17 Gathering Wizengamot

Then, the ghosts quickly outlined the last hundred years or so of recent wizarding history. They particularly focused on Voldemort's reign of terror and Dumbledore's era of incompetency. By the time the students were done eating, they had been caught up on the salient points and were ready to meet the aurors. They had also dashed off a few letters for House Elves to deliver while they were busy.

The only downside, for Harry, was when Helena made him change back into his eleven year old appearance, though he agreed that the secret of their trip to the past should be hidden for as long as possible. So it was that three eleven year old students made their way to the Great Hall an hour before breakfast was due to start, flanked by their three ghostly mentors.

In the Great Hall, they found Professors Mcgonagall and Flitwick awaiting them, along with a squad of aurors, and a woman whom Helena identified as the head of the Department of Magical law Enforcement, Madam Amelia Bones.

"Madam Bones, Professors, good morning!" Harry said as they entered, determined to set the tone for the meeting. "I am so glad that you could join us here, though I wish our meeting could be under better circumstances."

"We apologize for the abruptness of the actions Hogwarts was forced to take last night," Hermione added, "but it will soon be demonstrated just how necessary those actions were."

"We would like all of the remaining senior staff to be present for this," Harry said.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "And though it is a Monday, given the circumstances, the students should have the day off."

"If you have any questions for myself or the other two heirs before we begin, now would be the time," Neville concluded.

The adults stared back at them in shock, and Harry was sure the professors were comparing them to the three scared children they had seen the night before. Of course, to Harry, it was a lifetime ago. Not surprisingly, Madam Bones was the first to regain her composure.

"I suppose introductions are in order first, young man," She said.

"Of course!" Neville gave a polite half-bow. "I am Lord Neville Longbottom, Heir Longbottom and Earl Gryffindor. This is Lady Hermione Granger, Countess Ravenclaw. And finally we have Lord Harry Potter, Lord Potter, Heir Gryffindor, and Earl Slytherin."

This time the teachers were more prepared for the announcement, and it was Madam Bones and the aurors who were stunned silent.

"Incidentally," Hermione added, "We have accepted our positions and reclaimed our lands. Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and a good portion of the lands around them are Earldoms, jointly owned by the descendants of the four founders. In claiming our heritage and accepting our titles, we have claimed these lands. They are our home, and it is our right to see the law enforced within them. No other, not even the Headmaster of our school, may overrule us, save those of higher peerage or Her Majesty, according to the treaty of 914."

Harry didn't give them a moment to recover. "Now, shall we attend to the matters at hand? Hogwarts, if you will provide us with the first detainee?"

A male Slytherin; a sixth or seventh year by the look of him, appeared a few feet away from the group. He was stunned and bound.

"Madam Bones, I trust that you have veritaserum on hand and an auror who is qualified to take record of an interrogation and confession?"

"I do," she replied readily, "however, it is illegal to interrogate a minor without their parent or guardian present. It is also illegal for anyone other than a DMLE questioner or the head of the Wizengamot to order a questioning under veritaserum."

"Well, by all means, invite the Wizengamot here!" Harry declared. "The more the merrier, I say! Unfortunately we can't exactly go to them, as our prisoner containment system is somewhat stationary, but we invite them as guests to witness these accusations."

"That's a wonderful idea, Harry!" Hermione said cheerfully. "Hogwarts, dispatch messages please. Every member of the Wizengamot are invited to the trials at Hogwarts this morning! Oh, and the Minister! Let's not forget him!"

"And the parents of any students you have detained, minors or not," Neville added. "Posthaste, please!"

"The parents of the victims should be summoned as well," Harry muttered to Sir Nicholas under his breath. The ghost nodded and sank through the floor. "Hogwarts, perhaps a more appropriate place!" He said loudly. The walls began to shift around them, and soon they were in a smaller room that looked more like a courtroom instead of the Great Hall. In the shift, no one noticed Sir Nicholas leave.

"It's the Wizengamot chambers!" One auror muttered.

"No, it is a reasonable facsimile of the Wizengamot chambers," Hermione corrected. "We wouldn't want to delay the students' breakfast by remaining in the Great Hall much longer."

Within a few moments, the Hogwarts house elves who had been dispatched with the summonses began popping people back into the Great Hall. Those who were already at work at the Ministry were among the first to arrive. One person, as soon as he arrived, disappeared again, leaving his house elf escort behind.

"What just happened?" Madam Bones demanded.

"All are welcome at Hogwarts," Harry said with a smirk.

"Of course," Hermione added as a calculated afterthought, "if any of them bear the Dark Mark or are actively working against the safety of the school, they'll just be caught up in the same containment ward system that currently holds the others."

"That's entrapment!" One of the aurors declared.

"That's the law of our land," Harry said firmly. "Look it up!"

The incoming Wizengamot members began to question why they had been summoned, as did the parents who soon began arriving. Neville directed the ghosts to greet each arrival and send them to their proper seating, either in the gallery on the heir's side, the gallery on the side of the accused, or the tiers of Wizengamot seats.

Finally, Hogwarts informed the heirs that everyone summoned had arrived, and was either in the room or in containment. All in all only about fifteen minutes had passed, though it had certainly felt like longer to the trio.

"Well Madam Bones, everyone is here," Harry declared. "Would you like to start this over properly?"

Madam Bones gave him a sour look, but did turn to address the Wizengamot. She quickly explained that there had been some accusations of wrongdoing at Hogwarts, and the founders' heirs and current Earls and Countess had requested that her department investigate. The Wizengamot were present to shorten the process.

Minister Fudge, who had paled at the mention of their titles, was now looking around the room frantically. "We cannot begin a Wizengamot session now!" he said. "The Chief Warlock is not present!"

Madam Bones glanced at Harry, who merely smirked back. She sighed and turned back to the Minister. "Chief Dumbledore will not be joining us today," She explained. "According to the bylaws of the Wizengamot, the next most senior member will run the meeting in his absence."

A man who the ghosts quietly identified as Lord Greengrass stepped forward and took the Chief Warlock's seat. "This emergency session of the Wizengamot is called to order on this day, Monday the second of September, nineteen-ninety-one," he declared. "I now turn the meeting over to the one who called it; Madam Bones."

"I didn't call it," she said sourly. "Lord Slytherin did."

Harry smirked and stepped forward. "Ladies and Gentlemen. The short version of yesterday's events is that myself and my two fellow heirs claimed our inheritance from the founders. As such, Hogwarts is now ours. We have changed the wards and rules of our land as we see fit, as is our right. Because of that, several people already on the grounds were forcibly detained.

The crowd began to mutter, but Harry continued strongly, talking right over them. "We wanted them brought before Madam Bones and questioned, and she reminded us that certain formalities must be adhered to, which lead to the summons you all received. Now that those formalities are observed, I suggest we get on with the interrogations."