Heart & Soul (The Untold Harry Potter story)

Chapter 49

And he stepped forward to shake the Minister's hand, Pollux did not miss the flash of surprise in his eyes as he connected the dots of his surname. For someone in such a high position of power, his mind was quite weak. Too open, and too willing to give away secrets. It would've been too easy for Pollux to search through his mind for the answers he'd been looking for all year. He refrained from doing so, and he stepped back beside Harry as Professor Moody's false eyes whirled around and settled on him again. It continued to watch him as Dumbledore pulled the Minister and the ex-Auror towards the door.

"I'll be back in a moment to speak with you both. Minister," Dumbledore called. "After you." He handed the Minister his hat, and the government official pursed his lips at the hurried dismissal. "Oh, Harry, Pollux. Do feel free to indulge in a little Licorice Snap in my absence. Though I have to warn you, they're a wee bit sharp."

And the door closed behind them, leaving the two friends standing in the office unsure of what to do until the Headmaster's return. Pollux grabbed a Licorice Snap from the bowl, tossing in into the air and throwing his head back as he caught the candy in his mouth before the fangs could show themselves. Harry was not so lucky, and he grabbed a too-big handful from the bowl. Fawkes bleated at them from his golden perch beside the desk. Pollux made his way up the steps to greet the magnificent bird. Meanwhile, Harry hissed in pain as he dropped the Licorice Snaps, their tiny fangs biting at his hands as he fumbled to catch the ones that escaped across the floor.

"You gotta-Don't step on them!" Pollux laughed as he moved to help Harry catch the escaping candy. The cabinet behind the two boys opened at their presence, and a large stone basin moved out from the wall and glimmered against the mirrored wall it emerged from. Harry stepped towards it, peering down into the shimmering depths of the memory that still lingered in the water. Harry could see people whirling around in the basin, and he leaned down to get a closer look. Pollux stepped up beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder to pull him back from the surface.

"I don't think it's wise to view the Headmaster's memories." He couldn't den that he was curious about the faces in the pensieve. 

"Memories?" Harry questioned, leaning forward to look into the water. Suddenly, and without warning, the two found themselves sucked into the pensieve, and falling down and long tower-like building.

The yellow light gave the room a warming look, but the actual temperature of the room was quite chilly. They landed on a row of benches, sitting beside several people who looked to be Ministry officials, each of them wearing matching dark robes. Pollux noticed the large cage in the middle of the circular room, with spikes that threatened to pierce whomever was set to occupy the cage. Large stacks of papers were lined around the room as well, and he caught a flash of blonde hair that belonged to Rita Skeeter, though she looked much younger.

"Professor?" Harry questioned beside him, and Pollux turned to see Professor Dumbledore seated beside them, his eyes staring at the cage in the middle of the room, thought his mind seemed distant. A hand moved through their chests as someone from the original memory greeted their Headmaster, Pollux could almost laugh as a slightly younger version of Dumbledore rolled his eyes at the other man's handshake.

"He can't see us. Technically we aren't even here in the room."

"Where are we?" Harry questioned the boy beside him as he looked around.

"Wizard's court, I think?" Pollux heard the rattling of the cage as the prisoner moved up from beneath the court room. The long hair and scraggly goatee on Karkaroff's face were easily recognizable. The Azkaban guards twisted the spikes to sit closer to the prisoner's body.

"Igor Karkaroff, you have been brought from Azkaban at your own request to present evidence to this council." They turned to see Barty Crouch seated at the judge's seat. "Should your testimony prove consequential, the council may be prepared to order your immediate release." Pollux and Harry looked between Crouch and the Durmstrang headmaster. "Until such time, you remain in the eyes of the Ministry, a convicted Death Eater. Do you accept these terms?"