SHAMELESS PLUG!
My first original novel, Strangers In Boston, is now available on Amazon under my pen name, T.S. Mann (get it?). It's free to Kindle Prime members and $4.99 to people who want to download the Ebook. Paperback copies are available for $12.99. Check it out, and if you like it, please leave a review. Basically, it's American Harry Potter. Except there's no school, no wands, and if you use magic improperly, it can drive you insane and possibly destroy the world. No pressure or anything.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled fanfic.
Harry Potter
and the Death Eater Menace
Harry Potter and all associated characters and situations are the property of J.K. Rowling. I make no claim to ownership.
Chapter 53: The Fall of the House of Potter (Part 2)
Hogwarts
30 March 1994
The Sunday Prophet, incendiary headline and all, hit Hogwarts via owl delivery at eight o'clock. The resulting pandemonium would have thrilled Rita Skeeter had she been there to see it. All the students present were deeply upset over the death of Rufus Scrimgeour, who'd been one of the more popular and competent DADA Professors in recent years. But the Gryffindors were further shocked to learn of the death of Auror trainee Tristan Brown, Lavender Brown's older brother who had been a Gryffindor prefect a few years before. The Ravenclaws were more solemn, and their Second Year housemate Marietta Edgecombe wasn't at breakfast. She'd already been taken to the Hospital Wing the night before and given powerful sedatives after she went into hysterics upon learning of her parents' brutal murder.
The Boy-Who-Lived was not at breakfast, which some of his in-house detractors attributed to his connection to Peter Pettigrew, or "The King of Rats," as the Prophet had christened him. In fact, Jim Potter had different reasons for skipping breakfast. Earlier that morning, Jim Potter had been summoned to his mother's quarters. James was still there, and over a breakfast delivered by house elves, the boy's parents told him everything.
First, they swore him to the family oath. Then, they told him about the Potter Prophecy and Harry's possible role as the Last Potter and the Prince of Slytherin. They told him about everything that had happened the previous night at the Ministry. They told him that Harry was affected by the Oath of Enmity, which was why he had reacted with such hostility to Jim the previous day. They told him that Peter had essentially bankrupted the family. They told him that James was now unemployed and effectively flat-broke. They told him that James was also at serious risk of losing his magic. Or of being sent to Azkaban. Or of losing his magic and being sent to Azkaban. And the only hope of averting those terrible options was if Harry Black showed him mercy despite the Oath of Enmity.
By the end of breakfast, Jim couldn't even look at his parents. He felt numb.
"What … what do you need me to do?" the boy asked bleakly. Lily and James looked at one another in confusion.
"Nothing, son," James answered. "Your mother and I will handle everything. We just realized it was time to stop hiding things from you. There will be a lot of difficult days ahead, and it's only right that you know everything now. But we want you to know how much we both love you and that we're going to get through this somehow. As a family."
Jim nodded as he absorbed that.
"I have a couple of questions," he said after a long pause.
"Of course," Lily said expectantly. Jim looked up and gazed deeply into her eyes.
"First question: Who were you going to choose? Back in the Shrieking Shack, when Uncle … when Wormtail told you to choose which of us was going to get bitten by Remus. Who would you have chosen?"
Instantly, Lily's face was stricken with shame, even as James looked at her in surprise and then shock. Jim just nodded.
"Okay, there's your answer, I reckon."
"Jim," Lily spoke up hesitantly. "It wasn't like that."
And then she explained everything that had raced through her mind in the few seconds she'd had to consider Pettigrew's diabolical choice. That she didn't really think Peter would let Jim be hurt, and so choosing him to be bitten might have given her an opening to do something. That Jim's hidden power might well protect him from a werewolf just as it did from You-Know-Who. Or at the very least, it might protect him from contracting lycanthropy.
Despite himself, James couldn't help but look at Lily with reproach. But then, Jim turned to his father.
"Second Question: Who used the Imperius Curse on me?"
James's head snapped around at his son's question … and the implied accusation that his expression now held. His mouth worked silently for several seconds.
"Seriously?" Jim asked incredulously. "You were willing to use an Unforgiveable on me to force me and Harry apart?"
"No, Jim!" James exclaimed. "It … it wasn't like that."
"I'm hearing that a lot today," Jim said bitingly. "So … what was it like, then?"
And just as haltingly as Lily had spoken, James explained what had happened back at Potter Manor over Christmas. How Jim had mentioned the Prince of Slytherin in passing and triggered a panic attack in James, resulting in him unleashing the Unforgiveable to force Jim to reveal what he knew. How it had been a fit of pure unbridled emotion on the part of James, who had never used the Curse before in his entire life, not even when it was legal for Aurors to do so. How the depth of distrust and suspicion Jim now felt for his twin was an unintended side effect.
Jim turned back towards Lily.
"And you knew?"
Lily swallowed. "Not at first. I figured it out … well, the same day you learned you'd been cursed. I knew that James was the only one who could have done it but …"
She trailed off guiltily.
Jim looked back and forth between his two parents, both of whom sat silent and abashed.
"May I be excused? I don't have any other questions right now, and I'd like to go flying for a bit and try to clear my head."
James nodded. "Of course, son."
Jim flinched slightly at the word "son" and then rose from his chair.
"Jim," Lily said, "you know you can't …"
"I know," the boy interrupted quickly. "I won't tell anyone anything. Certainly not about the Imperius. The stuff that I'll have to deal with, I'll deal with. The stuff that's … not important now, I'll just try not to think about."
Jim left the table and headed for the door, but at the threshold, he stopped and turned back to face James and Lily.
"You two," he said suddenly, "are horrible parents. But you're all I have."
And with that, he departed, leaving his mother and father speechless in their shame.
Longbottom Manor
In light of the issues raised by the Oath of Enmity, the Potters decided that neither of them could meet with Harry face to face and have any hope of persuading him to help save James from the effects of his Unbreakable Vow. And so, they asked Dumbledore to act as an intermediary. He was one of the few people who knew the Potter Prophecy, after all. Plus, the Headmaster was someone Harry greatly admired. But most important of all, he was someone knowledgeable enough about mind-altering magic to perhaps be able to talk to Harry about the Potters without inflaming his oath-driven anger against them.
Of course, that plan required James to explain to his former Headmaster everything about his current financial and legal woes. The look of disappointment Albus gave James was withering, but he agreed to negotiate on the family's behalf. Luckily, the older wizard happened to have a ready-made excuse for visiting Potter's ex-son.
And so, around ten o'clock, Albus Dumbledore stepped through the Floo into the Longbottom parlor along with another visitor: Amy Wilkes. She was carrying a small suitcase, and after giving a respectful curtsy to Augusta and Neville, she rushed forward to give Harry a hug. To Neville's surprise, the other boy didn't flinch as much as he normally did in response to hugs.
"Hello, cousin!" she said with a grin that reflected her relief that the specter of Tiberius Nott had been dealt with. "By the way, Greg still wants to punch you."
"Why?" Harry asked in surprise. "Everything went perfectly!"
"Too perfectly. He's angry that you let him worry all this time when a five-minute speech to the Wizengamot was all it took."
"Pfft! That wasn't quite all it took. And anyway, I told him before that when I solved the problem, he'd be amazed at how easy I made it seem."
The girl laughed, and everyone relocated to the solarium for a delicious brunch while they discussed the news of the previous day's events. Harry Occluded heavily and maintained a stoic expression. He was angry about Pettigrew's escape after all the work Harry had put into the traitor's capture. But more than that, the boy was quite upset about the death toll. He was especially dismayed by the death of Rufus Scrimgeour, but he was also horrified by just how many other people had died. Horrified and also guilt-stricken, as those deaths may well have only happened because of the new timeline he'd created when he used the Time-Turner to save Marcus, Remus, and Regulus.
Nor was Scrimgeour the only one he knew who died in the disaster, as Dumbledore soon explained.
"By the way, Harry, I do not wish to add to your distress over the events of last night, but you may have read that one of the first victims was Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt."
"I saw that," the boy replied. "I didn't know him very well, but from the few times we did meet, I rather liked him."
"You may have known him better than you think, Harry. Professor Snape thought that you would want to know that Kingsley Shacklebolt was the person previously known to you as Mr. Y."
Harry's eyes widened in shock as Dumbledore continued.
"Among Kingsley's duties as Auror was handling the Obliviation of Muggles who became involved in Auror investigations, but he was also licensed and bonded to perform freelance consensual Obliviations. Apparently, he often worked with Severus when the latter was providing Occlumency training. Despite their divergent backgrounds, the two developed a close professional relationship if not an actual friendship."
"Thank you for letting me know, sir," Harry said quietly, even as he added another familiar name to the list of people he would feel guilty over.
The conversation continued with some discussion of where Pettigrew and Rookwood might have gone or what they might be planning. Suddenly, an unpleasant idea popped into Harry's head.
"Headmaster!" he said suddenly. "What about … that formula that Pettigrew tried to steal? I got it back from him, but he probably looked the formula over at least once. Could a master Legilimens like Rookwood recover his memory of seeing it and maybe reconstruct it?"
"What formula?" Neville asked.
"A very secret formula, Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore said gravely. "More than that, I cannot reveal. But let me reassure you, Harry, that Severus and I both had the same thought. After some discussion, we hit upon a solution. There are three rare ingredients which must be added to the Belby formula in precise amounts for it to work. I have begun the process of preparing a Fidelius Charm so that those ingredients and their proportions will become a Secret. Remus Lupin has gladly volunteered to be the Secret Keeper. It will take a week to set up the spell, but after that, any memories Pettigrew may have of the formula will be useless."
Harry nodded in relief, although something about Dumbledore's explanation troubled him. But before he could think too much about it, the Headmaster moved on to his final business at Longbottom Manor, as he delivered the news of the Potter family's further disgrace and ruination … and the effects that the Unbreakable Vow sworn two days earlier would now have on James. Harry was not amused.
"Let me see if I fully understand the situation, Headmaster," the boy said while holding his fingers tightly laced together as he struggled to Occlude against the Oath of Enmity.
"James Potter owes me eleven million galleons and is magically obligated to pay me eleven million galleons due to the Unbreakable Vow that he insisted we both make because he couldn't trust me to go two days without backing out on my promise to leave the family. And then it turns out that he doesn't have eleven million galleons at all because he let a Death Eater swindle him out of it all. Does that cover all the important facts, sir?"
"Harry …"
"Black," Harry snapped.
"… I beg your pardon?" Albus asked mildly.
Harry closed his eyes and focused harder on blocking the sense of extreme irritation that was being forced upon him like nettles under his skin.
"I apologize for interrupting, Headmaster," he said sincerely. "That was rude of me. However, you told me once that you refer to Jim and me by our first names because it was otherwise confusing having identical Potter twins at Hogwarts together. But my name is Harry Black now, unless I decide to change it to Harry Wilkes, which is still a possibility. So, if you would normally decline to be overly familiar with a student, as you just were with Mr. Longbottom here, you should perhaps refer to me as Mr. Black and Jim as Mr. Potter in the future."
Dumbledore sighed. "Very well … Mr. Black. But whatever surname you bear, there are still ties that bind you to James and Lily and Jim that no name-change can sever. Nor any oath or renunciation. Your birth parents have wronged you terribly. But I am not here on their behalf so much as your own. Circumstances have presented you with an opportunity to take revenge on the Potters or to show mercy, and whichever path you take will affect your very soul. I encourage you to do what you can to save your father from the effect of the Unbreakable Vow, not for his sake, but for yours."
Harry's expression was highly dubious, and Dumbledore suddenly recalled a conversation he'd had with the boy about how his advice to "do what is right rather than what is easy" rarely seemed helpful to Slytherins. So, he tried a different approach.
"Alternatively, if you require a less sentimental reason for sparing James, consider this: You and I both know that Voldemort is growing stronger and that at some point, probably soon, he will return for a final confrontation with Jim. Your actions in recent years and especially in recent days have placed you rather firmly in opposition to Voldemort and his forces, and your elevation to the Wilkes Lordship will almost certainly attract Voldemort's extreme hostility upon his return. For all James Potter's … shortcomings, House Potter's destruction will only deprive us all of a staunch ally in any future conflict with the Death Eaters."
Harry chuckled. "I appreciate you giving me a more … pragmatic reason for sparing James. I will … consider it. Although, even if I agreed to help the Potters out, how would I even do it? Is it even possible to cancel or modify an Unbreakable Vow after one party has completed their part?"
Dumbledore frowned. "I must confess that I don't know of a way off the top of my head, but magical oaths are not my forte. However, I know you have very gifted solicitors working on your behalf. If you direct them to search for a solution to James's dilemma, I am hopeful that they can find one."
Harry nodded but remained noncommittal. Soon after, Dumbledore departed by Floo, and Augusta offered to show Amy around the Manor, leaving Harry and Neville alone in the parlor. Harry sat down roughly on the couch and began massaging his temples.
"Headache?" Neville asked. Harry nodded.
"Tension headache. I still get them when I Occlude for a long time."
"Uh-huh. So, what are you going to do about your father?"
"Ex-father," Harry snapped. "And I don't know. I don't know if there's anything I can do. I don't know if there's anything I want to do."
"Come on, Harry," Neville chided. "You know you're only acting this way because of the Oath of Enmity. You'd be horrified at the thought of James losing his magic and possibly dying if you weren't under a magical compulsion to hate him."
Harry did a double take. "Seriously, Neville? You of all people are going to lecture me about acting hatefully towards someone else because of magic?"
Neville folded his arms. "I'm not talking about the Ultimate Sanction, Harry. That's different."
"Yes! It is!" Harry spat angrily as he jumped back up. "The difference is that James Potter earned my hatred. Mine and Sirius Black's. Whereas Theo did nothing to you, and yet you hate him so much you joined the Junior Death Eaters over it."
Neville's face suddenly flushed red. "That's bull … dookie! And the CPS is not the Junior Death Eaters! That's ridiculous and offensive!"
"Your club president and his girlfriend tried to poison the last SPAM meeting!"
Neville rolled his eyes. "Please! It was a harmless prank! No one got hurt!'
Harry, who had vivid memories of spending a miserable night in the Hospital Wing during the earlier timeline due to that harmless prank, glared angrily at his friend before calling out a name: "DOBBY!"
Instantly, the house elf arrived.
"Master Harry bellowed for Dobby?" the elf said cheerfully.
"Yes. Upstairs in my room, there's a small glass cylinder hidden inside a sock in my top dresser drawer. Could you fetch it please? Oh, and also my grey windbreaker jacket."
"What are you doing?" Neville asked as the house elf vanished.
"I'm going out. I need some air. And also perspective from someone who's not under a spell that impairs judgment."
"My judgment is not impaired!" Neville growled.
"What's funny is that you assume I meant you instead of myself," Harry replied blandly.
With a pop, Dobby returned with the requested items. Neville tried to calm Harry down even as the other boy pulled on the windbreaker.
"Harry, you can't just go wandering off because you're mad at the Potters! Or at me!"
"Actually, it turns out I can. I am emancipated, after all."
"Dammit, Harry! I'm sorry I mentioned the Outcast, but that's no reason …!"
Neville faltered when Harry turned towards him with a burning intensity in his eyes.
"Now you listen to me, Neville Francisco Longbottom," he said very quietly. "Someday – hopefully soon – but someday, Theo is going to be free of the Ultimate Sanction. Which means you will be free of it too. And once you are, you will feel humiliated by how you've been treating him this whole year!"
Harry took a step forward, and Neville swallowed under the force of his gaze.
"And when that day comes, Neville?" Harry paused dramatically. And then, he broke out into a wan smile. "Theo will forgive you without a second thought. And so will I."
Then, he turned back to the fireplace and tossed in some Floo powder. "The Leaky Cauldron!"
"Harry!" Neville called out. "I … I don't know if that's true or not, what you just said. But if it's going to happen, it had better happen in a hurry. Because in a few months, you're going to take your Oath. And then, you'll feel the same way I do."
Harry didn't respond to that. He just stepped into the fire and was gone.
The Caretaker's Office
Hogwarts
"Oh hello, Jim!" Remus Lupin said, surprised at the boy's entrance. Then, he noticed Jim's wan expression. "I noticed you weren't at lunch. What's wrong?"
Jim shrugged. "I … had a long talk with my parents this morning. Then, I went out flying for a few hours to try and clear my head."
"Oh dear," Lupin replied sympathetically. "That bad?"
"Yeah. So bad I can't even repeat most of it. But Ron went home for the break with the rest of his family, and I don't have anyone I can talk to. So I thought I'd come see you. I thought maybe we could train or something."
"Of course," the man replied easily. "My Sunday afternoon is at your disposal." But then, Remus's face clouded.
"You had a talk with both parents? So your father was here this morning?"
Jim nodded. "Yes, but I think he left soon after our talk. Did … did you want to talk with him? He knows who you are now."
Remus sighed heavily. "I've no doubt. I … I find myself strangely ambivalent about reuniting with him though. And oddly, I feel the same way about meeting Sirius, even though I know now that he was innocent."
"Why? I'd have thought that you'd be happy to finally meet up with your old friends again. I mean, maybe not at the same time. I don't know if you heard, but Sirius Black swore an Oath of Enmity against my family, so I reckon it might be unpleasant if you put them in a room together."
"Yes, I suppose it might." Remus made a sour expression. "And what a typically 'Sirius Black' thing to do. Overdramatic and thoughtless. Did your father reciprocate?"
"No," Jim said without elaboration. Remus nodded slowly, suddenly aware that Jim didn't want to talk about James Potter any more than he did.
"Right, then. If the goal is to make sure you don't do anything you'll regret later in a fit of Potter pique, I guess we'll be focusing on meditation this afternoon. Meditation and perhaps a few Earth Style katas to ground you emotionally."
Suddenly, the man's face brightened. "In other news, I gather we'll be having some inclement weather in the next week or so. Perhaps we'll be lucky enough to get that thunderstorm we've been waiting for all these months."
Jim looked wistful. "Honestly, I'm not sure I still want to go through with it."
At that, Remus was shocked. "Not become an Animagus?! But you've worked so hard!" Then, his face softened. "Is this because you're upset with your father? And, I suppose, with Peter?"
Jim looked away before nodding. "My Animagus form is supposed to be a symbol of what I am on the inside. Right now, I really don't want to be a stag. And definitely not a rat! But I'm scared that James and Peter have had such an influence on my life that I'll just follow in their footsteps like I always have."
Then, the boy laughed mirthlessly. "That or I'll be a snake, which carries its own unhappy baggage. People will go right back to thinking I'm a future dark wizard."
"Try to think positively, Jim. You are not your father or your godfather nor even your twin. You are your own unique person, and I'm sure your Animagus form will represent that. Now, what form do you want? Focus on visualizing that."
Jim leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
"I want something that can fly. Sometimes, I feel I'm only really happy on a broom. I think I could be happy with any form, just so long as I can fly."
The Granger Residence
Crawley, London
"Hermione!" Emma Granger called from downstairs. "Telephone for you!"
The witch bounded down the stairs. "Who is it?"
"It's your friend from school. The rich boy in your House. Jim Potter. We went to his house for a party last New Year's."
She handed off the phone to a surprised Hermione and then left to give her some privacy.
"Hello, Jim," she asked cautiously. "What can I do for you?"
"Actually, it's me, Harry," said Harry Black. "I just thought whichever parent answered the phone might not want to let you speak with me because of Bob."
"Who's Bob?"
"The thing in my head that Luna can't see and that makes Muggles hate me. I've decided to start calling it Bob."
"I don't know what to think about that, so I'm ignoring it for now." Hermione looked around to make sure neither of her parents could hear. "Where are you anyway? Surely the Longbottoms don't have phones!"
"They don't. I'm calling from a petrol station down the street from the Leaky Cauldron. I wanted to talk to you, but I don't think our communication parchments would reach all the way to Crawley."
"I've been wanting to talk to you too, Harry! Do you know what's been going on at the Ministry? I just got my copy of the Sunday Prophet, and it's awful! Poor Professor Scrimgeour dead! And all those other people! And they say your father … ex-father might be involved somehow."
"I don't know much more than what was in the paper about all that," he answered vaguely,
"I rather imagine you know more than me, Lord Wilkes!"
Harry laughed, but there was an edge to it that worried Hermione.
"Is … is there a place where we can meet up later this afternoon?" he asked somewhat timidly. "Hermione … I really need someone to talk to. There's stuff about my situation that didn't make the papers, and I have some decisions to make in a hurry. I can catch the Knight Bus and go anywhere if you'll just give me the address."
Hermione glanced over to a nearby clock on the wall. "You can come to my house. Mum and Dad are leaving in about twenty minutes for a date."
"… A date?"
"Yes. It's something their marriage counselor recommended. That they go on 'dates' together to, I don't know, 'reignite the spark' or whatever. It sounds like nonsense to me, but they're going to take in a matinee and then dinner, so I'll be here alone until tonight. Here's the address."
Later …
One harrowing coach ride later, Harry stepped off the Knight Bus and whistled at the sight of the Granger Residence. A two-story Tudor home in a posh neighborhood, it wasn't a true mansion, but it was clearly the home of a very prosperous, upper-middle class family and roughly half-again the size of 4 Privet Drive. Petunia would have been bitter with jealousy. He made his way up the drive and rang the bell, which Hermione answered almost immediately.
"The House of Granger bids you welcome, your Lordship," she said before giving a curtsy. Harry rolled his eyes and entered. Once inside, she gave him a brief tour of the ground floor that ended in a spacious kitchen.
"Can I get you something to drink? I could brew you some tea, but otherwise, I'm afraid we only have water, 1% milk, and Diet Dr Pepper. Mum's on a low-fat diet, and Dad's morally opposed to the sugar content of ordinary fizzy drinks."
"I'm fine, thanks." Harry took a seat, but then his expression grew perplexed. So much had happened since the last time they'd spoken that he wasn't sure where to start, and he said as much.
"Okay," Hermione replied. "Why don't you start with the most important thing first and then we'll work our way down?"
Harry nodded slowly and then took a deep breath. "Friday night, I did the Something-Something."
The witch stared at him with widening eyes. "The … Something-Something? The same Something-Something that you couldn't tell me about in the Shrieking Shack except to say it could summon into existence a Dark God who would create Hell on Earth if you did it?"
"Yeah. Sorry about that. My bad."
"HARRY!"
"It wasn't my fault!" he said defensively. "After you told me about Trelawney's latest prophecy, I went straightaway and did something which I felt certain would ensure that I would never … Something-Something."
Hermione's eyes narrowed.
"Let me guess. It turns out that the very thing you did as a way of averting the Prophecy actually caused it to come to pass?"
He nodded with a sour expression. "Is that something I would have known about if I'd taken Divination?"
"More like something you'd have anticipated if you'd ever read Greek mythology and learned the story of Oedipus."
"Who?"
"Oedipus. He tried to avert a horrible prophecy but made it come true instead. He ended up accidentally killing his father, unwittingly marrying his mother, and then deliberately blinding himself out of guilt and shame when he realized what he'd done."
Harry snorted. "So that's how the House of Black got founded!" he joked.
"It's not funny, Harry," Hermione chided. "So, does this mean … the end is nigh?"
"Probably," the Slytherin answered. "It's been that kind of week."
"Right, then. The world may be ending soon. So, we're breaking into Daddy's secret stash."
Harry blinked in confusion. "Secret … stash?"
Hermione ignored him and went over to the freezer to procure a container of "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" ice cream carefully hidden in the very back behind an oversized package of frozen Brussel sprouts. Apparently, it was Dan Granger's secret addiction and his sole concession to sweets in his lifelong battle against tooth decay.
"Now then," Hermione said as she dug into the ice cream with a scoop, "let's go over things chronologically starting with Professor Trelawney's last Prophecy about the Prince claiming his Throne that night. You said it related to the earlier one you got from James and that hearing the latter one gave you the idea for how to avert the first. I know you're a Lord now, but are you also a Prince? Or is it related to Justin becoming the Prince Heir? Is that Wilkes Seat you claimed actually made of basalt and silver?"
"No, it's just a wooden chair. I'm pretty sure the Something Something is totally unrelated to the Wizengamot proceedings. It happened Friday night." He hesitated. "I can neither confirm nor deny that I am any kind of Prince. Likewise about whether there's a literal throne I am now allowed to sit on."
"Hmph. This is why I hate talking to Slytherins. So, anyway, assuming hypothetically that you are now the Prince of Something who has claimed his Something Throne, how do the rest of the two Prophecies apply?"
Harry sat silently for a moment while he studied the bowl of ice cream his friend handed him. He'd never had Cookie Dough ice cream before. In fact, outside of three trips to Florian Fortescue's (including one with James where he never even touched the bowl), he'd never had ice cream at all.
"The last Prophecy said that by my 'blameless choices,' the Dark Lord's greatest servant would be free. According to the Prophet, Rookwood is free because Pettigrew broke him out. And Pettigrew only had the chance to do so because I captured him and turned him over to the Aurors instead of …"
He paused suddenly, and Hermione simply watched him expectantly.
"… Instead of killing him," Harry finally admitted. "Which I nearly did and easily could have. No one would have blamed me. And no one at the Ministry would have died today if I had! Betrayal. Blood. Terror. Destruction. Death. All because I showed mercy to a Death Eater and a traitor!"
The witch reached over and put her hand on top of his. "Harry, you can't think that way. You're not the only person in the world with agency. Lots of people made lots of decisions that led to yesterday's tragedy, most importantly Pettigrew himself when he chose to murder people!"
"Yeah, but of all those people, I'm the only one who had a warning Prophecy."
"A cryptic, useless Prophecy that could only be understood after the fact. The Prophecy described choices you made for which, according to the words of the Prophecy itself, you shouldn't be blamed! You can't go through life as the sort of person who kills a defeated and captured enemy just because you're afraid someone else's idiocy will let him escape to hurt others. Mercy is not a bad thing!"
She straightened up in her chair and gave him a stern, McGonagall-esque look. "And I shall be very cross with you, Mr. Black, if you become that sort of person out of misplaced guilt over doing the right thing and having it go wrong for reasons beyond your control."
Harry chuckled, despite himself.
"Besides," she continued. "Friday's Prophecy said 'choices,' as in plural. So other than not simply executing Pettigrew when you had the chance, what other choices did you make that you think led to this outcome?"
The boy shrugged. "I took pity on James Potter. Instead of destroying him completely, I let him off in exchange for emancipation and 11 million galleons, and then he went back to the Ministry as Chief Auror where, according to the Prophet, he cocked things up royally. Pettigrew might not have escaped or at least killed fewer people if I'd just sent James to Azkaban when I had the chance."
Hermione's brow furrowed. "Okay, I missed this part. How were you going to send James Potter to Azkaban?"
He hesitated for quite a while before reaching into his pocket to retrieve a small glass cylinder that he passed over to the girl. She picked it up to examine it.
"This looks like the recording crystal from the Eye-Spy we found."
"Anthony made a blank one for me when he returned the damaged Eye-Spy." He took a deep breath. "On it is a confession from James Potter that he was the one who used the Imperius Curse on Jim."
Hermione gasped. "Harry! Why haven't you turned this over to the authorities?"
"Maybe because despite everything, until yesterday morning, he was still my father? Anyway, James said it was accidental. That Jim said something he shouldn't have about the Prince of Something in James's presence. James had a panic attack and Imperiused Jim to tell him everything about it and then forget about it. The irrational urge to distrust me was unintentional, the result of James not knowing how to cast an Imperius properly, I guess."
"But still! Using an Unforgiveable? And on his own son?!"
"I know, I know. I'd already figured it out and confronted him about it in the old timeline, and he admitted it then. In this timeline, I confronted him again, and he just broke down and confessed everything."
"And begged for mercy, I suppose?" she asked.
"No, he didn't, to my surprise. I think if he had, if he'd been craven about it, I might have gone ahead and exposed him. But when he confessed, he told me to send him to Azkaban because he felt he deserved it. He was so wrecked that … that I realized ruining him completely wouldn't give me any satisfaction. It would just leave me more bitter towards him. So I offered a deal. Emancipation and a big pile of money in exchange for me leaving House Potter."
"And also keeping the Imperius Curse a secret?" Hermione asked.
Harry chuckled. "No, actually. He didn't even think to ask about it, and I didn't bother to remind him … or to let him know I'd recorded the conversation. That's why I'm giving it to you."
"Me?!"
He nodded. "You're intelligent, practical, and have strong morals. You're also not bothered by either a magical compulsion of any kind to hate James, nor do you have any personal animosity towards him."
"I don't know about that," she replied archly. "I certainly don't like him very much. 'Vile fiend' was what you said I called him in the prior timeline."
"True, but you just don't like him for what he did to me. And I suppose to Jim. But you won't let your emotions towards him influence your judgment."
"And what judgment do you want me to make?" she asked as she held the recording crystal up to the light.
"I want you to hold that for me. Keep it in a safe place. And if I ever come to you and ask for it back, you are to grill me and find out why I've decided to send James away to prison forever. And unless I persuade you that it's the right thing to do, don't give it to me. Thanks to Sirius Black, I am now under the effects of an Oath of Enmity towards House Potter. Apparently, he and James met unexpectedly right after the Wizengamot, and Sirius had a freak-out over it. It seems he misunderstood and thought James was the one pushing for me to leave House Potter and only agreed to testify for Sirius if I did. As I am now magically a true member of House Black and also Lord Black's godson, I'm affected by the Enmity. If I keep that crystal, eventually, I'll have a moment of weakness and use it against James. And life in Azkaban is too harsh a penalty to impose on someone just out of spite. And certainly not artificial, magically-compelled spite."
"I don't know. You seem to be handling it pretty well right now."
"Hermione," he said in a deadpan voice. "You would not believe how hard I have been Occluding since we started talking about James Potter. It's the only reason I can talk about him at all without lapsing into an angry rant."
She shuddered at the thought of using Occlumency nonstop to block out an emotional compulsion of that nature. Then, she took the recording crystal and slipped it into her pocket.
"So, do you really think that because you showed mercy to James, it somehow facilitated Pettigrew's escape?" she asked.
"Possibly. In any case, my mercy didn't do James any good. He stupidly insisted that our agreement be enforced by an Unbreakable Vow. But now, it turns out that he doesn't have the money to pay me because the idiot let Pettigrew rob him blind. So instead of going to Azkaban, he's going to lose his magic and probably die by the end of the week instead. Well, unless my solicitors figure out a loophole."
He coughed in some embarrassment. "Which I also haven't even asked them to do yet because I'm under the Oath of Enmity, and it really wants me to just let him die, I think."
Hermione nodded slowly. "Is that why you came here, Harry? You want me to provide a reason to save James Potter? Or failing that, absolution for letting him die?"
Harry grimaced. "I suppose … that I would like to hear a reason for sparing him … that a Slytherin would respect enough to accept."
"Hmm. I'm not sure if I have it in me to think that much like a Slytherin," she said.
"Please! After everything you did in the past year? You would have made an excellent Slytherin!"
"Thanks … I think." She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Harry resumed eating his ice cream while she thought about the matter.
"Okay," she finally said after nearly a minute of contemplation. "What if it's not his fault?"
Harry crooked an eyebrow. "I think you'll have to do better than that. What if what's not his fault?"
"Everything that he's done to you, as well as the Imperius on Jim. The last line of the Potter Prophecy says the Last Potter will, as you put it so, do Something Something. But the next to last line talks about the two who should be as one set against each other in reckless hate."
"I know all that. And by cursing Jim to distrust me, he set that in motion."
"Yes, just as Sirius Black kept it in motion and accelerated it by invoking a family-wide oath that affects you. Both of 'the two who should be as one' have to be set against each other. So that line of the Prophecy wasn't fulfilled until Black caused you to feel hostility towards Jim to match the hostility he feels towards you."
"Wait a minute! Are you suggesting that James and Sirius were, what, mind-controlled by the Prophecy?"
"Not as such. After we talked about the last Prophecy that Professor Trelawney made which I witnessed, I spent a few hours reading what the upper-year Divination textbooks say about True Prophecies. There's not a lot of reliable information, but from what I picked up, they don't have the power to force people to act in a way to bring them about. But they can interfere with free will to cause those involved in the Prophecy to make decisions that help bring it to fruition by making sure they're presented with bad or incomplete information beforehand."
Harry shook his head in confusion. "You've lost me. Do we have free will or not?"
"According to the books, we have free will, but we're not all-knowing. Each of us is limited by what we actually know or can guess when we make decisions. And worse, those decisions often don't even seem important at the time, and so we might make them based on seemingly random reasons. Perhaps even just a coin toss. But regardless, they can create ripple effects that can fulfill prophecy conditions later."
Harry still looked perplexed. "Sorry, I'm still not sure I'm following you."
The girl glanced down at his bowl. "Would you like some more ice cream?" she asked suddenly.
"I'm still working on this one. But thanks."
"Okay, but after you finish that one, would you like another bowl?"
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Maybe. Why do you ask?" he said cautiously.
"What if I told you of a prophecy I'd overheard that said something like 'When the Lord of House Wilkes eats a second bowl of ice cream, his doom shall come before the next dawn.' Would that make you more or less likely to ask for another bowl of ice cream?"
He stared at the girl and then slowly pushed the bowl away. "I expect not in that case. Is there another prophecy to worry about now?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm just trying to prove a point. If there were such a prophecy but you didn't know about it, you would decide whether to have another bowl based on nothing but arbitrary personal preference and how hungry you happened to be. Just as my decision to offer you ice cream would have been completely arbitrary on my part if I didn't know the Ice Cream Prophecy either.
"From what you've said, your father obviously wasn't thinking about that part of the Potter Prophecy when he used the Imperius on Jim. And I assume Black didn't know anything about the Prophecy at all when he invoked the Oath of Enmity. Certainly, he didn't stop to think about how it would cause you to become hostile towards your brother. Both of them were given provocatively incomplete information and then put into situations where they were primed to become emotional and overreact. And that's how prophecy conditions get fulfilled."
Harry nodded in sudden understanding. "That's sort of how Countess Zabini described True Prophecies to me once. I asked her if free will existed in a world with True Prophecies, and she said we're free to make our own choices, but Fate shapes the world around us to manipulate us into making choices that move Prophecies forward."
Then, the Slytherin's eyes widened and he shot up out of his chair to start pacing the room anxiously.
"What is it?" Hermione asked in concern. He turned back to her with a shocked expression.
"I was the same way," he said faintly. "I told Sirius ahead of the Wizengamot meeting that I would be leaving House Potter to become a Black, and I reassured him that I was fine with it. But I didn't give him any details. Not about the fact that it was my idea. Or about how I was doing it in exchange for emancipation and money. And certainly not because I was trying to avert a dangerous prophecy. So he just assumed …"
"Assumed what?"
Harry gave his friend a stricken look. "When Sirius Black wasn't much older than us, he ran away from home and became a ward of House Potter. His name never changed because his grandfather never officially disowned him, but … he did it because his parents were violently abusive to him! So when Sirius saw how happy I was to just walk away from the Potters, he assumed that I was doing so to escape abusive parents. Dammit! If I had just told him…!"
He looked away in frustration. "But I didn't trust him with all the information. I thought he might interfere somehow. Mess up all my cunning Slytherin plans!"
Then, Harry turned back towards Hermione in frustration. "Is that really it? Is there actually some cosmic force that has decided for some dumb reason that my brother and I have to hate each other just to tick off a box on some prophecy to-do list that's been waiting for 200 years to get fulfilled?"
"Harry, calm down!" she answered. "We'll figure out how to beat this Prophecy! To beat all these Prophecies!"
Something in his friend's words registered in Harry's mind, and for a few seconds, he dilated to think. Then, he suddenly went very pale and sat back down.
"Oh dear," Hermione said softly, "What now?"
Harry licked his lips nervously. "Hermione, do you know why you decided to give me access to the Time-Turner? Do you know what specific thing made you do it?"
The witch looked at him strangely. "Well, no, since it was a different version of myself who no longer exists. But from what you told me, I'm pretty sure it was to avert the Werewolf Apocalypse. That's what you told the Unspeakables at least."
"There was never going to be a Werewolf Apocalypse," he said flatly. "I spoke to the Headmaster earlier today, and it was mentioned that even if Pettigrew didn't get away with the actual Wolfsbane Formula, he saw it written down, and Rookwood might have been able to recover the memory enough to duplicate it. Dumbledore said he'd already thought about that and that he was making arrangements to protect the formula with the Fidelius Charm so that it would be impossible to recreate that way."
Hermione blinked in confusion. "So after all that drama about Pettigrew's army of intelligent werewolves, it was just that easy for the Headmaster to solve the problem?"
"Super easy!" Harry snapped. "Barely an inconvenience!"
Then, it was Hermione's turn to grow pale as she began to understand. "So if you weren't meant to use the Time-Turner to prevent Pettigrew from getting the formula …"
"I was meant to use the Time-Turner solely to undo the Ultimate Sanction! Remember Trelawney's latest Prophecy? 'With all obstacles removed, the Prince will claim the Throne of Basalt and Silver.' She didn't make that Prophecy in the previous timeline because when I was put under the Sanction, it became impossible for me to become Prince. It was only after I went back in time and took steps to make sure James couldn't use the Sanction on me that she gave the Prophecy announcing all the obstacles were removed. And she made that Prophecy in front of you so that you would immediately share it with me, and I would respond to it by trying to remove myself from contention as Prince in a way that led to my claiming the Throne literally against my own will!"
Hermione looked at her friend in wonder. "So Fate used me too! That part of the Potter Prophecy about you becoming the Prince of the Something Throne came true! But only because Professor Trelawney's most recent Prophecy was uttered in a way that manipulated you into causing it to happen!"
Harry looked at her helplessly. "My enemy isn't James. It isn't even Voldemort. My enemy is Fate itself! How the hell am I supposed to fight against that?!"
Hermione considered the matter. "Well for a start," she finally said. "I think we're going to need a lot more ice cream."
Longbottom Manor
6:00 p.m.
When Harry stepped out of the Floo Network into the Longbottom's parlor, Dobby was waiting for him.
"Good evening, Master Harry. Dobby hopes your afternoon was well-spent. May Dobby take your jacket?"
"Please. And my afternoon was … productive, I guess. But not as helpful as I'd hoped. Have I missed supper?"
"Dinner will be served at seven o'clock, Master Harry. Also, sir. Dobby has a message for Master Harry. It arrived this afternoon by owl."
The house elf reached into the inside pocket of his little jacket and produced a sealed envelope. Harry took it and immediately recognized the handwriting (which, oddly, was very similar to his own). He closed his eyes to steel himself and to clamp down on the unnatural emotions now being forced upon him. Then, he tore open the letter.
Harry –
I don't know if sending you this letter will help or hurt. I know about the oath now and that you basically feel towards me like Ron and Draco felt towards one another before the Malfoy-Weasley Oath of Enmity was ended. I don't feel that way towards you. Just a stupid vague distrust that I'm struggling to ignore.
I also know about all the other stuff you hinted at, including that other Prophecy. I understand now why Dad acted the way he did after I told him -
Wow.
I literally can't even write down what I told him to set him off just on the off chance someone else finds this letter. Stupid oath! Well anyway, I reckon you know what I told him before I knew the Prophecy, and you know why it set him off too.
I don't mean that I approve of what he did or agree with it. Just as I sure don't approve of what he did to me (yeah, I know that too). Frankly, I'm furious with him. I mean, I can understand why he did the things he did. But that doesn't stop me from thinking that he handled everything in the worst way, and we're the ones who have to clean up his mess. We both have reasons to be angry with James Potter, maybe even to want him to suffer.
Despite all that, though, he's still my father. I know he's not yours. Not anymore, if he ever really was. And so I understand how you must feel about him and why you might even want to leave him to his fate. But I still love him even after what he did to you and to me. That's why I'm writing this letter – to ask for your mercy on his behalf, and I'm hoping that getting a letter from me while you're under the effects of an Oath of Enmity doesn't make things worse the way it probably would if I came and asked in person..
I used to joke that you were the "Master of Mind Magics," but now I hope it's really true. So if there's any part of you that can see past the Enmity and remember that we're still brothers, then I'm on my knees begging you.
Please don't kill my Dad.
Jim
Harry read through the letter twice, his face impassive. He folded it back up and returned it to the envelope before addressing Dobby.
"Please give my regards to the others, Dobby. I'm afraid I'll be missing dinner as well."
Then, the Slytherin turned back to the fireplace and tossed in some Floo powder.
"Artemus Podmore Residence," he said, and the fire changed colors.
Two minutes later, Harry was at his solicitor's home.
Fifteen minutes after that, the two were shouting at each other for the first time since their association began.
From a memo to the Director of the Department of Mysteries
To: 001
From: 013 (Acting Director of the Mind Division)
Date: 02/04/1994
RE: The March 1994 "Rookwood Incident"
cc The Ethics Committee
Pursuant to Departmental directive issued 31/03/1994, the Division of Mind has completed its assessment of Unspeakable 009. Results are as follows:
Assessment of 009's mindscape: Our deep-scan of 009's mind finds no indication that 009 himself was compromised in any way by Rookwood's defenses. While 009 has suffered significant degradation of his psychic architecture as a result of the deep-scan itself, none of the damage predates the assessment. 009 is expected to remain in a healing coma for at least two weeks. It is too early to tell whether he can make a full recovery over time or whether he will have to be decommissioned. Regardless, it is unlikely he will be able to continue as Director of the Mind Division during his convalescence, if ever.
Review of 009's memories of the Rookwood scan of 29/03/1994: Our initial analysis of 009's memories seemed to confirm his own earlier assessment – that Rookwood's long-term Dementor exposure combined with subsequent psychological torture inflicted on him by his captors post-Azkaban had totally destroyed his psychic architecture to the point that he was essentially mindless. Obviously, this assessment was incorrect, but the truth was only revealed via a deep-scan of 009's memories. In 009's defense, we believe that this truth was not one he could possibly have discerned on his own, as penetrating Rookwood's defenses, even in memory form, required a Stage 4 mind-link which was not standard protocol. Recommendations for modifying future interrogation protocols are forthcoming.
What the Stage 4 revealed is something extraordinary and unprecedented. It appears that Augustus Rookwood found the means to greatly exceed the number of parallel mind-streams that can be maintained simultaneously via Occlumency. While a seven-stream array is, of course, common among DOM-trained Occlumens, several centuries worth of Arithmantic research had left us with the firm conviction that it was a hard limit. And yet, Rookwood plainly has exceeded it, likely by a substantial degree.
Exactly how many separate minds he possesses cannot be determined from the information we have. However, based on Rookwood's own notes recovered after his arrest, he hypothesized that 49 separate minds would be not only feasible but stable. While that sounds astounding at first blush, it makes sense. Seven times seven is indeed a symbolically strong number. The trick, of course, lies in constructing that 49-stream array without destroying one's mind at some point between the 7th mind and the 49th. How he achieved it at all, let alone while being an Azkaban inmate, is a mystery, though we have several theories under discussion. Indeed, now that we know it is possible, research into this area has been upgraded to the highest priority, and replicating Rookwood's feat may prove easier than one might think.
Of course, more important than "how did Rookwood achieve it?" is the question "what can he do with it?" As with the "how," research into possible applications is ongoing. At a minimum, we should assume that Rookwood is effectively immune to outside Legilimency, though his possible vulnerability to Occlumency traps remains unclear. I refer you to yesterday's report by the Subcommittee on Unorthodox Intelligence suggesting that, despite his mental puissance, Rookwood was very nearly defeated by Rufus Scrimgeour with an exceptionally powerful Occlumency trap.
Regardless, we should assume that Rookwood is effectively immune to mind-alteration, emotion-manipulation, and memory-altering Charms and Potions of every kind. If nothing else, he is clearly immune to the Tabula Rasa, and that is the most powerful memory-erasing curse known to us. Rookwood was known to be obsessed with protecting himself from mental alteration after his 1976 censure over the "Severus Snape Affair." It is possible that the practical Occlumency benefits of 49 thought-streams are largely redundant. Having built a fifty-foot psychic moat around his mind that we cannot cross, he has taken the trouble to build a fifty-foot wall as well, which may be more a sign of his pathology than anything else.
Of course, his psychic network may well have tactical applications unknown to us, for we are limited to conjecture. We are certain that he can still only cast one spell at a time no matter how many minds he has active simultaneously. That is a fundamental limitation of the Merlinian system which is completely unaffected by the wizard's capacity for parallel thought. While he will likely be able to cast more spells in quicker succession, dueling was never his specialty, so it is unknown whether this will result in an actual increase in combat proficiency.
But more importantly, his heightened capacity for memory and pattern recognition will likely allow him to cast some spells thought too difficult for a normal witch or wizard to conceptualize. For example, during his escape, he apparently used the "Imperius Horribilis." Until yesterday, the only wizards definitively known to have successfully cast the Mass Imperius have been Herpo the Foul, the Nameless Witch of Calais, Ekrizdis, Selene of Byzantium, Koschek the Mad, Gellert Grindelwald, and You-Know-Who. As a precautionary measure. I have directed a review of the historical literature for a list of other "impossible" spells that might now be in Rookwood's repertoire.
It is also likely that his 49-stream matrix will improve his facility with the implantation of false personalities in unwitting subjects, his most fearsome tactic during the Death Eater Insurrection. We don't think he will be able to do so with casual ease, though his limitations are, again, conjecture. But he will almost certainly be able to generate and implant such a false personality directly through some combination of wanded magic and Legilimency instead of his former tactic of implanting them slowly over the course of months through the means of cursed books that must be read in their entirety. Thus, as long as Rookwood is free, the proliferation of sleeper-agents secretly loyal to You-Know-Who is a concern.
A copy of this report has been forwarded to the Ethics Committee with a recommendation that Rookwood's termination by any means necessary be made a top priority. To that end, I am also formally requesting that the Ethics Committee temporarily rescind the ban on research into cognitohazards and semiotic kill-agents and authorize the use of same against Rookwood and any other individuals suspected of following in his footsteps. The Mind Division understands the risks of such research but unanimously agrees that they are outweighed by the existential threat posed by Rookwood to the Department and its mission, especially if he rejoins a resurgent You-Know-Who.
Report ends.
Gringotts Bank
The Account Settlement Room
4 April 1994
10:00 a.m.
The Gringotts "Account Settlement Room" was a small and austere 20x20 chamber that had been set aside since time immemorial for negotiations between angry creditors and their debtors who had come to plead for forbearance. To drive home the essential power disparity in such a debtor-creditor relationship, the room contained only three items of furniture: a large mahogany table, with an over-stuffed and very comfortable leather chair on one side and a hard wooden stool on the other. While not its official name, wizards aware of the stool and its significance often referred to it as "the Debtor's Perch."
When James Potter had been a boy, his father had once mentioned visiting this room to meet with wizards who owed the family money, and he'd talked about the Debtor's Perch. James never once imagined that he'd one day find out just how uncomfortable a seat it was.
Across the table sat Artemus Podmore, Harry's solicitor. Despite their antagonistic legal history, James had always thought he and Podmore had an amicable or at least professional relationship. And so, he figured it was a testament to how badly he'd screwed everything up that the other man was now glaring at him as if fighting down the urge to cast the Killing Curse.
"Before we begin," Podmore said coldly. "There is something I wish to clarify for the record. While I am Lord Wilkes's solicitor, and while my firm represents Lord Black, I am not under the effects of the Oath of Enmity. The oaths of professionalism that I took upon completing my Law Mastery protect me from such mind-altering magics."
He paused and made a face. "That begs the question, of course, as to how your former solicitor, Peter Pettigrew, who I'm sure took the same oaths, betrayed literally everyone he'd ever worked for so completely. Rest assured I will be bringing that question up to my fellow members of the Wizarding Bar at our next official meeting. But I digress."
Podmore paused as if collecting himself. "I want you to know that I am not under the effects of the Oath of Enmity because it is important for me that you understand something: the intense and deeply personal disdain I feel for you is not magically induced but rather 100% natural and 100% the result of your own egregious conduct!"
James winced but said nothing. It wasn't as though he had any sort of defense, after all.
"In my opinion, your conduct has been despicable to some degree ever since I first undertook representation of Lord Wilkes, or Harry Potter as he was known back then. You abandoned him for ten years. You drunkenly threatened in front of his entire school to snap his wand and send him back to a household you knew to be abusive. You consistently favored your younger son over Harry, except for that time after Jim Potter was revealed as a Parselmouth, when you proved your capacity to be a poor father to both your sons. You squandered Harry's birthright to the point that House Potter, a leading voice in the Wizengamot for centuries, is bankrupt and may no longer be able to afford its seat!"
Podmore's eyes blazed. "But all of that pales compared to your worst sin against your former son: you induced him to swear an Unbreakable Vow with conditions you yourself cannot complete! Which means that, aside from defrauding him by having him swear on his life and magic in exchange for obligations you cannot fulfill, you have put him in the position of either being indirectly responsible for your death … or risking his own life to save yours!"
James's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.
Podmore sneered at the man. "How unsurprising that you would invoke the power of the Unbreakable Vow without fully understanding how it works! The Vow, once sworn, cannot be unilaterally voided by any means, not even with the consent of all parties. It continues to bind everyone who swears the Vow to their individual terms until completion or until the death of any and all oathbreakers. And if one party, even one who has fulfilled his own requirements, attempts to simply release the other from any obligations, the Oath treats them both as oathbreakers."
Potter's face went ashen. "I … I didn't know that," he said weakly.
"Obviously not. And so, here we are. Despite both the justifiable hatred Lord Wilkes has for you and the supernaturally-imposed hatred engendered by the Oath of Enmity, Harry Black is a person of such will and integrity that he does not wish for you to die even as a result of your own foolishness.
"He first asked me whether he could simply release you from any financial obligations to him that you cannot meet. I explained why that would likely have fatal results for you both. He next proposed that, as Lord Wilkes, he would loan you enough money so that you could then pay him what you owe under the Vow, with the new debt to be either repaid or simply forgiven later. I explained to Lord Wilkes that there was a good chance the Vow would consider that an attempt to cheat the terms, again with fatal results, though admittedly I was unsure because the issue is both legally and magically murky. He then expressed a desire to take the risk anyway if it would save your life."
Podmore's eyes glinted with contempt. "At that point, I explained to Lord Wilkes that if he even considered undertaking such a risk, I would immediately withdraw as his counsel and file for an emergency injunction with the Wizengamot to bar him from transferring any funds to you on the grounds that you were exercising undue influence on him."
James shook his head. "I'm not trying to influence him at all!"
"Oh, I don't care!" the solicitor snapped. "Even if it turned out to be a frivolous motion, it would work long enough to stop Harry from giving you any funds until after the Debts Committee of the Wizengamot had met to consider the motion. And their next scheduled meeting won't be until the end of June, by which time the problem of your Unbreakable Vow would have resolved itself … permanently."
James swallowed.
"So let me make myself utterly clear, Lord Potter," Artemus Podmore said in a voice like a knife. "I will see you dead and buried before you do anything else to harm that boy. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes," James stammered.
Podmore stared balefully at him for a moment.
"Good. Now, with those disclaimers out of the way, let us turn to the matter at hand. While I have taken steps to ensure that Lord Wilkes cannot simply release you from the Vow to his own possible detriment, he remains desirous that you somehow be rescued from this disaster of your own making. Aside from his ethical concerns over being in some way responsible for your death, he does not wish to see his mother widowed, nor his brother half-orphaned. Likewise, he does not wish to see an Ancient and Noble House cast down into ignominious ruin. And so, he has directed me to find a solution for your financial woes. After spending several days consulting with Mr. Rib-Cracker, we believe we may have found a solution."
For the first time since entering the room, James felt a spark of hope. "You have?"
"Don't get too excited, Potter. I doubt you're going to like it."
Then, he opened a file on the table in front of him and began flipping through it.
"The proposal I have prepared to resolve House Potter's financial crisis is as follows:
"First, you will make a 'donation' of five million galleons to the Ministry to repair the damages inflicted by Peter Pettigrew during his escape. I have met with Minister Fudge, and he is amenable to that figure in a lump sum payment since Lord Wilkes has agreed to cover any costs in excess of that. Your own donation will be deemed anonymous, with Lord Wilkes officially recognized by the Ministry as the responsible party. You will, I expect, be pleased to know that any of your improprieties which might otherwise give rise to a criminal investigation will be swept under the rug by the Minister as part of this deal.
"Second, all outstanding debts owed by your House to parties other than Lord Wilkes will be paid in full, with any collateral assets liquidated and applied to the principal balance owed.
"Third, all non-entailed physical assets of James Potter will be auctioned off with the proceeds added to your family's cash assets. Gringotts will handle the auction itself, and since time is of the essence, the bank will advance cash equal to the appraised value of the items to be auctioned. Then, all of House Potter's cash assets will be conveyed to House Wilkes to pay towards the debt you owe it. The Goblin accountants anticipate that the Wilkes debt will still suffer an estimated shortfall of 3.7 million galleons.
"Fourth, House of Potter will enter into a five-year fealty agreement with the House of Wilkes whereby Lord Wilkes will assume responsibility for paying your Wizengamot dues during that time in exchange for control over nine of your ten house votes and all three of the Order of Merlin votes held by you, your wife, and your remaining son. Although this will actually cost Lord Wilkes the sum of 500,000 galleons over five years, the Goblin appraisers have certified that the effective present-day cash value of controlling those twelve votes for the maximum length of time allowed under the law is equal to 1.8 million galleons, leaving a net value of 1.3 million. This will be applied to the Wilkes debt shortfall, reducing it to a deficiency of 2.4 million galleons.
"Fifth, while not specifically germane to the issue of your debt to Lord Wilkes, my client has grave concerns over the disposition of the Jim Potter Charitable Trust. While it suffered grievous mismanagement under your former Seneschal, Lord Wilkes believes that it performs a valuable social function, and he desires that it be maintained … but not under the exclusive control of the Potter Family. As a condition of this agreement, Lord Wilkes requires you to permit the Trust to be reorganized and placed under the control of an independent board of directors and subject to annual audits. Neither you nor your wife will sit on that board during its first five years of operation."
The solicitor paused and studied James, who felt as though he'd just gone ten rounds with a hippogriff. "Do you have any questions, so far?"
James closed his eyes and swallowed. He would be penniless and probably lucky if he was allowed to leave the room with the clothes on his back. And House Potter would be a vassal?! And he still wasn't out of the woods yet!
"I … I believe you said there's still a shortfall of two million galleons?"
"Two-point-four to be exact. Which is a problem, because under the agreement as outlined so far, you have nothing left to your name except for two entailed assets – Potter Manor and a certain Cloak of Invisibility – that cannot be sold and must always pass to the Heir so long as such an Heir can be found."
James noticed an odd gleam in the other man's eyes, one that spoke of an almost cruel satisfaction.
"But while an entailed asset may not permanently devolve to anyone outside the Heirs of the Household, I have ascertained, and the Goblins have confirmed, that such assets can be leased."
Potter suddenly felt like throwing up. They would take his home now. His home and the Cloak that he'd entrusted to Jim back during his First Year. He had officially cost his family everything.
"Leased … for how long?" he croaked out.
Podmore shrugged. "To an extent, that is up to you, as we have some flexibility. To my own great surprise, the Goblins have certified that the material value of possessing the Potter Cloak is greater than that of possessing a manor house that's almost as old as Hogwarts. They were not willing to explain how they came to that conclusion, but it's certified and that's what matters under the Vow. Anyway, by their estimation, you can satisfy your outstanding debt to Lord Wilkes by leasing Potter Manor to him rent-free for a period of no less than thirty years. Alternatively, you can lease him the Cloak for ten years. Or you can lease both items and we can work out the duration on a sliding scale."
"Jim still has to be protected," James blustered. "He's the Boy-Who-Lived, and …"
"And you don't want your family to be homeless?" Podmore snapped. "Personally, I don't see how that's our problem. However, you will be pleased to know that Lord Wilkes is aware of the importance of the Boy-Who-Lived to our society, as well as the danger posed to him by unsavory elements. Consequently, in the event that you elect to surrender the manor house, he has asked me to take steps to ensure your son's safety during the summer months until he comes of age. And also, I suppose, to see that you don't end up sleeping on a park bench or something."
He slid a paper across the table. "I have taken the liberty of allocating one unencumbered Potter property as a residence for your family's use. It already has an extensive and high-quality ward scheme in place that can be restored to full potency before the end of the school year, and it can easily be set up for Floo travel. But it is also in a Muggle area, and with the appropriate secrecy Charms, we can ensure that Jim Potter's summer residence will remain undisclosed to the Wizarding World. Finally, we can convey the home to House Potter without it adversely affecting your outstanding debt through the legal fiction that it is actually your wife's long overdue dowry as a daughter of House Wilkes."
James picked up the paper and studied it, his eyes widening in shock.
"You're joking!" he gasped.
"No, Lord Potter," the other man said languidly. "I'm quite serious. Though that doesn't stop me from finding the situation to be ironically amusing!"
He nodded towards the door to indicate the meeting was over. "You have our proposal, Lord Potter. Consult with your family and get back to me. Quickly, though. You only have one day left, after all, if you wish to live!"
James swallowed again before rising from the Debtor's perch and heading for the door. He knew his wife and son would insist that he take the deal even if it cost them everything else. Once outside the door, he looked at the address on the scrap of paper the solicitor had given him. He found nothing amusing about the proposed housing situation, but he had to agree with the solicitor.
The Potter family moving to 4 Privet Drive, Surrey would indeed be ironic.
Next: Severus Snape learns of some family secrets, and the Marauders finally reunite. Meanwhile, Harry sets other plans in motion, expands his own inner circle, and has a startling realization about You-Know-Who.
AN1: Check out the Sinister Man's web presence on the POS wiki, the POS TV Tropes page, and my Discord server (through which you can see advance previews of this story as it is begin written). Also, the Sinister Man would be profoundly grateful if you checked out my P*****n page and supported my original fiction. Patronage is not necessary to get the free POS previews via Discord.
AN2 (What the Sinister Man is reading): Nothing new at the moment.
AN3: Special thanks to my Discord editors: bearden2000/ATRDCI, Berserk homud, BlueWater, Bob, cheeky_elf, dbc, Flareix_ [Prince Flare], Krisni, LFGB (Head Priest of Bob), Magica, Megha Teresa, MsBlackburn, Norégveldi, Pivosh(Knight of Ron aka Reg), rhyce, Rogue1 (Knight of FAAAAWKEEEES!), TNT, and TrendyTreky. Thanks, guys!
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AN5: "Super easy! Barely an inconvenience!" is a reference to the invariably funny "Pitch Meeting" series on Screen Rant. "Stage 4 links" is lifted from a similar concept in the brilliant Erfworld webcomic (sadly now defunct, it seems).