I don't own Harry Potter or Stargate.
Chapter 10
"How long will the training facility take to build?" asked Padma at breakfast.
"It should take the better part of twenty-four hours. The drones aren't building a ship but a stone and mineral amalgamation that will house the simulator of a ship. Then the internals will take another day so we can set a few simulators into it. All in all, it should be done by the time I finish with the Wizengamut." said Harry, between his bacon and eggs.
"That brings up another point. How are we going to get people there? I got a few positive responses from muggleborns that are now living with their parents because they have no prospects in our world and no skills in the muggle one. Will they come here first?" asked Parvati.
"They would come here first to be added to the system. That part can be done from here. The constructors will program the systems based on what codes I send them. They should bring their parents so I can scan them. I don't want to separate families at all and if their parents are squibs, like I think they all may be, then they can use the technology and approach the front door. Muggle repelling wards don't stop squibs." he responded.
"Ok. I think the Daily Prophet has picked up a little of your plans so far. It's not like we could really keep some of what you're up to out of the papers. Do you want to send a little something to them to keep mostly the truth out? Or do you want to wait and see if they start with the lies?" asked Padma.
"I guess we should send them something. An add or something. Let them know we are looking for the smart driven types with an understanding of muggle technology as it is today. That would cut down on bad applicants. Then we should say something about the loss of our history to the arrogance of the past and that I've come across the records of what happened to magical technology as we used to have it before and wish for us to have it again." he stated. Padma had put down her fork and was writing. She was using a pen over a quill because she found it more convenient not to have to continually dip her writing utensil.
"Okay," she said after some more scribbling, "A press release hidden in an add. I can do that. I'll clean that up a bit so we can cut down on who actually applies. But the Daily Prophet gets read in many countries today because they are trying to see what we do after Voldemort. The world was scared that we would begin building an army to start invading our neighbors. We're still in clean-up right now and some of those countries are looking at us as conquerable right now as well. We just came back from a despotic dictatorship and our government is still new. The Wizengamut members that went into hiding are back now pushing the old status quo. We need to have a voice in that body saying no to more of the same old that brought us Voldemort. Thats where you come in. That may also be why we may have to fight for our products." said Padma.
"So how hard should I rock the boat?" he asked. They all went back to their breakfast for a bit while the question was pondered.
"You may have to reveal a bit of what you're up to. Let them know that you found an entire race of dark lords among the stars and that those dark lords believe that all life should be their slaves and worship them. That you are preparing a defense and that the magic technology of our past will be the key to saving ourselves." said Parvati thoughtfully.
"Thats a good start," said Harry after a moment, "But they may decide that I am just looking for a reason to stay relevant. That with the loss of my dark lord problem I must be seeking attention again. Remember, to most of the wizarding world I've only ever been referred to as a glory hound. They never got good press of me."
"You will have to remind them that the bad press was all proven to be false. You've proved it false and still saved the wizarding world that hardly believed in you. Use that." said Parvati.
He nodded. It was time he started standing up for himself with the press. Rita Skeeter would, of course, be looking to ruin his reputation just for headlines throughout this. But, then again, he'd proven most of her headlines to be false as well. And no one had hear much from her for some time. Maybe he could introduce some libel laws. That or he could challenge the libelous person to a duel.
"Seems like we have a plan then. And breakfast is done so I guess we should all get back to work huh?" he supplied.
Parvati and Padma went immediately to draft what they needed to send by owls and before coming to him to state that they would much prefer to be able to contact much of the wizarding world through some other medium. They were a little tired of the wait times of owl post when they both knew that the capability was there to do better. They were wearing the proof of that on their arms.
By lunch they had replies to their post. In Padma's case it was an acceptance note of the add and a notice that it would be in the morning issue of the Daily Prophet. In Parvati's case it was a positive repsonses that they would have visitors the day after tomorrow to test for squib vs. muggle for the parents of the muggleborns. Parvati aloud how the muggleborns would feel about not shutting the pure-bloods out of the entire operation. Then again, he'd already recruited Nevile.
By dinner, he'd gotten the simulator programs working with a lot of cut and paste from pre-existing programs and just knew that without the arm ornament and the memories he would be Dumbledore's age before he got anywhere. He would still be programming the first computer!
He could see now that Dumbledore's idea of the greater good was to keep the wizarding world from changing at all, but no change would stagnate the world. Stagnation would have killed the wizarding world off, with wars and such, like had already amost happened. Magical England had almost been wiped out, and the majority of the muggleborns hunted down and imprissoned for just being alive. No the wizarding world really needed to get over this blood status thing and work together if they were ever going to get anywhere with his technology. He figured that having the muggleborns working for him would help their status a lot. He was their champion, everyone's current champion really, and it was time to lead the light as the leadership had fallen into his lap.
Dinner had been nice, English fare this time, and after thanking the enthusiastic elf they buckled back down. Learning programs for the girls and more programming for himself. The redesigns for the Lantean ships had taken down the number of people meant to run them so there was a lot of automation. There were few workstations and that meant that there would likely be teams with a captain running things. He wasn't building a traditional navy, he didn't know how one of those was run anyway, to include rank structure so he didn't know how to set thing up to run in that manner. No he was going to be running teams with everyone finding a specialization using the training programs and captains would pick their teams based on their scores in the simulators. It would work easily for the first batch to take an Aurora out but it would be worth it.
They quit their after dinner activities early to spend some time together. He spent some time telling the girls a little about his time at Privet Drive and they told him a bit of what they could remember of Magical India before the had moved to Magical England. They had curled up together on the couch with a girl on each knee so the kisses were a bit more tame tonight but he was happy with whatever the girls were ready for.
The next morning Harry was fitting himself in dress robes for the Wizengamut meeting. He was nervous about what may or may not happen with the body of mostly old men that seemed to run everything. The morning's Daily Prophet had trumpeted his add as front page news instead in the adds section so the entire magical world was going to get notified very soon with whatever happened in the Wizengamut. He again, tried to tame his hair but it wouldn't cooperate. One of the girls saw and giggled.
"Why don't you just grow it out some?" asked Parvati. "I bet when its longer it would be easier to manage."
"I've never cut it before." he said. "I don't think it gets any longer than this. The last time it was cut it was buzzed all off except the fringe and it grew back overnight."
She looked up at him with at look of surprise and then at her sister with a questioning look. At the nod she turned back.
"Then have you ever just conscentrated on your hear and willed it to grow a little longer or shorter or even a different color? I think you might have that ability, based off of what you just said." stated Parvati. "Read about in witch weekly. Its rare but some people are what you would call a limited metamorph and can change things about there hair, or nails or something to do with the body just not the whole thing like a full metamorph."
"No. I never tried before. Didn't really think it might be controllable. I thought it was normal." he responded.
"It's not normal for you hair not to grow Harry." she admonished. He blushed a little before conjuring a mirror.
Staring into the mirror he willed his hair to lengthen and it actually did. It was a slow process but not slow enough for him not to notice. He tried other things but nothing happened but his hair changing. Parvati dashed upstairs while he was playing with his hair and got a plain hair tie and came back downstairs to stand behind Harry. She encouraged him the lengthen it enough for her to tie it back for him into men's ponytail. He found he liked how it looked. Of course, pulled back you could see the mostly faded scar.
He thanked her by spinning around and pulling her into a snog, one hand on her back and the other massaging her bum. She groaned into his mouth but they had to break apart before she pushed him to do even more. She and her sister had discussed how far they were going to push him physically and when. This kind of decision should always be made by both sisters. Padma just smirked at them.
"Who knew your hairdressing skills would reap you such rewards dear sister?" she laughed.
"Oh hush. You're just jealous." she laughed back
"True." was the response.
"Well we can't have that." interjected Harry as he swept Padma up the same way. Her encounter was shorter but no less satisfying.
"Well you do remember what you are going to say?" she prompted after she regained her wits.
"Yes. I won't go into too much detail as I don't think that they will understand how much of the technology works. I will talk about how we may have stopped one dark lord but if we don't change the way we do things there will be another one. Or another war over something else. We need to fix or lawmaking practices so that one group doesn't get all the benefits and everyone else is left out in the cold. I think I will say that almost word for word." he responed.
She nodded and leaned up to peck him on the lips again, stealing a quick one. He smirked and watched her move to the workstation she'd started on and picked up from its construction table a personal shield device. Walking back over she handed it to him.
"Wear this today." she ordered. The shield devices were designed with robes in mind so they were designed to be worn like a sash. He draped it on and hit activate.
"There. And good idea. Just because I can't prove anyone's out to get me doesn't mean that they aren't out to get me." he said with a grin.
"Constant vigilance. I've also got a belt version as well. To go with any occasion. The auror stun weapons work on the right level to still punch through after a few shots so don't get shot." she urged.
"Yes dear." he said seriously.
"Now get out of here so we can stop fussing over you and get back to work." said Parvati.
He smiled and nooded before walking over to the floo. Thinking for a second he turned off the shield before grabbing a pinch of floo powder.
"Ministry of Magic." he called,tossing in the powder and stepping through.
He came stumbling out of the floo and immediately turned on the shield. He could reach out and shake hands and such but anything to impact any harder than that and especially any direct energy would be deflected. He headed to the reception desk.
"Wand." The worker didn't even look up from his book. He just reached out his hand.
"No wand." he responded. "But I'll be sure to tell the head of the aurors that you don't have your eyes pealed."
Eyes snapped up at the insinuation, before he realized who was talking and warmed up a bit. "Sorry about that sir I just got to a good part and really just didn't want to look up and miss a word."
"You're still on security. Could have stunned you and kept going. What would you have done or could you have done about it?"
"Not much I guess...still have to check your wand." he said.
"Didn't bring one."
"Then why are we even having this conversation? Move along Mr. I saved the world!" he snapped.
"Sure thing." he left the man there and went strait to the DMLE. He didn't know the new director but that was easily fixed. He walked up to the desk.
"Two questions. Who do I talk to about a bad front desk guard in the ministry building? And Where are the Wizengamut chambers?"
The girl behind the desk almost had a heart attack when she recognized who it was. She stuck he impressive bust out and responded.
"We already know. We have a replacement arranged for tomorrow. The director caught him ignoring his duty earlier." she was trying to angle herself so that he would get a view down her robes.
"Thats good. I'm surprised he still there now though." he said with a light frown.
"Wand weighting is trickier than it looks I guess and he's good at at least that much. And I'll show you to the Wizengamut chambers personally." she pretty much purred the last part. Now uncomfortable he tried to get away from her.
"Directions would be fine. Wouldn't want the director firing you too would we?" hoping that gave her a hint.
It did and she frowned. She didn't look angry at all, just disappointed. With a shrug, she gave him the directions and he set off in he labyrinthine halls of the ministry. It wasn't really a long walk and he now knew the way on his own so he took the heavy flirtation in stride and reminded himself that he was now an adult celebrity. He should really get used to it.
The chambers were opulent and plushly furnished. There were a few members already there and he hoped he could get some help before the seating. He did a moment later of looking lost as Kinsley caught sight of him.
"Harry, so glad you could make it." said Kingsley, shaking his hand and smirking as the two shields interacted.
"Good to see you too Kingsley. I really don't know what I'm doing at this point so a little help would be nice." he said nervously.
"This is the easy part. You will stand over there and wait for the Chief Witch, Madam Marchbanks, to call for any new buisiness. This is the first meeting of the full Wizengamut since the Battle of Hogwarts so it will all be new buisiness. I'll interject at that time to announce you and that you've come to take your seats. There is the Potter and Black proxies that would really like for you to not show up today and they will likely try to get in the way but will not succeed. They are only supposed to be here if you sent them and I know you didn't so away they go. Don't worry about not having enough arse for both the seats. Just sit in the Potter seat, which the proxy will vacate after you claim both titles. Then its listening to the droning of the business of running the country after your investiture speech. Please make it quick. And we're done."
"I don't know. That sounds a bit more complicated than you're saying."
"It is. Just not for you." came the response. He nodded and went to the area that was pointed out to him.
He didn't have to wait long before people started to find their seats. There were a lot of faces he did not know and one old woman that he did. Madam Marchbanks from the exam board was Chief Witch. He should have made the connection when he was talking to Kingsley. She picked up the gavel and truck the desk.
"I call this first session of the Wizengamut to order in the year of 1998. Is there any new business?" Kingsley stood.
"Yes, Chief Witch. A young lord has come foreward to take his place among his peers."
Harry had kept an eye on the the Wizengamut and as such saw most of the heads snap around and all the gazes fall on him. He almost blushed under the scrutiny.
"Ah. Harry Potter. Come to claim the Potter seat?" she asked him.
"Yes ma'am." he stated. "I've come to claim the Potter and Black seats." an indignant shout rose up from the gallery. It was Draco Malfoy. Madam Marchbanks didn't give him any time.
"This topic has already been discussed and decided upon in 1996 when Dumbledore claimed the proxies on behalf of the Potter scion. The issue of whether this body would legislate away their ability to designate their own heirs was put up for debate and decided in favor of maintaining the ability to decide your own heirs for yourselves. This body will not be interrupted by the gallery again!" she stated. "Now the proxies appointed by Dumbledore will step down." that was as far as she got before the two men, that Harry now recognized as Dumbledore's men, stood and started shouting.
"How dare this boy come forth to say that I do not do what is for the greater good! How dare he in his inexperience call for me to step down! Go home boy!" the rest of the Wizengamut turned to see Harry's response.
Harry looked at the man with a patient expression. He had really been ready for Malfoy's objection but it seemed that Madam Marchbanks was leaving him to field this one.
"I dare to take my seat, and I assure you sir it is my seat, and have to put up this abuse. You are supposed to be serving at my pleasure, not your own. And I know of this greater good you speak of and I have never stood for the ideals of Grindlewald. That's where it comes from you know. Obstruction of progress. Keep things as they are. I say no. I say we have to do better before we have another dark lord to fight." he started.
"Says the man who's collecting muggleborns like you-know-who collected pure-bloods!" the black proxy shouted joining the fray.
"I am employing those that you would deny a job just because they are muggleborn. I am giving them jobs because they are just as qualified or even more so than the pure-bloods. You must know something about technology to be of any use in my current business. It's just good business." he countered. "It's my seat, the both of them, and your words here today means that you both can find yourselves other work as your services are no longer required." he finished with finality.
"Enough!" said Madam Marchbanks, banging her gavel, "Lord Potter has spoken and you are to vacate to the gallery or leave these proceedings altogether."
Harry wished she hadn't left slapping those men down up to him but shrugged and made for his seat. As he passed the man struck with a dagger. The force of the blow was stopped by the shield. Harry's hand was up and a silent stunner hit the man at point blank range. Aurors swarmed the position and Harry stepped away from the slumped man.
It took a few minutes for the Madam Marchbanks and the aurors to gain control of the proceedings again but Harry eventually made it to his seat. He wasn't there for very long before someone brought up a ban on all things that could be considered 'magic technology'. Harry stood.
"We would be doing ourselves a disservice in voting to outlaw magic technology. In doing so we would outlaw our gas lamps, stoves, omnoculars, brooms, the shields, which can stop an unforgivable and saved my life just now, stunner pistols that the DMLE has ordered from me which will up the favorable capture rate for aurors, toys for the children and medical scanners for Saint Mungo's that found what was wrong with the Longbottoms and showed us the key to their cure after all these years. This motion is just to keep the wizarding world from moving forward. No more, no less." then he sat.
The motion failed spectacularly as it was revealed that the man was the main supplier of wizarding stoves and paid by Malfoy to put a stop to Harry's income. Now that he knew that he would be ending his own income as well he relented and withdrew his motion and proceedings continued. Malfoy stood and stormed out of the gallery. The rest of the session was used reviewing and striking down the old laws and the ones from Voldemort's short reign that made it legal to kill muggles and muggleborns just for living. No one wanted to be known to represent such so most of this went by unanimously. There were only a few laws reviewed in hours of work however and he knew that this would have to be done before any real sweeping reforms could be introduced.
Lunch was served to the body by the ministry house elves. They looked happy and were happier still when he thanked them. He was approached by a few people trying to feel out his politics. He stood firmly for reforms and when he made his explanations as to why people listened. He couldn't tell if they took his point of view or not but at least they listened.
The session resumed til late afternoon and they had reviewed and struck 6 laws and rewritten several for equality's sake alone. His argument that the next dark lord or goblin rebellion would be because of unfairness on the part of the pure-bloods against all who were not and that they should really judge people by their own merits not their money.
He was exhausted with all the politicking. Who was he kidding, he was just exhausted. He always wondered why Dumbledore had never done this and now he knew. The old man had never cared to. He talked a good game, but hadn't actually done a thing for muggles and muggleborn other than the muggle protection act. And that last law had been mostly Arthor Weasly.
After saying his goodbyes to Kingsley Shackbolt, acting Minister of Magic, he made his way to the floo. Announcing his destination he was off.
He stumbled out of the floo on this end and disengaged his shield just in time receive a charging hug from Parvati. Apparently she was worried about him after Padma had made him wear a shield. She didn't kiss him, she just held him and he worried that she had heard about the attempt on his life.
"We heard about the knife." said Padma as she approached more sedately. She joined into the hug with her sister making some room, not much but some to pull her in too.
"Great idea with the shield. How did you hear anyway?" he asked.
"You have an old wizarding wireless here and all but the closed sessions are broadcasted." she explained.
"Oh." what else could he say. He smiled. "So I don't have to tell you what went on then. It was a pretty boring day. Politics and more politics. Politicking is tiring business. People were in the mood to listen to me more because I rid them of the worst dark lord in recent history. And Draco lost a little face being revealed to be paying people for votes and laws just like his father."
"Yeah, that little ferret." said Parvati finally letting go and going for the kiss now. It was a quick peck then he went upstairs to change.
He collapsed onto the couch when he was done, to tired to spend the rest of the day reviewing computer code. Then he remembered that he should cut the power to the stargate in the back. Rising to see that done was a short affair but necessary. When the Americans used the gate in their possession and then dialed back, the one with a dialing device would likely be the one called unless it was powered down. He would hate for the house to become an interstellar war zone.
Dinner was a quiet affair. That he'd almost been stabbed still foremost in their minds throughout the meal. Not to say that they were scared. He'd come downstairs with the shield converted into a belt and declared that he would keep it and they should start getting used to wearing theirs. They relaxed with him and told him about their day as well. They hadn't done too much while listening to the wireless. They had received more correspondence and wondered if he was going to pay the first months pay to the recruits up front or wait til the end of the month. He'd asked what would work best and since some of them were homeless he would probably have to pay up front or have to deal with unwashed people. He agreed and she informed him that they now had ond hundred seventy on the hook and his facility would be packed to the gills already.
The goodnight snog was heated but short.