Chapter 23: Beg to Differ

Albus Dumbledore had been having a difficult couple of days. The visit from Minerva and the state of his potions professor began painting a much clearer picture of the terrain he inhabited. It wasn't often he was left flatfooted. He had been thoroughly outmaneuvered. Maybe he should retire as those around him have been counseling for ages. Maybe he needed to scale back on his commitments. Things were falling through the cracks.

He still wasn't sure when things had started to unravel quite so spectacularly.

He had sent Fawkes to Sirius, but his familiar had returned without a reply. He was disappointed but not surprised. The wound from his grave mistake in regards to Sirius would take a long time to heal. If ever. But, he still needed to ascertain young Harry's whereabouts and felt responsible to make sure that all that could be done to ensure the boys' protection would be done.

Many of his answers came in the form of an enraged Minerva. He had been forced to dodge several curses from his Deputy Headmistress's wand when she stormed into his office. He was sure she had been placed under the imperius but she truly was angry enough to cast some pretty dark spells his way. Only by chance was he still in possession of all of his limbs. When he had calmed her enough to get a coherent sentence out of her he finally understood. James and Lily's will had come to light. Sirius Black was now the boy's guardian. Harry had been at the reading. Her final words to him before she had left his office still made him cringe.

"For the life of me Albus, I don't understand why you think you always know best. When I told you they were the worst kinds of Muggles, you refused to believe me. You assured me it was best for the boy to leave him loveless on a doorstep and I believed you. And for that… I will never forgive either of us!"

He recalled much of that conversation as being completely one-sided, as Minerva refused to let him defend himself. She told him to stay out of her way for the rest of the summer unless he wanted to go through the rest of his life as a eunuch. He wasn't sure how this would be possible if she expected them to work together but was sure she would put aside her animosity once the students arrived. He hoped.

He had been able to glean that Severus also had been to the will reading, as well as several other staff members. He tried not to feel hurt that he hadn't been included, but perhaps he deserved that omission. James and Lily had disagreed adamantly with him at times. Sirius and Remus too.

He called a house elf to him and asked him to check on the potions master. Concern for the young man, knowing how he felt about the Potters, was natural. Severus had been difficult this summer, in anticipation of young Harry's arrival. The few conversations they had regarding the boy had not gone well.

The house elf informed him some minutes later that Severus threatened him with death and destruction should he ever spy on him for the headmaster again. He repeated the unpleasant message from Severus Snape leaving both the elf and headmaster embarrassed. The professor was drunk and not in the mood for Albus's concern.

The next day Albus gathered his pride and decided a visit to Remus again was in order. If anyone knew where Sirius and Harry were, it was the werewolf. Of course, he would know. He was even beginning to wonder if perhaps Remus hadn't been the one who took young Harry in the first place.

His suspicions were confirmed upon his arrival at Remus's home. Harry and the young Longbottom heir together was a bit of a shock. He had worked very hard to keep the boys separated up to now, but his efforts had gone in vain. He sighed as Remus and Sirius were giving him nearly identical defiant expressions, once the boys had escaped the tense atmosphere of the house. It was with some consternation he saw two brooms chasing across the afternoon sky through the window a short time later.

"Please have a seat, Albus." Remus invited. "Would you like some tea?"

Sirius sighed and gave his friend an eye-roll, conveying clearly that he thought Remus was being too polite. But he sighed and offered a seat to the elder wizard at the kitchen table and settled himself across from him while Remus put the tea on.

Sirius knew his friend was taking the coward's way out by leaving him to deal with Albus. The silence stretched out for a moment as they waited for the headmaster to do the talking. He studied the pair for a moment and sighed. "I am not sure that either of you realizes the real danger you have placed young Harry in." Albus began.

Sirius stared a bit perplexed at him. "The danger we put him in?" He repeated. "That is what you are going to open with?"

Remus cleared his throat. "Honey headmaster?" He asked, placing a mug before him, casting a warning glance Sirius's way behind the headmaster's back.

Albus took the cup and as if buying time added a few dollops of honey into the cup and stirred. "You realize that the wards that Lily put up around her sister's property have fallen? As long as Harry considered Privet Drive his home he was safe. He couldn't be touched. But that protection is gone now." He looked around taking in the signs of young Harry throughout the room. "Your wards are adequate Remus, but not nearly as powerful as the blood wards Lily put up for her son. Harry isn't safe here."

Remus felt sick. I… I didn't think a few weeks would make a difference." He looked stricken.

"Bullocks!" Sirius crossed his arms. "Lily didn't put those wards up for Harry. She placed them for her sister. She may not have gotten along with Petunia, but she loved her. The death eaters had already targeted her parents."

Albus shook his head, refusing to believe it. "And you think that Lily didn't intend for her son to go to the one place where she had prepared such powerful wards?"

Sirius shook his head, "Thankfully, we don't need to guess. We have their will."

Albus looked a bit like he sucked a lemon. The bitter truth was that Albus had already lost this game. This was damage control. "So I take it, the will has surfaced and you as his godfather are taking custody of the boy?"

Sirius nodded, "Any reason why I shouldn't?"

Albus was not going to take the bait. "No, Sirius. I think you should. But can I ask, how do you plan on keeping the boy safe? You failed once before."

The moment the words were out of his mouth he regretted them.

"Out!" Remus roared.

"Remus. I apologize. I only mean…" Albus once again found himself on the wrong side of a wand. The werewolf was practically shaking, his wand an inch from his nose causing his eyes to cross.

The silence stretched out for a long moment. Sirius sighed. "Albus. I think you need to give us some time. We all need to… think about what is best for Harry. But I warn you, Albus. You are not Harry's guardian. You aren't his father, grandfather, caretaker, or even teacher. You are the headmaster of his school. I suggest you keep what business you have with my godson confined to his education."

Remus growled and lowered his wand. "You can see your way out." With that, the tall marauder stalked out of the kitchen.

Sirius watched Remus leave, gave Albus a final nod, and waited for the elderly wizard to leave before following Remus outside.

He found his friend leaning up against a tree, watching Neville and Harry. "Neville's improved quite a bit." The werewolf noted. Sirius wasn't fooled by his casual tone.

"You okay?" Sirius asked.

"I just… He pissed me off. Talking about keeping Harry safe, when he let him stay in an abusive home. I could have hexed him." Remus said.

"But you didn't," Sirius said.

"But I wanted to," Remus said.

"So did I. Your point?"

Remus sighed and shook his head, "I lost my temper. I'll send him an apology."

"Fine. But I think you should make it a howler instead." Sirius shrugged, put his fingers to his lips, and let out a high-pitched whistle to get Harry and Neville's attention.

Remus rubbed his ear with a whine. "You did that on purpose you mangy curr."

Sirius just laughed and clapped Remus on the shoulder. "Come on. We should take Neville home." Remus sighed and nodded.

"Do you think that it's my fault that Lily's wards fell?" Remus asked as they made their way back to the house.

Sirius shook his head, "No. It's the Dursley's fault that the wards fell. If they loved Harry, nothing in the world could have broken them."

Albus arrived back at his office and took a seat behind his desk quietly contemplating recent events and gave a heavy sigh. Perhaps he needed to contact Nicholas and discuss other arrangements for the stone. He was feeling less and less lucky these days and the gambit was feeling less and less wise.