Chapter 9

"Is it selfish of me that I wish he didn't have to kill my father? That we could find some other way?" Hermione asked Severus later that evening after explaining to him everything they learned at the Ministry.

"No, of course not," he told her soothingly. "He is your father and it is only natural that you wish he could survive as well as Harry. The fact that you wish for it is not selfish, only if you acted upon it."

"I had hoped the prophesy was a fraud and that he wouldn't have to be killed," She told him sadly. "Somehow he has grown on me in the past months. I know he is evil but when he writes to me he is much more Tom than Voldemort. I only wish Tom could survive and Harry only kill Voldemort."

Severus thought about it for a while, "Well, why can't he?" He asked her. "It only says that Harry has to kill the Dark Lord, if he killed the part that is Voldemort then Tom would cease to be a Dark Lord and the prophesy would be fulfilled." Hermione just beamed at him for a moment, kissed him soundly and ran off to the bookshelves to begin researching how to just kill the evil part of her father and not the good parts. Severus hoped he hadn't given her false hopes and decided to help her research.

"Is it horrible of me to wish I didn't have to kill?" Harry asked Pansy, Draco and Ginny as they sat in a corner of the Slytherin common room. "Of all the parts of the prophesy that I wished wasn't true it was that. I don't want to be a murder."

"What if you don't have to murder him?" Ginny asked, voicing something she had been thinking about for a while. "I mean it just says you have to vanquish the Dark Lord and either one of you must die at the other's hand. What if that just means that you have to kill off the Dark Lord part of Tom Riddle? Nothing says you have to murder him, just vanquish the Dark Lord. If he ceased to be Voldemort and was once again Tom Riddle, then you effectively would have killed the Dark Lord yet you would not have had to murder him."

The other three started at her with wide eyes. "That's brilliant," Draco finally said. "He has already exposed Dumbledore and the Death Eaters are all swayed to the middle ground as well. If Harry could cleanse Voldemort of all the dark rituals and enhancements the war would almost be won. All we would have to do is get the proper legislation passed and let the general public know what we believe and they would all rally behind us. Harry we could win this whole thing without a fight!" Draco told him getting very excited.

"That sounds great, but how do I accomplish that?" Harry asked them, hoping they could come up with a way.

"We will have to research," Pansy stated firmly. "Let's head for the library, I'm sure Snape will give us a pass to the restricted section."

"Just to be safe, let's have McGonagall give us the pass. We don't want Snape's involvement to get back to Tom in case our research is found out." Ginny suggested and they all agreed and let Harry go find their head of house while the other three would look through what the library had in the main section.

Charlie, Bill and the twins were meeting with Percy for the first time since Ginny told them he was on their side. The five were sitting in Percy's living room drinking tea and discussing the war and the ramifications of Harry revealing what Dumbledore was really about. The discussion had turned to how to end the war without a fight. "If Harry shows his support we could draft up some better legislation, overturn the stupid laws we have in place now and effectively strengthen our borders and magic. As soon as those measures are in place and the public rallies behind Harry, the zealots would not have anything to work with. If we can suppress the pro-muggle weirdoes like Dad and the extreme blood purists we would effectively end the war without a battle being fought." Bill commented to them all.

"Well, Harry may be able to get the support needed for the legislation but he doesn't know a think about Wizarding politics or laws. He will need help drafting the laws and help with how to use his power and influence to get them passed." Charlie told them.

"We can help Percy with drafting the laws," Fred and George offered. "Believe it or not we are very familiar with most of the wizarding laws as we need to get around quite a few for our shop."

"I know others in my department and a few Wizengammot members who would be willing to help as well," Percy told them, excited and happy that most of his family was behind him again.

"I can help train Harry in wizarding politics but I am sure his Slytherin friends can help out as well." Bill told them with a smile that they were going to actually do something rather than just sit around talking about it.

"I'll work on getting others to support us and Harry. I'll contact all the excommunicated Order members as well as those that I feel could really help us. We'll form our own Order around Harry and the truth." Charlie said and they spent the rest of the evening formulating plans and figuring out how to get Harry the info he needs.

Arthur Weasley was confused and upset. Albus Dumbledore had asked him to do research on the muggle world, in the muggle world to prove to the wizarding world that they were not to be feared and that their technology would be a great benefit. Arthur had been looking forward to finding more out about muggles. His research in the past had always just been about their objects and technology and not about their culture. What he was finding in his research was frightening. He had never really listened when people told him that muggles were violent and many were intolerant of other races or religions. He had read reports on the beating of homosexuals, the wars being fought over religion and the way people treated different ethnic groups and he was appalled. Harry and Hermione were right, for the most part muggles were normal caring folk but there were enough extremist groups in a single country of muggles that they would be capable of wiping wizards out entirely. The more he researched the more he realized that what Dumbledore was suggesting was the worst thing possible for the wizarding world. He still thought that muggles created wonderful things, but he realized that to expose themselves to muggles could easily be the last thing they ever did. He didn't know how he would convince his wife and had a feeling he would be moving in with his sons soon. He also knew he needed to write Harry and all his children apology letters.

Voldemort was pacing his compound; he had just finished hexing a few hundred rats in the dungeons to release some of the stress building up from not using dark magic as often. His body craved the dark magic as much as if not more than food. The more he performed the dark curses, the less of his past as Tom he remembered and the bitterness and evil grew inside him, suppressing any positive emotions that had risen to the surface. He had promised himself that he would wait to take over the ministry until the summer when his daughter could accompany him. He wanted to show off the power of his heir and let the world know that she was his right hand. Hermione was frustrating him though with her insistence that no one be killed and that they could win the war without killing everyone who opposed their ideas. She had told him that all they needed was to be persuasive and the people would embrace their cause like they once had Dumbledore's. He hated waiting and it was taking all his willpower not to just march into the ministry with wands blazing and take over what he knew should rightfully be his. He was the heir of Salazar Slytherin, greatest of the four founders and therefore he knew it was his destiny to rule the world.

Hermione was franticly searching for ways to cleanse her father of the dark magic that held his soul hostage. She knew it was calling to him to do evil things and was hoping to quickly find a way to save him. She was getting more and more letters from Voldemort telling of his plans for the world rather than from her father Tom who would ask about her and ask for her input. The fear that Tom would completely disappear kept her researching all but 6 hours per day to sleep. She knew that if Voldemort completely suppressed Tom there was nothing she could do to prevent the loss of lives. She hoped her friends were having more luck in the castle's library.

Ron Weasley was furious with his brothers and with Harry Potter. He couldn't believe how they would take the side of the evil spawn of Voldemort over that of the headmaster who had always known what was best for everyone. Hermione was the worst one in his opinion, he would have killed her himself if she wasn't in hiding. He just knew it was her fault that his family was broken apart. He would get his revenge on both her and Harry Potter. First he had to get Ginny away from Harry; he had been plotting the right way to do it for a week. He knew he couldn't beat Harry in a fair fight so knew he would have to ambush him from behind.

Ron waited, hidden behind a statue, for Harry to pass by. When the Boy-who-lived finally passed him Ron jumped out yelling a blood boiling curse at his once best friend. Luckily Harry had been taking Moody's constant vigilance seriously and had noticed the shadow behind the statue and when he heard the rustling of movement had already ducked, turned and drawn his wand. Harry saw the curse miss him by only inches and fired off three rapid stunners towards the caster. He hadn't immediately recognized the spell but by the damage it did to the painting it hit he was glad for his paranoia and quick reflexes.

Unluckily for Ron Harry had not been the only one in the corridor at the time. Professor McGonagall had witnessed it from one end of the hallway and Professor Flitwick from the other. There were also a handful of student witnesses as well, including Pansy, Draco and Ginny. Draco and Pansy were holding Ginny back from attacking her brother as well. Ginny had recognized the curse and was yelling at her brother that he was a traitorous, murdering, despicable excuse for a human being and that she would personally make sure that Harry brought every charge possible against him. The professors escorted the students and the unconscious Ron to McGonagall's office so she could contact the Aurors as Harry agreed with Ginny and announced he wanted to bring criminal charges against Ron. As Ron's own record of violence against Hermione was against him and well documented the professors had no choice but to follow procedure. Flitwick contacted the Board of Governors and then contacted the headmaster, making sure to contact him last so he could not cover up another screw-up by one of his 'prize' students like he had on multiple occasions in the past.

Amelia Bones arrived along with Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and two other aurors to take statements, test Ron's wand and question him with truth serum. The Weasley's were informed and brought to Hogwarts for the questioning since Ron was still an unqualified Wizard living at home. Dumbledore arrived at the same time as the aurors and was livid that he had no say in the proceedings. The representative for the board of governors arrived and they all took seats in an unused classroom so they could all hear what the witnesses and Ron had to say. The first thing they did was open Ron's school record and list off all his infractions for fighting and use of magic against other students, which was quite long and had many of the board glaring at Dumbledore since any student should have been expelled multiple times over for what was in the youngest Weasley boy's file.

Harry and the rest of the students gave their statements and the 4 students other than Harry and his friends, who he requested be allowed to stay, were sent back to class. The professors gave their statements next and Arthur realized his youngest boy was about to be expelled, there was no way around it unless he had been under a mind altering spell. Molly was sobbing about how her baby was being framed and told Ginny in no uncertain terms that she was no longer welcome at home for lying about her brother. The aurors secured Ron to a chair and revived him to give his statement. Needless to say he was terrified when he came to and realized he was surrounded by aurors and bound to a chair. When he looked around and saw everyone else he realized that Harry had ratted him out and he was in trouble again. He knew he would be fine though since Dumbledore was there and had always gotten him out of trouble before.

"Ronald Weasley, you have been accused of the attempted murder of Harry Potter." Amelia Bones told him. "There are eye witnesses to this act; therefore you will be questioned with the use of truth serum. Is there anything you wish to say before the potion is administered?" For once Ron was smart and kept his mouth shut and just shook his head.

Tonks placed the three drops of potion on his tongue and waited for the potion to take effect before nodding to Madame Bones to begin her questioning. After a few routine questions to make sure the serum was working properly she began the interrogation. "Did you cast magic at Harry Potter today?" She asked him.

"Yes," he answered, completely unaware of the danger he was in thanks to the fog of the potion.

"What magic did you cast at Harry Potter today?" She asked once they had established that he had cast magic against Harry.

"I cast the blood boiling curse," Ron answered.

"Why did you cast that curse at Harry?" Bones asked.

"I needed to get Ginny away from his influence, he was brainwashing her along with Hermione. I can't find Hermione so I had to settle for taking out Harry." Ron told them, not noticing the gasp of outrage from his sister and the despairing wail from his mother.

"Do you know what the consequences would have been had Harry been hit with the curse you cast?" Bones asked him, hoping the boy was just aiming to hurt not kill.

"It would have super heated his blood to the point it began to boil and if the counter curse was not cast within 30 seconds he would asphyxiate and die." Ron said monotonously, using words that he did not even realize he knew.

"Were you planning on using the counter curse?" Bones asked.

"No, I did not even learn the counter as all I needed was the curse." Ron told her.

"Were you planning on killing Harry Potter?" Bones asked making sure she covered all her bases with the questioning.

"Yes," Ron answered, still in the potions induced fog.

"What were you planning to do once you had killed him?" Bones asked.

"I learned how to transfigure his body onto a bone and was going to burry it in the forest after classes. I was then going to steal all his belongings and make it look like he ran away." Ron told them, showing them all that he had planned this well in advance.

"How long have you been planning on murdering Harry Potter?" Bones asked.

"I have been planning on killing him since I heard the prophesy. I planned on killing him as soon as he beat the Dark Lord so I could take the credit. When I realized he was evil I had to change my plans and have spent the last week making plans to kill him." Ron told them, causing many in the room to feel ill at the thoughts of the boy before them.

"Were you planning any other murders?" Bones asked, disgusted with the boy in front of her.

"Yes, I plan to kill Hermione Granger once she comes out of hiding as she is the spawn of evil and must be destroyed. I have also been planning the best way to kill Draco Malfoy since my first year and have yet to come up with a suitable plan." Ron told them.

"Why do you want to kill Draco Malfoy?" Bones asked.

"He is a slimy Slytherin git and deserves to die. He has made fun of my family and me for years and his entire family is dark and evil. He will just end up joining the dark lord and needs to be killed, all death eaters and Slytherins need to be killed. I hate him and want to kill him, watch him suffer and laugh as he realizes he is not as high and mighty as he may think. I also want his money and feel my family deserves it, I plan on having him sign over his inheritance to me using the imperious curse before I kill him." Ron told the stunned audience, even Dumbledore was shocked with how twisted and disturbed the boy had become.

"Why do you believe all Slytherins and death eaters must be killed?" Bones asked.

"They are all evil, every single one of them are cold hearted evil bastards and should all have been drowned at birth. When I become minister of magic I will have all of them killed off and the house disbanded at Hogwarts and create a new house in my family's name as we are just as old and pure as the founders." Ron told them.

"How were you planning on becoming minister of magic?" Bones asked, curious to the inner workings of the disturbed child.

"Headmaster Dumbledore promised to get me the job before I started Hogwarts. He promised that he would one day make me minister of magic if I befriended Harry Potter, kept him out of Slytherin house and made him hate and distrust all Slytherins. I had to make sure Harry wasn't too smart or knowledgeable of the wizarding world and would be totally dependent on Dumbledore. The headmaster told me that after we won the war he would be so powerful that he could just appoint me as minister and no one would object. Becoming minister was my final payment for helping him control Harry." Ron told them.

"What other payment did you receive from the headmaster?" Bones asked as she discreetly had the aurors train wands on Albus and lock and ward the door.

"I was given spending money for sweets and Christmas presents and my books and tuition were paid for. Mum started helping at the same time and Ginny and the twins got tuition and books paid for too. Mum told me that all the money was coming from Harry's vault as the Headmaster had the key and Potter wouldn't notice the difference. I was made prefect and my broom was paid for by the headmaster from Potter's account. I only wish he would have paid for our robes as well so I didn't look poor. He also got me my spot on the Quidditch team by obliviating two students who could have beat me into thinking they didn't want to play. I don't have to study for any of my classes as he makes sure I have passing grades and he swapped out my OWL results to show I had much better scores. He told me that he would pay for my flat after Hogwarts until the war ended and I could move into the Minister's mansion." Ron told them, shocking everyone in the room and causing the Aurors to bind Albus to his chair for later questioning.

"Was anyone else aware of your plan to murder Harry Potter?" Bones asked, trying to get through the required questions so they could question Albus as well.

"No," Ron answered to the relief of everyone in the room.

"If you are released will you try to kill anyone in the future," Bones asked.

"Yes, I will continue with all my plans." Ron told them.

"Were you asked to do anything illegal by Albus Dumbledore?" Bones asked and the answer shocked her at the list of things that Albus had used the boy to do or asked the boy to do for him over the years including obliviating other students, stealing things from students and professors and deliberately spreading false information about Harry and Hermione.

"Has anyone ever used any compulsion charms on you or your family to make you do the things you have mentioned?" Bones asked; glad to be almost done with the questioning.

"I have never had any charms cast on me but Ginny has by both Dumbledore and Voldemort's Diary and my mum has by Dumbledore." Ron told them.

"What were the charms cast by Dumbledore on your mother and sister for?" Bones asked.

"Mum wanted to stop helping him control Harry after she met him and realized what his home life was like so Dumbledore placed a compulsion charm on her to do whatever he believed best as well as to be completely and unswervingly loyal to him above all others and one to make sure she wanted revenge for her brothers above all other goals. Ginny was placed under the charm so she would like Harry as Dumbledore wanted them to produce a child together. Ginny was also charmed after the incident in the chamber to never want to speak of it and to never reveal any information she learned in the diary to anyone other than Dumbledore." Ron told them as the Headmaster tried to do some quick thinking on how to save himself.

"What other illegal activities have you engaged in?" Bones asked and was glad she was not the one recording the interrogation as Ron rambled off a seemingly never-ending list of infractions of which only a handful Harry was even aware of. Molly was sobbing uncontrollably into Arthur's shoulder as she realized that not only was Ron going to be expelled but he would be spending time in Azkaban as well for all the things he had done and all under his own power as he had admitted to not being under any spells or potions. Being told that she was being controlled by compulsion charms was horrible and she didn't know what to do as her desire to be free of the charms was warring with the compulsion to be loyal to Dumbledore.

Amelia Bones had never been so angry in her life. She had thought that Dumbledore was a good man; even after everything she had read about his position and role in the war she still had thought he was a good and just man. After listening to everything he had done and even to people on his own side like the Weasley family and Harry Potter she knew she was wrong and he was just as dangerous as the dark lord since everyone was convinced he was a grandfatherly old man who had everyone's best interests at heart. She sent the Weasley boy to the ministry holding cells to await trial and turned to Harry to ask him if he wanted to press charges against the headmaster.

"Definitely," Harry told her, sending a piercing glare at his once trusted headmaster. "I want him punished to the full extent of the law. Additionally he needs to be questioned regarding my parents going into hiding and the innocence of Sirius Black, as well as the way he overrode my parents will by placing me with the muggles and his embezzlement of my trust fund. I also believe we need to have a full investigation done of the schools records as well as a thorough review of any legislation he put through the Wizengammot, if he was using mind altering spells on school children there is nothing to say he didn't do the same to get his laws passed. I believe all the teachers should also be checked for this compulsion as well as minister Fudge and anyone else he dealt with that may have been charmed. He has had free reign of this school and the thousands of students that have passed through its walls for too long. The students should perhaps be examined and both the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms checked for objects charmed to perpetuate the feud between the houses. A new headmaster will be needed to be chosen by the sorting hat immediately after the board of governors rescinds Dumbledore as headmaster so the school will not suffer." Harry told her, not realizing he was earning the respect of every adult in the room with how he handled the situation as well as the important points he was addressing that many of them would not have thought about.

"Thank you Mr. Potter, I will follow through with those suggestions and will let you know when I get the permission for a full veritaserum interrogation of Dumbledore. You will have to testify against both him and Mr. Weasley in a few days time. Until then let me just express my deepest regrets for everything you have suffered owing to their manipulations." She told him and swept from the room after sending some signal to Kingsley before disappearing out the door.

"Harry," Kingsley told him with a small smile. "I would ask your permission to scan you for any mind altering spells or potions. I will remove any charms I find and any potions used I most likely have an antidote. I will do this for each of your friends as well as the Weasley family as well. I promise to scan the rest of the old Order as well just to be sure we got everyone." Harry gave his permission and was surprised that there were no compulsion charms, just a very powerful magic suppresser charm that Kingsley said would be better to have Professor Flitwick remove while under watch of Madame Pomfrey and away from anything that may be damaged if his magic lashes out.

Molly Weasley was relieved to have the spells lifted off of her and immediately burst into hysterical tears of sorrow with how she had treated her family and Harry. Arthur was shocked when Kingsley found a compulsion charm on him as well that made him adore anything muggle, which would explain his actions as well. Ginny's reaction to the removal of her compulsion charms was the most entertaining for the group as she immediately sprang from her chair and rushed towards Draco. Her parents were then completely shocked to see her take his face in her hands and then proceed to snog him to within an inch of his life. It would seem she had been developing feelings for the blonde but the compulsion charm kept her from being even able to admit it to herself let alone act upon it and she wasn't going to let him get away from her.

"It would be safest to test Hermione as well," Kingsley told Harry quietly so no one else could hear. "I don't want to compromise her safety but if she could safely get away to be scanned for compulsions it may be beneficial."

"I'll see if I can get her to come to the castle in the next few days. I'll have professor Flitwick perform the charms with Professors McGonagall and Snape as witnesses and we will let you know." Harry told him, glad he seemed to have people on his side.

"If there is anything you need help with just send me an owl," Kingsley told him with a smile hoping the young man before him could help get their world back on track.

"Contact Charlie Weasley," Harry told him in a whisper, "he'll let you know where we need help." He winked at him as Kingsley realized that he already had his own group.

"I'll get a hold of him as soon as safely possible," Kingsley told him with a polite nod of the head before heading off to perform the spell on the teachers present and document his findings.

Pansy and Draco were sitting together late that night in the Slytherin common room after everyone else had gone to bed. "What do you want to do?" Pansy asked him, wondering at the new situation they found themselves in.

"I don't know Pans," Draco told her softly. "I think I'm falling in love with her."

"Well she obviously has strong feelings for you as well if they were able to start to surface wile under a compulsion charm." Pansy told him with a smile, she was happy her friend seemed to be finding true love.

"But what about us and our betrothal?" He asked her confused as to why she didn't seen too upset.

"Draco we are great friends and we would have been content being married but never happy. We will never be in love. This gives us our chance at true love so I am happy for you and want you to take it." She told him smiling.

"But what about you? You'll be all alone!" Draco said.

"I have my eye on someone and I think he is starting to come around. I it give him enough not so subtle hints he may actually make a move," She told him with a laugh.

"I thought you wanted to marry someone with a pureblood fortune so you didn't have to work and could be spoiled and just raise a family," he asked her wondering who her mystery guy was and why she was so willing to let go of the Malfoy fortune.

"That is still my plan Drake but this time it includes love and an even greater fortune than yours," she told him laughing at his affronted look.

It only took Draco a few more seconds to figure it out, "So we both fell for Gryffindors then huh? What were the chances of that? First Snape and then us, we are totally going to ruin Slytherin's reputation!" He fake moaned.

"That's a good thing, and just think that this way we can all still remain friends and hang out all the time." Pansy told him with a grin. "Besides, our Gryffs need our Slytherin cunning to keep them out of danger and get them to where they want to be."

"So Pansy Potter, I guess it has a nice ring to it," Draco joked.

"Oh no, I'm sure it will be Mrs. Ginerva Malfoy before I ever become a Potter. Harry is slow on the uptake, I figure he won't even realize he likes me until the end of the year and then it will take him at least 6 more months to figure out that I could like him back, 3 more to get up his courage to ask me out and then at least a year of dating before he would consider asking me to marry him and 6 months to plan a wedding." She told him giggling. "Ginny strikes me as the type who would wand to elope as soon as you ask her to marry you."

"We've only kissed once; I think it may be way too early to be talking marriage." Draco scowled but was secretly pleased that Pansy thought they were a good match.

"So you have a think for Malfoy then," Harry said as he and Ginny were hanging out in the Gryffindor common room after everyone went to sleep. "I remember hearing you tell Pansy how you preferred blondes but I guess I never saw it coming."

"Are you alright with it?" Ginny asked him curiously.

"Sure, I think you two would be great together. I'm just worried for you Gin since he is betrothed to Pansy already and has been since they were little. What if he still wants to marry her even if he has feelings for you?" Harry asked, worried about his friend.

"I'll talk to him about it but I think it will be ok," she told him with a smile for his concern. "Besides, Pansy told me she wants to marry for love and wants someone tall dark and handsome to sweep her off her feet and show her the type of passion she knew would be missing from a marriage to Draco."

"Well it's a good thing that Pansy and I get along so well then if you and Draco are going to be a couple. I would hate to be stuck up here by myself while you are out snogging the Slytherin Prince. At least Pansy will be able to keep me company." Harry laughed at her red face.

"Perhaps you should follow my lead and go find yourself someone to snog too." Ginny told him with a smirk. "I can't help it if I have more Gryffindor courage than you."

"I'll show you little miss, just you wait. When you least expect it I will wow you with my abundant supply of Gryffindor courage that will make your little snog in front of the teachers and your parents seem like child's play!" Harry declared and they laughed and went to bed.