Chapter 9: Moving Things Along

Thanks for all the reviews.

I know you all had to wait, but I had a bit of a stomach bug, and now I think I have a herniated disk in my lower back. This is my fifth one, and I hate the pain that comes with it. So now I've going to move things along. I hope it's not too rushed. It took everything I had not to just have a massacre and kill everyone off and be done with it. However, I am a HEA type person so, bear with me and I'll be back when I can sit without pain.

I didn't listen to this like I normally do, so there might be more mistakes than usual. Sorry about that.

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Rita couldn't believe her luck. Albus was dying and he was in trouble with the law. Lucius Malfoy escaped jail and was found in Death Eater regalia killing muggleborn protesters. Not only that but firing on the Boy-Who-Lived. The public would eat this up. More so than just the boy hero taking up the cause. Five dead and twelve in jail. These will be the stories of the century.

Now if only she could get out of the ministry undetected. She crawled along the wall of the atrium to the floo and waited for someone to leave. Many of the protesters were giving up after the Death Eaters had fired on them. She'd just wait for one of them to leave.

As she waited the floo flared and Xeno Lovegood came through. He was looking healthy as ever, maybe more so than usual. There was a clarity about him that normally wasn't there. Was there a story there? Well, she'd let it go for now. It would be there later. She flew down and left on the back of a fleeing protester.

Xeno made his way to Amelia. "What happened here?" he asked, taking out some parchment and a Dicta Quill. He was going to get the story of what happened, and make sure the public knew the truth.

"Death Eater attack," Thomas said, before Amelia could stop him. "They came in and started firing at us unprovoked." He was mad as hell, and he wasn't going to stay silent. Death Eaters this day and age. He thought they were gone with the Dark Lord.

"Death Eater? Now? Does that mean You-Know-Who is back?" the man asked warily. He, like Dumbledore, never believed the Dark Lord was dead. That didn't mean he wanted to be correct.

"No, Xeno. He's not back," Amelia said firmly. That was the last thing she needed was for the papers to say that that man was back. "It was just a protest over the protest," she said, making sure that she kept her tone clear. Even though she knew the truth and that the man was still floating around, she didn't want the public to know that.

She watched as her men took the Death Eaters to booking and hopefully processed them all. They were all still under the stun spell and they would be revived when they were behind bars. Then she would go and question them.

"Can I quote you on that?" Xeno said, poising his quill.

"Yes," she said with confidence. She was sure that the Dark Lord had nothing to do with this attack.

"I think she's right," Thomas said, backing the woman who had stood by them through them all this time. "It was just a bunch of bigots making their point the best way they know how. They just used their old uniform to make that point. Which they made quite clear. They want things to go the way that You-Know-Who wanted, which is muggleborns dead or enslaved."

"I see your point," Xeno said, taking out his old wand and clearing a spot to sit on the fountain. He felt the need to regain his balance at the thought that the Death Eaters were attacking again. It was good that they weren't being led by their leader, but the thought that they would attack the ministry, was mindboggling. Had their society really not progressed enough that they thought they could get away with it? Were the muggleborn right? Were the purebloods really that privileged? He was going to have to ponder these questions and write them in just a way that the public would have to think about that too.

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Amelia was tired, but she had more work to do before she could retire. Right now, she needed to check on Harry. The poor boy had one hell of a day as much as she did. So, she went to her office.

"Harry," she said as she entered, only to find the boy asleep on the cot. Watching him for a moment she could see the abused boy that he was, he was so thin, and how smart it had been for him to run and hide when the spells started flying. She'd have to praise him tomorrow when he was wide awake.

"Madam Bones, we need you in booking," an Auror said, pulling her away from looking at the sleeping kid. He looked frantic and was pacing in front of her office with a manic pace.

"Fine," she sighed, knowing it was going to be another long night for her. She made her way to booking and was met with the minister and his toad already there trying to get them to release the Death Eaters. "What is going on?" she demanded, moving people out of her way to stand in front of the two causing problems.

"I demand you release these good citizens," Fudge said, wearing a pajamas and overcoat. He held his bowler hat in his hands, and he was worrying it. His demeanor was that of one that was in the right, but he knew that Amelia was the person in charge of this department.

"No," she said, folding her arm and standing strong. "You are not my boss, as much as you like to think you are. I will tell you the same thing I told Dolores, I only answer to the Wizengamot. And the law says that we don't tolerate terrorists," she said in a snide tone. She looked at the still stunned people dressed as Death Eaters, with their marks exposed. They must have been getting pictures of them.

"They are not terrorists," Fudge said, with Dolores nodding in agreement. He looked around and saw that he was greatly outnumbered, but he stood his ground even as he quivered in his slippers. There was money on the line here. Malfoy and a few of the others were major 'contributors' to his 'causes'. If he didn't get them out, he didn't get his gold.

"They came here tonight, dressed as Death Eaters, mind you, and cast spells on a group of people maliciously, that makes them terrorists. Or at the very least murderers. Five people died, and they killed them. I don't care who they are, that is still illegal," Bones said, waving her people to continue what they were doing. "Don't stop on his account," she instructed.

The Aurors started taking pictures and casting for magical signatures. They took magical fingerprints, and gave each prisoner a number and chucked them in a cell. They would waken them when they were all processed.

"Those that died, are they mudbloods?" Dolores asked in her little girl voice. She unlike her boss, was not the least bit intimidated. She thought she was in the right to do what she did. Her delusions of grandeur were much higher than those around her.

"That doesn't matter in the eyes of the law. They were harmless citizens at the time," Amelia said with a smug grin. "I've checked every wand and there were no offensive spells cast at the Death Eaters that didn't come from my people. And they have that power," she reminded them.

"Listen to me, Amelia," Fudge tried to be brave and powerful.

"No, you listen to me Cornelius Fudge, you and your toad better listen well. Lucius Malfoy was in my cells this morning and yet here he is being arrested again. If I find you or your people had anything to do with it, I will bury you. You are not above the law. I will get that through your head if I have to arrest you and put you in Azkaban myself. Do you understand?" she asked, slowly saying the last part.

"You've not heard the last of me," Fudge said, slamming his bowler hat on his head and leaving the room. Umbridge following after, looking furtively around. There was a story there, and Amelia was going to get to the bottom of it.

"I know someone on my crew helped those two get him out. Just like I know one of you let him know they were here. When I find you, you will no longer be on the force and if you're lucky you'll only spend five years in Azkaban. I'd resign if I were you," she said to the air, moving to the cell Lucius was in. She woke him and started with, "So I hear you have a house elf named Dobby. Tell me about him." she was hoping to throw him off. it worked. She was going to do some deep questioning tonight, but she wanted the story of elf first.

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The Daily Prophet the next day had the headlines:

Dumbledore Dying and Guilty of Child Endangerment and Other Crimes

Sirius Black Innocent

You-Know-Who is NOT Dead

Lucius Malfoy Caught in Death Eater Robes

The article read:

Albus Dumbledore is dying. You read that correctly. He is ill from some unknown wasting disease. He will not last two years with good care. However, since it appears he will be heading to prison, it does not look like he will be receiving that care.

Why will he be going to prison, you ask? He endangered the entire school with a trap for You-Know-Who. You read that correctly too. He set a trap in the school for the thought dead Dark Lord. A deadly trap, that our own Harry Potter fell in to. Last year, Harry Potter stopped the Dark Lord from stealing the Philosopher's Stone, that the headmaster placed in the school as bait to draw out You-Know-Who.

That is right You-Know-Who's specter was sticking to the back of the head of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Quirinus Quirrell's head. Was this a will possession? That is unknown as the man is dead. The fact remains is that the Dark Lord is still around in the manner of a wraith. He is still haunting the world and can be brought back with the correct dark ritual. All that is needed is the correct information and we will be subject to his torments once again.

Why did Dumbledore do this? Why endanger the children? Why not just trap You-Know-Who somewhere with adults that could have kept him trapped and imprisoned? Amelia Bones asked these same questions and she did not receive a good answer. For that and other crimes, such as thrown Sirius Black in Azkaban without a trial, Albus Dumbledore will be going to trial himself.

Sirius Black was thrown in prison without a trial? Yes, you read that right too. It seems that the headmaster wanted him out of the way. Why? Well, that was to keep him from raising Harry Potter. The reason for that is unknown. Will the dying man see the inside of Azkaban? This reporter does not know. It is a well-known fact that many who deserve it do not. Will the headmaster be able to talk his way out of a sentence too?

Speaking of those that escaped justice, just last night Lucius Malfoy was arrested for the second time for harassing the protestors at the ministry. This time dressed as a Death Eater. How did he escape his cell the first time? And will he be able to 'contribute' his way of it again? Especially with five dead? This reporter hopes not, or it will prove the protesters correct and that the purebloods are above the law, and those that have the money more so. We that are on the bottom of the ladder are just stepping-stones. The muggleborn even less.

Once again, Harry Potter was there to support the cause. He was quoted as saying it was 'the right thing to do'. He was there when the Death Eaters came and was on the other side of the fountain when they fired on the protesters. It was a good thing he was safe, but it was a near thing.

Why did they fire on the activists? Was it because our boy hero was there? Did their lord tell them too? Are they in contact with him? Or is he still to weak to do anything? Or was it at the wishes of our ministry? Did they want this protest to stop and decide to stop it by any means necessary? What of Dumbledore? Will he go to prison? Or will he be able to find a way to escape justice? Will he die before justice prevails? Will Sirius Black be set free? Will he raise Harry Potter like he was supposed to?

These are the questions and more this reporter would like to know. Until next time, I will do my best to get the answers.

It was a scandalous article that will put many people in the hot seat, including Amelia Bones. She was furious that that woman once more got the scoop without being caught and by Merlin she was going to find out how. She was going over what happened the last few days and then it dawned on her. If Peter Pettigrew could hide as a pet for years as a rat, then Rita must also be an Animagus of a small nature she was just going to have to invite the woman to her office.

Sending out the owl for Skeeter to come and visit her for an interview in a few days, she settled in for the day. Harry was at the Longbottoms'. She didn't want him to be with the protesters if they were going to be fired upon. He understood, but still wanted it to be known that he supported their cause. So he wrote a letter to the editor of the Daily Prophet.

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Later that day, the Wizengamot was in an uproar, and Amelia was glad of it. The article of the Prophet did more good than it did harm and the Wizengamot wanted the protest over yesterday. They called an emergency meeting, and she had Susan and Harry in the visitors' section with the Abbotts and Neville. Augusta was a sitting member of the Wizengamot. The kids would get to see the governing body in action. It would be up to them what to take from it.

Thomas Starchers was standing to speak for the protesters with a few of the others. The rest were in the visitors' section. They knew they would not get everything they wanted this day, but they would fight for everything they could get. He wasn't going to back down on getting equal jobs. That was the main reason they were protesting. Getting equal representation would come later.

"Come to Order," the Chief Warlock Donald Weathers said, banging his gavel. He was only temporary until an election could be held. Dumbledore's arrest and trial still needed to be held, but he was no longer eligible to be Chief Warlock. "We need to get through a lot of things, so come to order," he demanded in a loud voice.

"Chief Warlock, I feel we should go from matter of importance of greater to lesser. That being said, the first thing we should do is call a no confidence plea on the Minister," Amelia said, holding up some parchment as evidence. "I have here a confession from Mr. Lucius Malfoy that he has been bribing Cornelius Fudge for many years to do many things, including, but not limited to, seeing that Mr. Malfoy doesn't enjoy prison time for his many crimes." she had dosed the man to the gills last night.

"Now see here, you can't use Veritaserum on a pureblood," Fudge said, standing and making a fool of himself.

"Are you saying that it is true? Thank you, Cornelius, for saving us many hours of investigation," she said, then nodded to her Aurors, who arrested him on the spot.

"I see we don't need to question him on the validity of those papers," Weather said, banging his gavel three times. "All those for a no confidence verdict?" he said, holding up his wand to show what he wanted them to do.

Many wands lit and Cornelius Fudge was voted out of office. Amelia stood again. "I would like to arrest Dolores Umbridge for interfering with justice. She seems to think she is judge and jury in many cases, including letting people out of prison and putting them in," she said, holding up some more parchment as evidence.

Unlike her boss, Dolores kept silent as the Aurors arrested her. She knew she was doomed if Malfoy gave her up. However, she wasn't going to just confess. She was going to try and use the pureblood law to get clear. She didn't know that Amelia knew she was a half-blood.

"Now, we are here to hear the grievances of the muggleborn that work in the wizarding world," Amelia said, standing and waving to Thomas.

"What are your grievances?" Weathers asked the man. He truly wanted to know. He had not kept abreast of what was happening. He was more worried about Albus Dumbledore's happenings. They affected his grandkids and many of his friends' grand/children.

"We want to be able to hold the same jobs as the purebloods. We get the same education. We pay the same taxes. We should be able to hold the same jobs for the same pay," Thomas said, standing firm and looking at all the stuck-up purebloods staring at him like he was lower than them.

"And if we don't grant you this privilege?" Weathers asked, though he thought they had the right of it.

"We'll leave. Harry Potter had it right. You would be lost without us. We can survive in the muggle world. You will no survive without the muggleborn. We will go to the Queen and let her know what is happening here, and beg for a lot of land to create our own society if we have to. Where everyone of like mind, meaning open-minded to freedom of all, will be welcome. If that doesn't happen, then we will petition to France to join them. We will continue on until we find a place where we are not treated just above house elves," Thomas said, looking at them like they were scum for treating other humans like that. "And…" he said, stretching the word. "We will find a way to take the future muggleborn with us," he finished.

"Leave then," one bigoted person said, standing and yelling as loud as he could. He started on a vitriol that would melt paint, until his neighbor silenced him.

"You idiots," another person stated, standing, and glaring at the rest of the Wizengamot to be silent. "Don't any of you breed animals? Our pool of purebloods is small. Just look at the reduced Wizengamot. We used to be two hundred strong, but we have died out to thirty-two. If we drive the muggleborn out, we will die out in only a few generations. The wizarding world is small as it is. We number in the thousands, unlike the muggles who number in the billions. More and more muggleborn are being born each year. They count for a third of our population. If they leave, and I guarantee that many half-bloods will follow, that is half our population gone. We will not survive," the man said fervently.

"We will not be used as breeding stock," Thomas said, just as passionately. "We want equal rights, and equal jobs. If you even try to pass marriage laws or breeding laws, we will fight so hard that more than half will die," he said, his tone deadly serious. Those in the visitors' section standing and agreeing with him.

"Equal jobs, for equal pay? That is all you want?" Weathers said after banging his gavel for silence, seeing the spell on the wand. Both of them were correct, the population of the magical world depended on all of them working together.

"It is a start," Thomas said, knowing they were going to try for more later, but they had to start somewhere.

"Wait," Jackie said, standing to be seen.

"You can't just stand and be heard from the galley," Weathers said, looking at the woman like she was crazy.

"I just want to say something to Mr. Starchers," Jackie said, hurrying down and speaking into the man's ear. "We need equal rights too," she said, having worked with Amelia for years she knew that muggleborns got the poor end of the deal when arrested.

"Oh, yeah, we want equal rights under the law," Thomas said, standing and scratching his head. It was a major point of contention with the purebloods.

"That is asking quite a lot," Weathers said, considering it would mean changing a lot of laws.

"Not really, we want to be treated the same as everyone else. That is not too much to ask. Give us this and we will act just like you. Don't and we walk. It really is that simple," Thomas said, though he did know that not all the muggleborn would walk, a good majority of them would. He had already reached out to the Prime Minister and asked for an appointment. So he wasn't just blowing hot air.

"We need time to deliberate on this," Weathers said, looking at all the variety of faces on the Wizengamot. It would take a long time to get anything that resembled what the muggleborn wanted.

"You have a week. You know where we'll be," Thomas said, then moved to the door. Most of the galley moved with him.

Harry Potter watched them go. He wanted to go with them. He even stood to see them off and waved to those he had gotten acquainted with. The press was eating it up.

"I believe them," Amelia said after they had left, knowing that her secretary would leave. She didn't blame them. They were treated very unfairly under the law and everywhere else.

"It doesn't matter whether they leave," someone said, another bigot. "We can survive without them."

"We cannot," came the rebuttal, from the same man as before. "Didn't you hear what I said? We will die out," he reiterated.

And the argument started. It went on for about twenty minutes until Amelia sent bangs from her wand. "I have one more thing to do today," she said, waving to the doors for her people to bring Pettigrew in. "Sirius Black is innocent," she said with conviction.

The room exploded again. This time with accusations as to who had sent an innocent man to prison. It was obviously true since there was a dead man walking in front of them.

It didn't take them long to get Sirius released since he was never even sentenced in the first place. In order to prevent him from suing them to Hades and back, they gave him over 500,000 galleons. Amelia didn't know if that would be enough, but it would hold him off until the muggleborn were either gone or pacified.

Once the meeting ended, Amelia sent Harry to the Longbottom's again, and she went to tell him the good news. "Black," she called when she arrived at the safe house.

He came from the back and was looking much better than he had when he first got there. he was dressed in plain black clothes that fit his very skinny frame. "What do you need, Madam Bones?" he said, wary that she might take him back to the hellhole. While he was feeling much better, he was still having a hard time grasping that he was out.

"You're free," she said, handing him the writ that said as much. "You didn't need to stand trial, since you were never properly arraigned," she added, handing him the check for the money they awarded him.

"You know this isn't going to stop me from suing the robes off them, right?" he said, taking it and folding it and putting it in an inner pocket. "At least the administration," he added, getting his outer robe.

"I know but can you hold off until the protest is over?" she all but begged him.

"Sure," he said, with a shrug.

"Thank you," she said, relaxing for the first time that day.

"Where's my godson?" he asked. He had been told he would be able to see him as soon as he was free.

"I'll take you to him," she said, going to the floo. She called out the address to her house and took him there. she sat him in the receiving room and call the Longbottoms'. "Augusta, Harry can come back now," she said into the fire. She waited for the reply and pulled her head from the fire. They waited for a good five minutes until the fire flared again and Harry came barreling out with a 'umph'.

"I see you're as bad as James with the floo," Sirius said, picking up Harry and brushing off the soot. "It wasn't until he was an adult that he could handle flooing alone," he said, with a laugh.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Harry asked, backing away. He didn't know who the man was and was leery after the events from last night. Though they were standing in Bones manor.

"Harry, this is your godfather, Sirius Black. He has been in prison, falsely accused, for many years," Amelia said, her hands on his shoulders. "The man who put him there was found and sentenced to the Kiss this morning," she explained, though Harry didn't know what the Kiss was.

"Good, it's better than he deserves," Sirius said, having forgotten to ask what happened to Peter in his hurry to see Harry.

"It's good to meet you, Mr. Black," Harry said, sticking out his hand.

"Please, call me Sirius, or Padfoot," Sirius said, shaking the hand. "I am your godfather, not your teacher," he added with a grin. "So, what do you do for fun, besides take up causes?" he asked, hoping the kid didn't want to go back to the muggleborn protest. Though if he did, Sirius would be right by his side. He'd do it because he too thought the muggleborn got the raw end of the deal.

"Oh, I, um, play Quidditch," Harry said, and like that the conversation took off. They spent many hours going over what Harry did at the school, and like Amelia, Sirius was shocked and upset over what the boy had been through at what was reported to be one of the safest places in the country.