The Magical World Exposed
by Healer Pomfrey
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Warnings: COMPLETELY AU! If you don't like this, just stop reading and write your own story more to your liking.
Tom Riddle impatiently lingered in the entrance hall, waiting for the Weasley boy to come through the large doors. In the meantime, he pondered just how he'd be able to take over the boy's body in order to claim it for himself. 'I'll just make the boy do something stupid,' he resolved. 'I'll distract him when he's flying, so that he crashes into the ground injuring himself. Then it won't be a problem for me to overcome him.'
All of a sudden, the entrance doors opened and a group of Gryffindor Quidditch players entered the entrance hall. The long awaited boy slowly followed them in apparent disappointment.
'Now,' Voldemort thought and summoned his magic, before he moved into the right direction ready to possess the boy, when the caretaker stepped into the way shouting at the boy for making such a mess in the entrance hall.
Too late did Tom realise what was happening, and his spirit settled into the back of the old Squib's head. Against reason, he attempted to get out instantly, however, it was already too late, and he felt himself being trapped.
'He doesn't even have magic,' he thought, feeling disgusted and horrified at the same time.
HP
Harry suddenly gripped his forehead in pain.
"What's wrong?" Hermione and David asked, simultaneously, staring at the boy in obvious concern.
"His spirit can't be here now, can it?" Ginny added, looking from Harry to Rowena.
"He's very angry, muttering something about his plan failed and being trapped without magic," Harry said in confusion, rubbing his forehead in a faint attempt to get relief from the pain.
"I think he just managed to possess someone," Rowena finally spoke up, pensively. "Please give me some time to think about how to proceed. If you have any chance to speak with your goblin guardian, tell him about the Horcruxes. You need to get rid of them, before you can kill him for good."
HP
At the same time, Minerva McGonagall leaned into the fireplace to call her old friend, Albus Dumbledore.
"Ah Minerva, how nice of you to call an old man," he greeted her, causing her to inwardly groan.
"This is not a social call, Albus," she replied in a crisp voice, before she explained that Harry Potter wished to have his Pensieve and his invisibility cloak returned to him.
"Ah Minerva, but consider how much the boy would be able to get into trouble if he used the cloak at Hogwarts," the old wizard replied in his grandfatherly voice, which he sometimes used in front of students. "I intend to give both to him once he becomes an adult in the wizarding world," Albus then promised.
Neither pleading nor threatening was going to help if the old coot had decided on something - that was one fact, which Minerva knew better than she wanted to know. She ended the floo call in resignation.
Sighing, she left her office and made her way to the O'Briens' quarters, deciding to enjoy an hour of conversation with some of her favourite colleagues.
HP
None of her colleagues were pleased with Dumbledore's reaction to say the least, and a heated discussion about whom to contact developed. While Sirius thought it would be best to speak with Mr. Weasley as the Minister of Magic, James advised him to rather contact the Aurors, and Cillian thought they should speak with Buckbean and let the goblin advise them how to proceed in the matter.
Everyone finally settled on Cillian's suggestion, and the professor leaned into the fireplace to ask the goblin if he could come over for a few minutes.
"Of course," Buckbean replied and, without letting his customers know that his fireplace was diverted to his private home at this time of the evening, he stepped through the fireplace into the O'Briens' quarters at Hogwarts.
As usually, the goblin listened patiently, while Cillian told him about the two items that were in Dumbledore's possession but originally belonged to his son.
"He said he'd return them when Harry was of age," Annette added to her husband's explanation. "However, Harry needs the Pensieve now to show you some visions from Rowena Ravenclaw."
"Harry is already of age in the magical world," Buckbean replied, pensively. "Maybe Dumbledore is just not aware of the matter. I'll let him know and require that he returns both items within a week," he promised, smiling at the O'Briens.
"Excuse me, sir," Sirius spoke up, frowning. "What does it mean Harry is of age? My godson is eleven, and as far as I know, he has to be seventeen to be of age in the British magical world."
"Exactly," some of the others agreed, and the whole group cast questioning looks at the goblin.
"I'd need to fetch Harry's file to inform you about the exact details, but I'm fairly sure that both of your sons are of age already due to their betrothals," Buckbean slowly replied, offering to fetch Harry's and David's files.
"No, that's all right for now," Cillian replied. "We'll just ask the boys."
"I shall speak with Dumbledore," Buckbean promised. "If necessary, Harry should just give me his signature on a parchment in order to claim the official status as Lord Potter. That would automatically make Hermione Lady Potter." With that, Buckbean was just about to step back into the fireplace, when Harry and David entered the room on time for curfew.
"Will you please remain for a few more minutes?" Molly whispered to him, and Buckbean readily agreed.
"David and Harry, is there anything that you have to tell us?" Annette spoke up, giving her sons a sharp look.
"Yes..."
"... Voldemort managed to possess someone..."
"... here at Hogwarts..."
"... but we don't know whom," the twins explained, wearing grave expressions.
"How do you know that?" Sirius asked, sharply, making the boys explain what had happened, while they were in the founders' lair.
"We don't need a Pensieve to watch your memories," Buckbean spoke into the silence that came up after the boys were finished with their explanation. "The goblins have something similar. I need you to come to my office for this though."
"Minerva," Sirius turned to the headmistress, "will you give me the permission to take Harry and David to Gringotts in the morning?"
To Harry's relief, the headmistress immediately nodded her agreement. 'Oh well, it's Saturday anyway,' he thought, eager to get the matter with the Horcruxes resolved.
HP
In the morning, Sirius, Cillian, Annette and Molly accompanied Harry, David, Hermione and Ginny to Gringotts. Buckbean made them put their memories of Rowena's visions into a device similar to a Pensieve that, however, made the scenes float over a large screen that was equipped to one of the walls like in the founders' lair. Together with five other goblins, they watched the scenes, before Buckbean promised that the goblins would do their best to destroy everything as soon as possible.
Afterwards, Buckbean skimmed Harry's folder, before he spoke up in a stern voice. "I suggest that Harry officially claims the name Lord Potter. It will give him more power and influence, which he might need in his fight against Voldemort and maybe even against Albus Dumbledore, although I'm not sure if Dumbledore is evil or not."
"Will everyone know if I claim the title?" Harry spoke up, hesitating.
"Yes," Buckbean confirmed. "Even if you keep your name as Harry O'Brien and don't openly announce the matter, the fact that you're Lord Potter will be visible to everyone in the magical world, provided that people look for the information.
"Excuse me, Buckbean, what about my brother?" Harry then asked. "He shares my blood, so will he be a Lord Potter as well?"
Buckbean shook his head in denial. "No, Harry. Only you will be Lord Potter as the heir of the Potter family, and your wife will be Lady Potter. However, you can officially add your brother to your family. He and his betrothed will then be under your protection as members of the Potter family," he explained.
'Would you mind me accepting the title?' Harry thought to Hermione, who sent a comforting thought back.
'If you accept the title, it'll probably give us the permission to do wand magic outside of the school,' she added.
'But we've always done that already,' Harry replied in surprise.
'But now that our wands are registered with us entering Hogwarts, we won't be allowed to cast spells out of school anymore, except if we officially declare us as adults.'
"Yes please, Buckbean," Harry said aloud, giving David a questioning look as he spoke.
"Yes please, Harry," David replied, reaching for Ginny's hand.
"Excuse me, sir, but is this a matter for the children to decide and not for the parents?" Cillian enquired, seemingly surprised.
Molly gently laid her hand on his arm. "They're already being treated as adults, because of their betrothal. Please believe me when I tell you that I'd liked to have known about this beforehand, too... Although I appreciate that my daughter chose a fine boy like David," she added, smiling.
"Yes, I couldn't be happier for my boys to have Ginny and Hermione as their wives," Annette added, "even if it was very sudden and they're much too young in my opinion."
"We're very sorry for not informing you about the matter in advance," Harry spoke up and shortly explained the circumstances that had led to the bond between the twins and their partners.
HP
When the enlarged family left Gringotts, Harry was officially the head of the Potter house, and not only Hermione, but also David and Ginny were members of the Potter family. While one after another of their enlarged family stepped into the fireplace to travel back to Hogwarts, Harry unobtrusively kept David, Annette and Sirius back.
"Mum, could I perhaps quickly go to Diagon Alley with Sirius?" he asked, giving his mother and his godfather a pleading look. "I'd like to buy a ring for Hermione, and maybe David would like to do the same for Ginny."
To Harry's relief, Annette and Sirius agreed immediately, and David was all for it. Three minutes later, Sirius and his two godsons found themselves in the shopping street. To the boy's surprise, Sirius led them out of Diagon Alley into a small side street, from where they turned right into another small street, then left, and on the right hand side was a very small jeweller's shop.
"Eh, Sirius..."
"... how did you know such a place?" the twins asked, staring at the older wizard.
Sirius chuckled, as he admitted, "I was here with James, when he bought his promise ring for Lily. They're not well known, and they don't have much of a choice, but they have exquisite items, which are beautiful. Let's have a look."
The boys curiously inspected the shop, before Harry let out an uncharacteristic gasp.
"Look," he said to David, pointing to a couple of rings. They were made from silver with gold coating, and each of them had a pattern of tiny animals made from diamonds in different colours.
"They're fantastic," David agreed, and after pondering which rings would be the best, David took two rings with three orange kittens, two blue birds and a white dog, thinking that the blue would remind themselves of his eyes and the orange of Ginny's hair.
Harry chose the equivalent rings with three green birds, two brown kittens and a black dog, matching the colours of Hermione's and his eyes and hair.
"Can you please add all possible safety charms for Lord Potter and his brother?" Sirius asked the shopkeeper, who reassured them that it was possible, giving the two boys an amazed look.
HP
Twenty minutes later, they found themselves outside the shop and slowly but happily walked back towards the Leaky Cauldron to return to Hogwarts from there.
'Mione, we're going to be back at Hogwarts in five minutes. Shall we meet at the Thermae?' Harry thought to Hermione, as they walked in front of Gringotts.
'Ginny and I are still in your parents' living room waiting for you,' Hermione replied, immediately.
'Ah, all right,' Harry thought back, thinking of his betrothed, when all of a sudden, someone stepped into his way.
"Harry Potter," he heard someone say and looked up, however, before he knew what happened, he suddenly felt a strange sensation and was whisked away.
tbc...