Albus Potter and the Mystery of the Hog's Head

Just a fun little idea I had. Enjoy!

Albus Potter was walking down High Street of Hogsmeade with his best friend Scorpius Malfoy. Three years ago, Albus was Sorted into the Slytherin, and he developed a friendly relationship with Scorpius.

"Hey Al, look who it is," Scorpius said, pointing at the Honeydukes window.

Sitting at the window was Viola Stringer, Albus's long-time crush, who played Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Albus became a sort of friendly rival to her, playing Chaser for the Slytherin team, and matches between the two always ended up with each of them making ten or eleven goals apiece. Off the pitch, however, Viola would almost never interact with him. Worse, she harbored feelings for his older brother James.

Albus shook his head, breaking out of a semi-trance from looking at Viola.

"I'm not going to do it."

"Come on, just do it," Scorpius egged him on.

"I am not doing it."

"Just do it."

"No."

"At least go inside and get some sweets, then maybe go for it," Scorpius said strongly, afterwards muttering, "No wonder you're not a Gryffindor."

Albus and Scorpius walked into the shop, and Albus caught a glimpse of Viola admiring James from afar, which greatly angered him. James was currently talking to Roxanne, his cousin, no doubt getting dangerous discontinued Weasley's merchandise from the daughter of the founder. What he didn't know was that Albus had been getting dangerous merchandise from his Uncle Ron ever since he'd been allowed to go on Hogsmeade trips.

Scorpius and Albus separated and hunted for sweets, eventually coming back with numerous boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Blowing Gum, Licorice wands, and other candies. The two Slytherins were arguably the richest students in their year, with Scorpius's father Draco having inherited a large fortune upon the death of his father, and Albus's father Harry getting paid extremely well, as he was the Head Auror and was a member of the Wizengamot. They paid the cashier ten Galleons each, and Scorpius pushed Albus toward Viola, who was sitting and talking with her friends.

"Hey Stringer," said Albus awkwardly, and all her friends giggled except Rose Weasley, Albus's cousin, who could see the intention of his appearance.

"Hi Potter," Viola said, brushing her long blonde hair aside, "Excited for the match tomorrow?"

Albus remembered that Slytherin was playing Gryffindor the next day, and made a mental note to polish his broomstick that night.

"Yeah, er, good luck."

As Albus left the shop to join back up with Scorpius, Viola's entourage giggled excessively, but Rose only looked with a gaze of sorrow at him.

"That was absolutely pathetic," Scorpius said as they turned a corner.

"You don't understand. It's like she's a veela or something," Albus said dreamily.

"That, and she doesn't like you," Scorpius added, and continued upon seeing Albus's look of confusion. "Look, I get my information from Rose," – Rose was Scorpius's girlfriend – "And she says that Stringer can't stand you."

"And why is that?"

"Well, maybe it has to do with Quidditch. I mean, we do beat Gryffindor almost every match, thanks to me," Scorpius said – he had indeed inherited his father's talent for Seeking.

"I think I need to down my feelings with firewhisky," Albus said glumly, "Just make sure there aren't any prefects around."

Albus and Scorpius entered the Hog's Head, the dingy pub a little way's away from High Street, where Aberforth Dumbledore was humming and wiping down a glass.

"'Afternoon, Ab," Albus said, and Aberforth nodded before looking back down.

The pub was full of odd people, but Albus could definitely recognize a few, like Mundungus Fletcher, who was currently hidden under a purple veil, and Hagrid, whose massive stature made him nearly unmistakable. Hagrid and Mundungus were discussing some odd events that had happened recently, including the return of Fawkes to Hogwarts no more than a week ago. The phoenix landed by the Headmaster's Tower, cawing to Professor Flitwick before the tiny Headmaster let him in. He looked pretty badly injured when Albus saw him, since he was in the Headmaster's office for setting off a Portable Swamp by the Owlery.

"An' then I said ter Flitwick, 'did yeh ask Dumbledore's portrait yet?' and he said no. So we went up ter the study, an' Dumbledore said tha' some strange things – oh, hello Al, and you too Scorpius."

"Professor Hagrid, what are you doing here?" asked Scorpius, who was friendly enough to call Hagrid solely by his name.

"Jus' waitin' fer someone. Yeh know Al, I'll bet yeh'll really like the next creature I brought in," Hagrid said excitedly, brushing away Scorpius's question.

Albus's stomach turned – when Hagrid said he thought Albus would like something, it usually ended up being very dangerous. His father had once told him the story of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, and how his friend Dean Thomas ended up in the hospital wing with second degree burns because of them.

"Yeh know, Ab said he was lookin' fer a couple o' students to do 'im a favor. Mind if yeh help 'im out?" Hagrid asked.

"Sure," said Albus before Scorpius could decline.

The two walked to Aberforth, albeit Scorpius very reluctantly, and asked what he needed.

"You see that painting over there? When it opens, go inside and investigate, 'cause some strange things have been happening in there."

A portrait of a girl no older than thirteen opened next to them, and she smiled as the two Slytherins approached. A dark corridor appeared, and they clambered into it. The farther into the tunnel, the hotter it got, until it reached an almost unbearable temperature. A stone door opened, and a vast room full of burnt furniture and destroyed magical artifacts became visible. In a few spots in the room, fires were raging and charring more things in the room.

"Where are we?" asked Scorpius.

"I dunno, but take your wand out," Albus said, pulling out his own alder wand.

As they descended some stairs into the room, a flaming Fizzing Whizbee soared atop their heads, and a reanimated quintaped skeleton tried to attack them before Scorpius Stunned it. Almost as if sensing their presence, the fire in the other sections of the room starting raging toward them at unimaginable speeds, and Albus was grateful that Professor Glossarist, the Charms professor, had taught them the Aqua Eructo Charm and the Ebulbio Jinx the day before.

"AQUA ERUCTO!" screamed Albus, and Scorpius caught on, yelling "EBULBIO!"

Soon, they were inside a giant bubble. Scorpius cast the Bubble-Head Charm on both of them so they wouldn't drown, but they weren't exactly sure the bubble would hold off the fire.

As the fire approached, Albus could make out distinct shapes of magical beasts like chimaeras and augureys.

Scorpius bellowed something that sounded like, "ESSFEENFAR!" and Albus could make nothing of it. The bubble around them collapsed, and Scorpius raised his wand and screamed at the top of his lungs, "PARTIS TEMPORUS!"

The flames stopped in their tracks and dispersed until the room was ablaze no more. Scorpius walked up to Albus, and panted weakly, "It's Fiendfyre, you idiot."

"That was amazing," Albus said, patting his friend on the back as Scorpius looked to him for support.

"You think so?" Scorpius mumbled, "Let's get out of here."

Albus wanted to as well, but he noticed something rather odd resting in an open armoire. It looked like a dead fetus that had been extracted from its mother, but its eyes were scarlet and its nostrils were serpentine. It was curled up into a ball, and every couple seconds it would shudder lightly.

"Scorp, you don't reckon . . ."

"We are not bringing that thing with us!" Scorpius snarled, suddenly full with energy.

"We have to tell Flitwick! He has to hide it! This is Voldemort!" Albus exclaimed. "How would you feel if this thing fell into the hands of a Death Eater?"

"All of the Death Eaters are in Azkaban," Scorpius said dismissively.

"But not all of the sympathizers are. Rumors are circulating that the Thicknesse bloke who was Minister back in '98 was coerced, and wasn't even under the Imperius Curse," Albus said breathily.

"Fine," Scorpius said darkly, "But we tell no one. My father would be executed if the Ministry found out his son had the body of You-Know-Who in his possession."

Albus wrapped the small Voldemort fetus in a cloth and took him to the large oak doors at the front of the room. When he and Scorpius exited the room, they found themselves on the seventh floor, not too far from Flitwick's office. They ran to Flitwick and told him to guard it more carefully, and all was well for now.