Chapter 097

"Why was that important?" he asked.

"Because magical law actually states I wasn't supposed to do it without your permission," replied Harry. "However, I knew we were pressed for time to receive your permission before we would be arriving here. If I'd waited, then it would have taken about three to four days from now before they could be erected. And I think Dumbledore, at least, is going to try turning up here to take me away before then. Plus, I promised the senior auror who was here earlier that I would ask for your permission this evening and not wait."

The female auror looked to her partner and said, "Not a word."

"No, First," he immediately replied.

"To whom?" asked Monica, of the auror.

"Anyone else bar those in the aurors who have the need to know," she replied. "By our laws, Harry had actually committed a crime doing that. But, based on the nature of what it was, he would very likely have only received a substantial fine, rather than be convicted to serve time in our prison."

Harry again grinned and said, "There's actually a loophole in the law that states no wizard or witch may do it. By me contracting the goblins to do it I skirted around the law, but not the intent of it. Secondly, the law actually states I have to have permission to do it, not that the permission has to be in advance."

The female auror sighed and said to Harry, "I really wish you would stop doing that. You seem to have developed this annoying habit of making us all look like idiots."

Hermione snickered and said, "You've only just noticed?"

"Auror Standish is new to having to follow me around," grinned Harry.

The auror wryly said, "That's because others before me have begged not to do it any more, because they were sick and tired of Lord Potter making them feel stupid."

Even Harry chuckled at that one. "I'm sorry, I just can't help it.

"These wards you had installed to protect us. How much did they cost? I already know the goblins don't do anything that doesn't make them good profit."

"A hell of a lot less than I consider the lives of you, Monica and Hermione to be worth," Harry replied.

"I notice you didn't include your own in that."

"I'm protected because you're protected," he replied. "But, yes, the wards are up to protect me, too. They're up permanently to protect you and your wife. You're important to Hermione and, therefore, important to me."

"And you still haven't told me how much they cost," Wendell pressed.

"No, I haven't," Harry shrugged. "However, I really don't know how much they cost because it wasn't an important consideration when I organised them. I instructed my account manager to get the best that a muggle household could have and he did just that. My only contribution to that was to ensure there was a personal ward installed that blocked Albus Dumbledore from being able to get onto the property no matter what method he tried.

"Has Hermione ever told you that Albus Dumbledore has a phoenix?"

"Yes, I believe she has."

"Well, a phoenix can get through any ward. It has a form of magical travel that is simply referred to as flame travel. Dumbledore needs to only be in contact with it for it to flame travel him near instantly to any location on the planet. And that includes through any ward," explained Harry.

"So, what I did was convince the goblins to erect a field inside a ward that, if Albus Dumbledore appears within it, will instantly stun him unconscious. And, while he remains in that field, he cannot be enervated. The only way he can be woken again is for him to be taken outside that field. In that way Dumbledore cannot enter this home with any intention, let alone ill-intention, and remain conscious."

"He's that dangerous?" asked Wendell. "I thought he was supposed to be the Headmaster of your school. And was also supposed to be the Leader of Light?"

"Yeah, he's had everyone fooled for far too long," scowled Harry. "I seem to have the ability to be immune to any memory altering magics. Albus Dumbledore did not know that and for many years has been using memory-altering charms to cover up his wrongdoings; including trying to use them on me.

"I saw the opportunity to bring to light a great many criminal matters and took it," nodded Harry. "Even I, at the time, had no idea just how much of an effect it would have. I also made sure that the Director of Magical Law Enforcement was an honoured guest to the event and not-so-subtly suggested she bring a whole slew of aurors with her. She trusted me enough to do precisely that.

"At the end of my... task... ten people had been arrested and a further two were being hunted down to be arrested. Albus Dumbledore and the then Minister of Magic were two such individuals who were led away in magical-suppression handcuffs. Others included the Deputy Headmistress, who was the one to come here to talk to you about your daughter going away to Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall, and all three other Heads of Houses at Hogwarts.

As a result of the trials Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor House and Mistress of Transfiguration, lost her job and is banned from ever working in a position of authority over a child ever again; Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House and Charms Master, lost his position as Head of House but remains a Professor of Charms; Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master, was sent to prison for life; and only Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House and Mistress of Herbology, escaped with only a stern warning.

"Other Professors taken away were Rubeus Hagrid, Professor of Care of Magical Creatures, who lost his job as a Professor but retained his position as Groundskeeper; the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts was found to be a fake named Barty Crouch Junior and an unknown-until-then escapee of the prison and was immediately sent back there; and a few days ago experts from the Ministry came in to do something secret and, while there, banished the ghost of Cuthbert Binns, Professor of History of Magic, on to the afterlife. The school medi-witch, Poppy Pomfrey, was found to have been suffering under repeated obliviations, had her memory modified and was dosed with loyalty potions supposedly keyed to the Headmaster. She's quit; and I don't think she will be the only one.

Wendell frowned a little in confusion and said, "The punishments meted out to each of the professors and your relatives seem... quite odd."

"Uh-huh," said Harry.

"They were... unbalanced," he explained. "I can see why this Mister Hagrid fellow only just skipped out of suitable punishment; and why the Deputy Headmistress was sacked without gaol time; but the other punishments did not seem to meet them for their severity."

Harry gave a nod and said, "Severus Snape's was obvious. What he did merited a lifetime imprisonment - just for the use of the Unforgivables. The use of such, even once, is supposed to be a lifetime sentence to Azkaban. That he used them multiple times..." And shrugged.

"Hagrid's punishment was, I think, appropriate. However, because it was proven he was not guilty of the death of Myrtle Warren back in the 1940s, I think continuing to deny him wand rights was unfair. Further, I think he should have been compensated for that travesty of justice. That was his blood status as a half-giant unfairly having an effect on the vote; politics interfering with judicial process.

"McGonagall's punishment was also, I think, apt. If it wasn't for her being under a mild loyalty potion I believe she should have also gone to prison for her crimes. Her being under that loyalty potion is, I think, what saved her.