Chapter seven

Ripples

"You want to bring down the Statute of Secrecy?"

Harry nodded

"We need unity with everyone, magical or not and to do that, the non magical need to know of the magical. We do not want wizards to rule over the muggles but to live together."

"You have to understand, the Statute protects us. We will be persecuted, hunted and belittled."

Hermione sighed as she looked at the wizard.

"This is not the 1600's Albus, we are on the precipice of the twenty first century in just a few years, times have changed and religion does not rule the world, one man may call us heathens, but the rest will ignore him. Albus, it has to go."

"We'll talk about this later. I suggest you rest for now."

Ron groaned as he rested his bare feet in the cool lake, visibly relaxing.

"Albus looked about ready to have an aneurism when we told him the Statute needs to come down. You think he can do it with just Dad at the ICW?"

Hermione shook her head

"Not a chance, we're just making sure Albus doesn't have a heart attack when we go to the ICW and bring it down ourselves."

"They are announcing who is in the running for Minister tomorrow, and we had better talk to the merpeople tonight. In one month, we are changing the world forever."

The four gently glowing figures walked forwards, slowly discarding their clothing at the shore and casting a spell upon them to hide and protect them. Harry's eyes were drawn irrevocably to Ginny, clad in only her under wear. Ron snorted as he looked over the water.

"Fred and George always joked about this."

Ginny giggled

"I doubt they would have the balls to do this."

Hermione laughed

"Oh we'd see it if they did."

Silently, and without looking on either side of them at the others, their underwear was removed and they walked calmly in to the water and swam, the foliage under them swirling around them to form natural swim wear, hiding their intimate zones and letting them feel closer to Gaia.

The swim wasn't as long as it was during the Triwizard Cup, but then again, the Grindylows swam with them as friends. They reached the Mermen village and stood on the bottom as an elderly looking merman swam forward, holding a spear.

"I am Mervogian, The Elder of this village, what is it you seek?"

"We are here to seek an alliance between the Merfolk of this lake and The Wizards of the Castle in a mutual protection pact. They will keep your waters safe and clear if you help keep the bastion of light shining brightly by defending your waters and the land around them. The Bane of Gaia we battle will pollute your water and belittle your race, but we offer you something invaluable; equality."

"Allow us to vote and commune with the Grand Council of Poseidon on such an offer. We will communicate with you when a choice is reached."

The news spread around the next day that interim Minister of Magic Amelia Bones had announced the vote of no confidence in Fudge and that there were two nominations; Pius Thicknesse and Arthur Weasley. Many of the Gryffindors had cheered long and loud for Ron and Ginny. Dumbledore nodded to Harry and they leave the Great Hall silently.

"Mr Thicknesse is a puppet."

Harry sighed

"I gathered as much Albus. We talked to the merfolk last night and they are communing with the Grand Council of Poseidon about an alliance with the wizards. We'll be contacted in a few days with their decision. In the mean time, I wouldn't mind looking towards The Goblin Nation, they are quite strong unto themselves and have longed sought the equality we offer."

The next few days were a blur to the four as they went about school life; Ginny's eyes always gravitated to the serene lake and the hidden merfolk. They would contact them soon.

They didn't have a very long wait.

Harry and Ginny walked by the side of the lake with the moon shining down on them. A head bobbed up in the lake.

"Brethren of the Earth, The nation of the Merfolk have decided to ally ourselves with the wizards who call this castle home."

The pair just smiled and passed their thanks on to the mermen before rushing off.

Over the next month, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat and waited for the thing they had no control on; the general voting public.

The Gryffindor house congratulated the two remaining Weasley's and assured them that their parents were voting for the red headed patriarch, all the two could do was smile and wait for the move of the wizarding world before they could move to take the veritable rook that is the Statute of Secrecy.

The votes were in, counted, verified and counted again, the anti tampering spells were checked and they made sure that no dead people had placed a vote. The news was then sent to the Daily Prophet.

The owls flooded in carrying the letters and newspapers to the student, a barn owl landed in front of Hermione who stroked the owl as she took the letter, passing the bird a rasher of bacon and some water before slipping her Knut in to the payment pouch, letting the raptor fly away

"That's what I like to see."

Hermione handed the paper over to Harry, allowing him and Ginny to see the headline

"Arthur Weasley: Minister of Magic by a landslide!"

The four friends strolled in to Albus' office and smiled as he set down his newspaper.

"I assure you four, as soon as Arthur is set in office, I will call a meeting at the International Confederation of Wizards. I will put forward the vote, which I have little doubt over it failing and then let you take the floor."

Harry smiled as Fawkes flew over and rested on his shoulder, softly caressing the bird's plumage.

"How long will it be Albus?"

"I would say two days at the most, Harry."

Over the next two days, Arthur Weasley was sworn in as Minister for Magic before the assembled Wizengamot and the red headed elder was sitting down in his new and spacious office as Dumbledore walked in with a smile

"Congratulations again Arthur, however I must admit that I am not here on personal business. I come on order business in relation to the wishes of our new leaders whom I shan't name."

"What is it they wish to have done Albus?"

Many of the people in the ministerial building at the time heard the thunderous yell that followed Dumbledore's statement.

The international Confederation of Wizards convened on an uninhabited and unmapped island near Fiji. The entire building was built underground to ensure privacy and safety for the gathered leaders and counsel.

The always met to greet a newly elected minister, and today is the turn of The Ministry for Magic of the United Kingdom, and the newly elected Minister, Arthur Weasley. Albus Dumbledore, the advisor of numerous ministers stood up and addressed the gathering.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the International Confederation, The United Kingdom is in the grasp of a war. It is through the ineptitudes of the previous governing body that Voldemort was allowed to gain such strengths again. We voted for a change. We voted for this Man; Arthur Weasley."

Arthur slowly stood up and smiled at the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is more than a time of war for my country; it is a time of change as well. I do not see why such change, be limited to our own shores. We are on the cusp of a new millennium, three hundred years since we went in to hiding. I say, we are done hiding! I say we need to take our rightful place, not above the Muggles, not below them, but beside them. Ladies and Gentlemen, I call that we bring down the International Statute of Secrecy!"

They called it to a vote, and it was unanimous; the statute would remain.

All talking stopped as four figures slowly rose out of the floor, a gentle shimmering pearlescent sheen more then visible on them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the International Confederation of Wizards, we stand before you today, with an announcement. On this day, Magic will be known to all, muggle or not. In spite of what you believe, the world is ready. Yes there will be prejudice, for it is human to hate what is new. We know that they will be ignored by the majority. The muggles can benefit from our talents, and we can benefit from theirs. We have set in to motion a plan that you can not prevent."

All the members of the Order of the Phoenix stood in a large circle in the Room of Requirement, runes painted around them and on the floor, they stood, chanting, wands aimed at a rune.

"The statute of secrecy is falling."