Title: Retrograde
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry's trial before fifth year goes differently because someone knows more than they should about Harry. Time Travel Fic.
"Minister, it's time." Helena said from the door to Amelia's Office.
Amelia nodded and stood from behind her desk, gathering a few folders from the desk and marched out the door. A pair of Aurors were waiting outside the Office, who fell in behind Amelia and Helena. Several of the Ministry Employees watched in small groups as the small procession passed. Getting into the elevator, they made their way down to Wizengamont Chambers for the first session after her election as Minister.
There were pairs of Aurors were stationed at every entrance to the chamber, searching every Member and visitor who wanted entry. Both Amelia and Helena exposed their arms to the checks of the Aurors before entering. Amelia looked around the Chamber as she made her way to the Minister's seats. Helena went to the observation gallery for visitors. Harry was not here today, as it was a weekday and he was teaching. Dumbledore was sitting in his place as Chief Warlock. The clock on the wall ticked over to the designated start time.
"This sitting of the Wizengamont of Great Brittan is now in session." Dumbledore announced.
"There are four members missing, Chief Warlock." Thomas Seaforth, a Dark aligned member, said.
"If they can not be punctual enough to arrive on time, then they forfeit their right to be involved in the discussions and votes for the session." Dumbledore replied.
Amelia supressed a smile at that exchange. She knew exactly who the four missing members were and exactly why they were not in attendance. Theodore Nott Senior; Lord Carrow; Pius Thickness and Elisabeth Norris were the members, and they were not in attendance as they were all in cells of the DMLE.
Amelia had not been idle since she had taken the office of Minister. She had reinstated some of the Ministry Policies from the former War, such as the suspension of the AIA investigation for incidents where identified Death Eaters are injured or killed; authorisation of the use of deadly spells for Aurors in extreme combat situations and the mandatory Dark Mark Checks for anyone entering the Ministry. Amongst other things she had also adjusted the budget to more effectively allocate resources, trimming down the budgets of bloated and ineffective departments like Department of Regulation of Magical Creatures, and reallocated it to the DMLE. All of those changes were internal Ministry Policies, so they were changes she could do unilaterally.
"Let us move on to the first order of business." Dumbledore said. "I now turn the floor over to Minister Bones."
Amelia stood up with her stack of folders. This would be an epic fight to get the legislative reforms she wanted through the Wizengamont, but she was up for the fight, as always, and everyone knew it.
Susan sighed and subtly stretched her shoulders and neck. She could not move her lower body as Hermione was asleep on the couch with her head resting in Susan's lap and a book open on the Gryffindor's chest. The pair of them were in the Room of Requirement, which was configured as a small sitting room with a pair of couches, a bookshelf and a roaring fireplace.
It was a Saturday Afternoon and they had retreated to the Room for some privacy. Some word of the epic… blow-up that had happened at the Wizengamont session had been spread through the school. One rumour had Aunt Amelia threatening Members with her wand. Susan did not buy that one. If it had have been her Knife then Susan might have believed it. It was more likely it was just Auntie's formidable will and that look that could cause a Dementor to piss itself.
Because of the rumours, the Room was the only place where Susan in particular could find privacy, and there was no one who she would rather be with than Hermione.
Looking down at the brunette, Susan could not deny it to herself any longer. She had fallen head over heels in love with Hermione. There were so many things about the bookworm that the redhead adored. Her fierce loyalty to Harry, which had been extended without reservation to Auntie Amelia and Susan herself. The cute way Hermione chewed on her bottom lip when she was deep in thought. The breadth of knowledge and desire to learn. A certain disregard for the rules when something was more important, which Susan was sure Hermione had learnt from Harry. Even Mione's habit of working herself into exhaustion was cute when it was not totally annoying.
Wait… she had just thought of Hermione as Mione. That was the nickname Harry used. Anyone else who used a nickname for Hermione was asking for their bits to be hexed off. Still, it felt… right. Like family.
Merlin, she was in love with her best friend, who was also the best friend of her Aunt's Husband… who was also their DADA Professor. Oh no, Susan's life was not complicated.
As an almost reflex action, Susan reached down and used a single finger to tuck a stray lock of Mione's hair back behind of her ear and out of the corner of her mouth. The bookworm slumbered on, oblivious to the mental anguish of her Other Best Friend. No matter what happened for Hermione, Harry would always be The Best Friend.
Timothy Johnson swore as he felt the wards flair. Damn it, they were here and he did not have his wand to hand. Shaking and tucking back in, he quickly flushed and rushed out of the bathroom. He saw Thompson fall in the crossing corridor ahead to one of those bastards who was out of sight. Turning the other way, he ran for the back stairs. Using his hands to slight down the railings, rather than run down as it was quieter, he hit the bottom of the stairs with a loud thump. Down here there was a lot of commotion going on from the sounds of it. He could hear the muffled voices of his friends and of strangers, unable to hear their exact words but the sounds of bangs and the vibrations running through the house indicated they were not having tea and a nice conversation.
Spotting his Wand on a table, Timothy grabbed it as he ran. Turning the corner, he saw Phillips on the floor and one of the bastards down the far end of the hall facing the other way. With a flick of his wand to revive Phillips, Timothy moved to engage the fool who had invaded, but the spell to revive Phillips alerted them and they spun to engage. His first few spells and shields were to buy time for Phillips to get to his feet and into the fight. It was about ten seconds later, as the other Wizard was pushing him back, that Timothy kicked Phillips' leg. It was then that Timothy realised Phillips was dead. This realisation distracted him and gave his foe an opening in which he blew off Timothy's wand arm.
Dropping to the ground in pain, Timothy looked up and saw the man swish his wand in a cutting spell aimed for his neck. Fucking Aurors. Then everything went black.
Amelia sat behind her desk as two Aurors stood in front of her. Scrimgeour, who had taken over as Director when she had become Minister and Proudfoot.
"All six Death Eater Safe Houses were raided." Scrimgeour said. "Thirty Death Eaters killed, four captured. Only two minor injuries amongst the Aurors."
Amelia nodded. Phase One was now underway. The raids on the Death Eater Safe Houses were not the main part of Phase One, in fact they were just a distraction and every Safe House was well known to the DMLE for a while.
"And the other aspect?" Amelia asked Proudfoot.
"Seventy percent complete in the DMLE, twenty-six percent across the entire Minister." Proudfoot replied. "All of those uncovered are in isolation cells."
That was the real Phase One. The purge of Death Eaters and, where there is enough evidence, sympathisers from the Ministry. The purge was seeming to be quite a success, but the final results were still to come in. It was a good first step though.
The discussion turned next to other Law Enforcement issues.
TBC….