Chapter 18: A Better Future For All

Harry woke up to the sun beating down on his face, and silently cursed himself for forgetting to close his blinds before going to sleep last night. By the time everyone had actually left the impromptu party yesterday, the festivities had gone on well past midnight. Normally his mum and Aunt Amy would never let the younger kids stay up so late, but in honor of his great achievement they relented just once.

At the thought of his mum, Harry realized he still needed to apologize to his parents for not involving them in his decision to take the tests. It was tough being a grown adult trapped inside of a child's body, and he reminded himself that he didn't need to do everything on his own anymore. Now that he had a family to support him, it was time he allowed others to have a more prominent role in his plans for the future.

With his mind and body now unfortunately wide awake, Harry rolled out of bed and jumped into the shower of his private bathroom. After going through his morning ablutions he came back out and pulled on a pair of dark blue boot cut jeans, with a red t-shirt that fit a little too snugly across his well muscled chest.

Before leaving his room, Harry made sure to pick up the backpack which contained the Goblin cubes Ripclaw had sent him earlier in the week. If everything went smoothly after his talk with his parents, Harry wanted to be prepared to share the plans he had for the future with them and the cubes would be instrumental for his presentation.

As soon as we walked out of his bedroom, Harry was surprised by the aroma of bacon and sausages that was wafting through the hallway. The smell was enough to make his mouth water in anticipation of the food and he realized his mother was already up and making breakfast.

While Lily Potter's culinary skills were barely enough to be called adequate, Harry was confident his mother was more than capable of cooking a hearty breakfast for her family. When he walked into the kitchen, Harry was surprised to hear his mother singing softly to herself. The melody sounded hauntingly familiar to him, until he remembered she used to sing that particular song to his counterpart as a child.

As he watched his mother dance gracefully around the kitchen, humming softly to herself, Harry was once again amazed at how beautiful she was. In his old world Padfoot and Moony would often regale him with tales of how all the boys at Hogwarts would regularly be after her for dates, but even her pictures failed to do justice to her true beauty.

"Good morning, mum," Harry called out in greeting. "Can I help you with anything?"

Lily turned around to see her eldest son grinning at her and she couldn't help but smile back in return. "No need, sweetheart. Everything is already done, but if you want you can carry your own plate to the dining table."

Harry took the offered plate in his hand and then followed his mother through the door to the dining room. As soon as he walked in, he saw his father sitting in his normal seat at the head of the table, flipping through a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Morning, dad. Where's everyone else?"

James Potter looked up at the sound of his son's voice and replied, "Morning, kiddo. Your siblings managed to talk their way into spending the night at Padfoot's house yesterday, but they should be coming back sometime in the afternoon. You up for a game of Quidditch later today?"

Harry eagerly nodded his head in return. "Sure, dad. I know Daniel and Rose really want to play too, so we can have a two on two match later."

Once Lily sat down in the chair across from her son, the trio silently ate their breakfast, each lost in their own thoughts. After awhile the silence grew slightly uncomfortable for Harry, and he took the time to figure out what he wanted to say to his parents.

Now that he was prepared to include Lily and James in his future decisions, he still needed to come up with a plausible backstory for some of the things that dealt with his past life. Several of his future plans for the Wizarding world would be incredibly expensive, and he needed a valid excuse to explain the fortune he brought with him from his old world.

By the time his parents were finished with their meal, Harry was ready with his apology.

"Dad, mum...I...I want to apologize for not telling you about the OWLs and NEWTs I took recently. I've just been doing things by myself for so long now, that I really didn't think to include you in my plans. I know that it's not a good excuse, and I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way."

Lily sighed once she heard Harry's apology. Yesterday she had been quite upset when she learned her son had made such a major decision in his life without consulting her or James first.

After years of being estranged from her eldest child, Lily loved being part of his life once again, and the mother in her wanted her son to need her as much as she needed him. But after the incredible announcement last night, she knew her baby boy would never need her like she wanted him to.

Since the day Harry came back home from Gringotts, he had surprised them again and again with his intelligence and maturity. Between his runic array, the company he started, and the Lordships that he claimed, she was well aware that her son wasn't a normal eleven year old child. He was brilliant in a way that came about only once in a generation, and after years of isolating himself, he was far more independent than she ever realized.

"I won't lie to you, sweetie. I was a little upset when I learned that you made such an important decision without consulting your father or myself, but your announcement last night reminded me that you are far more intelligent and mature than most adults can ever hope to be. Your father was right when he told the reporter that we emancipated you because we trusted you to make the right decisions. No matter how much I wish otherwise, you are an adult in the eyes of the law, and you no longer have to tell us everything."

Harry immediately felt guilty at his mother's words, and he didn't want his parents and family to think that he didn't need them anymore.

"I may technically be a legal adult, mum," Harry replied in a rush. "But I still need you and dad to be a part of my life. I don't want you to think that your opinion doesn't matter to me, because it does. I've just gotten so used to doing everything by myself, that I didn't think to involve the two of you in my plans. But that was the old me. I don't want to keep doing that anymore. I want you guys to be involved with all of my important decisions in the future, and I promise from now on I won't forget to tell you what I want to do."

Once she realized her baby boy still needed her in his life, Lily felt her heart jump with joy and a smile lit up across her face. Her maternal instincts suddenly went into overdrive and she jumped up, rushed around the table and hugged her son in a tight embrace.

Happy tears fell down Lily's face, as she cried softly against her eldest child. "I'm so happy to hear you say that, Harry. As much as your father and I believe in you and trust you to make the right decisions, I don't think either one of us is ready to stop seeing you as our little boy."

Harry gently pulled back from his mother's embrace and looked into her emerald green eyes. "You don't ever have to worry about that, mum," he replied with a warm smile. "No matter how old I get, I promise I'll always need you guys in my life."

James smiled at the pair in front of him, and once again marveled at how amazing his son really was. After a few moments he felt his own eyes begin to glisten at the sight, and in order to lighten the mood, he joked, "So, Harry. What's next? You going to cure world hunger now?"

Harry smiled at his father's teasing question and replied with a smirk, "Well now that you mention it..."

Lily and James briefly stared at each other in shock and then simultaneously turned towards their son and yelled, "REALLY?"

As soon as Harry saw the stunned expressions appear on his parents faces, he couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Sorry guys, but I haven't really cracked the whole world hunger thing yet. I do, however, have something in the works with the Goblins right now. Would you guys like to see what it is?"

Once he saw his parents nod their heads in agreement, Harry quickly grabbed the empty plates on the table and placed them on the chair next to him. Next, he opened up his backpack and pulled out the two cubes Ripclaw had sent him and placed them in front of his father.

James looked down at the white cubes in surprise. Their surfaces glistened with an unnatural perfection and he found himself curious as to what they were made of.

"What are these things, Harry?"

Harry smiled at the confused look his parents had and explained, "These are Goblin cubes, dad. A few weeks ago I sent my Account Manager some sketches I made and he sent me back the finished product as a 3D hologram that's stored inside both of these devices. I have to admit, the cubes are actually really cool. The runes on the top allow me to scroll up and down the length of the hologram, while the ones on the side allow me to zoom in and out. There are even a pair of runes on the back of each cube that allow you to enter and explore any highlighted buildings."

While Lily was eagerly looking at one of the cubes and wondering how the Goblins managed to project a 3D hologram from it, James was just excited to see what his son was going to show them.

Without wasting anymore time, Harry activated the first cube and suddenly the entire length of the dining room table was filled by the 3D projection of a beautiful village.

"Mum, dad, allow me to introduce you to the first fully modernized all Magical village and I call it, The Sanctuary."

"You're building your own village?," Lily asked in a mixture of awe and surprise.

"That's right, mum. But The Sanctuary isn't just a normal Magical village like Hogsmead or Godric's Hollow. I modeled it after some of the highest rated gated communities that can be found around the planet, and not only will this village provide the best of both the Magical and Muggle worlds, but I can guarantee that it will also be one of the safest places to live in all of Britain."

"How safe are we talking about, Harry?," James asked, as the former Auror in him perked up at the statement.

"Safer than living behind the Ministry wards, dad," Harry replied with a smirk. "The Sanctuary's security will be made up of twelve Goblin forged ward-stones, that will be strategically placed around the village for maximum support. The wards themselves will consist of three layers of protection, with each layer having both offensive and defensive capabilities. The village will even have a private floo system, with the only connection to the Ministry floo being at the security building located outside of the wards. To be honest, in all of Britain only Hogwarts or Gringotts would have better security."

When he heard his mother gasp in surprise, Harry could barely contain his own excitement and desire to share this particular dream with his parents.

"The front of the village starts where dad is sitting, and once the wards are up, it is also the only place for residents or their guests to enter or leave. That area is the community's security checkpoint, and I plan on having at least a dozen guards present at all times. Their sole responsibility will be to check all incoming people for Dark Marks, Dark objects, glamours and polyjuice potions. Regardless of whether you're just visiting or a permanent resident, everyone will be required to pass through security to enter the complex."

While she could certainly appreciate the level of security her son was talking about, unlike her husband, Lily found herself drawn to the rest of the sights on the holographic display.

"What is this area supposed to be, Harry?"

Harry looked at the section of the hologram his mother was pointing at and replied, "That would be The Sanctuary's downtown, or town square, mum. The three story building on the far right will be the administration office for the village. I plan on hiring someone to oversee the running of the community, and the location provides residents with a place to not only pay their bills, but also somewhere they can go in case they have any questions or complaints."

When he saw Lily nod her head in approval, Harry continued, "The building right next to it is the village's clinic. Since St. Mungos is normally packed with patients, I thought of having a small clinic that could handle any basic healing needs that the residents might have. To start off with I plan to hire two fully qualified Healers, four assistant Medi Witches, and a Potions Master to be on staff at all times. Any severe problems that they can't handle, would of course be immediately transferred to St. Mungo."

"What about this large circular building in the middle?," James asked curiously.

Harry looked at the building his father was pointing at, and answered with a grin, "That would be The Sanctuary's recreational center, dad. The bottom floor is a lounge that will serve tea, coffee, butterbeer, pumpkin juice, Muggle soft drinks and even alcohol to those who are of age. The second floor will be a food court that will provide a variety of fast food and ethnic cuisines. The third floor will contain the gaming section of the center and provide residents with a twenty one lane bowling alley, an arcade room, and a dozen pool tables. Finally the top floor will contain a cinema hall that has eighteen theatres."

Harry allowed his parents a few minutes to assimilate the information he had given them, and then showed them the final building that was part of the village's town square.

"Mum, the building on the far left is one I think you would appreciate a little more than dad."

Lily could easily hear the pride her son felt at the massive eight story structure, and she instantly found herself wondering what was so special about the building. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"It's a school, mum."

"A school, Harry? Wouldn't the kids from the village be going to Hogwarts?"

"It's not a Magical school, mum, but a Muggle based one." Harry explained. "Most kids in the Magical world only have a basic level education, that is usually provided by their parents or tutors through homeschooling before they turn eleven. From the complaints I've overheard from the Professors at Hogwarts, minus the children from elite Pureblood families, the majority of incoming Magical raised first years can barely read and write at a proficient level. Not only do these children lack the ability to properly write their essays for class, they also have little if any, knowledge in higher level maths and sciences. This school will hopefully change that."

"But who would teach the classes, sweetie? The Statue of Secrecy would prevent you from hiring teachers from the Muggle world."

"Finding teachers won't be as difficult as you think, mum," Harry replied knowingly. "Thanks to the bigotry found in our world, most Muggleborns are usually forced to leave the Magical world due to a lack of job opportunities. I've spoken to my Accounts Manager about it, and he's already given my several names of Witches and Wizards that currently work as teachers in the Muggle world, and with a little incentive, could be convinced to quit their jobs and teach at the village's school."

James was a little put out that his son didn't think he valued education as much as his wife, but if he was being honest he was more than willing to admit that Lily would probably appreciate the school a little more than him. What surprised him the most was how large the facility was. It was easily twice the size of the recreational center, and he wondered why there was a need for such a large building.

"It's more than just a school, isn't it, Harry?"

Harry grinned proudly at his father and nodded his head in answer. "You're right, dad. It is more than just a school. The bottom floor will be a daycare center where parents can leave the children who are too young to go to school. The first, second and third floor will be used to provide students with a complete Muggle education ranging from primary school all the way to secondary school."

"But how will kids complete their secondary education, if they go to Hogwarts?," Lily asked, knowing how hard it was for her to accomplish the deed during her own time at the Magical school.

"Mostly through summer school, and the monthly packets that will be sent to them throughout the year," Harry answered. "Look, I'm not saying it will be easy. But for those who are interested, at least now they will have the opportunity to have a complete education. Worse case scenario, they can always take the classes after leaving Hogwarts. I've already spoken to Ripclaw and he assured me the Goblins can make the school exist legally in the Muggle world, so graduates would easily be able to use their scores to get into a Muggle University."

"That still doesn't explain why the school is so big, kiddo," James replied.

"That's true, dad," Harry answered with a smirk. "The other floors do have their own uses. For example, the fourth and fifth floors will be used to teach and for at least the older kids, practice Magic when they are home for winter or summer break. Once children reach the age of ten, I want to give them a headstart on their Magical education by offering classes in Magical theory, History, and a beginners guide to Potions. For kids who already attend Hogwarts, tutors will be available to help with any homework or questions they might have over break."

"But what about the recreational center that Lily and I told the Grangers about? Doesn't that serve the same purpose?"

"It does," Harry agreed. "But the center Marauder's Inc is building in London is primarily for Muggleborns to practice Magic over the summer and to show their parents what they have learned at Hogwarts. While licensed tutors will be available on site, unfortunately at this time it will not act as a full fledged summer school like the one provided at The Sanctuary."

"Than why even build the Center?," Lily asked curiously. "Wouldn't it be easier to have everyone go to The Sanctuary?"

"Not exactly, mum. Since The Sanctuary is technically a gated community, guests are only allowed with an invitation from a permanent resident. Should Muggleborn students want to join our school during the summer, I would be more than happy to allocate them day passes for that time period. But I can only do that for children who are attending the school. For the kids that just want to practice Magic, or have a place to hang out, the center is a better place for them."

"What about the last three floors?"

"That, mum, will be taken up by the school's library. The sixth floor will be filled with Muggle books, both fiction and nonfiction. While the seventh and eighth floors will be completely dedicated to Magical sources. So far the only public library I've seen in the Magical world is a small shack at the end of Diagon Alley, and it doesn't even have more than a dozen books inside of it."

After a few minutes of watching his parents stare at the hologram on the table, Harry leaned over his father's shoulder and used the Goblin cube to zoom in and out of several different sections of the village.

"As you can see, The Sanctuary offers a wide variety of housing. Along with the two apartment complexes inside the village, future residents will also have the option to buy or rent two bedroom, three bedroom, or four bedroom houses, as well as the dozen Manor homes we have on site. Regardless of what option they decide to go with, the entire complex has the runic array I created already installed, so all tenants will have ready access to electricity. Unfortunately individual appliances would still need to have the runic arrays installed to work properly in the Magic rich environment, but luckily Marauder's Inc. is already in the process of adding the array to devices other than televisions."

Since there really wasn't much else about the housing that he could share with his parents, Harry used the Goblin cube to zoom in on a particular Manor located far away from the rest of the homes in the village.

When she saw her son zoom in on the massive Manor, Lily winced at the monstrosity. Easily twice as big as Potter Manor, she really hoped her son didn't want to live in such a gaudy home.

"Please don't tell me this is your house, sweetie. It's definitely gorgeous, but I'm sure even the Malfoys would think twice before moving into something so large."

Harry was momentarily surprised by the statement, but then shook his head in reply. "No, mum. You can relax. This isn't for me, or any of us to live in. Allow me to present to you the Lily-Flower Orphanage."

"The what?"

"The Lily-Flower Orphanage, mum," Harry answered with a grin. "Back when I thought I would have to leave you guys, I looked into several of the orphanages in London, and I didn't like what I found. Most of the places were understaffed, poorly funded and packed with too many children. Since the Magical world doesn't have an orphanage of their own, I wanted to provide one for the entire community. I kind of wish I could do something for the Muggle children as well, but for now LFO will look in to finding Squibs, Muggleborns, or even Purebloods that have been orphaned."

Lily was so thrilled by the news, that she ran over and wrapped her son into a tight hug. After a moment she pulled back and gently kissed him on the cheek. "I..I..don't know what to say, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you right now, that I can't even begin to tell you."

"Thanks, mum," Harry replied shyly. "Would you like to see the inside of it?"

"Can we?"

Harry answered by using the runes on the back of the Goblin cube, to project the interior of the Manor.

"The front half of the ground floor is split into a kitchen, a large dining area, and four offices for the Matron and her staff. The back half of the floor is a lounge that's similar to the common rooms at Hogwarts, but with more space for the kids to hang out. I even plan on providing several TVs and game consoles to the orphanage, so they can use the place for more than just sitting around. The next four levels will all be used for housing, with each level having thirteen bedrooms. One small bedroom for the adult responsible for the floor, and twelve large bedrooms for the children. The bedrooms for the kids are the same size as the dormitories at Hogwarts and each can comfortably hold five kids in a room. Since LFO will be a co-ed house, I even made sure that each of the rooms will be warded to prevent the opposite sex from entering."

Harry smiled as he felt his mother's hand brush through his hair, and then curl around his shoulder. Ever since he was a kid he dreamed of his mother showering him with attention, and now that he had it, frankly he couldn't get enough of it. Though a small part of him did feel guilty for claiming the entire idea behind The Sanctuary, but unfortunately he couldn't be honest with his parents about its creation.

Truthfully the idea behind The Sanctuary was something Hermione and he came up with during their stay in the time chamber in his old world. With the number of homes, both Muggle and Magical, that were being attacked by the Death Eaters at the time, once the war was over the two of them wanted to create a place where people could feel safe from such attacks in the future.

Even though in this world Voldemort had yet to make his return, Harry decided to build the village early, so that the newly cured Werewolves would have a place to go.

"This is absolutely wonderful, Harry," James exclaimed, completely unaware of his son's inner turmoil. "But isn't this place a little too big for an orphanage? I doubt if you went through every orphanage in the UK, you would find more than thirty Magical kids. Here you have enough space to house over two hundred."

"That's true, dad, but thanks to the Goblins I have a way to expand my search to other countries."

"How so?"

"Well I don't know how the Goblins actually do it, dad, but they have their own methods for locating underage Witches and Wizards. For a hundred and fifty galleons per case, they are willing to find any Magical children living in an orphanage, legally adopt them through the LFO, and provide each kid with a complete set of Muggle and Magical identification papers."

James shook his head in awe at was his son was trying to accomplish. Never in his wildest dreams did he think something like this would happen in the Magical world, and today he was proud it was his Harry that was doing it.

"You really are incredible, kiddo. You know that? This village you want to build, is beyond anything I could ever have imagined for our world. I can't even begin to tell you how impressed I am with everything you've come up with."

Harry felt himself blush at his father's praise, and his chest puffed out in pride. "Thanks, dad, but the tour isn't over yet."

"It isn't?"

"Nope. I still have one more thing in the village I want to show you."

James watched his son fiddle with the strange Goblin cube and suddenly the holographic projection returned to that of an aerial view of The Sanctuary.

"Here's something I think you would definitely like, dad. This is the James Potter Park."

"You named a park after me?," James asked with a big grin on his face.

"Yeah, but this isn't just any old park, dad. It's the ultimate park and it takes up the entire back end of the village. On the far left we have not one, but two regulation size Quidditch pitches. Next to that there is a large field for kids that want to play Muggle sports like football or cricket. The foresty area in the corner is actually set up with several swings, jungle gyms, and even an outdoor track for running or walking. Finally the far right has a dozen BBQ pits and three swimming pools for everyone to use. The small building right at the front of the park is the games keeper's place, and all the kids will be able to borrow brooms, balls, bats and any other equipment they might need."

As he watched Harry zoom in and out of the various parts in the park, James couldn't help but wonder how much the Marauders would have loved a place like this growing up.

"This park looks absolutely amazing, Harry. I can't wait to try out the Quidditch pitch."

Lily rolled her eyes at the dreamy looks that appeared on her husband and son's faces, and turned her attention back to the holographic image on her dining room table. Suddenly she remembered the second cube on the table, and wondered what it held.

"Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah, mum?"

"What about the second cube that's here? Is it a backup hologram for The Sanctuary?"

"Actually, mum, the second cube contains my plans for a theme park in Hogsmead. "

The moment he heard theme park, James felt his inner kid jump up with joy. Two years ago Lily talked him into taking the kids to a Muggle theme park in America, and he ended up loving Disneyland as much as any of his children.

"Can we see it, kiddo?"

Harry grinned at his father's childlike enthusiasm and then nodded his head in answer. He quickly turned off the cube projecting The Sanctuary and after a moment turned on the second cube.

The theme park was no where near the size of the village, so the holographic image only took up a quarter of the dining room table. Fortunately that didn't stop James and Lily from gasping in appreciation.

"This mum and dad is Merlin's Cove."

"It looks amazing, kiddo. I bet even the bratty Pureblood kids will love it."

"Thanks, dad. I definitely think it's something everyone will be able to appreciate."

Lily marveled at the newest idea her son had for the Magical world, and she had to agree that it would be something even Pureblood kids would find enjoyable. "So tell us about Merlin's Cove, sweetie."

Harry flashed his mother a grin and replied, "The theme park is split into two sections, mum. On the left we have a fifteen roller coasters of various speeds, some gaming stands where kids can win prizes for themselves or their dates, a cinema hall, and a bowling alley. And on the right...we have Avalon."

Lily rolled her eyes at the name, but still asked, "And what exactly will Avalon have?"

Harry used the Goblin cube to zoom in on the large man-made island on the far right of the theme park and said, "Avalon will be the primary shopping and dining area of the entire park, mum. I plan on having every store that you can find in Hogsmead accessible on Avalon, plus several stores that don't currently exist in the Magical world."

"Ahh, sweetie, what about the stores that already exist in Hogsmead?"

"I've already thought about that, mum, and Ripclaw is in the process of purchasing as many of those stores that we can get our hands on. For those that don't want to sell, in return for a modest rent, I'm more than willing to offer them a place of their own once Merlin's Cove is built. According to the last report I received from Gringotts, I now own around a quarter of the empty land in Hogsmead, and by the time winter break is over, I should hopefully own several of the businesses that have barely been breaking even over the years."

It was at this point that James and Lily overcame their amazement at The Sanctuary and Merlin's Cove, and realized how expensive this endeavour would be.

"This is all wonderful, Harry, but how exactly do you plan on paying for all this?," James asked his son. "The cost to build both these places must be enormous."

"You're right about it being expensive, dad. Based on the rough estimates that Ripclaw and I have made the past few weeks, The Sanctuary will cost between sixty to seventy million galleons to build, while the Cove should take around thirty to forty million galleons. Considering I want the village to be ready by this summer, I expect the Goblins to charge me a few extra million for the additional work crews they will need to have everything ready by August."

Lily paled at the thought of how much money her son was planning to spend, and she prayed he wasn't going to take a loan from the Goblins. During her time in the Magical world, there was three things she knew to be true about the creatures that held the Wizarding world's money...1. Never insult them, 2. Never ever try to steal from them, and 3. Under no circumstances should you ever ever ever borrow money from the Goblins. Failure to do any of the three could lead to a quick death, and she couldn't bare the thought of anyone hurting one of her children.

Unaware that his wife was currently thinking the same thing as him, James looked at his son and said, "Even with the money you made from your investments, and the money you inherited from your Lordships, I doubt you have anywhere near the amount you will need to pay for everything. Please tell me you're not planning to borrow money from the Goblins. No matter what type of relationship you think you have with them, Harry, taking a loan from the Goblins has never worked out well for anyone."

Harry was dreading this part of the conversation, but he had a lie already prepared for his parents.

"You don't have to worry about me taking a loan from the Goblins, dad. I kind of already have the money to pay for everything."

"WHAT/HOW?"

Harry winced at the twin shouts he received from his parents and prayed his lie would be believed by both of them. Originally he was hoping to claim the money came from the two gold mines in his possession, but he quickly realized no one would believe he could extract that much gold so quickly.

"Well, the money was already in the Peverell vaults."

James remembered going through the paperwork for both Lordships with his son, and from what he recalled, the Peverell vault only showed a little over three million galleons.

"How is that possible, Harry? I went through the inheritance files with you, and there was no where near that much money in the vault."

"Dad, do you remember the twelve sealed trunks that were listed in the inheritance packet I received when I claimed my Lordship?"

Once he saw his dad nod his head in agreement, Harry continued, "Those trunks were spelled to only open in the presence of the Head of House and when I opened them, three of the trunks were filled to the brim with galleons."

"How much money are we talking about, Harry?"

Harry spent several days thinking about how much money he should say came from the trunks. He brought a total of three hundred and eighty five million galleons with him from his old world, but he didn't want to risk letting the Ministry know exactly how much money he had at his disposal.

"One hundred and fifty million galleons, dad," Harry lied.

James gasped at the amount hidden in the trunks. "Why the hell would the last Lord hide so much money? By keeping it all locked in the trunks, those galleons wouldn't earn any interest for the vault."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I'm not sure, dad. Maybe he wanted to make sure that whichever Potter took up the Lordship of his House, did it to for the name and not for the money. After all, it was believed the Potters took over most of the wealth the Peverells had."

While she was still apprehensive about the money her son was planning to spend, Lily sighed in relief knowing her child wouldn't be indebted to the Goblins.

"The Sanctuary and the theme park are truly wonderful ideas, Harry, but are you sure you want to spend so much money on them. Many of your ideas are Muggle based, and they might not go over well with the Pureblood families and even some half-bloods."

Harry stared confidently into his mother's green eyes and replied, "I know it's a big risk, mum, but I have faith my plans for the future will help bring our world out of the Middle Ages. Sure the Pureblood bigots will complain in the beginning, but once the masses realize how much their quality of life is improved by the changes, I doubt even the Dark families would want the public to be against them."

As she looked at her brilliant son, Lily just knew that his dreams would one day become a reality and she wanted nothing more than to support him through every step that he would take.

"If you're certain you want to do this, sweetheart, than your father and I will support you all the way."

When he saw his son turn his head to look at him, James nodded his head in agreement. "Your mother's right, kiddo. I may not understand everything you're trying to do, but I'm positive you will change our world for the better. For what it's worth, you have our support."

Harry could barely contain his excitement, and he rushed to embrace both of his parents. "Thanks, mum. Thanks, dad. You guys don't know how much this means to me."

James patted his son gently on the back and said, "You're welcome, kiddo. I just hope you don't have any more surprises for awhile. I'm not sure my old heart could take it."

As soon as he saw Harry look away, James groaned loudly at what he knew would be something big. So far his eldest son hadn't done anything that would be considered normal, and he was positive he wasn't about to start now.

"I know you're not telling us something, Harry. Just spit out. I'd rather have all the surprises revealed today."

After the news he'd revealed with the cure and his plans for the future, Harry was a little hesitant about mentioning his abilities to his parents, but in the end he decided they deserved to know. Since he had already shared the information with Neville and the girls, it was only fair that his parents knew the truth as well.

"So...what do you guys know about Shadow Mages?"

Dear Madam Bones,

First off, I would like to thank you for giving my Account Manager the information we discussed earlier this week at Potter Manor. He has already begun to contact the people on the list, and I have instructed him to share all results with you as soon as they come in.

The second reason for this communique is in regards to the time my father and godfather spent as Aurors under your command. As a child I often heard stories of them working together at the DMLE, and I vividly remember their complaints about how understaffed, overworked, and ill equipped members of your department are. From what I have been able to ascertain on my own, this sadly still holds true to this day.

In honor of the work you and your people do to keep our world safe place, I wanted to make a small donation to your department to rectify this situation. Unfortunately when I told my Account Manager what I wanted to do, Ripclaw urged me not to send any money to the Ministry.

It seems that any monetary donation sent to the Ministry, regardless if it was meant for a specific department, is re-allocated based on Minister Fudge's discretion. Since I do not want to deprive the DMLE of the resources that I believe you rightly deserve, Ripclaw was kind enough to suggest an alternate means to help share my gift with you and your people.

As of noon yesterday a new vault containing five hundred thousand galleons was created at Gringotts under my Account Manager Ripclaw's name. While he will have sole control over the vault, Ripclaw has been instructed to make one purchase a year on behalf of the Head of the DMLE, to a maximum of one hundred thousand galleons. By providing physical goods in lieu of monetary compensation, it is my hope that this method will allow you to properly fund your department, without having to worry about Ministry oversight.

After speaking to my father and godfather, I am also well aware of how poorly armed the majority of your Aurors are while working in the field. Since the DMLE is considered to be the first and last line of defence for our world, as a Lord of two Ancient and Noble Houses, this is something that I cannot allow to continue. As such, I took the liberty of making sure that those who protect us while we sleep, are in turn protected themselves.

I have already contacted the Magical armory in Diagon Alley and they have been instructed to provide all of your Aurors with new set of Dragonhide robes, boots and wand holsters. This purchase will not count against the money already placed in the vault, so you are free to still withdraw any funds you may need to further improve your department this year.

It is my hope that you will not consider this gift to be anything more than it is. I assure you there are no strings attached with it, and that I expect nothing in return from you or your department. Thank you for your time, Madam Bones, and I wish you and your people a happy Yule.

Sincerely,

Lord Hadrian Peverell-Daniels

Amelia Bones leaned back in her leather chair and took a sip from the glass of Fire whiskey she held in her hand. It had been four days since she learned about the impossible cure that the young man had discovered, and after verifying the results with the Goblins, she happily gave them a copy of every registered Werewolf she could find in the Ministry files.

As she thought about the changes the Magical world was about to undergo, Amelia was apprehensive about how the public would take the reintegration of those that had formerly been classified as non-humans. She knew for a fact that several higher ups in the Ministry would refuse to believe in the cure, and as the head of the DMLE she worried how their reactions would affect the rest of the sheeple that made up the Magical community.

Thanks to Fudge and his Undersecretary, her department was severely understaffed and underfunded to handle any future problems that may arise. If rumors were true, after the next Wizengamot meeting was done they would soon have another round of budget cuts to deal with.

If she was being honest with herself, the young Lord's donation couldn't have come at a better time for the DMLE. But after years of wading through the backroom politics she was forced to deal with at the Ministry, she was incredibly weary of any "gifts' she was offered. After all, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to bribe her for a favor.

The only reason she hadn't dismissed the donation right away, was because the young Lord in question was not only the son of one of her most honorable former Aurors, but he'd yet to involve himself with the dirty world of politics.

Amelia's musings were interrupted when she heard someone knocking on her door.

"Come in," she reluctantly called out.

As soon as she saw Alastor Moody stomp into her office, the redheaded Witch felt her eyebrows arch up in surprise. While Mad-eye was without a doubt one of her best field operatives, much like any other senior Auror she had on staff, he took full advantage of any time off that he would receive. It was was well known by everyone in the department, that unless you wanted to end up as a temporary guest at St. Mungo, you never tried to disturb the man while he was on vacation.

"What do you want, Alastor?," Amelia asked bluntly. "For someone who refuses to even answer his floo while on leave, I'm surprised you're here right now.

Moody grunted softly in what sounded like agreement, and then tossed the book in his hand, onto his boss' table. "You need to give that a read, Amy."

Amelia ignored the lack of respect she was used to receiving from the experienced Auror, and picked up the book in question. "I take it this is the new DADA book that Mr. Potter wanted you to edit."

"Aye, it is. And it's a hell of read too, lass. If I didn't already know that a wet behind the ears kid had written the damn thing, I would have sworn it was quilled by a battle hardened Auror that had most likely been through a war or two."

No stranger to having surprises tossed into her lap, the youngest Head of Department in the history of the Ministry, still found herself barely able to keep the shock off of her face.

"How in Merlin's name is that even possible, Alastor? The kid hasn't even finished his first year at Hogwarts."

Moody shrugged his shoulders and replied, "No idea, Amy, but he sure as hell knows what he's talking about. Some of his tactical suggestions for facing single or multiple enemy targets, were something even I hadn't considered until now. If you took out some of the sections that really only applied to Hogwarts students, I would even go so far as to convert what's left into a new Auror training handbook."

Amelia was stunned by the suggestion. Granted the Auror handbook hadn't been updated in the past fifty years, but she still couldn't believe an Auror as experienced as Mad-eye Moody would even think to suggest doing so based off the works of an eleven year old child.

"You're actually serious about this?"

"Like a heart attack, lass. That book is filled with not only suggested battle techniques, but usefull spells, Charms, and Transfigurations Aurors can use in a given situation. I doubt even I could write anything that would be as thorough and informative as what you're holding in your hands."

As she stared into the single good eye of her most proficient Auror, Amelia recalled how paranoid her colleague was known to be. She was absolutely certain that he wouldn't have bothered coming in today, unless there was something else that he knew about Harry Potter.

"Spill it, Alastor. What do you know about the kid?"

A small smirk twitched across Moody's lips. "You mean other than the fact that he cured Lycanthropy?"

Amelia rolled her eyes and replied, "Yes, other than that. If Mr. Potter really caught your attention, than I know you must have looked into him thoroughly. I want to know everything you found out about him."

"Considering his age, there really wasn't a lot of information to find out. Up until a few months ago, everyone thought he was a Squib. But over the summer he spent a few days as a guest with the Goblins, and when he left, he could do Magic."

"Do you think he's practicing Dark Magic, Alastor?", Amelia asked

Moody shook his head in response. "Not that I know of, lass. Since she's close with the Potters and his Head of House at Hogwarts, I spoke to Minerva about it, and apparently whatever was wrong with him was a documented Medical condition. Unfortunately Dumbledore and the Healers at St. Mungo failed to figure it out, but the Goblins did. He went through some procedure with them over the summer to fix the problem, and as far as I can tell nothing Dark was involved."

Amelia sighed softly in relief. The last thing she needed was a Lord with the resources of two Ancient and Noble Houses turning dark.

"What else have you learned?"

"Nothing much really. Just two things that stand out in particular. First, he created a runic array that allows for Muggle technology to work around Magic."

"Impossible," Amelia exclaimed. "Everyone knows that Magic shorts out anything that works off of electricity."

"Impossible, Amy? I think you forgot who we're talking about. The world said it was impossible for someone to find the cure for Lycanthropy, but that didn't stop the kid from doing it anyways."

Amelia winced at the reminder of the cure, and suddenly she felt the tell tell signs of a migraine beginning to form. As impressive as the young Lord's accomplishments were, the middle aged Witch could almost sense the shock waves these discoveries would send through the Pureblood supremacists and she could foresee the many problems her department would face in the future.

"I know why he's waiting until the summer to reveal his Potion to the public, but why haven't we heard about this runic array."

Moody shook his head and answered, "If I had to guess, it would probably be because he knows the Ministry would try to shut him down. Couple of my contacts in the colonies have told me his company is already selling the Muggle picture boxes abroad, but so far they haven't released them anywhere in the UK."

"He has his own company?," Amelia asked curiously.

"That's right, lass, and it's called Marauder's Inc. I've checked up on it, and the Ministry has them registered as a valid company here in Britain. What's interesting is that the boy doesn't own all of it. It's split equally between James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Harry Potter."

Amelia was well aware of the history behind the Marauders, but found herself curious as to what role the other three owners played in the company. Shelving the errant thought for the moment, she returned her focus back to the young Lord.

"You said there were two things, Alastor. What's the second thing you learned?"

"The kid's buying a lot of land," Moody answered. "The Goblins are being tight lipped about what it will be used for, but Potter now owns several parcels of land somewhere in Kingsbridge and now it looks like he's buying up places in Hogsmead."

"Hogsmead?"

"That's right, lass. From the little my contacts were able to get from the Goblins, the kid now owns all the abandoned property there was in the village, and now he's trying to buyout those people who own a house or business there."

"He isn't strongarming them to sell, is he?"

"The kid's actually paying above market price, Amy. I spoke to one of the businesses Potter recently bought out, and the man said the kid paid him more than what his little shop was worth."

As she thought about the new information she'd learned about Harry Potter, Amelia just knew the kid had several more surprises up his sleeve. And if his past few revelations were anything to go by, she had no doubt her future was going to be filled with daily headaches.

After a moment, Amy picked up the letter she received from Harry and handed it to Mad-eye. "Tell me what you think about this."

Moody scanned through the letter quickly and then let loose a bellowing laugh. "Well, I gotta hand it to the kid. For someone who was sorted into Gryffindor, this move is definitely worthy of a Slytherin. He knows he can't donate money directly to the department, because all monetary funds are dispersed by Minister approval only. But he realized physical goods can be given straight to any department. By having the Goblins buy whatever you need, he's staying within the Ministry rules and still getting you what you need. I like it."

"True, but do you think he has an ulterior motive?"

Moody take his time before answering. "I have no doubt he has an ulterior motive for the gift, lass, but as of now I don't think it's nefarious. He's made a show of dotting his i's and crossing his t's for the Ministry, so he's making sure that whatever he's doing is completely legal. For now the best we can do is keep an eye out for him."

"That's what I was hoping you would say," Amelia sighed in relief. "To be honest, Alastor, this donation couldn't have come at a better time. I just heard the department can expect another round of budget cuts soon, and if that happened, I would have been forced to release half the trainees we have in the program."

Mad-eye grunted in reply. It was no secret that he had little if any respect for the majority of younger Aurors and trainees in the department. Due to the lack of capable recruits coming out of Hogwarts, the DMLE had been forced to reduce their minimum requirements and increase the training time required for all recruits.

Since a year and a half of Potions and DADA had to be tacked on to the standard three year Auror program, the added expenditure to teach the trainees things they should already have learned at Hogwarts, resulted in the DMLE being forced to only take in twenty-five new recruits a year. As hard as the program was, it was common knowledge that only half the recruits would ever graduate to become full fledged Aurors.

"Than you really don't have a choice, lass. If the budget cuts happen again, you need this donation now more than ever. Even if you don't ask for anything from the vault Potter set up, the armor alone will save a lot of lives."

Amelia hated to admit it, but if she wanted to do right by her people, she would have to swallow her pride and graciously accept Harry's gift. After a few moments she looked up to see Moody rise from his chair, and make his way towards the exit.

"Keep me posted of any new developments, Alastor," Amelia called out to the departing Auror.

Mad-eye waved his hand in the air to acknowledge that he would, and quietly left his boss' office.

Once again alone, Amelia leaned back into her seat and thought about the young man that would soon change their world. While a part of her was nervous about what these changes would entail, a larger part was excited to see what would happen next.

Whatever the future held, Amelia promised herself that she would make sure her Aurors were prepared for anything that would come their way.

Rita Skeeter followed the young Goblin down a large corridor in Gringotts, her perfect hips sashaying seductively with each step. At forty years old, the 5'9" blonde haired, blue eyed, Pureblood beauty, had a body that women half her age would die for.

Dressed in designer robes fitted to accentuate all of her curves, Rita was no stranger to using her looks to get what she wanted. Over the years several men had been too busy staring at her voluptuous breasts, to realize they had given her more information than they originally desired. It was for this reason that she made sure she was always perfectly dressed for every occasion.

Ever since she was a child Rita dreamed of proving to the world that women could be just as good at journalism as their male counterparts and she spent the entirety of her Hogwarts years honing her snooping skills. While she was never as intellectual or Magically strong as many of her contemporaries at school, Rita's skills were still far above those of an average Witch.

Her craftiness was the stuff of legend in the House of Cunning, and her Magical core strong enough for her to become a secret Animagus in her seventh year. While she could never out duel the large majority of the students in her House, she was still feared by the masses for the numerous secrets she kept on those that crossed her.

Unfortunately, once Rita's parents learned of her decision to become a reporter, or as they saw it, a common working girl, they threatened to disown her if she didn't marry the Pureblood they'd arranged for her to meet. To this day she was thankful that her parents were killed by a Death Eater attack a week before she was supposed to graduate. If it wasn't for their timely deaths, she would have eventually capitulated to their demands, and would never have become the woman she was destined to be.

After leaving Hogwarts, Rita took her first steps in making her dream become a reality. Even though she spent seven years as a proud Slytherin, Rita still took the time to carefully cultivate several friendships with select Muggleborns in secret.

It's because of this resource, that Rita was well aware of the Journalism courses that could be found in the Muggle world. After weeks of careful deliberation, she eventually decided to spend a small portion of her inheritance and secretly join a Muggle University in London.

Despite not having taken her A levels, through copious use of the compulsion charm and one or two Obliviates, Rita was able to get herself enrolled as a Journalism major at King's College in London.

Over the next four years she worked diligently to learn everything she could from her Muggle teachers. At first her lack of a secondary education and knowledge of the Muggle world, was a distinct hindrance in her development as a student. But over time and through a lot of hard work, Rita's desire to succeed overcame all the obstacles that appeared in her path.

As soon as she completed her degree at King's College, Rita returned to the Magical world and immediately applied for a job at the Daily Prophet. To this day she knew the old lecher hired her for her looks, but she didn't care. She finally got her foot in the door, and she damn sure she wasn't going to waste her only chance.

Her first few months were spent being the eye candy that got the old editor his coffee and arranged his paperwork. But all that changed her third month on the job.

While on a date at the Puddlemere United game, Rita got bored with the guy she came with and used her beetle form to sneak into the players locker room. It was there that she discovered the relationship between Chaser Jocelind Griffith and Seeker William Deverill was more than that of teammates.

Rita's first scandal based article was an immediate hit, and from that point on she never looked back. It took two decades of lying, threatening, embellishing, and excruciating hard work, but in the end she finally achieved her dream. Now the number one reporter in the Daily Prophet bullpen, Rita Skeeter was commonly referred to by her peers as the 'Queen of Quills'.

Over the years the world famous reporter built a reputation that was known throughout all of Magical Britain. Her name was enough to make celebrities flinch in fear, and even men as powerful as Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore knew better than to draw her ire.

In the past she'd used her articles to cut down Ministry officials, and Nobles alike. The power of her words were such that even one article from her could tear down a person's hard-earned reputation in a single day.

It was for this reason that she was careful in covering herself legally at all times. She was well aware that she didn't get where she was by not bending or breaking the law as she saw fit, and the last thing she could afford was for someone to use her past against her. She had gained several powerful enemies throughout the years, all of whom would love nothing more than to see her broken and beaten before them.

Rita was pulled from her thoughts when she noticed the small Goblin stop at the designated conference room and open the door for her to enter. As soon as she walked inside, she immediately noticed the person she came her to meet.

Normally she would have to beg, bribe, cajole, and sometimes even blackmail to get an exclusive interview like this. That's why she was surprised when she received the young Lord's owl for this meeting.

At 5'6" Lord Hadrian Peverell-Daniels looked nothing like the eleven year old child she expected to meet. Starting from the bottom up, she meticulously took in his dragon hide boots, black slacks and the navy blue turtle neck that clung tightly to his body.

Even dressed in Muggle clothes, the young man's entire appearance screamed money and she marveled at how developed his muscles were at such a young age. If he looked this yummy now, she had no doubt that he would be absolutely delicious by the time he grew up.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Rita made her way to the young Lord, purposely putting some extra sway to her hips.

"Good morning, Lord Peverell-Daniels. It's a pleasure to meet you. I must say I was surprised by your request for this meeting. Normally people do their best to avoid little old me."

Harry did his best not to smirk at the Cougar in front of him, and was actually surprised by her appearance. While there was no doubt in his mind that the woman was indeed Rita Skeeter, if he was being honest with himself, he had to admit the Rita of this world was far more attractive than the woman he was used to.

Barely a second passed before Harry gently grasped Rita's outstretched hand and brushed his lips softly against her raised knuckles. "I assure you, Miss Skeeter," he replied with an arrogant drawl reminiscent of a Malfoy. "From where I'm standing, the pleasure is all mine."

Rita flicked her tongue seductively across her lips and smiled down at the young Lord. As soon as she saw his gaze linger on her buxom bosom, she couldn't wait to start the interview.

The pair made their way to the table in the conference room, and once she sat down, Rita crossed her legs, allowing her tight skirt to ride up and show off her amazing legs.

"Now that I have you here, my Lord. I am curious as to why you requested this meeting."

As he stared into Rita's piercing blue eyes, Harry could tell the woman in front of him was far more dangerous than the reporter he once knew. Even with advantage he currently had at his disposal, he was weary of pushing such a person too hard and he quickly made several changes to the proposal he was about to make.

"I asked you here, Miss Skeeter, because I want you to sign a contract with me."

Rita arched her eyebrow, and asked, "And what type of contract would this be, my Lord?"

Harry flashed the older woman his famous Potter smile and replied, "I want you to sign a binding contract that will prevent you from slandering myself, my family or my friends."

Rita was momentarily taken aback by the request, and found herself growing amused by the young Lord's response. Had this come from anyone but a child, her answer would have been significantly different.

Instead she took pity on the boy that was taking his first steps in a world where she was the undisputed Queen and said, "I will have to respectfully decline to do so, my Lord. As a prominent reporter for the Prophet, I'm sure you can understand why I can't acquiesce to such requests. After all, the public has a right to know the truth. However, the fact that you are making such a request of me, leads me to believe you have something to hide. Tell me, my Lord. Do you have something to hide?"

Harry wasn't sure why, but he found himself enjoying their banter. "To be honest, I have many things I want hidden, Miss Skeeter, but I won't have to worry about them once you sign this contract."

"And why in Merlin's name would I sign such a thing?," Rita asked, still amused by the turn of events.

"Perhaps because you would like to avoid the DMLE learning of your unregistered Animagus form."

Rita's amused expression instantly disappeared at the attempted blackmail. While she was incredibly surprised that the kid learned of a secret that grown men and women had failed to discover, it still wasn't that big of a deal to her. With the numerous connections she had tucked away safely in her pocket, a small fine and a slap on the wrist would be the worst she would face from the Ministry.

The threat, however, was more than enough for her to stop treating the boy in front of her with kiddie gloves. "If that's the best you can do, Mr. Potter, then feel free to release your information to the DMLE. I assure you it will affect me little in the long run, but it will put you squarely on my bad side. And that's a place men far better than you don't even want to be."

Harry leaned back into his chair and folded his hands together in front of him. It was now his turn to be amused by Rita's response.

"The Animagus angle is the least of what I have on you, Miss Skeeter. You may have men and women tremble at your very name, but I think you'll find my skin is far more thicker than Malfoy or Dumbledore."

Rita felt a brief moment of fear at the confident look she saw in Harry's eyes, but she immediately squashed the feeling right away. The Queen of Quills refused to believe an eleven year old had enough dirt to cause her any problems, and she was more than willing to call him on his bluff.

"Than by all means, tell me what other imagined slights you may have against me."

Harry slid the manila envelope across the table, and watched an angry Rita as she tore it open.

Rita wasn't sure what to expect when she opened the envelope, but what she found was worse than anything she could have imagined. Somehow the little shit had proof of every law both Muggle and Magical that she had broken over the years. Individually she could have talked her way out of any one of them, but lumped all together they were enough to ruin her forever. At the very least the information was enough to send her to Azkaban for a minimum of ten years, and that was before her enemies got a chance to get their revenge.

"How the hell did you get all this?," Rita screamed in frustration.

Harry couldn't tell her that he recalled the information from her counterpart's Veritaserum trial in his old world. Thankfully he was able to hire an independent contractor to confirm that this world's Rita made the same mistakes as the one from his old world.

While there were several discrepancies between the two, luckily the majority of the things he remembered from the trial were still done by the beautiful woman that was in front of him.

"How I got the information is not important, Miss Skeeter," Harry replied with a smirk. "What matters is that I have it."

"What exactly does this contract entail?," Rita asked, no longer worried about mouthing any further pleasantries.

Harry could see the anger boiling inside of the blonde Witch, and he didn't want to push such a deadly woman into a corner.

Hoping to ease some of the tension, Harry replied, "I have no desire to make you an enemy, Rita, but I can't deny that I have need of your ability to spin a tale. If you give me a chance, I think you'll find my offer to be more than fair."

While she was certainly pissed at being blackmailed by a child of all people, Rita had been around long enough to know there was a time to strike and a time to listen. Forcing herself to take several deep breaths, she controlled the anger bubbling inside of her and said, "I'm listening, my Lord."

Harry felt his lips twitch at the reluctant title and than confidently made his offer.

"Very soon I will be making several discoveries known to the public, and I need a Public Relations coordinator that can.."

"Assure the sheeple to buy what you're selling," Rita finished.

When she saw Harry nod his head in agreement, she asked, "What kind of discoveries are we talking about?"

Despite Rita not having signed the contract, Harry already knew his leverage was enough to buy the reporter's silence. As such, he didn't hesitate to answer the question. "One of my revelations for this summer, will be that I have cured Lycanthropy. I already have thirty six proven cases, and by the time I'm ready to go public, I should have several hundred cured Werewolves as my proof."

Of all the things she was expecting to hear, Rita certainly did not expect that. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that a cure for Lycanthropy could even be possible and she felt her jaw drop in shock. After a few moments she began to wonder what else the young Lord had up his sleeve, and somehow she was certain the cure was only the first of many great surprises.

"You certainly are full of surprises, my Lord," Rita replied, her tone now having more respect than before. "What exactly does your offer consist of?"

Originally Harry was only going to offer her some extra money, but after meeting this world's Rita, he knew it wouldn't be enough for the woman known as the greatest reporter in Britain. If he truly wanted to have such a dangerous and useful woman on his side, he knew his offer what have to be substantially greater than what he planned to make.

"First, a pay raise. I'm willing to pay you twice what you're earning from the Prophet right now. Along with that, you will get an expense account of say twenty thousand galleons a year to do with as you please, and a flat of your choice."

"You'll buy me my own place?," Rita asked in surprise.

Harry nodded his head in answer. "I'll even give you a ten thousand galleon signing bonus, so you can furnish your new home however you want. Call it an early Christmas present from me."

"And what about my job with the Prophet?"

"Keep it," Harry replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "When you're not on duty for me, I have no problems with you continuing to write for the Prophet. Hell, as long you're not writing about anyone on the list that I will give to you, I could care less about who or what you attack. I even promise to give you some juicy information you can use against the likes of Malfoy, Dumbledore and Fudge."

Rita's eyes lit up at the offer, and she had to admit it was far better than she hoped to receive in her situation. She knew for a fact none of her enemies would be as considerate, if they had the same type of leverage in their hands.

"If I agree to this, I want a Wizard's oath that you won't willingly give or allow someone else to give my personal information to anyone else. I have no desire to be blackmailed by anyone else."

Harry didn't even hesitate before answering, "Done. Anything else?"

"While I have no problems going up against powerful people, if you expect me to take on guys like Malfoy, Dumbledore and Fudge, then I'm going to need some protection in the future."

"That won't be a problem, Rita. Should a situation arise where you need protection, I'll gladly provide you with the best body guards I can find."

At this point Rita couldn't help but like her deal. In return for spinning a story in his favor, and keeping his friends and family out of the limelight, she was getting a deal that was better than anything she could hope for.

"In that case, my Lord. I believe we have a deal. So what's first on our agenda?"

Harry was thrilled to have Skeeter willingly work for him, and it took all his control not to grin like an idiot.

"How about we start with a full exclusive with the youngest dual Lord in history?"

Rita grinned happily in response and pulled out her quill to begin the interview.