Chapter Three - The Preacher
A few days later, Hermione and her parents flooed over to Potter Manor early before the Weasleys were due to arrive for the joint trip to Diagon Alley. Hermione went up to Harry.
"Hero, you know that Ginny's birthday is in a few weeks?" she asked.
"Yes, Mine," replied Harry.
"I think we should club together and get Ginny a new broom since she is trying out for Chaser. It's not fair for her to have a disadvantage because she is using an old broom."
"That's a brilliant idea."
"There is something else you should do - you should put the Invisibility Cloak in your vault at Gringotts. If whoever stole the other two Hallows is trying to unite them, they might come here to find your cloak. If it is deep in the bank, then it should be safe."
"Excellent idea, Mine."
-
The Weasleys arrived a few hours later with Ron, who scowled at Harry and Hermione. After a quick lunch, they flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. From there, they walked into Diagon Alley. Unusually, there was a huge crowd gathered around a woman standing on a box.
"Muggle-borns have been the bane of the Ministry for centuries. I have had the unfortunate displeasure of hearing about various anti-Muggle-born decrees filed there, few of which have only just been repelled by Amelia Bones!" The woman was Sophie Weasley, but she was no longer pregnant and her eyes looked out of focus.
Some of the people were muttering among themselves. The group recognised fellow Gryffindor student, Dean Thomas, along with the Creevey brothers in the crowd.
"One such instance was recently rectified, that had gone on for centuries - underage magic. Thanks to The Potter Press, you know that underage magic is undetectable inside a pureblood home." The crowd stayed silent. "According to the records at the Ministry, NO underage pureblood witch or wizard has ever performed underage magic. The Ministry have NO idea who is performing the magic! They detect magic in Muggle households and used to persecute them for it!" The woman held a months old copy of The Potter Press. "This paper tells the truth - all a Muggle-born student had to do was perform magic in their home twice and they would be expelled. They may have been doing it to show their Muggle parents what they have learned. Those parents may wonder what is the point in sending them to magic school only to find out they can't show them what they have learned. Therefore, they pull them out!" Several people voiced agreement with the woman. "Fortunately, Harry Potter has rid us of that injustice, but there are hundreds of other prejudiced laws still on the books."
Harry quickly turned around before he could be recognised. He and the group went into Gringotts where Molly and Ron went to the Weasley vault, Fred, George and Ginny went to their joint vault (the twins made Ginny an unofficial partner in WWW and said she could share the contents of their vault) while Harry and Hermione went to the Potter vault. Harry filled two moneybags while Hermione found a hiding place in the vault for the invisibility cloak. The groups all met back up in the bank's lobby.
After they left the bank, Molly dragged Ron away (so he couldn't cause any trouble) while the others were free to do what they wanted. Harry, Hermione and Ginny met up with Neville in Flourish and Blotts, where he was buying his new school books. He kissed Ginny and shook the others' hands. After they bought their books, they left the shop.
"Hermione, keep Ginny busy while I get the broom," Harry requested. Hermione, Ginny and Neville went back to where the woman was still talking.
"It is not widely known, but Squibs are practically disowned by their pureblood families. My husband, Edward Weasley (Hermione, Ginny and Neville perked their ears up at this), had a father who was a Squib and was thrown out of his prominent pureblood family! Ironic, isn't it, since the current head of the Weasley family, Arthur Weasley, is head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Department at the Ministry and proposed a Muggle Protection Act two years ago!"
There was a small uproar at this.
"Did you know that former Minister Fudge and his undersecretary Delores Umbridge proposed many decrees against Muggle-borns? In over a thousand years, NO Muggle-born or half-blood has ever been Minister or held a senior job at the Ministry. Umbridge wanted to form a commission forcing Muggle-borns and half-bloods to appear before a committee to judge whether they would be allowed to study magic. At the extreme, they would be accused of stealing magic from a pureblood wizard and sent to Azkaban where they would face the Dementors Kiss!"
There were shouts of disapproval after this speech. It was clear that the Muggle-borns were getting outraged at this.
"Looking at Cornelius Fudge's diaries, I found out that pureblood bigot Lucius Malfoy suggested many anti-Muggle-born decrees, and they were acted upon. Did you know the Ministry taxes 70 percent of money converted from Muggle money into wizard money? How much do you think is taxed from wizard money? NONE! Umbridge also wanted all Muggle-borns and half-bloods banned from attending Hogwarts!"
The crowd began chanting for Umbridge's blood.
"Have you heard the legend of Gryffindor and Slytherin having a disagreement over allowing Muggle-borns to attend Hogwarts which led to Slytherin leaving the Founders? I bet you didn't know this part - Gryffindor had an apprentice called Heinzl who was a Muggle-born. He was murdered by Slytherin and his body was never found! There is a book that tells this, but the Ministry tried to keep it under wraps!"
There was even more interest as the story was told.
"Hogwarts Professors refuse to listen to allegations made by Muggle-borns. I was a student at Hogwarts ten years ago. I am a Muggle-born but was sorted into Slytherin. I was in my second year when a pureblood seventh year raped me IN FRONT of witnesses. I complained to my head of house, Professor Snape, but he took the rapists word over mine! I pressed for the use of Veritaserum but Snape refused. The rapist convinced him I was making the whole thing up and Snape convinced the staff not to listen. For the accusation that I was making up lies, I got expelled and not allowed to appeal against it! If a pureblood made the accusation, then it would be properly investigated!"
Harry came back as she was telling her story about her time at Hogwarts. He winked at Hermione to indicate he had bought Ginny's broom. He had arranged for it to be delivered to her at the Burrow on her birthday. They went to the rest of the shops to get the rest of their supplies. They saw Fred and George looking at an empty store and walked up to them.
"I think this might be a good place for WWW," Hermione commented.
"I agree with Hermione," Ginny said, "You should write and get the lease for this as soon as possible."
Fred and George looked at each other and agreed with the couple. They made a note of the address so they could send an owl to enquire about the lease, and then went to meet up with their friend Lee Jordan.
-
Azkaban Prison was a dark gloomy place resembling a tall castle tower. The guards were mostly Dementors, but there were also Aurors guarding low and medium security prisoners.
Delores Umbridge was a medium security prisoner. She was serving five years for working with former Minister Fudge on several illegal actions, including holding prisoners without trial and attempted murder of Hogwarts students by means of Dementors to name but two offences.
Eight months in Azkaban had taken their toll on her. She was no longer her arrogant self and had lost weight. When she began her sentence, she tried to force her authority upon the guards, threatening to have them sacked.
Umbridge looked through the bars in her cell door. It was unusually quiet. There were no guards walking about. She sat on her bunk and ate her rations, which had been given to her thirty minutes before.
Then the door began to look strange. Something was coming through. Umbridge screamed as the thing began to form a shape and raised a hand towards her.
-
The next day, Harry was eating breakfast with Sirius when an owl came in carrying the latest issue of The Potter Press. Harry took the paper and the owl flew away. He unrolled the paper and gasped as he read the headline:
FORMER UNDERSECRETARY FOUND MURDERED IN AZKABAN
By Anna Jesse
It was announced very early this morning by the Ministry of Magic that Undersecretary to former Minister Cornelius Fudge, Delores Umbridge, was found dead in her prison cell last night.
Umbridge, who was a supporter of former Minister Fudge and Death Eater Lucius Malfoy was serving a five year sentence for various offences recently gained more enemies after a speech announcing policies she had wanted introduced was made public in Diagon Alley.
Harry kept on reading about the case. There were many suspects but no evidence. Remus came into the kitchen and was served breakfast when Tonks walked in. She walked over to Remus who kissed her. She was in a very bad mood.
"What's wrong?" asked Sirius.
"I suppose you've heard about Delores Umbridge being found dead in her cell at Azkaban."
Sirius and Harry nodded. They showed the paper to Remus.
"It's not been made public, but Muggle-borns aurors are the main suspects despite lack of evidence. Our boss, Rufus Scrimgeour, has decided that the person who made that speech in Diagon Alley yesterday made Umbridge a lot of enemies in the Muggle-born community and has sacked all Muggle-borns who work in Azkaban," she said with anger in her voice.
"WHAT?" Harry, Sirius and Remus shouted as Adrianna Brooks walked in. Sirius had proposed to her the previous night and she was now sporting a huge diamond engagement ring on her hand. She sat down next to her fiancé, and Dobby served her breakfast.
"That's not all. He has also decided that Muggle-born Aurors are to be sacked with immediate effect and he has also sacked me!"
"Why is that? You're a half-blood," said Remus.
"My father spoke out against the Ministry during Fudge's reign of terror with regards to Muggle-borns and magical creatures. Did you know they wanted Metamorphmagi to become the property of the Department of Mysteries about five years ago and tried to abduct me from Hogwarts during my last year? Father spoke out about it and told the whole world on the wireless, so those plans were scrapped."
"So they think that he would have asked you to take some sort of action?" Harry asked. Tonks nodded but looked sad.
"I don't know how I'm going to afford the rent on my flat, now that I'm out of a job," she said.
"Why don't you stay here with us?" asked Harry, "We have plenty of room here and it gets pretty boring with these two acting immature at times. It'll be fun to have a fresh face here."
Sirius and Remus looked like they were going to pull off a good prank on Harry for that insult.
"Are you sure? I don't want to impose," Tonks said.
"No problem at all. You can move in whenever you want - rent free."
"Thanks!" Tonks threw herself upon Harry and hugged him.
"Should I be worried here, Harry?" a voice said. Tonks broke away from Harry so he could see Hermione at the door.
"N-No, you don't need to worry, Mine. Tonks just got sacked from the Aurors and I offered her a place here."
-
The Aurors were asking people in Diagon Alley if they recognised the person who was preaching the previous day about rights for Muggle-borns. No one could shed any light on her identity. It was probably because she was a Muggle-born and expelled from Hogwarts during her second year.
Then Rufus Scrimgeour thought about the Hogwarts records. He went to the school with a warrant and looked through the records of Slytherin students from 1995. A record was found concerning a Sophie Taylor who was Muggle-born and was expelled from the school in that year. It also gave an address for her at that time - there was a chance her parents might still be there.
Scrimgeour went there a few hours later to find her parents were still there.
"Oh, it's one of you lot?" Mrs. Taylor asked angrily before letting him in. Mr. Taylor looked just as angry.
"For the record, Mr. Scrimgeour, we believe Sophie over what she said happened. You have a justice system to rival third world countries."
"I have no control over what happened. The records show she made up the story to get the student in trouble. The student in question said she was trying to cause trouble and they expelled her for it," Rufus said. "Anyhow, I am not here to find out what happened there. Do you know where your daughter lives now? It seems she broke wizarding law by returning to the magical world. She was sighted in Diagon Alley yesterday preaching sedition against the Ministry."
"Why should we help you? None of you helped her when she needed you."
Rufus sent a discreet mind probe into Mr. and Mrs. Taylor's minds and found out where Sophie was living.
-
Sirius took Harry to his bedroom later that day. On his wall was a collection of wands. Several of them were ones he had `won' from Professor Snape in various duels throughout the last year, while the other two were his original wand along with both halves of Voldemort's broken wand.
"Harry, I've seen how much you and Hermione love each other, and I feel there is something I should tell you now."
"Please don't tell me there is an arranged marriage lined up for me!" Harry pleaded.
"No, you misunderstand me. It is a standing Potter tradition over the years for the Potter males to propose to the love of their lives at the age of 15, if they have a love to propose to, that is. Your father broke the tradition because it took him another two years to convince your mother to date him, but as soon as it was suitable, he proposed to her."
Harry listened to Sirius with great interest.
"There are two rings you need to give Hermione should she accept - the Potter engagement ring and the Potter signet ring. The latter tells people she is engaged to marry a Potter and if anyone tries to arrange a marriage, then it cannot be done. It means she will be marrying you and no one else. At the wedding, you'll start wearing those wonderful wedding bands on the proper fingers, too."
Harry glanced down at the wedding band he was wearing on his right index finger. Both he and Hermione had been wearing them for a year because of their power to call each other for help. He certainly did want Hermione to be his wife someday, but wasn't sure he was ready for that yet. "Do I have to marry her while I'm still in school and, er, um, have a baby with her?" Harry asked, going slightly red.
"No, you will have to wait until you come of age and finish school first before you can marry her and have children, but as I said, it is a tradition of your family to propose at your age."
"That's a relief then, Sirius."
-
The Aurors burst into Edward and Sophie Weasley's home later that day. They searched it and found the man lying on his bed, dead. The woman was found in the living room, also dead. There were no visible signs of cause of death.
The bodies were taken away by the Aurors to have post-mortems performed, but unknown to everyone, Heinzl was watching them. He sent discreet mind probes and got various pieces of information from them.
Just as they were leaving, a noise got their attention.
-
Three hours later, Molly Weasley was serving dinner at the Burrow. She looked at her clock and Arthur's hand was on `Travelling' then it stopped at `Home'. The door opened and Arthur walked into the kitchen.
Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny sat there opened mouthed as Arthur walked in carrying a tiny baby.
"Family, I would like you to meet Annabeth Weasley."
-
Please review. Thank you to those who have.
-->