CHAPTER 1: The Minister of Magic Speaks
Albus Dumbledore called the annual pre-term meeting for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to order. " If you will all take your seats, we have a great deal to discuss and even more to do before the Hogwarts Express arrives in two weeks."
Conversations ceased as the teachers and ancillary staff members chose chairs around the U shaped conference table in the Great Hall. A bright August sun shone outside, but the stone hall was cool, and the enchanted ceiling manifested sufficient cloud cover to keep down the glare.
"I want to thank Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic, for stopping by today. He will provide us with the latest information regarding the Ministry and their efforts to mop up the last remnants of the recent struggle. Arthur?"
Minister Weasley rose to polite applause. " Thank you everyone, for your efforts in preventing the Dark from eclipsing the Light. I know that many of you have devoted the past 28 years to battle on many fronts. Some of you have fought, others have guarded and trained our young against evil, and far too many have died, or seen their families depleted or destroyed by the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort. I can say with every confidence that we can account for all but 3 Death Eaters, and that the British Isles are entirely secure. Tom Malvolo Riddle is dead, and his remains are on view at the Ministry for all to see, as are the bodies of all those Death Eaters not otherwise destroyed in the battles.
"The corrupt and traitorous acts performed by certain members of the Ministry, which affected all of us, but most importantly, seriously impaired daily operations at Hogwarts, have been ameliorated, and the perpetrators are imprisoned in Askaban, awaiting trial, or undergoing rehabilitation. There will be no more Umbridges at Hogwarts, I promise you, and the Ministry charter has been so altered as to prevent such an usurpation of power in the future."
Loud applause interrupted the Minister, and he raised his hands both to acknowledge the audience and to ask for calm.
"So as England's Magical society recovers from the storms of war, we have much more work to do. Some of it is tedious, some of it will be heartbreakingly slow, but none of the tasks ahead are as deadly as those we have all accomplished to date. One might ask how a people accustomed to the rush and terror of war will cope with this long-desired, slower-paced, perhaps even boring time. I hope we will all find renewal and reward in the flowering of a people at peace, secure in our houses and careers, with control over our futures, and the ability to plan and complete our own projects for happiness.
"Here at Hogwarts the training of the next generation of witches and wizards shall proceed under the continued guidance of your venerable Headmaster. While the immediate pressure to produce powerful and ethical graduates is lessened, the need to do so is not, and you should all continue to demand excellence in all things magical, not the least including Defense Against the Dark Arts. There have been some grievous losses among the staff, and Professor Dumbledore and his senior aides will be supporting and guiding the younger, less-experienced teachers in fulfilling the Hogwarts mandate. Your student population will include many orphaned or injured children. Hogwarts has demonstrated in the past great success in protecting, comforting, healing and guiding those afflicted youth in its care, and I am confident that you all will continue this tradition as well. There have even been great strides made in directing the traditional, and sometime destructive House rivalries into the formation of co-operative teams, encouraging cross-House marriages and the combination of individual House strengths into a stronger whole School, leading to a stronger society at large.
"I want to add one more task to this daunting list. I want all of you at Hogwarts to take the next step in the search for the ultimate good. I charge you all with the task of reaching out to the non-Magical world, the Muggles with whom we share so much, and yet interact so little, to both our detriments."
Loud rumbles and louder protestations threatened to bring the meeting to a stop, but Professor Dumbledore, with a Sonorous spell, called the staff to order once more.
"Believe me when I say that I know I am asking a great deal of you," continued Minister Weasley. "Our ancestors suffered mightily for their magical abilities. There isn't a wizard or witch among us who hasn't several generations of persecution in the family tree, while the Muggle- born among us face such persecution daily from both sides as they cross the great divide between their two worlds, the world they were born in, and the world they were born to. But such persecution, born of fear, cannot and should not be borne any longer. The Muggle world has made great strides in reconciling the various groups composing their non-Magical society. There is peace and co-operation, and even love, growing between races and classes here and abroad. Not today, not this generation, perhaps not even the next generation of Magicals will clasp hands and sign treaties with the Muggles, but we must start now to contemplate such a future. We must learn about Muggles, their everyday lives, their technology, their history, their hopes and dreams, and find common ground, so that together we may battle for Good with a staunch ally, against any and all Evils that may yet come to be."
There was a short, pregnant silence, as all seated at the table contemplated the Minister's bold vision. Then a soft measured clapping, started by Professor Dumbledore and quickly joined by Professors MacGonagall, Snape, and Sprout, grew in speed and volume as, by ones and twos, the faculty and staff of Hogwarts rose to give the new Minister of Magic a standing ovation.
Albus Dumbledore called the annual pre-term meeting for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to order. " If you will all take your seats, we have a great deal to discuss and even more to do before the Hogwarts Express arrives in two weeks."
Conversations ceased as the teachers and ancillary staff members chose chairs around the U shaped conference table in the Great Hall. A bright August sun shone outside, but the stone hall was cool, and the enchanted ceiling manifested sufficient cloud cover to keep down the glare.
"I want to thank Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic, for stopping by today. He will provide us with the latest information regarding the Ministry and their efforts to mop up the last remnants of the recent struggle. Arthur?"
Minister Weasley rose to polite applause. " Thank you everyone, for your efforts in preventing the Dark from eclipsing the Light. I know that many of you have devoted the past 28 years to battle on many fronts. Some of you have fought, others have guarded and trained our young against evil, and far too many have died, or seen their families depleted or destroyed by the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort. I can say with every confidence that we can account for all but 3 Death Eaters, and that the British Isles are entirely secure. Tom Malvolo Riddle is dead, and his remains are on view at the Ministry for all to see, as are the bodies of all those Death Eaters not otherwise destroyed in the battles.
"The corrupt and traitorous acts performed by certain members of the Ministry, which affected all of us, but most importantly, seriously impaired daily operations at Hogwarts, have been ameliorated, and the perpetrators are imprisoned in Askaban, awaiting trial, or undergoing rehabilitation. There will be no more Umbridges at Hogwarts, I promise you, and the Ministry charter has been so altered as to prevent such an usurpation of power in the future."
Loud applause interrupted the Minister, and he raised his hands both to acknowledge the audience and to ask for calm.
"So as England's Magical society recovers from the storms of war, we have much more work to do. Some of it is tedious, some of it will be heartbreakingly slow, but none of the tasks ahead are as deadly as those we have all accomplished to date. One might ask how a people accustomed to the rush and terror of war will cope with this long-desired, slower-paced, perhaps even boring time. I hope we will all find renewal and reward in the flowering of a people at peace, secure in our houses and careers, with control over our futures, and the ability to plan and complete our own projects for happiness.
"Here at Hogwarts the training of the next generation of witches and wizards shall proceed under the continued guidance of your venerable Headmaster. While the immediate pressure to produce powerful and ethical graduates is lessened, the need to do so is not, and you should all continue to demand excellence in all things magical, not the least including Defense Against the Dark Arts. There have been some grievous losses among the staff, and Professor Dumbledore and his senior aides will be supporting and guiding the younger, less-experienced teachers in fulfilling the Hogwarts mandate. Your student population will include many orphaned or injured children. Hogwarts has demonstrated in the past great success in protecting, comforting, healing and guiding those afflicted youth in its care, and I am confident that you all will continue this tradition as well. There have even been great strides made in directing the traditional, and sometime destructive House rivalries into the formation of co-operative teams, encouraging cross-House marriages and the combination of individual House strengths into a stronger whole School, leading to a stronger society at large.
"I want to add one more task to this daunting list. I want all of you at Hogwarts to take the next step in the search for the ultimate good. I charge you all with the task of reaching out to the non-Magical world, the Muggles with whom we share so much, and yet interact so little, to both our detriments."
Loud rumbles and louder protestations threatened to bring the meeting to a stop, but Professor Dumbledore, with a Sonorous spell, called the staff to order once more.
"Believe me when I say that I know I am asking a great deal of you," continued Minister Weasley. "Our ancestors suffered mightily for their magical abilities. There isn't a wizard or witch among us who hasn't several generations of persecution in the family tree, while the Muggle- born among us face such persecution daily from both sides as they cross the great divide between their two worlds, the world they were born in, and the world they were born to. But such persecution, born of fear, cannot and should not be borne any longer. The Muggle world has made great strides in reconciling the various groups composing their non-Magical society. There is peace and co-operation, and even love, growing between races and classes here and abroad. Not today, not this generation, perhaps not even the next generation of Magicals will clasp hands and sign treaties with the Muggles, but we must start now to contemplate such a future. We must learn about Muggles, their everyday lives, their technology, their history, their hopes and dreams, and find common ground, so that together we may battle for Good with a staunch ally, against any and all Evils that may yet come to be."
There was a short, pregnant silence, as all seated at the table contemplated the Minister's bold vision. Then a soft measured clapping, started by Professor Dumbledore and quickly joined by Professors MacGonagall, Snape, and Sprout, grew in speed and volume as, by ones and twos, the faculty and staff of Hogwarts rose to give the new Minister of Magic a standing ovation.