Harry Potter The Surprise

Potter Slays Slytherin's Beast with Gryffindor's Sword

Saves Hogwarts while its Headmaster Sat Clueless in his Office.

While The Quibbler usually had no more than a passing acquaintance with the truth, having Harry Potter's picture displayed like that authenticated beyond doubt their top headline - at the very least. Minerva also understood that same proof would lend itself to making any reader believe the rest of the headline was authentic too.

As if the picture and headline weren't bad enough, the article then went on to savage the staff at Hogwarts - singling out its headmaster for special criticism. Minerva was struggling to figure out which part of this was worse for Albus.

Where the paper asked how a second year muggleborn could figure out it was a basilisk stalking the castle, and he couldn't - or whether it was Dumbledore being taken to task over trying to keep everything quiet from the parents and authorities - accused of going as far as confining Harry Potter to the school infirmary without visitors.

She watched as Albus slipped the newspaper into his robes and left the Great Hall, his breakfast practically untouched. While he attempted to portray an air of calm indifference to the whispering that was going on around him, Minerva knew the Headmaster well enough to recognise the rage that was barely held below the surface.

After Albus left, she found herself being approached by Filius. "I would suspect our esteemed Headmaster will be heading to the infirmary. Don't you think your two students there might need support from their Head of House?"

"Mr Potter and Miss Granger have made it perfectly clear they don't want my help."

Minerva then found herself being interrupted by Pomona, who was sitting having breakfast on her other side. "Forgive me if I'm pointing out the obvious here, but Mr Potter and Miss Granger have expressed views that they did not expect you to support them, not that they didn't want you too. Are you just going to sit there and leave Poppy to deal with an angry Albus taking his temper out on two of your young Gryffindors?"

As Minerva just sat there and continued eating her breakfast, both her fellow Heads of House took that as a yes. Shaking their heads in disgust, Pomona and Filius headed toward the infirmary - where they wouldn't find Dumbledore.

...

Albus at least retained enough sense to know now was not the time to head to the infirmary and confront Harry. He would need to have far more control of his anger before it was time for that to happen. Instead, he paced up and down in his office and wondered just how this was all slipping away from him. He called for Pappy, the head elf at Hogwarts. There were some questions he wanted answered.

"Pappy, are the Hogwarts elves aiding Mr Potter in any way?"

"No, headmaster sir. Hogwarts elves be doing nothing more than cooking and cleaning for Lord Potter and his Lady."

Albus was so close to discovering Harry had his own elf inside Hogwarts but his brain froze at how Pappy addressed the lad. This was now his sole focus. "Pappy, how long has Harry been Lord Potter?"

"Since the night Mister Minister was in the castle. Is Headmaster wanting the Hogwarts elves to be doing more for the new Lord Potter?"

"Merlin, no. That bastard Black must have told Harry about claiming his lordship, this is a nightmare. Thank you for your help, Pappy."

The elf had hardly popped out his office before Albus was flooing to the Leaky Cauldron. He needed to get to Gringotts and see just how much shit Black had stirred up, and how much work it was going to take for him to sort this mess out.

....

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