Disclaimer – I don't own the Potterverse, I just play with it.
Harry Potter looked into the pools of silver before him, caressed the black sleeved arm for a moment, and sighed softly. Then sitting up straighter in his chair, and straightening his wire rimmed glasses, he says with fondness, "So, My Dragon, what can I do for you this afternoon?"
Draco Malfoy, Potions Master at Hogwarts since it had reopened after the war, sighed and gestured at the pensive. "Did that thing help you remember what today is. Harry?"
"Today? It's Thursday." says Harry with a bit of confusion.
"It is also you're birthday", says Draco.
"Oh," chuckled Harry, stroking his long white beard, "I suppose it is."
"I suppose it is," mimicked Draco. "Gods, Harry, it's not every day that you turn one hundred!"
"Well, you didn't make a big deal about it either," sighed Harry.
"Well, I'm not the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived!" Draco's voice rising.
With a small smile, Harry quietly shut Draco down by saying, "I haven't been that boy for a very long time, love."
Draco was about to continue when he was interrupted by a familiar white owl, delivering a letter onto the headmasters desk. Harry fed Edgar an owl treat and picked up the parchment envelope. Flipping it over, Harry noted the Ministry of Magic seal on the back, before he broke it and removed the letter within.
Headmaster Potter-
I have the unfortunate task of informing you that Riddle Manor is due to reappear in three days. Please make your preparations and be at the Ministry no later than one o'clock on Tuesday.
Ronald Weasley III
Minister of Magic
Harry shuddered and passed the letter to a very concerned Draco, who read the letter and crushed it in his fist. "Don't go, Harry. Let someone else deal with it."
Emerald green fire flashed in Harry's eyes as he stood and slammed a hand down on his desk. "I don't have a choice!" he thundered. "I never did!" Power emanated from the old man in waves, causing papers to fly off his desk and candles to flicker.
-----
79 years previously
Harry stepped out of an atrium fireplace into the usual Ministry of Magic chaos. Heading purposefully toward the lifts, he hoped not to be noticed "Not bloody likely" he thought, and sure enough, he was spotted and beset upon by a dozen reporters. "Mr. Potter! Charles Helborn, from the Daily Prophet. What do you think about your nomination to be the new Minister of Magic?" Several recording devices both magical and muggle were thrust in his face while, Harry noticed, most of the immediate area became quiet.
"I'm not quite sure what to think, yet. I received the owl informing me less than an hour ago. Now, please, let me go up to my office."
"But, Mr. Potter! You'll be the youngest Minister in History!" Shouted another reporter.
"That's if I accept the position," said Harry, and quickly moving into the lift, he made his escape from the reporters.
Surprisingly, there were no memo's fluttering around the roof of the lift, but when it reached the second level, three flew in. Harry got out and went to his cubicle in the Auror's department. Lying on his desk was today's copy of the Daily Prophet with a headline proudly proclaiming "POTTER CAPTURES MINISTER OF MAGIC IN DEATH EATERS RAID" The picture showed a highly irate Cornelius Fudge trying to hide his face and Harry doing his best to look official. Harry skimmed the surprisingly neutral article, then clipped it out and pasted it in his scrapbook.
"To bad we didn't get the rest of the bastards," said Ron Weasley as he settled into the cubicle next to his.
"We will eventually, Ron." Said Harry. "So who shall we track down today?"
"You aren't going to have time today with all the reporters waiting for you."
"No, shit." said Harry rubbing his temples. "Maybe it's just the latest ploy of You-Know-Who to get me."
Ron laughed. "Well, at least the Ministry won't be controlled by one of his people."
"Fudge hasn't even been officially removed yet, Ron." Said Harry. "He wasn't even in Death eater's robes when we caught him, and you know the slippery git will have an excuse."
Just then, there was a flurry of activity at the door, causing several auror's to spring to their feet, wands out, when Percy Weasley led in a nervous looking man in a tabard bearing the Royal Crest. "Mr. Potter!" bellowed Percy, "come here."
Ron looked at Harry. "This can't be good."
Percy took Harry by the elbow and led him out into the hall, trailed by the nervous looking man, who had to be a muggle, since he was looking at everything with either absolute terror or amazement. Into the lift Harry was thrust and Percy stated level one.
"What the hell is going on?" demanded Harry, but Percy just glared at him.
"Stop the damn lift", yelled Harry, but the lift did not stop till it reached its destination. When the doors opened there were bright blinding lights and a solid wall of sound as at least 50 reporters desperately tried to get his attention. Percy just grabbed Harry by the elbow again, and roughly pushed his way though the crowd, dragging Harry along behind him. Then they were before the large double doors of the Minister of Magic's offices, and Harry thought "Oh, hell. He's off the hook, and I'm in for it."
The doors opened and there were several people in the office that Harry recognized, and several that he didn't. Professor Dumbledore, in his Chief Warlock's robes was sitting on the edge of the desk, talking with a scrawny man, while another man looked on. Suddenly Harry realized that man was the King! Dumbledore looked up at Harry and smiled. "Harry, my boy.", blue eyes twinkling, "I'd like to introduce you to His Majesty, Charles IV and Nigel Caruthers, the muggle Prime Minister."
Harry had a sick feeling as he shook hands with the two men. Dumbledore continued. "I don't see why we can't just do the relevant parts now and can have a public ceremony later. Is that all right with you, Harry?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess," stumbled Harry.
"Good." Dumbledore handed Harry a quill, "just sign here."
Harry reluctantly signed the scroll, and knew he was getting in over his head, but he trusted Dumbledore to help him if he needed it. Dumbledore, the Prime Minister and the King also signed the scroll. Then a gnome in a Gringott's uniform came forward, took the scroll and disparated.
"Well, that's over with", said the King. "I really must be off. Congratulations, Minister Potter." He shook Harry's hand and both muggle men left.
------
Now
Sitting back in his chair, Harry said, "No, Draco, I never had a choice."
Harry Potter looked into the pools of silver before him, caressed the black sleeved arm for a moment, and sighed softly. Then sitting up straighter in his chair, and straightening his wire rimmed glasses, he says with fondness, "So, My Dragon, what can I do for you this afternoon?"
Draco Malfoy, Potions Master at Hogwarts since it had reopened after the war, sighed and gestured at the pensive. "Did that thing help you remember what today is. Harry?"
"Today? It's Thursday." says Harry with a bit of confusion.
"It is also you're birthday", says Draco.
"Oh," chuckled Harry, stroking his long white beard, "I suppose it is."
"I suppose it is," mimicked Draco. "Gods, Harry, it's not every day that you turn one hundred!"
"Well, you didn't make a big deal about it either," sighed Harry.
"Well, I'm not the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived!" Draco's voice rising.
With a small smile, Harry quietly shut Draco down by saying, "I haven't been that boy for a very long time, love."
Draco was about to continue when he was interrupted by a familiar white owl, delivering a letter onto the headmasters desk. Harry fed Edgar an owl treat and picked up the parchment envelope. Flipping it over, Harry noted the Ministry of Magic seal on the back, before he broke it and removed the letter within.
Headmaster Potter-
I have the unfortunate task of informing you that Riddle Manor is due to reappear in three days. Please make your preparations and be at the Ministry no later than one o'clock on Tuesday.
Ronald Weasley III
Minister of Magic
Harry shuddered and passed the letter to a very concerned Draco, who read the letter and crushed it in his fist. "Don't go, Harry. Let someone else deal with it."
Emerald green fire flashed in Harry's eyes as he stood and slammed a hand down on his desk. "I don't have a choice!" he thundered. "I never did!" Power emanated from the old man in waves, causing papers to fly off his desk and candles to flicker.
-----
79 years previously
Harry stepped out of an atrium fireplace into the usual Ministry of Magic chaos. Heading purposefully toward the lifts, he hoped not to be noticed "Not bloody likely" he thought, and sure enough, he was spotted and beset upon by a dozen reporters. "Mr. Potter! Charles Helborn, from the Daily Prophet. What do you think about your nomination to be the new Minister of Magic?" Several recording devices both magical and muggle were thrust in his face while, Harry noticed, most of the immediate area became quiet.
"I'm not quite sure what to think, yet. I received the owl informing me less than an hour ago. Now, please, let me go up to my office."
"But, Mr. Potter! You'll be the youngest Minister in History!" Shouted another reporter.
"That's if I accept the position," said Harry, and quickly moving into the lift, he made his escape from the reporters.
Surprisingly, there were no memo's fluttering around the roof of the lift, but when it reached the second level, three flew in. Harry got out and went to his cubicle in the Auror's department. Lying on his desk was today's copy of the Daily Prophet with a headline proudly proclaiming "POTTER CAPTURES MINISTER OF MAGIC IN DEATH EATERS RAID" The picture showed a highly irate Cornelius Fudge trying to hide his face and Harry doing his best to look official. Harry skimmed the surprisingly neutral article, then clipped it out and pasted it in his scrapbook.
"To bad we didn't get the rest of the bastards," said Ron Weasley as he settled into the cubicle next to his.
"We will eventually, Ron." Said Harry. "So who shall we track down today?"
"You aren't going to have time today with all the reporters waiting for you."
"No, shit." said Harry rubbing his temples. "Maybe it's just the latest ploy of You-Know-Who to get me."
Ron laughed. "Well, at least the Ministry won't be controlled by one of his people."
"Fudge hasn't even been officially removed yet, Ron." Said Harry. "He wasn't even in Death eater's robes when we caught him, and you know the slippery git will have an excuse."
Just then, there was a flurry of activity at the door, causing several auror's to spring to their feet, wands out, when Percy Weasley led in a nervous looking man in a tabard bearing the Royal Crest. "Mr. Potter!" bellowed Percy, "come here."
Ron looked at Harry. "This can't be good."
Percy took Harry by the elbow and led him out into the hall, trailed by the nervous looking man, who had to be a muggle, since he was looking at everything with either absolute terror or amazement. Into the lift Harry was thrust and Percy stated level one.
"What the hell is going on?" demanded Harry, but Percy just glared at him.
"Stop the damn lift", yelled Harry, but the lift did not stop till it reached its destination. When the doors opened there were bright blinding lights and a solid wall of sound as at least 50 reporters desperately tried to get his attention. Percy just grabbed Harry by the elbow again, and roughly pushed his way though the crowd, dragging Harry along behind him. Then they were before the large double doors of the Minister of Magic's offices, and Harry thought "Oh, hell. He's off the hook, and I'm in for it."
The doors opened and there were several people in the office that Harry recognized, and several that he didn't. Professor Dumbledore, in his Chief Warlock's robes was sitting on the edge of the desk, talking with a scrawny man, while another man looked on. Suddenly Harry realized that man was the King! Dumbledore looked up at Harry and smiled. "Harry, my boy.", blue eyes twinkling, "I'd like to introduce you to His Majesty, Charles IV and Nigel Caruthers, the muggle Prime Minister."
Harry had a sick feeling as he shook hands with the two men. Dumbledore continued. "I don't see why we can't just do the relevant parts now and can have a public ceremony later. Is that all right with you, Harry?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess," stumbled Harry.
"Good." Dumbledore handed Harry a quill, "just sign here."
Harry reluctantly signed the scroll, and knew he was getting in over his head, but he trusted Dumbledore to help him if he needed it. Dumbledore, the Prime Minister and the King also signed the scroll. Then a gnome in a Gringott's uniform came forward, took the scroll and disparated.
"Well, that's over with", said the King. "I really must be off. Congratulations, Minister Potter." He shook Harry's hand and both muggle men left.
------
Now
Sitting back in his chair, Harry said, "No, Draco, I never had a choice."