Chapter 41—Who was that masked man?
All I can say is for mundane they were quick to arrive, a ton and a half truck pulled up and unloaded about twenty men armed with rifles and not wands. A minute later a limo arrived and one man exited, looked around and came directly to us.
"Baron Potter and his lovely wife, so glad to meet you, recognized you from the pensive…" Hermione and I had our wands out and pointed at him so fast he look to almost faint. His hand went up into the air and said, "Squib, no wand!"
After he caught his breath and we semi lowered our wands he continued, "Your accompanying me is voluntary, you may leave at any time and no harm is intended by me or the people you will meet. Would you please accompany me to the limo so we may start?"
~"What do you think Foxy?"
~"Seems genuine, I say go until we have to flame."
"OK, Mr.?"
"Ah yes, Mr. Smith will work for now, please it's just a precaution, you could be polyjuiced."
"So we get started in an hour then, lead the way Mr. Smith." I said.
The trip wasn't that long; the car was comfortable and contained food and drink which Mr. Smith tried first however we did abstain. We arrived at some place in London and were ushered into a large conference room. When we entered, "Mr. Smith so glad you were successful, good day Baron Potter and Lady Potter, I am Mr. Jones, Amelia sends her complements." Our wands were out and pointed in a second.
"Your not a very trusting group but let me assure you everyone here is mundane except me and I am a wizard. Amelia gave me some information about you two that I will keep secret from this assembly but…" Mr. Jones was interrupted by a fat slob that resembled Vernon Dursley in good clothes.
"Just throw them in a cell until you get them to do what we want, none of this mamby pamby garbage."
"Mr. Jones just turned and stated, "Throw the Jimmy out if he can't keep his mouth shut." Well he didn't and two guards bounced him out the door.
"Please have a seat and let us explain."
We took the offered seats and I surveyed the room. They all looked like overstuffed politicians and I found out later I was not far off my initial assessment. The real people in power were in another room listening in over a closed circuit TV system as I had already spotted the cameras.
~"Spot the cameras Foxy?"
~"Yes we are talking to the crowd and the important people are hiding."
"You see Baron Potter…" I cut him off, "Look I am Harry, this is Hermione and you are Jones, we are not going to be here all night saying titles."
"As I was saying there seems to be a problem with the wizard world and we need to fix it. Her Majesty is the ruler of all England, Magical and Mundane and she wants this fixed. You are apparently the center point to fix all this." Jones was about to take a breath and continue, I stopped that.
"Ok, let's get started. You lot hiding behind the cameras are the real power and everyone here is window dressing. Jones is probably from the Ministry of Magic, let me guess, Department of Mysteries, oh, Level Nine and you guy behind the camera what MI-16? Surely you don't want me to cure all your problems?" I was mad.
"I see that we have been ill-informed about you Harry. We however would like whatever input you could share with us." Jones asked.
"Well first off to slow down the mundane killing you need to kill Voldemort again until he come back and kill him again until he runs out of Horcruxes."
"How do you know of that, the magical world had been cleansed of any reference to that dark magic?"
"Wrong answer, let's just say Chinese Whispers and call it a Cock up. Voldemort has a pile of Horcruxes for sure. However, no one wants to clean up the mess, I'll bet he is sitting in his secret hideout that no one knows about in Little Hangleton and called Riddle Manor next to the grave yard. What does everyone do? Why Potter is a loony, crazy as can be, ignore him."
"Now Fudge is a different problem, I would send a 500 pounder into his office if it didn't kill a lot of good people just doing a job to keep a family alive. He has the Wizengemot behind him and that's training the young people at Hogwarts to be ineffective at helping. I won't even mention his goon squad the Ministry Guiders. I have better nightmares over the mess he keeps making. So that's my rant and you're welcome to my life. Hermione and I are hiding out and will remain that way until both worlds kill each other off."
Suddenly load speakers all over the room said, "Dismissed, Jones stay."
~"Paws where did you get all that information about all these people?"
~"I guessed most of it Foxy. Jones can't be part of Fudge's team so who in the Ministry could be against him? The Department of Mysteries! I figured that the mundane side was the same and the 007 DVDs kept going on about MI-5 so I guessed."
~"Well you apparently guessed right, I think tonight you deserve a reward." Foxy gave a sexy smile.
The room emptied and then the lights came up a little and a group of people came in wearing hoods. They all took their places around the table and the head person started talking.
"You guess well Harry, we are awaiting conformation of some of your guess work. In the interim what would you suggest about Fudge?" We now knew that one of them was a female but not much more.
"Well Madam I would like to say eliminate the Wizengemot and fire Fudge but that is not in the cards. If you could I would put Amelia Bones in as Minister and replace the Wizengemot with the people that cleared a check, no companies that they support, no hidden money making plots they have, not a Dark Lord supporter, you know?"
Questions were asked and opinions given. This went on for a few hours awaiting their conformation. Where as Hermione was now on an equal status rant for muggle and magical beings.
"Very high ideals indeed..." She was interrupted by a runner who whispered in her ear and handed her several sheet of paper.
"Very good, very good indeed, we took you advice and sent out a team to Little Hangleton. The magicals confirmed it was indeed a Deatheater nest and sent in your 500 pounder by one of our Air Fighters. The magicals confirmed they got the current Lord Voldemort, his snake and about fifty supporters. Very nice indeed."
"Knowing the jerk he will be back in a month but nice work. I am happy that someone is doing something."
"We think your ideas are sound. We have heard of your appearing and causing troubles and we think that should continue. We also want you to contact Amelia in a week and discuss, err, let's say things." The hooded woman stated.
"As long as I am not walking into a trap we will contact Amelia and step up our trouble making." I answered.
"So we will see that you are returned to where you were picked up…" I laughed and said, "Don't worry, we have that covered." Foxy and I flashed home leaving the hooded ones with their mouths open we think.
We started a blitz of our own, 'Potter was here' signs and meeting Hogwarts students when they were released by the Stalag leader, Umbitch for a weekend break. The twins were helpful and assured us that they knew that Ron was insane and that some one would put him down in the end. They also provided us with a never-ending supply of 'stink bombs'. While Hermione and I could not enter Hogwarts we could as Phoenix. A bombs away was trilled by Phoenixes at most gatherings in the Great Hall and Umbitch was the target. Well we did reserve a few for Snape and Draco, oh and then there was Ron.
As a whole we really had a quite life, bombing Hogwarts with stink bombs was only a few minutes out of a day. Our elves were busy with making our lives comfortable and providing the twins with more of our joke items. We spent a lot of time reading, practicing and gardening. I was deep into the Potter Grimore. Gardening was something that was a joint project and made us happy seeing plants grow under our care and provide delicious food for our table. I think some times that the elves were behind how the garden grew but they never said.
Time passed and all of our friends were getting ready for their summer and after that their last year at Hogwarts. They did drop a line every once in a while to the apartment to fill us in what was going on at Hogwarts but mail was being searched so correspondence was skimpy. One day we stopped by to visit Hermione's parents and there was a letter from Amelia requesting that we stop by her office. "WHAT!" In the middle of the ministry?
We flamed into her office and scare the hell out of her. "You asked to see us Amelia?"
"Yes I did and apparently what you suggested has just been implemented. By order of the Queen of England our charter has been suspended, the Wizengemot dissolved and Fudge fired. AND YOU MADE ME THE NEW MINISTER YOU ASS!" Amelia was a bit pissed.
"You also better watch your step if you leave in a normal manner you bird brains. The Queen did all that by putting muggle armed guards throughout the Ministry. She must have really searched deep in her army for enough Squibs to do this."
"So Amelia have you done a Ministry wide Dark Mark arm check?" Hermione asked, that left Amelia moving her mouth with nothing coming out, until the roar.
Amelia called in a magical and a military man and gave orders after she had her arm checked to show it applied to everyone in the Ministry. By the next day almost a quarter of the ministry was in Azkaban or fled.
/Scene Break/
"High Luna, you're here early." Hermione called as Luna entered 'The Three Broomsticks'.
"Hi Mr. and Mrs. No-Name, the rest will be along shortly all except Neville. With all 'The Deadly Twin' poo he is staying home and using tutors. It's not like he would be welcomed by Umbitch anyway. Oh here they are now."
"Hi all drag up a chair and have a seat, butter beers?" I asked.
"By the way Umbitch is furious with all the Dungbombs, she has organized an attack squad that will throw up a wall of curses the next time you show up." Susan was very serious.
"Yep, we wouldn't want any one to singe your tail feathers, would we?" Tracy giggled.
"Is she using Dumbledore's old office?" Hermione asked.
"Oh yes, she is very proud of the fact that she is the head toad and has such a great office." Daphne added.
~"You are thinking what I am thinking are you not Foxy?"
~"You can bet on it Paws, Sunday night should be best."
"Hay what are you two smiling about, you two looked like you just ate the canary." Susan asked and watched the smiles fall.
"Eeew, ate the Toad, not a nice thought." Hermione did look a little green.
"So were we going first?" I asked and found that Honeydukes won followed by each shop down the street, the girls were on a shopping binge.
Unfortunately for Draco he decided to challenge our group as we came out of Zonkos. His group was half of Umbitch's squad and half of Slytherin's seventh years. So the odds were two to one by a quick count.
To give him more incentive Hermione and I dropped out glamour charms. "Sectumsempra" yelled Draco but got a "Confringo" to the chest and the curses started to fly. We did not come out without injuries. Daphne was down and one of the jackasses started a"Crucio", I hit him with a "Stupify" and an "Incarcerous" before I had to roll away from an "Avada Kedava". I returned the favor to the idiot with a "Diffindo" to the neck. The killing curse hit an adult that was running for cover. Susan got a cutting curse to her right leg before firing a "Confringo" to his head, err, what use to be his head. Hermione's "Reducto" to the ground sent Crab and Goyle flying with a ton of dirt but minus a few toes. I let Luna do the medical work and helped Hermione secure the bad guys. The jerks that fired the 'unforgivables' got their wands laid on their chest for examination by the Aurors. I had great pleasure tying up Draco and after reviving him, snapped his wand in his face. Hermione and I made our excuses and flashed to Amelia's office.
After Amelia stopped cursing like a sailor we explained what happened. "I am just to busy with all this crap to worry about that end of the world." She reached into her desk and pulled out two badges and said, "You two swear to uphold the law? Good you are now Aurors. Now get out of my office I have work to do."
"Just a quick question, why is Hogwarts still under Umbitch?" I asked.
"Law says the Ministry can't interfere so until the Board of Governors replaces her so right now she has the job. Now get OUT!"
/Scene Break/
Sunday night Hogwarts Headmasters old office:
Two Phoenixes flash silently into the office.
~"Dam I forgot about the portraits!" I groused.
~"Well there doesn't seem to be an alarm raised, in fact they all appear to be asleep."
~"That's an act my dear but let's get going, the word is followed by a lot of snoring."
Turning into Foxy Hermione sneaked into the bed chambers of the Toad and having found the Toad's wand turned back into Hermione.
~"I've got it come in Paws."
"Hay Umbitch wake up you Toad!" Hermione screamed. "Harry Potter has sent you a present."
Umbridge woke to the screaming and saw a huge panther growling and stocking towards her. She had no other thoughts but, scream and run, and she did. She screamed into her office and down the stairs. She screamed down the hall and screamed towards the Great Hall. Whatever alert system there was at Hogwarts brought the Teachers, Perfects and some students. Their entry into the Great Hall found Umbitch screaming while hiding under the teachers table.
Meanwhile in the Headmasters old office:
"That will make a great pensive memory." Hermione said as she snapped Umbitch's wand and threw it on the table.
"Thanks guys for not warning her, but why not?" I asked the portraits.
"We are sworn to do whatever the Headmaster or Mistress demands of us. She never asked us to warn her of an attack so we didn't. We really don't like the Toad." Said an elderly man in one of the portraits.
I thanked them and then Hermione and I posted with permanent sticking charms our signs, "Harry Potter was here" on the walls and desk. On one of the chairs we hung a T-shirt that said "Umbitch is a Toad" and we flashed home.