Change the Future

HBP 10

"Please, come in, sit down, Minister!" fluttered Mrs. Weasley, straightening her hat. "Have a little purkey, or some tooding. I mean"

"No, no, my dear Molly," Scrimgeour said. "I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly" Rory leant into Charlie before whispering.

"He's lying" Charlie nodded in agreement.

"How are you so good at judging people and when they're lying" Ginny asks looking at Rory.

"Just am"

"Oh, Perce!" Mrs. Weasley said tearfully, reaching up to kiss him.

"We've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden. Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?" The atmosphere around the table changed perceptibly. Everybody looked from Scrimgeour to Harry. Nobody seemed to find Scrimgeour's pretence that he did not know Harry's name convincing, or find it natural that he should be chosen to accompany the Minister around the garden when Ginny, Fleur, and George also had clean plates.

"Yeah, all right," Harry said into the silence. "It's fine," he said quietly, as he passed Remus, who had half risen from his chair. "Fine," he added, as Mr. Weasley opened his mouth to speak.

"Wonderful!" said Scrimgeour, standing back to let Harry pass through the door ahead of him.

"We'll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I'll be off. Carry on, everyone!"

Harry walked across the yard toward the Weasleys' overgrown, snow-covered garden, Scrimgeour limping slightly at his side.

"Charming," Scrimgeour said, stopping at the garden fence and looking out over the snowy lawn and the indistinguishable plants. "Charming." Harry said nothing. He could tell that Scrimgeour was watching
him. "I've wanted to meet you for a very long time," Scrimgeour said, after a few moments. "Did you know that?"

"No," Harry said truthfully.

"Oh yes, for a very long time. But Dumbledore has been very protective of you," Scrimgeour said. "Natural, of course, natural, after what you've been through. Especially what happened at the Ministry"
He waited for Harry to say something, but Harry did not oblige, so he went on, "I have been hoping for an occasion to talk to you
ever since I gained office, but Dumbledore has most understandably, as I say prevented this. The rumors that have flown around! Well, of course, we both know how these stories get distorted all these whispers of a prophecy of you being 'the Chosen One'. I assume that Dumbledore has discussed these matters with you?"

"Yeah, we've discussed it."

"Have you, have you" Scrimgeour said squinting at him. "And what has  Dumbledore told you, Harry?"

"Why's he so interested" Fleamont asks looking at Harry.

"Sorry, but that's between us," Harry said. He kept his voice as pleasant as he could, and Scrimgeour's tone, too, was light and
friendly as he said,

"Oh, of course, if it's a question of confidences, I wouldn't want you to divulge  no, no and in any case, does it really matter whether you are 'the Chosen One' or not?"

"I don't really know what you mean, Minister."

"Well, of course, to you it will matter enormously," Scrimgeour said with a laugh. "But to the Wizarding community at large
it's all perception, isn't it? It's what people believe that's important. People believe you are 'the Chosen One,' you see. They think you quite the hero which, of course, youare, Harry, chosen or not! How many times have you faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now? Well, anyway,"