~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want to know what happens next?100+ advanced chapters await you on Patreon! Be the first to read what others will have to wait for. Join the community and read ahead today!
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
patreon.com/Kun_Blig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I would thank you to return my wand, Mr. Potter."
Harry was in the Headmaster's office, surrounded by the four Heads of Houses and the Headmaster.
"It's not your wand Headmaster" Harry replied as politely as possible under the circumstances. His hand tightened on the wand. "It's mine."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. So did Snape's. Everyone else just look scandalized.
"Mr. Potter!" Mrs. McGonagall scolded. "You cannot steal another wizard's wand!"
"I didn't steal anything!"
"Then give Professor Dumbledore his wand back!"
"It's not his wand!"
A magical yank on the wand toward Snape. Harry tightened his grip and refused to let go, his mind darting back to a prophecy and an older Lucius Malfoy. Harry dug in his heels. Elder Wand clenched in his hand, Harry slid across the carpets toward Snape until Harry braced a foot against one of the heavy, squashy armchairs.
Harry flicked his other wand, his phoenix feather wand, at Snape.
Nothing.
Merlin! He needed to practice his wordless magic. The wandless kind would be good too.
Snape smirked. Harry glowered at him. It was Snape's fault! That was the exact same hateful expression Harry saw in most of his classes with Snape for six years! It was an automatic response!
Snape positively gloated.
A flicker of Snape, lying on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, dying as he desperately looked into Harry's eyes. Lily Evans' eyes. Snape, crying like his world had ended after Harry's mum had died. And Dumbledore taking advantage of that.
Harry stabbed his phoenix wand at Snape sharply.
"Expelliarmus!"
Harry misjudged the strength of his spell or maybe he expected Snape to fend him off. Either way, Professor Snape slammed backward into the wall behind him, his expression surprised and pained. There was a squirm of guilt in Harry's chest. It took a bit of juggling to catch Snape's wand and pocket it without dropping his own wand.
If there was one person who should never be associated with the Elder Wand, it was Severus Snape. He died over that the first time through even though he had never truly belonged to it.
While the other professors gaped, Harry hurried toward Professor Snape.
"Professor Snape" he said. "I didn't mean – are you okay?"
Snape's glare knocked Harry back several steps. So much for Harry's bold new start with Severus Snape.
"Fine" he gritted out as he staggered to his feet. His face was tilted downward but Harry thought he saw a grimace. "Despite your best efforts."
Harry bit his lips as the squirm of guilt became a full grown snake.
"Mr. Potter" Professor Dumbledore said not unkindly, however the twinkle was missing from his eyes. "What makes you believe that my wand is not, in fact, my wand?"
Harry refused to let either Professor Dumbledore or Professor Snape catch his eyes. That way lay legilimency.
In the silence, the door to the Headmaster's office banged open.
Everyone – even Harry – turned to stare as the Malfoys strode into the room as the epitome of fair-haired snobbery and class.
"Harry" Mrs. Malfoy said warmly. "We received word from Draco that you had a difference of opinion with the Sorting Hat and the Headmaster."
Harry stared. No one had ever even offered to protect him from the Headmaster in his previous life. No one had ever even considered that he might need protecting from the old man. Not even the Weasleys or Sirius. In his heart of hearts a warm little spark burst into existence.
God help him, he was beginning to love the Malfoys!
Dumbly Harry nodded.
"He keeps trying to steal my stuff."
Merlin! Could he sound stupider? Or more petulant? He sounded like someone's spoilt little brat.
Mr. Malfoy had the grace to incline his head as if Harry's whine sounded even vaguely intelligible. Maybe he had experience deciphering Draco's whines. Oh, that was no good. He was supposed to be Draco's friend this time around.
"While I always enjoy visits from members of the Board of Governors, I fail to see how any part of this matter involves either of you" Dumbledore said.
"I want them here!" Harry said fiercely. Because at this point the enemy of his enemy was definitely his friend. "Narcissa Malfoy is my cousin." He glared at Dumbledore, careful not to let the old man catch his eyes. "She's listened to my concerns and looked after my interests far better than anyone else in this room has."
Professors Flitwick and Sprout appeared to be generally scandalized. Professor McGonagall flinched guiltily. Professor Snape's expression was blank. And Professor Dumbledore was twinkling again.
"Mr. Potter, I believe that there has been a fundamental misunderstanding between us. Let us begin again. I am Headmaster Dumbledore. I was a great friend to your parents."
Harry edged away from Dumbledore – and toward the Malfoys.
"What does that have to do with me not being Sorted or my wand?"
"It is merely a helpful bit of background."
Harry nodded. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind."
"Let us steer away from the apparently touchy discussion concerning my wand, shall we? Let us instead discuss your Sorting or lack thereof."
"I'm not organized enough for Hufflepuff and I don't want knowledge for knowledge's sake so Ravenclaw is out. I'll be good in either Slytherin or Gryffindor."
Professor McGonagall sniffed sharply at that. Professor Snape snorted.
"Let us ask the Sorting Hat for its opinion." Professor Dumbledore smiled that twinkly smile, pulled a wad of battered and patched fabric from his pocket, and plopped the hat on his desk.
"I can't Sort him" the hat whined. "I won't!"
Professor Dumbledore frowned. "Mr. Potter must attend Hogwarts. His magic is certainly strong enough that he requires proper guidance."
"I don't concern myself with things like that. I just do the Sorting. And I will not Sort Mr. Potter."
Harry blinked and tried to look innocent. Everyone, except the Slytherins in the room and Dumbledore, appeared to believe it.
"Why not?"
"You know that I've already Sorted you!"
"Have not!"
"Have too!"
Ooohhh… What did it say about him that he enjoyed shouting childishly at a hat? Hermione would smack him for this if she were still seventeen and kind of scary in a comforting way.
"You didn't shout a House name for me!"
"Because you've been Sorted!"
"So shout the same name again!"
"I can't!"
"But you just said that I've been Sorted!"
"You were!"
"If you know that then you know what house I was Sorted into!"
"So what? I'm not shouting GRYFFINDOR for someone who already heard it onc – Morgana's sagging tits!" If a hat could glare, the Sorting Hat was glaring at Harry. "You tricked me!"
Harry shrugged. "Not really. I just liked yelling at you."
"Hmmph!"
"So the boy is a Gryffindor." Lucius Malfoy's face and voice were calm with no hint or inflection of amusement. Somehow Harry still got the impression that he was laughing at them all. Especially him. "Now what is this business concerning a wand?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want to know what happens next?100+ advanced chapters await you on Patreon! Be the first to read what others will have to wait for. Join the community and read ahead today!
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
patreon.com/Kun_Blig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~