A/N: I have no idea if people in the UK actually address the Prime Minister as 'sir'. If I made a mistake, I apologize. This chapter sets up the last half of the story. I'm thinking 10 or 11 more chapters for this story and there will definitely be a sequel. I have plans to create a crossover for a sequel, building on the foundation we are laying in this story. I hope you like it. I love your input so leave some reviews. Thanks alot.
Drunken Prince
Standard Disclaimer-I don't own Harry Potter. Just the stuff I make up about him.
Chapter 10-Number 10
Harry sat in an arm chair in the office of the Headmistress at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was now sitting through the third straight scolding from an important female in his life. Hermione had said her piece as soon as Harry had returned from Godric's Hollow. Harry endured it knowing that Hermione cared for him and considered him family. She needed to nag in order to feel like she had gained back some control over the situation. Nobody really understood the way Hermione thought like Harry did so he let her get the situation off her chest. Sure enough once she had said what she had to say she realized that Harry was in fact fine, and just gave him a hug. Harry had expected this all along and just hugged her back and thanked her for being a great sister and friend. Not five minutes later Mrs. Weasley had hunted him down and proceeded to scold him with loud and very condescending words. Harry was agitated with her and had a hard time not showing it. Hermione had been through the fire with him and knew what he was capable of. Mrs. Weasley, on the other hand, treated him like a child and expected him to feel bad that he had placed himself in danger, or worse, scared her. He had kept himself from erupting at that point. He also knew that Mrs. Weasley loved him and considered him family. He knew she worried about him and treated him the same way she would any of her children. She meant well and that thought kept him from losing his cool. He politely explained to her that he was a grown wizard and a powerful one at that. Very few, if any wizards had ever faced the kind of situations he had and lived. She conceded this point and gave him a hug as well. All the while explaining that she only wants the best for him and worries about is safety. He acknowledged that fact and returned her hug, thanking her for caring. Now he sat in front of Minerva McGonagall and had endured several minutes of her scolding before the lid finally came off.
"….and furthermore, did you even think what this would do…
"Professor!...PRO-FESS-OR!"
"Yes what is it Mr. Potter?"
"Could you please quit addressing me like you would one of your first year students? I am seventeen years old. I have fought and lived through tangles with death eaters as well as their master. I'm pretty sure now that I know of my heritage and the Altor Regnum magic that there are very few wizards or witches who could even hope to defeat me in open combat. That's not arrogance it's just the truth. I don't need to be lectured about my decisions anymore. What I do, where I go and who I fight are my choices now. I'm a full grown wizard, and more than that I'm a man. I have always respected you for your knowledge, your fairness, and in all honesty, for the raw power I'm sure you wield. So could you please back off before I say something disrespectful to someone I hold in such high regard?"
She paused and looked intently at the young man before her. "Very well Mr. Potter. Your point is made. I…I'm sorry. I know you are a capable wizard. It's just that I have spent a healthy portion of the last sixteen years worrying about your well being. It is a difficult habit to break. For what it's worth you are getting better at this you know. You are probably ready to take Albus' place and lead our side. Not many wizards would get away with stopping me mid rant and walk away unscathed. I think I even frightened Albus a time or two."
"I'm sure you did, and trust me, I'm actually terrified right now, but I've just learned recently that if I don't stand up for myself, I end up in situations I don't like. I promised myself somewhere along the way that I would put a stop to that."
"Fair enough Mr. Potter. What is the next step then?"
"We need to gather the Order and update them on recent events, and I think I need Kingsley to set up a meeting with the muggle Prime Minister. I think he still has connections there from his time protecting the minister. If my hunch is right the muggles don't think much of Thicknesse and the death eater ministry."
HP++++++++++HP+++++++++HP
"So you're saying that You-Know-Who is now a snakelike chimera?" asked Neville Longbottom who was being included in the Order meeting at Harry's insistence.
"More or less, yes. His body looked reptilian, but he had furry black legs. Each of the three heads was different as well. I think one was a wolf, the middle head looked like him, and the third head was an eagle or falcon. His whole body is pitch black and each of his eyes are blood red. I'm assuming that this is some sort of a perversion of the Altor Regnum magic. That's the only explanation."
"Not necessarily," interjected Lupin. "It's more likely that he used dark magic to steal the essence of his victims. I'd say it went horribly wrong, unless he wanted this."
"And he is capable of magic in this form?" asked Bill Weasley.
"I watched him apparate without changing to his old form," Harry responded. "I don't know for sure if he is stuck in that form or if he can change back. I also don't know what magic he can do in his chimera form. I can tell you this: the muggle helicopter tore through his shoulder with their guns. He was so surprised they hurt him that he got out of there fast. The other death eaters were gone by the time I got there."
"So if you and Kingsley can get the muggles on our side, they may be able to help us win this war," said Ron.
"Exactly," replied Harry.
"But why didn't the ICW come in and help if there was such a massive breach of Statute of Secrecy?" questioned Molly Weasley.
Her husband answered. "Because it happened too quickly and the muggle response was too fast. They have a wireless and pomkuters now that can help them communicate. Too many of them knew about it to put a stop to. Plus they took pictures and showed them on their moving screens. The telly vision I think it's called. Thousands of muggles saw moving pictures of death eaters casting spells while watching in their very own sitting rooms."
"So no matter the final outcome of this war, the world will never be the same again?" inquired Tonks.
"No it won't ever be the same, and I'm not sure that is a bad thing. There is a whole world out there that the muggles have created and some of it is pretty awesome, including com-put-ers Mr. Weasley. They can do things with technology and electricity that are almost the same as magic. Wizards need to wake up and decide to be friends with the muggles before they decide we are a threat, because there are a lot more of them than there are of us. If they want to they can end magic forever. We need to prove to them that magic is worth keeping around."
"So how do we make them see that we can be useful in their society?" asked a frowning Bill Weasley.
Hermione answered. "We give them magic that does what they can't do for themselves. Potions, portkeys, and magic that will benefit everyone."
"It's true," said Harry. "If we get them used to magic by introducing things that will help everyone, then we can build the beginnings of a future where we are all just people. Besides, some of the muggles are really brilliant. If we can get some of the smartest muggles to work with people like Hermione, Madam Pomfrey, and Snape…" at this the Potions Master just sneered while Harry continued. "…then we might actually see some amazing inventions and developments happen in the future. At any rate, the first step is for King and I to talk to their minister."
HP+++++++++HP+++++++++HP
Inside his office at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister was having a fit trying to figure out how to handle this whole magic thing. He, of course had known about magic since his first day in office when that moron Fudge had come and explained things, but no one else in his government really knew…until now that is. His military leaders were demanding permission to send out SAS, SBS, and teams of Royals Marines to gather intel and prepare a strike force to wipe out magic users. He knew most magic users were just normal people who lived in peace just like most of the people of the United Kingdom, but there were obviously some evil ones as well. Like this He-Who-Has-a-Hyphenated-Name monster and his followers. He had even gone so far as to label them as terrorists. The new moron, Thicknesse, refused to speak with him, just answering with a response of 'it's all under control'. There was something wrong with that man, even more than Fudge and Scrimgour. There was just something off about him. Anyways, he knew it obviously wasn't under control.
Now that big bloke Shacklebolt who had provided security for him was coming for a briefing with their boy hero Harry Potter. He hoped they were able to shed some light on recent events and help him formulate a plan. Just then the intercom buzzed.
"Sir, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Harry Potter are here to see you," squawked the receptionist through the intercom speakers.
"Yes, yes, send them in would you?"
The doors opened and two of his personal guards stepped forward to secure the room while four more escorted his guests to their seats. As they sat the two guards that had secured the room took up positions by the door and the other four stepped back out to provide security on the other side.
"Thank you for meeting with us sir. I'd like to introduce you to Lord Harry James Potter-Black Duke of Albemarle, Earl of Cumberland, Earl of Charlemont, and Baron of Brecon," chimed Kingsley to Harry's distinct displeasure.
"Those are lofty titles my boy. All thought to be extinct lines as well. It actually makes some sense that those titles went to magical people and were thought lost."
"Thank you sir. I don't place much stock in titles, especially inherited ones, but I can tell you that the Potter family has held the titles of Albemarle and Brecon since they were granted to my ancestor by Arthur King of Camelot and Albion. My ancestral home still resides outside of Brecon. The Potters maintained a presence in your government until a couple hundred years ago. The other two titles are inherited through my links to the lines of Gryffindor and Black respectively, and awarded at the same time to the best of my knowledge. After all that though, I'd really rather be called Harry, just Harry, and I have some information for you."
"Well then Harry, I'm assuming you can shed some light on this recent business in Wales, and the reasons for our military advisors wanting to declare war on magic?"
"I can sir, and I hope that after you have heard what I have to say you will consider bringing your war to the monsters that deserve it, and not the innocent wizards and witches who are trying to survive these difficult times."
"I had no intention of allowing our military to persecute innocent magicals in any way. Now tell me your story lad. I'm anxious to know what this business is all about. I'm assuming it has something to do with that fellow whose name everyone is afraid to say?"
"It does sir. I won't speak his name here because he has placed a taboo on it. If it is spoken aloud his followers will be able to track us. Knowing who you've gotten your reports from in the past let me start from the beginning and give you the whole truth since I'm the one who has lived it. It started with a prophecy…."
Harry told the Prime Minister everything. All of his adventures and every fight with Voldemort or his Death Eaters was laid out in detail. He continued all the way up to the attacks in Wales and his observations there.
"So you're telling me this, Tom Riddle did you say, is now a true monster in every sense of the word, and not only that but you are the only one who can kill him. Then to top it all off you yourself are capable of becoming a giant creature of legend as well? Tell me then, is there going to be some epic medieval monster battle to end this all, or is there another plan?"
"The epic monster battle as you called it is actually a possibility at the end. I can't deny that. We do have a plan to remove his followers and other threats though, and we could use your help in doing it. I watched your helicopters fire bullets at Riddle in his monster form and those bullets tore his shoulder to shreds. I guarantee that your weapons can be effective against him and his followers. I may have to finish it myself, but I think you can work with us to pretty much end all the other threats and cripple Tom Riddle in the process with just a couple of key strikes."
"I'm listening."
"Well there is a manor outside of Little Hangleton. It is probably hidden with magic, but there is also a cemetery about half a kilometer away from the home. It will still be visible. If your military could drop a bomb just north of the graveyard I think you could remove what remains of Riddle's inner circle, and a few others as well. After that is done, I think a personal threat from me will draw him out for a final battle. He doesn't know we have taken back our school. I will taunt him with that and force him to make his move just to save face. When he arrives he will be facing a combination army of magical and non-magical forces. It should work."
"Mr. Shacklebolt, you and the other member of the resistance agree with this plan?
"We do sir. Harry has our full support and we all agree the time has come to ally ourselves with the non-magical world."
"Then let us make some arrangements shall we."