Nor was it worth having them both realize he still had something he cherished and plotting as to how they could take it away from him unless he did as they wished. And Harry knew McGonagal was just as guilty of doing that as Dumbledore was. He wouldn't have gotten away with his tactics for as long as he had without her blind and willing assistance and compliance. Because why put him back on the team every year just to kick him off again after the first game if his love of flying wasn't a weapon in their hands? No better to never fly here again then to take the chance of them realizing how very much he loved it and how just because he wasn't on the team didn't mean he didn't still have his broom. He could easily see both of them trying to confiscate it from him.
Even his trips to the library were carefully planned so as to avoid the notice of the Headmaster and his deputy. The last thing Harry needed was to be restricted to only being able to use it when his enemies were lying in wait for him. And he totally knew both would do it in a heartbeat if they could get away with it. Especially if they thought he'd be miserable because of it. Which he would be since Granger would be policing his reading material and Weasely would be trying to distract him the entire time with something stupid and irrelevant. They probably even bring the trollop along just to further embarrass and humiliate him because of course she'd be hanging all over him making a display out of herself and him in her efforts to convince everyone she really wasn't the harlot he'd called her.
McGonagal would do it because she wanted to punish Harry for what she saw as him acting outside his authority while at the same time force him to deal with and apologize to her favorite students. Harry had no idea she no longer thought Harry was the one needing to apologize. She hadn't tried to talk with him since the Marking or done anything to make him think her attitude about him had changed. So as far as he was concerned she wanted him to grovel to her chosen favorites and he had no intention of doing so.
Dumbledore would do it because he'd totally believe Harry should be able to undo the magic he had cast upon them and because it would get Harry back under the control of his bought and paid for spies. And that was something Dumbledore needed if he was to continue trying to get Harry into a situation he couldn't get out of without help. In that thought Harry was almost correct. If Dumbledore realized Harry had marked his little patsies he would be trying to make Harry undo the marking and apologize to them while promising never to do it again. But so far Dumbledore hadn't been in the Castle enough to hear any of the rumors or meet with his children. And so he still didn't know the truth.
Harry had considered using the same judgment spell on them as well as the Trio but he wasn't sure it would work and the last thing he needed was to invoke the old magic of the spell only to have it backfire on him because magic didn't find he had just cause. Or because they completely believed they hadn't done anything for which they should feel guilt over. He had studied the magic enough to know the accused had to feel they had done something wrong for the magic to work. Even if what they did was for the right reasons, they had to believe it was wrong. Neither McGonagal or Dumbledore were likely to believe that. Wrong for the right reasons is still wrong but only children were likely to hold that viewpoint. Adults saw too many shades of grey to still think like that. So even if Granger and the two Weaselys also truly felt they were right in what they did to him, they still knew their actions and words were wrong.
Even though Harry knew Dumbledore wanted him dead, he also knew the old man actually did believe it was for the Greater Good. He didn't for one second believe what he was doing to Harry was wrong. Harry even knew why the old man wanted him dead. Being the sole heir of the Marauders, made him a very wealthy young man while Dumbledore was nearly broke. Dumbledore had no idea Harry was actually richer than even he knew. Because he had no idea Harry was the heir to Gryffindor, Evansleigha and Peverell as well. With Potter and Black wealth added to those, Harry was, or would be, Lord of the Five.
Not to mention the masses saw Harry as their Hero. Not Albus as they used to. Both Harry's wealth and his fame brought him a lot of political power in this society and Albus wanted that almost as much as he wanted the other two. Yes, Albus still believed he would hold the superior position but in truth he didn't. Or wouldn't. Once Harry achieved his majority.
There was no Greater Good involved. Or at least, the only Greater Good was Albus Dumbledore's Greater Good. He wanted Harry's inheritance, political power and fame. Plain and simple. Dumbledore had very expensive tastes and he had a reputation for generosity he couldn't meet on his own merit. Which was why he had been dipping into Harry's accounts to begin with. The current Ministry had little if any use for those with nothing but lint in their pockets.
That was the thing about people who only gave you their loyalty so long as you paid them. If you stopped, well. Their loyalty also ended. He needed to pay the people he was using to betray Harry and the only way he could do that was if he helped himself to Harry's money while trying to keep him ignorant of the facts. Because if Harry knew about his wealth, well naturally Harry would question what Albus was doing with it. And just as naturally he wouldn't agree with paying people for their loyalty and support. Because at Harry's age you didn't have to pay people to be loyal to you. If you had to pay them, then they weren't and that was all there was to it. But that was business as usual at the Ministry. If justice was for sale you could damn well bet everything else was as well. And Albus had been a part of the Ministry for far too many years now for that habit not to carry over into his out of the Ministry life.
But there was also Albus' lifestyle and taste to consider. If not for his dipping into Harry's vaults and his separate paydays, he would struggle each and every month to pay his living expenses. He didn't earn any pay for being on the ICW. That position was more like a charity fund raiser where people volunteered their time and expertise. He did get paid from his seat on the Wizengamot and as Headmaster here. But not nearly as much as he spent to keep up his image to the public. It was his access to the school accounts set up to meet the needs of keeping the Castle up and running and covering the needs of the student body that wasn't listed on the supply list or covered by the tuition that helped him maintain his image. Because let's face facts here. The students lived here day in and day out for the entire school year. Twice a year they had the opportunity to go home for a couple of weeks at the most. Then they had to return. They needed good food and clean clothes to wear. They needed adequate healthcare and things to do in their spare time that didn't include doing homework. So new books were needed for the library as that was the only entertainment here the students didn't pay for themselves. So yes there was a school budget fund Albus had control over. And if he was dipping into Harry's accounts you could almost guarantee he was dipping into that fund as well. Which might explain why there was no show nights or concerts here and why things like that stupid Ball last year was such a big deal. But then they didn't have music clubs, art classes, or drama classes to learn or practice those skills either.
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