3 Lords, a lot of Lords!
Grumpy opened the sealed parchment and read out loud:
"This is the last Will of Sirius Orion Black! Last recorded on the twentieth of March after being examined and cured of all potions and compulsion charms, and declared to be of free will and clear of mind by the Goblin nation.
I saw Dumbledore wince at that line. That was another puppet that cut the strings.
The Old Goblin continued, "That means, Albus Dumbledore, that if I survived until July, I would have taken Harry and left this hellhole. I don't know what your game is, Dumbledore, but I doubt it would benefit Harry.
So now that I am dead, it is time to divide the pie. First, Narcissa and her son Draco. If both can prove and swear that they are not branded Death Eaters, then I will grant them a million galleons and the villa in Spain. I hope you can escape that madman, Cissy."
Remus Lupin, you have a week to get clear of all compulsions and potions. It is prepaid at Gringotts. If you can swear you value Harry above Dumbledore after that week, then you will have five hundred thousand galleons and the cottage in Kent. Otherwise, you can ask Dumbledore to support you.
Dumbledore, three knuts for you, that is all you are worth. I saw the ledgers of Harry's trust vault. You sank low, Dumbledore, you are a filthy thief. The reading of my Will activates a lawsuit against you.
Molly Weasley, this is a tough one. I admire what a mother is willing to do to provide a future for her children. Shred that contract, Molly. I let Harry decide what to do with the rest. Remember, she has a life debt hanging over her head.
Twins Fred and George, in my vault, are books from our time as Marauders. They are yours and five thousand Galleons to research new pranks.
Hermione Granger, the brains of the trio. You get all the books you can carry from my library. No help from spells, though. Also, twenty thousand galleons.
Ron Weasley, it is good that Hermione has enough brains for you both. You are lazy, a loudmouth, and a jealous prick. But you are still there for Harry when it counts. Twenty thousand galleons are yours.
Andromeda and Ted Tonks. The next Lord will invite you back into House Black if you want to. You will receive your dowry and ten thousand galleons for each year of marriage.
Nymphadora Don't Call Me That Tonks. I noticed you and Remus are sniffing at each other. I suggest a few flushing potions and an examination for compulsions. Just a thought. I will grant you a dowry of five hundred thousand galleons and the apartment in Diagon Alley.
I wanted to give something to the Order of the Phoenix, but found out they are all backstabbers.
Finally, Harry Potter, my blood adopted son. I will grant Harry the Lordship of House Black and emancipate him.
Harry will receive all the vaults, Shares, properties, and lands currently in our possession.
To the Ministry officials here present, no, I was not the Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew was. He was also the one who killed those twelve Muggles. But then again, who am I kidding? When will you ever do a proper Job?
This concludes the dividing of the pie. The rest is legal mumbo jumbo that Harry has to sign.
Fare thee well.
Sirius Orion Black.
Xxxxx
Well, that was a bit of drama… if I could have resisted a few weeks more, then I would sit on a tropical island with Sirius.
Hermione guessed what I was thinking and hugged me, "Don't blame yourself, Harry. Snape had time enough to warn the Order. Dumbledore dragged his feet, too. He could have arrived on time at the Ministry, even before us. It was a setup from both sides. There was no way we could have done it differently. We were herded by Voldemort and Dumbledore."
Dumbledore looked sour, "Miss Granger, stop slandering my good name. This will have repercussions."
Hermione glared at him, "Swear on your Magic that you did not manipulate Harry into rushing to the Ministry. Swear that you did everything to come to Harry's aid the minute you heard of his situation. Can you do that, Headmaster? Can you swear you have Harry's safety as a priority? Can you swear you are not planning his death?"
I looked at Dumbledore, "I would not worry too much about your good name, Headmaster, soon it will be in the gutter where it belongs. I am putting Hermione Granger and her parents under House Black protection."
I went to Molly, "You heard Sirius, Mrs. Weasley. I don't mind those Galleons, you made me feel part of a family, even if it was for a few weeks. That was more than I got in a lifetime. That contract has to go, though. If it ever works out between Ginny and me, it will not be caused by potions or compulsions. I will be purged at Gringotts the day before I marry."
Molly just nodded.
If not for Ginny, I would be on her case like a ton of bricks. Ron? The idiot thought he was rich.
I joked at Hermione, "I suggest a visit to a Gym, Hermione, you can gain a lot of muscles in a few months. That will increase the number of books you can carry."
I patted her back, "Just joking, honey, I know a spell to make permanent copies."
Hermione glared at me, "And you will teach it to me. It will hurt otherwise… a lot."
Ginny came to me, "Harry, I swear I did not know about a contract. Don't be mad at me, please."
I hugged her, "You followed this idiot into a trap, Ginny. I can't be mad at you."
She whispered in my ear, "I'll let you watch." Oops, Hermione heard that.
Xxxxx
I spent hours signing all the legal papers, accepting Andromeda in House Black along with Tonks and Tonks.
The Malfoys disappeared. I saw Draco touch his left arm. I guess he is freshly branded. Narcissa had gotten her brand when her hubby failed his mission or when he found out about his diary.
Molly left too. She didn't get anything, but she nicked four thousand galleons out of my vault. Ron can pay for his own education if he doesn't drop out and buy the Chudley Cannons.
I officially took House Granger under House Black protection and ordered their properties warded. Mr. Granger saw the danger, Hermione is at high risk just for being around me, and agreed on having the wards on their property.
The Ministry official congratulated me, then he informed me, "Lord Black, now that you are emancipated, it does not mean you can sit in the Wizengamot. The minimum age is twenty-five. Any younger person has ended up in disaster in the past. You have to appoint a Proxy. The same goes for House Potter. You can take the Lordship up with your emancipation."
I turned to Andromeda, "Aunty? Fancy being a Proxy for nine or ten years? Uncle Ted? Fancy the Potter Proxy?"
They looked at each other and shook their heads. Andromeda said, "That would be a death sentence for us, Harry. For as long as Bellatrix is alive, she will do anything to suppress us. She hates me with a passion. I was supposed to marry that brute. She never forgave me. Sitting in the Wizengamot would be a slap in her face."
I sighed, "I would ask Lupin, but he has his head so far up Dumbledore's ass that he has a brown circle on his neck. Can you suggest someone?"
Andromeda shook her head, "To have an impact, it should be someone from the sacred twenty-eight, but most of them are Death Eaters."
I sighed, "Arthur Weasley would do, but he has a brown circle around his neck too."
I'd better not pick Greengrass, or I have a frigid ice queen freezing my bits off. Bulstrode neither, she would flatten me, not that she is fat, far from it, I suspect she is a body builder, two heads taller than me and double the weight. If she had a go at me, I would be flat as a pancake.
Nott is out of the question too, the patriarch is not branded, but the rest are singing Voldy songs.
Burke has some Death Eaters in them too. Slughorn is not acceptable, nor Olivander. Neither is Shacklebolt, he is a Dumbledore drone.
It really is slim pickings, Gaunt, Shafiq, Crouch, Prewet, all gone, or almost extinct and useless.
Other than Fawley, there are Greengrass, the Longbottoms, and MacMillans. Neville is in the same boat as me, and I don't trust that Harpy Grandmother. The only MacMillan I know is a snotty snob.
Bones? No, she will be a minister and a dead corpse soon. Abbots are singing Dumbledore's arias.
Andromeda comforted me, "You have time, Harry. The next Wizengamot is the last Saturday of August if there are no emergency sessions."
Finally done with the paperwork, I asked the Black Account Manager, Bluntaxe, "What shares does House Black have on the Prophet, TWW, and the wireless?"
Bluntaxe looked through his papers, "Prophet 15%, TWW 20%, and the Wireless 25%, Lord Black."
I gathered my thoughts, "If we have outstanding loans in default from known Death Eaters, call them in with the maximum penalties. I want Gringotts to do the collection, take the Penalties as a bonus, and 15% of the original amount left of the loan. Buy any properties they are offering after taking inventory. Is this possible?"
Bluntaxe nodded, "I'll make a contract to sign tomorrow at eleven. Do you agree?"
I nodded, "Agreed, Bluntaxe. Pleasure to do business with you."
Xxxxx
I entered Blooddagger's office, "Good Day, Blooddagger. Before you stands Lord Black, freshly emancipated. What do I have to do to be Lord Potter?"
Blooddagger said, "Get witnesses, Ministry ones, two or three. One or two members of the Wizengamot will do too."
I slowly nodded, "I have to sign a contract with Bluntaxe tomorrow at eleven, how about meeting at eleven thirty?"
Blooddagger replied, "That will be fine. I will have the paperwork ready by then."
I asked, "Blooddagger, do we have shares in the Prophet, TWW, and the Wireless?"
Blooddagger nodded, "Lady Potter was adamant to increase the shares of the media. Prophet is at 25%, TWW 20%, and the wireless is at 30%"
I grinned, "If someone is selling their stock, cooperate with Bluntaxe to maximize our profit. By the way, I happen to know a basilisk carcass, I killed it in May 93, could there be something useful harvested from it?"
Blooddagger shook his head, "It is possible, but our appraisers have to inspect the carcass first. Someone could have harvested it already. Maybe you can let the Ministry officials tag along after you take your Lordship tomorrow."
I smiled, "Tomorrow will be a busy day."
Xxxxx
I went outside Gringotts and noticed the puppets, ready to catch the naughty kid. A typical Fan fiction stand-off. I kept on the steps of the bank and said out loud, "To the Aurors that are in the Order of the imbeciles, if you don't walk away now, then I will report you as members of a terrorist organization. An organisation that wants to abduct Lord Black. You have one minute, Nymphadora Tonks, fuck off, or I'll kick you out of House Black faster than you got in! Now!"
Stupid bint! What the fuck is she still doing with those idiots? Ah, her brain starts working again. Soon, the Aurors went away.
I called out to the rest of the morons, "If there are others with plans to capture me, prepare to fight to the death. I will cast to kill. Tell Dumbledore to fuck himself."
A patrol stopped next to me. One of the aurors asked, "Is there a problem, kid?"
I showed my Lord Black ring and answered, "Dumbledore did not like that I became Lord Black and told his Order of the Phoenix to capture me. I scared most of them off, but Remus Lupin, Diggle, and Snape are persistent in their will to capture me. I suspect a servant oath or a loyalty oath. Or they are Dumbledore's lovers. That is possible too."
I called out, "Snape! Don't let your love for Dumbledore blind you! Learn to say NO! You invented the potions for hemorrhoids, and pink eye is hardly noticeable with your hairdo! If you want someone younger, take Wolfie! You can cuddle with him before the fireplace, and he has a furry tail."
One of the Aurors commented, "Suddenly, I don't want to be here. I need to find a bucket to vomit in."
I bet Griffindor house points will stay below zero next term. If Snape gets any angrier, his hair would spontaneously combust. Hmm? Wolfie is checking the greasy bat out? I don't want to know.
Xxxxx
Five minutes later, the patsies are gone, I strolled to the Building of the Prophet and stopped at the reception, "Hello, Miss, I am here to give an interview, can you call a reporter?"
Bored, the Miss said, "I can only call a reporter if it is important or newsworthy."
I smiled, "It is definitely news-worthy. You see, the Major shareholder is going to make a surprise visit to the redaction, and he arrived less than a minute ago."
The Miss had to process that information… still processing… I tried to help out, "Now it has been almost two minutes ago that he arrived."
The miss looked at me suspiciously, "The only one that arrived here two minutes ago is you."
I praised her, "You are very perceptive, Miss. You will go far with that sharp mind of yours. Now call your chief Editor here."
Barnaby Cuffe was sweating buckets while I told him with many small words what I thought of this trash rag and the morons writing in it. I declared the reporter's intelligence to be below that of common primates, and the editors to be a herd of donkeys.
At the end, I said, "One more smear campaign against me and you can look for a new job on the South Pole to interview fucking penguins! The Ministry can go to hell. Name the ones that were responsible for the hate campaign against me on the bloody front page!"
I gave them a bone to chew on, "Here is some news for you, Dumbledore has been stealing from my trust vault from 82 to now. Ten thousand Galleons each year. He did not use those galleons for me at all. He dropped me like a piece of garbage on my aunt's doorstep the day after my parents got killed and never checked up on me. Now that I am Lord Black, I will put lawyers on it to reclaim my money till the last knut is back."
I turned and walked out while saying, "If you want another scoop, Voldemort's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord Voldemort is an anagram of his real name. His mother, Merope, was a squib from the Gaunt line, and his father a local noble who got a dose of amortentia."
I looked over my shoulder, "Ask Dumbledore, he knew about it more than forty years."
Hmm, if those idiots dare to print that, then Voldy will burn it down. Still win-win.
Xxxxx
My next stop is the Wireless. I showed my ring and declared that with 55% shares, I am entitled to give a Live interview on the spot.
Penelope Clearwater was the only one brave enough to interview me live.
Dear listeners! Today, we have the rare occasion to interview the newly appointed Lord Black! Guess what? He is our very own Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived!
Me: I am not a fan of that title, to be honest. I am not the Boy Who Lived, it is the son of the parents who kicked Voldemort's butt. I had nothing more to do with it than to catch that avada spell.
Pen: Oh? Sorry, but we all grew up with stories about the Boy Who Lived.
Me: I hate to disappoint you all, but those stories are rubbish. If you mean those books about my adventures, my lawyers will soon be all over the publishers for using my name without permission. They created a fantasy that I lived in a castle with a bunch of friends and House Elves doing all the work. As I said, rubbish!
Pen: How did you grow up and where, if I may ask?
Me: I grew up with my Magic-hating Aunt and her family. And they hate Magic with a passion. They forced me to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. I had to cook for them from six years old, and was fed the table scraps. Starved and beaten.
Pen: That should have been impossible! I have friends who are war orphans, and they told me that they were regularly visited by a social worker from the Ministry.
Me: I never saw one for as long as I was there. You see, Dumbledore put me there and kept my location a secret. He knew how I was treated, a squib that lived nearby reports to him, and she admitted that she knew of my situation.
Pen: That is hard to believe! Why would he do such a thing? What could ever justify that?
Me: Dumbledore is convinced that he knows what is best for the wizarding world, no matter the cost. People were worshiping him for years, which made him grow a God complex. He could do anything he wanted because he knew what was best. And people let him.
Me: He knew my Godfather, Sirius Black, was innocent. He even arranged for him to go to Azkaban without a trial. All that, so he could control where I would grow up.
Pen: But why? What would he gain from that?
Me: Control over me. Trelawney made a prophecy about me and Snakeface, I am supposed to have the power to vanquish him. Dumbledore is doing everything he can to let that prophecy go the way he wants to. No matter what or who got hurt or killed in the process.
Pen: Hurt? Killed? Surely not! He is the leader of the Light!
Me: Don't make me laugh! Dumbledore is as Dark as Tom Riddle, AKA Voldemort. Ask any student not in Slytherin about Snape, the potion professor. Dumbledore shelters that Death Eater for years, no matter how many complaints are made against that maniac.
Pen: You are right about Snape. I fancied a career as a healer, but Snape prevented that. He bullied every non-Slytherin so they would drop potions as a Newt selective. He even demanded an O for the Owls in potion. We always wondered why Dumbledore protects him.
Me: Simple, Snape heard that prophecy and ran to Voldemort with it until he heard Voldemort targeted my Mother. Snape was drooling over my mum for years, so he ran back to Dumbledore and became a double agent. Although knowing him, he only cares for himself.
Penelope said to me, "We just got taken out of the broadcast, Harry. The redaction got cold feet and cut us off."
I nodded, "Sorry to have put you in danger, Penelope. If they come after you, call on Dobby, he will take you to safety. Dobby? Ah, this is Miss Penelope. If she calls you, take her as fast as you can to our place."
Dobby looked at her, "Dobby will watch over Master Harry's Penny."
I smiled, "Great, can you take me home, Dobby?"
Xxxxx
Dobby popped me back home. I have pissed a lot of people off. The prophet and wireless? They have been bitching about me for a year, they can suffer for all I care.
Hermione spoke up, "That was dangerous, Harry."
I asked, "Did you get back home safely, Hermione?"
"Yes, I am in my room, Harry," answered Hermione.
I explained my reasons, "I found out that with the shares from Black and Potter, I have the majority shares of the Prophet, Teen Witch Weekly, and the Wireless. I told them about the new management rules. I have to find lawyers, or use the one Sirius hired. I have to find three Ministry officials or two Wizengamot members to witness me taking the Potter Lordship. A few independent Lords will do too. Luna? Is your father a Lord?"
"He is, Harry. Do you need him as a witness?" answered Luna.
I told her, "I do, tomorrow at eleven thirty with my Account Manager. When that is done, we go to Hogwarts to see what became of that Basilisk. You are invited too."
I addressed Ginny, "Would you mind if I asked your father to be a witness, Ginny? I am going to write letters after this conversation. I am not going to mention the Chamber of Secrets to him. He is too deep in Dumbledore's pocket."
Ginny answered, "Do it, Harry. We owe you. I owe you my life. Ask for me to be there to witness that contract to be annulled."
Hermione sighed, "I have to stay at home, Goblins are coming tomorrow to install the wards. They need my Magic to bind it to the house. I will be listening as much as possible."
I asked, "Who else can I ask to be a witness? Or who can I ask to be my Proxy for the Potter and Black seats at the Wizengamot? The Tonkses suggested some of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but I am not that sure anymore. Almost all of them are Death Eaters or extinct."
Luna suggested, "Ask the Patils, the Changs, or the Su. They would love to have a foot in the door of the Wizengamot. All three have powerful backing from their home country. Voldemort will not dare to harm them. Those families have enough money to send an army of mercenaries."
I sighed, "That leaves me with the Su family. Last year was a disaster with Cho, and at the Yule ball I blew it with the Patils."
Hermione sounded almost guilty when she said, "Sorry for messing up your date with Cho, Harry. Parvati told me that she was not upset about it anymore when we were practicing in the DA. Padma still has a grudge against Ron, though, because he was very rude to her."
Xxxxx
A few hours later, Lord Patil and Lord Su read my letter.
Esteemed Lord,
I, as Lord Black, invite you to be a witness tomorrow in Gringotts with my Account Manager Blooddagger at eleven thirty, where I will take the Lordship of House Potter. I am also in need of a Proxy for those two positions in the Wizengamot, and I offer one of them to you until I reach twenty-five, the minimum age to take my seat.
There will be an opportunity to witness something at Hogwarts. A team from Gringotts will accompany me into the fabled Chamber of Secrets to inspect the Basilisk I killed in May 93. Your daughters are invited, as well as any other children I don't yet know about.
Please send your confirmation to Gringotts, Account Manager Blooddagger. Unfortunately, my mail is being tampered with.
Yours, Harry James Potter, Lord of House Black, Soon Lord of House Potter.
Both Lords sent their confirmation.
Xxxxx
Luna hugged her dad and said, "Daddy, you have to be at Gringotts tomorrow at eleven thirty. Harry is free from his Nargles and is going to be Lord Potter. We are going to Hogwarts to see a Basilisk, too."
Luna's Dad frowned, "I thought you said he was going to be Lord Peverell?"
Luna giggled, "That is in two years, silly. He has to be Lord Potter first."
Luna's dad nodded, "Then it is fine by me, Moonbeam. Oh, silence your room at night, Moonbeam. You are too loud lately."
Luna ran upstairs, blushing red hot. I had to admit that Luna was enjoying our sessions very loudly. She must have read her Dad's research magazines and gained new ideas.
Xxxxx
Mr. Weasley went to Ginny, "Ginny, tomorrow you and I will go to Gringotts to be a witness for Harry. He will take the Lordship of House Potter. He asked for you to be there to see that marriage contract destroyed."
Ginny nodded, "Harry told me about it at the reading of Sirius's Will. I don't think he has any bad intentions against us. He even voided the money Mum took from his vault. I think Dumbledore fooled us, Daddy. You'd better not tell this to Dumbledore Daddy. Morgana only knows what he would do to us or Harry."
Xxxxx
The manager of the law firm Sirius hired received a letter to attend to Heir Potter to accept his Lordship. The reason was to hand them several proofs of Child abuse and theft by Dumbledore.
He showed the letter to his partners, "Tomorrow will be exciting."
Xxxxx
At dinner, Dobby popped Penelope Clearwater into the room. "Master Harry, bad men were after Mistress Penny."
Penny sobbed, "Snape was with them! I recognize that hair everywhere! They are trashing the office of the wireless."
Xxxxx
My Patronus reached Shacklebolt, "There is a Death Eater attack at the office of the Wireless, Auror Shacklebolt. I am timing this how fast you respond to my alert. This is official, Auror Shacklebolt, I own 55% of the Wireless. MOVE!"
4 Lord Potter!
My next Patronus reached Snape, "Hey, grease ball, get out of my property! You are identified as a Death Eater now. That old fag can not protect you anymore. Run to Tom Riddle and tell him why you betrayed him to Dumbledore! You were perving on my Mum, you disgusting creep!"
I wonder how many Death Eaters will rat him out. There are a lot of social climbers who don't mind stepping on their allies' heads. I bet I got him some Crucios.
Xxxxx
I patted Penelope's back. "I set everything in motion, Miss Clearwater. We have to act fast now. Are you living with your parents? They are in danger if you gave their home address to the office."
Penelope shook her head, "No, I hired a small studio near the office. There is nothing important in it yet. I moved in two months ago when I got this job."
I comforted her, "Well, you are not out of a job yet, Miss Clearwater. We are going to expand the Wireless. Do you know where we can get a portable transmitter? We will close the office and buy three or four portable Transmitters and go mobile."
Penelope calmed down, "I know where to get them, Lord Black. One of the maintenance crew has been trying to sell them to the management. He got blocked from all sides, he could not get a permit to go independent, and the management wanted to keep it on one channel. It would cost too much to have more channels, it meant hiring more people."
I nodded, "In a way, the management is not wrong, the wizarding community is too small to have a big broadcasting studio with multiple channels. But two or three should be controllable. Contact him and order three units… ask what the costs for one are first."
Penelope said, "I can floo call him from here."
I called out, "Kreacher? Is the Floo connected?"
Kreacher answered, "Yes, Halfblood Master, Floo powder be in jar above the fireplace."
I turned to Penelope, "Do your thing, Miss Clearwater."
She looked at me and said, "Call me Penny, Lord Black. You earned that much by rescuing me from Snape."
I nodded, "Lord Potter or Black for official occasions. Harry, in private, Penny."
Watching Penny do a Floo call is bizarre, on her knees on a pillow with her face in the fire is a strange view. I must say that it got me a perfect view of her behind. She must have noticed me looking, because she moved her body to give me a better view… or that is my wishful thinking.
Penny looked up and reported, "Bart has two models in stock and is prepared to sell them for ten thousand Galleons and a maintenance contract of ten years for two thousand Galleons a year."
I calculated a bit... I pretended to calculate a bit and said, "Deal; if that maintenance contract is for a maximum of ten units instead of two. We want to test one tomorrow after lunch at Hogwarts. Ask him how deep below the ground a reporter can broadcast without losing their signal. What about warded chambers below ground?"
Penny got face down in the fire again. Her skirt gave me a nice view of her upper legs, it barely masked her panties. Meh, eye candy is meant to be savored.
Penny stood up and said, "If Bart put a relay module on the castle grounds, it can go approximately two miles deep. For warded chambers, if a door stays open, the signal can get out."
I smiled, "Then you will have the privilege of being my personal reporter tomorrow when we visit the Chamber of Secrets and look at a thousand-year-old basilisk. I killed it in '93."
I called, "Dobby? Can you find Penny's apartment and bring her clothes and possessions here?"
"Dobby already did, Master Harry sir!" said Dobby, "Dobby cleaned the room next to Master's room, and put Mistress Penny's things in them. Did Dobby do good, Master Harry sir?"
"You did great, Dobby." I told Penny, "Penny, the rooms on my floor are small apartments. They have their own small living room, bathroom, and bedroom. You will have complete privacy. You are welcome to stay for as long as the Death Eaters are after you. No strings attached."
I frowned, "I thought you were with Percy Weasley. Does he live with you? Is he in danger too?"
Penny shook her head bitterly, "He broke up with me because having a relationship with a Muggleborn would damage his career. Even though my grandfather is a wizard of an old line. Father is a squib and Mother is one too. There are no Magicals in her line for as far as we can tell. That made me a Muggleborn."
I shrugged, "Screw that prick… No, forget about that fool, I always thought that Percy was dating above his station. He clearly did not deserve a fine smart witch like you. It is his loss, Penny. I predict that next year, around this day, you will be the most popular news anchor in Britain. Men will be groveling before your feet."
Penny giggled, "I hope you are right, Harry. Excuse me, I have to call my parents to tell them I am safe. Is there a phone booth around here?"
I searched my memory, "I remember passing one or two on the way to the station. Out the door, turn right. A five to ten-minute walk. I keyed you in the wards, Penny. Dinner will be ready when you return."
Xxxxx
When Penny was out the door, I asked the girls, "What do you think, girls?"
Ginny asked, "What will she be doing for you, Harry?"
I answered, "She will be a mobile reporter, broadcasting live on location. With a decent information network, she will arrive on crime scenes before the Aurors and give live coverage. Eventually, she and a few others will have their own channel. Covering Quidditch games or reporting on the Dueling circuit are among them."
Hermione commented, "Lee Jordan would love such a job. I bet Ron would not mind commenting on a Chudley Cannons game."
I chuckled, "Ron would pay to comment live on a Chudley Cannons game."
Hermione asked, "What will happen with the Wireless?"
I thought for a bit and speculated, "Two possibilities. They trash it to sow fear in the public, or they keep it in one piece to use it later for their propaganda. It depends on which side Voldemort got out of bed this morning."
Luna spoke up, "I told Daddy about the attack on the Wireless, he went there to investigate and to time when the aurors will arrive. He is good at disillusion spells."
I sighed, "I hope so for him, Luna. Those Death Eaters are mostly morons, but there are some capable among them. Snape, for one, is a skilled bastard."
Hermione announced, "I'll be coming over the day after tomorrow, Harry. I want to check what books are in your library."
I joked, "What? Not three months of power training? Or is it to keep an eye on me so I don't misbehave with Penny?"
Hermione stammered, "Of course not! I trust you! It is her I don't trust yet. I want to get to know her first."
I shrugged, "You know her, honey. She was a prefect when we were firsties. And the Head Girl in our third with Percy. They dated in their last two years, I think. You heard her, Percy ditched her for his ambition."
Xxxxx
I showed Penny around the house after dinner. The tour ended in her room. I said, "There are three House Elves, one is a pureblood obsessed prick named Kreacher, one you know already, Dobby. And one that is freshly bonded and is currently recovering from the trauma of being free. It will take a few weeks and extra care, but she is Winky. Winky will be responsible for taking care of every female in the house when she gets better."
I warned her, "The library is a bit tricky, some of the books have nasty spells on them, some are for Blacks only. If a book feels hostile, it would be prudent not to touch it. You can take up to three books in your room for as long as a week, then they will automatically return. Don't take them out of the house. The house won't like it, nor the person that takes them out."
Mundungus Fletcher kept it to stealing cutlery after he got zapped for stealing a book. He will meet my wand one of these days. Too bad Sirius did not care that Fletcher was robbing him. There are anti-theft charms on the valuables, but if the owner doesn't care about them, that is permitting them to take them out of the house unpunished.
Penny inspected her new room. I warned her, "Dumbledore was here in this house. Check your chambers for listening spells. There may be other surprises he may have left behind. I have to do that with the rest of the house."
Penny nodded, "I will start now. Thank you for the warning. I had to do that regularly when I was Head Girl at Hogwarts. He was good at masking his magic signature."
Xxxxx
I stood in front of the painting of Phineas Black, Headmaster of the shortest tenure in Hogwarts history. He was kindly asked to resign after a few terms. I said, "Come here, Phineas, I know you are listening and spying for that old bastard."
Phineas came in his frame, "What do you want, boy? Are you disgracing House Black?"
I shook my head, "No, you already did that in the past. I am asking, are you doing that now, too? Where are your loyalties, Phineas? Black or Dumbledore, it can not be both."
Reluctantly, he answered, "It was always Black, boy. But every Headmaster had to swear loyalty to the current Headmaster and aid him or her in their tasks."
I asked, "Does that include his tasks at the Wizengamot or the ICW? Are you compelled to do, or hide crimes for him?"
That got me a minute of silence. I shook my head, "Tomorrow, your frame will go to Gringotts with a note stuck on it. Here is headmaster Phineas Black, betrayer of House Black. Talk to it at your own risk. If I find out you spilled what you heard between Penny and me, I will destroy every painting of you, including the one at Hogwarts. Fuck you, Phineas, tell that old goat to fuck his pet."
I spent the rest of the evening casting detection spells and removing listening spells. Again, I wonder how Dumbledore manages all those spells, listening to three girls at the same time gave me a headache. If you are married and a bloke, you'd understand. The naughty stuff made up for the headaches, though.
Xxxxx
That night, Hermione was extra slutty, probably feeling pressure about Penny staying under the same roof as me. She asked, "Harry? What do you know about bondage?"
I answered, "Bondage? Only that it is about tying your partner up with complicated knots. Tell me, is my slut curious about how it feels to be bonded and being helplessly dependent at my mercy? I would drip candle wax on your nipples, put my fingers in your cunt and let you lick them, I would fuck your mouth, and you could do nothing about it."
I chuckled, "I'm going to try that out one of these years, little bitch. I am going to tie you up on a bed and let Ginny and Luna ravage you. They will sit on your face or eat you out. Don't tell me… You want to get spanked?" Tell me, slut! What do you want?"
Hermione panted, "I want it all, Harry! Oh, Circe, I am cumming just thinking about it!"
"Then cum for us, Hermione, Cum for Ginny, who will ride your face, Cum for Luna, who will eat your cunt out."
Luna remarked, "I will be using a strap-on, Harry."
I laughed, "You heard that, Hermione? No, you can't hear them. Luna will be using a strap-on. I will be in front, and Luna will enter from behind. You will be the meat of our sandwich."
Yep, that did it. Hermione rode the pleasure train and came multiple times. So did the others. Dirty talk during masturbation is better than keeping silent and doing some heavy breathing. Hermione was in her own fantasy world getting it from three sides.
Xxxxx
Penny asked the next morning at breakfast, "Who else is living here besides us, Harry?"
I answered, "Nobody but us and the elves, Penny. Why do you ask?"
Penny blushed and said, "I heard you talking to someone last night."
I sighed, not one night, and I am exposed. I held my hand up and said, "I have listening charms on my hand and put listening charms on a few of my friends. That way, we keep in contact. We might have let it get out of hand last night. I will silence my room next time."
Luna giggled, "I bet she was rubbing one off at Harry's comments."
Ginny complained, "We should have put some listening spells on Hermione, she has a wild fantasy. Let's do that when we meet her again!"
Penny was stunned, "I did not realize those spells could be used like that."
I nodded, "It gets confusing sometimes when all three are talking to someone at the same time."
Xxxxx
Right after breakfast, we flood to the Ministry and visited the DMLE. Rufus Scrimgeour, the new director, let us into his office. "What can we do for you, Lord Black?"
I asked, "Lord Scrimgeour, when was the last time you scanned for listening spells?"
Rufus answered, "I check it every morning."
I nodded and stated my complaint, "Yesterday, the office of the Wireless was attacked by Death Eaters. An employee escaped and came to me. At six thirty yesterday afternoon, I alerted Auror Shacklebolt with a Patronus and demanded an intervention from the Auror department. When did the Aurors arrive on site? And what is the result of that intervention?"
Rufus asked a counter question, "What business is the wireless to you, Lord Black? You are a minor shareholder and are not entitled to receive an investigation report of our Department."
I sighed, "55% of the Wireless is in possession of House Black and House Potter. That should be enough, plus my seats at the Wizengamot support that right. We came here to inquire if Auror Shacklebolt did his duty and took action. If not, then I will file an official complaint to Shacklebolt and this department. For aiding a terrorist organization."
Rufus felt the heat and covered his bases. He checked his papers, "Auror Shacklebolt reported the attack at seven fifteen. Lord Black. We arrived on scene at seven twenty-five."
I shook my head, "Almost an hour after I reported it? Is this department filled with snails and turtles? I am filing an official complaint against Auror Shacklebolt. Not only is he intentionally obstructing the DMLE, he is aiding the terrorist organization led by Tom Riddle."
I raised my finger, "That is not all he did. Last year and this year, he led the search for Sirius Black, reporting false leads, knowing that Sirius Black was innocent and put in Azkaban without a trial. He met Sirius Black multiple times, both being part of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix."
I stood up, "Instead of proving his innocence, which he easily could have done, he kept Sirius Black on the run, causing him to die in the raid at the Department of Mysteries. That is reason enough to fire that traitor's ass, I think. And yes, I saw them together last year in August."
Rufus got cold feet and pushed a button, "Anne! Get Minister Bones here five minutes ago, and call in Shacklebolt!"
Shacklebolt was the first to arrive and paled when he recognized me. Rufus told him, "We wait for Amelia before we can start, Kingsley. You'd better start rehearsing your story."
Xxxxx
Two minutes later, Minister Bones arrived, "What is so urgent or important that you need me here, Rufus?"
Rufus pointed at me, "Lord Black made serious accusations against Senior Auror Shacklebolt. Two accusations, to be precise. The first was to drag his feet to respond to a Death Eater attack. He reported it in forty-five minutes after he was alerted to that attack by a Patronus of Lord Black."
He glared at Shacklebolt, "Secondly, he was in charge of the search for Sirius Black. Instead of investigating his innocence, he reported false sightings to keep the former Lord Black on the run. Lord Black declared that he saw Shacklebolt and Sirius Black last year in August together in the same room. Amelia, they were both in the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's band of fools."
Minister Bones turned to Shacklebolt, "Explain, Kingsley. Why were you forty-five minutes late? You could have sent a Patronus to the office, and the Aurors would be on site within ten minutes."
Kingsley swallowed, "I suspected that it was a false report from Harry. To cause trouble for us."
I laughed, "No, Dumbledore told you to wait because Snape was leading that raid. Try again."
Kingsley kept it stubbornly at his flimsy reason.
Minister Bones said, "And the Merry-go-round you led with Sirius Black? Why didn't you come forward with the proof of his innocence?"
Shacklebolt reasoned, "Because Minister Fudge would let the proof disappear, Malfoy was too close to the minister to risk turning Black in."
Amelia got in front of Shacklebolt, "Are you suggesting that I would have Black killed while I led this department, Kingsley? Or was it Dumbledore who told you what to do? Where are your priorities, Kingsley? Here or at Hogwarts?"
Kingsley stiffly stated, "I am fighting Evil, Amelia. You Know Who has to be stopped. Dumbledore is our best chance to stop him."
Minister Bones asked, "How? By letting Death Eaters destroy the wireless? Keeping an innocent man on the run for more than a year? Rufus, you know what to do."
Rufus sighed, "Turn your badge in, Mr. Shacklebolt. You are fired. There will be a hearing at the next Wizengamot about your actions, where it will be decided to put criminal charges on you. You have one hour to clear your desk."
When Kingsley was gone, I said, "I want Snape arrested. Miss Penelope Clearwater recognized him as the leader of the raid. She interviewed me yesterday, and my answers caused that raid. I told her to call my House Elf if she was in danger. They attacked right before closing time of the office. Miss Clearwater was a target and was just in time to call my Elf. I sent the Patronus to Shacklebolt, he was the highest-ranking Auror I knew."
Penny confirmed it, "I recognized Snape by his hair and by his manners. Nobody can fake those. I recognized his voice and his wand. If you spent five years in that man's dungeon, then you know what he is like."
Rufus remarked, "What I don't understand is why Kingsley waited that long to react."
I answered, "Because Snape is spying for Dumbledore, and occasionally has to prove his loyalty to Voldemort by killing some people. Emeline Vance and Sturgis Pudmore, to name a few. Sacrifices for the greater good. Both members of Dumbledore's club."
I turned to Minister Bones, "Minister Bones, this Summer you will be attacked at your home and killed. No, I am not a seer, it is plain logic. You can not be bribed, so you have to go. Make no mistake, Minister, there are Death Eaters in the DMLE and the Ministry. Yaxley, for example, is an inner circle. So is McNair. The Carrows and Avery, Crabbe, Goyle, Rowle, Gibbon, Selwyn, Travers, Runcorn. In fact, almost all who bribed their way out with the imperius scam."
I looked at her and explained, "They will close the Floo, and your Death Eater Aurors will stab you in the back. They will also use imperioused Ministry officials and polyjuice. I would let the department of Mysteries search for a way to detect them."
Penny added, "Dogs are good for sniffing out Polyjuice. The Muggles use them to search for illegal narcotics."
Minister Bones paled, "At least two you named are in my security guard!"
I commented, "A few imperios, and all your guards turn into your murderers. You will not survive the summer this way, nor will the Director."
Rufus got cold feet and suggested, "We have to root them out before they do it to us, Amelia."
I suggested, "Let them swear on their Magic not to be a willing part of the Death Eaters. Your Aurors need to swear that at least."
We left both with big worries. I did suggest some solutions, no? Well, some were whispered by Hermione. But who could prove that? I will give her credit later. Got to buy some rope soon.
Xxxxx
We had an escort to Gringotts and entered the bank. I gave a list of the people I expected to Sharpfang. My first stop was Bluntaxe. Snotface led me to him. I handed Phineas's frame to put in the vault and signed the contract to repo the Death Eater's money they owe House Black.
Bluntaxe said, "The first notifications are sent right now. Everyone in default has a week to pay all the penalties and the original amount they were due. After that week, we take up arms.
Snotface led us to Blooddagger's office after the meeting. We were still a bit early, so I introduced Penny to Blooddagger.
Then I announced, "I am planning to take Miss Clearwater under House Potter protection, Blooddagger. Yesterday she interviewed me and got in trouble for it. She is taking shelter in my home as a house guest."
Blooddagger chuckled, "I heard a recording of that interview, Heir Potter. Dumbledore used his enemy's knife to take revenge."
I laughed, "We took our pound of flesh too, Blooddagger. I exposed Kingsley Shacklebolt as a member of Dumbledore's order of cowards, and Miss Clearwater identified Snape as the leader of the Raid to the DMLE. Shacklebolt got sacked."
One by one, our guests arrived. Xenophilius Lovegood and Luna, who gave me a quick hug, The Patils with Parvati and Padma, they seem to have a little brother. Two small hugs later, the Su family entered. The parents, Li, and two younger brothers. No hug from her, even though she was in the DA. Meh, I can't have them all. A smile and a nod are OK too.
The lawyers arrived, four of them, the leader introduced himself, "Good day, Lord Black, I am Howard Dowy from Howy Dowy Screwam law firm. These are my partners, Walt Howy and the brothers Bert and Ernie Screwam. I believe you have evidence for us?"
I nodded, "It will become available when I take up my Lordship for House Potter. That won't take long. Ah, there are the last ones." I said.
I saw Arthur come in with Ginny. The jealous prick did not come along, he is probably spending his Galleons. Ginny gave me a big hug. That's my girl!
Blooddagger said, "There are enough witnesses to have a quota. It will allow Heir Potter to claim his Lordship. I ask for the record, does everyone agree for Heir Potter to take his Lordship?"
Blooddagger heard confirmation from everyone. He commented, "Due to Heir Potter's emancipation and his Lordship of House Black, it could not have been stopped, but the rules have to be followed."
Blooddagger presented me with the Lord's ring, "Put the ring on your finger, Heir Potter. Once it accepts you, all you have to do is sign a stack of parchment."
He looked around when my ring fitted nicely on my finger. "Please, sign these papers as witnesses to Heir Potter's elevation to Lord Potter."
Once that was done, I asked, "Lord Patil, Lord Su, do you have a preference on what seat you want to be a Proxy? I have Potter and Black that need one."
Lord Su held his hand up and asked, "Can you tell me first why you made this offer to us?"
I nodded, "Certainly. As you know, I am targeted by Tom Riddle and his Death Eaters. My friend Luna Lovegood recommended you. Both your families have a large backing from your homeland. They would not dare to go after you. Tom Riddle is not a fool. As I wrote in my letter, I need a Proxy for ten years for Potter and Black."
Lord Patil asked, while pointing to Arthur, "Why not ask Lord Weasley and Lord Lovegood?"
I shrugged, "Lord Lovegood would be too vulnerable, he has almost no backing, and Lord Weasley is, I am sorry to say, in Dumbledore's pocket. As I said, any Proxy needs to have serious backing. Luna also said that it will give you a foot in the door of the Wizengamot."
Lord Patil slowly nodded, "Miss Lovegood is right. Even when we are the second generation in Britain, we have a large family in India. I would prefer House Black if Lord Su doesn't mind."
Lord Su said, "Then the Potter Proxy is mine. Where do I sign?"
Blooddagger presented the parchment. A few signatures later, I said, "Blooddagger, do you have a copy of my parents will?"
Blooddagger grinned, "I have, Lord Potter. I made certified copies for every Lord here present."
I pointed at the Lawyers, "Make certain they get one too. Then there is the illegal marriage contract Dumbledore made between Ginny Weasley and me that needs to be destroyed. I void all blame on the Weasleys' side because they signed it in good faith, trusting Dumbledore. Also, I am good friends with the family and don't rule out a relationship with Miss Weasley."
Everyone started reading the Will and understood the implications. Lord Su chuckled, "Great, my first deed in the Wizengamot is sacking the Chief Warlock. That will make big waves."
Lord Patil asked me, "Lord Potter, is there a chance of tightening our family ties? I believe you asked my Parvati to the Yule ball two years ago."
I sighed, "And it was a disaster, Lord Patil. I sat at the champions' table and felt like a fraud. Plus, as Miss Parvati can confirm, I can not dance to save my life. She did not have a good time, nor did Miss Padma."
"Plus," I added, "I am invested in three girls to see if we can work things out. It is fresh, but I want to find out if we have a chance."
Parvati protested, "Father, you promised us to wait until we graduate to find a husband for us. We still have two years to find someone we love. We are good friends with Harry, without him, we would have failed our Dada Owl."
Lord Su commented, "My Li is already betrothed. Being a Proxy is enough for now."
Howard Dewy asked, "This will do, Lord Potter, or do you have more evidence?"
Blooddagger gave them a stack of parchment, "Ten thousand Galleons each year without one knut going to Lord Potter's care. There is a curse in Lord Potter's scar that could have been removed the first week he got it in 81, now it needs a team of Master Curse Breakers with a month of preparations. Thanks to Dumbledore's willful neglect."
I announced, "We have to make a stop at Bluntaxe to sign the Proxy to Lord Patil, then we will accompany a team of Gringots to apprise a Basilisk carcass. You are all invited to come along."
5 Basilisk tales.
Blooddagger reminded me, "The appraisers will arrive at Hogwarts gate at twelve thirty, Lord Potter. Don't be late."
Bluntaxe had the papers ready and got them signed in less than ten minutes. Once outside, I proposed, "We can have a few snacks at the Three Broomsticks until it is time. Penny reserved a private meeting room."
Xxxxx
We arrived at Rosmerta by floo and were led to our Private room. I had my cloak on to hide my presence to prevent spies from spotting me. Bart was waiting with his portable radio station in the room. It was a real portable station. I expected a big box like those boombox radios of the eighties, this was a small, close-packed box with a lot of buttons.
I shook his hands and complimented him. "It looks more compact than I thought it would be. It is a real portable station! What is its range?"
Bart patted the station, "At full power, this has a reach of a thousand miles, Lord Black. We can cover Europe if we use relay stations. It works on the Magic Power of the reporter. Penny is strong enough to cover at least nine hundred miles, maybe even more."
I filled the rest in, "At twelve thirty, we, and a team from Gringotts, will visit the legendary Chambers of Secrets. Miss Penelope Clearwater will be reporting it live on the Wireless thanks to this portable broadcast station. In a few moments, she will go live on the air and explain the new setup to the listeners."
Xxxxx
We had a nice lunch and went to the gate ahead of time. Penny lagged behind. She was doing her introductions to the public. Our approach must have sounded an alarm, because Hagrid came to the Gate, "Harry? What are you be doing here? Why aren't you at home? What is all this?"
Mr Howard Dowy answered in my place. "Lord Potter claimed the carcass of the Basilisk he killed in the Chamber of Secrets, Mr Hagrid. We are here to see what can be salvaged from the carcass. Ah! There are the Gringotts appraisers. Kindly open the Gate, Mr Hagrid."
Hagrid shook his head, "Headmaster Dumbledore said to keep everyone out."
Penny said, "Mr Hagrid, you are live on the Wireless, can you explain to the listeners why Dumbledore refuses entry to Six Lords, a few of them will be on the Board of Governors. Do you want to risk Azkaban?"
When Hagrid refused to answer, I asked, "Hagrid, did you never wonder why Dumbledore didn't clear your name? Dead by an acromantula bite is different from death by Basilisk stare, and you had a witness by Moaning Myrtle. He could have cleared your name the moment he became Headmaster. Why didn't he clear your name? To have a cheap, loyal slave? Open the Gate, Hagrid."
"Hagrid stammered, "Dumbledore wouldn't do that! He is a great Headmaster! He gave me this job when nobody else wanted me!"
Howard Dowy pointed out, "He made certain that nobody wanted you, Hagrid. Men like you are in high demand at the Dragon preserves, with better pay, no doubt."
When Hagrid still didn't move, I shot my last arrow, "Hagrid? Who is going to take the blame for that illegal Acromantula silk farm you and Dumbledore are running, not two miles in the Forbidden Forest? Whose pet started that farm? You'd better start running, Hagrid, because the DMLE is listening too. Oh, did I mention that those Acromantula are running free in that Forest? How many Unicorns and Centaurs did they eat already, Gamekeeper? Who knows about your brother?"
A cheap shot, I know, but he asked for it. Hagrid was cornered and did not know what to do anymore. I got fed up and called out loud, Dobby? Ah, Dobby, would you please transport us to the other side of the gate?" A few pops later, we were inside. "Thank you, Dobby."
I looked coolly at Hagrid, "You'd better start running to Madame Maxime, Hagrid, you are facing ten years at Azkaban if you stay, maybe longer. I didn't forget that Aragog did not refuse his kids fresh meat that came into his nest. The meat being me and Ron."
The Gringotts team leader said, "Let's go, time is money."
Xxxxx
Dumbledore and McGonagall were waiting for us at the castle front door. Dumbledore frowned at the size of the group, "What is the meaning of this invasion? Are you attacking Hogwarts? You illegally breached the gates. This can be seen as an attack on the school!"
Howard Dowy presented Dumbledore with an envelope. "The late Lord Black started a lawsuit against you, Dumbledore. You embezzled a hundred and thirty thousand Galleons from Heir Potter. Ten thousand Galleons each year. Not only that, you went completely against the Will of the Potters and abused your station to block the will."
Howard was having fun, Penny stood next to him with her microphone so the listeners at home could hear everything. "The Will clearly said that you were the one who cast the Fidelius, and Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper. Sirius Black would act as a decoy. That alone proves that you are responsible for the Late Lord Black's stay in Azkaban."
McGonagall gasped, "Albus! Surely you did not do such a thing!"
Howard Dowy was not finished, "Not only that, he arranged that the boy, Heir Potter, was placed at a Magic-hating family, where he was abused for more than ten years. He told me that his Hogwarts letter was addressed to his cupboard under the stairs. The place he slept for ten years. We can clearly say that Dumbledore is a Dark Lord. His actions over the last fifteen years are from a Dark Lord."
Dumbledore looked coolly at Howard Dowy, "All my actions were done for the greater good of the Wizarding World, Mr Dowy. All had to be done to save our world from destruction."
Lord Su spoke up, "You broke multiple laws, Dumbledore. As Proxy of Lord Potter, I second the lawsuit against you. Most of the crimes you committed were against Lord Potter and the Late Lord Sirius Black."
Arthur Weasley wanted to show whose side he is on, commented, "Albus, we are not trespassing, Lord Potter and Black have hereditary seats on the Board of Governors. It is in his right to inspect the grounds and the Castle."
I grinned when I presented my rings. "Headmaster Dumbledore, yesterday, Potion Professor Snape was leading an attack on the Wireless with a group of Death Eaters. You will let the DMLE arrest Snape. You will not grant him Sanctuary. In fact, I would start to worry about your own skin. Now step aside, we have work to do."
I said loudly at McGonagall, "Don't you think I forgot about you and Pomfrey, McGonagall! Both of you neglected me and did not act when my dorm mates and Quidditch teammates reported the scars on my body."
Penny reported happily, "Dear Listeners, this is unheard of! How is it possible to hide so many crimes from the public? Headmaster Dumbledore used his three jobs as a cover for his crimes. A fallen Hero. It looks like Deputy Headmistress is not without blame either. As the head of her house, she should have acted when someone reported scars on a child's back."
We entered Myrtle's bathroom. I pointed at the sink and commented, "This sink is the secret passage to the Chamber of Secrets. § Open! Stairs! Light! § It opens with a Parseltongue spoken word. Opening it is simple, conjure a snake with serpentsorta and the snake will open any door."
Penny said, "Let's hope they were not so smart to think of that, Lord Potter. It would be disappointing to find the chamber empty. Lead the way, Sirs."
Xxxxx
The chamber was a disappointment, all that was left was a pile of bones of a very large snake. Ah! The appraisers found a room with stasis charms, filled with Basilisk parts.
I chuckled, "Snape and Dumbledore must have been waiting for Voldemort to be gone before selling this Basilisk."
Or for me to be dead, I said to Penny when she was done describing the Basilisk, mostly the size of it, "Dumbledore's Phoenix came in this room when I was fighting this Basilisk. Instead of coming himself, he sent the sorting hat along. They must have stored it until several years have passed for my claim to be invalid."
An appraiser heard me and said, "Five years for a carcass like this, Lord Potter. It would take that long for all parts to become worthless. We suggest transporting it all to Gringotts. Dumbledore can transport it to somewhere else now that he is exposed."
Lord Patil and Lord Su had been whispering and came to me when they heard of the transport. Lord Patil said, "As the Proxies of Lord Potter and Black, we demand that the sale of this basilisk be done internationally. China and India have a large community, and Basilisk parts are in high demand. If Gringotts can manage the sales, we will agree, if not, we offer our contacts to start an auction."
The negotiations took half an hour, live on the wireless. That was something new for the listeners. It gave them a new view on Gringotts, and a new respect for the Patils and the Su families. The Goblins started to portkey the parts to Gringotts. The auction will be at the end of August.
What worried me was the five girls whispering in a corner. Luna and Ginny held their hand with my spell on their back, so I could not listen in.
Xeno Lovegood and Arthur Weasley were exploring the chamber, at their question, I opened the statue where the Basilisk used to rest. Too bad, the only thing inside was a few shed skins.
Xxxxx
We came back into Myrtle's bathroom, there was no sign of Dumbledore or McGonagall. They must have found out they were live on the wireless, and it did not promote their innocence. I told the Lords my Floo address and said I would key them in the Wards as visitors.
At the Three Broomsticks, Madam Rosmerta said, "That was disturbing! We heard loud and clear what crimes Dumbledore and Hagrid are responsible for. Acromantula running loose in the forbidden forest? That is not three miles from here! Hagrid is a simple mind, but Dumbledore should have known better. We called the DMLE to investigate."
Xxxxx
Penny ended the broadcast when we flooded home. "Dear listeners, we ask you to be patient. Yesterday, Severus Snape, the Potion Professor at Hogwarts, led a Death Eater raid on the offices of the Wireless and damaged our equipment. We are reorganizing and using new ways to entertain you like before."
She went to me and said, "I am standing next to Lord Potter Black. Both houses combined have ownership of 55% in the company. He took charge of the reorganization. Lord Potter, can you explain some of the details?"
I answered, "I can, Miss Clearwater. We are investing in portable transmitters that reporters can use on site, like what you just did in the Chamber of Secrets. We can report live at Quidditch games or concerts. Live broadcasting of the Wizengamot will be a regular program. Instead of one channel, we plan to use three channels for the wireless, one focused on the general public, one for people under thirty, and one for seniors. So that everyone can find a channel that suits them."
I added, "I will contact the other shareholders to let them share the costs. I am willing to buy their shares if they don't want to risk it. We will put the repair of the damaged emitter on hold until the Death Eaters and their Muggleborn Master are dealt with."
Penny asked, "Muggleborn? Do you mean You Know Who is a Muggleborn? Why is he so set on killing all Muggleborn?"
I smiled at Penny, "He is pretending to be a pureblood, claiming to be Slytherin's heir. Rubbish, really. If he were the real heir, he would have been Lord Slytherin at seventeen years old, and yet he is still yapping to be the heir. He spent seven years as a Muggleborn in Slytherin, you can imagine what his first years must have been like."
Penny said, "If they were the same blood bigots as the ones today, that boy must have seen hell. That makes me wonder, why is he leading the pure blood movement? It makes no sense!"
I pointed out, "It is when you count the Houses that are wiped out, or are on the brink of destruction. Malfoy, Bones, Longbottom, Potter, for example, are the last ones of their line. Crabbe, Goyle, and the Carrows are so inbred that their offspring are magically weak or squibs. The McKinnons, Shafiqs, Crouch, and Prewet are wiped out, along with plenty of lesser Houses."
I summarized, "By creating discord between the factions, he managed to get more purebloods killed than Grindelwald in Britain. To be honest, there is a weak link with Slytherin. His Mother was a squib from the Gaunts, a distant cadet line from Slytherin. The Purebloods know about the Gaunts, they were so obsessed with being pure, they married their sisters for generations and ended up batshit crazy, with a string of squibs."
My last jab at Voldemort was, "His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, born in 26, in an orphanage. If you rearrange the letters, you get I am Lord Voldemort, a childish anagram he came up with in his fifth or sixth year."
Penny gasped at the right moments and ended the broadcast, "Dear Listeners, We will end this live broadcast. Stay alert and stay safe. Lord Potter has sent our regular employees on a paid vacation for two months. He needs that long for the reorganization, so we will occasionally start broadcasting our programs on the air. Stay tuned, stay safe. Goodbye."
Penny turned it off and asked, "Are we safe here, Harry? You pissed off two powerful men. The moment you stick your head out, it will be chopped off by one of those two."
I comforted her, "The War wards are activated, only the ones I keyed in are allowed entry. Anyone with hostile intent toward us will be ejected the moment they show it. This is a Black house, not many dared to break in. I removed Dumbledore's Fidelius from the house too. Dumbledore was the secret keeper, and yeah, you can't trust him."
I changed the subject, "What do you think about your performance? You did a great job, in my opinion. I told Bart that I will buy five of those portable radio stations to start with. You can collect them and bring them here when they are finished. Now, excuse me, I have to key my new allies in the wards."
Xxxxx
Ginny said, "Harry, Bill is putting new wards around our house. At the moment, only my brothers and I are keyed in. A lot of people listened to the wireless, Harry. You got the message out, but you put yourself in danger. Are you really safe?"
I answered, "As safe as I can be, Ginny. Tell me, what were you whispering with Luna, the twins, and Li? I noticed that you did not want me to listen."
Ginny giggled, "If you noticed that, why do you think I want you to know it now? Girl talk is not for boys, Potter."
Luna chipped in, "Nothing you should worry about, Hubby. We will be visiting you tomorrow. We can't trust you to be alone with Hermione. That slut would take advantage of the situation, and we want to watch."
Confused, I asked, "You want to watch what, Luna?"
Luna laughed, "Do you have to ask, Harry? She and you were driving us mad with your dirty plays."
I groaned, "My two innocent maidens are turning to the perverted side! Hermione turned them into little pervs!"
Hermione complained, "Hey! Keep me out of this! Remember, it was Luna who asked for that listening charm on her hand, and Ginny was not far behind."
I thought for a bit, and she is right! "You know, Hermione, those two maidens may be more slutty than you, it is as you said, they asked for that charm first. Well, it was fun, but I have some research to do before dinner."
Xxxxx
Yeah, research about listening spells, Dumbledore is casting them more than he eats his lemon drops. I found a good book about it, the title said it all: To Hear Everything, by Estelle Black. I found a listening spell that can be toggled on and off, and had a replay of a day at an adjustable speed. That way, you can hear what is important.
Not exactly what I need, I want to experience their naughtiness live, not in replay. But I can guess it is the one Dumbledore is using. I have to get used to having three voices in my head.
At dinner, I said to Penny, "Can you arrange a meeting with the employees of the Wireless, Penny? Say three days from now in a room of the Leaky Cauldron at ten o'clock. How many are working there anyway?"
"Around twenty people full-time, Harry. I will spread the word about the meeting. What is going to be discussed?" she asked.
I told her what was on my mind. "The two extra channels, and how we can use the mobile transmitters. There must also be something that can be played when nothing important is going on, like music. The Muggle stations do that all of the time. They even tune them to specific age groups."
I added, "This way we can start the station back up. The transmitters have to keep mobile. I was thinking about installing one inside a Van that is focused on playing Music. If the Death Eaters try to locate the transmitter, they will have a hard time when it moves from place to place, never staying in one place long enough to be tracked."
Penny shook her head, "Those are all purebloods, Harry. They don't know the difference between the front and the backside of a car. Then you have to hire a driver and a technician. Playing music in a van is hard too, the record players can't stand vibrations, and songs from a tape recorder are of bad quality. We have to use CD players."
I nodded, "Using CDs was my first thought. They are the most popular at the moment."
Penny frowned, "That is going to cost a lot, the company is just breaking even. Buying CDs will take most of the budget, it is not that the wireless earn a lot of money from commercials. There are not that many companies that want to spend money advertising, most go to the Prophet and Teen Witch Weekly. The Ministry sometimes sponsors an event, but nothing we can live on."
I asked, "Penny? If everyone is a pureblood, how did you get your job?"
Penny blushed, "Grandpa pulled some strings. He is friends with the father of the current manager. To be honest, you were my first real job there. I was pushing papers and filing them, sometimes researching about a news item."
I gathered my thoughts, "It is not that we have to pay authors' rights to the Muggles, and we can make permanent copies of CDs. That way, getting Music will be cheap. We aren't going to use them on the Muggle side anyway."
Penny giggled, "Lord Black, you are going Rogue! Stealing Music from the Muggles."
I grinned, "Turnabout is fair play, the purebloods claim they steal our Magic, so I take some back."
Xxxxx
At night, Penny was about to go to bed when she heard a noise. She rolled her eyes, "Again?"
She got curious about where the noise came from... her wardrobe? She opened her wardrobe, which was a walk-in type. The sound was louder at the back. She pressed her hand against the rear panel and put her ear to it. The pressure made the panel click and open. Slowly, Penny opened the panel and looked at what was behind. It was another wardrobe! Carefully, she went to the door and listened.
Penny heard Harry's voice, "Faster, Ginny! I need to hear your fingers move in your pussy! I wish it were my Dude doing that right now. Luna, don't you dare to stop! I want my two maidens cum at the same time while I am imagining Hermione is sucking my Dude. Hermione, swallow it all!"
What the hell is he doing? That is what those listening charms are for? It is not to talk, but to have long-distance sex? Penny spent an hour listening to the dirty talk and silently went back to her room. She fell asleep after a few hours and some cleaning spells.
Xxxxx
Hermione popped in after breakfast, ten minutes later, Luna and Ginny flooded into the room. I asked, Ginny? Does your Mum know where you are? Does it show on the family clock?"
Ginny shook her head, "I slept overnight at Luna, the clock shows visiting, not who I am visiting."
Hermione asked, "Where is Penelope?"
"Out on an errand, and contacting the employees from the Wireless," was my answer. Then I asked, "Are you here to select your books?"
Hermione shook her head, "That can wait, first I have to know what books there are to choose from."
I warned her, "Careful, Honey, there are some nasty books on the shelves, and some Black Only books. They give a nasty shock if a non Black takes them. They have a special sigil on the spine. I'll show it in a minute."
I looked at the girls and asked, "Ginny, Luna? What are your plans for the day?"
Luna answered, "We were planning to talk to Penny to get to know her better, but now we have to wait for the others to arrive."
Puzzled, I asked, "Others, who?"
"The Patil twins and Li. They might bring their brothers with them," answered Luna.
I called out, "Kreacher?"
"What would halfblood Master be needing?" complained the shit.
I told him, "If there is a game room in the house, you have to prepare it for three young boys. And Kreacher, their lines go way back, more than three thousand years. That is more than the Malfoys can say. They were still shagging goats in the Alps three centuries ago. Be on your best behavior."
Kreacher bowed, "Kreacher will take care of the pureblood scions. Kreacher will prepare the Game Room."
Ginny giggled, "I hope he doesn't prepare the torture room for the boys. I didn't even know there was a Game room, and I spent last summer cleaning this place."
I explained, "Sirius closed whole sections of the house when he allowed the Order to meet here. This house has five floors and two basements. Sirius allowed access to only three floors and no basement."
I added, "He also closed a big part of the library. That is a feature most old mansions have when they hold a ball or have a gathering. Currently, I am sleeping in the guest quarters on the fourth floor. The Master bedrooms are a mess thanks to Buckbeak. It will be a while before the damage is repaired."
Ginny's eyes shone, "We can explore the house!"
I laughed, "Then I suggest you arm yourself, those extra floors are not completely cleaned yet. There are still vermin living in them. Only half of the fourth floor is cleaned. But, on the bright side, I'll allow the use of your wands."
Hmm? Where did my slut go? I got to learn to say Hermione again, or I mess it up in Hogwarts. I bet she is in the library. The others gave me the slip too! I am all alone… meh, I have a lot to study about being a Lord. It is more work than I expected.
Xxxxx
Two hours later, three Patils flood in: Parvati, Padma, and Vivaan, an eight-year-old boy. Dobby called me when they flooded in.
I entered the room and welcomed them, "Welcome, Miss Parvati, Miss Padma, you both look radiant. I can not say who is more beautiful, the difference is too small. Hello, Master Vivaan, can you keep your sisters apart?"
Vivaan nodded, "I can. Not by their looks, but by their behavior and the way they talk. And by the way they dress, of course."
At that moment, Li flooded in with her brothers, Eight-year-old Jin and nine-year-old Chen. "Welcome, Li, you look pretty today. Hello, Masters Jin and Chen. Welcome to my home."
I looked at everyone and said, "A fair warning, this house has been uninhabited for more than a decade. The old house elf was forbidden to clean it. As a result, there are a lot of sections of the house that harbor some nasty creatures. Not deadly ones, we got rid of those, but you can encounter a pixie or doxy in dark corners."
I pointed at Padma and Li, "The library is through that door, but beware, there are Black Only books. They have a sigil on the spine, and some books are hostile."
I called out, "Dobby? Ah, Dobby, meet Vivaan, Jin, and Chen. Show them the Games room and help Kreacher to keep it safe for the boys."
Hmm? Padma and Li are gone already? I asked Parvati, "They are in the library, perhaps?"
Parvati giggled, "They are Ravenclaws, Harry. Come, show them the dangerous books, before we have to take them to St Mungo's."
Xxxxx
We entered the library and found three girls on couches with their noses in a book. I took a book from a shelf and said, "Can I have your attention? Books with this Sigil on the spine are Black only. Meaning you have to be Black or be married to one. Happy reading. Come, Parvati, let's find the others."
Outside the Library, Parvati asked, "How will you find them, Harry?"
I grinned, "Expecto Patronum! Ginny, Luna, where are you?"
My Stag left, a Doe returned, Ginny's voice said, "In the lowest basement. Harry."
Parvati chuckled, "You know what they say about paired Patronuses, don't you?"
I smiled at her, "What? Is yours a Doe too?"
Parvati giggled, "Why do you ask, Harry? Are you gathering a herd?"
I held five fingers up, "There are five available girls in my house already, you can say I am making progress."
Parvati stomped on my arm, "Since when did you become such a smooth talker? You can give Zabini competition with it."
I joked, "Does it work? Show me your Patronus, Parvati!"
Parvati blushed, "Stupid, now it looks like you asked to see if we are fated."
I patted her back, "Never mind, Parvati. I still owe you for that Yule ball disaster. I have some serious mending to do. Friends?"
Parvati asked, "Just friends?"
I shook my head, "Nope, take your pick, best friends, bosom friends, casual friends, friends with benefits, lifetime friends. Did you hear one you like?"
Parvati stomped on my arm again, "You perv! You had to mention friends with benefits, did you?"
I grinned, "And I would be happy to give those benefits, Parvati. You are smoking hot, it would not be a chore, I can tell you that."
Parvati chuckled, "I am happy that you are not broody anymore. Last term, you had quite the temper. Ah, we arrived, hello Ginny and Luna… what in Shiva's name are you girls doing tied up in a torture room?"