The Protagonist System

84 Yule Be Good Or Else

Fixing the Hufflepuff's false opinion of me was a propaganda storm of... normal proportions. It did take a lot of effort and time to set it in motion, especially after Amelia's Howler. Of course, I sent one right back and tore her apart for her assumptions and for not gathering proper evidence and only relying on a single witness to make her conclusions to close the case.

After the small blitz of the newspapers, magazines, and Yule cards that I had sent all over both Britain and the rest of the world to make sure that my stellar reputation was still intact and well deserved, Amelia herself showed up at the castle on Christmas Day to talk to me. She looked both embarrassed and contrite, the guilt on her face was plain to see.

Petunia was quite smug about it, too. After she had delivered her own dressing down to the woman, making Amelia wince every time Petunia pointed out how much I had helped the DMLE over the years with my efforts to reduce crime and dangerous roaming beasts, I brought Amelia to my trophy room.

Let me tell you, it was quite the sight to see the experienced older woman stare with an open mouth at all of the evidence of my adventures. I hadn't made it a secret that I really did all of the things that were written about; but, most adults needed a lot of convincing to accept that I really had done everything they had read about.

They could easily accept that I might have done a thing or two that were similar to my books, only exaggerated and embellished to the point to make it a great story that would sell. They justified their opinions by the fact that I was a child at the time and couldn't really have done everything. Now Amelia knew that I really had.

I didn't tell her about the restrictions of doing exactly what was written and not adding anything, though. No one else needed to know that. I still felt guilty about it, even years later. On the positive side, the books and merchandise were still selling like hotcakes with free syrup.

Amelia needed a good twenty minutes to compose herself and she used her official persona to apologize to me and promised to arrange the press conference to set the record straight. Then she let out a long and drawn out sigh and rubbed her face with a hand, then she apologized personally for jumping to conclusions about what Susan had told her.

“I had wondered why none of the Hufflepuffs had approached me or talked to me for the last four months. Their blind and unearned loyalty to one of their own was a detriment to both them and their House.” I said and Amelia looked even more embarrassed. “I assume Susan told you about the Yule cards?”

Amelia opened her mouth to say something, then nodded instead. “Was it necessary to embarrass every single Hufflepuff in the school?”

I couldn't stop a huge fake smile from appearing on my face. “Can you really stand there and tell me that each and every one of them didn't write home to their families and tarnished their opinion of me as they told them all about how the famous Harry Potter had snubbed Hufflepuff House?”

Amelia opened her mouth again, then realized Susan had done exactly that. She let out another sigh and shook her head.

“That's right. Every family was finally allowed to hear my side of the story, which was the truth. Any embarrassment their children felt was of their own making.” I said and that made her wince, so I changed my fake smile to a real one and also changed the subject. “So, have you prosecuted anyone that sent me cursed objects yet?”

Amelia's face went to a bright red and she turned her head away.

“Ah, I see. You dropped them because of your completely wrong opinion of me and to punish me.” I said and she flinched. “Will an article appear in the Daily Prophet about how you mishandled hundreds of criminal cases before or after your promised press conference in two days?”

Amelia turned her head back to look at me with anger on her face. “How dare you threaten...”

“I really did regret that you never had the guts to approach me to thank me for everything I've done for you.” I interrupted her rant. “After seeing how you will intentionally ignore doing your job for personal reasons, I don't regret it now.”

Amelia's mouth snapped shut and she glared at me.

“You have a very important choice to make right now, Madam Bones.” I said and she winced at me not using her given name to address her. “Will you correct your deplorable mistakes on my behalf or will the famous Harry Potter speak out about how his long term support for the DMLE, both politically and financially, will end because of your actions?”

Amelia's face drained of color and she looked faint.

“Will 10 minutes be long enough for you to make the decision?” I asked her and she didn't react, so I cast the truth spell on her. “Tell me what you did with the years of evidence of crimes against me.”

“I had it all destroyed.” Amelia said and gasped as she covered her mouth.

“Tell me why.” I ordered.

“You hurt my niece and it was the only way I could hurt you back without getting into trouble myself.” Amelia said as tears came to her eyes.

“You destroyed the records of it all, too.” I said. It wasn't a question and she nodded anyway. “How good does it make you feel to discard your own strict morals and allowed hundreds of criminals to get away with assaulting a child?”

Amelia looked sick. “It felt good at the time and now I realize how wrong it was.”

“Can you arrest yourself as a conspirator and contributor to crimes against a minor for destroying official DMLE evidence and records?” I asked her and she shook her head. “I hope your empty victory on Susan's behalf was worth the personal and political embarrassment this is going to cause you for the rest of your life.”

Amelia didn't wipe at the tears rolling down her face. “Harry, please don't...”

I gave her a blank look. “Shall I give you ten minutes to convince me that what you did was right? That it was justice? That you had every intention to never help me ever again because I didn't talk to the girl that never once tried to talk to me?” I asked her and she didn't answer. “TELL ME!”

Amelia sobbed. “I was going to keep burying everything you sent me to keep hurting you for hurting her.”

“And now what will you do?” I asked.

“I'll cancel the press conference and your claims will fade away and be forgotten. No one will believe you because you're just a teenager complaining because you can and everyone accepts that's what teenagers do.” Amelia said as her hands tried to stop her mouth from moving and failed.

I smiled at that. “Then isn't it great that I've recorded everything you just said?”

Amelia gasped and looked around for whatever it was.

“Don't bother trying to deny anything. You chose your niece over your integrity, proving that even honest people like you will throw everything away for what they think is the right reasons.”

Amelia looked shocked at that, then she grit her teeth. “All right, Harry. I understand what you're doing.” She said. “It's a basic shock and awe tactic. What do you want?”

“You tell me.” I ordered.

“You want me and it annoyed you that you had to settle for my niece, so you ignored her to get back at me for it.” Amelia said.

I stared at her for a few seconds, then I started laughing. I laughed pretty hard for several minutes and she looked really angry. I eventually calmed down and looked into her angry eyes with my own.

“You're wrong. I didn't even think about your conceited niece even once since the train ride to school. She made it abundantly clear that she was not going to date me, so why would I ever bother with her?” I asked her.

“Wh-what?” Amelia asked, her anger floating away in her confusion.

“The first thing I told her was that Tonks dropped me to become an Auror, because she wouldn't have time for me, and Susan immediately told me she was becoming an Auror. Is there any doubt at all that she was intentionally refusing to be my girlfriend?” I asked. “Well? Is there?”

Amelia looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. That look made me smile.

“She never told you that, did she?” I asked with satisfaction and she didn't shake her head no. “Isn't it too bad that it's much too late to undo everything you've done?”

Amelia didn't respond and more tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I hope your replacement will be less likely to react emotionally if any of their family members gets the false impression that I'm ignoring them when they ignore me.” I said and motioned to the door of the trophy room. “I'll walk you out.”

Amelia didn't move or say anything, so I walked over to her, took her arm, and led her out of the room and eventually to the floo room. I saw no point in taking her outside to the edge of the protection wards to let her apparate home.

“By the way, you can't cancel the press conference. I'm going to send a letter to Minister Diggory and he should be quite happy to accept changing my next DMLE donation to become a campaign contribution instead.” I said and she didn't react. “I suggest taking a few minutes to get your wits about yourself before you decide what you're going to do next.”

Amelia blinked her eyes at me for several seconds. “What do you mean?”

I gave her my best smile. “This is my world, Madam Bones. I won't let anyone mess things up for me.” I warned her. “I got rid of Voldemort. I got rid of the death eaters. Now, I'm getting rid of you.”

Amelia's face drained of color again. “You can't kill me!”

I chuckled. “I don't have to kill you, Madam Bones. You destroyed your career and your credibility all on your own. No one in the Ministry Of Magic, or anyone else in the world, is going to trust you again after you betrayed the Boy-Who-Lived and let hundreds of criminals off from persecution.” I said and used a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace. “Bones Manor.”

Amelia disappeared in the green flames with a look of horror on her face.

I created the things I needed and Hedwig teleported into the room. “Thank you, Hedwig.” I said and gave her some owl treats. She gobbled them down, took the letters, and teleported away.

I went downstairs to the living room and talked to Petunia about what just happened for several minutes. She sighed when I was done explaining, took me into her arms to hold me, and kissed my forehead. She didn't say anything and just held me in a tight hug, so I stayed there in her embrace and enjoyed her comforting warmth.

Petunia let me go and looked into my eyes as she put her hands on my shoulders. “At least she didn't try to disrobe when she tried to distract you with her ridiculous accusations.”

I couldn't resist briefly looking down at her heaving chest in her tight sweater and back at her face.

Petunia made a snort sound and smacked me upside the head. “Don't even think about it.”

I grinned at her. “You can't blame me for being curious. Uncle Vernon can't get enough of them and brags about them all the time.”

Petunia shook her head and gave me a little shove to push me away. “Go get washed and changed. You're due at the Greengrass Estate in 45 minutes.”

I nodded and left the living room at a fast walk. I still heard Vernon tell her that I had made an excellent point and heard Petunia's soft moan before the door closed. That made me chuckle and I ran up the stairs to my bedroom and the personal bath there. Nanny popped in and gathered my discarded clothes and I showered quickly, dried off, and put on my most expensive fancy robes.

“You really outdid yourselves with these robes.” I complimented Nanny as she helped me add the right accessories.

“Youse bees meeting youse future wife.” Nanny said and her little hands rubbed over the front of the robes to smooth them with both her hands and a touch of elf magic. “Youse bees charming and keeps youse hands above the misses waist.”

I barked a laugh and gave her a quick hug, so I didn't undo what she just did to my robes or bothered the little bump on her front. “I can't promise that, Nanny.” I told her and let her go. “The most I can promise is to keep them away from the front part.”

Nanny sighed and then smirked at me. “Youse is thinking she bees wanting that?”

“After all the letters about her being so frustrated by her parents trying to keep her isolated because they still believe she's sick? I think I'll be lucky if she doesn't try to tear all my clothes off as soon as she sees me.”

Nanny laughed a high squeaky laugh. “That would bees funny.”

“The look on Daphne's face would be even funnier.” I commented and the little elf kept laughing. “I'll see you tonight if they don't ask me to stay for the night.”

“Youse bees accepting if they offers. Don't bees playing hard to get!” Nanny warned me and wagged a scolding finger at me.

I laughed. “You think I should play hide and seek to let Astoria find me alone?”

“If youse bees smart.” Nanny said with a sharp nod.

I leaned down and kissed her cheek to make her blush. “Thank you for the advice, Nanny.”

Nanny blushed again and looked pleased. “If Hopsy pops in, tell her hellos.”

“I will.” I said and left my room to go to the floo room. I entered and held in my sigh at who was waiting for me.

“I don't want you to go.” Amy said, her head ducked and her eyes downcast.

I walked right over to her and used a hand to lift her head and looked into her eyes. It didn't take a genius to see that she was deeply in love with me, despite being several years younger than me.

“I still have three years before the contract is enacted.” I told her.

Amy blushed. “But... but that means...”

I waved my hand and secured the room, then I cast a cleaning charm on the floor and knelt on one knee. After what happened with Amelia today, I didn't want someone else that would work behind my back to try and make me hurt for some perceived insult.

“Amy, I do love you...” I started to say.

“I know.” Amy interrupted and blushed as she turned her head to look away. “I know I shouldn't think of you like that and that it's wrong to...”

“I never said it was wrong.” I interrupted her right back.

Amy's head snapped back to stare at me with wide eyes. “But...”

I leaned in close and kissed her. She let out a cute little moan and wrapped her arms around my neck. We didn't move our lips or anything and just pressed them together. It was both innocent and exactly what Amy wanted. Confirmation.

Amy broke the kiss and blushed to a deep red. “H-Harry...”

“When we're old enough, no one will care about the age difference between us.” I said and she nodded. “For now...”

Amy sighed and nodded again, because she understood. “Dad really hates you.”

I smiled and told her a secret. “He always has.”

Amy looked surprised for a moment, then she nodded once more. “You made him rich.”

“Rich and happy enough to tolerate me. He and Petunia are in the living room right now.”

Amy giggled. “I saw.”

“Not too much I hope.” I said with a laugh.

“Butter pulled me away from peeking through the door frame when mum lost her sweater.” Amy said, a bit proudly.

“Sneaky.” I said and reached out to cup her cheeks with my hands. “I have to go.”

Amy sighed and stepped aside. She didn't say goodbye or anything like have fun or good luck.

I used some floo powder and paused before I tossed it into the fireplace. “I left you something in your room.”

Amy perked right up. “Another present?”

“Maybe.” I said and waved a hand to dispel the secure spell as Amy squealed and ran out of the room. “So easily distracted.” I muttered and tossed the floo powder down. “The Greengrass Estate.”

The flames shot up and engulfed me to take me to see my betrothed and her family.

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