The Intelligent Potter

*** Hogwarts, present

The moment Harry Potter disappeared from the stadium and didn't appear at the podium, all hell broke loose.

All the reporters stood up in what seemed to be almost a synchronized fashion and began babbling, and the students of Hogwarts all began shouting at the top of their voices.

Arcturus was about to sonorus his voice and bring the hall to attention but before he could, Dumbledore stood up.

"SILENCEEEEEEE!" Dumbledore roared over the tremendous volume of the crowds.

In that moment, Arcturus was reminded what made Dumbledore such an impressive wizard. He didn't usually show it, but he had the ability to be one of the most commanding presences on the face of the earth.

All of the hundreds of people present immediately quietened down and looked at Dumbledore who was literally radiating power.

"It is obvious someone has rigged the golden egg, it is hard to tell who, as many people had access to it, the most important thing here is to track the portkey spell so that we can find Harry and help him, as there is no doubt some former follower of Lord Voldemort is to blame for this." Dumbledore said, not mentioning that he believed it was Voldemort himself, or even worse, The Darkness.

Arcturus nodded, "Filius, Minerva, Professor Babbling, please follow Albus and me to my office."

With that, they were off, Dumbledore already feeling into the magicks of Hogwarts to try and find the magical signature of the portkey.

Dumbledore and co spent almost fifteen minutes to half an hour figuring out the location to which the portkey had taken Harry.

Suddenly, Sprout burst into the room, "Albus, Harry Potter has returned!"

Dumbledore sprung to attention, "All of you, come with me, Pomona, bring Poppy, he may need medical attention."

"She's already there." Sprout said, and followed them, as Dumbledore strode surprisingly fast for such an old man.

*** With Hermione

Hermione was worried sick when Harry disappeared from the ring.

She was about to approach Professor Dumbledore but Daphne shot her a look that very clearly told her to keep sitting down.

The moment Harry reappeared, Hermione sprang to her feet and sprinted over to her best friend who had staggered a bit and collapsed to the ground, with blood streaming from his shoulder.

"HARRY!" Hermione called out for her friend.

"H-Hermione…" Harry said weakly.

The Minister who had been called in the middle of all the mayhem, along with the Head of the DMLE stepped up.

"What kind of prank is this, Potter!" Fudge bl.u.s.tered, likely on the suggestion of Lucius Malfoy.

"Minister! This is clearly no prank, the boy is injured, someone call the nurse, she should be over in that tent, treating the other champions." Madame Bones barked out.

Two of her aurors nodded and ran to the tent that was standing in as the infirmary.

Both the aurors started blubbering loudly.

"What seems to be the issue, is Potter back?" Pomfrey asked.

The aurors indicated that Potter was back, and Pomfrey ran out of the tent to go tend to the boy.

"Always getting in trouble…" Pomfrey muttered as she quickly patched up Harry's shoulder with some bandages to stop the bleeding after fl.i.c.k.i.n.g her wand over the wound.

"The injury was inflicted by an alchemically transmuted object; no magic will work on this." Pomfrey said to Fudge, who was demanding she let him speak to Harry.

"Nonsense, magic can cure everything, maybe we need to call in a professional from St. Mungos." Fudge snubbed Pomfrey.

"I assure you Minister, Poppy is more than competent, and she is telling the truth. Injuries sustained from alchemy are resistant to magical intervention." Dumbledore said.

"What would you know Dumbledore."

Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes looked up at Fudge incredulously, "Do you KNOW what I am best known for?"

"Err, defeating Grindelwald?" Fudge said awkwardly.

"Other than that?"

Fudge drew a blank but Madam Bones nodded, "For your studies in Alchemy with the late Nicolas Flamel."

"Exactly." Arcturus said.

"Anyway, let me see the boy." Dumbledore spoke.

Poppy complied, much to the chagrin of the Minister, "Why does Dumbledore get to talk to the boy!"

Dumbledore waved his wand over the limp body of Harry Potter a few times, his wand lighting up with a faint glow.

"Is he going to be okay, Professor?" Hermione asked shakily.

Dumbledore put on a gentle smile, "Yes, Ms Granger, though I have no doubt he will have quite a fantastic and possibly concerning tale for us when he awakens. His magic has been exhausted, and his fight with the Horntail could not have resulted in the usage of so much magic. He clearly dueled somebody wherever he went."

Hermione's eyes widened, "He dueled someone! After the fight with the dragon!"

Dumbledore nodded gravely, "Whoever it was knew he would already be exhausted, but he likely didn't know the extent of Harry's power, and that very power allowed him to get away with his life."

Hermione paled before she hugged her unconscious friend tightly.

*** Later, Dumbledore's office

"It is highly likely Voldemort has returned." Harry said.

Dumbledore's eyes widened but Arcturus' eyes narrowed.

"Likely…what is causing you doubt."

"I didn't see him with my own eyes, but it was Barty Crouch Jr who fought me, and he murmured of a ritual that would bring back his master…"

"Junior! Isn't he dead?" Hermione asked.

"He is supposed to be." Dumbledore agreed.

"Trust me, I saw him." Harry said.

"Give me the pensieve memory, I will examine it later." Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded and did as the older wizard had asked.

"Since Crouch, or whoever it was, captured you, he likely needed you for the ritual to take place" Arcturus reasoned.

Harry shook his head grimly, "He needed my blood, he said it."

"Your blood, he didn't get any of that, did he?" Hermione asked.

"Think Granger, your friend turned up with a shoulder wound." Daphne spoke for the first time.

Hermione's mouth fell open and Harry nodded his head grimly.

"Yes, I pulled out the knife, I had to, it was a portkey which would pull me back there."

"We can always hope that he didn't realise, right?" Hermione said hopefully, "Maybe he will assume that he can't go through with the ritual because he doesn't have you."

"That's where the element of doubt comes in, but still, Crouch is a smart man, there's no way he would miss something like that. We have to prepare for the worst." Arcturus said.

"Well, there's a more pertinent issue as well." Daphne said.

"What could be more pertinent than the return of the Dark Lord!" Hermione said.

"What do we tell the press…"

*** End of Chapter