The Price of Change
A New Minister
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
London, England
August 27, 1982
Nobody questioned him as he strode into the lobby, robes billowing behind him. In fact, people moved aside when they saw him walking along with a scowl. He moved with a purpose, already aware of where his target was located. Because he seemed to know where he was going, the healers who saw him paid him no mind. He clearly had business there. He clearly belonged.
But in truth, he did not. He was not supposed to be there.
He stopped in front of the door beyond which was his target. He looked around. Nobody was in the hallway. He was alone. There would be no witnesses. His right hand reached out and grabbed the handle of the door. He hesitated.
He suddenly felt doubt eat away at him. Could he really do this to her? Would he be able to live with himself? But what would he say, or do, if he failed this task? He felt trapped. He felt afraid. It took him a moment to calm himself. As a Slytherin, however, he was quite adept at slithering out of such situations. The only question now was: what was he going to do?
He spent another few minutes thinking, debating with himself as to whether he was going to do as he was told or go his own way. Why did it have to be her? Of all people... He shook his head. He needed to focus.
A moment later, he turned the knob.
-xxxxxx-
Ministry of Magic
London, England
In the vast chamber where the Wizengamot convened sat one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Grand Sorcerer, and Order of Merlin First Class recepient.
He was a highly accomplished and popular wizard, one who had defeated a previous Dark Lord (hence the Order of Merlin) several centuries before and thus was considered a Hero and a Living Legend by many. As his Grand Sorcerer title suggests, he was considered to be one of the strongest if not the strongest wizard in the world. Though some there are those, of course, who dispute that claim and suggest that he was granted the title mostly because of his popularity as well as the publicity of his achievements.
Nevertheless, he was for all intents and purposes the strongest and most influential wizard of the age. And with the magical government of Britain in a panic from the terrorist attack that resulted in the loss of its Minister, Dumbledore was called upon to help bring about order.
"... because of his accomplishments and his demonstrated leadership and wisdom, I move to nominate Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore to the position of Minister of Magic." The wizard who stood finished speaking and sat down. All around the chamber, the other members of the Wizengamot murmured their agreement.
A witch stood up and seconded the motion. Again the murmurs of agreement echoed around.
Dumbledore sighed inwardly, a headache beginning to take hold. He had been through this before, and like the last time he was going to decline the nomination. He understood why they wanted him to lead. His track record as well as his vast experience and skill set made him the most logical choice. But the most logical choice was not always the best choice - one of the many things he had learned in his more than a century of life.
Before the rest of the governing body got carried away with the matter, Dumbledore stood up. The room fell completely silent, all eyes on the greatest wizard of them all.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot. I am most humbled by your decision to nominate me for the position of Minister of Magic. However, I must respectfully decline. My other duties as Headmaster, Chief Warlock, and Supreme Mugwump unfortunately make me ill-fitted to properly fulfill my duties as Minister and I am disinclined to vacate these positions for I believe I do the most good with these responsibilities that I already have. That said, I believe that someone else with the desire and the skill to handle the position would be a better option than myself." He concluded his short speech, much to the disappointment of the assembled.
"And who might I ask, Chief Warlock, would you recommend for the position?" Asked the head of the Ancient House of Diggory, Lord Amos Diggory.
Dumbledore was silent for a moment as he thought carefully on the matter. Again, everyone waited for him to speak. It was so quiet one could have heard a knut drop on the ground and echo throughout the chamber to boot.
Before he could say anything, however, someone spoke up.
"If I may be so bold." The Interim Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stood from his seat in the front row. "I would like to nominate myself, Cornelius Fudge, for the position."
That caused a considerable amount of fuss among the gathered members as they discussed the merits of the man who had nominated himself. If anything, it did show his desire and thus drive for the position. Then, before anyone could officially comment on the matter, Dolores Umbridge stood up from the her seat in the middle of the third row.
"I, Dolores Umbridge, would like to second that motion." More discussing among the members ensued.
Dumbledore studied Fudge carefully, his eyes twinkling. From what the old wizard remembered about the man, he was rather weak-willed and possessed not the sharpest of minds, but he was committed and driven to succeed. He did care a great deal about the nation and the people, though the old wizard questioned the man's ethics and values. Still, he was actually a rather safe option in such tumultuous times.
He lacked significant influence, but Dumbledore could help him with that. In exchange for helping the Minister get his position, Dumbledore would no doubt receive the support of said Minister during his term. The man's weak will and dull mind made him easy prey to manipulation, but if Dumbledore were to get to him first and for the greater good then he might turn out to do a decent job of it. Not to mention Dumbledore would in essence be Minister while actually not being caught in the trappings of the actual job.
Yes. He would do, for the time being. Dumbledore rose, causing everyone to quiet down.
"I have come to a decision of my recommendation." His gaze swept the room before settling on Fudge, who looked at him warily. "I believe that the best candidate for the post of Minister of Magic, at this time, is indeed Mister Cornelius Fudge."
There was a slight uproar among the members, as those who found Fudge lacking made their opinions known. The rest though were discussing the fact that Dumbledore had vouched for the man, and while Fudge for the most part was indeed originally not the best candidate, if Dumbledore said he was then he must be better than most people thought.
This went on for a few minutes, with no one else being nominated. Seeing that there appeared to be no one else willing to take up the job or even nominate someone else, Fudge's victory was almost certain.
"ATTENTION!" Dumbledore's voice boomed magically, quieting the assembly. "I call the Wizengamot to a recess of one hour, at which point we shall return to finish deliberations and vote on the next Minister of Magic." He clapped his hands together as he finished speaking and the heavy, giant doors of the chamber swung open.
-xxxxxx-
Somewhere in England
"My Lord," said the man who was kneeling with his head bowed low, "The Wizengamot is electing a new Minister today. We are currently in recess for the next hour, after which we will be finishing deliberation and then voting."
"And who are they considering? That old muggle-loving fool?" asked the dark master from his obsidian throne, idly petting the head of the large snake that rested in his lap.
"No, my Lord. They considered him, but he declined the nomination. He has instead vouched for the Interim Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge."
That news surprised him. He thought the man might make a move to consolidate his power over Magical Britain. "Cornelius Fudge? Hmmm. I have not heard of this man or his family. What is your opinion of him?"
The man was quiet for a moment. "Well, master. He is... easily cowed and has little backbone. Many consider him to be an idiot, having achieved average grades in school and done average work as a Junior Minister, which makes me wonder why Dumbledore would vouch for such an unqualified person to be in such an important position." He said this all with honesty.
The man on the throne smiled. He saw what the old man was trying to do. It's what he would have done had he been in the man's position. What the old fool did not realize, however, was that when it came to manipulation, he was second to none. Still, it would not hurt to have his own man be in that position as well.
"Most interesting. Good work," he allowed a rare compliment and he was amused as he noticed the pleased look on his servant's face. "But I want one of my own to be in consideration. I will send Lucius back with you."
"As you will, my Lord."
The man on the throne whipped out a wand and pressed it against a tattoo on the inside of his left forearm. He concentrated and called on one of his most trusted lieutenants.
Within a few minutes, the doors to the dimly lit chamber opened and in strode a most noble-looking figure. He wore expensive clothing, well-tailored to his exact body measurements so that it fit him perfectly. Over everything he had an expensive dark for coat. He had with him a black cane, with a silver handle shaped into snake bearing its fangs. Green emeralds were embedded into the eye sockets.
Long, flowing platinum blond hair fell to his waist and he carried with him an air of superiority and strength. Like all the servants of the Dark Lord, when they were called to action they wore their mask, and Lucius had his on. He stopped next to the man who was still kneeling on the floor and followed suit, kneeling as well as he lowered his head.
"You called, my Lord?" Said Lucius in greeting.
"Rise. Both of you." They got off the floor, but they remained looking at the ground before their master. "I want you to be nominated for the position of Minister, Lucius." He said simply, much to the surprise of the noble.
-xxxxxx-
Potter Estate, England
Sirius Black watched from the doorway as Harry slept in his bed. The little one was still unaware of the sudden change in his situation, of that tragedy that had befallen his family. He fought back tears as he thought of his best friend, and of his best friend's boy who would grow up without his biological father. Closing the door quietly, he turned around to go talk to Remus who was in the library when he noticed the butler walking towards him.
His name was Kyuzo, a young man of Japanese descent that the Potters had hired to be the new butler of the family. The old butler had passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 99. Sirius barely knew anything about the young butler. He was in his late teens and was hired within the last few months by Lily after a trip to Japan where they encountered the young man.
James had been vague on the details when Sirius had asked about him, it was a chance encounter. Sirius was aware that the teen had been involved with some unsavory individuals. James and Lily being who they were would not stand for such a thing and elected to buy his work contract from the criminals for a pretty sum.
That was the extent of Sirius' knowledge of the teen's situation, and at first he had been concerned with the age of the butler. He was so young after all. But he was very competent and highly skilled. He was a great cook and was apparently well-versed in several martial arts. He was also skilled with a sword and spear, according to James who had mentioned it in passing at one point.
He was about as tall as Sirius, with close-cropped dark hair and brown eyes. He carried himself well, his posture immaculate and his movements purposeful and graceful. He was also very quiet, speaking only when spoken to. Sirius wondered if perhaps that was part of his contract, and made a mental note to look the contract over.
"Mister Black." Greeted the teenage butler with a half-bow before he walked on down the hall to do whatever it was that he did when Harry was asleep and not needing his ministrations.
Minutes later, Sirius finally walked into the library. He was used to large mansions, with the Black Estate's mansion being much bigger than this, but he still found it annoying how long it took to get from one part of the mansion to another.
Remus looked up from a tome he was reading when he walked in. "How is he?"
"Sound asleep. He hasn't asked for them yet, but I imagine he will soon enough." Said Sirius as he sat down across the table from Remus.
The Hogwarts professor rubbed his eyes. He still had barely gotten any sleep since the attack, the events of that night still haunting him. They were only a few days away from the start of term and he was not looking forward to returning to his duties just yet. Not while Peter Pettigrew was still out there and in need of punishment for his heinous and unforgivable crime.
"Well, Lily should be back soon enough and he will at least have her." Said Remus, trying to look at the bright side. "And we can fill in as father figures as well as uncles when needed. You know that that's what James would have wanted. Plus, you are the boy's godfather."
Sirius nodded. "I know. I just wish... I just wish it hadn't turned out like this."
"Believe me, you're not the only one who feels that way." He closed the tome and stood up. "Well, I should get back to Hogwarts and finish finalizing my lesson plans for the year." He said that without actually meaning it, his tone hollow. He had no desire to finish up lesson plans at all. Instead, he was probably going to a pub to drink, but he did not want Sirius to know that. He was supposed to be the more level-headed of the two of them after all.
Sirius stood as well. "Let's visit Lily first."
-xxxxxx-
Ministry of Magic
London, England
Everyone settled back into their seats, the vast majority of the members of the Wizengamot being present at the emergency assembly. Many of them had spent the last hour talking in small groups, and from what Dumbledore was sensing Fudge would get many votes in the election. Someone else had been nominated, an accomplished wizard in his own right, one Lord Lucius Malfoy, Patriarch of the Noble House of Malfoy. He had come in late to the assembly and was quickly brought up to speed by his close friends.
He had spoken quite eloquently after accepting the nomination, mentioning his strong work ethic and desire to improve the lot of Wizarding Britain. He said that he would be willing to use his personal resources to help achieve the Ministry's goals, should the Ministry's resources be insufficient. He also made sure to condemn the terrorist attacks and the group responsible, vowing to bring them to justice swiftly. More than a few members of the assembly looked at him approvingly.
Dumbledore had raised an eyebrow at the nomination, as well as the sudden appearance of the elder Malfoy having been absent during the earlier proceedings. Unfortunately for the wealthy aristocrat, under no circumstances was Dumbledore going to allow him to become Minister of Magic. He was simply too extreme in his views, pureblood views that is, and his election to Minister would be catastrophic.
In the final deliberations, he explained as much to the assembly but in a manner that was more diplomatic. As he spoke, he noted that Malfoy was glaring at him, a slight frown on his handsome face. The Chief Warlock was, after all, reiterating his support for Fudge while simultaneously showing he was opposed to the idea of Malfoy as Minister.
What surprised and confused Dumbledore even further was how Malfoy did not seem to fight hard for the position. It was almost as if he was alright with not getting the post and letting Fudge have it. The old wizard made a mental note to keep an eye out for the elder Malfoy. There was something odd about his behavior and he could not quite place what it was.
Eventually, the deliberations came to a close and the election began. The Secretary of the Wizengamot, a woman named Anita McKellan, began to go through the roll of present members and asked them their vote. The votes were cast aloud, for all to hear. It was required to start with the old families first. The old families had considerable influence in Magical Britain's politics, controlling 199 total seats (69.1%) among the 8 old and noble familes. Usually, many of the other families followed suit with the old family that they liked the most.
"Black family?" Anita called out.
Lord Orion Black stood up slowly, having been terrible injured from a freak accident at his home. It was widely believed that he had hurt himself when an experiment in dark magic went wrong. The Black family was notorious for dabbling in the dark arts. "I vote for Lucius Malfoy."
Dumbledore was not surprised. Lucius was married to Orion's niece, Narcissa, so he was in a way part of the family. The Black patriarch also liked Lucius' pureblood mentality and political leanings as well as the man's own tastes, which included the dark arts.
"Malfoy family?"
Lucius grinned as he stood. "I vote for myself."
"Longbottom family?"
Dumbledore turned, frowning ever so slightly as he was reminded that Frank and Alice Longbottom were still missing. The formidable matriarch of the Longbottom family, Augusta, stood up proudly. "The Longbottoms vote for Cornelius Fudge!" Again, that was unsurprising. They, along with the Potters, often voted against the Malfoys and more often than not supported Dumbledore's views and recommendations.
"Greengrass family?"
"The Greengrass family votes for Malfoy!" Said Lord Greengrass, sitting down quickly afterwards. He rarely spoke during deliberations, and seemed a bit timid for a Lord of a prominent noble house.
"Diggory family?"
Amos Diggory stood and cast his vote firmly. "We vote for Fudge."
"Zabini family?"
"The Zabinis Abstain!" cried their representative, the younger brother of Lord Zabini. They were notorious for staying neutral in most cases, rarely choosing a side and usually only when forced to do so due to the circumstances. Whenever possible, however, they remain neutral and abstain from almost all voting measures because of that family policy.
"Weasley family?"
Arthur Weasley stood up. "The Weasleys vote for Fudge!" Unlike the other prominent noble families, the Weasleys had lost their Lordship due to the fact that they last much of their land when they liquidated a lot of it in order to get cash. As with some of their seats in the Wizengamot, some of their land was also bought up by the Malfoys, and at bargain prices too. The Weasleys were the only family that most other families disdained due to their fall from wealth and status. Their only merit as a noble family being their ancient and pure line.
With the oldest families having cast their votes, the remaining members began to cast theirs.
"Fudge!"
"Malfoy!"
"I vote Malfoy!"
"I vote or Fudge!"
"Cornelius Fudge!"
The voting went on. There were a total of 288 Wizengamot seats, each seat having one vote. Each member family of the Wizengamot, all of whom were pureblood, received a certain number of seats. The majority of families only had one seat and thus one vote. But some had more than one seat, particularly the old houses. The Diggorys, the Potters, the Longbottoms, the Malfoys, the Zabinis, the Greengrasses, the Weasleys, and the Blacks had the most seats of all the other families.
"Cornelius Fudge gets my vote!"
"Fudge for me!"
Overall, the Blacks were the oldest family and therefore had the most seats with 50. Next in family age were the Potters, with 37 seats. Then the Malfoys, who actually were a relatively new family in terms of power, with the majority of their seats coming within the last few decades. They had 30 seats. The Longbottoms had 26 seats. The Greengrasses 18 seats.
"Fudge!"
"Cornelius Fudge!"
"I vote for Lucius Malfoy!"
The Diggorys 16 seats. The Zabinis held 13 seats. And finally the Weasleys, who were actually the fourth oldest family after the Longbottoms, they had 9 seats. They used to have more, but some seats were sold to other families - particularly the Malfoys - because the family was strapped for cash in the last half century.
A representative from each family needed to be present in order to vote on matters, and that representative actually had to be a member of the family by blood. In order for any measure to pass, the Wizengamot needed to have a clear majority of the present members. In order to have a quorum, only sixty members were required to be present, so the minimum number of votes required in such a case to pass a measure would be 31.
Some families who had seats had died out, their seats remaining unfilled as no other families replaced them. There were 27 vacant seats in all. This meant that a full Wizengamot had a maximum of 261 votes, which meant a majority of at least 50% would be a minimum of 131 votes. Thankfully, for elections of any kind it was simply a popularity vote with the candidate getting the most votes winning. For legislation, however, a clear majority of 50% was necessary for it to pass. It would then have to be signed into law by the Minister.
"Abstain!"
"I vote for Malfoy!"
"Fudge!"
Dumbledore looked sadly at the vacant seats allotted to the Potter family. He was most upset at the loss of James Potter, who he considered to be a fine young man. A little misguided in his youth, particularly when it came to pranking the student body and even some of the professors, but he had for the most part grown out of it. He had hoped to gain the support of the young Lord Potter as he moved forward with his plans for the greater good. Though perhaps he might be able to influence the heir.
"Fudge!"
"Malfoy!"
"Abstain!"
This continued on for some time, with each member of the legislative assembly casting a vote.
With the final vote cast, the secretary began to tally them all up. Once she was finished, she double-checked the numbers and then asked her associate, the Undersecretary for Wizengamot Affairs, to verify her calculations. With that done, she handed the final tally over to Dumbledore for announcement of the results of the election.
"Thank you, Anita." The old wizard looked at the results. "As Chief Warlock, it is my honor to announce the results of this election." He began, everyone waiting on him eagerly. Malfoy leaned forward in his seat - he had gotten more votes than he thought. It was possible that he had won, though he hadn't been thoroughly paying attention so he was not sure.
"The next Minister of Magic of the United Kingdom is..." he paused for dramatic effect. "Cornelius Fudge! The final tally: Fudge with 132 votes, Malfoy with 111 votes, and 18 abstained. The final percentages for the vote: Fudge with 50.6%, Malfoy with 42.5%, with 6.9% abstaining." Dumbledore announced pleasantly. "Congratulations are in order for our new Minister of Magic!"
There was some grumbling from the assembly, and Malfoy looked rather displeased, but the chamber erupted in applause all the same.
Fudge stood up from his seat at the front, turning around and waving his hand at the assembly. He looked somewhat surprised and more than happy that he had won.
-xxxxxx-
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
London, England
"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!" bellowed a stunned and absolutely furious Sirius Black. Beneath the anger though was a sense of disbelief and deep sorrow.
"This can't be happening." Remus said to no one in particular, rubbing his temples with his hands. "This is not real. This is a joke, right? Someone tell me this is a joke."
They stood in the hallway, the same one they had been in when they visited Lily. Where her room should be, there was instead a massive hole that opened to the outside. The entire room had been blasted into oblivion, taking along with it parts of the lower and upper rooms. Thankfully, those rooms had been vacant at the time as patients were in the process of being transferred around so no one else was hurt.
Lily, however, was written off as a casualty. There was supposed to have been a bodyguard protecting her, but he was nowhere to be found.
Aurors were on the scene, a detective having gone through the area looking for clues to figure out what happened. It was a clear hit, according to them, but the identity of the attacker was unknown. The magical signature was unidentifiable, and since the Ministry's magic sensors did not register the extensive spellcasting in this area indicative of the level of damage the destructive spell had produced, it was also evident that the unknown assailant had used an unregistered wand.
"I'm sorry, sirs. But I have come up with nothing. Any potential evidence was destroyed in the blast, and as far as I can tell from searching the area there are no other clues. I'm afraid this case is going to have to be closed on the spot." The Auror Detective said, truly apologetic.
Sirius was still fuming and he showed it, glaring at the detective. "DAMNIT! There has to be something! Anything!"
"I am so sorry..."
"NO! You're not! Stop pretending like you're sorry. DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!" Sirius yelled, his anger ebbing away as he pounded the wall with the side of his fist. Tears welled in his eyes. He had lost both James and Lily, and it was all finally hitting him hard.
Remus gave a pained look towards the detective, who nodded in understanding before walking away. The professor placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and patted his back. He was still in a state of shock, but Remus was always better able to control his emotions than anyone of them. It helped that he had for most of his life been forced to control the savage beast that lay dormant within him until once every month when it came out to play.
Sirius wasn't sure how long they stood there in the hallway, but by the time they left the Aurors had already gone. A team was already on the way to repair the damage to the building and set everything back to the way it was. Unfortunately, they could not do the same for Lily.
"We can't even bury her, Remus." Remarked Sirius bitterly, wiping his wet cheeks with his forearms.
"We'll have a service. For the both of them. I'm sure there's a provision for it in James' will..." Remus kept his hand on his friends shoulder, he knew that it was helping.
Sirius sighed. "Harry..." The little one was now an orphan. How could the fates be so cruel? How could this happen? This was all too surreal for him and he did not want to believe that this was reality.
"Come on, Sirius. Let's go." Remus gently tugged at his friend's elbow. "I think we should pass by Gringotts and bring up the subject of the will. I'm sure they're already aware of the situation, given their strange magics and whatnot." He needed to be the guiding voice of reason at the moment, because he knew that Sirius was still quite distraught.
But since he knew that Sirius was the godfather, not to mention the guardian of Harry stated in James' will should anything happen to either him or Lily, Sirius needed to be there and he needed to know what was expected of him. It would help him snap out of his distraught state too. To have a purpose. To have a goal to take care of Harry, the remaining legacy of their two best friends.
Remus sighed, repressing the urge to grieve for his lost friends. He would have time to grieve later. Right now, the two of them needed to get things squared away immediately. Taking care of Harry and his future was their top priority.
-xxxxxx-
Gringotts Wizarding Bank
London, England
Sirius and Remus had been immediately attended to once their identities were verified and the nature of their business confirmed. The goblins ushered them hastily into a back office, where the head of the Potter Account sat waiting for them. He was not as bad looking as his brethren and he had some battle trophies - pieces of jewelry that he had collected from various opponents, indicating a higher class of goblin. Even his office spoke volumes of his ranking within the goblin society, and the bank in particular.
He greeted the two humans pleasantly. "Greetings, Mister Black and Mister Lupin. I am Grudak, but you may call me Gru." They greeted him in return.
He walked back around and sat on his chair, which was elevated so that he could see over his desk properly. He had a sealed roll of parchment on the table, and both Sirius and Remus eyed it sadly.
"I am aware that the two of you and the Potters were close. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences for your loss. Lord and Lady Potter were excellent clients and even better people. They were held in high regard by the goblin nation, and Gringotts especially." Gru told them sincerely.
Both humans nodded slowly.
"Well, now on to the matter at hand. As you are well aware, because of the passing of Lord James Potter, his Last Will and Testament will be read publicly in a weeks time. Before that, however, certain information that Gringotts has about the will may be passed on during extenuating circumstances," the goblin looked at Sirius specifically, "And this qualifies since there is a minor in need of a guardian. As stated by the late Lord Potter, one Sirius Black the third as godfather to the heir and remaining member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter is delegated as guardian of said child upon the passing of the parents. I am, of course, paraphrasing as nobody except the late Lord Potter knows the exact wording he used."
Sirius nodded. "I was told by James about what he intended in the will with regards to guardianship. What I want to know is what should I do now?"
Gru inclined his head. "Nothing. There is nothing you need to do, really. You are technically already the guardian of the Potter heir. The official reading of the will makes it, obviously, official but at that point it is merely a formality."
"So Sirius can begin his responsibilities as guardian?" Asked Remus, shifting in his chair.
"Indeed, Mr. Lupin. However, I would wait until the reading of the will before doing anything major," he paused, "Such as moving out of the country."
Sirius was shocked, and wondered if the goblin had somehow read his mind. That was what he had considered on doing. Harry was not safe here in Britain, not when the Potter family was obviously being targeted. While the Estate may be safe, he could not in good conscience keep Harry locked in their forever until this all died down. The boy needed to grow up in a peaceful, safe, and free environment. Sirius would do everything in his power to assure that he did.
"Will that be all? The goblin asked with a smile, showing rows of sharp teeth.
Author's notes: I've got most of the story already outlined, the only problem now is writing it all down. Onward, I say! Onward!
