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Harry Potter, Council Chamber – Oldtown.

If Harry thought that the meetings of this council would be similar to those of the Wizengamot he had been forced to endure in England, it was obvious that he was gravely mistaken.

The Wizengamot was a product of its time, and Muggle influence was evident, both for better and for worse. The meetings revolved around economic, political, and social reforms, generally focused on benefiting the businesses of the ruling families as a whole.

Harry still remembered with annoyance listening to Marcus Greengrass talk about the tariffs on potion ingredients he exported from America and Africa, and about how the Wizengamot should not charge him a single Galleon for his great contribution to the economy of the Magical World.

However, here… things were very different, at least that was Harry's first impression.

Even more so when he heard the Chief Warlock begin the meeting quickly and decisively, without unnecessary speeches or bullshit.

"Good. We all have more important things to do. This is an emergency meeting, so it will be much shorter than our scheduled ones. Lord Harald Black is joining us, and at least as far as I am concerned, I would like to know where he comes from," the old man asked calmly and directly, much to Harry's surprise.

All the Lords and Ladies present focused their gazes on Harry and looked at him expectantly, more than curious to learn about his history.

Harry raised an eyebrow, his gaze completely focused on the Chief Warlock as he considered how much to reveal about his origins.

With Viserys and the Court, it had been much easier. To them, Harry was simply a Dragon Lord from a distant land, far beyond the golden hills of Yi-Ti, wherever that was.

But Viserys was a Muggle, one who was genuinely obsessed with magic, and one whom Harry could truly call a friend. Something told Harry that deceiving these people would not be nearly as simple.

Lord Potter refocused, preparing to answer, when he was interrupted by Lord Casterly, Desmella's grandfather.

"Forget about that, Rickon. What I really want to know is what was going through your head when you officially claimed a Valyrian brat as a ward of House Black!" the man spat with a mixture of disbelief and fury.

The man's words triggered reactions from the rest of the members. The vast majority began talking among themselves, nodding at the words of the elderly green-eyed Lord, dressed in a golden robe covered in red runes.

"Oh, by Sirius," Desmella said cautiously, much to Harry's curiosity, as he simply looked at the old man and replied.

"It's simple. Aurors Casterly and Mudd threatened to separate the infant from his mother, something I simply couldn't allow. I'm rather fond of them, let me tell you," Harry said calmly, looking at the council members, who returned his gaze coldly and proudly.

Harry found it genuinely refreshing, to be honest. Few people in England dared to look him in the eyes since the Battle of Hogwarts, and since Tanaris and he had incinerated Voldemort and his band of useless followers.

These people had no idea who Harry Potter was.

But they would soon find out. Of that, he was certain.

Lord Casterly looked at him incredulously before standing up and speaking again.

"Bu—but you violated the treaty! You interfered! When this esteemed Council made the agreement with Aenar Targaryen, it was stipulated that every Targaryen with magical gifts would be subject to the Law of the Council of Magic! The Statute of Secrecy cannot be broken!" the old man said, genuinely shocked and furious with Harry, to the young Lord's indifference, although some of those words immediately caught his attention.

"Interesting. A treaty, you say? What treaty are you talking about?" he asked, fishing for information based on the old man's words.

However, Harry received his answer not from Lord Casterly, but from someone else entirely.

"The Dragon Treaty, in which the Arcane Council guaranteed the safety and sovereignty of the Targaryens on Dragonstone, in exchange for their assistance and information concerning the defenses of the capital of the Freehold," said none other than Lord Sirius Martell.

Unlike Lord Rickon and Lord Casterly, he was much younger than the rest of the members, but still older than Viserys, with tanned skin and gray eyes, dressed in elegant silks and carrying a weirwood staff shaped like a serpent, which appeared to be enchanted in some way, considering the way its head moved gently, hissing toward Harry.

Harry gave the Lord his full attention. He was gently stroking the serpent on his staff, his calculating eyes observing Harry with an intense and complicated gaze.

"After the arrival of my Rhoynar ancestors in Westeros, the Valyrian Freehold unsuccessfully attempted incursions into Westeros, eager for conquest and thirsty for blood. The ancient Dragon Lords believed they would repeat the atrocities committed in New Ghis and Chroyane on the shores of Westeros, only to encounter the fierce magical resistance of the old families of the First Men. For centuries, Valyrian incursions were repelled, one after another, by our revered ancestors, who fought fiercely, bringing down dragons, sacrificing Valyrian Lords to the roots of the heart trees, and decimating their slave armies. However, although we were capable of repelling the attacks of the forty families, we lacked the military capacity necessary to eradicate the problem once and for all," Lord Sirius said, causing Harry to nod calmly while Lord Gardener snorted with evident disdain.

"The incestuous animals were sadistic and cruel, but they were far from stupid, and their skill with blood magic and runic magic was something to be wary of. The defenses of the cities of the Freehold were ruthless and powerful, capable of resisting our sieges long enough for rapid-response riders to arrive and reinforce the cities. For centuries, our incursions into Valyria were complete failures," the Lord said in a deep, heavy voice.

However, before he could continue, Lady Marla Dayne intervened.

"Until the exile of the Targaryens and the appearance of Lord Sirius Black," the elegant woman said naturally, causing all the Council members to nod softly.

Harry could only raise his eyebrows in disbelief, completely immersed in the history the Council was sharing with him.

Chief Warlock Rickon nodded solemnly before continuing.

"Lord Sirius was… impressive. A wizard as powerful as he was terrifying. At first, he was not a member of this council. He spent his days wandering throughout the continent, healing the sick in small villages and fucking women, both noble and commoner, wherever he went. Every woman he bedded ended up with a magical pregnancy. Records estimate that he alone fathered more than five hundred wizards and witches during the five years before he agreed to become a member of this Council," the old Stark said with a heavy sigh, causing the Ladies present to frown while the men laughed with amusement.

"Lord Sirius changed the game. His magic… the stories told about House Black are as fantastic as they are terrifying. The stories say that he could move instantaneously, cast lethal spells with exceptional speed, and most importantly, that he did not need a Staff to manifest his magical Gift, but instead used a…"

At this point, Harry intervened, drawing his trusty wand from his robes and replying distractedly.

"A wand," he said, displaying his trusted companion, his gaze completely focused on Sirius's wand, embedded in the center of the room.

However, Harry's attention returned to the council when, much to Lord Potter's surprise, every member of the Council stood up, gasping in absolute shock and staring at the wand in Harry's hand with reverence and extreme desire, much to his confusion.

"Huh?" was all he could say before Lady Dayne stepped forward, looking at him fervently.

"You! You possess a wand!" the woman said in absolute shock before shaking her head and beginning to speak.

"I have two daughters and four granddaughters. They are yours if you want them. I…" However, her words were interrupted by Lord Casterly, who hurriedly intervened.

"HA! Don't you see that he has already claimed my granddaughter? Lord Black, if Desmella is to your liking, I have seven granddaughters just like her. All yours to do with as you please. I would like to—"

The man's words were interrupted by another Lord, Gardener, if Harry remembered correctly, who in turn offered three granddaughters with their weight in gold and silver, accompanied by an entire herd of forest Aurochs, whatever those were.

Within a few seconds, the men and women of the Council, who only moments ago had been calm and carried themselves with the bearing of high nobility, looked like market vendors, offering him daughters and treasures in exchange for the knowledge he jealously kept hidden.

Wandlore.

What the fuck had Sirius been doing in this place? Harry thought incredulously, until Lord Stark stood and struck the floor of the hall with his staff, causing white sparks to emerge from the ground as he roared with force.

"SILENCE!" he shouted, evidently channeling his magic through his throat, releasing a cry so powerful that it silenced every Lord and Lady instantly, earning Harry's obvious respect.

A second later, the elderly Lord looked directly at Harry, his face serene and firm.

"Is it real?" he asked simply, his gaze focused on Harry's hand, directly upon his wand.

Harry merely raised an eyebrow and elegantly moved the object in question, leaving behind a trail of crimson magic. With a firm movement, Harry caused the statues decorating the Hall to come to life and begin performing a tap dance before the Council, much to Harry's amusement and the disbelief of everyone else present.

"By the Old Gods!" Lord Stark whispered, causing the rest of the Lords and Ladies to nod in complete silence, all with the exception of Lord Strong, who stared directly at Harry in total silence.

Harry couldn't help but focus his attention on Viserys's Master of Laws. He looked extremely calm, dressed in a black robe and better dressed than Harry had ever seen him in the Red Keep.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Lyonel, to be honest," Harry said calmly, causing the Lord in question to nod calmly and elegantly.

"I'm not surprised, my Lord. When you appeared at the Red Keep, I informed the Council about the appearance of an unknown wizard of great power and skill, not to mention your connection with Tanaris, the White Specter," the man said with complete calm, surprising him.

"I drafted a report and mentioned you as an ideal candidate to become a new member of the Council. House Potter would be new magical blood, and you possess the wealth, knowledge, and skill necessary to accomplish it. Of course, everything went to hell the moment you revealed that you were not only Lord Potter, but also Lord Black," the man said with a heavy sigh, causing Harry to nod and respond.

"As soon as this meeting is over, we need to talk. Specifically about the young Valyrian woman I encountered on the way to this chamber, identical to my future wife," Harry said with a frown, causing Lyonel to make an uncomfortable grimace.

"Aye. I suppose we have a conversation pending, my Lord," the man said, causing Harry to nod and look toward Lord Stark again, who was still staring at his wand.

"I saw a statue in the atrium commemorating the Battle of Valyria. What is it about?" Harry asked curiously, causing Lord Stark to nod and prepare to answer.

"Lord Sirius Black possessed magical knowledge never seen before, capable of creating the most powerful magical artifacts and, for the first time, giving us a real possibility of attacking the enemy capital," Lord Rickon said, only for Lord Sirius to continue.

"However, all of that would have been useless without the assistance of the Targaryens, who apparently had a blood feud with House Baelaerys in the capital of the enemy empire, ending with their humiliation in the Anogrion and their exile from the capital. Much of their wealth was confiscated, their lands conquered, their slaves handed over to various families. Even seven Targaryen maidens were enslaved and given as toys to more powerful houses, creating terrible resentment in Aenar and Gaemon and giving us the opportunity to deliver the killing blow," the Dornishman said, causing Harry to nod.

"So the Targaryens betrayed Valyria. In exchange for clemency, they handed over knowledge of the capital's defenses," Harry deduced quickly, causing the Council members to nod.

"Yes. Thanks to their knowledge, we had a direct route to the enemy capital, and Lord Sirius, the Chief Warlock of that era, did not waste the opportunity at all. He gathered the greatest army of wizards and magical beings in Westeros and personally led the attack that resulted in the Battle of Valyria. The attack was swift, fierce, and ruthless, ending with the destruction of the city in a single day and, with it, any organization of the Valyrian Empire," Lord Stark said, causing Harry to nod softly.

The story sounded… much more common than it appeared. Throughout history, both mundane and magical, many kingdoms and empires had fallen because of traitors from within.

"Although interesting, that still doesn't explain why I encountered the twin sister of my future wife here," he asked with a frown, causing Lyonel to clear his throat and prepare his answer.

"In exchange for clemency, Aenar Targaryen was forced to sign an armistice. All Targaryen magical knowledge was confiscated by Lord Sirius and stored beneath powerful blood wards in Marauder's Den. All knowledge of Valyrian magic was erased from the entire Targaryen family, which was condemned to live as Muggles, humiliated but alive," Lyonel said with complete normality.

Harry raised an eyebrow curiously before responding.

"And the dragons? That still doesn't explain why Viserra Targaryen is here and not with her family," Harry said with a frown, unconsciously causing his magic to emerge from his body and permeate the room.

Instantly, the rest of the Lords responded in kind. They were strong… but compared to the magical titan that was Harry Potter, it was like throwing buckets of water into an immense ocean.

Lyonel swallowed, adjusted the collar of his robe, and continued.

"The Dragons are… a special case. They are not real dragons, at least not like the beautiful specimens of the Shivering Sea and the Summer Islands. The Valyrian creations are the product of blood magic, a mundane and crude mixture of the Firewyrms of the Burning Mountains of Essos with the Wyverns of Sothoryos. They are slaves made of blood and fire, bound to the Valyrian bloodline. They are not as powerful or long-lived as true dragons like Tanaris, and in small numbers, they are easy to dominate and control, Aenar begs to keep his beasts, and Lord Sirius concede him the deed." the man said.

Lord Casterly intervened.

"In Valyria, they were a fucking problem because those disgusting incestuous bastards created them with sorcery like bread. Before being humiliated, the Targaryens alone came to possess a hundred dragons, and they were far from being the most powerful house in Valyria," the old man said, causing Harry to grimace uncomfortably.

After all, the words of both the old man and Lyonel were quite believable.

"I suppose Aenar accepted, and it was established that… any Targaryen born with magic would be bound to the laws of Westeros," Harry said, far from happy with the revelation, causing everyone to nod softly.

"That is correct. As soon as a magical birth is detected, a specialized team is deployed to retrieve the infant. By protocol, the Muggle mother is made to believe that the child was stillborn, and the magical infant is sent to the Academy, where they will be raised and prepared for their magical education," Lady Dayne said with complete calm.

At those words, Lord Tully chuckled softly and replied with amusement.

"If the Muggle in question is attractive enough, it is likely that some wizard will take her as a bed warmer in exchange for allowing her to remain with the infant. It doesn't happen often, but some are overly sentimental, aren't they, Sirius?" the red-haired Lord said with a laugh that Lord Martell did not dignify with a response.

"But we are getting off topic, my Lord. You are here, and you are a Black recognized for your Family Magic. It is important that you take your place. This meeting is improvised, so it will be quite short. We will put you in contact with the Dwarf bank so that you can legally take possession of the Black lands and properties, as well as give you enough time to acclimate to your new position. We will meet here again in two moons. From what my son Benjen told me, you have a war to win," the old man said with amusement, causing Harry to frown and simply nod.

This was not the time to say more. There was much to process. He had to learn about this new game, one far more dangerous and important than the sycophants of Viserys's court.

There was no time to waste.

The meeting had ended, yes, but Harry knew perfectly well that the game had only just begun.

The real negotiations happened in the shadows, after all.

Viserra Targaryen, Arcane Council Headquarters – Oldtown.

"Oh, by Sirius! I can't believe it, Vis! You've been claimed!" Betha exclaimed, her best friend and maiden of House Blackwood, one of the Council members.

The beautiful Valyrian woman merely smiled radiantly, and although she appeared physically calm, inside she was extremely relieved to have been claimed so quickly.

And by such a handsome wizard, the young woman thought, completely flushed as she felt butterflies inside at the thought of the handsome and powerful Lord Black.

She would probably ended up as a bed warmer or concubine, but Harald Black was better than the other options.

At least he hadn't saw her as a mare or a bitch, thought with a grimace.

Viserra was a woman of Valyrian ancestry. Both she and her older sister had grown up as orphans at the Academy, working to earn the right to live and study there, although the difference between them and the descendants of the First Men was quite pronounced.

While maidens such as Betha, Lyanna, or Myrah talked about fashion and Madame Cat's latest collection in Black Alley, Viserra and her sister Rhaella had to wear dresses and garments sewn by themselves, generally patched because of the damage suffered during their activities at the Academy.

Life was hard for them, and for anyone who wasn't of First Men blood, if she was being honest with herself.

However, her introspection was interrupted by an annoying male voice, a voice familiar to the young woman.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" said the irritating voice of Bennard Stark, who approached from behind with that damned smile Viserra hated so much.

Instantly, the young woman erased the smile from her face, replacing it with a frown as she felt a shiver upon seeing the way the young Stark looked at her, as if Viserra were nothing more than an animal.

Instantly, Betha stepped forward and placed herself between Viserra and him, looking at the young wizard and snapping.

"What the fuck do you want, Stark? We're in far too good a mood for you to ruin it with your presence," her best friend said, ready to defend her immediately.

Bennard did not respond. He simply looked at Betha with a smile.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to inform Viserra about a little piece of news Garth shared with me. He mentioned that his father finally claimed Rhaella Targaryen and that he would give her to him as a gift for his name day," the young man said maliciously, causing Viserra to shudder completely, now able to understand why her sister had been so distracted lately and had not been answering her owls.

And apparently, Bennard smelled blood in the water, because he stared directly at Viserra and began walking toward her.

"But… don't worry, dear. I'll speak with my father. I'm sure I can buy her before Garth defiles her. I'd love to have both of you to warm my bed, after all. That's all your rotten Valyrian blood is good for: whores to warm the cocks of the superior blood of the First Men," the young man spat maliciously, causing Viserra's eyes to fill with tears while her fists trembled with an uncontrollable fury.

She couldn't respond. Not against a Stark. Doing so would mean a death sentence… but by Sirius, how she wished she could wipe that pathetic wizard's damned smile off his face and…

BOOOOM

Viserra's murderous thoughts were interrupted by a powerful boom, and a moment later, Bennard Stark's body was sent flying into the nearest wall, striking it like a sack of potatoes and causing the arrogant man to slide down the wall with a groan of pain.

For a moment, Viserra was completely paralyzed, incredulous at what had just happened, just like Betha, who stared dumbfounded at Bennard's body.

Until that voice, that voice that made Viserra's knees tremble, made itself heard behind her.

"Are you all right?"

The young Valyrian woman gasped before quickly turning around and finding herself face-to-face with the vision that had tormented her thoughts for the past two hours. He was just as handsome and powerful as she remembered, looking at her with those beautiful emerald eyes in which Viserra could lose herself within seconds.

"I… yes, my Lord, I am," she said shyly, while averting her gaze and making herself as small as possible, instinctively moving closer to the warmth of the Lord's magic.

The handsome man was about to respond, but Bennard's furious roar interrupted the moment.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, you idiot? I… AHHHG—"

Those were the young Stark's last words as Lord Black elegantly moved a… wand? causing powerful magical chains to appear around Bennard's body while a gag silenced the impertinent young man.

"Watch how you speak to me, boy. I am Harald Black, and you were harassing a witch claimed by my family," he said firmly, drawing gasps and whispers from the expectant witches and wizards.

Viserra merely blushed, leaning her body against Lord Black's, relieved by his warm and powerful presence, shivering as she felt the heavy hand on her lower back, an unconscious gesture of possession and claiming, a Lord claiming an initiate as his own.

And by Sirius, how much Viserra enjoyed such a powerful sensation.

However, as if the situation could not possibly get any worse…

"What the fuck does this mean?" spat another male voice, belonging to a figure as respected as he was feared in the magical world.

The crowd parted amid shouts, allowing an immense beast the size of a fucking horse to make its presence known. It bared its powerful fangs toward Lord Harald while its Master walked toward his son.

None other than Lord Benjen himself, son of Chief Warlock Lord Rickon Stark.

Viserra couldn't help but tremble, feeling like a small doe surrounded by powerful predators, something inside her telling her that this had only just begun.

She was not wrong.