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The Roaring Snake - 4

(Author's Note: One of my reviewers (rune 1806 - thanks, Rune!) made a very profound remark about making Dumbledore not 1D but 3D. I tend to agree with him/her. In this chapter, I am trying to bring Dumbledore to life. He is, in my opinion, a superb adapter and manipulator. He will play the game with the grace and aplomb of a master. Hopefully, this will satisfy the manipulative!Dumbledore fans.

Another reviewer (sweetgirl23 - thanks, Sweetgirl!) made an interesting comment about Cissy's plans of getting to Harry. Only problem is - Cissy knows nothing - she is merely guessing - educated guesswork, perhaps, but nevertheless, guesswork. Dumbledore will be on the lookout against such plans and you will see both sides going at it hammer and tongs.

As usual, all criticism is welcome.)

The Invitation from the Weasleys

Dumbledore was no fool, and the moment Hagrid had told him that Minerva had brought various important people in the magical world not completely under Dumbledore's thumb to meet Harry, the headmaster had known that his plan of keeping the icon of the wizarding world totally ignorant had failed. Total control over Harry was now gone - he had, at the very least, made acquaintances with two very worrisome people - Amelia Bones and Priscilla Lestrange-Greengrass. To allow Harry to fall into the hands of any one of the two would be fatal to Dumbledore's plans. They both had their own agenda, none of which suited Dumbledore - or his plans for the Potter boy. No - he would take advantage of the situation and feed Harry exactly what Dumbledore wanted him to know and think. Finally, when he heard that Lucius and Narcissa had met Potter and quizzed him about his childhood, he knew that trouble was brewing in the horizon. He would have to act fast if he had to save the situation.

His preparations made, he apparated to Privet Drive. His knock on the door of the Dursley residence was answered by a cameloid human, with an face of an equine. 'Strange', reflected Dumbledore, 'that pretty Lily should have inherited all the beauty in the family, leaving her sister with the pitiful bits that had been scraped from the bottom of the barrel'. Aloud, he spoke cheerfully, "Mrs. Dursley, I was hoping that we could speak about Mr. Potter."

Now Petunia might have hated magic, but she held wizards in a healthy terror. She hissed, "Get in, quick! Someone might see you."

Dumbledore slipped inside and then made his way to the sitting room. He smiled at Petunia, "A very nice home you have, Petunia. May we have Harry with us, please?"

"What do you want to talk to the fre - er - boy about?"

Dumbledore had not missed the slip of Petunia, but apparently took no notice of it. He merely smiled genially, "Oh - he has to start learning about magic soon."

Petunia whispered furiously, "Keep your voice down and don't mention his abnormality here. Neighbours might be listening."

Dumbledore beamed, "Not to worry, Petunia." In a smooth move, he drew his wand and waved it. "There - now - that problem is solved. I have placed a strong silencing charm on this room. Nothing we say will be audible outside. Don't worry - the charm will be lifted once I leave the house."

Petunia looked ready to foam at the mouth. "Put it away", she snarled. "There will be no freakishness in this house, if you please."

Dumbledore sighed theatrically, "Very well, Petunia. As I was explaining before you interrupted me, there is a month before Harry comes to Hogwarts. In that time, people - from our world - have invited him to spend his time with them. His parents were popular in our world, and many of them still retain a great deal of gratitude to Lily and James."

"You wish to take him away?"

"Precisely."

"When will he return?"

"During the Christmas and Easter holidays, if he prefers. If not, he will come back only next summer."

"Keep him at the school at Christmas and Easter, if possible during summer as well. Send him only when you must."

"As you wish. Can you please get Harry now?"

---(Scene Break)---

Harry had been pulling weeds in the backyard when Petunia appeared at the back door. She called Harry in, asked him to clean up and meet the headmaster of his new school. Harry, who had heard much about Dumbledore, appeared quickly. He saw an old man with a long beard and kindly expression. For all that, there was an aura of power and confidence about the Headmaster. On the other hand, seeing the small and skinny frame of Harry, Dumbledore frowned for a moment. He had put Harry with the muggles in the hope that they would despise and humiliate Harry, leaving him with little self-confidence and in a state where he would be easy to manipulate, not physically abuse and torture him. Surely Petunia had not descended to such depths that she would abuse her own kin? However, he dissembled his feelings and smiled at Harry, "Harry, my boy, it is very good to see you again."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't remember meeting you."

"Perhaps not, Harry - you were only a small child when I last saw you."

"How can I help you, sir", stuttered Harry, plainly awed by the old man's aura. Dumbledore, however, was wont to do everything at his own pace. Deciding to give Harry a small show of his power, he smiled, drew his wand and waved it, conjuring a tea tray, and some sandwiches. He offered, "Sit down, Harry. Tea?"

Harry nodded dumbly, and Dumbledore poured a cup of tea for Harry, and Petunia before taking one himself. Petunia refused with thin-lipped contempt, and Dumbledore vanished it with a disappointed sigh. Once the boy was comfortable, he began with his beatific smile, "Well, Harry, Hagrid told me that you had obtained your supplies in Diagon Alley today. I trust you found the magical world interesting?"

"Oh! Yes, sir."

"Hagrid also told me that you were interested in History." Dumbledore reached into his robes and took out a book - it was a book about the war with Grindelwald - one which painted Dumbledore in an infallible light. He held it out to Harry, "Happy birthday, Harry. This is your birthday present."

Harry gulped, "Thank you, sir", as he accepted the present.

Dumbledore continued, "Harry, I hear that you met some of the best people of the wizarding world, today."

Harry assented, absently noting that the old man was very well informed where Harry was concerned, as Dumbledore nodded, giving Harry the impression that Hagrid and Prof. McGonagall had followed his orders in giving Harry some insight into the magical world. The headmaster continued, "It is very generous of Hagrid and Minerva that you were introduced to the finest of the magical world. Well, Harry, you need to become much more acquainted with our world. In the interests of your - social education - many families have volunteered to show you the important aspects of our world. Would you like to see more of the magical world, Harry?"

Harry nearly jumped with joy at the offer. A chance to learn more - he would never turn it down, given the expectations the said world had of him. However, he also found it more than a little suspicious. For ten years, he had been ignorant of the existence of the world, and now everyone and his grandmother was crawling out of the woodwork, taking an interest in his well-being. Unbidden, Minerva's words floated to the fore in his mind - her warning that everyone would try to manipulate him. He would accept what he could get from those taking an interest in him, but would also keep his eyes open.

Aloud he spoke, "How'll I see more of the magical world, Professor?"

"Harry, a family has invited you to spend the next month with them. They are a very old, very nice and very gentle family. As such, you might want to visit them and learn more about the wizarding customs, magic and the magical world."

"Who's inviting me, Headmaster? The Bones? Or the Goldsteins?"

Dumbledore frowned inwardly - surely Harry could not have managed to get so close to the Bones or the Goldstein family? Hoping that it was just Harry mentioning the few families he knew by name, Dumbledore answered serenely, "No, no, my dear boy - it is not they who have invited you. It is the Weasleys."

Dumbledore had chosen the one family that was utterly loyal to him. He had other lackeys, of course, but none more devoted than the Weasleys. They would drill into Harry's mind unquestioning obedience of Dumbledore. There were two other advantages to putting Harry with the Weasleys. The first was that the Weasleys were utterly lax when it came to wizarding customs and etiquette. It was one of the reasons why they were shunned by all the other old purebloods. If he could get Harry to become close to the Weasleys, it would make the Boy-Who-Lived anathema to the pureblood crowd. Dumbledore would not have to worry about that lot getting their claws on Harry. The second reason was that the Weasleys had their own prejudices about the four Houses. Just as the Malfoys considered getting sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff an unacceptable shame, the Weasleys had determined that anyone not getting into Gryffindor must be defective in some way. If they could infuse Harry with the feeling, manipulating him over the coming years would be so much simpler. The only downside he could see was that it would make keeping Harry and Minerva apart a little more difficult, but Dumbledore could take care of that - if necessary, removing Minerva from the position of the Gryffindor's Head of House and replacing her with Janetta Vector. There were other benefits to putting Harry with the Weasleys as well, but those were too much into the future to worry about now.

Harry was instantly suspicious. He never had heard of the name of the Weasleys. If indeed they had been interested in his well-being and magical education, what had prevented them from inviting him in the past? However, it would not do to have Dumbledore angry with him, so he quietly asked, "Why now, Professor?"

Dumbledore sighed sadly, "I have no doubt they would have been glad to invite you ere now. Alas, Harry, you may know that there were many of Voldemort's followers hunting you down after the fall of their master. Your mother invoked an ancient blood ritual that protected you as long as you lived with people of her blood. Your aunt is the only one of her blood alive. Consequently, you had to be with her until you reached the age of eleven."

"Oh!", Harry seemed disappointed - whether it was because he had had to stay with his aunt and uncle or whether it was because Dumbledore and others had not made other efforts for his protections, the headmaster could not say. Harry then remembered Amelia Bones injunction that he should stay with his uncle and aunt while she investigated his missing post. He mentioned as much to Professor Dumbledore. Dumbledore waved it aside, "Don't worry about it, Harry. I'll take care of it."

"Will I be able to get letters now, sir?"

Dumbledore thought for a moment. He would not completely remove the letter-ward round Harry. But he would give Harry letters from the Ministry and his friends - at least, those that did not contain any political agenda of their parents. He beamed, "Of course, Harry. You are in serious danger - people might send you curses and dangerous plants or animals in a bid to assassinate you. Will you promise me that you'll open your letters with an adult witch or wizard around you - in case what you have received is something dangerous?" As Harry would be either with the Weasleys, or Hogwarts most of the time, he would have one of his lackeys able to keep an eye on Harry's reactions to his letters.

Harry nodded in consent. "Excellent, then", beamed Dumbledore. "I can give you a few minutes to pack, Harry. Please get ready."

---(Scene Break)---

Harry had been brought to the Weasleys by the old headmaster, who introduced him to the group of people. First, he indroduced Mr. Arthur Weasley, a tall, balding man who worked in the Ministry of Magic and Mrs. Molly Weasley, a plump woman with a kindly face. The children included a rather prim person, Percy - a Gryffindor prefect, twins Fred and George, a tall boy with a goofy grin named Ron - starting in Harry's year, and finally, a girl named Ginny Weasley, a small redhead who could not speak two words coherently in Harry's presence.

The next week with the Weasleys was the most pleasant week of Harry's existence - at least the most pleasant week that he could remember. He had written to Justin, Susan, and Anthony and had received nice and courteous replies from them all. Mrs. Weasley was a kind woman and concentrated on feeding Harry. Harry still helped out with the chores, but he did so voluntarily. The Weasleys showed Harry many wonderful things about magic and Mr. Weasley and Percy told Harry many things about the Ministry, something which definitely interested Harry. Ron was nice enough to hang around with, and the twins made Harry laugh, something Harry had done rarely before coming to the Weasleys. All in all, for the first time in his life, Harry felt wanted and liked.

There were a few things that nagged at Harry's mind, though. The first was that he had not heard from Amelia Bones or Minerva McGonagall about why he had not been receiving his post during his stay with the Dursleys. He wondered why they had not communicated with him, but put it down to either incomplete investigations or busy schedule of the two witches. Second and more importantly, Harry had been raised with a strong work ethic - his uncle and aunt's cruel discipline had paid off in that regard. Harry saw each job as something that must be done to the best of the ability. Harry was also intensely curious and thirsty for knowledge - he spent much time reading the books he had bought. He had offered them to Ron as well, but the gangling Weasley boy would rather play chess and exploding snap rather than read a book. None of the Weasleys, with the exception of Percy to an extent, had shared Harry's traits or outlook. They were self-contained, self-absorbed and completely content with their lot in life. Years later, Harry would reflect that they embodied the state of complete somnolence of the wizarding world - content with their lot, self satisfied, and unwilling to work for progress. Ron may be a good friend, but he would be completely apathetic when it came to pushing himself to the limit and beyond. Harry, on the other hand, had huge expectations to live up to; he needed people who would push and inspire him to greater heights, not people who urged him to while away his time.

Finally, there was Mr. Weasley's obsession with protecting muggles. For the life of him, Harry could not see what was so great about muggles, nor why they deserved protection. They were conceited, narrow minded and mostly cruel - at least, they had been so to Harry. Why they should not reap what they sowed escaped Harry. All of Harry's feelings became academic, when on the first day of the second week with the Weasleys that all chaos broke loose in the form of a Daily Prophet article.

Boy-Who-Lived Kept Ignorant and Abused by his Guardians?
By
Rita Skeeter

The Magical World is probably going to be in for a shock as the Boy-Who-Lived finally makes his appearance in Hogwarts this year. It is well acknowledged that we have had high hopes from the last living representative of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. The House of Potter, which has rendered yeoman service to the Ministry in the last three centuries, particularly in the last war against You-Know-Who, and is honoured above most of the other Most Ancient and Noble families would be horrified to find Harry Potter's state. This reporter has learnt from reliable sources that Mr. Harry Potter, who appeared last week in the Diagon Alley to purchase his Hogwarts supplies, was clothed in an assortment of ill-fitting clothing and rags, and accompanied by the wild and dangerous gamekeeper of Hogwarts, Hagrid. What was the reason for this strange appearance? Is Mr. Potter so wild and reckless? Or is he abused by his muggle guardians, who do not even provide him proper clothing. Fortunately, however, Prof. Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts, was also at hand in Diagon Alley and she made Mr. Potter's attire presentable.

Mr. Potter also appeared completely bewildered for the tumultuous response the Wizarding World gave him, and knew no reason why he should be considered a celebrity. Does Mr. Potter not know his own history. Is he ignorant of why he is regarded highly in our world? Is he unaware of, or indifferent to his heritage and responsibilities in the Magical World?

Finally, what were his guardians, both muggle, and magical, doing if they have failed to inculcate the sense of responsibility in Mr. Potter? From sources inside the Ministry, this reporter has learnt that, ten years ago, the Ministry handed over complete guardianship of the Boy-Who-Lived to Albus Dumbledore, in the face of strong opposition from various kith and kin of Mr. Potter and the horror of the more conservative of our society, to keep Mr. Potter safe and help him grow into a responsible young man. Dumbledore, on obtaining control of Mr. Potter, promptly put him in the care of muggles - his relatives on his mother's side - who have not had any relations, commercial or social, with our world in the last twenty years. The august headmaster of Hogwarts also forbade all witches and wizards from having any contact with Mr. Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived, has likewise, not made a single visit to any witch or wizard in the last ten years, and has been completely inaccessible. How could Albus Dumbledore have been so completely insensitive and indifferent to the Boy-Who-Lived? Dumbledore's magical prowess may rival that of Merlin, but his common sense seems on par with that of a village idiot! Albus Dumbledore owes us all an explanation for the upbringing of Mr. Potter and an answer for whether Harry Potter's muggle guardians torture him. In the meantime, we at the Daily Prophet can only hope that Mr. Potter soon manages to adapt to our society quickly and grows up into a responsible young man who can shoulder the burdens that will inevitably be thrust on him.

Mr. Weasley, who read the article first, had his mouth open. Swiftly, he made his way into the kitchen and handed the paper to Molly, pointing to the article in question. Mrs. Weasley's reaction was similar to that of her husband. She whispered, "What should we do?"

"I think we should talk to Dumbledore first. After getting his opinion, we can think of our response."

Just as the two Weasleys had finished their discussion, two more people had put down the day's Daily Prophet with sinister relish. The first was Narcissa Black-Malfoy, who murmured, "Now, Albus, we shall see who can play these games better."

The second was Albus Dumbledore, who smiled coldly and almost cruelly, "Now, Lucius, let us see how you like when your games go awry."

---(End of the Chapter)---