"He is gone." Moody said with a grunt that conveyed just how unhappy he was. "He either planned to do this or he improvised a masterstroke on the spot." Dumbledore confirmed as he tried a few more exotic spells. "He was always skilled in fleeing." Dumbledore added with some disappointment as the spells came up empty. "And we still lack the vital clue for the last two pieces as well."
"Malfoy has to surface soon. With Bones now having proof of him breaking the law. All his business will be impounded. If he does nothing he stands to lose everything that makes him useful to the dark lord. But if his coffers are empty and they must be replenished or he'd be dead in a ditch before you can blink." Moody offered gruffly. "Once he does, we can dose him with the truth potion and pluck every little secret bouncing in his empty head."
"Let's return and inform Madam Bones we failed to capture him." Shacklebolt suggested as he looked around. "Although it is heartening to know it's him on the run and in hiding instead of the other way around. As long as we keep the initiative we can end this before any innocents die." the auror said, hoping to be inspiring in the face of the setback.
"Indeed. I hope we can achieve that goal gentlemen." Dumbledore agreed. He then took the lead by apparating away.
The next morning came almost as a relief to Harry. He had a restless night as he tried to figure out Luna's prophecy. Cressida had suggested bringing it to the Witenagemot for their help to decipher it. Harry however had refused as he did not want to risk exposing Luna's existence to them anymore than he had already.
Halfway through the day he realised he had made the folly of presuming it was information he had to act on straight away. So when Dumbledore reappeared in the evening he did not rush to the man and instead let it lie. Now he hoped with a new day he could approach it with a fresh mind and perhaps gain an insight on what it meant.
And in insight he got. It was front page news how the Malfoy family was guilty of harboring a pair of fugitives and had destroyed the rest of the evidence through the use of fiendfyre. As Harry glanced over his shoulder he noticed Malfoy was missing only for the large doors to open and a particularly peeved Snape escorting the boy in. It looked like Malfoy did not spend the night in the Slytherin dungeons, but instead those of the ministry.
It did not take long for the gossip to figure out that Malfoy had been 'escorted' out of the common room in the evening. Which now in hindsight meant he was interrogated at the ministry and only just released. Harry frowned at that. As much he disliked Malfoy it felt wrong for a minor to be locked up for the night outside school for the sins of his parents. So he could scarcely believe the next request he was going to make.
"Hermione, Cressida. What are the laws about arresting minors in the magical law?" He asked as Malfoy started scraping together food like he hadn't eaten for a while. "I don't know Harry." Hermione replied after a moment. Her surprise was clear to see that he asked. Cressida looked thoughtful. "That would depend on the offense they used to arrest him on Harry."
The young Campione made a thoughtful noise before returning to his food. He continued his day as usual. However when lunch came about Harry waited in an often used hallway, his sense of what was right overcoming his dislike of the person who he was about to help. As he expected Malfoy, looking properly dressed and refreshed once again, came walking down. "Malfoy." Harry called out. "Here to gloat Potter?" Draco asked bitterly.
"No." Harry replied firmly, catching Draco and the few people listening in off guard. "On what charges did they arrest you?" he demanded. "Why do you care?" Draco demanded in return, his mother's lesson forgotten in the heat of the moment. "I don't like you Malfoy. But I dislike people getting dragged off to prison even less. I will never forgive your father for getting Hagrid thrown in Azkaban so the ministry could be 'seen' doing something." Harry explained, doing his best not to show his temper.
"So I'll be damned if I just sit and watch it happen again now that I can do something about it. Even if the victim is you." Harry concluded and he took some pleasure at the boggled looks Malfoy and a few other Slytherins sported.
"Teh. If you think the ministry will listen to you. You are sorely mistaken." Draco advised almost civilly and without a sneer. "But if you really want to know, it was on knowingly harbouring fugitives." Harry momentarily wondered if Malfoy had forgotten he was a Campione and theoretically could make the ministry listen, whether they wanted to or not.
"And did you know?" Harry asked curiously. If Draco had known where Peter Pettigrew was his sympathy might dry up a bit quicker than expected. "No. I did not know where they were. I was never informed." Draco replied. Harry gave him a long look and then decided he was telling the truth. "Have a good day Malfoy." he said evenly as he turned around to leave. "Good luck Potter." he was offered in return.
"I'll get on it." Cressida noted before Harry asked anything. "Although I am not sure why you want to interfere in this matter." "What is the use of getting rid of Fudge if we are just going to repeat the wrongs he did?" Harry asked in return. "We would become the monster we fought against." Hermione answered. "Exactly." Harry agreed, pleased that his girlfriend agreed.
"Are you sure you want to push for this Harry?" Mia asked worriedly, drawing Harry's confused attention. "It is you know… a Campione thing to do. Lay down your laws and make people obey them." Hermione bristled but Harry replied before she could unleash a blistering tirade on forming proper laws and upholding them.
"I am only reminding them of their own laws… I think." He added unsurely with a queer look. "But I know I'd feel worse if I did nothing. Today it was Malfoy, tomorrow it could be a Hufflepuff. Then someone I know like Ron or Neville."
"I do not disagree. But you understand the more you mingle and interfere, the more will be expected from you?" Cressida noted neutrally. The woman, curious if this would sway the Campione as his dislike for politics was obvious. In reply Harry gave a helpless shrug in reply. "Very well. I shall be off then." Cressida acknowledged as she started plotting.
"Miss Layla. I am surprised you are here." Dumbledore noted with an inquiring raised eyebrow. He had not expected to encounter the woman in the hallways of the ministry on this day. "Headmaster Dumbledore. I would have thought you would be busy at Hogwarts." Cressida replied politely in turn. "I would normally be so." The old wizard agreed amiably. "However I have taken some offense this morning when I found that a student was held in a holding cell overnight."
"Mister Malfoy. You are not the only one who is displeased with that, although for different reasons." She took some pleasure at seeing the headmaster looking flat-footed. "I thought mister Potter and mister Malfoy had an… antagonistic relationship." Dumbledore stated carefully as he tried to get to grips with the unexpected twist. "I think Campione Potter would punch mister Malfoy's face with some pleasure yes." Cressida understated.
"However he finds the upholding of the laws more important than his disagreements with mister Malfoy. And finds the overnight arrest without cause a reminder of how mister Fudge ran his administration." She explained. It took Dumbledore half a second to put it together. "Ah, Hagrid. Yes, that was a dire abuse of power." the old wizard confirmed, inwardly proud of the young man being fair when the foot was in the other shoe.
"Oh hell." Amelia Bones cursed as she rounded the hallway and not only saw Dumbledore and Layla. The latter received the nickname as 'the harbinger' in the ministry halls by some since she usually came with the Potter Campione's demands. And the few times she did so, things changed. "Madam Bones." The pair greeted her together and told her they were here for her head today.
"Follow me." She requested as she tried to figure out what she could have done to get the pair after her. Once in her office and one explanation richer she could not disagree with them. "I will find out who brought him in." She promised "As I told you yesterday Albus, I was sending over a pair to ask him, not to arrest him. I expected him to know nothing as Miss Layla explained but wanted to cover every angle."
"It is good to hear that it was not done by an official order." Cressida acknowledged. "Then I do believe that there is nothing else for me to do here." she finished. "Indeed, I shall take my leave as well. I wish you success in finding the culprit." Dumbledore followed up as Cressida rose from her seat. Amelia said nothing and only gave a nod in reply.
She was feeling rather conflicted as the pair left. On one hand she was relieved it was a relatively minor issue. With two supposedly dead men in her cells, a dark lord on the loose with a host of death eaters. On the other hand her own reaction made it clear that Dumbledore and Potter effectively had become Kingmakers within the ministry.
By their word you could be out of your job in a day. And Amelia Bones knew she did not like that even as it appeared that either man had no intention to abuse it. With some reluctance she set it aside as she was powerless to do anything about it. She had some time to figure out who went and picked up Malfoy and on whose authority he thought he could throw the smarmy child into the cell.
She had to admit she would have liked to do it herself. Although she preferred to have Malfoy senior and his wife in the adjacent cells. Just to have the entire issue by root and seed. "Oh hell" she repeated as the next problem came stomping down the corridor. Her hopes that Black did the adult thing and trust the system went out for a fly. It was clear to see if he found Peter Pettigrew, she had a corpse and a new person to lock up.
"Sirius." Like an angel Cressida seemed to descend out of nowhere and intercept the angered Black. "Whatever you are plotting for Pettigrew. Don't." "To hell with that Cressida." Sirius growled in reply. "I am sure Remus has already said this. But please think about the consequences of your actions." The witch tried to appeal.
"Actually he did not. He thinks I am out for a walk to cool down." Sirius corrected unrepentantly for lying to his friend. "Then turn around and take it elsewhere." Cressida said coolly. "Preferably before Harry has his godfather stuck in prison again. He is looking forward to spending Christmas with you." Amelia had to admit as verbal low blows went, this one went straight between the legs for Sirius.
Amelia was impressed at how the girl could remain that calm as Sirius seemed to run a marathon of emotions, each flicking by just quick enough register before changing his expression again. In the end his inner war ended in what he considered defeat. "You fight dirty Cressida. Could you do me one favor and not tell Harry was about to be an idiot... again."
"Since doing so will result in Harry acting like an idiot you can be assured of that." Cressida replied dryly. Sirius winced again and with a final forlorn look further down the hallway he turned around and left. "Well that is another potential crisis averted." Cressida muttered to herself just loudly enough for Amelia to hear. "Knowing Harry's luck by the time I arrive at the Witenagemot there is a heretic god on the loose."
The head of the DMLE kept herself from snorting how the girl smoothly blamed the Campione for her problems and went another direction herself. She still had things to do even with some work being solved without her input.
Harry was worried the moment he saw Cressida and the woman was a moment too slow to hide her feelings. Whatever it was it was news that would make him unhappy and she was equally displeased to deliver it. He double checked if the door led to an unused classroom and waved the woman to come in.
"So what is the bad news." he said without giving her a moment to compose it into something flowery. "On the issue you send me to the DMLE. It was not authorized nor allowed. The Head of the DMLE has promised to investigate which aurors overstepped their bounds." she paused and Harry raised his eyebrows wondering what the bad news was.
"I then visited the Witenagemot…" Cressida gave Harry a pleading look "... and was accosted by some noble and military men who had been vital in securing the helicopter. As the officer had been debriefed they are rather interested why a supposedly dead wizard is alive again." she sighed. "The military men are to be trusted I think. They just want him dead again."
"The noblemen are more dangerous however. They organised a ball." The room fell silent as Mia cringed and Harry wondered what the shoe was waiting for before dropping. "A ball?" he repeated as Cressida didn't seem to provide that reason. He failed to see what merited Cressida's worries.
The last time he attended a ball he and Hermione had officially become a couple. A ball like that year was something Harry was more than willing to endure again. "I don't think he got it, Cressida." Mia commented after another bout of silence. "Harry. Witenagemot is a political society at its center. Even though outwardly we call ourselves a helpful one. People are there to help themselves first."
"As long as I make non-committing sounds I should be alright shouldn't I?" Harry answered with an uncertain frown. "Only that isn't possible. You have so far 'meddled' in your own words with the magical world. Mostly in the ministry in the pursuit of proper justice. They will try to get your opinion, or preferably your word on similar issues of their own. Even if they need to twist them one-hundred eighty degrees to make them fit what they believe is your sense of right." Cressida explained patiently.
"... How do the other Campione deal with it?" Harry asked after a moment as he could not figure out how ballrooms still existed with some of them. Cressida paused as she mustered the right explanation. "Your 'twin' and Salvatore Doni avoid it altogether. The rest do it as well unless they came to the event with a purpose. Or at the other end of the spectrum you have Voban who uses them to lay down his will on an issue. The Chinese Campione uses them to find out if there are any promising scions for her to pick up."
Harry groaned. "This is what I got from being reasonable isn't it?"
"That could be the solution." Mia said suddenly. "If anyone asks then Harry could point out he is here for the ball with his girlfriend. Not to talk about politics." Harry clapped his hands together in approval while Cressida goggled. "Now that sounds like a plan."
"That is…." Cressida started to object and seemed to think it over. "... well it could work. It would certainly throw them all for a loop."
"And since you are a Campione you can get away with it as well. No-one could really say 'Mister Potter, we need your opinion on this issue!'" Cressida finished an amused grin. "Excellent. If you could pen a letter that I would be delighted to attend their ball." he grinned as he emphasised the word. "I will ask Hermione if she wants to come and let the Headmaster know."
He led the way through the castle while they refined their plan. Their advance came to a crashing halt once they arrived at the hallway. Standing guard was the Gargoyle and unlike last times the stone guardian had no intention to move aside. They spend five minutes trying to guess the password when Harry started to loudly muse if Dumbledore could fix the statue once he had smashed it.
Sense of self-preservation outweighed the guardian's sense of duty. With that obstacle out of the way Harry kept himself from storming up the spiraling stairs. Knocking on the door he came face to face with a slightly bewildered headmaster at his sudden appearance.
Harry was a bit confused at how amused the headmaster looked as he wrapped up his explanation. "It is quite polite of you to inform me of this mister Potter. And on a personal level I am grateful that you found such an elegant solution to the problems we inadvertently created." he paused for a moment to emphasise his next point. "However, by that time you are already home for yuletide. Unless you change your plans and will stay in the castle."
Harry blinked once, twice and then held back a groan. "I feel stupid now." he mumbled. "I simply will take this that you were focused on being polite and maintaining protocol instead of the date the events are planned." Dumbledore answered as if Harry had spoken out loud and the young Campione blushed brightly with embarrassment.
"Now I suggest that you inform your prospective date about the change of schedule you wish to introduce to her life. It is only a gentlemanly thing to do. Unlike let's say… threaten my gargoyle statue with destruction." Harry winced again and he was caught off guard by Dumbledore's chuckling. He started to wonder how the old wizard was capable of constantly catching him off balance like he did.
"I'd suggest you.. What was the word I heard, ah yes. Scamp." Harry had no idea what the word meant but took it as a polite way of saying to get going. So he did with Cressida and Mia close on his heels. "I am sorry Harry." Cressida apologized the moment the Gargoyle started to close behind them.
"For forgetting the exact dates of our vacation times? It's fine. I didn't think of it either." Harry forgave easily, still blushing with embarrassment that the old wizard had doled out. "I am more worried about doing the 'gentlemanly' thing." "You wouldn't want Hermione to be the first one to make a spell your Campione protection does not work against." Mia agreed with a grin.
"I am getting inspired to do so." Hermione cut in from behind Harry. He in turn took a moment to shoot a glare at Mia before turning around. "So you are not off fighting a heretic god?" "No Hermione." Harry assured her the best he could "Something far worse has come up, politics. Be my date for a ball?" he bravely asked.
He felt a moment of envy that even with the disjointed delivery of information Hermione had a pretty good idea what was going on. "When?" She asked with reluctance. Harry also felt it hid some of her excitement however. "Well it is between Christmas and New Year." He answered. "I'll write to my parents. Don't you forget to let Sirius know as well." Hermione replied.
"We might as well write them right now. Knowing the two of you," He said with a look at Cressida "You have enough material to write a book on you at all times." "Only one? You underestimate me Harry." Cressida noted with faux insult. "Do I hear somebody volunteering to write my letter?" Harry wondered in return. "Unless you want half the reply to your letter to be Sirus flirting with you, I do think you are mishearing things." Cressida replied smoothly.
Harry smiled and conceded defeat. So he linked arms with Hermione instead and led the way towards his dorm, trusting Hedwig to have her letter-senses tingling and be ready for him to finish writing one.