A/N: Sorry for the slight delay, this chapter took a lot more editing than I thought!

This chapter contains the debate in the House of Commons, and I've taken a lot of pains to get it as accurate as possible, though I admit, I've altered, disregarded and simplified some of the processes involved both for my benefit and those of you not familiar with the system (hey, I'm not writing a political drama!)

But I have tried to keep the essence of it all, and to do that, I purposefully watched Prime Minister's Questions this week, which everyone who ever watches it knows is easily one of the most boring programmes on British television, unless there's a really good debate on and everyone starts shouting at each other (some really funny examples on YouTube). In that respect, a couple of heads up:

Every statement is made to the impartial Speaker of the House of Commons, who calls on people to speak, you refer to each other in the third person (i.e. the honourable member for -insert constituency-) and despite the fact that there's supposed to be order and no rudeness, MPs consistently get around this and everything usually ends up in chaos as they shoot barely veiled insults at each other and literally boo and cheer each other constantly. I was also amazed in my research to discover that the House of Commons debating chamber doesn't even have seating capacity for every MP in the country, hence the overcrowding in this scene. I'm not sure how similar/dissimilar this is to other countries, so bear with me.

Overall, not too accurate, but not too inaccurate either; I just know I've made mistakes somewhere and the time I spent watching PMQs will have been wasted. Anyways, if I've been unclear, let me know. And if you're a politics student, sorry for mutilating the process! :)

The House of Commons

"I've finally got the info on Rogers," said Bill triumphantly as he walked into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place to the assembled Order members on the morning of the House of Commons debate. He sat down, and deposited several sheets of paper, not parchment, on the table.

"Well?" asked Tonks, clutching a squirming Teddy. "Who is he?"

"Yeah, and where did he and his party come from?"

Bill opened a sheet before him. "His full name is John McMahon Rogers, and he was born on 3rd July 1937 in Cambridge. Led a pretty nondescript life for a while, graduated from Cambridge with a mediocre degree, went on to be a pretty standard civil servant in local government. Then about ten years ago, he started his own party, the People's Party, because he said he was sick of the government ignoring the lives of ordinary people and the values of British society. They only had a hundred members until about six months ago when their membership numbers went through the roof."

"You mean around the time Merlin revealed himself at the Ministry?" Hermione said, glancing at Merlin, who had so far remained quiet.

"Exactly," said Bill. "No one expected them to win more than half a dozen seats in the election, if even that, but for some reason, they won almost all of them, despite the fact that most people in Britain haven't even heard of them."

"Verax interfered," said Fred. "He must have."

"Obviously," said Bill, looking over his papers. "The new MPs, most of them don't even have any experience in government. This time last year most of them were just ordinary citizens. The guy Rogers appointed to be the new Chancellor of the Exchequer? Last year he was in charge of one local bank in a village of five thousand people. He knows nothing about running the finances of the entire country."

"Which of course will be what Verax wants," said Mr Weasley. "He wants the Muggle government to be as weak as possible so that they'll be open for negotiation."

"It gets worse," said Bill grimly. "The People's Party, well, they were known for being a party on the fringes. They're quite … traditional in their views on things. Especially religion."

Merlin looked up at his point, but said nothing.

"Go on," said Mrs Weasley. "What else?"

"Rogers is a fundamentalist Christian," said Bill. "He's a long-time church elder, runs a couple of Christian pressure groups and is well-known for proposing traditionally Christian viewpoints in his manifestos. Everyone that joins the party is required to be a Christian, and swear an oath on the Bible."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," said McGonagall. "My father was a Muggle Christian minister, and he did not love my mother or myself any less when he discovered the truth. It was a long time before they could build up the trust they had lost but they managed it. Being Christian doesn't mean someone is automatically unreasonable or intolerant."

"Usually, no," said Bill, "but Roger's views are a lot stricter. He once had one of his staff fired for running a marathon on a Sunday, and another for having a glass of whiskey at a wedding. He once had a statue of the Greek god Apollo removed from a building he'd bought because he said it was 'pagan idolatry' and 'not in keeping with Christian traditions'."

"Sounds like a psycho to me," said George. "How can we reason with a guy that thinks magic is evil?"

"With great difficulty," said Mr Weasley. He glanced at Bill's notes. "What are the Muggle newspapers saying?"

Bill winced, and Harry could tell why. The Daily Prophet was now almost certainly under Verax's influence, and was now publishing articles about how great this new step was, and that wizards should be out rejoicing and welcoming their Muggle neighbours. By contrast, Kingsley had advised all wizards to remain in their houses and have no interaction with Muggles until the peace talks were concluded, through use of the mercifully unbiased WWN.

"Of the ones that are still publishing, it's fairly mixed," said Bill, pulling a couple out from underneath his notes. "Mostly they're just reporting on the riots and arson attacks and the arrests, but some are expressing their opinions. Some are saying we need to discuss this rationally, others that we're a new enemy that has to be wiped out. In any case, all of them are telling people to tune into the debate."

"And how is the civil unrest?" asked Remus, looking drawn and tired from the previous night's full moon.

"Still pretty bad," said Bill. "Every major city across Europe is under army control because the riots are so bad, there's mass looting and there's been thousands of arrests. There's been curfews imposed everywhere, and it's spreading out of Europe too. People are afraid to leave their homes. It's only a matter of time before someone is killed."

Harry felt himself shudder at the thought of it. He wondered vaguely how the Dursleys were coping.

"Does Rogers have any legitimate grounds for objecting to magic on religion alone?" Charlie asked. "I mean, I don't really know much about it. Does he have any backing from religious authorities?"

"Again, it's divided," said Bill, pulling out more notes. "All the main faiths have different opinions, and even within those, there's a division. One leader is calling for peace talks and an end to violence but that magic is corruptive and should be abandoned, the Pope wants an end to the violence, but says all witches and wizards should give up magic and repent for their sins, and every other major leader is saying the same sort of thing; there's only a couple that are calling for outright retaliation against wizards. The Archbishop of Canterbury is telling everyone that they should embrace their magical neighbours and accept them into society as one of them, but the Archbishop of York … well, I won't bore you with what he has to say on the matter, but basically he says something along the lines of 'kill the witches.' The point is, everyone is divided and no one can agree on how to address the issue."

"Well, who wants a simple life anyway," said Fred. "Would be boring, wouldn't it?"

"It's more than that," said Bill, annoyed. "This guy's got no toleration for anybody outside his own little religious sect."

"I suppose I'd better not tell him I'm pagan then," said Merlin, speaking for the first time. "He might try and exorcise me or something. Wouldn't be the first to try it."

"Are you pagan?" Hermione asked. "I never thought you … well, I never really thought you were religious."

"I'm not really," said Merlin. "I follow the Old Religion, so I suppose that I am in some way. But when I was young, it wasn't just one God that we worshiped in my village. My mother had a whole lot of little figurines that stood by the window that she prayed to. I didn't really keep up with her beliefs after she died, but I didn't abandon them either. Even when I was trying to blend in with Muggles, I never attended a church out of respect for her. It got me into trouble quite a few times, I can tell you."

"Really?" said Hermione, and Harry had to roll his eyes at her unquenchable curiosity even in times like this. "Some Muggles nowadays say they're pagan. Is it any resemblance to the old beliefs?"

Merlin snorted. "Not even close. I've seen the sort of stuff they do, and believe me, it's a load of rubbish."

He sighed. "I suppose it doesn't really matter, the Muggles already have preconceptions of what magic is from their stories and television. We'll have to convince Rogers we're not Satan worshippers and child sacrificers in any case."

"You know," said Ron, who had been given a crash course in Muggle politics from Harry and Hermione, "I think the Liberators did this deliberately. Using a political party that's weak and unexperienced would be bad enough, but I think he deliberately used one that was maniacal Christian as well."

"But why?" said Ginny. "Surely he'd want them to be open to negotiation?"

"Unless it wasn't what he wanted at all," said Merlin, his fists clenched. "Unless he wanted this inability to liaise."

"But why?"

Merlin just remained silent, and stared into the fire. Harry watched him carefully. He'd been mostly silent the last few days, disappearing for hours on end to speak to witches and wizards across the country and convince them to remain calm and take no action, but it wasn't proving successful. Many people blamed him for the state of affairs, saying he was working with Verax and some even that he wasn't the real Merlin.

At that moment, Kingsley, and his Senior and Junior Undersecretaries walked in, the Junior one looking around interestedly, having never been in Grimmauld Place before.

"I have bad news," aid Kingsley, to the assembled Order.

"They haven't called off the broadcast have they?" asked Remus in concern.

"No," said Kingsley, "but I hear things may be more difficult. The situation has worsened on the Continent. Angry mobs stormed the offices of several of these 'pagan religions' that some Muggles follow and … killed them."

Everyone gasped, and Harry felt sick. He could hardly believe it.

"They … they killed them?" said Mrs Weasley, her hand over her mouth. "But were they …"

"They were Muggles," said Kingsley, his face dark. "Innocent Muggles, killed. Forty of them in one city, fifty in another."

Harry felt almost dizzy as the reality of the situation seemed to hit him like a brick. Ninety Muggles killed?

"It's happening again," said Merlin, his voice pained. "Most people killed in the past were simple Muggles too. There's too much uncertainty, too much of an aura of fear."

"Yes," said Kingsley, his voice hard. "Now, we must go to Westminster and prevent the same thing happening in this country." He looked around at everybody. "I may bring seven of you, Rogers informed me. Roberts will come," he said, motioning to his Senior Undersecretary, "as will Merlin and Remus, since you were there the first time, Watkins, Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Andrews, Head of International Magical Cooperation and you Minerva; Hogwarts is incredibly influential in our world, and something that affects the lives of many Muggle-Borns and their families."

"I shall come," said McGonagall, her voice stern and strict as it always was. Harry suddenly noticed she along with Remus, Merlin and the Senior Undersecretary were wearing their very best and smartest Muggle attire; apparently already knowing they would be chosen.

"McGonagall? The Muggles won't know what hit them," whispered George to his twin.

"Hang on," said Harry. "That's only six. Who else is going?"

Here, Kingsley turned to look at him, a curious look in his eye.

"I had thought to bring the Head of the Auror Department," he said, "but Merlin convinced me otherwise. I'd like you to come, Harry."

"Me?" said Harry, hardly daring to believe it. "What help could I be?"

"You're the 'Chosen One' after all, despite the fact you're so young" said Kingsley. "You helped us win the war against Voldemort and Morgana and you are one of the most influential people in the wizarding world, even if you are still at school. Plus, you were raised by Muggles, you know how to handle them. Especially difficult ones."

"That's different," said Harry. "Living with Muggles isn't the same. I haven't lived in the Muggle world properly since I was eleven. And back then I wasn't too interested in Muggle politics."

"You don't need to be," said Merlin. "You at least understand the fear and hatred that we are going to be faced with. You should be there, Harry."

"Is the 'Old Religion' telling you this?" Harry asked him suspiciously. "Because I don't sense it."

Merlin frowned. "The Old Religion doesn't tell me much anymore," he said, and the tone in his voice was bitter. "But I know that you should be involved."

Harry thought about it for a moment. The idea of standing up in front of hundreds of people in parliament on millions of people across the country's television screens in the House of Commons, the place he'd himself seen dozens of times on television was daunting to say the least. What help could he possibly be? He didn't have a clue how to resolve this.

He didn't sense the Old Religion telling him one way or the other, and obviously Merlin couldn't either. Was this the right thing to do? Would he actually make things worse? After all, how could the government of an entire country of millions listen to the advice of an eighteen-year old?

Then again, he wouldn't be on his own, Kingsley would do most of the talking, and, despite his initial fear, Harry felt he wanted to be there, wanted to see for himself what was happening.

"All right," he said finally, almost regretting it already. "But I don't see what help I can be."

"Help often comes from the most unexpected of places," said Remus, smiling at him. Harry wasn't reassured.

"You'll be fine, Harry," said Hermione. "You're smarter than you think."

"Thanks," said Harry. "I think."

"Don't worry," said Ginny on his other side, squeezing his hand gently. "You've faced Voldemort, how scary can some silly Muggles be?"

Ginny's gesture rather than her words instantly made him feel slightly better.

"Well," said Remus, standing up. "We'd all better go." He looked down at what he was wearing. "Are we Muggle enough?"

"Very good," said Hermione, looking over Remus, Kingsley, McGonagall and the Senior Undersecretary's clothes. "I can't vouch for the other two though."

"They're either Muggle-born or Half-Blood anyway," said Kingsley, "they should know how to dress. I want to give the Muggle government the best impression possible, and dressing like them suggests a respect for their customs."

Harry looked down at his own t-shirt, jeans and scruffy trainers and then at the Muggle suits Kingsley, Merlin and Remus were wearing. He instantly felt worse. At least he was wearing Muggle clothes though, however tatty.

"How are we getting there?" McGonagall asked. "Emerging soot-covered and coughing from a fireplace in the House of Commons doesn't strike me as giving a good impression, neither does Apparating and dropping in on them unexpectedly and scaring them half to death."

"I've got some Ministry cars waiting outside," said Kingsley. "Best to arrive as unmagically as possible. We want to appear unthreatening."

Harry nodded as he rose to his feet , though knowing Professor McGonagall's presence would certainly detract from any attempt at appearing to be unthreatening.

"Good luck," said Mr Weasley, who looked desperate to be going with them. "We'll be watching."

He nodded to an ancient television that was sitting in the corner that he had altered to run on magic rather than electricity and was now tuned into BBC 1 after an appeal to Harry and Hermione to help him work the remote. The screen was currently showing the 24 hour news that had been running non-stop the last three days, a weary looking newsreader reading out the latest figures on damages done by rioting and looting. Then, the picture changed, and it showed a city in flames, with foreign looking policemen containing an angry mob and a stream of ambulances racing towards flaming buildings. It was the scene of the Muggle massacre, and Harry felt sick to his stomach as the images flashed before him. A new resolve settled within him. He had to stop this happening, he had to help end this before things got even worse.

His heart thudded erratically as he and the others left the building and slid into two waiting Ministry cars, driven by Aurors rather than normal drivers, their wands lying ready on their laps. Harry settled himself between the window and Merlin, and watched as London raced past. At first, there was no visible difference in the sights that met his eye, the same old grubby streets and overflowing rubbish bins. There was no one on the streets. No cars, no buses. Not even a dog. The curtains in every house were drawn.

As they began to move into more heavily built up areas, they began to notice signs of life. Slogans written with paint on bed sheets were flying from bedroom and office windows. Some were too badly smeared by the rain, others were more legible. "No toleration for witchcraft" read one, "Peace for all", read another. Heading into central London people began appearing on street corners, carrying banners and placards, yelling and shouting, gathering around portable radios. They passed several burned out cars, smashed windows, slogans spray-painted onto walls, some very graphic in their condemnation for magic.

They passed more protesters, who yelled and made rude gestures to the cars, though Harry knew if they had known who was inside they would not have let them go so lightly. More banners flew above their heads: "No to magic!", "No mercy", "Rid evil from Britain!". Smaller groups of people were also gathered in public areas carrying banners that called for peace talks, but they were harangued by the others, and Harry witnessed several bloody looking fights breaking out.

The cars slid past Trafalgar Square, which was cordoned off for pedestrians, Nelson's Column blackened by fire, the great lions lying on their sides several feet away from their plinths, shattered fountains and the wreckage of cars strewn everywhere. Harry had never seen the place so deserted. It was like a war zone. He glanced at Merlin here, but Merlin was looking straight ahead. He was breathing deeply and slowly, his face expressionless.

Eventually, just when Harry was beginning to feel his new found determination waver, Big Ben became visible over the top of the various buildings. The driver of the car turned his head to Kingsley, who was sitting on Merlin's other side.

"Prepare yourself, Minister," he said, a grim note to his voice. "We're coming up to it now. The place will be mobbed."

"Understood," said Kingsley, and placed his hand upon his wand in his pocket. His entire body was ready and alert.

Harry's nerves immediately returned as the Houses of Parliament came into full view, an imposing structure that loomed over him and seemed to quell the optimism he had tried to keep burning. The sight of a huge wall of reporters, television cameras and protesters only made him feel worse.

The car slowed down as it tried to make its way through the crowd. Protesters jeered and threw things at the car while cameras flashed into the windows. Groups of hippy-like people tried to push to the front.

"Teach me magic!" one cried. "Teach us!"

"Witchcraft is a sin!" one old man cried.

"Leave us alone, witches!"

"Get out of our country!"

"Stop hurting our citizens!"

"Stop your unnaturalness!"

"Careful, Evans," said Kingsley calmly to the driver, not heeding the commotion outside. "Don't make your protection spells so obvious. Just enough to stop them damaging the car but not enough to frighten them."

"They're frightened enough as it is, Minister," said the driver. "There'll be no reasoning with them."

"It is not them we have to deal with," said Kingsley, his eyes fixed on the gates into parliament which were now directly ahead.

"And you think politicians are going to behave any better than this lot?" scoffed Evans. "No offence, Minister," he added hastily.

"He's right," said Merlin quietly. "Politicians are often the worst people for trying to negotiate with. They have their own agendas, their own motivations. I doubt much will come of today."

"I thought you were the one who thought negotiation was possible?" said Kingsley. "What has prompted such a change?"

Merlin turned his head to look at the protesting crowd outside. "A lot of bad memories resurfacing," he said. "Mob hysteria is the worst poison for peace talks."

None of them said another word until they had passed within the confines of the House of Commons and met up with the occupants of the other car, including two people Harry had never met before but assumed must be the Heads of the Departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Law Enforcement. The passed into the building's main foyer and Harry suddenly felt very small in such austere and grand settings. Muggles were approaching them, all of them looking terrified.

"I-I-I" stammered one of them. "I'm supposed to- supposed to … search … um …"

"We are carrying no weapons other than our wands," said Kingsley, making the man flinch. "And these we surrender willingly, provided you shall keep them safe."

The man paled and nodded meekly. He held out a small tray and Kingsley placed his wand in the tray, as did everybody else, though reluctantly. Merlin and Harry placed their wands in last, though this was really only a symbolic gesture as both were perfectly capable of using magic without one. The man hurried away muttering something about lunatics and madness, leaving the eight of them standing in the main hall with several Muggles on either side too afraid to approach them.

"Look at the fear in their eyes," said McGonagall. "This isn't right."

"No, it isn't," said the wizard Harry did not know. "Here we are wandless and surrounded by Muggles. This type of situation has always ended badly in the past."

"Harry and I aren't defenceless," said Merlin, frowning at the man. "But why should that even matter? Are you planning on attacking them?"

"No, but I can't count on them not to," said the wizard nodding at the Muggles.

Merlin's frown deepened. "There is no 'us' and 'them'," he said. "Stop thinking that way or we'll never get anywhere."

"Kind of hard not to when they're treating us like criminals," said the wizard, pointing to armed policemen that were lurking in the shadows, eyes trained on the wizards. "They're making me feel like we're the bad guys!"

"In their eyes we are," said Merlin. "We've lied to them for three hundred years and endangered them unknowingly through our own wars and conflicts. They have every right to distrust us."

A couple more moments passed as Harry's stomach churned. It felt almost like the day of his hearing at the Ministry of Magic, when he'd thought he was going to be expelled. Only this time the outcome would mean the fate of an entire world.

Two jumpy looking officials approached them warily. "You can go through now," said one of them. "Parliament is waiting for you."

Here goes, thought Harry, and braced himself for whatever trials he was about to endure.

Merlin managed to stay remarkably calm as he walked with Kingsley and the others into the main chamber of the House of Commons. He had to stay calm, he had to focus. This was the moment he'd been waiting for since Camelot had fallen into ruin.

The room was mobbed, far busier than Merlin had ever seen it on the few Muggle political broadcasts he'd watched. What looked like every MP in the country was in the room, and with not enough seats to accommodate them all, many were lurking at the back or in the public gallery. There was an immediate uproar as the eight wizards entered the room, with angry cries and condemnations shouted from every corner.

Every green seat in the room was occupied in the two halves that faced each other divided by a centre aisle, and everyone was crammed in as much as possible. Rogers and his most senior ministers were seated in the usual spot at the front, with the front bench opposite him the only seats empty. This was where the Leaders of the Opposition usually sat, but appeared to now be reserved for Kingsley and the others. The actual leaders of the Opposition were shoved unceremoniously into another corner, and looking very displeased about it.

The side where Kingsley and the others took their seats amidst general uproar was supposed to be for Opposition MPs, but considering Rogers' party had won almost every seat, there wasn't much of an Opposition, meaning most of the people on this side must be Rogers' MPs as well, just willing to sit anywhere. It was like being surrounded by enemies.

Merlin was acutely aware of the television cameras that were pointed at them, and the way MPs would shrink away as they passed, but was determined to ignore it. He had his eyes focused on Rogers. He seemed far more confident than the last time they had met, seemingly over the shock. He glared unrestrainedly back at them, and seemed to be reveling in the noise his MPs were making.

Kingsley sat directly opposite Rogers, and Merlin sat on his right, with Harry next to him. Harry kept glancing nervously up to the cameras, as well as looking around the room in dismay at the hundreds of people looking down on them.

The Speaker was in his chair to the right of Merlin, sitting before the aisle dividing the two parts of the House, wearing the usual robes and wig, trying to appear as regal as possible. His eyes were sharp and suspicious. The ceremonial mace that represented the monarchy sat before him, and Merlin wondered wildly what the Queen thought of all this, before the Speaker stood, and everyone in the room fell silent.

"Today, we find ourselves in the most unique of positions," his voice booming across the silent chamber. "There is no precedent for this, no way to know how to proceed. It was questioned whether or not a formal debate was in order, or whether the government should conduct peace talks with the members of the … ahem, wizarding government. I have called this session as the country finds itself in a state of emergency, and all of our protocols seem to have vanished. Therefore I invite the leader of, well, I suppose you could call him the Leader of the Opposition now, and he shall be referred to as such for the duration of this session-" the real Leader of the Opposition huffed in a corner-" to provide Parliament and the people of the British nation and the world at large an explanation for his and his society's hidden existence within our own, and to propose how our two societies should proceed. As I said, there is no precedent for dealing with the revelation of an entire secret population existing alongside us, and none of us are abiding by the rules-" here he cast a glance at the MPs sitting on the wrong side of the chamber and also several MPs of the last government who had somehow managed to wrangle their way in as well-" but we must do the best we can. I now call the Prime Minister."

The Prime Minister stood at the bidding of the Speaker. He looked for a moment at Kingsley before turning slightly.

"Thank you, Mr Speaker," he said, to an audience that was deathly quiet. "I would like to thank you for your words to us. I would now like to open this session of Parliament with an appeal to the 'Leader of the Opposition' to introduce himself and his companions to the people watching at home from whom he has so disgracefully hidden from in a manner that can only be described as cowardly."

Merlin blinked. That wasn't a good start to proceedings. Rogers' words were met with a great deal of loud assent from the benches as his own party voiced their support, as well as a smaller noise of others calling for Kingsley to be heard. Merlin tried not to sigh. Squabbling and insults seemed to be pat and parcel of British democracy.

The Speaker nodded to Kingsley who then stood to combined cheers and jeers. The Speaker called for order and reluctantly, the shouts died down. Kingsley fixed them all with his best stare.

"I am disappointed indeed, Mr Speaker that the Prime Minister has such condemning comments to make at the beginning of the peace process, I can only hope he has the restraint to listen to myself and my companions before passing any further judgment. An inability to do so would demonstrate a severe lack of understanding or foresight. I hope he can keep his condemnation under control until the issue has been further explored."

There were many more mixed responses from the benches, and the Prime Minister's glare deepened. Kingsley must have done his homework, thought Merlin, adhering to the customs and procedures of parliament so well, like the practice of only addressing the Speaker and speaking about other members in the third person. Rogers' did not look happy that Kingsley was not ignorant of the custom.

"I am Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic of the United Kingdom," Kingsley said, prompting more shouts and calls for order from the Speaker. "To my left is my Senior Undersecretary, Malcolm Roberts, Daniel Watkins, Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement and Darius Andrews, Head of International Magic Cooperation. To my right, is Merlin Emrys-," they had decided not to conceal Merlin's identity any longer- "Harry Potter-," Harry went a little pink here- " and Remus Lupin, all notable leading figures in our recent war against oppression, and Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school where the children of magical and non-magical families go to learn magic. All seven are trusted personal advisors and friends, and there are none better that I trust to help resolve this issue."

More shouts of outrage, especially at the mention of a school which seemed to frighten people. Some people were looking at Merlin curiously, confused by his name, and at Harry, probably because of his age. Merlin doubted anyone as young as Harry had ever been permitted to sit in Parliament.

Kingsley was not finished, and spoke over the shouting. "Firstly, Mr Speaker, before I am bombarded with questions, I see the need to explain a little of wizarding history, and how it relates to the history of Muggles, that is to say, non-magical people."

Everyone had gone quiet now.

"Wizards and Muggles have lived side by side for millennia," said Kingsley, to a silent chamber. "You have only to look inside your own history books to determine that. Your legends and histories are filled with mentions of sorcery. You now believe those histories to be nothing more than exaggerated fiction with no basis in fact, that your ancestors were merely ignorant. But that is not the case. Many things you believe to be myth and legend were true. Muggles and wizards have lived both in peace, and in conflict at various points in history. This conflict began to get out of hand in the late seventeenth century, when both wizards and innocent Muggles were being prosecuted for witchcraft. With the advice of the International Confederation of Wizards, this government and several others in Europe voluntarily chose to go into hiding. In the year 1689 the International Statute of Secrecy was signed, and all member countries, the number of which has grown over the centuries, chose to entirely hide our existence from the non-magical peoples of our countries, to protect both ourselves and innocent Muggles. Since then, we have conducted all of our business entirely separately from yours, with one exception. The Muggle Prime Minister, upon his or her election, is visited that same night by the incumbent Minister for Magic to reveal the existence of the magical world, to ensure cooperation in all issues that would affect the populations of both societies."

Chaos erupted once more as everyone looked outraged. Even the impartial Speaker looked angry. Kingsley just raised his voice and continued.

"Such an alliance is necessary to ensure the safety of both societies," he said. "It has proven invaluable during our recent war against extremists within our population, when Muggles and wizards alike were in danger. The actions of your last Prime Minister helped ensure the lessened impact on Muggle Britain. I note, he was unhappy with the deception, but with all due respect for the Members of the House, who would have believed him? Or any other former Prime Minister for that matter? They all knew, and they all kept our secret because they recognised the wisdom of it, as I hope you all do in due course."

"Our societies have been separate for three hundred years, though not by choice. We have become estranged, and I regret that ignorance has arisen amongst my own people. The people who conducted these recent attacks were unhappy with the Statute and wished to end it, though if up to me, I would never have done it in such a mode. They are a terrorist organisation and are being dealt with. The situation is not ideal, but our peoples have worked together in the past and have demonstrated a capacity for peace and understanding. I hope that spirit has not died and everything can be resolved peacefully. I regret the centuries of separation that were deemed necessary by my predecessors, and I hope that now magic and Muggles can unite to make up for past transgressions by both peoples through the centuries. I and my companions now welcome any questions from the Honourable Members about our society and desires. We have no longer anything to hide and desire peace above all else."

As Kingsley sat, almost every other person in the room leapt to their feet to ask a question, to be recognised by the Speaker. The Speaker called on an MP.

"The Leader of the Opposition refers to a recent war amongst his own society," said the MP, looking visibly angry. "Although he says he informed the Prime Minister, does that justify such a war? Normal British citizens were placed in danger by this reckless war and were completely unaware of it. Does he have any regret for such an abominable concealment? Are all the strange events of the last few years due to this mysterious war to which he refers? The collapsed bridge? The tornado in the West Country? The unexplained murders? The museum massacres? The mysterious explosions at Grimmauld Place in London last year? How far can we trust a man who lies to an entire population about their safety?"

The MPs chorused their agreement.

At a nod from the Speaker, Kingsley stood once more.

"This war, Mr Speaker, was one of the greatest to affect our people in a long time," he said. "It was fought against an evil sorcerer named Tom Riddle and his supporters who sought to overthrow our government and gain dominion over the entire country, wizard and Muggle. They were as much a danger to Muggles as they were to us, and we fought and died to protect our Muggle neighbours. Grimmauld Place was the headquarters of the main resistance group against Riddle's dominion, and the fires that night were the result of the battle we undertook to overthrow Riddle and his followers, in which we eventually were successful. Riddle and his ally, Morgana, were responsible for the mass killings at museums and for the magical creature that was unleashed in central London last year. I can safely say they have been defeated."

"And how do we know that?"

"Shame!"

"Lies!"

The Speaker called on another MP.

"I wonder, Mr Speaker," she began, "how long it will be until another 'evil sorcerer' rises to destroy people? Would this Ministry of Magic have told us then? Their society is evidently volatile and dangerous for ordinary people. They fought a secret war amongst us. That is unforgiveable. How can we trust these people?"

The Speaker called another MP who was practically leaping up in down in order to be recognised.

"And what is this 'magic'?" the man asked. "How does it work? Just what are these people capable of? How much of a threat do they pose to us? I'd like to ask this so-called 'Head of Magical Law Enforcement' just how they regulate their people. How many attacks are there on ordinary citizens as a result of the arrogance of these wizards in hiding their danger from us?"

At a nod from the Speaker, and one also from Kingsley, the wizard rose to his feet. "Magic is …" he began, trying to find the words. "It's an inherent ability, capable of arising within Muggles as well. With the use of a wand, we can do spells, make potions etc., for many purposes, most of which are harmless. We have defensive and offensive magic of course, our wands can be used for killing as well as healing, but we have strict moral codes, much like your own society. We believe in peace, in respecting each other, and would never take the life of a Muggle. Magical misdeameaours are treated severely, and crimes against Muggles are dealt with particularly harshly. True, there are those among us who use magic for ill, but can you honestly say there are none amongst you who abuse their power? We are not so different in our beliefs of right and wrong. We condemn murder, theft, rape, corruption and abuse as you do. We are not the barbaric Devil-worshippers your stories present us as; we are a rational civilised people."

"And how do we know that?" another MP cried, forgetting all formalities as the rest of his comrades yelled in agreement.

"Because we're telling you now," said Kingsley. "You must trust our word-"

"And how can we trust your word when you've lied to us for so long?"

"You're our enemies!"

"We cannot trust them!"

"Throw them out!"

Once more, everything descended into chaos as MPs leapt to their feet to yell and shake their fists at Kingsley, completely abandoning all sense of protocol, crossing the red lines before their benches that was supposed to be forbidden during debates. Even the supposedly impartial Speaker was looking concerned and shouting questions of his own. Roberts, Watkins, Andrews and Remus had jumped to their feet and were trying to quell the near riotous MPs, shouting back at them, and even McGonagall had stood and was now engaged in a heated discussion with a woman in the row behind her, dodging the blows of her handbag. Only Merlin and Harry remained seated.

Harry bit his lip and glanced at Merlin. "This is chaos," he murmured.

"This is British politics," said Merlin grimly.

The shouting went on a bit longer, before the Speaker began to regain some control after ejecting some MPs (most unwillingly) from the chamber.

"I call upon the Honourable Member for Harrow," he cried. "I call upon the Honourable Member for Harrow."

Most of the MPs regained their seats, while another, on Kingsley's side of the room stood.

"Thank you Mr Speaker for putting an end to what is a shameful display," he said, glaring at the other side of the room. "The Prime Minister's party seems to be an unruly mob not fit to govern a tea party, let alone a country. Instead of attacking the representatives of the wizarding government and accusing them with such atrocities, can we not now agree on a way forward? I call upon the Prime Minister to lay aside these petty squabbles and decide on the best way forward. These deceptions are grave indeed, but infighting can get us nowhere. We have seen on the Continent only this morning the bloodshed that has resulted from this mass exposure. We can see from that why wizards have chosen to hide; there are still ignorant bigots amongst us, as the People's Party has shown today. Let us not follow that country's example. I call upon this government to take action to prevent such violence occurring in this country as well and to make a lasting peace with the Minister for Magic."

There were a few cheers at this from Opposition MPs, but the vast majority of the room booed their displeasure. Kingsley looked grave and Merlin knew what he was thinking; with almost all the government being members of the People's Party what hope was there for reasonable discussion? Rogers had them all under his thumb.

Rogers stood, and all but glared at the MP who had spoken.

"The Honourable Member seems not to understand the seriousness of the situation," he said. "These people have magic, perverted unnaturalness that they could use against us at any moment. How can we make peace with a people that are so unfairly advantaged? If they were to rise up against us, what could we do? It seems to me, Mr Speaker, that only the cessation of all magical activities of this Other Population is the only solution, and surrendering to our authority until we can ascertain their worth."

Remus stood up now, eye-to-eye with Rogers.

"We will not give up our magic," he said, amid shouts of protest. "It is who we are, and we cannot ask our people to once again live lies, live in fear and persecution. We will not be made to feel inferior, for any reason. That would only strengthen the divide between our two peoples. We must work together, and acknowledge each other's strengths and weaknesses. Magic against Muggles is illegal, and we will continue to uphold that law. Nothing has changed in that respect. We will not give up a part of who we are. We need to be recognised as equals in your society, and you need to be recognised as equals in ours. That is a failing we both share; ignorance and fear. We need to change that."

"And how, Mr Speaker," said Rogers, "can we change our society when we are still continually threatened by theirs? Why should we change to accommodate terrorists and witches? They admit to corrupting our society by influencing our Prime Ministers, they secretly take our children to be educated in wicked arts! How can we condone this?"

"Don't you dare call my school wicked," McGonagall said, finally rising to her feet, a cold glare in her eyes. "That school helps children of all backgrounds and has done ever since its foundation one thousand years ago, Muggle and magical alike. And stop waving at me, you silly little man," she said, glaring at the Speaker who was trying to regain order. "I don't give a damn about your ridiculous protocols. You, Prime Minister, are displaying a wilful ignorance and prejudice I would equate with a man from the Dark Ages. Hogwarts is a school where we teach children of Muggle parents who possess the ability to use magic. We do not corrupt anybody. The only corruption I see here is coming from your lips."

Merlin felt a surge of pleasure at her words, though most of the room did not agree. McGonagall sat down again, fixing her coldest stare on Rogers.

"You know," said Merlin to her, trying to lighten the mood in the riotous room. "I'm a man from the Dark Ages."

McGonagall just turned that icy glare on him instead. He smiled and looked away, though inside, he was feeling the dread begin to weigh him down once more. These talks were going nowhere. He knew he had to do something, say something, but he didn't know what. Telling everyone here he was the Merlin in the state they were in probably wasn't a good idea, but staying silent on the matter was not particularly appealing either. He knew he had to act. He'd been waiting for this opportunity for too long to waste it now.

His entire life had been building up to this, but now, oddly, he didn't know what to say or do. He felt as lost as he had done in those first few years in Camelot, fresh out of the countryside and completely unfamiliar with politics and everything it entailed. He felt young again, and not in a good way. Why was he feeling like this? The entirety of the Wizarding World, and the Muggle one were depending on him; why was he so useless?

He searched for the Old Religion to guide him, but again, met with only silence. He longed for it to speak to him as it once had, to influence him, tell him what to do. For years it had instructed him, now it had abandoned him. Why? It was more important now than ever.

Other MPs were speaking as he was lost in his own mind. They were questioning Andrews and Watkins about laws, Wizarding society and other things, all of their questions hopelessly biased, everything that they said criticised and denounced as unnatural or dodgy. Nothing they said could convince the MPs of anything.

"If you can only be reasonable, we can find a multitude of commonalities," said Andrews. "My own parents are Muggles, I know your society is a good one. Let us at least discuss-"

"Discuss with witches? With terrorists?"

"Don't trust them!"

"Do you want violence like on the Continent?" said Remus. "Because that's the way you're heading-"

"Is that a threat?"

"No!" said Harry, who had finally swallowed his nerves and leapt to his feet, looking angry. "It's a warning. If you keep acting as blind and stupid as you are at the moment things are going to get worse!"

"And what qualifies you to say that?" asked another MP. "You're a teenage boy!"

"A teenage boy who has risked his life time and time again for the sake of wizards and Muggles alike," said Merlin, who spoke without thinking, not willing to let Harry face censure. "You have no idea what he has done in the fight against evil in our own society, and what he is trying to do now. We've spent the last few years fighting bigotry and inequality, protecting the rights of everybody, regardless of background. You'd do well to listen to him."

"And who exactly are you, or this boy, to tell us anything?" the MP shot back. "What qualifies you? Are either of you members of government?"

"Mr Potter, is a student of mine-"

"The Ministry of Magic sends schoolchildren to fight in wars and take part in governmental debates? That says it all."

"Listen to me," said Merlin, facing the wall of angry MPs. "you cannot understand how important it is to create a peace now before things get out of hand. I've seen how bad things can get, and believe me, a return to those days is tantamount to anarchy and death."

"You've seen this?" said Rogers. "How can you, if the Statute has been in effect for three hundred years?"

At this, Merlin faltered slightly, and glanced to Kingsley, who himself looked strangely doubtful. Harry however, was not silent.

"He's seen it all," said Harry. "He's older than half the people in this room put together. He's the Merlin."

This statement was met with mixed ridicule and outrage. Half the MPs laughed and derided him, others looked scornful, afraid, disapproving. Only Rogers looked as though the fully believed it. His eyes darkened.

"Lies!"

"Ridiculous!"

"Throw him out!"

"You must listen," said Merlin urgently, seeing all his hopes begin to fade away in the face of such opposition. "We tried, in 1689 to talk to Muggle government. We tried to talk to King William and Queen Mary, they did not listen. They encouraged the continuation of violence. Don't make the same mistake they did. Move beyond your past, and we will do the same. I've seen the damage an ignorant and prejudiced government can do; do not fall back on old ways. For everybody's sake."

"Riddle's men tried to kill hundreds of Muggles just because he thought they were scum," said Harry. "We fought and died to stop that from happening. We're on your side. Don't be as ignorant as those men. Prove that we're all in this together."

Any rational man would have heard these words and listened, but Merlin despaired to see that the MPs simply continued to shout angrily at Kingsley. Merlin felt a touch of desperation and panic seep in unwillingly as he observed nothing but angry faces before him. There could be no reasoning with these people.

Kingsley stood, facing the angry politicians with a stoic and determined expression, not flinching at the insults being thrown at him.

"We cannot continue like this, lest violence spread beyond our control," he said, addressing the Prime Minister evenly. "Please, see sense. Let us leave here with at least an arrangement of peace between our two peoples, if not one of full integration. A chance for us to better understand each other and strive for a greater peace. Our differences shall take a great deal of time to resolve, but may I at least have the consent of this Parliament to agree to a Peace Accord in the meantime?"

Rogers slowly rose to his feet, amid the shouts of his party members and looked calmly at Kingsley, his eyes sparling.

"Such a step," he said, to a now eerily quiet chamber, "would be appropriate in circumstances of two governments trying to create peace and end war and unrest. However," he looked around the room, his thick eyebrows drawn tightly together, "to do so would require two governments."

He fixed Kingsley with his coldest glare yet.

"I do not recognise this man or his government," said Rogers. "I do not recognise the Ministry of Magic as a legitimate government, but as a secret organisation that has undermined this parliament and conducted seriously questionable actions against the British people. I cannot agree to peace with a government that does not legally exist. Is there any here who would question that?

"I now call a vote," said the Speaker, shouting over the tumult, and installing even more dread in Merlin's heart. "All in favour of recognising the Ministry of Magic as a legitimate government?"

"Aye!" shouted what sounded like less than twenty MPs, and Merlin's heart sank.

"All those against?"

"Aye!" cried the rest of the room in one cry.

"Clear majority, motion passed," said the Speaker. "Ministry of Magic is not recognised by this parliament."

"How can you do this?" cried Watkins. "We have every right to be recognised! Our system of government is older than yours; you should be asking us for legitimacy. You're making a big mistake."

"The only mistake was not recognising you for what you are long ago!" said Rogers. "Perverse evil-doers that are damaging British society by your very existence!"

"You cannot do this!" said Merlin, his heart racing. "You have to see that they only way to move forward is to talk."

"This government has no interest in talking to such a questionable organisation," said Rogers. "I say that you are enemies of state, and should be dealt with as such. Leave this House, leave this country with your people and do not return to threaten us ever again!"

As Rogers spoke, the noise of the crowd got louder and louder until it was one solid roar. Scuffles broke out between People's Party MPs and Opposition MPs, the Speaker was calling for order, MPs stamped their feet in a great thunder, Andrews was arguing emphatically with an MP, and through it all, Rogers sat in his seat, smiling, eyes glinting.

Kingsley turned to Merlin. The look on his face said it all.

Far different from Merlin's hopes a few weeks ago, peace now looked further away than ever before.

Harry felt a twisting uncomfortable feeling in his stomach as they made their way back to Grimmauld Place. No one was saying anything, even after the car had forced its way through the crowd of protesters, some of whom had thrown flaming objects at the car. These projectiles had been repelled by the magical shield, and this had only riled the crowd up further. Eventually the Auror driver had cast a Disillusionment Charm over the entire car and raced away before they could be followed by anybody.

The streets looked even worse than before, with shop windows smashed open and people running from them carrying televisions and microwaves, as well as the crowds of angry mobs, carrying such 'weapons' as garden tools. It looked like they were just inches away from arming themselves with flaming torches and pitchforks.

The driver twiddled the dials on the dashboard until the Muggle radio came on.

"-well, you heard it for yourselves, folks. The Prime Minister has refused to negotiate with the Wizarding government, and the wizards themselves seem to be very unapologetic for hiding their society from us for so long. They freely admit to placing us all in danger every time they have an internal disagreement."

"Exactly my point, David," said another commentator. "They have no regard for our society, our laws or customs. They're arrogant and self-righteous, and were lying through their teeth when they claimed they were our allies. How can they be when they care so little for us? They've lurked beneath our society for too long, who knows what they've done to us in secret over the years? They've taken shameful advantage of our ignorance. They should be driven out. We can tolerate their presence no longer."

"But surely such action is unnecessary?" said the first commentator. "Shouldn't the peace process continue until arrangements can be made?"

"What arrangements? These people have magic! They could kill us all with a flick of a wand and a few silly words. They are a threat, an enemy, and must be dealt with as such. We don't like it when other countries have nuclear weapons, so why should be like it when the Other Population has magic? There can be no negotiating with terrorists and madmen like these."

"But are they mad? Shacklebolt seemed willing to talk peacefully. He didn't strike me as unreasonable."

"Of course they're mad! I mean, that man actually claimed to be Merlin! Witchcraft has been denounced as evil for centuries. This is no fairytale. Our ancestors burnt them at the stake for a reason. They feared magic, and they were probably right to. They are dangerous, and they cannot be trusted. Why else do we associate magic with evil if they are not? These people can never be productive, valuable members of our society."

"But surely integration-"

"How can we integrate with people who have declared war on us? They have shown their contempt for our way of life. They have shown their true colours. They must be driven out!"

"Are you seriously condoning violent actions like those on the Continent?"

"If necessary, yes."

"Turn it off," said Kingsley, and the driver immediately obliged, his own face looking strained.

"Rogers never intended to negotiate with us," said Merlin from beside Harry. He was staring straight ahead, his face blank. "He was always going to declare war on us. He just wanted us to be exposed to the entire British public so he could justify himself by denouncing us as evil. We were never going to get a fair trial."

Kingsley nodded. "So it would seem," he said, and sighed, turning his face away from the destruction outside of the window. "It appears you overestimated Muggles, Merlin."

Merlin was silent for a moment, and then looked towards a burnt out car by the side of the road.

"Maybe I did," he said quietly, his eyes flashing with pain. "Maybe I did."

A/N: Will update soon! :)