The One Appointment One Must Keep
Chapter Fourteen
Harry found that July was a wonderful month when you weren't being held captive by your manipulative headmaster at your insane relative's house. First, Narcissa and Draco moved into their penthouse and then Harry and Sirius moved into the one next door.
It happened while Hermione, Susan, Neville, Draco and he had gone to the Royal Botanical Gardens with Sirius supervising. The way the purebloods had hidden their surprise as they took the Underground even after Hermione and Harry's explanations about how it was a faster version of the Hogwarts Express and how crowded it would be had been worth the aggravation of the crowds and smells.
Once at the Gardens they paid their fees and Sirius had had them doing it so that they would become comfortable with muggle money. Draco who wasn't really interested in the medicinal plants until Sirius pointed out that similarities to the ones used in Potions and healing treatments. He had been bored until Sirius had begun a game insisting that all five of them figure out the plants Latin names.
Moving towards the large conservatory, the main reason they had come there, Neville's eyes were huge as they entered the glass doors and he stood there in the aisle staring at the palm trees.
A plant that smelled of dead socks and the gift shop later, Sirius was suggesting that they find someplace to work off some of their restless energy. Feeding them Burger King, yet another fast food place, Sirius watched them all as new things like straws and ketchup dispensers garnered attention from the three. He found it reminded him of when Lily had exposed James, Remus and himself to the muggle world.
Finding a nearby park, he sat on a bench and watched over the five students chasing one another by playing hide and seek a game taught to them by Hermione.
Looking at his watch, shocked to realize it was almost dinner time, he soon had them corralled and back on the underground to take them home. Settling in one of the soft comfortable chairs that Narcissa had picked out, he heard Harry and Draco in the library and amused himself as he heard Harry trying to find a charm to put on Hermione's teddy bear that he had picked up for her.
Finding a note from Gringotts, he grimaced and went to speak to Narcissa who was having a late meeting with her sister. Explaining what he needed, he looked at Andi and asked: "Are you sure you are up to it?"
"I raised Dora in the muggle world, Sirius. I believe you said I would only have three of them, correct?" She asked.
"Yes, Harry, Draco and that young lady we told you about," Sirius replied.
"It will be fine. What exactly do they have planned tomorrow?" She asked.
"Zoo, then something at the airport and then they are to begin work on their homework assignments. I suggested that they start with either Charms, Transfiguration or Astronomy because those teachers are definitely remaining the same." Sirius replied.
The next morning, at daylight, Hermione flooed into the penthouse suite and crashed onto the sofa to fall back asleep for now. Her parents had an early morning and the two boys didn't like to get up until eight. An hour and a half later, she saw Sirius Black walking past and called out good morning.
"Good morning to you too, Hermione. You do know that I set up a bedroom for you with Harry's help." He said when he saw her sleeping on the sofa.
Ducking her head, she blushed and said: "I don't want to be a bother."
"If you are so worried about it, go crash in with Harry." He said gently guiding her that way. When he let Andi in, he told her where to find the children then went next door to speak to Narcissa who was going with him to the bank. She wanted to speak to the goblins regarding her dowry and find out more regarding its financial status and not rely on Sirius to explain it to her.
Listening to Montooth, he looked in horror at the now blackened cup they had located in Bella's dowry reparations and said: "How many do you think there are?"
"At most he could have created five or six more. We looked at your godson's medical notes regarding that remarkable scar and think that he might have been one at some point." When he heard Sirius shouting what, he held up his hand and said: "Let me finish."
Sirius felt sick as he settled into the chair and looked at the Goblin.
"As I said at some point, however, the scar is fading and we did some research. Due to the file you sent us regarding his childhood, I think at some point, Harry was so severely injured that the Horcrux which was attached to his life source was forced to separate. Ironically for once those muggle relatives of his were a help."
"Tell me you aren't saying being beaten within in an inch of his life was a good thing?" Sirius asked angrily.
"No, that is not what I am saying. We have a way to remove it here at the bank if he had been one, however, this way your godson will never know what had happened to him." The Goblin stated.
"I don't keep secrets like that from Harry, doing so tends to be dangerous when Albus Dumbledore is involved," Sirius said quietly. "We knew that the cup was a horcrux, but a human."
"There was a locket that we found at your family ancestral home as well," Montooth said. "We are still trying to learn that one's secrets before destroying it."
Up in the clouds, Elizabeth, Jane and several of the death guides were enjoying ambrosia supplied by death after he had received another of Tom Riddle's soul pieces.
They were discussing the changes and how it seemed that they might end up with a much earlier visit from Molly Prewett than had been originally suggested. The only issue seemed to be that she was needed on earth to see how her ambitions would leave her on the outside of the happy and successful lives her sons would lead.
Sirius stumbled out of the bank almost in shock as he let the knowledge that Montooth had given him settle into his brain. Looking around the Alley, letting the familiar rhythms of daily life calm him, he went to the bookstore and spoke to the owner of Flourish and Blotts.
Getting his promise to work with their publisher, he asked: "I will arrange for Headmistress McGonagall to contact you, I can't believe we are that far behind and that Dumbledore did nothing to fix the situation."
"Mr. Black, I believe your headmaster like most men once they reach a hundred, he doesn't abide change and tends to believe that all knowledge stopped advancing when he was born."
"So which do you recommend we update first?"
"Potions, History of Magic which you already mentioned and Defense of the Dark Arts. Your former Headmaster has a real fear of that course. In other countries, it is divided differently and the children learn in one year what Hogwarts divides into the first two."
"Thank you for your forthrightness," Sirius said as he looked at the notes. "I might have the perfect person to upgrade the potions textbook as long as he doesn't have to deal with the actual students."
"That would be wonderful. My assistant went to speak to the current Hogwarts potions professor but Severus Snape was his teacher and Egmont fled when all the man asked was his name."
Sirius went to the nearest apparition point and was soon in Hogsmeade. Noticing Hagrid walking back to the castle, he spoke to the half-giant and found him completely confused as to why Dumbledore was doing the things he was. "I thought 'e was a great man, 'ow could 'e do this to a student? To James and Lily's little 'arry."
"Hubris, Hagrid and nothing more," Sirius replied as he separated from the man at the gate. Hagrid to take care of his pets and Sirius who entered the castle to see Peeves annoying Severus. "Peeves, you do know that with Albus gone, you can be banished by Severus."
The ghost laughed and then blew a spitball at Sirius. "Does the doggie really think I am scared of him?"
"Listen, you annoying pest, Dumbledore found you amusing, I don't." Sirius snapped as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the poltergeist. "I still haven't forgotten how you almost got Remus Lupin expelled, now I suggest that you float away right now while I am still in a decent enough mood."
Sirius saw the smirk on Severus' face and snapped "What?"
"Minerva won't be happy. I was in the middle of laying down the law to the pest when you came in. It's going to take days for him to show up again and she wants to spend a few weeks at her cottage before school starts." Severus reported.
"Great, another thing to be made to feel like a fifteen-year-old student again." He grumbled.
Severus wryly admitted, "Try teaching with them when they can do that."
His shock at admitting that had Sirius wanting to laugh as they by silent agreement went to locate the headmistress. Seeing her speaking to the Bloody Baron, had them holding back a moment until she was free.
"Gentlemen, since I am sure that you have both outgrown detentions, why do you look like you are waiting for me to punish you?" She replied with a chuckle.
"I need a few minutes of your time from both of you and Professor Flitwick when he gets back from his trip home," Sirius said. "Or you can fill him in later on."
"Sirius scared Peeves off before I was finished," Severus said looking at the other man. "I vote that next time I catch him, we simply tie him up with magic and gag him."
"The pest or me?" Sirius asked drolly as they walked past a couple of Goblins that Minerva had brought in to work on the wards and a few other things that needed it.
"Either of you is fine with me," Severus replied and Minerva rolled her eyes then gave them her best I am in charge look.
Holding up his hands in surrender, Sirius looked at Minerva and said: "Are you aware that your textbooks are at least fifty years out of date?"
"No," Minerva answered.
"Yes," Severus replied. Seeing Sirius looking his way, he said "Lily and me, we were working on the project at one point to update the potions textbooks. We were doing so with Slughorn but we hid them when we found out he was trying to claim all the credit for himself."
"How far into the project were you?" Sirius asked.
"We only need about a year of testing," Severus replied.
"Could you finish this year?"
Severus thought about. "I can if you don't mind me drafting a certain three younger students to be test subjects."
"Explain?" Minerva demanded.
"We made the changes the third year and above. First-year books wouldn't need to be changed because they are pretty basic, mainly it's a direction here and there. The second year is when they actually start potion-making that requires any kind of finesse. That is where the textbooks are in bad shape."
"Would you have notes ready for the first years by the middle of the month, Flourish and Blotts can get them published by that time and we will eat the cost of the first year books but next year the students would buy them," Sirius asked then looking at Severus.
"Yes, I can turn them in by the end of the week as long as Minerva doesn't mind losing my help with her remodeling efforts," Severus asked the headmistress.
"Yes, I will just have the elves help and the Gray Lady supervise for Pomfrey." Minerva said then looking at Sirius asked: "Which other books?"
"History of Magic, obviously. DADA which is why I was hoping to speak to Filius and the two of you. And after this week with the kids, muggle studies is so out of date, we have two first years who could teach it and one spent his entire life with the Dursleys." Sirius said acidly. "These computer things that muggles are using are revolutionary."
Minerva was walking Sirius out when a Goblin demanded a moment of her time and as she listened in horror to what he said, she requested he organize and go through everything in the room to find out if there were any other dark objects to be found. Calling the DMLE, she filled in Amelia Bones who quickly got in touch with Gringotts.
Andi saw Dora waving as she came over to join them on the trip home after Dan Granger had come to pick up his daughter. "Mum, dad needs you to come home, something about a call from America."
Andi escorted the boys to the building and left them with Dora, sure that at most they would end up stunned if she lost control of her magic. She left to head back to the Underground and Dora saw the two boys grinning at her and was reminded of why she avoided men altogether.
"You two need to stop that, you are eight years younger than me and it affects me." She scolded as they went up the lift.
"Tonks, are you scared of Professor Snape?" Harry asked wearing an innocent smile.
"Depends, what are you up to?" She asked as they went to Harry's penthouse. He unlocked the door the muggle way and once they were inside, Draco and he explained why they were asking after getting her to take a vow of silence.
Thinking for a moment, regretting that she was now an adult, she said: "As an auror, I cannot do as you requested, as a former student, I can direct you to the correct Charms and potions books."
Going to the shelves, almost tripping as she felt the magical energy from the two boys, she eventually found the books that would be most helpful. Flipping through the pages, she chuckled and showed them to the boys. "Now, when you get back from school next summer, I want to see this prank in a pensive."
Going to the kitchen and finding a house elf, Tonks wrote down which charm to do in order after the potion and 'accidentally' handed it to the boys.
"Have you two had dinner yet?" She heard and turned to see Sirius arriving with Narcissa. "Oh, Dora, Andi mentioned you were here. Do you want to stay with us for dinner?"
"I can't. I have night training with my supervisor." She said then winking at the boys, left.
Over the next three weeks, the Hogwarts students sometimes with the company of Neville and Susan explored the city of London. From the Tower to the museums. To a library which had required Hermione to be dragged out of, they rode a tourist boat on the Thames and spent a day in Richmond exploring the Maze.
There had been swim lesson at a distant Black property that had involved a chance to fly their brooms to learning to ride bikes which had involved a trip to St. Mungos when Draco had forgotten how to brake and had ridden his bike into a tree.
A motorcycle ride that had Neville envious but Hermione and Susan rolling their eyes at the boys. There had even been kite flying which had been cut off by a rainstorm. Narcissa hadn't been thrilled when they came home soaking wet and laughing two hours later.
In between, there had been schoolwork and lessons about the magical world that had been surprisingly enjoyable for Harry. The boys had almost finished their present for Severus Snape, all that was left was the actual animation spell and while Harry knew he could do the spell work himself, it would have exposed his secret so they were trying to locate a way to have it done by an adult.
On Harry's birthday, Draco had an idea and soon Hermione, Harry and he was in Draco's bedroom and pointing their wands at the bear. Doing the animation charm, they didn't realize that Narcissa was watching and that she was sure the spell didn't work.
Slipping back to their penthouse during the party under the guise that she had forgotten something, she snuck into Draco's room and after looking around did the charm on the bear unaware that she had just made the spell permanent and was about to give Severus Snape nightmares.
Harry was thrilled with his birthday party. Besides his five closest friends which had been a private party, Sirius had arranged for the Weasley twins and some of their other classmates to join them at the Black country estate to play a game of Quidditch.
Oliver had howled with joy when he had seen Harry playing seeker and to Harry's amusement, the Ravenclaw captain had also offered Draco the job if he tried out.
He winced when he remembered Cho Chang but in the end, he let it go sure that she could still be on the team. Both boys had been unsure what to say but Sirius's statement about school work coming first had Oliver looking at the adult like he was sure that they were insane.
Hermione had even spent some time on a broom getting a little bit more comfortable but had hastily refused Harry's offer to take a spin on his broom. In the end, she had flown with him on it for a lap of the pitch but had quickly dismounted admitting to Narcissa and her sister. "Brooms aren't exactly my favorite way to travel."
"Mine either," Andi admitted. Looking over at her cousin, she waited until he had landed after being lapped twice during a race with the children. "Feeling your physical or mental age?"
"Nope, just embarrassed to realize that I was never that good at Quidditch even when I was their age." He said dryly. "So what did you want to speak to me about?"
"About three weeks ago I got a call from the Salem magical community in the Northeastern United States. They have a badly damaged werewolf who saved a boy from an attack by wild dogs." She said.
Seeing Sirius tense up. "Yes, I saw a non-magical photo, it's Remus. He is going to be fine. They have a magical stasis that they do in cases like these which is why he couldn't tell them his name. All they found on him were letters addressed to various people, all returned unopened and marked undelivered including one to me. The healer remembered my name from a conference we both attended."
Watching from the corner of his eye as Harry and the others landed, Sirius said: "What would it take to bring him back home, did she tell you?"
"He will be woken up on the fourth of August." She said. "He has completely healed from the attack but they are working on some of his scarrings since they have a better system of treating werewolves there."
A birthday cake and wish later, and Sirius was escorting his group home. Seated in the parlor he asked Harry "What did you wish for?"
"The only thing missing that I can still have." He said quietly. "For Moony to be found."
"You wasted a wish, Harry." Seeing Harry's expression, Sirius reached for him and said: "We know where he is and I am going to get him when the hospital releases him next week."
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked wearing a huge smile.
"I was only told today," Sirius said and couldn't help laughing when Harry threw himself into his arms. "I do have some bad news, or maybe not, depending on your perspective."
Groaning, Harry sat down again and looked at his godfather. "What kind of bad news?"
"They are updating your textbooks for school. Starting with first-year potions. However to update the second year textbooks, Snape needs some students help and he asked for Hermione, Draco and you."
"Test subjects or victims?" Harry asked then thinking about the book he had used in the sixth year and he said "I am in if the others agree. If you could ask him to let Neville join us."
"From what I understood, Neville has a bit of a problem in that class." Sirius probed wanting to know why Harry was even asking.
"Neville's problems are lack of confidence and that textbook. It just says stir, it never tells you how to stir or why." Harry said.
"I will let Minerva McGonagall know." Sirius proposed.
As Harry went off to bed, he couldn't help caressing the muggle book set that Hermione had given him as a present. Every time they hugged now, Harry was finding himself noticing that she was developing into a girl and it was starting to cause him to have some odd dreams involving older Hermione. One that he was sure if his godfather knew about, he would be getting a long talk to about.
The Weasley family had finally gathered under one roof again, Bill was to be working at the Gringott's head office for the next two weeks and Charlie was on vacation. When Ron had told the twins that he hadn't wanted to return but that he was going back to the Dragon preserve next summer, they looked at him in shock until Charlie took them aside.
"My boss was impressed and I have to say so was I. Ron behaved wonderfully and was actually helping the last four weeks. The only whining I heard was regarding doing his own laundry."
"Did you check to see if he had drunk polyjuice potion?" Fred asked.
"I didn't need to. I told dad that if he wants to come back, he is more than welcome. Lay off on him this year, guys. He was never a problem for me and I am proud of him." Charlies said.
"I do have some bad news for him," Percy said walking up. Looking at Fred and George, he told Charlie and Bill who had joined them. "Ginny escaped Aunt Muriel and flew to visit Molly all the way up in Scotland. She stole his broom and broke it."
"WHAT?!" Bill and Charlie shouted in unison.
"Yeah, she was sent back to the Burrow but when I told her she would have to find a way to replace his broom, she said that she was sure once she was dating Harry he would surely replace it for her," Percy said quietly.
"Is that why you refused to go get her yesterday?" Bill asked.
"I am sorry, guys but Ginny is still completely delusional and under the impression, she is going to marry Harry Potter someday. In spite of what Aunt Muriel told her." Percy explained.
"Dad even went over and told her that the betrothal was all Molly and Albus, she dismissed his concern and truly believes that he will take one look at her and how she supposedly resembles his mother and fall completely in love with her," Fred said while George just leaned back and glared.
"We have a month, hopefully, we can get through to her by the time school starts," Charlie said shaking his head at the idea of his sweet innocent little sister being this determined to marry a boy she had never even met.
With Sirius on a trip to the states, Harry spent the night over at Draco's penthouse in one of the guest rooms. They spent most days out enjoying the beautiful weather and doing the last of their summer homework.
When Narcissa suggested that they take the brooms and floo to the now remodeled country house and fly, they were quickly gathered and spent the day flying around and practicing for their chance to make the Quidditch teams.
The day before Sirius was due to bring Remus back, the two boys wrapped the present for Severus Snape in plain brown wrapping paper and sent it off with a post owl from Diagon Alley.
"You know if this backfires, I am blaming it all on you," Harry told Draco.
With an impish grin, Draco said: "We can just deny it."
"Like that is going to work," Harry stated as they went to join Narcissa for an early lunch.
At the Ministry of Magic, Amelia Bones was explaining to Minerva, Fudge, and several other high-ranking officials what was going on with Albus Dumbledore.
"We thought at first that it was some sort of trick until we searched the Hog's Head." She said then holding out the container with the lemon drops, she said. "These were created during the three days he was there, they're pure cheering potion."
"What do the healers say?" Augusta Longbottom asked.
"The two healers from St. Mungos give him some chance of regaining his magic, however, the doctors from Europe including a specialist on potion overdoses doubts the possibility," Amelia said. "We will continue to purge the lemon drops from his system in the hope that the doctors at St. Mungos is correct but in truth, there really is none."
"So you are saying that the greatest living wizard is little more than a squib," Fudge asked his face blanched at the idea of telling the public this.
"Yes," Amelia replied. "The last batch of lemon drops wasn't stabilized before he began eating them which added to the mess. I will be honest, I am not so sure that this is a bad thing."
"I have to agree." Croaker replied. "With what our research shows, he has been manipulating things for a very long time."
"Yes, but the public..." Fudge trailed off.
"We have a trial, bring out into the public arena what crimes he has committed, make sure that they know he did this to himself." Amelia Bones stated. "They might show him compassion but they won't blame us if we tell them the truth."
"Agreed."
As they all nodded yes, she took a look at the calendar and said: "Monday the third week of August."
"What about Potter, do we need him to testify?" Asked the short woman scowling in the corner, not liking how the entire magical community seemed to tremble waiting on what this young boy said.
"No, due to the potions, we can't use veritiaserum either but I think that Albus will tell the truth, only because this has been what he is waiting for. A chance to try and manipulate us to forgive him." Amelia replied. "He will soon learn that we know more than he is aware of."
Amelia pulled Minerva McGonagall to her office and told her that she was investigating the dark object found in the tiara and that she would explain after the trial what it was.
Remus Lupin woke up to see a boy with dark messy hair and glasses sitting in the chair next to his bed. "H-harry?"
Nodding, the boy stood and leaned over him. "How are you doing Moony?"
Watching as the man choked up, Harry softly said "I know that you wanted to take me with you and that Albus Dumbledore tricked you. Get well and we can talk about it."
"Stay," Remus asked as he fought the need to go back to sleep.
"I will, but you need sleep," Harry said and watched as the man fell back asleep. Sitting back down in the chair he lifted the present that Sirius had bought for him in America. Their version for world magical history. He was finding it way more interesting than tales of Goblin wars.
Looking up to see Sirius entering the room, he said "Remus woke up for a few minutes. I promised to be here when he wakes up."
"Thank you for this Harry. I have to go meet with Amelia Bones, Dumbledore is going to trial in a week and she needs to know what he tried to pull with Remus even if he can't be charged with a crime."
"That is wrong," Harry said frowning. "He passed laws to keep him out of the country for no other reason than to keep him from getting custody of me. Then there is how he kept his mail from coming here. Even the muggle mail was affected. That is a crime, Sirius. Interfering with the crown's post office or something."
Messing up Harry's hair, he said "I wish we could do something against Albus for it, but we are stuck. At least he will be forced to repay you the funds, he has been stripped of his titles and is being forced to marry Molly Prewett. I wish we could do more, but until I can think of something or Bones can, we are stuck."
At Hogwarts, Severus Snape found the square box sitting on his desk intriguing. He never got packages unless he had ordered something. Running a scanning charm on it, he saw that there were magical charms on the item but nothing too worrisome.
Opening it, and finding the note from his godson, he shook his head and lifted the lid. Inside was a stuffed animal. "Draco what on earth are you up to?"
Lifting the black bear wearing a cape, he tried to figure out what the boy had been thinking as he set it down on the desk. Looking at the clock and heading to lunch at the request of Minerva, he joined the returning teachers and Ms. Marchbanks the former OWL and NEWT tester.
"So when does that flake Lockhart arrive?" The old woman with the gravelly voice asked.
"Thankfully he wrote to me begging my indulgence in letting him arrive the weekend before school starts," Minerva stated. "I convinced Slughorn to teach potions this year at the request of Severus so that we can watch him as the new potions textbooks start to roll out."
"Good idea." Marchbanks stated then looking at the man she knew had hated teaching, asked: "I hear you are going to be working strictly with sixth and seventh-year students as well as this dueling club."
"That isn't true. I will also be teaching four students who will be using our new 2nd-year potions textbook." He said. "Three Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw."
"No Slytherins?" She asked shocked.
"We went with the three best students, Draco Black, Harry Potter, a muggleborn witch that I am sure is going to thrill you, Griselda. Hermione Granger is a brilliant student. The fourth is Neville Longbottom. Harry asked if he could join them, he seems to think that the new book might help Neville and with his incredible talent with plants, it might." Sprout announced.
"Minerva, when does Albus' trial begin?" Filius Flitwick asked.
"On Monday." She said somberly. "The very idea of getting yourself addicted to potions that it drains your magical core is shocking. Absolutely shocking."
Harry even though he didn't have to be there was on the balcony as his former Headmaster was led into the courtroom. He listened to the man explain how everything he had done had been for the Greater Good, how Harry wouldn't need the money because he wouldn't live to be an adult.
As the man spoke, there were those shaking their head in disgust, most just seemed to be amused by the great man's downfall as he talked about manipulating wills and lying outright regarding Harry's care. About knowing that the Dursleys had abused him and covering it up.
Even about the stunts, he had pulled during the school year with Harry's kidnapping and he confessed to knowing that there had been a troll let into the school and that he had kept the adults away from the situation because he wanted to see how Harry would react. His complete befuddlement at Harry not doing what he had wanted him to do had some absolutely furious with the man. There were questions about what right did he have to endanger other children like he had and all Albus had said was that it had been for the Greater Good and that as long as Harry hadn't been hurt that was all that matters.
When questioned about Sirius, once again it had all been about Harry. They didn't bring up Remus Lupin's horrifying last few years but when Harry had moved to say something, Remus himself stopped him, whispering in his ear. "It's going to be fine, Harry."
Harry had been happy that Remus had woken up that morning but had not been happy that he had wanted to come to the trial with him. Sirius was down in his family's seat planning on voting on the case so he was all that was with him since Narcissa wanted to avoid Lucius who was there.
"Albus Dumbledore, why are you so determined to control Harry Potter's life?" Amelia Bones asked.
"He must face Voldemort on his return, it was prophesized." He said serenely. "I don't want him to become too powerful to become the next dark lord so I must control him and his life so that he will if not cheerfully at least will go to his death out of love for his fellow man."
"Is this because of the prophecy foretold by one Sybil Trelawney to you at the Hogs Head Tavern?" Amelia asked and hid her smirk when Albus nodded then refused to tell them what was in the prophecy stating that for Harry's sake it must be kept a secret.
Amelia opened the book and read out loud. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."
As Albus tried to regain control of his emotions, she asked: "Would that be the prophecy you speak of?"
"No one can know that." He said glaring at her. "You are going to endanger us all."
"Doubtful. So am I right in my guess that that is what you were told by Hogwarts Professor Sybil Trelawney?" She asked.
Reluctantly, Albus answered "Yes."
"I don't know whether you believed her because you were so desperate for answers on how to end the war or if you were just a fool, but that is a prophecy told by Sybil Trelawney's great, great aunt in the mid eighteen hundreds in regards to a British Muggle dark lord. The power talked about that the one the prophecy was about was magic. The wizard was a muggleborn."
"No, Voldemort marked Harry Potter, I have seen it." Albus protested. "It's his scar, he has the mark."
"He has a scar, but you turned what you heard into a self-fulfilling prophecy, Albus Dumbledore. The Unspeakables searched and found that you brought the prophecy in to them and it wasn't created in the Department of Mysteries. You, Albus Dumbledore were trying to lead the world where you want it."
"No, you have to listen to me. Voldemort is alive. He was at Hogwarts as a parasite living in the back of Professor Quirrell's head." He cried out.
"If that is true, why didn't you have him arrested or at least deal with him yourself," Amelia asked.
"It wasn't supposed to be me, it was supposed to be Harry Potter but he didn't handle him. He just kept avoiding all my hints so I finally had Fawkes kidnap him." Albus stated shaking his head at how they were deliberately ignoring him.
"If that is true, how has he been kept alive all this time?" She asked.
When Albus refused to answer, simply stating that he was keeping the secret for the greater good, she snapped "Your Greater Good?"
"You don't know what is going on so you have no right to judge me," Albus said angrily.
"Where is Quirrell now?" Amelia pressed.
"We don't know, he went missing and hasn't been seen since spring," Albus said. "I fear he ran afoul of something in the forbidden forest, but you must understand, he isn't dead, he will come back. He knows how."
"Let me guess, you are talking about his Horcruxes?" She taunted and hearing the crowd gasp, she said: "We know that he created several of the deadly things, Mr. Dumbledore."
Gulping in shock, he said, "We shouldn't be talking about this so publicly."
"Why not?" She asked.
"You don't know the power..."
"A locket once owned by Salazar Slytherin. Located at the Black residence where Regulus Black stole it from his dark master." She said slamming it on the witness stand, now blackened from the soul inside being destroyed. "The cup of Helga Hufflepuff, destroyed after being located in the bank vault of the Lestrange family. A Diadem belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw found at Hogwarts during the cleaning for the summer."
There was a gasp as Amelia showed each destroyed Horcrux.
With a cold smile at Albus, she tossed down the medical report from Healer Beiniet, "One former horcrux found in the scar of Harry James Potter destroyed when his maternal Uncle tried to beat him to death. Thankfully he had that piece of Tom Marvolo Riddle in him or he would be death. It was expelled by his almost death."
The gasps were now louder as Amelia said with a cold smile. "We have located one more of the Horcruxes it is being destroyed even as we speak by the Goblins. It was located in a ring that the Gaunt family stole from the Pervell family. I also have records from the Unspeakables stating that you have been searching for that ring for your own purposes since before you dealt with your former friend, Albus."
Blanching as he looked at the destroyed horcruxes, he found himself barely listening as Amelia explained to those in the Wizengamot and the audience that they had tracked back the magical signature of the man who called himself Lord Voldemort. "He was a student at Hogwarts named Tom Morvolo Riddle. His mother was a Gaunt who didn't get a Hogwarts letter because she was little more than a squib and his father was a muggle she dosed with love potion named Tom Riddle."
There were, even more, gasps as onto each podium in front of the members a file appeared with Tom Riddle's information. Those who had followed the man during his reign were sickened to note that they had followed a man whose ancestors were little more than muggle and magical trash.
One, in particular, felt a little sick as he realized he needed to quickly and quietly dispense with some items he had held onto after the Dark Lord's death. Lucius Malfoy was almost certain that the raids being led by Arthur Weasley were what had really located the items being used as evidence that day.
When the Wizengamot was asked for a verdict, Albus Dumbledore was to have his wand broken, his real wand, not the one that had been removed by an eleven-year-old. His magic what there was of it, bound and he was ordered to begin paying back the funds he had removed from the Potter vaults.
The only good news for him was that due to his now being a squib, he wasn't required to marry Molly Prewett, instead, he was legally forced to forget the debt. Now out money, he could have used to pay his bills, he was ordered to find work as soon as possible and to stay in contact with a court-appointed healer once a week.
The British magical world was shocked as they listened to the court case and what had become of the man they had all believed to be the leader of the light.
Except at Hogwarts School, there was a different event and it was equally as shocking as they sat down to eat their dinner. Severus felt the others staring at him and lifting his head sneered. "Is there a problem?"
Filius chuckled and nodded no while Minerva wondered if Sirius Black would ever grow up as she saw the small black bear peeking its head around the door. The cuddly bear wearing a bat costume had been seen all afternoon, asking everyone including the ghosts if they had seen its owner, Severus Snape.
Severus was taking a bite of his roast beef when he felt something tug at his trousers and looked down to see only darkness under the table. When it happened again, this time a little too close to his privates, he looked over at Vector who was sitting next to him and glared annoyed at the woman's behavior only to feel more weight on his legs.
Shoving his seat back, he blinked, shocked to see instead of a female hand a stuffed bear wearing a cape and now seated in his lap. "How the hell did this get out of my private rooms and which of you removed it?"
"Angry people need hugs."
Jaws dropped around the table as the bear spoke and then hugged Severus Snape's arm.
Snape lowered his head and stared at the bear now holding onto his arm like if it let go it would die. "What did you say?"
"Angry people need hugs." It said and then after a second seemed to be looking at him and said: "Or Knives."
With deliberate and precise movements, Snape untangled his arm from the stuffed toy, tossed it in the air and sent a cutting curse at it. As the stuffing flew over the Great Hall, he sat down and tried to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
The others meanwhile were staring at the fur and stuffing as they seemed to slide across the floor and rejoin themselves until the repaired bear was once again whole.
It sat there watching Severus Snape shaking its head clearly upset then moved over stealth-fully and when he stood without another word to the others and began to walk away the bear reached out for the bottom of his billowing robes and caught a ride.
"Should we tell him?" Vector asked the others.
"If you dare to my dear, you go right ahead, Minerva however, you might want to prepare the help wanted ad for a new Astronomy professor." Griselda Marchbanks said serenely. "So who do you suspect?"
"Black and Potter," Minerva replied as she laid down a galleon on the table after doing some thinking on the matter. She had heard from Sirius about the muggle educational trips and the bear looked like something a muggle child would have.
"The Weasley twins." Flitwick tossed down a galleon of his own.
"Didn't I hear Lupin was back?" Hagrid said tossing down a Galleon of his own. "Black and Lupin, not Harry."
"Oh, let me be more specific," Minerva said. "Draco Black and Harry Potter."
"Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Harry Potter." Sprout tossed in.
"I say that it is none of the above." Vector stated tossing in her own galleon.
Severus Snape woke up to find an odd weight on his arm and looked over and his eyes narrowed as he saw the black bear he had destroyed the night before staring at him with its beady eyes. "Hi, do you need a hug this morning?"
Standing, tossing it into the fireplace and lighting it up with his wand, Severus was vowing to make someone pay when he saw it stalking out of the fire and rolling around to put out the flames before looking at him with a tilted head.
"What?" He snapped.
"Smile, it's the second best thing you can do with your lips." The bear stated and Severus stood, went to shower and dress for the day. Locking the door to his rooms with magic, he went to breakfast, determined to make whoever was behind this pay and he intended to start at the top.
Sirius Orion Black had better have a damn good reason for him to believe he hadn't done it. He knew that the bear hadn't moved when he had unpacked it and the charms were too advanced for Draco.
TBC