Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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

"Lady Black-Bones?" Remus cast Amelia a questioning look.

Amelia rose from her chair. "Lord Gaunt, let me repeat this. You request for the Minister of Magic to be questioned under Veritaserum if he placed young Harry Prince under the Imperius curse. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Madam. Please."

"I second the request." Harry smiled upon hearing Sirius' voice.

"Me as well." His parents spoke up, simultaneously, causing Harry to inwardly chuckle.

'I thought they were going to have a vote of no-confidence?' Harry thought to his father.

'If they question him and find out that he's guilty, such a vote is not needed, as he will automatically receive a one-way ticket to Azkaban. If he is not guilty, we will have that vote. I suppose that Amelia suspects him to be guilty, knowing that you wouldn't accuse him otherwise.'

'Thanks.'

"Who agrees to question Minister Fudge under Veritaserum? Please just raise your hands."

All but three hands rose into the air, and Amelia nodded in apparent contentedness. She nodded at the group of Aurors standing behind her, and the whole Wizengamot watched how they ushered the minister out of his seat and into the chair that Lucius Malfoy had occupied earlier.

"Auror Black, will you please administer the Veritaserum along with the neutraliser?"

Fudge seemed to be fuming, however, had kept quiet so far. "What neutraliser?" he suddenly hissed. "You cannot do that. I am the Minister of Magic."

"The antidote against the antidote to Veritaserum, and yes, we can." Amelia's voice was firm and final, and Sirius swiftly followed her instruction, while the Aurors helped restraining the resisting minister.

Amelia waited a few seconds, before she began to question the man.

"What is your name?"

"Cornelius Oswald Fudge."

"Did you take the antidote for the truth serum prior this Wizengamot session?"

"Yes."

"Did you put young Harry Prince under the Imperius curse to heal Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge?"

"Yes."

Harry glared at the man; however, he kept his eyes on the floor in front of him, not making eye contact with anyone.

"Why did you believe it was a wise idea to put some under the Imperius curse, let alone a twelve-year-old?"

"He was able to heal them, but when Dumbledore asked him, he refused. I wanted my friends back, as I needed Dolores' input and Lucius' money."

Shaking her head in apparent annoyance, Amelia turned to Sirius. "I believe that suffices. Casting the Imperius curse on a person, let alone a minor, warrants for a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Auror Black, the antidote please. Auror Shacklebolt, please take him to Azkaban."

HP

Another five-minute pause took place, before everyone gathered again for the rest of the meeting.

"Lady Black-Bones, would you be willing to become the interim minister once again?" Remus enquired, as he continued the meeting.

Amelia let out a deep sigh. "I will. Shall we set the first of December for the election?"

Remus agreed, before he profusely thanked Amalia for taking care of the matter.

'I wonder who is going to become the new minister,' Harry thought, coming to the result that any new minister would probably be a better minister than Fudge had been.

During the rest of the meeting, several minor matters were discussed, which were uninteresting in Harry's opinion. He was relieved and eager to return home, when the meeting was adjourned.

HP

That evening, Harry and Hermione spent a few hours in the first-year study room answering the first-years' questions and talking to a couple of home-stick students.

"My Mum would be much better at talking to the home-sick firsties," he said, pensively, when they crossed the corridor to return to their own study room shortly before curfew.

Hermione cast him a pensive look. "Your mother is exceptionally nice. Why don't you ask her if she'd be willing to work as a students' advisor a few hours each week, so that students could come and talk to her if they needed someone? Considering that you're the owner of Hogwarts, you could as well install such a new position."

Harry shrugged. "I can ask her. The idea is not bad, although I suppose that I'd have to watch Felix then."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You can just bring him to the study room. We'll all look after him."

Harry chuckled, knowing that all the girls loved cuddling with his baby brother. "You'll all spoil him rotten then."

"Well, it must have some advantage to grow up at Hogwarts with so many babysitters around." Hermione grinned.

"True," Harry agreed and promised to speak with his parents later on.

HP

"It would make sense. Poppy is always busy consoling homesick first-years, and you would indeed be predestined to help them." Severus cast his wife a questioning look.

"I'd like that." Regina smiled. "But Felix…"

"I can just take Felix during these hours." Harry smiled. "Perhaps, we could make you an office near the study rooms, where you could be at fixed times, during which anyone can come to see you. If Felix really needed you, I'd know where to find you."

They discussed the matter in detail, before they called Minerva and Poppy, who immediately agreed to the project. They even called the headmaster over, who also agreed, even if Harry did not care much about his opinion.

In the end, Harry asked Hogwarts for another room in the corridor with the study rooms. It was located between the study rooms of the first-years and second-years, and Severus, Regina and Minerva spent the weekend furnishing it, making it a very comfortable office with one blue leather sofa and two soft leather chairs, one in white and one in black, around a small glass table. Even Cicero and Misty came to assist on Sunday morning.

At the same time, the second-years looked after Felix and Lucky, much to the girls' delight. Everyone fawned about the two eighteen-month-olds, who seemingly enjoyed being the centre of attention.

HP

In the early evening of the day before Hermione's birthday, Harry went out onto the grounds in his canine form together with Lucy. =I need to ask the Giant Squid to be quiet tonight, when we're going to have our party.=

=May I come with you tonight?=

Harry looked at his familiar in surprise, as they ran in the direction of the lake. =Aren't you always with me?=

He stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing a small girl standing just by herself on the edge of the lake throwing small stones into the water.

"Hi Harry, hi Lucy," she greeted them, and Lucy immediately stepped over to her to gently lick her hand.

tbc...

Thank you so very much for the kind reviews for the previous chapter.