Author's notes:
Quite a bit of this chapter is from Lady Foxfire's original. Very little was changed from her original, but I did add some new scenes and characterizations. Hope you like them.
There is more swearing here. As always, you have been warned.
Second Author's note:
After posting the last chapter, I had an anonymous reviewer leave a negative comment citing their displeasure of that chapter. I would ask that any reader who is not happy with a chapter enough to leave a message at least give me an idea of why they didn't like it. I am always up for criticism. I may not agree with it, but I do think you have the right to leave it since this is being published on a public forum. I like getting criticism as I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. Was my writing short and off-topic? Was it rambling? Was it just too ruddy weird? (I've actually gotten that one before.) In any event, what was the issue? I do believe that this negative comment dealt with the content itself and not the mechanics, but that is just a guess. If it was the content, allow me to be perfectly clear at this point: this is a crack fic. It is all humor. There is no drama. Sometimes there is action, but mostly it is humor. Think of it as getting a pie thrown in your face by one of the 3 Stooges from the 1930's for example. This is not the Greatest Story Ever Told. Not even close. It is a crack fic. Nothing more.
Now as for my choice of scenes, character interpretations and any other additions… that is creativity at work. I did not want to just use a narrow scope of existing characters, settings, and plots to add a few new story chapters and say this work was entirely my own. I want to heavily expand on what was written and find new ways to create laughter. For me I enjoy writing. And the type of writing I enjoy is comedy. And like many comics around now and in years past, I look for things that are a little off-kilter. I like the little things. The out-of-the-limelight things people don't consider but ultimately add up to something big. Something one person may miss but another may pick up on. And to me, this is certainly brought to life with cause-and-effect.
Thank you all for reading as far as you have and I hope to keep entertaining you for a while longer yet. And now, let's get into this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. This is purely for fun.
-o0o-
Almost three weeks had passed since that day the Wizengamot found Harry Potter guilty and snapped his wand. During that time, ministry officials were still trying to find a way to get that uppity muggle Prime Minister to hand over Black. Of course, this was several days after he had been caught and Delores had finally gotten sober enough to let her Cornelius know that Black was in custody somewhere. Cornelius then alerted the painting in the PM's office to announce his presence to the muggle.
Strangely enough, the painting did not just bow its head and go about its duty of announcing the Minister for Magic to the muggle, but instead it immediately stated that the Prime Minister was currently unavailable. Thinking nothing of it, he instructed the painting to notify him when the PM was available. After several days of no update, Minister Fudge queried the painting again and was immediately informed the PM was still unavailable.
It took a few days longer before Minister Fudge found out that the Prime Minister was actually in his office, but blocking his calls. His crack investigative team found that the PM was regularly seen coming and going to his office. Of course, they found this out by reading a paper, but they never turned down an official reason to investigate London and its pubs. They never did find out how the PM got the painting to block Minister Fudge's calls. If they had simply asked the painting, they might have gotten a clue from investigating its clothes. The painting's colors were all vibrant and period-specific, however… there was a slight clear spot in the lower right corner of the painting's elbow, almost as if it were erased.
And, of course, they never thought to ask the maintenance workers the PM's office employed why they had to leave a can of mineral spirits in the PM's office permanently.
Calls unanswered, Minister Fudge ordered his Undersecretary back to that muggle's office and get Black, and not to take no for an answer. Unfortunately the first time she tried it after getting sober, she and the Auror side-apparating her went off-course and she ended up in a pile of garbage. The second time she ended up in a pile of dog poo. The third time they apparated near the office and attempted to stealthily get inside, only to fall victim of Umbridge's complete lack of ability to be stealthy. She and Auror Michael Phelps (no relation) were arrested, pictures taken, and then broken out of jail later that night with no clues how they got out. It made the news. Her hideous face, the picture showed her scowling, was ridiculed mercilessly.
Suffice to say, Black was never handed over as the magicals couldn't get their magical mitts on the PM and force him to hand Black over.
As for Potter, Minister Fudge had pushed thoughts of that boy aside. It wasn't like he had ever done anything for the Minister. Except cause problems. No, the wizarding world was much better off without Potter here. Why, his good friend Lucius Malfoy agreed whole hardily with him when they brought the idea up months ago.
The Minister was not the only one thinking of young Harry Potter. He was being remembered fondly by his friends. He was being remembered as someone that needed to be found as quickly as possible by Albus Dumbledore, and not just because the poor boy had been expelled from school. Oh no, he was being hunted because of a prophecy. One which Albus fully believed in, and had made plans to ensure Harry carried out. One which meant that Harry really didn't need schooling since he wouldn't be alive at the end anyway.
So Dumbledore had his kidnapping agents searching wizard communities and the Muggle world for Harry with not even a rumor of his location for their efforts. No one ever considered expanding their search parameters outside the United Kingdom. After all, if they wouldn't leave that environment, why consider someone else would want to leave it.
But as they say time stops for no man or wizard and it was soon the first of September.
-o0o-
"Draco," Theodore Nott pointed to the Gryffindor table as they sat down prior to the sorting. "Look at Granger and Weasley. Don't they look miserable without Potter's protection?"
Draco Malfoy, the current heir of both Malfoy and Black fortunes, look at the other table and smirked. "Indeed they do, Theo. This is going to be a fun year teaching those traitors and mudbloods a lesson in pureblood supremacy."
"Are you going to do to them what you did to Potter?" Tracy said.
"I thought the Ministry snapped his wand and expelled him," Justin Forbisher, a 3rd year said in confusion, still trying to figure out what those 5th years meant.
"They did," Draco said magnanimously. "But it was my cunning plan that started everything. And now he is gone. And those Gryfindorks are left without a leader. Like sambs to the lawter."
Justin, his head now hurting from listing to this 5th year, said, "You mean 'like lambs to the slaughter,' right?"
"That's what I said," Draco agreed and moved on from that annoying 3rd year.
Justin was only a 3rd year student, and someone that the sorting hat stated should be in Slytherin, but if that meant anything, then the best thing for him was to sever ties with those 5th year morons as quickly as possible. He was not going out for Quidditch team tryouts anytime soon. Not if that blond simpleton was on the team.
Little did he know, his wish was about to come true.
-o0o-
Dumbledore stood before the students in the Great Hall having been sorted and fed as he made his yearly speech.
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."
Mr. Filch gave his evil eye to all he could. But mostly, he let his evil gaze fall on those two red-headed twin terrors sitting at the Gryffindor table.
Dumbledore continued, "We have two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of the Magical Creatures lessons. We are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
The students applauded politely to the announcements.
A few seconds after the half-hearted applause started, Dumbledore said, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the –
"Hem, Hem."
Dumbledore stopped midway through his announcement, and turning he looked down at the seat in which Professor Umbridge sat.
The woman, who between her short stature, wide girth and bulging eyes resembled more of a toad than a human female, rose to her feet and looked out upon the students of Hogwarts with an oily smile.
"Thank you Headmaster for those kind words of welcome," she said in a high-pitched voice that one would expect to hear from a woman who was trying to sound much younger than her age. "Well it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking back at me! I am very much looking forwards to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
Umbridge repeated the "Hem, Hem" sound she had used early to interrupt Dumbledore before continuing on with her speech
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you…"
Whatever Umbridge intended to say next was interrupted when the massive doors of the Great Hall swung open with such force that the wall they hit vibrated afterwards.
Two squads of goblins in full armor marched in. Charlie Nelson, 6th year Ravenclaw half wondered why a race dedicated to banking needed to retain armor, and why that armor looked so well-maintained as well as appeared so brutal looking. Almost as if they enjoyed causing their enemy to shit their shorts when they saw him. Little did Charlie know but his distant non-magical cousin living in the United States enjoyed the same reaction when he met with people and told them he worked for the Internal Revenue Service.
"How dare you enter here and interrupt me you… you…" Umbridge sputtered as her face grew red in anger.
Headmaster Dumbledore rose to feet and with a touch of wandless magic forced Umbridge back into her chair. "Greeting dear goblins," he said with the ease of an experienced politician. "May I inquire as to the reason behind your visit to our school?"
"Gringotts business, Dumbledore, with the approval of your Ministry," a goblin wearing a helmet in the shape of a skull replied. "We're here to retrieve some wayward animals for their master."
Dumbledore brow furrowed. "What animals?" he asked. "The only animals we have here belong to the students and those that are used in Care of the Magical Creatures lessons."
"I do not speak of the children's pets or those animals you use in training," the goblin stated. "These beasts are some that have strayed away from their new master's keep since his regent failed his duty to maintain his house."
"I see," Dumbledore said in a tone that said he really did not understand. "Will you need help in retrieving these animals?"
The goblin shook his head. "No. No, that will not be necessary. My team is well trained in capturing these beasts even if we haven't had the opportunity to do so in many years."
"Of course," Dumbledore replied with a nod of his head in acceptance. "How long do you believe it will take to collect these animals?"
"Not long," the goblin answered with a toothy smile. "In fact if we could begin now we should be able to leave your school within the hour."
Dumbledore nodded his head in approval.
The goblin's toothy smile became more menacing as he signaled his team to bring up an old battered crate similar to the crate used to store the different balls used in Quidditch. The goblin in charge kicked open the crate and out flew a number of rust colored collars. The collars circled around the goblins for a moment before zipping off in all directions.
Panicked screams soon filled the air.
"Get it off! Get it off!" one of the 7th year girls in Hufflepuff screamed as she tugged at the collar encircling her throat.
The professors and older students grabbed their wands as the younger students dove out of the way if a collar came too close for comfort.
"What is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore demanded as he witnessed Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle being collared, along with several others from that end of the Slytherin table. And there were many more collars flying around looking for a neck to snare.
The goblin in charge looked at Dumbledore with an expression of satisfaction. "We're collecting the wayward animals as you agreed we could."
"These are children, not animals!" Dumbledore snapped.
"Not according to wizard law," the goblin answered simply.
"What… what do you mean?" McGonagall demanded as she stood and watched a collar encircle Snape's throat.
"The Act of 1522, which states that all livestock and chattel must be branded with their owner's mark," the goblin replied.
"And what does this have to do with what you're doing here?" Dumbledore snarled.
The goblin sighed. "That animal," the goblin pointed at Snape, "is branded with his former owner's mark. The same Act also declares that the offspring of marked animals are the property of their parents' owners."
"I am not an animal," Snape declared as he aimed his wand at the goblin in charge only to have a surprised look on his face when nothing happened when he tried to cast a spell.
The goblin snorted. "You are also not a pureblood technically. But you were magically adopted into a pureblood family when you became that little snot's godfather. As is, no freeman would willingly allow himself to be branded like a beast."
"Severus was cleared of all charges," Dumbledore pointed out.
The goblin shrugged his shoulders. "And this is important, why?"
"Because Snape is an innocent man," Dumbledore replied.
"As are Malfoy, Nott and a number of other people who paid for their freedom," the goblin countered, "but that doesn't mean they're not chattel. And Gringotts has been asked to collect the new owner's animals… chattels… for a fee of course."
"When my father hears what you've done…" Draco snarled as he stalked over to the goblin with the princely aired he was known for.
The goblin snorted as he signaled his men to herd the collared witches and wizards into a manageable group. "What makes you think he doesn't already know?"
Draco stared at the goblin in shock.
-o0o-
What young Draco Malfoy did not know was that three days earlier a meeting was held in the Forbidden Forest, the meeting participants never triggering any of the Hogwarts vaunted wards, nor would they. In a clearing, a short individual approached a much, much larger person.
"Goblin," the larger of the two people said, acknowledging the shorter individual.
"Centaur," the goblin acknowledged the much larger person.
"Your kind has not been in the forest for a long time."
"True. Banking has kept us busy."
"What do you want?" the large centaur inquired politely. Mars may or may not have been bright (it was overcast), but it was a stupid centaur that foolishly angered goblins.
"Retrieval work. This is a large operation. Interested?"
"I don't remember the last time centaurs and goblins worked a retrieval job," the centaur started.
"It was 542 years ago. Gringotts received a contract from a wizard to hunt down his muggles. Your and my ancestors worked together for three days hunting them."
The centaur looked at the goblin warily. "I heard that hunting or retrieving muggles was outlawed by man."
"That is correct," the goblin agreed. "However, we are not hunting for those. We are hunting the so-called purebloods."
"Tell me more," the centaur lowered himself to talk easier with the goblin.
The goblin did tell the centaur more, and word quickly spread throughout the forest. Centaurs gathered and teams were chosen. And while voices were raised indicating some were a little skittish for causing this kind of ruckus, that nervousness went away when the goblin representative cited the 873-year-old centaur treaty and what happened to ensure the centaurs were restricted to that forest instead of being allowed to go wherever they wanted like it was once allowed. Of course, that treaty had been enforced by purebloods.
And so the goblin informed his superiors of the successful meeting and immediately orders went out to assemble the warriors at the forest. They met with the centaurs, all broke into teams and off they went on September 1st, after the Hogwarts Express had pulled away from the station.
It was around noon that each team began retrieving their chattel targets. Two goblins and two centaurs were tasked with retrieving those Malfoys not on the Hogwarts Express.
Malfoy Manor was an impressive home. It was situated in the countryside, well away from their neighbors. It was a large home with many bedrooms, many bathrooms, a grand entrance, a huge dining hall, and a ballroom. The furniture looked to be in pristine shape thanks to magic. The paintings all showed aloof faces peering down on anyone in the rooms. There was a massive kitchen followed by an even more massive pantry.
The Malfoys had stables, breeding stock, house elves, gardens, and even a pool. It had the most impressive wards that gold could buy. Those wards would take weeks to bring down by teams of wardbreakers working constant shifts, and even if they came down, it would take the lives of many of those wardbreakers. In all, Malfoy Manor reeked of opulence, wealth, and richness. Smug in the belief that they were safe from anything and anyone, Lucius and Narcissa decided to have lunch outside on such a wonderful day.
Wards are a fickle thing. Tied to a place or object, it still required a mind to direct them. A mind that was capable of not only knowing the difference of an intent ward indicating that the person coming up the walkway meant to kill them vs. just delivering a package, to an alert ward indicating that someone had just entered the edge of a ward. Kids had terrible control. Old timers had terrible control. Lucius was neither young nor old. He was in the prime of his life – he told everyone that repeatedly. In the prime of his life he may be, but his mind was never that sharp. Otherwise, why would he have squandered his life, his wife's life, and his child's life for a madman?
Still, Lucius controlled the wards and knew how to differentiate between an ill-intent and an alert ward. However, he never once understood the limitations of wards. Limitations that the goblins knew full well since they had been contracted to install them.
At the edge of the property goblins Chokehim and Maimhim looked at the flat wardstone. A muggle would have simply seen a rock. The goblins noticed more than that. Chokehim reached down and flipped the stone over, and, well, that was all it took to cut power to the wards from the Ley lines. Lucius would have been most upset had he realized that goblins had always retained the ability to flip ward stones when they set the wards up. But wizards never asked and the goblins never offered the information that they retained that ability primarily in case they needed to collect on a debt. Or in this case which was to retrieve wayward chattel.
Chokehim and Maimhim then returned to the road going to the Manor. They pulled a huge box behind them almost effortlessly. Approaching the house, Lucius and Narcissa watched their progress. An elf intercepted the goblins halfway up, was informed that the goblins had been employed to deliver this package to the Malfoy estate. They believed it was a statue or something, and all they had to do was deliver it to the Most Honorable Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa Malfoy.
The elf popped back to the lord of the manor and informed him what the goblins had said. Annoyed, Lucius went to meet the goblins at the front door, making sure to let them wait a few minutes before opening the door. His wife behind him, they saw the massive wooden crate the goblins had pulled up from the property line.
"Sign here," Maimhim indicated a clipboard with a document on it.
"Not until I see what is in the box," Lucius said imperiously.
"Very well," Maimhim agreed. He and Chokehim pulled crowbars out opened the front of the crate. Inside the crate were two very realistic centaurs.
"Nice workmanship on the centaurs," Lucius nodded in approval.
"Thanks," Haze the centaur answered before shooting an arrow through the front door and into the kitchen on the far side of the house.
"What?" Narcissa said.
Lucius had the same word on his lips but it never came out as Graze the centaur punched him in the face. Lucius weighed about 250 pounds give or take. Graze weighed about 1300 pounds give or take. It was no contest. Lucius went down like a heap of useless Death Eaters.
"One!" Graze shouted.
Narcissa went for her wand but it was shot out of her hand by Haze. Looking first at the centaur and then behind her at the wand impaled by an arrow which was residing in the front door of the manor, she never noticed the two goblins grab additional retrieval tools from the crate and double-up (Chokehim jumped onto Maimhim's shoulders). Narcissa was still deciding what to do since the centaurs had not left the confines of the crate yet. She never noticed that the goblins were behind her, and one had a sap in his hand.
Moments later she went down like her useless husband.
"Two!" Maimhim shouted.
"Tag 'em and crate 'em. I'll secure the house until the survey team shows."
No, Draco never did find out how his parents were taken by a Retrieval team. Nor did he ever see what was written on the document which read: Official Chattel Retrieval Business.
-o0o-
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts….
"Your parents, your siblings, and any extended family members have already been collected and taken to the holding pens, where you will soon join them," the goblin addressed the group of collared students. "Your new owner asked that those of you who attended Hogwarts be the last collected. He thought that witnessing such an event might sway others from following the same path as your parents."
"The Ministry won't permit this!" Umbridge declared as she finally snapped out of the shock she had been in and stood up, her fists visible as she shook in rage.
The goblin pulled out a document from a pocket hidden on his armor. "I believe this says I have permission to collect these… chattel," he said as he offered the document to Umbridge who snatched it from his hand. "Signed by Minister Fudge himself just this morning."
"It's clearly a fake," Umbridge snapped as she thrust the document back at the goblin in charge only to have Dumbledore immediately take it from her.
Dumbledore read the document over, silently and wandlessly checking the magic behind the signatures before sighing wearily. "This document is real," he said solemnly before rolling it up and handing it back to the goblin. "What will be their fate?" he indicated the children.
"That is up to their owner," the goblin replied as he tucked the document away.
"And who is their owner," McGonagall demanded saying the last word with distaste.
"Harry Potter," the goblin stated simply.
"This is wrong!"
All eyes turned to the Gryffindor table where Hermione stood with righteous determination. "Slavery was outlawed in 1833 when Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act," she declared.
"And two years later, the Wizengamot passed the Freeman Act, which made it illegal for a witch, wizard or a squib to own a Muggle, a muggle-born or Half-Blood," the goblin stated. "The Act makes no mention of owning a Pureblood since they believed no Pureblood would ever allow themselves to be marked as a slave."
"Pride go-eth before a fall," Professor Flitwick said softly.
"That is often the case with witches and wizards," the goblin returned. "Which brings up another matter."
Dumbledore took an uneasy breath before asking, "And what matter is that?"
"Hogwarts," the goblin said simply. "The Founders' heir has come to the conclusion that the school has become a place that teaches hate and bigotry and is therefore closing the school. Effective immediately."
"They have no right to close Hogwarts!" Umbridge declared. "The Ministry won't allow it."
"In this case, the Ministry has no say in this matter. As was written in the by-laws, if there was ever a time when the heirs felt that Hogwarts had fallen away from its duty then the heirs had the right to close the school," the goblin stated.
"My family can trace our linage back to Helga Hufflepuff," Madam Sprout said proudly. "And I know no one in my family has ever suggested that Hogwarts has become what you claim it is."
The goblin calmly nodded his head in acceptance of Madam Sprout's statement. However, he explained, "I understand what you are saying. Of course none of that matters since you and your family are unofficial heirs."
"What?!" Madam Sprout sputtered. "I can show you proof of my lineage."
"That may be true, madam, but none of your line has approached Gringotts and asked to be tested to discover your inheritance," the goblin explained. "Of course that is a moot point now that there is an official heir to the Founders."
"And who is this heir," McGonagall asks.
"Why Harry Potter, of course," the goblin replied smugly.
"I was right! Potter really is the Heir to Slytherin!" someone shouted out from among the non-collared students.
The goblin turned to face the students. "Actually Salazar Slytherin never fathered or adopted any children."
"But the Dark Lord…" Draco sputtered from among the other collared children. "He's the heir of Slytherin."
"Your so-called Dark Lord was born from Slytherin's half-brother, Sausage. Born to Salazar Slytherin's father and a muggle tavern wench named Broomgilda," the goblin explained.
"No! You're wrong," Draco protested in the defense of his beliefs. "He must have fathered a child after he left Hogwarts."
"He never left Hogwarts. The other Founders turned on him and killed him when he became a threat to the school and its children," the goblin said. "In fact it was in this very room in which he died. His remains were buried someplace in a forest close to the school."
The goblin turned back to Dumbledore and the other professors. "You have 72 hours to leave Hogwarts. Take only your possessions. If anything is removed that belongs to the school which includes books, potion ingredient and medical supplies, all parties involved will be charged with theft and punished to the strictest letter of the law."
"But the students," McGonagall started.
"Mr. Potter has already agreed to refund the tuition for this school to the parents that have already paid," the goblin stated. "In addition Mr. Potter has been in contact with other magical schools and they have agreed to accept the students. Of course they all won't be attending one school but split up among those that would accept them."
"But this is my last year at Hogwarts! I don't want to go someplace else!" someone shouted from among the students.
The goblin turned around. "And that is not Mr. Potter's or my concern. If you want someone to blame for allowing Hogwarts to become corrupt then I suggest you look to the staff of Hogwarts, the Ministry, your own parents and finally at yourself. Think about how many times you have witnessed a fellow student torment a younger student; how many times they have been seriously harmed. Look at the different Houses you have been separated into and how they have caused fighting among siblings and childhood friends. How many times fighting between houses led to fighting between families outside of school. No, Hogwarts teaches hatred and then that hatred is bottle-fed to the next generation. It is time this ends. This sentiment comes directly from Mr. Potter."
"Did young Mr. Potter have any other sentiment for Hogwarts?" a somewhat stunned Headmaster queried.
"As a matter of fact, he did. He wanted everyone to know that while he considered this school his real home, and those that knew him to be his real family, that the rest of the student body and all of the staff should remember the following words." The goblin then pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. He looked up at all the waiting faces. "Fuck you."
And with that the goblin motioned the rest of the goblins to walk out of the Great Hall, pushing and dragging their prisoners with them. "Remember! You now have less than 72 hours to get out!"
-o0o-
The Hogwarts students of those who were marked with Dark Lord's brand had been collared and removed from the school as dinner finished earlier that evening. They had been quickly walked to the ward perimeter and port-keyed to a large conference room. Once in the room, Snape was escorted to another room and the rest of the students had their collars removed.
The students were unsure what was to happen next, confused by the strange metal chairs even if they didn't say it, but more than anything, were relieved to see other members of their family (siblings and cousins) already there in the weird metal chairs. Family members rushed to one another, comforted each other as best they could, and all asked the same question: What the hell was going on?
"Sit down," one of the goblin guards ordered, pointing at the metal chairs. Those children who weren't old enough to have started Hogwarts yet clung to their older brothers and sisters.
"What's going on? Where is mummy and daddy?' one of the youngest of the children whispered to his older brother.
"Shhhh, you need to be quiet," the older brother whispered.
"Where's mummy? I want mummy!" the little one demanded.
The older brother picked up his little brother and hugged him. "I know. I want mummy and daddy too."
It was a few minutes after the children had taken their seats that a man dressed in a muggle suit walked in. Sitting his briefcase on the table at the front of the room, he looked over the children before saying. "I am Adam Pierson. And I am the only chance of freedom you will ever have."
A few of the children looked upon Mr. Pierson with hope while other dismissed him and his words.
"To begin with I will explain the circumstances that led to you being here," Mr. Pierson said as he opened his briefcase and removed dozens of manila folders. "In the mid to late 1970's, your parents or other head of your family line swore allegiance to one Tom Marvolo Riddle, who is better known as Lord Voldemort. Since he was promoting a pureblood dogma that your family heads found appealing, he then took that allegiance one step further. In order to join Mr. Riddle's little group of Death Eaters, your parent, parents, or other family head agreed to be marked with his symbol known as the Dark Mark.
"This Dark Mark is also known as branding in the court of law. Why is this important? Under the Wizard Act of 1522, this signifies that they became his property to be used as he wished. Anyone who agreed to wed someone branded with Riddle's symbol automatically became Riddle's property, as did any children born from the relationship.
"Once passed in 1522, this Act was enforced on several wizarding families by other wizards of the time. Slavery was then discussed and argued in the Wizengamot for centuries. The Wizard Act of 1724 ensured that purebloods cannot own other purebloods. This did not affect the other slave cases at that time. In 1833, the British Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act which affected all British subjects. However, due to the Wizengamot's separate status, this Slavery Abolition Act did not cover magicals in the United Kingdom.
"However, in 1835, the Wizengamot passed the Freeman Act, which made it illegal for a pureblood witch or wizard to own a squib, a muggle, a muggle-born or half-blood. It also made it illegal for a muggle, a squib, a muggle-born or half-blood to own other squibs, muggles, muggle-borns or half-bloods."
The realization of what was going on hit home for several of the children sitting in front of Mr. Pierson. Not all, but some.
"The muggles have something called the Rule of Conquest. Basically it means to the victors go the spoils of land. Think of it as one country invading another and taking big pieces of the land the loser occupied. The magicals have a similar rule known as the Right of Conquest. Basically it means to the victors go all the spoils – land, homes, and any recognized property. For example: a young magical boy 1-year of age defeats an older, more experienced, self-professed Dark Lord. He should have immediately claimed all that Dark Lord's possessions, but that didn't happen.
"It turned out that the same self-professed Dark Lord was not entirely dead, so certain conditions come to play. The young magical boy had to defeat the Dark Lord three times in combat for the Right of Conquest to be magically binding. The first defeat where the Dark Lord lost his body was combat #1. The second defeat where the young hero defeated the host the Dark Lord was controlling was combat #2. The third defeat where the same young hero defeated a 1,000-year-old basilisk along with the shade of the Dark Lord himself was combat #3. Three times the hero bested the Dark Lord. The Right of Conquest was magically bound at that point.
"Now let's return to magical law. While the Freeman Act of 1835 ended the "property" status of all chattel from years and centuries previous from pureblood magicals owning slaves, there remained a loophole. Tom Marvolo Riddle was born to a pureblood witch and a muggle. I believe the wizard community would classify him as being a half-blood. The current wizard laws do not cover squibs, muggles, muggle-borns and half-bloods owning purebloods, which from my understanding all of you are," Pierson stated.
"The wizard world won't stand for this!" Draco spouted as he rose to his feet. "My father is an important man! Not only does the Malfoy family have a seat on Wizengamot, we have many friends in the Wizengamot and they just will not stand for this!"
Pierson turned his full attention on Draco. "Draco Malfoy, I presume?"
Draco tipped his chin up slightly so that he was more or less looking down his nose at Pierson.
"Let me correct some of your preconceived notions," Pierson said calmly, clearly not affected by Draco's tantrum. "First off your father was an important man and now he's a slave… shoveling Hippogriff dung, I do believe." He glanced over to a goblin for confirmation. The goblin nodded his head while smiling evilly.
"The Malfoy fortune, business and properties now belong to Mr. Potter since slaves cannot own anything," Pierson stated simply. "As for the Wizengamot… I think they will find it difficult to do much of anything when they need majority vote to make any changes to the existing laws. And since he is not permitted to take or vote any of those seats due to Fudge having him declared guilty, Mr. Potter must abstain from voting."
Pierson walked around the table and over to Draco. "To put it simply, Mr. Potter has gutted the Wizengamot and will shortly destroy the economy of the wizard community in all of Britain. And you, little boy, are his slave to do with as he pleases."
"And what about our parents?" Tracy Davis said with a waver in her voice.
"Your parents each received a dose of Veritaserum and were then questioned about their role during the war and since. In addition, they were questioned about what they desired to do with their lives. Based on that information they were, are, or will be assigned jobs they will work for the rest of their lives," Pierson answered.
"I want my mummy," one of the younger children sobbed.
Pierson sighed sadly. "I know little one."
"My mother wasn't a Death Eater," a young man in the back said as he stood up, the Ravenclaw emblem still on his robes. "She would tell me I would have to look beyond being a pureblood, half-blood or muggle born. That it was someone's magic that was important, not their blood. I remember seeing my father strike her for saying that… what will happen to her?"
Pierson glanced over to one of the goblins.
"Mr. Potter is still deciding her fate and the fates of others like her," the goblin answered.
Pierson nodded his head in thanks before turning back to the children of the Death Eaters.
"And our fate? You mentioned that you were our one chance at freedom," one of the older children said.
Pierson nodded his head. "In an act of compassion, Mr. Potter approached Her Majesty about your fate and Her Majesty has agreed to make all of you wards of the Crown with some conditions. If you agree to the conditions, your status as a slave will end. First: your magic will be bound and you will have no access to the wizard world."
The ones who were old enough to understand what exactly Pierson was saying shouted in outrage. Pierson stood there and allowed them to express their displeasure for a few minutes.
"Are you done?" Pierson asked as when the young people had quieted down for a moment. "Because I can assure you that nothing you say and do right now will change Her Majesty's or Mr. Potter's minds. Your choice is simple: either a life as a muggle with the chance of finding happiness or the life of a slave; no magic, no children, no freedom and no happiness."
"Would we stay together?" a big brother said as he held his little sister in his lap.
Pierson nodded his head. "Yes. We plan on keeping brothers and sisters together," he replied with a smile before allowing it to fade. "However it was decided it would be best for you not to be allowed to stay as group."
"Why is that?" Draco said in a snide tone of voice. "Afraid we'll plot behind you back?"
"No. It's because some of you are snide little brats who will make the others miserable while they try to adapt to life without magic," Pierson glared at him.
"I would rather be a slave in the wizard world than live among some filthy muggles," Draco snarled.
"Fine," Pierson shrugged his shoulders as he signaled a guard to collect Draco. "I believe your new job is cultivating and harvesting crowberries in the moors of Scotland. You will of course be doing this without magical means, so it will require shuffling through the peat bogs on hands and knees to find the berries. The stench of any crowberries staining your hands will be pretty powerful so you will be housed separately from the rest of the slaves or they will kill you."
"What? No!" Draco exclaimed as the goblin hauled him out of his chair and dragged him towards the door.
"Wait," Pierson called out when the goblin and Draco were only a few feet from the door.
The goblin turned Draco around so he was facing Pierson and the other children.
"I can only assume from your protest that you have changed your mind Mr. Malfoy?" Pierson said smugly. "And that you find yourself embracing the idea of living the rest of your life as a muggle?"
Draco grit his teeth and nodded his head in the affirmative.
"Very well. You may release him," Pierson directed.
The goblin released his grasp on Draco's arms, allowing him to drop to the floor in an ungraceful lump before he took his former guard position.
Pierson gave a small nod of approval before turning back to the other children. "Now as I was saying…"
-o0o-
Author's comment:
I decided to end this chapter here since it was getting pretty long as is. The next chapter starts to explore what happened to those marked as chattel and their offspring.
