Chapter Seven:
Changes
Ron slid awkwardly into the parlor, stumbling as he pulled up. His eyes swept the room anxiously before coming to rest on Hermione.
"I just heard. Is it true?"
Hermione, sitting with folded hands on the small couch, nodded.
"Fudge is out? He's not Minister any more?"
"Dumbledore is the new Minister of Magic," Hermione said listlessly.
"How?" Ron asked, seating himself on the edge of the coffee table, his face eager.
"Under Article forty-two," Hermione said tonelessly, "of the Wizards' Charter of 1840, the Chief Administrator, whatever his current title, can have his position challenged by a council member on the grounds that he is not acting in the best interests of the Magical Community."
Ron thought a moment.
"Dumbledore's not on the council? Is he?"
Hermione did not look at Ron as she spoke.
"Paragraph four permits challenge from any witch or wizard with one hundred years of service to the Community. And, of course, Fudge only got the position in the first place when Dumbledore turned it down. Most of the council had been merely tolerating Fudge, waiting for Dumbledore to change his mind. And once Dumbledore presented his case, the rest simply fell into line. They offered him the position on the spot."
She stopped, and, though her head was bowed, Ron could see wetness on her cheeks.
"But -- that's good news, isn't it? I mean, surely Dumbledore will revoke Harry's Special Dispensation, if he hasn't already?"
She nodded.
"Then what's wrong?"
Tears began to trickle down Hermione's face.
"He's gone," she said, her lip trembling. "They...they don't know where he is..."
"What?"
"He -- he disappeared into the Black Forest a week ago. N-no one's s-seen him..."
Ron felt a slight chill as Hermione stifled a sob.
"I'm sure Dumbledore will find him before -- "
But Hermione had burst into tears. All Ron could do was sit down beside her on the couch and wrap his arms around her.
From somewhere beyond the parlor doorway, baby Jaime began to cry.
Changes
Ron slid awkwardly into the parlor, stumbling as he pulled up. His eyes swept the room anxiously before coming to rest on Hermione.
"I just heard. Is it true?"
Hermione, sitting with folded hands on the small couch, nodded.
"Fudge is out? He's not Minister any more?"
"Dumbledore is the new Minister of Magic," Hermione said listlessly.
"How?" Ron asked, seating himself on the edge of the coffee table, his face eager.
"Under Article forty-two," Hermione said tonelessly, "of the Wizards' Charter of 1840, the Chief Administrator, whatever his current title, can have his position challenged by a council member on the grounds that he is not acting in the best interests of the Magical Community."
Ron thought a moment.
"Dumbledore's not on the council? Is he?"
Hermione did not look at Ron as she spoke.
"Paragraph four permits challenge from any witch or wizard with one hundred years of service to the Community. And, of course, Fudge only got the position in the first place when Dumbledore turned it down. Most of the council had been merely tolerating Fudge, waiting for Dumbledore to change his mind. And once Dumbledore presented his case, the rest simply fell into line. They offered him the position on the spot."
She stopped, and, though her head was bowed, Ron could see wetness on her cheeks.
"But -- that's good news, isn't it? I mean, surely Dumbledore will revoke Harry's Special Dispensation, if he hasn't already?"
She nodded.
"Then what's wrong?"
Tears began to trickle down Hermione's face.
"He's gone," she said, her lip trembling. "They...they don't know where he is..."
"What?"
"He -- he disappeared into the Black Forest a week ago. N-no one's s-seen him..."
Ron felt a slight chill as Hermione stifled a sob.
"I'm sure Dumbledore will find him before -- "
But Hermione had burst into tears. All Ron could do was sit down beside her on the couch and wrap his arms around her.
From somewhere beyond the parlor doorway, baby Jaime began to cry.