"Ten minutes until the session begins, Madam Undersecretary." Farmerson reported. "Minister Fudge is on his way, if you head down now, you'll meet him in the corridor."
"Excellent work." Dolores nodded appreciatively to her underling as she closed the folder on her desk. Rising from her chair, she tucked the folder under her arm and strode towards the doorway. "How long before the Floo check occurs?"
"Three minutes, Madam Undersecretary." Farmerson replied, not even having to check his clipboard. "Two minutes before the last three notifications are sent out. The lifts will be undergoing maintenance three minutes after the Floo check begins, meaning that once owl-flight time is taken into consideration, not even Merlin would be able to get here on time."
Umbridge smirked. "Splendid. With Potter unable to defend himself and his main allies not present, his misbegotten wealth will be able to be channelled to those who are more deserving."
Farmerson half-bowed, then scurried off as Umbridge strode down the corridor to the lift. Stepping into it, she hit the button that would take her to the required floor, then smirked as the doors slid shut.
.
"Huh, I expected something… bigger." Harry admitted as he followed Sirius and Hagrid into the octagonal chamber, the half-giant ducking slightly to get through the doorway.
"That would be the main Wizengamot chamber, Potter." Draco stated as he followed his mother into the chamber. "The one used for criminal trials where prison is one of the potential outcomes or where new laws are debated. The Quorum Chamber is the one used for the enforcement of regulations or criminal cases that don't require the Wizengamot in attendance."
"Thank you, cousin." Harry said calmly before Hagrid could do more than glower at the blond boy. "It's always nice to get background information on these things."
Draco bridled at Harry's lack of reaction, but his mother tapped him on the shoulder before guiding him to one side.
"So… where do we sit?" Harry asked quietly.
"Well, technically anywhere." Sirius shrugged. "However, we Lords tend to group according to our political outlooks, so over there would be best for us."
"Beside Lord Longbottom?" Harry asked and Sirius nodded.
"Yep. Hi, Frank!"
"Sirius." Frank Longbottom waved in greeting. "Hagrid, Harry. Any idea what this is all about?"
"None." Sirius admitted as he slumped down on the bench beside Frank. "And I have to say, I don't like it one bit, especially since our notifications haven't arrived yet."
"Hmmm, that's unusual." Frank mused, watching more Wizengamot members filing in and taking their places. "Error or sabotage?"
"Don't know." Sirius grumbled. "Fortunately for us, 'Cissa alerted us to it when she came to collect Draco."
"She's doing a fairly good job of training him to become the next Lord Malfoy, from what I've seen." Frank admitted. "Ah, there's Fudge and his pink toad."
Sirius crammed his fist into his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter as Fudge strode across the floor to the main desk and his assistant scurried along barely a pace behind him.
"How long before the session starts?" Harry whispered.
"About five minutes." Frank replied just as quietly. "I'm not sure why your…"
Frank broke off as a trio of owls swooped down, catching everyones attention. The owls landed in front of Sirius, Hagrid and Harry, each one presenting its leg almost imperiously as it waited for the attached rolls of parchment to be untied. Harry glanced up and saw the pink-clad witch staring at them, her eyes wide with horror.
"Hey, this is the notice that we didn't get earlier." Sirius stated, pitching his voice to carry through the chamber. "How very interesting that everyone else received their notices early enough to get here, but that the three of us had ours delayed."
"Ummmm… perhaps the owls got lost?" Fudge suggested and Hagrid shook his head.
"Nope, never happen. I help with the Owlery at Hogwarts, I know about them spells. These owls were sent later than everyone elses. No other way they could be this late."
Several of the other members were giving Fudge measuring looks as he shifted nervously in his seat, then the door burst open as a cadaverous man strode in, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Fudge!" He shouted. "I had to apparate here since the Floos are down for adjustments! I had to run down the stairs to get here before the doors were locked as the bloody lifts were being worked on! All of them at the same time! What in Merlin's name is going on here? Even by modern standards, that's a staggering level of incompetence on the part of the Ministry!"
"Lord Garshan… I'm sure it was just some… unfortunate timing?"
Garshan glared at Fudge then stalked over to the last vacant chair, dropping into it with a growl.
"Well, I'm here now, let's get on with it!"
Fudge glanced at the pink witch who was sat at a smaller desk to the left of his own.
"Is everyone who was summoned here, Dolores?"
The witch gave a jerky nod. "They are, Minister. Full attendence."
Fudge twitched slightly.
"I see. Full attendence. Oh. Well, I guess… I guess that we should begin?"
The witch nodded, then motioned for a Wizard in the formal robes of a Ministry worker to step forwards.
"The Tribunal calls for Lord Potter to take the seat on the charge of violating regulations. If Lord Potter is not here, he shall be found guilty by default and sentence shall be declared."
"That doesn't sound right." Harry growled as he rose from his seat.
"It is technically legal." Frank mused as Harry moved towards the chair set in the center of the room. "If I remember rightly, it's meant to be used during a time of war, but there's no actual limits on when it can be applied…"
"I think we just found out why our notifications were delayed." Sirius snarled as Harry sat down, gazing fearlessly up at Fudge.
"I'm here… despite the best efforts of someone in your employ." Harry said coldly and the witch bridled.
"Are you accusing the Ministry of trying to act illegally?" She snapped and Harry cocked his head slightly.
"Strange how energetically you're protesting." he noted. "And you are…?"
"Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge!"
Harry shrugged and turned his attention back to Fudge, ignoring the fuming witch, much to the ill-concealed humor of many of the assembled Wizengamot. "So, what regulation am I supposed to have broken?"
"Ummm, what regulation is it?"
The Ministry worker stepped forwards, clearing his throat before beginning his recitation.
"Ministry regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two as confirmed on February the fourteenth, nineteen eighty-five.
"All businesses which are initiated from February the fourteenth, nineteen eighty-five onwards or which have premises in Diagon Alley and associated alleys, Hogsmeade or the Caves of Tegg's Nose, shall henceforth be required to be at a minimum half-owned by those of Pureblood heritage and status. Any that do not comply will be removed from the owners and placed under new management."
The man closed the folder and stepped back as Harry shook his head. "The caves of what?"
"It's a now-abandoned set of caverns that were a shopping area until about five or six years ago." Frank Longbottom volunteered. "It closed down at least partly due to the reduction in sales making it harder to afford the stabilization, shielding and expansion charms needed to allow it to operate despite the general area being quite popular with Muggles."
"Sounds like an interesting investment opportunity." Harry mused. "I'll have to look into that, re-opening the Caves would make an interesting way of expanding my company."
"Which has broken the regulation!" Umbridge burst out. "Your business, Evans Enterprises, is illegal and you are to be stripped of it immediately, ready for it to be taken over by a proper Pureblood!"
"Why was that regulation passed in the first place?" Harry asked curiously. "Anyone?"
"I can answer that, since I was affected by it when it was first enforced." Garshan interjected. "The reason was that the Ministry noted that all the businesses that were getting damaged or destroyed by the Death Eaters and were thus subsequently unable to pay taxes were all owned by Muggleborns or Halfbloods. By shifting control to the Purebloods, they thought that the businesses would no longer be attacked, but they went too far! I lost my broomstick shop when I was forced out by that bastard who took it over! Fortunately, I was able to get a job with Comet due to my experience."
"There may have been one or two minor problems in the past." Fudge allowed. "I believe that it was Bagnold who saw that particular regulation through… but it has never been repealed, so…"
"Then I propose that regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two be repealed." Harry suggested.
"You can't do that in the middle of an enforcement hearing!" Umbridge protested. "It's not allowed!"
"Motion deferred." Harry shrugged. "We can always repeal it once this farce is concluded. Out of interest, when was the last time that this regulation was enforced?"
There was a long silence as all the members looked at each other, each one obviously uncertain of the answer.
"That doesn't matter!" Fudge broke the silence. "It's still a regulation and thus it still needs to be followed!"
"But why now?" Harry pressed. "Or more importantly… who decided to re-activate it?"
A brief bout of whispering to one side caught everyone's attention, then both Narcissa Malfoy and her son rose to their feet, holding their wands.
"I hereby swear on my magic that I did not in any way seek to have the regulation currently being discussed used against the Potter Line. So mote it be, so mote it be, so mote it be." Narcissa stated. "Lumos, Nox."
"I hereby swear on my magic that I had been unaware even of the existence of the regulation currently being discussed prior to this day. So mote it be, so mote it be, so mote it be." Draco added. "Lumos, Nox."
Both Malfoys sat down and Harry gave them a nod of acknowledgement. Umbridge scowled at the pair, then returned her glare to Harry.
"It doesn't matter who chose to apply the regulation, what matters is that it is being applied." She snapped. "What matters is that as a confirmed Halfblood, you are in violation of…"
"Why do you think that I'm a Halfblood?" Harry interrupted and Umbridge sputtered.
"Your mother was a Mudb… a Muggleborn! While your father may have been a Pureblood, you are not!"
"Objection." Harry drawled and Umbridge's face reddened.
"Objection? You are a Halfblood! It's a matter of public record! What makes you think otherwise? Please, enlighten us as to why you think that the definition does not apply to you!"
Harry smirked. "Order of Merlin, Second Class."
A shocked gasp echoed around the hall while Sirius burst out laughing.
"Nice one! That would do it!"
"Bu… wha… huh?" Umbridge stammered. "What do you…"
"By being awarded an Order of Merlin, Second Class, the recipient is raised one step in the societal hierarchy." Harry recited. "A Muggleborn becomes as a Halfblood. A Halfblood becomes as a Pureblood and a Pureblood can claim the societal status of one more generation than their lineage supports. An Order of Merlin, First Class raises the recipient two steps. All Orders of Merlin are applied Sequentially by date of award in the case of Multiple Awards to a single recipient. I was awarded an Order of Merlin, Second Class, by the Wizengamot. I am therefore, by decree of the Wizengamot, a Pureblood and so regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two has been complied with."
Umbridge's jaw worked furiously as she tried to come up with a rebuttal.
"Did you know that Supreme Mugwump Dumbledore has had his status raised by five steps? After all, he has two First Class orders and a Second Class."
The shocked silence had given way to a growing sussuration of frantic whispering.
"So." Harry said as Fudge looked round in near-panic. "Since the matter has been resolved, I move that Regulation one-seven-four-three-three-eight-six-two be repealed."
"Seconded!" Sirius shouted.
"…the motion has been made and seconded." Fudge announced in a defeated tone of voice. "All those in favor of repealing the regulation, please raise your wands… opposed… the motion passes. Let the regulation be struck from the books."
Harry smirked as Umbridge let out a strangled scream and slammed her hands onto her desk, toppling the paperwork on it onto the floor.
.
.
"Wow!"
The exclamation of surprised pleasure echoed out of the tent reserved for females and a moment later, a head crowned with matted and tangled dirt-encrusted hair popped out from between the flaps.
"I'm going to have a bath! A long one!" The girl declared firmly.
"You may wish to shower first so that you don't end up floating in mud." Gellert offered gently and the girl nodded.
"You're right. Shower, then bath!"
The girl vanished back into the magical tent and Gellert smiled triumphantly at Voldemort, who had been watching from the front seat.
"That's three now and my box indicates that there are another two or possibly even three within range. In fact, the closest one is barely two hours drive away."
"Soon, not even the Wards of Hogwarts will be able to hold against our forces." Voldemort smirked, then he looked round as the door opened and two boys piled in.
"Hurry up!" Mark called over his shoulder as the two disentangled himself. "Let's get eating!"
"Coming!" Pettigrew groaned as he pulled himself into the vehicle, a large McDonalds bag in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. "Okay… who wanted the Chocolate milkshake?"