Harry Potter & The Freedom Of Life, Politics and Life.
I do not own Harry Potter and any other property belonging to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers, I wish I did so I could be wealthy beyond my dreams but whatever. I hope you enjoy the newest chapter. I am truly sorry for the long delay of the update. A lot of shit has happened personally and took a hiatus from writing, one much longer then I wanted to, but life hits you harder in many ways then you would think. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
I have picked up the writing bug again, I'm not going to force myself to work on chapters as much as I used to, so I hopefully don't burn out. Saying that I am looking for someone to become a beta reader, someone who is decently knowledgeable about grammar as that is a weak point of mine. If you are interested, please message me so we can discuss it.
Harry was sitting at a table inside of the Leaky Cauldron, tapping his finger's against the wooden surface of the table to a random tune he must have heard sometime recently while he waited for Daphne. An aroma of a freshly made soup filled the air from the kitchen, Harry's stomach rumbled when the smell filled his nostrils. Harry groaned mentally, wishing he would have had a light breakfast or at least something inside of his stomach, the smell of the freshly made food making his body, particularly his stomach growl in hunger.
Suddenly a figure emerged in the corner of Harry's eye, turning his head slightly he recognized the figure as Daphne Greengrass, Casual clothes, jeans and a coat, accessorised by a fashionable handbag, effortless and perfect. Lazy hair tied back hastily, Intense eyes studied Harry. The smile she wore shamed every other smile he'd ever seen. The area surrounding area becoming nothing but a blur as he purely focused on Daphne, who looked like a divine blessing. Nothing had ever looked so good as Daphne Greengrass; Harry couldn't think clearly as she invaded every corner of his mind, and he welcomed every miniscule second of it.
Daphne examined the handsome specimen that was Harry, the sun engulfing him making his eye's sparkle and glow with a warmth it sent tingles over every inch of skin on her body. Daphne's legs betrayed her and began to walk towards the boy who was formed out of clay, handsome inch by inch. After what felt as an eternity she sat across from him in the chair, wishing she could have sat in his lap instead.
"G-good morning Harry, thank you for meeting with me today. I have a few updates to share with you today. Are you ready to head towards the restaurant?" Daphne asked, her head jerking to the right as a person walked into the muggle entrance of the cauldron, the tip of her wand appearing out of her coat sleeve. Daphne's hand gripping the wand's handle with a tight firmness, a red light materializing on the tip of her wand.
Harry reached over and gently grasped her hand, trying to soothe her, Daphne nodded her head in thanks and slight embarrassment, tucking her wand back into her wand holster hidden on her forearm, canceling the spell she had prepared. Harry began to speak with a monotone soothing voice, in a whisper that was only meant for her to be able to hear. "After the battle at Hogwarts, I went to a muggle therapist, they helped a lot with my nightmares and constant paranoia with people wanting to attack me. If you would like, I can recommend her if you would like some help, she is a squib so you can discuss magic with her."
Daphne's eyes were closed, using her occlumency to relax her body and mind. Harry's hand on hers helping alleviate some of her fear, remembering her experiences in Hogwarts and the Death Eaters who attacked the medical wing, she pushed those thoughts out of her mind and opened her eyes, whispering a quite thank you to Harry before their hands separated.
After a light conversation they got up to exit the Leaky Cauldron, Harry leaving a few glimmering galleons on the table for the coffee he never drank, leaving a very large tip for the waitress. Daphne walked out of the muggle exit first, a pure smile graced her face when she exited, seeing all the muggles and their cars was like visiting a whole different world. Daphne grew infatuated with the non magical world when her father brought her along for a work trip when she was still a little girl, experiencing all the technology and cars, how different non magical people dressed and even seeing one of those metal flying contraptions. Harry experienced a wave of happiness seeing Daphne's reaction to the outside world, noticing she must have had some experience as she hit the crosswalk pedestrian button.
Harry decided to get Daphne's attention, gently poking her shoulder as her head kept turning almost 360 degrees, glancing at each muggle shop, different type of cars and even seeing cars with only two wheels, shocking her internally. "Daphne, you seem to have a little experience in the muggle world, may I ask how you got it? I was expecting a much different reaction from you."
Daphne grabbed Harry's hand and lead him to a small unoccupied wall, leaning against it, explaining how her father took her and eventually Astoria to meetings in the muggle world to show them small samples of what he did for his job, muggle meetings being much more safe since no wizard was willing to break the statute, she also gave small stories about how he and her mother would take both sisters to clothing stores for more options for clothing that were more taboo in the magical world, especially since she was pure-blooded.
Harry nodded along to her explanation, chucking while listening to some of the stories she told before they walked to their destination, a famous hotel with a very well established restaurant called The Ritz, they were seated almost instantly and lead to a magically hidden seating area for the upmost privacy and secrecy, the waiter then took their drink orders and disappeared a few minutes later.
A few moments passed by, and the waiter returned with two bottles of NV Moet & Chandon Esprit Du Siècle Brut in a very expensive looking bucket of ice, the bucket itself gilded in a rare type of gold only found in dwarven mines in the Icelandic countries. The waiter expertly opened one of the bottles and expertly served Daphne and Himself with two glasses before bowing and disappearing once again,
Daphne and Harry enjoyed some casual chatter while waiting for their waiter, subtly admiring each other's appearances and appreciating the benefits of getting to know to know each other, Harry was browsing the very high end menu, wondering to himself what the fuck these foods even meant. Golden steak?! There was no way in hell they actually serve gold with food right..?
"Daphne… Question for you" Harry asked in a curious tone, still glancing over the menu. Daphne peaked up from her menu, already deciding she what she wanted to order. "Yes Harry?" Daphne replied.
"They don't actually serve fucking gold with steaks right? Like it has to be an explanation for the quality right?" Harry asked with a visible emotion of confusion on his face, flabbergasted with the thought.
A beautiful laughter filled the room, Daphne's laugh had an angelic tone to it that resonated with Harry's bare soul, deciding to himself that he wants to hear that beautiful sound every day for the rest of his magical life was his next goal in life. "Yes Harry, it's actual edible gold. It doesn't add much flavor, but it is an excuse for higher end restaurants to charge more."
"So stupid…" Harry mumbled to himself, Daphne chuckling again to herself as the waiter arrived at their table to receive their orders. Harry ended up ordering something called a A5 Wagyu Steak with a Sour Cream and Chives Baked Potato, and a Caeser Salad with Mozzarella for a starter, Harry also ordered a regular beer as well. Daphne ordering a Lobster Bisque with an assortment of breads, also ordering a Caeser Salad with Mozzarella and a Lemon Water. The waiter departed briefly, and Daphne pulled out a pair of fancy leather folders with the law firm's logo stitched in.
"Regarding some your concerns you mentioned with my Father the other day, We have started some of the drafts you mentioned for Hogwarts, we looked into your claims as briefly as it has been time wise, and you are the owner of the school. Luckily my father had a very old book of the laws regarding Hogwarts, and it states that each of the four lordships own twenty five percent. So, you would own fifty as of this moment, you are in your right to disband the board of governors as they have been more then useless for the longest time. You would have to discuss the current Headmaster/Mistress to discuss the finances though, since we have no idea if Hogwarts has a Gringotts vault." Daphne explained in a very thorough manner, easy enough for Harry to understand and absorb the information.
"One of the other things you asked us to look into were the Harry Potter books that were written as children books, we have sent a cease and desist letter to the publishers for now so we can look into it more thoroughly. My father briefly investigated if there was permission given and he has yet to find anything which is a bad sign if I may be honest, usually they are very easy to find in cases with permission for intellectual property, so we have to assume the worst in this case. How would you like to proceed forward on this? It's very unlikely that we can recall all of the books sold over the years spanning more then a decade. We could seek financial compensation and stop future books from being sold.
After hearing all the information, Harry mentally decided to owl either Flitwick or McGonagall to set a meeting with them hopefully in the next couple of days to discuss how to process regarding Hogwarts, grasping the glass of champagne in his hand and took a small sip quite enjoying the taste. "I'll send an owl or send an elf to Hogwarts later today or tomorrow to discuss setting up a meeting and updating them the situation. Regarding the book series, I'd like to wait a few days to decide on what to do and see if they contact us after receiving the cease and desist. I appreciate your hard work on all of this Daphne, truly." Harry had a smile of satisfaction on his face, looking at Daphne's face trying to not get lost in her angelic appearance.
Their food soon arrived, and they both began to eat. They each stole a small fork sized bite from each other's plates, curious how the other's food tasted. Harry and Daphne finished their plates of food, ordering two slices of a chocolatey chocolate cake with extra chocolate and continued their conversation, learning about each other on a more personal level. Daphne's favourite colour was actually aqua blue, and Harry's was the shade of green his eyes were, so he could feel a connection to his mother, who he always reminded that they shared the same eyes.
They soon left the hotel, after leaving a very large tip for the exemplary service and food. Walking back to the Leaky Cauldron at a very slow pace, enjoying the peaceful rare weather that England wasn't known for. They both have a wave of dread as they reached their destination, and they realized sometime along the way back to the cauldron that they interlocked hands. Daphne looked absolutely gutted as she pulled her hand out of Harry's, not recognizing how perfect their hands fit with each others. Daphne walked over to the public floo and with a second gaze of their eyes locking contact with each other, Daphne floo'd away to leave Harry alone and for some reason, feeling empty.
Harry to the entrance of Diagon Alley and quickly tapped the patterns into the bricks, entering the busy magical shopping area and walked down the cobblestone road, his presence causing Wizards and Witches of all ages to silently observe him. Harry ignored them and ducked into the apartment area of Diagon and entered his apartment, kicking off his shoes and somehow Rocco knew he wanted casual breathable clothing, sweatpants and a loose t shirt appeared on the bed as Rocco snapped the clothing off of Harry, He quickly dressed himself and sat at the writing desk he recently acquired and began to write a brief letter to whomever the Headmaster/Mistress was at Hogwarts to explain his new found status and plans for Hogwarts, Harry turned around after blowing on the seal, after it was placed into an envelope and asked Rocco to take it to Hogwarts and whoever was in charge.
Harry was laying on the couch and realized he needed a magically powered television and some muggle entertainment as he was bored out of his mind, twirling his wand between his fingers as Rocco reappeared with a new envelope and handed it to Harry before he disappeared to wherever he went.
"Dear Mister Potter
It is lovely to hear from you again, Myself and Headmistress McGonagall read your letter and are very interested in your new situation, we are available tonight if you are able to floo to Hogwarts? we would love to sit down and have a conversation, and we could also involve some of the other staff as this sounds like it is for the school. Please reply at your earliest convenience with your response so we can schedule another time if tonight is not free for you."
Headmaster Flitwick
Harry reread the letter and decided that he would rather enjoy chatting with the new Headmaster, who was one of his personal favourite teachers. Harry wrote a brief response stating he was available at 6pm, and asked Rocco to deliver it again, apologizing to his elf who reappeared only moments later. "Headmaster man said 6pm was fine Master Harry, he gave me the floo instructions for the Headmaster's offices and stated you could eat first before everything." Harry nodded once Rocco told Harry the Floo Address and Password, Harry picking out some of his nicer robes to change into before his meeting.
Harry stepped out of the floo, feeling a spell on him that removed the soot and ash from his orbs. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were standing in front of the headmasters desk, all of Dumbledore's items were removed and the headmaster's office was surprisingly very spacious when it wasn't cluttered.
"Good Evening Mister Potter, It is lovely seeing you again like always. Shall we start with dinner in the great hall before we begin our talks?" Headmistress McGonagall spoke with a smile on her face, seeing one of her favourite students back at Hogwarts. Harry nodded and the trio exited the office, the magical stairs swirling around until they were in the 7th floor hallway, they eventually walked to the Great Hall, Harry noticing damages on every floor and hallway they passed causing some shivers as memories returned of Ron's betrayal, his failed attempt at handing him to Voldemort and all the battles between Death Eaters and Hogwarts alumni, parents and current Hogwarts students all over the Castle. The entrance to the great hall opened to a very empty room, the current staff table missing from the top of the room to being in the middle with all the other tables and chairs missing as school was not in session, current conversations of the staff present ceased as Harry Potter walked in with the Headmaster and Headmistress, as they all sat down on the table and Flitwick began to speak.
"I know this is not a normal dinner as Mister Potter has joined us this evening, he has a meeting with myself and Minerva and we decided to have dinner first, please enjoy your meals the elves have cooked for us." Headmaster Flitwick sat down, and Harry quickly asked for permission to speak from Fillus or Minerva and received nod from them both, and Harry quietly tapped his goblet with a fork to gain everyone's attention.
"Hello everyone, it is lovely to see you all after..." Harry paused, not wanting to mention the battle that caused lives to be lost. "I figured since this announcement and meeting involves all of you, we could have the meeting here during the meal if it alright with our Headmaster and Headmistress of course." Minerva and Fillus consented with a smile, seeing how mature Harry has become since he first entered the castle years ago. The current staff missing harry noticed, was only the potions professor and Harry guessed transfiguration and charms professors as they both would have had to vacate those positions. The professors present began to load their plates and fill their goblets as Harry began to speak, loading his own plate with food.
"I have recently discovered that Dumbledore, illegally proclaimed himself as my magical guardian through his positions within the wizengamot and stole various items and large amounts of gold." The few gasps pausing his speech for a few moments before Harry continued. "Those have been recovered but what I discovered at Gringotts was he also blocked my ascension to becoming Lord Potter by not revealing to me my ancestry while legally being required to since he was my "Magical Guardian" a gasp emerged from McGonagall's mouth, sickened to her stomach. Harry ate a single mouthful of food and swallowed before continuing.
"I also discovered that when I retrieved the Sword of Gryffindor during my second year with the basilisk, I inherited the lordship of house Gryffindor due to the sword choosing me. We aren't sure when I inherited this, as it is currently impossible to track, but by defeating Tom I also inherited the Slytherin Lordship, so I now own fifty percent of Hogwarts." The table was stone cold silent before everyone erupted in shock or surprise, Harry expecting this continued to eat the delicious food while everyone got the initial reactions out of their system.
Ten minutes or so later everyone was semi calm so Harry continued, looking at every professor to make sure the message was received so he wouldn't have to repeat. "First of all, I am going to be disbanding the Hogwarts board of governors, they are an utter joke who are currently being investigated for accepting bribes by Lucius Malfoy, I will be seeking to replace every board member with trustable individuals with a loyalty to Hogwarts, if you see have suggestions I would be very open to them. I would like to hire more professors, to ease your burdens. I would also like to expand the class curriculum including a mandatory guide to the magical world for the first two years of a students education, a much more updated muggle studies as it is an absolute joke what it is now, maybe it should be a requirement to be a muggleborn to teach it…" Harry paused, thinking out loud and drank some water, as his throat was getting a little dry, then continued his plans.
"I plan on getting rid of the curse planted on the defence against the dark arts, apparently it was lifted once Tom died, but I would like to bring in curse breakers and have it investigated regardless. I will be allocating a yearly budget to every teacher for upgrading equipment, purchasing new books, furniture, and whatever they think would help their department, and yes Madam Pince, that includes you."
Irma Pince looked giddy in her chair, her mind beginning to imagine how she can update her library and maybe open up wings that have been locked in god knows how long, every other professor looked visibly happy at the news, the most cheerful of all was Headmaster Flitwick, who seemed filled to the brim with happiness.
"I know that Filch is currently in the muggle world, according to Headmaster Flitwick. I will also be looking to retire and replace him as frankly, he should have never been in charge of students or interact with them in anyway with his attitude, I will let the Headmaster/Headmistress hire a new caretaker. If there are no issues with anyone present, once the final details are settled and budgets are finalized I would like to reconvene in a week or so, I would personally like to hear every professor's opinions and thoughts once everything is set." Harry spoke, finishing his meal and stood up from the table, Headmistress McGonagall and Headmaster Flitwick getting up as well, and all three exited the Great Hall, towards the Headmasters Office for several hours of discussion, and surprises.
Thank you everyone for reading the newest chapter. I apologize for taking so long to update and I will begin working on the new chapter in the next few days, thank you