Disclaimer: Some parts of the story have been copied (and edited according to the story) from pages 136- 140 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone.
James sat impatiently at the meeting as the Goblins and his fellow Aurors discussed the inane details of the case, while no one wondered why you would need an inferi if an imperiused Goblin could do the work for you.
James tapped his quill and it was this tapping that gained Scrimgeour's attention.
"Is something bothering you Auror Potter?" He asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir," James said, straightening his back. "I was just wondering if the task could be completed by putting the Goblin under an Imperius curse, why create an inferi out of him at all?"
"Our wards would have recognized someone who abandoned us," piped up the head of the Goblin committee. "Had he been alive, our wards would have informed us of his return, so that we could catch him and bring him to justice. However, we couldn't have recognized a dead Goblin, and they only needed his finger to open the vault. His body had not yet started decaying, making it possible for the thief to use him rather ingeniously."
"Your wards did not detect a dead Goblin, shuffling around?"
"Gringotts, is a huge bank, Auror Potter. We deal with living threats and many people lose their lives in their failed attempts to rob the bank. We do not trouble ourselves with those who die within our walls or for the dead who walk in. I must admit, we never truly believed that someone can use a Goblin as in Inferi to rob the bank."
James nodded, "Did our victim know that his desertion meant that he could never return, alive at least?"
"Yes, all employees know what deserting the bank means and how they will be treated should they ever dare to return."
"When you say all employees, do you mean the wizards or other magical beings working with you too?"
"Yes. Termination of employment is a different matter, but going off indefinitely without giving in any paperwork is an act of treason and is not taken lightly."
James nodded, "Thank you."
Scrimgeour pulled James aside as soon as the meeting was over.
"What are you thinking, Potter?" He demanded, "What is it that you think you know?"
"It's just a possibility, for now, sir," James replied, "Nothing concrete."
"What is it?"
"Last night I was thinking about the case and remembered a very significant time in our not so recent past when a certain dark wizard was known to use the Inferius to his ends," James explained, "I was just wondering if he or one of his undetected followers were involved in this attempted robbery."
Scrimgeour gave him a grim look, "Investigate this line of approach but inform no one. We do not need a public panic over this. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, do you need a team?"
"Shacklebolt and Sirius would do. Thank you."
"Done," Scrimgeour said, "And Potter, I don't need to tell you this, but be very discreet."
"Yes, sir."
Sirius and Kingsley looked at the stacks of paper in James' office and groaned inwardly. James, on the other hand, pretended to not notice their dour moods and set off explaining his theory to them.
"Right," James said brusquely, shuffling through some papers, "What I would like to do is pull out the details on every suspected Death Eater and their accomplices, look at the wizarding employee records of the wizards who have either joined or retired from Gringotts in the past one year. Cross-reference them and see where we can go from there. Okay?"
"James," Sirius said with a thoughtful look, "There certainly is a possibility that this is an outside job."
"It is, a possibility, yes." James conceded.
"If this was an outside job," Shacklebolt rumbled, "How did they know which Goblin to kidnap? This was very precise and targeted. It was as if the perpetrators did not want any attention drawn to them, which is why they have taken their own sweet time between kidnapping the Goblin and creating an Inferius out of him."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." James said, "Even if it wasn't an inside job, someone must have let slip something."
Sirius looked from Shacklebolt to James and sighed, "I knew all of it, I just hate this bloody paperwork!"
James smiled, and the three Aurors busied themselves with finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.
On Halloween morning the first year Gryffindor boys, woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry and Neville had immediately stuck to one another but Professor Flitwick paired them off with Seamus and Dean. Ron had given them an accusatory glare as he was paired off with Hermione Granger, much to both their grief. Hermione had chosen to ignore them for the time being.
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."
It wasn't much difficult for Harry or Neville, they swished, flicked and said the words, and up their feathers went. Professor Flitwick beamed at them and awarded them 10 points each for being successful on the first attempt. The rest of class, however, was struggling, Seamus had become extremely agitated, and in his agitation, he prodded the feather with his wand, setting it on fire. Harry had to put it out as Dean and Neville roared with laughter. Ron looked longingly at the four boys before waving his wand like a windmill without getting much success. Harry knew Ron just needed to correct his wrist movement as well as his incantation, but Hermione beat him to it.
"You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry, and a rather uncomfortable looking Neville as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly. "
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears.
"I think she heard you."
"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."
"That is rather mean, mate," Neville said, looking really flustered.
Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry, Neville, and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone.
Ron looked still more awkward at this, and Neville was all but ready to go find her and make Ron apologise to her. But a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.
As they sat for the feast, Neville lamented rather pointedly that Hermione was missing out on such a feast because of someone's insensitivity. And going by Ron's expression, he was all but ready to snap at Neville. Harry chose to ignore his bickering friends, as he helped himself to a baked potato.
Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know." He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.
There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"
Harry, Ron, and Neville jumped to their feet and started following Dean to the common room. They largely ignored Percy's droning till Neville stopped dead in his tracks. Ron and Harry were a few steps ahead when they noticed that Neville was not with them anymore.
"Neville," Ron said, "What are you doing?"
"Hermione," Neville said faintly.
Harry looked at the first years following Percy and then at Neville, he had made his decision.
"Let's go find her, and get out of here," Harry said.
"Are you two mental?" Ron exclaimed. "Do you have a death wish?"
"The troll is in the dungeons, Ron," Neville said impatiently, already inching towards the girl's toilet. "We will go get Hermione and rush back using our shortcuts."
Ron threw his hands in the air. "If I die, I am coming back to haunt you," He said, as he followed them to join some Hufflepuffs.
The three ducked in an empty corridor, and Harry wished he had not left the map in the common room. They had almost reached the nearest Girl's bathroom when they heard footsteps behind them; Ron grabbed both Harry and Neville and pulled them behind a large stone griffin.
"Do you think he noticed us missing?" Ron asked anxiously.
"Who?" Neville asked completely nonplussed.
"Percy." Ron whispered, "I think he followed us here."
Harry let out a derisive snort, "No, he didn't." He whispered, "Snape did."
The three boys exchanged nervous glances, readying themselves for months of detentions and loss of a thousand points. Snape, it appeared was not interested in catching them tonight, he crossed the corridor swiftly, as the three boys peered at him from their hiding spot and disappeared from view.
"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"
"Search me," Ron said.
Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.
"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.
"Can you smell something?"
Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.
And then they heard it - a low grunting and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight. The troll peered into a door, before entering it
"It seems the troll is not in the dungeons anymore," Neville whispered. "Maybe the teachers know that it has escaped the dungeons."
"Is this the time to think about that?" Ron asked incredulously.
"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."
"Good idea," said Ron nervously. They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't
about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.
'Yes!"
Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop - a high, petrified scream - and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.
"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.
"It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.
"Hermione!" they said together.
"Neville," Harry said urgently, "Go, get help. Find a teacher, prefect, anyone and bring help. Ron and I-"
Harry paused as though steeling himself for something. He glanced briefly at Ron who nodded back, a grim expression on his pale face.
"Ron and I will, distract the troll," Harry finished. "You are the only one apart from me who knows of the secret passages. Just get someone. Hurry."
Neville nodded and disappeared behind a tapestry a few feet away. That tapestry would take him to entrance hall, where he would surely find some help.
Minerva McGonagall slammed the doors of her personal quarters, and strode purposefully to her liquor cabinet. She poured herself a rather generous quantity of Firewhisky and finished it all in one go, slamming her glass down.
Great Merlin in Heaven!
Four stupid first-year students, believing they could take over a troll. No, correct that, one stupid Gryffindor first year, believing she could take over the troll, and the other three dunderheads who ran straight towards trouble to save her, rather than inform someone.
She massaged her forehead. Harry was so much like James.
She had thought her troubles with extreme stupidity had ended with James Potter and his band of brigands who had decided on attempting to become Animagi without assistance. How could she believe, that James Potter's son would have a rational bone in his body?
She was sorely tempted to write a strongly worded letter to the Weasleys, Longbottoms, and Potter about the behaviour of their respective wards. She doubted the Grangers would understand the danger their child had put herself in.
She let out an irritated breath, the Weasleys were just as bad in their respect. While Charlie Weasley, bless his soul was a gentle person, he was obsessed with magical creatures, and the Twins! What in the name of Agrippa was she thinking, when she hoped they would be as restrained as Bill Weasley. They were a nightmare, but Ron Weasley looked like the cherry on the cake. She had known Neville and Harry all her life, and at this point, it was hard for her to decide, whether Harry and Neville were corrupting Ron Weasley, or Ron Weasley was corrupting Harry and Neville or was this act of corruption mutual.
She poured herself another glass of Firewhisky, she knew she wouldn't be writing any letters tonight. Not when she was so agitated. She can wait till the morning to send off the letters to the Longbottoms and the Weasleys. But James Potter was her Godson, and tonight, she planned to rant to her Godson, about his ward.
Arianna Potter marched to the four first years, as soon as she spied them entering the common room.
"What the hell were you thinking?" She yelled, folding her hands on her chest, Harry's map crushed in one hand.
Neville and Harry flinched and looked around but the Weasley Twins had all eyes on them. Ron and Hermione, on the other hand, had taken a step back, trying to shrink themselves.
"I looked at the map when I wasn't able to locate you in the common room, while your bag was still lying on the floor of the common room." Arianna hissed, towering over her two cousins.
"Do you know what I saw?" She asked, violet eyes blazing.
"I saw Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Flitwick in a girl's bathroom, with the four of you and a troll. A troll!" She yelled the last world, throwing her hands in the air. "How thick can you be? All of you are bloody midgets! What made you think you can take on a troll? Merlin's Beard, you two, you know how much your parents sacrificed to keep you safe! Is this how you repay them? By jumping to your deaths at the first chance you get?"
Harry and Neville hung their heads in shame. They hadn't thought about their parents.
"Please, Arianna", Hermione squeaked from Harry's side. "It was my fault. I had gone looking for the-"
Hermione stopped abruptly, as Arianna held her hand up.
"Don't lie," She said harshly. "Your friend Lavender and Parvati, informed Janice that you were in a girl's toilet, as soon as we entered the common room. Janice had immediately informed one of the portraits outside, and had asked them to locate you as well as a teacher to ensure your safety."
"They still came to rescue me," Hermione mumbled.
"A very noble emotion," Arianna conceded, letting out an irritated breath. "But had they really considered their options, they could have informed Percy, who would have known what to do."
Harry, Neville, and Ron looked at her aghast. "Sorry, Anna," Neville said. "We didn't think of it. We promise we would do nothing this stupid in the future," He promised sincerely, as Harry and Ron nodded frantically.
"Fine," Arianna said. "I am happy that all of you are alive and unscathed. Go enjoy what's left of the feast."
Harry and Neville exchanged relieved looks as Arianna turned to leave.
"Oh," Arianna said, turning back, an evil smirk on her face, "I will be writing to Remus and Aunt Alice. I have informed Percy, although I did ask him to spare you the lecture as I would be giving you one, he plans to write to Mrs Weasley. I wouldn't want to be you this week."
She laughed at their horrified expressions as she walked away.
James Potter had just settled with his morning tea when he received a letter from Minerva.
Dear James,
Merlin's Pants Boy! Your son is as bad as you. Is sending me to an early grave a Potter household conspiracy? Harry, bless his soul, stupid boy though, fought a troll and lived to tell the tale. I think Peeves or some other troublemaker in the school allowed a troll to enter the castle. A first muggleborn from Gryffindor was missing from the feast, so Harry, Neville and Ron Weasley, set out to find their missing classmate and somehow their paths tangled with the troll and miracle of all miracles, these band of four students were able to beat the troll.
Why couldn't your son take after his mother? If you and your marauding friends with your haywire scheme of becoming Animagi to help a werewolf were not enough, I now have your son, who is determined to follow your path.
If I die early, I am coming back to haunt you.
Love,
Minerva
P.S.: I can't tell you how proud I am of Harry though, such an awesome display of character. You have raised him well.
P.P.S.: I am so mad at him for giving me a mini heart attack, I think I should have put him in a month-long detention instead of giving him an award.
James Potter didn't know if he should be proud of his son or beat the idiot boy with his broomstick. This is exactly like something James would have done for a friend. He had a newborn respect for his parents.
"James," Remus called, "Ah! I thought I will find you here."
James looked up, his lips twitching.
"I received a rather interesting letter from Arianna this morning."
"I know, Minerva wrote to me about it," James replied.
"I don't know if I have the right to shout at him for this," Remus said covering his face.
"I know, this is exactly like something we would have done. In fact, we ended up doing it, a hundred times over."
"Merlin, I can't even imagine what our parents must have been through. We were so reckless!" Remus groaned.
James's lips twitched some more, a laugh threatening to spill from them, Remus looked at him at the wrong moment, fighting his own laugh. That was all the confirmation the pair of them needed before dissolving into raucous laughter.
"Wait till Sirius hears about this," James said, snorting as he imagined Sirius' reaction. This had the friends laughing all over again.
After their laughter had subsided, James and Remus decided, that Remus would still write a strongly worded letter to Harry, and for good measure Neville. The two friends also decided that they should probably plan a dinner with Alice and Frank, allowing Alice to rant it all out in front of them, and saving poor Frank from days of angry outbursts.
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave your comments as reviews. Loved it, Hated it. Read and review people! Also, if you are new to the fic, don't forget to hit the fav and follow button! Till next time. Happy Reading.
