"Also I'm more popular than he is with a long life ahead of me -if I can escape his plans for me- while his time on this earth grows shorter every day. Do you think I could invoke Judgement on him as I did with them? I mean, he has been trying to kill me now for several years and he has to know that's what he was doing. Even the stupidest person knows that's wrong."
Severus frowned thinking about it. "I'm not sure. If you'd asked me this last month I'd have said definitely not. Mainly because I would've been certain he'd know what it was as soon as you tried it. But from his reaction earlier with the trio, he had no idea. But you'd have to get him to admit it in front of witnesses. As I understand things, that's a key component of the judgement. Besides which, you know he'd take it to the Ministry if you did invoke it against him and those who heard him admit his guilt would be called upon to testify for you. I don't think I'd be a creditable enough witness for you under the circumstances. Those who would be, he's not likely to make that kind of admission in front of. Not knowingly anyway."
"Yeah that's what I thought as well. The only case I can think of where that wouldn't be a viable option for him is if his admission was witnessed by a couple of important Ministry people personally. Then the problem would be getting him to make the admission needed. And there's always the possibility it wouldn't work even if I did get him to admit it. If he truly believes I need to die, then chances are good he won't believe he's done anything wrong. The accused has to believe they've done wrong by the accuser for Magic to find them guilty as charged."
Severus put his hands together and leaned back in his chair. "What we need to do is get someone like Kingsley Shacklebolt and Madam Bones here somehow where he doesn't know they are present. Madam Bones is likely to fight doing that as it smacks too strongly of deception for her ideals. Nor would Kingsley be all that fond of the idea as he too believes the sun rises and sets on the old man." He grimaced lightly. "But I'm also not sure doing this while that Ministry hack is in the Castle is a good idea. While dethroning Dumbledore has been a long time coming, the second he loses his position here, she'll be all over it like white on rice."
"Not if the Board elects someone else to the position and his boot to the rear comes as a result of having been replaced rather than the revelation of his crimes against me personally. I've already been working on the idea of getting him out of here." Severus looked surprised for once letting it show on his face and Harry grinned at him.
"Look at how much smoother the Castle is running this year. We actually made it through Halloween without anything happening to terrify the students. No calamity at all. No hints of a hidden secret or mystery to solve regarding something that's currently being hidden here in the school. Not even a scandal that's being hushed up to protect an unknown innocent. And it's almost Christmas break time. Why is that? I can think of only one thing different this year from all my previous years. He Hasn't Been Here all that much. Something else is pulling him away from the school on a fairly regular basis and he isn't really paying attention to what's going on. The smoothness of this year is a strong indicator that it's he who is the problem in the school and no one else. So I've been working on a plan to get rid of him. Sooner rather than later."
Harry told Severus bluntly. "And you know the Board does have grounds to replace him after all the stuff that has taken place during his tenure. I mean, it's not just been since I got old enough to come to school that things have been occurring. Myrtle is a teenage ghost, you know. Like Colin, the only reason she's here is because this is where she died. We're lucky Diggory didn't come back as a ghost. Or Krum. This is where they both died as well and the whole Tri-Wizard thing was his idea. He oversaw all the challenges and everything. So, in a way, both their deaths are his fault. Especially when you remember it was supposed to be non-life threatening."
"But he wasn't responsible for her death. He was only the Transfiguration teacher back then," Severus said dismissing the idea of using Myrtle.
"He was also the Deputy Headmaster," Harry said gravely. "And the mentor of the boy responsible for her death. He knew, Professor. Right from the beginning he knew what kind of a child Tom was and he did nothing to help him improve his situation. He did nothing to try and undo the lessons Tom learned at the orphanage even when he knew Tom was using those lessons here in the Castle. Nor did he do anything to protect the student population against his inclinations. Just as he did nothing to help the nuns control Tom when he went back to the Orphanage each summer or to protect the other orphans that lived there. He also did nothing to rectify the situation when Tom framed Hagrid for Myrtle's demise. He knew Hagrid didn't open that Chamber just as he knew Hagrid's pet at the time couldn't have killed Myrtle. He still has done nothing to get justice for Hagrid even though I killed Slytherin's true beast in my second year and everyone now knows what it really was."
"I'm not saying we can actually use that to oust him from his lofty seat here. I'm only saying there are skeletons in his closet. So many he has to fold his clothes and store them in his dresser because they won't fit in the closet. I think if we go digging through his years here, Professor, we'll find many instances where he has, to one degree or another, been involved in many very dangerous and harmful incidents, if not illegal incidents, where the student body as a whole or one student in particular has paid the price for his actions. Or inactions, as the case may be."
Quietly Severus nodded murmuring the name, "Slughorn."