Therefore, the students in the Hall had heard the entire conversation between the staff. Those who remembered the aforementioned detention gladly explained what he had been talking about to their nearest neighbors who might still be in the dark about it, ensuring all the students knew he hadn't been lying. Those who knew about the quiditch ordeals explained about that aspect just as eagerly. All in all every word the students said cast further aspersions on the character of Minerva McGonagal. As a result, Professor McGonagal found herself losing the general respect of the student body who were all now almost universally behind their hero, Harry Potter once again.
Which was completely normal for the time of the year. But this time the students meant it. Things were different this year. This year Harry Potter had made the first strike. This year he had struck before any of his detractors could begin their malicious behavior against him. And this year the student body understood what was going on. At least, they thought they did.
To the students, it was bad enough his so-called friends had been using him and trying to kill him but that she, their teacher and his, had been a part of his problems here was just not acceptable at all. Needless to say, yet another wave of letters would be leaving the Castle that night bound for parents waiting to learn what the students now knew. And because Albus still didn't know what was going on in the school, he hadn't locked down the Owl Loft to prevent it.
By the time Albus finally arrived for dinner, that long ago detention was being rehashed along with other stories they had heard about over the years. All the stories were being recounted and debated once again with a new eye to whatever truth might also be concealed in them. He had no idea why the students were rehashing old news but assumed it was because he hadn't yet enacted this years plan to further ruin the name and reputation of his chosen puppet. Students did like to gossip and tear each other down after all. And with nothing new occurring yet, well perhaps it was understandable they turned to old news for entertainment.
But then he really couldn't enact anything this year. Because this years plan really revolved around when Cornelius' woman would begin her campaign of terror on Harry and the other muggleborn or halfblood students. He had no idea she had revised her plans given what the boy had already done and the turmoil surrounding the event. Nor did he understand why she was sitting there so prim and proper smirking at him.
Because he'd been preoccupied with other matters to this point he also didn't realize Harry hadn't actually challenged her in the classroom when she touted the party line. Harry hadn't claimed Tom was back and gearing up to be a viable public safety threat. So Madam Umbridge had nothing to target his puppet over. He was her sole target at this point in time. But Albus had no clue. Because it never occurred to him, Harry didn't believe in him and trust in the goodness he proclaimed to represent to all and sundry. And therefore wouldn't defend his honor when it was called into question by another.
But at the student tables, rehashing history had a point. If the Forest story had been true when they had all been told it wasn't, then who knew just how many of the other stories, discounted as lies or exaggerations, were also nothing but the truth? After all, those stories all had the Unwelcome Trio as the story tellers also. And the students all knew now those three were nothing but liars taking credit for actions not their own while blaming others for things they themselves did or said. So if they were known liars who had lied about one story they all believed was true, then who was to say they hadn't lied about the other stories as well?
They all knew Harry Potter was a hero. No one had ever denied that but he'd been involved in almost all, if not every, traumatic event that had played out in the Castle for the last four years. Always they'd been told it wasn't he who'd actually saved the day but someone else. That he was the one actually causing the problem others had needed to resolve. Usually said resolution was somehow accomplished through the combined efforts of Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasely if he hadn't managed to spin things so that he alone was responsible for ending their peril as he did when his sister had run into trouble and needed rescue. But now the students knew beyond any doubt, Harry had rescued the foolish girl. Not Ronald. Ginerva Weasely owed a life debt in a very major way to Harry Potter.
No one was looking at any of the trio or at the Teachers table so no one noticed Professor McGonagal squirming uncomfortably or the angry, embarrassed looks of the trio. No one noticed how confused and angry Professor Dumbledore seemed to be either. Nor did they notice how tired he appeared to be. He was still trying to recover from the unexpected exercise he'd been subjected to at the bank. His muscles were hurting and the long walk from his office to the Great Hall hadn't helped matters any. It would take time for him to be able to move without pain again. At this point he was only hoping he'd recover before his next appointment at the Bank. Because he knew he had to go there. It was the only way to get more Potter funds. And he needed those funds.
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