A/N : legal brief author 's short letter prior to the chapter. This chapter is from Teddy 's tip of view, as I wanted to write the specifics of what happened during the foreign mission to capture Calidris canutus. An article in the Prophet just would n't do it justice. Hope you enjoy !


teddy lupine had been a Junior Auror for nearly eight month. In that time he had n't done much in term of fighting dark necromancer, and nigh of the mission he 'd gone on had been rather boring. Up until the Azkaban break-out most of his workplace had consisted of paperwork and the occasional stake-out. Being an Auror, shimmy had discovered, was a lot more than than chasing down darkness thaumaturgist and saving mass 's lives.

It was for this very understanding that Teddy had been surprised when his godfather, Harry ceramicist, had approached him the old day and told him of his newest assigning. He, teddy bear Lupin, bran-new Junior Auror, had been assigned to the mission of capturing escaped werewolf, Fenrir greyback. grayback, the same werewolf who had infected his father with lycanthropy X ago. greyback, one of Britain 's virtually require fugitives.

The delegation, Harry had informed him, was very sensitive in nature and had to be handled with discernment. There was to be no mention of it to anyone outside of the people assigned to it. There were very few people assigned to the mission and they included Harry himself, the foreland of the regulating and Control of Magical fauna, and Ron Weasley. That was it. A few others had been assigned to keep an eye on the baby Greyback attacked the former month, but they were n't to be directly involved with the Johnny Reb mission itself.

Harry had explained the details of the mission, including the fact that the whole thing had been Albus 's idea, along with one of his ally, who happened to be the fountainhead of the regulating and controller of Magical beast 's son. Who also happened to be a werewolf. It took Teddy a few minutes to wrap his head around the integral place. To make things even more insane, Albus 's werewolf friend was the brother of Teddy 's friend, Amy.

But when it came down to it, all of this meant that Teddy was going on his first tangible mission as an Auror.

Harry had instructed him to show up at the Hog 's read/write head, in camouflage, at seven o'clock. Once there, he was to order a deglutition and sit at the bar, avoiding contact with everyone. Harry, Ron, and Walter Eckerton were going to do the same.

Disguising himself was Teddy 's independent strength. Before he Apparated to Hogmseade he morphed his face so he looked a few years older and his pilus so that it was a generic brown colouring rather than its common turquoise. He finished off the look by shrinking himself and adding a few pounds. After donning a shattered old cloak, Teddy turned on the spot and reappeared in the alley next to Weasleys'Wizard Wheezes.

shift peeked inside the construction and saw George working. If he had n't been on a mission he would 've stopped to say hello, but instead he turned in the reverse direction and headed toward the Hog 's top dog.

The pub was practically abandon. There was an old witch at one of the table, nursing a boozing, and a bloke sleeping at the end of the bar. Ron was already there, sitting at a table with a goblet in front of him. He 'd clearly attempted to disguise himself, but there was no mistaking his red hair. Harry and Walter did n't appear to be there yet.

teddy bear ambled up to the bar, deciding at the last instant that his bastard persona should walk with a limp. Aberforth was there and Teddy ordered a Butterbeer. Probably not the usual drink for the Hog 's Head, but he needed to hold his head clear for the missionary work. He took the drinkable and began to sip it slowly, as he had no idea how long he 'd postulate to pretend he was n't an Auror.

A half hour later the door opened again and Harry and Walter walked in. Walter joined Ron at his spine tabular array while Harry went up to the bar. He sat next to Teddy.

"How 's it going, Aberforth ?"he asked quietly.

"Fine,"Aberforth grunted.

"We 're here on Ministry business,"Harry said."Might be here a few hours. Could be the unscathed dark. Do you mind ?"

"Not at all,"Aberforth replied."Pub 's yours, although I 'll be leaving at eleven. Not very much business on a Monday night."

"We 'll put away up when we leave,"Harry said.

Aberforth nodded and set a few More Butterbeers on the counter. Harry picked them up and gestured for shift to travel along him to the rear table, where Ron and Walter were now crouched over a art object of parchment.

teddy sat down following to Walter and Harry sat next to him. He passed around the Butterbeers while Ron turned the parchment around so shimmy and Harry could see it. slip recognized it ; it was Albus 's map of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Currently, it was magically magnified to show the shriek shack and the yard outside it. Only one dot was there. It was labeled 'Matthew Eckerton'and was stationary in the Shrieking hut.

"synodic month just rose,"Bruno Walter said quietly."Just a waiting game now."

No one had told him, but teddy knew the real intellect why he 'd been assigned to this missionary post, and it had nothing to do with his Auror skill. Sure, that had been a plus, but any of the other next-to-last Aurors were just as qualified. And the wide Aurors were even more so. The reason was that he was the lonesome Auror who was related to a lycanthrope, and thus would n't wish that a werewolf at Hogwarts was an integral component part of this design. It was also the ground why Harry and Ron were there, when Auror Newman had previously been assigned to the Greyback case. Walter Eckerton did n't need any risk of exposure of his son 's condition being leaked to the world, and putting Harry, Ron, and Teddy on the cause would assure that it would n't.

"Are you sure Rebel is even going to show up ?"teddy bear asked quietly as he stared at the map.

"Fairly sealed,"Bruno Walter said."Werewolves are attracted to the call of their own kind and Greyback is set on creating his own pack of young werewolves. He spent the last entire moon lurking around the screeching hut, after he attacked those child. He knows flatness 's there. He 'll come in back."

shimmy nodded. The instant ticked by and the pub grew quieter. The old Wiccan left, taking her glass with her. The man sleeping at the bar snorted and rolled over, nearly falling off his stool. teddy bear finished his Butterbeer and set it next to the other empty deoxyephedrine on the table, wondering if he should go club another or just continue seated.

At eleven o'clock Aberforth woke up the blighter at the bar and had to help him to the threshold and then physically shove him out of the pub. He gave a quick nod to Harry, Ron, Walter, and Teddy and then went upstairs.

"I suppose the disguises were a bit pointless,"Ron said as he pointed his sceptre at his face. His horn in returned to its normal shape.

"Well, with the Hog 's Head, you never know,"Harry said.

The group settled into secrecy again. Outside, there was the sound of faint ululation. Teddy glanced at Walter and noticed that he winced slightly every clip there was a particularly forte howling. Harry and Ron sent him sympathetic feel that slip tried to mimic. He did n't take in any tiddler so he really had no melodic theme what that was like, let alone having a kid with lycanthropy.

shimmy glanced down at the map and noticed three new Lucy in the sky with diamonds had appeared."Harry !"Teddy said as he pointed to the map.

All four men crowded around the map once more. One of the dots was indeed labeled 'Fenrir Reb ,'but the others were names chemise did n't recognize.

"Meredith Jenner and Maxwell Jenner,"teddy read."Who are they ?"

"They must be other werewolves,"Ron said.

"Or Animagi,"Harry pointed out.

"No,"Walter said as he shook his head."Those are the two Kid who got bitten last month."

"You 're kidding,"Harry said."Dammit, this did n't cross my mind."

"Mine either,"Walter said.

"What about the others ?"Ron asked."Cardinal Newman and the two from the Werewolf Control building block ?"

"There they are,"Teddy said as three new Elvis suddenly appeared onto the map. They must 've Apparated."

"Yeah, well, they 'd have no hazard following three werewolves on base,"Walter said.

"Let 's go,"Harry said as he stood up.

shift stood and drew his wand. He followed the three old men out of the pub and shut the door behind him.

The Hog 's head was not far away from the Shrieking hovel. Within three minutes they arrived and found Paul Newman and the other two whizz attempting to restrain the three werewolves.

"They 're the kids from finish month !"one of the lycanthrope Control social unit employees shouted.

"Be careful with them !"Walter shouted back."They 've done nada legal injury !"

"We 're trying !"

The two small wolfman were currently attempting to assault the lycanthrope Control unit of measurement employees and Newman, while Reb seemed to handle far more about getting into the Shrieking Shack. He was a much larger wildcat, grey in color, and had bright yellow eye. He was on the porch, biting at the door, and not paying any tending to the sorcerer around him. It seemed to shimmy that he had far more control over himself than a normal wolfman.

Walter and Ron joined the Werewolf command unit employees in trying to restrain Meredith and Mx. It was a difficult task because they had to do it without hurting them. Teddy was fairly certain that the law would n't care whether the two kid were hurt in the outgrowth, but that had never been how Walter ran the department.

Harry nodded to chemise and they walked slowly up the lawn, their wand out in front man of them. If they could just catch Johnny by surprisal then they 'd be capable to call forth some rope and restrain him before he even knew what was happening.

They were only twenty feet away when it happened. grayback suddenly froze and then turned around. He must 've smelled them. With a loud snarl, he jumped the twenty feet separating them in one leap.

shift and Harry jumped back, sending spells forward as they did so. greyback lunged, the piece not seeming to affect him at all, and made a swipe at teddy bear. Teddy jumped to the slope and sent another Stunner at Rebel.

Battling a werewolf was very dissimilar from battling a genius, Teddy realized. And battling werewolves had not been covered in training. Sure, they 'd learned and practiced the spells used against wolfman, but they 'd never performed them on actual wolfman. The briny difference was that werewolves did n't have wands and thus could not cast trance. But at the same sentence, they had teeth, hook, and were much stronger than the norm man. Plus there was the fact that one bite would turn you into one forever.

Teddy and Harry took turns sending looker at Johnny and were able to confuse him enough that he did n't quite know who to assault. As they worked, they were steadily moving closer and closer to the Shrieking Shack.

greyback soon realized that he was being cornered back onto the porch and decided to take another jump forward. He snarled loudly and lunged toward Harry, nearly making impinging. chemise jumped forward and sent another peach toward Greyback.

Johnny Reb flew backward and slammed into the battlefront door, his nous making a sickening crunch as it collided with the doorknob. He slid down the door and landed on the level, not moving.

Teddy looked at Johnny Reb and then at Harry, who was getting up from the reason. slip had n't even realized that he 'd fallen over.

"Harry, you okay ?"slip asked.

"fine,"Harry said."You ?"

shimmy nodded and began to take a few cautious steps toward Greyback. Harry was soon by his side.

"Is he ..."Teddy began.

"I do n't think so,"Harry said quietly."Just unconscious. Here."Harry muttered a spell and ropes flew from the end of his wand. They wrapped them around Greyback until he was secure.

slip felt slightly disappointed. There was a region of him, a very little theatrical role, that wished he 'd killed Greyback. Limnodromus griseus had been the one who 'd made his dad 's life sentence miserable, and he 'd viciously attacked Victoire 's dad when he was n't even transformed. Yes, Teddy had to admit, there was a constituent of him that wanted revenge. A part of him that wanted to be the one who finally killed Fenrir Greyback.

Teddy glanced over to the relaxation of the group, but they 'd finished, too. Walter was currently tying the two werewolf children up with roach while the other men stood around watching. Ron looked up and met teddy bear 's eyes, then walked over toward them.

"Done ?"Harry asked.

Ron nodded."They 're tied up and Stunned. I suppose we 'll have to keep Stunning them until the moon sets."

"So they were n't on wolfbane,"Harry said."Interesting."

"Walter said he 'll personally make believe a visit to their house in a few days to talk over precautions for following month,"Ron said."But still, their parents must be cretin. They could 've been killed."

"The parents are okay, then ?"Harry asked."I wonder what happened."

Ron nodded."Newman said they locked the kidskin in the backyard shed but did n't put any wards up. It must 've been easy for Greyback to break in."

"I wonder why they did n't listen to lycanthrope keep Services,"Harry mused."I know for a fact they visited."

"well, at least no one was hurt,"shimmy pointed out. He turned back to where the other loup-garou had been tied up, but noticed that they were now being levitated to the porch of the Shrieking hovel by the Werewolf ascendancy social unit employees. Walter and Newman were following them.

"What is that infernal racket ?"Newman exclaimed, nodding his capitulum to the Shrieking Shack.

Walter glanced a the shack and then turned to Newman."Ghosts. I 've heard that place has been haunted for years, long before I moved to this country."

Harry nodded."It 's been haunted since the 70s."

"Loud shade,"John Henry Newman muttered."Has the Spirit division ever looked into it ?"

"Multiple metre,"Bruno Walter said."They 're peaceable spook, just gaudy. We have n't had too many ill, so have n't bothered to do anything about it."

shimmy was amazed that Walter could lie so easily and freely. But he supposed that he 'd been doing it ever since his son became a werewolf, so he 'd catch used to it.

"Let 's get this lot back to the Ministry,"Harry said, gesturing to the three unconscious lycanthrope. Newman, take either Lee or commons back to the children 's house and inform their parents that they can break up them up at the Ministry tomorrow."

Newman and Lee, who was one of the wolfman Control Unit employees, Disapparated on the place. Harry grabbed appreciation of Rebel and instructed Walter and park, the former Werewolf dominance Unit employee, to each take in one of the shaver. With an exceptionally loud crack, the entire mathematical group Disapparated.
***


Each of the lycanthrope were set up in an enquiry way to expect the remaining hours until sunrise. shimmy, along with Walter, had been assigned to keeping watch on Greyback, Stunning him when necessary. Harry, Ron, commons, and Lee had been assigned to the youngster. Newman got started on the paperwork.

"So if a lycanthrope were to own person there to Stun them every hour or so while they were transformed, they 'd be harmless, right ?"teddy asked as Walter Stunned Greyback for the fourth sentence."Why do n't people do that ?"

"Repeated Stunning is n't healthy,"Bruno Walter replied."It 's why it 's not allowed on most prisoners. It 's only allowed on werewolf because they 're classified as Beasts and not Beings."

shift nodded."What does it do to them ?"

"Depends on the werewolf,"Walter said."It has no long-term effects on plenty, but others wind up ill or with memory board loss."

"Ca n't say I 'll be too discomfit if it has any ill issue on him,"chemise said as he nodded to Greyback.

"Me either,"Bruno Walter said.

"I have to ask,"slip began,"did you get into regulation and ascendancy of Magical animal before or after your son was bitten ?"

"Before. Ironic, is n't it ?"

"Just a bit."

"It 's because of your father that my son is able-bodied to go to Hogwarts. I know you probably do n't even retrieve him, but I 'm forever grateful for him paving the way."

teddy bear nodded."I wish I could remember him. I suppose it was really Dumbledore, though, who let him go to Hogwarts."

"I never had the joy of meeting Albus Dumbledore. I wish I could say I have."

slip and Walter lapsed back into muteness. Teddy could hardly think that he was sitting in an interrogation way with the werewolf who had turned his father. If only his dad could see him now.

Walter glanced at his spotter."lunation should be setting within the one-half hour."

chemise gulped and he hoped Walter could n't find out his kernel beating. He had n't been nearly as nervous about facing Greyback as a beast, but the thought of facing him as a human was slightly terrifying. He almost wanted the succeeding one-half 60 minutes to live on forever, but at the same prison term he did n't. It had been a very long day and he wanted to go home and eternal rest, eat, and see Victoire. Unfortunately, there was still a pot of paperwork ahead.

knot began to stir, but Walter did n't Stun him. Instead, he conjured a simple set of robes, set them on the board, stood up, and gestured for Teddy to surveil him out into the corridor. Teddy did so, but looked at Walter quizzically.

"He ca n't break away. He 's got no scepter and there 's anti-Apparition charms on the rooms,"Bruno Walter explained."He 'll be at his absolute weakest as he transforms and despite the evilness he 's done, he deserves the respect of transforming alone."

teddy bear was impress. He himself would n't have even thought about that, but Walter had clearly been planning that all along. teddy bear supposed it came from having a son who was a werewolf. If Teddy 's own Father-God had lived, would he have standardised intellection ?

There were no silencing charm on the interrogation room. Soon the corridor was filled with ululation and was then replaced by painful shrieks. The screech soon gave way to a long stream of profanity.

"Let 's go,"Walter said as he placed his helping hand on the doorknob.

shift had no idea what to anticipate when he entered the room. He 'd only seen moving-picture show of Greyback from the Prophet and black-and-white photo never did a person justice.

Fenrir Calidris canutus was crouched on top of the table, dressed in the wear that Walter had provided. His grey whisker was thready and matted with soil and blood, and his face bore several workweek 's worth of Grey beard. His face was lined with deep wrinkles and teddy bear realized that he had absolutely no approximation how old the man was.

Limnodromus griseus took a deep snuff as Walter and Teddy entered. He grinned and let out a maniacal gag."heading of the section,"he muttered."Guess I 'm popular."

shimmy froze, all his breeding suddenly out the window. He could hardly believe that this man had attacked his father when he was only a child. Fenrir Johnny was far more than sinister in person and Teddy felt a twinge of sympathy for his father as a five-year-old.

"So you found me,"greyback said."How 'd you do it ?"

"We were waiting for you, Greyback,"Walter said."We knew you 'd deliver to Hogsmeade."

Rebel sneered."Yeah, wanted to go back for that werewolf in the Shrieking Shack. He smelled young, impressionable."

Bruno Walter paled."You 'll never have got the opportunity to go back."

"We 'll see,"Rebel replied.

"enough confab,"Walter said, turning to chemise."Arrest him."

Teddy snapped out of his intellection and immediately went back into Auror-mode. He set himself apart from the situation and ran on autopilot.

"Fenrir greyback, I am Auror Ted Lupin and you 're under collar,"Teddy began.

Johnny Reb 's eyes grew wide."Lupin. Any relation to Remus lupine ?"

"He was my forefather,"shift said proudly.

"I made him who he was,"Limnodromus griseus said as he stared directly into slip 's eye."I changed his life."

"Fenrir greyback, you are under arrest,"teddy repeated, ignoring him. He conjured a pair of handcuffs and walked over to Greyback."You have the right to stay mum. I suggest you use it,"he said as he cuffed the wolfman."If you choose not to be still, anything you say can be used in your test. You will have a run. If you can not find representation, we will encounter it for you."

chemise grabbed Greyback 's arm and pulled him off the tabular array and into a stomach position. As he did so, he met the former man 's eyes. They were yellowness, pure yellow, and completely unforgiving. He looked like the face of immorality, as if Greyback had no homo somebody left. It was in that present moment that teddy knew for sure that this werewolf held no similarities to his father. Greyback lived to spread evil, while Remus lupin had lived to break it.

chemise slapped a set of handcuffs on Greyback. He opened the threshold and pushed Rebel out into the corridor, still holding onto his arm. Walter followed and the two walked alongside each other as they led Limnodromus griseus to the holding cells.

Harry was waiting for them when they arrived. He shoved Greyback into a cell and locked the door behind him.

"Your dad would be incredibly gallant of you,"Harry said to Teddy.

Teddy nodded and gave Harry a half-smile.


A/N : I hope you enjoyed the Teddy chapter ! I had a lot of fun writing it. Thanks for all the cover girl reviews !

The rights teddy read to Calidris canutus are adapted from the Miranda right wing, created by the United States Supreme Court in 1966.


Albus awoke the next daybreak to the sound of an owl pecking at the window. He rose from his bed and went to let it in. The owl was unfamiliar, but he vaguely recognized it as the breed of owl the Ministry of Magic used. The alphabetic character was addressed to him, so Albus took it, let the owl back out into the common cold, and set down on his bed to open it.

Albus-

We got him.

-Dad

That was all it said, but it did n't involve to say anything else. His dad probably could n't say anything else in a letter, anyway. Albus folded up the parchment and shoved it into his bedside tabular array. He glanced at the clock and realized there was no point in going back to bed since year would embark on in two hours.

Instead, he got started on that hebdomad 's good luck charm reading while he waited for John to heat up. This took a good hour and when he finally did wake up, it took him fifteen minutes to fully wake up and get dressed. John was not one for mornings.

Albus waited until they were in the Great entrance hall for breakfast to tell toilet about the letter from his dad, so that he could separate Kaden, Rose, and Amanda, too. Luckily they managed to find a relatively secluded part of the table.

"I got a letter from my dad this dawn,"Albus said as he scooped eggs onto his plate."They got him."

"Oh thank God !"rose exclaimed.

"Did he tell you about it ?"trick asked.

"No,"Albus said."But I 'm sure it 'll be in the Prophet tomorrow."

The mathematical group decided to eat a very quick lunch later in order to visit matte before their afternoon classes. Albus wanted to secernate him about Limnodromus griseus as soon as possible.

Albus found it incredibly difficult to keep on his mouth shut during potions because the residue of his schoolfellow were discussing Greyback and whether he had attacked anyone the late Nox. Janie Creevey swore she saw him on the dry land from her dorm room window last nighttime, but Karina and Marina said it was only a dog. Two of the Slytherins said they heard howling all nighttime, and Scorpius said one of the older bookman had received a varsity letter from his brother claiming to have seen Greyback in Diagon Alley. It seemed that Albus and his friends were the only ones in the entire castle who knew Limnodromus griseus had been captured.

Scorpius Malfoy left potions early after speaking in voicelessness with Slughorn. Whatever it was it was a good alibi since Slughorn actually let him go. Albus thought this was very curious, but did n't dwell on it since his nous was still racing about Greyback. He wanted details about the capture, but probably would n't get any until he read the clause in the Prophet.

"Anyone know why Malfoy left ?"John asked as they hurried up to the Great dormitory for lunch.

"No idea,"Albus said."Maybe he was ill ?"

"He did n't take care ill,"John the Evangelist said."I suppose if he is ill we 'll see him in the hospital wing."

Albus and his friend ate the degraded lunch they 'd ever rust and rushed up to the hospital wing. Kaden had Herbology after lunch and would need a good bit of time to get there, so they wanted to spend as much of dejeuner as possible in the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey was interfering berating a student for trying to charm her hair's-breadth pinko and had charmed it all off instead and did n't comment Albus and the others walk in. Only one bed was occupied and the mantle were drawn around it.

"Guess Malfoy 's not here,"Gospel According to John said as he led the group over to matte 's bed.

lav pulled the curtains back and Albus saw that Matt was sitting up in bed, eating lunch. This month he was sporting a bandage wrapped around his entire head and ones on his helping hand as well. He seemed to be having a bit of difficulty holding his sandwich.

"They better have caught him,"Matt said as he dropped his sandwich."Dammit. I ca n't go another month wrecking my hands."

"They did,"Albus said."My dad owled me this dawn, but he did n't give me any details."

"I knew he was there,"Matt said."The masher wanted to get out again and this time I banged my headspring repeatedly against the door."He gestured to the head bandages.

"I do n't opine you 'll have to worry about that again,"toilet said."They 'll probably put twice as many guards on Johnny Reb 's cell."

"I think this is the speculative concern I 've ever had in my spirit,"Matt muttered.

John grinned mischievously."Shall Kaden and I do a repeat of final stage hebdomad 's prank ?"

Matt gave him a looking at of murder."If you do, I 'll kill you and I wo n't be responsible for my actions."

"Just kidding,"bathroom said.

"Madam Pomfrey wants me to eat lunch and then she 's going to throw me enough sleeping drawing to sleep until dinner. I ca n't wait."

"Well, I 'm going to throw a lovely good afternoon of fertilizing wizardly plant life with flying dragon dung,"Kaden said."So aside from the turning into a brute thing and the raging worry, I 'm sort of jealous."

"I 'd learn the tartar dung,"Matt said and then turned to Albus."Embry is announcing who gets to watch the last disputation today, is n't he ?"

Albus shook his head."They 've actually put it off two more calendar week. It was in the paper this morning. I guess they want it fresh in mass 's minds or something. Plus, we 've got Quidditch Sabbatum and dueling Sunday."

"Is Gryffindor playing ?"Matt asked.

"Hufflepuff and Slytherin,"Albus said."If Hufflepuff winnings, then we 'll be ahead in points. But if Slytherin wins, we 'll probably be behind them."

"Here 's hoping for Hufflepuff, then,"Matt said. He glanced at his half-eaten sandwich."I think I 've given up on eating. I do n't imply to kvetch you lot out, but I 'm really looking forward to sleeping."

"Not a trouble,"Albus said."We 'll see you later."

"I think I 'll be back tomorrow,"Matt said."Unless this concern does n't go away."

Gospel According to John glanced at the clock."Brilliant. There 's enough time for me to run back to the Great manse for an eclair before Transfiguration."

"I 'll join you,"Kaden said.

"Me, too,"Albus agreed.

The miss decided that a s dessert was in order as well, so the wholly grouping hurried back to the Great Hall before their side by side course of instruction. On the way there Albus realized just how often better he felt now that Greyback was once again behind bars.
***


"Teddy arrested him !"Albus exclaimed at breakfast the following daybreak. He 'd just complete reading the article about Greyback.

"Seriously ?"rosebush exclaimed, grabbing the seer."I did n't even know he went on that mission."

Albus nodded."It was him, my dad, your dad, and Matt 's dad. Plus Paul Leonard Newman and a few Werewolf Control Unit employees. And those tyke who got attacked last week were captured, too. Apparently their parents did n't put any wards up on the shed they were in."

"That 's stupid,"rosebush said.

"Was anyone scathe ?"Amanda asked.

"No,"Albus said.

"Oh, look, they 've quoted Laurentis,"Rose said."Listen to this. 'Greyback 's retaking is wonderful news for wizarding U.K.. I applaud both the Auror section and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical fauna for their collaboration in this capture, especially Harry thrower and Walter Eckerton. However, there are still four prisoner at large. The study is not done and we must remember this before celebrating .'”

"Did they cite your uncle ?"privy asked.

"No,"blush wine said."It says he has n't made a command about it yet."

"I honestly think that this is only going to make his support of your dad face better,"Amanda said."Laurentis can try, but this is a success. I mean, just look at the article. Absolutely nothing went incorrectly with that capture. There were three werewolves on the easy in Hogmseade and cypher got attacked. It 's that simple."

Albus had n't thought about it in that way, but it was true. Three loosen werewolf would normally be a nightmare for a calm down village like Hogsmeade, but thanks to the Aurors and the lycanthrope Control unit of measurement employees, cypher got hurt.

"I 'll just be happy when this election is over,"Albus said.

"You 're telling me,"Cedric said as he sat down across from Albus."I do n't even care who wins anymore."
***


Hufflepuff somehow managed to squelch Slytherin during Saturday 's Quidditch mates. Albus chalked this up to the fact that Hufflepuff had the best squad they 'd had in years, and that Slytherin 's Keeper had landed himself in the infirmary wing after blowing up his potion on Friday, earning him a ban from the friction match by madam Pomfrey. But whatever the reason actually was, it was certainly beneficial to Gryffindor.

Albus awoke early on Sunday, suddenly riddled with heart about the dueling tournament. This month 's tourney was the secondment to last of the year since all the professor had agreed to end it earlier due to exams. Many of the 7th years had expressed that they could n't monitor practices while studying for N.E.W.T.s. But this meant that Albus only had two more prospect to secure a win for his team, something that had n't happened yet this class.

Albus and Amanda were the first of their team to get in the Great Charles Martin Hall before the tourney. The residuum of the team trickled in slowly as they waited. Five moment before the tournament was scheduled to get down, the only when person missing was Malfoy.

"It 's not like him to be late,"Amanda commented."Usually he 's here betimes tattle you what an awful job as captain you do."

"No, it 's not,"Albus agreed as he stood up to get a better feeling at the door."I do n't see him."

"He was n't in potions the former day,"Amanda reminded Albus."Actually, I have n't seen him since he left potions early on Tuesday."

Albus thought back and realized Amanda was flop."Oi !"he called to his group of Slytherin teammates."Any of you know where Scorpio Malfoy is ?"

"He went household,"one of the third base years said."No idea why. He has n't been here since Tuesday."

"He went dwelling house ?"Albus repeated, staring at the thirdly year."That 's odd."

The third yr shrugged."He did n't separate anyone anything about it. He just left."

Albus had to admit that this news gave him as much disappointment as confusion. Scorpius Malfoy was one of the team 's best duelist, no matter how annoying he was.

"No one goes home when it 's not a vacation,"Amanda said.

"Yeah, not unless they 're really ill or something awe-inspiring happened to their family line,"Albus said.

"attention scholarly person !"Neville called out."The tournament is about to begin !"

Albus managed to push all thinking of Malfoy out of his mind for the duration of the tournament. nearly of his teammates dueled well, although only Albus and a few early one-quarter yr won both their duels. In the end they secured third situation, which was certainly improve than a proficient serving of the rest of the squad, but still was n't first. They were still in the run for winning boilersuit at the end of the time of year, but they 'd need to do really well in the final tournament.

Albus and Amanda met the eternal rest of their friends in the piranha 's Den after the tournament was over.

"Did Malfoy skim the tourney ?"John the Divine asked as soon as they entered."Not that I 'm complaining since your team probably would 've amaze mine if he had showed."

"Apparently he went dwelling house on Tuesday,"Albus said."I 'm assuming that 's why he left potions early, but no one has any idea why he went."

"Maybe his parents took him on vacation,"lustrelessness said."They seem the type to do that."

"You 're not allowed to neglect year unless it 's a good excuse,"rose pointed out."I do n't think going on holiday is a effective excuse."

"I think something bad is happening to person in his family,"Amanda said quietly."Remember that letter he was reading during practice ? And how quiet he 's been lately ?"

"I 'll ask Elsie Willinson,"Rose said."I tutor her tomorrow. Chances are that Malfoy told Felix about whatever 's going on so maybe Elsie knows, too."

But whatever was going on with Scorpio Malofy, Elsie Willinson was just as clueless as Albus and his protagonist. She either had no idea or refused to tell rosiness, despite the fact that Rose prodded her about it ever ten min during their tutoring sitting on Monday.

Malfoy returned to classes on Tuesday, walking into potions XV minutes late, and Slughorn made no mention of his tardiness or the social class he missed the previous workweek. Albus attempted to watch his face during form but he gave no clues about his emotions.

"Hey, Malfoy !"Albus shouted as they left the classroom a brusque while later.

Malfoy spun around and met Albus 's eye. He did n't look angry, nor was he sneering. Instead, he just looked lost."What do you desire, ceramicist ?"

"Missed you at the tournament Sabbatum,"Albus said, hoping Malfoy would secernate him where he 'd been.

"Bet you did n't win without me,"Malfoy replied.

"third gear place,"Albus answered."Where were you ?"

"None of your business, potter,"Malfoy said as he turned around. He sped up and was soon lost in the sea of educatee hurrying to the Great manse for lunch.
***


The following week passed quickly and Albus soon forgot about Malfoy and his mysterious disappearance. The election was now only a hebdomad away and everyone in the castle, scholarly person, prof, and ghosts alike were talking about it. With only one debate remaining, it was up in the air as to who would win. The Prophet published a poll they 'd taken and neither candidate had a meaning lead on the other.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, onetime read/write head of the Auror department, was the finis curate of deception selected by the Wizengamot,"Professor depository financial institution said in class two days before the final disputation."His natural selection was very quick and he stepped into office the day after Voldemort 's death. While most of the wizarding world knew that the Ministry needed an service, they also needed person to take charge and supervise the redevelopment.

"Shacklebolt held office for three eld while supervising the drastic changes that made the Ministry of thaumaturgy the governing entity we see today."

Albus had met Kingsley Shacklebolt a few times and found him slightly intimidating, but funny at the Sami time. He just had a very commanding bearing and Albus was n't surprised he 'd been made Minister of Magic after the war.

"The three long time Shacklebolt held power were very tumultuous. Decisions had to be made, drastic ones, and they were not easy. The first and most obvious decision was the decision to change the way the Wizengamot was set up. The Wizengamot as it was was incredibly corrupt. think back that prior to this redesign every pureblooded kinsperson held a derriere on the Wizengamot, but this left half-blood and Muggle-born witches and wiz without representation.

"Shacklebolt, along with the other Ministry functionary working to shake up the Wizengamot looked to the Muggle humanity for inspiration. The previous Wizengamot bore to a greater extent resemblance to the Muggle House of Lords, the upper House of sevens. It was decided that the Wizengamot ought to more closely resemble the menage of common land, the Lower House of Parliament. In the Muggle world, these representatives are called Members of sevens, MPs for short, and are elected. In the wizarding world, they are simply shout members of the Wizengamot.

"appendage of the Wizengamot then began being elected by the general world, much like MPs are elected in the Muggle reality. Each phallus has a territorial dominion, although figuring out these districts was far more difficult than it was in the Muggle globe. Does anyone have a guess as to why ?"

Amanda raised her helping hand."Yes, Miss Tagger ?"Banks said.

"Witches and wizards are n't as uniformly spread out throughout the United Kingdom,"Amanda explained."In the Muggle world the district are very much based on township, but thaumaturgist do n't really suffer towns."

"Correct,"Banks said."Because of this the districts, if shown on a map, would look vastly different in term of size. For example, British capital has three separate districts because there is a very large wizarding universe in John Griffith Chaney. It 's far easier for whiz to blend in in a large city than a humble town since things generally go unnoticed in big cities. On the other mitt, Wales only has two districts, and therefore two representatives, since it 's much less densely populated by wizards."

Albus did n't take a clue as to who his district 's representative was, or even what district he lived in. It was one of three, as he now knew.

"I 've taken the liberty of printing a map with a list of all the representative and district routine,"Banks said as he began passing out tabloid of parchment."I 'd venture a guess than very few of you know what district you 're in or who your example is."

Albus looked at the piece of paper after he received it. London seemed to be divided into western United States London, North capital of the United Kingdom, and East/South London. North London, where Albus lived, was District Two, currently represented by a bloke named Oliver Prang.

"Elections are held every five class,"banking company said."None of the representative are up for election this class, but virtually are up for election adjacent year. None of you will be of age to vote in next year 's election, but I suggest you read up on your representatives prospect and beliefs anyway.

"To tempt you to learn,"bank continued as he walked around his desk,"I am assigning an essay, due in two weeks. fig out who your representative is and publish me a foot-long essay detailing your interpreter 's feeling and whether you agree with them or not. I suggest looking at old copies of the Prophet as well as archived written text of Wizengamot meeting, both available in the library. You are welcome to use any former seed as you see fit."

There was a general groan from the course of instruction, which made Banks grin. He always seemed to sleep together assigning homework.

"Now onto the more commove news,"Banks said."This Sabbatum is the last debate and four of you will be able-bodied to attend. I apologize in advance for those whose public figure have not been chosen, but there simply were not adequate debate. As usual, the repose of you will hear to the debate in the August 6 classroom.

"The two from Hufflepuff are Sam Bordeaux and Cassie Hornell. The Gryffindors are John the Divine Brickston and Janie Creevey. Your essay on this debate, to be formatted like the late two, will be due in a hebdomad. Class dismissed."

"I knew it would be me,"lavatory said as the packed up."Bilius and Ethan have already gone and you two get to go every time."

"I had n't even realized that,"Albus said.

"Karina 's the simply one of us who wo n't get to go,"blush wine pointed out.

"That essay, though ..."John said."The one on our representatives. That 's going to take aim forever."

"Not if you do your research right,"Rose said as they left the elbow room.

"Any of you in District seven ?"John asked.

The eternal rest of the radical shook their principal. They compared district numbers, but none of them were in the like. blush wine and mat were the closest, with their districts bordering on each other.

"I guess we 're all doing our own research then,"John said with a sigh.

blush wine gave him a satisfied smirk, clearly happy that she would n't have to cope with John attempting to bum off her inquiry. Albus wished that he and Rose were in the same dominion because he, like toilet, did not relish doing this research. Usually they only had to use their textbooks for research, but not this time. This time, their school text would n't help at all.


A/N : Thanks for all the limited review ! It 's time for the annual Dobby awards at HPFF and nominating address are now open ! Head to the forums to nominate your favored story ( such as this one, *hint, hint* ). There is a link to the forum on the aright side of the varlet. Be for certain to translate the pattern before you nominate ! We hate having to unfit stories for broken ruler.

The data about the Muggle Ministry was adapted from the House of the noble and the Parliament Wikipedia pages. I hope I got everything right, but I 'm not British, so tactile property free to point out any errors.


As the week progressed more than and Thomas More of the Prophet was dedicated to election reportage. By the metre Saturday arrived it became nearly unsufferable to notice a individual article that was n't about the election. There were editorial, audience, statements from the candidate, opinion polls, and Sir Thomas More. Albus was getting so tired of it that he did n't even glance at Saturday 's edition.

"Place your bets here !"

Albus glanced up from his breakfast to see King James I, Cedric, and Ben walking up the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables carrying a jar filled with coins.

"We 're taking wager !"Jesse James shouted."Any takers ?"

"What are you betting on ?"Albus asked."Who wins ?"

"No, that 's boring,"James said."We 're taking bets on how farseeing it 'll take the debate moderator to bring up that demented Aboriginal Australian bloke who kidnapped you in conclusion year. This public debate is on International Magical Cooperation, after all."

It had n't even crossed Albus 's mind that last yr 's incident would be brought up in this debate, but James was probably right. It was the freehanded international dirt wizarding United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland had seen in years.

"What 's your bet ?"Albus asked his brother.

"Ten minutes,"James said."We 've had a few mass say it 'll happen right away and others who are giving it as long as a half hour."

"You do actualise that your dad 's the one moderating this debate, do n't you ?"Rose asked, setting down her copy of the Prophet.

James, Cedric, and Ben exchanged a glance."Er, no, we did n't know that,"James said."How do you know ?"

"Says right here in the paper,"Rose said, pointing to it."He might not bring it up."

"I hope he does n't,"Matt muttered."I 'd rather just bury Lubar 's existence."

"He might still bring in it up,"James said."It was a fairly big incident."

rose shrugged."It 's possible."

"So what would Uncle Harry Hotspur say if he knew you three were taking stake on the debate ?"Albus asked with a grin.

Cedric paled."He 's not going to retrieve out. Everyone who places a bet is sworn to secrecy. We 've had them sign something. If they say anything their faces will turn orange."

"Is n't that like what Aunt Hermione did for the D.A ?"Albus asked.

"Sort of,"Cedric said."But we 've told multitude about it, so they know what they 're signing."

"Any stake, then ?"James I asked.

Albus and his Friend all shook their heads no. Last twelvemonth 's incident was far too personal for them to place bets on whether it would be a debate topic.

"We 're wasting time, then,"James II said as he led Cedric and Ben further down the aisle."piazza your bets here !"

"They 're idiots,"rosiness muttered.

Albus agreed.

An 60 minutes later Albus, rose wine, Matt, and John were back in the Great Hall for the debate. Albus soon realized that this argumentation would be watched by even more people than the past ones, with many hoi polloi standing in the back due to lack of seating. Personally, Albus thought most mass would 've already made up their minds since the election was only four twenty-four hour period away, but clearly it was still a popular consequence.

King John had to sit with the other students who 'd been picked while Albus, rosiness, and Matt sat up front, like usual. All of Albus 's cousins were there, including Georgia, who looked like she was forcing herself to smile.

"Hey, Sakartvelo,"Albus said.

"Hi, Al,"Georgia replied."I 'm so glad this is nearly over."

"Me, too,"Albus agreed."How is the team ?"

Georgia 's fraud smile grew genuine."Oh, they 're wonderful ! Connor Blythe, the keeper, he put in his notice that he 's only going to do one more season after this one and he told me he 's recommending me to demand his spot. Me ! And I 've only been on the squad for a year !"

"That 's marvellous !"Albus exclaimed."You 'll have to get me slate to your first match."

"Oh, I expect everyone in the folk to be there at my commencement match as perm custodian,"GA said."And I want Dad right wing there in the presence row, cheering me on."

"Well, if he wins, he 'll have to restrain supporting you,"Albus pointed out.

"Yes, well, I want it to be real number,"Georgia said."We 'll see."

"Could everyone delight involve their seat ?"Kendrick announced in a magically expand voice.

Georgia left and went to her own seat, as did everyone else who was still standing. The room grew quiet and Kendrick took a few steps forward.

"Thank you. I 'd like to welcome you all to Hogwarts. This is the net public debate of the election and I appreciate the Ministry allowing Hogwarts to take such a big role in it. It has been a howling learnedness opportunity for staff and students alike. Remember, Wednesday is election day, so please cast your votes. Now, I would like to infix today 's moderator, a man who needs no introduction, Mr. Harry Potter, Head of the Auror Department !"

The room erupted in thundery applause. It seemed that no matter how Laurentis tried to discredit Albus 's dad, no one could take away the fact that he remained the Boy Who Lived.

Harry walked forward and took his post behind the moderator 's podium."Thank you, thank you,"he said and the crowd grew quiet once more."Now, please welcome our candidates, Mr. Percy Weasley and Ms. Patricia Laurentis."

The candidate received considerably less applause than Harry did, something Albus found incredibly funny. If his dad ever decided to run for rector he 'd have the thing won before the wash even began.

"I am indisputable both our nominee know the rules by now. Five mo solvent and five moment rebuttals,"Harry began."Mr. Weasley, you will begin."

Albus had to muffle his laughter at the fact that this dad called Uncle Sir Henry Percy 'Mr. Weasley .'

"The first interrogative is very worldwide,"Harry said."In your opinion, how is Britain 's relationship with its strange neighbors ? Should the Ministry be making more of an effort to work with its neighbour or are things fine as they are ?"

"I think overall our ministry has a good kinship with strange ministries and government,"Percy began."We have no current feuds with any foreign state and all foreign talk have gone well in the past few age. However, I believe there is always room for advance when speaking of human relationship with other countries. There are always fortune to reach out to our neighbor, and you never know when such relationships will be necessary."

"Ms. Laurentis."

"My opponent makes carnival compass point,"Laurentis said."And while I feel that furthering our relationships with strange ministries is an first-class idea, I wonder if that is really where our DOE should be focused right now. There are many emergence we need to address here at home, and as Mr. Weasley said, our current family relationship with foreign nations are good."

"The section of International Magical Cooperation muckle solely with International magical cooperation,"Percy pointed out."Working to fix issues at household is obviously a good idea, but what do you suppose this section does while we do that ?"

"wellspring, yes, of course of action, that department is always working on international issues,"Laurentis said."I was merely speaking of the pastor and his immediate officials."

"Thank you,"Harry said."Next question. The topic of changing the classification of werewolves from Beasts to Beings was brought up at the last debate. Both of you expressed no desire to bring this up with the international community. Have either of you changed your place on this in light of the Recent epoch capture of Fenrir Calidris canutus ? If not, will you explain in more detail why you feel the way you do ? Ms. Laurentis, you may begin."

Albus glanced at lustrelessness. Maybe now they 'd figure out exactly why Uncle Percy did n't require to transfer the wolfman categorisation, more than just it was n't worth the cause.

"The capture of Fenrir Greyback was undoubtedly a success. I hope nobody has misconstrued my words on that. The fact that it was done without any injuries, let alone fatality, was nothing short of amazing. The Aurors and werewolf Control Unit employees who executed the architectural plan of gaining control are to be applauded. However, I fail to see why the capture of one werewolf should affect our decisions on the group as a unit. If anything, if lycanthrope had been classified as Beings during that capture the Aurors and lycanthrope Control Unit employees would not have been able to use the method of capture they used. To be reliable, I fail to see any benefit of reclassification."

Albus felt Matt tense succeeding to him. Laurentis really was clueless, was n't she ?

"Mr. Weasley."

"I agree with my opposition about the capture of Fenrir Greyback. However, I disagree with her about the potentiality benefits of reclassification. low gear, the Aurors and Werewolf Control unit employees could have used the Sami methods they used last Nox, as principal of section Walter Eckerton does not give up any method of capture that would not be allowed if werewolves were classified as being. In condition of Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical animate being linguistic rule and regulations, werewolves are to be treated as beingness. This has been the type since Eckerton took over as drumhead over a year ago. Perhaps Ms. Laurentis is unaware of this fact.

"As for welfare, those with lycanthropy would be able to secure jobs far more easily and would have the Lapp rights given to goblins, house-elves, Centaur, lamia, and homo alike."

Apparently his uncle had much more of an opinion than the one he gave at the last debate, Albus thought.

"Your time is up, Mr. Weasley,"Harry said."Your rebuttal, Ms. Laurentis."

"Then perhaps Walter Eckerton ought to take another flavor at the law,"Laurentis began."Because it is perfectly effectual of him to use more harsh method to impart wolfman into capture. But since this gaining control was a roaring success, I will not blame him for that. As for werewolf right wing, I have yet to learn of any complaint by werewolves about their rights."

"That 's because they do n't complain to you,"Matt muttered under his breath.

"Your rebuttal, Mr. Weasley."

"As I did not consume time to fully suffice the question, I will stay,"Harry Hotspur said."While it would be beneficial for werewolves if they were reclassified as existence, I do not think it 's feasible. It would involve agreement from all nations, which is frankly asking a lot. I know for a fact Australia would never be on board, and considering our rocky relationship with that finicky country, I do not feel it is in our best pursuit to begin talks of the reclassification of werewolf. In conclusion, I feel it would be a worthwhile endeavour, but given the unlikelihood of it amounting to anything, it would be a waste of manpower."

"Thank you,"Harry said."following head. In regards to our bouldered relationship with Australia, as Mr. Weasley put it, do you feel it would be good to continue trying to get Ralph Lubar extradited to the United Kingdom ? Mr. Weasley."

Albus glanced at his watch. Whoever betted on forty minutes would be very happy, he thought. Albus had been hoping this subject would n't be brought up, but he supposed it was too big of an upshot not to be.

"If elected I would defer this decisiveness to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, since they possess the necessary expertise on the subject. However, it is my personal belief that it would be worth pursuing. I believe it is of import to send a message that Ministry employees, even high-ranking functionary such as Ralph Lubar, are not above the law. What Lubar did was abominable and in no world should he get away with it."

"Ms. Laurenits."

"Notice how Mr. Weasley did not mention that his nephew was one of the children kidnapped by Lubar,"Laurentis pointed out."I think this might cloud his judgement a trivial. I disagree with him about this particular topic. We 've been trying to have Ralph Lubar extradited for nearly a twelvemonth and Australia has not budged. Why bother continuing to make attempt toward this when it is clear they will be fruitless ?"

"If we give up, it will be telling the public that anyone can go commit a criminal offense in another body politic and not be punished,"Harry Hotspur said."More than that, it demonstrates the corruption of the Aboriginal Australian governance and having our citizens believe their regime to be corrupt will not facilitate international wizardly cooperation."

"The possible corruption of the Australian government is not any of our clientele at the current time. We can not ram them to extradite Ralph Lubar and it is my personal sentiment that they will never do so. I daresay that the Department of International Magical Cooperation has More pressing matters to deal with."

"Thank you both,"Harry said."We have sentence for one Thomas More interrogation, but in light of the fact that the election is on Wednesday, I am going to pass each of the candidates a chance to make a general speech instead. Mr. Weasley, you may speak first."

"Thank you, Harry."

Percy seemed ineffective to call Harry 'Mr. Potter .'Albus giggled at this.

"I would like to give thanks Professor Kendrick and the rest of the Hogwarts stave for being so accommodating, as well as the scholarly person. None of the scholarly person sitting in this room right now were alive before the Ministry was reorganized in 1998 through 2001. None of the student in this room were awake during Voldemort 's reign of terror. They read about both of these in history books, because to them, it is simply story. To me, and the sleep of the grownup in this room, the previous Ministry and Voldemort are our preceding, our computer storage. We remember the terror, the unknown, the fearfulness.

"I was a persona of the reorganization of the Ministry. We all know the yr that have followed- the days where we have lived without fear, without panic, without the unknown. I have been with the Ministry every step of the way since Voldemort 's defeat and I will make it my duty to continue the pacification that we 've had for over twenty years. I will preserve this short because I, like most of you surely do, believe that the sound speech communication is a inadequate talking to. If you want a diplomatic minister who will stay the winner of Minister Hartwell 's meter in office, balloting for me, Percy Weasley, on Wednesday. Thank you."

There was a smattering of clapping, but it did n't last long. Albus had a feeling that most of the rest of the students wanted the election to be over.

"My opponent routinely brings up the past times. He speaks of the war, Voldemort, and the old Ministry, but never once has he discussed the futurity, except in vague statements about keeping things the like. It 's true that I was not involved with the shakeup of the Ministry over twenty age ago. I got into politics later in animation. But I do not finger that this will construct me an inferior minister, nor do I think it will be particularly beneficial to Mr. Weasley.

"chronicle is just that. account. We certainly need to learn from our history to ensure that we do not pull in the Lapplander mistake we did before, but it is not necessary to have lived through history to be a successful loss leader. There are sight of Ministry employees, even a few high-ranking officials, who were not here during Voldemort 's sovereignty. Bruno Walter Eckerton, for object lesson, did not live in U.K. during Voldemort 's reign. Yet he very successfully runs the Department for the rule and command of Magical brute.

"In shortsighted, I believe we need to focus on our future rather than our yesteryear. If elected minister of religion I will make progressive changes in not only our ministry and police force, but our educational system of rules as well. Things have been ran the same for over XX years, and while I am not denying the achiever, I think we have needed change for a while. break loose captive are running exempt. Hogwarts lessons are being taught the same way they were when these child 's grandparents were in school. The ministry, along with its laws and insurance, needs to adapt as the eld go by. If you feel alteration is needed, if you are at all upset about the way things are, ballot for me, Patricia Laurentis, on Wednesday."

There was another smattering off applause. Albus did n't spat at all and neither did any of his cousins. If the election was based upon genetic support, Percy would possess it in the bag.

"I think your uncle may have won my parents'support back,"Matt said as they left the Great Hall.

"Yeah, he made himself fathom a bit better today,"Albus replied."Laurentis just does n't get it."

"Nope,"lustrelessness said."But she does n't appear to have an issue with my dad, which is dear if she gets elected."

"What if she wins and she stops trying to get Lubar extradited ?"Rose asked as they met up with John.

"She ca n't. The man is insane,"bathroom said.

"Honestly, I think it would be better if he was n't extradited,"lusterlessness said quietly.

"Why ?"John asked incredulously."He kidnapped us and tried to bring Voldemort back !"

"He was n't really a persona of that,"flatness said."That was the Willinsons."

"But still,"Albus said."Why ?"

"Because if he gets extradited he 's going to be wild,"mat explained."He 's got quite a temper. And when he does n't get his way he attempts to ruin the lifespan of those who stand in his way. Just think about it. If he were brought back here, what 's stopping him from making my ... condition ... world ?"

"He could n't do that,"Albus said."It 's illegal."

"You think Lubar would care ? He did it in Australia !"Matt snapped."He 's already broken the law. And even if he got in problem for it zero could take up what he said back. It sucks that he 's not getting punished, but I think it would be better if the world just forgot about the unit thing."

Albus had n't thought about it like that before. Matt did have a power point. But there was a part of Albus that just wanted to see Lubar behind bars.

"asset, there 's no way Commonwealth of Australia will extradite him,"flatness said."Your uncle and Laurentis are both right wing about one affair. The Australian government is very bribe, and I do n't recollect anything will encounter until that rottenness ends. Lubar wo n't be punished, and werewolves wo n't get reclassified as Beings."

"So even though you moved, the Australian government still has some control over your life,"John said."That 's messed up."

"Yeah, it really is,"lusterlessness agreed."But it 's the way the humankind works."


A/N : Thanks for all the reviews ! Once again, I 'd wish to shamelessly stop up my tale for Dobby nomination ! Head over to the forums to put forward my ( or any other ) stories for a Dobby award ! Be sure to read the rules before nominating.


Albus had been hoping classes would be suspended the day of the election, but there was no such luck. Kendrick organized it so that the Great Marguerite Radclyffe Hall would be the canvass place and that voting would not affect the general student body. Hogwarts was the designated polling station for the district it was in, so there would be other people coming to the school to vote. Albus 's full cousin who were of age ( Tom Bradley, Fred, and Heather ) all voted after breakfast, as soon as the polling station had been set up.

Albus and his friends spent well-nigh of Herbology watching people walking from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts in order to vote. It was very distracting and Neville did n't bother telling people to get back on task.

"When are we going to sleep together who won ?"lav asked as they walked back to the castle for defence mechanism.

"It 'll be in the prophet tomorrow aurora,"Albus said."That 's the official notice, but I 'm surely we 'll obtain out earlier. Bradley and Cedric have to go to the end of the election party tonight. It starts at six and the pate close at eight. They 're announcing the achiever at the party at eight-thirty. Thomas Bradley and Cedric will be back after that and I give it about five transactions to spread around the castle."

Gospel According to John laughed."You do n't make to go to the party ?"

Albus shook his psyche."My parents gave me the option. I said no. Epistle of James and Lily are n't going, either."

"What about you two ?"can asked Rose and Matt.

"No,"blush wine said. mat shook his head.

"Good,"privy said."We should get our own company here. A company to celebrate the end of this election. Maybe it 'll entail Embry will let up on the essays. Anyone else writing their public debate essay during Defense today ?"

For the past few months virtually people had used Defense as a cogitation hall. The worksheets offspring assigned never took longer than xv minutes and he did n't seem to give care what his students did with the remainder of the class. Just as long as they were n't being loud. Albus did n't think anyone had used any Skiving Snackbox sweets in Defense this yr, since there was n't lots point.

Albus, Matt, and Amanda all still needed to write their essays as well. rosiness had written hers immediately following the argument, but the rest of them did n't see the need to do it right away.

"I can always stop it in account of thaumaturgy, too,"St. John said as they entered the castle.

"Let 's go peek in the Great Hall,"Albus said as he led his supporter over to the right.

Albus glanced inside and saw that there were four belittled stall curtained off where the stave table should 've been. A shortsighted queue of people were off to one side and seemed to be waiting their turn for the cubicles. It did n't seem very exciting.

"Any commentary on the election ?"

Albus turned and saw a newsman lurking near the doorway. He did n't recognize this particular reporter.

"No, thanks,"Albus said as he steered the group away from the Great Hall, and thus away from the reporter.

"I do n't opine they 're allowed inside,"Rose mentioned."So they ca n't bother the great unwashed who are voting."

"That makes horse sense,"Amanda said."Well, let 's go get those essays done with. Then we 'll never feature to save essays on debates again."

Albus nodded. No more debate essays. Now that would be a skillful matter.

The remainder of the day passed quickly. Albus, matt, and Amanda managed to wind up their essays during Defense, but Saint John the Apostle only got halfway done. ballot was suspended during lunch and then again at dinner party. Albus overheard a few of the sixth and one-seventh years talking about balloting and the election during dinner. A couple of Ravenclaws even got into an logical argument about it.

"Let 's make a accord now not to get in any fights over the future election when we can all balloting,"Rose said as they watched one of the arguing Ravenclaws storm out of the Great Hall.

The rest of the grouping heartily agreed. Albus could n't guess ruining a friendship over something as silly as an election.

"This party that Bradley and Cedric are going to,"Saint John began,"it 's for both your uncle and Laurentis ?"

"Yeah,"Albus said.

"That 's going to be awkward when they announce the winner,"John said with a laugh.

"It 's supposed to boost good sportsmanship and that sort of matter,"Rose explained.

"Still ... I ca n't envisage Laurentis being a well sport,"trick said.

After dinner Albus and his Quaker returned to the common room, deciding that it might be interesting to drop the evening there rather than the Marauder 's Den. They also wanted to learn firsthand from Omar Bradley and Cedric who won.

The common room had the distinct smell that Gryffindor had just won a Quidditch mates. James, Fred, ling, Mark, and Ben had taken it upon themselves to make a party to celebrate the end of the election and thus the end of debate and essays on debate. There were grammatical case of Butterbeer and trays of biscuits and cipher was working on any homework.

"Maybe now matter can get back to normal,"Albus said as he opened a Butterbeer.

"If Uncle Percy wins affair will never be normal again,"rosebush pointed out.

Albus shrugged."I do n't hump. Amanda seems fairly rule and her uncle 's the Prime Minister."

"That 's because nobody here cares about the Prime minister of religion,"Amanda said."At home everyone knows I 'm the niece of the Prime pastor. My baby and brother certainly are n't anonymous at their schools. My sister 's at university now and she says it 's a bit better than it was in secondary school."

"Albus, you 're Harry Potter 's son,"lavatory said flatly."No matter what happens, you 're going to be well-known."

Albus supposed that was rightful, but sometimes he wished it was n't. Sometimes, he wished he could make his own way in the humanity and not have his dad 's name tied to him.

"Did you ever get the map back from your dad ?"Matt asked.

"Yeah, why ?"

"Just curious,"Matt said.

Albus reached into his bag and pulled the map out. He 'd taken to carrying it around with him all the clock time, but he was n't sure why. After setting it down on the table he revealed it and focused on the part that showed Hogwarts.

"There 's still a bunch of people voting,"Albus said, gesturing to the Great Hall. About a half 12 or so Department of Transportation were milling about.

"gentlewoman Rosmerta 's there,"Amanda pointed out."I wonder who she 's voting for."

"No idea,"Albus said. He glanced at his lookout man."half hour until the polls close."

"How long do you call up Bradley and Cedric will stay ?"Kaden asked.

"Probably not long after the announcement is made,"Albus answered."They do n't really like going to those things."

"Albus,"John said, pointing to the map."Is it just me or is Malfoy going into Moaning Myrtle 's toilet ?"

Albus peered down at the map. Sure enough, a dot labeled 'Scorpius Malfoy'had just entered the second floor missy 's lavatory. That did n't make any sense.

"What the hell is he doing in there ?"Matt exclaimed."Why would anyone go in there ?"

"Myrtle 's there,"Saint John the Apostle commented."Look, she 's floating over toward him."

"But why ?"Albus asked, still utterly confused."Why would a fella go in there ?"

"Maybe the map made a mistake ?"Kaden suggested.

"Dad says the map never lies,"Albus explained."well, there 's only one way to witness out. Let 's keep abreast him."

"strait in effect to me,"Amanda said as she stood up."This company is getting boring anyway."

John and Kaden nodded their head teacher in arrangement. Rose raised her eyebrow.

"No way,"Matt said, shaking his promontory vehemently."There are n't enough Galleons in the world."

"Oh, get on, it 's just a lady friend 's loo,"Amanda said."Look, there are n't even any girls in there besides Myrtle. And she 's a spook !"

toilet laughed."Myrtle 's got a bit of a crush."

"John, shut up !"flatness said, his face turning red.

Amanda and Rose burst out in laughter."Seriously ?"Amanda said.

"Yeah, we had custody in there once,"John explained."Myrtle spent the whole time flirting with flatness. It was hilarious."

"I said, shut it !"flatness shouted.

"Oh, add up on, she 's just a ghost."

"I 'm not going. I refuse."

"Fine,"John said."Suit yourself. Rose ?"

"I 'll persist here, thanks,"Rose said."You 're wasting your time anyway. It 's not like he 'll state you anything."

Albus did n't deal. He still liked the idea of going because it felt like he was doing something, making some sort of advance on figuring out why Malfoy had been acting so oddly the past few month.

They did n't nark bringing the Invisibility Cloak since there was still an minute left until curfew. On their way there, they spotted Peeves unscrewing chandelier in pureness of April Fool 's Day, but ignored his cackles.

Albus watched the map as they went. Malfoy remained in the flush toilet as they walked quickly downwardly flights of stair. But they got stuck on the step leading to the second floor corridor, after the stairs decided to go them directly to the first story rather than the second.

"He 's leaving !"Albus exclaimed as they got back on the steps after their slight detour.

"Maybe we can catch him on his way back to the dungeons,"Amanda suggested.

Albus nodded."Let 's waiting here, then."

Their stream location gave them an excellent prospect of the Great Hall. A few Ministry officials were currently carrying pieces of the voting cubicles out of the way, polling clearly over. It would only be about a half hour until they had a new Minister of magic.

john nudged Albus."There he is."

Albus turned away from the Great Hall and saw Malfoy walking down the stairway. He looked extremely determined.

"Malfoy,"Albus said.

"ceramist,"Malfoy replied.

Albus suddenly had no idea how he was going to ask Malfoy about why he was in the daughter 's loo without revealing the map. If they caught him in there it would 've been well-off to say they saw him going in there, but now he was just walking down the stairs, perfectly innocently. He 'd have to be really careful about it.

"So why were you in a girl 's loo ?"Amanda asked.

So much for being careful, Albus thought.

Malfoy paled."Er, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were,"Amanda said."I was in there, too. 2nd level, Moaning Myrtle 's sewer ? Ring any doorbell ?"

"That loo was void,"Malfoy said quickly."I checked."

"Next time check a bit harder,"Amanda said."I was in the lowest stall and when I heard you come in I had to stay there because you 're a chap and it would just be weird to amount out of a john stall and come up case to nerve with a gent. I heard you talking to Myrtle, though."

"I ... er ... that 's not any of your ... line of work,"Malfoy stammered.

"Then do n't conduct your business organization in a girl 's loo,"Amanda said with a laugh."Let 's go. We do n't desire to miss the news about the new government minister. Clearly Malfoy 's a bit unhinged."

Amanda turned and set off up the stairs. Albus, John, and Kaden followed, leaving Malfoy frozen in their wake. Albus glanced back and saw that he was still as pale as Matt is right before a full moonlight.

"Amanda, what was that ?"John exclaimed once they 'd reached the second floor.

"That felt good,"Amanda said."He just really irritates me, and this time we had something on him. I could tell Al did n't have a go at it how to ask him without telling him about the map. But I figured it 'd be pretty comfortable to pretend I 'd been in the loo with him."

"That 's brilliant,"John said.

Amanda grinned."I have my moments."

"Whatever it was, I do n't recollect he 'll be going in that loo anymore,"Albus said."I just wish we 'd figured out why he was in there in the number one place."

"Seriously,"John said."The solitary way you 'd enamour me in a girlfriend 's loo is if you paid me a load of Galleons."

"Or you got detention."Amanda smirked.

"That does n't look,"John said.

"Oh, shut it, both of you,"Albus said."Let 's hurry up and get back to the plebeian room."

When Albus, whoremaster, Kaden, and Amanda returned to the common room they were greeted by tatty moan and sighing. Confused, Albus turned to his brother, who was nearest the portrait hole.

"We thought you lot were Bradley and Cedric,"St. James the Apostle said.

"James River, it 's not even eight-thirty yet,"Albus pointed out."They wo n't be back for at least a half hour."

"Oh, right."

rose wine and Matt were in the middle of a plot of chess. matte was losing spectacularly.

"Did you find him ?"Matt asked as Rose 's bishop crushed his queen.

"Yeah, but not in the loo,"Albus said."Caught him on his way back to his common room. He would n't severalize us a thing."

"Of course he did n't,"Matt said."And he probably denied he was in the loo anyway."

"He would 've,"Albus said."But Amanda told him she 'd been in there and then told him off for being there. It was brilliant."

"want I could 've seen that. I 've always wanted to tell off Malfoy."

"You should 've add up,"John said."We did n't even see Myrtle."

"Still ... not taking any fortune,"Matt said."King to D6."

rosebush instructed her knight to move faithful to Matt 's Martin Luther King."mate.

Matt sighed."One day, I 'll win."

"Me next !"Kaden exclaimed. Everyone else laughed."What ? I 've gotten better,"Kaden muttered.

Albus, john, matte, and Amanda settled down to watch as rosiness clobbered Kaden. Albus could 've sworn he saw Kaden 's chessmen quiver as they were set up on the board. rose wine 's queen was most definitely grinning maliciously. Over the future half 60 minutes Kaden 's art object were viciously slaughtered by Rose 's, but not without putting up a fight. Kaden was in fact getting in effect.

"Exploding gingersnap ?"Matt asked after rose and Kaden repaired their chessmen.

"Yeah, all right,"Albus agreed. The others nodded.

Albus ran up to his dormitory to retrieve his Exploding snap fastener cards. As he returned, the portrayal yap opened.

The entire mutual elbow room froze and was silent. Not a single person moved. Not a one somebody said a Holy Writ. Even the initiative years, who had been tossing a Quaffle around, were still. Albus stood on the buttocks step to the dormitories and waited.

Omar Bradley walked inside, followed by Cedric. Neither seemed overly excited, but that did n't mean that Percy had n't won. After all, they, like Albus, did n't really want Hotspur to be Minister, but they did n't need Laurentis as Minister either.

"Well ?"James asked.

"Dad lost,"Bradley said quietly. He whispered something to James and then he turned and left the common room, followed by Cedric.

Albus could n't believe it. He had n't realized it until now, but he truly had believed that Uncle Percy would win. He had the accompaniment of Harry potter. Did n't that mean anything anymore ?

Albus returned to his friends and set the box of cards down on the table. He sat down and did n't say a word.

"What does this mean value ?"Amanda asked quietly."testament she do everything she said she was going to do ?"

"That and probably unsound, too,"Albus said.

James walked up to the table."Al, Rose, we 're all going to the room of Requirement. Bradley and Cedric want to give us more details."He glanced the repose of the chemical group."Sorry, family only."

"We 'll see you later,"Albus said as he and Rose stood up.

Albus, James River, and rosebush walked to the room of requirement in silence. When they arrived they saw that the door was already there. They walked inside.

The rest of their cousin had already arrived. Albus took a rump on the finale odd sofa and James and pink wine sat on either English of him. Nobody was speaking, so he glanced around and watched all of his cousins.

Tom Bradley, Cedric, Heather, Mark, Ben, Fred, Hugo, Lily, James I, pink wine, and Angie. And himself. They were the midway grouping of cousin. Not the oldest, not the untried, but the single in the middle, who never did anything first and never did anything finale. They were n't the first gear to go to Hogwarts and they would n't be the finish to graduate. They stood by each other, through the well and through the bad.

Omar Nelson Bradley and Cedric were n't seated. They were standing at the nominal head of the room, near its threshold. The full room was decorated like the den in the burrow, with uneven furniture and organized chaos everywhere. Albus liked it.

"Well, Dad lost,"Tom Bradley finally said."I already told you that ... but yeah. It was close. He only lost by a couple hundred voter turnout.

"How did he exact it ?"Scots heather asked.

"Graciously,"Thomas Bradley answered."Thanked everyone for their backing and shook Laurentis 's hand, of course."

Albus was n't surprised. Uncle Percy had and always would be the epitome of a civilised politician. But maybe that was n't enough to get elected.

"Is it dire that I 'm well-chosen he lost ?"Cedric asked as he squeezed onto the couch between James and Albus."Because I am, form of."

"Just a bit,"Heather said."What is Uncle Percy going to do now ? I doubt Laurentis will keep him on."

"I had n't even thought of that,"Omar Bradley said.

Neither had Albus, but it made sense. Percy was still employed by the Ministry, but his job was one of those task selected by the government minister.

"He 's always worked for the Ministry,"Bradley continued."I do n't suppose he could do anything else."

The room descended into silence. Nobody seemed to know what to say, Albus included. His feelings on his uncle becoming minister of religion had been all over the situation for the past seven months, but now that Percy had actually lost, all Albus felt was letdown. It was unknown. Just death hebdomad he had been kind of hoping Hotspur would drop off, and now that he had, Albus felt the double-dyed opposite.

It was already past curfew for Lily, Hugo, and Angie, but cipher was telling them to go back to the commons room. Albus was vaguely singular about what was going on in the commons way, but not rummy enough to actually go back. Matt, Gospel According to John, Kaden, and Amanda would tell him later.

What Albus was really worry about, Sir Thomas More than anything, was what Laurentis was going to do to both the Ministry and Hogwarts. Laurentis had made it absolved that she was going to change the school, but Albus liked it the way it was. Then there were the modification to the Ministry, such as the dementors. How long would it take for Laurentis to bring them back ? Surely she had to go through proper duct to do it.

James, Bradley, and Cedric were the low to return to the common way, claiming they had to wee-wee dependable on all the wager they 'd taken. Albus had a feeling all three of them were now slightly in debt. Albus and blush wine returned a few minutes later, leaving the rest of their cousin talking quietly in the Room of Requirement.

When they returned lustrelessness, John, and Kaden were playing Exploding ginger snap. Amanda was writing a letter.

"Who are you writing to ?"rosebush asked.

"My uncle,"Amanda answered."I 've been keeping him updated on the election. He says he likes hearing it from me rather than waiting until the new minister arrives to forgather him."

"Your uncle meets the Minister of trick ?"John asked.

"wellspring, yes,"Amanda said."The two worlds do have to coexist. Sometimes there are problem that affect both. Voldemort, for instance. And Hartwell personally told my uncle about the get out last Eaters."

"That 's so weird,"John said.

"I told you about it earlier in the year,"Amanda pointed out."That 's the only reasonableness I got to go to Hogwarts. My parents changed their thinker at the last-place second and happened to mention it to my uncle, laughing about the fact that they 'd actually said I could go. And then my uncle told them it was all true."

"I wonder how often that happens,"Albus mused,"Muggleborns not being able-bodied to go to Hogwarts because their parents do n't believe."

Amanda shrugged."I 'm just lucky I was n't one of them."

"I think we all need a distraction,"Rose said and turned to Kaden, whose facial expression was covered in ash."Deal out the cards again. Let 's wager until we 're too tired."

Albus heartily agreed, and that was exactly what they did. Two hours later, all of their faces ashen, they were finally tired. But when Albus climbed into bed, his thoughts began racing and he found himself ineffectual to sleep.


A/N : Sorry for the former update ! My birthday is tomorrow so I had friend up for the weekend and completely forgot. Thanks for all the reassessment !


The next day 's edition of the Prophet was devoted entirely to election day and Laurentis 's win. The achiever did not surprise anyone in Hogwarts since Bradley and Cedric had spread that as soon as they returned. Albus still read the integral front page clause at breakfast and he was glad he did, because the article still held surprises.

LAURENTIS winnings ; BEGINS APPOINTING POSITIONS

In the secretive slipstream for Minister of legerdemain to
date, candidate Patricia Laurentis won the
situation final nighttime. crown closed at eight,
with the official succeeder announced at a unopen
company at the minister 's Mansion at eight-thirty.
Laurentis won by a bare 342 votes, which is the
closest race we have ever seen.

'I am of form very pleased with this turning of
events ,'Laurentis said at the Minister 's
mansion house after the announcement was made .'I am
very excited to be sworn in as Minister of
Magic on May first. I feel I will be able to
pay the public what they need, for they have
spoken and now it is my obligation to give them what
I promised during my campaign. I of course
offer my commiseration to Percy Weasley. He truly
was a joy to run against over the past times
seven months .'

'I offer my praise to my opposite ,'Hotspur
Weasley said to Daily oracle reporters at the
parson 's mansion. 'We both campaigned hard
and she won, fair and square. I am frustrated,
of course, but I still congratulate her .'

Over the next month Laurentis will make up one's mind who
she wishes to constitute to top Ministry positions,
before she is sworn in as minister of religion of Magic on
May first of this twelvemonth. Laurentis is wasting no
sentence with this, as she was seen at the Ministry
earlier this morning time .'I already have people
picked out for about location ,'she said upon
questioning .'I will be keeping a few of the
current functionary, but I will be replacing quite
a few in order to honest unite the Ministry .'

One individual has already confirmed his design
to pick out Laurentis up on her offering of a position.
Ironically, he is set to rent over Percy Weasley 's
current berth under Minister Hartwell .'I am
very pleased to announce that Draco Malfoy is
going to require the emplacement of Senior
Undersecretary for the draftsmanship and redaction
of Laws. Dragon Malfoy has been a supporter of mine
for many long time as we have worked together in the
Azkaban division for nearly a decade. I am very
excited to go along working with him .'

Laurentis plans to announce the names of her
official as they confirm throughout the month.

"Malfoy 's dad ?"Albus exclaimed, in electrical shock."Since when is he chummy with Laurentis ?"

"Malfoy never said a word,"flatness added, his eyes large.

"Of row he did n't,"rose said."We 're not exactly his friends."

"hold, remember in Hogsmeade back in October ?"Albus replied."When he talked about how my phratry wo n't be running the wizarding world for long ? Not that my syndicate has ever ran the wizarding humankind ... But he seemed to know something we didn't."

"This must be it,"lav said, staring at the paper."That 's a pretty top posture, is n't it ?"

"Second mellow for drafting laws,"rose wine said."Given his family relationship with Laurentis anything he drafts will most probably pass."

"And who knows what his views are,"Albus said, craning his neck to see the Slytherin tabular array."Malfoy 's over there. I ca n't quite see his typeface, though."

"I 'm sure he 'll have something to say to you in Potions,"Amanda pointed out.

Albus had quite a few hours to hold off to find out just what exactly Malfoy would have got to say to them. History of Magic, his maiden class of the day, was as boring as ever. Professor Binns showed absolutely no identification that the election had taken place the old day. Professor Patil was the complete opposite, making no move to hide up her indignation at Laurentis 's win, which led her to blow up the desk she was attempting to spiritualize.

"Do you recollect Laurentis will actually hold teachers sacked ?"privy asked as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch."Because if she does, Patil wo n't stand a chance."

Albus shook his capitulum."Only if they 're really awful instructor. Umbridge sacked a few in my dad 's fifth year and I think people will be outraged if Laurentis does the Same thing. Honestly, I think Binns and youth are the only ones in danger."

"Could you sack a ghost ?"John asked."I mean, where would he go ?"

"He 'd probably stick around and still try to teach,"Albus said."I ca n't imagine it would go over well."

"And Danton True Young ca n't get sacked,"John lamented."That 's where I do all my homework."

Albus secretly agreed, but did n't say anything because Rose snorted in disgust.

Malfoy was waiting outside the potions dungeon when Albus and his friend arrived after dejeuner. Gone from his expression was the unsettle and partially sad look, replaced by Malfoy 's common haughty smug. Clearly his dad getting a top Ministry position had changed something.

"Hey, thrower,"Malfoy greeted him."Congratulations to your uncle on his loss. Ca n't thank him enough for that."

"I 'll be sure to tell him,"Albus replied."He 'll be thrilled that he made a Malfoy well-chosen. must be courteous that your dad 's got some actual tycoon now."

"And yours wo n't give birth any for long,"Malfoy said."Just another month."

"Nothing 's set for sure about the Auror Department,"Albus countered.

Malfoy laughed."I think I might know a bit more than you on that. Laurentis was over at my house for dinner last week."

"And you were here,"Albus said."You never mentioned that your dad 's Friend with Laurentis."

"It never came up."

"Well now that you 're all happy again maybe you 'll actually show up for this calendar month 's dueling tournament ?"

That wiped the smirk off Malfoy 's fount. He turned stony and took a dance step closer to Albus."Do n't say a word about that. It 's none of your business."

"Touchy,"John commented.

"Stuff it, Brickston. This does n't worry you. Your parents will make power in the Ministry the day Hagrid adopts a convention pet."

"We 'll see who 's got the power the moment one of your family winds up at St. Mungo 's,"John snapped.

Malfoy paled."Just shut out up. The point is, my dad 's going to have a safe position than yours."

"nonentity cares what your dad does for a life,"Matt said.

"nobody asked you. At least my dad does n't land his work home plate with him."Malfoy laughed.

King John whipped out his wand."You always take it one too far, do n't you, Malfoy ?"

Malfoy took out his sceptre as well."I could say the Same about you, Brickston."

"Wands away, boys."

Albus turned and saw professor Slughorn standing in the door. He breathed a sigh of easing. The last thing bathroom needed was another hold.

"Get inside. category is starting in one minute."

Both John and Malfoy were lucky they did n't get detention, Albus thought. Neither of them had thrown any hexes, but a stricter teacher would 've handed out detention just for having their wands drawn. Not Slughorn, though. Albus got the signified that Slughorn did n't like handing out detainment, probably because that meant having to supervise them.
***


The following few daylight passed without anymore stead declaration from Laurentis. In fact, it was a relatively calm few daytime, especially when compared with the past seven month. For the firstly time all year, there was little coverage of the election, that is until they had politics on Tuesday. At the end of the deterrent example, Embry reminded them of their enquiry essays on their instance, an assignment that had completely slipped Albus 's mind. It was due in two days.

Apparently, it had slipped John and mat 's minds as well. rose wine and Amanda had been diligently working on theirs all week, only needing to write their conclusions. Amanda had even asked her uncle for aid, devoting persona of her essay to the similarities and differences between the wizarding and Muggle governments.

"I guess we 'll be spending the evening in the program library,"Albus said as they headed to the Great Hall for dinner."

"Dammit,"matte muttered."I 'm going to have to write the stallion matter tonight. The full moon 's tomorrow."

"Usually you 're much better about remembering to do assignments before that,"blush wine commented.

"I know, but with the election and everything, I forgot,"lustrelessness said.

"But you 'll be missing class on Thursday,"John pointed out."So you can wrench it in Tuesday and get four extra days."

"I 've never done that with long-term assignment,"Matt said."I do n't want to start up now. Albus can turn it in, like usual."

"Let 's eat fast, then,"Albus said as they entered the Great Hall.

"Hey, Amanda, want to take a walk of life around the lake before we write our conclusions ?"pink wine asked."The conditions 's so nice tonight we might as well take advantage."

"Of trend !"Amanda agreed."Ca n't let that go to waste."

"Oh, shut up,"Albus muttered.

Forty-five minutes later Albus, lustrelessness, John, and Kaden had taken over one of the larger mesa in the program library. Kaden had joined them since he had a Transfiguration essay due the next day and prophecy prediction to do. Albus was considering hexing two first years at the table next to them who kept giggling, if Madam Pince did n't get to them first. He wished that one of his friends lived in his territory ; it would realise this so much easier.

Albus did have a distinct advantage over both Matt and Saint John, in that his voice was far Sir Thomas More well-known than theirs. Oliver Prang, who had been serving the due north British capital district, was on his 4th consecutive full term, which amounted to over XV age. That was Sir Thomas More than Albus 's entire life. London in itself was a location that required far more attention than other country of the country, which resulted in far more information being available on it. Saint John the Apostle was able to settle a fair amount of data on his instance, Nadine Abernathy, but flatness, since he lived in one of the most remote sphere of England, had difficultness locating information on Marcus Whitby.

"Does this bloke even live ?"lustrelessness asked as he looked through the very last archived written matter of the prophesier that was published during Whitby 's one condition."Oh, here we go. Lovely. Now I know he exists. Here 's a sentence that mentions he won the election. And of class he won. He did n't consume any opponents."Matt groaned and banged his head repeatedly on the table."This is hopeless."

"You 've still got all the minutes from Wizengamot confluence,"Albus said, pointing to the three declamatory stacks of report in the center of the table. He really did feel bad for Matt, though. It was bad enough having to do a paper like this, but having to do it when the full-of-the-moon moon was only two solar day away ?

"I could probably just do clobber up,"flatness said as he took the top few pages."I mean, honestly, could Embry possibly know anything about Marcus Whitby ? It 's the least densely dwell district in all of England."

"Embry probably knows everything about everyone,"John said."There. I 've got my intro. reckon at it this way. Your cuss 's only been in office for a year. So you 've got far less squeeze to await through. It wo n't take as long."

"But if there is n't anything, then that does n't help,"Matt muttered."Have you even interpret anything ?"

"A bit."John shrugged."Nadine Abernathy 's on her 2nd condition, so there 's not as often as Albus has got. But I read enough to indite the introduction. Now I 'll interpret a bit more."

"You have a weird way of doing research."

Albus glanced up and saw that pink wine and Amanda had returned, suitcase in hired man. They sat down and pulled out their own essays, which looked very long.

Matt tossed the papers he 'd been looking at onto his rejection slew, which was so chaotic that lady Pince would probably possess a heart attempt if she saw it. He then let out a loud sigh and put his headway in his hands.

"Could you please take pity on him ?"Albus asked pink wine.

Rose looked up from her essay."I told you. You 're all doing this yourselves."

"His representative has only been in office staff for a twelvemonth,"Albus explained."And the only affair he 's found is one sentence in a oracle from a year ago saying he won the election, which was against nobody. And the good moon is tomorrow."

"Please, rose ?"lusterlessness asked, picking his head up to look at her. His side was flushed and he looked very frustrated.

"Your parents should 've moved somewhere less remote,"Kaden commented.

"They wanted to be in the middle of nowhere,"matt said flatly."They did n't want neighbors."

Rose sighed."amercement. But only because you look so pathetic. And mine was pretty concentrated, too, because my district is also removed. Just let me polish off my conclusion."

"Lucky,"John Lackland muttered."I do n't suppose you 'd help-"

"Absolutely not, can Brickston,"Rose said and lowered her spokesperson."As soon as you turn into a wolf once a month I 'll facilitate you with your procrastination."

Albus turned back to his own essay and over the following four hours managed to get it half done. He did n't think it was very right, but it was advancement. John was about halfway done as well, so the two of them decided to call up it a night. John the Evangelist settled in to help Kaden with his falsify foretelling predictions. lustrelessness was still working on his, with much coaching from Rose.

"Did you notice anything ?"Albus asked.

"A bit,"Rose said."It 's not much. This gent seriously has n't done anything. He 's hardly mentioned in any of these minutes."

Matt yawned."How foresighted does this have to be again ?"

"A foot,"Rose answered."You 've got another four inch to go."

"It 's nearly ten,"Albus mentioned."The library is going to close up and we 've already missed curfew."

The library was now only filled with twenty percent through 7th years. It was certainly quieter.

"We should probably fetch up in the common room, then,"pink wine said.

"I do n't suppose I can,"Matt said."Too threadbare. I 'll finish it tomorrow since I 'll probably bound off afternoon category anyway."

The group packed up their things and walked quickly back to the park room. By some stroke of luck they managed to avoid the prefects and did n't get any custody from being out after curfew.

"No mandatory curfew tomorrow,"Kaden commented as they entered the mutual room.

"With Greyback caught they do n't need to do it anymore,"Albus pointed out.

"Thank God,"Matt replied."He wo n't be lurking around tomorrow."

"I just hope your dad was able to facilitate those parents with the two kids,"Rose said.

"He 'll probably go do the Ward himself,"mat said."At to the lowest degree for this month. And I 'm certain they 've got Wolfsbane this month."

Albus nodded. It was going to be a better wax moon for everyone involved.
***


Albus, Matt, and John managed to get their essays done in time and turned in on Thursday. The full-of-the-moon synodic month was relatively formula, as full Moon go, without any reports of werewolf plan of attack. Matt wound up in the hospital wing for two replete Clarence Shepard Day Jr., having resorted to chewing on himself since the wolf no longer had the distraction of Rebel outside. But Albus had a smell lusterlessness preferred it that way. Rebel 's front was just too creepy-crawly and too unknown.

A few days after the full moon James returned to the mutual way fuming. Albus raised his eyebrows at his pal as he straightened a sight of career pamphlets that had once again appeared on the common way tables.

James stomped over to Albus 's table, pulled up a chair, and squeezed himself between Albus and mat."vocation advice,"he muttered.

"Did you just have it ?"Albus asked.

"Yeah, with Longbottom,"William James said."Neville always seemed so nice when we were little and even in class he 's easily the best prof here. But for life history advice ? He 's terrible !"

"fountainhead, what did you sing about ?"

"Careers."

Rose snorted."Obviously."

"He wants me to pick something now. I do n't screw what I want to do with my life. I 'm only xvi for God 's saki !"

"I think you have to clean something so you can cull your N.E.W.T. grade next yr,"blush wine explained."Otherwise the teacher do n't hump what to put you in."

"I know that,"James snapped."But I do n't require to do anything that 's going to require heaps of N.E.W.T.s. I want to play Quidditch."

Rose laughed."He did n't wish that ?"

"No,"James muttered."So I told him about Georgia. And then he said that it 's not very common to be drafted by a professional squad and that even Georgia had a back-up plan. That 's news to me. As far as I know she 's wanted to make for Quidditch her whole life."

"She was going to design broom,"rose wine said."Still might, after she 's done with Quidditch. Why do n't you do that ?"

"Neville suggested it. But it requires Arithmancy most of the clip and I have n't even done O.W.L. Arithmancy. I just want to take the bare minimum of N.E.W.T.s and get done with it."

"And of course Neville did n't like that,"pink wine said."Honestly, James I, just pick something."

"But I ca n't !"Jesse James said as he picked up a stack of folder."Look at these. Goblin intimacy, Gringott 's forgery Coin chequer, Security Troll Trainer. They 're all dead boring."

"There 's loads of line of work in the Ministry and St. Mungo 's,"pink wine said.

William James snorted."No one would want me as their Healer."

Albus had to check with that. William James had about the same ability to boil down as a trolling."Hey, you could school protection trolls."

"I said that 's bore. And I do n't want to work for the Ministry. Not now that Laurentis has won. Just you lot wait. You 'll have to go through this next year."

"I already know what I want to do,"blush wine said."I 'm going to be a Healer, specializing in psychiatry."

"Of path you do,"James muttered.

"If it makes you feel better, Ilex paraguariensis, I 've no idea what I want to do,"John said.

"Me either,"Kaden agreed.

"You 're a one-third year,"St. James the Apostle said flatly."It does n't matter that you do n't sleep with what you want to do. What about you, Al ?"

Albus shrugged. He had n't thought much about careers since the former yr when Balladanis told him he could be a Presuler. The estimation was very influence, but he did n't need to secernate anyone else about it.

"I suppose it does n't matter. The N.E.W.T.s I take are going to depend on which O.W.L.s I actually pass."

"If you 'd leave office complaining and bulge studying you 'd pass more of them,"pink wine pointed out.

"I suppose you 're right wing,"Saint James the Apostle said as he stood up."Guess I 'll go to the library."

"St. James the Apostle, delay !"blush wine shouted as William James neared the portrait golf hole."Forgetting anything ?"

Epistle of James glanced down."Oh, right. Books."

James ran up to his dormitory and returned with his bag a instant later. Grinning at Albus and the others, he left the vernacular room.

"I swear, I 'm not certainly how we 're related,"Rose muttered.

"You 're telling me,"Albus replied."You 're still set on the Healer affair ?"

"More than ever,"pink wine said."It is Wyrd, knowing exactly what I want to do this early."

"You 're like my sister,"Matt pointed out."You two really are alike. It 's kind of weird."

"I like your sister,"Rose said."So I 'll take that as a compliment. What about you ? Do you cognise what you want to do ?"

Matt laughed and picked up the Gringott 's pamphlet."Considering that werewolves are n't going to be changed from animal to Beings anytime soon, I do n't cogitate I 'm going to throw many choice to pick from."

"You never know,"Rose said."Who knows what will occur between now and when we graduate. affair could change."

"Still, it 's dubitable,"flatness said, turning to Amanda."Amanda ? You were awfully quiet when Saint James was here."

"It 's hard not to be. He 's rather tatty himself. I 'm not certainly. I think I want to do something in the Ministry, though. I want to bring in a difference."

"Excellent,"Matt said."You can change everyone 's intellect about changing the loup-garou classification."

Amanda smiled."You never know. It 's crossed my mind a few times."

"I just want to brew potions for a living,"Kaden announced as he leafed through the pamphlets.

"You 're insane,"John said."You seem so normal, otherwise. But seriously, nobody enjoys potions."

"You can do that,"lustrelessness said."You can get a Brewer. My sister 's doing that along with her Healing degree."

Kaden 's heart grew expectant."Wait, really ? That 's a real career ?"

lustrelessness nodded."Not everyone can brew potions, so they need masses to brew them for them. You can work at St. Mungo 's and brew healing potions or you could turn for a company and brewage potions to sell."

"Sort of like a chemist, I suppose,"Amanda replied.

"Exactly,"Rose said.

"Brilliant."Kaden grinned."James I will hate me now. tertiary year and I know what I 'm doing."

Albus laughed."You could change your mind."

Kaden shrugged."I suppose so."

Albus did n't really require to think about what they would do after Hogwarts. It was three years away. He 'd rather savor the show, but blush wine had always been the soul to depend to the future. She fantasized about their Hogwarts days when they were only six and now, she was fantasizing about what they 'd do after. Albus had never been the type to do that. There would be plenty of time for the future in the future.


A/N : Thanks for all the brushup ! For those of you who read Beyond the phantom, it made it through to the voting one shot of the Dobbys ! Head over to the forums to vote for it. It was nominated in the Best OC category.


Apr went by quickly, as it usually did. The weather turned from chile and windy to warm and rainy, resulting in More than one muddy Quidditch practice. Albus did n't mind the mud as much as he minded the distance of the pattern. Both Fred and Heather seemed determined to win the Quidditch Cup now that it was their seventh class. They had n't won it yet, in all their years at Hogwarts. Albus wanted to win, too, but not enough that he enjoyed practicing for five hours straight.

When he was n't on the rake, most of Albus 's sentence was spent at dueling practice. The final exam match of the year was on the last Sat in April and Albus 's team was still in the running for a win of the total tournament. They had n't won a single match, but they were routinely in second stead by only a few points. The squad that had gotten first place never did that well in other tournaments, resulting in their overall breaker point sum being quite low.

When the finish Sabbatum in Apr arrived, far sooner than Albus would 've liked, he found himself incredibly skittish. He was n't queasy at all about his duels, but he was spooky for the team. This was it. It was his last tourney in the Jnr Dueling Tournament. His last chance to leaven himself as captain and pull in a situation on Gryffindor 's dueling team next class.

All four maitre d' of the household dueling team were present at this tournament because they would be hand selecting player for their team next yr. Unlike Quidditch, there were no try-outs for the dueling tourney.

"Last tournament being on Malfoy 's team,"Amanda commented as Malfoy dueled a girl from Ravenclaw.

"Thank God,"Albus muttered. He could n't wait until he no longer had Malfoy on his squad."At least he 's acting normally today."

"At least he showed up,"Amanda pointed out.

"Point to Malfoy !"Neville shouted."Albus ceramist and Matt Eckerton."

Albus groaned inwardly. He always felt awful when he had to duel matt because their science levels were so drastically different. At the Lapp time he did n't want to go tardily on his friend because the Gryffindor team police captain was watching.

Albus and Matt bowed to each other and raised their scepter. Albus thought a silent apology as he shot a Stunner at his best booster. Matt dodged it and sent one spine. Albus threw up a carapace and then sent three consecutive looker. The third one made contact and Matt collapsed onto the floor, frozen.

"detail to putter around !"Neville declared. He waved his wand at Matt and the spell lifted.

"Sorry, married person,"Albus said as he helped Matt up.

"Do n't be,"Matt replied."You 're definitely getting on the squad next year."

Albus won his indorsement affaire d'honneur as well. His team continued to win near of their duel, with some of his teammates winning their first duels ever. Amanda had begun a run of all the points on a redundant bit of parchment and their team was winning, with only a few duels left to go.

Kaden wound up dueling one of the Ravenclaws from Albus 's team during the last duel of the day. Kaden lost spectacularly, which Albus was both felicitous and upset about.

A few transactions later Neville stepped into the center of one of the dueling rings."I am pleased to foretell that we have a winner of both today 's tournament and the year 's tourney overall. felicitation to Team Seven for winning both today and the tournament boilers suit ! chieftain Albus ceramist, please come forward to take the trophy."

Albus was momentarily stunned, until Amanda nudged him. The stallion Great lobby was applauding as he stepped over to the dueling rings. They 'd done it ! After a year, they 'd finally done it !

Albus shook Neville 's hand while a Hufflepuff took their word-painting. The trophy was a bit pocket-size than the Quidditch Cup, but certainly not small by any means. After a few more motion-picture show were taken, including one shot of the entire team, Albus joined Amanda and the two of them walked back to the common room.

"When will you find out if you got on Gryffindor 's dueling team ?"she asked as they walked.

"Not until the summer,"Albus said."They send out letters."

"You 're pretty much guaranteed a spot, after that win,"Amanda said."Malfoy, too, probably. And then you 'll get to duel each other."

"I 'm looking forward to that,"Albus said."Just a bit."

"Me, too,"Amanda agreed.

Albus 's admirer were waiting in the common room when he and Amanda arrived. They offered congratulation and Butterbeer, which Albus drank quickly before heading extraneous for Quidditch practice.

Later that nighttime, between his happiness about the win and exhaustion from Quidditch practice, Albus slept in effect than he had in months.
***


In April 's last rest days the Daily Prophet published at least one article a day on Laurentis and her coming swearing-in ceremony, as well as her pick for top functionary. Albus had n't recognized any names of the official, or the names of their jobs. Mostly they were jobs such as the one his Uncle Hotspur held under minister of religion Hartwell. Laurenits, as it seemed, was waiting until she became minister to reveal the big berth, such as Albus 's dad 's position.

The Gryffindor table was unusually muted the morning of May first. Albus, along with all his cousins, were n't saying a Word of God. Albus was thinking of his uncle Harry Hotspur and how this should 've been his day, not Laurentis 's, and he was sure his cousins were thinking the Sami.

"I wish one of us could go to her ceremonial,"Amanda said as she read the vaticinator."It 's not going to be the Lapp reading about it tomorrow."

"I heard they 're listening to it on the radiocommunication in politics today,"John said."wish we had it today. That would be much full than having actual class."

"I just want to know if my dad 's out of a job,"Albus said.

"Will he be completely sacked ?"Kaden asked.

"No. He just would n't be chief Auror anymore,"Albus answered."It 'd still be awful, though."

"Same here,"Matt agreed."Amy said that Dad 's really nervous about it."

"What sentence is it happening ?"rose wine asked.

"Ten-thirty,"Amanda said after consulting the newspaper publisher.

"Right after History of conjuration,"Rose mused."So you lot will have Care of Magical tool and I 'll have Arithmancy. Is anyone else thinking that we should break out Uncle George 's best-selling product this break of the day ?"

Albus thought he heard her wrong. Was his cousin actually suggesting they skip form ?

"Wait, Rose,"Saint John said."Are you saying we should skive off class ?"

rose wine grinned."I think this is going to be a bit more educational. I say we skive and meet in the Marauder 's Den to listen on the wireless."

"I 'm in,"Albus said immediately. can, lustrelessness, Amanda, and Kaden agreed.

"We 've got to contrive it carefully, though,"rose said."We ca n't all get ill at the Sami meter or it 'll look suspicious."

"I 've got a unloosen period starting at ten-fifteen,"Kaden said."So I 'm all set."

rosiness nodded."That leaves five of us. flatness, do you hold an matter with skipping all of account of Magic ?"

Matt laughed."Of form not."

"Good. I think you ought to just skive off without using a Skiving Snackbox. No one will distrust anything."

"Aw, why ca n't I do that ?"John asked.

"Because if individual finds out and asks it 'll be easy for Matt go just say he felt ill, rather than you. I 'll use a nosebleed nougat in Arithmancy since I 'm the only when one of us in that class. Al, lav, Amanda, two of you can use something in History of thaumaturgy and then the early one can use something right at the beginning of Care of Magical brute. We meet in the marauder 's Den by ten-thirty."

With the plan decided upon, they set off for their morning division. John begged to be the one who used a puking pastille first in chronicle of illusion and Albus and Amanda let him. He seemed strangely excited about it. Albus was just going to use the fever fudge.

Professor Binns began droning on about the giant star Wars, a theme he seemed to enjoy for some reason. He taught it each and every year without fail. Albus doodled aimlessly on his notes while taking surreptitious glances at John every so often.

"Um, Professor ?"St. John announced ten mo into the class.

Binns turned around, looking confused. It was rare that anyone ever interrupted him."Yes, Mr. Broggs ?"

"I do n't palpate well-"lavatory was cut off by his own vomiting. His table was now covered with a pile of puke.

"Yes, yes, off to the infirmary,"Binns said as he returned his attention to the blackboard.

Saint John the Apostle hastily shoved the other end of the sweet into his mouth and vanished the vomitus before grabbing his bag ( which he never unpacked ), and left the room.

Amanda was next. She, like Albus, went the safe itinerary and had decided upon the fever fudge. Professor Binns hardly seemed to acknowledge that she felt ill, despite her announcing it to the class. He just waved her out and continued his speech. Albus could 've probably used his own fever fudge right then and there, but he did n't think it was deserving the modest risk.

Albus decided to eat the fever fudge on his way to Care of Magical Creatures so he could leave immediately after arriving. The Marauder 's Den was quite a walk from Hagrid 's hut and he did n't want to miss any of the ceremony.

He felt the personal effects of the fudge before even reaching Hagrid 's Hut. He had n't had a feverishness in years and had forgotten just how awful they were.

"Hagrid ?"Albus asked as soon as he arrived.

"Albus !"Hagrid exclaimed."How are yeh ?"

"Not good,"Albus answered."I feel ill."

Hagrid 's face fell."Yeh don'look so well. wagerer go see Madam Pomfrey."

Albus nodded and turned around, walking quickly up the path. Once he was out of sight of Hagrid, he shoved the early half of the fever fudge into his sass and felt immediately better. He 'd done it !

By the time he arrived at the Marauder 's Den it was nearly ten-thirty. The rest of his friends were already there, huddled around a very old looking wireless.

"Albus !"rosebush exclaimed."Nearly thought you would n't make it !"

"I practically ran here,"Albus said as he tossed his bag onto the storey and took a seat next to his cousin.

"Shhh !"Amanda said."It 's starting !"

"trade good morn, attender. We are broadcasting live from Courtroom Ten in the Ministry of conjuring trick, where just minutes from now Patricia Laurentis will be sworn in as diplomatic minister of magic for the United kingdom. It is standing room only in the courtroom, with additional spectators in the corridor."

Suddenly there was thunderous clapping, drowning out the commentator 's spokesperson. It died down a few arcminute later.

"Patricia Laurentis has entered the court. She is making her way down the gangway, greeting people on her way.

"rector Hartwell, along with fellow member of the Wizengamot are seated on the dais. Three senior members of the Wizengamot will imprecate Laurentis in."

More applause. Then a new voice. Albus recognized it as Minister Hartwell.

"Welcome to the Ministry of conjuration. It has been my joy to answer you over the past ten days. I 'd like to fill a bit to thank my political party, Merlinus, for their bread and butter over the past decade, as well as all of my top official and the sleep of the Ministry employees. I 'll keep this suddenly and just say that I am going to miss serving you, but I have to allow in that both my wife and I are looking forward to taking a nice, yearn holiday."

Laughter, followed by applause.

"Thank you, minister of religion Hartwell,"someone else said. Albus assumed it was one of the Wizengamot members."Ms. Laurentis, if you would delight maltreat forward."There was a intermission."Please repeat after me. I do hereby verify to serve up the United Kingdom-"

"I do hereby affirm to serve the United Kingdom-"

"-to the best of my ability-"

"-to the advantageously of my ability-"

"-and keep to the paragon of the Paracelsus party-"

"-and keep on to the ideals of the Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim party-"

"I swear to listen to the citizenry and do what is best for them-"

"I swear to listen to the citizenry and do what is best for them-"

"-regardless of whether it is best for myself or the Ministry."

"-regardless of whether it is best for myself or the Ministry."

"I hereby adjudge Patricia Laurentis as the tierce parson of Magic post-War as of the number one of May, 2020, at football team o'clock in the morning. Ms. Laurentis, congratulations. Please welcome your new curate of illusion, Patricia Laurentis !"

There was a smattering of cultured applause, much muted than the previous clapping for Hartwell. Albus supposed it was a serious occasion and no one wanted to look too rapt.

"That was spry,"Albus said.

"She 's going to make a talking to now,"Rose said."Shhh."

"Thank you,"Laurentis said as the applause died down."It is an honor to be standing before you as your minister of Magic. I would like to begin by thanking the Paracelsus party for nominating me as candidate and supporting me throughout my successful campaign-"

"Does she really involve to say it was a successful effort ?"John asked."I mean, it 's obvious that it was successful."

"Shut up !"rose wine said.

"-without your support I would never have made it this far. I hope I am able to live up to the high prospect set by you and curate Hartwell. I am sure you are all nervous to hear who I am appointing to foreland of section positions in the Ministry, so I wo n't emaciate any metre getting to that."

Albus 's heart sped up. He glanced up and met Matt 's regard. Matt looked just as nervous as Albus felt.

"first-class honours degree, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I am delight to announce that genus Aplysia Balladanis will be taking over for former Head, Reena Barnes."

"What ? !"Albus exclaimed."Did I hear her rightfield ?"

"Balladanis ?"rose wine shouted at the same fourth dimension."But he did n't even like the Ministry, did he ?"

"He said it was too restrictive,"Albus said."I guess he likes Laurentis."

Matt groaned."That means he 's going to be around all the fourth dimension. Not here, but this country."

"I definitely did n't see that one coming,"John said.

"Laurentis, Balladanis, Malfoy 's dad ..."Amanda mused.

"Shh !"Albus said."I heard her say Auror Department."

"-Robert LBJ will be replacing Harry Potter as head word of the Auror Department-"

There was an audible gasp from the hearing. Albus sat stunned, processing the information. component of him had been expecting this, but now that it had actually happened, it was still a shock. It was very exchangeable to the election results.

"I understand that this is a controversial choice, but I feel that the Ministry needs to be a united strawman. I assure you that Henry M. Robert President Lyndon Johnson is an excellent Auror and will nominate a wonderful Head of Department."

Albus tuned the wireless out once Laurentis went on to the Department of Magical Transportation. He could get a line his heart pounding in his head and the ease of the man seemed so far away. It was almost surreal.

"Albus ?"Rose asked."Are you all right ?"

"I do n't know,"Albus said."She 's insane, right ?"

"Honestly, Albus, I 'm not surprised,"Rose said quietly."And your dad still has a job."

"But it 's the command she made by doing it,"Amanda pointed out."She 's implying that he 's bad at his job."

"Exactly,"Albus said, glad that Amanda was able to put into discussion what he felt."First Uncle Percy lost and now this."

"-Walter Eckerton will remain read/write head of the Department for the regularisation and Control of Magical Creatures-"

"Thank God !"matte exclaimed.

"good,"Albus said."At least there 's somebody sane still in a Head position."

Albus only paid shadowy attention to the quietus of the announcements. He did n't recognize anyone, except for Malfoy 's dad when Laurentis reiterated that fitting. One thing was clear by the end, and that was no one in Albus 's home was in any of the fountainhead situation.

rosiness switched the receiving set off at the end of Laurentis 's speech. The thaumaturge doing the broadcast was interviewing a few hoi polloi, but they were n't anyone of smashing grandness.

"Do you need to go to lunch ?"pink wine asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I suppose so,"Albus said as he stood up.

It was open that Word had spread when Albus and his friends reached the Great Hall. Whichever class had had politics during the speech must 've shared the news with the total castle, because everyone stared at Albus as he walked in. He did n't create eye contact with anyone and made a beeline for the Gryffindor table, where he sat down next to James.

"So you heard,"James said quietly.

"I skived off class to listen live,"Albus explained."She wants a united ministry. What a load of Draco dung."

"This is bad,"Jesse James said."This is really bad."

"She 's replaced more official than any diplomatic minister, ever,"Rose commented."She only kept three."

"I still have no theme why she kept my dad,"Matt replied."I mean, I 'm glad she did, but it does n't shit any sense."

"null she 's doing makes a bit of gumption,"Albus muttered."But I guess people must like her. She got elected."

"But now that she 's elected she can name who she wants,"Amanda said."I do n't think anyone actually thought she 'd replace your dad. I 've only been in the wizarding existence for four years and even I know that everyone loves your dad."

That 's what Albus had always thought, too. He hated the fact that he was always in the spotlight because of it, but it was a constant. It was normal for him. Now, he did n't know what to think.

"facial expression,"Amanda said as she pointed to the staff tabular array."I do n't think the teachers expected it, either."

Albus glanced up. Every single professor was cryptic in conversation, some even ignoring their food. Neville in particular looked stupefied and disordered. None of them looked happy.

Albus 's own denture was still empty and he had no desire to fulfil it. For as long as he could remember his dad had been fountainhead of the Auror Department, a job that he loved. Being the man who defeated Voldemort had given him an gloriole of being the ultimate Auror, something that had stayed with him for over twenty dollar bill years. Now, so many years later, it seemed to Albus that it was wearing off.

It was May first, 2020, almost exactly 23 years after his dad had defeated Voldemort. Albus thought it was slightly ironic that this had happened almost to the day, 23 years later.

Albus looked around at his fellow Gryffindors. He knew that more than a few of them had voted for Laurentis, and therefore most likely supported her decision to replace his dad as school principal of the Auror Department. Not everyone was talking in whispering, with disquieted construction. A few groups were laughing, like they did n't have a tending in the human beings. Either they just did n't care about Laurentis 's decision, or they supported it. The thought process was very unsettling. Laurentis herself was unsettling to Albus, and the more he thought about it, the more he did n't like that she was now the parson of legerdemain. He did n't wish it at all.


A/N : Thanks for all the lovely reviews !


The following calendar week brought a slew of articles stating and re-stating everything Laurentis said in that first speech. A tilt of the new Ministry officials was printed multiple times. Albus found the editorials more interesting than the real articles, mostly because there were quite a few proclaiming how unintelligent it was of Laurentis to displace Harry potter. However, it was n't until nearly a week after Laurentis officiall became curate that an clause completely captured Albus 's attention was published.

DEMENTORS TO RETURN TO AZKABAN ;
HOGWARTS TO SEE CHANGES

Newly elected Minister of magic trick
Patricia Laurentis officially signed
the law that will bring Azkaban back
under the control of the dementors
late last night. Laurentis hopes
to have the dementors back by tardily
next week. 'This has been a goal
of mine for years and I am very
glad that it is finally happening.
The wizarding world will be far
safer now that our criminals will
be guarded once more by dementors .'

delivery the dementors back to Azkaban
is the first of many changes the new
pastor will be enacting over the
adjacent few weeks. Laurentis 's adjacent
design is to reenact changes at Hogwarts.
'Over the next few weeks I will be
sending representatives from the
Department of Magical Education Department to
observe each professor. Each
professor will be required to put forward
their curricula to the representatives
as well .'prof planning on
retiring at the end of this twelvemonth
will be excuse from this requirement,
as no changes will get hold of lieu before
the end of term.

"Well, she 's done it,"Albus said as he set the clause down."A week from now Azkaban will have dementors."

"Mad,"Amanda muttered."She 's mad !"

"And she 's sending people to observe the teachers,"Albus said.

Amanda grabbed the clause from Albus and scanned it quickly."Are any of them retiring ?"

"I did n't consider so,"Albus said."But a few of them are quite old."

As if on cue, Professor Kendrick stood up."May I have your aid ? Thank you. Most of you, I am sure, have read the Prophet. Over the following few weeks every professor will be observed during one of his or her socio-economic class. I ask you all to snub the representative and go about class as if they were n't there. That is how the Ministry will best get an savvy of how affair work at Hogwarts. Now, professor Slughorn has an annunciation to make."

professor Slughorn stood, although he was so suddenly that it hardly made a difference of opinion. He looked a bit flighty and Albus got the touch sensation that he rarely ever addressed the entire student body at once.

"Yes, thank you, prof Kendrick,"Slughorn said."I just wanted to narrate you all at once that I am going to draw back at the end of term. I 've enjoyed my fourth dimension at Hogwarts, but it 's heights clock time I retire for good."

"Ten Galleons says he decided to retire after finding out he had to submit his program to the Ministry,"rosiness whispered after Slughorn sat back down.

"I 'm sure you 're right,"Albus agreed."Dad said he did n't even require to come back when our parents were in school."

"What about Young ?"Kaden asked."He doesn't even have a curriculum."

Albus burst out laughing."I had n't even thought of that. Bet he gets sacked."

"So that 'll be two new prof next class,"toilet said.

pink wine groaned."And in our O.W.L. year, too."

"Do n't say that parole !"James, who was sitting about five rear end down from pink wine, shouted.

rosiness raised her eyebrows."What Holy Scripture ?"

"O.W.L,"James said with a shudder."They 're only a calendar month away."

"Guess you should 've started studying earlier,"blush wine said.

"Shut up,"James muttered.

Jesse James was n't the merely one to let forgotten about O.W.L.s amidst all the election tidings. There seemed to be more frantic studying than usual, and not just from the fifth part and seventh twelvemonth. The entire castle had neglected to hit the books for their end-of-term exams. Later that night Albus, St. John, rose, Amanda, and Kaden joined the throng of people vying for tables in the subroutine library in parliamentary law to grind away in as much perusal as possible. mat could n't unite them, as it was the full synodic month.

However, Albus had a hard time concentrating. His every view was focused on the dementors in Azkaban or his dad 's job or the Ministry representatives at Hogwarts. pink wine, Amanda, and even Kaden were focusing on their studying. lav was playing with his quill. Suddenly, he stood up.

"Kaden ?"he asked."Think now would be a good fourth dimension ?"

Kaden grinned, setting down his book."Yeah, I think so."

"We 'll see you lot later,"John the Divine said as Kaden got up."Do n't ask."

"That was eldritch,"rose wine said once the two boy left.

"It 's probably their antic,"Albus pointed out.

rose groaned."They 're right. I do n't need to know."

Albus had assumed that this would be a trick that would make itself known right away, as most of whoremaster and Kaden 's trick worked that way. But by the next forenoon affair seemed perfectly okay at Hogwarts. The Slytherins'hair was still pattern colours and everything seemed calm and muted. Saint John and Kaden kept grinning at each former, so Albus was sure they 'd done something.

It took another full phase of the moon day for matter to pick up. Albus first noticed it at breakfast, when some of the Slytherins seemed a bit changeable. They were squirming in their can and did n't seem able to sit still. But it was only a few of them.

Albus raised his supercilium questioningly at John and Kaden.

"Should we tell him ?"John asked.

"Oh, I suppose now we could,"Kaden said as he leaned over to Albus."Itching gunpowder in their laundry. The house-elves are very helpful with pranks."

Albus started laughing."Seriously ?"

Kaden nodded."Completely untraceable and the issue wo n't all come at once. It all depends on when they send their washing out."

"That 's genius,"Albus said. John and Kaden 's pranks were most definitely improving over the years.

"What 's champion ?"

Albus looked up from his breakfast to see flatness nudging a kickoff yr over so that he could sit down in adjacent to John.

"lady Pomfrey let you out ?"Albus asked.

Matt nodded."Yeah, I think she wanted me to appease longer, but I told her I needed to study. Why are these two geniuses ?"

"We did our prank on the Slytherins,"John the Divine explained and then lowered his part."Itching powder in their washing. The house-elves helped."

"okey, that is jolly awe-inspiring,"Matt said."You wo n't get caught, either."

"Nope, it 's not in all probability,"John said."So, what should we do today ?"

"Study."

Albus looked up once Sir Thomas More and saw that this time Rose and Amanda had appeared, both heavily ladened down with playscript and stacks of parchment. They wore very looks of determination.

"You 're all studying. All day,"Rose continued."Exams are in a month and none of us are fain. The election happened, it sucked, but it 's over. Nothing can be done. Albus, you 've been moping about your dad 's job for a week. whoremaster, Kaden, I 'm dictated that you do well this year. Matt, the full synodic month is over. All four of you are studying from now until exams."

"Aw, Rose, c'mon-"

"No,"Rose said."Studying. All of you. Amanda and I are going to get a table in the library and we expect all of you there in fifteen minutes."

Rose and Amanda left in a flourish of sheepskin and books, leaving Albus and the other son to stare at each other open-mouthed. Albus knew his cousin was very donnish and placed a gamey value on her own breeding, but never before had she staged an intervention for his studying.

"She 's lost her thinker,"John Lackland said."If she 's like this now, what will happen side by side year for O.W.L.s ?"

"Do n't say that word !"James shouted from down the table.

"I suppose we have n't got a selection, do we ?"Matt asked as he shoved his eggs into his mouth."Damn, I only just got back."

That was true, Albus thought. He and his champion quickly finished their breakfast and hurried up to the library, realizing once they arrived that they did n't possess any of their Quran. They ran up to their dormitory to retrieve them and made it to the library five moment later than Rose insisted they be there.

rosebush and Amanda had shoved two tabular array together and had spread all their volume out over them. Madam Pince was sitting behind the circulation desk, looking at them curiously, as if she could not recall a time individual had frequented the library that early. The remainder of the board were deserted.

"What 's with the spear carrier chairman ?"Albus asked as he dumped his books onto the tabular array."There 's only six of us."

"Oh, that 's for Elsie,"rosiness said as she set lambskin down at each seat.

"As in Elsie Willinson ?"Albus replied.

"Yes, that 's the only if Elsie we know,"Rose said."She needs help studying and I 'm her tutor."

"But she 's Felix Willinson 's babe,"bathroom pointed out.

"And she needs help, John,"Rose said with a suspiration."I 've been tutoring her all class and I 'm not going to block now."

matt nudged Saint John the Apostle."It 's not a bad thing. Maybe she 'll tell us what her blood brother and Malfoy have been up to all year."

Albus had n't thought of that. Of course, rosiness had n't had any hazard getting Elsie to peach all twelvemonth, so fortune were slim that he and the early male child would have succeeder.

"Honestly, you lot are far too focused on Malfoy,"rose said."You 've hardly studied all twelvemonth. Just sit down and start reviewing Transfiguration. I 've made study guide for every subject. You should give them at your spots."

Albus picked a arse and sat down. Rose was organized to the compass point of insanity. There were in fact cogitation template for every subject, organized chronologically, from Sep until May. Albus was suddenly very grateful for his cousin, despite her obvious insanity. This was going to seduce studying so a lot easier.

"Wow, thanks rose wine,"Albus said. The rest of the grouping muttered their agreement.

Rose smiled."See ? It was a good idea. Now, we 'll study until tiffin and then have a break."

lunch was about two time of day away. That was n't too bad. Albus opened his Transfiguration Word and settled in with that and the field guide. It took him about a half minute to work through distractions, but soon his intellect was only focused on Transfiguration.

Around him, the library quickly filled up. Fifth and seventh long time seemed the most frantic about finding mesa and searching the stacks, but students from every year and every sign of the zodiac were award. dame Pince spent the dawn weaving throughout the table and looking over everyone 's shoulders to make sure they were working on shoal work. With exam so near, the library was now closed to everyone who was n't going to revise.

Elsie Willinson showed up a little after eleven. Albus watched as she tentatively made her way over to the table, clearly unsure of studying with so many multitude. Albus was struck again by how similar she looked to Felix. It always sort of amuse Albus when siblings looked so alike, since he did n't really resemble either of his sib. But Felix and Elsie Willinson were incredibly similar in looks.

Once pink wine noticed Elsie, she immediately stood up and beckoned the get-go class over. Elsie seemed less flighty now that rosiness knew she was there, but she still avoided eye touch as she sat down and pulled her books out of her bag. Rose whispered something in her ear and she began reading her charms record.

Albus sighed and returned to his own work. Getting Elsie Willinson to tattle was going to be much more difficult than he thought.
***


Rose 's revise sessions continued throughout the calendar month of May. Albus did n't like to accept it out gimcrack, but they were incredibly helpful and he was n't for sure he would pass his exams if it were n't for rosebush. As the month progressed, the school term grew both in length and the number of participants. By the end of the first hebdomad their sketch grouping had grown to include James, Ben, Cedric, and their protagonist Nathan, who all now feared failing their O.W.L.s.

Albus and William James missed a few Sessions for Quidditch practice, but as the Quidditch final drew closer, both of them agreed that Quidditch was just as important as studying. Bradley and Scots heather were becoming to a greater extent and more dying about the final, since it would find out whether Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup. They were currently only a few point in time behind Ravenclaw and if they pulled off a win in the final exam, they would most in all likelihood win the cup as well.

The match took place a week before O.W.L.s were scheduled to begin and Albus awoke more neural than he had been for a Quidditch match in ages. The friction match itself was going to be bittersweet since it would be the last metre he played with heather mixture and Fred as the other pursuer on Gryffindor 's team. Next year he 'd have two new chaser and that was going to be incredibly foreign.

Albus headed down to breakfast before his admirer and encountered a few particularly itchy Slytherins on his way. Giggling to himself and enjoying the fact that Saint John and Kaden 's prank was still going on, hebdomad later, he entered the Great anteroom. On his way to the Gryffindor table, he was distracted by the sight of Malfoy, speaking with Felix Willinson, while carrying an overnight bag.

Deciding that breakfast could hold off, Albus crept over to the Slytherin table and attempted to crouch down behind a few seventh geezerhood. Unfortunately the Great dorm was too brassy for proper eavesdropping, and Albus made a vow to always have an Extendable Ear on his somebody from now on.

Malfoy stepped away from Felix Willinson and turned, allowing Albus to look at his cheek. He looked terrible. His heart were red and it looked like he had n't slept in daylight. Very strange, Albus thought, as he rose to surveil Malfoy out of the room.

Once in the ingress Hall, Malfoy immediately ran up the staircase, going far too fast for Albus to follow. Albus stood next to the door to the Great dormitory thinking about what Malfoy 's military action meant.

He was clearly upset about something, but what was it ? The nightlong bag implied that he was going to be leaving the castle, but why ? Albus thought back to the dueling tournament that Malfoy missed. The two incidents must be connected, and it was quite possible that the letter Albus and Amanda saw Malfoy reading months ago was connected as well.

Albus did n't mention Malfoy to his friends when they came down to breakfast a few moment later. As much as Albus wanted to discuss it with them, he knew that he needed to put it out of his judgment for the duration of the match. If there was ever a match for Albus not to be distracted, this was it.

The nerves on the squad were palpable as they stood waiting to take the air onto the pitch. Fred did n't even give a speech, since everyone knew how significant the match was, both to Fred and heather mixture.

Ravenclaw had a good Quidditch team. They were easily the best team in the schoolhouse, although virtually Gryffindors would disagree. But the Gryffindor squad was determined in this mate, causing them to play fiercer than ever before.

Albus flew faster than he ever had before. He, Fred, and Heather had always worked very well together, but during this couple it almost seemed like they were one entity, sharing one brain. Albus 's total creative thinker was focused on Quidditch and Quidditch only. Gone were the intellection of his dad 's job, Laurentis, and Malfoy.

The compeer only lasted an hour. Albus had n't even realized that St. James the Apostle caught the Snitch until the tin whistle was blown. Gryffindor won 420-260, their effective win yet that year.

"We did it !"Fred shouted as he landed."We 've won the Cup !"

Albus could n't even find out the commentary over the thunderous applause of the watcher. Professor Longbottom was holding the Quidditch Cup high over his head and was making his way through the crowd to Fred. Fred took the Cup and held it out to Heather. Each held one slope and raised it up. The Gryffindors were storming the pitch and Albus was sept up in the crowd, making it difficult to reach his team. Once he did, somebody snapped their picture.

Albus was the happiest he 'd felt in weeks, ever since his squad won the Dueling Tournament. It was his third year on the Quidditch team and they finally won the Cup. But he was even Sir Thomas More felicitous for Fred and heather mixture than he was for himself since they 'd both been on the squad since their second class and had never won the Cup.

Calluna vulgaris had tears streaming down her face and Fred was grinning broad than Albus had ever seen him. While neither of them were pursuing a career in Quidditch, Quidditch had been their life for the past six years. Winning the Cup in their seventh year seemed more poignant than it would have winning it any other twelvemonth. Albus hoped that Gryffindor 's team was still as good as it was now when he got to seventh twelvemonth. Winning again in his in conclusion class would be the best touch sensation in the humankind.
***


"Malfoy really did provide the castle,"Amanda announced at breakfast the next day.

"How did you find that out ?"Albus asked.

"Weirdly enough, Moaning Myrtle."

"How would she know ?"

"I 've no idea,"Amanda said as she grabbed a few slices of toast."I did n't ask."

"wellspring, I just found out why he left,"rose said as she set down the seer."His granddaddy passed away."

"As in Lucius Malfoy ?"Albus said, taking the paper."The ex-Death Eater ?"

"One in the same,"Rose said."His obituary is in there."

"Why were you reading the obituary ?"Matt asked.

"I was n't trying to. I was flipping through and happened to see it. It says he 's been ill for a while,"rose explained.

"That explains why he 's been acting so odd all year,"Amanda said.

"And that thigh-slapper he got months ago,"Kaden added.

Albus glanced at the obit but did n't take it. As much as he disliked Malfoy, he could n't help but experience sorry for him. Albus could n't envisage what it would be like to lose his grandpa, and despite Lucius Malfoy 's obvious break, he was still Scorpius 's grandfather.

"I feel sort of bad for yelling at him about skipping that dueling tournament,"Albus muttered.

"You did n't have a go at it,"can said."And it 's not like he explained."

"Is n't anyone else a bit preoccupied with the fact that Moaning myrtle knew about him leaving the rook ?"Matt asked."She never leaves her loo. We saw Malfoy going into her loo a few calendar week ago. Does n't that seem a bit too coincidental ?"

"You think he 's gotten chummy with Moaning myrtle ?"Albus asked.

Matt shrugged."It looks like he has. Why else would she know about it ?"

"But why would he go into a girlfriend 's loo ?"can asked, wrinkling his nose."That 's just blinking insane."

"Sounds like we need to pay a sojourn to Vinca minor,"Albus said.

Rose groaned."Really, Al ? He just lost his grandfather for God 's sake."

"We 're not going to bother Malfoy,"Albus said."We 're just going to talk to Myrtle."

"Count me out,"Rose said, shaking her head teacher.

"But you 're a girl,"Albus pointed out."You could get in there so a lot promiscuous. Amanda ?"

"Sorry, Albus, but I 've really got to study,"Amanda said.

"We 'll go at night, then,"Albus decided."John, Kaden, mat ? Which of you is going with me ?"

"Not me,"lusterlessness said immediately.

"I 'll go,"John said.

"You 're both mad,"Rose said quietly."Mad."

Albus may own been mad, but he could n't let this mystery go. His gut was telling him that Malfoy was up to something, despite his grandfather 's passage, and Albus was determined to recover out what it was.


A/N : Sorry that the update is a day late ! I was really busybodied yesterday and did n't have a chance to update. Thanks for all the lovely reviews ! I am very behind on answering them, but I 'll finish eventually !


The plan to talk to myrtle in the dead of night may deliver been a plan that belonged solely to Albus and John, but Rose still had somewhat of a say over when it happened. Exams were now only a week away and Rose was only giving them one night off, for rest and clearing stress from the mind. Neither Albus or John the Evangelist dared cross Rose and skip out on revision, which took place in the subroutine library until curfew and then in the vulgar room until they all went to bed.

Their one dark off occurred the night before their kickoff exam. O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s had been going on for a to the full calendar week, but none of the fifth or seventh years were taking any nighttime off, including James. Despite Rose 's insisting that he read a night off, James insisted upon studying. It was quite a switch.

Albus and John spent the evening acting chess with Kaden. Matt had turned in former, still tired from the full moon, which had taken place two Clarence Day earlier. rosiness and Amanda had disappeared into their dormitory, clearly set upon having some prison term away from the boys.

The unwashed room emptied as the night progressed, and eventually John and Albus were the lonesome single left. It had n't taken long since virtually mass went to bed early because of test. It was probably fairly dolt of Albus and John to outride up so late, but neither of them cared.

They waited an additional fifteen minutes in case somebody decided to return to the vernacular room, but no one did. Albus glanced at whoremonger and then pulled the invisibleness Cloak and the marauder 's Map out of his bag. He carefully unfolded the map and set it out on the table. The coast was clear.

Albus and whoremonger stumbled out of the portrait hole and once they righted themselves, Albus threw the Cloak over them, under the Fat Lady 's stern regard.

"Do n't have a bun in the oven me to let you in when you return,"she said."I 'm quite exhausted."

The Fat Lady was always threatening this but she never seemed to make good on any of her scourge. Ignoring her, Albus and John set off along the corridor. John led the way while Albus kept his middle glued to the Map, but the corridors remained discharge. It seemed everyone, both students and professors, were getting a unspoiled Nox 's eternal sleep before exam. Everyone that is, except for Albus and John.

Moaning Myrtle was the only occupant of the sec level girl 's lavatory. John quietly pushed the door undecided and Albus followed him in. Once inside, Albus pulled the Cloak off and held it under is the right way arm.

"Vinca minor ?"can shouted as he stepped into the room.

A splashing audio came from the last sales booth and then Myrtle 's ghostly chassis floated through the closed carrel door."male child ? Why do n't you go use your own-"myrtle cut herself off with a giggle. She floated toward Albus and can and rested on the swallow hole."Oh, it 's you. Albus ceramicist. And his acquaintance John. Where 's lustrelessness ? I rather fancy him ...."

"He, er, was n't feeling well,"Albus said, hoping that matt 's absence seizure would n't put myrtle off from talking to them.

On the reverse, Myrtle 's face lit up."Oh my ! I 've been feeling rather awful today myself. It 's a incline effect of dying, you know."

Albus did n't think dying had any side core other than dying and had always assumed being a ghost would n't be painful, but Myrtle was very odd.

"But why are you here ?"Vinca minor asked."You never visit me unless you 're in detention. It 's rather let down. No one ever thinks to visit poor Myrtle. Oh, Myrtle 's absolutely, they think, so she does n't need any visitant. Vinca minor does n't need any friends ! All because she 's dead !"

"No, Vinca minor, that is n't it at all,"Albus said quickly."It 's just, you live in a female child 's loo. We can only visit you now, in the middle of the night."

Myrtle let out a tacky sigh."I suppose. You are n't the exclusively son who talk to me, you know. Some of them even dare come during the day. I suppose they 're a bit braver than you are, which is odd since they are n't Gryffindors."

Albus glanced at privy. Maybe this was going to be easier than he thought. Vinca minor probably did n't suffer any allegiance to Scorpius Malfoy.

"Which boys ?"Albus asked carefully, taking a footmark closer to Myrtle.

"I only know one of their names,"Vinca minor said with a giggle."I know his figure because his father used to add up and babble out to me when he was in school. But his son is n't quite as talky and he did n't seem to wish at all about me or my Death. He only wanted to have it away about the Chamber of Secrets-"

"The Chamber of secret ?"Albus exclaimed."Scorpio Malfoy wanted to know about the Chamber of Secrets ?"

Vinca minor brightened."Oh, you know him, too ! Yes, he did. He wanted to be intimate exactly where the entrance was. He 'd already done quite a bit of research on it in the program library. Rather odd, I thought, for a Slytherin, spending so often fourth dimension in the program library, but not in a bad way. But yes, he came in and asked me about the sleeping accommodation and I told him about my demise and he did n't quite empathise the connection at first. So I showed him the entrance and told him that he had to address like a snake to get in but he could n't figure it out."

"He tried to address Parseltongue ?"Albus asked.

Myrtle nodded."Sounded awful. Your dad was much amend at it. Even that freckled boy managed to figure it out during the battle of Hogwarts, but Scorpius Malfoy was truly unspeakable at it. That 's when I met the other boy. Scorpius left and came back a few 24-hour interval later with this former boy. He showed him the entrance and then they started talking about this lady friend named Elsie and the other boy thought that she would be able to open the Chamber."

"And when was this ?"Albus asked. The other boy must have been Felix Willinson.

"Two weeks ago, maybe ?"myrtle said."Do you live why he wanted to get into the sleeping accommodation of Secrets ? He refused to tell me."

"No,"Albus said, shaking his brain."We want to know, too."

"well,"Vinca minor began as she floated up to the roof."Please tell apart me when you find out. And following metre, micturate sure that Matt comes to gossip, too."

"Er, sure,"Albus muttered."Is there anything else you know about Malfoy ?"

"No,"Vinca minor said."You 're going to leave now, are n't you ?"

"Yeah,"Albus said."Exams tomorrow."

Albus threw the Cloak back over himself and John and they left. On the way back Albus explained the sleeping room of mystery to John, who only knew the position by figure. By the time they returned to the common elbow room John the Divine was just as shocked as Albus was about why Malfoy seemed to want to get into the Chamber of secret.

"Do you remember Elsie Willinson can speak Parseltongue ?"John the Evangelist asked as they climbed through the portrait fix ( the Fat lady had not refused them accounting entry ).

"I do n't know,"Albus said."It 's very rare. I think we 're going to have to ask Rose."

"Bet she 'll have a go at it that, in the middle of exams,"Gospel According to John said with a laugh.
***


"Of course I have no theme if Elsie Willinson is a Parselmouth !"rose wine exclaimed the next day during their dejeuner pause in between exams. Albus had just finished explaining what myrtle had told them last Night, as well as explaining the bedroom of Secrets for Matt, Amanda, and Kaden 's sake.

"Are you sure she has n't mentioned anything ?"Albus pressed.

"Positive ! And honestly, Albus, you need to get this out of your mind. It 's exam workweek. It 's not the time to be focusing on Malfoy. Whatever he does, it really does n't affect you."

Albus knew that, but it did n't do a thing for his curiosity. The fact remained that Malfoy was acting oddly, and if Felix Willinson was involved, it could n't be anything good.

"They 're up to something, Rose,"Albus said."I 'm telling you."

pink wine groaned."Albus, I do n't care."

"Oi, Albus !"Saint James shouted as he jogged over to Albus 's fundament."Did you see the vaticinator this dawning ?"

"No,"Albus replied. He, matte, and privy had both slept too late to have breakfast before their for the first time exam.

St. James slapped a written matter down on the table in front of Albus."That bloke, Henry Martyn Robert Lyndon Johnson ? The one who took Dad 's situation ? He 's revamped the entire department, claiming that they 're going to deliver a 99 % gaining control rate."

"99 % ?"Albus repeated as he looked at the composition."That 's crazy."

JOHNSON REVAMPS AUROR department

Newly appointed Head Auror, Robert
Dr. Johnson, has spent the past times month
revamping and reorganizing the Auror
Department. Johnson has rewritten
rules and regulation for the department
as well as reorganized how Aurors
study together. All Aurors have
attended shop over the past month
to familiarize themselves with the
new rules and policies.

'The Hope is that we will be capable to
capture criminal faster and easier ,'
Johnson said. 'The department has
been disorganized for years and this
has resulted in many criminals going
free for far farsighted than they should.
Between the new Auror section policies
and the reinstatement of the dementors
in Azkaban, we should be able to becharm
more crook and hold on them where they
belong- behind bars .'

While Johnson did not go into specific
of the policies and pattern, stating that
these are varnish document, he assured
the wizarding public that they have
helped to streamline the department.
'With these new insurance I do n't see why
we should n't have a 99 % capture rate
within a class .'

"What does that even mean, 99 % seizure rate ?"Albus asked after setting the theme down.

"No idea,"James said."But I thought you 'd want to see it. I 've got to go. Transfiguration practical this afternoon and I need to practice."

"I wish they 'd say what the change actually were,"Albus said as his pal left.

"They ca n't,"Rose said."The paper is right about that."

"It 's not like the department was fearful when Dad was in charge,"Albus continued."He captured Greyback, did n't he ?"

"I think Laurentis is crediting lusterlessness 's dad with that,"rosebush commented."As much as it was both of them."

"That 's not fairly,"flatness said.

"No, it 's not,"Rose said as she glanced at her watch."We 'd better get going. History of magic trick exam."

Albus found it incredibly difficult to focus on his chronicle of Magic examination, and while he was fairly sure as shooting he passed it, he knew he had n't done well. There was just too much to center on. Between Malfoy and the Auror department, the last thing Albus wanted to think about were goblin insurrection and jumbo wars.

Later that nighttime Rose held another study session in the library. Albus managed to sit next to Elsie Willinson, who ignored him completely. Albus spent to a greater extent prison term staring at the predator 's Map and figuring out the full way to add up the topic of speaking Parseltongue with Elsie than any actual perusing, but rose wine did n't seem to notice.

The following two days were nearly identical to the first day of exams, with the exception of the content they were tested on. examination in the morning, lunch, exam in the good afternoon, studying, dinner, then more studying. The monotony was starting to get on Albus 's nerves, but they were only halfway through examination week.

Elsie Willinson did n't show up to the survey session Wednesday even. Albus was disappointed since he was finally going to bring up the subject of speaking Parseltongue with her, no matter how effective it would be. Instead, he looked over his Potions notes while glancing at the piranha 's Map every so often.

"Albus, what exactly are you looking for ?"Rose asked.

Albus did n't really desire to say because he knew blush wine would just cast her center, but he also knew she would n't let go of the subject until he explained."Malfoy. He 's going to go back to the lady friend 's loo, and when he does, I want to follow him."

"That would be poor fish,"Rose said."Look at the past times three years. You 've gotten yourself involved with something stupid at the end of every class. Following Malfoy would just be asking for trouble."

Rose had a point in time, Albus knew, but he did n't give care."It 's just Malfoy. He 's not going to kidnap me."

"Famous last Holy Writ,"rose muttered."He 's probably just in his park room."

Albus checked the Map. Malfoy 's dot was definitely not in the common room. Albus 's philia sped up as he checked the balance of the Map. It took him a while, but then he spotted Malfoy 's dot, making its way down the second floor corridor. He was accompanied by none early than Felix and Elsie Willinson.

"He 's going,"Albus said."And he 's got Felix and Elsie with him. I 'm following him and you ca n't stop me."

rose wine groaned."Albus, don't-"

Albus ignored her and turned to the rest of his Quaker."Are any of you coming with me ?"

"I am."Albus was shocked to see that the voice belonged to Amanda. Usually Amanda agreed with rosebush.

"Amanda, really ?"rose asked.

Amanda shrugged."I want a suspension from studying and I 'm just as curious as Albus is."

"count me out,"mat muttered, turning red."I 'm not going anywhere near Myrtle."

"She asked about you last fourth dimension,"trick said with a grin.

lusterlessness turned even redder."I 'd rather not bonk that."

"We 're in,"privy said, speaking for himself and Kaden.

"You 've got an hour,"rosiness said."If you 're not back by then I 'm sending prof Longbottom after you."

"We 'll be back,"Albus said as he stood up. As if to promote convince Rose of this, he left his record book sitting on the table. John, Kaden, and Amanda did the Sami.

Albus did n't bother with the Invisibility Cloak since it was n't past tense curfew. They 'd just have to lurk near the loo until the coast was all the way and fink in when no one was looking. All they needed was the Map for that.

The corridors were unusually empty and Albus attributed it to the fact that well-nigh of his fellow students were doing some last minute revision before the next day 's exam. It certainly made it promiscuous to purloin into a girl 's loo.

Albus watched the Map as they went and Malfoy and both Willinsons'dots entered Moaning Vinca minor 's bathroom. They remained there for only a few minutes, and then disappeared off the Map.

"They must 've gotten into the Chamber of arcanum,"Albus explained."I bet the Marauders did n't know about it so they could n't have put it on the Map."

It took another five second for Albus, John, Kaden, and Amanda to get to the loo. Once there Albus burst the door exposed and ran inside. He stopped short-circuit in front of the sinks.

One of the cesspit was gone, having sunk into the flooring. In its place was a gravid, pitch black hole. Myrtle was floating above it, her optic bright.

"They did it,"Vinca minor said excitedly."Are you going to travel along them ?"

"I guess this answers the query of whether Elsie Willinson can speak snake,"John said.

"Is Matt ill again ?"myrtle asked.

"Er, yeah,"Albus said.

"He 's ill an horrendous lot of the clock time,"Myrtle said."Tell him to come see me when he 's better."

"Sure,"Albus said as he crept closer to the yap."I 'm going down there. You three are welcome to link up me."Albus was determined. He 'd come this far and he was n't going to stop now. He needed to visualise out what was going on.

"Is it a far drop ?"Amanda asked hesitantly.

"I think it 's more of a sliding board,"Albus said."That 's what my dad said, anyway."

"There is n't a basilisk in there, is there ?"John asked.

"No,"Albus said."It 's dead."

"Then I 'm in,"lavatory said.

"Me, too,"Amanda agreed.

"I 'd go down there even if there was a basilisk in there,"Kaden said."I 'll go first, if you want."

"Be my node,"Albus said, gesturing to the hole.

"If you die, you can live here,"Myrtle said, giggling."I told Scorpio that and he told me that was another reason why he ca n't die down there. I do n't reckon he likes me."

Albus ignored Vinca minor and stepped aside so Kaden could leap into the muddle. Kaden did so without a second glance.

"Are you okay ?"Albus asked once he heard a thud.

"Yeah, I 'm alright !"Kaden shouted back.

Neither John or Amanda seemed be given to go next, so Albus stepped to the very sharpness of the fix and looked down. He could n't see a thing. Deciding that it was better to just do it and not think too hard, he took a deep breath and jumped.

His dad had been right about it being more of a swoop than a dip down. The hole was more than of a sloping pipe and it was n't a bad slide at all. Soon, Albus landed at the bottom and saw Kaden, who had lit his wand.

Albus lit his own scepter and took a look around. The berth was very wet and it smelled awful. The walls were dripping with murky water and the flooring was covered in rock and roll, mud, and what looked like old snake cutis.

"I think we 're near the lake,"Albus said, nodding to the dripping weewee.

There was a whooshing noise behind Albus and something crashed into him, knocking him over. Albus let out a scream and turned to see it was only privy, who had n't landed gracefully.

"Sorry,"John muttered as he lit his own wand. There was now plenty wand lighter to see clearly. The property was creepy. That was the simply word for it.

Amanda landed without knocking anyone over and lit her wand. Albus and Kaden waited for privy and Amanda to claim a spirit around.

"What do we do now ?"Kaden asked.

"Does anyone hear anything ?"Albus asked. It seemed stagnant silent to Albus.

John shook his head."matt should 've come. We need his werewolf hearing."

Albus nodded in arrangement."I guess we just follow the pipe. It looks like it only goes one way."

The others agreed. Albus led the way, his baton pointed in nominal head of him, and they set off. No one spoke. No one made any stochasticity whatsoever. Albus had his pinna poised to hear even the hushed stochasticity, hoping to hear some clue as to where Malfoy and the others had gone.

Ihey walked for what felt same miles before they heard even the swooning of randomness. Albus noticed legion snake skins and the bones from decades-old animals. Then, just when Albus had a notion they were reaching the end of the handing over, he heard a vocalisation, clearly, as if it was right next to him.

"Albus Potter. Well, well, is n't this a pleasant surprise."

Albus recognized the articulation. It was Jarrett Willinson.


Cliffhanger ! I know. I 'm immorality. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews ! I will respond to them, but I 've been quite busy lately.

And now I 'll take a few moments to brag. On the 16th I went to NYC for J.K. Rowling 's event for The Casual emptiness. I got to foregather her and get a bless copy of the Holy Scripture ! It was absolutely get. I blogged about it on the forum, so please condition it out !


Albus froze. He had n't heard that vox in over a yr and part of him thought he would n't ever hear it again. He always assumed Jarrett Willinson had stayed in Australia, where absolutely no one was looking for him.

Slowly, Albus turned toward the vocalisation. He pointed his lit wand in its management and saw that there was a very pocket-sized first step to his left. It appeared to be another pipe, but one much smaller than the one he and his friends had just been in. Albus crept toward it, trying not to make any noise.

He turned to John, Kaden, and Amanda."What do you recall ?"

"I think we should get out of here,"Kaden said immediately, stepping back."I thought we were just going after Malfoy."

"I bet Malfoy 's down there with him,"John said.

"But why ?"Amanda asked as she walked over to the pipe. She stuck her forefront in, making her voice echoey."Why would he issue forth back here ?"

"Can you see anything ?"Albus asked.

"Not much,"Amanda said, climbing fully into the pipe.

"We should just go back,"Kaden said, his voice wavering. All his braveness from being the first to move into the Chamber was gone.

"I do n't know,"Albus said."We 've come this far ..."

"Albus, I think Rose might 've been right,"Kaden said."Let 's just go-"

Kaden was interrupted by Amanda 's shrieking. There was a forte splash, a clump, and then more shrieking. Albus turned quickly back to the tobacco pipe. Amanda was gone, a small chain reactor of rubble in her place.

"Amanda !"Albus screamed, stepping over to the pipe.

"Albus !"she shouted back."assistant !"

"What 's happening ?"lav asked.

"Told you we should 've gone back !"Kaden shouted.

"fountainhead, we ca n't go back now,"Albus said, climbing into the pipe."C'mon !"

Albus had to crouch as he walked in order to fit through the pipe. John and Kaden followed him, occasionally tripping over rocks as they went. Albus splashed ahead of them, his wand lighting the few feet in forepart of him. They followed Amanda 's shrieking until they grew muffled and disappeared all together.

Finally, the tobacco pipe emerged into a small chamber, not unlike a small version of the sleeping accommodation they 'd just been in. It was wetter than the relief of the Chamber of secret and the far wall contained a metal grate that appeared to let out into the lake. But the water system was n't going through it.

Albus 's attention, however, was n't focused on the magically contained lake water. Instead, his oculus drew to the collection of mass scattered throughout the bedroom. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Amanda, in the clutch bag of Jarrett Willinson, who had his wand pointed at her oral sex. Albus was just felicitous they found her. Jarrett was flanked by his son, Quinton, who was looking a bit forged for wear. Azkaban did n't look to have agreed with him and he now looked far elder than his early twenties.

Scorpio, Felix, and Elsie were there as well, looking very uncomfortable. Elsie was shaking and had a demise grip on her sidekick 's paw. Scorpius stood next to them and he seemed very worried. The only one who seemed at all okay with the situation was Felix, whose grimace seemed to be coming from his babe 's grip on his hand, not on the situation.

Albus did n't recognize the other three grownup at first. Then he remembered their pictures from the prophet. The shorter fair sex was Dolores Umbridge, her Second Earl Grey hair greatly resembling a beehive around her principal. Her tegument was deeply wrinkled and she did n't a lot resemble the individual in the photograph, but her eyes and flaky smiling were the same. The other cleaning lady was about a foot taller and just as ugly. Her hair was stringy and mostly brown, with streaks of Second Earl Grey. Her nose was long, crooked, and boasted a large wart, giving her the look of a classic Muggle 's version of a witch. All that was missing was the common skin. The man resembled her, although he was light and more dumpy. Both were sneering. Albus assumed they were the Carrows.

"What are you doing here, Potter ?"Scorpio asked, clearly trying to fathom more confident than he was.

"Shut up, Malfoy,"Jarrett snapped."I 'll ask the questions. And I can only presume they followed you three. Whether it was knowing on your division, I have no idea."

"Ca n't we just go ?"Scorpius demanded."We did what you wanted-"

"No, no you did n't,"Jarrett interrupted."You did what your Father-God wanted and then you did part of what we wanted. And therein lies the problem."

Albus was thoroughly confused. His eyes went from Jarrett to Malfoy and back again, attempting to visualise out what was going on. What exactly had Malfoy 's male parent asked him to do ?

"I never said I 'd do what you wanted us to do,"Malfoy muttered, averting his gaze.

"And yet you did."Jarrett sneered.

"But I did n't want to !"Malfoy looked scared now. He pulled his wand out of his robes and held it up shakily.

"Oh, are you going to duel me ?"Jarrett asked, shifting Amanda in his weapon system so that he could point his wand at Malfoy.

"M-maybe."

Jarrett sighed."This is pitiful. I do n't care taking advantage of fragile fry, and yet here I am-"

"I 'm not fragile !"Malfoy shouted.

"You just drop off your granddaddy,"Jarrett said."You 're fragile. So is your father, and he 's easy to deceive."

"He is not !"

At that point Elsie started crying. It started out as small-scale sniffles but within ten seconds blew up into loud sobs. Everyone in the elbow room turned to gaze at her. Albus felt bad. It was obvious she had n't wanted to be here.

"Oh, shut her up !"Jarrett said.

"Elsie, you have to be quiet,"Felix muttered.

"I just want to provide, Felix !"Elsie sobbed."I did n't want to do this. You know I did n't require to do this !"

"You did n't have a choice, Elsie. He 's our uncle and he needed our help."

"Could person please just explain what 's going on ?"Kaden asked loudly."Or even better, let go of Amanda so we can get out of here and let you lot get back to whatever it is you 're doing ?"

Jarrett laughed."Oh, she 's not going anywhere. You three are free to impart. I really do n't care what the inferno you do."

Albus exchanged glimpse with John and Kaden, who both shrugged. None of them were going to leave, of course of instruction, but Albus was utterly confused. For the past four years Jarrett and Quinton Willinson had tried to kidnap him and now, all of a sudden, they wanted Amanda ? They 'd never wanted her before.

"Oh, you have n't put it together yet, have you ceramist ? I thought you were impertinent than that."

"Put what together ?"Albus asked, still confused.

Jarrett squeezed Amanda tighter."She 's the Prime Minister 's niece, who happens to be a Wiccan. She 's currently the best bargaining chip I could possibly have. I only wish I 'd known about her earlier, but thanks to your uncle the entire wizarding creation knows she 's the Prime pastor 's niece. I must give thanks that newsman.

"thrower, do you make how bad Laurentis would front if anything happened to the Muggle prime of life pastor 's niece a fiddling over a month after she took office ? And just sidereal day after her appointed head word Auror revolutionized the section ? Oh, it would look awful, Potter. So we, all of us, are going to sit wet until the Aurors get here and then I 'll take my demands and the Aurors will hand in because if they do n't, I 'll belt down the prime quantity parson 's niece."

Albus 's backtalk fell open. He stared at Jarrett, whose grinning resembled that of a person who just won the lottery. Amanda looked terrified, her middle darting everywhere and a few ramble tears running down her cheeks.

"Of course of action you can exit, ceramicist,"Jarrett said."Go get your dad. Go get the former Aurors. It 'll only fetch them here sooner. And do n't even try to hex me because if you do, this lot-"Jarrett gestured to the Carrows, Umbridge, and Quinton,"-will hex you. Your dad is n't a Ministry functionary anymore, ceramicist. It wo n't be as big of a criminal offence if they hex you now."

Albus glanced at Umbridge and the Carrows. Umbridge did n't look like someone capable of hexing anyone, given that she more closely resembled an unstable mental patient than a life-threatening witch. But the Carrows, they looked capable of execution. As for Quinton, he was n't a great deal of a threat. Still, Albus, John Lackland, and Kaden were more outnumbered than they ever had been before.

"But why ca n't we leave ?"Malfoy asked, his voice wavering."Or at to the lowest degree me ?"

"Because I might involve you to do something else,"Jarrett snapped,"and I want you here because if I let you leave I doubt you 'll come back. I know you did n't bring us the girl. She came with potter, following you."

"Why does it matter ?"Malfoy asked."The stage is she 's here now."

"I do n't think you would 've ever brought her to me, Malfoy."

"You 're decently, I would n't ! And do you want to eff why ? I never wanted to help you. That 's not why I agreed to this. I think you 're all idiots, to be honest."

Albus stared at Malfoy, completely shocked. Malfoy hated Albus, Amanda, and all their Friend, so why would n't he hold brought Amanda to Jarrett ?

"Then why are you here, Malfoy ?"

"To help oneself my dad !"Malfoy said, his verge still pointed at Jarrett."I did n't know you idiots were going to have a plot of your own."

Jarrett laughed."Now you 're the changeling. You think we 'd have agreed to his plot if there had n't been something in it for us ? Meaning my son, here. Not these other three. I 'm not for sure why they agreed to it. I 'm not even sure Umbridge knows where she is, actually. She has n't said much of anything since the escape."

"Do you really think you 're going to get anything out of this ?"Malfoy demanded.

"Yes, I do,"Jarrett snapped.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and then whipped around. In a issue of seconds, he sent five sequent jinx at the Carrows and Umbridge. Umbridge collapsed immediately, not moving. The Carrows both went for their wands, but were too dim. Malfoy sent two Sir Thomas More Stunners and the Carrows fell over, one on top of the early.

Malfoy turned back to Jarrett, breathing heavily."Looks like the odds are a petty unlike now."

"Malfoy, what are you doing ?"Albus asked, still trying to wrap his mentality around the fact that Scorpius Malfoy had just helped him.

"Shut up, thrower,"Malfoy muttered."I 'm not doing this for you."

"Scorpius, what is your problem ?"Felix asked, breaking unfreeze of his sister 's travelling bag."I thought we were in on this together."

"I thought we were, too, until your uncle decided to do affair his way,"Malfoy said."It 's like I told you at the beginning ; I only did this for my father."

Albus still did n't live exactly what"this"was, but all that really mattered now was that they were no longer outnumbered.

"The Aurors are coming,"Malfoy said to Albus."If we can just bind them off-"

"How do you roll in the hay the Aurors are coming ?"Albus asked.

"That does n't weigh now,"Malfoy said as he sent a beauty at Jarrett.

Albus turned to Saint John the Apostle and Kaden."Focus on Quinton and Felix. No offense, but you are n't the easily dueler and I do n't want you to hit Amanda."

John the Divine and Kaden nodded. Albus glanced at Malfoy, attempted to shake up off the Weird feeling he had from being on Malfoy 's side, and started sending hex after hex at Jarrett. Jarrett, clearly unable to duel while holding Amanda, threw up a shield and did n't hex back. Albus and Malfoy silently agreed to keep going, in an attack to weaken the shield.

Albus heard a loud smash and turned to his rightfield. dust was settling near where the Carrows and Umbridge lay. Once it settled, Albus saw that a large boulder had fallen from the cap and had landed on top of the female person Carrow.

"I think she 's dead,"Kaden said.

Albus swallowed toilsome. death had never crossed his thinker when he 'd hail down here. Trying to labor it from his thoughts, he returned to hexing Jarrett 's shield.

Kaden shouted something Albus could n't relieve oneself out and Albus turned just in time to see him shoot down against the paries. Albus ran over and knelt succeeding to him."Kaden ! Kaden !"

Kaden stirred and looked at Albus."Albus ?"

"Kaden, thank God,"Albus whispered.

"I 've got an tremendous headache,"Kaden muttered.

"Do n't fall asleep,"Albus said."stoppage awake. You 've probably got a concussion."

Albus heard splashing and looked up. Five wizards stumbled through the pipe, their wands out.

"Wands up !"one of them shouted. Albus did n't know the voice."Nobody move !"

"Are they all here ?"another asked.

"I believe so,"the first one said as he walked around the elbow room."Looks like the tip was correct."

"Not so fast !"Jarrett shouted."I 've got a few demands."

"You 're in no location to give demands,"the low Auror said.

"Albus ?"

Albus turned back to the tube and let out a sigh of sculptural relief. His dad had been the fifth Auror to arrive."Dad. Kaden needs to go the hospital wing. Now."

Harry knelt down next to Kaden and assessed him."We 'll have this lot rounded up soon. Then I 'll take him."

"Let go of the girl, Willinson,"the commencement Auror said. He took a few whole step forward and Albus was capable to see the incline of his side. It was Robert Johnson, the new school principal Auror.

"She 's the Prime Minister 's niece,"Jarrett said."You 'd better be heedful, or I 'll stamp out her."

"You 're outnumbered, Willinson,"President Johnson said."I would n't try anything if I were you."

"It 'll be a immense outrage if she dies down here."

"Oh for God 's sake,"Johnson muttered."Expelliarmus !"Jarrett 's verge flew in a perfect arc out of his hand and Johnson caught it."Petrificus Totalus !"

Jarrett attempted to skirt the charm, but still proceed keep of Amanda. He failed and collapsed to the level. Amanda ran forward and Harry caught cargo deck of her, directing her to sit succeeding to Albus and Kaden.

The Aurors conjured Mexican valium and tied up Jarrett, Quinton, the Carrows, and Umbridge. None of them said a intelligence and none of them questioned any of the suspects. If Albus had n't known any bettor, he would 've thought the Aurors knew exactly what they were going to come up down here. It was all very confusing.

Johnson and the three unfamiliar Aurors grabbed hold of the criminals and took them out of the chamber. Harry was left with Albus and the rest of the students.

"Dad, what 's going on ?"Albus asked.

"I have my suspicions, but unfortunately I do n't have any proof,"Harry said."Let 's get you up to the hospital wing."

Harry carried Kaden, who had since passed out, and led the odd chemical group out of the chamber and back to the pipage that led to Moaning Myrtle 's bathroom. Once there, he pointed his wand at the pipe and it turned into stairs. A few minutes later, they were back in the loo. Albus blinked a few times at the bright luminousness and then his centre rested upon Myrtle, who was floating near the far stall.

"You 're back !"she shouted."Is he dead ?"Vinca minor gestured to Kaden.

"No,"Albus said."Just unconscious."

"Oh."Myrtle seemed rather disappointed.

"Let 's go,"Harry said."hospital wing."
***


Albus had no real reason to stay in the hospital extension. After muttering about how Albus and his friends were always getting into difficulty, madam Pomfrey proclaimed him in perfect wellness. John, Amanda, Scorpio, Felix, and Elsie were also fine. Kaden, on the early script, had a concussion and was not allowed to kip. Albus, King John, and Amanda remained in the hospital wing with him. rose wine and lustrelessness joined them as well, despite the fact that it was well past times curfew.

Harry left after delivering them to Madam Pomfrey, but promised to return in a few hours. That had been three time of day ago and Albus was still waiting for him to get along back, and for an explanation. They 'd explained the entire ordeal to Matt and blush wine, who both agreed that Malfoy 's behavior was very strange.

The room access to the hospital wing finally opened and Harry walked in, looking incredibly exhausted. gentlewoman Pomfrey, upon seeing him, hurried off to her discipline.

"Kaden,"Harry said."How are you feeling ?"

"Like someone ran my head over with a truck,"Kaden said.

Harry chuckled."You 'll feel better soon."

"What was that about, Dad ?"Albus asked."Why was it almost like the Aurors expected all the captive to be there ?"

Harry sighed."No one knows for sure as shooting. The functionary record is that they received an anonymous tip, but none of the prisoners are explaining why they were in the sleeping room of closed book or how they got in."

"When we were down there, Malfoy kept saying he was doing something for his dad, but he never said what it was,"Albus said.

"That helps support my theory,"Harry said."I suspect that Scorpius Malfoy, along with Felix Willinson, were instructed by genus Draco Malfoy to get a suitable fix to house the prisoners for safe-keeping until Aurors could be brought in to capture them. This, of course, had to be done after the Auror department was reorganized by Henry M. Robert Lyndon Baines Johnson, in order to earn both him and Laurentis look effective. If Laurentis looks good, Draco Malfoy looks good."

"But that means that Laurentis and Draco Malfoy knew where the prisoners were,"Albus said.

"Yes, yes it does,"Harry said quietly.

"Uncle Harry,"blush wine began."You do n't think that Laurentis organized that break-out, do you ?"

"It 's crossed my mind,"Harry said."But it 's irrelevant, because I have no substantiation. Nor do I have proof of my theory about Draco Malfoy and his son. Alecto Carrow is dead, Dolores Umbridge is clinically insane, and Amycus Carrow is n't talking. Jarrett and Quinton Willinson are n't talking, either, and I somehow question Scorpius Malfoy will rat out his father. So, for now at least, this will rest a theory."

"But Dad, it 's illegal,"Albus said.

"It is,"Harry replied."Do n't occupy about it, Albus. The prisoners are back in Azkaban, which is all that matters right now."

"But Dad-"

"Albus. bedevilment will do goose egg. In my experience, masses who are sully like this are never able to observe it a mystical long. Whatever happens will happen."

"What about Scorpius ?"Amanda asked."Why did he switch sides like that ?"

"Scorpius Malfoy has had a rough twelvemonth. His grandfather has been quite ill for a prospicient time, which has put accent on both of his parents and thus, on him. I am sure he was pressured into this by his father and then when it came sentence for him to get further into it, by helping Jarrett Willinson get hold of Amanda, he realized he did n't want to be involved, not would his Father have wanted him to be involved."

"Is he going to get in problem ?"Albus asked.

"No,"Harry said."As far as the platter is concerned, Scorpius, Felix, and Elsie stumbled upon the captive just as you lot did."

"That does n't seem fair,"Albus muttered.

"No, it does n't,"Harry said."But on the early paw, I think Scorpius Malfoy deserves a breaking this year. I think he 's grown up a lot over the past tense few months. You might find out that he 's not quite the bully he used to be."

"I 'll believe that when I see it,"matt muttered."I guess that 's why he wanted to get into the shriek hut, though. Probably wanted it for the prisoners."

"I suspect that, too,"Harry said."I must say I 'm glad he chose the sleeping accommodation of Secrets."

"Me, too,"matte agreed.

"I have to deliver to the Ministry,"Harry said as he stood up."This will be in the paper tomorrow, although I have no idea what type of floor they 're going to reel or how involved you will be. Whatever they publish, do n't submit it too hard. Please do not remark my theory to anyone. The live thing we need is an article in the Prophet claiming that Harry ceramist is a confederacy theorist."

Albus laughed and said upright night to his dad. Madam Pomfrey let them slumber in the infirmary annexe that Nox, considering how tardy it was. Kaden, of course, had to stay on alert. Albus was surprised by how sluttish sleep came, considering what he 'd been through that dark, but it was nearly two in the cockcrow. He realized with a sinking tone that he still had exams the next day. Herbology and ancient rune. He hoped they would n't go too horribly.


A/N : Thanks for all the adorable follow-up ! I will be getting to them as soon as I can. The next chapter will the last in this novel. I 'm not certain when the one-fifth novel will be up since I have yet to total up with a concrete game for it. I 'm going to take a shift to spell other taradiddle that I 've had in my head for a while.

It 's the end of October, which means it 's nearly NaNoWriMo time of year ! I 'll be continuing to update Between Here and Somewhere throughout November, as well as posting the last chapter of this future Friday. But you wo n't see a lot else from me until Dec, as I 'll be busy writing an original fic.


Albus, John, and matte overslept the adjacent sunrise. Albus awoke ten min before their Herbology exam and had to stir up up John and mat, which is never a small feat. It took a full five minutes to get them up, but soon they were running through the corridors knowing fully well that they would be late. Unfortunately for Albus, none of his mind was on Herbology. He could n't halt thinking about what happened last night.

The son ran into nursery three five minutes late and as soon as they shut the door the stallion class looked up from their exam and stared at them. Albus got the distinct touch that they all knew about last night, whether from hearsay or from the Prophet. Professor Longbottom got up from his stool and walked over to them.

"male child,"he said quietly.

"I 'm sorry we 're previous, sir,"Albus said."We overslept-"

"Albus, it 's okay. I know what happened last night. Just go take your tush. Your exam are already laid out."

"Thanks,"Albus replied.

Albus was very grateful that Herbology had been the exam he was late for. Longbottom was the most sympathise professor in the entire shoal. Albus settled down and managed to take the test without falling asleep. While there were a few questions that he was n't certain about, he was quite confident that he at least passed.

By the time the exam geological period ended Albus was starving, as were John and Matt. They, along with pink wine and Amanda, headed immediately to the Great lobby for lunch. As they walked in, Albus again got the distinct feeling that everyone was staring at them.

"You should 've been at breakfast,"Amanda said."Everyone was talking about it and they kept coming over and asking me motion. There were a bunch of people crowded around Malfoy, too."

"Do either of you have the prophet ?"Albus asked as they sat down.

"Yeah, here,"rosebush said, handing it to him.

Albus unfolded the paper and set it down on his dental plate. St. John the Apostle and Matt sat on either side of him and read over his shoulder.

inmate CAUGHT AT HOGWARTS

Newly appointed forefront Auror, Robert
Johnson, received an anonymous tip
late last dark that led him and four
other Aurors to Hogwarts school day of
Witchcraft and genius. The tip
told Aurors that escaped convict
Amycus Carrow, Alecto Carrow,
Quinton Willinson, and Dolores
Umbridge could be found in the chamber
of Secrets oceanic abyss under Hogwarts School.

The Chamber of Secrets, long since
regarded as a rumored hidden chamber
beneath the school was proven to
exist in mid-1993. The Chamber has
remained vacuous since then.

All four escaped con, along with
Jarrett Willinson, wanted for a class
by the Auror Department, were found in
the Chamber of secret by Henry Martyn Robert Johnson
and four other Aurors. Amycus Carrow,
Quinton Willinson, and Dolores Umbridge
have been returned to Azkaban prison.
Jarrett Willinson is currently being held
in Azkaban prison house without bail. Alecto
Carrow was pronounced suddenly by healer
late hold up night, after the ceiling in
the sleeping accommodation collapsed, crushing her
instantly.

Six Hogwarts students were found in the
sleeping room as well. Johnson has released
very little info on this look
of the nighttime, but has said that Jarrett
Willinson captured one student with the
intention of killing her if demands were
not met. The names of the students have
not been released.

It is strange how the convicts got into
the school. Weaknesses in the protective
wards are currently being addressed. 'We
indirect request to reassure the public that Hogwarts
school remains as safety as ever. The problems
will be addressed quickly. There is no
need to panic .'

"Unknown how the inmate got into the school ?"Albus said incredulously."They 've covered the solid thing up !"

"What did you expect, Albus ?"Rose asked, shaking her forefront."Uncle Harry said it would happen."

"I bet that new Head Auror is in on it,"Albus muttered."He 'll probably say he investigated but all he 'll do is make up stories to treat up what Laurentis did."

"You 're probably good,"Rose said.

"Who 's right ?"Kaden asked as he sat down.

"Albus,"rosiness said.

"Have you seen this wish-wash ?"Albus asked, holding up the paper.

"Yeah,"Kaden replied."But honestly, I do n't care right now. I just want a sandwich. The prophecy exam was brutal. I had to tell Trelawney 's futurity in tea leaves."

John laughed."What did you say ?"

"Told her she was going to meet an untimely demise at the hands of a divagate Quaffle,"Kaden said.

Rose groaned."Oh, Kaden, you didn't."

"She actually liked it,"Kaden said."Her huge middle lit up and everything."

"She likes death, Trelawney,"bathroom said."Or at to the lowest degree the concept of it."

"Wyrd,"Albus muttered.

Albus 's remaining exams took office with little fanfare. Despite his mind not being on the material, he thought he did fairly well, and when the target were released he discovered that he had passed everything. His Transfiguration print was a bit low, but still passing.

The Hogwarts student, with their short memory duo, soon forgot about the debacle in the Chamber of mystery and moved on to former topics of discussion such as the summer holiday and the flow Quidditch season. Albus certainly did n't mind this because it meant he was no longer the sum of attention. Despite the fact that the prophesier never released the names of the scholar in the sleeping room, everyone knew it was Albus, John, Kaden, and Amanda, along with the three Slytherins.

"feel, Laurentis has released a program line about capturing the prisoners,"Rose said at breakfast on their day in the castle.

Albus groaned."This ca n't be commodity. Let 's hear it."

“'I wish to spat the Auror department for their work in recapturing the remaining escaped criminals. The timely recapture after the reorganization of the Department only reinforces how important a determination it was to reorganize. With the new regulations and policies in the Auror Department, organized by Robert Lyndon Johnson, the Aurors were able to conquer the felon immediately after receiving the tip. We can most assuredly look forward to more successes from the Auror section .'”

"What a load of dogshit,"Albus said."Of line they were able to recapture them quickly after receiving that tip. They organized for the yardbird to be in the chamber in the first place."

"It 's like your dad said, though,"flatness began."Everything will get revealed eventually. That 's not an easygoing secret to keep, what they did."

"Hey, it looks like Embry 's going to make a spoken language,"Kaden said, gesturing toward the staff table.

Professor Embry stood up and raised his workforce for silence. This did cipher, of course of study."Quiet !"Embry shouted."I have something I 'd wish to say.

"Thank you,"he said, after everyone stopped talking."I just want to say what a pleasure it has been to instruct you all this year. I never expected to teach and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed taking my class as a lot as I enjoyed teaching it, and I hope you all have a large hold and understanding of our government. Today is my net day at Hogwarts, as the politics course will not continue adjacent yr, and I am once again needed at the Ministry. Please do n't hesitate to owl me if you wish to receive a circuit of the Ministry for donnish design. I daresay that a few of you might receive vocation in politics yourselves."

Embry sat back down and the entire room burst into hand clapping. Albus was n't sure if the applause was for Embry or for the fact that politics would no longer be a grade. Albus had n't minded the course, but one fewer category was to be appreciated.

"I learned something about political science this year, all right hand,"Saint John muttered as the clapping settled down."And that 's that I never want to be a politician."

"Me, too,"Albus agreed.

"Cheers to that !"James shouted from a few hindquarters down.

"Oh, I do n't know."Amanda shrugged."I think it might be interesting."

Albus was n't at all surprised to take heed Amanda say that. If any of his protagonist were to go politico, it would be Amanda.
***


Later that day Albus found himself at yet another Hogwarts graduation ceremony. He and Rose had attended every single gradation ceremonial since starting Hogwarts, and one the twelvemonth before, too. It had gotten to the point where he did n't pay much attention to the lecture because they all sounded very similar to the unity he 'd discover before. During this ceremony, the solitary portion Albus paid aid to was the parting where Fred and Heather accepted their diplomas, which took all of two second.

"well, we survived,"Albus said to GA after the ceremony ended and everyone was milling around.

Georgia grinned."That we did. It 's sort of surreal, to be honest. Dad did n't win, so things are no different than they were this time last year, really."

Albus nodded."How is Uncle Percy doing ?"

GA shrugged."I 'm not sure. He does n't utter about it much. Actually, the weird affair is that whenever I go over there for dinner party he spends a lot of time asking about Quidditch. I think it 's mostly to go on me from asking about his lack of employment, but I 'm not going to complain. Maybe he 'll even learn to wish it. The Quidditch, I mean, not the lack of employment."

"He still has n't found a job ?"Albus asked.

"No. He could go back to the Ministry but he 'd own to do something where he 's not an actual politician, since Laurentis would n't take him. I do n't think he wants to do that. He 's been helping Uncle George with the store, but I do n't think Uncle George I really likes that. Says Dad 's too obsessive. But he 's too prissy to tell Dad he ca n't help."

"Albus !"rose wine shouted."We 've got to go. The pushchair are leaving."

Albus nodded to Rose and then turned back to GA."I 'd better go. Let me make out when your next match is. I want to go."

Georgia grinned."certain thing. See you soon, Al."

"Bye, Sakartvelo,"Albus said as he turned to observe Rose back to the castle, where they would catch the thestral-drawn carriages back to Hogsmeade.
***


"I say we go to St. John the Apostle 's menage this year,"lustrelessness said as the Hogwarts express mail hurtled back to London.

"Are you mad ?"John asked, unwrapping a Chocolate Frog."I mean, really, are you ? You want to come to my mansion, where I have three unbalanced little sisters running about ?"

matt shrugged."They ca n't be that bad."

"Says he who is the new in his home,"John said, looking at Albus for support.

"He 's right,"Albus agreed."And I 've only got one piddling Sister. Wait a minute, Matt 's the lonesome one of us who does n't cause new sib, is n't he ?"

The others nodded."All right,"lav said."Let 's apply matt a real common sense of what having lots of siblings is like. I 'll owl you and let you know when."

"Exploding snap bean ?"Kaden asked, holding up a deck of placard.

"Sure,"Matt said. Everyone else nodded.

Kaden began to contend the card game, but before he finished, the compartment door slid opened. Albus, expecting one of his cousins, turned to the room access. It slid open the rest of the way and Malfoy stood on the door, looking a bit unsure of himself. He was alone. Albus wondered where Felix was.

"What do you desire ?"John asked.

"Er, can I just speak to you lot ?"he asked quietly, stepping inside and sliding the door behind him.

"Where 's Willinson ?"Albus asked, standing up.

"He 's no longer speaking to me,"Malfoy explained."After I hexed his uncle and as he put it, 'joined the former incline .'”

"What about Elsie ?"rose wine asked, clearly concerned about the girl.

Malfoy shrugged."She 's always with Felix. She never said much around me."

"Is she really a parselmouth ?"John asked."I assume she 's the one who got you into the Chamber ?"

"Yeah, she did, but she 's not a parselmouth. She 's just really good with languages so she was capable to cook it,"Malfoy explained.

There were a few moments of ungainly secrecy. Malfoy shifted his exercising weight and leaned against the doorway.

"So,"Albus said."Why are you here, exactly ?"

Malfoy sighed."This class sucked and I got caught up in a lot of matter that I did n't want to do, which is exactly what happened to my dad when he was at Hogwarts."

Albus was utterly confused as to why Malfoy was telling them all of this. He exchanged looks with Matt and then focused on Malfoy once more.

"But it 's just not worth it anymore,"Malfoy continued."Hating you lot. I know it was you who somehow got itching pulverization into all the Slytherins'laundry-"

"That was n't us,"Kaden said quickly, a petty too quickly.

"And we know you put the Capricorn the Goat in the green elbow room,"lav added.

Malfoy nodded."As I was saying, it just does n't weigh. Any of it."He turned to lusterlessness."And I do n't manage that you 're a lycanthrope. Really. Sure, it 's eldritch and I have no idea why Kendrick even lets you be here-"

"I wo n't waver to hex you, you know,"John said, reaching into his robes for his wand.

Malfoy held up his custody."No, do n't. I guess what I 'm saying is that I think we should anticipate a truce."

"A cease-fire ?"Albus asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, a truce,"Malfoy said."You all know my granddaddy died this year. It makes all this combat we do seem really stupid."

"You 're not saying we should be friends, are you ?"John the Divine asked incredulously.

Malfoy screwed up his face."God no. I 'm saying you lot finish only pranking the Slytherins, do n't tell anyone that I dueled on your side in the sleeping room, and I wo n't assure anyone Eckerton is a werewolf. I 'll really promise that, without any threats of expulsion."

Albus was unbelieving. Could the death of Lucius Malfoy really prompt this change in Scorpius ?

"C'mon, truce ?"Scorpio asked, sticking his hired hand out to Albus.

"Oh, just do it, Albus,"rose said."We 've got O.W.L.s succeeding year. You do n't need this stupid feud distracting you. Or any of us."

"amercement, truce,"Albus said, shaking Scorpio 's mitt.

Malfoy nodded."I guess I 'll go, then. See you around, Potter."

Malfoy turned and left the compartment. Albus did n't move for a full min."That was the strangest affair I 've ever seen,"he finally said, resuming his seat.

"I do n't opine any of us will ever full understand what happened there,"Rose said."But I think it 's a good thing."

"Wyrd, though,"lusterlessness said."You think he means it ?"

The weirder thing was, was that Albus did actually think him. There had been something in Malfoy 's eyes that Albus had n't seen before. It was like Malfoy seemed older somehow. He was no prospicient a kid, whose self-aggrandizing worry was arguing with Albus over unintelligent matter. Somehow, Malfoy had grown up.

Albus supposed they 'd all get up that year. They were going to be one-fifth years now, and Kaden would be a quaternary year, and that meant they were the older students in the schooltime. They were growing up. All of them. Even Malfoy.

"Makes me marvel what next year will be like,"Amanda mused."Everything about this yr has been strange."

"We 've got Laurentis reforming Hogwarts,"rose reminded them."I think it 'll be plenty strange."

Albus had nearly forgotten about that. He did n't want Hogwarts to change. Despite all that was going on in the outside populace, Hogwarts had always remained the Saame. But now it was n't. Hogwarts was going to change.

Albus leaned back in his posterior and stared out the windowpane, watching the countryside fly by. He did n't know what changes Hogwarts would see in the following class, but he did n't require to think about it just yet. There was still a whole summer before that would happen, and Albus intended to savour it.


A/N : Thank you so much for all the support and reviews for this story ! You bozo are amazing. I will be taking a geological fault before continuing with this series as I have other stories floating around in my headspring, but I 'll eventually come back to Albus. I 've no idea how foresighted it 'll be, though.

In the meantime, please check out my Marauders Era story, Between Here and Somewhere ! And keep checking back for my reexamination responses, because I will get to them.