Train Ride and Revelations

"Bloody hell, Aurelius, I knew you had a backbone since the troll incident when you told Headmaster Dumbledore that he made a bad call in the great hall, but I didn't expect you to go so far as to tell him that he's a hypocrite." Said an incredulous Silvia.

"Language. And wait, what? What did you say in the great hall that day?" said an exasperated Hermione.

"Well, we were told that the troll was in the dungeon, and I said that unless we serve room service where the students are on the menu, his order for all the students to return to their respective houses was a terrible decision." He said casually.

Hermione was stunned with mouth a gape.

"And I don't think I outright implied or said he was a hypocrite. I just said that he was ignoring an implied rule that he may or may not have realized he had implemented with his actions. After all, who's to say that he didn't realize it and needed it pointed out." he said, deflecting the accusation of his supposed audacity.

Silvia looked at him with a raised eyebrow in both disbelief and amusement.

After a few more moments, Hermione rebooted.

"Well, okay then. Then, let's move on, I guess. So, any predictions for who the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher might be?" Hermione asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"I'd imagine it'd be an auror. After all, they deal with the stuff all the time," said Silvia

Aurelius shrugged, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Hard to say. According to one of the teachers, the position seems to have a curse; otherwise, they wouldn't constantly replace them yearly. I'm just curious about having the position filled with different professors constantly and can't return; I can't imagine many qualified teachers would be available. And that seems to be the case if their previous muggles study professor became the defense against the dark arts professor."

"Wait, Quirrell taught muggles studies before taught DADA? If that's the case, they might very well be scraping at the bottom of the barrel." Said Silvia without any sense of tact.

"Oh dear, I hope not. If that's the case, wouldn't we likely have to teach ourselves defense against the dark arts?" asked a nervous Hermione.

"I was worried that was the case, so I won't raise my hopes. As for who the replacement would be. Do you think it will be someone famous or obscure that no one has ever heard about?" Aurelius asked the girls.

"Hmm, perhaps famous?" said Hermione.

"I'd think so, but I'm curious if they'd be competent." He said with doubt.

"I don't know. If there aren't many people available, wouldn't it be a random person? After all, Quirrell, of all people, was chosen. I think they'd grab a random bloke to teach next year who did well on their NEWTS. Anyone would've done better." Said a skeptic, Silvia.

"What do you mean, Aurelius? I'd imagine it'd be challenging to fake competency in something as dangerous as a defense against the dark arts. You'd likely die if you were playing above your skill level. And they'd be setting up every student up for failure." Responded Hermione.

"You also have to consider that when you're famous, all eyes are on you, either to watch you succeed or fail," said Silvia skeptically.

"I don't know. Hogwarts's headmaster makes me question if he's gone senile or not. From what I've witnessed, it may be already the case, or it's getting to him. I can't say it's not to be expected; time is not kind to most. Dumbledore is well already past 100." I said without tact.

"A bit rude, but I can see your reasoning." Said Hermione.

"Hmm, I have a proposition, or bet, if you will." Said Aurelius with a mischievous tone. "Based on our conditions, two factors are in play: whether or not the teacher will be famous. And competent or not."

"And the wager?" said an intrigued Silvia.

"I'll throw in a job that when my businesses are in play, you will be on top of the list in your preferred roles." Said a confident Aurelius.

"Those are some pretty high stakes. And what do you think we could wager that would be of equal value?" said a surprised Hermione.

"Hmm, I'm not sure, but keep in mind. This will likely be a mere bucket in a lake financially." Said a nonchalant Aurelius with a shrug.

"Okay, that makes it far easier. Well then, I will wager my services to develop one product that will take only one week of free time, aside from schoolwork hours, to make for free to whomever the winner is." Said a relieved and excited Silvia.

"Seems fair. After all, that doesn't inherently mean a physical item; it could also be a new spell." Hermione said in response

"And you, Hermione?" asked Silvia.

"Well, I suppose I'd do the more tedious first week of schoolwork," said an unsure Hermione.

"Oooo that's a pretty good one, Hermione." Said Silvia, excited of thought, having not to do the boring classwork of the first week.

"I must admit that is quite a tempting offer. So, are we all in order?" I asked the girls in response.

They all nod in agreement.

"Alright, take a piece of parchment and write the combination you believe will occur."

A few moments later

"Okay, hand them to me."

They hand him the folded parchments of their bet.

"Okay, Hermione believes that they will be famous and competent. Silvia said that they'd be obscure and competent. And I said they'd be famous and incompetent. Good, all of our answers are different."

Suddenly, a knock on the cabin door is heard.

"Who is it?' asked Aurelius.

"It's Harry." Said the knocker.

"Potter?" said a confused Hermione.

"Yes," said the now-confirmed Potter.

Well, all looked at each other, puzzled but having some guesses as to why he'd seek them out or, more specifically, a particular individual in the cabin.

"Come in," we all said.

The door opens.

"Thanks….." he takes a deep breath in and out to calm his nerves. "I want to get it off my chest. While I'm still annoyed that your speech cost us the house cup. I agree with what you said in the great hall. We both accomplished incredible things that, in hindsight, would seem incredibly stupid even to attempt and quite frankly, I'm amazed no one was permanently injured. And I wanted to say thanks for the potion, and I'm sorry for not getting you anything for Christmas." Said Harry.

Aurelius looks Potter in the eyes, not saying anything, making Harry incredibly uncomfortable until he responds.

"...I thank you for being so open-minded. I can tell you still have conflicted feelings despite what you said, but I appreciate the sentiment. As for the potion, it was a promise I made to you. A person's trustworthiness and reliability depend on their word and ability to keep that promise. I am a man of my word. I hope that you will take that sentiment to heart." I said in a serious tone.

"I will, and if you feel inclined, would you care to be friends?" he says while holding his hand for a handshake.

"I am agreeable to that, but keep in mind this means that we are friends. While I like you, Harry, I find your friend Ronald quite contemptible if I haven't made that amply obvious." Said Aurelius, making his stance clear while shaking Harry's hand.

Harry chuckles at that last comment but tries to keep a straight face. "May I sit while continuing? Standing like this is awkward."

"Certainly," Aurelius says in response.

As everyone gets comfortable, they continue their conversation. Despite the girls being curious, they understand this is more of a personal conversation and try to involve themselves as little as possible.

"Why do you dislike Ron so much?" asked the curious Potter.

"Well, first off, I'll avoid using offensive words and put them in plain terms," Aurelius said to avoid showing his bias.

Harry nods.

"Ronald appears incredibly attention-starved, so he seeks attention as much as possible. He will even sacrifice his dignity and the feelings of others to be part of the spotlight. Hermione is a perfect example of being a victim of his poor behavior." Said the boy, who is currently wearing brown wavy locks.

Harry looks contemplative but waits for Aurelius to continue.

"Then we have his constant annoying behavior of complaining without action to resolve those complaints. I don't mind people venting to friends; it's perfectly normal and even encouraged, but he is constantly envious of others' results without attempting to improve his own results. So, he belittles others' achievements so as not to feel inferior. Honestly, feeling inferior is fine. Being aware of where you lie on the line of a particular bar is essential for self-improvement. However, he deludes himself, thinking that he is at the level of his peers but actually below average. And that isn't a matter of talent. It is a matter of effort. Simply put, he has made none." Aurelius says with as slight annoyance in his tone as possible.

"I can see where you are coming from, but isn't it a bit harsh to say he makes no effort? He shows up for classes and tries to do his coursework. It's just that he isn't very good at doing it and is a bit too stubborn to admit he needs help. So, he gets below-average results." Said Harry, trying to defend his first and only friend.

"That's the thing, Harry. You are respectful and open-minded because you know that people are better than you, and you can learn from them. You don't belittle anyone's efforts. You are prideful and try to do everything on your own and don't seek adult assistance, which is typical with those who have become distrustful of authority figures." Said with a hint of respect for Harry's character and caution when pointing out a significant issue that has plagued him for a long time.

Harry becomes slightly uncomfortable at that comment.

"But you seek improvement and acceptance from others. You work harder than Ronald despite being newly introduced to the wizarding world." Aurelius said with confidence.

"How did you know that?" said an incredulous Harry.

"First off, the wizarding world hasn't caught wind of you for over a decade. And then there is how you behave oddly for those of noble status. That suggests that you weren't aware of your heritage, which is extremely odd given that you should've gotten that education regardless of the passing of your family." Aurelius said with an annoyed and contemplative tone.

"My education? Heritage? Is there something I'm missing here? And you said that my behavior is odd for a noble?" said an overwhelmed Harry.

"Potter is an ancient and noble house within the Wizengamot; think of it as the entire government of Britain put into a singular body," I explained to the confused boy.

"Sounds like it could be easily corrupted." Said Silvia, joining in the conversation.

"Trust me, it is. It comprises twenty-eight noble families, and the seats are passed down to the next lord." I said with annoyance.

"Wait, so a bunch of noble pricks decides what happens to everyone, including muggleborns? Why aren't there any muggleborns then? Without representation, muggleborns are going to get trampled on." Said Silvia.

"Language, Silvia, but I must agree. And from what I can tell, most magicals aren't nobles, so being ruled by them without any input from muggleborns puts a bad taste in my mouth." Said Hermione with a complex expression and mixed feelings.

"It's the way it is. They are the lawmakers and the judges, while the ministry is the administration and police. Both can be corrupt sometimes, but there is at least some division in both bodies, allowing for some balance and preventing the more extreme laws from being passed." I said with a little more optimism.

"Well, that's something, I suppose. As for this, does that mean Harry has a seat among the nobles in the Wizengamot?" said Hermione.

"He does, but obviously, he is a minor, so someone should be acting as his regent," I said.

"What's that?" asked an engaged Harry.

"Think of it like a stand-in, but your thoughts are their thoughts." Said Aurelius.

"Sounds like a puppet." Said the crass Silvia.

"Eh, more or less is. Their job is to act as your voice in the house until you take the seat once you're emancipated, which means you're considered an adult in the wizarding world." Explained Aurelius.

"Wait a minute, so you're saying that someone was supposed to teach me all this stuff and that I was supposed to have some adult act as my voice in government until I'm an adult." Said an incredulous Harry.

"Yup," I said.

"Well, who's supposed to do that?" asked Harry.

"Hmm, well, whoever was designated as your guardian, since muggles likely raised you, I'd imagine that they were unaware or didn't want you to know, so you likely have a magical guardian. Do you know who that is?" said a curious Aurelius.

"A magical guardian?" Harry immediately responded before thinking about it.

"A guardian who lives in the wizarding world," I answered.

"No clue. Your guess is as good as mine at this point." Said Harry with a shrug.

"Hmmm, I wonder." Says Aurelius.

"What are you pondering?" asked Hermione.

"Well, typically, if someone doesn't want to turn you into a political ally or wants to take that political power themselves. The last thing they'd want is for you to know of your real status. So, it has to be someone within the Wizengamot." I said with a contemplative tone.

"So it's a noble?" asked Hermione.

"Possibly, but not necessarily. There is only one person I can think about who has the reputation and political power to make them his guardian if all of the people written in his parents' will cannot." I said contemplatively.

"Enough with the damn suspense, and tell us who the bloke is." said the impatient Silvia.

"Dumbledore," Aurelius said with confidence to show off his certainty.

"Are you sure? But I'm pretty sure Dumbledore isn't a noble family, so how's that possible." Said a skeptical Hermione.

"There is a position known as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. They act as the head judge during trials to ensure everything is done correctly. It is among his many substantial titles." I explained to give them a better picture.

"But why would Headmaster Dumbledore not want to teach or inform me? He doesn't seem like a manipulative old man." Harry said, thinking about his experience meeting manipulative adults in grade school.

"I can't say for certain why; perhaps he didn't think you were ready to have such an important responsibility, and it would be harsh to throw a giant book on politics and etiquette down your throat the moment you joined the wizarding world. But I'm almost certain that he's the only person who would be placed as your magical guardian. All the other nobles would teach you and bend you to their side in the Wizengamot because it will only take you till adulthood to take your rightful seat." I said, trying to seem impartial.

"I guess, but how would I find out the facts? At least find out definitively who my magical guardian is," Harry says, contemplating.

"Go to Gringotts or the ministry. Just prove your identity and request the information. They should have on file who would be your guardian in your family's will, and if that's a bust, then the ministry should have the file necessary." I told him.

"All right, I guess I'm going to Gringotts then. And what if I want to learn all about this noble business? Who do you think I should ask?" said Harry, who was more than out of his depth.

"I'd choose one of the neutral families of the Wizengamot," I said.

"…..and that would be?" said Silvia.

"Sorry, right, right, the neutral families of the Wizengamot, I believe, are Abbott, Greengrass, Bones, Fawley, and Bulstrode," I said with uncertainty.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure some kids in our year have those names." Said Harry.

"Yeah, I remember a couple being in Hufflepuff and the other half being in Slytherin." Said Hermione.

"How are those families neutral if they're in Slytherin? Aren't they all about being cunning? It seems to be right up their alley to do political maneuvering." Said a perplexed Silvia

"Meh, sometimes the best side to be on is the sidelines watching the fireworks." Said Aurelius with a shrug.

"Well, I'm probably going to go with the Hufflepuff people. They seem like pretty nice people." Said Harry, who was more than reluctant to go with the Slytherin.

"Go for whatever works," I said with a shrug.

Right away, their cabin door roughly opened.

"For Merlin's sake, why is the only person to politely knock Harry? Is it so hard to knock and wait a few seconds for a response?" said an annoyed Aurelius

"Harry, it's been nearly 20 minutes since you left." Said an annoyed Ron

"Sorry, Ron, I was talking with Aurelius." Said Harry.

"Why would you want to talk with him? Insult him, sure, but talk?" said an incredulous Ron.

Harry turns to Aurelius.

Aurelius looks at Ron and then at Harry with a raised eyebrow in a now you see what I mean face.

Harry looks sheepish.

"Well, I came to apologize and say I understood why he said what he did. And also thank him for the potion for my eyes." Said Harry in response.

"Why? He just did what he said he'd do. Besides, he cost us the house cup when it would be because you and I were the reasons we would've won. Aren't you mad that he's the reason your accomplishments went to waste?" said an incredulous Ron.

"While I won't deny that I'm still frustrated about it, I agreed with what he said. And you forgot to include Neville. It would've been a tie between Galegold and us if it were just us." Harry said, somewhat annoyed that he had ignored Neville.

"Whatever, does such a little detail matter? He should be apologizing to you for being the reason you are not receiving a proper reward for your actions." Said an annoyed Ron, who was still mad that he hadn't received an award for his actions.

"That's the thing, Ronald. His actions don't warrant house points in accordance with the rules in place, but I even said in the hall that both of your actions were commendable. I wouldn't be surprised if you both were awarded a medal. But the point still stands." I said in response, knowing damn well he was trying to get Harry to agree with him because he was still upset about not getting recognition.

"Huff, well, I guess as long as it's a proper reward, it wouldn't matter much, but still." Said Ron, backing down because Aurelius was right while still being upset.

"Still nothing, Ron, it is what it is. As to why I have been here for so long, I became friends with Aurelius, and apparently, I am a noble and need to learn a lot of noble stuff." Said Harry, explaining the situation.

Ron looks at Harry like he's stupid.

"Harry, of course, you're a noble; why wouldn't you know that?" Ron said with confusion.

"That, Ronald, is what Harry has been trying to figure out with our aid." Said a peeved Hermione.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" said an upset Harry.

"I thought you already knew and just didn't care!" said a defensive Ron.

"Why wouldn't I care that someone is essentially doing stuff behind my back that dictates the fate of the magical world!!!" said an incredulous Harry.

"I don't know. I thought you might have thought politics was too much work!! Isn't that why you brushed off Malfoy to set the record straight that you didn't want to associate with the dark faction of the Wizengamot?" said Ron, defending himself for a surprisingly good reason.

"Wait, Malfoy is part of the dark faction?!? Was it bad that I brushed him off? Doesn't that mean I made a ton of enemies in that one exchange?" said a worried Harry.

"The answer to your questions, in that order, is yes, sort of, and yes." Said a bemused Aurelius.

The kids continue their banter for the train ride.

Soon after, Harry and Ron left for their cabin to get their belongings ready to disembark the train.