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.

A long chapter with lots of developments around Magical Britain.

Chapter 11: Updates Everyone

After Dumbledore gets terrible news and Augusta's changes begin, the month of August gets hairy.

SCENE CHANGE: Sirius's Sickness

It had been six days since Dobby used Harry's cartouche to reverse the petrification of Sirius Black. That day, the elf performed the spell behind a shield to prevent anyone from seeing what he did with his wizard's magic; in any case, the goblin and human healers paid little attention to the elf the moment their patient was returned to normal size and wakefulness.

"Where's James? The Dementors are coming! Merlin, you're a Dementor!" the suddenly unpetrified wizard shouted into the face of a man in healer's robes. The goblin and human healers managed to get the wizard somewhat calm with quiet muggle music playing, a calming potion that tasted good, and the promise of food and a long bath. The human healers left the room almost immediately when the wizard remained agitated by their presence, and only goblins, with the help of invisible elves, stripped and bathed the wizard. His hair and beard were severely cut, while his hands and feet were treated for cuts and abrasions. Finally, they led him to a cot that was low and close to the floor, but Sirius pulled the blankets and pillow from the cot to make a nest in a corner where he settled.

Sirius slept only a couple of hours, and when he woke, the goblin healers offered him food and drink. Still, the wizard immediately turned into his Animagus form before eating and slurping up the water offered once it was moved to the floor. The lead goblin spoke slowly and carefully, talking to the Grim as he would to a wizard. Therefore, the first day went smoothly.

Then today, six days later, the goblins invited Freshgold and his attorneys to view Sirius Black through an observation window. At first, Harry stayed behind the people talking in front of the window. Next to the window, Andromeda Tonks stood with one hand pressed against the glass and the other secured by her husband's hand. Ted's other hand lay in the small of her back as he supported her while they listened to the healers.

"Sirius Black is completely lost in his mind," one goblin said gruffly. "He jumps back and forth between the human form and the Animagus during his day. He stays in his dog form when he wants to play and gambol about the room. He prefers to be the dog when he eats too. But when he sleeps, he changes into human form and curls up with pillows underneath a pile of blankets."

"Does he talk with any of the caregivers?" asked Ted.

"The Grim likes the goblins who bring him food and throw the ball for him. But the human form retreats underneath blankets and turns his head into a corner if a witch or wizard enters the room while he is 'Sirius Black'."

"Why does he do that?" asked Ted.

"He is hiding. If he can't see you, he thinks you can't see him."

From the back of the room, Harry asked, "Did my turning him into a figurine hurt him?"

"No, Heir Potter. The magic took him from one moment to the next without any passage of time," the healer assured the boy.

"How about if he sees me? That day at Hogwarts, he kept calling me 'James' when we talked," he asked.

The goblin looked thoughtful and replied, "Let's give it another week with the medicines for his mind before we let him see you. I want him to feel safe in the room with nothing threatening. No one wears black robes, for they remind him of Dementors, and we leave the lights burning all day and night. He cries when he is in the dark."

After another moment of staring at the dog, Andromeda moved away from the window to sit in a chair and say, "The Black family falls into insanity easily. I have an aunt locked up in a sanatorium her entire life. Twelve years in Azkaban pushed my cousin across the threshold earlier than he might have crossed into insanity."

"When he is lucid, he cries about never getting a trial. Black told me that he fought Peter Pettigrew on the street and then woke up in Azkaban. He doesn't remember a trial back in 1981," the healer informed them.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry stepping closer to the glass for the first time and watching the giant dog chasing a rubber ball around a magically expanded room.

"He has no memory of a hearing or a trial. And Gringotts never received legal notification that Heir Black had been convicted of any crime by the Wizengamot," the healer told them. Motioning toward the window, the goblin continued, "Right now, that Grim is Lord Black by inheritance, even if he can't take up the lord's ring. When we processed his treatment, the infirmary was immediately credited our bill by the Black family vaults."

The look on Andromeda's face caused the goblin and Harry to take a step back. The woman stared back at the window, her mouth setting into a firm line as she whispered, "Those bastards. Someone just wanted him out of the way."

Ted sat beside his wife and held her while she shivered and swore, "Those slimy, two-faced bastards. They never gave him a trial!"

Harry frowned, "That's not possible. How could they lock someone up without convicting them?"

"And allow him to be tortured by Dementors for a dozen years?" asked Ted.

The healer fell silent for a moment before he continued, "I don't think you'll see much improvement or many moments of lucidity. Apparently, we can make Lord Black happy and content giving him food and entertainments such as an attendant throwing a ball or stick for him."

Harry stepped close to the observation window for the first time. He watched the large dog running with the ball in his mouth back to a young goblin healer who laughed and threw the slobber covered rubber object again, the dog gambolling around the large room chasing the ball, throwing blankets and chairs around without a care.

"Can you make arrangements for long-term care?" asked the healer. "Heir Potter is receiving our best rates, and Lord Black gets our best treatments, but a space with real sunlight and fresh air will be best long term. You'll need to move him before emptying your vaults."

Harry snorted without any humour in the sound before he turned to Andromeda and said, "Mrs Tonks, as your client, I ask you to make the people responsible for my godfather's madness pay dearly. Money is no object."

The healer frowned and said, "Heir Potter, the Wizengamot is very protective of their members."

Andromeda sneered and replied, "Great Evil Tonks and Freshgold will bury the Wizengamot before we're finished. If they think we're intimidated by old men in purple robes, they're in for a rude awakening."

Ted remained silent, knowing his wife's pain would require time to deal with, and the loss of what-might-have-been in the teenager's face was evident for everyone to see.

Harry left to call Dobby, find Bloodhook, and talk about gold. The teenager would make a tonne of gold to fund the coming legal battle. Ted led his wife toward a floo to return to their home. He would deal with any issues at the office while Great Evil Tonks began to plot and plan.

"We'll spend tomorrow morning in the archives at the ministry," she informed him. "I may even ask Nymphadora to help."

"Dora?" Ted asked. The mother-daughter relationship was often filled with arguments and raw feelings even before their only child joined the Aurors after graduating from Hogwarts.

"Her particular talents keep young men distracted, and she can talk about fashion with young witches while we search through the records from 1981."

"And 1980…it's common to misfile something by one year older to hide it until you need it," Ted told her. "One of the first things you always look for in tax fraud cases or divorce cases."

SCENE CHANGE: Amelia's Arguments

Amelia remained silent in the last two days as the Hogwarts Board of Governors stripped Albus Dumbledore of his power as headmaster. They 'promoted' him to be Headmaster Emeritus for the coming school year, and on the last day of the spring term, he would leave the castle once the children departed for London on the Hogwarts Express.

And the Wizengamot met in a special session and removed Albus-Many-Names-Dumbledore from the position of Grand Warlock by a vote of 87 to 4. A new Grand Warlock was elected (Nathan Greengrass) by the traditional vote of 91 to 0 once it was apparent the wizard would win the election. And the Daily Prophet's headline of Grand Poohbah Bust felt satisfying this morning.

Now seeing her nine o'clock appointment step into her office, Amelia wondered how her day would proceed when she saw Andromeda and Ted Tonks come through her office door with their legal folders.

"Both Tonks on the same day?" she quipped. "To what do I owe this compliment?"

Stepping close to the desk, Andromeda slid a slim folder across the desktop before sitting without being invited to by the director. Amelia had immediately opened the folder and glanced up once, her eyes flashing before returning her attention to the parchment before her. She returned to the beginning and did not speak until she reached the end.

"What evidence has your investigations gathered that Sirius Black did not have a trial?" she asked, closing the file.

Ted replied, "We looked inside every single folder of every single Wizengamot session and each court case for 1980 and 1981. There is nothing except for an order of incarceration for Auror Sirius Black to Azkaban's highest security level for life. The order is signed by Bartemius Crouch Sr, Millicent Bagnold, and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The man wasn't even questioned in the department, just dumped directly into Azkaban."

"I heard Rufus Scrimgeour had a complaint from records you kept them in the office until midnight every night last week."

"The Wizengamot was busy with the war and then the aftermath…sending wizards and witches to Azkaban without regard to guilt or innocence."

"The Death Eaters were tried strictly by the book."

"Except for the ones who bought their freedom," Andromeda pointed out ruthlessly. "Millicent lined her pockets with Malfoy gold that autumn."

Frowning, Amelia waved the argument away, "I agree."

"And there was no trial provided to the heir to the Black fortune," Ted added.

Amelia glanced at Ted for a moment and shook her head, "Malfoy might be ambitious to claim that fortune for his son, but Crouch and Dumbledore would never agree to any plan by that wizard in November 1981.

"Agreed," replied Andromeda. "We think Dumbledore wanted Sirius out of the way. He agreed to ignore the bribes for the other Death Eaters paid to Bagnold in return for her signature on the order."

"And Crouch?"

Ted shrugged, a muggle affectation he sometimes returned to, and said, "Junior was outed as a Death Eater about the same time. Crouch was angry with the entire universe and felt betrayed by his son. For Sirius to be a Death Eater, too, would have been too much. It was easy for Dumbledore to push the order in front of Bartemius."

"What is your relationship to Sirius Black again? I apologise, but my head is so full of facts that I can't think sometimes," asked Bones as she rubbed her temples.

"He is my cousin. Before that night in 1981, we visited on holidays and had dinner once a fortnight," Andromeda explained.

Leaping forward with her assumption that Tonks might know where Black was or at least be able to communicate with him, she said, "He'll have to surrender himself for a trial."

Amelia had known Andromeda Tonks for many years, and the flash of pain in the witch's eyes was revealing. The attorney replied, "Sirius is insane. The Dementors drove him insane, and our family's tendency to fall into dementia seems to have grabbed my cousin's mind completely."

Sighing and sitting back in her chair, Amelia said, "Don't say another word. Otherwise, I'll be forced to take you into custody to make you reveal his location."

Smirking, Andromeda replied, "Oh, I'll freely tell you where my cousin is being treated for the damage caused by an illegal incarceration, as well as the pain and suffering inflicted upon him by the Ministry for Magic."

Amelia froze hearing those words, undoubtedly the preamble to a lawsuit – an expensive lawsuit for the ministry again. She'd helped each family from the previous September tragedy file suit against the Ministry, Albus Dumbledore, and Cornelius Fudge in the following months. Her case against them for the death of her niece would proceed in August.

"Where is Sirius Black?" the director asked.

"The goblins are treating him in their medical facilities in the separate kingdom of Gringotts. And that makes him untouchable," Andromeda replied.

"Not you if you took him there."

"I had nothing to do with the capture or delivery of Sirius Black…neither my husband nor I did," Andromeda said. "But there's more to tell you."

"Of course, there is," Bones said, waving her hand.

"I'll never agree to Sirius being in Ministry custody…his guardian will never agree to such a thing. But we can provide a very much alive Peter Pettigrew for trial. And I will assist you with the prosecution in every way possible."

"Who is this guardian…wait! Did you say, Peter Pettigrew? He's dead."

Ted Tonks spoke up, "Well, it seems that as with the Dark Lord, Pettigrew isn't as dead as everyone thought. He didn't make a Horcrux, but he is very much alive."

"Where's he been for thirteen years?" snapped the director.

"Hiding. The wizard is an Animagus. His form is a common rat, and he's hidden in plain sight for all these years."

"And do you have custody of this wizard who has come back from the dead?"

"Pettigrew's in the custody of King Ragnock in Gringotts."

"Merlin's Beard!" Amelia swore. Then she asked, "Who is responsible for capturing Black and Pettigrew?"

Ted and Andromeda exchanged a glance before the wizard said, "Our client is willing to go public once you guarantee a fair trial for Pettigrew and agree not to attempt to take Sirius into custody."

"What makes you think that Pettigrew's trial will exonerate Sirius Black?"

Staring at Amelia as if she'd suddenly grown an extra head, Ted explained, "Pettigrew is alive, and he hid for thirteen years. If he was innocent, why would he hide after the Dark Lord was declared dead and Sirius Black was in Azkaban? He could have claimed the prize money from the Order of Merlin and moved to Monte Carlo."

Now Andromeda added, "And when the goblins searched the rat-man, they found the Dark Lord's wand. Even more damning, Pettigrew has an interesting tattoo on his left arm…one that is not present on Sirius on any part of his body. The goblins checked very carefully."

Dreading to hear the next answer, Amelia again asked, "Who captured Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew?"

In a quiet voice, Ted Tonks replied, "Heir Potter captured them."

SCENE CHANGE: Peter's Pity Party

The goblins advised (and Harry listened) that they evaluate the condition of Sirius Black before investigating the 'rat-man' that was the second figurine. The goblins continued their treatments for Sirius after the lead healer's conversation with Great Evil, Less Evil, and Freshgold and finally turned their attention to the other petrified figurine.

"What? Wait…where did the cheese go?" shouted Peter in a moment of consciousness, but then darkness took him again. When Dobby used Harry's cartouche to undo the petrification, a goblin immediately cast a medical spell to make the patient fall into a deep, dreamless sleep for one hour. The goblins stripped the figure, examined him and documented the Dark Lord's tattoo on his left arm. Then they dressed him in a plain robe without any belts or pockets. Spells were cast that identified the wizard's name, age, health, and status of his magical core. The results were what they expected except for the diminished size of the wizard's core – the Animagus form had permanently drained away a great deal of his magic. More surprising were the contents of the man's pockets – a full coin purse with galleons from thirteen years earlier and two wands – one of which proved to be the wand of the wizard Tom Marvolo Riddle. Bloodhook carried that news to Ragnock, and together they spoke with Freshgold about the wand when they confirmed the rat-man's identity to the young wizard.

"We have deposited him in a pit with frictionless sides too deep for any wizard or rat to climb from," Bloodhook informed Harry.

"Shall we get Great Evil and Less Evil involved again?" asked Harry. "Andromeda knows how to approach the DMLE."

"They are already involved, and they have spoken to Director Bones. But understand, Gringotts will not relinquish custody of either wizard to the Ministry without guarantees for a fair trial," Ragnock replied. "I want to see the purple plums twisting in the wind!"

Seeing the confused look on Freshgold's face, Bloodhook explained, "Our king despises the Wizengamot – too many members can be bought for a few galleons."

SMALL SCENE CHANGE

The next time Peter woke, he blinked, looked about, and quickly decided he was at the bottom of a large bucket. There was light above him, and a rat could make that leap, clinging to the minute imperfections in the metal walls of any container. He lifted his nose and sniffed to find scents of Ron and the other Gryffindor boys. Then he remembered, he'd been seated on a table, finishing a large piece of cheddar, and preparing to clean his whiskers when everything went dark.

'Whiskers?' he wondered. 'Where are my whiskers?'

His hands flew up to his face, and he felt human – well, almost human – features.

'I forgot what my mouth felt like. How long was I a rat?'

Blinking at the light above him, he sighed. 'It might as well be as high as the Astronomy Tower – I can't leap up there.'

Checking his robes – they were thin and without pockets, so his wand, coin purse and the Dark Lord's wand were gone. (Merlin! Whoever held him captive now possessed the Dark Lord's wand.) Nervously, the rat-man felt his way around the dark cell. There was a thick blanket but no pillow. There was a slop bucket with a lid but nothing else.

Late in the day – maybe, Peter couldn't track time in the darkness – a table appeared with a bowl of porridge and a cup of water. Using his fingers to scoop up the porridge, he finished the food and drank the water. Then table, bowl, and cup vanished. Before the light was extinguished, Peter grabbed the blanket and wrapped up for a long night.

'Why does this always happen to me? No one is my friend, and everyone throws me into a smelly hole! I had to live just south of Ron Weasley's winds for the last three years day and night!'

After only a few minutes or hours, Peter didn't know which, the light came back, and the blanket turned into brushes with soap and cold water that left him soaked and freezing. Goblins were standing at the edge of the opening. One called out, "Peter! Peter, are you awake?"

"Yes, I'm awake – wait, I'm not Peter – I don't know who Peter is! I'm not Peter Pettigrew!"

A different figure appeared in the light and took a deep breath before saying, "Yeah, that's Peter Pettigrew. I recognise the smell."

"Who are you? How do you know me…uh, this Peter guy?" shouted Peter.

"It's Remus Lupin, Peter. I'd know you anywhere."

"Get me out of here!" shouted Peter. "Sirius will kill me if he finds me!"

Lupin's figure disappeared, and a witch appeared, with a monocle on one eye. In a restrained but firm voice, she said, "Peter Pettigrew, I have several questions for you."

"Where am I? I'm innocent! I didn't do anything!"

Turning away from the light, the woman announced, "I can't deal with this idiot. Give him breakfast, and I'll talk to him tomorrow."

The table, bowl and cup appeared again, and Peter quickly ate the porridge, which was a bit salty this morning. Once he finished the food, he quickly drank the cup of water. As soon as he set down the cup, a chair appeared, so Peter sat down to rest.

In the light above him, the woman reappeared and asked, "What is your name?"

Without thinking about lying, the rat-man replied, "Peter Pettigrew."

"Where have you been since October 1981?"

"I've been living as a pet rat with Percival Weasley and Ronald Weasley. The family isn't rich, but they fed me well."

"Why is Sirius Black chasing you?"

"He wants to kill me," Peter cried, trying to gain some sympathy.

"Why does Black want to kill you?"

"Because I…I betrayed James and Lily Potter. I led Lord Voldemort to the cottage where they were hiding. He killed them all…but the Dark Lord exploded, and I went to look…the boy survived, and all that remained of the Dark Lord was his wand."

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"Yes, I became a Death Eater in 1980."

"Can anyone be forced to take the Dark Lord's mark?" asked the woman's voice.

"No, you have to want to become a Death Eater," Peter replied from the darkness of the pit. "You have to want to kill a muggle or two…children are the best kills when getting the tattoo to make it grab your core."

The woman paused for a moment, flexing her fists while restraining herself from leaping into the pit and strangling the rat-man. Then she continued, "Did the Dark Lord ever mention the word Horcrux in your hearing?"

"No."

Altering her question, Bones asked, "Did the Dark Lord mention any special treasures?"

"Yes."

"What did he say about them?" she asked softly.

"He bragged about his special treasures all the time. He hid one in his mother's home and another in Hogwarts. He gave one to Malfoy, one to that crazy woman Bella, and the last one to Black."

"To which Black did he give a special treasure?" she demanded harshly.

"Regulus Black…but he cursed the wizard's name many times because Regulus vanished."

As the veritaserum faded from Peter's system, the wizard was paralysed by what he'd revealed. He screamed in fear and shouted, "They'll all kill me! He'll kill me! Sirius will kill me! The Dark Lord will kill me! No! No!"

The light faded, leaving Peter in the dark again. He cried piteously, but no one offered him any comfort.

SCENE CHANGE: Macmillan's Manipulations

Lord Macmillan, the grandfather of the late Hufflepuff, Ernie Macmillan, stared at the Daily Prophet's headlines declaring that Sirius Black was alive and innocent.

'There's been no trial, but Tonks wouldn't have released that news if she wasn't sure of the verdict before the opening statements were made,' the old wizard decided. 'And she'll bring a damages suit to bankrupt the treasury. Can't they see we must halt the disintegration of the power structure that rules Magical Britain?'

McMillian knew most of the details – his sister's grandson served as Auror in the protective guard around Director Bones. The young wizard provided his family with a great deal of inside information. The nephew witnessed the questioning of Peter Pettigrew in a pit in Gringotts – rat-man would convict himself before the Wizengamot and every other Death Eater (if any were ever caught again). Amelia understood that information was shared by her Aurors when she didn't demand it remains secret. A government couldn't grow or change with too many secrets hidden away.

And that meant Sirius Black was innocent. The fury that was the Black family would have been terrifying if any of them were left. One Black daughter, married to Malfoy, scrambled to protect her son's legacy and vaults. The crazy daughter was confined to Azkaban and would never be released. And the last daughter was a talented attorney who would flay the Wizengamot if she could present a case before them for damages to Sirius Black.

'And Potter is very hard to manipulate – nothing Dumbledore or any other elder said could convince the boy to share the funds flowing in for the basilisk.'

He grimaced, remembering when Potter would not relinquish the basilisk's income, someone thoughtlessly proposed they impose a tax on income retroactive to 1992. This would allow the Ministry to set taxes on the carcass and the sale of the parts. While the members considered the proposal for two days, Ted Tonks and Samuel Abbot published an article in the Daily Prophet explaining that the law would also mean a tax on all settlements and awards for lawsuits – Macmillan, Smith and Diggory would lose half of their recent award back to the ministry.

'No. We need to forget Potter and avoid lawsuits to give Black reparations,' McMillian resolved. 'Besides, Black has his vaults. Dumbledore and his co-conspirators failed to follow through with Black and confiscate the family vaults. I can imagine the smirk on the goblin's face when they receive an order from the Ministry that they can ignore to confiscate vaults.'

The wizard sat aside the paper he was not reading, drank his morning tea, and wondered, 'How do we force Bones to get on board?'

For a moment, Gravis McMillian considered how much his family owed Bones for her support in getting their wrongful death lawsuits through the Wizengamot. Despite Dumbledore's machinations and Fudge's protests, the cases had been heard early on various mornings during the past ten months when the general membership had not been present, and there were quick, generous settlements.

'I owe her. The Smith and Diggory clans owed her as well…but yesterday's ally could be turned into today's tool,' the politician decided without too much trouble. He rose from the breakfast table and set about his day.

First, he spoke to the dragon, Augusta Longbottom. The old witch was furious but agreed to remain silent when McMillian said that he and his allies (the other old men who controlled the Wizengamot) would agree to every change she wanted at Hogwarts and endorsed her recommendations for new hires.

McMillian smirked openly for everyone to see whenever any of his peers mentioned the settlement imposed on Albus Dumbledore for the coming year. The premier manipulator lost everything in the last twelve months – he was no longer 'Grand Poohbah' of the Wizengamot (as nicknamed by Augusta Longbottom), voted out of the IWC leadership role and then dismissed as Britain's representative to the body. Now he could count the days left in his role as headmaster at Hogwarts.

The new Grand Warlock of the Wizengamot, Nathan Greengrass, was a steady fellow with conservative views aligned with the majority of the Wizengamot. Minister Amos Diggory fell into lockstep with minimal pressure from the membership. The man was honest but more interested in the preservation of Magical Britain than anything else.

The only remaining question regarding Dumbledore was how the wizard would manage being shoved out the door from 'his castle'. A new headmaster began his job in August, and Augusta Longbottom would act as Deputy Headmistress in the coming year. The Board of Governors had pushed (promoted) Dumbledore into a role labelled Headmaster Emeritus for the entire year.

'An American? Never did understand those wizards,' thought McMillian as he remembered the man's CV. 'Probably a spy for the American Ministry, and we'll have to watch him closely…but he'll satisfy Pomona and the other Puffs who managed this whole replacement.'

'How to manipulate Amelia now?' McMillian wondered. 'Her lawsuit against Dumbledore, Fudge and the Ministry is next week…she has to be awarded the same number of galleons as Diggory – he lost his heir, and the family may die out.' Thinking of his other grandchildren, Gravis was thankful his son and daughter-in-law had been able to spark a second boy and a daughter. 'Eleanor's muggle-born mother provided the magic for her daughter to bear more fruit.'

He hurried to the floo and called Griselda Marchbanks, the woman was a fair judge and honest, but she also valued the continuation of the status quo in Magical Britain. With his head in the flames, he asked, "Madam Marchbanks, are you well this evening?"

"Cut to the chase, Macmillan. I can't bend over and talk on the floo like I could fifty years ago," the witch replied. "What deal do you need me to help you with tonight?"

Inclining his head politely, the wizard got to the point and asked, "Have your agents found any suitable orphans for Diggory or Bones to adopt?"

"We found a magical girl, four years old, in Argentina. Her parents died of illness, and none of the relatives wanted her because they think the devil possesses her because of her magic."

"Manifesting at four years? The girl will be a strong witch…and do you have her in Britain yet?"

"Tomorrow."

"I might suggest that you allow me to be present when we introduce the girl to Amelia Bones as a possible orphan for her to blood adopt into the Bones family."

"Why Amelia first?"

"A witch can head the Bones family without a problem. Diggory must have a son to continue his line."

The old witch asked, "And?"

"I can assure Bones that the Wizengamot will approve of the blood adoption in return for a concession – I need Bones to fall into line with supporting the ministry against Andromeda Tonks when she tries to collect damages for the false imprisonment of Sirius Black."

McMillian was glad he wasn't in the same room as the old witch – accidental magic was known to appear again in the elderly when they were angry or upset. Marchbanks yelled, "If you had pushed for a reasonably sensible wizard – Merlin's teeth – practically any wizard except for Cornelius Fudge as a minister, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

"Griselda, that potion has gone bad. Be realistic if you can't be reasonable."

"I'll show you realistic and reasonable!" Marchbanks continued yelling. "I'll agree and allow you to be present tomorrow when I introduce the girl to Amelia, and you can twist her arm then if you agree not to interfere with any lawsuits filed against individuals by Tonks."

"Individuals?"

Without hesitating, Marchbanks explained, "Dumbledore, Crouch and Bagshot…Andromeda is going to go after their last galleons."

"Done. And those presentations will be fun to watch," McMillian replied quickly. "You should have asked for more, Griselda."

SCENE CHANGE: Bones Bargain

After calming down from the call with Macmillan, Griselda Marchbanks called Amelia through the floo network to ask her to meet an orphan girl the following day at ten o'clock. Griselda added, "We can proceed with the blood adoption tomorrow morning."

"That quickly? What is the child's background? How did she come to be an orphan?"

Griselda frowned but explained the child's origins in Argentina with dead parents and relatives who thought the devil possessed the girl.

"If you are not interested, there are several other couples who want children," Griselda continued. "I can't leave her waiting or wait until the Department for Orphans learns I have her in the country."

Nodding in understanding, Amelia asked, "And she is magical? You're certain."

"She is strong enough for accidental magic at four years of age. Come and meet the child. We can perform the blood adoption, and you'll have a daughter before lunch."

SLIGHT SCENE CHANGE

Agreeing to be in Marchbank's office in the ministry at ten, Amelia ended the call and sat down to search her soul. It did not take long for her to admit that she had little time or genuine interest in raising a child.

'Amos and his wife will take her if I don't, even if they want a boy too. If I adopt her, the Bones family name would continue, but who will raise her?'

Images of Samuel and Angelina Abbot appeared in her mind, and Amelia remembered that Angelina had been a sister to Susan's mother. After Edgar and Cynthia were killed, the witch took her niece, Susan, into her heart and family.

'Could she do it again? Susan's mother had been named Cynthia. Cynthia Bones was a nice enough name. Samuel and Angelina would see straight through her manipulation, but I should ask.'

Hurrying to the floo, Amelia made the call and asked to come through to talk to Samuel and Angelina. It didn't take long for Amelia to explain the situation to the couple, who were initially reluctant to take Amelia's blood adopted daughter to raise.

"I can't do it…my situation would not be fair to another little girl. Susan lived here with your children. You can raise Cynthia as a sister to Hannah and your boys."

Samuel glanced at his wife, who was staring at a wall covered with photographs showing Susan and their children, her sister and Edgar Bones and their children – now all dead because of Death Eaters and the Minister for Magic.

Turning to her husband, the couple spoke privately for a moment, and then Angelina announced, "We will agree to take little Cynthia into our family and raise her, but you have to agree to allow Samuel to blood adopt her too. That will mean that the Abbots have a claim on the girl. She'll be your heir and future Lady Bones, but she'll grow up in our house as our daughter. You'll be Aunt Amelia again."

Amelia agreed instantly.

SLIGHT SCENE CHANGE

The following day in the Ministry for Magic, Griselda Marchbanks was surprised when Amelia Bones appeared with the whole Abbot family. Lord McMillian was present in the room and the wizard's presence put Amelia on guard instantly and Samuel kept an eye on everyone in the room.

But despite the tension between the adults, Hannah, Joe, and Adam immediately approached the shy four-year-old to talk with her. Adam, the Abbot's youngest at only four years, immediately wanted to colour pictures with his new friend. Hannah smiled and pulled crayons and paper from a bag her mother carried. While the two little ones drew pictures of wizards and witches, Hannah and Joe coloured with them.

Fourteen-year-old Hannah also kept her ears open and listened to Aunt Amelia, Mum and Dad talking with the old witch and wizard who seemed to like giving orders to everyone. There was some argument about blood adoption – Aunt Amelia and Dad would become the little girl's parents – Cynthia Bones-Abbot.

Observing, Hannah saw Aunt Amelia turn red with anger when the old wizard – Ernie's grandfather – told auntie about a guarantee and cost of business.

'I don't think he means the same thing that Dad means when he talks about profits and costs,' Hannah decided. 'And I'll tell Neville about this, and he'll tell Harry.'

There followed a simple ceremony where a potions master came into the room and took a bit of blood from Aunt Amelia and Dad. The potion was 'yucky', but with Angelina hugging the little girl and encouragement from Hannah and Dad, 'Cynthia' drank the brew and became Hannah's sister. The girl – now Cynthia – clung to Mum and Dad while her hair turned red like Aunt Amelia and Dad's dimples appeared on her cheeks. Adam and Joe laughed and took turns hugging the little girl. Hannah smiled sadly, thinking of Susan, who Cynthia would not replace. Her new 'sister' just meant the family grew. Amelia watched silently, remembering Susan laughing and telling stories about books, dolls, and clothes. She'd never be a mother, but she would be an aunt again.

SCENE CHANGE: Diggory's Doubts

Minister Amos Diggory worked in the Ministry for Magic his entire career, taking a job as a clerk after graduating from Hogwarts. He'd worked his way up into different departments and made connections with other ministry workers, members of the Wizengamot, and even a few muggle-born types with businesses. He'd never gotten along with the goblins but didn't seek problems with them either.

As Minister, he found his hours full of meetings, reading reports and talking with other wizards and witches. The demands on his day meant that he had only fleeting moments to remember Cedric. That day last September had been the worst of his life. While his wife seemed to be able to function with the house and garden, Amos had been stricken with guilt believing he could have – should have – stood up to Cornelius Fudge about the dangers of stationing Dementors around Hogwarts.

"No more children will die! Not while I am minister!" he swore most mornings, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The image of Cedric's face – burned and frozen in agony from the kiss – was seared into his brain.

He'd supported Lady Longbottom on her tear through Hogwarts to change the staff, restore some classes, and take Dumbledore down until he was under the dirt of the Quidditch Pitch. Remembering watching Cedric fly for Hufflepuff in a Quidditch match in 1992, Amos set his face into a pureblood mask. 'Yes, Dumbledore will join Fudge in Janus Thackery if I can arrange it.'

Turning to the reports on his desk, he found them in order with muggle sticky notes on important points for his attention – Percy Weasley was a treasure and would be Undersecretary after the first of the year. His mouth wrinkled for a moment thinking about Dolores Umbridge – the witch assumed she would retake the job of Undersecretary because Amos would recognise her abilities. The Aurors had escorted the witch from the building on more than one occasion since that day.

Reading the report from Amelia Bones on the unofficial testimony of Peter Pettigrew, Amos felt revulsion that any wizard would be so stupid to split his soul and make a Horcrux – and this Riddle person made multiple Horcruxes.

'At least the one in Potter was removed,' Amos thought. 'And the goblins gave us the ceremony to perform at Yule to help him pass over – and burn in hell.'

'But there are more of those vessels,' Amos read. 'The jewel the goblins hold with the piece from Potter, the book Malfoy had – Merlin I hope that wizard is stupid enough to return to Britain at some point – something at Hogwarts, in a home in the north of England, and somewhere Regulus Black hid one – and one in possession of the craziest witch in the world, Bellatrix Lestrange.'

'Who could question Bellatrix? Can the Unspeakables summon the soul of Regulus Black and question him? I'll have to ask them.'

A moment passed, and then Amos Diggory remembered reading the schedule for court cases – Amelia's wrongful death suit would help them all to heal. Still, the hints about a lawsuit for unlawful imprisonment for Sirius Black would be disastrous for the treasury.

"Thank goodness we got rid of that expensive tournament this year…dragons, three times as much money for food, and idiotic golden eggs…Dumbledore is truly senile," Amos muttered out loud. He remembered Macmillan's plan and decided not to interfere. Amelia would agree with the manipulation and get her heiress with a blood adoption.

'That'll keep Andromeda Tonks out of the well of Wizengamot,' Amos decided. If none of the senior leaders in the government agreed to schedule a case, it died. 'Wait…she's Bellatrix's sister. Andromeda Tonks – she can talk to Bellatrix and find out about the Horcruxes. But what can we give her in return?'

Looking again at the court schedule, Amos read of three other cases Andromeda Tonks wanted to file – personal injury against Cornelius Fudge, Millicent Bagnold, and Albus Dumbledore.

'Like McMillian said the other day, those cases might be entertaining,' Amos thought before he summoned Weasley to send for Amelia Bones. While he waited for the director to appear in his office, he thought again about the blood adoption of the girl from somewhere in South America. He would encourage Madam Marchbanks to keep looking for an orphan boy.

'We'll get a boy in the next couple of years.'

Looking at the next parchment, Amos smiled to read that the Death Eater Martin Parkinson was reported dead in Italy. The wizard attempted to force his attentions on a muggle-born witch, and she'd taken him apart with blasting spells that left him in parts along a roadside in Tuscany. At last report, Stanley Goyle and William Crabbe and their families remained hidden in Ireland. The former Auror, Paul Selwyn, and his family lived in Alexandria.

"You sent for me, Minister Diggory?" asked Amelia Bones, entering his office.

Motioning toward the chairs opposite his desk, Amos replied, "I did, Director. There is a matter we must deal with most carefully."

"What matter, sir?"

"Finding more of the Horcruxes made by Tom Riddle."

Nodding her head slowly, Amelia explained how the investigations by her staff had already determined the area of the wizard's mother's home in Northern England.

"The Unspeakables have begun their survey at Hogwarts," the witch continued.

Amos nodded and asked, "But there's nothing on the ones possessed by Bellatrix Lestrange or Regulus Black?"

"Not so far, sir."

"Isn't Andromeda Tonks a sister to Bellatrix Lestrange? I wonder if she could collect any clues from her sister during a visit to Azkaban?"

Bones frowned and argued, "Bellatrix hates Andromeda. Mrs Malfoy might be more amenable to visiting."

"No, Mrs Malfoy might encourage her sister or even aid her to escape. I'll not allow anyone to give aid or comfort to a Death Eater."

Amos sniffed before repeating and emphasising his earlier statement, "I wonder if Mrs Tonks could collect any clues from her sister during a visit to Azkaban?"

Nodding her head in understanding at the blatant hint, but not sharing any other emotion, Amelia wondered how to present this 'request' from the minister.

"Sir, Mrs Tonks may not be willing to visit Mrs Lestrange."

"And you can tell Mrs Tonks that if she performs this favour for the ministry, there will be no problems getting her lawsuits for personal injury on the schedule for August. The case against the Ministry will never get on the schedule, but she can strip Bagnold, Fudge and Dumbledore of their remaining galleons…she's welcome to take Dumbledore's garish robes as well."

SCENE CHANGE: Bellatrix's Bust

Andromeda Tonks stared at Azkaban as the boat approached the rock sticking up from the seabed. A dock and a path were the only concessions to the works of man on the place. The doors were cut from the very stone of the walls, and some magic acted as hinges though the thunder crack of shattering rock when the door opened gave the witch a pounding headache.

The warden, an Auror known to Andromeda, paled when he saw her dressed in black robes with her hair arranged in the same fashion as her infamous sister, Bellatrix Lestrange. He stepped closer and asked, "Madam Tonks…what in bloody Merlin's nightmare brings you here?"

Coldly, Andromeda replied, "The nightmares of Director Bones bring me here, Auror Jones. Do you have her orders?"

"A full Auror escort at five paces, you are stripped of your wand, and the prisoner is shackled…I moved her to a conference room when I saw the boat approaching, so we should hurry there. I don't want her to have long to think on this meeting."

"What did you tell her?"

"Only that someone had been ordered to speak to her," the wizard replied nervously.

Surrendering her wand, Andromeda Tonks followed Jones into the Azkaban prison's darkness. In the highest security levels, with Dementors present in every shadow, Andromeda Tonks stepped into a room bare but for a stone rising from the floor and shaped like a stool. With chains fastened about her neck, wrists, upper arms, torso and legs, Bellatrix was appropriately restrained, and Andromeda watched her sister's eyes constantly search the shadows for a Dementor that would suck her soul from her skeletal form.

The light from the open door – surprisingly silently this time – caught Bellatrix's attention, and the monster stared as her mirror image entered the chamber. The image stood tall, with her skin pale and glowing with magic. Bellatrix smiled, remembering many nights when she walked into elegant rooms, and every man turned to stare at her.

Her long hair was piled upon her head with familiar diamond-studded hairpins, and the new arrival's elegant hands with the lovely white nails were perfect – Bellatrix was confused for a moment, but then she looked into the grey eyes that were full of contempt.

"YOU!" screamed Bellatrix, who jerked at her chains then fell back, cackled wildly, and cursed. "You! Filth! Traitor!"

The nervousness she'd felt since stepping off the boat vanished as Andromeda watched her sister erupt in the familiar insults. 'I feared – no – I hoped to find a babbling, crying soul I could feel sympathy for, but not this monster.'

"Hello, Bella. Cissy would send her regards if she were still alive," Andromeda lied as she stepped closer.

"That's close enough bitch," said the warden, playing his part nervously. "Bones said not to let you get too close."

Staring coldly at the warden before turning her head and smiling at her sister, Andromeda said, "Blacks breed true, Bellatrix. Sirius is as mad as Aunt Cassandra, and the name dies with him."

"Cissy's boy…Narcissa has a son! He'll be Lord Black!" declared Bellatrix.

Smirking, the Bellatrix-twin lied again, "No, Cissy's boy was a squib, and Malfoy threw him to the dogs when he didn't get a letter for Hogwarts three years back. The Blacks don't kill our squibs, and the boy's death drove Cissy mad. She killed 'Lucy', and the minister ordered the Aurors to throw her through the veil."

Tilting her head to one side in a trait all three sisters used, Andromeda said, "I came to see the last Black sister…I would kill you, but they took my wand away from me, so I can't carve you into chunks of meat to feed to your Dark Lord. He's killed us all!"

"No! The Dark Lord is great! He'll come back and free me!"

"And how old will you be then? There'll never be any son from your body after twenty years in here."

"I'll bring him back! Bring the Dark Lord back!" sang Bellatrix.

"He can't come back. He can't come back. He's dead," Andromeda sang back in the same high-pitched tune.

Grinning to hear her sister's voice singing a silly song, Bellatrix laughed and said, "I know he is still alive! He lives on! His soul lives on! And I hid his treasure in the safest place in Britain! The day I leave this hell, I shall free the Dark Lord, and he shall live again!"

"Merlin, I hope you die soon, Bella. Your existence is an insult to magic," Andromeda said as she turned and walked away.

"No! Come back! Let me look at me again! Just one more look at my hair and robes! Please! Sister! Please!" cried Bellatrix. "I shall kill you! I shall! Traitor! When I leave this place, I shall hunt you down and slice you into chunks of meat!"

When the door closed behind Andromeda Tonks, the sound was cut off. Without pausing, she walked back to the entrance, and Warden Jones returned her wand just before she left by the only door. He asked, "Did you get what you the director sent you to find?"

"Yes," Andromeda replied.

On the boat ride back to the mainland, the witch cast spells to return her robes to their natural cut and colour. She removed the hairpins from her hair and stared at them for a moment. Her grandmother and grandfather had given them to her when she was fourteen, and they matched the sets Bellatrix and Narcissa wore in their hair when they bonded with those stupid Death Eater wizards. Without hesitating, Andromeda tossed the priceless items overboard, the diamonds instantly vanishing into the dark water. Her metamorphic talents were limited to adjusting the length and colour of her hair – a secret she kept from the Black family – and her lovely hair returned to her preferred style.

'I got Amelia's information but discovered the monster still lurks in Bella's soul. I hoped she was lost in her mind like Sirius. But the evil that is Bellatrix LeStrange lives still and wants her Dark Lord back.'

Stiffening her spine, Andromeda swore Tom Riddle would pass on to hell at Yule, and her cousin would be safe and happy in his new home. She glanced ahead and saw Ted waiting for her. That infuriating wizard made her heart leap in her breast every single day she breathed. He would take her hand when the boat reached the dock, and he would apparate them to their home. There he would hold her all night long and keep the nightmare of Azkaban at bay.

SCENE CHANGE: Bloodhook's Battles

In the cavern deep under Gringotts where King Ragnock held court, there were an unusual number of witches and wizards among the goblins one afternoon. The humans were Great Evil Tonks, Less Evil Tonks, Amelia Bones and Freshgold. The teenage wizard listened to the discussion with half an ear – he wanted to return to his experiments – Bloodhook promised to rent a duelling chamber in the bank for Harry to test his latest ring on dummies and the walls behind them.

Bowing to the goblin king, Amelia Bones summarised her previous conversation with Pettigrew, saying, "When Your Majesty graciously permitted me to question your prisoner, Peter Pettigrew, using the truth potion, the wizard stated that the Dark Lord hid his great treasures in his mother's home and Hogwarts. And he gave great treasures to Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Regulus Black to keep safe."

Smirking, Bones added, "Malfoy sent the treasure in his care to Hogwarts where Heir Potter destroyed it. If the Dark Lord were corporeal, he would punish that wizard, which explains why Malfoy fled."

Then she continued, "This week, the Aurors and I shall venture to the north of England to search for the home of the Dark Lord's mother, and the Unspeakables will venture into Hogwarts to search for another one. Thus far, we have no lead on the treasure held by Regulus Black."

Then, it was time for Great Evil's report of the conversation with her sister, imprisoned in Azkaban since November 1981. Glancing at Bones with a dark look, Andromeda turned back to Ragnock and said, "I travelled to Azkaban and spoke to Bellatrix. She claimed her Dark Lord would return the same day she was released. That the treasure was safe and secure."

Then Great Evil motioned toward the walls around her and added, "And Gringotts is the safest and secure place in Magical Britain."

"You think an abomination of the Dark Lord is stored in my kingdom?" asked Ragnock, growls rising from among his advisors and the other goblins.

"None of the Death Eaters have honour or scruples, Your Majesty," Less Evil interjected. "Why would a notorious witch such as Bellatrix Lestrange hesitate to pollute her vault and ignore your rules?"

"Gringotts cannot take anything from her vaults and hand it over to the ministry," Ragnock replied. "The treaties that protect our profits won't allow that."

Bones smiled and said, "But we don't need it. Once we have one of the treasures, we can proceed with a ritual at Yule to destroy that part of him. And perhaps Gringotts will perform their rituals to cleanse the world of two pieces of the Dark Lord's spirit."

Ragnock nodded and asked, "What else do you ask of Gringotts?"

Glancing at Harry Potter, Director Bones asked, "Your Majesty, the Ministry for Magic would like to put the wizard Peter Pettigrew on trial in the next week. The Wizengamot will try him for murder, betrayal, and being a Death Eater…the prosecution will ask that the wizard be kissed or thrown through the veil."

Ragnock looked at Freshgold and immediately saw the young wizard was surprised by the request. A glance at Great Evil and Less Evil revealed they were equally surprised. The king snarled and replied shortly, "Why the short notice?"

Amelia Bones blushed but only explained, "It was the decision of the minister and his advisors to schedule Pettigrew's trial so that it could be finished this summer."

Ragnock continued to frown and commanded, "Director Bones, remove yourself from the bank in the next five minutes or I'll set the guards on you and feed you to the dragons!"

Bowing her head to the goblin, without another word, Amelia spun around and moved toward the stairs and hallways, her guard following closely behind.

Freshgold asked Bloodhook, "Was the king serious? About feeding her to the dragons?"

The goblin answered by saying, "She certainly walked away with a speed that indicated she believed it to be true."

Deep underneath Diagon Alley, King Ragnock and his advisors argued about their next steps. Andromeda Tonks cursed Amelia Bones and the men at the ministry who pushed her into this position. Freshgold and Bloodhook kept arguing about the situation.

"This is some plan by those old men on the Wizengamot," Harry insisted. "They argued with me about the basilisk last week, trying to tell me that I should listen to their wisdom and give the ministry the gold because they are over-extended. I think it was Lord McMillian who pushed the hardest for me to hand over the money to 'help' the ministry."

Bloodhook snorted, "They are scared that Great Evil will sue for your godfather and bankrupt the Ministry. Dumbledore and the others keep losing money from the tragedy last September. Another troll popping up now will bankrupt them."

"The only thing that makes sense is that Bones was ordered to make this demand," Andromeda told them. "The old guard is demanding Diggory and Bones fall on their swords to help the ministry blame all their problems on the goblins."

"The purple plums don't seek honour for themselves and sacrifice their proven advisors by throwing them into a hopeless battle," Ragnock cursed.

Ironstream translated the king's rant, "Minister Diggory is listening to poor advisors who won't fight themselves, so they sent Director Bones to insult the goblins."

SCENE CHANGE: Prophet's Profits

That same afternoon, Minister Diggory provided a press release stating the ministry wanted to bring Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew to trial but the goblins of Gringotts prevented the Aurors from taking the two wizards into custody. The minister said he hoped the goblins would be reasonable, but he wanted both criminals released into DMLE custody.

The goblin response was to issue a press release that suggested the minister visit Gringotts to discuss the matter with their king. Reminding the wizarding public that Gringotts was an independent nation underneath Diagon Alley, they cited several treaties imposed on the goblins by the wizards to make that separation permanent and clear.

Under pressure from Lord Macmillan, Amos Diggory addressed the Wizengamot and claimed the goblins were warmongers. As a result, Gringotts closed their doors for the first time in one hundred and fifty years, while transferring all human employees to overseas branches the same day. Every floo inside Gringotts was quenched and the fireplaces closed. Elves were allowed entry to a single room where each withdrawal request went through a three-day procedure that killed all business in Magical Britain.

A reliable reporter for the Daily Prophet approached Harry Potter in Diagon Alley one day while in the company of Neville Longbottom and asked the boy-who-lived for an interview. However, the teenager declined to provide one 'until Gringotts feels safe to reopen their doors'.

"What do you mean, Heir Potter?" asked the reporter.

Remembering facts and ideas provided by Andromeda and Ted Tonks, Harry shared his thoughts with the reporter, understanding they would appear in the Daily Prophet. His face looking serious, Harry explained, "I believe the goblins worry that the ministry will attack Gringotts and start a goblin war. That would draw attention away from the government's problems with money. The ministry had to pay so much money in settlements for causing the death of those students last year; they're afraid that another lawsuit will bankrupt the ministry – that's my theory anyway."

"Sirius Black is my godfather and after the ministry locked him away in Azkaban for a dozen years, he's insane. The healers in Gringotts don't think he can be cured. But I believe he is innocent because Peter Pettigrew is alive and when he was questioned using the potion that makes you tell the truth, he confessed to being a Death Eater, leading the Dark Lord to my parents and me. Then Pettigrew hid for years and years in his Animagus form of a rat, waiting for the Dark Lord to return."

"I think the ministry wants to shut them both up so the truth doesn't ever come out. They're afraid the ministry would be forced to pay for harming an innocent wizard. I thought – I hoped – they would be honest about this but not now."

"So why are they pointing their wands at Gringotts?" asked the reporter.

Harry sat up and firmly replied, "I think they want to distract everyone from the truth. And if there's a goblin war, no one will worry about the treasury or any tax increases. The men with all the money aren't sharing it with their government. The average wizard and witch in the street need to watch these old men carefully, or they'll raise the sales tax on us while keeping their money safe."

Declining further comment, Harry Potter's sad face made the front page of the Daily Prophet under the headline, Potter Worries Ministry Threatens War to Hide Money Problems.

SCENE CHANGE TO MINISTRY

Gravis McMillian was very unhappy as he stomped into Minister Diggory's office without an appointment or waiting for an introduction. Stepping through the door, he shouted, "Diggory! Get Potter under control! The Daily Prophet prints his comments like they're Merlin's words! Now, everyone thinks we're looking for a way to raise taxes!"

From the corner of the office, Madam Marchbanks spoke up and said, "That's what you want to do isn't it?"

McMillian turned to find the old witch alongside Andromeda Tonks seated away from Diggory's desk. The wizard sneered, "Marchbanks, what are you doing here?"

"I am here with Andromeda Tonks, trying to talk some sense into the Minister before there's a financial crisis."

"Get the goblins under control!" McMillian snarled. "That'll resolve the crisis."

"They were perfectly happy until you sent Bones to insult them," replied Andromeda.

"They're holding to criminals. We want them released to us," the wizard said.

Amos Diggory finally said, "Lord McMillian, sit down and listen to Madam Marchbanks."

"I'll do no such thing," the wizard announced. "Old witches should stay at home and tend to their cauldrons!"

McMillian turned to exit the office when he stopped and turned back around, "And another thing; since Potter likes to run off at the mouth for interviews that proves he is immature and needs a guardian. I nominate myself to become his new magical guardian. I'll put some respect into his backside and teach him to keep his mouth shut!"

"You can't…he's the accepted Heir of Potter now," Marchbanks said. "The other families won't allow you to change the law."

"I won't change the laws, just make a new one that's only about Harry Potter," McMillian promised before turning to leave a second time. But then he turned back for a third time, and announced, "Tonks, I remember you said that Sirius Black deserves a trial. Get the goblins to release him and he'll get his trial…but then he'll be kissed."

Andromeda stood and yelled, "But Sirius Black is innocent!"

McMillian smirked and replied, "Potter's quoted saying his godfather is totally bonkers. The Dementor's kiss would be a mercy for the man and end our problems."

From behind his desk, Minister Diggory exploded with loud words and stinging hexes. "No one deserves the agony of a Dementor's kiss! My son died because of the Dementors! Your grandson died the same way, you thoughtless, selfish bastard! Get out of my office!"

McMillian did retreat with a dozen stinging hexes covering most of his body. There were few words exchanged after Lord McMillian's hasty departure and when she left the meeting with Marchbanks and Diggory, Andromeda returned home and then travelled to Longbottom Manor to warn Augusta and Harry about the threat from Gravis McMillian to get a law passed to become the magical guardian of Harry Potter. Word of the threat was sent to Bloodhook and Dobby paid special attention to Mr Harry Potter that evening with hot chocolate and extra blankets on his bed.

SLIGHT CHANGE SCENE: Gringotts

Late that night, Bloodhook stared at Dobby who arrived with a bag of fresh gold and a question for the goblin. The arrival was three days early, but the goblin didn't question the elf's unexpected appearance and question, "How can goblins help Mr Harry Freshgolds Potter? Great Evil Tonks says that Lordie McMillians plan to get Wizzensgottements to pass law saying he be guardian magicals of Mr Harry Freshgolds Potter. Lordie stop my Harry Freshgolds Potters from making gold for goblins and talking to Prophets."

Bloodhook nodded and explained, "I had a note from Great Evil and already passed it along to the king. He'll talk with his advisors and do something."

"When does goblins do this something? Mr Harry Freshgolds Potter might be locked in boot cupboard again by times goblins stop slobbering and dancing," warned Dobby.

Bloodhook asked, "Assassination is something that has to be handled carefully. Those were your own words to my father and me once."

Dobby looked thoughtful as Bloodhook handed Dobby a small box. The elf popped away and when alone, investigated the contents that included a poisoned dagger, several vials of poisons, and one sachet of specially treated floo powder.

SLIGHT SCENE CHANGE: Around Magical Britain

The Daily Prophet headlines two days later reported the grisly end of Lord Gravis McMillian. By some mishap, McMillian used the floo improperly the previous morning – either he used too much floo powder or pronounced the name of the ministry incorrectly or something. The unfortunate consequence was that he emerged in pieces at twelve different locations around Magical Britain. The largest single piece, his torso, was ejected into the floo control department of the ministry where the staff spent five minutes discussing a cover-up or full disclosure before the Aurors arrived with McMillian's left leg (Amelia's office), his right arm (Diggory's office) and word that his head had flown out of the floo and onto the desk in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts. The other eight pieces were recovered by private citizens in their homes.

Great Evil Tonks never gave much thought to the identity of the person (or persons) who arranged for the floo in the McMillian home to assassinate the pompous wizard so quickly. It could have been a rival in the Wizengamot, his own son who became the new Lord McMillian, the goblins who wouldn't allow anyone to threaten Freshgold, or it could have been a protective house elf.