Disclaimer: This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. No ships. Bashing around everyone.

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41 Where is Sirius Black?

In the DMLE offices, Amelia Bones met with Augusta Longbottom to discuss financial matters that always came back to locating Sirius Black – the presumptive Lord Black. The number of lawsuits filed in the goblin courts were of growing concern in January and February. Amelia observed, "The wizard hasn't come out of hiding since being declared innocent by the Wizengamot last week."

Augusta snorted. "Fudge thought that the declaration would bring about forgiveness for twelve years imprisonment in Azkaban."

"That's Dumbledore's influence on Cornelius – the headmaster is trying to move his way back into his old seats – Chief Warlock and our representative to the ICW."

"I thought the witch Fudge sent was doing a good job?"

"Eloise Trundle is representing Magical Britain very well," Bones answered. "But Dumbledore's nose is out of joint because the ICW sent teams of proctors to Hogwarts for the end of term examinations in December. Susan said the tests were very hard, but the grades are Acceptable and Exceeds Expectations."

"We need to find Sirius Black before anyone else does," Augusta said to bring the conversation back where she wanted it. "Once we talk to him, I'm certain he will designate Neville as his heir now that Draco Malfoy is…has passed away."

Amelia nodded her head and repeated a now common mantra, "When Neville is accepted as Heir Black, you'll lead the Crown Federation block until Susan is old enough to take her seat."

"Of course," replied Augusta.

"And you'll never touch Hannah!" insisted Amelia.

"Of course not," Lady Longbottom assured the Director of the DMLE. "There's no need to remove her from Neville's life after he has three or four Longbottom heirs with magic."

"You 'removed' Frank's muggleborn mother," Amelia reminded the older witch. "And before there were other children."

"I made a mistake with my timing. Oscar never forgave me, but Frank never knew his muddy mother."

Angry, Amelia growled, "Hannah is not muddy!"

"Yes, Amelia. I know you consider the girl another niece. She will be safe as Neville's wife. He must have a hostess at Longbottom Hall after I pass away."

"You're ninety years old and not showing any sign of slowing down, 'Madam Longbottom.' Hannah's children will be grown and married before she can act as hostess."

"Regent Longbottom, please, Regent Bones," Augusta corrected the other ambitious woman.

"Rufus continues with his argument that Sirius Black is not Lord Black. He maintains that there will be too much damage from Dementor exposure in a dozen years for his mind to ever meet the requirements to be a lord," added Bones.

"Then who is it?" demanded Augusta. "The goblins aren't any help."

"Perhaps Lord Black will come out of hiding if we settle the lawsuits?"

"They will bankrupt the ministry! We must get Lord Black to cancel the complaints!" insisted the oldest witch.

That same day, Amelia received notification from Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour that Kingsley Shacklebolt had submitted his notice to resign from the British Ministry for Magic Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The notification provided no information on Shacklebolt's plans for future employment. Liaison

'Another Dumbledore minion permanently lost to Magical Britian,' she sighed.

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Settlement with Lord Black's Agent

In the early March, the Ministry for Magic sent legal representatives (Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour and Undersecretary Micheal Hemphill, Liaison for Gringotts to the bank to begin negotiations for a settlement for the claims against the ministry for torture and illegal imprisonment of an innocent wizard.

The new Chief Warlock made an issue about blocking Minister Fudge from participating in the talks and brought the matter to the body where the Wizengamot voted 11 to 0 to block Cornelius Fudge from being a delegate. The minister was a broken man – the Aurors had questioned him harshly until he revealed the hiding places of his funds, (almost all) and it was hoped by the other members of the government that the ʛ200,000 would provide sufficient funds to meet Lord Black's settlement figure.

Scrimgeour and Hemphill knew the conversation would not go as hoped when they walked into a plain room without carpets, comfortable chairs, or bright lights. The chamber appeared to have been cut from the bedrock under London on the day before. The panels fitted in the door frame were misshaped and allowed light and noise from outside to enter the chamber. Four goblins – Sowsbreath, Vault Manager for the Black family, and Ragnock, Chief of the Gringotts Tribe under London, would lead the negotiations. Scrimgeour assumed the other two were judges from the Goblin courts, but Hemphill recognized one goblin as Copperknife who worked deeper in the caverns than other goblins, and the other was dressed in a rich suit that suited a successful Vault Manager for a rich wizard family.

After seven days of talks, pushing figures back and forth between the two groups, Scrimgeour proposed the goblins make an offer that they would take back to the Wizengamot for a vote.

Sowsbreath smiled, revealing his obsidian-coloured teeth with the many golden caps. He replied, "I have been instructed to ensure that this penalty causes pain for the Ministry for Magic, the witches and wizards voting in the Wizengamot and the wizard on the streets of Magical Britain. For twelve years their lives were good while Sirius Black suffered daily torture.

"Yes, yes, terrible for Mr Black," Scrimgeour agreed impatiently. "What are the terms that your master demands?"

Sowsbreath grinned wider – the insult of referring to a goblin having a 'master' would be remembered for many years. Especially when Scrimgeour's son came to the bank for the next floater loan his business needed.

"For the next ten years, the Ministry for Magic will reduce the pay of all ministry workers by five percent and the pay for the minister and all undersecretaries by twenty percent. As verified by our accounting department, these funds will be collected and paid to Sirius Black each month."

"Impossible," Scrimgeour replied. "The ministry offers a one-time payment of ʛ 75,000."

Sowsbreath countered, "ʛ150,000 and payment of all medical expenses for Sirius Black for twenty years."

"How much are we talking about?" Hemphill asked despite a withering look from the Head Auror.

"Approximately ʛ 1,000 per month."

"That's another ʛ240,000 galleons!" exclaimed Scrimgeour. "Where is the man staying? A luxury hotel in Shangri-la?"

"Good medical care is worth every galleon it costs," replied Sowsbreath.

The exchange continued for another twenty minutes, before Scrimgeour said, "What figure do you propose for a one-time payment?"

Pretending to think for a moment, Sowsbreath replied, "ʛ200,000 paid no later than twenty-four hours from now."

Both humans frowned when they realized the goblins were aware of the figure the ministry had planned from the beginning. Less than fifteen minutes later, the deal was agreed to by Scrimgeour and Hemphill. Once the document was signed by the two ministry officials, Sowsbreath spoke to the Head Auror and hinted where Fudge had hidden another ʛ35,000 galleons.

"Those funds should pay for the DMLE overtime hours in the next month as well as repairs to the businesses in Diagon Alley."

"Overtime? Repairs? Why will we have to pay Aurors overtime?" asked the Head Auror.

"When the people find out that Minister Cornelius Fudge stole ʛ235,000 galleons, they will riot in the streets and in the Atrium," Sowsbreath replied.

With a snort, Hemphill asked, "Who is going to tell them?"

Sowsbreath nodded to one of the silent goblins who pushed a press release across the desk and directed his next comment to Scrimgeour, "If you want to oust Cornelius Fudge as minister, riots in the streets about stolen galleons will accomplish it quickly. The Wizengamot will burn him at the stake – perhaps literally. The Head Auror who is seen leading the reasonable Aurors providing order and security can easily be elected to take the place of the thief."

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