Sirius looked imposing in his black robes, the crest of the House of Black emblazoned boldly on them. He stood tall and straight and looked Harry directly in the eye. "Now that you know of the Great Pact, you know why it is so important for you to know how to learn how to play the great game. Whatever else might happen during the oncoming war, you must know how to play politics. You are the head of a great house and the heir to another, you are a very powerful noble, Harry. If you do not know how to play the game, then you are finished. It does not matter how you fight in the field, if in the Wizengamot you come out unstuck. Wizards and witches are nice when they are not in the Wizengamot, but in there, everyone wants something. They will want a cut of the profits of your business, they will want you to support their bill in return for something they will give you down the line. They will try and blackmail you into supporting them. Our allies are the worst at that, and so, you must know how to dance. Do you understand?"

Harry wasn't exactly sure how to respond, so he merely nodded. "Yes."

"Are you?" his father asked, his head cocked to the side. "Choose an issue and we shall debate it."

A thousand things and none flitted through his head then. Eventually he chose an issue he'd done some reading about. "House elf rights."

Sirius grinned. "A very good issue, and one that Hermione will no doubt find very interesting. Very well. Why do you believe house elves should have rights?"

The question was so sudden that Harry wasn't sure how to reply initially. He stumbled around to find the right answer, and then eventually said. "Because it is the right thing to do."

"But why is it the right thing to do?" Sirius asked. "House elves have always served wizards, ever since Scotia and Brutus were united in marriage. Why should they now have rights. Eighty percent of house elves as surveyed in the nineteen eighty survey by Edward Doge, do not want more rights. They are perfectly happy with what they have now."

Harry found that argument absurd, and said as much. "That argument is frankly preposterous."

"But why?" Sirius asked. "It is a valid piece of research and furthermore is the most recent survey that has been carried out."

Harry stumbled for a moment. Then he found his answer. "It is absurd to argue that house elves do not want more rights, based on a survey that was carried out fifteen years ago. Times have changed, the house elves have experienced greater freedoms, especially since the House Elf co-operation act of nineteen eighty-seven, which ensured they were entitled to a minimum of a day off a year. Furthermore, how many house elves were surveyed in this survey? Is there a record for the number of house elves within Britain?"

"Ninety-four percent of house elves in Britain were surveyed, based on the working of the survey done in eighteen forty-three by Angus Black. And whilst the House Elf Co-Operation Act might guarantee them a day off, it does not mean they should be treated as humans, after all they are not." Sirius retorted.

"So, the survey was done based on information that is a hundred and fifty-one years out of date? That is terrible and a great lapse in judgement by the ministry and the people who did the survey. If you are to claim that they should have no more rights, then surely it would be best to carry out a new survey into the house elf population in Britain and then find out whether they want more rights or not? After all, this old information serves nothing more than to confirm wizarding laziness." Harry said.

"Laziness?" Sirius exclaimed. "When there are things such as wand regulation, maintain the statute of secrecy and ensuring that we do not allow illegal imports of goods into the country, I think you will find that house elf rights are a minimal thing."

Harry stared at his godfather, not sure whether he was hearing correctly. This could not be Sirius. He sighed and took another breath. "Then the wizarding community cannot be surprised when the house elves revolt against them. You have noticed I am sure that recently there has been a spate of house elves begin given clothes for doing things that are common sense. Intimidating a species works only so well for a time, before they grow out of their fear, and it turns to anger. Especially as they can do magic in places where wizards cannot. As pointed out by Diggory in nineteen seventy-nine."

"And what rights would you give these house elves?" Sirius sneered, in a manner very familiar to Malfoy, such that it made Harry's blood begin to boil.

"I would give them right to basic pay, they are living in squalor most of the time. I would also ensure that they are entitled to protection from abuse. Beating a servant does nothing but inspire hatred and loathing into a servant, not obedience or loyalty, and with things getting as heated as they are now, loyalty amongst the races and their servants is desperately needed." Harry replied passionately.

"This is all assuming that the house elves want these things, what would you do if the results came back that they did not want these things?" Sirius asked.

"Then I would show them what they are missing out on. I know of four house elves who are being paid and are enjoying things. The only way to bring about proper change is to ensure that those who are the focus of the change understand both the benefits and the drawbacks." Harry said.

"So you admit there are drawbacks?" Sirius pressed.

"There are drawbacks in almost anything in life, but one must ensure that they are minimised. Here giving house elves pay and ensuring they are protected abuse, are not drawbacks, but the increased expectation for high quality work might be. That would merely mean that more training is needed for them." Harry stated confidently.

Sirius smiled at him and tapped his knuckles on the desk behind him. Signalling the end of the debate. "That was good. You have a good understanding of that issue, hence why you chose it I presume?" Harry nodded. "Very well, there are times when the issue at hand will be something you do not know much about. Therefore, it is important to be well read on everything that matters to wizards and everything that matters to you."

"That's going to be a lot to read." Harry pointed out, dread settling in his stomach.

"It is, but it is necessary so as to prevent anyone from getting something up on you, without you knowing it." Sirius said. "We shall go again. This time the issue shall be that of the handling of wands, and whether wand licenses should be abolished." Harry nodded dread forming in his stomach. "You shall be arguing for abolishing wand licenses." His godfather said before, he took a breath and then spoke. "I believe wand licenses should be maintained. After the chaos of the Great Goblin fiasco of Seventeen Fourteen, it is important that only those skilled in the art of wand making have the power to do so. To otherwise allow some fool, to make wands would to be jeopardise the wizarding community."

"How so? You give no arguments or example, merely a blanket statement." Harry replied bluntly.

Sirius' face was a blank mask, and Harry could imagine him then, Marquess of Pembroke in the Wizengamot weaving circles and webs around everyone else. "Wandmakers are trained in the fine art of ensuring spells and power are contained within a wand. To give that power to any old fool, is to endanger the very thing that keeps this society safe. If we give it to some child at a school, who knows what dangers that would enfold."

Harry found this argument difficult, he agreed with Sirius, but there was a small rebellious part of him that came forward then. "So, you would ensure that wand makers keep a monopoly? Studies done by the Institute for Wand Making have shown that the techniques used by wandmakers are old fashioned and with magic growing more unpredictable by the year, have increased the risk for more danger for young wizards. Ensuring that everyone has the needed skills to make a wand, would ensure that they could harness the wand for themselves, and tailor magic to their needs."

"And if those needs were evil? What then? The moment you give an individual such control over something as powerful as magic, is the moment you invite the devil into your house and ask for him to kill you." Sirius retorted.

"That is fear mongering. Plain and simple. One might think you have been bought and sold by the wand making community." Harry rebuked. "Until something is trialled, we cannot know how it would be handled."

"If you are willing to give an untried wizard or witch the power to make their own wand, then you are a fool. How would you have felt aged eleven, being told that you were now to make your own wand. You did not even know what magic was, you still do not. Many wizard and witches do not know what magic is, what it truly is. Wand makers do. They are trained from a young age in the art of understanding it, and manipulating it." Sirius replied.

Harry hesitated, uncertain of how to respond. He agreed with Sirius, he did. But he had been given a point of view to argue, and argue it he would. "I think you are trying to maintain the status quo. There are some very powerful witches and wizards out there, who would find reasons to make magic and wands as they pleased. Surely it would be better for everyone if every young witch and wizard understood how to make a wand, so that they might better understand themselves and their connection to magic? That way we would not have such disturbing and saddening incidents as we do, when some wands connect with some wizards and witches. You talk about making the community safe, I believe this is the right way to go about doing it."

Sirius banged his hand on the table signalling the end of the debate. Padfoot smiled. "Very good. You convinced me that you were passionate about the issue, even if it is out there. You might want to suggest more examples and facts to counteract what I said. There will be times when some old git will stand up and make an outrageous claim, you must be prepared to refute him with facts and evidence if you disagree with his point of view."

"I get that, but how am I supposed to remember everything?" Harry asked.

"Write it down, and bring the notes into the chamber with you." Sirius said. Harry's mouth dropped open and Sirius laughed. "Yes, you are allowed to bring notes into the chamber with you. Some of the gits in the Wizengamot are over seventy years old, you honestly think they remember who they are half the time? Just don't make it too obvious that you are reading from a piece of parchment and you'll be fine."

Harry nodded, and then asked a question that had been bothering him for a long time. "Do you really think that Voldemort will use the Wizengamot to try and build power?"

"Yes." Sirius answered honestly. "He did so during the first war, and he will do so again. We were caught off guard during the first war, we will not be caught off guard this time."

Sirius extended his hand and Harry took it and squeezed. "No we won't." His Padfoot smiled at him and he smiled back, determination in his words, and his thoughts. Voldemort would not win.