Chapter Sixty One - He Comes Clean

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. Me, I'm just a PR professional. I don't profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world. However, its her sandbox and she's left the gate unlatched so we can go in and play a bit. Which, I've done.

Chapter Sixty One - He Comes Clean

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-==(oIo)==-

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As Harry had dropped out of Muggle Studies, his day finished after the single History of Magic class after lunch. He was also one of the first up to their room in the Come and Go Room. And was only beaten by the twins. They were working on something at the Potions workstation.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked. "I thought you had History of Magic for your last class."

"We're dropping it," said one.

"That is, we're dropping the class," said the other.

"But we'll probably still take the exam," said the first.

"Not that we need it," said the other.

"Huh!" said Harry. "So, what are you working on now?"

"Products!" they said together.

"We used to use History of Magic," said one

"... to plan out our product line," said the other.

"Now we can use this room, instead," said the first.

"That makes sense," said Harry as he sat at one of the study carousels and began to make a start on his Transfiguration homework.

When the others started trooping in an hour later, he had the basics of his assignment already down and was using the Room library to do his research. He didn't even realise they'd come in until Daphne put her arms around him from behind and bent forward to kiss him on the cheek.

Of course, his concentration flew right out the window, like Hedwig off to deliver mail, when she rubbed her chest on the back of his neck and down his back.

"Errr..." he muttered.

"I'm sorry," she purred in his ear. "Did I break your concentration?"

"Errr..." he muttered again before sighing. Softly he whined, "You know what that does to me."

"I know," she said, amused. "That's why I do it."

Turning about he pulled her into his lap and kissed her gently on the lips. "You know you only need to call my name or tap me on the shoulder to get my attention, don't you?"

"Of course!" she brightly said with a grin. "But, where's the fun in that?"

Making sure his lap was out of sight of the others, he reached for her nearside hand and pulled it down into his lap. "Because, this bloody hurts inside of tight pants when it's - happy."

She snatched her hand back as if it was scalded and squealed. "Haaarrryyy!" she exclaimed.

Some of the others looked over and could see Daphne blushing bright red and trying to get off Harry's lap while he held her firmly in place.

"Alright, you two," smirked Tracey. "What's going on over there?"

Harry let her go and spun back to the carousel. She walked over to Tracey and, leaning over, whispered into her ear, "I'll tell you later."

Harry had the assignment written out and completed that afternoon before they headed down to dinner. He also passed out copies of it to the others, except Luna and the twins. "For your notes," he explained. "The bibliography includes which books I used."

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-==(oIo)==-

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Heading to the Great Hall for dinner, the Eight, together with the Weasley twins, were coming down the last few stairs into the Entrance Hall when they came across the start of a commotion between Malfoy and Ron Weasley.

Harry had little time for the youngest male Weasley, but even less for a braggart like Malfoy.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" called Malfoy as came up from behind the youngest Weasley male, who was about to walk through the doors into the Great Hall.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.

"What?" asked Weasley shortly.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed Entrance Hall could hear. "Listen to this! Further mistakes at the Ministry of Magic! It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control..."

"Trying to prove to everyone you can read, Mister Malfoy?" called Harry, coming closer.

Spinning around to Harry, Malfoy sneered, "Stay out of this, Potter!"

"How about you now hand it over to the next kiddie and let Crabbe read some?" said Harry with a smirk. "We don't want to see you hurting yourself trying to think too hard, do we?"

"I'm warning you, Potter," sneered the little blonde ponce with an angry growl. "Stay out of this!"

Walking past, Harry gave a shrug and said, "Suit yourself, Mister Malfoy. But, your targeted victim for bullying has already left. He was probably bored by you."

BANG!

Several people screamed. Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face. He popped his wand into his hand and began to spin about. He heard a second loud BANG and a roar that echoed through the Entrance Hall.

"Oh, no you don't, Laddie!" Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.

There was a terrified silence in the Entrance Hall. Nobody but Moody was moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry. At least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.

"Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and gravelly.

"No - Professor," said Harry. "Typically for him, he missed."

"Leave it!" shouted Moody.

"Leave - what?" Harry said, bewildered.

"Not you - him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. It seemed that Moody's rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head.

Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again. It flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

"I don't like - people who - attack when - their opponent's - back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."

The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.

"Never - do - that - again -" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice. Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

"What - what are you doing?" asked a shocked Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

"Teaching," said Moody.

"Teach... Moody, is that a student?" shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

"Yep," said Moody.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand.

A moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall wearily. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it; yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly. "But, I thought a good sharp shock..."

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.

Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words "my father" were distinguishable.

"Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. "Well, I know your father of old, boy. You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son - you tell him that from me. Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," said Malfoy resentfully.

"Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape. Come on, you." He seized Malfoy's upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons.

Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after them for a few moments, then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms.

As Harry stepped through the doors, Ron Weasley, who stood just inside it, said, "Potter."

Turning to the other boy, he asked, "Yes?"

Weasley the youngest blushed and turned his eyes away before he said, "I just wanted to say - thank you."

"I don't like bullies of any persuasion, Mister Weasley," he replied. "If I see it; I'll deal with it. That includes if it's someone bullying you. I don't like bullies - or liars."

"Yeah," the other boy said, looking back. "Still - thank you."

"You're welcome," replied Harry, walking away.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/

During dinner, that night, Harry received a note from Dumbledore. He wanted to see him, with his guardians, the Friday evening four days hence.

Harry showed the note to Daphne and said, "Well, it appears you can teach old dogs new tricks, after all."

Daphne smirked and asked, "Any inkling as to what he wants?"

"No idea," shrugged Harry. "But it might well be something to do with this Tri-Wizard Tournament nonsense. I'll be very happy to tell him I have no intention on taking part in it in any form other than as a spectator."

After dinner, he took his betrothed aside for a private discussion.

"I said that in there about the tournament just for our friends," he said. "I'm actually hoping he wants to finally come clean about the prophecy and the horcruxes."

"You think he might?" she asked, with one eyebrow cocked.

He loved that expression on her face. "No," he sighed. "I'm just hoping he will. I think we need to talk to your Dad and Neville's Uncle Algie about whether we force the issue with the old man. I'm concerned Dumbledore has information about the horcruxes that we don't. After all, he's kept the whole thing about the prophecy to himself for going on fifteen years now."

"And you think he's figured out there's horcruxes and the like involved?" she asked, curious.

"If he hadn't before, he surely would have figured out what that blasted diary was fifteen months ago," he replied. "He may be stuck in a box with his thinking, but he's also very well versed in the arts of magic. I'm sure he's figured it out by now."

"Then we'd best join the others upstairs and get those letters written," said Daphne.

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-==(oIo)==-

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The next day, in Potions, Snape appeared to have reverted to his old ways with his sneering at Harry. However, by the end of the lesson, he had reverted back to watching Harry closely.

Because there were nine in each year group for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Harry volunteered to be the one who shared with a 'Puff. He was surprised when Justin Finch-Fletchley immediately volunteered and made his way over.

"Justin," said Harry, amused when the boy sat down next to him.

"Harry," replied the other boy, equally amused.

"If you two are quite finished," sneered Snape. "Perhaps, we can get started on the lesson."

When neither boy responded, Snape spun on his heel, waved his wand at the board, and caused the instructions for the first potion of the year to be displayed. Harry had learned long ago Snape only used a Wizard Notice-Me-Not Charm to hide what he'd probably written by hand there earlier.

Quickly, Harry prepared the equipment while Justin gathered the extra ingredients, bringing them back to their workstation.

As they worked, Harry quietly told the other boy why he was doing things slightly out of order to the instructions, and how it saved time. He also said what order he'd do things if he was working on his own. And he showed Justin the reaction tables he was using that showed why Harry would do things a different way.

And, while he was instructing, Harry watched Snape out of the corner of his eye as the Potions Master took careful notes. It really amused him as Snape was avidly learning from Harry as much as he could. And, when others were talking, Snape would berate them and deduct points for 'gossiping' while he never said a word to him.

Well before the end of the lesson, Harry and Justin had completed their potion and bottled it in correct quantities in small phials. As they finished, Justin looked around and was surprised when he saw how far ahead of the others they were.

Without a word, he gathered up the unused ingredients and returned them to the ingredient store while Harry gathered up the equipment and took it to the cleaning area. He was quietly cleaning things when Justin came up alongside him and began drying the equipment.

Once finished, they turned to Professor Snape, who was carefully looking in the phials, holding them up to the light. As they waited, Justin grinned at Harry.

Finally, Snape turned to both of them, nodded once and pointed at the door. They got the message, put their own equipment away, collected their bags and left.

As soon as they stepped outside and the door closed behind them, Justin turned to Harry and exclaimed, "That was bloody brilliant! I haven't ever had a potions lesson where I've learned so much!"

Harry just chuckled back and said, "It's all a matter of thinking, Mister Finch-Fletchley. Think about what it is you're trying to accomplish and figure it out. Besides, it helps me that I've been cooking since I was old enough to hold a large pan of hot water by the handle without spilling anything."

After lunch, Ravenclaw was with the Gryffindors in Herbology. They worked on extracting bubotuber pus from mature plants and bottling it ready for use.

Harry remembered back to first year when some wanker tried to send through a bubotuber pus based letter bomb to Daphne, so he was very careful of how he handled the substance. His dragonhide gloves rarely came off for the entire lesson.

Bubotubers were the ugliest plants Harry had ever seen. They looked less like plants than thick, black, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each was squirming slightly and had a number of large, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid.

"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout told them briskly. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus. The pus is extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus."

Squeezing the bubotubers was disgusting, but oddly satisfying. As each swelling was popped, a large amount of thick yellowish-green liquid burst forth, which smelled strongly of petrol. They caught it in the bottles as Professor Sprout had indicated, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints.

Professor Sprout, stoppering the last bottle with a cork, said, "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."

Pimples was one thing Harry was very pleased puberty hadn't brought out on his or Daphne's skin. However, it affected a couple of the others in only light ways. A girl in Hufflepuff in the year below them, Eloise Midgen, had a horrendous bout of it that left her face quite scarred the previous year.

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-==(oIo)==-

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Astronomy that night was a drag. Harry wondered why he kept at it, but knew it could be important in a couple of subjects such as Potions and Arithmancy. It was peculiar how the seasons and alignments of planets could effect both. However, like History of Magic, it also was only one lesson period per week. For that effort, it was a possible NEWT with little effort.

However, that is was on well after midnight, its effect on the body outweighed the effect on the mind. He was starting to be able to nap in the evenings before going to the class, so that the few hours he managed to get between the class and needing to be up the next morning did not so heavily weigh on his ability to concentrate.

So, he had taken to sleeping in past breakfast, then ducking down to the kitchens for some warm porridge before then heading directly to Transfiguration for the single lesson period before heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

At least, that's what he did the previous year. And he had decided to do the same this year.

After lunch, he headed for the DADA classroom to see what the latest new DADA Professor, Professor Moody, could teach them. He already missed Remus in the role.

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-==(oIo)==-

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Harry all but practically stormed out of the classroom after the lesson. "Of all the cockamamie, stupid, brain-dead, idiotic, moronic things that hacked up, half-arsed, git could have taught us, he decides to teach the Unforgivables? To students?" ranted Harry to Susan and Hannah in the corridor outside and down a bit from the classroom.

"Hmmm," said Hannah to Susan with a small grin. "I think Harry's a little upset."

"Clearly, he's only a little upset because things aren't flying off the walls at the moment," replied Susan, equally grinning.

Not knowing how else to respond, Harry did what any mature, self-respecting wizard would do in the same situation; he blew them a raspberry.

Both girls just giggled back.

Harry pouted and said to the pair of them, "It's no fun building up a good rant if you're not scared of me."

The girls moved to either side of him and each took an elbow. "But, Harry. We know you'd never harm us, even by accident," said Hannah.

Susan then said, "You're far too much the knight in shining armour type to harm either one of us, and we know it."

Then the girls set him walking to the Grand Staircase and up to the seventh floor.

Those students who were trying to get past during Harry's mini-rant and didn't want to get in range so didn't approach, sighed with relief when he left being escorted by the two Hufflepuff girls. Then they quickly approached the Grand Staircase themselves to head to their own common rooms before dinner.

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-==(oIo)==-

\""/

The next morning, Thursday, Harry received notice from Cygnus that he would be coming and bringing 'Unspeakable Croaker' with him under disguise. Sirius would also be joining them, but that was it.

Dear Harry,

As per your suggestion to speak to UA about raising H with D, he believes the time is getting ripe. However, he wants to hold off on our initiating the issue. Rather, he wants D to make the first overture. If D mentions P then we go; else, we hold off - for now.

Cygnus

Harry showed the note to Daphne and Neville before covering the note and flash incinerating it on the table. It would not do for others to ever be able to find it. A quick Repair Charm on the surface of the table and even the flash burn mark was gone.

Hermione gave him a funny look but Harry whispered back, "Please, don't ask. Family business."

Though she frowned as if she felt put-out, she nodded in recognition.

Thursday was also a hard day, academically, for the group. Harry and most of the others all had Arithmancy and Ancient Runes in two double periods straddling lunch. But, it also allowed them to keep their minds of other matters.

For Harry, who had already well and truly memorised all the various arithmancy tables and rune sets, it was still hard work. Plus, he was providing the answers for a lot of the runes for the others in the same class.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/

The next evening Harry and Daphne waited in the Great Hall for their 'guests' to arrive. The meeting was to take place immediately after the evening meal. They arrived just as the dessert dishes were cleared away.

Cygnus, Sirius and Isabel - Croaker in disguise - entered and waited for a few minutes talking to the Eight before Harry and Daphne and the three adults made their way to Dumbledore's office.

As he approached the gargoyle, Harry said, "Chocolate Frogs," and the gargoyle nimbly leapt aside.

Once in the office, there were four chairs before the headmaster's desk; rather uncomfortable looking ones, too.

Harry quickly banished one and transfigured the other three into two pairs of loveseats and an armchair. From behind, Cygnus quietly snorted at the surprised expression on Dumbledore's face.

Harry assisted Daphne into sitting while, with a smirk, Cygnus assisted 'Isabel' who gave him a wink in response.

As soon as he was sitting, Cygnus looked at Dumbledore and asked, "Now, Headmaster; why are we here?"

"Straight to the point, Cygnus," replied Dumbledore. "Very well then. There are some issues I need to discuss with Harry which are - sensitive in nature - and I need you to relax the limitations you've placed me under with regards to the boy."

"No," said Cygnus.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear enough," tried the old man. "These are issues relating to the security matters that I find myself only able to discuss with Harry..."

"No, Albus," said Cygnus, quite firmly. "You are a Headmaster of a school. The only security matters relating to Harry you should be discussing with him you should also be discussing with the entire school population and all the parents and guardians. Any other security matters relate to his home life, and that's my concern - not yours."

Dumbledore gave one of his big grandfatherly disappointment sighs while he gathered his thoughts. Harry and Daphne both snickered.

Cygnus smirked at Harry and Daphne before turning back to Dumbledore. He said, "As you can see, Albus, even the kids can see through that particular 'Oh I'm so hard done by' act."

Dumbledore lost the twinkle for a few moments before he straightened himself up and said, "There are still matters I must speak with young Harry in private that specifically concern him."

"Then you are never going to be speak with him, Albus," said Cygnus. "You'll have to wait until he comes of age and decides for himself whether to speak with you privately."

"It won't happen then, either," said Harry. "Albus just can't seem to get it into his head I really don't like him and - as soon as possible - I want to be shot of him out of my life completely."

Cygnus nodded and said, "So, there you have it, Albus; it's never going to happen."

With an angry frown, Dumbledore then said, "Since you won't see reason in this small matter, I'm going to need a vow off all of you, that what we discuss here tonight you will not speak of outside of this room..."

Harry couldn't help it. He laughed out loud. "Oh, that's rich!" he chuckled. "In other words, you want to be able to raise any subject you want, and the only way any of us can ever talk about it again, is in your presence.

"So, if I mention - say - I plan on asking Daphne to marry me - betrothal aside - the summer we graduate, we can never discuss the matter again unless we do it in this very room! Ha! That's just too funny!"

"That is not the matter I wish to discuss tonight, Mister Potter," Dumbledore said firmly.

"Well, you didn't specify what you want to discuss, Albus," smirked Cygnus. "Perhaps if you told us what specific matter you wanted to discuss, young Harry would not have been so amused."

Dumbledore sighed again, but he wasn't so theatrical about it this time. "It relates to a specific matter relating to the security of the wizarding realm that I really should only discuss with Mister Potter."

"So, let me get this straight," said Cygnus, quite amused. "You only wish to discuss such an important matter with a fourteen year old boy and not me, who has sat upon the Wizengamot - the body responsible for the security of the wizarding realm - for almost two decades. Do I have the gist of it, Albus?"

"When you put it like that," replied Dumbledore. "I can see how you would feel that way. However, I really must insist..."

"Oh, give it a rest, Albus," said Harry. "You're not going to win this, no matter how many times you push."

"Mister Potter," the old man firmly said.

Harry leaned forward and said, "This - right here and now - is your one and only chance to come clean, Albus. Come clean, or I walk out of here right now, pack my trunk and leave this school, forever."

Dumbledore locked eyes with Harry for a few long moments but, as he was wearing his charmed spectacles, he did not feel any attempt at passive Legilimency.

When Dumbledore broke the connection he looked down at the desktop in front of him and said, "This matter is too sensitive..."

"That's it," interrupted Harry. He stood up and said, "You had your chance, Headmaster Dumbledore..."

"Wait! please," said the old man interrupting right back.

When Harry stopped he sat back and said, "There was a prophecy made many years ago. If information about it get's to the wrong ears, it can spell doom for the wizarding world. It's that matter I need to discuss with you, alone, Harry; as it pertains to you."

Harry threw his hands in the air and exclaimed, "Finally!" And sat back down on the loveseat he shared with Daphne.

Cygnus and 'Isabel' both chuckled. Daphne just smirked.

Dumbledore frowned as he looked around at his four guests. His face took on a worried look and he said, "This - does not come as a surprise, to any of you."

Cygnus just shook his head and looked askance at Harry. "Harry?" he asked. "Do you want to do the honours?"

Harry said back, "Thank you," before turning to Dumbledore. He intoned, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches..." he watched Dumbledore reel back in shock. "... born to those who have thrice defied him - And the Dark Lord will mark..."

"Stop!" exclaimed the old man holding both hands out and waving them frantically in warding gesture with a look of horror on his face.

Harry stopped but smirked back at the old man.

"How..." the old man stuttered. "Harry! - How..."

"How what, Albus?" asked Harry calmly. "How now brown cow?"

"How - did you learn of - the prophecy?" asked an almost befuddled Dumbledore.

Harry shrugged and said, "Riddle alerted me to its existence years ago. So, once I learned those sort of things were stored down in the Department of Mysteries, I went in and heard it for myself."

Looking quite shocked and defeated, Dumbledore asked, "Who else knows?"

Before Harry could say anything, Cygnus replied, "That's none of your business. However, I will tell you it's over a dozen people, so far."

"Nooo!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "If the wrong people know of it - it could lead to the destruction of all we hold dear!"

Cygnus snorted and said, "You're a fool, Dumbledore. The prophecy states Harry has to kill Voldemort. So, what were you going to do to ensure that outcome, hmm?

"You've known of the prophecy since it was made. Yet, you've done nothing to ensure young Harry is prepared for when the prophecy comes to pass. We're over fourteen years since the prophecy was made. What have you done about it?"

"Harry is still a child," replied Dumbledore. "He needs to be allowed to have a happy childhood before he..."

Harry burst into laughter again. "Oh, Merlin! Please, stop!" he cried, before bursting into laughter again.

"I fail to see the humour in the situation, Mister Potter," replied Dumbledore flatly, and clearly a little hurt by being laughed at.

"What? You don't?" asked Harry. "Let's see - there was this whiskered wanker who thought he was God's gift to the wizarding world who - instead of immediately handing me over to my rightful guardians, where I have little doubt I would have led a happy childhood - decided to break the law and dumped my arse on the doorstep of my abusive relatives. Where, for the next near on ten years I was then systematically physically, emotionally and verbally abused. Does this ring any bells for you, Albus?

"So, I then had to grow up real fast. I had to - through using my own rat cunning and smarts - find a way to ensure I was able to acquire food for myself; develop and earn income to get said food; develop a talent for cooking; and become skilled in all forms of housework, gardening and home maintenance, lest I earn myself a beating that would have either killed a normal child or, more often, send that child to hospital. Where was the happy childhood in that, hmm?

"But all that doesn't matter because the prophecy also covers that. Just what the hell did you think the part in the prophecy where it says '...for neither can live while the other survives...' means if not that, hmm?"

"Alright, Harry; I think he's got the point, don't you?" Cygnus gently said.

"Yes. Quite," sighed Dumbledore.

Turning back to Dumbledore, Cygnus said, "Now; perhaps it's time for you to come clean with just what you've been doing with regards to the prophecy; don't you think, Albus?"

Dumbledore sat there for a few long moments before he replied, "It's my belief Tom used magics most foul to - keep his immortal soul from passing on to his next great adventure. It's by using those magics he will find a way to return.

"What happened in the Great Hall on the night of the sorting in 1991 confirmed it for me. Then, again, in June 1993 when Harry and Neville faced him in the Chamber of Secrets. That diary was one of the objects he used to hold himself here. However, I have no idea just how many such objects he made."

Harry, Daphne and Cygnus sat there for a few moments to see if the old man would say any more. Then Cygnus turned to 'Isabel' and asked, "Heard enough?"

"Yes," said 'Isabel'. "I think he's starting to come clean. I think it's time we did, too." 'She' then used 'her' wand to dispel the very strong glamour 'she' was wearing. In 'her' place sat Algernon Croaker.

Dumbledore recoiled back in shock. "Algernon?" he practically squeaked.

"Yes, Albus," Uncle Algie replied with a smirk. "And you've got some more explaining to do."

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/