Chapter 10: So, he is alive, eh?

For the rest of the evening, the different parties had gotten busy with personal errands. Daphne was rather dismayed as Astoria suddenly bombarded her with a plethora of questions about Hogwarts. She had promised her father that she would not speak to Daphne about any house business, and Daphne found herself frustrated as she tried to ascertain how "the little brat" had obtained a communication artefact. After the Ice-Princess had shoed away her smaller sister, Astoria found herself talking to Ginny, as the redheaded girl explained that she liked to do "mechanical" things around the shop and that she "liked being a grease monkey"

"Can I come over and see sometime?" Astoria asked.

"If your parents and Harry say yes, sure?" answered the redhead girl.

"Friends?" asked Astoria.

"Yes please!" Ginny squeaked.


"Hello Cyrus, how are you? You look like you had a long day!" Reginald answered, upon seeing the raven-looking man, as he exited the floo in the Davis kitchen.

"Long day? Today was one of the most memorable days ever. Basically, as of right now Astoria is cured and I have succeeded in confirming all our suspicions. Let us say, it got even more wild?"

"This is going to be entertaining, isn't it? So he is alive, eh?" Reginald asked.

Cyrus now sat down on the Davis couch and Amy who wanted to hear the entire tale brought out some of the scotch that they usually saved for special celebrations. As she poured a generous two finger joints of spirit into three cups, Cyrus began to explain his ordeal:

"Entertaining? I had to come over immediately to get you updated on how things in the Wizengamot will play out tomorrow. Yes, I met Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. I also met Harry's adoptive mother, who is indeed, Master Healer Priya Singh. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were there and…..

Lord Davis and his wife listened closely to the explanation of Harry's phoenix, their research lab, and the impossible things that were being casually built with a combination of muggle science and magic. It seemed that weapons and flying transports were routine jokes, and they possessed enough facilities to outfit a personal army. Then he explained that how his daughter had been healed, merited a pensive experience.

Cyrus then pulled out the memory from his mind as he encouraged both Reginald and Amy to examine the type of magic being wielded, as Astoria was cured. Then the "thing" that materialised and the battle followed, as Reginald and Amy witnessed the perfectly coordinated lightning-fast apparition, wandless magic, swords and guns being coordinated with tactical precision.

Reginald and Amy had jumped when he had seen the creature. It was a walking freak show. To think such a creature was casually attached to Astoria's neck was utterly disconcerting. Then the boy and girl, now covered in blood merely walked off to become presentable. After the memory switched to the "Thunderbolt" being built as the object howled around, at a speed that seemed impossible. The business acumen and Harry's advanced development did not go unnoticed one bit. Neither did the general fitness of Hermione, and everybody else. Remus seemed to tower over everyone, and there was this feeling that his easy laugh and jolly personality were holding back something far more savage.

"Are we getting a tour?" asked Reginald excitedly.

"In time, perhaps. They won't mind one bit. We will have to ask when they are free. Ophie is already going through some of the custom runes that were developed by Hermione. She is an absolute savant, but then, it is not surprising that she was qualified by Morgana. We were even given these bands to wear, and yes they were made by her. Anti-Legillimency artefacts." Cyrus replied.

"Well, you said it was wild, and you did not disappoint. Even the decrepit beast acknowledged them as Little Merlin and Little Morgana. How would we have ever found out about such things, without their help? Blood Curses are such an obscure area where there has been no new lore for…centuries. And the Portrait modification? I could have never dreamed about getting that kind of usage out of such an object. Hecate bless that Master Healer too, she is an absolute genius!" Reginald replied as Amy nodded, in agreement.

"Yes, very creative. Oh, about that, they provided us access to their information store. I am going to contribute our library collection of non-personal information to their repository. And we were provided with communication artefacts."

"Oh, can we see them? Hey, do these look like…tablets? I have never been able to own one with the wards in the house! Cyrus this is fantastic! Wait…these are….magical ones?" Amy explained.

"Yes, but if you want the muggle ones, they have developed magical shielding. You will be able to get yourself a cellphone and other things if you want now."

"Oh my! That is a pair of brains on those two!" Amy replied.

Cyrus was only too happy to take Reginald and Amy through the functionality. Reginald was shocked when Tracey answered the call as she proceeded to update them on the affairs. Reginald realised that the little device that he held in his hand, along with the earbuds would profoundly change his life.

"With this, we can speak as necessary without letters?" asked Reginald.

"Not just you – Amy can speak to Ophie or any of the other people within Harry's group. That would include for now Xenophillius Lovegood, Molly Weasley, Authur Weasley and Augusta Longbottom. We also can speak to any of the children, and even anybody who is associated with Harry. The hilarious thing is that this life-changing device as they call it is a 'minor, small project'. And when it is released around November, we can speak to anybody else?"

"And we can search for magical information from Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, along with other curated collections? By Hecate, I think we are going to donate all our non-personal information to the system too!" replied Amy.

"Oh, I am so thankful that we can talk to our children. This alone allows us to be informed. This is a huge advantage. To be instantly informed of events as they happen? I am however concerned – these gifts seem too outlandish and I am sure life debts were involved?" asked Reginald.

"The poor lad and his sister, along with everyone around them are begging us to handle their secondary portfolios because they can't balance everything. Weapons manufacturing, kitchenware, communications, brooms, potions, the new wizarding ink? That has to be balanced with their armour and weapons development. And even their medical capabilities are something else. So the public products are just a piece of their capability. Whatever is no longer important.

I think Ophie is on the way with a vegetable cutting machine. You should have seen the relief on the boy's face when Sirius Black, the new Lord Black suggested we run an impossibly profitable portfolio, only so that Harry and Hermione could do….whatever it is that they do!"

"What kind of portfolio?" asked Amy.

"They designed mining gear for the Goblins. Yes, that is additional to what I mentioned. The mining gear includes an artefact that is essentially a stable and robust FiendFyre cannon. No, I am not jesting. I have never seen somebody manipulate that spell with such…finesse!" Cyrus explained.

"He is brave! I would not mess with that one bit!" Reginald replied.

Ophelia then arrived, and she brought along two nondescript cardboard boxes. The conversation continued as Amy poured some scotch into an additional, fourth cup.

"The Goblins use it to excavate gold. The product sale includes some metalworking artefacts, safety shields and magical high intensity lights. We are looking at an entire set of equipment selling at fifty million gallons. You, I and Authur Weasley are being offered fifteen per cent each to manage everything. Multiple sets are planned and the replacement parts can run into the hundreds of thousands of galleons, and those smaller sales will be continuous."

"Did you say….fifty million galleons? Fifteen per cent of that?" Reginald asked.

"He was not joking. That is the type of capability that he has? And let me clarify. Fifteen per cent…each. What do you expect, he is Lilly's boy?" Ophelia beamed proudly.

"I already get where you are coming from Ophie. You were hoping he would ask for a marriage contract? I think he disappointed you in that regard?" Cyrus grinned.

"I suppose husband. I think he is like James in that he would prefer to marry for love. But I haven't given up on my aspirations, just yet. I know how my eldest daughter thinks. She will like Harry for his mind, and for taking care of Astoria. With all the comments Daphne gives Stori, she loves her sister to death. Harry Potter with his brain and the help that we received from his family? He can do no wrong."

"Even my daughter might be pleased by that new development, especially for her terribly rude and inappropriate stories. What is Harry also asking in return, besides the freeing up of his schedule?" asked Amy, as she smiled at the antics.

"Merely support for his plans to go through. The Dark Lord will be back – this is confirmed. My job is to separate the neutrals from the threat of Malfoy and when the time is right, all of us will be fighting him head-on. From what I am seeing, we will be properly equipped and trained. Right now, the secret alliance is between House Peverell and House Granger, which could be minted right now if they wished, along with the Longbottoms, the Lovegood and the Weasleys. House Potter becomes relevant on his 17th birthday too.

We will be flying under a very different House Black. Sirius commands the Obsidian. We even have legal representation from Andromeda Tonks and, her husband. And the Goblins are unofficially supporting Harry – after all his inventions literally increased the the Wizengamot's gold reserve by only ten times."

"He could ask the entire Wizarding World to kneel if he wanted to – and it is often a statement that he makes to intimidate his foes. Does he have a cruel bone in him, Ophelia?" asked Amy.

"Honestly? Selectively for Death Eaters.

Otherwise, not one bit. He and Hermione are already interested in projects to cure world hunger and poverty. I think the harsh abuse he faced from that crane-necked Petunia taught him what hunger felt like, and he doesn't want that for anyone. His true long term goals are far loftier than most! And Hermione Granger is loyal to her brother, until the end of time. And she is just as good." Ophelia replied.

"Hecate, bless their hearts. Maybe that is what we need – we need young people to do what is right. How will all of this work?" asked Reginald.

"We will put the rest of Neutrals to hound Malfoy and his ilk. And then we will support Augusta on any innovation or ideas that bring value to our world. Augusta will speak to us later, as we finalise plans for the morning. It will be a good chance to experience the 'conference' function. In true good Harry Potter style, he has planned a prank that I think James would be immensely proud of. Wait till you hear what they plan to do!" replied Cyrus.

The conversation continued for a couple of hours, as Cyrus filled in the blanks. Amy tried the new vege-master and the cookware that could run off to the sink and clean itself.

"How did Harry and Hermione design this so perfectly? It chops everything, hands you the ingredients and cleans itself?" Amy asked.

"Amy, Harry suffered at the Dursleys. He was made into a House Elf. No, I take that back. He was given worse treatment than that. So he learned to cook at the age of five. Hermione's parents work demanding jobs so she learned to do housework by herself. Sometimes she even cooked for her mother, if they weren't buying fast food. So one of them had to, and the other wanted to…." Ophelia explained.

"I have never made a shepherd's pie so easily. The vegetables are all done and I can use the same bowls over and over? Cooking with this is easy!" Amy explained.

"Oh, a recipe book is on the way. Molly and Ms Singh's mother are something else. But yes, these products are some of the other secondary things our husbands are supposed to manage. These are for local international launches?"


After everybody had dinner (that Amy insisted was the easiest meal she had ever done) all the people in their room were pinged on their communicators.

"Hello?" asked Cyrus.

"Good evening Lord Greengrass and the rest. Augusta Longbottom at your service. Can I barge in, as we plan for tomorrow's fiasco? Sirius will be coming. I also understand Harry and Hermione are coming with...presents. Perhaps, your place?"

Reginald and Amy who were quite excited to meet the Storm-Lord and the Rune-Priestess were already nodding, and Cyrus smiled somewhat.

"How will you be arriving? Floo or Grace?" Cyrus asked.

"Grace!" somebody yelled in the background. Ophelia knew it was Harry.

"I think that will be advisable, you can come to the Greengrass Kitchen in twenty minutes," Cyrus replied.

"Excellent Gentlemen. Please, let your wives be present. I am walking with quality scotch. I heard about the success of the treatment. I think we have cause to celebrate again, even though I am sure you had the first round of drinks. I can get some small things from the kitchen to soak up the extra booze." Augusta laughed.

"Indeed we do Lady Augusta. See you in a bit!" Cyrus laughed. The call ended and Reginald and Amy were already walking towards the floo.

"Well Cyrus don't keep us waiting, I am very excited here!" Reginald exclaimed.

There was a small laugh, as everyone returned to the Greengrass residence.


Approximately two hours ago, Sirius, Remus and Harry had departed for #12 Grimmauld place, after putting the Peverell Mansion in order, during the evening.

As soon as Sirius entered the old musky, dreary living room, Sirius placed a silencing device on Wallaburga's picture frame that rendered her mute. The previous encounters had been unpleasant as the portrait realised that the ancestral house of the Blacks was being systematically demolished. Hermione had come up with a solution to the problem – both for his mother's mouth, and her permanent existence on the wall.

Sirius took a plasma torch and cut her out of the obstinate wall, before setting her in a position where she could see everything carefully. For the rest of the evening, a Goblin team came and stripped out everything of value. Remus and Harry, with titanium gloves, packed away the remaining book collection. Then the main warding Lodestone was torn down and placed in a padded titanium box, before the three hundred goblin workforce transported the last bit of metals that could be melted down, to their forge caves.

Sirius occasionally flashed the Obsidian as he commented:

"Ah, it must feel nice not to have a voice. While you are dead, this childish revenge still amuses me. The Black residence is being rebuilt and all the precious materials will be smelted to build muggle contraptions to kill pureblood extremists. Enjoy rolling around in the afterlife, as you suffer the indignity. We even developed a device that cuts you out of all your other picture frames. By the way, a young 'Mudblood' girl developed the artefact!"

Wallaburga who found herself mute continued to hurl every insult that she could manage. She eventually fell unconscious, as she overexerted herself from the ceaseless ranting. She flopped over the chair in the picture and Sirius laughed. Now, the place was dead empty, and only the external building had been left. Harry and Sirius were greeted by a familiar face once again.

"Master Mordak! Afternoon again!" Harry greeted the goblin.

"Lord Peverell, Lord Black. Yes, we are finally complete. There is not even a damned knut left."

"Thank you. On all the reclaimed materials, and precious items for sale, you will take a ten per cent commission and divide it equally among the Goblins who assisted me in this matter," replied Sirius.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you gentlemen!" Mordak replied before the last group of Goblins apparated out of the building.

"Right Prongslet, what now?" Sirius asked.

"Weapons package for Cyrus and Lord Davis. As long as they know us, you know they will eventually get in trouble. I would prefer that that they are armed." Harry replied.

"Yes, I understand. Let us pick up Augusta and Teethsie. Grace?" Sirius asked.

ZAP!


Draco Malfoy and his troupe of clowns were now in the Slytherin common room. Draco slowly rubbed the scar that had been caused by the lightning bolt. He found himself frowning and unsure about how to proceed – he wondered if any further aggression would be met with this type of punishment. Blaise looked on quietly, as he considered that the great Draco Malfoy was having second thoughts. Draco had heard that to punish the Storm-Lord, his father would roll out harsh legislation that would ban muggleborns from practising magic, even in the presence of their non-magical parents. Non-magicals would be required to walk with the necessary papers, to identify themselves. Lucius already had the support of all the major and minor extremist houses. He was sure that with the right amount of intimidation, at least five of the ten neutral houses would support the bill. As Draco explained the resolution, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson were quite sure of an assured victory.

"Draco dear, not to worry. You know you have the support of my father and Nott's father. We have to protect our culture and our interests! It is our duty! Vincent and Gregory, I am once again very sorry for your loss. Justice will prevail, tomorrow!" Pansy screeched.

Vincent and Gregory could only nod their heads, as that was the maximum level of expression offered to them, by their intelligence. Nott, a person who apparently believed in pureblood supremacy, commented:

"Not to worry Draco, the filth will be punished. This is our world. We own the legal system, and we own the financial system. Although we did not succeed with our display of power, I think we should not give up the idea of the inquisitorial squad….."

"What are you suggesting, Theodore?" asked Draco.

"Why, let us set up teams of sympathetic individuals to continuously assault 'the trio' in the corridors. They can hide, and cast some of the more painful hexes and jinxes. I say, even bone-breaker curses should not be off the table. Send Vincent and Gregory, but get some of the others too?"

"You know Theo, I am quite aware that you prefer to stay by yourself. That being said, we admire your brilliance. Personal attitudes aside, you believe in our cause. Ms Ethro, would be interested in recruiting for us?" Draco asked.

"Certainly scion Malfoy. I think payback will be nice!" Jade answered.

While the group of Slytherins celebrated their poorly laid out plans, Blaise assumed that no conversations within the Hogwarts castle were safe, and held his tongue. Internally he sighed, as the last letter from his mother had indicated that large amounts of money were being moved in the English Wizarding economy. Now the veteran French Aurors were easily the most effective civilian peacekeeping force because criminals had no chance against the new weapons they were carrying.

They were carrying magical guns, and they were far more refined than what he had seen in the newspapers clipping. This implied that the artefact was not difficult to produce, and the Storm Bringers could arm people easily. Someone had attempted to obtain the weapon and as soon as it was held by an unauthorised individual, the pistol was disabled. Another one had been stolen, and worse the French Aurors had shown up at the warded residence and the weapon was reacquired. Worse yet, the group of criminals had been attempting to take the gun apart, and there was no way to go about the disassembly. The entire affair was sealed, rugged and tamper-proof.

The criminals had quickly learnt to leave the weapons alone. Taking one was a giant risk.

Draco often bragged that the Dark Lord would return, but he began to wonder how they would fare. Blaise was part Italian, and his mother had killed many Wizards with her Beretta pistol. Somebody was taking the next step, in the evolution of warfare.


, Reginald and Amy who were awaiting the arrival of the new "Wizengamot Bloc" were tapping their fingers against their table. Suddenly their comms were pinged:

"Ready for transport Uncle Cyrus. Zap in?"

"Sure Harry" Cyrus answered, comfortably. A small spark was heard before the four individuals appeared in a sudden flash of light. Cyrus and Ophelia who already had a pretty crazy day did not consider the affair to be unusual. But for Reginald and Amy? It was quite a sight to see the group.

Augusta had already become popular for her stylish business attire, as she had shed the vulture stuffed hat and the bright red bag. She looked like the director of a bank, with her clothing choice. It exuded power, and it signalled to everyone at the Wizengamot, that she was the authority that was not to be trifled with at all. Grace who was on her shoulder made a small flap and proceed to a small window before she stretched her wings and settled herself. As her long tail feathers and her plumage were slowly extended, she looked around the kitchen and began to familiarise herself with the surroundings. Grace then hopped out of the window and began flying around the backyard, eager to learn a new location.

Cyrus figured that Harry and Hermione had brought something dangerous, as the many heavy cases on the floor seemed to resemble the weapon storage crates they had seen. Suddenly, he understood the gesture – they were being offered weapons, just in case of a worst case scenario. After all, Sirius had recapped the kidnapping of the boy's mother at the mansion, and it was one of the most harrowing stories he had to endure. Ophelia had cried long tears for the boy, as she gazed across at him and his family, as they worked to save her daughter's life.

Ophelia had whispered into her husband's ears, "Regardless of his success, he is always welcome at our home. Harry Potter does not need a Lord and Lady Greengrass. He needs an uncle and an aunt. Let me do this for her. Let me do this for Lilly."

"That I can agree on. Although it is hard not to like the boy. I cannot say if our eldest will like him. She has always been headstrong, and generally dislikes the boys from the other magical families." Cyrus laughed.

"Perhaps. We will see, "Ophelia replied, as she smiled.

She knew her daughter well enough.

As the eyes of the Davis family examined the two youngest magicals, Cyrus and Reginald by custom made it their business to kiss Augusta's knuckles, before Ophelia and Amy made a small curtsey. Sirius soon shook Cyrus' hand, before he kissed Ophelia's knuckles. Reginald and Amy were soon greeted the same way by Sirius and all eyes were on the last two wizards who had not greeted anyone yet.

Harry and Hermione who were dressed in casual, form-fitting clothes merely took off their jackets, as they draped them over an empty chair. The imprints of their abdominal muscles and their biceps could be seen. It also did not go unnoticed as they deactivated their shields, and the silver sheen dissipated. Harry and Hermione did not hesitate as they marched towards Ophelia and they lined up for…their hugs.

"Hello, Harry. Hello Hermione!" Ophelia replied brightly and she proceeded to kiss both of them on the cheek. Cyrus on the other hand who was waiting for Harry to shake his hand was greeted with:

"None of that nonsense. Not having it." Harry replied cheekily. Harry then outstretched his arms and waited momentarily, before Cyrus hugged the boy. Hermione seemed to be patiently waiting on her turn, and suddenly Sirius cackled.

"Ha! Cyrus, how does it feel to be bargained with, aggressively?" Sirius snorted.

As Cyrus hugged Hermione he replied "Not too bad. Not too bad. These two are pretty hard to dislike. I would not take a hug from anyone else." The man laughed. Before anyone could say anything else, there was suddenly some noise as some small footsteps could be heard, as the steps nearby to the kitchen suddenly creaked.

"ARRY! MIONE!" Astoria yelled. Both of them found themselves assaulted by a small black-haired girl. Before they could say anything, her father figured that Astoria was going to ask the same question, that was customary with people she liked.

"Did you bring me anything?" she asked. Suddenly Harry and Hermione shared a knowing look, and even Reginald and Amy could appreciate that they had planned for this eventually. Harry replied, "Sweetie you saw us a couple of hours ago!" Harry replied, with a knowing smile.

Astoria was now pouting.

"Okay. We brought the finest diadem in the entire land of England. The finest diadem for the finest princess, ever. Quality guaranteed courtesy of the Peverell Force Field forge and the Granger Rune reflection system. Come sit with us, and we will fix it all up for you!"

Astoria began to scream and Ophelia and Cyrus facepalmed themselves, as somehow Harry and Hermione had brought the most rambunctious behaviour out of their child. Harry then patted her back and said, "Hey chill. You are embarrassing your parents."

"Sowwie!" Astoria said as she tried to hide her excitement.

Harry and Hermione then proceeded to confront Reginald and Amy. Reginald did not fail to notice the fearsome looking wands and weapons that were strapped to their legs. Augusta on the other hand seemed to have a rather opulent bottle of brandy, along with a small leather carry case. Harry shook Reginald's hand and realised that Harry had quite a grip.

"Lord Davis a pleasure. Harry at your service. Lord this and lord that, will not be necessary with me."

"Very well. I think we can adopt the same convention for me. Just Reginald, thank you."

Harry then kissed the knuckles of Amy Davis, before greeting her.

"Please Ms Davis, just Harry please."

"Oh sure. Harry, it is!" she replied and Harry immediately figured out where Tracey had inherited her exuberance from – the girl seemed to almost be a carbon copy of her mother. Hermione who had already given Reginald a firm handshake and Amy a small curtsey replied:

"Hermione Granger at your service. Just Hermione is good."

"Well now that all the nice formal greetings and protocol are all done, how about we get down to business? As you will notice, we have some hardware here in the boxes. After we discuss the plan for the morning, we will take you through a small demonstration. As for you Lord Davis, all we will require is an oath where you keep the Peverell, Black and Granger business secret. We will naturally, take the same oaths for House Davis. Do you find our terms agreeable?"

"I think so. Let us discuss it a bit more, and work out the particulars."

During the discussion, it did not go unnoticed that Harry and Hermione had walked with a small toolkit and they were tweaking some small shiny pieces of metal, along with some steel rings. Amy wondered how the small, disjointed pieces could resemble anything like a diadem. The ongoing discussion included the plan for tomorrow, and the long term plans and goals for the war. Even the Christmas prank was discussed, and Harry considered it to be an excellent idea.

When the diadem pieces were tweaked sufficiently, the pieces all flew towards Astoria and they began to float and animate themselves. Against the torches in the house, now the intricate work could be seen. Some small gems were set into small trapezoidal blocks, and the larger rings rotated in opposite directions, as they were suspended in the air, directly over the girl's head. Harry and Hermione had been working on some Halo inspired "bling" to add to their armour, and they had merely manufactured a smaller prototype of the diadem that was meant for Hermione. The diadem secretly featured a small flashlight, an emergency shielding system and any other number of silly effects that included rainbows, sparkles, animated stars and other cartoonish images. The item had been programmed with configurable updates and additional pieces that would be eventually given, as the years passed by.

Before the young girl could run off to check herself, Harry merely stretched his hand and conjured a mirror from a custom spell that he had found in Morgana's notes. The emitter in his vambrace allowed the young girl to look at herself.

"Ohhhhh that mirror is fancy! And my diadem floats and moves!" the young girl said, excitedly.

"Sure. There is no diadem in the world like it. Do you approve?" Harry asked.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Astoria replied before she hugged Harry and Hermione. Then, she got up from the chair at the table and began to run and scream around the house.

"Er Harry, you sure you didn't do something extra to her? She has a lot of energy!" laughed Hermione.

"That might be a small side effect if you consider the type of complex magic that we used. Good! She just needs to put some of that into her studies, and she will be fine. You guys ready for the morning?" Harry asked.

"Ha! This is the most devious plan that I have ever heard of! Do you usually cause a spectacle everywhere you go?" Reginald asked.

"Only in the magical world, because of the plans in play. Muggle Harry and Hermione are very boring and are good citizens who have never done anything illegal. We even pay our taxes."

"Fair enough. I am curious about those boxes?" Reginald asked.

"As long as you know me, trouble eventually arrives on your doorstep. Those boxes contain weapons. Assault rifles. Death at 1800 hundred feet. The other items are shielding arrays for everyone. The only thing they cannot shrug off is unforgivables. Why don't we take a walk to a patch of vegetation that we can afford to wreck and I will give you a short crash course on how the items work?"

The Davis family stood in shock about half an hour later as the shielded target drones were shot down with deadly accuracy at long range. Hermione who had not done any practice for a while, engaged easily at twice the speed of Harry. Harry seemed to be able to lead targets with frightening accuracy. Reginald upon trying the weapons realised that a fair amount of practice was necessary to properly hit targets. This implied that both of them were not powerful because they possessed artefacts, but because they were disciplined and insightful. Grace alighted on Astoria's window, and found herself on the receiving end of pets, as she cooed gently. Sirius had been only too happy to show off his master-crafted wand, and Augusta was happy to show off her iPad and the women's section of Amazon after the weapons demonstration was done.

It was now eight p.m. and the visitors had left. Reginald had signed the contract to manage the mining portfolio and Harry had already bought a small office space, not too far from Gringotts. From the beginning of October, the sales would go live. At the end of the week, Harry, Hermione and Sirius would walk the three men through the particulars, and they would operate out of the new office.


It was Sunday morning and the members of the Wizengamot entered the chamber. Many of the darker families, were incensed and they huddled in a corner. They were discussing what could be done to additionally punish the Storm-Bringers. Lucius Malfoy had already drafted the bill – the darker families would penalise muggleborns for the practice of magic with no exceptions. Currently, if an adult Wizard or Witch lived at a location for an extended period, the Ministry of Magic naturally assumed that the muggles who lived there were family members and the Statute of Secrecy was not exercised under an exceptionality. Now that accommodation would be withdrawn. Non-Magical parents would be tagged, and only a certain "quota" would be allowed into Diagon Alley, only if they possessed the correct identification when they needed to shop.

Lucius was confident that he could pass the laws. Many of the smaller neutral houses generally voted in favour of the Malfoys, as they were feared. He already expected the pro-muggle houses to vote vehemently against his policy, but he would have enough votes in any case. Many of the darker houses had reached out and threatened the necessary individuals. Cyrus was now having a word with Lord Snyde and the other neutrals, and the other gentlemen realised that he had something up his sleeve.

"Cyrus, I take it you heard the rumours? All the smaller houses have been threatened. None of us have the facilities that you and Reginald possess. What are we to do?"

"You are to relax. It has been handled. Malfoy will be gasping for air within the next hour. Your positions today are to vote against those morons over there, and I will make the bulk of the contributions. Not to worry, we are not giving up our autonomy. I think we will be gaining a lot of it, today."

"I will tell the rest then. I am trusting you. Although, I haven't seen you this confident in such a long while. I am almost beginning to wonder if you have decided to lead us?" Cillian asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. We will continue to mediate until we no longer can exercise neutrality. I cannot speak of what I know of, as I am under oath. I received the information, only last night. All I can say is that perhaps in the next couple of years, we will eventually be asked to pick a side. Until the right things are in play – I cannot say any more."

"That sounds…ominous. Alright, let me speak to the others?" Cillian wondered.

It almost sounded like some type of darkness was coming to England. Was the Azkaban breakout related to the new Dark Lord? But then there had been a lot of discussions in the neutral camp – some argued that the Storm-Lord was getting revenge, just like he had promised at his Yuletide debut. In any case, he would trust Cyrus, for now.


Now it was time to mislead Magical England, again.

Hermione had managed to program a spell emitter with an illusion. Sirius Black now looked like someone else, and he would pretend to be Aurelian Black, the lost brother of Arcturus Black. The cover story was simple - he had manifested his magic late into his life and he was the successor to the Black Lineage. Then to convince the others, he would swear upon a magical oath that he was Aurelian Black, the new Lord Black.

But how would he accomplish this, without being dishonest?

The illusion had been created with everything that he would need, to fool the public. His wand would rise into the air, and the illusion would invoke a magical oath. From here Sirius would explain his fabrication and when he was finished, he would merely light his wand. He would then summon the House magic, and rip the darker families a new asshole, before taxing all of them into the ground.

House Black had lent many of the darker houses many millions of galleons collectively. However, the contracts had been left open by Sirius's father Orion, so that the terms could be adjusted favourably. This was done to facilitate fellow supporters of the Dark Lord. Sirius had merely decided that thirty per cent interest and full repayment of the money within a three years would result in many of the families scrambling for their lives. To deliver the formal terms of the pending loans, Sirius had enlisted the services of Andromeda Black-Tonks, who had been reinstated into House Black. She was representing her new retainer firm, Findlay and Tonks, which had been registered successfully, and was looking for their first high-profile case.

Of course, informally they could make much smaller payments at a decreased interest if they did not execute their policies.

Sirius would also explain (as he referred to himself in the third person under his assumed identity) that he was in mourning and he was on a well-deserved rest after the discovery of the tragic passing of his godson. Sirius as Lord Aurelian Black, would proceed to interrogate Albus Dumbledore and ask why Sirius required a third party to levy for his freedom. For the others who were not aware of the breakout, this would imply that the Ministry had discovered his innocence, through some external investigation. For particularly the neutrals who were aware of the breakout, this inference would point to the Storm-Lord. The conversation that had occurred in the Slytherin common room had once again been enlightening. Everyone knew what to expect. Malfoy junior had continued to blabber well into midnight the previous day. Harry had heard everything.


Lord Davis and Lord Greengrass took their seats as their seats, as the session began:

"Order! Order! Today we convene for our weekly meeting once again, august members of this sacred magical body. I Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge ask our Chief Warlock to bring forward any issues that deserve our attention. Then we will recess before we resume any legislative changes."

Usually, Albus would have been required to voice issues about Hogwarts. However, with no lasting damage, and with the delay that came from Draco's falcon being blocked by the wards, Lord Malfoy and Lord Ethro would already be at home, by the time the letter arrived. For the next Wizengamot session, it would not matter much as the students would have returned to class.

"The Chief Warlock now has the floor, by order of the Undersecretary of Magic!" Dolores Umbridge squeaked in her annoying, high-pitched voice. Albus Dumbledore then arose from his seat and began to speak about his primary issue for today:

"Good morning Noble Lord and Ladies of the Wizengamot. Recently many momentous events have befallen our magical community. I am sure that others will speak about what is relevant to them – but I have an internal matter concerning the innocent conviction of a man"

Suddenly there was muttering in the chamber as Cornelius knocked on his small wooden mallet and yelled, "Order! Order!"

The chamber became silent.

"Chief Warlock, who is the wrongfully accused?" Fudge asked as he played his part.

"Sirius Black Minister! Sirius Black was wrongfully convicted for the death of the Potters!" Albus replied.

"Nonsense! The evidence showed that he was guilty! He deserves to stay in Azkaban!" Lucius shouted at the top of his voice. The Neutrals who had seen the Azkaban breakout memory realised that somebody else had decided to interfere in the issue.

"Lord Malfoy, I am afraid that this is not the case! It was assumed that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper for the Potters. However, I was investigating Harry Potter's untimely demise, and contradicting information produced itself!" Dumbledore explained.

Lucius was now confused. Something did not add up. But Fudge had not lied? Sirius Black had confessed to killing the Potters? No something else was afoot here? The neutrals considered that Lord Peverell's claim had truth to them – and this was interesting. Perhaps he was not a Dark Lord?

Albus already knew that the mention of Harry Potter would soften many of the light-leaning houses, and they would coalesce towards voting in favour of Sirius Black. As he looked at how best he could manipulate the situation, Sirius Black in his disguise looked on and giggled from the public gallery. Augusta, Cyrus and Reginald looked like they were whispering to other individuals, but in truth, they were talking to each over the comm devices, as the artefact silenced their cross-bench communication. Albus projected the document, that he had received from Gringotts, and Cornelius Fudge began to read the entire contents aloud. For the darker families, suddenly the targeting of the Potters made complete sense – Peter Pettigrew had been the turncoat and the secret ally. Lord Nott, sensing the change in the story and the possible exoneration of Sirius Black, decided to inject himself into the conversation:

"House Nott finds the idea that we would let a killer roam the streets, detestable. Sirius Black must be punished for his murder of Peter Pettigrew! We do not take vigilante actions, as justice is to be executed upon the Minister of Magic's word, via the Aurors. Chief Warlock, your rebuttal?"

"Very well Lord Nott. Sirius Black was the official Godfather of Harry Potter by magic. And while Harry Potter is considered a half-blood, the Potter lineage is almost as old as the Blacks. The Potters never seemed to care about becoming a Most Ancient and Most Noble house. Potter, formerly Pottarius are older than most of the houses here. They have some of the most powerful and combative House Magic, and I would have never dreamed of crossing Charlus Potter when he was alive. Since they have House magic, regardless of their social acceptance in the Sacred twenty-eight, the original charter of the Wizengamot provides them with the capability to call on the old laws."

Suddenly there was murmuring as this was shocking news for the Purebloods, and some began to realise that the legendary Pottarius battlemages of many centuries were the….Potters? The house had merely…..changed their name? No wonder Charlus Potter was rumoured to be formidable. Suddenly, the long forgotten partnership between Charlus and the Arcturus began to make a certain amount of sense, particularly among the more astute politically minded members of the Wizengamot. That was why Dorea Black had been appropriate for Charlus Potter? Arcturus was a very picky man, after all.

Albus continued his explanation:

"so, if any member of House Potter was killed, Sirius could demand that the debt be paid in blood, as a Godfather of House Potter. The same rules that apply to Purebloods, apply to any Lord or Lady of the Potter house. Charlus Potter was very much a pureblood, and his wife was Dorothea Black. Are you suggesting that revenge is not within their purview Lord Nott? That might set a dangerous precedent, that could strip away your rank and prestige. They have enough heritage and House Magic to be on par with any Most Ancient and Most Noble House – there were here right after the Blacks, in England. The Greengrasses are then, third."

"Comment rescinded, I spoke badly. This is….truly momentous news. We did not know of this. I don't understand why House Potter did not bring their heritage forward. The Sacred Twenty-Eight could have been adjusted to include them? I suppose the will has a Gringotts sigil of authenticity, Chief Warlock?" Lord Nott replied as he attempted to backpedal.

"It certainly does. And worse yet, we have harmed one of the oldest Most Ancient and Most Noble houses in the Wizengamot. We have imprisoned a Black – Sirius Black! This must be rectified immediately. I have been aware of the development since yesterday. A grave injustice was carried out by the D.M.L.E!" Fudge replied as he sought to protect himself. Amelia Bones was now livid.

"Lord Greengrass, a comment?" asked Albus.

"Yes, Chief Warlock – I would suggest that if the evidence is irrefutable based on the presence of the Godfather's oath, we move to judge Sirius Black as innocent. I am aware of the other incidents to be discussed and we should not flog a dead horse. As a Neutral, I was concerned at the time with the conviction – I know Sirius Black in passing and James Potter was his blood brother, by magic. Perhaps the climate and the panic of the last war would have made us less objective. I also think that compensation must be addressed."

"Well said Lord Greengrass! As Minister of Magic, I move to vote Sirius Black as innocent and he is now judged as a free man. He will be released from Azkaban immediately, and upon his appearance, he will resume his seat in this noble chamber. Then, he shall be compensated appropriately. All for?" Fudge asked.

Most of the wizards lit their wands.

"All against?"

All the darker houses, who had been collaborating to bring out the new legislation, voted against the decision. This was exactly forty seats. They were staring at the Neutrals – they had not supported them. What the hell was going on? Lucius Malfoy was now fuming….

"The fors have it! Sirius Black is innocent!" announced Cornelius Fudge, as he considered that he would appear soon enough. After all, he had been broken out of prison.

Then, Lucis Malfoy asked to address the assembly.

Lucius began his contribution about the great loss of many of the pure-blooded individuals as he made references to the empty chairs. He spoke eloquently about the death of Lord Cassius, Lord Goyle and Lord Crabbe, Lord Warrington and Lord Flint. Lucius demanded justice, as he insisted that the Unspeakables had determined that some type of dark curse had been used to kill with impunity. He referred to his showdown with the Storm Bringers and began to tilt the conversation. He implied that magic was a dangerous tool, along with the arrest of the "barbarian and the hag", who had already broken multiple Misuse of Muggle Artifacts laws. He also implied that the criminals could strike at any time. If they possessed co-conspirators who supplied them with "Muggle things" the best way to deal with the issue was to carefully monitor "muggles and muggleborns" who were possible threats to "English Wizarding Culture."

With all the fist banging and the yelling, soon enough the entire Wizengamot devolved into a loud shouting voice, as the houses of the light began to tear the bill apart. Augusta who was taking notes, was only too happy to let Harry and Hermione chime in over her comm device, as she explained their arguments along with her own in the Wizengamot.

"This bill is an attempt to oppress innocents under the guise of security. Did Malfoy forget that the Unspeakables and eyewitness accounts confirm that the men, dressed as Death Eaters arrived, as they began to fire off Unforgivables?" Augusta asked.

"You must be happy they perished! No due respect for the law! They should have been detained and examined! Then perhaps we could get to the bottom of the issue!" replied Lord Nott.

"What bottom! The Death Eaters ran free, on the basis that they could not be identified during the last war! I say that we push a resolution to have the cases from the war re-examined under magical oath!" replied Lord McMillian.

"How dare you! How dare you suggest that our magic should be coerced, it is disrespect to our autonomy! And to think a pure-blood like yourself would suggest such a vile thing!" Nott thundered. The Daily Prophet cameras were flashing as Rita skeeter prepared herself to resume writing a sensational article. Suddenly, Lord Nott called upon Cillian.

"Lord Snyde! The Neutrals have been rather quiet! What do you have to say on the matter?"

"I will defer my speaking time to Lord Greengrass!"

"The chair recognises a deferral of speaking time, from Lord Snyde to Lord Greengrass!" Dolores Umbridge announced.

"I do believe that Dame Longbottom has a point and we cannot punish innocents for the actions of an unknown party. However, I must ask something…

Could anyone provide any accurate information on the progress of locating the perpetrators? Because if you cannot find them, you cannot punish them? That seems to be a simple piece of logic. Does anybody at all, anybody have any ideas as to how we could tackle this issue? And based on the weapons he was carrying, how are you so sure that Azkaban can hold him?"

As he paused, the neutrals realised that Cyrus was now preparing to deliver the killing blow.

"Tempers got so hot, in this building that the arguments devolved into a shouting match! Head of the DMLE, Lady Bones, can you share any ideas that you have about how these rather powerful royals, could be held? Do they have personal fiefdoms? Did we consider that these individuals may own private armies? The world is a rather large place?"

Suddenly the darker houses got frightened. They were aware that his daughter had given their children handouts when it came to the Storm-bringers. And now he was suggesting that they had personal armies? No wizard in England was wealthy enough to afford that? And what if they had fiefdoms?

That made them quiet. Cyrus continued:

"Perhaps we can replace "Muggle-born" with "Pure-blood" and pass the law. No ideological difference? We neutrals will continue to be mediators until valid solutions can come forth. We will not support this bill, on the basis that the bill could be reversed in the future and tuned on purebloods, as long as the precedent for this is set today! This is a case of authoritarian law!"

After the muttering continued Cornelius Fudge took up the hammer, as he prepared to call the court to order. However, now a cloaked man was openly walking into the Wizengamot, and he was approaching the Black Seat. Just the mere idea that someone could be that audacious, angered many. Albus Dumbledore looked on and hoped that Sirius Black had surely returned. The Neutrals began to wonder if it was Sirius Black too.

That was when another shit show, began.

"Chief Warlock? Who is that man who is walking to the Black Seat? We demand his arrest and…"

"Malfoy you fucking pond dweller, shut your flying fuckhole you insufferable cunt!" Sirius yelled, after applying a sonorous. The whole Wizengamot froze with the coarse language and the illusion began to do its work.

For everyone who was looking on, a tall grey man who looked similar to Arcturus Black was watching the entire crowd, after the hood was taken down. Now the cloak was off. The new robes and the representation of Herald were clearly visible as the wand was displayed. And his robes were exactly a copy of the Storm-Lord. The neutrals indirectly understood that this new person, who was not Sirius Black, was key to everything. And possibly, the Storm-Bringers were his…..friends? Cyrus had a smirk on his face. Lord Snyde and Lord Oakwood scratched their chins, and the others looked on anxiously.

"Upon my magic, I am Aurelian Black! I am the brother of Arcturus Black! I was hidden away from the world because it was believed I was a squib! My magic only manifested only in my early twenties! Naturally, this was a great shame for the House of Black, but Arcturus reached out to me because he was disappointed with the direction House Black took you fucking set of imbeciles!"

With the oath invoked, the audience was now riveted, and Albus Dumbledore was displeased. A new chess piece had entered the board, once again. Sirius under the protection and deception of the illusion continued:

"House Black….serves only House Black! Not any jumped up fuckwit of a Dark Lord. If he has a noble heritage, why did he not claim a Gringotts title? No, he must not be a pureblood in any case. And to think many of you brainless morons believed that garbage hook, line and sinker! Arcturus was displeased that he had decided to remain neutral and let family members freely choose their loyalty.

Now House Black has been run into the fucking ground! And to hear that my grand-nephew was wrongfully convicted? And my great godson dead? The saviour of the Wizarding World is buried and gone? Dead because of the interference of this witless bearded goat! Oh, I am going to tear you donkeys a new hole for you to shit out of! Dumbledore, if I wanted to kill you, no fucking goddammed wand could save you. There are far worse things, you stupid congregation of red-assed baboons!"

I AM FUCKING LORD BLACK! GAZE UPON THE OBSIDIAN! FAMILICUS MAGICUS! "

Herald sensing that he needed to make a statement, coiled around the black seat and towered over the entire Wizengamot, to prove his point:

"I am Herald and I am the House Magic of the Black lineage. I am King of all snakes. Kneel to your superior!" the magical construct replied, with its nine heads flicking their tongues, as it dared anyone to interfere. For the darker houses, the magical presence of such a snake made them feel abject fear. And nine heads? The new magic was much more powerful than the old Black totem.

"Well done Herald! For those illiterate cretins, the Black Totem is gone. It had to be unmade so that something far more powerful, could take its place! Gaze upon it you insufferable donkeys!

Lumos!"

As the illusion did its job, not even Dumbledore suspected that Sirius Black was playing the part of someone else, and now the entire Wizengamot was shocked. The dropping of a pin could be heard. Sirius continued in a very condescending tone of voice:

"Excellent. Since House Black has been away, Fudge you jackass, give me back my seat! Who were you to assume that the Malfoys should control my seat? Give it back now, or I will command Herald to kill you on the fucking spot!

I stripped Malfoy's wife completely out of our wealth for being a Lord Moldypants bootlicker. I stripped the word, Black, out of Bellatrix's mind for being Darth Moldycunt's blowjob and rimjob specialist! And they have control of my seat? I will curse you into oblivion right here, you slobbering flobberworm. FIX IT NOW!"

Cornelius Fudge had expected Sirius Black and this sudden appearance of this irate and dangerous looking man had him nervous. The darker houses were very surprised and they began to wonder what was going to happen now – All their plans were being undone. Fudge nodded nervously as Umbridge announced:

"Lord Black has been reinstated. House Black may now contribute to the debate, as a most Ancient and Most Noble House," replied Dolores Umbridge.

"Thank you Jabba the Hutt, for your clairvoyant perception, captain obvious! I enjoyed that Lord Greengrass had the guts to pull up everybody's pants. I do think Dame Longbottom raised valid points too. And Lord McMillian, pay attention, you will love what I have to say - This is going to get rather interesting. Some of you by the time you get home will receive letters from Gringotts. Go and dig into your accounts. I want you to make sure that you aren't too surprised when my retainer, Findley and Tonks, decides to collect what you owe.

Don't worry, like Orion, I can assure you that I am reasonable.

I do think that House Black as an infamously darker house has been decimated by pureblood stupidity, and it should not continue on its self-destructive path. There are only two Blacks left! I hope that when I receive my grandson, he will be compensated, for his wrongful arrest. Or perhaps the Ministry wants to speak to multiple retainers. I can afford it! I want at least three million galleons or I will spend two million on getting two hundred retainers bright and early tomorrow morning, waiting to tear down the Ministry of Magic reception desk!"

Suddenly Fudge nodded uneasily at Delores Umbridge, who took note of the compensation. Nobody uttered a word, and suddenly Albus understood why so many Black heirlooms were up for sale. This man had plans and he had facilities at his disposal. As he considered this, his name was called by the irate looking man

"Goatmaster Dumblefuck! You! Your actions killed Harry Potter! He could have been fixed? The boy never knew his heritage! Your incompetence is astounding Chief Warlock. My grandson fought in your Order of the Fried Chicken in the last war, your little vigilante group. Loved James Potter! And then to think that you suspected nothing? Did you know your students at all? And to think that this mishap resulted in all these events that have occurred? I almost feel like I should invoke Blood War! House Potter is as of right now, fucking extinct! No Dumblefuck! I am going neutral. And then after I am done with you fuckheads, I will have to console my grandson, about the death of his godson.

How is Sirius Black, going to handle that? Probably with drugs, alcohol and women, but I don't blame him.

Finally…..Lucy Lucy Lucy! I recently acquired the diary of a former Death Eater. He was a Black. I will not give the name. All I will say is that the diary detailed on how the individual in question, embraced being a part of that wonderful little family. Who knows what else I will find? I do sometimes wonder if we could truly handle the Veritaserum. The information about how that 'Dark Mark' works is interesting. Lord McMillian, let me assure you, you need more than ink to take the disgusting tattoo!"

Sirius was now waving the book in his hand, and suddenly the entire darker bloc was trembling. Some of them were already considering an assassination of the new Lord Black. He could only be talking about Regulus Black. They would break the wards and assassinate him soon. Harry and Hermione were now giggling, and the new fivesome was now listening over their earbuds. Sirius had learnt his new vocabulary from Harry, and he appreciated that his godfather had given the Wizengamot a total shakedown. Sirius continued:

"Let be known that House Black is done with pureblood extremism. We are done with discrimination and if you move against me, I won't challenge you to a duel. No, I will kill you on the damned fucking spot!

Dumbledore, were you planning to tell them about the broom malfunction? Lucius, why didn't you bring the issue up? Surely you are well informed on the issue? I have it on good word you have suspicions about the perpetrator. Please tell us what you know. Or perhaps I could tell the story, which one do you prefer? My story involves somebody sneaking off to somewhere in the middle of the night, with two henchmen and a prefect!"

Lucius was now white with fear.

"What occurred at Hogwarts?" Lord Patel asked.

"Why Lord Patil, your daughter Padma almost fell to her death, but she was rescued by a brave young man! She almost fell to her death just like almost fifteen others, and it is a miracle that other students volunteered to step up. Then a wild-ass Thunderbird decided that Hograts safety was shite, and decided to help the situation out. The bird has a better damned brain than some of you inside here, and that is not saying much…."

"WHAT?" Lord Patel roared.

Albus sighed, as he realised that now he would have to explain the issue.

"Oh, by the way on the bill? Fucking no. Lucius you fucking cunt, get a damned hobby if you have a midlife crisis, and stop being so edgy. You look like a discount peacock statue from those one-pound muggle stores!"

Sirius sat in his seat and began to snigger somewhat. Albus wiped the sweat off his forehead and began with the inevitable explanation.

"On Friday afternoon, I was alerted to….."