Disclaimer: As you may realize by now, I don't own the HP world. I, like many of you, merely like to pretend I do.

A/N: You know, I think I should have moved earlier if this is the sort of writing I do when procrastinating about packing or doing other little getting-ready-to-move chores like finding a job down in NM, or helping Mom organize the auction to rid us of a helluva lot of meaningless brick-a-brack (you'd be shocked at the sheer amount of stuff a person can accumulate over twenty-three years, fifteen of which spent at the same address.)

In a related note (it really is related, even if it doesn't seem so) the dentist took one of my teeth on Monday; my jaw feels a helluva lot better than it has for six months - I think it affected my writing. Oh, well. Read onward and see for yourself.

The NEWTs and some interesting conversations.

Chapter Thirty-Three: A Change in the Wind

When he was twenty-three, Lucius Malfoy had worked for an entire three months to come up with a spell that would copy, exactly, the magical signature of any wizard in existence, provided that he had two things: a sample of their person, usually a hair or fingernail clipping, and a spare quill made from an augury feather. The spell took most of an entire night to cast, but when finished, the quill would then write in the handwriting of whoever its target was, and would leave the customary magical signature of that person behind on the parchment. Though he'd been very proud of his creation, Lucius had crafted the spell for a single purpose, and it would have gone against that purpose for the spell to come to light, and so he remained the only one to know of its existence.

He'd thought over what Severus had said during his visit on Monday, and it made sense. During the last nineteen years, the Dark Lord had somehow lost sight of his original goals and began focusing, instead, on the eradication of one halfblood child. A child who, Lucius had to admit, had managed to defeat the Dark Lord into a retreat that had lasted a full sixteen years. A child who then managed to hold his own in a duel with said Dark Lord mere months prior.

Lucius had to wonder just why the Dark Lord was so intent on the boy's destruction when he shouldn't have had to bother with the boy – what was so special about the kid? What did he have to do with eliminating the muggle threat from the wizarding world?

Lucius knew his answer without having to ask the question, nothing. He'd heard of the prophesy, of course – who hadn't? But the threat revealed in it was only against the Dark Lord – not the Cause. Lucius had to wonder just what the loss of the Dark Lord would do to the Cause, and again, he had his answer. Nothing. I have more political pull than He ever wanted, the only thing I lack is the sheer numbers He has in us – the Death Eaters. All of us know of his current… issues… It wouldn't be difficult… Lucius smiled to himself and leaned back in his comfortable chair. No, not difficult at all…

It didn't take long for the details of his plan to work themselves out. And so, at a quarter to ten in the evening, he sent an owl to his old friend, Severus.

Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Severus was having an interesting conversation with Potter. Harry had arrived shortly after dinner to spend the week in the castle, sitting his NEWTs with the seventh-year students. Since Harry wasn't a student, Albus had given him temporary quarters in the teacher's hall, directly across from Severus' own. The boy had knocked on his door at about eight o'clock with a worried expression. Knowing that he was stressing overmuch about the upcoming exams, Severus invited him in.

Now, it goes without saying that Severus Snape was an intensely private individual who jealously guarded his space, but he had also taught Potter occlumency. In so doing, he had been forced to spend inordinate amounts of time in the teen's mind – and, for the sake of honesty, Potter had likewise spent much time in his own. One cannot spend that much time immersed in another's thoughts without learning to like the person, and without realizing it at the time, Severus and Harry managed to form a relationship not unlike the one Severus shared with Albus. They knew each other quite well, and, in fact, knew things about each other that no one else did.

Severus knew, without a doubt, that Potter was as different from his father as Severus was from his own, in spite of their mutual uncanny likenesses to said fathers. Severus further knew the details of Harry's life with the Dursleys – even those details Harry hadn't been able to tell the social worker. Harry knew of Severus' tyrannical father's own cruelness. They knew of each other's mutual loathing of large crowds, their tea preferences – Severus, Darjeeling with just a hint of honey; Harry, earl grey with lemon – and their allergies, hopes, memories, dreams; the list went on and on.

So, when Harry had knocked, it would have gone more against Severus' character to leave the boy standing in the hall than to let him into his quarters.

The two discussed trivialities for a little while before Severus decided to ask about something he'd caught sight of during their last occlumency lesson. "What is 'Black Kettle Enterprises', Potter? It's been figuring largely in your thoughts for weeks now."

Harry grinned, "Maybe nothing. Maybe something more. At the very least, it gives me something to do for the summer."

Severus cocked an eyebrow, "Elucidate."

Harry chuckled, "Where do I begin?"

"How about with what this business's goals are?"

"Why? Are you looking for a different avenue of employment?"

"Just answer the question, Potter, or you can go back to pacing in your room, worrying about tomorrow."

"What, and leave you here to sulk and brood?"

"I don't sulk, Potter," Severus dryly replied. "Nor do I brood. I was reading before you knocked."

"Oh, fine," Harry mock-huffed. "BKE is… the launch-pad of what I hope will become a unified world."

"Still murky, Potter."

Grinning broadly, Harry continued, "It's going to work towards merging muggle technology with magic…" Harry trailed off as an idea hit him. "Just a tic, Snape," he said, getting a small memo book from his pocket and a pen. He scribbled furiously for a moment and then asked, "Can a reparo charm be made permanent, Snape?"

"The repairs made to an object under a reparo are permanent, Potter, until such time as it breaks again – you know that."

Harry shook his head, "Not what I meant. I mean, can a reparo be made to automatically repair the same object for… well, forever?"

Severus thought for a moment, "It can, but it depends on what the charm is set. It wouldn't work on organic matter – they decay naturally; and not even magic can withstand natural entropy. If it's set on something else, like metal or stone, it would work."

"Fantastic," Harry scribbled on the notepad once more.

He was tucking it back into his pocket when he caught sight of Severus' puzzled expression. Harry laughed, "Just an idea for free electricity… or nearly free, at least. Can't be totally free, there are overhead costs to consider, after all."

Severus decided to redirect the conversation back to his original point of interest before it was lost completely. "You were saying, Potter, about merging technology and magic?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah. I know you know a bit about the muggle world – and I know you really do want a copy of that potions computer program. You can see how well the technology would compliment magic and vice-versa. The only problem is getting it to all work together, which is what BKE is going to work towards."

"You do realize that there will be legal repercussions of tinkering with muggle objects and magic."

Harry shook his head, "Nope. Sorry to contradict you, sir, but I've got legal precedent on my side – wireless sets, to be precise. Not to mention I've also got Ted Tonks working for BKE. This isn't just some fly-by-night passing interest; I aim to do a whole lot more than merely make technomagery a possible occupation for future classes of Hogwarts."

"And what would that be, Potter?" Severus asked. He was finding the conversation fascinating.

"I aim to merge not only magic and technology, but the wizarding and muggle worlds," Harry bluntly stated.

Grateful he hadn't been drinking anything – he was sure he would have ended up wearing it – Severus goggled at Harry. "You can't be serious." Harry opened his mouth to reply, and Severus interrupted, "And if you're about to make another cheesy pun about your dogfather, you can just stop right there."

Harry snapped his mouth shut with an audible click of teeth, reevaluated what he was about to say, and tried again, "I'm not joking, Snape. I'm going to do it, whether or not people object. I don't care if it takes my whole life." Harry paused and smirked a little at the professor. "Look, we both know I don't just jump blindly into things. I'm going about this very carefully. If we – BKE – take things slowly, one step at a time, this will work."

Severus and Harry fell into a companionable silence for several minutes, during which Severus' thoughts sped off into heretofore unexplored territory. Of all the people, all the students, he'd taught over the years, none had ever expressed the peculiar combination of passion and common sense he'd just seen from Potter. He believes in himself, Severus realized, to a level which others would find frightening. He believes that what he's aiming to do is for the good of humanity as a whole, not just wizards or muggles or even himself. Severus felt a tiny prickling of gooseflesh on the back of his neck when he further realized that the one and only other time he'd ever witnessed that particular combination of self-confidence, faith, and charisma had been twenty years earlier. The name of the wizard who had shown those qualities had been 'Lord Voldemort'.

"Snape?" Harry interrupted the silence. "What's wrong? You look alarmed."

Unaware that his thoughts had shown themselves so blatantly, Severus schooled his features into his normal neutral expression. "Nothing," he replied with a little shake of his head. Come off it, Severus. The boy is no more likely to turn into a dark lord than you are to start wearing pastels and proclaiming your love for all things fluffy.

"No, really. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Potter. My train of thought just took a disturbing track."

Letting the subject drop, Harry shrugged, "Oh. I know how that can be." Glancing at his watch, Harry noticed that it was nearing eleven o'clock. He grimaced and pulled himself off of Snape's sofa. "It's getting late, sir. If I expect to be able to sit those ruddy tests tomorrow, I should –"

A rapid flurry of knocks on Severus' windowpane interrupted him. Severus strode over to the curtained window, pushed the curtain aside, and opened the window. A large eagle-owl swooped into the room and landed on the coat rack near the door. It fixed its large eyes on Severus and hooted impatiently around the parchment envelope in its beak. Severus retrieved the letter from the bird and quickly opened it. He recognized the owl as belonging to Lucius Malfoy and was positive the letter had something to do with what he'd said the previous week.

He wasn't disappointed.

7 June, 1998
Severus,

I have thought long and hard on what you said Monday night and have come to the conclusion that you are correct. He hasn't done much – if anything – to further the Cause for the better part of two decades. It's made me wonder if the Cause was really his intention all along.

I have an idea I would like to discuss with you in person. If you are able, please meet me at the Hogs' Head Thursday evening at seven o'clock. I know your duties should be finished by that time.

L. Malfoy

While Severus was reading, the owl had left. When he was done, he smirked at the parchment before replacing it in the envelope and setting it on the mantle of his fireplace. A slight cough from the vicinity of the door drew Severus' attention to the fact that Harry was still there. "Goodnight, Potter," he nodded to the teen.

"Goodnight, Snape." Harry wondered what was in the letter, but knew that if Severus wanted him to know, he'd tell him eventually. As it was, he really did need to be getting to bed. His first NEWT was scheduled for eight o'clock the following morning.

After Harry had left, Severus settled back into his chair near the fire. He stared at the flickering flames long into the night, amending the idea that had presented itself when he'd spoken with Malfoy on Monday. His conversation with Potter, as well, figured largely in his thoughts.

With his visit shortly after Allen's death fully in mind, Harry wore his father's invisibility cloak down to breakfast the next morning. He had to be extremely careful to avoid bumping into people, but he managed to locate Ron and Hermione with little difficulty. He leaned over Hermione's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Hermione, it's me, Harry. Would you sneak a bacon-and-egg sandwich to me? I'll be waiting in the main hall, just inside the front doors. I'm using my dad's invisibility cloak – the last thing I need is to be followed like I was last time I was here."

Hermione nodded, seemingly at random, before reaching for some toast. Harry hurried out of the crowded Great Hall and lingered where he'd told Hermione to meet him. She arrived in short order, carrying two sandwiches and a couple of pieces of parchment. "I told everyone I was going to get in some last-minute studying," she said, handing him one of the sandwiches after he'd taken the cloak off. "I don't think Ron believed me, but, then again, he never does," she smiled a little.

Harry realized something at that quirky little grin. "You like him, don't you?" he asked, opening the door to Hogwarts' front stoop.

Hermione followed him and sat next to him on the stone stairs. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

Harry shrugged, "Not really. I'm sure he doesn't know, if that's what's worrying you."

She sighed and took a bite of her sandwich. "It's not that I don't want him to know, it's more that I want him to figure it out on his own. I mean…" she trailed off. "I don't know what I mean. Ignore me, Harry. Oh," she noticed the parchments she held in her other hand. "I have your testing schedule. Dumbledore gave it to me. I think he knew you were talking to me earlier."

"It wouldn't surprise me any," Harry dryly replied, taking the schedule from Hermione. "Looks like we've got potions and defense today. Written for the first and practical for the second." Harry folded the parchment up and tucked it in his pocket. The two ate their breakfasts in relative silence for several minutes. Harry, whose thoughts had been stuck on BKE since his conversation with Snape the night before, decided it was high-time to talk to his friend about it. "Hermione?"

"Yes?" she replied, brushing toast-crumbs off her robes.

"What did you have planned for the summer? I know you said you were interested in going into law or something similar… did you finalize those plans already?"

Hermione laughed, "You know, for all that I mapped out my Hogwarts career almost the moment I learned of the magical world, I never really planned much beyond it. I'm interested in so many things… I've had a hard time settling on any one area to continue in. I always told myself that there was plenty of time to decide on something, and now… here it is – NEWT week already, and I still haven't made up my mind!"

Harry joined in on Hermione's laughter. "I think I know what you mean. I'd be something at a loose end, myself, if I hadn't had that idea about a magic-compatible computer. It opened up all sorts of possibilities. I still plan on getting a university education, of course, but I'm pretty sure its going to be as a part-time student."

"What possibilities?" Hermione asked, curiously.

Harry grinned, "I've started up a business to merge technology and magic."

Hermione's eyebrows raised. "I know, you've mentioned it before. Why bring it up now, though?"

Harry shrugged, "Well… it hasn't escaped my attention that you're good at organizing and whatnot. You even just admitted to not having anything planned... I'm sure we'd benefit of your assistance, if you wanted to help out."

"We?"

"Yeah, me, Sirius, Ron's dad, the twins, my friend, Nigel. There are a couple of others interested in possibly joining up, but that's it for now. If you wanted to, I'd be happy to have you onboard until you make up your mind."

Hermione smiled, revealing the braces on her teeth. "What would I do?"

Harry shrugged, "Don't really know. I know what I want the business to do, but we really don't have a whole lot of resources just yet – just the building and the cash."

"And what's the business's name again? I know you've told me before, but I can't seem to pull it up just now."

"Black Kettle Enterprises." Harry finished off his own sandwich. "Right now, you could declare yourself the head of just about any department except R&D – that's Arthur's arena."

"What about salary, benefits, perks, bonuses and all that?"

Harry chuckled, "I take it you're interested?"

Hermione shrugged, "Maybe. It would give me something to do until I figured out for sure what I wanted to do with my life."

Harry brushed off his hands, "Well, let's talk some more about it later this week. For now, though, I think we ought to be getting to that dratted test."

Hermione glanced at her watch, "Yes, we should."

Following Hermione through the halls of the castle, they eventually located the room that had been set aside for the written portions of the NEWTs. During the walk, Harry learned that the OWLs for the fifth-years were also being conducted that same week. Since there were, by default, more students in the fifth-year courses than there were at the seventh-year level, the Great Hall had been commandeered for the duration for OWL tests.

A man standing next to the classroom door checked a pocket watch and glanced down the hall. He smiled, "Good morning, Mr. Potter. It's good to see you again."

It took Harry a moment to place him, but then remembered that this was Aconite Bruce – the Head of the Department for Educational Standards, and the man who had proctored his OWLs back in late January. He still wore navy blue robes and sported a strangely ageless, leathery face with salt-and-pepper hair. "Good morning, Mr. Bruce."

"You two made it just in time. Hurry on in, the test will begin in about five minutes."

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied as he and Hermione stepped around him and entered the class.

While the two of them passed row after row of nervous-looking students, about twenty in all, Hermione asked, "How do you know him?"

Harry slid into a desk in the back row of the class. "Oh, he proctored my OWLs at the Ministry."

Hermione took the last available seat to Harry's right. "Oh," was all she had time to say before the man entered the room and looked around.

"It appears as though we're all here on time for a change," he smiled reassuringly at everyone. "That's good. My name is Aconite Bruce and I'll be passing out the quills and tests in a moment, first I'll go over what you can expect this week. This will, no doubt, seem rather similar to your OWLs, and we do indeed use the same format." He leaned against the teacher's desk at the front of the room. "Written tests will be held in this room. See your testing schedule for when you are set for a particular written. Practical tests will be in the room down the hall, except for the potions practical, which will be held in the potions classroom on Wednesday morning.

"Now, the written half of these exams will be conducted using Ministry-approved anti-cheating quills, and I will warn you that anyone caught trying to cheat on these tests will be summarily ejected from the test and permanently barred from ever sitting the test in the future. Also, anyone who feels physically ill, who feels as though they might not make it through the test without having their breakfasts come back for a second visit, should go see the school mediwitch before sitting the test. That said, anyone, who for any reason, feels that they are unable to sit this morning's test, please leave now. Arrangements will be made for you to sit the test later this evening."

Aconite went silent and waited. Three of the students got up and quietly left. Harry thought, That's kind of neat, how he explained the repercussions of cheating and then said that people who felt sick shouldn't stay before letting them leave. Those two girls definitely looked like they'd not make it through the test, but the boy… He didn't appear as sick as the girls did. I wonder if he'll be heading to a loo instead of the hospital wing. He probably had a bunch of notes on a crib-sheet up his sleeve… maybe even written on his arm.

When the door had closed behind them, Aconite cleared his throat. "And now, we will begin." He picked up a box of plain, black quills and a thick stack of parchment scrolls. He walked among the desks and handed one test and quill to each student before returning to the front of the class. "The scroll will unroll when the time for the test begins. You will have three and one-half hours to complete the test. If you finish before time is called, leave your test on your desk with your quill and leave quietly." He walked around to the other side of the desk and took a seat. He picked up an hourglass, and turned it over, saying simply, "Begin." He then unfolded a newspaper and set to reading.

Harry looked down at his test and, smiling, set to work.

There were about a hundred questions; fifty multiple-choice, thirty true/false, and twenty essay. While thinking out the phrasing for one of the essay questions, Harry looked up. He noticed that though he could see where each of the other students sat, he couldn't make out any specific details of those students. With a small, silent laugh, he shook his head and put his quill back to the test at hand.

The test seemed to be inordinately easy, and Harry finished up an hour ahead of time. Instead of leaving, though, he took the time to go back over the test and fix a couple of his essay answers to read more clearly.

When Aconite called time, the rest of the students snapped into clarity. Looking over at Hermione, Harry had to snicker. She was looking decidedly frazzled and had a smear of ink crossing her right cheek. As the other students filed out of the room, Harry asked her, "So… how do you think you did?"

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know. Well enough, I hope."

"Time has been called," Aconite stated from where he still sat at the desk in the front of the class. "You are free to go."

Harry nodded, "I know, sir. I'm just waiting for the hall to clear a little. The last time I came here – to Hogwarts, that is – I was visiting a couple of friends of mine, and the whole bloody school got it into their heads to try following us. I'm just trying to avoid a repeat performance, sir."

Aconite nodded, seeing how the prospect of having the reclusive Boy-Who-Lived suddenly thrust in their midst could pose problematical to the teen's peace and quiet. "I understand, Mr. Potter. You may send your friend on ahead, I will see to it you arrive at your next test unmolested by slavering fans."

Hermione laughed, "I really should get going. I promised Ron I'd sit with him during lunch and quiz him over Defense."

"See you later, Hermione. Tell Ron I said 'hi,' and that you should both come by my room tonight and we can all study together."

Hermione smiled, "Sure thing, Harry. See you later."

When Hermione had left, Harry turned back to the proctor who cocked his head towards the tests and quills waiting on the desks. "You could make yourself useful, Mr. Potter, and collect those for me."

Harry gathered the tests and quills, depositing both on the proctor's desk. "Mr. Bruce, sir?"

"Yes?" Aconite looked up from his newspaper.

"I was wondering, sir…"

Aconite sat the paper aside, "Well, spit it out, Mr. Potter. I don't bite."

"Well, I was just curious as to why there's a Muggle Studies class when there isn't an equivalent for 'wizard studies.'"

"There is no need for such a class, Mr. Potter. Children who come from muggle families can see for themselves how our cultures are different." He smiled a little, "In fact, the only reason we have the Muggle Studies course available at this time is to help the children who come from wizarding families to understand their peers."

"Then why isn't it a required course?" Harry asked, lingering near the proctor's desk.

Aconite sighed, "In order to make a course required takes either a unanimous vote by the Hogwarts Board of Governors or a decree from the Minister of Magic. Since the majority of the Board of Governors are pureblood wizards, it's useless to hope they would make the course required. And as our current minister is a pathetic imbecile who believes anything his private advisors – which are all pureblood, themselves – tell him, I doubt that it would be decreed."

Harry echoed Aconite's sigh. "The more I hear of how things are actually run in the wizarding world the more frustrated I become."

Aconite shrugged, "There isn't much that can be done about it, in any case. It's simply how things are."

"But that's just it, sir. It doesn't have to be this way."

Aconite coughed out a little laugh, "And who's going to change it? You?"

Harry shrugged, "Not by myself, even I understand that much."

The proctor checked his pocket watch again, "It's coming up on lunch. You should be getting something to eat and going over some last-minute studying, I'm sure."

Harry shook his head, "I'm not hungry and if I don't know it by now, I never will. If you want me to go, just say so."

Aconite shook his head, "It's not that, Mr. Potter. I was merely reminding you of the time. I happen to agree with your viewpoint on the current state of things."

Harry pulled a chair from a nearby student desk over and sat. "How many muggle-raised kids come to Hogwarts every year?" he asked.

Aconite thought for a moment, "Roughly ten or so."

"And how many end up going to the smaller schools throughout Britain, or get private tutors?"

"A further five, more-or-less."

"So a total of about fifteen muggle-raised wizards enter the world every year, right?" Aconite nodded. "Of that fifteen, how many get jobs in the wizarding world and how many return to the muggle world?"

Aconite shrugged, "I'm not sure – that really isn't my area. I know that two or three take apprenticeships or continue on to a mastery program every year. I also know that a large portion – half, usually – request paperwork to go on to a muggle university."

"Would it be safe to assume that those who go on to uni don't return to the wizarding world when they're done?"

"Likely. Your point?"

Harry smiled a little, "It just seems to me that the wizarding world is losing a lot of possible talent every year when those muggle-raised wizards choose to return to the muggle world."

"We can't force them to stay," Aconite said, somewhat fatalistically. "It's their choice to return to the muggle world, just like it's a pureblood's choice to remain in the wizarding world."

"I doubt they see it that way, sir," Harry disagreed. "I've learned quite a lot about the wizarding world in the last year. Just sit and listen for a couple of minutes… and stop me if I'm wrong at any point." Aconite made a 'go on, I'm listening' gesture with his hand.

Harry cleared his throat and said, "I don't know how much you know of the muggle world, so just bear with me if I go over something you already know.

"Imagine yourself as an eleven year-old kid, muggle-born, of course. You go to primary school, spend time playing with your friends and do chores at home. The house you live in is normal for a muggle, meaning that all the lights are powered by electricity. The stove in the kitchen is electric, and there's a microwave and a refrigerator. Your parents drive to work every day or take the train or a bus. You use the telephone to talk to your friends when you're all at home, or if they're off on a holiday you send letters through the post. With me so far?"

Aconite nodded, "Yes."

"Good," Harry replied. "Now imagine that during the summer, you suddenly find out that there's this whole other world that you never thought existed. The magical world. Maybe you've read some fantasy stories or seen a movie or two, but that's not the same as suddenly being told that magic is really real, as being told that you're this mythical being – a wizard. Your entire world has to be reshaped.

"So, you come to Hogwarts and begin to learn magic. You also learn other things. The first thing you notice is that all the lighting is torches and candles – not the fluorescent light bulbs that you're familiar with from primary school. As the months and years pass, you also learn that wizards are mistrustful of muggle things – and that includes you. You get called names by the meanest of them, despite the fact that you're a wizard, too.

"You may not even realize it on a conscious level, but you know that you will never really fit in with the wizards who grew up in magical homes. You're never really comfortable in wizarding society, being more used to telephones than floo, more used to superglue than reparo charms. You further know that you will always face prejudice when dealing with the pureblooded portion of wizarding society. And so, when you finish your schooling, you make the decision to return to the muggle world – to the world you truly understand." Harry finished with, "So, you see, there really isn't much choice involved, sir."

"I already said that I agree with you, Mr. Potter. It is a lamentable state of affairs, but I fail to see how it can be corrected."

Harry leaned back a little in his chair, "Well, sir, if you can see there is a problem, and I can see it, then others know it exists, too. 'The first step to reconciliation is recognition,' as my history teacher has said on more than one occasion."

"I stand by what I just said. I still don't see how recognizing that it's an issue corrects it."

Harry shook his head, "It doesn't correct it, but it is a beginning. Haven't you ever studied history?"

Aconite chuckled, "Not really. I couldn't stay awake."

Harry shared Aconite's smile. "I know, I know – I still wonder how the authors of textbooks manage to render what should be the most exciting subject down until it's nothing more than a bunch of meaningless names and dates. But, if you know any history at all, you will see that any time there was a major issue, the first step taken in fixing it was realizing it was an issue. For example, it was the wasteful and lavish lifestyles of the French aristocracy that led to the people revolting. The only reason the wizarding world hasn't seen a similar revolution is because the muggle-borns simply choose not to live in a world that doesn't accept them."

"You still haven't gotten to how to fix the issue."

Harry chuckled, "Well… what if the magical world and the muggle world were one and the same?"

Aconite leaned forward, resting his head on his arm. "Okay, I'll play along. If there were no separations between the magical and muggle worlds, then muggle-born children would be raised knowing that there was a possibility they were wizards."

Harry nodded brightly, "Right. Furthermore, the 'pureblood' population would have to realize that regardless of whether someone is a wizard or a muggle, we're all people first and foremost."

"Why do I get the feeling that you know something I don't?"

Harry leveled a wry grin at the proctor. "Because I probably do, sir. But, back to the point, the next step after recognition is education. An educated public is an informed public, and an informed public is more likely to be able to accept – or even demand – radical changes in society. If you don't believe me, check a text on modern history, specifically the history of the US civil rights movement."

"I'll be sure to do so, Mr. Potter." Aconite wasn't sure what the teen had in mind, but he had the feeling that the boy was destined for something big. "As it stands, though, your next exam – I assume you are testing in Defense?" Harry nodded. "Your next exam begins in fifteen minutes."

Harry stood and returned his borrowed chair to its proper place. "It was nice speaking with you, sir. I hope we will have the chance to do so again in the future."

"Likewise," Aconite replied, watching as Harry left the room, presumably to attend his next NEWT.

I have to wonder what he was getting at with all that he said… I agree that the current state of things could stand to be adjusted. We do lose quite a bit of talent to the muggle world every year. Unfortunately, what I told him about course changes here at Hogwarts remains true. It's not going to change, not without some major upheaval triggering things. Aconite pushed the thoughts from his mind as the first of the students began arriving for the next written NEWT.

Harry's Defense practical went well, and afterwards, he, Hermione, and Ron all went to his room and studied together for the remainder of the tests they had to face that week, and had dinner in Harry's room. The rest of Harry's NEWT week followed a similar pattern, with his Arithmancy test and Charms practical on Tuesday, the Potions practical followed by the Ancient Runes test on Wednesday, the written portions of Defense and Transfiguration on Thursday, and the Charms written and practical Transfiguration tests on Friday.

The only real event of any note was Wednesday evening, after supper was over with. Professor McGonagall knocked on Harry's door. "Come in," Harry called out, knowing that the only students who knew he was staying in the castle were already in the room with him.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "And to Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, as well."

"Hello, professor," Ron said at the same time Hermione said, "Good evening."

Returning her attention to Harry, she smiled. "It has not escaped my attention that your Transfiguration practical is Friday afternoon, Mr. Potter. I was wondering if you realized that our… side-project was eligible for an additional ten percent on the NEWT?"

Harry shook his head, "I wasn't aware of that, ma'am. I know I was getting really close…"

"Indeed," Minerva confirmed. "As I've the next few hours free, shall we see if we can remedy that before curfew?"

Harry grinned, "I'm sure we can, professor."

And so, over the course of the next three hours, with Ron and Hermione watching in fascination, Minerva coached Harry through to the successful completion of the animagus transformation.

Harry didn't remain in his form for long, as the hummingbird form wasn't suited to hysterical laughter, and the look on Ron's face had definitely warranted hysterical laughter. Ron, though, was a good sport and had merely said, "Makes me wish I'd signed up for the additional lessons."

After he was finished with his Thursday tests, Harry was in the middle of reading through some of his BKE notes when there was a light knock on his door. He headed out to the sitting room and opened the door. "Hello, professor. What can I do for you?" he asked, stepping to the side to allow Severus entrance to his rooms.

"I merely wished to speak with you, Potter," Severus said, heading to an armchair set at a right angle to the small sofa by the fireplace.

Harry closed the door and followed the professor. "What about?" he asked, taking a seat on the sofa, setting his three-ring binder on a side-table.

"About the Dark Lord and your business goals," Severus replied somewhat enigmatically.

"I fail to see what the one has to do with the other," Harry replied, a confused expression on his face, even as he traced meaningless designs on the plain black binder.

Severus smirked a little, "Possibly more than you can imagine." He called for a house elf and ordered tea for the both of them before continuing. "I trust Albus has been keeping you informed as to the current state of the Dark Lord?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah. Turns out that little idea I'd had about keeping him busy was a bit more… thorough than anyone had reason to expect."

Severus nodded, "Precisely. The Dark Lord's condition has deteriorated to the point where house elves have difficulty pinpointing his location. His remaining control of his magic is tenuous at best, and the magic itself seems to be abandoning him."

"Hold up," Harry raised his hand to interrupt Snape. "'Abandoning'? You say that like magic has a mind of its own."

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't – I don't particularly wish to devolve into a philosophical debate. I know you enjoy the study of physics, so looking at it from that perspective, magic is a force not unlike gravity. It has various rules governing its existence. One of these rules is that it does not or cannot manifest at a useable level in an individual who has completely lost touch with his own mind."

Harry nodded in understanding, "Rather like how electricity will always seek the ground."

Dismissing the comment with a waive of his hand, Severus continued, "Perhaps in order to fully appreciate what I'm about to say, I should first explain something of the Dark Lord's followers. With only a handful of exceptions who had joined simply to quench their lust for murder and mayhem, the followers of the Dark Lord joined for one simple reason – to eradicate the threat the muggle world poses over the wizarding world population."

A look of incredulous wonder surfaced on Harry's face and he began to chuckle. Severus quirked an eyebrow at the teen. "I see you've noticed for yourself the similarities between the Death Eaters' goals and your own with Black Kettle Enterprises, even if the execution of that plan was rather different than your own intentions."

Still snickering, Harry managed to get out, "I suppose this particular difference could be the poster-child of the old 'does the end justify the means?' argument."

"It would at that," Severus agreed as the house elf reappeared with their tea. The elf sat it on the coffee table before returning to the kitchens.

Harry added a lemon wedge to his earl grey. "Though an amusing correlation, sir, I'm still curious just why you felt the need to share this with me."

Severus took a sip of his own tea. Smirking, he replied, "Because of a conversation I had with Lucius Malfoy last week."

"Okay, sir, I'll bite. What conversation?"

"The one wherein I brought it to his attention that in the last twenty or so years, the Dark Lord hasn't done a single thing to further the cause for which the Death Eaters had joined."

There was a split second where confusion was prominent in Harry's expression before it morphed into surprise and settled from there into an expression Severus was tempted to label as 'satisfied cat watching a dust mote.' "If that's so, sir, then the possibilities are… staggering."

Severus nodded, "I see we're on the same page, Potter."

"I further wonder if any of the Death Eaters are aware that Voldemort's primary quest prior to my arrival on the scene had been immortality and not the eradication of muggles?"

Severus' gaze narrowed. "And just how would you know that, Potter?"

"From Chad's case-file, sir. If you want to, I'll let you read it."

Severus glanced at his pocket watch. It was only three-thirty. "How long is it?"

"The entire file is pretty thick – a couple of thousand pages or so – but he gave me the same style of report he does for his boss back in New York, and that's only twenty pages or so."

"Can you retrieve it quickly? This may alter my plans for the evening."

Harry nodded, "Sure. Is the floo in here hooked up, or do I have to go to the headmaster's office?"

"I don't know if this one is," he said, nodding in the direction of the fireplace, "but I do know that the one in my quarters is fully functional."

Setting his tea down, Severus stood and strode to the door, Harry in his wake. It was only fifteen minutes before they were back in their seats in Harry's room. Severus refilled his tea and swiftly set to reading the report.

Voldemort (a.k.a. the Dark Lord, a.k.a. Tom Marvolo Riddle – henceforth referred to as 'the subject'), age 71…

It only took Severus about ten minutes or so to read the report. When he finished, he leaned back in the chair and asked, "Do you mind if I have a copy of this report, Potter?"

Harry shook his head, "Not at all."

Severus aimed his wand at the stack of muggle computer print-offs bound in a small plastic folder. "Effingo," he intoned, and an identical folder appeared next to it, nearly knocking over Severus' tea.

"Nifty spell," Harry commented. "Would put copiers right out of business, though."

"Hardly," Severus replied. "The duplicate is merely temporary – it will last approximately three weeks or so, and then fade out of existence. Before that happens, though, I will transcribe its contents onto a parchment scroll."

"Oh," was Harry's less-than-spectacular reply before a thought surfaced. "Actually, sir, I think it would still be of use in the muggle world, after all… Do you have any idea the sheer amount of papers that end up being photocopied and summarily thrown away after only a few hours in any sort of corporate environment? Even with the advent of email, there's still literally tons of paper-waste created every day in the muggle world."

"As I can neither confirm nor deny that claim, Potter, I will not comment on it." Severus handed Harry the original file and shrank his copy, placing it in his pocket. "How good are you at self-transfiguration?" Severus asked in a seemingly non-sequitor.

Slightly thrown, Harry smirked a little. "Good enough, I suppose. Why?"

"Because, Potter, I think you might wish to accompany me this evening, and I doubt that we would be best served if you appear as yourself."

"Huh? I don't follow."

"I'm meeting with Lucius tonight. I have the feeling he wants to further discuss what I'd pointed out to him last week."

Harry connected the dots and burst out laughing. "I have to wonder just what the rest of the world would think if they knew I was seriously considering this. I know you wouldn't have mentioned it if it weren't a distinct possibility."

"Precisely so, Potter."

"So, what time is your meeting? And where?"

"Seven o'clock, at the Hogs' Head in Hogsmeade."

Harry nodded, "I'll be there. I think it might be best if Malfoy doesn't know I'm there, at least until you've felt him out a little more, so I'll bring along the invisibility cloak."

"Likely a good plan. I'll leave you to your preparations, then." Severus stood and paused by the door. "I trust you will be able to let me know you're there without Lucius' notice?"

Harry nodded again, "Yeah. Don't jump when you feel me tap your shoulder."

About half an hour after the Potions Master had vacated Harry's room, Ron and Hermione arrived. "Merlin," Ron said, flopping on the sofa, "One more day, and it'll finally be over."

Hermione nodded and slumped in the armchair Severus had recently occupied. "My sentiments exactly."

Harry smiled, and said, "I don't know, it didn't seem all that bad to me," just to be contrary.

He ducked flying pillows aimed at his head. "You're barmy," Ron said as he flung a cushion.

"I know that," Harry replied, tossing the pillow back at him. "I didn't need it pointed out yet again." He then changed the subject. "So, you looking forward to your internship at Saint Mungo's?"

Ron turned an odd shade of green that clashed horribly with his hair. "I don't rightly know. I want to do it, but that doesn't stop me from being terribly nervous. What if I make a mistake?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that why you're going into an apprenticeship instead of directly into opening your own practice?" Harry replied, "So that you learn not to make mistakes?"

"And I doubt they'll let you work on people until you've shown some promise of knowing what you're doing," Hermione added.

Ron sighed, "I know. It still doesn't help the nerves, though. I'm trying not to think on it too much right now. Quick, someone give me something else to think about."

Harry grinned, "All right, how about the two of you come up with a decent disguise for me? I have a business meeting this evening, and I don't want the fact that I'm 'the Boy-Who-Lived' to get in the way. Might I also state as a sidebar that the attitude of awe and worship the wizarding world holds me in is not only completely irritating, but misplaced?"

"I've no doubt it's irritating, Harry," Hermione said, "but it's not really all that misplaced."

"Whatever," Harry replied, "I'm not going to argue right now."

"What sort of disguise did you want?" Ron asked. "And who will you be meeting with?"

"Just a possible investor," Harry replied, brushing the question aside. "And I don't really want to be at all recognizable as myself. I'd go in my animagus form, but since hummingbirds are incapable of speech, it would defeat the purpose."

"It would at that, mate," Ron chuckled. He looked over at Hermione. "Well, Miss I-Got-an-Outstanding-on-my-Transfiguration-OWL, whaddaya say?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, the fond smile somewhat canceling the exasperated air. She pulled her wand from where it had been holding her hair in a twisted knot at the back of her head. "Let's get to work."

Ron got them started by aiming his wand at Harry and saying, "Croceus coma."

"I don't think that particular shade of yellow is human in origin, Ron," Hermione said, laughter present in her tone.

"Hang on a second," Harry said, pulling his own wand from its holster. Conjuring a mirror, he snickered at his reflection. His hair was now the precise shade of yellow normally found gracing the petals of buttercups.

Ron dramatically rolled up his sleeves, "Don't you worry, mate, I can fix this!" Harry was hard-pressed not to laugh at the melodramatic radio-announcer voice Ron had used. "Rectus croceus coma ab clementia!"

"I was unaware you paid that much attention to Lavender and Parvati, Ron," was Hermione's amused comment as Harry watched his hair color soften into a brassy, hay-colored blonde.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Two of the girls in Gryffindor," Hermione explained. "Neither one has a lick of sense, but if it's a grooming charm, they know every possible permutation of it."

Ron interrupted, "I could hardly ignore them; they usually ended up practicing their ruddy beauty charms less than ten feet from wherever I was trouncing someone at chess." He frowned, "I still maintain that it was their fault I lost that one game to Mitch in fourth year."

"Can we leave off the bickering?" Harry said, gesturing to his reflection. "I still look like me. Granted, a blonde me – which is ruddy odd, but still recognizably me."

"My turn," Hermione said, playfully shoving Ron out of the way. She tilted Harry's face up and turned it slightly from one side to the other. "Hmm… Cutis caligo." She rapped her wand on Harry's forehead, and he watched as his skin slowly darkened from his normal northern-European paleness to a skin tone more suited to the southern tips of Italy.

"Ooh, I've a thought," Ron stepped forward and pulled Harry's glasses off. "Perfectus visum."

"Cool!" Harry exclaimed as his blurry vision snapped into crystal clarity. "Is this one permanent?"

"Nope," Ron replied. "It'll last about twenty-four hours, though. And, I'll warn you that it can't be used often – it can cause permanent scarring to the lenses in your eyes. The book on healing charms it comes from says that it's best to use it sparingly, no more than once or twice a year."

"Damn," Harry said, a little sadly.

"There are other ways to fix your eyesight, though," Ron mentioned. "It's just that I don't know how to do so just yet. They're notoriously tricky to correctly pull off, so I'm not even going to try. You don't want to end up blind."

Harry nodded. Hermione shook her head at the two boys. "Trust you two to get sidetracked into a medical discussion," she said. "Amoveoculus." Harry's eyes shifted from green to hazel to blue. "Subsisto," Hermione said once they'd reached a shade of dark blue that bordered on black.

Not to be outdone, Ron stepped forward again. "Visio novo."

Harry's almond-shaped eyes rounded slightly while his nose became slightly more pronounced and his jaw squared out more. "We're getting there," Harry said, commenting on the changes. He no longer looked like himself, rather more like a close relative.

"There's still the issue of your scar, though," Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah… Curse scars don't like to be messed with," Ron added. "They don't transfigure and always show through a glamour."

"Hmm…" Harry muttered, "That could prove problematical. Ignore it for now; I'll think of something."

Ron returned his attention to Harry's hair. "This investor you're meeting with, he a pureblood or don't you know?"

"Yeah, he is. What's that to do with the price of tea in China?"

"Well, most of the purebloods out there favor a long hairstyle – don't ask me why, they just do."

Harry shrugged, "Have at it, mate."

"Comabire." Harry's hair grew rapidly, stopping at about waist-length. He was amused to note that the coloring charm didn't affect the new hair and that it was just as messy long as it was short. Ron huffed and reapplied the color.

Hermione then trimmed it to just past shoulder-length with a cutting charm and incendioed the trimmings. Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Harry asked, "Why'd you do that?"

"Just being cautious. You'd be surprised at the havoc a single hair can cause in the hands of an enemy."

Accepting the explanation, Harry returned to examining himself in the mirror. "Is there any way to make me look a little older?" He still looked like a teenager, and doubted that would do for the evening.

Hermione nodded, "Yes. How much older?"

Harry shrugged, "Adult, but not elderly."

"Aevum quindecim annus in solum imago."

Harry's reflection aged in the blink of an eye. He now appeared to be in his late thirties. "I hope that one's not permanent," he joked, knowing from translating the incantation that it was merely an illusion.

"Of course not," Hermione grinned.

"Any idea what you're going to do about the scar?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah… In my art classes, my teacher always said that you should use mistakes to add character to the drawing – for my first two classes, he wouldn't allow the use of erasers. I figure that since I can't hide it, I'll draw attention to it."

"How?" Hermione asked. "I would think that would defeat the purpose of a disguise."

"Watch and learn," Harry said, rising from his seat and rummaging around in his overnight bag. He came up with a black permanent marker. Uncapping it, he stood in front of the mirror and quickly darkened the scar before adding additional lines at angles and curving down his temple. When he'd finished, the effect was similar to a tattoo of layered feathers. He then used his wand to adjust the black color to shades of blue, black, and red, the tones of which strengthened the illusion of a tattoo. Shoving the marker back into his bag, he turned. "Well, what do you think?"

"You definitely don't look like you," was Ron's reply. Hermione merely applauded.

Checking his watch, Harry found that it was almost five o'clock. "Hate to cut this short, guys, but I really ought to get going so I can be ready for that meeting tonight."

"Don't forget – tomorrow, all the seventh-years are having a party at the Three Broomsticks," Hermione said. "I'm sure no one would mind if you tagged along."

"Thanks," Harry replied. "I don't know if I'll be able to go or not, but I'll try my best."

"Why not?" Ron questioned.

"Because my muggle school's commencement ceremony is tomorrow evening at six o'clock."

Ron brightened, "Well, that's all right then. The party at the Three Broomsticks isn't gonna start until eight, and it won't really get going until at least nine. It will probably keep on going until one or two, too."

"Then I'll likely put in an appearance," Harry grinned.

Severus had managed to secure an out of the way corner for his meeting with Lucius and was nursing a drink when he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Malfoy's late," said Potter's disembodied voice.

Severus nodded, "So I had noticed, Potter."

At that moment, the door to the Hogs' Head opened, revealing the elder Malfoy. He scanned the room with a dismissive gaze before spotting Severus in the far corner. Pausing at the bar long enough to obtain his own drink, he headed for the booth. "Good evening, Severus."

"To you as well, Lucius."

The two began chatting about insignificant things – the weather, Severus' disdain of his students, Ministry gossip. Harry was rapidly getting bored with the conversation when Severus asked, "Read anything interesting lately, Lucius?"

Lucius shook his head, "Not particularly. Why do you ask?"

Severus removed the copy of the Voldemort-summary he'd obtained from Harry earlier in the day from his pocket. "Because I came across a rather interesting case-file through an acquaintance."

"Oh?" Lucius looked somewhat interested. "Since when do you waste your valuable time on anything but your potions?"

Severus smirked, "In this case, Lucius, I couldn't resist. I thought you might find it… enlightening, so I brought it along." Lucius picked up the plastic file and opened it. It was almost comical how his jaw drooped a little at the first line in the summary. "I'll refill our drinks, Lucius." With that, Severus picked up their empty glasses and made a nearly imperceptible 'come with me' jerk of his head as he stood. He leisurely strolled up to the bar, whispering to Harry. "Thoughts?"

Even though he knew the professor couldn't see him, Harry smiled. "He's a politician. I don't trust him as far as I could throw him, but he could be useful. Isn't he on the Hogwarts Board of Governors?"

"He is," Severus whispered just as they reached the bar. The old man behind the bar saw Severus was in no great rush and so finished taking an order from three men at the end of the bar before coming over to him.

"Refills?"

Severus nodded, and as the old man left to refresh the beverages he whispered to Harry, "A sensible approach when dealing with a Malfoy. Never forget that, Potter. He may be one of my friends, yet even I don't fully trust him."

"Understood. Oh, professor? When you finally get around to introducing me, I should warn you that I followed your advice and am in a disguise. I don't want who I really am cluttering up the issue."

"Again, a sensible approach." Severus didn't have time to add anything further as the barkeep had returned with their drinks. Slowly returning to the booth in the corner, he did manage to whisper, "I'd almost be tempted to gift Hufflepuff with points, alas, as you are not a student…"

Harry had to hold a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing at that. He knew just how hard it was to get Snape to dole out points to any house other than Slytherin. Severus handed Lucius his Morgana Tea, and slid back into his seat across from him. Lucius murmured a "Thank you," seemingly out of sheer habit, his eyes never leaving the pages before him. Several minutes later, he closed the file and slid it back across the table, sipping thoughtfully from his drink. At long last, he merely said, "Fascinating," in a tone that hinted at anger, yet didn't fully reveal it.

"As I thought as well," Severus agreed.

"This will change my original plan, I believe…"

"And what was that?"

Lucius smiled, though there was little warmth in the expression. "During the… events… of my early twenties, I had developed something of the epitome of forgery charms. I had merely thought to stash Him somewhere and send missives from 'Him' using that charm to redirect us back to what I had assumed were His original goals." From the tone in his voice, there was no doubt in Harry's mind to which 'him' Lucius was referring.

"Hmm…" Severus said. "A workable plan, yet I may be able to suggest something even better."

Lucius' eyes flicked up from where they'd been studying his drink. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"May I present the owner of that case-study, Mr. Sophismata?"

Smirking at Severus' name choice, 'False conclusions', indeed! Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak, stuffing it into the pocket of the dark green robe he was wearing over his muggle suit. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Malfoy," he said, offering his hand.

Lucius shook Harry's hand. "Likewise, I'm sure. Don't I know you from somewhere?"

Harry smiled broadly, "I don't think so, Mr. Malfoy – I have spent several years away from the wizarding world of Britain. Had I met you before, I'm sure I would have remembered."

Unable to shake the feeling that the thirty-something man he'd just been introduced to was somehow familiar, he hazarded a guess based on the man's appearance. "Have you ever been to Sicily?"

"I may have been at one point," Harry didn't lie – he honestly had no idea where his parents may have gone on vacation with him before their deaths. The not-lie wasn't lost on Severus, who spared a moment to think, I believe I can now see why Albus was so insistent the boy was a Slytherin.

"That must be where I know you from, then," Lucius said, pleased with himself that he'd managed to find a plausible reason why the man was so familiar. "May I offer you a drink?" he asked while Harry pulled a chair from a nearby table over.

Harry shook his head, "That's all right, Mr. Malfoy. I don't mix alcohol with business."

"Understandable," Lucius admitted. "However, I was unaware this was a business meeting."

Harry nodded, a wry grin firmly in place. "To borrow your words, Mr. Malfoy, that is understandable, particularly since you've no idea what business I'm in."

Severus was enjoying the 'performance' and so remained mostly silent for the duration.

Lucius gestured to the file on the table, "I understand you are the owner of this rather… mesmerizing case-study. May I inquire how it came to be in your possession?"

"You may, but I'll go one better and even answer," Harry replied, his tone a little wry. "Upon returning to the wizarding world after having been gone the better part of sixteen years, I became intensely interested in one dark lord. I wanted to know the answer to the proverbial 'why?' Why had this man done what he had? Where was he now? What were his plans?

"So, I hired an investigator to research the matter. The result is the folio you read through. Mind – that's simply a summary of the findings. The actual file is nearly a foot and a half thick."

"I would believe it," Lucius replied. "So, you have contacts in the MLE?"

Harry smirked, "No, not the MLE."

Lucius mentally shrugged, it had been worth a shot, though he knew the value of making sure one's sources remained anonymous. If he'd had any doubt before, he was now certain he was dealing with a fellow Slytherin. "What business do you deal in?" he asked, changing the subject.

"It's somewhat difficult to describe, Mr. Malfoy. You could say I deal in the betterment of our society, though that doesn't quite fit. You could also say that I deal in eliminating the threat of the muggle world on our society, though, that too, is somewhat misleading."

"I must admit to being intrigued, Mr. Sophismata."

"Please, call me James."

"As you wish, James."

"But, back to my business… My goals are simple; to see a unified world before my death."

"Unified?" Lucius asked, puzzlement surfacing on his face in the form of a crease between his eyes.

Harry nodded, "Yes. Unified. It stands to reason that if there were no separations between the muggle and wizarding worlds, then there would be no reason for muggles to pose a threat."

"So you are suggesting that ten millennia of wizarding history just be ignored and for us all to live amongst the muggles?" Lucius' tone was incredulous.

Harry shook his head, "No, no, not at all, Mr. Malfoy. I am merely suggesting to combine,not eradicate, the cultures. To be able to read a complete history of World War Two, for example. One that not only describes the problems the muggles had with Japan and Germany, but the hand that Grindelwald played in everything as well. To be able to use one's magic in a public place, regardless of who might be present. To have wizards using muggle inventions like the computer and internet, and muggles buying food with freshness charms instead of the current custom of potentially dangerous chemical preservatives. Am I being clear, or have I lost you?"

"I understand what you are saying, but I fail to see how this… 'unification' would remove the muggle threat from wizarding society. I would think that such a combination would drown the wizarding aspects of the world, and they would be forever lost."

Harry nodded, "In the current atmosphere, that would be correct. However, with the appropriate planning, that sort of circumstance can and will be avoided. Make no mistake, Mr. Malfoy, I plan to continue with this venture regardless of whether you choose to join forces with me or not. I'll be the first to admit that having you aboard would make things drastically easier, yet you are not irreplaceable – as things stand, you are merely first in line."

Lucius was somewhat taken aback by James' forceful tone. It had been many years since anyone had stood up to him quite that way. He found it rather amusing, as well as a refreshing change from the normal simpering of the sycophants who attached themselves to him. "Let's hear this plan of yours, James," he said, though Harry could hear the 'sell me on your idea; I'm interested, but not yet convinced' that went unsaid.

Harry counted off on his fingers, "Recognition, education, execution, reconciliation. That's the short version of this plan. We've already reached the first step; we recognize that there is a problem with how things are currently done. The second step of the plan – education – means teaching not only the muggles about wizards, but vice-versa. Now, even I know this can't be done all at once, for either side of the equation. Therefore, it will need to be done gradually."

"Why have I the feeling you've already mapped this out?"

"That would be because I have," Harry said matter-of-factly, his smile yet to fade. "Now, the equivalent of magic to the muggle world is science. If we could somehow relate the facts of magic to the muggle world in scientific terms, things on that side would go much smoother. Especially if we sell it as a 'new' technology, perhaps as an advancement in bio-physical science with a dash of psychological science thrown in for good measure.

"That would take care of step one on the muggle side. The wizarding side is somewhat easier in that they already know of the existence of the muggle world. What's needed here is a more thorough definition of what muggle life is really like.

"I've had the somewhat dubious honor of reading through some of the current texts on the muggle world – and I use the term 'current' very loosely in this case. I don't know, nor do I care, who wrote them, but they are laughably out-of-date. One such text had the publication date of 1990, yet still stated that muggles commonly used strong seasoning to hide the flavor of rancid meat – it didn't mention the fact that muggles have a technology combining electricity and freon gas to create refrigeration; the same effect as freezing or cooling charms. Another text had several chapters devoted to muggle weaponry, specifically bows, crossbows, and swords. It didn't mention guns, let alone anything more advanced like satellite targeting or heat-seeking missiles.

"So, step one in the wizarding world would be to either find or write a decent Muggle Studies text – in conjunction with a few other minor changes to the current course requirements."

Severus, who was still amused at the entire conversation, was pleased to see that not even Harry's disguise could counter his natural charisma. He was even more pleased to see that Lucius was no more able to resist its effects than he was himself.

"What 'minor changes'?" Lucius asked.

"Making Muggle Studies a required course, starting at first year for all wizard-raised children, and creating a course detailing wizarding culture for all muggle-raised children," Harry replied, his tone revealing that he thought this the obvious course of action.

Lucius was silent for several minutes, during which he finished his drink. "You present a most intriguing possibility I'd never considered, James. May I think on this before giving you a reply?"

"Of course. When you make up your mind, the professor here," he nodded to Snape, "will know how to reach me."

"Certainly," Lucius said, standing up. "I shan't take more than a day or two." He turned to Severus, "Thank you, Severus, for bringing this to my attention. I'll be in touch."

"You're quite welcome, Lucius," Severus replied.

After Lucius had left, Harry returned his chair to the table he'd borrowed it from. "I'd hate to know what his reaction would have been had he known who I really was," Harry said, sliding into the booth.

"As would I, Potter," Severus quietly said, finishing his own drink. "As would I."

A/N2: And I think this is the longest chapter I've yet written for this particular fic… Heh, there's something to be said for procrastination after all.

Reviews are just the thing to take my mind off of the hassle of moving!