Chapter 59

The Removal of Fudge

The next few days were going to be quite interesting. Harry got to know his godfather better, and he understood that he was better off with staying with the Weasley's. He learned a lot more about his parents, and how they were killed. He got more angrier with Voldemort as time went by. By the time that things were beginning to calm down in the Weasley household, and Harry had gotten Ron a Owl of his own. A little hyperactive thing, that was named Pigwidgeon, or Pig for short. It was a small thing, but was great for delivering messages and with the mail.

Ron was ecstatic over the Owl when Harry surprised him with it one day. "Thank you Harry, this is just the thing I need to replace Scabbers. I know that she isn't a materialistic person, but I know you wouldn't have gone and done this for me, without getting something for your girlfriend, so what did you get Hermoine?" Ron was smiling at this, and Harry was blushing a bit.

"You know me to well Ron, of course I got something for Moine. It is a surprise tho, so you will find out with everyone else at dinner tonight. I'm having it delivered especially here for her. Don't worry, it's almost dinner time, and it should be here within the half hour." The two boys went down to dinner at that time, and joined everyone in the Weasley kitchen for the meal. Harry and Ron were looking around and smiling whenever Hermoine looked at them.

"Ok spit it out, what are you two up to? I mean you two aren't usually this happy unless you have pulled something quite big off. What did you do to my food?" When all they did was smile at her, she was getting a little bit nervous. It's not that she didn't trust her best friend and boyfriend, it's just that look that they were giving her. Either they did something really stupid, or really sweet for her. Considering that it wasn't her birthday, or that Harry hasn't done anything wrong lately, she was opting for the first one. "Ok you two are up to something and I will find out now or else." She was fuming now, and she could tell that Ron and Harry were really getting scared.

"Calm down Moine, we haven't done anything wrong. If you would please wait for another 10 minutes, you will see what we are hiding from you." Harry's eyes were pleading with her to trust him. She couldn't resist those eyes, and decided to trust him this time.

When she was calmed down and dinner was served they were all sitting down to a quiet dinner when a small mew was heard near Hermoine's heal. She looked down and was a bit surprised to find a orange cat sitting there looking up at her. He had a bow around his neck with a note tied to it. She bent down and picked it up and took the note off from around the cat's neck and started petting him. When she opened up the note, she scanned it and started to smile. "Well hello Crookshanks, it is nice to meet you to. This note says that you're a gift from my boyfriend, and that I should take very good care of you. Do you agree with that?" When Crookshanks gave her a knowing nod, she smiled even more and gave Harry a kiss as thanks. "Thank you Harry, how did you know that I wanted a cat?"

Harry looked at her and the cat and smiled. "I didn't know that you wanted one, but this little guy came up to me in the pet shop and it was like I was meant to take him home for you. He's at least half kneazle, which means he's at least half magical. He will be loyal to you, and it seems like he likes you Moine. This was a gift of love, and I love you so much. I know that most people would think that we're to young to know what love is, but I feel that we were meant to be together." Harry said this with all the conviction that he had.

"Thank you so much Harry, I love you also, and this is the perfect gift. I'm sorry I didn't give you anything." She looked a little sad at this, but Crookshanks was making her feel better.

"Don't worry Hermoine, I don't need anything. Don't worry if I get you something, you don't have to get me anything in return." Harry's smile was all she needed to make her believe what he just said.

"Ok Harry, you are the best." She knew what she could give him, so she leant over towards him and gave him a nice long kiss.

Crookshanks looked up at the two from Hermoine's lap, and new that these two were meant to be together. He was glad that he decided to go to the young man to get him to buy him. He knew that these two would make it through anything and everything that was to come there way.

There was a sudden call over the fire for Mr. Weasley calling him into the office for an emergency meeting of the Wizengmaut. He didn't know what was going on, but he had to be there as he was the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifact department. He told the teenagers and the rest of his family that he would be home as soon as he could. He disappeared from the Burrow and reappeared in the Ministry of Magic. When he got there, he found it in disarray. He found Albus Dumbledore standing there waiting for him.

"Good thing you could come Arthur. There is two things that are going to be going on here tonight. One is the trial of Peter Pettigrew, he has already confessed to everything, so it is just a matter of getting an official statement and the sentence. The second thing that you're here for is something that has been brought up, and we need to take care of it quickly. You see, he had named a few, how should I put it, accomplices that are in the ministry. The rest have all been arrested and charged, all but one. You see, Minister of Magic Fudge was also named, but before we could get him, he disappeared. We don't know where he went, but he left a note saying that he wasn't coming back to be caught. So the second thing that we need to take care of is to name a new Minister of Magic. I know that everyone will accept who I nominate for this, so I thought that I would let you know right away that I'm going to be nominating you Arthur for the post of Minister of Magic. Before you argue with me about this, I want to say that you're the best man for the position. You are known to not be bribed, and you're an honest man. Will you accept the nomination for the Minister post?" Dumbledore was looking at him with all honesty, and all Arthur could do was nod his head. "Good to hear. You will do a good job at it. There was one person that we were worried about in not agreeing with it, but I hear that you and your family are friends with them now. I know he used to be one of Voldemort's followers, but I also know that ever since you became friends with him, he is against the dark. You know who I am talking about Arthur, and he has already told me that he would support you for the Minister position."

"Thank you Albus, it is a great pleasure to be asked to do this. What is going to be the recommended punishment for Pettigrew anyway? Will he be given the kiss, or what?"

"Well people are calling for the kiss for him, but his lawyer is calling for leniency. I know that Sirius wants blood for what he has gone through. I don't blame him really, but I don't think that I can call for it to one of my former students."

"I know what you mean Albus, but it has to be done. I don't think anyone would blame you for not wanting to do this, but you know that it's the right thing. He did a very bad thing sir, and I don't think that there is anything else that will do."

The trial of Pettigrew went quite quickly, he was sentenced to get the Kiss from a Dementor, and it happened right there in the courtroom. His lawyer tried to keep it from happening, but stopped as he saw Pettigrews face and the look of sorrow. Pettigrew said one thing before the Dementor came for him. "Tell Harry, Sirius and Remus that I am sorry for what I did. I hope that they could forgive me sometime." With that the Dementor came upon him, and gave him the kiss. It was over rather quickly, and his body was sent off to Azkaban, along with the Dementor.

The next point of business took a little bit longer. Not much, but it took more time for the points of business on why it is being done, and to take nominations. There were a couple of nominations before Albus stood and nominated Mr. Weasley. When that happened, all the others just shook their heads knowing that the head of the wizengmauts nomination would more than likely take most of the votes. None of them could argue with who was being nominated, they just didn't nominate him because they didn't think that he would want it. The voting went rather quickly, and Arthur Weasley was declared the new Minister of Magic for England.

When he got home the next day, he found that his family had already found out through the Daily Prophet, and they were all there to congratulate him. They had a small celebration that evening and all the friends of the family were there.