Disclaimer: This story is based on the world of J.K. Rowling, anything you recognize belongs to that wonderful woman.
A.N.: I hope you like this chapter, I did my best to update. Thanks for reading!
A.N. UPDATE: I wanted to update this part because I don't know when I will be able to post a new chapter. I received tons of unexpected flames and the only thing I have to say to the ones who wrote them is: IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT DON'T READ IT! I understand if you don't like something and I welcome criticism when it is supported and without the need to use insults. I am not writing to impress, I write because I enjoy it. If you don't like something that is fine, you are not forced to read, and if you write someone, don't hide behind an anonymous review. If you criticize my grammar, spelling, lexicon, plot holes or anything related that is fair game, but if you start criticizing my ideas then I invite you to keep your opinion to yourself and stop reading. I tend to write back and the only impression you leave after insulting someone's creation and hiding is that you are a coward incapable of receiving an answer.
Anyhow, I wanted to thank my readers for all their support. Thanks!
Another month flew by with no interesting events taking place but there were certain improvements, his favourite had been suing Gilderoy Lockhart under his alias, which made him a couple of millions richer. However, he had enjoyed the people's support and donated it all to the hospital, which created him excellent publicity. It was a coincidence that Rita had discovered this information and wrote an article dedicated to praising him... It was beyond convenient to have a reporter working for you.
The other changes had been the treatment he once received; although no one apologized, he was no longer scrutinized like before. Now all the ill intent came from the envy of incompetent morons that envied his intelligence, looks, money, or fame. It was good he did not have the need to deal with another idiot, the Slytherins seeing Marcus following him around began to whisper about the imperius, but when the two boys came back from St. Mungus they stopped. Perhaps they were frightened by the scars that were unable to be erased even with magic or maybe it was the way their hands trembled from time to time, whatever it was he was relieved to not associate with vermin. He had thought no one else would get close to him aside from his shadows, but he was surprised when Daphne Greengrass did.
"Good evening, I have something to tell you," the girl announced with a stony expression. "My father ordered me to get close to you, so if you could publically repudiate me I would be thankful."
"Mmm, why would I ever repudiate a Lady?" he asked with a smirk.
"To hopefully provoke a heart attack to a blood purist," she stated with a smile.
"I see... While I would enjoy that, I have a better proposal, join our little group. I am sure we will be able to cause him a heart attack if you tell him you have to consort with a Nott, and you can add the half-blood that he asked you to befriend ordered you to use these muggle contraptions," he suggested signalling his backpack.
"I think this is the beginning of a beneficial partnership," she smirked, and that is how Daphne Greengrass joined their small group.
A week later Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini joined them in the library. He had noticed their glances and nervous interactions but he ignored them, he had never thought they would have the guts to talk with him; it seemed that between two people they had half of what Daphne did.
"Good evening Potter, Greengrass," Malfoy greeted ignoring Theo. "My name is Draco Malfoy and he is my friend Blaise Zabini," he raised an eyebrow and the other boy continued.
"We want to offer you our friendship."
"I see, take a seat, will you? I want to ask something first, why did you ignore Theodore? I would have not believed that is the education pure-bloods received, unless you did not see him. If that is the case I suggest a visit to the infirmary," he stated in a velvety tone that did nothing to conceal his contempt. "I wonder what I can earn with your friendship... I already have all the money and the influence I need, I am not interested in what your families offer but in what talents you possess. Theodore is an excellent strategist, Daphne has a talent for curses, Marcus has an eye for runes, and what do you have?" he asked with a smirk. He saw the internal debate going on the Malfoy but he could see resolution on Zabini's eyes.
"I know about poisons, from the rarest to the common ones," the boy answered.
"Good, do you have any idea how to create your own?" seeing the boy looking down he continued. "You can still learn, if you are willing to work hard I am sure no one will be able to surpass you," and as simple as giving someone a place to belong, the boy agreed.
"I don't know what to offer..." the other boy whispered.
"That is not a problem, the thing is, are you willing to work hard to be valuable by yourself?" he asked, knowing the boy's desire to be known as more than a Malfoy.
"I am," he promised.
In that way, the small group expanded, cemented with the desire to belong and strengthened with friendship. That was the beginning...
The small group arrived at the great hall for breakfast; Harry was humming with satisfaction, which made his companions curious. They were eating when the owls carrying the newspaper flew in, many people's eyes widened in fear and others spat their food in shock. Harry just smiled, November first was the day of the Wizengamot meeting regarding him. How convenient and opportune news can be?
LORD INCARCERATED WITHOUT TRIAL!
By Rita Skeeter
That is exactly what happened, my fellow citizens! Ten years ago were dark times for us, but even the worst death eaters were tried with fairness, but he was thrown in prison without given the same chance. Sirius Black was named by Arcturus Black Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Black on the spring of 1981, was captured accused of different crimes. The problem is that no trial took place, as you know magical records cannot be hidden or destroyed and they are available to the public. Imagine my surprise when I discovered there were no records!
I am horrified to see a Lord belonging to an old family receiving this treatment, because if he was not granted a trial, what will happen with everyday citizens like us? Will we also be thrown to Azkaban with no further consideration?
I took the liberty to investigate more about the situation and the results scare me to no end. Sirius Black was the magical guardian of Harry Potter, but the man in question was captured on November fourth; however, our hero was placed on the Dursley's household on the first. Why was the man not notified? His other magical guardian was his godmother Alice Longbottom, who was tortured to insanity along with her husband by death eaters on November tenth. Why was our young Potter not placed with them? While I am glad Harry Potter was spared from their terrible fate, I have to wonder why he was not placed with his legal guardians.
Further investigation led me to discover the will of the Potter's was sealed! For the ones who don't know, a will can only be sealed in the case of a war, after it has been read to all the beneficiaries and with the signature of the Minister, Chief Warlock, and head of the DMLE, who at the time were Millicent Bagnold, Albus Dumbledore, and Bartemious Crouch respectively. However, it was never read and it was sealed on November second. They were the same people who signed the documents that incarcerated a lord without trial. Why did they send a baby to the clutches of those monsters? What information did the Potter's will contain to be sealed?
Today, Friday I will be present at the open session of the Wizengamot and rest assured my dear readers, I will strive to find out the answers for this perturbing questions.
"You should inform us before pulling a stunt like this," Marcus complained reading the article.
"He is right, it is a bloody nightmare because they don't stop staring at us," Daphne agreed, looking around in disdain.
"I promise nothing."
"Whatever, I heard yesterday a troll got in the castle. Quirrel came running to the hall and fainted, but no one else saw it, not even the professors," Draco gossiped.
"It was good that we stayed in Harry's room to have dinner, I like Flitwick even more for giving us permission not attend to the feast," Blaise added ignoring Draco's pout.
"He is a sadistic monster," Theo complained "And you too!" he exclaimed pointing at Harry.
"It is called exercise, I will one day take you to a gym if you continue whining," he threatened and the boy's eyes widened in a comic way but he remained silent.
"It is good to celebrate Samhain as it is meant for a change," Marcus commented and they all agreed.
Harry and his group were having dinner that same day in his room when Ella popped in.
"Young Master, the Wizengamot session just ended," the little one informed.
"Thank you for coming in person to inform me, dear Ella, have you had dinner yet?"
"I will, at the castle."
"Would you please do me the honour of joining me and my friends?" he asked, ignoring the three boy's wide eyes and Theo's amused expression, Daphne was too concentrated on her chocolate éclair to notice.
"Of course," she agreed and sat beside him, a plate appeared in front of her.
"Hello Ella," Theo and Daphne greeted in unison.
"Hi!" the little one greeted excitedly.
"First thing first, how are the new members integrating into the family?" Harry asked referring to the new elves.
"It is so sad Young Master, most of them are healthy now but a few still need time to heal. They did not wish to accept clothes, shoes, or food; bad masters washed their brain. But they are starting to adapt, many like to wash in the cleaning waterfall" she commented and began eating her food after a few moments she continued. "They like their new names and enjoy the work; Misa and Cleo enjoy making clothes."
"Good, they should take care of themselves during their pregnancy," Harry approved.
"They are healthy and Lady Elizabeth enjoys sharing designs with them. Though we still have to be monitoring some constantly for them not to find ways of punishing themselves," she sighed and continued eating.
"I will talk to them tomorrow; I feel their magic growing so I won't worry too much. I assume they are been taught the correct use of language, I will need to speak with Rome about how we will be distributing them around the house... I have to think on the Yule presents too," he muttered and got lost in his thoughts. "What happened in the Wizengamot dear?"
"It was fun!" she announced and Harry wondered if psychologists treated elves. "Miss Blair destroyed them! Many people came to watch. When Madam Bones requested a trial for Mister Black, they had to agree for the pressure they received. He was declared innocent, the rat was condemned to thirty years in Azkaban, the man with the white beard and hideous clothing was the most vocal about denying him a trial... Mister Black demanded your parents' will to be released and all the people who were watching agreed, he also demanded your custody and it was approved. Miss Blair is having all the fun though, she is suing Millicent Bagnold, Bartemious Crouch, and Albus Dumbledore for compensations," she informed with stars in her eyes.
"That is good to know, finish eating before you leave dear," she nodded and kept eating, throughout this time Draco, Blaise, and Marcus looked confused.
"Thank you for the dinner, sir."
"Thank you for the company Ella, have a restful night dear."
"Before I leave I must tell you that the Minister is getting desperate for approval, be careful sir, goodnight," and she popped out, after a few minutes the shocked boys composed themselves.
"Why did you treat her like that?" Draco asked.
"Like what? A person? Because she is my friend," he shrugged.
"I... No, I mean-"
"Elves are powerful beings, capable of feats that no wizard would ever dare to dream of. However, they are unable to create their own magic, which is the reason they form a bond with a wizard. They turn the magic given to their own and in exchange, they offer their aid. However, that tradition was perverted by our ancestors in their belief that they were superior and started treating what once were close friends and allies as slaves. Nowadays the bonds are so weak that they don't have enough magic to perform things they once did. The bond I share with the two elves in my house is so strong that father forgets my existence and I live in my room, they can manipulate minds with nothing more than sheer desire," Daphne explained.
"But we were taught they are nothing more than vermin!" Draco exclaimed.
"We were also taught that no half-blood could ever be more powerful than a pure-blood and here we are," Marcus commented and the blond shut up.
"Magic is magic and is present in different ways. Most magical species have different kinds of magic that can be more powerful than ours. Muggle-borns tend to be unusually powerful, take my mother, for example, the only thing people could complain about was her blood," Harry said in a serious tone.
"That is true, when my father laments the fall of the Dark Lord he can think of hundreds of insults for James Potter, but the only thing he mentions about Lily Potter is her blood," Marcus told the others.
"My mother doesn't care about the blood, but many times she complains about your mother," Blaise said looking at him. "She always describes her as too beautiful to be real, she swears she had to either be a veela or made a deal with the devil. Mother is quite vain and was offended to discover someone more beautiful than her" he chuckled.
"Yeah, my grandfather lost his... Ehm, the ability to have kids during a fight with your mother. I have no idea what he called her, but the few times he complains he looks around like the devil himself is out to get him," Theo reminisced looking pleased.
"Mother was the most powerful witch of her generation; she and my father battled Voldemort and his minions by themselves and forced them to retreat. During winter vacations ask your father about the best fighters during the war, you will be surprised how most of them were muggle-borns and half-bloods," Harry suggested. "Don't forget that blood has nothing to do with power."
Winter holidays arrived much to his pleasure, the school was getting on his nerves and people were on the border of making him lose the little patience he had. What irritated him the most was the headmaster's disturbing interest on him, such as the time he was called to his office to discuss his vacations, it was good Professor Flitwick accompanied him. He needed to get the man a good present for Christmas... Perhaps he should add a few professors to that list.
"Harry, it is good to see you," the man greeted ignoring the professor.
"Headmaster," he said and waited or the man to talk.
"I see that you didn't put your name in the list of people who are staying over. I know your godfather is free but he needs time to heal and-"
"I am sorry to interrupt, but I am not going with him. I am going to the orphanage, a lot of help is needed this time of the year plus I wish to visit my old teachers," he stated.
"I see my boy, but wouldn't you like to stay at the castle? Our Christmas feast is wonderful!" the man exclaimed with a genial smile.
"I don't wish to stay, even though I like the library that is a fickle motivation. I would rather stay in my home," he said; enjoy the desperate eyes of the man.
"I see no more reason to continue this discussion, Mister Potter has classes Albus," Flitwick announced and they left the office.
He guided his group to the compartment he had used the last time on the train. He took a seat and signalled them to do the same.
"If I had known this compartment was available I would have never ridden on the others," Marcus pouted, glaring at the comfortable seats.
"What are you planning on your holidays?" Draco asked. "We have to go to the Ministry ball, but mother promised to take me to that new restaurant and clothes shop."
"I will listen to my grandfather complain, at least I will have my elf," Theo sighed.
"Same as the bleached blonde, but mother wants me to meet a few girls," Marcus complained.
"I will be the perfect daughter," Daphne added before Draco complained.
"We will visit my grandparents in Italy," Blaise informed them.
"The Ministry also sent us an invitation to their ball, opportunist buffoons won't leave me alone. Anyways, I will travel with my sister to the Asiatic Empire," Harry said leaving them shocked.
"Sister? You have a sister!" Draco exclaimed.
"Adoptive sister, but I love her as my own," he explained taking out a book from his backpack.
"Will we finally be able to get the backpack you promised?" Daphne asked, once again diffusing a troublesome situation.
"You will, a new shop will open in Diagon Alley tomorrow, go there. Give your names and you will be able to choose the design you like," he said.
"That is great! The Ravenclaws would have followed your example if they were not so jealous, the Slytherins are afraid, the Gryffindors stubborn, and the Hufflepuffs don't want to offend you. But I bet most of the school will have them when we go back," Theo analyzed with a wide smile.
"I wanted to talk you about something," Marcus said in an almost inaudible voice. "Have you ever heard of the Slytherin Guild or Hogwarts Court?" he asked looking around. "A guild is formed when a Slytherin fulfils the following requisites: defeat the person that rules the house by force, defeat the person who follows him or her in power by cunning, and earns the respect of at least half of the people on each year in the House. Harry already accomplished those three."
"What benefits does a Guild have?" the boy in question asked.
"A guild rules Slytherin, the prefects and even the head of the house obey him. He puts the rules and the house follows."
"Mmm, I think I like the idea of a Guild," Harry smirked.
"What is a Hogwarts Court?" Daphne asked.
"A Hogwarts court is a Slytherin guild applied to school but with a defined leader or a king, who in our case would be Harry" he announced with obvious adoration in his tone.
"What do we need to form a Court and what are their duties?" Blaise questioned the older boy.
"To form the Court you need to: have every house respect the king, have at least ten powerful members, and have a person of each house in the Court. However, the benefits are unbelievable, the last Court was formed seven hundred and something years ago, the Queen was reported to have control over Hogwarts. Common rooms, passages, wards, ghosts, portraits, and many more. It was written that the power she had over the castle rivalled the one from the headmaster because she recognized both as her protectors," he said with such a reverence directed at Harry Potter than most people would be disturbed by the display, but the people in the compartment understood and shared.
"We will establish a guild once we return, the court will have to wait," Harry decided and everyone agreed. They had found their King...
"Brother!" Elizabeth exclaimed and he was attacked with a hug that threatened to bruise him later.
"Elizabeth," he greeted and hugged the girl back. "May I introduce you to my friends? Theodore Knott, Marcus Travers, Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy. She is my sister, Elizabeth Potter."
"Adopted you say..." Theo muttered and was elbowed by Daphne, though she had to admit the similitude was staggering.
"Pleased to meet you, now I apologize but my brother needs to deal with his childish godfather and a few elves," she said with a smile.
"I will see you after the new year," Harry said and the siblings left.
"She is pretty," Draco commented with a slight blush.
"Never mention that to him," Marcus warned, smiling when the boy blanched.
They arrived at the manor through a portkey and he admired the grounds satisfied, even when he liked winter he appreciated the ever-present spring inside the castle wards. He heard his aunt's voice from the moment he put a foot inside, it seemed his childish godfather would be eviscerated by the angry woman.
"Aunt Eleadora, I missed your sweet voice," he commented and was enveloped into a hug though he did not miss his godfather's thankful expression.
"Here you are dear, is so good to see you, I would have gone with Lizzy but the idiot had to try and play a prank. Now we need to find another formal suit," the woman lamented.
"I did not know it was meant to be formal, it looked like a dress to me!" the man defended himself, cowering behind a couch.
"And that dear sister is the ignorance of this country personified; do try to not follow his example."
"Yes, that... Wait, how dare you little brat!"
"I see that you are recovered Sirius, however, do refrain from playing any prank in the property. Though the guards are always looking for decent target practice," he commented, smirking at the man's wide eyes.
"You got too much of Lily, I swear that the only thing that came from your father is the name and the hair colour," the man complained.
"I hope you are right, I shudder to think at the idea of my wife using me as target practice. Whatever, are you ready for the trip?"
"Yeah, I tried to contact an old friend but I can't find him," the man complained looking serious.
"I will once again remind you that you have to behave yourself, this trip has many purposes but none of them is gaining the ill will of a nation. Do not forget that we have the honour to receive an invitation from the emperor himself, not the other way around," the boy stated with a serious expression when the emperor was informed that he would visit he was invited to multiple events and Harry was not planning to jeopardize his status in the foreign country. "You can still remain here and look for your friend because I will not allow any prank to be played once we arrive," he stated and the man nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation.
"I have already chosen the presents for each occasion with the help of the elves," Eliza announced interrupting the tense situation. "Do you want to see them?"
"I trust your good taste, are you ready?"
"Yes, aunt and the elves are also ready, your godfather is the only that needed to understand that formal wear are not dresses," she said scowling at the man.
"Sirius, have you thought about asking an elf to see where your friend is?" Eleadora asked.
"I... Had not thought on that," the man said with wide eyes.
"You can stay, I doubt you will have fun with us and it is obvious you want to see that friend of yours," Eliza told the man who nodded.
"We have time to catch up Sirius, besides we have met every weekend since you were taken from Azkaban, you can always join us later," Harry said taking pity on the confused man.
"I will stay, but I will go there for Christmas," the man announced "Have fun pup, ladies!" he said as farewell going to look for an elf with haste.
"I am glad that man did not raise you," Elizabeth said while they waited for their elves to join.
"I am too, dear sister, I am too," he agreed. "Never mind, now that we are all here let's go," and with that order, three humans and five elves popped.
They arrived at a parlour that while simple was tastefully decorated. Harry walked towards a window and raised an eyebrow at the sight, large fields were covered in snow but no other house was in sight.
"If I am not mistaken Ploutos said he bought a small cabin, once again I am showed how much better taste elves have," he commented with a diminutive smile grazing his face.
"I believe it is time for dinner here, do you want to go to a restaurant?" he asked the people in front of him when he saw the mutinous pout of Lea, the cook for the trip he added, "to taste the food this country has to offer."
They popped to the central city which was named Sakura, where they found a tasteful restaurant and walked in. Harry thanked his excellent memory for he only had a few months to dominate Japanese and Mandarin; the main languages spoken in the Asian empire. They were led to a small room that had a table in the middle and waited for their food. He was pleased when the food arrived, he had ordered a Kaiseki type of dinner to have a taste of everything, he smiled at his elves wide eyes at the variety of unknown food and saw the sparkle in Lea's eyes at the possibilities, and it seemed he would be able to enjoy these delicacies for a long time.
After paying for the dinner and thanking the people who served them, they walked through the city, finding many souvenirs that his sister took a fancy to. His aunt was fascinated by the books and lamented the fact she only knew the basics of the language, his elves bought many types of street food, fascinated by the differences. He took advantage of their distraction to look for presents for all the elves, considering he now had more than four hundred it was going to be an arduous task. Afterwards, they popped back to the 'cabin' for a restful night.
The next day Harry woke up early, three twenty-seven to be precise, he sighed at the time zones messing with his internal clock. Knowing sleep was not an option he began his homework, by the time Ella came to wake him up he had finished and had nothing else to do. He got ready for the day and went downstairs only to find two zombie looking females.
"Why do you look so alive?" Eliza complained.
"That is not normal," Eleadora agreed.
"It is a secret," he stated taking a seat, a salad fruit and juice appeared in front of him, remembering Lea's curiosity for the food he called her and she popped in.
"Does young master want a different breakfast?" the little one asked confused.
"No dear, it is delicious. I wanted to ask you if you want to take classes in here, you enjoyed the food yesterday, so I thought you would like to learn how to make it," he explained to the little female who nodded enthusiastically. "Good, today you can look for places to learn, don't forget that money is not a problem dear."
"Thank you sir!" the excited elf exclaimed.
"Today both of you go and see the city, I have to begin making the arrangements for the branch office of the potions ingredient store. Aurelius and Magnus are coming with me so don't worry," he explained the women.
"You are just like Lily; she never lost a chance to make business... Did you know she dated a Japanese duellist before?" his aunt asked with a wide smile.
"Of course, they were together for a year and a half," he responded spoiling the woman's fun. "If I am not wrong she broke up with him when he suggested her to leave England because of the war, mother was angry. They would have probably married if he had not suggested her to abandon her family," he commented. "But do try to tell Sirius, the idiot probably believes my father was her first boyfriend," he suggested with a smirk.
"Yeah, James and his friends could be... Dense, a woman as beautiful and intelligent would have never remained single unless she wanted to. Mmm, I guess I can also use Sirius presence to talk about all her suitors," she chuckled.
"I agree with you dear aunt, it will be good for entertainment sake," he said, a smile curving his mouth at the prospect.
Days went by in similar a fashion, by the end of the week the potions ingredient store was almost ready to open its doors. Lea had been fascinated with all the things she had learned about cooking and he had discovered that the traditional Japanese breakfast was perfect for him. His sister had been the one finding presents for all the elves, which included objects from the muggle side of the place. She was making plans with Eleadora for what the menu of the new cafe would contain, taking ideas like green tea, mochi, and dango between others. The day they had to go to the royal palace in China arrived, at last, the eight people dressed and ready popped to the castle.
Rich colours were the first thing he noticed, along with breathtaking carvings, taking an immediate like to the decoration of the place.
"It is good to meet you at last Lord Potter," an old man who was wearing silk clothes and had a slight accent greeted.
"Your Highness," he bowed low. "I am not a Lord yet, so please call me Harry," he said.
"Ah, I see you have learned our traditions, good to know," the man approved with a twinkle in his eyes. "May I introduce my granddaughter and heir, Hwasa Nur Wu," he introduced a slight girl that he had to admit was as beautiful as him.
"Pleased to meet you, may I introduce my companions?" he asked after bowing to the girl. "My aunt Eleadora Pittsum, my sister Elizabeth Potter, my friends and confidants Lea, Aurelius, Magnus, Rowan, and Llyr."
"Pleased to meet you, it is good to know that you do not share the British idiocy concerning elves," the man approved. "I myself work along with Yosei, fairies that have similar powers to elves and who, I must admit with shame, my people hold with little regard. Let's go to the dining room, I am an old man after all."
They followed the man and again he approved their good taste, an occidental style table waited instead of the traditional, he guessed they wanted to make them feel at ease with the familiar furniture. They all took a seat and food began to arrive.
"Thank you for inviting us, Emperor Shi Huan," Harry told the old man.
"I wanted to meet the child of Lily Evans. Did you know she dated my nephew years ago?" the man asked with mischief shining in his eyes.
"I did, Hanyu Takashi if I am correct," he said ruining the man's fun.
"That one, your mother was a true jewel, too bad the moron let her go. I was more than willing to accept the wedding," the man sighed.
"My mother was a brilliant woman," he agreed.
"Yes, it is good that you inherited more than her beauty," the man nodded looking at his aunt. "Hags have powerful magic that interlaces with blood magic, ignorant British Ministry does not appreciate what they have."
"I could not agree more," Harry nodded.
The rest of the evening was passed between food and laughter, he learned about how did the empire work. Apparently, the country had been built before muggles created countries. They had multiple cities spread through the continent, where the emperor assigned one of his Yosei to overview. There were ten magical schools, four dedicated to teaching the basics to children age nine to twelve, afterwards, there were many choices for specializations and five magical universities for later studies. He had to say he was impressed, especially when Hwasa mentioned a few of the subjects. It seemed his mother had gotten inspiration from the Asian education system, which would explain the variety of books and extensive notes on different subjects.
Throughout the night, he discovered the emperor was a jovial man with a somewhat twisted sense of humour and the princess was an intelligent female with who he shared many interests. Overall, it was an excellent evening and he was looking forward to their dinner next week. He had also realized his mother had an excellent taste in suitors, first a member of the royal family and then a Lord. Although she had loved both, she approved of personal power and both had that to spare. He decided that moment that if he ever dated, the person would need to be as intelligent as him, as beautiful as his mother, and be powerful in their own right.
It was the twenty-fourth when the princess arrived at the manor. She had taken a liking to his sister and both enjoyed pestering him to take them out. It seemed the emperor had found a way of having a peaceful holiday by sacrificing him, not that he could blame the man. They were chatting in the parlour, with Lea bringing them her little experiments with food when Sirius and a worn-looking man popped in. He was pleased to see the princess was not defenceless, in less than a second she was up with wand in hand. She concealed her abrupt reaction with a graceful bow once she recognized the elves.
"Good evening Sirius, yes, of course, you can come, we have no plans nor guests, how thoughtful of you," he said with sarcasm dripping off his words and saw the man about to answer when he saw their guest.
"And who is this lady? New girlfriend, you-"
"She is Princess Hwasa Nur Wu, next in line for the crown" Elizabeth interrupted the man before he said something even more stupid.
"I apologize, the idiot has the tendency of forgetting the uses of a brain," Harry explained.
"I see... I understand how hard is to train mutts. Elizabeth, let's go for a walk," she said and both disappeared, he sighed, this meant now she could boss him around for longer.
"I hope you are happy now Sirius," he said to the man who looked like an ugly kicked puppy.
"How was I supposed to know?!"
"Ah, asking would be an excellent start. Sorry for the idiot," he apologized to the other man.
"I am used to him, my name is Remus Lupin," the man introduced himself.
"Harry Potter, a pleasure," he responded. "Mother wrote about you, if what she said was true would you please control the mutt?"
"I will see what I can do," the man answered, smiling at the pout of said mutt.
"You are getting too cocky squirt. I am your godfather, which means that you have to respect me," Sirius demanded.
"When you start acting your age."
"See what I told you, Remus? He has no sense of fun or humour! What would James say if he knew the next generation does not want to follow our footsteps?"
"He would look at my mother and agree to whatever she says," Harry interrupted.
"Cruel, that is what the child is. We need to teach him how to have fun, he is always reading! Do you remember the muggle torture machine Lily enchanted? Her son does the same, he runs every morning!" the man exclaimed horrified.
"I am going to find the girls, Remus please control him. I hope we will be able to talk without the drama queen in the middle," he said and left, Sirius had a tendency to exaggerate, attribute that amused and annoyed him at the same time.
The holidays flew by with a particularly interesting event. Hwasa and he were in a snake reserve to talk with the parselmouths, it was a surprise for him to discover he was one. The emperor had given him a thick tome containing information about parselmagic that he read with devotion. Harry had no idea how he ended up possessing the talent but he was satisfied. After hiring two people to work at the reserves, the boy wondered how similar snakes were to dragons if parselmouths were able to understand them...
Before he knew it, he was back in England a day before the train parted to Hogwarts. He had enjoyed experimenting with a new culture, finding food he enjoyed, making many interesting deals, and finding a person who shared his sarcastic nature. Now he was sitting along with his sister, aunt, and Remus in the new cafe he opened called 'Claire de Lune'. It was an elegant place with three floors and a large patio, being a novelty people crowded the place to the point the same system as the restaurant had to be implemented. He saw familiar faces approaching and smirked at their wide eyes.
"This place has style," Daphne said like a greeting.
"That is the purpose; you already met my sister. I introduce you to my dear aunt Eleadora and a family friend Remus Lupin. My godfather tried to play a prank on the security elves and now is serving as target practice," he informed the amused people. "They are my friends: Theodore Knott, Marcus Travers, Daphne Greengrass, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy," pleasantries were exchanged and they sat down.
Remus Lupin was a confused man ever since Sirius had found him, after hours of apologies and tears they began to talk about their lives. When Sirius described Harry, he could not help but imagine a small James with Lily's personality, however, when he met the boy he was surprised. He did have some Potter traits but most of him was pure Lily, even his hair looked like his mother's in the sunlight. He was not expecting Harry to be a Slytherin, nor to accept his furry problem as if it was a simple quirk instead of a dangerous curse.
He was surprised when the child asked if he had wolfs-bane in a blasé tone and had been dumbfounded when he was asked to offer jobs to werewolves. Harry said that they tended to have an excellent memory, never forgetting a scent or a face, making them excellent undercover guards for his business. The salary was more than excellent plus the additional bonus of wolfs-bane and a safe place to turn in the Potter sanctuary. Dozens of werewolves were given jobs and acceptance, Remus thought Harry did not understand how important this had been, with that simple act, he gained the unwavering loyalty of dozens of werewolves. It was understandable for him to be in a constant state of amazement, and now he was meeting his friends it was no different. Most of them were children of death eaters but seemed to adore the boy.
"I hope you enjoyed your presents," Harry said to the newcomers.
"The necklace is a work of art," Daphne said with a smile.
"Go is a game that I never imagined that existed," sighed Theo with a smile.
"Father almost had a heart attack when he discovered the shoes you sent me were made by muggles," Draco chuckled "You have to tell me where to get more though."
"A shop will open in a few months, we are still getting the materials," Elizabeth said with a gentle tone, signalling a waiter to come and leave the menu.
"My father looked on the border of tears when he discovered the tasteful new stores were based on muggle designs. I think he is still having a breakdown after he praised the fountain pens that you sent me," Marcus commented looking blissful.
"It seems my mother was the only one pleased seeing the robe you sent me," Blaise smiled. "Did you like your presents?"
"I did, books make me infinitely happy," he answered remembering the old tomes he was given, not mentioning his mother already had copies of them.
"How did you get a place in here?" asked Draco. "Mother did everything she could to get one but she got a reserve a week from now."
"The perks of owning the place," Harry said laughing at their wide eyes. "Order whatever you like, it is my treat today." They looked at the variety of teas, coffees, juices, and deserts with wide eyes.
"So that is why so many people come here, there is so much to chose," Daphne whispered.
"You should try the matcha latte, it is delightful," Eleadora suggested the girl and she agreed. Minutes later the food was served and they enjoyed their last evening before classes.
The train ride was uninteresting, except for the fact that most of the students seemed to be carrying a backpack. The feast was plain boring while he tried to ignore the looks from the head of his house and the headmaster. However, the other professors smiled at him. He had sent a gift card to his shops and a reserve for both the restaurant and café to all the teachers including Madam Prince, Poppy Pomfrey, Rubeous Hagrid, and Argus Filch. He, for obvious reasons, ignored Snape, Binns, Quirrel, and of course the headmaster. Harry had given professor Flitwick a special briefcase with the man's initials as a way of thanking him for all the aid.
The attention he was receiving would not distract him from the most important event of the night, establishing a Slytherin Guild.
They took a seat in the common room, a thing that was not usual so many people stared but no one would dare to ask. They waited until the room was full and Marcus spoke.
"We will establish a Guild from this moment on," he announced in his deep voice demanding all the attention of the observers. "Most of you may know what a Guild is but I will explain either way. The Slytherin Guild is in charge of placing rules and enforcing them, we order and you obey. Does anyone wish to challenge our authority?" he asked, few seemed to want to, but a look at the boy that had defined the hierarchy months ago was enough to keep them silent.
"It is good we can all agree," Harry said standing up, and even with his gentle tone, people were not fooled. "We have simple rules, but if you break them I will punish you, no second chances are given. First, the words mud-blood, blood-traitor, and everything similar are forbidden, you may believe in blood purity but don't ever let me catch you speaking or acting on it. Second, no bullying. I don't care what your excuses are. If you feel the need to feel powerful by harassing a helpless insect go ahead, but if I ever hear a whisper about it, you will plead me to be as lenient as I was with Marcus. Slytherin is a noble house, don't you dare to blemish it with your uncouth actions, and you will act like civilized people. Third, be polite to everyone, from the house elves to the first generation magical, I will not tolerate a single act of foolishness from now on. These are simple rules, don't dare to force my hand because you won't like the results." he threatened with a gentle smile that chilled most of the people.
"Also designate a person from each year to speak with us excepting our year. Our duty is to guide you, so if anyone has problems in any subject we will find a solution. We will be changing the common room for a place where you can actually work in, anything you need, don't be afraid to request from us and as long as it is reasonable we will make it." Daphne announced with that regal air that made people nod in agreement. "Good, have a restful night then," she dismissed them and everyone but them left the common room.
"I expected it to be harder," Blaise commented.
"Either way we did it, Rome?" Harry called his elf.
"Master Harry called," the little one said popping in.
"Yes, I want to ask you a favour, have this place decent for tomorrow, and bring as many elves as you need to redecorate it. It needs to be bigger, has good illumination, has enough sitting places and tables to work in, and please put some curtains on that window. I trust you, dear Rome, you know what to do," he said and the little elf was analyzing the room with distaste.
"It was time, no Potter should be in such a place," the elf announced and left with a pop.
"I want to see how this place looks tomorrow," Draco said in anticipation. "Dobby, my house elf is still wary of me but at least I convinced him not to punish himself. I will offer a personal bond in the summer. Mother wants to meet you by the way; she invited all of you to the manor this summer."
"I have a trip planned but we can meet, you should also come to the castle, my elves don't have enough people to attend. Though it is better with the shops and the shoe shop will make things easier for them," Harry said looking concerned.
"I also talked with my elf; we made a personal bond instead of the family one a few days before school. She looks healthy and happier than I have ever seen her, I asked her to make father forget he has an elf so she can be in peace while I'm gone," Marcus commented.
"I told you elves are powerful, time for bed, we have too much to do tomorrow," Daphne ordered and everyone went to their rooms.
The next morning they were sitting in the common room from an early hour, waiting for the people to arrive and admire their new space. Slytherins walked in amazed at the majestic splendour of what once was a dour place, the light fell from the ceiling and people were confused to notice strange things that were responsible for it. The floor was black stone and the walls pale cream, green couches were arranged in different places surrounding white tables and over silver rugs. Many white bookcases filled with books dominated one side of what used to be an empty wall, next to small desks with separations to work on. There were many white tables surrounded by comfortable looking green chairs. Few noticed that the room was twice as big as it once had been but everyone noticed that what the Guild promised became truth, and that horrifying realization made them understand that punishments were included. No one dared to consider disobeying the rules the Slytherin Guild had established.
Severus Snape was itching to find a way of punishing the boy for such a blatant show of disrespect. Most of the teachers, including the ones that were in charge of the electives, had received gifts from the brat, thanking them for their dedication to teach the next generation. It had been a subtle jab that had hurt his pride, but he was not able to give him a punishment for that. He was paying attention to his snakes when he felt his blood turn to ice.
Harry Potter and his friends were sitting in the middle of the table and his snakes were divided by year. As a snake himself, he knew what that meant but did not wish to believe it was possible, he could not have done that... But no matter how much he denied it, the image did not change. A Slytherin Guild was created after more than a century. Severus understood that if he messed with Harry Potter the house would turn on him, the boy had overpowered him without even trying and that idea frightened him more than he was able to express.
Headmaster's Private Quarters, Hogwarts
Albus Dumbledore was reading the last report of the long school year. Nothing had been going well for him. After Christmas a few Gryffindor first years had tried to pass all the obstacles and they were almost murdered by the troll, he would have been impressed if not for the amount of trouble it caused. Filius had been livid to discover the measly defences he put on the door and had gone to the DMLE without hesitation, putting in risk his own job but stating that his honour demanded him to protect the students. Madam Bones had been ruthless with her sanctions; every single teacher that had known was in probation except for Filius. He was under scrutiny and the most diminutive mistake would have him kicked out of the castle.
Minerva had been furious and was about to step down as Deputy Headmistress and rip him a new one in the process. It was good that Filius had managed to speak with her and agreed to share the responsibility. The problem is that what happened with the DMLE was nothing compared to the complications that Harry Potter presented.
He observed the strange interactions of the Slytherins the first day of classes after the holidays, he was curious but he dismissed it as unimportant. That had been a terrible mistake... He noticed their attitude changed in a positive way. All the teachers were glad to report Slytherin had turned into the house with the politest students, they never caused problems, they helped their classmates, and they were civil with muggle-borns...
It was too good to be true so he had pestered Severus to tell him what was going on but the man was always busy. He had searched in the library and was in the border of insanity when one of the portraits of an old headmaster spoke to him about the Slytherin Guild. A group with more power over the house than any professor. His blood curled at the prospect, but almost ordered the portrait of the old man to give him more information. It said that the last Guild belonged to Evgenia Tserova, a powerful Slytherin that ruled the house with an iron fist. He remembered the woman from his youth, the wife of Frederick Potter, who possessed an aura of undeniable power even at her advanced age. Never before he had met a person that imposed so much respect as her. She and her husband made the Potter fortune grow and during their times, not mentioning she had more power at the Ministry than the Minister himself.
Albus would be lying if he said he was not afraid of what would the child do with power at his disposal, but having no more ways to guide the boy there was nothing left to do but hope that another Dark Lord would not be created.
Omake: McGonagall vs. Dumbledore
Minerva was a stoic woman who showed little emotion, but at the moment, she was furious with Albus Dumbledore. She had told the old fool that those muggles were the worst sort of muggles that he could imagine, but had he listened to her? No, of course not because he knew better! See the consequences now; the poor boy had suffered throughout his life. She would make sure he regretted not listening to her.
"Minerva, it is good to have you here-" the man began in an appeasing tone behind his desk.
"Did you know?" she asked looking murderous.
"I did not know until it was too late," he said closing his eyes.
"You promised you would take care of him!" the woman shouting pointing his wand at him.
"Now, calm down Minerva, I am sure that revenge is not the solution," the man said with wide eyes and discovered with growing horror he could not move.
An incantation later Minerva left the office with a spring in her step and a mane of white hair in her hand.
The next day students watched in amusement and fear the hairless man that walked in a funny way. Severus would have helped him if not for the fear of retribution; the waxing spell was one of the cruellest punishments a person invented.