Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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


At some time in spring, the Daily Prophet informed its readers that Albus Dumbledore was dying from a curse, which the late You-Know-Who had placed on an object to secure his property.

'Lord Gaunt offers to take off the curse, but Dumbledore refuses – what is going to happen at Hogwarts?' the large headline on the front page screamed.

'That was months ago. Who in the world spoke with the Daily Prophet about it?' Harry wondered, noticing with a glance at the head table that Dumbledore seemed understandably upset.

'Dad, do you have any idea who talked to the newspaper?'

Severus unobtrusively shook his head. 'Perhaps, it was Marvolo?'

'Marvolo, did you speak to the Daily Prophet about the curse on Dumbledore?'

'No.'

'It wasn't Marvolo,' Harry informed his father.

'There must be some leak towards the Daily Prophet, as we've noticed before that they seem to know things, which we intended to keep in private.'

'How strange,' Harry thought, resolving to ask Hogwarts about the matter. 'Perhaps, one of the journalists secretly comes to the school to talk with the students.'

HP

Later the same day, he went to the founders' quarters to discuss the matter with Hogwarts. The castle remained pensive for a moment. "I don't think that anyone who was not entitled to visit, entered my grounds. However, I believe that the wards would not pick it up if someone came in their Animagus form. Maybe, you need to change the wards, so that Animagi, who are not living within my walls, will be rejected."

"Thank you, Hogwarts. That's a very valuable point. I will discuss the matter with the professors."

He swiftly returned home to speak with his parents, but Regina informed him that his father was in a staff meeting with the headmaster and the other three heads of the houses.

"In Dumbledore's office?"

Regina nodded. "I believe so."

"Thanks, Mum. I'll go and speak with them then." He popped right in front of the headmaster's office, uttering a thanks to the gargoyle for letting him through, and knocked.

"Come in."

"Excuse me for disturbing your meeting," Harry greeted the professors, "but I have something urgent to discuss with you all."

"Please take a seat, my boy. Lemon drop?"

"No, thank you, Headmaster," Harry replied, before he took the only empty seat next to his father. "Earlier, I asked Hogwarts if she knew if any reporter had entered her grounds, and she told me no, but…" He interrupted himself, as he suddenly noticed the magic of a person in the room, who was not known to him."

"But?" Dumbledore urged.

"One moment." Harry glanced up at the shelf, where Sopho was seated, before he flicked his hand at a small beetle that was perched on the Sorting Hat's brim.

"Oh, a treat for Lucy?" Pomona asked, smiling.

"Not exactly," Harry replied, grimly, quickly casting a Silencing charm around the small animal. "What I was going to say was that Hogwarts told me the wards would not reject Animagi and that we urgently needed to adjust the wards. I believe that we've already found the culprit."

"Ah, but Harry, that is no more than a normal beetle."

Harry glared at the old wizard, before he turned to the deputy headmistress. "Minerva, could you please cast, what was it? Hominum revelo?"

"Yes." Severus rose from his chair and carefully picked up the stunned beetle. "I'd love to have it for the lab if Lucy would be so kind as to leave it to me," he commented, as he placed it onto the floor in front of Minerva.

"Thank you for taking that garbage off me." Sopho fluffed his brim in apparent disgust.

Severus returned a glance of amusement, while Minerva stepped back and cast the spell, causing the beetle to change back into a woman. She had bright blond hair and was wearing what Harry thought were some kind of pyjamas.

"Rita Skeeter. Why are you in my office eavesdropping?" Dumbledore's voice was laced with understandable anger.

"Ah, Harry. You still owe me an interview from the Trimagical Tournament. How did it feel to be a champion in spite of being a child?"

"I believe your beetle form was most fitting for you," Severus said, dryly. "Leave my son in peace."

"I don't owe you anything but perhaps a trial for entering the Hogwarts grounds without permission and eavesdropping on the staff. I will inform my godfather, Lord Black, as the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as of tonight, and I'll tell you now that if you ever enter the Hogwarts grounds without written invitation from a member of the staff, you'll remain in your Animagus form forever."

"Ah, who are you to threaten me? I am an upstanding member of society."

"And I am the owner of Hogwarts." Harry glared at the witch.

"Miss Skeeter, will you please enlighten us why you are here?" Dumbledore's voice was firm but friendly.

"The Hogwarts wards rejected me in my human form, so I had to come in my Animagus form." She looked less defiant, when all of a sudden, Sirius stepped out of the fireplace.

"Miss Skeeter, I heard complaints about you. Please accompany me to the Ministry of Magic for clarification."

"Good riddance," Dumbledore sighed, once the two non-staff members had left through the fireplace. "Thank you, Harry, for clarifying this for us."

"You're welcome, but I'd still like to ask all of you to help me change the wards to reject Animagi of persons, who are not living at Hogwarts."

Everyone agreed, and Harry and the five professors spent the rest of the evening out on the grounds adjusting the wards to their contentment.

HP

When Harry and Severus returned home and told Regina about the earlier events, she shook her head in confusion. "I thought the curse wouldn't allow Albus to live longer than about until the end of the school year, but he still seems to be quite well, considering that the OWL exams are going to commence in a few weeks' time."

"Ah, don't remind me," Harry groaned, before he let out a deep sigh.

"It's indeed strange," Severus agreed.

"No, it's not." Harry smirked. "I asked Death to give him two more years, so that he'll be the headmaster until I'll finish my seventh year."

Severus quirked an eyebrow in silent question.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know if I want to take his position as headmaster, but at least I'll have the chance to do so if we don't find an appropriate candidate."

"Did you already have your job counselling session? I believe that Minerva offered to do yours considering that you're not in any house."

Harry sighed. "It's next week. Frankly speaking, I don't have a clue what to tell her. I'd love to do many things at once, just like I did during the last few years. I'd like to continue working and researching as an Unspeakable, even if I haven't been exactly efficient to say the least, I will still continue overseeing the Office for Elven Affairs at the ministry, I'd like to support the twins on Inis Rún, and I still want to work at Hogwarts as well, perhaps even teach one or the other class…" He slowly trailed off, giving his parents a questioning look.

"Wouldn't the headmaster's position allow you to do all of these things?" Regina looked from Harry to Severus, who nodded in agreement.

"I believe so, too, and if you wish to teach a few dunderheads, you could always take over some of my classes. As a Potions Master, you're entitled to do so."

Harry nodded in understanding, before a jaw-cracking yawn escaped his mouth.

"You don't have to decide anything now anyway," Regina added, smiling. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Harry. Take your flee bag and go to bed."

Glaring at his father, Harry gently woke up Lucy, thinking, 'I definitely don't want to miss Felix' and Eileen's time at Hogwarts, but the first thing I need to do after taking my NEWTs is something else. I'll have to take the Potter seat on the Wizengamot and begin my agenda, even if it means fighting many of the old lords.'

tbc...

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