"I tell you, there's something wonky going on with Ashworth," James complained. "And I'm going to get to the bottom of that wonk!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, James, he's a teacher for crying out loud. Just because Evans has the hots for him doesn't make him a dark wizard."
"He was sneaking around last night!"
"And you can prove this how?" Sirius grinned. "'Cause you were sitting right next to me on your bed."
James held up a piece of parchment. "This."
Snatching the piece of paper from his friend's hands, Sirius turned it over. "It's blank," he deadpanned.
"Well, yeah!" James grabbed it back and then tapped it with his wand. " I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he intoned carefully, and Sirius watched in fascination as lines began to draw themselves on the previously blank parchment.
"Whoa, cool. Hey, I recognize this. This is our potions classroom down in the dungeons! And the dorms!"
James nodded. "Remember when I told you I was going to start working on a map of the castle?"
"This is it?" Sirius grinned widely. "Dang, that's awesome. But how's that help you figure out where Ashworth's been sneaking around?"
James smirked and then turned the parchment over. Dots began appearing on the map, labeled with names. "It tracks anyone within Hogwarts! And last night while I was working on it, I saw Ashworth sneak out of the castle, and he took your cousin with him!"
Sirius arched a skeptical eyebrow. "Bella, I can see sneaking out, but not without good reason. And to be honest, Ashworth doesn't strike me as the type to sneak out with a student. He doesn't have the spine for it."
"But the map really showed it!"
Sirius looked the map over more carefully. "Hmm… and this map's completely accurate, you say?"
"Of course."
"Then why's the girl's bathroom inside the Great Hall on your map?"
James stared. "What?"
"Here, look." Sirius folded the map over to the appropriate section. "See?" He flipped it over again. "And apparently, I'm not sitting next to you; Julie Vance is."
"Give me that!" James snagged the paper back from his friend. "Fine," he grumbled, "so it needs a little work. But I swear Ashworth's up to something, and he's dragging your cousin into it!"
Sirius laughed. "I would worry more about her dragging him into something, if I were you." He stood. "Come on, let's see if we can find Remmy and drag him away from his transfiguration homework. You'll need all the help you can get with that map of yours. It'll get your mind off your conspiracy theories." He winked at James. "And who knows, we might even run into Evans in the library."
.....
If there was one thing Orion Black hated more than the incessant bickering of aristocrats who argued over the proper way to govern the wizarding world, it was the incessant bickering of the politicians that had taken their place. While Romulus Malfoy had used his considerable clout with the older pureblood families to weed out the trash before issuing any invitations, but the people that sat arrayed around the table were, if not openly hostile, at least eyeing each other with a considerable amount of distrust and suspicion. They were feuding families, families who held grudges, who were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, families who believed themselves superior to others. But they all had one thing in common: none of them wanted a repeat of the disaster that was Grindelwald's rise to power.
As the Black family patriarch glanced around the table, he noted with interest that some of the wizarding world's most prominent families were present while others, equally prominent, were clearly absent. He had to wonder if that was because they had shown no interest in Malfoy's invitation, or if that meant that they were in league with this new rising dark lord. He carefully hid a smile at the glares being exchanged by Richard Potter and Emily Bones. The two had never been able to stand being under the same roof ever since young Miss Bones had turned down the Potter patriarch's offer of courtship. Emily Bones was relatively young for someone of her position, having inherited the position of head of house after her father had become a victim of character assassination and taken his own life. It had only spurred her hatred for politicians, and Richard Potter was a career politician.
Potter himself was someone who Orion felt was rather distasteful to be around. The Potters were an ancient family, easily equally as old as the Blacks, and claimed to be descended directly from Godric Gryffindor. Not one of them could prove it, but that wasn't something that stopped Richard Potter from flaunting it. The Potter fortune was also one of the most intact, this being largely due to the expert care of his ancestors, something Orion could respect. In fact, he had been very good friends with Richard Potter's father, the former Potter patriarch, until his death during the Grindelwald campaign. Unlike his father, though, Richard Potter lived loud, fast, and frittered his family fortune away on women and unnecessary displays of wealth. What he was doing here, Orion didn't know, but at least that meant that what was left of the Potters' considerable fortune would likely remain out of the dark lord's reach.
Also arrayed around the table were Carl Abbott, Vincent McNair, and Davian Prewitt, all of whom held prestigious seats in the Wizengamot. A few of the minor families were also present, mostly politicians who sat on one of the councils or sub-committees of the wizarding government. In the grand scheme of things, if a dark lord wanted to take control, they were inconsequential, but if they wanted to rally the wizarding world against Voldemort, their support would prove invaluable. All in all, there were around a dozen people, enough to fill the dining hall at Orion's home. Orion glanced at Romulus; the Malfoy patriarch was sitting to his right and raised his hand to his mouth.
The sharp whistle pierced the din of heated conversation easily, and everyone quieted. All eyes were turned towards Orion. The Black family head cleared his throat and stood from his chair at the head of the table. "Ladies, Gentlemen," he began gravelly, "I am pleased that you have decided to accept our invitation."
"What's this about, Orion?" Davian Prewitt asked. The Prewitt patriarch was almost as old as Orion, himself, and the two had a long-established mutual respect for each other that stemmed from their shared dislike for the way their world was being run.
"We have asked you to meet here today in order to discuss a matter of grave urgency with you," Orion continued. "I have come to ask for your support for a vote of no confidence against Minister Thornton."
"What?" Carl Abbot shouted. "I hope you have good reason for an announcement like that, Black, because that's sounding suspiciously like treason!"
"I do, indeed, Master Abbot." Orion glanced at Romulus to his side. "We have reason to believe that Minister Thornton is no longer fit to govern."
"That's a serious accusation you're making, Orion," Prewitt commented. "What exactly are you basing this on?"
"I have recently become aware of evidence that Minister Thornton may be involved in corruption and efforts to undermine the government," the Black family head replied coolly.
"That's preposterous; why would Thornton do such a thing?" McNair said, inserting himself into the conversation. The man was large and muscular, someone who didn't exactly look like a politician. In the present crowd, he was one of Thornton's staunchest supporters, having campaigned with her for her last two terms.
Romulus took that as his cue. "We have uncovered evidence that Minister Thornton has been involved in tax evasion and has used the state treasury to unlawfully enrich herself. We also have evidence linking her to money laundering activities."
"I ask you again," McNair glared at Romulus, "why would she do such a thing? I have known her for fifteen years, and she has always put the welfare of the state first."
"Greed is a powerful motivator, Vincent," Orion replied evenly, ignoring the hostility in McNair's tone. "Even the purest of souls can be corrupted when enough money is in play. What matters is that evidence has come into our hands that implicates Minister Thornton in several illegal activities. We now have to decide what to do."
....
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