Author's Note: This is a somewhat short entry, but that's where the muse gave me for these three scenes. It might have been longer if I'd gone the way that the discarded scene went, but it really didn't fit with the way the story had been plotted, and didn't provide a new plot option that was compelling enough.
I got very little feedback on this from the groups that get these works when the scenes are still being written, so there may be some things that are a bit less polished than usual. Too tell the truth, I almost didn't release this chapter today, because of that. That being said, I'm already at work on the next chapter, which will be another date for Harry. This story may actually wrap up soon.
Chapter Seventeen: Chief Warlock
It was very early in the morning when Pansy had arrived at Windsor Castle to see the muggle girls who had been rescued from Malfoy Manor. Six of them had been allowed to attend her wedding, but three had not. One of those that had was June, the one who looked so much like Granger.
Pansy had made sure that everyone of those that had attended had been dressed up and pampered for the day. She'd heard from the doctors that it was important that the pregnant girls have a good self image. Given the fact that they'd all been raped, degraded, and imprisoned, that wasn't something that would be easy for them to regain, but Pansy intended to help do that.
She'd found out that every single one of them were now orphans. Some had been orphans before they had been kidnaped. Some had become orphans when they were kidnaped. June may have had the worse case, she'd become an orphan while she was held captive. Her mother had died of breast cancer just two weeks before she was rescued by aurors. That and their medical condition was why they were still at Windsor Castle in the "magical medical ward" as the mostly muggle born doctors called it.
"Pansy!" June called out, trying to get up from her bed. All the girls beds had been changed from the muggle hospital type bed to more natural ones, apparently pulled from other royal castles. There were still a couple of those beds in the large room, though. Mainly that was in case the couple late term girls went into labor. Sarah, the girl that Pansy had thought looked like her, was actually five days past her due date at the moment.
"It's too early for you to get out of bed, June," Pansy said. "It's summer time, all of you should be sleeping in. I, of course, had to get up because my husband had a before session meeting at the DMLE."
"Did he at least give you a kiss before he left, since he woke you up?" June said, settling back down on her bed, and propping up her pillow.
"That and more," Pansy said with a big smile. "That and more." It was good being a newly wed and waking up next to your randy husband.
Pansy had just crossed the room to June's bed when there was the crack of apparition into the room. She knew that there were only a few people who could do so. The Queen Mother could, as could the Snowden. Of course the current Royal Wizard, Prince Edward could as well, but this was neither of them. It was a tall dark blond wizard, not the almost platinum of her Draco, and the part was on the wrong side at that. It took a few breaths before she realized that it was Peter Phillips, the son of the Princess Royal, who had once let her and Draco in to see the Prince of Wales.
On the floor, having been side-along with him, was a man in old fashioned tweed suit and quite a long beard that Pansy also took a bit of time to recognize. The on duty doctor had already levitated the man over to a free bed, and began to treat the old man before she realized who it was. "What happened the Headmaster?" she asked Peter, who had remained standing in the center of the room. "And why is he here?"
Peter looked at her intently, as if he was trying to decide what to tell her, and how much she could be trusted. He tilted his head a bit, and then straightened. "He just fought Riddle in front of Buckingham, holding him off until Uncle Edward and I arrived. We don't trust Saint Mungo's at the moment, so gran... the Queen told me to take him here. The Doctors that we keep on call here are probably better anyway. We certainly have a better stocked potion room than there. They don't even keep Mandrake Restorative Draught in stock."
"Peter!" the Doctor interrupted. "I need some Skele-Gro. I'm going to have to vanish some of his bones as they're so fragmented. Pansy! I need twenty ccs of Inaprovaline. Where is my nurse?"
Both Peter and Pansy sprung into motion, following the Doctor's orders. Pansy wasn't exactly sure what Inaprovaline was ... she'd been told that it was a drug that helped prevent cellar degeneration, what ever that was ... but she knew where it was kept, and she'd been taught how to load a needle with the appropriate amount. Pansy had actually gotten quite good at readying and giving injections since that first night when she'd stepped up to help at Windsor.
The next half hour seemed like two hours, maybe more, as the Doctor worked to save the life of the Headmaster. They were joined by the nurse that the Doctor had called for. Potions were poured and injected. Spells were cast. Pansy even found herself maintaining a circulation spell as the Doctor worked on the Headmaster's heart.
Finally they had done all they could for the moment, and collapsed onto waiting chairs.
"I think we did it," the Doctor said. "Miss Amesbury, remind me to recommend to Poppy that she take you on for a few classes in healing. Very good job."
"Thank you, Doctor?" Pansy asked.
"Pulaski," the doctor replied. "I know you just volunteered to help where you could, and I really shouldn't have had you learn on the fly, but we need more young people, especially magical people like you. Not just for the medical field, but people willing to be there and do what needs to be done, Dame Pansy."
Moments later, Sarah's water broke, and for the first time Pansy got to see what was going to happen to her around Guy Fawkes Day. It was not something that she was looking forward to anymore.
Dudley Dursley had barely changed out of his morning jogging clothes and still had three steps to go when the bell rang of Number Four Privet Drive. He jumped down those steps and rushed to the door. He hoped that his mother was not woken up by whoever had rung the bell. If he could stop it from a second time, that was good too.
Dudley totally lost his ability to speak for at least a minute when he opened the door and realized exactly who had decided to visit Little Whinging that morning. She may have had a scarf over he head, and the off white blouse she was wearing under the quilted blue jacket wasn't tucked into her skirt, but it wasn't enough for Dudley not to realize exactly who was on his house's doorstep. He may have never actually met the Queen, but he knew he was a loyal British subject and it wasn't like he hadn't met any of the Royal Family before. That being said, he'd met Prince Edward only briefly.
"Your Majesty," Dudley hastily said once his mouth functioned again. He bowed. Behind her was Prince Edward, also dressed casually.
"Is Sir Harry in?" the Queen asked. "I need to speak to him before he leaves for the Wizengamot and unfortunately it appears that your phone is off the hook."
Dudley looked behind him to discover that the receiver was indeed off the hook. "Sorry about that, ma'am. My mum got tired of my Aunt Marge calling, and it looks like she left it off when she went to bed last night. Harry's still asleep. He came back really late from his date last night. I can go wake him, though. You can wait in the parlor."
Dudley quickly ascended back up the stair, and as soon as he reached the top the door to his parents room opened up. His mother stepped out, and it was obvious that she had been doing activities that he would rather not envisage that his parents did at all.
"Mum, you might want to get dressed before going down," Dudley said. "The Queen is in the parlor. She needs to talk to Harry." Then he turned around, heading for Harry's door. Behind him he heard his parents' door slam shut.
Dudley didn't bother knocking on Harry's door. He just opened it, and looked in. Harry didn't appear to be asleep. "Harry, the Queen's downstairs and wants to see you," Dudley said loudly. Harry immediately sat up, revealing that he was still wearing the dress shirt and tie that he'd worn out on his date the night before. The suit jacket was tossed on the back of the chair that matched Harry's new desk. One shoe was on the night stand with Harry's glasses laying over top of it, and the other had somehow ended up resting on top of the curtain rod.
"The Queen?" Harry rasped a bit with a dry throat. "What's she doing here?" He stood up, put on his glasses and began to look around for his clothes.
"I didn't ask," Dudley replied, as Harry dropped one shoe on the floor, and wandlessly summoned the other. "Prince Edward is with her, too."
Harry stepped into his shoes. He picked up his wand and said, "Rectas facite vestimenta sua." His clothes straightened up, then looked at his hair. "Never any hope with my hair, is there, Dudley?"
"Never," Dudley replied.
"Well, we shouldn't keep the Queen waiting," Harry said. "Put the telephone on the hook, then call Hermione. I have a feeling that I'll be at the Wizengamot early today, and I'm going to need her help, I'm sure."
Dudley watched Harry descend to the ground floor, before turning towards his bedroom. He figured that it might be advisable for him to put something a little nicer on. After all, it looked like the Queen had come for Breakfast.
"Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye, the Wizengamot will now come to order on this morning, the eighteenth day of its Summer Session on this the hundred sixty-eighth day of the forty-third year on the reign of her majesty, Queen Elizabeth, the second of that name to reign over the British Isles, Defender of Faith, Lord of all that is Magical. The Member from Surrey, Sir Harry, Chief Warlock Pro Tem, presiding on the orders of Her Majesty. God save the Queen."
Harry could hear the whispers as Prince William finished his morning duties as Herald of the Wizengamot. Generally Dumbledore opened every day's session, but there had been a few exceptions, and when he didn't, it was usually a senior member who did the opening duties before the junior and new members presided during the committee meetings. This would actually be the fifth time that Harry had sat in the presider's chair, but this time was different. This time there was no one to back him up, and he had no idea when Dumbledore would be back.
He knew that Dumbledore was still alive, for the moment at least. He'd been told that a new Chief Warlock could be elected five days of the Wizengamot being in session after the death, removal by the Queen or resignation of a Chief Warlock. There was no provision for the removal of a Warlock who was unable to resign due to illness. It wasn't like such a case hadn't happened before. According to Hermione, in 1723 a Chief Warlock had an overdose of the Draught of Living Death, which apparently was used in small doses to treat certain medical conditions, and had spent the next decade sleeping it off. The Chief Warlock Pro Tem of the time had done such a good job that when that Chief Warlock had finally died, he'd been elected with just one objection, him. He'd been the only one.
Harry didn't want to be another Richard of Surrey, who had also been the last merit member to chose his historic county. The man had spent seventy-four years as Chief Warlock, and judging from what Hermione had said, had spent most of it trying to get out of the job. It seemed that the King could refuse to let a Chief Warlock resign.
"Earl, Baron, and Lords of the Wizengamot, the Summer Session is drawing to a close," Harry began. "I am told that we likely will only be in session for four or five more days. This afternoon we shall be bringing to the floor several bills to vote on, having passed out of committee. I am told that there is a discharge petition circulating on Arthur Weasley's Muggle Artifact Regularization Act. Should you encounter this petition, please direct them to me, as I've been unable to find said petition.
"Now, I understand that the Education Committee would like a few words on some changes at Hogwarts. The Chair yields thirty-six minutes to the Regent for Lincolnshire, Madam Longbottom."
Neville's grandmother stood in her place and began to address the Wizengamot. "Sir Harry, may it please this body to receive my committee's report on the issues at Hogwarts and the solutions already underway to fix them..."