Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: As promised Harry's Birthday Party and a few other schemes. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 23: Fucking Hypocrite
Harry was excited when he saw Neville, Dean, Luna, and even Lavender. After all when they had all parted at the end of term it hadn't been under the best of situations. Everyone knew that Harry had something up his sleeve, which was true he did. After greeting them all in the front garden he let them know that he'd fill them all in later. Since they were all also guests to the wedding, to make matters easier, they'd be staying at the Burrow for the evening. He wanted to be sure that everyone was settled in for the night so that they wouldn't be over heard before going into the details of his plan. He wrapped his arm around Hermione as they all made their way to the back garden where Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Fleur, and Hermione had out done themselves with the decorations. It was the best birthday he'd had since Hagrid had crashed into the rickety cabin and delivered his Hogwarts letter and forever changing his life. "You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble Mrs. Weasley." Harry said hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek.
"It's nothing Harry; you know Arthur and I have always thought of you as one of our own." She said with a bright smile.
"Thank you." He said again.
"Now then," Mrs. Weasley took Hermione's hand so she could study the ring. "When can we expect to celebrate this?"
"Not for a while." Hermione said.
"We want to wait until after everything is settled." Harry said kissing the top of Hermione's head. "And then I've told her that she can plan the most extravagant wedding she can come up with. Seeing as how my mother won't be able to help with the plans, I know that she would have been honored to have you filling in for her."
Tears filled Mrs. Weasley's eyes. "Indeed." She hugged Harry tightly and then Hermione.
Everyone was making small talk standing around the back garden while waiting for Mr. Weasley to make it in from the office. Since the return of Voldemort, it seemed that he was held up more and more often. Times were far from good and it wasn't just members of the Order that was feeling it either. Mrs. Weasley started to suggest that they begin dinner without him, when Arthur sent his Patronus. It informed them all that not only was he on his way but he was bringing with him an invited guest, the Minister of Magic.
Harry and Scrimgeour had never seen eye to eye. Since their encounter back at Christmas the Minister and his regime were slipping even more from Harry's favor. He was curious exactly what the man wanted. Surly he didn't think that Harry would cooperate with the Ministry now when he hadn't before. Nobody was particularly pleased to have Scrimgeour intrude on their festivities and everyone was sure that he knew it too. "Sorry to intrude." He said not beating around the bush. "Seeing as how I'm gate crashing a party I'll keep this quick, I'd like to have a private word with Mr. Potter, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Miss Granger."
"Why us?" Ron asked. He had a guilty look on his face, as if he was being sent to the Headmaster's office for disciplinary actions.
"Why don't you show the Minister to the sitting room?" Mrs. Weasley said in a nervous voice.
"Right," Harry said as he and Hermione headed towards the house. "Ron?"
"Behind you," Ron said.
Once they were all settled in the sitting room, Harry, Hermione, and Ron on the sofa with Scrimgeour seated in an arm chair across from them he cleared his throat. "I am here because of Albus Dumbledore's will." Scrimgeour studied them for several minutes as they all exchanged looks among themselves of complete confusion. "I take as this is a surprise. You were not aware Dumbledore left you anything?"
"All of us?" Ron asked, "Me and Hermione too?"
Before the minister had a chance to reply Harry cut him off. "Dumbledore died over a month ago. Why has it taken this long to give us what we were left?"
Hermione snorted and spoke as Scrimgeour opened his mouth to speak, once more cutting him off. "Its obvious isn't it? They wanted to examine whatever he's left us. You had no right to do that." Harry couldn't help but smile as she scolded the Minister, not caring that he was the leader of their world and not one of her peers.
"I had every right," he said in offense at the girls' audacity. "The Decree for Justifiable Confiscation-"
"Gives the Ministry the power to confiscate the contents of a will *only* when there is suspect or evidence that Dark Artifacts are being passed." Hermione cut him off again leaving Scrimgeour once again stunned and Harry grinning proudly. "The Ministry is supposed to have powerful evidence that the deceased's possessions are illegal before seizing them! Are you telling me that you thought Dumbledore was trying to pass us something cursed?!"
"Are you planning to follow a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?" Scrimgeour said defensively, yet at the same time he couldn't help but be impressed with the little witch.
Hermione let out a short laugh, "No, I'm hoping to do some good in the world!"
Ron laughed at the look of shock on the Minister's face and Harry squeezed Hermione's hand gently before speaking again. "So why have you decided to let us have our things now? Can't think of a pretext to keep them?"
Once again Hermione answered for the Minister. "No, it'll be because the thirty-one days are up." She smirked slightly enjoying the pained expression on the Minister's face. It was as if someone was stomping all over his feet. "They can't keep the objects longer than that, unless they can prove they're dangerous. Right?"
Scrimgeour opened his mouth half expecting to be cut off again. This wasn't exactly how he'd seen this meeting going at all. It was the first time that he'd been best in conversation with a witch barely of age. He decided to give up, sighing he read the will giving them each the gifts they were each left. The Deluminator to Ron, the copy of The Tale of Beedle the Bard to Hermione, and to Harry the Golden Snitch. Then there was the slight issue about the Sword of Gryffindor that the four of them came close to going to blows over. "Why do you think he left you these things?"
Hermione shrugged innocently enough turning the book over in her hands lovingly. She'd never met at book she didn't like, "Dumbledore knew that I like books. Well, I grew up in the Muggle world maybe he thought I'd enjoy fables from the Wizarding World." She said making her gift seem completely logical.
"And you Ronald?" he asked.
"Well...maybe he thought I would need to put out some lights." Ron gave him a dumb look before clicking the Deluminator sucking the light from the room before releasing it.
"Do you also think that your gift was only symbolic, Harry?" Scrimgeour asked skeptically.
"Of course what else could it be?" Harry asked.
"I'm asking the questions!" he snapped getting quite annoyed. "I also noticed your birthday cake is in the shape of a snitch why is that?"
Hermione busted out laughing, "Seriously Minister? Well let's see it could be the fact that Harry happens to be the seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. No, that couldn't possibly be the reason. Or maybe that he happens to be an amazing seeker, but that couldn't be it either, could it?"
"A snitch would be the ideal place to contain something that you wouldn't want another person to find-" Scrimgeour started.
Harry held up his hand cutting the man off he'd had enough of this pointless conversation. "So is this what you've been doing for the past month Minster? Holed up in your office trying to find hidden messages in harmless object when you should have been out doing your job? People are dying and you're sweeping mass breaks out from Azkaban Prison under the rug, while you're trying to strip down Deluminators. This is the reason why we'll never agree and why we'll never work with the Ministry while you're in charge. Voldemort is killing people daily and you're covering it up instead of preventing it. You're nothing but a fucking hypocrite."
