Chapter Two – Politics
Hermione was enjoying her summer holiday. She worked relentlessly for the first couple of days to complete her homework, as she did during every holiday, so that she could relax with her parents, who she did not get to spend much time with thanks to being away at Hogwarts. When she got back from school, she liked to be able to put her wand in her trunk and stick them both in the cupboard under the stairs and just be a muggle teenager. When she was home, she would spend time with her parents, and they would regularly take day trips together. When she wasn't spending time with her parents, she would hang out with her old friends from primary school, but this was becoming less frequent now as she and her friends grew older and apart. They were more concerned with their muggle lives, potential GCSE grades, A-Levels they would someday take and whether or not they would want to stay close to home and go to Oxford University or perhaps one of the other fine Institutions of Higher Learning across the UK. Hermione just couldn't empathise with them anymore. Well yes, she supposed, OWL's where akin to GCSE's and NEWT's, which were similar to the A-Levels but after that she had no idea what the Wizarding World counted as Higher Education.
With her parents at work Hermione lounged in her back garden on a sun lounger wearing simple denim shorts and a white cotton t-shirt, sunbathing and reading one of her mother's romance novels. She had been there for about half an hour when she saw a snowy owl begin to descend towards her. She stood up and held out her arm for the owl to land on. Hermione walked into the kitchen and took a cup out of the cupboard, filled it with cool water and placed it on the table. Hedwig hopped from her arm onto the back of a chair and held out her leg. Hermione took the parchment scrap from the leg and read it as the owl drank. The note was short and sweet. Only two words.
Help Me!
Hermione read the note three times, although she hardly needed to. She tore up stairs to her bedroom pulling books off the shelves until she found her address book. She riffled thru the small black book looking for H, she found it quickly and then found Harrys name, address and phone number. Next, she went to her parents' room and took the phone from its cradle and dialled the number. After three rings the call was answered by a teenage boy.
"Hello?" he said.
"My name is Hermione Granger, is Harry Potter in?"
"Mum!" she heard over the phone. "It's for Potter." A second later a new voice was on the line.
"Who is this?" the newcomer demanded.
"My name is Hermione Granger. Can I please speak to Harry?"
"There is no one here by that name, you have the wrong number. Please do not ring us again." Then the line went dead.
'What to do? What to do?' Hermione was panicking now. She didn't know what to do. How in the world could she get to Little Winging? 'Train?' she thought. 'No, it would take too long. I would have to go through London.' She ran down the stairs, phone still in her hand. She wrenched open the cupboard door even as she dialled her parent's office phone.
"Granger and Granger Dental Services." A pleasant voice answered.
"Hello Amanda, it's Hermione. Can I speak to one of my parents please?" Hermione asked as she pulled her trunk out of the cupboard under the stairs.
"Of course. Your Mum is with a patent right now will your Dad do?" Amanda asked.
"Dad's perfect thank you." Hermione replied while searching through the trunk until she found her wand.
"Hermione?" Mr Granger asked coming on the line. "Is everything ok pet?"
"Dad it's Harry. I think something is very wrong and I need to get to Surry fast." Hermione explained pocketing her wand and moving to the kitchen.
"What do you mean he's in trouble?" Mr Granger asked slowly. "What has happened?"
Hermione explained about Harry's note.
"What about the school?" Her dad asked. "Could you contact someone there? Perhaps the Headmaster?"
"That would take too long Dad." Hermione persisted. "It would take an owl several hours to get to Hogwarts and then who knows how long for someone to get to Harry. He needs help now!" she pleaded.
"Is Harry the Ginger or the Hero?" Her dad asked trying to stall for time.
"The Hero Dad." Hermione explained. "Except to his relatives."
"That's right, he's from a non-magical family. Have you phoned him?"
"Of course. I don't know if I have the right number for him. The people who answered said they had never heard of him."
"Am I right in thinking that Harry doesn't have a very good home life?"
"That's right Dad. His relatives hate him because of his magic." Hermione had organised some food for Hedwig and was now hunting for her shoes.
"All right." Mr Granger decided. "I don't have any more patients booked for the rest of today any way, and we very rarely get walk ins on a Friday afternoon. It's about fifty miles to Surry, how quick can you get over here?"
"Ten minutes." Hermione said as she finished tying her shoe. She hung up the phone and turned to Hedwig. "I will get him out of there." Whether she promised to herself or the owl she wasn't exactly sure. She pulled of a cardigan and headed out of the door.
The Headmasters study at Hogwarts was filled with, as one might imagine, hundreds of books. Mostly very old and some incredibly rare. It was also filled with dozens of little instruments. Most of them very new but each and every one of them was one of a kind. Some were for monitoring students in school, one monitored the health of the giant squid in the school's lake and one, the newest of all, was keyed to the health of Harry Potter. This particular instrument was spewing out a thick black acrid smoke. But alas the Headmaster was not there to see the warning.
Meanwhile deep in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore, now dressed in his Chief Warlocks robes and holding the Staff of Merlin, stood in the centre of the Wizengamot chamber. To his left sat the Ministry of Magic officials and to his right the Wizarding aristocracy. Each person on the right was the head of a Most Noble and Ancient House. The Longbottom's, represented by the Lady Augusta, lead the ancient houses as their official spokesperson and stood at a brass dispatch box. On the left, the Minister stood at his own dispatch box. In front of Dumbledore sat the heads of the minor houses. Their spokesperson was Madam Bones, who was also the head of the Magical Law Enforcement department.
"Order! Order!" Dumbledore began and banged the staff on the floor once. Everyone in attendance stood solemnly. Dumbledore turned to Lady Longbottom and bowed deeply. She returned the gesture bowing deep at the waist. Then Dumbledore turned to the Minster and bowed once again to Minister Fudge, who gave a curt nod of his head in return. This blatant show of disrespect caught the attention of all in the chamber. Dumbledore pretended like it hadn't happened. "Be Seated." Dumbledore ordered before sitting himself on an ornate stone throne in the exact centre of the chamber.
The Minister remained standing. He waited for everybody to take their seats and for the whispering to die down. "Members of the ministry, representatives of the minor houses and my lords and ladies of the Wizengamot, under the standing order number seven hundred and thirty-three I put an emergency motion to august houses. With the Chief Warlocks permission?"
"This is highly irregular Minister; it is customary for the Chief Warlock to be informed of emergency motions ahead of time." Dumbledore said.
"Customary, however it is not mandatory." Fudge replied smugly. "I have filed the necessary paperwork with the chamber clerks."
"Very well Minister." Dumbledore replied. He began to get a sinking feeling. 'What are you up to Cornelius?' he thought.
Fudge unrolled the parchment to read his prepared speech. "My lords and ladies." He began, bowing to Lady Longbottom, "Appointed officials." He continued, waving his hand behind him, "And ladies and gentlemen of the minor houses. It is with the deepest of regrets I make this motion." He took a breath trying not to look at Dumbledore too often lest he give the game away. "It has become the opinion of the Ministry of Magic that it is time for new leadership for this most honoured of institutions. As the Minister for Magic, I move for the immediate removal of Professor Dumbledore as the Chief Warlock. The professor has rather forgotten the place of the Chief Warlock as a facilitator of debate and a keeper of order in this chamber. Instead Professor Dumbledore has in recent weeks been attempting to meddle in the running of the Ministry of Magic and as such, it is the opinion of those of us on this side of the chamber the Professor should resign and if he does not choose to do so, of his own free will, then he should be replaced by this body without delay." Fudge took his seat.
"Lady Longbottom?" Dumbledore nodded to the ancient house's benches.
"Well this is highly irregular. It is often the case that when these motions are put for discussion, the other side provides everyone with a copy of their statement so that we may prepare either a statement of support or of a rebuttal. As this has not happened, I can only speak from my own experience of the Chief Warlock." Lady Longbottom began. "Albus Dumbledore has served this body faithfully and for more years than I care to imagine. First on the benches of the minor houses, acting as their official spokesperson for several years before ascending to the centre chair. As we have not had advance notice, I have not been able to gauge the support of these benches but I can only encourage this side to vote down this motion and perhaps an inquiry should be launched before we lose such a respected member of this Chamber."
"Would anybody on the side of the ancient houses like to speak in support of this motion?" Dumbledore asked, seeing the writing on the wall. Lucius Malfoy stood. "Lord Malfoy, you have the floor." Dumbledore nodded.
"My opinion of the good professors' leadership has long been known in this place. As I once said to the Headmaster himself, two years ago, many of us on these benches firmly believe that he has lost his touch and my honourable friend the Minister has briefed me on the professors' meddling in the Ministry." Malfoy began. "It is not the place for the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot to interfere in these, the Hallowed Halls of our government. Not to mention openly defying the will of the Ministry, as Professor Dumbledore has done in the press and in his school on countless occasions. I, on behalf of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy second this motion."
"Very well." Dumbledore sighed, "Would Madam Bones like to speak on behalf of the minor houses?" Bones was Dumbledore's last hope and he knew it.
Madam Bones stood, as the representative of the minor house she did not have a dispatch box to speak from. "My lords and ladies." She began. "Appointed members." She continued. "Without knowing the form of this alleged meddling, I think it is both highly irregular and somewhat unfair for us to vote on this motion. I would call upon the Ministry to divulge their grievances with the Chief Warlock." She concluded and resumed her seat.
'Damn!' Dumbledore silently cursed. This was the worse outcome. He knew he was finished even before the Minister began to speak again.
"We are all aware of the events that ended the Triwizard Tournament. The loss of such a promising young wizard, not to mention the son of a ministry department head, who has still not returned to work. Professor Dumbledore first and foremost has shielded the only person who knows exactly what happened from ministerial scrutiny, namely Harry Potter. On top of that Professor Dumbledore has repeatedly claimed both publicly and privately that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned!"
That did it! The chamber erupted with noise. Some cheering and some jeering.
"ORDER!" Dumbledore demanded. The shouting died down. "The motion is the Chief Warlock should be replaced. Ayes to the right?" Several people shouted aye. "Noes to the left?" Dumbledore called out. 'Please' he silently begged. Almost an equal call of noes echoed through the chamber. "DEVISION!" Dumbledore called "Clear the lobbies." He commanded as the membership filed out to the division lobbies.
It took only ten minutes for the Wizengamot to reconvene and two of the chamber clerks stood before Dumbledore.
"The motion is The Chief Warlock should be replaced." Dumbledore began the sinking feeling once again making itself known. The clerks took a step to the centre of the chamber. "Ayes to the right one hundred and thirty-one." The clerk began.
'Shit!' Dumbledore thought the realisation dawning on him that Fudge had outmanoeuvred him.
"Noes to the left, one hundred and three." The clerk handed Dumbledore the parchment. Adding insult to injury it would fall to Dumbledore to seal his own doom.
"Ayes to the Right one hundred and thirty-one." He repeated. "Noes to the left one hundred and one. The ayes have it! The ayes have it!" He declared, brandishing his staff. That was it, Dumbledore would no longer be the Chief Warlock, but the formality's must be observed.
"Order!" He declared standing once again. "The Wizengamot has spoken and as a humble servant of this chamber I shall of course comply. I will remove myself from this office immediately. However," He added catching Fudges eyes. 'One last time you smug bastard.' he thought before choosing his next words carefully. "It has long been the tradition of this place for a Chief Warlock who is stepping down to be allowed to nominate their succession." He began scanning the room looking for both allies to his cause or at least someone who would not openly oppose him. "As such I would nominate to this most august of offices, the current representative of the Minor Houses. Madam Amelia Bones!"
Fudge did not look please, but Dumbledore knew he could not openly oppose one of his own department heads. 'Got You.'
First Lady Longbottom stood. "If it is indeed this chamber wishes for Professor, as we must now call him, Dumbledore to step aside I can think of no one better to assume the duties of the Chief Warlock as Madam Bones. A tireless and efficient department head within the Ministry of Magic as well as a most loyal servant of the Wizengamot. I second this nomination!"
"Minister?" Dumbledore asked politely.
"As Minister for Magic I would of course pay tribute to Madam Bones as both a department head, law enforcer as well as a member of this place. And if she so wishes I would of course support her nomination, however if the honourable lady does not accept the nomination, I would put forward a candidate from the ministry benches."
"Madam Bones?" Dumbledore smiled.
"Well, The Chief… I mean Professor does me a great honour and I thank both the right honourable lady," A bow to Lady Longbottom "And the right honourable gentlemen" and curt nod to Fudge, "for their kind words. If it is the wish of the Chamber, I will of course take up the Mantel of the Chief Warlock and hold the Staff of Merlin as the first witch to ever hold the post."
'Got you!' Dumbledore thought somewhat smugly. The court of public opinion being what it was would never allow the Ministry to oppose one of its own, let alone the first witch to ever be nominated. Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling in triumph stood for the last time. "As both the Minister and the Lady Longbottom support this nomination there will be no need for a vote, as such I pass the Staff of Merlin onto the Honourable Madam Bones!"
Madam bones stood and was escorted by the clerks to the centre of the chamber. Dumbledore handed her the Staff of Merlin and bowed deeply before retiring from the chamber.