A Study in Magic
by Books of Change

Warning/Notes: This is a BBC Sherlock and Harry Potter crossover AU. The HP timeline and BBC Sherlock's timeline has been shifted forwards and backwards to match up. One major BBC Sherlock character's gender has changed for the sake of the plot. The story was planned and written before season 2, but incorporates elements of season 2 as much as possible. Readers beware!

Chapter Seventy Nine: Unspoken Truth

The address Dumbledore texted to John and Sherlock was close to Waterloo station. Sherlock insisted on taking the cab until John pointed out they'd have to put Benedict in a car seat. Thus the three of them took the tube. Benedict giggled in delight whenever the train passed through a tunnel, which drew smiles from their fellow passengers. Sherlock, on the other hand, sulked through the entire trip.

Albus Dumbledore and Shin June Hu were waiting for them in the latter's windowless office. Dumbledore presented a familiar sight, in his paper-thin Muggle disguise. Mr. Shin, on the other hand, looked a bit altered. His normally white hair was black, and there were not as many wrinkles on his ancient face. Said face held an expression, namely a heavy scowl, which he directed at Benedict squirming inside his sling.

"You brought your baby with you?" he growled.

"You're starting to sound like your son-in-law," Sherlock complained.

"I wanted to show him my alma mater," said John as she patted Benedict's back. "Speaking of which, don't you teach at Queen's?"

"I teach at both," said Mr. Shin, still scowling. "The duplication spell has its uses."

"Won't people notice there are two of you?"

"Not when he registered himself as his own son here," said Sherlock, looking pointedly at Mr. Shin's hair. Then he demanded: "Are we talking to the real you, or are you a clone?"

Mr. Shin flicked a hand. The small glass cabinet in the corner flew open and the ceramic tea set inside bobbled over to the desk. Mr. Shin did another horizontal hand-flick and the teapot started steaming.

"Right. Doppelgangers can't do magic," John muttered as Mr. Shin poured the tea. "So why'd you call us here? And what's up with Snape? He's not dead, is he?"

"He is alive," said Dumbledore.

"Is he in danger, then?"

"He'll be fine," said Shin. "You three, on the other hand, are not."

Sherlock's eyes glittered. "We're in danger and you're afraid of the threat. What is it?"

"Guns," said Dumbledore simply.

John blinked a few times. "Sorry?"

"You heard him correctly, Dr. Watson," said Mr. Shin quietly.

"But wizards don't use guns," John protested. "They probably don't even know what they are!"

"Unless you're Moran," said Sherlock in a low voice.

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, nodding grimly. "Severus sent me the same enigmatic text message you no doubt received, John, after being summoned to Lord Voldemort not that long ago. Based on the sheer unlikelihood of Severus ever admitting that he is wrong, I guessed either he or some other person received assassination orders. The next question, of course, is who and when? Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of time to speculate."

Sherlock nodded curtly. "LV is not a man who lets the grass grow under his feet."

"Again, exactly," said Dumbledore.

"Still, why guns?" said Sherlock. "There are easier ways to murder us. John, I would poison. Sloppy eater. Dead easy. I've given her chemicals and compounds that way and she's never even noticed. Missed an entire Wednesday once, didn't have a clue. Lestrade's so easy to kill it's a miracle nobody's succumbed to the temptation."

"Sherlock," John murmured as Dumbledore placed a restraining hand on Mr. Shin, who looked like he battling the temptation to murder Sherlock personally.

"Because the main concern isn't who Lord Voldemort would want dead," Dumbledore replied. "It is the kind of effect he wants to achieve through the assassination."

"So you suppose he wants to demoralize Harry without Mycroft knowing?" asked John worriedly. "Does LV know about Sherlock?"

"I have done my best to hide his importance to our side from Voldemort," said Dumbledore calmly. "It was, fortunately, quite easy to do. The interesting aspect about being me is that whenever Lord Voldemort notices his enemies are being clever, he assumes I am the mastermind behind it."

Sherlock smirked.

"But doesn't that mean you're probably the target?" asked John. "Not to be morbid, but I can see why LV may opt to use a sniper to kill you. Sherlock did a thorough test on magic shield verses guns, and guns won hands-down almost all the time."

"Thank you for confirming my suspicions, Mr. Holmes," said Mr. Shin, as he sent a glare to Dumbledore. "I've told him guns have killed more wizards than spells ever did even in my day and their killing power has only increased since then."

"You actually worry me with your ability to obtain the necessary firearms to conduct these experiments in the UK," said Dumbledore. "I assume Sirius volunteered to help?"

"Yeah," said John. "Remus helped, too."

"Dear me, he's turning into quite the risk-taker since he received the cure," Dumbledore remarked.

"I guess," said John. "But going back on topic, aren't you taking an unnecessary risk, coming here?"

"I argue that I'm mitigating the risk," said Dumbledore. "It is not a set thing that I am the target. Voldemort can just as easily select you two. All things considered, your deaths would have an even more profound effect on Harry."

"What about Hogwarts?" Sherlock asked. "Just as easily I can argue Harry is a possible target. Who is going to take care of him while you're here?"

"The duplication spell," said Dumbledore calmly. "Not to be boastful, but my mere presence is often quite a good deterrent; doubly so when June Hu is there also."

"But if LV himself were to infiltrate Hogwarts…"

"It is a possibility," Dumbledore agreed. "Thankfully, the final task of the Triwizard Tournament takes place tonight, and the Ministry is more determined than ever to ensure the security at Hogwarts is impeccable. Jacqueline has shut down every mobile phone connection that is present in Hogwarts, and I have placed a few finishing touches myself."

"Lestrade is there as a visitor?" John asked.

"He is," said Mr. Shin. "I am there also, seemingly, with the rest of my family and the Weaselys as my guest."

John let out a long sigh. Sherlock, on the other hand, frowned.

"The threat against you still remains," he pointed out.

"So it is," said Dumbledore calmly. "And so be it. I am quite willing to take the risk as well as the cost. If the choice must be between me and you two, I would much rather it be me because at this point the Wizarding World needs Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson more than Albus Dumbledore."

John stared at Dumbledore, shocked. Shin shifted his glance downwards and looked as though he aged a decade. Sherlock remained expressionless.

"Why do you say that?" John whispered.

"Because Sherlock knows everything that needs to be known," said Dumbledore, looking intently over his half-moon glasses. "You figured out, didn't you, Sherlock? I would expect nothing less from you."

Sherlock nodded once.

-oo00oo-

"Look at this," said Amos Diggory. "Just look at this, Ced! There's the Minister of Magic, Madam Bones, the Grandmaster … Every single top ranking official in the Ministry is here… all to see you!"

Cedric grimaced and didn't reply as Mr. Diggory stared avidly at the stands peeking over the edge of the twelve-foot-high hedge that ran all the way around the edge of the Quidditch field.

"The Prophet will have to eat their words now," said Mr. Diggory gloatingly. "Just you wait … Harry Potter's got nothing on you, Ced! I'm sure he agrees."

Harry, who was recording everything on camera, shrugged non-committedly.

"Why the long face?" said Mr. Diggory, now turning to his son. "Aren't you excited? Your future is so bright I can barely stand to look at it! I wouldn't be surprised if—"

"Dad, shut up!" Cedric suddenly burst out. "This isn't about me at all!"

Mr. Diggory stared at his son in astonishment. So did Harry.

There was an awkward pause.

"Nerves," said Mr. Diggory at length, smiling once more. "Must be the nerves. Don't worry Ced, you'll do fine… you're already in the lead, aren't you?"

Cedric let out a frustrated sigh as Mr. Diggory patted him on his shoulder. He said nothing as his father gave him one more encouraging word before he headed over to the Quidditch stands.

A heavy silence fell between the two remaining Hogwarts students.

"You think he's back, don't you?" said Cedric abruptly. "You-Know-Who."

Harry stared at him for a moment, feeling equal parts astonished and wary. He was so used to people trying to argue against the validity of the LV resurrection film, he assumed no one believed in the possibility. Cedric's question therefore was completely out of the blue to Harry, and he wasn't sure why he was asking.

In the end Harry nodded. Cedric let out a shaky breath.

"You're probably right," he muttered. "You have a knack of noticing things, Harry… stuff most people just ignore."

"I try," Harry murmured, as he still wondered why Cedric was bringing this up, now of all times.

There was another heavy silence.

"What's the point in this?" said Cedric, waving a hand at the maze's entrance, looking as though he couldn't digest the absurdity of the current situation. "Why are we playing around with games when You-Know-Who is back?"

Harry didn't reply, but looked down. He felt inexplicably guilty.

"Do you have a plan?" Cedric asked. "I can't imagine you not having one."

"Errr…" Harry stuttered.

"I want to help," said Cedric, looking determined. "I've still got a year left of school. Dumbledore will probably make you prefect … I'll be shocked if you don't get picked. You can tell me what needs to be done after the prefect meetings or at the prefect's bathroom. Just let me know. And I'll definitely help when you rally the troops."

Harry and Cedric looked at each other for a moment.

"…Okay," said Harry at length. "I'm warning you, though. I didn't even think about making an army until you brought it up. I wouldn't bank on me being prefect, either. My marks were miserable this year."

"At least you're thinking about it now," said Cedric, grinning. "And I'm sure Dumbledore will make an exception for you."

Harry shuddered. "I hope not."

There was another bout of silence.

"You should've been champion," said Cedric seriously. "The goblet would've picked you if there wasn't an age limit … would you have entered?"

Harry shook his head. "Spotlight isn't my thing."

Cedric grinned ruefully.

"No, I guess not…"

-oo00oo-

"LV is obsessed with killing Harry," Sherlock started. "His obsession predates his first murder attempt. He said as much when Harry was first year: he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me."

Dumbledore nodded.

"The question to ask then is what triggered the obsession," Sherlock continued. "LV wouldn't have thought to personally murder a baby without good reason. Lupin said Death Eaters outnumbered the Order of the Phoenix members twenty to one and Order members were being picked off one by one thirteen years ago. Pettigrew presumably had a great deal to do with the escalation in the slaughter."

"To my regret," Dumbledore confirmed.

"Water under the bridge," said Sherlock dismissively. "Either way, he was working hard to achieve victory. Under such circumstances, what would make him think it would be profitable for him to drop everything and seek out a one year old baby? Revenge? Warning? Prophecy foretelling his Doom? What?"

John looked Sherlock, at Dumbledore and back again.

"Didn't I say that three years ago at the bowling alley?" asked John.

"You did. Dumbledore answered: 'You've actually mentioned the main reason, John.' He also said: Only the most powerful witches and wizards received his personal attention, which raises the question why he considered personally killing three children that year."

John blinked for a few times.

"It wasn't revenge," Sherlock went on. "Harry didn't exist long enough to do something that would warrant it. It wasn't a warning either, for the same reasons. That leaves…"

"…Prophecy foretelling his doom?" John exclaimed. "Bloody hell, I was only joking…!"

Sherlock smirked briefly before continuing:

"LV came across a prophecy that foretold his doom. How he came across the prophecy doesn't matter. He believed it and tried to counteract it. To his great regret, he ended up partially fulfilling the prophecy when he attempted to murder Harry. It took him over a decade to overcome his mistake. Even then something went wrong—the blood he took, it wasn't the right type."

"And he feels it," said Dumbledore, nodding, "Every passing day he feels the blood, inadvertently but nevertheless willingly given, working against him."

Sherlock nodded back. "It's almost natural for someone in his position to wonder what kind of 'special' powers does Harry possess and wonder if there is a way to overcome it. He may even wonder if the prophecy he heard only secondhand would give him a clue as to how he could destroy his hated enemy. He certainly tried to get his hands on it once. Late April, wasn't it?"

"Correct," said Mr. Shin. "My spells managed to keep him out, for now."

There was a pause.

"So who were the other two kids he tried to kill?" John asked. "What did the prophecy say? Dr. Shin, you said the Department of Mysteries keeps track of all prophecies. Can you—"

"If he wanted to tell us, he would've told us long ago, I think," Sherlock snapped. "And don't even bother asking Dumbledore. He doesn't want to tell us outright. Anyway, it's not that hard to figure out. Prophecies always involve individuals and have a date component that limits the margin of error to a very small window. The last prophecy we heard certainly fit all the criteria."

"I'm surprised you still remember that," said Mr. Shin dryly.

"The date component is the key," said Sherlock, ignoring Shin. "LV murdered Lestrade's wife on October 25th. He then murdered James and Lily Potter on October 31st. Personal interest in both cases. Another interesting fact: when LV unexpectedly vanished the first time, his loyal followers elected to interrogate Neville Longbottom's parents as a means to find his whereabouts. Why would they pick them? There are plenty of other Aurors to choose from, Moody for example, but they specifically targeted Neville's parents. "

"I don't know. Why?" asked John, looking like she dreaded the answer.

"LV mentioned them," Sherlock answered. "Remember, he was targeting children. What do Julia Lestrade, Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter have in common?"

John covered her mouth.

"Birthdays," John whispered.

Sherlock nodded.

"July 30th and July 31st," he said. "Neville and Harry were born hours within each other. Lestrade said Julia was born at twilight, exactly one year after Neville. Only a tiny number of children were born in the Magical UK during that time. LV wouldn't have had a lot of filter through."

"Oh G-d…" John muttered, ashen.

"The prophecy also specified the gender," Sherlock continued. "He didn't hunt down Lestrade and Julia after murdering Cecilia Shin. He wouldn't have left it at that if he was after her progeny. But if Voldemort was after a boy and she let it slip she had a daughter, then he would've decided it wasn't worth his time to pursue them after learning this. But it's interesting that he decided to go after Lestrade first."

Sherlock brought hands under his chin, fingertips touching each other.

"It could be psychology, and not any parameters of the prophecy," he mused. "But you would think he would go after Neville first, since he's certifiably pureblood. Instead he went after Julia, who has a witch mother and, as far as he knew, a Muggle father."

"That's irrelevant," John snapped, startling Sherlock out of his thoughts. "So the prophecy specifies the birthday and the gender. What else?"

"That's it," said Sherlock as he eyed John a bit warily, like a boy who knew he was in trouble, but not why. "The prophecy's wording probably didn't imply LV's doom is inevitable, otherwise he wouldn't have acted the way he did. Balance of probability is that the prophecy stated a boy who has the ability to destroy him was to be born at the end of July. There could've been more to prophecy, of course, but that was the extent LV heard."

Sherlock then pinned his eyes on Dumbledore.

"Did I get anything wrong?"

Dumbledore looked at Sherlock for a moment. John watched the two with bated breath.

At length Dumbledore broke the silence:

" 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches'," he intoned. " 'born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives … the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies …' "

There was another bout of silence.

Then Sherlock clicked his tongue.

"Always something."

-oo00oo-

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Gwendolyn Morgan, with a magically amplified voice. "The third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Mr. Cedric Diggory, who is in first place with eight-five points, will start off. Then Mr. Viktor Krum, who is in second place, with eighty points. Then finally Miss Fleur Delacour, who is in third place, with seventy-two points!"

There was a long applause. Harry, who was filming from his broom, aimed his camera at the box where Dumbledore, Mr. Shin and all the Ministry of Magic members in attendance were sitting.

"On my whistle," said Morgan. "Three - two - one -"

She gave a short blast on her whistle. Cedric hurried forward into the maze. A few seconds later Viktor and then Fleur.

"So it begins," Harry muttered.

-oo00oo-

Final Notes: To say getting back into writing after spending an entire month immersed in studying technical things is difficult is like saying running a marathon after a month break due to injuries is challenging … and that's not even counting the horrible thing I had planned for this chapter.

…Which in the end I couldn't do. I took a very inopportune moment in the story to take the break, and I couldn't start off with it. Next chapter definitely. I still have to think long and hard on how long do spells last. Most are not permanent, and even the more persistent spells like Petrificus vanishes after the original caster dies. But then there are permanent sticking charms, which stay even after the caster dies, and the Hallows. I honestly can't tell what exactly JKR had in mind about this. So I defaulted to unless explicitly stated in Canon as permanent, a spell vanishes after caster death. Uh, anyway, hope you liked it. (BOC runs away)