Chapter 6 - Corban Yaxley & Lucius Malfoy & Benjamin Parkinson
Marcus Flint had been able to let the group know the message had been decoded by Harry Potter, but given to the Minister immediately and nothing else had happened in a couple of weeks. They were again in the front parlour, trying to decide if new steps were necessary. Hermione had been able to dispatch of Corban Yaxley late in the night but they had chosen not to add another message, as they were still waiting on a reaction from the Minister, the Aurors or anyone really.
"Incoming." Hermione informed the group, before waving her hand for the door to open before he could knock.
"You could let me knock at least once Hermione." The Minister said by way of greeting, before stepping inside and going for the last empty armchair. He sat down heavily with a sigh, "You're asking me to start a dictatorship."
Glances were exchanged all around, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean Minister." Hermione said.
Kingsley Shacklebot looked right at her, ignoring the other people in the room for now, "It took me a while to figure it out I'll admit. Your father was a sniper in the British Army before he went to dental school."
"He was, yes." Hermione agreed.
"I went back to the research I did to track you down, something was niggling at me. I'm assuming he taught you at least the basics and you learned the rest, aided yourself with magic. I don't know how you found them all, including Yaxley, but by looking at the people in the room I'm not even surprised really. It was the message in Morse Code that really did it though. It meant whoever was doing this had some kind of Muggle connection to use a firearm but also a deep understanding of the Wizarding World to even know about Act 3." Kingsley Shacklebot continued.
"You can't arrest her, she didn't commit any crimes." Marcus Flint spoke up.
"I'm not planning to Auror Flint, but I appreciate your protectiveness, and I have come to understand why you took such drastic measures. The Wizengamot has tied my hands since I was made acting Minister and my official election didn't change much. I wish the trials had been a lot more severe, I wish Robards gave a fuck and had tried to find the fugitives. The real power is tied to the Wizengamot and so far Malfoy controls the whole thing like the war didn't even happen."
"It seems like invoking Act 3 would solve a lot of those issues." Hermione said with a teasing smile.
Kingsley Shacklebot groaned, "The Wizengamot would lynch me, they won't be able to legally but the Dark Faction would hunt me down and kill me to revoke Act 3. The vast majority of people don't even know about it, it was inspired by the Romans and their dictators and while it was added in the early 1700 when the Ministry was founded, no one has used it since. If I do this, my life will be on the line, and the public needs to know why we're even doing it, it needs to be targeted to specific issues or it would just seems like a coup d'état."
Hermione nodded, "I know, you can call it Restoring the Order Post Voldemort, it had a nice ring to it and references the Order of the Phoenix, and don't worry about the Dark Faction."
"Why? You can't kill them, that would be illegal and unlikely to go unnoticed."
"No, she can't, but what do you think Theo and I have been up to in the Wizengamot? Only a couple of people would truly try to kill you but we'll take care of them before you invoke the Act." Draco said.
"By killing them? Your father would be the main issue."
"We won't say more, can't make you an accessory. Besides, is it really a crime if no one can prove it?" Draco replied with a smirk.
"Right, don't tell me anything then, just let me know when you're ready." The Minister said, before getting up and leaving, resigned to whatever he had stepped into but too far gone to let it alone.
Lord Malfoy Dead!
By Padma Patil
Early this morning it was confirmed Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy has died overnight.
We are told he died peacefully in his sleep, due to an aneurysm. The Ministry has confirmed there has been no malevolent act involved, but simply a combination of a aneurysm present for years and maybe even since birth, mixed with Dark Magic endured while serving You-Know-Who that eventually caught up with the late Lord Malfoy. The Ministry medical team has ruled the death natural causes.
We, at the Daily Prophet, extends our condolences to the family, Lady Narcissa Malfoy and Draco Malfoy.
Following this loss, Draco Malfoy automatically becomes Lord Malfoy, will he take his family seat in the Wizengamot? He had been shadowing his father for the last few years, learning the ropes and making his own alliances. Will the Malfoy seat remains in the Dark Faction?
Lord Draco Malfoy has Declared for the Grey Faction!
Pansy Parkinson to succeed her father, the late Lord Benjamin Parkinson, in the Wizengamot!
Lady Pansy Parkinson has declared for they Grey Faction, joins Lords Malfoy and Nott!
Lord Neville Longbottom Switches Allegiance to the Grey Faction in a Shocking Move!
Lord Draco Malfoy Claims the Black Seat and Declares for the Grey Faction again!
The Wizengamot was full, all members were present and the press was waiting. Minister Kingsley Shacklebot had warned he had an announcement to make and most wizards and witches were on the edge of their seats, the public audience was brimming.
"Members of the Wizengamot, members of the public and members of the press, welcome to the November session of the Wizengamot. It has been almost 5 years since Voldemort has been defeated and while the Wizarding World put himself back together, we have forgotten the most important lesson to learn once a war is won. Those who forget History are doomed to repeat it. While Voldemort is dead, many of his Death Eaters live on but more importantly, his ideas are still here, perverting our daily lives.
Without long-lasting change, we will see a new Dark Lord rise within the century. Which is why I am invoking Act Three." The Minister paused here, to many gasps, both alarmed and confused. He waited a few minutes for things to calm down before speaking again.
"Act Three has been forgotten by many but it was written when the Ministry was founded as a safeguard against the Wizengamot and as a safeguard in case of extreme need. I, as the Minister of Magic, can invoke it on my own and while it doesn't dissolve the Wizengamot, it gives me the right to veto it and the right to pass laws without the Wizengamot full approval. I will take my oath as written to confirm Magic judges my claim worthy,
In nomine Magiae et ad salutem nostram, ego, Minister Magicus, hoc iuramentum facio. Propter necessitatem extremam et ad pacem stabilitatemque restituendam, temporariam dictaturam declarare cogor. Invoco Magiam ipsam, ut meum iudicium comprobet et meam decisionem dignam esse confirmet. Sit hoc decretum ad bonum omnium et ad finem malorum."
At the end of his oath, the room glowed a bright white light, indicating Magic itself has accepted.
"I don't want to do this on my own, but I will if I have to. There are many wrongs we need to right, archaic laws that needs to be disbanded and more inclusive laws that need to be implemented.
I have created the Council necessary to present the changes, and it is my hope that the Wizengamot will allow our society to progress.
Now, alongside officially invoking Act 3, I will also introduce the 7 members of my Council and ask them to walk to the dais as I call them.
Lord Neville Longbottom to represent the Earth,
Lord Draco Malfoy to represent the Air,
Lady Pansy Parkinson to represent the Water,
Lord Theodore Nott to represent the Fire,
Lady Hermione Nott to represent the Aether,
Auror Harry Potter to represent the Chaos and
Auror Marcus Flint to represent the Order.
Thank you all, the Wizengamot is therefore suspended until we are ready to present amendments and laws, we will reconvene in January."
A/N - Translation of the Minister oath:
"In the name of Magic and for our safety, I, the Minister of Magic, take this oath. Due to extreme necessity and to restore peace and stability, I am compelled to declare a temporary dictatorship. I invoke Magic itself to verify my judgment and confirm that my decision is worthy. Let this decree be for the good of all and to bring an end to evil."
The oath is also my own justification as to why they didn't try to invoke it when the Ministry was under Voldemort, magic would have rejected the claim.
For the elements, I added Chaos and Order to round up the 7, Chaos for Harry due to his personal history I felt it fit and Order for Marcus mainly because he's an Auror.
Likely only one chapter left to wrap things up, the story was meant to be short and focused on revenge/vigilantism but the roman dictatorship is the friend we made along the way.
Also, I chose the fugitives based on what we know, or more accurately don't know on the aftermath of the Final Battle.