The Cupboard Series 3: Potter Haven

Chapter 9

D

Albus Dumbledore stood frozen in the middle of his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Behind him, his desk was still piled with parchment and envelopes that he hadn't even had time to glance at let alone start sorting through.

No, while it may have been the case that the Headmaster had been in his office for close to an hour, for the vast majority of that time, he'd been frozen to the spot. His mind, one of the most brilliant in the world he'd readily admit with the appropriate amount of humility, was still trying to process exactly what had just happened to him.

After nearly two weeks recovering in a bed in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries from being tossed into a concrete pillar like a rag doll, he'd finally been released. During most of his convalescence, he'd had one overriding desire – to return to his office where the various devices that monitored that blasted boy were kept.

He'd diligently read The Daily Prophet each day since he'd awoken, but there had been no sign of Harry Potter anywhere. The entire wizarding world had been on the lookout without success. From what he'd managed to find out, the Ministry's own task force dedicated to finding the boy was running in circles. He'd even delegated the task of searching the boy out to Severus, but he too had so far come up empty. Not that he was worried. A minute or two with any of his devices would pinpoint the boy's location.

But no sooner had he stepped into his office than a pair of knocks at his door had interrupted him.

Assuming that it was merely Severus and Minerva come to welcome him back to the castle, he'd waved a careless hand, opening the door for them. If only it had been.

"Mister Dumbledore," Madam Amelia Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had begun as she strode purposefully into the room.

One look at her face was enough to see that she was clearly there on official business.

"Mister Dumbledore, over the past two weeks, the DMLE have been investigating the events of June thirty. We have questioned dozens of eye-witnesses, both magical and muggle, as well as sought expert opinion."

Dumbledore nodded sagely even as he attempted to determine exactly who these 'expert opinions' may belong to.

"Our conclusion," Madam Bones continued, "is that, while Mister Harry Potter was responsible for performing underage accidental magic in front of muggles, he was not entirely to blame for the incident."

"Oh?" Dumbledore questioned, surprised by that statement. "Then may I ask who else was involved?"

Madam Bones smiled a smile that could only be called predatory. "That would be you, Mister Dumbledore."

"What? Me?" Dumbledore exclaimed. "I assure you, Madam, that while I may not recall the event, I am positive that there was nothing that I would have done that would endanger the Statute of Secrecy!"

"Do you recall a magical vow that Mister Potter made in August of last year?" Madam Bones asked, suddenly seeming to change the topic.

With a frown and a wave, he dismissed the matter. "A twelve year old boy is certainly not capable of making such a ridiculous vow that would deprive him of his only living relatives."

"I think that you'll find that you're mistaken there, Dumbledore," Madam Bones replied. "In any event, it has been determined that due to Mister Potter's magical vow, his magic most likely reacted in a way to protect itself. But that is a matter for another day.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Madam Bones intoned, her back growing straighter as she spoke, "due to the fact that you were aware of Mister Harry James Potter's magical vow and the consequences of him breaking that vow, namely that he would lose his magic, and the fact that you attempted to force Mister Potter into a situation that would cause him to lose said magic, it is my duty to inform you of the charges that have been laid against you."