Harry Potter: The Witty Wizard

"No, Ma'am," he immediately replied. "I was an idiot. Since I've been staying with the Grangers over the past few days I've felt so safe that I forgot to take some basic safety precautions. The first being, I didn't cast detection charms over the letter, as I should have. That won't happen again."

"An auto-portkey is not something you should have to worry about, either," she said. "However, there are other possible attacks that can come by way of mail owl. For that reason, a mail owl redirection charm is being placed on you.

"That charm will have the mail redirected to the on-site senior auror. And the on-site auror will scan it to ensure it safe before handing it to you."

Harry frowned and said, "I don't like mail redirection charms. Dumbledore had a damned strong one on me from the time he had me grabbed from Godric's Hollow right up until I had it timed to be removed immediately following the First Task.

"That's why I never received any mail from people who just wanted to send a letter to 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'."

"Oh, Gods!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed. "Why did I not think of that?"

"Why didn't anyone think of that, Hermione," replied Harry, "Would be the better question.

"Think about all those students and staff at the school," he suggested. "And not one of them made mention of how little mail I received? No. I think Dumbledore probably added something like a confusion ward concerning the issue of my mail into Hogwarts's wards... among other things."

Bones immediately slid the still blank sheet of parchment Hermione had pulled out earlier and slid it over in front of herself. Then picked up the quill, also sitting there ready, and dipped it into the pot. "You don't mind if I borrow this, do you?" she distractedly asked.

"Not at all," replied Hermione.

As Bones wrote she asked, "What else do you think Dumbledore might have done to the wards?"

"How is it that no one asked, nor told their parents about, how Quirrell suddenly disappeared?

"How is it no one told their parents about the danger on the third floor corridor in first year, that students were warned right from Dumbledore's own mouth in a public statement at the end of the Welcoming Feast, would lead to their dying a most horrible death if they went there?

"How is it that no one told their parents about the Chamber of Secrets issue - the message daubed in blood on the wall, the petrifying of Filch's Cat, Nearly-Headless Nick, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Colin Creevey, Hermione and Penny Clearwater that occurred at various times through that year?

"With all these dangerous events that have occurred at the school over the past three plus years... at least... why weren't there parents or guardians coming to the school, writing letters to the Daily Prophet, reporters coming and demanding information, that sort of thing?

"Four hundred students and not one of them, or a member of staff, said a word about it outside of the castle walls? I smell something fishy going on and we're not near the sea.

"Madam Bones, did your ward and niece - the rightful Heiress Apparent of your House - not tell you about any of this? Or, at least write to you about any of this while she was there?

"If she didn't, why not? Does she not know what your duty is as Director of the DMLE? But, if she did, why did you not act on it? Think about it."

Harry paced his 'questions' so he wasn't hitting her with too much, too fast. But could also see her frown more and more as she quickly wrote."

"I'm stupid, stupid, stupid!" said Hermione as she leaned her head on Harry's shoulder to hide her face. Sitting up straighter, she firmly declared. "I have been so blind! How am I supposed to hold the so-called title of the 'Smartest Witch of Her Generation' when I didn't even suspect any of this?"

"Ea-sy, Hermione," said Harry, putting his arm around her and drawing her back to his side. "No one else, apparently, thought anything of it, either."

After she finished and set the quill aside, Bones sat back and massaged the bridge of her nose. Then sighed. "All very good questions, Lord Potter."

He replied, "It's because of those points, I can only deduce... extrapolate... that the only thing it could be is a ward on Hogwarts."

A moment later, he gave a slight start and exclaimed, "Oh! Another point."

She was quick to take up the quill again.

"'Harry Potter' is supposed to be this great hero to many. He's also the last of his line and would be One of the Seven when he reached of-age; if he lived that long - a Lord of a Noble and Most Ancient House.

"If all that is the case, then he... me... should have had all the birds looking to snag a future Lord, let alone the supposed hero of the wizarding world, fawning all over him; especially from the magical-raised purebloods and halfbloods. That kinda happened on the Hogwarts Express when they 'womaned-up' and hunted me down. But, at the castle? Not a one. I know they didn't do it with Neville Longbottom, either; with him being a pureblood Heir Apparent over me being a halfblood. What gives?"

"Not one?" she asked.

"Not. One," he replied. "Now, at first I suspected the Weasleys of going around me and blocking anyone who even looked like wanting to get to know me better. But it would have meant Ronald had to be co-ordinating it. However, it didn't take me long to realise he's just not that smart; and he's lazy, anyway.

"His trying to steer me away from anyone wearing green was illogical bigotry, rather than keeping possible friends from me. And he didn't take long to be accepting of Hermione being around me.

"The only conclusion I can reach is potions, charms and wards; or a combination of those. Then again, I only have a third year wizarding education boosted with self-study."

"Yes; it's for me to investigate," she firmly said. "And, believe me, I will!"

"With Dumbledore no longer in control of the wards of the school - and it now being Madam Marchbanks - you shouldn't have that much difficulty convincing her to have experts give the wards a 'once-over'," he suggested. "I honestly shudder to think what might be in them; and also what should be, but isn't."

"And I was thinking I was going to have such an easy day, today, when I got up," she muttered. "All the trials were out of the way and a week past... things were calming down... a week until the next meeting of the Wizengamot..."

"I'd apologise," said Harry, wryly. "But, I'm not responsible."

"No," she sighed. "No, you're not. They just all seem centred on you."

"They also seem centred on Dumbledore," he returned.

She smiled and said, "Point."

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

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After Madam Bones left with her two aurors the other three spread out again. Harry, by now, was certain they were moving about under disillusionment charms. He knew he'd smelled that young female auror's perfume a couple of times when he was sure she hadn't been in the room for quite some time. But, so long as the males weren't spying on Hermione in the nude or something, he'd not press the issue. He didn't care one way or the other if the females were spying on him.

It was about an hour after Madam Bones left, while Harry and Hermione were writing drafts of letters to Dumbledore in reply to his 'portkey letter' to Harry, that Sirius dropped by.

He found the pair of them laughing themselves half-silly in the dinette.

Happy to see his godson not freaked out about the 'kidnapping attempt', as he called it, he smirked and asked, "What's so amusing?"

Hermione replied, "Harry's drafting a letter back to Dumbledore, using Dumbledore's own word tricks, to reply."

Concerned, he asked, "Is that wise? Writing back, I mean. The man did try to kidnap you."

"Your 'kidnap' is his 'getting under the protection of the wards of the castle'," replied Harry. "You know that's what he's going to argue."

"And 'kidnap' also implies 'ransom demands'," added Hermione. "Think about it; if there was no ransom demand, can it be successfully argued that he attempted to kidnap?"

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