Chapter 10: The Return

Albus went to breakfast the next morning. He had let Borthwick out so she could hunt for food. Borthwick was very energetic, and she needed to be let out every other day or so, as Naomi had said when she saw the butterscotch-colored bird flapping energetically in its cage. Borthwick had come very close to Albus within a few hours. Albus had always saved some cake or fruit from dinner so Borthwick could be fed on nights he was not allowed to be released.
Albus took a seat at breakfast next to Andrew and Naomi. Andrew was doing some of his Herbology homework while wolfing down his sausages. Naomi was reading a copy of The daily Prophet. James walked to Albus and smiled. "How did practice go?" James asked. Albus glared at James. "Why, you want to know how your jinx worked?" Albus asked.
"What?" James raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, seems you've forgot. You jinxed your broom before you let be borrow it!"
"I did not!" James raised his voice. Albus looked away. "I'm going to tell McGonagall about this, you know. You almost killed me. It was not a bundle of fun, if that's what you were thinking it might end up to look like. The only thing it did for me was make me seeker."
"Don't you even think, Albus, to go whining off to the headmistress about what I didn't do!" James was about to turn and leave, when McGonagall stopped James. "I couldn't help," McGonagall began, looking at James sternly, "but overhear the chat you had. It seems, James, you have jinxed the broom you gave Albus for the tryouts?"
James stood there, mouth wide. "I didn't." He said. McGonagall stared at James for a long time. "You may go, James. It seems you are correct."
"But, Professor, how do you know-"
"Legilimency, Potter. The ability to read the mind. I had mastered it the last few years, just after your father'd left Hogwarts."
"Oh."
McGonagall left, and Albus remained eating, thinking deep. If James didn't do it, who did? Voldemort was dead, and was never coming back. Then, the Great Hall burst with whispers as several owls entered the room from the ceiling, other than Borthwick, dropping off mail. Naomi reached out to catch a note from her mum, but continued reading the Daily Prophet she was reading.
Albus headed off to Herbology with Professor Neville, then off to Transfiguration, and then, finally, to Defense Against the Dark Arts. When he entered the room, instead of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that had come the beginning of the year who was Professor Caius Scipio, there, standing at the front of the class, was Albus's father. Mr. Potter was dressed in Auror robes, glasses at the bridge of his nose. Everyone entered the room and gasped. Albus glanced at his father and his father smiled and nodded. Albus sat next to Naomi and Andrew as usual. Some people from the back started whispering when the saw the lightning bolt scar at Mr. Potter's head Voldemort had given him when Voldemort tried to kill him when he was a baby. Once everyone entered, Mr. Potter smiled and began his lecture.
"Professor Scipio is taking a break," Mr. Potter said, "and he kindly asked me to substitute for the first years. I see many of you that are children of the ones I knew back when I studied at Hogwarts. Like, we have here, Scorpius Malfoy and Snow Chang," Mr. Potter glanced at Malfoy and Chang.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts has been my favorite subject for all my studying years, and remains my favorite. So, to begin today's lecture," Mr. Potter turned to the board, "we're supposed to be learning about the neat qualities of the Patronus," Mr. Potter flicked his wand and the word 'Patronus' appeared on the chalk board, "but I think is it better we begin by actually doing a Patronus. A Patronus is something you can use in special wizard duels. It is, otherwise, your 'guardian.'Each of your Patronuses will come out of your wand, and will take shape of a different animal depending on your personality."
Mr. Potter waved his wand and yelled, "Expecto Patronum!"
A stag that seemed to be made out of white mist came out of the wand and galloped around the room.
"Now see, that is all you will do."
Albus, like the rest of the kids, pulled out his wand and said, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A white stag erupted out of Albus's wand.

Defense Against the Dark Arts seemed fun that day, Albus thought as he headed for Potions class. Naomi's Patronus was a beautiful Peacock, and Andrew's was a horse, galloping. They had practiced until everyone could do a Patronus. During Lunch in the Great Hall, McGonagall walked to Albus. "Albus, I'll need to see you after Lunch. The password is Buttery Butterfly." McGonagall simply said, and walked away. Albus looked at Andrew questioningly. "Did I get in trouble?" Albus whispered.
"I don't know, Albus." Andrew whispered back.
Albus did as told and went to McGonagall's office. He approached a stone Gargoyle on the way, and it grunted, "Password."
Albus thought and said, "Buttery Butterfly."
The Gargoyle leaped aside and Albus climbed flights of stairs that led to the Office.
McGonagall's office was a fair circular room with pictures of older headmasters lined along the walls. Albus saw the latest one. A golden nametag below the picture read, Albus Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts. 
Albus took a seat in front of McGonagall, who was sitting in her desk, looking deeply frustrated. "Professor," Albus said, "you asked me to be here?"
"Oh yes, yes indeed." McGonagall perked up and nodded her head. "I must tell you this, Potter."
"What, Professor?"
McGonagall walked to the corner of the room, where there stood a stone basin filled with a mystic water. McGonagall took a bottle of liquid that was lightning-blue and poured it into the stone basin. "What is that?" Albus asked.
"This is a Pensieve, Potter. A magical instrument used to store memories when you need to review them or see them again for detail. Now, I want you to slightly dip your head into this water. It will take us to Dumbledore's last important memory before he died. See, Albus, there are such things called Horcruxes. They are an object that holds a piece of ones' soul, so that if someone destroys the person that made the Horcrux, that person can be alive due to his or her Horcrux. Voldemort made fair amounts of Horcruxes back then, before he was defeated. Dumbledore went to find a Horcrux with your father hours before he died. Of course, Dumbledore had planned his death with a recent teacher named Severus Snape, but what I am saying is this: there is a memory before Dumbledore returned that is indeed important, and I need you to view it. I had already showed your father this."
Albus nodded. "Does it have to do with Voldemort?"
"Yes."
Albus hesitated before he dipped his face in the water. Then, he felt as if he were falling, falling, then fell into a dark forest. In the forest, there stood Voldemort. He had pale, pale white skin with slits instead of a nose. He looked very scary.
Voldemort was speaking to a man with long black hair that hung over his face, messy and careless. He had pale skin and, Albus gasped, flame-red eyes. Strung around his neck was a necklace that had only one bead: a shining ruby with a snake engraved on it.
"Are you ready to make your sacrifice for me?" Voldemort said to the man in a scratchy voice.
"Yes, of course my lord. Your wish is my command. My Potion will bring you back alive, even stronger. You might be invincible, even without Horcruxes." The man replied.
Voldemort sneered. "Harry Potter will think he destroyed me, but he won't."
"No, of course not, lord. This is all Nagini's command." The man continued.
"Yes, my precious snake, my sixth Horcrux was Nagini, until that Longbottom destroyed Nagini..."
"I will make sure Longbottom is dead as well, Lord."
Voldemort sneered. "You are the faithful servant,"
The man smiled. "The Servant of Nagini is what I prefer to be called."
Voldemort cackled. "Yes, of course."

Albus found himself back in the Office. "So Voldemort is back?" Albus whispered, "And who is Nagini, Professor, and how did Dumbledore see this without Voldemort knowing Dumbledore was overhearing the Conversation?"
McGonagall smiled.
"Voldemort is back. Nagini, you see, is Voldemort's snake. Nagini is also the sixth Horcrux. And Dumbledore heard this conversation because he was simply under a very powerful invisibility charm."
Albus swallowed.
"But yes," McGonagall said, "Voldemort is back."