T wo years later ...
June 2008
"– the concept of Elemental Transfiguration would apply in the case
of food as well. While it is not possible to conjure food according to
Gamp's second law of Elemental Transfiguration, it is quite possible
to conjure or transfigure our surroundings for food," explained Harry
as he demonstrated and proved his hypothesis to the members of
the International Transfiguration Committee for Aspiring Masters .
"This does not disprove the second law, but it does make it an
exception. While cooked food cannot be conjured, plants and
animals can be transfigured from our surroundings and can be used
as food. Since we are transfiguring the elemental properties here,
the molecular components of the said transfigured objects will be
altered. Of course, this also depends upon the nature of the
Transfiguration itself. Simple magic cannot alter the substance, but
elemental Transfiguration can."
Nearly eighteen-year-old Harry James Potter looked expectantly at
the group of witches and wizards in front of him. This was the last
presentation. He had already finished the ones for Ancient Runes,
Arithmancy, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions,
having successfully completed his Masters' in all of them, the
youngest to do so in the last century. Now, he would be receiving his
Master's degree in Transfiguration as well.
"You have given us a lot to think about, Mr Potter," said one of the
examiners after a pause. "Your research paper will be submitted to
other Transfiguration experts to see if it can indeed be classified as
an exception to Gamp's second law of Elemental Transfiguration.
Before we wrap up your presentation, I was wondering if you could
demonstrate the Animagus transformation as well."
"Of course, Master Fin," said Harry politely as he transformed into a
golden eagle, gliding around the room, and finally reverted to his
human form with a pop .
"Congratulations, Mr Potter," announced Master Fin. "You have
successfully completed your Masters' in Transfiguration. Good luck
with your future endeavours."
"Thank you," said Harry with a small smile as he accepted his
certificate. Once he finished shaking hands with everyone, he
walked out of the building and Apparated to The Olympus , the best
upscale hotel in Magical Greece where he had been staying for the
past few days while he presented his thesis to the Transfiguration
Committee. Paying the bill, and ignoring the awed look coming from
the manager at meeting the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Apparated to the
International European Floo Terminal and Flooed back to Britain.
After passing through customs and security, he stepped inside one
of the public Floo systems in the building. With a flash of green
flames, he found himself in the massive Atrium in the Ministry of
Magic building in London. He flicked his fingers and dispelled any
soot that might have collected on his clothes and swiftly moved
towards the golden lifts. Flashing his ring to the security wizards, he
stepped inside the lifts and waited. Many Ministry employees entered
along with him, staring at him with something akin to admiration on
their faces.
A minute later, the golden grills opened once more and the cool
female voice said, " Level one, Offices of the Minister of Magic, Chief
Warlock, and support staff. "
Harry calmly walked out of the lifts. The place was covered with thick
purple carpets and shining wooden plates on the walls. Important
delegates were being shown in and out, and as were various
members of the Wizengamot. This richly decorated corridor was
deserted as compared to the bustling floors above. With confident
strides, Harry entered the reception area outside the office of the
Minister of Magic.
Tapping his fingers on the desk of the receptionist, he said in a low
voice, "Jenny, is my father busy?"
"Lord Potter!" gushed the receptionist. Clearing her throat, she
looked at her file which showed the Minister's schedule. "I'm afraid
he's in a meeting with the Brazilian Ambassador for the next twenty
minutes. Shall I inform him of your arrival?"
"It's fine," said Harry easily. "I'll wait for the meeting to conclude. Let
my father know that I've arrived once the Ambassador has left."
Taking a seat in one of the plush couches in the room, Harry sighed
in contentment as a house-elf popped in front of him to offer a chilled
glass of Butterbeer. Being the son of the Minister of Magic had its
perks.
As he silently observed his surroundings, he felt his thoughts drift to
what had happened over the last two years.
Voldemort's death had created a boom in Magical Britain, both in
terms of new businesses and in terms of population. Even after the
Dark Lord's downfall in 1991, people had still been terrified and the
economy had taken a long time to recover, but after the second and
final defeat, the economy had not yet taken such massive damage
as it had done the last time. Quickly recovering, young witches and
wizards had helped the country grow. It had been wonderful to
watch. Thanks to the money they had been given from Lockhart as
compensation, Fred and George Weasley had managed to easily
open their joke stop at the same time in both Diagon Alley and
Hogsmeade. From what Harry had been told by the twins, their
business was booming and the two of them couldn't be happier.
Things had changed at Hogwarts as well. Albus Dumbledore's death
had been announced to everyone and it had created a glum mood.
The cause of death had been revealed to be an ancient curse which
the Headmaster had accidentally triggered while exploring an
unusual place a year before. His funeral was well attended by
several witches and wizards from not only Britain but around the
world, all who had come to pay their final respects to the former
leader of the International Confederation of Wizards. Some of the
Hogwarts staff had wanted to bury Dumbledore at Hogwarts, but
Harry and Sirius had put their foot down. His body had been at
Hogwarts while people paid their respects, but he had been buried at
Godric's Hollow near the graves of his mother and sister.
Once Professor McGonagall had been confirmed as Headmistress of
Hogwarts, Harry decided that there were certain changes that
needed to take place to get the school back on track to how it was
decades ago and thankfully, Headmistress McGonagall agreed.
While Harry genuinely believed that Dumbledore had removed
several subjects because he didn't want more dark witches and
wizards in Britain, McGonagall's theory was that because of the
massive decline in the number of students, Hogwarts just could not
afford to have so many electives and extra-curricular activities. As
the number of students drastically decreased because of the
Grindelwald and Voldemort wars, so did the income of the school
through the fees being paid, which meant classes had to be cut
down to bare essentials and that also meant fewer teachers.
However, both she and the Board of Governors believed that time
was ripe to get all those classes back in the school curriculum.
Along with the subjects already taught, Hogwarts now had classes
for Warding, Healing, Magical Languages, Enchanting, Politics,
Magical Finance, Magical Law and Elementary Alchemy. Muggle
Studies was given new material which gave accurate information
about what Muggles were up to, including the destruction caused by
the two world wars. It was time for the magical world realised that
Muggles were indeed dangerous and the curriculum ensured that
everyone knew about the effects of nuclear weapons, environmental
pollution, and high population. This was made compulsory for the
first and second year magically raised students while Magical
Culture was made compulsory for all first and second-year Muggleborns.
Defence Against the Dark Arts took a massive overhaul as it was
split into two separate subjects – Defensive Magic and Offensive
Magic. This was something Harry had insisted on because most of
the magic which fell under the purview of grey was never taught, for
Dumbledore did not like anything remotely dark being taught at
Hogwarts, thus lowering the standard of education in the process.
Offensive Magic included combat magic which fell under the
category of grey and hence, Harry was happy with it.
There were staff changes as well. McGonagall had found a good
replacement for her old position and some might actually argue that
the new teacher was stricter than McGonagall had been in teaching
the subject, which Dylan wholeheartedly agreed after he received a
detention for messing around in her class.
Professor Trelawney was asked to step down and the subject of
Divination was now not offered at Hogwarts. Divination was an
important branch of magic but the truth of the matter was that it could
not be taught. You either had the sight or you didn't, very much like
being a Metamorphmagus, and there was no point in pretending
otherwise. It was as useless as trying to teach a regular witch or
wizard Parseltongue; it just wasn't worth it. After receiving numerous
complaints, the new Headmistress also replaced Hagrid with a
trained Master for Care of Magical Creatures. As much as Hagrid
was knowledgeable, the injuries in his classes were hard to ignore.
Harry also donated two hundred thousand Galleons to the Hogwarts
Improvement Fund. Sirius, through the Department of Magical
Revenue, had been quick to follow with a tax deduction for anyone
willing to donate to Hogwarts and the rest of the smaller schools of
Magical Britain. The donations had been quickly put to use as the
castle was renovated and cleaned thoroughly until it sparkled. A
whole bunch of duelling dummies were brought in for the new
Duelling Room; hundreds of new library books were purchased;
three new Greenhouses were constructed, which now included some
of the best and rare plants from around the world; a whole new
range of potions ingredients were imported from several different
countries and new Quidditch brooms were purchased for the first
years, much to the relief of Madam Hooch.
New state of the art magical telescopes were to be purchased for the
Astronomy department, but Harry took it to a whole new level. He
contacted the company which produced the working sized model of
the galaxy with all the stars and planets in it and made them install a
much larger and detailed version of it in the Astronomy Tower, which
enabled all the students to view the stars at the same time, much like
a planetarium, which enhanced the teaching experience. It also
helped in that it could be used during the day, so there were no more
Astronomy classes which were held at night.
Harry had also negotiated with different companies and personally
saw to the development of the Hogwarts Magical Creatures
Sanctuary. A wide variety of different magical creatures were brought
in and a lot of enlargement charms were placed in an environment
which best suited their needs. Since they had a lot of room, the
creatures were very comfortable. This would greatly help during
Care of Magical Creatures lessons and Hagrid was overjoyed to take
care of the creatures' needs daily.
The Quidditch pitch was increased in size and Miller's Mirrors were
installed everywhere so that people could watch the players'
progress more clearly. Several Quidditch hoops were placed at
different parts of the grounds so that other students who wanted to
play Quidditch could do so as well without interfering with the teams'
practice sessions. In fact, the main Quidditch pitch now had a roof;
but this roof was so far away from the ground that it didn't really
matter as a large array of expansion and other charms and
enchantments were used to make the pitch meet international
standards. This had the added bonus of playing during the winter as
well, so matches could be held throughout the year with more
frequency.
Classrooms were buffed and revamped, as the old furniture was
thrown out and new desks and chairs with the latest magical
technology were purchased. Several different rooms were allotted for
different clubs, which would greatly enhance their work. Seven large
rooms were furnished where members of different Houses of each
year could sit down and do their homework or enjoy each other's
company; it was basically a common room for each year. The staff
hoped that this would promote inter-House unity, especially
considering the tensions between the Houses that were visibly
decreasing.
Filch was asked to behave with the students and this caused a
temper tantrum with the old caretaker, as he finally resigned in
anger. McGonagall politely asked him to apply for a job in Azkaban.
He probably would be happier taking care of the prisoners there
rather than treat the students of Hogwarts as prisoners. New
teachers were brought in as well, reducing the workload of the
current staff, much to their relief.
All in all, Hogwarts was shaping up to once more be one of the
premier schools in Magical Europe.
At the Ministry of Magic, Sirius was doing a fine job. He was still well
loved by the magical populace and after the death of Voldemort and
Dumbledore, the Wizengamot was more united than it had been in a
century. Narcissa Malfoy had swiftly taken control of the Malfoy seat
while Theodore Nott's mother had done the same. Using the
opportunity that was presented to him, Sirius had enacted quite a
few laws for the betterment of the people.
The werewolves were still not willing to cooperate even after the
death of Greyback but at least they hadn't been as hostile as they
had been before. Relations with the Centaurs had improved after the
Ministry stopped bothering them, scrapping all those departments
which tended to communicate with Centaurs, Merpeople and other
magical creatures, letting them mind their own business.
All frivolous sub-departments and offices were consolidated into
bigger sub-departments, making work run smoother. Thanks to the
good education now being provided at Hogwarts and the Ministry
taking an active interest in the smaller schools of Magical Britain,
better-qualified employees were being hired by the Ministry instead
of the toadies that Fudge preferred when he was in office.
On a personal level, Harry and Daphne's relationship had deepened
considerably. The war against Voldemort had been a test to see if
they could survive, and seeing that they could, had given them a
sense of confidence with each other which they did not have before.
They had also slowly matured out of the teen phase, accepting that
they were now adults and had to behave as such. Harry had lived at
Hogwarts for the last two years as he apprenticed under the
professors while Daphne also finished her education. Thanks to
Harry's tutoring and her own rigorous practice and training schedule
over the years, Daphne had been able to take her N.E.W.T.s a year
in advance, thus giving her a full year with Professors Flitwick and
Vector to complete her Charms and Arithmancy Masters'.
With Harry's and her mentors' help, along with plenty of sleepless
nights, she was able to catch up quickly, and her presentations for
both degrees were to be scheduled in a week in New York City. This
would greatly help because they had planned to go on a world tour
right after they obtained their Master's degrees. Of course, they were
getting married before leaving too.
Dylan had also matured over the last two years. Gone was the shy,
insecure boy that he had been when he had entered the magical
world. The war had most definitely hardened him considering that he
had been personally involved, and his relationship with Harry had
also deepened over time. He was as good as Harry's shadow, his
loyalty unshakable. Dylan's relationship with Astoria had bumps
along the road just like Harry and Daphne's had too, but they had
still managed to work it out together. They didn't know what the
future offered, but they were happy with each other for the moment
and they stuck to that.
There was also another venture which the Ministry of Magic had
undertaken. Both Sirius and Harry had known about the large
Acromantula nest in the Forbidden Forest, very close to the school.
Knowing that such a nest shouldn't be anywhere near a school full of
students, the Ministry had teamed up with a company in Indonesia to
transport the Acromantulas from the forest to their new homes. It
was much safer for the students, not to mention profitable for the
government as Acromantula silk was highly valued all over the world,
not only for clothes but other products as well. Harry had wondered
how Hagrid would react to it, but it turned out that after the halfgiant's
friend Aragog had died, the rest of the Acromantulas had
become more violent, thus necessitating the transfer at all costs. It
took all of two years for the forest to lose the darkish gloom that was
present due to the infestation of hundreds of Acromantulas, but the
change was noticeable. Several other magical creatures had started
coming out, now not having to fear for their lives because of the giant
spiders.
"Lord Potter, Minister Black is available for you now," announced the
receptionist. Harry blinked in surprise, having been lost in thought.
Nodding to her, he knocked on the polished mahogany door and
entered the room. His adoptive father was sitting behind the large
desk at the far end, looking quite exhausted.
"Harry!" Sirius beamed at him, getting up to give his son a hug.
"Congratulations on becoming a Transfiguration Master!"
"Thanks, Dad," replied Harry, a hint of a smile forming on his face.
"It's nice to finally get it over with."
"When is Daphne's presentation?"
"Next week, in New York City," he said, taking a seat opposite to the
Minister. "Once she's done, we're both planning on touring the world
for a few years. We're hoping to gain a Sorcerer's degree as well."
Sirius whistled. "Never going to give up on learning more, are you
kiddo?" he teased. "James and Lily would be proud of you."
Harry simply smiled.
"I need to know where you'll be going and when. Even though it will
be for educational purposes, there's no harm in building international
relations that will be beneficial in the future. In fact, the respective
magical governments will most definitely invite you for dinner or a
party because not only are you the Boy-Who-Lived, but you're also
the son of the British Minister of Magic. It's expected for you to meet
with them."
Harry nodded. This would definitely reap benefits in the future. While
the name of Potter held a lot of influence in Britain because of the
four votes he had on the Wizengamot, none of that was relevant
outside the country. Sirius and Amelia had their power block
internationally, but that was mostly restricted to Magical Europe. In
order to increase his influence and power, Harry would need to
befriend powerful people from around the world and expand his
circle. And this would be most beneficial.
"I'll patch you through with someone from the Department of
International Magical Cooperation," continued Sirius. "They can set
up appointments when you inform them of whichever country you
are in."
"Understood," answered Harry. He paused, looking hesitant. "There's
something I would like to talk to you about."
"You remember the prophecy I told you about, right?"
Sirius rubbed his temples with his fingers. That was most definitely
not something he wanted to discuss. He and Amelia had been
shocked to the core when Harry had revealed the contents of
Trelawney's latest prophecy to them. Having braved two wars with
Voldemort, neither of them was keen for another. The prophecy was
vague, referring to those 'cursed by Magic'. What that meant, Sirius
did not know.
Was it a group of dark wizards? According to Harry, however, it was
the Muggles. And that topic was never easy for anyone to discuss.
Many witches and wizards had tried to walk the same path and had
failed, leading to enormous destruction and loss of lives.
Gellert Grindelwald had been the most dangerous of them all.
Voldemort was close, but he just couldn't compete with the likes of
Grindelwald, partly due to his lack of sanity and charisma; that
insanity had destroyed any chance of the former gaining power
abroad, while the latter had followers all over the world. Voldemort
had been a power-hungry madman who many abroad referred to as
a rabid dog, while his predecessor was an extremely intelligent
wizard who the world looked up to for trying to solve the problems
the International Statute of Secrecy had created. Grindelwald had
created a scenario where he had managed to get half the
international magical population to unite against the Muggles.
His words, 'Who is the law trying to protect, us or them?' were
infamous, and Sirius knew that even Harry agreed with Grindelwald
in that regard. The man's actions, however, led to his downfall. His
radical claim that the end justified the means led to the deaths of
thousands of witches and wizards, and by the mid-1950s,
Grindelwald was not as popular as he once was. Had Dumbledore
not stopped him, a wizard-Muggle war would have been inevitable,
especially since it had only been a decade after the end of the
Muggle Second World War. Tensions then had still been high.
Sirius had promised himself that he wouldn't let his adopted son walk
down a similar path. While Harry genuinely wanted to help witches
and wizards, his actions could be misinterpreted by others in the
magical world, and that would be dangerous. There were many who
were just as awed as they were scared by the sheer magical power
that the young man held at his fingertips. Sirius knew that Harry was
correct. He was not an idiot. He had read his history books and had
survived two wars. However, the boy's policies were too
revolutionary for people to accept. Sirius couldn't help but think that
Harry's ideas for the future of the magical world were just not
practical, but that didn't mean he wasn't willing to listen. While others
would scoff at Divination, the patriarch of the Black family did not
underestimate the ancient art. The power of Fate should never be
underestimated.
"Harry, I know what you're going to say," he said quietly. "But you
have to understand that your actions are too radical. I doubt the
Wizengamot will even listen to you."
"This is not about the Muggle-born children, Dad," Harry said softly.
Not yet, at least. "This is something completely different. I have
spent two years on this idea, so will you hear me out?"
The Minister nodded wearily.
Harry's Avada Kedavra green eyes gazed outside the windows.
While the Boy-Who-Lived held sufficient sway with the masses, he
knew that he couldn't implement his major reforms without his
adoptive parents supporting him. Harry was still eighteen years old
and had not entered the political sphere. His ideas had to be
delivered through the Minister of Magic, and the sooner that
happened, the better. His focus was not the development of Magical
Britain; that could be left to his father. His goal was something
bigger, but for that, he would have to start small, right here at home.
"I know that the prophecy freaked you out. To be honest, I was, and
still am, unnerved by it. But we can't ignore what it says. We have
dealt with a prophecy before. Trying to stop what is going to happen
by talking drastic steps will actually create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Voldemort learnt that the hard way when he tried to kill me as a child.
I don't want that. I don't want a war. However, I will not sit back and
ignore what Trelawney said either. Dad, I honestly don't know what
my destiny truly is, but I will not back away from it, no matter what
the consequences."
"I never expected you to," muttered Sirius, staring into the distance.
It was not in Harry's nature to ever be on the sidelines. If he put his
mind to something, nothing could stop him. Voldemort's death was
proof of that.
Harry flicked his wand, summoning several newspapers. He spread
them out on Sirius' desk. "Look at the headlines," he said. "Tensions
in the Muggle world are growing, Dad, and it's not something that is
going to disappear. Unfortunately, Voldemort's actions did not help
matters at all. Right now, we're in a very tight spot."
"How so?"
"If London were to be attacked by Muggles due to another war, what
would happen to Diagon Alley or the Ministry building? Or St
Mungo's?"
Sirius frowned. "Our various protective enchantments should take
care of it, Harry. After all, the Ministry headquarters, St Mungo's, and
Diagon Alley didn't even suffer a starch during the Muggle Second
World War during the bombing. What makes you think the wards
won't hold?"
"Two words," shot back Harry. "Nuclear weapons."
Sirius remained silent.
"How are we to know when those filthy Muggles would use those
contraptions?" asked Harry, a hint of anger showing on his face.
"Can you imagine the repercussions of such an attack? Diagon Alley
houses tens of thousands of witches and wizards. Magical Britain's
entire economy is regulated by Gringotts. All our treasures are
located there. If London were to be attacked, do you think the bank
and all its treasures, not to mention the magical citizens of this city,
would survive? What about the Ministry building itself?"
"And how do you propose we protect ourselves? Create a massive
shield around the entire city?"
"No," said Harry, shaking his head. "First of all, powering and
maintaining such a shield would be ridiculously expensive around a
Muggle city. Second, why should we waste our gold on the nonmagical
population? We won't be in danger if witches and wizards
don't function among Muggles. If we're in a completely different area,
how could the infighting of the Muggles affect us?"
How could the Muggles find us, if the Statute is ever broken, if we're
completely invisible to their sensors, away from their major cities?
Sirius barked out a laugh. "When I said that your ideas were radical,
I really didn't think you would go this far," he said, smiling in
amusement. "You want to relocate the Ministry headquarters, St
Mungo's Hospital, several wizarding homes in London, and all of
Diagon Alley?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, kiddo, but that's just not practical. Can you even imagine
the amount of the gold required for such a massive undertaking? Our
tax revenue will never be enough to cover such expansion."
"I know that," answered Harry quickly, "which is why I have a plan for
us to work with. Tell me, why is Hogsmeade the only non-Muggle
settlement in all of Magical Britain? Why has there been no effort
from anyone to expand the village and convert it into a city? Why not
create more non-Muggle settlements like that, with only witches and
wizards as residents?"
"As I already told you, it's all because of money. The Ministry would
have done it if we had the money."
Harry smirked. He removed a thick file from within his backpack and
passed it to his adoptive father. With a casual wave of his hand, a
large mirror appeared in front of them, the screen displaying charts
and diagrams for him to explain.
"Getting the money to construct a new city has been impossible until
now," he explained. "That's the reason the Ministry headquarters has
been underground for so many centuries. After the implantation of
the International Statute of Secrecy –"
"– people found it convenient to use the underground building, so
they never bothered to shift to another location," finished Sirius,
looking very interested. "Go on."
"The problem we have right now is that witches and wizards are
scattered all over the country, residing in various Muggle areas.
However, that will prove to be very dangerous if a situation ever
develops where the Statute is irrevocably breached or if there is
another Muggle war. However, if we have purely magical cities, with
large residential and commercial dwellings together, we wouldn't
have to worry about an attack. Maintaining the Statute of Secrecy
will also be less of a burden because it would be a non-Muggle
area."
"In theory, it's a wonderful plan," replied Sirius, "and something which
has existed in other parts of the world for hundreds of years now.
The concept of non-Muggle cities is not a problem. The topic has
been debated many times over the years by members of the
Wizengamot, but the questions have always been about where these
cities would be located and how to fund them. With the amount of
corruption in the Ministry, the plans never made the light of day."
"I'm getting to that. Hogsmeade is readily available. There is empty
land for several kilometres without any Muggle activity around the
village. Converting it into a city wouldn't be much of a hassle.
However, there is another dwelling that has several magical families
residing in it, but it has quite a few Muggles there as well."
"Godric's Hollow."
"Yes," smiled Harry, pleased that his father was grasping it so
quickly. "That village is our oldest settlement, dating back to the time
of Lord Ignotus Peverell, long before King Arthur ascended to the
throne. It's the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor and has a very
historical significance for everyone in Magical Britain. Shouldn't that
be converted into a non-Muggle dwelling as well?"
"Not possible," replied Sirius, shaking his head. "There are already
Muggles who are living in the village –"
"We can move them to another place," interrupted Harry. "I know
what you're going to say, but think about it. We can compensate
those Muggles by giving them money and a Confundus Charm
should take care of them if they don't want to leave. Their stupid
paper currency is quite cheap, you know. It would be a pittance to
buy the Muggle properties. We can make a deal with the witches and
wizards of Hogsmeade and Godric's Hollow. Those who already own
houses there will only have to pay the minimum amount required for
the new building. The Ministry can construct several houses by
outsourcing it to various magical construction companies from
around the world. Different designs, various sizes, with different
configurations, and all of them can be sold once they are ready.
Since the Ministry owns the land through compulsory acquisition,
you can make quite a profit from the sale, and use that money to
construct a third city, the one that will house the headquarters of the
British Ministry of Magic – a city named Camelot. I'm sure you can
find a deserted stretch of land for it."
Sirius raised his eyebrows in surprise when he looked through the
various sheets of parchment. "You consulted a team of
Confederation Certified Accountants to actually create a budget?"
"I didn't want to approach you until I had all the details figured out,"
answered Harry honestly. "You'll see that the Ministry would be selfsufficient
for the construction of Camelot. Sure, you'll need initial
capital for Hogsmeade and Godric's Hollow, but that can be
arranged through the I.C.W."
Sirius nodded. Harry was silent for the next thirty minutes as his
father meticulously went through the projected finances. Finally, the
older man broke the silence. "I'm very impressed, Harry," he said
sincerely. "You're right; this is certainly plausible. Diagon Alley and
the various other shopping districts throughout the country can be
shifted to any of the three cities."
Mentally, Harry nodded in satisfaction. The first phase of his plan
was set in motion. Convincing Sirius had been the initial step, but he
could see that his father was very much considering it. The benefits
of this project were just too hard to ignore. Keeping their distance
from the Muggles world meant a reduction in taxes and better control
over the Statute of Secrecy.
"I'll form a committee to look into this before tabling it in front of the
Wizengamot," announced Sirius. "I'll let you know of any progress."
Harry agreed as he walked out of Sirius' office a couple of hours
later, having given the Minister of Magic everything he had planned
for the development of the magical cities. Really, such projects
should have been implemented a long time ago. Most of the world
had moved ahead, and Britain was still content with staying
underground in Muggle populated areas. But that was not Harry's
agenda. He wanted the magical populace as far away from the
Muggles as possible, and these plans would ensure of that. Within a
span of five to seven years, construction and rehabilitation would be
complete. Then, he would implement stage two of his plan for
completely separating from the Muggle world.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Harry opened his eyes and found himself standing in front of the
massive gates of Hogwarts castle. With a spring in his step, he
walked towards the front doors of the castle. The grounds had
changed over the past two years. The cool evening air ruffled his
hair as he caught several of the younger year students enjoying the
end of their exams while the older years studied for their O.W.L.s
and N.E.W.T.s. Many were playing Quidditch with the various hoops
that were placed all over the grounds.
At a distance, Harry could spot the large dome-shaped structure
near the Forbidden Forest. That was the Hogwarts Magical
Creatures Sanctuary, housing many magical creatures that Hagrid
happily took care of. A hint of a smile formed on his face as he
entered the castle, quickly walking to his intended destination. The
locket he wore around his neck gave out a pulse of magic, informing
him of her location, and his heart began beating faster.
After all, it had been nearly a month since he had seen her. He had
been away due to the various presentations he had to give for
claiming his Master's degrees. But now, he was finally home ... and
he couldn't wait to have her in his arms.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"I just want to get these exams over with," grumbled Astoria. She
was in the Hogwarts library, studying for her O.W.L.s. "They're
driving me crazy!"
Dylan chuckled from beside her. He took her hand and kissed her
fingers delicately. "How about a distraction, Miss Greengrass?" he
asked coyly.
Astoria smirked. "What do you have in mind?" she whispered.
"You both aren't going anywhere," said Daphne suddenly from
behind her book. Her eyes narrowed. "You have exams tomorrow."
"Oh, come on Daph, we know it all!" whined Dylan.
Astoria nodded frantically. "And I could really use a massage," she
said quickly. "It will definitely help us relax."
Daphne's lips twitched. "From personal experience, I know that a
massage will quickly turn into sex," she said wryly, making the two
younger teenagers redden in embarrassment. Blue eyes twinkling in
amusement, she added, "Just keep your lovemaking to your room,
will you? I don't want to walk in on you in the common room. Oh, and
silencing charms would be most appreciated."
Dylan snorted. "That's like the pot calling the kettle black," he
muttered as he quickly steered Astoria away. "I've spent the last
three years getting used to them having sex in the suite's common
room while I do my homework. You'd think they'd be more
considerate since I live with them too, but nooo ..."
"You know what? I'm feeling rebellious!" declared Astoria, smirking at
her sister. "If she and Harry don't care about privacy, why should we
too? Come on, Dylan, that sofa in the common room looks quite
comfortable!"
"Happy humping!" Daphne called out loudly to the couple.
"Shhhhh!" the librarian, Madam Pince, admonished from her position
a few feet away, looking angry. Muttering under her breath, she
walked away, glaring at any other student who would dare speak
loudly in her library.
Daphne stuck her tongue out at Dylan playfully which he returned.
Chuckling, she went back to her Arithmancy notes as she prepared
for her presentation that was due in a week's time. After that, she
would be a certified master in the fields of Charms and Arithmancy,
paving the way for higher studies in the field of Enchanting. Her
fingers kept drumming on the table as she tried to think of anything
other than her fiancé. She missed Harry terribly.
Exhaling in frustration, she got up and headed to the Restricted
Section to refer to another book on Advanced Spell-Crafting. Just
when she was browsing through the thick tomes of books, she felt
someone wrap their arms around her waist, their chin resting on her
shoulder.
She closed her eyes in contentment as she leaned against his
strong, muscular chest