Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.

A.N. I have decided that instead of writing an Advent's Calendar story this year (otherwise, this story will never be finished considering that Harry is not even a first-year yet), I will continue this story with small, daily chapters until Christmas, before I will then continue in my usual pace. Please be so kind and feed my muse with comments and reviews - thank you.

Harry was already in bed that evening with Lucy cuddled against his stomach, when he heard that Severus readied himself to attend Marvolo's meeting at Nott manor.

"Please take good care of yourself. Harry, Felix and I need you." Regina sounded very agitated, which Harry found strange, as his adoptive mother usually managed to hide her emotions as much as his father.

Hearing Severus leave, Harry hesitantly scrambled out of bed and stepped into the living room. Lucy merely let out a small growl, before she turned around to face the wall and continued to sleep.

"Harry! Is something wrong?"

Harry smiled at the concern expressed in Regina's voice.

"Severus will be all right," he said, reassuringly, as he took his usual seat on the sofa, knowing his surroundings well enough to not have to rely on Lucy. "Marvolo is not evil. I can sense it. Right now, he seems to be scared of what his former followers will say to the truth."

"Thank you, Harry," Regina replied, warmly, and Harry felt how she sat on the sofa next to him. "That's very reassuring." She let out a deep sigh. "I'm afraid that this pregnancy makes me more susceptible to worries and fears."

"How is Felix doing?" Harry asked in anticipation of getting to know his younger brother soon, although he had the impression as if he already knew him well considering that he could sense the baby's magic. "He seems happy."

"Is that so?" Regina sounded delighted. "Here, you can feel him." She gently took his hand and laid it onto her stomach, where he felt a large bump.

"Is that him?" He chuckled, joining in his adoptive mother's happiness, when a sudden thought crossed his mind.

'Granny Anastasia,' he thought to his surrogate grandmother on the Isle of Elves.

'Hello Harry, my dear. How are things?'

'Just brilliant,' Harry thought back. 'I have a question. My little brother is going to be born in two months' time. Do you think one of Teddy's cousins would be willing to become his elf? A free elf of course,' he added, even knowing that Anastasia knew that he would not wish for anything else.'

'I'll ask around,' the elf promised, 'but I am certain that I find someone. Recently, you've become famous here.'

'I heard that from Dolly and Draht,' Harry replied, 'but it's really strange.'

"Harry, are you all right?" Regina's question brought him back to Hogwarts.

"Yes, please give me one moment," he replied, before he quickly said good-bye to Anastasia and then explained to his adoptive mother about his silent conversation with the elf.

"Oh Harry, you're so sweet. I hope you know that your father and I love you very much, and Felix is going to be very happy having such a caring big brother as you."

"I love you, too," Harry mumbled, still feeling extremely uncomfortable at expressing such kind of feelings.

"Thank you, son," Regina replied, gently placing a kiss onto his forehead. "I believe that it's time for you to go to bed now though."

Harry nodded, glad that she did not offer her help, apparently having understood by now that he could well manage on his own letting himself be guided by Hogwarts' magic.

HP

However, sleep did not come by easily, as he suddenly felt himself being pulled into what seemed to be Marvolo's mind. He could even see through the man's eyes and felt his thoughts.

'Beginning of vision'

His Death Eaters were gathered around him, grovelling on the floor in greeting.

"Raise," he commanded them. "I am back; however, I am not the Dark Lord anymore."

"Excuse me, sir?" Strangely, Malfoy was the first to find words.

Marvolo let out a deep sigh. "The late Lord Rosier, and no, I did not kill him, put me under the Imperius curse, when I was fifteen and had a crush on his daughter."

A huge commotion began, and Marvolo waited patiently, until everyone calmed down enough for him to continue his explanation. He told them everything, which he had already explained to Harry earlier the same day.

Once he had finished telling his story, Malfoy once again spoke up. 'As much as I like Draco, his father is not really nice,' Harry thought, as the blonde wizard questioned Marvolo.

"How do we know that this story is true? Do you have any proof? Moreover, who killed Theodore Rosier if it wasn't you?"

"Draht!"

An instant later, the elf appeared right next to Marvolo. "Yes, Marvolo, sir?"

"Please tell them about Theodore Rosier."

Draht nodded in understanding and told the assembled wizards everything that he knew of one evil wizard, to whom he had once been bonded.

"You tricked your master into freeing you?" Lucius' voice was laced with disbelief.

"Yes sir. I stole a sock from his grandson Felix and hid it in an inside pocket of his winter robes, and when he handed me his robes to put them away, I pulled out the sock and was free. It worked, and ever since then, I've been a free elf. As Marvolo is a friend of Harry Prince, the saviour of the elves, I decided to do him the favour and kill the old Lord Rosier."

"Harry Prince?" Lucius asked, incredulously. "The former Harry Potter, the boy who lived is your friend?"

"Yes." Marvolo smiled. "It was only because of him that I managed to get a corporeal body at this time."

"Why should we believe your phantasies?" someone suddenly shouted at Marvolo, pointing a wand at him.

'He needs me!' Harry realised and put a strong bout of magic into the wish to leave Marvolo's mind. An instant later, he found himself back in his own room at Hogwarts.

End of vision

"Lucy, wake up, we need to go and help Marvolo," he urgently whispered to the canine, who lazily opened her eyes. Apparently noticing that Harry was close to panicking, she was awake quickly. Without further ado, Harry gripped her front paw and popped them to where he could sense Marvolo.

"Harry!" Two voices shouted his name.

Grateful that Lucy showed him his surroundings and knowing that Marvolo was standing on his right side and Severus on his left, Harry raised his voice.

"I am Harry Prince, and I am good friends with Marvolo here. I only came to confirm that he is not evil. I know that he killed my birth parents, but that was because he was kept under the Imperius curse and was forced to do so."

"How old are you, child?" someone asked, and Lucy lightly growled at a grumpy old man. 'He probably is the one who asked. I don't like him either,' Harry thought in annoyance.

"I am ten," Harry replied in a firm voice, smiling, when Lucy showed him that Draht and Dolly protectively stood in front of him.

"Harry is a very special child," Marvolo stated, smiling at him.

"Well, you heard my son confirm that he is Marvolo's friend; however, I believe that it is time for him to return home. Marvolo, will you please excuse us?"

"Of course, Severus. Please take your son home. Thanks for coming, Harry. Good night."

"Good night, Marvolo," Harry replied, smiling, before he reached out for Severus' hand and Lucy's paw and popped them right into his bedroom to not give Regina a fright.

tbc tomorrow...

Thank you so very much for the kind reviews for the previous chapter. I appreciate it very much, and my muse really needs the feedback. Thank you.