Troll Fallout I
Albus could count the occasions during which he'd felt beyond helpless on one hand; when Arianna had died, when he'd been forced with the choice of either taking down Gellert or not, and when Lord Voldemort had revealed himself and fired the first shots of the last war. He had hoped to never again feel this way, that mayhaps in the second century of his life, he'd know some level of peace - but it was not to be.
"There is absolutely no denying it", Minerva explained - she had put on a brave face before, but that facade had crumbled the second she had stepped inside his office, and her look now was one of utter exhaustion, mixed with a fear he had rarely seen on her face. "The troll was killed through use of a Killing Curse - and an examination of Mister Potters wand revealed that he had fired it."
"But how?", Pomona asked. "No first year could just cast such magic, there's absolutely--"
"No precedent here?", Severus darkly asked. He was in a horrid mood - when he'd gone to investigate whether Quirinus or anyone else had made a move for the stone, the cerberus left to guard the entrance to the passage had managed to bite him in the leg, and while he was too proud to admit it, it was evident that he was in great pain. "You forget that certain families are quite... keen on teaching their children less acceptable spells."
"But Harry Potter was not raised by one of these families", Minerva argued. "And even if, knowing how does not equal succeeding in it! I just don't understand where he could have learned that spell!"
Filius numbly shook his head. "I knew he wasn't doing too well, but this...", the half-goblin muttered. "Merlin, I did not think he was capable of such a thing."
"If it is any consolation, Filius, I don't think anyone could have seen such an event coming", Albus finally spoke up. "And in a way, we are fortunate that Harry acted essentially in self-defence."
Pomona laughed histerically. "Self-defence? Using a Killing Curse is akin to using Fiendfyre to kill a spider!"
"But slightly more effective, and less destructive", Severus snarked, still refusing to sit down.
Albus turned to Poppy. "Poppy, did you examine both Mister Potter and Miss Granger?", he asked.
The healer nodded, white as one of her bedsheets. "Miss Granger stood under severe shock, as was Mister Potter. He was also suffering from magical exhaustion, and was violently sick - no doubt from the knowledge of what he'd done. Physically, at least, they were largely unharmed, apart from some scratches. I gave them both some Sleeping Draught to ensure they'd be able to rest." She shook her head. "Poor children... I don't think Mister Potter even knew what that spell would do."
"I wouldn't be so certain", Severus stated. "I examined the troll's corpse - the scratches on its chest were fresh, and I suspect Potter tried to fend it off with a Severing Charm - where he'd have learned that is beyond me, though."
"Probably from the textbook", Filius quietly replied. "He and Miss Granger were both studying ahead quite a bit, I wouldn't be surprised if both of them had already secretly tested out these charms."
"Still, I think it's evident that he at least knew the curse would harm the troll", Severus said. "Even if he lacked the specifics."
Albus nodded - that was part of his concerns right now. "Poppy, did your examination of Harry's scar reveal anything of interest?", he asked.
"No, nothing", the matron answered. "Only the same curse residue from... from ten years ago."
"Nothing else?", Albus continued. "Just that residue?"
"I checked multiple times, headmaster, just to be certain. There was not a sliver of change between my examination then and now", Poppy confirmed.
How in blazes could that be, he wondered as he leaned back, trying to think on the matter. It couldn't be Tom in full control, he'd have noticed that - and if Voldemort was possessing Harry, Poppy would have found a second presence. The magical exhaustion could be explained away with the raw power needed to cast the Killing Curse, but he'd have to check, just to be absolutely certain.
How could this be, then?
"You know something", Severus pulled him from his ruminations.
"Know? No, all I have are suspicions, and none of them make any sort of sense", Albus tried to deflect.
"We had a first year student use an Unforgivable on a mountain troll at Hogwarts", Severus said, acid in his voice. "None of this makes any sense, and I for one am tired of your elusive answers."
"Albus, if you suspect how this may have happened, we need to know", Minerva asked tired.
He looked at Filius, Pomona and Poppy. All three of them nodded, and he sighed. "I must ask that none of you repeat as much as a word of what I am about to reveal to you. If anything, even the smallest piece of information were to leave this room, it would threaten the entire world - and only accelerate Voldemorts rise. Do you understand?"
All five mages nodded, faces serious and stony, and Albus sighed again.
"Ten years ago, when Lord Voldemort went to murder the Potter family, something unexpected happened - as you know, his curse was reflected back, sparing young Harry and destroying his body instead", he began.
"Yet another mystery we do not have the answer to", Poppy grumbled.
"Oh, hardly, the answer simply would not have done any good", Albus stated. "Lily Potter begged Voldemort to spare her son, even offering up her own life - and when he killed her, it cast the most powerful shield anyone could imagine."
"Merlin and Morgana", Filius realized. "Sacrifical magic - the ultimate price."
"Indeed", Albus stated. "Now, I suspect Lily and James may have used other wards, but her sacrifice was what ultimately caused Harrys survival - and Voldemorts flight."
"Flight, not death?", Pomona asked, shocked. "You mean... he's actually still..."
Albus sighed heavily. "I long suspected he had come up with safeguards, in case his body was ever destroyed - most likely, he created at least one intentional Horcrux."
This caused a barrage of violent curses from the others, and Severus dangerously narrowed his eyes. "Intentional Horcruxes?", he asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"Voldemorts soul was unstable that fateful night - I do not know whether it was in preperation for another Horcrux or if he had simply created too many already, but when his cursed bounced back, it shattered his soul. The majority turned into a wraith of sorts and fled, but a small part..."
"Merlin, the scar", Minerva whispered, aghast. "That's what you meant when you said that scars can have uses, wasn't it? That scar contains a piece of... of..."
"Of Voldemorts soul, yes. A small piece, but a piece nontheless - one which I took great care to entrap until it could either be removed or destroyed without harming Harry - and which I needed to ensure I had enough time to find the true Horcruxes and eliminate them from the field, before Voldemort realized what I was doing - then, and only then, could we afford to remove the shard he did not know about, and Voldemort would be no more."
Silence fell upon the room as he continued. "I made sure the shard could not influence Harry in the slightest - I placed powerful wards around the scar, to trap it inside the tissue, to bind it, and I purposefully placed him with his muggle relatives, to ensure the blood wards created by Lily Potters sacrifice would be as strong as possible - and so that the shard could not absorb any more magic."
"His muggle relatives... you left him with Petunia?!", Severus screeched. "Have you lost your wits, Dumbledore?! That... that... that bitter hag of a woman absolutely loathes magic and all those who use it! The boy would not have any home with her!"
"I am well aware of Petunia Dursleys opinion of magic, but it was a risk I needed to take", Albus calmly explained. "I had hoped she had grown as a person, but... I fear I was mistaken." He shook his head. "In far too many ways, at that. Roughly four years ago, a small change occured - a ward I had placed to trap the shard had seemingly fallen, yet upon closer inspection, everything was in order. I was sceptical, but at the time, it seemed as though there was no immediate threat. Still, I worried that mayhaps Voldemort had become aware of the shard, or worse, that the shard was attempting to take control of Harry."
"But, there was no sign of any magical possession", Poppy stated. "I would have found such a thing out."
"I am well aware, and that is what puzzles me", Albus admitted. "When Harry began his schooling, I kept an eye on him, to see if there were any signs of Voldemorts influence - you must remember, I once taught him, decades ago. And Harry did show some similarities to Voldemort, especially in his hunger for knowledge - but not where it mattered, and I hoped that I was overreacting... until today."
"But if Voldemort is not possessing Potter, how did the boy manage to cast the Killing Curse?", Snape furiously barked.
"I can only guess", Albus admitted. "What I think most likely is that Harry was able to access some of Voldemorts memories, which had been carried over with the fragment of his soul - the fact that when Hagrid came to deliver his letter, he was already aware of magic, indicates to me that this may be the case. It is possible that Harry, fearing his own death, and Miss Grangers, subconsciously accessed some of these memories to find a spell that would stop the troll. He may have also drawn on Voldemorts knowledge and skills, as well - it would explain how he was able to cast it. And if he wanted himself and Miss Granger to survive, no matter the cost, and if you consider his already bad mood today, the day his parents died..."
"Merlin and Morgana", Minerva whispered.
"Still, his reaction indicates to me he did not consciously choose to kill the troll, even if he may have attempted it with the Severing Charm - and even there, I doubt he would have known it could rip its chest open", Albus carried on. "I agree with Poppy, I doubt Harry even knew what that curse would do - and I do not think he will be so quick to consult these memories in the future. His casting occured, I think, out of a desire to defend himself, and a fellow student and friend, from a lethal threat - and such is a good thing, even if he unknowingly chose the most extreme way to do it. At this point, I am far more concerned with the background to a far more pressing issue - the fact that he feels like he has to rely on Voldemorts memories to navigate our world."
Severus angrily snorted. "Considering you left him with Tuney, you needn't wonder", he spat. "That woman likely never told him anything on his heritage."
"Oh, I know she didn't, Hagrid confirmed it, but my concern lies with the treatment he received from her and her family", Albus said. "Some of the things that have since come to my attention were... concerning."
Minerva nodded numbly. "Percy Weasley approached me a short while back, with concerns over Harry's home life", she revealed to the others. "Concerns which, quite frankly, I share."
"When I spoke to him after his alteration with young Mister Weasley after my class, he seemed incredibly distraught", Filius added quietly. "As if he was fearing some draconian punishment... is that what he is used to?"
"With Petunia?", Severus snorted. "I would not be surprised. I would love to have a word with her one of these days..."
"Don't be ridiculous, Severus, you can barely stand", Pomona admonished him.
"I will deal with Petunia myself", Albus announced. "Of you, I ask that you keep an eye on Harry - and on Miss Granger, for that matter. We must know for certain just how much damage Voldemorts soul fragment and my mistake have caused."
"That will not be easy", Severus stated. "The boy has powerful mental defences - I was nearly destroyed the first time I attempted to use Legilimency on him."
"Severus!", Minerva angrily yelled, while Albus merely sighed. Yet another point of worry - these defences weren't Harry's, but Voldemorts, and if was shielding himself and Harry... still, he held out hope it was merely Harry's subconcious drawing on Voldemorts power to defend himself.
"Still, we must know - if we don't, I fear we are in grave danger, indeed", he darkly stated.