Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters, those belong to J.K. Rowling.
Rated M.
"Spoken dialog."
'Thoughts' / internal thinking
Author Note: Many of you have said that my beta and I went into too much detail in the last chapter. Fair enough, you're entitled to your opinion, but many of you have also expressed that that level of detail is exactly the reason why this story is so enjoyable. While I read each and every review and take your opinions into account, in the end I have to write the story that I myself would want to read...I'll let the fanfiction Gods sort out the rest!
Just hit 1100 reviews, whoop.
Midnight Gold, the Rise of the Forgotten Lord
Chapter 36: Perspective
Posted 9th July 2013
Revised andBeta by Joe Lawyer
"That fucking bitch!"
"Sirius, please calm down, you're scaring the house elves," Remus observed, as his old friend suddenly threw a chair across the study, the ancient chair legs snapping off as they impacted the wall.
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down Remus," Sirius snapped back at his old childhood friend. "That bitch went behind my back and contacted Harry directly, when I had already told her no," the new Lord Black stalked across the room, pacing backwards and forwards like an angry beast. "I am Harry's guardian; I speak for him, yet she totally disregarded me!" Sirius yelled out, as he sat down in the second chair to prevent that too from being thrown across the room as Sirius continued to pace about.
He recognized what the true issue was, it wasn't the fact that Madam Bones had contacted Harry behind Sirius' back, it was that Sirius had been disregarded, had been ignored, just like they had done to him after the war. He had been disrespected and insulted by her actions, no matter how well meaning her actions were intended to be. It was like she was saying that he was both unsuitable and unfit to serve as Harry's guardian, and that had wounded Sirius' pride terribly. "Yes, she was a bitch," he agreed with his friend, knowing that it was better to let the man vent his anger before trying to reason with him. "She shouldn't have contacted Harry as she did, but-"
"Damn right," Sirius voiced, interrupting his speech.
He gave his friend a sour look at the rude interruption, "But what's done, is done," again trying to move the discussion to more productive grounds. "Now is not the time to sulk and stew over a minor insult; there are much bigger issues in play," again playing the voice of reason, like he always did at times like these. At this Sirius just sent him an accusing glare.
"Don't tell me you support her idea of letting Peter go free? After everything he's done?" Sirius accused, his best friend's eyes flaring in anger. "James and Lily are dead due to him; he even tried to fucking kill Harry!" The dog animagus stepped forward. "I spent over a decade rotting in prison surrounded by soul sucking demons due to him. And Merlin only knows how many good people were tortured, raped, and killed because of information the traitor passed along during the war. He doesn't deserve to go free! Exile is no punishment to him; he has no family here! He has nothing to lose and just about everything to gain!"
"True," he admitted, also acutely feeling the betrayals his old friend committed. "But, he's just one Death Eater Sirius, and by far not the worst of them. Dozens more walked free with that fucking imperious defence. If Peter is willing to testify against them for a chance to walk free, shouldn't we at least consider it? Peter was just a grunt, a rat, a small fish in their organization. With his testimony, we could finally get people like Lucius, a current Lord of the British Wizengamot, a despicable man that shapes policy to this day...and a dozen others just like him," using the name he knew Sirius hated with an unbridled passion was a low blow, but hopefully it'd prove effective. Catching his breath, the dog animagus started to calm down, somewhat. "We all know Malfoy was part of You-Know-Who's inner circle, he was also the one with the deep pockets helping to push his master's political agenda, buying votes and allies. If they can arrest him with Peter's information, they can then question him under veritaserum and get more answers. As soon as they get one dirty secret, it's another crime they can charge him for. And that will allow them to ask more questions. How many people could be brought down by Malfoy's interrogation alone?"
"I still can't believe that that bastard walked free; they all should have been given the kiss after You-Know-Who fell," Sirius grumbled, as he stalked around the room, before finally sitting down behind his desk and pulling out a bottle of fire whiskey and a couple of crystal shot glasses.
He watched as Sirius poured himself a glass, before downing the honey brown liquid quickly. "Also think about it this way, Peter will stop trying to kill Harry. Harry will be able to have normal life at Hogwarts without having to look over his shoulder all the time," he argued, playing the Harry angle.
"Harry will never be able have a normal life thanks to Peter. He's a bloody orphan, remember?" Sirius spat back. "And that's all thanks to Peter."
He refused to take the bait, "Harry isn't the only war orphan, you know," Remus countered, whilst pouring himself some whiskey, wondering if his argument was even partly successful. If not, he would just have to wear Sirius down until he saw reason.
After all, he desperately wanted Peter to pay for his crimes as well, probably just as much as Sirius did considering everything their old friend had done. Peter had betrayed his personal trust and had attempted to discredit him as well. He had sold out their side and James and Lily were dead because of it, along with so many others. But Peter was a small fish and like Albus had argued during their meeting earlier that day, Peter's freedom was a small price to pay if it allowed them to arrest and prosecute so many far more important and influential death eaters who had managed to escape justice. It was for the greater good, one in exchange for the many, and despite his own personal feelings on the matter, he couldn't help but agree with the wise old headmaster.
Hogwarts' Greenhouses
Hearing a firm knock on her private greenhouse door caused her to look up from the maturing crop of mandrakes she was currently caring for.
She huffed at the untimely interruption to her important task, before quickly throwing some soil back over the crying magical plants to keep them warm and to protect them. This also muffled its magical cries allowing her to safely remove her earmuffs. Mandrakes were truly wonderful plants, used in all manner of potions for their powerful qualities in restoration. She moved gracefully across the stone pebble floor of the greenhouse whilst skilfully dodging the attacks of the man eating Vip'ca'ract Man Trap, its thorny green vines shooting out speedily trying to ensnare her and pump her full of its toxic venom.
Examining the shadow as she approached the greenhouse door, she found that it was likely too small to be a professor... well, except perhaps Filius, so it was probably one of her students. She realized that it was a Ravenclaw at the sight of the blue tie, rather than one of her own badgers seeking an audience with her, before finally recognising who it was through the glass, Harry Potter. Seeking her out after class was rather unexpected since the young lad had the joint top grades in the class and had demonstrated considerable knowledge of the subject, but clearly had no real love for the subject itself, like most young people these days. It was simply just another class for the Ravenclaw genius, who undoubtedly only put in so much effort to ensure his own academic position at the top of class. So the question was what did he want? Unfortunately, she couldn't think of any good reason why he would be here.
She pulled back the glass door so that she could speak to him, "Mr. Potter, what can I do for you this evening?" she enquired pleasantly.
"First of all, I'd like to apologise for my lack of attention in class today, my mind was elsewhere," he offered in apology, taking her by surprise, as students rarely apologised for such minor offenses.
Smiling at the apology, 'How sweet of him,' she thought. "Think nothing of it; we all have bad days," she offered wisely, whilst making a waving gesture, dismissing the issue. "Was there anything else you wished to talk about?"
"Thank you for the offer Madam, but that is unnecessary. Plus Professor Flitwick might get jealous, thinking you're trying to poach me away from Ravenclaw house," he offered back with a charming smile. She suppressed her own laughter and instead just smiled. 'A bit full of himself,' she noted, seeing the boy's father's influence coming through, or maybe even his godfather's. 'On the bright side, at least he's not pranking everyone.'
"Is there anything else, Mr. Potter?" she enquired, wanting to get back to her work before the evening turned too late, so she could put her feet up in a hot bath and relax.
"Now that you mention it, yes," the dark haired Ravenclaw replied, getting her attention. "Allow me to get straight to the point, I have a number of business assets which specialize in the cultivation of magical plants and ingredients of varying levels; however I would like to introduce some fresh blood into my workforce. Ideally people with new ideas and creative approaches to the field, people who can help add some new energy and drive to my businesses, and, of course, hopefully increase the overall profits. I was wondering if you knew anyone who would be interested. Maybe a soon to be graduating student or students for instance? Or recent graduates who failed to find meaningful work in this field? I know, for instance, that first generation magicals often have difficulty getting into their desired career here in Britain, since most 'traditional' employers prefer magically raised children."
Thrown off balance at this sudden and unexpected change of subject, she mentally regrouped. Never in all her years of teaching did she expect to be discussing business with a second year student, even one as advanced as Mr. Potter. However, she did know several students that fit the requirements and were looking for possible work, but having little success. This might be a great opportunity for them to actually get a good job.
"Hmm..." she mused thoughtfully. "I actually do know several very talented individuals who would be interested in such an opportunity."
She noticed the subtle smile forming on the second year's features at the news, "Would it be possible for you to provide me with a list of their names and any other information you'd care to share? Things like what they specialize in, how you'd rank them amongst each other, what research they'd like to perform in the field, any awards they've received, etc. Once I review the list I'd like to get in contact with them and see if they fit my needs," Harry asked with mix of James' boldness and Lily's firmness, which warmed her heart at seeing so much of them in their son when they had had so little time with him.
Years of teaching kicked in, "Oh, of course," she replied automatically, when responding to a student's request for aid, despite how unusual it was. Wondering where she left a quill, she moved into action.
"Thank you, Professor," he replied as she looked around for her quill. "Perhaps in the future you can continue to recommend other talented students to me."
Midnight Gold
Hogwarts Staff Room
'I need a drink, a very strong drink,' he thought, as the usual Wednesday night staff meeting continued on without end, whilst he looked around the oak staff table with a good measure of boredom, as he lost himself to his owns thoughts and reflections, remembering Ruby's advice. "I need a change of pace," he muttered quietly beneath his breath, wondering if he would be forever doomed to teach potions to dunderheads for the rest of his days.
"Anything to add, Severus?" Albus asked suddenly, looking over at him with a laid back smile, catching him off guard with the question.
He instantly returned his full attention back to the staff table and the ongoing discussion between his peers. "No," he answered firmly and succinctly, whilst desperately wishing to return to his potions lab, as the meeting tediously carried on. Glancing over to the far wall, where the grandfather clock slowly ticked away in the background, the hands indicated that it was half past eight in the evening.
'Only thirty minutes to go,' he reassured himself.
Fortunately for him, the next thirty minutes passed relatively quickly, as the rest of the staff realized the lateness of the evening and hurried to finish their discussion of recent events, so that they could go about their own affairs. However, before he could make his escape and return to his private quarters, the old fraud pompously stood up, attracting everyone's attention.
"May I make a suggestion," Professor Lockhart voiced, more than asked, as the headmaster rolled his hand, gesturing for the man to speak up. This actually strongly reminded him of his time in the Dark Lord's own court.
"It's Valentine's Day this coming Tuesday; I know it's not something we normally celebrate as magicals, as it's primarily a muggle event, but I think that after everything that has happened this year, maybe we should celebrate it. It would help inject some energy and wonder back into the school" the hack DADA professor expressed with a massive grin, showing his shiny, perfect white teeth. He could see that Professor Vector even nodded in agreement.
"Oh great," he muttered beneath his breath, already having a bad feeling about this, as Minerva looked at him.
"That's an excellent idea," Albus expressed with his own powerful smile. "Love is the most powerful type of magic there is and we should encourage it whenever possible," the aged warlock lectured to the room, his eyes discreetly sending Severus a look. "Particularly in light of recent events."
'If you say so,' he mentally muttered, bitterly, knowing that love had caused him nothing but pain in his life. At this his dark memories came to the surface and his mood darkened as he mentally relived his many mistakes, especially at finding Lily dead.
"Maybe Severus here can teach the students how to brew some love potions then?" Lockhart suggested with a hopeful smile, causing him to level a hateful glare at the hack of a professor.
"No," he said coldly, as the DADA professor flinched at his coldness. "And it's Professor Snape to you; I have not given you permission to address me with such familiarity," he snapped back, years of schooling in social protocol kicking in.
"Severus, be nice," Albus scolded with amusement as Lockhart re-gathered his wits. "He was only making a suggestion. I just happen to agree with him; maybe learning how to brew love potions will be a good thing. The world could certainly use a bit more love in it," the fraud offered like a mystical sage, whilst playing thoughtfully with his long white beard.
Shooting the headmaster a venomous look, he decided to end this before it went too far, "Have you considered the fact that love potions could possibly lead to some serious consequences? Our female students could easily get pregnant under the influence of love potions," at this, the headmaster's smile faded. "Marriage contracts could be broken unintentionally, resulting in severe magical consequences to the individuals involved," as he looked around the staff table, he saw other professors' smiles quickly disappearing. "Houses could be accused of line theft and new blood feuds begun, spanning centuries to come," the last smile disappeared.
Not giving Albus a chance to respond, he pushed forward with his verbal assault. "And you want to bring all these possibilities into the school under your tenure Albus?" he questioned, while forgoing mentioning how the school's Board of Governors would likely respond. "I should also remind you and everyone else here that love potions don't create love, they just mimic the physical feelings associated with love. As soon as the potion leaves the individual's system, those feelings would be gone. So perhaps not really the most powerful of magics, like you claimed; it would all be false, a lie made out of artificial feelings created out of thin air," glaring at the DADA professor, silently expressing his opinion of the man to the room.
"I agree with Severus," Minerva voiced, speaking up on his behalf, for once actually agreeing with him on something, which made a nice change of pace.
"So do I," Filius added in agreement, with a firm nod. "Love potions cause nothing but problems."
"As do I," Pomona added. "Love potions are morally questionable at best, and we shouldn't encourage them. You should know better Albus," the head of Hufflepuff lectured to the room.
Nodding as he replied, "Of course, you're right Pomona," the aged wizard agreed with a sad smile. "I was simply caught up in the moment," before looking over at him. "Thank you, Severus, for pointing out the errors of my ways," giving him a regretful smile, before turning to Professor Lockhart. "As my esteemed staff have pointed out to me Gilderoy, love potions are morally questionable, and hence, shouldn't be encouraged. However, I encourage my staff," specifically looking over at him as he spoke, "to get into the spirit of the event and have lessons planned around a Valentine's Day theme. Of course, it will be up to each of you to decide how to proceed with that in mind." The fraud smiled at his little victory.
'I need a very strong drink,' he realized, already having horrible visions of pink and cheesy love hearts hanging from the ceiling of the Great Hall.
"Moving along," the aged wizard declared, instantly taking back control of the meeting again. "Is there anything else any of you would care to report?"
"As you requested, you asked us to keep an eye on Mr. Potter at the start of the term." The head of Hufflepuff house answered, gathering the group's attention."
"Harry approached me yesterday evening, asking if I knew of any past or present students who would be interested in employment in the cultivation of magical plants and ingredients," Pomona explained. "I provided him with the names of several talented past students who I know are struggling to find work in the field," she explained with a smile upon her features.
"As far as I knew, the Potters had no holdings in the cultivation of magical plants," Albus mused to himself whilst stroking his beard, before looking over at Pomona again. "Did he say why?" Severus listened closely to the exchange, coming up with his own theories behind the request.
"Yes, he did actually," the head of Hufflepuff house confirmed. "He said he wants to introduce some 'fresh blood' into the business, to inject some new energy and drive into it."
"Interesting," the headmaster muttered to himself. "Anything else?"
"No," Pomona replied, as the rest of staff shook their heads as well, signalling that they too had nothing further to share.
"Hmm, why was Madam Bones here the other night?" Lockhart asked the room from his seat at the end of table, indicating his place in the leadership of the school, next to the overly large reinforced seat normally used by Hagrid. Of course, Hagrid wasn't aware of it, and probably didn't care much about rank even if he did.
"She didn't say, but I believe there has been a breakthrough in the case concerning Pettigrew," Filius offered back from his small chair near the head of the table, opposite him.
"That's good," Lockhart agreed, with a smile that appeared to be as false as the man himself. The staff meeting lasted another quarter of an hour, before they cleared up the remaining issues, as the headmaster both answered and asked questions of his own.
"I believe that is all for tonight, my friends," Albus declared, ending the meeting, as he quickly moved to make his escape before anyone noticed. "Severus, please stay behind," he mentally groaned.
'What does he want now?' he wondered as his gut twisted, his finely tuned survival senses stirring. None of this showed on his face however. "How can I be of assistance, Headmaster?" he enquired evenly, his voice level and flat as the room emptied.
"Thank you for pointing out the issue with the love potions; you played your part just as I hoped you would," the aged wizard expressed with a grin, as he sensed a new plot brewing in the elder wizard's mind.
"You knew of Lockhart's planned request?" he sneered.
"Of course," the headmaster beamed. "There is little that I don't know about, but it did give me some ideas," he boasted to Severus with a sly smile. "You didn't think all those wards erected over Christmas were strictly detection and security wards did you?" he suppressed a shiver running down his spine at this, feeling like he was caught in a hungry spider's web.
He decided not to answer the headmaster's question. "So you know what Madam Bones wanted to discuss with Mr Potter then?" Severus asked.
"Yes, I'll tell you in due course," the aged wizard voiced.
"Not even a hint?" his interest spiking.
"No," the aged wizard replied, with mischief in his eyes that reminded him far too much of Sirius Black.
Ravenclaw Tower
Silently watching the unfolding staff meeting through the charmed glass of the grandfather clock, his hands ran through Shadow's midnight black fur, the magical cat purring in pleasure under his touch. "How interesting," Harry muttered, making mental note that the headmaster was monitoring him through the staff, meaning that he would have to be far more careful than he already was. It also meant that the staff couldn't be trusted with any sensitive information, since they might feel obliged to report it to the headmaster.
He continued dutifully listening to Professor Lockhart's proposal for the Valentine's Day celebrations and the following exchange amongst the professors, carefully noting each person's stated opinions and attitudes to better understand each of them. All these observations were going into his mental file on them, for possible later use. You never when it might prove useful.
He was just about to cut the link to the enchanted glass, which had allowed him to spy on the staff meeting in the Headmaster's office, when the headmaster suddenly asked for Snape to stay behind. Listening to the private exchange between professor Snape and the Headmaster, once again he was taken by surprise at the headmaster's cunning. He couldn't help but feel like a fly, surrounded by spider webs; one misstep and he could be caught. It was not a feeling that he liked as he looked around his room, his private sanctuary, wondering if the headmaster was spying on him at that very moment."How does one break the webs he can't see?" He asked aloud as he put away the piece of enchanted glass, before looking over at the dressing table mirror, a smile appearing on his face. 'Spiders eat insects and flies, so why not ask my own beetle?' But first he had to inform Madam Bones that somehow the aged wizard knew what they had privately discussed, all without revealing his source.
He considered the problem for a second, before deciding to check on the other magically charmed spy glasses that he had placed around the school, to see if they were still working effectively. So far he had managed to set his spy glasses in half a dozen rooms, most of them being the teachers' offices that he had managed to gain access to during a night time stroll. In addition, he had also managed to get three set up in the Ravenclaw common room, allowing him to monitor his housemates without leaving the comfort of his dorm room. Naturally, this was just the first phase of his plan, the first few lines of his information web, more of a proof of concept really. Soon, all of his rivals would be under his watchful eye.
Midnight Lord
Malfoy Manor
Lucius Malfoy lowered himself into his sumptuous desk chair, as he silently considered whether to support Madam Umbridge's recent proposal on new werewolf legislation. If it had been proposed even just a year ago he would have instantly supported it, but now he had to be more careful, his available resources and owed favours were not what they once were. Sadly, if he did not vocally support it, Lord Nott certainly would, costing him more influence within the pureblood ranks.
Hearing the soft pop of a house elf appear, he looked over at the pathetic creature dressed in an old tea rag, who was dutifully placing a silver tea tray onto his desk, containing the morning paper and his daily correspondence. However, an unmarked letter caught his immediate attention, since it was from one of his agents or one of his informers that he had strategically placed around Britain.
Like always he reached for his heirloom letter opener. It was enchanted to detect curses and spells laced into any letters he opened, just in case the extensive manor wards designed for that very purpose somehow failed to detect them. This was the same letter opener his father had used before him, and the one he expected his son to use after him long into the distant future. With the Malfoy crest engraved proudly on the handle, the beautiful silver knife easily cut the heavy envelope open.
Throwing the envelope into a nearby bin and unfolding the yellow parchment carefully, he saw one of the distinctive codes he and his informers used for passing such sensitive messages between them. The triangles and runes and circles were all in complex, incomprehensible designs, with numbers added here and there, placed seemingly at random around the parchment rim.
Getting up from his comfortable chair whilst pulling his dressing grown tighter, he walked quickly across the study to access a small chest, hidden carefully away behind bookshelves lining the far wall. Elegantly flicking his wand, the beautifully crafted chest unlocked, before he carefully opened the lid, revealing dozens of random items he had gathered. Most people would assume that these were merely harmless nick-nacks and items of sentimental value, but they actually served a far different purpose to him; each one was the magical code key linked to one or two of his informers or agents, allowing him to encode and decode messages sent to and from them quickly and efficiently. Finding the earthy brown pebble necessary for decoding the magical message, he pressed it against the enchanted parchment, before pressing his wand again it. "Unreval Occulta" he muttered, moving his wand in concentric circles, before making an X through the centre. He was once again impressed at Severus' creativity in the art of spell creation, at being able to invent and perfect such a useful spell.
The seemingly random and meaningless text quickly shifted, rearranging itself to reveal the secret message contained within...
Dear Royal Turkey Cooker,
Mummer Bear visited Hogwarts and met with Terminally Ill Patient. It is believed she was there to discuss business involving Nibbles, but cannot confirm this information. Sleeping Willow has indeed been removed, but is expected to be replanted at beginning spring term.
Nagging Wife is still gagged and Grandfather Clock is still out of time. Sweet Candy is a go.
Thank you for the Candy provided, hopefully it will prove to be as tasty as you say.
From
The Doctor
His lips curled in amusement at the encoded message and the odd code names contained within. Despite the seriousness of the message and the warning within, he found the code names rather entertaining, and did especially like his own code name, 'Royal Turkey Cooker.' All of this wasn't strictly necessary with the encoded keys he had used, but his agent really did love the game of shadows too much. Nevertheless, he understood its contents easily enough after so many years of playing shadowy games of power in magical Britain.
'He'll probably write a book about this someday,' he mused to himself as he moved to burn the letter and vanish the ashes. Never the less, he would have to contact his people in the Ministry and the Aurors, so he could check on what 'Mummer Bear' was up to. Madam Bones was a stubborn thorn in his side, one that he had been trying to get rid of for years through several different plots, but all had been unsuccessful. However, he and his allies had been highly effective at de-fanging her department over the years, slowly picking away at its effectiveness with a coordinated series of political moves.
His first and successful method of attack was to push through numerous tax reductions country-wide, forcing the Ministry to cut the department's budget after the war was over. This prevented the department's further growth under the justification that the Ministry's funds were limited and what was available was better spent rebuilding the national infrastructure after the war. This was actually something his foe Dumbledore was forced into supporting; otherwise he would quickly lose face among his close supporters and allies and most importantly the support of the short sighted public.
Then there was also the need to pay off their national loans to the goblins, ones the Ministry was grudgingly forced to take on during the war due to his master's actions. This resulted in the Ministry's annual budget being cut to one third of its pre-civil war levels, helping to cripple the Ministry's effectiveness even further. Thanks to his personal connections with the two recent ministers, mostly due to his money being directed into their election campaigns, he was able to subtly and gently direct the Ministry's limited resources even further away from Law Enforcement to other departments in the Ministry. These other departments were ones that were directed and controlled by people far more amendable to persuasion then Madam Bones had ever been, or were outright controlled by his own allies and former comrades in the Death Eaters.
All this strengthened his own influence and control over magical Britain's government and brought powerful protections, as he was the Minister's closest friend and unofficial adviser. Then there was the added effect that with a significantly reduced budget the DMLE was forced to cut its basic starting wages thus decreasing its appeal as a possible career path. This in turn discouraged the more talented witches and wizards from joining, decreasing the overall quality of the average auror amongst their ranks.
Finally, even though he had been steadily working against the DMLE, ironically enough, thanks to his Ministry connections and some well placed bribes, extortion and murder, he had won the exclusive right, through magically binding contract no less, to supply the department with its dragon hide armour needs. Under his control, the price quickly rose in the following years to 250% above the market price, but the department was still forced to buy under the terms of the contract! He was particularly proud of how that that scheme continued to pay off so handsomely. On the one hand he was working hard to defang the department, yet he was still profiting handsomely from their death throes. It was delightful!
He was tempted, once again, to raise the price of the dragon hide in retaliation for Bones' scheming against him, but he would have to once again engineer a dragon pox plague amongst the dragon herd to somewhat justify it, which would require too much effort right now, causing him to dismiss the idea. Despite the setback with the Chamber of Secrets and the removal of the Weasley girl from Hogwarts, he felt confident that his plans would be successful in the end.
After all, the Chamber of Secrets was nothing more than an opening move in a grand plan, something designed to distract the Chief Warlock and draw his attention away from much more important matters. And now that the aged wizard was reassured that the Chamber was secure and no longer an immediate threat, his guard would be lowered, allowing for his main plan to be executed with the help of his agent. It also had another more subtle purpose, one of helping to identify the aged wizard's agents within his own circle of influence. He knew Severus was stuck right in the middle of them and could be trusted to a point, so long as his oaths he had taken a decade earlier to win Dumbledore's trust weren't overly challenged.
Of course, the easy way around that was to simply not tell the man, even if it left him bitter and a bit resentful. To Severus' credit, he did take his responsibilities to Draco extremely seriously, and that was the main reason why he was one of Draco's possible guardians if anything should happen to him and his wife.
And with Severus being Draco's guardian, it meant that should anything happen to him, Draco would be protected from his own enemies indirectly through Severus' protection obtained by serving the Headmaster.
After all, he wasn't known as the cunning fox, for nothing.
Midnight lord
Swansong Rooms
Looking around at his group of friends and allies he began the meeting, "All right ladies and gentlemen, we have our agreed upon revision timetable set up; we'll begin using it at the start of next week." Harry expressed proudly to the group as a whole, since it had been mightily challenging to arrange it so that all of them could attend. "Hopefully, the five of us can take the top spots this year."
"Yup, it would be awfully nice to one up the high and mighty Granger," Tracy voiced eagerly, as the other two Slytherins mumbled their own agreement.
"Her head's getting a bit too big for my taste," Blaise added, his anti-muggleborn prejudice starting to shine through. "I still can't believe she had the gall to attempt to brew polyjuice potion. What arrogance!" he proclaimed, as Tracy actively ignored him.
He chose to keep quiet, rather than joining in with the Granger bashing. He honestly expected that they felt the same about him at times; he thought Blaise certainly did. After all, Slytherins in general were known for their jealousy. But, unlike Miss Granger, he wasn't openly showing off in front of the class, instead always walking the fine balancing act between answering a question correctly and showing off. He chose the more prudent option of 'showing off' his knowledge and in-depth understanding of magic in his homework assignments, or in private discussions with his professors after the lesson had ended and the other students had left the room. Plus, he always offered his friends assistance, if and when they asked him for it, rather than shoving it down their throats when they were embarrassed.
Truthfully, he was relatively certain that the five of them would take the top spots in at least DADA, with both his advanced knowledge in the subject offered to the group and his cousin Tonks assisting them in their practical revision for the subject, they were a shoe in. Furthermore, he privately hoped that Luna would be successful in her end of year exams, considering the amount of time and energy he had put into grooming her. So much time, in fact, that he expected her to get first place in her yearly exams, which would increase his own prestige within Ravenclaw house and give him some bragging rights and capital to spend with their Head of House. Plus, it would force both her year-mates and Ravenclaw house as a whole to acknowledge her, rather than treat her like a freak worthy of only mean spirited pranks. And if they didn't, and instead chose to target her more due to her academic success, out of petty jealously, well, it would further drive her into his influence, into his arms.
This would be especially true if she believed that his tutorship and guidance were the reasons behind her success. Truthfully, he believed that she would have been just fine by herself, since she was both hardworking and motivated. He couldn't help but smile at his developing scheme; it was truly a win/win situation for him. He would either earn more respect within Ravenclaw house and with his own head of house by successful tutoring her to success and helping her make some friends amongst her peers; or he would more than likely gain an unwavering and ridiculously loyal ally in the girl, who saw him as both her mentor and her only true friend within this 'big bad school,' assuming the gap between her and her childhood friend, Ginny Weasley, continued to widen.
Naturally, he was tempted to try and widen that gap a little further, just like he had done with Penny and Percy the previous year. But he chose not to, deciding to leave it up to the pair and fate, since the youngest Weasley had done nothing to bring his displeasure, unlike her older brother. Well, besides being a possible suspect in the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and that likely wasn't even through her conscious choice. He blamed Lord Malfoy more for that than anyone. Plus, if any hint of his involvement came to light in breaking them up, he would probably lose the first year witch forever, causing all the time and energy he had spent on Luna to go down the proverbial drain pipe.
Then there was the fact, like Sirius had unintentionally advised, that witches held grudges extremely well. He'd rather not end up as a dashing toad, trying to steal a kiss from a fair maiden. He did have to rebuild the Potter family numbers after all.
"Harry, I've heard some interesting rumours that you're receiving private lessons from Professor Dumbledore," Daphne probed, from her place next to Blaise, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
He decided to be honest with his few friends, since it would only increase his personal standing amongst his peers, especially as it was only a matter of time before the rumour fully spread throughout the school. "Yes, I am," he confirmed. "I'm pretty sure that Granger will be filled with crippling jealousy at the thought of my getting private lessons from him," Tracy's light smile turned into a full blown grin at that.
"How did that happen?" Padma asked from besides him, beating Daphne to the question, her cute bordering on beautiful features, in a few years time, laced with the subtle signs of confusion. "I thought that you disliked the man."
He considered his answer carefully before answering, "It was one of the terms I demanded in exchange for agreeing to return to potions lessons next year under Snape." He carefully explained to the group, as he turned his body to fully face Padma. "I didn't lie to you when I said I personally dislike the Headmaster, I still do, very much so in fact, and I have several very good reasons for disliking him. But, however much I don't like to admit it, I'm forced to admit that he is one of the most powerful and knowledgeable wizards around. So why shouldn't I try to learn from him when the opportunity presents itself? Why shouldn't I try to tap him for knowledge, for greater understanding?" he asked the group, playing the Slytherin accepted angle of self-gain even when distasteful, as he noticed Daphne's eyes light up in understanding and respect.
"It's also why I now have limited access to the restricted section of the library, even if it's strictly monitored," he explained to the near silent group. "That was another of my demands for agreeing to return to potions next year. Of course, I put in terms and conditions in place governing Snape's conduct towards me. If he steps out of line even a bit, one insult, one biased mark, one bit of sabotage, I'm gone, free to continue my own self-study, but yet I still get to keep my access," he bragged, a sly shark-like smile appearing on his lips.
Despite everything he had said and explained, it was the pass to the long coveted restricted section that had gotten Padma's full attention. "You have access to the restricted section of the library and you didn't tell me?!" she accused, getting puffed up, and unintentionally doing a rather good impression of Miss Granger. But he wisely chose to keep that observation to himself, as Blaise suddenly grinned in amusement at the unfolding drama, before whispering something in Daphne's ear.
He took a deep breath before replying to her accusation, not liking her tone one bit, especially in this setting, "I didn't tell anyone," he countered to his Ravenclaw friend. "Do you recall what house we're in? I would be swarmed with requests for books; not even NEWT level students have such ready access. While I don't mind occasionally using my pass to withdraw books you might be interested in, I have absolutely no intention of playing the role of librarian to the whole of Ravenclaw house," the Slytherin trio cracked their own smiles at the thought of his discomfort. "Unless I can profit from it." This caused Tracy to suddenly burst into laughter, whilst Daphne's own lips twitched in amusement, and something that looked almost like fondness, before it quickly disappeared.
"One could almost mistake you for a goblin Harry," Tracy teased, as he grinned back, taking it as a compliment.
"So what is the headmaster teaching you? Potions?" she asked eagerly.
He shook his head at this guess, "Of course not, we discuss whatever subject that strikes my fancy," he explained. "However, I'm focusing on transfiguration at the moment, since he is a world renowned master in that field and has amazing insights into it; after only a little bit of time talking with him I'm already finding the subject far easier than before," he claimed. "That means that you can help us with our own transfiguration assignments and revision," Padma stated, giving him a stern look, almost daring him to challenge her.
He let the challenge pass for now, although he wasn't going to allow her to walk all over him with her assumptions and demands. They would be having a conversation later about this. "I already do, don't I?" he asked the room, part of him slightly amused at her forcefulness. "And whilst we are on the topic of rumours, I've heard from the headmaster's office portraits that there is going to be a Valentine's Day celebration this year," he explained to the group, effortlessly changing the subject. The news took a couple of seconds to register, before Tracy and Padma suddenly looked rather excited at the idea, whilst Blaise cast a longing look over to Daphne, who appeared to ignore the statement, especially as Blaise's arm wrapped around her waist protectively, pulling the heiress closer to him.
"Just wait until Parvati hears about this!" Padma exclaimed in excitement.
"Just don't mention my name," he answered seriously, giving Padma a stern look. After all, as soon as Padma's twin sister Parvati found out, her dear friend Lavender would quickly follow and then the whole school would know by the end of the day. "I'd rather not let the headmaster know that I'm on good terms with some of the portraits in his office. As a group they are extremely attention starved after so many years just hanging there, and just happen to have extremely loose tongues," he lied through his teeth, a shark like smile appearing on his features, as he worked hard to protect the source of his information. He realized that there would rapidly come a point where he would need to let things happen as they will, even if he was forewarned of a plot or scheme against him. Appearing to always be prepared for things or to always know more than he should would be an easy way to alert his foes that he had some undetected means to ferret out information. It wouldn't take long for them to grow suspicious making it more and more likely his surveillance charms would be discovered.
"We need to get going," Daphne suddenly announced to the group, rising gracefully from her seat whilst untangling herself from Blaise's sudden embrace. "We have lessons starting in a couple of minutes and it wouldn't do for us to be late," reminding everyone of the time.
"Oh, by the way, Draco is scheming something again," Blaise suddenly announced, as the group walked past the swan door guardian. "He seems to have a score to settle with you."
He snorted in amusement at the idea, which the group easily caught, "I'll just have to get him to set his sights on Longbottom and Weasley instead; it shouldn't be too hard," a basic plan quickly forming in his mind.
"What are you planning?" Tracy asked, subtly leaning into him, as they walked down the secret passageway.
"A tasteless prank that only a Gryffindor would pull," he answered back to the brunette Slytherin, his mind stirring, as he schemed once again. "I apologise in advance if you three somehow how get caught up in the crossfire."
"I'll overlook it this time," Tracy proclaimed magnanimously, sending him a mischievous smile. "However, I expect a Valentine's Day gift for my trouble," he noticed how Padma sent the Slytherin a seething look at this.
Saturday Morning
"Hi Harry," Lavender cooed as he looked up from his textbook to register the familiar faces of Lavender, Parvati, and the red head Sally-Anne standing next to her, the former looking rather nervous as he examined the trio, dressed in casual clothes for the weekend. "Do you mind if the three of us sit with you?" the young lioness enquired, her study books pressed up against and drawing attention to her blossoming chest.
Considering his options and remembering Sirius' advice about not alienating girls with wicked tongues. He replied with a simple, "Of course," a fake smile pasted on his lips. Truthfully, though, he wanted nothing more than to tell the three talkative lions to go away, so that he could focus on his studies in peace. "As long as you're quiet and don't disturb me too much," he added with a charming smile to take the potential sting out of his words.
After all, his independent projects were seriously lagging behind in forward progress this year with all the upheaval caused by the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and Pettigrew's attempts on his life. All this in addition to his increasing involvement in running his family businesses and being a part of the Quidditch team, not to mention most of his free time being taken up with training one-on-one with Tonks. And he couldn't forget his tutoring of Luna.
His cousin could be quite the old drill instructor when she got going. In fact, under her watchful eye, he already knew and was comfortable using most of the 4th year DADA practical material and even knew several fifth year spells. He had even found and practiced several new spells himself, such as the ever useful and deadly ribbon cutter, which he had stumbled upon in his searches through the restricted section. The ribbon cutter, which was originally designed to clear sections of forests of large trees, fired a thin ribbon of pink energy from the wand about a foot in width, but lacking much of any depth, like a paper ribbon, from which its name was derived. An unskilled user of the spell could point and shoot the cutter energy like a gun, flying straight and true and then dissipating after only a short distance. A master at the spell could wield and direct it like a semi-flexible razor whip and keep it up and running by feeding it a continuous, but variable flow of magical power. In time a person could even instinctively alter the width of the ribbon, making it smaller or wider at will and wield it like a scalpel. However all this rapid progress in DADA and duelling came at the cost of his burgeoning research into runes, which had completely fallen by the wayside. There just weren't enough hours in the day to do all that he wanted and prioritizing was the only way to move forward.
When you had someone out to kill you, you had to focus on the bigger picture, such as gaining practical skills in combat magic and growing stronger and faster. However, one of his independent projects, that of becoming an animagus, was actually coming along quite nicely, if he said so himself.
So now that he finally had a real chance to catch up in his independent studies, he was rather reluctant to let it go, no matter how pretty the girls were. After all, Lavender couldn't help but gossip and that was exactly why she was already considered the gossip queen of their year. The blonde also happened to remind him of Rita and how the Prophet's star reporter liked to spread gossip in her articles. 'Maybe I should introduce them to each other?' he considered, before eventually dismissing it as premature.
Plus the three of them had been stalking him for the last couple of days, since the announcement of the Valentine's Day celebrations. 'I should have kept my mouth shut' he mentally rumbled in annoyance at the situation he had indirectly set in motion.
Naturally, he had taken to a policy of avoidance, rather than risk offending the girl by rebuffing her advances. Unfortunately the girl was quite persistent in her pursuit. While it was rather flattering and most certainly a confidence booster, it would also cause issues with his friends; both Padma and Tracy were interested in him, based on their not so subtle hints. Not that he would mind a kiss or more from Lavender though; his lips were positively twitching for another chance at one after the New Year's kiss he had received from the twins, as his budding teenage hormones started to play havoc with his focus, even with his mind magic at work in helping to restrain them.
Honestly, he was terrified at the thought of what he would likely be like without his mind magic helping to reign in his biological impulses, impulses which had been strengthened many times over by his progress into becoming an animagus and deeply connecting with his animal side. However, since his policy of avoidance seemed to be failing to get the desired results, logically he had to take another approach, but the question was what approach to take? Turning his attention back to his studies, he silently considered his problem and how he could get some level of control over the situation as the Gryffindor trio sat down, following Lavender's lead, who sat directly to his left, Parvati to his right, with Sally-Anne sitting next to her.
Lavender lasted less than a minute, before breaking the silence and asking him a question. "Whatcha reading Harry?" causing him to mentally groan.
That Evening
"So what do you recommend?" Harry asked his suitably amused godfather, after explaining his current dilemma.
He watched as a wide grin appeared on Sirius' face, over the enchanted mirrors. "It's a simple solution really; just get a girlfriend," Sirius offered and then said no more, as if that was all that needed to be said. Harry raised an inquisitive eyebrow, causing his Godfather to elaborate on his answer more. He waited patiently as his godfather gave him a look of disappointment, like he was explaining something so simple that even a complete idiot should understand it, much like how Professor Snape would look like whenever he was talking down to Ron. "If you have girlfriend, you're off the market, therefore they will lose interest until you're back on the market again. Unless, of course, they think they can steal you away from her, which can get rather interesting and oh so very enjoyable." Sirius offered with a smirk and a look of fond nostalgia. "Therefore, get a girlfriend who will be protective of you, a young proud lioness that is territorial, but understands your boundaries and the need for personal space."
"Really? It's that simple?" he questioned further, still not quite believing that such a simple solution would really work.
"Yeah, duhh," his godfather explained, whilst shaking his head again in disappointment. "Remember, just because you're dating someone doesn't mean you're agreeing to a lifetime commitment. Just enjoy the experience," Sirius advised.
"Alright," Harry finally agreed, once again bowing to his godfather's undeniable wisdom concerning all things girl. "Now, I just need to decide who to ask out."
"What about one of those twins?" Sirius suggested with a mischievous grin. He considered whether to ask Padma out. "It would certainly be beneficial to the docks if you were to be on good terms with Lord Patil. Often the first couple of years after opening a new business are the hardest. However, if you go down that road, work to ensure that your friendship remains intact no matter what happens." Sirius carefully advised, before looking over his shoulder. "Oh, Remus says hi!"
Number 12
He smiled, as he closed the connection to Harry's mirror, proud of himself for finally cracking Harry's outer shell and encouraging normal teenage behaviour. But now he had to get back to his notes for the upcoming debate on werewolf rights proposed by Madam Umbridge. "I can't believe you did that Sirius," Remus voiced crossly, as the werewolf entered his office. "You shouldn't be encouraging him to play with other peoples' emotions."
Shaking his head in amusement, he responded, "Oh come on Remus, we were the same at that age," Sirius expressed with a fond smile. "It's a game everyone plays. Lords and Ladies even encourage their children to pursue relationships with other heirs that benefit their goals."
"No, it was you and James that were playing the field Sirius, not me," Remus lectured.
"Only because you were all stuck up with your 'I'm a werewolf; no one will want me,' attitude," Sirius countered; as Remus gave him a vicious look that clearly said 'don't go there.' "I personally recall that you were quite popular with the ladies at Hogwarts, as they all considered you 'such a gentlemen.' But you just never chose to act on any of their obvious advances, preferring to sulk in your self-pity," at this Remus' eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I said don't go there Sirius," Remus spoke forcefully.
He had finally had enough of his friend's sanctimonious attitude and was going to say something. "Why not Remus?" he challenged, stepping forward into the man's personal space. "You were the one to come in here and lecture me about how to raise my godson. Let's not forget that you were the one who ignored him for a good decade! And before you say that it was because you're a werewolf, that's a fucking shit poor excuse," Sirius spat back, his blood pumping as he tore into his old friend, laying out the harsh truths before him.
"For Merlin's sake man, wake up and smell the roses already!" He spat, as he noticed Remus' fists ball in anger. "Your life is shitty because you're far too self absorbed about yourself and you allow your condition to dictate everything you do. I finally talked Harry into letting you come with us this summer on our trip to the Far East, but so far you've made nothing but excuses why you shouldn't come. I even arranged it so that it would fall between moon cycles for you, even though it would cut our trip short. We've hit the bars together in the evening looking for a good time, looking to chat up some witches, but what do you do but just stand there sulking in a corner. Then you moan about getting fired from your latest job; have you ever considered just asking me to hire you? I know you're qualified for it, so it's no skin off my back. Even Dumbledore has faith in you, to the point that he's allowing you into a school full of kids for a year." Remus just stood there, almost shaking with rage.
"I even asked Harry on your behalf," causing the werewolf to suddenly look at him in surprise. "I know he has several werewolves already in his employ and he doesn't care a whit about their condition, as long as they do their job. Even with him strongly disliking you, he said he would hire you if you asked him."
"I don't want your charity, or Harry's" Remus spat back.
"It's not charity Remus, it's called being a friend; it's called being there for your friends," he argued, once again. "There are hundreds of werewolves in just Britain Remus, all of them with the same problems as you, but yet they have wives, girlfriends and kids. And if you are so worried about spreading your condition, why not find a nice werewolf girl to settle down with?" he asked.
"I'm to take the advice of a womanizing asshole like you?!" Remus snapped back at him.
"And?" Sirius asked, with a half mocking smile, not at all offended, as his friend turned to leave the room. "At least I get laid!" Sirius proudly shouted as the office door was slammed shut. Returning to his chair, he wondered if Remus would actually listen to him for once, or whether his friend would continue to mope about the house.
He studiously ignored the guilt he felt for calling Remus out on his shit, but he simply had had enough of the man's endless moping and boundless self pity, blaming all his misfortunes and unhappiness on his condition.
A decade ago he would have simply ignored it, leaving it to better people like James and Lily to try and fix the man's self-esteem, but jail and the loss of his friends had changed him, hardened him. His new responsibilities as Harry's godfather and guardian and as the Lord Black had made him far more serious and driven then he'd ever been before.
Simply put, he wouldn't put up with any of Remus' self-pity bullshit any longer.
Midnight Lord
Headmaster's Office
Sucking on his trademark lemon drops, he considered the latest events and the interesting reports he had received from his agents within the Ministry. Once again his network of spies, agents and informers within the Ministry and the Aurors had proven their worth, providing him with detailed intelligence on Madam Bones' latest plan to catch the cunning Lord Malfoy. For years, he had carefully played the political game against Lord Malfoy, checking his moves, whilst giving him a few minor victories where need be to keep the lord interested. The main reason for this was to keep his political wits sharp and finely honed for more important battles. Plus as the saying goes, know your enemy. Since the death eater was Tom's main political tool, it allowed him to develop a deeper sense of how Lord Malfoy operated. So one day, when Tom inevitably returned, he would know all the man's tricks and be able to curtail his actions.
In addition, the death eater had proven his worth time and again by providing him with a common foe to unite his political allies and supporters behind, to help him keep them in line, marching to the same beat, rather than fracturing into small, independent groups after the dark lord's fall. He couldn't let the light facture; it needed to be united and whole to fight the darkness when it inevitably returned to Britain.
However things had changed now; for years he had been willing to play the Lord Malfoy's shadowy game, as long as it was within the treacherous halls of the Ministry and innocents weren't involved as they battled it out. But Lord Malfoy had crossed that invisible line this year, proving the death eater to be far too dangerous for his own good. With this latest plot against him, using the school as the stage and his young charges as the targets, the man had proven that he was beyond forgiveness and redemption. Then Lucius had stepped even further over the line with the attempted assassination of Harry Potter by using the desperate and easily manipulated Peter. All of this together meant that the proverbial gloves were well and truly off; it was time to finally remove the remorseless death eater once and for all and to remind everyone in magical Britain just who he was.
For years now they had all come to see him as just the aging and kindly headmaster of Hogwarts, no longer as a political mastermind. It was time to remind them that his political claws were still sharp and capable of rending flesh from bone.
This was especially needed now, with the confirmed knowledge that Lucius' dark master was still out there somewhere, as he thought about the previous school year and the cursed diary he had found in Ginny Weasley's possession. Even now, days after cracking the mystery of the diary, it still truly shocked him to know just how far the teenage Tom Riddle had fallen into the dark arts during his time at Hogwarts. To know that the former Slytherin head boy had managed to create a horcrux, a soul anchor, whilst he was still in school, was absolutely sickening. However the academic inside him admired the boy's magical ability, even if it was totally misguided and abhorrent.
Tom Riddle was one of his many failings; in fact it was one of his biggest regrets that he was unable to stop Tom's fall into the darkness. This was actually the main reason why he kept such a close eye on his charges nowadays.
However, even with the horcrux being destroyed, he knew that Tom was still out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows, biding his time, since the Dark mark was still present on Severus' arm. Another piece of excellent spell work from Tom, despite its dark designs and origins, he grudgingly admitted. His admiration was such that he had considered making his own mark, for his own Order of the Phoenix, but had eventually dismissed it. After all, despite the advantages it offered, the negatives, as far as he concerned, far outweighed the positives. Plus, it wouldn't be good for morale and his image to openly copy a dark lord... he wasn't a copycat. Instead, he had crafted special phoenix necklaces, using his familiar's own feathers and tears to create his own special summoning device, allowing his Order to come to him wherever he was and to allow him to find his own people, if needs be. Dozens of lives had been saved in the last war thanks to the necklace, before the Death Eaters realized what it was and devised their own counter measures.
The dark mark's origins dated all the way back to imperial Rome and Egypt. These were times when the need to brand and mark one's slaves was a necessary practice, hence the creation of the slave's mark, as far as wizard historians could tell. However, the dark mark was a modified version of this brand, connecting Tom to all his followers. How or why it was modified, he did not know, and he doubted he would ever find out unless he asked its creator. However, the dark mark, much like its ancient ancestor, would never truly fade until the Dark Lord himself had been truly destroyed. But just like its ancestral mark, the slave's mark had shown the strength and health of its creator, so too did the dark mark, which provided him with an excellent warning device, allowing him to discreetly monitor the Dark Lord's health and prowess from a safe distance.
This was another reason why he kept Severus close at hand. But thankfully with the destruction of the diary, Severus' mark was fading once again, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
At one point, he was sorely tempted to share the dark mark's true origins, in order to help discourage and facture the prideful pureblood ranks who would hate the idea of being branded and 'owned' by anyone. But he had eventually dismissed it, since they would almost certainly research it for themselves, if they hadn't already, and could possibly make the connection that their Lord was still alive and try to contact him and/or resurrect him sooner. It was also why he had discouraged the unspeakables from researching further into it, for fear that the knowledge would spread. Once Voldemort was destroyed for good, they could research the mark all they liked.
Now with his own plans in motion to remove Lucius, as well as Madam Bones' own ambitious plan, which he was discreetly shaping through his trusted agents, he had to consider what to do with Severus. The man was his most trusted spy, his most valuable agent, and his personal assistant. His advice was invaluable when it came to dealing with the dark arts, but he was Draco's godfather and had a deep loyalty to Lucius' family. He seriously doubted that Severus would openly betray the Malfoys; he was just too loyal to them. So the question was how to twist that loyalty, that sense of duty to Draco, before the answer suddenly popped into his mind.
Lily.
Severus' one weakness, the reason why he had betrayed Tom despite knowing all too well how the dark wizard dealt with such people. Could he play on Severus' oaths to protect Lily's only son and his oath to protect Draco?
"I might be able to spin it," he muttered to his silent office, before remembering that he had an appointment to keep.
Ministry of Magic
He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, before respectfully knocking on Madam Bones' door before waiting for her reply. "Enter," the stern auror barked, as he carefully turned the door handle. "Madam Bones, may I have a moment of your time," Kingsley requested, as his boss looked up from her paperwork, her eyes locking on to him, tracking him, as he stood silently in the doorway.
"Make it quick," she snapped, covering her papers out of habit.
He closed the office door, so that they wouldn't be overheard, "I have an idea, one I believe will increase our chances of catching Lord Malfoy," he offered as he stood before her desk at crisp attention, like he was on the parade ground. "We both know that Lord Malfoy is a slippery character and that half the stuff Pettigrew has given us won't stick to him, especially with all the strings he can pull and the bribes he could offer. But what if we caught him red-handed instead? What if we caught him dealing directly with Pettigrew?" he asked his commanding officer.
"I'd say that that would be pretty damming evidence," Madam Bones replied, clearly interested in what he had to say.
He smiled proudly at not being shut down immediately, "What if we fake Mr. Potter's death?" he asked her mischievously, her interest spiking. "Then we follow Peter to the exchange with Lord Malfoy and encourage Peter to get Malfoy to say something incriminating, or some level of confession. As soon as the gold has exchanged hands for the successful murder; we then arrest him on the spot. Then we would have hard evidence of Lord Malfoy's involvement in both the conspiracy and attempted murder/assassination of the dual heir to an ancient and noble household, dealing and assisting with a wanted criminal, and for dealing in the dark arts. That's easily life imprisonment, no matter what strings he pulls," he proclaimed eagerly.
Watching as Madam Bones shifted in her seat, a grin slowly grew on her features. "That might actually work," she muttered back with her own smirk. "We could even invite some reporters along, under the pretence of wanting them there for a big bust . Not even being the Minister's close friend and advisor would save him," she voiced, before her grin quickly turned to a frown.
"We'll have to deal with the headmaster," she stated uneasily, clearly recognizing that she would need some help pulling all the strings necessary to make this work.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Kingsley voiced sagely to his boss.
Seeing that the statement wasn't as effective as he had hoped, he tried another route, "And if what Peter has said is true, the youngest Weasley was the one responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets. Maybe he has the diary that Lord Malfoy's agent gave Peter to smuggle in... Which is even more damning evidence to hold against him," he mused.
She weighed his suggestion carefully, "I suppose I need to talk to the Headmaster."
End of Chapter
Author Notes: I know this chapter has been rather slow pace with alot of filler contents, but with this story year coming to the end, I fill it time to start rounding up plot holes. Then I'm also working on character development for further years.
Chapter 14 as been reposted as well, I hope this makes up for longer update time; I'm also making good progress in chapter 37 with around 6k words written so far... I think this either going to be another very longer chapter, or will end up breaking it down into two smaller chapters.
Question/Poll : Who do you think Harry should asked out? – Remember, this character relationship will not be the final pairing, but just Harry first girlfriend in a long line of pairings until Harry finally settles on someone. Also remember that Harry's still 12 years old, even if his mental age is far higher...
Thanks for Reading