Sweet Revenge

Dumbledore's doubts

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore had been sitting his desk for the greater part of an hour, contemplating. 

More specifically, he had been contemplating Alex Potter. 

The boy was excessively ostentatious. Yet, he possessed great power-at least, he was supposed to. It was just another part of being the Boy-Who-Lived. Potter was to have power great enough to defeat the Dark Lord once and for all. Yet, Albus had not seen any such power displayed. Perhaps the boy was afraid of his full potential? Yes, that must be it. 

His twin, on the other hand....well, Harry was something else entirely. Albus didn't like it at all. The boy was secretive to a paranoid extent. His furtiveness, however, was not obvious to someone who only looked but did not see. He had Outstanding's in all of his classes-even History of Magic. Yet, it seemed that he was restraining himself. His eyes held so much knowledge but he would not look into Albus's eyes! It was infuriating! It meant that Albus couldn't read his surface thought with Legilimency. His friends all seemed to be in on his secrets. Now, the friend group itself was troubling as well. 

Draco Malfoy was the son of known ex-Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, who had gotten off saying he was under the Imperius Curse. Albus did not doubt that the man was lying. Malfoy seemed to be closest to Harry as the two were always attached by the hip. The boy had a carefully constructed mask of coldness, indifference, and snideness. Albus himself had believed it up until he saw Malfoy making the finishing touches to his mask while exiting an empty classroom. Of course, Albus did not know what Malfoy really was like because the boy had nearly been done when Albus had caught him. But Albus knew it was a mask, nonetheless. 

Blaise Zabini was the son of the Black Widow, a pureblood lady who had married dozens of rich men. Then, a few weeks after the marriage, said husband would mysteriously disappear. She was tight-lipped about it and had such a well-constructed image of the heartbroken wife that most believed her. Yet, she had amassed a wealth beyond anything Albus and all the teachers at Hogwarts put together had. Zabini was furtive. That, Albus knew. He had never been able to trace anything back to the boy. He had certainly been coached by his mother. 

Then, there was Pansy Parkinson. That in and of itself was suspicious. She was a gossip, but a careful one. She always withheld information she deemed too important to let slip. Albus would put his money on her never revealing the secrets she knew-not even under the Cruciatus. She was only a first year, but she already had blackmail material on almost all of Slytherin and half of Gryffindor. She was dangerous but she covered it with the mask of a school gossip. She, Greengrass, and Davis practically ran the rumor mill. Albus suspected that Parkinson even had blackmail on some of the teachers, including himself, which was why he was always stiffly cordial to her. 

Crabbe and Goyle were dimwitted and Albus did not give them any thought. 

Theodore Nott was the son of influential politician, Izar Nott. Albus knew for a fact that Izar Nott's father had been part of Tom Riddle's Knights of Walpurgis during his time at Hogwarts. Albus had, after all, taught them. Tadeas had always been a bookworm and it seemed that Theodore had inherited the trait. What worried Albus was that he had Irma Pince wrapped around his pinky finger. Madam Pince was not one to trust easily and she most certainly did not let students run around in the library with food. Except for Nott. With such an influence over the librarian, he could get any book he wanted from the library even if it was in the Restricted Section without so much as a glance from Madam Pince. 

Albus frowned. The group was dangerous for both himself and his Golden Boy. He had planned for Alex to find out about the stone and then try to get it so that Albus could get a better idea of where the boy's talents lay. 

They had plenty of political influence, money, and blackmail. It seemed that they also had an ulterior motive. Albus did not know what that motive was but he needed to find out-especially if it had anything in it that would sabotage his own plans. 

He would send Harry to the Potters' for the summer. Yes. That way, he could keep an eye on the boy...perhaps even uncover his plan. 

          "Albus? I've brought Potter."

Albus was mildly surprised at the distinct lack of venom in Severus's voice when he said the word 'Potter.' He had asked the Potions Master to bring Harry to his office so that they could discuss Harry's new living arrangements. 

          "Thank you, Severus, it is greatly appreciated!" his grandfatherly mask slipping into place. 

Into the room strode the boy. His eyes surveyed his surroundings and landed on Albus. Annoyingly, they settled on his left shoulder rather than his twinkling eyes. 

Harry himself found the twinkling of the Headmaster's eyes very frustrating. He knew Dumbledore used Legilimency on the students in his office and he was not about to give such a pleasure to the old man. It wasn't as if Harry was lacking in Occlumency. The opposite, actually. However, Harry had no idea how powerful Dumbledore was exactly. It was best not to test the boundaries. For now. 

          "Now, my boy, you must be wondering where you will be going for the summer, mustn't you?"

He sent a quick compulsion charm Harry's way and was surprised when it rebounded and hit the floor instead. 

          "No, sir. I intend to go back to Azkaban."

          "Now, now. Surely you cannot expect me to allow you back to that horrid place, can you?"

He knew now not to send any compulsions. 

          "Sir, not to be rude, but I've lived there for practically my entire life."

          "Well, my boy, I think you'll like living with your family again."

          "The only family I have is in Azkaban."

          "Really, my boy, you cannot possibly mean that! James and Lily will be happy to take you back! I'm sure. And you'll be able to bond with your brother, Alex!"

          "Yes, I do mean that. James and Lily will never be my parents. Alex is a right prat."

Ah, so he was playing the heart-on-my-sleeve card. Albus knew it quite well. 

          "Well, my boy, I'm afraid that you must go live with the Potters. James and Lily will pick you up at King's Cross. Any questions?"

Harry stared straight at the picture above Dumbledore's head. 

          "No, sir," he said in a monotone voice, his face carefully blank.

In his head, he was going through possible plans to escape the Potter household. 

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly. 

          "Very well, my boy. That will be all."

Harry nodded and stood, quickly brushing out the door.