CHAPTER 22
2:03 PM
Leaving the pitch, Harry noticed in the distance that Lily and Severus were furiously whispering to each other, as they headed in Professor Dumbledore's direction. They were intercepted by Hermione, who gestured to Lily if they could speak privately. Nodding curiously, Lily allowed the girl to pull her aside while Severus discreetly waited. Casting a privacy ward, the older witch leaned down towards Hermione, eyes briefly growing wide as the girl furiously whispered in her ear. Suddenly, Professor Evans' eyes cut to Professor Quirrell's back, and a look of such fury flashed in her eyes that Hermione grew startled, stumbling over her feet. Lily quietly thanked the little witch and Hermione slowly nodded, hoping she hadn't set in motion the Defense Professor's imminent murder.
Closer by, Harry saw Professor Hagrid speaking to Jim, running his wand over the boy as he seemingly checked him over for injuries. Growing concerned, he spoke softly to Jim before escorting him to his hut, as Ron, Neville, and Hermione followed closely behind. Eyes narrowing, Harry headed towards that direction but soon realized that Theo and, to his surprise, Blaise Zabini, were following him. Theo was expected, but Zabini was a new development.
"Can I help you, Mr. Zabini?"
The other boy smiled, though Harry could detect a latent nervousness. "I hope so, Mr. Potter. A few weeks back, you invited me to join Miss Granger's study sessions. I declined at the time, but I find myself disappointed with my progress in several classes. I was wondering if your invitation was still open?"
Harry, who knew perfectly well that Blaise was one of his closest academic rivals in Slytherin House and that he didn't need a lick of tutoring, raised his chin and crooked an eyebrow inquisitively. A few beats passed before he asked, "Can you resist the temptation to insult anyone's parentage for several hours at a time?" he said archly.
"If everyone can go that long without insulting my own parentage, then certainly," he replied evenly.
Harry stared unblinkingly at the boy for several seconds, almost long enough to make it uncomfortable. At his side, he could feel Theo fidgeting at the prolonged silence. One thing he'd learned since his Sorting was that there were three kinds of Slytherins: the ones with bigotries, the ones with agendas, and the ones who knew how to use their agendas to satisfy their bigotries. While he strongly suspected Zabini to be of the second variety, he wasn't at all sure of exactly what agenda (or agendas) the boy hoped to achieve. Making a split second decision, he decided to test a theory he'd been developing since his confrontation with Malfoy in the Slytherin Common Room.
"Then Mr Zabini, let us agree… to be excellent to each other." Harry said, extending his hand.
Blaise inhaled sharply, as if Harry Potter had just publicly exposed one of his deepest, darkest secrets that not a single, living soul knew of. In the blink of an eye he immediately composed himself, before smiling warmly (and genuinely).
"Party on, Mr. Potter," he replied as he reached out and warmly shook Harry's hand.
Theo looked back and forth between the two during the odd exchange. "Was ... was that ... a code of some kind?" he asked in confusion.
"Of a sort," said Harry. "By the way, I do hope you will call me Harry from now on, Mr. Zabini."
"Only if you will both call me Blaise."
"Certainly. I'll discuss the matter with Hermione, but I doubt it will be a problem. We meet on Tuesdays and Fridays during our first free periods of the aforementioned days," said Harry.
"I look forward to it," said Blaise before offering a slight bow and heading towards the castle. Harry watched him go with a bemused expression before heading on to Professor Hagrid's hut – Theo following behind somewhat nervously – where he knocked boldly on the door. After a second, the huge man opened the door and looked down at the two Slytherins in surprise. He was outfitted in a thick and quality set of outdoor robes, the large swathes of fabric handsomely draped over his hulking form. He had a thick mane of wiry dark hair that hung down to his shoulders, along with a thick yet neat beard of matching wiry hair. Several belts criss-crossed over his robes, bearing small pocket pouches that housed Merlin knew-what. On his right wrist was a customized holster that housed his wand (fifteen inch Chestnut with Unicorn hair core), which bore the initials 'R.O.H.' for Rubeus Olis Hagrid.
"Professor!" exclaimed Harry cheerfully. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Harry Potter, Jim's younger brother. This is my friend, Theodore Nott. I noticed that one of my other friends, Hermione Granger, was headed this way. Is she still here by any chance?"
The massive man gave Harry a surprisingly penetrating stare, before replying a polite "Pleasure to meet yer!" as he opened the door, stepping out of the way to let the two boys in. They started upon entering, realizing that the small hut was significantly larger inside, a clear sign of wizard-space charms at play. The large space (which Harry noted served as the living room and kitchen) was decorated in a surprisingly tasteful shabby-chic manner. The walls were painted in warm inviting shades of earthy browns and warm golds, making the space feel cozy and lived-in. The kitchen cabinets were made of glossy yellowed birch, carved with various runes that Harry recognized few of. High-beamed ceilings of polished oak framed the room, charmed with fairy lights that dimly glowed.
Various knick-knacks were neatly arranged on several mahogany shelves lining the walls of the room, some Harry recognized as figurines based on the creatures in his mother's well-loved copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. There were several photos of varying magical creatures lining the walls as well, though one frame bore a collage of human photos. Squinting (which activated the zoom feature of his glasses), Harry saw that the collage was a series of photos taken during Hagrid's Hogwarts years, with all of them prominently featuring Tom Riddle, and some featuring Headmaster Dumbledore. The most recent picture was taken at Hagrid's Mastery Graduation, and Harry internally smiled as he watched the two beaming men make rabbit ears behind the other's head, with Tom making a significant effort to stretch his arm to reach the half-giant's head. One wall bore a merrily crackling fireplace that kept the room comfortably warm, though Harry spotted a large bowl of glittering Floo powder on the mantel above the fireplace. Various plush pelts covered the floor, and Harry spotted a large boar-hound comfortably napping on one in the far-off corner, snoring rather loudly.
Hermione, Neville, Ron, and Jim, were currently seated on the sprawling fur couch covered in cozy woven blankets that dominated the center of the living room. A large coffee table was nearby, already bearing a wooden tray full of rather large tea biscuits, assorted nuts, dried fruit, and small toast points, still warm. His twin was dramatically reclining on his back while holding an ice pack against his forehead, occasionally groaning in discomfort. Upon seeing his brother and said brother's friend, the boy angrily asked, "What do you sneaky little Snakes want?"
"Wonderful to see you as well Brother Dearest! I am so pleased to see you alive and not a messy splat on the Quidditch Pitch lawn!" Jim scowled angrily at Harry's statement, while Neville, Hermione, and Theo snorted. "Before you so rudely interrupted me, I was going to inquire why you are getting medical treatment from the Care of Magical Creatures Professor instead of our certified professional Healer with a fully stocked infirmary?" Jim and Ron scowled, while Professor Hagrid surprisingly chuckled at Harry's sarcastic tone.
"Well, part of me trainin' to get me mastery involved havin' to get a basic healer's certification. In case any of the creatures get at me." He reached into one of the many pockets on his belt sash, Harry watching in fascination as the man's massive hand disappeared into the small pocket, hearing some clinking before pulling out three potion vials. Harry recognized the potions as an All Healing Draught, Anti-Headache Potion, and Pepperup Potion, along with a small jar of murtlap essence to treat Jim's cuts and bruises. Impressed, Harry nodded respectfully to Hagrid as he administered the potions to Jim, who immediately perked up. Hagrid instructed the boy to apply the Murtlap essence to his cuts and bruises. Satisfied, the half-giant made his way to the kitchen to brew a fresh batch of tea for the additional guests.
"So Little Brother, why are you actually here?" asked Jim, glaring in Harry's direction. Barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Harry responded.
"Well, if you must know, Theo and I are here because we noticed you were having some issues with your broom" (Jim snarled at that) "and we were curious as to Hermione's thoughts as to the cause." He looked directly at Hermione and cheekily smirked. "I'm practically burning with curiosity."
Hermione crossed her arms and huffed at him in annoyance, while Neville pretended to cough to cover up his laugh. It was Ron who answered though.
"I'm surprised you don't know, snake! It was that git Professor Snape! And Professor Evans! They were hexing Jim's broom!"
"Oh rubbish!" Hermione loudly interjected, before Harry had a chance to berate Jim for his gross insinuation. "If anything, they were the reason Jim's broom wasn't immediately flung to the ground! And why on earth would they attempt to kill a Hogwarts student?! Professor Evans is Jim's mother for crying out loud!" Jim looked somewhat subdued at the statement, but Ron was not to be so easily swayed.
"So what?" he snarled, face growing red to match his hair. "She's still a Slytherin just like Snape, and they're a bad bunch of-"
"I would tread very lightly, before you finish that statement Mr. Weasley." Harry's quiet voice sounded throughout the massive room, and all parties flinched at hearing its cold tone. Ron quickly looked away, though he didn't stop scowling. Quickly clearing his throat, Hagrid set out an additional pot of tea and some extra cups, inviting Harry and Theo to sit and partake. Both politely thanked the man and did just that, helping the tension to diffuse a bit.
"Now Ron, have to say tha's jus' nonsense. Professor Snape and Evans are Hogwarts' professors, no need there to harm a student. And Hermione 'ere is right. She is Jim's mum, and I dunno any mother who would harm her child. Stop that right now." Though gentle, the man's tone was firm, and Ron thankfully stopped speaking.
"Quite right, Professor, I couldn't agree more," said Harry cheerfully, as he picked up one of the cups and poured himself a hearty cup of tea. Pausing to inhale, he smiled happily at recognizing the inviting scents of anise and hyssop, with a faint lingering aroma of lemon and mint. "Is this one of Tom's brews, Professor?" he asked, taking a deep sip and sighing in pleasure as the complimentary flavors settled on his tongue.
Smiling, Hagrid replied, "Yes it is Harry, it's one of me favorite's too. Cheers!" and the two toasted each other, much to (almost) everyone's amusement.
"As I was saying, it is decidedly ridiculous to think that Professor Snape and Professor Evans would attack you Brother Dearest, especially since the latter is our mother." Harry took another sip, helping himself to some of the tea biscuits.
"He's right you know, just as I was telling you two before! Honestly!" Hermione paused and poured herself a cup of tea, taking a delicate sip before continuing. "And as I already said, I saw Professor Quirrell also staring at Jim's broom. According to the Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six, Chapter Seven, you have to maintain constant unblinking concentration to maintain any jinx against the protective wards on a Quidditch broom. I imagine a broom as advanced as a Nimbus 2000, a state-of-the-art racing broom, would have protective wards so strong that only someone exceptionally skilled in the most obscure of Dark Arts would be able to jinx one at all, especially silently and at such a great distance while the broom is airborne. Again, Professors Evans and Snape were muttering out loud and also blinking intermittently, whilst Professor Quirrell was not." Six stares of amazement met her rather thorough explanation, causing the witch to blush lightly.
"Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six?" Harry teasingly asked, causing Hermione to blush some more while mumbling "I was just curious", causing Harry, Neville, and Theo to chuckle at the girl's voracious reading appetite.
"Well Hermione 'ere is right. Brooms are near impossible to jinx, 'specially one like the Nimbus. Takes at least two years for prototypes to be tested, and those security charms s'posed to be unbreakable." Hagrid took a sip of his tea whilst Harry and Hermione nodded approvingly, though Jim and Ron still looked dubious.
"Well there you have it! Professor Hagrid here is a trained professional, so you should defer to his superior knowledge." Harry said amiably, reaching for some dried apple and chewing heartily. "My own research confirms their claims just as well. You see, after our beloved Daddy sent that Nimbus 2000 to Jim in the front of the whole school during breakfast last month, I took a mild interest in racing brooms and their function, specifically their susceptibility to jinxes, hexes, and curses. Just personal curiosity, you understand." Jim and Ron looked at Harry as if he'd just confessed to plotting murder. Hermione and Neville rolled their eyes, while Theo coughed delicately in an attempt to cover his laughter.
"You son of a bitch!" exclaimed Jim furiously.
"Careful Jim," said Harry. "That is my mother you're insulting." Jim snarled while Harry ignored him, thoughtfully chewing on more dried apple. "Anyway, such magic is currently beyond me. For the moment, at least." He smiled evilly at his brother. "As Professor Hagrid and Hermione have so eloquently informed us, the defensive spells on a Nimbus 2000 are state-of-the-art and so strong that only someone skilled in the most obscure of Dark Arts would be able to jinx one at all, let alone in a truly dangerous way. And as it stands, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is the only one who fits the bill of the culprit, especially since our little arsonist here stopped his dastardly attempt by setting his robes on fire." Harry cheekily wiggled his eyebrows, causing Hermione to blush. The other boys looked at Hermione in varying degrees of amazement, while a chuckling Hagrid eagerly chewed on his freshly baked batch of Rock Cakes.
Hermione sniffed in annoyance. "Honestly, Harry. It was just Bluebell Flames. There was no danger of actually burning Professor Quirrell. You make me sound like a… pyromaniac or something."
Jim interrupted at that point. "Hang on, forget about the blasted Bluebell Flames. You're saying Quirrell was the one who tried to kill me?"
"I'm quite certain of it. From my vantage point, I could see the whole thing. As soon as you set Professor Quirrell's robes on fire, the interference with Jim's broom stopped immediately. It was unfortunate that you lost your grip on your broom Brother Dearest, but thankfully, our mother was there to catch you with the Slowing Charm and even shield you. She ensured that you safely made it to the ground alive, and did not end up a gory splat all over the Quidditch field turf."
Everyone blanched at that, and Jim looked particularly subdued. He was unaware that his estranged mother had been the one to save his life, and he felt surprisingly… ashamed of his earlier accusations.
"You know, that makes me think," said Neville. "What on earth would Quirrell gain or hope to gain by making Jim fall off his broom in front of nearly a thousand witnesses, a considerable many of whom are competent adults who could have easily caught him with a Levitation Charm?"
Harry took a sip of tea and then shook his head. "Oh, I'm certain that wasn't the plan. Professor Quirrell was actually quite clever, but he didn't anticipate someone, much less two competent someones, noticing him and blocking his jinx. I imagine his goal was to take direct control of the broom and then just fly it into the ground at its maximum speed, thereby splattering Jim all over the turf like a sack of overripe tomatoes." The assembled Gryffindors turned varying shades of green at his casual description, and Hagrid noticeably cringed. "Everyone would have assumed that Jim believed he'd seen the Snitch and flown after it too fast, only to lose control. There is a reason after all, that the school doesn't normally allow First Years to even keep brooms on campus, let alone play on house teams while riding top-of-the-line racing models designed for professional matches. The Boy-Who-Lived would be dead or critically injured in a tragic but perfectly foreseeable Quidditch mishap. So sad. So very, very sad," Harry said, mockingly clutching his chest in a decidedly false manner. "And then, most likely, the Headmaster would have been blamed for bending the rules to let Brother Dearest play at all and inevitably be forced out of his Headmaster position, thereby leaving… whatever the Cerberus is guarding more vulnerable." He took another sip of tea, deftly ignoring Hagrid as he choked on his.
"How do you know about that?!" exclaimed Ron. Harry gave him an almost pitying look.
"Hang on a mo', how d'yer know 'bout Fluffy?" asked Hagrid, his eyes widening in shock. Behind him, Neville and Theo mouthed in simultaneous astonishment of "Fluffy?!"
"Purely by second hand knowledge, I assure you," said Harry evenly, mentally thanking Matilda, the green garden snake that hung in the branches of a tree of a painting that depicted Isaac Newton pondering upon a fallen apple, which was currently housed on the third floor corridor wall. "I only bring it up to show that Quirrell is much more dangerous than he appears. And I want you and you," he said pointing at Hermione and Neville, "to stay away from him." Then, he looked over at Jim and Ron. "You two, on the other hand, can instigate with him as much as you'd like!" He said with false cheer, smirking when the two made an almost identical rude face.
"Well, all of you stay away from that corridor and from Fluffy. What he's guardin' is of no concern to children! It's strictly between the Headmaster and Nicholas Flamel!" Hagrid's eyes suddenly widened in such a comical manner that had it been anyone else, Harry would have assumed them to be acting, and rather poorly.
Inhaling sharply, Harry closed his eyes, and started massaging his temples, slowly counting backwards from ten as Hermione's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Wait a minute! The Nicholas Flamel? The Immortal Alchemist? He's real?!" The girl excitedly exclaimed, mouth hanging open. Harry fought back a particularly deep groan.
Laughing, Theo responded. "Oh yes Hermione, he's definitely real! He also made the Philosopher's Stone, which can in fact-"
"OH BLOODY BUGGERING HELL!"
At the Same Time - Headmaster's Office…
From the east window of the Headmaster's Office, Severus Snape watched as Harry stormed out of Hagrid's hut in an uncharacteristic fury, followed soon after by three friends and two enemies. Snape couldn't resist quietly laughing at Granger, who was trying to calm Harry down as the boy was seemingly caught in a pique of the infamous Evans temper. He'd have to remember to grant the girl house points for her rather clever application of Blue Bell Flames against Quirrell, whom she'd correctly surmised was the one attempting to kill The Other Potter.
It had taxed his and Lily's collective skill with Defensive Dark Arts to prevent Quirrell from slaying The Other Potter, utilizing their bracelet cuffs to enhance their combined mental abilities. He'd felt Lily's panicked terror when the Other Potter had slipped from his broom and to his near death, thankfully recalling to slow him down. Severus had found himself impressed with her unique application of the Protego Horribilis shield, somehow making it take spherical form to help further protect the ungrateful little brat. Lily had been desperate to get to the boy after the game's end, but he'd been swarmed by his team and screaming little Lion fans. It was at that moment that Miss Granger had chosen to inform Lily of Quirrell's actions, and it'd taken every bit of Snape's physical strength to (as subtly as possible) guide her away from the Quidditch Pitch. Her eyes were glowing Killing Curse green (which only happened when she was truly furious), and Severus knew that very little would have prevented her from simply blowing Quirrell into bloody chunks for his flagrant attempt on her son's life, estranged or otherwise.
At the current moment, Lily was sleeping off the effects of a Sleeping Charm he'd discreetly applied once they'd made it to her private quarters. She was currently being watched by the Slytherin House elf, whom he'd commanded to report to him the minute she awoke. Still, he wondered what Harry and Hermione could be arguing about, as the generally even-tempered boy looked genuinely enraged if his shouting was anything to go by. Severus' ruminations on the First Year children and their activities served to block out the argument going on between McGonagall and Dumbledore, but a sudden lull in the heated exchange caused him to realize that he'd been asked a question.
"I beg your pardon, Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress. I was lost in thought."
"I asked, Severus, if you had any idea why Professor Quirrell might target Jim Potter under these circumstances? He has made no move against the boy so far. Why now?"
"Well, I have a few theories, the foremost being because of the ill-considered decision to let the boy play as Seeker despite his youth and inexperience," said Snape, unwittingly echoing Harry's own theory. "The whole thing has smacked of favoritism and pandering from the start, and if he'd died in his first match, it is likely you would have been blamed for allowing him to play. At a minimum, you would have faced a possible suspension by the Board of Governors. Lucius Malfoy, I'm sure, would happily use the boy's death against you. With you out of Hogwarts, Quirrell would have had a clear shot at… whatever you plan on hiding beneath the Cerberus. Which, if I'm to understand, is not even in position yet, correct? That is, if you plan on telling us exactly what it is that you plan on hiding." Severus leveled his best glare at Dumbledore, who (to Snape's frustration) only sighed before replying.
"Yes, the object-in-question is not yet in position. The Mirror of Erised should have been prepared and in place before September 1st, but the difficulties of acquiring it from the Department of Mysteries without attracting undue attention were far greater than I anticipated. It will be delivered within the week, and I will spend the month of December attuning it to the castle's wards. We should be ready for Quirrell by the start of second term in January, though I suspect he will wait until later in the year before he makes his move."
"A whole month for attunement, Albus?" said a surprised McGonagall.
"It is a very Dark artifact, Minerva. One I would not normally let come within a hundred miles of this school if the need were not so great. As it is, I will have to deactivate several of the school's protective wards designed to detect and block the intrusion of dark artifacts just to allow its entry, and it may take years before those wards become fully functional again. I wish it weren't necessary, but we all know what is at stake here both for Jim and for the wizarding world."
"Which brings me to my next question. Granted you've confirmed that it is Quirrell that is in pursuit… of whatever it is we're meant to be keeping from him in the labyrinth we've created to entrap him. You still have yet to tell us why Quirinus Quirrell would want this object in the first place. The Quirinus I remember was an academic, a kind and somewhat ordinary man whose greatest desire was to acquire and disburse knowledge to his students. This current man, who Legilimizes minors, attempts to violently throw them off brooms, and is seemingly obsessed with the Potter twins is not the Quirinus Quirrell I remember! So I will ask you once more Albus, and please, do not attempt to evade this question because I will walk away and wash my hands of this entire debacle!" Severus' eyes burned a hole through Dumbledore, and a thin-lipped McGonagall also glared at the Headmaster, in full agreement. At his colleagues' merciless expressions, he sighed once more, looking absolutely exhausted. Raising his wand, he cast a slew of impenetrable privacy spells, and even charmed black clothes to cover all the portraits, obscuring their ability to listen in.
"I… I am of the belief that the Dark Lord lives, and is using Professor Quirrell as a means to get… to get to the Philosopher's Stone." Dumbledore's voice ended in a strained whisper, as McGonagall gasped and Severus paled significantly.
"...I'm quite sorry Albus, I… I don't believe I quite heard you," whispered Severus, his expression carefully blank in spite of his increased pallor.
"No Severus, you… you heard me correctly. I strongly suspect that the Dark Lord lives, and is using Quirrell as his would-be puppet to acquire the Stone."
"That…that should be impossible…he-he was vanquished! How can he still be alive?!" Severus, like a zombie, walked himself to a chair and heavily sat, using every shred of Occlumency he knew to keep himself from having a full blown panic attack. Minerva mimicked his movements and settled heavily in the seat next to him, clasping his hand in a death grip as a means to keep herself grounded, eyes blown wide in horror. Looking every bit his age, Dumbledore launched into an explanation.
"There are quite a few reasons why I believe the Dark Lord exists. Firstly, I investigated the Potter Residence once they were all admitted to St. Mungo's after that fateful Halloween night. The nursery where the Dark Lord attacked was teeming with Dark Magic, along with the evidence of the Killing Curse cast in the direction of the cribs that the Potter Twins lay, specifically in the crib that housed Jim Potter. It was there wherein Jim, by some miracle, forced the curse to rebound back to the Dark Lord, which should have killed him." Severus skillfully kept his expression blank, not daring to mention (not that he could have, due to the oaths) that it was Lily's ritual interference that had caused the curse to rebound. He listened as Dumbledore continued his explanation.
"The Dark Lord's wand was nowhere to be found, and all that remained of him were a set of charred robes. At the very least, there should have been a body, but only the robes remained."
"Perhaps he exploded into bits of dust? It's not everyday that a Killing Curse you cast at an infant rebounds and kills - excuse me - kind-of kills you." Severus' sarcastic tone was not lost on the Headmaster, though he shook his head in denial.
"That's not how the Killing Curse works. Regardless of its caster or its intended trajectory, when it makes contact with a human body, it kills them and leaves a body. Always. The Dark Lord's body was nowhere to be found, not even in particulate form. I left no crevice unsearched in the Potter's home and in Godric's Hollow. Nothing was left." Dumbledore paused and took a few breaths before continuing.
"There is also the… the Prophecy to consider." Severus and Minerva stiffened at the dreaded P-word. "You are both already aware of its contents, but I shall repeat it nonetheless:
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...
Born to those who have thrice defied him, born in the quarter hour 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 in the quarter hour as the seventh month dies...
The Dark Lord marked Jim Potter as his equal the night he attacked the Potters, with the current "L" shaped scar that adorns his head. While Jim succeeded in thwarting the Dark Lord, he did not kill the Dark Lord, for there was no body found. Either must die at the hand of the other, because neither can hope to live any kind of life, while the other survives. The Dark Lord, somehow, survived that fateful night. And now, it is Jim Potter's destiny to kill him." Dead silence met the old wizard's statement as the assembled Professors digested his heavy words.
"But that's impossible Albus! Impossible! Are you certain the Prophecy has not already been fulfilled? He was vanquished… he was finally… finally defeated." Minerva's shrill voice turned quiet and broken, as her eyes filled with tears. In a pique of sympathy, Severus gently rubbed her back whilst she tried to gather her composure. After a few moments, she continued. "Is there no possibility that the Prophecy has been fulfilled, Albus? None at all?"
"... I am sorry Minerva, but not in this case. If the Dark Lord had died from the Killing Curse, if his body and his wand had been found, then it would have been so. Unfortunately, neither were recovered, and Jim does bear the Dark Lord's mark. Prophecies want to come true, and this Prophecy has already had parts of it fulfilled. It will follow through to its inevitable end. It… it must be done." Dumbledore closed his eyes and hung his head, the finality of his tone seeming to have exhausted himself.
For his part, Severus' mind raced at the possibilities this horrifying bit of news presented. You-Know-Who was apparently not dead, somehow persisting in order to fulfill the Prophecy. Which means that ultimately, Lily's ritual had been for naught; instead of killing the monster, it'd merely given him the opportunity to mark his opponent (a child!) so they two could have some epic battle that would maybe result in the Dark Lord's defeat. And now, somehow, You-Know-Who was using Quirrell as a vehicle to get the Philosopher's Stone, which would allow him to create the Elixir of Life. And the Headmaster was going to allow it to happen, even creating the perfect environment for a would-be confrontation to occur. Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"So you're essentially luring You-Know-Who out, using the Stone as bait." Snape paused for a few beats. "And using Jim Potter as bait too." Minerva whipped her head around sharply, gawking at Severus before turning to glare viciously in Dumbledore's direction.
"Albus, tell me that is not the truth," she bit out, her eyes flinty. Dumbledore flinched and looked away, causing McGonagall to swear in an uncharacteristically vigorous manner, her Scottish brogue as thick as ever.
"We have no choice in the matter Minerva. It is young Jim's destiny to defeat the Dark Lord. Permanently. We must use every means we have available to bring about the conflict that will end the Dark Lord. For good." Dumbledore's tone brokered no argument, and Minerva's face grayed. Severus chose to remain silent, though his mind was still spinning. He suddenly felt very ill, because he realized he would have to be the one to tell Lily about all this. Internally cringing at her inevitable ire, he wished the ground would just swallow him whole.
"Do you plan on telling either of the Potters about this? What about Lily? And Harry?" Severus quietly asked.
Dumbledore sighed. "I am afraid at this time, the answer is 'no' to your first question. I cannot have any of the Potters - father or son - interfering. The more control we can exercise over the situation, the better. Subjects of a Prophecy end up causing its unwanted self-fulfillment if they are too involved in the process." Severus raised a dubious brow. "It is the nature of Prophetic magicks Severus, that is all I can say about the subject. The same goes for Lily; she cannot have any involvement in this, hence my decision to leave her out of the Stone's protections to begin with. She is Jim's mother, and her desire to protect him would override the need for her to create any situation wherein he'd be endangered." Dumbledore paused, seemingly gathering his thoughts before continuing.
"As far as Harry is concerned, he cannot have any involvement either. I will live with the undying shame of my part in declaring Harry a squib, which ultimately led to the Potters' divorce. While several tests were performed at St. Mungo's that indicated that his magical core was nearly nonexistent, it seems those tests were not completely absolute in the accuracy. Whatever occurred caused Jim's core - albeit weak at the onset - to stabilize within a few days. It seems Harry's core took much longer, though inevitably it did replenish, hence his current matriculation as a student here at Hogwarts. If Jim is to confront the Dark Lord and Harry is a part of it, he may end up draining Harry's magic once more, potentially... killing his own brother." The old man hesitated. "I must be honest with you. Part of the reason that I thought it wise to separate the two boys was that I was afraid that Jim had somehow drained Harry of his magic through the twin-bond they shared when he repelled You-Know-Who's attack. Sibling rivalry between a famous, powerful wizard and his squib brother would have been bad enough, but if it turned out that Harry was actually a squib because of Jim, I can't imagine what feelings of hatred it would have engendered in him."
"And ironically, those feelings of hatred have been engendered regardless, in spite of their separation. And even more ironically, born from Jim for Harry, given the former's appalling treatment of the latter. Very funny how those things work." Severus' tone was scathing, causing Dumbledore to wince while Minerva snorted rather indelicately. "I assume Minerva and I will be needing to swear the necessary Secrecy Oaths for all this, yes?" Dumbledore nodded. "Alright then. Let's get this over with."
AN 1: Here's Hagrid! I've always wanted to give The Hut a bit of a facelift! Hagrid is a CoMC Master, so he is very much qualified to be a Hogwarts Professor.
AN 2: Dumbledore being rather honest, there's a first lol. Like PoS' Dumbledore, this one will be much more forthcoming that canon. Well... when the situation calls for it :)
Next Up: the Prince of Slytherin legend!