Several days later
"It's very nice to meet you Lord Gryffindor," Harry greeted the portrait of Godric politely. He was in a private part of the bank escorted here by Ragnok himself as well as several goblin guards.
"It's nice to meet you, young Harry," Godric said. "Ragnok has told me much about your troubles."
"He saved me from having to explain," Harry said.
"I have not been visited from one of my descendants in a very long time," Godric told Harry. "It's mostly been goblins when they seek my advice."
"I had no idea I was related to you until recently when Ragnarok told me that I looked a great deal like you. We've recently had a blood test done that proved the connection," Harry explained. "You know that my parents were killed when I was just a toddler, so they never had time to teach me about my ancestors or anything else."
Harry had indeed had a blood test done and with Ragnok and his grandfather's witnesses along with the goblin that did the test. It had taken more than the normal drop of blood because the connection was many generations removed. Still Harry had cut his hand with a goblin forged dagger that Ragnok had handed him himself and he had poured his blood into a silver bowl until the goblin doing the test and indicated it was enough.
It was quite the honor for the leader of the goblin nation to loan anybody his own dagger or sword and the goblin doing the test and recognized that.
The goblin had been reverent and polite not that he would be anything else to one of the sídh, but still, there was a difference to it. It was as if the goblin doing the test held Harry in even more respect than what was normal to treat one of the Seelie. That the leader of the goblin nation, basically their king had done him the honor of loaning him his own dagger had awed the goblin doing the testing.
"Yes, I've heard all about that," Godric agreed. "Let's just say that Ragnok has no respect for certain headmaster and for the situation he put you in."
"I totally agree with that opinion and believe me, when I go to Hogwarts he's not gonna be able to control me no matter how hard he tries. Did Ragnok tell you that I contemplated taking my own life when I was with the Dursleys?"
"He did and I can't help, but think about how far the school has fallen with Dumbledore as headmaster," Godric said.
"My grandfather and I have studied the headmaster and he wasn't always like he is now," Harry said. "That doesn't mean I have any respect for him, just that he used to be a very good man, but he's lost sight of the fact that people have rights and he prefers to manipulate someone instead of being truthful and honest."
"Having Seelie blood used to be considered quite the honor," Godric said. "I would love to meet your grandfather sometime."
"We can do that now if you like, as he is waiting right outside as he wanted to give me privacy," Harry said.
"He likely didn't want to leave you alone just in case Dumbledore tries something," Godric guessed.
"If he does he will regret it," Harry promised with a look in his eyes that Godric approved of. The time he was from was very primitive. You had learn to defend yourself at a young age and Dumbledore's pacifist attitude upset him greatly.
He understood not killing unless necessary but Dumbledore's feelings that you would go dark if you killed at all, even in a time of war or in self-defense was just wrong.
The wizarding world might not have this problem now if more of the Death Eaters had been killed during the first war and Harry's parents might still have been alive. Also, many of the witches and wizards who had fought in the first war would likely have lived if not for Dumbledore's no killing policy.
"I see your grandfather has taught you well," Godric approved causing Harry to smile.
"He has," Harry agreed. "Ever since he rescued me when I was nearly 6 years old, he's gone out of his way to make sure I am prepared for anything anybody throws at me. I might not have had much of a childhood, but I was never overworked or abused once granddad found me. I was also fed royally and granddad actually has a partner that knows how to actually cook instead of making food by magic."
Godric was nodding approvingly at what he was hearing and he had no doubt he would like this David Rossi a great deal. However, Seelie were known to love children, even those that were not their own and would often steal them from abusive parents leaving a homunculus in it's place, one that would soon sicken and die or some other sort of accident happen to it.
"If Dumbledore thinks for a moment that he can get one over on me or granddad then he'll soon learn differently. Granddad is more ancient than Dumbledore can imagine and has seen every sort of behavior over his centuries. He's told me several times that he's run into people like Dumbledore before, ones that are born meddlers, even when they mess things up in 1000 different ways they still keep meddling, so sure that they're doing the right thing that, they stomp all over peoples rights.
"It's bad enough I am part of this prophecy, but because of it Dumbledore believes he has a right to control me and probably left me at the Dursleys for the express purpose of breaking my will. If granddad hadn't found me I have no doubt if I hadn't committed suicide as I told you I would be a very different boy."
"Sounds like your headmaster has a lot to answer for," Godric said.
"He does, but both my grandfather are willing to work with him until after Voldemort is dead and that's only because we need him," Harry said candidly. "If there's anyone that Voldemort truly fears it's Albus Dumbledore, but after the Dark Lord is dead if I never see him again it'll be too soon."
"I can't blame you there," Godric agreed. "I'm not sure I could even force myself to work with such a person who placed me in such an abusive situation and didn't bother to make sure that I was being treated well."
"I'll go get grandfather now," Harry told Godric and went to do just that.
Dave came into where Godric's portrait was hanging and the two started a serious discussion. Harry and Dave learned many things in the hours they spent there talking to Godric's portrait.
They were finally escorted to the main lobby several hours later and Dave immediately declared it was lunchtime and they'd stop and eat before anything else.
~~~Dave and Harry~~~
Days later
"It's nice to meet you Minister Fudge," Harry said politely, as he shook the Minister of Magic's hand.
"It's nice to meet you as well, young Harry," Fudge said. "I've heard from Headmaster Dumbledore that you believe that your godfather is innocent."
"It's not a matter of belief, Minister," Harry said. "I have proof right here."
Harry handed over not only his parents will, but also the letter that had been written by his parents.
"The fact, that he didn't even get a trial to prove his guilt should never have happened, even if he really had murdered my parents. Yes, I realize that it was a rather trying time with Voldemort and the Death Eaters on the loose, but he still should've gotten the trial to prove whether he was guilty or not. I mean from what me and my grandfather have been able to dig up every Death Eater got a trial but not my godfather. I am requesting that you give him a trial, as it wasn't under your administration that put him in Azkaban, as I understand that was former Minister Bagnold."
"And what do I get in return?" Fudge asked, forgetting for a minute that he was talking to a nearly 11-year-old boy.
"My grandfather has been educating me and I know how popular my name is for my supposed defeat of the Dark Lord. The fact that Sirius Black never had a trial in the first place ought to see you demanding justice be done. If that's not enough for you, even though my godfather is a pureblood of old and noble lineage, then I am willing to back your ministry, provided that you stay with the light and don't make any decisions that support only one group of magicals and that's the purebloods. I know very well that the government is mostly purebloods and the half-bloods and especially Muggle-borns are given very few rights."
Cornelius didn't say so, but he knew very well that the young man before him was correct and the purebloods held dominance over the other two sections of society, so they of course put through laws that benefited them and ostracized anybody who wasn't a pureblood. The fact, that this young man who wasn't even a teenager yet could see the problem just showed Cornelius that it was indeed a problem that most people either couldn't do anything about, because they didn't have the political clout so simply ignored it. The purebloods of course, wanted to keep things the way they were.
"My grandfather, is not pleased with the way that Britain is run by one section of society. His daughter was murdered by that section that believe themselves better then a mere Muggle-born and is not sure he wants to send his grandson to a school where such bigoted views are taught. From our research bullies are rarely punished apart from a few detentions, which teaches them absolutely nothing about the consequences of their actions. A lot of them look on detentions like badges of honor."
Harry knew that while Dumbledore had been silent he was listening, which was mainly his reason in pointing out what was wrong with Hogwarts now, as he doubted Dumbledore would make any changes if he wasn't forced to.
Dumbledore tried to protest that statement but Harry simply looked at him and he fell silent. "Children need to realize there are serious consequences for their actions, especially the purebloods that have been told from the moment they were born that Muggle-borns in particular are beneath them. When you pay attention to one section of society while ignoring anyone else as unimportant we come up with the reason why Voldemort was able to get as far as he did in taking over the government. I have no doubt that you'll see another Dark Lord in your lifetime, maybe even more than one, because the way your society is run practically invites such Dark Lords to try to take over magical Britain. I doubt you'll be so lucky a second time and have someone as intelligent as Lily Potter to save your asses when that happens. Really, why would anybody who wasn't a pureblood want to stay in British Magical society when they're treated like second-class citizens?
"Anybody who doesn't have the right pedigree isn't considered for a lot of jobs, simply because somebody people believe that their blood makes them better, which is how the current situation came to be. My godfather Sirius Black not getting a trial is a perfect example of the injustice that runs rampart in Magical Britain. I doubt very much he was even questioned since everybody just knew he was guilty he was just flung into Azkaban."
Cornelius knew that young Mr. Potter had a very good point.
"Another point for consideration is the fact that, Dumbledore in all his vaunted wisdom sealed my parents wills and left me with my supposed relatives the Dursleys. He didn't even have the common courtesy to knock on their door to discuss it with them if they were willing to take me in he just placed me on their doorstep at the beginning of November and expected them to take me in and love me.
"The headmaster has since learned and that I was abused in every possible way and the only reason I'm still talking to him at all is because he's Chief Warlock and he has the authority to get my godfather a trial. Something he should've done from the beginning I might add, but of course he was so sure Sirius was guilty, that he didn't bother. Whether he did assume he was guilty or not he still deserved a trial."
Dumbledore tried to protest but Harry simply glared at him fiercely.
"I now believe that this was done out of overconfidence in humans in general. I firmly believe that the headmaster hasn't bothered to step out into the world and see how it is changing since he was a young man," Harry said, not even glancing at the headmaster as he spoke. "I could show you the scars I was given every time Vernon Dursley beat the shit out of me, for some fictitious wrong."
Dumbledore winced subtly at Harry's words having already seen the scars that were on Harry's back buttocks and legs.
Cornelius knew that having Harry Potter's backing could see him remain minister until he was ready to retire. It was clear to him that young Mr. Potter didn't trust the headmaster in the slightest and considering what he had just learned that was not surprising. He himself had never like Dumbledore very much, but that's only because he feared that the headmaster wanted his position as minister.
"I don't believe that Dumbledore is evil, just so sure of his own opinions that nobody else's matters," said Harry. "He's so used to doing everything himself that he doesn't bother to get others opinions and always believe he's doing the right thing, even when it's been proven he is not. I'm willing to work with him until after Voldemort is truly gone, but after that, if I never see him again it will be to soon."
Cornelius denied vehemently that Voldemort wasn't truly dead immediately.
"I know you don't want to believe it," Harry said his tone brooking no argument. "I know how much terror Voldemort caused before I supposedly killed him as a baby, but I have proof that he is a spirit right now, but is working to return on a human form. Would you Minister like to be the one that stands by his principles or do you want to be seen as cowering, someone who allowed Voldemort to return to terrorize the people of Britain again?"
"From the way, I understand it, he came within months of taking over the Ministry of Magic and I have no doubt that after he'd finished consolidating his power he would've gone to war with other countries who would have fought back. Millions of lives would be lost if that happened."
Cornelius realized that Harry Potter was a young wizard that he would have to listen to unless he wanted to lose that golden endorsement. He was extremely popular with the wizarding public despite the fact that nobody had seen him ever since his parents were murdered. A legend had grown up around Harry Potter and there were many books of his supposed adventures, which would appear now as nothing more then fiction.
He had known for years that Dumbledore didn't believe Voldemort was truly gone, but he reckoned that the headmaster was rather obsessed with the idea that Voldemort was still alive. Of course, the headmaster had never bothered to explain why he believed that the Dark Lord would return, which was why Cornelius had never believed him.
Cornelius knew he had a decision to make to continue to follow people like Lucius Malfoy, which Dumbledore had been claiming for years was a Death Eater, or to follow Harry Potter.
Suddenly, in a moment of clarity, he saw Lucius Malfoy for exactly what he was, a manipulative man whose influence was the gold he had in Gringotts. Cornelius knew that Lucius had claimed to be under the Imperius Curse when he stood trial for being a Death Eater, but he also knew that a lot of gold had changed hands in order to make sure that was the verdict or at least that was the rumor. He hadn't been minister when that trial had occurred, but he had worked in Magical Accidents and Catastrophes and he had kept his ear to the ground.
There had been rumors back then that Lucius had gotten off due to a considerable amount of gold being passed in bribes, but he hadn't believed them, but now it occurred to him that he had been accepting money from his supposed friend to get certain bigoted laws passed and he suddenly saw it for exactly what it was a bribe. He hadn't considered it so until now, just him doing a favor for a friend and until just this moment the money had been a gift, not a bribe.
He decided then that he would follow Harry Potter. So long as he did what the boy wanted his approval ratings would stay high and it appeared that Harry Potter wanted him to get his godfather a trial, one he'd never had before, due to Bagnold, Crouch and Dumbledore. He couldn't blame the boy in the slightest considering what he had learned of his childhood.
Of course, if Sirius Black was actually guilty, he could go right back to Azkaban, but if he was innocent then he could set him free have the Boy Who Lived eternal gratitude. According to the letter he was handed Black hadn't been the Secret-Keeper like everyone believed, so in all likelihood Crouch, Bagnold and Dumbledore had thrown an innocent man in prison.
As for Voldemort being alive, he wasn't sure he believed it. On the other hand, Potter claimed he had proof, so he would simply ask the young man to produce this proof and Potter would either do so or he wouldn't. If he did, then Cornelius would know that Dumbledore had been right all along and they would have to take action and if he didn't then he would know that the boy was a liar.
It never even occurred to Cornelius to ask Harry who this supposed grandfather was when he was supposed to have no living relatives other than his aunt and uncle.
~~~Dave and Harry~~~