The day passed slowly for Harry, he didn't really have much to do except
listen. Fudge definitely listened to what Harry had to say, as he knew
Harry was probably a better wizard than him, but some of the other wizards
on the board did not.
The table held at least thirty people, and about twenty of them were from the Ministry Council. Whenever he could, Harry would glance to see who was talking, and found that most of the Wizengamot (A/N I think that that's the head board thing at the ministry) were there. He also noticed, much to his dismay, that Dolores Umbridge had returned to her job, and she still hated Harry as much as ever. Every time Harry spoke up, she would find some way to shoot him down.
When one young man came in to apply for a job in the Magical Games and Sports department, Harry almost lost his temper.
"Name?"
"Oliver Wood." Harry looked up. There, sitting in the small chair almost directly in front of him, was Harry's old Quiddich captain. Harry didn't move at first, he forgot that he was supposed to find Oliver's papers.
"Harry? Are you ready?" He shot back into reality.
"Umm. . . yeah. . ." He searched through his papers, quickly finding Oliver's papers.
When he looked up, Oliver grinned at him. Harry grinned back.
"Mr. Wood, why do you want to apply for this job?" Cornelius Fudge asked.
"I was on the Gryffindor Quiddich team for five years, and I was made captain in my second, so I have a lot of experience with the sport. I have always been very interested in the rules; why they are there; how they got there. I've also experienced these rules, and I would like the opportunity to help make them better."
He finished, smiling. Harry, out of the corner of his eye, saw Dumbledore wink at Oliver.
"Thank you Mr. Wood, we will get back to you as soon as we can."
"Well, I think he has the experience for the job." One of the elderly men on the council said.
Umbridge leaned forward. "I must disagree." She said, in her sickeningly sweet voice. "He really has no qualifications. Harry, has he had any previous jobs that would be of any use?" She practically winced as she said his name. Harry ignored it.
Harry glanced at the resume. "He was a substitute for the Cannons minor team for a short while, but he was taken off when he injured himself, and they decided not to bring him back when he was better." So many things that wouldn't help: bag boy. . . store worker. . . Harry kept looking, but hi eyes bounced back to store worker. "Aha! He worked for six months in Quality Quiddich Supplies, in Hogsmeade, but was laid off when the owner found out that there would be no Hogwarts students coming anymore."
Umbridge looked unhappy at this, but still managed to bring him down. "He may know a lot about the sport, but knowing how to play doesn't mean he would be any help in the office. He obviously has no experience working in a place like this."
A few of the wizards nodded, mumbling to each other. Dumbledore looked straight forward, not moving an inch.
"But this is a good time to have new people with new ideas. While everything is being rebuilt, it might be wise to bring in new ideas that will work for the future, rather than stay in the past. He really does know his stuff; he could bring those new ideas the ministry needs."
Harry sat back smugly, watching the number of people nodding at his remark. Cho squeezed his hand.
"But he's so young!"
At this Dumbledore leaned forwards and spoke. "If we are hiring solely on age, we will have to raise the dead. There is no reason not to hire young, forward thinkers. We are not in a time or place to be picky."
Dolores Umbridge wasn't about to take that. "Harry just wants this young man to get the job because they are friends! And he is one of Dumbledore's previous students!"
A few of the wizards just shook their heads. Harry spoke up. "I have had no contact with him in three years. I have no reason to wish him a better job. I just want the best Ministry we can have."
Cornelius Fudge glanced at Umbridge, who had gone back to smiling sweetly. He took this as an agreement. 'Very well! Mr. Wood is now an employee of the Ministry of Magic."
Harry stamped the resume, and put it in a pile of other new employees. He was truly happy for Oliver, but he was really happy for himself. He'd stood up to Umbridge.
The rest of the day passed, and they went through hundreds of resumes. There was only one more person for that day, and in he walked. Harry sighed, and he heard Cho sigh as well. it was the man from the subway.
"Name?"
"Gregory Black." Harry's heart jumped at this, but he settled down. Black was a very common name. He looked through the papers, but he couldn't find his.
"Did you give in an application, Mr. Black?" Harry asked, trying his best to sound professional.
"No, I didn't. I had nothing to say on it that I couldn't say in person."
A few of the wizards looked around, raising their eyebrows. Harry felt slightly uneasy about this, what if it was because he hadn't been meaning to apply, he'd just ended up in here after following them?
He shook the feeling off. He barely listened to what Black was saying; he was thinking about everything that had happened today. He, Harry, was doing volunteer work, but what about Cho? Would she be getting a place of her own, now that she had a paying job?
Harry was thinking so hard, he didn't even notice Cho poke him. "Harry!" She said. "Let's go!"
Fudge walked up to Cho. "Ms. Chang, I would like to give you a proper welcome to the Ministry of Magic. We are very happy to have you on our staff. You will work from nine o'clock to five o'clock on weekdays, but be prepared for overtime in the early days. As I said, we don't have much right now, so your salary will be ten galleons an hour. We will try to raise it as soon as we can. Good night, Ms. Chang, Harry."
He turned and walked away. Harry stood up. "Cho! You're starting pretty high, you know. Even if the pay is low, if you decide to leave, it will look amazing on any resume. Secretary to the Minister of Magic. Congratulations!" He reached to shake her hand jokingly, when Umbridge walked up.
"Harry. I would like to speak to you alone, please." Harry glanced across the room to Moody, who was waiting at the door. He nodded, so Harry reluctantly agreed. "Good, you remember how to treat your elders." She said, dragging him into a corner.
"Now, Harry. I won't take anything from you. I am your superior, and your better. You will treat me with respect in front of the Wizengamot. Do you understand?" She tightened her grip on Harry's arm threateningly. He barely noticed it, he'd been in far worse pain before. He was fuming about her saying she was his better.
He nodded anyway. "Ms. Umbridge?" He asked politely. "Madame." She said sweetly. Harry nodded.
"Where were you on June First?"
She looked confused for a second, but realized where he was going. "I was in Paris, working on a treaty."
Harry almost laughed. Any wizard who would have wanted to make a treaty was with him, fighting. At least, the ones young and strong enough were. But harry didn't want to think about that.
"Well, Madame Umbridge, while you were making a treaty, I was fighting a battle. I, a sixteen year old boy, was chopping off the head of the greatest and most evil wizard in history. You are not my better."
He walked right by her, before she had time to put on a smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
thanks for all the reviews, they were great. . . no time to answer specifics right now, I'll do it in the next chappie.
I own nothing, except Black. G'night!
-unolimbo
The table held at least thirty people, and about twenty of them were from the Ministry Council. Whenever he could, Harry would glance to see who was talking, and found that most of the Wizengamot (A/N I think that that's the head board thing at the ministry) were there. He also noticed, much to his dismay, that Dolores Umbridge had returned to her job, and she still hated Harry as much as ever. Every time Harry spoke up, she would find some way to shoot him down.
When one young man came in to apply for a job in the Magical Games and Sports department, Harry almost lost his temper.
"Name?"
"Oliver Wood." Harry looked up. There, sitting in the small chair almost directly in front of him, was Harry's old Quiddich captain. Harry didn't move at first, he forgot that he was supposed to find Oliver's papers.
"Harry? Are you ready?" He shot back into reality.
"Umm. . . yeah. . ." He searched through his papers, quickly finding Oliver's papers.
When he looked up, Oliver grinned at him. Harry grinned back.
"Mr. Wood, why do you want to apply for this job?" Cornelius Fudge asked.
"I was on the Gryffindor Quiddich team for five years, and I was made captain in my second, so I have a lot of experience with the sport. I have always been very interested in the rules; why they are there; how they got there. I've also experienced these rules, and I would like the opportunity to help make them better."
He finished, smiling. Harry, out of the corner of his eye, saw Dumbledore wink at Oliver.
"Thank you Mr. Wood, we will get back to you as soon as we can."
"Well, I think he has the experience for the job." One of the elderly men on the council said.
Umbridge leaned forward. "I must disagree." She said, in her sickeningly sweet voice. "He really has no qualifications. Harry, has he had any previous jobs that would be of any use?" She practically winced as she said his name. Harry ignored it.
Harry glanced at the resume. "He was a substitute for the Cannons minor team for a short while, but he was taken off when he injured himself, and they decided not to bring him back when he was better." So many things that wouldn't help: bag boy. . . store worker. . . Harry kept looking, but hi eyes bounced back to store worker. "Aha! He worked for six months in Quality Quiddich Supplies, in Hogsmeade, but was laid off when the owner found out that there would be no Hogwarts students coming anymore."
Umbridge looked unhappy at this, but still managed to bring him down. "He may know a lot about the sport, but knowing how to play doesn't mean he would be any help in the office. He obviously has no experience working in a place like this."
A few of the wizards nodded, mumbling to each other. Dumbledore looked straight forward, not moving an inch.
"But this is a good time to have new people with new ideas. While everything is being rebuilt, it might be wise to bring in new ideas that will work for the future, rather than stay in the past. He really does know his stuff; he could bring those new ideas the ministry needs."
Harry sat back smugly, watching the number of people nodding at his remark. Cho squeezed his hand.
"But he's so young!"
At this Dumbledore leaned forwards and spoke. "If we are hiring solely on age, we will have to raise the dead. There is no reason not to hire young, forward thinkers. We are not in a time or place to be picky."
Dolores Umbridge wasn't about to take that. "Harry just wants this young man to get the job because they are friends! And he is one of Dumbledore's previous students!"
A few of the wizards just shook their heads. Harry spoke up. "I have had no contact with him in three years. I have no reason to wish him a better job. I just want the best Ministry we can have."
Cornelius Fudge glanced at Umbridge, who had gone back to smiling sweetly. He took this as an agreement. 'Very well! Mr. Wood is now an employee of the Ministry of Magic."
Harry stamped the resume, and put it in a pile of other new employees. He was truly happy for Oliver, but he was really happy for himself. He'd stood up to Umbridge.
The rest of the day passed, and they went through hundreds of resumes. There was only one more person for that day, and in he walked. Harry sighed, and he heard Cho sigh as well. it was the man from the subway.
"Name?"
"Gregory Black." Harry's heart jumped at this, but he settled down. Black was a very common name. He looked through the papers, but he couldn't find his.
"Did you give in an application, Mr. Black?" Harry asked, trying his best to sound professional.
"No, I didn't. I had nothing to say on it that I couldn't say in person."
A few of the wizards looked around, raising their eyebrows. Harry felt slightly uneasy about this, what if it was because he hadn't been meaning to apply, he'd just ended up in here after following them?
He shook the feeling off. He barely listened to what Black was saying; he was thinking about everything that had happened today. He, Harry, was doing volunteer work, but what about Cho? Would she be getting a place of her own, now that she had a paying job?
Harry was thinking so hard, he didn't even notice Cho poke him. "Harry!" She said. "Let's go!"
Fudge walked up to Cho. "Ms. Chang, I would like to give you a proper welcome to the Ministry of Magic. We are very happy to have you on our staff. You will work from nine o'clock to five o'clock on weekdays, but be prepared for overtime in the early days. As I said, we don't have much right now, so your salary will be ten galleons an hour. We will try to raise it as soon as we can. Good night, Ms. Chang, Harry."
He turned and walked away. Harry stood up. "Cho! You're starting pretty high, you know. Even if the pay is low, if you decide to leave, it will look amazing on any resume. Secretary to the Minister of Magic. Congratulations!" He reached to shake her hand jokingly, when Umbridge walked up.
"Harry. I would like to speak to you alone, please." Harry glanced across the room to Moody, who was waiting at the door. He nodded, so Harry reluctantly agreed. "Good, you remember how to treat your elders." She said, dragging him into a corner.
"Now, Harry. I won't take anything from you. I am your superior, and your better. You will treat me with respect in front of the Wizengamot. Do you understand?" She tightened her grip on Harry's arm threateningly. He barely noticed it, he'd been in far worse pain before. He was fuming about her saying she was his better.
He nodded anyway. "Ms. Umbridge?" He asked politely. "Madame." She said sweetly. Harry nodded.
"Where were you on June First?"
She looked confused for a second, but realized where he was going. "I was in Paris, working on a treaty."
Harry almost laughed. Any wizard who would have wanted to make a treaty was with him, fighting. At least, the ones young and strong enough were. But harry didn't want to think about that.
"Well, Madame Umbridge, while you were making a treaty, I was fighting a battle. I, a sixteen year old boy, was chopping off the head of the greatest and most evil wizard in history. You are not my better."
He walked right by her, before she had time to put on a smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
thanks for all the reviews, they were great. . . no time to answer specifics right now, I'll do it in the next chappie.
I own nothing, except Black. G'night!
-unolimbo