Chapter 90 – Legal Maneuvers II
While the wizarding world dealt with pressing issues like assuring that all those asleep would be in stasis and thus alive when they awoke, and preventing Voldemort from recasting his sleeping spell by removing his ability to draw on the power of those he'd marked with his Dark Mark, the Ministry was busy with pressing matters of its own.
The offices of all those who had lost their seats on the Wizengamot were emptied, and all contents pertaining to Ministry matters sequestered and catalogued. Early indications, based on a very quick assessment by the Aurors tasked with the work, suggested that Cornelius Fudge was not the only one who would be facing charges when all was said and done. Those now-empty offices that would be needed by others were cleaned and painted, and made ready for new occupants.
On a more strategic basis, teams from the various Ministry departments had prepared briefing scrolls on the most pressing issues expected to come before the Wizengamot from their areas of responsibility over the next few months. The Ministry Department of Wizardling Law had been working nonstop on its assessment of every piece of legislation enacted under the leadership of Minister Fudge, both in preparation for his trial for treason and to facilitate the work of the current Interim Minister and members of the Wizengamot in their assessment of what had been done so they could undo any enactments that were contrary to the good of wizarding Britain.
Sunday afternoon, as various new members of the Wizengamot arrived as she instructed, Minister Bones met with them individually to show them to their new offices, introduce the Ministry staff assigned to work with them, offer briefing scrolls on the most pressing issues of the day, and prepare them to assume their new duties when the group assembled in public session on Monday morning. The meetings with Lady Brand and Valerian Ventus were very quick, and the new members of the Wizengamot settled into the space assigned and made the acquaintance of the staff allotted to them.
Remus Lupin had one request to make, actually on behalf of Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore, who had take spoken to him before he left Hogwarts for Grimmauld Place earlier that day. Albus had never accepted an office at the Ministry for appearance's sake, so he requested a floo connection from Remuss' office to Hogwarts. The request for this connection was for the use of Harry Potter and Severus Snape, not his own. Under the circumstances, she recognized this as a very appropriate exception to standard Ministry protocol and immediately agreed to have the floo in Remus' office modified as he requested.
Lucius Malfoy was another matter altogether. He'd fussed over the offices allotted to him, and demanded that he be given a choice of spaces, since he had technically claimed ten seats. The space of those extra offices had been turned back to general Ministry purposes, and there were no longer extra offices available. Stuck with the offices assigned to him, he whinged about the location of the offices, arrangement of the space within them, the colors on the walls, the state of the carpet – nothing at all was satisfactory. Only once he was firmly disabused by Minister Bones of the idea that anything could or would be done by the Ministry to make these offices more to his liking, and she took her leave, did he summon one of his personal house elves, Herman, to discuss a redecorating project. Herman had long ago mastered Lucius' preferred decorating style, which many dismissed as stuffy and ostentatious but which Lucius was convinced exemplified his great wealth and elevated stature within the wizarding world. Herman and Lucius assessed and rejected the rather pedestrian furnishings provided by the Ministry. After some discussion and the careful taking of measurements, Herman apparated back to the storage rooms under Malfoy Manor to select an assortment of particularly impressive pieces from among the Malfoy heirlooms to become the decorating focal points of Lucius' new offices. While he made his selections, he dispatched some other house elves from the manor with specific instructions as to the paint to be applied to the walls, and others with instructions about refinishing the floors. Tomorrow morning, after he installed the Malfoy treasures in the freshly painted Ministry office, Herman anticipated a very pleasurable trip to some of the more exclusive shops in and around Diagon Alley to purchase those items still needed to complete the space.
Minister Bones was glad Lucius was the last of the new Wizengamot members to arrive on Sunday afternoon, as she really needed a brandy after dealing with him. The only hope she had was that if he devoted half as much energy and attention to the work of the Ministry as he did to decorating his office, things would go well for him.
Lucius himself returned to a small suite of rooms underneath Malfoy Manor after he was sure that his decorating needs were in Herman's capable hands. Unfortunately, significant parts of the Manor were themselves undergoing repair and restoration in the aftermath of his own fury when he realized that he could not answer the Calling and then the Dark Lord's visit last week. Between Lucius' fury and Voldemort's rage when Lucius and Eustace Landon had been able to floo out before he could catch them, they had completely demolished a significant portion of the Manor. Construction was under way, and making good progress, but it was messy and, worst of all, noisy.
A few centuries ago, a Head of the Malfoy family had seen fit to create a small place of sanctuary well guarded and shielded by strong wards in the ground beneath the Manor, to which the family could repair when things in the wizarding world got too dangerous, or until calmer heads prevailed. It was a matter of family lore that Lucius' great grandfather had used the rooms during a feud with another pure-blood family, but aside from that, only the house elves who kept it clean and ready for the family's use had been there. It was a bit cramped compared to the rooms in the Manor, but it was quiet and orderly. At least Lucius had the small apartment to himself. Narcissa was unlikely to be willing to return until everything was restored to its previous grandeur, and even then, Lucius anticipated she'd demand some bauble or jewel as a "gift" to entice her back to the Manor.
He, like his colleagues, spent some time before going to bed reviewing the scrolls that had been handed over or owled by Minister Bones. Unlike his colleagues, given his substantial knowledge of legal matters and Ministry procedures, he was spotting issues, anticipating arguments and approaches that would be taken, and working out all the implications of his possible responses to what might transpire when the Wizengamot met the next morning.
X X X X X X X X X X
The Wizengamot convened on Monday morning with substantially less drama than had been evident when it last met, the day that Harry Potter had sorted out the issue of who retained seats taken by duel during the time that Cornelius Fudge was unseated as Minister. It was a relatively subdued and orderly assemblage, with only a small handful of non-member observers in the gallery. Interim Minister Bones led the members into the chamber, waited for them to take their seats, and officially called the body to order.
The first order of business for the day was a discussion of the action to take regarding the Wizarding Registration Act apparently signed into law without authorization by former Minister Fudge. Before Minister Bones was even able to finish reading the agenda item to invite discussion by the members of the Wizengamot, she was interrupted by soft but very persistent coughs from one of the observers in the gallery. Looking over to the source of this annoyance, it did not really surprise Minister Bones to discover it was the ever-annoying Dolores Umbridge, pink bow in her hair. She sighed in annoyance.
"Miss Umbridge, is there a reason that you are disrupting this meeting?"
"As Senior Undersecretary to Minister Fudge, I feel it is my duty to assure that this body affirms the laws duly passed by his Administration," she replied in her soft, little-girl voice.
"As he was never authorized to sign this particular bill into law, and never disclosed an entire section of the proposed law to this body, it is indeed essential that this be discussed. Now then, do any members of the Wizengamot wish to speak in favor of ratifying the actions of former Minister Fudge?" Minister Bones emphasized "former" when she posed the question, and peered over her glasses to her left and right at the assembled members. Her question was greeted with silence.
"Alright then, I would like to speak in favor of repudiating those actions, and striking that law from our records. The initial premise, of requiring wizards to register with the muggle government, is one I believe we should reject. There is absolutely no even marginally compelling reason to do this. The second part of the act, involving vaccinations, is an outra . . ."
Before Minister Bones could go further, she was interrupted again by persistent little coughs from Miss Umbridge, at whom she cast a most malevolent glare. As if unaware of the growing anger of the sitting Minister, Dolores spoke again. "I must repeat, as Senior Undersecretary to Minister Fudge, and as a member of this body who has been wrongfully denied her seat, this body has no right to undo the laws that were duly enacted, and must in fact affirm the laws passed by his Administration."
"Miss Umbridge, you are no longer a member of the Wizengamot, and are here solely as a private citizen. Mr. Fudge is being held for criminal prosecution because of the manner in which he handled the matters under discussion . . . "
The remainder of Madam Bones' response was drowned out by the now-much-louder, and but still little-girl voice. "No, no, no! He was the duly elected Minister and the actions that led to his ouster were the illegal actions! You people have no authority to consider these matters! I demand that this body affirm Cornelius' actions!"
Madam Bones had never had much use for Dolores Umbridge, and had no patience at all for her disruptive behavior. "Aurors, you will remove Miss Umbridge from this chamber."
You could tell that the Aurors had been on the receiving end of some of Miss Umbridge's venom over the years by the enthusiasm with which several of them stepped up, totally undeterred by the yelling and fussing she was doing to protest her expulsion from the room. "Please take her to a holding cell in the lower level, and consult with a member of the Ministry's Department of Law. If any laws have been broken by her behavior here today, we will press charges. Otherwise, please be sure that she is not allowed back into this room in the future."
Albus Dumbledore immediately saw the potential problem with such a rule: The Wizengamot had prided itself on its general accessibility to the wizarding populace, and had never excluded members of the public from its open sessions, which this had been. He also thought he had a solution. "Excuse me, Minister. If I may, rather than summarily bar a private citizen from a public Wizengamot session and create a precedent that might be applied in a very inappropriate manner in the future, might I offer a suggestion? As the matters we will be considering for the remainder of this session may have bearing on a pending criminal matter, we should move to private session right now. Only members of the Wizengamot, members, actual or potential, of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Ministry employees whose attendance is required by the Minister may attend a private session."
With a look of gratitude, the Minister smiled at him and replied "Professor Dumbledore, excellent points indeed, and my gratitude to you for pointing that out. The Wizengamot shall now move to private session. Miss Umbridge may not return while we are in private session. If she is released from a holding cell after the Aurors have consulted with the Department of Wizarding Law, she may remain only in those parts of the Ministry offices open to members of the general public."
As the hubbub subsided following Miss Umbridge's removal from the room, Minister Bones looked across at the gallery to see who remained. A few other onlookers had left in Dolores' wake, no doubt because they were private citizens as well, and she saw one person she recognized as a member of the International Confederation of Wizards. And then she noticed Sirius Black.
"Lord Black, may I ask inquire as to your presence here?"
Sirius stood, and cast a look of pure challenge to Lucius Malfoy. "You may, Madam Minister. I remain as a potential member of the International Confederation of Wizards. I have not petitioned for membership as yet, but I am qualified to be a member of that body, and thus choose to remain here today."
Lucius' eyebrows arched upwards at the statement Sirius had just made. No official or public attendance was taken at the Calling, so information came out like this, in dribs and drabs. So, Black had been Called. Despite everything, including over a decade in Azkaban, he'd been able to accept that honor and stand in his rightful place that night, whereas Lucius had experienced frustration and anger unlike anything he'd ever felt in his life. He truly wanted to hex something, anything, at that moment.
Madam Bones was a bit surprised at Black's statement that he was qualified to belong to the Confederation. She'd known him for years before his stint in Azkaban, and always regarded him as an irresponsible hell-raiser, although of course that had nothing to do with magical strength. She stole a quick glance at Albus, who would know the truth of Sirius' statement, if anyone did, and to her surprise, he was beaming with pride in the younger man's direction. Well, well. With a curt nod in his direction, she resumed leading the Wizengamot through reconsideration of the most recently-enacted laws under the Fudge administration. In short order, the Wizengamot rejected both sections of the Wizarding Registration Act, the Wand Certification Doctrine and the Alliance Precedence Act.
Next on the agenda were a series of petitions from the Winter Lands. Lady Brand stood to present these. She had her brother's presence, although of course not anything remotely like his voice. The Winter Lands requested that the Wizengamot acknowledge that their Protectorate continued to be held by Harry Potter, which generated a low level of muttering among some in attendance, but that she be allowed to hold a seat on the Wizengamot in the name of the Winter Lands by virtue of the fact that the holder of the Protectorate is a citizen of Great Britain. Lucius, in particular, was a bit taken aback by the cleverness of the approach, as he realized that while no one wanted to challenge Lady Brand for her seat, she did have a rather tenuous claim to it, if she insisted that she was holding it in the name of the Winter Lands rather than in her own right. If he'd been consulted, he'd have recommended that she hold the seat personally, but she was making a statement, no doubt. However, the chances of this being a troubling precedent were virtually nil – there were not many Protectorates out there to begin with, and the odds of another being transferred away from the Ministry to an individual were even smaller.
Madam Bones spoke first. "We have never accepted a representative on the Wizengamot from a country that was not a Protectorate of Great Britain."
Lucius noticed a small frown appear on Albus' face at that. Had there been some additional information about what Lady Brand intended to present in the briefing materials, he would have had several private conversations with other Ministers to express his thoughts and try to avoid a public discussion like this. For whatever reason, the briefing material only alluded to several matters pertaining to the Winter Lands. He'd meet with Lady Brand later to discuss the more political approach, but for now, this petition needed his support.
"I see no problem with this request. If a Protectorate of Great Britain transfers its status to a citizen of this country that it chooses to recognize as its king, but it still wishes to participate on the Wizengamot, we can accommodate that. The relationship between the citizens of magical Great Britain and citizens of a Protectorate of a citizen of magical Great Britain is such that their mutual interests are all best protected through this arrangement. I move that we agree to this proposal."
Rather quickly after that, Lady Brand's request was granted. She then requested that commissions be set up to revisit several trade treaties with the Winter Lands, validating Lucius' assumption that there was likely to be an immediate benefit to agreeing to allow the Winter Lands to have a representative hold a seat at the Wizengamot. To nods from Lucius and Albus, those were quickly created as well.
Her final request was for the right of transit of Winter Lands warriors over British soil in order to fight for Harry Potter should he request their assistance. The muttering that had largely grown silent erupted anew, louder now, and the word "invasion" was heard from several members. This might have swelled into strong argument against had not Albus immediately spoken up. "Madam Minister, this is completely consistent with our agreement to welcome Lady Brand as holder of a seat in the body on behalf of the Winter Lands. We now regard them as a Protectorate, just once removed from a direct relationship with Great Britain. I believe you are aware that there is already an encampment of Winter Lands warriors on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, at our invitation. We regard them as most welcome guests; they have provided very valuable additional security for those in the castle. I endorse this request. This does not constitute an invasion, but a limited right of access for the good of all our citizens."
Albus' intervention on behalf of this request effectively quelled the muttering. There was some desultory discussion, more posturing just in case something went wrong later, but no serious objection to the practice survived, and this request, too, passed.
The next topic was another one that had been presented in the vaguest of terms in the briefing materials – the rights of vampires and werewolves. This was not nearly as straightforward as its presenter thought. Remus Lupin stood to present a motion that the laws enacted 400 years ago that deprived those afflicted with vampirism and lycanthropy of full citizenship rights be repealed immediately. Lord Aventine looked on with interest; while the younger wizard had not consulted with him on this, he was nonetheless very supportive of the repeal of those old laws. Lord Aventine was not entirely surprised when Lucius stood immediately with a counter proposal, however. The intricacies of wizarding law were almost certainly not as well understood by Remus as they undoubtedly were by Lucius. Lord Aventine remained convinced, from Harry Potter's charge to him, that Lucius would be on their side in this.
"Madam Minister, Mr. Lupin, and members of the Wizengamot, may I suggest that we need to take a slightly different approach? The repeal of the two laws that have just been identified will not actually accomplish what my colleague expects. When laws have been on the books for the length of time that these two have been there, there are numerous other laws that express the same intention, or refer to these laws in setting forth the subject that they cover. What I believe is needed here is a thorough study of wizarding law as it applies to vampires and werewolves, so that all aspects of the law that impact those two groups differently from others in the magical world can be identified and understood. We can then craft repeals and amendments as needed to truly restore vampires and werewolves to the legal status they enjoyed before the passage of the two key laws identified today. To do this correctly and achieve the intent of my colleague, I suspect that we will need to consider the repeal of at least 100 laws that have been passed over the centuries since the original laws passed, and likely several hundred more laws will need some amendment to reflect the change."
"I will gladly chair a Ministry Commission, and invite Lord Aventine and Mr. Lupin to participate, to fully research this matter and develop a comprehensive proposal. To the extent that this work requires skills not available at the Ministry, I will secure the services of those with those required skills, at my own expense."
Lord Aventine had a most bemused expression on his face at this. He'd fully understood what Harry Potter had done in offering Lord Malfoy the chance to assume a seat on the Wizengamot, but seeing the man in action was more than he'd really expected. Malfoy was the consummate politician, and clearly knew more about wizarding law than most, given the favored status most of his business transactions enjoyed under that law.
Albus Dumbledore was also clearly pleased by this development, with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. To the extent that Remus had his reservations about the sincerity of Lucius' support, he had to take his cue from the much more worldly Aventine and much more experienced Dumbledore. They both looked inordinately pleased by this development, so, pushing his concerns aside, Remus nodded in the direction of Lucius. "I appreciate and value the support of Lord Malfoy in this endeavor. I am sure his considerable expertise will enable us to take the actions to bring about the changes I believe are needed here." He lacked the nerve to make eye contact with Sirius at that point; he was sure his bondmate was looking at him as if he'd gone crazy, and he wasn't confident enough at that point that he hadn't to stare him down.
Remus remained standing, however, and at Minister Bones' questioning look, spoke further. "Madam Minister, I do have one additional issue to present. I am very concerned, both personally and as a member of this body, for the safety and welfare of Harry Potter and Severus Snape should either find it necessary to visit the Ministry of Magic personally for any reason. On the occasion of their last visit, literally dozens of wizards lined up in one of the corridors to throw down the gauntlet before Lord Snape. While of course the standards of our world dictate that Lord Snape was honor-bound to accept those challenges and duel the one who threw down the gauntlet, I find it utterly dishonorable that one Lord be required to duel his way through dozens of challengers. Thankfully, Lord Black agreed to second him, and they are both quite competent duelers, but I was embarrassed that such cowardly behavior was allowed to be displayed within the walls of the Ministry."
"I would add that Harry Potter felt the same. He was clearly furious when he found his bondmate dueling for his life before a long line of others waiting to challenge him. Lord Potter's response to this, a rather amazing display of wandless magic that literally blew all the challengers out of the corridor, resulted in one death and serious injuries to at least eight combatants when they were thrown into the wall at the end of the corridor, to say nothing of the shattered marble tiles. More than the potential for harm to others who challenge Lord Snape, or damage to Ministry premises, is the potential damage to himself that such displays of wandless magic by a young man who is, after all, just 16 years old. I am sure that Lord Malfoy can improve on what I propose here, but in the interest of the safety of Lords Potter and Snape, as well as in the interest of the Ministry to have access to them and their willingness to attend to matters in person here, I propose that all dueling, other than for seats of the Wizengamot during times that there is no Minister, be banned within the Ministry of Magic or its immediate surrounds."
For once, Lord Malfoy could not improve on Remus' legislative proposal, and it passed with no further debate.
X X X X X X X X X X
When the Wizengamot meeting ended, Albus quietly sought an interview with Minister Bones, to brief her on the work at Hogwarts. She led him to her office, and summoned two of her trusted advisors to join them. Albus recognized and nodded to head Auror Maxwell Darmut, and was introduced to a younger wizard, a plump, nervous sort with thinning dark hair, Malcolm Merrin.
"Minister Bones, as you know, there is a team at Hogwarts working on several aspects of the current situation, and we want to keep the Ministry apprised of our actions. As you may have heard, Harry Potter, Severus Snape and Hermione Granger and I have come up with a spell to remove the Dark Mark from the arms of Voldemort's Death Eaters. It's more than just cosmetic – the removal spell completely severs the connection between Voldemort and his Death Eaters, so he cannot summon them, nor access their magic through the link."
Malcolm, who had winced most noticeably when Albus spoke Voldemort's name aloud, spoke up in annoyance. "We have a very serious situation on our hands; are you sure it is worth the time to be dealing with You-Know-Who's minions, wasting efforts on their Dark Marks, when there is so much other work to be done?"
"Harry in particular was concerned that if we left that link in place, Voldemort would simply re-cast his spell. He realized at the Calling that a significant number of the most powerful witches and wizards in the world had taken that Mark, and thus put their power at Voldemort's disposal, so this is a significant issue. Muggles are already asleep, so only the wizards would be sent to sleep, and there would be no stasis component to the spell this time. We would be the ones to die."
Darmut looked with some disdain at his Ministry colleague, apparently reacting to the impertinence in the question he posed. "Do you think You-Know-Who is aware of what you've done?"
"Harry is certain that Voldemort knows his plans have been thwarted, but maybe not all the details. We assume Voldemort has figured out that we've undone the links in the Dark Mark by now, and that he'll be recruiting new members and reestablishing the link to others. I understand that there were many disillusioned Death Eaters when they realized how Voldemort misused them in draining their power and preventing them from taking their places as the Calling, so he might find many former Death Eaters unwilling to accept the Mark a second time. It will take him some time to reestablish a network of others willing to cede their power to him and accept the Dark Mark, now that they understand how that works."
"What do you see as the long-term outcome of your action here, Albus?" Minister Bones inquired.
"We are no longer dealing with an adversary with an established battle plan. By now, Voldemort's original plan would have had virtually all the muggles in the world dead, and a significant number of us with magic also dead or dying. He apparently only intended to awaken a small handful of his followers in time to save their lives. We have completely disrupted that. Harry and his team at Hogwarts will periodically recast their spell every few days or so, in different directions, so even those who take the Dark Mark now will not have it for long."
"Any speculation as to what Voldemort might try next, Professor Dumbledore?" Darmut asked, wondering what he and his corps of Aurors will need to fight now.
"Ah, yes, the crucial question. I think we need to look back at history to see where this is probably likely to lead in the near term future. We can expect the usual savage disregard for persons and property, of course. But I had a most interesting conversation with Augusta Longbottom, who was an Auror herself over 60 years ago, and she and I agree that the precedent to consider here is the rise of Gellert Grindelwald."
Looks of great consternation were exchanged among the Ministry staff at that news. None of them were old enough to have actually experienced that, but everyone knew the general story.
"That was the last time we saw demons summoned, if I recall, before Voldemort's recent foray into that activity. Gellert relied heavily on the use of all sort of Dark Magic, compulsion spells, magical bindings, magical tortures. We saw the ruthless use of kidnapping and murder, of both those with magic and those without, to coerce people into accepting his mandates. He was at the early stages of trying to take over the government, too, when he finally met his end."
A look of great distress on her face, Minister Bones asked "Do you think Cornelius' actions were part of You-Know-Who's plan? Might he have been under the Imperious Curse when he sought to undermine the Ministry?"
"No, I think Cornelius' bout of treachery was his own." Looking at Darmut for confirmation, which he got immediately, Albus continued "Cornelius employed some of the most sophisticated Curse detection methods known to our world, methods that have always proven to be particularly good at detecting any sort of compulsion curse, and I am sure our Aurors and others in that line of work would have detected anything of that sort. Our former Minister's actions were just fortuitous for Voldemort, but not part of his plan."
"Gellert had stealth, which Voldemort obviously has lost. Many of those who were swayed by Gellert's agenda did not understand the full impact of what he really intended, until it was getting almost too late. Voldemort similarly had an agenda with which some agreed, but now he's shown his hand. Everyone understands his ultimate objective, and exactly how he intends to achieve it. Those who align with him now will do so with their eyes wide open. They will be fewer in number, I imagine, but very committed to his cause."
Malcolm had become very quiet. His bravado was ebbing as he began to understand the magnitude of the situation. Albus wondered to himself what role the young man served for Minister Bones – he certainly seemed out of his league at this meeting. Darmut, however, was clearly developing an understanding of what was to come. "So, the next phase of this engagement will be violent and vicious, carried out by people committed to what they are doing and unmindful of the harm they cause."
With a very sad expression, Albus nodded. That did, unfortunately, sum things up.
Minister Bones observed "I seem to recall reading that Grindelwald was quite adept at demon-summoning."
Albus agreed. "And we can also expect attacks of the more usual sort, by his Death Eaters. They will not be able to link their power in larger numbers, but the individuals will be able to use their own considerable power to attack us."
With a smile now, he continued. "That was what Augusta and I discussed. She was very engaged in the fight against Gellert, and very skilled at some of the defensive spells that we are likely to need now that we have a new Dark Wizard taking aim on our world, spells that many no longer know. She's agreed to teach a new course at Hogwarts."
Malcolm looked up sharply. "We've seen no new course descriptions for Hogwarts – you are still expected to follow the standard syllabus for OWLs and NEWTs exams!"
"Mrs. Longbottom's course is not part of the regular syllabus. Only select students will even be invited to participate in her course, those who have shown particular aptitude or interest in this area. We will gladly hold sessions for members of your Auror corps, Maxwell, and others from the Ministry who might benefit from a refresher in this more arcane subject area. We will also make this available to some members of the public, and Harry has expressed interest in inviting some of the stronger witches and wizards from other countries to visit Hogwarts and participate."
Malcolm looked quite upset at that news, and leaned over to Minister Bones. "We cannot possibly allow that, Minister! We cannot allow anything to dilute the support and training that might be needed to defend our country against You-Know-Who. After all, there is every reason to believe that he'll focus his actions here."
"I am concerned, as well, Professor Dumbledore," Maxwell added. "I believe we need to look to ourselves first here, and make sure that we've done all we can for our own people, before sharing this with others."
Albus stole a look at Minister Bones, to gauge her reaction to this. She looked pensive, as if pondering the points made by her advisors. "This is a private course, by invitation only, and we are extending an invitation to the Ministry to send whomever you feel can best benefit our society with this instruction. I know that Mr. Potter will insist on including others, but I did want you to know about this."
Minister Bones did not look at all put out by that; she almost seemed to be pleased that Harry took the stronger position and relieved the Ministry from having to defend the decision he made.
X X X X X X X X X X
Back at Hogwarts, Harry was enjoying what felt like an almost normal Monday.
He and Severus had enjoyed their morning beverages – coffee for Severus and tea for Harry – and shared a kiss before heading off to the Great Hall for breakfast. It had felt so natural, so normal, and it buoyed him.
The students at the Gryffindor table were their usual, noisy selves, with conversations going on all around him, about all manner of everyday topics. There was gossip, and arguments, and worried discussions about the upcoming classes. Hermione was reviewing some notes from prior classes, naturally, and her efforts to get Harry and Ron engaged in any sort of review of the work from just over a week ago now were meeting with no success, as usual. Ron, Dean and Seamus were discussing the resumption of Quidditch once the pitch was repaired, and Neville was still fretting over his grandmother's plans to include him in her class as a teaching assistant.
Harry smiled as he buttered a piece of toast and dug into his cereal. This was what life was supposed to be about for 16-year old students at Hogwarts. He was happily able to put aside the absurdity of his being asked to sort out the craziness at the Ministry, and deal with all those foreign dignitaries, and all the other things that had become part of his life over the past week. Hermione was doing class work now, not desperately trying to develop a spell to solve a problem that had gone unsolved for years before she was born, to remove the Dark Mark. Stealing a glance at the head table, he smiled to see Severus looking with annoyance at Professor McGonagall – how normal was that?
"What's so funny, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Nothing. Just looking around and seeing how normal everything is starting to look again. Normal things to talk about. Hermione frantically reviewing notes before a class. I missed this."
Hermione rolled her eyes at the description that captured her activity, and good naturedly swatted Harry in the arm with the parchment she'd been reading. "Really, I wish you would all just take a few minutes to go over what we did last week. Professor McGonagall might not go over this again, and it will make this class today more difficult."
Harry grinned broadly. Yes, things were getting back to normal, at last. He never knew how long normalcy would last in his life, so he knew he had to enjoy it while he could. He was still smiling as the group stood and started off to Transfigurations class.