I do not own Harry Potter, but Janonymous likes my disclaimers so JK can keep all her money
Chapter 16 The Wizengamot
Remus dropped Harry and Hermione off outside her house. "I will come back for you in a couple of hours Harry." He said.
"You're not coming in?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Did your dad catch you in Harrys bed this morning?" Remus replied.
"Kind of, maybe?" Hermione said quietly.
"Then there is nothing on this earth that could convince me to go through that door with you."
"Could I order you?" Harry said.
"I would quit, I will be back for you at 9." Without saying anything else he walked to the end of the path and dissipated.
The young couple stared at the door for a few more seconds. "Don't suppose there are any Death Eaters I could go fight?" Harry asked. "A basilisk to slay, maybe? I don't know a detention with Snape?"
Hermione was about to answer when the door opened, and Mr Granger was there. "Inside!" He commanded, pointing to the living room. "Hermione your mother is waiting for you in the study."
"Yes sir!" Harry replied, scurrying into the living room while Hermione climbed the stairs.
"Sit." Mr Granger ordered. "I am going to ask you honestly, Harry, how long have you been sleeping with my daughter?"
"A few nights a week since that first night in Keswick." Harry said sheepishly.
"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING SEX WITH MY DAUGHTER FOR OVER A MONTH! IN MY HOUSE?"
"What?" Harry exclaimed. "We are not having sex!"
"Come off it, Harry." Mr Granger snapped. "Don't sit there and lie to me."
"I'm not lying!" Harry insisted. "Look, remember how I told you I have nightmares? That first day?"
"Yes." Mr Granger replied.
"Well that first night in Keswick I had a really bad nightmare, Hermione heard me and came to me. She held me close and I fell back asleep. For the first night in months I didn't have a nightmare." Harry explained. "I'm sorry if I have overstepped the mark or have somehow upset you in another way. But there is nothing physical going on with Hermione."
"All right." Mr Granger said. "I don't think I'm very comfortable with you two sharing a bad, but I understand why you are. And if you swear to me that there is nothing else going on in that bed then we will allow it."
"Thank you, Mr Granger." Harry said. "I swear to you that I am not being intimate with your daughter." Harry stood and left to go back upstairs to shower and get ready for he's debut in the Wizengamot.
Remus arrived at 9 on the dot to take Harry to the Wizengamot. He brought Harry a set of dress robes, who quickly changed. The robes were deep scarlet with a gold trim, the Potter crest stitched into the robes over his heart. Remus side along apparated Harry to the Ministry. It was funny to Harry how many people stepped out on his way as he strode through the corridors of power. He nodded to Mr Weasley as he entered a small room just outside the Wizengamot chamber, in the room he found Lady Longbottom.
"Ah, Lord Potter." Lady Longbottom greeted them. "Mr Lupin, perhaps you would be so kind as to leave us for a few moments."
"Of course, My Lady." Remus bowed deeply. "I will be watching from the public gallery My Lord."
"Thank you, Remus." Harry said. "Lady Longbottom, good morning, I wasn't expecting to see you before the meeting."
"It has long been the habit of mine to make sure that new members to our benches are welcomed by their Speaker."
"Thank you, Lady Longbottom." Harry said respectfully.
"Do you know what is about to happen?" She asked.
"I believe so." Harry nodded. "I am to wait here for the clerk to bring me into the chamber."
"That is correct. You will be then directed by the Chief Warlock to your bench before you are given the opportunity to make your maiden speech. You will be given three minutes to speak about anything you wish."
"Yes ma'am." Harry acknowledged.
"Do you have a speech prepared?" she asked.
"Oh yeah, I have some things I want to say." Harry said.
"Then I shall look forward to it." Lady Longbottom said. "When you take your place, sit next to me so you will have easy access to the dispatch box."
"ORDER, ORDER!" Bones called out. "Before I begin this extraordinary session of the Wizengamot there is some minor business on the docket. The first being the Minor House election of their speaker. Professor Dumbledore, as the acting Speaker would you be so kind as to announce your winning candidate?"
Dumbledore stood up at the dispatch box. "Madam Chief," He began "The Minor Houses have elected their new speaker. There were three candidates. First Dolores Umbridge, but as Madam Umbridge sits on the Ministry Benches it was deemed inappropriate for her to speak for these benches. The second candidate was the Head of the Parkinson Family, Mister Peter Parkinson who fought a strong campaign but alas was beaten, very narrowly, by our third candidate, the head of the Misuse of the Muggle Artifacts Office Mister Arthur Weasley."
There was a smattering of applause as Mr Weasley shook Dumbledore's hand and took his place at the Dispatch Box. "Chief Warlock, thank you." He said. "I know we have a lot to get through today so I will not make this a long speech. I would just like to thank the people who voted for me and thank Mr Parkinson for his efforts in this campaign and publicly offer him the position of deputy."
"Thank you Mister Weasley." Bones said. "And secondly, we have a very joyous duty to perform, Lady Longbottom?"
Lady Longbottom stood. "Thank you." She began. "My Lords and Ladies, Members of the Ministry and representatives of the Minor Houses. It is indeed a joyous day. This morning one of our empty seats will finally be filled. It is with great honour and my esteemed pleasure to welcome to this chamber Lord Harry Potter of the house of Potter."
Polite applause rang out from the chamber as Harry was led into the centre of the room.
"ORDER!" Bones commanded. "Lord Potter, you will raise your right hand." Harry did as he was told as Bones raised the Staff of Merlin above her head. "Do you swear on your honour to uphold the laws of this land, and fight injustice wherever they may be found?"
"I do." Harry said loudly.
"Very well Lord Potter, please take your place."
A Clerk lead Harry to the front bench of the Antient Houses. He took his seat next to Lady Longbottom.
"ORDER!" Bones banged the staff on the floor. "Before I call him to speak, I would like to remind colleagues on all sides of this chamber that the maiden speech is uninterrupted. Lord Potter, your maiden speech."
Harry stood and moved to the dispatch box. "Thank you, Chief Warlock." Harry began. "My Lords and Ladies, Minister and Ministry Heads and Heads of Houses. We all know the reason we are here this morning. It the middle of the night the Dark Mark once again shone above, into the night sky over our fair land. Today we are going to discuss where this came from. Who cast it? Are the Death Eaters once again running unchecked through our society? Is Lord Voldemort…" a collective shudder ran through the chamber. Harry rolled his eyes. "Is Lord Voldemort back? I am afraid I must tell you that the answer is YES! The Death Eaters never left us, and they are in all walks of life. Some are running our shops, cooking our food and some even walk these very halls of power…"
Members of the Ministry benches began to shout and boo. Lady Longbottom pulled the back of Harrys robes so he would sit down when Bones stood again.
"ORDER!" Bones yelled. "The young Lord's speech must be heard! Lord Potter." Harry stood again.
"Thank you, Madam Chief Warlock." He began again. "I am sorry if the members opposite do not like this truth, but they are not alone. There are members of the Minor Houses and even some of the honourable people behind me. There are Death Eaters everywhere. If it was just the Death Eaters, it would bad enough, but I am afraid I can stand here and truthfully say Lord Voldemort has returned to this land. He was reborn in the darkest of rituals just a few months ago. I was a victim of that ritual. But when I tried to tell the people of authority I was shouted down; I was ridiculed in the press and I was called a liar. Well I DO NOT TELL LIES!"
Once again, the Chamber erupted in a course of boos and people just openly yelling obscenities at him. Bones once again regained order and Harry got back to his feet to continue speaking.
"Let us not get bogged down in petty procedural nonsense." Harry pressed on; he could really feel the room turning on him. "Voldemort has returned, he is gathering forces and sending official envoys to the giants. Let us be proactive and beef up our defence forces before we are caught on the back foot. I implore members across this chamber to do the right thing before it is just too late. Send our own envoys to the werewolves before he does." Harry stepped away from the dispatch box and sat down to a loud chorus of boos and gees, but he thought he could hear a smattering of applause. He looked across at Mr Weasley who beamed at him and Dumbledore who gave just the slightest of nods.
"Point of Order Chief Warlock!" Fudge announced standing quickly. "I think the clerks should provide the young lord with our codes of conduct so the lad will know this chamber does not tolerate having its time waisted nor does it tolerate having its time waisted with tall tales!" Fudge sat down people all around the chamber where cheering for him.
"Can I reply to him?" Harry whispered to Lady Longbottom.
"Yes, stand and say to Bones point of order." She told him. Harry nodded his thanks, took a moment to collect his thoughts and stood up.
"Point of order Chief Warlock!" Harry called. There was an anticipation in the air as he took a breath. "I thank the right honourable gentlemen for his concern, but I have actually already have a copy of the code of conduct, and while I have not had time to fully peruse it, I do remember seeing something in it about courtesy. But I do understand that this chamber relies on facts to make its decision, so I would be willing to meet with the Chief Warlock as well as the Supreme Mugwump privately and reveal my memories of the events of the night of the third task."
Once again, the chamber erupted into a cacophony of noise.
'Oh shit!' Remus thought from the public gallery.
"ORDER!" Bone called again banging the staff so hard on the ground, sparks flew from the end. "If Lord Potter is willing to meet with myself and Albus Dumbledore in his capacity of Supreme Mugwump, I will most definitely make time for him. But now we must get on with our main business today. What exactly is the Ministry doing in answer to this extraordinary occurrence of the Dark Mark in our skies? Minister of Magic?"
Fudge rose to his feet and began to talk. Harry listened for a few seconds then zoned out, the Ministers waffle was just, as in the case with most politicians, self-serving and in many places, completely untruthful.
After the meeting was over Remus found Harry outside the chamber and the pair waited for Dumbledore. "You know Harry, Fudge will be out to get you now."
"Yeah I figured." Harry said. "But if it's part of my job to clean up the Ministry then I have to start somewhere and what better place to start than the very top?"
"There is a logic to your plan." Remus admitted as Dumbledore came around the corner. He smiled at them both and shepherded them into a small office.
"Harry that was brave." Dumbledore began. "I have had the honour to sit on the Wizengamot for many a year and have rarely heard a maiden speech like it. I have spoken to Amelia and she wishes to see you tomorrow morning."
"That's fine, we have other business to attend to today." Harry said.
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded. "Is it still your intention to journey to Glastonbury Tor?"
"It is. We also want to check in on the Potter estate down there." Harry told him. "Remus needs to pick out his cottage and I want to see my family home."
"Of course, Harry." Dumbledore agreed. "Do you still wish for me to come along?"
"Yes sir." Harry nodded. "Sirius is collecting Hermione and will meet us there soon, unless we need to stay?"
"No Harry." Dumbledore told him. "Thankfully, the business of the day has concluded. Shall we be off then?" Dumbledore said brightly.
Authers Notes: Well this was a quick update you lucky lucky people but this is a bit of a short chapter. Thanks as ever for the likes and faverits and such like, I love it when my phone goes off.
Thank you to Gin-Sensu for being my Beta. I truly appreciate every thing you do for this story.
Janonymous: Thank you for the review, and thank you for takeing the time to appreciate my disclaimers, I do put some thaught into those.
Karatekid-Ninja: Thanks again for yet another lovely review. I do so lookfowerd to getting your feedback every chapter.
Nickie02: Thank you so much. I am glad you are hooked on the story, and just for you hear is the next chapter!
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