Chapter 11

Harry Apparated at Hogsmeade Station as he didn't want to be sighted by anyone at Hogwarts while he thought over his situation. He strolled down High Street nodding at the shop keepers that marked his passing. While the wizarding town wasn't the busiest he'd ever been in, which consisted of two, he noticed that there was a fair amount of pedestrian traffic.

From the reaction from some people, that he once considered ... friends was too strong of a word, but ally was close enough, it seemed as if he was about to go on the outs with the wizarding public once more.

No doubt the Board of Governors would be notified about his opinion of elitist Pure-blood families and he would be called before them as a knee-jerk reaction encouraged by the more influential parents of those that thought there should be a separation between type based on blood.

Eventually the Daily Prophet would get their two Knuts in and make him out to be an egomaniac once more. Dumbledore would get pressure from the Board and the parents to sack him and might even be hoisted out himself, for the third time. And with no immanent threat to the wizarding community at large Hermione would be tossed out of Hogwarts as he was sure the Ministry would delegate a new Headmaster that would have their own best interests at heart.

For the last six years he had always been on the defensive when it came to the public and their views, ignoring what they had to say until it became in own best interests to do something about it in response. This time he had to do something before the proverbial dragon dung hit the breakfast floor.

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"Is this becoming a habit or what?" said Ron staring around the Defense office.

Harry, Hermione, Luna, and he were waiting for Ginny and Neville.

"They'll be here in a minute," replied Harry

"At least you had the sense enough to do it after dinner this time."

Harry smiled. "I'm always thinking about you, Ron."

"Appreciate that, mate."

Footsteps coming up the classroom stairway announced the arrival of the last two members of the Order of the Dog Star. When greetings were done, Harry locked the door and placed an Imperturbable Charm on the room.

"Harry, why all the secrecy?" asked Hermione.

"You don't know what this is about, Hermione?" said a shocked Ginny.

Harry intervened. "No, she doesn't, and this doesn't necessarily involved any of you but Hermione and myself so feel free to leave at anytime you aren't interested in what I have to say."

"This sounds familiar," mumbled Neville. "Who are we going after this time?"

Harry pulled his arms around his back and grasped his hands together. "The Ministry of Magic."

He waited for a moment for what he said to sink in and let the inevitable comment from Ron set the stage.

"Alright then, let me go get my broom. Attack at dawn okay with you?" He paused. "Are you mad?"

Harry smiled. "I'm not talking about attacking the Ministry by force."

He relayed the events of the last couple of days so that everyone was on the same piece of parchment, ending with his thoughts of an attack of wits, values, and solidarity. Hermione was noticeably silent throughout the entire speech.

"What exactly to you have in mind, Harry," Luna asked while picking a thread off of Ron's robes and brushing the material flat.

Harry looked at his wife. "I want to get Hermione to safety, away from whoever is saying they are the Knights of Walpurgis. I want to let the everyone know that we've had it with talk of strong-arming those that aren't wealthy enough to have a prominent voice. I want to create such a wedge in our society that they have to change the rules or suffer the consequences."

Hermione leaned forward. "Harry, you're talking about changing tradition that has stood for thousands of years. Nothing short of a major civil war is going to make that happen."

"Exactly.."

Neville was becoming extremely uncomfortable. "I don't like the sound of this, Harry."

He shook his head. "I'm not speaking of fighting anyone with magic." He paused to take a breath. "I want to do something that will separate those that believe as we do and those that don't, so that once those in power actually see what's happening they'll have to change or resign themselves to extinction or mutation in less than four generations."

Hermione looked up. "What?"

"What I said to my fourth year class was true, I wasn't making it up."

By now everyone had already heard the rumor-mill's version of Harry's speech.

"I noticed it back when Sirius shown me his family on that tapestry at Grimmauld Place; you remember the one."

Ron, Hermione and Ginny nodded.

"The Pure-blood families are soon approaching last generation before they start inbreeding to 2nd and even 1st cousins. I really don't think people realize how closely related the Prue-bloods are."

Ron was surprised at this. "What?"

"Ron, do you and Ginny know that you're related to the Malfoy's ... second cousin twice removed."

The look of horror on Ron Weasley's face was almost traumatic.

"I'm Dumbledore's great great grand nephew-in-law. Neville, your mother is Ron's third cousin on his mother's side."

They was all aghast and blinking furiously in astonishment.

"Harry, how do you know all of this?" asked Luna who suddenly seemed very interested in the conversation.

Harry reached behind him and pulled out a large black book that he had removed from Grimmauld Place two summers previous during their cleansing of the house Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy, and showed them.

Ron became very nervous and turned to Luna. "We ... we're not ... "

Luna waved him off. "My grandparents are Muggles and my father is a Half-blood. If we're related it's not by much."

His friend sighed with relief.

He motioned to Ginny and Neville. "And you two are third cousins, twice removed so you're safe."

Neville's eyes went wide and darted to Ron. Ginny blushed and covered her face. "Harry!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "What, you think I don't see the googily-eyes you two make at each other at the dinner table? Everyone already knows. You might as well go public."

Neville sighed with relief at not having Ron pouncing from his seat with a brother's vengeance.

"So you've have a really good reason," Hermione started. "But we are speaking about fifty or even a hundred more years before it starts becoming an major issue, considering the life spans of the average witch or wizard."

Harry shook his head. "This is a side issue, something to get the Quaffle flying. The main issue is to get these idiotic laws changed, put more power in to the hands of the people, and keep you safe."

Luna leaned back in her chair. "You sound very idealistic, Harry."

He smirked. "Luna, I'm seventeen. I'm supposed to be idealistic."

"So what's the plan?" asked Ron.

Harry shrugged. "I have to look into the possibility of what it will cost to find some private land that isn't under the jurisdiction of the any Ministry, and then build a school."

"A what?" someone said, Harry wasn't paying attention.

"A school and then a community like Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley put together. Someplace where people can go to live and not be taunted for being what they are."

Hermione shook her head. "It wouldn't work."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "You're doing the one thing that the elitist Pure-bloods want you to do, namely leave."

Harry thought on it for a second. "How about if I were to give the land away? Help people build their own homes."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Harry, it's a nice idea, but even you don't have that kind of money and the idea is highly unrealistic."

He grimaced. "That's one of the reasons I brought you all here. I want you to shoot holes in all of this so I can make it work."

Luna stood up and started pacing. "I suggest ..."

"Hold on a second. I need to know if you all are with me on this before we go any further."

Hermione was first. "Harry, you know I'm with you, but I think in this instance we need to make thorough and very detailed plans before any of us commits. This isn't a question of friendship or loyalty. It's about a whole new way of life." She paused for a moment. "What you are suggesting might very well affect the entire wizarding community in Great Britain, not to mention the ramifications world wide."

He nodded. "Explain."

"Well for starters, in essence what you are talking about is setting up a new government."

"I don't want to do that, I just want a place where we are left alone," he replied.

She nodded, "And who is responsible for keeping us hidden from the Muggle world. Who will enforce the limited law that you are proposing? Who will dictate curriculum at the school? Who will interact with the other governments in the world on the communities behalf?"

Harry held up his hands. "I get your point."

Luna came back with, "Not that your idea of a school that is privately run is not a good notion, Harry. You have no one to answer to but yourself since it won't be Ministry sponsored. I would even hazard to guess you might be able to talk teachers from Hogwarts into positions there."

Ginny nodded. "I know they weren't too happy with what was going on when the Ministry interfered with us two years ago."

That was an understatement.

"The students would still have to be tested in O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s, but that's about it," Hermione added.

"Have you talked to Dumbledore about this?" asked Neville.

Harry shook his head. "No, he has a habit of shooting down my ideas and I want to have all sides covered before I act."

Ron leaned forward. "The teachers will follow Dumbledore, whatever he does."

"Wouldn't it be simpler to just take over Hogwarts?" asked Ginny. "I mean if it's Ministry sponsored and all can't we just tell them to take a hike?"

"Um ..."

She continued. "I mean we already have everything here, Hogsmeade, the castle ... you know ... everything."

Ron smiled. "Out of the mouth of little sisters."

Hermione smiled. "We already have a town here. If you want to Harry you can buy up a lot of the surrounding land and bring in a support system like that. You already have a local government that is dependent on Hogwarts business and would have to conform or lose it's largest source of income. Ginny, that's a brilliant idea."

Neville looked on. "Harry, not to be indelicate, but do you have that kind of money?"

Harry was deep in thought about how he could present this to Dumbledore, and just nodded. "I need to start doing it now, before my name is in the bin again."

"I think that would be the smartest move for now. You'll never lose money on land anyway; the price always goes up. If it doesn't work out you can always sell it later," Hermione noted.

Harry nodded. "Good. Great. Now what can we do about the Ministry?"

"You said it yourself, Harry," Luna said. "The people with the money have all the power. Take it away from them."

"Excuse me?"

"I assume that with the new residences that will be occupying the land around Hogwarts that it will bring in new business as well. You might want to talk to the Diagon Alley Business Council and see if you can talk them into moving. Perhaps St. Mungo's, and the smaller business as well. Offering updated buildings and a guaranteed cliental."

Hermione jumped in. "They would lose a significant amount of business if they lost the Hogwarts students, too." She looked at Luna. "Are you sure you weren't considered for Slytherin?"

"Like Hermione said, I wouldn't be able to afford construction of a new town. What about the money?"

Ron came up with an idea. "Harry, you're an Enchanter."

"And?"

Ron laughed. "If you sold your services you could name your own prices. Plus, once you sharpen up your Transfiguration skills, everything you transfigure would be permanent. There are plenty of natural resources around here. Your cost on supplies would be nothing; you can transfigure anything you need. All you need is someone to put it together."

Ginny started to smile like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. "This might actually work."

"Luna, you think your dad might be up for another interview?"

She smiled. "I'll contact him."

"Good, Hermione, see if you can get a hold of Rita Skeeter."

Her mouth twisted up. "She's back to work for the Prophet."

Ginny laughed. "Considering how many printings Harry sold of the Quibbler with his last article, I think they might actually do him justice this time. At least if you get your name out before the Governors find you're moving against them."

Harry moved to the door dispersing the Imperturbable Charm. "I'm going to Dumbledore now. If he goes along with us then we'll start tomorrow."

"What about us?" asked Ron.

He stopped and turned. "Ron, I want you to get a hold of your dad. See what kind of reaction we can expect from the Ministry, and if there are any legal issues we might have to deal with. Ginny I want a list of any student's family that you think might be interested in moving, starting a business, in Hogsmeade, or who just plain have it in for the Ministry. Neville, contact your Gran. Were going to need some connections to St. Mungo's decision makers and idea people.

"Hermione, lawyers, barristers, solicitors, whatever wizards use; we'll need a team. Luna, after you get a hold of your father, see if he might know who to talk to about purchasing the land in and around Hogsmeade."

He stopped and smiled. "Good work tonight. You guys are great."