"They are Muggles, there is little I can do to help them," McGonagall said starchily, not understanding where all of this was coming from. Like Albus, butting heads with the new Potter was wearing on her nerves. She did hope the Headmaster was wrong and that he might regain his memory. Then perhaps he would go back to the polite boy he had been.
"What? You can't hand out food to them? You can't set up a clothes bin for them, with warm clothes? You can't put things they might need where they could find them? Right, you can do nothing," he scoffed. His mind was thinking about ways to do all those things he just mentioned. He had enough money to do it. Perhaps, he could do like the Leaky Cauldron did and set up some bins that had wrapped food and clothes.
"The Muggle government does what it can, and we cannot interfere. It is the law," she said with finality, which was mostly true. It was part of the Statute of Secrecy that made it almost impossible to help the Muggle poor.
"Right," was the sarcastic reply as they fell into an uncomfortable silence as they made their way to the Headmaster's office. They turned a corner, Harry's proximity alert went off, and they saw four people waiting for them in front of a gargoyle.
"Harry, my boy, these people are here to see you. We will be holding the meeting in my office," Dumbledore stated jovially, though he was anything but happy about it. He really hated it when the DMLE interfered with Hogwarts. In his mind, he and his staff were more than capable of handling any situation. They did well the last three years, why not now? Besides, he was the Great Albus Dumbledore, and there was very little he could not accomplish unaided.
"Albus, old man, I wouldn't go to your office unless I was tied up and knocked out," Harry returned just as happily, but with a glare that would melt ice. "I see senility has set in, you really should get that checked out. I'm not sure you could hold your many offices, if you can't seem remember a simple conversation from last night," he said, showing a great deal of concern, and peering intently at the old man's face as if to see if he was indeed senile.
McGonagall sighed and rubbed her forehead. The woman, Amelia Bones according to the map, with the monocle just gawped at him for a second the righted herself. The two men, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Albert Waters, looked like they were about to break out laughing, though doing their professional best not to. Dumbledore looked floored that Harry would disrespect him in front of strangers. Then again, everyone was a stranger to the boy.
Harry turned to the other three, dismissing the Hogwarts staff and asked, "You the cops?"
"Auror Shacklebolt and I are with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This other gentleman is the attorney you asked for, Mr. Waters," the grey-haired lady said, pointing to each person. "I am Madam Bones, and you will address me as such," she said, narrowing her eyes.
"If you call me Mr. Potter, we'll have no issue," Harry said, returning the glare. "Look, I don't want Albus or McGonagall to be there when we talk. My lawyer should be enough," he added, wondering how the man knew to be here. He had no idea who he was, or how he heard, but was thankful for the representation.
"I would like some time alone with my client," Mr. Waters said, picking up his briefcase as he moved to Harry's side. "We need to get to know each other and I need to understand what has happened to him. Is there a place we can speak privately?"
"There are a multitude of unused classrooms, or there are the greeting rooms in the Entrance Hall," Dumbledore sighed, but knew it was out of his hands for now.
"A classroom will do for now," Waters stated, giving them an inquiring look. Minerva led the way to the nearest one and then left. The attorney then cast many privacy spells and instructed the portrait of a green fairy to leave. The little painted being huffed and flew away. "There now we can't be heard," he said as he made his way to the nearest desk.
Harry threw up his own shields, but Waters didn't feel it, pulled a chair to the other side and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Waters. How did you know to be here?" he asked as he pulled out his sandwich. "I hope you don't mind, but I was eating when they brought me here."
Waters waved him to go ahead. "Your godfather, Sirius Black, asked that I come today via his house elf. He told me a bit about what is going on, but I need to hear your side. I met Madam Bones and Auror Shacklebolt at the gate and we came up together. Them being here was a welcome surprise to me." It had come as quite a shock being contacted by the fugitive, but he was happy to take a case for the Boy-Who-Lived, his reputation right now notwithstanding. The attorney knew the public was fickle and one day the hero would be seen in a better light. Fudge was an idiot not to see that.
"Good ole Sirius," Harry said with a big smile. "I need assurances that what we say gets back to no one, and I mean, no one, not even Sirius. I'd like to tell you everything, but my experience with adults so far has not left me with a good impression." He took a bite. He was glad he grabbed the napkin, not wanting to be uncivilized as to wipe his mouth with his sleeve, it was bad enough he was eating in front of someone. He remembered his friend's advice and paid very close attention to what the man said. He was unsure if it would pay off in the end, but it never hurt to listen.
"Here is the standard non-disclosure contract. Anything you tell me will be held in the strictest of confidence," Water stated as he pulled a yellow legal pad, a ballpoint pen, and a heavy piece of parchment out of his briefcase.
Harry put down his meal, wiped his hands, took the contract and looked it over very carefully. He saw that what the man had said was true so he signed it. There was a flash of light when the barrister sighed and the contract disappeared.
....
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