No, I am not JKR

"So, what do we know so far?" asked Hermione, getting down to business. They had managed to light up and roughly clean out a portion of the Chamber and were now sitting there on chairs around a table, all of which Percy had conjured. The book lay innocently on the wooden table.

Harry pulled out a muggle notebook from his robes and flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. It helped a lot when he needed to organize his thoughts, like a journal. He'd found it in a broken drawer in his bedroom. Apparently Dudley kept a pile of stationery there to get out of going to school. Of course, his parents just bought him new ones. "It all started with the book appearing in front of Hermione just before summer. How it appeared, I have no idea. We found that the book was, and still is written in Runes. We got the cover translation, thanks to Bill, and got confirmed that it was made of dragon hide by Charlie. Dragon hide is one of the most impenetrable and magical things you can come across. Runes carved in probably wouldn't rub off. On the first page of the book is a kind of advice, likely from the founders. It gave us a sort of warning didn't it? Before the Sorting hat went crazy? Also, Hogwarts is sentient, and the sorting hat is her 'voice' so to speak".

"Right. And the Ministry's a stupid pile of lies! Most of it anyway," said Ron. Percy looked like he wanted to say something, but then he sighed and nodded. After all, he had come to a similar conclusion during the summer.

"Now, about these gems," Fred put in suddenly. "Do you think they are the ones Slytherin used as catalysts in the schools ward stone?" Everyone thought about it for a minute.

"It does make sense," said Ginny, hesitatingly. "After all, those gems were from their own weapons and jewels and in their House colours, right?"

"Let's sleep on it," George suggested after not getting anywhere with the thread of thought.

"I found out who has been stealing my money," said Harry, suddenly. His lips curled as he spat out," Minister Cornelius Fudge".

Silence. Percy looked as though the world had come crashing down. Ron and Hermione looked in shock and the twins were just gaping at Harry with their mouths open. Ginny, however, was the one who asked," How do you know?"

"A mail redirection ward. Since I have no magical guardian as of now, he threw his weight around a bit and managed it secretly. No, don't ask. It makes my head whirl. Also, as I'm Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, effectively making me Lord Potter, I can get him out of office quite easily".

"So then why don't you?" asked Hermione, aghast, wondering why on earth someone would wait so long to get an incompetent idiot out of office if they were able. Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Look, it doesn't work that way. At the moment, as much as I hate to admit it, Fudge is best kept where he is. Let me explain," he lifted his hand when she opened her mouth angrily. "The memories of the Founders' lives have stirred up a storm! The employees are running around like headless chickens! Yes, the Ministry is corrupt, yes I know what to do about it, but this is going to cause a huge political backlash. It'll make things worse. And anyway, who's to say we can't air out a bit more of his dirty laundry to help for when we do kick him out?"

The twins suddenly got an evil glint in their eyes the others knew all too well. "Oh Harrikins!"

"Looks like you found-"

"Your inner prankster!"

Making everyone laugh and Percy's lips twitched. Then Harry grew serious again.

"Guys, now, about Voldemort..."

Hermione stiffened and the others all flinched. Ignoring it, he continued as if he hadn't stopped. "He's going to return again. And we all know it. This means he's going to come after me, and as you are my friends, he's going to try and hurt you to get at me. So we need to train". Harry's eyes fairly gleamed with hope and anticipation as he looked at their shell-shocked faces.

During his 'exile', he had come to several conclusions, the prime of them being this. They could hardly rely on the Defence teachers as they came and went but no one was forbidding them from learning on their own, right?

Percy was the first to recover. He cleared his throat loudly like he always did before saying something important, and said, "I've always had a rather strong faith in the ministry and to be honest I was going to join as an after graduating but this rather puts me off and I must thank you for that Harry. I would most likely have found myself in a rather big pile of hippogriff dung if I hadn't gotten to know this beforehand. Also, I have been reading up on laws this summer, and it's quite clear how You-Know-Who came so close to winning last war. The way the ministry's been treating werewolves and vampires" he shook his head in disgust" no wonder they joined up with Him. He offered them what the ministry refused to".

"And what's that?" asked Hermione.

Percy looked at them all, more serious than they had ever seen him. "Freedom"

He continued. "Freedom to live their lives like normal people, freedom to work where they need to, freedom to obtain whatever they need, freedom to travel and move without worrying about being arrested for being who they are! The ministry is denying them of all these basic rights".

Harry looked up at him suddenly, his eyes lighting up as though he had just answered a question in his mind without meaning to.

"That's it!" he said softly.

"What is it?" asked Ron.

"Freedom," he said before turning to the others. "That's what this whole thing is about is it not? The ministry's corrupt, so look at it this way. Voldemort must have spotted it when he was younger and used it to his advantage by recruiting those bigots and using the whole 'pureblood supremacy' thing to gain power".

"And then he could infiltrate the ministry!" Ron burst out suddenly. "Blimey! It's like a twisted chess game against...well everyone really. A three-way one"

They all gazed at each other, eyes wide. The implications of this...

Parts one and two were going to be one whole chapter together but ended up too long and screwed up so the next part will be posted later. Not earlier than Sunday though. I have a lot on my schedule (what schedule?). So please, review!