Harry Potter Short Stories

Consequences

"Professor Karkaroff, I appear to have been expelled from Hogwarts School by Dumbledore's refusal to get me out of the competition," said Harry. "As I am without a school, and embarrassed by the lack of support of my innocence in entering my name, may I have the hospitality of your ship until the blasted Triwizard is over? Then I would like to transfer to your school. Your pupils seem like good sorts, which is more than I can say for the Beauxbatons crowd who are as stuck up as Malfoy."

"Harry, my boy, you cannot ..."

"Oh but I can, indeed I must, Professor Dumbeldore," said Harry. "You expelled me, and I find that embarrassing, so I must seek succour elsewhere. I could go and live in Hogsmeade, I suppose, except during the tasks."

"Nonsense, my boy, I didn't expel you," said Dumbledore, crossly.

"Yes you did," said Harry. "One competitor per school. When you agreed with my name coming out, you told me that [a] I am an adult and [b] I am not from Hogwarts school. Had you found a way around it, you would not find yourself in this position. Headmaster Karkaroff, will you take me?"

"If you will protect me from the Dark Lord," said Karkaroff.

"It's a deal," said Harry. "Professor Dumbledore seems to think I'm a weapon to aim at him, and as your school teaches the Dark Arts, I might actually learn enough to understand how to defeat him when I am grown up."

"Harry, you will go dark!" Dumbledore was panicking.

"If it keeps me alive, like I care?" said Harry.

Dumbledore passed out.

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"I have done terrible things. I ratted out the other death eaters to save my own skin. Bozhe moi, I am a coward. But I have been in charge of young lives many years now, and I am repenting of what I did. I will swear wizard's oath for you if you want," said Karkaroff, when Harry was safely installed on the ship.

"Well if Dumbledore can forgive Snape, I don't see why I can't forgive you, if you need it, or at least put my trust in you as far as our mutual desires to see Voldemort dead forever go," said Harry. "I'm going to need to contact my godfather. I would like, as an act of good faith on your part, for you to see if you can get him cleared of the murders he was fitted up for, by the ICW."

"If he was fitted up, I am sure it can be arranged," shrugged Karkaroff. "Sirius Black; a powerful wizard. It is in my interests to have him on my side, or at least working with me on a mutually beneficial aim."

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"Padfoot, will you calm down?" Harry had briefly explained the situation.

"But he's a death eater!" whined Padfoot.

"Which we know in advance," said Harry. "Sirius, what sort of magic did you learn from your family?"

"Dark, of course," scoffed Sirius.

"And are you dark?"

"No, of course not, I'm too strong minded."

"Do you think I'm weak-minded then to go dark like Dumbledore says I am going to go?"

"Of course not, pup! You're like James, straight as a die!"

"Well, then! I'm not going dark, and Karkaroff has promised to try to get you cleared by the ICW, which is more than Dumbledore has ever done. He could have got you a trial, but he prefers having me back with the Dursleys to be cowed, and I'm not going to do it. I am not 'his boy', and I am sick of every year having to be tested by his schemes and nearly dying."