Author's Notes:
Here's Chapter 124 for you!
This is a shorter chapter than usual because I'm trying something a little different. We're now fully into the next plot arch for The Marriage Decree, which I have an affectionate name for that I might share when it's over, as its a little spoiler.
As I wrote on Instagram, this chapter was brought forward because it made more sense plot wise. This means I already have a few thousand words written for the next chapter, that I wrote on the train ride home.
Anyway, I've been going through a lot recently and had to deal with some medical news that was a relief and validating but also a little terrifying. I'm perfectly healthy, so no need to worry, but I like to keep you all updated on my absenses. I'm hoping to upload once more before the New Year.
Love DW
PS Enjoy x
DEATH EATER ESCALATION LEADS TO BREAKDOWN IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE
14th February 2001: Pomponia Fletcher
A year ago, today, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was attacked by a small group of DEATH EATERS claiming to have organised under a NEW DARK LORD. Since this date, the new Death Eaters have terrorised our country, partaking in mayhem and murder. As a result, many international governments are withdrawing from our trade markets as the time for renewal of contracts draws near on the 1st May 2001.
The Ministry of Magic's Minister of International Trade, ANGELA WEST, speaking at a press conference claimed, "We are working tirelessly with many international trade departments, with whom we have enjoyed a longstanding relationship, to ensure the contracts are renewed at the beginning of the next tax year in May."
UK REFUSE TO ADMIT CIVIL WAR OUTBREAK
February 14th 2001: Chester Wyatt
Frequent readers of the Congress Times will be aware that Secretary of State, Tiffany Tyler, and Secretary of Defense, Richard Barber, have recently been in talks with their British counterparts over international trade market contracts.
This morning, Secretary Tyler spoke off the record to an intern and confirmed our fears to be correct, "The UK is a year into a civil war they refuse to believe they are fighting. The Ministry of Magic thinks they have those Death Eaters under control while they rage rampant throughout the country. That Angela West in the Trade's Department has been trying to reassure us for months that the country's trade markets are as strong as they ever have been and have not been affected by the 'little uprisings here and there'." Secretary Tyler scoffed. "They're delusional. It's as though they think we've forgotten about their last civil war back that only ended in 1998. We only returned to their trade markets two years ago, perhaps too hastily. You can put this on the record, 'Once we're out, this time, I'll ensure we're out for good,'."
The public was rightly apprehensive and shocked in May 2000 when Congress decided to return to the British markets, especially after the British Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, announced the 'Marriage Decree' in January 2000, which resulted in protests outside the Woolworth Building in downtown New York, with calls to end all ties to our longstanding friends across the pond. The public will be relieved to hear from our Secretary of State, Tiffany Tyler, that we shall be leaving the British markets for good.
INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF WIZARDS CALLS FOR UK MINISTER SHACKLEBOLT TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY
Across the channel, the Ministry of Magic is being urged by the ICW to declare a state of emergency due to the civil unrest and conflict within their own borders. The rise of Death Eaters activity has risen exponentially in recent months, and the effects are being felt throughout the wizarding world. International governments are withdrawing from the British trade markets, which may prove to be in our favour as the Bureau du Commerce International are currently in the process of negotiating with foreign governments for increased trading contracts with the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France.
Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt heavily sighs, resting his head in his hands. The Ministry of Magic's handling of the new Death Eater movement was front-page news on every international newspaper as the new tax year inched closer. Angela West, the Minister for International Trade, and Gideon Johnston, the Minister for Foreign Policy, had worked days and nights for the entirety of April 2000 to reassure all of their relationships with international governments were on strong and steady grounds as the wizarding world went into the new tax year.
He stands up, pacing back and forth behind his desk. He needed to speak to Angela West about what the MACUSA's Secretary of State had privately said about her, as it hadn't been all that positive. He would also need to speak to Gideon, who's job it was to ensure relations with foreign countries. Megan Goyle, the British/America liaison officer, had written a weekly report on relations between the two countries. It had been due to the positivity of her accounts that he had agreed to her returning to the UK. He would need to speak to her too.
Angrily, he swipes the many newspapers off his desk, sitting back down to quill orders to his employees. Once done, he steps out into the waiting area where his secretary usually sits, only to find her missing. He checks his watch. Far too early for her to have arrived yet. He pockets the orders, walking along the long corridor towards the lifts. He would deliver them himself by hand. The walk would give him time to think.
Megan Goyle runs across the foyer of the Ministry of Magic, her shoulder bag slipping off her shoulder. She attempts to readjust but gives up when it just falls straight off again. This was the third time this week she was late for work, and it was only Thursday. She jumps into a lift with a group of colleagues she doesn't know and takes the time to straighten her outfit and sigh in relief. When the lift opens on her floor, she walks calmly to her office, the Americas liaison office, so as not to be seen running by her boss, Gideon Johnston. The desks were arranged geographically, and so hers was between the Canadian and Mexican liaison officers. She enters with a smile on her face, ready to greet her colleagues and friends, only to find her boss sat on her desk, a pained look on his face.
"I know I'm late again, and I'm sorry, but Gregory has just started a new job, and Augusta won't settle at her nursery, and it breaks my heart to leave her when she's screaming-"
"Megan, it's fine, as long as your work gets done by the end of the day, you being a little late doesn't bother me, but it might bother the Minister, who has ordered us to his office as soon as we arrived this morning." Gideon hands her a piece of parchment, seal with the Minister for Magic's seal
"Crap," she cursers, ripping it open and scanning the words. "Oh, crap. I'm in deep trouble, aren't I?" She sighs, throwing her coat and bag down on her desk and collecting a self-inking quill and notepad, ready for their meeting with the Minister. "I don't know what went on between Tiffany and Angela for Tiffany to say what she did about her to the Congress Times." She says as they walk back towards the lifts.
"I wouldn't worry, Megan, if anyone is going to be reprimanded, it'll be me. I read your reports, and I put your transfer request before the Minister. To be fair, though, in December, our relationship with MACUSA was stronger than it had been since before the war." Gideon reassures her. "Angela is probably going to be there too since this is all to do with trade. If we can't renew these contracts, our economy is going to plummet."
When they reach the Minister's waiting room, Angela was waiting, chatting to the secretary, who jumps up at their arrival.
"I'll let him know you're all here," she informs them.
"She seems spooked," Megan comments.
"She was just telling me that when she arrived, Shacklebolt was in the middle of an outburst. There were papers all over the floor, two broken quills on his desk, and he was screaming and shouting about these newspapers." Angela whispers.
"I don't know why you're so amused, this is your department." Gideon reminds her.
"You may enter," the secretary announces, mouthing 'good luck' as they walk past her.
Megan exchanges a smile with her.
In the Minister's office, there were three chairs in front of his desk. Megan glances around. The room has been tidied, but none of the past Ministers for Magic were in their painting frames, which was worrying.
"Take a seat." Minister Shacklebolt gestures to the chairs.
Megan sits to Gideon's left as he sits in the middle.
"Angela, want to tell me what this is all about," he throws a copy of the Congress Times down on the desk in front of her.
Angela picks it up and scans the article, as though she hadn't already read it multiple times herself. "I don't see anything wrong here," she states.
"You don't see anything wrong?" Shacklebolt explodes, snatching the newspaper back. "That Angela West in the Trade's Department has been trying to reassure us for months that the country's trade markets are as strong as they ever have been and have not been affected by the 'little uprisings here and there'." He glances over the top of the newspaper. "Are you Angela West?" He asks sarcastically.
"Obviously." She replies, not playing into his sarky games.
"Did you use the words 'little uprisings here and there'?"
"Yeah, I did,"
"We have got the Death Eater movement under control; I don't know how many times I need to say this. We haven't had an uprising since the first of December." The Minister shouts, aggravated.
"Just because they've quietened down recently, doesn't mean they've gone, or are under our control. For all we know, they could be planning something big. So far, they've picked big events to interrupt, and then they do the little uprisings in between to remind us that they're here and they're still active." Angela should back, standing from her chair.
"This is nothing compared to the war, they aren't as dangerous as they were under Voldemort, and as far as we know, they are an organised group with no leader. The only reference to a new Dark Lord has been by the Death Eaters themselves and the bloody Malfoy Prophecy, that they gave to the Daily Prophet themselves." Shacklebolt reminds them.
"I'm sure Tabitha Penn's parents would agree that they're not as dangerous," Angela shouts.
"If I might interrupt," Megan raises her voice to be heard. "Mr and Mrs Penn, Tabitha's parents, are a wealthy and very influential family in MACUSA. I spoke to Mrs Penn on multiple occasions, and she can be very intimidating. I wouldn't be surprised if she has rallied up some friends and taken her dislike for us to the President herself." She explains.
"Why would they dislike us, Megan?" Shacklebolt shifts his questioning to her.
"Well, her daughter was murdered at a Ministry funded event where there were tens of Aurors there to protect the public from the very group of people that killed her," Megan explains. "If I'm completely honest, when I arrived in MACUSA back in June 1999, there was some deep Anglophobia within the Congress. It was thanks to my hard work that they agreed to sign the trade contracts for the second time last May. They've been trying to distance themselves from us since the beginning of the war." She finishes, glad to have gotten it off her chest.
"If I had known this, I wouldn't have approved your transfer," Shacklebolt states.
"I believe that's an error on my part," Gideon says. "My assistants read every report that comes in from our liaisons. My assistant did flag up our relationship issues with the US, and I personally kept a close eye on Megan's reports and deemed her work to be more than satisfactory in moving our strained relationship in the right direction. I didn't think it necessary to inform you of what had once been when Megan had worked hard to improve the situation." He explains.
Kingsley Shacklebolt leans back in his chair, thinking on how he could fix the situation, since his Ministers didn't seem to be doing their jobs correctly.
"How many liaison officers do we have in the country?" He asks.
Gideon stutters as he thinks. "At least forty-five, I believe."
"I went them all sent to their liaison posts until May to ensure we receive as many of our trade contracts are renewed." He starts.
"But, Minister, I've ju-" Megan voices.
"Angela, you will accompany Megan to the US, it seems we need more feet on the ground over there, and since trade is your area of supposed expertise, you shall be useful." The Minister continues. "You will report directly to me instead of Gideon. Gideon, you are to remain in the country until May on disciplinary action."
"Minister-?" He attempts to interrupt, but the Minister sends him a warning look.
"I will be making a radio broadcast this evening to reassure our citizens of the current situation. Megan, as the American/British Liaison, I trust you will owl the appropriate people at MACUSA to expect you and Angela by no later than the 1st March." The Minister tells her.
"Yes, Minister, but I'm afraid my husband and I sold our house over there, we'll have no place." Megan tries to explain.
"You misunderstand me, you will be travelling alone, perhaps without the distraction of family, you will succeed further this time." He clarifies.
Megan's face falls. Her daughter was seven months old. She didn't want to be away from Augusta or Gregory for two whole months. She quickly calculates in her head the risk of quitting her job right there and walking out of the Ministry. Still, neither she nor Gregory had much money since Gregory's father removed him from the family inheritance for refusing to divorce her after Augusta's birth. It was why he had started working himself.
"I understand," she mutters, shoulders slumping as leans back in her chair.
"Good, you may all leave, I have a broadcast speech to write," he picks up a quill as they exit his office. "Miss Ivory!" He shouts. "Get me Poppy Montgomery!"
"Please," Angela mutters as they walk past the Minister's secretary, who smiles nervously as she scribbles a note to send to the Minister for Media.
"He's losing his mind if he thinks MACUSA are going to sign any trade contracts now they've announced they're out for good," Angela says as they walk towards the lifts.
"There was a public outcry when they signed that first one in 1999 after the whole Marriage Decree was drawing closer. MACUSA and the Ministry are two of the most influential governments in the world, and many people in the US thought something similar would be introduced over there. Gregory and I did so many public appearances to reassure the American public that it was just a result of the war, and it was for the greater good of the UK. Protests simmered down for a while until the Death Eaters made their presence known last Valentine's Day." Megan complains as they ride the lift down.
The doors open on Angela's floor, "I guess I'll be seeing you in the portkey room on March 1st, 9 o'clock?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'll set it up with Willow Matthews in Transportation." Megan sighs, watching Angela walk away.
After the doors close, Gideon turns to her sternly. "I want you to send that owl to MACUSA, then I want you to go get your daughter from nursery and spend the next two weeks working from home, you understand me?" He tells her.
Megan frowns, confused. "I've got so much work I-"
"It doesn't matter, you need to spend time with your daughter before you're away for two months. Anything you don't get finished, send it to me, and I'll do it. I'm on desk duty for now anyway, it'll keep me occupied." He winks at her.
Megan grins, "You're honestly the best boss I've ever had." She quickly hugs him.
"The only other boss you've had is the Minister and that Tiffany Tyler in MACUSA." He reminds her as they walk towards her office.
"I know, not much competition, but every other boss after you will have a lot to live up to," she teases. "I better go get the owl sent off." She adds, entering her office and rushing to her desk, eager to get home to her baby.
"What put you in such a good mood?" Robin Sutton, the Canadian/British Liaison officer, asks, leaning over their desk.
"Don't get me started, Robin," she sighs frowning. "Have you read the papers this morning?"
"Of course," Robin's face lights up. "It's not good news for you."
"You could say that, I'm being sent back over to MACUSA for two months to try and secure the contract renewal." She pulls out a neat piece of parchment.
"Good luck," Robin laughs, going back to their own work.
Megan carefully writes her letter to both Cerys Harris, the President of MACUSA, and Tiffany Tyler, the Secretary of State, informing them that she would be returning to her position under the Minister for Magic's orders, to discuss trade deals. She failed to mention that Angela West would be joining her, since she knew Tiffany and Angela didn't get on, for whatever reason.
Once finished, she seals the letters and places them in her 'out' tray to be collected from the post collection department throughout the day. Then she pulls her coat on, collects her work, and leaves. She pops her head around Gideon's office door to thank him once again, and wish him luck with his two months disciplinary actions.
At the nursery, the staff are surprised but glad, to see her, since Augusta was still upset at being separated from her parents. She collects her daughter and walks the short distance to their new Kent home, where they spend the day playing and not working. When Gregory returns home later in the afternoon, he presses a kiss to both his girls' head. Megan places their daughter in her Moses' basket for a nap, following her husband into the kitchen where he's taking a loaf of bread out of the bread bin.
"Bad news," she starts.
Gregory raises a questioning eyebrow, cutting the loaf into four slices, automatically making his wife a sandwich too.
"I've been ordered back to MACUSA," she comes straight out with the truth, knowing Gregory doesn't like pussyfooting around. "But the half-good news is that you and Augusta aren't allowed to come with me, so Auguster's environment won't be changing again. The Minister wasn't pleased with MACUSA's talks of leaving our trade markets, so he wants me to go back over with the Minister for Trade and get the contract renewed. He thinks I won't be as distracted if you and Augusta aren't there." She explains.
"He's a bastard," Gregory huffs, pulling Megan into a hug that he knows she'll be needing.
Megan laughs, burying her head into his shoulder. "He is a bastard. I keep thinking, 'It's only four more years until the 2005 elections', but we shouldn't have to wait, we should have faith in our Minister for Magic." She sighs. "I'm going to have to tell Hermione and Draco about this, remember they wanted to get together after we moved back. We'll have to organise something before I leave in a fortnight."
Gregory breaks their hug to fetch a card that he had stuck to their fridge with a magnet. "We received this invitation this morning." He tells her.
On the front of the card are the words 'PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!' surrounding three balloons with names written inside. The red balloon reads 'Phoebe' the green balloon reads 'Philip', and the blue balloon reads 'Pandora'. Inside, someone had neatly written 'Dear Gregory, Megan and Augusta, you are invited to celebrate the joint birthday of Phoebe and Philip, and Pandora, at the Malfoy residence on Thursday 28th February 200, at midday. P.S. Please arrive promptly by Floo to avoid being seen by Muggles'.
"The perfect opportunity," Megan smiles, "It'll give me a chance to collect my thoughts."
All of a sudden, their wizarding radio crackles to life.
"Oh, the Minister said he would be giving a radio broadcast this afternoon," Megan remembers, as they move closer to listen.
The radio crackles once more before an anthem starts playing, "A message from the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt," the voice of the Minister of Media, Poppy Montgomery speaks clearly.
Hermione and Draco are cutting up vegetables for the stir-fry they were making for dinner when their wizarding radio turned itself on. They exchange a look of confusion, and Draco turns the volume up.
"To the citizens of Britain," Minister Shacklebolt begins. "I call upon you all to listen to this message carefully. In recent days, newspapers from around the globe have been falsely declaring that our country is in denial and refusing to declare a state of emergency due to the activities of the new Death Eater group that made itself known to us a year ago today." He pauses.
"What's he doing?" Hermione mutters, listening intently.
"I am here to assure you that these activities are under control, despite what government officials from foreign countries might have you believe. We have not had an attack since the unfortunate death of Miss Tabitha Penn on the first of December last year. As the Minister for Magic, I send out deepest condolences to her parents. Miss Penn was a graduate of Ilvermorny whose dream it was to become an international journalist. A dream she followed by becoming an intern at our own Daily Prophet." He tasks another pause.
Harry, Ginny, Ron and George are gathering around the old wizarding radio in Weasley Wizard Wheezes. The store has been closed for an hour or so, and the couple were visiting the two brothers' shop before heading to the Burrow for dinner.
"He's off his rocker," Ron frowns.
"Shh," Ginny glares at him as the Minister begins to speak once more.
"And yet on the night of Miss Tabitha's death, we managed to apprehend five Death Eater responsible for the attack, who are still being extensively questioned for information on this so-called 'new Dark Lord'. It is our belief that many of the Death Eater's partaking in last year's events are new recruits, and as such, we have little information on them. However, the attacks we have seen are too similar to those conducted under Voldemort that we do believe the new Dark Lord, if he does exist, or the leader of this new Death Eater group, is a former Death Eater." Shacklebolt pauses and the sound of parchment turning can be heard.
"He's releasing information on an ongoing investigation," Harry worriedly stares at the radio. "And we only arrested three Death Eaters on the first of December."
Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice comes back clearer as he reads "As of midnight on Friday the first of March 2001, I hereby decree that all former Death Eaters and their partners will be placed on a watch list to ensure their loyalty to the Ministry and their denouncement of the Death Eater movement."
"Oh Merlin," George pales. "This is nothing less than government control." He mutters.
The Minister continues, "This decree will be reviewed on the first of May 2001, and those found to be in accordance with the subsections of the decree, which will be owled to those in question tomorrow morning, will be taken off the watch list. As a final note, I would like to remind the citizens of Britain that, as a country, we are still recovering from the effects of war, three years on. The Ministry has taken many steps to ensure that we have been prosperous these last few years, which have included the building programmes, the wonderful work our foreign liaison officers have been doing to ensure trade contracts are renewed, and, of course, The Marriage Decree, which has seen the birth of one-hundred and fifteen children so far, and many more expected by the deadline. We are not a country in the midst of civil unrest, and we are not a country in a state of emergency. We are a country that is growing, and we will not let memories of our darkest days hold us back from achieving greatness. Thank you, and goodnight." Shacklebolt finishes.
"This has been a message from the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt," a voice, Harry recognises as Poppy Montgomery, the Minister for Media ends the broadcast.
The four of them remain silent, not having a clue what to say. Harry can't believe Kingsley would leave himself so open to vulnerability by making such bold claims as he did. The Auror Department was no closer to discovering the identities of the new Dark Lord than they were to discovering the identities to any of the Death Eaters that they hadn't arrested. He can see where the Minister is coming from with the new 'Death Eater Decree', but many of the former Death Eaters were either in prison or had truly reformed, only a small number of them still remained on the run three years after the fact.
"Harry, how many former Death Eaters are there?" Ginny asks.
Harry sighs, "We already have the list, and it's not just former Death Eaters, but it includes Death Eater sympathisers." He looks awkwardly at Ron.
"So, Pansy's on the list too?" Ron asks.
"Sorry, mate. As soon as the uprisings started last February and we realised there were new members, we made a list of anyone who could potentially be a Death Eater. Pansy did try to capture me and give me to Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts." He reminds them.
"Yeah, I know," Ron sighs.
"Did she ever apologise for that?" Ginny questions.
"Now is not really the time, Gin," Harry tells her.
"Draco and Hermione are on the list then," George mentions.
"They're top of the list," Harry says in all seriousness. "Especially after everything they've pulled and how much they've aggravated Kingsley. They're more of a threat to him than any foreign government at this point."
"I'm starting to think Bill and Fleur made the right choice of getting out of this country when they did," George jokes. "We better get going, or Mum will throw a fit." He adds, realising the time, and they floo from George's shop to the Burrow.
Draco and Hermione are still staring at the radio in utter shock. He can't believe how far Minister Shacklebolt is willing to take this denial of civil unrest to ensure his reputation is maintained. Death Eaters don't just stop, they plan, and the longer they go without an attack, the deadlier the next one will be. The Minister seemed relieved by their quietness, while the rest of the country braces for the shockwaves that will inevitably occur after the next attack.
"I'm sorry," Draco sighs, resting his forehead against kitchen cabinets.
"For what?" Hermione asks, taking his hand and pulling his attention towards her.
"You'll be on the watch list, because of me," he explains.
Hermione shakes her head, "Suspiciously, the decree is due to be reviewed the day of the new tax year. The Minister is trying to scare the new Death Eaters into staying underground so the trade contracts can be renewed for this next year. Then he'll most likely relax the decrees to bring them out into the open, so the Auror Department can arrest as many as they can." She explains, pressing a kiss to his knuckles, reassuring him that she doesn't blame him for the predicament they're now in.
"I know you're right, but I'm still sorry. They'll be tracking our every movement for two months. We can say goodbye to our privacy." He sighs again.
"We've got two weeks of freedom before that." She assures him. "We'll just do what we normally do. We visit friends, we go shopping, we host the joint birthday party, we visit family, although perhaps not your father. We don't know who will be keeping track of us, and I'll like to keep the number of people who know about our visitation right to a minimum." Hermione explains, pulling him into a loving hug.
"Mother will be on that list too, perhaps we should avoid visiting her too. Just in case it turns out she's the evil mastermind behind the whole new Death Eater movement." He grins.
"Draco," Hermione chuckles, leaning back. "You shouldn't joke about such things. Do you really think your mother is capable of taking over from Voldemort?" She asks.
He actually thinks about it for a prolonged second before laughing, "You're right, after Lucius was sentenced and I went back to Hogwarts, she shut everyone else out and kept to herself. That sort of constant isolation doesn't leave a person with the most stable of mental states, as we have seen from mother." He agrees.
"Exactly," she chastely kisses his lips. "Now, let's get back to dinner and try to forget about this for as long as we can," Hermione suggests, leading her husband back over to the counter where they continue cutting their vegetables.
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