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~ I'm planning to increase the number of advanced chapters to +18 this weekend!
~ I've edited some of the previous chapters to remove anything you might consider "cringe" or "unnecessary." I'll continue reviewing them from time to time!
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Meanwhile...
From the east window of the Headmaster's Office, Severus Snape watched as Harry stormed out of Hagrid's hut in an uncharacteristic fury, followed soon after by three friends and two enemies. Snape's face had a curious expression as he saw the Granger girl run after Potter – something oddly halfway between a smile and a sneer. Truthfully, he wanted to give the girl points with one hand and take them away with the other. It had taxed his skill with the Dark Arts to their limit to prevent Quirrell from slaying The Other Potter. Then, the girl had solved the problem elegantly (if accidentally) simply by knocking Quirrell over to break his line of sight and then by creating a distraction with her Bluebell Flame Charm. Of course, she had used the Bluebell Flames against him, but luckily, the magical flames generally could not harm living things and merely inflicted some minor scorching to the hem of Snape's robes. The Potions Master assumed that she had mistakenly thought him the cause of The Other Potter's trials instead of being the one trying to save him, but he suspected that The Sensible Potter had already set her to rights on the matter. Or perhaps not – from the looks of his uncharacteristic shouting, something had clearly happened to infuriate the boy.
Snape's ruminations on the First Year children and their activities served to block out the idiotic ravings of The Worst Potter, but a sudden lull in the level of general stupidity behind him caused him to realize he'd been asked a question.
"I beg your pardon, Headmaster. I was lost in thought."
"I asked, Severus, if you had any idea why Professor Quirrell might target Jim Potter under these circumstances? He has made no move against the boy so far. Why now?"
"Frankly, I suspect it is because of the ill-considered decision to let the boy play as Seeker despite his youth and inexperience," said Snape, unwittingly echoing Harry's own theory. "The whole thing has smacked of favoritism and pandering from the start, and if he'd died in his first match, it is likely you would have been blamed for allowing him to play. At a minimum, you would have faced a possible suspension by the Board of Governors. Lucius Malfoy, I'm sure, would happily use the boy's death against you. With you out of Hogwarts, Quirrell would have had a clear shot at the Stone ... which is almost amusing considering the Stone isn't even in position yet."
Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, it has been exasperating. The Mirror of Erised should have been prepared and in place before September 1st, but the difficulties of acquiring it from the Department of Mysteries without attracting undue attention were greater than I anticipated. It will be delivered within the week, and I will spend the month of December attuning it to the castle's wards. We should be ready for Quirrell by the start of second term in January, though I suspect he will wait until later in the year before he makes his move."
"A whole month for attunement, Albus?" said a surprised Lily Potter.
"It is a very Dark artifact, Lily. One I would not normally let come within a hundred miles of this school if the need were not so great. As it is, I will have to deactivate several of the school's protective wards designed to detect and block the intrusion of dark artifacts just to allow its entry, and it may take years before those wards become fully functional again. I wish it weren't necessary, but we all know what is at stake here both for Jim and for the wizarding world."
Severus sniffed. At this point in his life, he cared little for the wizarding world, and even less for The Other Potter. He simply wanted to see the last vestige of the Dark Lord destroyed forever. Then, all his old debts repaid, he could finally start searching for some new life for himself. Brazil, perhaps.
"It is gratifying to know that we all have our priorities in order," he said disdainfully. "Jim Potter first, and the rest of the world second. Oh, but, I forget. I suppose Harry Potter comes third once everyone else on the planet has been attended to."
"Why does it not surprise me, Snivellus, to know that you've taken Harry under your wing. No wonder he's gone bad," said James with a sneer. Snape rolled his eyes, but McGonagall was incensed.
"JAMES CHARLUS POTTER! While I respect your status both as auror and Lord of the Wizengamot, I tell you here and now that if I EVER hear that vile nickname again I WILL TRANSFIGURE YOU INTO A MOUSE AND LEAVE YOU FOR MRS. NORRIS TO FIND!"
Potter swallowed. "Sorry, Professor McGonagall."
"Don't apologize to me! Apologize to the man who, to my shame, I allowed you to bully and harass for seven years! And while you're at it, apologize to your other son, the one whom you assume has 'gone bad' merely for his placement in Slytherin despite the extraordinary heroism he has already shown in coming to the aid of the Longbottom Heir. And need I remind you, it is your Gryffindor son who felt the need to use the word 'Mudblood' against a fellow house-mate!"
"Minerva," interrupted Lily, "no one was more embarrassed by that than me, and the same goes for that ridiculous Howler which James and I have ... discussed at length. And we both deeply regret the circumstances under which Harry was raised. But given his Sorting and his relationship to Jim, I agree with James that we have grounds to be concerned about Harry and the possibility of him becoming attracted to ... darker ideologies."
"Then kindly allow me to put those ludicrous concerns to rest, Lady Potter," said Snape contemptuously. "Harry's two best friends are, respectively, a Muggleborn and the third potential candidate identified in the Prophecy. He has consistently rejected enticements to friendship from the children of Death Eaters with the exception of Theodore Nott, another abused child with whom he has bonded and whose father he unabashedly loathes. His relationship with the Malfoy Heir is one of overt hostility. He is one of the prime movers behind a study group consisting of the top students of every house, yet he is so far the only Slytherin involved. He immediately deduced that Quirrell was behind the troll incident and then immediately brought his suspicions to me. Nothing in his conduct to date evinces antisocial behavior. If Harry Potter ever becomes a dark wizard, it is because you two have driven him to it with your own actions. In addition to your decade long abandonment of him to abusive Muggles, he is well aware of Lord Potter's continued efforts to disinherit him, and he is completely justified is assuming the worst about your plans for his continued health and survival should he lose the protections afforded by his Heir status."
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