Succession
"Grandmother for how long must I stand like this?" An exasperated voice rang out in the narrow study, a small room with bookshelf walls, respectable and ancient furnishings from carved willow and oak desks to a crystal window which overlooked a bustling town and ocean scene.
"For however long it takes," a stern voice reprimanded the twelve year old who was stood in the centre of the room, the window behind him and draped in long flowing robes. Vibrant blue ones with golden fleurs-de-lis running down the cloak and front. A white fabric was beneath it and it had a small black crest with yellow symbols, it was the Potter house crest which had to be kept almost hidden. It contained far too many politically dangerous images for it to be focused.
"Ok then, I still don't see why the people want this," Harry Potter was dressed in these almost oversized robes for a reason, stood stone still while a middle aged man completed his portrait. He had a silver and black metal circlet atop his head and a sceptre in one hand, it was made of dark material akin to ice with a diamond melted into the top. Harry had changed a lot since his arrival in Azkaban, he was taller, still underweight but he carried himself with a quiet dignity.
"Our subjects must know the Lord, your coronation occurs in a few years time and you will be well known amongst them. As is tradition."
"Of course grandmother, though I doubt the British Minister will be happy about it." Harry was right, currently his official recognised title was. Lord Harry James Potter de Bourbon of Azkaban. It had taken a lot of negotiation to get his Grandmother to drop and The Kingdom of France from that. It had taken assurances of support and a lot of upfront money.
"Fudge will never step beyond his duty for the sake of another, and interfering with us has never been one of his duties. This portrait will replace the one we have already in the main chamber, besides the minister wants one of you separately. You and him, for the papers." A smirk played around her wrinkled mouth.
"I see, so is he planning on cutting all ties to France then?" Harry asked with a smirk, the country in question had never taken kindly to Azkaban. Though Fudge had pretty much ensured the government hated magical Britain as well.
"I advised him on the matter. Now be quiet." Evelyn Potter instructed and Harry did so. Out of respect more than anything, his grandmother was not a force to be reckoned with. She had very set views on how a Lord should act and thankfully many had not imparted necessity in Harry's mind. He would do them but he was not bound to tradition. Unlike his grandmother.
"My Lord, lady regent," a smiling voice broke the silence a few seconds later. A man entered the room, Harry knew his smile to be false. He was just over middle aged and had an usually slender build, he wore clouded robes and often employed a white powdered wig which instead of ensnaring his back was currently stuffed in his pocket. His grey hair curled and on show for the whole world, Sir Alistair was his title. He was Senior Advisor to the Lord, also known as Head of Government.
"Sir Alistair." Harry greeted, the man was the most powerful person on the islands. While he was the lord he was barely thirteen and did not yet command the loyalty of his grandfather, whom he had never met. Instead all day to day tasks were taken over by his grandmother, with the exception of state visits, while the administrative and managing tasks were taken over by Sir Alistair.
"My Lord, a message has just been received from Hogwarts School of Witchraft and Wizardry, the headmaster wishes to know if our most noble Lord will be starting his third year." Harry's eyes darted up, education had been dealt with by a stream of private tutors and he wanted to go to a real school. Meet people and maybe understand them.
"Tell them the regency will respond," yes the regency, ensuring Harry had no power until his coronation."
"Of course lady regent, though that is the response we gave them last time, and the time before that." The elderly man's face dropped slightly as he spoke.
"Well then we have precedent, good day Sir Alistair."
"Shall I be going to Hogwarts then Grandmother?" Harry dared to inquire, he was half tempted to issue an order but he doubted it would turn out well.
"It is being considered, now take a rest. Fudge will be here within the hour."
Later
Politics, that's all his life ever seemed to come down to, Harry was in deep thought while roaming some of his home's corridors. He had finally returned from the main island, he lived adjacent to it in what was both fortress and palace. Stone walls, marble floors, jewels and paintings all dotted around brass and gold coated tiles and insignias.
Shaking hands with the minister, acting friendly and having to stand next to the man for hours was not his idea of fun. It was politics in the rawest form and he doubted any good would come of it, he had a claim to the throne of France but there was no way diplomacy would ever get him there. That's if he even wanted it, sometimes he did and other times not.
Life in Azkaban was indeed boring at times, though it was far better than the time he spent with his Uncle and Aunt. He could remember that with a vengeance, it had taken so long for him to be rescued... well it was in his mind. The only way it was stopped was the moment Evelyn Potter passed the sentence of Death and as for his Aunt; she could rot in the cells. His cousin was still detained, in a nicer cell and Harry had decided to let him out eventually. Once all education and life opportunities were over, his cousin had a life of nothing to get to eventually.
Harry wanted some adventure, something outside the norm of meeting his grandmother, observing his subjects, advising Sir Alistair and the usual. No adventure was the way to get things done, diplomacy failed and in the end force worked.
"Lumos," Harry lit his wand and prepared to go to his room, it was funny in a way. He had all the luxury he wanted and yet no one to share it with. There weren't many children in Azkaban, either the prison or the island. Most were traders, travellers and civil servants whose children went to top schools in England. He wanted to be like them, he wanted to know about the country and indeed countries he was supposed to rule in the future.
Meanwhile
"Lost something know-it-all?" she walked past the taunting as she always did. Though he was right, she had indeed lost something. Most of her possessions to be specific and they had been stolen not lost. Lavender was most likely the person responsible, with help from one or more of the usual girls she supposed.
Hermione Granger was not happy, another year of Hogwarts had rolled by and it had not gone well. She had started the year by somehow annoying the Malfoy family, Malfoy's father had dropped a book and she handed it back to him. He seemed annoyed that she had helped him, though whatever the case with honour the year got worse. She had never been one to make friends and she had never got on with the popular people. The same ones who she had beaten two years in a row in every class, they hated her.
She was miserable, no friends and she doubted it would be any different elsewhere, she was how she was and had no idea how to change. Though at least the year was over and she had a shot at starting anew in September. Though she had to find her things first, then get to the train and already thoughts of the comfort were out of her mind. Instead she tried to focus on finding her things , they could be anywhere and often they would do something of a spectacle.
Her underwear displayed in the great hall, all her clothes finding their way into the boys dormitory overnight and all sorts of degrading things, she was used to them all. She just hoped they would stop, she never wanted to be aggressive to stop them . She had tried to tell teachers but almost all of them had dismissed it as girls playing around, McGonagall had tried to stop it but was still trying. She needed proof and she had none. It was getting to Hermione slowly, though she tried to make the best of it.
She was in a world her parents had never heard of and one she had never believed in. Magic was something still new and exciting to her, she wanted to learn it and that was her motivation. It drove away the hurt and upset she kept inside. She just hoped it would get better or at least not any worse.
Azkaban
It occurred in the dead of night, a deafening siren which tore through the quiet air of all the islands of Azkaban. It was a sound few had ever heard and one almost all feared.
"What the..." Harry muttered dragging himself out of a four poster velvet bed, he was half asleep and lunged wildly for his glasses. He quickly grabbed a gown knowing exactly what such a security risk would entail.
"Sincere apologies My Lord, we have a security breach." A youngish woman with short red hair entered his vision and light filled the room. His security officer was the young woman, a petite pretty thing with an acute figure. Wearing plain black clothing which concealed any number of weapons at a time. Harry glanced up at her pointed face, he had done so a year before and in that second he knew her. She was flexible, sharp and had an inquisitive glare stemming from crystal blue eyes. To some she was pretty and almost harmless, however she was an expert in all magic's and muggle combat. She was Alice, the opponent to be feared and Harry had chosen her, it was one of the few times he went against the wishes of his grandmother.
"Does this mean what I think it means?" Harry demanded walking in long strides towards the palace's office, he knew exactly what was going on and his security didn't even need to confirm it.
"Yes My Lord, the Dementors have confirmed it." Alice muttered "Prisoner three seven two one."
"Have they sent a representative over?" Harry asked, Dementors swore loyalty to the Lord of Azkaban and that meant he would have to talk to them. When he was of age they would have to swear their allegiance formally, until then he just had to be in their good books and vice versa.
"Yes, they have also provided a translator, the British Ministry are been informed." Alice also advised him with more accuracy than most of his employed advisors, not that he ever listened to them.
"Oh they're going to be thrilled." Harry muttered, then he was thinking. While a huge diplomatic event was transpiring, there was perhaps something more he could do here. A smile played across his face but he wiped it off the moment he was in range of the office. He caught a glimpse of the hastily robed and wigged Sir Alistair, the man would be panicking. Security at the prison would have to be reassessed a hundred times but Harry didn't care.
"Alice we have a diplomatic incident don't we?" Harry asked rhetorically
"Yes My Lord," the woman frowned and Harry's eyes became alight.
"Then a state visit might just be in order, one that might take up the next school year." All he needed to do was suggest this, the British Ministry under Fudge would never turn down publicity and Azkaban now had a real need to smooth things over. So a visit showing trust might just be the thing and what better to show trust than to have them educate the lord himself?