Arthur Weasley was concerned. The meeting of the Wizagamot were always a trial for him. Although the Weasley's were technically a pure blood member of the sacred 28, they had always been better breeders than gamblers and his great-grandfather had gambled away most of the family fortune, and more to the point, revenue generating assets, and divided up the little that was left among the many children.
His grandfather had been heir to a house that couldn't pay its dues and saw its seat in the wizagamot lost. His father had been a staunch republican, a muggle rights advocate, and all around foe of the system, more or less in rebellion. Arthur had been raised in a poor household with hordes of untidy but happy children, and a deeper magical knowledge than any of his economic class. The difference between peasant and impoverished gentry can be seen only if you care enough to look really hard, and none of the Weasleys did. His own affection for muggles and more than usual skill with a wand got him a ministry job, and saw him rise to head the least significant department in the ministry. As someone with no observed ambition, when it came time to pick someone to hold one of the five Ministry seats, and no bargain between factions could be reached, the casual remark "we could just give it to Weasley" was met with universal shrugs and thus, Arthur Weasley sat in one of the five Ministry seats.
A decade of being Arthur Weasley had meant many of the difficult but necessary jobs that fell to the Ministry seats had fallen to Weasley, and the holders of the other seats began to recognize Arthur as the odd duck who took duty to the wizagamot seriously, but felt rather embarrassed to sit in it. He had no drive to use his success at those hard and necessary tasks to advance his career, and thus working with him could advance their own. His became the safest of the five Ministry seats, as whoever held the other four needed Arthur and his knowledge of how the work actually got done sitting in his seat.
Arthur was a fixture of the wizagamot, rather like a comfortable chair or favorite lamp. Useful, drew a smile when you passed it, but not something that warranted actual notice.
Until today.
"Merlin's beard Arthur, didn't know you had it in you!" Lord Ogden said, stopping to pump Arthur Weasley's hand.
Arthur was left wondering what exactly that was all about when his face got slapped hard by the old crone and head of the Board of Education Grizelda Marchbanks.
"How could you do that to Molly? I thought I knew you Arthur Weasley!" Grizelda said, shaking her finger at him in rage.
"Well, we always speculated you knew your way around a cauldron, I mean six sons followed by a witchborn, and not a squib among them. No wonder you always look tired. Any other secret children beyond todays? Come on Arthur, you can tell." Lady Bones, head of the DMLE said as she moved past Arthur to take her own Ministry seat.
Lord Tiberius Nott stopped in front of Arthur Weasley and smirked. "Just you keep that wand away from House Nott, I don't want any gingers popping up in the side branches. We pride ourselves on black hair. Although seems you really improved the breed a bit, took down Lucy for a treat your boy did."
Arthur suddenly understood. That horrible rumour about his having an affair with Narcissa Malfoy. Fred and George had owled him about it, something about making sure he didn't get blindsided, but surely that mess had died down months ago.
Arthur took a look at the session's agenda.
Item 1: Seating of new members, Award of Merlin presentations.
Item 2: Paternity Suit : Narcissa Black vs Arthur Weasley re Lord Draco Malfoy.
Item 3: Department of International Relations and Department of Sport presentation
Item 4: Loch Ness Monster environmental complaint, muggle boat noise disturbing nesting mothers in violation of Treaty of Loch Ness 1352.
Entry into the Wizagamot chambers required careful security checks. No one who was not either a ring bearing member of the House, an Auror in service to the wizagamot, a clerk in service to the wizagamot or a witness escorted by duly appointed Aurors could enter the chamber.
With Sirius Black at large, and Death Eater and Dementor attacks being on the rise, security was extra tight.
Narcissa Black strode haughtily between two Aurors as she passed Arthur in his seat. He rose to look her in the eyes and offer his denial.
"Lady Black, you know it isn't..." That was as far as he got before she grabbed him by the collar and snogged him senseless.
Arthur Weasley was a middle aged man with seven children, hardly a blushing virgin, but the days of him being pounced upon and snogged breathless when he came home from work were far in the past. Added to that, the witch doing the snogging was giving it her all, and Arthur was nothing if not an earthy sort of wizard.
Rather before the cat calls, whistles, and shouted demands for order could get his attention, his hands hand found themselves on the appropriate curves and he was giving as good as he got. The Weasley wand was not after all to be ignored.
"But it wasn't all bad, was it?" Lady Black said, and swayed over to the witness box to await the pleasure of the Wizagamot and its agenda.
Arthur Weasley looked at the Lords and Lady's of the wizagamot and saw humour, shock, horror and from Lady Augusta Longbottom a most surprising sight, howls of laughter and knee slapping that fitted the grand old lady about as well as a muggle biker jacket.
He flushed scarlet and sank wordlessly into his seat. Molly was going to murder him. Worse, given their extensive gardens, he would be compost before he could possibly think of a rational explanation.
Minister Fudge noticed the children to be awarded the Order of Merlin had been through careful blood identification rituals to make sure no one was smuggling in the renegade Sirius Black as one of the children, and gestured for Dumbledore as the Chief Warlock to call the session to order.
Dumbledore hammered his gavel down and gave the order.
"This special session of the Wizagamot is called to order, all those not sworn to the chamber or on the agenda will now be removed." Dumbledore said, then checked the crystal ball before his seat. When it flashed the notice that all those without business had been excluded from the chamber.
Smiling, he turned to Cornelius Fudge for him to begin his bit of political theater. Let the children think they have won as they get their pretty medal, and the puppet strings tied to it. Let them discover exactly how little power or control children had in the house of their elders. They were puppies and kittens, although when fully grown they might be dangerous, but in this place old age and trickery always won.
Cornelius rose and began his speech. It was a good one, he didn't pull the Minister for Magic identification out of a chocolate frog box after all, and he was good at making speeches.
"...and so it is that these children, the very hope of the future of Wizarding Britain did put themselves before their fellow students and the foe and uphold the most ancient and sacred duty of this body, the defense of the future of wizard kind, without care for their own lives or cost of their actions.
Such service would merit awards for the most highly trained and tested Auror, but it was done by students on their way to begin their third year. Before that year was even half over, they would repeat such heroism a second time, joining together in a show of unity between all the Houses of Hogwarts that has not been seen since the days of the founders, and together drove off the massed forces of the Dementors of Azkaban.
There is a name we swear by, when miracles happen in the wizarding world, and that name is Merlin. In his name, we have established three orders of merit for witches and wizards that choose to rise above the duty we ask of all, and offer a service we dare ask of none.
The deeds of these children merit no less than the Order of Merlin First Class, and this I have been authorized by this sacred body to award them today. Pure blood, half blood, muggle born, of every Hogwarts House, of every faction of the wizagamot, together you faced danger to defend the children of wizarding Britain, together may you take now your seats in this august body, and take your oaths of allegence to the Wizagamot?"
Cornelius Fudge knew it was a good speech, the wizagamot roared and applauded. Sure it was political theater, and everyone knew the actual power of the chamber would not shift for a paltry handful of new seats, not when the major Ancient and Noble houses held dozens each, and through vassals and allied controlled far more. Still, they were not made of stone. All had family on the Hogwarts express or in the stands. Those who sat this house may be truly noble, or truly selfish, but to each, the blood of their own house was more precious than gold, and these children had preserved it.
Their cheers were legitimate. Let the cold business of realpolitik at least wait until item 2 on the agenda.
Alas, it was not to be.
Augusta Longbottom rose and raised her wand to claim right to speak.
"Point of order, seating of new lords in the wizagamot is done by seniority." Lady Augusta Longbottom stated firmly.
Minister Fudge looked perplexed. "They were sworn in together, if there was an order of precedence I don't think it was noted, but if you have any need for Heir Longbottom to be seated first I'm sure we can accommodate."
The seeming Lady Longbottom shook her head.
"Two mistakes in that statement, Minister Fudge. First, it is not Heir Longbottom who has seniority and should be seated first, but me."
The great lady then smiled with the wide white grin of a wolf, and her voice dropped an octave.
"And I am not Lady Augusta Longbottom, but Lord Sirius Orion Black, and by right of seniority demand to be seated and sworn first."
As she said that, she strode to the empty Black seat and sat upon it. In a flash, the illusion of Augusta Longbottom vanished, and Sirius Black in formal robes sat in the seat.
Arthur Weasley heard a familiar dry chuckle from Narcissa Black in the witness box, and turned to notice that seated in the box was the real Augusta Longbottom, wide smile upon her face.
"Buck up Arthur, needed item two on the agenda to get an extra body in the door. The security spells ignore ring bearers both Lords and Regents, but once our presence is noted, any Lord or Lady who is present but not seated and sworn gets automatically entered into the Book of Law, and becomes an agenda item.
The House can do no business until that item is finished. Besides, having heard the gossip from my daughter in law Alice from when Frank forgot her birthday back in sixth year, you were supposedly quite the talented fellow in a broom closet, so I had to test it out."
"I shall send Molly a few bottles of good wine and a draft note at Madame Malkins for all your sprogs robes next year. What with item three, dress robes for your horde will set you out of pocket a bit. Least I can do for borrowing her husband". Lady Augusta chuckled as Arthur Weasley sat back in his ministry seat, and tried to word his explanation to his wife. Failing utterly, he turned his attention to the events on the floor.
Cornelius Fudge pointed to the Aurors, "Arrest that man!"
Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE, direct boss of the Aurors and of course, briefed on the plan was ready and her Sonorus Charm filled the room.
"Stand down. Inside the wizagamot chamber, Lords have qualified immunity unless tried and convicted before this body, and let me assure you, Lord Sirius Orion Black has never been tried or convicted. As it stands, his execution order is illegal, as was his imprisonment." Amelia Bones said coldly.
Sirius Black already had his wand raised.
"I, Sirius Orion Black, swear upon my magic, that I was never the secret keeper for James and Lilly Potter. That Peter Petigrew was the secret keeper for James and Lilly Potter. That I have always fought against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. That Peter Petigrew was a sworn and marked Death Eater, that Peter Petigrew betrayed the secret of James and Lilly Potter's location to Voldemort, causing their deaths. That I pursued Peter Petigrew, only to see him fake his own death, and cause an explosion that stunned me and killed a dozen muggles. That Peter Petigrew lived in secret until his death this year caught in the act of sexual deviancy with underage girls in Hogwarts and killed."
Sirius wand slashed down and a pulse of magic swept through the room. Raising his wand, he spoke softly. "Lumous"
His wand glowed, showing magic had judged he spoke only truth.
Amelia Bones then took back the floor and summoned Auror Moody who just happened to be in her security detail, to provide testemony of Peter Petigrew's being alive for the decade Sirius was in prison for his murder, for his being a marked Death Eater, and for his being killed caught in the act of unlawful sexual acts with underage witches in Hogwarts school where he had concealed himself as the Weasley pet rat Scabbers.
Cornelius Fudge was livid. This was a political disaster. He bought time by allowing the seating of his Order of Merlin children. Surely he could salvage some political captial out of this.
Draco Malfoy stood and raised his wand. "As Lord Malfoy by right of challenge, and as I have taken my seat in the wizagamot in my own name, I claim the right of Head of House to pass Judgement on a member of my House."
Cornelius Fudge only knew of Narcissa Black, the woman who put Draco's paternity on the agenda as the only other member of his house that Draco could be talking about. Surely, any undermining of House Black was to Cornelius advantage at that point.
"So noted. Let Lord Malfoy's family judgement be made and entered into the record." Cornelius said pompously. That slimy bitch had been part of this sham to humiliate him. Let her suffer whatever Lucius poisonous little offspring had in store for her as punishment.
"House Malfoy passes judgement on Lucius Malfoy, former lord of this House, for the crime of Line Theft, in that Lucius Malfoy did attempt to steal the seat, the votes, the fortunes and the inheritance of House Black in direct violation of the oaths of primacy in the marriage contract with Narcissa Black. For this crime, I cast Lucius Malfoy from the House of Malfoy, abjure and dissolve any alliances and oaths made in his name, call in any debts owed to House Malfoy that he had made."
Turning to Sirius Black, Draco Malfoy bowed deeply.
"House Malfoy acknowledges its debt to House Black and offers its allegiance in repayment."
Sirus Black rose and bowed more shallowly to his nephew. "House Black accepts the apology and allegiance of House Malfoy. Your hands are between ours for protection and judgement. Your vassals are our vassals, and their protection and judgement are likewise ours."
Cornelius Fudge blood ran cold. The Dark faction just got gutted, but the control of it passed to Sirius Black, a man Cornelius had put an "kiss on sight" order with the Dementors of Azkaban on rather than allow him trial. He was not going to be a friend.
Albus Dumbledore smiled. It seems Cornelius bit of political theater was going well for him. He gave what the muggles would call a golf clap and bowed ironically to the little puppet. So happy to be free of Lucius control, he thought he could ignore Dumbledore as well. Now Dumbledore was the head of the strongest vote block left in a shattered wizagamot.
Old age and treachery always won.
At that point Harry Potter took his seat, then rose and held up his wand, and a scroll.
"Point of Order. As a seated member of the wizagamot in my own right, and thus legal adult, I lay charges of usurpation and blood theft upon Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Entered into evidence with this body, the copy of my parent's will with Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore signature as witness.
This will lists my magical guardians upon my parents death to be, in order, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Sirius Orion Black, Amelia Bones. This body will note Albus Dumbledore is not listed, yet he took possession of my wounded body from Sirius Black at the scene of my parents brutal murder, and passed me with a life threatening curse still raging in my body, on the steps of muggle relatives.
Had I not been taken and claimed by Griphook of the Goblin nation due to a wise and thoughtful contract enacted by my mother in secret, I would have died and Dumbledore would have continued to illegally cast the Potter votes in the wizagamot, to which he was never entitled.
Lord Sirius Orion black was never convicted, still lived and was of sound mind and body. Dumbledore chose to leave him illegally imprisoned while not providing me care, yet claiming rights to my regency as if legally given authority for my care. You will note that Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE was alive, and employed at this very ministry and yet never even told she was next in line to be my guardian if Lord Black were not available.
Lady Bones, were you advised you were on the list to be my guardian?" Harry Potter asked.
Lady Bones rose and her voice cut through the clamour of the wizagamot. "I was not."
Harry spoke again. "Does this meet the particulars of the crime of Usurpation."
Lady Bones spoke again. "It does."
The vote took the better part of three hours. The crime of Usurpation was negotiated down to interference with custody and fraud.
Dumbledore was able to escape being stripped of seat and rank only by burning a lifetime of favours, but the fine would be damaging to his operations in ways the lords of great houses would understand. Politics at this level ran on bribes, and now he could barely limp.
Harry Potter was not done however, with that judgement in hand.
"Honourable members, since Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore's assumption of regency has been declared invalid, all alliances, contracts, and oaths made in his name are thus repudiated by House Potter. All loans and debts owed to House Potter in that time are now called due.
As I have claimed a seat in my own name as an Order of Merlin holder, I now hold the voice and vote for House Potter in my own hand and right. As a student of Hogwarts, I admit I will not be available for the day to day press of duties, and thus appoint as my steward he who should have been my magical guardian all the years of the Usurpation. I appoint as my regent, Sirius Orion Black."
Harry bowed to Sirius deeply, and Sirius strode over and hugged him fiercely. The two of them laughing like they had just pulled off the most amazing prank in history. They then both turned towards Dumbledore and shook their heads, faces suddenly stone cold and serious.
Old age had never felt so heavy, nor treachery so bitter.
Somehow Cornelius political theater was less a comedy than tragedy. Still, Dumbledore smiled, they had no idea what a mistake they had just made.
Barty Crouch was the Minister for International Cooperation now, but he had been head of the DMLE during the war, and been the one to send Sirius to Azkaban without a trial. Now that was brought out into the open, his chances of finally winning the seat of Minister of Magic were non-existent.
Non existent as long as Harry Potter and Sirius Black had anything to say about it. Let them have their little victory. They abstained from the votes on the Tri-wizard tournament because it didn't apply to them. After all, Harry was too young to participate.
Barty Crouch had the mind of a political predator, one who knew the Tri Wizard Tournament's success was his best shot at the Minister of Magic's chair since Cornelius was politically gutted and Dumbledore neutered. He had access to Hogwarts for all of next year, and Sirius Black as his only political obstacle.
Dumbledore would not act against Potter or Black. He was Champion of Light after all, and the Boy Who Lived must live to face Voldemort. No, Dumbledore would not let Harry die. Given magical healing abilities, letting him almost die was absolutely on Dumbledore's to do list. Who knows what sort of magical intervention and controls might be necessary to keep the boy alive. The boy would be properly grateful, a master Legimens given access to a child whose defenses were broken by the brink of death would believe Dumbledore was a lama or unicorn if told to. Being told they loved and trusted Dumbledore before all others was relatively simple. It had worked for James after all. Sirius on the other hand, Dumbledore would not save. He gave the boy a chance to live a long life in Azkaban. It was not Dumbledore's fault Sirius rejected his mercy.
It was, after all, for the Greater Good.