Harry's morning was not much fun.
It took over an hour for everyone to finish telling him - in detail - exactly how foolish, thoughtless, impulsive, and reckless behaviour. Harry endured it but he felt a bit resentful for the whole thing. They weren't there. The entire British werewolf population would have joined Riddle and then the trouble would have really broken out. He tried to explain that when he won Fenrir would lose status and at worst the werewolves would be neutral. Dumbledore pointed out Greyback was a much older and experienced werewolf and Harry's chances of victory were 'sub-optimal'.
"Well, if I can't take Fenrir than what chance do I have against Voldemort?" Harry shot back, his patience finally at an end. "I did what I had to do! Did you want to face the combined Packs of Albion, Hermione? Do you, Headmaster? The last war you just faced the Greyback Pack. I've read the reports! How would you like to face four more?!" Dumbledore paled as he considered the ramifications.
"Yes, what I did was reckless and impulsive, but what else could I have done? It is easy to sit here and tell me what I should have done. That I should have do nothing. Just sat there and kept my mouth shut. None of you were there but Remus and he wasn't able to do anything. There is an old saying, it goes something like, 'All evil needs to succeed is for good men to do nothing.' I saw a whole lot of people doing nothing growing up with the Dursleys. Teachers, neighbours, no one did anything to help me there. I swore that if I had the ability I wouldn't let evil just happen and pretend I didn't see it! My time at Hogwarts just made that all the more clear!
"Now, I am going to go take a shower. Feel free to continue your rants about how thoughtless, immature, and reckless I am. I am done here. Remus, feel free to tell them whatever the hell happened last night not covered by oaths."
Sirius Black watched his godson storm out of the dining room. He could almost see the Beast superimposed over the teen. He was still angry over the risk Harry had taken; it was an insane, thoughtless gamble he'd taken and it could still cost him his life. But he also understood Harry's actions. However, the thing that made him truly pause was the brief glimpse he'd just seen of Harry's true character. Not the traits that reminded Sirius of James, Lily, or even his grandparents but the true Harry. There was a fiery determination in there.
The imagery of a Black family trip to the magical remains of Pompeii when he was 12 came to Sirius. Magical images and ancient ghosts presented the last days of that Roman city. The mountain looked quiet, placid and beautiful until its eruption. Then its lava ran an unstoppable course that burned through walls and wards with equal facility. Nothing stood in its way. What the lava didn't get was choked to death under feet of ash. Sirius suddenly saw his godson as that mountain; hiding under a quiet, friendly, and jovial facade, but underneath a core of purpose that would not be stopped. Anything that stood in his way would be destroyed.
Sirius exchanged a glance with the woman who in a short time had come to mean everything to him. Kalina was a fire of a different sort; passionate and consuming. He'd teased James for falling for Lily so hard and fast but now he knew exactly how his best mate had felt. If Azkaban was the cost for having Kalina in his life, he'd do it again in a heartbeat. Her glance told him she would support him in anything he did.
"Harry's right," Sirius said. "He made the call. I fought some of Greyback's pack once and don't want to do that again, let alone with five times the numbers. Remus, tell us what else happened. Harry can re-join us when he is ready." Dumbledore seemed to want to protest but held it in as the rest acquiesced to Sirius's orders.
Remus completed Harry's aborted story going into much greater detail. He included almost verbatim recounting of everything that happened up until the Alphas' meeting started and was sealed under the Pack oaths. Remus did not discuss the proposal presented by the Alphas of the Alba Pack. That would be discussed in a smaller group.
Padma and Hermione were particularly interested in Colleen, the female teen werewolf that Harry had encountered. Remus described her and their encounter but was interrupted by a voice from the door.
"Think of Pansy meeting a 'mudblood' at a party. Then have her find out the mudblood is really the sole heir to a wealthy Ancient and Noble House. When we saw Colleen after the Gathering, I'd moved from the shite on her boot to some new piece of jewellery to be possessed. Not a great first impression."
Remus had to tentatively agree with Harry's rather harsh assessment as the teen returned to the room. "She now knows Harry is a potential Alpha. With most of the other Alphas being in their prime and in strong partnership with their mates, Greyback is the only unpaired Alpha male - unless they accept Harry as a new pack leader. I don't think she is quite as bad as Ms Parkinson, but I understand the comparison."
Padma gave Harry a dangerous smile. "So do I have competition?" Harry shuddered.
Harry's response of "No, no, you definitely do not," garnered some much needed humour in the room.
.....
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