Harry, Neville and Poppy arrived at the entrance to Hogwarts to find entire families milling around.
"Was there an attack or something?" Poppy asked worriedly.
"Nope. But when the families heard about the Dementors they began appearing at Gringotts begging Xander to protect them." Neville smirked. "Not much love for the Ministry at the moment."
"So all these people are here to…"
"Get protection from the Ministry and Dementors." Neville shrugged.
"The Ministry is actually sending out Dementors to attack the populace?" Poppy asked doubtfully.
"Maybe we should just get Xander to explain it." Neville said as he led the way to the Apartment.
Harry, Neville and Poppy entered to find a grumpy Hermione, a pouting Xander, a scowling Joyce and Minerva and an amused Dan and Emma.
"What happened?" Neville asked in amusement.
"Joyce and Minerva won't let Xander declare war on the Ministry." Dan grinned.
"Why?" Poppy asked in disbelief.
"Thank you Poppy!" Minerva said in exasperated relief.
"Nooo… why won't you let him declare war?" Poppy clarified causing Hermione and Xander to grin. "It seems clear that they have completely lost the plot!"
"There would be countless needless deaths!" Minerva exclaimed.
"Why? Between Xander and Harry they could do the whole thing with shedding a drop of blood."
"Can we make war plans later and someone just tell me what happened?" Harry asked tersely.
"Luna was sleeping over with me and we were walking back to my house. Two Dementors came and attacked so we defended ourselves with the Patronus Charm.
"Xander came and finished them off." Hermione rattled off absently.
"Ok… and the Ministry arresting you?"
"They said I illegally used underage magic and broke the Statute of Secrecy."
Harry was a little worried. His girlfriend, the rule abiding teacher's pet, was showing a very blasé attitude to the charges.
"And the reason you're not worried?"
"They have no case." She shrugged.
"Unfortunately, Hermione, you are overlooking an important and worrying fact." Joyce frowned in disappointment.
Hermione looked both worried and slightly insulted at the thought of overlooking something.
"A couple of questions: Did the Ministry lose control of two Dementors or did they send them after you?
"Does the Ministry know they are now missing two Dementors?
"Why have they issued an arrest without an investigation?"
"You think they did it on purpose?" Emma asked horrified.
Xander added. "She is the boyfriend of the Prince of the Goblins, the one person who witnessed Tom Riddle's return, Lord Gryffindor… etc."
Xander noticed them staring at him in amusement, Hermione looked a bit annoyed.
"What?" He asked.
"'Girlfriend' Xander. Hermione is Harry's girlfriend, not boyfriend." Dan smirked.
"Did I say that?"
"Yes!" Hermione screeched.
"Sorry… slip of the tongue." He shrugged apologetically.
"What's the plan?" Emma asked with a scowl. This was far too serious to joke about now that it was clear that they were after her daughter and it was unlikely to be an accident. "What will happen to Hermione?"
Minerva took up the ball at this point. "Ordinarily a warning is all that is sent. Due to this being done outside of her home, an investigation is warranted. Children are known for pushing their luck after all.
"If she is found guilty of breaking the Statute they will snap her wand and possibly obliviate her knowledge of the Wizarding world."
Hermione paled and Harry hugged her tighter.
"Would you relax!" Xander exclaimed. "You are untouchable! A simple testimony from yourself by veritiserum and myself clears you of guilt. Even if they managed to convict you we could protect you here and at Gringotts."
"But I wouldn't be able to leave, I'd be trapped here!" Hermione said fearfully.
"You wouldn't be able to enter Britain but you could always pop over to France."
"Or Australia. They offered asylum when they heard." Harry said helpfully.
"Asylum!" She screeched in a panic.
Harry backed off slightly. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"I'll be exiled from Britain!" She sobbed as she buried her head in Harry's shoulder.
"Australia seemed pretty nice to me." Harry mumbled.
Further wailing by Hermione was interrupted by Sirius barging in.
"Have no fear! Dog Man is here!" He declared as he struck a heroic pose. He then saw the teary eyes of Hermione. "Should I come back later?"
"Only if you have nothing meaningful to add." Minerva informed him through narrowed eyes that spoke of choke chains, neutering and… the V. E. T.
"How about a solution to make Hermione untouchable to the Ministry?" Sirius offered.
Hermione instantly became attentive.
"I wouldn't get too excited, especially if Sirius came up with it." Neville cautioned.
"I'll have you know that this solution was suggested by Luna!" Sirius said indignantly. At which point Hermione went back to sobbing in Harry's shirt.
"Sirius, I love my daughter very much… but since the first time she told me she wanted to meet a crumple-horned snorckack… I knew her judgement was lacking somewhat." Xander said as he flopped onto the couch next to Joyce.
"Look… I'll grant you that this is fairly unorthodox…" he suddenly looked very cagey. "I'll also admit that I may need protection from all of you for bringing it to your attention. Come to think of it… I think your daughter played me! She should be telling you." Sirius suddenly realised.
"Just get on with it Sirius, we can compliment Luna on manipulating you later." Dan moaned.
"Marriage contract." Sirius declared in a huff as he conjured a chair for himself and sat down.
"You want me to sell myself?" Hermione asked in disgust.
Sirius opened his mouth to correct her… but then realised that she was right and clammed up.
Hermione had gone from sobbing to steaming.
"I lay all blame at the feet of one Luna Lovegood." Sirius declared.
"Throwing my daughter to the wolves?" Joyce asked with a glare.
"First of all, she's cuter than me… she can turn those puppy dog eyes on anyone and they'll melt… I think that's how she got me." Sirius mused thoughtfully.
"Second of all, the head wolf is her father. I'm just returning the cub to the pack!"
"I think I have another solution based on Sirius'-"
"Luna's!"
"Fine – Luna's suggestion." Neville offered. "I adopt her into the Longbottom family as a ward or sister."
"And that will help, how?" Dan asked.
"I'm a Lord, a Pureblood, a Phoenix and a member of the Wizengamot. Do you really think they are going to mess with someone under my protection? A member of my family?" He asked with a grin.
"Merlin! Frank would be so proud." Sirius said as he wiped a fake tear from his eye.
"Would that change our relationship with Hermione?" Emma asked cautiously.
"No… but it might change your relationship with me." Neville grinned. "Do you really think I would adopt one Granger and leave the rest to fend for themselves? Harry and Hermione would kill me! Or try to at least."
"So we have a plan… or two?" Harry asked.
Dan and Emma shared a look.
"If Neville is willing and happy to adopt us into his family then yes, we do." Dan said slowly.
"Hermione?" Emma asked. "That ok with you?"
"I finally get a brother!" She said with a teary smile.
"And I get to be all over protective and threaten Harry if he hurts you or moves to fast." Neville said smugly.
"Hey!" Harry objected.
"Please, we can hardly do anything as it is! Joyce re-erected the wards since Harry and I started sleeping alone again." She finished sadly.
"And rightly so!" Minerva said primly.
"What happens now, is there a ritual or ceremony? Does Hermione still have to attend the hearing?" Dan asked.
"I don't know about the hearing, but there is no ritual, I have stated my intentions in front of several witches and wizards of good standing, so you are now my family." Neville shrugged.
"Well… that seems fairly anti-climactic." Xander snorted.
"We could always throw a party?" Sirius suggested. "In fact, leave it to me. I'll go and throw something together." He said as he teleported out.
"I want to know how you know about this adoption stuff but Sirius didn't." Harry asked Neville.
"You've met my Grandmother." Neville said simply.
"This hearing is now in session. Minister Cornelius Fudge presiding." Delores Umbridge declared from Fudges left.
"As neither the accused nor her counsel has bothered to attend I propose we proceed to the judgement and sentencing." Fudge declared smugly.
"But we are here." A voice said from the shadows.
"Whose there? Identify yourselves!" Delores demanded.
"Lord Longbottom. Counsel for Hermione Granger… of Longbottom." Neville said as he seemed to melt away from the darkness.
"Wha- Why are you here?" Fudge demanded angrily.
Neville shrugged. "As registered counsel for Miss Granger, all correspondence regarding her case goes straight to me. So that change of venue and time notice you sent five minutes ago came straight to me… when I was standing right behind you."
No one had any measure of trust in Fudge. Since Harry had returned from Australia either Neville, Harry, Sirius or Sal had silently and invisibly shadowed Fudge in case he pulled something… nefarious.
The courtroom doors opened and Hermione and Harry stormed in… with half the students, teachers and parents of Hogwarts in tow not to mention several journalists from foreign papers.
"What is the meaning of this!" Fudge bellowed. "This is a closed hearing!"
"On whose authority?" Neville asked calmly.
"Mine! The Minister of Magic!"
"You don't have that authority." Neville said with a pointed look. "You also don't have to authority to try this case by yourself."
"I am not! Madam Umbridge is also hearing the case."
"She is not a member of the Wizengamot and not authorised. Also, you require at least three members to act as a jury panel who have taken a judicial oath. Something you yourself have not taken."
"I will not sit here whilst some upstart tries to dictate the rules of law to the sitting Minister!" Delores screeched. "Call in the Dementors and guards and have this little snot taken away and clear the courtroom!"
The court scribe scrambled away quickly and opened a door. The young man, a former Ravenclaw visibly shrunk on himself as he opened the door. The reason was clear as two Dementors swooped in, one stopped and immediately bent over the scribe who screamed in terror which started several of the parents screaming.
Five Aurors came running in and started hurling hexes against the Dementors who ignored them as meaningless.
As the crowd started to panic and press and stumble against the exit Xander shouted for order.
"SILENCE!" He roared angrily. He gave a nod to Harry who conjured a sword and advanced on the Dementors, one who was attempting suck out the soul of the scribe and the other who was sizing up which of the Aurors to use as an entrée.
Harry calmly lopped the head of the closest Dementor off which was terrorising the Aurors without breaking stride before pausing mid stroke over the one who was leaning over the scribe.
Harry suddenly grinned and then lowered his sword.
The crowd had calmed at seeing Harry easily dispatch the first Dementor, but tensed when he refused to destroy the second.
Harry silently conjured his patronus, a huge wolf like his adopted father. A symbol to Harry of the protection that Xander embodied for him. The Patronus immediately planted itself between the scribe and the Dementor, growling.
But Harry focused on his Patronus charm and called it to surround the Dementor as a chain.
The escaping mob had now calmed due to morbid curiosity as they watched the Boy-Who-Lived chain a Dementor with his Patronus. They watched the silvery giant wolf leap at the Dementor and then morph and melt around it forming a chain. The Dementor proved it could vocalise as it began shrieking.
They watched as Harry seemed to levitate the Dementor into the chair next to Fudge who was desperately trying to climb over Umbridge to get away.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Fudge screamed.
"Just moving the Dementor out of the way." Harry shrugged with a smile.
"This is attempted murder!" Umbridge declared.
"Why? I didn't bring a Dementor into a government building with hundreds of innocents. Are you saying that forcing someone to be around a Dementor is attempted murder? Because then you and Fudge are guilty of the attempted murder of the entire British Isles." Harry said nonchalantly.
"SILENCE YOU FILTHY BOY YOU WI-URK"
Whatever Umbridge was about to say was cut off as she was hit by a stunner. Everyone turned to see Minerva standing there, livid.
"Nobody speaks to my son like that." She snarled quietly. "Harry, destroy that Dementor so we can get on with this farce of a trial and return home." She ordered sharply as she put her wand neatly away and retook her seat next to a highly impressed Sal and a slightly cowering Sirius.
Harry was so in awe of his usually passive yet stern mother that he simply stood there staring until Neville jabbed him in the shoulder. He then marched up and beheaded the Dementor.
"For the record, the Dementors appear to have killed their handlers." Harry informed the assembled people as he levitated two Auror bodies out of the side room for the public to see. The shouts of outrage went on for minutes as the other Aurors levitated the bodies from the room. Amelia was clearly livid.
"Thank you Harry." Neville said as the doors closed. "Now, before we begin this 'trial'" he spat in distaste "there are a few matters of justice to be dealt with. First of all, Fudge, you cannot prosecute this case and judge it. As you are the only person here who wants to bring the charges, you will have to step down and stand as prosecutor."
"Madam Umbridge is more than capable-"
"Of nothing of relevance to this hearing. She does not have the authority and you don't have the authority to grant her the authority… or something." Neville frowned as he confused himself.
"I am the Minister of Magic! I will determine the rules of the court!"
"I am the Chief Warlock. You do not have the authority!" Dumbledore said loudly as he banged through the doors.
"Again with the dramatics!" Xander moaned quietly causing the nearby students to giggle.
Dumbledore either didn't hear or chose to ignore it. "As Chief Warlock it is my duty to preside over these sorts of proceedings."
"But- "
"You don't want to find yourself impeached and in Azkaban do you, Cornelius?" He asked pointedly.
Fudge snarled but quickly removed himself to the prosecutor's table.
"Excellent!" Dumbledore said jovially. "I believe Amelia and myself will suffice for two of the panel, perhaps Lord Slytherin would fill the third place?"
None of Xander and Harry's family trusted the old coot, but they had no reason to argue, so Sal made his way to the third seat.
Once they were all settled and seated, Albus called for Fudge to begin.
"First, the accused must take their seat." He said smugly as he indicated the frightening chair with chains.
Hermione looked at it with a raised eyebrow and then primly sauntered over and daintily took her seat, crossing her legs, adjusting her skirt and folding her hands in her lap.
Fudge grinned and went to activate the chains when the whole chair morphed into an exact replica of the royal throne.
"This is outrageous! A blatant use of under aged magic… at her actual hearing regarding a previous offense of the same nature!" Fudge argued.
"Actually, I did that." Xander said as stood from the gallery. "Minerva is always saying I need to work on my attention to detail in transfiguration."
"Excellent work Xander. Definite OWL standard." Minerva said with a smirk.
"But- but- this- decorum! Government property!" Fudge babbled.
"Cornelius, do get on with it, Miss Granger seems to be neither inclined to violence nor escape so the chains that you so obviously were about to use served nothing but your own ego!" Amelia admonished angrily.
Fudge was fuming at the way everything was falling apart. He had this carefully planned. He would have the stupid mudblood of Potter's obliviated and banished to the muggle world. It was a petty move, but it would put those ingrates in their place.
He had purposefully changed the time and date of the hearing at the last second and brought Dementors to keep people away. But that brat Longbottom had followed.
Even though he was just an insolent boy with delusions of grandeur, Fudge couldn't touch him without serious cause, the wizarding nobility would have his hide otherwise.
It was bad enough when all the bloody spectators had arrived with Harris and the mudblood, he could have easily argued the Longbottom brat into submission and dismissed him with his Ministerial power, but then Dumbledore had appeared and made him powerless.
To add insult to injury, Bones was making a mockery of him! Her superior!
He would deal with them later.
Fudge took a moment to centre himself. "On the 17th of August the accused did wilfully cast magic being in breech of both the 1875 Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the 1689 International Statute of Secrecy.
"As such she should be sentenced to a minimum of Obliviation of all knowledge of the Wizarding World and the snapping of her wand." He said succinctly.
It was a very simple argument backed up by plenty of legislature.
"Why?"
Fudge looked at Longbottom as if he were a moron. "Because you moronic simpleton, -"
"You are aware that I am a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House?" Neville interrupted calmly. "Insult myself or my family again and I will challenge you to a Wizards Duel."
"You are just an- "
"Cornelius!" Amelia snapped. "Lord Longbottom is not only within his rights but clearly on the moral high ground. Continue with this behaviour and no one will be able to save you from a man who helped clear out all the Dementors in Azkaban."
Fudge was fuming at being rebuked by these inferiors, but he also knew he wouldn't stand a chance against the Longbottom brat.
"I apologise." He said stiffly.
Neville didn't respond but simply nodded to Amelia and resumed his seat.
"Thank you, now, Minister Fudge, would you please answer Lord Longbottom's question of 'Why'?"
"It would seem fairly simple to a lowly Minister as myself that the punishment should be meted out as laid out in the law." He said patronisingly.
"No one is denying that, and that is not the question I was asking."
"What other 'why' is there?" Fudge asked in exasperation.
"Why would Miss Granger, an acknowledged and respected student at one of Europe's most prestigious Houses of Learning breach a law as well known and enforced as the ones you accused her of breaking?" Neville asked boredly.
Hermione, meanwhile, had discovered that Xander's transfigured throne actually had a reclining function.
Fudge was a little nonplussed and distracted at the sight of Granger's Head and back begin to recline and her feet start to rise.
"Cornelius?" Albus asked curiously.
"I… erm, say again?" He asked in befuddlement as he blinked and turned to face the panel of judges.
"You need to respond to Lord Longbottom's question." He prodded gently.
"What? Question? Oh! Right!" He said raising a finger in triumph… and then shuffling in embarrassment as he realised he was now making a spectacle of himself.
"Why?" Fudge said quietly. He then looked at Neville as though he clearly couldn't understand why the boy would ask something so foolish. "Why does it matter why the foolish girl did it? She did! She needs to be punished!"
"In that case… you first Minister Fudge." Neville said with a quiet smug smirk.
"Me first?"
"For Obliviation and snapping of your wand. After all, you have several notes in your juvenile file regarding your frivolous and reckless use of Underage Magic on Muggles.
"According to your interpretation of the law… you should have been obliviated years ago."
"How did you get that?" Fudge asked, horror written all over his face.
"I would be happy to perform the charm myself." Neville addressed the panel with a polite and sweet expression as he twirled his wand.
"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!" Fudge screamed.
"I agree, but it was your interpretation of the law." Amelia said scathingly.
Dumbledore sighed as Fudge made a mockery of the judicial system whilst Sal was watching with undisguised joy.
Hermione had since discovered the massage function of her throne.
Fudge thought quickly, he could get through this court case and change the laws after the mudblood was dealt with.
"I'm afraid I am not the one on trial here, we can of course revisit these accusations at a later date." He said with a forced air of geniality which carried a fetid stench of smugness and git-ishness.
"In that case, why don't we return to my original question of 'why'. Why would Miss Granger cast the Patronus Charm in the dead of night whilst school was not in session?
"Could it be due to the two Dementors that were bearing down on her and Miss Luna Lovegood?"
Fudge paled slightly. "Preposterous, all Dementors are safely confined to the South Wales Prison." Fudge blustered.
"Well, regardless, Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood both believed their lives were in danger from two excessively dark and Internationally condemned creatures." Neville sneered at Fudge. "Both the laws you have cited have clauses that allow for exceptions under those circumstances."
"All we have is the girls word for it! She's a Mud-Muggle born. She would be lucky to know a dragon from a niffler!"
"According to her latest exam results, she does." Neville said offhandedly. "However, as I said, she only needed to believe she was in danger. She could have been facing a boggart and she would still be exempt. Merlin! She could have been facing an attacking muggle and still been exempt!"
"Again, we only have her word that she 'believed'!" Fudge countered.
"Oath or veritiserum?" Neville asked.
"What?"
"Miss Granger has already conveyed her desire to prove her truthfulness by testifying under oath or veritiserum." Neville explained.
Fudge glanced at the relaxed and… apparently vibrating girl who had her eyes closed and was obviously dead to the world.
Fudge had a sudden thought. "Veritiserum." He said with a sharp nod.
"Very well, will one of the Aurors please acquire a vial." Dumbledore ordered.
Fudge took the opportunity to look at the gallery and dumbfounded to find nearly all of the gallery, bar Potter and his family, reclining in some very plush chairs. Some of them had their eyes closed, others seemed to be munching on little white puffs of food, like exploded corn.
Potter and his family appeared to be deeply engrossed in some very large books and barely paying attention to the proceedings.
All at once Potter and Co. looked up and waved with a grin at Fudge.
It was… unnerving, but he was saved by the return of the Auror.
"Erm… Miss Granger? Could you… sit up?" The Auror asked nervously. Normally people were already upright, alert and chained in the usual chair, not practically laid back and purring.
Hermione groaned in loss as the chair righted itself. She shook her head to clear it from the glow of relaxation and then stuck out her tongue for the serum.
"Now, just a few questions to establish the serum is working." Fudge grinned victoriously.
Neville and Harry were instantly on alert at his smile and tone.
"Please state your full name."
"Hermione Jane Granger of Longbottom."
"What!" Fudge practically yelped. He had thought the boy was speaking out his ass when he had said that.
"Hermione Jane Granger of Longbottom." Hermione repeated.
"I… erm…"
"It's hardly relevant to your question, but due to the closeness of Miss Granger and her family to myself, and my lack of parents and siblings, I adopted them into my family. Please move on." Neville ordered with a scowl. It was family business and not to be questioned.
"But- "
"Move on Cornelius." Amelia warned.
Fudge scowled again. "Were you under the influence of any spells, drugs or intoxicants on the night you claim you were attacked by Dementors?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Cornelius! The girl is under veritiserum! Her first answer is always sufficient! Ask a question, accept the answer and move on!" Amelia was getting very irate. Of course if Susan had been on trial for this she would have likely already challenged Fudge to a duel.
"Did you cast a Patronus charm with your wand on that night?"
"No."
Fudge was stumped at that one. How else was the girl to defend against a Dementor, she didn't look like she could handle a sword like Potter and Harris.
"Erm… did you cast magic that night?" He asked tentatively, a no answer would terrible and end the case immediately.
"Yes."
Fudge nearly collapsed in relief, all was not lost.
"What and how did you cast?"
"A wandless and non-verbal Patronus."
Ah, of course. The girl had been taught by the Harris fool.
Here was his opening. "Please explain how you learnt to do that."
"Lord Hogwarts taught me."
Fudge was hoping for a bit more of a tutorial than that. He needed that secret.
"Please explain the method."
Hermione's mouth began to move but no sound seemed to come out.
"What is going on?" Fudge demanded.
"What is going on is you are asking questions about private information that has nothing to do with your case." Xander said as he began marching down the aisle. "Do it again and I will challenge you to a duel."
Dumbledore, however, also wanted the answers. He had a war to fight and this was a tool too important to let pass. "I agree with Minister Fudge, the answers maybe relevant.
"Miss Granger, please explain how you are able to cast like that as well as teleport and phase." Dumbledore ordered as he raised his wand to Hermione.
"NOO!" Harry roared as he summoned the old man's wand and banished him into the back wall.
The ancient man had the wind knocked out of him but he was an old warrior and quickly rose to his feet only to see his wand in Harry's hand.
"No! My wand!" He cried in shock.
"This is an outrage! I demand that the courtroom be cleared!" Fudge said angrily, without an audience he could salvage this mess.
"ENOUGH!" Salazar roared. "This debacle has gone on long enough! Lord Hogwarts, please allow Miss Granger of Longbottom to speak." He ordered sternly.
"Miss Granger, were there Dementors there that night?"
"Yes."
"Was your life in danger?"
"Yes."
"Thank you Miss Granger." He gave a nod to Xander who immediately silenced Hermione again.
"This court has heard all the necessary evidence required. The accused has testified under veritiserum that she saw Dementors and that her life was in danger. As such, the two statutes she is accused of breaking do not apply as she qualifies for exemptions. This means that this hearing is over and the charges are dismissed with the courts apologies to Miss Granger and Lord Longbottom."
"Outrageous! You have no right!" Fudge argued.
"The law gives me that right. It is the same law that says you are wrong. If you want to pursue this further then I suggest you take it up with the ICW." Sal snarled. "Lord Gryffindor, take Miss Granger of Longbottom home." He ordered as he rose and descended from the judges bench.
Harry just grinned and everyone that came with him vanished, Sal and Amelia included.
All that was left was Fudge, Dumbledore, the court scribe and the Aurors.
Fudge was livid as he packed up his papers. He had an air tight case which he had ensured couldn't be defended. But Dumbledore and Bones had interfered. He would see to it that they were replaced immediately. He would regain control of the British Empire. He needed the right people. People he could trust, that the citizens respected.
Whilst Fudge was packing, Dumbledore was sitting dazedly where he had landed. His wand was gone. The Elder Wand was no longer his to command. He had hoped to regain the Cloak of Invisibility after Potter had died. He had a lead on the Resurrection Stone. He would become the Master of Death and would lead the world to a new era of peace. But it was all for nought. He had to find the Resurrection Stone as soon as possible. Potter could not be trusted not to abuse the power of the three Deathly Hallows.
Especially as he was supposed to die to defeat Voldemort.
"Do you think he'll target Hermione again?" Dan asked.
"No, not after Neville adopted you into the family." Augusta shook her head as she sipped her wine.
There was a party happening in the Great Hall. Hermione's friends had surrounded her and supported her through this and they wanted to celebrate her and Neville's victory.
At one of the round tables, Xander, Harry, Neville, Dan, Emma and Augusta were discussing more serious things.
"If he does, and he doesn't have proof, I'll challenge him to a duel and then request that you mount his head outside Gringotts." Neville scowled.
"I thought Phoenixes were supposed to be creatures of light." Emma asked a little shocked at Neville's bloodthirsty response.
"We are. A good description of a Phoenix is a 'Raptor of Light'. We support and enforce the light. How else were Fawkes and I able to take out Dementors?"
"What about other students?" Harry asked thoughtfully.
"What about them?" Xander queried.
"Will Fudge go after them?"
The group considered that for a moment. What would Fudge do?
"Possibly." Augusta considered slowly. "It depends on how potent his lust for power and control has grown. His attack on Hermione was a way to get at you and Xander."
"He may follow Voldemort's path and target muggleborn." Neville said in disgust. "It will give him a good standing with the Purebloods, they are the ones with the money and power.
"Will they go after muggleborn adults or parents of muggleborn children?" Harry asked.
"He can not." Augusta said firmly. "He doesn't have the authority. Furthermore, the International Confederation of Warlocks would intervene."
"Didn't anyone say the same thing about Tom Riddle? It took a 15 month old baby to end his reign." Dan pointed out.
"Riddle wasn't interested in Muggles, just magicals who weren't purebloods." Augusta corrected. "He knew just as well as Fudge that attacking Muggles would violate the Statute of Secrecy and result in ICW intervention."
There was a few moments silence as they considered that.
"Nope. Just can't see Fudge being as smart as Riddle." Xander said with a grin.
The others found it hard to argue.
"You gonna keep that wand, Harry?" Neville asked, changing the topic.
"Yeah, it feels like… mine. I don't need a wand, but it feels like I should have this wand. And only me." Harry said as he took it out and looked at it. "Makes me wonder if belonged to one of my ancestors."
"Ask Godric." Xander suggested.
"Ask me what?" The man in question asked as he joined them with Sirius, Sal and Remus.
"Do you recognise this wand? Did it belong to someone in your… descendants?" Harry asked handing the wand over.
"A thousand years is a long time." Godric frowned as he examined the wand. "I suppose it could have, it does ring familiar in feel, but not enough that I can say for certain."
"Perhaps Master Wand Maker Ollivander could tell you more." Augusta suggested.
Harry grinned at Xander. "What do ya say Dad? Wanna go visit him?"
"Oh hardy har har." Xander said sarcastically. "I swear the man has a compulsion to place wands in my hand. I'm sure he put a trace on me too! The other week I was walking down that Alley and he came running after me with another new wand!"
"You are the only wizard or witch he has never found a match for." Remus chuckled.
"There are 6 billion people on the planet, god knows how many can use a wand, I am sure others won't match a wand." Xander groused.
"That is your unique Xander-ness, as Willow and Buffy would say." Joyce interjected as she joined them.
Whilst Xander and Harry were discussing things with the family, Hermione was the centre of attention with her friends as they bombarded her with questions.
"Did that veritiserum really work on you?" Dean asked sceptically.
"Unfortunately." She grimaced. "Of course, no one heard me explain how Xander can teleport and phase and basically defy the laws of magic, but apparently I knew more than I thought." She said with a smug grin. Then she pouted in disappointment. "Maybe one day they'll let me publish a paper on it." She sighed.
"Maybe Headmaster Harris will let you teach it as a theory course to those of us under the oath." Cho offered.
"How did Neville know all that legal stuff?" Tracy Davis asked.
It was Hannah who answered with a snort. "He's been trained to be a member of nobility by his grandmother since he could open his eyes! It's been drilled into him that he needs to learn the laws and customs. He has to be able to converse with Heads of State on the topics."
"It didn't hurt that Xander and the family were frantically reading law books and telepathically sending him the information at the same time!" Hermione laughed.
"So that's what they were doing!" Pavarti exclaimed. "We were about ready to go down there and smack them for not being supportive." She said as Lavender nodded.
"I'm guessing that Hermione was probably sending them ideas as well." Cho smirked.
"Me? Nope! I was in heaven and oblivious to everything thanks to that heavenly chair." She said dreamily.
"I think Xander must have added something to yours, ours were good, but we were able to focus." Dean frowned.
"Aye, but I'm thinking that ours were just to annoy Dumbledore and Fudge." Seamus chuckled.
"You had them too?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"Oh yeah, gonna have to transfigure some for the common room!" Dean confirmed passionately. He was backed up by everyone.
"Where were Fleur and Nym?" Hermione asked.
There was a round of shrugs.
"Oh well, I'll ask Xander later."
"Were you worried when the Dementors came out?" Lavender asked.
"With Xander and Harry there?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not to mention Neville." Hannah piped up.
"We had a feeling that Fudge would pull something like that with Dementors. We also knew that Neville should avoid dealing with them so that he didn't give them legal reasons to remove him from the case." Hermione explained.
"I just wish that Harry had turned into his dragon form. That would have put Fudge in his place." Daphne sighed.
"You just like him in his dragon form!" Tracy teased.
"Dragon form, human form, it's all good to us. We can't touch and have, so we ogle to our hearts content!" Lavender grinned causing Daphne and the other Purebloods to blush.
"Lavender, Purebloods remember? The sexually repressed?" Hermione admonished teasingly.
It was just a local police station. Not the most useful way into the muggle government, but it was what he needed. He had to find out just how much the muggles knew about the wizarding world. Did they know enough, or too much. What did they do with that knowledge and did he need to do anything about it.
First the record rooms and then the offices, looking for any information on the magical world.
He just hoped he didn't have to mess with the computers.