Summer school came to a close at the end of July and Harry found the month of August gone almost as quickly. The students living at Hogwarts had been taken for their supplies and they were already in the Great Hall with their luggage stacked by the door waiting for their sorting. In small groups the rest of the students arrived. Harry waiting until everyone was settled before he stood.

"Welcome back and good morning everyone." He smiled, "If you will all scrunch a bit so the sorted students can sit close to the head table. Then as more students are sorted everyone can keep scooting back to allow the newest students up close."

They all shuffled and left about a third of each table open. Having two schools operating meant neither school would be at full capacity. Still there were a lot of students present.

"Justin?" Harry called and Justin entered carrying the hat and the stool, "This item has been used for more than one thousand years. May I present to you the sorting hat of Hogwarts."

Justin sat the hat on the stool and the students all looked a bit confused. Then the rim opened up.

"Fear not students your headmaster isn't barmy yet."

Gasps came from nearly everyone.

"In years past I have always sang a song. This song was meant to pass on a bit of thought from Hogwarts. However we find ourselves in a new world where singing is not a message but an entertainment. My riddles are no longer understood and are brushed off. Instead I will be telling you what Hogwarts is thinking."

Not a student made a sound.

"Though I have to sort you into four houses it doesn't mean I want you held apart. In years past the qualities spelled out for each house did nothing but separate. Your house became your family and the other three families became your competition. But that is only for seven years at the most once you leave Hogwarts you all have to work together to make a nation."

Several were nodding their heads in agreement now.

"So instead I encourage you to realize that all other beings on this planet are your family. We are all the same and we are all different. Find your place amongst your peers and learn who they are and who you are. Though I will sort the ambitious into the Slytherin, the courageous into Gryffindor, the studious into Ravenclaw and the loyal to Hufflepuff I want you realize you have all those qualities. Where would the ambitious be without the cleverness to know what to do, the bravery to do it and the loyalty to stick with it. Without all four qualities you would have never made it this far. Keep your competition healthy, your laughter loud and carefree, your faces bright and eager and your tongue respectable."

The teachers began to clap and that brought all the students to do the same. The hat bowed to each table then Justin picked it up.

"Would the seventh year students please line up across the front of the head table?" Harry requested.

They did so and Justin began calling names. On the third name no one moved.

"James Smith?" Justin called again.

"I don't see him." Harry looked concerned, "Has anyone see him?" No one had so Harry made a decision, "Skip him for now. When lunch is over I'll check on him. He may have just missed the portkey."

"Of course Headmaster." Justin nodded and continued.

James Smith wasn't the only student that was expected to show and hadn't. All in all a worrying fifteen students hadn't arrived. When he finished and the last student took their seat Harry stood and gave them a smile.

"Let the feast begin." He called with a clap of his hands.

Food appeared on the tables, so much food that the tables groaned under the weight. Harry couldn't think of eating with students missing so he got up to go check on them.

"Do you want me to come too?" Justin asked as he stood.

"No you're in charge of the school until I return." Harry gave him a grin, "I shouldn't be long."

He went to his office and floo'd to the office the advisors used. He exited the floo into chaos. He tried to understand what was going on but the noise level was too great. He let off a loud cracking sound from his wand and everyone stopped and turned. Then they all began to talk at once again. He held up his hands and everyone fell silent.

"Mr. Smith, has something happened to James?" he asked.

"Yes." The man was the closest to him, "Major came and took him away. He said he wasn't welcome at your school and needed to be at BAM. Why have you changed your mind?"

"I didn't." Harry shook his head, "I'm here because fifteen students I expected to show didn't. Did Major take them all?"

"Yes." The resounding response came from everyone.

"I have called the aurors." Shannon Finnegan spoke up, "Who are you missing so I know we're speaking of the same students."

Harry rattled off the list of names, the year each student was in and their age. Shannon had the same list. Harry instructed everyone to find a place to stand so the fireplace was open for the aurors to arrive. Instead it was one auror and the Minister.

"The situation is worse than you know." Blaise entered and pulled Harry to the side, "Major is losing it. He's got all the students locked in a room and he's lecturing them on the evils of purebloods and Hogwarts. He kicked out his own teachers and they brought it to our attention."

"What are the aurors doing?" Harry asked.

"We've got three warding experts trying to dismantle the wards." Blaise told him, "But we're afraid he's going to do something stupid before we can get in. Raymond has an idea."

"Go ahead." Harry urged him knowing they were going to ask him to do something.

"We think a house elf could get someone past the wards." He explained, "But we need someone who can distract him while we break in."

"I can get Bolly to take me and he can take a few students at a time and get them out of danger." Harry saw the logic right away, "I can keep him busy while they all get out. Once they're safe you can arrest him."

"Exactly." Blaise nodded, "Can he find a way in?"

"He's the elf that used to deliver the list of students." Harry grinned, "The wards can't keep him out. Bolly." Harry called and the elf popped to his side, "I need to get into BAM unseen."

"Yes sir." Bolly nodded and grabbed Harry's hand.

A small pop later and Harry was gone leaving Blaise to explain what was happening. He arrived in the room full of students who were watching Major closely. Harry and Bolly were still invisible. The seventh years were at the front and the students got progressively smaller behind them. They all had their wands out but did not attack. Harry and Bolly slipped into the group of first years. The elf put a privacy bubble around the group then allowed himself and Harry to appear.

"Headmaster." One of his students gasped in relief.

"Ms. Troller." Harry smiled, "Good to see you. This is Bolly he's going to pop a few at a time and get you out. You have to be quiet though because the privacy bubble that is up now will have to be taken down for him to leave."

"Ok." The group whispered.

"Is anyone hurt?' Harry asked.

"No first years." The girl replied and pointed to a boy off to the side, "He tried to tell the Headmaster that his ideas were just prejudices stemming from a lack of power and knowledge."

"Bolly, get all the first years then get Mr. Smith." Harry instructed.

"Why not get him first?" she asked.

"Major is most likely watching Mr. Smith." Harry explained, "We'll get you to safety then if he realizes I'm here he won't hurt you to get to me. The rest should be able to at least cast a shield for themselves. Now five at a time touch Bolly."

When Bolly returned he wasn't alone. Several other house elves arrived and began to get the students to safety. Harry thanked them and moved out to face Major as soon as the youngest and injured were away. The distraction happened right away.

"YOU!" Major had turned from the board where he was making diagrams and notes to show how the muggleborns were better, "Get out of my school!"

"As soon as you let the students go." Harry's wand was at the ready.

"Never, they are mine." He declared, "I will mold their minds to my way of thinking and we'll take over the world."

"Really." Harry deadpanned, "Gosh that is so original."

The first hex flew from Major's wand. Harry easily stepped out of the path of the stinging curse. Harry shook his head. He couldn't believe the man started with that.

"Come on now." Harry taunted, "I was an auror for a long time. I think I can handle something a little stronger than a stinging hex."

"How about this one. Avada Kadrava." The green light zoomed towards Harry.

He quickly summoned the teachers desk at the front of the room into the path of the curse, "I've learned how to deal with that one too."

"Reducto, confrigo, augmenta, glaciaous." Major called in quick succession.

Harry flicked the spells away and shook his head, "Didn't you ever learn to do silent casting?"

It was a definite hit on the man's ego and he screamed out a few more spells. The spells began to get more complex but Harry kept either shielding or batting the spell away. He had yet to let off one offensive spell. He was, of course, only waiting for all the students to be removed. There wasn't as many students as there were in Hogwarts but there were only a hand full of elves. And in an effort to keep the attention off of the children the elves were popping away in small groups so the sound didn't reach Major. Harry was a bit surprised when the man stopped flinging spells when the last student was popped away.

"I have to confess, I've been holding back." Major stated, "I've let them see just enough to get into the places I wanted. But never my full potential, would you like to know why."

"Sure." Harry kept him talking to delay the actual fight. He hoped the aurors would arrive first.

"I've made a study of you." Major smirked, "I know all about you, yes I know you're a halfblood. I let people think I'm stupid because I want you to look even more stupid. You see when I finish my destiny and kill you they'll think any idiot could have."

"It's your destiny to kill me?" Harry asked sarcastically, "Was this a prophecy or something you figured out on your own?"

"I figured it out on my own." Major laughed, "You see when I was just a child I realized you only stopped the Dark Lord Voldemort because you wanted the fame. Since that time your fame has gotten you everything you wanted. I knew there would be a time when I had something you wanted. A time when our paths would cross and now you want my school."

"Now that our paths have crossed you are going after your own fame." Harry concluded, "Well I must say I still think you're stupid. In addition I didn't kill him for the fame and I didn't get everything I wanted because of that fame. The things I did get I worked for."

"Just keep lying to yourself." Major whipped his wand around, "All the easier to kill you."

Harry was prepared for anything. Yet he wasn't hit with complex spells that would be difficult to defend against. There were no amazing feats like he had seen Dumbledore do. The man was truly a pathetic excuse for a wizard. There was of course a bit of power behind the curses but still very little that was interesting. Harry continued defending for a while.

"See you can do nothing but barely defend yourself." Major laughed again.

"Actually I haven't gotten started yet." Harry sighed in a bored tone.

"You have yourself so convinced of your abilities." Major smirked, "But you are nothing. I will now finish you off."

For the first time Major used something that could actually hurt someone. It was the spell Harry hated the most, fiend fire. Harry glared at the man and then sent his first offensive spells. He tied him up and took his wand. Next he set a ward to contain the flames to the room and then levitated Major out and sealed the doors behind them.

"You would destroy your own school and us with it?" Harry asked as he drug the man from the building, "I can't believe you are such an idiot. You think you are smart but you're just a delusional idiot."

"It wouldn't have burned down the whole school." Major huffed, "I sent my fire after you it will do nothing else."

"You can't control fiend fire." Harry bellowed, "You can't tell it what to do. Once it is out of your wand your control has ended."

"Fiend fire?" the head auror looked at the school in pity, "He set fiend fire?"

"I've contained it as much as I can." Harry explained, "My fire containment spells normally can hold it."

"Major you are under arrest." The auror turned to the ex-Headmaster, "For kidnapping, endangerment, intent to harm and destruction of property."

"I didn't start the fire he did." Major screamed, "He disarmed me and started it with my wand."

"Veritaserum at your trial will prove that you started it." Harry informed him, "Where are the students?"

"Over there." The auror pointed off to the side.

"I will take them to their parents." Harry offered and moved off without waiting on a reply, "How are you all doing?"

"Fine now." James Smith was surrounded by the others but they parted for Harry to get through.

"Good." Harry nodded, "Good job to all of you for protecting the younger years. Good job to you all for staying calm in the face of uncertainty. I'm going to take you to our advisors office where several of your parents have gathered."

"What are advisors?" One girl asked.

"They sort of work for Hogwarts." Harry explained, "They are muggleborns that volunteer to help younger muggleborns get used to the magical world and school. They also help parents keep a closer eye on their children."

"What's going to happen to BAM?" another asked.

"I'm not sure but it will be closed for a day or two at least so they can sort out the mess and get a new headmaster." Harry explained, "Hogwarts is open to you whether it is for a few days or the whole year."

Harry returned near the end of lunch with the fifteen missing students following behind him, "Stand along the table and Professor Brown will sort you."

Justin came around the table and sat the hat on the stool again as Harry sat in his seat at the head table. The fifteen showed shocked faces when the hat opened up and spoke.

"You missed my long winded rattle but I'll give you the short version. You should make friends in all houses and don't let anything get you down." It stated and stilled.

"Ok." Justin picked up the hat with a grin, "When I call your name come sit on the stool, the hat will be placed on your head and sort you."

Harry found himself standing in the Wizengamot again. He was faced against Major again. Blaise was staring slack jawed as the ex-headmaster ranted and raved proving his insanity. Once they fed the man the veritaserum he had spilled his guts.

"Once everyone believes that I am an idiot then I will defeat Harry Potter and I will be the greatest wizard alive." He claimed, "No one will stop me from taking over the world. I will be the greatest light lord ever to grace the earth. Muggleborns the world over will join me in toppling the pureblood regimes and taking over making a utopia of our own."

"I think the Janis Thickney ward has a bed with his name on it.' Harry muttered to Blaise.

"No doubt." He replied.

"You know if he'd been around a hundred years ago he would have had a following to rival Voldemorts." Harry watched as he continued to spout his plans and beliefs.

"That is a terrifying prospect." Blaise frowned, "How would he have done standing up to Voldemort?"

"He would have been obliterated." Harry shook his head, "Other than shields I used one spell to tie him up and one to disarm him. He was so shocked that I used a spell against him that he just froze and didn't even try to shield. I don't know what he suspected I would do but obviously attacking him back was nothing short of a complete surprise."

Years later Harry sat in his chair and watched as the newest first years were sorted. He had already decided that this was his last year. Hermione, Neville and the rest of his crowd where all gone now. He'd been the headmaster of Hogwarts for twenty years. Justin was ready to take his place even if he tried to convince Harry to stay longer.

BAM had closed down. Parents hadn't wanted to send their children to a place where they had witnessed such terrible events. The school was still there with only the one room destroyed and it had been repaired. A few years after the students left another group took it over. Someone anonymously started an education center to help adults learn more advanced magic. They were now running the Auror training program, the healer training program and offered masteries in seven other subjects. It was now called The Advanced Academy of the Magical Arts or AAMA for short and their final exams were called the Specialized Terrifyingly Obscure Arcane Tests or STOATs for short.