Chapter 23: All is not well
A/N:
Some reviewers asked if Daphne is going to be a werewolf. No, the ritual was on the new moon, not a full moon. Much like Bill in Canon, she is going to like her meat more on the rare side and bloody, but she is not a werewolf. Since one of the reviewers that asked has their PM turned off, I couldn't response to him/her directly, but since others might have the same question, I thought a quick note could be used. Throughout this tale I have been using the common theme where werewolves are stronger, quicker and more spell resistant than a normal witch or wizard, even when not transformed by the full moon.
Visits
The next time Daphne awoke there was someone new was in the room; someone Daphne had refused to think about for quite a while.
"Sister," Daphne managed to croak out.
Astoria looked up from the book she was reading, stood and gracefully glided over to Daphne.
Astoria gave Daphne a half smile. "No matter what else happens, sister, I am very happy you are alive and healing."
Astoria's smile slipped away. "I don't know what to do, Daphne. You left us in a bit of a lurch when you ran from the Malfoys. Dad was furious and was threatening to disown you. But before that happened, he died as a Death Eater while attacking a muggle family. Mum was arrested when she refused to let the Aurors search the house. The next thing I know, I had been shipped off to the Zabinis. But with Blaise also missing, Mrs. Zabini played it smart and kept her head down. Now I find out you have been fighting against what our parents intended. You won, too, I might add.
Anyway, I'm not too sure what is going to happen next. I don't know what is going to happen to me next. I'm hoping you'll be able to find someplace to put me. Mrs. Zabini is likely already in Italy. She was packing while cursing her son for leaving her in the lurch as well."
"Where?" Daphne managed to croak.
"School has been postponed for a bit, and I have needed to live by my wits for the last couple of days. It has not been comfortable."
The discussion was derailed as Hermione and Luna entered the room, intending to cheer their friend.
"Daphne, you will never guess..." Hermione had started to say until she realized Daphne wasn't alone. "Oh, hello."
"You're Astoria I think," Luna said as she blinked somewhat in surprise. Her seeings were becoming infrequent, and that worried her. "Daphne's younger sister."
"Um, yes, I'm Astoria."
"I'm Luna, and this is Hermione Granger, Astoria," Luna completed the introductions.
"Mione!" Daphne croaked.
"Daphne, what?" Hermione asked as she approached her friend's bed.
"Sis, Reserve," was all Daphne was able to get out.
"Of course, your sister will be welcome at the Reserve, Daphne," Luna said, catching on to the fact Astoria was in crumpled clothing and didn't look well.
"I..." Astoria was shocked at being accepted so easily.
"Sister!" Daphne croaked once more even as a stab of pain indicated she was speaking too much.
Hermione noticed the pain as it flitted across her friend's face.
"Don't worry, Daphne, we will take care of your sister."
"Miss Astoria Greengrass," Luna said, using a seldom needed tone of voice.
"Um, yes?"
"We would be pleased to take you into our place while your sister is healing." Luna used a more formal presentation, remembering how both Tracey and Daphne and been uncomfortable with the informal banter they had found in her and Harry when they had first arrived at the Reserve.
Daphne smiled at the more formalized address Luna had used, while Hermione looked puzzled, but kept quiet, trusting Luna.
"I am most grateful for the offer, Miss Luna. "Astoria faltered as she realized she did not know Luna's family name, but she continued. "It should only be until Hogwarts is ready to reopen."
"You will be welcome for as long as is needed, Miss Astoria, since your sister has forged a firm place therein for both herself and any family she designates," Luna continued.
Astoria glanced gratefully towards her sister. "Thank you, sister."
Daphne smiled as well and lifted her hand, although not far as it was under the covers. Luna and Astoria both noticed and managed to un-cover Daphne's arm and hand which grabbed Astoria's hand.
"My Sister," she croaked.
"My Sister," Astoria echoed.
"Hermione?" Luna asked. "Can you escort our new guest home? I'm sure if you get Bill and our potions master in for the introductions, they can help your parents and you understand what is going on."
Hermione nodded her agreement, and turned to Astoria. "I'm Hermione, and if you agree, I can escort you to your new home."
"Can you say it is my new home?" Astoria asked.
"Not I, but it is Luna's place, and she can and did say it can be."
That startled Astoria, and she turned back to Luna. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Daphne worried about you several times, but it there was never a time we could try to contact you," Luna answered. "She is going to take a while to heal, and having you close by will help her greatly."
"Will I still go to school?"
"We, at the Reserve, are not planning to go back to Hogwarts. There will be too many that would dislike what we have accomplished, so we will be gathering several tutors. You will be welcome to join us for them."
"That means a lot to me, thank you," Astoria said as she left with Hermione.
"I'm glad you are doing better, Daphne, you had us scared for a while," Luna started as she moved to stand at the end of the bed, where Daphne could see her more easily. "I do have a bit of gossip to share; it seems Narcissa decided she didn't want to wait any longer for our Severus Snape to make a move. She 'attended' to his injuries all last night..."
– – (()) – –
"Do you have any of your things somewhere, Astoria?" Robyn asked. "If we can retrieve them, it would make you feel so much better."
"The Aurors closed our house when Mum was arrested. I was taken in by a family friend, but with your victory over the Pure-bloods and the Death Eaters, she has left the country," Astoria explained, hoping to get the fact that she had been housed by the people that were opposing these people out into the open.
"Thomas, do you think the Aurors would let us in to gather some of Astoria's clothes and personal things?" Evan asked.
"Amantha is still on the force, and as soon as she wakes up I can ask her," Thomas answered.
"I think you are too young to have been marked as a Death Eater, and you are Daphne's sister. We would welcome you as Daphne's sister even if you had been fighting us actively. But since you are too young, we hope it will be an easier transition for you," Robyn said.
– – (()) – –
Harry popped in to visit Daphne and gather Luna and was very surprised to find Luna not in the room with Daphne and a healer.
"Darn, it looks like I missed Luna, Daphne," Harry said as he walked over towards his injured but healing friend. "How much did I miss her by?"
Daphne's eyes popped wide open and she croaked, "Hours."
"Well, more like forty-five minutes," the healer interrupted. "I asked the young lady to leave while I worked on Miss Greengrass' injuries, and I have been working between forty and forty-five minutes."
"No!" Harry exclaimed, as the color dropped from his face. "Oh No!"
Harry turned and ran back out of the room and towards the front desk where the security station was located.
Missing
"Luna is missing!" Thomas reported to the clan members at the Reserve after answering Harry's frantic call. "Harry just reported that she is not at St Mungo's and has been gone long enough that she should be here. I'm going to wake Amantha."
– – (()) – –
"What do you mean, you let her get dragged away?" Harry asked the security guard that had last seen Luna.
"We are not allowed to interfere once they get through the door," the guard explained. "I reported what I saw to the shift supervisor and was told she had been reported as a runaway by Albus Dumbledore, and he was retrieving her."
"I need to contact the Aurors and report this; may I use your floo?" Harry asked, just barely holding on to his temper.
"Are you sure, sir?" the guard asked.
"Luna is an emancipated minor and head of the House of Lovegood, so yes I am sure she was not a runaway."
The guard's eyes opened wide and he leaned back against the wall, glad it kept him from falling. "Well, yes, then if that is who the Chief Warlock was holding, she was not a runaway. Please go ahead and use the floo."
It took a few moments to get through, but the dispatcher sent a team of Aurors over as soon as Harry explained Luna was emancipated.
Hermione, Bill, Thomas and Amantha all showed up while Harry was giving his statement to one the Aurors.
"Our Potions Master and Ms. Black are watching over Astoria," Hermione reported. "Blaise and Tracey have been sent to bed with some dreamless sleep potion since they were swaying and hardly able to stand."
They were all meeting in Daphne's room so Harry could bring everyone up to date with what he knew.
"The man planned this well," Harry said, giving the devil his due. "Luna is small enough and looks young enough to for him to play the Chief Warlock card and get everyone to ignore the fact he was dragging someone away while she protested."
"But he has to know we will learn who kidnapped her," Hermione puzzled out loud.
"It won't matter, Hermione," Thomas explained. "He thinks that his office of Chief Warlock will protect him. I found out that the Wizengamot is in special session right now and, even if we had absolute proof that it was the Chief Warlock that kidnapped Luna, we can't interrupt the session for anything less than treason. And kidnapping is not treason. I'm sure there will be some bill or law passed that will allow him to assume control of a minor if he feels it necessary. It is a standard procedure for him."
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Harry asked.
"Well, yes. Madam Bones can enter the chamber, she has a seat beyond the one that she used as the head of the DMLE, so they can't refuse her entrance. Your friend Neville as the Head of the House of Black can as well. And I will contact Narcissa as she has a block of votes..."
– – (()) – –
Albus knew he was in trouble when Amelia, Narcissa and Neville entered the room together just as he was about to call his proposal to a vote. Fifteen minutes later and he would have been untouchable. But he was not going to get those fifteen minutes.
Amelia interrupted the person speaking. "Excuse me, Chief Warlock, but I'm afraid I must protest that I was not informed of this meeting. This is not the normal meeting date and time, so I would like a summary of what you have accomplished up until this time."
Madam Longbottom looked up from where Neville was whispering to her and shot Albus a mighty frown.
"As soon as we complete..." Albus started only to be interrupted.
"No! I object and demand you be removed from that chair, sir," Madam Longbottom thundered. "I accuse you of abuse of your position and corruption by trying to pass a law that allowed your abuse after the fact!"
The members of the Wizengamot whispered together as the old lady continued to play havoc with Albus' plans.
"I and all of my proxy votes vote no to this blatant attempt to justify your illegal actions."
"I and all of my proxy votes also vote no against this bill, Chief Warlock," Neville added.
"I and all of my proxy votes vote against this bill," Narcissa said, driving the last nail in the coffin that had become Albus' plans for recovering his positions and reputation.
"Order!" Octavius demanded from his position. "Madam Longbottom, please explain your outburst and accusations."
"Minister, it seems our Chief Warlock is wanted for questioning as he was the last person seen leading a struggling young woman away from St. Mungo's, a young woman who is now considered a missing person. If this bill, which the Chief Warlock introduced in this special session, had passed, the Chief Warlock could be held blameless. I demand we investigate the Chief Warlock's intentions. And since he is under suspicion, I feel the Wizengamot needs to suspend Albus Dumbledore from his position pending the results of the investigation," Augusta explained.
"Included in that investigation should be why several members of this body were not informed about this special session," Narcissa added. "Myself, Madam Bones and the Head of the House of Black were not notified."
The chambers of the Wizengamot grew chaotic as the different members started yelling back and forth while Octavius re-read the bill Albus had presented, reading the fine print of the riders and amendments as well as the main clauses.
After finishing, Octavius again demanded order.
"After reviewing of the bill in whole, I must agree there is a chance the Chief Warlock intended to excuse his actions by making them legal," Octavius announced to the chamber as it finally quieted. "Albus Dumbledore, you are wanted for questioning regarding the disappearance of a young woman. Until such time as you have been cleared of any wrongdoing, I am suspending you from your office as Chief Warlock. A group of several members of the Wizengamot, including myself, will be meeting with the DMLE later so you may be questioned. This bill is withdrawn from the agenda until such time as this missing person complaint has been satisfied."
Octavius looked over towards the fuming Augusta Longbottom. "The bill had not reached the point where it could be voted on, Madam, and I can't dismiss that bill because of your early votes."
Neville put his hand on his gran's arm to calm her before speaking. "Thank you, Minister, we understand. I would like to put forth that an investigation of the Chief Warlock's actions, past and present, should be performed while he is not able to influence or derail such an activity."
Albus looked up when he was nudged and discovered the new head of the DMLE, a young man loyal to Octavius, standing at his side with the Wizengamot's master-at-arms standing on his other side.
"Whether you leave the chamber now or later, you do need to vacate your current seat, sir."
Albus nodded, stood, and made his way down to the common floor of the Wizengamot to find a chair while Octavius asked if Neville's request should be added to the now empty agenda...
– – (()) – –
"Damn him!" Harry exclaimed as Amelia gave him the bad news.
"Say what you will, Harry. No one has ever accused Dumbledore of being dumb. And to be honest, he is correct, using the normal type of Veritaserum could kill him at his age, and the Ministry has not stored any of the truth serum designed for elderly adults for years. Also, as unlikely as it seems, Dumbledore did not have anything to do with the decision to not store any of the other potion. It is going to take a minimum of five more days to brew the needed potion, and there is nothing we can do about it," Amelia explained to the clan members. "The silver lining in this mess is that the Minister is refusing to re-instate Dumbledore as the Chief Warlock in the meantime, something that Albus was counting on. So while we are stuck, so is he.
"All he has to do is call Fawkes, and he would be away," Harry grumbled.
"He would also be the most wanted man in magical Britain, which is not something he wants. Right now the public opinion is mixed. No one wants to admit that they have been backing someone that is a kidnapper, but by the same token, Dumbledore has been the hero of the common witch and wizard for so long that they are sure there must be some mistake."
"It has already been three days and we have no idea where he took Luna."
"Luna's family holds no real political clout, so in spite of being an emancipated head; Luna's alleged kidnapping is just third or fourth page news. If we were not accusing Dumbledore of being the kidnapper, we wouldn't be getting any news coverage at all."
"So how do we turn up the heat?"
"It's too bad you are not actually married to Luna, we could play the Boy-Who-Lived card on top of the fact that the Potter family does carry some political power. Add to that the fact that you killed Tom again, and Dumbledore would be in a chamber and forced to take the Veritaserum whether it was safe for him or not," Narcissa added from her new place at Severus' side.
In spite of the serious discussion going on, everyone in the clan was enjoying the sight of Severus Snape falling in love with Narcissa Black. There was an open rumor that Severus had already approached Neville for permission to pay Narcissa his addresses.
"If it is important for Harry to be married to Luna, why doesn't Harry marry Luna?" Astoria asked from between Tracey and Blaise. It was still surprising to the younger of the Greengrass sisters that these people actually seemed to want her to voice her opinions, but she was not going to fight it.
"Well, there is the whole needing Luna to be present for the ceremony," Robyn said, smiling at the young girl.
"Luna is a pure-blooded witch, so according to the law she doesn't have to be here. Although since you say she is emancipated, we would need something that indicates her agreement," Astoria responded with a serious air.
"Lucius told me that law..." Narcissa started to say only to trail off.
"What?" Blaise asked. "I'm sure if Daphne's or Tracey's dads could have married them off without getting their consent they would have."
"I thought Lucius said that that law had been overturned, but what he really said was that the law was looked on with disfavor. And to clarify a bit, Blaise, consent is required for girls over the age of ten. Before the age of ten no consent is required," Narcissa explained while watching a memory only she could see.
"Luna did say she would marry Harry after Tom was really dead," Tracey mentioned. "We all heard her say it."
"You mean Harry can actually marry Luna without Luna being present?" Evan asked in disbelief.
"It is not something that is done often, but it stems from the old medieval laws that let fathers wed their daughters while the daughters were still infants. As you all know, the magical world is nothing if not stubborn about changing laws."
"So what are the ramifications of marrying Luna while she is not here?" Evan asked in a shocked voice.
"If we do that, I can contact Millicent's aunt. She said I was to contact her once Luna was 'both mine and lost'. I had forgotten that till just now," Harry exclaimed, a bit of hope creeping into his voice for the first time since Luna had disappeared.
Finding Luna
"Long's Crystal," a freshly married Harry Potter said as the flames turned colors from the floo powder. "Ms. Bulstrode, are you there?"
The room Harry could see looked much like it had when Harry had contacted Greg about removing the first part of the dark mark, with both Millicent Bulstrode and Gregory Goyle sitting in the room. But also in the room was an old and wrinkled crone. Millicent's Aunt Longs, Harry guessed.
"Potter, it is good to see you again," Goyle said, surprising Harry with the warmth in Greg's voice. "I can't tell you how much better I feel since I got that damned curse out of my arm."
"I'm glad to hear that, Goyle," Harry said. "But I am hoping I will be able to talk to Aunt Longs."
"So your lady is lost is she?" The crone crackled. "And is she yours?"
"Yes, Ma'am, Luna has been stolen by Dumbledore, who refuses to tell us where she is. And I have just married her using the old lines protection law."
"Hmm, it is good, you have completed both requirements and you did not need to be prompted. Are you also your Luna's anchor?"
"We used a modified ceremony, but yes, I am Luna's anchor."
"How was the ceremony modified? And who told you of the modifications?" Aunt Longs continued her probing.
"Severus Snape shared his family's ritual, one that was used if the seer was no longer a virgin when the need for an anchor was discovered. I believe he said it came from the Prince family scrolls," Harry answered the old woman respectfully.
"Why the modified ritual?"
"Neither of us felt that we are old enough for the demands that kind of intimacy would put on our relationship."
"Hmmm?"
"Meaning I'm going to be Luna's husband for the rest of my life, and I have no intention of pushing her faster than she wants to be pushed."
"You are a wiser young man than I expected. And I can't complain as young Greg has agreed to much the same thing with my Millie. It is good to see that some young men know how to control themselves."
"Still that is not why you are here," the old lady continued. "I promised your seer I would help if I could, and you have met the requirements I told your seer about. You even became her anchor before I needed to tell you it was important. That will help with the healing to come.
Your lady is lost and cold and I fear she has given up due to the outside pressures being put on her. Seek her where she should not be, but where you know one other has been sent."
"I will rip Dumbledore from limb to limb! He sent Luna to Azkaban!" Harry started to hyper-ventilate.
"No!"
"What?" Harry's rant came to a full stop at Aunt Longs' forceful interjection.
"You will not rip Dumbledore from limb to limb, it's what he expects. He is a crafty one, he is; he would use your assault to get himself pardoned. Use the law to your advantage. Accuse him and demand a full trial. He will agree as he feels he can manipulate the results."
"The DMLE already has charges against him for kidnapping, and if I refuse to let the courts combine the trials, he would need to defend himself twice; three times if I count the charges of theft from the Potter vaults."
"Good, now you are thinking. That will upset his plans nicely. Even if he gets away with the first two, the Goblins will still crucify him.
Dumbledore will be trying to invalidate your ability to press charges as he was the Chief Warlock when the crime was committed. Make sure he swears to answer you if you swear to answer his allegations."
"I can do that. Thank you very much, Aunt Longs, I need to see what it is going to take to get Luna away from the evil place."
Luna Found
"I, Harry James Potter, charge you, Albus Dumbledore, with sending my wife to the prison of Azkaban without a trial."
The headlines of the Daily Prophet screamed doom and despair, while the caption under the picture of Harry Potter holding a comatose Luna Potter was just as bad.
"This is what happens if you follow Albus Dumbledore blindly."
Albus didn't have much to do but read and re-read the paper, He was in a high security cell in the depths of the Ministry. Albus had been taken from the floor of the Wizengamot in chains and even now still had a magic suppression collar around his neck after Harry's rather dramatic entrance.
Albus looked around at his cell again, not that there was anything new to see. Not that there was anything to see at all. The rectangular room was barely six feet across on one side and likely no more than seven feet across on the other. There was no chair. There was no room for a chair, just a cot with some blankets against one wall, a chamber pot currently shoved under that cot, and a very small table that always seemed to be in the way when Albus wanted to pace.
Currently Albus was not pacing, he was sitting on the edge of his cot reading the paper for the umpteenth time, trying to firm up his plan to get out of this mess.
He had only intended for the seer to be at Azkaban for an hour or two while he got the law changed to allow him to take control of any minors that were also seers, but when the Wizengamot had been interrupted, he could not contact the guard to send her back. When the guards had changed shifts, someone had put the seer in a normal prison cell and let the Dementors loose.
It was most unfortunate that the seer was so badly affected by the prison's unusual guards. Even when he came out of the coming court battles mostly un-touched, it was unlikely he would be able to use the seer to help bring the magical world back towards his Greater Good. Not only was she married now, and that was a blow to his plans as well, but it was likely her gift would be severely hindered.
A noise at the door to his cell attracted Albus' attention and the small aperture that allowed someone to see in and speak to him opened to show the solicitor Albus was using to communicate to the outside while he was caged here.
"Mr. Potter does not wish to combine any of your upcoming trials, Mr. Dumbledore."
"That makes no sense, why?" Albus asked, this could be a blow to his plans to get out of this cell.
"As Mr. Potter put it, he has three chances to see you crushed, and he feels he has better odds if he uses all three of them."
"Three?"
"He is charging you personally for sending his wife to Azkaban; the Ministry has charged you with kidnapping and abuse of your position as Chief Warlock; and finally it seems you need to answer to Potter again concerning some theft from his trust vaults with the Goblins providing most of the evidence in that case."
Albus sat there shocked. There had been so much going on; he had totally forgotten the charges of theft.
"And I'm afraid I need to bring some additional bad news, Albus. St. Mungo's is talking about filing charges against you for the harm you have done to their image."
"What harm I did?"
"Mr. Potter has let it be known that he no longer trusts St. Mungo's since the staff did nothing to prevent you from stealing Mrs. Potter."
"We can discount that charge, even if they bring it. They did let me walk through the halls with a struggling girl," Albus decided. "They are just making noise because they have to look like they are doing something."
"They are also changing their rules internally."
Albus shrugged at that. Even when he got out of charges brought by Potter, he would likely suffer some punishment for his abuse of his position. The current Wizengamot would not let him remain Chief Warlock no matter what tricks got him out of prison time. It might be years before he could try to run the government again. At his age, he might not have years. It was too bad Potter was so against him now. Albus would need to start training someone to replace him when he went on to his next adventure.
"Mr. Potter would like for you to face his charges against his wife first."
Again Albus shrugged, he felt sure he could get out of those charges by using some rules that protect the Minister and Chief Warlock from punishment. The kidnapping and abuse of his position charges being brought by the DMLE were the ones he needed to worry about. "I do not object to that. It will allow you more time to gather the other evidence I requested."
"That is going well. There have been at least six times in the past where the Ministry needed to step in when a seer started using his or her powers too early. And we haven't gotten through all of the cases yet. I'm not sure you will be acquitted as you acted prior to the bill being passed, but you shouldn't be sent to prison for it."
Albus nodded, pleased with that research. "I need you to gather some info on the theft case since it will not be folded into the other Potter case. He is charging me as Headmaster in that case so the same rules that should get me out of the first charge can't be applied. Professor McGonagall will be able to get some books from my office. I seem to recall a case in Hogwarts' history where the Headmaster was forgiven and the money had to be pulled from the school vaults. Somewhere around 1893 I think."
"I'll contact her, and have her ask the Board of Governors. If they refuse, I'll see what pressure I can get applied since it is your evidence, but that won't help for any other money you spent from the trust fund."
"I must really be slipping; I had forgotten Minerva hadn't been promoted."
- - (()) - -
"Have you heard from St Mungo's, Harry?" Robyn asked as she paced the floor.
"Yes, and I am not taking Luna there, even though they promise she won't be taken again. They would put her in a room with a thin blanket and wait to see if she wakes up. There is no treatment specific for exposure to Dementors. She is better off here, where we can try to warm her up. And we are constantly talking to her instead of leaving her alone."
Harry sat down on the chair he and Luna used to share, and stared at the fireplace.
"So there is no spell or potion we can use to help Luna?" Robyn asked as she sat as well.
"None that the people at St Mungo's were willing to tell me about, but based on the way they have 'treated' Neville's parents, I would guess not."
"I think we are helping her just the way we are, Mum," Hermione interrupted as she, Narcissa and Tracey came in from upstairs. "Miss. Black is sure she has not had to heat the water nearly as much to keep the water for Luna's bath hot. And I agree, she does not seem to be as cold. And I swear I felt her twitch when we all laughed at a joke Tracey made."
"Where is Dad Granger?" Robyn asked, looking for her husband. She wasn't nearly as clingy as she had been, but she still wanted to know where Evan was at all times.
"Astoria has asked for a turn to help keep Luna warm in bed, and Daddy is sitting with the both of them, reading from my old favorite book of fairy tales. Astoria is currently being sucked into the world of Hans Christian Anderson and the Ugly Duckling."
"When do you think Bill will get back, Hermione?" Harry asked. "I want his take on what Aunt Longs said about what I need to do at the trial tomorrow."
"He, Blaise and Uncle Snape, are visiting Daphne, but I expect them back at any time, Harry."
The clan had decided that 'Potions Master' had become too formal and had nominated several names that showed that the feared ex-potions instructor, was more than just an employee. Uncle Severus had been shot down by the man as ridiculous, while Mum and Dad Granger had shot down just the use of the adult's first name. Narcissa had recommend the compromise that seemed to be gaining favor the more it was used.
Mum and Dad Granger continued to maintain that the clan was mostly children, and they needed to offer some respect to the adults. There was even some talk about pinning some kind of title to Amantha and Thomas since they were still very frequent visitors. They couldn't use the old job titles of Auror, as both were no longer working as such.
Thomas had received a medical discharge, and had then surprised the clan when he announced he would be taking up the duties as the head of one of the lesser known families. Amantha was officially wearing Thomas' ring and could be heard complaining that she didn't know anything about being the wife of a head of family. She usually was smiling though whenever she mentioned the word wife, so no one was too worried about the two of them.
Blaise entered the room to interrupt Hermione's abridged telling of the Ugly Duckling to Tracey to announce that they were back and had brought a surprise, followed quickly by Severus and Bill supporting a wan, but standing Daphne.
Mum Granger promptly sent Blaise to send Astoria and Dad Granger back down as she got up and started fussing about their returned lamb.
– – (()) – –
It wouldn't be until after dinner that Harry was able to meet with his brain trust while Luna was sick.
Mum and Dad Granger were there to offer support, but knew that they did not know anything about the magical legal system or laws. Uncle Snape, Miss Black, and Bill were the primary contributors to any law discussion.
"Harry, I think I figured out what Dumbledore is planning," Bill announced after the general sharing of the small improvements in Luna's condition, and the special care Daphne would be needing for the next several days as she finished her convalescence.
"Great, what is it?"
"Remember, Aunt Longs mentioned that Dumbledore would be trying to invalidate your ability to press charges; I found a law where a murderer can't charge a Chief Warlock."
"Murderer? Harry isn't a murderer!" Robyn exclaimed.
"Harry is a confirmed killer, Mum Granger. How many has he killed in the last several months? We know he isn't a murderer, but with that many people killed, Dumbledore will be pushing that at least once it was not in self defense. If he can convince the Wizengamot that Harry didn't just kill the Death Eaters, then Harry can't bring charges against the Chief Warlock. And Dumbledore was the Chief Warlock at the time of his crime."
"Darn that girl!"
"Harry!"
"Luna has been planning for something like this all along. She told me on several occasions that I need to be able to swear that the only people I killed had wands in their hand and were casting, cursing or torturing. That was why I couldn't help kill Malfoy. He was stunned at the time. It might have been nice for her to tell me."
"I don't think she could, Harry," Hermione interjected. "The times I spent talking to Luna, she seemed confused about that requirement. She knew it was important, but not why."
"Back to the trial tomorrow." Evan brought the meeting back on track. "How will this help Harry?"
"Harry is not accused of any crimes, so Dumbledore will want to require Harry to take Veritaserum to prove his right to bring charges, since it is so unlikely that Harry hasn't murdered at least once.
Dumbledore has refused to take any Veritaserum himself; both because it is bad for a man his age and because he is claiming that, as Chief Warlock, he has some secrets that need to remain secret.
I think Aunt Longs wants Harry to require Dumbledore to agree to Veritaserum if Harry agrees to Veritaserum. I think Dumbledore will agree since he thinks as soon as Harry admits to murder, the charges will be dismissed, since as a murderer Harry can't bring charges against the Chief Warlock."
"No matter what you think of him, he is able to plan for contingencies," Severus added.
"That gives us a plan, and now I need to take a very hot bath before trying to sleep next to the ice cube that Luna has become," Harry decided.
"I think that all the heat we are feeding her is helping, Harry. She is up to a cold shower from ice cube," Hermione teased her friend.
"I'll take the improvement, but I still want to be very warm when I get into bed..."