Changing from within

Chapter Four

Changing from Within

Chapter Four

Angering People

Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore slowly got up out of his chair, face red fury at my dismissal.

"Before you decide to kill me," I quickly squeak out, my back firmly against the door, "you did use some sort of compulsion charm to get me up here witch I'm pretty sure is illegal. Plus you legilimized me, and I'm underage so that was also illegal. Therefore I do have reason not to trust you."

"I did no such thing." Albus refutes, standing tall and proud, I regain a tiny sense of feeling - enough to feel a tendril of anger returning.

"You do bloody so!" I shout back, "I felt you're probing and I mentioned it, half the hall recognized instantly what I meant, and the compulsion I felt as soon as you walked past me, could only have been some spell. I don't normally follow creepy old men away from witnesses."

"Alright," Dumbledore placates, hands up in a surrendering gesture, one I don't believe for a second. Albus is a powerful wizard. Not one that's going to surrender to my meagre temper tantrums. "Perhaps we started this out wrong." I snort my agreement. "How about you begin from the start?"

"That start of what?" I ask, brows raised, "your abuse if Harry? Your neglect in caring effectively for two hundred plus students?"

"Start from your beginning. You say magic doesn't exist when you're from?" Dumbledore's tone settles down, taking on his famous grandfatherly persona.

"Magic is a thing of stories and fantasy." I inform him.

"Well how do you know what will happen? How do you know what to change if all of this is a tale?" I can tell he doesn't believe me, he's too relaxed, his eyes too sparkly.

"If it was just a tale, how would I know about Arianna?" I ask, smirking in satisfaction as he falls back into his seat, wrinkly old face almost smoothed out with how agape his mouth is. "How sweet was bullied by some neighbors for being freaky, how your father beat the boys up and went to Azkaban for it. How you were left to look after Aberforth and Arianna. How either you or Grindelwald or Aberforth cast the spell that killed Arianna."

"How dare you?" A portrait on the wall, one of a strict looking little witch shrieks at me, wagging her finger disapprovingly, "How dare you talk to your elders in such a way?"

"You really going to go there?" I ask it, "Respect is earned." I inform it, finding the courage to step away from the safety of the door.

"Respect is given to whom should have it young lady." She argues, folding her arms. For a painting, I have to admit she actually looks quite intimidating.

"And why should be respect him?" I point to the old man, his mouth has shut, thankfully, but he's still sitting blankly, stunned.

Oh shit! Did I break Dumbledore?

"He is your Headmaster," she says it in a tone of finality, like I should just accept that.

"And?" I prompt, guests ring for her to go on.

"And he is your headmaster, your senior and superior, you ungrateful girl," she shrieks, standing up from her red cushioned seat and stepping forward. I laugh at her attempt to get at me, mockingly taking a step back.

"He is a manipulative old coot who has, and will knowingly allow a young boy to live in a home where he is underfed, neglected and abused daily."

The lady blinks, stepping back, looking stunned.