Harry didn't know the details, but things were changing in the magical world. Sirius didn't tell him much, mainly fearing that it would end with nothing, but Susan was much more immersed in the events, if only due to her aunt's position.
"Auntie said that Dumbledore is sure to lose his position as Supreme Mugwamp of the ICW and also the Chief Warlock position in the Wizengamot. Lord Black is assembling quite a large alliance for this and is sure to succeed."
Harry listened but wasn't impressed. "We're going to be at Hogwarts in a few months. If he stays the Headmaster, it may affect us more than his other positions."
Susan smiled mischievously. "That's alright. You see, he got practically all his positions due to ending the war with Grindelwald. Once his deeds become known, he may consider himself lucky to stay at Hogwarts as an adjunct professor."
Harry shook his head. "He shouldn't stay at Hogwarts at all, He should lose any influence there. Anywhere else, too, for that matter."
Susan tried to explain. "Once he loses his support base, although some may still believe blindly in him, the board of governors will surely vote to replace him. They may state it in politer terms, of course, like letting him retire after his long service for the school, but they'd actually fire him, regardless of how they phrase it."
Harry was quite sceptical. "We should still check for alternatives even before we get our letters, or we may run out of time."
Susan agreed.
–..–
Dumbledore didn't know what hit him. He had thought his plans were foolproof, that even that 'plague' couldn't derail them much, and he suddenly had to face some demons of his past. Without him getting even a hint, Sirius Black was freed and even gained his lordship, suddenly making him a major political force. That had never been in his plans. And then Sirius began stripping him of all his authority.
It started small. Sirius asked for the magical guardianship of Harry Potter and received it. Since Dumbledore had never gone through the full procedure of gaining it, he wasn't even informed about the change. He only found out when trying to access Potter's trust vault.
The goblin teller told him, "Your key is no longer valid. The official guardian asked to invalidate all previous keys."
"But I'm Potter's guardian!"
"Not according to the official documents he brought, all genuine. You may dispute that, of course, but that is not our jurisdiction. We only follow the law."
Dumbledore knew it was a jibe at him for not always acting quite lawfully. He could say nothing about it.
He next found that the Ministry had decided to reevaluate its ICW delegation and assign it as a full-time position. Anybody wishing to be part of it needed to resign from other positions. Since he was holding two more positions, one of them more than a full-time position, he couldn't possibly ask to keep that position, too.
Losing the prestige and the payment this position gave him was a painful blow, but he couldn't honestly say it was wrong. Had it not affected him, he would have fully supported the change.
And then, the Prophet started publishing some very disturbing stories about his life, starting from his too close relationship with young Grindelwald, the fight that killed Ariana, his not so glorious defeat of Grindelwald and how he acted about it, the way he treated young Tom Riddle, pushing him into the dark side, his (in)actions as a headmaster, letting bigotry and cruelty go unpunished, the inefficient fight against Voldemort, the dubious prophecy and the way he tried to force it on the Potters, leaving a toddler on a doorstep in the middle of a cold night, taking a marked Death Eater as a Potions professor and supporting him against all complaints. Each day brought another story, all painting the Great Dumbledore as an incompetent and quite dark wizard disguised as the Leader of the Light.
He could have fought one such article, but there were too many, and he couldn't deny the truth in them. Worst of all — he had no idea how Rita Skeeter could have found these facts. Hadn't he used enough compulsion charms, obliviation charms, and more to hide his tracks well enough? It didn't occur to him that a real light leader wouldn't need to hide any facts at all.
And then, after his prestige reached its lowest since Albus graduated, Lord Black suggested removing him from his position as Chief Warlock since he could not be trusted, according to the articles everybody had read. Albus worked hard to recall any favour owed, real or imaginary, and to persuade as many people as he could. It didn't help him much. He may have gained a few more votes for keeping his position, but the vast majority voted to remove him.
And later, less than a month before the start of a new school year, the board of governors decided to let him go. It was phrased very nicely, but the essence was clear enough. He was fired from any position at school. Officially, it was due to his advanced age. He didn't bother to check for the real reasons. After all, with Lord Black there, as well as Dowager Lady Longbottom and Mrs Tonks as the Potter proxy, assigned by the Potter guardian — Sirius Black, he could have expected it.
The letter he got also stated that he could no longer reside at Hogwarts or even visit it uninvited due to his large clout that could influence staff members to act unwisely if he stayed nearby. It was a backhanded compliment, at best.
–..–
The children got their Hogwarts letters during July. Hermione got hers first, followed by Susan, Dudley and Harry, who got his letter a day before his birthday.
"My letter stated that somebody from the Ministry will come to introduce us to the magical world. Do you think I need it?" Hermione asked.
Harry chuckled. "Probably not, but you should better not show you're already knowledgeable about it. Let them think it's all new and surprising for you and your parents. No need to attract undue attention."
Susan didn't understand. "Why pretend you know nothing? Are you ashamed of it?"
Dudley explained. "We heard that Harry probably still has some enemies. We're not sure who they are. Some may be followers of the one who tried to kill him as a toddler. Others may have other motives. It's safer if they don't get to know how much Harry knows. As a close friend, Hermione should also not seem too knowledgeable."
"But I'm also your friend. Am I not?"
Dudley smiled at her. "Of course you are, but you come from a magical family and grew up among magical people, so you are expected to know much more than any of us. You shouldn't make it known that you've known us for a while already."
Susan looked anxious. "I told my friend Hannah about you. Not much, only that I met Harry and some friends of his."
Harry shrugged. His friendships would not stay secret for much longer, once he reached Hogwarts. "Just make sure she doesn't talk about that with others. Can we trust her?"
Susan smiled. "We grew up almost as sisters. Her mother is muggle-born, but they live in the magical world. I trust her not to tell, once I talk to her."
Dudley had some more to say. "My letter also stated that somebody would come. It's weird, as Harry has been staying with us since he was a toddler."
Susan thought she knew why. "I suppose Harry's whereabouts were kept secret, especially due to his enemies. Since you have no magical parents, the Ministry is supposed to give an introduction to you and your family. It might even be a good idea for Harry not to be seen at that time."
Harry gave it a thought and nodded in agreement.
–..–
A few days later, the Granger family was visited by somebody from the Ministry. Hermione informed Harry, and he immediately faded to her house, keeping himself invisible — another ability they had learned until then.
The Grangers sounded the "Ooh…" and "Ah…" at all the right places when the person sent by the Ministry told them about the magical world and that Hermione was found to have magic. They even asked many questions, although they already knew the answers better than that person. They only declined the offer to escort them to Diagon Alley. "Our work schedule is somewhat erratic, especially during August. With your explanations, we're sure to find it easily enough. We managed with less in foreign countries, so finding our way in our country should pose no problem."
Indeed, their schedule included a week at a Greek nudist beach. They (and the Dursleys) would stay at a nearby hotel, of course, but they intended to visit that beach each day.
The person who visited Dudley recited almost the same text, varying only insignificantly. The Dursleys also declined the offer to escort them. "My younger sister was a witch and went to Hogwarts. I accompanied her for her shopping each year, so I already know the way."
The Ministry person seemed quite glad to be spared that hassle.
Harry's letter had no mention of any visit, and nobody came for him either. Harry felt quite content with that.
–..–
"My parents can accompany us to Diagon Alley the day after we return from our vacation," Hermione told the group.
"My aunt can take me there, but can't stay. Hannah's parents also work each day. She wants to shop with me," Susan said.
"Mum said she would join us whenever we decide to go. Dad prefers to stay away from it all," Dudley told them.
It didn't take long for the four children to agree on the time and place to meet. Harry felt lucky that he had already found a place on the muggle side of the Leaky, where he could safely fade to, with nobody noticing. He supposed either he or Dudley would take his aunt along. He wondered if Hermione's family would still insist on using a car. Well, with a small child, it could prove easier for the adults.
–..–
Harry wasn't aware of when and how, but Dudley had managed to make Susan join their vacation. In a way, it was better, since it made a balanced gender mix, but in other ways it wasn't so, disallowing them from practising their advanced abilities. Harry and Hermione still found a few occasions for that, changing into hawks or seagulls and flying high above the beach.
Just like Hermione, Susan didn't even mind the nudist beach. She still had the proportions of a small girl anyhow. Harry wondered if both girls would feel as free about nudity once they started changing into women. Even on the nudist beach, there were relatively fewer pubescent girls. Was that due to them turning shyer or just by chance? He couldn't know.
Then, a day after returning from Greece, they met at the Leaky, hugging like they'd not seen each other for ages, making the adults smile.
Susan then said, "My aunt suggested we start with the lighter shopping and finish with the heaviest. It's not quite straightforward, you know, but I think we should start with the wands, then clothes and then the rest."
They agreed and made their way to Ollivander's wand shop.
Harry didn't like the shop and found the wandmaker creepy. Yet he insisted on finding the girls' wands first.
Susan's wand was found on the third try. She still tried a few more, but none proved any better for her. The same was true for Hannah.
It took Hermione much longer. Ollivander even frowned and talked something with her in hushed tones. Harry couldn't hear it directly, but Hermione let him hear it all in her mind.
"You seem to have already done much magic. Do you have another wand?"
"No. I never used a wand."
"Then how?"
Hermione shrugged. "Accidental magic doesn't use wands, does it?"
Ollivander was smart enough to understand. "You do wandless magic?! But you're muggle-born, aren't you?"
"So? Why should it matter?"
"Indeed, it shouldn't. It just… It's very uncommon."
Hermione tried about twenty wands before finding one even slightly compatible, and about ten more before Ollivander thought it was the right fit. Neither Harry nor Hermione thought so, but neither commented. The wand should prove good enough for school work, and they didn't need wands otherwise.
Dudley was next. Ollivander looked suspiciously at him but said nothing. It went only slightly faster than with Hermione, and Dudley wasn't sure it was the best fit, but didn't mind much either.
It was then Harry's turn, and Ollivander gasped when noticing him. He then whispered in Harry's ear, "You're very different from what I expected."
Harry shrugged. "How so?"
"Your scar is gone, along with any darkness that kept it there. I'm no longer sure that the wand I was considering for you may still fit."
Harry smiled. "We can try and see."
He got that wand first. It barely responded to him. Ollivander tried a few more wands with phoenix feather cores. None fitted. He then moved to other cores, finally realising that the dragon heart string core worked best for Harry. The third one he tried with this core proved to be the best. Harry thought it could do better, but it felt alright, at least.