Chapter 109 – Rewriting History
Harry and Severus followed Albus through the floo from the Headmaster's office to Remus' office at the Ministry right after breakfast on Thursday morning. Severus exited the floo in his usual elegant manner, brushing the odd piece of soot from the sleeve of his robe, and he turned just in time to catch Harry, stumbling as usual, as he fell out of the large fireplace. With a smirk directed to Harry, he helped Harry get his feet under him on the carpet, and gave his robes a quick brush. "I'll get the hang of that some day," Harry muttered.
They were a bit late, owing to the fact that Harry had insisted on wearing school-appropriate clothes to the Great Hall for breakfast, and then returning to their rooms to change into whatever one wore to Wizengamot sessions; no way was he going to show up at breakfast gussied up like that. Severus had to go along with him on that point. Even though Severus had selected his own and Harry's clothes and placed them on the bed before they left, and even though they flooed directly from their rooms to the Headmaster's office, getting into breeches, and linen shirts, and summer-weight doublets, and all the rest, took time.
Remus was already dressed in the distinctive robe and hat that identified him as a member of the Wizengamot, and he was just helping Sirius into his robe. Albus had rejected the uniform, and was wearing instead a turquoise robe with silver and gold shooting stars and purple trim, together with a purple and green pointed hat. Sirius' eyebrows went up at the colorful ensemble; Harry was reasonably sure he was considering what alternative attire he might select for the next meeting. Apparently, there was room for individual choice of dress at these things, contrary to what Minister Bones had told him.
Harry greeted Sirius with a hug, and whispered into his ear as he did so "Don't even think of getting a robe like that – you won't get away with it!" Sirius looked surprised that Harry had read his mind, and chuckled as he shook his head at Harry. James could always read him like a book, too, and would have said the exact same thing. Yet another way in which Harry now reminded him of James.
Harry had just given Remus a quick hug in greeting, when a knock sounded at the door, followed by the entrance of Auror Stark. "Gentlemen, Madam Minister asked me to escort you all to the Chamber, as the Wizengamot session will begin as soon as you can all be seated. Please follow me."
Albus followed along immediately, and there was a bit of a stir right behind him as the other four sorted out how they would follow. Sirius seemed intent on walking with Harry, although Remus wanted to walk with Sirius, and Severus had no intention of walking with anyone other than Harry, sans Sirius. With a quick look shared between Severus and Remus, Remus took Sirius firmly by the arm and frog-marched him along behind Albus, and Severus placed his hand on Harry's shoulder to hold him back a second before they followed along.
"Allow the others to enter, just a second or two, before we go in. Nothing is going to happen until you arrive, I'm sure, so this way they do not appear to be the last ones to arrive," he explained.
Harry smiled at that most un-Slytherin-like display of concern for others, as they hastened to catch up with the small parade led by Auror Stark down the gleaming black marble-paved corridors leading to the Wizengamot chamber.
Harry shivered off his unpleasant memories of these corridors from prior visits: the walk with Mr. Weasley to his own hearing after he had used a Patronus charm to save himself and Dudley from an attack by Dementors, the horrid dream in which he learned that Mr. Weasley had been attacked by Nagini, the hearing to determine if Remus had gone feral, the even more wrenching sight of Severus dueling for his life against a long line of hired thugs sent to get Harry's bondmate out of the way. He even spared a second to consider the sight of all those thugs blasted into one of these marble walls by his burst of wandless magic. He didn't think that any of them had died as a result of whatever injuries they had suffered in that pile-up, and felt quite justified that they deserved whatever harm befell them that day, so he did not linger on that thought too long.
Severus caught the shiver, and cast a wary eye at Harry. "Are you chilled? I can spell an insulating layer into that summer-weight robe, if you'd like," he offered. "Some of the corridors down here seem to be as bad as the dungeons back at Hogwarts."
"No, no, I'm fine. If the Wizengamot chamber is cold, I might ask you for that favor, but I don't need it right now. I was just thinking about the other times I've been here, or seen this place, and it just came to me – I don't know. Horrid, cold place, if you ask me."
Severus considered that. He personally shared Harry's assessment. Given Harry's role in the wizarding world, though, he expected that the two of them would likely be finding themselves at the Ministry for various reasons in the future, and it was not wise to encourage Harry to regard it so negatively. "This part of the building is forbidding, by intent. Don't judge the entire Ministry building by this area. Most of it consists of comfortable offices and less austere public spaces," he offered in a carefully neutral tone.
They had arrived at the Chamber doors, and Auror Stark held the door open and stood aside as Albus, Remus and Sirius entered to take their seats. As soon as he saw them get to the stairs up to their seats, Severus nodded for Harry to follow, and as Harry and then Severus entered, all eyes went to them. As one, all in the Chamber rose.
Harry flushed at the display – this was likely something he'd never get used to, this "standing up" thing. Severus caught his reaction, and realized that the others were going to remain standing until he'd taken his seat. The Chamber gallery was uncommonly crowded today with visitors, most of whom Severus recognized as the advisors and legal representatives who worked on Malfoy matters. They had presumably been the ones to whom Lucius turned to get this review and redrafting done as quickly as possible.
To his surprise, Severus spotted Narcissa sitting with Draco. Draco's presence was not a shock; this was a big moment for his father, and it was to be expected that he would have asked Draco to attend. Narcissa was another story altogether. To the best of Severus' knowledge, she'd never attended a Wizengamot session before, and her visits to the Ministry itself could easily be counted on one hand. While Lucius might have wanted his wife in the gallery today, she was notoriously unwilling to participate in events of this sort. He could not imagine what sort of bribe Lucius had to offer to get her to attend today.
Severus spotted seats in the front row of the gallery, which would afford a clear view of both the Wizengamot members and whomever was presenting, so taking Harry's elbow, he guided him along and, with a nod, suggested that they sit. As soon as they were getting settled in their seats, all the others in the Chamber took their seats as well, and Harry relaxed.
Minister Bones removed her reading glasses and spoke from her seat in the center of the boxes reserved for Wizengamot members.
"Lord Potter, Lord Snape, witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, colleagues and guests, I bid you welcome. We gather today for a long-overdue and most auspicious occasion. Lord Malfoy has completed, with the help of many of the guests present here today, an exhaustive review of many centuries of our laws and regulations, and asked for this special session today to present his conclusions and a comprehensive legislative package." With a nod of thanks to the several rows of lawyers and advisors in the gallery, she turned to Lucius, seated in the row in front of her. "Lord Malfoy, the floor is yours."
Lucius swept to the floor of the Chamber. Severus noticed that for once, Lucius was wearing a plain robe – the same as his peers on the Wizengamot. Severus knew Lucius well enough to know that today would be theater of the highest order; all details had been considered, from every word he would be speaking, to the clothes he wore, the boots, even the rings on his fingers. It would not surprise him to learn that there had even been some work on the lighting in the Chamber over night. He softly muttered to Harry as Lucius took his place "Let the show begin."
And what a show it was!
Harry knew precious little of wizarding law. He recalled Remus' telling him that there were two laws enacted over 400 years ago that severely restricted the rights of werewolves and vampires, and that Remus was shocked when he saw from Mr. Malfoy's work how often those laws or their sentiments had crept into subsequent laws and regulations. That pretty much summed up Harry's knowledge and awareness of the challenge that was before Mr. Malfoy.
For his part, Lucius had assumed that Harry's knowledge of all this was minimal, and he suspected that the awareness of the part of many others on the Wizengamot and in the gallery was at that same level, although they would never admit to that. He had constructed his performance, or presentation, to educate without appearing to be condescending, and succeeded largely because of the input he'd received from Remus Lupin over the last several days.
Lucius told of the pure-blood mania that swept through the wizarding world those centuries ago. Lycanthropy had been a sad fact of wizard life for many hundreds of years at that point, but it was still totally misunderstood by many wizards. This meant that precautions, routine today, were generally not taken to control the inevitable problems that arose with each full moon.
The muggle world back then was governed by superstitions and suspicions, and a particularly bloodthirsty evening involving dozens of werewolves roaming free in a large muggle community not too far from Godric's Hollow tipped the muggle world into hysteria. Godric's Hollow had not yet become unplottable, and a mob of muggles descended on the village, wreaking significant damage. The witches and wizards were all able to apparate away to escape harm, of course, but the event was all that the pure-blood fanatics needed to stir up wizarding sentiments against werewolves, and the first of the laws under discussion today was written and adopted by the Wizengamot.
Lucius added that the fanatics took advantage of the sentiments against werewolves, and began a campaign to enact a similar law regarding vampires, and soon thereafter, a second law was passed to largely eliminate the rights of those with vampirism.
Harry was listening intently, but his ears pricked up at the mention of Godric's Hollow, the Potter family seat. He recalled a long-ago history class in his old muggle school that involved a discussion of the attitudes of many people in the middle-ages to anything that seemed different, resulting in attacks on women who were alleged to be witches. He recalled feeling a certain empathy for those long-ago victims, because he himself was the focus of Dudley's "Harry Hunting" game. Today he shuddered as he realized that his empathy could have been personal as well – it was likely that his ancestors were touched by some of that.
As Remus had explained to him, sporadic efforts to repeal those laws over the ensuing centuries never got any traction. The laws persisted, and the bias they represented began to seep into all manner of other laws and regulations. The list presented by Mr. Malfoy was long, and included such obvious things as civil rights, voting laws, right of inheritance, land ownership and taxes, but also included things like the licenses required of apothecaries and publicans.
Having explained the history, Lucius proposed his solution. Three parchments appeared in front of each member of the Wizengamot.
"The first parchment before you, Members of the Wizengamot, involves those laws and regulations where the appropriate approach is straightforward repeal, of either entire law or regulations, or parts of laws or regulations, with no other change or action needed. We repeal the anti-werewolf and anti-vampire laws of 400 years ago in their entirety, and then parts of other laws that either reference them or advance their mission. In all cases, simply excising the language is sufficient and leaves the law or regulation otherwise intact."
There was a slight pause as the Members unrolled the parchment, put on reading glasses in a few cases, and took a moment to peruse the information. Heads nodded in agreement as they read.
When it appeared that his colleagues were done with their scan of the first parchment, Lucius directed their attention to the longer, second parchment. "As you might imagine, sometimes, excising language from a part of a law or regulation leaves something that is unintelligible. In these instances, I propose that we make those changes that are needed to accomplish our purpose here today, and then adopt further amendments to the laws or regulations so that they continue to function as originally intended absent the repealed portion."
Once again, there was a rustle of parchment as the Wizengamot members unrolled the parchments and read over the entries. Minister Bones interrupted the quiet room. "Lord Malfoy, I would be very comfortable enacting the changes that you propose in the first parchment today, but feel that we all need to spend some time more carefully studying the changes you propose in this parchment."
Very smoothly, Lucius agreed. "Of course, Madam Minister. My colleagues on the Wizengamot will need time to read and consider the proposals in this, and in the final parchment," as he made an expansive gesture to the third parchment. "In this parchment, I am proposing several new laws that will assure that the changes we are making are clear and understood and not accidentally or easily thwarted by future enactments."
While neither Harry nor Severus had any idea what was in there, they shared a look and a nod that confirmed that they agreed with the approach. Severus chose not to give voice to his inner thought: he wanted to be sure that Albus Dumbledore read through all that material very carefully. If Malfoy had snuck in something that might some day counter this work, or (more likely) represent a substantial commercial advantage to some Malfoy business interest, Albus was the only wizard alive today that Severus would trust to understand all the nuances and find the self-serving item, or the Trojan Horse, hidden in the parchments.
As attention shifted to the last parchment, Lucius continued. "If I may have your attention a while longer, my friends, you can read that later, at your leisure." Most of his colleagues seemed startled at his referring to them as his "friends." Harry was certain that Remus was trying very hard to quell a smile, or was it a smirk, that was attempting to gain hold on his face. Sirius made no attempt to hide the frankly incredulous look on his face.
"I would just like to explain the thinking that is behind those proposals. We should all take the necessary time to review the material, discuss amendments you believe are appropriate, and give such serious matters our unrushed and well-considered attention."
Lucius had stood rather still during most of his presentation, up to this point, but he became more animated as the dry legal bit concluded. He paced a bit, taking long, sure strides, and when he spun, his robes billowed out, revealing the expensive and exquisitely tailored breeches and doublet that everyone had assumed were under there. His hand gestures became more expansive, now involving his entire arm sweeping about.
The man was truly in his element.
Lucius outlined a vision of a society that guaranteed all members certain rights that could not be abridged by a simple majority of the Wizengamot at any particular time. In the cases of magical afflictions, including both those known today and those that would appear in the populace in the future, the full wizarding world was pledged to devote its attention to finding cures if possible, and treatments if cures were not possible. Funds were to be set aside by the Ministry to assure that the Potions Masters Guild was able to devote the resources necessary to accomplish the required research and testing.
Beyond that, he spoke of assuring that access to the Ministry be assured to all, and that new procedures be adopted to prevent any one wizard from having undue influence on any matter before the Ministry or the Wizengamot. He did not speak directly to the question of the current process by which the Minister was elected, but the overall direction of his comments certainly caused Harry to wonder if he meant to do away with the current system, that clustered most of the votes among a few old families and reduced others, like Remus, to very marginal status.
The overview was enhanced by the absolute passion that Lucius brought to the topic. The usual frosty patrician tones were replaced by enthusiasm and excitement. Once he covered the overview, he began to explain some of the nuances of the legislation that he was offering for the consideration of the Wizengamot, and at that point, Harry's mind began to drift.
It was clear to Harry from the details that Mr. Malfoy was sharing that the nuances of the actual proposal were beyond him – he'd ask Remus for an explanation later. As Harry tried to at least appear to be interested and attentive, he soon found himself fascinated by the man. Mr. Malfoy absolutely swept across the floor, hair trailing behind him, but always falling perfectly when he stopped. Harry made a mental note to ask Severus about the hair, given the perpetually messy state of Harry's own. There must be a spell or something that makes it behave that way. The robe moved the same way Severus' did – was there a spell involved there, too? The billowing robe was a bit grandiose for Harry's own taste and small stature; it definitely worked well for Mr. Malfoy, and of course it was practically Severus' trademark, but Harry could not see the same impression coming from a robe billowing around someone as short as he was.
Harry noticed that Sirius appeared to be gobsmacked by what Mr. Malfoy was saying, and Remus looked quite taken aback. Now that he thought to scan all of the faces sitting in the Wizengamot seats, he realized that most of the others shared that astonishment. The three who did not, and who looked very pleased with the things Mr. Malfoy was saying, were Lord Aventine, Merik Volpine and Professor Dumbledore.
Harry then looked over at Draco and his mother. An interesting contrast. Draco was still following along with his father very intently, causing Harry to recall that Draco was as diligent as Hermione when it came to reading the newspapers and keeping well-informed and current on events in the wizarding world. Mrs. Malfoy did not seem to be listening to her husband as much as watching, and she looked quite enthralled. Harry idly wondered if Mr. Malfoy had put her up to this. He was doing a very nice job with his presentation but nothing deserving quite that level of adoration.
He would have dearly loved to steal a glance at Severus' face, to see his reaction to this presentation, but that would require physically turning his head. That would give away the fact that he'd stopped paying attention to what Mr. Malfoy was saying, so Harry contented himself with a glance down to his own hands in his lap, which enabled him to see with his side vision that Severus was sitting stock still, his own hands resting on his legs.
Eventually, Lucius ceded the floor to Lord Aventine, who had asked to speak on behalf of the proposals. Harry remembered seeing the man as a vampire, when he appeared young, handsome and vigorous, if not exactly human, and then the first time after the cure, still rather handsome but a human starting to show his age. He looked to be aging as time passed from his cure, not the burst of aging that Severus had feared. He was explaining that he supported the repeal of the anti-vampire laws on principle, although from a practical standpoint, since vampirism was now readily curable, that was not strictly necessary.
"I think the most important aspect of the legislative package put forth by my colleague, Lord Malfoy, is the assurance that we will never again consign important research to a dusty box in a back cupboard. The centuries over which so many suffered with the curse of vampirism, when research had already been done and could have led to a cure in a few short years . . . " Lord Aventine was momentarily overcome with emotion, drawing Harry's close attention back to what was being said on the floor of the Chamber. A quick glance at those in his line of sight suggested that everyone else had caught, and reacted to, that emotion. "Nothing diminishes the immense gratitude I feel toward Lords Potter and Snape for their contributions, but I mourn all those lost years."
Harry felt the stares of others now directed toward himself and Severus, and he looked at his hands in his lap very uncomfortably. While everyone had assumed that he did as he promised Lord Aventine in this very Chamber not that long ago, and that Severus picked up the abandoned research and completed it, this was the first actual confirmation of their role in the sudden disappearance of vampirism from the magical world. The merest nudge from Severus' elbow reminded him to sit up and look ahead, and he nodded to Lord Aventine in acknowledgement.
The older wizard stood a bit straighter and squared his shoulders as he seemed to compose himself more fully. "In any event, we no longer need legislation to protect the rights of those inflicted with vampirism because we can cure it, but we must assure that the cure remains available and accessible to any who contract the condition until we can completely eradicate it. We also need to be sure that a condition that arises in our midst in the future is not treated as vampirism was 400 years ago. I stand in support of this legislation because it will protect our future."
Merik Volpine stood next and took the floor, his thick, strong body and wolfish grin a dramatic counterpoint to the much smaller and clearly human Aventine. He covered the floor before the seats of the Wizengamot in just a few strides, and even his slightest gesture conveyed brute strength and power.
With a nod to Severus and Harry, he began. "Those afflicted with lycanthropy owe the same debt of gratitude to those who found and adapted ancient cures to our current condition. Not all of us are cured, however. The rights of those not able to shed the curse of lycanthropy remain of concern. I fully support the legislation that Lord Malfoy has presented here today. Of course, I had the advantage of extra time already to review and consider it. I urge my colleagues on the Wizengamot to take the time necessary to give this the appropriate consideration, but not one moment more. We have waited too long already to take this step."
With an almost menacing look at those colleagues on the Wizengamot, Volpine strode back to his seat. Although everyone knew that Volpine was definitely among those who had been cured by lycanthropy and represented no threat to them, more than a few Wizengamot members looked uncomfortable under his glare. Lucius took the floor for a final time.
With a flourish and slight bow (he was a Malfoy, after all), he addressed the Minister. "Madam Minister, I commend into your hands my legislative package. I believe you noted before that you were comfortable with prompt action on the repeals I have recommended. I hope that you will allow us to remove the blight of those two ancient laws from our world today, while this body takes the time to execute its obligations to the wizarding world in more careful deliberation of the amendments and new laws I have proposed."
There was a sudden, low burst of conversation in the Chamber. Members of the Wizengamot whispered among themselves, as did many of those in the gallery. Some were sharing astonishment at this new Lucius Malfoy, who had proposed legislation that went against nearly everything his family had stood for over many centuries. Others were reacting to the legislation itself. A few were expressing lingering worry about whether Volpine was really safe.
Harry stole a quick look at Severus, whose usual inscrutable glare now had a hint of suspicion. That was what Harry would have expected, given Severus' reluctance to believe that Mr. Malfoy had, really, changed. The Headmaster looked inordinately pleased, as he read the first parchment closely. Remus also looked pleased, and Sirius was somewhere between amazement and disbelief. Draco looked very proud of his father. Harry felt good for him; Draco had likely stepped onto a new path himself, albeit not one Harry had seen, when he married Charlie, and it was possible that his father's new path was much more aligned with him now. And Mrs. Malfoy – what a strange look on her face! That wasn't pride, exactly, but there was a great deal of interest and even a little bit of adoration there.
With a firm rap of her gavel, Minister Bones brought the Chamber back to order.
She smiled as she nodded at Lucius, and then at the several rows of people who looked exactly like one would imagine lawyers, law clerks and researchers to look like. "Thank you, Lord Malfoy, for both the extraordinary work that you and your researchers and advisors have done in analyzing the legal precedents and developing proposals to advance a new direction for the wizarding world." She looked over at Albus, who smiled and nodded back at her. "I would like to propose a schedule for our consideration of these proposals. I will entertain a motion for a vote immediately on the repeals you have proposed in the first parchment. I propose that this body reconvene in one week to consider the amendments that are outlined in the second parchment. And lastly, I propose that we reconvene in two months to consider the new legislation outlined in the third parchment. Professor Dumbledore, do you agree?"
There was a slight movement at the corner of Severus' mouth as the Minister sought Albus' agreement. Apparently, he was not the only one in the room who regarded the old man as the one person able to quickly assess Lucius' work and spot anything in there that might not belong.
Albus was playing up the "old man" thing today; he arose slowly and straightened up carefully, choosing to speak from his seat rather than the floor of the Chamber. "Yes, Madam Minister, I agree completely. I am most impressed, Lord Malfoy, with the thoroughness and attention to detail that you and your team have shown in developing this very comprehensive proposal, and I thank you all." At that point, he led the assembly in an impromptu (and unusual, even in the sometimes raucous world of Wizengamot sessions) round of applause. When the clapping stopped, he continued.
"The outright repeals suggested in the first parchment are all in order; I've read through them, and I've seen my colleagues looking over the list, and I believe we can call a vote immediately, in fact, I so move."
There was a chorus of "Second" from what had to be at least half of the members of the Wizengamot in response to the motion. Minister Bones was about to use her gavel again to confirm the motion and seconds and call for a vote, but Albus raised his hand to delay her for a moment.
"If I may, Madam Minister. I also want to say that I fully support your schedule. We all need to study the amendments, and allowing a week gives everyone all the time they will need, but also a sense of urgency. New legislation must always be carefully considered, especially since some of Lord Malfoy's proposals are of great significance and consequence, and reconvening to discuss those in two months will assure that we are all prepared for that conversation."
Albus took his seat as Minister Bones did her parliamentary duty and moved the matter of repeal toward a vote. When the question was properly called for a vote, every wand was raised, all the tips lit with lumos.
A rap of her gavel, as she pronounced the vote unanimously in favor of repeal of the laws as noted in the parchment that became part of the record of the proceedings, brought the session to an end. "Thank you all. We stand adjourned."
A burst of loud noise greeted the end of the session. Reporters rushed out to get this into the next edition of the Daily Prophet and assorted other newspapers that served the magical world. Conversations that had been whispered were now conducted in full voice. People began standing and mulling about in the aisles leading out of the Chamber, expanding the conversations beyond those with whom they had been seated.
Harry stood next to Severus, who put a protective arm around his shoulders as he began to maneuver the two of them out of the Chamber and back to Remus' office. Auror Stark spotted them on the move, and quickly made his way over to assist in shooing hangers-on out of the way so they could leave. Remus and Sirius waited for Albus and those three proceeded out, as well, heading to Remus' office by a different corridor.
When the group had assembled back in Remus' office, everyone seemed to speak at once. To the amusement of the others, Severus and Sirius found themselves in complete agreement. "I don't trust Malfoy – he's up to something!" were the first words out of Sirius' mouth. At the same time, Severus said "What game is Malfoy playing?"
Albus gave the two one of his more annoying omniscient grins. "Ah, my boys, still so distrustful? Even after Harry saw his Path, and told us that Lucius is now irrevocably on a different path? I think what we saw today validates what Harry told us!"
Remus wasn't quite so enthusiastic, but had to agree. "I read that first parchment myself, and those were exactly the laws that we'd discussed over the last few weeks – the ones we needed to repeal. I took a quick look at the second parchment and it also looks just like we'd discussed. It's all rather straightforward."
Severus wasn't convinced. "Albus, you are the only wizard I would trust to spot any self-dealing or potential loopholes in all this. I will accept that simple repeals are straightforward, but anything else – there are just too many opportunities for self-dealing for someone like Lucius to be trusted. Even if we accept – and I'm not saying for a second that I do accept this – that Lucius is on a new path regarding his approach to the social and civic issues in our world, he's too sharp a dealer in financial matters."
Harry noticed that Sirius seemed to want to agree with that, but he seemed conflicted. Harry would wager that Sirius' problem was reluctance in principle to agreeing with Severus, rather than with anything Severus had said. But Professor Dumbledore was undeterred in his enthusiasm.
"Oh, I will look it all over very carefully. I do trust Lucius and his advisors, but they are all young men, and I am more fearful of small errors based on their general lack of experience in the world than on efforts to grant themselves significant advantages." The four others in the room looked surprised at Albus' description. There were a few young clerks in the group that Lucius had gathered, but his solicitors and researchers were all in their forties or fifties, maybe even a couple in their sixties, and all had years of experience.
Albus saw the looks that were exchanged, and smiled over his half-moon glasses. "When you are as old as I am, everyone looks young," he allowed. "But there is enormous history, and background, and reasons why things were done they way they were done in the past, and someone who's only been focused on some of those areas for twenty or thirty years is unlikely to have a complete appreciation for all the nuances. I do want to be certain that we address everything and do it definitively."
Into the silence that followed that observation, Harry's stomach growled loudly. "Ah, yes, a reminder that we've been here all morning and it's time for lunch, Albus continued. "Amelia is hosting a luncheon in her conference room for those remaining here for the presentation this afternoon."
This time the group that formed up to follow Albus along to the Minister's conference room did not spend time jockeying for position. Harry was very interested in Remus' take on what had gone on in the Wizengamot session and immediately fell into step with him to pose his questions. Realizing that they were now left to follow along together behind their bondmates, Severus and Sirius exchanged uneasy glances, and walked along stoically, in silence.
X X X X X X X X X X
Harry was bursting with curiosity as he entered the private reception room that afternoon. He'd never seen an "Order of Merlin" ceremony, or even the actual medal.
The luncheon had been pleasant, the food good and he'd been able to sit with Remus, Severus keeping a vigilant eye on him from across the table, and Remus had answered all his questions. He explained the bigger picture around which Lucius' proposals needed to be considered. Harry realized he'd understood a bit more than he thought he had; the "fuzzy" places were, indeed, still fuzzy in the proposal, not just a reflection of Harry's own limited experience.
The meal ended just short of dessert, with a promise that sweets would be served after the ceremony, which would convene in the reception room momentarily.
There was a small dais at one end of the room, just a small platform with a small table on it, with a small velvet box sitting atop it. If all the action was to take place in a space where only two or three people could stand at the same time, this was obviously not a ceremony involving more than speeches. That dampened some of Harry's enthusiasm, although he reminded himself that this was for Severus. He'd be enthusiastic, no matter what.
When Minister Bones saw Harry and Severus enter the room, she immediately approached them.
"Lord Snape, Lord Potter," she began with a nod to each in turn, "there is no formal protocol for these awards. Traditionally, the Minister of Magic makes a speech in the Wizengamot Chamber, in a very public meeting, and then either presents the honoree with the medallion, or gives it to some person held in special regard by the honoree who invests them with the medallion. I think that will work here, as well. Lord Snape, how would you like to receive the medallion?"
It was clear that Severus had not considered this aspect of the presentation before, and he seemed to waffle. Harry wasn't entirely sure what to make of that. He recalled that Severus had been worried that he was either actually getting this, or would be perceived to be getting this because of his bonding to Harry, and not on his own merit. Maybe he did not even want Harry here? Or would he expect that Harry would participate? Cautiously, he offered "Severus, it would be my honor to participate and present you with the medallion, but I'm equally honored if you chose to have Professor Dumbledore or even Master Dorester participate instead. Or even to have Madam Bones present you with the medallion."
Severus was running the different possibilities here in his head, but always came back to the fact that if Harry was not up there with him, people would infer a fracture in their relationship. There were enough people trying to interfere in their relationship already, and he certainly did not want to give anyone any encouragement that Harry might be amenable to interference.
"I was not aware that anyone but the Minister presented the medallion; given the options that you have outlined, Madam Minister, I cannot imagine anyone other than my bondmate performing that task." Harry looked relieved, and Severus' heart ached at the sight. Once again, he'd caused Harry anguish and he'd not intended it. Severus reached out and took Harry's hand, squeezing it slightly. "That's alright with you, Harry? You are willing?"
Harry's face morphed into a proud smile, as Severus managed to entertain two thoughts at the same time: "Merlin, he's beautiful!" and "I've got to work with him on not allowing his every thought to be reflected so clearly on his face."
"Severus, it is my greatest honor. You know that."
Minister Bones seemed pleased with that turn of events, and she took each by the elbow and nudged them in the direction of the dais.
The ceremony itself was brief and to the point. When they took their places, the small group went silent immediately and directed their attention to the dais. Minister Bones spoke for just a few minutes, focusing the bulk of her time on Severus' work with certain ancient documents to rediscover and perfect a potion that was able to cure so many of lycanthropy. She added "And, as we heard today in the Wizengamot chamber, Lord Snape has also played a major role in the elimination of vampirism as an affliction among witches and wizards. While that is not a matter of public record at the request of all concerned in that work, in this private setting, I would add my thanks to him for his contribution there, as well."
With that, she opened the velvet box and extracted a gleaming gold medallion hung at the end of a wide black velvet ribbon. She handed it to Harry, saying "Lord Snape will be invested with this Order of Merlin, First Class, at the hand of his bondmate, Lord Potter."
Harry nodded his thanks to the Minister and accepted the medallion. He spread the ribbon apart and reached up, as Severus bent down a bit, and slid it over his head, and then arranged the ribbon and medallion to fall appropriately down Severus' chest. It was a very impressive medallion, and looked very stunning on Severus. Impulsively, Harry reached up and placed a chaste kiss on his bondmate's lips before stepping away.
Severus had been surprised by the kiss, and while he'd accept a kiss from Harry under any circumstances in which it was offered, there was a downside today: he was going to hear about this from Black. He surmised that he was expected to say a few words, so he turned to face the small group.
"Thank you, Madam Minister. I appreciate this honor, of course, and am grateful to all of you who join us here today for this small ceremony. I must acknowledge the contributions of my bondmate, Harry Potter, in the things that I have accomplished that have led to this recognition. His translations of documents that had existed only in Parseltongue informed my own brewing and was essential to my bring these potions to our world. I owe a debt to the authors of those ancient documents, as well: Salazar Slytherin, and Silvius Ventus. Salazar knew the origin of lycanthropy, and had created a potion that provided a directional foundation for what I brewed a thousand years later. Silvius had documented his work, which was left unfinished, but is now completed. I also wish to acknowledge the contribution of my mother, a trailblazer in her own right in the potions field, whose notes and records have yielded awareness of long-forgotten ingredients that have proven useful. Once again, I thank you all for joining us today."
A beaming Harry led the gathering in a round of applause, after which the guests congregated at the front of the room to congratulate Severus, admire his medallion and shake his hand. Harry stood proudly at Severus' side and back a half-step, gladly taking the role that Severus assumed so often for him.
Cakes and sweets had appeared on tables scattered through the reception room, and house elves appeared to distribute flutes of champagne, cups of tea, or glasses of pumpkin juice, as tastes dictated. Harry stepped away for a moment to get a glass of pumpkin juice, as he was thirsty.
Across the reception room, standing amid a small group of dignitaries, was a very average-looking wizard in tasteful but not remarkable robes. He was not known to any of the wizards with whom he had been speaking, but at events like this, most attendees did not know everyone present, and all assumed that he was known to someone else, just not to them. He cleverly dodged any efforts to get him to introduce himself, although he was prepared to offer up an name that sounded ordinary and suggested a British ancestry.
As soon as Harry had stepped away from Severus, this wizard stepped slightly aside from those he'd been standing with, and surreptitiously drew his wand. Just as he was about to cast a spell, something about him drew Harry's attention to him from across the room, and Harry saw the wand movement.
In the same instant, the wizard drew back and cast an Avada Kedavra spell at Severus, and Harry wandlessly poured out a pulse of magic to stop it as he screamed for Severus to duck.