Disclaimer: Be careful or your actions may come back to haunt you, and remember if you give one person power then you often give it to their successor.

Pardon Me

After talking his way out of the holding cell, Fudge rushed back to his office to do a bit of last minute ministering before he was forced to give up his office. Damn that Weatherly… Wintergreen… Wallaby… whatever his bloody name was. Why couldn't he have done his duty?

Fudge rushed to his desk and began signing as many papers as he could. This was his last chance to make his mark on the magical world, his last chance to transfer Ministry funds into his private accounts, and most importantly his last chance to grant himself a pardon.

IIIIIIIIII

"Master!"

"What's wrong Gretchen?" It was getting close to noon, and Ron was about to go and vote.

"I failed you!" The Dark Bunny started crying.

"What happened? I don't remember giving you any orders, so I don't see how you could have failed me."

"I tried to vote for you but almost ever time I got to the front of the line, they stopped me. I'm such a failure."

"There, there, it's alright," he said, softly, holding the crying girl.

Several other girls, seeing what was going on, also broke into sobs.

"I only voted for you once! Please master, punish me and forgive me!" one cried.

"I, too, failed you at the ballot!" cried another.

"I'm not mad at any of you," Ron tried to calm them.

"But we failed you!" one said, kneeling in front of him.

After the results were in, Ron realized that his one vote could have changed the outcome of the election.

IIIIIIIIII

"Well?"

"The results are in, Master," Peter said nervously. "Fred Weasley is the new Minister of Magic."

"And the title of Dark Lord?"

"The Dark Wizard Jeremy narrowly defeated Snivvy the Snape," Peter said shrilly.

"Cru…"

"You did win the other election by one vote though master," Peter added quickly. "Narrowly defeating former Minister Fudge who got in as a write in."

"Oh?" Voldemort calmed down a bit. "Show me."

"Yes master," Peter said in defeat.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Voldemort demanded.

"Afraid not master," Peter said with a wince. "Guess you spelled it wrong when you changed the form."

"How am I supposed to inspire fear if everyone knows me as the DORK Lord Voldemort?"

"Look on the bright side master," one of the other Death Eaters said.

"What bright side?"

"Your initials are the same so you can keep your monogrammed towels."

"CRUCIO!"

IIIIIIIIII

"Can't believe you wrote in Dork Lord," Harry laughed. "It's things like that that made me marry you."

"But… but I didn't," Hermione protested. "I wrote Dark Lord not Dork Lord, I don't understand it."

"I do," Harry said between giggles. "Your lower case 'A' looks like an 'O.' Like I said, it's things like that that made me marry you."

"Things like… Harry," she said in outrage. The sight of her angry face prompted more laughter. "Stop laughing at me," she demanded stomping a foot for emphasis which only caused Harry to laugh louder. "Why don't we change the subject?" Hermione said firmly. "How was Hedwig able to get through the wards if Crookshanks wasn't?"

"What's Crookshanks?"

"A cat."

"More broadly?"

"A mammal?"

"And what's Luna?"

"Ah," Hermione said with a nod. "I understand."

"Good," Harry said with a fond smile. "Now back to your books. We don't want to take the chance that we'll get engaged to Luna by mistake because you don't know the customs do we?"

"I don't think that will happen Harry," Hermione said with a smirk. "What are the chances that lightning will strike twice?"

"You're the bookworm, you tell me."

"I'll check into it when I have time," Hermione said with a dismissive wave.

"You sure?"

"I already skimmed through several books," Hermione replied. "And the only way Luna can get engaged or married to us without one of us asking her is if she were to do it in the same way I did."

"And those books are the most heavily warded things in the country," Harry finished with a sigh. "Ok, I'm not worried about it anymore."

"Glad you feel so confident in my research abilities."

IIIIIIIIII

"Hey Moody," Tonks shouted. "Let me see your eye?"

"Why?" Moody asked suspiciously.

"Because it's time for another episode of…"

"Aurors gone wild," they said together.

"Gods lass, if only I were fifty years younger."

"Yeah," Tonks sighed. "Well?"

"Here you go lass, who was it this time?"

"Rose made comment about my mother that I thought was in rather poor taste," Tonks explained. "Try to get the images to naughty witch soon, there's this new broom I…"

"So Rose made a comment about your mother and there's a new broom on the market that you want?"

"Multitasking," Tonks said with a smirk. "You said it was the mark of a good Auror."

"That I did," Moody agreed grudgingly.

Tonks pocked the eye and made her way to the woman's locker room. Stowing her clothes in the locker, she silently made her way back to the showers.

"Right then folks," Tonks wearing someone else's face said to Moody's eye. "It's time we explored the habits of the yellow-bellied loudmouth. Also known as Auror Rose, why don't we just take a peak at her in the shower shall we?"

Far away, a grin blossomed on Moody's scarred face as the show continued. He really did love that little bint.

IIIIIIIIII

"Mum, are you here?"

"Percy?" Molly said with a hesitant smile. "Penny?"

"It's us mum," Percy confirmed. "We just thought we'd drop by to say goodbye before we go."

"Where are you going?"

"Penny got a job offer overseas," Percy explained. "And we've decided to take it. We already saw her parents and I wanted to see you before we go."

"Hi Ms. Weasley," Penny said nervously.

"Penny," she said absently. The girl jumped when Molly put a hand on her stomach and then moved it up. "Your breasts don't seem swollen… you're not pregnant?" The tone was slightly accusatory.

"No," Penny replied quickly.

"Of course not," Percy added. "We're not even married yet."

"Well you better get started soon then," Molly sighed. "You were always my good boy Percy, so why don't you continue to be my good boy and give me a few grandchildren."

"What?"

"With Bill and Charlie being such late bloomers, I'm depending on you to give me a grandchild soon. Is it so much to ask for? I just want a few dozen, that's not so much in this family is it?"

"A few dozen?" Penny gasped.

"Your quota is four dear," Molly said to Penny. "Now, which country were you two planning on moving to? "

"I'm taking a job with Gringotts in…"

"Gringotts?" Molly said thoughtfully. "They do have a rather progressive maternity leave… continue."

IIIIIIIIII

"Good evening Harry," Luna said as she walked through their front door. "Good evening Hermione."

"Evening Luna," Harry replied. "Here for dinner?"

"Yes I am," Luna agreed. "You're a much better cook then father is. He seems to think that everything needs to be charred on the outside and raw on the inside."

"My father does, too," Hermione said with a smile.

"We have so much in common," Luna squealed. "How fortunate."

"Uh… I guess so, Luna."

"Do you mind if I use your library before dinner?"

"Go right ahead," Hermione agreed. "What were you looking for?"

"I was hoping to get a look at some of your books on muggle animals," Luna replied. "I hear that some of them are simply fascinating." Luna leaned closer. "And between the two of us, I believe that some of them may be the animals written about in father's newspaper."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply and closed it again. She blinked once, twice, three times. It sort of made sense, a first for one of Luna's arguments. "I'm afraid I don't have much of a section on muggle books," Hermione said shamefully.

"Oh." Luna seemed to droop.

"But don't worry," Hermione said cheerfully. "Harry's taking me out to buy some tomorrow."

"I am?"

"You are," Hermione agreed.

"Before or after Neville's party?"

"What?"

"Neville's party," Luna repeated herself. "If you were planning to go after then may I join you?"

"I didn't know that Neville was planning to have a party," Hermione admitted. "Did you Harry?"

"Nope."

"Really?" Luna asked in surprise. "It must have been because he was unable to find you. May I use your floo to contact him to get your invitations?"

"Sure, Luna."

"Thank you Hermione." Luna walked over to the fireplace and threw in a handful of floo powder. "Longbottom Residence."

"Yes?" The stern face of Neville's Gran appeared in the flames. "What do you want?"

"Is Neville there?" Luna asked politely.

"He's out at the moment with his girlfriend," Augusta replied. "Would you like to leave a message?"

"My name is Luna Lovegood," she began. "And I was wondering if Neville would like me to bring Harry and Hermione their invitations?"

"Harry… Potter?" The old woman asked.

"Yes."

"I can already give you the answer to that question," Augusta replied happily. "He would like that very much. Thank you young lady, may I tell Neville that his friends will attend?"

Luna glanced back at Hermione who gave a firm nod. "Yes, they will be there."

"Good, thank you dear. Goodbye."

"Bye-bye." Luna got up and returned to Hermione's side. "About that shopping trip?"

"How about we go after the party," Hermione suggested. "Harry."

"What is it?"

"What should we get Neville?"

"I was thinking we give him the gift of closure."

"Hmmm?"

"The Lestrange family spells, right, etc."

"Are you sure he'll like it?"

"We can pick up something more conventional, too, if you like."

"Ok."

"Hermione," Luna lowered her voice and leaned in close. "Could you give me advice on what to get Harry for his birthday?"

"I'd love to Luna," Hermione agreed. "How about we get him something tomorrow? We can coerce him into taking our purchases back to the apartment in the middle of the shopping trip so we have time alone to get him something."

"Thank you, Hermione."

"What are friends for Luna?"

IIIIIIIIII

"Minister Weasley?"

"What can I do for you Madame Bones?"

"We can't keep Fudge," she said with an unhappy frown. "Bloody fool did one intelligent thing in his life and granted himself a bloody pardon before the election ended."

"He also enacted several decrees," Fred said cheerfully. "Including one that cut funding for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement by some two hundred percent… there's a notation that states that Aurors shall have to pay for the privilege of protecting the Wizarding world. Another that makes it a death penalty offence to be a Werewolf with a rider that states that being an accessory to being a Werewolf shall be punished by life in Azkaban. And several similar bits of garbage."

"You're not going to let that stand are you?"

"Normally it would take a full session of the Wizengamot to have them repealed," Fred replied. "But another of the decrees he managed to get enacted changes all that. I am, in effect the sole and absolute ruler of the magical world. As such, I hereby rescind all of Fudge's decrees except two."

"Which two?"

"The one that makes me the absolute ruler for one," Fred said. "Angelina demanded that I keep that one until we've managed to reverse all the damage caused by Fudge and his ilk."

"And the other?"

"The one that gives the Minister the power to imprison anyone at any time for any reason. I believe he had that one passed after Harry was found innocent, I'm guessing he didn't want to have to take the chance on another inconvenient trial. Especially one that didn't give the verdict that he wanted."

"Why in the bloody hell would you keep that bit of garbage?"

"One reason," Fred's voice hardened. "Madame Bones, you are directed to apprehend former Minister Fudge and keep him until such time as I deem he should be released. He may have signed that bloody pardon but it won't do him a bit of good."

"Yes Minister," she said with a smile. "I'll be sure to handle that matter personally."

"Be sure to give Fudge a message from me when you arrest him."

"What message Minister?"

"Harry Potter is a member of the Weasley family," Fred said. "If you attack one of us, you attack us all."

"I'll be sure to tell him sir."

"Thank you Madame Bones, but please call me Fred."

"Amelia."

"Alright, happy hunting Amelia."

"Thank you Fred."

Fred sighed as the woman left the room. If he'd had known that he'd win and have to deal with serious issues then he'd have never run in the first place. Perhaps it was for the best, he tried to convince himself. Angelina seemed happy about what had happened and when she was happy, she made sure that he was very happy.

"Bloody Fudge had to make such a mess of things didn't he?" Fred rubbed his eyes. "Bloody job wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to fix so many things the first day."

AN: The ongoing list of people that contributed to this fic without whom, it would not have been nearly as good . . . one might go so far as to say it would be quite bad: nonjon, Ed Becerra, ausfinbar, David Wangen, neil.reynolds, dogbertcarroll, hattenjc, the caitiff, AlanP, Lone Wolf, meteoricshipyards, Shawn Pickett, Morris Rague, luinlothana, Treck, Drake, David Brown, Moshehim, Arthur Hansen, Marneus Calgar, Goblin214, Chris LeBron, khadon99, Shawn Pickett, tekobaka, Freddie, Musings of Apathy, Brian Arcis, and everyone else on my yahoo group. They gave me scenes, ideas, and all sorts of other things. Tell me if I missed you so I can add to this list. Another thanks goes to meteoricshipyards who wrote the majority of the continuing adventures of the tentacle monster as well as several others. Anything I wrote on that sub plot was fairly minor so kudos. And still another goes to neil.reynolds who wrote a large number of scenes. Yet another goes to The Resident who was good enough to do a bit of editing and caught several of my mistakes.