Remus and Sirius sat in shock.
Harry continued to speak. "I don't believe in prophecy but I think given he came after me as a baby and his followers after the Longbottoms, Voldemort does. Which kind of leaves me in a position of being bound by the prophecy. Which means I will be fighting Voldemort again because he is still around, and I very much doubt he'll be anymore inclined to leave me alone now than he was then.
"I'm between a rock and a hard place. He's got years of experience, a horde of knowledge I don't have, and a drive to end me, not to mention all of his pesky followers. And I have an old manipulator who wants me ignorant for God knows what reason.
"Gentlemen I have a burning desire to survive both my dark lord and my manipulator. Which means I plan on making my own rules."
Remus spoke up, "Why do you call Albus, your manipulator?"
...
Chapter 46 The Manipulations of Albus Dumbledore
Harry gave himself a mental kick, it was rare that his mouth ran a head of his brain, but apparently the stress he felt with regard to today's meeting was just what it took. He thought for a second how could he make this work for him. A moment later he nodded to himself.
"Tell me did either of you read the back issues of The Daily Prophet from the summer of 1992?"
He waited and both men shook their heads no.
"Did the Headmaster ever share with his Order his rationale, or his method for placing me in my aunt's home?"
Sirius spoke up, "If he did, I never heard, because I was hauled away to Azkaban."
"Yes… and without a trial. I have yet to decide if that was merely gross negligence, or if it was an intentional move to keep you from influencing me." Harry cocked an eyebrow at Remus.
"He said something about blood wards from your mother's sacrifice. But he was never willing to answer questions. He just said you were fine, that you were protected. That was what mattered most your safety."
"Yes, my safety… How safe would you consider it to leave a toddler on a doorstep on a November night? I realize he probably set some charms on me designed to keep me warm, and children are notoriously sound sleepers. But in general how safe would you consider that to be?"
Both men looked astonished and appalled, but didn't answer.
"Were you aware that he didn't even have the decency to tell my aunt her sister was dead in person, that he didn't even bother to ask if she was willing to raise me?"
Sirius looked appalled. Remus looked extremely uncomfortable.
"To add insult to injury, he trapped us there with his wards. The year they had intended to move to a larger house he came. He had cancelled the movers, the day they were supposed to come. He placed compulsion spells so my uncle doesn't want to move away from Privet Drive even if it means he advances more slowly at work.
"Without asking he decided to limit their family. His wards meant they couldn't enlarge there family via normal means, since the day he put them up my aunt was unable to have more children. What gave him the right to make that decision for them?
"As for watching over me, he came to see me exactly twice. The day he cancelled the move and the day I did my largest piece of accidental magic. Both times he tried to obliviate me, but I remembered anyway. He had Mrs. Figg who lived two blocks over coming by to spy. When I was little she was just the creepy weird lady that babysat sometimes, but later I realized she was more than just a little weird. It was more like she had very little clue about normal people, and for some reason she was interested in me and my family.
"He told people I was treated like a prince. What prince does chores to earn his keep, wears second-hand clothes and does odd jobs around the neighborhood for pocket money? Maybe if he had seen to it my aunt and uncle got the stipend they were supposed to it might have been true, but he didn't.
"He let people blow up the events of that Halloween into this whole sick sort of mythology like I'm this destined hero, the Boy-Who-Lived. Glorious destinies result in grand funerals, and I have no desire to be a martyr for the sheeple I've met in the wizarding world. I may be the one to kill Voldemort in the long run. I don't know. But if I do, it will be because I won't roll over and die on anyone's say so. Which at the rate the Headmaster is "training" me is about all I'd be fit for.
"And that is completely ignoring the fact he bound my magic and never checked on me afterwards."
At this Harry's great-grandparents spoke up from their potrait. "It is nothing short of miraculous that Harry's magic didn't break the way Charlus' did."
Harry began again. "Did you know in the letter to my aunt he said don't tell me about the magical world because it would place too many burdens on me? To which I say: thank God Aunt Petunia raised me the way she did. If she hadn't I would be even further behind the eight ball on the whole be prepared for the life I'm expected to lead than I already am.
....
Join my P@treon and get 60+ advanced chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/0LordSilvere0 (Remove the *)
Free members get 2 chapters free.
Join Right Now