Chapter 7 At the ministry
Harry went the next day with Mr. Weasley to the ministry to take a statement on the events of the previous day. After they left the fireplace and entered the main hall of the ministry there were a lot of flashes and people started talking straight away.
"Harry what happened yesterday."
"Harry please look here how many people attacked you."
"Harry can you make a statement."
Just when Harry looked at Mr. Weasley for help a loud bang and a big green flash lit the room.
Everybody went quit and dispersed right away.
"Please let Mr. Potter through," came the strict voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. "He has an appointment with the minister of Magic and we don't want him to be late. A written statement will be given to all of you after his meeting with the minister."
The three wizards walked to the lifts and went up to the minister's office.
"Harry," Said the Minister when he walked in, "we must stop meeting in these ways of terror and problems."
"Minister I never wanted to meet in this way."Said Harry.
"Elphinstone don't you dare to speak to him that way." Harry looked to the left and was shocked to see Minerva McGonagall. "Profess he began." "Harry what did I tell you." McGonagall interrupted him.
"Sorry Minerva but sorry to ask but why are you here I thought I was gonna be debriefed by the aurors office and not with the minister or with you." Harry told his old professor.
"Harry did you really think we would let some newly selected aurors handle this delicate situation. You were attacked at your home. They not only wanted to kill you but the whole family that is living there." Said Elphinstone Urquart, "and I must say that when my wife left your place yesterday I should have used a stunning spell on her if I wanted her to stay at home this morning."
"They can try to kill me or the people I live with but they didn't had a change." Said Harry. "Nobody and I mean nobody is gonna hurt Ginny or anybody of her family while I'm alive." Said Harry with a fire in his voice that everybody looked at him in shock.
"I am done with people trying to push me around. Let them try and they will be sorry for it."
"Harry what are you saying," asked Mr. Weasley, "did you plan to kill some of your attackers? "
Harry now aware of his tone looked around the room and saw the four who were with him in the room looking at him with some sort of terror in their eyes.
"No Mr. Weasley off course not."harry told the roomto everybody's relief. "I meant that I would never let anyone hurt Ginny Ron or any of the people I love. Also I am done with being the little boy everybody still thinks I am. I am aware of the status that defeating Voldemort has given me but everybody must understand that I went through hell and back again to do it. I won't wish on anybody to go through that. I am done with being pushed around and do stuff people want me to do and don't ask me if I want to do it." Harry had a spirit in him none had seen in him for a while.
"Those who attacked the Burrow were on the wrong side of my wand but I never wanted to kill any of them, even if they wanted to kill all of us. As you all know I don't fight to kill I fight to survive and win." He ended.
"Harry," said Elphinstone Urquart, "as I was talking to Ron and Ginny this morning they both said you took control of the situation as soon as you saw what was wrong. My only question is why did you ask Kreacher to wake them first and let Ron wake the adults. Why not send Kreacher to wake the adults so they could handle the intruders."
"Well Sir," Harry began to explain, "those were the people who I traveled last year with the ones I would trust my life with. No offence sir." He added to Mr. Weasley. "So when Kreacher was getting them I could start figure out how to get them all without hurting them." Harry continued.
"When they were with me I ordered Ron to wake his parents and Ginny to come with me. Hermione would stay indoors to fire a stunner and hit the one closest to the house as Ginny and I at the same time come around the shed and start fire our own stunners."
"Why did you take Ginny with you Harry," Asked Mr. Weasley, "and not Ron? When he came running in the bedroom screaming we were under attack and you and Ginny were gonna fight the attackers we were wide awake at once worried about both you and Ginny."
"Well sir you just said it yourself." Said Harry. "I knew that Ron would mention Ginny and that her name and meaning she was in danger would wake you right up. Also as I explaint to Ron I hope that my relation with Ginny lasts a very long time and because of that I would begin to share all kind of things with her. I must be able to trust her completely and with my life. "
"So it was part of your plan and also a test of Ginny's skills?" Asked Mr. Weasley in astonishment, "but Harry that is a big gamble don't you think?"
"Harry what happened when you were at the shed?" Asked Elphinstone Urquart?
"Well sir," Harry continued, "Ginny and I went out the back and could not get to the shed at first. Ginny thought of Kreacher and called him. He took us to the far side of the shed and we waited for Hermione to get ready. She signaled me that everybody was awake and knew what to do so I gave the signal to fire. As she hit the first of the attackers Ginny and me came around the corner and fought the other two. Ginny floored Zabini in a few seconds I had some more trouble with Flint. When I disarmed him he mocked me and tried to disaperate but the spells from the adults kept him were he was. He was shocked when I mocked him and than I wanted to stun him. At that same time Ginny and Ron fired their own stunners which made him fly threw the garden and hit the garden wall. I know I didn't need to mock him and if I hadn't he would still be alive but the things he said made me furious so I wanted to get him back with his own words." Harry ended his recall about what happened that dreaded moring in the garden.
"Harry you are not to blame for his death," Said McGonagall. "He chose to attack you ,you had every right to defend yourself. I talked to his mother and she even didn't know her son was gone and what happened. She was shocked to say the least when I told her about his attack on you and when I told her he was dead she smiled in relief and said finally." Harry looked with eyes of sorrow at Minerva. "He terrorized his mother and she doesn't blames you for his death, I would even go that far to say she is grateful." Minerva told him.
"Harry you can go," Said Elphinstone Urquart, "you won't be charged with anything as this is an act of self defense, also your story is the same to the letter as that of Ginny and Ron. They were subjected to veritaserum without them knowing it, don't worry we had permission from Arthur. So I know you are speaking the truth. So now for the fun part what do we tell the people in the main hall?"
"Well sir if I may," Said Harry, "I have an idea that might work. They already know we were attacked. So can't we tell the truth, but leave the death part out of it."Harry said but than continued
"No that is not possible," Harry continued as he was speaking to himself, "they will hear about Flint's death soon enough so we should also mention that but how to do it and keep the rest of the family out of trouble? Think Harry Think." He said as he started pacing threw the room.
"Harry?"
"Think Harry" he kept saying not hearing the others.
"HARRY!" yelled Kingsley. Harry spins around so fast his wand at the ready everybody in the room was shocked at the speed.
"Sorry Kingsley,"Harry said, "what is it?"
Kingsley just smiled at him.
"Great reflexes Harry," He commented, "what if we just twist the story a little."
"How do you mean?"Asked the minister of magic Elphinstone Urquart.
"Well minister what if one of us aurors was at the scene when the attack happened and we shot the final stunner that would put the blame at us and not at Harry or the Weasley's all of the wizarding community knows I am a friend of the Weasley's so I want to volunteer, just say that the kids shot their stunners and I fired mine a sec later making it a force to much and kill Flint." Kingsley explaint.
"That would work," Said Mr. Weasley. "don't you think Minister?"
"Yes, I think it will." Said Elphinstone Urquart
"NO!," Said Harry with a loud voice, "I won't let you take the blame for killing Flint."
"Well Harry like it or not but I feel I am to blame. We should have posted guards around the Burrow because we knew you would be a target for Voldemort supporters." Kingsley said to Harry as he put an hand on Harry's shoulder. "That is my fault so you see I am to blame not in firing the spell but for letting them get close enough so that you didn't have a choice."
Harry looked at Kingsley and saw the guild in his eyes.
"Okay," he said. "But I don't want it to be a written announcement. I want to speak to them myself and tell them what happened."
The room exploded with objections.
"STOP IT," Harry yelled, "I will do this. We do it my way for once or I will write a letter to the prophet and tell them the truth and than the whole truth."
"Harry is right." Said McGonagall.
"Minerva you must be joking," Said Mr. Weasley, "those reporters will eat him alive."
"No they won't," said Minerva as she could see determination in Harry that told her he wouldn't give them a chance.
"We won't give them a chance because before I make the statement it must be explain that I will just make the statement and that no questions will be answered." Said Harry.
"Okay we will do it your way," Said the minister. "When do you want to do it?"
"Well," Said Harry with a wicked smile, "there is no better time than the present so lets do it right away. Can you get a little platform erected in the main lobby and we will be down in ten minutes."
"Sure we can." Said Kingsley before the minister could answer.
"Kingsley will you take care of it than." Said the minister, Kingsley nodded and left the room.
"Are you sure you want to do this Harry?" Asked Mr. Weasley.
"Yes Mr. Weasley I am sure. " Harry said.
"Okay," Said Mr. Weasley, "than lets do it. Come son lets go to my office you can wait there."
"One moment please Arthur. I want to talk to you first." Said the Minister to Mr. Weasley
"Minerva could you take Harry outside please and wait for us."
McGonagall got up but Harry stayed were he was.
"Harry you need to come with me." She said.
"No I need to stay." He said.
"Minister, sorry to be rude but I think I need to stay. I think I know what you want to talk about with Mr. Weasley and if you don't mind I think it also is in my best interest to hear what you want to say."
Elphinstone Urquart looked at Harry and smiled.
"You are very keen Harry. Yes you are right that what I want to talk to Arthur about involves you in a way but don't worry you won't be hurt or forced to something in any way, so please let me talk to Arthur alone." He said.
"I will tell you what we talked about after I talked to Arthur okay? "
Harry thought about it for a second and agreed with this compromise. "Okay," he said. "I will wait outside."
When Harry and McGonagall were outside the office she turned to Harry and asked him how he had known that he would be the subject of conversation.
"That was easy." He said. "Every time something happened to me the meeting was rescheduled so I thought that I could only be part of that meeting and that the minister needed to know how I reacted to the latest events."
She looked proud at him. "You are a smart man Harry," She said, "and I am proud to call you a colleague she added in a whisper."
"Well," Harry added, "I was more hoping for proud to call you a friend but this will also do."
She smiled at him and gave him a hug. "Just remember that when you are in my class you are a student and not my friend."
They both laughed at that.
"You know Minerva I never thought that one day I would have one of my teachers as a friend but I must say I am really glad that from all my teachers I could have as a friend it is you. You would never lie to me or use me I appreciate that." Harry said.
As she wants to say something the door of the office opens and Mr. Weasley comes out his face bright and shining.
"What happened?" Harry asks.
"Well do you want to tell him Arthur or should I." The minister said.
"No if you don't mind I want to tell him myself." Said Mr. Weasley.
He looked at Harry and said with a big smile. "Harry you are looking at the new head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Harry was floored.
"Well Harry you see we wanted Arthur for this job because it will also involve a lot of muggle problems," explaint the minister of magic, "and that's were you and your friend Hermione come in.
If and only if Arthur needs some advice from either one of you about things normal to muggles he can contact you or Hermione."
"So as you see it did involve you but not in a way you think it would." Said Mr. Weasley
"Wow that is great Mr. Weasley congratulations." Was only what Harry could say.
"You are right I never thought about this."
At that time Kingsley came back and told them that everything was ready.
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Paterdave2
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