DISCLAIMER! This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. New Movie is coming in April! Hurrah! Yeah, for Fanfiction – a great place to stretch your imagination and enjoy someone else's creativity too! The is the sequel to The Potter Cartouche.

Chapter 10: Updates Everyone

These events occur after Harry met with Great Evil and Less Evil Tonks at Longbottom Manor, and after the day he put on his Heir Potter ring and forced the Horcrux of Tom Riddle from his scar.

SCENE CHANGE: Harry's Headache

Harry set up his worktable again in a duelling chamber underneath Longbottom Manor. Dobby insisted that Mr Harry Potters never leave anything outside of his bookbag when he was not in the room working, and to make cleaning up easier, Harry never pulled more than one project out of the bag at a time.

"Youse don't want to explain to Ladys Longbottoms how you be making gold!" Dobby whispered the day he caught Harry with a bag of gold waiting on the desk while he worked on a change to his ring that fired off stones.

"Sorry, Dobby. You're right," Harry said, motioning toward the bag of gold. "Will you deliver that to Bloodhook, please?"

The teenager agreed with the elf, and though he grumbled about it from time to time, he kept the desk clear of everything except for a single project. He'd made a second ring that matched his first ring that pelted his opponent with 100 fast-moving stones. And like the first ring, the weapons the ring threw toward the targets many times. (With this new ring, the two test dummies were stabbed by so many silver knives they disintegrated after eight shots. Dobby grumbled but restored the targets after several minutes and a hug from Harry to refill the elf's magical core).

The new ring used silver knives to strike at the opponent. (Harry admitted that he didn't trust Remus Lupin and wanted a weapon that would disable if not kill a werewolf if one attacked him. From his reading, silver knives worked against an infected wizard in human form as well as the transformed monster.)

'Can I do that? Shoot silver knives at a werewolf?' Harry wondered. 'If it's the wolf, yes without doubt, but not at a man just because he is a werewolf.'

Willing his rings to become visible, Harry stared at them – the first to magnify the power of any spell, the second to throw stones and the third to throw silver knives.

'I don't have enough fingers…how do I get one ring to have these three different runic arrays on them?' he wondered. Clearing up the workspace and placing everything back into his bookbag, Harry 'vanished' the rings again and then practised making himself invisible as well and made his way back to the main floor of the manor house.

Making himself visible once again in the hallway, the teenager made his way to the library and looked for books on runes. Neville's mother had enjoyed playing with runes, but there weren't any books other than the textbooks from her years at Hogwarts. Neville wasn't the first Longbottom to enjoy working with plants because the shelves were full of books about propagating, cultivating, and harvesting mundane and magical plants, as well as the steps needed to dry, bottle, and preserve the plants for use as food, medicines, and potion ingredients.

"Snape's a bloody berk! If he'd cultivated Neville's interest in potions, Longbottom would have shared lots of tips and shortcuts to every kid at Hogwarts learning how to prepare potion ingredients," Harry said.

Moving to a window and watching the elves working in a vegetable garden, Harry realised that since the Horcrux had been forced from his head, he had not felt any pain from the scar, and there'd been no headaches despite how late he read his books. Thinking about his schoolwork, he suddenly remembered the books about advanced runes he'd taken from the Come and Go Room last year. Thinking about those books carefully, he reached into his bookbag and withdrew the three books. He quickly scanned all of them and, in one from the mid-1800s, found the topic 'Layered Runes' in the table of contents.

Putting the other two books back into his bag, he opened the book and began to read. After some time, he pulled out a notebook and biro to start making notes. The book was rather delicate – the paper from the mid-1800s was thick, and Harry tried to be careful, but he knew he'd begin to tear the pages switching back and forth.

'Can I make a duplicate?' he wondered, and looking at the front of the book, he found the copyright on the volume was long expired. With his biro and a paper cartouche, he quickly made a copy of the book and returned the original to his bag before once again reading and thinking about the information on layering runes.

The portrait of Maximus Longbottom, Neville's great-great-great-grandfather, watched the young visitor to his family's manor perform magic with runes that shouldn't be possible. When the magical portrait finally woke in 1864, Maximus had been informed by his son that his death was caused by a rune misfire while carving a new warding schema for the Ministry of Magic in 1850. Usually alone in the library, Maximus was pleased by this visitor and wondered if he should speak to the visitor and tell him about studying the same book in his years as a Master of Runes.

'I'll keep watch and speak to the boy in a week or so,' decided Maximus. 'Let me ask the other portraits where he goes when he isn't in the library, and I'll watch him most carefully.'

SCENE CHANGE: Dumbledore's Dilemma

Albus Dumbledore had been walking out of the Great Hall following an argument with the Board of Governors. They attempted to press a slate of new professors on him that Dumbledore had not even interviewed for the coming school year. He was distracted, and the castle hid the entrance through the wards by six Aurors from him, so he walked into a wall of stunning spells from the Aurors who were scattered around the entry hall.

They quickly levitated the headmaster through the front door and out the gate, where they slapped a portkey on the unconscious wizard. One Auror hurried inside to tell the Governors that Dumbledore had been arrested again.

"Can't we fire him now? He's been arrested twice in the same month?" asked Oliver Greengrass.

Seated in a chair and stripped to his underclothes, Albus Dumbledore awoke through a spell. While his occlumency worked to manage the resulting headache, he groaned when he saw Director Amelia Bones standing in front of him, her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes.

"Albus Percival Dumbledore, why did you never do anything about the Horcrux in the scar on Harry Potter's head?" she demanded to know.

"I wasn't sure it was."

"You're an idiot," she declared and slashed a hand down to emphasise the declaration. Did you have any healer look at the scar?"

"It was too dangerous for anyone to know about Potter's condition."

"You're a fool! Did you have any curse breaker look at the scar?"

"What's happened?" Dumbledore tried to ask.

Amelia leaned in close and said, "I am asking the questions, and you will answer them now. I don't have time to play another round of twenty questions for twenty more days with you in lockup!"

Cringing at the threat of a repeat of early July, Dumbledore replied, "The scar on Harry Potter's head is not a true Horcrux."

"What is it!"

"I can't be sure…" he said to dissemble, but Bones hissed dangerously, and Dumbledore rushed to continue. "A partial possession. Everything I read led me to believe it was a partial possession by a fragment or all of the Dark Lord's soul."

"Did you consult with anyone?"

"No, of course not. I couldn't take the chance of anyone learning about the scar."

"Idiot!" Bones declared as he interrupted his comment. Then she asked, "Did you in your infinite wisdom decide if it was only a fragment of the Dark Lord's soul or the whole of what he had left?"

"After Potter's first year at Hogwarts…the other piece of the Dark Lord appeared at the school and tried to steal the Flamel's Philosopher's Stone. That's when I knew there was only a small piece of Tom…the Dark Lord's soul."

"Do you mean Tom Riddle?"

"Amelia, you mustn't let everyone know about this…or Tom's name."

"Fool! Harry Potter told everyone about the connection between Tom Riddle and Lord Voldie-shorts that same day he showed the memory of the battle underneath Hogwarts. And now everyone will know about the Horcrux because Gringotts is upset at the ministry for letting a child live with one in a scar on his head for almost thirteen years!" Amelia shouted from right in front of Albus. They issued three press releases already naming you as the responsible party!"

"Oh no…The Daily Prophet mustn't print that," Dumbledore insisted. Leaning forward just a bit, the wizard whispered, "And Amelia, you need a mouth freshening charm rather badly."

Dumbledore was released before midnight the same day. After being verbally abused by Amelia Bones, Dumbledore was required to sit through an interrogation by the Unspeakables with Amos Diggory, the Minister for Magic, as a witness. Throughout the episode, Albus shivered with shame from the cold and not having his outer robes, hat, shoes, or rings.

Alone once he walked away from the DMLE offices, Dumbledore made his way to the atrium and used the floo system to return to his office in Hogwarts. Once in his castle again, he trudged up the staircase to his bed-chamber, not noticing the kneazles that followed behind him. While asleep, he didn't hear the magical creatures talk with the sorting hat and use secret passageways the perfect size for a niffler to exit the headmaster's office and begin to explore the deserted hallways of Hogwarts.

SCENE CHANGE: Augusta's Achievement (Poke a Badger, and You'll Pay!)

The following occurs after Harry's testimony in the Wizengamot about the basilisk but before Harry's visit to Gringotts on 31 July.

After the conclusion of the latest meeting of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, Augusta Longbottom and Griselda Marchbanks began accumulating some victories in their quest to improve the school. The board's attorneys found multiple legal documents in the Hogwarts archives that insulated every headmaster from being summarily dismissed. But the same documents detailed a procedure the board could use to 'retire' a headmaster – they would promote him to 'Headmaster Emeritus' for a year, and then the castle itself would force him from the castle at the end of the spring term.

A new headmaster could take charge as soon as they were hired. Albus Dumbledore would advise his successor while also providing lectures on selected topics to the different years on different issues. The two witches had a list of topics three feet long that Dumbledore would have to craft speeches for seven different grades in the next school year. Again, the castle itself would mandate the preparation and presentation of the lectures to ensure the students received the benefit of the headmaster's knowledge and to keep the former headmaster from interfering with the new headmaster/mistress's changes.

Neither Madam Marchbanks nor Lady Longbottom knew Pomona Sprout well. Marchbanks dealt with her annually during the examinations at Hogwarts, and Longbottom knew her only by reputation from Neville's praise for his favourite professor. They were surprised when Professor Sprout appeared outside Marchbank's office in the Ministry and asked for an interview. They were exceeding pleased when her visitor arrived with CVs and letters of recommendation for new headmasters/mistresses and new professors for history, transfiguration, and potions.

Pomona was very excited when she shared, "The young professor who aided Flitwick with the first three years of Charms instruction made a great impression on his students and allowed Flitwick to give his OWL and NEWT students a great deal of additional attention. We think teams of professors should teach each of the core classes."

Slytherin Marchbanks was silent, recognising they witnessed the climax of a Hufflepuff plot. At the same time, Ravenclaw Augusta asked, "And do you just happen to have recommendations in your files for teams to teach each of the core classes?"

"Since you asked, I do. Hufflepuffs prepare and plan for the long-term game."

Viewing the impressive list of names that included credentials, Augusta asked, "And how are we to pay for all this additional staff?"

Smiling and pulling a ledger from her purse – with a Gringotts stamp of authenticity on the cover – Sprout revealed that the history professor's salary had been deposited into a 'discretionary account' for the last forty-five years earmarked for an unnamed individual's retirement.

"And Minerva was never paid the salary as Deputy Headmistress," Pomona reported sadly as she pointed to other funds that had been deposited into the account. "She laboured at three jobs and left the school a wreck mentally and physically."

Marchbanks cursed quietly but effectively while Augusta sucked in a deep breath seeing the total figure.

With some urgency in her voice, Griselda asked, "Can you get this sum of money moved today into the salary category? No one can know about this. There'll be more lawsuits filed against Dumbledore, and if the attorneys hear of this account he's hidden away, they'd demand it in the damages to be awarded."

"Will it pay for all the professors and others we want…need?" asked Pomona innocently after assuring her co-conspirators that Gringotts would let her move the money. Dumbledore failed to 'renew' the vaults at Gringotts, but Professors Sprout and Flitwick had paid the ten galleon fee with a magical promise to safeguard the school's accounts.

"Yes, Professor Sprout," Madam Marchbanks replied. Then she worked with Augusta and Pomona to settle on the candidates to interview for all of the positions.

"You could settle a lot of problems by taking the position of Deputy Headmistress," Sprout confided to Longbottom.

Surprised, Augusta asked, "How so?"

"These positions are all vacant today, and the headmaster is very busy with other matters this summer…I believe the DMLE will keep him confined for a couple of weeks. If the Board 'hires' you as Deputy Headmistress effective 31 August, and you hire all these professors, you will present Dumbledore with a fait accompli."

"Yes!" agreed Griselda. "Do it, Augusta. We make certain Dumbledore settles into his diminished role for at least the fall term. Turing to Pomona, she added, "I am impressed at the Slytherin style planning and scheming Professor Sprout."

The Herbology professor grinned for only one moment before adopting a pure-blood face as she replied, "Perhaps Hufflepuff is the house of the true planners and schemers? These accomplishments will be attributed to the efficiency of Deputy Headmistress Longbottom. I shall join my voice to those singing your praises for rescuing Hogwarts this summer."

"That's a lie! You did this!"

"Oh, not me, Deputy Headmistress. The network that is Hufflepuff did this – we worked with the attorneys to find the language to 'retire' Dumbledore, the Puffs working in Gringotts accounting tore the Hogwarts accounts apart for the last ten years, then twenty and then forty to find these funds hidden away."

"And their work should be recognised!" Augusta insisted.

"But then we'd be under too much scrutiny and not able to act behind the scenes next time. It's the Hufflepuff way, and we all agree. Dumbledore and Fudge allowed four of my badgers to be kissed by Dementors, and I quickly found every Hufflepuff eager to work bring them down." Pomona patted Augusta's hand and continued, "No, the new Deputy Headmistress will get all the credit, and that will leave Dumbledore bamboozled and afraid to move against you."

SLIGHT SCENE CHANGE

One day, Neville mentioned to Harry that his grandmother had begun leaving for Hogwarts after their lessons rather than going to the ministry. She did not return to Longbottom Manor until late evening. At breakfast one morning, Neville was summoned to his grandmother's bedroom. A few minutes passed before Dobby popped into the breakfast room to grab Harry and pop him to Lady Longbottom's chamber. Harry found Neville with his grandmother, who was dressed and sitting at her table reading files.

To maintain the illusion that Harry was not a permanent guest in her home, she greeted him, saying, "Mr Potter, how fortunate you were here early for your lessons today."

"Good morning, Lady Longbottom."

"Now, I need your opinion on something. This past year, you and Neville had a wizard named Remus Lupin as your DADA professor, and looking at the result of the examinations, he did an excellent job. Overlooking the fact that the man is a werewolf, I am one of a group of people considering the man as the new professor for History. When I mentioned this fact to Neville, he immediately voiced reservations."

Harry blushed and took a deep breath before he explained, "I too have reservations about letting the man back in Hogwarts. He is Dumbledore's man through and through. Please speak to Professor Flitwick about it."

"Are you afraid of him because he's a werewolf?"

"Not really. I learned to…I have some extra protection on my person if he returns. But I will need guarantees that he will not confiscate an heirloom of my father's.

"What heirloom?" she asked, and that question generated a detailed discussion of the map, what it did, how his mother and father had both created it, and how the DADA professor confiscated it the previous year when Harry had done nothing to warrant the punishment.

"Would you show me the map, please?" she asked, and suddenly the tattered parchment appeared in Harry's hand. Staring at the map once it was activated, Augusta snickered and said, "Your mother, father and friends were geniuses to design this while they were at Hogwarts. We need to see if we can duplicate this – it would be valuable to me as the Deputy Headmistress this year."

Neville asked, "What?"

"Wow, that's great, Lady Longbottom," Harry replied and thought for a moment. Then he offered, "How about I loan this to you to use starting in September with a few conditions?"

Intrigued at what the young wizard might ask, Augusta motioned to him and said, "Name them."

"You'll take good care of it and don't let anyone else use it or steal it."

"Agreed. This is a valuable piece of your father and mother's genius that you must learn to duplicate."

"And when I need it to pull a prank or escape from the headmaster, you let me have it."

Neville saw his grandmother grin and nod though she did add, "We'll discuss each prank afterwards, and you'll accept any detentions it warrants."

"Okay," Harry said. "And one more thing. The map comes back to me. It is mine, and no one else can claim it."

Augusta nodded and said, "Agreed."