OLD MAGIC

Chapter 41: Shocking Truths

McGonagall looks something like a fish out of water, Harry mused, noting the gaping mouth and open, stunned eyes of the second in command.

"There appear to be many things you three have kept hidden from us. Dare I hope we are about to be enlightened on what that might be?" Dumbledore asked. His voice sounded only mildly interested but his eyes betrayed his intense and growing annoyance.

The three had not given any thought to how they were going to approach this bomb-worthy information nor who would start first. They gave each other looks but no one spoke.

Frustration making him rude, Dumbledore finally demanded, "I'm afraid the suspense is undoing even my extensive patience gentlemen, so I will ask some questions of my own to get this strange meeting started." Turning to Harry, he asked, "Are you now prepared to tell me who your guardians are?"

Harry straightened, glanced right again for a second and receiving a small nod from Hagrid, gave his answer. Dumbledore had not missed that odd look from Harry to Hagrid and before he could inquire about it the answer came. "Hagrid and the forest dwellers, sir. Though I believe you already suspected the latter."

"I did, yes, but not Hagrid's involvement," Dumbledore barely managed to say, so stunned was he to learn that the half-giant had indeed 'stolen' the boy all those years ago.

Giving only a brief smile at the man's attempt at covering his shock, Hagrid dropped all pretense of being some kind of bumpkin, sat up straighter, and gave the headmaster a piercing stare as he said, "My apologies Professer Dumbledore, soir. I have been pretending slowness and ignorance to better protect those I love and those I owe allegiance to."

"And that would be the forest dwellers rather than I and the Order?" Dumbledore said more than asked, disappointment coloring his response. He thought he had the humble game keeper's trust but apparently that had been a lie and wishful thinking on his part.

"Partly, sir. I was born a forest dweller, as yeu must now realize, so it be natural that I give my whole heart and soul to them. However, I do respect you and the teachers here at Hogwarts even when I was wrongly accused of betraying your trust as a child when it were Tom Riddle that had killed that poor girl."

Dumbledore blinked in shocked dismay. He hadn't known that because Hagrid had never tried to implicate the boy. "But ... why didn't you tell me that back then? You said you were innocent but never provided facts to back you up."

Hagrid shrugged. "It wouldn't have done me any good, soir. He be a human and I'm not. Tell me ... who would yeu have believed?"

"I … don't know and that doesn't sit well with me. It's unsettling to know I might harbor such a prejudice. I am truly sorry, Hagrid."

Hagrid waved that off. "That be water under the bridge now, soir. It matters not anyway as I was already mostly trained in the magical arts when I came to Hogwarts. The only reason I attended at all were the Elders thinking I needed some contact with wizard kind and your methods. They thought this be a way to go about it. It's too bad I couldn't continue that training but thanks to your kindness in giving me a place at the school, I still managed to learn much that helped my kind in remaining safe from wizards depredations against us."

McGonagall winced at that bald statement. "We haven't been very kind to you people that is true," she admitted, feeling some shame for that prejudice which she realized she shared as well.

Hagrid offered her a an understanding smile before returning his attention to Dumbledore. "Now, as to why I took Harry into my care … some years before his birth it were decided that any who found themselves at hand should somethin happen to his family, would be responsible for taking him into the forest to be raised. It so happened that were me. Me family and I took the raising of him and proud we are of what the young man has become." He paused to give Harry a warm smile the boy returned it with a shy one of his own. Turning back to Dumbledore, Hagrid said, "We did our best to prepare him for the enemies we knew would be waiting for him here."

Leaning forward, Dumbledore fixed Hagrid with a cold stare. "You thought your people were better equipped to teach the savior of the wizarding world rather than his own kind?"

His tone more steely than the headmaster's, Hagrid coldly stated, "Our seers saw a different future for Harry, one more great than the one your seer prophesied. And killing Voldemort was not it. So, since your path was the wrong one, it was our duty to see that he reached the potential the fates had decided for him. The stars told our Elders that this boy could lead all magical kind into a better future. Using that guidance, we trained the boy in a broader range of subjects and not the more limited one you had planned for him."

Dumbledore's eyes flashed with anger at that pointed dig before he could say something unforgivable, McGonagall interrupted. "I won't attempt to debate whether your people's prophecy trumps Sibyl's. However, I do demand to know what you did teach Mr. Potter."

She didn't know what to think about a totally different prophesy. Admittedly, she hadn't liked the first one. Who ever heard of a young boy being responsible for killing a powerful wizard all on his own? It seemed totally unreasonable to her. And, equally stupid, was wizard's belief that the forest dwellers were little more than unskilled sub-humans. They were far more dangerous and possibly more powerful than any wizard alive had ever guessed. The only good news out of this disaster was the one about the boy himself. If he was to be someone of great import in the future, then it was good fortune or, she paused to reflect, maybe good care and love from the right people, that Harry wasn't against wizards. That would have been disastrous for all.

No matter how Albus felt, it would be she who saw to the rest of Potter's training, so it behooved her to learn what the child was taught so she could better place him within the school system. Later, if Hagrid was amendable, she would make it her business to learn more about the forest dwellers.

A rueful thought flashed through her mind, Wizarding kind is in for a rude awakening when it's learned just how magically skilled and powerful these creatures ... no people ... truly are.

"Harry ..." Hagrid interrupted her racing thoughts by nodding at the boy to answer her question.

"Well, it consisted of a lot of what you are already teaching me but with a few differences, professor. That's why I'm here at Hogwarts ... to learn what those differences are and add them to what I already know. I became personally familiar with all the creatures of the forest and have friends among them. When I was nine, I was sent to live with a muggle friend of Hagrid's for a year so I could attend a muggle school. From that environment, I learned science, government, history, human biology, geography, and actual experience of what its like in the muggle world rather than all the rumor and misinformation wizarding kind has been fed all these years."

"Hagrid ..." he paused to smile at his foster father before continuing. "... took me to many places around the world and I was taught several languages. I'm fluent in Latin, German, Japanese, that one was really hard cause I wasn't allowed to use a spell to learn it the easy way … uh … ancient Celtic, and Italian. On our travels I picked up a smattering of French, Spanish, Arabic, Persian, Korean, Mongolian, and Russian. Those were for getting the things I needed or asking directions, that sort of thing." McGonagall looked pleased and impressed which made Harry feel vindicated a little.

"I was taught many forms of self defense and shown how to use a variety of weapons … both muggle and wizard. Martial arts is one form of self defense that I enjoy the most and possess a brown belt in, that's near master level. So, obviously, I'm still taking lessons in that. And I do know how to duel with sword, knife, and wand besides my fists. Though I do realize that I don't have the body strength yet to take on a stronger more skilled opponent, I have learned to avoid a fight and run when I must. I have full confidence in my abilities so have no need to prove anything to anyone. So you don't have to worry about me losing my head over some insult and try to prove my 'manliness' any time soon." That got him a brief smile from those listening and relieved some of the tension in the room.

"I'm able to create a stag Patronis like my father, James. I've learned to do basic potions, fourth level defense spells, and am totally skilled at Occlumency and Legilimens."

"Which explains your strong shields," Dumbledore sighed, resigned to this line of questioning. It had allowed his temper to cool and his focus to be on what Harry might reveal in his explanations. "That is a difficult subject and there are very few who can teach it properly. Who instructed you?"

"I did."

"Severus!" Dumbledore gasped, whipping his head to the right to stare at the potion's master in shocked surprise.

"Yes, headmaster, I was asked to teach the boy the summer before he was to arrive at Hogwarts," Snape drawled unconcerned by the older wizard's reaction.

"Which means you knew all along where Harry was and never told anyone," Dumbledore accused, anger flaring in those brilliant blue eyes … no twinkle there now.

"Yes."

"Why?" McGonagall demanded before Albus could, also hurt by this further betrayal of trust.

"I owe no allegiance to wizarding kind, Minerva," Snape said in his usual blunt way. "Hagrid asked a favor and I saw a chance to redeem myself with my own people. I just made my own contribution toward that better future the Elder's saw. That was more important than my barely tolerated status here at Hogwarts and with the Order."

"You truly believe that," the old wizard murmured, thoughtfully stroking his beard. Amazement thrummed within him at this revelation. "What about our enemy? How does defeating him fit in with your 'change of heart'? You know he is not gone and his threat is very much a cause for concern."

Snape snorted in self disgust. "While we've been chasing him all over England, Voldemort was right here within these walls with no one the wiser. Not even Hogwart's spirit had guessed its enemy lay within its very walls. The Dark Lord could have continued to do his evil on our society and the children we teach here if not for Harry. Voldemort had been very clever up to that point but his greed for a body, his arrogance, and dismissal of anyone being a threat to him and his plans, caused him to tip his hand early."

"What?" McGonagall blurted, shock and horror on her face.

"Where is he?" Dumbledore demanded, nearly the same time.

"Within Professor Quirrell. We all knew the man was acting rather odd since his return to school, yet no one, least of all me, ever thought to ask him if he was alright nor investigate why he now stuttered so badly. Everyone seemed to accept his lie about running into a Death Eater and barely escaping. He did run into someone alright but it wasn't a Death Eater."

"You must be mistaken, Severus. How could Professor Quirrell have anything to do with He-Who-..." McGonagall stopped when Harry made a disgusted noise in his throat. Blushing with angry embarrassment at having an eleven year old call her to task for cowardice, she quickly corrected herself though it was hard to break a habit of years. "... I mean Voldemort. That's absurd!"

"He has everything to do with our enemy," Snape snapped coldly. "The poor fool was possessed by Voldemort's spirit during one of his many unguarded travels through the Forbidden Forest."

Shock and disbelief rolled off McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Are you certain of this? How could Harry have discovered such a thing and no one else had?" Dumbledore demanded. His mind whirled with the implications of having the Dark Lord within the castle around all these children.

"Positive … and Harry learned of it when he suffered severe headaches from Voldemort's attempts to break past his shields every chance he got. That's when the boy realized something had possessed Quirrell but not who or what."

Dumbledore relaxed a little. "Then he doesn't know for certain this was our enemy."

Snape sighed. "At first that was true. We didn't know who the spirit was so surveillance was done. It was during that we discovered what or rather who we were dealing with. It became fact when conversations Voldemort had aloud with Quirrell that we were dealing with our enemy who wanted Harry's body and would stop at nothing to get it."

Alarm galvanized the headmaster to his feet. "We need to alert the Order ..." he began, his mind scrambling to think ahead to what needed to be done and quickly.

Hagrid stood and raised both huge hands. "Easy, easy soir," he soothed. "The danger be over as of last night."

Too many shocks took the legs out from under Dumbledore as he sat rather heavily into his chair and gaped at Hagrid. "What have you done?"

Hagrid sat again and explained. "When he confided in me that he'd discovered this evil in the castle. Snape and I suspected who it might be and planned to take him out. I went to my Elders and they came up with a spell that would, hopefully, rid us of whatever it was. As Snape has already said, the spirits own actions gave us the answer of its true self. From there it be a matter of setting a trap and luring the evil thing there using Harry as bait."

"You endangered a child to catch this thing?" McGonagall objected. "He could have been possessed by Voldemort. What were you thinking?" She demanded angrily.

Harry interrupted. "I volunteered. And no other bait would have worked. Voldemort was fixated on me. He wanted my body." He looked disgusted at that. "To be rid of that evil forever was worth the risk to me and everyone else knew the risk and did everything they could to prevent Voldemort from taking me and it worked!"

"Aye, it worked though it were a close thing. Voldemort were stronger than we'd guessed which made the battle to exorcise him take longer but in the end we were victorious. The forest dwellers suffered no casualties praise to the Goddess, only exhaustion. However, with Voldemort's destruction poor Professor Quirrell also perished. But, at least, his spirit is free. And a poor, innocent Bicorne suffered torture and death at the hands of Voldemort to set his trap for Harry."

Silence fell.

"There was no way to save him?" McGonagall finally asked, meaning Quirrell.

Snape shook his head, sadness in his eyes. "Sorry, no. Harry was able to determine there was very little of the man's own personality left. It was that thin sliver of soul that kept Voldemort from being detected. His long occupation simply ate away Quirrell's soul." McGonagall winced at that. "We will need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher now," he added, quietly.

"If it helps, Minerva, Quirrell's spirit sang with relief when he was set free," Hagrid stated with certainty, hoping to relieve her concerns.

Sadness and a single tear fell down McGonagall's cheek but she nodded her thanks for that information.

Dumbledore, meanwhile, sat completely stunned and at a loss for words for the first time in his long life. It was a lot to take in and he was trying to accept that all these unknowns had taken care of the evil they'd hunted so long and with seeming ease. However, he was still skeptical that Voldemort was truly gone.

"What is your proof he's really gone?" He asked.

Snape took his left hand and rolled up his right sleeve.

"Oh my! It's gone! That horrible tattoo is gone," McGonagall said, softly. Rising from her seat she walked over to Snape.

He allowed her to take hold of his arm and touch the spot where the tattoo had been. Feeling a slight warmth against his skin, he guessed she had done a brief spell to determine if he was using some method to hide the symbol. After a moment, she let his arm go.

Looking both relieved and stunned by this turn of events, she offered him a weak smile which he returned before turning to Dumbledore. In a near breathless voice, she said, "It's gone. No trace remains. Unbelievable as it seems, Albus, our enemy is no more."

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat and stared at them all. The death of Voldemort changed everything.

While the headmaster was silent, McGonagall turned to stare at Harry, thoughtfully a moment, before returning her attention to Hagrid once more. "Well, now that the threat is gone, I just have a few more questions to ask about Potter's education."

"Certainly, prefesser. Ask away."

"It sounds like you have done a thorough job of teaching Potter. From what you have told me he has received a much better and more well-rounded curriculum than our students are presently being taught. But the amount of education you have force-fed such a young child concerns me. Are you certain he was able to absorb it well enough to truly understand what he was taught?"

"Children be like sponges, prefesser. They grasp far more than most adults give them credit. But Harry, now, he be much smarter than the average bairn. Because of that, his teachers were able to give him the equivalent of up to year four for wizard school and at least middle of secondary school … that be about …" he thought a bit about the equivalent since none here were familiar with muggle schooling, " … year seven in academics here. As for proficiency levels … well, he be a long way from reaching sum of them because of his age. As you well know many of the magical teachings must wait until a body is mature enough to handle it. Same be true about physical skills with both fighting and weapons. He needs time to grow into his body and magical power to reach any of those goals. I will say, all his teachers are pleased with his exceptional progress for one so young. And all those teachers were experts in their own fields so you needn't be worried about being taught poorly. You are welcome to test him, of course, but I feel you will find he knows more than ye expect him to."

McGonagall still looked skeptical. "Most, if not all of his teachers were non-human, I suppose?"

"Yer prejudice is showing prefersser," Hagrid chided her gently. McGonagall had the grace to blush in embarrassment as she realized that was very true. "But, Aye, most his teachers were forest dwellers however, don' forget there be muggle instructors as weal."

McGonagall shook her head and looked genuinely confused. "Why Muggles for goodness sakes?"

"We wanted him to know both worlds. It were extremely important for the future of us all. Ye will soon learn why as the Elders intend to make an announcement soon," Hagrid said, mysteriously.

Frowning, Dumbledore, who had returned to the conversation, asked, "What kind of announcement?"

"Sorry soir, that is not for me to say. You must have patience."

Dumbledore's expression was sour at that but knew nothing he could say would get him a different answer.

Hagrid merely smiled and said nothing more.