FicWad

Minister Dolores Umbridge was flabbergasted. Harry Potter had not only survived everything thrown at him and his halfbreed whore, but he had also emerged as the Victor of the Second Task.

Harry Potter was a Living Symbol of the defeat of the Pureblood Agenda, and had been ever since he had somehow apparently killed Voldemort at the tender age of one--perhaps with some sort of accidental magic--and that simply could not stand. Of course Dolores understood now that Voldemort had some sort of back-up plan which had sustained him, but that wasn’t the point.

Halfblood Potter was a traitor, just like his pureblood father who had married that mudblood slut. Dolores's face burned at the notion that she had ever found the 5th Year James Potter attractive when she had first attended Hogwarts.

Lucius was James Potter’s better in every way--except for losing his temper in front of the previous Minister. That had been a serious mistake. Dolores had desired Lucius ever since she had spied the beautiful young businessman in the Malfoy Apothecary in London when she was a little girl. Unfortunately, he had married Narcissa Black even before Dolores had begun attending Hogwarts, dashing her childish dreams. But that was now over--and he would soon belong to Dolores.

Harry Potter was a rallying point for all of the mudbloods demanding greater representation in the Wizengamot and the Ministry--all those who threatened to overturn the Natural Order of things. Harry Potter’s treachery even outstripped that of his father’s. At least Lily Evans had been a Human muggleborn “witch,” unlike Harry’s Halfbreed Abomination.

Dolores had been reticent at the idea of hiring water-demon assassins to prevent Potter from reaching the Mer-village. The Kappa appeared suspiciously halfbreed, but she had been assured by the Japanese Minister that none were better for marine assaults. And it would have been a delicious irony for the halfbreed herself to have perished at the hands of the other Abominations. Dolores had hoped that telling the Fish-King that the Cat-girl was a demon would guarantee the muggleborn halfbreed’s demise.

The Minister wasn’t sure what to do about Crouch. He was slowly drinking himself to death. It wouldn’t be much of a loss. But until the DMLE was hers, and her control of the Ministry thus ensured, the Minister needed him and his department as cover for her plausible denial.

Dolores knew that the focus of Amelia’s investigation would be on the Minister herself. When she had the Department of Magical Law Enforcement firmly in her grasp, then the Minister could be more open and rapidly move her agenda through the Wizengamot without being concerned about the wobbly support of halfbloods.

Bagman was dedicated, and his gambling addiction assured that he would remain so. She didn’t want to lose him. It had to be Crouch.

That’s when it struck her--Crouch’s intern. What was his name? Perry? Pierce? No... Percy--Percy Weasley. A cruel cunning smile curled the Minister’s lips as the irony struck her as even more delectable than one halfbreed killing another. The son of the Blood-traitor would be a perfect patsy if the investigation bore fruit. And if Dolores could take control of the DMLE before the investigation got that far, then so much the better.

Percy Weasley was even more dedicated to the Ministry than Bagman--and Percy Weasley didn’t have Bagman’s failings. If Dolores played her cards right, she could let Bagman take the fall and have a far more superior intellect under her wing.

~o0o~

“You can’t be serious Amelia...” Dawlish gasped. Shacklebolt was unmoved however. He had been Dumbledore’s man in the DMLE for so long, that he was already prepared for this.

“I am absolutely serious John,” Amelia Bones stated grimly, “It is clear that the Minister herself has instigated, and is manipulating the tournament for her own gain. Though I have no proof. The statement of the Mer-King will not be accepted by the Wizengamot. And we do not yet have any evidence linking the Kappa kill-team to the Minister.”

“I need you John--you and Kingsley both--here at the Ministry to begin an investigation of Minister Umbridge. And I need you both by my side if the Minister takes bolder steps. I shall also need a security detail for when you are both otherwise occupied. Two of your best men. Meanwhile, I am reinstating Alastor and putting him in charge of Tournament Security.”

“From this point forward, the DMLE is coordinating with Headmaster Dumbledore in his protection of the Potters and Hogwarts. They are our last bulwark if we lose the Ministry completely. The muggle Parliament is already under the control of a Prime Minister and Party who share the Minister’s ideology.”

Even Shacklebolt’s blood ran cold at that thought. He considered where to send his family. He had relatives in both the Bahamas and the States. But the stability of the US wasn’t entirely certain either at the moment.

“But as of yet,” Madam Bones continued, “without wizard support, the Prime Minister and his Party cannot take complete control of the UK. We must not allow to happen here what happened in Germany in 1933 when the Thule Society threw their full support behind Hitler.”

Being reminded of the Thule Society decided Kingsley. Even the Bahamas were too close to the US for his liking if the inbred so-called “Grand” Wizards should ever stop infighting and form a united front. And by all appearances in the muggle media they seemed to be making gains in parts of that nation where they had never had power before.

Perhaps his family would be safer in France where the Blood Purists had been banned from holding any political power.

~o0o~

Harry received 45 points and Fleur received 44 (Karkaroff, being who he was, had issued the 5 to Harry and the 4 to Fleur), but neither of them gave a damn, and neither of them were there to witness the judging.

Fleur spent the afternoon with her family and begged her mother to return to France with Gabrielle. She knew she had to complete the tournament one way or another, and Fleur had no intention of leaving her friends to fend for themselves when it was over. But she didn’t want her family to become targets.

Monsieur Delacour, who had cancelled his business meetings for the rest of the day and flooed to Hogwarts after the event, proudly concurred with his daughter. As far as he was concerned, she was living up to the family name. His own father had been part of the French Resistance during World War Two, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts had been open with him regarding what he knew about the British Minister and his suspicions about her. Mr Delacour would provide whatever support he could from the Continent should the British Minister declare herself openly, and was already making the necessary arrangements.

~o0o~

The Homonculous was livid, but he knew that cruciating Pettigrew would achieve nothing. He would have to move quickly, and he needed Pettigrew to bring him a young pureblood wizard, preferably one not yet of Hogwarts age, to regain his body and his full power. The Dark Lord cursed that he could not have Potter’s blood, but it could not be helped.

What few supporters he had left now mostly resided in Azkaban. Most outside had apparently thrown in with the Dark Witch who controlled the Ministry according to Wormtail. That meant Voldemort would have to give the Werewolf what he had wanted for so long to guarantee full support from the Lycan Clans which were most amenable to his goals.

And he needed Bellatrix by his side. With her talent for Blood Magic, together they could command an entire Army of Dead! And perhaps even call back and command Dark Creatures long banished from this world.

Of course that meant he would have to give Bellatrix what she had craved for so long too. Voldemort wasn’t concerned about Rodolphus though. Their marriage had been purely one of convenience, and the Dark Lord knew that Rodolphus was one of his most loyal followers and as dedicated to him as Bellatrix.

Rodolphus would be more than willing to preside over the consummation of the Bonding of his wife to the Dark Lord. The three of them together would be a force to be reckoned with. Voldemort would just have to do his best to put aside his own distaste for sharing some measure of power if he wanted to take Britain for his Own from the Blood-Traitors, Mudbloods, and the Dark Witch.

He suspected that Severus was lost to him. But he could not be certain until he had regained his form. Then he would see who else was still loyal. As to the Dementors, their support was no longer guaranteed when they had a Dark Witch who would promise them everything which Voldemort might have himself. But he might be able to split their forces and take some for his own.

The Dark Lord was also sick of residing in his muggle father’s residence. Once he had completed the blood ritual, he would depart this place forever. At least with a young pureblood to feed his Rising, the Dark Lord could purge every last drop of his father’s impurity from himself. He could use a different blood ritual for His rebirth than the one which he had been planning to use, and forgo the bone of his father.

Without Potter’s blood--the blood of his enemy--the originally planned for renewal ritual would no longer work in any case. Even if he still couldn’t directly kill Potter himself with the killing curse, survive Potter’s touch, or possess him, the Purity of the Dark Lord’s fresh blood should give him the power to take Dumbledore once and for all.

He could always use some other means to end Potter when it came time. And Voldemort knew it still had to be him. The Dark Witch had no idea of the Prophecy. It was no wonder the boy had survived the Second Task.

~o0o~

Albus, Severus, and Minerva shared a nightcap in the Headmaster's office. The next meeting of the Order could wait for the morrow when everyone could join them at the Malfoy Manor--correction, the Black Manor, as Narcissa's archaic-marriage-contract dissolution had been finalised--which she had graciously offered for the purpose. They mulled over the morning's events at the lake and the aftermath, pondering the agenda of the meeting, and considered if there was anything they could do to prevent the Third Task.

“I do not believe so,” Albus sighed, “and we have been forestalled from having any input ourselves. We can only be thankful that the Skrewts which Rubeus has bred for the Task at the insistence of the Triwizard Commission have begun killing each other. Hopefully there will be few left by the time June arrives.”

Severus and Minerva both snorted at the notion that Hagrid needed encouragement from an outside agency to breed dangerous creatures.

“And what of the Acromantulas?” Minerva wondered, “perhaps Hagrid's friend Aragog will have some sway?”

Severus rolled his eyes.

“Don't be so naive Minerva,” the Potions Master sneered, “Even if Aragog so commanded, without his own presence to stay them, the Acromantulas chosen by the Ministry for the task will not obey him when the blood of wizards calls to them. We just have to face the facts. There is little we can do unless the Champions signal for help. The magical wards placed around the maze by the Commission will prevent any teachers or headmasters from entering the maze unless we are directly called upon to provide aid.”

The Headmaster sighed again at the pointless bickering.

“Well, regardless of whatever help we may provide the Champions, we must redouble our efforts to locate Voldemort. With the horcrux gone from Harry, the prophecy as a surety is broken... and if we can finish him before he reaches the lad, then we can focus all of our attention on the Minister and the Death Eaters who have flocked to her side.”

~o0o~

When Harry woke early the next morning, he found himself lying in bed sandwiched between Hermione and Daphne. He carefully got up, trying not to wake them. He was surprised that he didn’t feel as agitated as he had after the first task. He decided grimly that perhaps he was getting used to facing death time and time again.

But on the way to the bathroom, he spotted Luna and Parvati curled up together on the Potters’ settee and Fleur asleep in one of the cozy armchairs in the sitting room by the glowing embers of the fireplace. Harry’s features softened. He smiled and blinked back happy tears, feeling the warm glow in his chest swell and fill his body.

Harry realised he had been wrong. He wasn’t getting used to facing death. Harry was getting used to having people who loved him by his side.