CHAPTER 49 Applications and Newspaper Articles

Early the next morning, Lucius and Andromeda went down to the Ministry of Magic to register their applications for the two open slots on the Hogwarts Governors' board. After filing the paperwork with a minimum of fuss, Lucius arrived back home just as Hermione was getting out of bed.

Shortly after flooing back to the penthouse, he met Hermione as she came out of their bedroom, still yawning and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"It seems as if I timed things just right," Lucius observed with the hint of a smile and he bent to kiss Hermione in the hall between the library and their bedroom.

"How did it go down at the Ministry?" Hermione asked, yawning again, absently scratching her pregnant belly.

"It was actually quite simple," Lucius said as they both headed to the breakfast room. "It took us less than five minutes to fill out the forms and we were able to get it done without anyone seeing us but the office clerk. And she promised to pass the applications on to Kingsley Shacklebolt as soon as he arrived in his office."

"I wonder how many others have applied?" Hermione asked.

"None yet that I know of," Lucius told her. "I'd asked Mafalda Hopkirk last week to check on that for me and as of last Wednesday, there had been no applications. I imagine most people are just glad that Hogwarts is up and running again to worry overmuch about how things are run down there. I would think that they're just glad to get back to living normal lives now that the Dark Lord is gone. They probably don't give the running of Hogwarts any thought at all."

"Well, that should make it easier," Hermione said. After a moment, she said, "I'm famished."

"You're eating for two, so I expect that you are," Lucius said, smiling indulgently at her."

At that moment, Breezy entered the room levitating a loaded serving tray in front of her.

"Perfect timing, Breezy," Lucius told the elf, in a rare bit of praise. Hermione had been subtly teaching him to be more considerate of the elves, but one didn't unlearn the habits of a lifetime overnight.

"I aims to please, Master Lucius," the elf said, happy that her efforts were appreciated. She quickly served the couple, they disappeared back into the kitchen.

The elf returned less than five minutes later, bearing that day's Daily Prophet, which she handed to Lucius before disappearing once again.

He spread the paper out in front of him on the table, scanning the headlines. "Ah, there it is," he murmured, leaning closer to read the article in question.

"There what is?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"This," he said, pointing to a headline:

Lucius Malfoy - One Year Later: Looking Toward the Future

by Norbert Terwilliger

Nearly a year ago, the Wizengamot chose to give former Death Eater Lucius Malfoy a second chance by acquitting him of all charges brought against him as a member of Lord Voldemort's inner circle. This decision was made in light of the crucial help the Malfoy family gave the Order of the Phoenix during the last year of the war.

Now, a year later, the Daily Prophet took a look at what Mr Malfoy has done so far with the freedom he was given. From what we found, the Daily Prophet believes that the Wizengamot made the right decision, as Mr Malfoy has apparently left the past behind and is looking toward a positive future.

As he has been for many years, Mr Malfoy remains the principal philanthropist of the British wizarding world. The speedy rebuilding of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was made possible in large part by Mr Malfoy's generous donations. Similarly, most of the improvements made at St. Mungo's in the last twenty years have been made because of the Malfoy Foundation.

Earlier this year Mr Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa Malfoy, founded an orphanage for children who lost their parents in the war. As well as placing several children in new adoptive families, the orphanage provides a home and education for orphaned children of pre-Hogwarts age. The orphanage also has given employment to Reg and Mary Cattermole, who were displaced from their previous employment during the last year of the war.

Mr Malfoy has also given several others assistance in making new starts since the end of the war. As an example, he has employed Stan Shunpike as his personal chauffeur when traveling by muggle automobile, after he learned that the young man was unable to regain his former employment as conductor of the Knight Bus.

Diagon Alley will see the return of one old business and the start of one new business, thanks to Mr Malfoy. With his backing, Xenophilius Lovegood will soon be providing the Daily Prophet with healthy competition once again when he restarts the Quibbler later this summer. Mr Malfoy has also loaned Mr Lovegood the funds to rebuild his family home, which was destroyed in the last days of the war. Mr Malfoy also generously provided his support to a newly engaged couple, Millicent Bulstrode and Gregory Goyle, to start a jewelry store as they begin their lives together.

To honor the memory of Charity Burbage, who gave her life for the cause of a united wizarding society, Mr Malfoy recently established the Charity Burbage Scholarship that will sponsor one deserving muggleborn Hogwarts student each year. Mr Malfoy was inspired to start this scholarship after having a long conversation with Ms Burbage's sister, Constance Burbage.

In December, Mr Malfoy entered into a consort union with Hermione Granger. They were the first couple to respond to the Ministry of Magic's new law that established legal consortships as part of its twofold campaign to increase the wizarding population and to reduce squib births. The Malfoys are expecting their first child, a girl, in September.

The Daily Prophet wishes Mr Malfoy much success in all his future endeavours.

"That's certainly an impressive article," Hermione noted. "Am I right in assuming that the timing of this article was in no way a coincidence?"

"You know me well," Lucius said, chuckling. "When Kingsley Shacklebolt gets my application for the governorship on his desk, this article will help emphasize to him that I have fully renounced my former support of the Dark Lord and that I am once again suitable to be on the Board of Governors. And considering that Mr Potter's wedding is tomorrow, I thought it would be an apt time to give people something to talk about at the wedding reception, as Shacklebolt will no doubt be there."

Glacing at the paper again, she commented, "I notice there are also similar articles about how some other people are doing now, a year after the end of the war. There's an article about Harry, one about Neville, one about Andromeda Tonks and Teddy." After a pause, she noted, "And there's even one here about Rodolphus Lestrange; about how he couldn't adjust after the war and is now languishing at Azkaban."

"Yes, I thought including a piece about him would provide a sharp contrast to how my life has progressed in that same period of time," Lucius told her. "Rodolphus was always one of the Dark Lord's most fanatical followers, which is how he ended up married to Bellatrix. Narcissa and I could hardly bear socializing with them because of their obsession with Voldemort; it was so utterly tiresome to listen to their inane drivel about the Dark Lord."

"I can well imagine," Hermione said, shuddering at mere thought of the Lestranges.

"As you know, I was a Death Eater because it was expected of me," Lucius continued. "But it was always an unpleasant duty, never a obsession like it was to them. I must say that it was quite fortunate that most of the other Death Eaters were more like me than like the Lestranges. If there had been more true fanatics among our number, I daresay the war would have gone on much longer than it did and it's quite likely that Mr Potter wouldn't be alive to get married tomorrow." He didn't voice aloud that getting married to Ginny Weasley was only slightly more preferable alternative to death, in his opinion.

"Speaking of Harry, I wish I could see his face when he opens the our wedding gifts," Hermione said. "Your idea to replace the Potter family china was spot on, considering how little Harry has of his parents. And Narcissa's gift of platinum, goblin-made silverware -- I don't think I've ever seen anything as lovely and it matches perfectly with the china!"

"When you told me that Mr Potter had very few of his parents' belongings, it reminded me of when I used to go with my parents for dinner with Mr Potter's grandparents when I was a child," Lucius said. "Every pureblood family has their own distinctive china pattern, so I thought giving him a replacement of the Potter china would be most appropriate. We were fortunate that the china maker still had the template for the Potter china available. And Narcissa thought the lily pattern on the silverware would be a fine way for Mr Potter to remember his mother by."

"Harry will be so touched," Hermione said quietly. "Those are incredibly thoughtful gifts."

"Don't forget about the new family grimoire you chose," Lucius reminded her. "The Potter family grimoire, which had no doubt been in his family for generations was destroyed the night Mr Potter lost his parents, but with the new book you chose for him, he'll be creating a new heirloom for generations to come. The inclusion of all your notes within will go a long way into compiling it."

Hermione had commissioned the blank grimoire book to be made by Scrivenshaft's out of mahogany and leather, The cover was embossed with a lion's head surrounded by encrusted rubies.

"I just hope he's doing the right thing by marrying Ginny," Hermione said, heaving a loud sigh. "He hasn't seemed all that excited about getting married in the few times I've seen him lately."

"I'm sure he's making a mistake," Lucius said. "But there absolutely nothing we can do about it, as he'd not listen to anything on the subject from anyone right now. It's a mistake he's going to have to make for himself."

"Yes, I'm afraid to say that I agree with you," Hermione said, sighing again. "I'll just have to hope for the best."

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A/N Thanks to all my readers and reviewers who have stayed with me during this story
A/N New blog entry: Hermione's Gift To Harry. My blog can be accessed through my profile.
A/B Next chapter: Harry's Wedding