Upping the game

Returning to the common room, Alex took place in front of the Aurors, already ready to asks questions.

"Are you aware of the reason for our presence here?" Asked Shackbolt to him.

"From the recent even, it must be linked to the disappearance of the Weasley brothers. I'm still amazed it needed this establishment three weeks to understand that they were missing."

"How do you know it was three weeks." Immediately asked the tall black English Auror severely.

Rather than be intimidated by the stern gaze, Alex looks at him like he was an idiot. "While the boys are known to be Pranksters, they are also avid Quidditch player and a vital driving force to its synergy. They may joke, but never when it came to the sport. For what I gathered, it was astonishing for them to miss training, so multiple? The question had no reason to be."

Hearing Alex, the three couldn't help but agree with his analysis. They too had similar echoes from students and professor; the only surprising thing was the fact it was a first-year who came to that conclusion, not a professor.

"What about the clear hostility between you and House Weasley?"

The only response Shack receive was a stack of letters he lazily drops on the table between them.

"... They are?"

"Multiple letters from those 56 other houses were ordering me to return the stolen money. Since they seem to forget their rank, I will not. I want to bring charge on each one of those who had issued a death threat to my House and me, through those letters. I have already made certified copies. Should nothing came out of this in the following days, I will place charges against the DMLE and Ministry for negligence and breach of the 856 Treaty established between the newly risen government and the past council, I am clear, Auror Shackbolt?" Say, Alex, with a weight no 11 years old should be able to put in his words.

The two behind gulps at this, knowing that the Ministry and department were tied wrist and feet after his words. The Council predate the Ministry and the Potter had been one of the House to hold power at those time. No amount of corruption could go after the treaty of 856, and they all know it.

~~~

Hearing the words, Shackbolt couldn't help but shake his head.

'How can they still fuck up to this point?! He just spanked those old bastards, and they ask for more!'

"You are aware that no matters how much they are charged, none will be able to feet the bill, right?"

"Oh, but they will!" Say Alex with a Chesire smile, sending creep to the men. "Unlike the Dumbledore case, this pertains to their House, as such, any unable to pay, will have old alliance still alive to pay for them. Here is a transcript of say alliance dating to yesterday, Midnight. As you are an official agent of the government and hear my complaint, you are honour bound to accept both charges and proofs.

No matters how much they would try to break alliance to avoid the repercussion, it's too late."

The bloodthirsty shark smile was starting to frighten the men. While the boy had growth outside the magical world, he was tearing it apart using its fundamental bases, pureblood laws and money. He had already drained around 20% of the British magical monetary resources, but seems to be unsatisfied yet, and would further plunder them!

Shakingly taking the document, Shackbolt eyes widen in fright, before snapping back to Alex, lazily making himself comfortable int eh seat.

"You can't do that! It will bring our society to its knee!" Shouted the man while suddenly raising on his feet.

"How's that my problem? I wasn't the one to throws the first stone, but I will be damn sure to give the killing blow." Say him back, only raising a brow.

~~~

Britain magical community was one of the oldest in the world, born during the early years of human civilisation; it was now formed around a system inherited from the middle ages. The conditions for a House to be recognised wasn't restraining. Starting with the lowest to the highest were:

-Lesser House. They require a magical family established for at least 50 years, a British bank accounts worth 1,000G.

-Elder House. They require a magical family established for at least 100 years, a British bank accounts worth 10,000G.

-Magical House. They require a magical family established for at least 150 years, a British bank accounts worth 50,000G and an Heir to assure it future.

-Old House. They require a magical family established for at least 250 years, a British bank accounts worth 100,000G and a pair of Lord and Heir.

-Ancient House. They require a magical family established for at least 750 years, a British bank accounts worth 250,000G, a lord and two Heirs.

-Most ancient House. They require a magical family established for at least 1,000 years and a British bank accounts worth 1,000,000G a lord and five Heirs.

On parallel was a second system was running, composed of nobility.

-Noble House. They require a nobility title for at least 250 years and a British bank account worth 1,000,000G and owned land from 500 years.

-Most noble House. They require a nobility title for at least 500 years and a British bank account worth 2,500,000G and owned land from 750 years.

-Royal House. The owner of the lands with at least 10 Most noble House under its rule and a British account equal or greater than the combinate worth of Houses they rule over.

Today the magical community of Britain had 193 Houses still active. The Lesser Houses form the first and largest block. This block alone was made of 89 Houses. It is the base of the community.

45 others are the Elder Houses, generally suppliers to the Magical Houses, themselves the most basic owners.

Those Magical House were only 19, not even half of the Elders ones. Most of the farms in the isles were owned by them.

Above them, were the 36 Ancient Houses, as Voldemort had wiped out all the Old House during the war a decade ago. They form the majority of the Wisengamot and shop owners of the Alley and magical settlement, making their position, nearly untouchable.

The Higher layer was made of only 4 Most ancient House, namely Potter, Black, Bones and Longbottom.

Out of those 193, only two had the right to call themselves Most ancient and Most noble Houses, the Potter and Black.

With the Black either dead or in jail, it wasn't far from saying that the Potter House was the actual unofficial ruler of Britain.

This was why Alex was able to do as he wishes. With the power of the ancient laws behind him, none had the authority to stand in front of him. As long as he plays by the rules and never was the first offender, no ruling power had the right to stop him.

~~~

From his past action, Alex had destructed 19 Ancient houses, 15 Magical Houses and 22 Elder Houses. With the new charges he press, another 26 Elder Houses, the remaining 4 Magical Houses and 7 Ancient Houses would also fall.

On a politic side, it would crush the Light side, cripple two-third of the Grey and mows the lesser Dark supporter. This would open the field for the Dark Block, as its leading player wouldn't be affected the least.

If, no, when trialled, the charges would redefine the British political landscape, as 45 seats of the Wisengamot will vanish.

The centre of power was made with Magical House and higher strength, for a total of 59 seats and 56 actives, as the Black, Potter and Lestranges didn't have the means to be represented by their House Heir or Lord. Add to those 59, a seat for the Minister, chief Warlock, and ICW representative and another 59 seats for department heads.

The initial 121 would be cut down to 76, divided in 53 Dark, 11 Grey and 8 Light.

While it would make him absorb another 12% of the British monetary income, he was sure that it would pass. Why? The Dark Side.

In thinning down the opposite party, Alex was helping them shape the country into an easy target for their Lord on his return.

~~~

'Those morons will bring our fall.' Mournfully realise the man.

Because of the blow after blow, they receive, along with the news charge to process that takes precedent on the actual investigation, the three Aurors weren't able to process further when they heard a chime.

Knowing who it was, Alex raise from his seat, barely seen by the man contemplating the worth of staying in the country, and goes to the door.

"I thought it would have taken you more time, Director Bones." Say, Alex, inviting the woman in. While he sees her accompanied by Susan, he says nothing and leads them to the seats.

~~~

When she entered, Amelia Bones was as surprised that the first time she had been in seeing the Potter Heir. The boy was nothing a first year should be, by it his physic or his knowledge. The last one could be easily attributed to a genius mind, potentially explained by the maturity his body provides.

Even then, it had only been barely three months, and he had enough mastery over the old laws that it allowed him to plunder a fifth of the British economy. This would make the following tasks harder and simpler.

Taking a seat on the side of a Shackbolt, she never seen so socked since his service entry, she gazes at the files in front of the Auror. With an expert gaze acquired with years of dealing with paperwork, she rapidly understands the content of the matter and internally winces.

'Let alone 20%, it a third of our economy this would endanger!' Giving a more in-depth look, she needs a second to connect the dots. MAking volt face to the young man in front of her, she couldn't hide her stupor.

Seeing his smirk, she understands that he knows precisely what he was doing.

"You will plunge our country into war if you go with this!"

"And the government will have no choice but accept, or I will execute the Auror I detain." Say Alex emotionlessly, noting the squirming form of the red hair on the side of her aunt subconsciously.

"What do you mean, boss?" Asked Shack, knowing that while he understands the global situation, he had missed something from her reaction.

"He doesn't want shares nor ownership, but monetary compensation! If he does this, he will only drain Galleons from the market and restrict our possible income!"

~~~

That right, similar to what he did with the previous 56 Houses, Alex had no interest in taking part in the Britain economy, only wanting compensation for the attack. In doing so,

She knows that it would be disastrous for the simple fact that, with no shops of production lines, he didn't take part in the economy. Worst, as minor, he didn't have access to his Vault, making all the gained money dormant for the ten next years, as he could only take his Lordship at 21.

Being cut of 33% of its economy while depriving the community of its supplies and coins to purchase it would create inflation the community had never seen before. THeir was no way for them to last those ten years, and nothing to oblige him to spend money in the country after that.

Because of the stupidity of a boy and the machinations of a decrepit older man, the British magical community could very well not see the next millenary alive.

Due to entitled morons and a spoiled brat, there was now, no escape.

"Shackbolt, return to the Ministry and process the charges." Bitterly tell the woman, knowing that the case was a foregone conclusion.

Knowing better than trying to speak against his boss, he nodded curtly, taking with him the two Aurors.

~~~

"Now that we are done with this, are they anything else your require, Madam Bones?" Asked Alex without letting the future situation of the old community affect him.

'At least he is not gloating or anything, but even this is bad.' Shooked her head internally at her precarious situation.

"As long as Auror Jefferson basic need a respected, no, not for the Ministry at least."

Raising a brow at the cryptic response, he patiently waits for her to continue.

"My next business concern House Potter and Bones. I was made aware of an old document, recently activated by the actual circumstances." Was all she said, before taking out a roll of old parchment, giving it to him.

Carefully unfurling it, he blanks for a second in front of the evident betrothal contract.

"As Susan had her first menstruation the past month, making her apt to sire an Heir, and due to your evident sexual maturity, an old betrothal contract between our house had it condition fulfilled." Say her without any shame, much to the one of her niece on her side.

The squeaking girl was burning red from the blunt way she has barely referred a nothing more than an able breeding mare. While Susan was educated in the pureblood tradition from her tender age, it was still a shameful subject for the young girl.

~~~

-Something fishy there.- Immediately say CS.

'Agreed, she would have immediately approached me or wait until we were fourteen, not in between.'

-Remember the rumours?-

'What..? Ha! I see, so that why.'

-The chance is high that it does. The Ministry intervention is so blatant it nearly insulting.-

'I wouldn't pass it above Fudge to attempt something like this.'

~~~

While the two were rapidly forming a hypothesis, Amelia next words confirmed them.

"While it highly unusual nowadays, the Ministry had approved the use of article 6 of the contract."

When Alex looks at it, his last doubts were answered when he see the mention of blood ritual marriage.

Faking a sight of Powerlessness and catching the woman decontracting at it, Alex let nothing of the hatred at the woman and government for the blatant threat.

"You can keep this copy; the ministry had it own, like myself. The ceremony will take place on the 1 August, after your 12 years." Say her more lightly.

He accompanies the women to the door before being left alone.

~~~

-What do you think there aiming at?-

'It evident, they want to put their hand on my accounts, not that they know I don't have one anymore.' Said Alex, gritting his teeth.

-How?- Asked CS, better with numbers and runes simulation than politic.

'Simple of all the remaining Houses in Britain, only three have a real weight against me. The Black, Bones and Longbottom. The Black are out, the Longbottom had a hair and ally to us, leaving only the Bones.

By making me marry her at twelve, Amelia Bones will become the de facto regent of House Potter until I'm seventeen and control my seat until twenty-one. As regent, she will have at least an overseer right as of my Vaults. As I will be married, she will also have restricted access to them. By the time I'm twenty-one, she could drain a good part of them and stabilise the British economy.

The only reason I could see for that kind of movement must be due to Fudge.'

-How so?-

'After the kick in the nuts I gave to a good number of families, their Heir is now without future. With their families made popper they can't afford bride Dorthy. They must be pressuring Fudge to do something, surely by promising vote for the re-election. As for Bones, as a single woman, she will be unable to refuse pretender, as the stability of the Ministry and the magical community are at stake. Fudge must have promised some immunity if she was able to take control of a part of my Vaults.' Explain Alex to CS, calming down a little after venting his emotions.

-So what now?-

'Now? We fuck up this rotten society more. With the charges, it will be another chunk of their economy that will vanish. I don't know for the rest of the year, but as soon as possible we take hold on the Horcrux, starting by Quirrelmort and the diadem. I had the cup already and a good guess on to how to obtain the locket, leaving the ring and the diary.

I will take care of the ring during the break, and only the diary would be left. With any chance, Lucius will want to protect his interest, and release the Basilisk to take care of me, before I became a threat for him and his associates.'

-What about the marriage? It will happen before your second year.- Asked CS, worried that their plans would be put in peril due to the greedy and corrupted politician.

'Simple, they seem to thinks I only know the laws, but not the details of the Potter's affairs, that why they attempted it. If they want to go with it, I can slow things long enough via the Longbottom. By the time, I should have the book in hand and get rid of the last echo of Voldie.

I can only hope it would trigger a side or main objective and be the key to get out of this world. In the meantime let focus on more important matters, are you done with the runes arrays needed?' Asked Alex, changing abruptly of the subject.

-Yes, it finished, you can process.-

'Good, let try one unit for now and see what it give.'

~~~

Seating on a chair at the study site, he takes different materials out of his space pocket.

'Ok, let start by the chip, send over the arrays schemes.' Said Alex, while taking out a piece of mithril.

Closing his eyes, and activating his craft magic, the different arrays of runes send by CS, slowly manifest on a millimetre size. This was his present limit; smaller would require more precise tool he didn't have access yet.

Due to the sheer complexity of the task, he needed fifteen minutes to create the core of the enchantment.

Once done, the chip was the largest he ever produced, corresponding to two thumbs put side by side. Even then, it wasn't all he would need. Taking the ingot of goblin steel, he crafts the edges of a cube, similar to the one in the SU, before etching the runes on them too. The frame finished, four of its six panels were covered in secure glass. Created with a layer of woven enchanted mithril tread grid between two panels of enchanted glasses, he installs them on the four sides.

The top of the cube was cover in a hollowed pave of goblin steel, containing a different piece of equipment, while the base made to hold the product.

All in all, Alex had needed 3 hours to complete the construction of the 20*20*20 centimetres cube. On the exterior, it wasn't too dissimilar than a microwave. The box had a silvery colour with translucent glass. On the face containing the door, a fifth was used as an interface with a slot for the MFD, a screen and a numeric keypad.

"Ok, the moment of truth."

Taking a deep breath, Alex took two of remaining components on the table. He craft first two MFD (mithril floppy disk), before incorporating a set of different data in the printed circuits. Finally done, Alex took the first one and inserted it in. Putting the finger on the screen and sending a pulse of magic, he starts the machine.

He sighs in relief as the cube immediately react and activate. The dark screen light with a sky blue hue as the first message appears.

{[MFD detected, program activate. Units numbers?]}

Alex pushes on '1' before confirming the order.

{[Order confirmed, starting production of '1' unit.]}

{[Lack of manufacture elements detected, insert the following materials:

-Diamonds 10G

-Mithril 6G

-Steel 65G

-Energy core x1 (10G)]}

~~~

Just after the message, a drawer automatically opens from the top side. Taking the prepared plack of 25G of the required material, he inserts them on after other. In real-time, the element need on the screen vanishes when he adds the needed quantity.

When the list was complete, the real work started. Out of the top, inside the cube, arms begin to appear, before immediately begin to work.

{[Estimated construction time : 1:20]}

That right, Alex had created a 3D printer allowing him to make a unit, but more importantly, engrave runes on an even smaller scale than him.

He couldn't help but look in fascination as the skeleton of the unit took shape. Steel was directly transfigurated in the right form from the material. In less than ten seconds, the frame of an ant appears. In its abdomen, half of a cube appears before a mithril chip embedded in. From there, lasers flash from different arms, inscribing the arrays at speed several times faster than him.

The only reason he considers it faster than he was the fact that the excess energy from the blast of the laser was used to charge the just created rune. As the chip was completed, the second half of the diamond cube was complete, and the model rises from the base on a pillar at its legs.

Now in the middle of the cube, the arms rapidly work to create the under the outer shell, while lasers inscribe the reset of the runes works.

As the same side, an isolate cube form on the left corner of the printer. Inside Alex could see the EC being based, it intricate runes arrays slowly appearing. Once complete, a stronger laser strikes it for ten-second no-stop, charging the EC to its limit.

By the time it finishes, 1 minute and 13 has passed. Now left with nearly nothing, the Ec was retrieved off the vanished cube and installed in the head of the ant, before the upper outer shell was added.

The unit complete, the door open, leaving Alex the possibility to take the thumb-sized ant.

Putting it on the table, he took a fist-sized piece of raw gold mixed with rock, and leave it in front of it. As if feeling the gold, the ant activates, moving it antenna before rapidly moving to it. Using it mithril-made mandibles, it tears a chunk of gold, before swallowing.

The entire chunk vanishes in a minute, leaving behind only a pleb of rock transfigurate and rejected by the ant. Putting his last test on trial, he took out and USB port. Much to his relief and joy, the ant immediately goes to it and position itself. The lower part of its abdomen opens, allowing the reading of the SU inside it.

On his screen, Alex could see a part of the 25*25*25 centimetres cube used by the extracted gold.