Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.
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The life of Harry Potter, and my part in it
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Part nine
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"So Harry, lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked smiling in a grandfatherly way.
Harry declined the offer and remained standing next to the large red and gold phoenix. Dumbledore looked somewhat uncomfortable, as though he had something to say but didn't quite know how to say it.
"Take a seat Harry," Dumbledore said after sitting himself. Harry took the offered seat and wondered what the old headmaster wanted this time.
It did not take him very long to find out.
"So how are you settling in, I suppose you have made several friends?" Albus asked.
"I'm a little homesick, but that's to be expected I think, other than that I am fine sir," Harry answered warily.
"I have heard you have formed a relationship with a Miss Potter, is this correct?" Dumbledore asked the smile on his face never fading.
"Yes sir we are best friends, Hermione and me," Harry answered asking himself why the old headmaster should be interested in his relationships.
"Best friends eh, well you know there are several witches from good families that might be interested in you as future husband material. Some whose parents might be happy to have them betrothed to you, there is a particularly pretty young thing named Ginevra Weasley, she would make an excellent choice, you might like to think about that," Dumbledore said as he steepled his fingers and began to stare in to Harry's eyes.
Harry was really annoyed that the headmaster should even think too suggest he think about other girls. While Dumbledore stared into his eyes Harry stood up and said "As I am already Betrothed to Hermione you can tell those parents to get lost, and if you think I will ever replace Hermione, then you sir can go jump in the lake," that said he stormed out of the office, Hermione was right on his heels and Harry could feel the anger coming from her.
Neither of them noticed the headmaster follow them from his office, then turn down toward the main entrance.
The fifth year class that stood out side on the lawns as they studied care of magical creatures all watched in surprise as the headmaster walked right through the middle of the class without a word. They were even more surprised when for no apparent reason Dumbledore jumped into the cold murky water of the black lake.
Albus Dumbledore floundered about in the water for several seconds as he tried to figure out how he had got there before slowly climbing from the water. As he did so he was so deep in thought he never thought to use a drying charm on him self, instead he squelched his way back up to his office. Determined to find out what had happened Albus pulled out his pensieve and then he delicately drew from his mind the memories of the past half hour, watching the memory Dumbledore could see nothing that could have made him jump in the lake, he was just about to give up with the memory when he heard Harry's voice once again telling him to go jump in the lake, Albus Dumbledore yet again found himself floundering in the cold dark waters of the lake. After several more dunking's in the lake Albus finally decided that maybe checking the memory was not such a good idea.
~*~*~*~
Minerva was even more worried about what Dumbledore was planning now that Hermione and Harry had told her about him mentioning Harry getting betrothed to Ginny Weasley, there was a lot more going on than she knew about and she could think of no way to find out just what the devious old man was up to.
Minerva smiled as Hermione told her that there was a story on the grapevine that Dumbledore had been seen jumping in to the lake by a full class of students, she mentioned that Harry had suggested he do just that very thing the same morning.
Minerva was also worried about Hermione who had had a strange almost vengeful look in her eye when Harry related the tale of the mornings meeting. She just hoped that her favourite pupil was not about to do some thing rash to the daft old man.
~*~*~*~
Hermione sat in their room watched by Harry as she wrote a letter, "Who you writing too," he wanted to know as she paused and gently sucked on the end of the Quill.
"Give me a minute and I'll read it out to you," Hermione replied as she added another line to the letter, "there all done, now all we need to do is go to the owlery and get it posted."
Hermione lifted the letter, cleared her throat and began to read…
'Madam Bones, it is with some regret that I write, but I feel it is my duty to alert some one to a few facts. As you are the only person of authority with a relative at Hogwarts School that I know of, I chose to reveal what I know to you in the hope that you are able to act.
Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape are and have been using Legilimency on the children in order to control their future activities, even going so far as to choose their life partners through subtly implanted thoughts.
My immediate concern at this time however is with regard to a priceless artefact that is being kept supposedly hidden on the third floor at the school; it is the same artefact that was removed from Gringotts vault number 713. The same dark wizard who attempted to steal the item from Gringotts is even now at the school in the guise of a timid professor Quirrell. To reveal the identity of the dark wizard it will be necessary to remove the turban that Quirrell wears. I should warn you that if confronted Quirrell is extremely powerful and dangerous, even more of a worry to me is the fact that the item is being guarded by a Cerberus type creature, yes a rather vicious three headed dog, the only thing that is keeping this animal from the children is a simple Alohomora spell known to almost every pupil at the school, there are other deadly items including a vicious deadly plant, and several poisons, also guarding the artefact.
Sincerely a Worried citizen.'
"So what do you think?" she asked as she placed the parchment back on the table.
Harry sat with a look of concentration on his face, then taking a quick breath he replied "I think you should put the lines about the headmaster and Snape at the end, it should sound better."
Hermione turned to study the letter "I think you might be right," she said as she waved her wand over the parchment magically moving the lines. "There," she said as she blew gently on the wet ink.
Harry stood to fetch Hedwig his owl but Hermione stopped him, "We should use a school owl, that way no one will know who sent the letter, we want it to appear like an adult sent it."
Harry gave a little sheepish grin before saying "Oh yeah, good idea."
Not wanting to be seen sending the letter Hermione and Harry made the slow journey up to the owlery under the invisibility cloak; they only had one tiny scare as they made their way through the castle. Mrs Norris the caretaker's cat stopped on the stairs just a few yards in front of them and for a few seconds she stared straight at them. Hermione wondered if the cat could see them or maybe even smell them, after a few seconds however the cat resumed her patrol of the school corridors.
Once they reached the owlery Hermione picked a simple brown owl and having called it to her she tied the letter to its leg before taking it to a window and wishing it a safe flight as it launched itself on its way to the ministry.
~*~*~*~
"I tend to agree with you Sirius, it does seem that Dumbledore neglected his duty where you were concerned, but there is no evidence that what he did was intentional, and as you know with someone in his position I would need some sort of proof," Amelia Bones said sadly
Sirius turned to his friend sitting in the only other chair in the office "Any ideas Remus?"
Remus Lupin looked at his best friend and shook his head "Unless we get a miracle it looks like the old git is going to get away with everything."
Amelia was just about to add something to the conversation when she was interrupted by the arrival of a brown owl. "I won't take a second," she said as she removed the letter from the owl's leg, sitting back she began to read. "It seems we may just have that miracle," she said as she pressed a button on her desk.
Sirius who from where he was sitting could see the letter recognised the hand writing almost instantly, he was about to make a comment but then noticed the lack of a signature; Hermione obviously did not wish to be known as the sender.
Amelia Bones noticed Sirius trying to read the letter, and after thinking about it for a second she passed it to him.
"Whats the crazy old coot up to now?" he said handing the letter to Remus.
Remus paled as he read the letter "It could be disastrous if one of those things got loose in a school full of children."
~*~*~*~
Albus Dumbledore sat down at breakfast with a rather heavy head cold and a pepper up potion; he was still wondering what had possessed him the day before to jump repeatedly into the freezing cold water of the lake. Adding that to the fact that he was still getting the urge to crow like a rooster every time he walked into the great hall he began to think that maybe, just maybe, he was going senile like some old Muggle's tend to do.
He looked around the hall at the pupils eating breakfast and wondered if he would miss being headmaster or would he forget it all.
He was rudely brought out of his wonderings when the main doors to the hall opened and several law officers led by Amelia Bones entered. As the Aurors began to line up around the walls Madam Bones marched up to the lectern used by Albus when giving a speech.
"If the staff will remain seated, this is just a new ministry trial security measure, prefects would you kindly lead your house mates to your dorms, thank you."
Albus stood and demanded to know what was going on, "As I said the ministry is carrying out a security trial," Madam Bones answered as a few more officers marched into the hall. One of the officers marched up to Madam Bones and whispered some thing in her ear, "Right you all know what to do," she said as she turned to address the staff.
"We need to test and evaluate the time it would take to evacuate the school in an emergency, so if you would all like to gather outside on the front lawn we can then begin the test, Albus if you would lead the way."
With the staff gathered on the lawn outside the main entrance Madam Bones pulled out a large watch from one of her many pockets.
"Right Albus if you could begin the evacuation," she said holding the watch up.
~*~*~*~
Hermione and Harry had missed all the excitement in the main hall as they were at that moment busy in the defence against the dark arts classroom.
They were busy painting a potion on all the exits from the room, once they had painted confinement runes with the clear potion everywhere, Hermione walked around the room and placed a very intricate charm on each of the windows hopefully preventing them from being broken by anything short of a nuclear bomb. They were now ready to face Quirrell after their next class if they had too. As soon as they had finished they began to make their way up to the Gryffindor common room.
They had almost reached the portrait of the fat lady and the entrance to Gryffindor tower when they heard the headmasters' voice boom out "All Prefects quickly as you can would you please lead all students out of the castle and assemble on the front lawns in your houses thank you."
~*~*~*~
As the houses lined up on the lawns professor Quirrell noticed that a significant part of the Auror force was slowly gathering around him. With his suspicions raised he decided now was a good time to make a break for it, turning quickly and preparing to run he saw that any escape route was blocked. Thinking quickly Quirrell reached out toward the students and grabbed the first one he reached, pulling out his wand he pointed it at the throat of Hermione.
"All of you stay back or I kill the girl," Quirrell yelled his nervous stammer and twitch suddenly a thing of the past.
Amelia Bones ordered her men to step back and to allow the wizard a clear passage. Quirrell backed away from the Aurors dragging Hermione with him; he came to a sudden stop when the small voice of a boy came from behind him.
"Let my betrothed go and I might just let you live," Harry said with just a little shake in his voice.
Quirrell spun round and let out an eerie laugh, "Ah Mr Potter, now just suppose I don't let her go, suppose you get out of my way."
While Quirrell talked to Harry, Hermione managed to free her wand from her pocket, not able to get a good aim at Quirrell due to how he held her she decided a stinging hex to his hand would have to do, with a quick flick of her wand she hit the back of Quirrell's hand with the hex making him jump. Just a second later she lay on the floor where the stung professor had thrown her.
"Move Hermione," Harry yelled as he pointed his wand at Quirrell.
Hermione rolled away and sent a reducto spell at Quirrell as she did so. The spell missed Quirrell but hit his turban blowing it from his head, there were multiple gasps of horror as the face of Voldemort was revealed on the back of Quirrell's head.
"Kill the boy," the evil looking face yelled at Quirrell.
Quirrell however was not quick enough; Harry had already cast a disarming spell at the possessed tutor. Wandless, Quirrell lunged forward only to be met by a very determined Harry Potter. Harry jumped on to the professor and wrapped his small hands around the man's throat. The screams that Quirrell released made Harry let go and back off.
Auror's staff and students watched as the flesh where Harry had touched began to smoke then burn, just a few seconds later Quirrell dropped to the floor dead. Harry collapsed to the ground, most of his energy drained; Hermione meanwhile pulled a small vial from her pocket and threw the contents at the ghostly shape of Voldemort as it left the now dead teacher.
With a horrendous scream Voldemort's destroyed spirit turned into a vapour and quickly blew away across the grass.
