Disclaimer: This is Lord Black, on behalf of the author. He is currently indisposed, enjoying coloring between the lines inside his well padded room. I realize that this is a bit awkward, however I and all of my friends are the property of J.K. Rowling and the various companies she is associated with. I am currently in negotiations to purchase her soul and property from the corporate entities who have convinced her to discontinue my biography after the 7th book. Now, on to the scribblings of the Hammster.

A/N:I have been deluged with PMs and reviews… I am not complaining, rather, bragging! I have been greatly encouraged to continue this story (covenant64, please keep those damn dogs locked up! Especially the 3 headed one) so the Ayes have it. As far as slash, there may be some mild slash in there somewhere, but it will not be with Harry. It could very well be with a couple or more major characters, however for the most part, my stories tend to center around Power, Privilege, and Justice (with thanks to Dominic Dunne) rather than sexuality. Power in itself is pretty sexy. Just ask some former world leaders about how easy it is to get girls (or boys) when you have a lot of it. I mean really, who in their right mind could call Prince Charles a chick magnet? Doesn't seem to stop him… and don't even get me started on some of the American politicians…

Seriously though, I would like to ask you guys something. What should happen to Dumbledore's hereditary seat in the Wizengamot and his Order of Merlin, 1st class? Remember, he was at one time a hero, defeating a Dark Wizard and all… And what of his Chocolate frog pictures and bios?

Chapter 5

Interrupted Plans

Black Manor, Kent

Harry stood by the window in his study, overlooking the gardens. There were 25 acres of assorted flowers and 25 acres of Charm Roses. Those would bloom year round in whatever colour he wanted them to. They were keyed to the mood of the owner. Right now, they ranged in colour from black to yellow, a confusing explosion of colour. But then again, Harry was feeling pretty confused today.

He should have been quite happy, since he had received his O.W.L. results by post this morning. He opened it and found that he had passed with 10 O.W.L.s, only failing Divination and History of Magic. He even received an O in Potions! However there was a small note from Minerva McGonagall asking to see him at his earliest convenience. He had gone to the fireplace and floo'ed her office.

After greeting her, he continued his trip through the floo, arriving in his normal ungraceful manner. Picking himself up, he dusted off his robe, then turned to her. "What did you need to see me about, Professor?"

"Lord Black, you probably noticed that I did not include a list of electives with your O.W.L. results." She seemed a bit on edge.

"Please professor, call me Harry. I feel weird when you, of all people call me by my title." Harry had a feeling that this conversation was starting out on the wrong foot and he wanted to make it a bit more comfortable.

"Only if you call me Minerva. You are, after all, legally recognized as an adult."

"Fair enough. Minerva."

McGonagall fretted for a moment, then looked at Harry. "Harry, you don't know how hard it is for me to have this conversation. I am not ready for this job, I thought that I would have a bit more time before I would have to step into this office. I also thought that I would have Albus' advice, since about the only time anyone ever leaves here is when they die."

Harry looked at the wall where Albus Dumbledore's portrait should be. He was surprised to see that it was not there. He knew that it had been painted, it should have been there, but slumbering, since he was still alive. Minerva followed his gaze.

"We took it down. After the trial, the picture changed to show him sleeping in his Azkaban cell, dressed in prison uniform. This is the greatest disgrace that Hogwarts has ever faced. And because I and the other professors followed him blindly, it is the biggest disgrace that we have ever faced. Hagrid, who you know was Dumbledore's biggest supporter, and in more ways than one, resigned his post the day of the trial and left to join Madam Maxine in France. Severus Snape is in hiding from V-Voldemort right now. He is of no use as a spy anymore since he has no real reason to stay at the school. Only Albus' protection and proximity made him an attractive spy for the other side. Now Vol- Tom Riddle just wants him to be a potions Master and Death Eater. Severus does not want to be Riddle's servant anymore."

"I may be able to help with that. What about the Order?"

McGonagall looked bleak. "There is no more Order of the Phoenix. It was built on a lie and the only thing that held it together was Dumbledore and Fawkes. Nobody trusts anybody else, Severus has been completely frozen out, and we have no leader."

"Why can you not lead it?"

"Because I am Dumbledore's protégé. I am even less trusted than Severus to those who are not attached to the school. Most members of the Order were only there because of Albus, the hero who defeated the last Dark Lord. They don't want to be associated with Dumbledore, the Evil Lord of Light."

Harry couldn't help it. He started laughing at the new title for Dumbledore. Seeing Minerva's glare, he stopped. "I'm sorry, but do you know just how damn silly that sounds? What an oxymoron. Tom Riddle would be cracking up if he heard it. Probably break Dumbledore out of Azkaban just to try to recruit him!"

Minerva smiled faintly at the ridiculousness of that, then put a serious look on. "Nevertheless, it has affected us greatly. Enrollment is down for new students, and many post-O.W.L. students are opting for home or independent study. 80 of the new students are muggleborn, those who know nothing about our world. Most of the rest are poverty cases who cannot afford private study. That is why I called you."

"Originally I planned to ask you to not return to Hogwarts due to the disruption to learning that you would bring with your new status." Harry nodded. "Due however to the enrollment figures, I need you to return. Your presence can bring credibility back to the school. Credibility which is sorely needed. If we cannot do something with this generation of students, there will be no more Hogwarts because we will lose this war. It could mean the end of Wizarding Britain."

"I will have to think about that. Should I return, there would have to be some changes made that will make many people uncomfortable. I had planned on independent study myself, it was suggested that I hire tutors, however we may be able to work something out. I do know that I need this school and the students in order to create the alliances that could break the power of Voldemort. I will get back to you in a few days, after I have spoken with some advisors."

"I suppose that is the best I can expect."

"Changing the subject, have you heard from the Weasleys?"

"No, I haven't. I have tried to contact them several times without success. I have not received Ronald's reply owl on his N.E.W.T. level classes, nor Miss Weasley's confirmation. Arthur has been on a leave of absence since the trial and I cannot even get a reply owl back from the twins when I attempt to order merchandise."

Harry gawked. "You, ordering Weasley Wizarding Wheezes?" The very thought was, for some reason, disturbing.

"I needed a laugh. That and the fact that I was trying to contact them to inquire about the family. I even attempted to owl Charlie. The letter was returned undeliverable."

"Something is wrong with this situation. Let me speak with some folk and get back to you."

"Harry, I am sorry for dumping all of this on you. You are 16 years old, you shouldn't have to be taking on this kind of responsibility. You should be having fun with your friends, chasing girls, not having to hold 2 seats in the Wizengamot and helping me bring the school back to life."

"Minerva, don't apologise. A wise man once said that with great power comes great responsibility. Now I didn't ask for either the power or responsibility, but since it was given to me, I have to either use it properly or abdicate. And I cannot do that. Tom Riddle has great power, he has not used it responsibly from the start. Albus Dumbledore had great power, but he allowed it to corrupt him, thinking that he was a law unto himself. I need good, steady people around me to help insure that I never become that way."

"Well, Harry, it has been wonderful dumping all of this in your lap, however I have to prepare for a meeting with the school governors. They are demanding a few answers and I want to see if I can string enough nonsensical phrases together so that I appear to know what I am doing."

"What time is the meeting?"

"In 3 hours, why?"

"I'll be back in 2. I would like to go over some things with you then. But first I would like a second opinion of my idea."

"Anything I can help with, what is it?"

"Actually, it was not you that I needed the opinion from." Seeing her puzzled look, Harry reached up on a shelf and picked up the Sorting Hat.

"Lord Potter-Black? I like it, shows class. I told you then that you would go far in Slytherin."

"Yes, but that's what I wanted to talk with you about. I would have hit the same wall that many others are hitting in Slytherin. Nobody trusts them."

"I have warned the school time and again that they needed to unite. Why do you think that they would now? I have been doing this for over 1000 years and they still are at each others throats. How do you think that you can make the change?"

"Because even after you warn them, you continue to sort them. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

"You understand, I had to work within the perimeters I was given. If you can get the governors to change the perimeters, I will be allowed to go along."

"That is the answer I was looking for. Will you speak at the meeting with me?"

"If you so desire"

"Thank you. By the way, why didn't you let my mother know about her real family? I'm sure that you saw that she wasn't a muggleborn."

The Hat sighed. "I did. But at that point, she had been raised by the Evans' her entire life. It was the only way of life she knew. Harry, you have to remember, at that age, she WAS Lily Evans. She also made me promise that if I ever sorted any of her children that I would keep the secret unless she had informed them first. That is why I sorted her into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. She had an uncommon amount of courage to face 7 years here as a muggleborn. At any time, she could have taken the easy route and declared her heritage, but she didn't. She was also very Slytherin in that she faced Dumbledore every day and never let on that she despised him for what he had done to her and her sister. She also knew that if she let slip her heritage, she would never see her sister again. Petunia was not suited to be raised as a squib, no matter how much she would have been loved. Squibs are treated no better in this world than you were treated at Petunia's. You and Lily were the only 2 that I have seen in all of my days who would have done well in any house that I sorted you into. I sorted the two of you into Gryffindor not only because of your courage, but also because of the power structure at the time would help you excel.

"Thank you, old friend. I will see you shortly."

With that, Harry took off the hat, and after bidding McGonagall adieu, grabbed a pinch of floo powder and went back to the Manor.

Conference Room, Hogwarts

"It's insane, I tell you! The parents will never agree, and the school will be shut down from lack of enrollment!"

"Horace, listen to yourself. The school is on the verge of shutting down anyway for that same reason. Most of the newcomers have no idea what to expect anyway. I believe that Lord Potter-Black's idea has merit. We have been at each other's throats for far too long."

"You would think that since you are a damned mudblood with no sense of tradition!"

"It's better than being an inbred pureblood bigot!"

Harry sighed. Somehow he knew that it would degrade to this level. The meeting had started out well, with all of the governors congratulating him on his recent seating at the Wizengamot. When he had introduced his idea, there had been a complete meltdown of the board members. They were evenly divided, the only bright spot being that it was not Light wizard against Dark, and not pureblood against all others. Rather it was traditionalists against progressives. The present idiocy had been going on for over an hour. He decided that he would give them 5 more minutes, then change the paradigm.

He summoned a house elf and sent it to McGonagall's office to bring the Sorting Hat in. He then pointed his wand at his throat and whispered "Sonorus!" Harry gave them another minute and spoke loudly. "ENOUGH!"

The arguing stopped immediately as they looked at him in shock. Quickly casting the countercharm, he fixed each and every one of them with a look that broached no disagreement. "The only thing that you listened to was the basic premise before you began shouting at each other. Its time that you listened to the rest of the story, so to speak. I have good reasons for this radical change, and there is a way to implement it without too much disruption. I'll start with the first. This school is fractured almost beyond repair. If you do not do something quickly, it will be too late. Too late for the school, too late for our world. If we do not begin to stand against our enemies, we might as well surrender and hand our freedom over to Voldemort." There were gasps that he used the dreaded name, but not as bad as he thought.

"The Gryffindors are considered brave to a fault. The cowardly Peter Pettigrew betrayed my parents and lay the blame on Sirius Black. Does that mean that the Hat made a mistake? Hufflepuff is considered a bunch of duffers, not useful for very much, yet Madam Bones was a Hufflepuff. Would any of you consider her a duffer? Cedric Diggory was chosen by the Goblet of Fire to be the champion of Hogwarts. Brave, intelligent and cunning. Did the Hat make a mistake there? Ravenclaw is considered so intelligent that they should all be professors… even the first years. My mother, who was considered the smartest witch of her generation, and Hermione Granger, who IS the smartest witch in this one, were sorted into a different house. Luna Lovegood, who believes everything her dad prints in the Quibbler to be hard fact, is a Ravenclaw. Did the Hat make a mistake?"

"Then there is Slytherin. They are distrusted by everyone. When I first heard about the Houses, I was told that there had never been a wizard gone bad who did not come from Slytherin. That is why I fought the Hat so hard when it wanted to sort me into that House." There were gasps around the table. No one other than the Hat and McGonagall knew that. "That's right, Slytherin. How far do you think that I would have gotten with the Slytherin label on me? After all, Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort was a Slytherin. And the premise of wizards gone bad only coming from Slytherin, that is patently ridiculous. Voldemort has only roughly 25 of his forces and supporters from that House. The rest are scattered between the other 3 houses. Phineas Nigellus Black was a Slytherin, he was also one of the most honorable and competent Headmasters that this school has ever had. He was also one of the few Slytherins to ever hold that post. He could have become Minister of Magic, something that I know he wanted, had he not have been viewed through the prism of anti Slytherin prejudice."

At that, the Board members looked at the portrait of Black. The portrait nodded in agreement and addressed the governors. "He's right, you know. The Hat sees our thirst to succeed and our ambition and sorts us accordingly. The others see us in that house and automatically distrust us. When my Heir Sirius was accused of high crimes and thrown in prison, no one looked at the fact that he was a Gryffindor. When the real traitor was revealed, his house was not mentioned either. Even now I hear people say that I must have done something wrong and evil while I was Headmaster, just because I am a Slytherin. Were it not that so many purebloods, the backbone of power in the government, are sorted into Slytherin, or at least have a lot of family in that House, we would not get anywhere at all. Even then we are looked at with suspicion. I did want to be Minister of Magic, and I believe that I would have been a good one. Instead I became the best Headmaster that I could."

Harry jumped in. "When Dumbledore's trial was held, the Chief Warlock Pro Tem was Mr. Zabini, a Slytherin. There was no objection because they knew he was fair. But he started out in the Wizengamot under a cloud of suspicion. He had to serve almost 10 years before anyone on the Light side trusted him. He told me last week that he has heard comments that he must have been incorrectly sorted." The Slytherin governors could be seen to nod in agreement, even those who had been so against the plan from the beginning.

"Well then Lord Potter-Black, how would this be implemented?" This was from Horace Albers, the man who had thrown up so much opposition just a few moments ago. "What would be the purpose of the Sorting Hat then?"

"The first thing would be to abolish the 4 houses. They may have served their purpose at one time, but they are no longer useful. Instead, for disciplinary purposes, points, etc, you would have dorms 1 through 4. Instead of having a whole bunch of people who are put together simply because of one personality trait, you would have a even blend of personality traits scattered throughout each dorm. This would prevent the stereotyping of a certain student simply because they are in a particular dorm. This would be the Sorting Hat's job, to put together a balanced group." Instead of a house cup, there would be a dorm cup. The Quiddich cup would be awarded without being tied to the dorm cup."

"That is another thing, Quiddich. The cup has been associated with houses for so long that it has become another point of contention. Rather than have the teams tied to a particular house or dorm, you could have four team, the Lions, Ravens, Serpents and Badgers. Anyone from any dorm could try out for any team. Retire the old cup and create a new one. Tradition is wonderful, but there comes a time when holding on to tradition simply for its own sake becomes counterproductive."

Reginald Billbus, a Hufflepuff graduate asked, "What does the Sorting Hat think of this idea? I did notice that you had it brought in."

The Hat spoke up. "I have been trying to bring about school unity for hundreds of years. All of the students take the same classes, if the differences were so great, they should have had different curricula for different Houses in order to bring out the best in them, playing only to their strengths. I wholeheartedly support Lord Potter-Black's plan. In fact, I support it so much that should you fail to at least give it a try, I will refuse to sort this term."

Shock filled the room. Even Harry had not realized the depth of the Hat's disagreement with it's original purpose. The governors were the most shocked of all. "What do you mean, refuse to sort?" asked Horace.

"Just what I said. I am the only one here who can. It took the combined power of the four founders to create me. Does anyone here think that they or anyone else can replace me and end up with the same results? I have 1000 years of experience at what I do, and ever since the time that the houses became more than just friendly rivals, it has been a wreck waiting to happen. I can do the job that Lord Potter-Black asks, but I will not do the job I have been doing! It is time to build new traditions at Hogwarts!"

At that, opposition crumbled. There might have still been opposition to the boy Lord's idea, but the Hat ended up having the last word. With some misgivings, they voted the plan in and asked Harry to assist in implementing it. The meeting broke up and Harry, McGonagall, and the Hat went up to her office to have a long talk.

"Harry", McGonagall said, " You blindsided me in there. I had no idea that you were going to put forth something that radical. I don't like being blindsided, in fact, I am not a fan of surprises at all. Why did you not inform me of your plan?"

"Because I know you, Minerva. I know that you don't like surprises, and I know that you are, for the most part, a traditionalist. And besides, the look on your face was priceless."

"Such cheek. Well then, Lord Potter-Black, I require you to come up with something that I can send to the parents to explain what is about to happen. I am hoping that the older students will come back, but they will all need to be resorted. Do that and I will award 50 points to whatever dorm the Hat sorts you into, fail and I will deduct 50 points and you can explain to your dormmates the reason. I need it done by Monday. I will also need a press release to the same effect. In fact, I would like you to explain your plan for the school to the press. I will be there to support you, but just like the meeting we left, it will be your show."

Harry gulped. He had just stuck his foot in it again.

A/N: I would like to remind everyone of a few things. Harry is not some kind of superwizard, he has no massive magic that he will be using. He is an accidental hero, pretty fast about thinking on his feet, but tends to do things on the spur of the moment without fully considering the ramifications. He is, after all, just 16, even if he has had to grow up quicker than most of his peers.

Also realize that the goblins have been instrumental in many of the things that have happened to Harry in his rise to power. He trusts them a little too much. He is using Goblin advisors because of this. The Goblins may just have their own agenda. Do you really think that they had no knowledge of Harry's heritage prior to the day of their 'revelation'? I mean, keeping track of everyone magical is a responsibility of theirs. That's why certain vaults had not been disposed of when everyone thought the owner dead without heirs. There is also the House of Dumbledore to think of. Is there REALLY no Heir? No one to hold his seat? No one who thinks that Dumblers was unfairly treated?

Think on it.

Hamilton Wrye