A Dream
A woman sat at her desk on the fifth and most upper floor of the Ministry looking out her office window which feigned the weather outdoors. Today was finally a bright and sunny June day. She sat pondering and twirling the ring on her right hand middle finger trying to look confident. It was well known that her country was experiencing difficult times, her land, friends, family and the entire wizarding community was war torn.
She continued to gaze dazedly out the window; the dark lord was back and breaking down the bodies and minds of innocent hard working people, including those closest to her. He continued to brutally curse, hex, and jinx the hard working people she had grown to know, it helped to boost the relationship she had with them all because they were hired with her but her aspirations were stronger and bigger and in some cases different than theirs she had known that the instant she had been hired by the minister of magic two years ago.
She had worked painstakingly hard through seven years of schooling at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had managed to achieve top ranks and scores in all of her subjects except the one class that would probably protect her the most now. How she wished now that she could go back and make changes, some big changes. If she had known then what she knew now she would have aspired to be more useful in these times of her country's trials and tribulations. What good was second to the minister if she were a security risk rather than a security asset? What good was she to the wizarding community when she needed to be locked away just incase the minister never came back to work and lead her nation of people, her beloved people.
She knew at any moment any member of the Wizenagemot could come knocking on her door asking her to be the first woman minister the wizarding world had ever seen. She knew though that if she took the job the Dark Lord would try and find her too, it would only take a moment for him to be breaking down her door just as he had done before. Was this a sacrifice she was willing and ready to make?
"Of Course it is, don't be stupid" she said aloud to her self "I am the voice of the wizarding community if I won't stand up if need be how can I expect my people to do the same?" and she shook off the shiver she experienced at the thought and went on about dazing through the charmed window.
She remembered that she hadn't been home to her little apartment on Diagon Alley in nearly four whole days. She also knew she couldn't count on "The-Boy-Who-Lived" to represent the ministry but that had been the problem two times before…wasn't it, the ministry wasn't the one that needed the representation, it was the boy, after all they had dubbed him "The Chosen One" so it was time that a high ranking official realized that instead of him standing behind the ministry the ministry needed to rally and stand behind him, give him every tool, every possibility, every opportunity, to succeed and not only to succeed but to survive and to thrive.
She was shaken from her genius thought to a knock at the door. She looked up shocked and anxious. She shook herself mentally lifted herself from the seat, straightened her ministry robes, rubbed her hand over her hair, pinched at her cheek to make sure the color hadn't completely drained from them and to make her look a little more lively and hoping that she didn't look older than her twenty-eight years. She knew a high stress job like hers had a habit of aging people before their time, especially in stressful situations like those that kept creeping up on her during these dark times.
Again a knock at the door, "Come in," She said as she stood behind her large mahogany desk her hand discretely resting upon her wand
"Gwen." Said a recognizable and familiar voice and in an instant she knew
"Dumbledore!" She squeaked in relief and she hurried out from behind her desk to shake his hand.
"Gwen, sit please." Dumbledore looked concerned "The time has come, to have that long anticipated conversation." He spoke in a hushed tone that made Gwen a little anxious and squirm a little almost as though she were again a student sitting in his office. He closed the door quickly and made it imperturbable she was sure of it. And as they sat across from one another in the stately and official looking office she let out a sigh and braced her-self for this conversation
"I'm ready sir- do your worst."
"Gwendolyn Marie Peterson, the time has come that you must decide whether to step forward and take the place of Minister Scrimgecour, well I guess we'll have to call you a ministress" he said looking at her with a twinkle in his eye. She gave a weak half smile knowing that she would rather have been elected to the position than happen into under such unfortunate circumstances. But he continued at her nod,
"Are you willing and ready to take up the position of minister of magic? Knowing the danger and the responsibility in these difficult times?"
She nodded again at this inquiry but shifted her ice-blue eyes to her lap and shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
"Well then, its set, the Wizenagemot will make the necessary arrangements. I suggest you prepare something, a speech to the community perhaps." Dumbledore said watching her closely for any sign that she were hexed, cursed, or jinxed
"Sir" She said quietly as Dumbledore rose to leave the office "I'd like to speak with Harry Potter if it weren't too much trouble." Dumbledore furrowed his brow and said calmly, "I'll talk to Harry about it, no guarantees though, he doesn't hold much favor for the past two ministers he'll be skeptical."
"As he should be the ministry hasn't treated him in the most fair of manners, and I recognize that."
And with that their meeting had ended, she was now the minister of magic…He'd be here soon to bully her just as he had bullied the other minister before her.
Eleven Years Today
It was with a loud crash of a glass of water spilling on the floor that the ten year old girl woke with a start and said to herself, "what an odd dream" as she rolled over and looked at the clock. "Two minutes till twelve, I'm just two minutes from eleven." And that was the last thought she had until eight o'clock the next morning to a soft tapping on her bedroom door the sound was made by her mother.
"Gwenny. Get up dearest." Came her mother's soft voice from behind the door
"I'm up and getting ready mum." Gwen said kicking the sheets off of her
"And don't forget to make your bed little miss." Mrs. Peterson reminded her daughter in a lovingly stern manner.
"Yes, M-m-Mum" Gwen responded yawning
And she thought excitedly aloud as she made her bed, "I wonder what house I'll be in, Mum and Dad were Slytherins' and I'm willing to bet I'll be in the Slytherin house." And just before she left the room she stopped to look at herself in the mirror she was tall, thin, with soft straight brown hair, and dazzlingly blue eyes. She looked remarkably like her mother and had her mother's cleverness and wit but she got her father's intelligence. But as if out of nowhere came bravery, Gwen was braver and would face any foe, adversary, no matter how much bigger they were, and she usually won any argument, except with her parents of course.
"Gwenny-"came her mother's voice from downstairs. "You have a visitor." And with bated breath Gwen came bounding down the stairs from her bedroom and stopped straight and collectedly in the kitchen before the tallest wizard she had ever seen granted that could have been because she was only eleven
"Gwendolyn Peterson?" The wizard asked
"Yes" Gwen Replied
"Today the Thirty-first of August is your eleventh birthday is that correct" the wizard inquired
"Yes" She said quietly
"Then, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore and I am here to invite you to Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Would you accept?" Dumbledore asked the young witch
"Ohhh, of course." She said excitedly
"Well then here is your book list and your ticket for the Hogwarts express, term starts September second. Good day." And with that Dumbledore was gone
"Ooooooo… Mum Look my book list." Gwen said excitedly jumping around the house
"Well give it here!" her mother said sternly "we don't have a great deal of time, the train leaves in two days."
And after breakfast Gwen, her mother, father, and seven year old brother were off to Diagon Alley to pick up supplies.
Gwen experienced restless night's sleep she was too excited to sleep and was up much later than she should have been.
"GWENDOLYN MARIE GET TO BED" Her father bellowed up the stairs as he heard his daughter prancing around her room in her nightgown
"Yes Dad" Gwen said resentfully and she put the train ticket and the letter under her pillow and hugged the pillow tightly.