"It means many things, Gus." the Director hissed back. "It means that Fudge just lost his counterbalance to Malfoy, and He will do something Stupid, or Worse, let his Toad do it in his Name. It Means that Hogwarts has a 'perceived weakness'. It Means…"
"We apply the right pressure… and Fudge loses his Toad. Permanently." the old witch hissed in anger. "We then hold Fudge to his word, and we can slowly begin to burn out the Rot in our House."
PISSOFF
Minister's Office
Two hours later…
John Dawlish knocked, before easing the door open. "Sir. Just reporting; Albus has been sent to St Mungo's. Magic Exhaustion. Was caught in an explosion in the Hog's Head." John nodded to the undersecretary, and left.
"Albus is Down?"
"All Ready on it, Sir." the Toad-faced witch sneered, as she waddled out of the office.
PISSOFF
As the Three… sorry, As the Four Schools settled in for dinner, The Plague of the Ministry descended on Hogwarts.
Into the Great Hall Stormed… er… waddled Umbridge in her best Pink Cardigan robes. On her Heels strode John Dawlish and five of his Pub-pals.
[Flashback]
"John!" The Director leaned on his desk as she glared at the shaking man. "Where is the Toad?"
"I was forced to release her, Ma'am." John looked her in the eye, "Fudge claimed 'Executive Privilege'."
"Strike One." the Witch spun on her heel and strode off.
[Time skip]
"John. About your escort job this morning. Strike Two." Bones never broke stride as she passed his desk.
John bounced his head off his desk. "Shite!"
[Time skip]
"Hey John. You want a chance to clear your board?" Bones leaned on his desk.
"Yes Boss?" eager as a puppy.
"First I need you to tell Fudge, in the 'Wart-hounds' hearing, that Albus has Fallen. No doubt the rumour mill has it. Be ready to follow …"
[End Flashback]
The Pink clad Witch opened her Mouth, "Aurors! Take Black into Custody!"
Potter stepped in front of the Witch. "On Whose Authority do you issue these orders?"
"Shut it Child! Know your Place!" She sneered.
"Hag!" Potter Roared. "I Am Harry James Potter, Lord of Potter, Lord of Black, Tri-Wizard Tourniment Champion of PISSOFF!" He rolled his head on his shoulders. "You have Returned to these Hallowed Halls, Invader, uninvited and assaulted INVITED Guests. I will Have Answers or BLOOD!"
The students in White stood and surrounded the Aurors. Some students in Black with Red gold joined them.
"Now, Umbitch." Harry snarled, "Last I heard you were arrested for the Attempted Assassainaion of a Lord of the Realm. What by Merlyn's soggy shorts are you doing here with anything resembling Power?"
"My Duty!" the Toad hissed. "I will be taking Black to get his Kiss, and throwing that mangy wolf in after him." Her bulbous eyes glinted in the candlelight of the Great Hall, "Then I will be back to deal with you."
"Auror Dawlish." Harry never took his eyes off the Toad-like witch. "I must ask… Just what are you doing here?"
"Collecting Hear-say Confessions." The balding Wizard crossed his arms over his chest. "The Toad is operating on an agenda that Fudge either approved, or knew nothing about. I am supposed to find out. It either means Fudge is in the cauldron with the Bitch, or going to be spitted and roasted for something else. I do not know if the Boss wants you to kill her, because of the paperwork involved. You kill her… and we close this book. You subdue her, and we have to haul her back, dip her in veritaserum, and wring her dry. Rinse and repeat."
"If I see her again outside of a courtroom setting or other legal venue. She dies. Blood Feud. I will be by the DMLE in the morning to file the paperwork. Pending on the answers you squeeze out of this bitch, I might be adding Fudgies name to the list. Notify Bones, House Black and House Potter are filing against Albus Dumbledor too." a flick of his wand, that no one noticed was in his hand until that second, and the Toad-faced-witch slumped to the flagstones. "Potter Institute was asked to defend these Halls as we would our own. Headmistress McGonagall, do you second that request or do you refute it?"
The Scottish witch stepped around the things in her way until she stood at his side. "I do believe I will Second that request." She turned to look about the Hall. "Let's get the food on the tables and into these empty bellies. I request the Headmasters to meet me in Albus's Office after Dinner." She clapped her hands twice, and food spread across the five tables.
PISSOFF
Snape sneered, but remained quiet.
While he believed he could beat any one of the white robes, they were joined by a core belief that would cause them to turn as a whole on anyone attacking one of their number. Add in the brain deficient gryphondorks… and he would be overrun by the masses of mediocre.
He sat back and crossed his arms. With Albus not in play, he was now on thin ice. Albus never had him cleared or had him declared innocent of the crimes involved with being a Death Eater.
Better to let the boy draw the attention…
PISSOFF
No Sooner than Albus's door clicked shut behind Maxine, Black, and Karkarkoff, McGonagall dropped into the old fool's chair, Her wand drawing up thrones for the Headmasters to sit in.
Once everybody was sitting, with a glass of drink beside them, Minerva sighed . The drinks were delivered, unasked for, by an elf. "In one week, We have the 'Weighing of the Wands'. It is the first chance the Press gets to meet the Champions, and to know a little about them. About an hour before Lunch, Ollivander, Our Standard Wand Crafting Master will 'weigh' everybodies Official Wands. These are the only wands that they may use in the Tournament. After the Weighing, Rita Skeeter and her Camera man will do their jobs and present our Champions to the Public Masses. Are there any Questions or Concerns on this?"
"Why only Your Craft Master?" Karkaroff sneered.
"Can you bring in another Craft Master within the week?" McGonagall peeked an eyebrow, "For Free or paid from your own pocket?" She smirked at the paling of the Kasock's face. "Albus called in a Favour. Ollivander, in exchange for being England's primary Wand-Cafter, does this sort of thing. Normally he charges to Identify wands or their Users. Albus got him to do it for the PR in the Paper."
Maxim nodded. "And the Paper?" Her Accent thick as she sipped from her tankard, larger than McGonagall's car form. "Why only Your Paper?"
"And why only the Prophet?" Black smiled. "I would like to Propose that each Headmaster extend an invite to their School's Primary Paper."
The other two Headmasters agreed.
Minerva glared at Black for a minute. "You are planning something."
"No." Black grinned, "But One of our Board Members is the EiC of his own paper…"
Minerva snorted. "Fudge is going to Love that. Okay. Next week, We meet an Hour before Lunch, Garick does his Dog and Pony Show for the press of four papers, followed by Lunch, and then each reporter is given what… twenty minutes with each Champion, plus Photos. A Week after that… the First Event."
The Headmasters agreed.
"Potter proclaimed that the Potter Institute has been Requested to Defend these Halls as if they were Their own. Meaning, until that Cup is Claimed, Potter Institute stands ready to face any threat to Hogwarts. I now, privately, Offer you the chance to make the same proclamation. If you Accept, it will be in the Prophet day after tomorrow. If you Deny it, you will never be able to proclaim to have equal standing. Acceptance and you are Ally. Decline and you are a guest."
Maxime smiled. "We take the option of Ally, but ask that we announce it at our convenience."
"Same." Karkaroff spat.
"One Last Thing." Minerva leaned on the Desk. "I would like to Shift the Headmaster Duties for this Tournament for the Handling of Hogwarts' Champion to Professor Sprout. I will still handle the Hosting and Chairing Duties, but I am only able to break ties should something come to a vote." She Looked about the Room. "Can I get a unanimous Aye?"
"So the Scoring done for Hogwarts…" Karkaroff sneered deeply.
"Sprout." McGonagall sighed. "She is going to be all over the lad anyway, just as you two are coaching your Champion. This allows me to have a say in the Events without giving any One Champion an Advantage over the Others."
"Aye." Karkaroff snarled, before he tossed back his shot of Vodka.
"Aye." Maxime drained her Tankard.
"Aye." Black sipped his Firewhiskey.
Karkaroff and Maxime shuffled from the office to see to the welfare of their students.
"Black."
"Minnie." Sirius rotated the tumbler in his palm. "Should Albus return… He will not be taking that chair back. Only his absence from these Halls and the Pardon holding me here keeps us from spilling his blood. In the three to four months that Moony and I have been away, we have found traces of tampering of our minds, of our wills, and paper trails that point to facts that the old man was behind, not only my unjust imprisonment, but the Potter's deaths."
McGonagall went pale.
"Then there is Harry's History in these Halls. Moony has only reported rumours from the students, but it is enough that I must declare Blood Feud if any is proven true." He looked her in the eye, "His Running earlier, marks him as a man with too many secrets and too much blood on his hands."
"Just… Not in these Halls." McGonagall sighed.
Black nodded, finished off his drink, and exited the office.
"And So the Title and the Wards Pass to Another." Headmaster Phineas Black intoned from his Frame above. "My Grandson has driven Dumbledor from the Castle. The Headmaster Ran instead of Answering Charges against him! He Abandoned Post and Duties. He Abandoned the Students!"
"Aye." A Witch from the sixteenth century smiled sweetly. "By Running, rather than Ritual, we get to choose." She peered down on McGonagall. "Now, Lassy, What say you to the Mantle passed your way?"
Minerva sighed, swigged the last of her scotch. "I hereby accept the Honour and Duties of Headmaster of Hogwarts, until such time as I can no longer hold the Title or Someone better is found… Merlyn have mercy on my soul."
"She even swore the full response." A mousey wizard squeaked from the high right. "That Goat molester never did! Who do you name as Deputy?"
"Give me time to see who wants it." Minerva stood looking about. "I think I will keep my office in the Transfiguration Wing for the year. Over the Summer I will clear out his things."
Phineas snorted, "Most of the things in this Office came with the Office. Over the last forty years or so, the grey wanker, added to the collection by looting Houses that were Falling to the Dark Lord. Little over thirteen year back he was really giddy and almost tripled his 'borrowed' collection. You will need to see what belongs to whom."
PISSOFF
Fudge poured a sniffer one third of the was full of a well aged Muggle Brandy, selected a Cuban cigar from his hidden humidor, and fell back into his chair before the floo. He bit off the tip, and spit it into the fire. Using his wand, he lit the richly rolled royal smoking leaf, drawing deeply, before exhaling in sheer pleasure.
Between his smoking and sniffing/sipping his brandy, he was very relaxed when his office door opened and a witch entered his office. As said witch, dressed in that distasteful shade of pink, sat in the chair across from him. Because he was peering into the fire, not looking at the witch, he missed a few things. "Tell me Deloris, How is Black?"
In that syrupy sweet voice of his Hatchet witch, "Right Where He deserves to be." The Witch smacked her lips. "And the Wolf too."
"Good…" A drag on the cigar, "Good. In a bit we will Floo Lord Malfoy. Let Him Know that his Heir is now Lord Black." Another Drag. "He can then deliver on his end of the Deal."
"What of the Potter Brat?" the witch 'whined'.
Fudge sipped his brandy. "Malfoy has not decided." He caught sight of something in his glass… a reflection.
A Reflection of Director Bones.
He looked at 'Deloris'. The witch sitting the chair across from him was not his Undersecretary, but a young woman with bubblegum pink hair wearing Auror robes the same shade as Deloris's office robes. She smiled sweetly at the Minister.
In the same voice as earlier, "Hey Fudgy. Two things to report. Two, Headmaster Black is still at Hogwarts, alive and kicking. One, Black has an Heir, and as He was never tried and Convicted the Line is secure. Heir Malfoy will never lay claim to Black." A Bolt of spell fire caught Fudge square in the chest. The Witch then tucked her wand away, and pinched a bit of floo powder, before tossing into the fire. "Malfoy Manor, Lord's Office."
"Yes?" From the green flames came the cold Voice of Malfoy, L.
In Umbridge's voice, the witch looked right into Fudge's eyes and said, "Lord Malfoy. Umbridge from Fudge's Office. I am calling about a matter of a Kiss and Heir being named Lord. There was mention of a Delivery on a Deal, and some Paperwork that needs to be signed before that 'Bones Woman' comes in tomorrow, If you know what I mean."
"I will be there Shortly. Password is the same, I presume." the oily tone of Malfoy's voice caused Fudge to clench his teeth."
"About that." Pinky smippered. "We need this to have a shadow of legitimacy. Please enter by the Atrium. A late night request from the Minister to you about… Cigar Imports."
"Cigar Imports." Malfoy tasted the phrasing. "Sounds important. I will be there shortly." The Floo died out.
The two witches stepped behind his desk, and cast a few charms to fade from view… and Fudge soon forgot they were there.
Five Minutes Later…
Lucious Malfoy entered the office, Saw Minister staring into the fire, a half burned cigar in one hand, and a sniffer of brandy in the other… and set his cane and a hefty sack on the desk. The sack clicked. With a glass and cigar now matching Fudges fifteen minutes ago, the white-haired man sat in the 'witch's chair' and drew on his smoke stick.
"With Black Dead, My Son now the new Lord Black, and the Dark Lord Prophesied to Return… I am almost the strongest Lord in the Realm." He drew on his cigar as he watched the frightened look on Fudge's face. "Yes, the Dark Lord is coming back. I tell you this every year, and you still look at me in Fear. It is half the reason I bought you. Aw, that's right. I obliviate you when I leave." Luci chuckled. "Now where is that little Toad-faced Hag you keep at hand?"
He sipped his brandy while he waited for Fudge to stammer out an answer… But Fudge was quiet and still. In Fact the Politician had not moved, said a word, or anything other than to breathe and blink his eyes. Luci dropped his glass and cigar as he moved to reach for his cane…
He was caught in a full body bind.
As the witches standing behind the Minister's desk faded into view, the ink haired witch, still wearing robes of that sickening shade of pink, two degrees lighter than her hair, Fudge grunted and squealed like a stuck pig.
"Yes piggy." Tonks sat back in the seat across from the frozen Fudge. "You're going to squeal." A flick of her wand.
Fudge was quick to drink deeply from his sniffer. "What gives you the right to do this?"
"Umbridge showing up and threatening Lord Potter." Bones frowned at the small man. "After you forced my man to release her, for the third time in as many days. That is more than just 'Executive Privilege'. That is Abuse of Power. That got my lead Undercover Agent to seat across from you, and with only changing the colour off her robes and voice mimicry, you led us to Malfoy and the attempted murder plot of Lord Black. Do you know many of my men you almost killed tonight?"
"Who would have killed them?" Fudge paled.
"Umbridge entered with six men, including Dawlish." Tonks sighed. "When Umbridge made her declaration, five went for their wands. They were beaten on the draw by every 'PI head' bar the adults and Potter. They were backed by nearly all of the Lions and half of the badgers."
"Potter ssent Umbridge back." Bones helped herself to a few fingers of whisky. "He is coming to the Ministry to sign paperwork for 'blood feud'."
"W-w-what gives him the right to…" Fudge sputtered.
'Harry James Potter." Tonks stood and stepped around to kneel and cuff Malfoy. "Lord of Potter, Heir Primus to Black, Champion of the Potter Institute…"
"Actually." Bones smiled, "Lord of Potter, Lord of Black. That means I have you on the spit for attempted murder of Black, Lupin, and Potter. Plus whatever we wring out of Umbridge. Do not worry, Corny, I will wring the Truth out of you, Deloris, and sweet dear Luci. I have enough proof of your crimes to either dip you in veritaserum or give you to Lord Potter-Black. Your call.''