Against the Tide

By the middle of October, the snow had begun to fall, and so had the soldiers. Hermione promised to herself not to doubt Ron again, within reason, and to try and talk to him. But that was nearly impossible, as everything and everyone combined to delay her. School, Head Girl duties, the Hornblower, and Ron's own activities seemed to pile up, and with mock NEWTs coming in the middle of November, it was all Hermione could do not to scream, let alone let Ron know she was there for him.

It wasn't as if she had any time, after all, and it wasn't as if she ignored Ron. It was just that he seemed so different from the boy she'd known. He was bitter and short with people, and he seemed to prefer studying with Blaise Zabini or talking Quidditch with Harry to spending time with her. And that hurt, even though she knew it was her fault.

She'd spent so long blaming herself for Lucius's death that she hadn't realized the toll it took on her friends. She knew she was responsible, but she'd have to stop dwelling on it. Ron was hurting now and needed her help. Also, Harry would one day have to kill Voldemort- what kind of example was she setting?

So, in the end, she decided to put away her guilt, to make sure her friends, especially Ron and Harry, never saw it. She also decided to work harder on her schoolwork, after receiving her third Acceptable in a row from Hardbottom. Being Head Girl wasn't nearly as hard as she thought in September, and she'd finally got a handle on relaying student concerns to the Professors and administration.

And there were massive concerns mounting, and they were going unaddressed. A few issues before, Draco had written an article calling for the democratization of the Board of Governors. In short, he had demanded student representatives on the Board, as well as at least one faculty position. At first, it seemed a very unpopular idea, since it generated no mail and no comment from the students.

The faculty and Board of Governors had dismissed the issue, saying that Draco had just been excited and that he would see that he'd gone to far. Then a remarkable thing had happened. Two members of the Board of Governors had been arrested as Death Eaters, and both had admitted their guilt in return for reduced sentences. But the students, reading the story, had asked Hermione when the elections would be held to replace them.

When Hermione had informed them that the Board was not elected, but appointed, the students had begun to complain. In answer, an all out campaign to elect two students to the Board of Governors had begun. The amount of mail it generated, and the number of letters students wrote, was boggling. They had created an entire section just to print them all.

But the Board simply ignored the protests and Fudge appointed two adults to its body. It appeared that he was trying to break the stranglehold Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley had on him by appointing Umbridge and Jeremiah Higgle, two pro-Fudge supporters. The move backfired, drastically, and Umbridge and Higgle had sat for only three days when they resigned. The seats were open again, and the students wanted them.

Unfortunately, not a single professor seemed interested in championing their concerns, and Dumbledore couldn't; as the Headmaster, Dumbledore could not interfere with Board appointments. It concerned Hermione that so many students were so frustrated and enraged while the professors repeated that they could do nothing. In a last ditch effort to stop the situation from escalating, Hermione appealed directly to McGonagall.

"You see, Professor, the situation has gone so far that students are talking about a strike from classes to force the issue."

"A strike? They intend to skip their classes? They'll all be punished," McGonagall replied, as if that settled the issue.

"They don't care, Professor!" Hermione said. "They really believe they deserve those seats, and really, they do! They want them, and they're determined to get them, and they don't care how much they're punished. We have a goal, Professor, and we will accomplish it."

"I'm aware of what you want, Ms. Granger, but unfortunately, those seats have always been given out by appointment. Besides, there are several members of the community who have a greater claim on a seat than a student."

"That's not true!" Hermione protested. "Professor, we really need to have those seats to bring forward student concerns regarding curriculum and sport and other things that students are directly effected by."

"Ms. Granger, those seats will be filled with those that are considered most acceptable. You'll have to trust the Ministry and the Board to look out for the students," McGonagall said sharply, as if she hadn't listened to a word Hermione had said. "Now, please, I'm busy grading papers." With that, Hermione was dismissed.

Considering her options on her way to the Press Room, Hermione realized that she was really very angry. Her hands shook with adrenaline and rage, a potent combination, and by the time she had carefully closed the door of the Press Room behind her, she was sure her eyes burned.

"Meeting," she announced. Desks were pushed together to assemble a makeshift table; their regular meetings took place in the Prefects Lounge. "Professor McGonagall has just informed me that we will all be punished if we continue to push the issue of Board appointments. What do you think we should do?" No one said anything and just stared intently at Hermione. "Do you want to know what I think?" Everyone nodded, and Hermione stood.

"I think those are our seats!" She exclaimed as she began pacing. "I suggest that in tomorrows edition, we announce nominations open for two student representatives on the Board of Governors."

"But we'll be punished," Zacarias Smith said.

"What of it, Smith? Not scared of detention, are you?" Draco taunted.

"I think the punishment will be more severe than detention, Draco," Hermione warned. "I'm not talking expulsion, but the paper may be shut down. Ron and I could be replaced as Head Girl and Boy. I'm not sure if Quidditch placements will be effected, but it is possible."

Everyone hushed for a moment- there was actual pain in Ron's eyes. "However, if we are successful, there will be no punishment, and Hogwarts students will always have representatives on the Board. Aren't we willing to at least try?"

"It will take more than nominating and electing two reps, Hermione," Harry pointed out.

"True, which is why other action is needed. We will organize a strike of classes if the Minister does not accept our nominations. Then, next Friday, the Board sits in Hogsmeade for its monthly meeting- I'd like a noisy protest for them."

Regan Miller whooped. "Too right!" cheered the multi-pierced boy. "My parents have dragged me to spades of protests and marches. I can lead it!"

"But how will we pressure the Minister if our paper is shut down, as you think it will be?" Blaise asked.

"They can shut down the Hogwarts Hornblower," Morag said, "but we'll just change the name. If they ban all student newspapers, we'll just copy our important articles and send the out in envelopes. If they stop students from sending letters, we'll buy time on the WWN. We have money in S.P.E.W.'s account, haven't we, Hermione?"

Hermione winced at the idea, while marveling at Morag's legal mind. "That would be taking money away from the House Elves, though," she said slowly. When several people groaned, she capitulated. "All right, we'll move the motion. Be it resolved," she dictated to Luna, "that the executive staff of the Hogwarts Hornblower authorizes the use of funds from S.P.E.W., in the event that they are needed for special purposes.

"Be it further resolved that this special appropriation of funds does not occur after Friday, October 31, 1997. Will someone move and second?"

"So moved," Morag said.

"Second," said Draco.

"All in favour? All opposed? Abstentions? Motion passes," Hermione said, giving Zacarias Smith a skewering look. His had been the only dissent. "Ginny, I'll ask you to find out how much time on WWN is. I'll write the article announcing the nominations. Ron, go find all the Prefects, I'm calling an emergency meeting. Ask them to come here. Regan, please, start planning the protest. Draco, Morag, please write a quick article explaining the role and responsibility of the representatives, as well as what kind of candidates are best. Luna, reorganize the front page articles into a different section, please, and the rest of you, help with layout."

Within fifteen minutes, Hermione's article was ready, a space was waiting for it, the layout was finished, the prefects were waiting, Ginny was explaining the costs of air time, and Regan was interrupting to get extra details about what the protest should be.

Hermione was really nervous as she spoke to the prefects. Looking at them, she realized that if they wouldn't support this, they would have to renege on the plans. Mentally tallying as she spoke, she began to worry.

Blaise had replaced Pansy as the girl seventh-year Slytherin Prefect, and Draco was the boys. They would both be for, but she was worried the fifth- and sixth-year prefects might overshadow them. Either way, it would answer the question of whether or not Death Eater influence in Slytherin had been neutralized or whether the House was pro- Death Eater.

She wasn't concerned about Gryffindor; Colin and Ginny were both for, and the fifth-year prefects would be as well, she was sure. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were iffy- Zacarias had replaced Ernie, and Lisa Turpin had replaced Padma. Lisa was very conservative, and her mother sat on the Board already. Also conservative, although weak-willed and so easily persuaded, was Anthony Goldstein. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw fifth- and sixth year prefects were a challenge to predict.

Ginny was the most likely candidate for Head Girl next year, and a Slytherin could see this as the perfect opportunity to discredit her. As well, the fact that the Head Boy and Girl and the papers staff were spearheading the push may have made the prefects angry.

In the end, the vote went in their favour. The female Slytherin prefects voted against it, which lead Hermione to think perhaps Morag and Blaise would have to work harder. It seemed that Lisa Turpin thought her mother antiquated and had been all in favour for the idea. Zacarias had voted for it, in the end, since he'd had little choice, after Susan and the other Hufflepuffs had voted for. He'd only been a prefect for a few weeks.

She wrote off letters to Frogsmere Academy's Head Boy and Girl and Lemongrass College's Head Girl, explaining the situation and asking for support. Both schools had large numbers of subscriptions, so Hermione express-owled the letters, to be sure they'd arrive ahead of the Hornblower.

The next morning, nominations were opened, to continue until noon the next day. Gossip, usually centered around who was dating or hating who, was now centered on who was seeking nomination. Hermione had been approached before the paper had even been finalized, and she had said no, unequivocally. She didn't have the time. Ron and Draco had said the same thing, while Harry said it didn't interest him. Susan Bones had asked Hermione to nominate her, which she did happily with Harry's seconding. Ron and Regan Miller had nominated Tobias Trubble, on Draco's suggestion a Slytherin representative might go a long way to win Slytherin support for the issue, and then the war against Voldemort.

In actual fact, the Slytherin's seemed fascinated with the idea of electing their representatives, much more so than any other House. The prefects had started a petition for the implementation of students on the Board, and every Slytherin had signed within an hour, even the prefects who had voted against it.

"They've never been given any semblance of control before," Draco explained to her between classes. "We grow up under our parents thumbs, we come to Hogwarts where we are placed under Snape and the prefects and the Head Boy and Girl, and we play sneaky little games to wrestle a bit of control for ourselves. This amazes them, that they could have as much power as you or I."

Most happily of all, the outside media loved it. Dumbledore, in a rare show of solidarity, allowed every journalist who wanted an interview into the school. Rita Skeeter promised Hermione a gorgeous report, and that she wouldn't let the issue die. Hermione sent her in the direction of some clever first- and second-years, knowing the younger the dissent, the better copy it made.

The media was also helpful in that they conveyed reaction from the key players. Fudge had apparently said 'no comment' through an entire press scrum, while Mr. Weasley said that the issue would be reviewed. What that meant wasn't known for sure, but Marigold Walsh said he'd tapped his nose afterwards, which apparently meant he was doing all he could. The Board members had dodged the issue, claiming it was up to the Minister who would be appointed.

In the middle of lunch, four letters came for Hermione. Two were from Lemongrass and Frogsmere, both giving support and asking support- they had decided to take the same action Hogwarts had. One had been from Minister Fudge, telling her to drop the issue, so as to escape punishment. The other, the one she paid the most attention to, was from the Board of Governors.

They had ordered her, by command of Fudge, to stop publishing the Hogwarts Hornblower. A few reporters had remained for lunch, and Hermione happily passed on the knowledge; they had all smiled with ecstatic glee. The hand-picked appointees of the Minister restricting freedom of the press at a time when the country was beginning to scream for democracy? It looked reactionary and scared, and it would make for great copy.

By dinner, The Underground had been born. Where the Hornblower had tried to be reasonable and unbiased, The Underground didn't bother; every article was written to provoke and agitate action. Strong rhetoric listed the abuses the citizens of wizarding Britain suffered; the Frogsmere and Lemongrass letters were printed to show support (in fact, the Lemongrass letter had been signed 'In Solidarity'); punishments that had been doled out by the Heads of Houses were published, in the hopes that the postponement of the Quidditch season would make alumni very unhappy.

By noon the next day, nominations had closed and four candidates began to campaign. Hermione set up a debate/Q&A session, at three-thirty, and invited the media to remain for it. Elections would begin at six and end at eight-thirty. The successful candidates would be announced as soon as all votes were counted, and the tally agreed on by the candidate's scrutineers.

The Underground had been ordered closed after only one edition, but the executive decided to see how far they could push the Board. They prepared the next issue quickly and quietly. Colin snapped campaign photos of the people running, while Ginny wrote out their biographies (sheets had been made available for the students before voting started). Draco and Morag, and now Harry, wrote articles demanding new rights outside Hogwarts, like freedom of the press, freedom of association, and the right to protest.

This last one, the right to protest, was actually to clarify whether or not it was legal to protest- dozens of people had been arrested since the protests outside Gringotts had ended. Regan would lead a march and protest, but he wasn't willing to lead children in one that was illegal, and Hermione wasn't going to let that happen.

The debate went off without a hitch. Susan, Tobias, Su Li and Justin Finch-Fletchley all gave acceptable speeches, considering they were nervous, and managed to debate in a very intelligent fashion. Two items made it to the floor at the debate. Draco moved that gender parity be in place- in effect, that one seat be reserved for either sex. That meant everyone voted twice. The other was to open the voting to Codswallop students, and actually asked them to participate. Both items were accepted, and after dinner the voting began.

The paper staff awaited the result in the Press Room. Ron had an article ready for if Susan won, Ginny if Tobias won, Harry if Su won and Neville if Justin won. They also had a blanket statement from Dumbledore, who had agreed to be the Chief Elections Officer, which would state how many ballots cast, how many each successful candidate had won, and how many spoilt ballots there were.

Draco, Hermione and Ron sat about, talking about the result of the vote.

"If we want the Slytherin's on our side, we have to show them our measures will work. We have to have those seats," Ron insisted.

"Yes, funny. We start out in a bid for democracy and it degenerates into Real Politik," Draco said humourlessly. "Honestly, we don't get these seats by Guy Fawkes, I might actually die. The Voldemort supporters will be back in a flash, with the stench of defeat all over me and a chance to advance themselves."

"But haven't you support from most Slytherins?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, sure, today. But I've been on a steady 'neutral' path all year. I'm obviously anti-Fudge, which keeps Voldemort's supporters off my back, but it means that most others assume I'm with Voldemort. I've been getting a few communications from Voldemort, actually, and I haven't answered. If this fails, it won't matter whose side I'm on, the Death Eaters will be clamouring for control."

With that dire announcement, they began to gather in the Great Hall, where Dumbledore would read the results.

"Eight hundred and seventy-four, or 91%, votes were cast, eighteen spoilt. The results were: Finch-Fletchley, Justin, 332. Trubble, Tobias, 542." People cheered for Tobias and Justin made the point of shaking his hand for the newspaper camera's that were flashing at them. Both were smiling and acting as if either one would have been just perfect. Dumbledore cleared his throat to continue. "Li, Su, 400. Bones, Susan, 474." Again, the process of shaking hands and smiling, and now hugging and excited jumping/squealing sequences, was played out in front of the cameras. They'd never really been adversaries, they had just been putting on a good show of disagreeing.

Hermione sighed with relief. Everyone had done his or her jobs so far. Tomorrow, they'd see how much more they'd have to do.