"Please, take any seat you may wish," gestured Harry to the lounge by the floor to ceiling window looking out to the Black Lake and Forbidden Forest largely fixed after the effects of non-magical warfare were repaired by nature, accelerated by the ambient magic in the area.
It opened out to the balcony, which allowed in some pleasant fresh air for all to enjoy while overlooking the horizon.
Craters from missiles had damaged part of the landscape around Hogwarts in the forest, much of which had begun repairing itself to mould the natural ecosystem of its surroundings to form around the holes, as they became pockets of waters.
Most connected to others in their vicinity to create a river that creeped its way into the Black Lake.
This further pushed along plant life as it grew far quicker once Harry took over as the Headmaster and Lord of Hogwarts and revitalised the dying ambient magical energy in the area.
The luxurious and comfortable lounge seats were more than perfect to relax in with a cup of tea whilst the crackling of fire in the background maintained the serene and warm atmosphere.
Before anyone knew it, Ragpor arrived with cups of tea, freshly brewed, alongside biscuits and other sweets to enjoy.
He arrived through the butler door, specifically created to appear in specific areas when the Aelflyn popped in as their entrance.
The door would instinctively open without a sound for the Aelflyn to walk in and serve unless Harry had charmed the space for private discussions, which then required them to knock and gain approval to enter.
Magically, Harry worked with the Aelflyn to further improve their professionalism for those still wishing to serve others.
It just so happened that most if not all wanted to know the new skills if they were ever required to aid those choosing to voluntarily serve.
In the case of Ragpor, he chose to lessen the work on the Aelflyn working away in the kitchen currently and serving around Hogwarts in various other capacities.
Harry returned from the side room connected to the office as Ragpor continued to serve the group, including the guards.
Holding a stack of identical folders in his hands, Harry seamlessly created multiple duplicates to reach each of the representatives chosen by the Queen to serve as her council, floating effortlessly through the air, leaving them all gasping in shock.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, Ambassadors, but as the Delacour sisters can corroborate, I prefer to be as straight forward as I can with those I allow to occupy my time and attention.
In the current circumstances, your Majesty, I can assure you my intentions are to achieve a bond of friendship and a collaboration between our forces to save the world from the path its currently on towards its total end.
As the last sentient beings of this world, it's our duty to save it when Mother Earth has given us so much for nothing back in return.
Besides… we are the ones to fail the land through acts of war and disunity.
Mind you, those who truly caused Magic's end, have long been dealt with, yet it leaves the few who survived to heal the world in their stead, all the while trying to survive each and every day.
Thankfully we can believe for now the higher powers haven't written us off entirely as they've saved us from the effects of the contamination caused by radiation in some parts of the world, allowing a moment of reprieve for us to create a society for all.
So, if you will, let us begin."
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It'd been quite the surprise for Harry to not roast from radiation left behind by nuclear missiles since radiation caused damage to magicals, and in some cases capable of cancelling out wards in high enough doses.
The reason radiation didn't cause wards like those of Hogwarts to collapse right after the initial attacks related to the lack of preparation for large scaled magical warfare by the mundane governments.
They all relied too heavily on the militaries armed with firearms, missiles, and other means to fight, that the wizarding world wouldn't be worth any sort of resistance.
Even after years of experimentation on captured wizards and witches, they still believed firearms were more than enough to kill magical kind.
In most cases they were right, but plenty of battles showcased the raw power employed by magical kind as they warped reality to their will, causing thousands upon thousands of military forces to vanish in a heartbeat if they so pleased.
Sadly, like normal non-magical humans, wizards and witches were just as fatally affected by radiation, killing all protected under most wards employed commonly by society as very few had anything set up to combat against its affects.
Places like Hogwarts had enough magical energy in the land and surrounding atmosphere to remove the lethality or reduce the effects of radiation to the point its meaningless.
But even the famed lands of Europe's oldest magical school couldn't immediately remove the effects of radiation, causing certain health issues to occur within the wizarding populous taking refuge under the castle wards.
Their deaths became inevitable by the time magical density in the area reduced the radiation to a safe level, yet at Harry's point of arrival, no part of the lands within twenty-five kilometres had aftereffects from the nuclear missiles.
In fact, there was growing vegetation, but not to a level that Harry believed acceptable for the land under the ownership and control of Hogwarts.
What caused him to wonder though was the lack of signs showing radiation aftereffects in heavily populated areas, from London, to anywhere else with a large number of mundane.
Eventually though he had to play it down to Lady Death interfering when she stated there would be 'gifts' left behind after she parted the world to his care.
He didn't expect it to last forever as Death made it his goal to fix the health of the world before calling for her presence once the task was complete.
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None from the representative's team of the Veela Kingdom delved into radiation aftereffects as they had other matters on their mind, but plenty were beginning to ask the relevant questions.
Yet those seated in the lounge were rather fixated instead on Harry's comments about creating an inclusive society for all left the representatives trying to comprehend was sort of person they were meeting with.
The Queen's main Ambassador, Lady Céline Gaudreau had to take a moment to both appreciate the honesty exhibited by Harry to his guests, and question is mental faculties for believing it was wise to present his goals from the beginning in his opening statement.
Gabrielle instead envisioned the differences between the Harry who died saving one of the last hidden communities of the wizarding world, compared to the one she was seated across from.
She just witnessed him trying to convince her Queen without wasting time on political niceties, a personality trait both Harry's demonstrated quite eagerly.
Fleur felt much the same, as the man she had known once, a wizard exhausted by his childhood fame and Voldemort's agenda, wasn't as composed, or driven as the Harry before her, evident by the way he'd embraced the anguish of his past to forge himself stronger.
The Queen on the other hand saw Harry closer to his real self than anyone could imagine, having witnessed through his emerald eyes, the weight of his soul and experience.
She couldn't categorise what he knew, the height of his strength, or what the weight of his soul, but the tempered aura kept restrained by his mental strength gave off enough power that the Queen had a hard time holding herself back from charming the man.
Withholding the rising emotions alight, and the heat in her loins, the Queen finally gathered her mental faculties to reply without diving into the subject of religion or deities, as it would lead their talks down a path not warranted today.
"Very well." Two words froze the minds of the representatives, stunning each person to turn in the direction of their Queen as she continued.
"Already I can sense your conviction to achieve a noble goal, but how do you expect to make it possible in the current world societal climate?
The Veela Kingdom now calls a number of magical creatures and beings their own, providing each the safety and security all deserve in life when none was afforded to them in the past.
From what I can gather already, my people will be required to travel around the world, lands left to the wild and possibly contaminated if not for the blessings allowing the elements to be cleansed for a time.
We have received the grace to secure food and resources to aid the Kingdom to hopefully one day achieve self-sustainability in our hidden community settlements, yet you ask to walk away from that to aid you and follow into pits of uncertain death?
Why should we give up our assurances of security and safety, when you ask a great deal of my people to save the world as you say?"
Harry simply smirked and replied, "I have the Goblin Nation's trust, friendship, and honour as a Warrior, ensuring I am an ally they will fight for if called upon.
Furthermore, I am bound through Magical Contracts, as any Goblin his worth would ensure they weren't swindled, to act in the interests of the nation if none are present to represent them.
Better yet, I am declared by the ancient laws of the Wizengamot as the Minister of Magic for the revived Ministry of Magic, though I plan to rename it later on if all things go as planned."
While he might have said more than he originally expected, it pushed the Queen of the Veela Kingdom to honestly consider cooperation.
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It didn't take long for Harry to forge an alliance with the Queen and her Kingdom, assigning her ambassador, Lady Gaudreau, to serve as the liaison.
After reading through the duplicated file, the Queen couldn't help but feel rather impressed by the scale of operations Harry planned out to further his own projects while trying to fulfil his goal for the world and general requirements by the rebuilding populus.
Her eyes were drawn heavily to the creation of a magical sanctuary for magical creatures and particular beings not able to intertwine with society or prefer seclusion.
Just the fact Harry and the Goblin Nation were willing to completely fund it without requiring external input caused her some slight concern but after asking several questions, she felt much more at ease the sanctuary wasn't being built to exploit what remained of magical creatures in the wild.
Gabrielle couldn't stay behind to take on the role of ambassador as she had her own life back home in the settlement with several kids and a husband, but spending some time in the halls of Hogwarts had a soothing effect on her mind after the mayhem left behind by war.
Harry didn't blame her because of the death and destruction caused by the modern war between magically gifted and those not.
He appreciated Gabrielle's efforts to try and keep part of the magical world alive through the glasshouse fields set up across ancestral farms of House Delacour, but he could tell it had quickly turned into a financial drain on the family vaults as of late.
Fleur tried her best to support the business, but even with the eldest Weasley brothers helping out, however it became too much for them to handle and keep afloat forever.
To ease costs and provide manpower as support to kick off the alliance, Harry asked Milly to send a few Aelflyn capable of working in the fields to assist House Delacour in their endeavours.
Milly ensured they left with some of the magical seeds safely stored away in the main vault of Hogwarts, since they were spares found while raiding magical properties across parts of Britain, they knew of better than others.
This somehow led to a conversation regarding Aelflyn and their evolution from a House Elf, as the Delacour sisters spoke of the elves taking refuge in the Kingdom until they could find wizards and witches willing to bond with them.
They had voluntarily entered into stasis until a time came that they could be revived, however the Queen felt it wasn't right to bring them back right now.
But after meeting Harry and hearing of how the House Elves of Hogwarts became Aelflyn, the Queen decided those in stasis should be awoken.
They understood the process required a wizard or witch with a large magical core and reserves, so Harry would need to visit the Veela Kingdom, an event the Queen hoped he wouldn't forget if she had anything to say.
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Eventually the meeting ended between the two parties, before Milly led them towards the Great Hall for a light meal to celebrate the alliance as the two parties chose to cooperate with rebuilding magical society from the ground up, whilst healing the world from its near-death state.
The earlier tour of Hogwarts didn't include the Great Hall for the group to walk by, yet they now saw the vast difference in comparison to how it appeared before the war began.
Long tables still existed, as did the benches, yet they were polished and crafted far more elegantly than they'd ever been in the past.
Engraved by magical instruments to create a runic design across the mahogany long tables and seats, they offered more than just a comfortable place for the students to take rest and dine.
As the food summoned itself from the kitchen to the charmed table and dishware, Harry made sure the tables were charmed to remove harmful substances if they were introduced to the meals or drinks.
Studying up on the importance of intent and will while performing magic allowed Harry to inscribe a runic array that made it possible for students or anyone else seated on the benches to summon forth a portion of any meals in the large serving dishware without needing to reach over others.
If something was in reaching distance it wouldn't activate but if the meal was out of hand, then the desired meal will be summoned from the dishware.
Other adjustments made added back support through a modified Protego Charm to activate when the seated induvial leaned back a specific amount of distance.
It wasn't ridged as it gave way enough for the seated person to lean back in comfort, as the students who preferred to spend time in the Great Hall studying for example complained often about the tough seats without a back.
None voiced the issue often, but in Harry's time alive at Hogwarts as a student, he found the seats of the Great Hall some of the most unpleasant benches.
Being a wizard of great power and knowledge Harry felt it was his responsibility to fix this wrong.
Further yet the head table for the professors had changed from its straight long table to take on a curve that felt far more inviting for students to approach.
A few more specific seats were added to the ends of the long tables for the Head of Houses to take as their own so they could interact with their charges better than remaining seated at the Head Table.
They were allowed to sit at the Head Table during events which required the faculty to sit together, however it was preferred they sat with the students.
Milly showed the group all the changes introduced to the Great Hall, including the additions of an improved points counter which floated below the House Crest in the far end of the room for all to see easily.
Another wall of the hall showcased the brightest students to walk through the halls as of late, while another presented images of students representing the characteristics of the Houses and Hogwarts true purpose.
In meantime, Gringotts lawyers invited to the meeting after Harry asked for their inclusion to aid in the finer points of the discussion, remained behind with their Veela Kingdom counterparts that arrived shortly after the Goblins with Ragpor's aid.
Both sides stayed behind to work out the finer details of the contract and ensure cooperation between the parties wasn't interrupted.
An Aelflyn working for the bank arrived to assist in delivering the documents for filing, as the Veela Kingdom's personal accountants and financiers worked with Gringotts to secure the alliance, but also to join themselves.
The King of the Goblins met with the Veela Queen a few days after speaking with Harry, which kickstarted the revival of society once more in a small corner of the world.
Slowly, but surely, the signs of the alliance were becoming present for everyone to witness as Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade began to slowly rebuild as more people dared to move about in familiar areas.
The former magical economic centre couldn't offer the same services or products it once did in the past, but that didn't stop those visiting to hear there were new changes coming soon to the entire area.
I'd take a short while for people to gather and take the risk to open a business in Diagon Alley, away from all they knew for some time now since the events of the war.
In the end, people returned and made the effort to invest in the new economy of the world they were trying to rebuild from the ground up.
Most people to Hogsmeade due to its proximity to Hogwarts, which drew enough people each day as they came to either see the castle and explore the land or to learn something from the classes available.
Those who'd seen Hogwarts before the events of the war were left astonished by the surreal changes brought to the castle, causing a few to frown.
They found it hard to accept Hogwarts could do with renovations and improvements, as they believed it was perfect already, but their tone changed soon after experiencing the changes.
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Of those moving to Hogsmeade to take up residence after leaving the Veela Kingdom came in all forms and shapes, as lycanthropy infected wizards and witches came along with their mundane brethren affected by the same curse.
Part-Veela and full blooded also came in large numbers, along with Centaurs, Nymphs, Dryads, and many others, having first visited Ollivanders for a Magical Foci they found comfortable using.
The people coming from the Veela Kingdom were notified to make their way over to the wandcrafter to receive a wand if they didn't have one already on their person.
It also fulfilled a small clause part of the alliance between Harry, the Veela Kingdom, and the Goblin Nation.
Garrick asked if anyone required their first wand that they came to see him, especially children as he knew how to create the best Magical Foci to develop their core to a state that'd allow them to get the most from their magical energy.
For adults he wasn't against crafting personalised wands, modified to best fit each person however children had a preselect range they could only purchase from unless there were extenuating circumstances.
Garrick didn't mind if children changed to another wand as it meant their magic required a focus capable of wielding the most of their power and efficiently at that.
This best showed itself through the adults visiting the store, only to walk away with unique bangles, rings, and other accessories to act as the foci.
Most people went with purchasing a wand, but the odd few chose something slightly different to suit their personal preferences or technique of magic use.
This all led to greater number of visitors heading over to Hogwarts to improve their magical education and in the odd few cases there were people learning from scratch as they never had the chance to receive a magical education.
However, the Scottish castle still had the right charm to cause the visitors a momentary shock that stopped them dead as they took in the wonders of the last bastion of the magical world.
Majority of it had undergone great changes to adapt with the new landscape that vastly differed from the past, however it still showcased to all that the serenity of Hogwarts remained just as peaceful and calm, as it had always been.
Aelflyn and Goblins worked together to manage the ever-growing crowds each day, as many came to study so they could either train and improve their magical skillsets or delve into deep study to learn all they could through the aid of Portrait Professors, so they weren't left behind, educationally.
Eventually they'd adapt and find the portrait professors more informative and helpful as opposed to many who'd taught them in the past with an aggressive or distant approach.
Of course, for those being educated for the first time in a magical institute found the experience unbelievable, down to the cape and robe uniform organised by the Aelflyn to ensure everyone felt part of Hogwarts, instead of being seen as intruders.
It saw to the sudden creation of Hogwarts merchandise by a combination of Dryad, Nymph, Veela, and few other magical being who were all students of Hogwarts.
They might not have had the opportunity to experience the full seven years of studying at the castle, but each of them lived in Hogsmeade and travelled daily to Hogwarts.
Only a few remained of the group that still attended Hogwarts, and as such found the lack of merchandise quite annoying and sought to remedy the situation.
It all started after they noticed the poor representation of the school out in the general public as they began to swarm to places like Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
As such the group of friends quickly got together and started to procure materials to create their designs for the different Houses.
Harry had also included a few more Houses to Hogwarts, changing to the status quo set by the previous Lords of House Peverell, Ignius, and Clan Heiðran.
Utilising what he knew about each House, and spending the time and effort to learn all that he could, a decision was made to include all founders and their true story for all to know.
To help with his project, Milly and Ragpor suggested he cooperate with the group of young friends who hoped to release merchandise of the different Houses for the students and general public if they so wish.
The large group of young women and a number of male Werewolves couldn't hold back their excitement at having the opportunity to release what the Headmaster had found in regards to the other three Lords.
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With help from Aelflyn, and their own unique magic to aid in the artful design of the three House Crests greatly accelerated the work left for the group to manage.
The Hogwarts House colours for Peverell went with a metallic shade of silver and a touch matte grey to even out the unique shade.
It matched well beside the ruby red colour that contained a lighter touch for it to perfectly represent the House to have done the impossible and stand before Death.
The House of the Fearless, for going beyond what others believe going against the norm, and Tranquil for having walked away stronger and smarter than before to not ever fall for the same mistake again.
A Thestral became the magical creature to represent House Peverell on its crest, a fact Harry supported as Lord Peverell.
Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone of House Ignius alive to give their personal thoughts on creating their Hogwarts House, so Harry had to research all that he could about the Ancient House through the ever-growing library of the castle.
He found House Ignius colours were white and blue, but similar to that of a blue flame, which Harry approved for the second new Hogwarts House.
It was best represented through a blue phoenix, the very same pictured on the crest of House Ignius after its founder and their familiar.
A powerful wizard in their own right, they gained the approval of a phoenix that willingly bonded with the young man and aided in his struggle to achieve power and strength for himself and loved ones.
As such the best representation of the second new house for Hogwarts was through their Fiery attitude to stand tall in front of any and all adversities.
It worked well with Compassion, for not just those seen as their blood, but for others they accepted into their circle and held dear, to even stand beside them in times of dire need.
The white colour of House Ignius best related to the compassion from a peaceful and loving heart that hasn't been tainted or corrupted.
Last off, Clan Heiðran or more commonly known as House Heiðran, were added as the final new House to Hogwarts.
However, their history, as Harry knew it through copious amounts of research led him to find the Clan had preferred wearing golden coloured fabrics, matched with dark shades as a subtle representation of how the Clan saw themselves.
They acted in the Light to ensure the Darkness remained under control, rather than it being allowed to freely do as it pleased, causing untold chaos and harm.
Harry never understood what Clan Heiðran in fact did during their Golden Age of success and existence.
As the current Lord Heiðran, Harry could only imagine their past, while securing their chances in the present.
Represented through a snowy white Direwolf on their House Crest, Harry and the students working on creating Hogwarts merchandise agreed House Heiðran ideally leaned towards Righteous for leaving no stone unturned during their days as guardians for magical kind.
A Direwolf might not have been the best magical creature to represent the House, however it was recorded by several Ancient Houses that particular men and women of Clan Heiðran actually rode Direwolves into battle, having raised them from youth and created a familiar bond in most cases.
They weren't the only creatures to have bonded with members of Clan Heiðran, as the odd few Nundus, Dragons, Thunderbirds, and even Phoenix's were familiars to a few important individuals to leave behind legacies to echo their name throughout history.
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Funded by Hogwarts, the group based their operations out of Hogsmeade in the beginning and bought up land with a few delict buildings led behind to wither away after the events of the War to End All.
Materials were sourced easily from the storage facilities set up in Hogsmeade by the Goblin Nation and Aelflyn, easily allowing the group to acquire the necessary goods they needed.
As such, the group started working heavily on their business venture, with many members taking the time to visit Hogwarts regularly so they could improve their magical knowledge and abilities.
Studying for weeks on end, the group eventually found their theoretical and practical knowledge started to show unique results while utilising magic in their craftwork.
Eventually, they were ready to showcase their work and called for Harry and particular new members of Hogwarts faculty staff to seek approval for the merchandise and uniform style upgrades.
Taking volunteer students willing to model the clothing, a small catwalk and fashion show was made for the faculty staff.
Clothing lines for sporting wear, merchandise for each of the original four Houses and the new three, including uniforms for Hogwarts, but designed to actuate the colours of any specific House or several to mix and match for couples and families.
Best of all, each of the clothing lines had a special animated style for a higher cost which enabled the House Mascots to move around freely and emanate the mood of the wearer if they so choose.
There were items for people to purchase if they'd studied in the past at Hogwarts, and wished to represent their House further could do so.
In simple goods like ink pots, pens, pencils and so forth were part of the items shown by the group to the faculty staff as they wanted to range out as far as they could to increase their market strength.
It worked, as the faculty found the clothing wear a success and congratulated the entire group on their ingenuity to create such a business in the first place.
Harry went further and called on Bloodaxe, the Director of the British Gringotts Bank to send over staff to write up a contract and create accounts for each of the group members including a business account.
In the original agreement Harry signed with Ragnok to forge the alliance between House Potter and the Goblin Nation stated any new business would receive a small grant from both Gringotts Bank and House Potter.
They saw it as the means to further hasten the establishment of a new economy, as nobody was fond of a barter system, especially the magical kind.
Therefore, the group of friends started off with a minimum of five thousand Galleons from both parties in the business account, atop of what already been given.
It became clearer for all to see the value brought by the decision to forge the alliance with House Potter and the Goblin Nation as such.
Within a few days after the meeting, their merchandise had already been spread far and then, bought up by current students and the odd few past students.
