Harry Potter and the Mother Who Lived

by Gracques

When Lord Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry Potter, he agreed to a request from one of his disciples to spare his mother. The Dark Lord remained true to his word. Lily Evans Potter survived the night of October 31, 1981. Follow the story of Harry Potter where Voldemort kept his word and Harry was raised by his mother.

216. Rosa III

This chapter was not planned initially. Only, in the books, following the escape of the Dementors, we only got to see Harry's perspective on the reactions inside Hogwarts. We get to see students beginning to doubt the Ministry, professors being worried, and Umbridge and Fudge tightening their grip on Hogwarts even further. But we never got to see how people reacted outside the school. And although previous chapters gave a view of the reactions within the Ministry, we didn't get to see people reacting in the wizarding world as a whole. This chapter kind of fill this gap.

Because let's say it, the evasion of eleven highly dangerous, often mass murderers, prisoners from a prison in the North Sea is bound to provoke worldwide reactions.

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ROSA III

"I keep this," said the watchwizard, impaling the parchment with details on her wand on a small brass spike. "You get this back." He threw her wand at Rosa.

"Thank you, Mr Munch," Rosa said.

"You are restricted to the following areas during your visit: the atrium, and the Department of International Magical Co-operation, level Five. You will only be allowed entrance to the room where your meeting must take place. My colleagues will escort you."

Two watchwizards waited behind Rosa. She found these measures to be exaggerated, but there was no point in criticizing them openly, even less to loudly oppose them.

"Very well," Rosa said. "Shall we go?"

"Not yet, Mrs Johnson," one of the watchwizards said. "We must wait to receive word that Mr MacAllister is ready receive you."

"Then I will wait."

And so began the long wait. It was Friday. Four days ago, eleven prisoners from Azkaban had escaped. And here Rosa was, waiting in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland. The Department of International Magical Co-operation contacted her early this morning, demanding an urgent meeting with the representative of the unrecognized Ministry of Magic of Quebec. Rosa had answered that she was unavailable to meet them immediately, so she exchanged a few messages with MacAllister's office, until finally they agreed on a meeting at the end of the afternoon. And now she had to wait an entire hour for a meeting that was supposedly urgent. At least she got to make them wait as well.

After waiting for what looked like forever, the watchwizards finally announced that Mr MacAllister was ready to receive her. Rosa was escorted through the atrium at the time when most employees were leaving at the end of a long day of work. She had the impression that the watchwizards purposefully wanted the Ministry's employees to notice her presence, watched by security guards.

"Mrs Bones, this lift," one of them said loudly.

This caused many employees to turn and look in her direction. Rosa didn't miss that they used the family name she received when she married Aurelius. Usually, she preferred to use her family name at birth, to better avoid people linking her too much to Amelia. The doors of the lift opened, full of employees leaving for the night. The watchwizards told them to hurry out, attracting even more attention on Rosa and her guards. The three then stepped into the elevator. Rosa's guards refused entry to anyone else. The lift went directly to level Five.

There, the watchwizards almost forcibly led Rosa towards their destination. They didn't touch her, but they subtly insisted for her to walk fast. Finally, they arrived in front of a simple door, in an isolated part of the department. One of her guards knocked at the door with a specific pattern. The door opened.

"Go in, Mrs Johnson."

She had more and more the impression that they called her with her husband's name on purpose in the atrium. But Rosa said nothing and walked in. She stopped after a few steps inside, recognizing the three people standing on the other side of the single table in the conference room, while the door she came through closed behind her. One of these three people were Henry MacAllister, newly nominated Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation. He had replaced Bartemius Crouch Junior's successor after Fudge probably realized she was unfit for the position, and he was a notable ally and support of Cornelius Fudge. He also happened to be a great friend of Lucius Malfoy.

Surprisingly, Cornelius Fudge was the second person in the room. Rosa didn't expect that the Minister of Magic would attend such a reunion. Maybe he took the situation more seriously than Rosa anticipated.

Even more surprising was the presence of her sister-in-law, Amelia. She was the only one to not have a severe expression on her face as she looked at Rosa. However, she looked annoyed.

Rosa had not been prepared to face these three people. She thought that at most, she would meet the Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation, but most likely one of the senior officials in his department. Facing in addition her sister-in-law and the Minister of Magic was totally unexpected and destabilizing.

"Sit, Mrs Johnson," MacAllister said, showing the only seat on Rosa's side of the table.

Rosa looked at her three interlocutors. Amelia made a slight sign indicating she should better sit. She looked like this was only a tough moment to get through. Rosa knew the Ministry of Magic would not be happy, but now she had to expect a stronger reaction than she planned.

She sat down as quietly as possible. The three people on the other side took their seats as well. Amelia first, Cornelius Fudge being the last, looking at her.

"So, Mrs Bones," Fudge said. Rosa didn't like his intonation in the family name. "You know why you're here."

After the initial surprise, Rosa was recovering her ways. She looked calmly at the Minister. "You didn't tell me, Mr Fudge. I was contacted this morning by your Department of International Magical Co-operation, but they refused to tell me the reason for this meeting. If they had, I might have freed myself earlier."

Fudge obviously didn't like her answer. "Usually, when we ask a foreign representative on our soil to come, he comes," the Minister retorted, firm.

"And as a foreign representative of another Ministry of Magic, I expect your Ministry to tell us why you need to meet us so urgently when it happens."

Fudge was no more pleased. "You are not representing a Ministry of Magic. Whatever your organization claims to be, this doesn't change the fact that it is illegal."

"We have been recognized by nine ministries and congresses of Magic," Rosa pointed out.

Since the referendum of October 30, 1995, some magical governments had recognized the Ministry of Quebec. But they were a drop in the international community, and the International Confederation of Wizards still refused to acknowledge Quebec as a legitimate government body, maintaining a stance to avoid violent confrontation between Quebec and Canada. It was a detail Cornelius Fudge didn't hesitate to jump on.

"Acknowledgement from a small minority of tiny governments does not make your organization legitimate. Not in our eyes, not in the eyes of the International Confederation of Wizards, and certainly not in mine."

"Which means you have no authority to sign international agreements," MacAllister added, joining the conversation. He produced a pile of parchments that he put in front of Rosa. "Do you recognize this, Mrs Bones?"

Rosa looked at it. She did recognize the title. She suspected it was the reason why she was summoned by the British Ministry of Magic. "Yes, this is an agreement signed between the Ministère de la Magic du Québec and the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France."

She purposefully said the Ministries' titles in French, but this didn't seem to cause any reaction among the people opposing her. Amelia remained silent, observing the situation. MacAllister seized the document and read its title… in English.

"Agreement in Principle between the Ministry of Magic of Quebec and the Ministry of Magic of France to encourage cooperation in their efforts to ensure safety on the Saint Peter islands."

Rosa rolled her eyes internally. "I think you are referring to the Saint Pierre and Miquelon islands," she corrected them.

Her gaze and that of MacAllister crossed. The British Ministry of Magic insisted on calling these islands by an ancient name that was no longer used by anybody.

The islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon were one of those small territories that had been disputed and changed hands between greater powers for a large part of their history. An archipelago of eight islands in the Atlantic Ocean, very close to Canada, it was annexed to the colony of New France during the 17th century. It was then ceded to Great Britain by treaty after the War of Spanish Succession in 1713. It was then that the territory was renamed Saint Peter, a name which the British Ministry of Magic still used today. But in the Muggle world, the islands didn't remain in British hands for long. In 1763, at the end of the Seven Year's War, France ceded all its American colonies, which included territories in both the actual Canada and United States, to Great Britain. But in exchange, Great Britain ceded Saint Pierre and Miquelon back to France, to allow French fishermen to keep operating in that sector. In the following years though, Great Britain invaded and occupied the islands on multiple occasions, only to give it back to France each time hostilities between the two countries ended. As such, the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon were occupied by Great Britain when France helped the Americans gain their independence, then during the wars following the French Revolution, then during Napoleonic Wars. It was only after Napoleon was permanently defeated at Waterloo in 1815 that the islands permanently returned to France. During Prohibition, the islands became a major centre of alcohol smuggling operations into the United States. During the Second World War, when France was occupied by Germany, the authorities of the islands fell under the control of the Vichy regime that collaborated with the Nazis in 1940. This occupation didn't last long, and Free France, led by the general Charles de Gaulle, liberated the islands with a small force in December 1941, without firing a single shot, making the islands among the first French territories to be freed from Nazi occupation. The islands thereafter remained a French territory to this day, the only remains of French colonies in North America.

In the wizarding world, these islands had a history that was at least just as complicated. When Saint Pierre and Miquelon were ceded to Great Britain in 1713, the British Ministry of Magic existed, but not the Ministry of France. As a result, French magical authorities never truly enforced their authority over the islands, especially after New France was dismantled and ceded to Great Britain. They saw little interest to claim authority over islands far away, often uninhabited as a result of deportations, and where no wizard had ever been born or lived. The islands remained factually under the control of the British Ministry of Magic, who first also handled affairs on the territory of Canada. When the Canadian Ministry of Magic took shape and began to behave more independently from Great Britain, France began supporting the idea that Saint Pierre and Miquelon should be placed under Canadian authority, since they were geographically the best placed to enforce magical rule over the archipelago. Eventually, Great Britain stopped assessing any claim on North American territory except one: Newfoundland and Labrador. Covering the eastern coast of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador remained a British colony until 1948, when its Muggle population voted in a referendum to join Canada. On this occasion, the British Ministry of Magic signed an agreement with Canada, acknowledging their complete authority over magical affairs over the entire Canadian territory. But in exchange, Canada ceded authority over Saint Pierre and Miquelon to their British counterpart, as some sort of consolation prize.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon had never welcomed any wizarding community over its history. As such, ceding authority over these islands to the British Ministry of Magic was largely a minor concession, a symbolic gesture for Canadians when compared to a fully recognized authority over their territory. But for the French Ministry, it was an outrage. They had supported Canadian independence for over a century, claiming British wizarding officials had no legitimacy in enforcing their own laws upon the Canadian wizarding community. And now the British Ministry of Magic obtained authority over a territory that was entirely inhabited by French Muggles. France began to claim the islands as their own, and both French and British Ministries of Magic began to battle in legal proceedings, each trying to obtain authority over the islands, a legal dispute that the International Confederation of Wizards refused to solve for nearly fifty years.

It was this dispute that led Rosa to today's meeting. Yesterday, the Ministries of Magic of Quebec and France had signed an agreement, a copy of which was now in the hands of Mr MacAllister. Through this agreement, Quebec's magical authorities indicated that they had no objection if France wizarding authorities went to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, even offering them logistical support if any official from the French Ministry of Magic travelled to the islands. This was the reason why Fudge and his associates were angry at her. Her Ministry had allowed France on islands they claimed to be under British authority.

"The organization you represent has no right over the islands of Saint Peter," MacAllister declared.

"We don't claim the opposite," Rosa assured, trying to stay calm. "If you look at the preamble of the agreement, you will see that the Quebec Ministry of Magic has no claim over Saint Pierre and Miquelon."

"You allowed French officials on the islands," Fudge accused. "You have no such right."

"We allowed no such thing. We only allowed them to travel through the territory of Quebec before travelling to Saint Pierre and Miquelon. There is absolutely no international law or treaty that prevents us from travelling across our territory, or to leave it for another."

"We do not allow French officials on these islands," MacAllister pointed out. "By allowing them to travel to these islands from your territory, and by further allowing them to use your services to not only travel to Saint Peter, but also to help them in inspecting, visiting, patrolling and conducting enforcement activities on the islands, you are in violation of international laws. The International Confederation of Wizards forbids from helping a third party to access a territory where local magical authorities have forbidden access to this third party."

Rosa couldn't help but smile internally. "This article applies to governing bodies that are members of the Confederation. My government is not part of the Confederation."

"You're playing with words," MacAllister retorted.

"Read the article you referred to. You'll see. The International Confederation can only hold accountable governments that are part of it. Of course, if your Ministry supported our bid to join the Confederation and we became a member, this would create significant pressure to cancel this agreement with France."

Fudge leaned forward. "You think you can play at being smarter than us? You are a Canadian territory. The Canadian Ministry is a member of the Confederation. As such, you must respect the law."

"Then ask your Canadian colleagues to apply it. If they fail to enforce their laws in Quebec, it's their problem, not ours."

Fudge hit the table. "Who do you think you are? You're not even a real Ministry of Magic. You are… an illegal organization."

"Then ask your Canadian counterparts to dismantle us. I am sure they will prove competent at doing so. As competent as they showed to be for the last thirty years."

"Oh, believe me, we will ask them. And when they are done with your Ministry, believe me, you will regret the day you did all this." Fudge reclined into his seat. "But we are giving you a chance. Leave this agreement, tell the French Ministry you will not help them to get to Saint Peter, and we will leave you alone. If you refuse, I will use the whole power of the Ministry to bring you and your supposed organization down. We will block all opportunities you have to exchange and trade with the outside world. We will prevent wizards in Great Britain and Ireland from having any contact with your territory. We will convince all other governments from trading and maintaining any relation with Quebec unless they want to lose their trade and relations with us. This may take time, but by the time we are done, no one in the world will want to say even a word to people like you. Your nation will collapse from isolation. It will be unable to defend itself as the Canadians take back control over their territory. You will lose everything. This is what you get from making an enemy of my Ministry."

A part of Rosa was afraid. At the same time, she expected threats. From the moment her superiors thought about signing such an agreement with France, they knew there were risks. But they had been afraid of those risks back in November. Today, the situation had changed. The international context was different.

Rosa looked at Amelia. She was looking down.

"Do you really believe what you're saying, Mr Fudge?" Rosa asked him defiantly.

Fudge looked confused for a slight moment, but he took his threatening look once more. "I have never been as serious as I am today."

Rosa tried to sound nonchalant. "Very well. Do it." Rosa had removed some documents from her bag when she arrived. She began putting them back in. "I'll inform my government of what you're about to do."

Fudge still looked angrier, but it was MacAllister whose demeanour changed. He looked afraid now.

"Wait, Mrs Johnson. Let's not rush things. We can discuss. I am sure there is a way to find a solution to this situation without taking the risk of destroying your organization."

Rosa looked at him, then back at Fudge, then at her sister-in-law. Amelia seemed to be encouraging her to sit back. Fudge's face showed the glimpse of a satisfied smile, as if he believed he got her. Maybe this was all an act from Fudge. Maybe he wanted to look angry for MacAllister to be the one to negotiate.

Rosa accepted to stay. But she was preparing her argument as well.

"What do you propose?" Rosa asked MacAllister. It was always better to let the other side tell you what he wanted first.

"Mrs Johnson, what do you plan to gain with all this? Do you believe that France will acknowledge you as a legitimate governing body because you supported their minor claim over unoccupied islands?"

"To my knowledge, the islands have over six thousand inhabitants," Rosa pointed out.

"You know what I mean. This island had no wizarding community. France will not grant you any favor for this."

"Mr MacAllister, technically, you are wrong. There is a wizarding community on Saint Pierre and Miquelon… For there is a wizard who was born and raised there, and who still has a permanent residence on the island."

Everyone looked stunned by her words. Then Fudge laughed. "Don't try this with us, Mrs Bones," he said, using Aurelius' name again. "You can't bluff us. We all know there has never been a wizard on these islands."

This time, Rosa smiled with satisfaction. She took a folder from her bag. "Manuel Lafitte. Born in 1971 at Saint-Pierre, the main town on the islands. Wizard, born from a Muggle family. Raised on the island until the age of eleven. He then followed a wizarding education at the Université, in Montreal. He got married, he now spends half the year in Quebec, the other half at Saint-Pierre. This makes him both a French and Canadian citizen. And he also happens to be an employee of the Quebec Ministry of Magic."

She produced many documents, including birth certificates, proofs of citizenship from both countries, diplomas, work certificates, marriage contracts… and even an attestation from Canadian authorities that this man was truly a wizard.

MacAllister was speechless as he looked through the documents. Amelia looked intrigued. But Fudge only looked at Rosa with disgust. "You believe you can trick us with a few documents? Those are probably fakes. And even if they were true…"

"Minister," MacAllister whispered to him. He then whispered in a lower tone to his ear. Rosa noticed how he pointed at the proof of wizarding statute provide by the Canadian Ministry. Even Fudge couldn't deny this was authentic. For a moment, the Minister seemed at a loss of word. So Rosa hammered her message.

"The only wizard to have ever lived on Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a citizen from Quebec who went under your radar for nearly twenty-five years. You have never been aware of his existence, even less that he grew up and lived in the islands. The only British wizard who ever visited him was a professor of Hogwarts, but his parents refused to send him study in a school on the other side of the ocean and instead sent him to study magic in Montreal. This shows that you never really cared about monitoring Saint Pierre and Miquelon. I hope you will understand why we believe French authorities might fulfill a role your Ministry never cared about. Especially since the only wizard to live on the island is a French citizen."

It was then that Amelia raised her hand, but in a gesture of appeasement. "Mrs Johnson." Rosa noticed how she addressed her formally. This was part of their attitude when they worked. "We understand that some people in Quebec might feel the British Ministry has not fulfilled its responsibilities in Saint Pierre and Miquelon. However, this is not the appropriate way to deal with this situation. You should have come to us if you felt the island was mismanaged."

"Would your Minister have accepted to hear us?" Rosa asked, looking at Fudge, who didn't look pleased by her declaration.

"Saint Pierre and Miquelon, or Saint Peter as we call it, is officially under the authority of the British Ministry of Magic," Amelia went on. "This authority is recognized by the Canadian Ministry, and even the organization you represent has never put into question this authority. I apologize, but feeding a minor jurisdiction dispute is not going to help anybody. French, British, Canadians, Quebec, and even the inhabitants of these islands… No one will benefit from this agreement and its consequences. Forgive me, but negotiating with only one party in this dispute was not the best approach. We could have avoided this emergency meeting today."

Rosa knew that Amelia was trying to be the voice of reason, but she also knew that her sister-in-law wasn't the one to take decisions today. In fact, there was little reason for her presence here. This was an international matter, a dispute over jurisdiction. The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had little reason to be involved in this matter in any major way. Rosa suspected that Fudge wanted to destabilize her. Or perhaps he was trying to cause problems to Amelia.

Rosa decided to keep the discussion on the matter of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. She turned to the Minister and MacAllister.

"You should be thanking us," Rosa told the two men.

Cornelius Fudge looked outraged. "Thanking you?"

"Yes. The only wizard residing on Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a Quebec citizen, and yet we never pressed any claim on the archipelago," Rosa indicated.

"Mrs Johnson, no matter what your organization claim, you are not acknowledged as a governing body, neither by the Confederation, neither by the large majority of ministries and congresses of Magic," MacAllister declared. "Any claim you would make on the islands of Saint Peter would be moot, at best. Not to mention you would be challenged by our Ministry, but also those of France and Canada, who are actually the governing bodies responsible for representing Mr Lafitte. I suppose this is why you made this agreement with France." He leaned forward. "But if you hope that France is going to support your claim to independence, or even a potential claim of Quebec over Saint Peter, you are very wrong. The French Ministry will never consider these islands worth the trouble for recognizing your Ministry. You know it, and we know it too."

"You better tear down this agreement," Fudge declared, brandishing the pile of parchment. "With or without someone from your… organization living on the islands, your province will suffer."

"You asked us what we proposed, Mrs Johnson?" MacAllister added. "Well, here it is. Withdraw from your agreement with France. Agree to never facilitate any of their operations on Saint Peter, and everything will stay as it is. Refuse, and the Ministry of Magic or Great Britain and Ireland will enforce sanctions against your organization to such an extent that it might well crush your economy."

Rosa took a deep inspiration. "Have you discussed with the French before meeting me?After all, they also signed this agreement, and they're the ones with a claim on Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Why not solve this issue with them directly?Or why didn't you invite them at this meeting too, so that all participants could be present?"

"Do you accept our offer or not?" MacAllister asked, avoiding the question.

It was time for Rosa to reach one of the objectives she had by coming here. "And what if I proposed you a way for the French Ministry of Magic to withdraw from the agreement? The Ministry of Quebec would be quite uncomfortable to withdraw from an agreement we just signed. But if France withdrew, at least, we could claim it wasn't our fault."

Fudge laughed. "Really? You are so willing to avoid humiliation that you would like France to withdraw from your agreement instead? And how?"

"I have credible information that France would not only withdraw from our agreement, but that their Ministry would even abandon any claim on Saint Pierre and Miquelon…" She noticed she caught everyone's attention with this. So she completed. "… if Mr Fudge was willing to abandon any claim on the Channel Islands."

The gaze hardened right away. Rosa supposed it was to expect.

"This is not up for discussion," Fudge stated.

"Mrs Johnson, do you accept our offer or not? Are you really willing to suffer crippling sanctions for a few islands that will not get you anything?" MacAllister repeated.

Their refusal to even consider the option Rosa submitted was to be expected. But she had done what she promised to. As part of the agreement France and Quebec signed over Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the two Ministries secretly agreed that Quebec would encourage the British Ministry to abandon its authority claim over the Channel Islands, to increase the pressure.

This was how things worked in the wizarding world. There was no war between governments. The wizarding world was deeply pacifist in the sense that no open conflict was ever declared. Even dark wizards such as Grindelwald or Voldemort would not be described as war criminals, but rather as terrorists by Muggle standards. But many wizarding governments had disputes over the territories over which they held authority. In Western and Central Europe, this resulted in a state where nearly all local governing bodies of the wizarding world had territorial disputes and competitive claims with their neighbors. For example, France and Spain argued for authority over Andorra, France and Italy over Monaco, France, Germany and Belgium over Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria over Liechtenstein, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia over Trieste, even the United Kingdom and Spain over Gibraltar. But for Fudge and his Ministry, the most important of these disputes were over the Channel Islands.

Much like Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the Channel Islands were an archipelago. Only, they were located on the coast of France, in the English Channel. In the Muggle world, the Channel Islands were under United Kingdom's authority. The islands were the last remains of an era, centuries ago, when Great Britain had occupied parts of France. The islands were famous, among other things, for being the place where Victor Hugo completed his master literary work, Les Misérables. It was also unfortunately famous for being the only British territory in Europe to be occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. But in the wizarding world, the Channel Islands had been under the authority of the French Ministry of Magic since its creation during the French Revolution, when the local wizarding community, largely francophone, decided to join the new French Ministry of Magic. The British Ministry had claimed authority over the islands ever since, without success. In fact, some believed that the British Ministry only got its hands on Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the hopes of using it as an exchange tool against the Channel Islands. This was unlikely to ever work, but as long as Fudge held on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, he could use it as leverage to maintain a semblance of claim and pressure on the Channel Islands.

Rosa's government had found itself in the middle of this battle of territorial disputes between British and French Ministries. Though the truth was, Quebec had approached France first. The Ministry of Quebec calculated that they were unlikely to ever get any support for independence from Great Britain and Ireland, whose ministry was one of Canada's greatest international allies. But they could try to improve their relations with France. So they used the dispute over Saint Pierre and Miquelon to provide assistance to France, accepting by the same opportunity to support France's authority over the Channel Islands, and encourage Fudge and his Ministry to renounce claims over the Channel Islands. In the unlikely case it would succeed, France would renounce its claim over Saint Pierre and Miquelon. The French Ministry even secretly indicated to Quebec authorities they would be free to press a claim on these islands if France withdrew its own claim. All that to say, Quebec was improving its relations with France and bothering the British Ministry of Magic. And unlike what Fudge believed, if he ever actually believed it, he had little leverage over the Quebec Ministry of Magic.

"Do you sincerely believe that you can destroy the Quebec Ministry of Magic with economic sanctions?" Rosa asked Fudge and MacAllister.

"Oh yes, we can," Fudge replied, threatening. "And if you want specifics, here's what's going to happen. We will end all trade with you. No one in Great Britain or Ireland or any of our partners will be allowed to trade with someone living in Quebec, who has business in Quebec, or who is related to someone in Quebec. We and our allies will freeze the assets of your organization and any corporation or inhabitant of your territory. Your community will not be able to travel to our lands, nor to any land of our allies. And we will deliver arrest warrants to all the high officials of your organization, meaning that the moment they will set foot on the territory of any Ministry or Congress affiliated with the Confederation, which means outside your tiny land, they will be arrested. Believe me, Mrs Bones. You have no idea of the hell we can unleash on your and your colleagues. By the time we will be done, you will beg on your knees."

Fudge said all those words with a contained rage. As for Rosa, she was outraged. For an uninhabited archipelago, she found Fudge's reaction quite exaggerated. She stared at MacAllister, who said no word but looked firm. Rosa cast a short glance at Amelia, who didn't seem to enjoy the scene.

Normally, with such threats, Rosa would have taken her leave, diplomatically stating she would transmit the information to her government. But she wasn't in a mood to play diplomatically with Fudge. Anyway, there was another mission she had by coming here, which she didn't fulfill yet.

"Are you a bad liar, Minister… or just plainly stupid?"

Her words provoked a mixture of stunning, surprise and outrage on the other side of the table.

"Excuse me?" MacAllister asked in a strangled voice.

"Do you know why the French Ministry of Magic asked for our help on the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon?" Rosa shot at the British Minister of Magic. "Because they don't trust you. You're not even able to manage a single island in your backyard. Do you think your neighbours will trust you with an archipelago on the other side of the ocean?"

Now, the Minister was really furious. "This is none of your business!"

"This is the business of France. And also of Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Portugal… All the countries and Ministries with coastlines to the North Sea where Azkaban was located. They are not happy that you allowed a dozen criminals to escape, potentially to their wonder they prefer to deal with an illegal organization, like you call us, rather than with an incompetent Minister like you."

Rosa noticed Amelia shaking her head in disbelief an instant before Fudge surged up. "How dare you?!" He looked at her, outraged, red from anger. This man must have been on the brink of collapse the whole week. "You want to make an enemy of us? Very well! OUT! OUT!"

Rosa was a little intimidated by Fudge's temper, but she remained seated under his angry glare.

"Mrs Bones," MacAllister said, "I believe we are done here. I believe we must warn you that there will be consequences for your organization's refusal to cooperate."

Rosa averted her gaze from the Minister to look at MacAllister, who was more composed but whose face was still as grave. "Before I leave, do you want to know the whereabouts of Bartemius Crouch Senior?"

MacAllister looked slightly confused for a moment by her words, but recovered his usual demeanor in an instant. "We have no interest in this kind of information. This meeting is over."

"Even if I tell you he is in Montreal, and that he is there to stay?" This time, MacAllister looked truly intrigued. Even Fudge seemed taken aback. So Rosa hammered the nail further. "Perhaps you are interested because you're about to deliver an arrest warrant against him for stealing classified and secret Ministry documents, and also for aiding a criminal to escape prison."

Maybe Rosa shouldn't have revealed that the Ministry of Quebec was aware of an arrest warrant the British Ministry had not yet delivered, but with her state of anger and fear, she let it slip. This time, Fudge and MacAllister looked to be on high alert. Amelia herself looked taken aback. She looked at Fudge and MacAllister, but neither of them paid her any attention. They only stared at each other, utterly confused. Rosa stood up, seized an official letter from inside her bag and handed it to the Minister of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland. This was the second thing she came for today.

"Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland, I, Rosa Johnson Bones, must inform you as representative of the Ministry of Magic of Quebec, that my Ministry has granted asylum to Bartemius Crouch Senior as political refugee."

Cornelius Oswald Fudge and MacAllister had both their jaws dropping out of stunning. Amelia surprisingly snatched the letter from Rosa's hands and unfolded it. Fudge looked at MacAllister, then back to Amelia as she read the letter. When she was done, she looked at Fudge, a tired expression on her face.

"Signed by Marcel Beauregard, the unrecognized Quebec Minister of Magic," Amelia confirmed.

Fudge snatched the letter back and read it as well. He smashed the piece of parchment on the table.

"You won't dare!" he shouted.

"We already did," Rosa countered, what little patience she still had for the Minister of the country she lived in slowly dissipating.

"You're going to pay!"

"How?"

"Mrs Bones," MacAllister intervened, his demeanour getting more hostile. "Your organization has no authority to grant asylum. Your protection is worth nothing. The International Confederation…"

"… complies its members to respect the laws of all other members. Only, we are not a member of the Confederation, which means it cannot force us to hand you Bartemius Crouch. Furthermore, since you never wanted to acknowledge us as a legitimate government, we have no treaty at all, including no extradition treaty. So, how are you going to enforce an international arrest warrant on a national territory you do not recognize?"

"This is Canadian territory, not yours," MacAllister declared.

"And you believe they will apply your warrant after the referendum? Unless you haven't noticed, Canadian authorities are even less prone than before to intervene on Quebec's territory." Rosa then glared at Fudge. "And since you allowed a dozen violent criminals to escape in international waters, let me tell you that the Canadian Ministry is far less better disposed to obey your orders."

Fudge was about to retort, but Rosa didn't let him. She was done with him.

"Have you read the newspapers, Minister? Those from abroad? In other countries? You are the laughingstock in the international community. Everyone criticizes you for allowing those criminals to escape. Everyone considers you have failed in your duties of Minister of Magic. The entire international community is against you. You say you can crush us under sanctions that other Ministries will follow? You are bluffing, nothing less. No one will follow you. Especially not to arrest one of your former high official that you obviously sacked and who you are now trying to arrest because he dares to criticize you. No one will follow you for an archipelago where no official from your Ministry went for decades, and even less for someone you're trying to arrest for political reasons. Especially since you're doing everything to convince your international peers that you do not take important threats seriously. The proof is that my sister-in-law is attending this meeting."

Fudge stared at Amelia in surprise. Amelia, for her part, stared at Rosa. But Rosa didn't stop.

"You have extremely dangerous criminals who are wandering free, and yet you summoned your Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to attend a meeting on unoccupied islands. Instead of letting her focus on what is truly important? And for what? In the hope to destabilize me? By the way, you have never found out who attacked my daughter? How is the investigation progressing? Or have you decided it wasn't important to protect our children?"

"ENOUGH!" Fudge roared. The door opened to reveal the two watchwizards, wands drawn.

Fudge stared at her in utter fury. Rosa gave him back in kind. She never found Fudge fantastic for a Minister. But now, she viewed him as utterly incompetent, as the man who allowed her daughter to be assaulted by Dementors and who did nothing after the attack happened.

Fudge pointed her and spoke in very detached words. "Bring this woman out. She will never be allowed into the Ministry again," he told angrily. The watchwizards approached Rosa from behind, about to seize her by the arms.

"Are you ready to leave willingly?" Amelia then asked Rosa, on a hard tone. The two watchwizards froze.

"Yes," Rosa shouted.

With a motion of her chin, Amelia communicated that she better leave now if she didn't want to be escorted by force. Her expression told that in her view, Rosa went too far.

Rosa turned on her heels, resisting the urge to tell the Ministry to watch for news from France.

The corridors of the Ministry were far less busy now. Most employees had gone back home. Rosa was escorted to the exit by the two watchwizards, one ahead of her, the other one behind. They didn't touch her, but it was obvious she better follow their steps. They only left her when she took the visitor's entrance. She wasn't even allowed to Apparate in the atrium.

Emerging from the red telephone booth, Rosa headed towards the building of the Quebec Government Office in London, not far away. Strange how her two worlds were so close yet getting so distant.

On her way back to the office, Rosa feared she had indeed gone too far. She was only supposed to stay firm and make it very clear to Fudge and his associates that they wouldn't back down on the matter of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, to suggest them that they could renounce their claim on the Channel Islands for France to renounce its claim on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and that they had provided asylum to Bartemius Crouch Senior. Instead, her anger got the better of her. But the built-up frustration of watching the Ministry where her sister-in-law worked doing nothing to identify who assaulted her daughter, then the massive escape from Azkaban and how Fudge seemed to not care about it… She simply couldn't take it anymore.

Back at the office, Rosa noticed how empty it was. Work hours were much the same for British and Quebec citizens. Another proof that Quebec seemed culturally way closer to the United Kingdom than to France. Rosa walked into her office, locked it, got rid of a few documents, put some others in her bag, threw Floo powder in her chimney and began a long but short journey to another country.

This time, Rosa didn't have to travel an entire ocean. She only travelled a channel. She arrived less than a minute later to Number 39, on an avenue bearing the name of the famous author Victor Hugo, not far from the Arc de Triomphe. She was now in Paris, and a man about fifteen years her senior was waiting for her.

"Finally, you're here, Rosa," Adélard Therrien, representative of the Quebec Ministry of Magic at Paris, exclaimed in French.

"Sorry for making you wait. I had an urgent meeting with the Minister of Great Britain and Ireland," she replied in the same language. "It just ended."

"Oh. Then tell me right now how it went."

"Not well, I'm afraid."

Rosa explained him in detail the conversation. She forgot no aspect, including her outburst at the end and how she was unceremoniously thrown out. Her colleague looked interested upon learning that the Minister himself met her, worried when she reported how he threatened to strangle their nation with sanctions, and stunned when she described her final outburst.

"You shouldn't have done that, Rosa," he said, upset. "We don't need to uselessly antagonize Cornelius Fudge more than we already do."

"I apologize. Only… I guess I didn't speak to him as Quebec's representative. I talked to him like a citizen of the United Kingdom…"

"And like a mother," Adélard added.

Rosa nodded. She and Adélard often discussed, and he knew what had happened to Susan in the summer.

"Well, we will have to do with this." He looked at his watch. "We must meet the Minister. The press conference will start soon."

About fifteen minutes later, Rosa and Adélard were standing in the office of the French Minister of Magic. Rosa summarized the reaction of Cornelius Fudge and his Ministry to their agreement on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, to their suggestion to abandon British claim on the Channel Islands, and also concerning Quebec's decision to grant political asylum to Mr Crouch. She didn't speak about her outburst concerning Fudge's incapacity to manage the Azkaban crisis. It didn't concern France.

"We were expecting some reaction," the French Minister said. "This doesn't alleviate our concerns about Cornelius Fudge's behavior and… mental state. Thank you, Mrs Bones."

"Just so you know, Amelia Bones was there at the meeting," Rosa pointed out.

The French Minister of Magic frowned. "Isn't she responsible for law enforcement in your country?" Rosa nodded. "What was she doing there?"

Rosa shrugged. "Perhaps Mr Fudge considers that an unoccupied archipelago is more important than finding and capturing mass murderers."

She didn't need to explain further. The French Minister seemed to understand what she meant. He looked at his watch. "Well, the press conference is about to begin." He stood up. "Before you stand behind me, I can promise you again. France will not give up its claim over Saint Pierre and Miquelon as long as Great Britain and Ireland don't give up their claim on the Channel Islands. And we will defend you against any attempt by Fudge and his government to impose international sanctions upon the Ministry of Magic of Quebec."

Adélard nodded. "Thank you, Minister."

Rosa wished it was this Minister she had to deal with. France was not as supportive of Quebec's independence in the wizarding world as she was in the Muggle world. After all, the Minister of Magic of France feared independence movements in territories under his authority. It wasn't about to acknowledge independence that could encourage similar movements on the continent. Still, French wizards remained way better disposed towards Rosa's homeland than British wizards. And with Fudge, she had to deal with the worst kind of Minister they could get for a crisis situation.

Rosa and Adélard silently followed the French Minister of Magic as he headed towards the atrium of his Ministry. They were joined by several diplomats from other countries and high officials of the French Ministry of Magic. When they irrupted into the atrium, a tribune had been prepared. The French Minister took place behind it, unfolding a piece of parchment with his speech on it. In front of him, journalists waited, notebooks in hand, while photographers took shots of the French Ministry about to address the international press. Rosa recognized journalists from across the entire world. There was even a correspondent for the Daily Prophet.

"My dear friends," the French Minister began, in French of course, "I have gathered you all here today because I have an important declaration to make. Earlier this week, eleven very dangerous criminals have escaped the British prison on the island of Azkaban, in the North Sea. Our Ministry is working hard, in collaboration with all its international partners, to apprehend and bring back to justice those criminals. However, this massive prison break is worrying, to say the least. Over the past three years, it was revealed that two other prisoners from this island had managed to escape, one within a single week of its condemnation and incarceration. In addition to that, the 1994 Quidditch World Cup in Great Britain saw outlaws terrorizing the people who came to watch it, including citizens from France and almost all other nations in the world, resulting in significant material losses and human injuries, not to mention two murders. And a few months later, a young man was assassinated by another Azkaban fugitive during the Triwizard Tournament, again in Great Britain. During this tournament, our French contender was assaulted and injured as a result of the actions of this criminal. Not to mention that a few months ago, in August, two children were assaulted in the heart of London, the British capital, by Dementors, the very creatures that guard the prison of Azkaban from which so many criminals escaped lately."

The French made a pause, as if needing time to gather himself after this long enumeration. Rosa, on her side, was shocked to hear him talk about Susan's assault. She hadn't been warned this would be in his speech. But she had to maintain a facade of unresponsiveness.

"My dear friends, my dear citizens, this can no longer last. The events that have taken place in the United Kingdom over the last few years are concerning, and affecting our nation and those around the world as much as it is affecting the life of British and Irish citizens." He gulped. "And we know what is the common threat linking those events." He briefly paused once more. "All these crimes, all these attacks, all these murders have one point in common. They were committed or linked to individuals who were, and everything indicates they today still consider themselves to be, supporters of a criminal whose name no one dares to say."

If the French Minister had not captured everyone's attention yet, now he had. Was he about to say something that no magical government dared to acknowledge so far? Every journalist, every person in attendance in the atrium was glued to his lips, waiting for the next words to come out.

"In view of these recent events, I have decided that, for the next session of the International Confederation of Wizards, France will file a motion, requesting a discussion on the possible return of the man everyone calls He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

This caused huge reactions among journalists who wrote feverishly on their notepads. Photo flashes shot from everywhere. But the Minister of France went on.

"I do not wish to start a panic with such an announcement. I am not declaring that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned. But we are in a free society, and the whole wizarding world is a free society, where everyone is free to express his ideas and opinions. And given the recent events and opinion of a part of the population, even if the chance that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned is slim, or even very unlikely, the threat such a return would represent warrants a discussion in the highest instances. The Ministry of Magic of France is determined to discuss the matter seriously, and will not let anyone or anything stop us from discussing the possible return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. We will not tolerate censorship on this matter. And we will demand that people responsible answer our questions on one of the greatest threats our world may be facing."

So what was it. Under applauses from some people in the atrium, with representatives from several countries behind him, including two representatives of an unrecognized government that just gave asylum to a prominent opponent of Cornelius Fudge, the French Minister had just placed the British Ministry of Magic in a hot seat. Rosa looked at the reporter from the Daily Prophet. She doubted this declaration would be detailed substantially in tomorrow's edition. Fudge tried to control information with an iron fist within his country. But on the international stage, he was now in hot waters.

Three hours later, Rosa and Adélard, after traveling through the ocean, were sitting in the office of Marcel Beauregard, Minister of Magic of Quebec. With him inside his office also stood Bartemius Crouch Senior, now a fugitive, unable to hide in most of the wizarding world, but ironically unreachable on Quebec territory.

"Things seem to be going relatively well," Mr Beauregard said, looking at another short memo he just received.

"Don't expect Fudge's authority to crumble tomorrow," Crouch warned. "And don't expect him to resign any time soon."

"Maybe not. But we can weaken him. And by the same way, we can weaken the Canadians."

Crouch kept his mouth shut, although it was obvious he wanted to say more. Beauregard looked at his watch. "The conference will begin in thirty minutes. Therrien, follow me. I need you to help my staff finalize my speech. Johnson, you stay here with Crouch."

Rosa remained behind as she was instructed. Her Minister reacted coldly when she informed him of all the details about her meeting with Fudge. Like Adélard, he wasn't happy she lashed out at Fudge over what was, in his opinion, unrelated issues. Right when they were alone, Crouch was fast to resume on the same path.

"You should never have provoked Fudge," he lectured her. "He may not be thinking straight, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous."

"Coming from someone who outright provoked him when he left the Ministry, and who spent the last few months continually provoking Fudge, going as far as to steal secret documents, I find you are not well placed to speak."

"If you didn't want these documents, you should have told me," Crouch countered.

Rosa stood up and glared at him. "You have a son. To what lengths have you been ready to go to protect him?"

The man's face hardened. She struck a sensible cord there. Still, he replied nonetheless with the same aplomb. "You believe your outburst in front of Fudge will help your daughter? Or that it will help your Ministry?"

There, he struck a good point as well. Rosa looked away, refusing to answer. Crouch went on.

"This is more important than your daughter. More important than your family or your country. This is a matter of survival. And with what you just did, uselessly provoking Fudge, you committed a grave mistake. What if he takes it on Amelia Bones? Have you thought about it? Do you really want to see one of Fudge's minions in her place? Do you want her to find the truth about how Dementors tried to kill your daughter? Because she won't is Fudge gets rid of her."

Rosa had nothing to reply to this either. But Crouch went on nonetheless, hammering further.

"You better set your priorities, Rosa Johnson Bones. Or else I can assure you that the rest of your family will die. And your Ministry, or whatever we must call it, will never get the recognition it wants. Not that I expect it ever will."

Rosa wanted to smack this man in the face. But she refrained from doing it. Instead, she simply ignored him. He said no more as they waited.

Eventually, Rosa and Bartemius Crouch were called and went to the entrance of the Quebec Ministry of Magic. Despite all the time that went since Rosa met Cornelius Fudge, it was barely the beginning of the evening. Quebec was in a time zone five hours earlier than London. Rosa knew she would get back home very late indeed. But for the second time today, she stood behind a Minister of Magic while he made an important announcement to the press. Adélard was there, along with Bartemius Crouch Senior and other high officials of the Quebec Ministry of Magic. Surprisingly, there were also four Muggles standing behind Minister Beauregard. The Prime Minister of the province, the leader of Opposition in the Canadian Parliament (who led a separatist party defending Quebec's independence in the federal parliament), the Minister of Finance and the Minister of International Affairs, Immigration and Cultural Communities. The latter was technically Rosa's employer in the Muggle world.

"Dear citizens of Quebec," Minister Beauregard began, speaking in French like his counterpart in Europe earlier today. "A few hours ago, a call was made by the French Ministry of Magic that those with answers be held accountable for the potential return of a very dangerous wizard whose name no one dares to say."

Like in France, this caused journalists to write frantically, watching closely what the Minister would say next.

"Within only a few hours, twelve wizarding governments and institutions have already announced that they will support France's initiative. We expect more to announce their support in the coming days. The supporters of the initiative so far are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, and the Eurasian Union of Magical Independent Governments. We are glad to offer our support to this initiative, despite not being part of the International Confederation of we encourage all magical governments to support this initiative from our brothers and sisters on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. We need answers, and we need to take all precautions when we are threatened by dark wizards."

Some clapped their hands in the assistance. There were not only journalists. Some other people had come to watch the Minister's announcement. Mr Beauregard let the clapping subside.

"Given the gravity of the situation, especially following the escape of eleven dangerous criminals from the prison of Azkaban in the North Sea, I am deeply surprised and concerned that the Canadian Ministry of Magic has not yet endorsed the initiative of France." He stopped a moment for the effect. "Perhaps my Canadian colleague considers that his ties with Great Britain and Ireland are more important than the safety of his citizens. Perhaps he considers that the support of Mr Cornelius Fudge against our independence is more important than making sure they are prepared to face a dangerous criminal organization. Perhaps like the Minister of Great Britain and Ireland, he wants to deny the ongoing crisis. Maybe, like Mr Cornelius Fudge, the Canadian Minister does not want to protect his citizens. Maybe he wants to imprison people who do not share his political ideas and dare to warn people of the dangers."

A longer pause was made.

"Today, my government has granted political asylum to Mr Bartemius Crouch, formerly the Head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation in Cornelius Fudge's administration." The Minister turned to Mr Crouch, who briefly nodded, before returning his attention to the crowd. "Mr Crouch is targeted by an arrest warrant by the British Ministry of Magic, officially for stealing secret documents and helping his son to escape the prison of Azkaban. But we all know what this is about. Mr Crouch dared to say things that didn't please the British Minister, Cornelius Fudge. So Mr Fudge decided to arrest him on the first charge he could come up with. But we know the truth. The only reason why the British authorities want to arrest Mr Crouch today, it is because Cornelius Fudge doesn't like what he is saying."

Marcel Beauregard leaned forward. "We may or we may not agree with what Bartemius Crouch is saying. But today, his government wants to put him in prison because he said things this government didn't like. In Quebec, we have the right to disagree with the government. We can debate, we can disapprove, we can criticize, we can laugh, mock, and even insult our Ministry's decisions and members, without fear of retaliation. Such is clearly not the case in Great Britain and Ireland as we speak. As long as Mr Crouch cannot be guaranteed a fair trial, as long as the British Ministry of Magic will persecute him for not sharing their opinions, he will remain a guest of the Quebec nation."

Another pause. "A few months ago, on August 2nd, 1995, two children were assaulted by Dementors in the heart of London." Rosa's heart froze. She was never told the Minister would talk about this as well. "They had to use magic to defend themselves. And for that, what did Cornelius Fudge do? He prosecuted them for illegal use of magic. And when they both told him they only used magic to defend themselves, he refused to listen to them, he tried to shut them up, and to declare them guilty and sentence them, without even giving them the chance to explain what happened. They were lucky to not be condemned to never use magic again. And a few days ago, what did we learn? That those same Dementors who attacked innocent children in the capital of the United Kingdom allowed the most dangerous criminals of this country to escape? And what does Cornelius Fudge do? He released arrest warrants against people who dare to criticize him."

Marcel Beauregard made a theatrical pause. People were all listening attentively to him.

"Now, I ask my Canadian counterpart. The Canadian Minister of Magic. What are you going to do? Are you going to obey the orders of Cornelius Fudge, the man who just let the most dangerous criminals of his nation get free? The man who wants to imprison people only for disagreeing with him?" He stared at the journalists, as if he was addressing the Canadian Minister himself. "If you try to get your hands on Bartemius Crouch, you will find us in your way. Because in Quebec, unlike in the United Kingdom, unlike in Canada, freedom of speech is a fundamental right. And we will do everything to protect those abroad who are threatened because they dare to speak freely. Vive la liberté! Vive le Québec! Vive le Québec libre!" (Long live freedom! Long live Quebec! Long live the free Quebec!)

In other circumstances, Rosa would have joined the cheers and applauses that followed. She had heard those words back in 1967, on July 24, when the French president Charles de Gaulle visited Montreal, and made his famous speech from the balcony of the Montreal City Hall. Vive le Québec! Vive le Québec libre! Back then, the words had caused a major diplomatic accident between France and Canada. But right now, as everyone applauded Marcel Beauregard, she wanted to slap him across the face for compromising her daughter.

"You had no right to mention what happened to my daughter," she told him later in his office.

"We were careful to not mention her name, and to not mention yours either," he reassured her.

"And after that you blame me for talking out of turn at Cornelius Fudge? You didn't do much to calm him with this speech."

"This speech was prepared. Yours wasn't. By focusing on freedom of speech, no one will be able to criticize us. The ball is in Canada's court now. They can either support Fudge or refuse to help him. In both cases, we are winning. If the Canadians align with Fudge right now, among all the criticism he receives from everywhere, they will lose credibility on the international stage. And if they turn their back on Fudge, they will lose the support of one of their closest allies."

Again, Rosa hated that her daughter was used without her consent for political maneuvering. She was also outraged that the return of Voldemort, the man who slaughtered most of her husband's family, was used by her government to push forward the cause of Quebec's independence. But there was nothing she could do about it. She left the province, seething with rage.

Half an hour later, in the darkness of London's night, Rosa followed the street leading to the Abandoned Tower. The day had been grueling. She would need to talk with Amelia tomorrow. Her sister-in-law was obviously displeased with her outburst at Cornelius Fudge. Everyone was displeased with it.

She walked through the secret entry door, concealed by magic, to get into the Entrance Hall which was illuminated at every hour. It was empty. Emptied as well, Rosa took the stairs and climbed. Exhausted, she walked to her apartment without paying attention to her surroundings. She followed the same path thousands of times, every time she came back from the office. Her feet carried her mechanically to her apartment.

The door opened for her. She was careful to not make too much noise. Aurèle might be sleeping at such an hour. However, she soon noticed that light was on in the living room. She slowly walked there to find two people: her husband and his sister.

"Hi, Rosa," Amelia told her.

Rosa sighed, looking at the floor a moment before staring at her sister-in-law. "Couldn't you wait until tomorrow?" she complained.

"Amelia told me what happened at the Ministry today," her husband said, worry painted on his face. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not," Rosa retorted. "Especially not after my Minister and the one from France talked about Susan's attack from last summer during his conference."

This got both Amelia and Aurelius on alert. "He did what?" her husband shouted, obviously outraged just like she was on the moment.

"They mentioned Susan? They said her name to the press?" Amelia asked.

"No," Rosa replied. "But they mentioned that Dementors assaulted two children back in August. Right when my Minister announced that he was granting political asylum to Bartemius Crouch Senior."

Rosa noticed how Amelia was displeased with the situation. Aurelius, on his side, looked worried.

"Rosa," her sister-in-law began, "do you realize how grave the situation is?"

"If you want to dress me down for saying my mind to Fudge…" Rosa began, fed up being criticized for this again and again.

"Fudge is considering to arrest you," Amelia interrupted.

The words hung heavy in the apartment. Aurelius was the first to react, Rosa being too stunned to do so.

"What? For what?" he asked, disbelieved.

"He consulted with some of my senior staff to see if he could prosecute you, right after our meeting," Amelia told Rosa. "He found out that the classified documents taken from the Ministry by Barty about Lord Voldemort were distributed internationally by the Quebec Ministry. Fudge suspects that you had something to do with it."

Rosa remained silent. She never told Amelia about the documents which Bartemius Crouch Senior gave her, and that the Quebec Ministry shared with Canadian and American authorities, among others. They weren't the only ones to share them. Barty Crouch gave copies of those documents to other of his contacts, and they discreetly spread among wizarding governments across the world. But Fudge had clearly by now discovered the leak. Did he identify Rosa as one of the people who distributed the leaked documents?

"For now, he has no proof," Amelia went on. "My employees told him he couldn't prosecute you. But after your confrontation of this morning, Fudge is set on targeting you, Rosa. With your government protecting Barty… He's going to do everything to get at you."

Rosa felt a cold streak along her spine. She always knew that the precarious international situation of her government also made her own situation precarious to a certain extent, but this… this went beyond what she had expected. She was now in danger.

"Amelia," Aurelius began, "please… You can't let Fudge do that. This is your department. Certainly you can do something…"

"No, I can't," his sister retorted. "I am in conflict of interest."

"But that didn't stop you from presiding the disciplinary hearing of Harry Potter, even if he was Susan's boyfriend."

"That was different. I had no direct tie with the boy. And no one in the Ministry at the time was aware that Susan was involved in a Dementor's attack. Now, not only it would be a member of my family who would be concerned, but it would be a criminal trial, not a mere disciplinary hearing of a minor." Amelia sighed. "Furthermore, since the massive escape from Azkaban, Fudge doesn't trust me as much as before. I can feel it at the office. And in the press as well. The Daily Prophet has started to subtly point me as the one responsible for this mass evasion."

Yes, Rosa had noticed. Amelia turned to her.

"You put yourself in danger by shouting at the Minister, Rosa. You know by now how Fudge operates, especially during the last few months. You should have expected retaliation."

Rosa remained silent. Was that truly happening? Was she really under threat of being arrested? By the Ministry of Magic of the country where she lived for the past twenty years?

"Wait, can Cornelius Fudge truly arrest Rosa?" Aurelius asked. "I mean, she's technically an ambassador. She is the official representative of another Ministry of Magic on British soil. Isn't she covered by diplomatic immunity?"

Rosa knew the answer right away, but Amelia explained it before she could. "Such immunity is granted to ambassadors and representatives of foreign governments that are recognized as legitimate by the British Ministry. The Quebec Ministry is not recognized. Not in this country. She will not have immunity, not today."

"She is still a foreigner… technically," Aurelius said, his voice desperate. "Maybe the Canadian Ministry could…" he began.

"They will not do anything," Rosa replied, desperate as well. She slumped into an armchair. "I work for the Quebec Ministry. The Canadians will not take my defence. Furthermore, Fudge remains one of their main allies internationally. They will not want to antagonize him. If Fudge accuses me of committing crimes while working for an unrecognized government, they will at best make feeble requests that I have a fair trial."

"That's… That's impossible…" Aurelius's voice trailed. He turned to his sister, pleading. "Amelia…"

Rosa's sister-in-law stood up. "Look, for now, all Fudge did was asking questions to my department. My employees are reliable and fair. They will not arrest Rosa without proofs that she committed a crime. So far, we have none. And you better not provide them any," Amelia warned the other woman. "Still, Fudge has other means to reach you both."

This time, Amelia looked at her brother. Aurelius looked lost for a moment. Then Amelia went on.

"You probably already know, but Fudge has been considering imposing sanctions on Quebec for a while now. The Canadian authorities have pressured him to do that ever since the referendum."

"Yes, I know," Aurelius muttered. "My boss paid a personal visit to Fudge to protest about it."

"Well, ever since, Fudge was informed that Quebec authorities distributed leaked documents about Voldemort to other governments. And now, between the agreement with France on Saint Peter islands, the asylum granted to Barty, and Rosa's scene earlier today, Fudge is more decided than ever. And that means he could get at you, Aurelius."

Rosa's husband looked utterly surprised. "Me?"

"Yes. You represented the company you work for when you negotiated deals in Quebec. And don't try to deny it, we both know this is true. Fudge could decide to go after you for smuggling. And the Canadian authorities could prosecute you for illegal business activities on their soil. If they release an arrest warrant against you, Fudge is likely to be very glad to extradite you so you would face trial in Canada."

"But…" Aurelius blabbered. Rosa was just as outraged as he was, though maybe a little less surprised. "That's nonsense. Come on, all broomstick manufacturers export to Quebec. This is the entrance door to the whole North American market. Everyone does that. The Ministry has been knowing it for years!"

"Yes, and the British Ministry turned a blind eye because it was in the financial interests of its broom manufacturers, indeed," Amelia conceded. "But your brooms enter Quebec to avoid customs from the Canadian Ministry, then they are distributed on more or less legal markets on the rest of the continent. This is technically smuggling. And right now, I cannot put anything past Fudge."

"This is ridiculous," Rosa said. "Come on, you really think they could go after Aurèle for this?"

"They could," Amelia said. "It's the law."

"But Aurèle is not even the one exporting the flying broomsticks. He works to develop and build them, not to sell them. He's not even a shareholder in the company."

"But he negotiated with authorities and businesses in Quebec, in part because you are married. His signature is on contracts. There are traces of his discussions with other people to illegally export flying broomsticks to Canada and the United States through the territory of Quebec. Not to mention that… Fudge is actually considering to list the Quebec Ministry of Magic as a terrorist organization."

This was the most absurd and terrifying news of the evening. "What… But… He can't!"

"Yes, he can," Amelia replied on a tone as calm as she could, though Rosa perceived the impatience in her voice. "All he needs are two votes with a two-third majority at the Wizengamot, and he can list the Quebec Ministry as a terrorist organization. If it happens, anyone with dealings and ties to this Ministry could be arrested."

Rosa realized the implications of this. If this was to happen, then they would all be in great trouble.

"I thought this law was abolished," Aurelius stated. "You worked on its abolition. I remember."

"And you only remember the headlines from the Daily Prophet back then," Amelia berated her brother. "Harold Minchum adopted this law back when he arrived in office, with Barty's support. It allowed them to arrest people on the mere suspicion that they were affiliated to the Death Eaters during the war. When Voldemort was defeated, Millicent Bagnold indeed wanted to abolish it. But Barty protested. So we amended it considerably. And Fudge and I further amended it when he became Minister. Back when it was established in 1975, this law allowed the Minister to designate an organization as terrorist by Ministerial decree. Today, the Minister first needs two votes by the Wizengamot, both with a two-third majority, separated by at least two weeks, to have the authorization to list a specific organization as terrorist. Then he can do it by decree. But once it is done, it still makes being affiliated to such an organization a crime in itself, and allows the Ministry to seize all assets owned by this organization and its members. Which means that not only you could be prosecuted for making deals with the Quebec Ministry for your company, Aurelius, but Rosa could also be prosecuted since she works directly for the Quebec Ministry."

The realization of what this all meant dawned on Rosa. Cornelius Fudge truly had the power to turn their lives into a living hell.

"But he can't do that," Rosa protested. "My Ministry is not a terrorist organization. We do not resort to violence. We do not kill people."

"There were riots and confrontations with Canadian authorities in the past, and even recently," Amelia pointed out. "Fudge could use them to legitimize his point." Amelia sighed again. "Look, I'm not saying this is going to happen. Fudge is not all powerful, and the massive escape from Azkaban weakened his position. However, that makes him more dangerous than ever and willing to act more rashly than ever before. You both could really have major problems. And I have limited ability to help you right now. As I said, Fudge doesn't trust me like before."

A heavy silence settled between the three adults. Rosa couldn't believe how out of control the situation had become so quickly. The British Ministry was after her personally. She closed her eyes. Why she did she make a scene to Cornelius Fudge? This was stupid, and she knew it.

"What should we do?" Aurèle asked.

"I believe," Amelia said, her voice heavy, "and I know how this sounds given my earlier opinion, that moving to Montreal may not be a bad idea after all."

Rosa was shocked by Amelia's words. She never thought she would hear her sister-in-law advise them to flee. Even back when Edgar and his family were slaughtered, Amelia had disapproved their decision to hide. To hear her actually suggesting they flee was more than unexpected. It was world changing.

"You're sure?" Aurelius asked, looking as uncertain as Rosa about how to react.

"I'm afraid so. You don't need to run away tonight. For now, Fudge is only consulting on possibly arresting you," Amelia said. "And there are still many people in the Ministry who trust me. They will inform me the moment Fudge moves seriously. But it would probably be better to accelerate your move."

Rosa and Aurelius looked at each other. They were still surprised, but at the same time relieved. To have Amelia's support not only to leave England, but also to leave it sooner meant a lot.

"I'll help you the best I can. And as long as I can," Amelia promised them.

Rosa felt a wave of relief crush on her.

"Thank you, Amelia," she said.

"By the way, Rosa…" her sister-in-law began, "I haven't given up on catching who ordered the Dementors to attack Susan. I won't lie, the investigation is stalling, but it is not abandoned either. What I know for sure is that this was no random attack. Someone gave the order for those Dementors to head for London. Who gave the order, why, and who he was targeting… I'm still not sure. But I will not give up."

Rosa gulped. "Thank you."

Amelia nodded. She looked at her watch. "I'm truly sorry, but I've got to head back to the Ministry. With those Death Eaters outside, I have no choice."

"Of course," Aurelius said, standing up. He went to hug his sister. "Be careful, Amelia."

His sister left, casting a last glance to Rosa before exiting the apartment. Aurelius and Rosa were alone now.

"Well… It seems like we'll be leaving even sooner than we thought," her husband commented, sad.

"I'm sorry, Aurèle," Rosa said.

"It's not your fault," he replied, depressed. "What are we going to do about Susan?"

Indeed, this was another issue. Rosa thought about it. "Maybe it would be better to let her finish her year. We already told her that she could, and anyway… As long as Dumbledore remains at Hogwarts, I guess she will be safe."

Aurelius nodded after a time. They both agreed.

Rosa felt exhausted. This day had been a real nightmare. On the small table next to the armchair where she crumbled, there was a newspaper opened at a page in the culture section.

"Reading Muggle newspaper?" she asked him.

"Yes," her husband replied, without much enthusiasm, though his voice regained some colour. "I was planning to talk to you about it when Amelia came. There's a very interesting movie the Muggles are preparing." Aurelius approached, turning a few pages with a sad smile. He stopped at one small article which he pointed. "There. That's a movie I think we'll both be interested to watch." Indeed, Aurelius was very interested in large Muggle transportation, such as rockets and planes, but also ships. "I think it is going to interest you as well, Rosa. It's about an Irish ship," he added in a quip.

Rosa, frowning but smiling a little, looked at the title of the article. Yes, indeed, that would interest her. It was hard to not have heard about this specific ship.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It shows us that Fudge is not controlling the situation he would like to. I always thought that between his control over the Daily Prophet and the authority he exercised over Hogwarts, the books sadly gave a vision of an all-powerful Minister, which is really not the case, especially if we consider how people in other countries would react to the massive escape of criminals.

It also gave me the opportunity to further dig into the lore of this universe and how international relationships between magical governments work.

Please review.

Next chapter: Ron