A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. I've been a bit busy. I hope you like
it all the same!
Chapter 11: Of Love and Hate
The next few days passed by in a daze of normalcy. My work came as usual. I attended trials. More un registered Werewolves had been rounded up and no doubt sent to identical dungeons in the fifth corridor. More of my reports were due. I hardly noticed any of this.
I found that my career, which had once been the corner stone of my life, was beginning to matter less and less. I knew the moment I had taken the wolfsbane potion to Celia's dungeon I was turning my back on what I once held dear. After all, the minister was bound to find out after the full moon. Then I would be finished.
Sure enough the week after the full moon an inter office message flew in through the door to my office.
I was to appear at the minister's office at five o'clock that evening to discuss "a matter of up most importance."
I didn't even take a moment to consider what matter he could wish to speak about. It was clear that he knew about the potion. He would have found out when the guards reported to him that Celia had not turned into a ravenous monster when the moonlight filled her dungeon.
The hours seemed to float carelessly by. It was as if my career was not in jeopardy and I was simply living the monotony of a normal day. I amazed my self by not thinking nervously of the meeting with the minister during the hours leading up to it. Of course I was concerned about my status. After all, I had worked so hard to earn the position I now enjoyed. Yet some how, I began to find that the part of me that cared about anything so mundane as a career was slowly drifting off.
Finally at 10 till five I headed down the left corridor to the minister's office. I found the walk much longer now then I had remembered it being. It was as if the walls along the hall were forcing me to think, about the impulsiveness of my actions. I normally disapproved of living life on impulse. Thorough thought was needed for everything you did or else you would find your self at the complete mercy of others. Living with out any real control of your own life.
What was it then that had spurred me so impulsively to defy the minister that night? Was it curiosity? Perhaps.
I remembered very well my thirst for answers to the many questions I had. Even now curiosity, though not as strong as it had been that night, was an evident force in my life. I still didn't have all the answers I needed.
But, curiosity, however biting it was, was not strong enough to pull me to take such a great risk. There were other ways I could have answered the questions I had. Perhaps guilt then had spurred me to take the forged note to the dungeon. I had felt guilty that I had not spoken for her at the court review, even though I was still not certain of what I could have said. I felt guilty that I could not do more to save her.
But, I had always found that feelings of guilt left me after some time of ignoring them. The guilty feelings I had once felt about leaving my family, for example, had long since evaporated. There was no need to take action simply on the basis of guilt.
What was it then? Why had I gone to the dungeon that evening?
I had wanted to see her. I didn't want to hear the truth from any one else, not even the minister himself. I couldn't explain why, but I needed to hear everything from Celia. And, in truth, I found a comfort from simply being with her. As if her mere presence soothed away all the deepening guilt, curiosity, or frustration I felt
So in essence it was Celia, herself, which had inspired me to act against my better judgment and defy my superiors. Why should one person be able to affect me so deeply?
Celia had spoken of love. Did I feel the same for her? Could it possibly be that love was what had spurred me on that night?
I reached the door of the minister's office. I began to walk towards the door when I heard voices, rather loud voices, issuing from the other side.
'-Weather it was right or wrong is not the issue,' Fudge was speaking. Though it was not clear to whom. What was clear however, was that he was in one of his purple faced ranting modes. This did not give me much comfort.
'The point is that you went behind my back, after all that we agreed to!' Fudge continued.
'I know what I agreed to. I just couldn't watch an innocent girl, who is already facing death go through a transformation on top of everything else.' Jane Brightman answered him.
In spite of myself I leaned closer to the door. I had wondered about her involvement in the entire situation. Now I was going to find out.
'Do you have any idea what this will look like if the prophet hears about this?' Fudge asked furiously.
'With all due respect sir, she is your daughter.' Brightman replied. Her tone had grown quieter and more controlled in contrast to Fudge.
'Thanks to you the entire nation may soon know that their minister has been harboring a werewolf for the past 13 years.' Continued Fudge as if she had not spoken.
'Oh, and I can tell you what'll happen then. Investigations, trials, public uprising, chaos- last thing we need now.' Fudge began to bluster.
'I told you all this when I hired you to make that potion!' He said. His voice had risen once more.
'And if I recall correctly then you were as compliant as anything "Yes Minister. What ever you say minister", If I had ever known what you were capable of then-'
'Things change sir. And I'm afraid that after everything I've seen I can't simply sit by and watch you stomp out werewolves when there are death eaters still on the loose-'
'I WILL NOT BE TOLD HOW TO RUN MY GOVERNMENT!' Fudge shouted at the top of his voice. A deadening silence followed for quite some time after this.
'You will not mention this, any of this, to any one. Do you understand me?' The minister's voice was quiet so that I had to nearly press my ear to the door in order to hear him.
Another long silence.
'Yes sir.' Brightman finally answered, though it was very forced, and the way she said 'sir' clearly stated that she had nothing but contempt for the man standing across from her.
'I've already warned the guards that they are not to mention the incident. As for Weasly, I shall be informing him of his demotion tonight. Hopefully that will help him to keep his mouth shut. All we can do now is hope that the prophet doesn't come sneaking around-'
'And if they do sir, what will they find besides your ties to a werewolf?' Brightman asked with a lighter, though still contemptuous air.
I expected Fudge to fly into another rant. Instead however, there was another rather tense silence.
'What do you mean by that?' Fudge said quickly in a high pitched voice quite unlike the one he had been using before that moment
'I mean what will happen if the press finds out who was responsible for the Charad street business 19 years ago? What will happen when they learn who really killed those aurors and hit wizards?'
There was another pause. It couldn't possibly be. It was true I no longer held Fudge in the highest regard. But I still found it hard to believe him capable of murder.
'Did you think I wouldn't find out?' Brightman said in an almost amused tone. When the minister did not respond, she continued. 'I worked the whole thing out when you hired me to make that potion. It wasn't exactly difficult. When I heard where the potion was being taken, it was sort of down hill from there. And very convenient, making up that story about your other daughter running away, seeing as her mother did the same thing wasn't it?' she said as if basking in her own cleverness.
'Couldn't handle having two werewolves in the same house could you? Obviously one of them had to go. And now, if they sentence the other one to death, you'll have a clean slate!' I dropped beside the wall next to the door of the office. This made absolutely no sense. It was simply impossible.
'If you so much as mention that you were hear tonight to any one, I will make you rue the day you ever entered this building.' Fudge said in a quiet voice, but none the less dangerous voice. I had never heard him threaten any one in such a manner.
There was a pause. Then the sound of feet walking towards the door. Hurriedly, I picked myself back up from the floor where I had fallen. Jane Brightman exited the office. She stared solemnly at me for a few seconds.
'He'll see you now.' She said finally, before walking back down the hallway. I walked slowly into the office.
'Close the door behind you Weasly.' The minister said gruffly from behind his desk. He shuffled the notes on his desk for several moments, as I stood stiffly by the door.
'How much of that did you hear?' Fudge asked suddenly without looking up from his notes.
'What? I-' I stammered.
'Well? Speak up boy, how much did you hear?' Fudge asked quickly looking up at me.
'Enough.' I said fairly quietly.
'Enough then, to know that I am having you transferred back to the international magical cooperation office.' The minister said moving from behind his desk. For some reason, this revelation did not have the effect on me I might have thought it would. I merely nodded curtly avoiding Fudge's eye contact as he seemed to be avoiding mine.
'I have made many mistakes in my life time.' Fudge said pompously.
'One of them apparently being so naïve as to think that you would not begin to ask questions, no matter how complacent you appeared to be before this unfortunate incident. Now however, if you cooperate, we will soon be rid of the whole mess. No one else need ever know.'
I pursed my lips but said nothing. He continued.
'First of all Weasly, you are not to speak of what transpired between you and Celia over the course of the past three months to any one.'
'Yes' I said tersely. I had meant to follow it with sir, but somehow the words became lost in my mouth. Fudge didn't seem to have noticed.
'Second, the sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Friday of next week. I do not want you near any of the fifth floor courtrooms on that day. Is that clear?'
I paused for a moment. I considered telling him that he could banish me from the entire wizarding world if he wanted to, but nothing was going to stop me from going to that hearing. I wanted to tell him that even if he cared about nothing but his precious reputation, what happened to Celia still mattered to me, and I had every right to speak for her if I could. Looking back I should have said this, however, the only word I could think of were.
'Yes sir.' Even these came out cold and numb in my mouth.
'Very well then Weasly-' and he waved me out the door.
I had never known the feeling of pure, unadulterated hatred. Not even for my father. Yet now when I thought of Fudge, the things he was willing to do to gain power, Worried more about his press release than the life of his daughter, when I thought of him a deep emotion quite like hatred stirred in me. I had an urge to defy every order that that man had given to me.
I was no longer content to complacently watch events unfold around me. There were things that must be stopped before they began. I knew now, what I had to do. . .
Chapter 11: Of Love and Hate
The next few days passed by in a daze of normalcy. My work came as usual. I attended trials. More un registered Werewolves had been rounded up and no doubt sent to identical dungeons in the fifth corridor. More of my reports were due. I hardly noticed any of this.
I found that my career, which had once been the corner stone of my life, was beginning to matter less and less. I knew the moment I had taken the wolfsbane potion to Celia's dungeon I was turning my back on what I once held dear. After all, the minister was bound to find out after the full moon. Then I would be finished.
Sure enough the week after the full moon an inter office message flew in through the door to my office.
I was to appear at the minister's office at five o'clock that evening to discuss "a matter of up most importance."
I didn't even take a moment to consider what matter he could wish to speak about. It was clear that he knew about the potion. He would have found out when the guards reported to him that Celia had not turned into a ravenous monster when the moonlight filled her dungeon.
The hours seemed to float carelessly by. It was as if my career was not in jeopardy and I was simply living the monotony of a normal day. I amazed my self by not thinking nervously of the meeting with the minister during the hours leading up to it. Of course I was concerned about my status. After all, I had worked so hard to earn the position I now enjoyed. Yet some how, I began to find that the part of me that cared about anything so mundane as a career was slowly drifting off.
Finally at 10 till five I headed down the left corridor to the minister's office. I found the walk much longer now then I had remembered it being. It was as if the walls along the hall were forcing me to think, about the impulsiveness of my actions. I normally disapproved of living life on impulse. Thorough thought was needed for everything you did or else you would find your self at the complete mercy of others. Living with out any real control of your own life.
What was it then that had spurred me so impulsively to defy the minister that night? Was it curiosity? Perhaps.
I remembered very well my thirst for answers to the many questions I had. Even now curiosity, though not as strong as it had been that night, was an evident force in my life. I still didn't have all the answers I needed.
But, curiosity, however biting it was, was not strong enough to pull me to take such a great risk. There were other ways I could have answered the questions I had. Perhaps guilt then had spurred me to take the forged note to the dungeon. I had felt guilty that I had not spoken for her at the court review, even though I was still not certain of what I could have said. I felt guilty that I could not do more to save her.
But, I had always found that feelings of guilt left me after some time of ignoring them. The guilty feelings I had once felt about leaving my family, for example, had long since evaporated. There was no need to take action simply on the basis of guilt.
What was it then? Why had I gone to the dungeon that evening?
I had wanted to see her. I didn't want to hear the truth from any one else, not even the minister himself. I couldn't explain why, but I needed to hear everything from Celia. And, in truth, I found a comfort from simply being with her. As if her mere presence soothed away all the deepening guilt, curiosity, or frustration I felt
So in essence it was Celia, herself, which had inspired me to act against my better judgment and defy my superiors. Why should one person be able to affect me so deeply?
Celia had spoken of love. Did I feel the same for her? Could it possibly be that love was what had spurred me on that night?
I reached the door of the minister's office. I began to walk towards the door when I heard voices, rather loud voices, issuing from the other side.
'-Weather it was right or wrong is not the issue,' Fudge was speaking. Though it was not clear to whom. What was clear however, was that he was in one of his purple faced ranting modes. This did not give me much comfort.
'The point is that you went behind my back, after all that we agreed to!' Fudge continued.
'I know what I agreed to. I just couldn't watch an innocent girl, who is already facing death go through a transformation on top of everything else.' Jane Brightman answered him.
In spite of myself I leaned closer to the door. I had wondered about her involvement in the entire situation. Now I was going to find out.
'Do you have any idea what this will look like if the prophet hears about this?' Fudge asked furiously.
'With all due respect sir, she is your daughter.' Brightman replied. Her tone had grown quieter and more controlled in contrast to Fudge.
'Thanks to you the entire nation may soon know that their minister has been harboring a werewolf for the past 13 years.' Continued Fudge as if she had not spoken.
'Oh, and I can tell you what'll happen then. Investigations, trials, public uprising, chaos- last thing we need now.' Fudge began to bluster.
'I told you all this when I hired you to make that potion!' He said. His voice had risen once more.
'And if I recall correctly then you were as compliant as anything "Yes Minister. What ever you say minister", If I had ever known what you were capable of then-'
'Things change sir. And I'm afraid that after everything I've seen I can't simply sit by and watch you stomp out werewolves when there are death eaters still on the loose-'
'I WILL NOT BE TOLD HOW TO RUN MY GOVERNMENT!' Fudge shouted at the top of his voice. A deadening silence followed for quite some time after this.
'You will not mention this, any of this, to any one. Do you understand me?' The minister's voice was quiet so that I had to nearly press my ear to the door in order to hear him.
Another long silence.
'Yes sir.' Brightman finally answered, though it was very forced, and the way she said 'sir' clearly stated that she had nothing but contempt for the man standing across from her.
'I've already warned the guards that they are not to mention the incident. As for Weasly, I shall be informing him of his demotion tonight. Hopefully that will help him to keep his mouth shut. All we can do now is hope that the prophet doesn't come sneaking around-'
'And if they do sir, what will they find besides your ties to a werewolf?' Brightman asked with a lighter, though still contemptuous air.
I expected Fudge to fly into another rant. Instead however, there was another rather tense silence.
'What do you mean by that?' Fudge said quickly in a high pitched voice quite unlike the one he had been using before that moment
'I mean what will happen if the press finds out who was responsible for the Charad street business 19 years ago? What will happen when they learn who really killed those aurors and hit wizards?'
There was another pause. It couldn't possibly be. It was true I no longer held Fudge in the highest regard. But I still found it hard to believe him capable of murder.
'Did you think I wouldn't find out?' Brightman said in an almost amused tone. When the minister did not respond, she continued. 'I worked the whole thing out when you hired me to make that potion. It wasn't exactly difficult. When I heard where the potion was being taken, it was sort of down hill from there. And very convenient, making up that story about your other daughter running away, seeing as her mother did the same thing wasn't it?' she said as if basking in her own cleverness.
'Couldn't handle having two werewolves in the same house could you? Obviously one of them had to go. And now, if they sentence the other one to death, you'll have a clean slate!' I dropped beside the wall next to the door of the office. This made absolutely no sense. It was simply impossible.
'If you so much as mention that you were hear tonight to any one, I will make you rue the day you ever entered this building.' Fudge said in a quiet voice, but none the less dangerous voice. I had never heard him threaten any one in such a manner.
There was a pause. Then the sound of feet walking towards the door. Hurriedly, I picked myself back up from the floor where I had fallen. Jane Brightman exited the office. She stared solemnly at me for a few seconds.
'He'll see you now.' She said finally, before walking back down the hallway. I walked slowly into the office.
'Close the door behind you Weasly.' The minister said gruffly from behind his desk. He shuffled the notes on his desk for several moments, as I stood stiffly by the door.
'How much of that did you hear?' Fudge asked suddenly without looking up from his notes.
'What? I-' I stammered.
'Well? Speak up boy, how much did you hear?' Fudge asked quickly looking up at me.
'Enough.' I said fairly quietly.
'Enough then, to know that I am having you transferred back to the international magical cooperation office.' The minister said moving from behind his desk. For some reason, this revelation did not have the effect on me I might have thought it would. I merely nodded curtly avoiding Fudge's eye contact as he seemed to be avoiding mine.
'I have made many mistakes in my life time.' Fudge said pompously.
'One of them apparently being so naïve as to think that you would not begin to ask questions, no matter how complacent you appeared to be before this unfortunate incident. Now however, if you cooperate, we will soon be rid of the whole mess. No one else need ever know.'
I pursed my lips but said nothing. He continued.
'First of all Weasly, you are not to speak of what transpired between you and Celia over the course of the past three months to any one.'
'Yes' I said tersely. I had meant to follow it with sir, but somehow the words became lost in my mouth. Fudge didn't seem to have noticed.
'Second, the sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Friday of next week. I do not want you near any of the fifth floor courtrooms on that day. Is that clear?'
I paused for a moment. I considered telling him that he could banish me from the entire wizarding world if he wanted to, but nothing was going to stop me from going to that hearing. I wanted to tell him that even if he cared about nothing but his precious reputation, what happened to Celia still mattered to me, and I had every right to speak for her if I could. Looking back I should have said this, however, the only word I could think of were.
'Yes sir.' Even these came out cold and numb in my mouth.
'Very well then Weasly-' and he waved me out the door.
I had never known the feeling of pure, unadulterated hatred. Not even for my father. Yet now when I thought of Fudge, the things he was willing to do to gain power, Worried more about his press release than the life of his daughter, when I thought of him a deep emotion quite like hatred stirred in me. I had an urge to defy every order that that man had given to me.
I was no longer content to complacently watch events unfold around me. There were things that must be stopped before they began. I knew now, what I had to do. . .
