Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I am writing this fanfiction for my own amusement and make no profit, all recognizable characters in this story are the property of J.K Rowling, Scholastic, Warner Brothers, etc.
Great Hall, Hogwarts, 1/12/1996, 08:39
Harry was running late this morning, he had finished his P.T by seven but he had gotten a bit hung up following Malfoy on the Marauder's map. He was trying to figure out Malfoy's schedule to have a chat with him.
Since returning to school, everywhere Malfoy went, there was a teacher within sight of him. Harry knew this was Dumbledore's doing as Tonks had admitted to telling the order about the incident on the train home.
Harry was annoyed with her for this but had let it go simply because the training she was giving him was crucial. He shoved his anger at her away and vented it in their sparring sessions but had otherwise let it go.
"You look lost in thought," Hermione said between bites of her porridge.
"Just reflecting," Harry shrugged as he sat down across from her
"Well I think I know something that may cheer you up," Hermione said as she fixed him a bowl of porridge and slid it in front of him.
"What's that?" Harry asked as he added fruit and sugar to his bowl.
"I think today might be the day," Hermione exclaimed as she looked towards the ceiling of the hall.
Harry looked up to see what she meant and saw the usual barn owl that delivered the Daily Prophet flying towards them. Flying beside it was a tawny owl carrying a large rectangular yellow envelope with a purple letter 'Q' printed on it.
"What day?" Ron asked in confusion.
"The day the new issue of The Quibbler comes out," Hermione beamed.
"Excellent," Ron exclaimed as Hermione paid the bot owls and collected both packages.
Harry watched as she slit the envelope open to reveal a glossy magazine with the words The Quibbler printed across the top in large orange bubble letters. Taking up the whole front cover of the magazine was a moving photo, the photo seemed to last much longer than usual looking more like a thirty-second short film.
The picture depicted a large pink toad hopping across the great hall floor before a larger brown toad soon gave chase. The pink toad fled but soon the brown one caught up and jumped onto the pink toad's back. Almost as soon as this happened, the pink toad transformed into Dolores Umbridge on all fours with the brown toad stuck to her bum. Seconds later, there was a burst of pink flame out of Umbridge's backside that blasted the brown toad away before the photo started over.
Under the photo was a blurb written in pink cursive writing.
Dolores Umbridge Pureblood Lady or Half-blood Imposter?
"This is brilliant," Ron guffawed.
"Yes, daddy spent most of the holiday figuring out a way to embed a copy of my memory on the cover," Luna cut in from behind Harry and Ron before taking a seat between them.
"He did really well," Harry praised as Hermione opened the magazine and began to read.
Dolores Umbridge Pureblood Lady of Half-Blood Imposter
by: Rita Skeeter
I suppose many of you are questioning why I am writing this piece for such an obscure publication as The Quibbler, but sadly I have no choice in the matter. Simply put, the Daily Prophet is under the control of our Minister and he would never let this article be published there. This article is bound to send the ministry into all manner of chaos, so I have decided to take a temporary vacation after sending this to the Quibbler's main office. Over the past few weeks, I have received a positive mountain of damning information about our minister's undersecretary Dolores Jane Umbridge. It seems that Madam Umbridge has been presenting herself as a venerable pureblood closely related to the Selwyn family. Sadly I have uncovered that this is nothing more than a fanciful fabrication that Madam Umbridge has been using to advance her career over the past twenty-three years. Recent evidence uncovered reveals that she is the half-blood daughter of Orford Umbridge and his estranged muggle wife Ellen Cracknell. This isn't the most disturbing part of the affair, I'm afraid. From doing my own investigation I discovered that the reason for their estrangement is none other than Dolores herself. Orford and Ellen lived a happy life together until Dolores finished Hogwarts when she convinced her father to kick her mother and squib brother out onto the street. Dolores has taken drastic steps to cover up her parentage for which she is deeply ashamed. Over the years, many of those who have dug into Madam Umbridge's past have suffered a number of misfortune accidents (which is why I am taking a much-needed vacation). However while digging through Madam Umbridge's past, I found many other very disturbing incidents she was believed to have been involved in. The most horrifying happened in her fifth year when she is believed to have pushed a fellowed student (Miley Brooks) off of the third-floor landing, crippling the poor girl for months...
The article went on and on going over a laundry list of crimes Umbridge had committed and capped things off by going over her short-lived teaching career, her exam scores, and her taking on the position of Hogwarts governor.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed after he read from another copy of the Quibbler Luna had lent him.
"This will cause her some trouble," Hermione smirked.
"Trouble, this is liable to get her lynched," Ron snorted as he watched the cover again laughing when Neville's toad was sent flying on a blast of pink fire.
"Good, I really would like to see how Fudge is going to deal with this," Harry snorted as he refilled his cup of tea.
Over at the Slytherin table, Vincent Crabbe was being swarmed over his copy of The Quibbler much to Daphne's amusement.
Harry watched in amusement as the few students who had a subscription from The Quibbler were set upon by their neighbours.
'I am going to have to do something nice for Luna,' Harry thought to himself as he scooped more porridge into his bowl.
Ministry of Magic, London, 1/12/1996, 09:30
Cornelius Fudge was having a very good morning, he had just finished a full English breakfast compliments of his faithful house elf before flooing into his office. Now he was sitting behind his desk letting his breakfast digest while he sipped his morning tea.
Cornelius unfurled his morning paper seconds before the door was thrown open and Weatherby barged in making him jump spilling tea down the front of his robes.
"Sir, we have an emergency!" Percy exclaimed frantically.
"What is it, Weatherby?" Fudge demanded as he glared at his junior undersecretary.
"The sacred twenty-eight families are in an uproar after The Quibbler's article this morning," Percy exclaimed looking to be on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.
Carefully Fudge set his cup on the desk, trying to keep from spilling anymore before looking at Percy expectantly.
"Well, what's gotten their wands in a twist?" Fudge asked, feeling a sense of foreboding.
"The Quibbler did an entire issue on Madam Umbridge, her parentage, her history, everything," Percy Weasley said talking very fast.
"What all does the article say?" Fudge asked warily, knowing that Dolores was involved in a lot of shady things.
"It says she's a half-blood and has a muggle mother, it was written by Rita Skeeter, sir," Percy said nervously.
"Bugger a goblin with a beater's bat!" Fudge exclaimed angrily as he jumped to his feet, intent on pouring himself a glass of brandy.
"It also accuses the ministry of-
Before Percy could comment the door was thrown open as Amelia barged in looking to be in a very good mood.
"Amelia, what are you doing in here?" Fudge asked getting quite annoyed with people just barging in this morning.
"I have been asked to detain Dolores Umbridge on Charges of line theft and falsifying official ministry documents. Lord Ogden has called an emergency session of the Wizengamot," Amelia explained as she tossed a copy of the Quibbler onto Fudge's desk.
Fudge opened the magazine and read the article, his face paling the more he read. If even half of what was alleged against Dolores was true, this could not only be the end of her career, but his as well!
"Sh-she's in her office writing up another ministry decree," Fudge mumbled, the look Amelia was giving him making him very uncomfortable.
"Excellent, I will deal with her forthwith. Oh yes, your presence has been requested in the chamber as well, Minister," Amelia said before turning on her heel and sweeping from the room.
Fudge poured himself a tall glass and took a deep gulp before turning to Percy who was still standing in front of his desk waiting for orders.
"Clear all of my appointments and get me a fresh pot of tea, Weatherby. Today is going to be a long one," Fudge said, doing his best to compose himself
"Yes, sir," Percy said before making haste to carry out his orders.
'Please let me make it through today with my ministry job intact,' Fudge thought as he tried to prepare himself for the upcoming meeting.
Wizengamot Chamber, London, 1/12/1996, 11:39
Fudge sat in a chair facing the gallery of Wizengamot lords, most of them were glaring daggers at him and Dolores. Fudge should have known something was wrong when he and Dolores were asked to sit in the defendant's chairs on the Wizengamot floor.
So far Dolores had already been questioned under veritaserum and the answers she had given had horrified him.
She had been lying about her heritage which wasn't that big of a deal (for him). If that were all of it, he could have sacked her and called in a few favours to get it swept under the rug.
Unfortunately, that was the tip of the iceberg. Many times in the past he had asked her to take care of something for him, like silencing a political rival or getting him enough votes to get one of Lucius' laws through the Wizengamot. He had never asked how she had accomplished these tasks because he thought it best to have plausible deniability. Now those chickens were coming home to roost and he was seeing what a truly despicable human being Dolores really was.
Umbridge had actually hired someone to have one of his political rivals 'have an accident' and then had that same mercenary kidnap Lord Fawley's niece. Dolores had held Lord Fawley's niece ransom in order to get the Werewolf bill passed back in ninety-four.
The Wizengamot and wizards in general didn't think highly of werewolves but even they were sympathetic to children. So when it came to light that Dolores had been taking children infected with lycanthropy and ordering Walden McNair to execute them, the aurors had to restrain the gallery.
No, Dolores was going to swing for her crimes and Fudge could already tell that she would be taking him with her.
"Lastly before we question the minister it has come to our attention that documents have been falsified to allow the use of blood quills in Hogwarts," Lord Ogden proclaimed making Fudge pale further.
"The minister himself authorized the use of blood quills," Dolores protested.
"He did but as you should know being a Hogwarts governor, the board of governors have to approve their use on school grounds," Madam Longbottom said in a crisp voice.
"All in favour of moving forward on charges against Dolores Jane Umbridge?" Lord Ogden called out over the chamber.
Cornelius baulked as every single wand went into the air, he could already tell where this was going.
"All against?" Lord Ogden called though it was more of a formality as no one raised a wand.
"Very well, Madam Bones, you may proceed," Lord Ogden said, Giving Amelia a nod.
"Delores Jane Umbridge, you are hereby placed under arrest for seventeen counts of murder, eighteen counts of kidnapping, twenty-nine counts of conspiracy, forty-six counts of blackmail, three counts of line theft, one count of falsifying ministry documents, and seven counts of unlawful use of a ministry artefact in a hall of learning. All of your ministry positions have been suspended until the outcome of your trial.
"You will be detained in a ministry holding cell until the date of your trial which would be.." Amelia trailed off as she looked through a docket in front of her, "The fourteenth of February, you will be provided with a court-appointed solicitor and given ample time to prepare a defence. Auror Dawlish, if you would please take her into custody," Amelia finished, glancing up at the aurors standing sentinel on either side of the doors.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" Dolores shrieked as she made to stand up only for chains to spring out of her chair and bind her wrists to the armrests.
"Madam Umbridge it is the will of the court, now be silent!" Amelia barked as Auror Dawlish removed Dolores' wand from her robe pocket.
Cornelius watched as Dolores began to fight the auror and another auror rushed to assist him.
" UNHAND ME! CORNELIUS DO SOMETHING, TELL THEM WHO I AM!" Dolores shrieked as the chains released her from the chair and she attempted to squirm away from the two aurors.
A red spell left Auror Dawlish's wand and struck Dolores in the chest dropping her unconscious to the floor. Together the two aurors levitated her unconscious form through a side door off to the right of the gallery.
"We will have a one-hour recess for lunch and then we will continue these proceedings with the questioning of Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge," Lord Ogden called out.
Fudge got up to go grab a bite to eat not that he had much of an appetite. He was accompanied by Auror Shacklebolt who was part of his guard detail most days though today Cornelius was certain that Shacklebolt was staying with him to ensure he didn't flee.
As Fudge walked down the hallway to the lifts, he couldn't help but feel that this was his final day in office. He was very worried about his own questioning as he had made a living for himself by accepting bribes from the upper crust of society.
As he stepped up to the lift, he heard someone call, " Hey Shack," right as the lift gates opened.
Fudge saw a woman with blonde curly hair standing in the lift looking straight ahead. The woman seemed to be in a daze but as soon as their eyes met, she drew a wand in the blink of an eye and bellowed.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Fudge froze like a deer as the green spell flew towards him before it slammed into his chest. As Cornelius Fudge's lifeless corpse collapsed to the floor and the hallway broke into pandamonium, Lord Nott smiled to himself before going back to the Wizengamot chamber pleased that the loose end was tied up.
Room of Requirement, Hogwarts, 1/12/1996, 18:16
Harry entered the room to find Tonks already there looking to be in a strange mood.
"What's the matter?" Harry asked.
"Fudge was assassinated today," Tonks said over at him from where she was standing by the window.
"What?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Fudge was killed before he was to be questioned about his knowledge of Dolores Umbridge's crimes," Tonks explained.
"What crimes?"
"According to Minerva, the old toad racked up a long list of charges. When they interrogated her about the accusations in The Quibbler, Umbridge confessed to a whole slew of things we never even knew about," Tonks shrugged.
"Oh, I thought there was a fifty-fifty chance that nobody would believe it," Harry said thoughtfully.
"They believed it alright. The Wizengamot called an emergency session and questioned her under veritaserum to get to the bottom of things," Tonks shrugged as a big fluffy couch appeared between them.
"I thought there were only certain circumstances they can use veritaserum?" Harry asked as Tonks plopped down on the couch.
"There is and the number one is if the Wizengamot calls a vote to have someone questioned under it, which they did," Tonks shrugged as Harry took a seat on the other end of the couch.
"Well at least we're shot of her, not like it matters considering what's going on outside the castle," Harry sighed.
"How are you coping?" Tonks asked worriedly.
"I'll live, what are we doing today?" Harry asked hoping to avoid that topic..
"We're not, you've been running yourself ragged since we came back from break," Tonks said flatly.
"What do you-
"I know you've been skipping lunch to come up here and spar with the training dummies. Plus, you were already up here just before dinner. You've had plenty of training for today," Tonks said giving him a pointed look.
"What does it matter?" Harry asked evenly.
"It matters because you are pushing yourself too damn hard," Tonks answered..
"I took Wednesday off," Harry argued.
"No, you took Wednesday off to run your little underground defence group," Tonks corrected.
"How the hell do you know about that?!" Harry demanded.
"I have my sources," Tonks answered mysteriously.
"So if we're not training then what are we doing here?" Harry asked.
"Hanging out, we can talk if you like," Tonks offered.
"Talk about what?" Harry asked warily.
"Hannah," Tonks suggested.
"I don't want to talk about her," Harry said in an emotionless tone.
"Harry, you can't keep bottling up your emotions with occlumency," Tonks said gently.
"I don't have much choice in the matter, I can't afford to go to pieces. In case you haven't been reading the paper, the attack on the Abbotts was only the beginning," Harry grit out.
"I know, I'm being sidelined to babysit my boss' niece while everybody else gets to fight," Tonks scowled.
"From what I saw the other day, she doesn't need a babysitter," Harry muttered.
"My point is that neither of us are part of what's going on out right now so there is no reason for you to push yourself so damn hard," Tonks said, sounding like she was getting annoyed.
"I plan on using my time to prepare for when I can fight," Harry shrugged.
"Whatever we aren't training today," Tonks said stubbornly.
"Fine, I'm going to do my homework then," Harry sighed not wanting to argue.
"Good, it looks like you could do with some sleep. You're starting to get bags under your eyes," Tonks said as Harry summoned his school bag from where it was laying by the door.
"I haven't been sleeping that well," Harry admitted as a coffee table appeared in front of the couch.
"Why not?" Tonks asked, kicking off her boots as he spoke.
"Dreams, well more like nightmares, actually," Harry said distractedly as he opened his Transfiguration book and pulled out a fresh roll of parchment.
"What kind of nightmares?" Tonks asked curiously.
"I don't want to talk about it," Harry grunted.
"Oh come on, I did really well on dream interpretations in divination. I could help," Tonks pressed.
"Divination is bollocks," Harry snorted.
"Just try me," Tonks said in a soothing voice as she scooted closer to him.
"Alright, I keep dreaming about that night in the graveyard...you know the night where Pettigrew killed Cedric. I had the dream quite a bit this summer. Ever since the... ever since Hannah's funeral I have that dream only now when the killing curse hits Cedric, he turns into Hannah," Harry answered unsure as to why he was telling her this.
"Do you blame yourself for Cedric getting killed?" Tonks asked.
"I did when it happened. I offered to share the win with him. If I hadn't done that, he would still be alive," Harry admitted feeling the pangs of guilt at this confession.
"And Hannah?" Tonks asked hesitantly.
"I didn't say anything about Malfoy's threat but there really wasn't a lot I could have done anyway," Harry said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
"You didn't take him seriously, I doubt I would have either," Tonks said consolingly.
"Susan told her aunt about Malfoy's threat anyway. Lord Abbott was making arrangements to have his wards upgraded," Harry said.
"Then you shouldn't blame yourself for anything. There wasn't anything else that you could have done," Tonks said patiently.
"I know that in my head," Harry sighed as he lay his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.
"Then stop punishing yourself, there was no way you could have stopped the attack. Nobody took it seriously," Tonks pointed out.
"I know," Harry muttered.
"And you are progressing just fine in our training. Hell, you're finally starting to make our sparring sessions interesting. But if you don't slow down, you're going to end up burning yourself out. You've been training eight hours a day on top of your regular schoolwork," Tonks said as she scooted closer so she was sitting beside him.
"Doing something helps keep my mind off of everything," Harry admitted as Tonks leaned against him.
"But it's only a temporary fix," Tonks explained as Harry draped his arm over her shoulder allowing her to snuggle into his side.
"Thanks, Tonks," Harry said as a fireplace appeared on the wall in front of them, filling the room with flickering orange light as the chandeliers overhead were extinguished.
"Don't mention it, you're my favourite student," Tonks whispered.
"I'm your only student," Harry chuckled.
They sat there like that, both content with the silence, Harry fully relaxing for the first time in weeks.
Harry felt his eyes starting to feel heavier as he thought about what she said, realizing she may be right. He was just running from the problem. He still didn't like talking about what happened but he did feel a bit better after the short talk with Tonks.
Harry never noticed when he drifted into the first peaceful sleep he'd had in weeks, Tonks falling asleep not long after.
Harry snapped his eyes open hours later to find he was laying on a bed, the orange light of the fireplace casting the room in shadows. He felt incredibly comfortable wrapped in the warmth of a thick comforter. He couldn't identify where he was but he knew he wasn't in his dorm
A soft snore caught his attention and he looked down to see a head of bubblegum-pink hair resting on his chest, a large thick blue comforter was draped over the two of them and Tonks was snuggled tightly against him.
'I wonder what time it is?" Harry thought as he looked around the room only for a clock to appear on the wall above the mantle.
'I must still be in the room,' Harry thought as he squinted at the clock, seeing that it was a quarter past four in the morning.
Harry very carefully tried to extricate himself from Tonks. She had draped her leg over him in her sleep and her arm was wrapped around his waist holding him tight. Harry was further surprised when he went to gently push Tonks' leg off of him and his fingers touched the bare skin of her thigh.
"Quit shovin' I get the first chicken leg," Tonks mumbled in her sleep.
Harry finally managed to free himself and stood from the bed, jumping slightly from the feel of the cold stone floor on his bare feet. Harry grinned when the room created a pair of fluffy slippers for him.
Once her stepped into the slippers he noticed that he was shirtless and wearing the oddest pajama bottoms he had ever seen. They were bright yellow and patterned with tiny little furry purple creatures with long bent horns, the creatures covered the pajamas like polka dots, there must have been hundreds of the cute little creatures that all seemed to be in different poses.
"I see you finally woke up, I must say you look very good without your shirt on," A dreamy voice said from the chair in front of the fire, making him jump in surprise.
"Luna, what are you doing here?" Harry asked, looking over at the girl who was roasting marshmallows on a stick over the fire.
"The common room wouldn't let me in so I came here. You and that pink-haired woman were asleep sitting up so I asked the room to make you more comfortable," Luna answered as she pulled her marshmallow away from the fire now that it was perfectly golden brown.
"Thanks but you could have just woken us up," Harry pointed out.
"I wanted some company," Luna said before popping the marshmallow into her mouth.
"Nice jammies, Potter," Tonks' voice cut in from behind him.
Harry turned to see Tonks sitting up in bed, she was wearing a long Weird Sisters tee shirt as a nightgown, similar to what Ginny usually wore to bed.
"Yeah, I have no idea what these things are though," Harry said as he looked down at his pants leg.
"Those are crumple-horned snorkacks," Luna replied as she reached her hand out and ran her fingertips over his stomach, her cheeks starting to turn a cute shade of pink.
"Who are you?" Tonks asked as she looked at Luna curiously.
"Luna Lovegood," Luna said as Harry gently pushed her hand away.
"Oh, you're the one that helped get that article published," Tonks said in realisation.
"Yes and you're the one who usually impersonates Wendy McDonald," Luna said matter of factly.
"Why do you say that?" Tonks asked looking at the girl in surprise.
"You move your eyes just like she does," Luna said dreamily.
"I am going to get dressed," Harry said as he saw his folded clothes sitting on top of an end table that had appeared by his side of the bed.
"You might as well get into your workout clothes Tonks said as she climbed out of bed and hissed when her feet touched the cold stone floor.
"Bloody hell, why doesn't this room have carpet,?" Tonks demanded.
"Nobody asked it for carpet," Luna said as she ran her fingertips over Harry's stomach again, ignoring his look of annoyance.
Harry watched as she closed her eyes, seconds later the floor was suddenly covered in thick plush carpet in the same bubblegum pink colour as her hair.
"That's better, Tonks said as she headed for a door that had just appeared in the wall.
'This is already shaping up to be s strange day,' Harry thought as he gently removed Luna's hand from going toward his waistband.
Great Hall, Hogwarts, 1/11/1996, 08:08
Harry stepped into the great hall feeling much better than he had in a while. Getting a full night of sleep was something he hadn't had since before the attack on the Abbotts. Usually, he would wake up in the middle of the night covered in a cold sweat from one of his nightmares and find it impossible to go back to sleep.
Harry made his way to the Gryffindor table to find Hermione already tucking into her breakfast.
"Took you long enough to get ready," Hermione said by way of greeting.
"The showers were full when I got back to the dorm," Harry said as he took a seat beside her
"So why didn't you come back last night?" Hermione asked.
"I fell asleep in the room," Harry shrugged.
"I figured it was something like that, you looked awful yesterday at dinner," Hermione admitted.
"Thanks," Harry snorted, knowing that he probably did look pretty rough.
"I heard that Runcorn was called back to the ministry last night," Hermione said as Harry began filling his plate.
"Yeah that doesn't surprise me, I imagine the paper is going to be very exciting this morning," Harry said cryptically.
"Yes, I can only imagine how they will react to The Quibbler article," Hermione agreed.
"Oh they're going to have plenty to talk about besides the article," Harry assured her.
"You know something," Hermione stated.
"I do, the ministry is in chaos," Harry answered before tucking into his eggs.
"Tell me," Hermione demanded.
"Read it for yourself, the post is here," Harry said as he pointed towards the upper windows where the post owls were just starting to fly into the hall.
Hermione quickly fished the coins out of her robe pocket and had it in hand when the delivery owl landed in front of her.
Hermione paid the owl before unfurling the paper not noticing the owl steal the last strip of bacon off of her plate before flying off.
Undersecretary Arrested For Unthinkable Crimes! Trial Set For Valentine's Day!
Minister Assassinated in the Middle of the Ministry of Magic!
Rufus Scrimgeour Voted Acting Minister by Wizengamot!
"Oh my god!" Hermione exclaimed as she read the headlines her eyebrows steadily vanishing into her hairline.
"Yep, I believe that article may have been the end of the Fudge administration," Harry chuckled.
"It says Fudge was killed by an unnamed woman who was confirmed to have been under the imperius curse," Hermione said as she read through the articles.
"What about the toad?" Harry asked.
"She is facing a hundred and twenty-one charges and most of them quite serious, I've read of inner circle death eaters who have done less than her and got a life sentence," Hermione exclaimed in obvious disgust.
"Maybe she'll get her first kiss on Valentine's Day," Harry said as he read the charges over Hermione's shoulder.
"Well from her list of crimes, I'm not even sure if she has a soul," Hermione muttered.
"I could have told you that," Harry shrugged as he went back to his breakfast, content in the knowledge that Umbridge was behind bars.
"Do you think Runcorn will stay the defence professor?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know, I doubt it though," Harry said as Ron entered the hall.
"Good morning, have a late night Harry?" Ron asked as he sat down across from Harry.
"No, I fell asleep in the training room," Harry shrugged.
"I'm not surprised, you looked like hell at dinner last night," Ron said as he fixed himself a heaping plate of bacon and eggs.
"Do you two get together and work on your conversation points?" Harry scowled.
"No it's improv, makes things more fluid that way," Hermione said distractedly as she re-read the article.
"Whoa, when did that happen?" Ron asked as he stared at the entrance to the hall.
"What?" Harry as he looked at the door only to do a double take himself when he saw Susan Bones walking into the hall holding hands with Seamus Finnigan.
"Is he mental?" Ron muttered.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked looking up from her paper.
"He means Seamus," Harry explained as he gestured to the couple crossing the hall.
"Susan's a lovely girl," Hermione defended.
"You saw what she did to Malfoy the other day," Ron snorted.
"And Smith, he had better watch himself with her," Harry agreed as Susan led Seamus to the Hufflepuff table.
"Maybe now he won't be such a perv," Hermione said looking amused.
"This is Seamus we're talking about, he's got a stack of Play Wizard magazines taller than Hagrid," Ron guffawed.
"You're one to talk, I've seen the stack in your trunk," Hermione huffed.
"It was barely taller than Flitwick and Lavender made him get rid of those," Harry pointed out.
"Come on lay off of me, you two," Ron grumbled, his ears already starting to turn red.
"Fine, have you heard about Fudge?" Harry said as he handed Ron the Daily Prophet.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed as soon as he read the headline.
"My thoughts exactly," Hermione agreed as Ron began reading the article.
Harry wasn't really pleased Fudge was dead, the man wasn't really evil just incompetent. Hopefully, now they would get a minister with a bit more backbone. Harry sat back and ate the rest of his breakfast while the talk around him centred on what happened at the ministry yesterday.
'Well that's one problem taken care of,' Harry thought to himself as Ron and Hermione began discussing the article in length while he finished his breakfast.