Harry Potter and the Children of the Clan

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Professor Potter, if you don't mind my saying so, it seems that you aren't telling us the whole story."

"That's very perceptive of you, Director," Harry replied.

The director in question was the Director of the Mysteries Department. Harry and the Director, along with the Minister of Magic were discussing the events that led to the major magical disturbances of the prior week. The Minister's expression was basically neutral although the corners of his mouth tended to twitch now and then. The Director was obviously frustrated while Harry maintained a casually friendly expression that must have been driving the Director to distraction.

"Kingsley, this is completely unacceptable. It is obvious that the Professor is in possession of all manner of arcane knowledge and it is essential that that knowledge be made available to the Ministry and my department specifically."

"Why?" Harry interrupted.

"Excuse me? Why? We are the Mysteries Department, Professor. It is our charter to investigate all manner of magical mysteries to discover their secrets," the Director said, with a touch of pomposity.

"To what end?" Harry said with infuriating calmness, a calmness that disguised a growing irritation.

"End? To know, that is the end. That is the whole point of knowledge. For Merlin's sake, you are a Professor, the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts. These things should be self evident to you."

"Knowledge simply for the sake of knowing is a waste of time. Knowledge needs to have some use, preferably to make the lives of people, magical or muggle, better," Harry said with growing heat. "That's something your predecessors seemed to have forgotten and look where that got us."

He leaned forward to rest his arms on the table. The Minister's expression was loosing its neutrality.

"Understand this, Director. Much of what I have come to know of magic has been gained at great personal risk and not insignificant cost," he said and then he pointed a finger at the man, "and I will decide what is appropriate to share. And I deem a great deal of what I've uncovered lately to be unfit for sharing. Period."

"Minister, this is ridiculous. This cannot be allowed to happen."

"What would you suggest, Director Aston? Veratiserum? Torture? Extortion? No, no. I would no more ask Professor Potter to divulge that which he considers inappropriate than I would a craftsman to reveal his professional secrets. Plus I trust his judgment implicitly. You are of course free to attempt to discover for yourself these things, but I wouldn't bet a brass knut on your survival."

The Director sat back in his chair and glowered. Minister Shacklebolt looked at Harry and said,

"Harry, it is your belief that the source of the attacks over the last few years is gone?"

"The source, yes, but I don't know if any of the witches and wizards who were used as instruments might still be active. You might want to have Anthony Goldstein keep an eye on things for a while. My best guess is we'll be able to go back to dealing with the ordinary issues of being magical folk in a mostly muggle world."

"That should be more than enough to keep us all busy for the foreseeable future, and then some," the Minister said.

The Minister stood, signaling the end of the meeting. The Director was barely concealing his fury and the look he directed at Harry spoke volumes, so Harry felt inclined to say by way of a parting shot,

"Be happy you don't know what I do, Director. You'll sleep much better for it. And don't make the mistake of trying to force the issue. We'd all wind up regretting that, wouldn't we?"