Disclaimer: The Potter Universe, all of its characters, locations, and canons are the exclusive property of JKR and her many corporate partners. Not even the goblins have managed to break into and change that situation. I, Griphook the Goblin, tribe of Sharptooth, should know, we have tried for so long to acquire them.

Chapter 9

Machiavellian Designs

Gringotts Bank, 203rd Level

Boardroom

As the Board of Directors sat down, the Chairman, Goldblood, motioned over the secretary who kept the minutes.

"Your presence will not be required for the next half hour." Goldblood did not want the topics that they would be discussing on the record, no one other than the goblins present needed to be in on the discussion.

"Yes, sir." The secretary was not surprised, this was a common occurrence. He gathered his Dicto-quill and parchment, then quickly left the room. Once he had left, the Board looked at Goldblood expectantly.

"The first item of interest in the unofficial agenda is the Potter-Black situation. Is Flickaxe present?"

"Yes, your Bloodiness." Flickaxe stepped forward nervously. He was only about 2/3 the size of the normal Board members, and only about half the size of the Chairman. Flickaxe was concerned that he might be removed as the account manager of the Potter-Black holdings due to his inability to talk Lord Potter-Black out of transferring the holdings of the Dumbledore vault back to the Dumbledore family. There were only two ways to lose account manager status, either the wizards would fire them or the Board would fire them. Both options included being roasted and served as entrees for after-meeting dinners. That and being cut into strips and made into jerky treats. It had been the unfortunate former account manager of the Dumbledore vault who Flickaxe had been nibbling on during his meeting with Harry the previous week. He certainly did not want to be a snack for Griphook in the coming week.

"Flickaxe, this Board is disappointed that you were unable to keep the Dumbledore holdings within the Potter-Black account." Flickaxe felt a wave of panic, however he was completely unprepared for what came next. "We have, however taken into consideration that the Wizard, Potter-Black is an immature, emotionally disturbed individual. Since the Dumbledores did not pull their holdings out of the Bank, we still have control over them. We also have the problem that there is, at the present time, no account manager overseeing the Dumbledore account. This board has decided to entrust you with the management of both the Potter-Black and the Dumbledore accounts. The announcement will be formalized when we convene the regular meeting. We do expect great things from you in the near future. We have chosen Harry Potter-Black to be our tool in the Wizengamot in order to get these ridiculous anti-goblin laws repealed. In order to do this, he will need allies in both Light and Dark communities. More than allies, he will need blood ties. Right now, he has no heirs. He will need both Light and Dark heirs for the long range plan. This Board expects you to assist in setting up favorable conditions for this to happen. All other account managers have been instructed to assist you in this endeavor. We expect weekly reports on your progress. You may now leave."

"Thank you, Your Bloodiness. I will do as you have instructed." At this point, Flickaxe bowed, and when he stood back up, he had grown almost 6 inches in height, showing his new position and responsibility.

"Send the secretary back in as you leave." Flickaxe nodded and left as quickly as he could, glad to have avoided being a snack.

Gringotts Bank

Flickaxe's office

Twenty minutes later

"And that was it, Griphook. I will need your help in this scheme. Did you manage to put the surveillance equipment into Potter-Black's properties?"

"Yes, sir. When we put up all of the new wards at the properties, we installed both sound and vision monitoring. We also refreshed the spells on the Dumbledore monitoring equipment when we reset the wards for the new Lord Dumbledore."

"Good, good. Let's see what we have then." Flickaxe hit a button on his desk and a large vidscreen appeared from behind the paneling in his office. He keyed in the Potter-Black account number and a picture of Black Manor came up on the screen. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a tiny disturbing thought that he had made an error in judgment, something to do with the monitoring devices, but he could not get a grasp on just what it was. He dismissed the thought, chalking it up to the nerve-wracking experience he had just gone through at the informal Board meeting. He turned his attention back to the screen, where Harry was giving instructions to his House elves.

"I want everything perfect for tonight. I am having the Dumbledores over for dinner and I want to make a really good impression on them. Aberforth hates me, doesn't believe that his brother could have possibly done the things that he was convicted of, but I don't know how his heir thinks. He is bring along his sister and possibly his mother, so I want everyone on their best behavior. Understood?" There was a chorus of "Yes Lord Black," from the elves.

"That's another thing. Since this is a Light family, for tonight, address me as Lord Potter-Black. These kind of things matter nowadays."

"Yes, Lord Potter-Black," came the chorus. With that, Harry turned and went into his study. Flickaxe changed monitoring devices, but all he saw was Harry sitting at his desk alone, making notations on parchment. He decided to look in on the Dumbledores.

Jonathon Dumbledore, much like Harry, was sitting at his desk making notes on parchments. Flickaxe had switched monitoring devices several times in order to find him in the large empty house. He was just about to turn off the monitor when the fireplace glowed and Violet Dumbledore appeared and stepped out of the fireplace. A moment later, she was followed by Jennifer, who also stepped gracefully out of the floo. Flickaxe snickered, remembering Lord Potter-Black's lack of grace when using the floo. He tended to exit the fireplace like a tenpin ball, with roughly the same result. He briefly wondered if he should tell Potter-Black the proper way to exit the floo, then decided not to, the entertainment value of Harry's exits were too valuable.

"Good afternoon Mother, Jennifer. I am a bit surprised to see you back so soon. Were there problems?"

"Problems? Yes, you might say that. We were treated like pariahs all day! Every damned shopkeeper in Diagon Alley said 'Dumbledore' like it was some sort of curse word. I knew that it would be difficult, but I never knew that the wizarding world would turn its back on us like this. Uncle Albus should have left those ungrateful bastards to suffer under Grindlwald!"

"Mother! Calm down! The quicker I build an alliance with Potter-Black, the sooner we can begin to undermine him and reclaim Uncle Albus' reputation. Remember the endgame. We will have to put up with a lot, but we WILL regain our place."

"Potter!" Violet sneered. "He's the one I can't figure out. He breaks our family, then hands us back our inheritance. The high and Mighty Lord Potter-Black, handing the pauper Dumbledores what he stole from them in the first place. I will not be going with you to dinner at that bastard's house tonight. I don't think that I could resist shoving a knife in his back."

Flickaxe was not really paying that much attention to Violet Dumbledore's ramblings. He was too busy watching the reactions of the daughter, Jennifer. The girl did not have the open hatred of Violet Dumbledore on her face, nor the chameleon face of her brother, bland at one point, scheming at others. Jennifer though had an open, honest face. She appeared to be dominated by her mother and brother. This was surely something to be taken note of. She had not spoken since arriving home.

"Mother, Jon, if it is alright with you, I would like to take my purchases up to my room."

"Of course, dear. Get all of your school supplies put away, then hang your new dress robes up so that they won't get wrinkled before you get ready to go to dinner." With that, Jennifer took her parcels and left the room.

After she has gone, Jonathon spoke. "Mother, do you really think that it is wise to send Jennifer to Hogwarts? She is not nearly as cunning or as tough skinned as she could be."

"This is the perfect time to send her. With Potter's new house, or rather 'dorm' model, no one will be able to get any idea of what she might be like. I think that Potter has helped design the method of his own destruction at Hogwarts. Think what a disaster it would be if she were sorted into Slytherin or even Hufflepuff. She would have to deal with people's automatic assumptions. This way, the only thing that will hold her back is her name, and I should hope that we still have enough friends at Hogwarts to help her. And if you can get in close to Potter, he may protect her and shield her from the worst of it."

"Mother, I plan to get as close to Potter as a brother. Are you sure that Jennifer has not gotten any hints of her part in the plans?"

"Of course she hasn't. Jennifer is a sweet witch, but she has no idea how the world really works. We should just continue to allow her to live normally, all the rest will take care of itself. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to lay down a bit."

After Violet left the room, Flickaxe sat back and pondered what he had just seen. He shut down the visual monitor and stored it away behind the panel. He then drew out the memory of the visuals he had just seen and stored them in the vials for storage. He had quite a bit to think about.

Black ManorHouse

Later that evening

The fireplace glowed green, then Jonathon Dumbledore stepped into the sitting room, followed closely by his sister, Jennifer. Both of them made graceful exits from the fireplace. Harry shook his head in wonder.

"I just do not see how you do that. Every time I use the floo or a portkey, I end up in a pile on the floor." Jonathon cocked his head quizzically.

"Did no one ever tell you that travel by floo or portkey requires no action on your part?"

"No."

Jennifer stepped forward. "When you use the floo, wait until you have completely arrived at your destination prior to moving. Throw your floo powder in, then step in and do not move. Call out your destination, then wait until you have completely finished moving before you step out. Just make sure that you don't hold your body too stiff. It is the same concept with a portkey. Relax, then wait until you have fully arrived before you move. Apparation is the only mode of travel that you can do while moving, if that makes any sense to you."

Harry thought of all of the times he had traveled by floo and portkey, how he had attempted to keep moving. "Actually, it does. I am looking forward to doing the thing correctly. Welcome to my home." He shook hands with Jonathon, then brought Jennifer's hand up and lightly brushed it with his lips. "May I offer you a drink before dinner?"

"Cognac, if you have any," Jonathon said. "I developed a taste for it last year while I was in France."

"Butterbeer for me," said Jennifer.

Harry called for Blinky. "Hennessey cognac for Lord Dumbledore and butterbeers for Miss Dumbledore and myself." The house elf popped out, then reappeared with the requested drinks. The three took their drinks, then sat down to talk until dinner was served.

This was one of those times that Harry was glad to have the friendly portrait of the Blacks. Mrs. Black had drilled him for the past week on the etiquette that was a part of every pureblood child's formative years. It was an intricate dance that the purebloods went through whenever they entertained, and there was no difference between Light and Dark families in this respect. There were purebloods who did not follow the forms, but they were the commoners, such as the Weasleys. Any pureblood family who held a seat in the Wizengamot were the equivalent of Noble's in the House of Lords. The commoners tended to run small businesses and hold mid to high level Ministry posts. Ministers of Magic and department heads were normally commoners, with the Wizengamot holding the ultimate veto power over laws and regulations. The Wizengamot could also introduce and pass laws without regard to the Minister, as they had the power to appoint and remove the Ministers with a simple majority vote. This system, designed to give lip service to the commoners while in reality keeping them in check, was one that was ripe for abuse. The acquisition and retention of this power was one of the few things that Light and Dark nobility were united in.

Blinky stepped into the room. "Lord Potter-Black, dinner is served in the main dining room."

"Thank you, Blinky." Turning to his companions, Harry held out his hand to Jennifer. "Shall we take this conversation to the dining room?"

The house elves had outdone themselves. There was a grand roast beef, fresh vegetables from the greenhouses, lightly seasoned with fresh herbs, and soft Italian style bread. The staff had been waiting for this day in order to show their master their skills. The meal finished with fresh strawberries and melon balls in a light syrup with whipped cream. During their dinner, they had spoken about politics, the differences between foreign boarding schools and Hogwarts, anything and everything but the 800 kilo elephant in the middle of the room, namely the situation with Albus Dumbledore and his brother Aberforth. This evening was simply a starting point to find out if either of the parties had open hostility toward the other. Harry found himself liking Jonathon, and was enchanted by Jennifer. He would have never thought that these two could be related to the crafty Albus or the rough hewn Aberforth. After dinner and more conversation over cognac and butterbeers, it was time for the Dumbledore siblings to leave.

"I'm sorry that your mother could not make it tonight."

"Yes, she was very stressed out after her shopping trip today and decided that she would not make very good company. Possibly some other time," said Jonathon. The siblings walked over to the fireplace, Harry once again shook hands with Jonathon and kissed Jennifer's hand, then the pair left.

"Well done, young man." Harry spun around to see the recently re-hung portrait of Phineas Black. Now that Dumbledore was out of the way, Harry had no problems with allowing the former Headmaster's portrait back into circulation. He brought the painting from 12 Grimmauld Place to the manor, intending to tap the wisdom of one of the greatest Headmasters that Hogwarts had ever produced. When he stood up on Harry's side at the Governor's meeting, Harry knew that he had found an ally.

"Thank you, sir. Did Blinky read the letter to you that I sent to the parents about the new sorting policy?"

"Yes he did. I believe that you hit just the right note. Many of the former Slytherin students will be upset, but you cannot make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. I think that they will probably end up keeping many of the same cliques, but in a few years they will all be gone and the new students will not remember any other way of doing things. I only wish that I had the support to bring in something like this when I was Headmaster."

"That eases my mind quite a bit, sir." Just then, Blinky stepped up and pulled on the edge of Harry's robe to get his attention.

"Lord Black, an owl just came in for you, but it would not let Blinky take the letter." The elf looked abashed.

"Where is the owl now?"

"It is in Lord Black's study." Bidding Phineas good-night, Harry followed the elf into his study where a regal looking sooty owl was waiting on the back of Harry's chair. It held out its foot, waiting for Harry to take the letter.

"Has this been checked out"

"Yes, Lord Black. There is no portkey or any dangerous substances, just a letter."

"Very well." Harry took the letter and opened it and read:

Lord Potter-Black:

I need to speak with you before you leave for Hogwarts. I believe that I have information that will interest you. Please send back your reply with this owl.

Sincerely,

DM

Harry sat back, somewhat gobsmacked. DM could only be Draco Malfoy. What in the world would the bad boy of Slytherin need to relay to him? The history between the two naturally led him to believe that anything that Malfoy would be up to would be against Harry's best interests. Still, Harry's interest was piqued. He took a piece of parchment and wrote a reply.

DM:

You have my interest. You may come here at 8 o'clock tomorrow evening. The floo password is "Walburga's House. Come alone and leave your wand at home.

HP-B

Folding the letter and sealing it, he gave it to the owl and sent it on its way. He would contact Madam Bones in the morning and ask for a couple of Aurors to come to the Manor in the event that Draco did not follow instructions to come alone and unarmed.

"BLINKY!" The elf popped in.

"How can Blinky serve Lord Black?"

"Can you shut down the floo access at will?"

"Oh, yes sir. When would you like for Blinky to do that?"

"Right now. Shut it down for the night and hook it back up when I get out of bed tomorrow. How long does it take to do it?"

Blinky snapped his fingers. "It is done now, Lord Black."

Harry smiled. "I have a guest coming over tomorrow night and I will be wanting you to shut down the floo as soon as he comes through it. Can you take care of that?"

"Oh, yes sir! Will there be anything else?"

"Have someone lay out my pajamas and bring me some of that cognac that Lord Dumbledore seemed to enjoy so much tonight." The elf popped out and returned with Harry's nightcap. Harry thanked the elf, then dismissed him. He took the goblet, swirled the cognac around, and meditated about what Malfoy could possibly want from him.