61-65

Ch 61 - Ensuing Chaos

Alex arrived at the Ministry HQ as he did for the past week like nothing was wrong. He saw that people were scrambling at the entrance like headless chickens. Most of them didn't know what to do. All they knew was that they had to be seen doing something.

"What's going on?" Alex asked the receptionist at the Atrium.

"Haven't you heard?" said the receptionist. "Lucius Malfoy was assassinated last night! The Ministry is in chaos!"

Alex reacted appropriately with apparent shock and concern. Sometimes, he hated how good he was becoming in acting.

"Do you have a copy of today's Observer?"

"Yes, take it," answered the receptionist. "It's a free issue today. They said they will be releasing an update this evening."

Alex took a copy for himself and he hurried to his own office just like everyone else.

When he got there, he dropped the newspaper on his desk and went to get his breakfast. He got back to it with a steaming cup of coffee and a plate with a scone. Then, he started reading the news as if there was nothing interesting in it at all.

×××

'MURDERED IN HIS OWN HOME' by Francis Dewey, Senior Correspondent and Co-Editor of the Observer.

2ND OF JULY 1993 — Lucius Malfoy was tortured and killed inside his own residence. The terrible attack was reported to have taken place around 1:00 am.

When the Aurors arrived at the scene, they found the home of the Malfoys in shambles. The body of Lucius Malfoy was found in the middle of the foyer with his wand near him.

Mrs Malfoy and her son were found in an adjacent room petrified by a 'Full-Body Bind'. The House-Elves in the home were also found lying unconscious.

According to the initial findings, there were at least six attackers. They forcefully entered the house through the front door, after which, they disassemble the protections of the house. After this point, the intruder must have been found by the House-Elves who were attacked and knocked-out unconscious shortly afterwards.

Lucius Malfoy, then, confronted the intruders in his home and he was assaulted by a Stupefying Charm similarly. After examining the wand of the victim, the Aurors determined that he never had the opportunity to use any spell. Then, Mrs Malfoy and her son were dragged into the foyer where one of the intruders talked to them.

To our readers who did not know, Lucius Malfoy had been hailed as a very progressive pureblood wizard since last year. His contributions in the Association had helped fund several programs dedicated to the welfare of muggleborns.

According to Mrs Malfoy's testimony, the intruders were wearing a black hooded robe and silver masks. She had labelled them as Death Eaters. And, she stated on the record that the 'Death Eaters' had attacked them because they were unhappy with her husband's recent support to the promotion of muggleborn welfare. She had also stated that the intruders had called her husband a 'blood-traitor' and a 'muggle-lover'.

After their short exchange, Mrs Malfoy and her son were petrified and moved to an adjacent room where they heard Lucius Malfoy's scream as he was being tortured. After a while, the manor had become silent until the Aurors arrived at the scene.

According to the Aurors, Lucius Malfoy suffered from the unforgivable Cruciatus Curse before being killed with the Killing Curse. Such cases were reminiscent of the Death Eater attacks that happened in the height of the Wizarding War.

Furthermore, when the Aurors had arrived at the Malfoy property, an image of a green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth was seen above the Malfoy Manor. For our readers who didn't know, a sign like that was purposely left behind by the Death Eaters during their raids in the Wizarding War. It was the signature of the Dark Lord and his followers to spread fear amongst the people.

All the evidence in the scene suggested that it was indeed 'Death Eaters' who attacked the Malfoy Manor.

Officially, all Death Eaters were given the Dementor's Kiss or were sent to Azkaban. However, Some people were wondering if the Ministry had really missed any Death Eaters who had been hiding all this time. After all, Peter Pettigrew managed to remain hidden for 11 years.

Further updates would be released as soon as we hear about them. We from the Observer would like to remind everyone not to give in to fear in the face of this tragedy.

×××

The Minister was receiving some criticism about what had happened with Malfoy. People were saying that Malfoy wouldn't have died if only the Minister was tougher during the Death Eaters' trials after the war.

In a speech he gave through the WWN, Minister Fudge was quick to address these accusations when he explained that Lucius Malfoy was one of the accused Death Eater during those days. He was completely right, of course. But to the listeners, he sounded like he was blaming the recently deceased victim which they didn't take very well.

Apparently, the people had decided that Lucius Malfoy was indeed a model citizen who fell victim to hatred and prejudice. It was natural considering how much he was praised by the Observer and the Association. When people were reminded about his past, they think about his ability to change for the better. He was actually being compared to Sirius Black, a man who was born in a 'dark' family who decided to do what was right.

Malfoy was a 'martyr' who died for his beliefs. His death reminded the people of the time during the war. The Dark Lord was also very cruel to any purebloods that resisted him. Coordinated attacks like what happened in the Malfoy Manor were only carried out against strong pureblood families.

The fact that the attackers have managed to get to Malfoy through his family's wards was taken as further proof that the attackers were indeed Death Eaters. It was the same way that they attacked the Bones and the Longbottom families. Both of which are pureblood families who were attacked while staying behind their ancient family protective wards.

Amelia Bones, Head of DMLE, was snapping at anyone she could in the Auror Office for the lack of result in their investigations. She was under a lot of pressure to produce results. There was also the fact that what happened to the Malfoys reminded her of what happened to her own family when her parents, her brother, and his wife were murdered. However, her feelings on the matter were complicated because the victim was Lucius Malfoy.

Rufus Scrimgeour and the Aurors under his command didn't have any more lead to follow. He was getting annoyed by Bones's constant 'badgering' about the case, a veiled insult about his superior's former House in Hogwarts. All they had to go on were the initial findings of the Aurors first responders and the testimonies of Narcissa and Draco who couldn't identify the masked figure who killed the victim.

To them, it was an open and shut case of a Death Eater raid, but, no one in the Ministry was willing to admit that. No matter their political affiliation, every Ministry employee, after some years in service, had this understanding in common — they couldn't make the Ministry appear 'weak'. Perhaps, it was they who knew it best how fragile their entire society actually was.

Amelia Bones accused Mrs Malfoy of withholding information in a poor attempt to deny their family's association to any Death Eaters. All she got in return was a slap in the face from the grieving wife. She realized immediately that she had said something wrong and insensitive. She apologized and excused herself from the room they were in.

When she stepped out the interrogation room with a red cheek, the people there were quick to spread the scandalous state of the Head of DMLE. There were whispers of her being too emotionally compromised to be a part of the investigation.

Alex had to admire Narcissa's ability to play the victim. She was a true Slytherin, he thought. He knew that she was genuinely grieving for the loss of her husband. But, she was managing extremely well in keeping her stories straight. There was no reference on how she and her husband had pleaded and declared their loyalty to the Dark Lord that night. She would make sure that her husband was remembered as a hero.

×××

Unfortunately, the incidents didn't stop there. In the following week, some members of the Wizengamot had disappeared without a trace.

These were the work of the Order who were carrying out Alex's commands. Only a few of them were taken from their homes because it was easier to snatch them before they reach their home.

Unlike what happened with Malfoy, however, there were no bodies to be found. They were just officially missing. Some had tried to track the missing people through magical means. Of course, they had been disposed of properly by Alex's people.

The Ministry under Fudge's orders were trying to cover up the incidents as usual. The last thing that the Minister wanted was for the people to be alerted of more incidents that the Ministry could do nothing about.

They had tried to stop the Observer from publishing anything more about the cases of missing people, but, the article had already been released. A list of names and their date of disappearance were included in the issue that was just distributed all throughout the British Isles.

The article didn't talk about anything which they couldn't possibly know about. However, the writer was able to link the missing people to the Pettigrew Trial. They were, in fact, the members of the Wizengamot who pushed for Pettigrew to be executed by Dementors. And so, people were once again gossiping that these 'disappearances' were retaliation for the death of Pettigrew.

After the lid was opened, Sirius Black made a controversial statement to the papers about the rampant corruption in the ranks of the Wizengamot. He said that backdoor deals in the Wizengamot were too easy to do because the cases were decided by the same people every 'bloody' time.

It wasn't the most clever move, in Alex's opinion, to openly criticize the Wizengamot like that. They would surely try to get back at him after the controversy had calm down. But perhaps, it was the perfect time to speak about their dissatisfaction about the Wizengamot. They were certainly not in a position to do anything with almost half of their members missing.

The Wizengamot would have to replace their missing members soon. And, the people were watching how they would do that. Griselda Marchbanks, current Chief Warlock and governor of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, had elected to publicize their upcoming selection.

Wizarding Britain was facing some 'Dark' times in the future. Everyone realized that they were indeed under attack. But, no one could pinpoint who was responsible.

[AN: In the canon, there are 50 members of the Wizengamot. In this story, there are only 25, including the Chief Warlock.]

×××

During the ongoing chaos resulting from the disappearance of the Wizengamot members, Narcissa Malfoy, as regent of the Malfoy family, was liquidating their assets in a hurry. Alex was quick to get the order to his people that they should purchase whatever Narcissa was selling. He ended up spending around 200,000 GG to buy the Malfoy businesses and properties in Britain. It was a very low price considering the current popularity of the Malfoy businesses.

Most of them had to do with the breeding of magical creatures. One of the most dangerous ones was an Acrumantula farm that harvested the spider's web to make Acrumantula Silk, a popular clothing material that only the wealthy wizards and witches could afford.

Alex sent Draco a letter to give his condolences and ask the boy how he was. Draco had sent him a letter saying that he and his mother was holding up well enough, however, they would be moving abroad soon. He said that he would convince his mother to let him return to Hogwarts for the next school term.

After the transactions were quietly completed, Narcissa and Draco had moved to their summer residence in France. The disappearance of one of the wealthiest family in Wizarding Britain was reflected badly on the Ministry.

Minister Fudge just couldn't take a break. He thought that his position was relatively secured at the beginning of the year. The economy was in a good state. Public order and safety were maintained easily because most private businesses were hiring their own security. And, they were able to dissuade further accusation of bias in the Ministry by hiring more muggleborns. But, the death of Lucius Malfoy threw everything in disorder.

×××

With the death of Lucius Malfoy and the selling of the Malfoy Manor, all their House-Elves were freed from their contract. Alex had ordered his people to go to the House-Elves relocation office so they could acquire the two elves that were taken under its custody. It was better for these elves to be attached to an Order member just in case.

The two House-Elves would be going to the office of the Observer to help around the cleaning and maintenance there. They would be contracted by Mr and Mrs Dewey.

Dobby, on the other hand, was going to serve the training camp of the 'Arms of Poros', the very same camp where he was imprisoned. He was very happy to be there, unexpectedly. He said that they treated him better than his former family ever did which was very sad considering that he was their prisoner. The people there would have to make it up to Dobby by treating him well. Perhaps, Dobby would finally have a family of his own that he could be proud to serve.

Ch.62 - Work in the Ministry

When August arrived, the conversation about the incompetencies in the leadership of the Ministry was still spread among the masses. There were just too many 'mistakes' that had been revealed in the past weeks. People were losing their faith in their government and it wasn't a good sign.

Even if Alex was profiting from the chaos, he still had to play it carefully. There was a fine line between making the system unstable and completely breaking it apart. Whatever damages they do would have to be fixed later on.

Minister Fudge's past performance was being reviewed with a fine-toothed comb. His name had come up multiple times in the news and the public sentiments about him were not very good. He needed a win and he needed it soon.

It all came down to his leniency during the trials for the accused Death Eaters after the war. He won his position when he promised to restore the order after the war. However, he did that by burying everything inconvenient as quickly as he possibly could. Some cases were even decided without being presented in the Wizengamot.

Among those who were previously accused of being involved with the Dark Lord were being mentioned in the rumours with a particular interest. Their current situation was being viewed with suspicion. Lucius Malfoy was killed by Death Eaters. Crabbe and Goyle were still in Azkaban, with a remaining year in their sentence, for attacking the old AIM Centre. Corban Yaxley was missing. And, the Travers family had fled the country.

Out of options, the Minister latched on the only good press that he could get. To many, Alex's position in the Ministry was given to him because of the positive publicity it would cause no matter how qualified he was. They were right, of course. After all, he was personally invited by the Minister to join their ranks.

However, at that time, the DMGS was the only department in the Ministry that was functioning without a problem. Unlike the other departments, political turmoil couldn't affect their work.

They had a job to accomplish and that was enough. Every member of the DMGS was busy in their preparations for the upcoming Quidditch World Cup. They didn't have the luxury to delay their work. The World Cup and the rest of the Wizarding World were coming to their country and they wouldn't be delayed by their domestic affairs.

Thankfully, he had added some capable people to his department. A couple of them were actual members of the Order. Four more were recruited from the Association.

The location for the new World Cup stadium had already been selected. They selected a very remote place in England that was at least 10 miles from any muggle towns or cities per the regulations.

The construction of the stadium itself wasn't the problem. With magic, they could build a quidditch stadium that could accommodate more than 20,000 spectators in a couple of months.

However, the structure couldn't be built too soon. It would need to be kept under guard so it can be kept hidden from any muggles. So, it couldn't stay up indefinitely. It would have to be built for the purpose then taken down after the event.

Around the second week of August, Alex met with the Head of DIMC, Bartemius Crouch, to discuss how the ICW would be involved in the preparations of the World Cup.

While they were talking about the budget, Crouch brought up a humorous piece of information.

"Some representatives proposed contributing more in the budget," said Crouch. "In exchange, we have to prevent you from participating in the games by citing some issues in propriety because of your involvement in the preparation for the Cup."

Alex laughed and said, "And, I suppose you are telling me to agree to them?"

"No, not at all, Grey. However, I would be remiss I did not bring it up. As ridiculous as it sounds, we are talking about a lot of gold here."

"And, did you share this to the Minister?"

"I did," said Crouch with a smile. "And before you think about it, Minister Fudge had already declined the offer. He is desperate for a win and he will be counting on you. He couldn't care less about the funds right now. He wants the Cup. If it happens, he would be the first Minister to win two World Cups during his term."

"Do you think he will last in his position long enough until the World Cup?"

Crouch smiled at what he was suggesting. Crouch was known for his ruthlessness against the Death Eaters. He had even sent his own son to Azkaban without hesitation. Although he was criticized heavily for being a failure of a father, with the way Fudge is going, people were beginning to wonder what it would be like to have a person like Crouch as the Minister.

"There had been some whispers... If things continue as they are, we might see an election before the year is over. Don't spread this around. We don't want to see some ambitious idiot making too many noises."

"Of course," agreed Alex as he looked at Crouch sceptically. "That is the last thing that I want."

In the other timeline, Crouch was set up to replace Fudge as the Minister. He worked his way up again after he was removed as the Head of the DMLE to become the Head of the DIMC. It looked like he still had his sight at the Minister position. However, he was found dead near Hogwarts in 1995, during the disastrous Tri-wizard Tournament which is another thing that his department had to worry about later.

It hasn't been brought to their attention just yet, but he wouldn't be surprised it was already underway. He remembered the news about Cedric Diggory dying at the end of the tournament. There was also news about Harry Potter claiming that the Dark Lord had returned at the end of the tournament, but, the Daily Prophet had described Harry as being distraught from witnessing the death of another student. The whole Wizarding Britain didn't think anything by it, but if Harry had claimed it, it must be true. However, Alex didn't know how the Dark Lord managed to truly return to his power. He only knew that it would involve Harry and that he had to allow it before the Dark Lord could finally be vanquished.

As for the World Cup preparation, with the support of the Minister, their department had all the funds needed to carry out the construction of the new stadium. All they needed to do was to straighten out the details of the execution and security.

The funds that the Ministry was spending was not something to scoff at. They would need to find ways how to earn some of it back.

The final phase of the World Cup would take about three weeks to complete. They would need to provide lodgings for more than 10,000 visitors in their country. Usually, that would be taken care of automatically by some enterprising wizards. But if he wanted to earn more for the Ministry, he would need to bid out the privilege to some private companies. The same would apply to any food providers on site.

×××

Meanwhile, the new proposal from the Quidditch League was being studied by the DMGS as well. Quidditch was very important in the Wizarding World, so, it was no wonder that the Ministry had to approve any changes in the League. That was the origin of the DMGS.

The people from the League were proposing the introduction of mid-season player trading in the League. And, Alex was initially about to give his approval. Trading players will result in more quidditch news. It was good publicity for each team and it would make the fans more involved in the management of their favourite teams.

However, Alex realized how that could be onesided. The players couldn't be expected to play for any team that they were traded to. So, Alex added a provision that player tradings can only be done during the first half of the season. Furthermore, they would also introduce player agents to the League that would look after the interest of the players and negotiate on their behalf.

The representatives of the League agreed to the first condition, but, they didn't take the second one very well. They were saying that having agents would only cost the teams and the players more. However, Alex knew that most players would choose to hire an agent if they could avoid negotiating their own contracts. At the moment, they were treated as employees and the teams were the companies that dictated the terms of their services. But, Alex knew it couldn't last if they wanted quidditch to be bigger.

Alex had to insist on his final terms. It was either that or nothing. He asked the representatives to think about it for a while. However, Alex's position as a department head in the Ministry was the most secure of all. He knew that the League would have to agree to his terms if they wanted anything to be done at all.

In the background, Alex had given an account of their meeting to the M-Sports Monthly. They would publicize the adjusted proposal of the League. The fans and the players would be giving their opinions about the matter as well.

×××

On a different topic, Katie Robins's new research on magical treatments for brain and nerve injuries were being praised by the healers of St Mungo's Hospital. That area in healing was greatly overlooked in the Wizarding World.

She worked very hard on her studies to be able to complete a double bachelors degree in Psychology and Neuroscience in only two years. And now, she was publicizing the fruit of her labour.

Katie's research was very detailed. And, it had offered a different level of understanding about the workings of the brain. Her studies in a non-magical college had paid off. For two years, she had been working on their magical applications.

Her clinical trials were set to begin within the year. Frank and Alice Longbottom were to be among her first patients. Their case was a result of being exposed to Cruciatus Curse for too long. Their symptoms are like those of a person with dementia caused by severe traumatic brain injury. They had problems in remembering old and new memories. They were often confused and had difficulties hearing and talking. And sometimes, they would have extreme mood swings.

Katie's treatment would consist of a combination of a regulated dose of a modified Memory Potion and her own improvised spell that would simulate the desired effects from an Electroconvulsive (shock) Therapy. She told Alex that she was confident that her treatment would work. But, the main complication was the fact that the Longbottoms had been in their condition for more than ten years.

In an article about her, she discussed how she was able to achieve such expertise in a very specialized field. Some might criticize her for using the knowledge of the muggle healers in her research. But, she saw no reason to hide her source of information. Her new treatments were theoretically sound, but, only the results could ultimately prove her right.

Some healers had gone on record that they support Katie's new theories. The muggles had come close in their understanding of brain injuries, but it would take magic to create the treatment that they hadn't discovered yet. So, it wasn't like she was completely copying the muggle way of treating insanities. Should her treatments succeed, she would become another celebrated muggleborn in the near future.

×××

After getting settled in his new work in the Ministry, Alex thought about how he could stay in contact with Harry and the other students in Hogwarts. It was still a very important place for him knowing that the chaos with the Dark Lord would involve the students of the school. So, he decided to create a new pub in Hogsmeade.

Harry would be allowed to visit the village in the new school term. So, it wouldn't be too weird if he was to meet Harry there during the Weekends if he owned the pub.

The menu of the new establishment would be catered to the taste of younger people. Of course, it would have treacle tart because that was Harry's favourite.

Alex needed some people who were great with cooking and capable of running an actual pub. However, they would also need to gather information from the students about what was going on in the school. So, it was better to ask Mrs Pearce to lend him some of her people.

Mr Baxter made the necessary arrangements as usual. He was able to buy a building at High Street in Hogsmeade. As a joke with the muggleborns, the new pub would be called the 'Trouncing Towny'.

Ch.63 - Political Dealings

The days passed and it was time for the new Hogwarts term to begin once again. The political news during the summer was overwhelming for a lot of people. But, a new Hogwarts term means a turn of the page in most citizens of Wizarding Britain. Hopefully, they would finally move on from the confusion during the summer.

Harry visited the country house in Norwich a couple of times with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. He spent his time there flying above the gardens and playing with the House-Elves who always had time for the young wizard.

As for Alex, it was nice to get to know the other adults that were looking after Harry. Black was the instigator for mischiefs and he had done wonders in letting Harry step out from his shell. Lupin was the disciplinarian as it turned out. He was in charge of Harry's tutoring for the summer since Alex couldn't have his lectures in the AIM Centre.

Lupin was selected as the new DADA professor for Hogwarts. He was a very academically inclined man, so, Alex didn't have any objection to him being his successor.

However, Alex knew that Lupin was a werewolf from the memories of Peter Pettigrew. And, that was a cause for concern if he was being honest. Alex had spoken about it with Lupin who was surprised that Alex had known. But, he said that they had an arrangement between Dumbledore, Snape, and him to make sure that he was nowhere close to the students during his transformations.

Because of a recent law that was passed earlier in the year requiring every one afflicted with lycanthropy to register their condition with the Ministry, it was practically impossible for Lupin to find employment. Alex understood why anyone would want to avoid being included in such a list.

It was no wonder that Dumbledore wanted to help him. The man had let Lupin study in Hogwarts in secret. Now, he was giving Lupin a job even if only for a year.

The prejudice against werewolves was problematic. Even Alex had mixed feelings about it. After all, he fought werewolves during the Battle of Hogwarts in the other timeline. He witnessed some of them savagely kill students in the halls of Hogwarts.

Of course, he understood the unfairness, no one chose to be a werewolf. However, the fear about werewolves was understandable. Werewolves were fast and resistant against magic. The worst of all was they couldn't control themselves during their transformations unless they had taken a dose of the Wolfsbane Potion.

The main problem he had to address, however, was that the law would eventually force most werewolves in the country into destitution. And, destitute people could do just about anything when forced. It could be the very thing that had driven so many werewolves to side with the Dark Lord.

Perhaps, Alex and Katie could alleviate some of the fears about werewolves by producing cheap Wolfsbane Potions. It could help in passing a revision of the law. His people should also separate the 'bad seeds' from the rest.

People like Fenrir Greyback and his followers couldn't be allowed to live. However, the werewolf was very elusive. He was probably hiding in the muggle world. If he was found, Alex would kill him with no remorse. This law against werewolves was probably gaining Greyback more followers as the days go by.

Alex really needed the law to be changed. He knew that he would not hesitate to kill all the werewolves should the situation turn to worse.

Fortunately, the election was being pushed forward. And new elections always meant new candidates with new promises. Alex could take advantage of this opportunity to introduce the changes in the law that he was thinking. It didn't matter if the candidates didn't actually plan to deliver on their own promises. Alex and his Order would hold them accountable whether they agreed or not.

×××

During the latter days of the month of September, the election for the position of the Ministry was finally announced. The dissatisfaction in the current administration was just too much for everyone working in the Ministry. In the end, it was agreed upon in the Wizengamot and among the department heads in the Ministry that an election was needed.

Minister Fudge was on the way out. There was no denying that. However, the man was still looking for ways to keep his position. But, his reputation was just terrible. It didn't help him when Dumbledore, a very respected man, had openly accused him of being biased earlier that year. Dumbledore had called out how Fudge had only surrounded himself with wealthy and influential people.

The Minister, then, approached Alex to request the youngest department head's support. After all, he was instrumental in making Alex the Head of DMGS and he had given his full support to Alex's department. He was hoping that Alex would return the 'favour'.

"So, what do you think, Alexander?" asked Fudge after his long speech. "With your support, I think it is still possible to put things in order. It will be very beneficial for both of us."

"Minister, I don't mean any disrespect when I say this, but, your time in the Ministry is over... Perhaps, it is time for you to consider how to exit the stage gracefully."

Fudge got angry after hearing Alex's words.

"After what I've done for you, this is how you will repay me!?"

His face had become red in anger. He stood up a stormed out of the room.

Alex just watched the man walk out of his office. He wasn't worried about Fudge's possible retaliation. They had already secured the funds for the World Cup. Any criticisms from Fudge would be a testament to his good character.

Alex didn't mind cutting his connections with the Minister abruptly. Associating with Fudge was a liability to anyone with some political ambition.

Fudge had been a useful tool, although, the man was oblivious to it. But, it was time for a more proactive Minister.

The only thing that Alex could do for Fudge was to give the man the opportunity to end his term without any more issue. But judging at how the Minister reacted, Alex doubted that the man could resign with any dignity.

×××

The two other candidates for the Ministry position were Amelia Bones and Bartemius Crouch. As the Head of DMLE, Bones's recent reputation wasn't very good because her department had failed to produce any suspect in the murder of Malfoy and the disappearances of some of the Wizengamot members. On the other hand, Crouch's ruthless reputation was making him the popular choice because of how the current Minister was being accused of being too soft on the Death Eaters.

The two candidates had strong foundations in law enforcement. And, they had sent Death Eaters to Azkaban before. So, this particular issue was the most important in their campaign platforms. Both of them were promising making the Auror department stronger in terms of numbers.

However, while Bones was adherent to the process of law enforcement, Crouch had a history of expediting criminal cases. After all, he was the former Head of the DMLE when Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban without a trial.

Bones was popular among the people who valued fairness in their government, especially to the members of the Association. She was the presiding judge during the Trial of Pettigrew. And, she had sent Crabbe Sr and Goyle Sr to Azkaban when they attacked the AIM Centre.

Crouch, on the other hand, was popular with the people who fear the resurgence of the Death Eaters. He was tough on criminals, and, he had even sent his own son to Azkaban. His supporters were thinking that a man like him was the best man for the job.

From what he had heard personally, Sirius Black was actually supportive of Crouch, even though the man was one of the officials who had sent him in Azkaban. To his opinion, Crouch was a dedicated and tough law enforcer who just spent too much time in his office instead of coming home to his son. Remus Lupin, however, thought that Bones would make the better Minister for Magic.

Like them, most people were divided in their opinions on who would be better suited as the Minister. The Observer was presenting the arguments of both sides evenly, a testament to their impartiality.

No one was willing to point out the worrying fact that the two candidates that they were considering were both former Aurors. The possibility of another war was already in the minds of the people. That was why they want a 'fighting' Minister to replace the current one.

On a slow workday, Crouch had visited Alex in his office saying that they needed to discuss the preparation for the World Cup. Of course, Alex knew the real reason. He was expecting this visit to happen sooner.

"What can I do for you, Crouch?" asked Alex as he showed Crouch into his office.

Alex had properly settled into his work. His office was decorated with his personal trinkets so it had more character.

"I'll get straight to the point, Grey," said Crouch. "I want to have your support in the upcoming election."

Alex smirked and said, "It is a very serious thing to give out my support publically. I am still thinking about it."

"You had a falling out with Fudge from the way he was talking about you. But, you are the only department head who hadn't given his opinion on the matter of the election. You don't wanna be known as a fence sitter, do you?"

"Of course not. Maybe I'm just waiting to hear a couple of things from the candidate that I would support."

Crouch raised an eyebrow after hearing that and smiled. Now, he knew that Alex was open to negotiations.

In truth, Alex was in an inconvenient position. As the Head of DMGS, he would be right to withhold his opinion about the election. His department was working on a long term project and they would need to work very well with both the DIMC and the DMLE. He didn't want to offend either of the candidates because they were the heads of those departments.

However, he needed something from them. And, he was willing to break his silence if either one could deliver what he wanted.

Bones had actually talked to Alex about the election earlier than Crouch. Alex had given her his expectations without being too straightforward. But Crouch was not a man for subtlety. So, Alex would just have to state his terms as plainly as he could.

"What would it take for you to give me your support?" asked Crouch. "You want to be the head of another department? Perhaps, you want to be my replacement in the DIMC?"

"Nothing too tasteless like that. I don't want anything for myself," said Alex.

The last thing he wanted was to be indebted to either Crouch or Bones.

"There are a few things that I want to hear from someone who is looking to be the new Minister," continued Alex. "One, there is the issue of the Death Eaters in Azkaban at the moment. With the recent revelations about Fudge's shortcomings and the matter with Sirius Black, how do we know that those in Azkaban were serving their rightful punishments? Perhaps, there are others like Sirius Black. Or perhaps, a life sentence is too light of a punishment for some of them."

"What are you getting at, Grey?" said Crouch darkly.

Alex looked at Crouch seriously and said, "I don't mean to offend you, but, the Lestranges and your son should have been given to the dementors like Pettigrew. What they did to the Longbottoms was enough to merit such a punishment, not to mention the other horrendous things that they might have committed."

Crouch gulped at what he heard before saying, "My son is dead... I know that you might hate the Death Eaters, but, what are you proposing?"

"I want you to make a promise to the people that you would reopen their cases. Their crimes should be examined properly and not concluded hastily like before."

Alex was planning on getting rid of Riddle's followers in Azkaban. One way or another, he would remove them out of the picture.

There was also the matter of finding more of the Horcruxes. Based on what he had seen in Malfoy's memories, the Dark Lord had probably entrusted his Horcruxes to his inner circle followers. Snape didn't know of them, otherwise, Dumbledore would have known as well. Yaxley and Pettigrew also didn't know because they were not part of the Dark Lord's highest-ranking followers.

So, Alex was thinking that the Lestranges would know. There was a high chance that one of them would have been asked to keep a Horcrux. If Alex was successful in giving them another trial, he would find a way to 'rescue' them once they were out of Azkaban.

"Why would we do that? It would only needlessly create a lot of controversies that would weaken the image of the Ministry."

"If you want the Ministry to gain back the respect of the people, this has to happen. It is a statement that the Ministry, more than ever, is dedicated to doing what is right, no matter the cost. You sent your son to Azkaban because it is the right thing to do. This is no different."

Crouch thought about what he said then asked, "And, what would you get out of it?"

Alex laughed a bit at the question. The Ministry had always operated in the exchanges of deals.

"I want a stronger and dependable Ministry, nothing more, nothing less. I think we can both agree on this point."

"Yes, what you say has merit... But you said that you expect a couple of things from the candidate that you would support, so, what is the other thing that you want?"

"The other thing would be much harder. I want you to say publically that you would revise the recent Werewolf Registration Law that Fudge and his Undersecretary had passed. It is a short-sighted and prejudiced law that should never have passed."

"And why is it a concern of you? You're not a werewolf, are you?"

"No, I'm not a werewolf. I am speaking as a concerned Ministry personnel and a muggleborn. This type of law will only force the werewolves to turn their backs from the Ministry and drive them to destitution. Lycanthropy is a curse, I hope we can agree on that. With the way the law was set, it criminalized the state being a werewolf. A person's actions should determine their own guilt, not their affliction, don't you think so?"

"There must be more to this than you are telling me."

"During the last war, there were werewolves that joined the Dark Lord under the leadership of one Fenrir Greyback. You've heard of him. Your people had captured him after all. But, they also let him escape after a couple of months. If we do not change this law, we would drive more werewolves into Greyback's camp. With what happened with Malfoy, I don't want to imagine what would happen if Greyback found his way again to the Death Eaters."

"It would be difficult to change. But, I can see how it can be done when Fudge and his toad are out of the picture. So, if I do this, can I count on your support?"

"Once I read about your new campaign in the papers, I would naturally throw in my support."

Alex would give his support to the first candidate that would promise what he wanted. Bones and Crouch were really close in the recent polls that the Observer had released. Alex's public support could be the thing that could finally tip the balance. There were also other things that he could do that would increase the probability of getting his desired result. He was practically 'selling' the Minister position to the highest bidder, but, it was necessary for the greater good.

Ch.64 - Election

Crouch had gone to the press about his new promises to the public. It was a very sudden position to take. And, it was received with a confused reaction from the masses.

Amelia Bones knew exactly where it was coming from. After all, Alex had asked her to do the same thing earlier. However, she felt that it was a little bit extreme.

Crouch preposition of revising the Werewolf Registration Law was criticized by the administration of the current Minister. They accused Crouch of making promises just to get more votes.

Everyone knew that Crouch was tough on Death Eaters, but, opening their cases again sounded very extreme. Especially, when he was one of the officials who presided their first trials some 12 years ago.

Meanwhile, Alex had arranged an interview with the Observer. The initial reason was to explain the changes they had just approved for the British and Irish Quidditch League.

He explained the advantages of allowing the teams to conduct player trades during the first half of the season. Every team wanted to win, so, they would be allowed to make adjustments on their roster as they desired.

The introduction of the player agents was also discussed in detail. For the first two seasons after its introduction, the Quidditch League could cancel the current contract between the players and the team at their request. This was done so they could renegotiate a new contract during the transition.

After that, the interviewer asked about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup. In which, Alex was glad to report that everything was coming along splendidly. As the Head of the DMGS and a player, he knew everything that was being done to prepare for the World Cup.

After the sports-related topic was done with, the discussion was steered to the current political news. The interviewer was acting under the instructions of Mrs Dewey from the Observer, so, Alex knew exactly what to expect.

"Recently," said the interviewer, "there were some controversies about what Bartemius Crouch's proposal to re-examine the cases of the Death Eaters. What is your opinion about it?"

"It certainly wasn't something we expected to hear," said Alex. "However, I think Crouch has a point. With all the chaos that was taking place during the time after the war, we are just not sure about the appropriateness of the sentencing on these Death Eater trials. This must be difficult for Crouch to talk about. After all, he was the Head of the DMLE during those times. But, I find it quite refreshing in some way. We have experienced the cost of having leaders that would sweep anything inconvenient under a rug. Now, we have the possibility of having a Minister that would aim to do the right thing, no matter how inconvenient."

"That is quite a unique position to take as a Ministry department head," said the journalist. "Most people from the Ministry were saying that Crouch's proposal would only weaken the authority of the Ministry."

"Personally, I don't understand why people think that the Ministry could never appear to make mistakes. When the truth is that mistakes happen whether we want it or not. I will have more trust in a Ministry that can own up to its mistakes rather than a Ministry that only appears perfect from the outside. I'm saying this both as a muggleborn wizard and a Ministry personnel. — Crouch's proposals are inconvenient, but, they will exemplify the integrity of the Ministry."

"Crouch for Integrity," said the interviewer. "Do you also support making some revisions on the Werewolf Registration Law?"

"Very much so. Lycanthropy is a terrible affliction. No one actually chooses to be a werewolf. With the way the current law is set up, it is practically a crime to be one. The law is simply too short-sighted in my opinion. Hopefully, we can come up with a revised bill that works for everyone."

"But, how would you convince those who are afraid of werewolves?"

"I will tell them that I understand their fear. Don't get me wrong, I know that werewolves are dangerous. Even werewolves know that they themselves are dangerous. But, it is an affliction that acts up only once a month. From a practical point of view, it should be a very manageable condition. Lycanthropy shouldn't affect most of our days. This is a situation where we have to rise above our fears. So, let us be brave and see the situation for what it is."

A few more questions after that and the interview was over. They took a couple of pictures of Alex in his office before leaving. The interviewer had thanked him for his time and informed him that the article would likely be on the front page of the next day's issue.

Alex had to watch what he said to the journalist. He wanted to look like he was supporting Crouch for the man's bid to be Minister. However, he wanted to keep his support about the changes that Crouch was promising instead of sounding like he supported the man himself.

He didn't want any apparent alliance between him and other politicians. It wouldn't gain him many favours in the Ministry, but, it would allow him to work with anyone he needed to on a professional level.

×××

When he had the time to spare, Alex met with Harry and his friends in the Trouncing Towny during a Hogsmeade weekend. The Gryffindor quartet looked a little bit grown-up. Ron was becoming very tall. Neville had lost some of his plumpness after being part of the Duelling Club. Hermione was looking more feminine. And, Harry, well, he was still pretty short for his age. But, he had more confidence than he did before.

"How are your new classes going on?" asked Alex. "What electives did you choose?"

"I'm taking all of them," said Hermione. Before Alex could ask, she added, "It's fine. I'm handling it well enough."

"I have CoMC, Runes, and Arithmancy," said Harry.

"I have CoMC and Divination," said Ron.

"I have CoMC, Runes, and Muggle Studies," said Neville.

Hermione was probably only taking Divination because she wanted to take every elective. And Ron was probably taking it thinking it would be an easy class, which it was with the way Prof. Trelawney was teaching it.

"Mr Grey, when you were in your third year, what electives did you take?" asked Hermione.

"It seemed like so long ago, but, I took Runes, Arithmancy, and Divination."

"Ha!" exclaimed Ron. "See, Divination is not so bad," he followed sounding validated.

"Did you have Trelawney as well?" asked Harry smiling.

"Yes, I did," Alex answered. "And call her Professor Trelawney, Harry."

"Is she a fraud like what Hermione says?" asked Ron.

"Hey!" protested Hermione.

"Well, that is up to you. She certainly looks like a loony. But, do you want to know a secret?" Alex said as he leaned closer.

The children nodded.

"If you make a discrete note of Professor Trelawney's wild predictions, you'll later find that most of them are actually coming true. It just a matter of interpretation."

"You are saying that her Divination actually works?" asked Hermione.

"That depends on who is making the predictions and who is listening. But, why would you think that it doesn't work?"

"Well, Professor McGonagall said that it is a very imprecise branch of magic."

"She is right. But, it is a branch of magic nonetheless. There is a specific mindset that people should keep when dealing with Divinations. One should accept the inherent inaccuracy of the art. They are mere possibilities. Nothing is set in stone until it happens. If you can't accept that, then Divination is not for you."

"So, I should drop it?"

"If you think it can't help you, then yes. There's no need to take all the electives, Hermione. For that matter, why are you taking Muggle Studies? Don't you already know all about the muggle world?"

"Well..." Hermione couldn't explain herself.

Harry was laughing a bit at Hermione. He grew up in the muggle world, so, he was practically a muggleborn.

Then they spoke about the Duelling Club. There were even more students in the club. Prof. Flitwick had taken over as the advisor of the club and he was teaching the students about competition duelling techniques.

"How about Draco, is he doing okay in school?" asked Alex.

"He is fine. He is hanging out now with Daphne, Tracy, and Blaise," said Harry.

"He is doing better now," added Hermione. "He was very quiet at the beginning of the term. Academically, I think he is even better than last year."

"Do you think it's true, Mr Grey? That Draco's dad was killed by Death Eaters?" asked Neville.

"Yes," Alex responded.

"But, isn't Lucius Malfoy also one of them?" whispered Ron.

"It is possible, but, that doesn't mean that they wouldn't have killed Lucius even if he was a member of their group. Draco is probably the most confused about it all. So, if you can help it, be a little more patient with him"

"We don't bother with Draco, Professor," said Neville. "He also stopped bothering other students."

"That's good enough."

This was the chance that Alex had created for Draco. The rest was up to the boy. Not everyone in Slytherin was connected to Death Eaters and it seemed that Draco had already made some new connections that would help him in his time in the school.

As for Draco's mother, she was still under surveillance by the 'Arms' people in France. Although she was not a marked Death Eater, Alex wanted her to be under watch. She was an outsider in the influential circle in France. Alex was waiting to find out if she still continued to associate with the blood supremacists in France.

×××

In December, the election for the Minister for Magic was held. It was the only elected position in the whole Ministry. Naturally, a Minister would hold a lot of power.

There was a record turn out in the number of votes. For the first time, the majority of muggleborns had participated in the voting.

The new Minister was Bartemius Crouch just like Alex expected. Alex had used his authority over the Association to subtly promote Crouch throughout the country.

Some of the key positions in the Ministry were immediately changed. As the Minister, Crouch had the ability to completely change the personnel in his office. Which means, every employee in the Minister's office was let go. Some of them had to be transferred to other departments in the Ministry.

Fudge had resigned altogether. There was no longer any position for him in the Ministry. His Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, was transferred in the Wizengamot Administrations. She would be under a lot of scrutinies for a while due to her history with Fudge. She was also the main writer of the Werewolf Registration Law which the new Minister had promised to revise. So, the other politician would think twice about associating with Umbridge until things had settled down.

Not even a week had gone by and Minister Crouch had announced his plan to create a stronger Auror and Hit-Wizard force. They were looking at around a hundred per cent increase in their numbers for the next year.

It was a chance for Alex and his people to place more of their agents in the Ministry. The 'Arms' had gained a reputation for being very well trained. So, they were the natural choice to bolster the ranks of the Aurors and the Hit-Wizards. The problem was that working for the 'Arms' paid better than working for the Ministry. So, the only people who applied in the DMLE were the ones who were acting under Mr Grant's orders. They weren't actual Order members, but, they were loyal followers of Mr Grant, just like how Mrs Pearce had many other agents who were not Order members.

At the moment, the Order already had about 80 people officially. Having more would be counterproductive. They needed to work as one cohesive group under his leadership. So, he didn't want for them to start forming some factions amongst them which would happen should they have more members. Alex would rather let them form their own organizations outside the Order to help out in their tasks. This way, the people that he would be talking to would be limited.

[AN: This is kind of like the structure of the yakuza. You have one big family, but, each member of that could have their own family which is subordinate to the main family.]

Ch.65 - Getting to Work

The holidays came as a much-needed break. Most works in the Ministry slowed down during such times. With a new Minister in charge, everyone was still adjusting to the changes in the political landscape.

Each Ministry employee must determine once again who among their acquaintances could they benefit from or who among them were liabilities. The break was a good time to reexamine their associations. They could send their holiday greetings with one another while subtly inquiring on their position with the current Minister's agenda.

Alexander was not interested though. Unlike the other Ministry personnel, he wasn't looking to latch on with anyone's coattails. Instead, it was the others who were interested in making friends with him. He must have received more than 20 letters from people in the Ministry he had never talked with before.

Instead, he was happy to spend the time with Katie Robins. She was still working as a new healer in the Saint Mungo's Hospital's new Perenelle Flamel's Ward For The Mentally Infirmed. The new ward was made possible after an anonymous donation was given to the hospital with the exact condition that it would be used to create the new mental ward and be named after the late wife of Nicolas Flamel who had made many contributions to the healing arts throughout the years.

Katie's work hours were fairly regular. There was hardly any emergency cases in her department. Her new treatments were proving to be quite effective.

For example, Frank and Alice Longbottom were finally allowed to go home, just in time for the holidays, after about four months in Katie's care. They were much more aware of their surroundings. Their memory retention ability had improved drastically. And, their mood swings were much more manageable. Madam Augusta Longbottom was tutored personally by Katie on how to look after her son and daughter-in-law in their home. However, they would still be visiting the hospitals for their weekly treatment sessions with Katie.

×××

During a shopping trip in Diagon Alley, Alex and Katie were spotted together by someone with a camera and their relationship was finally made public. Of course, they knew exactly about what was happening. After all, the article was first released in the Observer. They both decided beforehand that they no longer wanted to hide their relationship.

As expected, it created a little bit of intrigue. The most eligible wizard and the most desirable witch had gotten together. They were being viewed as a power couple of the wizarding world.

Alex was a Quidditch World Cup Champion, an international duelling champion, a former Hogwarts professor, and the youngest Ministry Department Head. He was also recognized as a Warlock and a recipient of the Order of Merlin First-Class award.

On the other hand, Katie was a renowned potions master, a known wealthy entrepreneur, and a pioneer in the Healing Arts. She had also received formal recognition from the Saint Mungo's Hospital for her contributions in her field.

Then, there was the fact that they were both successful muggleborns. Either one of them could have married into an influential family if they cared about that sort of thing. But instead, they found the most suitable partner with each other.

There were even some anonymous stories of how broken-hearted they were after finding out that 'Alexander Grey' was dating someone. However, when some of their pictures were published by a magazine, no one could rightfully say that they didn't look good together. Alex and Katie had that 'modern' wizard and witch look and people were taking notice of their fashion style.

They even did an interview together with a women's magazine that was affiliated with the Observer to talk about their story. The interviewer found it very cute and adorable how the two of them started as housemates and friends in Hogwarts. Then, there was the part when they started dating after graduation, but, they decided to keep their relationship discrete because of how Alex was getting famous during those times.

Alex explained that he didn't want his fame to interfere with Katie's research and career. He had always admired her intelligence and drive that was why he had trusted that she would be successful in her chosen endeavours without any of the controversies that would come with being associated with him.

Katie also talked about her own considerations and why she preferred to keep their relationship hidden in the past. At the time, she didn't know if she could be the girlfriend of 'Alexander Grey'. She had her own goals to chase after and she didn't want to be swept away by the publicity that would come with being his partner.

Of course, the real reason why they didn't go public with their relationship at the time was that the Association's and the Order's position wasn't so secure then. Alex was worried about her safety just in case his position in the association was revealed. But at their current power, he no longer feared being exposed.

But as far as the interviewer was concerned, it was a very 'real' love story. The couple had many other things that they were committed to. Yet, they found the way to love each other and stay together all this time. The man was practically in tears as he finished his questioning.

Katie couldn't help herself and asked why the man was in tears after hearing their story. And just like that, the man started telling them about his own love affairs. Apparently, his professional commitments had gotten in the way of his love life. Instead of consoling the man, Katie had berated him and told him to shape up.

"Love can't just happen because we want it to," she said. "If you are thinking that the world will conspire miraculously to give you the opportunity to pursue your own happiness in love, then you need to wake up, my man."

The guy just stared at her as if she was speaking a message from the heavens.

"Nothing good comes easily. Love needs work, commitment, and faith. Do you think the two of us have plenty of time to be together? Of course not. We are very busy people. But, we make do with what we got because we love each other. So, you and your lover just have to get your priorities straight and chase after what you want."

Alex just watched the interaction with amusement. He didn't know how strongly Katie felt about such things. Their situation was indeed difficult. There were moments when he had wondered if he was being a good boyfriend to Katie because of how little time he could spend with her. Katie was right. They were busy people, and it was no wonder they couldn't be together all the time. But, Alex would rather be with her once a year than be with anyone else every day.

The interviewer had a newfound appreciation of their love story. Of course, there were many aspects of it that were not very relatable. After all, how many people could found themselves having to choose between love, fame, and career? But, the story would still tug at the heartstrings of the readers.

It was like a secret love affair between a princess and her knight. Except, Alex was the princess and Katie was the knight who had to prove herself before they could formally announce their relationship to the kingdom.

Unbeknownst to them, Katie's words would start the new popular column in the magazine called 'Love Potion'.

×××

After the new year had begun, it was time to restore the Wizengamot to its previous numbers. The Minister would need a full Wizengamot panel to carry out any permanent change in the Ministry.

Alexander Grey was nominated by Albus Dumbledore. Every other member was shocked about the fact that a muggleborn was being nominated for a seat in the Wizengamot. But, the voting was unanimous approval. No one was willing to create a controversy of denying a very famous wizard considering the times.

Alex was sworn into his duties the very next day. He had to participate in the selection for the other vacant seats. Each candidate was considered individually, and it took a lot of time.

After four more seats were filled, Alex nominated Edward Tonks. He was a muggleborn who had married a member of the Black family. So, his situation was different from Alex. It wasn't hard to get the votes for him.

As far as the public was concerned, Tonks was a lawyer with his own private practice. The fact that he was the retained Law Consultant for the Association was just a professional arrangement.

However, the third person that they tried to place in the Wizengamot was undeniably affiliated with the Association. Mrs Dewey, co-editor of the Observer, was known as the conservative voice of the paper. While her husband was the journalist who chased after the biggest scoops, Mrs Joanna Dewey made sure that everything was above scrutiny. She made sure that everything that the Observer published was above board.

Alex had to act that he didn't have much of an opinion about Mrs Dewey. The voting was much more divided. Alex and Tonks were both muggleborns. And, they were considering adding a third one in the Wizengamot. No one was willing to say it, but, a lot of the other seat holders in the courtroom that day were uncomfortable with the prospects. However, Dumbledore had once again supported the choice. The old man no longer cared for his political reputation as long as he had Hogwarts. He was already known as a 'muggle-lover', so, it didn't matter much to him.

And so, after some consecutive daily sessions in the Wizengamot, there were now three muggleborn seat holders in it. It was a great step for the promotion of muggleborn rights. For the first time in history, muggleborns didn't have to be looked down in the Wizengamot courts.

×××

During the month of February, the motion to review the Werewolf Registration Law was finally introduced in the Wizengamot. Aside from performing the judiciary function of the wizarding government, the Wizengamot was also the agency of the government that was in charge of passing and reviewing its legislatures.

Most of the members of the Wizengamot were officers in the Ministry or some other influential people. This way, it can have as many people in it that could provide an expert opinion on any matter that should be discussed in its courts.

As the Minister for Magic, Crouch had the authority to order the Wizengamot to review any of the existing laws in the Wizarding Britain. However, the Wizengamot held all the rights to make the final decisions in the matters of the law.

Amelia Bones was tasked to oversee the discussion of whether or not the particular bill should be revised. Dolores Umbridge was there to argue to keep the current law as it was. She was the lead writer of the law as part of the previous Minister's administration.

"I believe that it is a waste of time for us to be here today," said Umbridge in her signature annoyingly high-pitched voice. "After all, the law is there to protect all the good witches and wizards out there from the dangers that the werewolves pose."

"It is troubling how you came up with the bill," said Edward Tonks. "Who helped you in writing this Bill, Miss Umbridge?"

Edward Tonks was an expert at examining a witness. And, that was how Umbridge was being treated at the moment. She no longer had the authority to speak to the Wizengamot on her own accord. She was just there to answer some questions.

As Umbridge answered the question as requested, she had a smug look on her face as if she was bragging about her associations with the people she named. Little did she know how those same people would hate her for even mentioning them. The current session was being broadcasted through the WWN, and Umbridge just stupidly named her 'accomplices' in passing the Werewolves Registration Law.

Of course, the Wizengamot had passed that bill last year. However, given that almost half of the seat holders in it were replaced, they could act as if the bill had nothing to do with them.

Tonks continued his questioning. "I can't help but notice that none of those people that you mentioned was registered as a werewolf after the bill was passed and none of them was part of the DMLE. So, my question is, why did you assume that you had the required expertise to write this law? Now, I'm even more convinced that it was short-sighted."

Umbridge was incensed to be talked down like that.

"The werewolves are a menace to our society," argued Umbridge. "You don't need to be an expert to know that. These half-breeds cannot be allowed to walk around freely without some kind of tag around their necks to warn all of us."

"We all agree that there is a problem here," interjected Alex. "The question is whether or not we are addressing it appropriately. I think we've heard enough from Miss Umbridge here. She had already admitted that she neither has the expertise on law enforcement or on the subject of the werewolves to provide anything useful in this discussion."

Some people in the room actually laughed at Umbridge. Somehow, it was more insulting coming from the guards and the scribes who had a lower position than her. Alex's motion was carried through and Umbridge was properly dismissed from the court. The woman looked like she was about to explode in anger at any moment. So, it was better to continue without her.

In the conclusion of the talks, it was agreed that the bill would indeed be rewritten. Edward Tonks would lead the writing of the revised bill with the help of Amelia Bones and a werewolf expert as a consultant.

After the court was dismissed, Alex suggested to Tonks and Bones that they could use Remus Lupin as the consultant. Dumbledore had happily seconded his suggestion.

The news articles that covered the decision of the Wizengamot a day later had highlighted the commitment of the current Ministry in righting the wrongs of the previous administration. Fudge's administration was pretty much becoming the convenient scapegoat for everything that was wrong in their government.

[AN: In other fanfics, Fudge always used the administration before his as the scapegoat.]

END OF CHAPTER