"Young Harry was fine," said Dumbledore. "All he needed was a good night's sleep and―"
Riding over the top of the old man, Harry suddenly said, "Did you notice he didn't immediately say 'No'? Alby is, once again, dissembling."
Before Ogden had a chance to say anything, Harry added, "Albus said 'Young Harry was fine'. Does Albus secretly hold a mastery in healing, after all? If he doesn't, how is he able to declare 'Young Harry was fine' and that all he needed was 'a good night's sleep'?"
"No, he doesn't!" barked Stanwyck, who appeared to be getting more and more riled.
"Albus!" barked Ogden again, staring in fury at the old man. "Was Mister Potter given immediate medical attention that night for the basilisk bite? Yes... or No?"
Dumbledore stuttered for a few moments before he tried to sit up straighter under the chains and said, "As I was saying―"
"Yes or No, Albus!" barked Ogden. "This is your last chance to directly answer the question with either 'Yes' or 'No' before I order you be charged with child neglect and immediately dosed with Veritaserum!"
Dumbledore fumed for a few moments before he quietly replied, "Nnno."
That had the entire Wizengamot and many of those sitting in the chamber as guests and visitors getting all up in their wands and shouting.
It took Ogden quite a few minutes to again get a modicum of silence. Finally getting the silence he wanted, Ogden snapped, "Right! Minister Bones, have our acting Director of the DMLE charge this old bastard with child neglect of two minors under his care, would you? And, Minister Bones, inform the School Board they are to fire his arse as Headmaster."
"What?" exclaimed Dumbledore. "Nooo! You can't! I need to remain at the school to protect the students for when Voldemortreturns!"
"Protect the students?" scoffed Ogden. "By your own admission in not having Mister Potter immediately seen to by a qualified healer regarding a purported bite by a basilisk, shows you won't protect the students."
Not waiting for Dumbledore to say anything else, he turned back to Bones and said, "And have someone collect Minerva McGonagall and take her to a DMLE interrogation room, when you've got a chance. I want to know why she didn't act as she should have either."
Bones nodded and replied, "As you say, Chief Warlock."
Back at Hogwarts Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn were all looking to McGonagall with shocked anger. McGonagall was wincing and had her eyes closed.
"Minerva!" exclaimed Flitwick. "How could you have done such a thing?"
"I don't know!" she firmly, but quietly, returned. "I don't understand it. I remember that happening, but I have no idea as to why I behaved that way."
After a quiet few moments, Slughorn said, "A compulsion charm or potion."
When the others looked to him he explained, "It had to be a compulsion charm or potion, Minerva. It's the only thing that makes sense." "But, who―?" she began, before she quietly sighed in mental pain, "Dumbledore."
"Indeed," said Slughorn.
With another sigh, McGonagall said, "I'd best take myself to the DMLE and save them the trip here."
"Without Albus here you have control of the wards, Min," said Flitwick. "You'll need to hand them off before you go."
Almost distractedly she gave a nod back and said, "I'll go up to Albus's office and move them to you."
"Then I'd best come with," he declared, hopping off his seat.
Harry waited as the noise levels once again dropped before he asked, "Shall we return back to why I will not accept the Order of Merlin, Chief Warlock?"
"There's more?!" demanded Ogden. "Oh, yes indeedy," said Harry. "Returning to the issue of Mister Potter... as he, at the age of twelve, single-handedly faced off against and killed a thousand year old basilisk with a sword... is there anyone here who does not believe the boy rightfully earned an Order of Merlin that night? And, if you do, then why was he not so awarded?"
"We were unaware of it," snapped Bones.
"Yes, you were. Or, at the least, the Wizengamot was," disagreed Harry. "At the time, Albus Dumbledore was Chief Warlock of this very body. As such, Albus Dumbledore was the official representative of this body. Therefore and as such, the Wizengamot were aware, through its official representative, that Mister Harry Potter, Heir Apparent of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter, successfully battled to the death a class 5X dangerous magical creature, a thousand year old basilisk. As such, the Wizengamot had the information of what happened... and yet Mister Potter did not receive the Order of Merlin... as he surely was due."
More glares were aimed at Dumbledore with the current Chief Warlock muttering, "Shit... shit... shit!"
"Bloody hell, Dumbledore!" he barked. "Why, in the seven Hells, did you not pass that information on to the rest of us!?"
Again, Dumbledore scowled back for a few moments before he quietly replied, "I did not receive any proper evidence that young Harry actually battled, let alone killed, such a creature. I only―"
Harry suddenly laughed, which shut Dumbledore up again.
Looking to Ogden, he asked, "Did you take specific note of what Dumbledore actually said? Did you notice he was, yet again, giving you a dissembled answer?" "What do you mean?" demanded Ogden.
"He did not say he did not receive any evidence; he said he did not receive any proper evidence," replied Harry. "In other words he was saying he did receive evidence, just not what heconsiders proper.
"However, it seems Albus has forgotten he did receive proper evidence. For a start, he received eye witness accounts from Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Ginevra Weasley. That's three sources. Having stripped his own memories away back to when he was a small child, Gilderoy Lockhart could not be considered a reliable witness."
"They were children!" snapped Dumbledore. "Children are well known to be unreliable witnesses."
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