If i ever have kids I want one of you to come and shoot me in the head. Between them and work i have barely slept. I got eyebags so big i look like a Garra wannabe.🦝
I woke up early to write this chapter in peace and quiet. Anyway here is the chap.
Word Count 2050
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The Wizengamot had officially started. Everybody took their seats and waited for the people of the Ministry to bring the topics that would be discussed today. Of course these were only the things the Ministry wanted. Later on people could bring their own topics as well.
Bang. Bang. Bang
Fudge tapped the gavel. "Well then onto our first order of business. New measurements for the Pewter Cauldron... Again"
Many of the lords and ladies groaned over this. Usually they would be calm and collected. But this was the 27th time this topic has been brought up. Again and again.
Harry blinked at that ' Okay time for brain to go offline or think about other things. Leave a few percent of the brain active on the conversation to wake me up when few key words are spoken like 'next topic' or the gavel banging again.'
After 30 minutes of speaking nonsense come the real thing.
" All right. Now for the new legislation. Increasing taxes on products made in another country by a British citizen." As soon as Fudge said this the room did a double take. Then looked at Harry Potter who was casually sitting there.
This new law was clearly pointed at him. Yet he was perfectly calm.
"Does anybody object with this Law" Dumbledore spoke up. The Potter Alliance was silent. People were starting to realize there was something more to this.
"Lord Potter. Don't you have anything to say? After all this affects your business, it wouldn't be wise not to pay attention on these things" Lord Nott said in a friendly manner, as if giving advice to the younger generation.
They wanted Harry Potter to argue against this law. Then help him out, or put him in their debts. Anything to lower his current position.
"No I'm fine with it" Harry said casually, further confusing the members. 'What is this boy doing'
"But Lord Potter. This is quite a large amount of money. Are you sure you are willing to pay that?" Andromeda asked courteously
Harry glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. Breaking his bored look "Pay? Who said anything about paying? If they increase the taxes in this country that just means I won't sell it here. Simple as that. There is a finite supply and the demand is growing by the day. I don't need to sell in Britain to make a profit"
Fudge spluttered "But we had a deal"
Harry smiled "Indeed we did. I promised I'd sell my products in Britain and we agreed on the price and laws. What you didn't know I put in a clause that if you threatened my business in any way I can just stop any and all business transactions in this country."
Dolores quickly waved her wand and the agreement they signed floated up from the rest of the files.
"There is no such thing as that mentioned here." The toad screeched out
"Look closer at the last paragraph. Right below our signatures. See something odd about the colour?" Harry chuckled.
Umbridge looked closely at the parchment. Then realized that the boy was right. She traced her finger at the edges and it pealed off. Revealing a whole other section.
Harry Potter laughed "You wizards are so quick to judge and dismiss muggles. They come up with the most interesting things you know."
"You cheated!" Fudge's face turned red.
" No. I just made sure you can't cheat. There is a difference. And I do count this new law as a threat so the hidden section is already in play. Congratulations Minister. You just cost Britain my invention. Bravo" Harry mockingly clapped his hands
"You-you-you" Fudge was getting angrier and angrier.
"Ehem" Andromeda cleared her throat. " I thought about waiting for the opportune moment. But since we are already telling bad news. I might as well continue now. I have a letter to read out to the Ministry and Wizengamot from Lord Black"
Lucius eyes narrowed at this. And so did many from the Dark Faction
At first Lucius planned to block Sirius from the Black Fortune, but now that planned is ruined because someone else is Lord Black. He needs to find a way to reveal this persons identity, perhaps this letter will help.
Andy started to talk.
" Greetings Fake Lords and Ladies of Britain. A few months ago a letter arrived from the telling me that the former Head of the House Black Arcturus Black III that I am the new 'Lord'. Now as I am from the continent we have a different meaning for Lords. Which you British should know from from the no-maj. A Lord governs over a territory and its people. You govern over nothing. You are just people with a lot of money who wanted to pretend that they are royalty."
Harry smiled as Andromeda read the letter that he wrote. He meticulously planned to anger the people without revealing anything. The only thing that they know now is that this Lord Black is an outsider from the 'continent' usually meaning Western Europe.
" At first I was surprised that I got the Lordship. Me a member of a branch house. Why not any of his children or grandchildren. Well turns out most of them were criminals and insane killers so he couldn't.
I was very disappointed to learn about the situation in Magical Britain. You people let an insane megalomaniac almost destroy your entire country. And after that you give pardon to all the criminals who followed him? Why because they were rich and bribed the Ministry. Absolutely pathetic."
Harry glanced at fudge whose face was no turning purple. 'If this goes on maybe his head will really explode. Magic is weird like that, but it would be funny for it to be true'
Andromeda ignored all the glares coming her way and continued to read the letter.
"Apparently the previous lord and some of his friends had arranged something to be done. Next thing I know some mercenary group came to me and ransomed off Sirius and Bellatrix, which they have broken out from Azkaban. A prison defended by demons. You people have weird tastes.
So as a normal person I was furious against these two. A betrayer and an insane maniac. I felt sick knowing that I shared blood with them and planned to kill both of them off. Bellatrix was laughing like a maniac, saying how her Lord would kill me.
But Sirius Black begged me to let him see Harry Potter. 'Let me see my Godson he said'. Now that stopped me. As far as I know those who take the godfather oath can not harm or put their godchild in harms way. So after confirming the oath was there, I knew something didn't add up.
I dosed Sirius with Veritaserum and low and behold came out the truth. Sirius was innocent, he was thrown in prison without any sort of a trial and Pettigrew the real betrayer was still out there. An innocent man spent 10 years in Prison because the British were lazy and corrupted. Unsurprising I have to admit."
'Wow. That gave a lot of reactions.' Harry was watching the crowd. The Light were feeling guilty, since Sirius fought for them and they just threw him away after not needing him. The Grey were a bit uncomfortable but this was what they did. Making sketchy deals with both sides. And the Dark were furious. This outsider was mocking them, their lifestyle and traditions.
Dumbledore on the other hand was frowning 'So that's how Sirius escaped. I didn't expect this from a man like Arcturus. To think he still had an ace up his sleeve. Hiring skilled mercenaries. He is creating trouble even after he died. Well played, old friend. Well played.'
" Now Since I found out that Sirius was innocent there was a small chance Bellatrix was as well. But she has gone completly mad so the Veritaserum wouldn't work on her. So i did what only choice was left I used Legilimency on her. After seeing the things that she had done i became more and more ruthless. I ripped her mind apart convinced that she was a lost cause. But then I found it, just a second after I had decided to kill her. The Truth.
First of all I have to apologize to house Longbottom. If Bellatrix did join the Dark Lord of her own free will. I would have killed her on the spot after confirming that. But she didn't.
Bellatrix was sold to house Lestrange. She would have been forced to listen to her husband. After that the Dark Lord used Potions and Legilimency on her to twist her mind further. Creating a crazy attack dog, willing to listen to his every order.
I hired the best Mind Healers money could find. And after all this time. They had managed to heal Bellatrix. Return her to how she was before the Marriage Contract. Now i have a 17 year old girl trapped in her own 40 year old body. Scared out of her mind. All because you couldn't be bothered to check her mind before throwing her in a cell" Andromeda's voice wavered here. She was getting emotional but that appealed to the members
Agusta Longbottom didn't know what to say. She hated the Lestranges and Barty with a passion. But could she really blame Bellatrix. Not now. As a traditional woman she knew how awful those binding blood contracts were. Well with Barty Crouch Junior dead and now the Lestranges. There was no one left for her to hate besides the Dark Lord.
"After seeing the Injustice my family members have suffered under the British Ministry. Furious doesn't even begin to explain my emotions. So it is with great pleasure that I announce this. As Lord Black, I call back every single favour owed to the House of Black to be paid in full as well as any Money that was made on behalf of Draco Malfoy to be returned in full with interest."
'And so it begins' Harry watched as the entire chamber practically explode in noise. Almost everybody jumped from their seats and started to yell and shout.
"Order. Order! ORDER!!!" Fudge kept banging his gavel but it was of no use.
Dumbledore raised his wand in the air
BANG. BANG. BANG
He created some explosions calming down the crowd.
"Regent Black. Are you sure you wish to do this. If I understand this correctly, this will cripple Magical Britain just to pay back their debts." Dumbledore said in a serious tone
Andromeda smiled. "These are the wishes of my Lord. And I will do exactly what Magical Britain did when Sirius and Bellatrix were imprisoned without proper procedures. Nothing. I will do nothing except just stand there and watch"
"Even while magical Britain falls apart. The lives that will be ruined" Dumbledore pressed his magic leaking from him
Andromeda stood her ground "Even then. This is bound by magic. No matter what laws you pass. If the debt isn't paid, magic will make sure to even things out"
"Awesome" Harry chuckled as he shook his head "House Potter does owe you some favours. I will gladly pay up. After all, I don't want to wake up with some blood curse all of a sudden"
This made the blood Dark Faction members freeze. They put a lot of pride in their bloodline. And now when faced with a blood curse, that could happen at any moment. It was natural that they would start panicking.
Lucius glances at one of his associates. And uses Leniency to send a message.
'Challenge the Lord Black to a honor duel. Just so we make him show up'
Goyle Senior nodded. He knew their usual tactics. As long as they can make him show up it would be fine. Especially since this Lord Black was an outsider from a small branch. He could easily defeat him himself. But if he turned out to be strong. Well if an accident were to occur on Lord Black before their duel its not his fault his opponent had too many enemies.
Goyle Senior stood up "This is unacceptable! You are going to ruin Magical Britain. Lord Black i challenge you to an Honor Duel!!"
~ A/N BTW
If any of you are wondering why i don't fix the past mistakes you guys point out. Its because WN will delete the comments on that paragraph or all the paragraph comments on that Chapter. I would much rather let them stay for others to see