Chapter 27: Educating Pronglet:5

Sirius yawned but his day wasn't over. If he had thought things were hectic before his first Wizengamot session, it had snowballed with the advent of the second. Who knew politics could be so tiring? He was beginning to get a whole new appreciation for his grandfather's swan-like competence now he understood just how much paddling went on under the surface. Their politics were completely at odds but in hindsight Sirius had to admire the man's work ethic. It also begged the question of why his grandfather had ever gone into exile after the defeat of Voldemort and removed himself from politics.

He shook his head and focused on writing up his notes on the afternoon tea they'd attended with the Potter alliance that afternoon including the comments Harry had made about his meeting with the Heirs. He glanced out of the window of his study in Griffin House and watched as Bill threw golf balls putting Harry through his paces on his broom.

Coming up with the idea of putting Bill into the service of the House of Potter had been one of his better ones, Sirius mused with satisfaction. Not only was Bill good at what he did but he was turning into a big brother for Harry in much the same way Frank Longbottom had been for James although the age difference was much greater. Bill was a good role model; smart but fun. Sirius checked his watch and called for Dobby, asking him to bring Harry in to shower and change before dinner and to request Bill come to the study.

He watched amused as the excitable elf popped into the garden and issued orders to his Great and Wonderful Harry Potter. The debate on house elves in the politics lesson had been hilarious with Hermione claiming it was slavery until Harry and Neville convinced her to talk with Kreacher and Dobby where she discovered a house elf's magic was dependent and tied to the magic of its Master. A powerful Master equalled a magically powerful elf. Dobby had admitted that while he considered himself a free elf, magic considered him Harry's and as soon as Harry had rescued him from Nasty Former Master Malfoy, Dobby had received an enormous boost to his own magic. Hermione had been left to contemplate how she could untie the magic so elves could be free. Her finishing comment had reminded Sirius of Lily when she had had the same argument with James.

A knock on the door startled him out of his memories and he called for Bill to enter.

"Pronglet on his way up the stairs?" checked Sirius.

"Yeah, looking forward to telling Hermione everything about today by the sound of it." Bill said with a grin.

Sirius waved him into a chair and turned to face him. "I know you were present when Harry and I debriefed earlier but you didn't say much and I would like to get your thoughts about this afternoon."

Bill nodded slowly in understanding. "His recap of where everybody stood on various issues was spot on. He has a sharp ear – he hears what they don't say and what they do."

Sirius nodded in reply; he'd been proud of Harry's report.

"He's…he's a natural leader but he doesn't know it yet." Bill said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "He has a charisma when he starts talking." He paused, his blue eyes meeting Sirius's with a gravity Sirius hadn't seen before. "He talked to them about Voldemort, told them about Tom Riddle, and they were captivated. He…he handled their fears and reassured them that the unbeatable monster they'd all heard about wasn't unbeatable but was human. He told them outright that if they all stuck together they could drive him away and they believed him." He paused again. "Ibelieved him. I swear if Riddle had walked in at that moment, Harry would have had an army of Heirs beside him, standing shoulder to shoulder with him."

"That's…good." Sirius murmured, stunned. He'd known Harry had the potential to be a fantastic leader – it showed in how he helped Neville, corralled Hermione and even subtly influenced Ron. But to hear such a resounding report of just how much Harry had risen to the occasion at his first real leadership challenge…

"Neville's a good second," Bill continued, "he supported Harry very well."

"They've become good friends." Sirius commented, pleased.

"They make a good team." Bill confirmed. "More than that, when they shared their ideas, you could see the others sit up and take notice. I don't know if they worked it out beforehand or it was natural but Neville led some of that too…which is good for Neville's confidence."

"Did they ask anything…" Sirius floundered on how to phrase the question of whether the alliance kids had hurt Harry.

"They asked but Neville and Susan stepped in pretty sharpish when it was too personal and I may have directed them to be polite." Bill reassured him.

"Thank you." Sirius said.

"I got the feeling that he'd started some good friendships today more than anything." Bill added, shrugging a little. He grinned suddenly. "You may get a dinner invitation for an introduction from the Inglebees; young Lydia is quite taken with him."

"Really?" Sirius's lips twitched. "How bad was it?"

"About as bad as Ginny although entirely opposite in manifestation," Bill said promptly with a smirk, "Gin still can't speak around him but Lydia can and is actively flirting with him."

"And Harry?" Sirius asked amused and noted with concern how Bill's humour faded.

Bill changed position slightly and he was obviously debating how best to phrase his response. "Harry was deeply uncomfortable and I'm not sure all of it was because he hates people crushing on the Boy Who Lived." He said finally. "Has…has anyone spoken to him about…girls, boys…?" he waved a hand in a vague gesture that Sirius understood all too well.

Had anyone spoken to Harry about sex, dating, about generally interacting in a romantic fashion with someone else?

Bugger, thought Sirius and then half-hysterically thought the swear word was probably the least appropriate one he could have used.

"I take it that's a no?" asked Bill, his voice rich again with amusement.

"I've teased him a couple of times about girls so has Remus." Sirius admitted with a sigh. "But I know I haven't sat down and given him the usual Wizard's Talk and Remus would have told me if it had come up…arisen as a subject in his conversations with Harry."

Bill smirked at the innuendo that Sirius had unwittingly said and watched as Sirius dropped his head into his hands.

"I'm going to have to give him the Talk, aren't I?" Sirius sighed. Even if Vernon Dursley had talked to Harry – which was very unlikely – it had probably had been limited to 'don't get anyone pregnant.'

"I know my Dad gave it to each of my brothers when they turned thirteen." Bill said, briskly. "I was supposed to be sixteen but I was caught in a broom cupboard when I was fourteen so…Dad came up one Hogsmeade weekend and did it then. After that I think my Dad thought it best to be safe and told the others early."

Sirius wondered whether he could prevail upon Arthur to give Harry the Talk and discarded the thought. It was Sirius's duty; he would have to do it.

"Bugger." He repeated quietly.

Bill snorted. "To be honest, I don't think you're too late with Harry. He's like a stunned hippogriff when he has a girl paying him attention and while he sometimes looks at girls he's quick to look away again so I doubt he's had any practical experience."

"And boys?" asked Sirius delicately, not wanting to jump to conclusions about Harry's sexuality.

"I haven't spotted him looking but he does have boys interested in him. Connor hero-worships him which I doubt is serious given his age but Jeremy was very interested if much less obvious than Lydia probably because he's older."

Which was a different kind of problem, Sirius considered worriedly. It was bad enough that kids his own age and below crushed on Harry, but older girls and boys who might take advantage especially if Harry was as innocent as Bill made out…very worrying.

Sirius sighed heavily. "Thank you for bringing it to my attention."

"I'm not sure that your thank you is sincere." Bill teased.

"You'd be right." Sirius replied, smiling for the first time since Bill had raised the topic. "Anything else you noticed which isn't likely to send me to an early grave?"

"Nope," Bill replied, "just…they seem like a good bunch. When they started debating various things you could see that they were passionate about helping others and changing the world for the better." He blushed which surprised Sirius. "It was…inspiring. I was, uh…" he fidgeted a little before raising his gaze, "I was kind of disappointed to be a guard rather than part of it."

Sirius settled back in his chair. He had suspected Bill might feel that way; Bill was an Heir in a House which was in alliance itself with the House of Potter. Under different circumstances, the House of Weasley would have been part of the formal Wizengamot alliance.

"It's weird," Bill continued when Sirius remained silent, "because I've never considered that being an Heir could mean making a difference before now. I mean, you know it was Great-Granddad who lost the seat?"

Sirius nodded.

"Well, our Gramps was very anti-establishment because of that – hated any mention of us being an Ancient and Noble House. Dad only did the rituals and knows the traditions and etiquette because Grandma insisted. Same with me. But until this year, it hasn't mattered much." Bill confided. "Neither Dad nor I have ever put any emphasis on House stuff because apart from the main premise of living honourably, it didn't seem important."

"Because nobody acknowledged your status as an Ancient and Noble House." Sirius stated.

Bill nodded. "And here comes Harry with an alliance of friendship and the life debt and…" he sighed and rubbed his chin again, "and I guess both Dad and I have had our eyes opened to the possibility of what could be if we worked properly to re-establish the House of Weasley."

"Your Dad still insistent on not standing for the open seat?" Sirius asked bluntly.

"Yes, and I agree with him." Bill said firmly. "We need to have proven ourselves worthy of more than simply being an Ancient and Noble House to take a formal seat again."

"You want to earn your place." Sirius surmised.

Bill nodded again. "Although today I wished we'd already earned it. Which is bizarre because it's always been Percy who has wanted politics and the career in the Ministry, and all I've ever wanted to be is a curse-breaker…"

"Part of it is the magic you know." Sirius offered as some comfort. "The family magic of your House accepted you and it is probably encouraging you to take a wider view now you've started to use it again." He hesitated for a moment and forged on. "My Grandfather did the Heir ritual with me when I was eight."

Bill's eyebrows shot up.

"He didn't want my Father to have access to the family magic any longer." Sirius explained with a dismissive hand gesture. "Why I don't know or can't remember but I remember the ritual was done in secret and then announced at dinner and my parents were furious and it was probably only because my Grandfather forbade my getting punished for it that I wasn't whipped or hexed half to death." He looked out of the window not wanting to see Bill's reaction to what he had revealed about his childhood. "After that, I could always feel the Black magic pushing me…sometimes I think I rebelled so badly against my parents because instinctively the magic knew their direction wasn't good for the House and pushed me in the opposite one – although I probably took it to an extreme all on my own by sorting into Gryffindor."

"I think I'm disturbed by the idea that something could be influencing me like that." Bill said, sitting back and crossing his arms.

"It's your family magic; it's a part of you." Sirius pointed out. "It's very unlikely that it would encourage you down a path if you truly didn't want it."

Bill frowned.

"A lot of the origin stories about family magic indicate that it was given as a gift so that the Ancient and Noble Houses could protect the wizarding world. It's likely all our magic responds encouragingly when we take steps explicitly to that end." Sirius said. "But if you truly wanted to devote your life to curse-breaking, which in its own way helps to protect others, I don't think it would up and abandon you." He took a breath. "But if today gave you a taste of what you could be a part of when your House is ready to fully take its place again and you were attracted to that…I guess the question is what do you want to do?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Bill mused out loud.

"Think on it." Sirius said. "I'd be happy to help you in any way I can."

"Thanks." Bill murmured.

Sirius searched his expression. "You're worried about something else?"

"Seeing Harry with his political peers…" Bill sighed heavily. "I'm concerned about where Ron fits into the picture in the future."

Ah, a big brother's concern and a well-warranted one in Sirius's opinion as Ron hadn't shown any interest in Harry's new political skills and experiences, and had shown flashes of jealousy instead.

"I think much of that will depend on Ron." Sirius answered truthfully. "Harry's very attached to him and he won't abandon Ron. I get the impression that he'll always consider Ron his best friend so long as Ron considers Harry his. Whether your brother is mature and secure enough to accept that truth in amongst recognising that a great deal else in Harry's life has changed though…"

Bill nodded. "Ron is…Ron is a good kid. But I just worry that he's going to feel left out."

"Harry's invited him to all his lessons and excursions. I believe he asked him to change to Runes." Sirius pointed out a little defensive at Bill's words. "I'm not sure what else Harry would have to do to make Ron feel included."

"Neither do I," Bill admitted, "but maybe I should talk to Ron."

"If you think it's a good idea." Sirius agreed. "His friendship is very important to Harry."

A sharp rap on the door stopped Bill from replying openly and Sirius accepted Bill's mouthed thanks as Remus entered, looking tired and worn.

Sirius's eyebrows went up in concern since his friend had spent the day at the DOM helping with the cursed ring. "Are you OK?"

"Peachy." Remus muttered, waving a hello at Bill and slumping into the chair beside his own desk.

Dobby popped in with some tea for him and Remus drank it gratefully.

"It didn't go well then?" asked Sirius impatiently.

Remus shook his head, the faint hint of silver strands catching the last of the afternoon sun streaming through the window. "We've managed to establish that we think the compulsion and the curse are parseltongue in origin and therefore…"

"Will need parseltongue to break them." Bill grimaced. "Bollocks."

"Yes, that sums it up well." Remus caught the worry on Sirius's face and shook his head. "Harry would need to learn how to break the original Latin curses before he could attempt to break these."

"So, we throw the thing in the furnace and be done with it." Sirius said.

Remus sighed. "Lawrence thinks the stone that's set into the ring is important somehow although he wouldn't say how and we think the stone is clean of the horcrux. Bertie's going to give him some time to work on it and see if he can't unseat the stone from the ring without giving into the curses."

"If Lawrence thinks it's important, it probably is. He's incredibly knowledgeable." Bill said. "Caro and I can work on Godric's Hollow in the meantime."

Sirius pulled a face but nodded. "Fair enough."

Bill stood up. "If you don't need me for anything else?"

"Have a good night, Bill." Sirius said, confirming it was OK for Bill to leave.

Remus called out his own farewell and they watched Bill leave the room, closing the door silently behind him.

"How did your day go?" Remus asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Good." Sirius said succinctly. "At least until Bill pointed out that Harry probably needs the Little Wizard's Talk."

Remus choked.

"That would have been my reaction if I'd been drinking a liquid at the time." Sirius said, wagging a finger at him as Remus coughed and spluttered to regain his breath.

"Bugger." Remus said and then coloured as though realising as Sirius had how inappropriate the word was in connection with the topic they were discussing.

"That was my reaction." Sirius said lightly.

"I think Harry knows?" Remus said questioningly. "At least the basics?"

"The strict biology of men, women and babies, maybe," Sirius allowed with a wave, "but beyond that?"

"Well," Remus said, gathering his composure, "what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Sirius said, glaring at him since Remus had lobbed the whole thing at him with his use of the 'you' rather than 'we,' "I'm not an expert."

"How did your father tell you?" asked Remus.

Sirius shifted in his chair not wanting to discuss it. "Let's just say I won't be doing the same thing with Harry."

His father had taken him to a brothel in Paris the Christmas after his fourteenth birthday, handed him over to the Madame for the weekend with the instruction that Sirius be taught everything he needed to know. He would die before Harry would experience the horror and terror Sirius had felt during the first awful minutes before the Madame – Evie – had realised he wasn't there by choice to get practical experience and bundled him into her private quarters and fed him a calming draught.

Remus stared at him as though gathering some of what Sirius wouldn't say out loud. "My Dad was crap at it." He said, thankfully letting go of Sirius's past. "I was seventeen and hardly a virgin when he sat me down to explain everything and then it was the most pathetically short explanation ever. I learned more from you and James…"

Their eyes snapped to each other.

"James!" Sirius said with glee. "The Summer before our fifth year! Do you remember?"

"Charlus had given him the Talk as soon as he gotten home." Remus nodded. "When we went to visit…"

"James sat us all down and repeated what his Dad had told him!" Sirius crowed. "This is perfect! I can put the memory in a pensieve for Harry. OK, the rat will be there but he didn't say very much. And it'll be like James giving Harry the Talk."

"Well, you probably should check it for veracity and accuracy first, and you'll probably have to deal with any secondary questions." Remus pointed out before he broke into a grin. "But, yes; it's a splendid idea, Sirius."

Sirius was about to agree when he glanced at the clock. "Crap! We're going to be late! We both need to get changed into muggle clothes and get to the Grangers! Harry's probably at the floo wondering where we are!"

Remus followed him sedately as Sirius leaped from his chair and hurried towards the door. "Do you think we should ask Augusta about Neville?"

"What about Neville?" asked Sirius distractedly.

"Well, what are the odds Augusta's given Neville the Talk?" asked Remus slyly.

Sirius came to a sudden halt and Remus bumped into him. Sirius looked over his shoulder with wide horrified eyes. "Bugger."

o-O-o

August 4 th 1994

If the Ministry had buzzed with anticipation ahead of the July Wizengamot session, the run-up to the August session was twice as bad.

Rumours abounded that the Potter alliance was back; that the House of Black had started to sway the neutrals; that the pureblood alliance was on the verge of crumbling…

Augusta Longbottom was aware of the rumours and made sure to stoke the fire at every opportunity. A long dormant part of her had awakened with Sirius Black's ascent to his Lordship; a political animal she had half-forgotten in the wake of her grief and pain.

Nobody fully understood how devastated Augusta had been left after the attack on her son and daughter-in-law. She had been a relatively new widow; Gerald had died just after Frank's marriage. It had been a blow to Augusta who had loved him all her life. They'd tried for another child after Frank but their beautiful daughter had been stillborn and Augusta had never had the courage to try again. She had thrown herself into the role of the Lady Longbottom. Gerald had appreciated her political acumen and understanding; her sharp wit and intelligence. She hadn't been a Ravenclaw for no reason. Many of the policies and agendas Gerald had presented to the Wizengamot had been drafted by her hand.

And she had also thrown herself into motherhood; showering Frank with her attention and love. She had in all honesty probably spoiled him but he had been everything she could ever wish for in a son; handsome, charming, smart as a whip with an athletic build that had the girls swooning as soon as he had started dating. Nobody was ever going to be good enough for Frank but Alice's quiet charm and easy manner had convinced her of the girl's sincerity and Merlin knew Frank had loved her. Augusta wanted to say she hadn't been a dragon of a mother-in-law but it would be a lie; at least Alice had never held it against her.

Neville's birth had been a joy. Augusta had fallen in love with him as soon as Alice had placed him within her arms. He had been such a happy baby; so loved by Frank who adored his firstborn with the wide-eyed wonder of a new father. She could remember Frank playing with Neville, holding him to feed him when Alice went back to work (much to Augusta's disapproval), and singing him a lullaby just as Augusta had done for him. There was no doubt in her mind that Frank would have spoiled Neville as much as she had spoiled him if not for Alice's common sense.

And there had been a dream back then of lots of grandchildren…Frank had wanted to name Neville after his father but Augusta had asked him not to – Gerald had hated his name – but Alice had suggested for a second son that they might name him Charles Gerald after both his grandfathers. Augusta had dreamed again of a pretty baby girl to spoil silly.

Her dreams had been crushed by the LeStranges and Bartemius Crouch Junior in one horrific night.

Learning about the prophecy had been hard enough. Not that she had believed in that twaddle but Alice had taken it quite seriously and Frank had supported her when they'd gone into hiding. Augusta had been left alone with an empty mansion, not even knowing where they'd gone.

The night the Potters had died had been wonderful and terrible for Augusta. Wonderful in that it meant that the prophecy was about the Potter boy and not about Neville; that her family could come out of hiding and she would have her dreams still. Terrible that she had thought such a thing when two wonderful people had lost their lives.

James and Lily had been a lovely couple. Frank had always been close to James, the joke about being James's godbrother taken quite seriously because of the alliance between the Houses. His and Alice's decision to fight for custody of Harry Potter in the wake of their deaths hadn't surprised Augusta one bit and she had fully supported their decision. Maybe some of it had been to assuage her guilt (not Neville, thank Merlin, not Neville) but the idea that the heir to the Potter House would be brought up by muggles…

They should never have come out of hiding.

She could still remember the awful night. Apparating home from a dinner with friends to find the mansion filled with Aurors…Frank and Alice surrounded by healers…and Neville screaming terribly…fear in her belly that she would lose her family…that Frank and Alice would die like James and Lily (and the guilty remorse that maybe she had brought it upon them by being thankful it had been James who Voldemort had gone after and not her Frank)…

And then there had been the awful reality of brain damage, of a traumatised baby that had gone from that terrible screaming to simply not crying at all…and days and weeks of trips to healers and in the background always Neville slowly growing up but so different to Frank, and therefore such a disappointment that he should be Frank's legacy.

But now…

It was as though the events of the Summer had lifted the fog of grief from her mind and her heart. She could think clearly again. She could see clearly again. And what she saw first was Neville.

Her beautiful sweet grandson.

Augusta was so ashamed of herself. Had she really been such a harridan as to berate the boy for his lack of magical skill and prowess? To tell him constantly that he should be more like his father? Oh, she had hexed Gerald's Uncle Algie up one side and down the other when he dropped Neville out of a window but she had been secretly pleased to see the boy do accidental magic. What must Neville think of her?

She had resolved to turn over a new leaf. She had immediately offered him the opportunity to assume his Heir ring. She complimented Neville for small things; praised his gardening skill; admired him on his letter writing and behaviour during the various dinners and events they attended; encouraged him in building a friendship with Harry Potter.

When Sirius had approached her about the wand…Augusta had blushed in shame. How could she have forgotten that a wand chose the wizard? Neville's improvement came in leaps and bounds. He arrived back from his lessons with Harry full of tales of his accomplishments. He was gaining confidence every day and she was so proud of him.

There was a way to go, of course. She had seen how Neville had used Harry as a way of diverting attention from himself at his birthday (although she had been very happy to see how Harry who hated his fame had sacrificed himself so Neville could enjoy his birthday – it spoke well of the young Lord Potter). But overall she was thrilled with the strong minded and quietly observant young wizard that was emerging from the cowed child she had raised.

She knew she had Sirius and Remus, his steward, to thank for a lot of it too. Remus had quietly advised her to change her Financial Manager after she had let him look at the books to choose a suitable learning example for Neville's estate management lesson. Since then Remus had taken to dropping by weekly to discuss Neville's progress and talk over the business opportunities between the House of Potter and the House of Longbottom. Between his advice, their discussions and the restitution Sirius had given her, Augusta was beginning to see a change in their fortunes. She quietly acknowledged to herself that she had let things slip in her grief but it was no excuse.

It had all led Augusta into fervently working hard on Sirius's and Harry's behalf to rebuild the old alliance – and to wonder why she hadn't done so before. The other families had expressed similar rueful comments; why had they needed the return of the House of Potter to have re-established their old ties?

Sirius himself was a boon. As much as he might not have wanted to acknowledge it, he had all of his grandfather's political finesse and ruthlessness. He knew just what carrot and what stick to use. And he was teaching Harry; she could see how Harry was changing under Sirius's tutelage in his dealings with other Houses. He would never have Sirius's deft touch – he was too impatient and blunt in his own manner for that – but Harry would make a formidable Lord Potter in time.

If he lived long enough to fully take on the mantle.

Voldemort's imminent return was the other driving force behind Augusta's revival. She would be damned if she let the bastard destroy her family again. She had all but lost Frank and Alice; she would not lose Neville.

Or Harry. The news of the death threat on his birthday had made her blood boil.

She directed Neville to the seat next to Remus on the family tier of the Wizengamot, pleased to see that many of the other Heirs in the Potter alliance were already seated. The Heirs would take part in the pledge the Houses were undertaking with each other. The afternoon tea Augusta had hosted the day before had begun the process of the Heirs getting to know each other, the adults leaving them alone to become better acquainted with Harry as they would be supporting each other for a long time. She had been pleasantly surprised that all the Heirs had stayed behind to socialise when Harry himself had departed with Sirius.

She hid her smile as she took her seat.

The session time was almost upon them when Sirius walked in with Harry, properly dressed in formal robes with the crests of Potter and Black on his breast. Harry's hair had been tamed as much as possible; Andromeda's training told in his carriage and his bearing although Augusta could see he was pale and a bit nervous. And Sirius stood beside him, a hand on his shoulder, looking more dangerous than ever in his black duelling robes (though they were embossed with the House crests) and leather trousers. He'd dressed not for the Wizengamot but for guard duty and it told in every graceful movement he made.

Augusta was pleased as she took in everybody else's reaction, the Wizengamot falling silent.

Dumbledore hurried forward and Augusta settled herself to get a better view. This was going to be amusing, she thought delighted.

"Sirius!" Dumbledore's eyes darted to Harry and back. "Do you think it wise after recent events for Harry to attend?"

"Thank you for your concern, Chief Warlock, but this is an important day for the House of Potter and we won't be scared away by a cowardly note from someone hiding behind a house elf." Sirius said loudly. "If you'll excuse us."

She smiled at the manner in which Sirius dismissed Dumbledore's concerns and Dumbledore so completely while also slyly insulting the sender of the note. Her eyes caught on Lady Cavendish fanning herself and Augusta rolled her eyes. Sirius was a handsome devil and his devotion to Harry seemed to have increased his sex appeal among the witches of their society. She wondered how he and Harry were going to respond to the matchmaking that was bound to happen.

Sirius walked Harry up the stairs and directed him towards the Potter seat.

"Sirius…" Dumbledore called. "I'm afraid Harry can't sit there yet."

"Actually, he can, Chief Warlock." Tiberius Ogden said before Augusta could leap to her feet. "Article 15 of the Inheritance Law passed in 1754 allows that any Lord not of age can sit in on the Wizengamot in his seat with the permission of his Regent."

"He's right, Chief Warlock." Dullard agreed.

"Very well." Dumbledore conceded with a fleeting look around the watching Wizengamot.

Harry sat down in the Potter seat with an expression of awed solemnity.

Sirius smiled at him warmly. "Comfy?"

Harry grinned back at him, relaxing somewhat with Sirius's irreverence.

Sirius straightened, his wand in his hand before anyone could blink and he tapped his Lordship ring. "Familius magicus." Gold and silver family magic swirled into being either side of Harry and there was a murmur that swept the chamber.

Most people in the public gallery and in half of the Wizengamot houses had probably never seen family magic at work, Augusta thought amused; that Sirius had called two family magics simultaneously had shocked even those who had.

Sirius waited until the gold griffin and the silver snake formed and stood as sentries either side of the Potter seat. He raised his voice. "Guard. Kill anyone who attacks him."

The totems looked suitably menacing.

The snake turned and hissed at Harry who hissed back and a shiver ran down Augusta's back. Merlin, she would never get used to that.

"What did he say this time?" asked Sirius, ignoring someone's shriek at the sight of the Boy Who Lived speaking parseltongue.

"He was checking whether you just meant physical attacks." Harry replied.

There was an innocent expression on Harry's face but Augusta coughed to hide her laugh as she realised immediately it was a set up to point out to the entire Wizengamot that Sirius hadn't limited the order.

Sirius smiled but he didn't correct the order and Augusta realised that they'd just put everyone on notice – the death threat hadn't been a physical attack. Clearly any attack against Harry wouldn't be tolerated.

"Don't gossip too much with the snake." Sirius instructed.

Harry nodded as the snake totem slithered up the chair and curled up in his lap. The griffin lay down and placed his head on Harry's feet.

It was an impressive show of magical strength for both of them, Augusta considered as Sirius walked back down the stairs to cross the floor to his own seat. That Sirius had called the ancient family magic of two Houses to protect Harry proved Lord Black's power and the fact that the totems were so comfortable with Harry proved his. She looked around and saw grim realisation on the faces of Selwyn and Wilkes; consideration on Greengrass's. Nora Zabini just looked as though she wanted to eat Sirius up with a spoon.

"Sirius," Dumbledore tried to way-lay him on the floor, "I don't think it's appropriate…"

"Chief Warlock," Nott stood, "the use of family magic to protect an underage Lord is perfectly acceptable."

"I simply object to the kill order." Dumbledore protested.

Griselda Marchbanks leaped up. "If the family magic kills to protect the lad from an attack, then the assailant bloody well deserves it! Lord Black has made it amply clear to everyone in this chamber what the consequences will be!"

"Lady Marchbanks…" Dullard began.

"Yes, my language is appalling I know but you cannot instruct the Chief Warlock to call people by their titles for the life of you!" Griselda growled.

Sirius paused on the steps. "The magic is under my control, Chief Warlock. I assure you it won't kill without reason."

Cornelius stood up. "Frankly, I don't see the problem, Chief Warlock. We should move on."

The Ancient and Noble Houses rose as Sirius completed his journey including Harry who quickly picked up the snake as though it was a living creature and whispered an apology at disturbing the griffin; the minor Houses of the Potter alliance followed along with the House of Malfoy – Lucius wasn't an idiot, Augusta thought derisively. They all sat together as one again when Sirius took his seat. Augusta could see Harry's pride beam out in a wide smile at the respect given to Sirius. She could also see Sirius's realisation that unlike the 'welcome to the club' acknowledgement of the previous session, this one acknowledged Sirius as the leader of the Ancient and Noble Houses regardless of alliances – and that the Houses in the pureblood side had followed the Light and the neutrals…

Augusta smiled. Oh it was going to be an interesting session. She settled in as Dumbledore called for the doors to be sealed and the session to open.

Dullard announced the first order of business: the open seat. He listed the nominees and asked them to the floor for their election speeches.

Arthur Weasley went first as he had a Ministry seat already and was thus more highly ranked. "I thank Lord Doge for the nomination but I'm afraid I have to withdraw. It has only been through Lord Black's encouragement that I have in recent times once again picked up the mantle of being the Head of an Ancient and Noble House. It was he who pointed out to me that there was more to being an Ancient and Noble House than the trappings. There is honour and oath; loyalty and friendship. I do not believe that the time is right for the House of Weasley to formally resume its place here. We have much to prove and rebuild as a House if we are to return as an equal and I feel I must give my all to the Ministry seat to which I have been appointed. I thank those who have expressed support for me but encourage them to look to another candidate. Thank you."

It was a shame, Augusta thought dryly, because that speech just showed how honourable Arthur was and out of all the candidates she would have preferred him. But he was right; the House of Weasley needed to rebuild properly if it was going to retake its place. It wasn't a question of money so much as influence. Arthur's new role would help with that; his adult sons had good careers and the family had good links with the House of Potter. It was a start but it was unlikely that the House of Weasley would come back to the Wizengamot while Arthur was its Head.

Dullard cleared his throat. "Mister Amos Diggory."

Diggory stood up. He had once been a handsome fellow although his age had rubbed away the strong jawline and the muscular physique; had thinned the thatch of brown hair on his head. Amos rubbed his scrubby brown beard and gazed around the Wizengamot authoritatively. "Lords, Ladies, Members and Citizens, I thank Lord Abbott for his nomination and come to you as a willing candidate, one that has worked tirelessly for the betterment of our society and one that wishes to do more still. I believe that our wizarding traditions are important; that we must always ensure our safety and security above all other considerations. Many of you know myself and my family. We are honest, honourable people. My record speaks for itself. Thank you."

Augusta frowned. She liked Amos but she found him a terrible braggart and he was a bit too fond of his Firewhiskey for Augusta's liking. He also had no imagination in dealing with magical races – as Sirius had once said sometimes wizards confused magical races and creatures and Augusta believed Amos was one of those wizards. His record on werewolves was appalling.

"Mister Marcus Yaxley."

Yaxley stood up, an intimidating figure in his formal robes with his blond hair neatly tied back. "Members of the Wizengamot, I begin by thanking Lord Wilkes for my nomination. My agenda is simple: I want to make our society strong within and without. With every year that passes wizards bend to the will of others. How many of our noble traditions are lost? How much of what are has been eroded with the viral ideas of the muggles? We need to remember our heritage and regain our strength and remove all elements that would challenge us on this."

Well, there was a perfect example of a pureblood agenda wrapped up in political speak, Augusta mused unhappily. She knew that Yaxley was an intelligent man; capable and sharp-witted. But she would never agree with his politics, not when it could so easily have been he who had attacked her son rather than the LeStranges.

"Finally, Mister Gideon Baron."

As the only non-Ministry nominee, Baron was last. The old solicitor made a small bow to the chamber and cleared his throat.

"Members of the Wizengamot, I give my thanks to Lord Zeller for his kind nomination of myself and my family. I believe that more now than ever we are standing on a precipice. We all want a strong wizarding society, safe from harm by any who would threaten us. We all want our children to thrive and become all that they can be. We all want a life free from darkness. What we don't all agree on is how we achieve these things. I believe that the choices we make now, how we take our society forward from this point are key to our future. Tradition is important. Respecting our ways is important. Fear of the new is a good thing if it makes us assess the risks properly, but for too long we have hidden behind tradition to halt progress; we have eschewed the new in favour of the old because we hold our fear too close; we no longer stride with bold courage but hide in shadows. It is time for us to act like the leader this world needs it to be. I offer my services in this goal."

Gideon had always been an impressive orator and she could see that he was passionate and sincere. He would make a good addition. His judicial knowledge would be invaluable in the trials they watched over; his political acumen was second to none; and he would not be swayed by the likes of Lucius Malfoy and his cronies.

There was a round of questioning for the three candidates who wanted to go forward. Augusta listened rather than ask a question of her own. And then a round of character references from those who had nominated. It was tedious but it was protocol.

They finally came to the vote. Nobody was surprised that the vote was close but as Sirius was called third as Lord Black and voted for Baron, the other candidates didn't stand a chance especially when Harry voted for the solicitor, a vote duly ratified of course by his regent. Baron was sworn in and took his place as a new seat appeared.

Dullard rose to declare the House notices, turned pale and conceded the floor to the House of Black. Augusta's lips twitched because she knew what was coming.

Sirius rose in a graceful move, his gaze automatically going to Harry across the floor before sliding to meet Augusta's gaze warmly. "I have only a few notices today. Firstly, I am pleased to announce a new alliance of mutual aid and support between the House of Black and the House of Longbottom. We now stand together."

Augusta got to her feet as the Chamber reacted with shocked whispers. "As Longbottom Regent, I confirm the new alliance between the Houses and echo that we now stand together."

"The alliance is so recognised," said Dumbledore, looking very surprised.

It was, Augusta thought with relish, as she retook her seat, a historic moment. While Sirius's friendship with the House of Potter had ensured that alliance, she knew everyone else believed no other House on the Light side would willingly ally with the House of Black. She was proud to have taken the first step.

"My second announcement is to record the death of Bellatrix Black, a former daughter of the House of Black, on July twentieth." Sirius announced gravely.

Augusta's heart beat in fierce gladness again at the bitch's death and she was barely aware of Dumbledore's sad face as he made the recognition. The insane witch might have hung on longer than expected but her body, unprotected by its magic, had given in eventually to the harshness of Azkaban. Sirius had approached Augusta for permission to allow Andromeda and Narcissa to bury their sister properly despite the disownment that had formed part of the restitution; Augusta had agreed, knowing that the request was more about enabling the sisters to grieve than showing any respect for Bellatrix as a Black. According to Sirius, the sisters had interred the ashes in the Malfoy mausoleum with a simple plain marker.

"My final notice for the House of Black today is to announce a détente agreement between the House of Black and the House of Nott." Sirius bowed his head slightly to the House in question. "We will not take up wands."

Nott rose from his chair. "As Head of the House of Nott, I confirm the détente and echo that we will not take up wands."

A murmur of confusion bubbled up. Augusta wasn't surprised; the détente agreement was a very old one and rarely used between the Houses.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Forgive me, Sirius, Benjamin. I believe many of us here haven't heard of such an agreement between the Houses before. Could you explain?"

"We've agreed not to kill each other." Sirius said baldly.

The uproar was immediate. The House of Nott had just declared neutrality in any conflict involving the House of Black! If Voldemort came back, Nott would not follow him. Augusta hid her grin. Sirius had forewarned her but to see it for herself…

Only Malfoy looked as unsurprised as she and she knew Sirius had sent him notice as a politeness because of the family connection, although she wouldn't be altogether surprised if Lucius and Benjamin had cooked it up between them to test the waters to see if Sirius would be willing to allow neutrality.

"Well," Dumbledore said once he'd regained control of the Chamber, "the détente agreement is so recognised."

Augusta listened idly as the notices moved onto the House of Flint who announced its Heir.

Dullard rose again and looked weary. "The floor is ceded to Lord Potter and Lord Black as proxy for the House of Potter."

Both Harry and Sirius stood. Augusta smiled encouragingly at Harry who looked suddenly very nervous; pale in his blue formal wear and a little fidgety like most fourteen year old boys.

Sirius cleared his throat. "We have two notices today. The first is that the House of Potter has agreed that the House of Weasley owes it a life debt for Harry James Potter, Head of the House of Potter, saving the life of Ginevra Molly Weasley, daughter of the House of Weasley, by killing a basilisk in the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts and destroying that which kept her captive."

A startled hush fell over the Wizengamot. Augusta watched everyone's reactions keenly.

"We are pleased to announce that William Arthur Weasley, Heir to the House of Weasley, is sworn to the service of the House of Potter to undertake a task on its behalf as repayment of this life debt." Sirius concluded.

Dumbledore searched the tiers until he found Bill Weasley. "William Arthur Weasley, please stand."

Bill stood in an outfit not dissimilar to Sirius's; he looked equally as dangerous and very handsome. Augusta watched amused as many of the young ladies smiled at the young man.

"Do you confirm that you have sworn such service to the House of Potter?" asked Dumbledore.

"I do confirm." Bill answered formally. "I am honoured to be in the service of the House of Potter."

"Then the notice of service is recognised." Dumbledore smiled, eyes twinkling madly.

Bill sat down again.

Sirius gave a nod to Harry.

Harry looked nervously out at the Wizengamot before his frantic eyes sought and stayed with his adoptive father. He calmed down and took a breath. "The House of Potter is pleased to announce the reformation of its former political alliance with the Ancient and Noble Houses of Abbott, Bones, Branstone, Doge, Longbottom…"

Augusta rose from her seat just as those called before her had done and those called after would do. From the public tier, the Heirs made their way down to the floor.

"…Marchbanks, Ogden, Sapworthy, and with the Houses of Ackerley, Cornfoot, Belby, Corner, Eastchurch, Inglebee, Munslow and Stebbins, and newly including the Ancient and Noble House of Black."

Sirius looked around and Augusta gave him a sharp nod of assurance to begin.

"Who speaks for the Houses?" Sirius asked, his tone compelling silence in the Chamber as everyone realised the import of the announcement.

"I, the Longbottom Regent, speak for the Houses." Augusta said formally.

"Who speaks for the Heirs?" Sirius asked.

Neville stepped forward from the gathered group of Heirs in the centre of the floor. "I, the Heir of the House of Longbottom, speak for the Heirs." His voice shook but his shoulders were back and his chin up.

"Do the Houses agree to follow the political will of the House of Potter from this day forth?" Sirius asked.

"We do." Augusta replied.

Magic stirred. They could all sense the tingle of it against their skin. This was important, vital, special.

Sirius threw a look of concern towards his son but continued. "Do the Houses promise to support and aid the House of Potter in magic, in law and in oath?"

"We do." Augusta said.

A rush of magic stirred her hair. She held firm but she could see that it was beginning to unsettle many in the Wizengamot, Dumbledore included.

"Do the Houses promise to be loyal and faithful to the House of Potter above all other individual alliances and agreements?"

"We do."

Sirius nodded at Harry to take over.

"I, Harry James Potter, Head of the House of Potter, Heir of the House of Black, accept your oath of allegiance and offer to you the protection and sanctuary of the House of Potter, my wand and my magic in your defence, to lead you with fairness and honour. So have I sworn; so mote it be."

His quiet voice was drowned out as the griffin cried its approval. The Ancient and Noble Houses within the alliance felt their magic stirring and with a rush all of their house totems appeared beside them. The shock of it took Augusta's breath away as the bear of Longbottom stood on its hind legs and roared.

Their family magics had responded to the call of the House of Potter!

She remembered the blessing ritual and looked worriedly to Sirius to find him with his eyes riveted on Harry. A quick glance around the Chamber revealed most people were staring with open shock although whether they realised it was Harry who had called the totems and not the Heads of the Houses…

Sirius took a breath as though to steady himself. "And the Heirs, do you agree to follow the political will of the House of Potter from this day forth?"

Neville's voice was steady when he replied and Augusta swelled with pride. "We do."

"Do the Heirs promise to support and aid the House of Potter in magic, in law and in oath?"

"We do." Neville said.

"Do the Heirs promise to be loyal and faithful to the House of Potter above all other individual alliances and agreements?" Sirius continued.

Neville straightened his shoulders. "We do – and more."

More? What did he mean 'more'? That wasn't in the script – Augusta looked at her grandson alarmed as Neville went down on one knee and the rest of the Heirs followed him. She gasped as did many around her.

Neville raised his head and looked straight at Harry. "The Heirs swear fealty to the House of Potter; our magic is your magic; our wands are your wands; our lives are yours to command in battle and in peacetime. We stand together with you."

Augusta swallowed hard torn between so much pride she could drown in it and fear because her grandson, her beautiful sweet grandson, had just pledged his life to Harry Potter – as had every other Heir. They'd effectively given him an army and every House in the Wizengamot knew it. She wondered exactly what had transpired at the afternoon tea – how had Harry inspired them to this?

Everyone held their breath as attention turned to the stunned figure of the Boy Who Lived who threw a questioning look at Sirius, who thanks probably to the blighted Black upbringing, was the only one in the Chamber maintaining his composure. Sirius nodded at him as a silent conversation of 'what do I do?' and 'accept it of course' took place without words across the expanse of the Chamber.

Harry straightened up; the totems beside him glowed brightly and he suddenly looked like a wizard who could defeat a Dark Lord. His robes swirled around him, his eyes shone with passion and power, his chin came up defiantly.

"I, Harry James Potter, Head of the House of Potter, Heir of the House of Black accept your oath of allegiance and…and of fealty." He gazed down at the Heirs. "I offer to you the protection and sanctuary of the House of Potter, my wand and my magic in your defence, to lead you with fairness and honour." He paused, gold and silver magic stirring his robes and his hair. "We stand together. So have I sworn; so mote it be."

And the totems of the family magics voiced their approval in a cacophony of sound that cowed everyone else in the Chamber before they disappeared.

Augusta gathered her torn composure and gazed around the rest of the alliance. The other Heads and Regents were similarly breathless and shocked by their Heirs. Their political opponents looked subtly taken aback, horrified, grim or a mix of all three. The Potter alliance was back and it was back with a vengeance.

On the floor, she saw Neville getting to his feet and grinning shyly up to Harry who smiled back at him. Sirius caught her eye and gave her a relieved nod. He was probably thankful the spirit of Morgana hadn't turned up again, Augusta thought with a breathless laugh. Her amusement returned fully when she glanced across and saw Dumbledore and Cornelius looking spell-shocked. Croaker looked positively gleeful while Bones was staring hard at her niece.

It was left to Dullard to try and regain order which seemed to finally break the Chief Warlock out of his trance so he could recognise the alliance.

Everyone sat down. Neville cast a nervous look her way as he made his way back up the steps and she smiled at him proudly. He beamed back at her.

No, Neville wasn't Frank, Augusta mused as Dumbledore called for a recess before they reviewed the legislative agenda; but he was every bit as special and she wasn't losing him. She had a feeling Harry would wipe the floor with Voldemort, but prophecy be damned; she'd kill the bastard herself before she let him hurt her Neville.