Hey everyone,
So I am still working on Son of Chaos and hope to have that finished sometime soon, but this story, like A Soul's Future, just wouldn't let me go. Lately I've had more of a New Story Grind than really an urge to finish already existing stories. But at the same time, I don't like to leave things hanging, so don't think that this means that my In-Progress stories will remain that way. At some point, definitely before the end of the year, some of them will be finished.
Now, I am going to lay some ground work for this story so that you all know what to expect. This story does have bashing of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry's friends to some extent, but all of it is meant to motivate them into becoming better people. There will be a moment in several Order Members' lives where they have made a horrible error that lead to terrible consequences, but I will not let that make them terrible people or irredeemable.
Also, as of this point there is going to be NO SHIPPING involved, as you've probably already read in the summary. I do plan to have Lea and Axel play quite the role in this story, especially to Harry (big surprise, lol), but only in a great friend/older brother kind of fashion. And finally, I am going to both separate Harry and Sirius and give them means to be closer than ever. Oh, and give Harry's past – from before he went to Hogwarts – a bit more of a positive vibe.
Hope you enjoy,

Venquine1990

Master Yen Sid
Chapter 01
Contracts To Sign

25th of August 1995
ICW HQ, Hertfordshire London
Marcus Solde's POV

The International Confederation of Warlocks is a sacred society, a community of the finest witches and wizards the world has to offer. Yet everyone has their dark side and even though I have only been appointed as the new Supreme Mugwump recently, I definitely take my job seriously, as proven when I had also been the one to question the last Supreme Mugwump on what he planned to do about the threat that had befallen his country with the return of Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Voldemort.
I had refrained from calling the monster by his birth name as I know that people think Dumbledore is the only one who know of this and I also know that this basically puts a target on your back. Still, the ancient man's answer had pleased no one and while the English Magical Community might think that the man had been voted out on request of Fudge and his distrust of Dumbledore, I really don't care. As far as the ICW is concerned, England is on his own for this upcoming war.

Or at least that was the plan until we found out what Fudge and Umbridge did in the last few weeks and what they have planned. Because of these plans, which have actually been predicted by a friend of the ICW, I am now responsible for this upcoming meeting. And quite honestly, I am not looking forward to it as the majority of the guests of this meeting are just annoying with how arrogant and stubborn they can be. Luckily enough, the last guest is the ICW friend and his incredible sense of patience and experience is something I am going to depend on.
Yes, I may be one of the youngest members of the ICW as I am only 29 years old, but I have been working my way up from a job where I was responsible for taking out the trash during longer ICW meetings all the way to succeeding the last Head Representative of my country. I am also aware that a man from some secretive African Country could have had my current job, but the man decided to decline at the last second. "I have my country to worry about; I cannot worry about the world alongside that." His reason had been.
Some of the other members had thought this selfish, but most of the ICW had understood this as several African countries have definitely been facing tough times over the last several centuries. And so I got the title of Supreme Mugwump instead and now I have this upcoming meeting to deal with. And because I know what these English are like, I made sure to have my decorations and furniture created a bit of a powerplay, one for them to submit to.

I didn't go as extravagant as Fudge himself is known to do, but my own chair and the one my friend is seated on are a little bigger and more comfortable than the ones on the other side of the table, even if it's only by a few inches. "So, you're sure that they'll comply?" I ask my friend, who took his own seat a few minutes ago after arriving here early. The ancient man nods and says: "Fudge and Dumbledore are at odds, but they have one thing in common.
They both want to be in charge. Neither of them likes outside interference and would rather have as little of that as possible. As long as you stay strong, our plans will have the most beneficial outcome for their world – and their hero." This makes me smile at the man as I know that he cares for said hero much more than the four other guests combined. I also know that that hero is the whole reason the man came with the plan in the first place, yet I don't really mind.

A knock is heard on my door and I make sure to gather my strength of heart as I say: "Enter." And in my mind I add: "With some maturity, please." Yet this doesn't happen as Fudge forces himself through the door upon it opening and throws a smug look back as Dumbledore passes through after, a woman named Dolores Umbridge and a woman named Minerva McGonagall trying to stare each other down as they pass through.
"Real mature, you lot." I think to myself as I say: "Good, you're here. Have a seat. And for the record, International Law states that, regardless of where the ICW is located, International Law precedes the law of said country. In other words, my title of Supreme Mugwump overrides yours, Minister, and yours, Headmaster. And before either of you even try, you brought this onto yourself with your little plans and ideas and whatnot. Now sit down and let's begin."
Dumbledore tries to look at me as if I'm a student that just disappointed him, but I just stare him down in agitation, silently telling him to get on with it and sit down. The man complies without another word. Fudge is also looking quite miffed, but Umbridge is glaring at me as if I broke the law and McGonagall is the only one who just looks at me with confused intrigue. Upon all of them sitting down, cups of tea appear before them as do a set of papers.

I retake my seat and say: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am going to be honest. Ever since we took Dumbledore his title – no, that wasn't because of your little spat, Fudge, get that thought out of your head this instant. Anyway, ever since then, the ICW has declared itself done with England, its troubles and its governing body. You've had your chances several times over these past few decades and you blew quite a few of them."
I fell both men with a stare and snarl at Dumbledore: "You blew your chances in 1974, 1975 and this very year. And you, Minister, have been blowing your chances every year since you were elected. Same as your predecessor and Minister Bagnold before them. How? By not reading the letter we have been sending your office for the last fourteen years.""I was told not to." The man snaps, but I retort: "Yeah, by Ministers just as arrogant as you. Thinking you're above reading an official letter sent by the ICW. Who thinks that's wise?"
"Then why did you keep sending them?" Umbridge tries to simper at me and I say: "Because that's our job and we keep to the description of our jobs to the letter, not just the advantages that our position grants us." This makes both Umbridge and Fudge turn a little red, but Umbridge also glares at me, as if she thinks I overstepped my rights by reprimanding her. Yet I ignore this and just focus on my friend sitting beside me as I continue.

"As I said, the ICW considered itself done with England all together. We have even started with this by lessening the amount of import and export from other countries to yours. And you might think that England has too much to offer to the world for that to be possible, but you are quite wrong. If you were to check your actual stats and records, you will find that the amount of products you import exceeds the products you export by 10 to 3. We do not need you." Even Dumbledore's usual calm façade breaks slightly at hearing this.
I lean back and say: "However, while we may not care for England anymore, we do still have our morals on straight. And while we may not care much for your little squabble in regards to truth and lies and certain traumatic experiences of young teenagers, we do not condone for you lot involving even more teenagers into that squabble. If you had kept that squabble of yours inside the Ministry, this meeting would have been unnecessary; we would not have planned it. However, you didn't."

"So what? What are you going to do about it?" Umbridge asks, apparently having gotten back her former bravado and I answer: "Give you lot a choice. You will either sign a contract or face the ICW's CCPD, the Child Control and Protection Department. And trust me; I'm being kind compared to how they treat anyone brought to their office by the Supreme Mugwump." Umbridge looks quite unconvinced, but Fudge is already sweating and Dumbledore actually looks scared.
This because I know that he had been outvoted by the ICW once and had been forced to send some criminals – which he thought he could redeem if he had been given time – to the CCPD. The man is scared, because, like me, he remembers what the criminals had been like and how they had responded to meeting the Head of the CCPD. Because of this I feel sure that the lot of them will agree to the contract signing and Fudge is the first to prove me right.

"What does this – contract – contain?" I turn to share a look with the ICW friend for a few seconds and then answer: "We are already more of aware of your plans, Minister. Your need to have control of Hogwarts, because you don't trust Dumbledore to do so for you. However, these plans of yours will also include the students and their time at Hogwarts and because of your reasons, that affect will be negative and they do not deserve that.
And you can try and defend yourself all you want, Dolores Umbridge, but we of the ICW know exactly what you think of children and how your patience works around people who do not share your mentality. We would not have that many issues with these plans if it had been someone else who had been chosen for that second role of yours, simply because of the reasons previously mentioned, but because that is not the case, we are forced to act. You forced our hand."

"You can blame Dumbledore on that." Fudge snarls, but before McGonagall can make her first comment, I stare the man down and snap: "I will blame the one who takes the action, not the cause for his actions. I will not deny that Dumbledore made a mistake, challenging you as openly and stupidly as he did during Mr. Potter's trial, but that does not condone your own actions either. Whether you like it or not, you are all – bar McGonagall – equally guilty here. The only reason we invited her is because we know of her loyalty to Dumbledore."
The woman had been shocked to have been excluded, but also nods in gratitude at hearing why she was invited. I nod back and turn back to the rest of them as I say: "Now onto the contract. You lot might want to call me a hypocrite once you've read it, but while the plans might be similar, the goal behind it is to negate the negative effects your plans will have on the students. Basically, this contract will allow my friend here two roles at Hogwarts.
One, be a DADA teacher alongside Madam Umbridge over here. Two, be someone the students can go to – when you and your lot start getting pushy with your needs to have them chose a side, because your pride will make you want to have everyone agree with you and you will feel the need to punish those that don't. And don't bother disagreeing with us believing you will, we all know that your egos are big enough to tempt you sooner or later."

The lot looks disgruntled, all of their faces proving that they do indeed know that, at some point or another, they have let this happen and then suddenly McGonagall asks: "I must say that I can definitely understand where the ICW is coming from with this whole thing, but I must ask your friend. Whose side are you on?" And while all four look at the ancient looking man imploringly, he remains calm like he has been all meeting and just tranquilly answers: "That of the students."
And while I know that the man actually has a personal reason behind his answer, the answer itself does seem to appease and be accepted by the majority of those on the other side of the table. Yet Umbridge starts to smirk again and asks: "Then tell me, what if the students pick a side?" Yet this just makes me snort and my friend answers: "That is their choice, not mine." And while Umbridge glares at the man in annoyance, the others nod.
I hand the four of them a quill with a sharp edge and that is darker than usual quills. The lot look shocked, but then I push the contract their way and see: "As you can see, my friend over here has already signed the contract with this very quill." And my friend does indeed show the back of his other hand, where you can see a faint outline of his signature pressed into his skin. The group nods, though Umbridge does so reluctantly, and they all sign.

And it has begun,
Okay, so I don't think I really NEEDED to keep the identity of the ICW friend secret, but I couldn't really help myself. Now next chapter we are going to make a timejump to the 1st of September. However, it will be from the 2nd of September that this story will really be getting started. And yes, there will be flashbacks that will describe what Harry really went through growing up. However, Harry and his past will also be the reason this story has the Hurt/Comfort genre.
Hope you enjoy,

Venquine1990