Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and am making no money from this.

Cho

Prefect rounds are meant to be a time where students are in their dorms, studying and doing their school work. To ensure that this happens, rather than having students wandering all about the castle we Prefects patrol Hogwarts. Or so the theory goes. In reality the Prefects are hardly fully staffed for our rounds. Hermione and Pansy are essentially never seen; the reason is widely believed to be because they are locked in some classroom for amorous activities.

I can't claim to be 100% effective in my own patrols either. Since Fleur started accompanying me on my rounds I'm far more interested in conversing with her than I am in catching any malcontents. Though to be fair, said malcontents would have to be quite oblivious to their surroundings to get caught by me in the first place; my stiletto high heels click quite loudly on the stone floors of the castle. Of course I've come to love them and how they make me look, so changing them to something more stealthy is out of the question. And Fleur shares my love of high heels, so even if I did have a lapse of sanity and fashion sense, she still would alert people to our presence. So the logic of my situation is quite clear: fashion wins over practicality.

For a time, a long time in point of fact, our time together consisted largely of me venting; about my relationship with Harry, about my issues with the Weasley family, things of that nature. Now that my relationship with Harry has ended and my relationship with Fleur has stared, however, the sources of my annoyance bother me no more. Thus my conversations with my girlfriend are starting to become actual conversations rather than exercising in venting to an extremely beautiful blonde Veela.

"It's occurred to me, in most of our time together I've monopolized the conversation," I start with her. "You've heard about my family, my career plans, you listen to my relationship issues ad infinitum, but I've been quite negligent in asking about you. It's quite embarrassing, really."

"It's all right," Fleur reassures me. "You needed someone to listen, no?"

"I did, and it's much appreciated, but my situation has quite improved now. So I believe it's time to remedy the one sided nature of our conversations. Please, tell me about yourself; your family, your childhood, what you want to do with your life, anything."

I realize that this sounds something akin to an interview rather than talk with your girlfriend, but I'm more concerned with simply getting the ball rolling. If it gets results then the awkward nature of my question will be fine.

"I have a little sister, you met her, no? She was here during the Triwizard Tournament," Fleur answers.

My rants were numerous, but I know Fleur has one ready for this topic if I push. She's made comments in the past about the Triwizard Tournament and her extreme dissatisfaction with how it was carried out, the often creative interpretation of the rules and extreme resentment of the outcome, such as it was. I believe Harry was declared the Triwizard champion, though it was so overshadowed by other events I'm not entirely sure.

I can't claim to blame Fleur or disagree with her opinion of the final outcome. It was so completely corrupted by outside interference there's no way to claim that any actual result occurred. And that is even if you accept Hogwarts having two entrants rather than simply the one it should have. I suppose the most fair result would have been to rerun the final challenge, though of course that did not happen. Regardless, I think perhaps it is a subject better avoided at the moment. I don't want to upset my girlfriend, after all.

"What about going forward, a career and such; any thoughts? Unless you've come to find writing a research paper is something you want to seriously pursue," I tease about Fleur's cover story for being at the castle.

"The only thing more boring would have been working in Gringots like Dumbledore originally wanted I think."

"A boring job is something I'm glad to avoid as well. But after this year what will you do?"

"I don't actually know. To be honest I haven't found a great love for any career I've looked at. They all just seem so uninteresting; no action or excitement."

"Ah. I suppose outside Quidditch and being an Auror excitement and action are rare in most professions."

"It's a bit late for me to try that game I think. And Auror? No, not for me. Most of the ones I've come across in this country or heard about are hmm, what's the saying, hired goons? Not a life I care to live."

"Beneath you, you mean."

"I think it sounds arrogant to say, but yes."

Arrogance is a thing Fleur has no shortage of. Odd as it may sound, it's something I rather admire about her.

"Then I suppose that would seem to eliminate the obvious choices." It's then that a thought strikes me. "If we were in the Muggle world I'd suggest the military. I think you might be quite well suited to aspects of it, and you seem the sort who would be offered an officer's commission. To say nothing of how good you might look in the dress uniform."

I've seen pictures of Muggle military officers' uniforms, and while some are drab and utilitarian, others are quite stylish, and the image of Fleur in the more attractive ones, especially with her typical unique alterations of a shorter skirt and high heels makes for a compelling image.

Fleur clears her throat, glancing at me.

"Oh, sorry, I think I drifted off there," I blush, embarrassed at how far I seem to have gotten lost in my fantasies.

"Just a little."

"It's only fair," I insist. "If you can fantasize about my having a twin and what might result, I can fantasize about you dressed up in various sexy outfits."

"Fair enough, I'll keep fantasizing about a threesome with your twin, you keep fantasizing about dressing me however you like. Why military though? Or was it just the uniforms?"

"The uniforms occurred to me afterwards, actually. No, it was because from what I know of them, Muggle militaries would actually fit your requirements of excitement and actions. Muggle nations do occasionally go to war, so service in their militaries likely would have a high chance of actual combat duty. Excitement and action to be sure."

"You're the combat girl, no? Prodigy and all that."

"I'm not sure about prodigy, but yes, I do have talent for it and enjoy it. But that hardly disqualifies it for you," I insist.

"Not being a Muggle does."

"All right, you have a point; I was just offering a hypothetical solution," I reply.

"Any other thoughts then?"

"Quidditch groupie? Cheerleader? You certainly have the natural gifts for it." Actually it wouldn't surprise me if somehow or other Fleur had acquired a cheerleader outfit somewhere. Fetishized rather than for practical use, of course. "I suppose I will need a president for my future fan club," I tease.

"You do remember that not so long ago Ginny Weasley practically accused you of being the president of mine."

"Then perhaps we should both fulfill Pansy's fantasies of making a career of catfighting and lesbian domination, performances and Muggle recordings of it all."

"I think we could both enjoy that and be quite good at it," Fleur smiles at me. "Afraid I don't quite know how to go into that line of work, though."

"Nor do I."

"Pity. I suppose you'll have to settle for your second choice of Quidditch star."

"Yes, I'll have to find a way to muddle through."

Ginny

The Quidditch finals are usually a real big deal. This year, not so much. That's because Gryffindor isn't in it. Not that it's a surprise, we knew all year long that Gryffindor wasn't going to be in the finals, Harry and Ron said so right from the start. It's a rebuilding year; next year is supposed to be the year we have a shot at the finals again.

It makes sense we'll do well next year. Yeah, our team is almost all new this year, but we've come a fair ways. Also, the competition is pretty favorable. Hufflepuff just hasn't been the same since Cedric Diggory died, He was a pretty good seeker, but the rest of the team was never that great, and that hasn't changed at all, so no real competition there. Ravenclaw's good, but Cho and a few others are graduating, so they'll be missing a lot of people next year. I'm sure they won't be pushovers, but I think we have a chance. The real competition is Slytherin, but I figure that'll get settled in the finals.

But that's next year. This year it's Ravenclaw and Slytherin playing for the cup. Slytherin lost their entire team for half the year, but the competition was weak enough that they still managed to win enough in the spring to make it to the finals. Malfoy versus Cho. I'm ok with Cho now, and I hate Malfoy, but still, it's not really nearly as dramatic and personal as every other year. But still, it's Quidditch, so we're in the stands watching.

I suppose that's not entirely true, it seems personal for Fleur; she's bouncing around, cheering and yelling and all that. Actually I think half the people in the stands are watching her rather than the game. Turns out, Fleur doesn't wear a bra, so when she jumps up and down cheering… yeah. I swear, that girl…. But it doesn't bother me as much as it used to; I've gotten used to it.

Kind of a lot of that this year, stuff I've had to get used to. Really people I have to get used to, not so much things. It's like there's two kinds of people in my life, the normal people and the other sort. Abnormal, or whatever you'd call them. Normal people are just normal, no big deal. Everyone's normal, basically, except for a few. Those people, it's like the normal rules, the stuff that applies to the entire world just somehow don't apply to them, like it doesn't matter to them at all. They just do what they want and the world has to adapt and deal with it.

The first one I noticed this about was Hermione. Somewhere along the line she changed. From normal bookworm that everyone had high expectations for to whatever the heck she is now: Lesbian, politician, and killer of Narcissa Malfoy. Maybe Parkinson changed her, maybe not. Parkinson says this part of Hermione was always there though, and I'm starting to think she's right. Somehow though Hermione's dealing with the Minister of Magic, like seriously dealing with him like they're equals, and she's still in school. It's ridiculous, but somehow everyone just rolls with it.

And of course there's Fleur, the Veela schoolgirl. Who isn't in school, and if she was would never be allowed to wear a uniform like she does, but somehow she just does it and no one cares. She just does this exhibitionist thing and the world is fine with it. Basically stole Cho from Harry and no one except Ron and I cared. In retrospect it's probably for the best, but at the time it really annoyed.

Cho's another one who seems to exist outside the rules. Plays Quidditch, gets offered some super big contract. Started teaching herself Muggle hand to hand combat, I think because it was flashy as much as because she wanted to learn to fight, now she's actually pretty darned good at both magic and physical combat. And then there's that weird magic of hers. It ignores all the rules of magic that we learned in school, but somehow it works for her. Harry claims Professor Dumbledore and Voldermort are the only others who use magic like that. Who knows how the heck Cho learned it; some book she says, something Professor Dumbledore gave her. Why the heck would he do that? Makes no sense.

I'm not sure where Parkinson fits, if she's normal or abnormal. Well, ok, she's definitely not normal. Even just trying to say she might be in my head makes me realize how ridiculous a question it is. She was in that fight with Hermione where Narcissa Malfoy died, yeah. But I think as much of Parkinson's thing is being an evil super rich bitch as anything else. So who knows with her.

And Harry… well, Harry is the poster child for being not normal, you'd think. But I think deep down he is, and he really, really wants to be normal. Actually he's the only one people would usually think does exist outside the normal rules like that. Marked by Voldermort, chosen one all that stuff. And Voldermort's been after him basically forever, but he doesn't use any of that, his fame or anything. In fact he hates the idea and thinks less of people who do use their fame or looks or stuff.

I think that's part of what his problem with Cho was. Ok, they had a lot of problems, not knowing how to talk to each other, Harry never having a girl before, all that stuff. But I think what a lot of it was, as I've heard Muggles put it, Cho was too much girl for him. Just too far in the abnormal weird superhero wannabe direction, when what Harry wanted deep down was a nice normal girl. A normal girl like me.

Not that Harry knows it, and even if he did he'd probably be stuck trying to think of how to ask me out for weeks. Fortunately for him, he has me who will take care of all that stuff for him.

"Hey Harry," I start, getting his attention away from the game. It's actually a good game, but neither of us is watching it exactly as closely as previous years. Just no connection quite like before. "You going with anyone to the big dance at the end of the year?"

"Huh? What is it, Ginny?" he replies, sort of splitting his attention between me and the game.

"The Last Hurrah, are you going?" That's the name of the year end dance.

"What? No. Why would I go to that alone? That sounds just awful."

Wow. I'm starting to appreciate why he and Cho had trouble communicating. "No. I mean do you want to go with me?"

"What, like a date?" The crowd's getting real loud, so it's hard to hear.

"Yes, that is what it's called when a guy and a girl go to a dance together."

"Um, I don't know, Gin, I'm not sure I want to," Harry starts making excuses.

"Come on, it'll be fun. It's good to get out and do stuff," I cut off Harry. "It's just one night. Besides, what are you going to do, sit in the dorm alone? Everyone's going, so let's do it too."

"All right I uh, guess so." The crowd's roaring now, and I'm smiling a huge smile. I'm dating Harry Potter!

I glance over to see what all the noise is about. Now that I got what I wanted I'm curious what's going on. Looks like the game's over. Cho's landing, snitch in hand to the congratulations of her team. Another cup for her I guess. Big time graduation parting celebration and all that. Good for her. I'm actually kind of happy for her. Good day for both of us I guess. Actually, a great day. Cho gets to be some mega athlete super star with her big life and trophy girl and I get the guy I've wanted for years. Yeah, I'd say we both got what we deserve.

Pansy

So Cho's the big Quidditch heroine again, not that people are that surprised. I guess the Slytherins are, but fuck them, every last one of them on that team, Draco especially. It's a bad time for whoever does though, trust me.

Good times for Ravenclaw and Cho though, big party and all that, the happy blonde succubus girlfriend, the whole deal. And good for her, I like the girl. Can tell it wasn't quite the total celebration for those two though. Cho doesn't have that glow that says 'I just had sex' yet. Don't think it'll exactly be subtle when it happens either. I just hope it happens at school so I get to see it.

Supposedly the girl weasel is going out with Potter now too. At least, that's how she tells it. Truth is they haven't gone out on their first date, she asked him, he did his typical Potter not being sure thing, and then she brow beat him until he said yes. Personally, I don't get what the girl sees in him. Sure he's supposedly the Chosen One, but so fucking what? What, he's supposed to beat the Dark Lord? No way. If the old man can't do it then I'm not seeing a lot of hope for the great forces of light. But if it came down to someone from our generation no way I'd bet on Potter. If anyone it'd be Cho. She's the combat expert, not that tool. No way he's the one to out think or out plot the Dark Lord either, so I just don't get it.

Guy isn't exactly a looker either. I mean, it's not like he's ugly, but he's no Draco. That guy might be an asshole, but he looks good at least. Potter? He's just average. Same for his brains, not a moron, but we're not exactly looking at a towering intellect either. Nice guy and all, has this whole save the world and please everyone complex, but to me that's just fucking stupid. Little kid fantasies, not how the world actually works. So I don't know. Maybe the girl weasel just grew up loving the legend of Potter and still sees that rather than the real thing. Whatever, it's her life.

I'd like to say things are going good, happy couples all around (except for the idiot weasel) and all that, but it's not really that simple. Somewhere out there is the Dark Lord, waiting to fuck everyone over, me included, since like it or not I'm lumped in with the pretty pathetic forces of light; blood traitor and all that. And there's that old African relic hunting down the big scary Order of the Phoenix, which I'm sure will somehow or another fuck us over too. Can't just have things be quiet, just no crap for a while, take end of year exams and then back to Parkinson Manor for the summer. Have Hermione stay with me, we can clean out some of my parents crap, hire some hot French maids, maybe see if we can get some power and internet and TV and stuff in there, start looking at the finances, live my life as a rich chick. The good life. You know, the one I'm supposed to have.

Instead I've got Hermione waiting for some unseen looming disaster to show up, and I can't say she's wrong. The girl's got a good mind for this sort of thing, and I happen to agree with her. Somewhere or another, something's going to fuck us over. Just a matter of what will it be and when's it get here. Like a lot of bad news, it shows up in the morning paper one day.

WILL OUR SAVIOR REIGN?

Since his triumph over You-Know-Who, Wizarding England's savior Chadwick Pennington has remained in the country helping quell the remaining terrorist threats to our way of life. There is however, another service to our nation that an increasing number have been calling for him to undertake: that of being the next Minister of Magic. After a seemingly endless throng of well meaning citizens of our great nation have asked him continuously, virtually since the day he revealed himself to us, today Pennington finally has responded in the affirmative.

"After long consideration and the many requests I have received, today I can announce that I am running for Minister of Magic," Pennington revealed. "While it is a sacrifice to remain here rather than return to that land I have come to call home, I fell I cannot turn my back on my native land of Britain. Too often do I feel a foreigner in the land of my birth, and while many years have passed since I last was here, and change is inevitable, I cannot help but see much of that change as negative, and I simply cannot abide doing nothing about it, not when it is within my power to return wizarding Britain to the greatness that I remember.

"It seems that in this so called modern world everything is simply accepted, with no sense of normalcy, no sense of propriety, and no willingness to judge things, no responsibility to stand up for what is good and right. Too often too many simply sit silent while morals and traditions are eroded in favor of a new age where the measure of if a thing should be done is simply does it feel good. How else could a Dark Lord rise up completely unopposed? Because it was easier to sit and do nothing. Because it was easier to sit quietly and assume someone else would do something. Because this nation has fallen from a bastion of morality to a pit of decadence with no one having the backbone, the moral authority to stand up and say when a thing is wrong, to say that this is not acceptable, that polite society will not stand for a thing.

"In the name of tolerance and acceptance and diversity we have invited into our homes that which in my time would have been unthinkable, vile, and cast out with the weight of an entire nation behind our revulsion. I say no more. No more will we stand idly by while our way of life is eroded. No more will a silent majority allow a few loud dissidents to rewrite the rules of polite society as they see fit. No more will this once proud, upstanding nation have to suffer, to cater to those who have no place in the proper light of day.

"Now I do not seek to place blame on anyone for this decay that has infested my ancestral home. Nor do I think anyone in the Ministry actively sought the decline of this nation. I have every faith that this was done with the best of intentions, and that it was a slow, almost imperceptible decline. But having been away for so long, to come home to see Britain in this sorry state of being I cannot help but be appalled. And while I had not planned to remain here for so long, I cannot ignore the cries of my countrymen."

Pennington's entry into the race for Minister of Magic puts him as the overwhelming favorite, the sole candidate to be completely untainted by past association with the Ministry of Magic. With the election only a short time away, other candidates will have a mighty mountain to climb to even make a race of it.

"Good god," Hermione gasps, having finished reading the long winded announcement.

"Not a fan of our nineteenth century savior's campaign speech?" Cho asks with a smirk.

"How could I be? You know as well as I do some of the things this gas bag is running against."

"What things?" the girl weasel asks. Since Potter and the idiot weasel sit with Cho at meals now, Potter's sort of girlfriend has started tagging along too.

"Gay and women's rights. This abomination reads like a textbook call for traditional family values, every girl settling down with a husband, having two or more kids, staying home to take care of the housework and the men doing all the hard work of having a career and making all the decisions."

"Hermione, there are no real gay rights in the wizarding world."

"No? It can be far worse, I assure you. Laws against gay sex, prison terms or institutionalization if caught. And regardless of the fact you're straight, you're still a girl. Don't you want a chance at a career, a life? At making decisions that affect you, not simply letting you husband do it all for you? Don't you want more than to simply be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, to borrow a Muggle phrase?"

"You make it sound like being a house wife is some prison sentence, Hermione. I get that it isn't for everyone, and you're all scared that maybe he's anti gay, but let's be real here. I just don't see you having some nice legal marriage to Pansy, at least not as far as wizards are concerned. I don't know about Muggles. Oh, and by the way, my mom is a housewife and she's plenty happy as one. So are a lot of other girls. So I don't want to hear any more insults about that." Never seen the girl weasel pissed at Hermione. Kind of funny actually.

"I don't mean to make it sound like an insult Ginny, and I'm sorry if that's how it came across. Your mom is a fine woman and a loving wife and mother, I know. But she chooses to be that. That's the point, she chose that life. I'm sure her having a career could have provided an extremely helpful second income to your family, but she chose to stay home and raise you and your brothers. Right or wrong, she chose that. Actually, it seems to have been the right choice for her. But you must see it isn't the right choice for every woman. I certainly don't want that. Cho doesn't want it. But we have the right to decide for ourselves. Taking that away is wrong, there's no other way to put it."

"Hermione, he didn't say he'd do any of that stuff," the idiot weasel comes to his sister's defense.

"Yes he did, Ronald. I've seen this sort of language from Muggle politicians, appeals to the past and better times and all that. It means exactly what I said."

"Maybe for Muggles, but he isn't a Muggle. He probably hasn't even seen a Muggle in a century, if ever. Well in this country at least, who knows in Africa."

"I just know I can't cook, and I'm certainly not going barefoot. I love my heels," Fleur mutters to Cho, who nods in firm agreement.

"I can't help but think you two are not taking this as seriously as you should," Hermione looks at them.

"Hermione," Cho starts, "what exactly do you want us to do? Pansy and I are the only ones even old enough to vote. Fleur too, though she's a citizen of France so not eligible. What else is there? Our influence is essentially gone now. Ever since that man 'killed' Voldermort no one cares about the heroes and heroines that saved the Ministry. I doubt the paper would even publish a letter from us, to say nothing of actual endorsements of a candidate. Face it, we're old news. Besides simply casting two votes, I fail to see what we can do."

"She's right," I agree. "The interim Minister didn't exactly sound like your biggest fan last time you heard from him, and I don't think our support will change much, not against a big supposed hero who saved the world and all that crap."

"Damn."

"Hey, I'll give you credit, you used the influence you had damned well. Blackmailed the Minister into giving back Parkinson Manor, that's impressive stuff. But I think the cards we had are used up."

"You know this will end badly."

"Of course it will, but what the fuck can we do? We're still kids."

"Kids who've stopped Voldermort every time he's shown up," Harry points out.

"Except for the last time," Cho corrects. "And people have short memories; the last time is the only one most remember."

"And it was supposedly the final time," Fleur adds.

"Except you don't really believe it will be the final time," Harry shoots back.

"No, but the public does, Harry," Cho comes to her sweetie's defense. "And to claim otherwise will simply get you written off as a crack pot. To say nothing of the fact that your name is hardly the most credible around. Even after the end of last year, your reputation was repaired only somewhat."

"So that's it then." The idiot weasel finally figured out the bottom line.

"Yes. From what The Prophet says, this man will win the election and claim a rousing mandate to institute his reactionary policies." Hermione explains.

She's right, too. The other candidates were basically all different flavors of loser, none of them had much public support or any real money backing. This new idiot is going to breeze through the election, and all the traditional families with all the money will love it. It's back to being rich and powerful for them, with no one bothering them. And the loser Order of the Phoenix types? They're fucked. Come to think of it, their kids too. I've heard the caretaker of this place, Finch still has manacles for chaining up kids. Probably get to do shit like flog them too. Bad news for the 'wrong' sorts.

Author's Notes:

Another chapter down, only two left. Hope everyone's enjoying this story now that I'm finally releasing the rest of it. As always thanks to everyone who reads and especially everyone who reviews. I really appreciate it. Thanks.