Chapter 20

What is the meaning of this?" exclaimed Professor McGonagall, also having drawn her wand.

"The Headmaster just tried a Legilimency attack on me!" snarled Harry. "I felt it; then he screamed and went down."

"He what?" exclaimed the Professor. The accusation didn't seem to surprise Professor Snape, though. He didn't even twitch at the word 'Legilimency'. He just glared daggers back at Harry.

"The Headmaster tried a Legilimency attack on me, Professor," said Harry, carefully lowering his wand as Professor Snape did the same. "I felt it. I... I don't know what happened after that."

Daphne said, "Legilimency on a minor without consent is illegal. I'm calling the aurors." She rose and made her way to the fireplace.

Harry saw the very small twitch at the corner of Professor Snape's eyes as Daphne said she was calling the aurors. The man had nerves of steel.

Harry heard the whoomph sound of the Floo powder hitting the grate in the overly large office fireplace, followed by Daphne's bark, "Aurors!"

Hermione, who'd been quiet until that point, plaintively asked, "Is anyone going to call Madam Pomfrey to see to the Headmaster? He might be really hurt!"

With wands well down between he and Professor Snape, Harry turned to watch Professor McGonagall cast a patronus of a small tabby cat. She sent it off with a message for Madam Pomfrey to attend the Headmaster's office for a medical emergency.

When he turned back to look at Dumbledore after he'd turned to watch Professor McGonagall, Harry saw that Professor Snape was crouching down next to what was clearly the Headmaster's slumped form.

"He's alive," he said. "But, deeply unconscious. I cannot revive him."

"Nor should you!" said Professor McGonagall, not a little affronted. "Albus didn't go down as a result of a Stunner, Severus. He went down to what appears to be backlash from an attempted Legilimency attack on Mister Potter. Leave him be for Poppy."

"Aurors are on their way," said Daphne coming back to join Harry and Hermione, as Professor Snape rose back to his feet.

With a pained look, he looked at Daphne and asked, "Is that really necessary, Miss Greengrass?"

"Yes, Professor," she stiffly replied. "Even if the Headmaster did not illegally perform a Legilimency attempt on Harry; he's still been, clearly, severely injured."

First to arrive was, of course, Madam Pomfrey. She immediately went to the downed form of the Headmaster. "What happened?" she asked no one in particular.

"It appears he may have attempted Legilimency on Mister Potter," replied Professor McGonagall. "This is the result."

With the sound of tutting and muttering under her breath, Madam Pomfrey continued her scans.

When she'd finished, she looked to Professor McGonagall and said, "Who was the idiot who tried to revive him?"

"That would be me," sneered Professor Snape.

"Foolish man!" she scolded him. Then, with a sigh, she said to Professor McGonagall, "He's suffered severe mental harm. I'm going to have to take him direct to the infirmary before I can even attempt to begin treatment."

"Fawkes!" snapped Professor McGonagall after only a moment's hesitation.

From where it looked mournful looking down at the Headmaster, Fawkes turned his head to look at the Professor.

The Professor asked the bird, "Can you take Albus and Poppy direct to the infirmary, please?"

With a light warble, Fawkes hopped forward off his perch, and dropped down onto the Headmaster. A second or two later, there was a flash of flame; and the Headmaster, Madam Pomfrey and Fawkes were all gone from the room.

"I guess we should head downstairs," sighed Professor McGonagall. "We'll need to meet the aurors beyond the gargoyle, anyway."

"I'll be in the infirmary," muttered Professor Snape. "Poppy is likely to be in need of my services." And, with that, he swept from the room.

The others followed him slower out the door.

Walking down the corridor from the Headmaster's office, they came across Madam Bones and two of her aurors come striding from the other way. Harry immediately recognised them as John Dawlish and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"What is this I'm hearing of an illegal Legilimency attempt by the Headmaster, Minerva?" asked Madam Bones, all business.

Professor McGonagall sighed and said, "Albus has been taken to the infirmary, Amelia. We're heading there, now."

With a nod, Madam Bones indicated to Dawlish and Shacklebolt to hurry right there. Both men trotted off while the rest walked.

"I take it the Headmaster was severely injured in the attempt?" she asked.

"It appears so," replied the Professor.

"And, upon whom did he make the attempt?" she asked.

"That would be me, Madam Bones," Harry cut in.

The stern woman turned to look at Harry for a few long moments before she gave a small grunt and looked back ahead.

"Any witnesses?" she asked.

"All of us, plus Professor Snape," replied the Professor. "He's headed directly to the infirmary to see if he can aid Poppy."

"His wand?" she asked.

"I have it," replied Harry. He then reached into his pocket, withdrew the elder wand and handed it to the lady.

She took it in her left hand. With her right, she popped her own wand into her right hand and cast the reveal former cast charm, Prior Incantato, on the wand as she continued to walk.

First up was the Legilimency attempt, next was the compulsion charm, then another compulsion charm, then the conjuration for the three chairs, then a cast Harry didn't know but thought might be a desk tidy charm.

.

.

.

Here I am publishing a daily chapter if you want the complete novel subscribe to my Patreon

https://patreon.com/AbrahamSmith