Author's note: I'm excited about a few things that are planned for the next couple of chapters. Character introductions, a few unexpected events, and the start of a new term... It's super encouraging to have so many comments after a month-long hiatus. Thanks for being patient while I prepared for the last leg of this story's journey.
Hereforhinny - No worries about the timing of comments! I'm always appreciative when I see one from you, but please don't feel like you need to post something as soon as the chapter is live. I'll be happy to read your comments whenever they come through!
Glad Perenelle's speech struck a chord with you. An earlier draft had her giving a similar speech near the end of the previous arc, but I'm pleased with how everything turned out by giving it more room to breath as an arc-starter. Thanks for commenting!
BashForFUN - Thanks for the kind words! While I'm not much of a mystery reader / writer, I do thoroughly enjoy slipping a few twists and turns into my writing, so I'm glad you're enjoying that.
Melissa Cox - Having the funeral as book / arc starter afforded me more space to delve into the feeling of the funeral, instead of having it as falling action after an exciting climax. Glad it could evoke such emotions in you, and thanks for sharing your thoughts in a comment!
GinnyPotter6891 - I'm glad the story is back, too! I missed the thrill of posting and the boost of seeing comments like yours come in throughout the week.
I've probably spent more time and effort trying to characterize Dumbledore well and get his actions right than any other person in the story. I take your kind words about me being even-handed with him as super high praise. Perenelle made for an interesting conduit for eulogizing Albus, since her perspective on him wasn't as clouded by reverence as many others.
You're right about the schedule: I'm still on the every-other-week train. This arc probably won't be as long as the previous, which clocked in at nearly 35 chapters. No promises yet, but I'm expecting 25-30 to close out the story. Thanks for all you kindness and encouragement!
Mewpagano - Thanks for the comment! I had hoped that the funeral's somberness would work well with a shorter chapter, so I'm glad it worked for you.
All bots or spammers messaging / commenting about turning my story into a comic or doing commissioned art - I'm not interested in that, so please stop flooding my inbox with requests for money. It's not going to happen!
Chapter 104
The Great Hall seemed much more crowded than usual to Harry. There were certainly more people in the huge room, but his feeling was heightened by how neither he nor anyone else seemed to know what they were supposed to be doing. He did his best to hover near Ginny, Ron, Hermione, or Sirius but kept getting pulled into stilted conversations with people he didn't know well. It had been one thing to sit quietly as the funeral speakers told stories about the headmaster; it was quite different to have various students and even adults press him for thoughts about Dumbledore. It took a great deal of restraint on Harry's part not to snap at Colin when the younger student sidled up to him for the third time and had been quite relieved when Sirius pulled him away from the younger student for a word.
"Was that the kid who Ginny said wanted to start a Harry Potter fan club?" asked Sirius once they were far enough away to not be heard.
"Don't even joke about that," replied Harry as he shook his head. "Don't want you to give him any ideas."
Sirius smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just spoke with Madam Bones for a few minutes. She doesn't want to press the issue here if you're not up for it, but she was hoping for a few words with you. What do you think?"
The frown on Harry's face deepened slightly as he considered the idea. Sirius had previously explained that the Minister might eventually be interested in talking to him, if for no other reason than to establish a better connection than her predecessor had enjoyed. From what Harry understood, she'd done a good job in the position. Certainly, she was far superior to Fudge in almost every way. Still, Harry didn't like the idea of using Dumbledore's funeral as an opportunity to chat.
"I'm not sure," he hedged, glancing around to see if she was anywhere nearby. "It feels weird to go talk to her under the circumstances, but it's not as though I want to make an appointment at the Ministry either. Any idea what she wants to talk to me about?"
"I get the feeling she wants to size you up," said Sirius with a shrug. "After Fudge did his best to make enemies of us both, she might want a better feel for how you view the Ministry. Considering how antagonizing you worked for the previous Minister, there's a chance she wants to make amends. What about going over for a couple of minutes, and if it seems off I can get us out of there?"
Though his stomach felt slightly queasy at the thought of the Minister of Magic caring about his opinion, Harry agreed to meet her. They made their way back across the room to where Sirius had last seen the Minister while attempting to avoid making eye contact with other mourners who might trap them in conversation.
When the two arrived, they found Madam Bones talking quietly with an older man who Sirius pointed out a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Harry noticed a serious-looking witch standing nearby and recognized her hand at the ready. He wasn't sure if she was an Auror or some other sort of security detail, but he did his best to appear non-threatening alongside Sirius until the Minister waved them both over.
"Ah, Mr. Potter!" she intoned with a saccharine smile, her hand outstretched to shake his. "Amelia Bones. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, Minister Bones. Nice to meet you." She took a step back and looked at Harry appraisingly. Something about her demeanor didn't quite sit right with him, though he tried to mask it. "I've enjoyed my classes with Susan and having her in Defense Club. She's one of the best students in our year."
The Minister's plastered-on smile shifted almost imperceptibly into something Harry thought looked more genuine. "I don't doubt that for a minute. She and your godfather both speak quite highly of you, and I trust at least one of their judgments."
"Hey now, no need for that!" interjected Sirius smoothly. "I'm sure Susan's judgment is just fine, too!"
Bones allowed herself a small laugh at Sirius' joke and pivoted into a question about how things had been going since being declared innocent at the trial more than a year prior. Harry got the impression that she was well-versed in this kind of back-and-forth small talk, especially in steering conversations toward her preferred subjects. Something was guarded about the way she spoke, even though what she said was reasonable.
"Of course, we'd been warned that adoption paperwork could take ages to process," added Sirius knowingly. "But I have to say we were pleasantly surprised how fast everything got sorted out. I'm sure that had nothing to do with your administration, though…"
The look on the minister's face made it clear to Harry that she was quite proud of that particular accomplishment.
"It was an important priority," she replied graciously, though the look of genuine care Harry thought he'd noticed before had reverted to something much more put-on. "After the terrible mess of things left by my predecessor, especially concerning the two of you, I figured a little extra push in the right direction was the least I could do."
Sirius nodded with a smile. "Well, we certainly appreciate it."
"As I understand it, Harry here is one of the main reasons Hogwarts students have enjoyed such improvement in their Defense test scores. Not only by posting some of the best marks our testers have seen in years but also by encouraging students to take Defense Against the Dark Arts more seriously."
Sirius feigned a gasp and clutched a hand to his chest. "Minister Bones! Surely you haven't used your position of power to snoop on my godson's exam scores!" The joke was more humorous to the two adults than it was to Harry.
"That's not a terrible idea, but no. Susan cares deeply about doing well in her classes. Maybe a little too deeply," she added with a wry smile. "It's more a question of preventing her from regaling me with how each of her classmates fared than it is prying information out of her."
The truth of what Madam Bones said was enough to coax a hint of a smile onto Harry's face. Her smirk grew wider when she noticed it on him.
"She has been simply obsessed with making it past the entry exam since the Advanced Defense option was announced. I can't tell you how many inches she's written me about those damned gauntlets over the past term." With an earnest look and an arching eyebrow, she regarded Harry. "Now that she's earned her way into the class, would you be so kind as to prepare me for what is to come? Should I ready myself for an unending stream of missives regarding Advanced Defense homework and tests?"
Despite not being certain whether he liked Madam Bones yet, Harry knew that he appreciated Susan. Though she could come across as a more tightly wound version of Hermione, Harry felt much more comfortable discussing her recent success in the Defense Club than he did about talking about potential political favors.
"None of us were surprised that Susan got in. She worked really hard in the club and you could tell she cared about getting it right. Advanced Defense doesn't have much written homework. Mostly we go over ways to use what we're learning in other classes in dueling. As for exams, there's going to be another set of gauntlets for us at the end of the term. The end of term exam will have three difficulty levels, and that's how our grade for the class gets determined."
"Quite the novel way to test student competency," mused Madam Bones, looking impressed. "And you believe Susan can keep up?"
Harry gave a confident nod. "From what I've seen in Defense Club, I think she's going to do very well."
Bones clapped her hands together once with enthusiasm, only remembering where she was and under what circumstances. A few nearby funeral attendees looked their way, but the Minister had already reformed a more dignified appearance. She gave Sirius a sheepish look mixed with a grimace.
"Not the time for that, not the time," she muttered, though there was the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Other than getting insider information on my niece, there was something else I wanted to speak with you about…
"Even though we've made progress in the fight against Voldemort, there are still too many lives being lost." The Minister's ability to change topics abruptly was almost jarring to Harry, though her use of Voldemort's name without shuddering or stammering gave him a better feeling about her. "What you students are learning about defense is of critical importance, and we'd love to see more citizens capable of properly fending off an attack. With that said, my administration is looking to begin a recruiting push for young witches and wizards interested in joining the fight more directly.
"As I understand it, many of the exceptional students taking Advanced Defense are strongly considering a career with the Aurors or elsewhere in the Ministry. Would you say that's the case?"
Harry greatly preferred discussing Susan's defense progress rather than the war effort, especially as Minister Bones slipped back into her more professional and polished demeanor. He thought back through the other nine current Advanced Defense students and whether they had expressed interest in working at the Ministry of Magic.
Hermione was an emphatic yes, though Harry knew her interests aligned more with pushing for reforms. Ron had mentioned possibly joining the Aurors during fifth year but hadn't done well enough on his Potions exam to make it into Snape's NEWT-level class. Cho's lack of a firm direction for after Hogwarts remained a large stressor for the Head Girl, but the ministry loomed as a possibility.
Some of the Advanced Defense students didn't seem likely to apply for any ministry positions. Ginny had her heart set on playing professional quidditch, while Parvati looked to be a lock for a career as a Healer. Dean occasionally shared dreams of pursuing his art full-time, and Harry didn't really know much about the others' plans after Hogwarts.
"A few of us may," hedged Harry. "That still feels a long way off, though."
"It comes faster than you'd expect," Madam Bones replied as her smile faltered slightly. Still, she continued with her pitch. "Losing Dumbledore is a huge blow to our side, not only in terms of his power and magical prowess but in our ability to inspire hope.
"No one person will be able to make up for that loss, but the important work of urging others to continue the fight might still be accomplished. Many hands make light work, as they say."
Beginning to see the contours of what the minister was driving at, Harry shifted uncomfortably as he stood. To his relief, Sirius interjected.
"Harry's already shouldering more than his fair share of that burden," replied Sirius, not fully masking his defensiveness.
"Very true, very true," agreed Bones quickly, though she did not seem placated. "I simply mean to suggest that his propensity for inspiring others need not be limited to his fellow students."
Her eyes darted to the older man to whom she had been speaking before Sirius and Harry arrived. When she gave him a small wave, he sauntered to join the conversation.
"Samuel Rowle, at your service." The man extended a hand, squeezing Harry's a little more firmly than necessary.
"Samuel has filled me in on a change in school policy that occurred in recent years. Students have been disallowed from giving interviews in print media, as I understand it?"
"Professor McGonagall insisted on the change after a few rogue students used the press to smear their peers," confirmed Rowle with a nod. "If memory serves, you and some of your friends were on the receiving end of those attacks in the Daily Prophet which led to the change."
The look on the man's face made it clear that he was well aware of the circumstances to which he referred, even as Madam Bones reclaimed control of the conversation.
"I was just lamenting to Samuel that so many are unaware of your exploits from the last few years. The stories of your harrowing escapes and feats of bravery could provide our populace with added vigor and hope, especially when much of the news nowadays is dark and depressing. Not to mention all the work you and the Defense Club have put in.
"That thought got me wondering…" Bones gestured back at Rowle, feigning as if the entire conversation was just coming together in her mind. "Perhaps the previous rule change was overly broad?"
"With the benefit of hindsight, I believe the other school governors and I would be amenable to revising the policy so that interviews were allowed, if sanctioned by the headmistress and signed off on by a guardian." Rowle inclined his head toward Sirius magnanimously before turning back to Harry.
"If they made such a change," continued Bones, hope creeping into her voice. "Could I count on you to help tell the world about what you've experienced? And share what you and your classmates have done to prepare to defend yourself and others?"
Harry wasn't sure how to respond. He got the strong impression that the two of them were interested in using him and these potential interviews for their own purposes, but Harry also felt that there was merit to the proposition. It was true that many people were not well prepared for a potential run-in with Death Eaters, giants, or dementors, and he wondered whether his stories might help convince people to take defense more seriously.
"Err… I don't know. After everything the Prophet has written about my friends and me over the years…" Harry trailed off, flooded by memories of how the newspaper had accused Ginny and Hermione of cozying up to him due to his fame and his family's gold. As a frown began to spread across his face, Bones seized the chance to divert his thoughts.
"Ah, yes. I understand where you're coming from. They've written more hitpieces about me than I care to count, so I can empathize with not trusting them to tell your story or wanting to help them sell more copies."
Harry didn't doubt that Bones had little love for the Prophet. During the leadup to her becoming Minister of Magic, Hermione had pointed out several lightly-sourced articles accusing her of impropriety.
"There are certainly other options, even if they don't have as much reach," she continued, though less deftly than before as she considered options aloud. "Maybe a piece in Witch Weekly? I'd almost go with the Quibbler, just to see the look on the editor of the Prophet's face at getting scooped by Lovegood."
Without meaning to, Harry glanced over at Sirius. His godfather hadn't jumped in at first, but laid a hand on Harry's shoulder when their eyes met.
"It's an interesting proposal," Sirius cut in with a smile. "How about this: Harry and I will talk it over a bit and get back to you. That work for you, kid?"
Harry kept himself from breathing an audible sigh of relief. "Yeah, that sounds good."
"Perfect! I promised Kingsley we'd stop by to check in on him, but I'll make sure to get back in touch with you. Happy early Christmas to you both!"
Harry bid them goodbye as well, trying not to notice the slight twinge of disappointment on Madam Bones' face as he and Sirius turned away to move through the crowd.
After checking over his shoulder twice to make sure they had put enough space between them and the Minister, Harry let out a long sigh and looked at his godfather.
"What?" asked Sirius, his eyes beginning to show the tell-tale signs of mischief. "You don't like her?"
"No, it's not that," replied Harry wearily. "She just… I don't know. What do you think?"
"I think she's a politician." Sirius let out a quiet laugh at the confused look on his godson's face. "I knew her a bit back in school, though she's a few years ahead of me. Amelia knows how to play the game. Why do you think she's angling for you to do interviews?"
"I'm not sure," answered Harry as they exited the Great Hall to find Kingsley. An Auror they didn't recognize trudged past them in the icy sludge on patrol, so they opted to stay near the entrance in hopes that Kingsley would walk by. "I know she said it's for morale or something, but I don't understand why the Minister of Magic would care so much about me talking to a newspaper."
"What's been on the cover of the Daily Prophet lately? Let's say over the last term."
Harry considered the question. Most recently, the paper had been plastered with headlines about Dumbledore's death and the Azkaban breakout, with wild speculation about what it meant for Hogwarts, the war, and wizarding society more generally. Before that, there had been stories about the giants rampaging through Hogsmeade, dementors attacking people, and Death Eaters running amok. It had even featured some of the ways Muggles had been targeted, including how the Brockdale Bridge had been brought down. All things considered, the Prophet had been reporting a great deal of dismal news recently.
"A lot of attacks. The stuff Voldemort and his followers are doing to scare people into submission. And now Professor Dumbledore's death." The headmaster's name caught in Harry's throat as he said it aloud.
"Precisely. And all that bad means people are looking for someone to blame. We both know it's not Bones' fault that the war's still going on, but a lot of folks are getting antsy.
"Amelia isn't stupid; she knows that she's only got so long until people start clambering for someone else to replace her if things don't improve. From what I've seen, she's made some decent progress, but that doesn't mean everyone else believes she's the right person for the job. Seems like she might be trying to use a bit of your celebrity to rally the troops, so to speak."
The frigid wind whipped past the two of them, causing Harry to wince. He closed his eyes and drew a long breath of cold air as his brow furrowed in frustration.
"Yeah, yeah. I know you hate the whole 'being famous' thing," placated Sirius as he ruffled Harry's already messy hair. "But at least she wants you to talk about your actual accomplishments, not just what happened when you were a baby."
"You think I should do it?"
"That's up to you," replied Sirius. "I can see some ways it might be helpful, and not just to Amelia's political career. I know we're both hopeful about being rid of Voldemort for good, but there are many people out there whose hope reserves are running low. Reminding them that good folks can stand up for what's right against Voldemort and his allies could mean a lot.
"I got us out of there because I figured you might want more time to consider your options and those two looked likely to push for an answer right then."
As much as Harry didn't want to sit down with someone from the Prophet, Sirius' points made sense. Reminding people that Voldemort and his followers could be beaten could help stem some of the hopelessness that had settled in since Dumbledore's death, and maybe even encourage some to brush up on the defense. Looking out across the chilly Hogwarts grounds, the hint of a curious smile began to form on Harry's lips as he met his godfather's eye.
"What do you know about the Quibbler?"