“Welcome everyone, let us begin shall we?” said Albus Dumbledore. “Firstly, Alastor I trust the retrieval of young Mr Potter went smoothly?”
“Yep, no complications at all, if you don’t count the boys relatives being their usual selves.”
“Arseholes, you mean?” Sirius interjected.
Laughs came from most of the people around the table, even Dumbledore quirked a smile. “Yes they can be quite… challenging can’t they.”
“Imagine what it must be like to live with them,” Sirius muttered underneath his breath.
Dumbledore continued, “How is Harry in himself?”
Sirius leaned forward, eager for more news of his godson. Moody shrugged. “The boy seems fine.”
“Remus?” Dumbledore pressed, seeming unsatisfied with Mad-Eyes answer.
Lupin considered the question for a moment. “He really does appear to be fine, but he’s… different than when I last saw him. Granted that was over a year ago, but he seems more sure of himself in a way that I can’t really explain.”
Dumbledore steepled his figures together. “Interesting. I wonder if perhaps, despite your earlier interaction with them, Harrys aunt and uncle may have been treating him better over the summer.”
A loud disbelieving snort punctuated the end of the headmasters statement and all heads turned to look at the platinum haired woman who had made the noise.
Fleur spoke for the first time that evening. “Non ‘eadmaster, zose muggles are just az mizerable az they ‘ave always been.”
Eyebrows rose around the table.
“And how is it that you know this, Miss Delacour?”
“‘Arry ‘az told me about zem in ze letterz we ‘ave been exchanging.”
And in the days we’re been spending together in London, Fleur silently added.
Dumbledores brow furrowed. “Miss Delacour I thought I had made it plain to the Order that Harry was not to be told any information about our activities or even the organisation’s existence. Owls are far too easily intercepted or conversations overheard.” (edited)
“Oui, and I kept to zat promise ‘Eadmaster. ‘Arry and I did not discuss anyzing to do wiz ze Order, but we did discuss a great many ozzer zings. In particular, ‘e wrote about ‘is guilt for the death of Cedric. I zink ‘aving someone listen to ‘im ‘elped ‘im greatly. ‘E believes ‘e ‘imself caused Cedrics death you zee.”
Dumbledore sighed, “Harry has always placed a lot of pressure upon himself…”
But Snape interrupted. “The boy is as big headed as his father. It is typical that he thinks he is responsible or even capable of saving everyone, no amount of glory would ever be enough to satisfy him.”
Fleur fixed the potions master with a glare that could curdle milk. “‘Arry and Cedric reached ze Triwizard Cup at ze zame time. Zey both refused to win, but ‘Arry convinced him zat zey should take ze cup togezer. ‘Arry believes that if ‘e ‘ad been more selfish and taken ze cup ‘imself, zen Cedric would still be alive.”
Silence descended on the meeting, many of those gathered looking down at the table in sorrow.
Eventually it was Dumbledore who broke the silence, his voice quiet and heavy with grief. “I was unaware of that circumstance.”
“Of course you were unaware of eet,” Fleur scoffed. “‘Arry did not speak of eet to anyone. ‘E tried to write to Ron and ‘Ermione and ezen Ginny about eet, but zey zent back no more zan a few lines at most; afraid of disobeying your wishes ‘Eadmaster. In ‘is desperation ‘e wrote to me instead. I know how ‘ard eet can be to ask for ‘elp, so I wrote back to ‘im gladly. I shudder to zink of ze consequences ‘ad I not.
“‘Arry witnezzed ze murder of ‘is friend right next to ‘im, ‘e waz tortured and waz almost killed ‘imself. Not only did you place ‘im alone wiz ‘iz abusive relatives, but you actively prevented ‘im from receiving support from zose zat care about ‘im. Eet iz a miracle ‘Arry iz coping az well az ‘e iz.” Fleur was furious now and it showed as her accent became more pronounced.
The table sat in silence again, but one word in particular seemed to have had an effect, on Snape of all people.
“Abusive?” he said apprehensively.
Fleur seemed to bristle even more. “Ze scars I zaw on ‘is back at ze second task, I asked ‘im about zem. Zey were given to ‘im by ‘is uncle. When ‘Arry was seven years old, after ‘e did zome accidental magic, Vernon tried to beat ze “freakishness” out of ‘im. Why iz ‘Arry so small for ‘iz age? Why does ‘e rarely contribute ‘iz own opinion? Why iz ‘e so afraid of praise and why does ‘e loathe attention? I shall tell you why; because for ze first eleven yearz of ‘iz life, attention meant nozzing but pain, punishment and ridicule.
“Merde! I ‘ave known ‘im for lezz zan twelve months, why am I ze first one to notice zese zings?! Are you zis apathetic to all your students, or do you purposefully ignore ‘Arry? What am I zaying, of course you purposefully ignore ‘Arry, we ‘ave just established zats exactly what you ‘ave been doing all zummer. And zis iz only in ze past few months, not to mention ‘iz previous adventures at ‘Ogwarts, going by ze stories ‘e ‘as told me.
“Ze Philosophers Stone, zen ze basilisk, and even ze discovery of ‘iz own godfatherz innocence. Let us not even discuss ze catastrophe zat ‘az been ze last twelve months. ‘Ow iz eet possible zat, year after year, a teenager ‘as consistently managed zese challenges better zan you?
“In fact ‘ow eet iz possible iz irrelevant, I want to know why eet waz even necessary. You are the Albus Dumbledore, ‘Eadmaster of ‘Ogwarts, Chief Warlock of ze Wizengamont and Supreme Mugwamp of ze ICW. From ‘Arrys point of view you must zeem completely incapable, and yet you presume to reprimand me for providing basic support to ze boy who ‘az time and again proven ‘imself more capable zan you.
“If you zink zat your treatment of ‘Arry over ze past fifteen years ‘az been anyzing ozzer zan borderline negligent, zen you need to reconsider yourself. Let me tell you, eef ‘Arrys parents were ‘ere to see ze way ze care of zeir son haz been ‘andled, zen you would all ‘ave much bigger problems to deal wiz zan just Lord Voldemort.”
Her piece said, Fleur leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms tightly and glowered at the head of the table.