Chap. 20: The Wizengamot continued, the Burrow, and supper.
After Cyrus, Harry, and Gareth had taken their seats, believe it or not, a bill about cauldron bottom thicknesses was presented, again, for new business by Lady Amerilus Hopkin, a short witch, which was on behalf of Madam Potage. It was seconded for debate by Lord Archibald Dankworth who owned Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. They knew that their opposition would be by Bowman E. Wright, who had, forever, been decreasing the thickness of the cauldrons they produced, and those that were imported were the same.
Harry, Cyrus, and Gareth started with their plan, as they scrutinized, picked apart, criticized, found fault, questioned, and outright held up the debate for as long as possible, making everyone squirm in their seats, and even curse, over the very excessive time and the nuisance that they made of themselves about the bill.
The three were, in fact, hoping to wear everyone out and make them wish that they were sitting at home, with, preferably, a good glass of brandy, before seven o'clock could arrive when the Wizengamot's session was adjourned for the day. Somewhere, around five o'clock, was when they intended on bringing up their own bill, where they hoped that with everyone tired, and annoyed, they would quickly glance over the legalese, barely debate it, and pass it just so they could leave. They also set a plan in motion to keep it from ever going to committee with a few others during lunch, and they would try to recruit more members during their afternoon tea break, at three o'clock, to help it along.
Harry had quickly read over the cauldron bill, which was short, and lighted his wand, where the Chief Warlock called on him to stand. Harry did, and he began to dissect every word, and come to many outrageous conclusions from the text. Once Harry sat down, Cyrus' wand was up in the air next, and he did the same, as well as did Gareth just after him.
Dumbledore felt the urge to grab his long hair and beard, and then rip it out by the roots over his utter annoyance at the trio's antics, which were all within the rules of parliamentary procedure, so he couldn't stop them. He remembered seeing a tag-team wrestling match on a muggle telly, once, and the trio reminded him of three "professional wrestlers" in one corner, who would tag the other, when tired, in order to keep the "work" ongoing. A "work," of course, was a staged act made to look real. Yes, Dumbledore thought, he had no idea that the two men, and one teen, could be so bloody aggravating, impertinent, insolent, cheeky, and so cocksure when they wanted, and he just knew that this had all been planned out for at least a week, if not more!
The bill didn't go to committee, as it only added five thousandths of an inch to a cauldron bottom, so it was passed after the trio finally allowed a vote. He couldn't help but glare at the three and give them a scowl as he asked for other new business.
Their antics went on for three more bills, all small, until three o'clock came, where he dismissed the gamot for their break. A large bill would take a couple of years to pass, with them.
Here, Albus stood and noticed that his hands were shaking over his annoyance, and that was when he also noticed Rufus smirking, who had been enjoying every last minute of it. The minister was bloody well in on it, Dumbledore thought, especially when he caught Rufus giving Harry a quick wink!
Harry, Cyrus, and Gareth quickly made their way back to the House of Black's office, where Harry was wondering why they didn't just go to the cafeteria. He found out why, when they entered the member's corridor, as a line of "roach wagons," in cart form, were lined up down the center of the aisle, and with every sort of food imaginable. The tea lady was there, as well, and she had three-tiered trays already made of finger sandwiches and bite-sized pastries that the three purchased, along with their tea of choice, which they took into the office. They also purchased another tray and a pot of tea, as well as obtained three more cups and saucers for others, if they had company, and they were sure that they would have.
They were about five minutes into their meal when they heard a knock at the door. Here, Harry stood and opened it.
"Dowager Longbottom?" Harry inquired.
"Yes, yes," the old lady replied, and then barged in to glare at the three of them. Harry quickly shut the door and took his seat.
"What can we help you with, Madam?" Cyrus asked.
"What is going on between you three? I know you're up to something," Augusta huffed, "and if this doesn't stop, we'll be here 'til Christmas!"
Harry merely smirked at the old woman, and Gareth knew her well enough over Algernon Croaker in the DOM to not disregard her.
"Why," Cyrus dryly said, "we're merely doing our duty as required, Madam Longbottom. Would you care for some tea, and maybe something to eat?"
Augusta drew her wand, and with a quick flick, she conjured a chair by the side of Harry's desk, though it looked a little shaky, Harry thought.
She poured herself some tea from the pot, which was Earl Grey, and then took a finger sandwich to dine on, which she lay on a napkin after taking a bite.
"Now," Augusta said as she scrutinized Harry, "what do you have planned? I know you're Neville's good friend, so it can't be anything too bad!"
"We're wanting to introduce a bill to thwart the Death Eaters, Mrs. Longbottom," Harry explained, "and what we want..."
By five o'clock, everyone in the Wizengamot was dog tired, and they were all openly glaring at Harry, Cyrus, Gareth, and now, Augusta Longbottom, who had practically halted anything moving at any speed. Augusta, being in Dumbledore's camp, surprised many with her antics.
Dumbledore, himself, was turning in his seat to glare up at Augusta, who merely ignored the man. He did notice her speak to Elphias, though, who gave her a nod with a scowl, before he was passing on her words under his breath to the other bloc's members. The Chief Warlock wondered what that was all about.
As the minute hand reached twelve, and five o'clock rolled around, Augusta lighted her wand, and the Chief Warlock called on her.
"Dowager Longbottom, you have the floor."
Augusta stood, and glanced around the chamber. "I am putting forth a bill, which I signed onto as a sponsor, which is to fix the loopholes in our laws on high crimes such as treason and insurrection. It merely adds another subsection, and it is not an ex post facto law, but it will allow the ministry to seize the assets of anyone that has committed a high crime, now, or previously, if they continue on in that same vain, again. It will also increase the fines and time served if they are a repeat offender. That would include any criminal found guilty in the past of such a crime who commits a high crime, again, or anyone who is now incarcerated, and upon their release, they commit a high crime, again, or if, in the case of their escape, they continue on with the high crimes of their past. In each case, a warrant, or writ of seizure, would be required, which is signed by the minister and the head of the DMLE. It would require Gringotts to freeze any assets, and hand them over to the ministry.
"Without the assets to fund their operations, we hope that these criminal organizations will collapse, and the ministry can then compensate the victim's families with these assets, or use them to fund the ministry, itself.
"I have been assured that if the bill is passed, today, then things will start to run more smoothly within this chamber." Here, Augusta gave Harry, Gareth, and Cyrus a scowl. "Quite frankly, this is a very well-written piece of legislation, which I am in total agreement with, and I'm also very tired and I want to head home before I die, here, and in this seat, from agitation and utter boredom.
"So, I ask for a second on this bill, so that it can proceed to debate, and then to a vote."
Harry's wand went up lightning fast at this, which forced Dumbledore to call on him.
Here, Harry stood, and said, "I second the motion for a debate." He then sat back down with an innocent smile on his face.
The debate started, and, of course, there were holdouts that were from the faction that sided with the likes of Lucius Malfoy, but being as part of their bloc was now incarcerated, when they tried for a vote to move the bill to committee to stall it, it was voted down. Finally, at fifteen minutes 'til seven, a vote was called for, and the bill was passed.
Dumbledore had noticed that all the way through the bill, Harry, Gareth, and Cyrus had acted like perfect little angels, unless they were defending the legislation, and then, they turned into demons using insinuated threats of bringing the other sessions to a screeching halt in the future.
Shrewd, sly, and cunning, indeed, Dumbledore thought. The boy acted more like a Slytherin every time they met, and he wondered if the Sorting Hat had been correct about him. However, he remembered Fleamont and Henry, well, and they could be just as devious, so it ran in the family.
Finally, at seven o'clock, Minister Scrimgeour adjourned that session of the Wizengamot, and everyone began flooding out of the chamber as quickly as they could.
Harry and Cyrus met up with Gareth, and Harry said, "Supper with drinks, anyone, I'm buying?"
Hermione Granger, that day, who had been in a very good mood over receiving her OWL results, and her school list, was brought down when George showed up and slipped her a copy of Saturday's The Magic Eye, which she had to keep hidden, since noon, to keep Molly from spotting it. Why, the paper was utter filth, of the worst sort, she thought, and almost as bad as porn!
It was now five o'clock in the afternoon, and she stormed outside with Ron and Ginny trying to keep up. She kept going in a fast march toward the Otter River's bank just over from the Burrow.
She ignored the mud on her trainers during her high dudgeon march, where she finally sat herself down on an old log that had washed up, and then opened the paper up to glare at it.
Once Ron and Ginny were seated, they could tell that Hermione was building up a huge head of steam, and it would blow before long.
"This, this, this," Hermione hissed as she gripped the paper, "is filth, I'll tell you! Why, I've never read anything of the such in a decent newspaper! It's scandalous is what it is, and nobody of Hogwarts age should be allowed to read it!"
Both Ron and Ginny thought about the hypocrisy of that statement but allowed her to continue.
"Did you read what they said about, about, about, Bellatrix, and what she was supposedly infected with, and then they dared to mention blowing a horse, for Merlin's sake!"
Ron and Ginny turned as red as tomatoes over that, as that was not an image they wanted in their heads, though they could believe it with Bellatrix.
"Caused his nose to fall off, really!" Hermione exclaimed with a scowl.
"And then, and then, and then there was Lucius diddling that young girl," Hermione almost shouted, "and they had the bollocks to show that in a photo!"
"Well," Ron finally commented, "that is news, Hermione, and I'd say that it helped our cause."
"WHAT?" Hermione yelled as she leaped to her feet, and shook the paper in the air. "It's FILTH is what it is; pure FILTH!
"Thank Merlin Mum and Da' haven't seen this," Hermione preached, "or, or, or, they would blow their lids!
"And those nasty ads, why, I've never seen anything like it! Personal massagers and oil, my arse! They're vibrators, for Merlin's sake, that women, and some men, use!"
When Hermione said "some men," both Ginny and Ron's eyebrows shot up to their hairlines. Surely not, they both thought, though Ginny was thinking about trying to owl order one if she could save back her allowance a bit more. Why, that could come in handy on those dark and lonely nights at Hogwarts with her bed curtains pulled!
"And then there are those rotten Malfoys! I knew they were rotten, of course, but not to that extent, and the bloody Goblins are helping them! What kind of world is this," Hermione almost screamed, but then she sat down with a huff, "that allows this to take place?"
"That's the real world, Hermione, not the idea of it that you have in your head," Ginny explained.
Here, a tear started to fall down Hermione's cheek, which caused Ron to pull the young witch against him.
"Shhhh," Ron said, "it'll be alright, Hermione."
Here, Hermione buried her head in his chest, and Ginny stood up to make her way back up the hill toward the Burrow.
Once Ginny was out of sight, Hermione whispered, "Ron, I want you and me to do something this evening. Something that I'm sure that Harry and Daphne have been doing for quite a while."
"What's that, Mione?" Ron asked.
Hermione grabbed Ron by the crotch, which made him flinch, before she said, "I don't want to be backward anymore, Ron, so I want you to give it to me hard, deep, and fast. I want you to make me feel it for a week, even though it's my first time. I want you to make me a woman!"
Ron almost fainted, and he didn't know if it was from what she said, or from all the blood that suddenly gushed into his todger. Well, he thought, who was he to deny the witch?
Harry had obtained a reservation for seven at The Wolseley, which was on the corner at St. James's Street and Piccadilly.
There, around the table sat Harry and Daphne, and then, Astoria, with Helen, Cyrus, Meredith, and lastly, Gareth.
They had a very fine three-course supper, and the two girls were allowed another flute of champagne, which Harry and Daphne drank after linking their arms before taking a sip. They were having the time of their lives!
Over champagne, and dessert, Harry, Cyrus, and Gareth began telling the witches about what had occurred in the Wizengamot, and they had the four witches laughing, and in tears, by the end of it. They all really had a laugh, as well, over what Augusta Longbottom had said.
Oh, what a day, Harry thought, oh, what a day!
A/N: It's a short chapter, but I couldn't keep everyone hanging on that cliff for long.