A/N: You all have waited forever for this. Here it is, another update to GOTF. Tbh, I'm planning to edit this entire story again as I'm still not satisfied with it. That being said, I do have new material to give to bring the plot moving slowly along. Thanks for all the follows and favorites. I'm bringing the old meddling bastard back for another chapter of his thoughts. Let's face it, we haven't shown Dumbles in a while. It's about time we do so.

Anyway, expect some gradual plot progression in the next few chapters. Just know that today's update is slightly filler, but moves things forward for our characters.

Chapter 43 Unsettling Revelations

Through her years of being a professor at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Minerva McGonagall had seen and experienced many things. She'd lost students to war, like James and Lily Potter. She'd seen all kinds of things happen over the years, but the deaths were the hardest to unsee from her conscience.

She should have done better. Maybe if she had tried a bit harder, Lily and James would not be dead, and better yet, the biggest regret of her life would not have happened at all. That was something she thought abouy every single day, and often cried over, no matter how much she tried to forget it.

She regretted how she had let Albus control and use Harry Potter until he had disappeared and, presumably died in the process. She assumed Voldemort had gotten to him first when Dumbledore told her Potter was gone. She mourned, but at the tomr she actually believed Dumbledore's words.

Now, thinking about what the old fool had said made her eyes bun with tears and her want to slap him. How the hell could they all have ignored what Potter was going through for so long?

She had willingly betrayed Potter by refusing to see what Albus had done to him. She regretted ir every day when sge didn't see Potter in her classes. Worst of all was having to teach those two traitors, after they acted like it was okay that Potter was missing.

But things got worse. She'd learned just what Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger had been planning for Harry Potter, and it had set her nerves on fire and her temper flaring.

Why couldn't she remember what Albus had told her afterward? She had stormed up to his office, wanting explanations, and then come out of it...thinking about something else. Thinking about her class.

Minerva dropped her glass of butterbeer in shock, realizing that the Headmaster, one of her "friends", had actually Obliviated her in order to keep her from intervening in his plans for Potter.

How dare he!

But...how long had this been going on?

The more she thought about it, the more she realized there were gaps in her memory.

One thing had not left her mind.

That was the disturbing confession she had heard Ms. Granger say to Mr. Weasley that had made her assign them detention.

After that, everything was...a blank.

Had Albus, the old fool, Oblivated her to stop her from meddling?

The answer, unfortunately, was a resounding yes.

Never had she been unable to forget how dismissive Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley were of Mr. Potter's disappearance, though. They had both been smiling while Dumbledore made his announcement that the Boy-Who-Lived had betrayed all of them by leaving their school forever. She had thought it fine then, but now it sounded like cult propaganda. How the heck was he allowed to be in charge of students?

Dumbledore's laissez faire attitude would no longer apply. Now she would attempt to be Headmistress and use that power to protect the ones she still could protect, while she had the ability to do so.

"Just you wait, Albus." She sneered, "I'm not gonna be your assistant to this madness any longer."

Watch that old man try and stop her.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore was eagerly recruiting Neville onto his side. He told him about how he was the real Boy-Who-Lived and was now gearing him up to die facing Voldemort. Was it sad? Yes, Mr. Longbottom should not have had to be in this position, but if Mr. Potter hadn't been such a cowardly traitor, maybe Neville could go on living a normal life.

He couldn't think of a good reason why Harry would hate this world that much so as to leave it forever and presumably die. He had done everything for the greater good, after all.

Maybe he had enchanted the Dursleys to be crueler to the boy, but he needed to be hit and kicked, in order to be as submissive as possible. So what if the boy had complained of being hurt by them? Corporal punishment was necessary in order to keep children in line. Mr. Potter could not have a big head or an inflated opinion of himself.

Yes, he had set up the school for traps.

He regretted only that Mr. Potter had escaped his destiny. Now the whole Wizarding World was in trouble thanks to him not being there to fulfill it, his destiny, that was.

Nothing irked Dumbledore more than knowing that Mr. Potter was either dead, which he refused to believe, or else hiding somewhere.

He'd dedicated his life to having his sacrifice and he wouldn't rest until Neville either defeated Voldemort or else until he found Mr. Potter and made him bring his ungrateful hide back to where he belonged, fulfill his debt to the Weasleys and then die.

"Albus, a word?"

Dumbledore did not expect Minerva to be there in his office, pointing her wand at him.

"You obliviated me, Albus."

Dumbledore paled. "I did no such thing, Minerva."

"Liar! You lied so much and I trusted you! You will explain everything to me now."

Dumbledore sighed and reached for his wand.

"No, you won't be mind wiping me this time. You're going to tell the whole truth to the public."

Dumbledore paled significantly. This was not what he wanted to have happen.