Succession
"What on earth was he doing Alistair, I blame you for this. You and your teachings have corrupted his young mind with foolish principles of total equality." Evelyn Potter hissed marching down one of Azkaban's many corridors. She was still wearing her black Judicial Robe, holding her long dark wig in one hand as if it was a precious object.
"Lady Regent what are you talking about? It was a genius move politically, the people of the wizarding world have always been attracted to our hereditary lords, famed for their long history and known for their castles, keeps and prisons." Sir Alistair explained sweeping down the same corridor next to her, though he was calmer; addressing his rival as he should. She represented everything that was wrong with his nation, an aristocratic educated woman believing in her titles.
"Yes he make merciful but look at his standing with the noble peers, the girl he saved was no victimised young lady but a woman of different blood who are known for being targeted. Laws of Azkaban have long permitted minor action against them." Evelyn Potter tried to justify her actions, though determined to appear impartial.
"With respect Lady Regent all those laws were suspended by your husband Lady Regent, the noble peers survived the first conviction and death sentence for the rape of a muggleborn during your third year as Lady consort. Muggleborns are not what they were." Alistair half spat, to her he was the power-hungry civil servant trying to leech her power away. In many ways he was.
"I am not suggesting even for a moment that they be hurt, murdered or assaulted in any way. If anyone including a muggleborn is murdered by another then they go the gallows, if anyone rapes a muggleborn or anyone else then like all rapists they go to the guillotine. That I agree with but we must be careful , ancient bloodlines are like fine roses. They need to be cared for like all plants but they have special features, they have to be kept with their own pure kind. The noble peers all agree." The Lady Regent half whispered, looking around anxiously.
"The noble peers adapt and survive, I am sure they will accept him being a friend to a muggleborn." Sir Alistair tried to continue but was cut off very quickly.
"Oh really? I am sure you know what they would accept Alistair, you have most of them in your pocket after all, or maybe I should say you have their advisors in your pocket." The Lady regent turned. Alistair's face reddened ever so slightly.
"Allegations of corruption Lady Regent do not go by me but the Lord." Sir Alistair replied icily, "Also if you wish to reinstate our blood laws that requires the approval of the Lord."
"I control policy Sir Alistair."
"You control the day to day running of the Lord's Island Lady Regent, long term policy must also go through him and each of the Noble Peer's during a regency council. Of course I must approve such an action, with the Lord's consent." Sir Alistair retorted with a slight smirk, it was met with a glare.
"When he is of age I am sure he will be more receptive to simple and direct ideology." Evelyn snapped, Alistair was tempted to point out the same ideology caused the bloody end of the French Monarchy but tradition overstepped his instinct.
"That will be up to his Lordship Lady Regent, until that day we must not act unless we know his will."
"Fine but I will not have him the mistakes his father made, I remind you what he did. Both me and my husband found it deplorable." Sir Alistair said nothing, secretly he had no care about the line of succession, now Harry Potter was technically the Lord his grandmother could not exile him.
"Lady Regent.." Alistair began in his usual following, false tone.
"No, do not attempt to chastise me for my ideology, it is above your standing. While you are from good family, you are not a noble or royalty. Which makes you not unequal but less equal than myself. Though you of course have the same standing over those of no blood. It is the principles of Azkaban." Alistair did not mention these principles had either been suspended or ignored for many years.
"Lady Regent. I am sure both of us wish to undo the mistakes of the past but it will be up to our young lord what happens in the end. Now Lady Regent you are due in court. I bid you good day."
"Always Alistair." The Lady Regent couldn't hide her snarl while walking away, Alistair for his part watched as his rival went back to her job and sighed. To him she was a fool, a woman who did not see Azkaban as it was, she and he had been in an endless power struggle since the day her husband died. Roughly half and half of the islands were under their respective control. Harry Potter was the only thing that united them. Though his choices would be interesting to say the least.
Platform Nine and Three Quarters
"Alice remind me why my grandmother decided to do this in public, while not being here herself." Harry asked with a dark growl sweeping a cloak decorated in fleurs-de-lis to the left. Harry was dressed in what only his grandmother could call casual attire, a white shirt under black ash shaded robes which was enveloped by a blue cloak, one covered in the gold symbols he had gotten to know so well over the years.
"I am told Sir Alistair had more of a say in the arrangements than her, though it her choice in clothing." His slow walking, red-haired security was walking a few paces behind him on a platform where all eyes were on him, it was a good thing his grandmother had insisted in apparating to the platform. The attention attracted by a muggle audience would have been worse, much worse.
"Clothing? It's a diplomatic incident waiting to happen! So I can't be addressed as the King of France so she has me dress like it. This is why we should leave diplomacy to Sir Alistair." Harry grumbled, he looked ridiculous and stood out seeing as three blank faced, dull looking servants were carrying a single one of his suitcases.
"His policy is don't bother." Alice muttered looking around warily, the amount of security risks in the area was unnerving. Though her outlook on Azkban's politics made Harry smile.
"I know, though at least they're sharing." Making light of the fact he was the least powerful figure in Azkaban at the moment, with both his Grandmother and Sir Alistair able to govern without him. Though things would change, over time if he could do it.
"You were the one who managed to achieve your education." He was reminded and while true it was a minor victory, it could not have been done without Sir Alistair but Harry felt odd about that. The man wanted something but Harry had not yet worked out what.
"I suppose, though I needed a diplomatic incident to do it, and by wearing this I have a strange feeling Fudge won't be received by any French politician until by some miracle I take it over." Harry half mocked,
"You should have more faith my Lord." Alice told him with a warm smile, using his title as they were now in public and close enough to be overheard. Harry turned to the servants, he did not want them around full stop.
"You three, drop the suitcases and return to Azkaban." He commanded half terrified they would try and follow him all the way. Thankfully they withdrew and Harry bordered the train before any of the crowd which had no evolved to pretending not to look at him instead of blank staring..
"Not a bad train." Harry muttered seeing the carriages of seats and compartments, shiny wood floors, and clear polished windows made it look almost homely. He moved to a compartment and sat down after making sure no one was around.
"What would you like me to do My Lord?" Alice inquired gently moving her head in a way which made her short red hair swish.
"First you can stop calling me My Lord, well as my Grandmother or one of her many secretaries is going to demand a full report make sure everything's safe. Then do what you want," Harry suggested sitting down and immediately removing his cloak and stuffing it on one of the metal racks above.
"I won't mention the disregard for the desired attire." She chuckled with a soft laugh before slowly making her way out of the compartment, Harry had no idea what she was going to do. Instead he was content to just sit, he was slightly nervous. Hogwarts was going to be a new experience and he had no idea what to expect.
"Move." The train had already rolled to life when he heard the grunt and angry tone, a few people had come around but most had not entered. Only peered in and moved away, a few Slytherins had almost run away after hearing what happened to Draco, not wanting their own parents to be angry at them for either offending or talking to him. Under the assumption he would act above them or worse that he was above them. Though having nothing else to do he stuck his head out of the door.
Alice for her part had hovered around the corridor, not wanting to leave him in the hands of the many students who had taken one look at her frightening expression and dark eyes before leaving. While not as imposing physically as other security men she had something about her which Harry noticed, a silent nature which in some ways was even more frightening than appearances.
"What on Earth?" Harry saw a young girl being literally thrown out one of the compartments, it took a few moments for him to remember that bushy hair.
"Hermione?" He questioned using the name one of the many servants had acquired for him, the girl looked towards him; her face was upset. The sliding door opened and another girl emerged, one around the same age but was dark skinned with long curly back her trailing down her back. She was wearing muggle clothes as was Hermione, though this girl dressed older and when she spoke it was in a loud dramatic voice. Harry noticed her chin flicked up when she spoke.
"We told to go away. This compartment is now full." She shrilled at the top of her voice, publicising the information for all to hear.
"I didn't realise standing outside a compartment was a crime." Harry's voice was not recognised and the girl turned to him, looked him up and down and said nothing.
"Sorry this is a private conversation." Was the most polite response she could muster
"Really it sounded a lot more like taunting." Harry retorted, he had not yet been recognised but when the girl turned back to stab him with whatever her seemingly sharp tongue could, she saw his robes. They were high end and for a second he was a just a posh, rich boy this girl had spied.
"Oh come, it's a bit of fun with the know-it-all ." She reasoned with a mock pouty face, Harry frowned.
"Know it all?" he muttered to Alice, this slang seemed slightly apart from the words he knew "That's an insult?"
"Who's that?" the girl wondered, evidently knowing she was too old for Hogwarts, Harry did no answer instead he noticed Hermione was looking towards the ground. She looked almost ashamed.
"My security, what's your name?" Harry asked, he did not like this girl, though he decided against attacking her directly. She seemed more the backstabbing type so there was no point in using the offensive, at least not yet.
"Romilda, and yours?" She shot back with a turn,
"Harry Potter de Bourbon." Those words did it, the girl gasped and looking around for an answer.
"My Lord."
"There is no need for formal address." Harry interjected quickly, if the title My Lord got around the entire school any hope of being treated like a normal student was over.
"Harry?" she questioned and waited for him to nod in confirmation. "I am sorry I didn't recognise you." She looked towards Hermione. Harry raised his eyebrows.
"I'm sorry I offended you, this game of ours is something not many people would understand. Hermione I'm sorry about throwing you out of the compartment." She eventually worked out what he wanted and Harry saw Hermione look at the girl, almost ready to splutter.
"That's ok." She murmured knowing the girl did not mean it, she just wanted to get in a Lord's good books.
"Then there's no harm done." Harry answered with a slight, fake smile, the girl beamed at him.
"Would you like to come in?" she offered gesturing to her compartment, and Harry saw a few of her friends had already moved to watch this exchange.
"I couldn't, you said yourself it was full and I can't see someone like you excluding anyone." Harry smiled in a voice that preached ignorance, twisting the girl's own words. He noticed a few of the girls were now glaring at Romilda for blowing their chances to talk to a Lord, Harry for his party hid his disappointment that people already wanted to know him for his title.
"No instead as your compartment is full, you friend is more than welcome to share mine and you may meet up later. Unless you two are not the close friends you are making out." Harry wondered just for a moment if she was admit she was lying, of course she did not and instead slunk away but was not offended, at least not by him.
"She's not my friend." Hermione whispered the moment she was in out of their earshot, Alice looked ready to pat Hermione down but settled when Harry shot her an amused look. Though she did stand guard outside the door, most likely installing a number of charms for good measure.
"Oh I know but my Grandmother once told me not to underestimate the power of a barbed tongue, I offended someone if you want the context." Harry replied with a lot more warmth than the tone he used to address Romilda. Hermione looked at him,
"She's nasty, a bully, what power she does she have?" Hermione asked him eventually, she did not sit down and instead lingered by the door.
"While I do not understand the social norms you will, think about it. A teenage girl with friends, if I had offended her I would have turned them against me and others. They also would have taken it out on you, instead appeasing her worked. Though on the bright side I managed to get her friends annoyed." Harry told her sitting down, Hermione frowned at him.
"Because they wanted you?" She had almost connected all the dots
"No they wanted a Lord, a rich prince charming in all but words. Trust me they don't want me." Harry chuckled, making light of what to him was a relatively depressing fact.
"Well thanks but I don't need that much help." Hermione began looking ready to leave, she did not like attention normally but if people saw her talking to a Lord, well she might get the wrong kind of attention.
"I never said you did, though it's better than me hearing a verbal assault." Harry answered getting an air of hostility, maybe he had acted to rashly
"So this was all about you?" Hermione asked, she had still refused to sit down.
"No, if it was then I would have gone to their compartment or joined in." Harry suggested, something was wrong with this girl, he just couldn't place it.
"So you're trying to be nice?" Hermione's voice was almost disbelieving
"Yes, is that a problem?" Harry was incredulous and gave her a confused look, she said nothing and instead ran her fingers down her arm and then through her hair in an odd display of frustration.
"Look I get you're trying to be nice but it's not worth it, you're only going to get yourself either in trouble or worse. So thank you for helping but I don't need you and trust you really don't want me." With that she was gone, just gone.
"Is she ok?" Alice asked seeing the girl almost run out "Do you want me to go get her?".
"No, no don't do that." She needed to be left alone and Harry sighed, no quite sure what had just happened and other than finding out the girl was obviously hurt he knew nothing. Instead he sat back and let the train roll on.
Hi all, just a quick thank you for reading and I wanted to quickly address some concerns about this fic, firstly I am trying to avoid the "all powerful" Harry you seen in other fics and I want to show Harry rising from a weak position, at the moment he is only a figurehead. So if you think it's going to quickie or too far then let me know but it's going to take a long time for Harry to gain power over Azkaban let alone anywhere else. Other than that I thank you for reading.
Regards
Apple