Arthur Weasley was tired.
With his thankless job, such a feeling wasn't rare, but what was rare was that he was feeling this way immediately following a Sunday, since that was normally his day off.
As Arthur entered the Ministry building and trudged his way through the lifts and floors, his mind raced as he went over the events of yesterday and this morning. Last night, Ginny had a meltdown over not being able to go to Hogwarts in September and being the only child left behind. While Arthur could understand his daughter's concerns—after growing up surrounded by brothers, it was only natural to fear being an only child—Molly had no patience for the tantrum and demanded that Arthur make her stop. That ended in failure, resulting in Ginny that was crying even louder, Arthur feeling guilty, and Molly being more angry and stressed out. In the end, the twins were the ones who finally got Ginny to calm down, and Arthur and Molly were finally able to sleep.
That sleep lasted for about five hours and ended abruptly when Percy rushed into their room in a panic, saying that Ron wasn't in his room and they couldn't find him anywhere. The whole family spread out looking for him, and Arthur ended up being the one to find him about thirty minutes later, sitting in a cornfield looking out with a numb expression. Father and son sat there talking for a long time, where Ron told him that he didn't think he was ready to go to Hogwarts since he had no talent, everyone there would probably hate him since he wasn't as smart as Percy or outgoing as the twins, he might as well stay home with Ginny since that's what he's been all his life, right? Just someone who exists because his parents wanted a girl. Etc., etc.
Arthur spent his time trying to convince Ron that yes, his family loved him, and yes, he has talent, and yes, he will have a good time and make friends in Hogwarts. It was very unsettling to Arthur that one of his own children could have such deep-seated issues with self-worth that neither him nor Molly picked up on. What issues could his other children be hiding? How could he have failed so much as a parent?
After returning Ron back to the Burrow and seeing Molly weep and hug Ron in a tight embrace, Arthur got ready for work. He groaned as he saw a pile of letters for him on the dresser; Molly had insisted recently that Arthur "leave work at work" and anything work-related he could respond to once he returned to the office ("Don't they realize Sunday's your day off?" he remembered Molly snapping irritably the night before, eying the owl that burst its way into the kitchen at 11:30 PM with a frown. "If they want you to work extra, they should pay you extra"). It wasn't unusual for Arthur to get letters outside of work hours, but it did seem like the pile today was larger than usual. If it was really serious, they would have used the Floo network to get here. My time with my family is important too. Still, Arthur couldn't help but feel guilty for ignoring them. He grabbed the pile and made his way to work, barely avoiding yet another owl that flew through the open window and dropped a letter in front of Arthur.
Arthur's mind broke from his reverie as he began to notice that most people around him were murmuring in animated conversation. He heard the name "Malfoy" being whispered again and again, and Arthur felt his skin crawl. What has he done now?
Arthur ambled over to the final lift and made his way in. He was the only passenger, which was a rare occurrence, but one that wasn't entirely unexpected, considering he was arriving late due to the events earlier this morning. Right before his floor, the light went on and the lift stopped to open in order to pick up more passengers.
As the door opened, Arthur froze and inwardly cursed his terrible luck. Standing right outside were Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy. They were in the middle of what looked like a heated conversation, but once the door fully opened their eyes turned to him. Fudge looked startled, like a deer in the headlights, while Lucius…Lucius glowered at him with an expression of pure venom and loathing that Arthur almost dropped his letters. He was used to seeing Lucius sneer at him with a smug expression like Arthur was an insect he stepped on, but this…this unbridled malice, that was new.
It was also new to see Lucius clutching on to the Malfoy family heirloom. Did Abraxas finally die? Is that what everyone's talking about?
"Erm—hello," Arthur said tentatively. "I'm going up." He pointed to the lights unnecessarily.
"Ah, Arthur, hello," Fudge said, straining a smile. "We–we'll take the next lift. That alright with you, Lucius?"
Lucius nodded slowly, eyes still glaring daggers at Arthur.
"R-right. Bye then." Arthur couldn't press the button to close the doors fast enough.
After the doors closed, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Whatever gossip was floating around was likely the cause of Lucius's terrible mood, which probably meant it was good for Muggles, Muggleborns, or the Weasleys. Heartened by this thought, Arthur hummed cheerfully as he got off the lift to his floor and made his way down to his office.
"Morning, Perkins," Arthur yawned as he pushed open the door to his cramped, cluttered office. With a slight frown, Arthur noticed Wayne Perkins was absent. Odd. He didn't tell Arthur he was going to be out today. Oh, well. The man deserves a break.
Arthur sat down at his desk, shoved some papers out of the way, and placed the letters down. Before he could open the first one to read, he heard a faint whizzing sound and looked up to see a paper airplane floating in midair. Arthur stifled a groan. Already? This was going to be one of those days, he could tell.
He opened the airplane and immediately recognized Reginald Cattermole's loopy handwriting.
Hi Arthur,
I was just wondering what you planned on doing about the Malfoy verdict. Mary was extremely upset about it all last night for obvious reasons, and I want to be able to tell her honestly that there's something in the works that could either shake it up or prevent it from happening again. I know my department is completely unrelated to this, but if there's anything I can do to help, let me know.
The details about Malfoy are pretty sick. It says volumes about your character that you sat on them for so many years so they could only be revealed through the appropriate channels. He wouldn't have done the same for you.
Why is it always the rich folk who are the most degenerate? Rowle, Dolohov, the Lestranges, the Malfoys…yeesh. I guess it's just passed on from generation to generation. Makes you really appreciate your own family, eh?
-Reg
Arthur frowned as he read the letter a second time. What the hell was Reg talking about? What verdict? Was he talking about the trial from years ago? Why was this being brought up now? Did something happen to bring it into the public eye again? That would no doubt explain Lucius's venomous glare–Arthur was one of the key individuals who was involved in building a case against him.
He'll ask Perkins about it, or maybe one of his other friends when he went to lunch. Arthur took a letter from the pile and began to read.
Greetings,
I'm certain this must be an incredibly distressing time for you, Mr Weasley, given how the Wizengamot's ruling on the Malfoy case spits in the face of your core principles and everything you work for in your position at the Ministry. Still, I wanted to reach out to you in order to let your voice be heard and give you the opportunity to express the despair and righteous indignation you are no doubt experiencing. The Daily Prophet will be doing a piece on the fallout that includes voices from individuals of varying beliefs and levels of importance, and I believe you would be an ideal choice. Please send me an owl at your earliest convenience.
Cheers,
Rita Skeeter
The Daily Prophet
Arthur started to get goosebumps as the gears of his mind started to turn. Clearly, yesterday there was a case involving Malfoy where the outcome was one that Arthur would disagree with.
So why would Lucius look so angry if he got what he wanted?
Another paper airplane whizzed by Arthur's head. He grabbed it and opened it.
Arthur, wanna grab a bite to eat later? I'm dying to hear your thoughts on all this Malfoy business!
(Did you even know there was going to be a custody trial? I didn't. It was very hush-hush).
If you can't, no worries. I'm sure you're probably already drafting some kind of legislation or something that could put a stop to all this. I'm telling ya right now: It won't work. But I know you're going to try anyway! That's why I like you: You always step up to protect others, even if it's going to be unpopular.
See ya soon,
Bob
P.S One of your kids is going to be in the girl's year, yeah?
Arthur blinked. A custody case? Huh. Information about Malfoy having an illegitimate child (a girl?) being made public would no doubt explain his incensed expression earlier. It did come as a bit of a surprise though; for all of Lucius's faults, Arthur never heard rumors about him having any side paramours like his father infamously did.
And why did everyone assume Arthur would want to step in? He disliked Lucius for many reasons, but obstructing him from seeing his child for no reason seemed petty and cruel.
He grabbed another letter from the pile, which had neatly written cursive on the front. Because of this, he was surprised to see the letter inside written in crayon.
Dear Mr Weasli,
Hi my name is William and I am not old enough to be a Hogwarts student yet but one day I will be and I'm going to be a gryffindor and also one of the best seekers. I'm writing you this letter because Mummy and Daddy were fighting because of something that happened at the ministry with Mr Malfoy and Daddy works at the Ministry but Mummy says people like Mr Malfoy get away with doing bad stuff all the time and Daddy lets him and Daddy got angry and it was a big problem. Mummy said you are the only one in the Ministry with courage who would fight back. I want you to please solve this problem so my parents stop fighting please. Thank you. Also I took Mummy's letter to you out and put my letter in instead because this is really important and I don't know your address. I'm also sealing it back up so she won't know. That's why there is no crayon on the envelope but there is inside. It's because I wrote in crayon but she did not.
Love.
William
Arthur started sweating. What the fuck was happening?
He heard the familiar whizzing sound and gaped as another paper airplane flew by his head. Hands shaking slightly, he opened it.
Arthur, do NOT talk to the press. There are certain parts of the report that are still classified, despite most of it being entered into public record as a result of being foolishly included in the Malfoy case yesterday. Frankly, this never should have happened, and to say I'm furious would be a massive understatement.
Read the transcripts from yesterday and see what information is now public knowledge. Do not discuss any previous details with anyone unless the details are specifically mentioned in the transcripts.
-Scrimgoeur
Arthur put the note down, head spinning. He grabbed another letter from the pile and stifled a groan when he saw the scale and cornucopia seal on the back. Should he toss it? After a brief debate, he opened it.
THE TEMPLE OF AEQUITAS
To: Arthur Weasley
Our Brother in Equity
While we know you have unfortunately declined to speak at our Temple in the past, we are hopeful that the recent decision involving Lucius Malfoy will cause you to reassess this decision.
As you are aware, our Temple believes in the fundamental equity and fairness of all individuals, regardless of blood status, social class, gender, race, and sexuality. Our desire for abolition of the current governmental structure is based on that, as true justice and equality cannot be achieved when one human being holds power over another.
The closeness of the ruling reflects a possible change in our world, one that both you and the members of our Temple view as positive. While we are aware you feel some of our beliefs to be "extreme," you also no doubt recognize that the numbers of those unsatisfied by the current government's handling of social issues—and joining our Temple as a result—continue to grow every day. If you need numbers and supporters in order to help push forward any new legislation, we can provide. While we may not see eye-to-eye on every issue, we feel our similarities override our differences.
In regards to matters of theology, there is no conflict between joining the Temple and your family's own religious beliefs. Our fundamental goals and beliefs are secular in nature and our membership reflects an adherence to a wide variety of gods and goddesses, some choosing not to worship any god at all. Aequitas is simply the personification of the Universal spirit of justice and equity, a spirit that flows through us all, gifting us with our sacred magic.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Yours in Equity,
Apollonius Baros
The Temple of Aequitas, Community Outreach
Nope. If Molly heard of him speaking to "dressed-up anarchists"-her words–he'd never hear the end of it.
Another goddamn paper airplane flew by his head. Arthur yanked it out of the air and read:
Arthur—
I know you're pulling your hair out over this verdict by now, but this ain't your fight. Trust me, I've seen my share of bullshit decisions made by the Wizengamot and can understand the need to push. But the law's the law, and your best bet at this point is to accept it for what it is. I feel bad for the kid too, but if you try to speak up and make waves about this, it's going to paint a target on your back. You are NOT responsible for any of this, so don't go running on some guilt-driven crusade. You have Molly and your own kids, Arthur. Don't put that in jeopardy.
Besides, Malfoy's already gotta be feeling the heat now that so many of the grimy little details are now public record (still can't believe that happened, haha). And 55-45? Tide's turning, it seems.
-Mad-Eye
"Feel bad for the kid"? Why would he feel bad? And why would he feel responsible? He racked his brain but couldn't think of any cases he was involved in that included Lucius and children.
Arthur took the small stack of unopened letters and flipped through them, seeing if any of the letters were from anyone he recognized. His heart stopped momentarily at seeing the familiar sword and shield logo on the back of one of the letters, and quickly ripped it open.
Hello Mr Weasley,
I know we planned on discussing your proposed Muggle Protection Act tomorrow, but I'm going to be arriving at the Ministry at around 11:00 AM in order to see if there's any time in your schedule to meet today instead. As I'm sure you've surmised, the Association is extremely disappointed with the Wizengamot's judgment involving the custody case involving Mr Malfoy and considers it incredibly tone-deaf at best, considering the recent tragedies of Linda Rowle and Emily Dolohov. We fully plan on advocating for the rights of the child, but require your experience and expertise in order to do so successfully. It is my understanding that you spoke with the mother before Mr Malfoy's trial ten years ago.
As always, the Association is appreciative of your efforts in defending the inherent rights and dignity of Muggles, and we look forward to your continued partnership and support.
Nia Achebe
The Association for Muggleborn and Muggle Rights
At the mention of Linda Rowle and Emily Dolohov, Arthur's heart sank. Horrific headlines and transcripts were seared into his mind–the Rowle case was only a year ago, and the Dolohov one three years before that.
Things were starting to click into place. But why did it seem like everyone thought Arthur would be in a position of power to do something? Yes, he tried in the past to push back against Pureblood political agendas several times, but all his efforts had been in vain. Lucius Malfoy's hold was simply too strong, even if Moody seemed to think the grip was loosening. And speaking of Moody, why did he imply that Arthur would feel guilt over this? Was he referring to the general, directionless guilt he frequently experiences as continuously tries to push Muggle Rights to the forefront, only to have his efforts always seem to roll back forcefully like Sisyphus's stone of myth? That had to be it; the only time Arthur was directly involved in building a case against Lucius Malfoy didn't involve any children. It was the time when—
The gears in his mind screeched to a halt.
A child Ron's age.
Arthur met Sarah White eleven years ago.
Oh, shit.
Arthur looked at the clock: 10:15. He needed to speak with Perkins before Nia arrived.
Arthur was in a slight daze when the next paper airplane fluttered by his head. He reached out and took it, only to wish he hadn't when he saw that it was covered with letter cutouts from a newspaper, spelling out the following message:
DONT SHOVE YOUR BLOOD TRAITOR FACE WERE IT DOESNT BELONG. IF YOU INTERFERE WITH THE NATURAL ORDER WE WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND GUT YOUR WIFE LIKE THE PIGGY SHE IS AND WE WILL TAKE YOUR DAUHTER AND MAKE HER SQUEAL AND BLEED AND BEG LIKE LITTLE LINDA ROWLE AS EVRY ONE OF HER HOLES GETS
Arthur put the letter down and stopped reading. He rubbed his temples and exhaled before continuing. The letter went on to describe in graphic detail what the writer (and the writer's "associates") would do to Ginny, and then concluded by saying he would kill Arthur in a particularly gruesome fashion.
It wasn't the first time Arthur received a letter like this. Getting death and rape threats for him and his family was an unfortunate reality of having a position that was extremely unpopular among more traditional wizarding circles, and Arthur received around three a year, more when he was trying to push some kind of perceived "radical idea." The Aurors concluded that it was likely just shittalking and intimidation tactics, but helped him set up stronger defensive wards around the Burrow anyway.
What Arthur found most disturbing is that the way the letter arrived means that it needed to be someone who was in the Ministry building who sent it. Could it be someone that worked on his floor, someone he had lunch with once or twice? Arthur once went to Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Kingsley suspected that it was probably different people who were sending letters, which tracked with how different the threatening letters were in terms of aims, grammar, and sentence structure. Arthur asked Kinglsey once if he thought any of them were written by Lucius, and Kinglsey said they likely weren't because it didn't fit his usual modus operandi, and Arthur reluctantly agreed.
Arthur wanted it to be Lucius though; Lucius was a known quantity. But Arthur had no fucking clue who was fantasizing about raping and killing his family, and that thought was terrifying. It was times like these when Arthur reconsidered his job and wondered if it was even worth it.
Dejected, he took another letter from the pile from home and opened it.
Dear Mr Weasley,
I know you don't know me, but my name is Margaret Edwards. I'm a Muggleborn witch who graduated Hogwarts (Ravenclaw house) back in '55. When I heard about the Malfoy verdict, I started crying—it brought back so many awful memories that I've kept bottled up for over fifty years. Society has progressed in many ways, but there are some things that always seem locked into place. The treatment of women—Muggleborn and Muggle women especially—is unfortunately one of those things that remain frozen.
When I was a student, I was sexually assaulted by group of Slytherin Purebloods. A token investigation was done and Headmaster Dippet concluded that my claims were not credible, and the boys went on to lead illustrious, successful careers, two of whom currently hold seats on the Wizengamot. I believe part of it had to do with how their Head of House at the time said they were "good boys" and didn't appear to look too deeply into my claims. Yet oddly enough, a year after my rape, Ophira Farley—a girl a year behind me—was assaulted by a different group. Because her father was an influential Pureblood who raised hell, Dippet somehow found her claims credible despite having less evidence than I did, and expelled the boys.
I have heard countless variations of the same story: Men getting away with committing sexual crimes against women and girls because they are either more charismatic or more wealthy or more powerful than they are. This poor Muggle woman never stood a chance against the infernal machinery that forms the foundation of our society. What makes this so heartbreaking is that this woman is having her life ripped apart not once, but twice.
And what kind of message does this send to the daughter? How will Mr Malfoy view this girl, and how will he treat her? I am truly terrified for this child's safety.
The reason why I am addressing this letter to you is that I know you are one of the few voices in the Ministry that is committed to championing the protections and inherent dignity of Muggles. You fight an uphill battle, but keep persevering despite the dangers. I realize this is presumptuous of me, but please, please do what you can in order to try to put forward some legislation to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. Or, perhaps see if there is any way to overturn this decision? I realize it's a long shot, but the Wizengamot's judgment is so disheartening to any survivors of abuse. The Muggle Prime Minister during the second World War once said,"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." Your courage is an inspiration to us all, Mr. Weasley. Godric Gryffindor would be proud.
Thank you again for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Margaret Edwards
Arthur's eyes started to mist over as he re-read the final paragraph. No, It was worth it.
Regardless of his doubts that sometimes emerged, he was doing good work.
Feeling a sudden rush of energy, Arthur got up, ready to leave the office and get a transcript of yesterday's trial when he ended up bumping right into Perkins, who was trying to enter the room at the same time.
"Arthur!" Perkins exclaimed in surprise. "I was looking for you downstairs. When you didn't show up today, I feared the worst. You weren't attacked, right?"
"W-what? No, I wasn't! Just a bit of a rough morning with the kids," Arthur smiled weakly.
"Is everything all right?" Perkins asked, brows furrowed. Perkins was a generally mild mannered older man, but he was always keenly perspective. "I tried to send you a letter yesterday, but you didn't respond."
Molly's cries of 'leave work at work!' echoed in his head. "Everything's fine with Molly and the kids now. But Perkins…I, er, I'm guessing yesterday probably wasn't the best day to take off."
Perkins chuckled darkly. "No, it wasn't." He gestured towards the desks. This is going to be a long story. Arthur and Perkins both sat and Perkins' eyes practically sparkled.
"So, what do you know?"
Arthur sighed. "From what I can tell, Malfoy has an illegitimate kid with a Muggle, which he won custody over." He hesitated. "And…and I think the mum is the same girl who was mentioned in his trial years ago. The one I interviewed." And the one I failed to get justice for.
It was only at this moment that the gravity of the situation fully hit Arthur. This child–Sarah's daughter–was going to be forced to live with the man who raped her mother. Jesus Christ.
Oblivious to Arthur's emerging horror, Perkins continued, "Yes, that's the short version. Amazing how this kid managed to spring into existence, since Malfoy was adamant he never touched her years ago."
Arthur gritted his teeth. "Ugh, don't remind me."
While Sarah White's testimony was included in the case against Lucius (among many other, different crimes), it didn't get very far. Lucius's approach was that he never laid a finger on her, but if he did, it wouldn't have been his fault because he was under the Imperius. There was no hard evidence to directly prove that Lucius was the culprit beyond Sarah's words, which weren't given much weight by the Wizengamot. In the end, the rape accusation ended up being dismissed in court, and while it was officially recorded in the trial transcripts, Sarah White's name and several of the details provided were redacted from the report of Malfoy's trial available to the public. The only people who knew her name and the full extent of her claims were those who were involved in the trial itself–either in the courtroom, or involved in gathering evidence–and anyone outside who the information was leaked to.
"Well, after eleven years, you finally got your validation, Arthur. There's undeniable blood proof that Lucius Malfoy blew his load in a Muggle. It must feel good."
Arthur winced. "It's not 'good,' Perkins. It was terrible that it even happened in the first place. I wish I was wrong."
"Of course, of course." Perkins held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I didn't mean it that way. It's just, well, Malfoy having some kind of Halfblood spawn running about his house is karma if I ever saw it. Like something out of a Greek play. Ha! Maybe if we're lucky, he'll cut his eyes out next."
"It's not entertainment," Arthur muttered. "A real child is going to be taken from her mother. Can you imagine what the poor thing's probably feeling now?"
"Eh, don't think too much about it. If it's a big issue, they'll probably modify her memory," said Perkins, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe the mother as well. They'll be none the wiser."
Sarah's final, venomous accusations towards him echoed in Arthur's head as he shuddered involuntarily. "I saw Lucius earlier today—he looked like he wanted to kill me."
"I'm sure he always feels that way."
"Yeah, but it was very…obvious today."
"Well that's no surprise. Everything about the mother's testimony is now public knowledge. No more of that redacted shit."
Arthur's mind froze. The letters Arthur received made much more sense now. "...Everything?"
"Well," Perkins amended, "everything about Lucius, anyway."
Oh sweet Lord. No wonder Lucius looked like he wanted to kill him.
"But…how?"
Perkins leaned back and smiled. "We have Dumbledore to thank for that one."
"Dumbledore? Why would he be–"" Arthur's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying the Wizengamot presided over this custody trial?"
Perkins smirked and nodded. No way.
Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a whizzing sound and groaned. He looked for the paper envelope and his heart jumped a bit when he saw that it was not one of the Ministry airplanes, but an actual letter being suspended in the air by a pinkish aura. Molly.
Molly always enchanted her letters so once the owl dropped them off in the Ministry-approved location, it could immediately find its way to Arthur without dealing with the bureaucracy of organizing hundreds of letters that arrive at the Ministry on a daily basis. Arthur looked at the envelope, which had uncharacteristically frantic, sloppy writing on the front. The threat he received earlier flickered in his mind as he ripped Molly's letter open and read:
Arthur Weasley, WHAT IS GOING ON? Owls keep showing up at the house with letters addressed to you. Is everything all right? I haven't opened any, but the children and I are antsy. I caught the twins trying to sneak one from the pile three times already! Please let me know what's happening as soon as possible.
Arthur relaxed a bit; his family was safe. "Sorry 'bout that, Perkins."
"Everything all right?"
"Yes, it's just Molly. She's—well—we're not used to getting so many letters. She's asking what's happening and I don't know what to tell her, because I still have so many questions right now."
"Right, I'll start from the beginning. To put it bluntly, yesterday evening was a shitshow."
"Huh. Usually those kinds of things only happen on days that I'm working."
Perkins laughed. "There's always a time for firsts. While you had a nice and relaxing day with your family, I was here making headway with all the documentation regarding that haunted arcade case in West Yorkshire. I wasn't as, er, productive as I would have liked, so I ended up staying pretty late—until 9:30, give or take–to finish it. And good thing I did, because there was a Wizengamot custody case scheduled at 8:00, and that was the one that's got Malfoy in hot water."
"Pretty impressive something like this didn't leak ahead of time. I had no idea that a trial even happened until this morning.."
"That's how most people found out. Well, that and being told from the stragglers last night, because the records were made available at 10:00 PM. Details probably would have leaked beforehand if there was more time, but I'm pretty sure Malfoy pulled some strings to get it fast-tracked. It explains why it was in such a dead time slot. The whole thing was very discreet, identities sealed at first and all that."
"How'd you find out?"
"It was afterwards. As I was on my way out, I saw Clarence Doyle–you know him? He's one of the stenographers."
"Not that well, but I do know him."
"He was the one who was singing drunk at Podmore's Victory Day party last year. So I see Clarence, and he's got this big shit-eating grin on his face, so naturally I asked what happened, and he told me he just transcribed the biggest scoop since You-Know-Who's downfall. He told me that he recorded the transcript for a custody case that proved beyond a doubt that Lucius Malfoy shagged a Muggle and had a child with her. He said it got ugly in there, and Malfoy only squeaked by with only a 55-45 lead, which says a lot about the pulse of the current political climate and means good news for us."
Arthur hoped so, but he's been burned too many times to assume anything. "Hopefully. How ugly are we talking?"
"The way Clarence said it went down, Malfoy went up and said that his father ordered a Blood Tracing in order to make all his affairs are in order before he passes—good riddance, if you ask me–and when they did the Blood Tracing, they saw that Lucius had another child besides his son. He said that the mother was a Muggle, but didn't say any more than that."
Arthur's brow furrowed. "Really?"
"Nope, he didn't have to. I mean, I'm sure they were dying to know, but the judges in custody cases with a Muggle aren't meant to be a group of gossipy hens, they're just supposed to acknowledge if there's proof of lineage. The hows and the whys of conception don't factor into it. Anyway, Malfoy said it was his duty as a father to bring her into the wizarding world and guide her into our ways and all that crock. There's the usual back-and-forth with questions and he presents reasons why she should live with him and it seems like it's going to go the normal way, but when they're at the end Dumbledore says that since the well-being of the kid must be taken into consideration it's important to closely examine all possible avenues, and since the mother wasn't present, he said her words should be entered into the court for consideration. Then he brings out copies of the original, unredacted report from ten years ago, looking as calm and collected as the fucking Sphinx while reading sections of the most depraved shit imaginable. Clarence said Malfoy looked stoic, but I bet on the inside he was sweating harder than a sinner in hell."
"Haha! Wow."
"Yep. Didn't think the old man had it in him."
"But is that even legal?" Arthur furrowed his brow. "For Dumbledore to enter the unredacted report, I mean."
"Ehh, it's a bit of a loophole. As Chief Warlock, he could decide what evidence could be included when making a decision and it was an official report for the Wizengamot, just not one made available for public knowledge."
"—and because it was entered as evidence for this case," Arthur continued, eyes growing wider at the implications, "and child custody evidence is always available as public knowledge, then files from Malfoy's case years ago became public knowledge as a result." Dumbledore's brilliant. "No wonder Scrimgoer's angry."
"Oh, he's fucking furious. I haven't seen him this pissed off since the war. He thinks it's going to set a bad precedent and is drafting a bill to make sure something like that can't happen again. Not that it's going to help Malfoy now, though. You can't put the potion back in the cauldron once it's spilled."
"It was clever of Dumbledore. I wish I could have been in the courtroom to see it."
"Clever, and a bit ethically dubious. Not that I blame him, of course. You know how the Rowle girl was a student at Hogwarts when the bastards killed her, right?"
Linda Rowle, fourteen years old, Hufflepuff. She died during the summer holiday. Arthur remembered reading over the transcripts of her case with a heavy heart and knew them front-to-back. "Yes."
"Well, Dumbledore was not happy with what happened to the poor kid. I hear—and this is just rumors, mind you–but he's been having 'conversations' with some higher-up folks about the ethics of automatically placing the child of a Muggle and wizard with the wizard parent. Especially when the parent has a history of questionable moral character, like the Rowles and the Dolohovs and the Carrows."
"That's probably why he took the case. As Chief Warlock, he would be able to decide if a case should be presented in front of the Wizengamot or a lesser court."
"Exactly. And Dumbledore's reasoning for bringing in the unredacted testimony should be obvious: He wanted to show the court that this was the specific Muggle who is the mother of Malfoy's child. And that was a big deal because back during his trial, he denied that any sexual contact happened at all, and now he has to somehow explain how he could have a child with her if 'nothing happened.' It also retroactively puts the ruling of his past trial into question, albeit unofficially."
"But Lucius still won yesterday," Arthur sighed in frustration. "How? How could he win when this child's existence proves he was lying during his trial ten years ago?"
"You're gonna love this next bit—he claimed that he did, in fact, remember the woman, but didn't remember her until years after his trial. People's recollections can become erratic when under the Imperius, so that was the approach he went with. He said that, from his point of view at the time, it was true that he did not remember her."
Arthur shook his head in disbelief. "Amazing, really."
"Ha! I'm not even finished; it gets worse. The judges started grilling him with questions and he had to answer. He pretended like he was remorseful for his actions, and emphasized that she was kept alive longer than most of the Muggles were, suggesting he was operating under some subconscious guilt, even while under the Imperius—"
"Bullshit," Arthur muttered.
"I know, but him being under the Imperius is the official line. Anyway, while he recounted his side, he laced his words with his usual poison to cause people to second-guess their perception of the whole situation. He implied that her words couldn't be trusted, and mentioned some inconsistencies, like how the injuries she had when she was found didn't match up with some of the things she described—"
"But she was in a house of wizards. There are plenty of explanations for–"
"Well, his goal—I'm assuming—was to make her seem like she wasn't credible. Cast doubt on certain things, and it makes someone wonder what else is inaccurate. And he didn't come out and say it directly, but he put in subtle jabs and characterized her in a way that made her seem a bit…suspect, in the eyes of the Wizengamot. Promiscuous, I suppose."
Arthur started to feel sick. "How?"
"Well, he dropped in that she was friends with magicians, and you know what a lot of our folk feel about magicians. Mentioned her outfit she was wearing on the day she was taken to the Acheron, which offended the grannies. He cherry-picked certain parts of her report and made it seem like she was lusting after him."
Arthur rarely felt hatred. But at that moment, he hated Lucius Malfoy with all his being.
"He's fucking shameless. What's his angle, then? Is he saying she fell on his prick and that's how she got pregnant?"
Perkins leaned back and gave a hearty laugh. ""Haha! What would Molly say if she could hear you now?"
"She'd say worse and be just as disgusted as I am," he replied, fingers clenched into a fist.
"Probably. To answer your question, he predictably said that their relations were due to the Imperius, which affected his mind and made him unable to control himself. And according to him, she developed some kind of one-sided love for him and was upset and jealous when she found out about Narcissa, so he modified her memory. And then, he says, that memory modification and lingering bitterness is what caused her…uncharitable recollection."
Arthur closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. "Please tell me that no one bought into this hogwash."
"Unfortunately, many of them did. You know how silver-tongued he can be; he took a lot of what was in the transcript and twisted it around or 'provided context.' It was his word against hers. And, well, the original report does sort of, er, say something to that effect. Right? I mean, weren't you there?"
Arthur was frustrated. "It's a complicated situation. She was kidnapped. That kind of thing messes with a person's mind."
Perkins looked at him oddly. "Yes, but he's a wizard. It's not that unusual to imagine a Muggle fancying one, right? Being taken with a greater being? Especially one who is easy on the eyes. I imagine that's what went through the judges minds too."
The queasiness Arthur was feeling felt stronger. "What happened then?"
"Some of the judges started getting into a bit of spirited back-and-forth discussion of whether it could be considered assault if the girl had feelings for him—stop looking at me like that, Arthur—and Clarence thought Amelia Bones was going to get up and start flinging hexes right then and there. And then another judge–a woman—said that she found it difficult to believe that a real victim of assault would tell the details so openly to three strange men, and that sparked another discussion. I'm sure Malfoy must have felt like the cat that swallowed the canary, watching all these powerful judges do all the legwork for him."
Arthur shook his head and felt–not for the first time–a complete and utter lack of confidence in his government. He also felt some guilt for being one of those 'three strange men' even though he knew, objectively, it wasn't his fault.
Perkins continued, "Dumbledore stepped in and told them to stop the speculation and look over the evidence and make their judgment. Before they did though, Malfoy was allowed to make one final appeal to emotions and talked about how he was regretful and felt guilty of all the actions he did while he was under the Imperius, even though it wasn't his fault, and that he wanted to be able to see his daughter and provide her with a good life, and how she be a way for him to prove he is committed to being a good man. Rubbish, naturally. But he did weave in a point that Clarence thought was pretty good and must have influenced at least a couple of the judges—he said he had nothing to gain from adopting the kid, and that the only reason he's doing so is out of a genuine desire to make amends."
Why did Lucius want to acknowledge a Halfblood child? That was the thought that was bothering Arthur for a while now, and he wasn't able to come up with any satisfying answer. He wasn't able to have any more children—was this just a way of ensuring his fortune would go to one of his descendents, in case anything happens to Draco? All of Lucius's siblings died, after all. Or could there be another reason?
"And then?"
"And then they voted, and Malfoy ended up winning. But it was a pyrrhic victory at best, since now all his dirt is being aired out to the world."
Arthur was silent for a moment, several different thoughts swirling about in his head. He was shaken out of his musings by a loud knocking sound on the door.
Arthur spun around to look at the clock: 11:00. Shit. Arthur flung himself across the room and back to his desk, frantically pulling out the appropriate paperwork. "Are we expecting someone?" Perkins asked with a frown.
"Yes, Nia Achebe," Arthur whispered. Perkins' eyes widened in horror. "Just a minute!" he called out in a louder tone.
"All right," a calm, cool voice responded from behind the door. Perkins rushed over to his desk and started shoving things in drawers to make his workspace look somewhat presentable. After a minute of rummaging and reorganizing, Arthur called out again and told Nia she could come in.
A tall, dark-skinned woman entered the office, piercing brown eyes taking in every detail, as usual. Nia Achebe was the leader of The Association for Muggleborn and Muggle Rights–-or simply "The Association," as it was usually called. Her eyes rested on the pile of letters that Arthur hadn't removed from his desk. She smiled thinly. "Hate mail or fan mail?"
"A bit of both," answered Arthur. Nia nodded.
"I didn't expect anything less," Nia said gravely. "I'm assuming they're about last night's verdict?" Arthur nodded and gestured for Nia to take a seat, which she did. "I appreciate your willingness for this meeting." Arthur wasn't even presented with a choice, but felt it would be inappropriate to say that. "The trial serves as an exemplar of the current anti-Muggle bias that permeates our courts, but the closeness of the verdict also serves as a warning that Pureblood influence and control may not be as absolute as once believed. Do you remember the Rorschach test I mentioned a few months ago?"
Arthur was taken aback and needed to think for a moment. "The Muggle experiment with the ink blots?"
"Yes. Different people can look at this and come with drastically different conclusions. Of course, the Association's outlook is clear. We made a statement about an hour ago. We plan on taking action, as I mentioned in my letter. How many more Muggle women will have their children ripped away from them, only to be sacrificed at the altar of wizard cruelty and indifference? What perversities will this girl be forced to endure before she gets killed, only for the wizards to wring their hands over how tragic it was, but then keep voting for the same inane policies that make these atrocities possible?"
Arthur felt a bit unsettled, as he often did when speaking with Nia Achebe. Nia could be very…intense. Intense and dramatic. Perkins coughed; he was not a fan of her, and Arthur could understand why, even though he liked her well enough. Nia's passion and dedication was a double-edged sword. It helped her cause sometimes, but it also made her off-putting to the general public, which ended up hurting her cause sometimes.
"So…Miss Achebe," Perkins said. Nia turned to look at him, as if noticing he was there for the first time. "How are you? No one downstairs gave you any trouble, I hope."
Nia shrugged. "No one said anything to me." Not surprising. "I did see some children from the Temple of Aequitas downstairs though; I think the parents sent them to recruit, under the impression that wizards and witches wouldn't be as antagonistic towards children as they would be to adult members. Little do they know…"
Perkins shuddered. "Creepy little brats. Dressed up like they're going to a damned funeral."
Nia's glare grew a little sharper. "The Temple of Aequitas dresses that way to represent that death is the great equalizer. Several members of the Temple have joined the Association."
"Oh." Perkins suddenly looked awkward.
Feeling the obligation to defend his friend, Arthur added, "I'm sure they're nice people! But still, the idea of children being sent for recruiting purposes is a bit…odd, surely? It can't be entirely safe, some of the places I hear they're sent."
Nia sighed. "Children are given more freedom and responsibility in the Temple than in most places, since to do otherwise would go against their belief in certain individuals holding power over others. And yes, parents get included in that. If this were the Muggle world, some of the things they do would probably get social services involved, but…" She trailed off and shrugged. "There are zero laws in our world specifically intended to protect children, so it's not surprising that this kind of thing happens."
Perkins coughed again. (Arthur remembered Perkins snapping to him once, ''If she hates our world so much, there's nothing stopping her from living with the Muggles"). While Arthur always tried to reach out and be friendly to her, Arthur always felt, deep down, that Nia looked down on him to a certain extent and purposely kept him at a distance, Which was her prerogative, of course, but it stung, considering all Arthur did to try to help Muggles. Arthur wondered what her story was, why she had such a strong disdain for their society, but knew it wasn't his place to ask.
"So, er, what action do you have in mind, Miss Achebe?" Arthur asked. "I know you mentioned in your letter that you wanted our help."
"Our long term-goal is getting our people into government positions where we can make a difference. For short-term goals, we'll be holding protests, putting the pressure on Fudge through our letter-writing campaign and petitions, and including a lot of coverage in The People's Voice"—that was the Association's newspaper—"and holding seminars and talks where we educate the public on the historical detrimental effects of forced child separation. If you could provide some statements for our paper, it could be a tremendous help."
"I can do an interview." I'd rather deal with the Association than Rita Skeeter. "And those ideas can't hurt. Just remember to make sure all protests are in locations that are legally allowed." And not like last time.
Nia nodded seriously. "I know. We'll make sure not to block the Floo entrances to the Ministry, and only stay on the appropriate streets. And we're going to make sure to stay off Malfoy's property. They should still be able to hear us if we use voice amplification charms and—Mr. Weasley, are you okay?"
Arthur felt like he was going to have a heart attack. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Perkins hunched over the desk, shoulders shaking slightly. Laughing, no doubt. "Er, Miss Achebe, y-you plan to go on Lucius Malfoy's property?"
"Not on it, just outside of it, where the property border officially ends."
"I, um, I think that's"—a terrible fucking idea!—"very…brave of you. But I don't quite think it'll go the way you, erm, the way you think it will."
Nia frowned. "Why not?"
Where do I even begin? "I have decades of experience with Lucius Malfoy. Please just trust me on this."
It was times like these where Arthur was reminded that Nia Achebe was only in her mid-twenties, taking over leadership after the previous leader vanished 'mysteriously,' and several other members of the organization along with him. Her general seriousness often gave the impression that she was older than she really was. But she had a bit of a naive, idealistic streak when it came to certain things, and this was one of them.
"He needs to learn to fear us and realize how many people are against him, and she needs to know we support her."
"Trust me, he's not going to fear you," Perkins snorted.
"There are other ways to show support," Arthur quickly added.
Nia's expression was starting to grow stormy. "Mr. Weasley, I thought you were a fellow Gryffindor? I'm surprised to hear you'd be willing to back down so easily."
Perkins, ever the Ravenclaw, felt the need to add in a snarky comment. "I'm surprised to hear that you think saving a life doesn't require bravery, since that's what he's trying to do by stopping your suicidal quest right now."
"Miss Achebe," Arthur quickly cut in before she could argue back, "seeing a large group of people might intimidate the girl. We really should be trying to focus on what's in her best interests. And I think you know, deep down, that Mr. Malfoy won't be intimidated by The Association of Muggleborn and Muggle Rights."
Nia's temper seemed to recede somewhat, but she was still stubborn. "Your condescension isn't appreciated."
"I'm not trying to be—"
"It's true that Mr. Malfoy will likely continue to look down on us, as he does everyone who attempts to make any kind of social change. But we need to make her aware that we exist, so that way she could reach out to us if she's in danger."
Arthur mulled it over. "I understand the desire to keep her safe, but I…if Lucius Malfoy thinks the Association is reaching out to her, I just don't see how that could end well. Her best bet is to be quiet and keep her head down. If Lucius–"
The spark returned to Nia's eyes. "Quiet, scared girls grow into women with powerful voices. She could be the voice our Association needs, the voice Linda Rowle and the others couldn't be."
There it is. Arthur tried to maintain a neutral expression. While he did believe that Nia was genuinely concerned with the child's safety, he also had no doubt in his mind that Nia had an ulterior political motivation, and what Nia said just solidified that. The last thing this kid needs is to be dragged into some kind of political circus and groomed to be the Association's poster girl.
"Perhaps it's best if we focus on her present instead of her future," he said diplomatically.
Nia tilted her head. " 'We'? So you do have something planned, then."
Arthur mentally winced. "Ah–no, no actually I…don't. I know a lot of people expect me to have something planned, but I'm not really sure what I can do in this case. Changing the ruling won't happen. I don't have nearly as much power as people expect me to have."
It hurt to admit weakness like this, especially since so many people were apparently counting on him. But what could he do? He wanted to help, especially since this was Sarah's daughter.
Sarah's daughter…
A wave of guilt washed over him. No, there had to be something he could do.
Evidently, Nia thought so too. "You might not be successful all the time, but this is the only department in the entire Ministry that makes any kind of effort to help the Muggles, or anyone that the ones in power overlook. There's a reason the Association reaches out to you. You're a genuinely good man, Mr. Weasley, which is rare, especially in this building. And every Muggleborn in Britain knows it."
"She's right, you know," Perkins chuckled.
Arthur felt very humbled yet overwhelmed. He was right when he said there was no changing the ruling, and trying to make some kind of systemic change to fight the precedent of always ruling in favor of the wizard parent was likely going to be fruitless. As much Arthur hated the idea, Lucius was going to take Sarah's child away from her; it was a done deal. This whole idea was far outside the scope of his office or area of expertise, but like Nia said, he was the only one that seemed to give a shit enough to try something.
There had to be something Arthur could do to ensure the daughter's safety. Privately, Arthur doubted that Lucius would do anything to his own child on the level of the Rowles or Dolohovs or Carrows. And in truth, the vast majority of forced placements with the Halfblood child being placed with the wizard parent usually ended up turning out fine–at least publicly (Arthur had no idea what, if anything, happened behind closed doors). Still, the Malfoys, like many old, traditional Pureblood families, tended to be very strict, and Arthur felt it was reasonable to at least worry that some kind of mistreatmentmight happen, considering the child had 'dirty blood' running through her.
So what could he do? How could he make it so that she wouldn't be harmed? There were laws against murder, against rape, but no laws for–
Arthur turned to look at Nia, gears turning in his head. "Miss Achebe, what were you saying before, about how Muggles have these laws about children specifically? There won't be a way to overturn the ruling, but maybe if there's some way the Ministry could monitor–"
Nia's eyes widened. "Like some kind of wizarding social services?" She scoffed. "It won't work. Wizard folk are too stubborn and would balk at the government telling them how to raise their kids."
"Damn right," Perkins said. "Why would anyone want the Ministry to overreach even more? We already have laws against committing certain crimes. That applies to kids as well."
Arthur generally agreed, but there was something about this that was nagging at him. "Could you at least tell me about it?"
Reluctantly, Nia explained. Perkins and Arthur both stopped her frequently to ask questions. After she was done, Perkins was frowning and Arthur had a thoughtful expression on his face.
Perkins frowned. "How would that not be misused? What if someone makes something up? Arthur, this sounds ridiculous."
Nia rolled her eyes. "Considering everyone's shared school experience involved being hung in chains or flogged, I'm not surprised child pain is so normalized here."
Arthur shuddered at the memory of Apollyon Pringle and the marks he left. "Actually, I think they've gotten rid of those punishments at Hogwarts recently, last I heard."
Perkins sniffed. "Not sure why. Everyone else went through it, and we turned out fine."
"I think," Arthur interrupted, ignoring him, "this approach is the one with the best chance."
Both Nia and Perkins looked incredibly doubtful. "Arthur, they're not going to interfere with how a parent raises their child. They just won't," Perkins said, exasperated.
"I know," Arthur said, confidence growing. "I don't expect them to. But the part I think they might consider–especially with enough public pressure–would be to have someone from the Ministry check in with the daughter every once in a while, just like Miss Achebe said sometimes happens in the Muggle world. If someone saw what was happening with Linda, her death could have been prevented."
Perkins started laughing. "Oh, I'm sure that'll go over well. Malfoy's going to love having someone from the government come into his house—what was it? Every month? Every week? Checking if he's being a good parent–with 'good' being incredibly subjective, by the way—and then–" Perkins stopped, eyes widening. "Arthur, is this some elaborate scheme to see if he has any dark artifacts?" Perkins cackled. "You're more cunning than people give you credit for. Maybe you should have been in Slytherin."
Arthur tried to maintain an impassive expression, which wasn't quite successful. "Well, I mean, that's not the reason I suggested this," he said truthfully. "The safety of the girl is the priority. This is just an…added bonus."
"It's not going to work, Arthur," said Perkins, still smiling. "He might actually try to have you killed for this."
"The way it's going to be worded is that every time a child is forcibly removed from the Muggle parent, a government representative would regularly check in to monitor how things are going. Look, I don't expect this bill to go through on the first try. It's going to probably be one of those that gets watered down to the point where it's barely recognizable. But I think they'll go for it, because it doesn't require them to do much and placates those who weren't satisfied with–"
"We're NOT placated by this," Nia said forcefully. "This is the bare minimum, at best. We want a total upheaval of–"
"You're not going to get it," Arthur said bluntly. "Social change in this building happens at a snail's pace, unfortunately. This is the best way to help the daughter. If she's in frequent contact with the Ministry, then that loosens Malfoy's grip on her."
"And," Perkins added, eyes sparkling as he realized Arthur's other motive, "Filing the bill for review also stalls the Ministry from being able to officially remove her from her home right away. Gives her some time to properly say her goodbyes and all that. Especially one that's probably going to need to go through several revisions before it's deemed acceptable enough to pass."
Arthur nodded, then a thought occurred to him. "Does the girl even know what's happening?"
"That's why I was late earlier," Perkins said. "I was downstairs chatting to get some more information, and apparently Dumbledore did send two Professors to her house to speak with her. Didn't go too well, from what I heard."
"What about the mother? The one that's going to have her child ripped away from her?" Nia asked sharply. "Does she know?"
"He's going to send two more tomorrow. Hopefully the mum and kid will be reasonable. If they try to kick up a fuss when the Ministry comes to remove her, well," He shrugged. "You know how it goes."
Nia folded her arms and looked away, eyes clouded over. Arthur hastily suggested beginning the draft immediately–as this was a very time-sensitive situation–and over the course of the next couple hours, the three bounced ideas off one another and Arthur was able to draft an overview of his proposition that he could submit through the courts. It was a purposely ambitious bill and Arthur didn't expect it to pass right away, but there was enough in the core of it that led Arthur to be fairly confident they'd at least be able to get something after it would be worked down.
"A lot of times this process takes a while, but there's going to be a lot of pressure for Fudge to do something, and he'll want to get it over with sooner rather than later. I expect all the bureaucratic nonsense will take about a week, and then he'll send Ministry officials to the girls' house when it's over," Arthur explained as Nia made her way to the door to leave. "I wish we could stop her from being taken, I really do."
She nodded and gave a small, rare smile. "You're a good man, Mr. Weasley."
And with that, she left, and Arthur hurried downstairs to file the bill for review. Part of him felt the usual nerves he did whenever he attempted something that could create a shake-up, but he owed it to Sarah to at least try.
Was he doing the right thing, though? Throughout the brainstorming session, Perkins offered up some counterpoints. Was it possible that by doing this, he would start a precedent that would actually make things worse? He shook the thought out of his mind as he hurried back up to the office. No, anything was better than what they currently had.
As the rest of the hours ticked by, Arthur wrote back to Molly and continued making progress on unrelated cases and reading the paper airplanes that would periodically zoom by him throughout the day. Given his late day on Sunday, Perkins left to go home early, leaving Arthur alone in the room to think. As his day came to a close, he stretched, yawned, and started getting his belongings ready, before he heard a sharp knock on the door. Ugh, why does this always happen when I'm ready to leave?
"Come in," Arthur called, settling his briefcase down. Hopefully this won't take too long.
When the door opened and he saw who was there, his insides grew cold and he knew that would, unfortunately, not be the case.
"Arthur," Lucius drawled, surveying the messy office with the smug, condescending expression Arthur was accustomed to seeing. "I hear you've been busy recently."
Gone was the barely-restrained anger, instead replaced with Lucius's usual arrogant composure. Arthur didn't know if that was a good or bad sign. "You can't just barge in here whenever you want, Lucius. I'm not Fudge. In fact, I was just leaving and–"
Lucius ignored him and interrupted, "It's tragic, really, to see the depths to which you'd stoop."
"The depths that I'd stoop to?" Arthur repeated, indignant. "You've really got some nerve, after what you pulled yesterday."
Lucius raised an eyebrow and looked at him, a charade of innocence. "What did I do, besides exercise my right as a citizen of this country? Nothing I did was against the law."
He's trying to get you riled up, don't fall for it. Arthur gritted his teeth. "I'm not going to waste my time talking about this. I'll just be going now."
Arthur made an attempt to leave, but Lucius held out his walking stick to block his path.
"I just want to talk," he said smiling.
A few different emotions were coursing through Arthur. First was trepidation and nervousness–he didn't think Lucius would be foolish enough to hex him in a Ministry building of all places, but this whole situation might have backed him into the corner, and a cornered Lucius was an unpredictable, dangerous one. The other was rage at Lucius's sheer audacity. Don't let your temper get the better of you; he's counting on that.
If push came to shove, Arthur did think he would be able to call Lucius's bluff and leave with no repercussions. But he wasn't confident enough to risk it, the warning letter still fresh in his mind–even if Lucius wasn't the one who wrote it.
"Then say your piece and leave."
"I think it's abhorrent that you'd try to prevent a father from seeing his daughter. Imagine if someone were to take young Guinevere from you. You'd be heartbroken and despondent for months, I would imagine."
It's Ginevra, you arse. And was this some kind of veiled threat? Arthur started to get goosebumps. He tried to look and sound as neutral as possible. "Are you trying to imply something here?"
There it was again, that annoying, mocking smile. "Do you think I'm implying something? Perhaps you're reading too much into it. I wonder if paranoia runs in your family, or if it's simply a side effect of your…position?"
You'd know a lot about paranoia running in the family, wouldn't you? "I'm not in the mood for games today, Lucius. This isn't the first time we've had a conversation like this. We both know I'm not going to be intimidated."
"Intimidate? I implied no such thing." Bullshit. "What I did was draw a comparison. A very apt one, mind you, that highlights the personal agony such separation would ensure."
"No, it's really not, since you never even met her. The bill I filed wouldn't separate you. It's not even meant to prevent you from seeing her. If you could see past your Pureblood bias, it's a damn good law that could strengthen our society. If everything in your spiel was true, then you have nothing to worry about."
"Hmmm." Lucius absentmindedly tapped the snakehead against his chin in deep thought. "Interesting. What else is in it?
Goddamnit. Arthur hadn't intended to tip his hand to Lucius, but he fell into Lucius's trap all the same. I've got to be the most naive department head in this building, Arthur thought miserably.
"You're not going to get any more out of me than that, Lucius. The only other thing I'll say is that it's meant to prevent children like her from ending up like Linda Rowle."
At the mention of Linda, Lucius's eyes grew much sharper and colder, and he looked much like how he did earlier, when Arthur was in the lift. "It's insulting, " hissed Lucius. "This belief that I'd engage in torture and other…perversities with my own flesh and blood. This belief you're propagating. The way some talk about it, it's almost as if they're eagerly anticipating it." His lips curled in disgust. "It's sickening. I never claimed to be a perfect man, but there are places where even I draw the line."
"I'm not 'propagating it,'" Arthur protested, and that was true."This bill is for the future of all Halfblood children who get forcibly placed with Pureblood parents and covers a wide variety of mistreatment. It's not meant to be some kind of dig at you specifically."
Lucius's eye glimmered again at the tidbit of new information, and Arthur mentally kicked himself. He didn't want to lose control of the conversation, so blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "If people know you raped someone in the past, then it shouldn't come as a shock that some are afraid you'd do it again. "
"But my own child? I'd never…" he stopped, suddenly turning to Arthur with a smile. This can't be good. "But was it really 'rape,' as you put it? The Wizengamot seemed to disagree. I'm certainly not guilty of it in a court of law. And in fact, I believe the impression they gave yesterday was that the majority believed I had stronger moral character than she did."
It was obvious bait, and Arthur knew it. But even with that knowledge, Arthur couldn't restrain the fury that flowed through his veins and snapped, "How do you even sleep at night?"
Lucius raised a single eyebrow again (God, I hate that stupid expression). "Comfortably, with my beautiful wife by my side and a bed that likely costs more than your ghoul-infested hovel."
This just fueled Arthur's anger even more. "It doesn't bother you at all that you're stealing a child away from her mother?"
"No."
"But why?" Not for the first time, Arthur found himself wondering how a person could be so devoid of empathy.
"Because a magical child needs parents that use magic," Lucius said slowly, as if explaining a concept to a five-year-old. "It's in her best interests, not that you would know anything about that."
"That's complete bullshit and you know it."
"Is it?" Lucius paused. "Dumbledore made the poor choice to make the records from years ago public." Arthur saw with satisfaction that Lucius's grip on his cane tightened. "The girl will have to go to school with this knowledge, and all her classmates will know it too. Do you truly believe Dumbledore was thinking about her well-being, or was her comfort deemed an acceptable sacrifice in the attempt to discredit me and get me kicked off the Board? The public will see through it for what it is: a political power play."
"You're just bitter now that everyone knows you raped a woman. It's a lot harder to pull the 'pillar of the wizarding community' charade with that information hanging overheard."
"No, people know that this Muggle thinks I raped her," he said, smirking lazily. "They also know how I responded to the accusations, and it essentially comes down to her word and mine, and–while this may come as a surprise to someone like you–most people believe me."
Arthur snorted. "Sure, whatever you say."
Lucius ignored him. "Most people want to believe me. In fact, an early poll from the Daily Prophet–which will be published within the next couple days–indicates that the percentage of people who support me in the case is higher than the percentage I won by. Like it or not, I'm officially not guilty in a court of law."
"How much money did you have to spend to get those poll results?"
"The problem is, Arthur, you believe that everyone in the world thinks the way you do. They don't, thankfully, which is why your legislative triumphs are so abysmally low."
"Well, luckily, I'll be having another success to add to the list soon enough."
Lucius's eyes narrowed, and Arthur enjoyed the rare feeling of having the upper hand. Lucius continued briskly, "Most people, I imagine, would also be able to see yesterday's proceedings as a transparent attempt for Dumbledore to push a political agenda, especially given the way in which he went about it. I will be filing a formal complaint regarding Dumbledore's handling of the case, of course."
"I didn't expect anything else," Arthur snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to leave."
Arthur pushed past Lucius and into the hallway. Lucius followed him out and Arthur used magic to shut the door. Still stewing in anger, Arthur started to make his way down the hall when Lucius called out to him again, "It's a bit pathetic, really, how easy it is for you to let misplaced feelings of guilt control so much of your behavior. You feel like you failed Sarah once, so now you're overcompensating. She forgot everything, anyway. There's no need to fight this uphill battle."
As if you would know anything about guilt. "It's not just about one Muggle. Things need to change. There's too much injustice in the world, and some people aren't afraid to take the first steps to fix that."
"And you think this 'change' is good?" Lucius scoffed. "You're going to 'fix' things, is that right? Do you genuinely not see the possible ramifications of this, if Muggle parents are given the same considerations as magic users? How many instances will there be of children who are accidentally killed because they can't control their magic, or because their parents think them to be possessed or inherently evil? You're mischaracterizing the reason this precedent exists based on the actions of a few. The majority of placements have no such issues."
Doubt started to creep into Arthur's mind, which he quickly pushed away. He wants me to feel this way. "Look, the bill…the bill's not meant to change the verdict, or even the direction of the court. It just provides guidelines on what happens when a forced placement happens. If she's not mistreated, then you won't have anything to worry about."
Lucius laughed. "Oh? And who decides on what counts as 'mistreatment'? You?" he sighed and shook his head. "Why the people choose to rally behind you as some kind of Muggle messiah is unknown to me. Your naivety is at the point where I consider it offensive."
Arthur felt his anger rise again. "Probably because I'm the only Head of Department who genuinely cares."
"I suppose so. The unintelligent often flock together, so it really should come as no surprise." Lucius gave Arthur one more condescending look before turning to leave. "That's it, then. I believe we'll be seeing each other again soon."
And with that, Lucius started to leave. Although Arthur wanted him gone, there was one thought that kept nagging at the back of his head.
"Lucius?" Arthur called without thinking. Lucius turned around, looking at Arthur with a blank expression. "Why did you request custody in the first place? No one would have known about her if you didn't acknowledge her."
"Haven't you heard?" Lucius asked, lips forming into a wry smile. "I'm a good man now."
Lucius's mocking laughter echoed in Arthur's mind long after he left, leaving Arthur with more questions than answers.
