CHAPTER SIX: REVEALING THE TRUTH
SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 1996. Potter Manor.
"Harry?" Hermione pleaded. "Are you all right?"
Harry's eyes opened. "Wow! That was amazing," he sighed looking into Hermione's eyes. To his surprise, he thought he saw fear. "H-Hermione?"
"What's wrong, Harry? Are you okay?"
"Nothing's wrong. I just had the most mind blowing sex with the most wonderful woman on the face of the planet. What could possibly be wrong?" He hoped Hermione would smile at that as she looked worried. Her expression did not change.
"I thought I hurt you," she said almost with a whimper.
"I feel fine. Honestly! In fact, I'm not sure I remember feeling this good." He saw she still looked far too concerned. "Why? Did something happen?"
Hermione nodded.
"W-what?"
"You don't remember?"
"We had just cum. I remember that. I closed my eyes for a bit, and then your asking if something's wrong."
"You don't remember then."
"Remember what?"
"Just after - just after we both came, there was a flash of magic from you. You screamed in pain and grabbed your forehead. It must have been your scar, Harry. A black smoke or something came off of you. There was another scream. It wasn't you or me or Tonks. It didn't even sound human. Then you passed out."
"I passed out?" Harry asked in disbelief.
Hermione nodded.
"H-how long?"
"Not long," Tonks said. "Twenty seconds. What ever happed must not have been too bad as a simple Ennervate brought you around immediately."
"But his scar," Hermione said.
"What about it?" Harry and Tonks asked.
"It's gone."
"What?" Harry cried. "But that's impossible. Not even a glamour charm can hide it!"
"Never the less, it's gone."
"Voldemort," Harry said.
"What about him?"
"I - I can't feel him anymore! M-maybe he snuffed it?"
"I doubt we're that lucky," Tonks said.
"Any ideas what happened just now?" Hermione asked Tonks.
"Not a clue," Tonks sadly admitted. "But if Harry's feeling alright, I think it is safe to worry about the what later."
"But," Hermione began to complain.
"It seems you two have had a very interesting afternoon," Tonks said broaching no argument as the two teens blushed, remembering they were still very naked and had just made love in front of Tonks. "Now put your clothes on so we can have some supper."
"Supper?" Harry asked.
"It's after seven," Tonks added.
The two teens realized they had been doing it for over six hours. They got up and did as they were asked.
The three of them finished their dinner and retired to a couple of couches in the Great Room of the Private Apartments. Tonks had promised them at dinner that she would begin telling them everything she knew about what really was going on. Tonks looked intently at Hermione to begin with.
"Hermione," she asked, "did Harry show you his notebook?"
"At lunch," Hermione nodded.
"Anything else?"
"He told me his father's parents were still alive when his parents died."
Tonks nodded. "By law, unless the Last Will and Testament of James Charles Potter said otherwise, Harry should have come here to live after his parents died," Tonks said. "Even if it did say otherwise, because Harry is heir to the Potter estate, he should have spent much of his childhood here. And his Muggle relations could have done nothing to stop either his being sent here to live or to visit."
"Then why was he with the Dursleys?"
"We'll get to that. So have you reached any conclusions based upon the notebook and things?"
"Not - not really. There's still more questions than answers."
"Do you have a working theory, Hermione?"
Hermione nodded.
"And?" Tonks asked.
"Dumbledore is setting Harry up for something and whatever it is, it won't be good for Harry."
"Very good, although in truth that's an understatement."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Harry, you have at least two mortal enemies. The obvious one is - erm - V-v-v-voldem-mort. Damn! I actually said his name! Anyway, he's obvious. He's been trying to kill you since you were born and he is hardly subtle about it. V-voldemort is an in your face kind of bastard. You always can see him coming, so to speak, and he doesn't care. As dangerous as he is, however, he pales when compared to Harry's other mortal enemy."
"Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.
Tonks nodded. "Dumbledore is manipulative, devious as all hell and prefers to be subtle and lurk in the shadows. Unlike V-voldemort, Dumbledore's enemies are led to believe he is their friend and ally. They never see the knife that kills them and Dumbledore is extremely good at covering his tracks so that all evidence points somewhere else. As far as we know, he might have killed a couple of people himself. But he has caused the deaths of scores or more, all the while being the most revered wizard in our society."
"Why? Why would he do that?"
"Same reason as Voldie, to be honest. Like Voldie, he is a Pureblood Supremacist who believes the wizarding world should rule all and Purebloods should rule the wizarding world. He calls this 'The Greater Good,' but is very adept at hiding his true purpose from most of the world. Unlike Voldie, Dumbledore really is a Halfblood, but keeps that under his hat, and already controls the Wizengamot, Hogwarts and the International Confederation of Wizards. Although he has refused to become Minister for Magic many times, he controls that post as well."
"But all the stuff Fudge said and did," Harry countered, "all the stuff in the Prophet this past year."
"Do you really think that just happened? I can tell you it was all part of Dumbledore's scheme, and he has many."
"And Umbridge?"
"She could never have set foot in Hogsmeade much less Hogwarts without Dumbledore's approval."
"And the Dementor attack on me and my cousin?"
"Ah yes. That was all Umbridge. But the bitch is back at her post within the Ministry. Dumbledore tacitly approved the attack."
"WHAT? WHY?" Harry and Hermione both exclaimed.
"Did Dumbledore tell you about the Prophesy, Harry?" Tonks asked.
Harry nodded.
"Have you told Hermione?"
Harry shook his head. "Was going to, but have not."
"Tell her."
Harry did as he was told. Hermione gasped and Harry could tell she was now silently crying. He pulled her into a hug.
"Did he tell you what it meant?"
"It means only I can kill the bastard," Harry said. "It also implies I'll win, but not survive."
"That is the meaning Dumbledore wants you to believe, Harry. It is the meaning he wanted us to believe. He told us about the Prophesy the day before the Battle at the Ministry."
"Why then? Why not sooner?"
"I believe it was because he could not trust Sirius when it came to you. I believe he suspected that anything he said about you got back to Sirius somehow and therefore kept his real plans as close to the vest for as long as he could. Dumbledore held an Order meeting at the Weasleys to discuss your - er - future or lack there of. Naturally, Sirius was stuck in Grimmauld Place and could not attend. Whenever Dumbledore needed to get help from the Order regarding his real plans for you, he cut Sirius out of the loop, since he knew Sirius would not support him."
"Why?"
"You've been screwed, Harry. Ever since that night in May of 1980 when that old bat Trelawney made that Prophesy, you've been screwed."
"Yeah, well having that nut job Voldemort after you tends to do that."
"Voldemort is dangerous, Harry. This is true. Yet you've fought him more than any man alive and always to at least a draw. It won't take a lot of training for you to be able to defeat him with relative ease."
"Then why haven't I been getting any training?"
"Only two people have stood toe to toe with the bastard and lived, Harry: you and Dumbledore. You are at least as powerful as Voldie, probably much more powerful. The reason you haven't beaten him is what he lacks in power he makes up for in experience. But he's an arrogant ass. With a little training, your power and his arrogance will be his undoing."
"And yet why no training?" Harry asked again.
"Dumbledore told you the Prophesy meant Voldemort, right?"
Harry nodded.
Tonks shook her head. "That's just what he wants you to think. You grew up in the Muggle world. You have never learned the nuances of magical society including that certain words and phrases mean something different in the magical world, especially when spoken by a pureblood to a wizard from an ancient line."
"I don't understand," Harry and Hermione said in unison.
"What's Voldemort's real name?"
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," Harry said.
Tonks nodded. "Not a pureblood name is it?"
"Don't think so."
"It's not," Hermione said. "In Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy it lists all the Pureblood and Aristocratic Wizarding families as of the date of publication. The copy I saw was from 1961, well after Riddle was born and the name Riddle does not exist."
"Riddle is, as you should know, half blood," Tonks continued. "His mother was named Marope Gaunt, a pureblood witch of at best borderline ability from a family at the bottom of society that had been inbreeding for goodness knows how many generations. His father was a Muggle. He was neither of Pureblood nor noble birth. And, like you two, he was raised in the Muggle world, ignorant of ours and our culture."
"And this matters because?" Harry began.
"Trelawney is a Pureblood and like most people believes Dumbledore is as well. She made her prophesy as a Pureblood to a Pureblood. The Prophesy refers to the One who can defeat a Dark Lord, correct?"
Harry nodded.
"In Pureblood parlance, Lord has a very specific meaning. It does not mean Voldemort at all. It cannot. Voldemort is not a Lord under Wizarding Law. He is not the head of a Noble House. Thus, the Dark Lord referred to in the Prophesy is not Voldemort."
"Then why is he after me?"
"Because he does not know that. His asinine followers tagged him with that Dark Lord nonsense believing he was the Pureblood heir of Slytherin. But the Ancient and Noble House of Slytherin has not existed in seven hundred years. Despite his nickname, he is not nor can he be a Lord. The Dark Lord must be the head of a Noble House, Harry."
"Then why does everyone think otherwise?"
"There is no doubt that Voldemort is more powerful than most, Harry. But there are two wizards more powerful than him. One is Albus Dumbledore. The other is you. And of the two, you are potentially the most powerful."
"Potentially?"
"I'm an Auror, Harry. One of the spells I can do is one that can measure the strength and signature of a person's magical core. It is a silent spell. The target cannot detect it as it causes no effect, feeling or harm. Healers know it as well. The strength is measured as a number on the Ganter Magical Scale. Magical strength of creature, being or wizard is expressed as a number between 1 and 1000. Most witches and wizards are between 150 and 350. These scores are part of your school records. Riddle was a 505, well above the norm. Dumbledore is a 535. Hermione here is 490. You, on the other hand are a conundrum."
"How so?"
"Your score is 478. Not bad at all, really. The problem is your magical core is bound."
"What's that mean?"
"There is a spell that is cast on 'problem children,' those being children who display excessive and dangerous outbursts of accidental magic. It binds the magical core, traps the energy inside and allows it to dissipate slowly over time rather than in a single outburst. It supposed to be done by a fully qualified Healer, and all such bindings must be recorded and the child monitored by a Healer. By law, the core must be unbound by the time the child starts a magical school. Your's is still bound. It's been bound since you were between five and eight years old. There is no record of it or any indication you ever saw a Healer. And Madam Pomphrey, as talented as she is, does not count as seeing a Healer. About fifty percent of your magical power is contained."
"Fifty percent?"
"Your true Ganter Score should be around 930 Harry. Someone bound your core without authority and you've been operating at about half power this whole time. You fight Death Eaters and Voldemort to a stand still, drive off a hundred Dementors with a simple Patronus Charm, and you're doing it with little training and one hand tied behind your back! If we remove the binding, your stunner will probably be almost as lethal at full power as the Killing Curse itself."
"So I was bound because I was too powerful?"
"Yes and no. Yes, you are quite powerful, but that's what training is for; to teach you how to control your power. No, you were bound to make you easier to kill. The reason you survived the Killing Curse is not because of some mythical sacrifice by your Mum. You were too powerful for that spell - PERIOD. With the binding in place, it can kill you."
"Shit! That means while Voldemort is trying to kill me, someone else is trying to make it so he can kill me!"
Tonks nodded.
"Who?"
"The Dark Lord in the Prophesy, Harry. The one who heard the whole thing. The one who wants your to believe that Voldemort is your only enemy. The one who is the Head of a Pureblood, Noble House."
"Dumbledore?"
Tonks nodded.
"But he's the leader of the Light," Hermione protested.
"Indeed," Tonks said. "Have you ever read the Bible, Hermione?"
She nodded.
"The Book of Revelations perhaps?"
"It was not part of the catechism, but you know me and books."
"How was the Antichrist described at first?"
"A hero. A savior. A man who could sit at all tables. A man the people thought was…"
"A leader of the Light, perhaps?"
"Surely we aren't talking about that Prophesy?"
"I certainly hope not, but the literary and historical truth in Revelations is relevant. The most dangerous evil is that which sneaks up on everyone. The wolf in sheep's clothing, if you will. Voldemort is feared, but he's also in the open. Yes, he has followers, but he can only command by force. He trusts no one and rules his world by fear alone.
"Far more dangerous is the evil man who appears benign, helpful, and good. He smiles in your face and strokes your ego. He appears as friend to all and pushes agendas that he does not believe in but that will gain him support. Only when he controls all will he show his true colors and by then it's too late.
"He promotes laws favorable to those who have suffered in the past and Muggle Borns and Muggles in particular. Yet, as Head of the Wizengamot, he controls who will serve as Minister for Magic and what cases go to trial. The laws are on the books and praised by those who believe in them, but it is the rare individual who is ever prosecuted for breaking those laws. The Wizengamot looks the other way while the corrupt Pureblood Elitists in the Ministry accept bribes to drop charges. Dolores Umbridge is evil enough to give Voldie a run for his money. Were she not a Pureblood, albeit from a lower class, non-noble House, she would be rotting in Azkaban, yet she's back at her old job.
"Dumbledore and Voldemort differ in their tactics and methods to gain and hold power. Otherwise, they are similar. They both believe and want a caste society. Purebloods will rule the world. Muggles will be at the bottom and the rest of us based upon magic and blood status will live somewhere in between. I can tell you, most of us do not believe this nonsense. Voldie succeeds because he is ruthless and has ruthless followers. Dumbledore succeeds because he is invisible.
"For years, Voldie was Dumbledore's chief rival for power. Dumbledore had the true edge. He was appointed Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot in 1946 and thus controls the legislature and the courts. He's been asked to become Minister more times than anyone should. He's refused since he's figured out he can control the bastards. He's been headmaster of Hogwarts since 1953, and thereby controls education and what young people learn and believe because if it is not taught at Hogwarts, it is believed that it is not worth teaching. He's head of the International Confederation of Wizards. He all but owns the Daily Prophet. The only part of our world he does not control is Gringotts.
"Dumbledore's real hold on power, however, is the Order of the Phoenix. It was not formed to fight Voldemort. It was formed as a Pureblood secret society around 1920 to promote and push forward the Pureblood Greater Good. During the first War with Voldie and since his return, it has added its combat arm, one that admits any witch or wizard opposed to Voldie. But the Pureblood core has never stopped.
"Sirius Black joined to fight Voldie. He was, however, a legacy. His father, Grandfather and Great-grandfather were all Order members. His younger brother joined the Death Eaters after joining the Order to act as an agent for the Order. Two others that we know of also became Death Eaters on Dumbledore's orders - Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew. Both were sent in either as spies or agents.
"Severus was and is a double agent. He spies on Voldie and his followers and reports to Voldie about the Order. He gives Voldie just enough useful information to maintain his cover.
"Sirius's younger brother was sent in as an agent to discover what Voldie was on about. Voldie had claimed he had defeated Death or some such and Dumbledore needed to know what that meant. Regulus Black died in the attempt, although we do not yet know how.
"Peter Pettigrew was sent in after he became Secret Keeper for your parents. Stroke of luck it was for Dumbledore that Sirius had that brilliant plan. Sirius was not about to go over. Pettigrew would."
"Why would Dumbledore do that?" Hermione asked.
"When Dumbledore heard the Prophesy, he suspected what it meant. A boy would be born who could put an end once and for all to his dream of Pureblood Supremacy. Two boys fit that description: Neville Longbottom, a Pureblood whose family privately could care less about the Pureblood agenda but publicly appear to be supporters; and Harry Potter, a half blood from an Ancient and Noble House that had historically despised Pureblood culture. The enemy had to be the Half-Blood.
"Since that date, Harry Potter must die in Dumbledore's eyes. What better way than for it to be at the hands of Voldemort or his follower or someone else. Had Harry been raised here, no one could have gotten to him. Instead, his mother was convinced that Dumbledore's house in Godric's Hollow was safer. It was not as we know. Peter Pettigrew was sent into the Death Eaters to give Harry up on a silver platter.
"Obviously, that failed. Dumbledore believed then that it was because of his mother's sacrifice. Truth is, it was because he was too powerful to be killed by that curse, but Dumbledore did not know it.
"Plan two: he sends Harry to the Dursleys. He knew what they were like and hoped they'd kill him either by their beatings or starvation or whatever. Harry's magic saved him time and again, which is why we believe Dumbledore bound his core. But as he to this day has no idea just how powerful Harry is, the binding was not enough.
"Plan three: keep Harry in the dark. We think Ron Weasley befriended Harry on his mother's orders. We know she is an inner core, Pureblood Order member and has been for a long time. We think Ron was supposed to ensure that Harry would follow in his footsteps academically and become a serious underachiever. At some point, the plan was that the Prophesy would be revealed, yet Harry would not receive the training he would need and in the end would be killed.
"In the meantime, each year presented an opportunity for his untimely demise. First year, you can bet Dumbledore knew Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort and seeking the Philosophers Stone. It should never have been taken out of its vault in Gringotts. The traps to 'protect' the stone were set up so that Harry and his friends could get through most all of them. Dumbledore hoped Quirrell would get lucky and kill Harry and that he would still fail to get the stone, but Harry killed Quirrell instead.
"Second year, Dumbledore knew as soon as the Chamber opened what was up. He did not know Ginny Weasley was the one. Didn't care either. He knew Harry was going after whatever it was and he knew the monster was a basilisk. He figured Harry's chance of seeing the summer were non-existent. Yet Harry killed the beast.
"Third year, Dumbledore allowed the Dementors into the area to 'protect' Harry from his Godfather. Truth is, Dumbledore knew all along Sirius was innocent. Sirius was sent to Azkaban without trial. True, there was a law in effect at the time that allowed that - but only for a marked Death Eater and Sirius did not have the mark. Without the mark, Sirius was entitled by law to a trial, one which would have seen him acquitted, but Dumbledore's long term plan for Harry's death could not work if Sirius remained in the picture. So he was sent to prison.
"When he escaped, Dumbledore used Dementors. In part, he hoped they might stumble on Sirius and kill him. In reality though, he was hoping they'd finish off Harry. The Dementors attacked the train to do just that and might have succeeded had not Harry chosen to sit in the same compartment as Remus, a family friend. They tried him again at a Quidditch match, but…"
"Wait," Hermione interrupted, "but Dumbledore saved him! He fell off his broom and surely would have died!"
"Harry's fall was well within Dumbledore's power to prevent," Tonks said. "Many knew that. Had he done nothing, it would have looked suspicious. It most certainly would not be subtle.
"The final dementor attack that year was on Dumbledore's orders. Somehow, Harry survived. That was why he suggested you two go back in time. He knew Harry would try and save everyone and everything and was certain the Dementors would get him given a second chance, and Sirius as well. He was livid when he failed twice.
"Fourth year. If your think for one moment that he did not know that the man you then knew as Professor Moody was an imposter and a Death Eater, you're fooling yourself. Barty Crouch, Jr. was an open book to Dumbledore. Years in Azakaban can do that to you. The real Moody has not trusted Dumbledore since.
"Did Dumbledore know what Crouch was up to? No. He did know that Harry's entrance into the Tri-Wizard was probably a murder plot. Harry was expected to die. He did not. But, the guilt Harry felt over the death of Diggory set a new plan in motion.
"The plan had always been that Harry would be groomed to die the Martyr's death. When the time came, he would march to his death at the hands of either Voldie or his minions. He would do so willingly and his whole life from the moment his parents died had been orchestrated to achieve that end goal. The return of Sirius Black posed a major road bump on that path."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Your grandfather Charles Potter never trusted Dumbledore. When your Great-grandfather Charlus died in '78, Charles became Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. In '76, Sirius had a falling out with his mother Walburga. His father, Orion Black, could barely stand the woman, but agreed to name Sirius's younger brother as heir to the Black estate. Sirius moved in with your father's family here on the estate.
"In '79, Regulus was killed. The Blacks knew this since his death was witnessed by their House Elf. Without telling his wife, Orion reinstated Sirius. Sirius again became the heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Black.
"When Dumbledore insisted that James and Lily move to his home in Godrics Hollow in June of '80 following the Prophesy, Charles was livid. The Dumbledore property was barely protected and even the promised Fidelius Charm could be compromised. The Potter estate, by contrast, is as impregnable as magic can allow. It is safer than Hogwarts or Gringotts for that matter. Your parents could have raised you to adulthood here without fear of Death Eaters or Voldie.
"Your Mum was the problem. Your father was indifferent about the whole thing. Your Mum trusted Dumbledore. It was she who agreed to move to Godrics Hollow. Charles objected most vehemently. Sirius objected as well. Here, there would be no need for a Secret Keeper and he knew he was the Potters' first choice. Dumbledore suggested Pettigrew and to use Sirius as a decoy and Sirius relented. It was a couple of months before your parents death when Pettigrew raised suspicion. Sirius, as heir to an Ancient and Noble House and Charles as head of one confronted Dumbledore and demanded in no uncertain terms that you and your parents return to Potter Manor.
"As you can suppose, Dumbledore ignored the request. Sirius then threatened to invoke his rights of Guardianship should anything happen to your parents."
"Guardianship?" Harry asked.
"Every magical child has a magical guardian," Tonks began. "It is always a wizard. Obviously, if the father is a wizard, he is the child's magical guardian. If the father is not a wizard, it would have to be someone else. Until the child becomes a legal adult, the magical guardian acts as their magical parent. The Guardian decides all things with respect to that child: where it will live, whether it will attend school before Hogwarts, whether it will have an allowance and if so how much, what kind of medical treatment the child will receive. Basically, everything a parent does. Particularly in Pureblood or aristocratic families, the magical guardian can also arrange a marriage for the child.
"The wizard father can designate a magical guardian for his children in his Will in the event of his death. But while the designation is usually upheld, it can be challenged by those who have a right to the position by law. That includes: the paternal grandfather of the child, the godfather of the child and, if the child is deemed a member of an Ancient and Noble House, the Head of House or heir apparent if said heir is of age. The challenge to a Will would be determined by the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot."
"Dumbledore," Harry hissed.
"Indeed. Under your father's Will, Sirius was to be your magical guardian. Your grandfather had no problem with that and felt it was best because Sirius was supposedly in with Dumbledore while he was in fact not. He knew how far a challenge would go as to your guardianship if he raised if based upon his status as Grandfather or even Head of House. He was persona non grata with Dumbledore and then Ministry as he opposed them on many issues in the Wizengamot and was less than tactful about it. His challenge would be in the dustbin by morning.
"Sirius, though, was another matter. Sirius did not trust the bastard either. He was named in the Will as your Guardian and had common law claim to you as both your Godfather and heir apparent as one of your Heads of House."
"Wait a tic," Hermione interjected. "How was Sirius Harry's Head of House when his Granddad was Head of the House of Potter?"
"Harry was Sirius's second cousin once removed. They had a common ancestor who was Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black: Phineas Nigelus Black, a former Headmaster of Hogwarts. Phineas was Harry's Great-great-great Grandfather - and mine as well - and Sirius's Great-great Grandfather. James Potter and Sirius were second cousins. As such, Harry is part of the Clan Black and Sirius was ultimately Head of House or Clan. True, while he was alive, Charles Potter was Harry's true Head of House. But upon his death and until Harry came into his full inheritance, Sirius became his Head of House.
"Under all three laws, Sirius claim of guardianship was superior to Dumbledore's. The only reason Dumbledore could even act as your guardian was due to Sirius's sojourn in Azkaban. He really could not perform his duties from there. Still, once Sirius escaped, he had the right and power to become your guardian."
"But he was on the run," Harry noted.
"He was never convicted of a crime. There were no charges pending against him. By law and magic, he became your guardian early in your Third Year and there was noting Dumbledore could do about it. This was a set back to Dumbledore's Master Plan, but one he could live with at the time as he did not think Sirius would do anything rash. This was why he took the calculated risk of letting you try to rescue Sirius from certain execution."
"Master Plan?"
"Greater Good, Harry. Dumbledore's plan is complex and involved and filled with contingencies, but they all lead to the same result: Dumbledore as unquestioned supreme leader of the entire Wizarding World. Emperor Albus the First. He was close to gaining near total control of Britain when Voldie came onto the scene as a direct competitor. With the Prophesy, he believed that his real enemy was you and that provided him with a masterful plan.
"You see, his plan for you is simple. You are supposed to die fighting Voldemort."
"I figured out that bit."
"Whether you succeed or not is of no moment for if you fail, Dumbledore will off the bastard. Either way, the Great Harry Potter will be dead and his mentor will reap the glory, paving his way to full control of the government. However, while he has been politically the most powerful wizard in Britain for ages, political power without the financial wherewithal to back it up is not worth much. He needs money and lots of it. As Lord Dumbledore, head of a Noble House, he has credentials, but his House lost its wealth centuries ago.
"The Noble and Ancient House of Potter, on the other hand, that is one of the if not the wealthiest House in all Britain. With the full financial backing of those resources, Dumbledore would be unstoppable. He had been denied backing from the two previous Heads: Charlus and Charles. He thought he had an in with your father, until the prophesy was made and it was clear that your family had to die. When you survived, there was his third option: the surviving heir Harry Potter."
"You mean in addition to wanting me dead he also wants to steal my family's money?"
Tonks nodded.
"That bastard! How? How can he do this?"
"His original plan was temporarily thwarted when Sirius resumed his duties. His plan was two fold: first, as your magical guardian, should you die before you turn seventeen and die without issue - as in a child - he takes control of the Potter Estate as there are no other heirs. He had hoped you would snuff it before now. However, he had a backup plan in the event you lived longer than anticipated. This summer, he was going to execute a marriage contract between you and Ginerva Weasley."
"WHAT?" the two teens cried in unison.
Tonks nodded. "That was before Sirius. If you were still alive after your fifth year, you would marry Ginny later this summer. She would become a baby factory, pumping out Potter sprogs until she gave birth to a son."
"Why Ginny?" Harry asked.
"Her Mum. Molly Weasley is one of Dumbledore's most fervent followers, remember? She's been inner circle Order since she turned seventeen and is from a family that have been in the Order and supported the Old Man Greater Good since the beginning. When your parents died, the Old Man told Molly of his plan and she had Arthur offer you a marriage contract. One of many, I'm sure, but as your guardian, the Old Man had the power to accept or reject contracts on your behalf until you came of age. Sirius ruined that.
"With Sirius as your guardian, Ginny could not become your wife and baby factory by contract. She had to get you herself and, while she had been groomed practically from birth to be your bride, she's a teenager and gave into teenage impulses allowing you to - er - look elsewhere. She also proved somewhat shy about you. She was supposed to get you to take her to the Yule Ball."
"She went with Neville," Harry observed.
"And Neville asked her within days of the announcement while you waited weeks to ask anyone. She then began dating others. So long as Sirius remained your guardian, she was out of the picture. Hence, this past year."
"What about this past year?"
"Well, ever since Sirius reclaimed guardianship over you, with the exception of the night Peter Pettigrew was uncovered, he has been keeping a low profile. Dumbledore had hoped that the rash and reckless Sirius was still there. Instead, Sirius was more mature and did not rush in without a damn good reason. the Old Man hoped he would get caught and thrown back into Azkaban or get killed. It didn't happen."
"Why didn't Dumbledore just expose him?" Hermione asked.
"He does not work that way. That is an overt attack on someone many considered a loyal member of the Pureblood inner circle. the Old Man is into stealth and subtlety, not in your face tactics, remember?
"We knew that Voldie was looking for the Prophesy since the middle of the summer thanks to Snape. We knew he finally learned that only Harry or he could retrieve it by mid Autumn. Voldie was not about to do it himself and was at a loss as to how to get Harry to do it for him right up until just before Christmas when Harry saw the attack on Arthur Weasley. Voldie now knew it was possible to enter and maybe control Harry's mind. Just after Christmas, this news was reported to the Old Man by Snape. Voldie knew nothing about Harry's relationship with Sirius then. His plan was to wait until summer and then convince Harry that one of his friends, probably Hermione, was in the Department of Mysteries.
"Dumbledore saw a chance to get to Sirius. First, Snape reported to Voldie that there was someone who was not in Hogwarts whom Harry would probably play hero to save - Sirius. the Old Man also told Snape to give you Occlumency lessons."
"Those didn't go well," Harry grumped.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"On what Snape was actually told to teach you. He wasn't teaching Occulmency."
"What?"
"Prior to the beginning of the next term, all books on the subject were removed from the school. the Old Man knew that 'the brightest witch of her age' would make a bee line for them and would learn real quick you were not being taught Occlumency at all. Occlumency, as you know, is a mind art that shields the mind from magical intrusion. Snape was teaching you its opposite, Oriency, which is the art studied by seers and such to open their minds. He was basically making it easier for Voldie to get to you."
"I fucking thought so!"
"The plan was simple by Dumbledore standards. Voldie would send you an image of Sirius being tortured, you'd go charging to the rescue and maybe get yourself killed. If not, Sirius would not sit still and do nothing. Sirius would insist on joining the Harry rescue and if the Death Eaters didn't kill him, the Old Man would and make it look like Sirius step in the way of a curse meant for someone else. The execution proved highly problematic."
"How so?"
"Both the Old Man and Voldie figured that once you got the image, you'd be off. They figured you'd head to Hogsmeade or a nearby Floo and Floo to the Ministry. They figured you'd be alone. Except, you didn't Floo in. You flew in on Thestrals. You tried to check and see if the image was real or not. You did not go alone.
"From the time that you got Voldie's image until you finally arrived at the Ministry, over seven hours elapsed. Had the attack been real, Sirius would have been dead for hours. We knew you were coming by a slow method and told the Old Man that we should send a party to cover the entrances to the Ministry. He shot it down saying that Harry probably was not really on a rescue mission, rather wanted to be there when the dire news broke. When we learned you actually were heading into the Ministry, the Old Man prevented us from launching a rescue for forty-five minutes. By then, four of your friends were down and you and Neville were fighting for your lives.
"It was the worst possible scenario for us, jumping into a pitched battle without any recon or intelligence. It was bound to get someone killed. An unlucky break, it happened to be Sirius." Tonks wiped a tear from her eye.
"Harry, I know you probably blame yourself for what happened. Don't. Sirius was set up by Dumbledore. Everything that happened to you since Christmas was set up to expose Sirius and get him killed. He suspected that possibility, but went anyway hoping he was wrong. But he went in prepared for the worst to happen to him."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Dumbledore and Snape are both masters of Legillimency. Snape was practically mind raping you once a week for months. Had we told you anything, Dumbledore would have known and would have made it impossible for us to help you."
"Who's we?"
"We called ourselves alternately 'The Dumbledown League' and the 'Harry Potter Fan Club.' We are opposed to the Old Man and are dedicated to defeating his 'Greater Good.' Once we learned you place in that plan, we decided to figure out a way to remove you from the Old Man' equation. Sirius was our leader. Most of us are in the Order and have been sharing information regarding the Old Man and you for years. We also have spies in the Ministry, myself being one. Anything on you or the Old Man or that poses a threat to us, we report. In addition to Sirius and me, there's Remus, Bill Weasley and his fiancé Fleur, Professor McGonagall, Arabella Figg, Amelia Bones, Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. We are all accomplished Occlumens so the Old Man and his snake haven't spotted us yet. We all are in this for different reasons, but we all are in this to end the Old Man. Voldie too, for that matter. But the Old Man is the more dangerous of the two.
"Remus, Sirius, Amelia and Bill are Purebloods whom the Old Man believe are fanatic supporters of the Order's true agenda - Pureblood rule. Sirius, Remus, Arabella and Bill and Fleur are considered too close to Harry for the Harry Potter agenda. But anything we learn is reported to everyone. Over the past two years, we have learned what is really going on and we realized it needs to stop. Our plan was and is to deny the Old Man his prize pawn - Harry Potter. Even if Sirius had not passed, you would have been removed here today. And - you would have received this:" Tonks handed Harry a parchment.
I, Sirius Orion Black, by the Will of my father, Lord Orion Signus Black the Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, by the Will of my friend James Charles Potter, then Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, by right as Godfather and as Head of the House of Black, being Magical and Legal Guardian of my Ward and Designated Heir, Harry James Potter, do hereby this day find that my Ward has shown the Courage, Honor, Integrity, and Maturity beyond that of any and has shown that he is ready to assume the rights and responsibilities of an adult and the right to come into his inheritance and to assume the Mantle as the Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter.
As such, by the powers vested in me at law and by magic as his Guardian, I hereby declare my Ward, Harry James Potter, fully emancipated from all bonds, oaths, contracts, and laws applicable to and binding upon a minor wizard and do hereby declare him an adult from this day forward and for all time.
Signed and Sworn this 24th Day of May, 1996 under my Seal as Head of House,
Lord Sirius Orion Black
Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, former Guardian of Lord Harry James Potter, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter pursuant to the provision of the Last Will and Testament of Lord Charles David Potter as duly recorded with the Ministry of Magic, Wizengamot and Goblins of Gringotts Bank as effective on November 1st, 1988.
We, the undersigned, do attest, that the above named executor is of sound mind, that he executes this document of his own free will and is not under duress or compulsion magical or otherwise and that this is his free and voluntary act.
Ragnok - Chief and Director of Gringotts
Tarbaka - Senior Accounts Manager and Potter Estate Trustess
Griphook - Junior Accounts Manager
Above document duly filed and recorded and made effective:
Julie Preston, Recorder of Law, Ministry of Magic: 30 May 1996
Horace Slesterson, Clerk of Records Wizengamot: 4 June 1996
Karaspash: Recorder of Deeds and Records, Gringotts: 28 May 1996
"Erm," Harry began, "just what does this mean?"
"Step one in our plan to give you your life back, Milord Potter," Tonks said. "You are now legally an adult and Dumbledore can piss off regarding his plans for you. He can no longer - ever - access or take control of your estate and any plans he has with regards to your romantic life," Tonks smiled at Harry and Hermione both, "are now rubbish. Moreover, as an adult and a Head of an Ancient and Noble House, you now outrank him. True, he is more powerful. But our laws are hierarchical. You have more rights than he does and he knows it.
"Moreover, your House alone controls votes in the Wizengamot, votes formerly held in proxy by the Old Man. He just lost those. You're aligned with Houses Longbottom and Bones. You will also become Lord Black, with the Black votes and its allies. That will give you direct control over a significant number of votes. Not a majority, but you may be close. the Old Man never truly enjoyed complete control of a majority. With some help, you may be able to get a majority and, should the Old Man piss you off, you can remove him from his position as Chief Warlock and appoint his successor. Ditto the Minister for Magic."
"The bastard already has," Harry grumbled.
"For now, it would be best to assign a proxy of your own. Madam Bones or Longbottom are fair bets. You will receive copies of proposed legislation and such, but they are fair minded. You cannot truly take your seat until you turn seventeen, despite being emancipated. I would suggest, Milord, you stay out of the political limelight for now, unless you are under direct threat from the Old Man and / or the Ministry. That's when your Potter-Black votes should be used."
"I'll keep that in mind. Now, I suppose I am here for a reason?"
"Indeed. While you are now an adult, the Old Man cannot be trusted not to try and meddle. Here, he cannot get to you. It's your call, Milord Potter, but our plan was to keep you safe and provide you with training you will need both in combat and war and peace, politics and business so that the Pureblood threats can be dealt with and you can have the life you want and not what others want for you."
Harry drifted into thought. To be honest, he'd rather be the horny teenager shagging his girl than have to deal with all of this.
A/N: RELATIONSHIP SCORECARD:
If you didn't read the Intro, you missed that. This is so you can keep up with who's with who and how.
Harry James Potter, age 15 (born 7/31/80)
Hermione Jane Granger, age 16 (9/19/79). Girlfriend/fiancé as of 6/18/96; with benefits 6/23/96.