Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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

Lucius Malfoy let out a deep sigh, as he lowered himself into his favourite armchair, craving the warmth of the fireplace.

"I'm sorry that I was already asleep, when you returned home last night. How did the meeting go?" Narcissa cast him a questioning look.

Lucius sighed again. "I don't know what to believe anymore. The Dark Lord is indeed back, but he claims to not have been himself during the time before his downfall. According to him, the late Lord Rosier had him under the Imperius curse ever since he was a fifteen-year-old."

Pressing a hand against her mouth, apparently to prevent herself from laughing at the incredulous accusation, Narcissa stared at him wide-eyed. "Why would Grandfather have done such a thing?"

"In his youth, the Dark Lord had a crush on your mother, at least that's what he told us. However, as she was already promised to your father, your grandfather put the Dark Lord under the Imperius curse, efficiently making him act as the Dark Lord."

Narcissa remained pensive for a moment. "Mother never said anything about the Dark Lord having been her friend during their time at Hogwarts. Oh well, my parents were devoted to him, but Grandfather was as well. Somehow, this is absolutely confusing."

Lucius nodded in agreement. "I am not certain about our allegiances," he admitted to his wife what he would not easily tell anyone else. "On the one hand, it is delightful to have him back, but on the other hand, his goals greatly differ from before."

"How that?" Narcissa leaned forward in her chair with apparent interest.

"He told me that his goals for the future would be the rights of all magical creatures, including elves, giants and whatever."

Narcissa blanched visibly.

"Apparently, he is going to work together with Harry Prince, Severus' adopted son. The boy even showed up during the meeting to confirm their so-called friendship."

Narcissa's eyes widened. "That's a dilemma. Draco actually is very fond of Harry and has already been pestering me if he can spend a week with Severus and Harry during the Yule holidays."

Lucius shook his head. "We should keep Draco away from the boy and rather teach him the old ways of thinking."

"Harry is a pureblood as well."

"Yes, but it's not becoming for a pureblood to free house-elves. According to the Dark Lord's elves, the boy is seen as the saviour of the elves. It even became clear that it was an elf who killed your late grandfather. Drath or something like that. I don't remember the exact name. Do you know him?"

Narcissa nodded. "Draht. That was Grandfather's elf, before he somehow managed to free himself. It's going to be difficult to keep Draco from Harry though, considering that in ten months' time, they're both going to become students at Hogwarts."

"Well, then we can only hope that Harry Prince is not going to be sorted into Slytherin."

Narcissa let out a small scoff, very unbecoming in her position as the Lady Malfoy. "You're aware that Harry is the Heir Slytherin, aren't you?"

Lucius sighed. "Ah, right, there was something. Oh well, I shall think about something."

HP

A few days later, Severus dismissed his student assistants on time for curfew and headed to the headmaster's office, as he had promised Albus to show him and a few of their colleagues Regina's memory of the prank that someone had played on them during lunch on Sunday.

The other three heads of the houses as well as Remus and Miranda were present. Severus quickly added the memory to Albus' Pensieve, before he invited his colleagues to watch it.

While his colleagues jumped at the opportunity and headed into the Pensieve, Severus exchanged a few words with Fawkes, the always pleasant phoenix.

"Hi Fawkes, how are you?" he cooed, gently petting the bird's crown feathers, causing the phoenix to let out sounds of apparent pleasure. Only when Severus let go, knowing that his colleagues were going to return soon, 'They can't see the evil bat of the dungeons pet a phoenix,' Fawkes let out a series of trills.

#Where is your little one? Please tell him to come and visit me soon. I can't wait for him to become a phoenix Animagus and play with me.#

"I'm sorry, Fawkes, but I can't understand you," he drawled.

"What a pity," a male voice spoke up, causing Severus to look up at the paintings of the former headmasters in surprise. It was Godric Gryffindor, who kindly translated Fawkes' trills for him.

"Thank you, Professor Gryffindor." Turning back to Fawkes, he added, "Harry is a canine Animagus."

Fawkes let out a sound resembling a scoff. #Then it is all the more time for the nestling to practise transforming into a proper bird. Tell him I can't wait.#

Severus' eyes narrowed at Godric's translation. "Would he be able to have a second Animagus form?"

This time, Godric did not wait for Fawkes to respond, but growled, "Harry is my heir. Of course, he will be able to have at least two Animagi forms."

The conversation ended, when the other professors left the Pensieve and once more occupied the seats around him.

"I wonder who did that fantastic prank. It is worth at least one hundred house-points."

"Albus!" Minerva immediately scolded the headmaster; however, everyone else seemed to agree with the old wizard, causing Severus to smirk.

"As I said on a previous occasion," he drawled, "there are only three children in this school who would be able to brew such a complicated potion."

Minerva was the first to understand and groaned in apparent annoyance. "Harry and the Weasley twins."

Severus smirked. "Of course."

"Well, then it is one hundred points to Slytherin." The headmaster smiled, pleasantly.

"I just hope Harry is going to be sorted into Gryffindor."

"Why would that be?" Filius cast Minerva an incredulous look. "As studious as the child is, he's surely going to be sorted into Ravenclaw. I wasn't aware that Slytherin recently has the most inventive pranksters, by-the-way."

"Oh," Severus recalled, ignoring his colleague's comment, "there is something that I'd like to alert you to. Harry intends to have his elf familiar Teddy attend classes together with him. Is there any rule against it?"

Albus shook his head. "Severus, you will understand that we cannot have house-elves attend classes at Hogwarts."

"Teddy is an elf, not a house-elf," Severus lightly corrected the headmaster, causing Minerva to chuckle.

The conversation was rudely interrupted, however, when Sirius Black suddenly stepped out of the fireplace.

"You!" he growled at Severus without even acknowledging anyone else present. "Is your master back, and are you bowing to him again? I knew that we should have never allowed you to adopt Harry."

"Now Sirius, take a seat and calm down," Albus lightly admonished the man. "What are you talking about?"

"Sorry, Headmaster. Earlier today, You-Know-Who, who somehow managed to return from the dead, came to the ministry, accompanied by Lord Nott. They spoke with Minister Bagnold, who then called Meli to the meeting. The murderer claims to have been under the Imperius curse by the late Lord Rosier, who conveniently died last week." Sirius scoffed. "Meli wanted to question him under Veritaserum to at least have some proof; however, he refused stating that he would only agree when Snivellus was with him and would administer the potion as well as the antidote if there was a question he didn't want to answer. Headmaster, I believe that it's time to call your chicken order to life again, but without him." He pointed a finger at Severus.

Uncertain how to respond without causing a huge fight in the headmaster's office, Severus was glad when Remus spoke up in his stead.

"Sirius, before you accuse Severus of anything, please remember that it was him to both free you from Azkaban and to cure me from lycanthropy."

"Exactly." Albus agreed with the former werewolf. "There is indeed the need to activate the Order of the Phoenix again considering that Voldemort is back; however, Severus will be a member of it just like any of our colleagues who wish to participate."

'Did I ever say I wished to participate?' Severus thought in disbelief. 'This time, I am absolutely certain where my allegiances lie.'

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.