Disclaimer: I dont own anything relating to Harry Potter in this story except the characters i created myself.
(September 2nd 1990) (Gringotts) (Potter Recovery Vault)
The Goblins in charge of this vault had been working diligently to reclaim everything that rightfully belonged to the Potter Heir. They were a large task force made up of numerous goblins and a few human employees they sent in their place for certain things. Currently they are working at full capacity. This vault would house everything rightfully recovered for the Potter heir and then returned to the proper vaults once the items had been looked over by their curse breakers to ensure they were safe.
One group was tasked with recovering all of the money that Harry Potter was entitled to when mentioned in any books sold. Since he was the star of many books without his consent he was owed a lot of money in royalties and defamation and slander. That proved the same for any merchandise sold with his name and or likeness. Needless to say they had a lot of lawsuits ready to go out which thanks to bureaucratic red tape would take a while to go through but the ramifications of making money off an abused orphan would pay off sooner than the lawsuits. They were sure many if not all of those responsible would try to either flee, in which case they would persecute with impunity, or they would jump at the chance to settle out of court.
The next group was in charge of recovering anything the aurors, unspeakable and civilians might have confiscated when investigating the Dark Lords downfall. It seemed that many items were missing from Godric's Hollow and they believed aurors or looters had gotten to the home. This task would prove next to impossible to complete but they would give it their all.
The third group was in charge of recovering all items taken out of the Potter vaults for the last twenty years. Once again many things would never be accounted for but they would still try. They were also looking into all of the items the Headmaster took out of the vault over the years he declared himself Harry Potter's guardian. The Director was especially interested in recovering all the items he had taken out in particular and would ensure it was his name on all the paperwork pertaining to it. The headmaster would be a fool to hold those items back or return them with any of their wards broken. They had his money after all and they would hate to cause him any problems the next time he entered the bank. Still, they would be cautious when dealing with the old wizard. Maybe they could insist on a carefully worded vow from the man to ensure he was still not in possession of any items belonging to the Potter heir.
The last group was in charge of recovering all of Harry Potter's mail. That the boy had never received a single piece of mail over the years was harshly telling. They would be doing their best to recover everything they could. For the meantime they were working their way through all of the mail that was now arriving through the Mail redirect ward the Director had broken then redone with the consent from the Potter child. All of the mail coming in now was secured and sorted and wards had been put up to ensure no one else could tamper with said person's mail. There was little they could do for all of the mail the child has not received over the years but they were certain the child's foster family had an idea of what to do about that. For now everyone working on the Recovery Team would do their best to get justice for the child they had only ever heard about.
(September 2nd 1990) (Hogwarts castle) (Monday Morning)
The news about the previous day had not reached the students by the time the sorting and the feast was done but it had reached some before they went to bed. Many had siblings or cousins or even their parents send them a last minute owl with the paper in it. Many had thought ahead and set up subscriptions for all members of their immediate family earlier and those that had not received immediate word to do so. One never knew when they needed an extra copy after all. So it was not surprising that the gossip and rumors went from wondering who the beautiful woman was in the high table, who was never introduced, to what had happened to Harry Potter. Unsurprisingly the news had spread the quickest in the Slytherin Dorm. Their head of house had rescheduled their normal lecture for the next evening after dinner, he did give them a small speech though, and told them what was happening since earlier in the afternoon. They would have the traditional sorting meeting that evening once the furor of the previous day had died down a little.
He had even made temporary copies of his own paper and passed them around. Needless to say that Slytherin house was unsure as to how to proceed. While most were happy at what the articles and the scandal hinted for the Dark faction many were not comfortable with the thought of a child being abused by muggles. Even if he was responsible for killing the Dark Lord they did not believe that should happen to a magical child. The older years stayed up until midnight discussing the ramifications of the articles and the paper itself. They were smart enough to know that this would shift the economic and political tide for a while and wanted to see how they could use it to their advantage.
Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor house were told by their heads of house the rundown of what had been printed. None of them had told the others they would do so but all felt they needed to inform the students before the news got out of hand and lies began to spread. The headmaster was completely in the dark since he was fielding inquiries left and right from his office.
Hufflepuff was outraged for young Harry Potter and what he has gone through. One 7th year witch had gone pale, milk white in fact, when she heard the news. Harry Potter was a distant relative of hers, she had met him once after he was born. She still treasured the memory of seeing his bright green eyes sparkling back at her. It had devastated her when she found out Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters. School had been hard at first for simply being the daughter of a Black. Now she comes to find out that he had been abused all this time while her family had been available, no it would not do. Nymphadora, call me Tonks, set out to write her mother a very long letter once her head of house left the common room. She would not be the only student making a last minute trip to the owlery.
Ravenclaw was up in arms and their common room looked like a war zone. Poor Professor Flitwick had walked into a heated argument going on everywhere and thought he would have a fight on his hands. He was wrong. Most of the house was united in helping the little Potter heir in some way while a smaller number were simply helping as a learning opportunity or had sided with the Dark Lord and had discreetly left to their dorms. Many students were arguing the laws they had found in the numerous books they had at their disposal and whether or not their strategy or predictions on future actions were valid. Soon enough Filius was pulled into a heated debate on what the next move may be and what they could do to help. This was one instance that losing sleep had been welcomed by their head of house.
Gryffindor was essentially broken. Mcgonagall had spoken to them the longest out of all of her colleagues, aside from Filius. None of them could believe the news and kept getting more and more distraught as they asked questions. Once someone remembered that Dumbledore had said for years that the boy was safe and happy it had gone south quickly. Hearing that said man had never checked on the boy once was a heavy blow to them all. Many of them were in denial and it took the collective effort of the prefects to stop any fights from becoming physical. All in all, the lions were at a loss as to what to do next. Sadly it would take the next day or so for most of the school to wise up and get a subscription to the newspaper if their parents hadn't done so already. Very few people would be willing to share their copy.
The rest of the day progressed slowly with most of the students making teaching near impossible. The younger years were easy to handle but everyone from fourth year and up was not. Each teacher had to make an example of someone in each class to regain order in class. The Gryffindors were the worst with the Ravenclaws not far behind. No one had found it odd that the headmaster had been particularly absent from all meals and had not been seen in the halls, not that anyone was in a particular mood to see him.
The morning mail had come with great anticipation by all only to be disappointed when no new papers arrived. Many hoped there would be news by dinner time. What did arrive however was a flood of letters to all students from family members outside of the castle. Nearly all letters contained some sort of instructions to either stay away from the headmaster or to get as much information as possible. The wizarding world was in a spin from the news the day before and many parents were glad their children were far away from the mess that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
(September 2nd 1990) (Bromley Estate)
Adrianna had eagerly spent the morning with Severus as they went over any last minute details of her introduction to his snakes that night after dinner. The true topic on their minds however had been the events from the previous day and having no idea how to proceed from there. Severus was free from his vows to the old fool and could not be more elated about it. Coming to his quarters to then snog the breath out of his wife had been just as magnificent. He remembered that memory multiple times before he finally fell asleep. Now though they were eagerly awaiting any news from Girngotts. They had sent a hasty letter to Goldfang thanking him for the heads up.
Now though Adrianna was brainstorming on her own after Severus had left to begin teaching. She had an opportunity of a lifetime in front of her and would not waste it. Whatever was coming next she would roll with it and try to get the best out of the situation.
Having a breakthrough Adrianna quickly took action.
"Lena!" She cried out.
(pop)
"Yes Mistress."
"Get me the best stationary I have and everything else I will need to write a letter." She ordered.
"Right away Mistress." Lena said and left just as fast as she appeared.
All Adrianna could think about was how she would be calling for help from the one woman who could move mountains to get her heart's desire. It was time to call her Abuelita.
(September 2nd 1990) (Headmasters Office) (Dinner time)
Ever since the horrid afternoon from the night before Albus had been working overtime to try and diffuse the situation as much as he could. He had been unable to leave the castle sooner than that and it became clear to him as soon as he made it to Privet Drive just how badly he had underestimated the problem. He could sense the wards around the property and even spotted a few magicals in disguise when he arrived. Thankfully he had been smart enough to arrive wearing the Potter family cloak to hide himself. Number four had been sealed off and it still had patrol cars outside of it standing guard. He even spotted some well known aurors lending a hand by posing as detectives.
Seeing as there was nothing to be done he quickly made his way to Arabella's house where he got as much information out of her before he began to weave a strong memory charm on her where all of her previous dealings with the boy showed no signs of abuse and how she never suspected such a thing. It took a long time for him to extensively go through her memories and remake them to his liking. When he was finally done he made sure to make her forget of his visit and encouraged her to take a 'small' vacation to the coast. After that he simply made his way to where the officers were headed and then proceeded to interrogate as many as he could without detection.
It had been worse than he thought. It wasn't just Vernon who was abusing the boy but his aunt and cousin as well. And yes, he could see now that it was abuse they had put the boy through. His hopes for a few slaps or spankins went out the window once he saw some of the information in the boys medical report. The cupboard under the stairs had spread quickly throughout all of the officers and each was incensed for the boy. It was the biggest case for abuse they had ever seen. He could just imagine how this would affect the entire town of Surrey. The case was too big for him to sweep under the rug. His plans to be seen as the boys saviour had gone up in smoke before he was even aware of it. He would need a new plan to get the boy under his thumb once more.
He also needed to find who the boys saviour had been and deal with them. It was thanks to them that he had been blindsided by those blasted goblins.
The next day had not been much better. Blocking his floo had helped somewhat but it did not stop others from using his deputies fireplace who did allow them entry. He would have sealed off all use of the floo system from the castle if he could but he knew someone would end up asking under what right did he cut off access to the staff who used them and then it would be another thing he would have to contend with. He could see either Severus or Minerva doing such a thing.
He had a hasty breakfast in his quarters and then began to tackle the mammoth problem in front of him. All blame would have to go to the Dursleys and the ministry as well. They had been in a frightful state when the war had ended and he had done the best he could. Visiting the boy had been pushed to the bottom of his list as he had more pressing matters to attend to and by the time he had a moment of respite Arabella's letters said the boy was fine. Clearly the Dursleys had been careful in how they treated the boy in public or the abuse had simply started later. It was not his fault, how was he to know the boy's relatives would have done that to him, right?
All he needed now to make his story believable was to get access to the Dursleys themselves but to do that he would need to first find them and then make sure no one could detect him. Amelia saying she had sent aurors to stop anyone from interfering had not been a bluff. He remembered feeling other magical people near Privet Drive. He would have to be very careful as he went forward. For the greater good his name could not be tarnished.
The reception he received once he finally made it to the Ministry by mid day had him fuming. Where once he had been greeted with a smile and deference now he was met by suspicion and scorn. It would not do. He held his head high and made his way to the Minister's office where he was sure to find Cornelius and 'influence' him to his way of seeing things. Sadly he was not there alone but had other department heads with him as well.
"Ah, Chief Warlock, how fitting that you should show up now. We were just talking about you." Amelia Bones said as she gazed at him with a wintery look.
No one else in the office looked remotely welcoming to him and he just knew that he had chosen the worst time to come to the ministry. Still, it would not do to let them think they had the upper hand.
Seeing the Head for Child Services was not good in his opinion but he figured he would be seeing the man soon enough. He had done a lot of smooth talking and clever maneuvering to get Harry Potter's guardianship and it was only his high position in the Wizengamot that allowed him to do things legally. Well, barely legally.
"I was finally able to step out of the castle Amelia. What is it that you need me for?" He said calmly.
Madame Bones glared as she heard him address her informally. That was something she would not let pass anymore. It was time to remind Albus Dumbledore to mind his manners.
"I have not allowed you to address me in such an informal manner Chief Warlock. Do mind the traditions and proper forms of address. We have a higher standard to uphold especially now that your blunder has caused a massive scandal to not only our country but to the entire magical world." Amelia said tersely.
Albus could only grit his teeth and keep his mask firmly in place. He had been working for years to get the proper forms of address all but forgotten. He needed a much more relaxed governing body for him to mold. These people knew the old ways and would not let him get away with it now that it was beneficial for them.
"My apologies Regent Bones. What is it that you all wished to speak to me about?" He said as he regarded them all with his signature look. He would need to remind these whelps who he was.
"You will need to give us a truthful and concise accounting of all of your dealings with The Potter heir. There will be a full investigation done and carried out by those of the highest authority." Madame bones stated.
Ah, there was some good news finally.
"However you will have absolutely no say in any of the matters regarding the Potter heir. We will hold the trials and inquiries in a public courtroom and having you in any position of power will seem biased so we have decided to do this." She said as she slapped a piece of parchment on the table.
"I Amelia Bones as Head of the Department of Law Enforcement hereby file a motion to recuse the Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore from all cases pertaining to one Harry Potter." Amelia had a victorious gleam in her eye as she finished.
NO! This could not be happening. He needed to be able to preside over the case. He needed to get to the boy and explain it all away.
"I Cornelius Fudge as the Minister of Magic second that motion." Cornelius said sternly and all inside the room watched as the parchment flashes and then multiplied itself into three and went to the three people represented in the motion.
"Wonderful, now that the proper authorities will be involved we can work to put this mess to bed." Dolores Umbridge said in her high voice. The look of delight in her face as she saw Dumbledore be taken down a peg.
"Was that really necessary?" Albus asked in his most disappointed voice. It was all he could do to not snarl at these whelps
"Yes!" Amelia half shouted as she was finally getting fed up with the man's attitude.
"This is the biggest case of child abuse we have ever seen in this country. It has affected not just our world but the muggle world as well. Already I am getting reports from my aurors that the Prime Minister wants to have every party involved interrogated by truth serum and I for one am all for it!" Amelia said vehemently.
The gasps around the room were not to be ignored however. Interrogation by truth serum was rarely done unless someone was facing the worst of charges. Ice flooded Albuss veins as the threat settled in. He could not allow himself to be interrogated under truth serum under any circumstances. Thankfully he was saved by an unlikely ally.
"What!? Those muggles have no right to demand anything from us. How dare they." Dolores sneered as she showed her bigotry to all.
"Hold you tongue madam Undersecretary." Giselda Marchbanks cut in quickly, she was the Governor for the Wizarding Examinations Authority (W.E.A.).
"Incase you have forgotten but the Wizarding Charter of 1617 gaves us provisional autonomy from the crown. Something that could be easily revoke and expose us to the muggle world should the crown feel we have violated the terms." Madam Marchbanks said as she glared at the vile woman before her.
"So 'those muggles' have every right to demand things from us lest we end the british magical world once and for all."
That sobering thought cast a gloom over them all as they processed just how bad their current predicament was.
(Throat clearing)
"All the more reason to do everything by the book in this case." Said Barty Crouch Sr.
"Yes, we will have the entire world watching our every move, nothing can be done behind closed doors lest a member of the press catch wind of it. We can't have anything remain hidden from the public either. Now with the goblins giving the Potter heir Sanctuary our jobs have become both more difficult and easier." Amelia Bones said as she tried to keep her temper in check.
"How so?" Asked the Minister.
"Everything will be handled by the goblins on behalf of young Mr. Potter. That means that we may never see the boy ourselves nor in our courtrooms. It would mean that all interviews will be conducted either on Gringotts soil or through the goblins acting as the interrogators and providing a written transcript." Amelia said.
"What?"-
"That's outrageous."-
"The boy must present himself."-
"Lies, it will be all lies."-
"SILENCE." The amplified voice of Albus Dumbledore bellowed. Nothing was going according to plan.
"Thank you Chief Warlock." Said Amelia. "We don't have a choice in this. Harry Potter is under the protection of the Goblin Nation. To go against their handling of his affairs might end with us having a war on our hands as well." She said seriously.
Silence filled the room as everyone tried to digest the words that had been spoken. They felt as if the weight of the world was resting on their shoulders. In a way it was, but not how any of them were thinking it did. It did not matter though since one sneaky reporter was in heaven by all of the information being provided to her.
(Time break)
Albus had only barely managed to escape the inquiry he was besieged by in the ministers office in time for dinner which he had no inclination in partaking in the great hall. He would be taking all of his foreseeable meals in his quarters or office until he had a much better handle on things.
His meal popped into existence soon after he finished his thoughts and he could barely force himself to eat the delicious shepherds pie in front of him. All appetite however fled as soon as he saw the owls carrying the two newspapers. He would not put off reading these and quickly moved his tray out of the way. Taking the papers from the birds and sending them towards the tray of food to pick from Albus unfurled both papers at once and then choked.
There bold as can be were the newest headlines that seemed to have only made things worse.
The Bottom Line:
Potter Heir kept in the dark about his own inheritance by his guardian.
Was it done maliciously or with careless disregard?
Potter Heir subject to illegal Mail redirect ward.
None of the mail meant for the Potter Heir ever made it to him. Where is it now?
Emancipation or Adoption? Which would be best for Potter Heir?
Two of the many options available to the young heir who was failed by his countrymen.
Director Ragnok files charges on behalf of Potter Heir.
The leader of the Goblin Nation is handling the case himself. What does this mean?
The Daily Prophet:
Albus Dumbledore asked to recuse himself from the Potter case.
Is he guilty and the Ministry is trying to cover their tracks or is it following the letter of the law?
Muggle Abusers rotting in muggle auror cells as their case goes to trial.
Word is running rampant in the muggle world. The entire town is being put under scrutiny.
Ministry employees are seen collapsing and breaking down as work piles high.
Could it be this level of incompetence that caused a child to be ignored in the muggle world?
He had never been more thankful than to not be in the great hall than he was at that moment.