Title: It Began With a Whisper
Summary: Percy Weasley's journey from his realization of the truth behind the hostile takeover of the Ministry of Magic to deciding to join in the final battle at Hogwarts.
Rating: K+
Beta: queenb23more on LJ
Word Count: 1,004
Author's Notes: Written for the The Ministry of Magic challenge at hp_misfitfics on Livejournal.
"What made you see sense, Perce?" inquired George.
"It's been coming on for a while," said Percy mopping his eyes under his glasses with a corner of his traveling cloak. "But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time."
~Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- US Edition, p.606
It Began With a Whisper
It began with a whisper. A hushed sentence that spread like a wildfire as it traveled from office to office.
"The Ministry has fallen."
The panicked whispers reached my ears, but I dismissed the rumors as absurd. Even in the face of all my mistakes regarding the return of You Know Who, I was certain that the Ministry of Magic could not be penetrated in such a fashion. Besides, certainly in my position as Junior Assistant to the Minister I would have already known if anything was amiss. I returned to my paperwork, only to find myself disturbed by the sudden appearance of a magical memo on my desk.
From the Offices of
the Minister of Magic
"Please let me assure you all that there is no truth in the appalling rumors that have been circulating around this office. The Ministry of Magic has not fallen and will never succumb to the forces of those who oppose us.
That being said, it is with my deepest regret to announce my resignation as Minster of Magic, effective immediately.
I am certain you will all give my successor, Pius Thicknesse, your full support in seeking out and overcoming the enemies of the Ministry of Magic.
Rufus Scrimgeour
Minister of Magic
My blood ran cold. I had never before questioned the authenticity of an official Ministry document, but I knew there was no way that the Minister had authorized that missive. Even though the Minister's stamp was in place at the bottom of the parchment, it wasn't signed. Even when Scrimegour would send me a simple note asking me to bring him a tea, it was ialways/i graced with his full signature. It was inconceivable that any legitimate document announcing the exchange of power to a new Minister would have passed Scrimgeour's desk unsigned.
More notices arrived on my desk announcing shocking new policy changes toward Muggleborns and declaring Harry Potter a "person of interest" in the murder of Albus Dumbledore. Within moments, the whispers began again outside my door. This time, they spoke of an Auror raid that had been authorized on a wedding… on my brother's wedding.
I swallowed hard against the lump that had formed suddenly in my throat, fought down the panic that was threatening to overtake my senses, and tried to figure out what to do. I had put my pride and ambition ahead of my family. I was terrified of ending up just like my father, stuck in a dead end job for the rest of my life, without any real respect, power, or influence. Even when I was faced with the realization of Harry Potter's honesty regarding the return of He Who Must Not Be Named, I wouldn't be swayed from the path I had chosen. I continued to put my firm trust and support in the Ministry of Magic and refused to believe that our government would deliberately lead us all astray.
But now the full weight of those resources was obviously being controlled by unfriendly forces, and the consequences of my choices were rapidly becoming apparent to me. I couldn't return to my family now, nor would I be able to warn them of the impending raid. It wouldn't be safe for any of us if I suddenly changed my behavior toward them, and I knew that I would need to be vigilant if I was going to get through this.
I had always followed the directions of my supervisors without question, but now, I didn't know who to trust. The great power that I had aspired to achieve was being turned against everyone that I loved, and I was powerless to stop it. So, I did the only thing that I could do. I kept my head down. I remained silent, finished my paperwork, and continued throughout the rest of my day as if everything was perfectly normal.
I lived in fear as the days, weeks, and months went by. I was under almost constant surveillance. I continued to listen to the whispers, though I did not dare to lend my voice to them. It was through the whispers that I learned how my little brother had nearly been caught and was out there somewhere with the most hunted man in all of Britain. Most of my family was eventually forced into hiding. I was terrified for them and for myself, but I knew that I could no longer continue to do nothing. If Ron could be out there protecting Harry and Hermione on his own, surely there was something that I could do.
Having kept my head down for as long as I had enabled me to obtain enough leeway from surveillance to secretly and discreetly gather as much information I could. I was fortunate enough to have found a trustworthy contact in Aberforth Dumbledore, who was apparently in contact with someone up at Hogwarts, and we shared information whenever we could. We had to be careful, as traitors were being arrested and hauled off to Azkaban on a daily basis, but despite the danger associated with our communication, it was comforting when I received messages from him; to know that I wasn't alone in this struggle.
Then late one night, I received word that Hogwarts was taking a final stand, and I knew that it was time. No matter the outcome, it was time for me to face up to my mistakes, to my family, and to the darkness that had consumed our world. I Apparated straight to Aberforth's establishment, and he directed me into a tunnel that supposedly led into the heart of the school. I took a deep breath, gripped my wand tightly, and sprinted my way through the dark tunnel into the unknown. It was time to stop listening to whispers and to finally add my voice to the growing battle cry.