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Chapter 21: The Minister

6th, August, 1998...

During dinner everyone was chatting about the memories they had seen so far when Lily decided to ask Neville a question.

"Neville?"

"Yes Lily?" he asked.

"Do you know who your Godparents are?" she asked curiously.

"I didn't even know I had godparents'." he replied.

Lily smiled sadly. "You may want to know that I'm your Godmother and James is your Godfather then." she said gently.

"Really?" Neville asked shocked, "I never knew. My Gran never told me."

"Yes really. Your mother was Harry's Godmother as well, we were best friends at Hogwarts and throughout the first war." she told him.

Harry looked up from across the table. "What was that Mum?" he asked.

"Oh I was just telling Neville that me and your father are his Godparents and that his mother, Alice, was your Godmother." she told her son, who was shocked.

"I never knew that." Harry said simply. "What about you Nev? Did you know?" Neville shook his head. "Well you learn something new everyday." he chuckled.

"Hello?" a voice said in a deep booming voice from the living room.

"That's the Floo. I'll get it, it's probably Kingsley." Harry said going through to the living room. Sure enough there in the fire was the head of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Hello minister. What can I do for you today?" Harry asked, knowing it must be important.

"Ah, Harry. Just the man I wanted to see. I've been informed by some of the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries that there was a massive burst of magic here a few days ago, I was wondering if you could explain it to me?" he asked.

"Well... we had a visit from... a powerful being." Harry replied hesitantly.

"A powerful being?"

"Yes you see..." Harry sighed and went on to explain to Kingsley what had happened in the last few day's.

When he had finished, Kingsley was shocked.

"So we have had 7 people return from the dead?" Kingsley finally asked, "Your positive that they are not imposters?"

"Positive Minister. They know things only they would know. My parent's for example know what they had been doing just before the attack where they lost their lives I'm the only other person on the planet who know's exactly what happened except them and Voldemort. But we all saw them come through the portal anyway." Harry explained.

"Well can I come through and see this for myself?"

"Of course." Harry replied stepping back as Kingsley came through the Floo. "They are in the kitchen I'll tell them that the Minister has arrived." Harry went through to the kitchen with Kingsley behind him. "Everyone," he called making everyone look up. "the Minister of Magic is here. He knows everything." he added.

"Kingsley your the Minister?" Dora asked shocked, "Good for you."

"Yes. Hello everyone." he added in his deep booming voice. "And to the people who have returned welcome back."

"I'm going to put a guess in and say you recognise everyone except me." Regulus smirked making Kingsley nod. "Regulus Black, Sirius's younger brother."

"Nice to meet you, but weren't you a Death Eater?" Kingsley asked shaking his hand.

"I was yes, but I wanted out about a year before I died." Regulus replied. Kingsley nodded again.

"Oh Kingsley, I've been thinking about making a few changes to the Hogwarts curriculum, but I'd like to run them by you first if that's alright." Minerva said thoughtfully.

"What were you thinking Minerva?" he asked.

"Well I was thinking about adding an extra 2 years, so it's 7 years of the usual education and 2 that are dedicated to what field a student want's to join like the Aurors or Healer's." she explained. "It will save time on training program's and give the student's time to get ready for entering the world of work. After all 17, or even 18 or 19 in some cases, is a bit young to be leaving school."

Kingsley frowned in thought, "I think that's actually a few good points. Especially the part about it being a bit young to be going out and getting a job with hardly any help." he replied hesitantly, "I think that even though training programs are necessary for the experience an extra 2 years of education could cut the time to around 6 months instead of 2 and a half or 3 years of training, they would only need real experience."

Minerva smiled, "That's what I was thinking."

"What are you eight thinking about doing next year?" Kingsley asked Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Draco and Astoria.

"Well I'm pregnant so being a mother is on the top of the list." Astoria said.

"Congratulation's." Kingsley said.

"I was thinking about becoming a Healer." Draco said thoughtfully, "Or a Potions Master."

"I was going to ask Minerva if I could help Professor Sprout teach Herbology." Neville commented.

Minerva smiled, "That would be fine Neville. I'm always glad to see young people interested in teaching." she told him making him beam.

"I'm returning for my N.E.W.T's." Luna said, "Then I'll help Daddy with the Quibbler."

"I would like to join the Department for the Control of Magical Creature's. Some of the old laws are really outdated and I'd like to make a difference. Or I'd like to teach." Hermione said smiling. "But I'd like to return to school to do my N.E.W.T's if possible." she added.

"I'd like to become an Auror." Ron said. "But I also wouldn't mind teaching Strategy or if I had help Defence Against the Dark Arts." he explained, "I'd need to do my N.E.W.T's in anycase."

"I don't know what I'd like to do..." Ginny trailed off uncertainly. "I think I'd like to play Professional Quidditch... but I'm not sure. I'll need to return for my 7th year anyway." she added.

Everyone looked at Harry waiting for his answer, he frowned in thought.

"I know that I wanted to be an Auror but after the war I'm just tired of fighting all the time... I've fought the Dark Arts, basically, since I was 14 years old." he said with haunted eyes, "I have considered teaching though, I really enjoyed teaching in my 5th year when I was teaching the DA." he explained. "But I'd like to do my N.E.W.T's too."

"Well I don't have a vacancy for next year for DADA as it has already been taken by an Auror that was injured in the war and cannot return to the force until she is recovered," Minerva explained, "But if you choose to return then there is a class of muggleborn students who didn't get in when Voldemort controlled the wizarding world. They will need extra teaching through their first and second years to catch up to their supposed to be year mate's." she added.

"I'd like that. I could do Defence Against the Dark Arts for the muggleborns while doing my N.E.W.T's." Harry commented, "What about you lot? What do you think?" he asked the other teens.

"Teaching would be nice. Your right Harry, if we return to do our N.E.W.T's we could teach too. I could do History of Magic." Hermione nodded.

"Yeah it would be nice." Ginny commented. "I could do Flying lessons and Charms too."

"I could do Care of Magical Creatures." Luna put in.

"I could do Transfiguration with the Muggleborns." Draco added. "I'd like to do my N.E.W.T's as well."

"I could handle the Herbology classes." was Neville's input.

"I could help Harry with DADA." Ron said smiling at his best friend, who nodded. "And I can do some lessons on strategy." he added as an afterthought.

"If you didn't mind having a pregnant witch around the school I could come in to do Astronomy with them it was my best subject." Astoria explained, "And I'd have had to return to do my 7th year anyway."

"That would be fine with me." Minerva smiled, "I'll certainly appreciate any help possible. It's going to be the biggest 1st and 2nd years since the days of the founders."

"I'll bet it will." James snorted.

"Of course it will Prong's." Sirius said, "Kingsley? What will happen to me? I'm supposed to be an escaped convict."

"Your name has been cleared Sirius, I made sure of it after the war. We had the body of Peter Pettigrew confirmed to us and Harry helped by showing his memories in court." Kingsley explained smiling. "All I'll have to do now is get the 7 of you declared alive. This is going to mean a lot of paperwork." he groaned. Everyone chuckled. "No idea what your laughing at Harry, your helping me, you too Ginny." they both groaned making everyone laugh harder.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Easy, I don't know how much you want made public and you have to help register your 'Lycan' virus as a species." he explained.

"Urgh..." Harry groaned. "Can it wait until we finish going through my First Year?" he asked.

"Of course it can." replied Kingsley. "As long as it's done by the end of the month."

"Okay we should get back to the memories it's 5.30pm so we can watch about 3 more." Harry explained, "Kingsley you're welcome to join us." he said as they all went back through to the living room.

"It would be nice but I need to get back to the office, I might return in the morning though. Goodbye everybody." Kingsley said before going back through the Floo.

"Okay we can start from where we left off." Harry said.