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Here's the next chapter. Harry reads a letter from his father and there is a small discussion on the direction of Hogwarts.

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Chapter 22

19th July

Harry woke up the next morning, having slept soundly after returning to Hogwarts last night. His thoughts immediately returned to the events from yesterday, still trying to process what had happened. It was honestly frightening how many people there were after him. At least he understood Angelica's motivations. But as for this mysterious Rasputin who was sending mercenaries after him, it was anyone's guess.

The invasion caused huge waves in the magical community, so Harry didn't have the luxury of simply leaving after the initial commotion had died down. The entire prison had been swarming with Aurors for the rest of the day as they investigated the incident in detail. Even though Amelia had been by his side the entirety of the time during the invasion, she still had to interview him and get his memories of the event. Any seemingly insignificant detail could be of importance.

The prison was in shambles. Most of the Dementors were killed or escaped, so they could no longer be used as guards. Azkaban still had the wards, but the major breach on the lower floor would take some time to repair. In the meantime, it was closed off so the higher floors could still be used for the remaining prisoners.

One thing that was brought into question was how the winged soldiers knew where to target the weakness in the wards. It reeked of insider knowledge, which meant that one of the staff at the prison had sold them out. Consequently, they all had to be investigated, which would take some time.

Most of the high-security prisoners had been released during the invasion. They were either killed in the confrontation with the mercenaries or escaped on their brooms. The Aurors managed to round up a few, but some high-profile prisoners were still at large, including Sirius' cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. The two forces that invaded Azkaban had escaped, and it was likely that they had returned to their own dimension. It was still unclear where the winged soldiers came from, but from what Angelica had revealed, it seemed that they were not from Earth.

Just as he was about to escape the madhouse during the afternoon, Fudge arrived with his entourage of lackeys, which included Umbridge and Lucius Malfoy. They raised a huge stink over the entire affair and looked to place the entire blame on Amelia. To her credit, she was not having any of it. She pointed out that she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the invasion would have happened regardless of her presence. Thankfully, she left out that the invasion happened in part because of Harry's presence there. Considering that Fudge didn't like him that much at the moment, it was a wise decision.

Harry didn't miss the hostie looks that Umbridge and Malfoy were giving him. He appeared to have made two more enemies because of his previous actions. Maybe he shouldn't be so impulsive in the future and not let his emotions get the better of him. It was apparent to him that he had some issues controlling his temper. Hopefully, practising Occlumency will help him control his emotions better in the future. Regardless, both Umbridge and Malfoy were not kind people, so he couldn't lie and say he regretted his actions.

Unfortunately, Sirius Black was not a free man, even though he had proven his innocence under Veritaserum before the invasion began. He still needed to have a trial to make it official, and it seemed that Fudge didn't want that to happen for some reason. Dumbledore had mentioned that it might be connected to the Black family inheritance. There was a possibility that Sirius was the Heir, and Lucius was pulling the Minister of Magic's strings so his son would inherit it instead.

It was already evening when he arrived back at Hogwarts. Harry immediately headed for his room and fell into bed. He had barely closed his eyes before falling asleep. It surprised him how easily he was able to rest, considering what he had been through. However, he had been exhausted.

Harry sat up in his bed and reached for his glasses. Celeste was sprawled out beside him, and Hedwig was perched on her stand, her head tucked under her wing. As the sun filtering through the curtains illuminated her figure, she appeared to be glowing. It was a tranquil scene, something he desperately needed after last night's tumultuous events.

Thankfully, his aches and pains had disappeared because his condition was reset to normal every time he slept. Getting out of bed, he took off his old clothes, threw them in the laundry basket, and retrieved some fresh ones from the dresser.

'How are you feeling, hatchling?'

Harry turned and smiled at Hedwig. "I'm doing well. I was pretty lucky to get away unscathed last night."

He crossed the room and began running his hand through her soft feathers. Hedwig nipped his fingers affectionately and hopped onto his shoulder. She had been agitated when she discovered that he had been in danger and had been none the wiser. Every time it happened, it brought out her protective instincts. He expected her not to let him out of her sights for a while.

'Can you grab something for me to read?' Hedwig asked.

Harry sat back down on his bed and opened his inventory, and searched for a book. He noticed that the slots he had brought previously were now insufficient, as he was almost out of space again. He probably didn't need to keep every item in his inventory, but it sure was convenient and completely secure. As money was no longer an issue for him, he did not hesitate and bought an additional hundred slots. While he was reorganising his items, he came across the letters from his parents that he had stuck in there after returning from Gringotts.

He didn't know why he was so reluctant to read them. Well, at least one of them. Harry had no interest in reading the letter from his mother when it was possible that she was still alive. Strangely enough, he believed that by opening her letter, he was acknowledging that she was no longer alive. It was an irrational thought, but he couldn't help feeling that way.

As for his father's letter, he didn't know why he hesitated. Maybe he did not want to deal with the emotions that it would stir up. Gathering his resolve, Harry took the letter from the inventory.

'It's not going to read itself.' Hedwig said after he stared at the folded parchment without making a move to read it.

"Right," Harry sighed. He unfolded the letter and began reading.

Dear Harry,

If you are reading this, then I must no longer exist in this world. Hopefully, your mother is there to raise you and help you become the exceptional man that I know you can be.

The day that I held you in my arms was simply magical. I don't know how else to describe it. When you first opened your eyes and looked into mine, any other magic that I had seen before could not compare. It was also the day I realised that I had to step up and be more responsible. (I swear I could hear Sirius's cries of despair in my head as I came to that conclusion). I faced the challenge of raising you to become a remarkable young man.

You sure don't make it easy. At the age of six months, you are already causing mischief and performing bouts of accidental magic. I swear you are likely to turn my hair grey by the time you are a teenager. It is undeniable that you have a lot of potential. You will be a powerful wizard one day. I'm sure if my father were alive, he would be incredibly happy with that.

If there is any advice that I can give you, it is to find someone that makes you happy and hold onto them incredibly tight. There is nothing better in this world than finding that special someone who makes your life feel complete. Just make sure you don't repeat the same mistakes I made with your mother and irritate her for years in a bid to get her attention.

Okay, with the sentimental stuff out of the way, there is something that I must let you know regarding the Peverell family. Do not show this to anyone else except Dumbledore. I informed him of this and the secret about the Ravenclaw family. Despite some concerns about some of his actions, he is still the wisest man I know.

Even though the Peverell family is not considered a noble family, they were incredibly powerful and influential at one time. They were known as master artificers and created some incredible magical objects. This drew the attention of Gryffindor, who was jealous of their possessions and wanted them for himself. Whatever you have heard about him, it is a lie. He is not a good man. Even though he was one of the founders, he mainly supported it with galleons he earned from stealing from the Peverell family.

He paid for it in the end, and he died a tragic death from a curse placed on one of the objects that he stole. However, the Peverell family's reputation was forever stained, and they fell out of prominence while Gryffindor was heralded as a hero. Even to this day, history is still skewed in his favour.

The reason I'm telling you this is that we are the last descendants of the Peverell family. Our family certainly got around, right?

However, the only inheritance that we received from them was an invisibility cloak. It is different from others in that it never loses its magic. This is one of the three Deathly Hallows that the family created. Unfortunately, the other two were stolen, and I don't know where they are currently. Ask Dumbledore to give you the cloak, as he borrowed it to study and figure out its secrets.

However, you won't find the full inheritance in any bank vault. It can be found in the Peverell Crypt. However, you have to earn it by traversing its depths, as the Peverell family stored their wealth there and set traps to protect it from their enemies.

It is incredibly dangerous, so I never gathered the courage to attempt it, and it was an unnecessary risk since I had a beautiful wife at home to consider. If you are interested in obtaining the inheritance, do not enter UNTIL YOU ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SUCCEED. To access the crypt, simply press your hand on the door, and it should recognise your magic.

Take care, son. Know that I will always love you.

"Cavete superbiam leonis (Beware the Lion's Pride).

"What's the matter?" Celeste appeared beside him, and Harry realised that he was crying. He rubbed his eyes and took a few minutes to compose himself. As he suspected, his father's words had affected him, but they were also cathartic as well. It was always comforting to know that someone loved you. He placed the letter back in his inventory and retrieved a book for Hedwig to read.

His stomach grumbled, and Harry realised that he had not eaten anything since yesterday morning. He headed for the door with Hedwig perched on his shoulder and Celeste flying beside him.

Harry had occupied the Head Boy's room in the Ravenclaw Tower. McGonagall believed it would be most appropriate for him to stay in the House dormitory where he had a connection to the founder.

As he made his way to the Great Hall, Harry summoned his map. One thing that he had been interested in doing was exploring the castle and mapping out every nook and cranny. He paused when he noticed his map wasn't displaying a floor layout. In fact, there was no map at all, which confused the hell out of him. The map was supposed to update itself automatically. Why had it failed him now?

On his HUD, the quest icon flashed, notifying him that a new quest was available. He opened up his notifications.

The player has received a new quest!

Discover Hogwarts Castle's secret rooms.

Description: The ancient castle of Hogwarts has been around for almost a millennium. During that period of time, the castle has accumulated a lot of secrets, some of which have never been discovered. Find the most significant secret rooms in the castle.

Objective: Discover the secret rooms: [0/7]

Rewards: The player gains two levels for every secret room found.

Time Limit: -

So that's why the castle was not mappable. Gaia was sending him on a quest. The reward was certainly worth it, especially if he waited until he was at a higher level to maximise the benefits. There was also the potential to find treasure and cool secrets in the rooms he discovered. Harry wondered if his observation skill would help in that regard. He had been lax in levelling the skill, considering he was in a safe location and didn't have to worry about preserving his mana. On his way to the Great Hall, he made sure to observe anything new he came across and managed to gain a level.

Harry entered the Great Hall and saw that the head table was occupied by a lot of people. Some he knew, but there were a lot of new faces as well. He assumed that they were teachers who had been absent from the castle. Hermione was sitting beside an older witch. The girl was talking the woman's ear off, who showed remarkable patience and didn't interrupt her ramblings.

"Harry, come and join us," Dumbledore said from his position in the middle of the table. The adults watched him intently as he sat down beside Hermione.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione reached out and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm fine," Harry reassured her.

"I heard about what happened at Azkaban," Hermione said with a concerned look. "Why does everything happen to you, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, reaching for a plate and filling it to the brim with bacon, eggs and some sausages. He figured that he was allowed to indulge himself after yesterday's events.

"I'm glad to see you're okay, Harry," Remus said with a smile. He looked like he wanted to ask something but changed his mind.

"We can talk later," Harry told him, and he nodded in acceptance.

"Harry, this is Professor Babbling," Hermione said. "She teaches Ancient Runes."

"Hello, Lord Potter-Ravenclaw," Babbling said awkwardly. It must be strange for her to be so formal with him when she may be his teacher one day.

"Okay, everyone here may call me Harry or Mr Potter," he declared. "It will start to get weird if you have to repeat my title every time."

The adults looked relieved, and Harry turned back to Professor Babbling. The woman appeared to be in her late thirties with dark brown hair and eyes like Hermione; however, her facial features were much narrower. Interestingly, she wore a lot of jewellery. It did not make her look gaudy, as they all seemed to fit the aesthetic she was striving for. He wondered if they were inscribed with enchantments.

"Is it a difficult subject?" Harry asked the woman curiously.

"Yes," Babbling smiled at him. "Ancient Runes is a vast subject, and the Hogwarts curriculum barely scratches the surface of the depth of knowledge that it covers. There are a lot of script-based languages to learn to obtain a true understanding of the subject, and that is before getting into the creative aspects."

"I have already read the third-year books," Hermione said excitedly. "It's my favourite subject. Since the curriculum is changing, I can learn it a lot sooner."

"That's nice," Harry nodded. He was interested in the subject as well, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to delve too deeply into it at this point in time. After he got smacked around last night, his main priority was becoming stronger in combat situations. Maybe he should encourage her interest; one day, he may have a close friend with a Mastery in Ancient Runes.

However, he was interested in picking Professor Babbling's brain. He still had a drawing of the ritual that he had copied from his memory. Rather than spending time learning the subject, which may take a lot of time, it would be better to ask her about it. He would need to speak with her at some point. It was not something he needed to rush, as even if the ritual could be used to enter the fifth circle, he was still too weak at the moment to even attempt it.

"Harry, the teachers have taken time off their holidays so we can discuss the curriculum," Dumbledore said. "It may seem like poor timing considering yesterday's events, but we need to get started as we don't have much time before the school term begins."

"Okay," Harry said. He felt a pair of eyes drilling into him, and he turned to the girl sitting next to him. "Yes, Hermione?"

"Can I be involved too, Harry?" she asked. "I have taken some quick notes that may be of some help."

"Translation. I have written a book's worth of notes on the topic," Harry said in a high-pitched voice, causing some of the adults to laugh.

Hermione slapped his shoulder. "I don't sound like that."

"I'm just messing with you," Harry said. "Sure, you can join in the fun."

He got stuck into his meal, and Dumbledore introduced everyone at the table. The only one absent was the History Professor, Cuthbert Binns. Harry found the idea of a ghost teaching a class amusing and preposterous. From what he understood, the ghost's idea of a lesson was reading from a textbook verbatim. Teaching was a lot more involved than that, and they had to actively engage and interest the students. He immediately climbed to the top of Harry's list of things to get rid of. Not that he had a list at the moment, as he hadn't given the topic much thought.

Harry had already met Professor Flitwick briefly, but he got to know the old man over breakfast. He shared a few insights into Charms, which Harry thoroughly enjoyed. Since the man was the Head of Ravenclaw, he would interact with the man a lot, so it was nice to get on well with him.

The other professor to whom he spoke, perhaps due to the fact that he was seated next to her, was Professor Burbage, who taught Muggle Studies. Apparently, she was the most recent hire, as Professor Quirrel, the previous teacher, had passed away after running afoul of a vampire in Albania. She was happy that the School Governors had no more say in the running of the school. They had heavily restricted her lessons, mainly to paint the non-magical world in a negative light. She was already badgering Harry to change the name of the class from Muggle Studies, which he wasn't opposed to.

Curiously, he didn't see Snape there, which he was glad of. Although he still occupied the castle, he didn't look like someone easy to interact with. He didn't see the new Potions teacher either. Had Dumbledore not found someone to cover the position?

"Since everyone has finished breakfast, why don't we get down to business?" Dumbledore said. In the blink of an eye, the remains of their meal had disappeared from the table.

"Wait," Hermione got up quickly. "Let me get my notes." She dashed off to the Ravenclaw Tower. Since the common room featured a small library, she had chosen to stay there as well.

"Well, Miss Granger has spoken," Flitwick chuckled.

After the girl rushed back into the room, apologising profusely, they got down to discussing the school's direction.

"With Harry holding the Ravenclaw title," Dumbledore said, "he now controls how the school is run. The School Governors have no more say in its operation."

There were a few that had not been aware that the Ravenclaw title affected the school, judging from their expressions. Harry felt the stares focus on him, and he tried to ignore them as best he could.

"Now, I will discuss my own proposal first, and then we will have an open discussion of any ideas that anyone at the table has for Hogwarts. My idea is to eliminate the traditional seven-year system and have every student work at their own pace."

"How would that work? Do we still have classrooms?" Hermione asked with her notes placed on the table. She had also brought a notebook and pen to take some additional notes.

"I would like to know as well," Professor Sprout said. "If we teach students on a case-by-case basis, it will create a lot of extra work for us."

"The idea I have is to eliminate the classroom completely and have a club or guild for each subject. A location where all students of all ages can gather and learn together and have all the materials in one place. The teacher would still supervise, of course, and maybe we could pay some of the older students to help out the younger ones," Dumbledore said. "We can even revive the Apprentice program so professors can pick students who show a lot of promise in their subject."

Madam Pomfrey frowned, "How will we guarantee the students' safety? There will be some that look to take on more than they can handle, which would put them in danger. The number of injured students coming into my infirmary will increase."

"We can put enchantments in place," Flitwick exclaimed enthusiastically. "So they will only be able to access magic and knowledge appropriate to their skill level."

"How will we decide that, though?" McGonagall asked. "Do we still have tests to judge a student's abilities? If we do that for every student taking our subject, and at varying levels, it will add a lot to our workload."

"Some of the subjects are theory-based and don't need magic at all," Harry said. "They would only require one teacher, as students could work more independently. In the case of practical subjects, we would have to hire two teachers, depending on the number of students it has. An example of this would be something like Ancient Runes, which is a difficult subject, so it does not attract as many students."

"That is true," Professor Babbling acknowledged.

"Do we have the funds for it, though?" Professor Vector asked. "If the more talented and studious students advance rapidly, they may finish their education in four or five years. That will deprive us of income from a student's attendance fees. And what about the Ministry? Would they acknowledge a student who gained their OWLS or NEWTS at a much earlier age? Students cannot even take the exams without the Board of Education."

The table was struck with silence as they considered the questions. No matter how much they disliked it, they couldn't become fully independent of the Ministry. With the current regime, it was safe to say that they would be fighting an uphill battle to enact changes that needed their cooperation.

"It's not as serious as you think, Septima," Dumbledore said calmly. "First of all, the issue of the budget will not be a problem. One of the School Governors' purviews was to handle the Hogwarts budget, but I can almost guarantee that they were taking funds for their own personal use. We should be able to easily cover the extra costs now that the Hogwarts account is fully under the control of Harry and his Account Manager. You have to remember that Hogwarts also gets some revenue from Hogsmeade."

"What?" Harry exclaimed.

"You own more than the castle and the grounds, Harry," Remus said. "The surrounding land, which includes Hogsmeade, is all yours. Hogwarts has always been able to sustain itself by renting out properties in Hogsmeade. There is no end to the revenue it generates. Of course, you may take that money for yourself if you so desire."

Everyone looked at Harry, who laughed. "Why are you looking at me like that? It is not my intention to keep the funds for myself. It's not like I need it."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Indeed. As to the other question, what impact will the Ministry have on our plans? Well, I can't really be sure of this one. It is possible that the more traditional families may oppose the idea of students finishing early, so we may have a fight on our hands in the Wizengamot. However, with Harry now the owner of two Lordships, there may be a power shift coming soon. In the short-term, we do not have to worry about it and should proceed as if we will be successful in our endeavours."

"If you have extra funds," Hermione said. "Then you should look at introducing some new classes, like wizarding customs for the muggle-borns. Even some non-magical ones. I think their parents will be disappointed that their children cannot continue their mundane education."

"I think we need a small class on how to traverse the non-magical side for students raised in the magical world, as well," Professor Burbage added. "And make it compulsory."

"That is not an awful idea," Dumbledore nodded. "I don't know if we can achieve that before the next school term, but considering the way we plan to structure the curriculum, we can add them at any time."

They continued to discuss the matter at length. It would take a lot of work in the near future to accomplish their ambitious ideas. While Harry was technically in charge of Hogwarts, he wouldn't be that involved unless he felt it was necessary. He didn't want it to distract him from his other pursuits. He was only eleven, after all; he wasn't interested in taking on such responsibilities. Remus would handle the budget and Dumbledore would still be in charge of the castle, but would consult Harry if something of importance came up.

After the meeting, everyone went their separate ways and Remus and Harry stepped outside so they could have a private conversation.

"So, how was Sirius?" Remus asked as they stood at the edge of the lake.

"Well, I didn't have much time to spend with him," Harry shrugged. "He seemed somewhat broken, but I can hardly blame him after being locked up in Azkaban for so long. I felt the effects of the Dementors, and it wasn't pleasant."

Harry talked about his interactions with Remus for a few minutes. Certainly, Sirius needed to see a mind healer, but he seemed to be able to function somewhat normally, so hopefully, the damage was not irreversible.

Remus looked down with a guilty expression. "I only wish that I had believed in Sirius' innocence more. He must hate my guts at the moment."

"I don't know if my godfather has it in him to hate anyone," Harry paused. "With the exception of Pettigrew."

Remus bared his teeth, "he is still out there. If only he were here right now, I would..."

"What? Kill him? I could hardly blame you. If I find him first, I will do the same."

Remus grabbed his shoulders and stared into his eyes. "You shouldn't speak like that. I don't want you to hold such anger inside. It will consume you."

"Revenge is a weapon that I can wield to keep me resolute," Harry said. "I need every little bit of help I can get, considering the enemies I have. If it means that I will have some twisted thoughts about killing one stinking rat, then I will pay that price."

Remus let him go and stared out at the lake. "I just hope it is worth it. What about your mother? If-"

"Don't go there," Harry said. "I don't even know if she is still alive. Sometimes I feel like I am deluding myself. Even if she is alive, how has the Abyss changed her? She may be a pale imitation of herself at this point."

"Harry," Remus pleaded, reaching out to him, but the boy was already walking away. Remus watched him leave with a sad expression. They had failed him so much, and he was scared he was going to lose the boy in the future. Thankfully, Harry had already surrounded himself with some good people, so there was reason to hope.

Harry returned to the castle. That conversation definitely turned sour quickly. How dare Remus tell him how to feel? He certainly did not feel guilty about how his feelings regarding Pettigrew. If he had the power, he certainly wouldn't hesitate to have a go at removing him from this world. The only issue was that he was still too weak. He needed to get stronger quickly. Furthermore, he still needed to figure out how to fight witches and wizards as well. So far, he had only fought monsters. How would the system work in a fight with human opponents? Maybe he could have a teacher instruct him how to duel so that he would have a better picture of what to expect.

For now, he needed to focus his efforts on increasing his power. In a few days, he would follow Amelia and her team into the dungeon in Aberdeen. Due to the events at Azkaban yesterday, it would seem as if the excursion would be cancelled. However, they didn't have the luxury of waiting. The dungeon would erupt soon if nothing were done, and there was still the fate of those inside to be determined.

Harry looked at his skills to determine where he could focus his attention, to give him the highest chance of succeeding. The Warp skill would be invaluable. His fire spells were the most destructive magic that he currently had, but it would take time to raise his affinity further to remove the limits on them. They would become irrelevant soon as he faced monsters with higher magical defence.

He focused on three of the most recent skills that he had learned. There was potential there. Luckily, he didn't have to venture outside of Hogwarts to level them. After all, he had an instant dungeon he could access from anywhere.

So, what do you think? Next chapter, Harry enters the new instant dungeon in Aberdeen.

Thanks for reading.