Harry appeared in the library, mentally exhausted, and plopped himself down on a chair. Permanent body conjuration required extremely fine attention to detail and did not tolerate any mistakes, so it was difficult and tiring to perform even with the aid of a wand. There were not many sorcerers who would know how to create a body which was capable of hosting a soul as intricate as the Dark Lord's - in Britain, the only one Harry knew who would be capable of such a feat was Albus Dumbledore, and he would not be open to the prospect of aiding the Dark Lord's rise to power.
He had, of course, not been entirely honest about his motivations to aid the Dark Lord's return - the Dark Lord was dangerous and Harry had no doubt that at some point in the future he was going to become a problem. For now, however, the Dark Lord was the only person with both the perfect position and the perfect incentive to dislodge the reactionary attitudes prevalent in all levels of the British government. In time, he would turn his attention towards other endeavors, and it was then that Harry thought he would prove to be a problem. Nevertheless, Harry thought that in this case, the reward was well worth the risk. The added benefit of having access to inside information from the Department of Mysteries was only the icing on the cake.
For now, what made him confident of his own safety was his possession of the horcrux. It was a serious liability for the Dark Lord, since if the soul shard within a horcrux was to be destroyed (which was more difficult than destroying the horcrux itself), it would create a violent mental and spiritual backlash against the creator of the horcrux. The result would be similar to what the Dark Lord had suffered thirteen years ago, when Harry and Ravenclaw had conjectured the Dark Lord had managed to inflict the same damage on himself. This was a risk inherent in the use of a horcrux, and it was the real reason why they needed to be kept in secure locations. The destruction of the horcrux itself, but not of the soul shard, would merely result in the reunification of the soul shard along the connection, and not do much damage to the sorcerer who'd created it.
The threat of destroying the soul shard had went unsaid, but Harry knew the Dark Lord had understood the reason behind his apparently unfounded courage. It was simply not a threat Harry was daring enough to make openly, and it was a weakness the Dark Lord did not want to admit openly, which meant that part of the negotiation had been carried out silently.
"Did the meeting proceed as expected?"
Harry looked up to see Ravenclaw eyeing him with curiosity and no small amount of concern. "Yes. The meeting itself was the least challenging part of this plan, however. It is from now on that we will begin to face... difficulties."
Ravenclaw lost the concern in her expression after hearing that the meeting went according to plan. Her curiosity only increased, however. "I gather that we were correct in our evaluation of Lord Voldemort's personality?"
Harry nodded. "We were. In time he will become a threat, no doubt, but for the moment I trust he will act in line with our expectations." With a frown on his face, Harry continued. "I shared with him what we'd discovered about the conspiracy, and he was quite surprised by it. I don't think Rookwood himself will have any directly pertinant information, since I believe he would've shared any such intelligence with the Dark Lord, but whatever information he does have should be a start."
"How do you plan to proceed once you've acquired the information on the identities of the Unspeakables?"
Harry placed his right elbow on the arm of the chair and put his hand under his chin, his expression turning contemplative. "I would like nothing better than to interrogate them directly, but that is out of the question now. Not only would it create trouble with the law, but I don't trust my ability to subdue any of the conspirators involved. If the ward on the Express is any indication, they will be quite skilled and dangerous." Harry paused. "Exactly how I proceed depends on the nature of the information I am able to glean from Rookwood - if all I can get is a list of names, the only way forward may be to infiltrate the Department directly; either in person or through use of the Imperius on one of the Unspeakables who are comparatively less capable of defending themselves. It is a risky plan, one I have no doubt that the Unspeakables have taken some precautions against, so I am hoping that Rookwood has more information than simply a list of names. I would rather not resort to this method if I don't have to."
Ravenclaw made a humming noise. "That is reasonable. How will you handle the... other problem?"
The other problem Ravenclaw was referring to was the problem of Albus Dumbledore. Harry had no intention of openly antagonizing the man, at least not at this point. Eventually, like the Dark Lord's thirst for power, Dumbledore's undying support for liberalism would have to be dealt with; but for now the man was in a position of significant power and he was not above using illegal means to combat the Dark Lord if he proves to be too much of a risk too quickly. Harry had been surprised to learn, through use of Legilimency on the unsuspecting Minchum, that Dumbledore led an illegal resistance group against the Dark Lord's followers during the War - the Order of the Phoenix. From what he'd been able to learn, the Order had significant success in containing the worst of the atrocities committed by pureblood fanatics, which was encouraging.
Harry did not know how the Dark Lord planned to break the prejudices leading to intellectual sloth in the British wizarding community, but depending on the circumstances it was conceivable for him to meet resistance, in which case whatever remained of the Order could be repurposed into blocking their attempts at retaining their influence. The prejudices were too ingrained in the minds of the old families at this point for them to change their minds overnight simply because the Dark Lord asked them to. However powerful he may be, the Dark Lord was only one man, and he could not resist the combined might of the pureblood elites alone. For now, however, Harry would leave that part of the scheming to the Dark Lord.
All this meant that it would benefit Harry to have a cordial, if not friendly, relationship with Dumbledore. For that to happen, he'd have to provide an explanation to him about the reason behind his disappearance, and he would have to do so in a way without exposing too much about his motives too early on. He would have to tell Dumbledore a story which was convincing enough for him to accept it. With these thoughts on his mind, Harry responded.
"Tell him the truth, but not the whole truth. I doubt Dumbledore has any need to know of your identity, and if he asks I could simply tell him that I was asked to keep it a secret. I've no doubt he would be curious, but he would accept the explanation, and that's all I need him to do."
"I see." Ravenclaw looked as if she wanted to say more but was hesitating, so Harry gestured for her to go on. She relented. "I've said this many times before, but Dumbledore and Voldemort are both intelligent, capable and dangerous. Sometimes I wonder if you've unleashed more than you're capable of controlling."
Harry let out a chuckle. "I'm under no illusion that I can control either the Dark Lord or Albus Dumbledore. There will be unintended consequences of what I've done today and what I will do in the future. The best I can hope for is to contain them insofar as they are harmful to civilization. It is no different with Albus Dumbledore, who is more of a political threat than a martial one, at least for the time being. I believe that with the right approach, he will not become a significant impediment to our project for quite some time."
Ravenclaw sighed. "I wonder how we have reached the point at which we must take such risks to have any hope of achieving anything."
Harry's expression turned dark in response to this comment. "What has happened to the wizarding world in the past will stay in the past. I've no intention of allowing this miserable state of affairs to continue, and if risks must be taken to ensure that it does not, then that's the reality we will have to contend with. Under these circumstances we do not have the luxury of being picky about what course of action we will take."
"I am very much aware... painfully aware, in fact. Perhaps my words are simply indication of longing for days long past... in the present, however, the situation has degenerated so much that we're compelled to take risks we're not sure we can control. It is unfortunate." Ravenclaw closed her eyes in a moment of silence, and Harry did not dare to break it. When she reopened her eyes he could see she was once again focused on the present moment. "There is one last matter. You will have to visit the Ministry soon if you are to operate within the boundaries of the law. Be careful - given what they have done so far, I don't think it to be beyond the conspirators to attempt something within the building." She paused. "In addition, you may have to... convince the Minister if he proves to be resistant to your advances. I hope you're prepared."
Harry was amused at the irony of the situation, but he could not find it in himself to empathize with the predicament of Cornelius Fudge. The man was a bigot and a fool who was under the control of the old families, especially the Malfoy family. He was figuratively the second coming of Unctuous Osbert, and eventually Harry knew he may have to follow in the footsteps of Croyne regarding Fudge's damaging actions in his capacity as Minister. In the coming days, however, he was in need of Fudge's assistance - what he needed from the Ministry to operate independently within the boundaries of the law could only be given to him with the approval, direct or indirect, of the Minister for Magic. In this instance, Harry hoped Fudge's incompetence and openness to manipulation would serve to lubricate the process. He did not want to resort to employing means of direct mental manipulation on Fudge, since even the reasonable suspicion that he may have done such a thing would significantly damage his reputation. Satisfied with what he had planned for the occasion, Harry smiled and replied.
"I will be careful, and I am prepared."
"As many esteemed members of this court are aware, the Department of Mysteries was once my place of employment. I wholeheartedly believe that the role of the Department in British society is a crucial one, and it has served this role faithfully for more than 150 years as of this date. The value of discovery and knowledge was underestimated by many in the recent past, and I must express my disappointment that even today, there are some within these halls who do not see the wisdom of Ralston Potter and Procyon Rigel Black for their role in creating and organizing the Department of Mysteries. It was designed so that potentially dangerous knowledge could be obtained and used for the good of our society while being kept out of the hands of those who would misuse it. It is essential that it continues performing its role unimpeded.
I admit that my disagreements with ex-Minister Lufkin may have been... less than professional at times. However, my decision to leave my position was not one made out of spite. Madam Lufkin used her position to obtain information about the activities of the Department in a manner defying the code of conduct for her office, and she audaciously overstepped her boundaries of duty and authority by ordering us to cease many of our research projects. If she had succeeded, some of the inventions made in the last three decades would've been out of reach - among them are new methods of specialization for wands, numerous new spells and wards designed to improve the security of households and government offices, and the unification of the most recent Muggle advances in an area known as thermodynamics with magical theory. I don't expect the esteemed members of this court to be familiar with the finer details of the subjects I speak of, but rest assured that their importance to the global wizarding community cannot be overstated. I resisted her increasingly hostile attempts, as a result of which she conspired to cut the Department's access to supplies and used her position to influence the Daily Prophet to launch a campaign aiming to discredit both my own person and the Department of Mysteries as a whole. It was the fact that this transgression worthy of impeachment went unpunished by the Wizengamot that compelled me to leave my position.
While the deceased Madam Lufkin may never have to answer for her many crimes against this society, I believe that this trial will nevertheless help the country find closure after decades of misrule and abuse of power. I trust that this court will do what is necessary to ensure that such dark times will become a thing of the past."
- from Grand Sorcerer Croyne's testimony in the 1828 trial in absentia of Artemisia Lufkin by the Wizengamot on charges of abuse of authority and high treason
Cornelius Fudge was not having a good day. He was currently sitting in his office at eleven in the morning, rubbing his head with his hands, trying desperately to stay awake so he could prepare himself to see his next visitor in line. He hadn't got a good night's sleep in three days. The Ministry and the public were in an uproar about Dumbledore's latest ridiculous claim, that You-Know-Who had returned from the world of the dead and was about to start his reign of terror once more. Fudge had his hands full holding meetings in his office with the heads of various departments, and he suspected this to be Dumbledore's latest attempt at seizing more power for himself. The man was Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; and he was still not satisfied with the amount of power he had. Fudge knew what Dumbledore was like - he was cunning, manipulative and ruthless when he needed to be, and he acted like a kind old man when it suited him better. The only person Fudge had seen in his life who had more hunger for power than Dumbledore was You-Know-Who. Because of this, despite his initial naivete in seeking Dumbledore's counsel when he was first inaugurated, he was now extremely wary of the man's attempts at discrediting him and claiming the post of Minister for himself or for one of his puppets. He denied it, of course, but who would openly admit that they had such nefarious designs?
In his many years working in the Ministry as an official and his term in office as Minister, he had learned how the game of politics was played. He knew what Dumbledore was trying to do. He aimed to create a state of panic in the general public which Fudge would fail to address, then he himself would step in as the savior of the wizarding world once again and claim more power with the excuse of strengthening the defenses of the British wizarding community in advance of an attack by You-Know-Who. It was an ingenious plan, Fudge had to give Dumbledore credit for that.
Fudge, however, would not sit idly by while Dumbledore was laying the groundwork for his incoming coup. He had to make the public see Dumbledore for what he truly was, which was a manipulative, power-hungry old man who would lie and deceive to strengthen his grip on the wizarding world. He could use the influence held by the Ministry over the Daily Prophet to unleash a campaign of propaganda on Dumbledore. Yes, that would work well - Dumbledore had made an oversight, which was his ignorance about the public's unwillingness to admit the return of You-Know-Who. Fudge knew that they would much rather believe Dumbledore to be a crackpot who was fabricating stories rather than accept that You-Know-Who was back, and from the grave, no less! This time, Fudge would not be outplayed by Dumbledore.
At that moment, he became aware of a significant amount of noise coming from outside his office. He could not make out what was being said, but the situation was abnormal, even for the unusually hectic mood the Ministry has been in for the last three days. The voices were gradually getting louder, and Fudge resolved to see what was happening outside of his office and stood up. As he was walking towards the door, it was opened from the other side and one of his secretaries, a young woman in her twenties with long auburn hair and brown eyes, entered his office and spoke with haste.
"Minister, Harry Potter is here to see you. He says the matter is urgent."
Fudge froze and for a few moments his brain stopped working. Harry Potter? "Are you... certain of this?"
"Yes, Minister. We confirmed his identity using a blood test, and he was checked for any means of disguise, including Polyjuice and metamorphmagus abilities. There's no doubt that the man is Harry Potter."
Fudge did not know how to react. The situation was so unexpected and out of his calculations that he opted to simply fall back into routine procedure. "...Very well. I will see him now, you may let him come in." With that, he moved back to his chair and seated himself, trying to prepare himself for this bizarre unscheduled meeting. He added as an afterthought, "Don't let any other visitors inside until we're done." The secretary nodded, left the room and closed the door. After a few moments, the door was opened yet again and this time a young man who appeared to be in his mid-teens stepped in. He was wearing high-quality black robes, which Fudge recognized from experience to be made out of acromantula silk, and he had a pair of expensive-looking rings on both of his ring fingers. His eyes were a startlingly clear emerald, matching the color of the gem of the ring on his left ring finger. He appeared to be somewhat tired and weary, but his movements were graceful regardless. Fudge could see his resemblance to James Potter, who he'd met on numerous occasions. There, standing in his office, was Harry Potter.
"I hope you will accept my apologies for arriving in such an abrupt and unscheduled manner, Minister, but given the circumstances I wanted to meet you first before taking any other action."
Fudge did not know what these "circumstances" were, and he desperately hoped that they did not have anything to do with Dumbledore's story that You-Know-Who had risen from the grave. If Dumbledore had managed to find Potter and get him on board with his conspiracy, then it would be much more difficult to discredit them both at the same time. Was Potter here to attempt to convince him that You-Know-Who had returned? It would certainly be what he would describe as an urgent matter. "I... see. Mr Potter, you must excuse my straightforwardness, but we've been looking for you for nearly three years. Where have you been for all of this time?"
Potter merely smiled and gestured with his right hand towards one of the two chairs in front of his desk. "May I, Minister? This story is a rather long one."
"Of course, Mr Potter."
Potter seated himself, his expression turned serious before he began explaining. "In the days leading up to October 1st 1991, I was the victim of repeated attacks, carried out in stealth, within Hogwarts. I don't know who was responsible, but some of them were of a lethal nature, and I had cause to believe that the Dark Lord's former followers were involved. When it became apparent that my safety in the castle could not be ensured, I had to flee the castle."
Fudge was shocked at this proclamation. "You mean to say you were attacked with intent to kill inside Hogwarts?!"
Potter simply nodded. "Yes, Minister."
There was a lot about this story that did not make sense to Fudge. He began asking questions. "Why didn't you inform any of the staff? They could've taken measures to protect you, or evacuated you from the castle safely."
Potter looked surprised. "I did inform the staff, Minister, but it did not stop the attacks." Potter paused, and he appeared doubtful for a brief moment before continuing with a weaker voice. "If I may say so in confidence, Minister, I've always had my suspicions about the staff at Hogwarts since I learned that Severus Snape was once a Death Eater. He was acquitted in the 1981 trials on Dumbledore's testimony, but I've heard rumors that the Dark Mark can only be taken by one who truly believes in the Dark Lord's cause. I don't trust Severus Snape, and Dumbledore's involvement in his acquittal appears suspicious to me."
Fudge did not show any outward reaction other than a slight furrowing of his brows, but inwardly he was gleeful. Potter was suspicious of Dumbledore! He himself had suspicions about Severus Snape in the past, and if Potter agreed with him, it would mean the chance he was cooperating with Dumbledore was slim. He did not notice Potter's lips curl up ever so slightly as he was lost in his thoughts. Eventually, he continued. "Yes, I myself have had suspicions similar to yours in the past. Do you have evidence that Severus Snape was behind these... incidents?"
Potter shook his head. "No, Minister. As I said, they were carried out in stealth - curses fired from hiding spots and placed on my belongings, for example. The perpetrators made sure there were never any eyewitnesses."
Fudge was confused. "In that case, what made you suspect that You-Know-Who's followers were involved?"
Potter raised his right hand and slowly traced a lightning shape on his forehead, and Fudge noticed that the scar Potter was famous for was absent. He was about to comment before Potter spoke. "I used to have a scar here, left by the Dark Lord on the day he tried to kill me... it was a cursed scar, one of its kind. From the day I arrived at Hogwarts, the scar would sometimes burn painfully when it had never done so before, and always in close proximity to Quirinus Quirrell, who was the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at the time. I informed both Professor Flitwick and Professor Dumbledore about this unusual reaction, but they did nothing. It was how I came to suspect a connection between Quirrell and the Dark Lord."
Fudge thought about what Potter told him. He had some faint memory of a man named Quirinus Quirrell being a teacher at Hogwarts, but he did not recall anything further than that. If Potter was right, this matter needed to be investigated further. It could even be of use as further ammunition against Dumbledore - rumors that he had allowed a follower of You-Know-Who into the school and did nothing as the man tried to kill Potter would do a great deal of harm to his reputation. Fudge could certainly work with that. For now, however, he would hear the rest of Potter's story. "What happened after you left Hogwarts?"
Potter smiled, the expression having a depth to it that was not present in any of his other smiles so far. "I was found by a... highly talented sorceress who made me an offer of apprenticeship. She said it would be dangerous for me to be out in the wizarding world with so many of the Dark Lord's sympathizers out in the open without the means to defend myself, and she said she had always wanted an apprentice to carry on her legacy, but never found one who she judged to be worthy. I accepted, and we stayed in a place she'd warded against hostile intrusion and methods of detection for nearly three years." Potter's smile turned wistful. "I learned a great deal from her, and I owe her a debt I doubt I will ever be able to repay for what she has done for me."
Fudge hadn't known what to expect when he asked the question, but that story made a great deal of more sense than any of the ridiculous rumors flying around about Harry Potter's fate. It was clear from the way Potter spoke of this woman that he had a great deal of respect for her, and it made Fudge curious about her identity. "Could you tell me the identity of this... sorceress?"
Potter smiled and shook his head. "I apologize, Minister, but I can't. She made me swear an oath of secrecy not to reveal her identity, and if there's one thing I will not do, it is to go back on a promise I made to her."
Fudge was disappointed, but once again he did not let it show on his face. From what he could infer regarding Potter's feelings about the situation from what he had said and done so far, he would not react well to anything he perceived as a slight against this mysterious woman, and Fudge had no reason to antagonize Potter over something so trivial at this point. If Potter wanted to keep some secrets, Fudge certainly had no problem with that. He was more curious about why Potter had come to him with this information. He was glad to have Potter's trust, but he felt there was more to the story than that. "I see. Well, I will certainly not force you to do anything you don't wish to do. I will certainly have the matter of these attacks and that of Quirinus Quirrell investigated, and if we find anything I will let you know. Is there anything else you wished to tell me?"
Potter nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Minister. Yes, there are some matters regarding which I was hoping to get your assistance, though they are somewhat... unusual."
Fudge was undeniably curious now. If he played his cards right, he could manipulate the situation to his advantage and obtain Potter's favor, and by extension, his political support. Potter would be especially useful in his planned campaign to discredit Dumbledore. "Oh? Do tell, Mr Potter. I would be glad to be of assistance in any way I can."
Potter sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I will go through them in order. I assume, Minister, that you're aware of the identity of my magical guardian?"
Fudge had an inkling of what Potter was leading up to with this question. "Yes, I am aware. Your magical guardian is Albus Dumbledore."
"Indeed, Minister. I am sure that you would agree with me if I said that this circumstance is rather... displeasing. I would like to rectify it, and I require your assistance with that."
Fudge wholeheartedly agreed with Potter's judgement of Dumbledore's guardianship over him. So long as Dumbledore was Potter's guardian, Fudge's access to Potter would be limited, and Fudge did not like Dumbledore having that kind of power over Potter. Besides, any way in which he could distance Dumbledore from Potter was viable, in his opinion. "Yes, I can't say I disagree... well, do you have an alternative guardian in mind?"
Potter blinked. "That is not how I intend to rectify the circumstance, Minister."
It was only then that Fudge understood, and the enormity of the favor Potter was requesting from him became apparent. "You want to be emancipated as a minor?"
"Yes."
Fudge closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Emancipation was a legal course of action, and as Minister he had the authority to do it, but it was highly unusual, especially for a fourteen-year-old. Still, what he saw of Potter's behavior reflected an unusual maturity for his age, and he could see the merits of this course of action. Presumably, Potter wanted access to his family vault at Gringotts and he wanted to avoid the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, both of which would require him to be emancipated. What Fudge was most curious about, however, was what Potter was willing to do in exchange for this favor. "That is a possibility... but as you've said, Mr Potter, it's quite unorthodox. I am unsure if it would be wise..."
A smirk appeared on Potter's face, and Fudge got the impression that he was willing to negotiate from the expression. "It would be unwise to emancipate a minor whose magical guardian left him at a Muggle household for ten years, where he was psychologically abused and neglected?"
Fudge's eyes snapped open and he looked directly at Potter. He could only utter a single word. "What?!"
Potter's smirk grew wider at his reaction, but he did not respond verbally. After a moment, Fudge elaborated on his bafflement. "How... is this really true?"
"Does that really matter, Minister? Perhaps there is some truth to it, but what matters is that if I am questioned about it, that is what I will say."
Fudge could barely stop himself from gaping. Was Potter offering to fabricate a story of abuse so that Fudge could use the emancipation to improve his own reputation? Indeed, if Potter were to claim that he had been mistreated by Muggles during his childhood under Dumbledore's guardianship, his emancipation would boost his reputation while damaging Dumbledore's. It was perfect. If Potter was willing to go that far, Fudge had no reason to refuse Potter's request. "Well... in that case, I'm sure something can be arranged, Mr Potter."
Potter's smirk vanished and turned into a smile looking decidedly less sinister than a moment ago. "I truly appreciate your assistance, Minister. Now that this matter has been dealt with, I believe I can move on to the next one. I have no intention of returning to Hogwarts at this point, so I intend to take my O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examinations here, under Ministry supervision. I also require an apparition license. I trust that will not be a problem?"
That request was not unusual for an emancipated minor, though Fudge had doubts about the ability of a fourteen-year-old to pass the N.E.W.T. exams. It was not his problem, however, and Potter had the right to make this request anyway; all he would do is expedite the process. As for an apparition license, it would normally not be possible while Potter was underage, but if he were to be emancipated it would not be a problem. Fudge saw no harm in agreeing to these requests, but there was one thing he had to be certain of before doing too much for Potter.
"Not at all, Mr Potter, in fact I dare say I may be able to expedite the process somewhat for your convenience." Fudge paused for a moment before asking the crucial question. "Mr Potter, I believe you must've heard the... rumors of You-Know-Who's return that have recently been going around in... disreputable circles. What is your opinion on this matter?"
Potter looked surprised by his question. "Well, Minister, I must say that I don't usually listen to rumors going around in disreputable circles, and I've seen no evidence that such a thing would be possible. I think the story was most likely fabricated for some other purpose."
Fudge could not contain his beaming expression this time. If Potter did not believe these rumors, then he could prove to be an invaluable ally in his campaign against Dumbledore, and it didn't even look as if Potter needed to be nudged in that direction, given the attitudes he so far expressed regarding Dumbledore in the conversation. The entire situation was a boon that Fudge was not expecting, and one he would certainly not fail to exploit to his benefit.
"Yes, I see, Mr Potter. I must say it hasn't been easy to find a voice of sanity and reason these past few days in the midst of this recent case of mass hysteria. I am glad to see that you are willing to be one." Fudge paused to see Potter smile, but Potter did not say anything, so he continued. "Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the required paperwork..."
