herumtreiber

Title: The Privy Councilors 15/35
Chapter: Winning and losing
Author:

herumtreiber
Genre: AU to HBP, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Epilogue compliant? No way!
Chapter length: ~4,480 words
Summary: Draco/Harry, Luna/Neville, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/??? Harry is about to be sent to Azkaban. The story explores Wizengamot politics and the fight against evil Dumbledore - where he gets vanquished early and does not prattle on and on - but is he gone? Plus de-aging. Someone returns whose name begins with S. (And my revenge on characters whose accents are hard to read – like Hagrid and Fleur ;-)

Table of contents

12. The unlikely hero

After the shenanigans, Ron spoke with his older brothers, "I'm sorry for what you saw, but that animal threatened Harry and we had to act."

Bill replied, "Don't worry, little brother! The display of cunning and brute force was magnificent, and I must compliment you on becoming an Animagus. However, Charlie and I have come to a decision. Dumbledore really hoodwinked the Light for years, but the hierarchy, the people who run the Wizarding World, they should still command our allegiance. A Weasley can do no other thing."

Charlie frowned. "It might be fun to rebel against authority, but if you offer no competing vision, you will fail. We believe, together with Mum and Ginny, that you, the Twins and Hermione have let yourselves become inured to authority through your delight in Harry's little adventures. He lets you share a bit of the spotlight, and you are ready to roll over for him."

Ron's face became redder. Then he calmed down, and remembered that the Revenge Master was on his side. Time to play to his strengths.

Ron said, "Then I wash my hands off of you, stupid jackasses! I want you out of Diamond Manor in two hours!"
Charlie smirked and replied, "You can't throw us out, only the owner can!"
Ron answered by shouting, "Trini! Please tell Draco to come here at once!"
The house-elf immediately Apparated to carry the message.
Presently Draco sauntered in, looking to the world as if he were going on a health cruise around the world. He greeted Ron, "Hello, Weasley!"

Ron answered, "Draco, do you remember that bet we had? Well, it looks like you won."

Draco looked sad for a moment, before his Malfoy mask reasserted itself. He commented, "You may be interested to know about our bet, major weasels."

"We bet whether you would be persuaded to remain in peace with your family, or whether you would stick to your prejudices. Ron of course bet that you would come around and be near the family. He wanted eventually for you to snap your mother and Ginny out of the wall of illusions they hide under."

"I bet against that. I tend to believe that people will behave like people, with petty prejudices and stupid points of view. I have seen Ron coming out of nightmares where he felt the loss of his family, I've seen him being comforted by Harry and Hermione, and even me. I've told him time and again that you aren't worthy. Ron was a damned prat his first years at Hogwarts. He only hid it better than me. For him to be so opinionated and destructive, he had to learn it somewhere, possibly from you."

"Ron calling me here can only mean one thing. I want you two, along with your mother and Ginny, to vacate the property of Diamond Manor forthwith. You can return to your old life at the Burrow, and if you are accosted by Voldemort or Dumbledore's men, why, you can say you are following hallowed traditions!"

They spluttered whilst Draco continued, "Of course I want you to pay rent for the time you spent at Diamond Manor. Don't worry, I know that major weasel Bill has extra money available. You might want to honor all your debts or I will inform the goblins of that money. When I say 'honoring debts' is that you won't ever contact any of the sane Weasleys. If you do, the goblins will learn of your extracurricular activities."

oOoOo

Remus growled nervously as he paced the room. He would gladly throttle and mutilate the sodding rat, if only it wasn't needed for Sirius to be completely exonerated.

Neville guarded the perimeter. When he was deeply worried, as he was now, he tended to change into a panther and then into a man at the most unlikely moments. Draco and Harry had tried to offer advice and had proved to be unsuccessful. The Twins tried to make him feel better by pranking him, which was somewhat counterproductive. Remus hoped that Sirius' guile and knowledge would help Neville.

Luna hadn't displayed any particular Animagus trait. She looked at the others a bit wistfully and jealously. She wished she could transform at will into a powerful beast. The task of bearing witness, of watching, was laid on her shoulders.

Near the center of the room the magical box resided that held what had tried to capture and hurt one of their own. Soon the rat would meet merciless inquisitors.

Remus felt a nervous sensation traveling through his body. It felt like warm summer rain, like a fresh winter day, like the renewal of spring. He knew then that Sirius was near.

The door opened, and the Twins, Harry, Narcissa and a hooded stranger came in.

His senses told Remus who was the stranger, and he pounced on him, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. The cowl fell off, and the face of Sirius Black was visible. A seemingly recuperated Sirius, no longer weighted by the world and the injustice that it committed with him.

Sirius smirked. "It's OK, Moony! I missed you too. I can see that you took my advice to heart and I am glad. Care to show me?"

Remus transformed into a wolf and started slobbering on Sirius. He retaliated by becoming Padfoot and roughhousing with the wolf.

Narcissa observed this critically and could be heard muttering, "Damn mutts! Even their Animagus or shapeshifting forms are friendly! Why couldn't they be something more interesting, like basilisks, hippogriffs, Sphinxes or dragons!"

oOoOo

Neville transformed unaware into a panther, Harry decided to transform, too, and flew to the top. The Twins were tempted to become tigers, but they were beefy felines, and the room was not large enough for them in their Animagus forms.

Narcissa asked of the assorted animals and people if they had seen Draco.

The bat flew down from the rafters and stayed for a moment in front of Narcissa, before transforming again into Harry. Narcissa privately thought that the bat had an adorable nose and green eyes.

Harry said, "A house-elf came and told him that Ron needed him. Draco left then."

Presently Draco, Ron and Hermione walked in. Watching them, Harry could feel that Ron was in turmoil. However, it seemed he was relying on Draco instead of him. Harry felt some jealousy because of that. He always thought that he would remain Ron's best friend forever. He didn't envision a world where Ron was comforted by Draco.

It still seemed like a dicey proposition for him, Draco's friendship. Though he had mainly accepted his friend's change of heart, he still distrusted it occasionally. Draco called for a house-elf called Hovy to bring him a vial.

Then he addressed them, "We will get some answers now! We need to know certain facts to protect ourselves better and to keep Sirius from Azkaban!"

"Bring the rat here!" Narcissa levitated the box and made it bigger, big enough so that it could hold a man. Sirius intoned the spell used to force an Animagus into his human shape, "Enteroforma!" He swished his wand elegantly and lazily, thinking with relish about Cissa's cunning, when she sent the house-elf to seize his wand and bring it to her.

The shape in the box grew and became Peter. They reapplied the spell to stop the loss of blood and Draco told them to end the Stupefy. When the last curse was lifted, Peter looked at them with utter surprise. Before he could do anything, though, Draco had applied the Veritaserum.

They could sense when the potion worked because he became calmer. Draco began, "What is your name?"
"Peter Pettigrew."

"Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to send Potter to a trap. It should have worked, my true master would be so proud."

"Is your true master the Lord Voldemort?"

"No, of course not."

"Who is it?"

"Albus Dumbledore."

Everyone gasped and wanted to ask questions, until they realized they were under a Silencio spell cast by Draco.

"How long has he been your master?"

"Ever since I started Hogwarts. He was the one who encouraged me and gave me especial lessons so I could keep up with the others. His help was determinant when I became an Animagus. He helped me choose my form, as I could elect between a rat and a beagle. He encouraged me to join the Marauders, he wanted to keep an eye on Sirius, James and Remus, and I helped him."

"What happened with Voldemort? Weren't you a Death Eater?"

"Of course I was. Dumbledore ordered me to become one, to infiltrate them in deep cover and help his positions. When the Dark Lord wanted to proceed peacefully, I was there to spurn him on to bloodier deeds, which would help to raise my true master's reputation. Dumbledore ordered me to become the Secret Keeper and betray the Potters. He also wanted to get rid of Sirius, and I was instrumental in that."

"What did Dumbledore intend with Harry?"

"At first he was a convenient tool to ending the war, until Albus realized that he alone could effectively kill the Dark Lord, then it became a matter of manipulating public opinion to a frenzy of adoration or loathing – it didn't matter which – for the Boy Who Lived. When said person died, the public would be utterly devastated, and would accept Dumbledore's unfailing wisdom in everything. My true master wanted to utterly control the Wizarding World for hundreds of years and become eventually the master of Time."

Draco took off the Silencio and motioned for Sirius to get closer. He mouthed, "Ask him!"

Sirius asked seemingly uninterested, "How did you become a phoenix?"

The rat didn't intend to answer, even under Veritaserum. Draco whispered urgently, "We have to get to the bottom of this, you know what weapon to use!"

Sirius wouldn't want Harry to know, but he admired Draco's relentless determination, partly because it reminded him strongly of his own.

Sirius told Pettigrew conversationally, "I demand now the payment of a life-debt you owe me. You will answer truthfully all of my questions!"

Promptly a magical glow suffused the shape of the rat become man, disappearing after a minute.

"How did you become a phoenix?"

"It was brought to the attention of my true master that I would be a much more formidable enemy if I had the magical features of a phoenix. Fawkes was the bonded familiar of Albus. The headmaster ordered him to endure a Burning Day."

"We used the ashes in a Celtic ritual to transfer the characteristics of a phoenix, like phoenix flight, to me. I was able to transform into one as a result and go through seemingly impenetrable wards. It's how I got through to the Department of Mysteries."

"What were you doing there?"

"I was ordered there by Dumbledore. He wanted to make sure that, whatever the results of the battle, Harry would be left without succour and support and consequently easy to mislead and manipulate. I was able to enter the fray where Sirius died. The hex Bellatrix sent him was just a warning. It would show as a red point and that would be all."

"That wasn't what Dumbledore and I wanted. I pushed against Sirius and made him fall through the Veil, which happened to have been put precisely there on Dumbledore's orders."

"But we didn't see you there!"

"I was using a camouflage charm developed by Dumbledore. His wisdom is immense, your fight against him is like some toddlers fighting against Voldemort. It can end in only one way. You might think you have the upper hand, but you shouldn't be so sure."

Sirius smirked menacingly as he commented, "Nice try, Worm. You're trying to distract us from something, and I can see what that might be. Who is this mysterious partner of Dumbledore's that knows so much?"

It was plain to see that the rat didn't want to answer. He squirmed and writhed, even after he had been bound. Still the magic of the life-debt was relentless and forced him to comply. Once pronounced, the conditions of the debt had to be followed precisely if the wizard or witch really had been saved by someone else.

Finally Peter stuttered, "I-it was McGonagall who came up with the idea of the phoenix interchange. It was she who wanted no place in this world free from Dumbledore or my presence. She is the second in command. The plans would have gone on smoothly if she had been chosen Headmistress, but Snape got in!" Pettigrew snarled and hissed, like an enraged rat pretending to be a phoenix pretending to be a man.

oOoOo

After half an hour, three house elves appeared next to Draco. He received their news with a grave mien, and announced, "The Wizengamot session has been scheduled and will occur tonight. Dinner is ready, so I suggest everyone tuck in, including people who were recently paper."

He was chastised by several rolls of bread thrown by Narcissa, the Twins, Sirius and Harry during the meal.

Draco commented smugly, "Throwing food may be acceptable behavior for felines and canines, but not for our guests and ourselves, wouldn't you agree, Mother?"

"Of course, darling," answered Narcissa while glaring murderously at her son.

Eventually they ate after Draco had made a bet with Harry about who would eat more: Sirius or Ron. While Ron ate with gusto, it was obvious that his heart was not in the meal, but rather in the awful familiar situation.

On the other hand, Sirius attacked the meal as if he had spent 12 years in Azkaban and some time as a book. He won the bet hands down for Draco.

After they showered and changed, they made their way to the parlor, where Draco had created a portkey big enough to transmit all of them: a truck wheel.

They arrived in Draco's office at the Wizengamot. He bade them follow him through a maze until they got to a big wooden and ornate door. He opened it and pointed toward a smaller door in the back. He said, "That's the entrance to the trial room. I will enter first. I will develop the case and you will know when to go in. Here you will be able to hear everything that goes on in there."

Draco sauntered into the room, observing the distribution of the seats, the possible alliances and certain enemies. Lucius had trained him for this for a long time, but Draco also felt a deep sense of recognition when he argued for a position effectively. He knew his strengths and how to use them. He wasn't that vain, not after Sirius had pointed out the glaring faults in his logic, which Sirius knew because he committed them himself.

He sensed turmoil in the air, as if the people expected a struggle to come up tonight. He'd watch out for that, and if needed he'd execute the back-up plan.

He called the Wizengamot to order and asked them, "What can you tell me about Sirius Black?"
A supercilious black-robed stranger answered. "He betrayed the Potters and killed Peter Pettigrew. He worked for You-Know-Who. Hopefully he is dead!"

Draco replied, "So Peter Pettigrew is dead?"

Several members answered, "Yes, he is."

Draco took out the small box and lifted the rat. He asked patronizingly, "What do you see?"

They replied enraged, "A rat, why are you doing this?"

Draco scowled at them. "You are quite wrong, "Enteroforma!" He swished and directed his wand to the rat, which slowly became Peter Pettigrew.

"Gentlemen, I give you betrayer, murderer and con artist Peter Pettigrew!" "Now, as we don't have time for a Veritaserum testimony, and we are dealing with Sirius Black anyway, if we follow your esteemed traditions we don't need it. I will show you a memory of the rat's interrogation, mine."

Draco took out his wand and pointed it to his forehead. He extracted the memory, being careful to protect important information, and put the memory in the pensieve he'd asked for.

The rat's interrogation followed, and everyone watched with interest.

Draco continued, "I wish to call for a vote on Sirius Black's innocence. I want to ask monetary compensation. I will ask for ten million Galleons for each year he was kept from his godson due to the Wizarding World's utter lack of integrity and guts!"

After several members tried to scream their outrage and were unable to, due to Narcissa's work with a modified Silencio she cast to disrupt hecklers, the Wizengamot voted.

As expected, most of them voted against Sirius, due to the money, but the solid weight of the Privy Councilors' votes was enough to carry the motion.

Sirius ended up free and with 150 million Galleons, give or take some millions.

Draco was not satisfied, however. He returned to the attack with a smirk, saying, "I intend now to proceed against some of the people who caused and condoned this miscarriage of justice. Some of them are beyond our system, for example Dumbledore, but others remain tantalizingly close. I ask that the following individuals be imprisoned in Azkaban for life: Cornelius Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour."

Scrimgeour fought to control the outrage, "I had nothing to do with this!"

Draco answered calmly, taking a piece of parchment from a folder, "I have your signature, magically proven, on this parchment signed by you as examining Auror which concludes that 'the accused Sirius Black, does not deserve a trial and indeed has confessed his crimes to Albus Dumbledore, as told to me by the same.'"

Scrimgeour sputtered whilst the blond continued, "This fake testimony effectively silenced any motion Sirius Black could have made, this parchment effectively destroyed a man's life. It is high time that it destroys another! The damage done is too great. It will not remain quiet until an effective gesture is made. I demand the magic of all descendants of Dumbledore and Barthy Crouch Sr., or their fortune."

Three men shouted, "Why Crouch?"

The blond frowned. "The Wizengamot should know, if it finally decides to grow up someday from a troupe of lazy baboons, what their antecesors have done. Crouch Sr. was single-handedly responsible for putting 118 people behind bars in Azkaban for life. What they don't know, or pretend not to know, is that most of these persons were like Sirius, at the wrong time at the wrong place, in the bull's-eye of the powerful. Crouch Sr. lent a hand, and of course kept half of their fortune during the process."

Draco sighed, wondering how to make them understand, whatever he said was unlikely to be taken into account by people so settled in their ways. "I ask nothing more and nothing less that an example be made of these miscreants and their families, so that future politicians will think twice about putting people behind bars forever for a whim."

Draco knew when the votes were being cast, that they expected him to lose. Well, he had one- or several- aces in the hole and would use them. If he was forced into this path, he vowed he would use this night to introduce some legislation they wouldn't like!

Draco paid attention when the privy councilors voted. Luna and Neville against him, Pansy and Blaise for him. Harry… doubted for some moments and then cast his vote, against Draco.

The blond was enraged, and when a gleeful Luna proceeded to read the final results as 205 for, 250 against, he silenced her peremptorily with a swish of his wand.

"If it pleases the Loony, we haven't finished voting yet. There's still my Malfoy vote to come, and this," he took from his robe a folded piece of parchment. He said gleefully, "It's directed at the head of the Wizengamot. Hey, wait! That's me!" He pretended to read what was in the parchment and announced, "I am the proxy for the votes of the privy councilor Black."

Several people gasped and tried to protest, but it was useless. Pureblood families used the proxy method to cast votes for many important occasions, and the Blacks were a respected Dark family that had produced several privy councilors. There was nothing they could do as Draco voted his Malfoy votes and then the Black votes for a positive resolution.

He announced, "The final vote is 255 for, 250 against. The motion is carried out and the Magical Police will take Fudge and Scrimgeour to Azkaban now. They will be left as they left Sirius, in the area reserved for the hardest criminals. No one is allowed to visit them, no owls will reach them. They are dead to our world."

Draco swished his wand and a pile of papers appeared, "The Dumbledore fortune is being dismantled by the goblins as we speak, and it is being carried to new vaults for Sirius Black. The Crouch fortune is also being taken care of."

Draco estimated that Sirius was now the third wealthiest wizard. Of course, it wasn't payment enough for the 14.5 years he'd spent in hell.

He observed that many members were glaring at him, including Luna and Harry.

Time to make them angrier.

Draco continued with a commanding voice, "Enough of looking to the past. Let's direct our vision to the future. I see an imperiled future. The Muggles are powerful in their knowledge of the natural arts. They have performed impressive feats of engineering. They have also tamed the force that causes the sun to shine."

He paced in front ot the benches, staring at the members. "Conceivably they could turn that force on us, if ever they discovered us and believed that our intentions are less than pure towards them. We must work very hard to avoid this peril. Every intersection of our world with theirs is fraught with danger."

Noticing that many purebloods smirked at him, Draco ignored them. He wasn't doing this for their silly ideals but for other reasons. "A great risk are the Muggleborns. They partake of the Muggles and the wizards. They learn at Hogwarts, they experience magical life, and then return to their homes. They are tempted to speak of what they know, and people will listen. Obliviators have been sent to deal with some problems like these. These situations will continue, there's no natural remedy."

He took out a parchment from his robes. "I propose a Magical Vow, used on everyone in the Wizarding World, to ensure that the secrecy remains as it should."

There was a cacophony of voices, until the blond cast Silencio. The head of the Wizengamot said sternly, "This is a deliberative body, not the common market you think it is. You will either make substantive contributions or you will remain silent. Every time you disobey me, I will fine you 100 Galleons!"

After three louts had tried Draco's patience and been summarily fined, people finally realized he was serious and shut up.

A member asked Draco, "Why Muggleborns?"

He replied, "Because they are the ones that are in contact with the Muggles, they need the Vow much more than us. It's not because they are inferior, because they are not. It's just that they represent a very possible danger for the Wizarding World. Although this position is also supported by Voldemort, that does not mean that it is not valid. History and tradition suggest that when the Muggles feel that something is threatening them, they will react very aggressively. Witness the Burning Times and the witch hunts which continued for centuries."

"That was centuries ago!" shouted a woman.

"If you think they are evolved beyond that, I'm sorry to say they aren't. They are bigots as regards looks, sexual orientation and what not, just like us in our bigoted ways regarding blood. Eventually the Vow will be used on everyone: Muggleborns, Half-bloods, Purebloods. It will prevent us from spilling the secrets of the Wizarding World, even under torture."

After a while, the voting took place. Draco observed serenely that many people were voting for his measures. Obviously they didn't think the world would stop turning if they passed, like Potter and his friends.

He remembered the moment when Hermione came up with the list of the privy councilors, and how tempted he had been to simply Obliviate her and just suggest the councilors he was sure would follow him no matter what. He had reflected then that he liked debate, even excelled in it, and if he got a bunch of people just like him, it would be too boring.

He liked the spice of conflict, which was one of the reasons he pestered the Golden Trio so. He reveled in plots, counterplots, arguments and resolutions. He realized he could live with other viewpoints, even support them in parts. He wanted an ample distribution of opinions, therefore pushed for all the councilors, and if the time came when he lost a vote… then he would use that defeat to grow and come back stronger, as his godfather Sev had endeavored to tell him long ago.

He wasn't surprised when he returned from his reverie that Luna and Neville had voted against him, Pansy and Blaise for him, and Harry against him. Using the Malfoy and Black votes, however, the motion passed with a final tally of 265 for, 190 against. The Magical Vows would be prepared by the Magical Police and all Muggleborns would be subjected to it, including their close family members.

Draco declared that eventful session of the Wizengamot closed and prepared to Apparate home, when a mocking voice said, "How does it feel to head the Wizengamot by the grace of your mother, Malfoy?"

Draco turned back, scowling at the black-haired wizard. "Why don't you inform yourself of the facts before you spout off, Potty?" He approached the smirking figure of Harry and hit his jaw with a violent uppercut.

Before he left through the door, Draco took out a folded piece of parchment and threw it at Harry's face. "Perhaps I should have danced around the subject and never mention anything that might make you uncomfortable while I prepare to slaughter you! Wouldn't that be awful? Wait, that's how Dumbledore treated you!"

Harry yelled, "That's untrue!"

"I'm left to thinking that the wily headmaster was right and there is no way to treat you other than with deceit. Because when treated with kindness, you reject it!"

Draco left and Harry was left trembling on the floor. He opened the parchment and read,

I hereby declare that Draco Malfoy has the power of proxy over any and all rights accruing from the position as privy councilor Black.

Signed

Sirius Black

14. Déjà vecu