Renouncing Magic's Child

Out in the dark corridor, ... something distinctly odd.

"Ignore it, whatever it is," Sirius whined. He had a really bad feeling about this. Then again everything about this book put him on edge.

Peeves was not the only ... it was Bartemius Crouch.

Snape sat forward at that. That was definitely odd. Not only odd, but alarming.

Harry stared at the dot ... around the room, pausing here and there...

Moody glanced across the hall at Barty. Could he be the impostor?

Harry hesitated, thinking...

"Careful, it might hurt," Remus said with a small teasing smile.

and then his curiosity ... what Crouch was up to.

The teachers all sighed in unison. Potter's curiosity was legendary.

Harry walked down the stairs ... somebody else's office this late at night...

"No. It doesn't," Alastor agreed. "He always had someone else do his dirty work."

And then, halfway down ... Neville always forgot to jump.

"Rookie mistake," Sirius murmured, grinning slightly as he tried not to think about the ball of anxiety that had settled in his stomach.

He gave an ungainly wobble, ... he couldn't reach it.

"That's not good," George said.

The golden egg fell ... "PEEVES!"

"You might be alright so long as Filch doesn't see the map," Fred said.

It was the unmistakable ... exactly where he was.

Everyone held their breath in anticipation.

"Egg?" ... "You've been stealing!"

"He's so obsessed with Peeves that he didn't even consider another reason for the egg being there," Blaise muttered.

"Just think all those pranks you could have pulled if you'd only thought to blame them on Peeves," Theo teased.

Blaise loved pranks almost as much as the Weasley twins. He was just better at keeping his identity hidden. It wouldn't do for a Slytherin to be caught pranking.

He ripped back ... you filthy, pilfering poltergeist..."

Albus sighed. When would Argus listen to him and accept that Peeves was not going anywhere. He was literally part of the school. The headmaster couldn't remove him. Control him to an extent but not remove him.

Filch started to climb ... gray nightshirt and he looked livid.

Severus frowned. He really didn't like the relationship between his older self and Harry. He could easily imagine how it had become that way, but it was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Perhaps he should book himself in for a session with the mind healers.

"Its Peeves, Professor," ... couldn't get into my office..."

Severus rolled his eyes. Now Harry was going to get the blame for that too.

"This egg was in your office ... Somebody has been searching it!"

This caused everyone to think again about why Crouch had been searching Snape's office.

But Peeves couldn't -" ... thrown out of the castle once and for all -"

The headmaster sighed.

"Filch, I don't give a damn ... "Pajama party, is it?" he growled up the stairs.

Alastor leaned towards Amelia. "Collecting ingredients for more polyjuice, I'm betting."

Amelia nodded. That was a logical deduction.

"Professor Snape and I heard noises, ... "Shut up!" Snape hissed to Filch.

Severus and Alastor shared a look. They weren't friends exactly but they'd always gotten along well enough. Snape had even saved his life once while in his role as a spy for the Order.

Moody took a step closer ... "Someone broke into your office?"

"What I want to know is how Albus missed that one of his closest friends was an impostor," Severus said, sneering at the headmaster.

Albus frowned. He didn't understand it either.

"AN IMPOSTOR?" young Mrs Weasley screeched, reaching for her children fearfully.

"It is unimportant," ... illicit mixtures, no doubt..."

Severus nodded. That did happen from time to time.

"Reckon they were after potion ... pulsing more rapidly.

Severus rolled his eyes. Moody might have said such a thing in jest but he knew better than to actually mean it.

"You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," ... orders to search my office!"

"I would never do that," Albus said certainly, only for him to pause. He would have said he'd never do a lot of the things his older self seemed to be willing to do.

"Course Dumbledore trusts you," ... d'you know what I mean?"

Severus reached for his arm. He didn't like having his mistakes thrown at him like taunts.

Snape suddenly did something ... prowl this school after dark as you do!"

"More so in fact," young Minerva said, "as a head of house."

"Prowl away," ... "It's mine! Mine!"

Severus sighed. He didn't want to think how much trouble Harry would be in if he thought he'd broken into his office. All the same, he didn't like the idea of his older self leaving the young man with the impostor either.

Snape had reached ... as only Snape could...

"Thanks, Harry," Severus laughed, "I admit I've always been pretty good at math. You know I know math and stuff."

Everyone gaped at the head of Slytherin. Had he just made a joke? With Potter of all people?

"Potter," ... but any moment now -

Everyone held their breath.

"There's nothing there, Snape!" ... looked deeper and darker than ever.

"He's doing a brilliant job of pitting Snape against the headmaster," Minerva muttered. She still struggled to believe that Snape had betrayed them in the end.

Snape was looking down ... best interests at heart, have you?"

"At least half the time he did," Harry said. "When he wasn't trying to get me expelled."

There was a pause... this is evidence of Peeves' treachery!"

The headmaster actually laughed. Treachery indeed. "Peeves isn't going anywhere," he said with a heavy sigh. "The sooner the staff realise that, the better. He is part of the school, literally created by the magic that permeates its walls. We should just be grateful there is only one Peeves. There could be hundreds with the way Hogwarts is so..."

"Alive?" Harry suggested.

"Yes. Exactly, Harry." Albus nodded. "All we can do is try and deter him from poor choices. Remind him that he is there to safeguard the children, help them when they're feeling sad and homesick. He just gets bored and needs redirection. It really is a shame that the ghosts have a vendetta against him. He is a manifestation of Hogwarts and should be treated with respect. He behaves as he does, because he is treated as a troublemaker. He used to have countless responsibilities. But between the staff and ghosts those duties have all been taken away and what you have left is a... Well, a child with no direction."

"He's not a child, Albus," Minerva huffed.

"He might as well be," Albus countered. "The mind of Hogwarts is very young and ancient at the same time. It's caused by the dual nature of how she gains magic. The magic from the ley lines that Hogwarts sits on is ancient and strengthens her wards while the magic that permeates the air and walls is generations upon generations of ambient magic from the very children she serves, gives Hogwarts its child like nature. The excess of this magic is what gives life to Peeves. He would never intentionally harm the children, but he often, like most children needs reminding about where danger can be found. Just like a mother tells her child not to touch the stove, we must remind Peeves not to let his pranks get out of hand."

"It's the property of the champion ... tell him what Peeves was up to..."

Albus didn't say anything more. It really was pointless. People didn't like Peeves and so he acted out. A little kindness went a long way.

A door slammed ... unfolding it.

Sirius grimaced. He didn't like the idea of the impostor having the map.

"Map of Hogwarts," ... this is some map. Potter!"

"Probably panicking that you saw him on it," Moody growled. "He'll take it, I imagine. I wouldn't, mind you. A kid like you needs all the security you can get and that map of yours will certainly help keep you safe."

"Yeah, its... quite useful," ... He looked suddenly alarmed.

"Definitely panicking," Moody growled. "So, it's Barty for sure then."

Barty looked up, not liking having the auror talking about him.

"Crouch?" ... wanted to look around Snape's office?"

"Polyjuice ingredients," Severus said matter-of-factly.

Moody's magical eye ... compared to Barty Crouch."

"Well, he's got that right," Moody laughed.

He continued to stare ... "Like what?" said Moody sharply.

Sirius leaned forward.

Harry wondered how much ... tricky questions about Sirius.

"That's wise," Sirius said. "You can't trust him."

"I don't know," ... Both of Moody's mismatched eyes widened.

"I think he thought I was stupid or something," Harry muttered. "Like I wasn't paying attention."

"People tend to underestimate you, Harry," Hermione said with a small smile. "More fool them."

Harry grinned at her.

"You're a sharp boy. Potter," ... "its a Death Eater who walked free..."

Barty's eyes widened.Yep, that was him all right.

Harry stared at him ... Harry thought he meant?

Albus sighed. "Severus has my full support."

"I know," Harry said as Minerva muttered, "and what good has that done you?"

Albus frowned. What did Minerva mean?

"You were right to trust him," Harry said. "He did everything you told him too."

The bitterness in Harry's voice surprised several people. Minerva frowned, looking between Harry, Severus and Albus. Did he mean that...? No. Surely Albus wouldn't? But then again, Albus had done a lot of things that she never thought he would. Orchestrating his own death didn't seem quite as outside of the realm of possibility as it had before coming to the chamber.

"And now I want to ask ... who braced himself-

Several people laughed. He wasn't going to ask about the map's history. He wanted to know if he could keep it.

"Can I borrow this?" ... what I've been looking for...

That was suspicious. Moody growled lowly under his breath. Just what was he up to?

Right, bed, Potter, ... career as an Auror, Potter?"

Alastor grimaced. He thought the boy would make an exceptional auror but he didn't like the fact that a death eater was the one encouraging him to become one, a death eater who, no doubt, didn't plan on the boy living long enough to do so.

"No," ... looking at Harry thoughtfully.

"As much as I'm loathed to agree with him," Alastor said, "he's right. You'd be exceptional."

Harry blushed. "I used to want to... But the war..."

"It put you off," Alastor said with a nod of understanding. "That happens."

"Yes, indeed ... working out the clue."

Hermione frowned. She was surprised how easily Harry was talking to the man. He'd never really talked to the teachers much. Well, except Hagrid and Professor Lupin. Never mind the fact that he seemed to trust him.

Moody winked ... concealing in his office?

Severus laughed. "Nothing but potions ingredients. And my own potion recipes, of course. I wouldn't want those getting into just anyone's hands."

And Moody thought he ... he chose it as a career.

Moody laughed at that. "Good thinking, Potter."