Chapter Four: More Trials and the Decision

Harry Potter had decided to make an impression at his disciplinary hearing, one that would be remembered and reflected on in the one following. He had put on business robes the color of sage, matching pointed hat, leather Oxfords shined to a mirror finish and his signet ring. He had let the Dursleys know to wear their Sunday best. The car was bringing them and his solicitor to the visitors' entrance, and Harry would be meeting them there.

Both Dudley and Madame Pomfrey would be testifying as witnesses on Harry's behalf, and Vernon and Petunia were there because they were the guardians to both boys. Neither of the adult Muggles were pleased to be put in this situation, but neither were they going to allow their son to go into a magical place alone.

When the car arrived, it was to a small side street with a couple of offices and a pub. The bin was badly overflowing, and there was a horrible smell. The offices had been graffittied over and over again, as had one of the two red phone boxes. The other only had most of its windows painted black.

The first person to emerge from the car when it pulled up was Mr. William Price, Harry's solicitor. He was dressed in business wear similar to Harry, save that his robes were blue with white pinstripes, and he wore a round-topped hat common to solicitors and lawmakers in Wizarding Britain. He was followed by Dudley, then Petunia, and finally Vernon. Harry Potter was nowhere to be seen.

Then he emerged from the phone box with the black glass. "Hello, everyone. I thought it best to stay out of sight until you arrived."

Price nodded. "I agree. Although, I could have sworn there was only one entrance box."

He shrugged. "The other one's not an entrance." He didn't say how he knew, though.

"Ah. Well, everyone, I think we'll have to go down a pair at a time. It's rare to bring people through the visitor's entrance, so it's not large enough for more than two at a time. I'll go first with Dudley here, then Mr. and Mrs., then you come down, Mr. Potter. You hold the receiver above your head and dial 6-2-4-4-2. That's the pass code to get into the Ministry. Answer the prompt with your names and 'Potter disciplinary hearing'. It's a minute down and a minute up, so don't be alarmed. I've instructed the car to stay until we've all gone in, so no one will be alone. That said, are you armed, sir?" That question was aimed to Harry.

"Yes."

"Good. I'd hate to have that lot catch anyone unawares," he said, referring to the Death Eaters. He shook himself. "All right, let's go on down. The less time up here the better."

Once Mr. Price and Dudley had disappeared from view, Harry turned to face away from the box, keeping an eye out for trouble. He wasn't only armed with his wand, either. He'd tucked a small sonic blaster into a bigger-on-the-inside pocket so that he could protect himself without getting into any more trouble. He'd had his tailor spell it as undetectable, because he didn't want anyone knowing he was carrying a gun, not to mention a gun from the fifty-first century.

The box took Petunia and Vernon down next, and then Harry followed without incident. There was an automatic machine that told him to report to the security desk and gave him a visitor's badge to pin to his robe. It said, "Harry Potter, Disciplinary Hearing." Once inside the building, Harry breathed a sigh of relief, quite happy not to be so visible.

Of course, now he had to be visible in a very different way. He needed to appear confident and lordly without seeming arrogant. The goblins and the Potter had worked with him quite a bit, and Mr. Price had separately coached him on how to appear before the court.

The Dursleys were staring at an unusual fountain in the middle of the atrium, visibly flinching every time someone Apparated in. The fountain depicted a wizard, a witch, a centaur, a goblin and a house elf. It was titled "The Magical Brethren" but all were looking up to the wizard as if he were some kind of savior, the bias of wizard kind quite evident. However, there was also a plaque in the fountain, proclaiming that all money thrown in went to help St. Mungo's Hospital. In full view of his relatives, he tossed in a couple of galleons. After all, St Mungo's had helped Dudley quite a lot.

Now that they were all present, Mr. Price said, "This way, everyone." He led them through the atrium to the security desk, where a rather bored looking wizard scanned them and checked Harry and Mr. Price's wands. Harry was very glad that the scan didn't pick up the blaster, but he didn't let it show on his face.

When the elevator, which was an old fashioned brass affair, opened to let them in, an owl winged through the air to land on Mr. Price's shoulder. Vernon shuddered, but the owl simply delivered his message and left. Mr. Price, however, was in an instant snit. "You were right to have all Ministry correspondence diverted to me, Mr. Potter. Your hearing has been moved up to five minutes from now in Courtroom 10. That's where they held the Death Eater trials! Why would they do that for a simple case of underage magic?"

"I don't know, but we need to alert Madame Pomfrey."

Price's eyes got wide. "Right." She was a witness for the defense but she wouldn't be arriving for another three hours if they didn't alert her. He whipped around to the rows of public floos and found one that was not in use. He firecalled the Hogwarts infirmary, and let Madame Pomfrey know about the change. She actually stepped through with them. Then they all squeezed into the lift and headed downward. The doors opened onto a dungeon-like corridor and the voice in the lift said, "Department of Mysteries."

"All right, leg it to that stairwell at the end," said Mr. Price. "I'm going to have someone's ears for this!"

Madame Pomfrey snarked, "Not if I get to them first! This boy was attacked by two Dementors not ten days ago, and he's being made to run for their rushing the deadline!"

"That's a fair point," said Harry. "Everyone slow down. There's no point in breaking our necks on a stair case because they want to embarrass me."

Upon leaving the stairwell, Mr. Price led them down dark corridors designed to scare to a large, grimy door with a huge iron lock and a heavy black handle. They straightened their clothes and hair before coming into the large dungeon beyond that door.

Harry fought to keep the shock of recognition from his face. This was the very same dungeon that he had seen in Dumbledore's pensive, where the Lestranges had been sentenced to life in Azkaban Prison for the use of Unforgiveables. This was where they sentenced Death Eaters. And they were holding a simple hearing for underage magic here? Someone wanted him intimidated. He would not satisfy them.

A cold voice echoed through the room. "You are late."

"Yes, well I'm afraid your owl did not reach us until we were already here in the Ministry. Poor dear must have had to double back when we arrived early for the prior scheduled time." Mr. Price's voice was equally cold, following Harry's lead.

Silence fell for a moment. "Very well. Take your seat, Mr. Potter."

Harry eyed the chair. It had chains on the arms, chains he had seen reach up and grab whoever sat there. But he took the seat, giving no impression that it bothered him, even when the chains jerked a little. Mr. Price conjured a chair for himself, one each for the Dursleys and Madame Pomfrey, and an extra off to the side to use as a witness stand. He also conjured a table in front of Harry and himself to use for separation and for taking and holding notes.

There was a rumble of surprise from the assembled people. They all wore purple robes with a large "W" embroidered on them. The person who had spoken was none other than Minister Cornelius Fudge. "Are you ready?" He asked down the row.

"Yes, sir," came an eager voice, one Harry recognized. Sure enough, Percy Weasley was there at a small desk, parchment in front and quill in hand.

"Disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August into offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underaged Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter at Little Whinging Park in Surrey.

"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley-"

Here Mr. Price interrupted the Minister. "William Reginald Price, Legal Advocate to Harry Potter; witnesses for the defense; Poppy Amanda Pomfrey, Registered Mediwitch and Dudley Dursley."

The members of the Wizengamot murmured at the interruption, but Fudge tried to keep composure. "And these other two people?"

"Vernon and Petunia Dursley, parents to Dudley and guardians to Mr. Potter. They are here only in that capacity, as is their legal right and responsibility."

Fudge glared at him. "Yes, yes. Moving on, then. The charges are as follows: that he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on August the eighth at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes and offence under paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of underaged Sorcery, 1875, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizards Statute of Secrecy.

"You are Harry James Potter of number four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?" Fudge said over his parchment.

"Yes."

"You received an official warning for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?"

"Yes, I did, but-"

"And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night of the eighth of August?"

"Yes, but-

"Knowing that you are not-"

"Pardon me, Minister," said Mr. Price, "But since you have taken it upon yourself to call in the full Wizengamot for a simple matter of underage sorcery, even with the added and superfluous charge of breaching secrecy, I'm sure they'd like to hear more from my client than 'Yes, but'. Please allow him to actually give you a full answer to your questions." He paused, then turned to Percy. "Will the Court Scribe please repeat the Minister's second question?"

Percy dutifully repeated the question about the warning from three years ago, then Mr. Price motioned to Harry to answer more fully. "I did receive the notice, but what Madame Hopkirk had no way of knowing was that there was a house elf visiting me, and it was he who did the magic, not I."

"And on the night in question? Did you do what you are being accused of?"

"I did conjure my Patronus, because two Dementors came into the park and attacked Dudley. My cousin and I haven't always got on, but I can't imagine he'd ever deserve having his soul removed!"

"How did you know how to produce a Patronus, Mr. Potter?"

"Because they were sent to the school looking for Sirius Black when I was in third year. I had a very bad reaction to them, so I asked my professor in Defense Against the Dark Arts to help me."

The witch on Fudge's left, the one with the monocle, interrupted before Fudge could. "You produced a fully-fledged Patronus?"

"Yes, because if I hadn't, they'd have Kissed him."

"I mean to say, it was a Corporeal Patronus?"

Harry's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry?"

"It was more than vapor or smoke?"

He smiled. Good. Someone was actually interested in the story, not in just convicting him. "It was a stag. It's always a stag."

"Always?" she continued. "You've produced a Patronus before?"

"As I said, since third year."

"Impressive. Most impressive."

"Thank you, Madame."

Fudge finally got a word in again. "It's not a question of how impressive the magic was! If anything that makes it worse! In full view of a Muggle, no less!"

This time Harry interrupted. "And if you were standing on the Muggle side of King's Cross station and a Dementor decided to have your soul for lunch, would you not have your wand out in an instant?"

"Yes, and why were there Dementors in Little Whinging, Minister?"

"There's no proof that there were any! And while I'm sure you've rehearsed your story quite well-"

Mr. Price interrupted him again. "Of course there's proof. That is why Mr. Dursley and Madame Pomfrey have been summoned, after all."

Fudge tried to wave them off. "We don't have time for more taradiddles. I want this dealt with quickly-"

"Ah, but this is not only about what you want. Mr. Potter has a right to defend himself, both in the real world and in this court room."

Murmurs of assent ran through the Wizengamot, but there were also grumbles, and Harry couldn't tell who was who with the way they were all grouped together.

Fudge sighed. "Oh, very well. Get on with it then."

Mr. Price turned to Dudley. "Dudley Dursley, please take the witness stand."

Dudley nodded nervously, shooting looks at his parents and up at the assembled wizards and witches. He had a twitch now, and he scared easily. It made Harry think about Sirius, knowing he'd spent twelve years surrounded by those demons.

Dudley sat in the witness's chair and Mr. Price asked him, "Dudley, in your own words, please tell us what happened on the night of August eighth?"

The large blonde boy took a shaky breath, then said, "I was just out in the park. I was going to meet Pierce and the boys for some fun. But then it started getting cold, as if it were in the middle of winter or something. I felt sadder and sadder, and then I was so sad it started to hurt. I couldn't move, and I screamed. I thought I'd die of that cold and sadness."

For a moment, Dudley couldn't talk, but then he seemed to shake himself, and was able to continue. "Then there was a white light, and it lifted most of the cold away, except what was clinging to me. I never thought I'd be warm again. But there was Harry, all of a sudden. He was giving me chocolate, telling me to eat it. It made me feel a little better, but I was still so cold I couldn't think. Then this lady over here came," he indicated Madame Pomfrey. "I think she's a nurse or something. She took me to that magical hospital, and brought in Mum and Dad."

Mr. Price nodded. "Thank you, Dudley. You can sit back with your parents now." Then he turned to Madame Pomfrey. "Madame if you would replace him, please?" Once everyone was seated again, and the murmuring of the assembly had gone down, he asked her, "Would you please tell us in your own words what happened on August eighth?"

She nodded. "Of course. I was working in the school potions lab with Professor Snape, stocking for the coming school year. We were interrupted by a Patronus message declaring that there was a Dementor victim in Little Whinging Park in Surrey."

Price asked her, "What form did the Patronus take?"

"That of a two-point stag. Training dictates that you do not question the message, only respond to the emergency, so I made sure that Professor Snape had everything in hand with the brewing and ran for the Apparation point with my mediwitch bag. From there I Apparated to the park. There I found a portly young man being tended to by Mr. Potter. He was feeding him chocolate, which is appropriate first aid for a Dementor attack, but it wasn't sufficient. The boy was still severely depressed, and for a while, I thought he'd been Kissed." That declaration sent a rumble through the Wizengamot, and Price let it rumble. The last time Dementors had Kissed a Muggle had been during the first war with Voldemort.

When they quieted, she continued. "I ran a diagnostic as quickly as I could, and I was glad to see that, while there was some light fraying on the boy's soul, it was yet intact."

Price asked her, "Is there anything else magical that will cause that kind of effect? In your medical opinion, I mean?"

"Some psychological conditions can cause this, but nothing else will magically produce that specific effect. It is signatory of Dementors alone."

Before minister Fudge could say anything, the witch with the monocle said, "I'm issuing a Wizengamot Summons for all Azkaban records for the second, three days before and three days after. I want to know why there were two Dementors in Surrey that day, and that they returned to the island. After all," and here she glared at Fudge, "we all know that the Dementors are completely under Ministry control, don't we."

Fudge stared at her. "What are you implying, Madame Bones?"

"Either you are wrong, you are lying, or someone sent a pair of Dementors into Surrey. Either way I'll have the answer in an hour, and if you're responsible for this, your job in a fortnight." She turned to the court room. "In this matter, the evidence presented is quite enough. Mr. Potter acted to save a life, and he pulled in help when it was plain he could not handle the matter on his own. This shows both bravery and sense, and it is my opinion that he should be commended. He will not be expelled, and all charges are dropped. Members of the Wizengamot, thank you for your time. It is no longer required. Dursley family, Madame Pomfrey, Mr. Price, thank you for your assistance to the court. We are adjourned."

The Minister stormed out, quickly followed by the woman he'd identified at the beginning as Dolores Umbridge and Percy. The Dursleys left ahead of Harry as quickly as they could, none of them wanting to remain any longer than was necessary. Madame Pomfrey followed behind him and Mr. Price brought up the rear.

Just outside, Harry was surprised to see Arthur Weasley, standing nervously. "Harry!" he shouted. "How did it go?"

Harry allowed a smile. "Cleared of all charges. Amelia Bones is going after the Minister to find out why there were Dementors in Surrey. She was not happy, and she threatened his job, too."

Arthur smiled widely. "Wonderful, Harry! Simply wonderful! Well, I'll leave you to your day. I've got a regurgitating toilet to deal with. Congratulations on your victory!"

Harry shook his head fondly as Mr. Weasley headed back up the stairs. Petunia asked him, "Is that the person you'll be looking to after your emancipation?"

He nodded. "One of them, yes. I'd ask him to take me in, but he's still got four out of seven of his own children at home."

She said, "Will that man, that Fudge character, be part of the emancipation hearing?"

Harry frowned. "Good question. Mr. Price?"

Price was also frowning. "He shouldn't be. This is a much lower-level event than should be part of the Minister's Office, but so is a hearing on underaged magic. The only ones who should be part of it are a representative from the Office of Family Welfare, an officer of the Family Court, and Headmistress McGonagall. But I doubt the Minister is going to keep his nose out, and until and unless Madame Bones is able to make good on her threat, we can't stop that."

Harry nodded. "All right. I know Lucius Malfoy intends to make a bid for custody. I'm sure a few other Death Eater families will toss their hats in the ring, as well, all looking good on paper because they are well off and have kids my age, or thereabouts. I shall have to be very convincing that I am fit to be emancipated. And I don't think I should mention Voldemort as a reason to keep my freedom." He shook his head. "No, if the court refuses to allow my emancipation legally, I'll have to take it." He looked at Petunia and Vernon. "We should make sure you get moved tonight. I have a friend who can help us, but I'll warn you; he's not human."

Petunia narrowed her eyes at him. "You're worried."

He shrugged. "Frankly, I'm worried we'll be ambushed outside the building, but maybe I'm being paranoid."

Mr. Price said, "It's that kind of paranoia that keeps you alive."

He nodded. "All right. Mr. Price, if you wouldn't mind, it's better if you leave ahead of us. I have a friend here and no one will think twice of me visiting him, so we'll go up to his office and make our escape from there."

They waited, giving Mr. Price a bit of a lead as he ran up the stairs, then followed, making their way to the lift. They all got on, and Harry started listening to the voice, which told what departments were on which floor. He was looking for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department, and Arthur Weasley. They finally reached them at the ? floor, and Harry asked after the man at the first desk they saw.

Arthur was just coming back out of his office, having stopped for his coat so that he could go and deal with the regurgitating toilet. Harry stopped him, taking his arm and turning him back toward his office as he spoke, playing it up with a wide, excited smile. "Mr. Weasley! I promised to introduce you to my Aunt and Uncle! Can we go into your office?" Then he whispered, "I'm afraid we're being watched, and I've got to get them out of here safely."

Once in the office, Arthur pulled out his wand and cast a silencing ward. "There, now no one can hear us. What's your plan, Harry?"

"You and your family have been great friends to me, Mr. Weasley, so I'm going out on a limb here and trusting you. An ancestor of mine was not from this world, and he left me a form of transportation that's more advanced than anything the Muggles have. I also have Dad's Invisibility Cloak, which I can use to get out of here to get that transport. She can get in here, and I can take them out in her, but I've got to move quickly. Can I Floo from here to the Atrium?"

Vernon said, "Now see here, boy-"

"Vernon, I'm trying to keep you safe. I know traveling in an alien vessel was not on your list of things to do today, but that was before I realized this place was so bottlenecked, with you three only having one way out of the building. Believe me, the TARDIS will get you out of here and back home much faster than anything else we could have done short of Apparation, and it's safe, where Apparation with non-magicals is deadly dangerous." Harry turned back to Arthur. "Can it be done?"

But sadly, Arthur said, "No, I'm sorry. This fireplace is only an illusion, so it has no floo. There is an old stairwell further down this hall, and it does come out in the Atrium, so you could reach the Visitor's entrance from there. But trying to dodge through that crowd while invisible still seems, well, dodgy."

Then Dudley surprised everyone. "Harry, your ship can just appear where you want it to, so it's only a matter of getting to it, right?" Harry nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "Then why doesn't Mr. Weasley Apa-rate you to the ship. It wouldn't hurt you like it would us, would it?"

Harry broke into a broad grin. "Brilliant, D. Mr. Weasley?"

Arthur said, "Yes, that's a marvelous idea! Good job, Dudley! Well Harry, just grab hold of my arm. Where is this-um-"

"TARDIS."

"Tahdis."

"Close enough. She's right next to the visitor's entrance, the second phone box." Arthur nodded, and Harry grabbed his arm. For a moment he felt like he was being squeezed through a tube of toothpaste, then he was suddenly standing in the alley. That was when the trouble started.

The moment Harry and Arthur rematerialized, two masked men on brooms started firing spells at them. Arthur cast a broad shield, but it was hastily cast and fizzled under the onslaught. Harry took out his sonic blaster, and with the aim of someone with very good hand-eye coordination, he shot the twig ends off of their brooms.

A shocked Arthur shouted, "What was that!?" as the two men fell screaming out of the air, far more concerned with not dying from the fall than shooting at them now. "What was that!?"

"Later!" He got out his key and got the door to the TARDIS opened as fast as he could. "Get in!" Arthur dashed past him, still trying to get a look at the gun, but Harry really didn't want to wait around if those Death Eaters didn't break bones on the concrete.

Once the door was closed, he could relax, having been assured by the Potter that nothing could get through those doors short of a Dalek TARDIS Breaker or a significant stellar event, such as a supernova, at point blank range. Not even Avada Kedavera had enough power for that, and though the TARDIS was alive, the curse wouldn't be able to reach her soul because the ship was multidimensional.

He didn't have much time to answer Arthur's questions, but the man deserved an answer. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the gun, but I'm really a very good shot, and I couldn't risk going unarmed. I've got my wand, but they're just waiting for me to use it outside of school again."

Arthur was still quite upset, though. "That's not even a normal Muggle gun, is it?

Harry smiled a little. "Look around you. My ancestor was not some Muggle. I got this out of one of the storage rooms in here. I spent three days making sure I knew how to use it and could hit what I was aiming at."

"Three days? But-"

"Didn't I tell you?" Harry threw a couple of levers and danced around to the other side of the console, where he pushed a few buttons and spun a knob forward, backward and forward again. "She also travels in time." And with that he jumped to another of the six stations and threw a large lever.

The Time Rotor whirred to life, and Arthur had to grab the railing as the ship lurched just a bit. Harry looked at him apologetically, and said, "Sorry, still learning to drive her, though in my devense, TARDISes have six stations because they were meant to have six pilots."

He saw Arthur staring at him. "Look, I promise I'll bring you up to speed, but we've got to get the Dursleys back to Privet Drive."

Arthur nodded. "All right. I'll assume you don't want anyone else knowing about your Tahdis?"

He nodded. "Only those who already do. That's Remus, Sirius, Hermione, and your four youngest. I wouldn't ask you to keep secrets from your wife, but-"

Arthur held up a hand. "I know. She'd try to stop you. She's extremely uncomfortable with her children being anywhere near the war that's brewing, and she's always had a motherly eye toward you and Hermione. Her brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewitt were twins like Fred and George, and they were killed about six months before your parents, right in front of her. They were eighteen."

"I understand. And I don't particularly care for the gun, just to reassure you. I'm only carrying it until the emancipation is over. Then I'll legally be able to use my wand, and it can go back into storage."

Arthur visibly relaxed. "All right. Let's go and get the Dursleys home, shall we?"

~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~

The next day's hearing was much calmer. The Minister tried to butt in, but he was told in no uncertain terms that this was not a matter under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic, but the Family Division of the High Court's Subdivision for Magical Children. He was only allowed to speak to the Court as a courtesy to his office, and his opinion had no legal bearing. Harry had been right about the Death Eater families showing up to bid for custody, but in light of Harry's apparent ability to function as an adult and his vast personal wealth, as well as the agreement of his current guardians, the Court had no problem emancipating Harry and, in accordance with his adult status, removing the Trace from his wand.

The Minister stopped him on his way out. "What will you be doing with your new-found freedom, then, Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "For now, I'm still a student. I want to at least get my OWLs. But I may take a break next year and get my Muggle education caught up. Or I may decide to take up the seat that has been left vacant in the Wizengamot for my family. Or I may decide to leave and explore the world. I have time to make that decision. I'm a legal adult now, but I'm still young, and those choices have time to be explored. Now, I must have a few words with my retainer, if you'll excuse me."

Leaving the Minister sputtering, he carefully did not grin, though he was bursting to do so. He went back to the alcove where his family were contemplating a life without the fear of magic. He still had to get them to their new house, but Dobby had carefully set everything up for them while they were in court, and he'd set the warding scheme with Bill Weasley last night. It was move-in ready, and the TARDIS was in the building, so they wouldn't have the mad dash they had the last time. He spoke to Mr. Price. "I want to thank you for everything you've done for us. This really was a mess, and I appreciate your help."

"Not at all, Lord Potter. It's been a pleasure, honestly, and you'll be an asset to whatever profession you choose." He noticed something over Harry's left shoulder. "Lord Malfoy's coming to speak with you. I'd keep it short if I were you, and get the Dursleys out of here as soon as possible." In a louder voice, he said, "Well, good luck to you, Lord Potter. Again, it's been a pleasure. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, Dudley, good luck and farewell." He tipped his hat at the lot of them and walked away.

Lucius Malfoy approached them, a calm look and a polite smile on his face. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter, and welcome to adulthood."

"Thank you."

"I wonder if you have plans to take your family's seat in the Wizengamot, now that you've been granted your majority by the Court?"

He shook his head. "Not this year, at least. I do believe that the seat should be filled, but I have to decide who I want to have my proxy. There are a few names I'm considering, and I mean to decide by the first of the year."

Lucius casually asked, "And who are you considering?"

Harry smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, I think I'll keep that under my hat for now. I'd hate for them to wake up with a bad case of dead."

Lucius genuinely laughed at that. "Well, at least you're being intelligent about it. I look forward to watching your career, Mr. Potter. It should be entertaining, if nothing else. Have a good year." And with that he walked away, still chuckling.

Harry watched him go, then said, "Let's go. Dobby should have the house settled by now, and be out of there, so you won't even have to see him." They went down the hall in the opposite direction from Lucius, and then ducked into an unused office, a door that normally didn't exist. That was where the TARDIS was hiding today. He smiled as he entered his magnificent timeship and moved to the console. He'd preset the coordinates that morning when they arrived, so he just had to get her moving, and he quickly did so. The empty office disappeared, and several miles away in Pyrford a lovely red phone box appeared on the walkway. The four of them left the box and Harry looked where he knew the house to be, but all he saw was a lot with trees and grass. Good.

"Well, the wards are working. I don't see the house, and no other wizard ever will either. Not even owls should be able to find it. I want you to have this one thing, though." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gilded picture frame, with a photo of a young family in it. "I had this picture stilled, so it'll never move. I just thought, now that everything was said and done, you might want a small reminder of your sister and her family." It was a copy of a picture that had been taken not long after he was born, with his mother and father holding their happy baby and smiling. He handed the memento to Petunia.

She looked at it, the strangest expression on her face. But she nodded. "Good luck, Harry Potter. I hope you win your war."

Harry shook his head, turning back to his TARDIS. "No one wins in war. I can only hope that me and mine survive it."

~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~

Harry sat on the bench seat, holding onto a book titled The Dangerous Wonder. It described the machine that he would be using to become a Time Lord. It was called simply an Activator, and it was actually the Potter's own invention. Knowing his descendants would mostly be human, he wanted to provide them with a way to access the buried heritage of Gallifrey should they ever choose it, so he'd done a lot of research and had built the Activator.

It was based on the Chameleon Arch, in an odd hybridization with the Looms of Gallifrey, and it would build from his existing genetic structure a Time Lord body. The book warned that, as with regeneration, this would be a complete cellular rewrite, but he would not change his current face or personality much. Any defects would be corrected, and his mind would be so much bigger, but he'd still be himself. Also, as with regeneration, it was going to hurt, like the Cruciatus Curse, like dying.

But he'd made his decision. He was going to do this.

As if that decision had summoned him, there was a knock at the door to Harry's TARDIS and the monitor showed him that it was the Doctor. He went to let him in, and they walked back to the bench seat that ran in a half-circle behind the console. Harry sat with his legs crossed, and the Doctor straddled it to face him. "I got your message."

"I haven't sent one."

"You will do, then. Told me when and where to come. And why." Harry nodded and handed the book to the Doctor. He literally flipped through it, but Harry knew he had read every word. "Nasty, but it'll work. The decision is still yours, though. Are you sure?"

"I've never had a life of my own, Doctor. No real choices, just inescapable destiny. That's what I'm changing. I'm taking control of my life. But I'm glad you're here. I didn't want to do this alone and the others would freak out when they found out what this will do."

"Freaking out a little yourself?"

"Yeah."

"You have time, you know. This is a time machine."

But Harry shook his head. "I've made the decision, and I'd rather be done with this as quickly as possible."

"All right then." The Doctor stood. "Where's the machine, Potter?" he asked the portrait hanging on the second-floor wall.

The Potter quietly said, "It's in the infirmary. Good luck, Harry."

The infirmary was quite close, and when they walked through the doors, the Activator was already set up. It seemed that the TARDIS was very ready to be bonded to a Time Lord again, so she was helping as much as she could. The Doctor also noticed that there was a door to the side that was simply labeled 000, and he nodded. The Zero room would be the best place for Harry to recover once the transformation was complete. It would prevent any version of regeneration sickness, and remove all outside stressors from the equation.

Harry sat on the machine's stool, almost looking like a little child because it was so large and complicated. The Doctor strapped him into the contraption, attaching diodes around his head, chest, abdomen, and upper and lower limbs. He took Harry's glasses off and placed them on a table to the side where they wouldn't be damaged, and put a mouth guard between his jaws to keep him from breaking any teeth. That precaution, of all of the preparations, caused him to think about the pain that was coming, and he shivered.

"Last chance to back out, Harry," he said gently. "Everything's ready, and all I have to do is push the button." He knew what was coming. He'd used the Chameleon Arch, and this thing was basically a reversed version of it. He hated to think of this young man going through that, but it was his decision, and his alone.

But Harry took a deep breath through his nose and just nodded. The Doctor pushed the button that turned on the machine, and it began its gruesome work. Harry Potter spent the next hour and a half screaming.

~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~

Note: To the Girl Who Slept, in my story, the McGonagalls are one of the Noble Houses, which gave her the right to be there, and she wanted to support Harry.

I hope everyone is enjoying getting caught up with this story. Reviews are welcome and sought after!