Protection: The Sword and the Shield

Beginning Of The Third Year

......Longbottom Manor, Durham

Neville Longbottom was back in his manor after a very eventful year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He chuckled to himself at how inadequate "eventful" was as a word to describe the year. He had successfully upgraded his relationship with Harry Potter from respected acquaintance to tentative friend and the House of Longbottom had showed itself as honorable in the fallout from Lucius Malfoy's attempt at attacking the House of Potter and the school.

In the greater world, what was essentially the collapse of the British wizarding government had caused very little ripples in the British wizarding community and the government was moving to reform itself at an adequate pace. Without the corrupt influences that had been removed during the trials, almost all of the Ministry departments had already become twice as effective despite the turmoil and lost staff. It was a testament to how corrupt the government had become that such scandal would make it more effective.

His own grandmother was chairing the committee of Wizengamot members that were acting as interim Minister of Magic while the elections were being organized. Neville thought the whole effort was a little pointless as Amelia Bones was far and away the lead candidate for the job. Neville knew that due to the scandals, the government had taken on the necessary position of being completely transparent and that no corners would be cut in the selection of a new Minister of Magic.

Change brought with it opportunity and he had directed his own Vassals and Retainers to be very aggressive in the financial arena as many merchant families had been caught up in the purge and business opportunities were likely to show up as a result. Vas had informed him that the Potter group was making similar moves. Neville had contacted Harry and the two had agreed to be aggressive in their business dealings but never dishonorable and the two had wished each other luck.

With Black and Potter in a true alliance, and the grand moves of the last few years, Neville knew that he would not win against the Potter group but was confident Vas would do well. Already, he was able to make some profitable acquisitions and Neville was sure that his group was well served in the break up and redistribution of many of the businesses that had lost their primary backers or owners.

To Neville's amusement, the worst of the fallout had been directed at the House of Malfoy and they had suffered the most severe repercussions. The house had been completely bankrupted by the fall of its Head of House. The conviction and incarceration of Lucius Malfoy had been the final nail in the coffin for the family, depriving it of someone who was clever enough to save it from total ruin.

The court had not only fined Lucius Malfoy personally as the Head of House but had also issued judgements against the House itself. In addition, the court had allowed claims of restitution to be made against both. The only funds left available when all was done, was the money set aside to pay for Draco's time at Hogwarts and the young man's personal trust fund.

The final blow to the House of Malfoy was the forced abdication of Lucius and the dissolution of one of its noble titles. It was an act that could only be taken by supermajority vote of the Upper House of the Wizengamot and was actually more scandalous a decision than Sirius Black's decision to cast Draco from the Black family and call in the marriage contract loan. House Malfoy was truly and completely destroyed.

It was believed by those who discussed such things, that it was Lucius's out of control ambition had destroyed his family and brought him just short of his own salvation. If he had succeeded in his machinations before being caught, and gained a hereditary seat for the House of Malfoy, only the Queen would have been able to approve the dissolution of his family's nobilty.

In addition, Narcissa could have held that seat until Draco was of age and earned a salary for the duty. Instead the title was lost and no one believed that Draco would be voted to regain it. So that is how Heir Draco Malfoy, Count of Wishborne, Baron of Challer, Knight Magica of the Order of Dusk lost the title Count.