The Contract

Chapter 116

"Are you not going to begin the meeting, Chief Warlock Ogden?" Lady Pettigrew asked, rather baffled by the fact the meeting had not been called into action despite all of them being there. Yes, it was five minutes early, but everyone was there, so she didn't see the point to wasting that additional five minutes on pointless prattling, she could scarcely tolerate it. She had to be extremely bored to get into needless gossip. There was useful gossip then needless gossip.

Corvus fought very valiantly to suppress the smirk. Watching the proceedings with gleaming eyes, curious as to the reactions that would occur. He wondered if any of them had put the pieces together yet. Whether they would figure out that it was Harry's fifteenth birthday and today was the day he would take over the family estate. He was no emancipated, and legally an adult in the eyes of the law.

"We have another Lord joining us," Ogden explained, giving Lady Pettigrew a small smile in thanks for her patience.

"Have the Doge and Diggle families finally saw sense and returned to retore their family's reputations?" Dowager Crabbe asked in contempt. The families had taken off on an 'extended holiday' and had yet to show face since. Well, all except for one child, the lawyer that seemed to be the only one with a backbone.

Lord Finnegan snorted, "Highly unlikely," acting as though he'd never liked them. However, it was expected, when someone dared to defend someone who was shunned, they tended to get the same treatment as well. Even if the families weren't guilty, they'd ran and hid and that, that itself screamed guilty of all manner of things. He had never taken them for cowards, they should have remained behind. It wasn't as if they had young children they needed to shield, all members of the family were adults.

"I am afraid not," Ogden declared, he felt for them, they shouldn't be paying the price for Dedalus and Elphias, the Ex-Lords of the Diggle and Doge estates. If they hadn't ran, then their names wouldn't have been blackened. Given though, that their families were associated with assault where it came to Lord Potter, yes, he understood all too well why they'd left in a hurry.

"They've elected to remain in the Villa in Italy," Lady Pettigrew explained, her sympathy prevalent. She had remained strong and stalwart after the truth about her son became known. Although, never knowing whether he was doing what he did on his own free will or under the Imperius curse did hurt her a great deal. She didn't like to think he'd do something so stupid, he had been her only son and heir, and now? Well, her son didn't have a child to continue on the family name. She had given them sound advice, but they'd elected not to heed it. Instead let fear get the better of them.

"They can stay there, cowards," someone muttered in grumbled complaint.

"If it's neither family...who else could it be? I very much doubt Aberforth has decided to take his place on the wizengamot." Came the curious question from Leonard Bagman. That would never happen, Aberforth detested the public as much as his brother had adored it. He had no political aspirations, which was a shame, the Dumbledore name was a well-known line. Which had gone to the dogs as of late. Nobody could deny the advances the Dumbledore's had made when it came to the magical world.

Lord Slytherin's eyes gleamed with amusement, eyeing Corvus with an arched brow. Wondering if the wizard knew exactly what Harry was going to do today. Whether he was going to ease into his position and take pity on everyone...or if he was going to dive in and have at it.

Harry was a rather dramatic wizard, he thrived on getting everyone's backs up. You wouldn't think to look at him, always well polite and soft spoken, except when he was angry which wasn't often.

Was he really leaving it to the very last second to come in? Lord Slytherin thought, the smirk spreading across his face. "What has you so amused today?" Lord Weasley asked his partner, almost grinning himself, it felt good to have things settled between himself and Aurelius'.