A/N: Apologies for the late release! Fanfiction decided to not communicate with myself or my awesome beta Goldzar, that documents were waiting for us. Therefore, we couldn't finalize the chapter until recently. That said, I hope you enjoy this one! It completes the Wizengamot Session, we meet some players and new faces, as well as see Harry's trip on the train! That's right people, Hogwarts ho!
Chapter 11
August 13th, 1995
The three men strode into the Wizengamot chambers, heads held high and smiles on. Since they were amongst the crowd making their way in, no one seemed to notice their presence until Sirius's plum robes stuck out in the small visitors' gallery. Muttering came from the Wizengamot members, and there were a few flashes of the press' cameras that made Harry see spots. The doors in front of them opened to admit the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, and Tiberius Ogden, the presiding Chief Warlock since Dumbledore was forced to give up his seat. The old wizard took his seat, his eyes sharp as he gazed around the chamber. He then picked up his gavel and banged it against his podium. The voices died down as he announced,
"Let the August Session of the Wizengamot, commence on the thirteenth of August, 1995." He looked over at one of the seats next to him, "Scribe, are there any announcements to make before we begin?" The scribe, a tall redhead that looked like another Weasley nodded and held up a piece of parchment to his face.
"Indeed, Chief Warlock, Clan MacMillan and House Black have announcements to make." The murmurs picked up again, and many members were glancing at over where they were seated, Harry could feel the eyes on them, and he fought the desire to fidget. Sirius and Remus on the other hand seemed to be completely composed, like the attention didn't faze them.
"Very well Scribe Weasley, Lord MacMillan, the floor is yours."
A well-dressed man stood, he nodded to Ogden, "My thanks, Chief Warlock, Clan MacMillan would like to officially announce my son Ernest MacMillan has reached the age of fifteen and has taken his rightful place as Heir to Clan MacMillan." A boy sitting right by Harry stood, and bowed to the applause. After the applause died down, Lord MacMillan continued, "We'd also like to announce the betrothal of Heir MacMillan to Miss MacDougal of Clan MacDougal." There was more applause as Harry saw an older man stand and shake hands with Lord MacMillan. A betrothal between allies is no surprise, and Harry suspected this was more than a political move considering how the cute brunette next to Ernest was snuggling with him, and more like one of convenience.
Lord Ogden banged his gavel again, and everyone quieted, "Thank you, Lord MacMillan, may Magic bless this future union, and to you Lord MacDougal." The older man from earlier nodded. Chief Warlock Ogden then turned to Sirius, "Lord Black, I believe you have some announcements as well?" Sirius rose looking every inch the Pureblood Lord he's tried to avoid being his whole life.
"Thank you, Chief Warlock, first, congratulations Lords MacMillan, MacDougal. I hope your union strengthens the bond of your houses for generations to come." The men graciously accepted, and Sirius continued: "Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot, in all my years I've never expected to be standing among you as a peer, I had no intention of assuming the Head of my family, and instead be a servant of the law as an Auror." The entire room had their attention keyed onto him, Harry and Remus shared a grin and rolled their eyes. Sirius was milking this attention for as long as he could. "Life had other plans, and after that night in 1981, I then thought I'd spend my life an outcast from the country I'd grown up in. Out of fear that the people I grew up with would call me traitor for betraying the one family that took me in and treated me as their own." He laughed mirthlessly, "Imagine how surprised I was when I learned that I was never exiled from the House of Black, that my grandfather declared me his official heir, and he congratulated me on and I quote 'not bending the knee to some trumped up bastard'." That got the darker side of the room muttering and glaring at him, while many on the lighter side were holding in laughs.
"I was fortunate that the branch of the Black family in MACUSA welcomed me with open arms. I was also fortunate to meet a young lad, who'd lost his home, his parents, and needed somewhere to go." He wiped his eyes, almost like he was starting to tear up, but Harry knew he was acting. "This young man impressed me, and I never thought I'd be able to have my own family, so I adopted him. He has reached the age of fifteen, and thus is eligible to become the official Heir of House Black, Ladies and Gentlemen, my heir, Harrison Black." Harry stood to the loud applause, although many in the conservative faction seemed to be doing it reluctantly. What surprised him was a lot of the neutrals were enthusiastic, Remus seemed to see it to because his eyebrows were raised.
When Harry sat down, Remus leaned over, "I'm guessing you saw that too?"
Nodding Harry leaned towards him, "Yeah, I'm guessing they're just happy that an ancient family is getting back on its feet from near extinction."
Remus nodded, "I suspect the same. Lord Parkinson looks hungry though, so I'd be aware of his Heiress who's the same age as you."
Harry hummed in agreement, "That depends, is she hot?"
Remus snorted and tapped his head, "Enough of that, pay attention, Sirius is continuing."
Indeed, the Black Lord had just started talking again, "-and that brings me to my second announcement. The Heir to the House of Potter has requested that I sit proxy for their seat here in this illustrious counsel, as they are not at the age in which they may sit the seat themselves."
There was an eruption of noise, many were shouting at Sirius for lying, Lord Diggory was the loudest, "That is impossible! The Potters all died that night, their son was the Heir and he perished that night."
Sirius shouted back over the sound of the crowd, while Ogden tried to regain order, "I have here a letter written to me from the Heir himself requesting that I, as the Godfather of the last Heir to the House of Potter, to hold proxy for his house until he can take up the mantle himself!" He brandished the 'letter' Harry had written when they visited Gringotts way back when, and when Ogden had order, he requested Sirius to provide the letter to the scribe. The Weasley male looked over the letter and nodded up at Ogden. "It's legit, the magic of Gringotts' seal and the Potter Seal are legit, this was signed by the current Heir Potter." The chambers were once again full of noise, this time much quieter, as they didn't want to miss out on any other details.
Sirius continued, "As the Proxy of Heir Potter, I have taken the liberty, with Heir Potter's permission to assign a steward to handle the duties outside of this chamber. I have chosen Remus Lupin, another old friend of the Potter family, and best friend of the Late Lord Potter." Remus then stood, and more applause rang out, Remus was well-liked by many that knew him from Hogwarts, his status as a fair Prefect regardless of house helped. Lord Ogden motioned Sirius to move to the center of the hall.
"As you have already been granted your position as Lord of the Wizengamot, you may take a seat Lord Black." Sirius bowed slightly and moved to sit next to a blonde-haired wizard who shook his hand, smiling all the while.
"That's Lord Abbott, Sirius was always dramatic, he might have just shouted 'I'm not Dark' to the entire chamber with that move." Harry held back a laugh. Lord Ogden began to speak again.
"Now that all that excitement is over with, we have our first item of business, a Ministerial Decree regarding Hogwarts, Minister Fudge?" The Minister of Magic stood, his bowler hat in his hands.
"Thank you, Chief Warlock, my Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot, it has come to our attention that the quality of educators at Hogwarts School has been on the decline under the tutelage of one Albus Dumbledore, particularly in Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic. A decline in strong NEWT results in those classes has put our esteemed school lower on the international rankings. History of Magic can be blamed on the lack of proper graduates to take over for the departed Professor Binns, but DADA solely falls onto the lack of proper teachers, the only exception in the last ten years being retired Hit-Wizard and personal friend of Dumbledore's Elphias Doge, who taught two years ago." He straightened, "The ministry has given Dumbledore an ultimatum, if he cannot find a DADA teacher, then the Ministry will appoint on to take the position, to guarantee that the quality of teaching is up to Ministry standards, and ensures the security of our future." There was a lot of enthusiastic applause from the chamber, mostly from the Conservative and Neutral factions. After the applause died down, Fudge continued, "with this decree we plan on re-shaping an outdated education system and assuring our graduates are the most qualified and distinguished candidates for our Ministry." Harry and Remus shared a glance, the Ministry was clearly interfering with Hogwarts, and Harry suspected this was going to be a continuous problem until either Dumbledore is gone, or the Ministry backs off. The rest of the session went by with only a few more administrative procedures, and Harry was struggling not to fall asleep. When the members finally broke for the day, Harry and Remus headed over to where Sirius was standing, talking to Lord Abbott.
The two lords turned and Sirius smiled, "Lord Abbott, I'm sure you remember Remus from Hogwarts, and this is Harrison my heir." Remus and Harry shook hands with the man. He was shorter than Harry, and reminded him of his daughter, Hannah. They exchanged small talk about the session when Lord Abbott then broached a subject they anticipated.
"Lord Black, I'd like to invite you to join me for a small get together at Bones Manor on September First after the students depart for Hogwarts, we'd like to get you acquainted with some of our old alliance."
Sirius nodded, and smirked over at Harry, "Grandfather used to complain constantly about the Grand Alliance. The Potters, Longbottoms, and Prewetts were a strong faction, controlling the Wizengamot for the most part throughout the 50's, 60's and into the 70's. It wasn't until Lord Gaius Prewett was killed during a Death Eater raid, did the alliance collapse. Charlus Potter's death in '79 cemented it." Harry knew this history it was a large part of his education on British politics that Sirius gave him before they arrived. They were interrupted with the arrival of two other men, Harry recognized them as Lords MacMillan and MacDougal.
Lord MacMillan shook hands with Sirius and Harry, "Lord Black, I'm very pleased to see you returning your house to the Wizengamot, it has been almost twenty years since your grandfather died and the Lordship was left vacant." Sirius smiled tightly, and Harry could feel the tension building in him.
"My thanks Lord MacMillan, and congratulations once again." The Lord thanked him and departed, Lord MacDougal following after shaking hands with them all. Sirius sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Let's head back, I've had enough of politics for the day." The two others agreed, bid Lord Abbott farewell and made their way out of the chambers. What they didn't expect is to see a certain long-haired blonde waiting for them, cane clutched in his hand.
"Lord Black, I had my doubts you would be taking your role seriously. It seems you have more gumption than anticipated."
Sirius bowed slightly, "My thanks Lord Malfoy, let us hope the Wizengamot can now do some real work towards improving our country." The blonde bristled at the slight insult, but since Sirius didn't expressly say anything, he could do nothing but hold his tongue.
"Indeed, I must now take my leave." He turned and began making his way towards the lifts. He stopped and turned, "And Lord Black? My wife has expressed a desire to meet for tea at some point. To reunite with her wayward cousin." Sirius nodded and Malfoy disappeared into the lift. The three of them entered the remaining lift, and headed towards the atrium. When they exited the lift, there were several members of the press waiting, and as soon as the three were spotted, they converged, and began peppering them with questions. Ignoring them, they left the ministry, heading straight back to the cottage. They arrived to find Andromeda and Ted waiting for them. The two Tonks were currently locked in an intense wizard's chess match.
They both looked up, "How did it go?" Andi asked, Sirius plopped down onto the couch next to Ted.
He unclasped his plum robe and exhaled loudly, "It went well, but by Merlin it was boring. The only interesting thing outside of us was a betrothal announcement." The rest in the room chuckled quietly at him.
Remus spoke up then, "Quite a few of the conservatives looked nervous. They didn't like that Sirius sat next to a house of Light Neutrals. This could mean that they fear a shift in the Wizengamot towards the light."
The others nodded, "That is entirely possible," mused Andi, "Lord Malfoy had been using the Black seat by proxy since you disappeared as his son could have inherited. The loss of that seat and the prestige it held in the eyes of the neutrals will harm their agenda."
Harry then spoke up, "That's all well and good, but what about our options against Voldyshorts? Could we do some maneuvering within the Wizengamot, slow down his rise to strength?"
Sirius rubbed his chin, "Hopefully with a solid grouping of seats, we can start pushing the conservatives out of power. The biggest roadblock will be the Minister. He's deep in Malfoy's pocket, and also determined to discredit the possibility of Voldy's return." Sirius then clapped his hands. "Now then, we have a tradition to continue! As you're entering your fifth year Harry, you must now follow the Marauder tradition of becoming an Animagus!" Harry felt excitement shoot through him, as much as he loves Sirius and thinks of him like a father, he's always felt a connection to any story relating to James Potter, and this was another step towards that. He was looking forward to the months ahead.
August 22nd, 1995
Harry emerged from his meditative state and grinned at the Black dog watching him from the doorway.
"I found it," was all he said, Padfoot barked, tail wagging, and transformed into Sirius, who pulled Harry into a big hug.
"That's fantastic! Any hints as to what you'll be?"
Harry smirked at him, "Sorry Sirius, but you'll have to wait until I'm ready to transform."
Sirius pouted, "Even after I shared with you the easier way to find your form? Shouldn't that amount to something?"
Harry laughed, "No Padfoot, while I'm grateful I don't have to have that mandrake leaf in my mouth for months, you still have to wait."
Sirius shuddered, "that taste lasted for several months after we were done with them, it made eating extremely difficult." The two continued to chat, Sirius sharing some stories about his own experience becoming an Animagus, while trying to get Harry to spill, but Harry wasn't falling for it. They broke to go get some food, and they entered the kitchen to find a very cheerful Thomas humming as he made a sandwich.
"What's got you so excited today?" Harry asked, plopping into one of the chairs at the table.
Thomas turned and smiled at him, "Dora agreed to be my girlfriend last night." Thomas had been seeing Tonks almost the entire time they'd been in England, and it seems like their relationship is official. They congratulated him and Sirius joked about telling Ted, which prompted Thomas to laugh and reveal he already talked to Ted and Andi about it, and they were in full support. "I think Andi was pleased I was finally asking to court her daughter formally, and Ted obviously follows her lead." The three men spent the next few hours celebrating.
September 1st, 1995
Harry gazed at the crimson engine sitting in the station. It outdid all the stories Sirius told about his own trips to this very train, it was magnificent.
"I still don't know why we can't just portkey to Hogwarts, it would save time and mitigate risk of exposure." Sirius grinned, wrapping his arm around his godson's shoulder, while Remus rolled his eyes.
"It's tradition Harry! You and I both know how important tradition is to the magical populace. Plus, it allows friends to reconnect or catch up if they're in different houses." Harry conceded the point. They stood at the edge of the crowd of families, watching as the sounds of laughter, crying, and different animal sounds drifted around them. He checked his watch and saw the time read ten minutes until departure.
He looked at his two guardians, "well then, it is time I find a seat," He hugged them both, "I'll miss you both, Moony keep Sirius out of trouble will you?" they laughed at Sirius's indignant expression and Harry picked up his featherlight trunk, shrinking it into his pocket, along with Hedwig's empty cage. He wandered the cars seeking a good compartment. He found an empty one somewhere in the middle of the train, and sat down, he unshrunk his trunk and pulled out a book on tracking animals on the Great Plains from the American native Sioux tribe. He was getting to the section on bison when the door to his compartment opened. He looked up to see Luna Lovegood slip into the compartment. He stood and helped her stow her trunk as he greeted her.
"Hi Luna, how was your summer?" She smiled and sat down after her trunk was stowed in the luggage rack above.
"It was lovely, thank you Harrison. It is lovely to see you without all those wrackspurts around you."
Harry laughed, "I hope it's a good thing." The girl nodded, and pulled out the latest copy of the Quibbler, her father's magazine. She flipped it upside down and began to read, shaking his head Harry returned to his book on native magic, when they were interrupted by the arrival of the Weasleys. Fred and George said hello before continuing on to find their friends, while Ron and Ginny joined the two of them. Ginny, Luna and Harry began to talk about the upcoming year, with Harry trying multiple times to get Ron involved, but the redhead seemed uninterested. That is until Ginny talked about Quidditch.
"I want to try out for Keeper! With Oliver Wood gone, they need to fill that spot on the roster. I've helped Ginny train for her shot at playing, and I'm pretty good, plus being on the team gets me a better broom."
Ginny shrugged, "Won't be this year though, the Flying Foxes still have all three spots."
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Flying Foxes?"
Ron blushed and Ginny rolled her eyes, "The Flying Foxes are the three Gryffindor chasers. Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell. They've played together for four years now, and they're the best trio in the school. They are called the Flying Foxes thanks to Lee Jordan, the twins, friend and Quidditch commentator, the three girls are all very attractive, and the name stuck. They seem to find it amusing more than demeaning."
"You want to play chaser?"
Ginny nodded, "Yeah, I think I could go pro if I get to play for the team a few years and keep training. My dream is to play for the Holyhead Harpies, the only all-female team in the British and Irish League."
Her conviction impressed Harry, "Then why not try out for another position?"
Ginny's face grew thoughtful, "I hadn't thought of that, while I have no interest in Keeper, the Beater position is filled by Fred and George, and the chaser spots are full, the current seeker Cormac McLaggen isn't the best, he's a better keeper or beater, but seeker has been the only position open in the last three years. He only won against Slytherin once my second year because Malfoy was incompetent, plus McLaggen is an arse."
Harry nodded, "Then try for seeker, you have the build for it."
Ginny nodded, "I probably could, thanks Harry!" she then thought for a second, "Why don't you try out Harry, you clearly have the knowledge."
Harry shrugged, "Quidditch isn't very big at Ilvermorny, Quodpot is the popular sport over there, and that didn't interest me nearly as much. I enjoy flying much more than the sport, and that's good enough for me." The carriage fell into a quiet but comfortable silence. Ron had pulled out his chess board, and he and Ginny were playing a game while Harry and Luna kept reading. They were interrupted only two more times before they arrived at Hogwarts. One was when the lady with the snack cart came by and offered some sweets. The four students all got a few pieces and were sharing with each other when the second interruption arrived. This time, the door opened to reveal three boys. The one in the middle was blonde, his hair slicked back and a sneer on his face. The other two looked like the gorillas Harry saw in the local zoo. Harry recognized the one in the middle,
"Cousin Draco! How kind of you to stop by and check on me! How nice to show you care about family!" that put Draco off his original plan, and he stood for a second staring at him, while the two shadows behind him looked at each other with confusion.
When the two Weasley's snickering grew louder, he recovered, "Slumming with the peasants I see Black, looks like you Americans are just as uncultured as I thought." Ron and Ginny turned red, and Ron was going for his wand, before Harry stood up before he could raise it.
He chuckled, "Draco, Draco, Draco," he said, "how silly can you be? I happen to know the Weasley's come from fine stock, they've been in the isles longer than your family, but aren't ennobled because why again? Oh yes that's right, an upstart French family that invaded with the Normans."
Draco went red, "watch your mouth Black, the House of Malfoy does not take slander passively."
Harry smiled, "Good thing it isn't slander than is it Heir Malfoy. It is public records after all, you just have to know where to look."
Malfoy went to grab his wand, but found Harry's in between his eyes, "Careful Draco, you look like you were about to challenge me."
Malfoy swallowed, and stowed his wand, "Don't push your luck Black, or I'll demand satisfaction one way or another." He turned to leave, but looked back, "oh and five points from what house you're sorted into for disrespect to a prefect."
Harry glared, "Respect is earned Heir Malfoy, and you have yet to earn it." He replied coldly. The three boys then left the carriage, and Harry sat down with a sigh. He looked up at his companions after a few minutes of silence. Ron and Ginny were staring at him in shock, while Luna was still reading the Quibbler like nothing happened. "What?" he asked.
"Is that true what you said about our families?" Ginny asked, Ron nodding in agreement, Harry nodded, confused, "Yes, it's public record, as an Heir to an old House I am required to learn about the histories of families I'll be interacting with, you never know when it could be useful. For instance, the Weasley's were a noble house until 1794 when the Lord Malfoy at the time, Septimus Malfoy successfully tricked Lord Bilius Weasley I into losing a majority of the Weasley fortune." Ron and Ginny stared wide-eyed at him, stunned at his knowledge.
Harry shrugged, "Ask your dad about it, or your brother Bill. I'm sure as the Heir he'd know about it as well."
Ron nodded, "That explains why dad hates the Malfoys so much, doesn't help that they also got away consequence free from the first war against You-Know-Who." Harry nodded, and then Ron asked if he wanted to play chess. Agreeing, the two boys played as Ginny and Luna chatted about something else. After another hour or so, a voice rang out through the train, "Attention passengers, we are approaching Hogsmeade station, please leave all luggage and be prepared to disembark." The boys let the girls change into their robes, before they switched and did the same. Harry unshrunk his belongings and left them on the racks next to the others. As the train slowed down, Harry adjusted the Black tie of his un-housed uniform. He took a deep breath and prepared to begin his first year of education at the school his parents attended.
A/N: I hope this satisfied your taste for the story. A small reminder to note: I am structuring my House Hierarchy. I don't do the whole "Ancient and Most Noble, Ancient and Noble, Noble, etc. style houses. For this story they simply are The house of (insert family name here). What determines whether a family is better than another is simply blood purity. This is the big bad that plagues British Wizarding society. I can hear ya'll now: BuT tHe WeAsLeYs ArE alL PuReBloOD, why are they blood traitors?" That is actually a recent term that Voldemort perpetuated to his own followers to give them a feeling of superiority over other houses, (The Weasleys ARE Sacred 28 btw, and that's my explanation as to why even though the Weasley's aren't as well off as other families, Arthur is decently respected in most circles in the Ministry) this is a subtle manipulation that will isolate families that would detriment his plans, and get rid of opposing factions as well as manipulate others to join him as they don't want to be traitors to the blood.
Also! Since this took a while to update due to technical issues, Chapter 12 will still be released in early October. Think of this as an apology for the lateness. Remember to leave a Review, and I'll see ya'll soon!
Cheers,
Rei