Muggle Magic
"I don't like this, Vernon." Petunia whispered again while they got dressed. Beside her, he smirked; he distinctly remembered having this same conversation with her not too long ago.
"It will be alright, Pet." He assured her, "Arthur Weasley has spoken to enough people about why I'll be there that I'm not going to be thrown out of the Hall. We have more allies there than before."
"But I won't be going as Ms. Acacia this time." She insisted, "We'll both just be muggles as far as most of them are concerned."
"I'm much more concerned with what Healer Withering says about the boys." He muttered while adjusting his tie. "I've half a mind to make them both come home and stay for lying about their nightmares."
"I didn't have time to tell you, did I?" His wife asked suddenly, "We've been wondering about letters from the children taking too long? I dated the last one I sent and Hermione said it arrived a day late. I intend to ask Andromeda about it when we see her today, Hedwig was rather perturbed when I asked her. Something is bothering her while she's flying."
"You asked the owl?"
"Just trust me, Vernon. If Hedwig wants you to know something, she tells you; far less obtuse than Najash. Just to be safe, though, I told the kids to let Hedwig stay there for a few days and rest. The forest where the camp is located is likely a much better hunting ground for her, anyways."
o0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley drew a number of strange looks as they crossed the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, their muggle formal wear was easily distinguishable from even muggle-dressed wizards. The pair were able to move to the front desk without too much trouble, most people moved out of their path with Sirius and Andromeda standing in front of them, Mister Weasley was bringing up the rear so that they wouldn't have to worry about strange wizards getting too close. The balding redhead was also taking the chance to confer with Vernon before the presentation; the last couple of letters Arthur sent them had mysteriously gone undelivered.
At the desk, amazingly, the very same wizard was on duty as the last time Petunia had come through. Just like last time, he barely paid attention as the group approached; he even tried to direct her and Vernon to the 'Squib Welfare Office,' and it rather rankled her that such a place was apparently such a well-trafficked location. Vernon raised an eyebrow as well, they knew that many Families threw squibs out like rubbish, but it was still shocking to see the consequences so integrated into their society.
"Are we going to have to go through this song and dance every time the House of Potter invites non-wizard guests?" Andromeda demanded of the desk guard from behind him, "This is moving from honest mistake into the realm of conscious insult." Her tone ensured her real message came across as well, there was no 'honest mistake' here.
"I'm sorry that that was your first impression of the Ministry, Vernon." Arthur murmured while they hastily made for a lift.
"Honestly, Arthur, he couldn't have made a worse impression than that gaudy nonsense in the middle of the atrium." Vernon replied.
"R-right." Mr. Weasley stuttered. He normally ignored the fountain statue at this point, depicting a witch and wizard basking in the adulation of a goblin, house-elf, and centaur that were in various states of submission. It was an abomination of a monument, officially put up at the end of Grindelwald's War to commemorate Dumbledore's victory, the thing was a testament to the hubris of the mostly-conservative Wizengamot of the time.
"I have quietly moved for it to be remodeled a couple of times now," Arthur finally offered as the lift doors closed, "but every time it gets shut down by parties on both sides of the aisle. Believe it or not, memorials to Grindelwald's defeat aren't safe targets for criticism, regardless of how the stated purpose is co opted."
Nothing more was said about the fountain, and the topic of conversation was switched to explaining what would happen when during the Wizengamot meeting. They split up at the doors to the Chamber, meeting Ted Tonks just inside and leaving Remus and Petunia with him in the audience.
"I understand my role here, Arthur," Vernon asserted as they continued walking, "but I'm pretty sure that some of those gadgets aren't exactly necessary for the Bill."
"Everything had to be cleared by the DMLE." He said by way of answer, "Madam Bones was actually horrified at the Polaroid. Ah, here we are."
Back in the seating above the Wizengamot, Petunia was worrying once again. Some of the members of the 'Gamot were in their chairs already, and she noticed that Lucius Malfoy was one of them. The platinum blonde had noticed them as well, shooting a glare at Remus and Ted before glancing at Petunia in momentary confusion. This was another person who might notice the similarities between her and Ms. Acacia, if they were forced to spend too much time interacting. She whispered her worry to Remus, who assured her they were going straight out after Vernon's part in the meeting was complete.
First, though, was the report on the summer camp. After the initial statements, the young Lord Rosier announcing a Family Alliance with Malfoy being the only interesting development at the moment, Professors Flitwick and Dumbledore were called to the floor to present how the camp was going so far. Petunia shook her head in frustration at the choice of representatives, neither of these teachers had actually been to the camp themselves yet, all their information was second-hand. Seeing her husband sitting behind Arthur in the box for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts' head with a fearful look on his face at Dumbledore not in his seat as Chief Warlock, she quickly caught on and hurriedly whispered into Ted's ear while the professors talked about how smoothly the camp was going.
"Is it going to be a problem that Augusta isn't in her seat?" She asked, "I don't see anyone sitting there in her place."
"It's temporary," he answered, "they altered the rules back in the fifties just for Dumbledore so that he could act in his other official capacities before the Wizengamot without ceding his position for the entire session. He only steps down for the whole day if there is some direct conflict of interest on the docket, like Sirius' competency hearing."
She grimaced remembering that farce and swept her gaze over the Hall to Amos Diggory, formerly the proxy voter for the Potter Family. At least the man hadn't made a pass at Remus at the start of this session, she had yet to understand the man's distaste for werewolves.
"What about the rumours passing around that multiple incidents threatening the Statute of Secrecy in only the first two weeks occurred?" Petunia snapped back to attention when she heard Malfoy direct a question at the professors. "Are a few free credits in Muggle Studies worth risking the stability of our world? There are even many among our number who are managing a similar… study regimen over summer break, but without resorting to cavorting directly with muggles in an uncontrolled setting."
"Well," Dumbledore conceded, "there were indeed two sets of students forced to go home due to risks to Secrecy, though it should be noted that in both cases it was the pureblood student in the partner-pair who proved to be the security risk." Several members all over the Chamber grumbled at that, "However, Hogwarts is still a professional institution. We took precautions against such risks, beforehand. All of the counsellors and chaperones at the camp are either muggleborn, or parents of muggleborn. Hence, there was never a real risk to Secrecy by those students' lapses in judgement."
"That being established," Professor Flitwick added, "we will also be giving the students a proper test of their ability to blend in. The last two weeks, so starting this next Friday, all the students will be going in groups into the local muggle town. They will have a witch or wizard, as well as a muggle, to chaperone while in public. I believe that there is also a plan to visit the cinema as a large group at least once."
"How did the school contact so many muggleborn to do this so quickly?" Barty Crouch, another person that Petunia had a sour opinion of on account of Sirius, all but demanded, "It was well within your purview to reach out to the parents of current muggleborn students, they would need to be informed anyway to get their permission. But contact information for graduates should not be so freely accessible to your staff, even if that access was not technically abused this time."
"The school did not have that access." Andromeda stated loudly, standing and nodding to Augusta Longbottom that she wanted to speak.
"Please continue, Madam Tonks."
"My husband and I offer clinical services to muggleborn through a small location near our home, outside of my remit at St. Mungos and independent of my role as the Potter Regent. For young people just getting on their feet, the necessary medical treatment for magical issues can be too costly at the hospital. We reached out to some of our patients and asked if they would be willing to help, then got them back in contact with the school."
Across the Chamber, Lucius Malfoy was reeling from the answer. He had received a letter from Draco about the changing staff on-site, but to think that most of them were actually mudbloods, not muggles? He hadn't noticed fewer people at the ministry, nor on Diagon Alley; so they weren't coming from the general wizard population, were they? How many mudbloods were they capable of pulling out of nowhere? He knew that many mudbloods left the magical world altogether once they graduated and found that there weren't many employment opportunities for them; but he had somehow always assumed that such failures would make a clean break of it.
Worse, how had Flint and Runcorn's boy's not realized and waited until they interacted with actual muggles who weren't in the know? The professors had been very careful not to name them even though they could likely push for fines from their Families, likely because the mudbloods they paid to partner with them would come up as well. A few places lower than himself, Lucius saw Lord Flint gritting his teeth; the man was probably livid at his son for messing this up, or for depriving himself of the chance to learn wandless magic for no gain. Lucius held nothing but disappointment for them both; his own son had noticed the consistently changing chaperones and thought to question it, why not Flint's boy, or Runcorn's?
"For the final week of the camp, after the two weeks visiting the muggle town," Professor Flitwick further explained, "Professor Dumbledore and myself will be offering instruction on the magical aspects of the camp. In addition, Harry Potter, his cousin, and a couple of their muggleborn friends will be helping us with that aspect; teaching Mister Potter and his friends has given a good idea of what spells are easiest to learn via this method."
"It seems that the Wolfstar Foundation, or at least many public figures associated with them, have a rather direct hand in this." Malfoy asserted, "As chair of the Hogwarts Board of Directors, and also as a parent, I want assurances that there will not be any shows of favoritism towards the students receiving that Foundation's scholarship."
Lucius Malfoy smirked when the two teachers looked at each other in frustration, so they had planned to bring those lowborn miscreants in to try and steal a leg up. Dumbledore then looked up, seemingly in thought but Lucius could tell that he was looking at Andromeda Tonks. The woman looked askance up into the stands, towards her mudblood husband and the werewolf; but it was the woman with the muddy-red hair who gave the Potter Regent a single, quick nod that was immediately transferred to Dumbledore.
Malfoy had just enough time to guess at the woman's identity before Dumbledore answered the veiled accusation, "I suppose I must state here; it is our intention to ask Miss Polkiss to join us for the actual wandless magic instruction. According to her tutor, who had been working with her for almost half a year already when the Wolfstar Foundation was established, she is about par with the wandless users currently in attendance at Hogwarts. We asked her, with her family's permission, to help us teach the students how to access wandless magic, not to learn it herself."
"Isn't that 'tutor' that you speak of," Diggory's disgust practically dripped off the title, "the werewolf, Remus Lupin? The full moon will happen during those two weeks you say the girl will be there. I trust that-"
"How dare you?" Andromeda spoke over him, "That sweet girl is not a werewolf. Moreover, it was already planned for her to be Apparated to and from the camp, not for her to remain there at night, at her parents' request."
A bit of back-and-forth happened between several members of the Wizengamot until Lord Fawley stood up and directed his ire at the loudest accusers, Diggory, Crouch, and a fat woman in all pink that was sitting beside the Minister, making Petunia smirk at how they recoiled from him.
"My own brother was the healer in charge of Miss Polkiss during the incident you are referring to, Mister Diggory, Madam Undersecretary." Lord Fawley growled at them before composing himself, "He assured me after that slanderous article written by Rita Skeeter that the girl was not infected. Continue this line of accusation and I will call you out. You are getting dangerously close to besmirching my Family's honour."
Thankfully, the Wizengamot got back on track after that. But, unfortunately, the Chamber decided that the obvious next point of business should be the presentation of the Muggle Protection Act. Lord Nott attempted to sneak in a motion to keep Augusta as the Chief Witch for the rest of the session; but was voted down by a collective of Light and Neutral Families, saving the Muggle Protection Act from having one of its most prominent supporters sidelined.
Mister Weasley actually did a competent job of presenting his case, in Petunia's estimation at least; and many members of the Wizengamot were becoming more interested with just how broadly-reaching the Bill had become. Most in the Chamber expected restrictions on enchanting items, especially with potentially harmful enchantments, as a gesture of compassion towards muggles. It was no secret that enchanted items were the most common form of Muggle baiting because magical signature reading wasn't an exact enough art to be admissible in court; meaning that only the most incompetent were ever caught at it unless they were casting spells directly at muggles.
But the Act included stipulations about enchanters understanding how muggle artefacts, something the Dursleys learned really meant something like 'technology from after the Statue of Secrecy's enactment,' actually worked, so that accidental Secrecy breaches didn't happen. The 'Gamot courteously allowed Arthur to finish going over the major points without serious interruption, likely because many were unable to truly follow the particulars in the first place. Arthur ended with a joke about enchanted automobiles, which fell flat but had a startling number of sitting members glancing away to avoid looking too guilty.
Petunia smirked when Arthur asked for the opportunity to present evidence on the floor, it was quickly passed before Malfoy or anyone else could get the idea to block it and push a vote at the next meeting without proper context. There were two aurors escorting him and Vernon, though that did little to comfort her since she didn't recognize either of them, and the larger auror carried the box with several gadgets from the electronics shop. Everything in the box had been vetted first by the teachers, to ensure they worked inside powerful wards; and then by the DMLE, since 'photo technology that works inside wards' apparently sent up red flags for that department that went straight to Madam Bones when demonstrated.
"Please introduce your assistant for today to the Wizengamot, Mister Weasley." Dumbledore instructed him from the Chief Warlock's seat. He couldn't resist a mirthful chuckle after, clearly anticipating the coming pandemonium.
"Of course, Chief Warlock," He said, "this is Mister Vernon Dursley, uncle of Harry Potter. He has graciously volunteered to assist me in demonstrating why some of the reforms mentioned in the Muggle Protection Act are relevant and necessary."
The uproar was instantaneous. Sadly, in Petunia's estimation, it seemed like more than half the room was shouting about a muggle being involved in Wizengamot proceedings while a quarter, mostly those sitting immediately around Andromeda's seat, were shouting in excitement instead.
"Are we allowing the muggles a chance to interfere in our government now?" Lord Nott shouted loudly over the roar of the Chamber. Though his wand wasn't visible, it seemed he had actually cast a Sonorous charm on himself to be heard, which wasn't technically acceptable practise, "How was this muggle even allowed into the Ministry in the first place?"
"The Ministry is open to muggles with connections to Magical Britain," Dumbledore answered, his grandfatherly voice echoing through the Chamber in a not-quite-menacing way, "and as Mister Dursley is the guardian to two Hogwarts students, he is more than welcome in this Chamber. Especially with his children's schooling being discussed here."
"Up there, perhaps." Malfoy asserted, pointing to where Petunia sat with Ted and Remus with a sneer that belied his statement, "But no muggle has any place influencing our laws."
"Lord Malfoy, while the Potter Family at large has given input into this bill," Arthur countered, "that input has come from Madam Tonks, as Potter Regent; and Ms. Acacia, as Harry Potter's magical guardian. Mister Dursley is here with me today to assist in a presentation. It is my hope that seeing someone that is known to be a muggle doing the presenting will impress the severity of what is revealed."
Enough Families had been consulted beforehand that the emergency motion started by Lord Nott was doomed to failure, though Malfoy was able to wring why Ms. Acacia couldn't attend the session, herself, out of them. 'She is currently visiting the summer camp, since it was the only time she could make it' left him too off balance to press harder. Though he noted that that fact appeared to surprise the muggles too, and the two aurors were soon consulted by the Chief Warlock to verify the nature of the items brought before the 'Gamot.
Aurors Kingsley Shacklebolt and John Dawlish explained the security precautions taken. None of the items were enchanted, which was confirmed by both men, while Kingsley explained that all of them had been confirmed not to conceal a weapon of any kind. Auror Dawlish explained that he was ordered by Madam Bones not to examine the artefacts for their purpose, that he would be a 'blind test.'
The first thing Vernon picked up, after receiving the okay from Dumbledore, caused a wave of chuckles to pass over the 'Gamot. He patiently waited for the jeering to quiet, even the aurors were snickering while he held the costume wand like he was a real wizard. A few were giving him dark looks though, so he turned to the man on his left.
"I understand that it is illegal for a wizard to let a muggle like me have their wand, could you please confirm what this is, Auror Dawlish?" He asked, handing the length of brown plastic to the man, who held it gingerly and did little more than a cursory overview after feeling the material.
"Uh… this isn't even wood." He answered loudly, turning to look first at Lord Malfoy, then an incredulous Minister, "It feels like that plastic stuff that muggles use sometimes."
"I obviously cannot claim to be an expert," Vernon said with a self-depreciating chuckle while accepting the item back, "but I don't believe that Mister Ollivander has begun casting wands out of plastic, to date."
"Indeed, I have not." The wandmaker called from the audience, standing briefly so that he could be identified before sitting down, and earning the exchange a fair amount of honest laughter. Someone that paid a lot of attention to who tended to observe Wizengamot meetings might wonder why he was present at all, but Vernon hid his smirk well. This was the biggest session of the summer, so there was a high chance that the No Wand Left Unclaimed scholarship would end up being mentioned again; and having the celebrity sponsor of that scholarship in attendance at that time would reinforce that he was serious about it and not merely paying lip service.
"So you can confirm that this is not a magical item, nor is it enchanted in any way?" Vernon asked of Dawlish, who nodded before stating his agreement aloud for the scribe, "Excellent! Now what was that word again? Ah, Lumos."
Instead of shouting, the Chamber fell utterly silent when Vernon pressed the barely-disguised button on the side of the plastic wand in time with the incantation and the tip lit up in an fair approximation of a weak Light Charm. It was only just bright enough to be seen up in the stands above the Wizengamot seating, but still visible enough to shock people.
It was Lord Crouch who first said something aloud about being tricked, though he added a muttered comment about the current state of the DMLE to it, and Auror Dawlish was allowed to take the plastic wand in hand for a more thorough examination. He quickly found the button, triggering the light again, and the basic mechanism was explained to the Chamber. Coinciding with that was a request from the Chief Warlock that Mister Dursley please not confuse the issue further with incantations. They certainly had everyone's undivided attention for the rest of the presentation after that.
Vernon demonstrated several other items that looked like common tools but could light up, as well as many moving toys that were powered with batteries. Simple electrical components still worked, so as long as the battery was only really powering mechanical motion then magic didn't interfere with it. Having been in contact with Madam Tonks and Mister Weasley beforehand, Madam Longbottom ensured that the most important and illuminating questions were asked as the items were demonstrated.
"I fail to see why this should matter to us." A man who hadn't spoken yet, but was recognized by Dumbledore as Lord Carrow, generally a moderate, but who unfortunately tended to lean more towards Malfoy at times, stated. "Muggle ingenuity may have come a fair way, but why should this cause our laws to change? If anything, we should just be looking at separating ourselves more thoroughly to avoid detection. Then more restrictions on how we can use our own magic wouldn't even bear discussion."
"If you would look to the text of the proposed bill, Lord Carrow," Mister Weasley replied, copies of the Muggle Protection Act were distributed after Arthur had given his earlier introduction "you will see that there is actually a call for loosening restrictions on enchanted items with certain characteristics. Indeed, today the most immediate grounds for an enchanted object being deemed a danger to Secrecy is undoubtedly the production of light. This is also the principal stated reason for simple household charms to be included in the Underage Magic Restrictions, they generally create a glowing effect. However, it should be clear by now that a tool which lights up when in use is not necessarily an oddity in the Muggle World. While it is outside the direct purview of the Bill, or even my Department, it is imperative that a conversation be had concerning this. Think about how much less work the Aurors would have no longer having to investigate underage magic if things like simple light or cleaning charms were not off limits to our children?"
Really, bringing that up was a low blow to the 'Gamot, though no one could call him out for it. It was one of the worst kept secrets in the Ministry that any children of a Family living in a home protected by certain kinds of wards incidentally did not have to worry about the Ministry tracking underage magic they performed. That being said, there was a, admittedly small, faction within the 'Gamot who actually believed that even the easily bypassed laws applied to them, too. Or in other words, there were actually a few honest Families; and those would not hesitate to jump on another House that flaunted their abuse of status openly.
"I also shudder to think what would happen if a wizard met a muggle carrying something like this and did not realize that the object he was looking at was not magical." Arthur added, "Such a wizard might accidentally reveal things to this stranger without understanding his mistake. How can we protect ourselves and our Secrecy if we separate ourselves so completely from their world that we cannot even recognize whether an object is truly muggle or magical in origin at a glance?"
That started a whole new round of furious debating, and Vernon settled into a chair that Auror Shacklebolt kindly conjured for him while they waited.
o0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o
"Is that Ms. Acacia?" Ron asked, pointing behind Dudley's back.
"Who?" Draco asked. He had heard that name before, they had annoyed his father somehow, but wasn't entirely sure who it was.
"Wait, what?" Dudley turned around, "Mu-uh," he had to catch himself because while her hair and eyes were different, her clothes were still muggle, "Ms. Acacia? I didn't know you were here."
"Hello Dudley," she said with a smile, "sorry I didn't write ahead. You know how my schedule can be. Going to-and-fro between here and South America sometimes messes up my internal clock."
Dudley's mum drilled him, after the shock of seeing her in disguise like this for the first time when she went to the Wizengamot last Easter, that he should be real careful to keep her identity a secret, so he answered, "It's okay, we're just playing Scrabble cause it's raining."
"Is m-Harry not with you?" She asked. Dudley frowned at that, but the other boys didn't notice.
"No ma'am, he's on the other side over there playing the winners' game." Ron answered.
"I can't stay too long, Dudley." Ms. Acacia stated as she gave him a quick, awkward, hug and stood back up to go, "I just wanted to take the chance to see you and Harry while I was in the country this time."
"That bloody woman was the reason my father fell ill last year." Draco muttered darkly at the retreating mop of black hair. Her chuckle alerted him that she wasn't quite out of earshot and he scowled at her back.
"That's mine and Harry's magical guardian," Dudley said, despite having no idea what exactly was going on, "lay off."
On the other side of the pavilion, Harry was playing a much less relaxed game of Scrabble with three others. Ms. Acacia was surprised to see Cedric Diggory among them, the boy's father was an outspoken opponent of many of the Potter Family's recent actions yet here he was engaged in an intense battle of wills over a game board.
"O-oh, hello Ms. Acacia!" Neville Longbottom was the one to notice her approach.
"Hello, Heir Longbottom." She answered, fighting not to grimace when he looked at her in confusion at the formal address, "It's lovely to see you all, I was just in the area and wanted to see how you were doing, Harry. I'm not sure if you were told, but your aunt and uncle are visiting the Wizengamot today; it's very exciting."
Twenty minutes later, Ms. Acacia said her goodbyes to a very confused Harry and company and took a cab to the nearby train station. On the way there, the cab driver blinked rapidly as a wave of confusion hit him, then found himself driving much slower than the limit and picked up his pace to find his next fare.
On the side of the road, out of sight, Ms. Acacia breathed a sigh of relief as her features began to shift and change. Twenty seconds later, Andromeda Tonks' metamorphmagus daughter smirked and apparated back to her flat. Job done.
o0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o
The Wizengamot deliberated for over an hour after Arthur and Vernon were done. Intermittently, they asked questions of the pair, generally directing them at Mister Weasley but Vernon was actually asked many times to clarify something. It was starting to grate on him, though, since most of the things they wanted to know were absolutely basic and, if he were being honest, expected after his experience with other magic users. Vernon still remembered how frustrating teaching Remus to use a ruddy telephone had been, it took the man far too long to stop yelling into the microphone.
But, it seemed that his long morning wasn't completely for nothing. Many, many of the speaking members of the assembly seemed to believe that electricity just… happened. Like it was magic, but somehow less or worse than normal magic; with all the obscure arcane confusion that they assumed came with it giving them an easy out to not learn how it works, themselves. Having things like the actual limitations of electricity, at least at the moment, as well as concepts like fuel, explained to them seemed to help for some.
Eventually, they started wrapping up. The vote wouldn't be for another month, but this would give the members that long to deliberate privately and potentially offer revisions. Before he was free to collect his wife and go home, though, Vernon had one more show to put on for the Wizengamot. After Arthur asked for and received permission to borrow Auror Dawlish for a demonstration, the two men set up a scenario with the Polaroid.
"Do you know what this is, Auror?" Arthur asked when Vernon held up the camera, opening it and getting it primed while the Auror looked at it.
"A camera, sir." He answered, pulling scoffs from several members of the 'Gamot, "For photography."
"Indeed. Now, I would like you to face to the side and stand like you are casting a spell. Perhaps you are apprehending a criminal in the act of some muggle baiting or something, hmm? Mister Dursley will attempt to photograph you and, as soon as you think he is taking the picture, I would like for you to confiscate the camera. Preferably without casting spells directly on him; he is a volunteer, after all."
Dawlish looked to Madam Bones before agreeing, getting a nod from her before sighing and setting up with his wand brandished as though he were in a duel. Vernon waited only a moment before pointing the camera at him and pressing the shutter. Dawlish reacted as soon as the light flashed, casting a spell that ripped the camera out of Vernon's hands and made it fly over to the Auror. In midair, the picture ejected and flew out because of the rushing air.
"Well done, Auror." Arthur congratulated him, "But I wonder if you were fast enough?"
Dawlish held up the camera and pointed at the ejected photograph, which landed face up to reveal the off-white of a developing instant photograph, "The spell appears to have broken it. Older muggle technology seems to hold up better. If this were a real situation all that would be needed is a small Obliviation."
While he made his claim, Vernon stooped down and picked up the photo from the ground, "Are you sure? I imagine this would be rather hard for me to reconcile with whatever memories you put in my head."
He showed the gobsmacked Auror the picture, a bit blurry from the motion but with his face certainly recognizable along with his wand, before placing it on the table.
"Auror?" Dumbledore inquired.
"The photograph appears to have been taken properly," he admitted with a sour look at Vernon, "but I don't understand how, sir. The undeveloped film was exposed, it should be ruined."
"This is sometimes referred to as an 'instant camera.'" Vernon explained. People didn't really call them that, but it got the point across, "Magic does not generally interfere with chemical reactions, which is how film development works. In this case it all happens about instantly, then you just wait for the picture to fade into view. The reaction is taking place inside the picture itself, notice please, Auror Dawlish, how it is slightly thicker than a normal photograph."
It didn't escape anyone in the Wizengamot that a senior auror had just made that blunder. By the end of session, the Chamber fully authorized remedial courses for the Auror Corps to ensure they were properly up to snuff on normal muggle technology. After all, their vaunted Secrecy was at risk if their law enforcement could be photographed without their knowing!
o0-0oo0-0oo0-0oo0-0o
The night after 'Ms. Acacia' visited the camp, Harry, Dudley, and Hermione went out to find Hedwig. There was something strange going on, it was definitely not the real Ms. Acacia that came to see them, and they wanted to get to the bottom of it by sending a letter home ASAP. The beautiful white bird answered their call at the edge of the forest, but when she landed on Dudley's arm they all realized that she had blood on her beak and talons.
"Are you okay, Hedwig?" Hermoine asked while Dudley petted her, "Is something in the forest bothering you?"
The snowy owl shivered and fluffed her wings before giving Hermione a look that said, 'not anymore.' With love and attention from her witch and both her wizards, Hedwig took off with the new letter for Privet Drive topped up on energy and resolve. The letter thief wouldn't be taking her humans' mail from her; not now, not ever.