Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. Rowling.
In Norfolk, Ron, Dean, and Percy stand in the Ford Anglia, communicating with Parvati Patil.
Percy. [in Hermione's voice] No, I assure you. Everything is fine. Ron and I decided that as long as we were out this way we might as well take a look around the East of England.
Parvati's Voice. I understand, Your Highness. May I recommend, though, that you don't stay away too much longer.
Percy. [in Hermione's voice] We'll be back soon. I just want to check out the nogtails' malfunctioning infrastructure.
Parvati's Voice. Yes, Your Highness. I'll pass that information on to the Wizengamot. I'm sure they'll be pleased to hear it. I wonder if I might be permitted to speak with Captain Weasley for a moment.
Dean grimaces.
Dean. [aside, to Ron] She knows.
Ron. [aside, to Dean] No kidding.
Ron nods at Percy.
Percy. [in Hermione's voice] Of course. Ron . . . ?
Ron takes control of the transmitter.
Ron. I'm here, Parvati. What's up?
Parvati's Voice. I wanted to know if you had any idea yet when you and Princess Hermione would be returning. Admiral Murcus, particularly, has been asking about you.
Ron. [frowns] You'll have to thank the Admiral for his interest. I trust he's doing all right himself?
Parvati's Voice. About as usual. He's having some problems with his family, though, now that school is in full swing.
Ron. A little squabbling among the children?
Parvati's Voice. Bedtime arguments, mainly. Problems with the little one over who's going to get to stay up and read - that sort of thing. You understand.
Ron. Yeah. I know the kids pretty well. How about the neighbors? He still having trouble with them?
Parvati's Voice. [pauses] I'm . . . not exactly sure. He hasn't mentioned anything about them to me. I can ask, if you'd like.
Ron. It's no big deal. As long as the family's doing okay . . . That's the important thing.
Parvati's Voice. I agree. At any rate, I think he mainly just wanted to be remembered to you.
Ron. Thanks for passing on the message. Go ahead and tell him that we won't be out here too much longer. We'll go to Norfolk and maybe look in on a couple of others and then head back.
Parvati's Voice. All right. Anything else?
Ron. No . . . yes. What's the latest on the Avalon recovery program?
Parvati's Voice. Those three regions the Ministry hit?
Ron. Right.
Parvati's Voice. Let me call up the proper file. . . . It's coming along reasonably well. There were some problems with supply shipments. But the material seems to be moving well enough now.
Ron. [frowns] What did Murcus do, dig up some mothballed container ships from somewhere?
Parvati's Voice. Actually, he made his own. He's taken some capital ships, cut the crews back to skeleton size and put in extra droids, and turned them into cargo ships.
Ron. I hope he's got some good escorts along with them. Empty star cruisers would make great target practice for the Ministry.
Parvati's Voice. I'm sure he's thought of that. And the orbit dock and broom company at Nimbus are very well defended.
Ron. I'm not sure anything's really well defended these days. Not with the Ministry's running loose like this. Anyway . . . got to go. Talk to you later.
Parvati's Voice. Enjoy your trip. Your Highness? Goodbye.
Dean snaps his fingers at Percy.
Percy. [in Hermione's voice] Goodbye, Parvati.
Dean breaks the connection.
Dean. If those star cruisers had been built with proper slave circuits, they wouldn't have to load them with droids to make container ships out of them.
Ron. Yeah. Come on. We've got to cut this short and get back. Something's about to burn through in London.
Dean. You mean all that stuff about Murcus's family?
Ron. Right. If I'm reading Parvati right, it sounds like Scrimgeour has started a major push toward Murcus's territory. [to Percy] Come on, Percy. You need to lock up behind us.
Percy. [in Hermione's voice] Captain Weasley. I must once again protest this whole arrangement. I really feel that to impersonate Princess Hermione . . .
Ron, Dean, and Percy head toward the exit.
Ron. All right, all right. As soon as we get back, I'll have Dean undo the programming.
Dean. It's over already? I thought you told Parvati . . .
Ron. That was for the benefit of anyone tapping in. As soon as we've worked through this contact, we're going to head back. Maybe even stop by Minsk on the way and pick up Hermione.
Dean. That bad, huh?
Ron. It's hard to say, exactly. That "staying up late to read" is the part I don't understand. I suppose it could mean some of the intelligence work that Murcus has been doing along with the Supreme Commander position. Or worse, maybe Scrimgeour is going for the whole jackpot.
Dean. You and Parvati should have worked out a better verbal code.
Ron. We should have worked out a verbal code, period. I've been meaning for three years to sit down with her and Hermione and set one up. Never got around to it.
Dean. Well, if it helps, the analysis makes sense. It fits the rumors I've heard, anyway. I take it the neighbors you referred to are the Ministry?
Ron. Right. Parvati should have heard something about it if Murcus had had any luck plugging the security leaks.
Dean. Won't that make it dangerous to go back, then?
Ron. Yeah. But we're going to have to risk it. Without Hermione there to play peacemaker, Scrimgeour might just be able to beg or bully the rest of the Wizengamot into giving him whatever it is he wants.
Dean. Hmm. Let's hope this is the last contact in the line.
Ron. Let's hope first that the guy shows.
Ron and Dean deboard the Ford Anglia and step onto the Norfolk spaceport. Percy seals the exit behind them.
Exit all.
