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.
"This is the Marauders' Map," Sirius confirmed and promised to leave it to the boys after once studying it closely.
"Sirius..."
"... by the way..."
"... what did Mr. Weasley want earlier?" the twins asked, curiously.
"Ah that," Sirius replied, chuckling. "He wanted to convince me to become the head of the Wizengamot, now that Dumbledore has been fired."
"That's great," David and Harry replied, simultaneously, staring at their godfather in surprise.
"Will you have a chance to be elected though?" Hermione asked in apparent concern, causing the boys to turn their heads in surprise.
'I didn't even notice that she followed us,' Harry thought in confusion.
"Apparently, Weasley already spoke to some people before even asking me, making sure that I have a fair chance," Sirius explained. "According to him, the only other candidate is Lucius Malfoy. However, with many people being convinced that he was a Death Eater, Mr. Weasley believes that he won't be easily elected for the position."
Since Harry and his friends did not have classes together with Draco Malfoy, they did not know the other boy well. They had only heard that Draco often got into fights with Ron Weasley. However, Harry, David and Hermione had often witnessed conversations between Sirius and James about Draco's father and other Death Eaters. Therefore, they knew that they definitely did not want that specific wizard as the head of the Wizengamot.
"Good luck, Sirius," Hermione said, warmly, making the twins nod eagerly.
HP
Right after dinner, Buckbean visited the O'Briens. "Lord Potter," he came straight to the point, "as announced this morning, I have good and bad news." He pulled two items out of his robe pocket, enlarging them before he placed them on the table - Harry's Pensieve along with the invisibility cloak.
"The good news is," he continued, looking at Harry, "that the goblins have found and destroyed all Horcruxes but one."
"Oh, thank Merlin," Harry blurted out, while everyone else let out sighs of relief.
"And the bad news, sir?" Hermione made sure to ask, eyeing the goblin in concern that through the bonding link spread over to Harry instantly.
"The bad news is," Buckbean continued, hesitating, "that we believe the last Horcrux to be hidden in Harry's head, right behind his scar."
Everyone stared from the goblin to Harry in clear shock.
"Excuse me, sir, but what exactly does this mean?" Annette enquired.
Buckbean let out a long sigh. "This means that we can't just go and kill it with a sword," he finally replied. "We've been doing some research, however, since this is a so far unheard case, nobody knows anything detailed. Most of my colleagues believe that Harry has to be killed once for the Horcrux to be destroyed. I fear, however, for the boy's safety, and right now I'm at a loss of what to do," he admitted.
"Would it make a difference if someone tried to kill Harry who owes him a life debt?" James spoke up from the portrait, causing Buckbean to turn around to view the portrait with interest.
"Several goblins voiced this opinion as well, Lord Potter," he replied, eagerly, "and his brother David owes him a life debt."
David paled visibly, mumbling, "Don't tell me I must kill Harry, cause I won't."
"Understandable," the goblin replied, gravely, before he turned to the adults. "Please give me some more time to search for a solution."
"David and Harry, you could also ask the founders. Maybe Rowena has an idea how to get rid of it," Sirius suggested, causing the boys to nod.
The twins glanced at their wrist watches, only to realise that it was already too late to go to the founders' lair, as curfew was going to commence twenty minutes later.
"Harry, shall we try the invisibility cloak?" David asked, eagerly, apparently trying to divert Harry's thoughts.
"Why not?" Harry replied and hesitantly unfolded the slightly strange fibre, before he tried it on, looking at his brother in expectation. "And? Am I invisible?" he asked, slightly impatiently.
"Of course, let me try, too," David replied, grinning.
HP
When they made a short detour to the founders' lair before breakfast the following morning, Rowena replied to their question in a grave voice.
"I'm sorry, dears, but I don't have a clue, other than someone killing Harry," she admitted, giving the boys a pitying look.
"Can you show us the exact scene, please?" Harry asked, unconsciously strengthening his grip on Hermione's hand.
"I'm sorry dears, but I didn't have a vision about that specific scene - at least not yet," Rowena replied, regrettably.
HP
A few days later, Harry and his enlarged family returned to Potter Manor for the Christmas holidays. Setting the unsettling thought of the Horcrux behind Harry's scar aside for the time being, the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves being at home again after four months at Hogwarts. They were also very happy to have their enlarged family completed with the Grangers again.
In the morning of the first day of the holidays, which was already the day before Christmas Eve, everyone travelled to Diagon Alley to buy Christmas presents. For this purpose, they divided into pairs of one or two adults and one child, as soon as they reached the magical shopping area, agreeing to meet at Flourish and Blotts two hours later.
Harry walked through Diagon Alley together with Remus and Cillian. 'Be careful,' Hermione thought to him, causing Harry to smile and think back, 'You too, Mione. I love you.'
Harry went to the jeweller's shop to see if he could find something for Hermione that matched their rings and finally found a necklace as well as ear rings, both with the same pattern that the rings had. Not able to decide, he bought both, resolving to keep one gift to give it to Hermione for her birthday.
Smiling happily, he left the shop together with the two adults and returned to the main shopping street.
Afterwards, he could neither recall nor understand how it happened, considering that his betrothal ring was supposed to be equipped with all kinds of safety charms. However, all of a sudden, Dumbledore stood in front of Harry casting the killing curse at him, before he even realised what happened, and even Remus comprehended the situation too late to protect the boy.
Seeing his son lying on the ground, unconsciously, Cillian called Flora and asked her to take Harry and him straight to the infirmary at Hogwarts, while Remus hurriedly stunned Dumbledore and sent a Patronus to Tonks, the young Auror at the Ministry of Magic.
HP
Fortunately, Harry was not dead but merely unconscious and woke up by the time they reached Hogwarts.
'What happened?' he tried to recall, as he lazily opened his eyes, glancing around in surprise upon seeing himself at the hospital wing. Only then did he realise that Hermione was frantically calling him through their connection.
'Harry, where are you? Are you all right? What happened?' she asked over and over.
'I'm fine,' Harry replied, reassuringly, glancing around.
Madam Pomfrey, Remus and Cillian were standing around his bed deeply engrossed in a conversation. 'I thought we were at Potter Manor,' he remembered, giving the adults a questioning look.
"Harry, Dumbledore cast the killing curse at you," Remus informed him, "but he didn't manage to kill you. We can only speculate what happened though. The charms on your ring probably protected you, however it might or might not be that he killed the Horcrux."
"That means that we don't know if the Horcrux is still there or not?" Harry asked in an upset voice, feeling horrified as realisation set in.
"Now now, let's go home, where we can thoroughly discuss the matter," Cillian spoke up, calmingly.
HP
To Harry's relief, Madam Pomfrey immediately released him, unfortunately, with the comment that she was not any wiser than Remus and Cillian concerning the Horcrux.
"Can we please return to Diagon Alley?" Harry begged the adults, pointing out that he had not yet managed to buy any Christmas presents except for that for his wife.
"Tell me exactly what to buy and I'll do it for you," Remus offered, pointing out that Harry was under no circumstances allowed to go out again after what happened mere thirty minutes ago.
Harry grudgingly gave Remus instructions what to buy for whom, handing him a bag with Galleons, before he telepathically asked Hermione to purchase Remus' Christmas present for him.
'Why? What happened?' came the worried reply, causing Harry to inwardly groan.
'Dumbledore happened, and we had to return home,' he explained, sighing. 'We're fine though, but you know the adults. They didn't allow me to go to the Alley again today.'
HP
Christmas with his enlarged family as well as the Weasleys visiting every now and then was as good and enjoyable as always, and Harry tried to push the thought of the last Horcrux far from his mind.
It was only on New Year's Eve, the evening before they had to return to Hogwarts, that the topic was openly discussed again.
"I know how we can find out if the Horcrux is still there," Hermione suddenly blurted out, turning to Harry. "You just have to go close to Mr. Filch and see if your scar still hurts. If it does, the Horcrux is still there, if not, it's gone."
"That might be true," Sirius agreed immediately. "Try it out as soon as you're back at Hogwarts, Prongslet."
"I will," Harry promised. "What happened to Dumbledore by the way? He'd be able to come to Hogwarts and try to kill me there at any time, won't he?"
"No," Tonks was the first to reply. She seemed to have taken a liking to a certain werewolf and found herself as one of the frequent visitors at Potter Manor. "When I got to where Remus had stunned him after he attacked you, I sent him straight to Azkaban with a Portkey. According to his earlier trial, he already earned himself ten years just for coming near you, and attempted murder warrants for a one-way ticket to Azkaban."
"Don't worry about him," Remus added, reassuringly.
HP
"Harry, on Wednesday, the election of the new head of the Wizengamot is going to take place," Sirius suddenly spoke up. "Will you please accompany me in your function as Lord Potter?"
"Of course," Harry promised, slightly squirming in his seat. "If you tell me how to behave and what to do."
"Don't worry, Prongslet, I shall," Sirius promised, chuckling.
"My head of the Potter house robes should still be here," James threw in from his portrait. "Ask Gina to adjust them to fit you, Harry."
"All right," Harry replied, feeling very uncomfortable at the inexperienced task ahead.
HP
The children decided to take the Floo back to Hogwarts together with their parents instead of the long-hour train travel.
'We'd sit together with David, Ginny and the twins anyway, so we can instead spend some time at Hogwarts together,' Harry thought to Hermione, who agreed immediately.
'Maybe we'll be able to meet Mr. Filch and speak with the founders earlier,' she added, making Harry let out a long sigh.
HP
With the help of the Marauders' Map, which Sirius had kindly handed to Harry before returning to Hogwarts, it was not difficult to find Mr. Filch. The caretaker was just trying to repair a key hole that Peaves apparently had blocked with a chewing gum.
"Mr. Filch, shall we help you?" Hermione asked, kindly, causing the caretaker to stare at her in disdain.
"Why'd you help me?" he growled, glaring at the four first-years.
"Because this will be much easier with magic," Hermione replied and motioned Filch to step out of the way, before she summoned the remainder of the chewing gum, scorgifying it as it came out of the key hole.
"Thank you," Filch uttered in apparent confusion.
"If you ever need help for something that's better done with magic, just call us," Harry offered, noticing that his scar merely prickled, but did not hurt as much as before in the caretaker's presence. He reached for Hermione's hand, telepathically informing her of his findings, before they turned around to head to the founders' lair, closely followed by David and Ginny.
Suddenly, a high, pitchy voice rose from the back of the caretaker's head. "That's the boy. You must kill him."
tbc...