Chapter Fourteen: Fudge
Breathing quietly, Harry listened to the raised voices within.
'Your allegations were completely out of place Albus, completely!' Harry recognised the harassed and pompous sounding voice of the Minister of Magic.
'They weren't allegations Cornelius,' Dumbledore replied quietly. 'Just the simple truth - when can you learn to accept this?'
'Accept what - that You-Know-Who has returned? It's preposterous, Albus. There's been no sign - and how do you know you can trust what Potter says anyway?'
'I trust Harry more than I trust some adults,' Dumbledore replied. 'And so far he has not let me down.'
'The boy is a Parselmouth, if that's not a reason to doubt him I don't know what is.' Feeling a surge of anger, Harry listened to Fudge pacing back and forth. 'There have been no signs, absolutely nothing, that would suggest he has returned, not even an increase in Death Eater sightings.'
'And you consider this normal?' Dumbledore asked, 'A boy was murdered last year, Cornelius, and even if it was not Voldemort, that in the least is a poignant symbol of increased Death Eater activity.'
'Or it was a symbol of an imbalanced mind seeking a way to settle a score. Do you know how many people believe that Potter was the one who murdered Diggory?'
'I know that Amos Diggory and his wife believe Harry would have died for their son,' Dumbledore replied, and in his voice was an iron tone that sent an involuntary shudder through Harry. 'Now, was there a point to you coming here Cornelius, or is it just to accuse an innocent boy once more?'
'The point of me being here is you,' Fudge snapped, 'and what you're doing to the Ministry. I know all about the investigating with unofficial help - and it must stop. You are disrupting what some of us fought so hard to preserve, what we managed to reconstruct from the discord that You-Know-Who sowed amongst us. We've got a government again, Albus, a government that works.'
'A government that shelters murderers.'
Harry flinched, it hadn't been Dumbledore who replied, in fact Harry had missed his reply entirely. The source of the voice who whispered in his ear resolved itself into Kilmorie, a quizzical gaze boring into Harry. His orange eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the passage as he tried to figure out what was going on inside the young wizard. 'You should go now, I think you've heard enough to know what's going on.'
For the briefest of seconds Harry considered arguing, but instead nodded to Kilmorie and walked past him down the stairs. As he brushed past, Harry felt a length of metal hidden beneath Kilmorie's robe and froze momentarily.
Hoping the teacher hadn't noticed, Harry continued downstairs, stumbled out into the corridor and found himself sitting against the stone wall, breathing heavily. Images flashed in his eyes, the cloaked figure drawing the long blade and saluting him before delivering a cold threat. Pulling himself up on unsteady legs, Harry walked down the corridor, leaning against the wall for support as he went.
Arriving back at the Great Hall, he saw it was almost empty, apart from Ron and Hermione helping Hagrid to put the Nifflers back in their cages. Walking in he smiled back as Hagrid beamed at him, gesturing to the Niffler he was putting back in its cage. 'We caught it for yeh, whereabouts did yeh lose it?'
'Up by the stairs,' Harry replied, using the first place that sprang to mind.
'Prob'ly hid under the carpet,' Hagrid said, nodding, 'They're good at that.' Harry smiled in agreement, then helped Ron and Hermione pack up the rest, making eye contact with each of them and gesturing that they should talk.
After they finished and said quick goodbyes to Hagrid, Harry led them up to the tower where they went to the boys' dormitory. Locking the door, Harry turned and told them what happened, detail for detail, and then voiced the part that scared him.
'You mean.you mean that Kilmorie and the Cambirer.they're working together?' Ron said, his eyes widening in shock.
'No - they are the same person, or demon,' Hermione said. 'That's what he means, isn't it Harry?' He nodded, then looked back at her and waited expectantly. 'Of course I think you're wrong, haven't you got used to that by now?' Hermione replied after a few seconds of him staring at her.
'We have,' Ron replied, smiling at her, 'Why do you think he didn't say anything?'
'You shut up,' Hermione replied softly, 'but I still say Harry's wrong. This time Dumbledore tested Kilmorie himself, and with your map, and with McGonagall's help. He's not the Cambirer - they would know.'
'How would they know?' Harry interrupted. 'Dumbledore knew Moody for most of his life but that didn't help him spot Crouch posing as him. They might not even know Kilmorie that well and you remember what Hagrid told me and Ginny - Kilmorie's betrayed their trust before.'
'We can't be sure what that means,' Ron argued back. 'Hermione's right, you can't know Kilmorie is a threat.'
'Fine, side with your girlfriend,' Harry snapped, ignoring the hurt looks on their faces. 'See what happens when the demon starts going after you.' And before either of them could reply he left the dormitory, slamming the door violently.
Belatedly, Ron ran after him, opening the door as it vibrated on its hinges, but Harry was already down the stairs. Jogging down to the common room, he still couldn't see Harry. 'Damn it,' he swore, not caring that Hermione heard as she came down the stairs. 'I can't believe that just happened.'
'I know,' she replied softly, and he saw there were tears in her eyes. 'I'm sorry.'
'What? Why?' Ron asked, worry on his face as he brushed a tear away.
'I made you choose, between Harry and me,' she said, her voice shaking. 'Between your best friend and-' but she got no further as Ron pulled her shaking shoulders into an embrace as she relaxed slowly.
After a minute he let her go gently, 'You didn't make me choose,' Ron whispered, tracing the smile that appeared on her lips.
* * *
They didn't see Harry for the rest of that day, and Ron was sure he didn't come back to the dormitory that night. The first day of the Christmas holiday came and Ron awoke to see that Harry's bed was still empty, as was everyone else's. Most of their friends had no reason to stay, Ron recalled, and a few were still scared to be apart from their families after the previous year.
Sighing, Ron got up and dressed, then walked down to the common room, to his surprise it was nearly deserted. Ginny looked up and smiled at her brother as he flopped sleepily in the chair beside her, basking in the warmth of the fire.
'Where's Harry?' she asked, glancing back at the stairs. 'I would have thought you'd be up together.'
'I don't know,' Ron replied, exhaling heavily. 'We had a bit of an argument yesterday. He got upset at me and Hermione.'
'I thought you three never argued,' Ginny commented, her eyes widening slightly.
'So did I,' Ron said. 'It's my fault though - I sided with Hermione, but she was right,' he added the last part defensively.
'Harry probably thought he was right as well,' she replied quietly.
* * *
They found Harry that afternoon, sitting by himself in the Three Broomsticks, his photo album open and a faraway gaze on his face. Ron made to go and talk to him but Hermione put a hand on him and shook her head. A second later someone returned to the seat opposite Harry. He smiled and accepted the Butterbeer that Colin offered him, not even noticing the entrance of Ron and Hermione with Ginny.
Sitting down at another table, Ron and Hermione sat so that they were hidden by other people, but Ginny watched Harry through a gap in the crowded pub. He and Colin were conversing deeply, but it seemed to be a friendly discussion and she could see Harry wasn't upset. A few minutes later, Colin left and Harry turned to the album and flicked idly through the pages.
Before Ron or Hermione could stop her, Ginny stood up and walked up to Harry's table, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside him. He looked up, but stopped closing the album and instead smiled, leaving it open. Looking at the page, Ginny saw a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione, the three of them in a group laughing and smiling.
'What are you doing?' she asked, absent-mindedly staring at the other photos.
'Trying to remember the good times,' Harry replied, 'so that I don't forget them again.'
'I don't remember you three ever posing for Colin,' Ginny remarked, looking at another picture that he must have taken.
'We've become immune to flashes,' Harry replied, a smile tugging at his lips. 'I barely notice him taking a photo anymore.' Letting out a sigh he rubbed his eyes and leant back in his chair, before looking up at Ginny as she stood beside him.
'It was a stupid argument, wasn't it?' he asked, closing his eyes again as he let the guilt he'd been feeling voice itself.
'Probably,' Ginny replied, knowing that was what Harry wanted to hear. 'But it happens, and you can do something about it.'
'Like what?' he asked, opening his eyes to stare into hers.
'Keep filling the pages,' she replied, pointing to the next empty space beneath a photo of Harry and his friends.
Breathing quietly, Harry listened to the raised voices within.
'Your allegations were completely out of place Albus, completely!' Harry recognised the harassed and pompous sounding voice of the Minister of Magic.
'They weren't allegations Cornelius,' Dumbledore replied quietly. 'Just the simple truth - when can you learn to accept this?'
'Accept what - that You-Know-Who has returned? It's preposterous, Albus. There's been no sign - and how do you know you can trust what Potter says anyway?'
'I trust Harry more than I trust some adults,' Dumbledore replied. 'And so far he has not let me down.'
'The boy is a Parselmouth, if that's not a reason to doubt him I don't know what is.' Feeling a surge of anger, Harry listened to Fudge pacing back and forth. 'There have been no signs, absolutely nothing, that would suggest he has returned, not even an increase in Death Eater sightings.'
'And you consider this normal?' Dumbledore asked, 'A boy was murdered last year, Cornelius, and even if it was not Voldemort, that in the least is a poignant symbol of increased Death Eater activity.'
'Or it was a symbol of an imbalanced mind seeking a way to settle a score. Do you know how many people believe that Potter was the one who murdered Diggory?'
'I know that Amos Diggory and his wife believe Harry would have died for their son,' Dumbledore replied, and in his voice was an iron tone that sent an involuntary shudder through Harry. 'Now, was there a point to you coming here Cornelius, or is it just to accuse an innocent boy once more?'
'The point of me being here is you,' Fudge snapped, 'and what you're doing to the Ministry. I know all about the investigating with unofficial help - and it must stop. You are disrupting what some of us fought so hard to preserve, what we managed to reconstruct from the discord that You-Know-Who sowed amongst us. We've got a government again, Albus, a government that works.'
'A government that shelters murderers.'
Harry flinched, it hadn't been Dumbledore who replied, in fact Harry had missed his reply entirely. The source of the voice who whispered in his ear resolved itself into Kilmorie, a quizzical gaze boring into Harry. His orange eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the passage as he tried to figure out what was going on inside the young wizard. 'You should go now, I think you've heard enough to know what's going on.'
For the briefest of seconds Harry considered arguing, but instead nodded to Kilmorie and walked past him down the stairs. As he brushed past, Harry felt a length of metal hidden beneath Kilmorie's robe and froze momentarily.
Hoping the teacher hadn't noticed, Harry continued downstairs, stumbled out into the corridor and found himself sitting against the stone wall, breathing heavily. Images flashed in his eyes, the cloaked figure drawing the long blade and saluting him before delivering a cold threat. Pulling himself up on unsteady legs, Harry walked down the corridor, leaning against the wall for support as he went.
Arriving back at the Great Hall, he saw it was almost empty, apart from Ron and Hermione helping Hagrid to put the Nifflers back in their cages. Walking in he smiled back as Hagrid beamed at him, gesturing to the Niffler he was putting back in its cage. 'We caught it for yeh, whereabouts did yeh lose it?'
'Up by the stairs,' Harry replied, using the first place that sprang to mind.
'Prob'ly hid under the carpet,' Hagrid said, nodding, 'They're good at that.' Harry smiled in agreement, then helped Ron and Hermione pack up the rest, making eye contact with each of them and gesturing that they should talk.
After they finished and said quick goodbyes to Hagrid, Harry led them up to the tower where they went to the boys' dormitory. Locking the door, Harry turned and told them what happened, detail for detail, and then voiced the part that scared him.
'You mean.you mean that Kilmorie and the Cambirer.they're working together?' Ron said, his eyes widening in shock.
'No - they are the same person, or demon,' Hermione said. 'That's what he means, isn't it Harry?' He nodded, then looked back at her and waited expectantly. 'Of course I think you're wrong, haven't you got used to that by now?' Hermione replied after a few seconds of him staring at her.
'We have,' Ron replied, smiling at her, 'Why do you think he didn't say anything?'
'You shut up,' Hermione replied softly, 'but I still say Harry's wrong. This time Dumbledore tested Kilmorie himself, and with your map, and with McGonagall's help. He's not the Cambirer - they would know.'
'How would they know?' Harry interrupted. 'Dumbledore knew Moody for most of his life but that didn't help him spot Crouch posing as him. They might not even know Kilmorie that well and you remember what Hagrid told me and Ginny - Kilmorie's betrayed their trust before.'
'We can't be sure what that means,' Ron argued back. 'Hermione's right, you can't know Kilmorie is a threat.'
'Fine, side with your girlfriend,' Harry snapped, ignoring the hurt looks on their faces. 'See what happens when the demon starts going after you.' And before either of them could reply he left the dormitory, slamming the door violently.
Belatedly, Ron ran after him, opening the door as it vibrated on its hinges, but Harry was already down the stairs. Jogging down to the common room, he still couldn't see Harry. 'Damn it,' he swore, not caring that Hermione heard as she came down the stairs. 'I can't believe that just happened.'
'I know,' she replied softly, and he saw there were tears in her eyes. 'I'm sorry.'
'What? Why?' Ron asked, worry on his face as he brushed a tear away.
'I made you choose, between Harry and me,' she said, her voice shaking. 'Between your best friend and-' but she got no further as Ron pulled her shaking shoulders into an embrace as she relaxed slowly.
After a minute he let her go gently, 'You didn't make me choose,' Ron whispered, tracing the smile that appeared on her lips.
* * *
They didn't see Harry for the rest of that day, and Ron was sure he didn't come back to the dormitory that night. The first day of the Christmas holiday came and Ron awoke to see that Harry's bed was still empty, as was everyone else's. Most of their friends had no reason to stay, Ron recalled, and a few were still scared to be apart from their families after the previous year.
Sighing, Ron got up and dressed, then walked down to the common room, to his surprise it was nearly deserted. Ginny looked up and smiled at her brother as he flopped sleepily in the chair beside her, basking in the warmth of the fire.
'Where's Harry?' she asked, glancing back at the stairs. 'I would have thought you'd be up together.'
'I don't know,' Ron replied, exhaling heavily. 'We had a bit of an argument yesterday. He got upset at me and Hermione.'
'I thought you three never argued,' Ginny commented, her eyes widening slightly.
'So did I,' Ron said. 'It's my fault though - I sided with Hermione, but she was right,' he added the last part defensively.
'Harry probably thought he was right as well,' she replied quietly.
* * *
They found Harry that afternoon, sitting by himself in the Three Broomsticks, his photo album open and a faraway gaze on his face. Ron made to go and talk to him but Hermione put a hand on him and shook her head. A second later someone returned to the seat opposite Harry. He smiled and accepted the Butterbeer that Colin offered him, not even noticing the entrance of Ron and Hermione with Ginny.
Sitting down at another table, Ron and Hermione sat so that they were hidden by other people, but Ginny watched Harry through a gap in the crowded pub. He and Colin were conversing deeply, but it seemed to be a friendly discussion and she could see Harry wasn't upset. A few minutes later, Colin left and Harry turned to the album and flicked idly through the pages.
Before Ron or Hermione could stop her, Ginny stood up and walked up to Harry's table, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside him. He looked up, but stopped closing the album and instead smiled, leaving it open. Looking at the page, Ginny saw a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione, the three of them in a group laughing and smiling.
'What are you doing?' she asked, absent-mindedly staring at the other photos.
'Trying to remember the good times,' Harry replied, 'so that I don't forget them again.'
'I don't remember you three ever posing for Colin,' Ginny remarked, looking at another picture that he must have taken.
'We've become immune to flashes,' Harry replied, a smile tugging at his lips. 'I barely notice him taking a photo anymore.' Letting out a sigh he rubbed his eyes and leant back in his chair, before looking up at Ginny as she stood beside him.
'It was a stupid argument, wasn't it?' he asked, closing his eyes again as he let the guilt he'd been feeling voice itself.
'Probably,' Ginny replied, knowing that was what Harry wanted to hear. 'But it happens, and you can do something about it.'
'Like what?' he asked, opening his eyes to stare into hers.
'Keep filling the pages,' she replied, pointing to the next empty space beneath a photo of Harry and his friends.
