Phoenix Intuition

Chapter Twelve

Three hours after the press conference, there was another large gathering, this one in the living room of Harry's home. Harry had it set so that its apparent space could be magically expanded, which Ginny had done; it could now comfortably contain twenty people. Present were the entire Weasley family, Neville, Hermione, Pansy, Archibald, Colin, Dudley, Luna, and Kingsley, who had just arrived.

"I want to make it very clear to everyone," said Kingsley, "that I am not here, and I never was."

Frowning, Fred turned to George. "Did you hear something?"

"No," George assured him. "You're having auditory hallucinations."

Amused, Kingsley continued. "You all know that the Aurors would dearly love to see Arthur win, but you also know that the Aurors can't be seen even remotely to be taking sides. Trent would latch onto the least little thing to suggest that we were displaying a preference. Except for Ron and Neville; we think everyone won't be surprised that they have a preference. Partly for that reason, Arthur, they'll be your two Auror bodyguards throughout these two weeks. Trent gets two as well, of course." He glanced at Luna. "By the way, are you here as a reporter, or as yourself?"

With a smile at the phrasing, she said, "As far as the Prophet's concerned, as a reporter. I've been in Arthur's office for a few weeks, and talked to him for a long time, so they decided I should sort of continue that. I'll be with him wherever he goes, even private conversations, planning sessions, things like that. In return, he gets to veto anything I might write. After the Choosing, I'll write a much longer 'behind the scenes' piece. I'll also be working on the one I was originally assigned to write, as what Arthur does will now be considered bigger news. On top of that, I will secretly be doubling as a campaign assistant." Doing no more than a normal witch could do, she added silently.

"In what way?" asked Bill.

She distributed some parchment that she'd brought. At the top of each one, in large letters, was written, 'Arthur Weasley: Man of Honor'. "I used some of the information from my interviews, and my observations. After the press conference, I went home and worked on this. You're going to need a campaign pamphlet; this is a draft of one. Mostly a biography, a slightly flattering one."

A few chuckled as they read. "Yeah, just slightly flattering," agreed Ron. "It sounds like Dad's a lock for the next new Chocolate Frog card."

"You forgot the time he spent with Zeus and the others on Mount Olympus," pointed out George.

"And that he taught Harry everything he knows," added Fred.

"Sorry, I'll put those into the next draft," said Luna agreeably.

"This should do fine," said a smiling Molly. "Thank you, Luna, this is very sweet. Only two weeks around him, but you captured him very well."

"I'm impressed that you did this in only two hours," added Colin. It had really been six hours, but she declined to correct him.

"It needs a picture, of course," suggested Dudley. "One of just him, and one of the whole family, especially with Harry and James. We have to remind people of his connection to Harry."

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am doing that," said Arthur.

"You don't have to, we will," offered George.

"Come on, Dad, you know he'd be fine with it," added Ginny. "He'd campaign for you himself, if he wasn't off being a baby phoenix."

"We all have our things we have to do," said Fred. Brightening, he asked, "Hey, Pansy, Hermione, is there any chance we can get your phoenix friends to make a few appearances on Dad's behalf?"

It took them a few seconds to realize he was serious. "Absolutely not," said Hermione sternly.

"You know how much we want him to win," added Pansy, "but we just can't use phoenixes for that. They would do it if we asked them to, but it would be hugely inappropriate."

"I wouldn't allow it anyway, of course," said Arthur. Looking at the twins, he shook his head. "I can only imagine what you two are going to do in the name of getting me Chosen. I only hope it doesn't cost me more support than it'll get me."

"Dad! You wound us," protested Fred.

"Somehow, I doubt it," muttered Arthur.

"We were planning on taking on the task of uncovering dirt on Trent, the skeletons in his closet," said George.

Arthur looked at George suspiciously. "You're kidding, I hope."

"He'll do it to you," said George, serious.

"I did mention that to your father when we talked about this yesterday," said Dentus. "He pointed out, reasonably, that his whole campaign is based on the idea that he isn't a typical politician. He's going to emphasize that he won't do that, and we'll defend him as best we can against whatever they do. With any luck, it'll backfire, and emphasize Arthur's point."

"I'm serious about this," said Arthur, looking around. "There will be none of that sort of thing coming from this campaign. You can criticize Trent on substantive grounds, things he's done at the Ministry, his hypocrisy, his opposing Harry going into the Ring, that kind of thing. That's okay. But no name-calling, no insults, no looking for something to slander him with.

"Now, as Archibald mentioned, we can expect him to throw mud at me. He won't do most of it personally; it'll be done by his supporters. He tried hard to smear Bright five years ago, but fortunately Bright had lived an exemplary life, and nothing stuck. I myself don't recall having committed any major crimes, but there are some things I will have to explain. For example, owning that flying car that Ron and Harry took to Hogwarts."

"I'll explain that," offered Ron. "I'll say it was all Harry's fault."

Arthur nodded humorously. "That won't be the issue, of course, it'll be just that I did it in the first place. How I am about Muggles will obviously be a big theme of theirs, they'll want to make me look like some weirdo. That shouldn't be too hard, but that's just for openers."

"Our response to that," added Dentus, "should be along the lines that Arthur feels that the wizarding world is too insular, that we need to be aware of the world around us. Arthur is farsighted and forward-thinking; we'll hope for it to be seen as a policy interest rather than a quirky hobby. What he's done at the Muggle Liaison office underlines that point, and you may also want to point to Dudley's discovering of that photo, and the close call that was avoided. Explain that the danger of discovery by Muggles is higher than it's ever been, and that Arthur is the man who can help prevent that.

"Now, there are a few things that everyone needs to be aware of. One of them is related to the fact that with a Choosing in progress, the Ministry is no longer stymied. For these two weeks, the power of the Minister lies with Arthur and Trent; anything they agree on can be implemented. We can expect Trent to issue challenges to Arthur, saying, 'I support such-and-such; I call on you to support it as well, and it can be put into effect immediately.' He'll choose issues and frame the proposed laws in such a way to cause Arthur maximum discomfort, to do what will be wrong but popular, knowing that Arthur won't want to do it. We have to be ready to respond to such things."

Dudley spoke up. "That reminds me of something I wanted to mention. Arthur says you don't have this in the wizarding world, but a few things from Muggle politics could be helpful. One of them is something they call rapid-response. The idea is that as soon as Trent makes an accusation, we come up with a response very quickly. You don't have twenty-four-hour TV like in the Muggle world, but it's still a good idea."

"Yes, I agree," said Dentus. "There needs to be a place to get the most current information, and it should be here. There's no need to worry about spies, since the house detects Polyjuice users, and we all have Apparation and fireplace authorization. Ginny, I was thinking that since you won't be going out much, for safety reasons for you and James, it could be your responsibility to keep track of the latest information from both sides, and supply it to people as needed. Now, as I was saying, we will be making leadership challenges to Trent's side as well; developing those will be one of my main responsibilities. The first one, which I rather like," he added with a smile, "is that Arthur will challenge Trent to sign a measure which will provide immediate Ministry funding to help the people in Diagon Alley who lost their businesses in the dragon attack, or whose businesses suffered extensive damage. I know from my Ministry contacts that Trent was planning, in his first speech as Minister, to unveil just such a proposal. He wanted to do it himself; politicians love to be seen giving money to popular causes, they look like great benefactors and it helps their popularity. Trent won't want to do this in cooperation with Arthur; he'll want to do it himself and take all credit, so he'll look for ways to avoid agreeing. In the meantime, Arthur and the rest of us can beat him up for not helping those poor unfortunate victims, and so forth. That'll be a big early theme."

"I'm not crazy about this," added Arthur, slightly abashed. "It seems too much like making political hay out of misfortune. But the fact is he should agree, and shouldn't make those people wait two weeks to get Ministry help just so he can take credit for himself. I'll do it, since it's what I would do anyway. Here, it just so happens that good policy is also good politics. I want everyone to be clear that this isn't only for campaign purposes."

"I have a question," said Ron. "I won't really be asked, I suppose, since I'll be protecting you, but what's the answer we're supposed to give when people ask us why you challenged Trent to the Choosing when it's so likely you'll lose? Do we just go with the 'he wants to give people a choice' thing, or do we get more specific about why Trent is so bad?"

Dentus answered. "Just give the choice answer, and that Arthur would be a better Minister. Only talk about Trent's bad points if someone asks specifically what's wrong with him. And always, always challenge them on the assumption that Arthur's bound to lose. Don't accept that as a premise. I know it's highly likely, but really, anything is possible, and to be perceived as a preordained loser wouldn't even allow his campaign to ever have a chance. This should be a big theme: 'you might be surprised at what can happen if people have a chance to get a Minister who thinks about their interests above his own political interests.' Turn Arthur not being a standard politician into an asset. You can also mention that the Choosing is the only way for someone who isn't a traditional politician to have a shot at being Minister, so Arthur is putting himself on the line for them, which he's done before, in the fights against evil. That kind of thing."

"So Ginny's not going to campaign?" asked Dudley.

She looked at him unhappily. "I want to, but I think there's still someone out there with a grudge against Harry, and James and I are the next best targets. Even if I didn't mind the risk to myself, I have to protect myself for Harry and James' sake. So I'm going to stay home for most of the two weeks, and mainly just give fireplace interviews, and interviews to Luna. I'll probably go out with Dad in the last two days. I know I can be useful because I can speak for Harry better than anyone. But Mum and Dad don't want me to be too big a target, and I can understand that."

"There's one more thing everyone should know," said Dentus. "I will be out some of the time, but most of the time I'll be here. I'm taking a two-week leave from my duties as Hogwarts' History of Magic teacher, and Amelia Bones will be filling in for me. She supports Arthur, but she doesn't want to campaign for him, because she feels that Trent is far more likely to win, and she'll have to deal with him in the future. She's just going to sit this campaign out. What she's doing is helpful, though, since it'll allow me to help with the campaign full-time."

"Speaking of which," said Arthur, "Dudley, Colin, I want you at your jobs for the next two weeks as usual. No campaigning. The situation is still precarious, and I need your eyes on it. I'll be in from time to time as well, I don't think I can campaign all the time. Understand?"

Reluctantly, they nodded. "I almost wonder why we bother, since no one's going to try to find out if a wizard was responsible for the sarin gas thing," said Dudley. "I know, partly because of what I found the other day. I'd rather campaign, though."

"If you find convincing evidence, we'll do something about it," Arthur assured them. Aha, a challenge, thought Dudley.

* * * * *

Luna was pleased that everyone had liked her glowing biography of Arthur, and she was happy to be able to contribute to what Arthur was doing in a way that didn't require any particular magical ability. He'll probably still lose, she thought, but at least I can help a good cause. She fleetingly wished that she could use her special abilities to just make him Minister, but she knew that it would be very wrong, and that such thoughts would fade as she became accustomed to her new abilities.

She was curious as to what had happened to Harry. What was he doing now? How were the phoenixes taking care of him? How does it work, when phoenixes die and are reborn? After Harry had become a phoenix, Luna had worked out that the First was also one, and had appeared young because he had died and been reborn. Clearly they kept their memories, since he remembered Dumbledore. Now very curious, she decided there was only one way to find out.

In her bedroom, she focused on becoming an Animagus, on becoming a phoenix. It happened in a very short time, as it had with Harry. She felt herself changing, and her first impression was that the room had become a lot bigger. She took flight and teleported outside. It was dark, but it didn't matter. She loved the feeling of flying, and she noticed the connection to the spiritual realm that Harry had talked about. She noticed it faster than he had, because she had more experience with it. She sent out impressions. Are there any other phoenixes around?

Of course, came back the response. We are always here. We welcome you.

Where are you? I'd like to see you.

Luna got an image of the Earth as seen from far above, viewing the section she knew was the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. The view approached the surface until it reached a small island. She got the impressions that humans didn't know about it. She now knew how to get there; she teleported, and was soon flying low in the air, in a bright morning sky. She flew down and landed among dozens of other phoenixes. She marveled at the beauty of the scene.

Where is Harry?

You can see him if you want, but he cannot communicate with you. He is still too young, just an infant.

Luna knew a phoenix was sending the impressions, but she had no idea which one.

I am the one who is bonded to Harry as a human.

Fawkes. What do you mean, he is an infant? Is he still Harry?

He will be who he was. He must grow first.

He can't send impressions?

His mind is not yet developed enough. Only the most basic thoughts are possible.

What happened to his memories, his knowledge, all that he is?

It is there. Not within him; it is with us.

How is it with you?

Luna struggled to comprehend the images and impressions Fawkes sent her. She might not have understood it as a human, but as a phoenix, it made sense after a minute. Phoenixes possessed a group consciousness in addition to their own individual consciousnesses. If one phoenix knew something important, every phoenix knew it. Each phoenix contributed to the group consciousness and could access it. Harry's consciousness and memories, both as a human and a phoenix, were being stored in the phoenixes' group consciousness. As his body grew from infancy and his mind matured, more and more of his consciousness and memories would gravitate to his body, until his body matured, at which point it would all return.

How long will it take?

About two revolutions of the moon around the earth. Included in the impression was the sense that phoenixes wouldn't think about how long anything took, or think about time. It would take how long it took. They indulged Luna because they knew humans thought in terms of time.

Luna stayed for a while exchanging impressions, as Harry had the first time he had become a phoenix. Completely wrapped up in the experience, she gradually noticed that it was becoming twilight, which meant that it was probably morning in England. She was supposed to spend the day with Arthur, and she hadn't slept.

She changed back to human form to consider what to do. After a minute, the solution occurred to her. Like Harry, she could do anything that could be done by magic. That included artifacts, since Harry had copied the effect of the time-stopping artifact. She remembered another artifact, one that had figured prominently in a story Harry had told her once, of how he rescued his godfather from a death sentence by dementors. It was called a Time-Turner. Focusing on the effect she wanted, she propelled herself back in time to just after she became a phoenix and left her home. She knew that she could do this safely so long as she didn't attempt to cause changes in the timeline she had already observed, but since she had spent all that time as a phoenix, it clearly wouldn't be as issue. She teleported to her bedroom, then remembered one more thing she'd planned to do.

She Apparated to the living room of Harry's home; her remote eye told her that Ginny was in the kitchen, having a snack before bed. Ginny looked up in surprise as Luna walked in. "Luna! I thought you'd gone."

"I had, but I remembered something I wanted to ask you." Luna hesitated, then said, "I was wondering if I could borrow that book Professor Dumbledore wrote Harry. I think I could particularly use it right now."

Luna could see the caution in Ginny's eyes. "I don't know... I trust you, but I don't like the idea of lending it out at all, and especially when Harry's not around to have a say."

Luna nodded. "I understand. It's just that... Professor Snape thought it would be helpful to me. He said I should tell you that it was his idea that I read it."

Ginny made no attempt to hide the surprise on her face. Luna could tell that Ginny had a connection to Snape that most people didn't know about. She could also tell that Ginny was very curious what Luna's connection to him was, but wouldn't ask, for the same reasons she wouldn't want others to ask about hers. Finally, Ginny nodded. "Wait here. I'll go and get it."

* * * * *

The lights were off, and he'd said goodnight to Molly, but Arthur lay in bed awake. He had risked his life before, but there was something even more intimidating about the process he'd submitted himself to. He would be on display, almost to the maximum extent possible, for the next two weeks. He normally worked in anonymity, and he liked it that way. He had little experience in soliciting people's approval, and he would have to do that, with great intensity. Every aspect of his life would be up for public review. He would be attacked without mercy, and so would his family. He would have to deal with it calmly, not lose his temper like Trent had when Arthur had announced his challenge. Fortunately, staying even-tempered was one of his strong points. He wryly glanced at his sleeping wife. Married to her, he thought, it has to be. He tried to put it all out of his mind, but it was another hour before he fell asleep.

* * * * *

Dentus awoke at six o'clock in unfamiliar surroundings, but soon remembered where he was; he was in one of the guest rooms in Harry's home. He and Arthur had agreed that it would be too inconvenient for him to have to always enter and leave Hogwarts, from which one couldn't Apparate.

He got dressed and Apparated to the offices of the Daily Prophet. He couldn't get the early edition of the Prophet delivered while he stayed at Harry's home, since no one knew where it was, and he didn't want to wait for an owl. At the Prophet, he recognized most of the people in the lobby, who'd come for the same reason as he. Most worked in the Ministry, where Dentus had spent most of his career before becoming a Hogwarts professor five years ago.

"Undersecretary!" greeted a man named Edward Stratton. Stratton was a department head, though not an undersecretary, as Dentus had been. Most Ministry employees Dentus ran into who weren't on a first-name basis with him addressed him by his old title. Stratton had once worked for Dentus, so they knew each other fairly well.

"Edward," said Dentus, shaking his hand. "Good to see you."

"It's been, what, a year?" said Stratton. "Hogwarts is secluded, so I don't see you around much."

"I poke my head in every now and then, but don't roam the halls too much," agreed Dentus. "I did retire, after all."

"You quit in protest, but let's not nit-pick," replied Stratton humorously. "So, you couldn't talk Weasley out of doing this?"

"I did try," admitted Dentus. "He's determined. I admire him for it, given what he's up against."

"Did you tell him there's no chance he can win?"

Dentus became aware of a few people loitering around; he knew that whatever he said would probably get back to the Ministry. "Honestly, Edward, I don't know that there's no chance he can win. I think his background of fighting Voldemort helps him a lot, with what's going on now. I think people will respect someone who's actually stuck his neck on the line. You never know what people are going to do, and it's been a very long time since there was a Choosing."

Stratton smiled a little. "Most everyone thinks you have something big on Trent you're going to drop two days before."

"We're not doing that. If anyone in our camp does, he'll be shoved out. Arthur's made that very clear."

Stratton shook his head, amazed. "It's like you're fighting with both hands tied behind your back. It's going to be a question of how much punishment you can take."

"Not exactly like that. We're hoping that people will respect Arthur's stand on that, and give us credit."

Stratton grunted. "I wouldn't bet on that. Speaking of which, the goblins are already taking action on it. Would you like to guess the opening over/under for Weasley's vote?"

"Hmmm... I'll say, thirty-four."

"No, it's twenty-five."

"Twenty-five?" repeated Dentus, incredulous. "They must be kidding. I'll take some of that. Seriously, I'd put a few hundred Galleons on it." The goblins would take even-money bets on what percentage of the magical energy would eventually go to Arthur; they clearly assumed that half of the betting money would say that Arthur wouldn't break twenty-five percent, and half would say he would. "Do you think the goblins are taking into consideration that we should get most of the love-magic vote?"

"I'd imagine they are, they're not stupid," agreed Stratton. "But you have to figure that at the beginning, they're going to err on the low side. They're more afraid of too much money on the favorite than too much on the underdog. It'll be interesting to see what direction further betting pushes it, if any."

"This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to bet on Arthur," suggested Dentus. "The money's going to disproportionately go towards Trent, just because most of the people with the big money know him."

"And how ruthless he is."

"Yes, there is that," conceded Dentus. "But I really do think that'll help us. It doesn't look good to maul a fluffy bunny rabbit."

Stratton chuckled. "Maybe. But right now, I think people are in the mood for someone who doesn't mind doing some mauling."

"Just as long as they maul the right people." Dentus accepted his copy of the paper, and paid. "Well, I must be off. Good to see you again."

"You too," said Stratton. "If you're serious about betting, you want to go to Gringotts soon, before the line changes." Both Disapparated.

Dentus Apparated in Harry's home, and walked to the kitchen. To his surprise, on one of the long counters--there was no shortage of counter space in Harry's kitchen; Molly had seen to that when the home had been designed--there was a row of plates, each one with a meal's full of food: sausage, bacon, eggs, and toast. A Warming spell had clearly been placed on them so they wouldn't go cold.

Ginny walked into the kitchen and saw his expression. "That's from Hogwarts. Hermione's contribution is that she got the Hogwarts house-elves to put together some extra meals for us, since this is going to be the campaign headquarters, and Mum and I will have better things to do than cook and go shopping. We'll be getting ten breakfasts, lunches, and dinners every day, and there's lots of drinks and snacks in the fridge."

Dentus smiled. "I'd bet the Prophet would love to find out about that."

"Hermione explained to the house-elves that it's one of the secrets they need to keep," agreed Ginny.

Dentus took a plate and sat down to eat and read the paper. The front page was split in two, vertically, down the center: the headline for the left side was, "Arthur Weasley Challenges Trent To Choosing," while the right side read, "Harry Potter Saves Trent, Reborn As Phoenix." He spent the next half hour reading the paper carefully and thinking about what he hoped the next day's headline would read, knowing that those in Trent's camp were doing the same.

* * * * *

It annoyed Trent that Weasley would spend the next two weeks more safely than he would, even though he now had Auror protection. He declined to have the Aurors stay in his bedroom, though the Aurors' Apparation detection would now focus on his home, and any Apparation in his home between ten p.m. and six a.m. would instantly bring four Aurors, as well as the two that would be in the next room. He didn't know that he and the other undersecretaries had been under such protection at night since the two undersecretaries were killed; Kingsley hadn't wanted to give Trent the satisfaction of knowing. If Trent wanted to play rough, Kingsley could, too.

Trent fielded fireplace calls from aides and Ministry supporters as he ate; Anne barely got to talk to him at all. She heard an aide remind him that they would have strategy sessions in his office twice a day, at eight a.m. and five p.m. The times were chosen because the Prophet would have an extra evening edition throughout the two weeks of the Choosing; it would only be four or eight pages, containing all the day's Choosing news, and its deadline would be four-thirty. The meetings would be timed to discuss how they wanted the next edition's articles to read.

He gave her the usual perfunctory kiss on the cheek, and Disapparated. An idea came into her head; she would have preferred it hadn't. A long time ago, shortly after they'd been married, he'd given her a gift. It was two pictures of them, in charmed frames. One would be kept at home, and the other, in his office. By tapping the frame with a wand, each would be able to hear what was happening in the room where the other picture was. They could make an appointment to talk at certain times, or one could listen to the other go about their business if they wanted to. It had seemed very nice and romantic at the time, but the utility of the frames had fallen into disuse, even if the frames hadn't. She knew that at least once, he had used them from home to listen in on aides' conversations about him held in his office, and she hadn't liked him using them for that. Now she considered using them for a similar reason. Part of her didn't like the idea, but she felt she should know what her husband was planning on doing. She felt like an unwilling accomplice in whatever he was planning, and that willful ignorance was as bad as complicity; worse, in that it was cowardly. She tapped the picture with her wand.

At eight exactly, she heard voices. Her husband spoke first. "All right. The first challenge I'm going to make is the one we talked about last night, about the Aurors. The talking points, remember, are that the Aurors' budget will be increased. We don't mention the two Ministry observers who the law would empower to walk around the Aurors' compound, and if the press does, you know the routine."

"They're there to help the Aurors, make sure they have what they need, that sort of thing," said an aide. "Weasley will oppose it, and we say he's not doing what he needs to, to help the Aurors."

"Especially in this dangerous time, people being killed, et cetera et cetera," said Trent. "Now, the other thing we talked about last night. We have to lose no time going after Weasley personally. Can we make anything of the fact that he and Percy weren't speaking when Percy was killed? Bad father, not supporting his son, like that?"

Listening, Anne closed her eyes and cringed; it was even worse than she'd feared. Bad enough to use a family tragedy like that, but worse was her husband's tone. This was a routine matter, just another piece of business. Anne imagined the pain it could cause Molly Weasley, a woman she knew only vaguely from social functions, but respected.

"Unless there's something to hang our hats on, we have to be very careful with that one," said an aide. "So far, there's nothing firm; the best we can do is some whispering, and remind people of what was going around at the time. Percy supported the Ministry, and his father ostracized him for it, partly because his father was jealous of Percy's rapid rise in the Ministry. That was Percy's story, at least, but it works for us. Low-key, we know who to go to. The most gossipy Ministry wives."

"Anne won't get involved in this, I suppose," said another aide.

"No, but I wouldn't want her to anyway, it's better if her fingerprints aren't on anything to do with this. Also, she's happy not to know about things like this, and I'm happy not to tell her. I don't need the grief. Anyway, work on the kids, especially the two youngest. If we can get anything on them--"

"Roger, I think that's a very bad idea," interrupted the most senior aide. "Potter is probably coming back, and he's got magical power coming out of every orifice. We're talking about his best friend and his wife. If we lay them out, he'll make it his personal mission to destroy us. He could make any of us disappear with the flick of a wrist."

"He's not going to do that. He can't use that power to do things he knows are wrong, you know that."

"If we go after his wife and friend, his notion of what's wrong might get very flexible. Do a risk-benefit analysis. It's just not worth it."

Trent audibly sighed. "All right. Nothing personal, though if you get something really good, bring it to me. But public stuff is legitimate. I'll want to know why Ron didn't get one of those shields up around me yesterday, and of course we insinuate that it was because he preferred me dead."

"It doesn't make much sense, since Potter saved you."

"Sure, it can. Noble phoenix, crass human. Needless to say, we don't come close to criticizing Potter. But we're going after Granger, too, and not personal, either. We have a few things on her, but not just yet. First we get Weasley to say how great she is, how he supports her, which he will. Get him on record; we do that today. This morning I'll say I think Hogwarts needs a new headmaster. Not attack her directly yet, just that she's too young. Make him defend her.

"And be sure to get the Ministry mobilized. That's the job of the other undersecretaries who support me, but make sure they do it. If anyone in the Ministry says a word about how they prefer Weasley, or even that they're ambivalent, I want to know about it, because that person's career will go nowhere fast. All right, let's go."

The picture frame was silent, and Anne Trent held her head in her hands. He was right, she thought, I didn't want to know that. But now I do, so what do I do?

* * * * *

"What's going on?" asked Arthur, bewildered, as they walked into Harry's living room. "I'm out in Diagon Alley, talking to people, actually doing fairly well, I thought, and you pull me back here?" Ron, Neville, and Luna were also present, as all three would be shadowing him for the next two weeks.

"Trust me, Arthur," said Dentus. "Molly?"

"Arthur... a half hour ago, I got a fireplace call at the Burrow, from Anne Trent."

Arthur's eyebrows went high. "What was it? An offer, some kind of back-channel communication?"

Very serious, she shook her head. "She overheard her husband talking to his aides, doing campaign planning. She said they're planning on going after our whole family, making issues of whatever they can find, no matter how personal. She said they're going to start with Percy, to see if they can embarrass you somehow, about the situation when he died."

Arthur was solemn. "Archibald did tell us that that would happen, we understood that. But why did she tell you that?"

"She talked for a while, about ten or fifteen minutes, then she got pulled away, people came to get her for campaigning. But the gist of it was that she hates that he's doing that, she feels it's immoral. She said the least she could do was warn us about what would happen. We could develop a response, maybe discourage Trent from doing that kind of thing."

Arthur looked at Dentus, silently soliciting his opinion. "Of course, there's the question of whether she's genuine. Only Molly can make that call, and she thinks it is. It's certainly plausible; Anne Trent is well-regarded in the political community, as you both know. She's not arrogant or driven, like her husband is. It could well be genuine."

"I really think it is, Arthur," said Molly. "It just sounded right. It was in her eyes, her voice. She said not to get her wrong, that she loves her husband and wants him to be Minister. She said that he expects to win by a big margin, so she doesn't feel that guilty in telling me something like this. She'd rather he didn't do it, but it's not something she can talk him out of. She thinks it's wrong to attack people who don't deserve it just for political gain. I told her I agree, of course, and thanked her for what she told me. She said that if she hears about anything else personal that he plans, she'll let us know."

"Molly's told me that she also mentioned Hermione, that she's a big target," added Dentus. "He's counting on you to back her up, and then will take a big swing at her that could hurt you."

"Well, I am going to back her up, obviously," said Arthur. "She's done a great job as headmistress."

"Of course she has, but the Skeeter and Umbridge things are lurking out there, and someone threatened her with a Pensieve memory. Some things could make her look quite bad."

"Those things happened when she was fourteen, fifteen," argued Arthur. "She can defend herself against that, and I can just say that it has no bearing on now, that she's performing well as headmistress, and dismiss them as politically motivated attacks. I'm not going to hang Hermione out to dry."

"The things you just said are true, Arthur, but it's less a question of their truth than the perception they cause--"

"Yes, I know, most people make judgments on the basis of outward appearances, not stopping to look beneath the surface or to consider the complexity of the situation. But what should I do, criticize Hermione? Refuse to comment? Sorry, Archibald. Maybe this is just where he wants me to go, but I'm going there anyway."

"All right," agreed Dentus. "Look, Arthur, you know how highly I regard Hermione. I'm just telling you what's what. I'm not going to quibble with your decisions, but I will make sure you're fully informed of their consequences."

"I know."

"Before you get back out there, one other thing. Not long ago, I put a thousand Galleons on you, with the goblins, to exceed twenty-five percent in the Choosing."

Arthur's mouth hung open slightly. "Is that legal? Or ethical?"

"Yes, and yes, as long as it's public."

"Or wise?"

Dentus grinned. "I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I think twenty-five is a bargain. I expect to win, but I don't need the money that much. I do have quite a lot more than that saved. I did it partly to make a point, and I let it be known to some of the reporters. It's my way of saying that I have confidence in your campaign, and since I'm your adviser, it hints that I know something that others don't know. That in itself might push the number higher. That number represents the expectation that the public--all right, the betting public--has of your chances. The higher that number is, the better. Perception isn't everything, but it's a lot. Support could start breaking toward you if people think you have a real chance to win. Right now, they don't think that. There isn't much you can do about that other than campaign and do your best, but again, these are the facts of the situation."

"Your betting based on inside knowledge wouldn't be unethical?"

"The only way my betting would be unethical is if I bet against you," said Dentus with a small smile. "There should be nothing I know that Trent's people don't. If there is, it just means they're not doing their jobs. Believe me, it's anything but unethical. The goblins know who I am, they could have turned me away if they wanted to. I'm only telling you this because I want you to be ready if a reporter asks you about it."

"What if a goblin asks me about it?" joked Arthur.

"Tell him that you're going to tell your friends that betting on you is a bargain."

* * * * *

U.S. Secretary of State Bob Rogers sat in his office, lost in thought. As he did every day, he thought of the mysterious man who'd insisted that he take a hawkish line towards Iran in his discussions with the President. The irony was that this man had gone to so much trouble, killed a young woman, and to this point it had hardly made a bit of difference. Especially after the sarin gas attack--or, ten-twelve, as it was starting to be called in the media--the President had needed no encouragement to be hawkish towards Iran. Sometimes, Rogers reflected, events take on a life of their own, and only people in true positions of power, like the President, can alter them. Even Kenneth Barclay, the British Prime Minister, was nearly powerless to affect events. All he could do was get England out of Iraq, and that would have profound consequences. England would lose what influence it had on U.S. foreign policy. Right then, it was admittedly not much, but that was because of the sarin attack. Some punitive action was favored by a majority of Americans, though not an invasion.

Davidson entered and sat. "I so hate to see a grown man beg," he said facetiously.

They had met an hour ago with the British ambassador to the U.S., who had implored them in the strongest possible terms to use restraint when dealing with Iran, which was poised to invade Iraq and involve Britain in a war which it very much did not want. "I'm sure Sir Philip would object to your characterization, but I'm not sure I would," replied Rogers with equal humor. "Then again, I don't really blame him. The 'special relationship' is stretched very thin, far too thin for comfort. I don't think he cared for it when you pointed out that if Britain had suffered such an attack, their popular opinion would be closer to ours."

"Be that as it may, we deal in facts, gentlemen, not hypotheticals," intoned Davidson, mimicking the Brit's accent. "No, he didn't like it. But he's also right, this is what we're stuck with. The President didn't give any hint of what he's thinking?"

Rogers, having just returned from a meeting with the President, shook his head. "You know he hardly ever does that. No, I don't know much more than the press; at least they get to ask him questions, even if he doesn't answer them much. 'No options are off the table,'" he muttered, repeating what the President had said the day before when answering a few reporters' questions at a photo-op. "If I'd been a reporter there, I'd have said, 'Mr. President, do you mean that the option of invading Iran, mass-raping their teenage girls, and forcibly converting them to Christianity is not off the table?'"

Davidson chuckled. "Wonder what he'd have said. Unfortunately, no reporter is that eager to lose his press pass."

"Anyway, my point is that my sense of what our president is thinking is very opaque at the moment," continued Rogers. "If Iran were a normal country, they'd cooperate enough to give us a face-saving way to back down, not that the President would necessarily take it. But they're just as aggressive as ever. Anyway, the President just asked me if I thought that Iran was serious about its implicit threat to invade Iraq if we do any punitive bombing. I felt like telling him he'd get just as accurate an answer by asking a Ouija board. I gave all the appropriate caveats, which he hates but I do anyway, and said that I didn't think they'd really do it." Noting his subordinate's surprise, he went on, "Well, really, I don't. They have to know we'd flatten them. There'd be bombing sorties day and night. I don't think they want to suffer that kind of damage and loss of life just to make us look bad to the rest of the world."

"Well, yes, but these are religious zealots."

"Hence, the caveats. I really do miss the Soviets. We wanted to live, they wanted to live. We had something in common, we understood each other. You just can't deal with some schmuck who doesn't care. Makes my job much harder, anyway. But yes, I think that while we might have seen our presence on their doorstep as something that gave us leverage, they seem to see some leverage in it for them; they can threaten us directly in a way they otherwise couldn't. But following through on that threat is another thing entirely. We could ruin their country. I just don't see it."

Davidson nodded. "I very much hope you're right."

* * * * *

The day had gone roughly as Dentus had expected it to. Trent had agreed in principle to Arthur's challenge to help the Diagon Alley dragon victims, but said he would have to see the specifics of Arthur's proposal first. Dentus knew it was a delaying tactic, and so spent most of the afternoon drawing up the proposed legislation while Arthur campaigned. To counter Trent's whispering campaign about Percy, Luna quickly wrote a Weasley family history story that would go into that evening's Prophet; it included Arthur and Molly's version of what had happened with Percy, and their great pain at his loss. They had to hope that would shame any whisperers, and counter impressions formed by those who had already heard Trent's version. Many in Arthur's campaign complimented Luna on the article, especially how fast she had written it. ("I had a lot of it done already," she had explained, telling herself that she'd have to be careful not to appear to write too fast.) Also, as expected, Trent had suggested that Hermione be replaced as Hogwarts headmistress, and Arthur had refused, saying that she was doing an excellent job.

The next day, a Saturday, Dentus again Apparated to the Prophet's office to get a copy of the morning's paper. To Dentus's surprise, the publisher of the Prophet, Bernard Callum, Apparated down to meet him. They exchanged greetings, and Callum guided him through the hallways to his office. Upon entering, Dentus saw a Pensieve sitting on Callum's desk. "I'd like you to have a look," he said solemnly.

Dentus did, and was unhappy to see that they were memories that cast Hermione in a very poor light, the ones she said she had been threatened with. One was of the meeting she'd had with Harry and Skeeter at the Burrow, which amply illustrated that Hermione had blackmailed Skeeter for two years not to write. The other was a talk the six had after Harry had discovered that Snape had killed Skeeter, a fact mentioned prominently in the talk. He left the Pensieve.

"It will save me some time and effort if you will tell Headmistress Granger that I am in possession of this," said Callum. "Needless to say, this will be described and transcribed in the evening edition of the Prophet. She has ample time to comment before then; we will be asking her if the memories are genuine, where she believes they came from, that sort of thing. The earlier, the better."

"Where did you get this?" asked Dentus, thinking he knew.

"As you know, I won't tell you that. I will only say that I have reason to believe it did not come from the Trent campaign."

"You don't even know where it came from?" exclaimed a very surprised Dentus. "How can you even use it, not knowing where it came from? Who knows how this was obtained? The second one especially had to have been taken by force, none of the six of them would have given it up. You can't use this."

Callum looked uncomfortable, but determined. "Normally, I wouldn't. But come now, Archibald, this is genuine, it has to be. I know these can be faked, but this would have to be the best fake of all time. It rings true, both of them do. And if they are true, it means that Granger committed blackmail, and they were all knowing accomplices after the fact to murder! This is news, Archibald, and my professional judgment is that it is genuine and should be used. Granger will get every chance in the world to respond; we'll print every word she says, and the others too. We will be scrupulously fair about this. But we have to use it."

Dentus shook his head in annoyance. "Don't you find the timing coincidental, just after they baited Arthur into supporting Hermione the way they did?"

"This all apparently happened at Weasley's home, he should have known what was going on. And yes, the timing is suspicious, but it would be more suspicious if it had happened two days before the Choosing; it would have been more damaging then. As it is, Weasley has time to distance himself from it."

He won't, thought Dentus. As he left Callum's office, he started considering the best way to handle the situation. He would have to go to Hogwarts before breakfast.

* * * * *

Four hours later, Hermione was somber and focused as she walked through the Atrium to the spot where she would meet the magical press. At what point, she asked herself, do your past mistakes stop coming back to haunt you? One of the two memories in the Pensieve implicated her in actual misconduct at the age of fourteen, well before the age at which one was considered fully responsible for one's actions. The second, from when she was nearly seventeen, showed her doing something that appeared criminal and morally wrong, if one didn't know the circumstances. The only consolation of the stressful circumstances at the time, besides the support of her friends, had been that the incidents weren't publicly known. Now, five years later, they were. She knew that no matter how she explained, she wouldn't be able to make people--most of whom would have only a surface account of what happened and wouldn't read her detailed comments, if she gave them--understand what had truly been happening. Even after all we did, she thought, they'd still sit in judgment of me, of all of us.

She stood and faced the four reporters who had come to hear her; there were also quite a few people in the Atrium. A few had come to hear her account of what was already spreading through rumor, and many just happened to be passing through on their usual daily business. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she saw Roger Trent and some of his assistants walk into the Artium, obviously to hear her speak. Great, she thought, trying to keep her disgust and anger off of her face. Still, she would change nothing of what she planned to say.

"Good morning. This morning, I discovered that the Daily Prophet is in possession of a Pensieve that contains memories which purport to show events of the time when my friends and I were fighting Voldemort. Questions have been raised as to whether the memories are genuine, whether the events depicted actually occurred. My answer to these questions is simply that I will not answer such questions. Pensieve memories can be faked; legally speaking, they are considered to be no more than testimony. I'm not going to spend my life responding to any allegations anyone, especially anonymously in such a case as this, cares to make--"

"You're going to have to do better than that, Professor," said Trent from where he stood, thirty feet away from her. "This isn't just someone on a street corner raving. These are memories which are obviously genuine, showing you acting in a manner inconsistent with the law. You are the Hogwarts headmistress; parents are entrusting their children to you. They deserve an explanation."

She gave him a cold glare before continuing. "I was going to say, these allegations are almost certainly politically motivated, as Undersecretary Trent's presence and comments amply make clear. I have been obstructing his plans to control Hogwarts, and he has sought my removal for that reason. I do not doubt that he will continue to do so, using whatever pretext presents itself--"

"I seek your removal because you are obviously unfit to be headmistress--"

"I'm not here to debate you," she interrupted him, raising her voice but remaining calm; yet again she wondered if she would have managed to keep her temper if not for Flora. "I'm here to make a statement, and I'll thank you not to interrupt further.

"As I was saying, I do not plan to comment on the accuracy of what is in the Pensieve, or the events they purport to represent. Perhaps one day I'll write a book about those times, and present the events in the correct perspective, as accurately as I can remember them. In the meantime, I do not plan to answer allegations. I will take a few of your questions."

"Professor Granger, without referring directly to what's in the Pensieve, did you in fact blackmail Rita Skeeter to cause her to stop writing for the Prophet?"

"You are referring to what's in the Pensieve, and I've already said that I'm not going to respond to allegations for which there's no evidence. Yes?" She motioned to another reporter.

"Professor, if the memories aren't accurate, why don't you just say so?"

She repressed a sigh. "Because I'm being accused anonymously, and such accusations don't deserve to be addressed. If the person who brought forth these alleged memories came forward, described how he came to be in possession of them, and explained his motivation for doing so, there would be a better reason for me to answer them."

"A very impressive dance routine," remarked Trent loudly.

"Professor Granger, Undersecretary Trent said a half hour ago that if you did not adequately explain yourself, he would call on parents to remove their students from Hogwarts until such time as you are removed as headmistress. Do you have any comment?"

"Yes, I would hope that parents won't jeopardize their children's magical education to further one man's political agenda. Attending Hogwarts is a privilege, not an obligation. Parents may remove their children, but once gone, the children may not return. Parents should think carefully about that fact."

"That's a rule that will be changed when I am Minister," said Trent, as the reporters' heads swiveled in his direction. "There is no reason it must be that way."

"I would urge parents not to gamble with their children's futures on such a statement. But since you insist on interrupting, Undersecretary, let me ask you a question. It's expected that Harry Potter will be human again in two months, after dying as a phoenix to save your life. I am only the temporary headmistress; he is truly the headmaster. Will he still be the headmaster if you become Minister?"

"Assuming he is not adversarial to the Ministry, yes," responded Trent. Hermione's Legilimency detected a lie, but since she wanted that kept a secret, she couldn't call him on it.

"You mean, if he accepts Ministry control over Hogwarts, which I know he will not." She turned to the journalists; Flora appeared and settled on Hermione's shoulder. "Let me tell you something, and you can believe this. Harry's been my close friend for eleven years, and for the last four, we've shared a mental link that lets us understand each other's thinking very clearly. Even though Undersecretary Trent positioned himself to benefit politically four years ago if Harry and I died in the Ring, Harry still saved his life two days ago, because it was the right thing to do. But you can take my word on this: Harry will not return to Hogwarts unless he is free to run it with absolutely no outside interference, with a staff of his choosing. The fact that Undersecretary Trent is trying to remove me, who Harry entrusted with this responsibility, is evidence that Undersecretary Trent has no confidence in Harry's judgment. I suggest that parents consider what this means for Hogwarts if Undersecretary Trent becomes Minister. Thank you." The reporters tried to shout more questions, but Hermione Disapparated, as Flora disappeared at the same time.

* * * * *

"Well, Hermione, that was amazing," said Dentus happily as he held up a copy of the evening Prophet seven hours later in the Hogwarts staff room. "Look at this headline: 'Granger: Potter Won't Return To Hogwarts If Trent Is Minister.' This morning, I was sure the headline would be about what you were accused of. That's some excellent political jujitsu, especially from an amateur."

"Thanks, but he walked right into it, really. Am I wrong in thinking that he massively overreached with that threat about parents pulling their children? It's as if he forgot that Harry would be coming back in two months." I hope, she added to herself.

"It would seem so," Dentus agreed. "He spent the rest of the day backpedaling from that; it was something to see. I have to think that's going to cost him some support from the parents of Hogwarts students. And I'd like to keep the pressure on, which is the reason I'm here." All of the teachers except Hagrid were in the staff room; it was a day off, but Hermione had requested their presence. "In view of what happened today, I think it would be very effective if as many Hogwarts professors as possible stated that they had no intention of staying on if Roger Trent became Minister. He's clearly demonstrated that he intends to exert total--"

"You need not give us a sales pitch, Professor," cut in Snape. "I, for one, will cheerfully sign any such document as you describe."

"Cheerfully?" repeated John, eyebrows raised.

Snape raised an eyebrow in response. "Yes, cheerfully. I could even smile, if you like."

John made a gesture humorously suggesting that he was overwhelmed. "Well, let's not get crazy..."

"Speak for yourself, I want to see it," put in Flitwick.

"Yes, me too," agreed Sprout.

"Well, the people have spoken," allowed John. "I suppose it's about as rare as..."

"Harry appearing naked?" suggested Snape; everyone laughed.

"Oh, I wish he were here," said Sprout, chuckling. "It's much better making fun of him when he's around than when he's not. Anyway, I'll certainly sign it, Archibald. It's quite clear what kind of place Trent intends to make Hogwarts, and it's no place I'd want to be." The other teachers nodded their assent.

"Good, thank you," said Dentus. "And even if he does become Minister, which I admit is more likely than not, it doesn't have to be that way. By the time we get done with him, he'll be swearing to leave Hogwarts alone. We can always agree to stay provided he continues to leave us alone, then once Harry gets back, that's that. After having his life saved by Harry, Trent will be in no position to push Harry around."

Hermione exchanged a significant glance with Snape; again, they couldn't reveal what they knew, that Hogwarts could be protected even if Trent were adversarial. It was better if it didn't come to that, of course. Hermione also noted with interest that this had been the first time that Snape had made a joke that had provoked this much of a laugh; his jokes were usually more cutting. Even though this joke had been at Harry's expense, it was obviously meant in an affectionate way, which the other teachers had understood. Snape had also more or less invited humor at his own expense, which was even more unusual. It's good to see him doing that sort of thing, she mused.

* * * * *

Over the next few days, events proceeded as had become usual. About three people a day were killed, more often than not important people. Trent had challenged Arthur to agree to re-institute the ARA, but with one new feature: this law would restrict 'any instantaneous movement from place to place by means other than a fireplace or a Portkey set up with Ministry authorization.' It didn't take Dentus long to realize that this would prohibit not only Apparation, but also movement with the assistance of a phoenix. Clearly Trent wanted Arthur to oppose it, after which he would claim Arthur was weak on security. Arthur came back fighting, supporting the old ARA and accusing Trent of an anti-phoenix bias. The next day, Trent was very angry to find that Kingsley had told the Prophet that it actually harmed security to restrict people from moving by phoenix; to Trent's accusation of bias, Kingsley responded that he was simply giving a professional opinion on a matter of security. Kingsley also said that he wasn't sure how much good the ARA would do, and the issue died out there.

Such skirmishes had become commonplace in the campaign. Arthur focused on them when he thought they made a larger point that he thought should be made, but for the most part he stuck with his original plan: to focus on who he was, on the fact that he would do the right thing. He would support the Aurors, not try to control them. He would support an independent Hogwarts, which had demonstrated recently that it could deal with adversity quite well. He would pay more attention to keeping the wizarding world hidden from the Muggle world (this wasn't a popular issue, he quickly discovered, but he tried to educate people about it). He wouldn't ostracize people for their political views, which reports indicated Trent was trying to do in the Ministry. His message seemed to be slowly starting to catch hold; four days after the campaign had begun, the goblins' over/under on Arthur's final tally had increased from twenty-five to thirty-five.

Trent ran the campaign Dentus had expected him to, a fairly typical campaign: tell people what they want to hear, and inspire fear in them to make them afraid of voting for the other candidate. Almost no one in the Ministry supported Weasley, said Trent, so how could he be an effective Minister? He was naïve, he didn't know how to get things done, he would be consumed by the bureaucracy. He would abdicate responsibility for security to the Aurors, who, let's face it, haven't done the job yet. They need strong leadership. He advocated higher fees for economic activity by goblins, as almost every Ministerial candidate did, only to drop the idea upon taking office, as the goblins had other economic weapons at their disposal to counter such a threat. They knew how wizarding politics worked, however, and took such comments in stride. Arthur refused to say the same thing, but told those to whom he spoke that Trent's statement was an empty pledge. Still, it was popular, which was why politicians did it.

On Wednesday, the sixth day of the two-week campaign, the Prophet released its first poll of political attitudes and support for the candidates. When asked who they planned to Choose, 64% said Trent, 26% said Arthur, and the remaining ten percent didn't know. Dentus was a little discouraged with the result; he'd hoped for better, but knew that it wasn't out of line with what was to be realistically expected.

The poll yielded some interesting results, some of which suggested a great divide in wizarding society. Among Ministry employees, Trent was preferred by 84% to 15%; Dentus was surprised it wasn't worse. Arthur was supported by 36% of women, but only 16% of men. Most startlingly, in a separate poll of energy-of-love users, who were barely included in the main poll due to their low numbers, Arthur was favored by an astonishing 98% to 0%, with 2% undecided. Another separate poll was taken of Hogwarts students (there was no minimum Choosing age; since children normally had little magical strength, it had been deemed harmless to allow them to participate, and a good way to encourage civic-mindedness), where Arthur received 76% support, to Trent's 6% and 18% undecided. This wasn't deemed greatly significant, since Hogwarts students accounted for less that 1% of the population, but Trent seized upon the numbers as evidence that Hermione had been politicizing Hogwarts and turning it against him. Arthur knew, however, from Dentus's Hogwarts contacts, that it was in fact Amelia Bones who was substantially responsible; she had been turning her classes into political seminars. The Prophet ran a separate article on the significance of Arthur's energy-of-love support, speculating that Arthur could be Chosen on the basis of as little as 45% public support, with the extra magical power of the energy-of-love users compensating for the shortfall.

Other poll information showed the favorability/unfavorability/no opinion ratings on individuals. They included: Roger Trent, 63/33/4; Arthur Weasley, 52/22/26; Harry Potter, 99/1/0; and Hermione Granger, 69/25/6. Dentus took some comfort in that twenty-six percent still hadn't formed an opinion of Arthur; that meant those people said they supported Trent mainly because they didn't know his opposition. The Choosing was novel enough that it was getting a lot of attention in the wizarding world, but clearly not everyone was fully engaged. If only we had more time, thought Dentus. He had urged Arthur to take some extra time at the beginning by using his right as an undersecretary to challenge Trent for a few weeks before demanding a Choosing, but Arthur had insisted on doing it right away; he truly didn't want the wizarding world leaderless for any longer than necessary. Trent said that out of political opportunism; Arthur actually meant it.

* * * * *

Having been transported there by Red, Pansy walked through the halls of Hogwarts, ignoring the surprised glances of the students she passed. She supposed most of them wouldn't know who she was were it not for the phoenix on her shoulder. Red had let her know where Hedrick and Helen were, and she soon found them doing their patrols.

She greeted them, her expression solemn. "A few hours ago, some of the others started waking up. David, Sylvia, Augustina, and Matthew. The others are still out, but this makes it look a lot more like they'll be back, probably soon."

Hedrick and Helen gripped each other's hands, obviously vastly relieved. "That's great," said Hedrick. "Can we see them?"

Pansy nodded. "That's what I'm here to talk to you about. All eight of them are in one room, and it didn't take long for them to notice that Derek wasn't around. I had to tell them. As we expected, they took it very badly. You can see them, but I wanted to warn you about the state they'll be in. They know now what the artifact did, they know it wasn't really their fault, but they're going to feel this way anyway. It's probably unavoidable, at least for a while."

They nodded their understanding. "We'll do our best," said Helen.

"Just be there for them," said Pansy. "There's not much else you can do."

A few minutes later, Hedrick and Helen walked into the St. Mungo's ward that contained their friends. The four looked at them uncertainly, obviously ashamed of how they had treated Hedrick and Helen while under the influence of the artifact. Helen walked to Matthew, the nearest one, and pulled him into a hug; Hedrick did the same with Augustina. Matthew and Augustina were both soon crying. "I'm sorry," breathed Augustina into Hedrick's shoulder. "We all are."

"It wasn't your fault," he said, glancing over her shoulder at David and Sylvia. "You were under the influence of something."

"It didn't feel like we were under the influence of anything," sniffled Augustina. "It felt like we knew exactly what we were doing."

"I think that's what it feels like when you're under the influence of something," said Helen, stroking the back of a still-sobbing Matthew. "But you were. Its whole point is to make you do what you did. You can't blame yourselves for that." She got no response, but she hadn't expected any. Pansy had assured her that they would get psychological help, for which she was glad. I wouldn't want to be them right now, she thought.

* * * * *

As Harry had, Luna greatly enjoyed the time she spent as a phoenix. Unlike Harry, she had no restrictions or reasons why she couldn't or shouldn't do it. She had no partner to worry about abandoning, and while she needed to spend most of her time with Arthur, she could at the end of the day become a phoenix for as long as she wanted, then go back in time to just after she took a phoenix form, as she had done before. She wondered why Harry hadn't done that; she decided that it just must not have occurred to him.

She decided to visit, as a phoenix, places she was familiar with as a human to see how different they looked. She flew around Diagon Alley, landing every now and then just to survey the scene. Just for fun, she flew into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, where Fred and George looked on, impressed, and communicated in the only way they knew how.

"Look, a phoenix! Is it Harry?"

"Harry, if that's you, whistle for us."

"Phoenixes can't whistle, you idiot."

"It couldn't be Harry anyway, he's still too young. What's your name?"

"They can't talk, either. Come here, and if you want to join me, land on my right shoulder."

Unable to resist, Luna flew over and landed on Fred's left shoulder. George cracked up as Fred looked stunned. "He wants to join! He just got the shoulder wrong!"

"You should join me," said George. "If you want to join me, land on my left shoulder." Obligingly, Luna left Fred, and settled on George's right shoulder.

They exchanged another startled look. "Maybe he wants to bond with both of us!"

"Then why did he choose the wrong shoulder each time?"

"Maybe he's dyslexic!"

"Are you dyslexic?" George asked Luna. She slowly shook her head from side to side, then took off and disappeared.

Both were stunned. "I didn't know phoenixes understood English so well," said Fred.

"Must already be bonded, and just flying around for fun," suggested George.

"Maybe Harry put him up to it, just to mess us up."

"Yeah, that must be it." A pause. "Wish we'd got a picture, though."

She flew on to Hogsmeade, stopping in several places there as well, including a few homes; it fascinated her to see the responses a phoenix got, including some none-too-subtle hopes of being joined. She went on to Hogwarts, where Roger Trent was making a campaign stop, more for the purposes of a photo-op than to truly get support that he had to know wasn't likely forthcoming. She came close enough to get a phoenix-look at him, and she didn't like what she saw, though she had known she wouldn't. She could see that he liked to see himself as good and fundamentally well-intentioned, but there was a very hard edge to him. He could be a kind and good person, the kind who would help a friend in need or a relative with a problem. But when it came to politics, he was able to shut off his emotions and essentially switch personas. As a politician, what the politics and the law permitted were the only restrictions on his behavior. Apparently, he had decided long ago that it was the only way to get ahead.

She scouted around Hogwarts more, and thought it looked very good through the eyes of a phoenix. The school had been teaching the energy of love for five years, and it showed up strongly to her senses. The students were happier than she remembered them being, and she wondered how her experience would have been different if she and her class had been taught the energy of love from the first year. She popped in on Hagrid to say hello and sing for a minute, and let him admire her a little before moving on. Her phoenix-read on him was that there were only a few small things keeping him from becoming a suitable phoenix companion, such as his slightly volatile temper and an inhibition from expressing the affection he felt for people. She then went to the greenhouse to snack on a few lutas. They tasted great as a phoenix, but she imagined she wouldn't be able to eat them at all as a human.

Then it was off to the Ministry. She visited a few large offices so she wouldn't only be seen in one place, in case that raised any suspicion, but what she was particularly interested in seeing was the Muggle Liaison office. She perched on a tall cabinet at the side of the office and looked around. The whole office was soon staring at her, which was a typical reaction; in some places she'd gone, the people had never seen a phoenix in person before.

Dudley was much like she had expected: generally friendly and honorable, but aggressive, with a temper that he usually kept under control. These days he had a stronger seriousness of purpose than usual; she could tell that he was proud of his role in helping save the wizarding world from exposure at Hogwarts. Right then, he was frustrated that he couldn't do anything more than he was doing.

As for Colin... as a human, she had liked him and thought he was a nice person. On the quiet and unassuming side, but she didn't mind men like that. She'd been in the same year as him in school, where of course he'd been most well-known for being an admirer of Harry's, and later for taking over for Lee Jordan as Quidditch announcer. She hadn't got to know him well; they had both been reserved, in their own ways. But now, seeing him for the first time as a phoenix, she found she was greatly attracted to him. He'd been able to use the energy of love since sixth year, but it was more than that. He had a gentleness that most men didn't have. He couldn't have been an Auror, but she could see he was the type that when in love, would be in it without reservation or hesitation. He also seemed very appropriate for companioning by a phoenix. She sent a message to the phoenix community: why isn't this one taken?"

Every phoenix who listened to her message--any could hear, and would listen if not otherwise occupied--also received her impression of him. The answer came back: there are more appropriate humans than usual recently, especially in your geographical area. This particular one did not come to our notice. If you would like to companion him, by all means do so. If not, he will be kept in mind for the future. Luna had discovered in exchanging impressions with the phoenixes that sometimes an already-bonded phoenix, knowing its current companion had only five or ten years remaining, 'claimed' another human as its future companion by bonding very lightly, but enough to let another phoenix know that this one was 'taken.' Luna had been informed that Neville had already been 'taken' in such a way, and would probably be companioned within two or three years.

Luna knew that many women valued the 'mystery' of getting to know a man, slowly finding out about him, his layers, what made him tick. It occurred to her that a phoenix-look rendered all that moot; she had seen what there was to see of Colin, and she knew how she felt. She wanted to be with him. What do I do now, she wondered. Do I bond with him as a phoenix, or ask him on a date? Or both? She'd never been sure about how to deal with men romantically as a human, and it didn't seem any easier when one was a phoenix. After a few minutes' thought, she had an idea. In a way, it didn't seem fair, but being both a human and a phoenix presented unusual problems.

She continued to sit on the cabinet, not moving, and eventually people stopped looking at her and got back to their jobs. Twenty minutes later, Dudley got up and left the office; Luna assumed it was to go to the restroom. She looked at the clock, which read four thirty-five. A few seconds after Dudley left, the human Luna entered the office as the phoenix Luna watched.

"Hi, Colin, how's it going?"

"Hi, Luna. Same as usual. You going to hang out for a while?" The phoenix saw that Colin was happy to see her, and had missed her being around almost all the time as she had been before Arthur challenged Trent.

"No, I actually need to get back and rejoin Arthur. But I wanted to ask what you were doing tonight."

He thought, obviously thinking it an innocent question. "Nothing, really. Why?"

"I'd like to go out to dinner with you."

He looked blank. "Dinner? You mean, with Dudley, and--"

"No, just with you." He was still confused; better make it very clear, she thought. "I want to go on a date with you, for dinner."

His eyes went wide; he appeared never to have considered the question before. "W-Why?" he stammered, and even the human Luna could see that he was mentally kicking himself for having said it.

She smiled. "I like you, Colin. Do I need another reason?"

"No, no, of course not," he said, flustered. "I'm sorry, I just... this doesn't happen every day. But yes, I would really like to go to dinner with you." He grinned, embarrassed.

"Good. You're off at five-thirty, like usual? I'll come by then, and we can figure out where to go. I'll see you then." She smiled again and left; the smile was partly because this version of Luna had already watched the conversation as a phoenix, and knew that Colin was delighted to be asked out by her.

The phoenix watching remained for a few minutes, then took off and teleported to Luna's bedroom at her home. She became a human, went back through time to four thirty-four, then teleported to an empty office at the Ministry near the Muggle Liaison office, where she would pass Dudley in the hall on her way to see Colin. Next time, she thought, I should do it where I'm the human first and the phoenix second, so I won't know what happens when I do it as a human. I'm sure it's more fun that way.

* * * * *

She came back at almost exactly five-thirty, to find Colin waiting outside the office. "I didn't want Dudley making another half-dozen jokes," he explained. "He's been making them nonstop since I told him."

"I'm sure he thinks it's nice, he's just embarrassed," suggested Luna. "Let's Apparate to Diagon Alley, you can decide where we go from there."

They did, and started walking towards the wall that led to Muggle London. "I'd rather go to Muggle places these days, since the dragon took out half of the Diagon Alley restaurants, the ones that are left are all pretty busy."

She agreed. "So, did anything happen today?"

Colin seemed happy to be on the comfortable conversational ground of work. "No, not really. The main news is still the situation in the Middle East. America is pouring even more troops into Iraq, canceling the soldiers' vacations and putting in troops that were supposed to be rotated out. They're only supposed to be in combat situations for so long," he explained. "They're also moving units from other parts of the country to be closer to the Iranian front, which is expected to create some opportunities for the Iraqis who are fighting the Americans. Anyway, it's still what the Muggles call a powder keg, which means something that could explode at any minute. And we're still no nearer to persuading anyone that wizards had anything to do with it. How about you? How's Arthur doing?"

She shrugged lightly. "I guess you saw the poll numbers today."

"It was all anyone was talking about in the morning. The funniest thing was the one about Harry. Ninety-nine percent, that's incredible. People were making jokes, like, 'All right, where's the guy who doesn't like Harry? Don't worry, Creevey, we know it's not you.'"

Luna laughed. "You're never going to live that down, are you?"

He shrugged as they walked out of Diagon Alley. "It's a little easier to deal with, considering that Harry is universally revered. Well, almost universally. I always just say, like you've heard, that I was just ahead of my time. It's just a joke, and we all have something people make jokes about us with. If mine wasn't this, it would be something else."

"That's true, I know that firsthand," she agreed. "Of course, there were a half-dozen things like that with me. Anyway, the polls showed what we more or less already knew; that if Arthur's catching on, it's not enough, not fast enough. He had very little name recognition before this, and even now, a quarter of the people have no opinion about him. Two-thirds have a favorable opinion of Trent, so we're not going to win unless we can get people to have an even more favorable opinion about Arthur. In a little over a week, that's going to be tough."

"In a Muggle campaign, Arthur's only chance would be to throw mud at Trent, try to get people to see him as the less bad alternative," said Colin.

"Archibald has said that," said Luna. "He says it would work for a wizard campaign as well. But he was only speaking theoretically, with Arthur not around, because he knows that Arthur won't do that. So, they're just going to keep doing what they've been doing." And rely on the phoenix intuition, Luna almost said, but didn't because she remembered that Colin didn't know about that; it was still one of the most closely held secrets in the campaign. "So, where are we going?"

"There's a Chinese one a few minutes away that's pretty good. One good thing about working with Dudley, I get exposed to lots of good Muggle restaurants. You know Dudley, he never eats at home."

"Yes, I remember him saying that his refrigerator contains only beer and soft drinks," agreed Luna.

"He could always eat with his parents, but then, as he put it, 'Having to talk to them is a high price to pay for a meal.'"

"I thought he liked his parents okay."

"They get along, and his parents couldn't be prouder of what they think he does, but he says his parents always go on and on about the same subjects, and it gets boring. He does it once every couple weeks to be nice, and because his mother would bother him if he didn't, but--"

Colin stopped talking as his cell phone rang; he had explained to Luna a week ago that he and Dennis had bought them in deference to their Muggle parents, who had a difficult time getting a hold of them in the wizarding world. "This has to be my family, since no one except them and Dudley knows this number." He opened the phone. "Yeah." He paused, listening, then exhaled, very visible relief on his face. "Oh, thank God. That's fantastic. Yeah, okay, I'll be right there. Thanks."

He stopped walking and turned to Luna. "That was Dennis. Andrea's awake, she's going to be all right."

"That's wonderful," she said sincerely; even though she'd spent the past week mostly with Arthur, she knew Colin was very worried about his sister.

"Yes, it is. Look, I'm really sorry, but I should--"

"Of course you should," she cut him off so he wouldn't have to explain himself. "Do you mind if I come along?"

He seemed surprised, but nodded. "Yeah, sure. It's not going to be any fun, though. She's going to feel bad about what happened."

"That's okay. Are we Apparating to the St. Mungo's lobby?"

"Yeah. Let's find a place to Disapparate." They ducked into an empty staircase in a nearby building, and Disapparated.

A minute later they walked into the room with eight beds; Hedrick and Helen were there, as was Dennis. Luna stayed close to the door, not wanting to get in the way. Colin walked over to Andrea looking like he intended to hug her, but her body language suggested that she didn't want him to. He settled for putting an arm around her and pulling her to him. "We're so glad you're all right. When are you coming home? Or going back to Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts," she answered quietly.

Augustina answered his other question. "They're making all of us stay one more night. I'd rather be back at Hogwarts, we all would, but you know how Healers are. Pansy admits we could go back, but..."

Sylvia stepped closer to Andrea's bed. "Andrea... we're sorry we got you into this."

She shook her head. "You didn't get me into this, that damn thing did. I'm so sorry about Derek..."

Augustina nodded. "We all are. We know it really isn't our fault, ten different people have been in here today telling us that, you were awake for a few of them. They just said it's going to take some time to deal with."

In the silence, Luna closed her eyes and focused on reaching up to the spiritual realm. She felt around for Derek, even though she didn't know him; she sent images of the other Slytherins. If he was there and watching, maybe he would respond. It took a few more minutes, but finally she got something. Trying to keep her focus, she asked, "Does Derek have anything to do with the number nine?"

"Yes, his name was ninth in alphabetical order of our group, and he sometimes referred to himself that way, something to do with the number nine," said Helen. She realized what Luna was doing, and her face lit up. "Oh, wow, Pansy said you could do that. Are you talking to him now?"

"I'm pretty sure it's him," said Luna. "He seems to be saying that 'nine' also refers to something else, maybe the size of something, like a... oh, dear. Hmmm, how do I put this..."

Helen giggled, as did a few others. "He made that joke once, and I made him promise never to do it again," she explained, now smiling.

"He could be kind of crude," added Sylvia. "That must really be him. Tell him we miss him, and that we're sorry."

"He can hear you, and he says he's sorry too," reported Luna. "He says you shouldn't feel bad, that it was something that someone did to all of you, and that it's nice where he is. But there's something he wants you to do."

"What?" asked Helen anxiously. "Whatever it is, we'll do it."

"He says it won't make any sense to me, so he'll have to explain carefully," said Luna. "I'm getting an image of a Ring of Reduction. Then... people moving around, like action, something's happening. I get the feeling of a story. Now..." Luna paused in puzzlement. "I feel like he's kissing some woman, she has dark hair, kind of ethnic-looking. Does that make any sense?"

Stunned expressions, and a few tears, came to the faces of most of the Slytherins. Helen's mouth dropped open. "Does he mean that he wants us to write a Ring of Reduction adventure where he saves the beautiful foreign exchange student?"

"He says yes, exactly. I'm getting a closer image of the kiss, somehow the kiss is important, like he doesn't want you to forget it."

Tears were spilling down Helen's face. "We won't, we promise. It'll be a great kiss."

"He says he's looking forward to seeing it. And that he loves all of you, and that he's not really gone, since he'll be around. He wants you to remember that." Her connection to him broken, Luna opened her eyes again, to see all of the Slytherins crying, or near tears. To her surprise, she realized that a few tears had come to her eyes as well; she had been too occupied to notice. Colin stood next to her and put his arm around her shoulders; she put one around his waist. When he got that call, I didn't know why I suggested that I go with him, she thought. Now, I know.