Chapter 17

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, the great oak doors creaked open. Harry entered with two of his guards, former Aurors. They remained at the entrance at his directive, looking imposing. Harry looked around. Each year, he'd come for an inspection, though the grandeur of the castle still amazed him. It wasn't quite like Slytherin Castle. Hogwarts was much older and sat on several laylines that caused magic to hum through the air. Slytherin Castle, on the other hand, had been built by a direct descendant, a Gaunt, in honor of his mother's line.

Hogwarts was quiet as the school was not yet in session, and the corridors carried only the faint mutterings of the portraits. Harry's boots clicked against the stone as he strode towards the Headmistress's office.

The stone gargoyle guarding the stairs shifted its eyes toward him. While a nearby portrait spoke. "The Headmistress is in a meeting at present, Your Majesty. I shall inform her that her next appointment has arrived."

"Do so, please," Harry said while inclining his head.

He waited, hands clasped behind his back, and examined the portraits that lined the corridor. Several of them puffed up, straightening their frames as though they were soldiers being inspected. One particularly pompous wizard adjusted his hat twice. The poor chap was clearly flustered under the King's gaze. Then, a grinding sound echoed through the otherwise empty hallway. Harry turned to see the gargoyle shifting aside to reveal the spiral staircase and its occupant.

Albus Dumbledore stepped out, dressed in deep-blue robes. His eyes were twinkling with that familiar, infuriating calm as he laid them on Harry.

Harry raised a brow but kept his expression cool. "Mister Dumbledore."

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore greeted warmly, as though nothing had changed.

"It is Your Majesty now." Harry's jaw tightened.

Dumbledore's smile faltered for the briefest moment before returning, softer, more measured. "Of course. Your Majesty."

"What brings you here today?" Albus then asked.

"The inspection. Like every year." Was Harry's short reply.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, though his voice carried a note of grievance. "I still fear I was dismissed unfairly from my post five years ago. Some of my comments were... perhaps ill‑timed, but hardly grounds for removal."

Harry's gaze hardened. "No, Mister Dumbledore. Your comments were irritating, yes, but what got you dismissed was your blatant disregard for the educational syllabus. How many generations did you undermine by denying them the required magical classes other schools provide? I take education seriously. If, or when, I have children, I will not gatekeep knowledge from them. Nor from anyone else. Also, it was the Board of Governors who ultimately decided your dismissal. Not I."

The portraits leaned in upon hearing the rebuke. At that moment, Minerva hurried down the staircase. "Your Majesty," she said briskly while ushering Harry toward the office. Her eyes flicked to Dumbledore, and they weren't the kind eyes of a friend.

Albus inclined his head toward her and said, "Think about what we discussed, Minerva."

"Goodbye, Albus." She said coldly.

The dismissal was final, and the former Headmaster's smile faltered once more before he turned away.

Once Minerva ushered the King into her office, she closed the door firmly behind them. The air inside the office was warm, filled with the faint scent of jasmine tea.

"Your Majesty," she greeted once more, though this time her tone was softer. "Allow me to congratulate you on your marriage. A fine match, though Severus might seem dour to most. Truth be told, the man is a bunny if you get enough spiced wine in him."

Harry blinked, then laughed outright as the tension from his encounter with Dumbledore eased. "I'll keep that in mind. Though I suspect he'd hex me if I ever repeated that description."

"Quite possibly." Minerva's lips twitched in amusement.

"How are you, Minerva? Truly." Harry sat in the chair opposite her desk, though his expression was gentler now.

Her eyes flicked briefly toward the door, where Dumbledore had departed moments earlier. "As you can see..." she began, then stopped herself, shaking her head. "Perhaps that is a topic for after the inspection."

Minerva pulled out a neatly stacked pile of documents and set them before him while Harry nodded, respecting her restraint.

"Funding reports, scholarship records, and proposals to and from the Board," she explained. "The scholarships have finally been re‑established, and we've expanded them to include students from families previously overlooked. No child with talent will be denied a place here again."

"Good. That was always the goal."

She continued, "I have also floated the idea of a professor exchange program to the Board. We would send professors abroad for a school year, and in turn welcome instructors from other institutions. It would broaden perspectives, strengthen ties, and expose our students to different magical traditions."

"That's ambitious," Harry said, intrigued. "Hogwarts should not remain insular, I agree. How far along is the program?"

"We are only in the initial stages of setting it up, so it will take at least a year to have all the documentation, housing resources, and budget in place."

"Also, on one more development, Alchemy. The Board has managed to hire a professor for the subject. This year, Hogwarts will finally introduce it into the curriculum."

Harry's brows rose. "Alchemy? Truly?"

"Yes," Minerva confirmed, "Nicholas Flamel's great‑nephew has accepted the post. A man of considerable skill, and with a name that carries weight. The students will benefit greatly."

For nearly three hours, Harry and Minerva worked through the parchment stack and reports, with their discussions ranging from funding allocations to logistics. Even after years, Minerva found herself quietly impressed by how seriously Harry took the matter of education.

At last, she leaned back in her chair. Her eyes softened as she regarded him. "Tell me, Harry... are you happy?"

Harry paused, considering. "If I am happy with the outcome of this meeting, then yes. Though I was only a student here for a single day, I am happy to see Hogwarts getting back on track. To see it embracing international curricula. In my years after running away, I learned that education is key and that no one should ever stop you from getting it. If I am happy in my personal life, I would also say yes. My council is amazing. They most certainly keep me on my toes. My husband... is... very enthusiastic," Harry blushed upon remembering their nights together.

Minerva's lips curved faintly, but then her expression grew more serious. She folded her hands atop her desk before uttering. "There is something else I must tell you. Albus was here today for a reason. He was trying to... get the gang back together."

"The gang?" Harry frowned.

"The Order of the Phoenix." The Headmistress stated.

"What is that?"

"The Order," Minerva explained, "was a secret society founded by Albus during the First War against Voldemort. It was made up of witches and wizards who opposed him when the Ministry was too slow, too blind, or too compromised to act. We fought in the shadows, gathering intelligence, protecting families, striking where we could. Many of us paid dearly for it."

"And he wants to revive it?"

"Yes," Minerva said, her tone clipped. "He believes the Order is still necessary. That your reign cannot be trusted and that only his handpicked circle can safeguard the realm. He came to me today to ask for my support."

Harry sat back, his jaw tightening. "And what did you say?"

"I told him goodbye."

"There are others who are more loyal to him than me. I do not doubt that he has already recruited them." Minerva continued. "For what it is worth, you have my full support. You have done well for yourself, Mr. Porter, and you have done well for the Magical community. Albus is... difficult when he gets something in his head and believes that he is right. He did not look favorably on Lupin, the Weasleys, and Severus leaving the Order just after you rose to power."

Minerva's voice grew quieter, "You should understand why Albus could not accept people leaving him. It will probably not influence your decision moving forward, but it might supply some context. To him, the Order was not just a society; it was his society. He built it, he commanded it, and he believed it was the only way forward. When someone walked away, he took it as betrayal."

"Let me guess, he tried to guilt them?"

"Yes," Minerva stated. "Remus Lupin was the first. Albus hounded him, reminding him of debts owed, of friends lost, of how the Order had given him purpose when the Ministry would not. But Remus had had enough; he wanted peace, not endless battles."

"And Severus... Albus never forgave him for stepping away. He accused him of turning his back on the greater good, of wasting his talents. He tried to guilt Severus into believing that without the Order, he was nothing but a bitter man hiding in shadows. Severus, of course, did not bend. He told Albus plainly that he would not be a pawn again."

"Good."

"The Weasleys were a different matter. Albus tried, but Molly put her foot down. She told him that her family had given enough blood and that she would not see her children dragged into another of his crusades. He could not guilt her; Molly's will was ironclad. And once she spoke, the rest of the family followed her lead."

Harry sat in silence for a moment, absorbing her words. "So he cannot accept that people choose their own path," he said finally.

"And that is why you must be cautious," Minerva warned. "I was, quite frankly, appalled when he came to me today with his latest theory."

"What theory was he pushing this time?"

"Albus believes you should never have become King. He insists that his version, the one tied to the prophecy, was correct. He claims a stranger told him so as well."

"Do you know who this stranger was?"

Minerva shook her head. "Sadly, no. He would not say. But I can tell you this: his spoutings about that prophecy already got him into trouble after you took the throne. The Board of Governors grew weary of his obsession, and it was one of the many reasons they supported his dismissal."

Harry said nothing for a long moment. Finally, he inclined his head. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Minerva."

"You deserve to know. And you deserve to be prepared. Albus is a friend, yes, but I believe he is spiraling."

Harry rose from his chair, nodded at her, and exited the office afterwards. But he did not leave Hogwarts immediately. Instead, he walked until he reached the Astronomy Tower. The sky stretched wide above him when he called for Death.

Mortem appeared, floating next to his Master.

"He's back," was all that Harry said.