It was a weary looking Amelia who came into the sun room of Longbottom Manor later that evening. Harry had a bad feeling about what happened with the mission of Amelia to apprehend Dumbledore so he wasn't very surprised when Amelia told them, "He got away, we were unable to contain him and bring him to a cell. He was able to get away when he shot a curse at Andromeda. She's fine but in the distraction he fled the scene."
Andromeda walked in and went to sit down beside her husband and daughter with a sight. She looked a bit angry and a bit ruffled but not injured. If she had been hurt by Dumbledore, well Harry had decided long ago that no one hurt his family and get away with it. As Ted took her hand in his, Harry asked the room, "So what do we do now?"
Amelia took a deep breath and explained her plan to the people in the room, "We tried it the subtle way, the kind way, but Dumbledore took it to far when he tried to curse Andromeda. He tried to harm an unarmed civilian and we have proof and witnesses of that. So now we need to make the world aware of how dangerous Dumbledore is. We will tell a trusted journalist everything we know about his health and crimes and hopefully it will keep the people around him informed and safe."
Harry nodded and shot a look at his girlfriend. They had been planning on doing the same and had already sent Rita Skeeter her new assignment. He agreed that it would be safer for people to know that Dumbledore had some serious health issues and that he could be very dangerous because of it.
But he had one thing he wanted to point out, "Dumbledore probably went back to Hogwarts since that is the place he is most in control. Don't you think it might be a good idea to talk to Professor McGonagall and maybe the other professors first before we talk to a jounalist?"
Hermione nodded and added, "Harry and I already contacted Skeeter. She will do as we asked and investigate Dumbledore for us."
"Are you sure Rita Skeeter is to be trusted?" Gran asked what both the adults had on their mind. Anyone with some brains knew that Rita Skeeter wasn't exacly professional in her writing. Or honest.
But people listened to the horrible woman so they would use her for that. And knowing her little secret made sure that she would be honest this time. Though the woman had been a bit kinder since the interview last year about what had happened at the Third Task. It gave her even more popularity among Magical Britain and beyond even if it made her unpopulair with the Ministry of Magic.
Hermione smirked and said, "Yes she will if she knows what's best for her. Also, the professors have the most contact with the Headmaster and should be aware of what is happening if we want them to help us out. Do you think you or one of them could place some ward around my parents place? I would feel better if they had some protection."
Neville nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, that would probably be a good idea. Which Professors should we alert to the situation? Not all of them are trustworthy."
This time it was Susan who replied, "We should tell Professor McGonagall, Professors Sprout and Flitwick. Those three are the most trustworthy and have the most power in Hogwarts after Dumbledore. But how will we contact them without Dumbledore knowing about it?"
"Why don't we just ask a House Elf to deliver a letter to them while they are alone?" Hannah asked.
Amelia and Augusta looked at each other and Augusta said, "Well, it seems like the four of you have figured the whole plan out. Do you children need our help with anything or can we take a bit of a break while you children put your plan into motion?"
The four teenagers looked at each other, proud of that the adults trusted them to handle this, before Hermione said respectfully, "We will handle this, Lady Longbottom, but if you could check over the letters before we sent them we would appreciate it."
"Of course, dear. Shall we go to my office, Amelia, and call for some tea while the children work?" Gran asked the younger woman.
Amelia stood up and replied to the Dowager of House Longbottom, "Yes, lets do that. I could use a bit of a break and maybe you could tell me some interestingstories about the Wizengamot members in their youth?"
Gran smirked and took Amelia by the arm. As they walked away Harry could hear Gran tell Amelia something that sounded very close to blackmail or at least some very embarrassing stories of some youthful mishaps of the distinguished members of the Wizengamot.
He almost pitied them after Amelia'd be done with them but honestly? They could use some shaking up. The Magical side of Britain has been stagnant for way to long. It was time for some new things. Perhaps he could share some of the thing he found in that little black leather book that used to belong to Cassiopeia Black. That woman had some ineresting stories to tell.
The four teeneagers went to write the letters for the three Head of Houses. They decided to write the same thing to all three of them but only change the name it was adressed to.
Dear Professor McGonagall,
We would like to invite you and two of your collagues for a private meeting concerning some happenings lately. We have been very troubled about some thing and would like to share our concerns with you.
Please come with the House Elf delivering the letters if you agree we need to talk.
Sincerely,
Hadrian James Potter
Lord of House Black
Lord of House Slytherin
Head of House of Potter
He wrote exacly the same thing for Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout just with their names on top of the letter. They were very vague on purpose so that nothing could get back to him if Dumbledore got his hands on the letters. He did write down his titles so that they would see how serious he was and that he was aware now of all that they never told him before. It was probably never their responsibility but still.
Why didn't they ever help him?
That was his biggest question. They were teachers, in charge of taking care of the students of the boarding school they worked and lived. Why didn't they give their students any help beyond teaching? Honestly, the only time he remembered feeling supported by Professor Mcgonagall was when she offered him a biscuit when he had expected detention for being honest towards Umbridge.
Still, he did admire her and hoped that she would support Harry in this. Perhaps she just hadn't known. Merlin, he hoped she hadn't known about any of it.
The others agreed to leave their names out of it just to be sure. Soon it would be time to go back to Hogwarts for the start of the new year and if Dumbledore was still there, well if Dumbledore was still there then they would have to be very careful. No need to put his friends in unnecessary danger.
Now they would show the letters to Gran and Amelia and then they would ask a House Elf to deliver them and hopefully take the three teachers back to Longbottom Manor with them.
Gran approved of the letters and went to call for Tessy so she could go to Hogwarts. It was the first time Harry saw her again since she broke up with Dobby. Harry was glad that she looked happy and he was even more glad to know that Dobby had found love after his disappointment with Tessy.
Harry gave the letter to Tessy with the instructions and watched her disappear with a pop. He hoped that Professor McGonagall would come back with the Elf. Not just to warn her about Dumbledore but also that he could ask her some discreet questions about the Animagus transformation for him and his friends. He wouldn't want to be stuck with a tail like Sirius had when he was attempting his own transformation.
It was a hour later that a stern looking Professor McGonagall was standing in the sun room of Longbottom Manor. Soon after that Tessy popped in Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout.
Professor Flitwick looked like he had expected all of this to happen and Harry wondered if the goblins had told him more of what had been happening lately. Did he know what really happened to Voldemort?
Neville and Gran stood up to greet the guests and soon after the rest did the same. Gran called for some tea for the guests and everyone went to sit down. It was silent for a while before Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow and said pointely to Harry, "Well, Lord Black?"
And so Harry told them about Dumbledore and what they all had discovered about Voldemort and the plans the Headmaster had for him. The Horcruxes and the Prophecy. Dumbledore's health issues.
By the end of it the three teachers were looking horrified and Hermione was holding Harry's hand. Professor Sprout was the first one to start asking questions, "Mr. Potter, are you healthy now? Are you seeing a Healer? Wait, if Miss Black, no sorry, Mrs. Tonks is here then of course you are seeing a Healer. Can we do anything to help you? And are you sure that the Headmaster has some form of dementia?"
Andromeda was the one answering that question since she was the one who was his Healer and cast the diagnostic spell, "Dumbledore has dementia and it isn't a recent thing. If I had to guess he has had it for around ten years now but he has been self-medicating with wit-sharpening potions so that the disease slows down. He is an overpowered addict with a dangerous mental illness."
She continued with, "We are, in a way, lucky that the man is such a powerful Wizard. His magical strength would have slowed down the disease. Still, it has progressed way to far now for him to hold the important jobs he has."
Harry took over for Andromeda by saying, "You might have noticed him doing some stange things in the last few years that he couldn't explain himself. Just look at my last few years at Hogwarts! Why could the door in my first year be opened by a first year spell? Why didn't call the Headmaster for help in my second year when the Chamber opened? And those are just my first two years at Hogwarts."
The teachers looked at each other and started feeling a bit ashamed of what they all had allowed to happen to the child in their care in his time at Hogwarts. The young man in front of them hab been through so much and they should have helped him much more than they actually did. They had trusted Dumbledore when he told them the boy in front of them was alright. They trusted him when he told them he would take care of it.
They were wrong.
Harry continued with, "He is clearly refusing treatment and he has become very dangerous to me personally. We would like to make it known to magical Britain so that people can be careful in dealing with him."
Professor Flitwick had listened to it all but now he had something to say, "While I admire your strategy with the man that hurt you, children, I must advice you to take a more permanent route. The Headmaster is already planning your death so it might be more prudent to make sure he can never harm you and yours again."
Both Professors McGonagall and Sprout looked shocked at what their collague said but they didn't protest. Harry too was shocked at the normally very kind professor. Suddenly he could see the warrior side of the normally cheery Charms Professor.
He didn't know what to do with the advice he got. He actually mostly agreed but how does one assasinate somebody? Does he hire a hitman? Where does one even find a hitman? Or would it better if he did it himself? He really didn't want to kill anyone. By word or by deed.
And yes, Harry knew he'd basically placed a hit on Voldemort. But that felt different. It wasn't too long ago that Harry had thought the world of Professor Dumbledore. There had to be another solution to the danger Dumbledore posed other than death. Dumbledore deserved something else than that quick end. Prison would do nicely. Prison and a total destruction of Dumbledore's reputation.
Also, Harry didn't want to ask the golblins about another death. He'd start to feel like a mob boss.
Amelia said, "While I do agree with you, Professor, that Albus Dumbledore is a dangerous man to Harry especially, he needs to be treated like any other criminal and if he is found guilty, locked up. I personally like Nurmengard." Amelia had a smirk on her face while she said that but Harry was a bit confused.
So he asked, "Nurmengard?"
Hermione was the one who answered Harry's question with answer that sounded like it came out of a textbook, "Nurmengard is a prison somewhere in the Alps. It was built by Dark Lord Grindewald to imprison his enemies but after his defeat by Dumbledore he was put in there himself by Dumbledore."
She took a moment to take a breath before she continued, "Grindewald has been in there since his defeat in 1945. He had a sort of saying 'for the Greater Good' which they have carved into the entrance of the prison."
Harry looked at Hermione, shocked, "Did you just say 'for the Greater Good'?"
Amelia and Augusta, who had seen the memories of Dumbledore suddenly looked like they had a not so nice realisation.
Hermione was visibly worried when she answered her friend, "Yes that was what Grindewald used as his excuse for his dark acts. It was all for his version of the Greater Good."
"I've heard Dumbledore saying those words a few times now. Does that mean that Dumbledore knew Grindewald? Well enough to say the same words?" Harry was a bit worried now.
It was bad enough to discover that Dumbledore wanted him to sacrifice himself so that Voldemort could die but if Dumbledore had been close enough to a Dark Lord to use the same saying, than that was very disturbing.
It seemed that they had another letter to send to Rita Skeeter.