8 Chapter- 8 : Accomplishment

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The sun had set by the time Harry was summoned.

"Ah, Harry. Come in! Lemon drop?" the Headmaster offered.

"No, thank you." Harry entered the office, sweeping right past the seats to hold two scrolls up before the Headmaster. "Look, I'm tired of you just stringing me along, offering meaningless placebos that accomplish nothing, so I'll get right to it. I know you don't intend to change my courses. What I don't know is why. But I don't care about that now. What I want you to know is that before I leave this office, one of these two scrolls is going into effect. This one," he laid the parchment before the Headmaster, where it rolled open, "Grants me the classes I'd requested, and this one," he unrolled the other, but held it in the air, outside of Dumbledore's reach, "transfers me to Beauxbatons, where I've already arranged to have the classes of my choice. I already have Headmistress Maxine's signature on this one, having gotten it after lunch while you delayed meeting with me. To be legal, all I have to do is sign it. Which will it be?"

Dumbledore's face appeared sad and grave. "May I ask what prompted this lack of trust, Harry?"

Harry almost snorted. That was a counterattack, an aggrieved 'Oh, you don't trust me, after all I've done for you?! How COULD you be so ungrateful?' But he could play counterattack himself now.

"Only two full years of abuse of that trust, Headmaster. You've never once acted to protect me in any meaningful way. The home you arranged for me is a hell on earth, and to make certain that I'd never lived a day without fear, you made sure you kept your own pet Death Eater at school to keep up my daily portion of abuse." Harry stated in a level voice, before leaning forward to place his second scroll on the desk and produce a quill. "In fact, in light of that, I think I'll just sign this right now."

"That won't be necessary, Harry!" Dumbledore held up a placating hand. He brought the course change scroll closer to him and produced his own quill to sign it. "I will be most happy to agree to your change of courses, provided you stay within our school."

Harry successfully fought off a smirk. He KNEW that wasn't what the old coot was prepared to do when Harry was admitted to his office!

"No, I'm really convinced I'd be happier elsewhere," Harry answered, dipping his own quill in ink. "Someplace where I don't have the man who targeted my parents for Voldemort making sure I live in hell whenever you haven't locked me up in Dursley Prison. Someplace where the House Cup isn't meaningless because one corrupt teacher steals it by bloating his own House points year after year. Maybe even someplace where I can go a year without someone trying their best to kill me. You started early this year, Headmaster. I wasn't expecting the typical murder attempt until end of term, not the start of it."

Dumbledore's face had gone exceptionally grave indeed. "What is it you want, Harry?"

"Are you really that BLIND?" Harry asked in disbelief. "How about not killing me, for a change? Let's cut back on the torture, how about that? Snape is the single worst teacher in the history of this school! I know! I checked! He has fewer graduates who make worse grades overall, and his unprofessional behavior is unprecedented in the history of magical education! Keeping him on staff makes Hogwarts a joke! You'd get better results and less cruelty if you had Grindelwald teaching in there!"

Harry voice had risen as he'd listed these complaints, but before he stopped he pointed the quill end toward Dumbledore in an expression of seriousness. "And if you say ANYTHING to the effect of, 'I cannot just dismiss him' I am signing this scroll in that instant! I KNOW you can do better than that!"

Dumbledore sighed, leaned back, and folded his hands. "What would appease you, Harry?"

The boy stood tall. "Withdraw your protection from Severus Snape. I want dementors sucking out his soul for all he's done. Nothing less would satisfy me. He helped kill my parents and needlessly tortured me. He must pay, and you are the only person keeping him from doing that."

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I cannot offer that, Harry."

Nodding, the boy raised his inked quill to sign the transfer scroll without further comment, only to be interrupted.

"But perhaps I can offer a compromise by withdrawing him from his post at Hogwarts, and provide him employment elsewhere." Dumbledore ventured.

"That removes a negative. It fails to provide a positive," Harry spoke without raising his head from the parchment where his quill stood poised.

"If extra courses are what you seek, perhaps I can offer you a similar setup to Miss Granger?" Dumbledore reached into his desk and produced a Time Turner, a delicate hourglass on a thin chain. "This device would enable you to attend more classes than time would otherwise allow, by providing a means of turning back time. One turn equals one hour. I'm sure Miss Granger would be happy to fill you in on the details. Is that agreeable?"

Harry thought about it for a moment, before nodding, standing up to accept the Time Turner, tucking it, and the transfer scroll, into one of his pouches.

"Perhaps I can take care of canceling that scroll for you?" Dumbledore held out a hand hopefully.

"No." Harry shook his head. "It's good until next year, and I'd really rather keep my options open in case you decide you'd really rather not live up to your end of our deal, or in case you pull some other stunt that demands a change. So I'll just hold onto it."

Dumbledore's face, which had been hopeful, fell.

His expression collapsed further when Harry stood, and saying, "Oh, and I was the one to recover this, not you," took the sword of Gryffindor, and left the office.

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