Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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

In the morning of the first of September, Harry and Regina returned to Hogwarts with Felix, Eileen and Lucy. Harry was surprised to see his father engrossed in a large tome, obviously waiting for them.

He quickly averted his head, when his parents began to kiss in apparent happiness upon seeing each other. 'Disgusting,' he could not help thinking.

"Do you still have time to drink a cup of tea with us?" Regina cast Severus a questioning look.

"Of course. We only have another staff meeting at two o'clock in the afternoon, which I suppose you will attend as well?"

Regina nodded. "Harry, would you be so kind and look after Felix and Eileen for an hour or two this afternoon?"

Harry smiled. "Of course. May Teddy and Lucky come and join us?"

"Of course." Regina nodded, smiling.

"If you're certain that Teddy decided to not join his fellow Ravenclaws on the Hogwarts Express?" Severus quirked an eyebrow, only to add as an afterthought, "Before you ask him over, I need to discuss something with you in private."

Harry nodded in understanding.

'Teddy, are you going to board the Hogwarts Express?'

'I was wondering if or if not. On the one hand, I can't wait to see Hermione, but on the other hand, the train ride is tedious. What about you?'

'I'm going to stay here and look after my siblings.'

'Ah, then I'll stay here, too. May I come over?'

'At two o'clock, when the staff meeting begins, and please bring Lucky.'

'Okay.'

"Teddy and Lucky will come over at two o'clock," Harry announced, before he looked questioningly at his father.

"Felix, Eileen, shall we go out onto the grounds to enjoy some quiet, before the students will be back?" Regina spoke up, smiling.

Fourteen-month-old Eileen clung to Harry. "Hawwy wif."

Harry gently picked up the little girl and handed her to his mother. "I'll be there in a little while. I have something to do first." Seeing his sister pout, he quickly kissed her onto the small forehead, before he sat on his favourite spot on the sofa, where Lucy immediately cuddled close to him.

Once Regina and the children had left, Severus made himself comfortable in his favourite armchair.

"I don't know to which extent you're aware of this, but Marvolo and Professor Dumbledore are both trying to collect Marvolo's Horcruxes. I trust that he explained everything about them to you."

Harry nodded. "I only know that Dumbledore asked me to join him collecting them, and I refused. Marvolo then told me the other day that he has recovered one item, and another item seems to have been collected by Dumbledore. Why are you asking, Dad?"

"The item, which Dumbledore collected, is the Gaunt ring. It is somehow important, although I am not exactly sure why. I believe that Marvolo would better be able to explain it."

"Shall I ask him if he can join us?"

Severus shrugged. "Why not?"

'Marvolo, Dad and I are just discussing your items. Would you perhaps join us?' Harry thought to his friend, who immediately returned a positive response.

Two minutes later, the fireplace flared, and Marvolo stepped out.

"Severus, Harry," he greeted them, smiling.

"Hello Marvolo," Harry bet his father to a response. "Thank you for coming."

"Marvolo, please take a seat. We were just talking about the Gaunt ring, and if I am not mistaken, it is somehow important. Will you please enlighten my son what this is about?"

"Ah." Marvolo nodded in apparent understanding. "The stone of the Gaunt ring happens to be the Resurrection Stone, one of the Deathly Hallows. Have you ever heard of them?"

"I only read the story of the Deathly Hallows in 'Beedle the Bard'. Is that it?"

"It is said to only be a legend, but I am not certain. Anyway, the stone attached to the Gaunt ring has the symbol of the Deathly Hallows engraved on its surface." He showed Harry an image of the symbol.

Harry frowned. "That symbol is on my invisibility cloak as well."

Marvolo nodded. "One of the items is a cloak, and as the Potters are straight descendants of the Peverell family, I believe that your cloak is one of the three Hallows. The stone is the second, and the third is the Elder Wand, which is in Dumbledore's possession."

"But still, if the ring belongs to the Gaunt family, Dumbledore had no right to take it."

"No, it was theft." Marvolo chuckled. "The ring was cursed, however, because I warded it against theft, and since Dumbledore was stupid enough to put the ring on his finger, he's now cursed."

"In which way?" Harry looked from Marvolo to his father in concern.

"His hand is black, and it's going to spread all over his body if he doesn't let me take the curse off. He's going to die before the end of the school year if the curse remains active."

Severus cleared his throat. "Dumbledore refused to let you cast any spell whatsoever at him."

"Would I be able to heal him?" Harry asked, hesitantly, gently caressing Lucy's ears, as he looked from one to the other, questioningly.

"Please don't." Severus' voice was firm, and Marvolo immediately agreed.

"If he wants to be healed, he can simply accept my offer to take off the curse."

Harry nodded in understanding. "All right, then, I won't."

"I'll tell you what." Marvolo seemed pensive, as he continued. "If you manage to somehow steal that ring back from Dumbledore… mind you, do not place it onto your finger. Do not even directly touch it. If I get it back, I'll take the Horcrux out, and I'll give you the stone. I don't know if the ring will still be intact, but it doesn't really matter. If you then somehow manage to defeat Dumbledore, the Elder wand will come to you as well."

"Why would I fight Dumbledore?" Harry stared at the older wizard in disbelief.

Marvolo shrugged. "You never know, considering how he behaves towards both of us. Anyway, if you'll somehow get the Elder Wand into your possession, which is only possible if you take it from him by a spell, you'll own all three Hallows."

"Nice, but it's only a legend anyway, isn't it?"

"Maybe not." Severus seemed strangely pensive. "It would be reassuring if Harry couldn't die, considering…"

"Have you told him?" Marvolo perked up.

Severus shook his head.

During the next few minutes, Harry's world was turned upside down. 'I have one of Marvolo's Horcruxes in my head?' he thought with a combination of disbelief and horror. 'That's why he became my mind friend. That's why we can look into each other's heads.'

"Sorry, Harry. Please believe me that I didn't know before the summer solstice. I am just developing a ritual to take out the Horcrux from behind your scar on Samhain. I can't promise anything yet though."

"All right. Thank you, sir," Harry replied, knowing that Marvolo would not willingly harm him. "I'll try to get back your ring for you. Please give me a few days."

"Thanks, Harry. No hurry. I don't think he'll have a plan how to destroy it yet."

tbc...

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