124 Chapter 124: Truth Hurts

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I would like to thank my beta, Akisu, for his help in this chapter.

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19 March 1993, Hogwarts

In the heart of Hogwarts, where the towering spires and ivy-clad walls held centuries of enchantment and secrets, Albus Dumbledore sat in his office and stifled the urge to blast the whole thing into oblivion. It was only the soothing whispers of the light that calmed him enough to objectively analyze his situation.

To say that Albus Dumbledore was frustrated would be an understatement. He was already exhausted; having barely gotten any sleep ever since the whole fiasco with the Chamber of Secrets, which ended up with an unconscious boy who lived and a muggleborn student who had her soul displaced into a diary somehow. He had to call in the Unspeakables for that, and in the event that they couldn't help, Albus could use Ms Granger to increase control over the child of the prophecy by dangling a potential cure in front of him. He honestly didn't know if he could do it, and even if he could, it would take a significant amount of time. Time that he wouldn't waste unless it helped him and his cause. 

As for the attacks, Albus knew that Tom Riddle had to have something to do with them. The headmaster always tracked down the heritage of every attending student, to either collect them or profile them as threats. He even went to every muggleborn's home to make sure they didn't have any hidden magical heritage.

So, yeah, he knew that no one in the castle had any connection to the Gaunt family, and that just left Lord Voldemort as the main suspect.

To be perfectly honest, the entire situation was baffling. If he hadn't heard young Neville's tale about what happened, he never would have guessed it. Unfortunately, there were many holes in his story, the glaring one being that there was no sign of the Chamber of Secrets in the Undercroft. He had checked himself, and there was no snake engraving, no sign of magic at all, really.

He had ended up checking if the boy's memories were manipulated in any way but found no sign of mind magic. The boy was convinced that he was right, but everything else pointed to it not having happened.

What a baffling little mystery…

A knock distracted Albus from his thoughts and with a wave of his hand, his office's door opened, revealing the boy of the hour, a potential clue in the whole mess. Harry Potter was a student known for his cleverness, his cunning, and his maturity, that's not to mention his prodigal talent when it comes to magic. He was one of his most promising recruits, probably as a spy in the Dark, or maybe even a frontline fighter if war breaks down when Tom inevitably returns.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore began, his voice as gentle as he could make it, "I'm glad that you took time out of your day to speak with me."

"It's nothing, headmaster. But I will admit to being curious about the reason you asked me to be here."

"Well, as you probably know, young Neville was found unconscious, next to Hermione Granger, in a secret room in the castle. Fortunately, he woke up earlier today, and I have to say that his account of the events that transpired. Events that include you, Mr. Potter."

Young Harry's eyes widened, his expression a masterful blend of surprise and innocence, "I don't know what you're talking about, headmaster. I remember vividly staying in the dormitory the night he was attacked."

"And normally, I would be sceptical, but if you are involved in what happened inside the Chamber of Secrets, it is imperative that I know what happened. The safety of our students is paramount."

The boy frowned slightly, "I was under the impression that you returned in a purely ceremonial manner, and not fully as the headmaster."

"That would be the case, but it seemed that the Board was eager to get me back, with Mr. Longbottom having disappeared on the exact night I was suspended in. They practically ran to stop my suspension; some even said some very unsavoury things about a certain Lucius Malfoy. Oh, where was I? Ah, right, what happened in the Chamber of Secrets, Mr. Potter."

"I don't know," young Harry answered with a shrug, "It's quite the tale, isn't it? A hidden chamber beneath the castle, a monster controlled by the Heir of Slytherin, a boy heroically slaying the monster with a sword. Seems almost unbelievable…"

"And how did you know about the sword?"

"Ron Weasley has a big mouth. He talked to Longbottom and kept bragging that his friend killed a Basilisk of all things. Hard to believe, isn't it? That a student with less than two years of magical education could somehow slay a monster that massacred hundreds of beast hunters at the same time, and without even using magic. Although, I didn't know that Longbottom said that I was involved in any way…"

Damn, that Weasley boy. It took a few hours for Albus to keep things together, and it was more than enough time for rumours to spread. Merlin knows that very few things stay secret in Hogwarts, "A very good point, but I am curious as to why you believe that this tale to be false. I remember you saying previously that you were sure that the beast was a Basilisk."

"Perhaps it is a Basilisk… And the whole reason why I haven't said anything about it is because I don't have any proof, just guesses."

"Are you saying that Mr. Longbottom is lying?"

Harry's shoulders slumped, his expression morphing into practised vulnerability, "I don't know what happened to Neville, but I can say for certain that I have no part of whatever adventure he experienced. I was in my dormitory, the night he was found. I don't think anyone with a fraction of self-preservation instinct would willingly fight a Basilisk. I don't know what to say, other than that it's not me. Maybe Longbottom imagined it all?"

That was a good theory, that Dumbledore had considered. Not that the boy would have imagined it, but that it was some kind of elaborate illusion that the boy fell prey to. However, there were a few issues with that possibility. For one, he saw the runes in the bombs that young Neville used in his memories. They were correct. Remarkable or not, Neville simply did not have the knowledge necessary to imagine these runes. The only option would have been an outsider illusion attack of some kind, but the fact that the sword of Gryffindor had absorbed some Basilisk Venom, was physical proof that there was at least a grain of truth in Neville Longbottom's story. Or there was before the damn thing vanished into thin air.

The sword of Gryffindor was a mythical weapon that was said to even give you a fragment of the prowess of the founder himself if it did deem you brave enough. It was a remarkable weapon that literally disappeared from under his nose. And if losing that weapon wasn't frustrating enough, with it the only proof of what happened in the Chamber was gone.

Steeling his expression, the headmaster answered, "Ah, but I believe that he didn't. However, I do find it curious that you would lose interest in the Chamber so readily…"

"Ah, I guess I'm just excited to see Daphne again. But I am just as curious as to why you're talking to me about it. You are obviously fishing for information, and I don't mind. I'm an open book, but if you've got so much evidence, I don't know why you don't just come forward with it. Where did Longbottom say the Chamber was again?"

"In a hidden room, called the Undercroft," the headmaster answered.

"And did you find the entrance to the Chamber there? Longbottom's been up for almost a day. If it was a clear danger to the student body, you must have gone there to explore it, to make sure that the threat was gone. Right?"

Before he could answer, the Potter boy continued, "What about that mythical sword Weasley kept prattling about? Do you have the murder weapon?"

Dumbledore spluttered for a second, "What are you hoping to achieve with these needless questions."

"I'm just wondering why you're so hung up on me being involved. You have two students found unconscious, the only one that was able to speak said that I somehow was involved, despite the fact that there is evidence that I was in my dormitory. He said that he somehow found the Chamber of Secrets, but you still can't find the entrance where he said it was. And that he somehow killed a Basilisk a feat that I doubt a team of Aurors would be able to do, much less a twelve-year-old child. And he claimed to have done it with a weapon that seemed to have vanished into thin air. I don't think I have ever heard anything that ridiculous, and I'm finding it hard to understand why you're so certain that I had anything to do with it…"

The Potter boy had a way with words, but Albus would secretly admit that he also had a point. The entire situation was so ridiculous that no one, not even his greatest supporters, would believe this tale.

And yet, before he could say anything, the boy continued, "Even then, I don't even understand why you would ever want people to believe that. Confirming that a Basilisk was in the castle, whilst students lived there, wouldn't end well. A cursed artefact, that petrified students would be a more elegant solution. After all, people wouldn't really feel safe sending their children to a school whose headmaster actively ignores their safety."

And here it was, the Blackmail. The boy was one of the few people who figured out the monster's nature. It was dead, according to Neville, that is. But if he wanted to investigate the Potter boy for his involvement in the chamber, he had to admit that he knew that there was a Basilisk on the loose and that he hadn't said anything for months. The curse solution was more elegant and more friendly to the public. An ancient, cursed artefact that a student was given, maybe even under the Imperius or something, would be a good way to end the investigation.

The implicit threat was simple. If Albus was going to go after the Potter boy, he would lose more than he could afford. 

Fine, he was going to let it go, for now, but the boy had shown himself to be too competent to be left alone. Luckily for him, Albus still had one more card to play, "Oh, but I didn't bring you here to talk about the Chamber. I just wanted to clarify a few things. I believe it was a cursed artefact that was the culprit in our little mystery. No, I am here because I discovered something deeply perturbing."

"And what would that be, headmaster?"

"Your living situation," Albus suppressed a grin when he saw the boy stiffen, "It has come to my attention that you haven't lived in your aunt and uncle's home for some time, and that is simply unacceptable. I take the safety of my students very seriously. As you are a ward of the ministry, I am advising Cornelius to send you to a proper family that would take care of you in the summer holidays. You cannot live without guardians, Mr. Potter."

Ah, yes. He had spent the previous day looking up anything about the Potter boy, and he had gone to use some Legilimency on Petunia. And he was flabbergasted. She had barely even interacted with the boy and ignored it as much as possible. But her last conversation with the boy had lightened a few things up. First, was that he was a very mature young man. And second, that he hadn't lived with his muggle relatives for years.

So, that brought an opportunity. If he could get Cornelius to assign him to a family loyal to him, the boy would be discreetly brought to heel. It was subtle, but he could restrict the boy, his gold, his possessions. Get him on the right path, or more specifically Albus' path. The only question would be which family would accept him, and condition him enough not to rebel against Albus.

"Oh, I'm sorry but that won't be possible," the boy answered, "I was recently adopted by a relative of my father's. He saw the situation you spoke of and also found it unacceptable. I think the papers should go through soon."

This was bad, but not unsalvageable, "And who is this mysterious guardian of yours?"

"Arcturus Black."

And with just those two words Albus' dream of gaining any form of control over the boy vanished into thin air. He couldn't control his cold anger when he spoke next, "That sounds acceptable. You're dismissed, Mr. Potter."

The moment the boy left, Albus silenced the room and released a cry of fury. Damn, that boy to the deepest hells.

He looked at his companion, who had woken up with a squawk at his yelling and signed, "I think I lost this one, Fawkes."

The trill of the Phoenix brought some comfort, but not enough. It has been a long time since he was outmanoeuvred like this. Still, he would need to keep a close eye on the Potter boy. The boy could be very problematic in the future. Albus wouldn't allow anything to disrupt his plans. The Potter boy was still a potential asset, even if he didn't have to know about it. Worst comes to worst, he could just kill the boy if he becomes too troublesome.

He has done worse things in the name of the greater good of the wizarding world, after all.

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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.