Chapter 2: Help Arrives At Hogwarts

I am on vacation. A short one. So, I am typing on a laptop. I don't have my headphones, so I might miss a few errors when listening to the edit. Forgive a few mistakes.

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The ministry was going strong the next day. The workers were all at their desks and doing their jobs. It was a normal day at work. Secretaries were typing away, and clerks were filing as usual. Then the clock struck eleven and suddenly everyone that was muggleborn, or half-blood in a low-level job, stood up and walked away. They left their work half done. Tea was left to brew, filing was left undone, messages were half typed.

One by one they moved from their workspace and towards the lifts. They didn't say a word to anyone. It was all done in silence. They all met in the lobby.

"Remember, we are trying for peaceful, like the kids. However, unlike the kids we're facing adults who can, and probably will, fire spells at us. We need to be able to protect ourselves. So, make sure you have your wand handy at all times," the ringleader, Thomas Starchers, said, holding his wand up for everyone to see. "I'm not going to let them get to me."

He knew that there were going to be those that were going to be upset that they were taking a stand. They weren't going to like the uppity mudbloods go beyond their station. Well, too bad for them. It was time for the muggleborn to be heard.

The crowd rallied around him, and they all settled around the Fountain of Magical Brethren. They were surrounding it with people on all sides, so they could not be snuck up upon. They started talking about what they were protesting about. Signs were being magicked up. They said, 'We Want Equal Rights!' 'We Aren't House Elves!' and 'Equal Jobs for Equal Pay!'. Other signs were made, and Starchers started to chant.

"We Want Equal Rights!" he shouted, looking at all the people who had stopped to look at him. He stood tall and looked them straight in the face.

The protesters numbered in the hundreds. Every low-level worker had walked out of their position. The secretaries, the clerks, the janitors, and the lunch workers. Many of the purebloods wouldn't even notice until they needed something done and there was no one there to do it.

"What is going on here?" Amelia Bones asked, having needed her secretary for something only to find an empty desk. She had heard of the assembly and went to see what the fuss was about. "Jackie, why are you here and not at your desk?" she asked the middle-aged woman who had been her secretary for years.

"I'm sorry, Madam Bones, I enjoy working for you, but we're on strike," the woman said, holding a sign that stated, 'Equal Pay for Equal Work!'.

"What is a strike?" the head of the DMLE wanted to know. She could tell it was important to them, but she had never seen anything like this in her time here at the ministry.

"It is a protest," Jackie said, raising her sign to show what she was protesting. "Did you know I wanted to be an Undersecretary?" she asked, giving her boss a weak smile. "I was told I was not qualified enough. Umbridge was more qualified than me, imagine that," she said sadly. "Funny thing is that she lied on her resume," she added in an undertone, so only Amelia heard her.

"What do you hope to accomplish with this strike?" Bones asked Starchers since he was in charge.

"We aren't doing any more work until we get better working conditions and rights," Thomas said, pointing a finger at the minister who had just came onto the scene. "You have denied us the right to advancement. Only to make us work the lowest paying jobs to be had in the ministry. We are taxpaying citizens of this community. We demand the right to work alongside those that pay the same taxes we do," he said, then he started chanting again. "We Want Equal Rights!"

"We Want Equal Rights!" the crowds started chanting, raising their signs and moving back and forth around the fountain.

The onlookers just stared at them, wondering what they were supposed to make of this spectacle. Some of them had heard of the kids doing something similar, but this was grown men and women.

"Amelia, arrest them," Fudge said, all but shouting to be heard. There was no way this was legal.

"I can't arrest them. They are not breaking the law," Bones said, turning her fury on the man who was the main cause of them protesting. "I told you ages ago, if you keep them repressed they will fight back," she hissed at him.

"I'll put a stop to this," Fudge said, and then turned to the crowd. "Get back to work or you will not be paid," he told his secretary.

"Shove off, you fool. You don't pay me enough to put up with your Undersecretary anyway, that bigoted bitch," the woman said, stamping her foot.

"How dare you speak of Dolores like that," Fudge said, raising his wand, only to have it snatched out of his hands by Amelia.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped, drawing him away from the protesters, who were shouting insults at the minister.

"Didn't you hear her? She insulted a pureblood," Fudge said, taking his wand back.

"Dolores isn't a pureblood, and that's not the point. Insulting a pureblood is not against any law," Bones said, getting in his face. "They have the right to voice their opinion," she sneered. She hated this self-important windbag. He was constantly interfering in her business and job.

"They are mudbloods," he hissed back in a low tone. "They don't have rights," he added, then stormed off. He'd get his own tea. He wasn't completely helpless. If he couldn't figure it out, there were house elves.

"Shacklebolt, find me ten good people, make sure they are good people. I want them to make sure this stays peaceful," Amelia said to one of her most trusted men. She was nobody's fool. She could see the spells in the air. This could get ugly fast.

He ran off to do just that. He knew who the bigots were, and who were trustworthy at keeping the peace.

So it went, for the first few hours. The protesters cried out for equal rights, while the people of pure blood tried to get along without their help. It didn't work out well for the purebloods. They kept coming down to the protesters and asking where such and such was, only to be met with a wall of yelling.

Only those purebloods that had an ounce of common sense, like Bones, could function without the secretaries, but they were lost without the clerks. Clerks were the backbone of the ministry. They knew were all the paperwork was and how it was to be filled out. That and they knew the filing system, which was not in just alphabetical order.

The purebloods tried to get the house elves to do the jobs, but house elves can't read or write. It was a futile effort. They could only fetch tea and clean. Many offices were left in disarray as the managers tried to find what they needed to get their jobs done. Not much work got done that day.

Wands between the disgruntled managers and the protesters were raised more than once, but the Aurors kept the peace. It wasn't easy for them, but they handled it with the help of more Aurors showing up and Amelia laying down the law. The protesters were within their rights to do what they were doing. Nothing anyone said to her would change her mind. She knew the law.

It was later that day that she got word about the sit-in at Hogwarts, via her niece. She would have to take some time to see about that in the next few days. After things calmed down here.

It was decided that tomorrow's rally would be held in the same place since the atrium of the ministry was a public place. Not that many were going home. Some were staying to make sure they weren't locked out.

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The sit-in at Hogwarts was going strong. They were still in the Entry Hall and hadn't budged in two days. Some parents came to ask them what they were doing, mostly parents of half-bloods. The parents asked if they wanted to leave, and some did, but most wanted to continue the protest. The parents were then open to taking letters to the muggleborn parents. So, the protesters were scribbling away on parchment to get their letters written.

Harry, of course, had no one to write to, so he just read his history book. He was actually interested in the subject. He just hated the teacher. The ghost was dead boring.

Hedwig came to him with an advance copy of the Quibbler. Luna, who was sitting next to him, said, "Oh what a clever bird. She waited for Daddy to give you a copy." She reached over and petted the bird as Harry untied the magazine.

On the front cover was a picture of him and Terry, with the crowd behind them. It was moving as they were shouting the 'We're not going to take it!' lyrics. The whole group was rocking in time with their chant, then they would start over again. It looked like a scene from a rock concert.

"How did he get the picture?" Harry asked, looking to the little blonde. He knew there was no camera man around during that time.

"I sent him my memory of the day and the interview. He took it from there," she answered airily. "I was taught to do it when I was very young," she said like she was already a teenager.

"Oh," was all Harry could say. He opened the magazine and started reading.

The article read:

Harry Potter Joins Sit-In at Hogwarts.

Muggleborn Protest Dangers Within.

Yesterday the muggleborn students of Hogwarts decided to have a peaceful protest. Why, you ask? It seems that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again, and the beast within released. The muggleborn are in fear for their lives. They want protection from the beast. However, the headmaster has decided he wants to keep everything inhouse. His idea of protection is to keep everyone together and for the younger students to stay near a prefect.

Already there are two students in the Hospital Wing. A first year, and a second year. Both are muggleborn and both will be missing out on a great deal of the school year because the mandrakes are not mature enough to use in the potion to revive them. The headmaster has decided not to outsource.

I, for one, would like to know why? It cannot be the cost. Could it? I am sure that there is room in the budget for the purchase of a few mandrakes. Is it because the students are muggleborn, like the protesters are claiming? I don't know and the headmaster has not commented.

According to my source, Terry Boot, the leader of the protesters, was heard to ask what could a bunch of schoolteachers do against Slytherin's monster? I ask the same question. There is a department in the ministry especially for the control of magical beast. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Why have they not been called in?

The Aurors should have been notified the minute the Chamber was opened, and the threatening message was left. What message, you ask? On Halloween the Chamber of Secrets was opened and Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was petrified. A message was left on the wall that said, The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemy of the heir… beware.

This message was threat enough that it has scared the whole of the student body. The Aurors should have been informed immediately. They would have been able to find clues as to who opened the Chamber and petrified the cat. Now that option is gone. Too much time has passed, and the scene contaminated. The crime scene from the other two petrification's have also been compromised.

The other grievances the students have is that their parents have not been informed that they are being targeted. Said parents have not been given the option to remove their children from the school. They say that if a pureblood student was targeted, then they would be given the option denied to their parents. There hasn't been any proof that the students that have been petrified parents have been notified either. Deputy Headmistress McGonagall was heard to say that she would look into it.

I know if my daughter were petrified, I would have been notified right away. Or I would like to think I would have been. I don't know if this is true, I am a pureblood myself. I will do my best to get the story from the parents of the children protesting and those that are petrified. My heart goes out to them.

Harry Potter, who is a half-blood, agrees with the protesters and feels they are not being treated fairly. He states that he will fast until their demands are met. He also says that he and the protesters will walk out of the school if they are not taken seriously. If they do this, then the school will close its doors for the first time in a thousand years.

Will we let our savior starve? Will we let the school close? Or will we allow the student the right to go home, where they will feel safe? Shall we stand up and demand that the ministry send the correct people to the school to handle the latest crisis? I say that we do, before another death happens.

For those of you that don't remember, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago and it caused the death of Myrtle Warren, who many of you know as Moaning Myrtle. At the time Rubeus Hagrid was expelled for harboring the creature that killed her. However, with the Chamber being opened again, I think that puts doubt on that accusation.

Will we only step in when another death happens, or will we do as these brave children ask? The answer lies with you.

Harry put the magazine down. All in all it was a good article. For something that was done quickly it was well written. It covered all the points they were trying to make, and got their grievances heard. He handed the magazine to Terry, who started reading it.

"When will it hit the stands?" Harry asked, looking to Luna who was staring into space.

"Tomorrow, I'll wager," she answered, staring dreamily at nothing he could see.

"Thank your dad for me. It was just what we needed to get our story out," Harry said, hoping that was compliment enough.

"You are welcome to write him yourself," she said, still looking at nothing, though her eyes seemed to be focused on something. He just couldn't see it.

"I will," he said, then took out his history book again. He was halfway through it and wanted to see where the goblins were going in the war he was reading about. It wasn't all about goblin wars, but they were prominent in the history book.

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The Quibbler hit the stands and the public went crazy. That and the Daily Prophet covered the strike at the ministry. So, they got hit with a double whammy. The public was split on how it was reacting. There were the purebloods that were happy that the rabble were ready to leave if they didn't get what they wanted. They were more than happy to see them go. The likes of Malfoy and Nott.

Then there were those like the Weasleys and Greengrasses that were more along the lines of knowing that the whole society would shut down without the muggleborn. Not only would there not be people willing to do the jobs that they did, but the magicals would die out within a few generations. Especially, if they took the half-bloods with them.

What most didn't realize was that to get anywhere as a half-blood you had to either do something spectacular, like Dumbledore and Potter, or have a sponsor, like Umbridge and Quirrell. If you were just an average half-blood, then you weren't treated much better than the muggleborn.

After the articles came out, the striking workers at the ministry were joined by the workers in Diagon Alley. Shopkeepers lost their clerks and stockboys. They would have to do their own stocking and cashiering that day. The middle of the Alley was filled with disgruntled people with their own signs wanting equal rights.

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Rita Skeeter was on a mission. She smelled a story, and she was going to get to the bottom of this uprising of the muggleborn. It started at Hogwarts, so she was going to go there. She went to Hogsmeade in her human form and then halfway up the walkway to Hogwarts. There she turned into her beetle form and flew the rest of the way. She maintained that form and was resting on the wall in the Entry Hall where the students were still doing the sit-in.

It was day three of the protest at Hogwarts. Terry Boot and Harry Potter were starving but they were determined to see it through. Dumbledore had the house elves present them food every meal, as if to entice them into eating.

"Come now, boys. I am sure you are hungry by now," the old man said, jovially. He was pushing the dishes of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy towards the boys, who were staring at them.

Harry got angry and flipped them up and made them splatter all over the headmaster's beard and robes.

"Stop it, Headmaster," he demanded. "I will not eat until you take us seriously," he stated. "You don't get it, do you? I will leave if you don't call someone to take care of the beast in the school. I'm giving you one more day, then me and the rest of these students are out of here," Harry said, waving his arms to indicate the students who were all glaring at the old man.

"We are doing everything in our power to find the beast," Albus said, his eyes twinkling and his voice calm. "We are powerful people in our own right," he added, like it was something to take into consideration.

"But out of all of you only Professor Kettleburn has any experience with magical creatures and he's missing more limbs than Mad-eye Moody," came a voice in the back. It was from Cedric Diggory, who was a pureblood but felt the muggleborn were right and was protesting with them.

"The Quibbler said there was a department at the ministry that dealt with these types of situations, why are they not here?" Harry asked, his tummy grumbling making some around him giggle, while others sympathized.

"The ministry is having its own troubles," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "You read the article in the Daily Prophet along with everyone else," he added, seeing it sitting on the floor next to Terry, with the front page screaming about the strike.

"Yeah, that's now, but before, they weren't," Terry pointed out. "They only started their protest because we started ours," he said, making those behind him cheer. "We want relief!" he started chanting, making those behind him start too.

Harry took up the chant, his eyes never leaving Dumbledore's. He knew that the old man wanted him to break first. Like if he did the rest would follow. He would persevere though. If he could go weeks without food at the Dursleys, he could go a few days here.

It was then that Gethsemane Prickle the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures came in to the castle. "I am here to take care of your beast problem," she said, making the children and teenagers on the floor cheer. "Why was I not called when this first happened?" she directed her question to Dumbledore.

"Ah, Gethsemane, I was sure we could handle it ourselves," the old man said, running his hand down his beard in a wise fashion. "After all, we have Silvanus on staff."

"Silvanus is a fine teacher, but he is not a hunter," Prickle said, nodding to the man in question, who had just limped out of the Great Hall. Kettleburn nodded back. He was glad to see her, and had been arguing with Albus since the Chamber opened to floo the woman to get her here.

"Well, you are here now, and with help I see," Dumbledore said, looking at the contingent of men and women she had with her. "Now that someone is here to take care of the beast, will you be dispersing?" he asked the people on the floor.

"What of our other demands?" Terry asked, still sitting. None of the others moved as well.

"What other demands did you have?" Albus asked confused. He thought they only wanted to be protected from the beast.

"Bringing the Aurors here to find out who opened the Chamber. Contacting the parents of the two in the Hospital Wing and getting the mandrakes for them," Harry reminded him. He thought he had made their demands more than clear.

"Those things are not necessary," Dumbledore said, in his grandfatherly tone.

"Their parents have a right to know," Harry disagreed. "We have a right to know who opened the Chamber. It affects us," he said, folding his arms. "And the mandrakes should be in season somewhere," he added, though he wasn't sure about that one.

"They are muggles and would not understand," was the rebuttal. "I am sure once the beast is taken care of the Chamber will be defunct."

"They have a right to know," Harry persisted. "We have a right to know," he repeated.

"Hell No! We Won't Go!" Terry started, once again pumping his fist, and rocking to the beat.

The rest followed his lead.

"One day, Headmaster," Harry said, then started chanting with the rest.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Potter. There will be no need for you or anyone to leave," a voice said from the doorway. It was Amelia Bones. She had followed the other ministry workers up. She had stopped to talk to her niece outside. "I heard what you said, and I agree," she said, looking at Albus and glaring at him. She agreed with the Quibbler. She should have been called in right away. "I can't do anything about the adults on strike, but I can end the sit-in here," she added, looking fondly at the children who just wanted to feel safe.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Harry asked, not knowing the woman, though she looked important.

"I am Amelia Bones. I am the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Oh, so you'll find out who opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked, getting off the floor for the first time in three days. "And tell the parents about their sons being hurt?" He really hoped she would.

"You have my word," she said, holding up her wand as if to give a vow.

"What about the mandrakes?" Harry asked, hoping she could help there too.

"I will contact St. Mungo's," she promised.

"Thank you," Terry said, he too getting up.

"Now, Amelia," Albus said, like she was doing something wrong.

"Don't you, now Amelia, me," she snapped, pointing her wand in his direction. "It is my job to find out why things like the Chamber is open. Because you didn't call me, we have strikes going on all over the place." She put the blame completely on his lap. "I have the Minister breathing down my neck over every little thing, thanks to you," she stated, moving to go past him. She stopped and said, "Take me to where the message is."

Albus sighed and did as he was bid. He turned to the students that littered the Entry Hall and said, "Now that your grievances are taken care of, go to your dorms." He then turned and went down the hall.

"Well, it went well for us," Harry said, a bit faint from hunger. "I hope it goes as well for the other strikers."

Rita seeing that this sit-in was over, decided to see if the rest were still going on. She flew out of the castle and turned back into her human form halfway to Hogsmeade. She called the Knight Bus and had it take her to the phone booth for the ministry. She used the phone to call the lift to get to the lobby and walked into a warzone.