Harry Potter and the Perfect Stranger: Updated Book 3 - Page 38

Open Rebel

Harry's office door crashed open and Tom rushed inside closing it behind him. "Harry, what the hell is going on? What's this about?" said Tom stretching out the scroll Harry had given Estella only a few minutes ago.

"It's an expulsion scroll."

"An expulsion scroll issued to Estella, why?"

"I'm not satisfied with her performance."

"Oh, C'mon!" Tom threw the scroll in a corner of the office. "What's she done to deserve this? She's worked night and day for the students."

"As far as I know, she hasn't."

"Harry, why are you doing this?"

"I don't have anything to explain to you."

"Oh, yes, you have. You can't expel anyone without reasonable explanation!"

"There's no such clause in the school rules, so I guess I can. And I have." Harry stood facing Tom who was restless enough to have died but he had to do what he was doing. As Harry said it he saw Tom's expression change from anxiety to somewhat comprehension.

"No, Harry, you haven't. You can't. If you are the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry then I own the position of the Deputy Head holding every right to postpone an expulsion." He stopped to see how Harry reacted to that, perhaps he would cancel his own decision, but he saw no expression at all on his face to judge what he was thinking. "I propose a vote, a vote of all staff of Hogwarts' school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From caretaker, gamekeeper to the deputy head and Headmaster, all votes will be taken into account. And this time you will not oppose me."

"Alright. Let's have a vote in the Great Hall, after dinner tonight."

Tom stared at Harry in astonishment. He had never known it would come to this. First he had hurt Roy and now he wanted his only love out of his life, why? But he wouldn't let that happen. No one will vote against Estella. She was nice to everyone. No one will stand this injustice. He turned to leave but turned back to Harry one last time in a futile attempt to prove Estella innocent.

"It you're doing this because you think she helped Roy lie to me, you're wrong. I gave her veritesarem last night. She told me the truth. She was only there to stop me from betraying Roy because Roy trusted me. That was it. There's still time, Harry. Please, think about this." He left as Ginny entered the office but didn't stop to talk to her. He knew if Harry wanted this, so did Ginny.

Tom had awoken to find Estella packing amid a flood of tears. After dinner last night, he had stayed the night with her. Although, Estella had openly pointed out that she wanted intimacy with him during the dinner as much as he wanted it but he had still refrained from it last night. He had slept with his arms wrapped around her feeling her quiet breathing and her heart beating close to him and he had never remembered a more peaceful slumber than this. He had no regrets. He wanted his love to be pure not dependent on physical touch. Somewhere, he felt, Estella understood that and maybe that was why she had allowed him to only stay with her.

He was expecting to wake up to her shining bright eyes, instead he had awoken to see her bright eyes filled with tears and she was packing. He had asked for minutes after his eyes had fallen on the scroll next to the bag and he had wrenched it open before she could snatch it out of his hands. He had then rushed to Harry's office. He couldn't believe Harry was having a hard time trusting his judgment, although, he had always been right. But Harry just wouldn't trust him with Roy and now he had doubts about Estella too.

Dinner at Hogwarts had never been so uneventful. Everyone looked sad, for what reason no one knew. Tom, who had confidence in everyone hadn't asked for any favors from anyone. He knew everyone would get a real shock when Harry would announce them about Estella's expulsion. They wouldn't even agree for a vote. And even if Harry would force them, they would be with Estella.

Tom and Estella sat together at the dinner table but ate nothing at all, neither did any of the other teachers, something that Tom hadn't noticed. For him all miseries were only for him and Estella. Roy sat beside them, supporting them, Tom had told him everything and Roy had promised to vote for Estella if it came to that.

Once the clock struck midnight all students made to their dormitories while the teachers remained in the Great Hall. Harry stood up as the last student left. Dudley and Porch entered the Great Hall. They were going to be a part of the voting too.

"I hope you all had a good meal." Harry began but he could see nothing but seriousness on everyone's faces though he wanted the atmosphere to be light. "I've asked you all to stay in the Great Hall for something important." Harry looked at Estella and Tom who simply denied to look at him and kept staring in the opposite direction. Harry knew what he was doing was going to be hard for Tom but it was only for his own good. Both Estella and Roy had great influence on him and as long as they remained with him he would never be able to get him to see the truth, they would misguide him one way or another. "I feel that Professor Zavatti's performance has not been up to the mark, lately. Our students are quite behind schedule in Transfiguration and exams are just months away. Professor Zavatti has not been able to stand up to my expectations, as a result I have decided to expel her." as Harry said it he looked at Tom again and saw his face tighten with anger, Estella had started weeping silently, he could see how much advantage they were taking of his nature, his quick reaction to everything. "But as I've been reminded, I'm not the only authority to take this decision; therefore, I require your assistance." He addressed everyone as a whole. "I am requesting for a vote. I will ask everyone separately, whoever will be in favor of expulsion will say so and whoever will be against it will do the same." Harry stopped to see everyone nod. "Well, then, I shall commence the voting." Tom looked at Harry for the first time in the whole of his conversation, judging him, trying to see through him but apparently unable to do so. "I am in the favor of expulsion."

Tom looked away again. He had expected Harry to have changed his decision but he hadn't. It was his turn. "I want Professor Zavatti to stay."

"Padma, your vote?" asked Harry.

Tom looked at Padma, he had been taught by her, he respected her very much and was a hundred percent sure she would vote against Harry.

"I am in the favor of expulsion." Said Padma. Tom looked at her unbelievingly. He hadn't expected this. Why did she feel that Estella wasn't working up to the mark?

"Miss Patrick, your vote?" asked Harry.

"I am in the favor of expulsion." Tom couldn't believe Miss Patrick's words. She, Padma, they were all family to him, how could they do this to him? Harry was about to ask Madam Brown but before he could do so Tom cut across him.

"Madam Brown, your vote?" He looked at her full in the face but she avoided his eyes.

"I am in the favor of expulsion." Tom's whole world had been shaken. All three women in his life whom he had ever considered family, given them the place of his mother, had turned on him like this. Why were they doing this? Had Harry asked them to do it? Had he forced them?

"Ginny, your vote?" Harry proceeded with the voting.

"I'm in the favor of expulsion." said Ginny and Tom felt his heart sinking. What if Harry had told everyone to vote against them earlier. He looked at Harry. How could he stoop so low?

"Professor Rapsody, your vote?"

"I want Professor Zavatti to stay." Tom felt a bit of content at Professor Rapsody's words. They still had hope.

"Professor O'Donald, your vote?"

"I want Professor Zavatti to stay." Tom looked at her with pure gratitude. He started counting the votes. Up till now Harry had 5 votes and with Astria's vote Tom had 3 votes. Two more votes and he'll be neck and neck with Harry.

"Professor Mcgonagalle, your vote?"

"I want Professor Zavatti to stay." One more vote and they could even win over this.

"Professor Lestrange, your vote?"

"I want Professor Zavatti to stay." They had done it. It was 5 all. For the first time a smile flared up on Tom's face.

Harry proceeded with the votes. "Professor Hagrid, your vote?"

"I am the favor of expulsion." Tom was a bit taken aback by that but he had been betrayed by people closer to him than Porch so he took it in. But what he did not want to accept was the fact that the next vote might expel Estella out of here. He looked at Dudley. They had been good friends. Both had been rather alone and had found comfort with each other. Though there was a difference. Dudley was a blood relative of Harry's, his cousin, while Tom was just a friend.

"Mr. Dursley, your vote?"

Dudley looked at Tom trying to make up his mind. He met his eyes and saw immense pain in them which made him change his decision. "I want Professor Zavatti to stay."

Tom, who's heart beat was so fast it was skipping the next one every now and then, sighed with relief. Harry and Tom were neck and neck again. Both had 6 votes. He knew Harry would announce a tie breaker and sure enough he started to do so but Tom had something better in mind.

"There is one more individual who should vote." said Tom. Harry who knew what was coming did not object. He knew this would break him completely but this time Tom had asked for it. He should've let her go when Harry had expelled her.

Harry nodded to show his approval and he himself called that individual. "Peeves!"

Everyone in the Great Hall felt strange at this, because Peeves was not one of the staff at Hogwarts. Tom had expected that argument from Harry but he was surprised to see Harry thinking exactly what he was thinking. Though, Tom trusted Peeves in every way possible he could not forget that other people whom he had trusted had turned against him as well and then Peeves was no human. But he was a friend.

Peeves entered the Great Hall hovering in mid air quite slowly as if entering a funeral march. His usual cackle was gone. He smiled when he looked at Harry, something that he hadn't done, for over a century. Tom looked at Peeves who caught his gaze. He had remembered this boy since his first day here. Bright and intelligent but very kind. He would trust anyone who was kind to him blindfolded. Peeves who had been a chaos creator for ages had never met a boy like him. He reminded him of someone whom Peeves knew for years and years before Harry Potter. He reminded him of Dumbledore. He had been like him. But Dumbledore had not been as vulnerable as this boy. So, he hadn't needed to be protected but unfortunately for Tom he needed a savior, one that he might loathe for the rest of his life if truth was never to be told.

"Yes, Headmaster Potter?" said Peeves in his low yet sing-song voice. Perhaps he had so gotten used to it that now when he was actually serious he could not get rid of it.

"Peeves, we require your vote to make an important decision. As your word will be final," Harry looked at Tom and saw confidence in his eyes, which he feared was about to shatter. "please, refrain from any hasty decision. Think over it and pronounce your judgment. Six of us in this room feel that Professor Estella Zavatti has not been working up to the mark lately and must as well be expelled. While the rest want Professor Zavatti to stay. We need your vote to make the final decision." Harry stopped again and Peeves nodded. "So, your vote?"

"Well, well, well...Professor Zavatti

Has been Naughty...

Thus, I might say as well

She deserves to be expelled!"

**********************************************************************

"Harry, I don't think I'll support you if you won't give me a reason to believe you." Madam Brown said rather shocked. She, Padma, Miss Patrick, Dudley and Porch were called by Harry and Harry had asked them to do something they had never even thought of. Estella was as dear to them as Tom himself was.

Madam Brown along with all others had refused point blank to support Harry when he revealed his intentions letting on as much as he wanted them to know.

"I have nothing on me to make you believe, Lavender." Harry looked at them all and their love for the boy he himself loved as much as they did. But if they wanted him safe, alive, and happy they needed to do what he was telling them to. "All I can ask of you to have faith in me for what I am doing and let me assure you that I would not let any harm befall that boy." Harry stopped to see if they really did believe him, but he saw nothing but confusion on all their faces. He had told them he needed Estella out of Tom's life and this was only one step to do that but he hadn't told them why. Not all of them were the Army. Miss Patrick knew nothing about the Army's affairs but she did care about Tom, they all did. He just told them it was important that Estella stayed away from Tom.

"You've just got to trust me." As Harry said it everyone nodded and started to leave one by one, giving Harry the confidence that now they had some hope.

But before Harry had even felt relieved he had found himself face to face with Dudley. He had stayed behind, to talk. "Harry, I respect your decision and I know whatever you're dong would turn out to be in favor of Tom and I'd like to help you with that but," he stopped suddenly overwhelmed by tears flooding down his own eyes. "but I can't do this." he said shaking his head. "I can't betray the love and friendship he gave me when I came here, something that I needed desperately at that time. He was with me when I was alone. I can't betray that, Harry. "

Harry, who Dudley didn't know, was feeling even more overwhelmed by this than Dudley himself was feeling, could only smile at the love that he had seen in the eyes of each of them today for Tom. He had thought he had been the only one who had found himself close to that boy but now he realized it that he had won more hearts than he had ever feared losing. He was loved more than he had ever longed for and he had no idea about it. "The choice is yours. I will not force you for anything."

Dudley hugged Harry tightly. He had felt a big weight lift off his chest. Harry on the other hand knew that if Dudley went against him they would be one vote short. They might need a tie breaker and if Dudley wouldn't do it than someone else would.

He had then called Peeves in his office.

Originally posted by: guy3

I feel like wrangling Tom's neck to shake him out of his goodness-induced stupidity!! Now that Estella is being expelled, he is going to mistrust Harry even more. God! Give him some brains.

Originally posted by: Periopaque

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Originally posted by: guy3

Hey! Congrats! Didn't know you are a published writer. Awesome! Will try to download and read it. Am sure it is as good as (or even better than) this story:)