Albus Dumbledore sat in his office contemplating the events that had occurred in the past few of hours. A few weeks prior, he had been dismissed from the position of the headmaster citing that he was incapable of handling the crisis of the chamber of secrets, courtesy of Lucius Malfoy who had most likely bribed and threatened the board of governors. His long time friend Rubeus Hagrid, the gentle half-giant had been sent to Azkaban for suspicion of opening the chamber of secrets, as he was the one blamed last time, because of one Tom Riddle, Lucius's master a.k.a Lord Voldemort.
He had accepted it quietly knowing that it won't stand for very long. He was still worried about the safety of his students but there was little he could do, as the scroll had the signatures of all twelve board of governors. He housed with his brother in Hogsmeade, even though their relationship wasn't the best, just so he could be near the school if something happened.
Five and a half hours ago a frantic Minerva had floo called him, stating that Ginny Weasley had been taken into the Chamber and Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Lockhart had followed her. He had a very little confidence in Lockhart's ability to do magic. The only reason he had been chosen was that little fact that he was the only applicant for the job. The infamous curse on the DADA position deterred most from applying, add to the fact that the previous teacher had died under mysterious circumstances, as the fact that Quirrell was possessed by Lord Voldemort was kept under tight wraps. In fact only Harry and himself knew the exact details of what had transpired in the mirror room. He had asked the boy to keep the fact quite that Voldemort was alive as he feared that his followers would start trying to bring him back if they knew that he was still alive, while most of the normal public would panic or stick their heads in the sand. Nothing positive would have actually came out of it.
The official story was that Quirrell was a budding dark lord who wanted the philosopher's stone that he was protecting for his mentor, Nicholas after the attack on their manor in late June and Quirrell had tricked Harry into coming to him to finish both tasks of killing harry potter and acquiring the stone in one shot, But had failed as harry had miraculously held him off till he himself had arrived and dueled with Quirrell. Quirrell was then killed when his own obliterating curse had rebounded off Dumbledore's shield.
Anyways, as soon as he heard the news he had directly apparated to the staff room, a privilege of being the headmaster, suspended or not. He had immediately ordered the teachers to conduct a search throughout the castle for the missing students.
In the meantime, he had floo called the Weasley parents along with Minerva. When they had arrived he had patiently told them the situation they were in. When Molly had heard of her daughter being taken into the Chamber and that her youngest son had gone to rescue her she had started to cry while Arthur just stood there, slumped in shock.
A few minutes a knock had sounded on the door, and he had to draw in a sharp breath in when Harry Potter pushed the door open, his robes bloodied, a sword in one hand and a book with some sort of a fang in the other. Add to the fact that his own familiar flying above the boy, made him gape internally in astonishment. If not for his highly advanced occlumency it would have shown on his face. Minerva's was equally shocked if the expression on her face was anything to go by.
When Harry had informed him that the monster in the chamber was a basilisk he had nearly fainted. Yes, the thought of the monster being a basilisk had crossed his mind 50 years ago when myrtle Warren was murdered. There was no proof that time that the chamber had been opened except the fact that there was a message of the heir of Slytherin striking the impure on the bathroom mirror. For all he knew, Tom Riddle could have struck her with a killing curse. The killing curse after all left no evidence of how a person was killed. It could be an heart attack for all they knew!
Even for the case of Tom Riddle he had no proof, just a very large suspicion and a gut feeling. That time he had no political clout so that he could put him under an interrogation without concrete proof. He was after all only a school teacher till 1945, when he had ended the reign of Grindelwald by capturing him in an extremely destructive duel that had levelled the small town where the confrontation happened.
This time when the victims were not killed but instead petrified, the basilisk had not even been in the list of monsters for him. Never in his dreams had he thought of the fact that seeing a basilisk through a reflection would petrify instead of kill. Truly, the minds of children were an wonderful thing. Whist he had speculated that Salazar Slytherin had created a completely new species, the children had successfully deducted that the creature was a basilisk with just seeing the crime scene and a little research. Miss Granger would have a bright career if she joined the DMLE investigation force, he mussed.
The diary was a curious thing. As per what harry had said, it sounded like possession by the means of an object, something that was heard before but it was more like mind control or an imperious. Never had a specter of a person had started taking a corporal form by using the hosts life. This was most likely some soul magic long forgotten. He would have to review the books he had taken away from the restricted section years ago knowing that the magic in them was too dangerous in the hands of students.
Harry had caught his eye, bemused, most likely thinking that young Ginevra was going to be expelled. He handled the situation from there.
He took secret enjoyment when he had made Harry and Ronald sweat over their rule breaking. Also what had happened to the braggart was something amusing as he had been impaled upon his own sword.
After he had sent the youngest male Weasley away, he turned to talk to Harry. He needed to know the whole story after all. The child had only told them about young Ginevra was possesed by Voldemort by the means of a diary that had led to the whole fiasco of the basilisk being set on loose again. But had not narrated the story after the basilisk was called. But he was interrupted by Harry asking him questions about the diary and Voldemort. He had answered him the best best he could, as he himself had speculations nothing more. He would take his time to research how was tom riddle, in his 16 year old body, no less, was here. Since end of the last academic year he was searching how Voldemort had survived. He knew that Tom had dabbled in obscure Magical arts which most would tell were extremely dark. Not him. He knew there was no dark and light magic. A person could kill using a first year levitation charm or a diffindo to the neck as they could with a killing curse. The imperious curse, an unforgivable had been used by him several times in both wars to save countless lives and to make enemy surrender peacefully. Heck, the cruciatus was invented as a medical spell to restart a person's heart before unsavory individuals started using it as a means to torture.
When the hat had said "And I still stand by it Mr. Potter." said the sorting hat interrupting them. " Slytherin would have helped you on your path to greatness. But I must confess … You are as much as a Gryffindor as you are Slytherin. I could not have given that sword to anyone less than the truest Gryffindor. You Harry Potter have potential I have only seen twice before in any other student who has graced these halls." He had just smiled at harry but was internally remembering the lines of the prophecy, stating that harry would be the dark lord's equal.
When Harry had described the battle, he was both flabbergasted and proud of the boy. He had survived being bit by a basilisk! A creature which had the most potent venom in the world. Add to the fact that a phoenix, his familiar had actually healed the boy with his tears, something Fawkes had never done for any person bar him, even when he himself had requested. A phoenix would only bond or heal only the people with a person whose intentions were pure. Magic may not be light or dark, but people were.
He had ran diagnostics on the boy to confirm that the venom in his scar and arm had been completely neutralized. To his immense shock, the curse scar, the famous lightning bolt on Harry's forehead was healing. There had always been tom's magical signature in the scar, but now it had almost faded into nothing. He was sure after a few days, the scar won't be there. Several times, curse scars came handy. A scar that had been left by Gellert's spell had saved his life before the final duel as Grindelwald had originally planned to attack him from behind while invisible like a coward. But the cursed scar on his arm had tingled, alerting him to the fact that Gellert was there, saving his life.
He sent the boy to The Hospital wing to get checked by poppy. That was when he first noticed the change in the boy's demeanor. He carried himself with more grace and confidence. He was less shy than before.
He had sent an owl to Azkaban to free Rubeus before going to the hospital wing himself to check the mandrake potion to cure petrified students. He had again met Harry outside the hospital wing. The boy was in pain but he knew That for Poppy it was an easy task to fix him up within moments. A few minutes later, a furious Lucius Malfoy had stormed in the Hospital wing. It was a shame that Madam Pomfrey had just left or else he was sure that Lucius would have been thrown physically out of the hospital wing and would have got an dressing down.
He had confronted Lucius, suspecting his hand in the matter already. But then harry had sweetly asked him if he had an idea where Ginny got the diary. When Lucius rounded on the boy denying the allegation, Harry had lost all pretense of sweetness and spoke to him coldly. But what likely got the point across was the fact that Harry's eyes were Glowing an eerie avada kedavra green, swirling with power and magic was rolling off him in waves. A flash of fear was seen on Lucius's face but was expertly masked. Dumbledore enhanced his senses to feel the magic at an innate level, a technique taught to him by Perenell Flamel. It was of immense use for sensing and dismantling wards and also to get a taste of how powerful a person was.
Dumbledore knew that Harry was perhaps the most powerful second year, but this was something off charts for a twelve year old. The level of magic he was feeling was the level of an advanced seventh year or a trainee auror. Tom Riddle's magic was this powerful at the end of his third year, he knew for a fact. He had checked it after all. But he also knew that Tom had undergone several rituals to increase the power he had making him Lord Voldemort.
Lucius had practically ran out of the Hospital wing with the poor elf. That was when harry made the odd request of giving the diary back to Lucius. He had compiled and the child had ran after Lucius. Dumbledore followed a moment later after applying a perfect disillusionment charm and a silencing charm. He had to protect the boy if Lucius decided to attack him.
He watched with amusement as harry tricked Lucius into freeing the elf. He felt pride at the child's actions in saving an innocent person. When Lucius had went for his wand, he was ready to protect Harry or even kill Lucius if the situation demanded. He wouldn't let a child be harmed under his watch especially if he had a say about it. But it proved unnecessary because the elf had blasted Lucius across the corridor. This was sure to go in his pensive so he could have a hearty laugh afterwards. He was curious when harry placed Lucius in a full body bind and took him to a classroom. So he followed, still invisible.
Even though he was on guard to stop harry if necessary in case he did something outwardly. But it was not needed. He watched as Harry tore Lucius a new one and then punched him on the jaw and stomped his groin. He felt no sympathy for Lucius. A person who wished to harm and kill children deserved no mercy in his eyes. A part of him even wished that Harry had injured the Malfoy patriarch more.
When Harry summoned a black mamba and hissed at it, he was on guard again, just so that Harry didn't kill him, if for nothing more than loosing his innocence.
When Harry made Lucius accept the vow and made him loose half of his fortune he had to stop himself from dancing in joy. Harry had effectively neutered Malfoy in a single move. He had also cut a large part of Voldemort's funding whenever he returned in the future. It was a move worthy of Salazar himself. He was further impressed by the boy when he asked one million Galleons to be distributed amongst victims of the Basilisk.
When Harry left, flipping Lucius the bird he had to stop himself from laughing uproariously there and there itself. He apparated to his office and did a small victory jig at the fact that Lucius Malfoy had paid for his crimes... A part of them atleast.
He also had wanted to cancel the school exams for all except OWLs and NEWT students, but Minerva had put her foot down saying exams were important before the feast started. At the feast, all the petrified students along with nearly-headless Nick had joined in after a few minutes. He saw Harry, now in fresh robes, free of blood and grime greet his friend enthusiastically. Hagrid had joined mid-way coming back from Azkaban, his name cleared after half a century for a crime he didn't commit.
He sighted. It had been a long day. The grand father clock on his wall chirped, with a miniature Fawkes coming out of it, a gift from Filius Fitwick on his hundredth birthday eight years ago, showing that it was midnight. He decided to retire for the night.