Chapter 1
Harry Potter was eating breakfast when the note appeared in front of him ordering him to go to Dumbledore's office. He sighed. Not again. If he was going to try to convince Harry for the twentieth time that continuing to live with the Dursleys was "for the Greater Good", he was going to scream. It was a Saturday, too, so he couldn't use the excuse of attending classes to miss it. Harry sighed. This was not going to be a good day.
When he had finished his breakfast, Harry got up and trudged his way to Dumbledore's office, figuring that it was best to just get this idiocy over with.
"Ah, Harry, my boy," Dumbledore greeted as Harry groaned inwardly, "do come in. Don't worry, you're not in trouble. I just wanted to discuss something with you."
Harry opened the door to Dumbledore's office, whilst wondering for the thousandth time how Dumbledore could sense people approaching. Reluctantly, Harry sat down in the seat across from Dumbledore. "What do you want?" Harry demanded.
Dumbledore looked shocked. "Now, now, my boy, there is no need to be rude."
Harry scowled. "Don't call me that!" he snapped.
"Very well, Mr Potter. I called you here to discuss your living arrangements."
"Headmaster, with all due respect," 'Which is none' Harry added privately, "where I live is none of your concern. You are only a headmaster."
"Now, that is where you are wrong," Dumbledore said. "I am also Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. That gives me a say in where you live."
Harry was starting to feel frustrated. "But I don't want to live there!" he yelled.
"Mr Potter, I must ask you to refrain from shouting. I understand that you are angry, but please use your inside voice, not your outside voice."
Harry's eyes twitched.
"Do you promise to speak at a normal volume?" Dumbledore asked.
"Alright, fine. I promise I won't shout at you!" Harry shouted. "There! Happy?"
"No," Dumbledore replied, "I am not happy. You did not use your inside voice."
Harry took a deep breath and forced himself to speak calmly. "I'm sorry for shouting."
"There you go. That wasn't so hard now, was it?"
"No," Harry bit out. "Can I go now?"
"I suppose you have played your part sufficiently for now," Dumbledore said. "You can go."
Harry sighed in relief and practically fled the office. At least it was over, even if it had achieved absolutely nothing.
***
Albus Dumbledore smiled to himself as the Potter boy left. It was always so much fun playing these games with people, especially those that they had allowed to see the truth. They hadn't given them back control of themselves, of course. They weren't fools. It made it doubly amusing: they thought they were free from their control, but it was them that had allowed them to briefly see the truth and they were still acting under their control. Albus chuckled, glad that Lysander had come up with the game. It was terribly good entertainment.
He was caught off guard by his fireplace flaring green and a woman with red hair and green eyes that looked less than half her age stepping out into his office.
"I wasn't expecting you today, Amarantha."
"I just killed a family of muggles," she said, washing blood off her hands, "and got bored, so I wanted to see what you were up to."
"I just had a meeting with Harry Potter."
Amarantha smirked slightly. "How did it go?"
"Oh, he yelled at me after I told him to stop yelling about not wanting to live with his aunt and uncle."
Amarantha's eyes danced with amusement. "Indeed?"
"Yes, but really, Amarantha, I'm surprised that you didn't protest when we picked him to play the game."
"He may be my half-sister's great-great-grandson, but he is also Lily's son."
"Lily was your half-sister's great-granddaughter," Albus pointed out.
"Well," Amarantha replied, "I still hated her."
"Yes, I suppose you did," he agreed. "Now, do you want to join me in picking Harry's temporary girlfriend?"
Amarantha's smile widened. "Of course."
"Pansy Parkinson?" Dumbledore suggested.
"Her?" Amarantha asked incredulously. "No, of course not."
"Well, who do you think then?" Dumbledore asked.
"Daphne Greengrass. Their grandparents were very good friends, you know."
"We made them friends."
"Exactly."
"So, Daphne Greengrass, then," Dumbledore muttered.