A/N. Well lovelies, I'm getting back into the swing of things. You might notice that this chapter is being re-uploaded, because I needed to change my plans of things to do with Wormtail. Devious rat. Stay safe lovelies, and keep an eye out for chapter 15, which will be published soon
Chapter 14 A Question of Lordship
The first day of classes began rather normally. Harry, Hermione and Neville had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws. There was an excitement in the air, their very first class. Everything was still a wonder to everyone, especially the muggleborn students. The dragon skeleton in the Defense room was always magnificent, but the reactions from students seeing it for the first time was even more special. Harry loved it- it was the sort of wonder that he felt every time he saw a new piece of magic, and he doubted it would ever go away.
Hermione, Neville and Harry were, of course, bored, but they never let it show. Since it was their very first lesson, and they were yet to have their first Magical Theory lesson, it was purely theoretical. Even pure theory seemed to terrify Professor Quirrell. He gave them a basic overview of what they would learn in that first year, and in the years to come. It was wonderful not having the class with Ron. Quiet, in a very pleasant way. It was going to be unusual having Quirrell as a teacher, knowing everything that they did, but it was something that would just have to deal with for now.
"Are you ready Harry?" Neville asked as they left DADA. The corridors were filling up, and emptying just as quickly as students moved towards their next classes. They were heading down to the dungeons, towards the only class that any of them felt any dread over.
"Honestly? I'm not sure. It helps knowing that he is bewitched, but it really makes me wonder how much work the spell has to do. Is it worth trying to remove it? And how would he react to it overall?" Harry said to them softly, being careful not to be overheard by any of his fellow Gryffindors.
"We could try and deal with it properly after Christmas. Using the cloak," Hermione said, equally as softly. None of the first years would suspect that they were up to anything, but it was better to err on the side of caution. The invisibility cloak would always be referred to as just 'the cloak', in case Snape or Dumbledore were nearby.
As they waited outside the Potions room, Draco arrived ahead of the other Slytherins. He gave them a curt nod, but nothing more. Snape came around the corner minutes later in a billow of robes, sneering as he looked over his young class. Opening the door, he motioned for them to enter, not yet speaking a word.
Harry, Neville and Hermione entered silently, sitting with Neville and Hermione on either side of Harry. They had considered all sitting separately, in case Snape decided to hone in on Hermione and Neville simply because of their proximity to Harry. However, this bought in the possibility of Ron sitting next to Harry, and no one wanted to deal with the potential consequences of that.
All three took meticulous notes, despite knowing all of the content perfectly. All were extremely well versed in any questions that Snape might feel necessary to throw their way. Low and behold, within ten minutes of the class beginning, Snape criticised Harry for not paying attention, despite the fact that Ron was visibly falling asleep and not taking any notes. Harry was prepared for this, however.
"Mr Potter," Snape purred. "Our new celebrity. Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
"Powdered root of asphodel added to an infusion of wormwood are two steps required to brew the Draught of Living Death, the most powerful sleeping potion known to wizardkind, Sir," Harry responded, being very careful not to smirk in any way.
This seemed to surprise Snape, not that he showed it in any way other than a slight twitch at his temple. Still, he persisted. "Where Mister Potter would you look if I asked you to find a bezoar?"
"Bezoars are found in the stomachs of goats sir, and are a quick and effective remedy to many poisons," Harry responded, leaving out the part of how difficult it could be to effectively administer.
The twitch in Snape's temple became slightly more pronounced. "And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"There is no difference Sir, they are both the same plant, and is also known as aconite." Harry was surprised that Snape was continuing the questions.
This time, Snape asked a question that he hadn't in the original timeline. "What is the most restricted use of Jobberknoll feathers?" There was a snugness in Snape's voice, as though he knew that Harry wouldn't be able to answer the question. He did not however, know that Harry was older than he appeared.
"Jobberknoll feathers are used in the highly restricted brewing of Veritaserum, a N.E.W.T level potion that is created under the strict and watchful eye of a Ministry official." Harry once again responded. It was an answer that no first year should know, but he doubted that Snape would risk embarrassment by questioning how Harry knew that.
Snape seemed to briefly snap out of his vendetta for a moment, yelling at a befuddled class that they should be writing all of those answers done. With a last seething look at Harry, Snape began teaching the class the basic safety procedures that he expected to be followed to a t.
The rest of the class went smoothly. Judging by the way that Snape seemed to outright ignore Ron, it was clear that the bewitching spell on him had been altered. The crowns had given an initial warning of bewitchment when the young royals first saw the potions master, but nothing more. It was nice to know that the crowns did not repeat the obvious time and time again. Hermione had theorised that the crowns had a charm built into them that was somewhat similar to a Remembrall. A nice feature for their sanity, as no one wanted the crowns to be constantly chatting about bewitchment.
It was lunch time when all hell broke loose. The meal had barely begun when various Ministry Owls descended upon the Great Hall. An owl with two letters descended upon Dumbledore, and three owls with one letter each to Draco, Neville and Harry. Hermione noticed that one of the letters Dumbledore had were summons of his position as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. That left the second as being the same as those delivered to the boys- Court summons for the following morning. No reason was stated, yet it was clear that this was related to Draco's questioning. Dumbledore, however, was clueless. It was obvious that these were the first letter regarding the matter that he had received, and that there was no mention of what the matter pertained to in either of his letters.
The Headmaster stood, projecting his voice over the curious whispering that had begun. "Mr Potter, Mr Longbottom, Mr Malfoy, please come with me to my office."
Draco was prepared for this it seemed. "Professor Snape, would you please accompany me as my Head of House?" He innocently asked, when he noticed that neither he nor Professor McGonagall had risen to the occasion.
"That won't be necessary dear child," Dumbledore began before he was cut off by a voice from the end of the Great Hall.
"Oh yes it will be Professor Dumbledore." Madam Longbottom bellowed out. She was clutching a fistful of three court summons in her hand as well. One as a witness, one as a member of the Wizengamot, and one as the legal guardian of a minor summoned by the court. Hermione noticed that Dumbledore had not received such a letter for Harry. "It is very clearly stated in the school rules that any student meeting with the Headmaster must be accompanied by their Head of House. I'd hate to have to report a violation of the rules to my fellow members of the Board of Governors," she said, barely containing a threatening tone towards the end.
"Of course Madam Longbottom," Dumbledore said, a slight look of defeat and annoyance on his face. "Severus, Minerva, would you please join us?"
Madam Longbottom, despite not being invited, made herself so. Despite her age, she lead the group towards the Headmasters office, even chiding them for moving so slowly. The Gargoyle guarding the entrance moved aside at the sight of Dumbledore, no password required for its master.
Madam Longbottom made a beeline for one of the two seats in front of the Headmasters table, forcing the old man to summon more for the four other people that would require them. She turned to Harry then, as if seeing him for the first time.
"Is that you Harry Potter? Why, I haven't seen you since you looked like a baked potato. We were distraught when we heard of the attack on your family. How are you boy?" She asked, never hinting that they were in fact very well acquainted.
"Madam Longbottom I presume? Neville told me about you yesterday when he told me that he was actually my godbrother. Imagine that! And I'm very well Madam, but a bit confused as to what is going on. What's a Wizengamot? Some kind of magical slug?" Harry asked, as innocently as possible. Feigned ignorance was never so blissful.
Dumbledore coughed, interrupting them. "Harry boy, the Wizengamot is like the Muggle high court. And what I want to know, is what all of this is about," the Headmaster said, looking towards Draco.
Draco played the perfect role of spoiled child getting exactly what he wanted. "Well I don't know about the Gryffindors, but I assume that my summons has something to do with my missing Heir ring," Draco said haughtily, flashing his current Malfoy Heir ring.
"But you clearly have your Heir ring Draco," Snape supplied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"No, not that one. The Black Ring! The one that should have been passed to me when the last Lord Black was thrown in Azkaban. That left House Black with no immediate Heir, so it passes down to the next available male. Since I am the only male born to any of the last Blacks cousins, that means it is mine by right! But father never received it. In fact, he only realised the error when I sent him an owl last night." Draco said proudly, as though he had solved a great mystery.
Harry could see the colour draining out of Dumbledore's face as he began to realise the implications. "Mr Malfoy, is it really that important that you get this Heir ring? As your head of house has said, you already have one," the old man said in an almost pleading tone.
"Of course he should have it!" Madam Longbottom exclaimed. "If he doesn't claim it, it would mean an Ancient and Most Noble House dying out because someone forgot to file a piece of paperwork or something stupid like that. And we have already seen too many of the Sacred 28 become, or nearly become extinct because of the wars. Enough is enough!"
Dumbledore had no retaliation to that, and dismissed them all. In fact, he had done so before even explaining why Neville and Harry were being summoned at all. It truly showed how shaken he was at the prospect of the events that were beginning to unfurl.
Harry saw an opportunity outside of the Headmaster's office to sow a little bit more discord. "Madam Longbottom, how do I get to the court tomorrow? My guardians are muggles."
"Well Harry, as much as I would like to be the one to accompany you, and I no doubt will be there with you, you still need the presence of a guardian. In your case, your interim guardian will be Professor McGonagall, isn't that right Minerva?" Madam Longbottom explained.
Professor McGonagall seemed surprised "Mr Potter's magical guardian is Professor Dumbledore, Augusta. Surely he will be the one to accompany the boy?"
"Nonsense, the Headmaster has never been the interim guardian of a student with muggle guardians, it isn't proper. And since he didn't receive a letter saying that he is required to be there for Mr Potter, the duty falls to you, Minerva. Use some common sense girl." Augusta chided the Transfiguration Professor.
"It seems so," Professor McGonagall said. "I will see you at the castle gates bright and early then Augusta. It was lovely to see you again old friend, it's been a long time since someone has kept me on my toes." The two witches briefly embraced, before Professor McGonagall made her way back to the Great Hall to finish her lunch.
Professor Snape left without a word. None was needed really, he wasn't required at court the next day, nor did he think that there was any information he could glean from his students and an old woman that he couldn't get from going straight to the source of Lucius Malfoy.
"Well that went well," Neville said, stating the obvious. "I assume you got my letter Grandma?" Neville asked the aged witch.
"Yes, I did. What a curious situation. I trust you aren't as much of a twat this time around young Draco?" Madam Longbottom asked the blond wizard.
Draco smiled widely at that. " Sorry Madam, I'm afraid I'm still a twat. But I hope to be a good, useful twat this time around. And speaking of useful…" Draco said, handing Madam Longbottom a blackened glass jar. "I think the court will accept this a little more willingly from you Madam Longbottom."
"And this is?" the old woman inquired before Neville hastily stopped her from opening the lid.
"That's Wormtail in a jar," Draco said with a grin. "I think the court will be most interested in what he has to say about the deaths of the Potters."
"Oh young man, that is a wonderful idea. But, I want to pull him out only if we need to. I think Sirius would prefer to deal with this rat on his own" Madam Longbottom gleamed with darkness in her eyes.
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The rest of the day was uneventful in comparison, other than the whispers from upperclassmen. No one had ever been summoned by the Wizengamot in such a way, much less three students and the Headmaster in one day.
Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs was beyond easy. Again, no wand work would occur until their first lesson of Magical Theory was completed, so Professor McGonagall explained the basics of how Transfiguration worked. She explained how aspects such as the weight of the object, the material it was made of, wand power and concentration could affect Transfiguration, and whether it occurred at all. There was also a fifth element at play that was still unknown to those who studied the art. She demonstrated her ability to turn into a cat, explaining that becoming an Animagus was seen as the height of Transfiguration, and was a key requirement for anyone wanting to become a registered Master of the art. The crowns had alerted the young royals that Professor McGonagall was bewitched, surprising no one. In fact, it appeared that the entire faculty, other than Dumbledore himself was bewitched.
Harry, Hermione and Neville had already discussed the implications of becoming Animagus before the school year started, and were going to talk to Draco about it as well. They had come to the conclusion that they would all attempt to at least find their form and determine if they were even capable of doing so. Hermione had also suggested it would be easiest to do so at their physical age while at Hogwarts, due to the deep ley lines and residual magic of the land.
The final lesson of the day was their very first flying lesson with Slytherin. Since Draco was no longer a git, the only thing that they had to worry about was the potential of a bewitched broom. And Ron's inability to follow simple instructions. As the Gryffindors made their way to the courtyard, they could see that Draco and the Slytherins had already arrived and that Draco was doing his best to check the brooms without attracting any attention.
So far, the crowns had only alerted that that Madam Hooch was bewitched, but gave no other indication that anything was amiss. It had already been decided that if any of them ended up with the bewitched broom that Draco or Neville would attempt an aerial rescue, while whoever was left on the ground would try to prompt Madam Hooch to use a cushioning spell, or even the most basic levitation charm. As she should have attempted in the original timeline.
Everything seemed to be going normally. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Neville all managed to summon their brooms to their hand on the first command. Ron of course never managed to do so, and had to eventually just pick up the broom. The moment Madam Hooch told them to mount their brooms however, everything changed. Simultaneously, the royals heard the call of "Tampering!" from their crowns, and even heard the castle bristle in anger. Neville's broom began to glow, but it was only visible to the royals. Draco noticed something was amiss however, due to the fact that his three friends were all staring at Neville's broom. Harry casually looked around, trying to work out who was casting the spell. It was then that he realised that the courtyard was in full view of the Headmaster's tower. Lo and behold, Dumbledore was standing at the window looking down at the courtyard. While Harry was too far away to see his mouth moving, it was very unlikely that anyone else was casting the spell.
As in the original timeline, Neville's broom began to behave erratically. Madam Hooch was waving her hands around, as though that would somehow stop the wayward broom. Neville kept a firm grip on the broom, riding out the wild bucking as best as he could. Draco, realising that Madam Hooch hadn't even gotten her wand out, kicked off the ground, following Neville while maintaining some distance. They all knew that what Neville and Draco were about to attempt was risky, but in the worst-case scenario Hermione would take out her regular wand and cast the levitation spell herself.
Neville's broom took a sudden turn upwards, and continued to climb. When Neville heard Draco shout out "Now!" from below him, he let go of the broom. He had a moment of weightlessness, before he started falling straight back to the earth. There were screams from the students below, and Hermione got her wand out as Harry began yelling at Madam Hooch to get her wand out and do something.
Draco came swooping in with perfect timing, going into a deep nosedive. Neville spun in the air when Draco shouted out to him again, the two falling to the earth at the same speed. Neville grabbed hold of Draco's back, pulling himself onto the broom. When Draco could feel that Neville was firmly attached to his back and broom, he pulled up sharply. It would have been a perfectly executed Wronski feint, if not for the fact that Draco pulled up when they were halfway to the ground, levelling out at the top of the nearby rooftop. The students on the ground were all cheering, and Madam Hooch looked on in disbelief.
Draco landed, and a shaky legged but very grateful Neville hopped off the broom, and looked upwards. His own broom came crashing down on a nearby rooftop. Turning around, Neville clapped Draco on the back. "Well that was a bloody close one wasn't it?"
All the students had gathered around Draco, congratulating him. Madam Hooch came over, a stormy look on her face. "Mister Malfoy, how dare you perform such a dangerous maneuver, both you and Mister Longbottom could have been seriously injured!" She said, pointing her finger at the blond boy.
A look of anger passed over Draco's face. "And what were you doing about the situation Madam? Not once throughout the entire incident did you even attempt to pull out your wand and perform some rather simply charms to stop Longbottom. Even now, your wand is still in your robe. What were you going to do to stop Longbottom from being seriously hurt? Let him fall to the ground and hope that he only broke a bone? He could have died!"
The courtyard was silent now. Hermione and Harry had gone over to Neville to check on him. Draco put down his broom, and gathered up his things. The Slytherin had decided that the lesson was over, and stalked off into the castle. Neville, Harry and Hermione all did the same, leaving a shocked class and a befuddled looking Madam Hooch behind. It was obvious that she was questioning why she hadn't acted, the first step in self breaking a bewitching spell.
There was still another half an hour before classes ended for the day, and it would look very odd to ant Professor's out and about for four first-years to be wandering the corridors during class time. They were discussing where to go, when a door appeared in the wall of the first-floor corridor that they were slowly walking down. The royals heard the voice of Hogwarts in their heads. "Enter little ones," she whispered.
They opened up the door, revealing a small, mismatched common room. There was a small kitchen and lounge area dressed in colours from all four houses. The largest area, however, was the study area; four large desks surrounded by bookshelves. Hanging on the wall above each of the desks was a lifeless portrait. The four Founders.
"Why aren't they magical portraits?" Hermione pondered.
It was Hogwarts that answered. "They are bound little one. Just as I am. The Founders have master portraits in the Headmasters tower, where Dumbledore has bound them."
No one was partially surprised by this. It wouldn't do to have Slytherin roaming around the castle's portraits disputing everything that Dumbledore was claiming about him.
The knowledge that the portraits existed though excited Harry. It meant that they could be freed, and he suspected that there was much that they could learn about the crowns and what it meant to be a Hogwarts royal from the original royalty themselves.
The young group settled into the lounge area, chatting about the day. Draco was incredibly frustrated at how incompetent Dumbledore's bewitching had made all of their teachers. They could all agree on that. And it was clear that Dumbledore was up to something. Draco suspected that he and Harry's rivalry had at least in part been set up by Dumbledore, although it wasn't clear why. Perhaps it was a way to ensure that Harry was against Slytherin.
They decided to skip dinner, since they had a small kitchen available. Hermione was checking the cupboards to see if anything was stocked, and found all the ingredients she would need to make a fettuccine carbonara. All the boys helped her out, Harry slicing bacon, Neville measuring out the ingredients and Draco preparing the pots and pans. In the end, Hermione didn't do any of the cooking, instead teaching Draco how to cook the simple dish. It was the first time the wizard had ever cooked something, so expectations for the meal weren't high. However, as soon as Hermione started explaining the cooking as though they were making a potion, the blond wizard took to it immediately. The meal wasn't perfect, but it was a very good first attempt.
As they sat down and enjoyed the meal, they talked about the trial to come in the morning.
Hermione was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to go with them. Not without giving away the secret of the Soul Bond so soon. Harry could feel her understanding though; Regardless of whether or not she was there, Sirius would be free, and Harry would be able to publicly claim the Heir ring of House Potter. Harry already knew that he would name Augusta as his proxy, at least until Sirius had time to heal.
Hermione had done something interesting though. From the previous timeline, she had remembered an address of somewhere that Remus had been. She hoped that he was currently living there. She sent an anonymous letter with a cryptic message. It read; "Padfoot will be freed for treasons he did not commit. Be there for your packmate." It was cryptic enough that only Remus would understand the meaning.
By the time they were done with their meal, it was starting to get late. They would need to leave for their common rooms soon. As they left the founders common room, the door disappeared behind them. Hogwarts explained that the room was similar to the room of requirement, except it would appear anywhere in the castle that the royals needed, and the only requirement it would fulfil was food. When Hermione asked if there was a way that Draco could access the room on his own, the castle said that he would need to verbally ask for the room, but that she would let him and him alone into the room without a crown. Hermione conveyed this to Draco, the young man thanking the castle for her generosity and trust.
Sleeping that night was difficult for all of them. Hogwarts tried her best to soothe her children, but nothing could take the edge of excitement away. Sirius was going to be coming home.