Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN!
A/N: I would like to Thank my Beta 'Sharnorasian Empire' for all the work she did in editing this chapter.
Chapter 21
There was complete and utter silence for several long minutes before Ginny found her voice, "Excuse me?" She asked in disbelief. "You want to run that one by me again?"
Frank actually shrugged, "It says that the warrant for Harry's arrest is for her use of the Dark Arts and for Treason."
"I didn't think the Wizarding World had a crime for Treason?" Harry asked looking at the adults. She would have laughed at the situation of it hadn't been so pathetic.
"They don't." Sirius answered, "Treason is seen as a personal crime and it is up to the parties betrayed to decide what the punishment should be. For example if I was to betray you Harry, you would the only one allowed to decide what would happen to me."
"Then how can Fudge be accusing her of Treason?" Molly's voice shook with her emotions. They all knew she considered Harry another daughter and now that she and Ginny were married she was their family.
"I don't know." Frank admitted standing up, "But I'll find out and…"
However, Neville cut him off. "No dad. It can't be you." When his father looked at him in question he added, "Everyone knows how close I am to Harry. The same with Arthur and Kevin. It needs to be someone who doesn't have a public connection with her. No telling what Fudge would do if one of you showed up."
"I'll go." Tonks offered rising from her chair. "No one knows that I've ever met Harry, let alone that I am married to her cousin." She leaned down and gave Alex a gentle kiss before turning about to Harry. "Stay here. Do not leave the house. I'll be back as soon as possible." She warned before she headed for the front door. Once outside the wards she would apparate to the Ministry.
"What are you going to do?" Minerva asked once Tonks had left. "None of you can return to Hogwarts as long as there is a warrant for Harry's arrest out."
"I don't know." Harry admitted with a shrug. "Let's wait and see what Tonks comes up with." Gradually they all agreed that waiting was their best option and the talk turned to other things.
They put all conversation of their plans on hold and turned the talk to any other topic while they awaited Tonks return. They had just sat down for a late lunch, several hours later when she returned. Her face clearly showing her concern at the information she had discovered. Silently they all mutually agreed to wait until lunch was finished before they broached the topic. Dobby served tea and coffee in the Library and they all got comfortable for what they knew could be a long discussion. Molly, Arthur, Frank, and Alice took one couch, while Kevin, Sarah, Sirius, and Remus took another. Bill, Charlie and Minerva settled themselves on the third couch, while the twins and Neville and Luna found scattered chairs around the fire place. That left a love seat, which Tonks and Alex happily settled into, and an oversized arm chair that Ginny pushed her wife into before happily settling herself in her lap.
All eyes turned to Tonks waiting for her to share what she had learned. Taking a deep breath she began, "I would have to say that Minister Fudge has finally gone off the deep end. He is accusing Harry of using Dark Magic to 'persuade' Molly and Arthur to agree to let their 15 year old daughter marry and of you using it to 'convince' Ginny that she loves you. Through that you are accused of using Dark Magic to claim the position of Lady of not one, but five of the most ancient and noble houses."
Harry held her wife close, when Ginny started to growl in anger. "Easy, baby." she whispered softly in Ginny's ear. "Everyone that matters knows the truth and Fudge will get what's coming to him sooner or later."
Tonks waited for Harry to calm the Red Head down before she added. "The charge of Treason is even more…inventive." She shook her head slightly, "It seems that the Minister is stating that since you are the country's greatest Heroine, that all of your crimes affect the entire country. Therefore your use of Dark Magic should be considered not only Treason against the Weasleys but the whole country. He's called for arrest to have a public trial so that the Wizengmot can decide how to deal with your crimes."
There was a long silence as everyone tried to digest the latest news. Eventually Harry asked, "How's the public responding to the news of the warrant?"
"They don't know." Tonks said, "It's being kept in house. He's threatened punishment to anyone who tells."
Harry just smiled and looked at Remus. The only werewolf nodded in agreement. By the evening Prophet the whole of Great Britain would know what Fudge was trying to pull. "Anything else, Tonks?"
The young woman nodded, "I think he had to have help, Harry. There is no way he could come up with this on his own."
"The question is who was helping him?" Harry said in contemplation.
"Dumbledore?" Luna suggested but Neville shook his head.
"Dumbledore is still determined to gain control over Harry." Neville argued, "He can't do that if she's locked up. He's still aiming for her to submit willingly."
"Maybe, maybe not, Neville." Tonks said, "Rumor has it that Dumbledore has called an emergency meeting of the Wizengmot. He wants to argue for your innocence."
Harry snorted, "You mean he wants to show his 'support' of me and then once I'm free he wants to call in the favor I would then owe him." She thought for a moment and then added, "When is the Wizengmot meeting?"
"This evening is what I've heard." Tonks added, "They were sending the owls out as I left."
"I'll go home and check and see if we have one." Arthur said, "But what are you going to do Harry?"
"As I see it I have only three ways on entering the ministry without being arrested on the spot." Harry said as Ginny snuggled closer to her wife. "One is to walk into the lobby and let them arrest me on the spot. The Second is to have Tonks arrest me and then escort me into the ministry as a prisoner. Knowing Fudge he will order me before the Wizengmot immediately."
"And the third?" Minerva asked not quite liking the mischievous look on her young ward's face.
"The other." Harry said with a smile. "Well it required putting on a little bit of a …show."
They all looked at her in confusion for several seconds before Neville finally understood what Harry meant. He started to chuckle which soon led to all out laughter. Ginny was next when she figured it out followed closely by Luna.
"Does someone want to explain to us what you find so funny?" Molly demanded as the other's continued to laugh.
Harry smiled at her mother-in-law. "It seems that we might be revealing our powers sooner than we wanted after all." When she continued to frown at them she added, "The only way for me to enter the ministry without being arrested is under my own power."
"What does that mean exactly?" Charlie asked.
"It means that I release my full power and flame into the middle of the Wizengmot meeting." Harry explained. "While all of us are powerful, only Ginny and I have enough power to effectively break through the Ministry wards, and only if we use our Phoenix powers."
"But wont that give away the fact that you are Phoenix Animagus?" Fred asked but Ginny shook her head.
"No" she told her brother. "Only Dumbledore might know what it means. Everyone else will probably think that we are just showing off a little, but there will be no hiding the fact that we are so powerful."
"What exactly are you suggesting?" Bill asked.
"I'm suggesting that we suck it up and deal with the fact that we are going to have to reveal ourselves." Harry said with a sigh. "Everyone by Neville, Luna, Bill, Charlie, Ginny and I can be in the council room already. Either in the crowd or in their Family seats. Bill, Charlie, Neville, and Luna can enter, dressed as our Champions and take up protective positions around the center of the room. Once they give us the word Ginny and I can flame into the room."
"And then?" Arthur demanded, not sure he liked this plan.
"Then we will have to wait and see what Dumbledore and the Minister do." Harry finished.
"That's dangerous, Harry." Remus said softly. "There's so much that could go wrong. Not to mention what you will have reveal your power and I thought we all agreed it was better to keep it a secret."
"I know we did Remus." Harry admitted, "But I don't see another way around it. Even if I let Tonks arrest me and take me in under custody I still don't see a way out of the situation without revealing my powers. At least this way we have control over the situation and it is on our own terms not the minister's."
"You're not talking about trying to get Fudge out of office tonight are you?" Alex asked.
"No not tonight." Harry said. "We will go in and clear up these charges. I will claim my seat and name my champions. That is it. We will still try and wait until Voldermort returns before we get Fudge out of office."
"Plus we still need to spend some time talking to Madame Bones before we can arrange to get Fudge out." Ginny added. "We need to be sure of who we put in his place. We need to make sure they can handle to pressure of being the Minister while we are at war and they will do what is right."
When everyone sat there without saying anything for several long minutes, Harry sight, "I know it's not what we wanted to do, and that it could cause problems, but I don't see any other choice. I'm open to suggestions, if anyone has a better idea."
Once again no one said anything. No one could come up with a better idea. Eventually Sirius sighed, "Alright. We'll do it your way." He looked around the room at the other adults waiting for them to agree or disagree. When he got nods of agreement he turned back to his goddaughter, "I guess this means that my confrontation of Dumbledore will have to wait a while." He joked trying to lighten the mood a little, "What is the plan."
Harry smiled at him but didn't answer. Instead she called out for Dobby. When the little elf appeared he bowed to his mistress before standing up straight. "Mistress Harry called."
"Yes Dobby. Do you have those special outfits we were working on complete?" She asked the elf with a smile.
"Yes, Mistress." They were finished a few days ago. "They are in storage until they are needed."
"Well it is time my friend." Harry said. "Will you have them brought here and placed in the appropriate rooms? We will need them tonight."
"At once, Mistress Harry." Dobby said with a bow before he disappeared with a crack.
"You have all seen what we battle in." She addressed the group. "Well the champions will find similar items in their room with their represented house colors and crest on them, while everyone else will find new robes."
"Uh…Harry," Remus ventured. "Is it not common for Wizards to wear the best robes to the Wizengmot?"
"Customary? Yes." Harry agreed, "Required? No" She looked around at all of them, "I assure you that they are made of the finest materials available. They contain the strongest wards and protections possible. We are headed for war and while the general population does not know it, it is what we have been trained for. The four of us are the protectors of the Wizarding world, but we, along with Bill and Charlie, are also the protectors of Hogwarts and Great Britain's children. I want the people to know that we are willing and able to protect."
When they all nodded in understanding she stood, taking Ginny with her. "Arthur, let us know what time the meeting is set for. Until then I need some time with my wife." She didn't wait for an answer before she led Ginny from the room.