As he walked down the corridor Harry couldn't help but feel a little ridiculous. No one could see him, but the fact that a grown man was hiding from everyone in Hogwarts under an invisibility cloak was a bit silly, even to him. It didn't help that Harry had to crouch and waddle in an awkward way in order for the cloak to cover him completely. Harry chuckled to himself, and remembered successfully fitting himself, Ron, and Hermione under the cloak back when they all went to school here.
Things had changed in the life of Harry Potter he had married Ginny and had three beautiful children. Two boy James and Albus, and one girl names Lily. Even with his life changing Hogwarts seemed to remain the same. Harry was able to travel through all his old secret passageways to avoid Peeves. He had to cover a snort when he witnessed a first year student get stuck in the sinking step in that one stairwell. Harry missed Hogwarts and the life he had here. He wished that he could turn back time and re-live it all, but time-turners just did not work that way.
Harry was back for a reason, a purpose. He needed to get to the headmaster's office. For him it was still strange not to call it Dumbledore's office any more even though many years had passed since Dumbledore had died. Harry had not been back for many years, but had hoped, that like the rest of the school, the Headmaster's Office has not changed to drastically. Harry hoped that the Pensieve remained in its cabinet within Headmaster's Office. Professor McGonagall had become Headmistress after Dumbledore's Death. Harry figured that she would not have changed much since she had loved Dumbledore very much. McGonagall had died recently and it was a big mystery. She had been found in her office, killed by the killing curse. This was the reason Harry was here, his son had seen something. Harry needed to know what it was.
Harry had recently received an urgent owl from his son, Albus Severus. Harry had gotten to Hogwarts as quickly as possible and raced up to see his son. When he had arrived Al told him what he had seen. Harry felt the only way to protect him was to retrieve the memory, and then erase his mind. Harry bould not allow Albus Severus to live with this trauma and burden. Harry had done this to protect Al. Harry had taken the memory and placed it in a glass vile, which Harry had tucked away inside his robes.
Before he could worry about what the memory truly contained he had to get to the Headmaster's office, and creeping around in the night seemed like the most efficient way to accomplish that. However, since Harry left Hogwarts it seemed that the teachers always monitor the corridors at night. Harry's knack for breaking the rules had obviously caused some permanent changes to how the school runs, and McGonagall's death had caused there to be higher security at the school as well. Harry saw Neville on his rounds and almost yelled out a Hello until he realized how he would look; under his invisibility cloak in the middle of the night at Hogwarts when he was supposed to be at home. Harry snuck around Neville, who didn't seem to be paying attention, and made his way down the last corridor to the Headmaster's Office.
Harry stood in front of the gargoyle and cursed himself for being so stupid. He didn't know the damn password. It would still be set to McGonagall's last password, but Harry couldn't think of anything she would use. McGonagall was not as impractical as the previous Headmaster, she wouldn't just pick her favorite candy of the moment and make it her password. McGonagall would have been much more clever about her passwords. Harry wished Hermione was here, she would be able to help figure it out.
After fifteen minutes of staring at the gargoyle and wracking his brain, Harry whispered, "if only it were lemon drop". The gargoyle suddenly leapt aside and the staircase started ascending. Harry smiled widely at the nostalgia. Professor McGonagall was paying homage to Dumbledore.
Harry stepped on the staircase and felt his heart pounding. He had not been back to this office since the night of the battle, after he saw Snape's memories. Finally, Harry reached the top and slowly opened the door. The office was in darkness except for the glowing Penseive which had already been taken out from its hidden closet and placed on the desk. There were two people standing over it as if they were expecting something. Harry froze. The two figures turned around. Ron had a huge smile on his face, and Hermione just looked at Harry knowingly.
"How… why… What are you guys doing here" Harry finally spit out.
Hermione responded "Oh Harry, you thought we didn't know what you were doing. You left in such a rush earlier after you received that owl. After what happened to Pro… I mean, Headmistress McGonagall we figured out what you were up to."
"But, how did you get into the school, how did you get into the office. How did you know I needed the Penseive?"
Ron smiled. "Harry… we just asked Neville. We don't have to go sneaking around anymore, we are adults and have connections. And we didn't really know that you needed the Penseive, we just took it out of the cabinet while we were waiting for you."
Harry chuckled at his own silliness. He was so used to doing things a certain way at Hogwarts that he forgot he had friends in high places now that would be able to help him.
"Okay well, we really should take a look at this memory so we can find out what happened."
"Whose memory did you collect?" inquired Hermione
With a frown Harry slowly said the name. "Albus Severus." Ron and Hermione glanced at eachother, but said nothing. Harry stepped in between his two best friends and stood right in front of the Penseive. This felt right, the three of them investigating together again. Harry took out the small vile filled with a silvery bright fluid. He uncorked it and poured it into the swirling Penseive. Slowly the image started to appear. Harry, Ron and Hermione all joined hands and dived in.
The Pensive twisted and turned their bodies until all three of them were inside the image, witnessing the action.
Their bodies were flipped back up right as they landed in the back of Professor McGonagall's office. Albus Severus was standing in the hallway by the door in the back peering into the room. He was trying to stay hidden from McGonagall and the other person in the room. Ron, Harry and Hermione were able to stand inside the room and watch what unfolded from Al's perspective.
The boy in the room had bright blonde hair, and was wearing Slytherin Robes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all exchanged looks. They knew this boy must be Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius. Draco was not their favorite person while at Hogwarts, but they all ended up leaving on okay watched young Scorpius as he argued about the detention he had received earlier that day. McGonagall being the hard ass she was did not give Scorpius any leeway.
Scorpius progressively got redder and angrier as the argument went on and finally McGonagall stopped him."Scorpius my decision is final. You will serve detention tomorrow night with Filch in the dungeons. Now, if you will please excuse me I have work to get back to." As McGonagall turned around Scorpius drew out his wand.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione all leaped forward and tried to prevent what they knew they couldn't. Harry looked back to his son whose memory this was. Albus Severus was frozen in shock, staring openly at the disaster that was about to happen.
Scorpius raised his wand quickly and shouted; "Avada Kedavra!" The green light burst from his wand, and struck McGonagall in the shoulder as she tried to turn around. Her face was a mix of fear, astonishment and complete terror. Then the strong and dependable Professor McGonagall dropped dead on the floor of her classroom. Scorpius stared at what he had done. He seemed proud but also terrified.
Harry made a quick glance back at Albus Severus who was beginning to retreat. As Ron, Harry and Hermione were pulled out of the memory all they could hear was the laughter of a little boy, and the sound of his running feet.
When they all landed back in the Headmaster's Office none of them had any words. Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked up at the sleeping portrait of McGonagall. She was no longer sleeping, but just stared at them with a knowing eye and a sad smile, and then she fell back asleep and snored loudly before any of them had the guts to break the silence.
Never in his darkest thoughts had Harry thought Draco's son could have committed this murder. Draco himself was not a murderer; he did not have that kind of soul. Harry had watched as Draco realized he could not murder Dumbledore. It seemed that Scorpius did not care about human life the way his father had. He killed McGonagall in a swift and practiced way. Scorpius was a murderer, and Harry was baffled.
Hermione, after choking down a sob, was the first to talk. "Harry, Albus Severus saw all of this!? You cannot let him be burdened with this."
Harry looked at her sadly. "Don't worry Hermione. After I took the memory I wiped clean Ablus Severus' mind, thankfully I received the owl instead of Ginny. I am glad I found him first before he told the whole school."
Ron was nodding his head like he understood what Harry had to go through to protect his son's innocent mind. He looked up and met Harry's eyes. "You did the right thing mate, but now we have to figure out what to do next. What is the right thing now?"
Harry just gaped, he didn't know if he could handle the fate of a little boy, who may or may not have known what he had done. Hermione, always the rational one, said "We should probably inform the Ministry. We are not the law and we don't make the rules. Scorpius just killed one of the most beloved professors Hogwarts has ever had. And there must be a reason for it."
Ron then backed her up. This was new ever since that got married, Harry still had not gotten used to it. He wished Ron still had his back in these type of arguments. "She's right, there is nothing we can do about this, except report it and turn over the memory. You didn't damage it, or tamper with it in anyway, did you?"
"Of course not!", Harry retorted. He felt a little offended that his friends would think so little of him. But this was such a delicate and strange subject that he understood their emotions. "Maybe we should send for Draco and Astoria? It is their son after all."
Ron and Hermione just stared at him. Harry decided to keep talking. "Well if it were one of our kids we would want to be contacted."
Ron snorted, "Harry, our kids wouldn't have just killed the Headmistress of Hogwarts over detention! That was something planned something evil. Contacting the ministry is all we can do, we aren't heroes anymore."
Harry was disgusted. His earlier relief at seeing his best friends was seeping away. Now he wished he had witnessed this memory alone. There was nothing he could do except negotiate with them. "How about we send an owl to Draco first, and just tell him Scopius is in trouble. That way he can get to Hogwarts and be with Scorpius when the ministry arrives. Then we send and owl to the ministry." Harry looked at the two faces he knew best in the world.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, one they had shared many times before. They knew they could not change Harry's mind, and if they wanted to help him they needed to stay on his side.
Ron spoke up first. "Alright mate, but we send the owl to the Ministry as soon as we get in contact with Draco. Who knows what is going on with that family…"
Hermione nodded her head. Harry smiled, he was happy he might have just saved a child from the ultimate punishment. His gut twisted. Maybe Harry just convinced his friends to make the wrong decision. What if Draco, or some other power sent Scorpius to complete this task, and now Draco could help cover it up? What if Voldemort is gone, but the death eaters are still completing his mission?
Harry kept these worries to himself. Sometimes heroes never learn.