Chapter 8: Talking it over
Herald International
Ionos-Azkaban Border War Resurges!
By Jeffery Thompson
"Yesterday, Ionian State Ship 'Patriot' opened fire on the coast of Marporre, an island disputed over by the Azkabanians and Ionians. Shortly after, armored men stormed the beaches and took control of the island, before quickly wiping out any resistance they encountered. The denizens of the island reportedly welcomed the Ionians with cheering and celebration.
The state of Azkaban has formally declared war in response to this attack, calling on all its men and allies to mobilize. The British Minister has said, however, that Britain would remain neutral in this new conflict, and would keep its priorities in rooting out the Death Eater infestation of Ireland. British Auror Commandant Scrimgeour has expressed his whole hearted approval of the Minister's decision, stating that their Ministry's resources would be better directed towards the extermination of the threat in Ireland, though refused to comment further on.
It is our belief that the New King of Ionos ordered this attack to reclaim the island, based on the press conference with Ionos' Chief Diplomat. Interestingly enough, this is the first time in nearly half a century that the islands of Ionos have acted under a united front…
Continuation on Page 2…
For more details on the Ionos Azkaban Conflict...Page 3
South African Ministry to be examined by ICW regarding Apartheid Issues…Page 4A
Nicholas Flamel visits England…Page 4B
New King of Ionos…Page 5A
Interview: Dumbledore…Page 5B
Emperor Akihito put down the magical newspaper, looking up to meet the knowing gaze of the teenage monarch before him. It annoyed him slightly that this boy, no older than twelve, had been able to orchestrate the events. But that annoyance gave way to another, stronger feeling…the prospect of opportunity. The opportunity, perhaps, was not just by trading with the upper hand, but through an alliance with a leader who was marked for greatness. Through their discussions, the Emperor could sense it. And being a somewhat traditional country, the phoenix calmly perched on the King's shoulder only reinforced this feeling.
"It seems that you were…correct in your assumption, Lord Ionos. Your Ministry has refused to support the Azkabanians. Knowing this, I see no reason why we cannot continue on with conducting our business. It shall be ready in two week's time." The Japanese Emperor assured.
"And no word of this gets to the Ministry?" Harry asked, stroking Hedwig's feathers.
The Emperor smiled slyly. "I see of no reason why our ally should concern themselves with the private economic dealings of my country. After all, they shall not be affected by this relatively small transaction."
Harry smiled broadly. "Excellent, the payment will be delivered to you through the International Mercantile Guild. After I end the war in my homeland, I shall send an expedition to help your men pacify the insurgent states. My Marines will be staying here of course to make the final preparations for our return while I visit China." In one swift movement, Hedwig took flight and disappeared from sight.
"Of course, time is of the essence here. May the Kami bless your plan." The Emperor said, ending their conversation.
Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office…
Dumbledore popped another sherbet lemon into his mouth, waiting patiently for his visitors to arrive. The recent events happening were quickly destabilizing the region, and anarchy, or at least an all out war, was becoming a likely possibility if things continued as they did. And for the first time in a long time, he found himself unsure of what to do, mainly because of the actions and events surrounding Harry Potter.
The boy was a gifted enigma, an unpredictable force that could tip the scales of war in an instant. With each passing day, Dumbledore found himself regretting alienating the Potter family, and for tolerating the Slivenson's arrogance in dealing with matters. But that was all in the past now, and he had better things to do than dwell on moments long gone.
He first realized his mistake early into Harry's first year, when his potential was shown to the world for the first time. Before, he had simply thought of the boy as an overenthusiastic reader. And since then, he had been meditating on his actions, and come to realize that when he tried to interfere, often it alienated him even more. He reached that conclusion at the beginning of Harry's second year. After that, he did his best to keep out of his way, stepping in only when necessary. He watched to see how Harry would work under such an environment, and unsurprisingly, he thrived better than ever.
Slivenson was quickly humbled, and kept in check after several humiliating events. The Weasley twins had been hired out by the boy for a spell development project, using funds from his personal emancipated account late into his second year, after his ordeal with the Ministry. His enemies within the school, the dreaded Mages of Anima, had either been sent to a rehabilitation center, or sided with him in the end. He was on par with Draco Malfoy for the unofficial title of Most Influential Slytherin, and had befriended a number of gifted individuals as well.
In a little under a year, he had practically pacified all his enemies within the school. While the overall picture appeared quite brutal, he had, in fact, acted only when push came to shove. After that, it wasn't beyond reason to assume Robert simply panicked. He had always been used to being surrounded by fans, and his will remained unopposed for the longest of times. With Harry Potter, all of that disappeared. His reputation was beaten to the ground. And while still substantial, slowly, the shift of power became apparent. In the boy's panic, he wrote to his father for advice, and the latter took the threat of Harry Potter to an extreme.
He threw Harry Potter into Azkaban, and orchestrated the teenager's trial. It caught everyone by surprise to be sure, and Dumbledore had tried to reason with the man, but to no avail. Albus supposed he feared Harry Potter too. He posed the threat of stealing the limelight from his son. Unintentional or not, this could not happen. For the Slivenson's power laid in the continued belief of the public in Robert's status as the Chosen One. If that was shattered, or a better alternative presented, it spelled the end of their family's prestige and wealth. In their disillusioned minds, they believed they would have been torn apart.
But Harry Potter proved his mettle. He survived…and then he recovered. Against all odds, when the dust had cleared, he stood to be the victor once again. The Slivenson's hold over society had been broken, and the Ministry lost face. And now, he stood to be the Ambassador, the youngest in history at that. It could be presumed that the Ministry had been forced into giving a concession, a withdrawal from supporting Azkaban, given the reports. This was, at first, quite puzzling, though it was soon made clear after this morning's papers arrived.
And thus, Harry Potter became even more important then Dumbledore ever dreamed of. He now had direct access to a King of a state, one that was seemingly on the rise. In the span of just two years, the power of the Slivenson's had reached an all time low, though still very formidable. The Potter Family had reached a new height of fame in the international community. Whether it was simply being very lucky, or a predestined fate, Dumbledore did not know. All he knew was that his feelings towards Harry Potter had certainly come along way. His view had changed from seeing a normal boy, into a potential master of magic; a misguided child, into the revealer of his own delusions.
A knock on his door brought him out of his musing, and it opened to reveal Lily Potter with an agitated Nicholas Flamel in tow. "Is there a reason you called me here today, Albus? Because might I tell you, I don't have a lot of free time to throw around after taking on a new apprentice." Flamel stated, glaring at his friend.
"My apologies, but I've called the two of you here to discuss the situation out country is currently facing. I fear we might be seeing a lot of destabilization in the government with the weeks to come. In that event, we must prepare to defend the country against Death Eaters. It may be time to reassemble the Order, and make new ties. For this reason, I've been wondering if you could ask your son to set up a meeting with the King of Ionos for me." He added pleadingly to the Potter.
Lily snickered uncharacteristically, leaving Dumbledore to wonder why. "I think that a meeting with my son would suffice if you want an alliance with this state, Albus." She replied.
"I'd rather like to meet this King to see if he is trustworthy before attempting to cement a pact with them." The mage countered.
"Oh trust me Albus, you've already met him, and you've known him for quite some time too." Lily answered.
"You know the identity of the King? Who is it, if I might be so bold as to inquire?"
Lily smirked at the aged headmaster. "You see Dumbledore house elves are quite useful for keeping an eye on children, and one in particular had orders to keep an eye on Harry during his stay in that archipelagic country. I wasn't about to agree to shipping him off to some strange place without any means of supervising him."
"You don't mean-"
"I do." Lily said, interrupting her former teacher. "Harry is the King."
Dumbledore slumped back into his chair, utterly befuddled. "Why haven't you told anyone? You could very well become the most influential family in Britain with this new revelation."
Lily looked offended by his claims. "Such a thing would be short lived and risky in the long run for my family. It would be better to play it safe for now. Besides, revealing an advantage like that so early…really Albus, where has your discretion gone to?"
"Very well then, I suppose we're safe in regards with Ionos-"
"I wouldn't be so hasty to decide if I were you, Albus." Flamel said. "From what I could gather from Alex Potter during our meetings, those two are particularly close. If you really want Harry on your side, it is Alex you should be seeking out. And after what's happened and your relationship with the Potters prior to today, I'd say that would be a very difficult task for you indeed."
"Surely you don't think they'd side with the Death Eaters would you?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.
"Side with? Probably not. Supporting your side in the war, however, has a rather slim chance of becoming reality. And there are far more dangerous things they could do to hurt you than just being neutral. If they decided to form their own faction in contrast to yours, you'll find that it will have a huge toll on your ranks."
"Then what would you suggest I do." Dumbledore asked, frustrated.
Lily looked thoughtful for a while, before speaking up. "Talk to Alex first. You have to fix your relationship with him on your own. James and I have worked hard to regain any semblance of a normal relationship with them, and I'm not about to give that up for your cause Albus. Good day."