I do not own Harry Potter, the series would have been very different, if I did.
Hello guys, Badger here. I hope everyone is doing well today, I know I am. This chapter was a fun one to write, I cannot lie. I don't know why I found it fun, but I did. It also took a while to write, for some reason. I think it's just because of everything I had to include. It may have gone off the rails a little bit at some point, so I hope everything that goes on in this chapter makes sense to you all.
I'll let you make that decision on your own. But that is all for now. I will let you read on. I hope you enjoy and I will see you at the end.
Chapter 7
Is It A Coincidence, That A Troll Attacks Hogwarts, When The Headmaster Is Out Of The Castle?
Harry and Susan made their way into the Hufflepuff Common Room. They were waiting outside the Headmasters Office, when Professor McGonagall appeared, pale and frantic. Seeing the two of them, she instructed them to make their way down to their Common Room, until they, along with the rest of the students were given the all clear. Harry and Susan tried to ask her why, but the Deputy Headmistress had merely told them to just go to their Common Room, as it was urgent. The stern tone of her voice had both Hufflepuffs making their way down, deciding not to ask the same question twice.
Upon entering the Hufflepuff Common Room, they found every student from each year present, each one whispering to one another. Harry and Susan shared a look, as the two made their way towards Hannah, who was sat on one of the Common Room's sofas. Noticing the two approach, the blonde girl jumped up to her feet and wrapped both of them into a hug, causing Harry to hiss a little as she pressed against his scars.
"You are okay" She said, letting out a sigh of relief "I was worried about you two"
"Why wouldn't we be okay?" Harry asked curiously "Has something happened?"
"You don't know?" Hannah pulled back, eyes widening "A troll broke into Hogwarts!"
…
Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall led Dumbledore, and an enraged Amelia Bones, down the many corridors of Hogwarts, before they found the other Heads of Houses, as well as other members of staff, surrounding the unmistakable body of a 12 foot Mountain Troll. Each of the members of staff looked to be out of breath and, judging by the state of the corridor they were standing in, there had clearly been a battle of some kind. As the Hogwarts staff were unsure about whether the troll was dead or merely unconscious, they kept their distance, for the time being, wands ready should they need to continue with an attack.
"Minerva, what happened here?" Dumbledore asked, as he processed the scene in front of him
"We are unsure, ourselves, Albus" McGonagall said "We, along with the rest of the students were enjoying lunch, when Professor Quirrell burst into the Great Hall, telling us all that a troll had broken into the castle…we immediately had all the students escorted to their Common Rooms, whilst we took care of the troll…we don't think we've killed it, but we plan on looking into how it managed to wander into the castle in the first place"
Dumbledore nodded, though he knew the troll didn't just 'wander into the castle' like McGonagall said. It was clear that Quirrell had smuggled the troll in, as a distraction, allowing him to find the Philosophers Stone, for Voldemort. Dumbledore knew, pretty quickly, that the man was acting as a vessel for the Dark Lords spirit. When the Daily Prophet came out with an article, covering the break in at Gringotts, the Headmaster knew it was only a matter of time until the Dark Lord found out that the Stone was, in fact, inside Hogwarts. The fact that Quirrell was with the other members of staff, trying to not draw attention to himself, was the only evidence suggesting that he had been unable to locate and obtain the Philosophers Stone.
As Dumbledore looked to Amelia, he could clearly see the wheels turning in her head. It was obvious that she didn't think a mindless Mountain Troll could just stumble into Hogwarts. Not on its own anyway. He hoped that, whatever happened at this present moment, he could keep things under wraps, as best as he can.
"You really think that a brainless Mountain Troll can just blunder into one of the safest places in Wizarding Britain, of its own accord?" Amelia eventually said, causing the other Hogwarts staff, to look at her with intrigue
"You think someone led it into the castle?" Flitwick asked, looking back at the limp body of the troll
"Of course I do" Amelia said "Isn't it, also, convenient that a Mountain Troll, just so happens to somehow break into Hogwarts, when the Headmaster is out of the castle, after receiving a summons by the Ministry…coincidence, I think not!"
"But…who could possibly smuggle a troll into Hogwarts?" Professor Sprout asked
"Why don't you ask the Headmaster?" Amelia said, causing Dumbledore to look at her in mild surprise "I am a very observant woman, Dumbledore…I take pride in that too…as I am so observant, I do not need to use Legilimency, or Veritaserum, to know that you know something"
"I'm afraid I don't know anything, Amelia" Dumbledore lied, hoping to remove any suspicion from him "I'm just as stumped as my staff here, so I can't provide you the answers you're looking for"
"Do not take me for a fool, Dumbledore" Amelia warned, whilst the Hogwarts staff watched the interaction with wide eyes, unsure on what to do or say, or if they should get involved at all "Either you tell me what you know now, or you can tell the Minister himself…which will it be?"
Dumbledore sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. Of course, he wasn't going to tell the woman the whole truth. His public image and reputation was already at risk of taking a nose dive, should the Wizarding World discover that he had been the one to place Harry Potter on the doorstep of abusive Muggles. Seeing as Amelia knew that information, it was almost certainly going to end up in the Daily Prophet. Adding everything regarding Quirrell, Voldemort and the Philosophers Stone could see him chased out of Britain as, after all, he was the one who informed the Ministry that Voldemort was dead.
"Minerva, I'm going to take Amelia to my office, so we can talk in private" He said, turning to his deputy "Can you make sure that the troll is removed from the castle grounds and that the students are given the all clear…and that this corridor is repaired?"
"Of course, Albus" McGonagall nodded
…
"How could a troll break into Hogwarts?" Susan asked "There's supposed to be wards around the castle, preventing things like that from happening"
"I don't know" Hannah replied "Everyone is just as confused as you are…scared too…with Professor Dumbledore not in the castle, Professor McGonagall had given the order for the Prefects to lead their Houses back to the Common Room, where she strictly instructed that we are not allowed to leave our Common Rooms, until our Heads of Houses gave us the all clear…as you two hadn't returned, I was worried that something could have happened to you…where were you anyway?"
"I promised that I would tell you Hannah, and I will" Susan said, before she looked around to all the other students "Just not now, I don't want anyone eavesdropping and overhearing our conversation"
Hannah went to speak, but the serious look on Susan's face, as well as the slightly fearful look on Harry's face told her that, whatever it was, it wasn't anything good, so she nodded in understanding. It was at that moment, when the entrance to the Common Room opened where Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House, entered. It was clear to everyone in the Common Room, that she was distraught and seemed to be shaking slightly. The Herbology Professor cleared her throat, before speaking out loud, for all to hear.
"The threat has been dealt with" She said "It is now all clear and you are free to leave the Common Room, once more…however, lessons have been cancelled for the remainder of the day, meaning you are free to do whatever you wish, until curfew…however, avoid the fifth floor, for the time being, repairs are currently underway, for the damage caused by the Mountain Troll"
Upon being given the all clear, most students began to saunter out of the Common Room, to enjoy the rest of their day, now that lessons had been cancelled. However, there were still a few students who chose to stay in the Common Room. Looking around, Susan led Harry and Hannah to a more secluded spot in the Common Room, where no one would be able to eavesdrop on them.
"Remember when my Auntie sent me a letter, about Harry's relatives?" Susan asked, receiving a nod in response "Today was their trial…Auntie wanted to have Harry there, should he be required to give evidence to the Wizengamot, I was merely there to support him…we watched as all three admitted to physically abusing Harry…his aunt and uncle have received a 40 year prison sentence in a Muggle prison…his cousin on the other hand, seeing as he seemed to be encouraged to beat Harry, will be in a Muggle Juvenile Detention Centre, until he's 18, where he will then serve five years in a Muggle Prison"
"Dear Merlin!" Hannah muttered, before she looked to Harry, who was looking at the ground, not making eye contact "How do you feel about all this Harry?"
"I…I don't know" Harry replied "I tried to tell people about how they treated me, not only did they not believe me, but I also received more beatings for it…now that they're locked up…I…I don't know what to think"
"Well, at least those monsters can't hurt you anymore, the got what they deserved" Hannah said, comfortingly, before looking to Susan, as a thought came to her "What about Sirius Black…your aunt also mentioned that he might be innocent...did he also have a trial?"
"Yes, right after Harry's relatives were given their sentence, he was brought into the room and sat before the Wizengamot" Susan nodded "And he's innocent…whilst under Veritaserum he explained how he wasn't the Potters Secret Keeper, but Pettigrew was…after all questions were asked, no once could deny that Sirius was innocent, his name was cleared and the Ministry will pay him compensation for being falsely imprisoned for a decade…he's now currently being transferred to St Mungos, as Auntie requested he gets seen to by a Healer and that custody of Harry is temporarily handed over to her, until Sirius has been given the all clear"
"Dear Merlin" Hannah muttered, once again, processing everything she had been told "And to think…I was worried about you two, with a troll stalking the Hogwarts corridors…"
…
Amelia followed Dumbledore back into his office, feeling more then irritated. She was already irritated after the Dursleys trial. A Mountain Troll, conveniently, breaking into the castle when the Headmaster is not in the castle left her furious. However, what made her even more irate, was the Dumbledore seemed to know. The Headmaster may have feigned surprise at the whole situation, but she knew a façade when she saw one. If she didn't know any better, it almost seemed like the Headmaster was expecting something like this to happen.
"Okay Dumbledore, talk" She said, crossing her arms
"Alas, I am unsure who could have smuggled the troll into Hogwarts" Dumbledore lied "However, I may know why it was smuggled in…recently I obtained an artefact…an artefact that would prove disastrous in the wrong hands…even with the Dark Lord gone, you and I both know that there are still many of his followers that would wish to avenge their Master…"
"This artefact…is this what lay inside Gringotts?" Amelia asked, remembering the letter Susan sent her, where Harry explained that Hagrid had removed something from the vaults, on Dumbledore's orders
"Yes, as Hogwarts is the most safest place in Wizarding Britain, I chose to have it brought here, the recent break in proves I was right in my decision" Dumbledore replied
"Any by doing so, you've risked the lives of every student in this school!" Amelia exclaimed "This troll attack proves that…I'm heading back to the Ministry, but I shall return with a group of Aurors, they will stand guard around Hogwarts to make sure something like this doesn't happen again…once the culprit has been found and dealt with, they will be withdrawn"
"Amelia, that is not necessary!" Dumbledore said, quickly "Trust me, when I say that the artefact in question is secure, with plenty of defences in place, to make sure no one can get to it"
"Forgive me Dumbledore, but I find it difficult to place any trust in you at the moment" Amelia replied, eyes narrowing "And I'm sure the rest of the Wizarding World will share a similar sentiment when they learn about this attack on the school…combine that with Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, being abused by his Muggle relatives, after you placed him in their care…I wouldn't be surprised if people demanded that you be removed as Headmaster, as it's clear you don't know how to keep children safe…good day Headmaster!"
As Amelia entered the fire place and disappeared in a ball of green flames, Albus sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands. For the past ten years, Dumbledore had made plans regarding Harry and Voldemort and, in just a few short hours, those plans were beginning to crumble and were on the brink of collapse. Due to Lily's protection, which is what saved Harry from the Killing Curse, he had placed Harry at his aunt and uncles, to initiate Blood Wards. As long as Harry was living in their care, he would be safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It was also why he left Sirius in Azkaban. Dumbledore wasn't sure if the man was, in fact, a traitor or not, either way he decided against getting him a trial, as unlike other members of the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius didn't trust him as much as everyone else. Sirius always said he felt like Dumbledore knew more then he made people believe. As such, Dumbledore believed that Sirius would grab Harry and leave the country, which just couldn't happen. As long as Harry remained in the Dursleys care, the Blood Wards would remain active and keep Harry safe.
One thing Dumbledore did not anticipate, was the Dursleys using Harry as their own personal punching bag. Now, the Dursleys were serving time for their sins and Sirius was free from Azkaban, after proving his innocence. All because of Amelia Bones. After the trials, Dumbledore hoped he could salvage his plans, before they collapsed entirely. Amelia, however, removed the final supports holding back the avalanche. Dumbledore guessed that, within an hour, Aurors will be patrolling around Hogwarts. Dumbledore planned to stage a confrontation between Harry and Quirrell, to see just where Harry's magical capability was currently. The boy needed to be mature and strong to fulfil his destiny. However, with Aurors patrolling Hogwarts, that would no longer work and now his carefully laid out plans were crashing down, quicker then he could think.
Dumbledore hoped he could salvage his plans. That is, if he wasn't removed from Hogwarts, like Amelia said.
…
Cornelius sat in his office, a big smile on his face. It wasn't every day a Minister of Magic was able to fix a miscarriage of justice and give someone the justice they deserve. Let alone both on the same day. With Sirius Black, now free after being falsely imprisoned and the Dursleys being transferred to serve their sentences for abusing Harry Potter, a magical child, made Cornelius a happy Minister. That smile, however, turned into a look of confusion when Amelia Bones burst into his office, looking more then a little irate.
"Madam Bones" He greeted "I wasn't expecting you, especially so soon after the trials…to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm afraid this isn't a simple social call, Minister" Amelia said "I need a group of Aurors to patrol and stand guard at Hogwarts"
"May I ask why?" Cornelius asked
"There's been a troll attack at Hogwarts!" Amelia said
"There's been a what!" Cornelius exclaimed, before he calmed down, pinching the bridge of his nose "Amelia…whilst I understand your concerns, it seems redundant for Aurors to patrol the Hogwarts corridors, because a mere troll happened to stumble into the castle…"
"That's where you're wrong, Cornelius" Amelia interrupted "The troll didn't just stumble into the castle, it was smuggled in"
"Smuggled in?" Cornelius repeated "Who would smuggle a troll into Hogwarts?"
"I don't know, but I do know why" Amelia replied "Remember the recent Gringotts break in…well it turns out what they were after is an artefact Dumbledore had removed beforehand and place in a secure place inside the castle…whatever this artefact is, whoever smuggled the troll in must have discovered it was somewhere in the castle and smuggled in the troll, as a distraction"
"Dumbledore hid an artefact inside a school full of children, has he lost his mind!" Cornelius exclaimed "This definitely changes things…did Dumbledore tell you what this artefact was?"
"No, he did not" Amelia replied "Something tells me he knows more then what he told me…however, I doubt the artefact is a simple goblet that cleanses water…this is why I ask for Aurors to be stationed at Hogwarts…they will patrol and stand guard until the culprit is found and questioned…once the threat is taken care of, they will be withdrawn"
"Give me an hour Amelia and I will get you the best Aurors the Ministry can spare" Cornelius said "And I, for one, would like to have a chat with Dumbledore myself"
…
Quirrell's Master wasn't happy. The pain he felt in the back of his skull was evident to that. Seeing that Dumbledore was out of the castle, Quirrell found the perfect opportunity to put his plan into action. With the rest of the Hogwarts staff distracted with the troll, Quirrell immediately made his way to the third floor, to find where the Stone was being kept. Whilst he didn't find the Stone, Quirrell believed he was being closer, when he entered a room, where a sleeping Cerberus lay. Under the mountain of fur, was some kind of trapdoor. Quirrell quickly left, as the Cerberus began to wake up, where he joined the rest of the staff, to no arouse suspicion.
To begin with, Quirrell planned to find a way to move the Cerberus away from the trap door and see where it led. That was until Dumbledore arrived, with Amelia Bones, which is what lead to his Masters frustration. Now that the Head of the DMLE knew about the troll attack, it wouldn't be long until the Ministry got involved. He gave it 24 hours before Aurors were patrolling the castle. Quirrell would have to plan his next moves carefully. Now that the Ministry was going to, no doubt, get involved, Quirrell believed it was best if he lay low for a while. Wait until the castle fell into a false sense of security, before he struck and brought his Master back.
Until then, he was going to have to keep his head down.
…
And that is chapter 7 done. What did you guys think.
Now the Ministry knows about the troll attack. How will this affect the rest of the story going forward? I cannot tell you, you will have to wait and see for the next chapters to be published. Also, how will the rest of the Wizarding World react when they find out about the trials? About Sirius Black's innocence? Will Dumbledore remain as Headmaster? Or will he be chased out of Britain entirely? Again, you'll have to wait and see for how the rest of the story plays out.
Anyway. I cannot say when new chapters for my current stories will release. I have a few ideas for new stories. One of which I think people will enjoy, but I can't be sure. Remember, if any of you have an story requests, feel free to let me know. If I like what you tell me, I will see if I can make a story out of it. But that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed and I will see you next time, in whatever story I see you in.
Badger Out