Así que déjame aclarar esto", dijo Robert. Él y su esposa estaban sentados con Hermione hablando sobre el año que había pasado. Después de todo, no habían visto a su hija desde septiembre y no fue precisamente un año tranquilo en su escuela. "Un basilisco es una especie de serpiente enorme y rojiza que no existe en la naturaleza, mágica o de otro tipo, pero que en realidad es una creación de la Magia Oscura y es incubada por un sapo sentado en un huevo de gallina".

Hermione asintió.

"Podemos aceptar el hecho de que la magia es real y que eres realmente una bruja", Robert negó con la cabeza, "pero aun así suena... una locura".

"En realidad", respondió Hermione recuperando su tono de voz de recitación, "encontrarás una descripción similar de un basilisco en la Enciclopedia Británica, aparte de la referencia a los magos oscuros o cualquier implicación de que son algo más que un mito o un cuento de hadas. El año pasado era la Piedra Filosofal, que es el Santo Grial de la Alquimia y Nicholas Flamel, de quien se dice que hizo una, nuevamente, se puede encontrar en la Enciclopedia Británica, pero está desacreditada como leyenda. La mayoría de las cosas que he aprendido se conocen en el Mundo Muggle, simplemente no creído. Bueno, eso y lo estoy aprendiendo con mayor detalle".

"¿Y nuestra Enciclopedia dice que la mirada de un basilisco puede matar o convertir a una persona en piedra? ¿Dice que solo el canto de un gallo puede matarla?"

"No dice nada sobre petrificar, pero tampoco las fuentes mágicas que he leído. De lo contrario, sí, lo dice. Y en cuanto a los gallos, tanto él como las fuentes mágicas están equivocados. Hay otras formas de matar". ellos, es increíblemente peligroso".

"¿Entonces los tratados eruditos sobre el tema afirman que su mirada mata, pero no petrifica? ¿Por qué?"

"Papá, ni siquiera mencionan la petrificación. No sé por qué, aunque si tuviera una teoría sería que nunca antes se habían dado las condiciones adecuadas para la petrificación o, si se dieron, se le achacó a otra cosa". ."

"Entonces, ¿por qué tú y otros tres estudiantes no están muertos?"

"Ninguno de nosotros realmente lo miró", dijo Hermione. "Colin fue el primero y lo vio a través de la lente de búsqueda de una vieja cámara muggle. ¿Conoces esas en las que la lente real está al final de un acordeón? Justin lo vio a través de un fantasma, que sería como verlo a través de una niebla o niebla. Penélope y yo lo vimos reflejado en un espejo. Ninguno de nosotros lo vio a simple vista, por así decirlo, y creo que fue por eso que estábamos petrificados ".

"¿Así que fuiste a buscarlo?" preguntó Rosa.

"¡No mamá! Tenía el espejo para poder evitarlo si podía. Estaba usando el espejo para mirar alrededor de las esquinas. No pensé que me lo daría en la cara, quiero decir, ¿cuáles son las probabilidades de eso? "

"Bastante bien si te estuviera acechando como presa", señaló Robert. "Pero al menos estaba pensando en el futuro, Rose. Entonces, ¿cómo se deshizo de él el personal? Lo hicieron, ¿no es así?"

"Bueno, está muerto", dijo Hermione, "pero fue Harry quien lo mató".

"Simplemente tiene un gallo en el bolsillo, ¿verdad?" Robert dijo en broma.

"No. Alguien había matado a todos los gallos en cualquier lugar cercano para entonces".

"¡Pero dijiste que eran casi imposibles de matar con magia!"

"Harry no lo mató con su varita", dijo Hermione, "él tenía una espada".

"¿Y cómo evitó la mirada?"

"Cerró los ojos y un Fénix que había venido a ayudarlo le sacó los ojos al basilisco".

"Esto suena aún más increíble que el año pasado", dijo Robert. "¿Y una vez más no había maestros allí para hacer su trabajo?"

"El profesor Lockhart fue con ellos", dijo Hermione. "Por supuesto, Harry y Ron tuvieron que alentarlo a que ayudara".

"¿Motivado?"

"Según Harry, la profesora McGonagall, que actuaba como directora, le dijo a Lockhart que se ocupara de la situación, ya que él se había estado jactando todo el tiempo de que sabía exactamente lo que estaba pasando y lo que había que hacer. Harry y Ron lo siguieron y en lugar de hacerlo. su deber resulta que estaba tratando de hacer un corredor. Harry lo desarmó y él y Ron lo trajeron a punta de varita mágica. Tenían la caída sobre él por así decirlo y Harry dijo que su pensamiento en ese momento era usar al cobarde como cebo de basilisco, pero Lockhart logró quitarle una varita poco fiable a Ron y luego, mientras intentaba borrar los recuerdos de Harry y Ron, borró los suyos propios. Le dijeron a Harry que Lockhart probablemente estará en daños por hechizos a largo plazo en el hospital mágico durante años".

"No sé si echarme a reír o reconsiderar seriamente nuestra decisión sobre todo esto, Rose".

"Déjala contar toda la historia, Bob".

Y así lo hizo; tanto las partes que conocía como las partes que Harry le contó más tarde.

"¿Y qué tan grande era esta serpiente que mató con una espada?" preguntó Rose cuando Hermione terminó.

Hermione se encogió de hombros. "Le pregunté y me dijo que realmente no sabía. No estaba dispuesto a quedarse y medirlo. Pero dijo que era tan grueso como alto y... bueno, sesenta pies de largo más o menos".

"¡Imposible!" Roberto dijo. "¡Eso es el doble de largo que cualquier serpiente conocida!"

"Era un basilisco, papá. No es realmente una serpiente como la conocemos. Además, si la leyenda es cierta, entonces ha estado allí durante más de mil años. Incluso podría ser más grande".

"Don't you think he might have been exaggerating, dear?" Rose asked. "After all, you weren't there. Maybe he was trying to impress you."

"Harry does not exaggerate about that kind of thing," Hermione growled defensively. "If anything, he was probably understating what happened. And as for impressing me? First off, I was still petrified at the time and no one told him for certain I would be restored. True, he told me after I was, but he knows better than to brag about that sort of thing to me. As for impressing me, he didn't need to kill the thing to do that. He won me over last year with the troll and what did impress me is he figured this one out without my help."

"So...," Rose said, "did he kiss you before or after he told you that tale?"

"He told me just after I recovered and sat with him in the Great Hall," Hermione said. "And I kissed him first and that was over a week later!" she added without thinking.

"WHAT?" Robert asked.

"Did he kiss you back?" Rose added.

Hermione just sat there and blushed furiously in reply.

"Was it on the cheek or on the lips?"

"Yes?" Hermione replied meekly.

"Well?" Robert asked, "which was it?"

"B-both."

"And was that all or did the two of you go further than that?" he continued with accusation in his voice.

"Robert...," Rose began.

"Daddy, I spent less than a week as his girlfriend after our first kiss. Most of that time we were in the library studying or working on our summer assignments. Our "alone" time was spent under a tree by the lake where anybody could see us and all we did was talk a lot and kiss a little. If you are suggesting Harry's even thought of doing more than that ... well, maybe he has because I have ... but we didn't. He didn't ask it of me nor I of him. That doesn't mean we won't one day. We're not ready for that step yet."

"I'm not happy with this! You're too young!"

"ROBERT!" Rose snapped. "Say another word and you're on the couch until further notice!"

"But Rose...?"

"But nothing, you hypocrite! How old was I when you first kissed me? I was a few months younger than Hermione is now, wasn't I? How old was I when we first slept together? It was my sixteenth birthday, in case you've forgotten and the only reason I was sixteen is we both agreed to wait that long!"

"But it's different."

"How? You've heard Hermione talk about him and read her letters. How is her relationship with Harry any different than our relationship was before our first kiss? And don't say because he's a wizard and she's a witch 'cause that's a red herring and you know it! Is it possible this is nothing more than a teenage romance that will fizzle out in a few months? Of course, but I don't think that this is what we're dealing with here. She's our daughter, Robert, and I'm convinced she is our daughter in this as well! I am not going to deny her the chance at the kind of relationship we have had just because we may well be exceptional. To do so is to say that we don't think she is as well!"

"That's not what I meant, Rose! Do you think I would not want our daughter to have the kind of life we've had together? Everyone said we were an odd lot when we were about her age, remember? And yet we never had to play the game they all got stuck playing or, as in the case of your sister, are still stuck playing after twenty years! I would love it if she and Harry are at the start of something like we have. I just don't see it and ... I'd rather not see her..."

"What don't you see?" Hermione said trying to keep from running out of the room. "Why can't we be like you, Daddy?"

"Because Harry's been abused."

"What?" Hermione began but was ignored for now.

"What a load of tosh!" Rose said. "Of course he has, but so what? Why does that matter? And don't say it's 'cause he's liable to do the same to Hermione! First off, something like that would have happened by now and you know it. Second and more importantly, while most abusers were themselves abused as children, it does not follow that most victims grow up to be abusive!"

"What do you mean Harry's been abused?" Hermione yelled. "When? By whom? How do you know?"

"What has Harry told you about his home life?" Rose asked.

"Well, he's from a town in Surrey," Hermione began and then stopped when she realized she knew far more about Ron's home life than Harry's even though she saw Harry as her best friend and she was certain he knew far more about her life outside of Hogwarts than she did of his. Whenever "home" had come up in conversation or "family," Harry was content to listen and never said much of anything. "Not much, really. His parents were murdered when he was a baby, but everyone knows that and he doesn't talk about it at all. In fact mentioning that is one easy way to see the back of him. I know he lives with his mother's sister and her family, but that's it."

"You said he spent the last two Christmas Holidays at school," Rose commented.

Hermione nodded. "Ron was there both times and I was there this Christmas."

"Did he stay there 'cause Ron was there?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "No. Not First Year anyway. He was going to stay anyway."

"And you said something about bars on his window," Robert added.

"I didn't see that," Hermione nodded. "That was when Ron and his brothers Fred and George went to bring him over to the Burrow. All his stuff was locked up too. Harry said his Uncle was upset about an owl they got from the Ministry for underage magic, although Harry said it wasn't him. It was his House Elf, although Dobby wasn't his House Elf then."

"Ah yes, Dobby," Robert nodded. "While there were plenty of suggestions of an abusive home life, Dobby cleared that up."

"What do you mean?"

"As I recall, the Elf was instructed to set things up at Harry's summer place so that he wouldn't have to deal with his Aunt or her family and so that they couldn't have any contact with him. Dobby told Harry his relatives were not very receptive about that arrangement and he dealt with them. He didn't say what he did, but seeing as he was pointing out he could do whatever he thought was best without intervention from the magical authorities, I don't think he discussed the arrangements over a cup of tea. My guess is it was either painful, terrifying or both and Harry never batted an eye. His only concern was whether it worked, not what the Elf may have done. Rather cold, don't you think?"

"Harry or the Elf?" Rose asked.

"Both."

"Well, I have read that House Elves are very protective of their ... families," Hermione commented. "But that doesn't mean he was..."

"We can't say how he was, Hermione," Rose said. "We've been trained to look for the signs of it, though. He shows some of them for certain. My guess is it was mostly emotional in nature based upon a few of the things you observed in your letters, but he may have been physically abused as well. Still," Rose said turning to Robert, "he seems rather well adjusted to me under the circumstances. Many such victims become bullies in their own right and certainly aren't about to stick their necks out for anyone. And yet he does. I don't think you have to worry about his home life being a real problem."

"Until he talks about it and gets it out of his system, it can be," Robert said.

"What do we do? How can we help him? Are there any books...?" Hermione asked with concern.

"This is not something that can be answered or solved with a book," Rose said patiently. "It is not something that you can ask him about. As his friend, all you can do is to be there for him and remember that none of what happened to him was his fault, because when he does open up, he will probably tell you that it was."

"But ... but I can help him!"

"Not like you're used to doing, Hermione. He needs time. I can't tell you how much time he needs, but he needs to come to terms with his past in his own time. You can help him, but only by waiting for him to come to you and open up that part of his life to you and when he does, you can help him by listening. Do not try and think for him on this or offer advice or anything else. Listen when he comes to you and offer him comfort if he needs it."

This was not Hermione's way. She wanted to charge in and help her friend but she had to admit she had no idea what had happened in his past or how to help.

"Hermione?" her father asked. "Do you care for Harry?"

She nodded.

"As a friend or as more than just that?"

"As a friend and as more than just that," Hermione emphasized, "but always, always as a friend."

"Then take your mother's advice on how to help Harry," he said softly. "And my advice on this subject is that you should forget this conversation ever happened. If you did not know or suspect his home life was what we suspect it is, do not let him know that's changed. If you do ... you may lose him altogether."

Hermione could only nod, for there were now tears forming in her eyes which she knew would be not be able to hold back if she spoke. She needed to think about this and a lot of other things and decided it was best to go to her room. She said a soft "Good night," and was grateful when she heard her mother tell her father "Don't." She would not hear the rest of their conversation.

"She needs time, Robert," Rose said. "I don't think she put it all together and it's bothering her. She probably feels like she's not been a very good friend when the opposite is probably the case."

Robert nodded in agreement.

"So, you're not upset about this?" she continued. "You're not upset your daughter is dating and dating a boy with his past?"

He shrugged. "What good would that do? You're right. I can't tell her she's too young or any of that given our own past and our life since we first became best friends, can I? I think I saw what you did in those two earlier, not that I want to admit it. Were I to interfere ... she'd hate me. But I just don't want to see her get hurt."

"Neither do I."

"I also don't want them getting too far, too fast regardless of when we did."

"Why do you think I invited myself along on their little trip on Monday?"

Hermione would tell her parents about the rest of her recent experiences the next day. It was then and for the first time she told them of her near constant feeling of déjà vu and how frustrating it was to always have the feeling that everything seemed to have happened before. She told them it started about a month before she first left for Hogwarts and ended only recently and that she had spent the better part of the last two weeks in the Hogwarts Library trying to figure out what it was just in case there was some kind of magic involved. She also told them about the sense of not being alone when she was petrified and how that should not have happened at all. Finally, she told them about her first kiss with Harry and the strange sensation of a life passing before her eyes. She had to assure them she was quite certain she was not dead nor a ghost only to learn they were teasing her.

"That's the reason Harry asked to see me tomorrow and to go with him to visit a friend," she concluded.

"Oh?" Rose asked.

"Sorry. Don't see how that fits," Robert added.

"I wasn't the only one feeling that persistent sense of déjà vu since around the end of July of 1991," Hermione said. "Harry had it too and like me said nothing probably for similar reasons."

"And what reasons might that be?" Robert asked.

"That I was losing it," Hermione replied. "He also had that life flashing thing when we kissed, which is also odd."

"It seems there's a lot about this magical world that we would consider odd," Rose commented.

"True, but this is odd even for magic. Then there's this friend of Harry's. Her name is Luna and she's a year behind us in Ravenclaw even though she was born only about a month after Harry. As she was born after September 1st, 1980, she had to wait until last September to start. Harry only really met her last week and I haven't met her, I don't think. The name didn't mean anything to me when he told me. She talked to him when I wasn't around and left before I started spending my afternoons with Harry. Anyway, she's been having that déjà vu thing too and got an odd letter the day after Harry went down into the Chamber of Secrets saying that it might have answers, but the answers could not be revealed at Hogwarts and Harry had to be with her for them to be revealed. Since I went through the same thing, Harry and I thought it best that I go as well."

"He never knew this Luna person before?"

"He had seen her around, but no. To be honest, I couldn't tell you the names of most of the students at school unless they were in Gryffindor or in our year so that's not too surprising really."

"Well," Rose said, "this sounds like it might be interesting."

Harry spent that Sunday sorting through portraits that Dobby had brought from the Potter vaults. There were twenty one portraits representing eighteen generations of Potters depicting the husbands and wives from Marcus Potter (1395 – 1499) and his wife Adelaide Longbottom to his parents James and Lily Potter. The reason why there were twenty one portraits was because Marcus's great-grandson Gregory Potter (1489 – 1594) had three wives so he also had three family Portraits. It seemed that he had lost two of his wives in childbirth as there was at least a couple of years between the death of one of his wives his marriage to the next of his wives. There were also portraits of all of the children of all of the marriages once the youngest had turned eleven – except for Harry himself. In addition to his paternal ancestors, there were also a total of twenty-two distant Great-Aunts and only three distant Great-Uncles. Dobby explained that there may have been more but they probably died before they were old enough to attend Hogwarts which was why they would have been left out.

There were also fourteen elf made tapestries representing another eight generations of Potter going back to Harold Potter (1024 – 1130) who married an Agnes Slytherin which Dobby opined was the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of Salazar Slytherin himself. Harold's grandson Henry (1128 – 1219) married an Amelia Gryffindor who Dobby said was a direct descendant of Godric Gyrffindor, another Hogwarts Founder. The final tapestry – or most recent – was of Silas Potter (1361 – 1466) and his second wife Enid Black. The tapestries depicted not just his distant ancestors but another twenty-seven Great-Aunts and only two more Great-Uncles. Apparently, the children were added once they were old enough to attend Hogwarts which explained why they all looked to be about the same age.

"That's a lot of girls and not many boys," Harry observed.

"It be a miracle House Potter be surviving as long as it had," Dobby agreed. "But there being a potion what a fathers cans takes that makes a boy and nots a girl and it be around for hundreds of years so maybe nots so much miracle as potions."

"So I really am Slytherin's heir then?" Harry added thinking about his very, very distant Great-grandmother.

"Dobby not be knowing. Gringotts mays be able to tells Harry Potter. But Dobby be thinkings not."

"Why?"

"Evil wizard claimed it and yous not being his blood. If he being from line of oldest son and yours being from younger son, if there bes any in the oldest son line, yous not be heir. If your Great-gran being a younger girl with older sisters, the older sister lines also be having heir befores Harry Potter, Sir."

"Thanks. With all I got going, being that heir is more than I want. Wouldn't mind being Gryffindor's Heir but if I was I'd probably keep that quiet. I don't need more reasons to be famous. I'd rather had no reasons at all."

Harry was surprised at the number of names he recognized. His Potter ancestors had married five Longbottoms the most recent being his Great-great grandmother although he could only claim four as his ancestors as the first only had daughters and apparently died in childbirth and her husband remarried to Harry's distant Great-grandmother. It also seemed that seven of his distant Great Aunt married into the Longbottom family. Another recurring name was Black. His Grandmother was a Black as were three other Potter wives, two of them his distant Great-grandmothers, and one distant Great-aunt who married a Black. There were also a lot of Bones in the family tree. While there was only one distant Great-Grandmother Bones, there were five distant Great-Aunts who married into that family. He also had two distant Great-grandmothers who had been Weasleys and one distant Great-aunt who married a Weasley. There were other names he recognized from Hogwarts or somewhere else in the wizarding world as well including Abbott, Boot, Hopkirk and Turpin and some names from families he did not like such as Burke, LeStrange, Nott, Parkinson and Rosier who he either associated with Slytherin or had heard they were notorious Death Eaters, followers of Voldemort during the last War. Some of these names were his distant Great-grandmothers although more of them were distant Great-Aunts who married into those families. He even had one distant Great-Aunt who married a Dumbledore.

"Why don't they move like the pictures at Hogwarts," Harry asked.

"No all pictures at Hogywarts be moving," Dobby replied. "Tapestries cants be moving. Only paintings be moving and then only if they are new enough. Before 1430, paintings not be moving either but alls these paintings be after 1430 so's they coulds be moving eventually."

"Why eventually?"

"Dobby be thinking paintings mays be copies of paintings what hangs in House Potter houses. Copies not be moving 'tils they hang in their owns house and have times to absorb magic. Originals be losing magic if not hanging so's if theys goes into storage, they lose magic and not be moving anymore but theys cans gets magic back in time. Couple of months, maybe more maybe less, theys be moving again. Couple months laters, they be ables to talks and a little later they's be having memories of a sort back."

"Can we put them up?" Harry asked.

"Dobby already be's picking places but be asking yous approval, Sir. We cans be hanging in Dining Room, Great Room, Parlors, somes in Library and Games Room, the Entry Way and the corridor on the bedrooms floor. If Harry Potter be wishing, yous can also haves some in your study or sitting room ors both."

"Not my bedroom?"

"It being up to Harry Potter, Sir. But painting in bedroom is nots normally done 'cause they's be's seeing what's going on and if Harry Potter be ... be with ... be having girlfriend, paintings might be talking abouts what Harry Potter be doing or coulds be doing."

"Okay, that's right out. So, does having this kind of family history mean anything?"

Dobby was almost bouncing on his feet. "Dobby be's understanding. From what's Dobby be seeing and heards Great Harry Potter not be knowing abouts his family. Dobby is honoreds to be teachings it."

"You know it?"

Dobby nodded. "Dobby be good elf and learns what good elf learns and good elves who be workings for family what wants to be mores than they is or cans be be learning about the families that's be their betters. Harry Potter being the only surviving heir of and Ancient and Noble House which be the top and most respected families in wizarding world."

"But I'm a Halfblood," Harry protested.

"There be Purebloods whos be thinkings they shoulds be top of all because they's be Purebloods forgetting that if they's be having no Muggle Great-great grandparents they's be Purebloods even if all their three greats be Muggles. Magic cares not. More powerful to be's from long line of which and which parents and such thans short line even if long line being mostly Halfblood like House Potter. There be twenty-seven Lords Potters in these paintings and tapestries and twenty-eight here in this place including Harry Potter, Sir. Only seven being considered Purebloods."

"Lord Potter?"

Dobby nodded. "The Great Harry Potter being heir to be Head of Ancient and Noble House of Potter, Sir."

"What's that mean?"

"Ancient Houses being Houses from the original clans what forms Wizengamot in 886. Ancient Houses be having passed from father to son or grandson of same name without breakings for daughters. Ancient Houses being: Abbott, Avery, Black, Bones, Cuthbert, Diggory, Doge, Dumbledore, Flint, Grasser, Hunter, Longbottom, Marchbanks, Nott, Potter, Rosier, Selwyn, Talbot and Weasley.

"Noble Houses be different. Nots matters how olds they be. To be's Noble House, a Muggle King must makes a wizard a Baron or Earl or such and must makes it so's the title be passing from father to son. It nots be mattering whethers the King's line be arounds anymores or nots. House Potter being a Noble House 'cause long times ago, before even Hogywarts, a Potter being made Earl by the Anglo-Saxon King. There be Noble Houses what were mades later by the Norman Kings and later ones. Once a Noble House be mades by a King, even if later King says they's not noble no more in Muggleses world, so longs as there's still being sons, it stills be noble in Wizarding World."

"So am I a Noble in the Wizarding and Muggle World too?"

Dobby shook his head. "Anglo-Saxon nobles being losing lands and titles to Norman invaders after theys takes over in 1066. Only nobles mades by Norman Kings and their later kings being nobles in Muggleses World and many not being ables to pass title to their childrens. What wizards considers Noble House in Muggleses – assuming theys considers them at all – only being ones what pass from father to son. Those recognized today being much newer thans Harry Potter's family. In the Muggleses world, the oldest Noble Houses still being Noble be Baron of de Ros mades by English King Henry III in 1264 ors, 'cause British be honoring it Earl of Sutherland which be Scottish Earl mades by Alexander II of Scots in 1230. Potters, being Earls of Hwicce of Kingdom of Mercia since 668 being much, much olders."

"Guess I won't be invited 'round to Buckingham Palace for tea with the Queen," Harry said somewhat relieved.

"Nots for being Earl of Hwicce, no Sir," Dobby said.

"So, being a Head of an Ancient and Noble House," Harry contemplated, "what does that mean?"

"Each such House be differents, Sir. Some be rich. Some nots. Some having many families to be rule makings for. Some, like House Potter, not be havings any. What be same for all is Head of House be having hereditary seat in the Wizengamot."

Dobby then went on to give Harry one of the best history lessons he had had since starting Hogwarts and Harry was certain that much of what Dobby talked about had yet to be taught there seeing as the Professor, who was a ghost, seemed far more preoccupied with Goblin Wars and the Statute of Secrecy, all of which were far more recent events really. As far as Harry could recall, there was no History of Magic before Hogwarts, at least not in their book on the subject. Moreover, the Wizengamot was only in there when it did something. How it came into being at all was not. It was as if Magical Britain and the Wizengamot had come into existence out of nothing which was hardly the case.

The Wizengamot was founded in 886. Before then, Magical Britain was not united at all in any way. It consisted of several clans which were extended families headed by a Clan Chief as well as lesser families under the Clan Chief's protection. The Clan Chief was, for all intents and purposes, the sole ruler of the witches and wizards in his clan and clans affiliated with the Muggle rulers or ignored them as they saw fit. Clans also fought one another, as well as the Muggles, over land and insults and even brides. It was, for a lack of a better word, chaos.

In 886, fifty-four Clans called the "Acknowledged Clans" because they recognized each other's rights over their families and lands formed the Wizengamot. It was basically a council of the fifty-four Clan Chiefs that was tasked to pass laws that applied to all Clans and magicals, decide as a body all disputes between clans and would deal with all the various Muggle Kingdoms and rulers on behalf of all of the Clans. Enforcement of the laws within the Clans themselves remained the right of each Clan Chief. Likewise, a Clan Chief could enact his own laws that applied only to the members of his Clan and enforce those laws as he saw fit. Before, he could enforce his laws against any magical that set foot in his territory. Often these Clan Laws were set up so as to trick non-clan magical into breaking them such as where a Clan Law stated that the drinking of Ale was forbidden at an odd time, a time that only made sense to members of the Clan. With the establishment of the Wizengamot, Clan Laws only applied to the Clan and could not be enforced against other witches and wizards but any Clan Chief could enforce Wizengamot law against any witch or wizard upon their lands.

Today's Wizengamot retained the fifty-four hereditary seats. Nineteen were held by the Ancient Houses, each had managed an unbroken line of wizard Heads of House since the founding of the Wizengamot. Twenty-three seats were held by Ancient Lines which were direct descendant of one of the original Clan Chiefs but the seat had passed through at least one – and often more than one – witch daughter where there had been no surviving wizard heir. The remaining twelve were seats which had either died off completely, lost their magic completely or had been abandoned by their lines. These seats were now held by lesser families and whenever and Ancient House or Ancient Line came to an end, the Wizengamot was to find a replacement among the oldest lines that remained but did not have a permanent seat.

The Wizengamot was the forerunner of today's Ministry of Magic. It began to centralize certain functions immediately in the aftermath of the Norman invasion of England in 1066. Whereas the Norman Muggles conquered England, they did not at that time succeed or even try to deal with Ireland, Wales or Scotland. The Wizengamot and Clans were from those places as well and were able to combine their fighters to crush the Norman wizards and force them to submit to the Wizengamot thus ensuring that any Norman Muggle Lord including the King that had a magical advisor had an advisor sworn to uphold the interests of the Wizengamot and, by extension, the magical peoples of Britain. But there was now a need for a permanent voice and not just one that spoke when the full Wizengamot was in session. So they established the Permanent Committees which ran the magical country's day-to-day affairs. There were in time: the Permanent Committee on Barbarian Affairs which dealt with the Muggles and with any magical governments across the English Channel as well as issues of magical trade outside of Britain; the Permanent Magical Committee on Defense which organized the Clans to keep foreign wizards out and made sure that Hogwarts taught magic they needed to defend the islands; the Permanent Committee of Justice which maintained a magical constabulary, a forerunner of the modern Department of Magical Law Enforcement; a Board of Education and a Permanent Committee of Revenue and Taxation. Each of these Committees and the ones that would follow over time such as the Committee on Dangerous Magical Beasts and Committee on Regulation of Magical Transportation were headed by a hereditary member of the Wizengamot even if much of their staff were "commoners." They all answered to the Wizengamot directly as there was no central head in charge of all the various committees.

During the reign of King John of England (1199 – 1216), the Wizengamot completed its all but total divorce from the Muggle World. Future Kings and Queens and later Prime Ministers would have a contact with Magical Britain, but it was advisory only. They found they could no longer rule over their magical residents which meant they could no longer levy taxes against them nor call them to fight for them which was, after all, the whole issue the magicals (and most of the Muggle Barons) had with King John. The only change within the magical world – aside from no longer having to answer to Muggle Lords or tax collectors – was the addition of twenty-seven "temporary" seats in the Wizengamot. These seats were by appointment and were not hereditary. The only requirement for attaining a seat was proof that one was descended from a family, Muggle or Magical, that had been in Britain before 1066. It seems the British Magicals wanted nothing to do with anything of French origins. When the temporary member retired or passed away, the seat became vacant and a new member was appointed to fill it without regard to his or her relation to the previous holder of the seat. Since the establishment of the "temporary" seats, several Muggle Borns had held them although none within the past 150 years. But not one person of French ancestry along his or her primary lines had ever been appointed.

Dobby explained that this was a major factor that weighed on his former family. The Malfoys had been the French equivalent of an Ancient and Noble House in France before 1789 and that line remained so to this day. But the revolution that swept Muggle France also swept magical France, although for different reasons. The magical equivalent wished to end the monopoly on power held by the Ancient and Noble lines and the systemic repression of Muggle Borns. House Malfoy was divided on this issue with the Head of House supporting the revolution and some of his lesser sons, who would lose everything they thought they had if the revolution succeeded, opposing it. They were forced to flee France altogether and Draco's five times Great-Grandfather settled in Britain. While Britain was more than willing to accept Gringotts assertions that Henri Malfoy and his wife were "Purebloods" as defined under British law, they were denied any rights associated with being of an Ancient Line. Basically, they were just higher than Muggle Borns in the social order which always annoyed them to say the least and they were destined to remain so for generations unless a son of House Malfoy married into the right line.

Draco's father was that son. It had cost the Malfoy family a small fortune but Lucius was contracted to a daughter from a cadet line of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. It was the only way any "French upstart" could hope to marry into the right family unless they got lucky and found a love match but being the Pureblood Supremacists that they were they were not about to take the risk of any of their children marrying a non-Pureblood. The first four generations of British born Malfoys had little choice but to seek brides from other French Pureblood families which had fled the revolution for at the time none of the "respectable" British families would ever sink to letting a French usurper buy into their heritage. Draco's Grandfather got lucky, as it were, and married a British Pureblood but she was by no means from an old line and only just qualified as a Pureblood under British magical custom as all of her parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents were witches and wizards. The next generation back was over one half Muggle which would be the same generation as the Malfoy who had come over from France. Two more generations back and there was not a single witch or wizard in her ancestry. But it was enough, if one included the huge amount of gold as well, for Lucius to be arranged to marry the youngest daughter of a cadet line of an Ancient and Noble House.

"¿Por qué es esto importante, Dobby?"

"Sería importante, señor Harry Potter, porque usted será el Heredero de la Antigua y Noble Casa de Potter. Harry Potter será todo lo que quede de esa Casa y, como Jefe de la Casa y Conde de Hwicca, Harry Potter tendrá un Asiento en el Wizengamot cuando tenga 21. La mayoría de los escaños solo tendrán un voto, pero ser Jefe de una Casa Antigua te dará cinco votos y ser un Conde te dará otros nueve votos. Los Condes obtendrán nueve, los Barones obtendrán cinco, y si hay un vizconde, obtendrá siete. Un duque obtendrá doce votos, pero los últimos duques serán Edward Duke of Cornwall y Richard Duke of York, que son hijos de un rey y dejarán el mundo muggle cuando su padre muera porque ellos ser también magos.

"Pero, Harry Potter no es solo el Jefe de la Casa Potter", dijo Dobby. "Harry Potter también es el Heredero Aparente para convertirse en el Jefe de la Antigua y Noble Casa de los Black en caso de que el jefe actual muera sin un hijo que lo siga. Los Malfoy piensan que el joven sería el Jefe porque les dijeron que el Jefe actual sería repudiado. y no habiendo mejor reclamante. Asumen que heredarán a la familia tras la muerte del último Lord Black que morirá en 1991. Pero se enteran de que no serán Jefe de Casa y no obtendrán un asiento en Wizengamot porque el nieto sobreviviente de Lord Arcturus Black no estaba siendo expulsado de la Casa Black como pensaban. Sirius ahora es el Jefe de la Casa, incluso si está en prisión. Harry Potter es el heredero aparente porque es el descendiente masculino vivo más cercano de Phineas Nigelus Black que '

"También es importante porque Dobby sabe que Harry Potter se pregunta si tiene familia. Dobby no sabe sobre la familia de la madre de Harry Potter, excepto por muggles desagradables, pero Dobby sabe sobre la familia de James Potter. Mientras haya sin parientes de la Casa Potter, la madre de James es Dorea Black, de la Antigua y Noble Casa de los Black, hija de Cygnus Black, que es el hermano menor de Lord Sirius Black, que es el bisabuelo del actual Lord Sirius que está en prisión. ser un montón de primos de la familia de la abuela de Harry Potter".

Harry se enteró de que sus primos hermanos una vez eliminados que aún estaban vivos, que eran los primos hermanos de su padre y las sobrinas y sobrinos de su abuela, que aún estaban vivos eran la Sra. Mira Doge y la Sra. Penelope Travers quienes, dijo Dobby, se habían casado con un mortífago. que murió en la guerra. Sus primos segundos incluían a Sirius Black que estaba en prisión, una Mortífaga llamada Bellatrix LeStrange que también estaba en prisión, sus hermanas, la Sra. Andromeda Tonks y la Sra. Narcissa Malfoy, una Sra. Carla Yaxley que también estaba casada con un Mortífago como era el Sr. Moira Nott, un mortífago llamado Caratacus Travers y, curiosamente, pensó Harry, la señora Amelia Bones, quien era la actual directora de DMLE. Una vez eliminados sus primos segundos, los hijos de sus primos segundos incluían: Nympadora Tonks, que había terminado Hogwarts el año anterior,

Los primos segundos una vez eliminados incluían a Hiram Burke, quien ahora era copropietario de Borgin & Burke, una tienda que compraba y vendía artefactos oscuros en Nockturn Alley, Bartimius Crouch, quien era el jefe del Departamento de Cooperación Internacional del Ministerio, y Bilius, Percival y Arthur Weasley, quien fue el padre del mejor amigo de Harry, Ron. Había bastantes otros primos así, pero esos eran los que se destacaban. Naturalmente, sus primos terceros incluían a Ron y sus hermanos y hermana. Había comenzado a verlos como familia y resultó que lo eran hasta cierto punto. Pero también se sorprendió al saber que el profesor Snape también era un primo. Su madre era la nieta de Sirius Black, quien una vez fue Jefe de Casa. También resultó que su madre había sido desheredada por casarse con un muggle. La lista de sus primos terceros una vez eliminada también fue una sorpresa. La mayoría de ellos eran de su edad o más jóvenes y esto incluía a varios estudiantes de Hogwarts, incluidos: Lisa Malone, que era Ravenclaw de sexto año, Katie Bell, que estaba un año por delante de Harry y jugó Chaser en el equipo de Quidditch de Harry y su hermano menor Josh quien estaba un año atrasado en Hufflepuff, Adrian y Marissa Black y sus primos hermanos Michael y Suzanne Black, quienes estaban por delante de Harry y en Hufflepuff o Ravenclaw, Marcus Flint, quien era el capitán del equipo de Slytherin, Cedric Diggory, quien jugaba para Hufflepuff , Roberta Marchbanks, que estaba unos años por delante en Ravenclaw y algunos de sus propios compañeros de clase. Además de Ron, estaban Susan Bones de Hufflepuff, Lisa Turpin de Ravenclaw, Theodore Nott y Daphne Greengrass de Slytherin y, para su sorpresa, Dean Thomas de Gryffindor. Dean siempre había dicho que era nacido de muggles, pero Dobby insistió en que descendía de un Jefe de Casa Black. Finalmente, vio que Luna también era prima tercera una vez eliminada.

Se preguntó por qué cuando tenía tantos familiares en el mundo mágico se había quedado atrapado en los Dursley de todas las personas. Incluso era primo tercero de Neville, ya que su bisabuelo se había casado con la tía bisabuela de Neville. Cualquier cosa hubiera sido mejor que los Dursley y todo este tiempo había pensado que la razón por la que estaba con ellos era porque no tenía otros parientes. Eso era lo que le habían dicho aquellos que deberían haberlo sabido mejor. ¿Por qué Ron no le había dicho que eran primos? ¿Por qué algunos de los otros no lo habían hecho? Era posible que Ron no lo supiera y posiblemente otros no lo supieran, pero ¿todos ellos? No tenía sentido para Harry en absoluto.

N/A: Y no, Dobby nunca lo ha cubierto todo... de Radaslab

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