Harry speaks his mind
After talk, the newly formed friend group and Harry’s new family decided to go for lunch. But before they would sit down to eat they would clear a few things with the teachers. As they entered the Great Hall, they headed towards the head table, but as some people noticed several people not only in Harry’s company they didn’t expect, but some people they never saw before. “Er…Harry, what do you got there?” Seamus Finnigan, fellow Gryffindor with the tendency to blow up or set afire anything he aimed his wand at.
“A few important documents.” Harry said as he looked at the pieces of parchment in his hand.
“No, I mean…them.” Seamus said as he pointed at Cloak, Maps, Hedwig and Bolt.
“It’s not nice to call them a ‘what’, they’re people.” Harry said a bit cold.
“Oh, sorry. But really, who are they?” Seamus asked again.
“Oh, they are my sisters and mother.” Harry noted.
Seamus looked like Harry grew a second head. “But aren’t your parents, you know? So you wouldn’t be able to have sisters.”
“Dude, you just don’t bring up his parents like that.” Dean Thomas, another Gryffindor and soccer enthusiast, said.
“No, it’s ok.” Harry assured them. “Anyhow, I have a new mother and sisters now.” Harry said, like it was a normal thing.
“So…how? I think it’s still missing some context.” Seamus said.
“I botched a spell and now my family heirlooms and my pet are now my sisters and mother.” Harry said.
“Er…” Seamus said. “I didn’t expect to ever hear a sentence like that.”
“How does that even work? That goes against the laws of Magic.” A Ravenclaw called Terry Boot noted.
“That’s what I said.” Hermione said as she took her Calming Potion. She’d get over the world-shattering revelation of what Harry did. Eventually…probably.
“Luckily I didn’t know that.” Harry noted.
“That shouldn’t be an answer!” Terry repeated.
“Well, it was impossible for anyone to survive the Killing Curse but Harry’s still here.” Luna said calmly. Everyone looked at them in silence.
“Did Looney just make sense?” Marietta Edgecomb said.
“Her name is Luna and I don’t appreciate anyone else calling her that nickname.” Harry said with a cold fury in his voice. He knew about Marietta and her friend Amanda’s bullying campaign against his new friend.
“Yeah, please stop being meanies.” Cloak said. She sounded meek and soft, but there was somehow a bit of steel in her voice. And Marietta and Amanda knew what she did to them last time. But with too many people watching, they couldn’t spill the beans or bite back.
“So…you said that they are some of your prized possessions, transformed into family?” Seamus asked, trying to diffuse the situation.
“That’s right.” Harry said with a soft smile.
Seamus looked how Hedwig has snatched several bacon sandwiches from a nearby pile of food and happily at them. “Well, the bacon addiction checks out.” Seamus said. “And I can’t believe I just said that.”
“Anyhow, nice talking but I have a few things to do with my friends and family.” Harry said as he and his group continued on.
“Why are there a few slimy snakes with you?” Ron asked. He had done his best to ignore Harry for the past few weeks, and also Hermione when it was clear she was taking Harry’s side. He was perfectly fine (or so he said) ignoring them but seeing the green trim among the robes. “I could get a Ravenclaw or the Puffs, but why a punch of Death Eater kids?”
“For your information Ron, not all Slytherins are like Malfoy. And while Slytherin has a history of bringing forth several Death Eathers, there have been Dark Wizards from the other Houses. And there have been good people whom have been Slytherin. Like Gwenog Jones of the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team.” Harry explained.
“He’s right. I should know, I’m a major Harpie fan. She really was Slytherin.” Ginny explained.
“And so was Merlin himself.” Hermione added.
“What? That’s ridiculous!” Ron blurted out.
“It is, it is common knowledge. It is even on his Chocolate Frog Card. Do you ever read what’s on them?” Hermione explained.
“I only look a the pictures.” Ron noted.
“Also, I learned that both our families have someone of the Black family in them and they were mostly Slytherins. Like my grandmother Dorea and your grandmother Cedrella.” Harry added.
“What? My grandma was not a slimy snake!” Ron said as his ears turned red in anger.
“It is, she never made a secret of that. Both she and Dad told us many times.” Fred noted.
“Seriously, little brother, don’t you remember? Were you stuffing your face instead of listening anytime we brought it up?” George continued.
“Maybe…” Ron said, looking a bit sheepish.
“Well, I don’t appreciate anyone insulting my friends, Weasley.” Harry said.
“Let him be. He speaks out of ignorance. His opinion in that regard is invalid.” Daphne noted. Ron didn’t like that but said nothing as he knew that he would make more of an arse out of himself.
So without any further interruptions they went to the front. Harry spoke to a few teachers. “Greetings Professors. Now, I hate to disturb lunch but there are a few things I want to quickly address otherwise I may have no time later, or may forget them altogether, if it’s fine with you.”
“You can speak, Mr. Potter.” Dumbledore said as he put his spoon down and decided to put his porridge on hold.
“Now, since due to me being a Champion and considered a fourth Champion of a four unnamed school…did we ever figure out under which school I was entered? Can I pick a name?” Harry began.
“No, we don’t know under which school you were entered, just that it was a fourth. But you can pick any name for your ‘fourth school’ if you want to use that for any administration or task you wish to tackle.” Dumbledore explained.
“All right. Now I can, as a fourth champion invite others I consider part of my new ‘school’, family or contingent into the dorms? Hermione, Luna, Daphne and Tracey wish to join me in my new dorms.” Harry noted. “They’ll attend classes like normal but won’t sleep in their common rooms.”
“Well according to the rules of the Tournament you are allowed that, no problem.” Dumbledore replied.
“Looney’s gone? Good riddance.” Marietta said under her breath, luckily so that Harry’s group couldn’t hear it.
“Miss Greengrass and Miss Davis are my students and they are not to move out!” Snape said, always wanting to find a way to ruin Harry’s day because he’s a dick.
“I’m sorry Professor, but we have been given permission by our parents.” Daphne Greengrass noted.
“Miss Greengrass, you are my best student at Potions and I would hate to see your standards being lowered by associating with Potter.” Snape said.
“Actually, I would think my status would increase from associating with the right people.” Daphne replied. Snape’s face was neutral.
“Severus, please. She has the permission and she is old enough to make a decision on whom she can befriend.” Dumbledore gently chastised Snape. Snape remained silent. “I’m sorry about that, anything else?”
“Yes. As a Champion, while Beauxbatons and Durmstrang teach their students at the carriage and the ship, any visiting school contingent can ask for their own education, either at the establishment they visit or through tutors. While with certain classes I’m satisfied and continue to take them, I want to ask permission to hire a few tutors for others.” Harry continued.
“That is also perfectly possible. For which classes do you wish to get a tutor?” Dumebledore asked.
“For History of Magic. I’m sorry but while Binns definitely knows his stuff but…” Harry said.
“I understand. Even I was put to sleep when I was your age being taught History. I wanted to do something about it but the Board of Directors wanted to save money because you don’t have to pay a ghost…oh pardon, I misspoke. I mean ‘because Binns despite his status is a historian in his own right and should not be dismissed for such paltry reasons.’” Dumbledore noted. “Anything else?”
“Yes. Arithmancy and Runes. I fear I may have picked the wrong subjects. While Care for Magical Creatures is fine…” if only because he can support his friend Hagrid. “…Divination isn’t for me. It isn’t useful if you don’t have the Sight and I don’t want my death predicted. I recently learned Arithmancy involves Math, which was one of my best subjects in Muggle School, and both that and Runes would be more beneficial in the long run. I missed a year, but I hope to be able to catch up this year so I can join Hermione in her classes next year, or at least continue an independent study. Sorry if it brings some inconvenience but up until now I didn’t know I could have switched classes earlier.”
“It’s no problem, Harry. Sometimes you go in a direction in life and you find it’s not the direction you want to go to. Good thing you decide this while you still can.” Dumbledore noted. “Anything else?”
“Yes, I’m going to hire a tutor for something outside the curriculum. While I am of House Potter, I was raised Muggle and for a lot of things in the Wizarding World I have not been properly introduced like culture, etiquette and a few other things I wish I knew before coming to Hogwarts. I have been winging it up until now.” Harry said.
“Understandable. While I trust Hagrid I unfortunately missed the fact that he would not be able to teach you about that sort of thing upon first meeting. A shame that the Board doesn’t allow these classes anymore due to it being too costly. Though that’s the polite answer, the more vocal members of the Board said something I don’t want to repeat in the presence of children.” Dumbledore said.
‘Of course the Pureblood bigots on the Board wouldn’t want to waste money on tutoring for Muggleborns about the Wizarding World.’ Harry thought. “Finally, Potions!”
“No way Potter!” Snape said as he shot up from his seat upon hearing it. “You are not getting out of my class! You paid for a Hogwarts education and you are not dropping out because you are too much of a dunderhead to perform well in class.”
“I’m not dropping Potions, I just don’t take them with you. I have the right as a Champion. Furthermore, if I’m no longer in your class, shouldn’t that be something good for you? That we don’t have to interact anymore?” Harry noted.
Snape stopped for a moment and thought this over. He sat down. “Fine, but don’t go crawling back to me next year when whatever dunderhead of a tutor fails to properly instill any fragment of knowledge upon you.” Snape sneered.
“Don’t worry, I’ll of course pick only the best of tutors.” Harry noted. “And since I can pay for my own tutoring, I can also choose to have people among my group or under my protection be tutored. So I want to invite them to join these classes with me as well.”
“That’s it! I don’t care if I get rid of you, Potter! But all these other students pay for their Hogwarts tuition, and I will not allow them to leave my class!” Snape said as he shot up again.
“They have again, permission to join me in tutoring from their parents, so what is it to you?” Harry replied.
“It’s probably because his salary is determined by how many people he teaches, so it would negatively affect him the more students leave his class.” Luna noted.
“Well, he should have thought about that before he decided to be a bully his students, give the Junior death Eaters a pass while tormenting anyone else and make a joke of the House point system.” Harry said.
“Fifty points from each of your houses per person if you don’t stop this foolishness. Greengrass, Davis, if you stop to hang out with Potter and fall in line, you can earn points for Slytherin and avoid punishments.” Snape noted.
“I’m sorry Professor, but we won’t.” Tracey said. “We actually want to learn something in Potions for a change.”
“What?” Snape asked.
“While it is true you are an accomplished Potions Master, it doesn’t mean you are qualified to teach, and with me aspiring to be a Potions Master, I need a teacher whom isn’t prejudiced. I don’t want to be given preferential treatment. I want to be given equal treatment.” Daphne noted.
“I don’t give preferential treatment!” Snape argued.
“YES YOU DO!” Most of the students and several of the teachers also noted.
“Besides, you can’t take points from me. I now have officially aligned myself as a Champion of a fourth school…No wait, I will give it a name. My school will be known as the Lily Potter Institute! To honor the witch whom gave her life to save me and…the one whom should really have the credit of defeating Voldemort. I didn’t do anything. Her sacrifice is what stopped Voldemort. I know the prejudiced media and Ministry will never acknowledge a Muggleborn stopping Tom Marvolo Riddle. But I want everyone to know.” That kind of shocked everyone, even Snape was flabbergasted. And it caused some talk among the students.
“Wait, his real name is Tom Riddle?”
“Is he for real? The Mudblood mother did that?”
“Don’t use that word! I think it is impressive and brave she did that.”
“Is he just throwing away his fame?”
That and many other murmurs came from the Great Hall after everyone listened. Dumbledore stood up and raised his hands to shut the people up, before turning back to Harry. “I am aware of the difficulties between you and Snape and I’ll allow you and your friends to seek a tutor.”
“You just can’t give in to the Potter brat’s demands! He’s going to end up spoiled and arrogant like his father!” Snape noted. “Not that he already isn’t…”
“I never knew my father!” Harry noted. “He is gone. Voldemort killed him. I never got to spend time with him. You got to spend more time with him then me. And I envy you for that.” Harry said. It left Snape flabbergasted again. He clearly didn’t expect that. “I never knew him. And I know too little about him to be impartial about him. But he’s gone and…you should let go of the hatred. There is nothing left for you to hate. I’m just a target because I’m the son of a man I never knew, and that is no fair. But I found a new family and I’m happy. I only have them for a short while but I know that if anything happens to them…I wouldn’t want to go on.” He looked fondly at his new sisters and Momma Hedwig, whom also returns warm looks to him. “So Snape…let go, and instead of reveling in hatred, find something for once to be happy for, someone to love, for yourself. You can’t have true happiness by destroying others’ happiness.”
Harry didn’t mean to but he had cried a bit. And he didn’t even notice his words have delivered a bigger blow to Snape then he thought. “I haven’t had parchment work for this, but I think of something else, Professor Dumbledore. My family…They became sentient after my magic mishap. But I don’t know a lot about their power and knowledge. Would they be applicable for tutoring and education too?” He turned around. “I mean if they want to.”
“I have the brains of three highly intelligent Hogwarts graduates up to their final year in me.” Maps noted.
“Didn’t you have the brains of four Marauders?” Fred asked.
“The fourth one is Wormtail. That doesn’t count.” Maps replied. “Despite that, in the years my creators were at school and Harry is in school a few things in the curriculum has changed. Can’t hurt. Besides, I get to be in school with my little brother.” Maps continued. ‘And also to play a few pranks on a few bullies.’ She thought to herself.
“I’m actually thousands of years old and I would have various knowledge but I want to learn about the life of witches and wizards and the wider world, and be closer to Big Brother Harry.” Cloak said.
“If these two are in, so am I! The whole family is in on this, right?” Bolt said.
“I want to be a good mother for my chick. I’m no longer an Owl, but I have to learn to be more then an Owl.” Hedwig said. “We don’t know how our magic works now or if they can do any of the stuff normal witch or wizard may do but we want to try. For ourselves, and Harry.”
“Well, if you can provide a draft of the paperwork later, I can see what I can do. Even if they can’t learn spells, they can at least learn the theory or other non-spell based practical applications like potions.” Dumbledore explained.
“That’s great. Thanks for your time, Professor Dumbledore.” Harry said.
“Say, Harry…” Seamus asked. “You can ask for tutors for Potions…is it possible for you to invite others into that class?” he and several others wanted to see if it is possible to escape Snape’s classes.
“I’m sorry but the tutoring are only reserved for my friends and family.” Harry noted.
“Why though? You have money enough to pay for several people more.” Ron blurted out.
“I do, but why should I?” Harry said. “For weeks I have tried to make it clear that I didn’t put my name in the Goblet. Someone else put it in. Several officials can confirm it, Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch, Professor Moody! But instead of each of you looking into it, you all jumped to conclusions. It is just like my second year. At one time I was the Boy-Who-Lived. Another time I was the Heir of Slytherin. You cannot decide whether I’m a hero or a villain.”
Harry took a few more breaths. “I am socially awkward by my own admission and don’t speak up. But I didn’t need all this. I already am famous for something my mother did, dying so I could live so I don’t need fame. I already have enough money so I don’t need glory either. And I have had to deal with enough dangerous things, like the Philospher’s stone to the Basilisk to Dementors, I don’t need this Tournament at all. I only compete now because I can’t get out, because someone dicked with the Goblet of Fire.”
“So I’m done. I will not invite you to my new classes. If you want tutors, order them yourselves. I won’t pay for those whom didn’t listen, whom accused me without proof or research, or those whom kept quiet and didn’t have the decency to apologize. Only those I consider my friends, those whom did do the proper research, whom realized were wrong and made amends, I will help because they earned it. None of you earned anything from me but contempt.” Harry noted. “Me and my group now want to eat lunch in peace, I don’t want to talk to anyone else right now.”
The group sat down at the Gryffindor table and took whatever food was in reach. Everyone else looked sheepish and guilty. Most of all Ron Weasley, as the Knut finally seemed to drop with him. And you could tell by the fact that he no longer touched his food. Only ones not looking guilty or confused were jerkwads like Smith or some of the Slytherins.
“You guys all messed up bigtime.” Maps said. “You guys pucker up, because while eventually Harry may forgive you, you’d have to do a lot of arse-kissing before you can remotely get there.” Maps liked having a final jab for those whom made her little brother miserable.
She scanned across the room. She knew all their names, she knew where each and every one was at any time, she was the Marauder’s Map. As she scanned though, her eyes fell on one of the teachers; One with the weird eye. Wait, Harry said that his name was Moody, right? But the name she saw float above him (in her own ‘Maps-vision’) showed another name. Her vision was never wrong, she was made so that no magical disguises, not even invisibility cloaks could fool her. So she turned to the others, leaned in closer and whispered: “The Defense teacher is an imposter.” With that all their eyes went wide.
The mood was ruined when a drowsy looking Malfoy stepped into the Great Hall. “Sorry, I took a nap. What did I miss?”