Chapter 12 –The winners are
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Later as Dinner progressed:
"Say Hannah you never did say who won the tournament." Susan asked.
"Oh, that's part of the confusion, we are not sure if anyone did. Of course you could say Dumbledore won."
"HUH?"
"It was panic and confusion; there was first the fighting of all the beasts. Then came St. Mungo staff to help the wounded. Then they got the champions out and to the hospital. They say that later Dumbledore went to retrieve the Tri-wizard cup and got pulled away as it was a port-key. Now its just rumor, they say is all he found was an empty graveyard but he was the first to the cup."
The tournament was soon forgotten at the table, "Oh! Morgana!" squeaked Hannah as Susan showed her ring for the first time. We had agreed to let the school call her Lady Potter for the time being.
/Scene Break/
You would think that the fates could only cram so much trouble and weirdness into one school year but they seem to love me. The very next morning in comes a dozen owls from Gringotts. The Sirius Black will reading is to take place in three days and of course I am named in the will. To get everyone ready for me to be gone for that day I started with my head of house. Flitwick was understanding and wished me the best.
"Professor McGonagall a word please." I approached her at the head table.
"Yes Mr. Potter?"
"I have been informed by Gringotts that my present is required in three days for a will reading. So I would like to officially notify you of my absence from school on that day."
"I'm afraid that the headmaster has restricted you to the school until further notice."
"Might I ask why?"
"You will have to ask him Mr. Potter."
"Very well Professor, as Deputy of the School you have been official notified of my absence." I turned and walked down the length of the head table to a grinning Dumbledore. I gave him the finger as I passed. I would find out what was going on at the will reading and Dumbledore would find out I was gone when he found out.
Later in our room, "Have you ever had the feeling that you should just give up?"
"Not often dear."
"I mean every time I turn around there is an obstacle, bad guy or more trouble. If it wasn't for you I would just go hide in my cave for a few centuries."
"Well if you go to hide in your cave do me a favor and take me with you. Oh! I will be coming with you to the will reading I think it is going to be fun."
I gave her a funny look, fun?
/Scene Break/
We 'flamed' to in front of Gringotts and entered the huge doors. We were lead to a large conference room and took seats with our backs to the wall. Soon the Weasley clan minus the two eldest entered and took seats across the room. Next came Mrs. Malfoy and Draco who sat prominently at the table. As the appointed time arrived SharpKnife walked in with ten warriors. The warriors took positions at various places around the room while SharpKnife sat at the head of the table. Just before the doors closed the Minister and Dumbledore entered and gave me a nasty smile.
"We are here to read the will and last testimony of Sirius Orion Black Lord of House Black. The will is fairly straight forward. Does anyone wish to listen to all the legal jargon? Good I will summarize the will. First to Harry Potter…" Dumbledore interrupted, I'm afraid that Mr. Potter is not going to be able to inherit the title of Lord Black or the Black vaults. I have here a copy of the new law that the Minister and I have passed stripping all titles and vaults from Lord Potter and putting them under the control of the Ministry."
At that time I started to cracking up laughing, "Thank you Fumble-up the manipulator and Fudge the brainless for making my life and decisions a lot easier by making them for me I…" I was interrupted by SharpKnife, "While that is interesting it has no bearing on this will reading." That got silence lowered across the room. "The title of Lord Black is given to Draco Malfoy and that includes the Black vaults." Dumbledore and Fudge looked like someone had killed their puppy while Draco was jumping up and down.
"Now if I may continue? The Black vaults have been emptied by the previous Lord Black and the galleons have been deemed irretrievable. There is however a fine for storing a dark object in our vault system under the Lestrange/Black vaults. The item has been destroyed, there is however a marriage contract that must be filled by the current Lord Black."
"Who?" Draco almost screamed.
"A Miss Ginevra Molly Weasley she is…" Draco screamed, "That blood-trader!"
Needless to say just about everyone was screaming so no one could understand anyone. I just sat there laughing so hard that Susan had to hold me from falling out of the chair. The missing Black money was probably put in my vault. I wondered how I covered the company's I bought with only my vault money. The Potter vaults were empty and the Black vaults were empty and the Ministry got squat.
Thirty Sickles were given to Dumbledore and the reference of a Judas was not missed. Mr. Weasley's signature was verified on the binding marriage contract followed by how his family was going to attempt line theft of Lord Potter. The will congratulated each on how they used Sirius. Overall it was entertaining. The room's attention was then diverted back to me by SharpKnife giving me my inheritance, the prank. Sirius hoped that I enjoyed the prank on all the losers in the room.
I could not stop myself and made the comments, "Dam Sirius you sure showed everyone even that pompous, ignorant Minister of Magic is even a bigger fool than I think he is."
"How dare you…" I cut the Minister off, "I dare you arrogant wind-bag, and your current law shows just how corrupt you are you…" Well the Minister was never one to think and he drew his wand. I had my phony wand out and sent a cone-shaped blast of air at the jerk. It drove him into the wall and unconsciousness.
Dumbledore was in a state of shock, it was obvious to anyone who looked at him. It was Ron Weasley, the slow-witted, who voiced the words that brought the room back to reality. "But you guys said if I use magic in Gringotts the goblins would execute me!"
"SharpKnife comely turned to Ron and said, "Yes that is Goblin law. Now, Dumbledore be so kind as to drag out that lump of trash unless you want us to deal with it, this reading is over, please leave. Oh, Mr. Potter please stay..."
SharpKnife was a Goblin and Goblins don't laugh, SharpKnife looked as if he was going to split into pieces by not laughing. "By the Great Lord, only you Harry. You know they think you are going to die? Maybe they will think you're a spirit come to revenge past grievances."
"Your having a good time aren't you SharpKnife?"
"You know our laws refer to wizard magic being done in Gringotts. Besides it's not good policy to try and execute someone who could wave their hand and demolish the building."
"Harry what is he talking about, you aren't that strong are you." Susan asked.
"Mrs. Evans your husband is an Elemental, your race may have forgotten but we have not. Our people remember battles where a single Elemental took on an entire army and won or one who got upset and leveled a mountain. Now back to business. As I called you Mrs. Evans, the idiots have stricken the title of Lord Potter from not just you but from eternal existence. There is no Potter title, vaults or contracts. From now on all our dealings will be done with Mr. and Mrs. Potter."
"Oh shit Amelia is going to explode, this will wipe out the Bones line also because its a binding contract with the Lord of Potter."
"Mrs. Evans you are not aware of half the damage they have done. We will not know what magic will do but on paper the Ministry has deleted the Bone, Potter, Gryffindor and Slytherin lines. There are no real vaults, properties but the titles that were held by Harry and that could be passed on to his male children have just been terminated by Fudge and Dumbledore."
"How was he Slytherin?"
"By conquest, he terminated the last living Slytherin when he was a baby."
"This is going to be fun, magic is probably beyond upset…" SharpKnife interrupted, "Harry if you could be so kind and step outside and announce to the crowd that the Goblins have not executed you, the Dailey Profit has already issued a special addition over your execution for using magic in Gringotts."
After I gave the irate crowd a wave and said the Goblins are my friend we got to the nearest alley and 'flamed' to Hogwarts. There was a surprised Dumbledore when he entered the Great Hall and saw a smilling Harry Potter sitting at the Ravenclaw table.
/Scene Break/
The train ride home was a great time to laugh. We had told Amelia by owl post about Fudge canceling our ability to complete the marriage contract so she was out Fudge hunting. Ron and Draco were dueling in the corridors on the way home over the littlest Weasley. Fudge had tried to have me arrested for assault but only the Goblins could because it was on Goblin soil. Even Dumbledore looked like he wasn't sleeping.
The good times it seems were never to last for the now Mr. Potter. No sooner than we arrived home there was a Ministry owl waiting with an official letter tied to its leg. It was an official summons for the removal of the name Potter from the rolls of the Wizengamot. We were awaiting Amelia return home before I told the Wizengemot and Fudge to shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
Meanwhile Susan who had been to the Wizengamot before was explaining the lay-out of the large room. "There is a spectator gallery and the huge desk of the Chief Warlock that towered over almost everything. All the Lords of the Noble and Ancient Houses had a booth. In front section of the booth was a throne like chair and behind that chair was as many chairs as were required by that house's Lord. The regale part was the large crest that set at the back of the booth showing the House symbol and towering over that booth with a magical spot light illuminating the symbol. The main floor was in the middle of all this like a roman arena. In fact the Wizengamot use to have duel to the death on that floor." Susan was quite impressed with that room. "Auntie said that when a new house is added that magic rings a loud gong."
Amelia arrived about this time and after she had a quick shower we sat to eat dinner. The discussion was of course over the letter and the Wizengamot.
"I really recommend you attend, you can object of course to their doing this but I doubt there is much hope. This is a done deal with someone paying money to make it happen if I'm not wrong. The Wizengamot is something to see and not many people ever get to see the place. I'm afraid when this is over they will strip you of the name Potter and you will be referred to as No-name until you come up with one they like."
Somehow this required a shopping trip and new fancy robes for my attendance at the Wizengamot. This whole thing was not my idea and I definitely was against it in principle. What did I get in Diagon alley? Yesterday they were going to tear down Gringotts because the Goblins killed me, today I an embarrassment to magic world. GRrrrrrr.
