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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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After watching the prat upset Ginny, Bill wasn't for pulling any punches. "Ron sees me as a curse-breaker, he ignores all the hard work I put in to get where I am. Charlie works just as hard at his profession, and we've all seen the hours Percy puts into his studies. Oh, the twins tell me he has a very pretty distraction at Hogwarts, the fifth year Ravenclaw girls' prefect apparently said yes when Percy asked her to be his girlfriend. Our Ron has always been a shirker, expecting everything to drop into his lap. If he doesn't grow out of that habit real soon, he's in for a rude awakening."
Molly was nodding in agreement. "I don't know where he picked the habit up from, none of the rest of you are like that. Even Fred and George work hard at being the biggest pair of scamps they can be. I hope your father has some ideas because I don't know what to do with him. His education is hanging by a thread and all he was concerned about was missing lunch."
-oOoOo-
Albus was pouring a second firewhisky for the minister, while wondering if he should employ Abe? All these shocking revelations were quickly turning his office into a bar, and his younger brother was the recognised Dumbledore family expert on those.
"He can't be back Albus, this has to be some horrible mistake?"
"Minerva's reaction was pretty much the same as yours Cornelius, and she saw him with her own eyes. As much as we don't want it to be true, it doesn't change the fact that it is."
"If this gets out, it will make today's headlines appear like a picnic."
"Not if we're ready Cornelius, the good news is I think we have time to prepare." Fudge was now sipping his second drink, after having gulped the first one down. Albus took this as a good sign so attempted to steer the Minister of Magic in the direction he wanted the ministry to go.
"We need to quietly beef-up the auror department, in both training and manpower. When the story eventually reaches the public, as we both know it must, you can rightfully say that the ministry are not only prepared but ready to respond to the threat. I will give you all the backing I can within the Wizengamot."
The minister liked the sound of that, Dumbledore's idea made him appear like a man of action. That he would actually have a plan in place beforehand to deal with a problem would also make a welcome change. "What can we do about the Potter situation? I need to have some answers for the press or I won't be able to do anything, the public will have me out on the street."
"I suggest we tell them the truth."
This confused the minister until Albus told him the truth. Well, this version of the truth might be slanted in Albus Dumbledore's favour - but the old wizard never told any lies. "After the Potters were murdered, I left baby Harry with his Aunt, Lily's sister. I thought he'd be safer growing up in the muggle world, away from all the madness that's become attached to being the boy-who-lived. What I hadn't counted on was them not wanting the boy, I just couldn't believe they would give their own flesh and blood away."
Cornelius was having trouble believing that himself. "They actually gave him away?"
"They didn't want the boy but thankfully also wanted to avoid a muggle orphanage." The very thought of Harry Potter having the same upbringing as Tom Riddle sent a shudder through Albus. "His uncle managed to take Harry to Diagon Alley where he wandered into Gringotts. The muggle wanted to just dump the baby on a counter and leave him there but the goblins weren't having that."
"They should have contacted the ministry at once..."
"Think back Cornelius, what state was the ministry in? That's why I left Harry at his muggle aunt's in the first place. If we didn't know who we could trust, how were the goblins supposed to choose a safer option than keeping Harry themselves? They clearly knew how important the child was."
"When did you discover this and why didn't you do something about it?"
"It wasn't until the Christmas holidays later that year that I had an opportunity to return and check on the child, only to discover that he was no longer there. They had signed something called an escrow agreement that legally handed responsibility for Harry over to the goblins."
"Surely there must have been something you could do?"
"Of course I headed straight to Gringotts, only to be informed the contract was unbreakable. Needless to say I wasn't happy with that, I ended up being barred from Gringotts the same day." If the minister left Hogwarts with the impression that Albus had fought for Harry's freedom until the goblins kicked him out, that was okay with the headmaster.
"I still think the goblins should have informed us of what was happening..."
"Cornelius, I have met the goblin Harry calls father, they are as close as any father / son I've seen. In any fight against the dark lord, Harry is going to be our best weapon. Attacking that goblin, or even Gringotts, in public or the Prophet could see us lose that weapon forever."
This now had the minister's entire focus. "What should we do then?"
"We thank the goblins for looking after young Harry, and helping the lad become the outstanding young man he is." This had Fudge totally confused until Albus explained his reasoning. "The escrow agreement ends when the head of the Potter family decrees it to be so, or when Harry finally comes of age. That is all the time we have to ensure that Harry makes the decision we both want, and then takes his rightful place in our society. We have both now seen how Harry responds to a heavy-handed approach, we have to change tactics or risk losing him forever."
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Welcome to the world of our fanfic! Your support is the heartbeat of this story, allowing us to craft new adventures and explore deeper character arcs. With over 55 chapters ahead, becoming a patron gives you exclusive access to bonus content and the chance to influence the narrative's direction.
Join us on this thrilling ride—together, we can make every chapter unforgettable!
http//patreon.com/Kun_kanshi
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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