Dolores’s Decrees - 7

Blinking to clear the spots from his eyes, he shot a meaningful glance at Remus. Harry moved slightly away from the others to give them a chance to get away and raised his arms in the air, trying to quiet the crowd with a gesture. When that failed, he stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly.

He saw Remus and Mr. Weasley slip through the entrance unhindered, and breathed a sigh of relief. He was dismayed to realize Hermione had stayed with him, however.

"Mr. Potter, what is your opinion of our Interim Minister? I understand you were at odds with her when she briefly took charge at Hogwarts," a male reporter with narrowed eyes and an oily face asked, shoving a recording quill and parchment beneath Harry's nose.

"Yes. Dolores and I have had our differences in the past," Harry replied, refusing to acknowledge her title, "but I hope she can leave all that behind us and concentrate on the situation at hand. Stopping Voldemort's reign of terror should be everyone's first priority."

He rolled his eyes at the gasps and shrieks of dismay the name caused, finding them ridiculous. How could they report on Voldemort's activities if they couldn't even stand to hear his name?

"Do you think she's capable of leading us?" a female reporter asked, her bright red nails caressing her quill.

Harry shrugged. "I don't think Voldemort or his followers care much about any Decree the Ministry might issue. They're not going to stop him."

"What is going to stop him, Mr. Potter?" the witch asked eagerly.

Harry had to control a grin as he wondered if she might actually start drooling. "I am," he replied, locking his eyes with hers.

The reporters' quills scribbled madly as the buzz of conversation once again reached fever pitch.

"What are you doing at St. Mungo's today?" another reporter shouted, quieting the crowd.

"I was visiting a good friend of mine who was hurt recently in a battle with some of Voldemort's Death Eaters. During that battle, one of the Death Eaters was captured and is now in custody at the Ministry. That man's name is Peter Pettigrew," Harry said, clearly enunciating each word.

The room erupted into chaos yet again. Hermione glanced at Harry with wide eyes, but nodded for him to continue.

"As I told the Quibbler when I did my interview after Voldemort's rebirth, Pettigrew was instrumental in his return. I haven't seen much reported about his capture, but perhaps you can ask the Ministry if he's revealed anything," Harry said, ignoring their continued reactions to hearing Voldemort's name.

News of Wormtail's capture had been kept extremely quiet, and Mr. Weasley had learned that the rat still wasn't being held in Azkaban, but was instead in the Ministry's Holding Facility. Access to him had been given only to those Aurors hand-selected by Dolores Umbridge. Harry thought it was about time the public was given the full story. Hopefully, it would put some pressure on the Ministry.

"Where is Pettigrew now?" a reporter with a thin mustache asked.

"As far as I know, he's at the Ministry, but I'd assume they're preparing to send him to Azkaban" Harry replied, shrugging. "Maybe they've learned where Voldemort is hiding."

"You think the Dark Lord is in hiding?" another reporter asked eagerly.

Harry shrugged again, holding his hands in the air. "Haven't seen him lately."

Questions about Pettigrew and his capture were flying fast and furious, and Harry couldn't suppress the bubble of pleasure that gurgled in his chest. Dolores was going to be mightily hacked off about this.