A Chance Encounter
Chapter 5
-Harry-
Head held high he walked into the ICW chambers next to Martin Delacour, a glamour placed on him to make him look like he did before his transformation, hiding both his new build and the arrays. As he walked he thought about what Martin had told him about both his disguise and the ICW itself.
-Flashback-
"So what are we supposed to say about all…this?" he asked once he had sat down in Martin's office, gesturing to his newer body.
"Simple," the French Minister answered with a smirk "we don't."
"Um…what?" he asked confused "I'm pretty sure that Dumbledore will be able to notice the difference between how I used to look and what I look like now. And knowing the asshole he won't let it go until he gets the information he wants. And doesn't he run the ICW."
"There are several things you need to understand Harry." Martin elaborated while pulling out some files "First of all, Dumbledore's title of 'Supreme Mugwump', is nothing more than a glorified Judge Seat without much power. He got it for being the longest standing member of the ICW and it just lets him 'lead' the meetings and decide the punishments if someone is sentenced but those punishments can be revoked if enough members vote to veto it. So don't worry, Dumbledore acts like he has more power outside of England than he has."
"Okay," he nodded slowly as he processed the new information "that's good to know. But that doesn't explain how we avoid Dumbledore's demands about how I changed?"
"Alright Harry, story time." Martin says, pouring himself a drink "Most ICW preventives once served in their government's military or police force and many have different scars or missing limbs. While some choose to proudly display such scars others want to cover them up with glamours."
When Martin paused he gave the man a slow nod "Okay, I follow you so far. But wouldn't that give people a chance to sneak in glamoured as someone else if glamours are common?"
"I was just getting to that." Martin assured "They recognized this problem when the various members brought up the wish to use glamours. The entire ICW is enchanted in a similar way to that map you showed me, the one your father made. The enchantment is tied to nametags everyone is given when they enter and it shows the name of the whoever the magical signature is underneath the map. Nothing can change a magical signature, not Polyjuice, not glamours, not even a magical mutation. While the tag is on you can't do anymore glamours though so do it before we go."
"I'm guessing I have to avoid using my new powers at all costs?" he asked, not liking the idea of restricting himself like that if needed.
"Harry," Martin told him seriously "avoid using them if you can but if someone tries to attack you or kidnap you…crush them."
-End Flashback-
"Name?" the bored looking desk attendant at the ICW headquarters asked, not looking up from the magazine they were flipping through. The uniform showed that they were a British Ministry worker much to his irritation, likely placed by Dumbledore so the old man would know exactly when they showed up.
"Martin Delacour and Hadrian Potter here for the ICW ruling today." The French Minister stated as the desk worker fell out of the chair, magazine flipping up while the shocked man scrambled back into the seat.
"O-of course sir." The man said, quickly handing over two blank nametags that, once clipped on, showed their names. Nodding they walked into the ICW Chamber, following the hall to the box for the French representatives, Martin Delacour taking the representative seat while he was seated in a guest chair.
Soon the rest of the members began trickling in, the last group being England with Dumbledore taking the Mugwump box while Snape, McGonagall, and the adult Weasleys all sat in the regular British Box. "Welcome," Dumbledore called out once seated "I now call this gathering of the International Confederation of Wizards to order. Are there any issues that need be brought up before we proceed to the reason we were called today?"
"Yes," Martin said, standing up "I do. I feel you are too close to the topic at hand for the day. I move that you be, at least for today, replaced with an impartial member of the ICW." As Martin spoke Harry looked around at the different reactions. They both knew that removing Dumbledore wouldn't really do anything legally but it would place them higher in people's eyes and tarnish Dumbledore's reputation for the proceedings.
"All in favor?" Dumbledore asked stiffly, the man clearly not wanting to allow the issue to be voted on. What the old man likely hadn't been expecting was that well over half of the representatives voted in favor of Martins' suggestion. "Motion carried." Dumbledore forced out unhappily before moving to go to the British box while an American Wizard, Alexander Thomas, became the Supreme Mugwump for the day. The other members of the British box were looking apoplectic as Dumbledore joined them.
"Now," Thomas stated once seated "the issue has been brought forward regarding England and France. England wishes to have one Hadrian Potter returned and France charged with his kidnapping while France wishes to have England punished for the assault of one of their aurors as well as the removal of the British Citizenship of one Hadrian potter. We shall start with the issues brought forward by England. Representative Dumbledore, what have you to say on this issue?"
Standing Dumbledore looked around at the various members of the ICW, "Harry Potter is a British Citizen. He went to a sporting event with the family of his closest friend and in the after math of a group of individuals pretending to be Death Eaters he was kidnapped by French Agents. You need to not only return Harry Potter to me so that I may have him checked for controlling spells and potions but also levy punishments against the French government for their crime."
"Very well. You may be seated Representative Dumbledore. Representative Delacour, what have you to say in your defense?" as Martin stood up Harry noticed that Molly Weasley looked close to screaming at Thomas for not immediately giving Dumbledore his way.
"I have this to say." Martin stated seriously, pulling out a small file "My daughter was attending the Quiditch World Cup in England with a small group of Auror guards for her safety. When the terrorist attack happened she got separated from her guards and was nearly hit by a killing curse before being saved by Hadrian Potter. He managed to get her out of the attack zone and back to her guards who took them both to my home, both to get them to safety ad to have any injuries treated. I have here, a sworn testimony from every Auror in the guard as well as the healer I called in to treat them. All of them have made a magical oath of truth with their signature of these statements." As martin spoke the file was collected and copies given to the different members of the ICW.
"While he was with us," Martin continued "we had to be sure that he wasn't one of the terrorists who was pretending to save my daughter in order to get to the rest of my family so we gave him diluted truth serum in his water, following the ICW and French regulations on its use in case of the possible threat on the life of a dignitary "and we learned some shocking facts about his life in England. Here are a record of what Hadrian revealed of both his life with the people Albus Dumbledore placed him with as well as his life at Hogwarts and the numerous times his life has been endangered due to Albus Dumbledore and the government of England." Once more the file was copied and distributed as the other representatives soon began growing furious with England.
"Furthermore his 'relatives' signed over guardianship to myself and my wife making Hadrian a ward of my family and, as of the day after the attack, he gained French Citizenship." Martin finished up before sitting back down calmly, giving him a small nod of gratitude as he had agreed to let the man use the transcripts to nail Dumbledore's coffin tight, even if it had taken a lot of convincing.
After Thomas cast a spell on the files to verify their authenticity the man who was leading the ICW for the day spoke up, "I have verified these files and found that they are genuine and the oaths tied to them active. I now call the issue of returning Hadrian Potter to England and levying punishments towards France to a vote. All in Favor of England on this issue?" Dumbledore raised his hand but was the only one. Every other pair of eyes in the room was staring coldly at those inside the England box. "All in favor of France?" every other pair of hands went up "Very well. Hadrian Potter will not be returned to England and no punishments will be levied to France for this. Now, to France's issue of revoking Hadrian Potter's British Citizenship as well as reparations for the assault on one of their aurors. Representative Delacour, what have you to say?"
"After learning the facts of Hadrian Potter's home life I sent my most trusted Auror, Jaune Pierre, to the Dursley home to get him to convince them to sign over custody." Martin stated, immediately bringing out a third file "He went through the proper customs to enter your country through magical means and got the Dursley family to sign over custody without the use of coercion. After doing so though he was attacked by several individuals. One matched the description of one Alastor Moody, another wore the badge of a rookie Auror, and there was a third hidden under an invisibility cloak that hit my auror from behind with a body bind. It was only Pierre's emergency portkey that saved him and brought him back to France. In this file are the reports of the emergency portkey's activation as well as Pierre's accounting of the attack." For the third time a file was distributed as it looked like England was looking a lot of face.
"England, what have you to say in your defense?" Thomas asked with forced neutrality in the man's voice.
"Nothing Supreme Mugwump." Dumbledore forced out, likely knowing there wasn't a good way to get out of the situation.
"Very well. All in favor of France for this issue?" Thomas called out and, once more, all hands but England were raised "It is decided. Hadrian Potter's British Citizenship is to be revoked. Representative Dumbledore, your government has forty-eight hours to see this done. England is to launch an investigation at the actions of the three who attacked French Auror Pierre, to ensure that it was actual aurors instead of individuals under glamour or Polyjuice. If the investigation is not handled to a standard, we approve of though the ICW will send our own agents to do so. Are there any other issues that need be brought up before we disband?"
"Yes," Martin Delacour stood up once more as Dumbledore looked ready to rip his own beard out in frustration "I wish to make a request about the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament. My daughter was attacked and nearly killed the last time she was in England so I wish to send a bodyguard with her. The man I have in mind is a private agent of my government and highly skilled despite his age. He will agree to take a magical oath to only act in defense of himself or of Fleur should any attack himself, or her, with an exception if he sees another being attacked and he has the ability to provide aide to their defense."
"Who is this agent?" Thomas asked.
"He simply goes by the codename of 'Scar' for the moment due to the large collection of battle marks he has collected." Martin stated as he had to hide his own smirk at the French Minister's codename for him. He had wanted a way to get to go to Hogwarts one last time to say goodbye to his friends in case he wasn't able to see them again due to Dumbledore's interference.
"All in favor?" Thomas asked as everyone bar England, Dumbledore likely being petty, raised their hands "Then it is agreed. Your daughter may have one bodyguard for the duration of the Tri-Wizard tournament. I now call this meeting of the International Confederation of Wizards adjourned."