Chapter 16: Punishments. Time for a change
Later that day, things at the Ministry were in chaos as a large crowd of people gathered in the atrium demanding answers from the Minister of Magic. The entire Ministry was in flux as hundreds of employees were livid with this morning's news statement. Especially those who were parents, older siblings, and other various guardians were demanding answers as to why their kids were not receiving the education promised. This is money they're spending, money that some of them didn't have. Trying in vain, Cornelius tried to calm the citizens down but did not get far as the people started throwing apples, tomatoes, and oranges, dirtying his robes. A handful of the Aurors who watched the news this morning sympathized with the people as they were also angry with the portly Minister. Nonetheless, they were, for the most part, able to keep the people at bay for the most part.
If Fudge thought this was bad, then it was nothing compared to what during the Wizengamot as an emergency session was called. Several of the lords and Department heads demanded answers as to why someone like Delores Umbridge was teaching at Hogwarts? Why he allowed her to pass an illegal law that would put them at odds with the other magical countries? Reasons why the Auror budget was so low? Etc. This was a nightmare for Cornelius as he sweated bullets; he tried to shift the blames elsewhere, saying he was only doing what was best for the people. But this was not the answer they had wanted. Lucius was barely of any help as the man gripped his cane and went ghostly pale, mixed with a little anger. Both men knew they were in deep trouble and had to do something to mitigate the damage.
Everything seemed to be coming down as the people who benefited from Cornelius's placement as Minister of magic were crashing down. When he attempted to use his position to have the complaint forms dismissed, Griselda overruled him, stipulating that she was the Head of the W.E.A. and this was under her jurisdiction. The Educational Decree Department also demanded answers to the forms sent by the students but were told to kiss her arse. After hours of debating, the Wizengamot decided to repel Umbridge's Werewolf Legislation Act and renew the Auror budgets. Finally, Lords Patil and Longbottom demanded the removal of Delores Umbridge from Hogwarts school. Fudge has to use all of his influence to ensure she stays, stating that her appointment is in the student's best interests. This, however, cost him dearly as Lord Black and a handful of others called for them to be punished, citing that something would need to be done to appease the other governments.
With a majority vote, the Wizengamot suspended Cornelius until the beginning of the new year, placed them under house arrest for a month, and had to pay a fine of six million galleons. Meanwhile, a red-faced Delores Umbridge received a fine of 8.4 million. Finally, Arcturus managed to squeeze 47 million galleons from Lucius Malfoy and Walden McNair, which angered the two greatly.
Amelia and Rufus silently agreed to investigate their affairs. The latter found it hard to keep himself from laughing as he saw how rattled they were, as this was a long-needed victory. Lord Potter had definitely made good on his promise; with Fudge and his benefactors temporarily out of commission, they could finally rebuild their Auror ranks. Moreover, they began looking into the people responsible for arresting Shunpike and some of the werewolves. This was going to be a lot of work as they would essentially be cleaning their departments. Any way you look at it, Fudge and his friends were in deep shit.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore was also facing the same level of scrutiny as parents/guardians sent howlers and angry letters demanding he do something about Umbridge or they would remove their kids from the school. Albus did not leave his office at all that day. The aged wizard felt every bit of his age as he was in a dilemma as things were being blown out of proportion. Yes, he knew it was wrong to allow Delores within the castle's wall as a teacher, but he had little choice. Even he knew the woman was a Death Eater and had no intentions of teaching any practical magic. However, his hands had been tied, and he needed to get back in the public and Wizengamot's good graces. While she might be a weak witch who only got by due to knowing the right people, she had found herself resented and hated by nearly every student. Members of the school staff have been quite vocal that he do something about her and her decrees. It didn't help that Fawkes wouldn't trill or even look at him; that would have soothed some of his nerves.
Against the wall of his ancestral home with his friends next to him, Draco Malfoy was punched repeatedly by his father, while Bellatrix, Rudolphus, Rabastan, and Rowle had their wands aimed at their necks. "You arrogant, spoiled brat," delivering a hard punch to Draco's stomach knocking the wind out of him. Before the boy could slide down, Lucius grabbed the collar of his robes, bringing him to eye level. "61.4 million galleons down the drain. All because of you ungrateful shits couldn't keep your mouths shut."
Lucius's anger was only surpassed by the cold dark glare Bellatrix was giving them. The woman had the tip of her wand aimed directly at Theo's neck with a spell on the tip of her tongue. "Give me one good reason why I should not end your worthless life right now." Every muscle in his body was frozen in fear; he couldn't utter a word for fear that she might just kill him.
"This is not our fault. Weasley and Longbottom are the ones that…" Gregory tried to say but received a brutal blow to the stomach.
Antonin growled, "Weasley is a blood traitor, and Longbottom will soon die. The Dark Lord wished to keep his return secret." Tightening his grip around the boy's neck, "now, thanks to the five of you, we can no longer operate in the shadows."
"That is putting it lightly," Severus entered the room, his black eyes devoid of any compassion and instead with cold danger reserved for only Gryffindors. "Did I not express the importance of keeping your heads down before this school year began? I remember what I said because I was standing here when I said it. I told you lot to keep your heads down. To not draw attention to yourselves and what goes on within this house…is to remain quiet." The venom in his voice made them pale.
"But professor—"
"Silence," Severus snarled, shutting Parkinson up. "I'm embarrassed even to call myself your head of house because your foolishness reflects poorly on me. Your behaviors as of late are no different than a Gryffindor. Do you not know the meaning of the word 'cunning'? Because it's a trait needed to enter the noble house of Slytherin."
He stopped Lucius from delivering another punch, "the Dark Lord wishes to see them." Grudgingly and very reluctantly, letting the boy drop to the ground and turned his attention to the teenagers. "He was angry to learn how you revealed his name. For the skins on your back, at least try to act like you possess some intelligence."
"H-He… He wa-wants to see us." The teens looked ready to jump out of their skins.
"That is correct. Do not for one minute think this is an honor; whenever displeased, this usually means bad luck, as you will soon find out." Pointing at them, "be warned. Speak only when spoken to. Answer honestly, as he will know if their something being kept from him. As it stands, none of you have any occlumency shields and are easy to read. It would be in your best interests to give him the respect he deserves. Because if he is not satisfied, he'll express his displeasure on you and the remaining members of your families, and any possible hope for your futures will be shredded."
Crabbe and Theo visibly gulped as they had no wish to incur the Dark Lord's wrath any further. With any hope, they might survive.
The adults sent them one final glare before taking them into the throne room to meet the Dark Lord; opening the door, they heard the blood-curdling screams of Dolores Umbridge. "You've disappointed me greatly," the cold high-pitch voice from Voldemort sent shivers down everyone's spines. Then, with a jab and wave from his wand, she started experiencing mental trauma filled with the worst memories known to man, some only believed to be myths. She was also sent flying across the room, landing next to a broken Walden McNair.
Twisting his lips, "my lord," Severus offered a low, respectful bow. "I have brought misters Nott, Goyle, Crabbe, and Malfoy along with miss Parkinson as you requested."
"Good," whirling around, Voldemort's red eyes settled on the new occupants. "Were there any complications?"
"No, milord. After what happened this morning, things at the castle are far from pleasant… Dumbledore has barricaded himself within his office after receiving one too many letters. 'Far as anyone is concerned, Draco and his companions are visiting their relatives and handling some family affairs. I also come with a couple of messages from Potter."
"Hmm. Who are the recipients?" Narrowing his eyes. Severus gestured to the kneeling teens, Lucius and Narcissa, and Bellatrix. "Then deliver them."
Standing to his feet, Severus turned to the teens first, "you five were foolish to think I would sit idly by and allow you free reign. Just because your father's master is back, you believe you are untouchable. You are not! The deaths of your fathers and the loss of money are only a small sample of the pain and suffering that is to come. If you continue to help Umbitch or take the dark mark, I will make you experience what 'fear' and 'pain' really is. There will be no place to hide. Nowhere to run as I will find you and introduce a terror beyond the horrors of hell."
Then turning to the two older Malfoys. "Lucius, Narcissa, make no that if you do not get your brat son in line, then he will not live to see his twenties. I never liked you, Lucius. I know all about your past from being a Death Eater; pleading to be under the imperius curse was pathetic as you revealed yourself to be a lying sociopath. Losing your family fortune was only the start of your punishment. I may not be able to harm you directly, but I discovered other ways. Your days are numbered."
"Narcissa, you are becoming a disappointment. Your son struts around the castle like he's better than everyone else. Well, let me tell you, he is not. He is a weak brat who's got no guts to stand like a man. How you could raise a child like him is beyond me. The only reasons why I have not killed him are: because I know it would hurt you to see your only son lying in a coffin. The other is that he hasn't given me any good reasons to go that far. But he is testing the limits of my patience and treading on thin ice; know this the moment he takes that ridiculous mark; all bets are off. You, of all people, should know the dangers of the Black family magic. I won't kill Draco, but I cannot promise nor be responsible for what the others might do to him."
Severus then looked at Bellatrix. "Bellatrix Lestrange, you are pathetic. Rather than fight someone straight up, you hide in the shadows like a coward. If you had an ounce of honor left, you'd fight like a real witch."
The teenagers and Malfoys were now extremely pale; Bellatrix looked murderous as that brat basically called her out. Voldemort became a little intrigued. "What do you make of his threats?"
"Potter will no doubt carry out with his promises…" Severus replied in a cool voice. "He is not to be underestimated and will not hesitate to execute them if threatened."
"Potter will get his due soon en—" a killing curse from Voldemort ended Vincent Crabbe's life. Draco involuntarily pissed himself. The others didn't look any better.
"Continue, Severus," ordered Voldemort. The burning in his red eyes and the deadly venom in his voice made everyone freeze.
"I would advise caution as this is only the start," Severus finished.
Voldemort looked intently at him, "stand with the others. I have to teach some students what happens when they defy me."
He got to work as Severus went to stand with the other members of his inner circle. Then without wasting a breath, the five teens were rolling and twitching on the floor as Voldemort expressed his displeasure. Ten minutes of torture later, he finally lifted the curses.
"When I give an order, I expect it to be followed to the letter," gliding over them. "Clearly, your fathers have failed in their duties; for they neglected to teach you how to listen. Instead, what I see before me are a bunch of overprivileged brats who know nothing about pain and suffering. Am I wrong, Draco?" Thrusting his arm to wandlessly levitate the Malfoy heir.
Silver eyes met scarlet reds. For the life of him, Draco did not know what the Dark Lord might do. Steeling himself, "milord, please forgive me. Forgive us. We were arrogant."
"Yes, you were. Crucio!" The dark red torture curse hit its mark, making Draco scream at the top of his lungs. His screams filled the room. Narcissa and Lucius could do nothing but look away as their master continued to torture their son. What felt like hours was actually three minutes; "I care not for you and your friends' excuses. You've done me a great disservice by using my name to get what you want. And for what? To exert power over a group of teenagers in a public area."
Banishing the pale boy away, breaking a couple of his bones. "Pitiful," sneering at him before turning to the rest. "Despite being in the noble house of Slytherin, you act like a bunch of Gryffindors unworthy of your positions in the world. Disappointing!"
Over the next couple of hours, they were tortured with spells that would make the cruciatus curse have a similar effect to the standard bone-breaking curse. It was worse as their minds became flooded with horrifying images. Also, Theo lost an arm, and Gregory was missing a foot. Voldemort made them watch as Nagini swallowed the dead body of Vincent Crabbe.
(0^0)
At Grimmauld, the members from the Order of Phoenix were in the middle of a heated argument, mainly Sirius, Dora, Kingsley, and Alastor, against Dumbledore, Molly, Emmeline, and a couple of others. Molly was screaming at the top of her lungs, "is this what you all wanted? Because of your actions…" Having had enough, Dora stunned the woman and put a powerful silencing charm on her.
"Ugh, finally. I can hear myself think again," leaning back in her chair, she looked at the Weasley patriarch. "I'm sorry, Arthur, but Molly screams too much."
Arthur agreed with the young Auror. While he was not happy to hear what his wife had done by signing a marriage contract for their daughter and Harry, he still loved her. After they talked, he spent a couple of weeks sleeping in his office, telling her not to contact him.
"Now that the volume in the kitchen has died down, we can return to more important matters," Alastor grunted as Charlie revived Molly. "With Fudge temporarily out of the way and Malfoy being investigated, it's the perfect time for us to maximize our defenses."
"I agree," Kingsley quipped. "We can level the playing field. Thanks to the added funds, the Auror department can finally do its job without interference. Which can greatly help us."
"That may be...," Albus began, "but in doing so, our struggles have steadily increased." During dinner, members from the board of governors came to his office stating that he was suspended from his post as Headmaster until the beginning of December. "Your statements this morning have caused many problems as parents are demanding that something be done about the conditions at Hogwarts."
"As they should," Sirius snapped. "You are playing a risky game, Albus. Like when the hell were you going to tell us that cow Umbridge was a Death Eater or that she's been using blood quills during her detentions?" Everyone except for Frank, Kingsley, Nymphadora, and Alastor froze as they were red with anger. "You're not the only one with eyes and ears, you know."
Releasing a deep sigh, as he knew who Sirius was talking about, "do you believe I want her as a teacher? Let alone around the students? I told Harry that I would talk to her. Apparently, that was not good enough as he decided to take matters into his own hands. By having the students fill out complaint forms about her taking the post of Defense professor, he has publicly declared war against her and Cornelius. Thus making it more difficult for us to gain allies. Against my warnings, Harry seems hellbent on ensuring the Ministry has no more influence in the castle."
Frank narrowed his eyes, "oh, I did not know that doing a job and defending the students was such a crime," he sharply retorted in a mocking voice. "Neville sent me an interesting letter about professor Umbridge—the woman is slowly taking over the school. Her decrees are turning the school into a miniature version of Azkaban; she's purposely making the lives of several students miserable. From what I hear, the Inquisitorial Squad are a gang of bullies who parade around the school as her enforcers, with the leader being Malfoy's spawn. Your caretaker Filch has also joined her and is dangerously close to losing his job. What I cannot understand is why you still have him as a member of the staff. The man hates kids always has."
"You know, Argus has had a hard life. In our society, being a squib is considered to be worse than being muggleborn." Albus explained. "Attempting to find a job in our world is difficult. If I remove him from his post, it will make the lives of other squibs more unbearable. Also, unless he does something that breaches his contract, I cannot fire him."
"That will be tabled for a later date," Minerva drank some of her Firewhiskey. "The important thing is that changes need to be made in both the school and in the Ministry."
"But who are they benefitting?" Came Emmeline with a frown across her face. "Potter is only helping himself. He's destabilizing the government, refuses to join us, and is putting the students in danger."
"And we're not?" Sirius gave her an are you stupid look. "I seem to remember that after his trial, a handful of the people sitting here were against the idea of inducting children into the Order." Shooting a look at Ron and Hermione. The two shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.
"Sirius is right, as they're a security risk," Kingsley voted against having them join. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it was a mistake to bring them."
"Oi, we are right here, you know," Ron defended but quickly flinched when their attention changed to him.
"Then maybe you can contribute some insight as to why the two of you decided to have a meeting with over thirty students without any security measures," Alastor gave a heart-stopping glare.
"How do you know about the D.A.?" A nervous Hermione asked.
"The pub is owned by Albus's brother, Aberforth," the gruff man stated. "We have eyes and ears everywhere. That was careless and reckless what you two did. In addition, you put a huge target on their backs. Moreover, they're not ready for combat, and you two are not ready to teach."
Hermione was not happy to hear she wasn't ready for something but responded, "we're only doing what Professor Dumbledore told us, and we are ready."
"Then you're a fool," Sirius remarked. Then, shifting his eyes to Albus, "your foolish machinations have caused problems in the past. But this latest one takes it to a whole new level by putting these two," pointing at Ron and Hermione. "In charge of a group of teenagers with minimal security is risky."
"I agree, Albus," Remus replied, bringing the attention to him. "You ask us to place our faith in teenagers is concerning. Not only that, it is awfully risky."
Emmeline went to speak, "why is that?"
Before Remus could speak, Alastor cut in. "Use what little brain you have, woman." He ignored the scathing expression from her, then proceeded, "Weasley is raw emotion, brash, impulsive, and reckless; furthermore, he's an open book. All anyone has to do is get him angry enough, and he'll sing like a canary. And then you got Granger, who is as arrogant as she is a closed-minded teacher's pet with a superiority complex. Not to mention brash, always believing she knows what is best, and putting far too much trust in authority figures and people in power. A person from the other side or loyal to Fudge could impersonate any of us to get answers from her."
"Don't even try to deny it," he snapped when they were about to speak. "In layman's terms, the two of you are security risk that should never have been brought into the fold."
"Alastor," sighed Albus, "with young Harry unwilling to help, our options to oppose Voldemort are severely limited. We need to know what he is up to and where his allegiance lies," justifying his reasons. "From what I've observed over the years, Harry has a lot of hatred and growing darkness within his heart. I am not saying that my handling of him was perfect, but I never would have expected he would become a murderer and take his unhappiness out on others."
Both Dora and Sirius had furious expressions. "Remind me how many people you killed or allowed to be killed during the war with Grindelwald and the first war with Snake-face! Leave Harry out of this, as there's a reason why he doesn't trust you. This is all you're doing; Voldemort became a monster because you allowed it. I'm not convinced that you're telling us the full truth about him. Scratch that," shaking her head, "you're hiding something... Let me take a stab at it: something to do with Voldemort."
The twinkle was absent from his eyes, "I am doing what is best for everyone-Voldemort and Harry share many of the same qualities. It's concerning. For Voldemort, I only have theories on how he became so powerful and why conventional means don't do much against him."
"Theories you don't feel justified to tell us," Dora hotly retorted. "This is exactly why people refuse to help you, as they do not know if you can be trusted since so many of them have died. I'm beginning to question whether you are actually the right person to lead a resistance."
"My dear, I have been fighting the dark forces since before you were born," argued Albus.
"And how many of them died under your leadership? How many were killed because you omit key details?"
The rest of the meeting went on with an abundant amount of tension as a handful of people agreed with the young Auror. Dumbledore hid a lot-information that could have been of great use to them as a whole. An even greater amount were against the idea of involving Hermione and Ron in the group and letting them be in charge of a secret organization at school. Leaders must be responsible, safeguard and help their people grow as a group and individuals. They share information and value one another opinions. Most of all, there must be determination, strategic thinking, and above all, loyalty. Those are some of the main qualities of a leader.
(0^0)
Over the next few days, the Hogwarts tension seemed to die a little. The students were miffed that Umbridge was there to stay but delighted to see she was livid as her grades had been revealed. Seeing her on edge, ready to explode, brought smiles to several faces as they hated the bitch with a passion. Some more than others. The Inquisitorial Squad had seen better days as Malfoy, and his friends were sent home, leaving the rest to fend for themselves against the entire student body. If they thought that was bad, then it was nothing compared to the harsh criticisms from the Daily Prophet. The reporters had a field day vilifying them and their families every chance they got making their lives utterly miserable. Of course, it didn't help that they lost a hundred points each and received a month of detention.
Furthermore, the Board of Governors began an investigation into the students who'd been using the school's funds for their educations. The parents/guardians who received letters from them had to repay the money they'd been using with interest, which upset many students. What's more, there was talk about the board wanting to remove Dumbledore from his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts permanently. Granger and Weasley were determined to prove themselves to the old warlock by having the D.A. work on spells in an abandoned classroom; unbeknownst to them, some members began glaring daggers at the duo.
Among the two, Hermione began working overtime, trying to learn as many things as possible. Oh, how she wished she still had her time-turner. She would be taking thirteen O.W.L. exams in June and was determined to get the highest grades possible. The evidence was clear as she had dark circles around her eyes, and her hair was bushier than usual. The professors shook their heads as they noticed she'd taken to doing her work during mealtimes and spent long hours in the library.
Another thing that greatly annoyed her was the grades she received from her reports. She hadn't said anything but the micro-expressions on her face, and body language let everyone know she was not happy.
Especially with the latest grades she got from her Transfiguration and Potions reports. Deciding that enough was enough, the young fifth-year marched to Professor McGonagall's office with an irritated Ron following behind. He, too, was not happy with his grades, as Angelina made it painfully clear that she would bench him unless they improved.
Arriving at their professor's office door, Hermione was about to knock when a voice from the inside made her pause. "Come in, Miss. Granger, Mr. Weasley."
The two blinked as they found it hard to understand how their head of house knew it was them. Being more rational of the two, Hermione opened the door but was once again stunned upon seeing two other people in the room. Professor Snape leaned against the wall with his usual sneer while Harry stood next to a written chalkboard. "What are you doing here, Potter?"
"That will be five points from you, Mr. Weasley." Harry drawled before addressing them together. "Is there something you both need?"
Then without a moment of hesitation, Hermione replied, "... I wanted to enquire about my recent marks." She noticed Professor Snape rolling his eyes and letting a breath out from the corner of his mouth. "Professor, why am I receiving lower marks than usual? All of my essays are worth mid to high Outstanding's."
"So what your saying is your unhappy with your grades," snorted Harry, who turned to Minerva. "That will be five galleons."
A ghost smile appeared on her lips as she handed him the coins. "To your question, Miss. Granger-I am not the one grading the essays. That responsibility belongs to Professor Potter, who has been handling the essays for me, and the professors he works under."
Hermione's eyes narrowed at the person she'd been hoping to beat, "then I would lodge a complaint as his grading is unfair." She placed her bag on the chair and took out some past-graded essays. "Since the beginning of term, my essays are receiving grades as high as low to mid-O's and mid to high EE.'s. I want to know why, as I've worked exceptionally hard on them?"
Minerva and Severus looked at their apprentice. "Care to explain?"
"The reason why starts at the beginning and end of her essays," stating in a neutral voice. "Whenever after reading a paragraph, I underline a section that needs to be fixed and leave a comment in the margin of the side. Also, a comment is always left at the end of the essay telling the students what they need to improve. In Granger's case, the work she hands in-is like reading it straight out of the book rather than in her own words. I've left numerous comments to not copy word for word out of the book," he explained. "Moreover, there comes the problem where she goes off-topic to talk about something else and gives more information than is required. All of this can be found in my comments on her work."
Narrowing his eyes at the bushy-haired girl, "this is something your professors have been trying to tell you for the past four years. Your theory, while above average, sounds more like an unrefined version of the books you're using. In other words, you're handing in the work of others than your own."
"As for Weasley," glaring daggers at the ginger, "his essays have your handwriting on them, which leads me to believe that you are doing his work for him." Giving a look that said I know it's not your work. The cool edge of his voice made Minerva and Severus frown at them. "Rather sad, all things considering, as you can't rely on her to hold your hand forever. So, tell me, why are you so lazy that you cannot even take the time to do your own work! Is sitting on your butt eating mountains of food, playing chess, and Quidditch all you think about?"
"...I have a lot going on. Not that you would ever understand. This work is hard," Ron glared fiercely at him.
"A pitiful excuse," he responded, unnerved by the boy's glare. "Need I remind you that your O.W.L.S will be here before you know it. And unless you want to panic about not having enough time, I suggest you get your affairs in order. For a person who is two years away from being of age, you are unbelievably lazy. Create a To-Do list and get organized."
Severus grunted in amusement, "Mr. Potter is right on both accounts. June will be here soon; if you were to take your exams now, you'd certainly fail. So instead of whining like a bunch of children, you should use the time you have to prepare." Then, shifting his gaze to Granger, "from what I can infer, your lashing out is based on your own ineptitude. Times are changing, and so should you. That little fantasy world you've built inside your mind is a false reality. The sooner you get with the program, the better. Unfortunately, I doubt you'll learn, as people need to constantly hit you over the head with a book or brick to get the message across."
Feeling that no further words should be said, Harry gathered his things. "I believe our meeting is concluded. Professors," giving a curt nod, "have a good day." Leaving the four alone.
Minerva agreed with Harry as she remembered when she was a student preparing for her O.W.L.S. The time certainly went by fast. Somedays, she felt like her brain would give out and wouldn't complete the amount of work given to her or be ready. That was why she created a timetable to get a head start on the important stuff and wouldn't be so stressed. "Sound advice. Creating a timetable would be beneficial." She commented. "Now, about your homework assignments..." The edge in her voice let her cubs know this was not up for debate."
An hour later, the two left with despondent expressions as their head of house chewed them out for their lack of organization, doing other people's work, failing to pay attention to instructions, and were warned to shape up. Their bad moods followed them all the way to the D.A. meeting that day as they snapped at their fellow students. Who quickly became annoyed with the duo as they were not learning anything useful. Amidst the tension, a house-elf snuck into the classroom, grabbed the parchment they all signed, and apparated away.
Appearing in Harry's office, he handed the signed parchment over and explained the wards placed on the door "...to my knowledge, the wards were rudimentary. Infiltration was relatively easy. Even the foul toad lady could get in if she tried."
"Why am I not surprised," the young raven-hair scoffed. If he had to take a guess, he'd think Granger set them herself. Then looking at the parchment over with his elemental sight, he found a questionable jinx on it. "Interesting. She had the foresight to add a rudimentary security precaution to the list. However, it's flawed." Quickly making a mental note of whose names were on the list, he altered the jinx and added a couple of extras along with a curse or two.
"Put this back in her bag," handing the parchment back to the elf. "Once you're done, tell the other elves that under no circumstances are they to breathe a word of this to Umbridge and members of the Inquisitorial Squad. If they somehow find out about this organization, I want to know immediately."
"Dopey understands, sir," accepting the task, he took the parchment and popped away.
"You are playing a risky game, Dumbledore. Sooner or later, people will learn the truth about you. Count on that!" Leaning back in his chair, he scratched behind Byakko's left ear. "Soon, my friends, very soon." The gods laughed as the time to expose Dumbledore drew near.
Genbu, in particular, wished they could see the man who pranced around like he was the second-incoming of Merlin be brought to ruins.
(0^0)
As the weeks passed, a hawk owl flew into the Hall carrying a letter; his destination was the Head table. Landing in front of Harry and outstretching its leg for the man to untie the attached letter. Just as he untied the letter, another owl came in, but this one was familiar.
"Hello, Hedwig," the snowy owl nipped his fingers as he stroked her feathers, "it's good to see you too." He removed the letter from her leg and gave them food and water before sending them off.
Watching as they flew off into the distance, he diverted his eyes to the first letter that arrived. Then, unsealing the letter, he pulled it out of the envelope and read it, resulting in a big smile. Mr. Grayson sent him a letter saying his workers had finished constructing the villa and that he could come by and pick up the deed.
The next letter was from Aunt Sarah, who said all the furniture he had purchased had arrived and that she and Dora would begin furnishing the place. She gave permission for Emily to leave school and help if she wanted. Harry sent a mental message to Emily detailing the letter her mum sent; the little sprite squealed in agreement. He then showed the letter he received to Septima, and after a few minutes, she agreed to let Miss. Stevenson leave for the day. Rounding the table, he walked past the Ravenclaws and gestured for Emily to follow along. Once outside the Great Hall, he took her hand and teleported away from the school.
The two arrived on the opposite side of the black gates, where they met a delighted Sarah and Dora. "This place is amazing," the latter exclaimed. "Mr. Spinnet will be along shortly to give you a tour. Speak of the devil, here he comes," pointing to the man approaching from the opposite end of the gate.
Unlocking the gates, a proud yet nervous smile crossed the man's face, "Mr. Potter, welcome. Per your instructions, the villa was complete. Here are the keys," handing him four keys. "If you follow me, I will give you a complete tour of your new home."
Emily was already fascinated with the large garden in front of the house, releasing a low whistle of approval. "You see...before we started construction, our top landscapers wanted a warm welcome to the entrance." Indeed he was right, Harry mentally commented as he walked through the stone pathway. The lawn had been mowed, bushes were neatly trimmed along with the trees, and he spotted three different rows of flowers. Then, to top it off, they rounded a beautiful fountain before arriving at the villa. So far, he was impressed.
The white luxury's exterior was very welcoming. "Prepare to have your mind blown..." unlocking the door to reveal a luxurious modern interior of the villa.
This time it was Harry's turn to give a low whistle, "Emily, you definitely called it," walking across the marble-stoned floor. A beautiful mixture of brick and marble. They looked proudly through the house; while smaller than Potter Castle, the place felt like home. Mr. Spinnet led them through every corner of the villa. Even though it was not fully furnished, the four were pleased as everything was state of the art. Then after checking the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining rooms, the home office, basement/potion's lab, etc. They went to the back of the house, greeted with an even bigger botanic garden and a great view of the lake.
Emily and Dora went to explore the botanic garden while Harry and Sarah stayed with Mr. Spinnet. "So, what do you think?" Harry eyed the nervous man for a minute.
"Mr. Spinnet..." beginning in a monotone voice that caused the older man's breath to be caught in his throat. "You and your people," the man braced himself for a bad review, "...have done a marvelous job," flashing the man an approving smile.
"...oh thank god," regaining his breath and placing a hand over his heart. "I swear I was close to having a heart attack."
Harry could only laugh as Sarah flashed him a disapproving look that slowly began to crack into a smile. "Well, we wouldn't want that. This is by far one of the best things I bought this year." Then turning away, he saw his sister and cousin standing next to the veranda looking at the large beautiful lake and grassy mountain.
"Hey, Shizuku, Dora," calling them over even if it was clear they didn't want to leave their spots. "Alright, I'm gonna head back to Britain to get the deed. I should be back in an hour, so..."
Not giving him a chance to finish, they raced inside, leaving the others in the dust to finish designing the inside. "Well, that should keep them busy," he joked as Sarah went to ensure they did not go overboard.
"Never get between women and designing a house. To them, it's like an art, and for us, a losing battle," Ish chuckled as he and Harry returned to Britain to collect the deed from Mr. Grayson at his store.
The minute he saw Ish enter the store with a pleased Harry, his heart soared to new heights; figuring he was here to pick up the deed, he escorted them to his office and put up some privacy wards. "Here you are, and congratulations on your new home." Handing the deed over, which his client happily accepted.
"I must admit your team has exceeded my expectations. The villa is amazing! Seems I made the right decision to hire you. So much so that I feel like the two of you deserve a bonus," after putting the deed in his watch, he took out two sizeable bags and tossed one to each of them.
Ish was speechless as there were about 21,000 galleons, "This-I-I don't know what to say..."
"Eh," Harry shrugged his shoulders, "go buy your girls something nice."
"Off the record, I would like to thank you for what you did for my brother, A.J.," Grayson placed the bag in one of his desk drawers. His brother was free from Azkaban and no longer a werewolf.
"It wasn't just me," Harry pointed out. "Daphne Greengrass and Miwa Kawada helped create the potion."
The man agreed, asking if Harry would send them his best. Then after they went over the finer details like who helped in the construction, the landscapers, everything. Once he got all the information needed, Harry left the office and exited the shop to teleport back to his new home. Upon arriving at the front door, he took one of the keys from his pocket, opened the door, and walked in. Emily, Sarah, and Dora did a good job designing the place, as the couches and coffee table brought the living room to life. Then, walking into the kitchen, he called for some of the Potter house elves to come and asked if they could pick up a month's worth of food, kitchen utensils, spices, and any other household necessities that might be needed. Leaving the kitchen, he walked upstairs to be greeted by an energetic Emily.
"This place is like straight out of a fairytale," pulling him into the master bedroom where the others were. "We designed everything!" Showing him the bathroom and hauling him to the other sections of the house. The furniture in each room may have cost a pretty penny, what with them coming from different areas around the world. But it was completely worth it.
"Alright, Em, go pick out your room," his words shocked the girl. "You can come over whenever you like; just give me a head." She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, thanking him before going to find a room.
A pleading look from Dora made his heart melt, "yes, Dora, the same rules apply to you as well."
The young metamorph hair started cycling into different colors showing how happy she was, and unlike his sister, she knew what room she wanted. Sarah could only giggle as she watched Dora go find her room. Her train of thought shifted to her, knowing Emily she would spend a great amount of time in the villa than the manor. If not, she would most likely ask her and her father until they finally gave permission. All to spend time with her brother. She wouldn't say it, but she loved her brother more than anything in the world and didn't want to lose him. Emily never cared about money or extravagant gifts. The presents Harry would give her were nice, but as long as she got to see and spend time with him was all that mattered. Despite not giving birth to Harry, she always considered him her son.
"You ready?" She asked with a warm smile.
Harry nodded, and they went to the main entrance to wait for Emily and Dora. A couple minutes later, the two came down wearing big smiles, obviously from finding the rooms they wanted. "Time for me to add the security measures," leading them out; Harry took them beyond the gates, then took a breath. Brandishing his wand, he pointed it directly into the earth where the magical ley lines were and got to work on the wards.
Spending the next couple of hours working on the protective enchantments, making sure the place was warded. By the time he was done, the parseltongue wards, along with several ancient yet powerful wards, were tied together and being fueled by the ley lines. He also added enchanted orbs he brought with him. So now, the only people who could enter would be those with a key or if he brought them on his own accord.
"For finishing touches, I need a few drops of blood from the two of you," looking at Tonks and Emily. The former was about to speak, though she stopped when he brought out his keys. "This is a security precaution, so they only work for you."
Taking a key, they nipped one of their fingers enough to draw blood and released a few drops on their keys. Then with a couple of swishes and jabs from his wand, he linked the keys to the enchantments surrounding the villa. "That should do it. Now only we can use the keys."
"Alright, time to head back."
Dora and Sarah apparated home while Harry teleported Emily back to Hogwarts in his office. "One word: Amazing!" She exclaimed. "Ooh, I can't wait to go back."
Harry shook his head at his sister's excitement, "come on, let's get some food. I'm starving." Exiting the office, they walked to the Great Hall and sat at their respective tables.
Sitting next to her friends, she told them about the villa; much to their surprise, the place had been completed quicker than expected, and they wanted to see it for themselves. However, Emily stopped any forward thinking as they could only get in if Harry brought them himself.
"Still...the place sounds great. A real vacation house if you ask me," Astoria wore a big smile. "Harry can even have a party there over the summer."
"That'll be up to him, Tori," Daphne reminded, though even she wanted to see the villa for herself. It really did sound amazing the way Emily described it. Turning to the right, she saw her boyfriend speaking with Professor Snape about something important. Probably related to his next Potions project. She could tell he was happy, evidenced by his large grin.
"...There's something else you should know," Lilith brought Daphne's attention back. "The potion you helped create for the werewolves is in high demand, and I hear that Fudge is close to losing his job. Guess that news report did a lot more damage than expected."
"That's saying something," Susan commented. "Aunt Amy says she and Scrimgeour are cleaning the Auror and Law Enforcement departments. Thanks to the additional funds, they can now afford to improve the Auror corps by getting more members and have them better prepared. As an added bonus, Malfoy's influence has nearly hit rock bottom in addition to losing a lot of money."
Adrian then came in, "it seems the people finally understand what is going on in the Wizengamot. Without the support of the Malfoy family fortune and political influence, Fudge's days are numbered. They won't be able to throw their weights around the Ministry as much anymore. This also deals a blow to Voldemort. With Fudge and Lucius being viewed in bad lights, he will have a much harder time taking over."
"We still have a ways to go," a cautious Aaron quipped as he held Katie's hand underneath the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Take a look..." gesturing to the Head Table, "Umbitch is not here. Makes you wonder what she's up to or who she's with at the moment."
"You think she and Fudge could turn things around?" Katie asked.
"Anything's possible, Kate." He replied. "Fudge and Umbridge are power-hungry and cunning individuals. I guess they'll try something drastic to get back into the public and Wizengamot's good graces."
"Bah. Would you relax a little?" Blaise smirked. "They're less than popular these days. All we need to do is add one more big nail to their coffins, and they will be out of our hair for good."
"Blaise is probably right," Neville voiced. "We should take advantage of the fact that neither Voldemort nor Fudge has made a move to retaliate."
"I like the sound of that," Tracey drank some water from her goblet. "We can relax and catch our breaths."
Luna then added, "times are changing. Both within the school and in the real world. Soon we'll have the lives we want and not have to worry about anyone trying to sabotage or kill us."
"Amen to that," Neville raised his goblet. "You guys should also know the governors are considering removing the bitch's educational decrees. Let's hope they do..."
"That would be a miracle. But first, I think the entire house of Slytherin needs to have a meeting before the night ends." Daphne looked at the Slytherin table. Tonight there will be an eviction.
(0^0)
When dinner was over, the Slytherin tribunal called a meeting to discuss the recent events that had transpired. Nott tried to reclaim some respect within the house, but Daphne, Aaron, and a good portion of the other snakes put him in his place. The Nott heir was not having a good time since his family lost all their money and a substantial amount of influence, and his visit with the Dark Lord had shaken him to his core. His punishment at the hands of the Dark Lord was still in his mind as the man tortured him for a full week, assaulting him with painful torture spells and mind intrusions. The mere thought of it sent shivers down his spine as he knew more would come if he failed again.
Eventually, the house voted to oust Theo Nott from his position as a council member, replacing him with Lilith. Things were about to forever change in the house of Slytherin, with the bad eggs being weakened.
A/N: Sorry this chapter is so late I've been working on some additional stories. Anyway things for Fudge, Umbridge, Malfoy, and Dumbledore are far from great as they are close to losing everything. Draco and his friends got a first hand look at what happens if they decide to not listen to Voldemort. Instead of heading the warning given by Snape, and their fathers they were severely punished and Crabbe ended up dead. Thus ending his family lineage.
Harry's villa has been completed and he outfitted it with extensive security measures. Smart in my opinion as he wouldn't want anyone to just walk in and destroy the place.
Please be patient with me as I am currently working on four different stories and preparing for the GRE. Lord have mercy on me I do not want to do the exam but have little choice. So do not worry as I plan to see this story through to the end. Fair warning the chapters might come in a late, but they will be posted when I have the time. Thank you all for sticking with me this far and enjoying this fanfiction.
Next Chapter: Attack at the DoM