Chapter 26: The Great Debate

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"No man should be put to death, even as an example, 
if he can be left to live without danger to society."
- The Social Contract, Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Harry groaned and lay his head on the table as the students around him talked cheerfully as they munched on their breakfast.
For Harry Potter, last night had been virtually sleepless and dawn had come too soon. He hadn't been able to stop thinking
about Rachel and the decision he had made. Could he really use her to get Voldemort's attention? His thoughts were interrupted
when someone wrapped their arms around him from behind.

"Hey Harry," Rachel said in a sweet voice, standing over him and smiling. "How are you?" She ruffled his hair affectionately.
Harry felt his chest burning with guilt.

"I'm pretty good, how are you?" he asked, trying to sound normal. He found that he couldn't meet her eyes; instead, he focused
on the brown owl that had fluttered down to their table to deliver newspapers.

"I'm fine," she replied, taking a seat next to him at the Gryffindor table. Hermione, sitting just across from them, let out
a sudden squeal.

"Oh, how exciting! Look at this!" she exclaimed, holding up a copy of the Daily Prophet. 

"What is it?" Ron asked, craning his neck to see. 

"Next Debate for Minister of Magic Candidates to Take Place at Hogwart's", Hermione read aloud. "They're going to be here the
week before the elections!"

"Oh, that'll be really interesting!" Rachel gushed. Dean snorted.

"Who cares about that stuff... politics is so boring," he said.

"I agree," Parvati said with a smile as she dug through her backpack. "I mean, it doesn't really matter that much anyway."

"Doesn't matter?" Hermione repeated, looking scandalized. "What do you mean? We're in the middle of a war! It makes all the
difference! Especially since we can vote now, we could change the outcome of history!" Dean shrugged. Parvati had finally
found her compact and was applying her makeup, completely oblivious to the conversation. Seamus, who had been staring at
his plate, gave Hermione a half-smile. 

"Maybe having the debates here will make more students want to vote," he suggested. Hermione grinned.

"I really hope so," she said. 

********************

Harry had spent the entire week studying in an attempt to put the Rachel situation out of his mind. For the most part, it had
worked; he found he now knew every defense spell in the books that he owned, understood the healing potions that Snape had
discussed in class, and could change any object into one of 32 different colors using the Color Changing Charm. In his spare
time, he had read every book in the Restricted Section of the library that dealt with the Veil of Death. To his disappointment,
he hadn't found much new information. The object seemed to be a mystery to everyone, including those who wrote about it.

"Bloody hell, mate, you're turning into Hermione," Ron commented as he flopped down on the sofa beside Harry in the Heads'
Common Room. "Stop reading, will ya?"

"Ronald Weasley, I heard that!" said an angry voice from down the hallway. Hermione came strolling up to them, hands on her
hips, followed by a giggling Ginny.

"Sorry," Ron muttered, his ears turning bright red.

"He's just trying to study for his N.E.W.T.s, for Merlin's sake, and you have to go an harass him!"

"Harry, are you feeling all right?" Ginny asked quietly. Harry nodded.

"Yeah... I've just been a little out of sorts these past few days-"

"Having problems with Rachel?" Ginny asked swiftly. Damn, why do girls always have to be so bloody perceptive?! Harry
wondered.

"Er..." he began, but Hermione held her hand up.

"Let's just have this whole conversation right now," she said. Ron looked up in surprise.

"With Ginny here?" he asked. Hermione put her hands back on her hips and Ron backed off a little.

"Of course, she's going to be part of it eventually, why not now?" Hermione asked. Without waiting for an answer, she turned
to Harry. "Give us the basic information about the veil, so we can decide what we want to do."

"Well...." Harry took a deep breath. "The Veil of Death was created in 250 B.C. or before and finally outlawed in 1720. It's 
been in the Department of Mysteries for the past fifty years. No one has ever returned after entering the veil from the North
side, though there is no proof that it actually causes death. There was an Egyptian pharaoh who had tried to make himself
immortal, but when he got tricked into going into the veil, he couldn't get back out. I think that's a good sign that it will
work for Voldemort," Harry finished after rattling off the facts. Hermione nodded.

"So from what you've read, you're fairly sure it will work?" she asked. 

"Menkaure, that Egyptian king, was a dark wizard and he hasn't been able to return. It should work, if we can get Voldemort
to show up," Harry said.

"And that's where Rachel comes in?" Ron asked, looking unsure of himself.

"Exactly," Hermione said.

"Wait - I'm confused," Ginny interrupted. "So you're trying to kill Voldemort by making him go through the veil in the Department
of Mysteries? Why? And what does that have to do with Rachel?"

"Ginny, you can't tell anyone this," Ron said seriously. She nodded.

"There was a prophecy when I was born that said I would be the only one who could kill Voldemort. This just seems like the
only way - I can't kill him with my wand. When I dueled with him before, it didn't work because the cores of our wands are
made of feathers from the same phoenix. Rachel's family is full of Death Eaters, and over winter break they gave her Veritaserum
to make her give out information about what was going on at Hogwart's and probably about me. She doesn't know about this, the
only reason I know is because I saw the test results that Snape did to see if she had any chemicals in her bloodstream. So
basically, what we're going to do is leak information to Rachel, who will hopefully tell it to her father under the effects
of Veritaserum, who will pass it on to Voldemort..." Harry trailed off.

"Is that really going to work? It seems very complicated," Ginny said skeptically. 

"We don't have a lot of options," Hermione sighed. "If it doesn't work, we'll come up with something else." She turned to
Harry. "What day is that on again?"

"April 27," he said immediately. Hermione shook her head.

"We still have a lot of organizing to do. I think we should have a group of about eight people together when we go, just for
back up. We only have three months to do this." She sank down onto the sofa. "What we really need is a reason that Rachel would
believe for why Harry needs to be in the Department of Mysteries..."

"I thought that was obvious," Ron said quietly. Harry looked up in surprise. "Just tell her you think you figured out a way
to get Sirius back."

*****************

The candidates' debate came quickly, and the student body seemed eager for the evening to come. There had been a feast planned,
to be followed by a short speech by each of the three men, and finally the debate. Harry was looking forward to the event,
even though for him it only meant a break from worrying about the plan to defeat Voldemort and he and Rachel's relationship.
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall that night, they were surprised to see that the four tables had been
placed end to end to form one giant table that stretched the length of the hall. To Harry's dismay, Rachel came immediately
and sat next to him; he noticed that there was a lot of mixing between the different houses, except for the Slytherins, who
remained stubbornly in a bunch at the far end of the table. After all the students had been seated, Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome, one and all, to this magnificent event," he said. "Thanks especially to the members of the wizarding community who
chose to come." Dumbledore gestured towards the back of the room, and Harry was startled to see witches and wizards sitting
in chairs behind them. There were several photographers taking pictures and purple smoke floating above the cameras with each
click. An alert-looking Rita Skeeter was seated in the front row, her tangerine-colored robes standing out against everyone
else's. 

The feast began, and after a delicious meal, Dumbledore stood once again. "Now that we are fed, I cannot wait to hear what these
three men have to say. I would also like to point out the arrangement in which the tables have been placed. I have noticed
that many students have chosen to sit by others from different houses." Dumbledore winked at Harry and Rachel. "This is exactly
the point. Hogwart's should not be divided; so tonight, we have dined together as a group, as a symbol of our solidarity." He
paused, clearing his throat. "With that in mind, let us begin. Each candidate will now give a short speech. The first will
be current Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge." The audience applauded politely, and the stout man climbed the steps to reach
the podium where Professor Dumbledore had previously stood.

"I am so glad to see such an audience here tonight," Fudge began. "As you know, I'm the Minister right now. I have done everything
I could to ensure that You-Know-Who will not be a threat to families in our community. I have been working with every department
in the Ministry to make this a reality. I plan to strengthen Auror's rights so that they will be able to more accurately 
apprehend Death Eaters. Once I'm through, Mister-You-Know-Who-I'm-Talking-About-"

"What a bumbling idiot," Ron muttered.

"-will be gone. I have the safety of wizards in mind! I will protect you. Have faith in me." He gave a slight nod and climbed
down from the podium. An all-too-familiar man with shining blond hair and a bleached white smile pranced across the floor
next.

"Hello everyone!" he called out, smiling winningly. "I am Gilderoy Lockhard, Order of Merlin 3rd class, Honorary Member of
the Dark Force Defense Leage, and-"

"Five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award," Harry, Ron, and Hermione whispered together, trying not to
giggle.

"-Five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award," he finished. Ginny let out a strangled noise and put her
face, now blushing bright red, on the table to avoid laughing. Her shoulders were shaking hard. "I have extensive training
in this kind of thing, and let me tell you, I am the candidate to vote for! I'm great with public relations," he smiled again,
"wonderful at defense, and my top priority would be ridding the world of You-Know-Who! If I were in charge, this wouldn't have
gotten so out of control. I know what I'm doing, and ridding the world of evil is a lot easier than our current Minister has
made it look. I hope to get a chance to expand upon my policies during the debate." With another smile, he stepped away from
the podium. Next, a dark-haired man who looked to be in his late 20s approached the audience.

"Hello, and thank you for coming tonight," he began quietly. "A turnout like this shows that the wizarding community is indeed
concerned with their safety and well-being. My name is Bronson Barnett, and I am an Auror. From my perspective, giving Aurors
more rights to apprehend Death Eaters won't solve the problem. The real solution lies in educating the people about what is
going on and making sure that everything is out in the open. Voldemort won't be defeated any other way." There was a loud
gasp as he said the Dark Lord's name. With a small smile and a wave, he too descended from the raised podium.

"Thank you to Minister Fudge, Mr. Lockhard, and Mr. Barnett. For the next stage of this event I will ask you to come forward."
With his wand, Dumbledore summoned three identical podiums, each surrounding the main one in the center. The three candidates
stood behind each of them. "I will be moderating the debate. The rules are as follows: I will ask a question, and each of you
will have two minutes to answer. Are there any questions?" No one said anything. Rita Skeeter's quill was moving at a million
miles an hour. "Very well. On to the first question." Dumbledore paused. "Explain what you believe can be done to improve the
economy."

"Boooring!" mumbled Parvati, rolling her eyes. Hermione glared at her. Secretly, Harry agreed; he found himself not even paying
attention as the candidates discussed the question. His eyes focused on Rachel's hand, resting peacefully on the table. He took
it in his own, but still couldn't force himself to look her in the eye. She nudged him.

"Harry, are you all right?" she asked innocently. He nodded.

"I'm fine, just tired," he replied. 

"Stop talking!" Hermione hissed.

"-question number two is as follows: explain your stance on so-called 'dark' creatures, such as werewolves, vampires, and
giants." The students, who had been chatting quietly during the question about the economy, all snapped to attention. Lockhart
was first.

"Well, of course, they're all bad. I've been able to cure lots of them, myself-"

"How do you cure a giant?!" Ron sniggered.

"-but in the end, I think that they should be locked up. No use in the bunch of them running around and mucking things up
for us normal people." 

"Thank you, Mr. Lockhart. Minister, you are next." Fudge nodded, adjusting his bowler hat and looking uncomfortable.

"Well, er, dark creatures... um, the system we've got now is actually quite good. We register werewolves, for example, make
sure we know where they are at all times, that they aren't allowed into areas that are heavily populated with families. 
I've been thinking about intensifying this system and possibly adding a requirement where werewolves, in their human forms,
would be required to wear robes with a special marking, say for instance a 'W' on the front, that would be visible at all times."

"Mr. Barnett, what is your response to this question?"

"Well, first I would like to say that I'm appalled at the closed-mindedness of my fellow candidates. Identifying which beings
are dark creatures isn't the solution. Instead of making werewolves visible to the public, we should be concentrating our
efforts in distributing Wolfsbane Potion to make sure that no new bites occur. We should have our potions experts researching
a cure for this disease, instead of alienating those who are infected."

"He's got a point," whispered Seamus. "I like this guy. He seems normal."

***************

The debate carried on for nearly an hour, with Barnett answering every question better than Lockhart or Fudge - at least in
Harry's opinion. After it was over, Harry, Ron, and Hermione managed to push through the crowd to get out of the doors.

"Harry!" Harry turned to see Remus Lupin waving.

"Oh, hi! I didn't see you in there," Harry said, shaking his hand.

"Interesting, wasn't it?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms.

"Oh, most definitely, Hermione. Most definitely," Remus answered.

"So you think Barnett has it won?" Ron asked. Remus frowned.

"No, not really... though I wish he had. He's so young, though he has experience, I'm afraid the voters might hold that against
him... But, we'll just have to wait and see. The elections are only in a week." He turned to Ron and Hermione. "Could I have
a word alone with Harry?"

"Oh, of course," Hermione replied, pulling Ron along with her up the stairs. "I'll see you upstairs, Harry!" Harry followed
Remus over towards the door. 

"So, have you used the motorbike yet?" Remus asked, grinning. Harry laughed.

"Is that what you had to talk to me about?" he teased. Remus nodded. "No, I haven't had a chance to. Too much studying."

"Well, let's go out there right now and start it up. It wouldn't hurt to let it run once in a while, especially when it's
this cold out." The pair walked out the door and across the chilly lawn towards the shed behind Hagrid's cabin. Remus magically
opened the door and muttered "lumos". A dull light filled the shed. "Well, start it up, what are you waiting for?" he asked,
a smile crossing his face. Harry turned the key and jumped in surprise as the motorbike started. Remus laughed. "Well, get on!"
he said encouragingly.

"I, well, I don't really know how to ride one of these..." Harry admitted.

"Oh, it's simple. Here's the accelerator, this is the brake, and you shift like this..." After a few minutes of explanation,
Harry was able to drive in a circle around the small shed. "See, you're getting the hang of it!" Remus said, grinning. 

"This is amazing!" Harry yelled, slowing down. "Now how do I make it fly?" Remus shook his head.

"I think I'd practice driving on the ground a little more, if I were you," he told him. "Let's put it back now, you've got
the basics down, and I'm freezing." Harry drove the motorbike back into the shed and turned it off. 

"Thank you Remus," he said quietly. Remus' expression changed to one of compassion.

"You're very welcome, Harry. Any time," he replied. "I think that studying is wonderful, but if you do it for too long and
forget to have any fun, you're missing out on life. Your father and Sirius taught me that lesson," he said with a smile. 
Harry had a sudden idea.

"Er, Remus... Can I show you something?" he asked. Ron and Hermione didn't really understand, but Remus will, Harry 
thought to himself. Remus nodded.

"Of course, Harry. What is it?" Harry took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and transformed into a wolf. A few seconds later,
he changed back into his human form, worried about what Remus would say. He was shocked to see him with tears in his eyes.
"Oh Harry... that's wonderful. Simply amazing," he said. "It's like each of us combined." 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"A wolf... well, you've got the canine spirit of Padfoot, the majesty of Prongs, and the appearance of Moony." Remus smiled,
still fighting back tears. "I'm so proud of you, Harry." Harry smiled and found himself with tears in his eyes as well. He
realized he had never before had someone tell him that they were proud of him.

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Okay readers... how's my plot doing? I'm trying desperately to wrap this story up, but it has a mind of its own. I updated in
THREE DAYS! Can you believe that?! I think it's a new record.

Thanks to:

hpff.com:
Ash
Dumbeldave
bell
MarZ
JuJu
PadfootPotter
siriussnape
dont wasn
Lupinzgurl
mandymallason
Jules

ff.net:
potterorligurl
Natural Anthem