Ten Days and Ten Nights

***

‘Did anyone bring me the copy of the 1798 Act that I asked for?’ asked Harry, as he opened the door to his office. His office was a large room, with ornate furniture and large windows, which were currently flooding the room with light.

‘Here you are,’ said Linda, his secretary, as she ran into the room holding a brown Ministry folder.

‘Did you get your hair done?’ he asked her, as he took off his cloak.

‘Yeah,’ she said, running her hand delicately over the mouse brown surface. ‘D’you like it?’ she asked.

‘It’s nice,’ replied Harry, sitting down at his large, antique desk. ‘Is the Minister in her office?’

‘She’s on her way down from her quarters,’ replied Linda, and clipped out of the room in her ridiculously high-heeled shoes.

Harry unrolled the first in a pile of scrolls of parchments that had been deposited at his desk since he had left it at two o’clock that morning.

‘Well, that’s it,’ said Hermione Granger, as she came barging into Harry’s office moments later. ‘We’ve really got a problem on our hands now.’ Hermione Granger was Harry’s old school friend and worked for the Minister as Liaison Officer to the nine Ministry Departments.

‘What’s happened now?’ asked Harry, looking up. It wasn’t unusual for Hermione to declare world war three over small insignificant details.

‘The International Co-Operation lot aren’t having the ban on magic lamps,’ she said, flumping down in one of the chairs opposite Harry’s desk. The Ministry were forcing through a ban on magic lamps that contained genies, owing to their propensity to explode if unrubbed for three years.

‘What does Aladdin say?’ cracked Harry.

‘That’s not funny,’ said Hermione. ‘Don’t you think I’ve heard all those jokes since I started pushing this legislation? They say that they won’t restrict their entry to the country unless it’s banned by the International Confederation…’

‘Why can’t the International Confederation ban it?’ asked Harry.

‘Because that would upset the Middle Eastern members, and there’s been a lot of Dark activity there for a while now.’

‘So we’re stuck?’ asked Harry.

‘Looks that way. This is going to be an embarrassing climb down.’

‘Let me speak to Percy- maybe he can help,’ suggested Harry.

Just at that moment, Linda popped her head around the doorway. ‘The Minister’s in her office now.’

Harry got up out his chair.

‘You need to speak to her?’ he asked Hermione.

‘No, I’ll give it to lunchtime, then we’ll see where we are.’ She picked up her handbag, and walked out the room. Harry opened another door, which led into a large, oak panelled room with a navy blue carpet and cream walls. At one end, there was an oriel window, with three windows flooding the room with light.

‘Good morning, Minister,’ said Harry, as a short woman with brown shoulder length hair walked in a set of double doors, followed by an entourage of nearly ten people.

‘Good morning, Harry,’ she said, sitting down at her desk. ‘What do you have for me this morning?’

‘Nothing you don’t already know about,’ said Harry. This was his answer every morning when she asked him this question. Her personal assistant, Jo McNab, was highly skilled at dashing over to the Cloister (which was the name given to the Minister’s office) and back to the Minister’s Quarters, with a note pad full of information to bombard the Minister with on her journey to her office.

‘When is the ban on lamps being announced?’ she asked.

‘The Department of International Co-operation has been giving Hermione Granger some hassle on that,’ said Harry.

‘Speak to Percy,’ said Matilda Greymalkin.

‘I’m going to do that right after the news,’ said Harry. ‘Thank you, Minister.’

‘Thank you,’ said Matilda, and began to work on her pile of scrolls.

Harry went back into his office and flicked on the television.

‘And now the eight thirty morning news with Ron Weasley,’ said a voice, and the camera swung down a ladder towards Ron, who looked back unblinkingly.

‘Good morning and welcome to the Wizarding News. On this mornings edition…’ Harry’s mind drifted away when he realised that Ron wasn’t talking about anything he had to worry about. That was how Harry divided his time now, ever since he had been appointed Principle Aide and Press Secretary to the Minister for Magic- either he had to worry about it, or he didn’t.

Arthur Weasley had passed a law two weeks before he left the Department Against the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts five years ago. It had said that muggle artefacts may be adjusted if it is deemed to be beneficial to the wizarding community at large. A week later, his son Ron, and the other half of the Harry Hermione friendship triangle had produced the first ever magically operated TV. Not only had it made the Weasley family a fortune, but it had also made Ron, as the newscaster, the most recognised face in the wizarding population.

Harry pushed through the double doors that separated the Cloister and staff from the other departments. He walked through the security checks (nobody could Apparate beyond these checks) and along to Percy Weasley’s office.

He stopped outside the door with a sign on it saying:

Percy Weasley

Head of International Magical Cooperation

He rapped on the door, and waited to be allowed entry.

‘Hello, Harry,’ said Percy, flicking off the television showing his youngest brothers face with his wand. ‘What can I do for you?’