Completed for the forum on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)

Assignment #8: Potions – task two: write about someone taking a great risk to improve their life

Song taken from The Climb by Miley Cyrus - official name is That dream I'm dreaming (there's a voice inside my head saying you'll never make it)

Amelia Bones' POV

(Unedited)

The thing is you know there are different ways this could go. Ultimately, there is a high chance it will end badly. You don't have the Sight and there are many things against you – your gender, your age, you Hogwarts House (because although they say these things don't matter, they do, they really do). You're going to try to do this anyway. You promised yourself back in the 70s when you first started to notice the corruption (you were nine but already you knew what fairness meant, what it was).

That was some time ago - over a decade and a bit when it first occurred. You didn't notice the blatant corruption until later, but you noticed. That's more than you can say for some people. You noticed it when the now former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement authorised Aurors to use the Unforgivable Curses on those they were hunting – alleged Death Eaters. If they were Death Eaters, you believe that there are some instances when such terrible methods were necessary. There are do and die situations out there, you know this. However, all too often the Aurors are hunting wizards and witches who have very little evidence incriminating them – certainly not enough to broadcast their guilt.

You wondered where the trials were during those years – so many arrested, so many dead, and so little evidence revealing their guilt. You have wanted to do better. The criminal justice and law enforcement system could be so much better. Yes, some wizards and witches do atrocious things and fully deserve to be sent to Azkaban, but without proof then you may put an innocent person in such a terrible place.

You swallow nervously and glance around. You are sitting in a room with four other wizards – all male, all much older than you. You don't care though. You are going to fight for this. You know fairly well that if you fail this may result in you being fired. Very few people appreciate a good rival, especially one who has a full lifetime ahead of them.

Oh, you're sure there will be some 'valid' reason for it. Maybe you'll be fired for fraud, fired for ignoring your employer's orders, fired for pushing when you shouldn't. This is just another sign of the corruption you know too well. The prejudice that weighs heavy on the shoulders of most women. The bias against young people from older generations. The hatred you garner for daring to be good at your job, for daring to be better than those who have many more years of experience than you.

In the end, though, the risk is worth it. If you get into a position to lessen the corruption and create stricter guidelines… If you get into a position where you can fight for fairness, for equality… If you can get into a position where you can crack down on the behaviour that is the kind of thing you expect from criminals rather than those who are meant to be good, who are meant to keep the rest of society safe. It's horrid and terrible, but you swore you were going to do something about this.

You press your hands together on your lap and make sure you keep your back straight. People will look at you and think woman or maybe girl, but you know from your wand-tip to your very magic that you are not to be underestimated. They will do so and it will be their failing. This is your best advantage – they will all underestimate you because of your age, your gender, your Hogwarts House. They have forgotten that women have eyes. They have forgotten that Hufflepuff means hard work and fairness and strength. They have forgotten that the younger generations have fresh eyes, new ideas, and the wish for a better world. They see you as stupid, as weak, as fragile, as young. They see you as someone easy to manipulate. They see you as someone who does not stand a chance. They see you as someone who will lose very easily.

(And maybe you will, but at least you tried. Maybe this will be the end of your career, but you gave it your best shot.)

"Wizards and witch," comes the standard greeting from the man who just entered the room. You stand up on your feet, weight pressed forward in your toes since heels exist - and you remind yourself that you look this way for a reason, you look this way to cater to those who underestimate you, you look this way because how you present yourself is important and can be used as a weapon just as well as any wand.

There is a murmured greeting from the group. None of you is here for pleasantries or greetings. You are here to know if you got the job or if you have failed. The wizard surveys the group and you wonder how he sees you – does he see another Hufflepuff and think useless? Does he see a woman and think feeble? Does he see a twenty-four-year-old and think she's the problem? You wonder why you care – they will see you how they wish, and you will change their minds eventually.

(The Sorting Hat offered you Gryffindor, but you chose Hufflepuff for a reason.)

"Congratulations on making it this far and thank you for your hard work," the Minister for Magic says. You want this speech over with, you want the Minister to get to the part where he reveals who got the job. "I know all of you have put in many hours in order to achieve this promotion. It was a very hard decision to make, and despite my position as Minister for Magic, I am not the only one who decides who receives the promotions to Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"After many discussions that took place over the course of quite some time, we finally reached an agreement regarding who will rise through the Ministry's ranks to claim the title as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Once again, I thank you for all your hard work and ask that – whether or not you receive the position – you continue impressing us all with your dedication and hard work," Cornelius Fudge pauses and you don't allow yourself to look around. You refuse to show your nerves. You know you have worked just as hard as the others around you. You know you deserve this position just as much. The only question you have is whether others see what you see (you hope so, you dearly hope so).

"I offer my congratulations to Amelia Susan Bones for her promotion to Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and my apologies to those who made it this far and yet failed to advance. Thank you for your dedication and hard work within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I hope you continue to strive to perform your utmost best. I am sure Madam Bones will rely on you in the future years," Fudge continues. Your heart stops, stutters, skips a beat. You fight the grin from your face, only allowing your lips to twist upwards in a small smile.

"Thank you, Minister," you say. "It is an honour."

(You take this moment to swear again, to make another oath, to promise yourself something new – you swear to be fair, unbiased, and you swear to do your utmost best to make sure others do the same.)

So, I know some people might not see how Amelia took a great risk to improve their life. It's there, though, I swear to you. In going for a promotion, Amelia knew every well that people might think she is going above her station in life - especially with how she wants to change how Law Enforcement is approached. The corruption I spoke about - largely when Barty Crouch Snr was in charge - was widely accepted and approved of. In wanting to change that, Amelia is making people feel less safe because such drastic actions can't be taken. I could go further, but I won't. Essentially, Amelia was making a lot of enemies for a host of reasons - including the deal with how women are often seen undeserving of promotions. I know this isn't a well known or wildly held sentiment, but often in the series we see how the Purebloods operate on a patriarchy kind of ruling. I know there have previously been women in power, but I'm taking creative liberties and also pinpointing how such thoughts still existed in time. I mean, there are people nowadays who still believe that women and men are equal in the business/working world - and this is false. There are statistics that prove it. We are getting better, but it still exists.

Okay, moving on. In regards to Amelia's age, the Harry Potter Wikia puts her date of birth sometime before August 1978. Since I wanted Amelia to know about the 70s, I put her being born in the year 1966. This puts her at the age of twenty-four when she rose to Head position. It doesn't quite fit her appearance in the book, but maybe she doesn't age well or something. I mean, the wikia says she could be seventeen or older in 1995, so I claim she's older than 24. That works.

I would really like to hear your thoughts on this one! It was an interesting piece to write and I enjoyed exploring a character I have never thought about before - especially in this manner.