The Memorial Wall

Harry Potter had nothing to do with the third way that Hogwarts was honoring Cedric Diggory. It seemed that a third year from Ravenclaw named Lovegood had started it on the wall opposite the entrance to the Great Hall. She had posted her stories about how Cedric had helped her on the wall in newspaper form. Others had joined her in the spontaneous tribute. Colin had posted as many pictures of Cedric that he could find. Flowers graced the bottom of the wall, some transferred from where Cedric had lain in state, others appearing as the day progressed. A couple second year Hufflepuffs seemed to always be there to help arrange the latest addition.

Harry had just stopped there to watch Dean put up a painting that he'd done of Cedric on the pitch about to catch the snitch. He thought it was from the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff game from his first year. "Nice work, Dean," Harry said, as Neville arrived to put some sort of plant at the base of the wall. "How is the vigil painting going?"

"I'm almost done, Harry," Dean said. "I needed to let some of it dry a bit and had to send for more paint, so I thought now would be a good time to put up 'Seeker' here."

"Brilliant work, Dean," Harry said admiring how Cedric was rotating as the snitch moved, trying to escape the late Hufflepuff's grasp. His examination of the painting was, however, interrupted.

"How dare you, Potter!" Harry looked up to discover that the Minister of Magic had just arrive. In his hands was the Morning edition of the Daily Prophet. "How dare you contradict the position of the Ministry of Magic!"

"And what position was that?" Harry asked, schooling his face into a very serious expression.

"You-Know-Who has not returned!" Fudge replied.

"I've been a little busy, so I might have missed it," Harry stated, turning towards Dean. "Dean, have you heard that position?"

"I haven't read anything, but I've been painting, and you know how focused I can get while doing that," Dean replied. "Hey, Neville, you hear anything about this Ministry position?"

"Page Nine, bottom left, next to the quarter page ad for Welsh dragon dung," Neville replied. Harry enjoyed the incredulous expression of the Minister at that. "Grandmother insists that I read the whole Daily Prophet every morning. Never quite saw why, but I got in the habit. Oh, Harry, Professor Sprout wants to know if black and yellow rose wreaths would interfere with any of your plans for the Leaving Feast?"

"Don't think so," Harry replied, purposely turning away from the Minister. "Don't know why she's asking me though. The Headmaster always handles the feast. I do need to talk to her about use of that empty greenhouse, which number is it again?"

"See here, you can't ignore me," Minister Fudge tried to interrupt.

"Nine. Harry, after the honor guard, procession, and broom overflight, everyone is looking to you for ideas and guidance," Neville said, taking his cue from Harry, apparently, and not looking at the Minister who was trying to step around to get into the trio's discussion. "Grandmother says that the honor guard was a brilliant idea, by the way. Reminded her of thirty-six, she said. Not that I know what she meant about thirty-six."

"Nineteen-thirty-six, actually," came the voice of Hermione Granger. "Midnight watch of the four Princes ... Lavender says she's got the extra paint you needed from Hogsmead for you, Dean. And Cho's waiting for you."

"Last figure for the painting," Dean explained, as Hermione joined the group in front of Cedric's painting. "I didn't get a good enough sketch of her. It shouldn't take that much longer to do."

Dean's departure was enough to get Minister Fudge back in Harry's field of view again. "You must cease this at once!"

"And you are?" Hermione asked. Harry could hear the challenge in her tone, and smiled. He had long since learned that you had to be careful challenging Hermione.

"I am Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, dear girl," Fudge replied. "This defying of the Ministry must stop."

"And since when has the Ministry of Magic started interfering with the views of a private citizen? or a private educational institution for that matter?" Hermione asked. "Has it been granted new powers heretofore unknown?"

"I hardly think that a young girl like yourself would know all the powers of the Ministry over the people or the press," Fudge replied, turning slightly towards Hermione to dismiss her. "Now Harry ..."

"Did he just insult Hermione's intelligence?" Neville asked Harry.

"Since my third year I have read the entire rulings of the Wizenmont back to 1632, and studied all publically available laws and regulations," Hermoine began. Harry recalled the large tomes that she'd pulled out during her work on the defense of Buckbeak.

"I think he did," Harry replied. "Fool or just doesn't know her?"

"... and I can categorically state that you have no power to control a private citizen's opinion or ability to express it," Hermoine said. "Though you have at times exercised de facto control over the press, you lack de jure control..."

"Little girl, you do not know what you're talking about," Fudge replied, facing Hermoine fully now. "De facto, de jure ..."

"I'm going for idiot myself," Neville replied. "Doesn't know his Latin either."

Harry decided that enough was enough, after several minutes of Hermoine poking holes in everything that the Minister said, and stepped between them. "Minister, do you wish to insult the honor of a Hufflepuff? If you do, then I must remind you that Gryffindor stands against those who would dishonor the fallen. We feel it honorable and just to honor Cedric. I am the son of the last victim of Voldermort during his first rise. I can not do less than to honor the first victim of his return. You may not believe me, but to me, you do not matter. Governments rise and fall, but honor is constant. I am a Gryffindor, we stand, we fight, for what we believe in. If your denial in grief a couple days ago has translated to a denial in fear and cowardice now, then stand aside. Now if you'll excuse me, I believe that Professor Sprout wanted to see me."