Chapter 11: Get Out of My Seat

"Get out of my seat," Sirius said as he walked into the board meeting. "You've been warming that chair far too long," he added, sending a stinging hex to the platinum blond man that was startled to see Black there.

"How dare you," Malfoy stated as the hex stung his cheek. He slapped his hand to his cheek where the pain was and stood so fast the chair hit the wall.

"Oh, I dare, you line thief," Sirius said, making the rest of the people in the room gasp at the slur. That was quite the accusation. It was a death penalty accusation. If he could prove it.

"I am not a line thief," Lucius said, grabbing the head of his pimp cane as if he was going to pull the wand it contained. He was not scared of this man. Black had spent years in prison, he was probably weak by now. There was no way to keep in shape in Azkaban.

"You are sitting in the Black seat, and you are not a Black. That is line theft," Sirius stated, keeping his wand at his side, letting Lucius know that he was ready to fight for anything he could throw at him.

"You were in prison, and my son was the next in line to inherit the title," Malfoy said, flinging his hair over his shoulder in an air of superiority. He was in the right and he knew it. Black didn't have a leg to stand on.

"Wrong. Harry Potter was, and is, the next in line to inherit," Sirius said, holding a piece of parchment up for all to see. The title was The Last Will and Testament. "This is my will, or it was before I was sent to Azkaban, and it states that Harry Potter inherits everything," he said, showing the line that did indeed say that. "Well, that is if his parents died before him. If they were alive, they were to hold it for him." He smirked at the blond, who was fuming. "Don't get any ideas, I've written a new one." He smirked at the look on the other man's face.

"Now, see here, that half-blood isn't a Black," Lucius stated, slamming his cane on the floor in a fit of rage. His son was more of a Black than Potter. His mother was a Black after all.

"Neither are you," sneered Sirius, stepping closer to the man he really didn't like. "Harry's great grandmother was a Black," he added, producing another piece of parchment showing a family tree, and sure enough it showed that Harry Potter was related to Dorea Potter nee Black. "That and he is my godson, which gives him top priority," he added, making sure that Malfoy understood just where he stood, which was nowhere. Sirius was the head of the family. What he said was law, until he died. Then whomever he put in charge was head of the family.

"I still say that Draco has a firmer hold on that title," Lucius stated, pulling his wand as if to fight for his son's right to be the Head of the Black family.

"Oh, and what gives you the right to say that? You are not entitled to have any say on what goes on in my family and if you keep it up, son of a lesser family, I will sever your ties to my family, and you will flounder completely. I have already cut your purse strings, don't make me cut your ties completely," Sirius threatened, holding his wand at the ready. "Now, get out," he said, steadily as he pointed his wand at Malfoy's head. He was probably going to cut them out completely anyway. He was just going to wait for a while. Right now, he could still use it as a threat to keep them in line.

"You have not heard the last from me," Lucius said, stowing his wand and leaving the room in a huff. He slammed the doors as he left. They could hear the sound of his disapparation when he was gone. He must have been pissed to have made that much noise.

"I'll bet," Sirius said, not sitting until the git was well and gone. Then he scoffed at the remaining people as if he was truly disappointed in them. "So, this is what has become of the Board of Governors?" he said, taking his seat in the middle of the group of older people. "You either let Dumbledore or Malfoy control you," he sneered again.

"Now see here, my good man," one of them said, "you have no idea how powerful they are." He straightened his bowtie in agitation. He was a skinny older man who was balding on the top of his head. He had tried to comb the rest of his hair over, but that rarely works out well.

"I know how powerful they portray themselves to be, but they are just people, just like you," Sirius said, looking at each of them and finding them lacking. "I'm here to tell you that you either need to straighten up or get out and let a younger crowd take over. The school is falling into disrepair, and you are letting it. We are the laughingstock of Europe, and you don't seem to care," the dogman said, slamming his hands on the table, making everyone jump.

"What do you mean?" one lady said, leaning forward to see his face. She was a mousy thing, with stringy brown hair that was pulled back in a tight bun, which made her face stand out more.

"Why are the brooms in such poor condition? Why was there a troll on the grounds, not once but twice two years ago? Why was there a Cerberus on the grounds? Why are you letting Albus use the school as his personal playground? Why was the school not closed after the first petrification? Why did you wait until Malfoy blackmailed you to get Albus off the grounds? Why did you let him blackmail Fudge into arresting Hagrid? You guys are just as culpable as Albus and Fudge as what happened the last couple of years," Sirius said, laying it all out for them to see just how much they were responsible for.

"What are you talking about?" the first man said, not having heard about half of the things the man said.

"Are you so far out of touch that you don't know what goes on in that school? What are you doing? What exactly do you think your job is?" Sirius asked, looking at all the startled faces.

"To maintain the budget?" one person suggested in a questioning tone. He was a pudgy fellow that looked one sausage away from a heart attack.

"You are supposed to be keeping the headmaster in check and see to the budget. When he gets out of control you are supposed to reign him in. You are also responsible to make sure that the school runs smoothly and that the teachers are doing their jobs. We are the checks and balances," he said, pulling out the charter for the Board of Governors. He then started to read what their responsibilities were.

It was going to be a long meeting.

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Meanwhile, Moody had finished all of the books and was now sitting in the Black family home. He had been brought there the day before. He was staying there for convenience's sake. This way he didn't have to run home every night, like Amelia. Since Bones and Remus were the only ones who worked, they were contacted by mirrors. Alastor refused to have one at his house.

Amelia was the only one who had not finished all the books yet, she was still on the third, and she had yet to start the seventh. She wasn't looking forward to it. They had given her the rundown the first day of her being brought into the group, so she had an inkling on what was in that book and was not eager to read about kids fighting a war.

"So, how do we get to the basilisk?" Alastor asked. He, Bill, and Remus were talking, Remus via the mirror. Sirius was doing what he needed to do, and Amelia was at work. Remus was between classes, so he was free for the moment.

"I can ask Harry to take me down there," Remus said, thinking hard on that. He had a good relationship with the boy right now, and he hoped to have a firm one in the future. He made sure to include Sirius in all his discussions with Harry.

"I'd rather go as a group, and not try to sneak by Albus," Moody said in a gruff voice. "I think we should get the goblins down there to render it for the boy," he added, looking at Bill. "It must be worth a lot," he added, thinking basilisk would be rare.

"They will do that for a price, and yes they are worth a couple million for one that size," the lanky redhead agreed. "Remus can suggest it to Harry on their next meeting." He looked at the mirror.

"I can do that," the werewolf agreed, thinking that his meeting was tonight, so they could arrange it within the next few days.

"How are we going to get the shard out of the boy? I don't want that wanker coming back," Alastor asked, looking to Bill who was the curse-breaker.

"I was thinking of doing a combining spell that will bring them all together. It will save all the artifacts and not hurt Harry. The problem is getting Harry here, and I'd like to do it on All Hollow's Eve. That would be the best time," he said, scrunching his brow as if to concentrate on the ritual's requirements and making sure he was correct.

"That sounds like a plan. I can get him out of the school, but we are going to have to do it behind Albus's back. There is no way he'd agree to this," Remus said, looking to Alastor.

"I agree," the one-eyed man said, he was still peeved at the old man. "The only reason I want to get the basilisk with him in the know, is to tweak his nose about it." Albus would be pissed at the missed opportunity to get the funds for the school, however, it was the boy's kill and not the headmaster's. He was going to have fun pointing that out to the man.

"Oh," the other two said, nodding their heads. That made some sense.

"Alright, Remus you tell the kid about the basilisk, and we'll get it rendered," Alastor said, pointing to the mirror, and then he pointed to Bill. "You get what you need for the ritual," he finished.

"Will do," they said, and went about their own business. The mirror went blank, and Bill left the room.

"I'm going to go and find a friend," he said casually as he got up and left the house. He knew just where to go too.

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"So, now that you know what you are supposed to be doing, do you think you can man up and do it?" Sirius asked the group that were all looking at him with various degrees of wariness.

"Are you sure that is correct?" the mousy woman asked, not sounding like she agreed. This was not what she signed up for.

"Yes, for the love of Merlin," Sirius said, slapping the charter on the table. "You all signed it when you became a member of this board. Didn't you read it?" he asked, and from the looks on their faces, they did not. "If you don't think you can follow this, then get out and I'll find people who can," he demanded.

Five people got up and left. That left two people and Sirius.

"Well, damn," was all Sirius said, looking at the other two. "Do you have any ideas?" he asked them.

"Nope," they both said, smiling and shaking their heads.

"The seats are usually family seats. Do you know if there are any family members left to the ones that left?" he asked, pulling a piece of parchment towards him.

"I think three of the five had younger members," the woman said, tapping her chin in thought. She gave a few names and Sirius jotted them down.

"Thanks," he said, when he was done writing. "I'll go to the school and ask McGonagall who can fill the other seats," he said, thinking she would know from the Book of Names. While the seats were usually hereditary, they weren't always. They can be handed to other families if one died out. "With that, I call this meeting done," he said, grinning like a loon.

The other two chuckled and left.

"Well, that went better than I thought," he said to no one. He still had the Wizengamot tomorrow. He was just glad that Malfoy didn't try and take the Black seat there. The Wizengamot wouldn't have stood for it. Maybe the git should have, then he'd have one less problem.

Right now, he had a dinner date with a beetle.

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Moody was in a dark part of the street, and he was standing in the shadows. "I have a problem," he said to the air.

"What kind of problem?" the air answered back.

"A pink toad infestation," he said, leaning back on the wall, jamming his hands in his pockets.

"Those are especially hard to get rid of," was the reply with an air of humor.

"I'll see it as a special favor," Alastor said, his eye roaming everywhere.

"Consider it done," the air said, and then there was a small breeze that settled quickly.

"Yup," Moody said to the air again. "A very special favor," he said, pushing off the wall and heading back to Black's place.

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"Hello, Rita," Sirius said, taking a seat across from the woman that most feared. Not for her brute strength, but for her poison pen. "Or should I say, Miss Beetle," he whispered as he leaned forward. He then sat back and placed his napkin in his lap.

She froze for a moment and then put her green quill away. "What do you want?" she asked, putting her parchment away as well. She didn't want any of this conversation recorded.

"To make a deal that will benefit both of us," Sirius said, picking up the menu and perusing it. "I have people I want you to write about, the truth that you will like. I have people I want you to stay away from, even if they have stories you would like. You do this, and I won't tell the law about you. Well, I won't tell more of the law about you," he stated, picking a steak off the menu, and tapping it with his wand. It came with mashed potatoes and corn.

"Who do you want me to go after?" she said with a resigned sigh.

"Your first target is Dolores Umbridge. Get into her office tonight. I'll even get you started. She's a half-blood passing herself off as a pureblood. Her mum was a muggle, and her dad was a janitor in the ministry. If you can find her employee record, you can start there and work your way up. I hear she's blackmailing half of the ministry," Sirius said, and then smiled when his steak arrived. "Aren't you going to eat? My treat," he asked, nodding to the menu.

"No thanks," she said, gathering up her purse. "I'd better get started," she said, starting to stand.

"One more thing," he said, stopping her.

"What?" she huffed.

"No kids," he said, stuffing a bite in his mouth and chewing.

"What?" she asked confused.

"I don't care what you write about adults," he said when his mouth was clear. "Just keep anyone under seventeen out of your articles," he stated, pointing his fork at her.

"Fine," she said, getting up and leaving to do her story.

"That went well," he said as he ate his steak dinner. He just hoped that Moody's plan worked as well. They would get that toad from both angles. If one failed the other would get her.