Chapter - 40 : Revelations Part - 3
April 20
Harry laughed. "Very well. The forest is as old as the castle, and the wizards back then were not shy about dangerous creatures. They were the ones building dragon preserves and taming those great beasts to ride, defeating manticores and mastering sphinxes. If there were anything so simple as a threat in there, they would've dealt with it."
Harry paused to draw breath before rushing on, "This place was created as a PRESERVE! A refuge for all sorts of LIGHT side creatures! A 'no-hunting' zone where phoenix', fairies, unicorns and so on could survive and breed, so the magical world would not ever lose those precious creatures! This was to be a place where everything good and gentle and beautiful could be preserved for future generations! Up until fifty years ago it was forbidden for any sort of dark creatures at all! It wasn't until Dumbledore came to power that they called off the twice-yearly hunts through the forest to drive out all of the evil creatures that tried to creep in! Heck, the centaur tribes in the forest HELPED US on those rides!"
Hermione's jaw was hanging open.
Harry was standing, clenching his fists. "Now the fairy populations are down to a record low, having been fed upon until they're nearly extinct by the growing acromantula menace in there. Werewolves and other dark things infest the place. The unicorns are dying off... everyone now just accepts the place as a festering pit of darkness and evil. And why? Because Dumbledore made it that way. He let people seed it with the worst sort of dark creatures imaginable, then did nothing to remove them, in spite of nearly a thousand years of tradition saying he had no right at all to let anything like that exist in what was to have been a precious preserve for good magical life!"
Harry drilled Hermione with a glance. "The very worst of all dark Slytherin Headmasters had never sunk so low. This forest was one of FOUR places in the world where unicorns roamed free, and now over half their population has died, gone to feed the hunger of creatures like those acromantulas - who'll be moving on to human babies the moment they've exhausted this forest. But what will the world look like when no unicorns exist to grant hair for wand cores? Only three ingredients like that still get used, and unicorn tail hairs are one of them. There used to be dozens. What happens when this one is gone? Will wands choose fewer wizards, because the ones who might have matched them now have no ingredients for appropriate cores?"
He sighed. "Hermione, try a mental exercise. Just for a minute, imagine that Dumbledore is not the sort of person the books paint him to be. Imagine him as someone like Voldemort; now try to put the puzzle pieces together for all of these mysteries. Ask yourself all of the questions, like why was Nicholas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone stored here, when they knew Voldemort would be coming after it? Why endanger the students like that? And why couldn't Dumbledore just tell everyone a basilisk was stalking the halls, when every painting reports to him? Why were dementors allowed around the school? How is it that this place has been so dangerous ever since we got here? It didn't used to be like this. The school's never been so dangerous in history!"
Luna broke in to add her own bit, "And who is trying to kill Harry?"
Hermione thought about it for a moment, and then looked green. "I guess it could be. Things do sort of make sense that way."
"To get back to our main point, Snape died twice yesterday right before our eyes, yet he lives." Harry stated. "The only way that is possible is through tremendously dark magic. We know of a way it is possible - the books for one such method exist in the Hogwarts library (which is another of those things that ought to get our jaws dropping. What kind of MORON keeps those types of spells available in a SCHOOL of all places?!). So Snape had access to the knowledge of how to do it, and he was a Death Eater, someone who kills with as little feeling as a golfer hits little white balls. So he had access to the chance to commit murder and create one. We know SOMETHING is keeping him alive in spite of dying several times. Do you have a better answer?"
Hermione shook her head, still looking green. "But, why would Dumbledore want to kill Harry?"
Luna shook her head sadly. "You still keep trying to start at the hardest possible question to answer: Why. You NEVER know that one until you've solved some of the others! Weren't you listening to Harry explain that?"
"Start over again at the What, that's usually the easiest to get some feelers on," Harry told her, supporting Luna on this. "And the What, in this case, is that Albus Dumbledore controls virtually all aspects of magical government. Over the years he has defended that position from several rivals, notably Voldemort and Grindelwald. Perhaps he's just tired of fighting off rivals and hopes to get rid of me before I become one?"
"Dumbledore got those most of those positions through his reputation for having defeated Grindelwald. Wouldn't another person, having the same type of reputation, only bigger, be an even greater threat to him than openly Dark Lords could ever be?" Luna asked reasonably.
The Granger girl's head was spinning.
"Hermione," Harry relented. "Don't believe me. Do some research for yourself. Don't listen to those books singing Dumbledore's praises. Put some facts together and ask yourself what makes sense. Can you do that for me?"
She nodded.
"Actually, there is a safer, more immediate option," Luna interjected. "Why don't we put him to a test? Hermione, you want to believe what everyone believes about Albus Dumbledore, that he is a perfect paragon of all that is good in the magical world, correct?"
Hermione nodded.
"Very well," Luna explained. "Then let us examine that. A good person, in a position of power, uses that power for good purposes, does he not?"
"Yes!" Hermione smiled brightly.
"So, our question becomes, does he? Dumbledore has plenty of power. Let us take a moment to stop and examine what he does with it. Let's look close to home, shall we? The position of authority he bears that has the most immediate bearing on us is being Headmaster of Hogwarts, is it not?"
She got nodding.
"And we have the most direct personal experience with? So the most data to judge by? Therefore the most evidence for the most correct conclusions?"
More nods.
Luna nodded herself. "So, taking this as our example, assuming for the moment that it will be representative of all of his uses of power, what has Headmaster Dumbledore done for Hogwarts, that we know? First question: Does it provide a good education? Count up the teachers who do a good job versus the ones that do not."
Hermione's face paled.
"It is his direct responsibility," Luna reminded. "No other person has as much say on the hiring or firing of teachers as the Headmaster. So nothing ought to bear his mark as much as the quality of our instructors. Whether we have good teachers or bad is almost entirely the work of our Headmaster. So, do we have the uniform good instruction a good man would try to give us?"
Hermione was horrified.
"Count out loud," Harry suggested. "It helps sometimes. On the good side we have McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout. All of whom are at least decent, even though none strikes me as being particularly stellar or inspiring."
"On the bad side, however," Luna counted, "We have Snape, Trelawney and Binns, who do nothing but drive students away from those subjects, the very worst sort of teaching imaginable. You'd do better with no instructor at all, just reading those subjects out of books."
"Astronomy is also centuries behind what is known in the muggle world," Hermione grudgingly agreed at last.
"And what about Muggle Studies?" Harry questioned.
Hermione made a face.
"So we have three teachers who are not just bad, they are epically horrible," Harry concluded. "I've read Snape's records, and he is the worst teacher the school has ever had, bar none, getting fewer graduates with lower grades than ever before recorded. But Binns and Trelawney are not far behind him. Any one of the three of them could have and should have been removed for incompetence long ago. That any one of the three of them is allowed to teach is a scandal, that all three are is an outrage. Anyone who cared about students at all would've removed them all long ago. Snape alone commits WEEKLY offenses that would get any other teacher not just fired, but blacklisted for life! Entire schools have been CLOSED DOWN over lesser offenses! I can show you the paperwork on them when we get back to our quarters. But Dumbledore just sweeps it all under the rug, not just ignoring, but actively defending his man."
Hermione looked sickly.
Luna softly added. "But they aren't the only bad teachers. We've also got plain old ordinary incompetent ones about."
They waited a moment while Hermione digested those thoughts in silence.
"So, in conclusion, what does the evidence say? This is Dumbledore's direct and personal responsibility. No one else does this for him. He's handled every hiring or firing of staff since he began the job as Headmaster. It's all his own work. What do the results he's provided say about him?"
Hermione broke down in tears on the spot.
Chapter - 41: Resurgence
April 22
"Why do we call it yesterday, anyway?" Hermione spoke, trying to change the subject after wiping away her tears. The two others had tried to console her, but hadn't interrupted her cry, either. "Really, it's the same day as today, it's just we had regular classes then and Muggle Studies today. Tomorrow will be Arithmancy, but they're all the same day. So, really, we ought to call this Muggle Studies Day, to keep it distinct from Arithmancy Day, and Regular Classes Day."
Then she looked at Luna and gave a horrified gasp over what stress had made her reveal.
Luna smiled softly in reply, dragging the older girl to her feet. "Don't worry about it. I knew you were time traveling all along by the wrackspurt infection. They get most dreadful around those who are temporally displaced."
Harry coughed into his fist. "And... I sort of have been sharing my Time Turner with Luna, so she could get some extra study done."
Hermione paused and stared at them for a moment, before giving up and rolling her eyes. "Well, it is against the rules, but why should I care? If only the man who GAVE the rules followed them... but he doesn't, so why should I?"
"That's the spirit!" Harry gave her a spontaneous hug.
Hermione gave her loyalty fully. She was either for something, or against it (or didn't care one way or the other, but that was only the case on issues she felt didn't concern her) and whichever way she committed herself fully.
Just minutes ago she had been totally committed for Dumbledore. Now she was against him, Harry could read it in her thoughts. It had taken a great force of persuasion to change her mind, but that was the way she was.
That worked in his favor now that she was on his side.
Luna, however, didn't have his ability to passively read minds, so the blonde Ravenclaw had to check another way. "So," she probed delicately. "Do you believe us? The quality of our instructors is his responsibility, and he's had the job too long to blame anything on his predecessor. Snape alone..."
"It's true!" Hermione interrupted, bursting into tears once more and shaking her head over the situation. "Insulting students in any way, shape, or form (such as referring to them as dunderheads) is enough to get a teacher fired by a school board and put a mark on their record! Calling a student 'stupid' got my third grade teacher fired! That's enough all alone. But Snape is so much worse..." she drew in a ragged breath, "Before you even count all the not-teaching, man-handling, yelling, and assigning dangerous projects to first time students, things that explode over the slightest mistake! In the muggle world, Snape's behavior would have gotten him arrested... and Dumbledore as well, for allowing it to happen!"
"And that's just his teaching style. We've not even dipped into his little side projects and extracurricular activities, like belonging to a club of murderers. If he'd had any remorse over that he would NOT have been tacitly advocating that philosophy over all those years he's been at Hogwarts!" Harry insisted.
"And this goes SO far beyond Snape!" Hermione wailed, tears flowing. "I think in your grand tally of Good vs Bad teachers you missed some of the worst of the lot! All the defense against the dark arts teachers, who not only include bad teachers, but those who've actively tried to kill Harry or other students! We start that count with a Voldemort possessed teacher, then a complete fraud ... and all this under the impression that the great Dumbledore has a phoenix to help him detect evil!"
"Not to mention his skill at legilimency," Harry added.
Hermione looked up, pausing in her tears for confusion, while Luna looked as though she'd been pricked by a pin. "Legilimency? What's that?" the love of his life inquired, while Luna looked on.
"The art of reading minds. If you're good enough, it can be done without any spoken incantation or wand movements at all - And Dumbledore is among the best of this century. He routinely uses it on staff and students. It would be impossible for him not to have known Quirrel was possessed or Lockhart was a fraud... or all of the stuff Snape does to students."
Hermione now looked downright angry.
'Yep,' Harry reflected. Dumbledore had lost what had to have been one of his most loyal and devoted followers - because Hermione's whole character was built around loyalty and devotion.
Well, knowledge and learning, too. She was nice like that.
"Need I mention that it is extremely illegal to use legilimency without the subject's knowledge and consent? Or that it is illegal to use on minors in any case?" Harry asked brightly.
Hermione now looked furious.
"We'll have to protect ourselves," Luna observed soberly.
"Yes, for now don't make eye contact with either Dumbledore or Snape - they both do it as a matter of routine." Harry shrugged. "I've got the books for Occlumency, the defense against legilimency, back in my room."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Hermione grabbed both their hands and started back towards the castle.
Harry dug in his heels, bringing her to a stop. "Wait! There is a reason we are out here, and I'd prefer to get that done first. There's a clearing just ahead that I need to use, and I was hoping you'd use with me."
"What is it for?"
"The Clearing of Solstices and Equinoxes?" Luna asked, then informed her friend. "It's an Old Magic circle, dating back from before Hogwarts, but it's not anything tremendously special. It's only property is a simple one - every day or night there is, mystically or astrologically speaking, the same as the last solstice or equinox to pass. All it does is make timing less inconvenient for certain rituals. So," she turned back to face Harry, "the question becomes, what ritual are you hoping to accomplish there?"
"One requiring heat, and the summer solstice is the longest day of the year, so, mystically and astrologically speaking, a symbol of Fire," he answered.
"So you would want to get there before the Fall Equinox, which is coming up, as the circle resets to the most recently passed solstice or equinox, and the end of September is fast approaching," the blonde reasoned.
"Which wouldn't do at all. Fall is the harvest, so a symbol for Earth, not the sort of mystical connection I'm looking for," he agreed.
"Wait. They haven't covered this in Astronomy class, nor is it in any of my books," Hermione objected. "What are these elemental connections you're talking about?"
"They only come up in very old styles of magic," Harry reassured. "Nature based styles, for the most part. The Hermetic tradition taught at Hogwarts, which does not use it, naturally leaves that information out."
Chapter - 42 : Resurgence Part - 2
April 22
"But you know?" Hermione eyed Luna askance.
The girl smiled. "Most fairy lore comes to us out of the Celtic traditions. As Lovegoods are magical creatures experts, naturally I am more familiar."
"And... what's the difference between that and the Hermetic? That's not covered in our course material, either," Hermione explained.
All eyes went to him, and Harry shrugged. "Blame Magical History class, that is where this material is supposed to be covered. This is actually important to know, but instead even the texts he's chosen only cover the various goblin rebellions. In brief, the Hermetic Tradition is based on Natural Philosophy, which later grew up into science, and it still bears a very scientific approach you'd be able to recognize if the present practitioners weren't all idiots."
"It's named for the Greek God Hermes, who was later renamed Mercury by the victorious Romans when they stole that pantheon." Luna supplied. "He was the messenger god, patron of thieves... and magicians."
"So, in short, Greco-Roman magic. It became the norm in Europe because, well, Romans had conquered all of the continent, and societies with different traditions largely died out or got subsumed." Harry added. "Everything the common muggle is likely to associate with a generic wizard is Hermetic: the books and tomes, candles and skulls, chalk circles and demon summonings."
Both of his audience paled at the mention of demon summonings.
"Some elements of other traditions did survive," he continued. "There was crossover and bleed through because the Romans never did pass up a chance to steal a good idea when they saw one. But the parent philosophies are long gone, and the emphasis isn't there in the Roman stuff, who preferred magic out of their own roots on which they had a stronger basic understanding. Ancient Runes is actually one of those 'borrowed branches' so to speak. But where the Norse viewed Runes as their primary style of magic, and could accomplish great things with it, to us it is merely a sideline; one not too well understood, at that. Only a glimmer of the original potential peeks through. Although the use of wands is something we inherit from the Egyptians, who passed that on to the Greeks, then to the Romans, then to us."
Hermione was impressed in spite of herself at her friend's knowledge. "So this is the sort of thing that is supposed to be covered in History of Magic?"
"Oh, absolutely!" he quipped back. "I've got some wonderful books I'd like to share with you on that subject, as well as others. But more of our classes than not are absolutely useless! For example, our Astronomy course skips over all of the reasons WHY you'd want to know that subject! And yet it is a core class! If it wasn't something absolutely vital, why do they make every student take it for at least five years? If it was something optional, why isn't it just an elective? But if it is vital, why is it that nobody knows any magic that uses what they learn there? Even I only know of stuff OUTSIDE of our current magical tradition, and that's after extensive study!"
Hermione paled again at that thought.
Harry inhaled to sigh deeply. "People who don't know WHY they need to know something are generally very unlikely to put any real effort into learning it. So most of us graduate without any idea what makes that course so special or important - and so to most of us it feels neither special nor important. So, in the end, most people don't ever really end up learning it."
"Nor is that the only course that completely fails to do what it sets out for," Luna added. "Why is it 'the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world' has such terrible brooms for the students to learn on? A good, solid (and slow) broomstick, like the Comet 260, would be much better. With the hideous fees the school charges, they should be able to replace the brooms on a regular basis (or at the very least, on a rotating basis). Why don't they? There is money they get for the purpose of doing it, a chunk of the tuition we all pay is earmarked for that. But no new brooms have been bought since Dumbledore became Headmaster. Anything new they get as donations. So where is all of the money going that ought to be spent on new brooms?"
"For that matter, most of the 'clubs and services' portion of our tuition bill have been dropped or had their funding cut to nothing, while retaining the full costs to students, as if we still had a dozen sports clubs, and equally funded subjects clubs. Charms and Transfiguration clubs once had budgets as large as Quidditch does now, and Quidditch used to have a dozen games a year. They still charge us as if they do. So where has all the money gone?" Harry asked. "The Potions club doesn't even accept non-Slytherin members."
Hermione was fuming. "When you put someone in charge of something, and everything goes to ruins, who is to blame?" she mumbled, shaking her head. Then she clenched her fists, "OOOOHH! It makes me so ANGRY! Dumbledore ought to be SHOT for doing this to our educations! My parents are paying ruinous fees for this! I ought to at least be able to count on getting the good education this was billed as! Cheltenham Ladies College doesn't charge this much, and that was where I was going before my Hogwarts letter arrived!"
There was fire in her eyes, and they walked on a few minutes in invisible silence. Then the maiden visibly calmed herself, and went back to an earlier subject. "So, what are the symbols, and where can I read about this Celtic tradition you're talking about?" the bookworm grinned.
"The Celts had, unfortunately for anyone alive now, a largely verbal lore that did not survive their passing," Harry remarked. "Researching it can be a pain - but then, we don't know as much about Greece or Rome as most people tend to think we do, either. Our best bet would be to talk to a ghost. But good luck finding one that old."
"But the seasonal symbols?" Hermione reminded.
"Well, we've told you Earth and Fire. Winter should be obvious as the coldest and wettest..."
"Water," Hermione concluded, then puzzled. "But that would leave Air for Spring, and I've never heard a connection..."
"You've never heard the expression 'that lovely Spring Air'?"
"Alright, I guess I have heard of a connection between spring and air," the bushy haired one backpedaled.
"It's also the season of flowers, when pollens and other scents are in the air. Scents are borne on winds. But you're right, the connection is not a strong one to the modern way of thinking," Luna demurely supplied, then smiled. "But that doesn't mean it isn't there, or wasn't obvious to our ancestors."
By now the party had arrived in the clearing, and the brunette's reaction was obvious. "It's Stonehenge!"
"Would you care to elaborate?" she asked, as Hermione looked on, curious.
Harry shrugged. "An ex-Death Eater who somehow escaped charges. I had evidence of his crimes. A simple case of blackmail, really."
Hermione's eyes shot wide. Seeing their gazes on her, Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm not actually surprised at the blackmail part. I think you did the right thing to bring this creature here alive, rather than see it destroyed. It's that Death Eaters are allowed to work at the Ministry that has me shocked."
Then she huffed a sigh, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Since Dumbledore is in charge there, as well as here at school, I shouldn't be surprised at that, should I?"
"No," Harry shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that's the norm for him. He employs 'former' Death Eaters as a matter of routine. Don't ask me why. Say, on another subject, how would you like me to show you how to feed and clean a fire crab without getting burned?"
"Are you sure it's safe?" Luna cast doubtful eyes at Hermione, who stiffened in response.
"Not normally, no," Harry agreed. "However, I just happen to have a genius who follows instructions perfectly, and a budding magical creatures expert here with me; while I, myself, am already familiar with the procedure."
He waited a moment, and smiled at them still hesitating. "Plus, I've got some fire protection potions, and burn healing paste, should we need it." He held out two bottles to the girls.
Accepting one while Luna took hers, Hermione popped off the cap and asked, "Harry, why are you carrying this? How could you know we would come with you today? I almost didn't, you know. I left behind some fascinating reading."
The boy shrugged, taking his own. "You know those traps we encountered on the third floor in our first year? They convinced me that it might be a wise idea to start carrying some extra potions about, and I've been brewing since early summer."
"Oh?" Luna blinked. "What do you carry?"
Once again Harry shrugged, handing around tools to the girls. "I have four general categories: medical potions, enhancement potions, utility potions and weapon-like potions."
"Some examples?" Luna inquired softly.
The boy grinned at her. "Well," he drawled slyly. "I'm not done mixing them all yet, but for medicine I intend to carry various antidotes, blood replenishing potions, boil curing potions, bruise healing paste, burn healing paste, calming draughts, cough potions, drought of peace, invigoration draught, oblivious unction, pain reliving potions, pepperup potion, various remedies, skele-grow and wound cleaning potions."
Hermione choked on her fire-protection potion. Coughing a bit, she sputtered, "But Harry, WHY?! You sound like you want to carry everything Madam Pomfrey stocks in the Hospital Wing!"
"Exactly," he told her calmly, eyes steady. "And why does she stock them? To deal with any emergency," he answered his own question. "So why would I feel like there might be emergencies when Hogwarts has always been so safe and secure for us?"
Hermione blushed at the inanity of her own question as the girls giggled at his sarcasm, then followed his lead and went to work, feeding and cleaning his giant magical pet.
"You mentioned weapon-like potions?" Luna inquired calmly as they worked.
He nodded, then explained, "When we were mixing a swelling solution last year I threw a firecracker into Goyle's cauldron to create a diversion. Where the solution splashed people's arms, noses, eyes, etc. were enlarged grotesquely. Goyle's eyes got to be the size of dinner plates before Snape gave him the antidote. But how many people, aside from myself that is, carry deflating draught as a matter of routine? Even Snape only has his in a supply cabinet in his classroom, and then only when he thinks he might use it. So it struck me that the next time I'm attacked, if I were to splash this over my enemies, it ought to really make it easy to get away from danger."
Chapter - 44 : Resurgence Part - 4
April 22
Both girls glowed at his wisdom and forethought.
"That's an excellent idea, Harry!" Hermione congratulated him, leaning down to help him maneuver the beast's water and food dish in front of it. "And it gets me to thinking. There have been countless potions accidents like that one just in our last two years. Why think! The very first potion we brewed, one for curing boils, exploded and burned holes through shoes and clothes, while giving poor Neville, who got hit with some, angry red painful boils. That's also something that I'm sure would make a decent weapon."
"Exactly," he nodded, glad she had seen the point (although he had already mixed some of the one she was recommending, having seen the usefulness himself). "Spells cause damage that can easily be cured by other spells. But most potions cause damage that can only be cured by proper medical potions - and who do you know that carries any?"
"You," both girls chorused, then broke out into giggles.
"Yes, and mixing them has kept me busy for weeks and weeks," he admitted.
Luna stopped what she was doing, then calmly asked, "Harry, half of those potions you mentioned as cures are OWL level work, and most others are NEWT level. Only a handful are at third year or below."
Her response earned a casual shrug. "My mother was a potions prodigy and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. Most of these are surprisingly easy once you don't have Snape hovering over your neck. Besides, I was doing all of the cooking for my relatives since I was old enough to reach the counter, and the basic principles are all the same."
"Plus Harry found the most wonderful book!" Hermione broke in excitedly. "It's called the Basics of Brewing by Vandergeist, and it explains things so well I KNOW I wouldn't have a problem on most OWL-level work!" she enthused.
"I've also got all of the advanced potions brewing manuals, and a little extra reading," Harry admitted. "It's really not hard to follow the instructions out of a book. That's all we ever do with Snape, anyway."
Smiling at his fellows, he then slapped the top of the fire crab's shell. "Okay now! Who wants to help me get this creature's shell off?"
"Harry!" Hermione goggled in sudden outrage. "I thought you got this creature to SAVE its life, not murder it yourself!"
"Calm, Hermione," he soothed. "And I did, and am. But I also need its shell for this project, which is why it's out here waiting for us, rather than back at the Potter Manor menagerie with the rest of the creatures I rescued from the axe of the disposal department."
He waved to the now-slumbering tortoise look alike. "Part of the food we just gave it was a dose of sleeping potion. Another was a numbing draught, so it won't feel a thing. I have blood replenishing potions on hand for if we screw up and injure it, but I also adapted a shaving charm to peel flesh away from the inside of its shell, so we shouldn't hurt it at all during the removal. Then, after we're done, I'm going to give it a good, strong dose of skele-grow so when it wakes up in the morning it will have grown a new shell and hopefully will never know what happened. Now, are you with me?"
His best friend had relaxed considerably during this explanation. "Sorry Harry. I shouldn't have doubted you. I know you better than that."
"Yes, you do," he scolded mildly right before showing them the spell, and they all got to work.
Chapter - 45 : Conflagration
April 23
Harry kept his two companions busy all that morning helping him gather and prepare things for their ritual.
The Fire Crab was the first of many magical creatures he had hidden in that clearing. Next up was a salamander, a small fire dwelling lizard that fed on flame, and lived only as long as the fire from which it sprang burned. Their blood had powerful curative and restorative properties, so many wizards had arranged for permanent magical flames, hoping to spawn salamanders.
Naturally, anything that exists has to be regulated and taxed (or at least that is what governments believe), so the Ministry had fees and fines for keeping salamanders, and someone hadn't paid one.
The salamander thus confiscated, with the kiln that spawned and sustained it, had been routed to Harry's possession along with virtually every other magical beast in the Ministry's containment cells at the time.
Playing the 'Poor Little Orphan Boy' card wasn't worth much normally, unless you also happened to be the Boy Who Lived, and riding the crest of a wave of public sentiment in your favor after your near death experience followed by the shocking expose of your abusive home situation. At which point the 'oh woe is me' card had been more than sufficient to not only empty the Ministry holding cells for magical creatures directly into Harry's pockets, but grant him special hereditary exemptions and perpetual licenses so he (and any of his children after him) could keep basically any number of magical creatures forever, for free.
That was a privilege he was intending to milk for all it was worth, and it was one the magical government never would have allowed if they'd had time to think about it, as they'd just essentially surrendered all authority to govern Harry and his descendant's ability to keep magical creatures.
Wealth comes out of only a few sources in the magical world. One's personal skill could always be bartered away in service for cash, just like muggles got jobs, but actual wealth got created mostly by the raising of magical plants and creatures for use in the various potions and objects that made the world magical. There were no wands without cores, for example.
A greenhouse might as well have been a goldmine in the magical world. Neville, with his gift for plants, was going to grow up rich no matter what else he did.
So the unregulated ability to raise magical creatures was an untaxed diamond mine that could, if managed in any half-sane way, guarantee good fortunes for the Potter family forever. And it was just the sort of favor a 'wronged hero' got to ask for, if he was clever, when the Ministry's guard was down and desperately trying to make things up to him.
He'd also seen to it that the proper paperwork had been filed for this to be pushed through to all member countries of the International Confederation of Wizards and ratified on the strength of England's membership. Striking while the iron was hot and going for bonus points and all that, because England was not exactly safe for him, as it was Dumbledore's central seat of power.
Back at the clearing, the trio of young students had finished collecting the valuable blood, and dosed the salamander who'd granted it with some blood-replenishing potion, then moved on to other things.
Very soon they had all the ritual materials assembled.
Thanks to the Ministry, Harry now had three dragons: A Chinese Fireball, an Antipodean Opaleye, and a Swedish Short-Snout, all collected by an English hag who had tastes much like Hagrid. As a hag, she had a different concept of danger than most people and had kept a number of creatures illegally. Unlike Hagrid, she had a love of beauty, and had collected samples of the three most beautiful dragons, instead of the most deadly (ala baby Norbert).
She had been arrested, convicted, and executed on charges of eating human children, and her largely illegal beast collection had been seized while factions within the Ministry fought over who got what parts of it.
The dragons were all young, so it was not outside of Harry's ability to chain them down and feed them Continual Flame potions so they could hold up a steady stream of fiery breath. They had been laid out inside of the circle of stones arranged so that their draconic blowtorches came together on the central slab of stone where he'd placed the Goblet of Fire.
Normally that artifact's current charge could be measured by its appearance and when he'd found it the object had obviously been at very low power. The appearance of rough-hewn wood was the goblet's lowest setting, more of a form of hibernation than active ability.
After continual streams of fire from three dragons over twenty four hours, or thereabouts (Harry had set this up soon after his discovery of the goblet) under the light of the summer solstice, the magical chalice had undergone a gradual yet dramatic change. At first its plain, unblemished yet without grain wood-seeming look had darkened as if charred. On fully becoming black it had worked a change again, starting to glow as though a fiery coal. At no time did the goblet change its shape. It did not crack, shrink or crumble as it seemed to burn, and very soon it changed again, as from the now glowing coal bits of clear glass appearing from the white hot cinder shaped vessel. Soon the cup had transformed to an appearance of clear crystal. From that, it had begun to heat up again, once more glowing from within as though a fiery coal. This was not its final form, that of a brilliantly radiant ruby, lit from within and sheathed from without in blazing fire. But it was enough for Harry's purpose.
Actually, he knew only fragments of the cup lore and didn't know what you could do with it once it was fully charged. Legends all agreed that it was near impossible to handle when it was that fully powered. Spells slid off without touching it, and no flesh could touch it without burning. Metal would melt on contact, and so on, making it very difficult to do anything with.