Harry stood at the main entrance of Hogwarts in his dress robes, waiting for Sally, Wayne, and Oliver to arrive. The Ministry Christmas party was tonight, and his invitation extended to his scholarship students as well. He hoped it, along with the summer internships the Minister promised, would open a few doors for them after they graduated.
Sally arrived a few moments later with Wayne and Oliver in tow. "Harry!" She gushed, walking up to him "Thank you so much for this. We never would have been able to afford something like this on our own," she said, looking at her dress, and the boy's dress robes, something quickly echoed by both Wayne and Oliver.
"No problem," Harry smiled graciously. "I'm glad I could help. There's actually something else I wanted to talk to you about as well before we leave… something I owe you an apology for."
"What? What do you mean?" Wayne asked, feeling confused. 'What could Harry possibly have to apologize for after everything he'd done for them?' He thought.
"It's about the exercises I do in the morning," Harry explained. "I didn't invite you to join me."
"Oh, well, that's ok," Oliver jumped in quickly. "I know you're busy, and you've already done so much for us already, besides you invited Sally," he pointed out.
"Actually, that was Ron," Harry admitted sheepishly. "I didn't intend to exclude anyone. I guess I just assumed anyone that wanted to join us would."
"Oh," Wayne said, in surprise. "Well, if you're offering, I'd like to take you up on it." He said, eager to try it for himself.
"Me too," Oliver added quickly.
"Great," Harry smiled. "We're taking the Christmas holidays off, but we'll start again after everyone returns."
"Harry?" Sally asked, curiously. "How are we getting there?"
"With this," Harry said, pulling out an invitation card the Minister sent him. "It's a portkey. Just touch it with your finger and we'll be off."
The scholarship students each reached out, touching the edge of the card as they disappeared with a soft pop.
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Harry, Sally, Oliver, and Wayne arrived in the Ministry building to find the party already in full swing. Not only was it attended by the higher ups in the Ministry, but also members of the Wizengamot and other prominent wizarding families.
Wayne looked around the room, gulping nervously. He recognized some of the adults in attendance, including a few professional Quidditch players, and couldn't help but feel intimidated in their presence. 'What If I say the wrong thing?' He thought, knowing that his future hinged on making a good impression with these people.
"I think I see the Minister," Harry said, pointing across the room, missing the nervous looks on the faces of his friends. "I'll introduce you," he offered, walking towards the minister.
"What? The Minister?" Oliver said, his eyes widening.
"What's the matter?" Harry asked, finally noticing the expressions on all three of their faces.
"…He's the Minister, Harry. We don't want to waste him time," Sally replied. "Why would he want to talk to us?"
"The Minister is the one that pushed through the paperwork for my scholarship program," Harry explained. "Without his help, I would have had to wait until next year to start it. Besides that, he said he wants to meet you. He's got a surprise for you," he added with a smile.
Before they had a chance to say anything else, they heard the voice of the Minister from across the room. "Harry!" the Minister called out, a jovial expression on his face as he made his way over to them.
"Hello Minister," Harry smiled, shaking his hand. "Thanks again for the invitation."
"It was nothing," Cornelius dismissed with an easy smile. "How have you been? Keeping out of trouble I hope?" He joked.
"I'm doing my best," Harry replied, wondering if it was time to involve him in what he was dealing with.
Cornelius let out a chuckle, clapping Harry on the back. "Glad to hear it lad. And this must be Sally, Oliver, and Wayne," he said, shaking each of their hands firmly.
The three students each shook his hand, surprised that the Minister even knew their names.
"I've been following your results closely," Cornelius continued. "Each of you are within the top 10 of the student ranking, and all in your first year to boot," he praised. "And you too, Harry," he added. "A perfect score on the standardized transfiguration test. You should all be very proud of yourselves."
"Thank you, Minister," Harry replied, looking at his friends, wondering why they were all so quiet.
"Harry?" Cornelius asked with a conspiratorial wink, "Did you tell them yet?"
"No," Harry replied, smiling. "I wanted to leave the surprise to you."
"Wonderful," Cornelius replied, clapping his hands together as he regarded the scholarship students. "In recognition of your excellent work, I would like to extend to each of you an invitation to intern at the Ministry this summer." He said, receiving a spattering of applause from the rest of the party guests within earshot.
Sally felt feint at the mention of an internship. "An internship?" She asked, knowing that such things were rarely, if ever, offered to first years, and never to anyone from their backgrounds.
"Yes," Cornelius confirmed, his smile widening at their awed looks. "It will of course be paid as well. I'm sure you'll put the money to good use."
Oliver's eyes bugged out at the mention of pay. He had overheard a few of the older pureblood students talking about interning at the Ministry, and how many doors it opened for anyone that was lucky enough to get selected. 'And we're going to get paid on top of that?' He thought, not believing his good fortune.
"Mr. Tonks will reach out to each of you before the end of next month," Cornelius continued. "He'll tell you about the various Ministry departments and help you select where you would like to intern."
Sally, Oliver, and Wayne nodded their heads fervently, smiles on their faces as they each thought about what they could do with an opportunity like this.
Cornelius looked across the room, spotting Rita out of the corner of his eye. "Thank you again for attending," he said. "But if you'll excuse me, there's a few more people I have to greet. A Minister's work is never done," he joked, walking away.
"This is incredible," Sally whispered to Harry. "Thank you," she said, followed quickly by Oliver and Wayne.
"Don't thank me," Harry replied modestly. "You did that all by yourselves. You earned this opportunity because of the hard work you put in," he praised.
"I didn't expect the minister to be so… friendly," Wayne added, having expected a far sterner and no-nonsense sort of man from everything he had read about him.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "The Minister is a good man. I'm glad he's the one in charge of the Ministry," he said, thinking about how he had helped him get away from his parents, and all the help he gave him after that.
"Who else can I introduce you to?" Harry said to himself, looking around. "Oh, that's Devlin," he said, before they had a chance to respond. "Come on, you're going to love him," he said, leading them across the room.
Sally, Oliver, and Wayne could only look at each other in surprise, recognizing the name immediately as the owner of the Nimbus Broom Company.
"Harry!" Devlin smiled. "Good to see you," he said, shaking his hand. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Eloise," he said, introducing the woman beside him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Harry smiled, shaking Eloise's hand.
"You as well, Harry," Eloise said, smiling warmly.
"These are the scholarship students I've sponsored," Harry said, introducing his friends.
"Hello sir," Wayne said, shaking Devlin and Eloise's hands. "Thank you for donating your brooms to the school."
"Think nothing of it," Devlin replied with a smile. "Have you had a chance to fly one of them yet?"
"We all did, sir," Wayne gushed. "They're so popular, Madam Hooch had to make a special sign-up sheet to make sure everyone gets a chance to use them."
"I'm glad," Devlin smiled. "Every child should get a chance to fly a broom. Harry, I just had a thought. Maybe you can arrange to have these three come out to the factory?" he suggested. "What do you say, kids? Would you like to take a look at the Nimbus 2000 before the press event?" He asked, watching as their eyes lit up.
"Yes, please!" Sally, Wayne, and Oliver replied at once, not believing their good fortune.
"Then it's settled," Devlin smiled. "We'll have the first production run done in the early summer. I'll let Harry know when they'll be ready for you to try."
"Try them?" Oliver replied, his eyes going wide. "You mean we'll actually be able to fly the 2000?" He asked, thinking he'd misheard Mr. Whitehorn.
"Of course," Devlin smiled. "It wouldn't be much fun if all you got do is look at it, besides, with all the new safety features we've added, just about anyone can fly the broom safely."
"Does that mean the charms and enchantments are finalized?" Harry asked, interesting in getting another look at the test board in its final form.
"Yes," Eloise replied. "It's all Devlin's been able to talk about for the last month," she joked.
"I do tend to get a bit carried away," Devlin admitted ruefully.
"It's incredible. Getting all those charms and enchantments work together like that," Harry replied. "Any chance I can take a look at the test board?"
"Of course, partner," Devlin said clapping Harry on the shoulder, reminding him that he was an owner as well, albeit a minor one. "I'm pretty sure I saw your barrister Ted around here somewhere too. I'll have a chat with him and book something into my schedule."
"Great," Harry smiled, looking around to see if he could spot Ted in the large room, a frown settling on his face as he spotted both his mother and Gloria. He knew both of them would be at the party and hoped to avoid them. It seemed his mother hadn't seen him, but Gloria certainly had if the glare on her face was anything to go by.
Glory looked across the room, trying her best to keep the scowl off her face. She was just so sick and tired of hearing about Harry. Just the other day, he was in the newspaper again! She had only read the headline, something about him passing some dumb test. 'What's the big deal?' She thought, annoyed.
Then she had to watch him talk to the Minister like they were old friends, especially after what he tried to do to father. She couldn't wait for the politicians lies to catch up with him, and blow up in his face. With any luck, it would also knock Harry down a peg or two as well.
What especially galled her was the partnership he made with Nimbus. 'Why would Whitehorn even want him?' She thought to herself, infuriated. He hadn't even tried to get in touch with her once! She had been so angry when she found out she smashed her Nimbus, vowing to never ride one again. 'Cleansweep brooms are better anyway,' she thought petulantly.
She wanted so much to go over there and wipe the smug smile off his face, but knew she couldn't. Her mother had warned her multiple times not to do it, and even her father had told her to leave him alone. He promised her Harry would get what was coming to him for embarrassing the family, but she didn't know how much longer she could be patient while he stole all the attention.
And to top it all off the headmaster hadn't visited her in months, and she couldn't figure out why. The last trip to Switzerland had gone really well, in her opinion. She knew he was here at the party too, but her mother wouldn't let her speak to him either.
"Gloria," Lily warned, seeing where her daughter was looking.
"I wasn't going to do anything," Gloria muttered petulantly.
"I know how difficult this is, sweetheart," Lily said, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "But everything has to go well tonight. We can't have any outbursts."
"It's not fair," Glory groused. "Why does Harry get all the attention? I'm the one that saved everyone. All he did was open some dumb vault."
"I know, I know," Lily said, patting her daughter's shoulder as she consoled her. "It's just for a little while longer. Your father and I are working on something big that will turn things around for all of us," she promised her. "We just have to be patient."
"What?" Glory asked, curiously, also noticing how distracted her parents had been lately.
"It's still too early to say," Lily explained. "But our family is going to get the respect it deserves very soon," she promised.
As soon as they gained control of the Potter fortune, none of the other families would be able to look down on them ever again. "For now just ignore him," she said. "These people will lose interest in him soon enough," she promised.
"Who's he talking to now?" Gloria asked, wondering who the old woman with the strange hat was.
"That's Augusta Longbottom," Lily replied, recognizing her. "I was friends with her son and daughter-in-law." Lily supplied, remembering them from their time in the Order, before it was disbanded at the end of the war.
"Mr. Potter," Augusta said, making her way to Harry with Neville in tow. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, holding her hand out for Harry to shake. "My name is Augusta Longbottom."
"Nice to meet you," Harry said politely, shaking her hand as he also introduced his friends.
"I wanted to thank you personally for what you did," Augusta said. "Those brooms are a an absolute menace. If not for you, things would have been a lot worse," she praised.
"Thankfully it won't be a problem anymore," Harry replied. "Nimbus donated some replacement brooms."
"You're too modest Mr. Potter," Augusta replied. "I know very well that it was you behind that donation as well. Neville also tells me you've been helping him with his schoolwork. You've done a great service to house Longbottom. If there's anything my family can do to repay you for all you've done, just say the word."
"Thank you," Harry replied. "But I can't take all the credit. There's a group of us that study together," Harry deflected. "We all help each other, including Neville. He's been a huge help in herbology class."
"You're being too modest again Mr. Potter," Augusta admonished lightly. "I can see your handy work in Neville's test results. Clearly, his time in your company has helped him a great deal. He was in the bottom half of the student rankings before you came along, and now he's within the top twenty. With a little more hard work," she said, giving Neville a mild glare. "I'm sure he can even reach the top five."
Harry glanced at Neville, seeing him wilt under Augusta's glare. "Actually Madam Longbottom, Neville is a very hard worker. He's shown me some of his written work, and he's doing very well."
"Well, yes, that's true," Augusta admitted. "But we both know written work will only get you so far. Practical results are what really count. Neville's father, bless his soul," she went on. "He was an Auror, and excelled at his practical work."
"I'm sure Neville will surprise you," Harry said, defending his friend. "We're only halfway through the first year, and he's improving every day."
"Yes," Augusta acknowledged. "But he has a long way to go to catch up with his father. You remind me a lot of him, actually," she said, looking Harry up and down. "He was also a star student. I thought by giving Neville his father's wand, some of his talent would rub off on him, but much to my disappointment, he hasn't lived up to my expectations."
"Wait a moment," Harry said, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Did you just say that Neville was using his father's wand? Has a wand expert checked to make sure the wand is suited for Neville?"
"No, why would I need to do something silly like that?" Augusta replied, having never considered the idea. "Frank was his father. Of course, his wand would be good enough for Neville," she added, a touch of irritation in her tone at the implication.
"That isn't what I said," Harry said, deciding to be direct. "Neville's wand needs to be matched to him, just like yours was to you, and Neville's fathers was to him. It has nothing to do with the wand being good enough for Neville."
"And what would you know about it?" Augusta asked, not used to being spoken to this way by anyone, let alone a child.
"I know it's the truth because it happened to me," Harry explained. "My first wand was decades old, and not suited to me at all. When I held it in my hand, it felt dead, just like any other piece of wood. When I tried to cast a spell with it, it was possible, but extremely difficult. The wand fought me every step of the way, only letting me use a fraction of my magic, and that was when I could even get a spell out of it at all."
Neville's eyes widened in surprise as Harry perfectly described how he felt. "You mean it's not supposed to feel like that?"
"No Neville," Harry shook his head. "Every time you draw your wand, it's supposed to feel alive in your hand, in tune with your magic. It should feel like an extension of yourself."
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"He's right, Neville," Sally said, jumping in to the conversation. "Harry made sure each of us went to Ollivander's to get our wands, and make sure they were suited to us."
Augusta looked back and forth between her grandson and Harry, dumbfounded. To her, her wand had always been just that, her wand. She hadn't ever considered the connection she held with it, but she also couldn't deny Harry's words. 'Have I really been holding Neville back all this time?' She thought, feeling conflicted, her stubbornness at war with her genuine affection for her grandson.
"Madam Longbottom," Harry said gently. "I understand you want to honor your son's memory, and his legacy," he added, glancing at Neville meaningfully. "But an ill-suited wand is holding him back. He won't grow up into the person he's supposed to be with one arm tied behind his back."
"…You've given me a great deal to think about Mr. Potter," Augusta said stiffly. "I will consider your words and act accordingly. Please excuse us," she said, walking off.
"Thank you," Neville mouthed gratefully before he followed after his grandmother. 'Harry came through for me again,' he thought, and against gran, of all people. He knew she meant well, but was also extremely stubborn, and for her to say what she did just now was as close to admitting she was wrong as he had ever seen.
"That was intense," Oliver muttered, thinking about how Madam Longbottom stared down Harry, finding a new appreciation for what Neville had to deal with.
Harry nodded. "I don't know how I could have missed it. All the signs were right in front of my face. I just didn't put it together," he said, thinking about all the problems Neville had been having.
"Everybody missed it," Sally said, shaking her head. "The professors included. Who would have thought a pureblood would ever have to deal with a mismatched wand?"
Before Harry had a chance to respond he caught sight of Draco, along with his father, who he had seen briefly at the Headmaster's office, and a statuesque blonde who he assumed was his mother.
"Hello Mr. Potter," Lucius said, extending his hand to Harry. "It's good to see you again, especially under less… hostile circumstances."
"It's good to see you again too Lord Malfoy," Harry said, shaking his hand, wondering what this could possible be about.
"This is my wife Narcissa," Lucius said as she extended her hand for Harry to shake as well.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Malfoy," Harry replied.
"Charmed," Narcissa replied, studying the face of her son's rival, or was it friend?
"These are my friends, Wayne Hopkins, Sally Perks, and Olivers Rivers," Harry said, introducing them as well.
"Yes, your scholarship students," Lucius replied. "Draco has mentioned them. I must say it was a masterstroke handling your scholarship the way you did. It's really increased your profile amongst the Lords."
"Thank you," Harry replied. "But that wasn't why I did it."
"Oh?" Lucius asked curiously. The boy intrigued him. He was going to be powerful in the future, both magically, and politically. There was no doubt about that, but he knew very little about the boy's motivations.
"I believe that everyone deserves an education, along with the opportunity to succeed," Harry explained. "Someone I care about did the same for me, and I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them."
Lucius caught how the children straightened up proudly at Harry's words. He held back a smirk, seeing the boy's game now. 'Brilliant,' he thought. ' Those three will follow him to the end's of the earth if he asks them to, and he paid a pittance for it. A few thousand galleons to finish Hogwarts for all that? While he and the rest of the lords ignored the rabble, Harry had gone in and had his pick of them. Perhaps it's time to re-evaluate the Malfoy scholarship,' he considered.
"You've impressed me Mr. Potter," Lucius said. "I can see why my son speaks so highly of you, isn't that right Draco?" He asked, addressing his son.
"Yes father," Draco replied, knowing it was the response his father expected. He still felt a pang of jealousy as he looked back at Potter, but it was tempered by what he had done to get him out from under the thumb of the study group.
"I also have you to thank for dealing with Lord Niven," Lucius continued. "He mentioned that your barrister had spoken in favor of leniency for my son as well."
"Draco is a brilliant student," Harry freely admitted, "And I don't think this one event should define who he is."
'Bold,' Lucius thought. 'He's trying to recruit my son to his side as well.'
"Thank you," Narcissa said, placing a hand on her son's shoulder.
"Of course," Harry replied.
"A Malfoy pays his debts," Lucius said. "If there's anything my son can do to repay you, name it," he said, subtly endorsing Harry's plan to bring Draco into his confidence.
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James walked through the party, trying to strike up conversations with his former colleagues without much luck. To get his seat back on the Wizengamot, he knew he would need their support, and he couldn't understand why they were being so difficult. 'It's not like they haven't done the same or worse,' he thought bitterly, wondering why they were giving him the cold shoulder.
They were all polite to a fault, but as soon as he brought up anything to do with giving their support, they all suddenly remembered they had other things to do.
'How am I supposed to deal with Evergreen if I can't get any help to find them?' he thought, feeling frustrated. Dung seemed to have hit a dead end, and hadn't come back with any new information in weeks. He wondered if employing Dung had been worth the effort or the cost. Evergreen was like a ghost. No one could find out anything concrete about them.
'Albus,' James thought, seeing him across the room. They had gotten in arguments before, but Albus had always welcomed him back with open arms. 'He's probably had enough time to calm down,' James thought as he made his way over to him, noticing he was having a discussion with his former barrister Elphias Doge. 'That's odd,' he thought. 'I didn't know they knew each other.'
"Hello Albus," James said, plastering a smile on his face. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said, extending his hand to the old man. "Glory said she misses your visits."
"Hello James," Albus said stiffly, knowing he had little choice but to speak with the man, just as all the other members of the Wizengamot did to maintain decorum, and shook his hand.
"Hello Mr. Doge, it's good to see you again too," James said, shaking his hand as well. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior at our last meeting. My emotions were running high, and I let them get the better of me. Please accept my apology," he said, not liking the idea of apologizing to the man, but forced to acknowledge he had made far too many enemies over the years, and like it or not, he would need their support to get what he wanted.
"Hello Lord Potter," Elphias said, shaking James's hand as well, glad to see he was at least trying to hide how full of himself he was. "It's good to see you again," he offered politely.
"If you'll excuse us, James," Albus said, wanting to end this conversation as quickly as possible. "Elphias and I were having a private conversation. Perhaps we can speak a little later," he offered, knowing he wouldn't make good on it.
James was annoyed by Albus's dismissal, but didn't let it show. Albus was realistically the only man that could help him get his fortune back. "Not at all Albus, I just had one quick question first. What do you know about a company called Evergreen?" he asked, hoping to at least get an answer to one of his questions tonight.
Albus's eyes widened at the mention of the name before he quickly schooled his features, wondering how James found out that name, and exactly what he knew about it.
Elphias's reaction was more pronounced as he looked away sharply.
"…Evergreen?" Albus asked. "Why do you think I would know anything about it?" He asked, trying to suss out exactly what Potter knew.
'Finally,' James thought, seeing the recognition on Albus's face. It was the first time tonight he hadn't got a flat out no about it. "It took some digging," he said, knowing that Albus would be proud of his ingenuity. "But I found out they're the ones managing the Potter fortune, and not only that, they contract out the work to the Dalton & Moore law firm."
"….That's very interesting, James," Albus said, relying heavily on his occlumency training to hide his visceral reaction to what James had so casually mentioned. "Did you find out anything else?" He asked, wanting to get ahead of whatever he was up to.
"Not much else," James replied, still feeling the sting of embarrassment that he had been swindled for so long.
"I see," Albus replied, relieved that what he found out was at least limited. "It's all very interesting, but why does that matter?" He asked. "With a fortune as large as yours, it's not uncommon for companies like this to outsource some of their workload. They are still giving you your monthly stipend, are they not?"
"That's besides the point Albus," James replied, some of his irritation showing. "I have no input on any of the investment decisions they make, or even have a way to get in touch with them. I should be able to decide how my family fortune is invested, or at the very least have some input on it," he added, trying to keep his temper under control.
Albus regarded James, now entirely uncomfortable with what James discovered, and what he was hinting at. "I'm sorry to say that I've never heard of them, so if you'll excuse us, I have something very important to discuss with Elphias."
James's face fall. He was so sure after all of Albus's question he would have heard of them, then an idea struck him. Dung wasn't getting any closer to finding out who was in charge of Evergreen, and Albus had decades worth of connections he could use, and do a far better job of finding out what was going on. "Would you mind looking into it on my behalf, Albus? I would really appreciate any assistance you can offer," he asked, hopefully.
Albus groaned internally, seeing no way out of denying James's request, at least in public. "…Alright, I will send you an owl in a few days," he said as he and Elphias walked into a corner of the room, casting a muffling charm around them.
Unbeknownst to all three of them, there was another person who overheard their entire conversation, someone adapt at reading lips. She followed Potter out of the room, making sure she was out of the earshot of Dumbledore.
"Mr. Potter," Rita called out, getting James's attention.
James turned around curiously, wondering who it was, only to stop and glare at the woman, recognizing her as reporter for the Daily Prophet. "I don't have anything to say to you, Ms. Skeeter," he said.
"I have some information you may be interested in," Rita tempted. "What's the harm in chatting with me for just a few minutes?"
"Ms. Skeeter," James ground out. "I have nothing to say to you," he added, turning on his heel and walking away.
"It's about Evergreen," Rita said, cutting to the chase. After her article against him, she needed something to keep him on the hook, and it was her only option.
The mention of Evergreen stopped James in his tracks. He hated the idea of dealing with this up jumped tabloid reporter, but his options were limited. "What do you know about it?" He demanded.
"I've been investigating them for quite a while now, for my next big expose," Rita replied. "It hasn't been easy. They're like a ghost," she went on. "But I overheard you talking to Dumbledore about them, how they've taken control of your family fortune. I want to bring them to justice, and I need your help to do it."
James felt tempted to tell the reporter what he learned, especially after what she said about investigating them, but stopped himself. He wouldn't let this woman make a fool out of him a second time, and he trusted her about as far as he could throw her. "I don't trust you, or your motivations," James replied, turning on his heel as he walked away.
Rita cursed mentally, watching him go. She had really hoped that would have been enough to get Potter to reveal something, or at the very least give her a new lead to track down herself.
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"Harry," Ted said, "Your letter, it's a lot to take in. Are you sure this is what's happening? There's no chance you could be mistaken?"
"No," Harry shook his head. "They admitted to all of it after I met with them. I even talked to the woman they say they're helping."
Ted sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "I was afraid you were going to say something like that. I'll be honest with you, Harry. This is out of my depth. Is there a possibility they're telling the truth?"
"They believe what they're saying is the truth," Harry clarified. "But their goals don't line up with their actions."
"Maybe it's time to involve Fudge?" Ted suggested. "This is far too dangerous for you to handle on your own."
"I trust the Minister," Harry replied, "but not the rest of the government. Lord Niven is one of them, so that means there have to be more of them inside the Ministry too. If they find out we know, it will put a target on our backs, and they've already shown they're not above killing to get what they want."
"I thought the same thing," Ted agreed. "But I don't see much of a choice here. You can't beat them on your own. Let me setup a meeting with Fudge at least," he offered. "There must be people he trusts we can bring in on this."
"Alright," Harry relented. "But we have to be careful, no letters, no floo calls. We can't meet in his home, or the Ministry. There's too high a risk of those places being bugged."
"Ok," Ted agreed, seeing Harry's point. "It will take me a little while, but I'll arrange something with the Minister. How long do you think before they act?"
"I'm not sure exactly," Harry admitted. "But it has to be at some point before the end of the school year."
Ted nodded, canceling the muffling charm. He thought about going to the Minister now to arrange an off the books meeting with him, but thought better of it. Having a conversation with the Minister using a muffling charm would draw too much attention, especially when the Alumni could be watching.
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Harry looked across the room and saw his father walking towards him. He let out an audible sigh, knowing this had to happen at some point tonight.
"What is it Harry?" Sally asked curiously, picking up on his change of mood.
"It's… something I have to take care of," Harry replied. "Why don't you Wayne, and Oliver catch up with Neville?" He asked, pointing across the room. "I'll join you in a few minutes," he said, hoping to spare them the confrontation he would soon have with his father.
"Are you sure?" Sally asked, spotting Mr. Potter walking towards them. "I don't mind staying for support," she offered.
"Thank you, Sally. I appreciate it, but I'll be fine," Harry denied.
Sally glanced back and forth between Harry and his father, remembering what had happened at the train station, and the rumors about Harry's life before Hogwarts.
"It's ok," Harry said, noticing the conflicted look on Sally's face. "It won't be like the train station. We're not going to get into a fight here. I promise."
"…Alright," Sally replied reluctantly, getting the attention of Oliver and Wayne, and nodding her head towards Neville.
"You're looking well, boy," James replied, staring down his son. He kept his voice calm, knowing there were quite a few of his former colleagues not so subtly looking in their direction.
He and Lily had discussed how to handle Harry long into the night. He was still furious with the boy for what he did, but they both agreed they couldn't make the situation any worse for themselves than it already was. As much as he hated it, Harry was the darling of the press, and anything negative that happened tonight would be blamed on him.
It was the whole reason Lily was keeping Gloria with her, and as far away from Harry as possible.
"Father," Harry replied, wondering what he wanted from him this time.
"Congratulations are in order," James continued, keeping his expression neutral. "I heard about your score on the standardized transfiguration test," he said.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the unexpected compliment, the first one he had ever received from his father. He couldn't figure out what he was playing at, or what angle he was working, but he didn't like it. "That's a first," he replied, the irritation seeping into his voice. "What brought this on?" He asked, suspiciously.
James regarded his son, biting back his own anger. Couldn't the boy at least be grateful for the compliment? In his place he would be ecstatic to receive this much from his father. Why couldn't the boy do the same? He exhaled, looking away, reminding himself not to react to the boy's disrespect. "You did well," he finally said. "I just wanted you to know that."
Harry stared back at his father, noting how uncharacteristically calm, and patient he was. "Was that everything then?" He asked dismissively. "I'd like to get back to my friends."
James sighed internally. 'Why does the boy have to make this harder than it has to be?' He thought. After Moody broke into his home, it forced him to re-evaluate his priorities, and getting back at the boy was now very low on his list.
He had to show his former colleagues that he turned over a new leaf if he ever wanted to get back on the Wizengamot, and he couldn't afford anymore bad publicity because of the boy. But at the same time, he couldn't let the disrespect slide, and make him look weak in front of them either.
"Watch you tone boy," he warned. "You surprised me at the train platform, simple as that. Don't let it go to your head, because it won't happen a second time."
"I guess we'll see about that," Harry replied confidently, thinking about his multiple confrontations with the study group, and how small of a threat his father was in comparison.
James bit back a snarl as the boy continued to disrespect him, taking a breath to calm himself before he did something about the boy's attitude, and cause himself even more problems.
"Goodnight Harry," James said, turning on his heel, and walking away. There would be a time he would settle things with his son, but it wouldn't be tonight.
Harry watched him go, his eyes boring into James's back. Just seeing the man made him angry, and talking to him always put him on edge.
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Draco watched from across the corner as Potter talked with his lawyer, and all the other people he introduced his friends to as he mingled with the other guests, feeling another pang of jealousy.
Everyone at the party, at one time or another, found a reason to speak with him, conveniently, when the photographer was nearby to snap a few pictures, wondering again how he was supposed to compete with that.
His eyes widened slightly as he saw the next person making their way over to him. James Potter. He heard they didn't get along, but this would be the first time he saw it for himself. He strained his ears, trying to overhear them, but they were too far away, and based on their expressions, it wasn't a pleasant conversation.
For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what his father would even have to complain about, especially with all the accomplishment Harry had underneath his belt.
After a few minutes he watched Potter's father stalk off, and then Potter make his way towards him.
"Hello Draco," Harry greeted as he picked up a plate, placing a few snacks on his plate.
"Potter," Draco greeted, neutrally.
"I guess you saw that, huh?" Harry asked, not seeing any point in avoiding what they were both thinking about.
"…Yeah," Draco replied, still wondering what it could have been about.
".. I don't really get along with them," Harry replied. "I never have."
"What does he even have to complain about?" Draco asked the question that had been gnawing at him. "It sounds like you're everything he could want in a son."
"No," Harry shook his head. "It's never enough with him," he admitted. "No matter what I did or how hard I try. It took me a while to realize it, but that's exactly the way he wants it."
"What do you mean?" Draco asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.
"I can't really explain it," Harry replied honestly. "It doesn't make much sense to me either, but he's always been so happy to see me fail, especially when he's the one causing it."
"It's all about appearances with them," Draco realized. "You achieved something without him, and he can't take the credit for it."
"You might be right," Harry acknowledged after a moment's thought.
Draco looked at Potter, perhaps understanding him for the first time. He also had to deal with a domineering father, certainly not to the same degree as Potter, but he could understand the pressure.
"My father," Draco started. "He's like that too sometimes."
"I noticed," Harry replied, remembering how he treated Draco when he came to Hogwarts.
"He's never once told me he was proud of me," Draco revealed, not sure why he was spilling his guts to Potter of all people. "I was the second ranked student, ahead of all the pureblood families," he boasted. "And I worked, and I studied, more than anyone else, but second best doesn't count."
"You can't control the way other people see you," Harry replied. "Sometimes you can't even control what happens to you. The only thing you can control is how you react. Don't let someone else define who you are."
Draco looked at Harry for a long moment, realizing they weren't as different as he thought, and they perhaps had more in common than either of them wanted to admit. "Thanks Harry."
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Albus paced in his office as Elphias watched from his seat. "How did he find out?" Albus demanded.
It was late in the evening. After speaking to Potter, both of them made a hasty exit from the party.
"I have no idea," Elphias replied honestly. "Maybe he had outside help," he suggested.
"The Potter estate is too important to lose. We need to nip this in the bud, and fast." Albus said.
"What do you suggest we do?" Elphias asked. "We don't even know how he found out what he did. No one should have even been able to make the connection between Evergreen and the Potter estate."
"I have a man for this kind of thing," Albus replied. "He'll find out where the leak came from, but this could not have come at a worse time," he groused. "I'm already down a deputy headmaster, and my workload has doubled at the school. I don't have the time to deal with this."
"I've noticed," Elphias replied. "So have our political rivals. They're taking advantage of your absence in the Wizengamot."
"I'm aware," Albus said, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "But there's nothing to be done about it. There's no money in the Hogwarts budget for an assistant, and the board has refused my repeated requests to hire a new deputy."
"What's the issue?" Elphias asked, curiously. "Minerva has been relieved of her duties, that should have freed up the budget, shouldn't it?"
"They said they don't want to incur the costs of searching for a new candidate and paying them for a full year when the school year is already half over," Albus said, frustrated the board was tying his hands like this, as he explaining how Hogwarts salaries were paid annually as a lump sum.
Elphias nodded, understanding how difficult it was to deal with bureaucracies, especially where funding was concerned. "I'll take my leave then," Elphias said. "Let me know what your man has to say."
After Elphias left, Albus went to the fireplace and threw in a pinch of floo powder, calling for Mungdungus. "Dung, I have a job for you," Albus said.
Dung's eyes lit up. It had been some time since Albus hired him, and with the trail on Evergreen going cold, he needed a new source of income. "Great," he smiled, stepping through the fireplace. "What's the job?" he asked eagerly.
"I need you to look into something for me, and you need to keep it quiet," Albus said. "James Potter has stumbled upon something he shouldn't have. I want to know how, and who's helping him."
"…Potter?" Dung asked, suddenly feeling very nervous, already having an idea of what Albus was going to say next.
"Yes," Albus replied. "He's been looking into a company called Evergreen. I want you to find out how much he knows and who he's getting his information from."
"And what should I do when I find this person?" Dung asked, doing his best to stay calm. He had rarely seen Albus in a state like this. Whenever it happened, heads tended to roll.
"Let Moody know," Albus replied. "He'll take it from there," he stated ominously.
Dung didn't need to read between the lines to know how Moody would take care of things. He considered telling Albus the truth, and begging for mercy, but quickly dismissed it, liking where his head was situated. "…Did you find out anything else from Potter?"
"That isn't your concern, Dung," Albus dismissed. "Just find out what he knows and who he gets his information from."
Dung gulped nervously, recognizing how precarious his situation was. His only saving grace was Potter hadn't mentioned his name. It would buy him some time, but not much.
He couldn't let Albus know he was the one that helped Potter, but Albus also expected results. He would either have to find someone to take the fall or do a runner, and neither option was very appealing to him.
"Alright Albus," Dung said. "I'll get started on this right away. Should have something for you soon," he added, quickly leaving through the fireplace before he gave himself away.
Albus sighed, looking out the window as he thought about his recent string of bad luck. He was no closer to getting Harry on side, and after the whole test fiasco he had less free time than ever to win him over.
'The Potter fortune is too lucrative for my long-term plans,' he thought. 'Far more than the other estates, but if this can't be contained, I'll need to find someone to blame,' he thought, making a mental list of possible scapegoats.