In case anyone was wondering why I ended the last chapter there, my answer is simple. I hadn't quite managed to think up all of the questions Harry would come up with about the results of the inheritance ceremony. I mean some of the questions Harry (and you as the readers) would have come up with did get answered last chapter (what a familial totem is, how being a 'Goblin Friend' gets him discounts on services from Gringotts, what a Dual Caster is). But I also didn't want to go through every single detail when some of them were obvious (like what it means to be titled 'Basilisk Slayer').
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True to her word it didn't take them more than fifteen minutes to write out the five letters for Potter family allies. As they did that, Dumbledore placed parchment with the results from the ritual on the desk in between all of the so that each person could see it clearly. Helena read over it as well and though there were a few things that concerned her, for the most part she couldn't help but feel awed by just how powerful her descendant was.
"Now then. What questions do you have in regards to the information on this parchment Mr. Potter?"
After taking a moment to refresh herself on the inheritance ceremony results, Professor McGonagall opened the floor to his questions. Leaning forward slightly as he answered, Harry tapped a figure towards the top of the paper.
"I am Lord of two families, Heir of two families, and the Head of another. What is the difference between these positions, and why just these families despite having access to another set of family vaults? I mean I know why I don't have a title for the Ravenclaw bloodline, but what about the Winthrop family?
Having expected the question, Minerva glared at Dumbledore before turning her attention back to Harry. If the boy had been raised properly he wouldn't have needed to ask. Helena's ghost also gave the man an unflattering look.
"The title of Lord is a hereditary title used in place of the Head of House title for families that before the Statute of Secrecy held positions in the muggle world's nobility. For example both the families of Addlemore and Black were Earls, but gave up their authority over the muggles when the Statute was implemented. It is interesting to note that even when a family has become defunct and passed on the title, it will be with the name of the family that originally held the title, which is why you are Lord Gryffindor and not Lord Potter."
"I see. So would I be right to assume that those with the title of Lord are the same as a Head of house but with more privileges? And that being an Heir just means that I will be the person from the family that next holds the title of Lord?"
Instead of the transfiguration professor, it was Dumbledore that answered.
"That is correct. As a Lord, you are automatically granted a seat in the Wizengamot. You are also granted the rights to carry a weapon even in the Wizengamot chamber, which is probably a good thing as the title of Lord Gryffindor is bound to the sword. Luckily you haven't been able to interact with the students enough for them to see that you have it on your person since you've slayed the basilisk."
A confused look crossed Minerva's face at that. She'd been with Harry for the whole day and hadn't seen the sword of Gryffindor at all. Harry had noticed her confusion and patted his hip.
"My abilities at sensing magic are a lot stronger than before, I mean if I focus hard enough I can not only tell an object is magical I can get a vague sense of what kind of magic it has. I'm guessing this is because of the 'Mage Sense' ability I inherited from the Winthrop bloodline. Anyway thanks to sensing it, I've learned the sword reacts to my thoughts, though I can't get too far away before it returns to me. So I've taken to just shrinking it down and then using a Disillusionment charm before clipping it to my side."
The witch's mouth formed a tight 'o' in response. Dumbledore merely chuckled. Even the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw smiled at the explanation.
"You are correct about the Mage Sense ability. I have a similar skill known as Mage Sight, which allows me to see through illusionary magics as if they weren't there. So I'll retract my statement about the students seeing it if you had actually been interacting with them."
"So I can keep the sword with me and I have a seat in the Wizengamot. Are there any other benefits to being a Lord?"
So far Harry didn't seem to be too impressed with what he could do as a Lord.
"The laws concerning the making of Portkeys do not apply to you. Another perk is that, should you ever be in a situation where you are testifying in court, you may exercise your right as a Lord to make an oath of truth rather that be administered Veritaserum. Most business will also give you highly preferential treatment as an offhanded comment from a Lord has in the past seen several businesses fail. You would already experience that however as you are 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and people already idolize you.
Now I believe you also were wondering why there is no mention of your status in regards to the Winthrop family? The answer is because they are considered defunct there is no need for a Head of house. Should you wish however, when you are older and have children, so long as it is not your first born, you may pass the name on and revive the family that way. Of course in that case you would be Regent Winthrop until your child was old enough to be the Head of the family."
Satisfied with the answers to his questions about the titles he moved on to the next section that had things he didn't fully understand.
"You told me I was right about what Mage Sense is, and I know about the Animagus transformation and Parseltongue. But what does it mean to be an Air Elemental, aside from the obvious, and what is an Occlumens?"
"Let's use the Piercing charm as our example then. As it compresses a ball of air before launching it at high speeds, it is one that will come to you easier than it would a non Air Elemental. In fact you'll probably be able to cast it on your first try when it comes time for that lesson. Wandless magic is extraordinarily difficult, but Elementals that practice hard enough and long enough tend to be able to cast some of the smaller and less powerful spells without their wand. It is interesting to note, there has never been an Air Elemental that did not have a bird of some kind for their animagus form."
Helena's ghost responded. Then Dumbledore butted in to explain what being an Occlumens was.
"As for Occlumens, it refers to being a master of the mental magic known as Occlumency. Now Occlumency is a special form of magic in that it is one of the few forms of magic that any witch or wizard could perform without a wand. The reason for that is because Occlumency is the art of protecting your mind from Legilimency, which is a skill that allows you to look into a persons eyes and read their thoughts. However, there is another feature to Occlumency that most don't really think about. As it is mental skill that pertains to strengthening the mind to prevent intrusions, It also boosts your memory, and helps you think more clearly. It is not perfect recall, however."
Dumbledore really didn't want Harry to know about Legilimency as being a natural at Occlumency didn't mean that a Legilimens couldn't read his mind, just that it would require a more skilled Legilimens to do so. But he explained anyway as Minerva or Helena would have brought it up instead. At least this way he can leave certain details out. After all, he was a rather accomplished Legilimens, as was Severus Snape. So long as Harry didn't know that his mind could still be read there was a chance he wouldn't try to improve his natural skill with Occlumency, and they would be able to keep an eye on his intentions. Harry would still need his guidance after all.
Unluckily for Dumbledore, he wasn't sitting so that he could see Harry's face, as the boy was angled in his seat so that he had to tilt his head to even glance towards the older wizard. The moment he heard about Legilimency, Harry's eyes brightened a bit, as if a small fire had been lit inside them. 'Even if I am a natural Occlumens, I want to make sure that Legilimency won't work on me.' He had thought to himself. Out loud however he did have to comment.
"That might explain why my mind is so much clearer than before. I mean before having my magic unblocked it was hard to focus and my memory wasn't all that good. Now? I've started remembering things from years ago that I had forgotten, and if I think about something I've written, like say one of my homework assignments, I could probably recite almost word for word."
Helena's ghost nodded, she hadn't been a natural Occlumens while she was alive, but she did learn the skill and her recollection of the difference in her mind before and after learning the skill was fairly similar to what he had explained. McGonagall had to smile, she was already planning to tell the staff a story about how Harry's status as an Archmage meant he had accidental magic far before it would normally start showing in a child, so for his protection James and Lily had put a small binding on his magic to help keep it at a controllable level. Since Madam Pomfrey doesn't search for things like that it went unnoticed, but it had blocked his abilities as a natural Occlumens. The events of the Chamber were known only to the staff, but combined with her story, they would easily accept and welcome the more focused Harry in class. Well aside from Severus Snape, but she was going to watch the man a lot closer now.
Dumbledore fought back a sigh as he inquired if Harry had more questions to ask.
"Are there any other questions?"
There wasn't really much left that Harry was genuinely confused about, but he felt it would be best to get confirmation on a theory he had come up with after reading the results of the inheritance ceremony. So instead of jumping to the bottom of the parchment he tapped his finger words in question.
"Just to confirm, the magical affinity for 'Combat Magic' is why I am top of the class in Defense right? The other affinities are rather self explanatory."
"That is correct. Though having an affinity for Warding also helps, as those that become Ward-masters often have the most powerful defensive shields."
Harry gave a 'makes sense I guess' kind of shrug at that.
"Now the only question I have is about the magical titles. Basilisk Slayer, Dual Caster, and Goblin Friend all make sense to me or were explained earlier. To an extent Fate's Chosen One makes sense as well. But what does the title of Archmage mean?"
Even though he knew that he had to mend his relationship with Harry, Dumbledore frowned at the mention of the boy being an Archmage. He really didn't want Harry to know that in terms of magic he was stronger. It would be so much easier to remain in control if everyone though he was leagues above even their champion 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'. Sighing heavily Dumbledore decided to give out at least a small bit of information about being an Archmage.
"Archmages are extremely rare witches and wizards. In fact, as far as I know you are the first one born since at least the 1850s, though there may be others that hid the status extremely well."
"Okay, but what exactly are Archmages?"
"Archmages are witches or wizards that have far more potent magic. I don't mean more magic, though for your age the size of your magical core is far above average. I mean your magic itself just has a quality to it that makes your spells stronger. I suppose an apt comparison would be to use muggle weaponry. Your standard everyday witch or wizard would be the equivalent of a hand gun, while the professors and others that continued to study and earned their masteries would be more like a rifle. Myself? I'd be more like a grenade, but that's because of the fact I pushed myself and have earned many masteries rather than just one or two. However, you Harry, as an Archmage, you would be more along the lines of a tank."
At first Harry thought Dumbledore was joking with him. The thought of being stronger than his professors was enough to make his jaw hit the floor. It was absurd! Then he recalled Fawkes explaining how he had his animagus form. He would have to be have something about him that stood out magically, in some way to be one of the few that were actually capable of having a magical creature for an animagus form.
"Oh."
Was all he could say. Both Dumbledore and Minerva were content to chuckle in amusement as the boy got over the shock that he truly was and would be a powerful wizard. Eventually though they had to snap him out of it. Mostly because there were still things to be done.
"Was that the last of your questions in regards to all of this?"
"Yes, though my account manager at Gringotts has asked me to ask the headmaster here to either modify the Mail Repelling ward you've placed on me so that I can receive my quarterly reports, or to take the thing down entirely."
Knowing that it would be another thing that would get him back into Harry's good graces Dumbledore just nodded.
"That is rather simple to do. Though I must point out, because of your fame there is a chance that in removing it entirely you will be swamped in letters and gifts from the public. Aside from protecting you from Voldemort's followers sending you nasty things in the mail, I had also set the ward up to keep you from being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of mail you were receiving."
Having somewhat expected that as a reason Harry nodded his head.
"Yes I figured. I'd like it taken down entirely though."
As he had given his opinion Dumbledore merely shrugged in response before pulling his wand out. As he didn't want to risk upsetting his Deputy Headmistress or the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw he slowly and clearly cast the spells required to more the ward. When he was finished Dumbledore nodded.
"Well... Your parents will won't be enough evidence to get Sirius cleared instantly, it should be enough to make the Wizengamot curious. Once they start asking questions I can bring up that in my research he never had a trial. Because everyone will want answers, and it would be better to prove he was innocent rather than simply grant him a pardon, I will suggest having a proper trial and opening it to the public so that the news will spread faster."
"Are you trying to ask if you should set things in motion now, or if you should wait until after I've met with the Potter allies and gotten them on board with the plan?"
Harry replied.
"Clever boy. It would be easier if I was not the only one pushing on this matter. However if you want it handled as quickly as possible I could call an emergency meeting within the hour."
He didn't even have to think. The more people on their side the smoother the process would be.
"Wait until I've had a chance to speak with the Potter alliance members."
"Very well."
With that the headmaster left Minerva's office. Harry waited long enough to be sure the man wasn't coming back before turning to face his transfiguration professor.
"Now. You said you'd be my guardian at least until we've sorting things out with Sirius. Honestly I think the headmaster had the right idea with putting me under a Mail Repelling ward. But I don't trust him having the power to adjust it at his discretion. I trust you however."
Before McGonagall could say anything Helena Ravenclaw spoke instead.
"As Lord Gryffindor the Hogwarts house elves will screen and sort your mail for you."
Harry gave her a bit of a startled look at the mention of house elves. He didn't really know much about them. Considering how Dobby acted whenever his "master" was mentioned he had though it was a form of slavery. But if Hogwarts employed them it may just be Dobby's master was an areshole. Shaking his head Harry turned back to his professor he continued.
"Nevermind then. I've got a few things to look into, but maybe after I found out where I'll be living this summer I'll see about finding someone to take over. I doubt the House elves here at Hogwarts need the extra work."
Minerva just chuckled.
"That makes things easier. As your guardian, you'll be staying with me for the summer Mr. Potter. Thanks to my duties as deputy headmistress, I am here at the school for another week and a half after the students leave before my summer vacation starts. I have a couple house elves at my family home, and I'm sure they would be happy to have more to do after we get you settled in."
"Okay professor."
As there wasn't much else for them to talk about just yet, Harry left her office with the ghost of his many times great grandmother. The staff at the school had been keeping the students appraised of when the Mandrake Restorative Draught would be ready for use on the petrified students, and because the Weasley's had been pulled out of school early thanks to Ginny's near death, Harry didn't really have anyone else to talk to.
Helena's ghost was a treasure trove of information and stories. In fact she even had a few stories about his parents. It was through her that he learned about house elves properly. How they needed to bond to a magical person (or location that was saturated in magic like Hogwarts), in order to survive. To avoid being considered parasites the original house elves had offered their services to aid in whatever was needed around the house as compensation. Throughout the centuries the relationship had been perverted slightly, and house elves went from being considered an unpaid servant to property. When he learned about that Harry resolved himself to doing something to help Dobby, despite the fact the elf had tried to harm him in an effort to scare him away from Hogwarts.
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It wasn't until the next weekend that Olivander contacted the transfiguration professor about Harry's wands. When they entered his shop, Olivander, as always, was waiting for them. After quick greetings Harry found himself being handed several things. While the man didn't know if Harry already had a wand holster or not, he knew Harry didn't have two of them, so he had added the two holsters to the order for the wands. After Harry put the two wrist holsters in place he thanked the man before having the two boxes of wands thrust towards him.
Taking the first one, Harry set the lid on the counter top as his eyes focused in on the wand. The moment Harry put his hand around the handle, he felt an instant connection, and Olivander began to speak about the wand.
"Rowan wood, 12 and ½ inches. Nice and supple just as the Holly wand you have used. The core is a heart-string from a threstral. If this were your only wand, I would suggest finding a career in warding or healing as the nature of this wand is to be highly protective. I wasn't expecting it, having never worked with any form of material from a threstral before, but it amplified the nature of wood in this case."
The wand itself was light in color. Unlike some of the other wands he'd tried there was no wrapping on the handle. Instead it was textured to support his grip, though the design was reminiscent of wings being wrapped around something. On top of that there was a slight curve to the handle that allowed the wand to sit comfortably in his hand. Then there was a smooth round guard separated the handle from the shaft of the wand. There was a small section that was cut out between the guard and the actual shaft of the wand as unlike other designs he had seen, it was shaped more like a pyramid than a cylinder or cone. It wasn't until he moved to store the wand in one of his new holsters that he noticed the carving on the butt of the handle. It almost made him break out in tears and hug the wand maker. Carved into the base of his Rowan wand was a flower, but it wasn't just any flower. It was a Lily.
When he saw that Harry noticed that detail, Olivander gave the boy a soft smile. After he took a moment to compose himself Harry nodded towards the other box that was still in Olivander's hand. Just as with the Rowan wand he felt an instant connection with the wand inside as his hand grasped it's handle.
"Ebony wood, also 12 and ½ inches. This one is more rigid and stiff than your Rowan wand. Inside is a core made from the talon of a griffin. Ebony tends to bond with a wizard or witch that doesn't bow down to external influences and always stays true to themselves. This is the only time I have every used a griffins talon, and even my ancestors rarely crafted a wand with the material. Through their notes however I have learned that every wand with this kind of core has gone to a witch or wizard that became a leader during times of great strife."
Of course as a darker wood than Rowan, this wand contrasted his other wand in just by it's color. There was a soft maroon colored wrap to help with his grasp on this wand. The butt of the wand was spherical rather than flat. Unlike the Rowan wand, there was no curve to the handle. The shaft for the wand was different. While still rounded, there was a flare at the bottom of the shaft, from where it began narrowing, before it widened just a bit before narrowing once more as it got closer to the tip. Between the handle and shaft there was a guard rectangular in shape. Just like the engraved lily on his Rowan wand, the Ebony one had a marking as well. On one both sides of the guard Harry noticed what he had learned was the Potter family crest. A pleased smile came to his face when he noticed, proud to have his families symbol on his wand.
While the lighter Rowan wood wand gave him a sense of comfort while in his grasp, this one gave Harry a sense of purpose. Wanting to know what would happen if held both, Harry's left hand reached out for his 'white' wand as he mentally dubbed it. When both were in his hands Harry felt the surge of his magic as it began to thrum through the wands, almost as if it were singing in joy.
"Yes, it truly is a wondrous feeling when your magic connects as smoothly and as deeply as yours has with these wands. Despite having never worked with either of the materials I used as their cores before, I truly enjoyed crafting these two wands."
Olivander commented, his eyes alight with happiness at Harry's reaction to the wands. Once more Harry thanked the wand maker, both for the wands and for the holsters.
"It is no trouble Mr. Potter. As I said I enjoyed crafting the two wands. The holsters, well I threw those in because you needed them. It is far safer to have a proper holster than to not after all. Now, if you'll recall when I asked you to let your magic find the cores, we did so by focusing on which hand the wand was for. While you can use either one in whatever hand you wish, it was a way of focusing your magic to determine which core went with which wood. The Rowan and Threstral Heart-string wand is the one that was made through the materials that reacted when you focused on the left, while the Ebony and Griffin Talon wand was for the materials that reacted when you focused on the right."
Harry had gotten that feeling from the wands when he held both of them. Storing them in their holsters Harry smiled towards the older wizard.
"Yeah. I think my magic was guiding me to understand that when I held both of them. It was like a part of me associated the Rowan wand with a shield, and the Ebony wand with a sword. Defense for the off hand and offense for the main hand. Or at least that's how I interpreted the feeling."
"While it's curious that your magic would guide that way, based on what I know of the materials and how they interacted, I would agree with your interpretation."
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Even though he was emancipated by magic, his age meant he still needed a guardian, which was why McGonagall had mentioned that she would take over the roll. It had taken a bit of corresponding with his allies to set up a meeting, mostly because he felt that his guardian should be present. But thanks to traditions, and his emancipation, the most he could get them to agree to was her presence. She would not be able to speak for him at this meeting. Luckily the woman had been teaching him what she could in regards to the traditions and etiquette.
Having decided he would give his allies the full story, so they would understand the importance of keeping certain details out of the public eye, Harry had to sit for a few minutes as they gathered themselves. They had been horrified he had faced a basilisk, alone no less. The idea that an enchanted diary belonging to Voldemort had nearly killed a young girl in an attempt to bring the psychopath back to life had all of them shuddering violently. Tears welled in their eyes as they felt sympathetic when he mentioned the near death experience allowed him to speak with his parents.
"I want to be completely honest with you all. Some of the things my parents told me are going to be shocking. Because I am in a situation where I'm completely out of my depth, I want open discussion about this stuff. I'll share what has been done or is going to be done in response to some of this. But as allies of the Potter family, I felt it best for you all to have the full picture rather than what will be given to the public."
He stated the moment he was sure they were all in control of their emotions. One by one the adults in the room nodded at him. Off to the side Professor McGonagall was smiling, proud of how he'd handled the meeting so far.
"To make it easy, I'll follow the same order they did after they finished explaining to me why I was able to speak with them. Apparently shortly before I was born there was a prophecy that had been made. This prophecy predicted the birth of the person who would defeat Voldemort."
Knowing how the wizarding world reacted to the mention of the so called 'Dark Lord' Harry paused there. He didn't want to risk any of them not hearing any of the details. It also gave them a chance to speak, after all he wanted to treat this as a discussion and not like he was telling them a story.
"Given what we know of what happened, may we take it to mean this prophecy is why your family was attacked on that dark night?"
Amelia Bones, Regent for House Bones and Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (A.K.A the DMLE) inquired. She and Augusta Longbottom were the two that recovered the fastest from the mention of Voldemort.
"Yes. Apparently, they were told about this prophecy by Dumbledore. Mum said that the person who made the prophecy did so while Dumbledore was present, meaning he was the first to hear it. I don't know if they believed him for sure, but their will mentions that there is a chance the prophecy is about me and they asked that whoever became my guardian looked into it to confirm."
Amelia shook her head at that. She understood the real reason behind the mention of the prophecy. It seemed that James and Lily didn't trust Dumbledore to be open about it. If something happened to them and the Dark Lord was still around, whoever was protecting Harry would need to know about the prophecy. Both for their protection and so they could see that Harry received proper training.
None of the other adults present had anything to say on the matter. They all felt that if the prophecy did exist it was completed that night that Harry was attacked and given his famous scar. Augusta Longbottom figured that the exact wording of the prophecy was what determined it was Harry. After all it it was just left at predicting the birth of the one to defeat Voldemort, then it could have also been her grandson Neville. He and Harry were only a day apart in age after all.
"If it really does exist, this prophecy is still active. Voldemort is still alive as a wraith of some sort."
Several jaws hit the floor at the idea. Most of the room, including Minerva were spluttering out questions of how Harry would know that.
"This is why I wanted to share everything with you all. If the press got a hold of this, there would be mass panic. Anyway, at the end of last school year I was confronted by professor Quirell. He was under a possession of some kind. The spirit doing the possession was Voldemort. I didn't know it at the time, but thanks to my parents sacrifice I was protected, any contact between myself and Voldemort caused Quirell's body to burn up and become ash."
Most of the adults felt sick at that. Quirell was a teacher, and if he was possessed while teaching then it meant their own children had been taught by that monster. McGonagall resolved herself to screaming at Albus that there would be no more secrets being kept about matters at or involving Hogwarts anymore.
"Mr. Potter. Are you saying that Dumbledore knew about the prophecy, and knows it still active, but you had to find out thanks to a near death experience?"
There as a lot of anger in her voice as she asked. It only took a look at Augusta Longbottom's face to understand she wasn't happy with how Dumbledore seemed to be handling the prophecy.
"I don't know the exact wording for the prophecy. But after thinking about the headmasters actions, combined with what I learned from my parents, I think he felt that his hands were tied, preventing him from acting properly."
It wasn't enough to calm the elderly witch, but it did placate her enough to settle back down and not leave to hex the man for incompetence.
"Neither mum nor dad could explain how they learned this, aside that from watching over me they understood what happened that night. Apparently there is a very, very dark ritual, that when performed allows you tear a piece of your soul away from your body and store it inside an object. Voldemort was planning to use my death as part of that ritual. However thanks to my parents planning, it backfired. Yet part of his soul still tore itself from his body. But instead of going into an object it latched onto the closest living thing. Me. Thankfully when I was bitten by the basilisk the venom destroyed the horcrux that was in me."
Gasps of horror at the idea of such a ritual filled the room. Minerva had already heard about it from Dumbledore but she was still disturbed by the idea. It was only Amelia that zeroed in on what happened.
"Mr. Potter, are you saying that your scar was caused by the fact that you had somehow become a living horcrux?!"
Harry slightly tilted his head as he thought about how best to respond.
"From what I've been able to piece together, my scar was caused by the magical backlash of Voldemort attempting to interrupt the ritual my parents had set up and started with his own ritual. I don't know where or how the soul fragment latched on. Luckily for me, despite housing a horcrux, the ritual my parents had set up prevented it from possessing me."
Amos Diggory, one of the allies on the political side of things had turned to face Amelia at that.
"Horcrux? That word sounds familiar but I can't place it."
"A horcrux is an object that houses a piece of persons soul. So long as the horcrux is intact they cannot fully die. Destroy the body and they remain as a spirit. Thanks to the magic involved in making a horcrux the objects become nearly impossible to destroy. From the sounds of it, Dumbledore realized what had happened when he found baby Harry. In conjuncture with the prophecy, he must have thought the prophecy meant that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named needed to eventually regain a body and kill Mr. Potter so that he would be mortal again. As for why the word sounded familiar, Croaker might have explained them to you when you became a department head. The Unspeakables inform all department heads in the ministry about the dark artifacts, that way we can watch over our employees. They will act differently if in possession of Dark artifacts like a Horcrux."
Most of the adults in the room winced at the callousness of how the Unspeakables handled the matter of Horcruxes, though they also grimaced at Amelia's theory on why Dumbledore did nothing about the horcrux that was part of Harry. After all Dumbledore was the 'Leader of the Light'. To not look for ways to help the boy, solely because of how he interpreted a prophecy was ludicrous. Harry knew that Amelia would ask what else had been done by the man, but she was beaten to it. Geoffrey Davies, one of his business partners (as their families were the co-owners to Devon Imports) narrowed his eyes as he looked towards Harry.
"If Dumbledore thought you would have to die to fulfill the prophecy, then he knew you wouldn't need proper training. It would just get in the way. He actively suppressed our efforts to find you, so that you would at least be aware of your responsibilities when you took over your role as the head of house Potter. He tried to keep you ignorant so that you would willing go along with his plan."
Harry nodded softly. He didn't really want to talk about his life before Hogwarts, so he partially deflected Geoffrey's thoughts.
"He needed someone that would willing listen him and throw themselves into the thick of it with no hesitation. Someone that would sacrifice their life without a thought."
As the rest of the alliance members cottoned on, Amelia's face became a deep red. It was obvious she was just barely containing the rage at what she had heard. The idea that Dumbledore would do his best to turn a child into someone that felt like they had no worth… It made her wish that Aurors were allowed to use lethal force when attempting to arrest a person. But she was stunned as Harry explained.
"Dumbledore has been in too many positions of power for far too long. Positions he might not have wanted, but accepted because they were practically forced onto him by others. He's been in a position without equal. Everyone coming to him for answers. Having to deal with that for so long, he would obviously start to have a god complex."
When no one responded to him, Harry just shrugged.
"I'm not saying he was right to do any of the things he has, just that I can understand why he did them. Yes it's frustrating. But in the grand scheme of things dealing with him has to take a backseat. It'll cause bedlam if all of this became public knowledge. As far as I'm concerned, we work with him to deal with Voldemort, then I smack him around a bit publicly on certain things to remind everyone that he's only human and just as capable of making mistakes. When he finally passes away my parents are on the other side, and if I'm honest with you, I think their plans for when he joins them are punishment enough."
It was a rather mature approach as far as the adults were concerned. Yet none of them were aware that Dumbledore's reputation would be damaged when it was revealed that Harry lived with his maternal aunt despite his parents will stating he was to have nothing to do with her. Even though Dumbledore didn't know about that fact, the public would still be disappointed in him.
"Now this next bit is going to be just as shocking."
As he spoke Harry looked right at Augusta Longbottom. If there was anyone else in the room that would have known who he was about to talk about (and why) it would be her. Most of the room thought he was going to say something else in regards to Dumbledore or Voldemort again so they just nodded at the fact it would be shocking.
"Sirius Black was not the one that betrayed my parents. It was Peter Pettigrew."
Harry had expected some kind of noise. But either they were desensitized to being shocked, or the news was just so mind blowing that they couldn't bother to respond.
"While I was speaking with them, dad told me that Sirius was my godfather. He also said that Sirius was apparently thrown in prison for betraying them, but never had a trial."
There were only two sounds that came from the group. Augusta Longbottom had let out a small 'Oh dear.' as the implications hit her. Amelia Bones just sighed heavily. Sirius Black never had a trial? That was going to be a nightmare to deal with. Fudge wouldn't care and would try to use his power as Minister of Magic to convict him without one (which was also illegal, but hey apparently no one cared about what was and wasn't illegal when it came to having trials).
"On top of that, my parents will clearly points out that because of the war both my godparents, Alice Longbottom, and Sirius Black were oath sworn. To compound it even further, in a fight with Death Eaters Sirius had been cursed with impotence. As the last male Black, despite being disowned, the title of Lord Black was going to be his, so he needed an heir. Mum and Dad allowed him to blood adopt me and become my legal third parent."
"Shit. With no trial that means no one asked him about why he killed Peter. Unfortunately even now no one would care about the 12 muggles. He could have been acting under the declaration of Vendetta."
Amelia cursed. It was Amos that stated why it would be harder to do anything for Sirius without a group effort.
"Lucius Malfoy has the minister in his pocket. We all know that. We also know that his wife Narcissa was part of the Black family before she married. I wouldn't put it past him to do whatever bribing he need to so his son could claim the Black family Lordship when he came of age."
Harry offered him a small smile at that.
"He can't. Magic recognizes Sirius as the Lord Black. I took the inheritance ceremony at Gringotts so I could access the Potter family vault to find my parents will. I am the Heir Black because of the blood adoption. Thanks to being emancipated if anything were to happen to Sirius between now and then the title would be mine."
Augusta had to smirk at that. Then she schooled her face again.
"Mr. Potter, as you brought it up, may I inquire about the results? It is considered uncouth to ask, but I feel the more support we can get the better."
"I hold two Lordships, with a possible third being claimed after meeting certain requisites that are mentioned in the Potter family grimoire. I haven't looked into that yet. For now that families magic only considers me to be the Heir."
Amos let out a whistle.
"Two Lordships, and the Heir of two others. That's pretty impressive."
"Being Heir doesn't count for our group, though they do force our opponents to drop one vote in the Wizengamot. I can assume Dumbledore is trying to make up for his mistakes so we'll have him backing us… That's at least 7 votes on our side."
Augusta commented counting Harry's Lordships, Amos's vote as Lord Diggory, her vote as Regent Longbottom, Amelia's votes as Regent Bones and Director of the DMLE, and Albus's vote as the Chief Warlock.
Geoffrey Davies tapped on the table in front of him.
"If you can get it to a deadlock, or just bring it to everyone's attention to be voted on at a later meeting, we can get public opinion on our side. That'd sway some others over."
Beside him Jackson Pucey nodded. They were the only two of the allies that didn't have a seat on the Wizengamot. But that was by choice. They were certainly capable of swaying the public to get the votes needed to have a civil seat each. But the group had thought it best that they stay working behind the scenes to drum up public support without the suspicion that would be on them if they were members.
When he had first heard that the Potter family were allied with the Pucey family, Harry thought it was strange. It took professor McGonagall nearly boxing his ears in as she told him the standard 'All Slytherins are evil' mentality that Ron gave him was wrong, to get him to understand. He was still wary, but aside from Amelia and Augusta he was weary of all of them. Amelia because he had to get closer to her thanks to the situation with Susan, and Augusta because he'd heard enough about her from Neville to feel comfortable.
Jackson then looked over to the clock.
"It's gotten rather late. Are there any other revelations you have for us? Or is the meeting over? Because if so I've decided to host a dinner party for all of you. I've already spoken with Severus, he has agreed to speak with Pomona and Filius about sending Susan, Cedric, and Roger through the Floo with Adrian for the night, and I'm sure Minerva could be convinced to find Neville should Augusta wish. Even if you aren't friends with them right now, I think it would be good for all you at Hogwarts to at least be acquaintances."
"That's an excellent idea, and I am all for getting to know the others better. There is one more thing to talk about but I don't think it was as earth shattering as the other three topics were."
Harry commented with a grin. Exams may have been canceled, but school wasn't a fun place to be. If he could be out for just a bit longer he would take it. Not to mention he thought it was a great way to get a chance to speak with the others without Hermione hounding him about it. After all he hadn't told her about the revelations brought on by the events in the chamber.
"Oh?"
There was a bit of amusement to Amos's voice. Clearly the man thought Harry was being funny with his statement about this last bit of news not being as shocking.
"Dumbledore didn't know my parents ritual had protected me from the horcrux. So as a precaution in case it ever managed to take control over my body he had placed a bind on my magic. This apparently, at least according to my inheritance ceremony, 'partially severed' a Soulmate Bond that I have. According to my parents, because of this bond they wrote up a betrothal contract. Though Dad did say it was also done as another layer of protection for myself and the girl involved considering the war."
Surprisingly the first one to respond was Geoffrey.
"That is pretty interesting still though. Is there a chance we might be increasing the numbers of our alliance after you've met with the girl and her family?"
Harry chuckled before he responded.
"Not quite."
Several eyebrows raised, but it was Augusta that figured it out. She was grinning from ear to ear. Apparently it was enough to lighten her mood from the rather serious topics they'd been on.
"Please tell me you've got the Potter's copy of the contract with you! Her face is going to be so hilarious."
The grin was infectious enough that Harry had a matching one on as he reached into his pocket and pulled the parchment out, handing it directly to Amelia Bones. The entire room was treated to the sight of her monocle falling of her face as she spluttered at the sight. It was a much needed moment of levity to counter the rather serious discussion they'd been having.
She wouldn't have had a problem with the contract, if it weren't for the fact she had never heard about it. To Amelia it felt as if it had come from nowhere. But due to the fact it was signed with a blood quill, she could feel the inherent magic of the contract. It was real and valid. As that ran though her mind she deflated slightly.
As she calmed down Harry took a moment to explain why she'd never seen it before.
"Mum told me you'd probably react this way. She and Dad talk a lot with Isaac and Katelyn. Apparently they had their copy of the contract with them, as they were planning to tell the family about it, the nigh they were killed."
A tear ran down Amelia's face, but she gave Harry a soft smile. Just the knowledge that her brother and his wife weren't alone in the afterlife was comforting. Everyone present looked away to give her a moment to regain her composure.
"I'll handle telling Susan about this. Do you mind if I make a copy?"
Harry shook his head and gestured for her to go for it. With a flick of her wrist the woman's wand was in her hand, and moments later she had a copy of her own. Standing up from her seat she took a calming breath before turning to Jackson Pucey.
"I believe Mr. Potter said that was the last of his topics. If there's anything you or the others wish to say, then by all means. But I'm going to step out. I'd like for Susan to know about this as soon as possible. Since you mentioned hosting a dinner may I assume your Floo will be open?"
"Of course. I personally don't have anything I feel needs mentioned to Mr. Potter, so I believe I'll excuse myself as well so as to inform the house elves to start preparing."
Jackson answered her as he stood as well. Amos Diggory shook his head as he stood as well. Following Jackson he moved to shake Harry's hand before leaving the room.
"I will see you later then Mr. Potter."
Before they all walked out Harry did call one thing out to the group.
"Now that we've had or first official meeting please call me Harry from now on."
The adults just chuckled as they left. Only Geoffrey Davies and Augusta Longbottom were still seated. Harry had a thought about why Neville's grandmother had remained, as it was something Dumbledore and McGonagall both felt was a possibility.
"I do not know about Mr. Davies reasons for remaining, but I have no qualms with him hearing this," She started, giving the wizard a nod before turning back to Harry. "I can see that Minerva has at least given you the basics on etiquette and tradition. If you don't mind I'd like to take over the task of teaching you, at least for this summer. I was your father's god mother, and a close friend to his mothers, so I can also tell you about some of the Potter family traditions that she wouldn't have been aware of."
"I would like that. Perhaps you could even share a few stories about my family and not just my parents."
He replied, the gratitude clear in his voice. Augusta just reached across the table to pat his hand gently.
"My reason for staying isn't quite as kind as Augusta's here. But it is something I thought you should know. There was a start up company that I knew would be a good investment years ago. Your father loaned me enough to gain 50% of the shares. We had agreed that he would pay me back with 20% of the shares I bought, so 10% of the companies full shares. But after your family went into hiding I couldn't contact your father to meet with our account mangers to make the trade. I always honor my deals. If you would set up a meeting, I'll be glad to give you the shares I owe."
Geoffrey told him. Harry nodded.
"It might be a bit though. I'm staying with the professor, at least until we get the situation with Sirius sorted. After that I have no clue what's going to happen. But it'll probably be about mid July when I can arrange the meeting."
"That's fine. Just let me know when it's set up."
With that he shook Harry's hand and stood to leave the room. Harry had stood as well, but he walked over to Augusta's chair and offered her his arm.
"If you would allow me to escort you madam. I believe there is still a bit of time until dinner at Mr. Pucey's."
She laughed and lightly patted his arm.
"You are so like your father. If you wouldn't mind I believe I could share a few stories."
"I don't believe you need my presence anymore Mr. Potter. I just ask that you Floo back with the others before curfew. There is still a week of school left after all."
Professor McGonagall commented from her position by the door. She had stood when it seemed like the meeting was wrapping up. While she hadn't expected the idea of a dinner party, the moment she heard, the witch figured that Harry would approach Augusta and try to get to know her better while listening to stories about his parents.
"Of course professor."
NOTE: I chose to end it there because I want the next chapter to be the "first" meeting between Harry and Susan. There might be more to it, but really the focus of the next chapter is going to be Harry and Susan.