Chapter- 30 :Interrogation Part - 5

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Harry stared down his nose at the man as if he was a particularly dim-witted child. "I arrived in this world without even the clothes on my back. I had literally no possessions whatsoever. Frankly, the fact that I need to bring up the subject of compensation because you have not offered it on your own initiative like a decent human being speaks very poorly of you."

"I had rather thought the offer of a job at one of the most prestigious schools of magic in the world was quite a generous offer," Dumbledore replied, frowning.

"Except that any pay I receive would be for the work I do, not as compensation for the things you took from me," he said, raising his voice in frustration at the man's obstinacy. "On top of that, that job would start September first, which is two whole months from now. What am I supposed to do in the mean time? Walk around naked?"

Dumbledore gaped briefly before looking down in embarrassment. "I was unaware about that. Minerva-, that is Deputy Headmistress McGonagall typically handles the paperwork for me." He cleared his throat and looked piercingly at clothes he was wearing. "Besides, it hardly seems like attire would be a problem seeing as you've found a source of clothing for yourself."

"Do not think that resourcefulness on my part absolves you of responsibility, Headmaster," he said harshly. "I lack any kind of resources in this world and it is your Merlin-be-damned fault. Fix it!"

To his credit the man did appear to seriously consider the concept but it didn't take long before he was shaking his head. "The problem is that the Order has no funds and is strictly volunteer based. As Headmaster it is within my remit to offer you a job at Hogwarts, but I cannot use her coffers for something that has nothing to do with her students."

Harry snorted derisively. "Then your Order members can very well volunteer the compensation I am due. After all, they participated in the farce of a ritual that brought me here. It is only right they pay out of their own pocket."

Dumbledore winced. "I'm afraid none of the current members are particularly affluent-"

"Not my problem," Harry interrupted.

The pair stared each other down in silence before Dumbledore slowly nodded. "And in return you will help us oppose Voldemort and his Death Eaters to the best of your ability?"

Harry swiftly shook his head. "Not a chance in hell." He let his gaze roam over the assembled Order members, meeting their eyes before he pointed at Dumbledore and glared. "Let's make one thing clear. What you did was wrong. Not 'morally ambiguous'. Wrong. And I will not reward you for it. Not by fighting your Dark Lord for you; not even by pissing on you if you were on fire." He shook his head. "I am owed this compensation because you took me from my family and friends and left me dirt poor with nobody to turn to. I owe you nothing in return."

Eyes blazing Harry stared down every member of the Order, jaw set and exuding an aura of confidence and determination. Inside he wasn't quite so sure of himself, but he was not letting them walk all over him. He was Harry bloody Potter.

"And if we don't pay you? What will you do then, go snitching to the Aurors?" Moody's barked roughly with a disturbing one-eyed leer.

Harry scowled. "You know very well I already tried that. Mister and missus Auror over there intercepted that investigation nicely," he said, pointing out Aurors Shacklebolt and Vance. The former met his gaze head on but Vance looked down at the table.

"Exactly, boy!" Moody's exclaimed, emphasised with a stomp from his wooden leg. "You've got no ground to stand on."

However, Harry just smiled sweetly at him and continued as if Moody hadn't interrupted. "So I went over their heads to Madam Bones." That caused a few wide eyes and dismayed mutters. Harry grinned viciously. "The Head of the DMLE is quite upset with you. 'Reprehensible' was what she called you, I think."

Moody's good eye narrowed while the other revolved disturbingly. "But not criminal."

Harry lost his grin, but Moody grimaced in a scarred mockery of a smirk. "We did our research, boy. Nothing we did was actually illegal. You're making empty threats."

"Except that I am well within my rights to accuse you," he said, his voice dangerously soft as he remembered what Bones had warned him about. "I will go to court and name everyone here as a member of the Order of the Phoenix in a very public setting. That membership you've been so careful to hide? Death Eaters will know even before they call for recess. Even if I don't win the case, you still lose."

He was bluffing, of course, but they didn't need to know that. Judging by the tense silence it was working.

"I thought you said you weren't going to join You-Know-Who?" Tonks said hesitantly, her voice echoing in the empty hall.

Harry shrugged in feigned nonchalance. "I'm not, but if I were to look at it objectively his side has done nothing to me whereas you lot have all but destroyed my life after coming within a hairsbreadth of killing my godson." He turned away and took several deep breaths to calm his sudden rage as he remembered throwing Teddy across the room before firing a damn Banishing Charm after his body. It gnawed at him, not knowing if the little tyke was safe and he clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened. Please let him not be hurt.

"Thank you for not going that route yet, at least," Dumbledore spoke, though he looked supremely disappointed. "You do realise that it is not just those present that would be at risk should you expose their identities, do you not? Most of these people have families, some of them with children. Voldemort would not hesitate to punish them for perceived infractions of their family members."

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