Chapter 38: Upping the Ante
The Malfoy Manor,26th December 2010, 0600 GMT
Hermione smiled at Pernie and Patrick, "Today is a special day, not just for me, but the entire Magical World. We will be taking our battle in a public arena. I need plenty of energy. Please fix me the heaviest but healthy high energy meal. Patrick, after my meal, please summon my core team, Bill, Percy, Adena, Athena and Lucas."
Both of them bowed to her and snapped away.
Hermione enjoyed a breakfast of flavored spiced oats, Spanish omelet, lean bacon and Waffles with White Chocolate sauce.
Later, she settled herself comfortably in front of the warm fire as her team joined her one by one in the drawing room.
Hermione smiled at everyone before looking at Bill, "Today Bill and I would be announcing a landmark decision in Magical History. All 9 basic human needs of all residents of Magical UK, will be sponsored by us. This would be against using the passion and talents of the recipients on visionary impact projects undertaken by us. This is irrespective of their allegiance to any of the 3 worlds: Good, Middle and Dark. Lucas and Adena, with the cooperation of the Middle World, we can do this for all countries across the planet, through our investment wing. I understand that we are talking of a Gigantic Amount and offer you a 15% ownership stake in the Good World and our code of honor, that we will pay you back fully. I already have the agreement of all the Magic Ministries of the Good World on this. We can completely eliminate one source of recruitment in the Dark World: Economic Compulsion. Percy is in charge of Administration, Bill for Finance and my core team for their respective portfolios, as it relates to the execution of this grand and permanent project.
Draco pointed out to me that the other reason is fear. We will tackle this in 2 ways: we offer complete immunity to all the Dark World members who take our services, with no bias against their past, present and future choices. Second, we engage in peaceful and synergistic cooperation with Muggle Governments to coordinate the developments in STEM, Commerce and Culture. However, in the remote chance that things turn sour, we protect the Magical species as a whole by calling on the talent and expertise of the Middle and Dark Worlds. I discussed some specifics of this vision with Pansy, Natalie and Neville, for their unique role in this project but apart from their limited knowledge, you folks are the first people to know about this."
Everyone looked at Hermione in sheer admiration, quietly absorbing the impact of her vision, which was about to be a reality on that day. Everyone assured her that they would easily carry out their portion of this responsibility. Lucas and Adena agreed without any condition or negotiation and coordinated with Bill to transfer funds. Then she declared this to her entire extended team and nearly half of them were in tears, including Natalie and Celia.
The reaction of her team was small fry compared to her public announcement. The collective cheering almost broke the magical walls and almost could be heard by the Muggles. Within minutes, owls were flying across the globe, declaring Hermione to be the greatest leader since Dumbledore. All Magical Ministers before her smiled warmly and gave her all the blessings, saying that they were all extremely proud of her. That meant more to her than all the public and private adulation.
However, she also had to focus on other important aspects. She certainly hadn't forgotten the security breach.
Hermione and team also continued the other aspects of the Security Protocol, with spies operating at every level against the Dark World and the Middle World cornering them against the wall, to accept the peace treaty of Hermione.
Her next declaration that evening also rocked the Dark World. If the last announcement was meant to curtail new recruits, this one was meant for existing members. It had 2 parts.
The first said that all junior dark world members, if they were allowed to leave alive, would be provided complete immunity from legal compliance from all Good and Middle World Law Enforcement agencies. That took away the fear factor. As regards Senior Dark World members, who certainly could not leave alive, they personally would be having Good World and Middle World immunity for all their past, present and future actions, as long as they decided to abstain from any form of bloodshed and violence.
Within 3 hours of these announcements, 80% of the junior dark world members and 40% of the Senior Dark World members came out in the open, agreeing to give up violence. 10% more offered to lay down their lives because they knew they couldn't quit but their heart was no longer in this space, after the comprehensive announcements by Hermione.
Now the Dark World felt pressed on all sides, externally by Middle World, 90% less recruits and substantially lesser Junior and Senior active members. Their whole essence seemed to be shaken up from the foundation. The only silver lining that they had was that the remaining members were fully committed to the Dark World ideology.
They had to come up with some sort of response. The Dark World global leadership held an emergency meeting at Aspen Ski Resort at Colorado. They nominated Ander himself to give the message to Hermione. He had recommended almost 20 other peaceful options that were synergistic with the Other Worlds but his voice was drowned out by the pain and fear of the other members.
On Monday evening Hermione had just come back from work and was about to settle in her couch for meditation, when Malcom told her that Ander wanted to meet her and her core strategy team. She washed her face and her tiredness was gone after which, she immediately instructed Patrick and Pernie to assemble her Core Team, Pansy, Neville, Adena, Athena, Lucas, Veena, Bill, Percy, Arthur, Katie & Zabini, (Natalie/Celia/ Dudley to hear in the background), Ginny, Molly, Penelope and Luna. She informed them that Ander was coming physically and meeting them all in his full shape and form for the first time. None of them were to speak until Ander finished.
Ander was thoroughly checked by Malcom and his security team, before allowing him inside a basement below Malfoy Manor where all spells were disabled by a Magic Charm.
Ander bowed at Hermione before looking directly at her eyes, "I must truly admire you. No one in entire recorded history of the Dark World has posed us so many challenges, without a drop of bloodshed. We are used to facing death but we are absolutely paralyzed to face your intelligence, light and love. You are striking us at the places which are attacking our core, physically and metaphorically. I have offered around 20 peaceful solutions to engage our points with you but it seems sane voices are still a minority in our community.
They have reverted back to the only strategy we know, intimidation, fear and violence. You are of course immune, but no one else in your team is, including your immediate family. Our majority believes in pushing your light back by making the lives of you and your loved ones miserable, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually- it might have been financial too but your partnership with the Middle World makes that meaningless. Personally, I don't agree with them but I am still a leader in a democratic system and I am unable to change the system to an Autocracy, because as we saw with Voldemort, that never works.
I wish to warn all of you, including you Hermione, that the next few years will not be pleasant for you. If after all your attempts of fairness and love, with respect to the Dark World, you can melt no hearts, these members are beyond reasoning. Be prepared for ugliness, despite all your love and respect to the Dark World. Yes, our numbers are now much lower but in terms of Absolute Numbers, we are still much larger than the Good and Middle World, which is the smallest. And we all know that it doesn't take too much brains to carry out the dirty work of the Dark World. My Heart cries out but I can't give you any better news."
Hermione gave him a wry smile, "I made the highest possible choice but I am also a realist. I never live in a fantasy world but I offer the highest choices for all. I knew that until the Dark World came to the negotiation table, nothing much could be done. The whole point was wins for all of us (Good, Middle and Dark) or no deal. I empathize that the Dark World (or most of them anyway) feels vulnerable to show their cards, after Millennia of secrecy. However my announcements and my commitment to the welfare of all 3 worlds, stands valid. My offer of peace with the Dark World, also stands. As and when there are more mature members like you and Natalie, we can all come to a common platform. These negotiations are meant for synergy, not transparency. I know each of have our unique secrets and MO. I will never ask any of us to reveal that, but in matters of common welfare or emergencies, we will act together as a team. For that to happen, we must at least know each other and appreciate our strengths and areas of improvement. Hence, my open offer for peace in the 3 worlds, stands, permanently."
Ander bowed in respect to Hermione and promised that he would do his best to offer rightful places in the organization to intelligent loyalists like Natalie. He said that each meeting with Hermione only increased his respect for her. However, he was bound to stay loyal and perform actions in consonance with Dark World majority, even if it hurt her.
Hermione then called in her entire team inside as they sat around a warm fire. She also instructed Patrick and Pernie to assemble the entire Order of Phoenix and DA Group.
She began as she looked at Harry and Ron first, "Harry, despite my highest vision, the Dark World's decision makes it clear that we as a team are about to face a lot of challenges. The best thing now is our pooled brain power. We must avoid violence for as long as possible and play defense. We also devise strategies to capture their errant members, instead of threatening their lives, irrespective of whatever they feel. You will devise your defensive mechanisms with Katie and Zabini.
Malcom and team, it is time that our lower divisions step up and each member of our group has triple layer security.
Draco, we may need to call upon assistance of the Elite Warriors in other countries and your negotiations would be critical here.
Athena, Penelope, Neville, Pansy/ Arthur, Natalie, Celia, Luna and Veena, will form my core brain pool and supply critical inputs to other teams with research and skill up-gradation.
Molly and Ginny will continue to update all our children and this will be coordinated with Patrick, who has my essence.
Fred and George, we now need to decode the star level communications from their top level members and quickly pass on our interpretations to Katie and Zabini. That will be critical for us to allocate our resources accordingly.
Bill, Percy and Charlie will correspond with our Core Brain Pool and it will be a 2 way information flow. Finance, Administration and Bio-Weapons used in the potential war would be of critical importance.
The entire Middle World will be expertly handled by Adena in consultation with Athena and Lucas. Lucas will also compensate and reward Lucius, as we promised him.
For all others, your central point of communication is Katie and Zabini, along with Neville.
Neville, if you can handle this level of pressure in a live situation, you can certainly succeed my position, when I decide to move on. That will only happen after a few years, though!
All communications with Hogwarts will be coordinated, again by Pansy and Neville, assisted by Luna and Penelope.
We continue with our core focus and take on additional roles, as the situation demands.
Are we all ready?"
Everyone cheered for her. The impact of her decisions had already filled them up with hope and optimism. However, The Dark World stubbornness did pose a few significant challenges.
They had no idea that they were about to be put through a trial by fire and the next 4 months would be the longest they ever faced in their life, for all of them together, individual and collective.