Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong

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


Lucy let out a small growl, probably because of the loss of body warmth; however, Harry quickly pulled the cover over her, noticing in relief that her growling stopped and she seemed to sleep on. Thinking of Lucius Malfoy, he silently popped away.

The room was lying in the dark except for one single torch. However, Harry did not have to see much anyway. He sensed Malfoy's magic and quickly approached the bed.

'I don't want to heal that evil father of Draco's,' he thought, wondering why he felt so complied to heal the disgustingly slimy wizard. 'Oh, well, I better get this done anyway,' he resolved and gripped the man's arm in a firm grip. From healing the Longbottoms from similar ailments before, he recognised the signs of the evil wizard's brain returning to normality. Before he could recognise him, he released the man's arm and popped himself into the room, where he could sense Dolores Umbridge. He quickly let his healing magic flow, trying to not question himself why exactly he was doing this. At the first sign of her brain returning, he popped back home and scrambled into bed, feeling utterly exhausted.

HP

Harry could not really enjoy his last day of holidays. Somehow, what he had done during the night remained at the forefront of his mind, however, when he tried to speak about the matter with his father, he realised that he somehow couldn't.

"Harry, are you all right?" Regina cast him a worried look.

"Yes, Mum. BABA are really brilliant. It was so much fun playing with them last night."

Regina smiled. "I always loved them, even when I listened to them in the muggle world, when I was still a teenager. Hearing them add their magic to the music was even so much better, and your Suikan matched their music very well. It was a pleasure to listen."

"Thanks, Mum." Harry smiled, happily.

HP

On September 1, the front page of the Daily Prophet almost beat the excitement over the beginning of a new school year at Hogwarts.

'Chaos at St. Mungo's'
'Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge recover,
attack healers in a fight,
Umbridge dead and Malfoy captured'

'In the early hours of yesterday morning, Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge, both deemed uncurable in the long-term ward of St. Mungo's, miraculously recovered, left their rooms and stole the surprised healers' wands in a vicious attack. Thankfully, the Aurors arrived quickly and managed to end the fight between the two Death Eaters and the hospital staff by apprehending Malfoy. Umbridge perished during the fight. Malfoy is now in a ministry holding cell awaiting his trial.'

Underneath was a moving picture of the fight at St. Mungo's.

Harry stared at the newspaper in shock.

"Harry?" Severus cast him a look of pure concern. "Do you know anything about how Malfoy and Umbridge were cured?"

Harry nodded, feeling horrified. "I think I did that… but I didn't want to… I'm sorry." Tears began to leak from his eyes.

"Harry, please tell us everything from the beginning. You know that we'll always be on your side." Regina smiled, encouragingly.

"I had to heal them, but I don't know why, and I didn't want to… And I couldn't tell you." Harry looked from his mother to his father, questioningly.

"That sounds like the Imperius curse," Severus said, grimly. "Harry, would you mind me casting Legilimency?"

"Please do so."

An instant later, he felt his father's presence in his mind. It felt soothing, and he knew that his father would be able to help him understand what had happened.

He waited, and suddenly, everything became clear. It had happened at the party, during his concert with BABA, that someone had put him under the Imperius curse. He recalled how he had healed the two evil people against his own will, before Severus retreated from his mind.

"Somehow cast the Imperius curse on you and obliviated you afterwards. Harry, do you know who the person was who cast the spell? Professor Dumbledore was not at the party."

Harry shook his head. "It wasn't Dumbledore. I know his magic, but I didn't know the magic of the person who did it. I'll know if I ever meet him again."

Severus nodded in apparent understanding.

"If I am not mistaken, it has to be some of the former Death Eaters." Regina cast Severus a questioning look.

Severus nodded. "Who else might be interested in having Malfoy and Umbridge sane?"

"Perhaps, we could discuss the matter with Marvolo and have him invite people who might do something like that. Placing a twelve-year-old under the Imperius curse?" Regina shook her head in apparent anger.

"I'll ask him. Harry could invisibly accompany me and try to find the culprit."

He remained quiet, and from his expression, which he usually did not school to a blank mask at home, Harry guessed that he was mentally discussing the matter with Marvolo.

"Marvolo will call a few people over to Riddle house for lunchtime. Harry, would you mind joining me?"

"Of course. Thanks, Dad, for arranging this so quickly." 'I want to get over with it, before everyone is going to come back tonight,' he thought.

HP

A few hours later, Harry popped to Tom's house together with Severus and Lucy. Marvolo had invited eight of his former followers apart from Severus, but Harry noticed quickly that the culprit was not among them. From where he was sitting on Marvolo's right side in the middle of the table, the strategically best spot, he could sense each wizard's magic, but they did not match the magic that he had sensed, before he had succumbed to the Imperius curse.

"Thanks, Marvolo and Dad, for trying, but he wasn't among them."

Marvolo nodded. "It was worth the effort. Perhaps, you'll know more after Malfoy's trial, which is going to be held in front of the Wizengamot. Seeing that the head of the Wizengamot is a professor at Hogwarts, he'll surely see to it that it's going to take place on a Saturday, so that Harry will be able to attend and sniff out everyone."

Harry playfully slapped his friend's arm. "I don't sniff out people. I can merely sense their magic," he complained, causing Marvolo to chuckle in apparent amusement.

HP

Once they were back at home, Harry addressed his father. "Dad, will you please excuse Teddy and me with your colleagues?" Seeing that Severus quirked an eyebrow in silent question, he explained. "During the rest of the week, Teddy and I will take care of the new first-years. We'll accompany them to their classrooms and such."

"Wouldn't that be the job of their fifth-year prefects?" Regina looked questioningly from Harry to Severus.

"No, because they'd miss a lot of their own classes, while Teddy and I are able to pop. And also… we need to teach them to be friends with everyone, no matter in which house they are. I don't think the fifth-years can do that."

Regina smiled at his explanation, while Severus nodded in apparent understanding. "I shall inform my colleagues, even if no one would be able to take house points off you anyway."

"But Teddy…"

Severus nodded, reassuringly.

"I'm proud of you, Harry." Regina smiled, as she pulled him into a light hug, just enough for him to feel comfortable.

"I hope the new firsties will be nice."

HP

'Where am I going to sit tonight?' Harry wondered, as he entered the Great Hall together with Teddy, Ginny, Neville, Draco and the twins. Lucy was running ahead in apparent excitement.

"Let's sit here, while we wait for the others to arrive," he said, pointing at the nearest table, which was the Hufflepuff table.

"Are you going to stay here for the welcoming feast?" Neville cast him a questioning look.

"Hmm. I was wondering. Perhaps, I should better sit at the Ravenclaw table, considering that there are the most bitches among the older students," Harry replied, pensively, recalling how the older girls had treated Hermione, before he had told them off one day.

"Maybe, that would be the best." Teddy nodded, gravely. "The older girls in our house are really horrible. I wonder where Nina and Tony are going to be sorted."

"True." Harry nodded, smiling. His first two elf friends, who had attended the elves' class together with him, had volunteered and been chosen by him and Barney to become the new first-year elves.

As soon as the first students noisily stormed into the Great Hall, Harry and his friends moved to their respective tables, from where they observed the Sorting ceremony.

Harry did not know any of the new first-years except for Nina and Toni as well as Luna Lovegood, whom he had met at the party, when he had received the Order of Albion on August 30. Somehow, Harry had the impression as if more time had passed than just two days.

Harry smiled, when Luna sat next to him.

"Hello Harry, I didn't know that you're a Ravenclaw," she said in a soft voice, giving him a dreamy look.

"Ah, I'm not. In fact, I'm not in any house."

"Ah, that makes sense, considering that you're the owner of Hogwarts." She shocked him to the core, as she continued, "You might not know this, but your birth mother was my godmother."

"My birth mother?" Harry asked, incredulously, knowing that everyone only knew him as Harry Prince, even if Minister Bagnold had once mentioned his original name in the first Wizengamot meeting he had attended. No one seemed to have picked it up at that time.

Luna shrugged and smiled. "I just know things."

"All right," he replied, uncertainly, and swiftly introduced Teddy and Hermione, who were both sitting on his other side, efficiently diverting the topic of conversation away from himself.

HP

Harry was happy to hear that Remus had indeed called for a meeting of the Wizengamot for Saturday morning, the main topic being Lucius Malfoy's trial.

While he usually stayed at home to look after Felix, when his parents attended the Wizengamot meetings, this time, he had agreed with his parents to leave Felix with Misty, Cicero Teddy and Lucky.

'I hope I can find out who put me under the Imperius curse,' Harry thought, as he took his seat next to his mother on the Lestrange seat.

They did not have to wait long, before Remus opened the meeting in his capacity as the head of the Wizengamot.

"Today, we have gathered for the trial of Lucius Malfoy. I give Amelia Bones the floor."

Harry smiled. He really liked Sirius' wife. She was not only very friendly but also extremely trustworthy.

Amelia greeted the members, before she pointed out that Minister Fudge insisted on handling the Malfoy's trial himself.

Several groans could be heard from all sides of the table; however, as the Minister of Magic, it was Fudge's right to demand to oversee a trial himself. The ministers rarely ever made use of this right; however, apparently Fudge found it important.

He addressed the evil wizard, who was sitting in a wooden chair in chains, flanked by two Aurors on both sides.

"Lucius, ahh sorry, I mean Mr. Malfoy, you are accused of freeing prisoners from Azkaban. How do you plead my friend, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Innocent of these trumped up and outlandish charges."

"Veritaserum!" Harry did not know who had shouted, however, he fully agreed. 'Such a liar,' he thought, eyeing Draco's father in disgust.

Unfortunately, Fudge merely shook the comment off with an impatient wave of his hand.

"Who freed the prisoners then?"

"Dolores Umbridge."

"Really? Then you are innocent, I think we can dismiss the charges at this point."

"I don't think so, Cornelius. Continue with your questioning or I will declare you unfit to act in any capacity in this trial," growled Madam Bones.

"How did Dolores manage to do such a thing when she wasn't there?"

"She controlled the Dementors. She simply ordered them to take the prisoners away from Azkaban."

"On Ministry business, I assume. And where did they take them to? To which department?"

"No, she took them to her own home, but someone attacked us, and I don't know what happened afterwards."

"They were found at Malfoy Manor."

The accused looked surprised. "Perhaps, it was them who attacked us, and they then fled to my home. I am not aware of what happened, as I was at St. Mungo's.

"How did you suddenly recover?"

"Mr. Prince used his healing abilities and healed me. Thank you for that, boy." He looked in Harry's direction.

"Harry, is that true?" Sirius all but shouted.

Harry rose from his chair. "It was not by my own free will. Someone put me under the Imperius curse."

He received a couple of gasps, while very few people were laughing.

"How old are you, boy?" Fudge enquired.

"I am twelve."

Fudge nodded, rolling his eyes. "As if a twelve-year-old knew what he was talking about.

Severus rose and was given the floor. "My son knows very well what he's talking about."

"Well, enough of this nonsense." Again, Fudge impatiently waved his hand. "I believe that we don't have any proof that Lucius, ahhhh, Lord Malfoy has done any of the deeds of which he is accused. As the Minister of Magic, I declare him innocent."

A small break was announced, after which a couple of minor decisions were going to be made. Harry slowly walked through the chamber, where the members were talking in small groups, with Lucy in tow. He realised two things, first of all that most of the members were extremely upset about Fudge's way to handle the trial, and secondly, he recognised the minister's magic.

'Dad, it was Fudge, who placed me under the Imperius curse,' he thought to his father, before he telepathically informed Marvolo and Sirius as well.

HP

As soon as everyone was seated again, Marvolo rose from his chair. "Professor Lupin, I have a request."

Remus nodded, allowing him to speak.

"I instigate a vote of no-confidence against Minister Fudge. I am fairly certain that it was him who placed Harry Prince under the Imperius curse during a ball at Buckingham Palace on August 30. Madam Black-Bones, I request that you question him under Veritaserum."

"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.