Alrighty then, just in case it's not absolutely clear, this is the Harmony shipping version of my (more or less) canon compliant one-shot.
The main reason I'm doing this is to fit this story into a new point on the timeline in my larger fanfic Potterverse which now includes the crossovers with Wizards of Waverly Place (I've darkened up the tone of Waverly Place a bit to match the Potterverse). But even though Alex Russo makes an appearance in this revision, I am not putting it in the crossover section. This is more about Arthur, Hermione, and Harry.
There were also a couple of clunkers, and a sentence or two which were written in a completely different style than the rest of the story... and this piece needed a new edit anyway. The original version is still posted if you prefer to read the canon-compliant one which presumes that Ron and Hermione have (unrealistically) patched things up after he abandoned her and Harry in DH.
Funnily enough, this piece didn't really need too much tweaking to eliminate Ron as a romantic interest in this one-shot as I thought it would, because he is already mostly out of the picture in this scene.
This story now takes place shortly after the fanfic I am currently working on (Tears of the Dragon). There are no real spoilers here though, as anyone reading the other story can already see the direction it's heading.
All characters, events, and named publications in this story are entirely fictional, especially those who may be easily mistaken for their real world counterparts. :P
Also rated P for Political... ;)
Harry Potter and the End of the Secret
Arthur Weasley massaged his throbbing temples with his hands, grimacing, and heaving a huge sigh. The tension didn't ebb however, and he knew that his options had evaporated, leaving only but one. He groaned again at the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
He hadn't wanted to become Minister of Magic, and had begged off. He had absolutely no desire for Political Power—which of course made him the perfect candidate for the job. The constant clamouring of the Wizarding community, tired of the pompous incompetent denials of Fudge, Scrimgeour's autocratic and heavy-handed tactics, and the lack of transparency in Ministry workings—all of which had ultimately led to the Death-Eater takeover of the reigns of power—eventually wore Arthur down, and he begrudgingly accepted the position thrust upon him.
What had most disturbed the Wizarding community about Voldemort's brief, Fascist reign was that it had exposed the almost willful inability of most Wizards to confront their own prejudices squarely in the eye. How else could they have turned a blind eye as the most reactionary, racist elements of their community gleefully participated in some of the worst purges and mass-murders in Europe since the end of WWII (which Dumbledore's battle with Grindelwald had helped bring to a close).
The Wizards' fear of confronting the rise of Voldemort, his followers, and their fanatical "Pure-Blood" ideology was not merely the fear of death, but the fear of facing their own unexamined assumptions of Wizard Superiourity, and their de facto complicity with Voldemort's goals.
The War, the Death Camps for the most defiant muggle-borns and their supporters, and the wide-spread massacres of Muggles had ripped the scab off the Wizards' festering wounded psyches; and the Wizards could no longer deny, nor did they want to, their shame. Most decided that the time had come for a complete reexamination of the foundation their society had been built on—their relationships with other Magical Beings and the Muggle World.
With Dumbledore gone, the community sought someone who held positive relations and fair distribution of power in high regard: someone who had fought long and hard to bring down the "pure blood" fanatics and to promulgate a more equitable sharing of power.
Kingsley Shacklebolt was a popular choice for a new leader. But he had flat out declined, declaring that the position of Minister was ill-suited for most Aurors due to the often zealous, literalist, and unbending natures of those tasked with protecting the Rule of Law. It was Kingsley who had spearheaded the campaign to draft a reluctant Arthur Weasley, who was quite famous (though previously mocked) for his support of Muggles and other Magical Beings.
So there he sat a year later in the middle of the summer, fingers drumming the Minister's desk anxiously when they weren't massaging his forehead. He had known, or had been nearly certain, what the right course of action was. But would the rest of the Wizarding World agree? He had found it unlikely. Too much too soon he had thought. But he had had to do something to move things along besides passing legislation to loosen the restrictions enough to cooperate more fully with muggle authorities in the event of another muggle killing spree committed by dark wizards.
The Statute of Secrecy had to end once and for all. And he had finally managed to convince the Wizengamot to at least do a trial run.
So Arthur now found himself in a quandary. What was the best way to reveal the truth to the Muggles without terrifying them? His discussions with the British Prime Minister had proved fruitless. He didn't trust the man at all.
In Arthur's view, the current Prime Minister had allowed himself and his party to be bribed into facilitating the agendas of some of the most venal cabals within the US and the UK's Muggle ruling classes. The PM's suggestion that Rupert Murdoch's media empire should handle the release gave Minister Weasley goose-bumps. He had had a chance to read a few of Murdoch's papers, and he wasn't impressed.
Of course. How could Arthur have forgotten that before the Demon war he had been preparing to consult with Harry and Hermione on the subject anyway? He quickly scrawled on a parchment and tied it to the Minister's Owl-his Owl.
"Take this to Harry Potter Nikturo. I know he's still recuperating after that disaster with the Demons, but it's urgent." The owl cooed affectionately; then hastily she departed through an owl chute. Harry's response was swift, but somewhat cryptic.
Hello Arthur, Please meet me on Thursday evening at Hermione's parent's house…say 6-ish? I would visit you at home or your office, but the situation is a bit delicate.
Cheers
Harry
"Well, that's a bit odd." Minister Weasley muttered to himself. "What on Earth could Harry be worried about? It's not like Ron is at the Burrow anymore." At 6-ish that Thursday evening he found out.
The Minister had barely finished apparating only to find himself tackled by a jubilant Hermione. After the bear hug, Hermione beamed at him with shining eyes. And Harry's other girlfriend, the American one, flashed him a quick grin.
"Oh! Mr. Weasley, congratulations! I'm so pleased you managed to push through a trial run for ending the Statute of Secrecy." Said Hermione.
"Umm…yes…well, thank you Hermione," Arthur responded, feeling quite embarrassed. he didn't usually get hugs for passing legislation in the Wizengamot. But Hermione apparently had some more personal things to ask him first.
"Is Ron alright? The last time we talked you said he was with the cousins in Ireland."
"Oh... er yes. Ron's doing much better now..." then Arthur began to trail off into a mumble, "...as long as nobody mentions you, or Harry, or Miss Russo..."
Alex couldn't help herself from snorting with laughter. It wasn't really funny; not for Ron. But she noticed that everybody else was sheepishly looking at each other for hints of mirth too. Morbid humour was a thing with Brits she decided. Ron had more less been a victim of his own making and taken it out on everyone he loved-and Alex herself, but everybody was soldiering on and making light of a bad situation.
Arthur managed to mumble a bit more. Something about Ron needing a good long... LONG rest.
"Yeah," said Harry, who hadn't spoken up yet. "Don't we all?" Harry grinned at the Minister, "I think you ought to take a bit of a breather too Arthur. you haven't taken a single day off since we did in Riddle and his vile lot. Not even when Ron went Loopy."
Arthur's face briefly flickered with grief, but his usual amiable visage reappeared.
"Hmm, perhaps after I get a few more things in order and in the running I'll take some time to myself…my family." He sighed. "In fact, I'm hoping you and Hermione…", he glanced at her quickly, "will be able to help me resolve one of my most pressing concerns at the moment."
"Well it can wait until after supper." insisted Hermione.
Supper was a smash. Arthur hadn't eaten or slept properly since his disastrous discussion with the PM. He wolfed down a large plateful of bangers, mash and peas, and washed it down with a frothy mug of Butter-beer. Hermione's parents cleared the table then ushered the trio into the living room before leaving the three young wizards and Arthur to themselves.
Arthur thought it was remarkable how well the Grangers had accepted Alex Russo as part of the family. They seemed to be doing the utmost to make their daughter's girlfriend and boyfriend feel comfortable in their home. Wizards were generally far more accepting of same-sex relationships, but even they were inclined to find the idea of a threesome a bit odd. But not so these muggle parents. Arthur then turned to the matter at hand.
"Ahem…hem," Arthur cleared his throat, "Well, this is a bit awkward, but if you recall, before I sent you into the middle of a Globe-spanning Demon War, I wanted to confer about how best to broach the news of the Wizarding World's existence to the public at large,"
Hermione and Harry looked at each other uncomfortably. Arthur continued,
"You see, given the circumstances, it is impossible for all practical purposes to obliviate the public en masse after the events of first the Battle for Britain..." (as the second British Wizard War was now being called) "...and now more recently the Demon War."
"I believe that given some of our previous conversations, we all agree that obliviation is an invasion of personal sovereignty. It could be done. But the further damage to Wizard/ Muggle relations would have long term repercussions that could end up with a lengthy war as horrifying as the pogroms and massacres of the Inquisition and the Witch Hunts. Truth is a much better way forward for all concerned."
"But…having immersed myself in the world of Muggle politics, I must say I am appalled at the state of media affairs. If you think the cozy collusion between the Ministry and the Daily Prophet was bad (by the way, I've introduced legislation to ban such activities in the future), the Muggle media is so hopelessly entwined with the political and economic Muggle elites it makes the Ministry/ Prophet cooperation look like amateur hour."
"Tell us about it." Hermione and Harry simultaneously replied. Harry ventured further, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, I can see it now in the Daily Mirror or The News of the World: 'Secret Society of Satanic Sorcerers Uncovered. Manipulating the world for centuries, our governments have secretly been in thrall to these Warlocks who control the banks, the United Nations, and the IMF with the goal of enslaving all the humans under a New World Order.' Hah! It's ridiculous."
"People LOVE conspiracy theories." Harry continued, "Unfortunately, they have a habit of ignoring credible ones in favour of really weird ones: Satanic, Commie, Muslim, Gay, Femi-nazi, Illuminati, Freemason, Reptilian, Alien, Jewish Bankers control the world. Yeah, the whole 'Secret Wizard World' thing would fit right in with that rubbish."
Harry couldn't help rolling his eyes again while Hermione smirked. Minister Weasley looked as if he'd just been confunded. He'd only had months to get himself up to speed in Muggle affairs, and this was the first he'd heard of any of that; except for the Jewish Protocols nonsense. That had been a key piece of propaganda perpetuated by Grindelwald and his Nazi pals in WWII.
The only reason Harry was so well up on the state of muggle media, was because his Uncle Vernon had taken every trashy rag that he could find. And a bored Harry would often find himself reading them.
"Yes…yes. Well clearly you see the problem then." Arthur said. "I am hoping you can help me find a reputable source to write up a bit of our history and show the Muggles that despite our powers we are just like them. Some of us act on our worst impulses, but most of us just want to get along peacefully with our neighbours."
Harry and Hermione looked uncomfortable again, and more embarrassed than ever. He looked beseechingly at Hermione, not able to bring himself to blurt it out. Hermione sighed. Alex giggled in the background. Harry always left the dirty work up to Hermione.
"Er…you see Mr. Weasley…" Hermione began.
"Arthur, please dear. Call me Arthur." The Minister interrupted.
"A…Arthur," Hermione choked, her cheeks turning crimson, "Remember back in our 5th year, when that evil hag Umbridge ran Hogwarts like it was Azkaban, I forced Rita Skeeter to write a proper story about Voldemort's return based on an interview with Harry and had it published in the Quibbler?"
Arthur nodded, smiling wryly as he spoke,
"At the time, most of us in the Order thought it was the bravest act we'd ever seen from a 5th year student (or any underage Wizard for that matter), along with forming the DA that is. Dumbledore couldn't have been prouder. But what's that got to do with my current problem? The Quibbler isn't going to be much help in the Muggle World."
Hermione squirmed sheepishly.
"In the summer at the end of our 4th year, I…I had a feeling that it was all going to go wrong. I had gone on a bit of a Holiday to Scotland to visit an Aunt before meeting up with you at Grimmauld Place. On the train up, I met a lovely sad lady on her way to Edinburgh with her beautiful little daughter. We got to talking about books, politics, and life in general. I discovered that we shared so many interests.
"As you and Harry both know, I have very strong feelings about fairness in law, politics, and the way things ought to be. One of the Muggle books I was reading at the time was by Jessica Mitford, and she was really helping me realize that even one person can have the power to effect positive change. I was thrilled to find that Mitford was one of the woman's favourite authors too."
"We kept chatting; after she grew comfortable with me (she said I reminded her of herself at my age) she let on that she had been working on a book for years, and that it was finally all coming together. And you are NOT going to believe this…" Hermione's eyes went wide with excitement,
"She said the story was about a young boy discovering he was a Wizard and going to a Wizard School. I was absolutely shocked. I had been certain that she was a Muggle. But she even described Harry's scar perfectly. There's absolutely no question about it, she's some sort of Seer. After Divination I thought the whole "Seeing" thing was rubbish. I don't know how she didn't get a letter for Hogwarts when she was 11."
"She thought she was just writing a fictional novel. But clearly it wasn't. I wanted to tell her everything straight away. But then I thought better of it; until after the 5th year anyway. I contacted her and told her everything she was writing was true and showed her the Quibbler interview." Hermione looked like she would melt into the floor in shame. But she managed to continue.
"I knew it was a terrible violation of the Statute of Secrecy, but I had a feeling that it was incredibly important that she get Harry's story out to the Muggle world, even if it was in the guise of fiction. Skeeter's article made me realize that."
"And I think that this is indeed the best way to let the public know. Certainly most people will believe Harry's story to be fictional. But the information will be out there, and those clever enough will recognize the truth. I think it's the only way to prevent a mass panic, and the people who believe will carry the message until one day the Truth will be accepted by all."
"Of course she was as shocked as I was when she realized she was actually writing a biography. I helped her out a bit and there, filling in any gaps regarding Harry's journey from boy to Wizard. She has reams of notes now that will see her all the way to the end of the war."
"In my view, Harry's story is the best way to let people know what the Wizarding world is all about. Harry's story contains the all the most important facets of Wizard History and Culture…" Hermione trailed off, catching a glimpse of Harry's furious blushing. Harry gritted his teeth and he finished off the story.
"Yeah…well I'm no Deity. And I want that to be absolutely clear. I…I hate to break it to you like this, Arthur, but she finished the first book, and …and it was published at the beginning of last summer." He finished in a rush. Harry had never felt smaller since the day he sat under the Sorting Hat and his ears burned with a fiery intensity. "I suppose I should also mention that I, as well as Hermione, am continuing to assist with any missing bits of information."
The Minister slumped wearily in his seat, his face slack and anguished. This couldn't end well. Most Wizards NEVER read Muggle Pop Literature (a few of the classics and Shakespeare maybe) so it might not be as big a blow to his plans as he thought. But how could he now go forth and tell the Wizengamot that "his" plan had been put into effect a year before he had informed anyone. No doubt he would be immediately sacked.
Harry and Hermione looked apologetically at the dejected Arthur Weasley. But then they smiled wanly at the Minister. Hermione attempted to mollify him.
"It's alright Arthur. I don't think any trouble will come from this. The first story is only just now becoming popular enough to notice on a grand scale. By the time the Wizengamot realize what is happening, they'll just think you've been quick off the mark. Look how fast that awful Skeeter woman published her hatchet job on Dumbledore. If anything, I think this will only increase everyone's confidence that they've picked the smartest Wizard for the job".
What Hermione said made sense. A flood of relief washed through Minister Weasley. Yes this could work out just fine. He only had one more question.
"Umm…who is this author by the way? And is she any good at writing?" Actually, that was two questions; but easily answered
Hermione's smile glowed so brightly that she would have put any Veela to shame. She looked more than a bit like an Elf Princess thought Harry with a surge of affection. Hermione delivered the final piece of information.
"Her name is Jo Rowling. She's become a good friend, and she's brilliant."
With that, Hermione opened her purse, and pressed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone into Arthur Weasley's hands. Tears shone in Arthur's eyes as he began to read about the trials of his young friend, The Boy Who Lived.