Impartial Security

Chapter 10

Harry was woken the next day by Clarrisse tossing in a hook and chain and literally dragging him from his tent. "Morning, Potter. Hear you finally figured out your first task. Good news! Leo made some flame throwers that need testing and I feel like working on my mace skills." 

Five hours later, Harry groaned as Will patched him up, smoothing burn slave on his more angry injuries. 

"Clarrise is trying to keep you alive." Will said as he worked. "She sees you as a potential guardian, and wants to have you stay alive long enough to make that decision."

Harry blinked. "She wants me in the Guard? But I'm not-" 

"I shall let you in on a little secret, Harry." Will said, clipping a bandage on. "We worship the god of Heroes and Loyalty, not magical beings. There are a few among us that, if it were not for their service, would be called muggles by your ministry. There are also, several, that you would call witches and wizards among us." 

"I didn't know he was the god of Heros." 

Will tilted his head. "Strange. We usually introduce him like that to wizards." 

"The Ministry tends to edit facts to make themselves look good. They've done it to others, why not you." 

Will grinned. "If we cared what the wizards thought, we would be serving your Ministry, not contracted to them." 

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Harry raised his hand to knock when the door opened. 

"Ah, Harry, my boy. Come in." Dumbledore said. "It's been a while. You've been difficult to track down outside of class as of late." 

"My apologies sir." Harry said. It was only because he went by the lake to think about what Will had said that a Ravenclaw prefect had managed to tell him Dumbledore was looking for him. 

"It's no problem. Now, I wanted to talk about Gryffindor." 

Harry held his head high, anger bubbling in his gut. "They cast me out for being a liar, even though I have been proven to both my year mates and my former house that I do not lie, not about things like this. If they have no loyalty then I have no reason to return." 

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "Harry, forgiveness is a gift." 

"It is sir. And so is trust and loyalty. Why should I feel loyal to those that toss me away until I am convenient?" 
There was an accusation in there, one Harry had been holding in even before the triwizard. 

A Kidemonas suddenly appeared between Harry and Dumbledore, hood down so familiar red hair tumbled down her shoulders. "Legilimency is an illegal art in Britain and construed as an attack among the Kidemonas." She stated. 

"This is a private meeting." Dumbledore said sternly, looking furious. 

"That only means I keep my mouth shut, not that I leave the room. That is twice now the Kidemonas has had to intervene to stop you from harming the fourth champion. Refrain from making it a third or, judge or not, we will cut you down." 

Dumbledore looked like he was about to argue when another Kidemonas put their hand on Harry's shoulder.
Jazz gasped and bowed her head slightly and Harry turned to look at the newcomer to see him staring at Dumbledore, who was growing paler by the second. 

The air seemed to vibrate around the second guardian, the same way it did around Jazz when she got angry, but a hundred times stronger. 

"I trust we do not have a problem." The newcomer said, his voice vibrating with power. 

"No." Dumbeldore agreed. "I merely wished to speak with Harry about trying to reconnect with his house." 

"With all due respect, sir." Harry said in the voice of one who was getting really tired of other people's bullshit and peeking around Jazz. "I was dehoused and tossed out of the tower. They cut ties with me and I have no desire to reconnect with people who would do such a thing." There, no maneuvering room. Watching Aditi wrangle Travis and Conner was paying off.