Summertime

Chapter Two. Scandal at the Ministry.

**************************************************

Mary and Steven Ariadne and Jeremy

Davis Clearwater

Would appreciate your attendance for the joining of

Roger and Penelope

in marriage on the 20th of July Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Seven, at St. Ethelburga Church, Occasion Alley 28, York.

***********************************************

Lavender Brown to her sister Caroline:

Hi, Carry! June, 19 1997

Happy Birthday, dear Carry! Mum said that you've developed a huge crush on Oliver Wood, so I tried to get something with his signature on it and I've found it! It is our old Quidditch pitch reservation logbook - from the days when Wood was Gryffindor captain. I was helping Madam Hooch with some filing and talked her into giving me what she called "the pile of old papers." Hope that you enjoy it!

Love,

Lav.

P.S. Next year we will be going to Hogwarts together

*************************************

Percy Weasley to Mrs. Molly Weasley: The Burrow

Dear Mum, July 13, 1997

Thanks for the letter. There is not much going on at the Ministry so I haven't any news to report. Tomorrow I'm leaving to go to Paris for Bastille Day. The preparations for the opening of the French Cultural Centre are taking longer than I had originally expected. In addition to the Bastille Day preparations, as this terrible rats' tails business proceeds, it occupies more and more time.

Hope that all of you are well,

Percy

**************************************************

Parvati Patil to Lavender Brown:

Dear Lavender, July 22, 1997

As you have most likely heard already, Penny and Roger Davies are now officially married. They invited the whole Ravenclaw house, so I've heard all about it from Padma. Penny looked magnificent in her ivory robe and with white roses in her hair. Roger Davies was... Roger Davies; do I need to say more? I'll bet that one day he will win the 'Most Charming Smile' award from "Witch Weekly". Penelope will be so happy.

The only Gryffindor at the wedding was - you'll never guess who! Percy Weasley! Penny is just too good for him; I never would have invited an ex-boyfriend to my wedding. She even tried to match him with some second cousin of hers! Can you even imagine? Perfect Percy danced (!) with a girl during the whole party. Padma says they were chatting the whole time! She even says that he looked gorgeous; she has to be exaggerating. Have you ever seen Percy dance? Or doing something human at all?

It's such a pity that we weren't invited. I'm dying to see if Padma was right about Percy.

Love,

Parvati

**************************************************

Witch Weekly, July 28: "Chatting with Charlotte Charming"

Unlike his elder brother Bill, a curse-breaker for Gringotts, it seems that the newly promoted Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Percy Weasley, has decided to become a heart breaker. Last Sunday he was seen dancing furiously at the wedding of his former Hogwarts classmates Roger Davies and Penelope Clearwater. One seventh year blonde Hufflepuff student received most of the attention of the young Ministry Official. Her heart can be successfully stamped "broken by Percy."

However, this young lady might find a serious rival in the previous victim of the red-headed heart breaker, Mademoiselle Delacour, with whom he was seen with two weeks ago at the Moulin Rouge Cabaret: Witch Weekly's Pick for "Most Romantic Place to Take a Date," in last month's June issue. This green-eyed, blonde lady seemed to be totally besotted with the British Ministry Official. It's been rumored that Mr. Weasley is spending more and more time in Paris and that the couple has also been seen a number of times in London.

**************************************************

Percy Weasley to Oliver Wood: August 3, 1997

No, No, No! How can you believe all of this "Witch Weekly" crap? This "blonde girl" they keep referring to is a French Ministry official I've been coordinating with. We visited the Moulin Rouge as well as a number of other locales because they are all going to be featured at the French Culture Centre. As for that girl at Penny's wedding, I couldn't disappoint Penelope again! As you know, I've already managed to do that quite badly once before. At Penny's request, I entertained this poor creature for the entire evening.

Don't be jealous, Ol. After all we've shared there is nothing to be worried about. I love you and you know it; don't be stupid. Besides, you have all those Quidditch fans (my younger brothers included) and what makes it even worse, most of them are boys.

Please, say that you don't believe them and say that everything stays as before?

**************************************************

Lavender Brown to Oliver Wood

Dear Oliver, August 11, 1997

My younger sister Caroline has developed a huge crush on you. She talks about you all the time. Her room is decorated with Puddlemere posters and she knows every single thing you have ever said during interviews. Last June, when I managed to get her a birthday present of the old Quidditch pitch reservation logbook, she tore out all the pages with your signatures and framed them, spending all of her savings in order to do it. I understand that she's not the only girl of her age with a total obsession with you, but she's my sister. I feel a little guilty because I gave her the logbook. So, I'd like to ask you... will you be so kind as to answer her attached letter? (Maybe if you reply to her, she'll understand you're a real person and not some kind of deity.) Hopefully, her madness over you will be somehow tempered.

Lavender

**************************************************

Diary of Percy Weasley August 17, 1997

I am a git. I'm worse than a git. I ruin everything. Penny tried so hard to make something feasible from our relationship, but, of course, we couldn't work it out. I know that I'm gay and that I have to follow what my heart desires. It wouldn't be fair to her otherwise. Now I've practically ruined what I had with my "heart's desire" and why? It's because of misunderstandings and trashy tabloids.I shouldn't have danced with that girl at Penny's wedding. I should have been more discreet and I should have declined the invitation to the Moulin Rouge in Paris... Now, almost two weeks have passed since I sent my stupid letter to Him, and He has yet to respond.

**************************************************

Oliver Wood to Caroline Brown August 20, 1997

Dear Caroline,

Thank you for the kind letter you sent me. The life of the professional Quidditch player isn't as glamourous as you might think. It involves a lot of strenuous training and we sometimes run the risk of suffering from injuries. Receiving letters such as yours makes it much more agreeable.

In response to your questions, I like music of the '60s and I hate spaghetti. If stranded on a desert island, I would take a broom, a radio, and my toy rabbit: Mr. Snowy. I do not have a girlfriend. I think that I haven't found the right person yet.

Best wishes,

Signed Oliver Wood

**************************************************

Daily Prophet: August 27, 1997. By: Leo Quirke

Quidditch star and Ministry official arrested yesterday

The Puddlemere United and National Team Keeper, Oliver Wood, and the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Percy Weasley, are among the Quidditch hooligans arrested yesterday after riots in the Diagon Alley broke out following the Team and supporters meeting at "Quality Quidditch Supplies." Coach Bruce Cornfoot and Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, refused to comment on these events.

**************************************************

Ministry of Magic: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Law and Order Squad.

Name: Percy Weasley

Age: 22

Occupation: Ministry official

Description of the events occurred on August 26, 1997: I was attending the opening ceremony of the French Cultural Centre at Diagon Alley. Around 8.15 p.m. I heard that a number of drunk hooligans had begun to smash cars and windows. Being a Ministry official, I felt obliged to intervene and help settle the riot.

Signed Percy Weasley August 27, 1997

**************************************************

Ministry of Magic: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Law and Order Squad.

Name: Lavender Brown

Age: 18

Occupation: Hogwarts student

Description of the events occurred on August 26, 1997: Earlier that day my younger sister, Carry, told that she was going to visit her friend Jessica at Diagon Alley. When Carry didn't show up when we were supposed to meet at around 8:00pm, I went to Diagon Alley myself in order to try and to find her. Knowing that Carry is totally obsessed with Oliver Wood, I went to "Quality Quidditch Supplies" where the Team was meeting supporters. There, I found Oliver who seemed very depressed and very drunk. When somebody in the crowd asked why he still didn't have a girlfriend, Oliver stood up and smashed the table he was sitting at. This acted as some sort of signal as everybody started running, shouting, turning tables upside-down. I didn't get to see much after I finally spotted Caroline in the mob. We tried to go home as soon as possible but due to all the chaos, we weren't able to get to the fireplace and we couldn't fly on a broomstick, as I'm not yet allowed to practice magic outside Hogwarts. Suddenly, Percy Weasley appeared, running directly over to Oliver. Seeing his bad mood, he jumped up and hugged him, then kissed him passionately. Oliver seemed to realise what was happening and then cheered a bit up. At this moment, we finally were able to make it to the fireplace and went home by use of Floo Powder.

Signed Lavender Brown August, 27, 1997

**************************************************

Daily Prophet: August 28. By Violet Green

Ministry officials announced today that a number of discrepancies were found in the witnesses' reports concerning the events in Diagon Alley last Tuesday. The role played in the riots by Ministry official Mr. Percy Weasley is not yet clearly understood. Mr. Weasley claims that he "felt obliged to intervene and help settle the riot." Some other witnesses suggest that more personal matters might explain Mr. Weasley's behaviour. Ministry spokeswitch Ms. Lisa Jones said that the Ministry has started an internal investigation of the events and that Mr. Weasley has been suspended from his job until the situation can be clarified.

*************************************************