Final Harry Potter book comes out TOMORROW! I'm staying up till midnight just so this'll be (one of) the last HP fic(s) updated before the seventh book comes out!

Weird? Obsessive? Why, yes I am – how kind of you to notice.

My disclaimer says

I don't own Harry Potter,

But I wish I did


Conspiracy

Darkness, again. Garlic, again. This time Harry was more focused on small details, so he was able to realize that the darkness was caused by something over his face rather than a lack of light.

There was a scuttling sound somewhere in front of him, and he was turned away from the sound.

"Wh-who's there?" The frightened voice seemed to come from the back of his head. It gasped. "Y-y-you! B-but – you're dead!"

"A lot of people think that." Harry didn't know this voice, but it chilled him. "My fight isn't with you, Quirrel. Stupefy."

The dream ended abruptly.


Peter Pettigrew was many things; among them, a klutz, an Animagus, an ex-Marauder, a Death Eater, a murderer, a supposedly dead man, and a pet rat. How the last one had happened he wasn't quite sure. But however well he had acted the part in the past, Peter was not a fool. And although only a handful of people knew about it, he was a competent exorcist.

That same handful of people also knew that he was an Unspeakable.

He'd been part of a small, elite subdivision in the Department of Mysteries. Purpose: infiltrate any underground organization that might be a threat to magical society, and bring it down from within. There had been five others in his team. Two had infiltrated the Order of the Phoenix, another two had infiltrated the Death Eaters, and Peter had infiltrated both. The final team member kept in the background, made sure all the information they gathered fit together, and generally acted as the team strategist.

He was also the only one who came out of the war unscathed, Peter noted bitterly.

But this wasn't getting him anywhere. He had a new plan, one he didn't need the others for.

Voldemort already fulfilled the prophecy and physically died at Harry's hand that Hallowe'en. Two, possibly three, of the Horcruxes were already dealt with. But even if there were more to destroy, even if Voldemort couldn't die, that didn't mean what of his soul was left couldn't be exorcised. If Peter could send this soul fragment to the other side, he could hunt down the remaining Horcruxes at his leisure.

So now Peter, aka Wormtail, aka Scabbers, was under a disillusionment Charm, dragging Quirrel and Voldemort to the Room of Requirement for an exorcism.

I should have thought of this years ago…


Quirrel was found early in the morning, unconscious, half-dead, and turban-less, by the Fat Friar. The ghost promptly dispatched the nearest portrait to fetch Madame Pomfrey, while he rushed to alert the Headmaster.

"I just don't know what to make of it, Albus, I really don't," he lamented as he led the old man to the Hospital Wing. "The poor man's clearly been through the mill, but I can't tell what could've happened to him. He doesn't seem injured, more like … exhausted."

"You say you found him outside the Come And Go Room. Did you check inside the room to see if it held a clue?"

"I tried, Headmaster, but it became an empty, round room, with no distinguishing features."

"None at all?"

"No, sir. I do hope Madame Pomfrey can tell us what's wrong with the professor."

Well, she knew what it looked like, but that didn't explain much.

"If I were to take a guess, Albus," – oh, how she hated relying on guesswork – "I'd say he's been exorcised. Whatever happened, I doubt he'll be up to teaching again for a few months at least."

"I see." Albus polished his glasses as he thought through this latest development.

Perhaps he could work this out …


I'm afraid I cannot allow you to come to Hogwarts strictly to act as a bodyguard. However, would you consider being our substitute Defence Against the Dark Arts professor instead? Our current professor has been forced to take an unexpected leave of absence for his health. As a professor, you would be much less conspicuous, and your presence would be far easier to explain.

Hoping you find this agreeable,

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Remus Lupin had to admit surprise. He'd expected a lot more protest, for some reason. He sent back a quick affirmative and resumed packing his bags.


WHAT ARE YOU DOING SITTING AT YOUR COMPUTER READING FANFICTION?! GO READ HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS!

Once you've finished, feel free to hurt me for this deus ex machina, but I needed to get rid of Voldemort in a creative way. He's at his weakest just now – SOMEONE had to take advantage of it. Besides, this Unspeakable Conspiracy (pun intended) is important later. Plus I need Remus at Hogwarts, preferably in a position of authority, for later events to be set in motion.

According to my computer, I posted this at 11:59 pm, July 20th.