Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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

On Saturday evening, Dudley once again came to speak with Harry.

"How was Hogsmeade?" Harry eyed his cousin in amusement, noticing that the other boy looked outright happy.

"It was brilliant. First of all, Astoria agreed to become my girlfriend. We then bought friendship rings." He shyly showed Harry a plain, silver ring, which he was wearing on his left hand.

"Does it have any special features?" Harry enquired, having heard of friendship rings that allowed the use of telepathy among other features before.

Dudley shook his head. "No, I didn't have enough money to have it charmed, and we agreed to both save some pocket money to have some charm added the next time we go to Hogsmeade."

Harry nodded. "I will give you the money for some proper charms. In fact, I'll go to the jeweller and talk to him in advance. I want to make a ring for Luna as well, and I will ask what's possible for friendship rings such as yours."

"Thanks Harry," Dudley replied, grinning happily. "And in the afternoon, we met with my Mum. Apparently, Mrs. Figg has given her a Portkey that takes her to Hogsmeade and back."

"Oh, that's nice."

"Mum is now working in the kitchen of the Unspeakables. Mrs. Figg introduced her to them. Apparently, she is working together with Miss Prewett, the Weasley twins' mother."

"Aunt Petunia is working in the Unspeakables' kitchen?" Harry asked, wide-eyed. 'I can't believe it, but I'll sure go to invisibly listen into her and Miss Prewett's conversation at the next opportunity.'

"Yes, she told me she liked it, and she seems to have found a new friend in Miss Prewett, which is great, because she's all alone at home all the time now."

"That's true." Harry nodded in understanding. "So, she doesn't mind working together with people who are magical?"

Dudley shrugged. "Apparently not. A good example of how times can change everything. Did you have a nice day at Hogsmeade?"

Harry grinned, broadly. "Yes, it was brilliant. After doing some shopping, Luna and I roamed the village in our fairy forms for a while. It was much fun."

HP

On Sunday morning after breakfast, Harry made his way to the headmaster's office, inwardly groaning at the thought of spending time with the old wizard. 'Why did I ever agree to that stupid idea?' he berated himself as he went.

To his relief, Dumbledore decided to forego all niceties. He did not even offer him a lemon drop – not that he had accepted a single one during the seven and a half years since he came to live at Hogwarts – but simply asked Fawkes to flash them both to a certain spot, which seemed to be near the cove Dumbledore wished to visit.

The old wizard pointed to a small, old looking boat. "I believe that we have to take that boat to get to the cove."

Harry looked at the boat and the surrounding water, feeling uncomfortable at the idea. "No sir. I can sense something very strange here in the water. I am not going to board a boat. Why don't you call Twinkle and ask him to pop us?"

Dumbledore gave him a pensive look. "Twinkle!"

An instant later, the elf appeared, looking questioningly from Dumbledore to Harry. "Master Headmaster Dumbledore, what can Twinkle to for you?"

"Over there must be a small cave. Please pop us in front of it."

Reaching out for their hands, Twinkle popped them over, apparently realising that Dumbledore was not to know that Harry would have been able to pop them by himself.

"Twinkle, do you know what's in the water here? I can sense very strange magic."

"These are inferii I think," Twinkle replied.

Harry somehow felt relieved when the elf stayed instead of simply popping away again, and the headmaster did not seem to mind either. He busied himself waving his wand in the direction of the cave.

"Apparently, this liquid is poison and cannot be banished. I will have to drink it all. "Harry and Twinkle, please see to it that I do so, even if I might not want to continue."

Harry stared at the old wizard, wide-eyed. The words 'I am sorry, sir, but I am not going to encourage you to poison yourself' were at the front of his mind, however, realising that if he refused, Twinkle would have to do it just by himself, he did not voice them.

'Don't you believe that he's slowly losing his marbles?' he thought to Twinkle, when Dumbledore conjured a cup, which he filled with the poisoned liquid.

'Ah, don't say such things, Harry. You know that I am his house-elf.'

'Does he listen to you?'

Twinkle let out a small scoff, which he quickly turned into a cough. 'I believe that he doesn't listen to anyone.'

Harry unobtrusively gave the elf a small smile, truly regretting that he was not able to somehow free him, especially after getting to know him during the time, when he had sent all the elves on holidays. 'Poor Twinkle, he's the only elf at Hogwarts who is a house-elf against his own will.'

Dumbledore, who was drinking one cup after the next of the liquid in the cave, slowly began to struggle, and Harry and Twinkle began to take turns encouraging the old wizard to continue drinking.

'Marvolo, what's going to happen to Dumbledore if he drinks the entire poison from the cave?' he asked his mind friend.

'He's not going to die right away. He'll be magically weakened though, and if anyone wanted to attack him, today would be a good timing.'

Somehow, he felt that Marvolo was extremely amused, although he had no idea why that might be.

Only about an hour later, when Dumbledore had drained the complete cave and retrieved a locket, which he held out to Harry wearing a triumphant expression, did Harry understand the reason for his friend's apparent amusement.

He was just going to comment on the locket, from which he could not feel Marvolo's magic, when Marvolo was suddenly standing in front of them. Before Harry knew what happened, he stunned Twinkle.

'Harry, leave the elf stunned. I won't harm anyone,' he instructed him, before Harry could even think about enervating Twinkle.

"So petty, Dumbledore. Have you properly looked at the locket? Have you opened it?"

Harry watched with a combination of excitement and amusement how Dumbledore opened the locket, only to find a small parchment.

'Too late, Dumbledore!'

Before Dumbledore could react in any way, Marvolo cast a tickling charm at the old wizard, and Harry almost felt sorry for the headmaster, when he raised his wand in Marvolo's direction and shouted, "Sectumsempra."

tbc...

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