Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the Puppet of Time
Chapter 18
Draco stared at his father. He seemed inordinately smug about the announcement of the engagement between Draco and Daphne Greengrass.
'He can't really be that stupid.' was the predominant thought in Draco's head. He wanted to argue, to shout, but he barely managed to bite his tongue and stay silent as to not make the situation worse.
A slight frown appeared on Lucius' face when the silence stretched for too long.
Then Draco's mother intervened. "Dear, he is simply speechless. Isn't that right, Draco?"
Draco forced himself to nod. "This was… unexpected."
The frown receded, but didn't disappear completely. "Very well. You may go."
Draco was in a daze when he returned to his room, not so much about the fact that he had been betrothed to someone but to whom. Sitting down on the edge of his bed, he tried to put his thoughts in order.
He had thought about possible engagements and talked with his grandfather about the matter in the past. They had agreed there was little sense in tying Draco down with a betrothal. It would be far more advantageous to keep all options open until he was actually old enough to go through with a marriage. In the meantime the possibility of an engagement was valuable bait to be used in negotiations… far more valuable than the benefits an actual engagement would bring.
Additionally, Abraxas had brought the family into a comfortable position where they didn't need to barter for the support of another family. They could stand on their own. Their coffers were full, their net of friends and retainers spread wide. Lucius had the ear of Minister Fudge. They were poised to dominate the political landscape with no other family achieving the same degree of influence. Unfortunately Lucius was now at the helm.
The Malfoy and Greengrass families were already allied. As long as Lucius and Liam Greengrass remained the heads of their respective families it would stay that way. Their interests coincided naturally. The engagement added nothing to it. It was simply unnecessary.
For his father to drop something like that on him… before Draco could formulate further thoughts a knock on the door interrupted the silence. "Draco, may I come in?"
He sighed. "Yes, Mother."
Narcissa entered the room and sat down beside him on the bed. "You did well in keeping your calm, but your lack of enthusiasm angered your father."
"I know, but... the entire thing is just stupid."
His mother sighed. "Yes, but it could have been worse. You and Daphne are still a couple, aren't you?"
"Yes, I like Daphne and we are still together." Draco said. In his thoughts he added 'I don't think it will last, though. In the last weeks we have been backsliding into simply being friends.'
It was true. They were still spending a lot of time together, but the infatuation of first love was slowly fading. He hoped to hold onto the feeling as long as possible, but it was inevitably slipping away. Without his additional memories he wouldn't have recognized the signs, but after the Black incident he had tried to maintain a more honest appraisal of his own state of mind. In a way it spoiled everything he did and felt. Sometimes Draco felt like a crotchety old man. It was surprising to him how moody he had become, too.
His mother nodded. "That was why I tried to steer Lucius towards choosing Daphne. You two like each other. The other most likely option would have been Demelza Nott."
Draco blinked. "Theodore's cousin? But she's only five."
Narcissa smiled sadly. "That wouldn't have stopped your father or Nott. Nott, Greengrass and many other people seem to believe in early betrothals for some reason. More fools they. I wonder if they ever truly look at the records of betrothals and marriages of their families. I assume you remember the time when we went over them?"
"You drilled them into my head well enough, Mother."
A betrothal wasn't legally binding in any form; the motivation to honor it was entirely routed in societal pressure. In fact, they were dissolved and renegotiated more often than not, especially when the happy couple in question was rather young with many years to go before their marriage. Of course, each change lessened the perceived value of the betrothal. Samuel Vane, the 'Weathervane', was still rather infamous after more than a century for having switched the betrothal agreements of his five children more than twenty times… each.
That wasn't even mentioning the people who simply decided to defy their families. Nobody could force anyone to marry against their will. There were consequences, of course, both in the court of public opinion and personal. Recalcitrant men and women could easily find themselves expelled from their families and with all financial support cut. In that situation it became rather difficult to make a living.
Draco was in the rather comfortable position that he was the Malfoy family's only heir. Additionally, he had access to a lot of wealth his grandfather entrusted to him. That didn't mean Lucius couldn't make life very unpleasant for him, especially while he was a minor.
"Did we at least get something valuable out of the deal?" Draco finally asked.
Narcissa's expression became slightly brittle. "The eternal friendship and staunch support of the Greengrass family."
"You are kidding me, aren't you?"
"Draco, when have I ever joked about matters such as these? I can only hope he doesn't do the same with your sister. He did make some remarks in that direction."
He shook his head. "I don't believe it. Can't you do anything?"
"Lucius will not listen. Not to you, not to me, not to anyone."
"Grandfather would have never have done that. He would have talked to me, too, before he made any decision of such a magnitude."
Narcissa put her hands on his shoulders, gently but firmly forcing him to look into her eyes. "Draco, Abraxas is dead. He gave you a lot of liberties. Your father is now the head of the family and he is a very different man. You have to face reality. Do not provoke him."
Anger swelled inside Draco and he raised his voice. "Should I remain silent when Father makes dumb decision after dumb decision?"
Narcissa was silent for a few seconds, obviously considering how to best respond. "Draco, what I will tell you now can never be allowed to reach the ears of your father. Do you understand?
Draco nodded, trying to put a lid on his anger. He didn't want to shout at his mother, but the temptation was there.
His mother waited until he had regained his control before continuing. "In many ways your father is a weak man. He isn't stupid, but he has a far too high opinion of himself and his skills. I'm not sure if Lucius realizes it, but he strives for the approval and acknowledgement of those he sees as his equals. He likes to hear how clever and powerful he is. There are some who recognize that weakness and seek to take advantage. It has already happened more than once that our family didn't get what it should have out of a deal."
Draco stared at his mother in surprise. He had never thought she would openly admit to something like this.
"Don't mistake me; I do love Lucius. That does not mean I'm blind to his faults." She sighed. "He doesn't take well to being counseled. If he has gotten an idea into his head and formed an opinion he will stick to it. Case in point, your betrothal. Lucius would have betrothed you to someone from our allied families in the next few months. All I could do was to make sure the choice was bearable."
"Thank you for that." Draco said, albeit grudgingly. "I suppose it is a good thing that I actually like my betrothed. Why the secrecy?"
Narcissa shrugged. "I'm not sure. I suppose it was Lucius' idea for an early Christmas present. He thinks this is something very good." She rose and her way to the door. "You have to learn how to deal with your father. Most importantly, do not oppose him. Make him feel clever. Some shows of admiration wouldn't be out of place. You are a bright child. I'm sure you will figure it out."
Once she had left Draco leant back, staring at the canopy above him. It had been enchanted to show the constellations in their mythological form, performing a slow dance.
'I didn't expect this.'
A betrothal had always been a possibility, but Draco had thought he had averted it until he came of age. Apparently he had been mistaken. He wasn't exactly unhappy, but he couldn't say that he was glad, even if it was Daphne. He would have preferred for their relationship to remain without the added pressure.
Fortunately there were not many new obligations for him due to the betrothal. He would be expected to spend time with Daphne on social occasions and dance with her first, but that was something he was inclined to do anyway.
At Hogwarts, quite a number of the Seventh Years from the old families had betrothal agreements, with decreasing numbers the lower the year. Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson had been betrothed since second year, making them the youngest couple. A few had joined them since then, meaning he wouldn't stand out.
Their current relationship notwithstanding, Draco and Daphne would only be expected to act like a real couple once they graduated and the actual marriage loomed near. It was virtually certain they would date other people during their time at Hogwarts. Still, he couldn't help but feel resentment about not even being consulted about his future wife.
'I wonder what Daphne thinks about this.'
The betrothal could make things uncomfortable between them, now or when their current relationship ended. Daphne was a smart girl, but she simply lacked the perspective his additional memories gave him.
Draco got up with a sigh. He might as well get ready for bed. There was much to do during the holidays and he needed to be well-rested. He could only hope his father wouldn't make more stupid decisions and ruin the family.
Ginny froze in her tracks when she heard someone approaching. Thinking quickly, she hid behind an empty suit of armor. A few moments later Argus Filch came into view. Fortunately his horrible cat wasn't with him. Ginny loved cats, but she made an exception for Mrs. Norris.
Without stopping or looking in her direction Filch continued on his way. Ginny waited for half a minute until she was sure he wasn't coming back.
'Does the man ever sleep?' she thought while continuing on her way.
Sometimes it seemed as if Filch was always on patrol to find troublemakers or students he declared as such. Considering that Ginny was breaking the rules by being out and about after curfew she didn't want to meet him.
Hogwarts was feeling extremely empty with most of the students away for the Christmas holidays. Ginny and her brothers stayed here as did a few other students. Many of the professors did, too. Ginny wondered if they didn't have any private lives.
Finally she arrived at her destination. After tapping the stones of a nearby wall in a certain sequence she entered the now-revealed secret room. A large wooden cabinet was the only piece of furniture present. It was a vanishing cabinet and somehow able to circumvent all of Hogwarts' protections that should have prevented all transportation magic from working.
Ginny entered it without hesitation after closing the secret door behind her. A moment of vertigo followed. When she left the cabinet she was in an entirely different location, hundreds of miles away from Hogwarts.
The room she emerged in was not as empty as the one she had left. Carpets, wall hangings, a comfortable chair, a small table and a well-filled bookshelf made it considerably more pleasant than the bare stone cell at the Hogwarts end.
Grabbing one of the books, Ginny settled down in the chair. It might be a while before Draco and the others arrived. They had been unable to coordinate properly, meaning Ginny had to go by the time they had agreed upon beforehand. She hoped it wouldn't be too long.
About half an hour passed before the door suddenly opened, revealing Draco, Aquila and Daphne. "Hello Ginny. Sorry to leave you waiting. My parents left later than I thought."
"Don't worry, I don't mind."
"Did you have any problems leaving the Gryffindor tower?" Aquila asked.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Please. They got Sir Cadogan to guard the entrance ever since Black slashed the Fat Lady's painting. He is a complete fool. You-know-who himself would be able to stroll up to him and gain entrance as long as he knew the right password."
"Come on. We have a prisoner to interrogate." Draco said before leading the group into another room.
Sirius Black was sitting in a massive chair, completely still. Solid bands of rune-covered iron held his body in place, allowing no chance of escape. He looked much better than last Halloween. His hair had been cut, his nails trimmed, the filth removed and his rags replaced with clean clothing. It took Ginny a moment to realize that he wasn't breathing.
"Is that normal?"
"The stillness you mean? Yes. Almost any medical examination would show Black being dead. It's called Draught of Living Death for a reason. I got Dobby to clean him up." Draco explained. "I need to get the potions. Wait here."
"So… how was your Christmas?" Ginny asked Aquila once Draco had left the room.
The blonde girl shrugged. "Stressful. Brother got engaged to Daphne here and we had to visit a different party every day."
Ginny felt a stab somewhere inside, but she shoved the feeling aside immediately. "Congratulations."
"Thank you."
"Well, how are things at Hogwarts?" Aquila asked to break the ensuing silence.
"Quiet and empty. There are streamers of holly and mistletoe in every hallway. They put twelve Christmas trees into the Great Hall. It's a shame there are hardly any students there to see it."
"I see. Do you always spend Christmas at Hogwarts?" Daphne asked.
"Yes." Another awkward silence followed.
The topic made Ginny uncomfortable. She wasn't quite sure why her parents always let them stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. It was only her second time, but the first she really thought about it. Last year her attention had been firmly occupied by the cursed diary.
It might be that they wanted to let them experience a proper feast, but Ginny felt that wasn't enough of an explanation. This way they didn't see their parents for most of a year. It wasn't as if she had missed anything when they celebrated Christmas at home without expensive decorations. The fact that fewer siblings remained each year was another matter. She was too young to remember the time when Bill and Charlie had yet to visit Hogwarts, but she clearly remembered the absence of first Percy, then the twins and finally Ron. Additionally, it led people to remark that the Weasleys were too poor to give their children a proper Christmas.
'I really should ask Mom and Dad why they do that.'
Then Draco returned, carrying a small chest he put down on a nearby table.
"Where did you get all these potions, brother?" Aquila asked, inspecting the contents. "Some of them are really rare and expensive."
"Grandfather left them for me to use."
Daphne arched an eyebrow. "A secret lair with access to Hogwarts, expensive potions… what exactly did your grandfather leave you?"
"A lot."
"That isn't very detailed."
Draco shrugged off the remark. "We don't have time now. The sooner we finish this the better." He removed five flasks from the chest. "Draught of Living Death, the assorted antidote, something to make Black docile, Veritaserum and Veritaserum antidote. Let's wake up Black and hear what he has to say."
An hour later they had some answers. No, Black didn't kill Pettigrew and all those Muggles. No, he didn't betray the Potters, Pettigrew did. Yes, Pettigrew was alive, a Death Eater and a rat animagus. Yes, Pettigrew was Scabbers. Yes, Pettigrew betrayed the Potters, killed the muggles and framed Black for it. No, Black didn't tell anyone about the truth before he tried to track Pettigrew down. Yes, he had recognized Pettigrew in a newspaper picture and escaped from Azkaban.
Daphne summarized the group's feelings. "What a mess."
Ginny had to agree. "Can we get him exonerated?"
"Not a chance. There's only Black's word. That won't suffice. You know truth serums aren't permissible in court." Draco ran a hand through his hair. "Heck, he might have only convinced himself that he is innocent. After more than a decade in Azkaban his mind is bound to be in very bad shape."
Daphne frowned. "Wait a second. Did anybody ever visit you in prison or interrogated you about your role in the war, Black?"
"No." Black answered.
"That is suspicious." Daphne declared. "You'd think Dumbledore or any of his friends would want to know what else he did if they believed him guilty."
"We can discuss that in a bit. Are there any more questions?" Draco asked. When nobody spoke up he dosed Black with the antidote and another dose of Draught of Living Death. "I don't want Black to overhear us. He shouldn't remember anything, but better safe than sorry."
Daphne waited until Black had returned to complete stillness before she spoke up again. "So… about my suspicions?"
"I agree with you." Draco said. "Everyone in my family always said how convenient it was for Sirius to be imprisoned. Think about the mess regarding Potter. Sirius would have become his guardian if he had been free. There would have been no way he would have left him with those muggles and never checked up on him all those years." Then he shrugged. "It might have been Dumbledore that wanted him out of the way. It might have been others. It might have been happenstance and the old man simply decided to take advantage after the fact."
"What do we do with him now?" Aquila asked.
"For the time being, nothing. I can't think of anything we can do to make a difference. We can keep Black safe here until we think of something. Perhaps during the summer. He is family, after all. Or does anyone have a better idea?" Draco asked.
"Why not wake him up properly? He could prove helpful." Ginny said.
"Maybe. On the other hand he seemed quite deranged when we encountered him at Hogwarts. I don't think we can trust him." Daphne said.
Draco hummed thoughtfully. "I agree. Sirius isn't exactly sane. Just think of his harebrained plan to get at Pettigrew instead of fleeing Britain. He could have escaped from Azkaban far earlier with his abilities, but he was so far gone that only the possibility of revenge managed to get him to act. I don't believe he would trust us, either."
"So we simply keep him here?"
"Why not? It isn't as if he is aging while under the influence of the draught. We could keep him that way for decades, until we are all adults. By that time nobody will care about Black anymore. We wake him up in, say, twenty or thirty years, get him professional help. If he recovers we arrange a new life for him in another country. If not, well, then it's an asylum."
"That…" Ginny stopped herself and thought about the matter. "… is actually a pretty good plan."
It was ruthless, yes, but they couldn't exactly set Black free or turn him in. That would only end with him back in Azkaban or his soul sucked out. She didn't know if it was Dumbledore who was out to get Black or someone else or if he was really innocent in the first place. If they set him free it was highly likely Black would be caught sooner or later. If he talked to anyone about them it would be troublesome, troublesome and dangerous. This was they could postpone a true decision.
"Okay, does everyone agree?" Draco asked. Everyone nodded. "Then it's decided. We keep him here for the time being."
Draco and Daphne soon left to spend some time together and give Aquila and Ginny time to talk.
"So… these two are now betrothed?"
Aquila nodded. "Yes, and it's been pretty awkward between them since. The many parties and public attention didn't really help."
"I guess it would be awkward; I wouldn't know." Ginny paused a moment. "What about you? Did your parents line something up for you, too?"
"No, not yet, fortunately. I hope it stays that way for a while. Let's talk about something different." She gave Ginny a piercing look and waved at her surroundings. "How long have you known about all this? You aren't surprised in the slightest."
"For some time. Sorry, I can't be more specific; I promised Draco I wouldn't say anything."
Ginny shifted uncomfortably under Aquila's gaze. She didn't like keeping secrets from her friend, but she really didn't want to open the can of worms of Riddle's diary and her interaction with Abraxas Malfoy.
"You know I won't let it rest. We will talk about this later."
Ginny looked at her defiantly. "I can't stop you asking, but I won't answer."
Aquila sighed. "I don't want to argue. Let's talk about something different."
Sometime later Ginny returned to Hogwarts. Fortunately she didn't encounter anyone on her way back to the tower. The painting guarding the entrance proved no problem, either. Sir Cadogen was half-asleep and simply opened the way without even looking at her when she gave the password.
Gryffindor Tower was dark and silent. It didn't seem as if anyone had noticed her absence. Ginny was always a bit worried about that. Her brothers Fred and George had an uncanny ability to track people down. On the other hand, they had not noticed her abnormal behavior during the last year. She could only hope it would stay that way.
Daphne smiled brightly despite her drowsiness. "It was a wonderful evening, Draco."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll see you at Hogwarts in a few days. Sleep well."
Her boyfriend kissed her hand before he withdrew. A few minutes later Daphne stepped out of the green flames of the floo in her family home.
Daphne kept the smile firmly on her face until she was in the privacy of her room. Then it changed into a pensive expression. Ever since the announcement of the betrothal there was a new distance between her and Draco. She didn't know how it had appeared and what to do about it. Their interaction always felt a bit forced.
On the other hand, she had learned a bit of what Draco was up to. It was only scratching at the surface, but it was a beginning. The sign of trust was encouraging. It seemed her betrothed was incredibly resourceful. It was so exciting to take part in the Black affair, acting like real conspirators.
The involvement of the Weasley girl was suspicious, though. She seemed to know more than Draco's sister, something that irked Aquila to no end. Daphne had no opinion about Ginny one way or the other apart from a general dislike of the Weasley family, but she despised her older brothers.
'Well, I suppose Percy is alright. He is somewhat of a pompous ass, but at least he isn't a bully like the twins or a fool like Ron. I wonder how the friendship with Aquila and Draco came to be. It would give both the Malfoys and Weasleys fits if they knew what their children are up to.'
It would bear watching.
It was the second-to-last day of the Christmas holidays and once again Draco was visiting Sirius. Unknown to his sister and his friends he had done that almost every night. The shelf-life of his supply of veritaserum was about to run out and didn't want to waste it. There were a lot of questions he had asked his cousin, about his time at Hogwarts, the first Voldemort war and the Order of the Phoenix.
All in all the answers had reinforced what he already knew or suspected, but it didn't hurt to get confirmation.
Firstly, Dumbledore didn't have the foggiest notion how to properly fight against Voldemort. In fact, during the first war he had proven to be one of the biggest factors impeding a proper response by the Ministry. The Order of the Phoenix had been purely reactive, more busywork than actually productive resistance.
It had been very interesting to learn how Dumbledore cultivated possible recruits during their last Hogwarts years. The man's force of personality was outright scary.
Secondly, Sirius was a very brave and loyal person… as well as an inconsiderate asshole and a fool. Two occurrences from his Hogwarts days illustrated that very well.
Being friends with the werewolf Remus Lupin wasn't a problem. Learning to become an animagus to keep him company during the transformation was an admirable display of friendship. Allowing Lupin to leave his confinement and roam across the countryside surrounding Hogwarts was an act of such sheer irresponsibility that it took Draco's breath away. The group had been literally one mistake away from Lupin attacking some unlucky late-night wanderer, especially because they had regularly strayed into the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Worse, they had kept that up until they finished Hogwarts.
The failure of the Hogwarts staff to actually use a secure holding area and monitoring that Lupin stayed there was barely worth mentioning.
The second act was Sirius pointing Snape into the direction of Lupin with the full expectation that the werewolf would murder the man. Draco could understand that Sirius hated Snape and didn't care if he died. No, the problem was that Sirius had never once considered what it would have done to his friend Lupin if his plan had been successful. What would the man feel when he discovered he had killed or at least mauled another human? Additionally, if that incident had reached the authorities Lupin would have been as good as dead.
'Well, it is likely Dumbledore would have covered it up. If it had become known that he allowed a werewolf to attend Hogwarts the public outcry would have been truly staggering.'
All in all Draco now knew that he couldn't trust Sirius under any circumstances. He was far too unpredictable. Even sane he would never agree to work with Draco.
Draco sighed. "What should I do with you?"
The sedated man didn't answer.
The most convenient solution would be to kill Sirius, make it look as if some animal had mauled him and dump his body somewhere where it would be found by the wizarding authorities. His confirmed death would allow the Black inheritance to pass on to Draco and Harry.
Unfortunately it was impossible. His sister, Ginny and Daphne knew about him having Black under lock and key. They wouldn't react well to such a thing. Well, and Draco didn't actually want to kill anyone, especially not a family member.
Letting Sirius go or trying to work with him was infeasible. If Sirius somehow ended back under Dumbledore's influence it would give the old man too much to work with and open another avenue to influence Harry.
That left shipping Sirius off to another country. There were… institutions for dealing with unwelcome people that had to be kept alive for one reason or another. Some were rather comfortable. Some were not. That would actually better for Sirius than keeping him in his death-like state; he wouldn't miss decades that way. It would be difficult to arrange, though. Without his grandfather Draco couldn't really use the appropriate contacts, not at his age.
Draco sighed. 'I guess that means I have to keep him here, at least for a few years.'
His thoughts turned to other matters. Pettigrew was out there. Perhaps he had already found Voldemort. The timetable might have completely changed from what his other self had experienced.
Draco wished he could do something about it. Keeping Voldemort in his incorporeal state would be preferable, especially considering that Dumbledore was already under heavy political attack. He might not need Voldemort to take care of the old man. Unfortunately it was too late to do anything about it. He supposed he could try to sabotage the resurrection ritual, but there was no way any tampering would remain undiscovered. There were alternative rituals that Voldemort could use, too.
'I wonder if the Triwizard Tournament is already in preparation.'
He hoped to avoid that insanity, but he suspected Crouch was already pushing the idea in secret. It was the man's last bid for public recognition and attempt at a political comeback. During the first Voldemort war he had been the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and one of the few leaders who had actually the right ideas for the fight against the Dark Lord. Had he been able to implement his policies earlier the war could have been won without the miraculous disappearance of Voldemort.
If things had gone differently Crouch would have succeeded Millicent Bagnold as Minister for Magic soon after the war. Unfortunately his son had turned out to be a fanatical Death Eater, scrapping his career quite effectively. Instead they got nine more years under the incompetent Bagnold.
Draco knew that Crouch junior was still alive and hidden in his father's house. He had thought long and hard about doing something about it. All it would take was an anonymous letter. It would remove one of Voldemort's remaining assets, but it would discredit Crouch once and for all at the same time.
That had its own share of problems. Crouch was solidly anti-Dumbledore. Without him the political balance might well shift towards Dumbledore and that was something Draco was unwilling to allow. It seemed as if the old man was about to lose a great deal of his remaining power. Nothing could be allowed to interfere with that goal.
'Well, I have to wait how the current crisis plays out.'
The chambers of the Wizengamot were awash with noise when Amelia Bones took her seat. There were more people than usual. Even a group from the Wizarding Wireless Network was present to broadcast the proceedings.
This session would be important. Deals had been made over the holidays to end the investigation into the various irregularities and political infighting. All in all Amelia was content with what she had achieved. It wasn't as much as she had hoped, but more than she had feared.
The committee of inquiry that had been formed in the wake of the Potter-Dursley scandal would give its final report, giving recommendations which people should be prosecuted in a formal trial. Amelia couldn't wait until the last pronouncement. It wouldn't be what most people expected. Against all odds she and Dolores had managed to keep it secret. The idea the squat witch had come up with was simply marvelous.
Finally the session began and the chamber fell silent.
After a few formalities Dolores rose. "Hem, hem. Witches and Wizards, deeds most foul have been committed by members of the Ministry, abusing the trust and authority invested in them. In the past weeks and months countless accusations have been leveled. The Committee of Inquiry has been charged with determining the truth. Now it is time to give the final report. We will begin with…"
Amelia tried to look alert while they worked through the list of events and names. They would be here for hours.
The majority of cases were related to corruption or incompetence in the Ministry, but what was aired to the public was only the tip of the iceberg. Corruption was inherent to how things worked. Amelia didn't like it, but at least they had been able to weed out the worst cases… and incidentally got rid of a few Dumbledore supporters in the process, too.
The last point on the list was Harry Potter and his time with the Dursleys.
Dumbledore had been smart enough to secretly legitimize all his decisions or disassociate himself from the not defensible ones. Millicent Bagnold, the previous Minister for Magic had been eating out of the old man's palm. She had been all too eager to do everything he wanted. Nothing about Harry's placement with the Dursleys was prosecutable. There was no proof Dumbledore had known anything about the abominable treatment of Harry.
The old man had proven extremely tenacious. The political battle of the last months had been vicious and hard-fought. Dumbledore had almost managed to sink the Fudge government. Fortunately he had been unsuccessful. Favors had been called in; scapegoats had taken the fall for misdeeds; the public had been bombarded with a variety of propaganda. Now both sides were worn-out. Amelia and her allies didn't have enough political capital left to completely curtail Dumbledore's influence and he didn't have enough to topple the government.
Dumbledore had admitted in a public speech to 'tragic mistakes' and 'misplaced trust in family', apologizing profusely. Being the exceptionally gifted speaker that he was he had managed to sway a not inconsiderable part of the public. It wasn't enough to save his position at the International Confederation of Wizards, but Amelia wasn't sure they could kick him out of the Wizengamot… at least not without the little surprise they had in store.
Finally the time she had been waiting for arrived: Dolores was about to announce the committee's verdict about the last and most prominent person on the list.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore stands accused of a variety of misdeeds. After careful consideration this committee has come to the conclusion that there is not enough evidence to bring any charges before this assembly…" she paused a moment. "… save one. By the power invested in us by the Wizengamot, we hereby charge Albus Dumbledore with the crime of aggravated muggle-baiting."
It took a few moments for the words to sink in.
"Like father, like son. Always the hypocrite, eh Albus?" the ancient Lady Applebee cackled.
The look on Dumbledore's face was something Amelia would treasure forever. Then the Wizengamot chambers erupted in pandemonium when everyone started shouting at the same time.
Author's notes: It lives! Sorry about the glacial update schedule. We are more than half-way through the story and I hope to finish it in a relatively timely manner.