As soon as they were, both aurors stepped to either side of him, gripped him by his upper arms and marched him out of the cell and towards the Interrogation Rooms.
This time, during his move from his cell to the Interrogation Rooms, he never said a word.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
A few minutes after MacMillan left, the mail arrived. Neither teen received anything as they'd received it before flooing to the castle.
It was as he was returning to his tea, Angie Johnson regained her courage to approach.
"Harry?" she carefully asked.
"What can I do for you, Angie?" he calmly asked.
As he was neither smiling or appeared angry, she was at somewhat of a loss on how to proceed.
"I... want to talk to you about you withdrawing from the team," she said.
"What about it?" Again, no inflection.
"I want you to reconsider," she stated.
"I have," he replied. "However, as I stated to you in the letter I sent you, I stand by my decision.
"I really did not appreciate my so-called House-mates practically berating me and demanding answers to their questions that day Hermione and I returned from the Wizengamot trial sessions.
"I am not a walking version of the Daily Prophet they can command to do their bidding like I'm a bloody house elf, or something.
"If you need a new seeker, as I said in my letter, I strongly suggest you approach young Miss Ginny Weasley. I've seen her in action and believe she will make an excellent seeker for the Lions."
Angie, though clearly angry at what she perceived as a 'brush off', didn't retort. Instead she simply gave a single sharp nod in return and walked away back down the table - marched, really.
Hermione quietly said, "You know it means you can never go back to being a seeker for the Lions, don't you?"
Harry gave a quiet sigh and said, "I didn't want to be the seeker in the first place, Love. I was bullied into it by McGonagall. She told Wood I was to be the new seeker for the Lions, without even bothering to ask me first, and that was that.
"I like flying, Love. And chasing the snitch gave me something to do while doing that. But, I can still do that by simply releasing a snitch on my own and chasing after it."
Surprised, Hermione said, "I thought you liked being seeker."
He smiled back and replied, "No; the fake Harry did, because it helped his façade"
"Ah!" she said. A moment later she added, "I'm glad. I didn't like how dangerous it was for you; nor how much you seemed to get hurt, all the time."
He leaned across a little and kissed her on the cheek, causing her to blush a little and look away.
Looking back around her, he looked to Neville and said, "Now. Before we were interrupted, you were going to tell me about how the past couple of days went."
Again, Neville was about to open his mouth when Professor Babbling approached and said, "Lord Potter. I'm here to escort you and your betrothed to your new accommodation. You'll also be needing to collect your books for your morning classes."
With a sigh, Harry looked to her and said, "Very well, Professor." Turning to Neville he clearly said, "I apologise for yet another interruption to our conversation, Heir Longbottom. Perhaps we'll be able to complete it during next break."
As the Professor gave a little start of shock, Neville grinned and replied, "I look forward to it, Lord Potter. Perhaps we'll be able to complete it during morning tea."
Harry gave a smile back, rose, stepped back over the back of the bench seating and turned to the Professor as Hermione rose beside him.
She waited for them both to walk around the table and then lightly gestured towards the main doors before walking that way, herself.
The two teens followed, knowing they had many eyes watching them as they did so. Both ignored them.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After Dumbledore was again manacled to the ring-bolt on the table, as with the previous day the same aurors entered and took up positions. This time they were immediately followed by the Dicta-quill operator and the Master Healer carrying her rack of vials of Veritaserum. Then Madam Bones entered with her file and went directly to her seat on the opposite side of the table.
Without even offering a greeting, this time, she opened her folder, made herself comfortable and asked, "Ready for your next Veritaserum dose, Albus?"
"No," he lowly replied.
"Too bad," she smirked.
After everything was set up, the Dicta-quill was activated and the dose of five drops of Veritaserum were administered Bones began her interrogation.
"What was the true purpose of you having caused the erection of those series of so-called traps in the third floor corridor as you announced on the first of September, 1991, to the students of Hogwarts?"
As Dumbledore mentally struggled to not directly answer the question he replied, "I informed the staff the traps were erected to protect a valuable artefact given to me by a dear friend―"
"Was that response meant to direct me away from the truth?"
"Y... Y... Y-y-yes."
"What were you trying not to tell me?"
"T... T... T...Thhhhh-the traps were... a... s... series... of tests."
"Tests for whom?"
"H... H... Haaaarry P... Puhhh...ter."
"What was the purpose of testing Lord Potter with those series of so-called traps in the third floor corridor as you announced on the first of September, 1991, to the students of Hogwarts?"
"T... t... t... toooo test... h... his... braaaa-ver-y."
"Do you see, Albus? Fighting the potion is pointless! You are only delaying the inevitable."
"Y... Y-yes."
"Did you know Quirinus Quirrell was possessed?"
"Y-yes."
"From when did you know Quirinus Quirrell was possessed?"
"Ffff... fff... ffffirst... of... Sepppp-tember―"
"Did you know Quirinus Quirrell was possessed from the first of September, 1991?"
"Y... Yyyy-yes."
Bones was a few moments before she asked, "When were you aware the troll was released into the school, as reported by Quirinus Quirrell on the thirty first of October, 1991?"
"Ah... At th... the Feast."
She paused a moment while she thought and then asked, "At what time were you first aware the troll was released into the school, as reported by Quirinus Quirrell on the thirty first of October, 1991?"
"Ssss... sssiiii.. sixxxx thhh-... thurrrty seh... sehven, thhhhat n... night."
Scowling, she demanded, "What time did Quirrell burst into the Great Hall to make his announcement about a troll being loose in the dungeons?"
"Sssseh... Sseh-ven nnnnuh.. niiiine...teen."
"So, you were aware a troll... a second troll, if you consider the first troll being the one that was part of those traps of yours... was within the school grounds approximately three-quarters of an hour before Quirrell made his shocking entrance into the Great Hall?"
"Yyy... yes!"
"Why did you not head it off and deal with it as soon, or very soon after, you knew it had entered the grounds, Albus?"
"Aaaa... I... wwwwanted... to... sss- sssseee... wh- whhaaat... T-T- Tommm... w... would do... w-whuh... w-with it."
"And if, instead of releasing it into the corridors of the school, Quirrell had brought it direct to the Great Hall?"
"H-heee... didn't."
"Did you know where it was, at all times it was within the school?"
"Y... yyyyes."
"At that time, did you know that a student was not in the Great Hall, but was on the second floor in a girls' bathroom?"
"Y... yes."
"Did you know that the troll was making it's way towards her?"
"Y-y-yuh-... yyyesss."
"Did you know Lord Potter was going to go and find the girl, when it became apparent to him that Miss Granger was not in the Great Hall?"
"Y-yyy... Nnnno."
Frowning at the response, Bones had an epiphany. "Did you use any form of compulsion... No. Did you directly use any form of mind magic on any student to inform Lord Potter, then Mister Potter, that a student was in that second floor girls' bathroom?"
"Nnnn... Yyyeeesss."
"On which student did you use such mind magics to inform Lord Potter a student was in that second floor girls' bathroom?"
"M-Missss... Br-Brown."
"And which form of mind magic did you use against Miss Brown?"
"C... Cuh... Com...pul...shun.. charm."
"Why did you use an illegal compulsion charm on Miss Brown to inform Mister Potter that Miss Granger was in that girls' bathroom?"
"Sssso... yyy... yuh-oung... H... Ha... Harr-reee... w-would... go.. ressss-cue... h-her."
"Why would you send Lord Potter to go rescue her?"
"Tuh... T-tooo... tessssst... h-his.. b-b-braaaaay-very."
Surprised, she blurted, "Are you trying to get Lord Potter killed, Albus?"
"N...n...nnn-Yyyy... Yeeehhs!"
Utterly shocked, the aurors and even the Master Healer in the room all gasped in shock. Bones was a few moments stunned silent.
"Why are you trying to get Lord Potter killed, Albus?" she demanded.
"... ... ...B... Beeee... C-c-c―"
Dumbledore then appeared to go into some form of fit.
The Master Healer immediately stepped forward, rapidly casting over him as he went into some form of paroxysm. Then, without a word, suddenly stunned him.
She immediately whirled to stare at Bones and snapped, "He's having a heart attack. I need to get him to Mungo's... now."
"Shhhhit!" said Bones.
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