The Privy Councilors 4/33 - part 2

[herumtreiber]

Title: The Privy Councilors 4/33 - part 2
Chapter: four
Author:herumtreiber 
Genre: AU to HBP, romance, adventure
Disclaimer:  I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: R
Warnings: Sexual content
Epilogue compliant? No way!
Chapter length: 1400 words
Beta: None.
Summary: Draco/Harry, Luna/Neville, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/??? Harry is about to be sent to Azkaban. The story explores Wizengamot politics and the fight against evil Dumbledore - where he gets vanquished early and does not prattle on and on - but is he gone? Plus de-aging. Someone returns whose name begins with a S. (And my revenge on characters whose accents are hard to read – like Hagrid and Fleur ;-)

Table of contents

The policy of truth - part 1

After the serum was re-administered to the wizard, Hermione continued relentlessly. Through her long hours of mainly tedious research with some exciting and bright spots, Hermione had acquired a keen sense of how information flowed – the way the disparate threads could be connected by the opportune insight. Now she used superbly that ability.

Hermione could ask about any number of things, but they were mostly known and considered proved by her friends - like the Tri-Wizard tournament and Dumbledore's convenient lapses in judgment, or his failings to detect a loose basilisk at Hogwarts - or how conveniently simple the tests were that First Year when they searched for the Philosopher's stone.

Instead, Hermione asked the unexpectedly simple question, "What were your plans for our Sixth year?"

"I intended to set the scene for my death,” Dumbledore was compelled to answer. “I would conveniently suffer from a curse when trying to reach a magical device of Tom's. Later, after insuring that Draco was put in charge of the plot to kill me, I would drag Harry to a cave where I’d be forced to swallow poison - as if the war's outcome depended on that.”

Hermione blanched hearing Dumbledore’s awful designs.

“After finding that there was no horcrux there” - continued the Headmaster  - “we'd return to a Hogwarts invaded by Death Eaters, where Draco would fail to kill me and Severus would—"

Dumbledore stopped, obviously he didn’t want to continue, but the relentless magic of the serum forced him to add, “—kill me, forced by duty. Malfoy and Snape would be effectively finished."

Draco shook his head, thinking to himself that Snape would be angry indeed if he heard this. The spell he was under forced him to remember Severus only as his teacher, lacking the warmth regard in which Draco held his godfather.

"I would sit out the remainder of the war,” continued Dumbledore, pausing now and then to try to escape the effects of the Veritaserum. “Of course, Harry would be so uplifted by my miraculous tragedy and selfless devotion to duty that he would take all my policies as his own. Eventually he would get rid of Voldemort.”

Dumbledore stumbled over his next words, even under the effect of the potion. "And after twenty years of peace, I would return to the living using one of my horcruxes."

"What is a horcrux?" asked Hermione – it was the first time she heard the term.

"A horcrux is a device that holds a small sliver of the soul,” Dumbledore replied in a monotone tenor.

“It is housed in an object deserving of such honor by wealth or history. To produce a horcrux the correct incantation must be used as a murder is performed,” hearing this, the Wizengamot was in an uproar that was quelled only by a calming spell thrown by a Ministry official – a certain Arthur Weasley.

“The horcrux can be used to resurrect the person, as it were. It is how Voldemort returned, his horcruxes anchored him, however imperfectly,” despite the spell, people were whispering furiously amongst themselves.

"How many horcruxes do you have?" asked Hermione.

"I have twelve. One of them is my phoenix, Fawkes."

Draco exchanged a look with his fellow privy councilors. Pansy was very pale, she was holding on to Blaise as if he was a lifeline. Neville was also very pale, but he was looking intently at Luna.

The Heiress of Ravenclaw appeared to be struggling the most with this revelation. It seemed all that Luna had believed, all that her father taught her was in jeopardy. It was very troubling for the blond girl. She looked at Draco with an accusing stare - for after all it was Draco who had set in motion the events that challenged her view of the world.

"What made you change your plans?" asked Hermione, lifting an eyebrow. Even under the barrage of Dumbledore’s revelations, the Gryffindor girl wanted to find out the truth, however painful.

"Three days after the glorious battle in the Department of Mysteries, someone sent an owl to Harry asking for a truce and a rendezvous,” said Dumbledore. “Since I am the Headmaster of course I can intercept any communication within Hogwarts."

Dumbledore smirked weakly, his eyes glazed by the potion. "I took a Polyjuice potion and went to this meeting. Since I know Harry very well, the disguise should have been perfect. To my chagrin I saw Draco Malfoy was the mysterious writer. He didn't buy my Harry façade. I tried Legilimency but I couldn’t penetrate his defences and he left.”

Draco walked towards the chair where Dumbledore was siting, exchanging a look with Hermione, remembering the first time they met as something other than enemies.

"This raised a whole new set of problems,” added the Headmaster. “Malfoy's resilience did not bode well for the future. It was important for me to keep them separated. This dovetailed with a real prophecy I received the day after the Ministry affair."

"What does the other prophecy say?" asked Hermione.

"Here the opposites stand, one for the Light, the other for himself.
On St. John’s day, the weak one will be exposed,
betrayed and diminished for his creed.”

“What is the meaning of this prophecy?” asked Hermione.

"I believed the prophecy was about me breaking Harry completely,” said Dumbledore. “I prepared the scenario to send him to Azkaban. I stopped his friends from writing, advised the Order to harass the Muggles, and secretly urged his filthy relatives to beat him.”

Neville patted Harry’s shoulder. Truly the Headmaster had it in for poor Harry.

“Eventually my devices registered the disturbance in the Dursley residence and I made my way there with Kingsley. I got rid of the Muggles and later laid all the blame on Harry.”

The rest of the Privy Councilors surrounded Harry, lending him their silent support. The Gryffindor felt the nearness of his friends and former enemies, and that provided some succour to his exhausted emotional state, hearing Dumbledore’s dastardly plans.

“The Wizarding world did as I expected and fell on Harry,” gloated Dumbledore. “I prepared the trial and made sure that Harry's friends would be unable to enter, thus Harry would be really crushed by the lack of support and the prophecy would become true."

Draco advanced on Hermione, who was watching Dumbledore with evident revulsion. The usually tidy girl had grown increasingly agitated and had tugged her blouse out of her jeans.

Hermione felt a tug on her sleeve. When she turned, she saw the Slytherin boy.

Draco leaned towards her, whispering in her ear, "On her endless quest to name future grandchildren, my mother made me learn all the Saints' names. Today, June 24th, is St. John the Baptist. It is also Midsummer's day. According to tradition, it is a time for fairies and magic. It is also a time for telling the future and discovering your true love. "

Seizing on Draco’s last words, Hermione asked with a seemingly innocuous tone, "What about you, Draco? Did you meet someone new?"

Oblivious of the intent behind Hermione’s question, Draco shrugged nonchalantly. “No, just your lot. Though I got to know Potter in a completely different way."

Hermione's eyes shined dangerously as she grabbed hold of an idea like a metaphorical bulldog. So Malfoy thought Ron and I were tiptoing around each other? What about him and Harry? Those two are so oblivious! I’ll just have to make sure that the foolish Seekers realise the truth. Though it’ll be better to ensure the cooperation of my victims. Err…  of course I mean my friends, thought Hermione smugly whilst she looked at Draco and then Harry.

Shaking her head as if to rid it of her future plots, Hermione turned to Draco.

The Slytherin bowed in her direction and motioning with his hands to include Hermione and Dumbledore, he said, "Whether by Dumbledore's design or fate, the prophecy is unfolding in front of our eyes. You two are certainly unequal, and the weaker one is getting trounced” – Draco pointed to the Headmaster –“Dumbledore."

Draco turned to face the astounded members of the Wizengamot, who by now had escaped the effects of Arthur’s spell and were clamoring for Dumbledore’s death, though a significant minority were loudly demanding his release.

Draco said in a stentorian voice, "This concludes the testimony. We will vote about the death of the Muggles and all of Dumbledore’s shenanigans in this list here.”

Draco pointed to the list Pansy had painstakingly written on a parchment, aided by one of Sketeer’s more practical quills.

Seeing Minerva about to explode, Harry scowled at his head of house, “McGonagall, we don't care what you have to say!"

The policy of truth - part 3