The Mutt who Lived
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. I am merely borrowing the characters to play with them.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Warnings: Completely AU, partly OOC, Dumbledore/Weasley bashing.
Inu quickly assessed his surroundings. He recognised the office. Once, he had accompanied his mummy here, when she had been engrossed in a verbal fight with the old wizard, who was sitting behind the desk. Then there was the very nice bird, who was resting on a perch eyeing him with apparent interest.
The old wizard looked surprised. Apparently, he had not expected Inu to arrive but either his mummy or his twin brother.
"What are you doing here?" he asked with what Inu interpreted as a combination of surprise and disappointment. "I expected Harry to visit me today."
Growling fiercely at the old man, Inu began to attack. 'Harry, tell mummy and daddy that I'm in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts,' he thought to his familiar, before he sank his teeth into the old wizard's leg. 'I'm not going to kill him, but he shall remember well to not mess with my family,' he thought, as he bit the evil man left and right a couple of times.
Noticing from the corner of his eyes how the man moved his arm and suddenly pointed his wand at him, Inu jumped and caught the wand in his mouth. It was not as if he did not have experience catching evil wizards' wands. He dashed away from his spot in the reach of the headmaster to keep the wand from him, knowing that his opponent would not simply be able to get up from his chair with the injuries he had inflicted to his legs and feet.
All of a sudden, a friendly voice penetrated his mind, and he could not help feeling happy.
#It's me, Fawkes,# he heard the phoenix trill to him. #I've taken the liberty to bond with you. Please carefully grab my tail feathers with your front paws, and I'll take you back home.#
Inu did not waste a moment. Giving the old wizard a final, ferocious growl, he trotted over to the phoenix, who was now sitting on the floor, invitingly turning his back feathers to him.
HP
Before Harry even had the chance to translate Inu's message, his familiar arrived back in front of them in a bright flash.
=Thank you, Fawkes,= Inu barked.
The phoenix flew up onto the back of an empty chair and carefully began to clean his back feathers.
#You're welcome, Mutt,# he replied and announced, #I've just bonded with your familiar as well.#
Lily observed the animals' actions in bewilderment. 'Fawkes brought Inu back?' she thought in disbelief, just when Harry came over to the table and stood in front of the phoenix.
"Hello Fawkes," he said, smiling. "Thank you so very much for bringing Inu back."
#You're welcome little one,# Fawkes replied and turned around before asking, #Could you perhaps pet my crown feathers? I'd like that.#
"Your crown feathers?" Harry enquired, giving the phoenix a questioning look.
#The feathers on my head,# Fawkes clarified.
"Of course," Harry replied and cautiously climbed onto the chair to do the phoenix the favour.
"Can you understand Fawkes?" James spoke up in the surprise that Lily shared.
"Yes, he told me that he has bonded to me," Harry replied, seemingly happy.
"Thank you so much for saving Inu," Lily spoke up, gratefully, causing the phoenix to let out another series of pleasant trills. "Inu, are you completely unharmed?" she then asked, turning to the canine – only to realise that he was carrying a wand in his mouth.
"Is that…" she stared at the wand in disbelief.
"The Elder Wand," James stated, carefully accepting the stick from Inu. "It belongs now to Inu," he added in apparent surprise, "as the Elder Wand is inherited by conquest. Perhaps we should ask Ollivander if in this case, Harry would be the rightful owner of the wand, considering that Inu is his familiar and won't be able to use it."
Turning to Inu, Fawkes and Harry, he asked, "Could you please enlighten us what happened?"
Fawkes and Inu took turns telling the story, and Harry diligently translated, as far as his two-year-old mind was able to comprehend their tale.
"Dumbledore," Lily growled.
"The question is," Amelia spoke up from where she was sitting next to Sirius, "whom Dumbledore wanted to abduct to Hogwarts. If he intended to abduct Harry, we could get him out of his position as headmaster for child abduction in a simple Wizengamot meeting. Otherwise, we need a proper trial for him."
#The grumpy old coot wished to abduct young Harry,# Fawkes trilled, #Harry, please translate.#
"I wonder how he was able to apply a Portkey to the present here at the MAMA at all," Remus spoke up. "The manor is warded against him, isn't it?"
#He sent one of his elves,# Fawkes informed them, and Harry translated. #The school apparently is not warded against elves from outside.#
"Gina," James called the head house-elf. "We must ward the school against house-elves from outside. Do you know how to do such a thing?"
Gina nodded, smiling. "Yes, Master James, Gina knows. Please come with me, and we can do the warding together."
Fifteen minutes later, James returned wearing an amused expression. "The school is now warded against house-elves who are not bonded to one of our permanent residents," he informed them, only to add, "Gina and Dobby seem to be very happy. She seemed eager to get back to him, and I've given her the day off."
"Well done, James," Poppy spoke up in a soft voice.
"If we need something, Cicero will surely be able to help," Severus offered, causing Poppy to chuckle.
"They haven't said anything yet, but I'm sure that Cicero and Misty will be the next to be infected with the 'marry and have children' boom of the elves," Poppy explained, grinning. "I believe that they've had feelings for each other for a while."
"Oh Merlin. Thanks for the warning, Poppy," Severus replied and rolled his eyes in what Lily assumed was pretended annoyance, causing everyone else to laugh.
HP
A few days later, Amelia informed them that Albus' kidnapping attempt would be topic number one in the next Wizengamot meeting that was going to take place on January 31.
"He deserves a time in Azkaban," she continued, angrily. "The problem is that he still has too many friends, even on the Wizengamot, in spite of all his manipulations."
"We'll see about that," Sirius replied, grimly. "He's already lost his phoenix and his Elder Wand to us," he added, grinning.
"Lily," James addressed his wife in a quiet voice. "Let's go to Gringotts and accept the lordship over the Mackenzie family before the meeting, so that you can take your seat on the Wizengamot."
"You what?" Sirius blurted out. "Was there something that you have to tell us?" he enquired, giving James and Lily a sharp look.
Letting out a deep sigh, Lily explained to the extended family what Buckbean had told them in the morning of Halloween.
"So much about Dumbledore's blood wards which he installed at the Dursleys," Amelia commented, shaking her head in apparent annoyance. "Oh well, I assume that he could not know about your non-existing relationship."
"Probably," Lily agreed, smiling.
HP
Cygnus Greengrass opened the Wizengamot meeting and, first of all, introduced Lily Potter as the Lady Mackenzie and welcomed her into the Wizengamot, where she would revive the seat of the head of the Mackenzie family.
Huge applause followed his explanation, and many people congratulated Lily and wished her good luck for the old family that had been believed to be extinct for more than twenty years.
"Thank you all so much," Lily replied, smiling, as she took her seat between Minerva and Augusta Longbottom.
HP
"Very well, as the first point on our agenda for today, Amelia Bones wishes to question Albus Dumbledore about a kidnapping event," the head of the Wizengamot announced, while Dumbledore was brought into the room accompanied by two Aurors.
The old wizard was instructed to sit in the chair for the accused, albeit only in light chains.
"Albus Dumbledore, you are accused of attempting to kidnap Harry Potter in the morning of the 25th of December," Amelia addressed him. "How do you plead?"
"Innocent," Dumbledore replied, causing a large part of the members of the Wizengamot to gasp, simultaneously.
James rose from his seat. "I request the use of Veritaserum," he said in a firm voice, as soon as Greengrass motioned him to speak.
"I second the motion," Minerva spoke up.
Alastor Moody, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, stepped over to Dumbledore and added three drops of the truth serum on his tongue.
"What is your name?" Moody enquired in apparent annoyance at the old wizard.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Dumbledore replied in the tone that was characteristic for someone under the influence of Veritaserum.
"Did you apply or order someone, for example an elf, to turn one of the Christmas presents meant for the Potter boys into a Portkey?" Amelia enquired, strictly.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied, simply.
"Who did you want to abduct and why?" Amelia questioned the old wizard.
"I wished to speak with young Harry about the prophecy that concerns him," Dumbledore replied in a grandfatherly voice, causing several members of the Wizengamot to gasp. "I am the only one who has heard the whole of the prophecy, and since it concerns him, he needs to know about it."
"Do you know how old Harry Potter is?" Amelia asked in apparent disbelief.
"He must be two and a half years old by now," Dumbledore said, "and he will need my help in the future and must know from an early time onwards what his destiny is and that he can turn to me for help. However, instead of Harry, his mutt arrived, bit me left and right and stole my wand."
Lily rose her hand and was allowed to speak.
"According to Fawkes, who has left Dumbledore on the occasion and bonded with my sons, Inu did not steal Dumbledore's wand but fought with him and inherited the wand in conquest."
"Moreover, Harry is not the child of the prophecy," James spoke up in a firm voice.
"What exactly does the prophecy say?" Amelia asked Dumbledore, who recited a prophecy, which Sybill Trelawney had uttered to him almost three years ago. "Actually, it could have applied to Harry or Neville, but apparently, Voldemort believed that it was the Potters, which is why he attacked them in Godric's Hollow on Halloween 1982."
"Still, Harry is not the child of the prophecy," James repeated. "If at all, it is Inu, as he is our child as well, and he is the one whom Voldemort marked as his equal if one interprets the scar on his behind as such. Even if all of this sounds ridiculous to me," he added as an afterthought.
"Trelawney uttered a lot of rubbish, as long as I've known her," Minerva spoke up. "I don't believe a word of what she says."
"Very well. What do you suggest we do with Albus Dumbledore?" the Chief Warlock spoke up.
"I believe that he should lose his position as headmaster of Hogwarts and serve two years in Azkaban," Augusta Longbottom was the first to speak.
"Hem hem," Dolores Umbridge spoke up, who was holding the seat of the undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. "The abducted child was merely an attention seeking brat, whom the esteemed headmaster wished to help. There was nothing wrong with that, and it does not count as child abduction. The headmaster should not receive any punishment but be commended for his efforts."
"I agree," Amos Diggory voiced his opinion.
"This is ridiculous," James replied, glaring at the witch in the pink robes.
"I agree with Lord Potter," Amelia added, crisply. "Now, I ask everyone who believes that Dumbledore should lose his position as headmaster and receive a two-year-ticket to Azkaban to send out red sparks, those who prefer for him to merely lose his position as headmaster to send out yellow sparks and those who believe that he doesn't have to be punished at all to send out green sparks."
The green sparks could be counted on one hand; while the red sparks were exceeded by the yellow ones only by three.
"Mr. Dumbledore, you are not the headmaster of Hogwarts anymore, but you are free to go," Amelia informed the old wizard, before she turned to Tiberius Ogden. "Lord Ogden, as you're a member of the Board of Governors, whom do you believe will the Board recommend as the new headmaster or headmistress?"
Ogden rose from his chair. "I believe that the Board will decide on Molly Weasley, the current deputy headmistress, as the new headmistress," he informed the Wizengamot, causing Lily to almost choke in shock.
HP
In the morning, the headline of the Daily Prophet shouted, 'Change in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts'. Underneath, the second headline added, 'Molly Weasley now the headmistress and Albus Dumbledore the deputy headmaster.'
The text below explained how Dumbledore had lost his position as the headmaster by vote in the Wizengamot meeting. The Board of Governors, however, had simply made the deputy take his position and put him on the position of the deputy.
"What?" Lily blurted out in annoyance. "He was kicked out of his position and simply became the deputy headmaster? I can't believe it."
"Oh well, we can always interfere at Hogwarts," James said in a soothing voice. "Let's wait until a time when it really annoys them though."
"That's true," Lily agreed, grinning mischievously.
"I can't believe how low Hogwarts has sunken," Remus spoke up, thoughtfully, causing his colleagues to chuckle.
"Molly as the headmistress sounds like a bad joke," Arthur added, shaking his head in apparent annoyance.
"She'll probably be a mere puppet under Dumbledore's regiment," Severus spoke up, letting out a deep sigh, only to add, "I'm just glad that we're away from there."
"Too true," Narcissa agreed, smiling.
HP
It was on a warm spring day in March that Gina and Dobby appeared in the Potters' private rooms one evening with a baby elf in tow.
"Mistress Lily, Master James, this is Teddy, our baby," Gina informed her masters, and Teddy stood on unsteady feet bowing deeply. "We wish for Teddy to be bonded to young Mistress Dorea. Will Teddy please receive the permission to bond to Mistress Dorea?"
To Lily's relief, Dorea just let out a huge burp, and James quickly handed the baby back to her. "What do we need to do?" she enquired, looking at Gina in expectation.
"Mistress and Master do not have to do anything. We has taught Teddy how to bond, and he will do the bonding with little Mistress Dorea," Gina informed her in a soft voice.
"Very well then, go ahead, Teddy," James said, reassuringly.
Teddy stepped over to where Dorea was now fast asleep on Lily's lap and gently laid his hand on the baby's forehead, before he uttered an incantation that was too fast for Lily to understand. After a moment, the small elf smiled broadly, and to her surprise, she noticed that Dorea was also smiling in her sleep.
"Thank you, Teddy. That was very well done," she commented the very young elf, who once again bowed deeply.
"Mistress and Master, please excuse Teddy for a few more weeks, while he further grows up and we educate him," Gina replied on her son's behalf.
"Of course," Lily and James replied, simultaneously, smiling at the young family.
HP
Just a few weeks later, on Easter Sunday, a charm alerted Minerva to the fact that a new entry had been made in the book of magical children.
"A new baby or a new muggleborn?" James asked in apparent amusement, when she rolled her eyes at the book.
Magical babies always seemed to be born, just when she was in an important discussion with her deputy headmaster. She stepped over to the shelf, where the book was sitting, and touched the visible alarm on the cover, causing the book to open at the correct page.
tbc...
Thank you so very much for the many kind reviews for the previous chapter. Please let me know what you think of this chapter and what you expect from this story. Any ideas or opinions are welcome.
My Christmas holidays are now over and I must go back to work. Therefore, I probably will not be able to update as frequently. I will, however, try to at least update twice a week. Please keep my muse entertained, as this will help greatly.
Next chapter: "The Unicorn class".