Beyond the Second Destiny

First Arc:

"Order of Merlin Arc"

Chapter Three

As the banquet got underway, Harry smiled as he saw Sirius walk up to where he, Hermione and Ron were standing.

"Sirius!" Harry said before he moved over to shake Sirius' hand.

"Looking great tonight, Pup," Sirius said. Then to Ron, Sirius gave a shoulder-length bow. "Scion Weasley, congratulations on your Order of Merlin and your new Wizengamot seat. If you wish, I can help teach you how to behave in the Wizengamot."

"I would like that very much, Lord Black, even though I'm not gonna sit it until I turn 17," Ron said. He then gestured to Daphne, who was talking to her parents Cyrus and Ellen.

Daphne moved over to stand at Ron's side. "Sirius, may I introduce my date for the evening, Scioness Daphne of House Greengrass," Ron said.

Daphne curtsied to Sirius. "Good evening, My Lord," Daphne said. "I hope you are having a wonderful evening."

Sirius bent down over Daphne's hand and kissed it. "I am indeed, Scioness Greengrass. Thank you for asking," Sirius said.

Then, smiling at Daphne, Sirius added: "And now that the forms have been obeyed, I grant you leave to call me by my first name."

"Thank you, Sirius," Daphne said. "Ron and your godson have told me such wonderful things about you."

"How did you two meet?" Sirius asked. "I mean, romantically."

"It was back in January, when Hermione assigned Narcissa to be the Malfoy Proxy," Ron said. "Professor Snape assigned me to be Daphne's partner in Potions class with Harry attending the Wizengamot meeting."

"Ah, I see," Sirius said.

"Ron did such an amazing job keeping his and Daphne's relationship secret that we we both surprised to see Daphne here tonight," Hermione said. "A true Slytherin move."

"I am honoured, My Lady," Daphne said.

Hermione smiled. "Sirius said you could call him by his first name. You can do the same for us," she said. Harry nodded his agreement.

"As you wish, Hermione," Daphne said.

Minister Fudge walked up to Harry, Hermione, Ron, Daphne and Sirius. "Lord and Lady Potter, Scion Weasley, I hope you are enjoying the party this evening," Fudge said.

"We are indeed, Minister. Thank you," Harry said. "If you do not mind my asking, have you found a new Undersecretary?"

"We heard about Delores Umbridge and how she died along with the other Death Eaters when Harry killed Voldemort," Hermione said.

"I have not found a qualified candidate yet, Lady Potter," Fudge said, shaking his head. "If any of you have any recommendations, I would surely appreciate it."

"Let me think about that," Harry said.

"I also though you would like to know," Fudge added. "There will be a meeting of the Hogwarts Board of Governors a week from this coming Wednesday. The meeting will determine the permanent Headmaster position for this coming Autumn. You will be sent an owl with the appropriate information."

"We will be there," Harry said. "Thank you for the information."

"Enjoy the rest of your evening," Fudge said before moving off to mingle with other dignitaries.

"Why did Minister Fudge ask us to consider a candidate for the Undersecretary's position?" Ron asked Harry.

"Perhaps, Ron, if the—uggh—Boy Who Lived or someone close to him recommends a candidate, the rest of the Wizengamot would take that choice seriously," Harry said.

As the party began to wind down, Daphne brought Ron over to speak to her parents.

"Mother, Father, this is my boyfriend, Scion Ronald of House Weasley," Daphne said. "Ron, this is my father, Cyrus, and mother, Ellen."

"Lord and Lady Greengrass, I am honoured to meet you," Ron said.

"The same to you, Ronald," Cyrus said. "My daughter has said such wonderful things about you and your friends."

Ron shook Cyrus' outstretched hand. Ron then kissed Ellen's hand as he had seen Sirius do to Daphne's hand.

"Thank you, young Ronald," Ellen said. "Thank you for your contributions, no matter how minor, to helping save our world."

"I was just trying to help my friends," Ron said.

"And you did so splendidly," Cyrus said. "I realize you already asked Lord Black to assist you in readying yourself to take your new Wizengamot seat upon your majority, but I would be honoured to assist you further, should the assistance be needed."

"I shall consider it, and let you know if I require it," Ron said.

Cyrus nodded, satisfied at Ron's answer. "Daphne, my daughter, I am so pleased that you found someone of an Ancient House to court," he said. "While House Weasley is not as wealthy as ours or most other Ancient houses, they are still a traditional house."

"I thank you, Father," Daphne said. "But I did not begin courting Ron for his wealth or relative lack thereof. I fell in love with him, just as Lord and Lady Potter fell in love with each other."

And with that, the party came to an end. Harry and Hermione called for a Potter house elf to take them back to Potter Manor, while Ron would be taken back to The Burrow with Arthur.

::TBC::

Note from the Author: While the Order of Merlin ceremony ends here, the "Order of Merlin Arc" will continue for another two chapters, as there are some pieces of business related to the ceremony that still need to be attended to. Please look forward to it.