บท 23: Suspicion and Bias
"Ah Harry my boy, thank you for joining us."
"Of course Headmaster, Headmistress, Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape." The boy greeted each in kind with a slight boy, the other professors having left some time beforehand.
"We do not want to take too much of your time Mr. Potter, but there are some things we would like to clear up." The Charms professor replied happily after finding the boy's respect more than a little refreshing.
"Of course sir, anything I can do to help."
"It has come to our attention that you are working on a bit of a side project, one involving quite a few areas of magic at the same time."
Turning to McGonagall Harry gave a smile and a nod of confirmation. "I have, I hope that I did not offend anyone during class. I was trying to focus on it only during my free time but I have become rather… excited by it."
"Mr. Potter, your grades are the highest we have seen since even before Albus went to school. There is no reason to apologize for taking on work that keeps you interested during class. I am only sorry to say that we are not challenging you enough."
The boy gave a helpless shrug, "I just find everything to be a bit easy. Plus reading the books before school started certainly helps."
"I am sure that it does my boy. But back to this project of yours. Would you mind explaining it to us?"
Nodding to the eldest Wizard the boy took on a slight thinking pose. "I bought a book about Runes over the summer for some light reading," here several of the professors gaped slightly. Runes were a fairly advanced subject that were difficult to simply read about and understand. Usually a student required verbal instruction, examples, and written text in combination to get the full picture. "What I found inside was the idea that most important areas have wards placed over them. Usually these are done by Runes to create the physical dimensions of the magic and to give it lasting effect. Considering this I began to speculate that if Charms could be incorporated with Runes then other fields of magic could as well. With this in mind I have begun small experiments to see if Potion effects could be expanded, and how they could be combined at the same time."
"Your studies mention Leylines. Why are you messing with those Potter?"
"Oh I haven't even approached that yet. It was merely speculation that if these channels could be used like Muggle waterways, if so we could potentially use them to create larger area of Runic or spell influence."
Before anyone else could interrupt Snape barged in once more, "And to what purpose Potter?"
"Well, I suppose one could use large diagnostic Charms or even healing Potions in response to a catastrophe. Perhaps using them to prevent natural disasters as well… but I suppose I got into this project simply because no one else has tried to yet."
Any retaliatory remark that the Slytherin Head of House could make was cut off by the smallest man in the room. "One hundred points to Slytherin, for continuing the development of magic. Without new ideas and innovations we would not have the wonders of this day and age."
Snape's jaw dropped, no one had ever given his 'snakes' so many points at once before.
"Mr. Potter, if you need any help or a room to practice in do not hesitate to let me know… and Severus, if you do not want Mr. Potter in your House I would be more than happy to adopt him into Ravenclaw from you."
With a chuckle the Half-Goblin departed with Pomona Sprout, who gave a similar offer to the boy, thus leaving Snape, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harry in the room by themselves.
"Harry my boy, I believe that is all we need from you tonight." the old man replied cheerfully, before pulling out a hall-pass and handing it to the boy. "If by chance you are stopped by a prefect or Mr. Figgs simply show them this."
"I will, thank you sir."
"Oh and Harry, I would prefer you contact me before beginning any potentially dangerous experiments, especially involving Leylines."
"Of course sir, are we still on for lunch Sunday?"
"Indeed my boy, I am looking forward to it."
With that the student departed, and the scowl reemerged on Minerva's face.
"Professor Snape, if you would please wait outside of the office for a moment. I need to talk to the Headmaster about something."
Severus nodded, already knowing he had been defeated, before leaving.
...
Twenty minutes had passed since Snape began his waiting period. It was an odd sensation, sitting outside of the Headmaster's office on a bench meant for children. He felt almost like he was a student waiting for punishment than a professor. After another, what felt like decade, of waiting the door flung open as a furious Minerva McGonagall stormed passed him with a sharp glare.
"Come in Severus…" the old Wizard sounded tired, and every year of his considerable age.
After softly closing the door behind him, and taking the offered seat, Severus glanced up at the aged man before him.
"Minerva has made her opinion on your 'behavior' towards young Harry very clear."
"Headmaster I…"
" And I agreed with her Severus. This blatant bias you have towards the boy is becoming worrisome. I understand that you had a conflict with his father. I understand that the man bullied you quite actively during your school years, and we both understand that we should have done more to prevent this from occurring… but the man has been dead for over a decade Severus. It is time to let this irrational hatred that you have passed on die with him ."
"It is not bias Headmaster. The boy is up to something!"
"Yet you are the only one who sees it."
"Perhaps I am not as blind as the rest of you are." A sharp glare silenced the Potion Master, who now found his lap far more interesting than the man seated before him.
"You are creating evidence in your mind Severus. You see a studious and intelligent young man who looks very similar to someone who tormented you and thus you assume they are one in the same. Tell me, do you have any actual evidence of the boy's wrongdoing?"
"No but…"
"Exactly"
"But the circumstantial evidence…"
"Is irrelevant."
Snape fell into silence once more, before a conversation came to the forefront of his mind. "You are having meals with the boy?"
"I am, he is quite intelligent and I find him pleasant to be around."
"Then perhaps we can make an agreement? I will admit that I have been negatively biased towards the boy… if you admit that perhaps your own guilt over what happened and his living conditions has caused some bias of your own."
Albus fell silent, his eyes closed as he went over his own actions in his mind, before he gave a weary nod. "Very well, then we should approach this as an outsider. There is circumstantial evidence that seems to be mounting against him, but if we were to approach the DMLE with this nothing would come of it… so rather than shout accusations at every chance let us observe for now. If we find anything that can be direct proof we will build a case, until then though…"
"Until then I will ease my own prejudices. If I am unable to do so then I will be the first to recommend he be transferred to a different House where he can be treated fairly."
"Thank you Severus."
....
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