"Think about it. Why hold back something like this if the only one you can blackmail is a lowly healer? No. Umbridge was after, or already knows, whoever it is that got the healer to do it. I think, however, she was still trying to figure that out and gather proof. That leads me to suspect it was someone in power who is a political enemy. And that leads, most likely, to Dumbledore."
"Why Dumbledore?" asked Madam Bones.
"Dumbledore knows there's a prophecy about me in the Hall of Prophecies. I think it's about me facing Tom Riddle. So, Dumbledore wants absolute control over me," he explained, unsure of how much he could tell them. "So he can, as he would put it, directly guide me to my destiny."
"But what does that have... Alice is your godmother," said Sirius, suddenly figuring it out. "Just as I'm your godfather."
"Exactly," confirmed Harry. "Dumbledore demanded magical guardianship of me. He'd never have that if Sirius wasn't in Azkaban, or Alice rendered... mentally incapable... of looking after me. My guardianship would have been given to either or both in joint custody."
"You honestly think Dumbledore stoop so low?" asked Madam Bones.
would
"Yeah, I do," he sighed. "Think about what he's been up to recently regarding me. He sent me to live with relatives outside of the magical world, and he blocked me from receiving mail from it. Both of those led to me having no idea about the magical world, or my place within it, until I reached Hogwarts as an eleven year old. I was... magically clueless.
"Lately, he tried to stop me from clearing the air about what my life was like, he tried to stop me from telling the world Voldemort's real identity, when my magical guardianship was stripped from him he tried to get it back, when I was emancipated he tried to have it overturned and to again be awarded magical guardianship, and he's tried to stick his nose numerous times into my House business. Why?
"Simple. He wants control of me and have me stupid. There's no doubt, in my mind, he's aware of the same prophecy in the Hall of Prophecies. And he thinks he's the only one who can guide me to fulfilling it the way he wants it fulfilled." Turning more fully to Madam Bones, he said, "Amelia, I need to get into the Hall of Prophecies to hear that prophecy. I think it holds much of the answers as to what's going on. And, I want you and Sirius, at least, there when I hear it. Can you organise that?"
She looked back for a few moments before she said, "First, I want to confirm there is actually such a prophecy there. If there is, I'll organise for you to hear it."
"Thank you," he replied.
"I'd like to be there, too," said Madam Longbottom.
"You'd be welcome," he replied.
"In the mean time," said a clearly determined Sirius, "I'm going to take up where Augusta left off with the investigation. Fudge... or Umbridge... might have thought they've won this round; but, I intend for them to learn they've simply replaced a terrier with a grim that's just as tenacious.
"Maybe doing that will help us to learn of the identity of whomever it is that's pressuring Fudge to block Harry's Order of Merlin."
"Be careful when you do so," Harry said firmly. "When they realise, as you put it, they've just exchanged a terrier for a grim, they may try a more... permanent measure."
Sirius nodded back and said, "I'll be careful, Pup."
"Good," said Madam Bones. "And I'll attack him from the other side with questions about how he learned of the activities of the Healer-of-Record." "Then we begin to... extort... what we want out of him," added Madam Longbottom, equally determined.
"Then we have a plan, and a puppet." said Harry. "Now we just have to figure out how, and in what way, to make it dance to our tune."
When the three returned to Hogwarts Harry immediately told them of his talk with Mesdames Longbottom and Bones and Sirius.
"But, Harry; that's a lot of guesswork," said Hermione.
"Yes, but also likely," said Daphne. "It fits with what we know and makes sense. It also shows a likely explanation of why the Longbottoms were woken in this timeline, but not in the original one.
"My letter to Madam Longbottom had her go after the Minister and his office. That caused the Minister and, likely, Umbridge to come up with a way to stop her. Umbridge, in response, used her knowledge of what was happening to the Longbottoms to redirect Madam Longbottom's attention, which she didn't have to do in the original timeline. And, the Longbottoms were revived."
"Yes," replied Harry. "Plus, I think it was evidence against Dumbledore being the one paying the Healer-of-Record to keep them mentally incompetent she used against him when she turned up here in our fifth year. I think it's why he was such a wimp against her and her activities. She might not have actually had the evidence; but, telling him she did, might have been enough to get his compliance."
"This is what's had you so mentally distracted these last few days, isn't it?" asked Hermione.
"Yes," he replied.
"You know you can use us as sounding boards, don't you?" she asked.
"Yes," he sighed, realising she was right. He should have. "Sorry," he sheepishly said. "It's just... I used to always just use my inner voice to do this when I was... before I came to Hogwarts."
They both understood.
Neville returned late afternoon on the Sunday and immediately sought out the three. "What did you say to my Gran, Harry," he demanded, as soon as the door to the apartment was opened for him. "She's been furious about something ever since. I know it's not me, because she'd not have kept it from me. But, she's clearly upset about something."
Harry sighed and said, "Take a seat, Nev."
Neville walked over and sat down on the edge of it, still looking quite antsy. And clearly still wanting answers.
"I figured out the Minister... or Madam Umbridge, more likely... knew your parents were being dosed with that hideous potion well before he, the toad and the aurors stormed into the healer's office," Harry explained, getting right to the point.
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