What Went wrong And How To Fix It
AN: hello, and welcome to my latest piece. I have not fallen off the edge of the Earth, I've just been writing, and experiencing this weird thing we call life. In this latest piece, I decided to do the time travel bit, but do it at differently. Harry is not the main character for once, instead, a few other characters, make their grand center stage appearance. Enjoy….
Chapter 1: The Wedding
August 18, 1978
Headmaster's Office
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office looking at reports of Death Eater activity. He should have been out celebrating the marriage of his godson and his new bride. James and Lily's wedding was a beautiful affair. Held at Lionfire Hall, the Ancestral home of the Potters for generations, he had never seen two people so in love and so happy, despite the war outside their wards.
Fleamont, one of Albus' best friends, and his wife Euphemia, who preferred to go by her middle name of Euphemia, played the perfect hosts for the wedding. Hosting a number of light-sided and neutral families along with a large number of muggle families, namely the Evans family. Lily Evans, now Potter, was very popular at school and had invited many of her muggleborn friends and their families. It had been a lot of work to get Lionfire Hall to been seen by the muggles, but Lily, her best friend Mary McKinnon, and Filius Flitwick had worked out a charm that allowed Lionfire Hall to been seen and the muggles to learn about magic. When they left, they would remember the wedding, but nothing specific about magic. The people who were immune to this charm were Lily's parents, and the parents of other muggleborns.
'It really was a clever charm. I must read up on their charm and research they did.' Albus, ever the scholar, mused.
Albus enjoyed speaking with Lionel Evans, Lily's father, and Fleamont, during the day. According to official files, and Lionel himself, he was a paper pusher in Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service Office. However, the truth was he was worked for MI5. When he was younger, he was a field agent, protecting Britain and the Commonwealth from all threats; whether they be foreign, domestic, muggle or magical. He knew of Albus Dumbledore and what Albus did in World War II, though he never mentioned it to Lily or his wife. After marrying Marigold, his wife, Lionel transferred out of field work and became a trainer. His cover as a paper pusher was to protect his family as he did many enemies thanks to his time in MI5, though a lot of friends as well. Fleamont had been head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the Ministry for many years before retiring and taking over the management of the Potter Family Holdings, which was a full-time job itself he said many times.
The surprise at the wedding had been Arcturus Black's presence. Arcturus was Lord and Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, though he had not taken an active role in anything relating to his Lordship for many years. His son and nephews had all served as Regents for the House of Black, spreading the Pureblood Agenda as far as they could since Arcturus had become a recluse after the death of his wife Melania. The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black has had a long history of being a dark family. Albus had hoped that when his friend had assumed the lordship of his family, he would work on changing that history, but it seemed that the Black Family would not change, which depressed Albus because he did miss his old friend. He had always hoped the Archie, as Albus and Fleamont called Arcturus, would straighten out his house, but with a number of members of the Black Family supporting Lord Voldemort in the current war, it was a pipe dream.
Because of the history of the Black Family, the only members of the family that had been invited were Sirius Black, James' best friend & Best Man, and his cousin Andromeda; despite Euphemia being a Black herself. For Arcturus to arrive at the wedding and be allowed through the wards meant that he wished no harm to come to James, Lily, or anyone there. It was a something that was bothering Albus.
Arcturus had sat quietly towards the back of the wedding and did not interact with many people, though he did congratulate the newlyweds afterwards and gave his dear cousin Euphemia a kiss on the cheek and spoke to his Grandson Sirius before leaving a beautiful crystal vase as a wedding present. Whatever his grandfather had told Sirius was unknown because Sirius refused to talk about it. Though he looked stunned.
'Another mystery for another day.' Albus mused.
Chapter 2: Memories of War & Younger Men
"Albus," The portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black spoke up. Like all of the other portraits in the office, he had been Headmaster of Hogwarts at one time.
"Yes Phineas." Albus said wearily.
"Lord Arcturus Black, Earl of Blackmore, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, wishes to speak to you at once. He said it is of the utmost urgency." Phineas said.
Arcturus, while being a Black, had not been the normal evil Black that most of the Black Family had been up that point. Yes, he was sorted into Slytherin, but that did not make one evil. Arcturus was cunning and calculating, not Evil. Did he have some Dark tendencies, yes. But if Albus truly had to classify the man, it would be Grey.
Arcturus, or Archie as he had called the man in their youth, was one of Albus' and Fleamont Potter's best friends in their youth. After they graduated, they remained close friends. Flea actually introduced Archie to his wife. But as life goes, they each went their own ways after a while. Albus got the opportunity to apprentice under Nicholas Flamel, Flea entered the Auror Corps, and Arcturus become the new Earl of Blackmore after the passing of his grandfather, rather suddenly. Albus thought that Archie's father or one of his uncles had a hand in that to gain the title and power of Earl, only to be stopped cold in their tracks when the title went to a 17-year-old boy.
Even with all of that, the three friends met monthly to just be friends and share a pint. They were great time and each of the men would take turns ribbing the others and deflating the egos of the others. Albus missed those days .
But as time went on, their paths diverged further from each other. Albus had to deal with Gellert Grindelwald, and the chaos the man caused for Albus personally and for the world. Gellert used Albus to get what he wanted, but Gellert taught Albus a valuable lesson about himself; Albus could not be trusted with power. That was why he returned to Hogwarts to teach until he had no choice but to enter the war.
In 1941 after the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor, the Americans Muggles entered the war, but they were not alone. The Americans also brought forward their Battle Mages. Battle Mages were extremely powerful magicals, trained to fight in various styles including unarmed, close quarters, and with various muggle weaponry, to say nothing about the magics they used. It was said that a single American Battle Mage could take on a company of Axis soldiers without an issue.
The problem was the Gellert had trained with the Battle Mages and learned their weaknesses before the world saw his true colors. When they first encountered Gellert and his own Battle Mages, it had been a slaughter. 2 platoons of American Battle Mages had been wiped out; their magic ripped from their bodies and channeled into Gellert himself.
When Albus learned of what happened, Albus knew he had to do something. He felt responsible for Gellert, especially for the deaths of the American Battle Mages as Albus had pleaded to Nicholas Flamel to put in a good word for his friend. Albus also knew he was only one of a few people who could beat Gellert because he was still magically and physically stronger than the other man, even with stealing the magic of the fallen Mages.
So, using one last favor from his mentor, Albus assembled his own team, Team Phoenix and trained them to take on Gellert and his army. The two people Albus refused to have by his side in the war were his best friends Archie and Flea. Archie, because he was a new father, and Flea because Albus knew someone needed to pick up the pieces after the war ended; Albus was pretty sure at the time he would die taking out Gellert.
During the same time Albus was apprenticing under Flamel and then dealing with Grindelwald, Flea was working his way through the ranks of the Aurors and the DMLE, eventually becoming Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement shortly before Albus headed off to war. Flea was hurt his friend didn't want his help, but it was after the war that Flea found why Albus couldn't have him by his side. After the war, when Albus made it home with Fawkes as his new familiar, Flea, and Archie, tore into their old friend about how much of an idiot he had been. Albus admitted they had a point, but he wanted to make sure that there were good men to lead England after the war.
Flea was Heir Apparent to his family titles and seats for many years before he took the Lordship from his father. While Albus become Lord Dumbledore, Baron of Orkney, when he reached his majority, he had been smart enough to ask Perenelle Flamel to serve as Regent for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Dumbledore as he studied under her husband and never asked her to step down. Archie, like Albus, became Lord Arcturus Black, Earl of Blackmore, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black when he reached his majority.
The problem is Archie did not have anyone to serve as Regent, or to really help him learn what his grandfather could not teach him before his untimely death. So Archie retreated into the Black Family Library and Vaults at Gringotts to learn all he could about how to be a proper lord and not the pureblood fanatic that his father was. Because he was absorbed in reading and learning all that he could, members of his family took advantage of the fact that he was often not present and pushed their own agendas. His own father proclaimed himself Regent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, backed by most of the family, allowing him to lead the family in a manner that Archie probably would not allow. Archie evidently only found out after his father died what he had done.
With the three men growing up and growing into different roles, their monthly pub crawls became less and less, and then the unthinkable happened; Archie's wife Melania died, and Archie became a recluse; hardly answering even the owls his friends to him and not caring about his responsibilities to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.
Realizing that his mind wandered, Albus answered the portrait, trying to figure out how much time passed with him in his memories.
"Let him know my floo is open, or if he would prefer, I can floo to him."
'I should look into getting a pensieve.' Albus thought.
Chapter 3: The Bombshell
With a nod, Phineas stepped back out of his normally empty frame. Within seconds Albus' fireplace lit up and Arcturus stepped out. Taking a good look at the man, Albus could see that age had not done him any favors. While they were the same age, Albus clearly seemed to have more energy. Arcturus looked frail, until someone looked into his steel gray eyes and saw what the man was made of.
"Hello Old Friend." Arcturus said to Albus, his voice hoarse, as if he did not speak much.
"I hate to say this Archie, but you look really old." Albus said.
"I'm a month younger than you, though I know I don't look like it." Arcturus said as he sat down. "We have a problem."
"Lord Voldemort." Albus said.
"He is but a smaller piece of the larger problem. The larger part of the problem is you." Arcturus said, his voice changed from hoarse to a strong voice and his entire demeanor changed. This was no longer a frail old man, but a man who had fought many battles and had experience on his side.
"Excuse me?" Albus said.
"It would be better to say the problem will be you. And the power you will wield, through you never wanted it." Archie said.
"I'm sorry Arcturus, but I am confused." Albus said.
Archie leaned back into his chair and pulled out a flask of firewhiskey and took a long pull. "I had a visitor, the night after my wife died. His name was Harry Potter. He was Lily and James' son." Arcturus said.
"He is from the future? How? There have been theories—" Albus started.
"—Don't start down that rabbit Albus. It took me months to get out of it when I first heard. And I know you, you would fall down it deeper and faster because you love to learn." Archie said with a smile.
"You're right, old friend." Albus said, knowing the truth when he heard it coming from Archie or Flea. It was refreshing to hear Archie talking to him like he was a normal person. Too many people lately had begun to treat Albus like he could do no wrong.
"But Harry's arrival was more complicated than anything you could think of Albus. His full name was Sir Harry James Potter, Duke of Gryffindor, Earl of Blackmore, Lord Protector of the Magical Realm, Holder of the Victoria Cross, Holder of the George Cross, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Recipient of the Order of Merlin First Class, Lord of Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter, & Black. Lord of Ancient Houses of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, & Slytherin, Slayer of Lord Voldemort."
"Goodness."
"And from what he shared with me, that all before he was 18 years old." Archie said.
"What happened?" Albus asked.
"There will be a prophecy made in 1981. You hear it while interviewing someone for the position of Divination Professor—"
"—Hogwash. Seers are born. You can't learn to be one." Albus muttered.
"Yes, yes I know. One of Voldemort's young Death Eaters hears part of the prophecy and reports it to his master. At the time it was made, only 2 children could be the prophesied chosen one. Harry and the son of Frank and Alice Longbottom. One of the Potters' friends betrays them to Voldemort, no it was not my grandson Sirius or Remus Lupin, and marks Harry, at 16 months old and kills both James and Lily. Sirius is sent to Azkaban without a trial.
"You and your 'Greater Good' condemn Harry to hell until he turns 11 and comes to Hogwarts where he spends every year fighting for his life. He makes life-long friends here, and meets the love of his life. After Hogwarts he continues the good fight, but has to deal with living with the actions of your decisions." Archie explains.
"After a long time full of war and peace, he passed away. But as the Holder of the Deathly Hallows, he was given a chance to go back in time and try to fix the mess that you created."
Albus sat there, thinking about what he would do if he heard a prophecy and it contained how to stop Tom Riddle. He knew without a doubt his Greater Good would give him the moral high ground, in his mind, to do what he wanted with no one around to stop him. It was terrifying to think of. 'But why would Archie and Flea not stop me?'
"When do you and Fleamont die?" Albus asked. Knowing the only way he could have screwed up so badly was if his two friends were gone and could no longer help him see when he screwed up. It was one thing that bound the three of them in their youth, and to this day. It was also the real reason Albus didn't want to them to go and hunt gown Gellert with him. Exactly how Albus defeated Grindelwald was unknown to everyone but Albus, but it involved the use of some very questionable actions and magics that his friends would never agree to. Well, Fleamont would object, Arcturus might actually have enjoyed seeing them in use.
"Fleamont died in 1980. Fleamont and Euphemia were taking on 25 Death Eaters and killed most of them before Voldemort appeared and got a lucky hit on Fleamont. Euphemia died of a broken heart two days later. James was never the same after that. I tried to reach out to him, but members of my family were at the attack, and James refused to speak to me, which I can accept. Neither of them met Harry.
"I died in 1991 of Dragon Pox. But I was poisoned with something long before that because I had not been seen since my wife's death. But like my Grandfather, I skipped my son's generation and named Sirius as my heir. Though he could never take on the mantle."
Seeing Albus' face, Archie smiled. "I'm not poisoned this time Albie, I promise. I have taken steps to ensure that when my time comes, it will be on my terms and not on those of assassin."
"But no one has seen you, Archie." Albus said.
"This was by choice, Albus. Sir Harry and I have spent the time between Melania's death and now looking through time for the best way to fix the future from where he came, without killing you or a number of others. Though some people will still need to die. It also allowed me the chance to plan out a few moves of my own regarding my disappointing family. Come to find out, the issues regarding the Black Family and the issues with the Magical world are tied together. But I digress." Archie said.
"If I am the lynchpin on a better future, why would just not kill me now…"Albus suddenly understood what Archie was saying, if Albus was killed, Voldemort would run free and no one could stop him because Voldemort was afraid of Albus. He might be worried about Flea and Archie, but Albus he truly feared. 'He must have an idea of what I did to start Gellert.' Albus thought. 'Archie and Harry do not want to kill me because I am the nuclear deterrent to Tom. Bugger!' How bad had he gotten to have screwed up the future so much.
"Thank you, Archie." Albus said, meaning every word. "I would assume that you talked the Duke of Gryffindor from killing me right away then?"
"No Albus. Killing you was a last resort for a number of reasons. I did not want to kill you. Besides, you were only part of the problem. The larger issue is the stagnation of the wizarding world." A voice said.
Chapter 4: Harry's Story
Albus looked around the room for the speaker, seeing no one, before a man appeared to walk out of a shadow. He was 6'1" with long black hair that was pulled into a tight ponytail. He wore a neatly trimmed black goatee with strands of grey in it. He wore black muggle clothing underneath opened black robes and a cloak. But it was his eyes that caught his attention. They were bright emerald green, but they also contained great sadness and great strength. They were the eyes of a warrior who had seen too many battles. They looked very similar to Albus' own eyes when he dropped the eye twinkle.
"Duke Gryffindor—" Albus said.
The man raised his hand, stopping Albus from speaking. "Please, it is Harry."
"Harry." Albus said simply.
"No matter how stupid you were, I loved you like a grandfather. It is not your fault that people are stupid. You knew from an early age you should not be given power, but the magical world did not listen, or grow. That is what happened. Even after you died. I learned a great deal from your portrait here. In fact it was your portrait that suggested just killing you off. It would save us all the trouble he said. But I couldn't do that to you. Especially after reading Archie and Grandpa Flea's journals. After weeks of arguing about it, Minerva's portrait, probably tired of the arguing, suggested seeking out Arcturus and getting his help, which meant a trip to the past because there was no portrait or Arcturus anywhere after Blackmore Castle was destroyed. After figuring out when would be a good time to arrive, before everything went to hell, I gave up my mortal life and met Death." Harry said tiredly.
"What do you mean gave up?" Albus asked.
"Suicide." Harry said simply. "My wife was long gone along with our three children and all of our friends and family. Well most of Europe and the world was gone by then to come to think about it. The end of the world my friend. It wasn't nuclear war that killed off everyone, like you think now; no we people learned our lesson in that regard. It was biological and chemical warfare that did us all in. After killing the bastards who planned and released the biological agents, I came to Hogwarts to live out my days. There was no one alive here save for a few house elves; everyone fell to the chemical and biological weapons. It seemed that I had a natural immunity to what they used. Come to find out, I wasn't immune, I just could not die. A bonus for being the Master of Death."
"You mean—"
"Yes Albus, I united the three hallows. Not a good idea, by the way. The fine print that Death inserted into that contract must have been murder." Harry said with a smile.
That cause Albus to laugh, seeing Flea's and Euphemia's humor in their grandson.
"When I got to Hogwarts and out of my armor, I realized what was happening to me. I saw my skin melt off of me, and the next day it was back only for it to happen again and again. I never noticed while fighting in my armor, as it was very unique armor. If you ever get the chance, read up on Howard Stark and his son Tony. Finally the biological and chemical agents died off, they had nothing to feed on, but of course so did 85% of the planet's population. And we are not talking about just humans. Animals & plant life were affected as well."
"By Merlin!" Albus exclaimed.
"So suicide was not a bad option; I shouldn't call it suicide as I am still alive. What I did was make a deal with Death; I gave her the Hallows for the chance to travel back in time in our own universe, not to jump to a different reality. She agreed, but gave me a time limit, I could travel back in time the same number of years I had lived on the mortal plane, but once I was conceived in this timeline, I would have to go with her to the other side of the veil."
"So what is your plan?" Albus asked.
Chapter 5: Explaining the Catalyst
"There are actually three different plans that fall under The Plan so to speak. One of the goals of The Plan is to stop all the people who died before their time. Death was very specific on that. To help achieve our goals, Death gave me a very unique time turner. The time turner let Archie and I hop around time and see how various plans we made would go without disrupting the timeline. Archie did the math and we lived almost 800 years thanks to that time turner. We'd make a change, and observe for a few years, then jump forward in time to make sure the change had no other effects, and when it did, we go back and start again. Always recording our findings. It was a pain in the arse really." Harry began.
"The Scientific Method. Nicholas made sure I understood the concept. His friend Francis is the person who gets the credit, but the thought process has been around since at least Ancient Egypt." Albus said.
"Quite right. So after reviewing our plans and changing them, we finally have what we think is a great plan. It's not perfect, because you'll be on the receiving end of some backlash, but it could be much worse. We start with making sure that Archie and Grandpa Flea are kept alive in order to keep an eye on you and reign you in. The one thing that I will say about what you did in my timeline was that you had great intentions, but there was no one around to tell you that your ideas were stupid once in a while." Harry said.
"I can see how that would already have an impact. But if you don't mind me asking, how will we do this? I thought time was unchangeable." Albus said.
"There are specific points in time, Archie and I call them Shatterpoints, events that cannot change, no matter what we tried. They are unchangeable." Harry said.
"My wife's death is one of them. James and Lily's wedding, Voldemort's rise to power, are a few others. Your death is a shatterpoint, but the time of your death is not. You'll die Albus, as will all of us one day. When you die, the good you did will be known far and wide. But we're planning on that not happening for a long time, at least. Good thing is that there are very few shatterpoints we have to deal with." Archie said.
"But besides keeping all three of your egos in check, keeping Archie and Flea alive gives the 3 Musketeers one more chance to ride into glory. But this time the battlefield will not be some warzone in a far-off land, but here closer to home. I think that is worth it right there. Don't you think?" Harry said.
"I like the sound of that." Albus said, thinking about what the three men could do as a team.
"Part of this plan is going to hurt you a little. And we're both sorry for it, but it is for the Greater Good." Albus winced when Archie said that, vowing to never that phrase again.
"We need to get people to stop treating you like the second coming of Merlin. Without Archie and Flea to keep you grounded, you went deep down the rabbit hole and no one could tell you any differently. Mainly because no one had the balls to question you." Harry said. "But also because you wouldn't listen to anyone else. You thought you knew best for everyone."
"That sounds horrible." Albus said. "How could I get that bad?"
"It's already started Albus. It was little things at first. People asking your opinion on various matters right after the war. You gave them your opinion, but people began to accept what you said was truth because of what you did in the war and beyond. Flea and I have been around to deflate your ego quite a bit, but that changed when we died."
"Cult of Personality Disorder." Albus muttered.
"Exactly right. And you are not strong enough by yourself to not fall into that trap." Archie said.
"Yes. It is why I never wanted to be Minister or any other position." Albus said.
"People are asking your opinion on a thousand things, and you give it freely because you are a teacher. But people are becoming so used to the fact that you give them the answer, that they stop looking." Archie added, knowing this would drive his old friend insane.
That scared Albus more than anything because while he knew of his own faults, he was also at heart a teacher and scholar. The drive to discover the answer yourself was paramount to being a scholar, to have that satisfaction of discovery. As a teacher, he wanted to open people's minds to different ideas, not push them to follow his own.
"I understand. I am my own worst enemy. Where do we begin?" Albus said.
Chapter 6: The Opening Salvo of The Plan
"Stepdown as Supreme Mugwump." Archie said.
"With pleasure. I never wanted that position, above all the positions, it is the one I truly do not like to have. You see Harry, after the War, the ICW was in shambles. I was asked to serve as Mugwump because I had been the highest-ranking Magical General who lived. I reported to the Allied Supreme Commander and no one else during the war. After I accepted the position, the ICW members made the position Supreme Mugwump, where I was the ultimate law of the land. Which was fine because there was so much to do to rebuild our world and help General Marshall and the Allies that we did not have time sit around for committees to do their jobs. Flea supported me taking this position, saying it was the cost of winning the war. After a few years, the ICW did not need a General to lead it anymore, but no one would let me stepdown." Albus said.
"Albie, you damn fool, we know. Harry showed me that first meeting. He traveled through time remember? Old age is beginning to catch up with you." Archie said. Albus looked at the other man in shock for moments before he burst out laughing.
"And that is why I need you and Flea, Archie. Who do you recommend?" Albus asked.
"Alexander Hamilton from America. He is an ally, but he will not be seen as a puppet, because he is opposed to some of your views and the debates that you have had with him are legendary." Harry said.
"All good points. Alexander is a young man, but he has what it takes to lead the ICW, I have no doubt of that. Would he do it? That is the question." Albus said.
"You don't give him a choice. You announce your resignation publicly and name him as the man you wish to replace you. Your Merlin-like following will do the rest. Afterwards you can sit him down and explain why you think he is the best choice." Archie said.
"Very devious."
"Thank you." Harry and Archie said together.
"And who would you have replace me as Chief Warlock and Headmaster?" Albus asked after writing a few notes on a new piece of parchment.
"Headmaster is easy. You stay on as Headmaster. You were a fantastic Headmaster, even when you were distracted by the Ministry, the ICW, and Voldemort. Once we get those off your plate, then you can really leave your mark here, and still enjoy the fight as you battle the Board of Governors." Harry said.
"Like that would be a fair fight." Archie said.
"Of course it's not. He is still Albus Dumbledore. The idiots on the Board need to remember that. He is still smarter than the lot of on them on his worst day and more powerful." Harry said with a smile. "Also, with the other positions no longer burdening you, I can see you teaching a few advanced elective courses. Alchemy, Politics, I'd kill to have you teach me a class on Magical Theory Regarding Transfiguration."
"And for the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I replace you." Archie said. Seeing Albus getting ready to speak, Archie held up his hand. "I know you saw me speaking to Sirius at the wedding earlier today. I told him was that we needed to meet tomorrow as I planned to abdicate my title to my heir, him."
"I have never in my life seen him so shocked." Albus said.
"I never had the chance to tell him that I had named him as my heir and Heir Apparent to Blackmore when he was born. Like my grandfather, I purposefully skipped my sons as they are all crazy and think of Blood Purity a little too much for my liking. Sirius' father wanted to marry his sister to keep the family Pure. One of the few things I have gotten right as Head of the Family is the arranged marriage for him. If I hadn't, I shudder to think what Sirius would have been.
"Also, by not announcing Sirius as Heir Apparent when he was born, kept him alive all these years. I truly believe that if his father knew I named Sirius my heir, Sirius would have been murdered as an infant and then Orion would somehow use his death to force me name him the next Lord Black. I had of course filed the paperwork with Gringotts and taken Sirius there as a baby to perform the ritual, but it was kept quiet. As it is, I will never forgive myself for the abuse he had suffered at hands of Orion and Walburga."
Archie looked old as he thought about his oldest grandson and the hell he went through because Archie was not strong enough to deal with the House of Black. While he still did not have the energy to deal with the House of Black, he did have the energy and the cunning to deal with the Wizengamot and the other families. Maybe it was because Archie, and Harry, knew that the only way to save the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black was to do some serious trimming of the family tree.
"I will be forever be grateful to Flea and to Euphemia for taking him in when he ran away. And for James for befriending him. Orion would have never stopped coming after Sirius if he came to me. Not that I ever gave him much reason to once he started Hogwarts. But Orion would not dare cross Flea." Archie said.
"Euphemia called me the night Sirius arrived at Lionfire. He was badly beaten, Archie. When I arrived, Flea was getting his Battle Robes out, I think he would have killed Orion, Walburga, and anyone else who hurt Sirius. The problem was James was right next to him getting ready. Not a squire to his father knight, but as a fellow warrior. I was able to talk down Flea and Remus Lupin and Lily talked down James from flattening Grimmauld Place. Then Orion and Walburga arrived and demanded their son back." Albus said, remembering that night.
"When Flea and James went out to confront Orion, Euphemia sent an elf for me, pleading that I step in and do something before she went out in her own Battle Robes. I couldn't. Melania was dying, poisoned as I now know, and I was buried in potions books trying to find a cure." Archie said crying.
"I remained in the house with Lily and Remus, ready to evacuate Sirius to Hogwarts or to my home in Godric's Hallow if needed, and then I planned on speaking to you. I was so upset with you when I heard Flea raise his voice and then I felt the amount of magic he released. It scared Walburga and Orion enough to leave and never return." Albus finished.
"They of course tried to remove his access to his personal vaults and tried to cancel his tuition. That can only be done by Head of the Family. Not even a Regent could cancel those items, which upset Orion greatly. When I learned about what happened after Gringotts informed me of what Orion attempted, I floo'd to Lionfire Hall, only to have Euphemia place her wand in my face. I asked her to have Flea contact me, but I doubt she over told him. Today was the first day I have seen Flea since then. With Euphemia protecting Sirius and Flea, I contacted my cousin Alphard, and asked a small favor of him, because I knew Sirius' personal vault would not last, and could ask Flea to cover Sirius, he was a member of my house and my responsibility. Alphard had no problems with bequeathing some money to Sirius in his will. He was well setup in France and had no love for the British side of the family. It was a little too late, but I had to do something. Now, thanks to Sir Harry, I can do much more.
"Tomorrow, before I explain my plan to Sirius, I plan to lay out what had happened when he was younger and why I acted the way I did. And then start teaching Sirius how to a be proper Lord and Head of the Family. I hope Flea shared what he should have taught to James with Sirius."
"He did. According to Flea's journals, he knew Sirius was your personal heir and Heir Apparent to Blackmore. He tried to adopt Sirius, but Gringotts quietly stopped him and let slip some information." Harry said.
"Then he pieced everything else together and probably knew who killed Melania before I did."
"Yes." Harry said. "His journals said that he was going to speak to you the day he was killed."
Chapter 7: The Wizengamot
"So with Sirius as Heir Apparent, he will be able to serve on the Wizengamot, with you taking your family seat, Albus, and Flea or James taking the Potter seat, we would have a very powerful and influential block of votes."
"Except that you are a Black and all Blacks are Dark." Albus said. It was a common thought amongst the British Wizarding world. That stereotype. Archie actually smiled at his old friend.
"Exactly. That is why I will get confirmed by the Wizengamot as Chief Warlock Albus. You, Archie and I have not been seen together in years. The neutral and dark families will support me, because I am one of them, being a Black and all, and the light side and lighter neutral families will bitch and moan about me, but they will accept me rather than Malfoy or any of the other Bastards the dark families will nominate because even though I am a Black, I will at least be fair, or so they will hope.
"Of course this is all the public face, the showmanship side of politics. When behind closed doors Fleamont will quietly throw his support behind me to a few of the light side families, explaining that there is a plan in the works and just because I am a Black does not mean I support everything being a Black is known for. You of course will need to do the same thing. That eye twinkle you do, use it.
"I will handle the dark side families, I will play up being a Pureblood and Proper Lord, and mention that I might have something on you, to force you to stepdown as Chief Warlock. I of course have tons of embarrassing stories about you, so when I am asked, I can answer truthfully that I do indeed have dirt on you. Not that I would ever share it with anyone. First because you have more than enough stories about me when we were younger, and because of the vow I made you and Flea.
"When asked about the Black Family seat and who would take it, as I cannot hold the family seat and be Chief Warlock, I tell them with you handled, some of the neutral families will gravitate towards me, giving us the advantage. But I will mention that I am looking to form alliances in the future and that the Regency of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black Family Seat could be part of any alliance, but for now, it will remain empty as a reminder of what my son Orion had done for the pureblood agenda. That his seat, while empty, serve as a lightning rod to our cause. That whoever holds the Black Family Seat will be seen as the Heir of the Pureblood Agenda, and their de facto leader.
"Once I am sworn in, then the fun begins. I will immediately be announcing Sirius is indeed Heir Apparent to the Lordship of Blackmore, and that I name him as Regent & De Facto Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. As the newest member of the Wizengamot, Sirius will then have the opportunity make motions and other items that have to be witnessed either in front of the Wizengamot, or Gringotts.
"Providing Sirius, Flea, and James agree, I plan to have Sirius prune a number of the branches from the Black Family Tree." Archie said as took another swig of his firewhiskey.
"Narcissa's marriage to the Malfoy Heir will be revoked, as will the marriage contract for Bellatrix. Bella will also be expelled from the family as well as Walburga and an entire list of Blacks who have supported Voldemort. Sirius will also cash in a number of outstanding contracts that families have had the Black Family. This will remove a rather large percentage of available funds that Voldemort and his Death Eaters can access. We'll also be collecting seats on the Wizengamot that have been handed out to other families, though they belong to House of Black. Once Sirius is done with the house cleaning, then we'll get onto the business of cleaning out the rest of the Wizengamot."
"Do you think this can be done?" Albus asked his friend.
"I do. But in order for this to happen, I need to speak to Flea & Euphemia without the threat of getting hexed. I am surprised Euphemia did not hex me at the wedding." Archie said.
"Which is where I come into play." Albus surmised.
"Sorry Albie, you need to play mediator once again." Archie said with a laugh.
"Sirius is coming to the castle tomorrow, and I doubt Flea & Euphemia will let him come alone. With James and Lily on their honeymoon, they'll insist on coming as well as Remus." Harry said
Chapter 8: Clearing the Air
The next morning found Archie, Albus, and Sir Harry sitting in the Lord's Study of Blackmore Castle. Albus had floo called Flea the evening before and asked him and Euphemia to escort Sirius to today's meeting, and that Albus would be present as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot as well. With the meeting set, all they had do was wait for the Potters to arrive.
At 9:00am, Walken, the Head Elf of Blackmore Castle, entered the study. "Lord Black, Sirius Orion Black has arrived with Lord and Lady Potter and Remus Lupin for their appointment."
"Thank you Walken, please escort them in and make sure Belken has tea and biscuits ready." Archie said. Walken exited with a quick bow. A minute later he opened the door and escorted the Potters in.
Flea and Euphemia were wearing formal dress robes, Harry had worn the same robes as his grandfather in his future. They were black with gold and red trim with the Potter Crest over the heart. Sirius was wearing formal robes as well with the Potter and Black Family Crests; Remus' robes matched Sirius' except his only had the Potter Crest.
"Grandson." Arcturus said to his grandson. "You look well. You look happy." Arcturus turned to the two Potters. "I owe you a debt that I can never repay Fleamont, but especially to you Euphemia. You cared for & protected my grandson when I could not. Not because I didn't want to, but because if I tried, we both would have been killed."
"What in the hell does that mean Arcturus?" Euphemia demanded.
"Please, sit down and let me explain a number of things." Arcturus asked. When it looked like Fleamont was not going to sit, he pleaded. "Flea, please. If our friendship has ever meant anything, please sit down and listen to me. One hour is all I ask."
Seeing the pleading look on Arcturus' face made up Flea's mind. He nodded to his wife, Sirius, and Remus and they all sat down.
"Thank you." Arcturus said. "To begin. Sirius, you know Albus and Fleamont were best of friends at Hogwarts. Well I was the third side of the triangle. The three of were closer than close."
"I've heard." Sirius said.
"Albus was the scholar, Flea the man of action, and I was the cunning one. We made one hell of a team. We pulled pranks that, until a certain group recently graduated, had never been topped." Arcturus began. "The problem was that I was sorted into Slytherin, Albus and Flea into Gryffindor. That did not stop us from being friends, though. We met on the train like so many other children did. When I was 14, I was officially introduced as the Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Heir Apparent to the Earl of Blackmore. The current Lord Black, my grandfather, was not impressed with any of my parents' generation and decided to skip over them, hoping I would be able to do something better. He, like I, was tired of the pureblood dogma and the association with the Dark Arts that our family was known for.
"He died shortly before we graduated Hogwarts. After graduation, I was invested as the new Earl of Blackmore and Lord & Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. The trouble was I had no training, none what-so-ever. My grandfather planned on starting to teach me after graduation as my own father refused when I was named Heir Black. So I buckled down and started to study. While Albus here was the studious one, I could study and research just as well. One of the things the three of had in common was that we could sometimes get lost down the rabbit hole of whatever we were doing, forgetting to eat, sleep, or remember there was a world around us. I fell deep down that rabbit hole, immersing myself in everything I could get my hands on about how to a proper head of house and what it meant to be Lord of Blackmore.
"Besides slipping down the rabbit hole, I was also not very powerful when it came to magic. Fact of the matter is, I am just slightly above a squib when it comes to power. That factor more than anything is what has caused you so much torment from the Black Family."
"You couldn't force the Black Family Magic to obey you." Sirius said.
"Yes and no. Albus could do a better job of explaining this, but remember, Magic is sentient. We do not fold magic to our will, we try to commune with magic and ask it to do what we ask. I was not strong enough to commune with our Family Magic." Arcturus said.
"For many years after Hogwarts, the three of us remained in contact when we could, Albus and Fleamont pulled me out of the rabbit hole long enough to catch up with each other before I went back to study how to be a Lord and listed out the changes I wanted to make. The trouble is the other members of our family moved against me, and forced me into a position that I could do nothing."
"But you were Lord Black, Head of the Family!" Sirius stated.
"As I said, I did not have strong enough magic to wield the power that came with that title, Sirius." Arcturus said. "Knowing I was outmaneuvered, I studied more, I met a woman and fell in love. Flea here introduced us. We married, and had a few children. None of them powerful, but each of them would cause us trouble, outside of normal issues parents have with children. I knew none of them should be Lord Black. I seriously considered breaking the family and dispelling the Family Magic for a long time. But I was afraid that if I did, I might die as I was pretty sure the Black Family Magic was all that kept me alive.
"One day I learned that my son, Orion, and his wife, Walburga had a son, you. I met them at the home my uncle, who had been serving as Regent since I was 'too busy' learning to be a proper lord, had given them. In reality, my uncle wanted me out of the way, and set me up, but that is a different matter.
"I had not spoken to Orion since his wedding, but as Lord Black, and as your grandfather, tradition demanded I see you and hold you. When I met you for the first time, and held you, I could feel the magic within you. I knew immediately that you were destined for great things. So shortly after you were born, your grandmother and I took you to Gringotts and named you my heir and Heir Apparent to House Black. We sealed the records as we did not want anyone to know."
"Why?" Sirius asked.
"Because if your father found out you named Heir Apparent to Archie, and as the next Earl of Blackmore, he would have had you killed." Fleamont said for the first time, realizing how bad his friend's life had been.
"Exactly right Flea." Arcturus said. "Melanie wanted us to raise you, remove you from your parents, as Head of the Black Family I could demand it, but with my weak magic, I could not defend you. Orion and Walburga were evil people; I cannot believe that he was my son. They would have attacked us the moment they had the chance. As it was, I could not defend my own wife when the time came. So I watched you grow up in that house, dreading what I had inflected upon you by my inaction.
"There were so many times I was ready to burst into Grimmauld Place and take you to someplace else in the world, to hell with England, the Black Family, and everything that went with it. I knew Flea and Albus would have my back if I asked, but I was too damn prideful to ask for help, so I didn't. I prayed that you would not turn out like your parents. When you started at Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor, Melanie and I laughed about for hours. We were both so proud of you for forsaking what the Black Family had become. Melanie had started getting sick then, but any news we got about you was well received, however little there was. One of the House Elves at Grimmauld Place reported to us about what you were up too.
"After your first year, when Orion beat you when you walked in the door, Fitz, the elf that I asked to keep us informed on you, popped over and told us you were in danger. He could not get you to safety. Orion invoked a number of rituals to protect that damn house, he was always paranoid. Melanie and I knew we had to act. I planned on fetching you and then head to Lionfire Hall an ask Flea for help. As we made up our minds Melanie stood up, from the very chair you are in, and then she passed out. She died, right in this office, before I could ever get around the desk."
"Grandfather, did I kill her?" Sirius asked.
"Absolutely NOT!" Arcturus raged. "She was killed by a poison that we never detected, along with some nasty hexes. When we decided to act, the hexes took effect, with her weak from the poison, that is what killed her Sirius. Not you."
"Was it Orion?" Euphemia asked.
"It was actually Walburga, Orion did not have the potion making skills or strong enough magic to do it." Harry, who had until this point remained quiet and in the shadows of the room spoke.
"Who are you?" Flea asked, seeing him for the first time.
"The who is the easy part, the why I am here is a longer tale, which we will tell you later on. But my name is Harry James Potter, and I am your grandson. But please, let Arcturus finish his tale."
Flea turned back to Archie, who continued.
"After Melanie died, I knew I could not protect you by myself, and I could not ask Flea or Albus to put themselves in danger, so I delved back into the family tomes here in the castle, looking for anything that would save you. I also admit now that going down that rabbit hole, forgetting the rest of the world, it eased the pain of losing my wife. Years passed and I became a recluse. Well, more of one that I had already been."
"What happened to Fitz?" Sirius asked.
"Killed by Kreacher. Walburga ordered it. Kreacher brought his body here, and apologized for doing it. He said he wish he had a master strong enough to break the hold of Dark Magic that had him. He is just as much a victim of your parents as you are Sirius.
"When Euphemia sent the elf to me when you ran away, I wanted to come to your aide, but I knew it would be a death sentence; for both of us. But I knew Orion would be a fool to challenge Fleamont. Besides being the Director of the DMLE, he was also a powerful wizard. I did make sure that Orion and Walburga could not cut you off from your inheritance, though they tried."
"Gringotts told me I could not adopt Sirius because he was an heir of an ancient house." Fleamont said. "That is when the pieces started falling into place for me. And then Alphard Black died and left Sirius a sizeable inheritance…"
"Alphard did me a favor as Orion, as the Regent of House Black by then, would have known I gave Sirius money directly. So Alphard faked his death and headed for Australia. He is doing well and enjoying life. We owl monthly. As I buried myself in dusty tomes looking for something to help me save our family, something happened. An Angel appeared."
"I am no angel, Archie. An Archangel, maybe." Harry said.
"Three months after you ran away and lived with my grandparents, I came back in time." Harry said, picking up the story. "In my time, things had gotten very bad. As in end of the world bad. Over 85% of the world's population was dead. So, being the Master of the Deathly Hallows, I made a deal with Death to send me back so I could fix the mess that was my own time.
"Albus' portrait at Hogwarts suggested I find Arcturus, and together we could figure out how to best fix things for a better outcome. Using some special gear, Arcturus and I spent the next few years making mock runs in time, seeing what we could fix and how it affected the rest of the world. We finally did it, but it has taken a lot of work."
"How bad was it Harry?" Fleamont asked.
"I never knew any of my grandparents for starters. Sirius was in prison for betraying my parents, though he didn't do it, and was not given a trial, and Albus here…well without you and Archie, you know how he can be." Harry said.
Fleamont looked to his old friend who was looking down in shame. "I take it Albus turned into the idiot I know he can be when given power?"
"That rabbit hole of him knowing best did a lot of damage, to put it mildly. But I don't blame him. There was no one was around to tell him he was an idiot as you and Archie were both dead." Harry finished.
"So what is the plan?" Flea asked.
"Before that." Arcturus said. "Sirius, I ask that you please forgive me for not being strong enough to save you. I only ask that you work with me to make sure no other child ever has to live with the abuse you did."
Sirius stared into his grandfather's eyes, and felt his grandfather invite him into his mind where he saw the truth of his words.
"On two conditions, Grandfather." Sirius said. "One, I want an honest answer, am I really your Heir?"
"Yes, you are. You are my direct Heir and Heir Apparent to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." Arcturus said. "I hope that I can complete the training I know Flea here has given you about how to be Head of an Ancient and Noble House, as well as what it entails being the Lord of Blackmore."
"Good. Then do you think I could get a hug from my grandfather?" Sirius turned to Fleamont and Euphemia, "I love you both, but I have dreamed my whole life of having someone in the Black Family who actually loved me for being me. Besides Andromeda that is."
Arcturus moved around his desk and stood before his grandson, who stood up as well. Arcturus then pulled the younger man into a tight hug. This caused Sirius to finally give into the tears that he had been holding back as he learned of his grandfather's history. Arcturus was crying too. Soon Fleamont and Euphemia stood and hugged both Blacks.
"It is good to have you back Archie." Flea said to his friend.
"It is good to be back." Archie said.
"Grandfather, I have one last request." Sirius asked as he pulled away from the group hug.
"No. I am not buying you the Chuddly Cannons. How any could support that team, let alone own them is insane. That is a horrible investment." Archie said with a small laugh, causing Albus to blush as he was a fan and everyone else to laugh.
"Good Merlin no!" Sirius said. "First, I'm a Harpy and a Puddlemere fan. Only lunatics or fanatics cheer for the Cannons. But seriously, can we make the rest of the Black Family pay for what they have done to us, Andromeda, and Uncle Alphard." As Sirius made his request, the room seemed to get colder for a minute.
"My dear Grandson, you truly are a Black." Archie said. "I intend to make them all pay, with interest. Remember, the Black Family Code. We are cunning, but not cruel. We are quick to forgive, but we never forget. And when we are wronged, we shall make it right."
"I have not heard that in a long time Archie." Albus said to his friend.
"It has been Family Code for 100 years, though no one else seems to remember that. It goes along with our family motto Always Pure. But in my research, I found a passage in the Christian bible that I believe will better describe what I hope the Black Family will become with Sirius leading it. It is from the book of Ezekiel 25:17.
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."
"We're going to do some serious pruning of the Black Family Tree then grandfather?" Sirius asked with a devilish smile.
"And of the Wizengamot." Arcturus said with the same smile. He turned to the others in the room and spoke. "Want to help?"
Chapter 9: The Lupin Family
Everyone agreed and the work really began. Archie sat down with Sirius and began to give him a crash course on being Lord of Blackmore and Lord Black. Flea had done an excellent job of teaching Sirius about the duties of being a Lord and head of an Ancient and Most Noble House while teaching James. Archie just had to fill in the blanks that were specific for their family.
As Heir Apparent, the first thing Sirius did was make the Lupin Family a protectorate of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black and named Remus as Champion of Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. By doing this, Remus was protected from a number of the Werewolf Laws on the books, and his family was protected too.
Lyall Lupin and his wife Hope lived in Cardiff still, where they first met many years ago. Lyall was an expert in Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions. He was also very good at detecting magic and was considered an expert at detecting when someone was lying. Hope was a Muggle who worked in an insurance office in Cardiff. The stories Lyall and Hope told Sirius, James, and Remus about living in both worlds were hilarious.
Sirius made the Lupin Family a protectorate because of their past history with the werewolf Fenrir Greyback and besides James, Remus was his best friend. Lyall had unfortunately crossed paths with Fenrir Greyback many years ago when the werewolf had been brought in for questioning regarding 2 missing muggle children from Cardiff. Lyall had been asked to come in because the muggle police knew there was something different about Greyback, and Lyall was an expert about different.
Lupin had worked with the Cardiff Police many times since he moved there with his wife. The Chief of Police a number of officers knew he was a wizard and he was good at figuring things out.
Five minutes after meeting Greyback, Lyall knew who and what he was. As he reported this to the Chief of Police, Greyback broke out of the holding room and ran off into the night. With the Full Moon the next night, finding him was a high priority. After reporting Greyback to the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Lyall went home to erect extra wards to protect Hope and their son Remus.
Lyall thought he had more time. As the sun rose the next morning, he found the front door of their home torn open, Hope was unconscious on the floor of their living room, and 5-year-old Remus was missing from his bed. After a search of the grounds around his home for Remus, Lyall found the note Greyback left for him, detailing that since Lyall had stopped him from getting more cubs for his pack, Greyback would take Lyall's son and make him his cub.
After making sure Hope was safe, Lyall shot off a Patronus to the DMLE, requesting aide. Fleamont Potter immediately appeared, being the only person on duty that early in the morning. Lyall then picked up the trail of Greyback and went out to track the monster down and save his son.
It took all day to track down Greyback, when they caught up to the werewolf, the Full Moon as out and Greyback was biting Remus. Whether to feed on the child or turn him, neither man knew.
Lyall and Fleamont both shot curses at the werewolf. The scars that Greyback showed on his back to this day were from the two men. Badly hurt, Greyback fled, leaving Remus Lupin as a Werewolf. Lyall later admitted that he wished he would have used the Killing Curse, even though he knew he would spend the rest of his life in Azkaban. Fleamont, when he learned about Lyall's wish told him that he would have not reported him.
Lyall & Hope did not care that Remus had been bitten. They had no other family, they were only children, their parents passing when they were both younger, so it was just them and Remus. They treated him the same way they always did; though most of the wizarding world did not. Fleamont told Lyall not to register Remus as a werewolf, which was required by law, knowing that Remus would be hunted. He would bury the paperwork in the deepest cabinet he could find. Instead Fleamont helped the Lupins hide Remus' condition and make sure he was safe. This included asking the goblins to ward a new home for the Lupins where Remus could transform, and hiring Hope to run some of the Potter Family Businesses in the muggle world. This would let Hope remain home most of the time and teach Remus as they did not want him to accidently mention he was a werewolf to any friends he might make.
Remus loved his books, and his parents, and did not mind not being around other children. The few times he went played with children in Cardiff, he would later say they smelled bad. This was because he could smell better because of the lycanthropy. The problem was, Remus was a wizard, and Hope could not teach him to control his magic. Lyall did what he could, but as a werewolf, Remus was magically stronger than his father at 10 years old. This would only get worse as Remus grew up. The solution came when Remus was almost 11. Fleamont Potter had contacted his old friend Albus Dumbledore, and begged a favor from the man; allow Remus to go to Hogwarts.
Albus agreed, providing they could set up some protections for Remus and for the students at Hogwarts. Fleamont and Albus constructed the Shrieking Shack, the tunnel it connected to, and wards that would protect everyone. Fleamont used the strongest wards he knew, outside of goblin made wards, the Potter Family wards.
This allowed Remus to attend Hogwarts where he met James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. When his friends found out his condition, the three students became animagi to stay with their friend.
However, Lyall and Hope have remained in danger from Greyback since that fateful day. Though he was been unable to penetrate the wards Flea had ordered built, Greyback knew where the house was, and so did his master Lord Voldemort. At the end of Remus' fifth year, Lyall had received a job offer from the International Confederation of Wizards which dealt with Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions. It required him to move to America. After much debate and discussion, he took the job.
It was a dream job for him, and it protected Hope and him from Voldemort and Greyback. When given the choice of staying in England, or moving, Remus asked to stay to finish his schooling. He knew that in America, he might have a better life as Americans treated lycanthropy as a disease, but he had friends, and he wanted a piece of Greyback.
With that decided, Remus stayed with the Potters for his last two years of school. Though he made sure he visited his parents every summer and they came to Lionfire Hall for Christmas every year. He enjoyed America, and thought maybe one day he would move, but for now, he was happy.
With the eventual revelation of Remus as a werewolf, which Sir Harry confirmed, Sirius wanted his friend to be protected. By being a protectorate of the House of Black, Lyall and Hope could not be prosecuted by the Ministry for sheltering a werewolf. Lyall also benefited from this in his work as being a member of the House of Black opened a lot of doors for him regarding the research he was doing.
Chapter 10: Sir Harry's Departure
With the Potters on board, Harry knew his time was quickly coming to an end. He could feel it every morning he woke. Death was coming for him, and he knew that she was not going to wait until his parents conceived him, like he thought.
Sharing everything he knew about the future would take longer than Harry had, so Sir Harry had left his memories about the future, mainly key points about Lord Voldemort, his allies, and other world-shaking items in a pensieve.
The one thing Sir Harry did do was get a chance to meet his Grandpa and Grandma Evans. He passed on some information regarding Petunia's boyfriend Vernon, whom neither of the Evans likes, to his grandfather, knowing that Lionel would take care of that issue. Vernon Dursley disappeared one evening, never to be found again. Petunia eventually married a one of Lionel's trainees and would be happy for the rest of her life.
The one thing Sir Harry was adamant about was not meeting his parents. James and Lily had left to one of the Potter Houses in Santa Monica, USA for their honeymoon. They were expected back in a few days' time, and Sir Harry had said he would remain in Blackmore Castle or any of the Black Family properties if needed.
As had become the habit, the Potters & Dumbledore floo'd over for breakfast at Blackmore Castle where Sirius and Remus were staying. They were both learning the ins and outs of the Wizengamot, and how to play the game as Arcturus called it.
Just as they all sat down, Sir Harry felt his time had come. A cold shiver went straight up his spine, causing him to stop speaking midsentence.
"What is it, Harry?" Arcturus asked.
"It's time, Archie" Harry said.
As if summoned by Harry, Death stepped out of a shadow in the dining hall. She was tall, 5' 11" by Flea's estimation, with black hair pulled back, and gray eyes. Her skin was not pale, but not tanned. She wore a long black dress that seemed to flow around her like shadows.
"Hello Hela." Harry said to Death.
"Hello Harry."
"Hela?" Sirius asked.
"I have no given name. Harry named me when we met for the first time when he but a child. His uncle beat him enough to almost kill him. He remained a guest of mine for some time before his body healed enough to return to his mortal body. He could not crossover as he was a child of prophecy." Death explained.
"I knew you would be coming. I've felt it." Harry said, finishing his breakfast not caring that Death was there for him.
"You're different then I thought you would look." Euphemia said.
Hela smiled, then she morphed into the form that most people thought of when they thought of Death. The black robes, hood, and scythe. She then turned back.
"I look too much like Tom's followers in that form." Hela said. She then turned to Harry. "Are you ready?"
Harry sighed, then stood from his chair. "Let me say my last goodbyes."
Harry moved to his grandparents who he hugged. They tried to talk into staying, but Harry shook his head. "I'm tired. And besides, When I'm born here, it will be a very different world then the one I came from."
Harry said his goodbyes to Sirius and Remus, reminding Remus to look up Nymphadora in the future.
Arcturus was waiting patiently with Albus for Harry. "Thank you, Harry. For everything." Archie said.
"Keep this one out of trouble, and that is all the thanks I will ever need." Harry said as he pointed at Albus.
"Harry, thank you for saving me from myself." Albus said.
"You're welcome, Albus." Harry said.
He then moved over to Hela. "I'm ready."
Hela held out her hand, which Harry took, and walked him over to where she had appeared. There in the shadow was a doorway. "Just walk through the doorway Harry." Hela said kindly.
Harry looked through the doorway and saw his wife Ginny, his two best friends Hermione and Ron Weasley, and a number of other people waiting for him. With a smile, the first one anyone had seen from Sir Harry since he arrived in the past, he walked through the doorway, knowing that the knowledge he imparted would make the future better.
Chapter 11: The Blacks Enter the Game
With James and Lily returning from their honeymoon, they were brought in on the plan; and the history behind the plan. The only thing that was not revealed was who had come back through time. It was the one request Sir Harry had made. He did not want James and Lily to know. As he said, 'Ignorance is bliss.' Fact was, he didn't want Sirius or Remus to know either, but they needed Sirius to know; and Sirius insisted Remus knew. Both men had given Unbreakable Vows to never share Sir Harry's identify with anyone who did not already know. The Potters, Arcturus and Albus also took the same vow.
With James and Lily home, Flea knew it was time to start preparing James to take over the duties he had been trying to get out for years. After the story was laid out to James and Lily, James accepted that it's time for him to start taking on the responsibilities that he had been trying to avoid. It was his birthright.
It had taken six weeks to get all their pieces on the chessboard. The first was Arcturus returning to the Wizengamot for the time in decades. By doing so, the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black was represented by its Lord for the time in almost a century. Arcturus played the part of the Lord well. It helped that Arcturus had full access to the Black Family Magic now, thanks to Sir Harry removing a binding. It seemed that Arcturus had his magic bound when he was first named as Heir Apparent, and it took someone very powerful and related to Arcturus to break the binds.
The problem was that the damage to Arcturus' magical core had already been done. He lived so long without his full magic, that it would deplete very quickly. Over the following four weeks, Arcturus made all the Pureblood Parties, all of them thinking they were aristocrats. Thanks to having full control of the Black Family Magic, he made sure that those members who might try to stop him were not able to.
Four weeks ago, Flea had introduced James before the Wizengamot as Heir Apparent and Regent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. After taking his seat, James renewed alliances with a number of houses including Abbot, Prewitt, Bones, Weasley, Greengrass, Chang, Patil, Lovegood, and others. He did not renew the alliance with the House of Dumbledore at that time. This move was staged theater. It gave all the members of the Wizengamot something to speak about.
James was spotted talking to Lord Black several times before and after Wizengamot sessions as well. Whenever someone approached them, both men would turn and leave opposite directions, leaving many people asking what the Rent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter was doing. Behind the scenes, Flea was hosting dinners and having meetings with allies, letting them know this was all part of the plan and to continue being worried in public about this new alliance.
With the Potter Family ending their alliance with the Dumbledore Family, those who supported Voldemort and his agenda smelled blood in the water. The problem is most of them could not decide who they would nominate to replace the Leader of the Light.
Archie too was making the circuit of dinner parties. But these were the darker families and silent supporters of the Dark Lord. He was accepted as a member of the club and enjoyed Elvin Wine, while planning their downfall.
What they needed in order to make the plan work was the backing of the dark families. And while Archie was sure he would get it in a vote to remove Dumbledore, he was a Slytherin, and was cunning. It almost meant he had backup plans. His patience and cunning won out when one night Lord Voldemort decided to grace one the pureblood parties his supporters had setup. In attendance was the Lord of Blackmore.
"Mi Lord, it is an honor to meet you." Lord Voldemort said to the Black Lord.
"The honor is Lord Voldemort." Arcturus said.
"Many of my friends have told me that you have been ill for quite so time. In fact I believe your late son told me that." Voldemort said.
"Unfortunately, certain members of my family have been known to tell tall tales. My son was chief among them. I named him Regent as I did not wish to deal with the muck that has infested England and how it has declined. So I instead remained in Blackmore Castle, keeping myself entertained by reading many of the tomes in our library, and making sure the dungeons and my family's toys are in working order. Muggles are the best way to ensure a dungeon works properly, wouldn't you agree?"
"Of course. I find the screams of muggles can be delightful. But what infestation do you speak of?" Voldemort asked.
"The Muggle Infestation! People thinking muggles are our equals! They are not. By bringing muggle blood into our world, we dilute our magic!" Arcturus said.
"I agree with you, Lord Black." Voldemort said.
"Of course as a proper Lord, I cannot let the common witch or wizard see or hear what I say now, but here we are amongst fellow wizards. Which is why I could not take your mark, had you ever offered. Not that I am offended, I know you need the younger generation to do the dirty work of fighting. However, Just because I do not have the mark, does not mean there are not others ways I can help your cause." Arcturus said.
"I have heard that you have been speaking to the Heir Apparent of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter." Voldemort said.
Arcturus laughed loudly. "The Potter Brat? The only reason I deal with him is because his mother is a member of my family. Though, he is not the golden boy everyone thinks he to be."
"How so?" Voldemort asked, intrigued. During the conversation, people seemed to stop and listen to what the two men were speaking of. Arcturus, seeing this, decided it was time to take this conversation to a more private sitting.
"Perhaps this is a conversation that should happen in private, Mi Lord. After all, there are aristocrats, and then there are people like us who lead them." Arcturus said.
"Agreed. Macnair, I require your study." Voldemort said to the host of the party. Moments later, Lord Black and Lord Voldemort were settled into a nicely adorned study. After placing a number of privacy wards, did Arcturus speak.
"Mi Lord, I am an old man who had been stabbed in the back by members of my family, so I have been forced to look outside the normal families for alliances. James Potter is one of those alliances. Through my grandson Sirius Orion, I have been able to convince Heir Potter that Dumbledore is not the man everyone thinks he is."
"Really? How do you know these things when Lord Voldemort has heard nothing." Voldemort asked.
"Because I was at Hogwarts with the Leader of the Light. And I know what he did when he hunted down the Great Gellert Grindelwald. If that were to come out, he would be ruined." Arcturus said.
"So you wish to blackmail him." Voldemort said.
"Not just that. Once he is removed from the position of Chief Warlock, he will lose more support, and then he is able to be dealt with. As you know the magic of the Chief Warlock position is strong; I believe that is what sustains Dumbledore.
"At the next meeting of the Wizengamot, I plan to toss Dumbledore from office and replace him as Chief Warlock. Once I am in position, I plan to pass laws that support our cause. In order for this to happen, I need the support of Malfoy and the other Wizengamot Members who have pledged their loyalty to you." Arcturus explained. "The best thing about this plan is that James Potter will look a fool as well as Dumbledore!"
"What would you have me do?" Lord Voldemort asked.
"Inform your supporters to support me when the time comes." Arcturus said. "Have every one who is a supporter of yours and a member of the Wizengamot in attendance that day."
"And what would you require for this from Lord Voldemort?"
"From you directly, nothing Mi Lord. I am a supporter of your agenda. However, I am a Black, and I have been wronged by those who have pledged themselves to you. I want wish to deal with them, in my own way with no interference from you."
"Do you believe that these people have done so on my orders?" Voldemort asked.
"Of course not Mi Lord. If I was a true threat to you, you would have eliminated me personally. You have honor. These people in particular do not. No, those who have wronged me did it of their own will and must be held accountable. Our family magic demands it." Arcturus said.
"Who is on the top of your list." Voldemort asked.
"I want Bellatrix and Regulus Black. Bellatrix is a rabid dog who will tend to bite her master as well as his enemy. She and her father poisoned my late wife and myself. I survived, but my wife did not. As for Regulus, he will be my Heir. But he needs to be trained properly. His father Orion, my son, did a poor job on Sirius. I wish to make sure Regulus does not fail me."
"But if you are the Chief Warlock, the Black Family Seat is vacant." Lord Voldemort said.
"We will use the empty seat as a rallying point for our cause. With the death of a Noble Regent at the hands of a mudblood, people will flock to our cause."
"But Orion Black died in his sleep." Lord Voldemort said.
"Did he, Mi Lord? I believe that we can change the narrative to fit our goals." Arcturus said. "It is not enough to win the battles; we must win the war. The only way to do that is to have people on our side. We must show people that our side is not only right, but we have might to back it up. That is why it is important to win over the Wizengamot. Once we have the Wizengamot, the Ministry itself will fall in line and then all of England. You will rule supreme, Mi Lord, as Lord of this land. For I feel like me, you do not wish to be involved with the day-to-day operations of running a country."
"You are correct Lord Black." Voldemort said, amused.
"With the support of your supporters, and the alliances I have with mine, we form the biggest block of votes, with no one to oppose us. The best thing is that Potter and Dumbledore will never see it coming!"
Lord Voldemort looked into the eyes of the Lord of Blackmore, trying to read him. One of the family traits of the Black Family was the Mind Arts. Arcturus was a Master Occlumens, no one could get into his mind with his permission. For the plan to work, Voldemort needed to be convinced Arcturus was sincere. So Arcturus planted false memories in front of his normal barriers and then built another barrier that Voldemort could penetrate, with effort.
Seeing the memories that he needed to see, Lord Voldemort smiled. "I believe we are in agreement. I shall speak to Lucius Malfoy and instruct him to support you. Bellatrix and Regulus will be Blackmore Castle tomorrow morning. Though I will miss Bellatrix warming my bed, you are correct that she is a rabid dog and should be dealt with. I would do it for you, but I agree that honor demands that you do it. As for Regulus, he will serve as my chief advisor once he has been trained. And you Lord Blackmore, you will remain in the background, unmarked, but able to give wise counsel to Lord Voldemort."
Lord Voldemort rose from his chair. "Your mind for politics easily outstrips Lucius'."
"Lucius is but a mere child when it comes to politics, Mi Lord. Besides, while the Malfoy line is pure, they are still French." Arcturus said.
Lord Voldemort actually sighed at that. "Indeed he is. But even the French have their uses." With that the Dark Lord left the study. Moments later so did Arcturus, only to find Voldemort had already left.
Chapter 12: The Trap is Sprung
With the final chess pieces set, Arcturus, Flea and Albus were ready to spring the trap. With the Wizengamot session starting that morning, the fireworks were about to begin.
"I hereby call this session of the Wizengamot of Great Britain to order." Albus said as Chief Warlock. All the members took their seats. As Lord Voldemort promised, all of the dark families who sat on the Wizengamot were represented. "Before we begin the business of the day, is there anything that needs to be brought before this body this day?"
"The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black has a matter of grave importance." Archie said.
"The Chief Warlock recognizes the Lord of Blackmore, Arcturus Black, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black and seed the floor to him." Albus said.
"You will be doing more than that this morning Albus." Arcturus said. "As the Lord of House Black, I move for the removal of Albus Dumbledore as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot!"
"The Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter seconds the removal of the Chief Warlock!" James Potter said, springing to his feet, tripping the carefully laid trap.
The entire chamber broke in noise as people were agreeing or disagreeing. One of the ministry aides whose job it was to report information about the Wizengamot to the Minister of Magic, fled the chamber to report her findings. When she arrived, she found the Minister drinking tea with the Lord of House Potter, Fleamont Potter.
"Minister, Lord Black and Heir Potter have moved to remove the Chief Warlock!" The aide said of breath.
"We know. Come in and have a cup of tea. It is all part of the plan." The Minister said, smiling at her aide. "How long until Sirius is done?"
"It'll be thirty minutes before Archie gets sworn in, then another ten minutes before Sirius can get started. I'd say eight hours or so." Fleamont said with a smile.
Meanwhile in the Wizengamot Chamber, the vote was called and Albus had been voted out with Arcturus Black becoming the new Chief Warlock. "Lord Dumbledore, you may take your family seat, if you wish." Archie said with a smirk.
Lucius Malfoy had already dispatched one of his staff to inform the Dark Lord that they now controlled the Wizengamot, or at least he thought they did.
"Thank you one and all." Archie said. "Now that that matter has been dealt with, I order this chamber and the antechamber sealed for the remainder of this session."
As Chief Warlock, he could order the chamber sealed. Albus had rarely done it, but Archie needed everyone confined.
Once the magic had done its job, it was time for the fun to begin. "As the Chief Warlock cannot vote using their Family Seat, it has been traditional for the Heir Apparent to assume the role of Regent and represent their family here in this body unless they believe that the Heir Apparent is ready to lead their family in which case the Heir Apparent can claim their Lordship upon entry to this chamber. I am pleased to announce that the tradition will continue."
Many people perked up; some people were upset hoping to gain control of that seat through marriage. "Mi Lords, allow me to announce the new Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Sirius Orion Black, Regent Earl Blackmore!"
Sirius entered from the antechamber in formal robes with a long full cape bellowing out behind him. He carried himself as a proper lord and wore the Black Family Signet Ring on his hand, signifying that he was the proper Lord of Blackmore now. When Arcturus became Chief Warlock, magic recognized Sirius as the new Lord Black.
Sirius stopped before the stunned crowd and looked at James, Albus, and his grandfather before announcing himself. "I am Sirius Orion Black, Lord of Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Earl of Blackmore. I claim my family seat on the Wizengamot!" As he did, he cut his palm and let three drops of blood land on the floor of the Wizengamot Chamber. The floor pulses purple, black, and then white, signifying that his claim was recognized by magic.
He then moved to his seat and sat down.
"Lord Black, as the newest member of this body, the floor is yours." Arcturus said with a smile.
"Thank you, Chief Warlock." Sirius said rising from his seat and stepping onto the floor of the Wizengamot once again. "There have been a number of wrongs brought against the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black over the centuries. Many of them have not been dealt with, instead my ancestors have held onto these wrongs, using them as blackmail or collateral. Today, I plan to cash them in."
Everyone in the Chamber with the exception of Albus, Archie, and James Potter were scared about the wrath that was about to be brought down upon them as Sirius removed a scroll of parchment from his robes and unrolled it; it was over seven feet long. "Let's get started then, shall we?"
It took almost seven hours for Sirius to go through his list of wrongs, but they were well worth it. The biggest surprise was when Sirius demanded satisfaction from the Noble House of Malfoy. The House of Malfoy was stripped of their money, lands, titles, and seat on the Wizengamot, which had become common occurrence amongst most of the other families that Sirius had already dealt with, but Lucius also lost his magic. When he lost his magic, a number of Death Eaters also lost their magic.
Euphemia, who was a Spellcaster, had studied Regulus' and Bellatrix's Dark Marks and believed that the mark tied all the Death Eaters to Voldemort, allowing him to draw power from his followers besides calling them to him. But she also believed that it worked the other way as well, that if one his followers needed magic, that the Dark Mark would serve as a conduit.
'Looks like Ma was right.' Sirius thought as Lucius and other Death Eaters in the Chamber collapsed. Some seemed to grow old before everyone's eyes, a testament to how much magic they used to stay fit.
Every family was affected by Sirius' list. Some like the Potters, the resolution was simple. The Heir Apparent, James Potter, must name Sirius as godfather for his firstborn child. James and Lily were going to do that anyway. Others like the Prewitt Family, were even simpler. The Prewitt Family owed the Weasley Family the normal dowry for Molly Prewitt when she married Arthur Weasley. Lord Prewitt, Molly's uncle, did not like the marriage. The Prewitts owed the House of Black for a loan made over 600 years ago.
However the funniest one was the Dumbledore Family. And it actually settled a long debate between James and Sirius. The Head of the Dumbledore Family must acknowledge who was the better pranksters while at Hogwarts, Fleamont Potter, or James Potter. Albus acknowledged that James Potter was the better prankster, but Fleamont's plans were much more intricate.
With so many families losing their seats on the Wizengamot thanks to what would later be called The List Arcturus soon had no choice but to declare the session in recess and released the Chamber and Antechambers from their lockdown. Albus, Archie, James, and Sirius all walked out together laughing that their plan had worked better than expected. Little did they know exactly how well.
Epilogue
To say the plan worked well was an understatement. That evening, Tom Marvolo Riddle, the self-stylized Lord Voldemort, apparated into Hogsmeade and fell over, dead. It took two hours for the body to be identified as a body because of how mutilated it had become because of the magic Tom had used on himself.
Albus had been called down from Hogwarts to help identify the remains; he figured out who the body was thanks to the residual black magic that remained like tar. But he confirmed that Lord Voldemort was indeed dead. When members of the Order of the Phoenix recovered Tom Riddle's former horcruxes, they were inert, confirming that Voldemort was gone.
This led to many discussions in the Wizengamot and the Ministry on what happened and why no one thought of this solution earlier. The fact was that so few people studied the old magics because it was not taught at Hogwarts.
Also, only the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black had so many grievances against other families. Sir Harry and Arcturus had used the time turner Death had given Sir Harry to see what the order of grievances needed to be to get the desired result.
Because of the lack of skilled people, the question came back to what was Hogwarts teaching. Albus, thanks to Sir Harry's notes, was prepared for this question with a comprehensive plan to completely overhaul the education system in England, with the statistics to back up why the changes were needed. With data going back 50 years for not just Hogwarts, but 25 other schools around the world, Albus was ready for this fight. With the only role he had now was Headmaster, he had the time, energy, and spirit to tackle this project, and he did.
The new education system of England took 10 years to completely implement. It started with the establishment of primary grade schools for children. Pureblood, halfblood, muggleborn when they were first discovered were all enrolled into the primary schools where they learned the basics of reading, writing, math, history, and science. They also learned how to begin to control their magic. Muggleborns and their parents took classes on the magical world, and purebloods took classes about the muggle world. The halfbloods could choose which one they took based on their situation.
At age 11, they received their wand and then went to Hogwarts. Years 1 thru 3 were unchanged for the most part; though History of Magic was revamped and called just plain History. Also a Physical Education program was also developed.
Starting in a student's fourth year, they could begin to take elective courses like Runes, Arithmacy, Ancient History, Care of Magical Creatures, Biology, and other classes. Then in their sixth year, there are other high-level electives; Estate Management, Alchemy, Ritual Magic, Languages of the World, Blood Magic, Politics, and DLME Training.
After Hogwarts, a student could attend a university around the world if they wanted to, or complete an apprenticeship, or join the workforce a much more rounded individual then any before them.
Though many asked Albus to serve as the Undersecretary for Education, Albus refused, saying his place was at Hogwarts, though he had been known to teach classes everywhere from a primary school to one of the universities. He loved teaching.
Fleamont Potter, seeing that his two boys, James and Sirius, had the Wizengamot well in hand with Arcturus, decided it was his job to deal with the Ministry and a year after Arcturus began as Chief Warlock, Fleamont Potter threw his hat in the ring and won ninety-five percent of the vote and became the Minister for Magic. Fleamont revamped every department, all the hiring practices, and the relations with all magical and mundane beings.
It took his first three years in office to accomplish it, but the Ministry for Magic had been revamped and was considered the model for how a government should run in the magical world.
Arcturus Black served as Chief Warlock until 1990 when he was replaced by Edgar Bones, who was Sirius' brother-in-law. During that time the Wizengamot was transformed into a more representative body with two houses, like Parliament. The lower house, the House Commons, and the upper house, the House of Lords. While the House of Lords were those who held hereditary titles, the House of Commons was elected by the general population. The difference between the Wizengamot and Parliament was that both houses met at the time in the same place.
When Arcturus retired, he admitted he wanted to spend more time with his Great-Grandchildren. Sirius and Amelia Bones-Black's 3 children, and Regulus' 2 girls. Regulus, who had begun to have second thoughts about supporting the Dark Lord, took a long look at his family and decided he like how his Big Brother and their Grandfather ran the House of Black. Regulus surprised everyone and married a muggleborn witch who had not practiced magic in ten years when they met.
With the Three Musketeers, as Albie, Archie, and Flea, called themselves, guiding the next generation, life looked very much improved. The children that Sirius, James and their generation would have would not need to worry about a Dark Lord, or a corrupt ministry. They could just be children.
Arcturus passed away in 1993. He took his afternoon tea in his sitting room and never got back up. His house elf found him there and reported it to Sirius. His funeral was a large funeral with many people weeping. None more than Sirius and Amelia. Thanks to Arcturus and Sirius, the Black Family was no longer associated with the Darks Arts, but as a House that was fair and just.
Flea stepped down in 1995, throwing his support behind Lord Greengrass to be the next Minister. Flea and Euphemia still taught or lectured on occasion at Hogwarts, Scotland Yard, and universities around the world. Lecturing at Hogwarts also gave them a chance to check on Harry and his girlfriend Ginny Weasley. He passed days after Harry Potter married Ginny on August 18th, 1998.
Albus was the last of the Musketeers to retire, and to pass on. He remained at Hogwarts until his death in 2003, though he had stepped down as Headmaster in 1998 after most of his adopted grandchildren graduated. Harry, Charlus, Rose, Jamie, Neville, Ron, Hermione, & Luna, all called him Grandpa Albie since they were little. After retiring as Headmaster, Albus served as Headmaster Emeritus. In that role, Albus advised the new Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, and also helped cover various classes that needed substitutes for a short time. He still taught Alchemy as it was his favorite class.
The morning of his passing, his eldest grandson, Harry Potter, found the old headmaster with a smile on his face at peace in his bed. He had died in the night. Harry had wanted to tell Albie that he was going to be a Great-Great-Grandfather as Harry and Ginny were expecting their first child. They named him Albus.
When Albus awoke and rose from his bed, he stared at his body, realizing he had passed. He looked around his room, and saw Harry enter the room and give his body one last look before informing the family. As Albus stood, wondering what happens now, a door opened and Hela stepped through it along with Sir Harry.
"Hello Albus." Hela said.
"Hello Hela." Albus said.
"Are you ready?" Sir Harry asked.
"Yes. My affairs are in order. I have felt this coming for months. My goodbyes have been made, my last will and testament will have some final thoughts for the family."
"I felt the same way." Sir Harry said. "Well, do you have any regrets?"
"No really. The Dumbledore line lives through the Lovegood Family. I have seen and done much, and have opened the minds of countless children, I have no regrets. " Albus admitted. "Harry?"
"Yes Albus."
"Are the others waiting for me?" Albus asked.
"Flea, Archie, Euphemia, Ariana, and everyone else are waiting to the start eh next great adventure with you, sir." Sir Harry said.
"Then let's go."
