Books in Series:

Book 1: A Girl Can Be More Important Than a Firebolt

Book 2: Light of the Heart

-o-

A/N: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and anyone that has received licensing rights.

-oOo-

Chapter 11

November 22, 1996

Hogwarts, Scotland

Harry and Hermione had avoided the Daily Prophet for almost two weeks now. In that time, four articles had come out that were less than flattering to Hermione. He didn't care what they said about him, but he did care about the rumors and even insults Hermione received from some girls when he wasn't around.

Last night, sitting on a transfigured couch in their lab, she had cried after someone had sent her a howler that exploded on the grounds while she had been talking with Luna Lovegood.

Thus, when the owls dropped a paper before Lavender, Harry tried to ignore it.

Hermione's hand tightened on her book.

Harry reached over to take her hand, which she grabbed.

Lavender paid the owl and unrolled the paper. "Bloody effing hell," Lavender whispered.

"I think Ron is rubbing off on you," Parvati giggled as she leaned over.

"I'm not that bloody awful," Ron griped.

Parvati didn't respond, the toast falling out of her hand. Her eyes were wide.

"How bad is it today?" Hermione asked, sounding exasperated.

"It's not you today," Lavender said. "Fudge was arrested."

That got everyone's attention. "What?" Ron exploded, leaning into his girlfriend.

Parvati started to read out loud, "Last night, teams of Aurors raided several high-ranking officials' homes and members of the Wizengamot. Head Amelia Bones, Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, was stated, 'After months of investigations and tips, a Wizengamot Tribunal has given the Aurors permission to raid and arrest anyone found in several homes. Charges will be made public in the next few days.'"

"Merlin! The Ministry is corrupt but who paid for this," Parvati asked.

"I don't think any single family or alliance could afford this. The article lists Fudge, Umbridge, Malfoy, Nott, Carrow, Corner, Bagnold... my lord. There are like twenty houses here." Lavender blanched. "Dumbledore and Longbottom are part of the list. This hits every major faction in the Wizengamot."

Harry grabbed at the paper. "Neville would never do anything like that."

"I was reading that!" Lavender was upset at the paper being torn from her hands.

Hermione leaned in. He found the listing of names. It wasn't just Dumbledore, Corner and Longbottom for the so called Light Alliance. The Crowleys and Silversmiths, two known good houses, were also there.

"Where is Neville?" he asked, putting the paper down, stood up and looked around. Lavender grabbed the paper back. The hall was abuzz in people talking over papers and groups gathering around those that had them.

Neville was sitting with the Slytherins today.

Hermione jammed her stuff into her bag. "Harry, get your stuff," she ordered.

"Oi, wait for us," Ron called out

Harry grabbed his bag and book and started across the hall. Everyone in the hall was looking around, realizing that some of the students whose parents were on the list were not around.

Ron, Lavender and Parvati caught up to them as Neville met them, Astoria at his side and Tracey and Daphne right behind. "Neville, was it Great Aunt Augusta?"

"I don't know. I need a floo," Neville said, looking pale.

"Babbling is at the table," Hermione told him. "What does this mean if it was your Gran?"

"I don't know. Gran has exposed some of this in the past and the Bones are our Allies."

They looked to the Head Table. A few other students were already there, most likely those affected or unsure. "Bloody hell," Ron swore.

"I don't see Professor Flitwick here, maybe we can go ask him to use a floo," Astoria provided.

"I think only Neville, Hermione and I should go," Harry told them all.

"I am not leaving Neville," Astoria said, grabbing his arm.

"You're my best mate," Ron said perplexed. "Why can't I go?"

Harry felt guilty for leaving him out so much at times lately, but this was business Ron didn't want to deal with. Harry could tell by the glassed over eyes Ron got every time Harry talked about the Wizengamot and what they were learning. This was also his family, not Ron's.

"Unless you want to start learning about all that prat stuff, this is something for Neville and I. We will find you later and let you know what is happening," Harry told him.

"Why Hermione and Astoria then?" Ron whinged.

"Hermione is my betrothed and Astoria is seeing Neville and one of our Allies. If my Great Aunt is in this, then we may need Lord Greengrass to help."

"Yeah, sure," Ron said, rubbing his neck.

Neville let out a breath when they found Professor Flitwick's office door open and no one else in the office. "Good morning. I don't usually get non-Ravenclaw students this early."

"Professor, have you seen the paper yet? I need to contact my Gran," Neville said quickly.

They soon found out it was one of his older cousins, the second son of his Uncle Algie. That would be Harry's Great Uncle. Harry never spent much time around he man.

Twenty minutes later, and Hermione almost late, Harry was walking her down to potions on the first floor. "Harry, six of the Houses on that arrest list are peerage seats," Hermione spoke into the silence.

"I know. I never expected Neville's older cousin to be caught," Harry told her.

"At least it wasn't your Great Aunt. Dumbledore though," she said surprised. "I know he got in trouble with the ICW for trying to override the last warning sent to the Ministry, but this?"

Harry wanted to be thinking about Rune sequencing, not the Wizengamot today.

"My aunts weren't overly impressed with Dumbledore, but he never bothered me," he responded. "Are we sure we want to keep my cousin's title?"

"You want to make a change, correct?"

"Of course. I've told you I don't want you to be discriminated against anymore."

"Then yes. I want to keep the Black rings. Besides, I didn't think we have the option now."

"Not really. I just want to stay on Sark," he told her.

She nodded. "Talk after class?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to go up to the lab and then Ron wants to practice after lunch," he told her.

"You mean you want to fly your Thunderwave and he wants to steal your Firebolt."

He chuckled. "Pretty much. I did invite him. I'm still not letting anyone else touch my Thunderwave. I'll see you later?"

She met his lips as he leaned down for a chaste kiss. "Yes. You think we can claim it a House matter to go on a date in Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

He chuckled. "I don't remember you wanting to break so many rules before this year?"

She gave him a mischievous grin. "I didn't really have a reason too."

They kissed again and someone made a disgusted sound. "That filth smell will linger for weeks," a drawling voice came.

Harry moved to punch his cousin and Hermione grabbed his necktie. "He's just jealous," she said against his lips.

"He's a prat," Harry responded before she started to kiss him deeper. It made him totally forget that Malfoy's father had been arrested.

When an older man cleared his throat, Harry pulled back. He couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "Good Morning, Professor."

"A good morning indeed, it would appear. If you please, Ms. Granger, class is about to start," Professor Slughorn indicated the door with his head.

"Yes, sir," she said, pecking him again and rushing into the room.

Professor Slughorn chuckled. "I remember being that young once. If you and Ms. Granger like, I am having a small dinner party tonight at eight," the Professor offered.

"We will need to decline tonight, Professor. We have Prefect duties and there is a team practice since we had to miss Tuesday evening with the weather," Harry declined.

"Pity. Grizelda was going to be in attendance and would have liked to talk with your betrothed again," the man said starting to walk away.

Hermione would be kicking herself for weeks if she missed that. She might kick him too. "I will see if we can rearrange our rounds. I may need to be late."

Slughorn smiled from his door. "It is better to be late than never at times, my boy."

Harry swore under his breath. He knew he had just been manipulated, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Not without an upset Hermione.

-oOo-

November 29, 1996

Hogsmeade, Scotland

The fallout of the Ministry raids was all the talk of the castle. Over the last two weeks, the Daily Prophet had run extra or long editions, even having to reprint some to keep up with the demand for knowledge of what was going on. The count had grown to twenty-three major houses, vassal or cadet lines. All of them Pureblood or pure blood.

Not once in that time had another word been said about Harry or Hermione and many seemed to forget about them. Harry didn't blame them. Charges against eight houses could see the Head-of-House or others going to Azkaban, or even the veil. That opened them to having their Peerage seats stripped from four of them, including his cousin Malfoy. Vassal houses were not elevated unless cleared themselves if that happened. Five more were facing reparation or time in Azkaban without risk of having their peerage stripped, and three more could be spending months in the DMLE cells while things were worked out. No charges had been announced against the other seven Houses yet.

Anyway it was put, the balance of power was facing a larger cataclysmic rift than Harry renouncing his Potter Lordship. Fudge was Minister in name only until he faced a trial or was recalled by the Wizengamot.

With all this, Harry had noticed a lot of frightened faces amongst those that were part of the pure bloods or Purebloods. Sometimes some of their classmates would disappear for a day or few. Malfoy and others were abnormally quiet and reserved. There was a general feel of unease with those whose families were caught up in the scandal.

Harry and his friends were not among those worried.

What Harry couldn't understand was how the corruption was found and who was behind it. Harry doubted this didn't have some political motive.

It gave him a headache to think about it.

Hermione, on the other hand, had become thick as thieves with the Patils, Greengrasses and Lavender. Her mind was a sponge and already catching onto how things work. Astoria had commented that Hermione seemed to already understand more than them and he had noticed that a few of her boards were now dedicated to notes on the Wizengamot and inter-House connections.

Even now, she was raving mad since leaving the school about the latest salacious headlines yesterday morning.

"Four illegitimate muggleborn children! Do you know what Lord Selwyn did to them?" she ranted outraged.

"He abandoned them and two of them are now in Hogwarts," Harry responded. "The other two are now too old to enter Hogwarts."

She raved as though not hearing him. "He abandoned them, Harry! Two of them grew up in child welfare! While the man lived a life of luxury and voted for regulations to restrict muggleborn and deregulate muggle baiting! Not to mention it sounds like he raped their mothers!"

"Hermione, I read the article too," he told her, trying to calm her down.

It was like poking a hornet's nest though.

She threw her hands in the air. "Daphne and Tracey have also told me about some of the 'hidden laws'. Did you know that a muggleborn can't even get a job in the Ministry without a sponsor? Typically it's just your Head of Department, but unless they agree to sponsor you, you won't even get an interview! No wonder there are so few muggleborn in the Ministry."

Hermione let out an enraged scream. "How can they get away with this!"

"By holding much of the money, positions of power and working together," Astoria told her.

"This is horrid!"

"Has she been like this all week," Neville whispered sympathetically as Hermione kept raging.

"She has gotten more worked up the more she has talked with Astoria and all them. I haven't seen her pick up one of her research books all week," Harry whispered back.

"Hermione!"

"WHAT!" she spun around on Astoria.

"Will you shut it for a few!" Astoria snapped at his betrothed. "We get your upset. I am just as outraged as you but you don't see me raging like a lunatic. I plan to do something about it when I can. What I want to know is what are you going to do about it?" Astoria challenged.

Hermione opened her mouth. Shut it. Opened it again and then Harry saw the gears start turning in her head.

Harry was going to have to try that the next time Hermione was so worked up.

He looked at her as she stopped walking. After a moment he told her, "As we've talked, the seat is all yours if you want. I will need to sit that first time though."

The determination and intelligence in her eyes as she rapidly worked through whatever was going through her mind was very attractive to Harry. He didn't need Neville's sympathy. He'd rather see her like this than a simpering girl that didn't have much upstairs.

After a few minutes, and a few groups passing them on the way into Hogsmeade, she huffed. "I am claiming to be your Representative. Our House will not sit silently on this."

"You know you can't sit the Wizengamot until next year? You need to be eighteen," he told her. "And we need to be married," he said a little lower.

"That gives us time." She nodded and took off towards Hogsmeade.

Astoria looked perplexed and Neville just confused. "Time for what?" Neville asked.

Harry shook his head. "I have a feeling I won't be getting as much of my research done as quickly as I want. Come on." Harry took off after his betrothed. He smiled at the way she just charged ahead. Some might call it Gryffindor bravery or the desire to just jump into something. Others would say it was Gryffindor stupidity to blindly jump or keep going when all the odds were against you. Harry just saw it as her determination and loved her for it.

It was a nice morning, stopping at Scrolls and Tomes, Honeydukes and Spinwitches Sporting Goods. When Astoria dragged Neville off to Madam Puddifoots, Hermione made a face. Harry took her hand. "Neville isn't a big fan of this either, but I'm sure he would like us there," he told Hermione.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you have to look at me like that when you really want something?"

Harry smirked. "Does it work?"

She huffed before moving in and giving him a peck. "I'm not telling. Let's go save our cousin."

He chuckled.

When they walked in, Astoria and Neville had already been seated. It was still early, so the tearoom was still mostly empty. An older woman in nice robes, a tea smock and rosy cheeks greeted them. She took one look at them and the woman's smile spread even wider. "Scion and Heiress Black, it is such a pleasure to have you in my establishment. If you please, the best seats are over here."

Harry was caught off guard as the woman pawed over them.

"We would rather have a table next to our friends," Hermione spoke up.

"Of course. Which ones are your friends?" she asked, indicating the three tables with people at them.

Harry recovered. "Over in the corner. Can we choose a table?"

"Yes. Yes. Please do. Do you prefer strong black tea or something else?" the woman inquired, smiling and acting like all she wanted to do was please them.

"We can look at the list. Others were here before us," Harry told her, putting a hand behind Hermione's back and steering her towards Neville. He knew she didn't like him doing this, but he felt it warranted at the moment. Hermione didn't complain today.

"Gweneth will never believe this. I told her they were nice and respectable," he heard Madam Puddifoot talking to herself as she walked away.

Neville chuckled as they sat down. "The famous Harry Potter," his cousin teased.

"Shut it," Harry muttered back. "Pay attention to your date."

"Neville gives me plenty of attention, thank you," Astoria assured.

Hermione looked at him and took his hand across the small table. "We are going to see Ms. Blake and Margaret over Christmas," Hermione told him.

"I have another place to take you to also," he told her.

"Is this another one of those secrets you should be telling me?" Hermione asked with a raised brow.

"A surprise. Actually, Neville will be taking Astoria with us."

Astoria was looking at Neville with eyes that said she really liked him. "Where are we going?"

"I am going to pick you up on December 28th and I have a surprise for you," Neville told her. "I was going to ask you at the Yule ball."

Harry winced. "Sorry to ruin the surprise."

Hermione squeezed his hand and nodded her head to leave them alone. He took the hint and moved a little closer to her. "Should we pick out some tea?"

They picked up the list of teas and small desserts. A young attractive woman came out of the back room and moved to one of the other couples. Madam Puddifoot followed and went straight to them. "Scion and Heiress Black, it is such an honor to have you here. May I ask who your friends are? Any friends of yours can have any choice seat."

Harry, knowing he had to act the proper pure blood, introduced them. "Madam Puddifoot, this is Scion Neville Longbottom and Ms. Astoria Greengrass."

The woman must have recognized them too as her eyes widened a little more. "It is such a great pleasure. I didn't believe anything that the Daily Prophet wrote about you, and especially after the story today. Now, what may I get you?"

Hermione and him shared a look. They hadn't let Hermione near a paper. She was already riled when she woke up. "Excuse me, Madam Puddifoot, what article," Hermione asked.

"Have you not read the paper yet?" Madam Puddifoot replied.

"No, ma'am," she responded.

"How about I get what you would like and I can bring a copy out to you?"

"Do you have coffee," Harry asked, hoping it might calm his love down if the article wasn't as nice as it sounded.

The woman scrunched her brow for a moment. "I think that can be provided. Any special request?"

He looked to Hermione. "The biggest cup you have, please?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, my dear. And you," she asked to him and then Neville and Astoria.

"Such pleasant young people," Madam Puddifoot commented to herself when she walked away.

"Did either of you read the paper?" Hermione asked the second Madam Puddifoot was out of ear shot.

Neville looked guilty and Astoria just stared at her. "Harry said he wanted to give you a nice day, so we did not bring it up."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Bring what up?"

"You should read the paper first," Neville told her.

Harry reached for her other hand. "They are our friends," he reminded her before she got worked up again.

Hermione huffed and pulled her hand out of his to sit back and cross her arms across her chest. Harry looked at Neville, who seemed to get his unasked question. "It's not what you think," Neville told him.

It wasn't long before the standard flowery teacups were put before them. A small, elegant glass carafe with gold filigree and a gold top was placed next to Hermione's cup. It had a few cups of coffee in it. "I do not have large cups, and very infrequently get requests for coffee. Will this do?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Thank you. Do you have a paper, Madam Puddifoot?"

With a relieved smile the woman took a Prophet out of a front pocket of a servers smock and handed it to her. Harry put eight galleons on the table. The tea, coffee and the small finger sandwiches were worth maybe three galleons. He doubted what Neville's and Astoria's had was more than two galleons and a few sickles. "Thank you," Harry told her. "This is for Scion Longbottom as well."

The woman smiled again. "My pleasure, Scion Black. If you need anything, please just raise your wand." The matron took the offered coins and scurried away.

Hermione was already reading the paper, the steaming cup of coffee forgot. Neville and Astoria took the cue to go back to their date.

"You should drink while it is hot," he prodded.

"Harry, have you heard from Uncle Ted or our Aunts lately?"

"Just yesterday," he told her. "I showed you the letter."

"Oh, yes. Yes. You did," she said absently. "Oh my God."

"What?"

She kept reading.

"Hermione, what?"

"The Head-of-House of McNair has been stripped of his magic because he was trying to have the goblins declare him a non-vassal House and claim some of the Black fortune. As was his son. Harry, he has no more heirs," she stated.

He blinked at her. After a moment, he nodded. "I am not adopting their Bloodline."

Hermione finally looked up from the paper. "As a vassal-House of the Black, you can claim their bloodline? Why didn't Uncle Ted send us a letter?"

"I'm not sure. Can we have a nice date and then deal with this later?"

"Harry, people just lost their magic," she stated.

"And Aunt Bel has told me he served Voldemort. If he lost his magic trying to go against us, then sod him," he said a little angrily.

She looked slightly taken back. After a second her eyes really widened. "Oh, Merlin! He was trying to break away from us and steal your fortune. Does this mean another voting seat has been eliminated?"

He sighed. "I don't know. My head is spinning from trying to understand all this lately and we really need to concentrate on our research and classes. If Uncle Ted has not sent us a letter yet, it must be something he can handle for now. When he is ready for us to step in, he won't hesitate to contact us. I don't know if anything can even be acted upon before I claim the Lordship officially next summer. So, we can either fret, or we can try to have a good time."

Hermione regarded him for a few as Neville and Astoria talked quietly next to them.

After a moment, and with what looked like deliberation, she folded the paper and put it into her inside pocket of her winter coat. Hermione took his hand. "I haven't really spent any time with you this week?"

"Not really, but I understand."

She frowned. "Everything has just been happening so fast. In a week I have gone from being the largest slag in the papers and school to suddenly being looked upon kindly because the Prophet suddenly changes its tune on us. Is this what politics will really be like?"

"Possibly? I am starting to suspect that Aunt Andi, Aunt Bel and Uncle Ted started to pull strings and someone realized that their largest investor will finally have control of his accounts come August," Harry responded.

She sighed before taking his hands again. "What is going to happen at the Winter Solstice meeting?"

"We will need to go. Aunt Bel should represent us, but I will need to get up and formally renounce my title. Once the Lordship of Potter is dissolved, you can start sitting Proxy in the House Black seat, you just can't vote until I am seventeen and your eighteen."

"Aunt Bel and Andi have gone over this. You're nervous though?"

"Yes. I don't like large crowds."

"I know. Yet you will take your broom out to a stadium full of people," she commented.

"That's Quidditch, not a room of people trying to decide the fate of our world and obviously upset with me," Harry stated.

Hermione squeezed his hands. "Come closer," she told him.

"Why," he asked petulantly, leaning closer as instructed.

She rolled her eyes before taking on that sultry look that always got his blood heated. "You said we should enjoy ourselves."

He smiled. "I thought you hated kissing in front of everyone?"

"The only ones that might be paying attention are the staff and I have heard Madam Puddifoot keeps all reporters out of here. Now kiss me," she ordered.

Harry happily met the lips of his Hermione, not noticing that his cousin and girlfriend were doing the same. Though, Neville and Astoria were more of the sweet kiss kind.

Harry wasn't sure what time they had entered, but he was pleased to leave as the lunch rush was coming in. Astoria had a cheshire grin on her face while Neville looked like he got away with stealing from the cookie jar. Hermione elbowed him to keep the smirk and silent laugh from coming out. He didn't miss her smile at his cousin and escort. They were going to call it an early day and head back to the castle when Ron, Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati caught up with them on the way to the castle.

"Why are you going that way," Ron asked. They were obviously heading into Hogsmeade for an afternoon of fun. For the sixth and seventh years, they had to be back in the castle by eight, the others by four, thus many of the upper years went later in the day and usually ate dinner before returning.

"Back up to the castle. I have some work to get done," Harry responded with Hermione's hand in his.

It was getting close to Fall term exams, Harry had reduced the practices to Tuesdays and the Saturday of every non-Hogsmeade weekend. The team was working well, but he needed more time for his other studies, to learn more of the Wizengamot, as well as Hermione time. He loved having the Captain's badge, but he was coming to the conclusion he would recommend Ginny next year, who was far more interested in making Quidditch her life. Maybe he would talk to Professor Babbling about it for the rest of the year? He would talk to Hermione and then Katie this week.

"You and Hermione should take the whole day off," Dean prodded.

"Thank you for the offer, but I already have a potion going and it needs to be checked within the hour," Hermione told them.

"What of you two?" Lavender asked Neville and Astoria.

"I am actually helping Hermione with some of her research," Neville told them. Neville was helping to grow some of the herbs Hermione wanted.

"How about you, Astoria? We are going to Zonko's," Ron enthused.

"No thank you. I have plans to attend items in the Greenhouses and complete my work," Astoria responded.

Harry shared a look with Ron. He had not really included Astoria like that before. Ron shrugged. "Your loss. You really should relax more."

"We do relax," Harry told them as Hermione started to pull him away. "Not my fault you don't get up until nine or ten."

"You get up way too early! A few of us are flying tomorrow afternoon," Ron called, walking backwards towards Hogsmeade with the others.

"I'll be there," he called back. He turned back to Hermione and kissed her cheek. "I have the Prefects bath at six if you want," Harry told her.

Hermione gave an impish smile. "I could use a good scrubbing," she told him in a seductive voice.

He hadn't noticed how close the other two had drifted to them. "Is that where you two snog and don't' get caught?" Astoria inquired with a knowing grin.

"No different than you and the greenhouse," Hermione retorted.

Neville flushed some. "We study and work."

Harry laughed. "Does studying involve all your clothes?"

Astoria flamed red and sputtered. "What we do... I would never... Neville is a gentleman!"

He had never seen the younger Greengrass girl so flustered. Harry laughed and Hermione spoke. "Harry is gentle. I'll give him that."

He stopped at the look she was giving him before she started to laugh at his expression.

"Minx," Astoria huffed.

His eyes narrowed. His girl was getting bolder since their time at Aunt Andi's. He liked it, but perhaps tonight it was his turn to see how flush he could make her?

"As Uncle Ted said, Harry is mine. I will keep our promise. That does not mean I need to be a prude," she said with an evil wink to Astoria. Merlin! He was going to snog her the first chance he had back in Hogwarts. "Oh, and there is no rule against guests in the Prefect bathroom, Prefect Greengrass."

The open mouth of Astoria and the flaming red of Neville made him laugh. "I love you," he told Hermione.

"I know," she said smugly before pulling him low enough to kiss his