Disclaimers: After profound self-analysis, deep introspective insight, and charka cleansing rituals, I've come to the conclusion that I *still* can't claim the Harry Potter universe as my own. Le sigh.
Author's Note: Reposted the same day minus one sentence. For those who've already read it… Sorry for the confusion!
Chapter 34
Arthur was profoundly grateful that the most vulnerable of his family were back at Hogwarts, safely in Dumbledore's hands. All hell was about to break loose, and the last thing he wanted was the Burrow, and more specifically his children, to be at risk while he effectively staged an insurrection against the Ministry of Magic. He prayed they would have a home to come back to. Ron had been especially difficult to convince to go back to school, but once Molly pointed out that in all likelihood Harry would end up ultimately at the Hospital Wing, he'd been more cooperative. Hogwarts may well be a last bastion against the Ministry, if things don't go well…
"Molly, I'm begging… I'd feel better if you went to visit your parents until this blows over," Arthur said as he felt a cup of tea slipped into his hands. He looked at her strong, calloused fingers but didn't look into her eyes. He knew what he'd see there.
He was still reeling in shock at the instructions Dumbledore had given him. It's time. It's now. All your preparations, all the subterfuge, the planning... You have the pieces in place. Are you prepared to cite open rebellion against the very people you've worked so hard for all these years?
Arthur knew, even as he asked himself, what the answer was. Of course I am… How easy it was, in the end, to throw it all away for the sake of beliefs, for morality, for what was *right* versus what was easy.
Poor Harry…All that he'd been struggling to put in place couldn't be sacrificed for the sake of one life, even Harry's, and Arthur knew there would likely come a day when he had to account for himself and his choices to his children. But he couldn't think about that, or Harry, right now. Harry's fate rested in Dumbledore's hands. The Ministry's fate rests in mine, Arthur thought with a touch of grim irony.
Molly gently ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, fluffing it out. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting her warm hands soothe away his fears, however temporarily, even as she puffed out what little hair he had playfully, making him look like a rumpled chicken.
"I'm not going anywhere, dear. I'll stay out of your way, but I'm not leaving your side," she said simply. He nodded in acceptance. He knew better than to push it. She let her arms slip around his neck and nestled her face into his neck, her breath warm against his chin.
She'd always seemed so strong to him. It had been so long since Ginny was born… Since he almost lost them both. The terror of that awful night had faded to a distant echo, only to be reawakened when the Aurors attacked the Burrow, when he'd seen her… Don't even think about that right now, Arthur. He both loved and hated that she insisted on remaining at his side. There was no one else he'd rather have, and yet …
"You can do this, Arthur. You know it's right," Molly said softly, certain, and kissed him on the cheek. Gently she pulled her arms away to slip back into the kitchen, where the scents that drifted forth weren't from food, but from potions. Healing potions. Arthur prayed they wouldn't need them, then stood from the chair and kneeled at the fireplace hearth. He'd already sent Percy on to the Ministry. Better to show up for work as usual and not raise any suspicions.
Arthur ran his fingers over his head to straighten his hair… and retain what little dignity I still have. Nothing like looking like disgruntled poultry to instill confidence in the troops… and stalled just a few moments more, his heart beating loudly in his chest, and his mouth dry. It's really happening.
The first steps had already been placed in motion. The assault on the Dracontine Division required a coordinated effort between Wizards *and* Muggles.
"Men in robes with pointy sticks aren't going to get much respect out of a Muggle, no matter *what* they can do in reality," Ellis had said wryly. Ellis, one of Remus Lupin's mysterious acquaintances, had been instrumental in helping Arthur to unravel just what Fudge had been doing since becoming Minister, and even before.
It was a conspiracy of staggering proportions, one which Arthur had been trying to investigate for nearly three years now. It had been a fluke, really, and ridiculous irony that it was Arthur who had stumbled upon the necessity to go about gathering evidence against Cornelius Fudge.
It was an investigation forced upon him by his own role within the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. *And* his role within Dumbledore's trusted inner circle, the Order of the Phoenix. How Fudge had gotten wind of the inquiry, Arthur still didn't know, but news of it forced Cornelius Fudge to begin a slander campaign designed to malign Arthur at every step. Repeatedly he tried to shatter Arthur's credibility and force him out of office before the investigation could be completed. And he nearly succeeded…
Arthur couldn't even remember *exactly* what Dumbledore had said that prompted his little voice to begin to question Fudge… Something trivial, really, and totally unrelated. A mild complaint about the constant loss of artifacts from the Grindelwald Recovery Foundation, and an expressed concern about the poor souls who would eventually find those objects within their possession.
Of course the thefts would bother Dumbledore. As the man who'd defeated Grindelwald, Dumbledore was well too aware of the dark wizard's legacy. Idle conversation… Amazing where it leads. Nothing came of it at the time, but the talk had planted a seed in the back of Arthur's mind… There *was* something, wasn't there? Something *he'd* noticed, his mind efficiently cataloging it away for future use, even while he'd dismissed it at the time.
What Arthur's memory was reminding him of was that the majority of disappearances of inventory coincided nicely with the length of employment at the Grindelwald Recovery Foundation of one Cornelius Fudge. No one ever said anything, or even speculated about it, but Arthur had noticed it, dismissing it as happenstance. He'd even made a dry comment to Molly about Fudge taking the artifacts with him to the Ministry as good luck charms.
The cursed items never turned up in the Wizarding community, but Arthur began to hear suspicious rumors stating that *some* of those objects may well be running amok in the Muggle world. Of course, *he* wasn't equipped to investigate. What he'd needed was someone to work the Muggle angle, investigate the rumors, and see what else they could unearth. Dumbledore had referred Arthur to Remus Lupin.
Remus had proven to have an interesting assortment of *associates* at his disposal. People who were able to collect large amounts of Muggle data with only short notice. People who refused to divulge their sources, or even talk about what it was they *did* in the Muggle world. After five such objects from Grindelwald's stores were successfully recovered, Arthur began to see a frightening pattern of *amnesia* as to how those objects were acquired. It had smacked of Memory Charms, Fudge's favorite equalizer in retrospect, and a conspiracy.
Fudge had stepped into the role of Minister much in the same way as nearly every Minister before him; he'd cleaned house and replaced all nominated positions with people he wanted. People who likely wouldn't bat an eye at the private utilization of public departments for personal reasons.
"Let's have Ellis start looking into deaths without an obvious cause?" Remus had politely suggested as Arthur explained his suspicions about the cursed items. Remus' leap of logic had terrified him. "Think about it. If you suspect Fudge of using Memory Charms, what else would he use? What sort of magic is pretty easy to find documentation of? Cursed objects are tricky things. Memory charms are worse. If he's interacting with the Muggle world, dealing out dangerous objects, what would be his reasoning?" Remus asked speculatively.
"He's never been overly fond of Muggles," Arthur had replied. He'd seen Fudge's contempt for most everything Muggle early on, back when Fudge was a junior member of the Department of Magical Catastrophes. Remus nodded.
"So he doesn't care if Muggles are hurt by what he's giving them. But why do it? Sport? Power?" Remus had asked speculatively.
"That seems unlikely. He holds the highest office in the Ministry of Magic. I don't see what the Muggle world could give him that he doesn't already have here," Arthur observed.
"How about wealth?" Remus asked. That was a real possibility. And could fit within what Arthur was beginning to believe was Fudge's worldview. Fudge was fully capable of looking down upon Muggles while still happily growing rich from them. He was also a man who had a reputation for fits of insecurity and a tendency to suck up to wealthy wizards and witches. Lucius Malfoy in particular.
Ellis was both diligent and thorough. Soon a shocking number of recent, high profile Muggle political deaths began to come to light. 'Died peacefully in their sleep' took on a whole new, sinister meaning, most of which had begun happening since the beginning of Fudge's term as Minister. The more Ellis and his associates searched, the more tenuous connections began to crop up between those 'killed' and the individuals who'd been given cursed gifts from Grindelwald's stores.
Unfortunately, though, there were no fresh bodies to look for traces of Dark Magic against. And no suspects to tie Fudge to. It was all still supposition and speculation. Like it all seems to be. The man's as slippery as an eel. Arthur's own discreet inquiries revealed no strange bank activity with any of Fudge's Gringotts accounts, and within the Ministry, it appeared there were two camps: loyal to Fudge or terrified of the man.
"Just because you aren't turning up anything concrete doesn't mean anything, Arthur. It only proves Fudge isn't using Gringotts. It makes sense that if he's trying to gain wealth from Muggles, that he'd hide his wealth *with* them. Out of the public eye. Let's have Ellis start tracing him and see if he's got Muggle bank accounts," Remus had suggested.
It turned out that Remus had them himself, which intrigued Arthur. Remus participated a great deal more with the Muggle world than most Wizards did. The former professor once admitted that being an outcast of society made him equally able to traverse both the magical and Muggle world, as he was a member of neither.
They soon learned Fudge *did* have Muggle accounts. Evidently quite a few of them. Perhaps more under different names, Ellis suggested. But still, what did it get Arthur's investigation? Speculation, incriminating but not unexplainable evidence. Nothing concrete. Arthur's inquiry from theft and misuse of enchanted Dark artifacts had grown to the possible abuse of power within the Department of Accidental Magic Reversal, but was still nearly useless in the face of a lack of hard evidence.
"Okay. Let's take another stab at our first route of inquiry. The bank accounts tell us nothing. So, I suppose the next questions should be: Muggles are dying of what we believe to be the Killing Curse. Who's doing the killing? Fudge himself, or his lackeys? Is he using the Ministry for this? And if so, how?" Remus had murmured helpfully during one of Arthur's more frustrated moments. That had been just recently, only since the beginning of the summer.
And the answer had been blatently obvious. Who within the Ministry had relatively free reign to do what 'was necessary'? Who never had to worry about audits, and very rarely about inquiries? Who would be perfectly equipped to do any and all of the Unforgiveables, and were licensed to do so? Licensed to kill?
If the mysterious deaths were indeed done by Wizards, than they'd likely Apparate in and use the Killing Curse on their victim in their sleep. Who was trained in stealth and cunning, to act independently of authority?… Accountable to none save three individuals… One of which was the Minister of Magic? The Unspeakables.
Unfortunately, none of it could be proved. The violations Arthur was speculating about spoke of conspiracy in the highest echelons and a level of corruption within the Ministry that was unprecedented. It was also a far cry from petty theft. But how had Fudge gone from peddling cursed objects to… that? It wasn't until the first photos of Fudge and Lucius Malfoy together trickled in that Arthur had his answer. *Of course* Lucius would be involved if it meant the exploitation, corruption and death of Muggles. Bastard.
Lucius Malfoy… Arthur felt his lip curl up in a snarl just thinking about him. Ideally connected, immoral, and eager to wreak havoc on Muggle society. A monstrocity who has the nerve to try pass himself off as human. Malfoy's newly revealed relationship with Fudge certainly explained in retrospect why he'd targeted Ginny with that damnable diary.
Lucius had *known* Fudge was under investigation. He had targeted Arthur's youngest child, my little girl, with Dark Arts so sinister she still woke up screaming, her self-esteem so utterly decimated that it had taken years just to get her back to some semblance of what she once was.
Ginny had nearly died from an echo, the mere *memory* of a man so dark people didn't even speak his name. His baby had lived with that monster inside her head because of Lucius. Riddle had preyed on innocent fears and insecurities and corrupted Ginny's thoughts so badly that for *months* she couldn't be sure which were genuine thoughts and which were planted.
Of course, Arthur couldn't *prove* it. Like he couldn't prove anything else. Just hints… Smoke and mirrors. Now you see him… now you don't. Dumbledore had told Arthur about what Harry had seen in the Chamber of Secrets only after extracting an oath not to avenge his daughter. And I didn't. But that doesn't mean I won't. There are two men in this lifetime that I would have absolutely *no* remorse using *any* of the Unforgiveables on… Okay, maybe three.
Arthur had seen more than his share of classmates (Slytherins especially) at Hogwarts who liked to *act* cruel, even evil. Like they didn't have a conscience, like they didn't care. Usually it was an act, to cover up the fact that they really *did* care, that other people's opinions really *did* matter. Lucius wasn't pretending. He was the first truly evil person Arthur had ever met, rotten even as a youth. There were kids in school that made him uncomfortable, angry, even nervous, but never *afraid* for his own children's lives. Until Lucius.
Bill, in his first year at Hogwarts, had accidentally stumbled across Lucius once, placing the Cruciatus curse against a fellow student. He'd been acquitted, of course. Bill had been so dazed and overwhelmed, even *he* had a hard time believing what he'd seen. And being a first year, his head of house had more readily dismissed Bill's testimony as 'young and impressionable, with a healthy dose of overactive imagination'. The student he tortured, Peter Pettigrew, refused to press charges as well. As both Peter and Lucius were seventh years, it was decided to let them settle the matter amongst themselves.
The experience changed Bill's perceptions: to see pure evil, to actually witness someone taking pleasure in another person's pain... It was a life altering moment for his eldest son, and for Arthur as well. Arthur promised himself he'd do everything in his power to insure his children wouldn't have to live through the terror and paranoia of Death Eaters, dark wizards, prejudice and bigotry. Unfortunately, in retrospect, Arthur suspected it might well have been a life defining moment for Peter as well.
That Lucius was ultimately a Death Eater was no shock. When he'd first learned what a Death Eater *was*, Arthur knew Lucius had to be one, with his pureblood snobbery, his penchant for cruelty and his view of anything non-magical as inferior. He was practically a poster child for it. But Arthur eventually learned that Lucius never needed to bring Fudge to You-Know-Who. He already had him wrapped around his little finger. When the Death Eater attacks began in earnest, and Harry's dreams were at their worst, Fudge began an active campaign of misdirection that proved even more effective than the Death Eaters could have hoped for.
Arthur still couldn't understand what drove Fudge. It didn't make sense. Even with all Fudge did and all he'd accomplished, he too had everything to lose if The Dark Lord won, didn't he? Evidently Fudge didn't think so. Fudge's obsessive urge to preserve the status quo had even offered up a scapegoat to buy him time. Harry Potter. Time for what? .
With his term nearly over, Arthur wondered what it had all been for. Fudge knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that You-Know-Who was back. Perhaps Fudge simply didn't want to have to *deal* with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He'd signed up as Minister for the perks, not the responsibilities, after all. But through all the photos and Muggle evidence, Arthur still had no concrete proof that it was *Fudge* behind the disappearances, the cover-up. He couldn't prove Fudge was corrupt, merely inept. Which led Arthur to this moment…
The assault on the Burrow was insult to injury. For all Arthur *knew* about Fudge, he still couldn't touch the man. But he'd finally been given the keys… The Dracontine Division and the Grindelwald Recovery Foundation, amongst other things.
Arthur recently learned that Dumbledore himself, shortly after Grindelwald's defeat, had catalogued all the items he'd recovered, magically sealing and archiving those scrolls in the catacombs beneath the main building. Arthur had already seen the topside records and knew Fudge had tampered with evidence to cover his tracks. He'd altered files and records and memories. But *they* could be compared against Dumbledore's records, which were still intact and unaltered… allowing Fudge's concealing charms to be revealed. Evidence at last. And the magical fingerprints would still remain.
And as for the Dracontine Division… The ash alone was enough for a Kiss, and they had a trail that could be traced back to Fudge. Add to that the possibility of… Vid E. O.? A Muggle instrument Percy had noticed, and Arthur had relayed back to Ellis, who'd been excited to hear about it.
"Evidence," Ellis had said. "You should be able to see who came and went, and what they've done." This knowledge made the act of using Muggles and Wizards together in a raid not just helpful, but essential.
Two final steps to set in motion. A raid on the Ministry itself to arrest Fudge before he escaped. If he even tries. And the last step; the worst case scenario *everyone* feared: You-Know-Who's assault on Azkaban and his play to gain the Dementors as allies. Two groups with two entirely different directives would go in: one to assist the Azkaban guards and keepers who would be the first line of defense against the Dementors; and one to rescue and bring back Harry Potter, if it wasn't already too late. We're almost there, Harry. Just a little longer…
Arthur was pleased with the witnesses that, with Percy's help, he'd lined up to testify about the Ministry's brutal interrogation of Harry. Dumbledore broke the memory charms on Lane Albright, the Ministry Recorder present during the interrogation, over a week ago, and the man was desperate to help. The little girl… Anne… Fudge had paraded Harry in front of, told her aunt and uncle about what she'd seen, and they'd approached Dumbledore days after Harry was imprisoned with her account.
Evidently Dr. Happensdam, the man Fudge had contracted to administer the Veritaserum, was currently suspended from St. Mungo's pending the outcome of an investigation into inappropriate research testing on live subjects. Arthur shivered at the thought. Merlin, Harry. And people say you're lucky? Happensdam, too, had worked at the Recovery Foundation around the same time as Fudge… Old friends. Just how close? Arthur wondered. Thick as thieves?
Dumbledore had brought at least three trusted St. Mungo's specialists that Arthur knew of and set them up in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts, on standby and ready for Harry's extraction from Azkaban as well as any casualties from the assaults. Dumbledore's instructions were explicit: bring Harry to Hogwarts at all costs, no matter *what* his condition. Arthur forced aside unbidden images his mind persisted in tormenting him with of Harry when he'd first arrived at the Burrow, knowing how much worse he must look now, after so much time in prison. Back to business, Arthur. Get him out of there.
"Forrest, Ellis, Charlie, Bill, Clifton, Ivan, Augusta, Sherman… It's Arthur Weasley," he said into the fire, his voice firm and confident. Now was the time that it all came together. With shocking speed, faces began to pop up in the flames, smaller in size to fit all he'd summoned.
"Sir?" Forrest Pickering asked, his voice stern and businesslike. Thank Merlin the children are gone, Arthur thought, as one of the men who'd attacked the Burrow only recently now responded to his call. They were doing their jobs, Ron, but I know you'll never understand that. Somehow, son, I think you're better for it.
"It's time, Forrest. How soon will it take you to gather your men and prepare for Voldemort's full-on assault of Azkaban?" Arthur asked, naming The Dark Lord. The only sound of stress Forrest made was a faint whistling sound with his teeth as he sucked in air, his eyes distracted as he mentally accounted for where everyone was.
"Two hours, Arthur. I assume you'll want us to dispatch immediately?" he asked, businesslike.
"Intelligence indicates he's already sent emmisarries to the Dementors, and now seeks to solidify some sort of alliance," Arthur said.
"Bad to worse," Forrest said as he nodded. "Can we count on any Ministry assistance?" he asked frankly. Arthur nodded.
"You can, but not much. It's going to be mayhem for a while till things get sorted out. You may have as much as four hours on your own before I can tap into the Ministry's resources enough to send aid," Arthur said.
"Death Eaters, too, I'm sure?" Forrest asked. Arthur nodded.
"Of course. Last count had them at only twenty-five in his constant attendance, but that doesn't account for any he summons to aid him," Arthur stated.
"How about wards and portkeys? Priorities?" Forrest asked.
"The wards will need to remain intact until *He* has breached them. No sense opening a door for them. I know it will interfere with your getting there. There may be two other men, one of whom you're *quite* familiar with, also on the island," Arthur explained, as a later brief conversation with Dumbledore had revealed the possibility of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin both being present on the island as well.
"Any possibility of the Ministry working against us?" Forrest asked. Arthur shook his head.
"No, not directly. Just be clear in identifying yourselves. Lucky for us the Death Eaters wear uniforms," Arthur said with a wry quirk of the lips.
"Two directives, equally imperative, like we discussed? The boy and reinforcements for the guards?" Forrest questioned. Arthur nodded. "How about the prisoners? Any likelihood of resistance from them?"
"Not at first. Over time, away from the Dementors, they may regain their faculties, but for now… Sirius Black was the most *aware* of any Azkaban prisoner, and, well, you know about him," Arthur said. Forrest's eyes were flat, and abruptly Arthur remembered that Forrest was one of the Aurors present when Sirius was arrested. Sirius and Harry both. No wonder you're retiring after this, Arthur realized.
"Two hours and I'll check in again. My team will be ready for deployment within an hour and a half. Are you coordinating things simultaneously?" Forrest asked. Arthur nodded.
"Yes, but not with your team. That's dependant on Voldemort, not us. Just get to Azkaban as fast as possible, and apprise me from there," Arthur instructed. Forrest nodded. There was a third agenda as well, not as important and certainly not spoken in front of others. Forrest would be the most likely one to encounter Lucius Malfoy, and he knew how badly Arthur wanted him. He wasn't to pass up on any opportunities. Dead or alive. Doesn't matter much to me.
"Good luck, Arthur," Forrest said, his eyes determined.
"And to you," Arthur said sincerely, well aware that Forrest's team was the most likely to take the largest amount of casualties.
"Give my regards to Molly," Forrest said with a faint smile. Arthur struggled to keep his voice from croaking with sentiment, pleased at still being able to sound calm.
"She said she expects you for dinner next week," Arthur said. Forrest grimaced.
"Perhaps tea would be safer for now… and I'll bring the tea and water," he observed dryly, then disappeared from the fire.
"Ellis, Charlie, are your teams both ready to breach the Dracontine Divisioin?" Arthur asked. Charlie nodded eagerly. Arthur refrained from grimacing at imagining Charlie's reaction to the dragon Percy had found.
He'd briefed Charlie in as much detail as possible to try to prepare him, but was still concerned that Charlie might be unable to keep perspective at such blatant abuse. He didn't *think* Charlie would lose sight of the bigger goal. I hope not. Charlie was ideally qualified to lead this raid, but Arthur was also well aware how deep Charlie's passion for dragons went as well, and was concerned it might impair him.
"Dad, I'll be good, I promise. The poor bugger's lasted this long, he can last a bit longer," Charlie said, clearly reading Arthur's reluctance. Arthur nodded. That would have to do. "My team has been staged with Ellis and his men for six hours now. We're ready when he is."
"My team is assembled as well. Although I must say it's been ages since I've had such entertainment at the sake of my mates. I had no idea they were all such cynics," Ellis said wryly. Arthur smiled. They'd discussed just last week what might be the best way to go about educating the rest of the Muggle team Ellis had chosen about Magic. "We're ready now. Just say the word," Ellis said, back to business. Arthur nodded, pleased.
"Bill, Clifton, are you both ready?" Arthur asked. Bill nodded, nearly businesslike. Only the eagerness in his eyes belied the calmness of his demeanor. He was practically chomping at the bit to take on any curses Fudge and his lackeys may have set on the Recovery Foundation records and artifacts, and was uniquely qualified for his abilities at detecting magical signature centuries old, let alone decades. Arthur knew Bill was hungry to take down Fudge for what he'd done to Harry, and that he was perfect for this job.
Clifton, on the other hand, looked almost bored. A jaded veteran Auror, Clifton had deemed *this* raid to be far too mild for his liking, but cooperated nonetheless. What he didn't quite realize was how essential it would be to begin producing evidence almost immediately to corroborate Arthur's accusations. If Fudge's protests weren't instantly squelched, the Minister might have enough time to either start to cover his trail or put a *spin* out in the presses that might deflect some of the accusations Arthur was intending to level at him. It was a chance Arthur wasn't willing to take.
"Just say the word, governor," Clifton said frankly. Arthur nodded.
"Ivan, Augusta, Sherman, are you ready for the publicity of your lives?" Arthur asked with a hint of a grin. Augusta snorted, making Sherman raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes, well, I see that Rita Skeeter's back on the case, so I anticipate the most unflattering pictures of my life," she observed. Arthur smiled slightly.
"If it's any consolation, her Quick-Quotes Quill has been confiscated," Arthur said reassuringly.
"Didn't know she could write without it," Sherman said in genuine surprise.
"Is it wrong to admit how much I liked those articles? I feel sort of cheap saying it," Ivan said in a mock falsetto.
"Tart," Augusta shot out, and Ivan stuck out his tongue at her. It was bizarre to watch three seasoned Unspeakables, *key* players in revealing the extent to which Fudge had unwittingly filled the Unspeakable ranks with Death Eaters, and eyewitnesses to some of the more sinister aspects of Fudge's indirect dealings with Muggles, bantering back and forth.
They'd appeared on Arthur's doorstep two days ago. The last pieces in the puzzle. Actual Veritaserum eyewitnesses to Fudge's wrongdoing. They'd quietly been gathering evidence, disgusted as cronies of Lucius Malfoy began to fill their ranks, watching and learning what they could.
In fact, it turned out that the majority of 'Aurors' present for Harry's interrogation were in fact Unspeakables Fudge had recently appointed, associates of Lucius Malfoy. The Dark Lord had known almost instantaneously Harry's fate.
Ivan, Augusta, and Sherman *knew* they had no one to go to, so they'd kept their heads low and tried to stay out of most of the immoral assignments. They'd been ostracized by their peers, threatened for not *participating*, tormented and taunted. The pranks against them had ranged from cruel to downright sinister: Pets dying, relatives receiving strange objects and letters clearly intended as threats…
Arthur had taken no chances, questioning them each extensively with Veritaserum before allowing them into his designs, and the picture they'd each presented was impressive. Three friends, co-workers, who'd watched as those around them either had 'accidents' or cooperated. They'd made a pact to come forward when the moment was right, making arrangements to hide their family and friends indefinitely to weather the storm of Ministry inquiries that would inevitably happen within the Unspeakables Division. How they'd perceived that that moment was *now* Arthur still didn't know, but privately he suspected Dumbledore might have had something to do with it.
But the three friends who were now bantering playfully were as deadly as they came, uniquely qualified to go in quick and get their quarry. They were perfect for Arthur's purposes. He wanted to use as little manpower as necessary to arrest Fudge, but knew the man could prove a high flight risk, if he realized the extent of the evidence against him. It would be high profile, and the image Arthur conveyed to the rest of the Wizarding world of *how* he was going about investigating Fudge was just as important as *why*. Dozens of wizards chasing down the Minister to detain him wasn't an image he wanted to see in the Daily Prophet.
"Say the word, Arthur," Sherman said, abruptly all business.
"We're ready to end our careers with a bang," Augusta confirmed dryly, the glint of steel in her eyes promising credibility to her words.
"Then, Ladies, Gentlemen, the word is given. Be careful, be thorough, and let's just do this once, shall we? It begins now," Arthur said, and watched as all the faces blinked out of the fireplace, leaving the gentle pop and crackle of flame behind, heart heavy with the knowledge of what they were all about to face.
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Cornelius Fudge was not a foolish man. He knew the walls were beginning to close in around him. He could feel it itching under his skin, like unwanted scrutiny. Will it be that nit, Weasley? He wondered, as he strode through the halls of the Ministry towards his office. For such a bumbling man, Arthur Weasley had proven more tenacious than a bull terrier. Even little nipper dogs leave scars. He could see the signs; Dumbledore's *secret* visit to the Potter boy in Azkaban, the disappearance of three Unspeakables with questionable loyalty, and of course those bloody articles…
"Good afternoon, Minister," his harried secretary said with only the faintest veneer of politeness as he passed through her office to enter his own. Lucius wasn't the only one ducking owls, and Shirley was obviously getting frazzled at the howlers that were starting to come her way. Tough. He nodded, but didn't bother to answer.
Those articles had proven themselves a menace. The only thing he could figure was that that shrew of a reporter actually, truly *did* happen to be in the neighborhood, and snapped some pics. He had followed her articles for years, and knew full well there was *no* way she'd done any actual reporting. Most of her *facts*, he'd bet his savings on Dumbledore having fed her.
It annoyed him that he'd lost control of his favorite disinformation medium. Wherever the harpy had gone for the summer, she'd certainly returned with a bang. Lucius was avoiding his owls, and the only people who lately *wanted* to see him were people he didn't want to see.
He had it all planned. Survive the term as Minister of Magic without having to deal with all-out war, retire to some lovely tropical Wizarding community, and offer sage advice to the next poor bastard who took his place within the Ministry. He'd thought about it long and hard… The Muggle world had proven a fertile place for a manipulative Wizard unafraid to wield his magic, especially in regards to finances.
It would have been so much simpler if he'd ever learned to *tolerate* Muggles. If Cornelius had ever planned to simply disappear into the Muggle world, he would have done so at the first Daily Prophet article. As it was, he had no intention of relinquishing his rightful place among his fellow Wizards. And he'd gone to great lengths to insure that if the worst came to pass, he was *definitely* covered.
Amos Diggory, in a pathetic sympathy ploy by the Ministry, was promoted to replace Barty Crouch Sr. as head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. As of yesterday, Diggory still had yet to be introduced to his less commonly known duties as Secondary Liaison with the Unspeakables. Not that *they* hadn't thought they'd been working with Amos for months now. At least as far as the scrolled records went. Any written orders or correspondence of any sort was always signed by Diggory, magically, of course. The primary Liaison for the Unspeakables would have been the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but as Fudge had purposely held up any appointments to that position, he'd been able to remain acting Primary in the interim.
It was serendipitous that Crouch had chosen to mentally vacate months before he finally perished. He'd been so easy to push and manipulate. Cornelius had been horrified to learn of his son's presence at his father's home. Barty Crouch Jr. could very well have overheard Cornelius' initial intimidation and browbeating of Crouch to relinquish control of The Unspeakables. The opportunity to silence Crouch's son permanently was too good to pass up. He'd instructed the Dementor to give the Kiss before they'd even entered the room. That it also prevented any Veritaserum testimony of You-Know-Who's return was all a bonus.
The Unspeakables *had* been directionless, idle. Wasted resources. Cornelius changed all that, with Lucius' thoughtful guidance and assistance… Cornelius smiled wickedly at the thought of his collegue's face when he realized that a great deal of the Minister of Magic's paper trail of incrimination would eventually lead directly back to the Malfoy estate. Lucius was a snob of the highest order, and it pleased Cornelius greatly to visualize the imperious Malfoy as he sat back and watched Cornelius' enemies finally gain an upper hand, sipping his brandy elegantly and tut-tutting with a glint in his eye, oblivious to the very evidence that would ultimately fall off Cornelius' shoulders and point directly at Crouch first, then Diggory, and finally Lucius Malfoy. And you thought you were manipulating me.
Yes, he knew a storm was brewing, and he fully intended to weather it. Besides, with You-Know-Who back, Dumbledore had bigger fish to fry anyway. Except you took his Boy Wonder. Unfortunate, that. But necessary. The Daily Prophet was raising far too big a fracas about missing wizards, and he'd needed a decoy.
Three months left. Three months until he retired as Minister, and truthfully, he couldn't care less what happened then. His estate was in order, and even though he'd never allied himself with You-Know-Who, he fully expected to be left alone on *that* front as well. It's all gravy. I needed a scapegoat, and He-Who-Mus-Nott-Be-Named has certainly been after the boy for long enough. He'd learned early within the Ministry that it was *all* about favors; what you owed, and what you collected.
He was quite proud of himself and all he'd set in motion, and for a moment it didn't register that someone else was in his office as he closed the door behind him.
"Petrificus Totalus," a prim voice said firmly, and Cornelius Fudge could only stare forward in surprise as he fell backwards, abruptly giving him a view of his own ceiling. Red hair came into view, as his priggish assistant stood over his fallen body. "I'll bet you thought of everything, didn't you?" Percy Weasley asked as he crouched over Cornelius' petrified form. Even his nose hairs are red, Cornelius thought distractedly. He watched, beginning to be thoroughly miffed as Percy pulled the wand from Cornelius' coat pocket and looked up, smiling slightly. I'll have your job for this. See if you ever work within the Ministry again.
"I don't think he *was* a flight risk, really," a voice Cornelius vaguely recognized said from somewhere behind him.
"Yes, but I wanted him to know *now* that it wouldn't work," Percy said, and looked back down at Cornelius. He kneeled once more, his face merely inches from Cornelius', and whispered, "Shame on you, trying to set up a man still grieving over the loss of his son. Oh, we found it… And those memory charms on Lane and myself? For what you did to Harry alone, I hope you get the Kiss."
Percy Weasley gathered his robes around him as he stood, as if trying to reclaim some lost dignity, his hands clenched at his side. His *former* assistant didn't look at Cornelius again, he simply nodded at whomever was behind him, turned on his heel and left the room.
"Well hello, love. Looks like a party to me. What do you think?" a feminine voice he finally placed as one of the missing Unspeakables asked playfully. Augusta.
"That was Arthur's boy, wasn't it?" a masculine voice asked. Still frozen in place, Cornelius had no choice but to continue looking forward, unable to see the faces of the people milling about him.
"With that hair? Of course it was. Percy, his name is," a third voice, deeper and scratchier asked. Ah. All three of my missing Unspeakables. This must be Sherman. They've all taken orders from me directly. They're eyewitnesses. On their own, it could be easy. *They* most certainly aren't saints. Their word against mine. But Lane, too? Bugger. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger.
"I heard…" the other man started to say, then paused.
"We've all done things we're not proud of, Ivan. At least he's trying…" Augusta interrupted solemnly, then her face swarmed into view. "And as for you, Minister. We're going to *make* you care," she promised softly, eyes hard and unforgiving.
How did Weasley even know he *had* a memory charm? What went wrong? Cornelius could feel his heart beating like a frightened rabbit's, his mind racing to try to grasp what was happening. Only one person Cornelius knew of could have broken through memory charms. Dumbledore. He felt himself rise in the air as he was floated out of his office. A quick glimpse of his secretary, Shirley, allowed the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place. But how could anyone have known I set Diggory up? Her face held a grim look of satisfaction as he drifted past her. She helped them. My secretary betrayed me.
"You remember that little girl you brought to Harry Potter's interrogation? Anne is my niece. You better hope he's still alive," she hissed, and waived gaily, eyes alight with manic glee as he left the room. "Cheers!" she called, and Cornelius felt his house of cards crumble as all his careful plans unraveled. There was no where for him to run now.
TBC…………..
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Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing and checking up on me. I know it may *seem* that I dropped off the planet, but really I just moved to the edge of it. g Oh, great news: he likes it! He really likes it! ahem Sally Field moment. Pardon that.
Thanks for your patience with how long it's taken me to update. I appreciate all the kind words and *really* insightful reviews. Manna for the muse, all of it!
And now, for the more detailed responses: (It's just feedback at this point, so if you're looking for more chapter, scroll up!):
Alia, Ralia (I absolutely do as well! And I'm the one putting him through this! g), leaf, Lamina Court (I know! I know! And here *I* am trying to finish my story before then, too! g), FleccaHPFan (I used to post once a week. I'm trying to get back to that, but will settle on two or three at this point. Darn that RL anyway!), FireBird9900 (Not telling), wonder (*blushes happily*), Ashura (Thank you), Sabrina (Ah. Is one's work for Dumbledore *ever* truly done?), Starlette (lol I've thought about that! *Previously, on NANA… * g ), Temporal (Peter has proven interesting to write. Glad you like him.), Khatt (lol I wish!), Marauderette (Has Percy redeemed himself a little more?), kokopoko (lots of speculations! You'll find out soon!), Kanashimi (hehehehe. Thanks!), Larissa (Sure!), dying angel (She is indeed! As for that second one… That'll come later this Spring or early Summer. Thank you! Great news on that front. He likes it so much he's become my second beta reader (actually, more of a reality check before I post)), Cas (g), Sakura Blossom (Hope I'm still living up to that kind review's assessment of tying the story to canon g. Yep, that's what my goal is, too!), Smego Baggins (Thanks!), Kathy( Welcome! Watch out. It is *definitely* addictive! I'm glad you like him!), psychochick (Feel better about Fudge now? g Thanks!), Sherylyn (hehehehe… Thanks for recommending my fic! Too true. Too true indeed), Suna (*giggles* Okay. Go to bed, now. g), stormyfire (Thanks!), Lisa (I appreciate that. I'm trying!), Prami (*pokes back* 8-) You crack me up. g. Angst: A feeling of anxiety or apprehension often accompanied by depression), Annison Crane (Thank you!), ratgirl (lol), Lady Rusel Holmes (I'll try), penpunk (They are, aren't they?), Chris Atola (Hope you like the Fudge angle), Amber (okay), Maegnas_is_my_name (Don't do that! You have to be conscious to be able to review g), black panther (She is just fine. Thank you for asking. Actually, he isn't a writer, he's a computer guy… He loves to *collect*, but other than that… ), Debz (I obviously need to watch one of those. I do get the BBC channel… lol You don't *need* to, but you certainly can! No, please don't do it! I couldn't bear to read a review song based upon Blur music!), Darfs etwas mehr sein (No, just vegetating amidst boxes I haven't seen for months), Shellie (Here you go!), Freak (no, my muse isn't dead. Just slightly drunk), marauder-kinchu (A dream I had that I've been expanding upon), tempest in blue (I was so close to posting, I hated to throw up an AN first. I felt like it would be too much of a tease. The last time I put up an AN first, I got 50/50 feedback about whether people appreciated it or not.), LC( RL happens. lol about the reviews comment), sarah (*bump bump yourself!* hehehehe… Those crack me up…), Wytil (Goofball writers?! Cloud coocoo land? Nice. RL happens. Deal.), Tanya (Thank you. I really appreciate that. It's coming! It really is!), Julie Kreisher (Excellent! Thank you for doing that!), BenJonBroad (Love that fic, too), Death upon matter (lol Hope that's addressed that. g), fairy cheese, Luciana (You sound just fine. Thank you), Red (I'm pleased that you did. I'm glad you like it, and hope you're pleased with what's happened so far), HavenKane (Ta da! Here you go! Thanks for the recommend!), Andrea13 (lol), Miranda Wecker (certainly!), Toffee (How about a chapter update instead?): The general consensus for this chapter appears to be that you enjoyed the analytical breakdown of magic. Thanks for all your nice reviews, and I hope you had fun with Fudge this chapter!
Lia Santana: Yikes. Glad you liked the DD. I was worried about that. Me too. I appreciate that. Ah, you caught that. The whole 'two sides of the same coin' thing… g No, you actually didn't. I thought long and hard about how *anyone* would react to what happened, and it made sense that while the twins have shared so much together that their emotional growth would also likely go at about the same rate, an incident like this, and how it affected *each* of them, would alter that path. One twin was forced to realize the mortality of someone he loves. The other, who experienced it, wouldn't perceive it in nearly the same way. He would be more likely to watch the dynamics of the family fall apart and be far more concerned about *that* than a limp. They do, don't they? 8-)
Windcall: Hmmm. Believe it or not, I'm basing it off what JKR has hinted at herself. Even she won't guarantee if Harry lives or dies by the end of the series. lol I see your point, though. Hang on just a little bit more…
Insane Pineapple from Naboo: I like a whole variety of romance, believe it or not. It's just rare for me to find it believable. I don't lean towards any one, as I'm willing to give them all a try. Interesting insight. I like that one. Well, I'd hardly call this latest update fast. But I'm working on it.
Alias: Boy, have I caught a lot of heat about that POV switching, too! 8-) I think 'Nice Snape' is an oxymoron. g You're spot on about the hugging, though. Can you believe that I think it's *my* need to comfort everyone coming through? So, yes, I agree. But I do argue that extenuating circumstances could *technically* allow for more hugging, etc. than would normally occur. Harry's too sick to be self-conscious about it, and poor Sirius… I imagine his first instincts are to pull Harry close and snap out at anyone who'd try to harm him. There is so little else he *can* do for him. Ah, yes… I see your point, and when I sat down and thought about it… Even though I haven't done a day-by-day account, several months could *easily* have passed. Thus being said, I wave my magic wand (hope no one lynches me for taking the liberty) and send everyone off to school. poof Hmmm. I'll have to reread those. Easily fixed in a repost. I'll have to reread that one as well. I think what I was conveying was that he believes the dreams are *based* on magic. But I could have blown that. I'll try to check. Lots addressed this chapter. Lots still to come. Thanks for the thoughtful review! Hope I continue to entertain!
Venus4280: Snape is such a jerk of a character in canon, that I felt to properly incorporate him into this story and *not* totally despise him, his POV *had* to be heard… real time. If nothing else, it has certainly helped *me* get a handle on who he is, and what drives him. It's also made him a joy to write. Truthfully, this is the first time I've ever posted *anything* for anyone to read. I've said it before, but I definitely feel it's the smartest thing I've ever done. It's allowed my writing to grow, and you're not the first to say so. It's taught me a lot about pacing, and continuity. It's certainly the *longest* piece I've ever done. I'm the original writer/rewriter, who rewrites so many times she gets sick of the story and starts on something new. By posting, it's *forced* me to quit second-guessing myself. Once I've written something, had it beta'd (another new experience, and an invaluable one at that), and proofed it, I commit it to the internet. g By doing so, it's allowed me to overcome obstacles I didn't even know I had. I am excited to finish this story and try my chops on an original one. After celebrating ridiculously, I hope the next step takes my writing to where I want it to go: getting published.
Omi721: Wow. Well, thank you for making it me! 8-) Truthfully, so do I. Hopefully, I've helped make the timeline make more sense by sending Ron, Ginny and the twins back to school. But you're right… I haven't worried about it too much, because there's no way Harry would know. Sadly, you're analysis of the amount of time passed is far more detailed than my own at this point. My bad. I like your theory about the link, but truthfully, I'd intended for the link to remain intact relatively easily. The initial spell was based on dislike, as it had to be to get beyond the Dementors, but what now remains is pretty solid. Actually, you could look at it as: Dementors feed off of positive emotions. For Harry to get some hope would give the Dementors more to feed off of. But no, he fades because he's losing strength. If there is nothing conscious to connect *to*… How will that work? 8-) Liked the spell check comment. I'm working on making it clearer. Thanks for the review!
Lilahp: I'm working on that! 8-) Fair enough. Really? Excellent. Heck, *I* didn't expect to get Percy as well as I have. lol You're absolutely right. Snape is a blast to write. I agree. And rightfully so. Nope, certainly not. Very true. I'm not sure about that. I have some original stories I'm chomping at the bit to get back to, but who knows… If JKR takes as long to write Book 6 as she's taken to write Book 5, I could very well be back. Thank you for the recommends, and I'll endeavor to finish before Book 5! He likes it! He likes it! *breathes a deep sigh of relief*
Green Eyed Knight: Ah, I'm glad you liked that. You know, I could play Devil's Advocate here and say their responses could be viewed as two sides of the same coin. 8-) But, no, that's not truly how I see them. I imagine that they maintain their identical appearances for the sake of pranks only. Otherwise, they *would* have different interests and opinions.
Hillary: Wow. Thank you *very* much. No, I'm not going anywhere *near* a Dumbledore POV. I agree. It's like showing the actor in the scary suit rather than letting the shadows inspire your own imagination. Yes, that sentence did. Personally, I've always kind of felt like there's so much unresolved and glossed over in the stories, and I *really* wanted them brought forward for inspection. It's sad to say that truly the simplest characters in the HP universe (and don't lynch me for saying it. Think about it. It's true!) are Ron and Hermione. They truly are their age in so many ways, yet Harry… I've heard others say that Harry was *never* his age, and I tend to agree. The adults in HP are what are so complicated (besides Harry, of course, and one could argue that *he* is pretty simple, too). Snape, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore… Heck, even Hagrid. Think about it. The poor guy is *still* discriminated against for being half giant, and he's never gotten his wand back. Undoubtedly, he wasn't even able to finish his education because of what Riddle did. Okay. I'm rambling now. I'll reel it in. 8-)
Unwritten Law: Keep in mind, she doesn't have her Quick Quill Quotes, either. 8-) I was using those articles as template, and realized that wouldn't be appropriate anymore. Hadn't thought about the beetle angle.
Aeryn Alexander: Wow, thank you! I do try to weave canon plotlines throughout the story, and love delving into the various characters' thoughts. JKR has provided an amazing range of complicated characters, and I spend entirely *too* much time thinking about them, their history, what drives them. I'm touched by your comments about the tone of the story. I appreciate that. Would you believe I started this story as a way to kill time until Book 5, and to get Harry out of the Dursleys for the summer, since I was appalled he was going back there? Ah, enjoyed that movie myself. Hadn't thought about it, though. Hmmm. BTW, I've enjoyed your thoughts as you progressed through the story. It's been fun!
L e B o S h I: Believe it or not, this plotline is based on an HP dream I had one night. Ah, actually just *outside* Hogwarts. You busted me. 8-) Semantics. I knew what I meant, just not what I said. You know, I'm not sure where that saying originated. The first time *I* heard it was in That Thing You Do with Liv Tyler and Tom Hanks. It was a cute movie.
JKJoling: 8-) He does, doesn't he? I absolutely agree. Yes, well, there's *lots* of debate out there about Dumbledore, how much he knows, and how much he allows. I'm curious how mine will stand up. Hehehehehe… I get carried away, too! I hear you! Personally, I don't see Skeeter as having an altruistic bone in her body. But hey, as long as the facts get published, who cares about her motives! Well, I really do intend to try to get the next chapters out faster. I've been moving, and am finally starting to settle (or at least am getting used to ignoring the boxes g). These next chapters will have a lot more action, too, so that might make it more time consuming. I'll certainly try. My goal is to have the story finished before JKR comes out with Book 5. Thanks for recommending me, and the great review! I think you're on the After the End mailing list, aren't you? *Love* that fic! 8-)
Moonlight: Glad you liked the explanation of magic. It took me a while to think one up for Cruciatus!j
Indigo Ziona: Wow! I've really enjoyed reading your reviews! Nope, I haven't read Terry Pratchett. Hehehehe… Would you believe I'm normally quite a cheerful person? Wow. What a quote. It certainly captures a lot of what I'm trying to convey. Very powerful stuff. Thank you. I did get a chance to read Touched, but haven't had the opportunity to review it. I certainly enjoyed it! Yes, it was interesting tracking his growth and development. I'll have to go read that essay you mentioned. I'm intrigued! So do I… Heh, thank you. I never knew that one. Interesting. I always wondered why the older children's stories seemed so… dark. Curiously enough, the HP Wizarding world if very much that way. Childlike in it's use of magic, and stunted within it's own bureaucracy. Ah… Nicely summarized. Hopefully, I won't disappoint.
Lucia Iris Legaia Tanaka (snickers Heh, caught that, did you? Okay. In order: We'll see. Hmmm. Working towards that. Hehehehe… He grows on you, doesn't he? I hadn't planned on writing much of an epilogue, but we'll see. 8-)
Lothey: I haven't forgotten my promise. I think it'll be in two or three more chapters!