Harry stepped from the Underground station at Kings Cross into the main area and headed for Platform 9 3/4. Hedwig would be on her way to Hogwarts once she finished her delivery to Gringotts. The Goblins for a fee had agreed to keep an eye on the business he had started in the non-magical world while he was out of contact for the majority of the year.
Today began his final year at Hogwarts. A year that would see justice meted out to all those who had wronged and betrayed him. He knew without a doubt that Dumbledore expected to use the year to somehow convince him to forgive him and the wizarding world for their final betrayal, but he had no intention of obliging the old man. In fact if things worked out the way he planned, his opening salvo in this campaign would be fired during the first week of school. He just hoped he was there to see it when it happened.
Once he stepped through the Barrier, Harry heard the silence spread outward like a wave as those closest to the Barrier spread the word that he was on the platform.
The wizards and witches stared at him silently, not sure what to do or how to act. This was Harry Potter the Destroyer-of-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and the young man they had betrayed. Finally one parent gathered up his courage and began to move toward the Boy-Who-Lived and that seemed to be a signal to the others.
As the mob of people began to move toward him, Harry gripped the straps of the backpack containing his shrunken trunk and the books he was going to be reading throughout the year. After wandlessly putting up a shield to keep them from being able to touch him or get too close to him, Harry started moving through the crowd.
There were yelps from those who first encountered the shield as they were knocked off their feet. That gave those further away enough warning so that they didn't get too close to him, but they still shouted their thanks and good wishes. Harry responded to none of them. He wanted none of their praise or their thanks.
Once he was settled into a compartment, Harry pulled out a few books and after restoring them to normal size, settled in to read. He ignored the noise outside his compartment and most of the students who were getting on the train were not stupid enough to enter his compartment.
...
As the students were getting ready to leave from Platform 9 and 3/4, Dumbledore and the teachers were going over last minute details that needed to be taken care of before the new school year started.
Professor McGonagall brought up one final subject that had been on the minds of all the teachers.
"Headmaster, given how powerful Mr. Potter has shown himself to be are you sure it is safe to have him here? I mean given the animosity he must feel for the other students because of the events that occurred last year and the fact that you have basically forced him to come back to Hogwarts, what is to stop him from taking his anger out on his fellow students?"
The expression on Dumbledore's face was serious as he said. "I wouldn't have forced the issue with Mr. Potter, if I thought he might prove to be a danger to the other students. Part of the reason those laws were enacted was so that he would have to come back here and resolve the issues he has with us and with his yearmates."
"Personally," Snape commented, "I can't see why the Wizengamot went to so much trouble over one arrogant brat. If he didn't want to come back to Hogwarts, then I say good riddance. I am sick of the wizarding world bending over backwards to accommodate that Potter brat."
"No one has ever bent over backward for that child!" McGonagall countered stiffly.
"Oh no. Then who made the brat Seeker during his first year here, against all the rules ?" Snape questioned. "Not to mention bought him the newest broomstick on the market at that time."
Before an argument could start, Dumbledore spoke up. "Severus, there are a number of reasons why Harry must come back to Hogwarts, not the least of which is finishing his magical education."
Snape eyed the Headmaster suspiciously. "What are the other reasons?"
"Due to what has happened to Mr. Potter over the last year, he has a great deal of unresolved anger toward the wizarding community." Dumbledore told the assembled teachers. "We have one year to try and work through the anger, so that we do not lose him. He needs the wizarding world as much as we need him, though he does not realise it yet."
"Why only one year?" Professor Flitwick inquired. "I thought he was being put in the sixth year classes. Are you changing that plan?"
"No, Filius, Mr. Potter will be taking sixth year classes." Dumbledore assured him. "There is no way he could possibly be ready for the NEWTS by the end of the year. However, given that he will be eighteen next July, the decree put in place by the Wizengamot will no longer apply to him. And if he doesn't wish to return, we will have no way to force him to comply."
"I still don't see why we should be forced to teach an unwilling student." Snape complained. "The ones who actually want to be here cause more than enough problems. Mark my words, Dumbledore, whatever meddling you are planning on, it will blow up in your face."
"Have you suddenly become a seer, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, before his expression became serious once more.
"I am willing to take that risk and I am asking you all to take it with me. I, for one, will not allow the anger he is carrying around to fester within him and warp him into something evil, the way anger turned another promising young wizard named Tom Riddle into Voldemort. We have a lot to make up to Mr. Potter for, not the least of which was our lack of faith in him last year, which led to his unjust incarceration."
Everyone had fallen silent at the mention of the Dark Lord's name and some of the teacher's flinched.
"So Potter is going to be given even more special treatment." Snape looked disgusted.
"No Severus he will not." The Headmaster countered. "He will be treated like any other student."
"You however might try seeing Harry as a person instead of as James Potter, Severus." Professor McGonagall put in. "It might help if you think of him as Lily's son instead of James'."
"I will treat Mr. Potter as he deserves to be treated." Snape declared loftily.
Shortly after the train pulled out of the station, a steady stream of people began coming by the compartment Harry was sitting in. He managed to stop most of them from trying to come in, by giving them an icy stare worthy of Severus Snape.
The only one it hadn't worked on was Luna Lovegood. She had just met his stare with one of her own and then sat down in the seat opposite him and began to read her copy of the Quibbler. He didn't bother to try and force her to leave partly because she had been Neville's girlfriend and partly because she wasn't trying to talk to him.
It had been an hour since the door last opened, but when it slid open again, Harry readied his icy stare to get rid of the intruder. It turned out to be a pair of them this time: Granger and the Weasel's kid sister who was standing slightly behind Granger wearing a cap pulled low over her forehead.
Granger was already dressed in her school robes and he saw she wearing the Head Girl badge. No real surprise there, she been acting like she had it ever since first year. However that badge and those robes clashed with her pale thin face and the red-rimmed eyes.
Arrogant know-it-all, Harry thought to himself, just as bad as Percy. Always thinking she's right and that those in authority are never wrong. At least not til her face is rubbed in it.
When the pair remained standing in the doorway, despite the fact that his expression was clearly telling them they were not welcome, Harry began to wonder just what the traitorous Weasel was hiding under that hat.
Giving into his curiosity, Harry waved his hand in the direction of the hat, knocking it off her head and smiled when he saw written in neon pink letters the words: 'I AM AN IDIOT!' So she was one of the ones who had sent him a letter or package.
As he watched the colour of the lettering changed one letter at a time from pink to orange as the girl's face grew beet red. He didn't remember adding a colour changing charm that was tied to a person's emotional state to the spell on the returned letters, but that didn't matter. He was quite pleased with the effect. Especially how quickly the colours changed as Miss Weasley started looking around for her hat.
"Were you wanting something?" Harry asked sarcastically, when they still made no move to leave.
"I… uh…" Ginny began before stammering to a stop and then trying again. "I… um…"
"Oh that was really intelligent of you." Harry sneered. "Is it actually possible for you to finish a whole sentence, or are you so narcissistic that the only word you can say is 'I'?"
If it were possible, the girl's face grew even redder.
Seeing that Ginny was too upset and nervous to say anything, Hermione spoke on her behalf. "We came to get you to remove the hex you put on Ginny."
"Sticking your nose into other people's business again, Granger?" Harry's voice was now filled with venom. "What's the matter? Couldn't a know-it-all like you remove the spell? I thought you knew everything. At least that's what you've had us believing. Nice to know it's not true."
Hermione's face flushed as she looked down at the floor of the compartment.
"The spell stays." Harry told them. "It's quite useful really. It lets people know right up front she's an idiot without having to figure it out for themselves, quite a time saver really. Now if that's all, why don't you just go on about your Head Girl business and take the traitorous idiot with you."
As the two girls left, Luna spoke up for the first time. "Nice spell. I liked the way you got the words to change colours depending on the person's emotional state."
Surprised by the comments, Harry said, "I take it they aren't two of your favourite people."
"Not anymore." Luna looked up from the Quibbler. "They are idiots. Anyone with brains should have known that you didn't kill Neville. Nor would you have joined the Dark Lord, no matter what he promised you. That would have betrayed your parents and your godfather who all died trying to protect you. I may not be a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, but I can recognise an honourable person when I see one. I tried to speak up for you that day and wanted to speak up for you at your trial, but no one wanted to listen to Looney Luna."
Harry could see that she was telling the truth. "Thank you. I think you and Remus were the only two who didn't believe I killed Neville."
Luna nodded and returned to her reading.
....
The next interruption was one that Harry had been expecting. It just wouldn't be a trip to or from Hogwarts without Malfoy intruding.
Malfoy burst in with Crabbe and Goyle behind him, wand drawn and his mouth open ready to utter his curse, but Harry froze them in place with a single thought. He had left Malfoy's head free to move around. He was interested in hearing the threats and posturing the little ferret had come up with this year, especially given that he couldn't threaten Harry with Voldemort or his father.
"Well, if it isn't Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret." Harry commented as he removed the wand from the blond's frozen hand. "What did you think you were going to do to me?"
"Let me go, Potter." Malfoy growled.
"Now why would I want to do that," Harry inquired. "You come in here intending to try and harm me, possibly even kill me, so what makes you think I would want to give you another shot?"
"You're going to pay Potter, for what you did." Malfoy spat out.
"Comments like that are definitely not going to encourage me to release you." Harry pointed out. "I wonder what Moldyshorts and your idiot father would have made of your current predicament? I thought Slytherin's were supposed to be cunning, but you're acting more like a Gryffindor than a Slytherin."
Malfoy's face reddened at the insult.
"I can't help wondering if you might have been sorted incorrectly." Harry continued. "I mean you are always acting before you think and as I recall that supposed to be a Gryffindor trait. Though given who your godfather is, I'm not real surprised that you act before you think a situation through. He can't seem to think a situation through either. Your father and Snape aren't any brighter or more cunning than you are apparently. I mean they both followed a half-blood, who they believed would purify the wizarding world.
At every meeting they had to grovel and debase themselves in front of a half-blood monster, believing him to be the pure blood descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Not exactly shining examples of cunning and intelligence were they? Who knows maybe the whole of Slytherin House has been missorted all these years. Maybe all of you should have been in Gryffindor. Or maybe you should have been in Hufflepuff all this time."
"I'm more than cunning enough to take you, Potter." Malfoy snapped out, unwilling to allow the insults to continue.
" Oh, please, " Harry mocked him, "even with the help of those two human statues behind you, you couldn't take me on my worst day."
"I don't need any help to take you down." Malfoy growled.
"Yes, you do." Harry disagreed. "You're a bully, plain and simple, just like Moldyshorts, the monster you were going to one day follow, was until I burned him up from the inside out. Just like your idiot of a father and all those other Deatheaters who are now awaiting sentencing, though I doubt the wizarding world will give them the sentence they deserve."
"And just what would you have done to them?" Malfoy sneered. He knew Potter's type. When push came to shove they always wimped out.
"Oh I'm a big believer that the punishment should fit the crime." Harry told him. "If it were up to me, I would bind their magic then put them into a muggle style prison with the worst of muggle prisoners. I would make sure that the muggle prisoners knew that they like to hurt, rape, torture, and murder children.
If the rumours I've heard about muggle prisons were true then the Deatheaters would be considered as even lower than the cockroaches to those muggle prisoners. Of course there would have be spells on the cells to stop the muggles from killing them, but other than that they should be allowed to do whatever they wanted to the Deatheaters."
Draco stared at the Boy-Who-Lived speechless, unable to believe what he had just heard. When had Potter become so vicious?
Harry sat back down, looking thoughtful. "You know who you remind me of? Ronald Bilius Weasley that's who. You both act before you think things through and you both are definitely sufferers of terminal foot-in-mouth disease. Maybe you're related. Given the inbreeding among most of the pure-bloods, I wouldn't be a bit surprised."
"There is no way in hell, I am related to that moronic little weasel or his family." Malfoy retorted.
"Draco, Draco, that's no way to talk about your relatives." Harry shook his head. "I tell you what, why don't you go talk it over with your cousin. I'm sure he'd enjoy it."
Harry waved his hand and Draco disappeared from the compartment. He then unfroze Crabbe and Goyle and told them. "Why don't you go find your boss? I'm sure he's on the train somewhere."
"Where did you send him?" Luna asked curious.
"The loo near the prefect's compartment." Harry told her. "Made sure he landed feet first in it."
Luna laughed.
.....
When the train started getting closer to Hogwarts, Luna got up to go change into her school outfit and robes.
"Harry, I'll leave you alone so you can change into your robes." Luna told him.
"Didn't bother getting another set of school clothes, after the Gryffindors burned the others." Harry told her. "I didn't see any reason to, given that I didn't destroy them and I didn't want to be here in the first place. This is what I am wearing to the feast. If they don't like it, they can go jump in the lake."
Harry stood up and let her get a good look at the t-shirt and black jeans he was wearing. The t-shirt was bright yellow and written in black across it were the words: "Don't Piss Me Off. I'm Running Out Of Places To Hide The Bodies".
"That should provoke some interesting reactions, especially from the teachers." Luna commented.
"I expect it will, especially from McGonagall." Harry picked up his book again. "I'll see you in a bit."
....
As they got off the train and headed for the coaches, Harry heard Hagrid calling, "Firs' years over here."
Harry got quite a few stares as he escorted Luna to one of the thestral drawn carriages, given that he was the only one not wearing the school uniform and the fact that he was carrying a backpack.
A couple of Hufflepuff second years joined them in the carriage, before it took off and wound its way up to the castle.
Professor McGonagall was in the entry hall of the castle, and when she caught sight of Harry, she snapped out. "Mr. Potter, where is your school uniform? You can't go into the great Hall looking like that. And you should have left that bag on the train. It would have been brought up to your dormitory."
"Why would you think I would leave anything of mine where anyone in this school can get hold of it? All my possessions were burned up the last time I was foolish enough to trust anyone in this school and leave my things unguarded, remember Professor?" Harry's face was an expressionless mask. "Your memory can't be that bad, ma'am, given that you had a front row seat for what the Gryffindor Prefects did."
McGonagall looked flustered for a moment, before she asked, "Why didn't you purchase a new uniform?"
Harry told her flatly. "I didn't destroy the ones I had and saw no reason to waste my money replacing something I hadn't damaged or outgrown, not to mention something I didn't want in the first place. If you want me to have a school uniform that badly, then I suggest you have those who destroyed my possessions replace them."
Professor McGonagall, raised her wand, and attempted to transfigure the clothing Potter was wearing into the appropriate outfit, but nothing happened to the muggle clothing. She tried again, with the same result.
"Are you finished with me yet, Professor?" Harry sounded bored. "I would either like to go into the Great Hall, or if as you say, I am not to be allowed in there, dressed like this, then I will go down to the kitchens and get something to eat."
"I must insist that you change your clothing into the appropriate school outfit, or remove the charm that is preventing me from doing so." McGonagall ordered, not realising that a small crowd was gathering in the doorway to the Great Hall behind her.
"No ma'am, I will not." The expression on Harry's face was unyielding. "So if you will excuse me, I will be on my way to the kitchens to get some dinner. Would you mind telling me where I will be staying during my time in this prison of yours and the password to get in? That way I can get in since I apparently won't be eating with the rest of the students."
"You are a Gryffindor. You will be in the Gryffindor tower, in the sixth year boy's dorm." McGonagall winced at Potter's choice of the word prison for Hogwarts. She had never thought she would hear any student call Hogwarts a prison. "The password is Victory."
"I am not a Gryffindor." Harry disagreed. "The students who make up the house you head made that quite clear last year."
She had also never thought she would see in her lifetime a student in this school openly defy her and for the first time in her life she felt trapped because of it. Mr. Potter needed to be in the Great Hall, not isolating himself, if the Headmaster's plan was to work, but she could not allow him to enter the Great Hall in an inappropriate outfit. And Dumbledore had specifically said that Potter was to be treated like any other student.
"Five points from Gryffindor for improper attire. You will either change your current outfit into the correct attire, or remove the charm that is preventing me from doing so. Failure to do so will results in you having detention tomorrow night."
"So," Harry shrugged, "I really don't care what you do. I didn't want to come back here anyway. Dumbledork forced this situation on me and so you're just going to have to live with it. I will not allow you to change the clothing I spent my money on into what you deem appropriate attire. If you wanted me dressed in the correct attire, then you should not have allowed the students of your house to incinerate all my clothing last year while you stood by and did nothing."
The crowd in the doorway was stunned by the tone of Potter's voice. Other than the Weasleys and Hermione Granger, no one had ever heard such malice from the Boy-Who-Lived before.
McGonagall knew she didn't have much time. The first years would be arriving in a few minutes and she must be here to greet them.
Looking back toward the Great Hall she saw the crowd of student standing in the doorway and yelled, "All of you take your seats in the Great Hall immediately!" She also caught sight of the Head Girl and ordered, "Miss Granger escort Mr. Potter to the side room off the Great Hall and ask the Headmaster if he would speak with him."
"Mr. Potter," Hermione gestured for Harry to follow her.
Harry did, smirking at the other students as he was led through the Great Hall to the side room.
The Headmaster arrived just as Harry made himself comfortable.
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore spoke up as soon as he saw Harry. "I understand there is a problem with your choice of attire."
Harry looked down at what he was wearing. "I don't see any problem with it. At least I didn't come in starkers."
"There is a uniform code, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore began.
"And unless you have forgotten, old man," Harry interrupted, "all my possessions were burned up by the pyromaniacs who live in Gryffindor tower."
"You should have gotten yourself a new school uniform then." Dumbledore told him.
"And pray tell why should I have spent my money to replace what the Gryffindors destroyed?" Harry inquired sarcastically. "Aside from the fact that that would mean they got off scott free for their acts of vandalism and arson, I didn't want to come here in the first place. Why should I buy something I have no intention of using once I leave this place forever?"
"The school requirements state that you must have and wear the school uniform." Dumbledore countered.
"Then kick me out." Harry told him. "I don't want to be here in the first place remember!"
"Tomorrow morning Professor McGonagall will take you to Diagon Alley to purchase your school uniform." Dumbledore told him. "For tonight, and tonight only, you will be allowed to attend the opening feast in what you are wearing."
"Unless you plan on making those who destroyed all my school supplies last year, cough up the money to pay for them, then she will be wasting her time and mine." Harry told him. "I told you, I will not be spend one single knut of my money to replace what was destroyed while the Heads of House made no move to stop it. They will also have to cough up the money for all the other supplies on your list, because I didn't get those either."
"Harry," Dumbledore began, but seeing the angry expression on the young man's face, quickly said, "Mr. Potter, how do you expect to pass your classes, without any of the necessary materials?"
"I don't." Harry stated simply. "I am just here, marking time and taking care of some business until I can get out of here. You may have forced me to come here, Dumbledork, but you can not force me to learn anything that your inept teachers may try and teach."
"Harry," Dumbledore said quickly. "Don't waste this chance you've been given to start over. Not many people get the chance to start over. Don't let the anger you have within you keep you from making friends and moving on with your life. You have to let go of it and forgive those who have wronged you."
Harry got to his feet and asked tonelessly. "Are you done?"
"For now." Dumbledore realised it was too soon to expect to make any headway, but he had hoped that some of the boy's anger toward the wizarding world had begun to ease, so that he might at least hear what was being said.
"Good," Harry pushed past the Headmaster and walked out into the Great Hall.
...
"I see the favouritism has begun." Snape commented once the sorting was completed. The yellow t-shirt that Potter was wearing stood out amongst the sea of black, even if the brat hadn't been sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table.
"Not at all Severus," Dumbledore assured him, then turned to McGonagall who had just joined them. "Minerva, tomorrow, you will be taking Mr. Potter to Diagon Alley to get all of his school supplies. And you will charge the purchases to the school account."
"Why the school account, Headmaster?" McGonagall had no problem with taking the boy to get his supplies, but didn't understand why the school would be paying for them when the boy clearly had more than enough money to pay for them himself.
"Young Harry had a valid point about one thing."
Dumbledore told the two professors as he sat back down after making his welcoming speech. "If the Heads of House hadn't stood by and allowed it to happen, he would have had his school supplies for sixth year as well as the invisibility cloak that belonged to James, the photo album, and the Firebolt Sirius gave him. Since no teacher made any attempt to stop the destruction of his personal belongings by students of this school, then Hogwarts must pay to have them replaced."
"And what of the Gryffindors who destroyed the items in the first place." Snape wondered. "Are they to avoid having to pay for the destruction they caused?"
"No, they will not." Dumbledore told him. "The cost of replacing one Firebolt will be divided among the parents of all Gryffindor students from second year through seventh, since we will not be able to charge it to those who were not here last year and are not here now. A letter will be sent to every parent explaining the reason for the charge. We will allow the Gryffindors to present the Firebolt to Harry. It may help to heal the rift between them."
"In that case Headmaster, we might want to turn the task of replacing the photo album and presenting it over to Miss Granger." McGonagall suggested. "It might help repair the damage to her relationship with him as well."
"An excellent idea, Minerva," Dumbledore told her.
...
Unaware of the plans being made at the head table, Harry filled his plate and ignored anyone's attempts to get him to talk. Those few who were somewhat persistent, he glared at until they left him alone.
Once they were released, from the Great Hall, Harry took the quickest route to the Gryffindor tower. He wanted to get an idea of who his dorm mates were going to be before they got there given that he hadn't been at the feast during his second year.
There were six beds in the sixth year dorm. And five of them had trunks in front of them, which made the sixth one his. The names on the trunks were vaguely familiar, but the only sixth year he knew by sight was Colin Creevy and that was only because the fool had kept jumping out and taking pictures of him like a celebrity stalker. He wrote a quick note and left it on Colin's bed warning the little fool that if he tried to take pictures of him this year, he would stick that camera of his somewhere painful.
He still hadn't decided if he was going to stay where they put him, or go to the Room of Requirement. Though that might not be a good idea, given that everybody and his brother now knew about it.
After a few moments thought he decided he would stay in Gryffindor for a few days and if the attempts to try and get him to forgive them got to be too much, he'd find some place else to stay. The Chamber of Secrets was an option if he couldn't find anywhere else, since he was the only one that could access it, though it was a bit of a gloomy option.
Opening his backpack, Harry pulled out his trunk and restored it to normal size long enough to remove his pyjamas, robe and shower gear. Once the shrunken trunk was back in the pack, he headed out of the dorm room to take a shower.
He could hear the noise in the common room as he moved down the hall toward the showers.
"Harry!" Colin's voice called. "Hermione is looking for you."
"Any idea why?" Harry asked smirking as he noticed that Colin was also sporting 'I am an idiot' on his forehead.
"She didn't say, just that she needed to talk to you." Colin told him.
"Okay, I'd better go see what Miss Know-it-All wants." Harry headed down to the common room. He wasn't really interested what Granger wanted, but knowing how persistent the know-it-all could be, he really didn't want her bursting in on his shower.
As soon as he reached the stairs that led to the common room he saw Granger waiting for him.
"Granger, Creevy said you wanted to see me." Harry told her.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall wanted me to pass on a message, since she didn't have a chance to tell you herself." Hermione told him. "She wants you to meet her in the Great Hall at eight tomorrow morning. Dumbledore has made arrangements for her to take you to get your school supplies and uniforms."
"Okay. Anything else?" Harry really didn't care, but he thought he would be polite, at least right now.
"Why didn't you get your supplies in Diagon Alley before school, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Because I didn't feel like spending good money for something I didn't want and that the pyromaniacs of Gryffindor destroyed last year." Harry snarled then told her.
"Granger, how about we keep things simple. You and I will talk to each other only when it concerns Hogwarts business. I'll at least pretend to be civil to you as long as you adhere to that boundary. If you try to get involved in my life, or try to pry into my personal business, then you will regret it. You are no longer my friend and I really wonder if you ever were. Once this year is over and we go our separate ways, I never want to see you or hear from you ever again. Have I made myself clear?"
The bell over the door to Ollivander's shop rang as Harry followed McGonagall inside. He had been trying for the last twenty minutes to convince her that he didn't need a wand, but the infuriating woman wouldn't budge. She had told him that Dumbledork had told her to get all his supplies for school and they were going to get all his supplies.
Ollivander appeared suddenly out of the back area of his shop and caught sight of McGonagall. "Minerva McGonagall. Eleven inches and hair from a sphinx, correct?"
"Yes, Mr. Ollivander," McGonagall agreed, used to his method of identifying people by the wands he'd sold them. "We are here to get a new wand for Mr. Potter."
Ollivander looked around for the young man and found him standing in the corner in the shadows. His lips quirked in a smile at the words on the t-shirt the boy was wearing: "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups." It was a sentiment he agreed with, especially these days.
He'd been around a long time. With their current prejudices against any they considered non-human, he was glad that the last wizard who had known what he was had died a thousand years ago.
During his lifetime he had seen the rise of wizard kind and was now living through its rather rocky decline. He didn't know what had caused the situation, but wizarding kind thought they were at the pinnacle of development, but they weren't.
There hadn't been any real change here for over two hundred years. The wizarding world was currently stagnant. If they were going to survive, then what the wizarding world needed was something or someone to jumpstart another period of growth.
What he did know, having lived through the rise and fall of several civilizations, was that if nothing happened to change the situation, then one day, probably within the next couple of hundred years, then the wizarding world would disappear forever.
Who knows, he mused, maybe the catalyst for change will be young Mr. Potter.
Bringing his mind back to business at hand, Ollivander commented. "I was expecting to see you last month Mr. Potter."
"I didn't see the need to get a new wand." Harry told the wandmaker. "I tried to explain to Professor McGonagall that I no longer needed one, but she wouldn't listen." He looked up at the ceiling and muttered loud enough to be heard, "not that she ever does listen to anything I have to say."
"I always listen to what you have to say, Mr. Potter." McGonagall replied through gritted teeth.
"You may hear it, but you either don't listen, or you don't believe it." Harry countered.
"Name one time, you told me something that I didn't listen to or believe." McGonagall challenged him.
Harry took up the challenge.
"First year, I and two others who shall remain nameless, told you that someone was going to go after the Philosopher's Stone the day Dumbledore was sent off on that wild goose chase to the Ministry.
I believe you told us something along the lines of: 'rest assured the stone is too well protected, no one can possibly steal it' and when I kept insisting, you said 'I know what I'm talking about.'
You even threatened to take points from Gryffindor, when we were trying to protect the stone. And what happened later that night? Someone did make a try for the stone and if it hadn't been for me, Quirrell or should I say Voldemort would have had the stone.
The protections you had in place a first year could get past, or rather three of us did. If they were that strong and that impenetrable, then we shouldn't have been able to get past even the first of them. But that wouldn't have suited Dumbledore's purpose which was to mould me into the perfect weapon to take out Voldemort, now would it."
McGonagall stood there speechless for several moments as Harry marked off one point in the air. "How dare you accuse the Headmaster of trying to harm you? He has always done his very best to try and protect you and all the other students at Hogwarts!"
"Reeeeaaaallllyyy," Harry drew the word out, the sarcasm very evident in his voice.
"His very best included hiring at least two incompetent teachers for Defence Against the Dark Arts. There may have been more, but I can only count the years I was there. Allowing two, count them, two followers of Voldemort free access to Hogwarts and no I am not counting Snape in that group, though I should.
Forcing a fourth year student to compete in a competition that was clearly meant for seventh year or higher students. Allowing a Ministry employee who was masquerading as a teacher to torture his students without making any moves to stop it and neither did you come to think of it.
Allowing me to be condemned to Azkaban without a fair trial. And wait, I saved the best for last. Dumbledore, who was the executor of my parents' will, violated the terms of it, by placing me with the Dursleys. If that is the very best that Albus Dumbledork can do, then god help us when he does his worst."
"What do you mean he violated your parents will?" McGonagall couldn't believe the venom she was hearing from the young man she thought she had known so well. She was also so surprised by Potter's litany of the Headmaster's supposed crimes that she completely missed the insulting name that he had given to Dumbledore.
"That's none of your business, ma'am. I will deal with Dumbledore on that matter in due course." Harry told her. "I believe we are here to prove why I don't need a wand so that you can return to your school and I can be returned to my prison."
Ollivander, who had been watching the argument with interest, suddenly realized they had both returned their attention to him. "Oh yes, of course, Mr. Potter. Now as I understand it, you can now perform wandless magic, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you have to make the movements as if you were holding a wand when you do the wandless magic?" Ollivander asked. "Do you have to say the incantations?"
"It's not really necessary." Harry told him. "I sometimes do make gestures though that's probably out of habit and those aren't necessarily the ones that went with the spell."
Ollivander nodded, "then you are quite correct, Mr. Potter, you can no longer use a wand. No single wand core would be strong enough to channel and enhance your magic at the level you are capable of working at. You would burn out the core of any wand you handled. You will need a staff."
"A staff!" McGonagall stared at the wandmaker in surprise. There hadn't been a wizard who required a staff since the time of Merlin! Even the Founders of Hogwarts who were the strongest wizards and witches of their age had used wands!
"What's the difference between a staff and a wand other than size, I mean?" Harry couldn't help being curious.
"A staff can have up to ten different cores in it, each selected by the wizard who will be using it. No two staffs are ever exactly the same and no staff will work well for another wizard, unless it is passed on before the current wizard's death, using a blood ritual. Usually what will happen is the staff is buried with the wizard who used it." Ollivander told him.
"Then it would be a waste of your talents to make one for me, Mr. Ollivander, since I do not intend to remain in the wizarding world once this year is up." Harry informed the wandmaker.
"I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Potter." Ollivander was sincere and Harry could tell that he meant it.
"Well, you're probably only one of about a handful." Harry observed. "Personally I think they'll be glad to see the back of me, that way they don't have to be constantly reminded of their stupidity and their narrow-mindedness. Tell me something, Mr. Ollivander. Did you believe I killed Neville Longbottom?"
"I'm sorry to say, that I never decided one way or the other." Ollivander told him honestly. "I tend to want to hear both sides of a issue before forming an opinion. The only side of that I ever heard was the Ministry's and that was undoubtedly slanted to make them look good. I will say this much. There were many unanswered questions, at least in my mind that left me in doubt about your guilt. And as you've experienced first hand the Ministry is very quick to assume guilt and about not bothering to take the time to find out if they have the right person or not. You are not the first they have condemned who was innocent and I doubt that you will be the last. I know for a fact that during the time of Grindelwald, they sentenced a wizard to be Kissed and only found out after the man had been Kissed that he was in fact innocent.
That left three children orphaned and the Ministry did nothing to correct their mistake. Because of their actions, the oldest boy became one of Voldemort's staunchest followers until he was killed, and the two girls disappeared while they were still very young and to this day, I do not know what happened to them. You would have thought the Ministry would have learned a lesson from that to use all the tools at their disposal to determine guilt or innocence, but they haven't."
"Well, I thank you for your honesty sir." Harry bowed his head slightly in the direction of the other man, before turning his attention back to McGonagall. "Are we now done, Professor?"
"No, Mr. Potter, we are not done." McGonagall told him firmly. "We came here to get you your wand, but since you will need a staff, then a staff is what we will get."
"Oh and just who is going to teach me how to use it?" Harry sneered. "You? Professor Flitwick perhaps?" He paused then added, "Oh I know, how about the great Albus Dumbledork himself?"
McGonagall heard the insulting name this time "Mr. Potter, I must insist that you show the Headmaster some respect."
"My respect was freely given the first time around to both you and the Headmaster." Harry informed her. "This time both you and he will have to earn it back. And I can tell you right now that, if you keep towing the party line you never will."
Harry turned back to Ollivander. "Well Mr. Ollivander, it seems that you will be making a staff for me, since the Deputy Headmistress wants to waste Hogwarts' money."
Ollivander turned to Professor McGonagall and said, "Professor, just so you are aware, a staff takes at least two weeks to create, once the materials have been chosen by the wizard. Mr. Potter will not be leaving with one today. Do you still wish to have one made?"
"May I borrow your fire, Mr. Ollivander?"
Harry gave the password to the Fat Lady and then stormed up the stairs to the sixth year dorm. Once there he set the trunk down and unshrunk it. He made sure to put a charm on it that would give anyone a nasty curse if they deliberately touched it. Not that he intended to keep anything he valued in there.
He'd learned his lesson last year. The things he valued would be kept in the trunk he had shrunk down to the size of a matchbox in his bookbag. He had placed charms on the bookbag and its contents to prevent them from being destroyed and to keep anyone but him from getting into it.
"Potter, you're back." It took Harry a moment to remember this boy's name: Terry Lorring. He came from a non-wizarding family.
"Brilliant observation, Lorring." Harry sneered. "I'm heading down for lunch now. You might want to warn the others not to touch my trunk or they'll get a nasty surprise."
"You booby-trapped your trunk. Why?" Lorring wanted to know.
"Surely your memory can't be that bad?" Harry countered sarcastically. "I have no intention of losing another trunk to the pyromaniacs of Gryffindor."
"Harry," the other boy began.
"Potter." Harry corrected him.
"Potter then," the other boy t
ried again. "You have to give us a chance to try and make up for what we did last year."
"I don't have to do anything." Harry interrupted hotly. "You all think that all you have to do is say, 'I'm sorry' and all will be forgiven that things will go back to the way they were. Well it's not going to happen. The Harry Potter, who let people walk all over him, no longer exists.
You killed him that day when you burned up his things and condemned him to hell without even bothering to listen to his side of the story. Nothing you do can ever make up for destroying the only memories I had of my parents and my godfather. I will never get those memories back. However, I know from experience that most Gryffindors are too stupid to realise that and will continue to try or do something equally stupid, so why don't you pass the word to all the other traitors in this tower, that unless it has to do with school, to leave me the hell alone."
Terry Lorring watched the older boy leave without giving him a chance to voice any of the arguments he'd come up with over the summer or since seeing him yesterday. He had been shocked when he first saw the article in the Daily Prophet proclaiming Harry Potter's innocence and the fact that he had defeated Voldemort.
At first he had been so relieved to read that Voldemort was dead, but then the knowledge of what he had helped the others do to the saviour of the wizarding world had set in.
He had spent most of the next day trying to write a letter to the Boy-Who-Lived to let him know how sorry he was and to thank him for destroying He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He was just glad he hadn't sent it when he got a letter from Colin, warning him not to write Harry Potter, because of the nasty hexes he would get back if he did.
Remembering the look of satisfaction on Potter's face when he saw Colin sporting the words 'I AM AN IDIOT!' on his forehead, Terry shivered. It had reminded him a lot of Malfoy. He was beginning to wonder if it might not have been a mistake for Harry Potter to return to Hogwarts.
.....
McGonagall stared at the report on her desk of Harry's afternoon classes. His determination to make things as difficult for everyone apparently had not changed. So far he had gotten detention from at least three more teachers and Gryffindor was currently in negative points, despite the efforts of Miss Granger and other students.
He was currently serving the detention she'd given him, for failure to comply with a teacher's orders, with Filch. She dreaded to think of what the House points for Gryffindor would look like after Potions on Friday.
She shook her head wondering if turning young Potter around was going to be worth all the effort they were going to. A knock on her office door distracted McGonagall from her thoughts. "Come in."
Hermione Granger stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. "You wanted to see me, Professor?"
"Yes, Miss Granger," McGonagall even though she had originally proposed Miss Granger for this task was now having second thoughts about asking her to do it. "I have a task for you, but I want to let you know that you do not have to do it if you don't want to."
Hermione was curious about what could have her favourite teacher so nervous. "What is it ma'am?"
"If you are agreeable, the Headmaster and I would like for you to contact the friends of Mr. Potter's parents and try to get pictures of them so that the album Hagrid gave him his first year can be recreated." McGonagall said quickly.
Hermione was silent for several minutes before she said, "I'm afraid I will have to refuse this assignment, Professor."
"If it would not be prying, may I ask why?"
"I have no desire to be the target of Harry Potter's vengeance. I've found out that he has a mean streak that makes Malfoy look like a wimp by comparison." Hermione told her. "Did you know that in August, he had the Weasleys and I summoned to court at the Ministry?"
When McGonagall shook her head, Hermione continued. "We didn't have to appear before the Wizengamot, but in a smaller court. As the main heir of Sirius Black's estate, he was trying to have several aspects of Sirius' will voided. He apparently hired a very good wizarding solicitor, because he won.
Of course that may also have been because the wizard judge, didn't want to do anything to anger Harry. I remember his solicitor saying that based upon the wording of Sirius' will, claiming that we were the friends and family Harry needed while he was growing up had been disproved by our actions at his trial, because real friends and family would have stood by him and not immediately assumed his guilt."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Miss Granger." McGonagall told her.
"That wasn't the thing that convinced me to avoid having him angry at me." Hermione told her. "When I got home, there was a box waiting for me. There was a note on the top of it that said that since I found house elves much more worthy to defend than those I called my friends, that I probably wanted the contents. When I opened the box, I found the shrunken heads of the house elves from Grimmauld Place and the freshly decapitated head of Kreacher. It was still bleeding."
"Oh, my dear," McGonagall looked properly horrified. "How could he do such a thing?"
"Now you understand, why I want to avoid drawing his anger, if at all possible." Hermione told her. "Last night he presented me with a sort of truce. He said that as long as I keep any conversations with him to school matters and did not try to interfere in his life, that he will be civil to me." She looked at McGonagall, her expression serious. "It's a start ma'am and I don't want to blow any chance I may have of getting Harry to forgive me."
"I understand, Miss Granger." McGonagall was pleased to hear that there were at least some signs of thawing from Potter.
By Friday, Harry still had no wand, but he knew he would be receiving a staff from Mr. Ollivander sometime in the next few weeks. Since Dumbledore had given McGonagall the go ahead, Ollivander was making one out of Ash with seven wands cores.
Despite the slight looks of awe when they first saw him either because he was the first wizard since Merlin to need a staff, or because he had destroyed Voldemort, Harry had also managed to rack up detention with every teacher but Hagrid and Binns and that beat the Weasel twins record.
hadn't done anything to deliberately disrupt the classes, but he also hadn't done any of the expected work either. He would just sit in the back of the class and stare at the teacher. If things worked out the way he expected, he would have one of the worst grades at Hogwarts for a sixth year, if they didn't expel him first and knowing Dumbledore, they wouldn't do that.
He was looking forward to today's potions class. Since the expected event hadn't happened yet, he thought that Mr. Boet had managed to arrange it so that it happened during his Potions class, so he would be able to witness it first hand. He made a mental note to thank the man when he saw him again.
Harry finished breakfast and headed down to the Potions classroom. He wanted a front row seat for what was going to hopefully happen today.
...
Snape swept into the sixth year class, his robes billowing behind him.
This was the class for those who would be taking their NEWTs in potions in their seventh year. This was one of the few classes where there weren't that many students so all four houses could be combined into the one class. There were only about a dozen students in all who had scored the O on their OWLs necessary to get into this class.
"Well, you've made it into the advanced Potions class." Snape began. "How only Merlin himself knows, but now that you are here, let me tell you what I expect from you…."
Whatever Snape had intended to say, was left unsaid because the classroom door slammed open and four men came into the room.
"Severus Augustus Snape?" The one at the front of the group asked.
"Yes." Snape replied.
"I am Auror Broadmeer." The man identified himself. "You are under arrest sir. Please come with us, Professor Snape."
"On what charge?" Snape demanded.
"Assault and rape of the mind of a student, using the Legilmens curse." Broadmeer said flatly.
Several of the students in the room gasped, while Snape quickly put the pieces together and commented caustically. "Having me arrested on false charges Potter? I would have thought that given your experience of being falsely accused and imprisoned, you wouldn't have tried the same thing on someone else."
"They aren't false charges and you know it, Snape." Harry pointed out. "And unlike me, you will receive a fair trial."
"I insist on speaking to the Headmaster, before you haul me off." Snape told the Aurors.
"We have no problem with that, since he is being charged as an accessory to your crimes." Broadmeer told him. "We were going to have to stop by and pick him up anyway."
"Potter, you will come with us." Snape ordered. "The rest of you, class dismissed."
....
Harry followed behind Snape and the four Aurors as they headed for Dumbledore's office, wearing a smirk on his face.
Snape had a murderous expression on his face that caused those few students they encountered on the way to the Headmaster's office to scramble frantically out of the way.
Said students became even more confused when they saw Harry Potter following Snape, a huge grin on his face. They quickly scattered, trying to find someone who had been in Potter's sixth year Potions class. They wanted to know what was going on.
Unaware of the curious students he had left in his wake, Snape strode up to gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office and growled, "Bertie Botts."
The gargoyle moved aside and Snape stalked up the stairs and entered the Headmaster's office without knocking.
"Severus," Dumbledore greeted his Potions Master in surprise. "I thought you had a sixth year potions class right now."
"And I was just starting to teach that class," Snape told him sourly, "but the Aurors behind me decided to interrupt. I am apparently under arrest, thanks to Potter here."
Harry had taken a seat while Snape was talking and Dumbledore saw that the younger wizard was looking very pleased with himself.
"And just what are the charges against Professor Snape?" Dumbledore asked the Aurors.
"Assault and mind rape, using the Legilimens curse." Broadmeer told the Headmaster. "And Headmaster, you are also under arrest as an accessory to his crimes."
"Given what happened to you, Ha…" At the scowl that crossed the younger man's face, Dumbledore quickly changed it to, "Mr. Potter, I would have thought you would be the last to bring false charges against another. Isn't this carrying revenge a little too far?"
"As I told Snape," Harry began.
"Professor Snape," Dumbledore corrected automatically.
"As I was saying before you interrupted me," Harry countered. "I told Snape, this is justice not revenge. The way I look at it, you and Snape will certainly get far fairer trial than I ever did."
"But it is revenge, Mr. Potter. These false charges of yours could ruin a man's career." Dumbledore sounded disappointed.
"If you had bothered to attend one of those 'remedial' potions lessons you forced me to take with Professor Snape, you would know the charges aren't false." Harry pointed out calmly. "And it seems as though Madame Bones must agree with me. After all she's the one who sent the Aurors to arrest you both. Is that correct, Auror Broadmeer?"
"Yes, Mr. Potter, it is."
"You can't accuse her of being swayed by public opinion, because unlike Fudge, she is not guided by a love of power. My being the so called Destroyer-of-Voldemort and one of the wealthiest wizards in the world, would have no bearing on her decisions, unlike our beloved Minister." Harry reminded Dumbledore. "Only facts matter to that woman. She probably the only one in the Ministry or here at Hogwarts who doesn't have a hidden agenda, with regards to me."
"Headmaster," Auror Broadmeer spoke up before Dumbledore could say anything further. "Would you please come with us? Madame Bones is waiting."
"May I make arrangements for Professor McGonagall to take over during my absence?" Dumbledore requested.
"Yes, sir, you may, but please don't take too long." Broadmeer respected Dumbledore, but only up to a certain point. He knew the man was sneaky enough to have been in Slytherin and in fact that was the guess he had put into the Ministry pool for which House Dumbledore had been in. So far no one had found the answer to that question.
"Auror Broadmeer, do you need me to come as well?" Harry wanted to know.
"Not today, Mr. Potter." The Auror told him. "Madame Bones will be sending you a letter by owl to let you what time next week you need to be there for the hearings. I believe she also mentioned something about arranging for an Auror to escort you to the hearings."
"Ask her please if she could to make sure it is not Auror Tonks who is sent to get me." Harry requested. "I have no real desire to see her any time soon."
"I will pass on your request." Broadmeer assured him.
"I can't believe this is happening." Snape finally spoke up. He was unable to understand why Dumbledore wasn't forcing the boy to admit he was lying. Surely the Headmaster couldn't feel that much guilt over the brat's false imprisonment? "You are arresting the Headmaster and a respected Professor of Hogwarts on the word of an arrogant boy ?"
"Mr. Potter is seventeen unless I am very much mistaken so he is a man, not a boy." Auror Broadmeer countered stiffly. "In fact he is acting far more adult at the moment than a certain Potions Master I could name. While am I too old to have had you for Potions, I have heard all about you and your teaching methods from my nephew, Professor Snape.
To me, you are not a professor worthy of respect. I can't help wondering how many dreams you have crushed with your teaching methods and caustic comments, Snape. Jeremy had hopes of following in his grandfather's footsteps and becoming a Potions Master, but you destroyed that dream, just because you enjoy terrorizing children. So don't talk to me about arrogance."
Dumbledore handed the note he had written to the waiting house elf and spoke up before an argument could start between the two men. "I am ready Auror Broadmeer."
"Then shall we go, gentlemen?" Broadmeer gestured toward the door.
Two aurors went out first, followed by Dumbledore and Snape, and bringing up the rear were Harry, Broadmeer, and the remaining aurors.
Since he didn't have to go with them, Harry decided to go to the library to do some research into magical wills.
.....
McGonagall met the aurors, Snape, and the Headmaster in the entry hall. "Headmaster, I got your note saying I was to be in charge for a while. What is going on?"
"Potter had us arrested." Snape told her sourly.
"On what charges?" McGonagall demanded of the aurors.
"That is none of your business ma'am." The oldest auror told her. "Now if you will please step aside, because we need to bring these gentlemen to Madame Bones."
"I will not step aside, until you tell me why you are taking them away." McGonagall stated firmly.
"You are not directly involved in the case therefore you do not have the right to know." The auror told her just as firmly. "However if you wish to continue to block the way, we will be more than happy to arrest you for preventing an auror from carrying out their duty."
"Minerva," Dumbledore spoke up, "don't worry, this will all get sorted out. I'm certain Amelia will be co-operative and we should be back by tonight. Just take care of the school and students until our return. I'm certain they will be worried because of this and you need to keep them calm."
"Very well, Headmaster," McGonagall stepped aside.
Once the door closed behind the group of men, McGonagall headed for the Headmaster's office. As soon as she was settled behind the desk, she called, "Dobby."
There was a pop then she saw the house elf bouncing in place on the other side of the desk, "Dobby here, Professor McGonagall."
"Dobby, I need you to find Mr. Potter and tell him I want to see him in the Headmaster's office as soon as possible." McGonagall instructed.
"Dobby find," the house elf promised and popped out.