Here's the newest chapter for the "Harry Potter: the Serpent Lord", enjoy!

* Review response:
Naginator, Lupinesence, ElementalMaster16, Kine X, Emeraldfireblade, Still Not Dead Yet, Elfen Sky, Penny is wise, kemoksy, thank you for your reviews, folks!
Awsomeness7, loginanout, I've answered your reviews via personal messages.
obsessivegirl73, he got almost twice the amount of Potter vaults as it is. Though, I admit, I made some calculations later, Gringotts can sell the beast at 2500% of the price they bought it from Harry... But, anyway, let's forget about that little bit, OK?
god of all, one update per week. =) I need some *free time* for my studies too.
twilightnemo, I, though, think, I did mention that. If not - half of this chapter is dedicated to that.

* Disclaimer: I DO NOT own "Harry Potter" and its characters in any shape or form.

"human speech"
"wraith speech"
'human thoughts'
"spells / parseltongue"

This chapter is not beta-read yet.

chapter 28: Busy day

The bells jingled as Harry entered the reception area of 'Carter, Bridget & Ashford' law firm office building. He was immediately greeted by a pretty brown-haired witch, who looked like was not even five years out of Hogwarts. For a moment she looked like she wanted to ask what did he want, but then she recognized him.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Potter, Gringotts informed us that you may be coming here. Unfortunately, they did not provide us with the time of your visit, so we could not arrange an appointment for you." The witch said. "Ms. Bridget has an appointment right now, but she should be free in like twenty minutes. Are you willing to wait?" Harry nodded: while he had hoped to visit the Ministry today as well, this was more important – his licenses could wait until tomorrow.

"Yes, thank you." The receptionist witch quickly wrote something on a piece of parchment on her desk – a message to ms. Bridget? – before turning her attention back to the young wizard in front of her.

"Were you informed about the prices?" The receptionist witch asked him then. The young lord Potter-Slytherin nodded: while fifteen galleon per hour seemed like a bit too much, it actually gave the barristers about as much money as a major department head's secretary earned, so it all was fair.

"Yes, I was. Goblins are meticulous – in a good way, of course – if nothing else. They had informed me about your rates when they suggested I contact your firm."

Twenty five minutes later ms. Bridget's current client – a big but otherwise quite plain man in his late fifties – came down the stairs from the second floor where the offices were. Still, the receptionist witch told Harry to wait till his (possible) barrister was ready to see him. Finally, another five minutes later, the witch told him that he could go.

Thanking the witch, the young Potter-Slytherin rose from the chair he was sitting in as he was waiting and headed upstairs. While the reception area didn't have any really impressive décor, the second floor, where the four offices – nameplates on the doors said that the offices belonged to Mr. Samuel Carter, Mr. Howard L Bridget, ms. Violet L Bridget and Mr. Leonardo Ashford – was decorated in such a way that no one will have any doubts that the firm was old and prosperous.

Harry politely knocked on the door leading to ms. Bridget's office. And after she told him to, he entered her office... It was a pretty large room, with one wall hidden behind and enormous bookcase, filled with books on magical and muggle law for pretty much every civilized country in the world. There also was a great number of thick folders, most likely containing data on various clients of the firm. All of those folders being under the most powerful encryption, copyright and all-round protective charms, of course. The wall across from the bookcase had an ornate clock on it, as well as a couple of scenery paintings. Minibar was also there. The third wall, the one across from the entrance, had windows, showing the Diagon alley. The big mahogany table, with some documents on it, but mostly clean, was there in front of the windows. Behind the said table a big leather armchair in which ms. Bridget was sitting, while two, albeit simpler, armchairs were in front of the table for her clients to sit in.

Ms. Violet L Bridget herself was a face of a prosperous firm. She was pretty young – still in her early twenties – and beautiful aristocratic-looking woman with blue eyes and dark-blond hair that was made into a single braid. She was wearing what looked to be a mixture between gray muggle business suit and high-quality wizarding robes. She also had elegant glasses that currently were resting on her table.

"Good morning." Harry greeted her.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter." She replied. "I was told, that you have some important business." The young wizard nodded. "Shall we begin then?" She asked, while putting her glasses back on.

"Very well." Harry replied. "My predecessors tell only good things about your firm in their journals, and I have no reason to for me the things will be different. But I still would like to see how you work, before signing any long-term partnership contracts. No offense." Violet nodded

"None taken." She said simply: the boy in front of her seemed to intelligent and cunning, the qualities she liked in her 'partners' (unless those were used against her and hers somehow, of course). "Please continue."

"The first thing I need your help with is unsealing my parents' wills and executing them. This will not be as easy as it may sound, as Albus Dumbledore had sealed those not a weak after my parents' death and seems to think that the wills are better this way." Harry made a small pause. "I will make a request about unsealing once I stand in front of Wizengamot as lord Potter, but I feel that having some help from someone with more experience in magical law would be beneficial." Ms. Bridget nodded in agreement.

"Of course, my father and I will help you there. James and Lily Potter were our valuable client." The blond witch replied, while writing his request down onto the parchment."And executing their wills will be a great honor to our firm." Harry nodded.

"Thank you. I also find myself in need of a reliable proxy for my Potter seat on Wizangamot – I'm still a Hogwarts student and, thus, confined to the castle for nine months a year. I believe that your firm can help me in finding someone whom I can trust to vote as house Potter would." He said.

"What kind of a person are you looking for?" Violet asked, while picking another parchment for her notes.

"First of all, I want someone who will not be swayed by bribes, for I am sure that there will be those willing to buy 'my' votes. The proxy I'm looking for should be someone who agrees that some progress is needed by the magical world, but also he or she must understand that doing it quickly – like Dumbledore and his followers want to – will only be met with great resistance from traditionalists, and forcing the issue that way will not do much good... In other words, my proxy should believe that slow and steady progress is the way to keep magical world from decadence." The young Potter said.

"I believe we can find someone like that." Ms. Bridget replied as she was taking notes about her customer's request. "Should I arrange meetings with the candidates once I'm sure that they fit your criteria?" Harry shook his head.

"Thank you, but no. Just forward me their names and, if possible, addresses. I'd like to arrange the meetings myself... I will be informing you when I have had a meeting, and its results." The witch nodded.

"Very well." She said. "Anything else?" Harry nodded.

"I need your firm to build a case against Albus Dumbledore." Violet looked very surprised. "Let me explain." The green-eyed wizard said. "Despite his reputation, the man is nowhere as good as he wants people to think he is. He did put me and my friends under illegal memory charms – I'm only aware of that because mine was broken. Another thing the I can accuse Dumbledore of is willful endangerment of Hogwarts students on at least two accounts during 1991-1992 school year. Finally, despite my protests, he insisted that I return to an abusive house for the summer, which can be considered child abuse abetment. I'm quite sure that there are more misdeeds, but I'm not aware of those yet."

"Even if what you say is true, those would not be enough to do anything: these charges are not serious enough to remove him from his position of Chief Warlock. And once the trial is over, he will be able to appeal to himself, and you will be again at square one at best. At worst..." The witch replied. "If you want the Dumbledore to pay for his misdeeds, you'll need to accuse him of something very serious. Otherwise it is not likely that would even be found guilty – he is seen as the hero of the wizarding world, and many people worship him too much to allow something tarnish his reputation."

"I know that." Harry replied. "That's why I want your help with building a proper case. The more evidence and crimes we have there, the easier it will be for us to do Dumbledore justice." He sighed. "This is why I'm being a bad friend, actually. I know now how to remove memory charms, but I still let my friend have one so that healers will be able to give us the evidence that it was done by Hogwarts' illustrious headmaster."

"I see..." Was all that Violet said in response. "So, for now we will be collecting evidence against Dumbledore and wait till we have enough to bring him down." She said after a pause.

"Yes, we will." Harry replied. "And once we have collected enough to be sure that the old man will be stripped of his position, we will strike..." Then he though about what he had said... Damn, he sounded so much like one of those fictional villains from Dudley's comics and TV shows. The only thing that was missing was his evil laughter... "Sorry, that sounded not exactly right. I indeed intend to do Dumbledore justice, but not out of revenge, though it is among my motives as well, but because he is forgetting that he is yet another national, who is not above the law, 'Greater good' or not." Violet nodded.

"All right... So how will we go about this? I shall do my own research into the misdeeds of Dumbledore, and owl you the result monthly." She said.

"That will do." The young Potter answered with a nod. "But do try to be discreet: I'm not sure, but there might be mail redirection wards around Hogwarts that react to specific words in the letters. It wouldn't do if our little plan is uncovered before we're ready to strike." The witch looked at him.

"You'll be in your third year at Hogwarts, right?" She asked, receiving a nod for an answer. "The problem with the wards can be solved this way then: On the weekends, when you can go to Hogsmeade, I'll be sending my assistant to pass the message to you there. It'll cost you some extra money, though." Harry thought about this for a moment.

"Yes, that should work. And the money will not be a problem." He said. "I'll be sending you my own findings with your assistant."

"Very well." Violet replied. "Do you have anything else you want to address?" The green-eyed wizard shook his head.

"No, not at the moment." The blond witch nodded as she signed a new folder with his name and put all of the notes she had made during her 'meeting' with him into it.

"All right then. Now, if you will, I'd like to start on the tasks you've given me." Harry nodded. "Have a good day then, Mr. Potter" Violet said with a small, barely noticeable, smile.

"And you too... And thank you for your time." With a bow, Harry left ms. Bridget's office. Once he was downstairs, he paid the fee for his visit to the receptionist witch.

~/ *** \~

After a quick lunch at the 'Leaky Cauldron', the young Potter headed to the Ministry of Magic, wanting to get his apparation and portkey creation licenses today. Since he didn't want to make a fool of himself with the way he usually exited the floo, Harry decided to use the public entrance, and the little walk that he needed to reach it didn't bother him at all...

Finally he stood in front of a damaged telephone-box. Hoping that the things hadn't changed since Tom Riddle's last visit in sixties, Harry dialed the number: six-two-four-four-two. As soon as the dial whirled back into its proper position, cool female voice said:

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business." Not sure whether he should reply into the speaker or not, Harry answered loudly, hoping that he would be heard regardless of which way was right one.

"Harry James Potter, to visit the Department of Magical Transportation."

"Thank you. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes." The very same voice said, while a silver square badge slid out where change coins usually come. As soon as Harry had the badge attached, the telephone-box started sinking into the ground. "Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the atrium." After about a minute, a chink of golden light illuminated the descending telephone-box. "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day." said the woman's voice. The door of the telephone box sprang open, and Harry stepped out into the atrium.

He was standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that kept moving and changing like some enormous heavenly noticeboard. The walls on each side were paneled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireplaces with a soft whoosh. On the right-hand side, short queues were forming before each fireplace, waiting to depart.

Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the

middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin and a house-elf. The last three were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of their wands, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblins hat and each of the house elf's ears, so that the tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the pops and cracks of the Apparators and the clatter of footsteps as hundreds of witches and wizards strode towards a set of golden gates at the far end of the hall.

At the said end of the hall there indeed was a security desk, but the wizard that sat there was shamelessly sleeping, instead of doing his work. Shrugging, Harry headed straight to the lift, managing to fit into one of them with the group of the Ministry workers. A couple of stops later, the young Potter finally reached the level six where the Department of Magical Transportation was located...

The young wizard's first step was Apparation Test Center. The center occupied a large room, but it seemed that only one worker was present there – an oddly colorless wizard, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair, and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away. And much like the wizard at the security table, he was sleeping as well.

"Ahem..." Harry said, as he knocked on the table surface loudly, waking the wizard up. "I'd like to try myself at the apparation test, and, if possible, acquire the license." The wizard – Wilkie Twycross if one was to believe the name written on his badge – looked at him.

"You must be of age to pass the test." The Apparation instructor replied, before trying to go back to sleep. The green-eyed wizard, though, wasn't about to give up easily.

"Does this count?" He asked, showing his Potter ring (the Slytherin one was currently invisible). Wilkie looked at the ring... A couple of seconds later, he nodded.

"I suppose, it does." He said, while standing up from his armchair. "Now, why don't we see if you can pass the test." Harry silently followed the man into another room where the tests were conducted...

Two hours – an hour for theoretical lesson, and one for practice – later Harry James Potter was having his apparation license safely tucked in the inner pocket of his robes: the memories of apparating he got from the horcrux were really helpful and allowed him to successfully 'jump' from one end of the room to another on his third try (still, it was required to do three successful apparations in a row to get the license...)

Looking at the clock, Harry decided that he had enough time to try his luck in getting portkey creation license as well, so he headed to the Portkey Office.

~/ *** \~

Late in the evening Harry was lying on the bed in his room at the 'Leaky Cauldron'. Today he managed to acquire both licenses he needed for his plans, even though it had exhausted him quite a bit – especially after his morning at the 'Carter, Bridget & Ashford' law firm... The young wizard was almost sleeping when an owl bearing Gringotts collar appeared on his windowsill with a package attached to it's leg.

Removing the package, Harry opened it, finding a pair of wristbands he had ordered, along with a note from his estate manager which said that the goblin managed to talk the blacksmiths into giving him the saber with the ownership rights he had proposed.

Making a mental note to thank Goldsaw the next time he saw him, the young Potter transfigured the gray paper the wristbands had arrived in into a more colorful one to wrap them for Draconica. After all, tomorrow was her thirteenth birthday... Once he was done with wrapping the gift for the blond witch, Harry asked Hedwig to deliver it to the Malfoy manor to the birthday girl.

That's all, folks!
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