumbledore that got people to simply trust his word like it was gospel?
"This isn't good," Harry whispered to him, quiet enough not to interrupt the discussion going on.
"No, it's not," Merlin agreed. "But we've got to trust Arthur and Morgana's dad, okay? If he can win over a country then he can win over twelve tossers."
The insult was enough to get a half-hearted smile out of Harry. And really that was all Merlin had been hoping for.
"Is that what this is? The return of a deal?" Uther questioned as Merlin tuned back in to the debate. "He gives you information and you agree to keep him out of Azkaban and give him a job? That is all good and well for you to do at the risk of yourself, Headmaster, but your first priority should not be to keep your promises. Your first priority should be the children entrusted into your care."
It was quite the condemnation. And despite the fact that the blond man seemed to be on the same side as the Headmaster in defending Snape, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying watching the man get dressed down.
"Tell me, how many parents are aware of Mister Snape's criminal history?" He directed towards the Hogwarts staff.
"It is no secret that Severus was a Death Eater, even if the details of the situation were supposed to be kept private."
"That's not what I asked, Headmaster. You see, in the muggle world, we do not allow anyone with a criminal record to teach in schools. Muggle parents are aware of this. And as Hogwarts is still in Great Britain, I am certain that they would expect the same laws in place under the magical government, as it is supposed to be simply an extension of my own government. I am also certain that if you told every muggle parent that one of their children's teachers was a man who once campaigned for the deaths of them and their families, then you would have every muggle-born child pulled from the school immediately, and I imagine a good amount of the half-bloods too. You are promising parents that their children will be safe, all the while you are actively putting them in danger!" Mister Pendragon declared boldly.
"Severus Snape is not a danger to children!" the blond man protested loudly. "Why, I made him the Godfather to my own son; an insult like that is an insult to me!"
"Then you, sir, are either a fool or a criminal yourself," Mister Pendragon said uncaringly.
"How dare you!" His eyes narrowed with anger. "I am a trusted member of the community, and the chair of this Board. I don't see how you expect any of us to listen to a word you have to say when you throw around insults and accusations which have no basis! I don't know how muggles do things, but wizards don't appreciate being insulted when you are trying to gain their favour," he said pompously.
"I have no desire for your favour," Mister Pendragon said with no small amount of scorn. "I am not trying to curry favours with the people in this room. I am here to protect my children. I am using fact and reason to prove to you why Severus Snape should not be allowed to teach children. And as for my accusations having no basis, well I don't imagine you were unaware of Mister Snape's criminal history when you named him the Godparent to your child, as I have just been told that that fact is 'no secret'. Which leads me to believe that you are either stupid enough to trust a murderer around your son, or care little for his own crimes because you have several of your own. So please, educate us all on which it is, Mister Malfoy?"
The man, Mister Malfoy apparently, stood indignantly from his chair. At first Merlin thought it was odd that he was about to wave his decorative cane in Mister Pendragon's face, that was until he pulled his wand from it. "I will not let a filthy muggle accuse me of anything!" he shouted bitterly. "You should learn how to talk to your betters! You have no idea who you're dealing with! I have the ear of the Minister of Magic and I will not -"
"Congratulations," Mister Pendragon interrupted apathetically, uncaring of the weapon being directed at him. "You have the ear of a man who answers to me." The relaxed response seemed to throw the man off enough that his wand-arm wavered slightly, the shock giving him pause. And despite the Prime Minister's casual demeanor, Merlin saw the lines around his eyes tighten as a hand slipped into his trouser pocket.
Merlin wondered exactly what weapon he had brought with him.
Still, the man remained seemingly indifferent as he continued. "And thank you, Mister Malfoy, for proving my point. If you are the sort of man Severus Snape associates with, then I imagine his opinion on muggles, like myself, would be rather similar to your own. I can't imagine such an opinion not affecting his teaching and his interaction with muggle-born students."
"Who Severus chooses to associate with outside of his career is irrelevant to this discussion," the Headmaster's tranquill voice cut in, sounding terribly out of place between all of the tension building in the room.
"I disagree, Albus," the shrewd woman cut in. "If we are here to gauge the character of the man and whether or not he is suitable to be teaching the next generation of wizards and witches, then who he associates with does matter. You are hardly going to be friends with someone who fundamentally disagrees with your core values. And we all know how Lucius feels about muggles and muggleborns, I find it very hard to believe that Professor Snape does not still share these same ideals."
"Thank you, Madam Longbottom, for elaborating on my point so eloquently."
"And for goodness sake, Lucius, put your wand away!" she snapped impatiently. "You can't go around calling muggles uncivilised when you're the only one here with your wand out. This is a school board meeting not a back-alley duel."
Somehow, the man seemed to make being chastised look graceful as he placed his wand back in the cane/holster, and folded himself back into his seat. "Frankly, I don't see why holding such opinions matters in regards to his quality as a teacher in any case," Mister Malfoy commented. "Severus is a master potioneer. He's a pioneer in the subject and is widely regarded as Britain's best poition's master. I can think of no one more qualified to be shaping the young minds of our next generation."
And despite it being an argument to oppose theirs, Uther looked glad that the statement had been made. "Wonderful that you brought up his quality as a teacher," he said smugly. "As it happens, I have sixty-four written testimonies from students, past and present, who attest to Mister Snape's quality as a teacher and Head of House.
"Many of the accounts consist of verbal abuse hurled towards students. And while I can understand the need to discipline unruly children acting out around hazardous potions, it seems cruel and useless to berate a student's physical features, such as acne or weight or crooked teeth, as some of these letters detail," he said, handing out a small amount to each board member and then a few extras to every staff member excluding Snape. "Not to mention that the cause of such abuse generally seems unrelated to actual performance in the classroom. One student was berated for raising their hand to answer questions repeatedly. Another was insulted for asking for clarification on the written instructions. One boy was belittled when he claimed a fellow classmate had sabotaged his classwork and asked to be allowed to start over.
"There are dozens of accounts outlining similar actions, in what is a clear pattern of behavior for Mister Snape. And I would like to note that none of the insults were ever directed toward Slytherin students, and only very rarely was such derogatory language aimed at pure-bloods.
"Which leads me to the next major fault in Mister Snape's teaching: prejudice. Almost all of these accounts came from muggle-born and half-blood students. The exceptions being pure-blood students from families who are apparently labeled 'blood-traitors' by blood-purists. It appears very clear to me that Severus Snape targets the students who either have muggle blood or sympathise with muggles and muggle-borns."
"This is preposterous, I am a half-blood! I have muggle blood," Snape protested heatedly.
"Yes, indeed you do," Mister Pendragon agreed. "And please share, Mister Snape, for those among us who may be unaware, where your muggle father is right now?"
Merlin's stomach started to twist in the empty silence that followed. Dread filled him and he couldn't shut up the instinct to cover his brother's ears. It was something he knew Harry wouldn't appreciate, but Merlin felt like he needed to shield him from what he was almost certain was about to be revealed.
"No?" Mister Pendragon asked. "Well, in that case, I'll answer for you. Your muggle father is buried in a cemetery somewhere. Because you killed him, and admitted as much in your trial after the fall of Lord Voldemort."
A flinch seemed to go through most of the room at his name being said aloud, but Merlin knew that he and Harry had reacted like so for a very different reason. They were orphans, the two of them. Just two children who would give anything to have only one day more with their parents. The idea that someone would do that to one of their parents was just . . . unthinkable.
Then again, Merlin had seen that sometimes the people who are supposed to look after you just . . . don't.
Either way, he squeezed Harry's hand tighter.
"You have already made your case about Severus's pardoned crimes, Mister Pendragon, and they have been addressed. I ask that you move on," the Headmaster said.
"Very well," Mister Pendragon acquiesced, despite not looking very happy about it. "Albus Dumbledore, my research tells me that you were a child prodigy, one of the strongest wizards alive today, a man who beat a Dark Lord yourself. But, above all, you are heralded as a champion for muggles and muggle-borns. It's all very impressive-sounding.
"Though, I wonder, have you ever really considered those muggle-born students as people? Did you ever think about how they might feel, knowing that their hero hired a man who would have called them mudblood." Merlin watched as nearly all of the adults in the room seemed to squirm once they heard the slur. "I'll admit, that wasn't a word I knew until my daughter wrote to me explaining how she only had one friend in her house because everyone else wouldn't be caught dead with a mudblood like her. She had to explain to me then, that it was a slur, used against muggle-borns. Something foul and horrible and cruel, meant to imply that she was worthless or sullied because of her parentage. I saw how so many of you reacted to the word. It's not something said in polite company. And yet, this last year it has been hurled at my daughter day after day by her housemates. It was said in his presence, and he did nothing. No reprimand, no detention given, not even house points deducted. He heard my daughter, supposedly one of his slytherins, supposedly one of the students he is supposed to be protecting, being called a mudblood by another of the students in his own house . . . and he did nothing. Because that is the legacy Severus Snape is leaving behind as a teacher at this school."
The low muttering breaking out between the board seemed to bode well for them.
And Snape's cowed expression in the face of Professor McGonagall's displeasure was really something to behold.
But despite that good news Merlin couldn't help thinking of Morgana. He didn't really know Arthur's sister all too well. She seemed to avoid him when she could and he had always tried not to take it personally. He was sure that lots of sisters didn't like to hang around with their brothers' friends. And he was certain that Arthur didn't already know about this, otherwise he would have had a lot more detentions for fighting last year.
But still . . .
He assumed it was Mithian, that one friend that Mister Pendragon said she had in Slytherin. Mithian always seemed to be kind to everyone, in her own snarky way. He should ask her this year to try and get Morgana to sit with them more. It might be nice for her to have more than one friend.
Well, if the look on Harry's face was anything to go by, then she had definitely found herself another loyal ally. Whether or not Mister Pendragon's plan works, Merlin was sure that Harry was going to make sure Morgana knew she had a friend in him from now on.
"That's enough," Mister Malfoy's voice seemed to carry over all of the others'. "I think we all know the reason why we're all here is because Mister Harry Potter had a complaint. I say we hear directly from the source. So tell us, boy, why did you ask your muggle friend here to fight your battle?"
Harry hated how Lucius Malfoy called him 'boy'. Uncle Vernon had always said it like that. As if calling him Harry would be so much harder? It was just one more syllable.
For some reason that was the immediate thought that entered Harry's head when he was asked the question. His brain just decided to . . . stall on that one word.
Luckily Merlin wasn't sharing Harry's problem in speaking. "He's just a kid," Merlin protested. And well. No. That definitely wasn't what Harry had wanted him to say. "The whole reason we had to ask Mister Pendragon to speak at this thing was because the Board of Governors can only be called as a result of a parental complaint. Leave Harry out of this. He's suffered enough at the hands of people like him," Merlin said firmly with a nod in Snape's direction.
"I'll do it," Harry cut in instead, before Mister Malfoy could complain, finally finding his voice.
He wasn't a coward.
And, besides, they were right, he had started this whole mess and he should be the one to finish it.
"You don't have to," Merlin said immediately.
And Harry loved him for that, he really did. But he was wrong. Harry did have to do this. For himself if nothing else. If they lost and Harry had given away his chance to speak up then he would regret it forever. "Yes, I do," he corrected.
He got out of his seat and walked to the center of the room, staring at Mister Pendragon until the man raised his eyebrows but went to take a seat. Harry didn't fill the space as well as he had done.
Merlin was right, he was a child. And he had never felt it as much as he did at that moment, with eighteen adults looking down on him, waiting for him to say something important.
"I don't know what you want me to say," was, unfortunately, the first thing out of his mouth.
Mister Pendragon winced - barely, Harry could only tell because he was the least stressful person to be looking at at that moment. He was also hoping the man would give him a few non-verbal hints as to what exactly they were expecting him to say.
Malfoy rolled his eyes at him.
But the old man at least asked an actual question. Even though It was a shit question.
"What exactly brought these concerns about Professor Snape to your attention?" he asked kindly.
But Harry wasn't fooled. Not by the kindness or the question. What he meant was, 'who told you?' And Harry knew better now than to risk exposing his and Helena's friendship like that.
"Does it matter?" Harry asked instead. "I found out he was a Death Eater and then as soon as I was away from Hogwarts I did everything I could to make sure I'd never have to be in the same room as him again." It was a bit of a crude answer but Harry thought it summed up the chain of events quite accurately.
Dumbledore looked disappointed with his answer so Harry counted that as a success.
"Has Severus Snape ever harmed you?" Malfoy asked, straight to the point.
"No."
"Has he ever threatened you?"
"Well, no."
"Has he ever so much as raised his voice to you?"
"No. We've never spoken before," Harry answered, feeling like that was the worst possible thing he could have said.
His instinct was right because Malfoy looked smug when he turned to share a look with the other board members. "So what you're saying," he said condescendingly, "Is that we all gathered here on the complaint of a boy who's never so much as had a conversation with Severus. Well," he laughed, "surely we can all see how ridiculous that is."
Harry could almost hear Merlin gritting his teeth from all the way over here. But Harry didn't have that particular problem, because they had asked him to speak, so he didn't need to keep quiet.
"What does it matter?" he all but shouted. "What does it matter if I've never spoken to him? He worked for the man who killed my parents! He's killed people himself! I don't need to have spoken to him to not feel safe in the same building as him!"
And then Harry took all of his hurt and his anger and turned it towards Dumbledore. "You promised me I'd be safe. You said I wasn't safe with my Uncle and Aunt and yeah maybe they were terrible but at least they weren't murders! You told me that I couldn't even chance getting adopted, because people might try to use me. You told me that Hogwarts was where I'd be safest, but you're a liar! Because you put me in a school with a man who admitted to being a murderer! And you knew! I think you didn't want me getting adopted so that you could use me!"
He sounded hysterical now, he knew that, but he wasn't sure what else to do. This was what Helena had told him right? That people were always going to take what they knew about him and use it against him. Harry had wanted somewhere safe, and he had wanted to stay with his brother, so Dumbledore had promised all of that, all the while keeping Harry where he could control him, and within arms reach of a killer.
"Listen to him, the boy is clearly deluded!" a smarmy voice crowed from his left.
"He's not deluded, he's distressed! This was the point I was trying to make! How can children expect to feel safe at a school that employs a murderer!"
"Harry, my boy, you need to calm down, this is a very childish reaction."
"All of you shut up!"
Merlin. That was Merlin. Merlin could fix things, right?
"Hey, I'm here," came a soft voice from his left. It was Merlin. He was going to fix it, right? "Yeah. Yeah of course. Of course I'm going to fix it. That's what I'm here for, remember?"
He felt himself nodding but he wasn't much aware of anything else except for the voices.
"I think I've had enough of this. Time to put it to a vote," Smarmy said. "All those to remove Severus Snape from his position as Professor and Head of House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
There was a long, cold silence.
"And those against?"
Harry finally managed to pull enough strength to look up. The first thing he saw was Snape's self-satisfied face. It was only after that that he could count the eight raised hands behind him.
He felt his stomach twist and his heart sink. What were they going to do? He could almost feel the panic clawing at him trying to drag him back under. He fought to stay above it all, trying not to drown in it.
The sudden absence of Merlin's warmth from his side was like a shock to the system. Like cold water being poured over his head, waking him up.
"No," his brother's firm voice said, carrying over the congratulations and the niceties.
"Merlin?" he asked, his voice shakier than he'd like.
"No," Merlin repeated, his voice harder this time, angrier.
But he wasn't talking to Harry. He was staring at Lucius Malfoy with the coldest stare Harry had ever seen from him.
The man scoffed in his face. "You little temper tantrum failed, boy, move on."
But this time it was Merlin who scoffed. "You want to see a temper tantrum?" he asked threateningly.
Malfoy laughed, but Harry felt the hairs on the back of his arm stand up.
He only had half a second to shout a choked off, "Merlin!" before all of the windows in the room were shattering inwards. Harry threw his hands over his head, ready to protect himself from the shards, even knowing that Merlin would never let any of them touch him, but he never heard the glass touch the ground.
Instead all of the broken shards were hovering in the air, and reflected in all of them was the bright gold of Merlin's eyes. And they continued to burn gold, even in the face of a dozen wands pointed at him.
The Professors, however, knew better. They knew that Merlin's magic was untouchable when it was like this. They knew the only way to stop him was to calm him down.
"Don't do anything stupid, boy," Lucius Malfoy warned, his wand pointed threateningly towards Merlin, whose response was to simply summon the wands out of everyone's hands.
He didn't cast a spell or even so much as raise his hand. Just the slightest tilt of his head and everyone's wands were a metre away from them, pointing back at their owners.
"Something stupid?" he asked dangerously. "Like what?
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"Is this boy dangerous?"
"No! He's not dangerous, he's my friend."
Yes, Morgana wanted to say, yes, he is dangerous. But she knew what King Uther had done to things he deemed dangerous. And as much as she didn't trust Merlin, did a twelve year old boy with no memory of all the wrongs he had done to her really deserve that?
Not to mention the Arthur of it all. Arthur who was looking at her desperately, knowing just as well as she that if she answered this question wrong she could be ruining a boy's life. Arthur who loved Merlin. Arthur who trusted her. DId she really want to lose that trust now?
But wasn't it better to protect herself from what he might become. If she could just remove him from the situation before he could remember . . . If she could just remove him before he had the chance to become a threat.
"Morgana?" Uther pressed.
Is that what he'd thought the day he poisoned her?
"I don't know," she said eventually. "I don't know if he's dangerous."
She saw Arthur's dejected face out of the corner of her eye. She saw Uther's expression turn grim.
"But if he is . . . wouldn't you rather him be on our side?"