Shoe Dropping

DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you’ve seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$

A/N: For being late, it’s two chapter time…

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: SHOE DROPPING

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10 th 1993 (Day 5)

“Sirius,” Harry exclaimed as Sirius, a woman and a girl entered the Manor. “‘Bout time you showed up. Everyone’s waiting for dinner!”

“Harry, you need to learn that in polite society it is fashionable to be fashionably late,” Sirius replied.

“And how late is that?” Hermione asked.

“Late enough to miss the annoying small talk and still early enough to make the dinner. We haven’t held you up, have we?”

“No,” Harry smiled. “You’re just the last of the guests and I was planning to say something like that to whomever it was last through the door.”

“Right then,” Sirius said as he and his two companions were now close to Harry and the others, “Lord Potter, may I introduce my wife Connie, the Lady Black?”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Harry said. “I would say we’ve heard a lot about you, but your husband here has been surprisingly mum on the subject. I can’t see why.”

“Lord Potter,” Connie replied with a slight curtsey as decorum dictated.

“And this is my daughter Anna,” Sirius added proudly.

“Hi Anna!” Hannah said brightly. Anna merely blushed.

“You were with us on the train ride here, right?” Harry asked.

“You remember that?” Anna asked surprised.

“I remember all of my guests, even if I can’t remember all their names. I never thought you were… well, welcome to our home, Cousin.”

“Cousin?”

“Yep. My Gran was the daughter of Cygnus Black who was also your father’s Great-grandfather. You’ll find a fair few of your Cousins about tonight. Lady Black, Anna, my wife and bondmate Lady Hermione, Countess Finchley. She’s not a black but she and I are double digit Cousins, twelve removes or so. My wife and Bondmate Lady Luna, Countess Hwicca. She’s descended from Phineus Black on her father’s side making her our Third Cousin, I think. My wife Lady Daphne, Countess Abengale…”

“You were the Manor Advocate!” Anna gushed.

Daphne nodded.

“She’s descended from Sirius on her mother’s side and Phineus on her father’s making her a Third Cousin to us two times over. My Wife by Line Continuation Lady Hannah Abbot, Baroness Tinworth. She’s not a Black, at least not very recently. She’s my Sixth Cousin on my father’s side and finally, my Betrothed, the former Miss Ginny Weasley. She’s descended from Arcturus Black, making her also our third cousin.”

“So,” Ginny said, “introductions aside, Lady Black what possessed you to associate with this renegade?”

“I take exception,” Sirius began in mock indignation.

“Fred and George,” Ginny said. “I know it when I meet it.”

“Literally bumped into him in Diagon Alley,” Connie replied. “Dropped my shopping, he helped pick it up and that was it.”

“I don’t think it really works that way,” Daphne said.

“It does when you share compatible magic,” Connie replied.

“Um… ,” Harry stammered, “not necessarily. ‘Til the end of last term, Hermione was my best friend and I could easily have continued to see her as that. Had that happened, we’d never have bonded and Luna and I became friends end of last term, but had I not promised to visit her this past summer it’s also possible we might not’ve bonded. Just 'cause you know the person doesn’t mean the bond will ever happen. You’ve got to… um…”

“See them as a serious romantic possibility and act on that,” Hannah said. “And they have to respond in kind. Without a partner, you’re just dancing by yourself, you know?”

“That and we are young,” Luna said. “Harry and I were only twelve when it happened and it doesn’t always happen that young even if it might happen later.”

“Even now, our bonds are still forming ‘cause we’re too young to form it through… you know,” Hermione blushed.

“You know?” Anna asked.

“You’ve had the talk with Madam Pomfrey,” Connie said. “She means sex. I thought that’s what did it.”

“If the couple is magically mature or close enough to it,” Luna said. “We’re not. And it’s more than that and it was that more that does it. The sex stuff seals it, but the bond begins forming without it if the two see the other as a romantic partner and even if the two are not truly aware of it at the time. In our case, it was just a kiss that got it started.”

“We were older so that wasn’t an issue,” Connie said. “I’d just finished Hogwarts and he was a few years ahead of me. After we finally got together, we realized we both felt something like a pull towards each other from the moment we first saw each other which was when I entered the Great Hall to be sorted. I thought it was just a crush then.”

“I was a Fourth Year,” Sirius said. “I thought it was creepy feeling that about an ickle Firstie girl.”

“Years later when I bumped into him after finishing Hogwarts, however, I thought he was dashing and desirable and very nice and all that.”

“She was done with school and so stunning and funny and smart and all the things I liked in a girl with none of the stuff that bugged me. We completed the bond that very day.”

“Bit fast, don’t you think?” Luna said.

“You kissed Harry the moment he came over!” Hermione scolded. “Right in front of my Mum and I, as I recall.”

“Okay, there’s that. I suppose the bond works when it works.”

“Could’ve been worse,” Harry quipped. “Could’ve been far more than a kiss right in front of your mother and you.”

“Harry!”

“And you kissed me too,” Harry continued, “starting our bond as well, so thank goodness all it took for us was a kiss. Much as I like your Mum and Luna’s Great-grans, more than a kiss would have been…”

“We get the picture,” Sirius said. “Are you trying to be a bad influence?”

“You were the one implying that the two of you ‘got a room’ the very day you ‘bumped’ into each other in Diagon Alley,” Harry replied. “We haven’t done that yet… at least the adult stuff that happens in such rooms.”

“I think we should move inside,” Daphne said. “I think you lot broke her,” she added looking at Anna whose mouth was agape.

“She’ll be okay,” Connie said. “She’s had a lot to take in since she arrived here the other morning. She thought this Mutt was dead, poor thing. Never said that, but what I did say… well, I could see how she came to that conclusion. Anyway, I was told that one of you knows the Fidelius Charm.”

“I’d say we all know it,” Hannah said. “Hermione’s the one who casts it when we need it.”

“Why?” Hermione and Harry asked in unison.

“We have some secrets we want kept that way,” Sirius said. “Nothing I feel you shouldn’t know, or any of your other guests to be honest, but it’s easier the fewer who know right off, right?”

“It is,” Hermione agreed.

“I’ll be the Secret Keeper as I will need to be able to tell others as needed,” Sirius said. “You start the spell first, right?”

Hermione nodded. “Petal?” she called and a House Elf appeared wearing a dress. “Could you fetch my wand, please?” The elf popped away without answering. “We don’t carry around here ordinarily,” she explained just moments before the elf returned with her wand. “Thank you Petal.” When the elf disappeared again, Hermione began muttering a series of incantations. “Okay,” she said. “The door’s open as it were. What secret do you wish kept?”

“This work for more than one?”

Hermione nodded. “Everything you reveal after saying this is the secret will be under the charm. When you’re done, I’ll seal it.”

“These are the Secrets: Connie is my wife, the Lady Black. Anna his my daughter and heir as Regent to the Ancient and Noble House of Black…”

“Can I add to that?” Connie asked.

Hermione nodded.

“Our daughter Anna shares compatible magic with one Justin Finch-Fletchly.”

“What?” several voices asked as Hermione waived her wand sealing the charm. “I hope there wasn’t more,” she admitted.

“That’s it.”

“Justin, huh?” Harry asked. “Seems nice enough.”

“You know him?” Sirius asked.

“He’s a Hufflepuff in our year. Muggle Born.”

“That’s not important.”

“When he got petrified last year, everyone thought Harry did it,” Hannah said. “Well, not everyone. I didn’t. But I could see how others might think that. He had told Harry he was down for eating before he got his Hogwarts letter.”

“Eton,” Hermione said and then spelled it.

“What’s that mean?” Sirius asked.

“It’s a very exclusive Muggle secondary school not far from where I live. It’s not far from Windsor Castle either. I couldn’t go there. First off, my parents aren’t that rich and I’m not from the nobility, not that you need to be to go there but it helps. I could probably have passed the entrance exams but they don’t take girls. The place has several who became Prime Ministers of Great Britain among its former students. There was a bit of a thing in the Muggle press when it was revealed that Prince William’s to attend. The royal family usually attended another school. I’d say it’s kind of the Muggle’s version of Hogwarts in terms of prestige.”

“His family seems to have money,” Hannah nodded. “Not like Malfoy money; the older, quieter kind. He doesn’t say much about it really although I think he said his Grandfather’s an Earl and maybe he’s in line for it later.”

“Why a Fidelius for that?” Ginny asked.

“Probably the same reason why Sirius wants to keep my identity and his daughter’s as quiet as possible,” Connie said.

“And why’s that?”

“Someone did try to kill me at St. Mungo’s,” Sirius said. “The Auror’s think it’s someone who’s family’s still upset that one of theirs was on the wrong side of my wand back during the War. I’m not so sure. Might be something to do with House Black and if it is, I’d rather the world not know about my wife and daughter. That concern aside, if it comes out I have a legitimate daughter, I’ll be buried under marriage offers and I’d rather not deal with any of that! I didn’t marry ‘cause of some contract like that and I won’t do that to my daughter! Although now…”

“Siri?”

“It might be a good idea to talk with these Finches or whatever just in case.”

“What do you mean, Daddy?”

“The reason I wanted it secret was to make sure if the bond happens it happens naturally,” Connie said.

“It can only happen that way,” Hermione countered.

“But I can see a use for the charm,” Harry said. “None of us but Sirius can reveal that little bit. We can’t even behave in a way that could reveal the secret. That’s a reason right there.”

“What do you mean?” several voices asked.

“Anna here’s eleven and has just learned she may have a bondmate in her future and Justin is a decent enough bloke as far as I’ve seen. Without the Charm, she might… well, assuming she’s interested… she might be a little… well, kinda like Ginny was ‘bout me last year. Sorry Gin, but that was a little creepy.”

“I didn’t mean to be creepy,” Ginny moaned.

“And you’re not. Not any more. Not since you’ve joined us here. But it was odd.”

“That was the diary!”

“It was odd before. I came to the Burrow and you practically hid in your room the whole time. Your brothers said you were a right chatter box and all you ever said to me was ‘eep!’ You put your elbow in the butter! Creepy.”

“You would have to bring that up,” Ginny groaned.

“I like this you a lot better,” Harry said getting her to smile.

“I don’t think I’m ready for a boyfriend,” Anna said.

“Well,” Hermione replied, “whether you are or are not has nothing to do with the bond. You can’t bond until you’ve reached bonding age.”

“Without something else like a Life Debt,” Ginny added.

“There is that,” Luna giggled. “But I’m pretty sure this Justin boy’s not Harry. Harry saves damsels in distress before breakfast.”

“It was after bedtime, really,” Harry said.

“Closer to breakfast from what I heard.”

“After dinner, really,” Hermione chuckled

“Oh yeah, I guess that one counts too.”

“The thing would’ve killed me Harry.”

“So, you owe me a…”

“I might have,” Hermione almost purred. “But this other bond cancelled that one out.”

“Just what are you talking about?” Connie asked.

“Bit of a long story,” Harry began.

“Two stories,” Ginny added.

“Oh, it’s a lot more than just two stories,” Luna said. “Unless you only count the ones where he saves the damsel from certain death then it’s only two stories… for now.”

“I really don’t think… ,” Harry began.

“Despite everything, Harry, we cannot truly say we know what the future holds and could you turn your back on a girl like that?”

“Depends. Parkinson’s toast if she expects me to…”

“Which answers the question. You will help if you have to.”

“So we need to see to it he doesn’t have to,” Daphne said. “Can’t let just anyone in on our ‘Harry Time’, can we?”

“There’s always Ron,” Ginny chuckled. “We just keep him near to do the damsel saving so Harry doesn’t have to. Poor Ron. Only has one witch…”

“I don’t think he wants more,” Harry groaned.

“You didn’t either, as I recall,” Luna said.

“You accepted more,” Hannah agreed. “And for that we all can thank you.”

“The point is, Ladies,” Hermione interrupted, “Anna here is not old enough to start bonding, assuming that is in her future.”

“Is it always like this?” Connie asked.

“Not always,” Luna said. “We’re just in a good mood.”

“Are you sure you haven’t been wine tasting?” Harry offered.

Harry lay in bed. As had been the case since the bondings for him had begun, he was not alone. Of his five ladies, only Ginny slept in her own room and that would remain the case until the two of them were married. Beyond saying it would happen the coming summer, the two of them had not picked a date yet. They both knew it would be another Gringotts marriage. The weddings would not happen until they were older. The more Harry thought about all of this, the more he believed it was all semantics. All five of the girls were his wives in the only true way it mattered: his heart.

The dinner had been planned to officially welcome Sirius’s wife and daughter to the Estate. It was at the dinner that Sirius revealed to everyone that he had bought one of these trunks and Harry revealed that he had talked to Sirius and Neville about the possibility of combining these three trunk Estates into a single “Trunk Country.” The estates would remain separate “properties” managed and controlled by the separate families, but mostly open to all residents of the Country. This was particularly true for the recreational lands lakes and rivers. Each Estate would retain its own drainage system such that their streams and rivers flowed into a large Lake. But the roads would interconnect and you could fly from place to place without regard to the boundaries mostly. Harry did say that each Estate or portion thereof (a single trunk) could retain its own time compression and for that hour or so in Outside Time it would be inaccessible from the rest of the “Country” as well. Whether and when such Time Compression was used was up to the Estate’s owner. The entire Country could also be able to use that feature.

Neville’s Estate would be to the north of Harry’s, connecting to his two northern most trunks and House Longbottom could continue extending to the north. Harry and House Potter could extend to the east and West of his four new trunks and then out from there. Sirius would be tied into the east connecting into the Old Farms of House Potter and building out to the east and south. Ron then announced his intention to get his own trunk as well, once he had saved the money. When that would happen depended entirely upon how much he received from the sale of the basilisk which could not be known for several weeks. If it was only what the Goblins offered, Ron figured he could get his “first” trunk the summer following his OWLs. Naturally, Ron hoped the basilisk would be worth “a lot” more so he and Katie could have their farm sooner rather than later.

There was some discussion about Anna and whether they should do anything about the revelation that she had a potential bondmate. Sirius revealed the secret of this as everyone settled in for the appetizers. After all, he trusted the people here and having two unknown people at the dinner would be odd. It was a lively discussion, although it was certain that poor Anna was mortified with all of it. Fortunately, she was seated between Ginny and Luna who each in their own way kept her from dying from embarrassment. James and Lily were all for setting the two up as they had hoped to do with Harry, Hermione and Luna. Harry and his ladies thought it was a bit late to be that obvious about it. They needed to know what Justin thought at least in general. This, Ron said, was not as hard as it sounded. True, the Fidelius prevented anyone other than Sirius from revealing anything about Anna. But according to Ron, the other blokes in their year were already starting to look at the witches in the lower years as “potentials.” After all, Harry and Neville were now married to eight of the witches in their year, almost half the total and nearly all of the “hotties” as he put it. So it would be a simple matter of asking what Justin thought of the “new crop” as it was now being called.

Sirius was planning on two projects provided he was not going to snuff it if he left the trunks. First, regardless of what happened at Hogwarts, he felt it prudent to approach the parents of Anna’s Bondmate about this, not so much to move it forward but to prepare for what would happen if it did. He needed to know more about this boy and his possible inheritances and what his parents thought of that sort of thing. They should know how their son being a wizard might affect such things. The second project was Neville’s parents. Andi had discovered the possible cure, but Sirius had to do the countercurse. Andi explained that the real problem was not the countercurse itself, but the nature of the original curse. The victim might not want to return to reality and Andi felt it would be necessary for them to have a reason to return. That reason, she felt, was their son Neville and they had agreed that Neville needed to be there when they tried to reverse the spell which meant they had to wait until the Christmas break.

This was disappointing for Harry. Apparently, Neville had already been told of this by Mrs. Tonks and had accepted it. Still, Harry felt it was not fair that he should have his parents back and Neville still had to wait.

“Harry,” Luna said as they discussed this in bed, “but they will come back or should. My mother can’t come back.”

“Sorry, Luna, I…”

“It is a good thing you care about your friends so much, Harry. But you must know that you can’t save everyone. Sooner or later it will happen and there will be someone you can’t save.”

“What about the future memories?”

“I don’t think they work that way,” Hermione said.

“But Sirius…”

“Yes, his life is very different now,” Luna said. “But beyond that we can’t say.”

“He never saw his wife again in that other time, Harry,” Hermione added. “He never knew about Anna.”

“Nor would he have known,” Luna said. “Well, he never would’ve met her.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

“She was the girl on the train, Harry.”

“You mean…?”

“In that other timeline, Anna died on her first trip to Hogwarts. We stopped that from happening not even knowing who she really was and she has her family back as a result. We cannot say for how long. But does it really matter? She died in that time never knowing who her father was and Sirius died never even knowing she had existed. You can’t save everyone, Harry. People will die, maybe even people who didn’t die at that time in the other time. But already there are people who’ve gained what they never had in that time and that should be enough.”

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11 th 1993.

Admittedly, the plan was never one which could be accomplished in a short period of time. She knew it might take decades at the present rate. But it would not do for others to truly know all she was planning. True, there were many who had similar ideas about what their world should be. But she had no intention of being a leader or standing out. She knew to stand out was to invite defeat. She was not from a family that offered any prestige or power. True, she was a Pure-blood and probably more so than most who claimed such status. But her family had no land and little money and never had. She could not even bemoan the foolish ideas of a rich ancestor who squandered her family’s fortune, for there never had been a fortune to squander. If anyone with true connections actually stood in her way, she knew she would lose.

But none had. She had not been sorted into Slytherin by chance. There were many ways to wield power and not all of them required anyone know about it. There was nothing cunning about being Minister for Magic or holding a family seat on the Wizengamot. She got where she was through cunning. She doubted anyone who had known her at school would have seen her as Senior Undersecretary and even then few would have seen her as being what she really was. The Senior Undersecretary was historically nothing more than a paid advisor to whomever they were Senior Undersecretary to. In most cases, they were glorified servants, highly paid toadies whose most exciting days in the Ministry were working out seating arrangements or picking up her bosses suits from the cleaners. Dolores Umbridge had never done either of those servant chores. She held a lot of power and had access to far more than most of the true Department Heads.

It had helped she had hitched her career to that of a man with no true ambitions. True, he had wanted the post he held now. But he never really reached for it. How could he? The Head of the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had never been a stepping stone to truly high office and he was not expected to gain his House Seat in the Wizengamot. The truth was, he only got as far as that through her efforts. She would have preferred to tie herself to a true up and comer. It was not her fault she never attained a single NEWT such that she had to start her career as a mere file clerk in the Goblin Liaison Office. It was not her fault she had never married. Her early struggles were due in no small part to the small minds of wizards, none of whom were her betters despite what they thought.

Were it not for the War, she might not be where she was now. She had managed to get Cornelius Fudge to take her on as his assistant. But his career was as much as a dead end as hers had been. Had she not gotten Fudge to notice her talents, she might now have risen to be a shift supervisor for file clerks. It was amazing the doors that could open if one had the right information and, in this case, the right information was knowing that Fudge had a second and third “illegal” wife. Fudge had his “proper” society wife. She was a witch who in Umbridge’s opinion had no ideas or visions that went beyond the threshold of a clothing boutique. Fudge found her a nice ornament for society functions, but otherwise she was of no interest and the lack of a child attested to the lack of any such interest. His real family was with a couple of Muggle women of all things! Whether the two women knew of each other and whether they knew he was a wizard… Well, that was why she was his assistant, wasn’t it? They probably did not know and he knew that she did and would use it.

“Their” break came because of the War. He had moved to a family afterthought to the Holder of the Fudge seat simply because all those ahead of him had either died or been killed. That move had allowed Umbridge to begin to truly pursue her ambition, but he needed to be more of a patron than that. The post of Minister appealed to his vanity almost as much has having a hoard of Fudge abominations springing forth from those Muggle creatures. He really had no plans about what to do if he became Minister. In the last three years, he had not bothered to do much of anything, at least not of his own volition. Anything that had happened had been at her suggestion and all of it aimed at moving their world to where it ought to be. She envisioned a world totally separate from those filthy, promiscuous Muggles and freed from the vile ideas of the Muggle Born abominations. In her perfect world, they would make perfect slaves. Naturally, not all would accept their proper place so they would be put down. Her world, Goblins either bowed to her or were eliminated, preferably eliminated as they were little better than cockroaches. One step at a time and one day they would be gone along with other freaks of nature. She’d let the Elves be. After all, they had to be slaves and they had their uses. The rest could die and no one would truly miss them.

There were many who believed she had been a Death Eater during the War. There was much about what the Dark Lord wanted that she found admirable. But she knew enough to know that the Dark Lord wanted absolute power and as this would mean nothing for her, there was no way she would openly support it. Moreover, she knew early one that someone from her family would be seen as little more than an expendable asset. There might be some Pure-bloods who would foolishly throw their lives away. She was not one of them. So, she never became an open follower. But she had never done anything to dispute the rumours that she had been. Fear had its uses after all.

Those damnable Goblins! You would think they were the ones who truly ruled with the way the government seemed to be bending over backwards to make them happy. So what if she almost killed one of those creatures. It was a pity she missed! The beasts had banned her for life and no one was doing anything about it. All of her files, all of her proof of things, everything she could use to keep countless witches and wizards from obstructing her plans; all of this was in her vault which she could not access. So far, none of the people she had threatened with exposure had realized that she was practically defanged. For now, her job was to keep them from learning she was no longer the threat she had been. Even the ones who thought as she did - though did nothing - would turn on her if they knew. But so long as she was Senior Undersecretary, few would know and fewer would do anything to upset her plans.

“You wanted to see me, Cornelius?” she said as she entered the office of the spineless man who was Minister. It annoyed her to no end that she had to answer to him about anything. Were he not necessary to her plans…

“Ah, Dolores please have a seat.”

She had better things to do with her time than listen to this man’s attempts at a thought. But she knew better than to express her extreme displeasure.

“A couple more and we can get on with this,” he said politely. “Would you care for a cup of tea while we wait?”

“No thank you,” she said sweetly.

She thought she saw some movement. Was he holding his wand at her? No. Just her imagination. Must be the stress of some of her other business.

“Minister?” a voice said and Dolores turned and saw the face of the Minister’s Office Secretary who was little more than a vapid, pretty face from a “good” family and who, in Dolores’s opinion would never amount to more than she was now. “The Head of Magical Law Enforcement and Director of Personnel have arrived.”

“Ah! Send them in and we can begin,” he said cheerfully.

Dolores could not stand the two witches who entered. Madam Bones held a seat as Proxy for a major House. Dolores only attended a Wizengamot session to vote some of the Ministry votes and knew her attendance was at the sufferance of this figurehead Minister and once he was gone, she’d lose all access to that body. Bones held a permanent seat. She had received a life appointment several years ago to add that vote to the several she held for House Bones. That she was a Muggleborn abomination only made it worse. Ms. “Mizz!” Palmer was another thorn in her side. Personnel was arguably the most powerful department within the Ministry even if it never made the papers or had any impact on policy. To a Ministry employee, even one of Dolores’s stature, one did not cross Personnel as they could misfile paperwork affecting promotions, pay and pensions. Mizz Palmer’s opinion of Dolores was clear. If Mizz Palmer had her way, Dolores would be lucky to be kicked down to a deep, dark, dusty file room. She made it clear she felt Dolores was absolutely unqualified for anything else and barely qualified for that job. What was particularly vexing was she had never found any useful information about either of these women.

“I’ve dealt with the preliminary matter,” Fudge said. Dolores had no idea what that meant, but judging by the reaction the Bones lady did. She nodded in reply but otherwise showed no reaction. “Right then. As you know, Dolores, this mess with the ICW has been bad for business as it were. Aside from the trial of Lord Black - and that was only occasioned through the use of some rather interesting magic…”

“Which should be outlawed,” Dolores shot back. One of her side projects had been the struggle to gain control of that House. She did not care who succeeded in that so long as they were beholding to her for that success. But the damn heir had to escape. She was the one who had convinced Fudge to issue the infamous “Shoot to Kill” Order. His escape and exoneration was a blow.

“Now, now. Harmless stuff, really. Besides, it is Ancient and Noble Houses we’re talking about. Anyway, it was only through that, that we could even have dealt with that miscarriage of justice. Unfortunately, the Ministry does not have such a useful… um… devise such that we can keep the wheels of government going smoothly while also dealing with this mess across the Channel. I am most concerned with it, as you know. The matter’s been before them for well over a month and we are paralyzed while they bicker back and forth and my sources tell me it is not going well for us, not by any stretch. Dumbledore may well lose his seat with them over this and we can’t have that. Whatever your opinions of the man may be, it is not in the best interests of Britannia to lose that seat particularly as it is the French who seem to be positioned to gain from it.”

“I seem to recall hearing that should… Dumbledore… be ousted, it was the Americans who are considered in the lead for the Supreme Mugwump position,” Dolores said.

“Not much better than a French one,” Fudge said. “I’ve heard the same too from Barty’s Department. Their sources say the French are backing an American candidacy in exchange for… considerations. Don’t know yet what that means, except it won’t be to our benefit. So, we need to do something to secure Dumbledore in that post. A few weeks ago, I would also have wished to avoid sanctions, but that opportunity is well and truly lost it seems. I will not simply turn you over to the Goblins headsman, which is all the others seem willing to accept to forbear on sanctions.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Dolores said wondering where this was going. No Minister would have done that even if the witch in question was facing a lifetime in Azkaban for that or other crimes.

“But accommodations must be made,” Fudge continued.

“Accommodations?” Dolores did not like the sound of that one bit.

“It was your actions that have led us to where we are,” Madam Bones said icily. “It was your information - false information! - that set us off to embarrass ourselves before the Goblins and the world. The Goblins want your head and I dare say the ICW would lose no sleep over your demise had we turned you over to them!”

“Naturally, I could not go that far,” Fudge added. “I have been advised from many sources that short of that, I should consider terminating your employment.”

“You can’t possibly… ,” Dolores began.

“I considered that recommendation and felt it both unwise and unwarranted under the circumstances.”

“I’m pleased you at least can see reason.”

“But for you to continue as Senior Undersecretary is not politically acceptable. To be honest, I really have no idea what you do most of the time to collect your pay so it seems to me no real loss.”

“NO REAL LOSS?”

“Naturally, I can understand you may disagree. But I cannot sacrifice the political needs of this country just because it is inconvenient to a mere… what was the word?”

“Glorified errand boy,” Ms. Palmer said.

“So, it is deemed best for all concerned that you be reassigned to another less visible position within the Ministry. Ms. Palmer?”

The Director of Personnel handed Dolores a document. Dolores read it and… “FILE CLERK APPRENTICE? IN THE DEPARTMENT OF WASTE MANAGEMENT? THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! I WON’T STAND FOR IT!”

“It is the only position for which you are qualified based upon your most recent civil service examination and for which there is a current opening,” Ms. Palmer said with a predatory smile.

“But it's… it's…”

“Grade C-1, Entry Level, yes. But you see, you never took any examination for promotion, did you? We can’t place you above those who followed the accepted procedures for advancement, can we?”

“But… my pay?”

“Commencerate with your new position and time in grade as a C-1. I believe that’s three years of seniority.”

“I don’t have to stand for this! I can retire!”

“Not as of this morning. Had you retired yesterday… But you didn’t. You’re pension rights are in abeyance until you’ve attained sufficient seniority through proper Grade advancement as determined by a ruling of the Personnel Board last week. They found the irregularities of your career advancement… disturbing. You may retire once you’ve attained twenty years seniority, that’s sixteen years and seven months from today. Of course, you can always quit. We can’t stop you. But you forfeit your pension if you do.”

“You’ll regret this! You all will regret this!”

“I doubt that very much,” Madam Bones said. “As of right now, your office and home are off limits to you until DLME completes collecting any and all documents, files and such that are of interest or are related to your former position. I’m very curious about what your infamous files may say although unless it’s clear evidence of illegality, I doubt anything will come of it. Assuming there are no illegal items in your possession, your personal property will be returned to you in due course. It’s not uncommon for Ministry workers to take their work home, but we can’t have important and potentially sensitive government documents appearing in the Daily Prophet, can we? If you try and access those places before my people are done, you will spend time as our guest in the holding cells awaiting trial for obstruction of a Ministry Investigation and whatever else I can pin on you. Furthermore, if you should attempt to disclose sensitive information to the Press, you will stand in violation of at least three Acts that I can think of. My advice is report to Waste Management.”

“Can I take vacation time,” Dolores said trying not to lose all control.

“As you have no earned time under proper accounting, no,” Ms. Palmer said. “Not with pay, at least.”

“FINE!” She had nothing on the two witches yet. But she knew she had something on Fudge, something he’d regret if he didn’t change this travesty around to her advantage. She stormed out of the office. For the life of her, she could not remember what she knew about Fudge.

“Well Minister,” Madam Bones began as soon as it was clear Umbridge was truly gone.

“I did begin with the Obliviator’s Office,” he said. “Hated working in the rain. But it seems I haven’t lost the touch. Hopefully, this will mollify some of those in the ICW.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12 th 1993

Lucius Malfoy hated this part. He was not an employee of the Ministry or anything else for that matter thanks to his marriage. But he was somebody at least in his own mind. He was a proper scion of a Pure-blood family without a Muggle for generations and that should mean something. His gold financed more than a few pet projects both within the Ministry and the Wizengamot. And yet he was treated as if he was some crawling gutter snipe. Wizengamot members and Ministry employees did not have to present their wands to gain admission to the corridors of government beyond the Atrium. Members of the public at large, the unwashed masses of useless sheep did. And as far as the Ministry was concerned, despite the small fortune in “donations,” Lucius Malfoy was no better than the witch who cleaned rooms at the Leaky Cauldron. Like the rest of the public, he had to surrender his wand each and every time he entered. True, they gave it back.

“State your business for today?” the guard asked. They always asked that. Years and years ago, he had lied about that and nothing ever came of it. But the fool had to fill in some form and he had learned that “none of your business” was almost as effective at getting a lengthy meeting with the Aurors as casting an Unforgivable.

“Wizengamot Offices,” he drawled. “I have a scheduled appointment with a member.” This wasn’t true. But it never seemed to matter.

“Need a name, Sir,” the Ministry sop intoned.

“Lucius Malfoy,” he said slowly in case the creature lacked the ability to understand. The low level functionary looked at him with no recognition at all. He then handed the wand to someone standing behind him, whom Lucius had not noticed until then.

“I would appreciate the return of my wand,” Lucius said calmly. The Ministry law enforcement types occasionally liked to try and intimidate him. He wondered if he was unique in this regard or whether this was a random thing, just less random for him.

“You won’t be needing it,” the man said placing his wand into a pocket.

“I beg your pardon!” Lucius replied indignantly.

“Lucius Malfoy?” a voice called out from behind him. He turned and saw three Aurors with their wands draw. “You are under arrest. You do not have to say anything, but anything you do say may be given in evidence. Now, are you going to come quietly or do we have to stun you?”

“I wish to speak with my Solicitor,” Lucius drawled.

“I’m sure you do,” the Auror drawled back.

The Aurors seemed to have improved since the last time Lucius Malfoy had been their guest. They found everything he had including his emergency portkey. They found that little trinket amusing.

“Wouldn’t of worked,” one of them said smugly. “We put wards up before we decided to introduce ourselves.”

“I want to speak with my Solicitor,” Lucius had replied.

“Not bloody original, is he?” one of them replied as an aside to the others.

“More interesting than most,” the older one said. “Most spill or wet themselves. It’ll be fun watching this one break.”

“The old man said he won’t break, but also it’s not necessary to break him.”

“Still would be fun, though.”

“I want to speak with my Solicitor,” Lucius repeated.

“Suit yourself,” the Auror shrugged. They left him in a room with no windows he could see and a single door with no handle. There was a table with benches on either side, all of which seemed to grow out of the floor and none of which could be moved. Lucius knew this was an interrogation room. They had seemed to have made some changes since his last visit years ago, namely the permanently affixed furniture and, he noted, the lack of any clock. They had taken his pocket watch along with everything else. He had no idea why he was here, not really. There were things that would warrant the Aurors attention, but he was certain they could not have learned of those things. Still, it was disconcerting. He had no idea how much time passed before the door opened again. It was his Solicitor or at least one from the firm that handled his legal affairs.

“It’s sorted, I take it?” Lucius asked.

“They haven’t told me anything,” the young man replied.

“Surely the Minister…?”

“Bartley saw him,” the young man shrugged. Bartley was a senior partner at the firm that handled Lucius’s affairs. “Bartley says it’s as if the Minister never heard of you.”

“And why is he not here?”

“I don’t question the boss about his calendar,” the young man replied curtly. “He asked me to handle this and before you ask, this is hardly my first such assignment.”

“So… Well, I suppose it will be ROR or some bail?”

“I don’t even know if there are charges pending. It might be a simple matter such as your being a material witness to something else.”

“That must be it.”

“But… well, they usually don’t conduct those interviews here.”

The door opened inward and a large man entered. He had an unmistakably magical eye patch and walked with a staff or walking stick and a pronounced limp. One of his legs made a wooden sound whenever it struck the floor.

“No need to get up on my account,” the man said taking a seat across from Lucius and placing a closed file folder on the table. “Told ya, Lucy, didn’t I?”

Lucius said nothing.

“Not so smug as before or perhaps better trained? Not that it matters. Told ya I’d have ya one day and it appears that day has arrived. But I’m not gloating yet. See you’ve bought a new mouthpiece or are they so tired of you they’re giving you to those who have yet to feel dirty just being in your presence?”

“And who are you?” the young man asked.

“Oooh, he’s a live one, ain’t he? Like him already,” the man said to Lucius. “Alastor Moody’s the name, Master Auror retired.”

“Well, I think we should be speaking to someone with authority.”

“Do ya now? I said Master Auror retired. I didn’t say I was full on retired, did I? Still on call as a Special Investigator which means I do have authority, as you call it, and one might say a fair bit more than I did as a Senior Auror. So ya be wanting one with authority. Okay, laddie, I’m listening.”

“Surely this is all some sort of misunderstanding…”

“They teach you that bit in lawyering school? There’s no misunderstanding. Lucy here’s a murderin' bastard and we have him nipped. Just a question of dotting the right ‘i’s’ and crossing the right ’t’s' and he’s off on his long overdue all expenses paid holiday on our lovely island resort.”

“I haven’t heard any charges. Surely, his presence is not necessary to your investigation,” the young man pressed. “He’s an upstanding member of the community until a court says otherwise. He has obligations…”

“Oh, I am sure he does. Let me guess. You’re now going to ask for ROR or bail, am I correct?”

The young man nodded.

“Then you’re gonna remind me he’s tight with certain people and maybe drop a few names like Cornelius Fudge, right?”

The man made no response to that.

“That was yesterday, laddie. He could be tight with Merlin himself for all the good it’ll do him. Your bosses should’ve realized that it’s a new day and come up with a new act, ‘cause yours is more worn than my face. Alright then, no ROR and that’s non-negotiable. As for bail? Won’t take a knut under fifty million.”

“FIFTY MILLION?” Lucius exclaimed. “I don’t have fifty million!”

“Which is why we won’t accept a knut less. That too is non-negotiable laddie.”

“You are aware such a bail can be modified by the Wizengamot?”

“I’ve been dealing with scum like Lucy here and their smart mouthed coconspirators such as you and your boss since before you’re granddaddy was a gleam in your great-granddaddy’s eye, Mr. Adams and yes I know who you are despite your lack of manners. You can’t surprise me quoting chapter and verse as it were seeing as I had a hand in many of them. True, the Wizengamot might modify the bail, but if that’s the best you can hope for then maybe Lucy here needs to consider a different mouthpiece. Among other crimes, we’ve got him for attempted line theft and conspiracy to commit line theft of an Ancient and Noble House. Doubt those Wizengamot boys will be very accommodating.”

“Attempted…?”

“Nearly successful, but attempted.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“I doubt that. You should’ve said you’re paid to find that hard to believe. But it is the case, regardless if your belief is based upon belief or Galleons. I see you also are… skeptical Lucy?”

Lucius had said nothing.

“Must admit the scheme was clever. Maybe too clever. But it was one of the more entertaining ones to watch unravel. Should’ve broken the chain at some point. Might’ve kept you on the street a little longer. But you always thought you were a smart one. Scum like you always do and most of them wind up as our guests. I would ask you where you were on Monday, September 20th - as in three weeks ago - but there’s no real need.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lucius said in a measured voice.

“‘Course not, Lucy. All the time we’ve talked over the years and I’m left with the impression that you are without a doubt the most ignorant excuse for a wizard I’ve ever met. You don’t know nothin’ if I were to take you at your word. Then again, you’re also a liar so there’s no reason to ever take someone like you at your word.”

“Do you have to be insulting to my client?” Adams asked.

“Have to? No. But it is such fun. Right then!” Moody pulled a photograph from the filed folder. “You know this mutt, Lucy?” he said. “Not that I expect you would. Aside from the fact he’s dumb as a post and’ll do anything to get a fancy tattoo like the one what’s on your left arm, he’s not the type you’d associate with - or at least be seen associating with. His name’s Rory Mulciber. You might’ve known his Daddy before that mutt snuffed it. Son’s dumber than a garden gnome and is just this side of not being a Squib. Someone told him he could get one of your fancy tattoos if he did a job. Had he been just a wee bit brighter, he might’ve known someone was pulling his leg about the tattoo. But he did the job. Simple enough. He just had to deliver a small, harmless looking plant to a private room at St. Mungos. ‘Course, it never crossed his mind that it might not be a good idea to try something like that when there’s an Auror standing right outside the door.

“The plant was Devil’s Snare. I can assure you, Mr. Lawyer, Rory was too dumb to know Devil’s Snare from petunias. But his ‘gift’ was not exactly something you’d want to leave as a get well present, unless of course you don’t want the person to get well at all. Rory was stunned before he knew the Auror was even in the room. I would say you should’ve picked someone with real skills, Lucy, but then again we were on the lookout for those types and you probably suspected as much.”

“You’re not saying my client had anything to do…?”

“I’m not finished. Rory sang. Didn’t even have to use the Veritiserum. We did, but didn’t need to. The idiot didn’t know much but he knew more than nothing. Now Rory here might’ve had a reason to off our vic. Our vic did kill his older brother during the war but it seems Rory here didn’t know that. He would’ve delivered that plant to Sal Slytherin himself if it meant getting that tattoo. He fingered this guy.” Another picture was placed on the table.

“This guy made it interesting. Names' Warrington Wilkes. Added proof young Rory is thicker than the London fog: Warrington here does not have that fancy tattoo and couldn’t get it for Rory if he wanted to and seeing as you can’t get one these days… Had some cousins and the like who did get the tat, but they’re maggot meat now and our vic had nothing to do with their untimely demises. Aside from his questionable family relations, this mutt had no known connection with the tattoo wearing scum. I dare say he could care less about that lot, but he does have an expensive habit and their gold is as good as anyone else’s. He’s an administrator at St, Mungos and had some very interesting plants in his office including our friend Devil’s Snare and none of his office plants are what a Healer would consider appropriate in a hospital. Warrington here convinced gullible Rory he could get his tat if he delivered the plant to a certain room after hours. Said he was to get a thousand galleons for the trouble. His only other contact with this scheme was this kid:”

“Adrian Towson. Like Rory, too young to have a tat and dumb as a post as well. He got a message somewhere else and told it to Wilkes. He remembers the message and Wilkes and who told him, but he had no idea what it was about. He works for the bloke what passed him the message and when the boss says ‘go down to St. Mungos and tell so-and-so such-and-such, well, what’s he gonna say? Here’s the bloke what sent him off:”

Another photograph was on the table. “Victor Bole. Runs a tavern in Knockturn Alley. We’ve had an eye on that place for years but nothing came of it…”

Lucius smirked.

“… at least not ‘til now. As for the incident at St. Mungo’s, Vic was just a messenger boy. He didn’t know what the message meant, only what it was and who it needed to get to. He might’ve gotten out of this whole mess with just a warning about who he associated with and what kinds of things he got involved with, but unfortunately he was not lily white in all areas of his life and while he can’t finger Lucy here for the Devil’s Snare, he had other unsavory dealings with Lucy. While he’d probably have gotten a pass on his involvement in this little caper, it’s amazing what you can learn with Veriteserum. Seems Vic had been running drugs - muggle drugs - for years. Middleman. Dealers get the stuff from him at the Tavern then poison the fools in our population with it; fools like the previously mentioned Wilkes. We know who his supplier is, Lucy. And oh, we figured out how to keep a mutt alive long enough to spill even if he had taken an unbreakable vow. That vow’s illegal, you know? So we got you for one count of using an illegal curse, voluntary manslaughter in the death of Victor Bole, and distribution of Muggle narcotics. Nothing your mouthpiece here can dream to counter it and you can forget crying to Fudge. He might look the other way on a lot of things, but his ass would be out the door before you could say 'shit’ if he lifted a finger to help a muggle drug dealer.

“What was the ‘public face’ of your little club back in the day, Lucy? Oh yes! You’re whole thing was about protecting the Wizarding World from the vile corruptions of the Muggle one. Funny that. We didn’t have drugs on our side before the Death Eaters started playing around. Guess we know how that happened. Upstanding member of society, you said earlier? Care to rephrase, Laddie? This guys a drug dealer! What happened to poor Vic aside, you’re looking at fifteen years based on this evidence. More if we find the drugs once we get finished taking your house apart brick by brick. That’s assuming we keep him. We can hand him over to the Muggles as they love scum like him even less than we do. And before you even say anything about his level of involvement, laddie, remember our law does not make a distinction. Fifteen years mandatory for any in the chain of distribution. More if we find the stuff in his possession. And what you mutts don’t know is amazing. You know the Muggles have simple tests for drugs that magic can’t trick? If there’s any there, we will find it!

“Never would’ve figured you for dealing with Muggles. But money’s money I guess and it’s not like you can get that stuff on our side of things. Guess you blew too much of your wife’s wad trying to buy the government for your boss back during the war, eh?”