Holy cow! Sorry about the extremely long wait. I think this is the longest
gap between chapters yet!! This chapter is longer..
I thank all of you for your wonderful reviews. you guys are great.
This chapter isn't the last one, although the next one might very well be. It all depends on the rampant plot bunnies galloping about my brain..
Read on!
~~~**~~~
"YOU!"
Severus growled in rage and threw the Minister to the ground, keeping one foot on his chest and holding up his left arm for all to see.
Snape looked down at his captive and spat. "You filthy, traitorous-"
"TRAITOROUS!" roared the minister. "If anyone is a traitor, SNAPE, it is YOU!! How DARE you betray our lord, you cowardly, selfish-"
"Stupefy!"
Harry joined Severus in glaring down at Fudge's unconscious form, somehow managing to glare and look shocked at the same time.
"Professor.. Fudge? Fudge is a.."
"Death Eater, yes," Severus said, looking over at Albus and Judge Munnegin who, at the sound of shouting, had come running over.
"He's a Death Eater, Albus," repeated Snape.
Dumbledore nodded. "It.. certainly seems that way."
Snape snarled. "Seems that way? The Dark Mark, Albus. The words he just spoke to me. What more proof do you need?"
Harry nodded dumbly. "That's why- that's why he charged me with murder. That's why I'm on trial for killing Voldemort. Because he wants his revenge."
"Slippery bastard," intoned a new voice from behind them.
Harry turned to see a man with short blond hair step up beside Lupin.
"Sirius?"
Sirius looked sorrowfully at Harry. "I owe you an apology, Harry. I.. reacted very badly."
Severus snorted.
"Yes, you did," Harry agreed, and then sighed. "Professor Snape is my father, Sirius. If you can handle that, I can accept your apology."
Sirius looked relieved and nodded, eliciting a grin from Harry and an odd look from Severus.
The judge cleared his throat and cast a look at the occupants of the room.
"Well, this certainly changes things," he said, sounding quite surprised. "It seems that our esteemed minister has been working for You-Know-Who."
Wow, I wonder how he figured that one out.
Harry had to work very hard not to roll his eyes.
"Craney," called the judge, motioning to the head of the squad of aurors hovering just to the inside of the door. "I believe that Mr. Fudge needs to be taken away."
"Where to, Your Honor?"
Munnegin smirked. "To one of those old ministry cells. If I have my way, that man will be sitting in a cell in Azkaban by this time tomorrow."
Albus sighed. "I think that we may need a new minister."
"Obviously," Severus said, no little amount of disdain in his voice.
"How.. I mean, how do we tell people? How are we going to get the word out?"
Remus smiled mischievously. "Harry, I believe you know a woman named Rita Skeeter.."
**
Three days later, Harry stood in front of the ministry building with hundreds of other witches and wizards, watching Arthur Weasley be named as the brand new Minister of Magic. The election process had been done by owl post, and, according to Dumbledore, the results had been nearly unanimous.
Arthur stood up in front of the wildly cheering crowd, almost a quarter of which had bright red hair, and raised his hands for quiet.
"Thank you, all of you," Arthur said, a silly grin on his face. "I am honored to be given the opportunity to be your new Minister. I hope that I can uphold the reputation of excellence that our- well, most of our- former ministers have worked so hard to build." This last comment was met with snickering and cheers from the crowd.
"And, as your new minister, I'd like to take my first action now, if you don't mind. I, Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic, would like to formally drop all charges," he paused, "against our young Harry Potter."
Harry was slapped on the back by Ron and hugged fiercely by Hermione as the rest of the audience yelled appreciatively. His two best friends had come around since the announcement of Harry's exact parentage, although it was mysteriously quite a bit more noticeable now that Fudge was gone.
Rita Skeeter had definitely lived up to her reputation with her article on Fudge, which Harry had taped up ceremoniously in Snape's living room. It had been outrageously hilarious, revealing, and, best of all, completely true. Harry had absolutely loved it.
The wizarding world was still reeling from the hurt that Fudge's betrayal had caused. Although he hadn't been well-liked, people had trusted him enough to elect him as minister. Many, many witches and wizards were feeling quite bitter about being tricked and manipulated by the former Minister of Magic.
But Harry was happy. No one had really mentioned the trial or the charges against him in the last couple of days, until they had been formally dropped mere seconds before. He had been allowed to move back into Hogwarts, where he had immediately taken up residence on Snape's couch in front of the fireplace, much to his professor's hidden amusement. It had been a favorite of his for many years after moving in, as well.
"I'd like to thank Harry for his services to the wizarding world," Arthur continued. "His defeat of Voldemort will certainly go down in the history books for centuries to come."
Arthur nodded to Harry and bowed to the crowd before stepping down, signaling the end of the gathering.
Harry was immediately pounced upon by a multitude of redheads and Gryffindors, and even a couple of people from other houses.
Draco Malfoy stepped over to stand on the other side of Severus and laughed at his classmates, enjoying the odd smiled that was appearing on his godfather's face.
Severus looked down at Draco. "Well, this has certainly been interesting."
Draco snorted. " 'Interesting' doesn't even begin to describe it."
"Do you think you'll be able to live with Harry?"
"Ah, yeah, I'm sure we can work out some sort of arrangement," Draco replied, grinning wickedly.
Snape smacked Draco's arm and went back to watching his son get smothered by his friends.
~~**~~
If anybody wants to read the bit about breakfast with snape, Draco, and harry, it will be posted on my ML later.
On to the LAST CHAPTER!!!
I thank all of you for your wonderful reviews. you guys are great.
This chapter isn't the last one, although the next one might very well be. It all depends on the rampant plot bunnies galloping about my brain..
Read on!
~~~**~~~
"YOU!"
Severus growled in rage and threw the Minister to the ground, keeping one foot on his chest and holding up his left arm for all to see.
Snape looked down at his captive and spat. "You filthy, traitorous-"
"TRAITOROUS!" roared the minister. "If anyone is a traitor, SNAPE, it is YOU!! How DARE you betray our lord, you cowardly, selfish-"
"Stupefy!"
Harry joined Severus in glaring down at Fudge's unconscious form, somehow managing to glare and look shocked at the same time.
"Professor.. Fudge? Fudge is a.."
"Death Eater, yes," Severus said, looking over at Albus and Judge Munnegin who, at the sound of shouting, had come running over.
"He's a Death Eater, Albus," repeated Snape.
Dumbledore nodded. "It.. certainly seems that way."
Snape snarled. "Seems that way? The Dark Mark, Albus. The words he just spoke to me. What more proof do you need?"
Harry nodded dumbly. "That's why- that's why he charged me with murder. That's why I'm on trial for killing Voldemort. Because he wants his revenge."
"Slippery bastard," intoned a new voice from behind them.
Harry turned to see a man with short blond hair step up beside Lupin.
"Sirius?"
Sirius looked sorrowfully at Harry. "I owe you an apology, Harry. I.. reacted very badly."
Severus snorted.
"Yes, you did," Harry agreed, and then sighed. "Professor Snape is my father, Sirius. If you can handle that, I can accept your apology."
Sirius looked relieved and nodded, eliciting a grin from Harry and an odd look from Severus.
The judge cleared his throat and cast a look at the occupants of the room.
"Well, this certainly changes things," he said, sounding quite surprised. "It seems that our esteemed minister has been working for You-Know-Who."
Wow, I wonder how he figured that one out.
Harry had to work very hard not to roll his eyes.
"Craney," called the judge, motioning to the head of the squad of aurors hovering just to the inside of the door. "I believe that Mr. Fudge needs to be taken away."
"Where to, Your Honor?"
Munnegin smirked. "To one of those old ministry cells. If I have my way, that man will be sitting in a cell in Azkaban by this time tomorrow."
Albus sighed. "I think that we may need a new minister."
"Obviously," Severus said, no little amount of disdain in his voice.
"How.. I mean, how do we tell people? How are we going to get the word out?"
Remus smiled mischievously. "Harry, I believe you know a woman named Rita Skeeter.."
**
Three days later, Harry stood in front of the ministry building with hundreds of other witches and wizards, watching Arthur Weasley be named as the brand new Minister of Magic. The election process had been done by owl post, and, according to Dumbledore, the results had been nearly unanimous.
Arthur stood up in front of the wildly cheering crowd, almost a quarter of which had bright red hair, and raised his hands for quiet.
"Thank you, all of you," Arthur said, a silly grin on his face. "I am honored to be given the opportunity to be your new Minister. I hope that I can uphold the reputation of excellence that our- well, most of our- former ministers have worked so hard to build." This last comment was met with snickering and cheers from the crowd.
"And, as your new minister, I'd like to take my first action now, if you don't mind. I, Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic, would like to formally drop all charges," he paused, "against our young Harry Potter."
Harry was slapped on the back by Ron and hugged fiercely by Hermione as the rest of the audience yelled appreciatively. His two best friends had come around since the announcement of Harry's exact parentage, although it was mysteriously quite a bit more noticeable now that Fudge was gone.
Rita Skeeter had definitely lived up to her reputation with her article on Fudge, which Harry had taped up ceremoniously in Snape's living room. It had been outrageously hilarious, revealing, and, best of all, completely true. Harry had absolutely loved it.
The wizarding world was still reeling from the hurt that Fudge's betrayal had caused. Although he hadn't been well-liked, people had trusted him enough to elect him as minister. Many, many witches and wizards were feeling quite bitter about being tricked and manipulated by the former Minister of Magic.
But Harry was happy. No one had really mentioned the trial or the charges against him in the last couple of days, until they had been formally dropped mere seconds before. He had been allowed to move back into Hogwarts, where he had immediately taken up residence on Snape's couch in front of the fireplace, much to his professor's hidden amusement. It had been a favorite of his for many years after moving in, as well.
"I'd like to thank Harry for his services to the wizarding world," Arthur continued. "His defeat of Voldemort will certainly go down in the history books for centuries to come."
Arthur nodded to Harry and bowed to the crowd before stepping down, signaling the end of the gathering.
Harry was immediately pounced upon by a multitude of redheads and Gryffindors, and even a couple of people from other houses.
Draco Malfoy stepped over to stand on the other side of Severus and laughed at his classmates, enjoying the odd smiled that was appearing on his godfather's face.
Severus looked down at Draco. "Well, this has certainly been interesting."
Draco snorted. " 'Interesting' doesn't even begin to describe it."
"Do you think you'll be able to live with Harry?"
"Ah, yeah, I'm sure we can work out some sort of arrangement," Draco replied, grinning wickedly.
Snape smacked Draco's arm and went back to watching his son get smothered by his friends.
~~**~~
If anybody wants to read the bit about breakfast with snape, Draco, and harry, it will be posted on my ML later.
On to the LAST CHAPTER!!!
