August the 20th. Albion's Hearth.
The throne room was filled to the brim with the guests of Wizarding Society and Nobility, all dressed in their most elegant dresses, robes and whatever attire they considered to be appropriate for the occasion. Decorations were all in place, food served on the numerous tables, music played loud and harmoniously, while servants served the very best of wines that elves could provide to quench the thirst of the guests. Numerous chatters were heard among the guests, many of which spoke in great detail about the accommodations that House Le Fay is providing for this year's Ministry's Anniversary.
Along with that, many spoke of the near extraordinaire scale of the festivities, all organized by Prince Le Fay. And among these amazed and astonished talks, Henry could clearly hear plotting, scheming, jealousy and envy from those that would want nothing more than to bring his House to ruin. He wasn't all too surprised to hear such kind of talk, provided to him by his strengthened link to Le Fay's Family Magic, which permeated the very floor, walls and stone in this castle, allowing Henry to hear and sense what is going on in any location within this castle's territory.
Quite a handy ability, considering that practically the entirety of the Order of Phoenix and Death Eaters were all assembled in here, all posing as guests and making sure to keep their schemes to themselves. Unfortunately for them, that didn't save them from being exposed, and even without this ability, there would hardly be any breathing space for any kind of altercations to occur.
The guests, along with the Order, Death Eaters and even Ministry, may not realize it, but every waiter and servant in the room, all of whom were of High or Night Elven races, were all armed, excellently trained and prepared to act without hesitation. Along with that, a great number of Night Elven warriors and mages were also positioned in the Castle, hidden in multiple chambers and rooms, also armed and ready. Add to that Irene's presence in the throne room, many prepared charms, hexes, curses and wards in the throne room, also tied up to the signal of the Prince, it wasn't too far-fetched to say Henry Le Fay has taken practically every precaution he could think of. In fact, had he wanted to, he could've easily literally destroyed the majority of Magical Britain's Wizarding Nobility, most members of Order of Phoenix and Death Eaters, not to mention Dumbledore, Potters, Weasleys and many others.
The thought had crossed his mind more than once throughout the night, but he pushed it back for another time, instead focusing upon his current conversation with Minister Fudge, Amelia Bones, Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore. Needless to say, that it was taxing just to stand the presence of Chief Warlock of Wizengamot near him and speaking like they were oldest friends. However, what was even more infuriating than that was Fudge acting like nothing had ever happened between him and Albus, not to mention talking with him like they were the best of friends.
A single look from Amelia told Henry everything he needed to know: Dumbledore had managed to sneak his way into Fudge's heart again and take a hold of him. That would explain why the Minister was now postponing the investigation into Dumbledore, not to mention not giving the green light investigation of deaths of Kingsley and Nymphadora. If Henry had to guess, Dumbledore had either bribed the man, used some sort of blackmail on him, or simply charmed him up, probably with Imperious Curse involved. At this point, Henry wouldn't be surprised if all three were true at the same time.
Fortunately enough, the time for the grand speech from the Minister has come, and Henry could quietly take his leave. While Fudge was rising onto the podium under the applause of the public, Henry had managed to find himself near Lord David Greengrass and his wife Lady Charlotte and their daughter Daphne, accompanied by Tracey.
"Milord, ladies." Henry bowed to them in greeting, with them answering to with the same gesture. "My apologies for the late greeting. Minister and Chief Warlock have kept me quite occupied with their discussions."
"Yes, it was hard to miss, Your Highness." David noted, as Fudge began his usual speech, while the group quietly continued their discussions. "The laughter of our 'illustrious' Minister must've been heard in London. I wonder, what kind of a jokes you told him to make him laugh like that."
"You and me both, Lord Greengrass." That earned Henry a few chuckles from the Greengrasses. "I assume the issue that we've discussed earlier has been taken care of, milord?"
"Yes, all has been arranged and will be ready shortly. I believe that tomorrow morning we'll see the first results." Lady Greengrass spoke up. "Although I can't help but wonder, how did happen to have come by such an information, Your Highness? It is no secret to most of us here that there are secret societies all around us, but a conspiracy on such a level and scale, not to mention the list of illegal activities and connections? Forgive me if I find myself slightly… cautious with what you had tasked us with."
"Lady Greengrass, as I have assured you and your husband earlier, there is nothing for you to be afraid of. If anything happens, there will be most severe consequences for anyone that dares to try to harm you." Henry assured them. "I believe my record speaks for itself, if one were to remember the Acromantula, or our good friend Lord Jones."
"A shame that he has declined his invitation. I hear that he has suddenly taken ill or something like that. Quite an interesting coincidence, wouldn't you agree, Your Highness." The blond haired beauty with green eyes that was Daphne Greengrass noted in a slightly amused tone. "Would you care for a dance after the speech, Your Highness? My dear Tracey here has been telling me all about your expertise in the art. I am inclined to put your skills to the test, if you will let me."
"Only if Lady Davis wouldn't object…" Tracey simply nodded to him with a small smile. "Then I see no reason to refuse, milady."
"I would be careful if I were you, Your Highness. Our Daphne takes after her mother, and she has left me out of breath more times than I can count when we danced." David chuckled a little, while Elena shook her head a little. "Well, in any case, after Daphne is done with you, milord, I would like to introduce you to some of my friends that were interested in making your acquaintance, if you would permit."
"Lord Greengrass, you sound as if I've already been defeated by your daughter. She may've left all her other partners breathless before, but I believe my chances of tiring her are quite high." Henry spoke up with a chuckle. "And as for those friends you've mentioned, I'll be happy to meet them, but I also can't help but notice that you are not here in full number. Did your youngest take ill?"
"Oh no, Astoria is currently in France, visiting my parents, Lord and Lady Dunois. She wished to thank you for the present you've sent her on her birthday and apologizes for not making her appearance here. Our dear Tori seem to have grown quite fond of Aquitaine and its weather, not to mention France in general." Charlotte informed Henry. "We are considering a possibility of having her to transfer to France's Magical Academy and finishing her education there, instead of Hogwarts. I may be biased and partial, but as a mother, I believe it would be best for her, while my dear husband here believes that Hogwarts is sufficient enough as it is for our daughter."
"And it is." David stated with a bit of strength. "My apologies, Your Highness. It wasn't our intention to bring our household's matters to your attention."
"Hm, as a matter of a fact, I believe that I am siding with your dear wife in this matter, Lord Greengrass. From what I've learned from Rose, Tracey and other sources of information, Hogwarts seem to have lost its position as world's best magical school, along with being the safest place in all of Britain. What with Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest and a millennia old Basilisk lurking in the Chamber of Secrets, just to recall a few instances when students were endangered." Henry told them. "If I were in the place of your wife, I wouldn't allow my child anywhere near that place, at least until it has been thoroughly and methodically examined and deemed safe for students. A shame that our Minister does not share my point of view on the subject." Henry looked at the still speaking Fudge, paying no mind to his speech.
"Not to mention that our Chief Warlock seems to be of the same mind as our Minister. How ironic that he also happens to be the Headmaster of Hogwarts, isn't it?" Daphne noted again, as she took a sip of her drink. "It's almost as if Professor Dumbledore has some kind of dark secret within the walls of Hogwarts that he doesn't want to be revealed. Wouldn't be the first time he had secretly placed something within those walls, if one were to remember that story about the Philosopher's Stone, which happens to still be missing and not found yet. Perhaps good Professor has decided to keep him as a souvenir and forgot to tell everyone else about it?"
"Possibly, what with his advance old age he may've simply never even considered the option and assumed that all already knew of it and agreed to let him keep it." Tracey supported, as the guests applauded to Fudge, as he ended his speech, before the dance was starting. "Well, I believe that you, Your Highness, owe Lady Daphne here a dance, as you've agreed."
"Indeed I do. Milady." Henry offered Daphne a hand and she took it, as they took the center of the room and Henry laid his hand on Daphne's waste and they began to dance. "Your father wasn't lying, when he said that you move with a grace befitting of a princess."
"And Tracey wasn't lying when she said that you have changed a great deal since we last met, Harry." Daphne suddenly told him, but quite enough so that only the two of them could hear it, as they never broke their dance. "And I don't mean just your hair. For instance, you finally learned how to find your way into people's hearts without ripping their ribcage open."
"And you still retain that infamous bluntness of yours, Slytherin's Ice Queen." Harry chuckled a little, with Daphne stepping on to his toe as the result. "Careful, we wouldn't want to give away the impression that you've missed your step in a dance. After all, Daphne Greengrass never misses, right?"
"Correct." Daphne said, as they moved on in the dance. "You don't seem to be all that surprised. Aren't you one bit curious of how did I manage to find out who you are?"
"Not really, I already have an idea or two of how you've figured out who I am, and all are related to Tracey and Rose. And given the fact of your being one of the smartest witches of our generation, according to some, it would've been an insulting for you to not have figured out the truth." Harry told her. "What I am curious and slightly surprised about is that you don't seem to have told your parents about who I am. I suppose it would be too much to ask why you haven't told them."
"Well, first of all, I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but now that you have confirmed it, I am absolutely sure of who you are." Daphne flashed him a small mischievous grin, with Harry responding with a slight tick of a brow. "Second reason, is that I believe that I was doing my House a favor by not revealing this information. I do still remember your volatile reaction when someone was poking their nose in your business, and given how Rose had handled Lord Jones, I've decided to keep quiet for the time being, lest we ended up with something worse than a slap on the wrist."
"A smart move, but why reveal it all to me now?" Harry asked of her, as they continued on, ignoring the attention of some of the public. "The information like that could be a golden mine of opportunities for your House to exploit, if handled correctly, and yet you tell me all of this now, right in my face. I can think of at least half a dozen people that would pay good deal of money for what you know."
"Oh, please. I am not as petty as to want money, when my family is the 5th richest in England." Daphne nearly scoffed at what Harry implied. "What I want, however, is to secure and strengthen the position of my House, and seeing as my father had already pledged himself as a vassal to you, I have to go along with this course of action, though it is the best possible position for us, from where I see it."
"And what do you have in mind for strengthening the position of your House and how does it involve me?" Harry asked her directly.
"Your House and you personally hold loyalty of practically all of magical races in England and the riches House in the world, not to mention you being Lord Slytherin of all things, but you also lack strong ties with the magical nobility of Europe and England. Something that my House has not shortage of." Daphne informed him. "As you must've noticed, my family is without a male heir, and there is a significant threat to House Greengrass, if wrong contracts were made and wrong diplomatic alliances were forged. As the Heiress, I wouldn't see my House fall simply because my father and mother decide to marry to an overly ambitious Lord or his son, who would want to have our offspring to carry on their name instead of mine. But, if a marriage contract was achieved on my terms and with a man that I could certainly work with…"
"You were never one to miss an opportunity, Daphne, but this time you've actually surprised me." Harry noted to her, as they were moving into the final phase of the dancing. "You wish to form a matrilineal marriage with me, so as to ensure that the children we have will bear the name of Greengrass. In exchange, I will have a much better standing with the nobility of Europe and England, along with more trust from them, while your House gets to be allied with House Le Fay in not just oaths, but also blood, not to mention that the children would also have a claim to the title. Did I miss anything?"
"Not much, but there are some moments that while appeal to me I had to rethink so as to not draw out your ire and make it work." Daphne informed him. "It's clear to me that as Prince Le Fay, you will exclude any and all possibility of a civil war over titles between your children, and I can respect that, not to mention that you have two more House to repopulate, with Slytherin and Gaunt respectably. So I propose you this condition: I shall take the title of Lady Slytherin, and our firstborn will be the Heir of Slytherin, but our second child will be Heir of Greengrass, and should there be more than two children, we'll divide the rights to prevent strife, but also to preserve the lines. Does that sound appealing enough?"
"Almost, but I do have a question." Harry stated to her. "From the sound of it all, you have been thinking about this for a long time. Why do you make up such conditions, when you could probably achieve more than that and leave me without much in return, not to mention make sure that your family is safe and sound?"
"I must say, that this paranoia of yours is almost refreshing, Harry. It's probably one of the things I missed." Daphne chuckled. "Very well, if you insist on knowing, I will tell you. It was no secret to anyone that you weren't going to be inheriting any titles or fortunes from your parents, but you were still a member of prestigious and powerful House, not to mention one with brain and great deal of power and talent. You would've been a valuable asset to any House, and I knew it, not to mention that I have no intention of marrying someone who wasn't able to stand as my equal, and so I was already planning on having my father ensure, that you were to end up with me instead of someone like Ginny Weasley on a whim of your idiotic parents."
"And weren't you concerned about hurting the feelings of Tracey? Despite that cold exterior of yours, I know that you do have a heart and feelings, and it isn't your memo to betray your friends, especially when they are in short supply." Harry said told her.
"Please, Harry, I may strictly about practicality and profit, but I am not as heartless as to take you away from Tracey. Had all gone as I planned, we would've been married officially, while you and Tracey would've continued on with your relationship. All you would've been forced to do is be my advisor, play the part of a husband and provide me with a child or two." Daphne simply stated to him. "I know that it sounds somewhat horrible to your ear, but considering your options back then, this would've been a golden opportunity. I would've been very lenient on you, allow you to be with whom you wanted, even allow Rose to live with us, and all for what I believe you would've been able to accomplish. Plus… I would be lying if I said that I wasn't interested in you as a beautiful and ambitious witch can become interested in an attractive, strong-willed and roguish wizard like you." She gave him a sultry look, licking her upper lip for the split second, trying to throw him off.
If she had succeeded, then Daphne couldn't have known about it, as Harry hasn't showed it to her. Nor would he admit that she did succeed in doing so, but only for the fraction of a second, as Harry's mind rebooted back and started to analyze what Daphne had offered to him. He wasn't happy with the fact that Daphne had discovered who he was and has tricked him into confirming it, but then again, it wasn't all that surprising.
He may've had a poor opinion regarding most of the Slytherins of his generation, but Daphne was one of the exceptions, as she was as clever and smart as she was beautiful and ruthlessly practical. Such a pragmatic view on life had made her known as an Ice Queen of Hogwarts, an image that Daphne had definitely made sure to keep up, according to Tracey. It was no secret to anyone that in the field of studies and marks, Harry and Daphne were rivals and that there was no friendship to be found between them. They've respected each other, sure, but there was nothing that would indicate that there was any form attraction between the two, so finding out that Daphne was interested in him in such a way was most certainly surprising for Harry, to say the least. Perhaps he had forgotten that underneath the ruthless calculus and pragmatism, there is still a breathing and feeling woman.
Harry had considered the offer Daphne has made to him, and from where he stood, it was very good deal. He needed to establish stronger connections with other Houses, and House of Greengrass was one of those Houses that had friends in every camp and sphere of life. This House had a number of allies and relatives in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany and in the Americas, not to mention that the freshly elected French Minister for Magic, Andre Dunois, was an older brother to Lady Greengrass and had a very strong influence in the ICW. An alliance with a House like that was a golden opportunity that Henry Le Fay couldn't pass, and from where he stood, there were far worse witches to be betrothed to.
And Daphne was certainly one beautiful witch, with her long golden hair, green emerald eyes and figure that could drive men wild with lust. She wasn't just smart, but brilliant in her own right, and knew the boundaries of the marriage if they've decided to have one. This meant that there wouldn't be as much conflict as one would think. Combine that with what she was offering from her family, and Henry was prepared to agree, until his heart had yoked a little, as if reminding him of Nym.
Just because he had awakened and healed up, didn't mean that he had let go of what had happened and was fully able to move on. No, he most certainly wasn't, as the image of Nym still was with him in his heart and mind, along with the last memory of her being alive. Those memories hurt like a blade through his ribs, and they came to him often enough, even if he didn't let it show. He had loved Nym, loved more than anyone else, and he had been prepared to propose to her. And now, here he was, considering not courting or dating, but straight up marriage to another. In his mind, Harry knew that this was mostly a formality made to ensure his positions, but his heart…
His heart had considered this as a betrayal of his beloved, and it hurt in his heart and gut. However, if he was to achieve his goals, to make House Le Fay powerful and prosperous, not to mention ensure its continuous survival, he would have to put aside his turmoil and focus on what was best for the House. Even if it meant betraying the memory of his beloved.
As the dance ended and the dancing partners all bowed to each other, Harry offered Daphne his hand and spoke up.
"We best work out some moments of this deal, if we are to have a productive marriage." Harry said to her, with Daphne clearly looking pleased. "Would you and your parents meet with me the day after tomorrow to confirm it all in the official way, while I make some arrangements?"
"We certainly will, and I'll tell Tracey that you are on board." On that Harry could only chuckle. "And I want you to know that I do not intend to steal you away all for myself. I know you and Tracey love each other, and I know about what happened with Nymphadora Tonks. I won't ask you to forget her for me, only… Only that you don't make it hard on both of us."
"I'll try, that is all I can offer you." Harry told her, with Daphne nodding to him.
"I wouldn't ask more of you, Harry. And thank you." She was sincere in her words to him, as she let out a sigh of relief. "Looks like you were indeed able to leave me out of breath, Your Highness."
"It would appear so, Lady Daphne." And the two once more had slipped into their respective roles once again as they went to the guests.
On the other side of the ballroom, Rose mingled among some of the noble ladies and their daughters, talking to them in the same manner as they, projecting the image of a noble woman of good upbringing and lineage as they all had tried to do. And practically no one could tell, that behind the warm smile and sweet words laid a deep and seething hatred for many of these same noble ladies and their daughters. Rose had a very good memory, and she remembered how she had been laughed at and made a laughing stock by these same women that now chatted with her as they were best friends all their lives. She could still recall how Lily Potter was making fun of Rose while she was having saloons with her friends, and Rose still remembers how that laughter had hurt her ears, just as it does now.
But, as an Heiress of House Le Fay and a member of said House, there were certain standards to which she had to adhere and there was no changing that. If she was completely honest with herself, Rose had hated such kinds of gatherings, with all the glittering jewels, sickeningly nice looking smiles and all this posturing. She had long developed not just a distaste, but a full on despise of all this society and it's posturing, having been on the receiving end of the cruel and utterly inhumane treatment of this society. Glamour and glitter had long since stopped blinding Rose and she wished that anyone would finally pull her away, lest she is forced to make another remark about something she has no idea about.
"And have seen what Minister's wife is wearing today? I had seen House Elves dress better than that monstrosity." One of the ladies laughed, quickly followed by the entire group, safe for Rose. "My dear Rose, don't you find that attire atrocious? I mean, it is so out of date and so out of touch with modern tastes."
"I believe that anyone has her or his own tastes, and I am not one to judge people upon them." Rose sternly replied, surprising the ladies around her, while she had downed a glass of Elven Spring Wine. "I find such discussions to be petty and needlessly droning."
"My dear, you sound far too mature for your young age. If you do not loosen up a little bit, your hair will go gray before you…" Another one of the ladies, whose name Rose had forgotten to ask, spoke carelessly before stopping herself.
"I believe that I have already noticed that my hair lost its color, thank you." Rose coldly replied, before putting the empty glass down, before taking another one and walking away from them. "Pardon, but I shall take my leave. The air here seems to be too thick with loose tongues and foolishness for me to handle." She replied, before unceremoniously walking away from them, while catching another bit of their talks.
"You idiot, can't you keep your mouth shut?!"
"What was I supposed to tell her? Ugh, that uptight little bitch is so…"
"Quiet, you two fools! You want to have House Le Fay…" Rose didn't catch anymore as she had put a considerable distance.
"I was wondering when they would finally tire you with their insufferable ramblings." Rose turned to her right, to see Rias, dressed in red and golden colored dress, standing near her and smiling to her. "I've got to admit, that you've handled yourself far better than I did the first time. I ended the theater with a slap upon one of the more insufferably dumber ladies' face, forcing her to splash the wine all over my dress. Who would've thought that it would lead to another one House declaring a feud with my House? I certainly did not."
"Yeah, who would've?" Rose asked rhetorically. "So, how do you find the ball? Any potential conspirators to use agaisnt me and my brother in your bid to gain the House back?" Rose asked in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Oh the ball is a droll, same as all the other I have been before. Not much has changed since my times, though the food and refreshments have certainly improved beyond my imagination." Rias noted, as she took a sip of her red wine. "As for the conspirators, there is no shortage of those that would either love to see House Le Fay gone, subjugated or taken away from us. Not that I have any intention of letting them do so, and the last thing on my mind is betraying my house to any of them cravens in any form, direct or not. On that I swear with my magic." Golden aura showed to Rose that Rias was truthful to her.
"Sorry, I'm just…" Rose let out a tired sigh, with Rias coming close to her and putting a hand on her for support.
"No need for apologies, I know that this has been a very rough time for you, and I haven't made it any easier for you." Rias admitted to Rose, surprising her slightly. "I will admit that I am prideful and a bit selfish, can be full of myself and sound condescending, and along with being upset for with what had happened to me. And for that I do apologize for that and the part I took in hurting you and your brother."
"You weren't in control of your own actions. He and I know that, along with all others." Rose reminded to Rias, who nodded to her.
"I know, but I do want you to know that I wish us not to be enemies, and that I regret what I had done." Rias told her, before taking from Rose her drink. "Now, you may be old enough to drink wine, but Night Elven Moonlight Iris isn't a good option, when one is trying to relax a bit and calm the nerves, which you certainly need to. Servant." A House Elf immediately popped up. "Bring us two glasses of Sunshade, year 1910." House Elf bowed, disappeared, and materialized again with two glasses of golden wine in them.
Rose looked at her new drink, before shrugging and taking a small sip of the liquid, expecting it to be either sour or half-sweet and to warm up her quickly. Instead of that, Rose experienced a quiet warming feeling, soothing her mind and easing up her body and clearing up her thoughts of all those harlots and everything related to them. The taste was soft and sweet, soothing her throat and mouth, the sensation of calming made Rose close up her eyes and taking in the entire drink. Once it ended, Rose let out a sigh of satisfaction and relief, feeling refreshed and no longer as tense as she used to be. She looked with a surprise at Rias, who simply sipped her own wine and spoke up afterwards.
"The vast majority of people here are utter morons when it comes to choosing an Elven wine. They all think that they are just like human wines, only better, when they are not. Elven beverages can have a multitude of interesting traits to it, like with Sunshade working as a stress relief, while the Moonlight Iris you nearly drank has an effect of enhancing your senses and feelings, when in stronger dosage. One in your drink would've had an effect similar of euphoria on you. Elven women often use it to… enhance the pleasure for themselves and their partners." Rias gave out a chuckle. "Luckily, all of these people seem to be sticking to Red and White Rose Wines, the most common of Elven wines, and their cheapest products."
"Hm, I could get used to this Sunshade." Rose smiled a little to Rias. "Thanks, I really needed that one. It's strange though, I feel like as clear minded as before I even touched the wine."
"You are welcome. And like I said, Elven wines are different from human wines, so different effects. Sunshade is often used as a hangover cure, if you are curious. And from what I saw, the cellars are full of all kinds of best wines the Elves could make." Rias noted out to her, downing her own drink. "So, you are going through with that decision of not going to Hogwarts, aren't you?"
"Yes. I see no reason why I should be going back to that place when I've learned everything under Cassiopeia in under two years." Rose said to her. "After what has happened to Nym and with me in my first year… I can't help but feel like something will happen to me once I get there, and with Dark Lord out and Dumbledore in charge, I can tell that within a week I set foot in Hogwarts, I'll be dosed with Veritaserum and then used as a hostage. No, best I stay here and find something useful to do."
"Hm, I might have a proposal for you, if you are interested." Rias said. "I've talked with my mother, and she told me that after your treatment, your powers had greatly increased from before, and that you seem to have difficulties with controlling it. If you like, I wouldn't object to training you in controlling your new powers. I could teach you to use them just as well as you use wand, not to mention that it would only make your spells much more potent and stronger."
"Well, I did have some problem in controlling my power output and my spells did have something of a devastating effect, but what's in it for you?" Rose asked of Rias. "Forgive me for skepticism, but I don't trust people who are doing something just out of the kindness of their hearts."
"And I am pursuing purely selfish reasons." Rias chuckled to Rose. "My goal, Rose, is to make sure that House Le Fay stands strong and united, and from where I see it, I best integrate into your life comfortably for all parties involved. So you may consider this offer of mine as a first step to creating the bridges, so to speak. That and I may simply be interested in making friends with you and your brother."
"Really?" Rose asked of her, with Rias looking at her with a small smile.
"Really." Rias replied to her, as she took two glasses of another sort of Elven wine, giving one to Rose. "You really should try this one. It's called Winter's Solstice. Quite a delicate drink." Rias smiled to her again, taking a sip, with Rose doing the same, savoring the taste.
"You are right, it is quite a delicacy." Rose chuckled to Rias.
"Oi, look there! It's Rose!" Suddenly, Rose and Rias heard an obnoxious voice of a boy that was all too familiar to Rose.
And while the attention of most of the crowd was averted to their own business, a small group of gingers made their way to Rose, and Heiress Le Fay was forced to witness the arrival of Molly Weasley, along with her husband, daughter and youngest son. Ron and Ginny looked somewhat furious, while also seemingly full of themselves, while Arthur wished he was somewhere else. Molly Weasley, meanwhile, looked like she was ready to murder Rose and had barely restrained herself from clutching her hands around Rose's throat.
It seemed like the matriarch and her children had one too many of the glasses of Elven wine, or drank one that seemed to have let go of their restraints, if they had any to begin with. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Rose downed her drink before putting it down on the table and spoke up.
"Lord and Lady Weasley, something I can help you with?" Rose decided to maintain a neutral tone, despite the very sight of the family repulsing her.
"Oh yes, you little spoiled brat, you could help us with something." Molly practically hissed at the girl. "You could. No, you must do your damned duty to our family and repay us for all the good we did to you!"
"And what good did you and your… family has done for me, exactly?" Rose asked of Molly.
"We've treated you as if you were one of us, and we were even ready to make you one of us, had you not run away like a crying little bitch you!" Ron shouted at her, drawing attention of the room to them. "You should've just gone and died, if you weren't going to marry me! You are just one spoiled lying little…"
"Ron, stop it right now! You are making a scene and…" Arthur tried to stop his son, but then his daughter had the bright idea to speak up.
"Why should we stop? This bitch had done wrong to us by not staying and becoming Ron's wife. She has to do right and help us out, if she wants to do right, especially after she made us all look like we are dirt on the road." Ginny Weasley arrogantly stated out loud, with Rose seemingly not even phased.
"I wasn't even trying, to be quite honest with you. You were belittling yourself quite well enough without my help." Rose responded to them. "Now, be kind to remove yourself out of my home at once. You've overstayed your welcome." Rose stated with ice, before turning away from them, only to be grabbed by Molly forcefully.
"Listen here, you spoiled little whore. You were meant to marry into my family, and you will do so! Just because that dumb bitch Lily couldn't keep you on a tighter leash doesn't mean you get to walk away from your responsibilities. So, either you do as you were commanded or…" Molly didn't care for the fact that the crowd was looking at her as if she was a lunatic, or whom she was threatening.
"Or you will do what, exactly?" Rias finally spoke up, using her magic to release Rose from the grip of Molly by literally pushing her away from the girl. "You and your ragged spawn are clearly too drunk to even think straight. The Princess Le Fay had ordered you to remove yourselves, yet you go and grab her like she was some common thief? That's some gall if I've seen one."
"Just who in Merlin's name are you to…" Molly was about to shout at Rias, before she and her children had suddenly disappeared right in front of all the guests.
"We don't need to hear that harpy's ravings anymore." Rias simply surmised, as magic dissipated from her hand, before she turned to look at shocked Arthur Weasley. "I assume that those were your wife and children? You will find them in a small river, about 50 miles north of here. They clearly needed to cool their heads, and were in desperate need of a bathing, so I suggest you make yourself scarce, until Nymphs find them and decide to do away with the intruders. And they have a pretty simple policy regarding that, lethally simple." The implication was more than enough for Arthur to understand that he best be off.
"Was that some kind of a forced teleportation, like apparition?" Rose asked of Rias, who had a bit of mischievous look to her.
"If you are interested to learn in great detail, you know where to find me, don't you?" Rias asked of her with a hint, with Rose chuckling to her at that one.
On the other end of the ball, Henry watched what was happening and the resolution of the situation. He let out a satisfied huff, as he turned to the table and took another drink. Before he could even savor it, he saw Amelia Bones making way to him, seemingly to take her own drink. Once she had one in her hand and a sip in her mouth, she spoke up.
"Fudge won't budge. He won't give a go to any form of investigation. Not only that, but he has ordered me to stop the internal investigation I have been working on for months now." Amelia informed Henry. "Dumbledore must've grabbed him by his bloody balls if he is so determined to see any and all of my investigations in regards to Dumbledore stopped. Either that, or he is under some kind of an influence charm or potion."
"Could be so, but it doesn't matter, not anymore." Henry informed Amelia, who looked at him with curiosity. "The preparations are complete on my end, so you should have a full carte blanche tomorrow. Do you have the manpower needed?"
"I do, though I wouldn't mind a little bit of help." Amelia sighed, with Henry nodded to her.
"Tell me what you need, and I'll see what I can provide you with." Henry said to her, taking a sip of his drink. "But overall, will the Aurors and Hit Wizards you have already be enough?"
"Yeah, we'll have the situation under control quickly, but Minister now is the wild card. If doesn't go along with the plan…"
"Then he'll have to retire earlier than he planned." Henry stated with indifference to Amelia. "Probably will be even better that way, since it is clear that Fudge is hardly reliable to do anything but smile and wave on the camera. If we don't do away with him, either Dumbledore or Riddle will and get their own men on the job. Best we eliminate him quickly."
"I seem to recall you spending some time and effort in worming your way into Fudge's heart. Are you really prepared to throw him away just like that, after investing such an effort into becoming his friend?" Amelia asked of him with some amazement.
"The old me would've played with this idiot, but now, after Nym… The Ministry, as well as Magical Britain, will be far better off when a strong and decisive Minister takes charge, instead of this idiot. The longer he is in office, the higher the chances that Magical Britain will be engulfed in another Magical War." Harry downed his drink, before turning to look Amelia right in the eyes. "Tell me, would you really follow that man, after he has obstructed you from obtaining justice for the deaths of two loyal Aurors? Does the man, that doesn't care for justice, safety of Magical Britain, and is more interested in posing to cameras like a prostitute to clients, deserve to hold the office?"
"Of course not." Amelia replied with a bit of anger. "However, I want to know if you are really prepared to do this just out of revenge for what they did with Nym, or you really mean to make things better."
"One does not obstruct the other." Harry simply stated to her, before he and Amelia started to see the crowd making way closer to the entrance into the castle, drawing his interest. "Hm, looks like the real fun has finally arrived." Before Amelia could ask, Carissa made her way to Henry and spoke up.
"Your Highness, there is an armed delegation of Goblins, standing right at the entrance in to the castle. Their leader, Ragnok, Head of the Gringotts Bank, demands to see you at once, or he will force his way in." Carissa informed him, with Harry putting down the drink and straightening his attire.
"Well, best not keep the honored Goblins waiting then. Lead the way." Harry and Carissa departed to the entrance.
Even though there was quite a crowd in front of them, Carissa had cleared the way for Henry to follow, and soon enough, they had reached their destination. Henry wasn't all that surprised to see right outside the doors of his castle what looked like a fully armed company of Goblins, led by his personal accountant, holding a black parchment in his hands. All that stopped him were 10 armed Night Elven Guards, armored and armed with swords and assault rifles of their own making, prepared to point them at the Goblins and open fire if needed. Before Henry could say a word, Fudge literally barged through the crowd and shouted at the unexpected guests.
"What is the meaning of this? You, Goblin, how dare you to interrupt this ball?!" Fudge demanded to know. "Don't you know that this is the Ministry's Anniversary Ball, and no one had invited your kind on these festivities? Be gone, before I order these guards to deal with you and your wretched companions…"
"Minister, since I am the host of this ball, please allow me to handle this." Henry took the word, before turning to Ragnok and speaking to him in a more diplomatic way. "Ragnok, I was not expecting you to be arriving, much less in such a memorable fashion."
"Prince Le Fay, a thousand apologies for any inconveniences we may've cause with our appearance, but there is a matter of national importance for both Goblin Nation and Magical Britain, that needs to be resolved as soon as possible." Ragnok spoke to him. "All I require is a passage into your House and a small amount of time to conduct my business. After that I shall be gone and you may resume your festivities."
"A matter of such importance… Very well, I am sure that we will accommodate your request, but I do feel that you would better leave your entourage outside." Henry advised the Goblin, who nodded to him, while he signaled the guards to let him through. "Now, is there anything I can help you with in this quest of yours?"
"Yes, if you could locate your sister, Lady Rose Le Fay, along with members of House Potter, it would expedite my work considerably." Ragnok told him, with Henry nodding to him and ordering to find the said people.
Within a minute, Rose stood at her brother's side, while members of House Potter, James, Lily and William, stood right in front of Ragnok, while the entire room had their eyes on them all. Once the needed people were found, and ignoring scowls coming from Potters, Ragnok spoke up.
"James Fleamont Potter, Freya Lily Potter, William Fleamont Potter, it has been discovered by Gringotts Bank, that you have violated the Magical Code of House Potter, while continuing to utilize the resources of Houses Potter and Peverell. Furthermore, you have bribed and corrupted an accountant of Houses Potter and Peverell, in order to prevent Henry James Potter, official and legal Head of Houses Potter and Peverell, now dead, from being informed of his status, along with denying him his rights as a Lord and betraying him. In light of these crimes, the Goblin Nation and Gringotts Bank have terminated all of your accounts and access to your belongings in them. Your Fleamont House's account money shall be distributed between accounts of House Potter and Peverell to cover your withdrawals from those accounts. A number of your material possessions outside of Gringotts Bank will also be exempt from you to cover the withdrawals you have made." The crowd and Potters stood stunned. "Furthermore, in light of your violation of Magical Code of House Potter, you, as well as all of your possible descendants no longer hold any rights to the Houses of Potter and Peverell. The rights of Head of the House of Potter and House of Peverell, along with the access to the accounts, have been effectively transferred to the new holder of titles."
The Potters, as well as many, stood there simply too stunned and shocked to say anything. In a span of a single minute, the mighty and dignified House of Potter, led by James Potter, had been utterly and decisively destroyed, brought to ruin by Ragnok. There were those that didn't want to believe what they had heard, but there were none that would even dare to object the word of Ragnok. In matters of inheritance, banking and accounts, as well as Magical Codes, Goblins held the absolute authority, something that not even Ministry could challenge.
And so, in one fell swoop, the entirety of House of Potter had been left destitute and nameless, without any dignity and honor, right in front of the entirety of Magical Nobility and Ministry. The former Potters couldn't even utter a word of protest, nor could they effectively comprehend what had just happened. Ragnok, in the meantime, simply moved on with his job, stepping in front of Rose and speaking to her.
"Lady Rose Morgana Le Fay, it is my pleasure and honor to inform you, that as of this day, you have been officially recognized and acknowledged by Gringotts Bank and Goblin Nation as Head of House Potter and Head of House Peverell. This document is the official acknowledgement of said act and full review of your possessions. Due to the incompetence and failure of House Potter's accountant, I have taken it upon myself to handle your accounts. We are looking forward to working with you, Lady Potter-Peverell." Ragnok smiled to her, before bowing to her.
"As do I, Mr. Ragnok, and I thank you for bringing me this news." Rose accepted the document and bowed to him herself.
And as the general public reeled from what had just transpired, Henry looked at the defeated face of Dumbledore, savoring the look on it and taking in the feeling. And what made the feeling of victory even more satisfying was the knowledge of the fact that this little charade was just the beginning.
The real disaster will strike tomorrow.
Next morning.
The House Elves were done with the cleaning up after the ball, one which will not be forgotten any time soon. Right after Rose had been announced as Lady Potter-Peverell, former Potters had finally came to their senses and had tried to practically kill her for what had happened. A poor decision, as the second later, they were forcefully removed via teleportation by Irene and Rias, with the ball continuing, however awkward it had gone on. As for Henry himself, he was left satisfied with the ball, and as he sat for the breakfast in the dining room, he looked at the newspaper in front of him. Picking it up, he looked at the cover and smiled.
CONSPIRACY, TREASON AND MURDER!
Ministry of Magic and Wizengamot have been compromised and infiltrated by a secret cabal, which has been operating since the mid-1970s. According to official Ministry's sources, this cabal is responsible for numerous crimes against Magical Britain, including blackmailing, kidnapping, assassinations, conspiring with anti-Ministry elements, and many other heinous crimes. The most recent one being killing two Aurors, Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had infiltrated this hostile group. It is known that the group consists of members from all spheres of society, including nobility, however that is not the most shocking revelation.
That honor goes to the identity of the leader of the so-called Order of Phoenix. His name is Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of Wizengamot and Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Henry smiled at what he read, and took up the cup of tea and drank from it.
The war has officially kicked off.
Next time: Order on the run; Dumbledore abandons Hogwarts; Voldemort's reaction.
PS: SlashFan2018, you mind explaining what the hell brought out that little review of yours the other day? I know that this is incredibly petty of me, but I would like to ask just why you posted it. Also, another one like that, I might start considering blocking you off, just like you did with me. See ya.
To all the rest of my readers, have a good day and pardon the message.
See you all next week.