Disclaimer: see first chapter
WARNING: OOTP SPOILERS!!
Author's Note: Yay! Someone reviewed and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Unfortunately, 's reviewer thing is not getting along with my computer so I cann't go return the favor. So instead, I will give my shout out to Fabioandtheduck here! Yay for Fabio! Go read her fics, no two are alike – trust me =)
Zane is from On a Pale Horse. There are five types of thinking explained to him but it seemed that the intuitive thinking (--) always seemed to serve him best.
Anyway, on with the story.
Chapter II: A Casual Conversation
Of all the things that I expected Dumbledore to say, it was most definitely and without doubt not that. I had been expecting a job offer, a recommendation, a casual conversation about the Chudley Cannons odds of winning, anything! But not, "do you believe Lord Voldemort has returned." How do you answer that? I found that I had gripped the arm rest even harder when he had mentioned You-Know-Who's name. I carefully and slowly pried my fingertips from the wood while trying to phrase an answer. No matter how senile the old headmaster had become, he was giving some rather strong hints about the junior under secretary position. I could not under any circumstances let that go.
"You say that he has," I answered. There, that was good and safe.
"That is not what I asked," he answered.
Dammit! He had me. Well, did I believe You-Know-Who was back? Well, I certainly didn't want to. But Harry had come back with Cedric's body. That didn't mean anything of course. It could be that Harry just snapped and when he found Cedric ahead, he – no, stop that. Harry was shaping up to be a good wizard but no fourth year could cast the killing curse...even if they were the intended savior of the wizarding world.
"Yes," I suddenly said. I rather surprised myself. It seemed that my mouth had grown bored with my ponderings about the nature of Cedric's death and acted of its own volition.
Dumbledore nodded. He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers once again.
"You are also, I am quite sure, aware of the Minister's stance on Voldemort's return?" He asked. He seemed not to notice my involuntary flinch at the name.
"The Minister is calling Diggory's death a 'tragic accident' and rumor is that he's calling in favors from the Daily Prophet editors so that they downplay Harry's role," I said in response.
I was really getting tired of this game. I really really wished that he would just get to the 'business proposition' that he had mentioned. But trust Dumbledore to drag things out for as long as possible, giving subtle little hints that don't meaning anything until he spells it out for you. Alas, the woes of the gifted and talented...
"The esteemed Minister is also calling for action against me as well since I told the students that Voldemort was back." I winced at the name but Dumbledore continued. "My name is rather quickly becoming Mud in certain circles. Fudge is making it very clear that anyone who has connections with me should start clearing out their desks."
My mind immediately jumped to my father. People may consider Dad a muggle-loving fool but that job was all that kept my siblings in Hogwarts. But surely dad's job security was not why he had called me in. Besides, I was more than sure that the results of the inquiry would be clearing out my desk before association with Dumbledore would. Dumbledore halted my musings by picking up his tale again.
"The Order of the Phoenix is reforming," he said as casually as one commenting on the rainy weather, "Many of the original members are dead but some of the Aurors are rejoining us. Members are out recruiting the aid of the giants, centaurs, and goblins. We have spies moving in Voldemort's ranks." By this point, my eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates. But Dumbledore continued, "It is becoming increasingly clear that as long as Fudge is Minister, we will need spies within the Ministry itself. Aurors are excellent resources but there are places in the Ministry where there is little reason for an Auror to be 'snooping' around."
And it was suddenly clear what Dumbledore had been building up to. In a blinding flash of intuitive thought that would have dumbfounded even Zane the Grim Reaper (it was assigned reading for a muggle studies class, so sue me), I realized what it was that Dumbledore wanted me to do. He was offering me the Junior Undersecretary job so that he would have an ear in the Ministry.
"And you want me to be that spy," I said with a surprisingly calm voice.
Dumbledore smiled indulgently once again, "Precisely," Dumbledore paused and reached into his voluminous robes. He pulled out a crinkly plastic bag. "Sherbet lemon?" He asked. I politely declined the muggle sweet. He set about selecting the perfect sherbet lemon and upon finding it he resumed, "You are best placed for the job. You are ambitious. You already have management experience. Also, the Minister knows vaguely of your existence. However, you are ambiguous enough that Cornelius will not think you are a threat. Cornelius is the type of man who surrounds himself with sycophants, yes-men, and those he thinks are too stupid to be spies. Your handling of the Crouch incident will shine favorably in Cornelius' eyes," Dumbledore paused again to pop the sherbet lemon in his mouth.
I'm not sure whether I should have been offended by Dumbledore's remark. Which did he or Cornelius think me? I suppose sycophant worked but I would prefer something a little more positive. Just becuase I can spot the best qualities in a man and enjoy lauding them does not mean that I am a "sycophant." A 'Yes-man?' Please, Crouch had great ideas on how to revolutionize international magical cooperation. Is it my fault that he thought of them before I did? Besides, it really would not look well for the student to surpass the master so soon in the game if you catch my drift. I do know that it is not possible for either of them to think I am 'too stupid to be a spy.' I've said it before and I will say it again. Crouch practically handed me the reigns. Anyone would have done I did.
"Kingsley will mention your name in passing to the DDAE head. He will say something about what a shame it would be to lose such talent. The current head of that Department is a bit nosy, especially when it comes to such juicy gossip as your handling of the Crouch incident. She will pass on her findings to other department heads. Said gossip will eventually find its way to the ears of Dolores Umbridge. Dolores enjoys hand picking her successors so that she has a card to play when she needs a favor. She can not get rid of an inquiry but she has enough personal power to gloss over some things. So she will pounce on your record, sing your praises to the Minister, and congratulations Percy, you will have a job as Junior Undersecretary."
Dumbledore selected another Sherbet Lemon and popped it in his mouth. All I could do was stare, wide-eyed and mouth agape, at the Headmaster. To think that such plotting and maneuvering went on in the Ministry! I found it interesting that the Auror in charge of tracking down Sirius Black was actually under Dumbledore. But that information was pushed to the back of my head. I was much more amazed that Dumbledore was able to manipulate someone like Dolores Umbridge without any obvious interference.
Dolores Umbridge, now there was a woman not to be trifled with. She was a large woman who always reminded me of a toad. I know that is an awful thing to say, especially about someone higher up than myself. She would have two wonderful cards to play against me after this. Not only would I owe her for the job, but the easy inquiry as well.
Dumbledore left me to my inner musings as he put the crinkling bag back into his pockets. I could feel his eyes on me as I became very interested in the grain of the wood floor. An unasked question hung in the air and I knew perfectly well what it was. Would I do it? It would require some good acting on my part at the very least. There were people who held the Minister in their pockets, so to speak, that would try to hinder my placement. I was sure of it. All the Lucius Malfoys of the world would see the name "Weasley" and then automatically connect it to muggles and eventually Dumbledore. So in addition to good acting, I realized I would have to sever ties with my family temporarily.
I looked up and the Gryffindor in me rallied against my doubts and misgivings.
"All right," I said.
Dumbledore nodded gravely, all previous jocularity gone.
"Then I bid you a good evening, Mister Weasley," he said in a serious tone. That damnable twinkle seemed to have a gone out.
He rose from his chair and I did as well. I hurried towards the door so that I could open it for him. Even if it was for ulterior motives, he has pretty much handed me a dream job on a silver platter. Dumbledore bid me a good evening, shook my hand, and left.
Now then, let us pause a moment and come back to the present. Those of you who have been graced with the same intellect as mine may go on. Doubtless there are many of you who are wondering what just happened. In retrospect, it is very easy to understand why Dumbledore had to draw everything out and beat around the bush. He could not just walk in and say, "Hello there, Percy. Would you fancy being a spy for me?" That would have been stupid. I had to come to that conclusion myself. If I was ever fed veritaserum, I would be able to truthfully say that Dumbledore never asked me to be a spy. As I said before, I did it of my own volition.
Now then, back to the main story.
I sank back down in the chintz armchair once Dumbledore was gone and I had locked my door. I propped my elbows on knees and held my head in my hands. For some reason, a sense of foreboding and general doom had fallen upon me. To think that this very morning I had been worried about a simple little inquiry. Now the inquiry had been traded in for something much bigger – something more akin to the salvation of the wizarding world if you looked at the big picture.
What on earth had I gotten myself into?
Author's Note: And the end of another chapter. I know, I know, it's a bit boring what with it just being a bunch of talking. I really could have combined this chapter and the one before but I think it would have been a bit long in internet-view. But never fear! Action and Drama should be coming in the next chapter when we meet the delightful Dolores Umbridge and Percy has it out with his family.