Harry just stared at her his face an expressionless mask. "I'm a big believer in reaping what you sow, Professor. Malfoy sowed this, so he should reap it. I do hope you are able to reverse the transfiguration, otherwise the Malfoy line will end right here."
He turned on his heel to leave and then turned back for a moment and glared at the ferret. The silence in the Great Hall was again almost deafening, so everyone heard his final words. "Malfoy, consider this your last warning. I have had enough of you and the rest of the Slytherins. However if you or any of the other Slytherins are stupid enough to try and harm me, let me warn you here and now, you will not like the results and your children's children will be feeling them, that is a promise from me to you. We just have to get through this last year together and then we can go our separate ways and never see each other again."
Turning on his heel, Potter left. Those nearest the Great Hall doors saw him walk out the main doors of the castle and on to the grounds.
.....
Hagrid found him sitting on a large boulder near the lake, watching the glittering surface change colours as the sun began to set.
"'ello 'arry," Hagrid greeted the younger wizard cautiously.
"Hagrid," Harry didn't take his gaze off the surface of the lake. "Did they send you out here after me?"
Hagrid settled down on the ground beside the boulder, before he answered. "No, I came on me own. Thought ye might want someone ta talk to."
"Well you were wrong." Harry told him. "You and I have nothing to talk about. You chose your side last year and it wasn't mine."
"I don't know what yer talkin' about." Hagrid sounded confused. "I never chose anyone's side."
"Oh, but you did, Hagrid." Harry countered. "I know that you were the one who kept Remus from coming to that farce of a trial the Ministry gave me."
"On Dumbledore's orders," Hagrid told him. "He didn't want Lupin puttin' 'imself at risk. I was the only one strong enough ta keep him 'ere at Hogwarts."
"Exactly," Harry nodded in confirmation. "You chose Dumbledore over me. During my time in Azkaban, it would have been nice to know that someone out here didn't think I was capable of murdering Neville."
Hagrid stared at him shocked. "I never thought you murdered Longbottom. An' my bein' there would'a done ye no good. I couldn't a stood up fer ye, me bein' a half-giant 'n all. They never would'a listened ta me."
"You wouldn't have had to testify on my behalf. All you would have had to do was let me know you were there for me but you didn't do that." Harry told him. "If I had known you and Remus believed in me and that you weren't there as a part of the group that was convinced I was guilty, it would've been a great comfort to me, but in choosing to do what Dumbledore told you, you denied me that. You chose the easy way out by remaining silent, instead of standing up for what you believed. You wouldn't do for me what I had done for you more than once. I stood by you and helped you when you did stupid things, like trying to keep a dragon, when you knew it was illegal not to mention dangerous for you to do so. And I risked my life to help clear you of the charges that got you sent to Azkaban when the Chamber of Secrets was reopened. Not to mention got you cleared of the original charges that got you expelled from Hogwarts."
There was a pause as Harry got to his feet. "So you see we have nothing to talk about. You and I clearly have different ideas about loyalty and what being a friend is. You stay with the side you chose and leave me alone."
Hagrid watched as Harry walked back up to the castle, and tears filled his eyes at the realisation that he had lost a very precious gift… Harry's friendship and he didn't have any idea about how to get it back.
.....
Dumbledore entered the Staff room after dinner his face solemn. The only prefect missing was Draco Malfoy, but he knew from Professor McGonagall that it might take some time to figure out how to reverse the transfiguration spell.
"I will get to the most important matter first, so that the Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl can be about their duties." Dumbledore began. "With Professor Snape no longer here, you will need to keep a close watch on the students in your Houses. I am not blind nor have I ever been blind to how Professor Snape favoured his own House and allowed them to get away with things that he would punish the students of the other Houses for. Those students, who have been ill-treated by the Slytherins, may try and revenge themselves against the perpetrators, since they no longer have to worry about retribution from Professor Snape." He paused for a moment eyeing the Slytherin Prefects earnestly. "Slytherin Prefects, I must also ask you to keep a watchful eye on those in your House. They may also decide that the absence of Professor Snape gives them license to get vengeance of their own for acts perpetrated on them, or their families."
All the Prefects, Head Boy and Girl agreed to do their best to keep things from getting out of hand between the houses, given the absence of Snape, who they all agreed had been the only thing holding the other Houses in check from trying to get any kind of revenge on the Slytherins. They also acknowledged at least privately that Snape was the one who had kept the Slytherins marginally under control. The teachers also agreed to help, since the Prefects, Head Boy and Girl couldn't be everywhere.
Once the students were gone, Dumbledore turned his attention to the remaining matter. "Until we replace Severus, I will teach Potions. I would like all of you to give some thought over the next few days to who would be best to fill the post of Potions teacher. A Potions Master would be preferred, but they are few and far between, especially those of Professor Snape's calibre. I would like to try and replace him before the Christmas break if possible."
The teachers nodded and then all but McGonagall filed out of the Staff Room.
"Albus, I need to speak with you about Mr. Potter." McGonagall spoke up after closing the door and casting a silencing charm on the room.
"What about Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore looked old and tired.
"I am beginning to have my doubts about the wisdom of having him back at Hogwarts." Minerva told him honestly. "I know you want to try and get him to forgive those who wronged him last year, but I don't think Mr. Potter has any intentions of going along with your plans. He made it quite clear the day you and Severus were arrested, that this wasn't the only thing he had in mind."
Dumbledore nodded his head in acknowledgement of her concerns. "Yes, that young man has a lot more anger in him than I originally thought. Most of it unfortunately is justified, given our actions last year. All we can do Minerva is help him work through it."
"Headmaster, that plan will only work if the boy is willing to be co-operative," McGonagall pointed out. "And so far he has proven to be very rebellious. From what I and the other teachers have seen so far he has no intention of co-operating with us. He has racked up more detentions in the past couple of weeks than the Weasley twins did during any of the years they attended Hogwarts."
"We must wait him out Minerva." Dumbledore told her. "Maintaining that level of anger day in and day out will soon become very tiring for Mr. Potter and then we should be able to make headway in bringing him back to us."
McGonagall sighed. "I hope you are right, Albus."
....
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