The Contract

Chapter 32

Corvus easily and swiftly removed the mud and debris from his boots, before toeing them off at the door. Placing them back beside the pair that were identical but in a smaller size, Harry normally accompanied him, but he'd slept much later than normal. So, he had elected to get it done himself, it was Saturday, they'd be visiting his sons today so he wanted all chores done before they left for the rest of the morning. Every animal had been fed and watered, heated or checked upon to ensure their general wellbeing and comfort. Even the dragon, which was unusually placid, and he wondered if Harry had said something to it, or whether it was always going to remain that way. It was growing into a beautiful colour, as the scales continued to come out in a variety of colours. The air and sun – however weak it was – would definitely be helping the deprived dragon find it's own.

Closing the door, he found the House-elves cleaning the supplies they'd used for breakfast. He said nothing and made his way through the kitchen and into the main house. His ears quickly detected voices, Harry and Tom's by the sound of it. nothing seriously, since there was no alarm in Harry's voice. Not that there ever were, the boy seemed to get on well with Voldemort which was shocking in on itself. Yet, it pleased him immensely, it could only bode well for their future.

"No, history of magic is boring, nearly everyone falls sleep in that class, and even I have trouble staying awake, even while reading a book," Harry said, before rushing to reassure him, "On history, it's fascinating, I just wished someone would expand on that, it's much more fun, I've been told that we only ever learn about goblin wars in the seven years there."

"Binn's is almost a Hogwarts mascot by this," Corvus added into the conversation, "But he is useless as a professor. I am not sure why Dumbledore elected to allow him to continue to teach, the other ghosts certainly didn't get to." glancing over at the table, in Harry's direction as he claimed his seat, making sure the vials were empty, and that Harry had taken his potion and not becoming too distracted. His own plate of food appeared in front of him.

"A ghost doesn't have to eat or drink, or need sleep, saves money," Harry said jokingly, as he ate the food, not thinking for a moment that would be the real reason that the ghost was kept on. Biting into his breakfast, now that he had a moment to do so.

Corvus and Voldemort glanced at each other a shrewd look appearing on their faces, could it be possible? It didn't seem likely, after all why would he need money? He'd admittedly, sold some of his items off to pay a massive fine at Hogwarts. It was beside the point, he had the means to get money he didn't need to risk taking from Hogwarts.

"With Hogwarts being looked into, one of the board of governs will be charged with looking through it all. As Lucius has the most experience wading through monetary trails, I'd suspect they will palm it off on him, at least that aspect of the schools paperwork." Corvus mused thoughtfully, "I have no doubt Lucius will check them over with a fine toothed comb."

"I will probably get a copy," Voldemort conceded, "Once they have everything in order but I shall inform Lucius to look closely."

"Ancient Runes should be taught sooner," Harry added, still annoyed by the fact he'd have to wait until he was thirteen before he got to take that class. "Even if it's optional and not mandatory."

"Why is that?" Voldemort asked, eyeing the boy, he was already well aware of the boys love for the subject. Nearly every second book he had was on Runes, and he constantly had his runes creation kit out, the one he said quite proudly that he got from Corvus at Christmas.

"Five years isn't long enough to really grasp such an important subject, and it is important, even though people write it off and elect to take Divination apparently." Harry said utterly befuddled, "Marcus said that some of the Slytherin's attempted it each year and he has to dissuade them otherwise."

Corvus smirked, "Hmm, he's exceedingly like his father in that regard." He might look like a dumb plank like Crabbe and Goyle juniors but he was far from it. A nurturer at heart, he'd make a good father, he suspected.

"Indeed," Voldemort conceded, and grandfather, who was still alive and kicking but didn't get out all that much anymore.

"Wandless classes should be offered immediately too, before we get too used to using our wand for everything. I find that it's relied on too much, way too much." Harry wasn't shy about giving his own demands, but there was so much wrong with the school that he couldn't help it. Voldemort knew all this regardless, after all he'd been at Hogwarts on the back of Quirrell.

Corvus chuckled as he ate, watching Tom and Harry converse, almost challenging each other. Corvus didn't fail to notice that despite it, Tom was writing down exactly what Harry was suggesting. He was taking the teens suggestions seriously, which he should do, he took his education seriously.

"Those are the only ones I can think of right now," Harry confessed, a thoughtful look on his face. "But I'm sure I've thought of more…" knowing he had, but they wouldn't come to him right now.

"I'm sure you'll tell me when you think of them," he said wryly, "What are the charges standing currently against McGonagall and Dumbledore?" Tom asked of Corvus, staring at the wizard in silent demand.

"As of last night, no further pending charges against Dumbledore, yet, but McGonagall has a new list of charges. Not only did she fail to notify the Granger girls parents when she was injured, she also neglected to inform all Muggle-born students how to get in touch with anyone within the magical community. There's been a suggestion that the Grangers intend to sue, on the notes that Mavis sent out last night."

"That means she wont get her job back right?" Harry questioned, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Not unless she greases the correct palms and retains one of her positions, but there is no way she will retain all three she currently had." Corvus explained to him, "Considering all we've learned I do believe she will be let go upon completion of the investigation." As of right now Dumbledore and McGonagall were technically 'suspended' and released awaiting their trial for obstruction of justice and preventing the Aurors doing their job.

It was only a matter of time before they were fired, it was just now a waiting game to find out exactly what they would be charged with at the end of the day. They would be spending at least a small amount of time in Azkaban for their crimes. The pureblood's would not let them away with what they'd done. The danger they had wrought upon their children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren.

"She won't seriously get her job back, right?" Harry asked, Corvus was just covering potentials and not something likely to happen? Not that he had much against McGonagall actually, she was good at her job, even if she did tend to favour Gryffindors, from what he'd heard. Snape did the same with the Slytherin's but Flitwick and Sprout were the only two that treated all houses the same.

"I do not believe it's likely, but as I said, anything could happen, she was a tenured professor," Corvus revealed, the world wasn't black and white, and money spoke volumes. Even with the oaths they took to promise to do their job to the best of their abilities. There were ways around absolutely everything, with the possibly exception of Vows themselves, which made them very dangerous and unlikely to be taken.

"How long will it take for the wards to be reapplied?" Harry asked, placing his fork and knife on the plate, and sliding it a little away from him. He'd asked earlier this week, but even Auror Dan didn't know apparently, he'd spent the week trying to work out the mess that was Hogwarts wards.

"Ah, that has been discussed by the wizengamot and the board of Governors," Corvus said, pausing in his own breakfast to answer, "The easy part is ripping the wards down after they've been documented for evidence, with everything out of Hogwarts, from the plants to anything notably magical in nature except the critters in the forbidden forest, the centaurs elected not to move."

"Unsurprisingly, they'll be terrified they wont get back in, they do dislike trusting humans," Voldemort said wryly, they wouldn't give up their home for anything. They'd fight and die to it, which made them perfectly positioned at the school to protect the students, even if it was a secondary goal.

"Auror Strauss indicates it will take months, even with dozens of Ward-Masters helping, the foundation has to be re-laid for two weeks before they can begin building up on them. The good news is they will definitely be completely renewed in time for the next year at Hogwarts." Corvus informed him, "Warding is long and complicated magic, and it cannot be rushed, and should definitely not have been tampered with."

"Is it available at Hogwarts?" Harry perked up, making a mental note to check out rudimentary warding when he had a moment.

"No, one must apprentice themselves to a Master to gain that qualification." Corvus explained, that took upwards to four years, unless one learned on the job, which was very risky business not just for the student but those surrounding them too. Depending on the location and actual warding process they elect to do.

"Why isn't their a professor at Hogwarts to apprentice to?" Harry asked, "Isn't that possible?"

"It used to be," here Voldemort spoke, "It was discontinued the year I was due to graduate Hogwarts." his tone dark, Dumbledore had caught him with a book about it, and it was no coincidence that the next day Dippet had declared that those passing will be the last. The old headmaster had been all too easy to manipulate, by him and Dumbledore, and it had set it seething, he'd planned on asking the Defence professor if he could become apprenticed to him in order to stay at the school and inevitably get his position when he left Hogwarts. There had been rumours that he planned on retiring.

"Oh," was all Harry said, figuring out why it was 'discontinued' judging by the ominous tone Voldemort had just taken. "He really didn't like you did he?" he dared to add. "I wonder if it was because you were Slytherin's heir and technically had a say in Hogwarts or if it was simply because you were dark?" perhaps a bit of both?

"He did not," Voldemort stated sharply, "From the very moment he met me," in the orphanage, and he in turn had loathed Dumbledore, especially for returning his treasures back to their recipients – he had taken them for a reason – and threatening him, as subtle as it had been. If only he had been more aware of his heritage. Oh, he had been, but not about having a say at Hogwarts, otherwise he most definitely wouldn't have left regardless of what Dumbledore said. He'd just been too smug and superior to really dig deep, just basking in the knowledge that he was the heir of Slytherin.

Harry simply nodded that he understood.

"Are you ready to go?" Corvus asked Harry, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"Yeah, the box is in the kitchen, I've made them some different cookies this time," Harry declared, he knew the brothers wouldn't care what he made for them, as long as it wasn't the Azkaban gloop they served, but Harry wanted to give them as much as he could in the way of choice.

"I'm sure they'll love them," Corvus declared, he'd even put in a few of their favourite childhood sweets, they weren't chocolate and wouldn't help negate the effects of the dementors but it was something…cherished really. Good memories they could cling on to for simple times from their childhoods.

"Yeah," Harry murmured, a grin on his face, he loved visiting them, it as always fun, especially the looks on their faces. They always had so much to tell them, much different from the beginning when they could only keep repeating what they've already told them until they got a little better.

"Then let us depart," Corvus said, pressing his own plate, which had been emptied away. "We shall see you later." He added to Voldemort, as he stood, Voldemort was as always trying to continue to find a way to remove the Horcrux from Harry without complication. Considering how long it had been…weeks! He was beginning to be resigned to the fact that it might not ever be able to be removed. There was nothing they could do unfortunately, but that was life. He wasn't sure how Harry would feel with the knowledge that it might not be feasible to remove it.

"Give my best to the boys," Voldemort stated, standing also, giving a nod, regardless of everything else, he was a guest here, and he had been raised since the age of eleven to understand pureblood rules and regulations, and would not do the discourtesy by trampling all over them.

"I will," Corvus said, as Harry made a hasty exit to get the box. "How much longer do we try to find a way before informing Harry that it might not be possible?"

Voldemort pursed his lips, eyes flashing in irritation, he did not like being unable to do things. When he put his mind to it, he always succeeded in what he wanted to do. Except for this time, an answer was eluding him and he didn't like it at all. "Next week, if I cannot find anything in the next week I shall inform him." he had other things he needed to do, and he couldn't continue uselessly and tirelessly looking for answers that just weren't gong to be found.

"Very well," Corvus agreed, "Although I shouldn't be surprised if he already suspects what we may tell him."

Voldemort's lips twitched into a genuine smile, "Indeed not," it was true enough, the boy was sharp as a tack, he had never seen anyone with such a bright acquisitive mind before, he didn't count obviously, since he couldn't actually 'see' himself. Everyone else had just been so slow compared to him that it had been vexing as a child and teenager. Hopefully Harry wouldn't feel that way, surrounded as he was by people who can keep up with him intellectually and all the books in the world to sate his curiosity.

"Anything you wish for me to get from the boys?" Corvus asked.

"Merely how everyone is doing," Voldemort paused before speaking again, "I do believe however, that Barty Junior is still alive, the mark is still active, merely muted." Like all the marks were when his followers were in their own homes.

Corvus' eyes widened in shock, "That's impossible! He died in Azkaban barely a year into his sentence!" it had been reported in the papers for weeks, it had nearly spiralled him into a heart attack. Fearing that his sons would die at any given moment and there would be nothing he could do. Plus, he wouldn't get their bodies back, any prisoner who dies on the island are cruelly placed in a hole with all the other remains of bodies that had died there by the Dementors. That fear hadn't truly faded, but it was more on the backburner for the more depressing days, but he hadn't had them since Harry came into his life. He'd gave him a reason to keep living, to push for justice, and given him hope to see his sons again. He'd give his life for the boy, just as he'd give his life for his sons.

"Yet the fact remains, the dark mark is still active," Voldemort informed Corvus, just as perplexed as Corvus.

"So was Regulus Black's and he's dead, we know he is," Corvus pointed out, the truth was, the only reason his magic was still active is because he was an Inferi and one day they might actually find out about it but it was very unlikely?

"I know when one of mine dies," Voldemort stated, "Either there was a mistake and Barty is somewhere else on that island…" well the alternative wasn't easy for him to take, he did not make mistake, he knew Barty was still alive. He needed to put a locator on it, so that he could find every single one of his followers if need be. He had accidentally came across it last night while trying to put some semblance of order in his magic. The stone and the ritual might have made everything right again, but it didn't fix absolutely everything.

"I shall ask the boys what they remember," Corvus said, he hadn't asked them about it before, perhaps there was something…but surely Rodolphus and Rabastan would have mentioned it before this?

"Thank you," Voldemort stated, regardless of what he heard, he was definitely imbuing a locating charm and finding out where he was. He'd then pass on the knowledge to those working for him to get Barty from wherever he was stuck on the island and back to where he would get the support he needed.

He never considered for a moment that Bartemius Crouch Junior wasn't in Azkaban. It would soon be rectified, and revenge would be a sight to see indeed.

"What about Black's trial?" Harry asked, making his presence known, "It's been a while since we heard anything about that?" wondering who Barty was and how important he was too.

"Without Dumbledore pushing for it, it's been continuously put on the backburner due to other more pressing emergencies." Corvus explained, turning to face the boy, who was clutching his ever present box in his hands when it came to this day. "It won't last forever, of course, since Black has a public defender, overseeing his case, or not-case as it stands, since he wasn't given a trial and when they figure that out, the ministry will have hell to pay." It will either dawn on the lawyer or his request for an interview would be granted.

"Is that normal?" Harry asked, cases being pushed back constantly, he couldn't say whether it was odd in either Muggle or magical terms. He wasn't all that familiar with the actual running of the criminal courts.

"Very," Corvus declared, summoning his cloak, and clipping it on, "Emergencies happen from time to time, or evidence and cases get pushed back giving the lawyers enough time to gather evidence ore refute it as one may."

"I'm ready," Harry said needlessly, it was clear he was ready to go, but it was the only polite thing to say, due to the fact he had his answers and didn't need to speak about it further. He was downright weary of Black getting out of prison, but if he was innocent he didn't deserve to be stuck in there. He just didn't want to end up having to live with him, he didn't know him, he was happy here.

"Then let's depart," Corvus said, giving a nod to Tom, he and Harry begun their ten minute trek towards the end of the wards where they could Apparate or Portkey from. The edge of the wards were wrapped in cloaking charms so that when they stepped out between the end of the wards and the others they were cloaked, so that nobody could see them. another safety measure he'd enacted to help get away from oncoming danger whether from civilian wizards or Aurors.

The Portkey landed them next to the two guards, and Harry automatically handed over his box to be inspected.

"Is it just me or is it warmer in here?" Harry asked, glancing around, was it just due to the fact the damp was drying up? Or had the Ministry been working on the conditions of Azkaban without needing to put it into legislation? Very unlikely but worth asking.

"Slightly warmer," the second guard agreed, which he liked very much, heating charms on your clothes only did so much. It didn't help when the location they were in was absolutely biting cold, one of the many downsides to the job, but the pay was more than worth it in his book. Even more so now that they weren't actually surrounded by Dementors all the time. Although, with the prisoners stronger, he felt a little more leery around them, but he did his job as expected.

"Thought so," Harry said, grasping the box when it was handed to him free and clear for him to take in. The smell of the dinner he'd made them wafting in the air, causing both wizard guards' stomachs to grumble hungrily. It made Harry grin and offer them up a breakfast bar, which they took slightly bemused.

"Thank you," they said, too hungry to politely decline.

Corvus barely refrained from rolling his eyes, wondering what the boy was up to now. He didn't do anything without something up his sleeve, or the potential anyway. The boy was definitely a Slytherin masquerading as a Ravenclaw.

"You're welcome," Harry said, on the move, the guard was quick to run after him, then ahead and open the door so Harry and Corvus could enter the meeting room where Rabastan and Rodolphus were already situated with their normal watered down hot chocolate.

"Hi!" he chirped happy to see them, already pulling out the decent hot chocolate and plate of food, positively toppling over. The guard automatically closed the door behind them, giving them all privacy, well used to the routine by now.

"How are you doing?" Rabastan asked Harry, asking after his health, he was looking in high spirits but he knew what potions the boy was getting. He knew just how badly off he actually still was, regardless of the time that had gone by. Unfortunately, potions weren't miracle workers, they couldn't just correct a decade worth of damage with a single potion. Already drooling over the food that had been sat in front of him.

Rodolphus hugged his father, then Rabastan did too, still waiting for an answer, from Harry who had sat down.

"I'm good, I can exercise more than before now," before he'd been set back of course.

"How about you two? How's it been?" Corvus asked his sons, eyeing them critically as he sat down and they did too.

"It's getting easier to think clearer these days," Rodolphus confessed, a wave of relief flashing across his features. Picking up his plastic fork and beginning to eat the food placed in front of him, this was his second favourite part of this day. Getting to eat, his father was definitely on the number one spot, his brother felt exactly the same no doubt.

"And have you spoken to any of the others?" Corvus queried, getting to the heart of the matter, while allowing them time between questions to take a bite to eat and swallow it.

"No," Rodolphus shook his head, "They're still a little out of it, but their bouts of…insanity is lessening." 'insanity' meant the screaming and shouting yourself hoarse, after the Dementors fed off everything you had to give. Retreating into ones own mind was tempting to do, and he honestly wouldn't be surprised if people had done just that.

"And Bellatrix?" Corvus asked, brow furrowing when he thought of her.

"Same," Rodolphus, "No signs of getting better…" but she hadn't been the full sickle when she got put in here, it just made it ten times worse.

"Rabastan, you were closest to Barty, correct? You could see his cell from your own?" Corvus asked, causing Harry to perk up a bit and listen himself. he'd heard Voldemort and Corvus talking about him and knew he was a friend of Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix since he was with them that day, but that was all he knew.

"Yes, I could," Rabastan said, sorrowfully, he couldn't get over the fact Barty had deteriorated so quickly as to die so soon.

"Can you remember anything around that time?" Corvus asked.

Rodolphus arched a brow, wondering why his father was asking his brother something like that…there had to be a reason.

"Like what?" Rabastan asked blankly, their entire stay was like one long memory it all blended into a whole cacophony of misery and stinking fear and cold.

"Visits, his temperament, did he talk? Anything that might be out of the ordinary up until that point." Corvus questioned, giving him a list of things to think about, to answer.

"Um, his father visited a few days before it happened, afterwards he was different I suppose…but aren't we all after that? The hopelessness just bleeds in. I assume he wouldn't eat but he did do some drinking, his father brought him in a flask." Rabastan said, he remembered the others begging for some, they only got enough water to see them surviving. "A few days later he died, the dementors carried him off."

"And it was definitely him?" Corvus then asked.

"Well, yeah it looked like him," Rabastan stated, "What's going on? Why are you asking about Barty?"

"Our house guest believes he's alive, the mark is telling him so," Corvus explained easily enough, "I do not doubt his belief, or his spell work." So somehow there had to be an explanation for it, what that explanation would be…was anyone's guess.

Rabastan's breathing hitched, hope blooming within him, "Alive?" he breathed, Merlin, he hoped so, it would be wonderful.

"We're assuming so until we find out otherwise," Corvus explained, "Although, his father visiting him is highly suspicious, Bartemius barely left the Ministry to go home, let alone take time out to visit his son on the island after denouncing him."

"Probably only wanted to get a few last words in, the fucker," Rabastan sneered, an ugly look coming across his features. He hated Bartemius Crouch just as much as his son did, hearing everything about him…it was difficult not to.

"Speaking of which, Hogwarts has a new Headmaster, he just happens to be Lord Slytherin," Harry said, trying to smother his snickering at the look on their faces, before he burst out laughing, it was just too funny. If Voldemort ever had a kid Harry would never get to be Heir Slytherin, due to the fact Voldemort was older. He was the rightful Lord of the estate and he'd claimed it. Not that he was bothered overly much, he couldn't imagine having to deal with the Potter, Black and Slytherin estates, it would be hell on earth.

"You're bloody joking!" Rodolphus managed to get out, mouth open unattractively as he gaped. His own father, the traitor that he was, was hiding a grin as if he was amused by their loss of composure. "Father?" he asked as if demanding that he inform him that Harry was sadly mistaken. There was no way the Dark Lord would give up his cause to be a Headmaster, there was just no way.

"It's true," Corvus graciously explained, his face stretched into a wide grin. A grin the likes that hadn't been on his face in such a long time.

"What the hell has happened?" Rabastan asked, it had only been a week! What could have happened in a week that could have heralded the Dark Lord becoming the Headmaster? What about Dumbledore? McGonagall? He could scarcely believe it.

"Quite a lot actually," Corvus admitted, he'd been in and out of meetings all week, and sometimes he hadn't even attended he'd grown that exasperated by them. He got updates every night regardless, so he knew what was happening. It had been sudden also, but he'd expected a little of it when the inspectors had been summoned to go to the school. "You know about the fine Dumbledore was forced to pay. During that meeting, there was actually talk of getting inspectors sent into the school for a surprise inspection to ensure all standards were being met. Nobody liked all the rumours that were going around. Well, it seems there was enough of an agreed consensus and they were sent at the beginning of the week."

"Huh," Rodolphus muttered, surprised and impressed, they were finally seeing Dumbledore for who he really was. He'd never really expected it to happen, Dumbledore was just too good at what he did, nearly everyone thought the sun rose out of his ass.

"They were barely there an hour before they left and informed the board of Governor's to get the Wizengamot to the Ministry." Harry said, rummaging in the box and pulling out his and Corvus' drink of choice, for him a hot chocolate, for Corvus a coffee.

"The Wizengamot? Merlin, what the hell did they find that required the Wizengamot to be informed?" Rabastan gaped, normally anything associated with Hogwarts was dealt with the Governors, it was their job. To involve the wizengamot laws had to have been broken to a severe extent.

"A few things," Corvus continued, the coffee warming him, it was prefect, Harry must have been watching the House-elves or himself, pour his coffees or had them make it for him. "The spells on the medical cabinet were removed by Dumbledore earlier in the school year. They found out that a Muggle-born student should have been moved to St. Mungo's and her parents weren't aware of her placement, and more importantly, the wards were in critical failure, and if cascaded…it would have had catastrophic consequences, those not yet of age would have been ripped of their magic."

Rodolphus and Rabastan stopped breathing, shocked to the core at what they were hearing. Even they couldn't have contemplated the seriousness and they knew it was with just hearing that the wizengamot had gotten involved.

"And severely weakened those who had gone through their majority." Harry added, well aware of everything that had gone down.

For once the boys were utterly speechless.

"There's an investigation going on into Douglas Doge and Chris Armitage," Corvus continued sombrely, no more amusement to be found. "They've been signing off on the wards being in perfect working order for decades as per their job. They'd been suspended pending an official investigation, to find out whether they were culpable or not." If they were…Merlin help them, because nobody else would. It had the entire ministry in an uproar.

"That's how he got the job," Rabastan muttered, still reeling over the mess that was becoming of the magical world. "But why?" why become the Headmaster? It made no sense. Was his goals changing? Did he still want the same thing?

"Not forever," Harry revealed, "He just wants to make some changes, and pick a decent deputy headmaster that won't be pro- light and do just what Dumbledore did."

Even Corvus was startled to hear this, "You asked him what he intended to do?" his voice slightly high pitched, not sure whether he was impressed with Harry's guile, or shocked at his audacity.

"Yes," Harry said simply as if it wasn't unheard of to question Voldemort.

"And he answered?" Rodolphus sounded very much like his father at this moment, nobody questioned the Dark Lord or what he wanted to do, nobody. Yet, apparently he had answered to Harry Potter? What the hell was going on? Why Potter? Was he going to be the new second in command? Was that the way the wind was blowing? Even then, second-in-command's didn't exactly question Voldemort and get an answer.

"Yes," Harry replied, oh he was far from naïve or stupid, he knew they were shocked and why. He didn't get a sense of satisfaction or smugness for having the guts to ask questions, but he reckoned that's exactly why Voldemort chose to answer. Knowing when and where to ask also helped too. He was nobody special, there was no secret to why he was getting answers, if they had chosen the moment to ask, they probably would have gotten answers too. Depending on how they asked.

"What else did he say?" Corvus asked, he'd been surprised that Tom took the position, it just didn't align with what he wanted to do. Tom knew his own mind though, so if its what he was doing, then he had a good reason for it. Now he was finding out it was just a temporarily job. How long? Why? These answers apparently Harry had, just how often did they talk? What did they talk about? And was that jealousy he was feeling? He had better get over that immediately.

Harry shook his head, "Not much, just that he wanted Hogwarts to be internationally recognized again and up there as one of the best schools to go to." surprisingly Hogwarts wasn't, despite what every Hogwarts student would claim. They not only consistently got the lowest grades overall, but were not internationally recognized, only the ex-headmaster had been. No amount of prejudice Dumbledore held for Hogwarts…he'd never enabled them to put her on its lists. Not like it used to be back when Dippet ran the school. Expectations had been a lot higher then. Harry had been surprised to hear that, and had done his own investigating.

"Take a lot of work for that," Rodolphus said in admiration, maybe magical Britain would be something to be proud of one day. The Dark Lord was just going about it down a different path, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. What could he do? What was he good for if there was no resistance and the Dark Lord intended to do things peacefully? Was there a place for him in this new world? Violence was all he knew, all he'd known on this side, despite his father's talks of it not always being that way. He was a foot soldier, he knew that, knew his place.

"Yeah, and when you're free you'll help," Harry declared strongly, chin jutting out stubbornly, he'd get them out if it was the last thing he did. They would walk out of here free men, he already had the information he needed, which also meant getting Black his trial which he didn't want to do…but it was inevitable really. It also meant that he might end up with Sirius Black and there would be nothing Corvus could do short of revealing everything and even then, it would mean Harry only saw them on Saturday.

"Oh? How's that?" Rodolphus asked dryly, amused and just humouring the kid. His stomach twisting, had something shown on his face? It made Rodolphus stomach crawl that even an eleven-year-old kid could see through him still, damn Azkaban, he wanted his mental shields back and his ability to hide his emotions. Unfortunately, they were just so strong and sudden that he couldn't prevent them appearing on his face. He glanced at his father, and found a fond look on his face, he was so utterly enamoured by the boy that he should feel jealous but was just relieved.

"Because you'll have your own and Bellatrix's seats that have remained stagnant, the more chairs we have the greater the chance of winning any votes." Harry pointed out, and he already knew everything he needed to know. Corvus couldn't use those seats, not even in proxy, not until his name was cleared and they were returned to the Lestrange family, to Rodolphus.

And Bellatrix's seats were Rodolphus' since he was her husband, not even Harry had the ability to use those seats as Lord Black. Or soon to be Lord Black. It didn't work that way, just like he couldn't regain Bellatrix's trust vault.

Yes, it was utterly terrifying that this boy could read people so well.

This is for Greyinthedark and Andi thank you for the coffees/donations ;) and as promised :D

Will Sirius Black gain custody of Harry? Even with Dumbledore out of the picture and have expectations of him or will we see a Sirius that's a little more level headed without the dementors being there all the time? More aware that this was his godson not his best friend? Will Sirius listen to what Harry wants or will we see an unhappy Harry in Sirius' custody? Or will they have a shared custody of sorts, allowing them both to raise him? Will Sirius move in with them? with Harry having the Black estate will Sirius even have access to Grimmauld Place or will that have been gifted to him in the will? R&R please!