The next month seemed to fly past for Harry and the Dursleys. He and Neville exchanged letters twice a week as they tried to make up all the time they had lost because of Dumbledore. He learned that Neville loved to putter around his greenhouses and was really looking forward to Herbology classes at Hogwarts. He also found out that Madame Longbottom was rather neglectful when it came to Neville's needs and desires. Even though he had been with her that day in the alley, Augusta had failed to get Neville even his most basic of Hogwarts materials. Neville had told him this was normal. She often forgot he existed. Not out of any sort of malice or anything. He was just so timid and shy that he tended to fade into the background. If it weren't for their house elves, he likely wouldn't eat properly either. A quick letter from Harry and an embarrassed and apologetic Augusta had rapidly corrected her mistake.
Harry also spent each day training under a goblin time field, learning all he needed to know about politics, history, and how to eventually rule his kingdom. He also had extensive training in various forms of defense, as well as meeting a squad of highly trained vampire warriors that had served as the personal guards to the King since Arthur himself. Upon Arthur's death they had retreated into the shadows, never heard from again until Harry had claimed his inheritance. They would follow Harry at all times, acting as his guard as well as confidants when he needed to vent the stresses and strain of his newly discovered duties.
Harry woke on the morning of 1 September to the soft voice of his aunt, gently coaxing him to consciousness. He could hear Uncle Vernon and Dudley moving about downstairs. The smell of pancakes and sausages hung in the air. Glancing at the clock , he saw it was half past eight. In just a couple more hours, he would board the Hogwarts Express for his first year. And he would meet the man who had done so much to keep his inheritance hidden from him……… Albus Dumbledore. Rising from his bed, Harry began to dress in his finest muggle clothing. He may only be 11 but he was a king. It was absolutely imperative that he dressed in a manner befitting his newly discovered station. Placing his crown on his brow, he willed it invisible with a thought. Excalibur hung from his back, hidden from all but him. With a deep breath, Harry ran his hands down his three piece Armani suit, smoothing any wrinkles, grasped his fully stocked, five compartment trunk, as well as his case with his familiars, and strode confidently from his room, ready for the next chapter in the story of his life.
Two hours later, Harry and the Dursleys were stepping into Kings Cross Station. Harry had arranged to meet Neville and Granny Gussie on the platform so that he could sit with someone he already knew. Amelia Bones had also contacted him requesting to meet on the platform. Why, Harry did not know. Pausing when he reached the barrier between Platform 9 and Platform 10, Harry turned to face his family.
"This past month has been one of the happiest times of my life." he said, his adolescent voice cracking, "I wish it didn't have to end. I wish we could have those years spent cursed back. The care you have shown me more than erases the years past. I promise you I will do all I can to bring the one who caused us all so much pain to justice. Albus Dumbledore will regret ever trying to control me." Harry nodded determinedly before turning and stepping purposefully through the gateway to Platform 9 34, leaving his aunt and uncle staring at where he stood with pride.
Without breaking his stride, Harry quickly glanced around the magical platform, quickly locating Neville and his grandmother standing off to the side out of the flow of traffic. As he drew closer, he saw that Amelia Bones was standing just a few feet away from where Neville and Granny were waiting. Greeting the two Longbottom's, Harry turned and spoke with Amelia, curious as to what the Head of Magical Law Enforcement wished to see him about.
"Good morning, Madame Bones. You asked to meet with me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Amelia Bones replied, dropping into a deep curtsy in front of her new sovereign. "There are several things I wish to address. Firstly, Sirius Black. No matter how much evidence I produce, Fudge, our current minister, refuses to listen. I'm afraid there is nothing else I can do for him except arrange a transfer to minimum security. Any further progress will require revealing your full identity and inheritance. Though I suspect that there are several within the current ministry who will do all they can to prevent the return of the Crown. Which is another thing I was hoping to address with you." Amelia looked regretful as she delivered her news, hating that there was an innocent man suffering, but powerless to do anything to correct it under the regime of Cornelius Fudge. "Also I was hoping to find out your plans for dealing with Dumbledore. I fear that, with his current influence, we would have a difficult time convincing the Wizengamot to set any sort of trial."
Harry nodded as he listened to Madame Bones concerns. He had expected there to be difficulty clearing Sirius' name and freeing his godfather from the hellhole that masqueraded as a prison. Likewise, while he wanted nothing more than to believe that there would have been a peaceful transition of power, he was not naive enough to truly think that such a thing was possible when the magical world had been without a monarch for nearly a thousand years. These things did not surprise him. But the idea of Dumbledore not facing justice for the suffering he had put Harry through was a step too far. It seemed it was too much to hope that Harry could quietly rule from the shadows for the duration of his formal schooling. He had wanted to gradually exert his influence before formally ascending to the throne after he completed Hogwarts. Sadly, if he wished to see any form of justice delivered, he was going to have to assume his role as monarch before he attended a single class. Steeling his spine, he began to speak.
"Abhartach, to me." Amelia gasped as five dangerous looking people appeared out of thin air and knelt before the king. She had no idea where they had come from.
"Jace, Mercury, Raelyn, go and fetch my godfather. See to it that he receives any necessary healing as well as a proper meal and clothing. Do not leave any lasting damage." Three of the figures quickly rose and departed with a bow. A lean, well defined man with shocking white hair took the lead, while another, more delicate appearing man, with deep red hair, followed along with a woman who looked as if she could single handedly wrestle Hagrid into submission without breaking a sweat.
"Arnakhumner, please go ahead to Hogwarts. Survey and secure all floors and make all necessary preparations for my arrival this evening. Wait for me outside the main gates." As the next man rose, this one of average height and build, but with extensive martial arts experience evidenced by his way of gracefully slipping through the crowd, and left, Harry turned to the last man, a hulking mound of muscle, with a smooth, bald head, and piercing red eyes.
"Atreus, you shall follow Madame Bones and myself to the ministry, where I will take my place as the rightful leader and King of Avalon and all its territories. After the inevitable protests and attempts on my life are over, I intend to make a few things abundantly clear to the so called Lords of the Wizengamot before finally journeying to Hogwarts where I shall gladly see that treacherous, goatfucking old man slapped into chains and drug out of my sight until I see fit to deal with him properly." His orders given, Harry turned to where Neville and Augusta stood, silently watching as the shy, young boy they had met a mere month ago transformed into a king, preparing himself to fight for his kingdom.
"Sorry, Nev. Looks like we won't get to ride to Hogwarts together after all." he said with a disappointed grimace. Neville shook his head quickly, waving off Harry's apologies as he nervously gathered his own trunk and prepared to board the train. Sketching a shaky bow, he rapidly departed for the nearest car, trunk drifting behind him. Augusta sighed sadly as she began to realize just how much damage she had done to her only grandson. Giving a regal curtsy, she too departed, determined to make some drastic changes in how she and her family treated her beloved grandchild.
With Neville and Augusta's departure, Harry once again turned to speak to Amelia. "Well Madame Bones, let us go and inform our dear minister of a few hard truths, shall we?"
A shark eating grin covered Amelia Bones face as she realized what the immediate future held.
"It would be my utmost pleasure and privilege to do just that,Your Majesty. And might I say, that is a magnificent suit."
Together, Harry and Madame Bones, with Atreus close behind, confidently strode towards a bank of waiting floos tucked out of sight near the rear of Platform 9 3 4. After a brief discussion, it was decided that they would floo directly to Madame Bones office, where she would use her position as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to call for an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot.
"Once the Wizengamot has assembled, I want you to present Sirius' case, with all the evidence I have provided, as well as any additional evidence you have managed to locate." Harry said once they were settled inside the office, Bones behind her desk and him in an armchair in the corner underneath a notice me not charmed, which he keyed Bones and Atreus into so they could still communicate. Atreus took up his own position opposite Harry under another charm and with full view of all corners of the room. If anyone attempted to harm his liege, they would not see the next day whole. Harry continued, "If Fudge tries to protest, I will handle him myself. I need you to have any Aurors you trust completely inside the Wizengamot chamber. Two of them will serve as additional security for myself. Any others will need to be on hand to subdue any would-be attackers." Madame Bones nodded and immediately strode to her office door, opening it.
"Kristen, get me Iverson, Shacklebolt, Proudfoot, Edwards, and Cattermole. I want them here in five minutes.'' She called out to her secretary,personal bodyguard, and friend. They had been dormmates in Hogwarts and both joined the aurors together straight out of school. She was the second most powerful person in the DMLE, with more authority than the Head of the Aurors, Rufus Scrimgeor. Everyone knew that an order from Kristen Swainswright was an order from the head of the department. And such orders were only ignored if one did not value their position at the ministry. Bones knew that she would soon have the people she asked for standing in front of her. She gently closed her office door and returned to sit behind her desk.
They sat there silently, King, bodyguard, and loyal subject, as they waited for those summoned to arrive. Bones tried to finish a few items of paperwork, left from the previous day, while Harry was mentally preparing himself to take control of his empire several years earlier than he had originally intended. Thankfully, this had been anticipated, so whilst he had not intended to assume his throne so soon, everything was prepared for him to do so. The Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot were soon to get a very harsh wake up call. Harry was a very hacked off monarch.
The two fledgling allies snapped from their personal musings at a knock on the office door. Kristen popped her head in. " The aurors you asked for are all here, Boss. Should I go ahead and send them in?"
Madame Bones glanced over at the corner where Harry sat under a keyed notice me not. Harry drew a breath, settling himself, before assuming a more regal posture and nodding. "Send them in please Kristen. And then please prepare a Wizengamot summons for me to send following this meeting." she said, standing behind her desk. The door opened for the second time as Valencia Iverson, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Stephen Proudfoot, Linda Edwards, and Reggie Cattermole all filed in to stand in front of Madame Bones before snapping off a sharp salute. These were her most trusted aurors, ones she would gladly have at her back in a fight. If anybody could be trusted to guard and protect the king in the ministry, it was these five.
"The five of you are here because you are the most trusted Aurors I have. You have honor, and a strong sense of morality. Most of all you all follow the law to the letter, without allowing anyone to influence you. I know I can trust you all to help me achieve my objective today." she started, pausing for breath. "Before I go any farther, one of you tell me how much you know about the power structure in the ministry. Do you know who legally has the most power and authority?"
The group of Aurors looked puzzled at their superior's question. They all glanced at each other in confusion before Cattermole cautiously answered.
"The Minister would have the final say over any laws, or budgetary decisions, and you normally have final say over judicial proceedings unless the case is brought before the Wizengamot, where the Chief Warlock would have final say. The two of you, Yourself and the Minister, are about equal in authority, and the Chief Warlock is close behind." he said, as the aurors continued to puzzle over the question. Madame Bones nodded at Cattermole's answer before speaking again
"While that is essentially correct, it's not the answer I'm looking for. There is one person who, if and when they stepped forward, would have the final say in all aspects of our government. Can any of you think of who that person is?"
A look of realization crossed the faces of Proudfoot and Shacklebolt as they realized what the boss was alluding to.
"You're talking about the Monarch. Why would that matter? We haven't had a King or Queen since Arthur himself. Those laws are only on the books because no one ever got around to removing them. They haven't been used for nine hundred years." Stephen Proudfoot answered, confused at why his boss would be asking about the Monarch's Rule Laws.
Bones smiled as the look of realization spread across the rest of her aurors. She glanced into the corner where Harry was hidden, seeking confirmation that he was prepared to be revealed to the aurors she had selected to be his guards and soldiers while they prepared to wrest control of the ministry out of the corrupt hands that currently controlled the government. The law was clear and nothing could change it now that the king had returned, save the king himself. The monarch had the ultimate authority in Avalon. The governing and rule of not just one nation, but of many, rested on the young shoulders of the boy seated in the corner underneath a camouflage charm. He looked so young, much too young for the weight of the crown that he now bore. Even still, he had a regal bearing. His shoulders were strong, yet relaxed. His hands rested calmly in his lap. He gave her a small, barely there, smile and a nod of permission. She turned her attention back to her aurors, who despite her distraction still stood attentive, waiting for her orders.
"The crown is no longer abeyant. The rightful heir to the throne has been found. We have a king once more." she stated, bluntly, pausing as they processed her words. Shacklebolt, always quick to discover the root of the issue, was the first one to recover.
"He's here, isn't he? In the ministry. You intend to help him assume his throne and you want our help, right? To overthrow Fudge and his sycophants in the Wizengamot?" He spoke as he began to realize the scope of what was being asked of him and the other aurors present.
"We are asking nothing more than you upholding the law, as you swore to do when you joined this department." Harry spoke suddenly from the corner, rising to his feet as he dropped the concealment charm and revealed his presence to the office and its occupants. His shoulders were square and strong. Excalibur hung on his hip. The Crown of Avalon rested on his youthful brow. There was a firmness to his jaw that would have looked out of place on any other boy of merely eleven, but on him only added to the regal and powerful image he projected."According to the law, laid down long before Merlin himself, The rightful monarch has absolute and unquestionable authority in all matters, foreign and domestic, within Avalon and all her territories. Thousands have tried to pull the sword from the stone. I am the only one to succeed. Magic herself has deemed me the rightful monarch. I am His Royal Highness, Hadrian James Charlus Michael Arturo Potter Gryffindor Ravenclaw Hufflepuff Slytherin LeFay Emrys Pendragon, King of Avalon, Defender of Magic,Lord of Camelot, Lord Hogwarts, Lord Potter,Lord LeFay, Lord Emrys, Knight of the Round Table. So now I ask you aurors, will you stand by your oaths? Will you support me as I wrest my Kingdom from the corrupt hands of a vile minister and his pathetic toadies? Or are yours just more heads destined for the executioner's block?"
The five aurors jolted as Harry suddenly appeared in a previously empty corner. They quickly took in his appearance assessing his threat level, before rapidly recognizing his attire and dropping to their knees as one, heads bowed in supplication.
"Your Majesty, we are your humble servants. Whatever you ask of us, we will do it. Our very lives are yours to command." Valencia Iverson spoke, as they all bowed lower. Harry smiled a little half smile and inclined his head in pleasure, as Madame Bones looked on in pride.
"I see your faith was indeed well placed, Madame." He stated, resuming his position in the corner. "Now, let us discuss exactly who we must subdue within what is now MY ministry before we all go and inform my loyal Wizengamot of my recent ascension to the throne."