Hermione was busy breastfeeding Hope. Ron was nearby. Their house was heavily warded, so there was no fear of bugging Rita Skeeter-style! It was a moment of repose amongst the firestorm.
Susan and Padma were currently dealing with a further request from Patrick Parkinson's conservative purebloods for a further Wizengamot Committee hearing. They had agreed with Kingsley, Harry, Ron, Hermione and the others to feign reluctance to keep Parkinson, Rita and the rest thinking that they still had the upper hand. In fact, they were putting their case together for confronting Rita and her pureblood supporters with the truth.
With Hugo staying overnight with the Potters and Rose at Hogwarts, it was just the three of them. As Hermione finished feeding her youngest daughter, Ron walked over to kiss first Hope on the forehead and then his wife on the lips.
"Hopefully, this whole business shall be over soon, my darling," Ron said soothingly.
"I hope so, too, Ron, but we need to face the facts. Most of the conservatives will always see me as a jumped-up mudblood, worse a jumped-up liberal mudblood, whatever happens with Rita and The Daily Owl Post. We both know that. Yes, Harry and Kingsley will do all they can to shield us, but there will be other attempts to bring me down.
"We can't put Rose, Hugo and Hope through this every couple of years or less, Ron. Something has got to give. Once this is resolved, we need to decide what future is best for our family…"
"Keep still, Hermione!" Parvati chided, as she applied the finishing touches to the robes that her friend was wearing. "I just need to adjust the hemline. There! Done!"
"I don't know what I needed these new robes for anyway," Hermione protested.
"These robes have the Weasley, Potter, Black, Longbottom, Abbott, Bones Shacklebolt, Malfoy and McMillan coats of arms sewn into the fabric," Harry explained patiently. "There are the Patil and Davis ones as well, if you look closely enough. I assume Parvati made these more discrete, as minor houses in Britain at any rate." Parvati nodded, giving Hermione a beaming smile.
"Now," Harry continued, "the conservatives know that you are under the patronage of those Houses, including a number of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Both Potter and Bones are just outside that fraternity too. I don't think it will hurt to remind them just which families are siding with you. These people are obsessed with wizard heritage. They won't want it known that so many major families are siding with you rather than them."
Hermione sighed. The robes were a dark grey, with the various coats of arms across the front. She couldn't deny the elegant simplicity of Parvati's design and craft.
"Thank you, Parvati," Hermione said as she pulled her old dormmate in for a tight hug. "Magnificent as always!"
"Thank you, Hermione."
"Now, we should all be ready for your hearing tomorrow, love," Ron told her. "Just keep calm and be yourself and all should be well again."
"Thank you, darling, but I can't help but feel that your naïve optimism will be somewhat misplaced…"
That evening, there was a gathering in the main conference room at The Alchemists Arms. Stephen Strange, Clea, Wanda Maximoff, Jason Blood, Madame Xanadu, Giovanni and Zatanna Zatara, Dr Fate, John Constantine, Harry Dresden, Endora, Samantha and Tabitha Stephens, the three Charmed Ones, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, Will Stanton, Hadji Quest-Singh, Emma Swan, Regina and Zelena Mills and Gomez, Morticia, Fester and Pugsley Addams were all present. Harry, Ginny, Wednesday, Millie and Pansy Potter were also seated around the round table, as were Bill, Fleur, Ron and Hermione Weasley. Only the largely retired Sar Dubotnal and Mandrake were missing from the general council of the Secret Circle.
"Rita Skeeter teaming up with Lex Luthor to accuse Hermione of introducing muggle immorality into the British wizard world," Willow noted, "must be the very definition of irony. 'I'm using evidence that was given to me by a non-magical foreign crime lord to condemn a witch for bearing a child after being raped by a non-magical foreign crime lord. To make it even more hypocritical, I'll even base it on a no-maj dirty tricks campaign.'
"If you want her turned into a rat, Hermione, you know where to come. Or a toad. Or even a beetle. Wait, she can turn into one of those herself. Perhaps a cockroach. Yes, I could do that…"
"Breathe, Willow," Rupert sighed.
"Sorry, Giles. I got carried away a bit there."
"That's OK, Willow," Harry Potter reassured her. "Would you, Stephen, Wanda, Zee, John, Jason, Dr Fate, Harry, the Storybrooke witches and the Charmed Ones attend please? Seeing a few heavy hitters present could give the conservative purebloods cause for pause.
"We are confident in our arguments but having you all plus Wonder Witch and a few Furies present can only give us extra strength. A show of arms cannot hurt in the circumstances."
"Exactly, mon amour! Rita isn't exactly a powerful sorceress. She wouldn't be mad enough to attack this company!"
"That sounds reasonable, Harry, Wednesday," Stephen Strange agreed. "As long as the words Secret Circle and The Alchemists Arms aren't spoken in front of those not in the loop, so to speak, and we do not directly interfere in British wizard affairs, I can't see there being any problems."
"Given that you Stephen," Jason Blood noted, "Wanda, John, Zee, Dr Fate, Harry Dresden and I plus Endora are all rated as 'Do not anger at all costs' by the White Council, the very presence of most of us should be sufficient. With Willow's connections to the Watchers and the Slayers, in addition to her own great powers as a witch, there won't be any great intention to try it on with her either. As for the Charmed Ones and the Storybrooke folk…"
"We can vanquish wizards just as well as we can demons, Jason," Piper Halliwell assured him. "No offence!"
"None taken, my dear!"
"Now that we can use our magic outside of Storybrooke," Regina added, "we can juggle a few fireballs should we need to. Zelena and I are always up for breaking hearts too!"
"You got it, Sis!"
"Thank you, everyone. It is good to know that so many of you have my back."
"Of course, Hermione," Harry Dresden reassured her. "The conservative purebloods try something against you involving hexes and the Wizengamot Chamber suffers extensive fire damage. No ifs, no buts!"
"You said it, squire! Now, I'm dying for a fag…"
"I can't take you anywhere, my love," Zatanna sighed.
Hermione was standing outside the Wizengamot Chambers. Her new robes were both comfortable and stylish, a tribute to Parvati's talents as a fashion designer.
As Patrick Parkinson walked passed, he sneered at her. "Any plans for spending your forthcoming free time, Mrs Weasley?! You should be having more of it shortly."
"Anyone would think that you were prejudicing the future findings of the committee, Mr Parkinson," Ron snapped, putting his arm around his wife. "That would be rather unbecoming of a chairperson, one might think…"
Before Parkinson could reply, Harry Potter led Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff, Willow Rosenberg, John Constantine, Zatanna Zatara, Jason Blood, Dr Fate, Emma Swan, Regina and Zelena Mills, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews towards the Chambers. "Chief Auror Potter," Parkinson jeered, "you have brought some of your circus turns with you, I see. Do you really think so little of us to be expecting a riot?!"
"Not at all, Mr Parkinson. These fine people and Wonder Witch and some of her Furies are to be here as official White Council observers, nothing else. If there is violence, they may intervene. Otherwise, just pretend that they are not here.
"You don't want the Wizengamot getting a reputation for parochialism, do you, Mr Parkinson?!"
Parkinson snorted derisively and entered the chambers. Harry gave Hermione a big hug before he led the White Council observers into the chambers, with Ron snogging her senseless before following the party. Millie led Ginny, Pansy, Daphne, Tracey, Astoria, Katie, Alicia, Parvati and Gabrielle down a side corridor to a place where they could spin themselves into costume. Wonder Witch and all bar two of her Furies came out of said side corridor shortly afterwards. Since Padma and Susan were involved with the Wizengamot committee, they obviously couldn't be Grace and Nemesis respectively at the same time. Finally, Neville, Hannah and Draco all embraced Hermione tightly before entering the chambers, as Luna did when accompanying her father, Rex and Louise to the press desks.
Shortly afterwards, Padma stuck her head out of the corridor leading to the chambers. "We are ready for you, Hermione."
To Hermione's surprise, she was led to Court Ten. "Padma tell me the truth please. Am I being tried before the full Court?!"
"No, Hermione. This is just so Parkinson can make you fear that you are. He wants to make you feel powerless before your conservative pureblood betters, as he would put it. There is no great cry for a full impeachment hearing yet and Parkinson knows it.
"As before, keep calm and answer any questions honestly and sincerely. Do that and you should be fine. Good luck, Hermione.
Rather than a chair with magical chains attached, Hermione was led by Padma to a comfortable sofa. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harry Potter, Susan Bones and Patrick Parkinson were seated at a long table, with the rest of the Wizengamot in their accustomed seats. Rita Skeeter was seated with the press, Hermione noted as Padma took the seat between Susan and Harry at the table.
"Please be seated, Mrs Weasley," Kingsley said in a formal but kindly manner. "This is neither a trial nor a formal impeachment hearing. Are you willing to answer a few questions for us today?"
"Of course, Minister Shacklebolt. I shall be delighted to help the Court in any way."
"I am sure that you are, Mrs Weasley," snarked Parkinson.
"According to Rita Skeeter, you fathered a child with a muggle crime lord and forced your pureblood husband to adopt her. True or false?!"
"I do not deny that Hope Pansy Weasley is the biological daughter of Buonaparte Ignace Gallia IV, the late muggle smuggler and gangster based in Saint Marie. Ron has adopted her as his. That much is true, which neither of us have ever denied.
"The question is whether I truly consented to Mr Gallia's advances or did so under duress. I will deny that I consented, and Ms Skeeter will continue to argue the contrary position. This will not get anyone anywhere. We need to find a way to move on.
"Ron and I have discussed this. You have our resignations from the Ministry, effective immediately."
"Hermione is right," Ron confirmed. "We shall clear our desks as soon as this hearing is over. Having been offered new opportunities by the White Council, it is time for us to move on.
"Rose, Hugo and Hope will continue to be our top priorities. Both Hermione and I thank the Ministry and the Wizengamot for the opportunities that they provided to us."
"Thank you, Mr and Mrs Weasley," said Parkinson, with barely concealed glee. "We shall begin the process of looking for your replacements. I am sure that everyone will wish you luck in your future endeavours.
"The British wizard world has been saved from pollution by muggle moral filth. That concludes this…"
"Mr Chairman," Susan interrupted, "on that matter, I must make an announcement. Wonder Witch and her Furies have provided evidence that Rita Skeeter has been colluding with a muggle crime lord from the United States named Lex Luthor. He has been providing her with funding and tips on how to conduct a dirty tricks campaign in exchange for getting his hand on cheap land currently owned by the Ministry of Magic.
"This file includes details of mysterious regular floo visits to New York, photographic evidence of Ms Skeeter meeting Mr Luthor and magical and muggle records pertaining to the land transactions. There are also examples of such weaponised press and other media campaigns in the No-Maj United States. What were you saying about pollution by muggle moral filth, Mr Parkinson? Ms Skeeter is a far worse offender than she has accused Mrs Weasley of being…"
"Rita is this true?!" demanded a furious Patrick Parkinson, turning towards the press box.
Rita merely transformed into her water beetle Animagus form and flew away. "I think that answers your question, Mr Parkinson," Kingsley observed dryly.
"Any changing your minds now that Rita has gone into hiding?" Ginny asked Ron and Hermione that evening. There was a private "leaving do" at the Kilns for the couple. "According to the Doctor, you have unfinished business, Hermione."
"Ah," came the familiar Yorkshire tones from behind Ginny, "I never said that the unfinished business would be achieved at the Ministry of Magic. Hermione Weasley can achieve more at the White Council than at the Ministry.
"Remember, Ginny, the British mages tend to be highly conservative and keep one foot in the past. Your sister-in-law is a liberal with both eyes gazing into the future. If it wasn't this regrettable affair, something would have convinced Ron and Hermione that their future lay elsewhere."
"I suppose that exactly what Ron and I do, Doctor, is a Spoiler," Hermione sighed. "With three kids to look after now, though, we needed to escape from the sneering conservative purebloods for the time being at least. The White Council is starting a new commission of House Elf Rights and a Mage version of Interpol. We are obvious choices for Commission Chair and Director of Operations respectively.
"All in all, we got dream jobs and Rita is a pariah amongst Parkinson's faction. They got rid of Ron and me but are laughing stocks. Neither side really won and neither side really lost."
"Real life is messy like that," the Doctor agreed. "This was never going to be ending in a pitched battle between Team Potter and Team Skeeter with True Love Conquering All. Press dirty tricks campaigns and orchestrated faux-moral outrages rarely have Happy Ever Afters. These are not Fairy Tales."
"More is the pity," said Regina Mills as she sipped Prosecco. "Political Thrillers and Fairy Tales don't get on usually. They thrive on Hopelessness and us of course on the opposite."
Meanwhile, Zelena was chatting to Rex and Louise. "It is always a pleasure to see you, my pretties."
"Likewise, Zelena," Rex responded with a smile. "We must take the Balaska II to Storybrooke Harbour this weekend. Ron and Hermione have some free time before they start their new jobs and could do with a cruise anyway after the last few weeks.
"Henry and Ava seem to love looking after Harriet, Robyn and the twins. They will be great parents when their child…"
"It is a son. Daniel Baelfire Mills is to be the name. They told us at a family dinner a couple of nights ago."
"Great! Pass on our congratulations, please."
"I will, Louise. Thank you both. Give my love to Jean, Linda and Bob when you next see them."
"I'm sorry, Rita my dear. We should have realised that Team Potter were more cunning than we gave them credit for being."
"Don't apologise, Lex. I should have remembered how cursedly resourceful Wonder Witch and her Furies are. The Weasleys and Potters are not to be underrated either."
"Took your time to realise that, pal!" A very tall man with a hangdog face was present in the room with a bang.
"My name is Harry Dresden. Mr Luthor, after twice getting involved with witches and wizards, you are on the MACUSA and White Council watchlists now. Any further interference in mage affairs would invite serious consequences.
"In short, if you find me here again, you had better have good fire insurance! Good evening, pal!
"Miss Skeeter, you are persona non grata in the British Wizard World. I would watch your step if you return to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Take heed of this friendly warning…"
Another bang and Harry Dresden had vanished. "It makes a change from Superman or Batman," Lex Luthor sighed.
"Well, Ms Skeeter, we have been warned by the White Council…"
Patrick Parkinson was talking to Algernon Runcorn. "You should end The Moral Mage, Runcorn. It is time to distance us from anything like a muggle media hate campaign, now that we know where Rita got her inspiration from. We are looking like fools."
"I disagree, Parkinson. The strategy seemed to be working. Indeed, both Weasleys have resigned, as we both wanted.
"If something works, why change it? This episode caused more damage to the Potter Agenda in the Ministry than anything else we have done since the Battle of Hogwarts over twenty years ago."
"At the cost of our ideological purity, Runcorn? That is too high a price for me to pay. Most pureblood conservatives on the Wizengamot agree with me."
"That is the past, Parkinson. Did you see Hermione Weasley's robes? Greengrass, Davis, even Malfoy were openly supporting her! We will never win in the Wizengamot Court now. The Court of Public Opinion is where we must triumph. Without The Moral Mage, your Great Old Cause is lost!
"I don't want to split the pureblood conservatives, but we of the younger generation realise that yours has had its day. We must adapt or die out. The pureblood cause must not be allowed to go extinct."
"You have the free run of Potter Island for as long as you want," Harry assured Ron and Hermione, the latter with Hope cradled in her arms. "Hugo can stay with us indefinitely too!"
"Thank you, Harry," Ron said, embracing his brother-in-law. "We do need a break before we start our new jobs next month. After we return from a short break with the Milligans and Dana-Craigs on the Balaska II in Storybrooke Harbour, we shall spend a week on Potter Island as just the three of us."
"A great idea, mon vieux! Have a great time!"
"After we get back from the break," Hermione noted, "it should be time for Hope's Christening. We need a family celebration. After all, strengthening our family is the battle that we did win…"