Transcendence

~ Chapter 10: Ganging up on the Minister ~

Thursday, 31^st July. Early morning.

The Burrow was quiet and the Weasley twins were just beginning to stir from their sleep. Fred was still lazing in his bed but George immediately jumped up to his feet and checked his watch. Both of them were no longer living in The Burrow; just last spring they had built a shed on the property for themselves. Undoubtedly, the shed was also used for their experiments.

"You'd better wake up, Fred, or we won't have time to come back for the celebration later," his brother told him and he groaned.

"Let's take the day off..."

"Even so, we'd have to get a notice up," George pointed out.

"All right," Fred answered grudgingly and removed the pillow that he had used to cover his face since he started to wake. "I think we should go to Madam Rosmerta's for breakfast. Mum was pretty tired after helping that healer bandage the Slytherin. Why Madam Wisp used Muggle medicine I have no idea," he spoke as he crawled out of bed.

"I didn't know that you had a shred of consideration in you," George teased and his twin threw a pillow at him but missed by several inches.

"She's our mum for Merlin's sake..." Fred answered in exasperation. "Did the Slytherin brat wake up after I went to bed yesterday?" he asked curiously but George shook his head.

"Nah... He was still out cold. You would think that after being unconscious for more than eighteen hours he would wake," George commented, his face showing disdain. "How can he be so tired from being trapped in a chair for a few hours?"

Fred answered ten minutes later. He had washed up and was beginning to get dressed. "I forgot that you were nowhere near Malfoy when Wispy came to examine the brat," he said with a twinkle in his eye. By the time the Healer had arrived at their home on the night Draco was brought in, George was off owl-ing his girlfriend of eight months. Cassandra Homes was a Hufflepuff but she was so inconspicuous that no one seemed capable of remembering her until the night George bumped into her at Ollivander's. Seeing his twin's face glow at the mere mention of his girlfriend, Fred smirked. Thoroughly smitten... I wonder when I will get moony... Really enamored.

"Freddie-pie?" George waved his hand in front of Fred.

"What did you call me?" Fred asked menacingly.

"Called you 'Freddie-pie'," George shrugged as he spoke. "Did I say something wrong, partner?" Fred glared unrelentingly, not fooled by his twin's feigned innocent look.

"Don't ever call me that or you'll regret it," Fred said firmly. He could hear the deceptively sweet voice of his ex-girlfriend just thinking about the nickname.

"I wasn't implying anything!" George defended himself.

"Whatever it is, George, don't try to patch me up with my ex." Fred sounded very serious this time.

"Just what happened between the two of you?" his twin asked curiously.

Fred sighed. Of all the times to bring the subject up, he has to pick this morning... "I caught her dallying, all right?" he answered quickly.

"People do that all the time!"

Fred took a deep breath. "Blast you! She did it with another man!"

George went quiet. "I didn't know you could be possessive too."

"Only when I care bro."

"So what did Wispy say when she came and saw the brat?" George steered the conversation in the right direction.

"She said that Draco was exhausted physically. Understandable I guess, after being locked in a big house for three weeks. What Harry told her gave me quite a shock though," Fred told his brother as he brushed his hair. Without waiting for his brother to urge him, he continued. "Harry informed her that Draco was probably drained because he had been placed under the Cruciatus Curse and then, he wrapped a shield on Harry's greasy-haired godfather to absorb the Killing Curse. On top of all that, he conjured up and directed a Patronus too. I think that's what did him in."

"Malfoy... Patronus?! You've got to be kidding!" George was torn between surprise and awe. "He managed to call a Patronus?"

"That's what Harry said but I won't believe it until I see the evidence myself. Come on, we've wasted enough time tal--" Fred tripped on something flurry. "Crookshanks! Sleeping on the steps isn't an ideal place for napping! I almost squashed you!"

"Do you think his face will get flatter?"

"You're being bloody annoying today, twin."

"Just trying to cheer you up," George replied cheekily.

"You're making me feel murderous you nit!" Fred looked down at Crookshanks who was stretching himself. "Since you're here, pass this note on to Mum for us." Hermione's cat gave a small meow and accepted the small piece of parchment from George. It was a message to Mrs. Weasley letting her know that they would be going to work early.

Fred held the door open for Crookshanks so that the cat could go to the main house. Twin cracking sounds pierced the peaceful silence as Fred and George Apparated off to work.

**********

Ron gave a small yawn and turned on to his side. He opened his eyes blearily. Where's Harry? Panic welled in him. Then he berated himself for jumping to conclusions. The rumpled state of the bed next to his assured him that his friend had used it. He's probably gone off to the bathroom... His thought faded as he fell asleep again.

**********

Draco woke up to a warm sensation on his stomach. He slowly opened his eyes and waited for them to focus. The room was dark and he wasn't able to see what was lying on his abdomen. Cautious, he tediously activated his Sight. A smile tugged at his lips when he saw a half-sitting, half-lying body surrounded by a misty blue aura on the bed.

He raised his right arm carefully and wondered why it felt bulky. Well, isn't this curious. Harry's bracelet isn't glowing... Or is there something screening it? He stared at his palm and cautiously called up some light. Slowly, lime-green flames appeared and he slowly moved his hand nearer to the sleeping form. Next, he tentatively pulled his left arm out from under Harry's chest. He breathed a sigh of relief when his lover was undisturbed by his actions. He wanted to surprise his dark-haired boyfriend.

"Isn't it more comfortable if you sleep in a bed, Green-Eyes?" Draco asked as his left hand came to stroke Harry's hair gently.

"I wanted to be with you," his lover replied sleepily. Draco noticed with a slight degree of astonishment that their 'communication' actually sounded much clearer now that they were in close contact. Belatedly, Harry realized that Draco was 'talking' to him.

"You're awake!" Harry exclaimed, immediately pulling himself upright into a sitting position. The raven-haired boy came precariously close to the flames in the Slytherin's hand as he moved.

Draco smiled as he watched his lover's still-sleepy face. He chuckled as he studied Harry's ever-messy hair. "Have you ever considered using Sleekeasy's Hair Potion?" he asked as he watched Harry conjure up a candle above them. Draco let the flames extinguish and he reached for Harry's hand.

Harry was thinking similarly and both smiled as they held the other's hand. "How peculiar..." His lover obviously had noticed the drastic change in hearing their 'voices'. "Well... I did... Hermione's certainly nagged me enough to try and use it, but I don't know," Harry shrugged.

"Why am I all wrapped up like a mummy?" Draco asked quizzically. Harry, without letting go of the Slytherin's hand, pulled his chair closer to the bed.

His lover settled down again in his chair before answering. "You've been Healed the Muggle way. Madam Wisp -- she's the witch who helped you -- told us that the Health Department is rather low in Healing Supplies so the medics have to really plan on how they use their resources," Harry spoke, carressing Draco's palm with his thumb. "The damage done to you wasn't that serious so she just applied this greenish paste on your cleaned wounds and bandaged you up. She forced some of us to learn the Sterilizing Spell and Sev knew how to duplicate the healing paste."

Draco gave a fond smile. "In short, my medical expenses have been reduced." Harry gave a soundless chuckle. Draco's thoughts drifted and perhaps it was the sound of several owls hooting that made him think about his own. "Helios!"

Harry gave him a baffled look and Draco looked at him worriedly. "My owl! I'd totally forgotten about him!"

"Don't get so worked up Drake. I'm sure Nira or Let could find him for you," Harry reassured him, but he was still anxious.

"I can't believe that I was thoughtless!" Draco groaned.

Harry wasn't certain if he should laugh but managed to keep his expression composed. However, he commented in a teasing tone, "But you are a Slytherin."

"That does not apply when it comes to personal possessions!" he protested. Harry laughed softly. Draco sighed and closed his eyes. I just hope the bird is all right. He felt the Gryffindor lean toward him and he hid a smile as Harry initiated the kiss. They ended it several minutes later, gasping for air. The emerald-eyed boy grinned and gave another peck on the Slytherin's broad, pale forehead.

Draco blinked and managed to give his lover a flustered smile. In an almost regretful tone, he spoke, "You'd better get back to your bed. I am sure the Weasleys didn't place you in here. You're probably sharing a room with Weasley."

"Don't you think it's time you call your schoolmates by their first names? Well, I don't mean face to face if you're uneasy about it, but there are nine... no, wait, Percy's moved out so he doesn't count...okay, eight Weasleys here," Harry suggested hopefully.

"If you're insistent about it. But what about nicknames? I've always wanted to call Granger," Harry pinched him slightly, "I mean Hermione, 'Fairy'." His lover looked a little stunned. "What? You thought I couldn't think of decent call-names?" When Harry gave him a sheepish look, he smirked.

"Why 'Fairy'?"

"Would you rather have me calling her 'Badger'?"

"I don't think so... what about Ron?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Well, I admit it was rather hard thinking of something suitable... There was 'Boorish Ron', 'The Magnanimous Sidekick', 'Bamboo'..."

"Be serious!" Harry's frame was shaking with suppressed laughter.

"If you really want to know... it's Ron..."

Harry looked a little disappointed but 'Ron' was a call-name and it was by far the simplest (and kindest) of what his siblings called him. "I guess I ought to return to where I should be. Can't have us spoiling a surprise for the household, can we?"

"Are you sure you really want them to know about us, Green-Eyes?" Draco was getting drowsy again but forced his eyes open to look at Harry.

"Not now, I suppose... but I do want them to know who my partner is..."

"May I point out to you that while telling them is easy, you might find their reactions too hot to handle?" Draco gave his lover a lop-sided smile.

Harry bent down to kiss him again. When his lover pulled back, the green-eyed boy replied, "I won't be dealing with them alone, will I?"

"No, you won't," Draco agreed. His lover was just about to leave him when he tightened his grip on Harry's hand. The Gryffindor stared at him in surprise when Draco kissed his palm. "By the way, Green-Eyes, Happy Seventeenth Birthday."

**********

Later in the morning.

Harry finally woke up when Ron shook him tentatively. His best friend was smiling at him brightly. He realized that he had fallen asleep with his glasses on. Why is he looking so happy?

"Snape must be taking care of you really well mate!" Ron almost cheered.

"What?" Harry was really confused and sat up on the bed, stretching his back.

"Well," Ron sat on the edge of the bed just as Ginny planted herself right beside Harry and gave him a hard squeeze in greeting. "You weren't as hesitant about sleeping in the same room with any of us and you forgot to cast Silencing Charms when you went to bed last night."

I did? "Oh..."

"Seems like you've been getting your beauty sleep!"

"Tell 'dear Ronniekins' that I said 'thank you'." Harry was hard-pressed keeping an impassive face at Draco's sudden insertion.

"I hope you are not getting as forgetful as Charlie, Harry," Ginny spoke brightly.

"What has Charlie got to do with this?" Harry asked quizzically.

"Well... actually... Nothing!" Ginny said cheerfully. "I just hope you won't forget things that are important to you. Forgetting to do something that is obviously routine indicates that there'll be drastic changes in your future," she said, flawlessly imitating Professor Trelawney.

"Don't get ominous now, Gin." Ron shook his head disapprovingly then smiled. "Back to Charlie, you won't believe it but he has actually forgotten to buy things for Mum on separate occasions when she sent him on errands," he said speculatively.

"Maybe he has a girlfriend or something," Harry said then wondered if he had said something wrong when Ron and Ginny looked at him peculiarly. To his relief, Ginny's eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Well, that did not occur to us... Maybe I should ask him while he's still home," Ginny rubbed her hands gleefully as she replied. Then she was off and both boys heard her heavy steps as she bounded off.

"Is it just me, or is she acting really hyper?"

"Must be Dora's influence," Ron answered in dismissive tone.

"Who's Dora? Wait! You don't mean Tonks, surely!" Harry exclaimed and Ron smirked.

"That's what she was tagged after she lost a bet to 'Mione." Ron had answered so proudly that Harry had to chuckle. The third member of the Trio had arrived at the Burrow eight days earlier since Mrs. Granger had thought it would be rather nice for herself and her husband to have a 'second' honeymoon. Mrs. Weasley had chuckled when Hermione showed up at the Weasleys, apprehension clear on her face as she explained the situation with a great deal of embarrassment.

Mrs. Weasley had said, "Well, I could do with one myself, dear. Ginny really wants a sister," and she eyed Mr. Weasley in a contemplative manner. Charlie, who had been listening as he drank his coffee, spluttered all over the table. Mr. Weasley on the other hand, turned as red as a ripe tomato.

Harry shook off his thoughts of Hermione's account and got up to take his bath. Ron stopped him as he was halfway down to the bathroom. He gave an inquiring look and Ron dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Malfoy's already awake and he's downstairs with the rest of them. Dumbledore is here and he said that some people from the Ministry would be dropping by."

What on earth for? Harry frowned. He abruptly asked, "How's Draco behaving?"

"Was that deliberate, Green-Eyes? Or was it a slip of the tongue?" Draco asked sweetly and linked with Harry so that he could watch Ron's expression.

"Drake, it is confusing trying to talk to you and Ron at the same time," Harry said ruefully. He felt Draco's amusement carry over to him but his lover remained silent after that.

"Malfoy? Yeah, he's been acting qu -- Draco?" Ron gaped. Harry aimed a punch at his friend, who swiftly ducked.

"We'll be living together under one roof soon, Ron. I'm really getting tired of calling him Malfoy, and hearing everyone else too."

"What... you mean won't stay here? Until the eighteenth?"

"Yeah. I have some things I still need to learn from Sev... I mean Snape. Moreover, I have yet to pack the rest of my stuff. Somehow though, I have the feeling that I probably will end up here ahead of schedule."

"Have you done your homework?"

"Finished all of it about a week ago," Harry shrugged. "I will get to treat the stay here as a kind of vacation. Then I'll reimburse you for the conversations I owe you."

"Oh yes, I am in total agreement on that and I speak on the behalf of all those living here at The Burrow," Ron replied firmly. "Getting back to the subject about Malf -- I mean Drrrr --" His friend was unwilling to speak the name and a second later, Ron cursed. "As I was saying, the Slytherin was acting quite -- "

"Well and polite," Draco supplied and Harry sighed.

"-- Weird is the word, I guess. He's so... well... well behaved and polite... Mum offered to give him some of Bill's clothes but he declined in a fairly civil manner. Bloody hell! Did you hear me speak, Harry? I must be going mental 'cause I'm beginning to speak like him!" Ron was outraged. Harry couldn't help himself from laughing openly.

**********

At the same time that Ron was complaining.

Draco had stopped eating the pancakes Mrs. Weasley had prepared and was delighting at making Ron suffer, though indirectly. Since he was slightly unfocused as he watched through Harry's eyes, he was unaware that Hermione and Ginny were examining him closely. Snape was watching them as he read the Daily Prophet. So far, the media was unaware of the Dark Lord's latest appearance in Wiltshire.

A small choking sound caught his attention and his black eyes swept the bright dining area for the source. So, it's not Granger or the Weasley girl... Snape deduced from the baffled looks of the two girls. Soft laughter met his ears and it turned out to be Draco. The Potions Master studied his student in amusement and his eyes drifted to the Headmaster. Dumbledore looked very pleased with himself.

Hermione's eyes had gone as wide as a Galleon and Ginny looked stunned. The older girl leaned in to whisper, "I think that our stay in your home is beginning to get very interesting." Ginny nodded distractedly as she watched the Slytherin laugh.

**********

Two in the afternoon.

The occupants of The Burrow -- minus the working adults (with the exceptions of Dumbledore, Mrs. Weasley, Charlie and Snape) -- had just finished lunch when Hermione's clock struck two. Draco had been silent ever since Harry had come down to join the rest of his friends. The Slytherin only spoke when he was spoken to and his answers were short and to the point. Draco had silently confided to Harry that he truly felt awkward being with his distant cousins and he was unsure of how to act around them. Harry had curiously asked his lover why he felt that he couldn't act like his usual bratty self. He had not expected Draco to glare at him during their lunch because of his question. After several minutes of thinking, Harry knew the reason for his lover's displeasure and dropped the subject. It had been twenty minutes of extreme tension with Draco glaring at his secret lover and Harry lost in contemplation. It was only when Hermione chose to stamp down on Harry's foot that the uneasiness was broken.

"Come, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione spoke up brightly after a few moments of exchanging mute signals with Ginny. "I'll help you with the dishes," she offered.

"All right then," Mrs. Weasley answered with a smile. "Girls, let's go to work!"

Five minutes later, all the dishes on the table were cleared and deposited into the sink. Nira popped up after them and joined the other women in the task.

"Efficient," Snape commented and returned his attention to the newspaper.

"It's funny how all of them seem to have forgotten your birthday," Draco commented as he traced over the bandages through his sleeve.

"Hmmm... maybe it's because we haven't heard the bad news yet?" Harry reasoned and Draco shrugged. His action became the focus of curiosity for Dumbledore, Charlie and Ron.

Snape added to the confusion when he spoke without looking up from the Daily Prophet. "Would the two of you stop that?"

"Blessed Rhiannon! He can't hear us, can he?" Draco's eyes were wide.

Harry turned to look at his godfather with a raised eyebrow. He then exchanged a baffled look -- feigned of course -- with Ron.

"I doubt it, Drake,"

Harry answered and looked into the Slytherin's silver eyes while suppressing a smile. He didn't have to worry about that when he heard several cracks outside of The Burrow. Mrs. Weasley left the rest of the washing to Nira as she followed Hermione and Ginny back to the group now standing a little bit away from the table.

Draco looked resigned as all of them waited for the Minister and his people to enter the house. "It shall be interesting to hear what the Minister has to say about the son of Voldemort's right-hand wizard." Snape and Dumbledore gave him similarly speculative looks, Charlie looked a little nonplussed and Mrs. Weasley had turned paled at Draco's direct reference to the Dark Lord. However, it was the reactions of Harry's friends that tickled him most. Ginny was imitating a goldfish quite remarkably, Ron certainly looked clueless, and Hermione had gone a little cross-eyed.

"Was it something that I said?" Draco asked innocently and Harry snorted in reply.

"Professor Lupin!" Ginny squealed in delight when the D.A.D.A teacher appeared.

"There's no need to be so formal, Ginny," Lupin smiled as he spoke. "I'm here for pleasure, not some sort of business."

Harry scowled. "But we heard more of them Apparating in..."

Lupin shrugged. "The Minister and some of his fellows arrived at the same time I did. They're waiting for one of you to invite them in."

"Hmmmm... Why don't we make them wait outside?" Draco suggested lightly and Ron looked furiously at him.

"I don't think you're in any position to speak, Malfoy. For all we know, it may be illegal for us to give you sanctuary."

"You have a point."

"Maybe I should go out there..." Mrs. Weasley began in a preoccupied manner.

"No, I'll do it," Charlie said and moved off to invite Fudge and his lackeys in.

"Too bad Kingsley wasn't among them," Lupin said lightly.

"It is better that way. Cornelius is more than determined to expose the Order," Dumbledore idly scratched his beard as he spoke.

"Just what is his problem anyway?" Ron muttered, rolling up his sleeves absently.

"He's nervous," Draco replied. All of them looked curiously at him. "Since the incident in that... whatever department when he lost his first godfather, the Minister's popularity has diminished. There were even rumors about mutinies in the Ministry because of that." Draco shrugged indifferently.

"Very shrewd, young Draco." Dumbledore nodded his approval.

"He is a Slytherin."

"Yes, I know that Severus."

"Then again, someone who has been idle for the past few weeks ought to have thought of something to pass the time. The Minister's current problems are not that secretive," Snape said in a disparaging tone.

"Professor!" Draco was shocked. Snape smirked.

"Fine! I'm not even going to speak to him after this!" Draco sulked and Harry chuckled. Draco glared at him again.

Charlie was looking very furious as he herded Fudge and some others, all of them wizards, into the area where the rest were congregated. The Minister was looking very, very displeased.

"Oh no..." Ginny groaned when she saw a weedy and frail-looking wizard looking suspiciously at every object in sight.

"Trouble?" Harry inquired softly.

"They had better not think of taking my clock off the wall," Hermione mumbled darkly.

"Are the three of you speaking in some sort of code-language?" Draco's tone indicated that he was sorely puzzled, no longer staring at Harry.

"You know that Mr. Weasley loves Muggle things right?"

"Oh... Do you mean that those are modified Muggle things inside those boxes over there?" Draco pointed his chin at the brown and gray boxes stacked in one corner of the room, just by the staircase leading up to the bedrooms.

Ron was suspicious after having caught Harry and Draco staring at each other several times over the past few hours. When he saw the Slytherin point his chin at the boxes where his father kept most of the Muggle stuff he experimented on, and then heard Harry asking Ginny about the contents of the boxes, his uneasiness that something was happening between his friend and the Slytherin increased.

"What's gotten you angry?" Ron asked his shorter, older brother.

Charlie was fuming like one of his dragons. He gave Mrs. Weasley a sidelong look then mouthed to Ron, "Later." Whatever it was, Ron reckoned that it must be a sensitive issue since he had indicated that their mother shouldn't know about it.

Draco was very thoughtful as he carefully watched the wizard that Ginny had pointed out. The small wizard had broken off from the main group to approach the stack of boxes. I guess this ought to keep him at bay...

"Let... Nira..." he muttered their names softly. His helpers appeared behind him; they were effectively screened from sight by the bodies of Charlie and Lupin. The latter exchanged an amused look with Harry.

"Make sure that that wizard over there doesn't get close to the boxes." His two house-elves disappeared.

"Minister Fudge," Dumbledore greeted politely.

"Has he always resembled a suckling pig?"

Drake asked, examining the Minister from head to toe. This was the first time that he was able to see Fudge at close range.

"He does look as if he's gained a few pounds, doesn't he?"

Harry agreed.

"Professor Dumbledore, may I ask why you did not inform the Ministry of... of... You-Know-Who's whereabouts? And his Death Eaters?" Fudge demanded angrily.

"Just what will you do with them when you meet them face to face, Minister Fudge?" Snape stepped in.

"They will be sentenced to receive the Dementor's Kiss of course!"

"The Dementors are back under the Ministry's control?" Harry asked, scowling openly.

"They are very useful beings Mr. Potter," one of the wizards accompanying Fudge said stiffly.

"They never learn, do they?" Draco's voice was flat.

"How can you say that?!" Mrs. Weasley suddenly gasped. Her children thought she was referring to Draco's statement but when they looked at her, they saw her giving Fudge a disgusted look. "They're... They're... hideous things!"

"Mr. Malfoy -- " Fudge's voice was severely cut off by Draco himself.

"I doubt that I am still a Malfoy after two nights ago, Minister."

"According to the laws of the Ministry, young man," the same wizard who had spoken up earlier interjected. "You are to be placed under the guardianship of your relatives."

"Most of whom are in hiding or with Voldemort."

"Then you will be placed in Madam Kathija's Orphanage in Ireland."

"That's crap! Draco's our cousin and he is with his relatives," Ginny shot back angrily. Draco jumped back slightly in surprise, nearly tripping over Lupin's foot but one of the professor's hands managed to steady him. Ginny was continuing her protest. "Or do you want us to call Tonks for reinforcement?"

"Miss Weasley, this wizard is a danger to our community living in this village," another wizard spoke up in a gentle tone.

"And how is he a danger to us?" Harry inquired, emerald eyes boring fiercely into Fudge's.

"For all we know, he has the Dark Mark! He is probably under the Imperius Curse!" Fudge was shouting so loudly that his voice reverberated through the walls of the house. His shouting had also drowned out five simultaneous cracks; Tonks had Apparated together with Bill, the twins and Mr. Weasley.

The air about Mrs. Weasley was electrified. "THE BOY HAS NO DARK MARK!!!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"What Dark Mark?" Fred had just come in to hear his mother's shout. Ginny caught his eye and she began rolling up her left sleeve, pointed at it before pointing her finger at Draco.

"The brat you mean?" George asked as he came through holding up a very large brown grocery bag. "Don't be ridiculous. If he had been put through the initiation, I don't think he would have survived it."

"Anyway," Fred continued, "Mum helped the healer to wrap him up and I was there as they worked on him. There were no marks anywhere on him except for a bracelet."

"Aha!"

"The bracelet was from me. Don't get excited." Incredibly, Harry's friends didn't really pay attention to what he said.

"You are going to get into trouble with this one, Harry."

"So? I always get away from him, don't I?"

"Huh... You can say that when you were nearly expelled two years ago?"

"Oh! You're up already small cuz!" Tonks pushed Fred slightly; she herself was carrying a large black bag.

"Yes, I'm up already big cousin," Draco answered emotionlessly.

"Where did that come from, Drake?"

Harry asked in amusement.

"Shut up."

The rest of them came in and joined the group to stare at the Minister and his employees. Despite Draco's house-elves, the small wizard that had been trying to get closer to the boxes finally achieved his goal. Mrs. Weasley shot an angry look at her husband but all Mr. Weasley managed to do was give her a tremulous smile. Ginny and Hermione held their breaths in apprehension. The twins maneuvered themselves so that Fred was standing in between Harry and Draco and George was standing in between Harry and Ron. The twins whispered into Harry's ear at the same time, "Watch this, Harry."

"What are the two of you up to?" Ron whispered.

"Just watch Ronniekins. You'll love it," George asserted.

Dumbledore, flanked by Snape, Tonks and Mrs. Weasley approached Fudge slowly. The Minister backed up a step and became more wary when Dumbledore smiled at him.

"I think Draco will be under the guardianship of the Weasleys from now on. With so many people keeping an eye on the young Slytherin, I doubt he could get into any mischief. The Weasley twins will ensure that, I think." Dumbledore was looking expectantly at the wizard who had opened a box.

"What in the -- "

They heard a strange ticking sound.

"Mr. Regan. Please come back here," the wizard with the gentle voice spoke up almost desperately. He blanched when the wizard called Regan placed his hand inside the box. Evidently, it was a mistake to have done so because ear-deafening explosions and huge volumes of smoke erupted from inside the box.

The twins snickered as Fudge and the rest of his wizards rushed to Regan. When the smoke cleared, Ginny giggled as Regan was helped into a standing position. The nearly bald wizard of a few minutes ago now possessed extremely long blond curls that would cause even Rapunzel to be envious. Even Draco was smiling slightly at the sight.

"Just how many boxes went off?" George fretted as his eyes took in the length of the stupendous hair. His twin ignored the Ministry's personnel and checked the contents of the boxes warily, readily armed with his wand.

"Seems like he triggered the entire carton. That means twenty-five packages times four hours," Fred informed his brother.

"So twenty-five times four and then times eight centimeters... " George looked at Hermione for help.

"Eight hundred," she supplied, trying to keep herself from smiling.

"So the wizard now has an additional hair length of eight meters. Eight hundred divided by sixty minutes?"

"Approximately thirteen..."

"Well..." Fred looked a little apologetic as he faced the wizard. "The hair won't disappear for another thirteen hours and I don't recommend you color or cut it." Regan looked mortified.

"I'll sue you!"

"You'll sue us?!" Fred asked angrily.

"We'll sue you for breaching our PROPERTY!" George railed.

"Plus for the damage of packaged joke merchandise which was ready for the market," Bill added shrewdly.

"I am sure there is no need for us to take any legal actions Misters Weasley. I think our business here is done. I am not really clear why Minister Fudge summoned an escort to come here with him so that he could pursue his personal goals," the wizard with the kind voice said and reinforced his statement with a steely look.

Fudge and his wizards went off several minutes later. One of them had to get a Portkey before they could leave because Regan couldn't stand on his own under the weight of the long bundle of hair. Ron cornered the twins, accompanied by the rest of their siblings. Harry and Draco watched with interest.

"All right. What happened to Dad's stuff?" Ron crossed his arms and looked down at Fred and George who were surveying their damaged goods.

"We knew that Fudge would be coming here sooner or later. But Dad, you do have to get some place to keep those telephones and God knows what else. So anyway, George did a little late night switching yesterday," Fred told them. Then he looked at the rest of them. "Please... DO NOT OPEN ANY OF THEM UP!"

"Who would want to?" Ginny scoffed.

**********