This is a small chapter so apologies in advance…
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"Is everything alright?" Harry asked as Daphne put her communication mirror in the pocket and nodded.
"Tracey said that the night was spent without any issue but a majority of the Slytherins has not taken to this situation kindly," she said. "But that's to be expected. Are we ready to go?"
Harry wore his house robe over his uniform and ran a hand over his messy hair in a futile attempt to tame them before nodding as the two left the quarter and headed for the great hall. All the eyes were on them as they passed the students on their way but they knew that this attention was nothing compared to what they'd be getting in the great hall.
And they were right. The entire great hall became silent the moment Harry and Daphne walked inside and headed for the Gryffindor table. Seeing them both Tracey took Astoria and headed for the Gryffindor table as well which definitely caught everyone's attention, especially that of the Slytherins and the Gryffindors.
Harry was grateful that Ron wasn't here as that boy would've definitely made a scene seeing three Slytherins sitting at the Gryffindor table. Others just looked at the four before going back to their business although no one talked. There was an eerie silence inside the great hall but Harry could only care less about it as Neville handed him the jug of pumpkin juice which Harry tilted to fill his glass along with the glasses of Tracey, Astoria and Daphne. Hermione joined them a few minutes later as she walked into the great hall and easily spotted her friends at the very end of the Gryffindor table.
The breakfast was definitely something as for probably the first time no one had talked while having their meals. Finally the awkward breakfast was over as students began to leave for their classes. There were many angry glares towards Harry, Daphne, Astoria and even Tracey who just shrugged at those glares that were directed towards her. Harry almost chuckled at that as he wondered if Tracey had been mistakenly sorted into Slytherin.
"Well, it looks like the people at the Prophet are working overtime," Neville said as he put the paper in front of them where the headline talked about Harry and Daphne's betrothal along with Harry becoming an emancipated minor.
"I sometimes wonder that if Hogwarts ever closed down then the Prophet will lose almost half of its 'news' materials," Daphne said as she read the news about her and Harry before crumpling the paper into a ball and lit it on fire. "Much better," she said sighing. "Come on, transfiguration awaits us." The group finished the breakfast before heading for the transfiguration class.
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Hearing the knock on his door Sirius walked ahead and opened it before letting Matt and Anna inside. As the three walked into the drawing room Matt's eyes fell on the prophet on the table.
"I see that the Prophet guys are having a day with this piece of news," Matt said.
"Yeah, it created quite a stir," said Sirius. "So, is everything done on your side?"
There was a silence in the room for a minute before Matt nodded. "Do you want to know who the secret keeper is?" he asked.
"No," Sirius replied. "That's for you two and your family to know. I called you here because I have something for you." He took out a length of string from his pocket and held it in his hand. Matt and Anna looked from the string to Sirius before looking at each other. "I promise it's nothing much," Sirius said. "Let's go."
Sirius activated the portkey once Matt and Anna held it as well and the three were gone. They appeared inside a three-bedroom flat as the Greengrasses looked around in confusion. "What is this place?" Matt asked.
"Call it a safe house," said Sirius causing the couple to look at him. "I would suggest that you have another secret keeper as apart from a rather heavy ward surrounding this place it has a pending fidilius ward on it as well. It doesn't hurt to be extra careful."
"Sirius…you didn't have to," Anna said. "We cannot accept this."
"It's just for the time being," Sirius said. "Just have it until we can figure out a way to get out of this situation. Until then please accept this. It's Harry's wish."
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There was this smile on his face which said that this was probably the best day of his life after becoming the minister of magic as Fudge stood in the corridor looking at the closed door along with a group of aurors. He knew he was using the excuse of one of his enemies to catch another but right now Dumbledore was his biggest threat. That old wizard thought that he could take Fudge's position but Fudge would show him.
Amelia was also present there with her group of aurors. She had little to no interest in whatever Fudge intended to do but knowing that this would help bring down Dumbledore had certainly surprised her. All Fudge had told her was to bring her best group of aurors to the records' floor and that he was going to put Dumbledore away for a long time.
As the door swung open the aurors pointed their wands at the man coming out of the room who stood still with wide eyes looking at all the wands pointed at him. He certainly didn't miss Fudge and Amelia either.
"Good evening, Grey," Fudge said with a satisfied smile on his face. "Let's see what you've got there."
One of the aurors checked and found a shrunken box in Grey's pocket. Inside was copies of records on various members of the Wizengamot as the man named Grey literally wet his pants, shaking in fear. "It was…It was all Dumbledore," said the man.
"I know," Fudge said calmly before the aurors took Grey into custody.
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When Dumbledore saw that someone was requesting to be let in through the floo channel that was in the head office the man wondered who it could be. He had no appointments today, not like he ever did but he liked to think so. Either way he opened the network and his fireplace lit up in green flames. Seeing the size of those flames he knew that there was more than one person wanting to come through from the other side when the flame took the form of Amelia's head.
"Albus Dumbledore," she said, "the minister of magic wants to meet you so you need to completely open your floo network."
As her face disappeared Dumbledore wondered why Fudge would want to meet him. He was somewhat concerned but then he saw Umbridge walk into his office with her sweet, wide smile as she looked from him to the small green flames in the fireplace.
"The minister informed me that you are not letting them in, Dumbledore," she said.
"I was just about to," Dumbledore said, his anger rising seeing that this woman never addressed him as either headmaster or anything else respect worthy.
"Well then, go on," she said. "He's waiting."
The man looked at the fireplace before opening the network as the green flames flared again and Amelia walked in first followed by Fudge. As Dumbledore was about to close the network he saw eight aurors walk in as well who all then pointed their wands at him which definitely shocked Dumbledore.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked looking at Fudge and Amelia.
"Albus Dumbledore," Amelia said reading from a piece of paper, "you have been found involved in collecting classified information on the members of Wizengamot. As per clause 13 'A' sub-section 42 you are put under arrest until you are proven innocent or guilty of the crime."
For a minute Dumbledore's mind went blank. He had no idea how this was happening. "I…I am sure that there is some sort of mistake," he said.
"Grey told us everything, Dumbledore," Fudge said. "This is all that I will say. Now, please cooperate with us."
"I am sorry but I can't," Dumbledore said after a minute's thought as he raised both his hands and before anyone could think or do anything his phoenix made him disappear in a ball of fire.
"What do we do now?" asked one of the aurors. Amelia was looking at Fudge. She wanted nothing to do on her own because she knew Fudge wanted Dumbledore out one way or another on his own.
"He just declared himself a criminal by not cooperating with the arrest," said the man. "We have evidence against him along with an arrest warrant from the Wizengamot itself, backed by twenty-three families. By not cooperating with this arrest Dumbledore has made himself a criminal whether or not he was involved in accessing those classified information on the Wizengamot members. If that is how he wants it to be then he will get it exactly that way. Dolores!"
"Yes, Minister," said the woman in pink.
"Hogwarts is under you now," Fudge said.
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Thanks for reading…