Percy the Assistant

Chapter 1: I Assist Fudge

A Harry Potter Fanfiction

By: Legato Deathscythe

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Percy Weasley had been the new assistant to Minister Fudge for all of a week. It had taken him a few days to get adjusted to his new position but he planned to do the best he could at this job. He had thought he did well when working for Barty Crouch in International Cooperation, even if he ended up dead at the end of the year. Still, he was sure his work had been rewarded with this assignment.

Right now, Minister Fudge wanted to discredit the dangerous and impossible claims of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter relating to the resurrection of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Percy was certain the offical ministry story of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named being dead was the correct one. Still, he wasn't sold on the idea that Potter himself was lying. Percy well remembered his beloved sisters first year and how Dumbledore had allowed her to almost get killed. He also remembered who it was that actually saved her.

He also remembered earlier that year when his younger brothers had stolen their father's car and brought Harry home. Percy had heard Fred and George talking about the bars on the windows and the locks on the doors that had to be opened from the outside. Taking this into account, and assuming Fred and George hadn't been lying, Percy wasn't so certain Potter was lying. Or if he was, that it was for anyother reason then to get out of the home he was forced to live in. He had pulling together his proposal for the last week and now had it all put together.

He took his files and proceeded to Minister Fudge's office. Undersecretary Umbridge was already in the Minister's Office. Percy was glad, because it meant both would give him a fair hearing. He entered in the room and said, "Minister, may I have a moment of yours and Madam Umbridge's time?"

"Of course, Weatherby. Of course," Fudge said.

Percy sighed internally, he didn't bother to correct the Minister. "I've been thinking about the situation with Potter and Dumbledore. I'm not entirely certain that discrediting Potter is the way to go."

"You actually think he's telling the truth, Weatherby?" Fudge asked incredulously.

Percy just shook his head, "I believe he believes that he is telling the truth."

Dolores raised an eyebrow at that, "That's a rather fine distinction."

Percy nodded, "I know, but I believe that Potter maybe a victim in this deception as surely as the rest of Britain is."

"Explain Percy, Explain," Fudge said.

Percy pulled the files out from under his arm and handed them to the Minister. As Fudge was going through the information Percy began, "I've looked over most everything connected with Potter starting from the day he was born until now. Everything of course is perfectly normal up until Halloween of '81. It's then that several inconsistencies enter the official record. Dumbledore immediately moved for the Potter will to be sealed, and informed the Wizengamot that he had seen to the care and well being of Mr. Potter. Shortly after, Sirius Black was captured and sent directly to Azkaban. It's here that the first major inconsistency enters the record."

"And that being?" Dolores asked.

"That Black was never tried before the Wizengamot unlike the rest of the Death Eaters."

Fudge shook his head, "He was obviously guilty."

Percy nodded, "That is what was thought. However, do you know who the person was that said he was the Potter's Secret Keeper was?"

Both shook their heads. Percy continued, "The person to give the damning evidence to Barty Crouch was one Albus Dumbledore. Strange isn't it, that he would seal the will of James and Lily Potter, a will that might have exonerated Black of being the Secret Keeper and place young Harry with his Godfather. Crouch at the time was on the fast track to take the Minister's position once Bagnold retired. It was only the revelation that his son was a Death Eater that ruined his shot at your job Minister Fudge. What did Dumbledore have to hide when he did that? Did Dumbledore offer Crouch his support if the then Director went along with this? Of the two who would know, one is dead and the other isn't going to confess anytime soon."

Dolores and Cornileus looked at each other. It did reek of something more sinister on Dumbledore's part.

Neither had anything to ask as Percy continued, "Also, Dumbledore has always preached that Death Eaters deserve a second chance. He's always pushed for the Wizengamot to take them in alive and to top it off, he personally vouched for confirmed Death Eater Severus Snape. Why would he vouch for Snape but not even give Black the opportunity to defend himself. Curious wouldn't you say?

"After this there are no magical records of Potter's life up until he received his letter of Acceptence to Hogwarts. This is where the next problem pops up. Many letter's were sent according to the records I was able to access. So many that the Obliviator squad had to be called out on multiple occasions. Yet the letter had to be hand delivered by Rubius Hagrid, Hogwarts Groundskeeper. Aside from the fact that a Groundskeeper was sent to deliver a letter to a Student and not a Professor as is normal protocol, why were so many sent in the first place. Why were the needed? Dumbledore over the years has appeased the Ministry by saying only that Potter was safe and well cared for. Why then was there such a problem with the delivery and response of said letter? Why use an owl at all and not hand deliver it himself?

"Also that year Dumbledore and the professors at Hogwarts placed the Third Floor Corridor on the Left side out of bounds and at the feast warned the students of a potentially painful death. Of course this isn't explained and of course not one of the student administration was informed. We also have the Troll incursion on the school grounds at Halloween that year. Then near the end of the year, Potter, my younger brother Ron, and their friend Hermione were said to have protected and prevented the theft of whatever Dumbledore had stored in that part of the school. Why were three third years capable of getting past those protections?"

Both Fudge and Dolores were now ensnared in the story Percy was telling. If any of this were true they could at least neutralize Potter and destroy Dumbledore. But Percy wasn't done yet.

"Then we get to Potter's Summer after that year. According to my brother's Fred, George, and Ron, Potter had been locked in a room with multiple locks on the door and bars on the windows in a Muggle neighborhood. This of course violates several laws on the books both muggle and magical as it relates to child safety and protection. Potter also claims his mail was being stolen by a house-elf, the same house-elf that cast a hover charm in the house, for while Madam Hopkirk sent a warning out for. No further official investigation was performed, in spite of the regulations stating otherwise. I think we have to ask ourselves if Dumbledore has been entirely truthful about Potter's homelife if he's been locked up like a common criminal by his own caretakers

"Potter then spent the remaineder of the summer at my families home. Nothing out of the ordinary occurs during this period of time. My mother of course felt Harry was much too thin for his own good, but she feels that way about everyone and has a habit of trying to mother anyone that gets within arms reach if they are underage... Sometimes even if they are of age."

Molly Weasley's mother-hen streak was famous through the entire Ministry. That she was an excellent cook and baker made everyone willing to overlook it. Even Fudge had been guilty of that at times. He especially liked her meat pies.

Percy continued with his condemnation of Dumbledore, "The events of that year are well documented. The petrifications and the reopening of the Chamber of Secrets. Potter ends up again doing what the adult wizards tasked with his safety can not or will not do. He found the chamber and defeated the Heir before anyone was killed, saving my little sister's life in the process. Rumor has it that the beast in the chamber was actually the basilisk of Salazar Slytherin, and Potter's luck seemed to win the day. The question though is why didn't Dumbledore stop this before it got that far? Why couldn't, or why didn't Dumbledore step in before it became necessary for Potter and Ronald to get involved in the matter?"

"Then we have the Escape of Sirius Black. We know what happened with that. Of course, Snape discrediting Potter and Granger's testimony claiming they had been confounded. We have to take this as suspect, considering Snape's connection to Dumbledore was the only thing to keep him from sharing a cell block with Black in the first place."

Fudge took a moment to stop Percy there, "Percy, you believe that Black is innocent?"

Percy just looked at the Minister and said, "I believe he was never given a trial, and that so far the evidence points to Dumbledore benefiting from his incarceration regardless of innocence or guilt."

That was something that Fudge and Umbridge could get behind.

"Now, we all know of the events surrounding the Triwizard. The revelation that Barty Crouch Sr. had spirited his son away from Azkaban and left his dying wife there under Polyjuice in his place. That said son broke his Father's Imperius curse and proceeded to impersonate Alistor "Mad-Eye" Moody. Why didn't Dumbledore pick up on this? Polyjuice is a difficult potion to prepare, and requires several ingredients. Did Professor Snape report any stolen ingredients from his personal store cupboard? Why did Dumbledore do nothing to prevent the entry of Potter into the Tournament? And, what really happened at the end of the Second Task?

"It is at this time I wish to point out some things. Every year Potter has ended up face to face with the person responsible for the dangers at the school that year. First year, if Ron is correct he was face to face with the ghost of You-Know-Who possessing then Professor Qurnious Quirrel. Second Year it was the sixteen-year old version of You-Know-Who possessing my little sister from an enchanted Diary. Third year he and his two friends were confronted by Black himself and the Dementors. And of course this year and his claim of You-Know-Who returning he was once again the only witness. Why is it that when You-Know-Who is involved Potter ends up the only one involved?

"My theory is simple. That all these sitings and confrontations were put on for Potter's benefit. That he was the target of all of this, in order to make him believe that You-Know-Who was still around, was still alive, and had returned to full power. That Potter has been the victim in all of this, so that when the time is right Dumbledore can influence him towards his point of view. To what purpose I know not. This is why I believe he thinks he's telling us the truth. Because as far as he is concerned it is the truth, and it did happen."

Fudge and Umbridge both nodded, impressed with Percy's theory's and conclusions. Fudge himself was overjoyed at these points. They made more sense and would do more to discredit that old coot of a Headmaster then just printing he was addled in the brain, and that Potter was a delusional liar. He might even be able to crack Dumbledore's support from within if this was played right.

Percy seemed to be ready with his recommendations, "I suggest this course of action. First, Potter needs to be taken to St. Mungo's. He has not had a full examination from a healer since his parents were killed. No one has ever examined the scar he received that night. We need to get him fully examined, medical, magical, and mental. I would suggest involving the Department of Mysteries for this.

"Second, we rescind the Kiss on Sight order for Sirius Black. We release that new evidence has been found potentially exonerating him. That once he has been captured he will be brought before the Wizengamot to stand trial. If he thinks he can prove his innocence he will reveal himself. If he is proven Innocent, then we can ask publicly why Dumbledore prevented this in the first place.

"Third, we unseal the Potter will and have it read publicly. Whatever Dumbledore is hiding there must be known. What is he trying to prevent Potter from finding out? What is he hoping to gain with Potter's ignorance? This we must find out."

Fudge nodded, "That's a very thought out proposition, Weasley. We might even be able to get Potter's support, or at least get him to remain uninvolved if we pull this off."

"Yes minister, I thought it might."

Fudge turned to Umbridge, "Dolores, I want you to begin on the parts of this plan that require the Wizengamot and DMLE. Percy, how do you plan to get Potter to St. Mungo's?"

"Simple really. I'll go to him and tell him that you are willing to concider his statement if he's willing to be checked to make sure he's not been confounded or charmed in any way to believe it. He'll jump at the chance to prove himself, if only because it will be the right thing to do and will help protect everyone from You-Know-Who. I don't have to tell him the real reason after all," Percy said.

Fudge leaned back in his chair, his hands coming together under his chin in a steeple as he tapped his fingers against each other, "Exxxxxccelllent."

To Be Continued... Maybe

Author's Notes: I've read a lot of Evil!Dumbledore fics, a lot of Manipulative Dumbledore fics, and a lot of incompetant Ministry fics. I just figured I'd take a stab at the Ministry trying to find something to hit Dumbeldore with politically. IS Dumbledore evil? Is Harry just being lied to? Is everything wrong with the world because one man dressed it up that way? Who knows...