DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you've seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$

A/N: Some questions from last chapter.

1) How did Arthur know that Lucius was a Black?

The Hall of Records has the records of all magical births including parents. The only "sealed" records are the adoption records – primarily and including all children born in Time Chambers. (Arthur can access this as Heir Apparent and Head of Magical Child Welfare). Lucius was not born in a Time Chamber. Orion Black was in his mid-twenties (as was Lucius's Mum) when he had the affair.

2) Why didn't the other lines know about their real heirs given the fact that the rings can only be worn by the true Head of House?

Not all of the original rings survived to this day. They were made almost eight hundred years ago. Things do get lost over the centuries and a replacement would not have the magic of the original.

3) Why focus on Dean and not the other unknown heirs?

Dean is the only one who is both being raised in the Muggle World and the only survivor of his immediate line. Oliver Wood, etc. still have living fathers and grandfathers.

4) How could the Grangers get into St. Mungos?

Like Diagon Alley, Muggles who know about it can get in. Muggles who don't know about it will never find it, much less get in.

AND THE QUESTION MISSED: If Lucius was a Death Eater, and by definition a traitor to the Queen, why didn't the Black family lose its magic in Canon. For the Answer, read on…

P.S. No more than three chapters to go – Then PART II: Hogwarts and loads of Dumbledore, Snape & Co. Questions that will be answered in part:

Will the Longbottoms be cured?
Can the secret stay secret?
Will Dumbledore ruin it for everyone?
And is Ron a total git, or can he change?

(Obviously, this chapter despite length was easier to write than the last one...)

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: THE REAL BRITISH INVASION

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9th, 1990 – OFFICE W, LONDON, U.K.

Roger Grant continued to look over the highly classified file before him as he sat in the conference room near his office. Like most of the rooms in Thames House, home of State Security (also known as MI-5), the government had spared no expense to ensure that no form of eavesdropping was possible. Because this was Office W, the precautions included magical wards that prevented any form of magical surveillance. Certain things could not be left to chance.

The door opened and four men entered. Mike Evans and David Greengrass, of course, had been both partners and highly successful agents for years. Remus Lupin had been heading up the investigation into Fenir Grayback, the most notorious Were in Britain if not all of Europe. The mutt seemed to be out of the country, but Remus had been active in any event. Roger was all but certain that the British Were's would not give the mutt a warm welcome if he ever decided to return. Sirius Black was the newest Agent. In his day he had been a highly regarded Auror for the magicals who had rewarded his service with six years in prison without trial. Obviously, there was no love lost between the highly connected Black and his former government. In his short time with Office W, Agent Black was already making a name for himself.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Roger said as the four took their seats. "Read this morning's paper?"

"Which one?" Mike Evans asked. It was almost a rhetorical question.

"Magical Pravda," Roger answered.

The four nodded. They knew he meant The Daily Prophet.

"What I found of interest," Roger continued, "was a small article on page 16. Something about Lord Black disowning a distant relation."

"Lucius Malfoy," Sirius said. "Illegitimate son of my father, it seems."

"Why was it necessary for Lord Black to disown a bastard?" Roger asked. "As I understand it, under Magical Law, Malfoy has no viable claim against the Black Estates by his own right. His wife may, as may his son, but not him."

"In most cases," Sirius agreed. "Grandfather was concerned, however, that Magical Law would not extend to the passing of the Oath – Lucius as my father's oldest son could still become the Head of the Ancient and Noble House which is bound to support Her Majesty upon pain of the entire family losing its magic should a Head betray the oath. As Lucius is a known Death Eater, it was a risk Lord Black was not willing to take."

"Gentlemen, what follows is Most Secret Smuggler," Roger said. "Mike, would you care to give us a run down on Agent Smuggler?"

Mike Evans nodded and opened a file folder. "Gentleman," he began, "I must emphasize that the information we will be discussing does not exist."

The others nodded.

"Agent Smuggler, Wizard, born May 25th 1955 in a magical home most likely in the Lake District. Recruited by Office W in 1971 at age 16. Became a Death Eater on our orders a few months later. Thirty-eight confirmed kills of targets of interest…"

"Targets of interest? Death Eaters?" Sirius asked.

"Muggles," Mike said. "Warsaw Pact spies and agents, certain criminals, foreign terrorists, IRA and so on. Mostly overseas, but not always."

"An assassin?" Remus asked.

"Basically," Mike replied. "Used his Death Eater status and your War as a cover. Deaths unexplained in our world – usual rubbish about gas explosions and such. But the kills saw him rise rapidly within the Death Eater organization making him a very useful spy as well. Become one of Voldemort's top lieutenants by the end. In addition to our targets, he is also responsible for most of our successful attacks on his own colleagues. Some eighty-two Death Eaters were killed based upon the information he passed to us during your War."

"So this Agent Smuggler was a spy?" Sirius asked.

"Technically still is," Mike replied. "He also has some very interesting connections within the Magical government and had a talent for bribery and extortion – talents we did use on occasion."

"And this Agent Smuggler and Lucius Malfoy are one and the same?" Sirius asked.

Roger Grant nodded. He noticed the shocked look on Sirius Black's face. "Don't get me wrong, Black. The man is a right nasty bastard any way you look at it. But he happens to be our right nasty bastard."

"The unfortunate truth," Mike continued, "one which your Ministry never truly grasped – probably 'cause that Dumbledore chappie has no stomach for the reality – there are some games you must play for keeps. Malfoy was very good at quietly eliminating problems that needed elimination. While we generally refrain from such measures, the bottom line is better a dead mutt than a busload of children blown to bits by the mutt's bomb."

"To be honest," Roger Grant continued, "believe it or not, there are people in this world who make that Malfoy chap look like a choirboy."

"And you can control him?" Sirius asked.

"To an extent," Roger said. "An agent such as him is in it not for Queen and Country but some other reason, so they are never truly trustworthy. Some go rogue and become a liability. The rules of this game are that rogue agents are dealt with – permanently."

"Still…"

"The morality is simple, Black," Roger said. "There are times when the elimination of a threat is more important than the niceties. Better a handful of dead mutts than thousands of dead subjects. When the call is made, and such call is way above my pay level, those are the factors considered. How many innocents will die if we do not take action. How many innocents did your Ministry allow to die in your last War?"

Sirius shrugged. To be honest, as far as he knew no one had ever figured that out.

"The population of Wizarding Britain in 1970 was 86,424 as of the Ministry's official census," David Greengrass said. "There was supposed to be one in 1980, but apparently they could not find any volunteers to go out and count. They managed to conduct one in 1985. That census showed a population of 67,923."

"That's almost 20,000!"

"About 18,500," Greengrass said. "True, there were thousands who emigrated to other countries to avoid the fun. But our estimates are that the Death Eaters killed between three and five thousand magicals. That needs to be put into perspective. Despite their anti-Muggle rhetoric, the Death Eaters killed almost five times as many magicals as Muggles."

"So which option would you prefer?" Roger asked. "Perhaps if the magical government had done its job and taken the threat seriously, thousands would be alive today. In our experience fatal cases of nine millimeter lead poisoning tends to make the other side think twice – assuming they are not totally nuts. And if they are, well the maggots need to eat too. Better them than our people."

Sirius nodded. He was unaware of the true cost of that war. What he knew was what most knew. People were gone. But there had been no numbers. Thousands had died or fled because the government that was supposed to protect them did not. Sirius knew that it wasn't until late 1980 that any Auror had been authorized to use lethal force even in self defense. Prior to then, the orders were to capture or retreat. He knew why, although that did not make things any better. Many of the Death Eaters were from old or wealthy families, all well connected. More than a few government officials lived off their largess and they had been reluctant to kill the golden goose as it were, even one that was killing them for sport.

"So why are we here?" he asked.

"What effect will your Grandfather's actions have on Mr. Malfoy?" Roger asked.

"From a practical standpoint, very little," Sirius answered. "It cuts him off from becoming the Head of the Ancient and Noble House, but that is a title without attendant wealth or known power. Respect? For certain. But it's not as if Malfoy knew he was in line for it or that anyone else was aware either. Our law does not bestow property rights on bastards, so even had he not been disowned, he would have no claim as to the Black Estate. His son might through the mother. He would not. The action does cut the son out.

"Even then, it only cuts them out from the Main Line. Draco – that's the kid - is not descended from my Grandfather. His only ability to claim any right of inheritance would arise if I passed away without having a child (something I might add will be remedied come August). Even in that event, his claim would be one of several, each getting an equal cut. His mother would have a cut, as would his Aunt Andromeda and Cousin Dora. My godchildren Harry and Clarice would have an equal cut, as would the Weasley Clan. There are at least thirty claimants who'd cut up that pie.

"Moreover, the act has no impact on his wife and son's claims on the Pollux Black properties (that Black is my maternal grandfather who has not done the world the favor of snuffing it). That includes, among other things, "Malfoy Manor" which was part of the dowry. Unless Pollux reciprocates and disowns the lot of them, their wealth attributable to the Black family is unfettered."

"Will he?"

"Pollux? The old bastard thought Voldemort was the savior of the wizarding culture and Death Eaters like Malfoy crusaders for what was right. I doubt he's changed his views on things. Besides, the worst he could do without losing his position in society is disown the male Malfoys. He has no cause to disown his granddaughter, at least none that I am aware of and I am not aware of a situation where the blood family member was disowned because she entered into a marriage contract under fraudulent pretenses, which is the most we have here assuming Abraxas Malfoy knew his supposed son was a bastard. That's debatable as by all accounts Abraxas got drunk on his wedding night in 1953 and stayed that way until his death in 1963."

"Is he joking?" Roger asked Remus.

"Not by much. Abraxas Malfoy was a very rich drunk. He was declared incompetent not long after he was married and his wife managed the family estate."

"So this disowning thing is much ado about nothing?"

"Not necessarily," Sirius said. "True, while Lucius is in prison, I doubt anything will come of it."

"Why not? Seems like a perfect time to gang up on the sod," Roger said.

"Which is why there is a law that prevents that. So long as he is alive and in prison, his estate is managed for him and cannot be subjected to legal challenge on familial grounds. Once he gets out? Well as I said, I doubt Pollux Black will take action."

"What about the Malfoys?" David Greengrass asked.

"What about them?" Roger added.

"Ah yes," Sirius said. "Abraxas was on the outs with his French cousins when he conveniently became incompetent. They might try something if it appears that Lucius is both vulnerable (based upon birth status) and on the outs with his British allies."

"Something we want to avoid," Roger said.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"He's an asset. We try and protect them – within reason. We keep the vultures at bay and that's leverage we can use to keep him under control."

"I assume you had leverage before."

Roger nodded. "But it's always a good idea to have more…"

SUNDAY, JUNE 24th, 1990 – CAMP W, U.K.

It was the final meeting of The Club before the bulk of them were scheduled to head to Japan to attend the Watanabe School. All the magical schools in Britain had let out and that meant that for the first time since the expanded Club first met, everyone was present. But, moreover, this evening it was not just the Club Members. Their families were there as well. A large dinner was planned both as a send off for the 457 kids and over 50 adults (Minders) who would leave for Japan in four days, as well as an end of year feast of sorts where, among other things, the W.I.S.E. League Trophies would be awarded.

Minerva could swear she had never seen so many magical people in one place at one time. True, despite being a huge fan of the game, she had never attended the Quidditch World Cup which routinely drew a hundred thousand or more. The Club had 718 Members the past year and with their families plus others there were close to twice that many in attendance. 718 "students" unofficially made The Club the largest school of magic in the British Isles by about fifty.

Minerva knew that a lot of thought had gone into the seating arrangements. There were over one hundred tables in the large hall, each sat about fourteen people. Families sat together, but each table had at least two and usually more than two families, always from different schools. There was no Head Table whatsoever. Minerva sat at a table with three families, none of whom were affiliated with Hogwarts – she was the Hogwarts person at her table. Like her, the other five "faculty advisors" sat with families from other schools. Even what she considered the inner circle of Members (or as the Weasley Twins had dubbed them, The High Command) received no special treatment. The Grangers sat with their kids and two other families. Remus, Sirius and Sophie actually sat at a different table with Lord Black and two other families neither of whom were named Greengrass or Evans, who sat at separate tables. Minerva had been told the whole idea was to continue the "integration" that the students had been a part of all year – to encourage the families to get to know other magical families from other parts of the country. Muggles mixed with magicals, Irish with English and so on.

She looked around when she was not engaged in conversation, which surprisingly was not often. Off in the distance she saw the amusing bane of her existence as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House, the Weasleys. Percy and the twins, in her estimation, had finally surpassed the infamous Marauders in scale and creativity of pranks.

She still did not know how they did it, but their "Grand Finale" for the year, just before exams, had been the first school prank she could remember that made the front page of the various Wizarding Dailies. One morning, the school woke up to find that the entire castle and all of the associated grounds were pink. The Weasleys never admitted to the prank, but there was no need. Everyone knew it was them. Still, because no one saw them do it nor could figure out how it was done, they had avoided any official punishment. Minerva had heard that they had eventually told Filius Flitwich, the Charms Professor, that it was indeed a specially made charm, for which they were quietly awarded points and given extra credit on their end of term Charms exams. The Pink Castle had driven Dumbledore spare as he felt it was a slight on the whole baby issue, which he refused to drop.

It was only today that the three Weasley boys admitted their culpability to her, stating that they had never intended the prank to be related in any way to the ongoing baby scandal. It was just that pink was apparently the easiest color. One of the twins admitted they had also wanted to make the castle fuzzy, but had not figured that bit out in time. There was always next year. The thought of the Weasley boys with a summer in Japan under their belts almost made Minerva shudder. Fortunately, the effects wore off after a couple of days. After all, they said, it's not a prank if it's permanent.

Minerva spied Oliver Wood and his family which got her thinking about Quidditch (although friends would say that there were times when anything would get her thinking about that.) Wood had been the reserve keeper for her Gryffindor Team this past year and would most likely be the starting Keeper next year as Angus Delaney, the four year Keeper, had just completed his Seventh Year. Wood would be one of only three players returning, and he was not a starter. Poor Charlie Weasley had only one other returning starter, Alice Cochrane, the Lead Chaser. In addition to Wood, he needed two more Chasers and two Beaters.

The thing was Minerva knew where he'd probably find them thanks to the W.I.S.E. League. The Weasley twins, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson (all having just finished First Year) were all on the Hogwarts Team. WISE League was very different. The teams had "Lines" or some form of rolling substitutions at all positions except Keeper and Seeker (where there were reserves in case of injury only). The whole line of Beaters and Chasers changed out about every fifteen minutes during the time limited two hour match, which meant the pace of play was frantic as the players were almost always fresh. It also meant far more kids got to play in each match, a perfect way to evaluate potential talent.

The Hogwarts Senior team had just missed the finals. Their one weak point was at Seeker and, while under the modified League Rules, Seekers were less important than in Standard Quidditch (due to the two hour time limit), they could still be the difference between victory and defeat, which was what happened the final game of the regular season against St. Alban's, whose Seeker caught the snitch in the 91st Minute ending what had been a tightly played game. St. Alban's had already been eliminated from contention and played the role of spoiler sending St. George's to face St. Patrick's in the Finals instead of Hogwarts. (The English won.)

In the Junior League, Hogwarts had entered the Finals undefeated, but lost by ten points to St. Andrews. That team did something that while not unheard of and perfectly legal, had not been seen all year. Their Beaters "ganged up" on the Hogwarts Keeper making it both difficult for him to guard the hoops and prevent goals and keeping the Hogwarts Beaters pinned back to try and protect him. The St. Andrews Keeper had a brilliant game and the result was a near runaway in scoring. Only Harry Potter's catching of the Snitch in the 115th minute prevented what would have been a devastating defeat. All agreed that St. Andrew's unexpected tactics had all but taken the rest of the Hogwarts team out of the game. It was a pity, because including Harry there was talent on that squad. At least five of the Chasers could easily play for their House Teams one day including Clarice Jameson and Ginny Weasley. That Theo Nott was a good keeper by any standard, but it is hard to defend the goal when under constant attack from iron clad bludgers.

The W.I.S.E. League had been a huge success. Even the Quidditch purists liked the fast paced play even if the mandatory time limit and liberal substitution rules violated what they saw as the purity of the game. None of them would opt for those rule changes in the Professional ranks, but they had come to appreciate them at this level. The odd effect was with the Muggle parents from the various schools (as they could attend their children's school matches). Somehow, the rule changes made the game easier to understand. Those parents were among the biggest fans, especially if one of their kids was playing. At the end of the season before the finals Harry (the "Unofficial" League Chairman) asked The Club members to vote whether to continue with the new rules next year, as those rules were originally in effect to endure they could complete the season in fifteen weeks with two leagues. There would be more than enough time next year. Overwhelmingly, the new rules were retained.

As the Hogwarts advisor, Minerva was technically in charge of all kids who were part of the Hogwarts community although her primary responsibility was for the ones actually at Hogwarts. In this vein, she tried to follow the progress of the fifty kids who were not yet at Hogwarts, a feat easier said than done. Still, she was pleased with what she saw. They all had learned a lot and she was still surprised at how quickly the younger kids picked up magic. Seven of her charges had already been to Japan. Four had finished their first year, three of whom were nine or ten and would not begin Hogwarts until 1991. Those three had returned with the assignment to try and attain their Common Form Animagus by the time they returned to Japan.

In Britain, Animagus was a rare talent, mostly because those who developed it were self taught. It was not taught in the schools. Consequently, any Animagus form was considered a worthy accomplishment. Apparently, in those countries where the talent was far more common place (because it was taught), some forms were better than others. The ideal Common Form was an animal that would largely pass unnoticed. Large animals were not preferred nor were any animals that one either expected in a paddock or would attract the attention of a hunter. Oddly, that meant that of the three unregistered Animagi she knew, two had forms that were not considered ideal. Large black dogs attracted attention – actually any dog would, particularly in any place that had a leash law. Stags were also a little too obvious. The Common Form was for stealth and evasion, not looking cool. Thus Sirius Black and the late James Potter's forms were not ideal. Cats were generally okay. So were birds and other small animals, particularly those that were difficult prey species assuming one was not a predator.

Harry, she knew, was an eagle. She thought it might be a little too noticeable until Harry pointed out that most people do not notice them unless they are close to the ground. Clarice was a raven, a bird only the fanciers took uncommon interest in. Hermione was like her Great-grandmother, a common house cat.

Over the past couple of months, three of her four other Japan students had achieved their forms. Dora Tonks was a metamorphagus, a useful skill that she was getting special instruction on at school so she could change into just about anyone at will, but a skill that prevented her from attaining an animagus form. Neville Longbottom, it turned out, was a grey squirrel. Native to North America, they had become common enough in Britain and were considered a good form because most people took little note of them unless they were raiding bird feeders. Susan Bones was a badger, oddly enough the symbol of Hufflepuff House which had been the House Bones family members had been sorted into for centuries. Luna Lovegood was an owl. From a Muggle perspective it was not an ideal form, at least during daylight. But as wizards used them to deliver the post, most would take no notice of an owl at any time.

Minerva was musing on the potential menagerie that might be attending Hogwarts in the next year or so when she watched Harry, Hermione and Clarice walk to a podium at the front of the room. They were to deliver some remarks and then award the W.I.S.E. Cups and some other things. Minerva really did not pay attention as she was lost in thought concerning these three children who more than any others were truly under her care as their Magical Guardian.

These three were the defacto leaders of this entire group. At eight through ten years of age, some 715 kids were in their Club. No one seemed to question this. Then again, the three already had ten years worth of magical schooling, more than any other member of the club and most of the adult witches and wizards as well. As Deputy Headmistress, she was responsible for a little over 400 students. These three had over seven hundred this year and the projections were that come September, that number would be more than double the size of Hogwarts. While certain issues were handled by the adults be they the school faculty advisors or the Office W people who handled the money and facilities, these three were at least aware of if not involved in any decision regarding The Club.

The most recent was the logistics of getting nearly 500 people to Japan. Only fourteen could Shift. The rest had to go either by Portkey or air. Portkeys were not preferred as those would require contact with the Ministry of Magic which regulated international Portkeys. Keeping out of sight from the Ministry was the current goal as no one doubted the Ministry would not look kindly on the type of education these children would be receiving overseas. But, trying to book flights for 500 people was no simple task. Office W figured best case it would take at least three days to transport all of those people and probably closer to five. It was decided to charter two British Airways 747s for the "Lift." This would allow them all to arrive in Tokyo within an hour of each other and, it turned out, was actually less expensive. Thus, on June 28th, two 747's (flown by Muggle Borns in the employ of British Airways, it turned out) would ferry the entire lot from London to Tokyo where they would use the portal to get to the Watanabe School in Kyoto. Not surprisingly, when this had been announced to the kids who would be going, the Weasley twins had dubbed the coming summer as "The British Invasion," which had stuck.

Minerva and all the other five faculty sponsors would be going as well to serve a stint as Minders. This would also give them time to plan for the upcoming academic year. Security the past year had been remarkably easy. Then again, there were only a handful of "overly educated" students. Dora Tonks was the only one at Hogwarts and she was good at keeping a low profile. There had only been two at St. George's as the three oldest were now with Office W and the youngest would "start" school in the fall. This fall would be different of course. Hogwarts would have fifty-four students who had been to Japan. The other five schools would have around seventy-eight each on average. In other words, more than one out of every ten students in British magical schools would have spent at least one summer (five academic years) in Japan. This would make keeping The Program a secret far more difficult.

There had been a lengthy meeting on future security in late May. Everyone was concerned about potential Ministry interference at too early a stage. It was agreed that at some point it would be too late for the Ministry to step in successfully. After all, Harry had pointed out, even if they fully mobilized their Aurors, seventy Aurors against hundreds of Defense Masters, even given disparities in magical power, would not be a fair contest. (The Auror's would lose most likely.) But those numbers would not be achieved until the fall of '91 at the earliest and even then it was not fair to expect all qualified Defense Masters to stand up to the Ministry. Then again, there were more than a few disgruntled Ministry officials whose children were in the Program, to include the heads of Magical Child Welfare and Magical Law Enforcement.

Next year was when they would be most vulnerable. After that Ministry interference would be a political disaster without a doubt. Hermione had opined that even if the Ministry tried to put a stop to it next year, with over 700 in the program right now and over 900 projected for next year, interference would make the current scandals seem tame. After all, the Editors of three major magical papers also had children in the Program. It was a pity the Daily Prophet was not one of them. Still, there was the expression one did not tickle a sleeping dragon. In a couple of years, the dragon could well be the Program. Next year, however, the Ministry would still have the edge.

The option of the children not returning to school, while both attractive and practical, was not a realistic option yet. It was true that none really needed to attend. But for hundreds of children to either stop attending school or decline outright? That would get the Ministry's attention even faster than a group of kids who seemed way too advanced for their supposed years.

With regards to Hogwarts, Minerva had thought long and hard about the risks and exactly who might be a problem for her Club members. She divided the faculty into three catagories: those who would support the idea, those who would oppose (and invite Ministry interference) and those who either would not notice or care one way or another. In the support category were professors who, like her, felt there was too much restriction on what they could teach. This included three of the four Heads of House as well as the professors who taught Ancient Runes and Arithmancy and maybe the Astronomy professor. The school Matron, who did not teach, would be included as the Japanese school did teach human physiology to all students, thus potentially reducing the need for the Time Chamber.

In the oppose category there were two, maybe three names. The most critical was Dumbledore. Despite his progressive stance on many topics, education was not one of them. She had come to learn that many of the restrictions on education passed in the last half century had his fingerprints on them as his contribution to making sure there could never be another Voldemort. Moreover, something told her that if he knew that Harry Potter was well educated he might have an issue with that. While his obsession with the boy seemed to have diminished since Harry's changed family circumstances, it had only really died down as Dumbledore struggled with the Baby scandal. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the man resumed his unnatural interest in the boy, even if he still could not remember Harry for but a moment or less. She still could not believe the man wanted the boy to die. It was essential that the manipulative old man be kept out of Harry's life for at least another year. When Harry finally had to show up at Hogwarts, she knew there would be little chance Dumbledore could ever get his sick plans back on track.

Severus Snape was also on the "Opposed" list. The Potions professor was too full of himself and Slytherin to be otherwise. He would not quietly sit by as students from other houses made his more dimwitted charges look as incompetent as they really were. True, there were good students in Slytherin. The top ones third year and below were mostly in the Program already. But those students aside, Slytherin only avoided being dead last academically because Snape always favored them.

Rubeus Hagrid was the third name. The Ground Keeper was one of the kindest people she knew and ordinarily would be in the Support side of her ledger. But his loyalty to Dumbledore was blind. If Dumbledore was opposed, so was Rubeus. Then again, of the three Rubeus probably would not say a word unless Dumbledore asked him.

The goal for next year was to keep Dumbledore and Snape in the dark about what was really going on. Hopefully, there would be just enough outside problems to keep Dumbledore distracted. Snape was too arrogant to pick up on something like this easily. As long as the Program kids promised to blow up a potion every so often, he might not catch on.

As the W.I.S.E. Cups were awarded Minerva frowned. Next year was the most critical.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29th, 1990 – THE WATANABE SCHOOL OF MAGICAL STUDIES, KYOTO, JAPAN.

Ten young people stood just inside The Red Gate, the portal entrance to the Watanabe School for Magical Studies. They were all British and all had spent at least one summer here. Unlike the last year, this group had not arrived in Japan by airplane, rather they had shifted directly from Britain. Harry had dubbed them the Lead Element and they had arrived on Wednesday to make sure everything was ready for what was now the Real British Invasion. Harry and two of the others were off in the partially completed dormitory nearby making sure the lower floors were ready for their occupants.

The British Dorm, as they called it, would one day be a sixteen story building. As things now stood, seven of the floors were complete and three more were in various stages of construction beneath four building cranes that one would swear was a ubiquitous component of the skyline of any major Japanese city. Construction had halted for the next month so that the lower floors could house its occupants safely.

The building was shaped like a "V", with two wings radiating out from a central tower. Each wing was a dormitory with flats for up to fifty students and four Minders on each floor of each wing. At the center of the floor of each wing were large recreation rooms, a dining hall and the library and study hall for that wing's occupants as well as the wing's bank of elevators. The Central Tower contained another bank of elevators as well as small meeting rooms and offices for use by students and Minders during their stay. The Ground Floor was mainly dedicated to large meeting rooms and the huge, common dining facility.

The Lead Element would be rooming in their old dormitories with many of the same young people they had lived with before. The British Dorm was for the large number of students and minders who would be arriving soon. The ten who awaited their arrive were to get them organized, make sure everyone made it to Japan, see them to the Dorm and then show them around the school grounds. In charge of the "Welcoming Committee" was Hermione, with Jason Evans and Dora Tonks as her primary assistants. They stood there waiting and chatting and looking to anyone who might be passing by as another group of students getting together before the start of the new Summer.

"Hey Hermione!" a voice called out. Hermione looked towards the portal and saw her New Zealand cousins stepping through. It was Erin McGonagall who had called her out. "How was your year?" she asked.

"Busy. I did write." Hermione said as she was hugged by the cousins she never knew she had until two summers ago.

"What are you standing 'round here for?" her other cousin Lyle Donovan asked. "I mean, well, you already set up in the dorms?"

Hermione nodded. "We got here a couple days ago. We're waiting for our country's new students."

"More Brits?" Steve McGonagall asked.

"English, Scots, Welsh and Irish," Hermione said. "But yeah, all from the British Isles."

"How many?"

"Oh, a few."

"Where's Harry and Clarice?" Stacy Donavan asked.

"They're off making sure everything's set for this year's Firsties," Hermione replied.

"And Aunt Minnie?" Erin asked.

"She's flying in with the new kids," Hermione said.

"Takes ten of you to get them strait?" Steven McGonagall teased. "A thicker lot than last year?"

"A few more than last year," Hermione said with a smirk. If the flights arrived on time, the hoard should begin pouring through the gate at any moment. Hermione could not wait to see the expressions on her cousins' faces. It was a small, harmless prank, but a prank none the less.

"Here they come," Luna said softly.

Hermione nodded. "Neville?" she asked.

"Right you are," Neville said firmly but with a smile and he stepped away from the small group. "RIGHT YOU LOT! SIX LINES AND BE QUICK ABOUT IT! HOGWARTS, PRESTON ACADEMY, ST. ALBAN'S, ST. ANDREW'S, ST. GEORGE'S AND ST. PATRICK'S. LET'S QUEUE UP PEOPLE! MINDERS OFF TO THE SIDE!"

The cousins turned and watched what seemed like an endless stream of people, mostly youngsters, emerge from the portal and organize into the six lines. Erin was the last to lose count somewhere around a hundred and twenty-five as there seemed to be no end to the crowd coming through.

"A few more?" Stacey Donovan asked.

"Four hundred and forty-four to be exact," Hermione said with a smirk, "and fifty adults."

"They're any children left in Britain?" Steven asked.

"Some," Hermione said.

"Bloody hell!" Lyle exclaimed. "Why so many?"

"Let's just say a fair few families throughout our country are less than satisfied with the quality of education there," Hermione said.

"They all can afford this?"

"Her Majesty's government is less than thrilled with the education her magical subjects have been receiving as well," Hermione added with a smirk.

"You mean the non-magical government?" Erin asked.

Hermione nodded.

"What about your Ministry?"

"Officially, they don't know a thing about this, although at least a few of them have kids in that crowd, or already here."

"It's a bloody invasion," Steven said as the crowd continued to enter the grounds.

"So what's this stuff about Time Chambers we've been reading about," Stacy asked…

Luna had been assigned the task of getting the Minders organized and set up in the dorms. With her was Amber Evans, although they were basically moving amongst the adults, magical and Muggles alike and making sure everybody was there with all their luggage. Minerva was helping as was Rose Granger who had returned for another summer. One person in the group came as a total surprise.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"Hey, snowflake," Xeno Lovegood said. "So this is Japan?"

Luna nodded.

"It's even more stunning a vista than your descriptions," Xeno said. "So peaceful. That painting on your ceiling barely hints at this!"

"It's nice here," Luna agreed. "But why are you here? What about Mum and the babies?"

"You're Mum and all are fine. They're visiting your Gran for the month although Mum will be here for your graduation. As for me, well this is the time of year I reserve for safari. Even when you were but a babe, I still went. Mum understands. Especially now. We both wanted to know what this wonderful place was like and so I signed up as a Minder for the new kids. Mum would have, but we thought it best not to leave the kids behind or bring them through time compression. You know they'd be four if they stayed here?"

Luna nodded. "But what about your safari?"

"Never been to Japan before. Just look at these grounds! Sure to be some interesting things to find there. And, well we can always use your real days to explore the wilds. There're supposed to be some really rare creatures in the mountains."

"I'd like that, Daddy."

"Besides, you do know that one day this will become public. The Quibbler will be the only paper that can provide a first hand account of what this place is and what our kids are learning here. Scoop the lot of them, we will. Someone will need to refute the propaganda that the Ministry and Prophet will trumpet when this is no longer a secret."

"Who better than the Quibbler to spread the truth?"

"My thoughts exactly," Xeno said.

SCHOOL DAY 1,496 - 1990 SUMMER SESSIONS – THE WATANABE SCHOOL OF MAGICAL STUDIES, KYOTO, JAPAN.

Percy Weasley was sitting in his favorite grotto in the vast gardens that encompassed most of the school grounds. He had learned that the gardens were all based upon similar gardens both at various palaces in Japan and various shrines, all designed in one way another to be a perfect vision of what nature could achieve, if nature had an artistic intent. There was a small pond in a grove of trees and all around the ground was covered in a deep, green carpet of moss. It was, Percy had found, a very peaceful place, which was the designers intent.

He was not alone. With him was a blonde haired girl his age named Penelope Clearwater. They weren't sure if they were officially boyfriend-girlfriend yet, whatever that meant, but at least unofficially they were. This place was special for the added reason it was the first place Percy had taken Penelope when she agreed on a "date." It was also the first place they had kissed, on that "date." For now, however, they just sat and enjoyed the serenity of their grotto.

"Hey guys," a voice called out. Percy turned and saw his two younger brothers approaching. It took him a second to realize they had been addressed in English. "Not interrupting anything are we?" Fred asked.

"No, not really," Penelope said.

"Mind if we join you two for a bit?" George asked.

"Pull up a rock," Penelope said. Percy nodded in agreement.

"Hard to believe it's over for now," George said as he sat down.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Pity we still have to go back to Hogwarts," Penelope said. "I mean why? So what if they find out? We can shift now. We just return next summer."

"It's the younger kids," Percy said. "The ones who've never been here can't shift here."

"I know. It's just that…"

"Yeah," Fred said. "Hogwarts isn't this place."

"It's not all that bad," Percy began. "I'm sure McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout could teach here…"

"True bro," Fred said.

"But they are not allowed to teach what they teach here," George added.

"Then there's Snape," Fred continued.

Percy snorted. "Harry Potter's a better Potions teacher."

"No surprise there," Fred said. They had learned that part of the program for a Mastery was you had to teach "younger" kids. The role of the Master is not to hoard knowledge, but to pass it along to others. It was obviously not the case with the Hogwarts Potions professor. The truth was that Potter was a very good teacher.

"Still, there is a bright side," Fred said after a pause.

"And that is?" Percy asked.

"Well, you got your N.E.W.T.s, we got our O.W.L.s…"

"It's not like we need to be – er – model students next fall," George added.

"Think of all the pranks we could focus on!" Fred said.

"There is that," Percy agreed. Percy had been magical prefect for three sessions (years). Next summer, he would be non-magical Head Boy, at least for the British School as it was now called. Like the others, Hogwarts as a school was no longer that important to him. By this time next year he would have at least one Mastery and a university degree, two things he would never get at Hogwarts. Besides, one had to like a school where creative pranks were rewarded, provided they were not mean spirited or done in a way to undermine the learning environment. The work load had limited their pranking times. Basically, only their off days were available for planning, experimentation and implementation of the Weasley Specialty. Still, there had been some memorable ones.

SUNDAY, JULY 29th, 1990 – THE WATANABE SCHOOL OF MAGICAL STUDIES, KYOTO, JAPAN.

"Grandfather?" Harry and Clarice asked as Lord Black appeared stepping through The Red Gate into the grounds of their school with Remus Lupin.

"Amazing," Lord Black said looking at the vast plaza that spread out before him with the distinctive Japanese buildings – the academic winds along the edges and the tall apartment blocks in the center. "Quite larger than I excepted."

"This isn't half of it," Clarice said. "The gardens just beyond seem to go on forever."

"Only if you walk around the grounds," Harry chuckled. "We're surprised to see you, Grandfather."

"Wasn't going to miss this," he replied. "Sirius would be here too, but he wasn't about to leave Sophie behind, so here I am. Besides, he was here last year and plans to be next. He did say this was worth the trip and I can see why. You do know you two are the first 'Black's' to receive a second Mastery that I am aware of?"

The kids shook their heads.

"And certainly the first to receive a university degree. Okay, maybe not the first. I had a first cousin who was a squib named Marius who was a solicitor or some such, so he might have earned one. Still, certainly the first witch and wizard so honored."

"Thank you," the kids replied.

"How'd you get here?" Clarice asked. "You weren't with the flight."

"Much as I admire Muggle technology," Lord Black said, "I never truly had the desire to ride in an airplane. Remus and I came by Portkey."

"Surely the Ministry…"

"Head of and Ancient and Noble House," Lord Black replied. "Those sort of Ministry regulations do not apply. Got my own reusable Portkey. Remind me to show it to you one of these days. So, where are the others?"

"Hermione's with the Grangers and Aunt Minnie. They're with the Longbottoms, Lovegoods and Bones somewhere on campus."

"Well," Lord Black said, "what say you two show us the sites?"

"How many students are here?" Amelia Bones asked.

"Summer is divided into five Sessions," Hermione replied. "Each session is similar to a full year. About six hundred students are full summer from all over. In our year twenty-five full summer English students and about eighty overall at any one time. All combined, our year has over four hundred students from over sixty countries. A lot of the students only attend for a session or two, not all five. Still, all told there are perhaps five thousand students here at any one time."

"That many?"

Hermione nodded. "They teach the same stuff during Time Compression as they would during their regular year. The Japanese students who attend here start at age six and finish Secondary School and their N.E.W.T.s twelve years later. Masteries take three to six years. Undergraduate four to five. A Masters degree two to three, similar time for a doctorate. Students can start here at six and still be here in their late twenties."

"And they have five thousand here during the year?"

"Closer to eight thousand," Hermione said. "A third of all Japanese magical children are here through Secondary School and N.E.W.T.s. And this is the only magical university so any studying for Masteries or degrees attend here, or overseas."

"So a few hundred of our children?"

"Well, the Muggles are paying for the new dorm for us," Hermione said. "But it's not a huge strain on their system. Certainly not after the first session."

"Why not?"

"After first session, everyone speaks Japanese," Minerva replied. "Once there is a common language for all students, the language specific instruction ends, except for actual language courses. It takes less faculty to teach in one language than twenty or so."

The group was approaching the new dormitory and Hermione saw a gathering of red heads which she instantly knew were the Weasleys.

"Sixty seconds," the boy she recognized as Percy said.

Hermione already was suspicious. She hurried over with the others trying to keep up and her mouth fell when she heard the next voice.

"Don't tell me you three have a prank going," Molly Weasley scolded.

"Okay, we won't," one of the twins replied.

"I can't believe … in front of everyone?"

"Dr. Chen, Dean of Charms approved," the other twin started.

"I don't care if Merlin himself…"

"Thirty seconds," Percy said looking at his watch.

"Put a stop to this," Molly started.

"Can't," one of the twins replied.

"On a timer," the other added.

"Stopping it only sets it off sooner."

"Which would ruin the effect."

"We can't have that."

"What have I done wrong," Molly moaned.

"Ten seconds, nine, eight, seven…"

When Percy said "NOW," the entire dormitory section turned shocking pink and …

"Fluffy, just as advertised, Perce," one of the twins said.

"Give it a few," Percy replied nodding with approval as he noted scores of people taking pictures. "Should change color every fifteen to thirty seconds until the effect wears off."

"And how long will that be?" Molly asked.

"Well, not as long as Hogwarts," one twin replied.

"Should be back to normal by sunset, latest," the other added.

"Bloody brilliant," Ron and Mr. Weasley said in unison.

"Arthur," Molly scolded, "the last thing these three miscreants need is any more encouragement!"

MONDAY, JULY 31st, 1990 – THE WATANABE SCHOOL OF MAGICAL STUDIES, KYOTO, JAPAN.

"Will the candidates for Secondary School Certifications please rise," a voice announced before nearly 450 British students and their families. Ten students rose from their seats and lined up to one side of the stage. One by one, their names were called and the ten students who had begun school in Japan walked across and received diplomas indicating successful completion of non-magical secondary education. Following an applause, they returned to their seats.

"Will the candidates for baccalaureate degrees please rise?" This time, nine students lined up before the stage. The first name was called: "Ms. Amber Evans."

After Jason Evans walked off with his college degree, the voice announced. "Ms. Hermione Jane Granger." Hermione walked on stage to a vigorous applause and she was not sure which made her blush more, the applause from her countrymen and friends or her father being very obvious with his camera. "Ms. Granger is receiving two degrees," the Dean of Students said. "First, her Bachelor of Arts in History, magna cum laude," and Hermione was handed a leather bound folder in which was the certificate indicating she was now a college graduate with high honors. "Finally, her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, summa cum laude," indicating she had the highest honors in this field. "Ms. Granger is currently pursuing her Masters in Political Science."

"Ms. Clarice Lillian Jameson" was next. She received her Bachelor of Science in Economics, magna cum laude, a field which she found interesting and in which she intended to attain both her Master's and Doctoral degrees. "Mr. Harry James Potter" received his Bachelor of Science magna cum laude, in chemistry and was pursing advanced degrees in the same field. The last to cross the stage winced as her name was called. Still, Dora Tonks smiled for all when she received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.

With the non-magical side done, the O.W.L. recipients were called forward. Before the first envelop was handed to the first of 444 students in line, the head of Magical Education announced that not one of them had failed a single O.W.L. This did not mean there were not Acceptables in the group, the lowest passing score, but it was an accomplishment that needed to be stressed. The three Weasley boys were strait Outstandings much to their mother's joy when she finally saw the results. She was stunned to learn they actually got credit for creative pranks.

With the O.W.L.s out of the way, 158 rose for their N.E.W.T.s, including Susan Bones, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Percy Weasley, the only Weasley this time, took Honors in Charms to the delight of Molly who would not learn of his other scores until later as she was screaming too loud for her son to hear the rest. Neville had honors again in Herbology and With Distinction in Potions, Defense and Transfiguration, much to Augusta's pleasure. Luna took Honors in Magical Zoology and had a few With Distinctions as well. Susan had all Outstandings with four With Distinctions. Needless to say, there were proud parents and guardians throughout.

Finally, thirteen students rose for their Masteries, all of whom had been in Japan at least one prior summer. Clarice received her Defense Mastery, along with all ten students who had begun the year before. She was already working towards her Advanced Healing Certificate. Hermione received her Transfiguration Mastery, deciding to get that out of the way before starting towards Spell Crafting. Finally, Harry received his Mastery in Potions. He was now studying Curse Breaking.

It was a large group of delighted parents, families and students who would leave Japan over the next few days for their homes. Most were set to go on holiday or take a break before they had to return to their now redundant magical schools back home. Six adults knew that their real work was about to begin, now that the British Invasion was returning home. Minerva hoped the secret would and could be kept.