Harry Potter & The Thousand Mysteries

The Counsel and The Ball

‘It became clear to me that Voldemort has regained his physical body in June,’ said Dumbledore, as he made his speech at the Counsel, three hours after it had started. ‘Harry himself witnessed it.’

‘Bullshit!’ shouted Melissa Muddy-Duck. ‘If he was back in June, why didn’t he start attacking in June?’

‘I do not have the mentality of a Death Eater, Melissa,’ said Dumbledore coolly, and consequently do not consider myself suitably qualified to answer that question. If you want me to guess, I think he was probably gathering his supporters.

‘Anyway, if I could continue? The disappearance of the muggle transportation devices and the horrific manner in which their occupants were disposed of leaves little doubt in my mind that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were responsible for these attacks.’

‘But there is doubt, Dumbledore,’ said Carlotta; leaning over a stack of papers she had been working through while Dumbledore was talking. ‘If there is doubt, then the Ministry cannot act- it’s not as simple as you’re making it out!’

‘Who else could it have been?’ asked Harry. ‘There haven’t been random muggle attacks like these since Voldemort’s last fall!’

‘A whole number of people!’ said Carlotta. ‘Sirius Black for one!’

‘Sirius Black is innocent,’ said Harry.

‘And you would have evidence to prove this, Mr. Potter, would you?’

‘You didn’t have much evidence to prove otherwise when you packed him off to Azkaban without a trial!’

Carlotta looked taken aback. ‘Still, he’s a suspect…’

‘I know for a fact that the Ministry of Magic considers Sirius Black dead!’

Carlotta opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

‘He’s got you there, Carlotta!’ cried Melissa Muddy-Duck. ‘You’re the first person I’ve ever met who could shut Carlotta up!’

‘Anyway,’ said Fudge. ‘Sirius Black and the return of You-Know-Who strike me as equally likely.’

‘No they’re not!’ cried Harry, forgetting that he was the most inexperienced person at the table. ‘Nothing has ever indicated that Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban had a detrimental effect on the wizarding community whatsoever- or on any other community, for that matter. Dumbledore’s right! You have to realise what’s happening and act swiftly and decisively. Just because you can’t see the attackers face doesn’t mean you aren’t being attacked!’

‘Nobody here is saying that we aren’t under attack,’ said Fudge, going red in the face. Obviously, he didn’t much like having a teenager slag him off as an ineffective minister. ‘All we’re saying is that we need to know who’s attacking us before we decide on the best course of action.’

‘If I might make a suggestion?’ said Jorg, leaning forward. ‘Why don’t we send a peace envoy to the people attacking us, and offer to negotiate?’

‘Don’t be so naïve, Jorg!’ cried Melissa. ‘We’d get the envoy’s fucking brains back in the post! What the hell is he doing on this Counsel, anyway?’ she asked. ‘He doesn’t have the balls for it! He gets fucking distressed when a button comes off his fucking CARDIGAN!’

‘I think Jorg makes a fair point,’ said Carlotta. ‘We should explore peace as an option. Surely you agree?’

‘In my wealth of experience,’ said Mildred Greymalkin airily, ‘Peace offerings usually send messages to the opposition that we are willing to cohabitate and live in harmony.’

‘You can’t live in harmony with people who would kill you as soon as look at you!’ wailed Melissa. ‘Has the whole fucking world gone mad? Harry and Albus are right- we need to sharpen our axe and bring it down on He Who Must Not Be Named’s slimy little neck.’

‘And three will grow in it’s place! We need long-term solutions!’ Fudge fussed with his papers.

‘There is no such thing as a long term solution when it comes to fighting evil,’ said Dumbledore, his voice cool and soothing in the heated arguments. ‘It will survive as long as humanity does.’

‘Well, that’s very profound, but we need a solution,’ said Mildred.

‘I still have questions over it actually being You Know Who,’ said Carlotta. ‘It seems we’re all jumping on a bandwagon here.’

‘Well it’s the only way out this fucking disaster zone you’ve got us into, so I’m happy to leave!’ said Melissa. The conversation was turning into Melissa rubbishing everyone’s suggestions.

‘What about the giants?’ asked Harry. ‘They’ll join Voldemort’s ranks as soon as he calls them too. It’s better than living in the exile we’ve got them in.’

‘We’ve been over this and there’s not a cat’s chance in hell that a giant is living in this country while I’m Minister.’

‘A cat would have a better chance in Hell that it would here, when the Dark Lord tightens his grip on us all, as he inevitably will,’ said Melissa. ‘And I’d like to see you try and stop thirty giants smashing Hogsmede to bits!’

‘The Dementors will do what Voldemort tells them as well,’ said Dumbledore placidly.

‘THE DEMENTORS ARE STAYING AT AZKABAN!’ said Fudge. ‘We are not reviewing National Security here; we are only discussing the distressed situation.’

‘What about the… em… er, oh, I’ve forgotten the name!’ Melissa played with her hair.

‘I don’t know the menopause gave you Alzheimer’s,’ said Carlotta bitingly.

‘I don’t know being three and a half foot tall made you thick as shit either, but there you are,’ Melissa snapped back.

‘It is getting late,’ said Fudge. ‘We’ll have a half-hour break. Everyone, back here at two o’clock. Karen,’ he said, turning to Karen, who Harry had barely noticed sitting at the door for the past three and a half hours. ‘Will you let the other’s in?’

Karen hauled the door open, and about fifteen aides and confidants swept into the room, descending on the Minister.

‘I am gasping for a fucking fag,’ said Melissa, putting on her cloak and picking up her bag. ‘Potter, you come with me!’ She walked out of the room. Harry looked around, and hurried unquestioningly after her. He got the feeling a lot of people done what Melissa said unquestioningly.

He followed Melissa onto a balcony, where she immediately whipped out a packet of Mayfair cigarettes.

‘Oh,’ she said, lighting it with her wand. ‘You have some things to say for yourself, don’t you?’

‘I think I could safely say the same thing back to you,’ he replied.

‘Nobody can say anything safely to me!’ she said. Harry laughed. ‘Dumbledore told me what happened in June,’ she said. ‘Is he really back?’

Harry breathed deeply. ‘I saw it happen. I was at the rebirthing ritual. He’s back.’ Suddenly, a deep, booming gong sounded throughout the building.

‘They’re calling us back awfully early,’ said Melissa, stamping her cigarette out. ‘Come on, we better hurry.’

They set off back through the Ministry complex.

‘Sit down,’ said Fudge grimly as they entered the room. They were the only two who weren’t at the table.

‘Why are we back so early?’ asked Melissa. She seemed, Harry noted somewhere in the depths of his mind, much more subdued now she had had an intake of nicotine.

‘There’s been another attack. Two nights ago, a passenger ferry leaving from Newcastle to Amsterdam disappeared in perfectly clear waters. Muggle Police divers trawling at the bottom of the North Sea found it twenty minutes ago. There have been no signs of engine failure or leakage. It appears just to have… sunk.’

‘How many casualties?’ asked Jorg.

‘Five hundred and seventy three persons aboard, one found alive- an old woman, who’s name escapes me.’

‘We need to act decisively, purposefully, and swiftly,’ said Dumbledore sombrely, ‘if we are to stand a chance against this abhorrent terror we face. There is no more time for silly bickering.’

Harry yawned as Freddy drove the car away from Ministry Headquarters at half past four on Christmas morning. As they drove through the streets of London, they saw hundreds of Christmas trees and carol singers, even at this ungodly hour.

‘We just have to pick up Mr Weasley and Ms Granger and we’ll be off,’ said Freddy.

‘Is there a train at this time in the morning?’ asked Harry. He didn’t think they ran trains at this time of night- especially not wizard trains.

‘No, sir, I’ll be driving you up,’ said Freddy, as they turned into the street where the Grand Baumberg Hotel was situated. Hermione and Ron were standing, huddled against the cold, at the front entranceway.

‘How’d it go?’ asked Hermione, as Freddy opened the door to let her in.

‘Okay. There was another attack.’ Harry had filled Hermione and Ron in about the attacks on the train journey down- he’d also told them about his dream.

‘It was exactly the same as the dream I told you about on the journey down.’

Hermione and Ron both looked shocked.

‘You’re kidding!’ said Ron. ‘That’s bloody freaky!’

‘Freaky!’ cried Hermione. ‘It’s more than freaky!’

‘Where are we going?’ asked Ron, suddenly. ‘The station’s that way.’

‘We’re being driven up,’ said Harry. ‘Let’s have a drink.’ He poured three whiskeys for them.

‘Harry!’ said a voice. Woozily, Harry regained consciousness. ‘Harry, we’re here!’ He waited for his eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight, before realising that they were on the drive up Hogwarts Grounds.

‘What time is it?’ he asked.

‘Seven fifteen,’ said Hermione. ‘We were driving all night.’

‘It only took that long?’ asked Harry. ‘It takes about three times as long on the train!’

‘It’s a Ministry car, dufus!’ said Ron. ‘It doesn’t run on petrol and stuff! It apparated most of the way and went at about 100 miles per hour for the rest. You slept right through it all!’

The car pulled to a stop at the foot of the stone steps, and Harry got out, followed by Hermione and Ron.

‘See you, Freddy!’ he called.

‘Bye, now, sir!’ replied Freddy, before driving back off down the grounds.

They walked up into the Entrance Hall, yawning widely.

‘I’m heading for bed!’ said Harry. ‘We’ve got that stupid ball tonight- I could really do without that.’

‘We all could,’ said Hermione, trying to flatten her very bushy hair.

The three of them crawled into the Common Room, and up to bed.

‘Come on, lazy bones,’ said Seamus, shaking Harry awake. Harry pulled himself out of bed- it felt as if he had only been in bed for five minutes.

‘It’s eight o’clock! The balls in an hour- you’ve been in bed all day!’

Harry sat up, to find a pile of Christmas presents at the bottom of his bed.

‘Presents?’ he said, still befuddled by sleep.

‘Open them!’ said Ron. ‘And thanks for the robes.’ Harry had given Ron a brand new set of Gryffindor Quidditch Robes.

Harry pulled the wrapping off a copy of Hermione’s book. Inside the front cover, there was a note from the author.

Dear Harry,

How did I know exactly what you wanted?

I said the same to Ron, and I’ll say the same to you- I’m so grateful to you two for being my friends. I know I’m a bit bookish sometimes, but what do you know- it paid off.

I hope you have as happy a life as you two have made mine since I came to Hogwarts (which means, by the way, that I hope you have a terrible life where Death would be a sweet release –kidding!)

Faithfully yours,

Hermione

‘That was nice of Hermione, wasn’t it?’ said Harry.

‘Bit schmaltzy,’ said Ron.

Harry also got a pack of gobstones from Hagrid, his own chessmen from Ron, along with the Weasley Jumper and fudge. From Sirius and Remus he received an old golden mirror his father had charmed which would make the user look eighty years older than they actually were. Harry got quite a shock when he looked at it for the first time.

‘Come on, we’ve got to hurry!’ called Ron, as Harry hurriedly pulled on his new dress robes he had worn the previous night, and made his way downstairs to the Hall.

‘Arry!’ called Fleur, as she walked over to him and took him by the arm. In the background, he saw Malfoy turn almost green.

‘Wair you een London?’ she asked. ‘Zat is what Dumbley-door said to me.’

‘Yeah, I would have told you, but it was kind of a shock,’ Harry lied.

‘Oui,’ said Fleur, as the doors opened into the Great Hall.

‘Oooh, look at zat,’ she said, pointing towards a huge statue of Santa Claus that stood in the centre of the Hall, with bright lights all over it.

‘Are those fairies?’ enquired Harry of the bright lights.

‘Yes, zey are!’ said Fleur. ‘Allo, leetle fairy!’ She reached out to touch one, and it bit her on the hand.

‘Ouch!’ she cried, seizing the fairy in her fist. ‘What did ze little brat do zat for?’ she said, turning nasty. ‘Ze Fairies we have in Beauxbatons are not like zis!’ She squeezed the miniature humanoid, before letting it go. It flew back to its position on the statue, one wing bent out of shape.

Instead of House tables or smaller individual tables, there was one long table running right along the hall. There were seats only on one side, facing in, and the other side was decorated with garlands and streamers.

The pupils all took their places at the tables. Harry and Fleur sat next to Hermione and Krum- Ron and Cho Chang were sitting with some Ravenclaws. Everyone waited for the teachers to arrive

Suddenly, there was the tinkling of some bells. The Hall went quiet. Suddenly, a fourth year Slytherin shouted, “LOOK!” and pointed to the ceiling, which was enchanted so that they could look right outside. They saw a snake thing flying through the sky.

‘It’s a sleigh!’ whispered Hermione.

There were four winged reindeer, all tethered to a sleigh, flying through the night air.

They saw it finish it’s descent through the night thermals, and everyone left their seats to look through the massive doors into the Entrance Hall.

‘Tis the season to be jolly!’ came a chorus, and as the whole school stood in the entrance hall, watching the teacher’s sleigh land on the soft snow outside, with much bell ringing, the Hogwarts ghosts appeared, floating down the marble staircase, singing ‘Deck the Halls’.

The students all resumed their seats in the Entrance Hall, and the teachers and ghosts entered. The ghosts did a merry jig, dancing around the hall as they played Christmastime songs. The Bloody Baron was conspicuously absent.

‘I don’t think he likes Christmas much,’ said Hermione to Harry.

‘Yes, he doesn’t strike me as the festive sort,’ he agreed.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ said Dumbledore, rising to his feet. ‘Welcome once more to the Yule Ball. I am glad to see members of all three schools joining together to celebrate the joyous festival of Christmas. Tomorrow lunchtime, the delegations from our visiting schools return to their place of origin. So tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we shall dance, and sing, and eat! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!’

The Hall burst into applause as the ghosts once more began to play songs- some more Christmassy than others. People started to get up and dance.

‘Shall we?’ asked Fleur.

‘Oui, bien,’ replied Harry, standing up. He and Fleur walked up to the dance floor, as the ghosts began to play a Latin salsa number.

Harry and Fleur began to dance a wild tango. All around them, people stopped to watch them, as Fleur spun around with Harry, more exuberantly as the seconds passed.

‘How am I dancing like this?’ asked Harry. He had never danced like this at the Balls before in his life.

‘My Grandmuzzer was a Veela,’ explained Fleur, as Harry found the superhuman strength to flip her over his shoulder. The crowd Ooohed.

‘Veela can make any man dance, even if they haven’t tried it before. It’s a gift.’

‘It certainly is!’ said Harry. There was no more time or energy to talk, as Fleur and Harry whirled around the Hall, every pair of eyes on them. The Ghost band began to play faster still, as they floated above their heads. They couldn’t play to fast for Fleur, though, and she managed to keep her and Harry going right up to the crescendo.

The Hall burst into applause as Harry and Fleur bowed. Fleur’s hair was everywhere, and Harry had to straighten his new robes. They sat down, beside Hermione and Krum.

‘Oooh!’ said Fleur, as she sat down. ‘I haven’t danced like that in months.’

‘I haven’t danced like that,’ said Harry. ‘Period!’

‘You two certainly were attention grabbing,’ said Hermione.

‘I never knew that was possible!’ said Harry.

‘Oh, yes,’ corrected Fleur. ‘Ze talent for dancing eez not zo ztrong in me, as eet iz in my muzzer, or in my grandmuzzer, but it eez still zair. Eet iz magical powers zat connect your body to my brain, and zo I can make you dance like zat,’ she said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. ‘Vairy good, yes?’

‘Excellent!’ agreed Harry.