The Price of Peace

Chapter VIII

Minister Fudge looked lost after the hearing was over. Dumbledore went up to the dais, followed by the Heads of House. The crowd immediately went quiet.

"I must remind our guests that Hogwarts is in bereavement," Dumbledore stated. The already-quiet crowd went totally silent. "Those who wish to pay their respects to the deceased may do so from Ten-fifteen up until Eleven-thirty and again after lunch, from One until Four. The parents of all the students have decided that a public funeral will be held here in the great hall tomorrow afternoon at Two. At that time, private internment times will be announced."

"Classes are canceled for tomorrow and Tuesday. I presume Mister Cosby and Minister Fudge will provide adequate security for the funerals?" Cosby merely nodded his head, while Fudge did so with a scowl.

"It is a few minutes before Ten, should the families wish to be with their children in private a few more minutes," Dumbledore concluded.

The crowd settled down to discuss the events of the morning, leaving the families to go back to the viewing hall. Harry made no effort to move; he was watching Percy.

"Come along, Weasley!" Fudge called, but Percy did not move. Dumbledore also stopped to watch, but made no move to interfere.

"Weasley!"

"Minister, I. . . ."

"Come on, Weasley! We need to work on my speech for this afternoon."

Percy stood up tall. "I shall have to catch up with you, Minister. I must go to my brother."

Fudge looked at Percy as if he was insane. "Weasley," Fudge then told him seriously, "public officials do not have the privilege of allowing their private grief to interfere with their service to that public. You know where my room is; I suggest you be there by Eleven." Fudge left the room.

As Dumbledore went up to Percy, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw it was George. Bill, meanwhile, was going to Percy and Dumbledore. "Harry," George said, "Mum sent me to collect you."

"Why?" Harry said, blankly.

George almost smiled. "Hasn't it sunk through that thick skull of yours yet? If Mum could have figured out a way to change that hair of yours eternally red, and make you have freckles, you would have been Harry Weasley before you left the house that summer before our fourth year." George put his arm firmly around Harry's shoulder and turned him around. "Now, let's grab your girl and do our duty."

Harry turned and saw that Fred had already collected Hermione. Luna was immediately at Harry's other side as they moved towards the exit. The crowd parted for them all, and soon Harry was back in the entrance hall. The Weasleys were moving off to one side, and Harry saw their destination was Ginny, who was standing next to Neville. Neville was in a hovering, magical version of a Bath-chair, looking very tired. Ginny threw herself into her mother's arms.

Harry and Luna went up to Neville. "How are you feeling?" Harry asked.

Neville shrugged. "About as well as can be expected, I guess," Neville said sadly. He looked at Harry. "No offense, Harry, but you look worse than I feel."

Harry shrugged in turn. "It wasn't your fault the Lestranges attacked," Neville said.

"So everyone keeps telling me," Harry replied. "I know it wasn't my fault, but I still wish I'd been able to do more."

"I know," Neville agreed. "I think we all do." Neville's eyes went wide as he looked past Harry. "The Coven!" he said softly.

"They seem to be after Fudge's blood," Harry told him.

"Then he's in a lot of trouble," Neville said, feeling a mixture of pity and satisfaction.

Neville's Grandmother came over. "Neville," she greeted him. "Mister Potter, Miss Lovegood." She laid a hand on her grandson's shoulder. "I don't know if you intended on protecting those younger students or if you did so by accident, but you did a good job of doing so in any event. By all accounts, you did very well. In fact, you all did." She nodded at the teens and went back to the Coven.

"It's nice to hear," Neville said, "but it really doesn't help, does it?" He looked over at Ginny, now going into the viewing hall with her family.

"No," Harry agreed as he started to push Neville into the hall as well, "it doesn't."

Harry and his friends did not go to the Inquest that afternoon. Molly, Bill, and George Weasley did go, however, as did some of the dead students' family, including Mrs. Truheart.

Harry could not bring himself to care. He stood near Ron the entire time, taking just a few minutes for lunch, watching as the students, and some people from Hogsmeade, continued to come in to pay their respects to the families while others went to the Inquest. Some merely glanced at the bodies; others seemed drawn to them, as if seeing them for the first time, rather than for almost the last time.

After a while, Harry left Luna and Hermione to keep watch, and he approached Nick.

"Young Harry," Sir Nicholas said, with a courtly bow.

"Sir Nick," Harry replied.

"What can I do for you, my friend?" Nick asked.

"Can you tell if they've all . . . moved on?" Harry asked.

"Yes; so far as I know, no one has ever become a ghost when hit by the Killing curse," Nick answered. "We all feared death a little, and we either knew when it was coming, like I and the Friar did, or had some over-whelming need to fulfill. The Lady wished to watch over her lover, even if he had been unfaithful; the Baron and Myrtle wanted revenge of sorts on those who had harmed them. But the Killing curse rips you from your body and throws your soul into the Beyond."

"Thanks, Nick. While it might have been nice for Ron to be here as a ghost, I was a bit worried that one of them might be wandering alone in that valley." Harry's chin wavered a moment, before he steeled himself. "Ron always hated being alone."

"So he did," Nick agreed. "He was a good lad, if not as polite as some in his family." Nick frowned. "I see one overly-polite Weasley finally decided to do his duty."

"Percy? I suppose so." Harry shrugged his shoulders slightly. "It's a shame it took this to shock him out of being an ambitious git."

"He was always thus," Sir Nick observed. "While he was always polite to me -- no one has been politer to me in over a hundred years -- it was never well-meaning. You and Miss Granger have been much nicer, and have really meant it." He thought a moment. "I always thought Percy might have been better sorted into Slytherin, but the Baron always assured me that someone that sanctimonious would have fared poorly. This is a tragedy for the School without recent parallel; we can only hope some small measure of good comes from all this."

"He can never admit he was wrong," Harry observed.

"A true character flaw of major proportions, but one shared by many people."

Something in Nick's voice made Harry look at him sharply. "Let me guess, Sirius and my father."

"Not to the degree of Percy," Nick answered calmly. "I was also much the same while in life, as was the Baron for that matter. Some manage to rise about such flaws. Your father did so in the last year and a half he was here."

"Is that how he became Head Boy without being a prefect?" Harry asked.

"Oh, he was a prefect," Nick answered. "Once young Lupin was revealed to have been a werewolf, he was stripped of the position by the Ministry. Your father was his replacement."

Nick hastened to assure Harry, "Lupin was quite . . . unangry about that aspect of the situation. It took him some time to forgive Sirius Black, but was very grateful to your father for preventing Snape from being bitten."

"Did you know Sirius' younger brother?"

Nick was surprised by the change of subject, but answered. "Regulus Black? Slightly; he was a Slytherin, as most Blacks were." Nick signaled to the Baron, who came over.

"Potter," the Baron said with a nod.

"Harry was asking about Regulus Black. I thought you might have a few words to say of him, my lord."

The Baron sneered. "It is a sad fact, but a fact never-the-less, that many of the Darker students these last six decades or seven have been associated with Slytherin. When I was at school, most were in Ravenclaw."

"That's true," Nick agreed. "There was quite a knot of them in Hufflepuff and even Gryffindor when I was a student. It was a fellow Gryffindor who betrayed me to the Muggle king, and who helped keep me imprisoned until my execution."

"So, I will answer your question," the Baron said, ignoring Nick's aside, "as you've proven yourself a man of force and integrity. Regulus Black should have been the most brilliant student in several decades, had he attended at almost any other time these last two hundred years, but he was over-shown by his brother's class."

"That was the most brilliant class I've seen at Hogwarts in almost three hundred years," Nick agreed.

"Your father and mother, Black's brother, Lupin, Snape, and a few others," the Baron said, "made everyone else look . . . amateurish. And then, coming along three years behind him, your cousin, the most brilliant charms student any of us have ever witnessed."

"And while Regulus Black was an excellent student, he was a poor Quidditch player," Nick said. "Embarrassed himself every year by trying out for the team and failing miserably."

"Aye, he was an easy recruit for the Dark Lord," the Baron said. "He's a very clever man; very smart, too. Powerful, if nowhere in your league; about the same as your late friend, but more wily than any student I have seen in many decades. He's found himself a place, even I have little doubt he had to do every dirty thing to get there. Don't try and trap him, Potter, he would be vicious if truly cornered. My advice to you is either steer well clear of him, or if you are able, show him a trap, and make what you want him to do seem easier than killing you."

"Thank you," Harry said. "Thank you both!" Harry moved off.

"I understand what you see in him," the Baron said. "He's worth more than a dozen of those Malfoys and such."

"You have a good boy in Zabini," Nick said. "And this shunning will put Malfoy in his place."

The Baron grinned. "I promise there will be one being who does not ignore Malfoy's presence when the boy returns."

"And who is that?"

"Peeves," the Baron said with relish.

The Public Inquest went badly for Fudge, but it would take more than that to force him out of office. Mostly, it would take a viable candidate to force him out, and Dumbledore again made it clear he was not one.

It was in those circumstances that Rita Skeeter found Harry and asked him his opinion just before dinner.

"I don't think anyone cares who I think could replace Mister Fudge," Harry answered carefully, knowing Rita would have to report his exact quote since she was in Edward's pay. "I know of several members of the Ministry who have been held back by the current regime. I think someone like Amos Diggory or Arthur Weasley would do very well if they were finally promoted. Madam Bones would do well, too."

Rita removed her quill from the parchment. "Good answer," she said with an acidic smile. "Weasley is seen as a bit eccentric, but Diggory has a chance and Bones an even better one."

That evening, Draco Malfoy got his first taste of being shunned. He and his three companions had shown up at the castle just before dinner started. They had not noticed anything different at first, as they were all hungry and in a hurry to change for dinner.

Once in the great hall, they immediately noticed that their customary seats were filled. Instead, four seats at the bottom of the table, isolated by several missing chairs, were all that were vacant.

"What's the meaning of this!" Draco demanded. "McCloud! Zabini! I asked you the meaning of this!"

With just a little effort, everyone managed to pretend Draco didn't exist. Draco quickly went from surprised and upset to angry and then outraged as everyone at the student tables ignored him. Pansy meanwhile went into hysterics and the two younger boys merely stood there in shock.

Professor Snape strode over to investigate the disturbance. "Draco! What are you shouting about!"

"It appears," Draco stated, in his most snobbish voice, "that my Housemates have decided to move me and my friends to the end of the table as some sort of joke! They will not explain!"

Snape surveyed the scene without moving his head. "Mister McCloud, do you have an explanation for this?"

McCloud looked at Zabini. "Very well," Snape said, "Mister Zabini?"

"Yes, sir?" Blaise asked in an innocent voice.

"An explanation for this treatment, so that we may cease making a spectacle of the House and we may all resume our dinner?"

"The students of Hogwarts, including the members of Slytherin House, have decided that the actions of a certain person, and his associates, have brought disgrace upon Hogwarts in general and Slytherin House in particular. They are shunned, outside the classroom."

"They are what?" Snape demanded, incredulous.

"Shunned, sir."

"You can't ignore me!" Draco yelled.

"Be quiet!" Snape ordered. "Mister Malfoy, you and your friends eat your dinner tonight where there are seats." Draco started to protest, but Snape ordered him to "Sit down and eat! Mister McCloud, Mister Zabini, we will meet with the Headmaster after dinner."

Snape moved to the Gryffindor table. "I presume you know something about this action, Mister Potter, Miss Granger?"

Harry looked Snape right in the eye. "I believe you will find every student is fully aware of this action, sir, and is in agreement with it."

Snape almost growled in frustration. "Very well. The two of you will attend me at the Headmaster's office after dinner." He stalked off.

"I don't think the Headmaster will like this," Katie Bell commented.

"I'm sure you're right," Harry said. "I doubt if we can make it stick to the end of term. I intend to get it to stick as long as possible, however."

A small crowd of students were waiting to meet with Harry and his allies after their meeting with the Headmaster.

"Well?" Millicent Bulstrode demanded.

"There will be a formal shunning of the four students allowed until dinner, Easter Sunday," Head Boy McCloud told them. "After that, it's up to each student." He looked at the Slytherins present. "I rather suspect Professor Snape will have words with any member of our House who continues the practice after that time."

"Mal, err, the leader denies any foreknowledge of yesterday's events," Zabini said. "We pointed out the reasons why we disbelieve him, and why this was just part of a long sequence of events that has separated him and his friends from the general student body."

"Remember," Harry told the group, "and tell everyone else, no harassment of these people. As far as we're concerned, they are objects to avoid running into, nothing more. Obviously, we must all make certain we are not alone with any of these four. One in particular is likely to try and pick a fight. Everyone, keep an eye out for the younger students in general, and for the younger Slytherins in particular. We're all in this together. We're in different Houses, but we are one school."

The group agreed, and went to spread the news.

"Do you really think it will teach Draco anything?" Blaise asked just before he left.

"I hope it at least teaches him that there's a limit to what his family's money and influence can buy for him," Harry answered.

"We can but hope," Zabini said.

Harry went off with Luna as the rest of the group left. He had created a private retreat for the pair of them just inside the entrance a secret tunnel to Hogsmeade that had collapsed several years before.

They merely sat on the sofa for several minutes. Finally, Luna said, "You looked stressed." She turned, and started massaging his neck with one hand while massaging his forehead with the other. Harry's head started dropping, closer and closer to Luna's shoulder, and then even lower.

Harry sighed, finally resting his head against Luna's small breasts. "Why do I feel so calm, so relaxed, when I'm with you?" Harry asked in wonderment.

Luna stroked his hair. "It could be the way our auras meld, to form such relaxing colors," she answered, "or it could just be that we love and trust each other." She kissed the top of his head, and wriggled them around on the large sofa. Harry's head ended up back on her breasts, but he was lying atop of her. "Rest now, my darling. You've had a stressful day, and you might still have a hard night. I'll wake you up before curfew." She stroked his hair with one hand, while rubbing his back lightly with the other.

Harry gave a contented sigh, and fell asleep.

When Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room just before 10:00, he was well-rested (if emotionally still exhausted) and feeling as good as he could under the circumstances. He and Luna had had a long talk, and a longer session of what Harry often teasingly called 'tempting the nargles.'

He was therefore a bit startled at his reception. "What?" he asked the assembled group of eleven girls.

"It's Hermione," Lavender told him.

"She's just pacing up and back, down and forth," a third year whom Harry believed would soon be thought of as the next Loony informed him, "her dressing gown flapping like Snape's robes in a monsoon."

"She wanted to spend the night with Ron, but McGonagall and Ginny got her up here at Nine," Parvati went on. "Then Ginny went back to the Infirmary."

"You're the only person, besides Ginny, she's likely to calm down for," Lavender said bluntly. "Like this morning."

'How did Luna know?' Harry wondered. This had been one topic they had covered. "Let her pace a while longer," Harry said. "I'm going up to shower and change. Once the common room clears out, send her down, and I'll try to talk her into relaxing."

"Sounds like a plan," two of the girls said.

A very drawn, fevered-looking Hermione came into the common room fifty minutes later. "You wanted to see me, Harry?"

"What are you planning to do tonight?" Harry asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone tried to get into my trunk. Were you after my cloak and map?"

Hermione hung her head.

"Hermione, wherever Ron is, he's not down in the viewing hall," Harry said, gently cupping her chin and making her look at him.

"The last time I will ever see him is tomorrow, Harry," Hermione said sadly. "What am I going to do without him?"

"I know you loved him, as well as thought of him as your friend," Harry told her, "but you still have your other friends, even if we can't replace him."

Hermione started the frenzied pacing that the third year had mentioned. "Harry, I know you care for me, and you know I care for you, but you have Luna, and Ginny has Neville. And yes, Luna and Neville are both sweet, but. . . ."

Harry walked over and placed his hands on Hermione's shoulders, making her stop. "Do you know how tired you are? You're running on pure adrenaline and what little sugar you still have in your blood." Harry put his left arm around Hermione, to make certain she didn't get away. He waved his wand, and the sofa near the fire was moved out of the way and replaced by an odd-looking double-recliner.

Just before Christmas, they had learned how to make copies of inanimate objects in Transfiguration. He had seen this in a Muggle store, and bought it for his study at Potter Place. He had practiced copying it over the holidays, so that he could reproduce it in the tunnel room.

Harry took off Hermione's robe, sat Hermione down, and handed her a mug from a nearby table. "I asked Dobby for some more cream of chicken soup. It doesn't have any sleeping potions, but you hardly ate anything at dinner. Drink up, you need it."

Hermione did as she was told, while Harry eased her part of the recliner back to the first position. Harry covered her with a quilt, took off the fuzzy pink bunny slippers Luna had given her for Christmas, and built up the fire a bit.

Harry took off his glasses and slippers, and sat in the other half of the recliner, pulling a blanket over him. He fully reclined. "Now, you know how much you mean to me. I am never going to abandon you, Hermione Granger." He thought a moment. "Nick told me last June that only those afraid to die come back as ghosts, but today he said those with unfinished business do as well. At least I think that's what he meant. I promise, I will do my best to look out for you and Luna, no matter what, even if I have to come back."

Hermione finished drinking her soup and leaned the rest of the way back. "You love her, don't you?"

"I do," Harry said, "but never think I don't love you, too." He wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders, and with a wave extinguished all the lights except the fire. "She cares for you, too."

"Even if it means sleeping with me tonight?" Hermione managed to tease.

"It was partially her idea."

"I don't think she means to share you, Harry. You're lucky it's me you're talking to. There are a number of other girls very interested in you, you know."

"First of all, we all just lost Ron. I know you need me, and I need you. Luna isn't the jealous type. Just close your eyes and rest."

"I'll try," Hermione said, her voice slowing down a tad. "What else is on your mind?"

"Plots and plans, my dear, plots and plans." Harry sighed. "Edward and I have some ideas yet. We'll do our best to get through this mess. And Ron won't go unavenged, I promise."

"Just don't go and get yourself killed," Hermione told him. "A ghostly arm wouldn't be nearly as comforting, and I doubt Luna would like it any more than I do."

Harry kissed the top of her head, just as Luna had done for him hours earlier. Hermione snuggled next to Harry, and fell asleep. Despite his earlier nap, Harry fell asleep a few minutes later.