Harry was unable to stop grinning. He had taken Hermione and Ron aside after Pettigrew had been taken away and told them everything that had happened to him during the summer.
Children'sBooks
Discover moreChildren's BooksScience Fiction & Fantasy BooksScience Fiction & FantasyScience Fiction & Fantasy FilmsComics"Man, Harry, why didn't you tell us before?" Ron asked irritated.
"Believe me, Ron, I wanted to tell you, but it was too risky. It's not that I don't trust you, I trust you more than anybody else, but you aren't able to use Occlumency. And Dumbledore and Snape are proficient Legilimens, masters in the art of reading someone's mind." Harry explained.
"While I 'm not ready, myself, to withstand either of their attacks on my mind yet, I am protected by my status as the heir of the houses of Potter and Black. The heir rings, which become invisible for as long as I want, have ancient magic inside of them to protect family secrets or the heirs against enemies. For example, the Black heir ring protects against intruders in the mind until the heir is able to protect his mind on his own. The Potter heir ring protects against low-level curses completely, and middle-strong curses up to a limited degree. From what I was told, it would protect me against a single reducto but would have to be recharged after that. You two don't have this protection and I couldn't allow my father to be arrested innocently again just because Dumbledore wants to control me. Not after I finally have a father."
Children'sBooks
Discover moreCartoonsMoviesAnimeCookiesBooks & Literature"I still have difficulties believing Professor Dumbledore would do such a thing." Hermione stated, clearly disturbed by the thought that the most well known light wizard had manipulated Harry's life in such a way.
Ron looked ready for one of his jealousy trips. Harry decided to stop it in the beginning.
Children'sBooks
"Ron, I think I know what you're thinking, that I have everything given to me just because I was born into nobility. You know that I don't care about my fame. After all, you've been my best friend from the train ride to Hogwarts in our first year. But I've learned that if I want to change our world for the better, and prevent anything like Voldemort's reign of terror to ever repeat itself, I will have to use it. As for the money, I know how poverty feels, heck, you have been way better off than I have with the Dursleys. All my clothes were old cast-offs of Dudley, and you know how he looks. At least you had a family who loved you."
Discover moreAnime & MangaBooksScience Fiction & FantasyChildren's BooksScience Fiction & Fantasy BooksRon had the decency to look ashamed.
"In our first year, the Mirror of Erised showed me my deepest desire as it showed you yours. You wanted to stand out above your brothers; I wanted a family. Well, I've found one person who is family to me, Sirius, my adopted father; and you can achieve rising out of the shadow of your brothers. You clearly have a bright mind; otherwise, you wouldn't be that good at chess. You're brilliant at strategy. Well, I say use your talents, learn as much as you can in the areas that interest you and excel there.
Discover moreScience Fiction & Fantasy FilmsBooksMoviesAnimeCookies"And most importantly, think about the time your brothers began to excel. Did Bill start as the cool curse-breaker you described me when you told me about your older brother during our first ride on the Hogwarts Express? Did your brother Charlie, who helped us get Norbert to the preserve in our first year, know how to handle dragons when he was thirteen? I don't think so, they took their time to learn the things they wanted to do here at Hogwarts, and later learned even more about the things they loved to do."
Harry knew he needed to get Ron to see his own worth.
"Think about the twins. Your mother is complaining about them not achieving as good results as she would like them to, but they know what they want and work for it. None of the Weasleys I met is stupid or useless. Your family is one of the coolest wizarding families I've met, so you don't need to stand out right now. Find the thing you're good at first."
Ron blushed at the praise for his family.
"Nothing more is needed to show your own worth. Don't try to surpass your brothers in their best areas, make a name for yourself in your area of expertise. You're already a brave and loyal friend, a much better one than all those pricks with money could have been. I mean, look at your father. I've heard he's taken in well at his new job and is a real asset to JWT. He likes muggles and their inventions, he works hard at what he likes, and I am sure he will soon make a name for himself in this area."
Ron was impressed by Harry's words. He had never thought of it in this way.
"Do you really think I could do this?" He asked his friends.
"Of course you can, Ron." Hermione encouraged him.
"You only need to work a bit more on your own to be better in classes. Harry's right, you're smart, you just don't make the effort for it to show. If you would, you could show everybody that you're good."
"And to be honest, there is plenty of time to find your specialty while we are at school. I mean, we're only thirteen. We have five years left at school. If you would let me, I would like to suggest two subjects that I think would suit you well." Harry said.
"Two new subjects? I don't think I could handle two more Harry, one probably, but two would be too much." Ron argued.
"I did think of that, don't worry. I thought of Muggle Studies and Arithmancy. Arithmancy would work well with your analytical mind, and Muggle Studies to get a better understanding of their world and inventions. Besides, you would only have to take one of them here at school. I would recommend you take the pensieve course in Muggle Studies Pa has gotten for his collection. It's way more up-to-date than anything they teach here at Hogwarts.
"And I'm sure Hermione would be delighted to help you understand anything you have problems with; she is a muggleborn witch and has actually grown up in their world. My upbringing can't really be called knowledge, as the Dursleys never let me out to explore more than the immediate neighborhood. I could have gotten dangerous ideas." Harry said sarcastically.
Hermione seemingly liked that idea. From what Harry had told them, the pensieve lessons he had taken were much better than anything the teachers at Hogwarts had taught them in those areas. She was slightly irritated that the supposed best school for magic offered subpar education in some areas. Thankfully' Harry had assured her that Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Vector, Babbling, Sprout− with some minor lacks, Lupin, and Sinistra were very capable in their areas of expertise. However, that left Divination, Muggle Studies, Potions and, to some extent, Care of Magical Creatures open for attacks. Although she had to admit, Hagrid had gotten better in his classes.
Harry had seen the problems that would arise if Hagrid kept showing them the more dangerous magical creatures from the start. So he took one Saturday morning to speak with his friend to help him work out his lessons to be less open for criticism. After the near-disaster with the Hippogriffs, Hagrid was gladly agreeing to tone down the level of creatures.
That didn't mean they were shown less-impressive creatures. Hagrid had gotten them Kneazles—normally taught later—but they were not dangerous in any way and they were a hit with the girls, they really liked the cats. Then moved on to show them ashwinders, beautiful, but dangerous, snakes if angered; which were held in a glass terrarium to ensure the student's safety. Harry had a very interesting conversation with one of the older males, to the slight discomfort of his classmates, but he couldn't care less. Everybody knew he was a parselmouth from last year, and he had proven not to be an evil wizard.
Then Hagrid showed them different kinds of food for different species of magical creatures and which food would be good for them in which situation. Hagrid could often been seen talking to Remus, asking for advice how to present the creatures he had chosen for his classes. Remus was only too happy to help Hagrid out. The results were very pleasant for Harry to see. Hagrid's classes became one of those nearly everybody enjoyed taking. The Slytherin bullies didn't count.
"That's not a bad idea. I think dad would be happy if I showed more interest in the muggle world, and I don't want to embarrass myself when I go there. Plus, if I only had one real new subject, I could handle the work. But which subject would I drop?" Ron asked counting the subjects.
"Divination, of course." Harry said happily.
Hermione frowned. She still didn't like the thought of dropping subjects; but she had to admit the workload was getting to her. Perhaps Harry was right. Besides, the time turner was beginning to turn her crazy.
"You really dislike the subject, don't you?" Ron asked grinning.
"From what I have heard you and Hermione telling me about Trelawney, I think I have every right to do so. Divination is so imprecise that it's nearly useless. You can so easily manipulate predictions, it isn't funny. Spout some rumors, mix it with mystery, observe your opposite, and you can pretty well say what will likely happen. If you sprout some vague predictions, many will go out of their ways to see that they've come true. I have better things to study about." Harry said.
He was slightly disgruntled with the whole Divination fuss Parvati and Lavender were making in their common room; and that fraud Trelawney was still predicting poor Neville's death. Neville was already self-conscious and didn't need to be put down in more misery.
"I'll think about it. The prospect of ditching Divination has its merits, and we have only had a few months of lessons in those subjects. I could probably catch up with the rest if I decided to change my electives." Ron was pondering.
Harry was glad to have prevented an episode of jealousy from Ron. As much as he liked his best friend, that aspect of his personality was not one of his favorites.
"So, what will you do when Dumbledore returns from the ICW conference?" Hermione asked.
"Sit back and enjoy the show. He has nothing he could do against Pa regaining his freedom. Madam Bones has assured this, and Fudge knows better than to go against the now known heir of six old pureblood families if he doesn't want to look like the biggest idiot there is. He won't win the next election for Minister. Before long, there will be another Minister, one who will be able to manage things a bit more professionally."
"Do you know that you sound eerily like a Slytherin right now, Harry?" Ron asked concerned.
"Yes. You know I have some traits of every house of Hogwarts, why do you think my sorting took so long? The sorting hat even seriously considered putting me into Slytherin. But I didn't want to go there, so I asked it to put me anywhere but Slytherin." Harry told them.
"Horrible thought. You would have to share a dorm with Malfoy." Ron said disgusted.
"True, Ron, very true. I'm very thankful that I became a Gryffindor. While not all Slytherins are evil, I like the little peace I have. And being around Malfoy all day would drive me crazy."
The three shared a good laugh.
It was the next morning and, predictably, there was a big article in the Daily Prophet that told everything about the capture of Peter Pettigrew. Harry read it with rapt attention.
Truth revealed after twelve years
By Rita Skeeter
Yesterday, shortly after lunch at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, an extraordinary incident took place. As this reporter has been told, a harmless attempt at a prank by resident Hogwarts pranksters-in-chief, twins George and Fred Weasley,led to an unbelievable discovery.
Peter Pettigrew, a man believed dead for twelve years, killed by the hand of one Sirius Black, is alive! The same man that was said to have betrayed Lord James and Lady Lily Potter.
But I ask: Is it the truth?
Many things are suspicious in that regard. After a thorough investigation, it was revealed that Sirius Black never even got a trial. A point that Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived and heir apparent to six influential noble houses, has remarked as unforgivable by a legal government. As you remember from my last article about the dementor attack during the Quidditch match Gryffindor versus Slytherin at Hogwarts some weeks ago, young Harry Potter met the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, to get him to remove the dementors from the school.
With the support of many wizards and witches of high social standing, like Lady Augusta Longbottom and the current head of auror department Rufus Scrimgeour, he managed to convince the Minister of the mistake that was made in the attempt to protect him from the supposed murderer Black.
All the wizards and witches present agreedto keep one important fact secret, and that was Mr. Potter pointing out that his parents stated in their will that their secret keeper was none other than Peter Pettigrew.
And, more importantly, Albus Dumbledore—current Headmaster of Hogwarts School and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot—knew it. He was witness to the signing of the will of Lord and Lady Potter.
This only leaves one conclusion: Sirius Black is innocent and was set up by the people he trusted, his former friend Peter Pettigrew, and headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the supposed leader of the light.
Is Dumbledore really a light wizard? Many questions are coming up due to his ways of handling things, especially regarding the upbringing of Harry Potter.
As your faithful reporter found out, it was Albus Dumbledore who placed the poor boy with his muggle relatives. Worse, he left him on the doorstep in the middle of the night in November, protected by just a baby blanket against the cold. How could he place the heir of six noble and most ancient houses (namely Potter, Black, Boldon, Peverell, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw) with muggles that hate everything about magic?
Isabella Thannys, 33, a fellow classmate of Lady Lily Potter answered, when asked by this reporter what she knew of Lily's family,'Lily always described her parents as very kind and caring people. They were proud having a daughter with the ability to use magic. But they never favored her over her sister Petunia. Still, her sister was jealous of Lily, which was hard for Lily to endure, as she really loved her sister. With time, her sister became really nasty and always called her a freak.'
Now, I have to ask, if Lily Potter's classmates knew about the treatment Lily got by her sister, why did Dumbledore still place poor Harry with them?
The agreement made at the Ministry was to prevent the traitor Pettigrew from becomingsuspicious of the plans put in place to catch him. It truly is ironic how two fifteen year old boys, who just wanted to test a variation of the animagus-revealing spell to enhance the glow that cloaks the animal (green for normal, blue for magical animals and red for animagi) for a longer period to get a harmless laugh at some startled schoolmates, discovered him.
Immediate action was taken by the current teacher in Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, Remus Lupin, who stunned the revealed wizard Pettigrew immediately, and Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall,who ordered Potions Master Severus Snape to get her Veritaserum to question Pettigrew, ensuring that the truth was finally revealed under the surprised eyes of Hogwarts' students, including Mr. Potter.
Peter Pettigrew admitted under Veritaserum that he was a Death Eater, supported He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in his torture of muggles and muggleborns, and delivered many wizards and witches who opposed You-Know-Who to his master. He also admitted that he was the secret keeper of the Potters and blamed Sirius Black for his actions.Using the emotional distress of Black over the death of his best friend and said friend's wife to his advantage.
The Minister of Magic has already called a date for the trial of Peter Pettigrew, and asks Sirius Black to turn himself in so he can finally be given the trial he should have gotten in 1981. For Mr. Black, it is just a formality to be cleared of all charges.
Many assumptions were made in 1981 by the former head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Bartemius Crouch, who denied Black a trial and sent him straight to Azkaban like many others.
I ask, are there more innocent prisoners inAzkaban? How could our Ministry let its own laws be ignored that gravely? Why is the Chief Mugwump of the Wizengamot so keen to keep everyone in the dark?
I promise you, dear readers, that I will find out and report the complete truth in this matter.
"She really didn't waste any time." Harry commented smugly.
"This is a big scandal. Dumbledore won't have a day without getting a howler. I'm sure mum will be one of those to send him one." Ron said.
"I would really enjoy seeing him bombarded with howlers. He deserves nothing better." Harry stated.
Albus Dumbledore was livid. His carefully laid plans had been thwarted. The blasted boy had gotten a look at his parents will and knew Sirius had been framed. Blasted goblins. He should have known that they would have a copy of the will. This was a catastrophe. All his hard work over decades was seriously damaged. He would have to act fast to save as much as possible. Perhaps he could plea for forgetfulness of old age regarding the identity of the secret keeper. This would be hard; as witness to a will, you had to be reliable.
Damn Sirius. Damn Weasley twins. They just had to come up with this stupid prank idea. If he had only known about the location of Pettigrew, he could have killed the only evidence that could have gotten Sirius cleared. Now, with Minerva reporting the contents of the interview of Pettigrew, there was nothing that could be done. If he had only been at the school when they discovered Pettigrew, he could have cast a memory modifying charm and destroyed every proof.
But no, it just had to happen when he was away at the ICW conference, where his colleagues were less than impressed with his actions in the past. Until now, he had just had little bumps in the plan. If he officially apologized to Sirius, saying that he had been unknowing of him not being the Potters' secret keeper—due to an injury during a fight with Voldemort that erased his memory of the will—perhaps he could save something. It would be a stain on his public relations, but it would pass. He could live with some distrust for a few months, which would be the most the public was about to remember this.
Thankfully, nearly nobody knew of his friendship with Gellert Grindelwald in his youth. All those that could know were long dead, and Bathilda Bagshot had been lost to insanity. That flank was secure.
The problem was, with Harry being the heir of six pureblood houses he would wield political power, which was a threat to his own position. Until now, he had voted as proxy for Harry and gotten many of his decrees passed this way. Without Harry's votes, this would be a lot more difficult. While he hadn't known about the Ravenclaw and Boldon Lordships, he had used the other three for his goals. The Black Lordship had still been with Sirius, so it had been impossible for anyone to use it.
He had to regain control over Harry, at any cost.