Harry sat on the floor of Ron's bedroom, staring into the potion he was brewing. 'It looks like it'll be ready soon,' he thought.
"It needs to simmer for another couple of hours," Merlin agreed.
'And this will fix my magical pathways?' Harry thought.
"It will speed up your recovery," Merlin replied. "But it's still going to take some time."
'How long?' Harry thought back.
"At least a few months, possibly longer," Merlin replied.
Harry nodded, having expected an answer like that. It had already been a couple of weeks since he had arrived at the burrow, and while the damage to his muscles and bones had mostly healed, his magic was another story.
It felt like he only had a quarter of his magic available to him, and while things seemed quiet now, he had a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach that it could all change in an instant, and he wouldn't be ready to face whatever came next.
"What you're feeling right now, it isn't just anxiety," Merlin explained. "Your mind and body are still in survival mode, constantly scanning for danger. It's doing its job, just too well."
'How do I fix it?' Harry thought back.
"This isn't something you can just fix, Harry," Merlin explained patiently. "It's mental. There's no potion or magic spell that will make you better. You need rest, time to process what you've been through."
Harry could only nod, understanding what Merlin was saying, but feeling like he had too much on his plate to just sit back and relax. Loud noises bothered him, but more than that so did the silence, the lull before a storm he couldn't see, leaving him on edge, even when he was the only one in the room.
He still had all the emotions he'd felt during the battle locked away in his mind and still had no idea how to handle them. The one time he'd tried to access them had been agony, and not a feeling he ever wanted to experience again.
"Harry!" He heard Ron shout from downstairs, interrupting his thoughts. "Hermione's here!"
Harry covered the simmering potion and made his way down the stairs, passing Fred and George's room, glancing at the door.
George had taken to locking himself in the bedroom, not even letting Fred inside, so much so that Fred had to move into Percy's room just to keep the peace.
Shouting matches between the twins had quickly become a regular occurrence every time they saw each other, to the point Fred was now avoiding George like the plague, but he could see the tension in Fred's shoulders, and knew it was only a matter of time before they went from words to throwing punches.
He had tried more than once to speak to George about it, so had Ron, and so had his parents, but George just seemed to shut down whenever they tried, retreating to his room, and locking the door behind him.
"Hello Harry," Arthur said, glancing up from his copy of the Quibbler as he walked down the stairs.
"Hello Mr. Weasley," Harry greeted, glancing at the page of the newspaper as well. "Werewolf attack?" He asked, surprised by the headline.
Arthur nodded, looking up from the paper. "That's what the Ministry says," he agreed, "but Skeeter seems to think there's more to it, said it wasn't a full moon during the attack."
"Werewolf attack?" Hermione asked, stepping through the door, Ron in tow. "Is that normal?"
"Not really," Harry replied. "There's maybe one or two every couple of years, if that."
"Even one seems like too many," Hermione replied. "Is it like the Muggle stories? If you get bitten during the full moon, do you get turned into one?"
Arthur nodded, making a mental note to ask what a movie was later.
"That's terrible," Hermione replied. "What happens to them? Is there a cure?"
Arthur got an uncomfortable look on his face, looking at his newspaper for a moment before answering. "There's no cure. Most of them… they eventually leave the wizarding world."
Hermione gave Arthur a look, feeling like there was more Arthur wasn't telling her.
"They're shunned," Harry replied quietly. "They do their best to hide their condition, but if they get found out, they usually lose their jobs, their landlords evict them, and their neighbors turn on them until they eventually leave."
"What?" Hermione asked aghast. "Is that legal? Aren't there laws about that kind of thing?"
"There's a werewolf registry," Arthur replied. "But it hasn't done much good," he admitted.
"But it's discrimination, isn't it?" Hermione asked, looking at the faces of Mr. Weasley, Ron, and Harry. "There are laws against that," she said aghast.
"Hermione, the magical communities around the world predate the countries they exist in, often by hundreds of years," Arthur explained. "The Muggles don't have any authority over us, and their laws don't apply to us."
Hermione couldn't keep the shock off her face at the revelation. She had always assumed the wizarding community fit into the British government in some way instead of operating as their own independent nations.
"What's going to happen to them?" Hermione asked, "The person who got bit?"
"Skeeter withheld the name of the victim," Arthur said, turning to the next page in the Quibbler as he read through the rest of the article. "If they're lucky, they won't get found out."
"That's it?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Everyone just turns a blind eye to it, and pretends it didn't happen?"
"I don't like it anymore that you do, Hermione," Harry agreed. "But anything we do just risks exposing them and making it worse."
Hermione sighed, feeling deflated. Any respect she had for the Ministry died when they ousted Fudge, and the less said about the Wizengamot the better.
Their actions, or lack thereof, during the battle had exposed them all as self-serving bureaucrats more interested in maintaining the status quo than actually governing the community, but this felt like the final nail in the coffin of what little respect she had for them.
"…The new polls are out," Arthur said, changing the subject. "Scrimmager is down to 31% approval."
Ron snorted, surprised that it was even that high. "Only 31?"
"Are you guys coming out?" Fred asked, poking his head through the door.
"Yeah," Harry replied. "Let's get started," he added, stepping outside, and taking in a breath of fresh air as he looked around the picturesque fields surrounding the burrow.
Hermione and Ron followed Harry outside to find Fred, Percy, and Ginny waiting for them outside.
"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Percy said, looking at his arm carefully as he performed the iron skin technique.
"It's looking good," Harry agreed. "That's what? Three layers now?"
Percy nodded. "I'm working on the fourth now."
"It's a good start," Harry agreed. "But I want you to focus on expanding it. It should be able to cover your whole body, not just your fist."
"Right," Percy nodded, concentrating on his magic points, a smile forming on his face as the layer of magic slowly expanded past his forearm, and then his elbow.
Ginny stared at her brothers wistfully, wishing she could learn all the interesting stuff instead of just running around.
"It's okay, Ginny," Hermione said, patting her back as she caught the look on her face. "It won't be much longer before you can start too. You just need to build up your endurance first."
"It's just magic they're using, right?" Ginny asked. "Why do I need to do exercise too?"
Hermione laughed lightly, remembering how she had said the same thing when Harry first explained it to her.
"What?" Ginny asked, getting an annoyed look on her face.
"No, no. It's not what you think," Hermione explained, shaking her head. "I just remembered saying the exact same thing to Harry too, so I'll tell you what he said to me," she said, glancing over at Harry, who was teaching Fred about proper footwork.
"All the magic in the world isn't going to do you any good if you get hit," Hermione explained. "And that will happen if you're too tired to dodge unfriendly spells."
"In a real fight, you need to be moving constantly," she said, adding in her own experience. "It's all connected. Mind, magic, and body. You neglect one, and the fight will be over before it even starts," she said, getting a nod of approval from Ron.
"So you run laps," Ron said, joining the conversation. "You build up your endurance until Harry says you're ready."
"How long is that going to take?" Ginny asked impatiently, feeling like she was going backwards rather than forwards as she saw her brothers improving each day while she ran around in circles until she ran out of breath.
"That's up to you," Hermione replied. "The more effort you put into it, the better your results are going to be."
"Alright," Ginny said with a sigh, realizing she wouldn't win this argument as she started running another lap.
"Are you two ready?" Harry asked, walking over to Ron and Hermione.
"You bet," Ron smiled, eager to test out the new technique Harry had been teaching them.
"Good," Harry smiled, transfiguring a rock into the shape of a punching bag, and added a cushioning charm to it for good measure.
"You need to cast the iron skin first," he said, demonstrating, "but you're also going to keep some of your magic back, let it flow into the muscles in your arm. Not too much. Unless you're prepared for it, it could damage your muscles," he added, throwing a punch at the rock to demonstrate.
"Alright Ron, you first, give it a try," Harry said, moving out of the way.
Ron nodded, stepping forward eagerly, feeling a slight jolt in his forearm and bicep as he got into a boxing stance. He sent a jab at the rock, keeping the punch light as he tested his strength.
"Good job, Ron," Harry praised. "How did it feel?"
"Pretty good," Ron replied, throwing another punch. "I can feel the difference already."
"Not too much," Harry warned. "Your muscles need time to adjust to your magic flowing through them."
"Right," Ron replied, dialing back the magic as he threw the next punch, feeling a less pronounced jolt when he did.
Hermione looked up, seeing an owl approach. "Scrimgeour?" She asked, watching as it landed in front of Harry.
"Yeah," Harry replied, an annoyed look crossing his face as he took the letter from the owl and watched as it flew off, spotting the official seal of the ministry on the letter. "It's the third one this week."
"You can't keep ignoring him," Hermione reminded him. "Like it or not, you're going to have to deal with him eventually."
Harry nodded, opening the letter, and skimming through it. The first half was filled with the normal niceties, asking how he was, and the fluff where he talked about himself, which he skipped right over, searching for the actual reason the Minister had written him.
"He's asking for a meeting again," Harry said with a sigh. "I've been putting him off, saying I'm still recovering, but I don't think he's buying it anymore."
"What do you think he wants?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Cornelius warned me about him," Harry explained. "He thinks Scrimgeour wants me to endorse him, probably have a press conference to do it too."
"Maybe it's not the worst idea," Hermione suggested. "You said Minister Fudge helped you with your scholarship program, and he's desperate. He'll probably give you anything you ask for."
Harry's lips quirked into a smile as he regarded his friend. She had come a long way from their first year at Hogwarts, changing from someone who believed the word of an authority figure was practically law, to someone who now regarded them with suspicion until they proved themselves, but still he couldn't help but laugh, thinking what the old Hermione would have thought about strong-arming the Minister of Magic.
"Don't give me that look," Hermione said, a smile tugging at her own lips. "I was never that bad. Besides, it's not like he's Fudge," she dismissed with a wave of her hand.
"You're right," Harry agreed. "Ted said the same thing in his last letter. He says he's working on some other investments for me, and having the Minister on side will make the paperwork easier."
"I'll be back in a bit," he said, walking to the house. "Might as well get this over with."
***
"He's getting worse, not better, Arthur," Molly said, glancing up the stairs. "He only comes out of his room to eat, and when he does talk to us, it always ends with him storming off."
"I know Molly," Arthur said, rubbing her back comfortingly.
"Charlie said he could take him in for the rest of the summer," Arthur said.
"I don't know if that will do him any good," Molly replied. "Charlie can't be with him every second of the day. He has to work too. George will just isolate himself even more than he does now."
"He won't be able to pick anymore fights with Fred," Arthur pointed out, noting that George had been the aggressor in every one of their fights so far.
"I know," Molly agreed with a sigh, feeling like it was only a matter of time before the twins came to blows. "Arthur," she said, looking at her husband. "I get the feeling there's a lot more to this than what happened to Angelina and his injuries."
"I know," Arthur agreed quietly, having harbored the same thoughts as well. "But until he talks to us, there isn't much we can do about it."
"Sorry," Harry said, walking in. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he added, having overheard the tail end of their discussion.
"Harry," Molly greeted. "I thought you were exercising?" She asked.
She had initially been against the idea, thinking that more fighting would only make things worse, but had slowly come around to it as she saw the positive changes in Fred, Percy, and Ron, now that they had an outlet for their emotions.
"I was," Harry replied, holding up the letter he had received from Scrimgeour earlier. "I got another one."
"You don't have to talk to him," Arthur said. "Not if you don't want to," he added, remembering how pushy Scrimgeour had been during their one and only meeting, the experience still rubbing him the wrong way, even days later.
He had all but insisted that he deliver a letter to Harry, somehow having found out that he was staying at his home for the summer, even hinting that it would be good for his career as some kind of incentive.
He had set the Minister straight right away, telling him he was happy in his current position, and had no interest in engaging in political maneuvering, to which the Minister looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "I've put this off long enough already, and he isn't going to stop, not until I give him his meeting."
"Alright, Harry," Arthur said, patting his shoulder. "But don't feel you have to agree with him just because he's the Minister, and if he says or does something you don't like, you can leave anytime you want."
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Harry smiled, appreciating the fatherly affection the man had shown him from the moment he arrived.
"Good lad," Arthur smiled.
"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about as well," Harry said, seeing it as a good a time as any to broach the subject with them. "Ted said he found a mind healer. She specializes in loss and physical trauma. She can talk to George, and even Percy, and Ron if you want."
"How much does she charge?" Arthur asked, knowing mind healers weren't cheap to begin with, and even then most of them were booked solid for more than a year in advance after the battle.
"Don't worry about the cost," Harry replied immediately. "I'll cover it."
"Harry," Arthur said with a sigh, "we've been through this before. We're not taking your money. It isn't right."
"Mr. Weasley," Harry replied, feeling a hint of exasperation at the man's stubbornness, wondering what he had to do to convince him to let him help. "I'm living under your roof, I'm eating your food, and these are my friends. I want to see them get better just as much as you do."
"That's not the point, Harry," Arthur denied. "It isn't your responsibility, and besides that, you made sure my sons came home alive. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay you. Sharing a bedroom with Ron, a few meals? Those are things we would have done regardless for any of my children's friends."
"You said it yourself," Harry countered. "George isn't getting any better on his own. Let me help. Please."
Arthur and Molly shared a look. They had both been tempted to take Harry's offers on more than one occasion, but neither had felt right about taking money from a child, least of all Harry, who had already done so much for them, but they also couldn't deny that George was getting worse, and the longer they put off getting him the help he needed, the worse he would get.
"…Alright," Arthur finally relented. "But," he said, seeing the look on Harry's face. "It's a loan. We will pay you back every sickle."
"You don't have to," Harry said, shaking his head. "I'm happy to do it."
"That's not the point, Harry. It's your hard-earned money," Arthur said firmly. "And a man always pays his debts."
Harry agreed, knowing not to push it. It was the furthest he'd come in convincing them to let him help.
***
"Are you ready?" Ted asked as he and Harry stood in front of the minister's office.
Harry nodded. "Let's just get this over with."
"Harry, like it or not, he's the new Minister. If he wants to, he can make your life very difficult," Ted advised him, seeing the look on his face.
"Yeah," Harry acknowledged. "I get that, but I don't have to like it."
"You're a public figure, Harry, and talking to politicians, members of the Wizengamot, other celebrities. It's all part of the job, so if you want to do the things you want, you're going to have to play nice with them," Ted explained.
"That being said," he said, a predatory smile on his face. "I don't have those same limitations. So leave it to me, and I'll make sure you get everything you need out of this meeting."
"Thanks, Ted," Harry said, cracking a smile for the first time since they had arrived at the Ministry.
"Shall we?" Ted asked, pulling open the door for them to step inside.
"We have an appointment with the Minister," Ted said to the woman sitting at the desk.
"Name?" the woman asked in a short tone, not looking up from the parchment she was reading.
"Harry Potter and Ted Tonks," Ted replied, quickly realizing this woman was going to be trouble. "And you are?"
"Delores Umbridge," the woman said curtly, finally looking up. "Personal secretary to the Minister of Magic," she said in a pompous tone.
"May we go in?" Ted asked. "As I said before, the Minister is expecting us."
"The Minister is a busy man," Delores dismissed, her eyes settling on Harry with a look of disdain. "You may wait over there," she said, gesturing to a pair of uncomfortable-looking chairs in the corner. "Until he is ready to speak with you."
Harry and Ted shared a look as they went to the chairs and sat down, both of them taking an instant dislike to the woman.
"Harry?" Ted asked, glancing meaningfully at Delores. "Anything I should know about that?"
Harry could only shrug. "I don't know. She was Cornelius's secretary too, but I haven't exchanged more than five words with her."
"Well, she seems to have it out for you," Ted observed.
Delores ground her teeth as she watched the boy who ruined Cornelius's career talking to his barrister like nothing had happened. She was too far away to hear what they were talking about, but could only assume they were celebrating landing on their feet while leaving poor Cornelius to take all the blame.
'He couldn't even say one thing to support Cornelius,' she thought, seething. 'And after all he did for him too. I should have done more to convince Cornelius that boy was trouble. His own family didn't even want him,' she thought with contempt.
Harry glanced at his watch. They had been waiting for nearly half an hour already, and it didn't look like they were going to see Scrimgeour anytime soon.
"Ted?" Harry asked, getting suspicious as he glanced at Delores. "Did she even tell the minister we're here?"
"I've been thinking the same thing," Ted agreed, standing up. "Let me handle this."
"Miss Umbridge, Mr. Potter and I have been waiting for some time to see the Minister," Ted said. "How much longer does he expect Mr. Potter to wait?"
"Mr. Tonks," Dolores said, her eyes narrowing. "The Minister is a busy man. He will see your client when he is ready, not a moment sooner."
"Mr. Potter has many other commitments," Ted replied, his own tone taking on a harder edge. "He has made time in his schedule after repeated letters from the Minister asking for this meeting. I will not allow his time to be wasted unnecessarily. Do we understand each other?"
"Mr. Tonks," Dolores said, a sickly smile forming on her face. "Surely you are not insinuating that your client is more important than the Minister of Magic," she said, casting another disdainful look at Harry.
"Miss Umbridge," Ted replied, keeping his anger in check. "My concern is not for the Minister; it's for my client. It has now been," he said, glancing at his watch, "forty minutes past our scheduled meeting time. Clearly, the minister is not concerned with wasting Mr. Potter's time. So, I will say this once to you. Tell the Minister Mr. Potter will speak to him now, or not at all."
Delores glared, shooting up from her chair. "How dare you? You think you and that boy," she said, pointing an angry finger at Harry, "can dictate terms to the Ministry of Magic? You will speak to the Minister when he is ready to speak with you, not a moment sooner, and you will be grateful for the privilege. Now sit down!"
"Harry," Ted called out, loud enough for his voice to carry. "It seems the minister is more interested in playing political games than doing business. It's time for us to leave."
Delores shot to her feet. "You will do no such thing! How dare-"
"What's going on out here?" Rufus Scrimgeour demanded, sticking his head out of the door to his office. "Oh, Harry, there you are," he said, his face lighting up.
"Delores," he said, looking at his secretary. "I told you to inform me the second Harry arrived."
"Of course, Minister. They just arrived," Delores said, lying through her teeth as she plastered a fake smile on her face.
Ted shot Dolores an unamused glare. "Really? By my count, we've been waiting here for an hour," he said, checking his watch again.
"That's ridiculous," Delores said, choosing to double down instead of backing off. "They're just saying that to cover for their own tardiness, obviously."
Rufus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, not trusting Umbridge's word for a second, but unable to call her out on it, or fire her. 'I should have known this useless woman couldn't do something as simple as this without screwing it up.'
"Well, in either case, you're here now," Rufus said, doing his best to salvage his first face-to-face meeting with Harry. "Let's talk in my office," he said, gesturing for Ted and Harry to step inside.
"Delores," he said, before closing the door. "Why don't you take your lunch early?" he said with no warmth in his tone, unwilling to risk the vile woman making this any worse than it already was.
"Actually, Minister," Delores said, the fake smile still on her face.
"That wasn't a suggestion, Delores," Rufus interrupted, keeping his tone neutral. "Leave your desk, and I don't want to see you back here for at least an hour. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," Delores ground out, her false cheer vanishing in an instant as she stormed out, slamming the door behind her as she left.
"I have to apologize to you for that, Harry, Ted," Rufus said, sitting down behind his desk. "Certain appointments within the Ministry have less to do with skill and talent, and more to do with who you know."
Harry nodded. "Cornelius Fudge said something similar about her as well," he said, wondering why all of Umbridge's animosity was suddenly directed at him.
Rufus let out a relieved breath, glad that he wouldn't have to spend half this meeting doing damage control.
"Why don't we get down to business?" Ted suggested, wanting to move things along.
"Quite right," Rufus agreed with a nod of his head. "First off, Harry, how are you feeling? Your survival has been nothing short of a miracle. Any lingering side effects?"
"I'm fine," Harry replied, recognizing he was being buttered up. "But I doubt you called me here just to discuss my health. What can I do for you, Minister?"
"Harry," Rufus said, keeping the friendly smile plastered on his face. "This isn't an inquisition. I asked you here because I think there's a unique opportunity for us to help each other."
"From what I'm told, you also had a similar relationship with my predecessor. You even considered him a mentor of sorts. I see no reason why that can't continue with us."
Harry regarded the new minister carefully. He certainly said all the right things, had the perfect politician's smile, but he could tell immediately he lacked the warmth of Cornelius, the genuine care he showed, and most of all the same morality of the man, otherwise he wouldn't be sitting behind that desk.
"This opportunity you mentioned," Ted stepped in smoothly. "It wouldn't have anything to do with your latest polls, would it?" smiling inwardly when Scrimgeour's smile froze in place for the briefest second.
"Not at all," Rufus denied, but clearly caught off guard by Ted as he thought about how to spin it. "The polls always have a certain amount of bias and should be taken with a grain of salt; however, I will freely admit my appointment was not without its controversy. I would just like the opportunity to prove I have the best interests of the British public in mind."
"I'm glad you brought that up," Ted replied, seeing an opportunity to gain some leverage early on. "The Prophet printed lies about my client, misrepresented facts, and outright fabricated events about the battle at Hogwarts, and all without printing so much as a retraction after the fact. What better way to show the British public you have their best interests at heart than holding the Prophet accountable?"
Rufus couldn't hide his grimace this time. 'A bloody shark is right,' he thought, realizing quickly that what he'd been told about Ted Tonks had understated his abilities, if anything.
"…Yes," he replied, forced to agree. "The Prophet certainly dropped the ball. Had I been Minister at the time, I would have used the full might of the Media Oversight Board to hold them accountable."
"But not now?" Harry asked.
"As I'm sure you're aware, much of the original legislation has been reworked," Rufus replied. "The most the board can do is issue fines for untruths, but the Prophet has to be given the opportunity to print a retraction first."
"An opportunity?" Ted asked. "They've had weeks to do so, and they haven't."
"It's required in writing from the board, but rest assured it's a top priority for me. You'll have the retraction in print before the week is out," Rufus promised, glad they'd hit upon something he could solve without having to call in any favors.
Ted shared a look with Harry before agreeing.
"Good," Rufus smiled. "Now that that's settled, I'd like to get back to the main reason I asked you for this meeting. As you've no doubt picked up on, there's a certain amount of instability within the Ministry at the moment, and well earned," he added quickly, seeing the looks on Ted and Harry's faces.
"The Ministry, the Wizengamot, the DMLE, they all dropped the ball, and I'm left to pick up the pieces, but my job is made that much harder with the public breathing down my neck. I'd like a clean slate with the public, an opportunity to be judged on my own actions, and not decisions made before I even took office."
"I've read quite a lot about you, Harry," Rufus said, turning his attention to Harry. "You are all about giving people chances. That's why you started your scholarship, isn't it?"
'Not bad,' Ted thought inwardly. 'A well-practiced speech, one that would play well with an audience, but not so much in a private meeting.'
He glanced at Harry, seeing the indecision on his face, recognizing what Scrimgeour was doing, but also wanting to extend his hand, hoping he was genuine, and would try to do good.
"You don't need Harry to give you a second chance," Ted observed. "The public is going to judge you based on your actions regardless, provided of course you actually do something."
Rufus blinked, unprepared for Ted's statement. "…I. What?"
"What have you done since becoming minister?" Ted pressed. "Let's not mince words. You're asking for an endorsement from the most popular wizard in Britain, and at this point, likely all of Europe."
"You're asking Harry to tie his hard-earned reputation to your own. How can you expect him to risk that when he has nothing to judge you by, or even anything to gain from doing so?"
Rufus looked at his desk, mentally sweating bullets. As the minister, he should be the one with the upper hand, but Ted had skillfully flipped everything on its head, leaving him struggling to find his footing.
"…You make a good point," Rufus conceded. "And I'm not naïve enough to think you didn't come in here with an agenda of your own. So let's have it. What is it you're really looking for?"
"The students and teachers at Hogwarts," Harry said, speaking up. "After the battle, St. Mungo's treated their injuries and sent them home, but it wasn't enough to make them whole. They had to pay out of pocket for prosthetics and for mind healers."
Rufus sighed. "I see what you're getting at, and I don't disagree, but this was an extraordinary circumstance, and the Ministry can't be held responsible for that."
"Can't it?" Ted continued, picking up where Harry left off. "The Ministry ignored multiple warnings about what happened, from both Minister Fudge and Headmaster Dumbledore. That sounds like negligence to me."
Rufus sighed again, forced to reveal another uncomfortable truth. "I've seen the numbers," he said, reaching into his desk, and placing a stack of parchments on his desk. "The amount of galleons you're asking for, the Ministry simply doesn't have."
"May I?" Ted asked, reaching for the stack of parchments, reading through the balance sheets as he checked how thin the margins were for himself. "Where does it all go?" he asked, wondering where all the tax galleons the Ministry collected went.
"Salaries for the various Ministry departments and Wizengamot, operational budgets, Hogwarts funding," Rufus replied.
"It's worse than I thought," Ted replied, seeing all the bloat in the various departments within the Ministry. "Look at this," he said, pointing to the cost for the Department of Magical Games and Sports. "That's 500,000 galleons annually just to run the department, and all it does it loose money."
"Hold on," Rufus sputtered. "That's one of our biggest money-makers. Ticket sales, merchandizing, sponsorships. It's almost a million galleons when we host the World Cup."
"And the last time Britain hosted the cup was almost thirty years ago," Ted countered smoothly. "And this department is just one example. The money exists; it's just being wasted on other things."
"There are limits on what I can do," Rufus said, some of his frustration seeping through. "There are a lot of prominent families working in those departments. Making these kinds of cuts will not sit well with any of them."
"Then find the money in the budget another way," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But this is what it will take to get my endorsement."
"Harry," Rufus said, feeling like he'd lost control of this conversation some time ago. "What you're asking for is impossible. Don't you think if these kinds of changes were possible, Fudge would have already made them already? And even if I could, I can't make these changes overnight."
"Alright," Ted said. "How about this then? You waive all taxes on prosthetics, any additional injuries not treated by St. Mungos, and mind healers for every victim of the battle?"
Rufus looked between Harry and Ted, mentally doing the math. It was far less than what they had originally asked for, but by no means a small amount either.
"It's not a difficult choice, Minister," Ted added smoothly, seeing his hesitation. "We both know that had the battle never occurred, this tax revenue would have been a pittance, and keeping those galleons knowing that is tantamount to war profiteering."
'And there is the stick,' Rufus thought, grimacing mentally, already imagining the headlines in the Quibbler. "Alright," he agreed. "I'll sign an executive order to that effect by the end of the week. And your endorsement?"
"I'll be right there with you when you announce the tax waivers," Harry smiled. "Praising you for all the hard work you did to alleviate the undue financial burden placed on hardworking families for events out of their control."
"I was expecting a little more than that," Rufus admitted, hoping to score a personal endorsement as well.
"Then by all means," Ted interjected, a grin forming on his face that suddenly reminded Rufus of a goblin with the certainty they had the upper hand in a negotiation. "Let's discuss terms."
"But.." Rufus spluttered, looking back and forth between Harry and Ted. "That's what…"
"You wanted two things," Ted retorted. "A clean slate with the public, which these tax waivers will give you, and the endorsement of my client."
Rufus gave Ted a flat look, realizing he'd been negotiating against himself this entire time, and Tonks and Harry had led him around by his nose the entire time. He needed to take charge back before he negotiated his way out of his own bloody job.
"You're going to be called in for an inquiry with the Wizengamot," Rufus said, playing his trump card. "To testify personally about what exactly happened at Hogwarts, and this one won't be held publicly. Fortunately for you, I've built relationships with the families that make up the Wizengamot for more than a decade, so trust me when I tell you, a friendly face will go a long way."
Harry looked at Rufus non-pulsed. "First off, I doubt a secret inquiry held by the Wizengamot is going to remain a secret for very long, but even if it was, how useful would my endorsement be to you if I'm sanctioned by the Wizengamot shortly afterwards?"
Ted chuckled, proud of Harry's insight. 'Couldn't have put it better myself.'
"I think you'll find these terms more than fair," Ted replied, still smiling as he slid a piece of parchment over to Scrimgeour.
"I'm sure I will," Rufus said unamused as he found himself boxed into another corner.
"…Alright, this at least seems doable. Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Sally Perks, Wayne Hopkins, Oliver Rivers, and Ron, Percy, Fred and George Weasley, waiver to perform magic underage."
"There's more," Ted added.
"An affirmation of emancipation," Rufus said, having already expected that.
"In writing by the end of the day," Ted added. "It needs to clearly state that you endorse Harry Potter's emancipation by Minister Fudge, and that henceforth it will be irrevocable by any future minister."
"You know," Rufus said, continuing to read the document. "I'm well within my rights to revoke your emancipation here and now. I don't even need a reason to do it," he said, not as a threat, but curious to see the boy's reaction and what he could expect from their next negotiation.
"No, you don't," Ted agreed. "But you won't. You need Harry far more than he needs you."
"Enlighten me then," Rufus said, looking up from his parchment.
"Harry's scholarship is just the start," Ted explained. "He will launch multiple businesses over the next ten years. This means jobs, which means more tax revenue for the Ministry, more people lifted out of poverty, and an associated reduction in crime as better, safer employment options become available."
"You can either be the minister at the helm when all this happens, or the lame-duck minister that watched it happen in France, or perhaps Spain or Italy. The choice is up to you."
Rufus looked back and forth between Harry and Ted, doubting he would ever forget this negotiation. The entire experience had left him humbled, to say the least, as he counted his few wins compared to Harry's.
"You have a deal," he finally said, mentally reminding himself the next time he had a negotiation with Harry Potter to have a room full of barristers of his own.
"Excellent," Ted smiled, extending his hand over the desk, and shaking Rufus's hand, who could only smile back at him weakly before shaking Harry's hand as well.
"I'll be in touch with you to discuss details," Ted added. "And for future reference, any further communication with my client goes through me. Have a good rest of your day, Minister," he said as he and Harry walked out the door.
Harry glanced at the still-empty desk of the minister's secretary, glad he wouldn't have to deal with her again. "Thanks, Ted," he said, grateful that it was finally over, and there were now firm boundaries between him and the new minister.
"What? Are you kidding?" Ted grinned. "I should be the one thanking you," he quipped. "I haven't had this much fun in months."
Harry returned his smile, glad that Ted was on his side. "You called it perfectly."
"It's the art of negotiation," Ted explained. "You win too many times, and it predisposes the other side to saying no, but if you let them score a meaningless victory or two, they miss the important stuff until it's too late."
"That's why you brought up the Ministry budget," Harry realized. "You wanted him to say no, so you could get the tax waivers."
Ted nodded, tapping his nose.
"Why not get the Ministry to trim its budget, though?" Harry asked. "Wouldn't they be able to help more people if they weren't wasting as many galleons?"
"The Ministry's job isn't to take care of its citizens," Ted replied as they stepped outside, "at least not in the way most people think."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, his brows furrowing.
"The Ministry's primary purpose is to employ witches and wizards," Ted explained. "It always has, it always will."
"Why?" Harry asked. "Why do they need to work for the Ministry? Can't people just find jobs on their own, or start businesses?"
"Ideally, they should," Ted replied. "But look around you," he said, pointing out the various shops. "Ollivander's, operating for more than a thousand years; Flourish and Blotts, 200 years; Eyelop's, 200 years. Aside from Nimbus, which has only been operating since 1967, every wizarding business in Britain is at least a hundred years old."
"And yours," Harry added.
"Harry," Ted chuckled. "You are my business. My one and only client. If you hadn't come along when you did, I would have had to shut down before the end of the year."
"But why?" Harry asked, confused. "You're great at your job. Anyone can see that. Why wouldn't someone want to hire you?"
"There are lots of reasons," Ted explained. "Part of its because I'm a muggle born. Purebloods are usually more interested in hiring other purebloods, and if they have to, half-bloods, but when it comes right down to it, we as a society are stagnant."
"You're going to have to explain that one to me," Harry replied.
Ted nodded. "To put it simply, it's because of magic. When a simple wave of a wand can provide you with almost everything you could ask for, why step into a shop and pay someone to do it for you when it's that easy? Great societies are built and maintained through dealing with adversity, not complacency."
"The goblins told me something similar," Harry said, remembering a discussion he'd had with Griphook.
"I'm not surprised," Ted agreed. "You represent a new way of thinking, at least to wizards and witches," he amended. "Something that flies in the face of the long-held traditions of our society. The goblins, they call it volatility, but what it really means is opportunity."
"We did this together," Harry replied. "You were there every step of the way with me, advising me, guiding me."
"And had you wanted your money to sit in Gringotts, just collecting interest, you would have lived a very comfortable life," Ted pointed out. "If that was what you wanted, that would have been the advice I gave you as well."
"How did you know that's what I wanted?" Harry asked. "We never talked about that."
"We didn't have to," Ted replied. "From the moment I met you, I saw it written all over your face. You didn't care about the galleons; you cared about what you could do with them. Who you could help. That's rare in our world, Harry."
"Thanks, Ted," Harry replied gratefully. "I don't know where I would be without you."
"That's my job, Harry, taking care of the mess, so that you can do the things you need to, and I'm happy to do it, to be part of what you're building," Ted replied, patting him on the shoulder as the fell into a comfortable silence.
"…Have you heard anything from Tonks?" Harry asked, filling the silence.
"I got a letter, just one," Ted replied somberly. "She said she's okay and not to look for her. She'll get back in touch with me when she can."
"We'll find her," Harry promised. "Whatever mess she's mixed up in, we'll find her, and get her out of it."
***
Hi! Thanks for reading :) I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of book 2. As you can probably guess from the tile of this arc Harry is gearing up for another big adventure as the ramifications from the battle of Hogwarts continue to ripple out throughout the wizarding world.
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If you would like to support me and my writing, please consider visiting https://taplink.cc/jumpin for all the stories I'm currently working on and early access to chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Legacy of Shadows along with some character portraits for Merlin, Morgan and Nimue, and an audio versions of the chapters.