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Independence Day	By : Tumshie Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 41288 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other canon characters belong
to JKR I�m only having some fun

Chapter 10: The Manipulations of Albus

Albus Dumbledore watched from his office window as the last
of the Thestral drawn carriages took the Hogwarts� students off to the train
for the journey back to London, and allowed himself a smug grin as he thought
about how gullible the citizens of the Wizarding world actually were, both
individually and as a whole.

A Brief History of Dumbledore

Albus had been a manipulator all his life, he had even
conned the Sorting Hat into placing him in Hufflepuff when it wanted to put him
into Slytherin. He knew that in Hufflepuff he could operate without being
noticed. When he had started at Hogwarts the differences between the Houses were
subtle, sure there was rivalry on the Quidditch pitch, but friendships between
students regardless of their House were the norm. Seven years later however the
seeds of discord had been sown.

After graduating Dumbledore had travelled the world learning
all he could of different types of magic, building a network of acquaintances
wherever he went, each one being left with the feeling that they owed the
British wizard a favour.

He returned to Britain in 1919 and managed to find work with
Nicholas Flamel helping him with his research into the uses of Dragon�s blood,
for the first time he had found someone he couldn�t manipulate, no matter what
he tried, Flamel wouldn�t tell him how to make a Sorcerer�s Stone.

In 1925 when he had finished working with Flamel he was
appointed as Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, he arrived to find that
the House rivalries he had fermented when he was a student were growing, and
working behind the scenes he ensured that things would only get worse.

He selected a young second year student from Slytherin with
a chip on his shoulder over an imagined slight against his family by the
Wizarding world, and took him under his wing. Andrew d�Gill was a competent
wizard, but not the brightest torch in the sconce and easy to manipulate. By
the time Dumbledore was finished with him he was ready to cause mayhem.
Dumbledore sent him off to tour Europe for several years and had set him up
with training from several of his less reputable friends.

Meanwhile Dumbledore encouraged one of his fellow Professors
(Slughorn) to set up his own private club, selecting potential Ministry high
flyers, again no one noticed the subtle manipulations.

When World War II broke out in the Muggle world Dumbledore
prompted Grindelwald (as Andrew now called himself) into action. It started
with protests outside the Ministry where his followers would stand and chant
slogans about not getting involved with the Muggle war (not that the Ministry
of Magic had any intention of doing so) but the fact that there was a group of
wizards who were insinuating that they were, was good enough for some of the
gullible Wizarding public.

When physical attacks were made on the �Warmongers� of the
Ministry of Magic, Grindelwald�s followers were arrested and the split between
the two factions widened. The fact that the arrests were reported before the
attacks were, didn�t help, it made it look as if the Ministry Aurors were
arresting innocent individuals and that the attacks were a reaction to the
arrests, not the reality.

Dumbledore sat back and enjoyed the fruits of his labours,
he was advising both sides of the conflict, making sure that any attempts at
peacemaking failed. His masterstroke came in 1945 when he enticed Grindelwald
to attack the Ministry, when the battle was at it�s height he struck and killed
Grindelwald with a Muggle weapon, a Webley pistol he had obtained.

Without Grindelwald to tell them what to do his followers
were quickly rounded up and sentenced to Azkaban where most of them perished
under the care of the Dementors.

For his part Dumbledore was awarded the Order of Merlin
First Class and given his first appointment on the Wizengamot and promoted to
the post Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts, his plan to be the power behind the
throne had started.

One student almost spoiled things for him, Tom Marvolo
Riddle refused to be manipulated and this caused bad blood between them.
Dumbledore somehow knew that the Slytherin student was responsible for the
death of Myrtle Frobisher but couldn�t prove it, but used the incident to gain
the loyalty of Rubeus Hagrid by making sure he was employed to help the
groundskeeper.

As much as he could, Dumbledore kept an eye on Riddle after
he left Hogwarts, eventually losing track of him as Riddle delved deeper and
deeper into the Dark Arts. All this time he encouraged the House rivalry,
stoking it up by bringing in new Professors who had been involved in it in
their time as students. He also moved up through the ranks of the Wizengamot
and in time was promoted to Headmaster.

With each new Minister of Magic he gained a little more
power, each of the last four had been taught by him and admired the knowledge
that their former Professor had. The fact that he knew politicians throughout
the Wizarding world also helped, he was often called to be on delegations to
other Wizarding Governments.

Then in the 1970�s things started going downhill for
Dumbledore, Tom Riddle had reappeared under the name of Voldemort and was
beginning to wreak havoc within the Wizarding world. As time passed Dumbledore
resurrected an old Militia called The Order of the Phoenix and recruited
followers from among his former students. He managed to stall all attempts by
the Ministry to allow Aurors to use the Unforgivable� Curses against the Death Eaters saying that in no way should they
stoop to the level of Voldemort and his followers.

Dumbledore had planned on being the saviour of the Wizarding
world for a second time, he knew if he killed Voldemort then nothing would be
refused him, he had decided that after Voldemort�s death he would retire from
Hogwarts and make himself available as an advisor to the Ministry (at an
extortionate rate of pay of course) but then a fly in the ointment.

He had interviewed a candidate for the post of Professor of
Divination, he realised that although her family had produced many gifted Seers
that Sybil Trelawney had no great gift of Divination. He had checked her record
from school and had found that although competent at reading tea leaves she
definitely didn�t have the gift, and then without warning she went into a
trance and made a prophecy, a genuine gold plated prophecy, but one that showed
him that he wasn�t going to be the slayer of Voldemort.

When she had came out of her trance Dumbledore hired her on
the spot, no one could be allowed to find out about the prophecy, he checked
her mind with Legilimency and gently removed all memory of the prophecy. But
once again Kneazle was put among the Owls, his brother Aberforth, who couldn�t
get a decent job after having been convicted of having carnal knowledge of a
goat he had charmed, and who now worked as the Barman of the Hog�s Head Inn had
caught someone who had been snooping round the door of the room where the
interviews had been taking place.

He had locked the snooper in the Inn�s cellar until the
interview had finished and then dragged him back up to his brother. Dumbledore
interrogated the young man in front of him, he knew him well, as he had
graduated recently. Severus Snape, a brilliant young Potion Maker but with the personality
of an agitated Hippogriff, always picking fights with other students,
especially Gryffindors. He had a long running feud with Potter, Lupin,
Pettigrew and Black, a feud that Dumbledore had done everything to encourage
and little to stop.

Probing the young man�s mind and surreptitiously feeding him
some Veritaserum he discovered that Snape was a Death Eater but was having
second thoughts about the agenda the Dark Lord was pursuing, Snape had come to
realise that eventually his Halfblood status would be discovered and that he
would be either tortured to death or used as a target dummy for new recruits.

Dumbledore saw a chance to have an insider in Voldemort�s
camp. He was aware that if Snape was to take on such a role without mind
protection, it would be the death of him, so he came to an agreement, he would
teach Snape Occlumency and Legilimency in exchange for Snape spying for him.
Further, when the Dark Lord was defeated he would be employed as the Potions
Professor at Hogwarts and be allowed to work for his Master�s qualification in
Potions.

Snape was only too happy to agree but refused to take a
Wizard�s Oath on the matter. Over the next few days using a Time Turner,
Dumbledore taught Snape Occlumency and Legilimency. He also used his contacts in
the Wizarding World to find out which couples were expecting children at the
end of July. He only discovered two, the Longbottoms and the Potters, both
couples were involved in the fight against Voldemort and had thwarted his plans
on two occasions, the next day�s headlines in the Prophet made it three.

Ministry Workers Foil Attack On Gringotts.

Two young Aurors who had been at Gringotts on family
business yesterday, foiled an attack by a group of masked wizards later alleged
to be Death Eaters. With no thought of their own safety these brave young men
shielded customers and staff alike as the raiders indiscriminately fired off
curses, eventually stunning and arresting the raiders. The raiders have not
been named for reasons of security and have been taken into custody by the
Gringotts� Guards.

Aurors Potter and Longbottom refused to be interviewed by
this paper saying that they were only doing their job.

Lucius Malfoy of the Treasury Department of the Ministry
of Magic who was also in Gringotts at the time said. �These hotheads could have
injured civilians, I�ll be reporting Potter and Longbottom to their supervisor
when I get back.�

The customers and staff however were full of praise for
the young men and wished them luck in their careers.

A few days later Dumbledore invited who he thought were two
fine young Aurors to join his Militia, little realising that they were
Unspeakables and had been assigned to try and gain membership of the Order of
the Phoenix, and they had succeeded.

A year passed, the Wizarding war was at a stalemate,
Voldemort�s forces were making raids against the general population and some
forays into the Muggle community, but other than spreading fear he wasn�t doing
much. Then in June 1981 Snape let slip the two lines of the prophecy he�d heard
the previous year. Dumbledore had instructed him to do so and shortly after had
informed the Potters and the Longbottoms that they were prime targets for
Voldemort and his followers.

Against his better judgement James Potter went into hiding
with his wife and son. He refused to give up his job, which Dumbledore was
trying to force him to do, but prepared for the worst. A few false reports and
then the deaths of some members of the Order of the Phoenix soon had James and
Lily accepting Dumbledore�s offer to protect their hideaway with the Fidelius
Charm, choosing Peter Pettigrew as secret keeper. Their choice surprised Albus
who had expected them to use young Harry�s Godfather, Sirius Black.

What came as an even bigger shock was when the Potters asked
him to place a block on Harry�s magic, they explained that he had been using
rather strong �accidental magic� to the point of copying James and Sirius�
Animagi forms. Dumbledore agreed and said he would research the correct Charms
and perform the ritual on Halloween.

The afternoon of Halloween while Dumbledore was putting a
Binding Charm on Harry�s magic, Peter �Wormtail� Pettigrew was selling his
soul. He had unknowingly been leaking information to Voldemort for months,
little realising his current boyfriend was a Voldemort supporter, earlier that
day he had been confronted by Lucius Malfoy and the Lestrange brothers and
given the choice, join Voldemort or die, and like the rat he was he chose to
join Voldemort.

His first act as a Death Eater was to inform his new Master
of the whereabouts of the Potters and their son. Voldemort had been seeking
this information since Snape had told him the two lines of the prophecy he had
overheard. Sending out his Death Eaters to cause mayhem he decided to put in a
personal appearance at Godric�s Hollow.

The Potters were getting ready to have a quiet night in,
Lily had just finished reading Harry a story and James was in the middle of a
conversation on the two-way mirror with Sirius when the outside door of the
house was blown off it�s hinges. James dropped the mirror and after telling
Lily to get out turned to face his killer. He cast his strongest shield but it
couldn�t stop the killing curse, Voldemort gave a harsh laugh and followed Lily
and Harry.

Lily Potter died cursing Peter Pettigrew and defending her
son, the sacrifice of both parents placed the oldest of protections on Harry
and the killing curse cast at him rebounded ripping the life out of Voldemort.

Dumbledore sat in his office and watched one of his many
tracking devices, it registered three Killing Curses at the Potter�s House at
Godric�s Hollow, he called for Hagrid and gave him a Portkey to take him to
Godric�s Hollow to see what had happened and to bring any survivors back to
Hogwarts.

Sirius meanwhile had leapt onto his motorbike and was
rushing to James and Lily�s house, the way James had abruptly stopped the
conversation had alerted him. He was kneeling on the ground weeping for his
friends and his Godson when Hagrid arrived. Together they searched the ruins of
the cottage and found Harry sitting beside his mother�s body shaking her and in
his baby voice asking her to wake up.

Sirius was furious, and not thinking straight, he told
Hagrid to take Harry to Dumbledore on his motorbike and went off in search of
the betrayer of his friends.

As this was happening Dumbledore was writing a letter to the
Dursleys and sending his altered copy of James Potter�s will to Gringotts. Over
the next twelve months he gradually gained control over the Board of the Potter
Trust, quite happy in the knowledge that Sirius Black was safely out of the
way, totally unaware that he should be looking after his Godson.

Over the next few years he got reports from Arabella Figg
that the Dursleys were mistreating Harry and at times were physically and
mentally abusive to him, and every time he said thanks, but everything will
turn out well in the end.

Dumbledore�s plan was that when Harry discovered about the
Magical world that he would be so happy to get away from the Dursleys that he
would be willing to be moulded by anyone who showed the slightest bit of care
toward him and it would have worked perfectly if it hadn�t been for a bright
young witch called Hermione Granger.

As happens, when you grip something too tightly, little bits
slip through your fingers, in this case it was a young woman influencing Harry
Potter. She stood by him through good times and bad which meant he didn�t rely
one hundred percent on Dumbledore.

If truth be told Dumbledore had expected Harry to hook up
with Ginny Weasley, as far as he could see Potter men had a thing for red heads
(resists comment about no hair, just a red head). If he had looked back further
than four generations, he would have realised that Potter men had a thing for
intelligent women, hair colour didn�t matter. Each heir to the Potter line had
married one of the most intelligent women of his day.

Back to Present

Dumbledore started to finalise his plans for Harry�s sixth
year, he knew that his O.W.L results would be good but that the Potions result
would mean he wouldn�t be able to pursue a career as an Auror. He would leave
the Quidditch ban in place to remove that as an alternative career, and offer
to take Harry on as an Apprentice. As an Apprentice Harry wouldn�t be able to
sleep in the Gryffindor House dorms and would eat at the Head Table at meal
times further isolating him from his peers.

His plans to isolate Harry were well in hand, he had told
Harry not to write to his friends and had taken Hedwig into �protective custody�
to ensure he couldn�t disobey. He had also told his friends not to write until
Harry wrote first, and then a shocker, a letter from Gringotts inviting Harry
to the reading of Sirius� Will.

Dumbledore wasn�t even aware that Sirius had written a Will,
why had no one told him, someone must have witnessed it and it would have had
to have been someone from the Order, no one else had contact with him.

Dumbledore was feeling apprehensive, he had managed to limit
Harry�s interactions with Sirius because he saw his grip on his life slipping.
He needed to be the one in control of Potter�s life so that after he had
disposed of Voldemort while �sacrificing� himself for the good of the Wizarding
world, he �Dumbledore the Great� as he had decided to call himself, could claim
the rewards as being the one who trained the Boy-Who-Defeated.

Dumbledore had been intercepting Harry�s mail, unexpectedly
quite a number of students had written to him saying thanks for helping get rid
of Umbridge and for the extra D.A.D.A. training he had given them. The fact
that Harry didn�t reply may just make those who wrote resent him, he could only
hope.

The Will Reading.

Dumbledore flung open the door of the conference room where
the will reading was taking place, he scanned the room noting those present.
Draco and Narcissa Malfoy, Lupin, Tonks and her parents, the Grangers? A
Muggleborn and Muggles at the reading of a Purebloods will? Very strange. He
also took note of the two Solicitors and their cloaked and hooded companion but
dismissed him as a minor bank employee.

�My apologies everyone but I was delayed. I am here to
represent Harry Potter. Here is a document giving me Power of Attorney to act
on his behalf.�

The third Gringotts employee rose and asked quietly.
�When did Mr. Potter sign this document, Headmaster Dumbledore?�

�On the 21^st of July, the day after he
received your letter, if you would let me show you, he has stated that he
doesn�t want to benefit from a death he thinks he caused and has asked that
everything due to him be put at the disposal of the Order of the Phoenix�

During Dumbledore�s speech Harry had removed the cloak,
everyone apart from the Grangers and the Goblins looked on in a mixture of
disbelief and astonishment.

�Is that so, Dumbledore?� Harry asked, �In that case why
am I here?�

Dumbledore could sense the power rolling off Harry, he knew
he had to get out and without thinking tried to Apparate. The next thing he
knew he was being shown to a cell in Gringotts and was told that he would be
released after the Will had been read.

Several hours later a disgruntled Albus Dumbledore was
informed that he had been fined 1,000 Galleons, would have no interest paid on
the money in his vault and was banned from entering Gringotts for twelve
months, he felt his world begin to unravel and decided to try and limit the
damage.

Dumbledore tried, but failed to call an emergency meeting of
the Wizengamot, some of them had lost their trust in him due to the articles in
the Daily Prophet, things were gradually slipping out of his control. He
realised just how much they were slipping when two days later his brother
notified him that Harry had called a meeting of the Board of the Potter Trust.

The Board Meets.

The day of the Board meeting arrived, Remus had informed Harry
that under the rules of the Trust no money could be reclaimed from the current
Board Members if they could prove they hadn�t harmed the Trust or the Potter
Family. Harry realised that although the Trust had been mismanaged it had still
made a profit, but the main thing was he had to put his own people in place.

Prior to the Board meeting Harry explained to those he
invited that he wanted to offer them places on the Board of the Potter Trust.
Madam Bones and Professor McGonagall declined the offer claiming a conflict of
interest, Madam Bones because Tonks had made her aware of the falling out
between Harry and Dumbledore and wanted to remain neutral, Professor McGonagall
because she was still loyal to Dumbledore and had been fed a story from him.
She was also annoyed at the attitudes Harry and Hermione had been showing.

The Board of Trustees were sitting round the table in the
conference room wondering who had called the meeting, they knew it wasn�t
Dumbledore as he had told them that the Goblin�s had unjustifiably banned him
from entering the bank. They were shaken from their wonderings when the door
was opened and a Goblin led in a group of people, escorted by two Goblin
Guards.

Cornelius Fudge was the first to speak. �This is a private
meeting, kindly vacate this room, you, Goblin, take them out of here.�

Stepping out from behind Remus and Tonks, Harry replied.
�Sit down, Fudge, you bumbling fool, I called the meeting, now everyone sit and
listen.�

Those who had entered with Harry sat round one side of the
table the current Trustees round the other. Harry waited until all eyes were on
him and continued. �As Head of the Potter Family I am dismissing all of you
from the Board, you will be allowed to keep all the money you have been paid
for being Trustees, however, if any instances of fraud are uncovered I reserve
the right to reclaim all such money from you. There is no right of appeal on my
decision, you all signed up to it when you took your seats.�

�Who do you think you are, Potter?� growled Snape. �The
Headmaster appointed us, he is your Wizarding Guardian, you can�t get rid of us
until you are seventeen.�

�Wrong, Snape, my true Wizarding Guardian emancipated me in
his Will, plus by the contents of my father�s true Will I should have been
aware of the dealings of the Trust two years ago. I advise you to keep quiet,
saying the wrong thing in front of these guards is not advisable, they seem to
like me.�

With grumblings about the situation being unfair the ousted
members left. Harry turned to the others and said. �Remus Lupin is the new
Chairman of the Board and will work full time for the Trust, I want all of you
to sit on the Board, you are free to step down at any time, I will take on the
Chairmanship when I think I am able to do so. These are paid positions, each of
you will receive 10,000 Galleons a year as a stipend. You are also free to
invest your own money in any Company where you choose to invest money from the
Trust. Remus will explain the rules of the Trust, Hermione and I are going to
visit the Black Vault.� And with that the two teens left.

Harry and Hermione found the visit to the Black Vault quite
disturbing, an aura of evil seemed to emanate from many of the items. From what
information they could gather, many of the Black properties had been allowed to
fall into a state of disrepair and that many of the investments were in less
than reputable businesses.

Several days later Harry accompanied by Remus, Tonks and
Hermione made his way into the open session of the Wizengamot, it wasn�t a full
meeting, around two thirds of the members were present as was normal for such
meetings. Albus Dumbledore was in his seat as Supreme Mugwump, Cornelius Fudge
sat in the Ministers chair with Umbridge at his side.

The session hadn�t started but gradually a silence fell upon
the room, quickly followed by whispers of �That�s him, that�s the Potter boy�

Dumbledore knocked his gavel and called the meeting to
order. �This session of the Wizengamot is now open, let any who have petitions
to lay before us please step forward.�

Harry stepped forward and Dumbledore spoke again.

�Let any adult who has competent business for this session
of the Wizengamot step forward.�

Harry stepped forward.

Fudge, who was still furious at having a source of income
removed from him stared at Harry. �What do you want boy, only adults are
allowed to bring business before us.�

Harry took a deep breath and gently let the overcloak he was
wear slip off his shoulders revealing the set of robes he wore underneath.
There was a loud gasp from the public gallery and from several members of the
court as they noticed the Crest of the House of Potter on his left breast. Only
the Head of a House or his spouse could wear the Crest there, other family
members wore it on their right sleeve as a sign of fealty.

�I am Lord Harry James Potter (he had decided not to
advertise his position in the Black family) Head of the House of Potter. I
bring petition against Delores Umbridge for assault on a minor, conspiracy to
assault a minor, and abuse of power while appointed as a Professor at
Hogwarts.�

A voice from the corner spoke. �I am Amelia Bones, Director
of Magical Law Enforcement, what proof can you offer?�

Dumbledore sat smaller in his seat, the corner of Fudge�s
left eye developed a tic and Umbridge made a fatal mistake.

�This boy is lying, he is underage, I didn�t use a Blood
Quill on him, I didn�t set Dementors on him last year, I didn�t� her voice
trailed off as she looked round the room, all eyes were on her and a grim
silence pervaded the Court.

Fudge covered his head with his hands and wished that he
hadn�t got out of bed that morning. Director Bones spoke.

�Aurors, arrest Madam Umbridge on the charges brought by
Lord Potter. Question her under Veritaserum. Lord Potter are you willing to
give a Pensieve record of the alleged events?�

�Yes, Ma�am, but I if I may could you find out who gave her
permission to set the Dementors on me? I understand that only a select few have
the authority to do so.�

�Certainly, Lord Potter, now do you have any further
business?�

�Yes, Ma�am, I bring petition against Albus Wulfric Percival
Brian Dumbledore for reckless endangerment of a minor, namely Harry James
Potter by placing him with abusive guardians against the wishes expressed in
the Will of James Potter.�

Fudge rose. �This petition is denied by Section IV A,
Subparagraph iii/c of the Statutes of Wizarding Law. �The Supreme Mugwump of
the Wizengamot has lifetime immunity from Prosecution� this Law dates from
1565�

Madam Bones looked at Harry and shook her head. �I�m sorry,
Lord Potter, your petition is denied, Auror Tonks will assist you with your
Pensieve statement. Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns
over your future treatment.�

Tonks escorted Harry to the Auror's Office within the
Ministry and took the Pensieve recording, only then did Harry realise that a
Pensieve didn�t remove a memory, but only held a copy of it. Snape had played
him like a fish, leaving a memory in the Pensieve that he knew Harry would find
disturbing, one more black mark against the Greasy Git.

As they went to leave the Ministry, Dumbledore approached
them. �Lord Potter, Miss Granger, I hope you won�t let all this unpleasantness
affect life at school, I have an offer to make you, Harry.�

�That�s Lord Potter to you, Headmaster�

�I apologise, I have an offer to make to you, Lord Potter, I
will send you details in a letter, where will I send it?�

�Contact me through Griphook at Gringotts. He will forward
my mail to me, not stop it as some people have.�

�Miss Granger, the shortlist for Head Girl in your seventh
year is really quite large, can I give you some pointers to help you on your
way when we get back to school?�

�No thank you, Headmaster, if I can�t get it on my own
merits I�m not interested, but I�m sure the Board of Governors would like to
hear this conversation.�

Hardly keeping his frustration in check, Dumbledore bid them
farewell and as they turned, wandlessly cast a tracking charm on each of them.
What he didn�t notice was the charm bouncing harmlessly off them and hitting
Eric the Security Wizard and his colleague Ernie.

A/N: This one was a struggle I used up all the good revenge
on the Dursleys and had to resort to contrivances such as the immunity from
prosecution. Let me know if you think it is working. I reserve the right to
Dumblebash in the future.

Next chapter may be delayed until I map out the story a bit
better, currently writing on the fly.
- 9
- 10
- 11
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Independence Day

Chapter 10: The Manipulations of Albus

A Brief History of Dumbledore

Back to Present

The Will Reading.

The Board Meets.