Usual disclaimers, no rights to any characters portrayed and this is neither the real world nor a Disney Princess tale. There will provably be changes in the first hour or so as I find things that didn't come out the way I wanted.
Once he'd had his talk with Uncle Fili, Harry went back to physically rejoin the conversation Hermione was having with Auntie Minnie.
Even after a month, it remained difficult for Minerva to talk to Harry and Hermione without shaking her head, because Harry's face and Hermione's personality were so much like Lily's, the way they finished each other's sentences was too reminiscent of the Weasley twins (and their uncles for that matter), and taking sage advice and direction from what she still thought of as two children was difficult.
She couldn't argue that Hermione and now Harry were advising though. The ones in the Great Hall would be more receptive to what they needed to hear now, as they'd just seen the 'Great Albus Dumbledore' slapped down by one of his students, and that Hogwarts' magic accepted Harry's decrees. So with that, she headed up onto the High Table dais and had Pomona, Filius and Septima join her before she cast a Sonorous.
"Could I have your attention please?…." When everyone shut up and turned to face the dais she continued. "As we are entering a new era for Hogwarts, it is imperative that you all understand the rules and laws that you will be required to abide by while you are at Hogwarts, and you should know that these laws will be enforced outside of Hogwarts as well from now on."
She paused to let that sink in and then went on. "Firstly. Any student attacking other students or members of staff with spells or otherwise except where this is a legitimate part of a class or other sanctioned school activity will be expelled, have their wands snapped and be stripped of their magic, just as Percival and Ronald Weasley were. Furthermore, under the Most Ancient House and House Laws of Magical Britain… which were accepted as law by the Wizards Council and ratified as both immutable and incontrovertible by the Wizengamot when it was created, and again when the Ministry of Magic was created…. the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is required to investigate the incident and prosecute the guilty parties. Where those attacked are significant members of a Most Ancient House, penalties and imprisonment in Azkaban are mandatory and being sent through the Veil of Death is a significant possibility, the Weasleys only escaped this because as their primary victim, Duke Potter pleaded for leniency for them! For ordinary members of a Most Ancient House, and members of Ancient and newer Houses and Families, penalties and imprisonment in Azkaban, or even the Veil of Death still apply, but these are determined by the nature of the offence and the victim. No-one is exempt from these laws, so if anyone is thinking that they can get away with this because they did so in the past, you are sorely mistaken! Severe penalties will almost certainly be applied on your Houses, and Azkaban or the Veil of Death may well be your future! So Mote it Be!"
Once again, she paused to let that sink in as they all felt the veracity of the decree being accepted by the magic of Hogwarts, then continued. "Another aspect of the Most Ancient House and House Laws of Magical Britain which is treated even more seriously is Line Theft! Where the Most Ancient Houses are concerned, the penalty for sexual assault, the use of love, Lust or loyalty potions or compulsion, coercion or memory charms in an attempt to take control of the Head or Heir of the House is to have their wands snapped, be stripped of their magic and their Houses will forfeit everything they own and be eradicated before being put through the Veil of Death! For other members of the Most Ancient Houses, and members of the Ancient and newer Houses and Families, the guilty will have their wands snapped and be stripped of their magic, but who the victim is and the nature of the attack, whether it was planned or spontaneous and whether the crime was committed singly or by multiple attackers will determine whether the primary punishment is the Veil of Death, life in Azkaban or a lesser term in Azkaban and whether the guilty Houses lose everything and their Houses are eradicated, or they only lose part of what they own. Once again, no-one is exempt from these punishments, and at Hogwarts, Hogwarts sees and hears all... this may have been ignored previously, but it will not be ignored now, I can assure of that! If you do this, to anyone, you will be captured and punished, and your Houses along with you! Professors Vector, Flitwick, Sprout and myself all have copies of the Hogwarts Charter, where the laws prior to the Wizengamot's creation are recorded, in our offices, and any students wishing to read them has only to go see their House Mistress or Master. So Mote it Be!"
Everyone in the Great Hall felt the magic accepting the decree again, so only the most stupid students could question what was said.
"While we are on this subject…. I am aware that in recent generations, many have come to regard the traditional views on abstinence until they have been entered into magical arrangements with the one they are to marry to be an outmoded concept. To those young ladies especially who feel that it wouldn't hurt to give in to pressure to cast aside abstinence, I would strongly advise that you at least wait until after you have attended the mandatory opening classes of the Magical Culture course before doing this, because these will explain to you exactly what you would lose!"
Sir Nicholas wafted up to across the dais to whisper something to Minerva and she nodded with a smile. "At breakfast tomorrow morning, all students will be required to take a formal inheritance test! Students will not be forced to make the results of these tests public unless their own actions make it necessary, however you are on notice that any references to staff or other students' so-called blood status will be regarded as just cause to publicise the truth about your own blood status! The fact is that with the exception of the one in several million so-called Muggleborns who aren't descended from one of the roughly five thousand known magical bloodlines, everyone in Magical Britain is what is known as a Half-Blood!…." She waved to Hermione. "Lady Granger here was believed to be a Muggleborn, however a formal inheritance test has proven her to be the true Heir to at least one of the twenty Most Ancient Houses, in fact Lady Granger's house was one of the thirteen that made up the original Druids Council which directed the Magical people of Britain for over a thousand years before it was expanded into the twenty Most Ancient Houses of the Wizards Council which ruled Magical Britain up until the Wizengamot was created, and they are the most magically powerful houses in Magical Britain. Anyone who is still clinging to any outmoded fantasies about the so-called 'superiority of the Pureblood Houses' would do well to remember that! And do not forget about what I told you about the penalties associated with the crimes of attempted line theft or attacking significant members of the Most Ancient or Ancient Houses either!"
At that point, Draco Rosier (Narcissa, and therefore Draco, defaulted to her Mother's Maiden name when her marriage to Malfoy was annulled and she was formally cast out of the House of Black) and Marcus Burke (it was Flint until the House of Flint was eradicated and he also defaulted to his mother's maiden name) jumped up, screaming that they weren't going to listen to these lies against the Pureblood Houses any more, and whipped out their wands, pointing them at Minerva and Filius and getting as far as "Avada…." before they were blasted into the wall behind them by a pair of non-verbal stunners that were so overpowered that the impact with the wall would have killed them if they weren't protected by their magic. Their broken bodies and wands were then levitated across the Great Hall and dumped unceremoniously on the High Table.
Minerva was visibly shaken by this, but she managed to solemnly nod her thanks to Harry, who was currently putting away his Rowan wand (already having disappeared the Elder Wand which he'd used in his off-hand) and say in a relatively steady voice. "Thank you for protecting us Duke Potter….." before turning to face the students again and continue. "Duke Potter's House was also one of the thirteen Houses which made up the original Druids Council! In fact it was one of the three original Druid Lords."
Less than ten minutes later, Amelia came running in with a team of trusted Aurors, and goblins to perform official inheritance tests on them (they were revived, but silenced and secured). As soon as the inheritance tests were done, the results were magically expanded to cover the wall behind the High Table and Minerva used them to give a lesson while Amelia was seeing the memories of those two trying to murder Minerva and Filius with the killing curse, and Harry's devastating response.
Amelia froze the image as Harry cast the two stunners simultaneously with a wand in each hand and shook her head. From the effects when they struck, they had each matched the power of at least five or six of her Aurors, but he'd cast both at essentially the same moment with perfect aim. She couldn't argue that the response was justified, because the murderous intent that Malfoy and Flint's memories showed had the green glow of the killing curse forming on their wands before the curses were half finished, but this proof of the magical power that Harry could muster was frightening.
"As you can see, these so-called Pureblood families are most definitely not purely magical. Draco Lucius Malfoy and his father Lucius Abraxus Malfoy were constantly sprouting Pureblood supremacy rubbish, but as you can see, there are numerous Muggles in their family tree..." Sir Nicholas wafted up and whispered to her for a while and she nodded grimly before going on. "I am told that these Muggles were in fact young girls who's families were forced to marry them to the Malfoys to bring money and fresh blood into the Malfoy family after they did away with their Witch or Squib wives for failing to produce a suitable Heir. This poor child was just eleven when she was forced to marry fifty five year old Septimus Malfoy, and she died giving birth to the Malfoy Heir at twelve. This one was fifteen…. she was twelve….. fourteen here... this one was thirteen… Well I believe that the point is that it is quite clear from this that, as well as being monsters who preyed on children, the Malfoys were most definitely not Purebloods!..."
Minerva stopped in shock when she saw something else that was rather disturbing, because Lucius Malfoy was apparently Draco's half brother, rather than his father, and she didn't believe that the Narcissa Black she remembered as the seventeen year old student she was when she became pregnant would have ever willingly submitted to her prospective father-in-law, for that matter Minerva doubted that she would have willingly submitted to Lucius while she was still at school, so she hurriedly went on to Flint.
"Marcus Tiberius Flint and his family were also quite outspoken against anyone who wasn't pure of blood, but what do we see here? Numerous Squibs and Muggles that they were using to try and perpetuate their line. Those who learned science in Muggle schools will confirm that the fact that the Muggle girls were the only ones who weren't first, second or third cousins of the Flint line is most likely the reason for the Flints' common lack of intelligence and magical ability, as the perils of excessive in-breeding are well known in the Muggle world."
She turned back to Harry. "My Lord Potter… I understand that you have chosen to judge these two wizards under the Wizards Council's House Laws?"
Harry bowed to her. "I have, Headmistress McGonagall, do I have your leave to proceed?"
"You do, My Lord."
Harry bowed again and then turned to face the students. "These two students are guilty of attacking two members of Hogwarts' staff with the forbidden killing curse, therefore under the rules of the Hogwarts Charter I, Duke Henry James Potter, Head of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, order them to be expelled from Hogwarts, and that they be stripped of their magic and have their wands snapped. So Mote It Be!" Hermione and the others quietly repeated "So Mote It Be!" so that the by now familiar magical acceptance washed over everyone in the hall. Amelia ceremoniously broke both their wands before Harry continued.
"Furthermore, Draco Lucius Rosier, formerly known as Draco Lucius Malfoy and Marcus Tiberius Burke, formerly known as Marcus Tiberius Flint, have both attempted to use the forbidden killing curse to murder Countess Minerva McGonagall, Head of the Noble and Ancient Houses of Ross and Urquhart, and Professor Filius Flitwick, who are both related by blood to the Head of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter! Therefore under the Most Ancient House Laws of Magical Britain, I order that the Noble and Ancient House of Rosier and the Noble House of Burke be eradicated in Magical Britain, and that any and all titles, holdings, property, possessions and moneys belonging to Draco Lucius Rosier and the Noble and Ancient House of Rosier are hereby forfeit to Countess Minerva McGonagall and any and all titles, holdings, property, possessions and moneys belonging to Marcus Tiberius Burke and the Noble House of Burke are hereby forfeit to Professor Filius Flitwick, thereby elevating Professor Flitwick to Baron Flitwick and the Flitwick Family to the Noble House of Flitwick. Finally…. under the Most Ancient House Laws of Magical Britain and Laws of the Wizards Council, the penalty for attempting to murder the Head of Two Noble and Ancients Houses and another blood relation to the Head and Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter with the forbidden killing curse is Death. I therefore order Draco Lucius Rosier and Marcus Tiberius Burke to be put through the Veil of Death! So Mote It Be!" Hermione and the others quietly repeated "So Mote It Be!" again and the magical acceptance washed over them. Harry popped away without another word and Hermione followed him, as she knew where he'd gone to….. Luna, Daphne and Astoria looked at each other and silently agreed that as the one with the strongest link to Harry, Hermione was the one to handle this.
There was silence in the Great Hall after Harry and Hermione disappeared, because while there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the death sentences they'd just heard was official, legal and irrevocable, they were still shocking. Amelia ordered the Aurors to take the two would be murderers directly to the Chamber of Death and put them through the Veil as she, Kingsley and the others who had reviewed the memories taken from them with her had seen proof that the judgement was justified…. if Harry hadn't stopped them, they would have murdered Minerva and Filius as they intended….
Amelia had to ask Minerva and Filius about that blood relation matter though... she knew it was the truth, the decree would not have been accepted otherwise, but she could not for the life of her work out how it could be true.
She just shook her head when Minerva and Filius told her in a whisper that Minerva was a sworn vassal of the House of Potter, sealed in blood, and both Filius and Harry had gone through formal blood options into the Gringott family with Grand Clan Chief Gringott… it was hard to laugh with the memory of Filius and Minerva's attempted murders and the would be murderers' death sentences so fresh in her memory, but Harry was such a consummate politician! He'd used what in Filius' case was a legitimate fact that didn't really relate to the wizarding world at all to legitimately justify using the all powerful Most Ancient House Laws to eliminate two more dangerous Dark Houses which had been too careful to give them the proof they needed to address the threat earlier, and to ensure that foul creatures like Malfoy and Flint no longer represented a threat to anyone. Even if he was eighteen and world weary on the inside though, Harry was just too young to be mixed up in all this foulness!
While she was considering this, Efa and Emyr suddenly appeared, taking Luna, Daphne and Astoria by the hand and disappearing again, because Harry and Hermione had to explain to them what they'd just felt happening.
This wasn't as difficult as Harry had been dreading, because from what they'd learned through their links to them, the other girls really did understand that Harry and Hermione were at least five or six years older than them on the inside, that was a large part of the reason they'd agreed that Hermione was the best one to help Harry deal with anguish, remorse and self loathing that they felt him feeling over ordering the executions of Malfoy and Flint, and all the other executions that had been ordered that day at his instigation. They also understood that none of them were physically or emotionally ready to do what Hermione had done to help Harry, so once they accepted that the fact that Hermione was now married, rather than betrothed, to Harry didn't effect their own relationships with either of them, they were happy for them.
Of course, the discussion with Gringott, Angela, Sirius and Alastor didn't go as smoothly. Gringott had been notified when their status changed from betrothals to marriages, and he in turn had contacted both of their guardians, so they arrived in Harry's common room and told Emyr that they needed to talk to Harry and Hermione immediately. They weren't too surprised when Luna, Daphne and Astoria joined them for that discussion…. But they did ask whether the girls' parents should be included in this….
Daphne shook her head quickly. "No… This does not change our betrothals to Harry at all, and they would only get upset over nothing."
Luna nodded in agreement. "Daddy will understand, but we can tell him later."
The adults nodded dubiously and looked at Harry, who in turn looked at Hermione.
Hermione shook her head at him and responded to the question in their eyes, waving to the other girls. "We could all feel how upset Harry was, and how much he blamed himself for all the deaths that happened today, so I went to him to help him get through it. I wasn't getting through to him so I started ramping up the kissing and…. things…. but we knew where we were going, so we completed the formal aes sídhe bonding ritual with each other before we got carried away…. and we sealed our bonds when we reached orgasm together."
She took in the looks on Alastor and Angela's faces and snapped at them. "Stop that! You know damned that Harry and I were adults on the inside, and thanks to the House Magic our bodies were pretty much thirteen or fourteen before the bonding, so I'm really no younger physically than I was the first time Weasley used the potions to force me to let him screw me and he hurt me…. quite intentionally…. but Harry was gentle and loving and caring, so it was nothing like it was with that bastard and that's helping me let go of the memory of what Weasley did to me! Look! We didn't plan this but I am happy that I've sealed my bonds with Harry so that our links are so much stronger and our magic has grown so much from being granted our majority with the marriage bond, gaining each other's Houses' Consorts' magic and the aes sídhe bonding ritual itself, because that will help us deal with what's in front of us. We've addressed many of the big issues that Harry and I remember, but we can feel that there are still a hell of a lot of other ones in front of us. The other girls will be waiting until they're old enough, that hasn't changed, but the fact is that Harry and I are old enough, and as long as we leave our rings hidden no-one else us going to know that we're actually married. Anyway, it's done and there's no going back, so there's no sense in arguing about it…. and as Daphne said it doesn't change her, Astoria's or Luna's betrothals to Harry at all."
Angela burst into tears at that and came over to hug them, and they all agreed to keep this a family secret as well, except for advising Minerva and Amelia so that they'd be forewarned in case Hermione's new status came up in the records.
That night Luna came to them to be comforted as usual, and as they'd said, it was no different from any other night that she'd come to them to be comforted.
In the morning, Minerva came to Corvus Tower again to fill them in on what was happening on the Hogwarts front. They were pleasantly surprised to hear that Albus Jones had managed to talk Horace Slughorn into formally accepting the position of Potions Master and that he was already at Hogwarts, ready to take up his duties, and that he'd told Binns and Trelawney that they were terminated as well. Hearing that Jones had promised Slughorn the position of Slytherin's House Master to get him to agree was a less pleasant surprise, but Harry had warned Jones about overstepping his authority last night, so he discussed how he planned to deal with this with Minerva and Rolanda Hooch, and they were in complete agreement, in fact they were looking forward to it.
Albus was obviously pleased with himself as he strutted into the Great Hall, but his good mood evaporated when he heard Harry hissing "Mister Jones!" because he wet himself as he remembered just what Harry Potter had said would happen to Mister Jones.
Harry went on. "I distinctly remember telling you that you had no authority to make any promises on Hogwarts' behalf, and that Headmistress McGonagall had the final say on all decisions to do with Hogwarts!"
He only got "What do you mean Harry…." out before the angry flashing of Harry's eyes turned his bladder mishap into a gusher. "I mean Duke Potter!"
"I ordered you to secure Professor Slughorn as Hogwarts' Potions Master, I said nothing about offering him anything else, such as being Slytherin's House Master! In fact I specifically remember ordering you to make sure that he understood that he was never allowed to be alone with any students at Hogwarts... so would you care to explain then why I was informed this morning that you have promised him that he would be Slytherin's House Master?
"But…. But you told me to get him to replace Severus and Severus held both roles, just as Horace did before him…. I couldn't offer him the Potions' Master position without Head of Slytherin as well!"
"Yes, you could… and in fact that is exactly what you were ordered to secure him as!"
Harry fixed him with a baleful glare for over a minute as he discussed this with Hermione over their link (using Jones' terror to cover up the fact that he was stripping him of all the mind magic knowledge that he'd used so extensively against others for nearly a century), and then spoke in the same icy tone that projected around the Great Hall as he had with Snape. "You have failed Hogwarts again Professor Jones, so you must be penalised again! Firstly, you will inform Professor Slughorn that he is not Slytherin's House Master, and that you never had the authority to offer him that position, you will also inform him of the restrictions against his ever being alone with students. Professor Vector is Slytherin's House Mistress at Hogwarts and the position will remain with her! Secondly, you as you have proven yet again that you are not capable of carrying out the duties of even the Secondary Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as required, you are hereby stripped of that role! Your role at Hogwarts is only the Defence Against the Dark Arts Master, however you will also cover Transfiguration and Charms classes as directed by Headmistress McGonagall, because she will now have sole responsibility for the duties of the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Professor Flitwick also has his Ravenclaw House Master duties. In addition to this, Madam Rolanda Hooch will take over the role of House Mistress of Gryffindor from Headmistress McGonagall, effective immediately, to give her more time for her Headmistress' duties. So Mote It Be!" Hermione, Sue and Luna quietly repeated "So Mote It Be!" and those in the hall felt Hogwarts' magic accepting the decree.
Jones collapsed in his mess as he realised that he'd now lost the last of the titles and power that he'd used to lord it over Magical Britain…. the Magical World... for the more than four and a half decades since he'd supposedly defeated Gellert in Forty Five. In less than a day, this boy had stripped everything from him! Without the Elder Wand or the Dumbledore family magic, and only half his own magic, he knew that it would be suicide to attack him or his party, and he wasn't ready to give up his life yet….. He suddenly smiled to himself at that thought, as he'd remembered that he had the Philosopher's Stone, so he had all the time in the world to regain what had been taken from him.
Just then Hermione wrinkled up her nose and stage whispered. "Oh my gods, what's that awful smell? It smells like someone here has had an accident Harry, can we go before I'm sick, please?"
Harry just bowed and led her away from the old wizard sitting in the puddle on the floor, and their group headed for the HufflePuff table, at the end away from the High Table.
By the time that Slughorn sauntered into the Great Hall looking pleased with himself, Jones had cleaned himself up and was sitting at the High Table, though he was most unhappy that the elves had blocked him from going to his normal seat and insisted that as a junior professor (because Professor Jones was new, and had none of the status or seniority that Headmaster Dumbledore had had), he must sit at the end of the table. Horace Slughorn was just as unhappy when Jones informed him that he wasn't Master of Slytherin as he'd promised him the night before, because Professor Vector was in fact Mistress of Slytherin. Jones was humiliated when he had to admit that he wasn't even Co-Headmaster any more, he was just an ordinary Professor like him, bitterly waving at where Potter and his party sat at the far end of the Hufflepuff table. "There's nothing I can do about it Horace! Potter has used some ancient laws to take all my authority from me."
Slughorn stormed down to the group of students that Albus had indicated, and started demanding that he be given what was rightfully his or he'd leave this moment, but his eyes widened as Harry turned to face him with an innocent expression on his face. "Oh my gods, you're Lily Evans boy! Lily was one of my all time favourite stu….."
He didn't have a chance to speak another word, because Harry remembered what this slimy bastard had done, so as soon as he had eye contact he struck with a devastating Legilimens attack before Slughorn had a chance to put any defences up. Harry rampaged through the man's memories until he found and brutally ripped out the memories of what he'd told Tom Riddle and others like Lucius Malfoy and the nefarious deals he'd done over the past century or so to rake in more power and money for him and his House, of which he was apparently the last. Harry also removed every memory of his mother, because this slimy bastard didn't deserve memories of her, and of the potions Slughorn had created to make young boys (and girls) compliant and forget what had happened afterwards. He buried a compulsion to harm himself whenever he was attracted to students, or anyone else young enough to be his children or grandchildren, deep in his psyche where it was unlikely to be found, and ensured that it would take a master mind healer to break if it was found. He also removed any and all knowledge of Mind Magics, the Dark Arts and any prohibited potions. When he broke the link, feeling soiled by what he'd seen in the man's mind, Slughorn fell to his knees.
Harry stood, reaching out to Emyr over their link to ask for their elves to clean out the fortune in exotic potions ingredients that made up Snape's private stock, which Jones had offered to Slughorn as an incentive to take up the position, and take it back to Corvus Tower, as there were hundreds of thousands of galleons tied up in that private potions stock and Hogwarts had paid for it, so it was all going back to Hogwarts to be sold if possible! While he was at it, he asked Emyr to find a Sixth Year Potions text book that had been heavily annotated my someone calling himself the Half Blood Prince, and move it to his trunk flat, as he remembered that Snape had scribbled a lot of very good information in that text book.
With that done, he addressed Slughorn in a voice that carried throughout the Great Hall. "Baron Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn, you are guilty of teaching the common pretender Tom Marvolo Riddle falsely styling himself as Lord Voldemort, who's mother, a borderline Squib named Merope Gaunt, trapped a local Muggle into marrying her with love potions but died a pauper at the birth of her son because Riddle Senior left her as soon as she stopped dosing him with the potions, and Riddle's servants, known as Death Eaters, the Dark Arts to gain wealth and position for yourself. Because of your self serving actions, many witches, wizards and Muggles were murdered by Riddle and his so-called Death Eaters, in fact entire families were wiped out. Among those who were murdered as a result of your actions were the previous Duke and Duchess Potter, the Head and Consort of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, my parents! Therefore I, Duke Henry James Potter, Head of the Most Ancient House of Potter, order that the Noble and Ancient House of Slughorn be eradicated in Magical Britain and that any and all titles, holdings, property, possessions and moneys belonging to Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn and the Noble and Ancient House of Slughorn are hereby forfeit to the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter….. I also take half of the magic of Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn as a personal penalty and like Albus Jones, Horace Selwyn is forbidden from ever being alone with Hogwarts students or other children…. So Mote It Be!" Hermione, Sue and Luna quietly repeated "So Mote It Be!" and once again the others in the Great Hall felt the decree being accepted.
With that done, Harry went on in a voice that only those about him heard. "And as I told Mister Jones Mister Selwyn, if you walk out that door without Hogwarts releasing you from your duties, you will be stripped of your magic under the terms of the Hogwarts Charter that you agreed to when you formally accepted the position of Hogwarts' Potions Master! To make it clear, Hogwarts will not release you from your duty to her, so your only chance of retaining what magic you have left is to remain here and fulfil your duties as her Potions Master to the best of your abilities…. And by the way…. that fabulous treasure of expensive and exotic potions ingredients that Mister Jones promised you is also gone! Hogwarts paid for it so it has been recovered and will be sold to return the money to Hogwarts' vaults to cover the costs of operating the school…." His voice dropped into menacing tone he'd used on a few of his enemies over the past few days. "Do you understand me Mister Selwyn?"
At that moment, Emyr appeared in his House Elf glamour and informed Harry that several thousands of galleons worth of rare potions ingredients were missing from the private potions store when they went to retrieve them for Hogwarts. Harry looked at Slughorn no… Selwyn and remembered the extensive potions kit that he carried in that dragon skin bag he always had with him. He didn't have it here…. but Harry spied it at the High Table and summoned it, telling Emyr over their link to catch it as if he'd summoned it. As soon as he had it, Emyr opened the bag and retrieved seven or eight thousand galleons worth of extremely rare and exotic potions ingredients which had come from Snape's private store. While he was doing that, Harry used Selwyn's aggravated state, and the fact that he'd removed any mind magic knowledge he'd had in the earlier Legilimens attack, to go into his mind and confirm that he'd made arrangements the night before to go off and sell these potions ingredients right after his first potions class this morning. He took these memories to pass on to Auntie Ami so that she could use the DMLE to shut down the illegal apothecaries that Selwyn was planning on selling these ingredients to, and hopefully catch the ones who were buying ingredients for prohibited potions from them, Molly Weasley came to mind when he thought about their customers and he smiled to himself, as Auntie Ami would just love to be able to arrest that bitch.
When he was done, he spoke again. "Explain yourself Mister Selwyn! From what we found here, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that you were attempting to steal rare and valuable potions ingredients from Hogwarts and sell them for your own personal gain! The penalty that you will incur for this is that you will now cover whatever Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures classes that Headmistress McGonagall deems necessary, as well as your own Potions classes! Now! You did not answer me before, do you understand me Mister Selwyn?"
"Yes! Yes, I understand Har…."
Harry cut him off. "STOP! What is it with you lot? You at least were raised in a Noble and Ancient House, were you not? If this is any indication of what the House of Slughorn was like, it is no loss that it is now gone! As I had to explain to Mister Jones and your predecessor as Hogwarts' Potions Master, my title is Duke Potter, and I will be addressed as such unless I give you leave to use another form of address, but you… and Mister Jones!" he added as he looked up at the High Table "Will not be given leave to address me as anything other than my proper title! Take care Mister Selwyn, the only things you have left to be penalised are the rest of your magic, your memories and your life! And As I told Mister Jones, at your age, you are not likely to survive losing the rest of your magic either! Do… You… Understand?"
"Yes, I understand Duke Potter!"
Harry nodded. "Good!" then he stopped, musing, as the thought had crossed his mind to threaten him with makig him help Filch in his Caretaker's duties, but that just reminded him of how useless and horrid that creature was, and how much better off the students would be if he no longer darkened the halls of Hogwarts. That in turn made him remember another so-called Squib, so he caught Jones' eye and launched a more subtle Legilimens probe than he'd used on Selwyn, getting the confirmation of how Dumbledore had recruited Mrs Figg to work for him, and what became his Order of the Pheonix, as she had in fact been a student at Hogwarts when he started teaching here. Arabella had been a poor student and witch, probably on par with Crabbe and Goyle magically, so Dumbledore had bound her weak magic even more to make it look as though it had failed her (as sometimes happened) in order to get her pushed out of Hogwarts to make the results of his classes look better.
After she left Hogwarts, her family had sent Arabella to Muggle schools, but they hadn't abandoned her like many Magical families did their Squib children, so Dumbledore had had to keep renewing the bindings every few years to keep up the appearance that she was a Squib, and he also bound her intellect to try and prevent her working out what was going on. Arabella had married another Squib, Herbert Figg, and they'd been happy together up until Herbert became one of the first casualties of the First Wizarding War. Dumbledore had used Herbert's murder to bind her into his service then with loyalty charms, as he could see a use for spies and servants in the Muggle world, but Harry's memories said that she must have fought the compulsions to treat him as badly as the Dursleys did, because his memories of the times that the Dursleys had dumped him on her while they went away on holiday were of a kindly old lady. While sickened by Dumbledore's careless willingness to bind a young witch's magic and have her pushed out of the Magical world just to make his class results look more impressive, he had to let that go with the promise that Jones would pay for this, besides, Jones was going to HATE this!
"Headmistress McGonagall!"
Minerva looked at him from the High Table, trying to keep the smile of anticipation of whatever he was about to say off her face. "Yes Duke Potter?"
"As you may have heard Ma'am, Professor Jones is no longer Co-Headmaster, so you now hold the role of Hogwarts' Headmistress by yourself..." Minerva nodded "Also, Madam Hooch has assumed the role of Gryffindor's House Mistress from you, and Professor Selwyn has been disabused of the notion that he will become Slytherin's House Master, as Professor Vector has proven herself quite capable as Slytherin's House Mistress with the way she has looked after the students in Slytherin through the turmoil of the last two nights..."
"My pardon Duke Potter, but who is Professor Selwyn? The man whom I presume you are referring to was known as Professor Slughorn when he was last at Hogwarts was he not?"
"My apologies for the confusion Headmistress McGonagall. I discovered that Professor Slughorn had supplied information to Tom Riddle and his so-called Death Eaters which ultimately led to my parents, the previous Duke and Duchess Potter, being murdered by Tom Riddle. Therefore, under Most Ancient House Law I called for the House of Slughorn to be eradicated in Magical Britain and that everything belonging to him and his house be forfeited to the House of Potter, so he has been relegated to his mother's maiden name of Selwyn, much the same way Professor Dumbledore became Professor Jones."
Minerva nodded. "I thank you for that information Duke Potter, was there anything else?"
"Yes Headmistress… As Professor Jones is no longer sharing the Headmistress' duties with you, he will be available, at your discretion, to cover Transfiguration classes for yourself, and Charms classes for Professor Flitwick, as Professor Flitwick also has other duties as the Ravenclaw's House Master. Similarly, Professor Selwyn will be available at your discretion to cover Herbology classes for Professor Sprout, to free her up for her duties as Hufflepuff's House Mistress, and also Care of Magical Creatures, as I understand that Professor Kettleburn is less mobile than he once was, so I expect that it could be of assistance for him to have someone to cover some of his classes. It is my understanding that Professor Selwyn is quite capable in the subjects of Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, and as we all know, Professor Jones is a Master of both Transfiguration and Charms."
Minerva nodded again. "Indeed! I am sure that Professors Flitwick, Sprout and Kettleburn will appreciate the assistance, as do I. Was that all Duke Potter?"
"No Ma'am, in the excitement of yesterday, I'm afraid that I forgot to mention another change to Hogwarts' staff which must be made. We have heard numerous stories of Mister Filch's failure to perform the duties required of him as Hogwarts' Caretaker, and furthermore of his constant animosity to what appears to be the entire student population of Hogwarts, this cannot be condoned, so Mister Filch is terminated, effective immediately. So Mote It Be." As usual, Luna and Sue followed Hermione's lead in repeating "So Mote It Be." and Hogwarts' acceptance was felt, then Harry went on.
"I really do not understand what the previous Headmasters were thinking Ma'am, keeping a man like that around Hogwarts' students, but I'm afraid that I could not allow it to continue any further."
Minerva nodded again. "I quite understand Duke Potter, I questioned that very thing on numerous occasions myself but failed to get an answer. Do you have any recommendations for Mister Filch's replacement?"
"Yes Ma'am, a witch who lives in the Muggle suburb where I grew up, Madam Arabella Figg…."
He paused to let Minerva get over the shock of hearing Arabella Figg being called a witch, because she'd known her as a Squib for over two decades. Harry nodded grimly at the questioning look she gave him, and glanced significantly at Jones... The look Minerva sent the man's way at that promised retribution, but once she'd settled herself, Harry continued.
"We haven't had a chance to determine whether Madam Figg wishes to accept the position as yet, but it is our hope that she will. If so, might I also suggest that Mister Hagrid's duties as Keeper of Keys and Grounds be amended to allow him to assist Madam Figg with those items that she may not be physically capable of…. and I believe that it would also be in Hogwarts' interests to have Mister Hagrid officially made Assistant Professor for the Care of Magical Creatures classes, as it is my understanding that Mister Hagrid has a great deal of talent and knowledge in this subject…."
Jones went to make an objection, complaint or rebuttal at that point but he swallowed his words and may have wet himself again when he was transfixed by a menacing look from those flashing green eyes again.
Minerva allowed herself a smile before she answered Harry. "These all seem to be admirable suggestions Duke Potter…. May I accompany whoever is going to offer Madam Figg the position of Hogwarts' Caretaker please? I have been personally acquainted with Madam Figg for over two decades and I would like to point out… as Hogwarts' Headmistress, all the benefits she would accrue from accepting the position here... and also reassure her that there will be room for her kneazle cats here, because as you may know she breeds kneazle, cat crosses."
Harry nodded. "Surely Headmistress McGonagall, I had intended to go myself as I am acquainted with Madam Figg myself, but I am sure that she will welcome another friendly face."
Minerva nodded. "Perhaps we can go to offer her the position once we have completed the students' inheritance tests… speaking of which, as some of the students appear to have finished their breakfasts, this would be a good time to begin that…. Students, the tables in front of the dais have people set up for you to complete your inheritance tests, so once you have completed your breakfast, please come up one at a time to do the tests. Many of the students who completed their inheritance tests last night were pleasantly surprised by what the tests revealed, but we must remind you that these tests are mandatory, and any student who forces us to find them to complete the test will be disciplined!"
As the students started heading up to the tables, Minerva decided to get another job out of the way and headed out of the Great Hall. She smiled gratefully when Alastor, Ulfr and Snorri suddenly became visible, then changed their appearance into unrecognisable but intimidating wizards to escort her down to give Filch his marching orders. None of them were too surprised that they needed Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron's assistance to convince the old fool that Dumbledore not only wasn't the Headmaster any more, he wasn't even a Dumbledore any more because he'd been thrown out of the Dumbledore Family and penalised everything he had, and then some, for the crimes he'd committed. Once they'd prevented him taking anything that didn't belong to him, Filch was walked out the gates and banned from ever entering Hogwarts again.
While they were out there, they went to have a talk with Hagrid, because as Minerva was leaving the Great Hall, Harry had intercepted her and pointed out that the fact that they'd discovered that Arabella's mind and magic had been interfered with, and that Hagrid had been a student at Hogwarts gave them a valid reason to get Hagrid tested and the bindings, compulsions and loyalty and memory charms removed from him, as well as Arabella.
Hagrid was happy to take Minerva and Alastor's word for what was going on, but he was more than a little worried when he found that he'd been transported to Gringotts for this. He was enraged when the human healers there (Healers Nightingale and Johnson) told him, Minerva and Alastor that the magical signature of the one who'd bound his intellect, magic and physical strength was the same as the one who'd bound Harry almost enough to kill him and Alastor had growled. "Aye, and the rest of us! Albus Bloody Dumbledore!"
When they offered Hagrid the option of having his body regrown to overcome the effects of having his physical growth bound until well after his growth period was finished, he shook his head. "Ye're jokin' aren't ye? I'm already twice the size of most wizarding folk, if I was three times their size I'd be sent back to me Ma's people for sure! and then I'd have to deal with 'em trying to stamp out the runt of the tribe. No, I'll stay this size thank ye!"
With the bindings off his intellect and magic, it was as Harry had expected. Hagrid was at least as bright as many of the professors at Hogwarts, and he rivalled Harry's power magically. He was unhappy to learn that the makeshift wand that he'd made for himself from the salvaged core of his broken wand and a ladies' umbrella was actually blocking, rather than channelling his magic, but he was thrilled with the new Oak wand that Garrick Ollivander made for him with three dragon heartstring cores (as Harry's Rowan wand and the Elder Wand proved that wands with three compatible cores braided together were capable of handling and generating far more power than single core wands).
As soon as the students' inheritance tests were done and those who'd discovered that they were the true heirs of dormant (and some extant) Houses had accepted their titles and been advised to accept set select regents and voting proxies for their Houses, and Minerva announced that the inheritance tests had proven that there was not a single Pureblood or Muggleborn at Hogwarts, as everyone, students and staff alike, was Half-Blood.
Then Harry, Minerva and Alastor went to see Missus Figg. Arabella trusted Minerva and Alastor enough to agree to have the bindings and charms removed, but while she was distraught at the idea of the man she'd trusted most of her life doing this to her, she wasn't terribly surprised once she was freed to think straight again, and she was actually quite philosophical about it as she noted that if he hadn't done that to her, she might not have met her Herbert, and the thirty odd years she had with Herbert had been the best years of her life. Once she was freed from her bindings, compulsions and the like, there was no question of Arabella not taking the position at Hogwarts, in fact she moved in that day with her kneazle cats, and the goblins organised the sale of her house.
Albus Jones was terrified when he saw from the looks that both Figg and Hagrid were giving him that they knew what he'd done to them. The fact that McGonagall also introduced Augusta Longbottom as Professor Longbottom, the new History of Magic and Magical Culture Mistress, and Alastor and Black as key members of Potter's party that night was enough to make him want to run away, because he was being surrounded by the ones who'd orchestrated his downfall (he couldn't believe that Potter was the one behind this, he was only a child) but he didn't doubt for a moment that Potter had been telling Horace the truth when he said that if they tried to abandon their duties without being released by Hogwarts, they'd lose the rest of their magic and probably die.
Jones' despair kept growing when he tried to make sure that Hagrid and Figg couldn't talk about what he'd done to them and discovered that he'd lost all his knowledge of Mind Magic (Alastor must have changed sides and done that to him somehow), and again when he was contacted by Lord Macmillan to warn him that the Hogwarts' Governors' Board had voted overwhelmingly to expunge the expulsion of Rubeus Hagrid and dismissal of Arabella Fawcett on the grounds that there was evidence to prove that Hagrid had been framed, and Fawcett interfered with by the same Slytherin teacher, and that they'd both been encouraged to complete their educations while they were working at Hogwarts by both Professor McGonagall, Hogwarts' Headmistress and Madam Marchbanks, the Director of the Wizarding Examination Authority and Chief Witch.
This was a complete disaster for Jones, because not only were all his supporters being advised that he'd lost every position of authority that he'd had in less than a day, so more and more of them were becoming unavailable to him when he tried to contact them to rally them to his cause... but he'd changed the school records to show that he'd been in Gryffindor and altered the memories of anyone who knew otherwise to bury the fact that he was in Slytherin over sixty years ago to create his 'light' image back when he first started teaching at Hogwarts! How in the seven hells had that information come out now? What use was immunity from prosecution in the Wizengamot when Potter and his allies were making sure that he lost everything, and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it? His life was turning into one big game of Jenga and all he could do was watch the blocks being removed.