DOORWAYS || MARAUDERS ERA

ϟ33: WITH THE POTTERS (PART III)ϟ

" 'To Rhea Abrielle Arquette,' " Scrimgeour read, " 'I leave my diary with the hope that she might find it valuable and worthwhile.' "

Rhea took the old diary with shaking hands, and Scrimgeour looked very suspicious. But the legilimens witch knew how exactly she could thwart him.

"Why, Miss Arquette, would he leave you a diary?" he asked shrewdly.

"Dumbledore was an unpredictable man," she replied coolly. "I don't have the capacity to reason out his actions. And moreover, didn't you spend a month scouring through the things in Dumbledore's will? Does this diary look suspicious to you, Minister?"

"I will not to be spoken to like that—" his nostrils flared.

"Please read the next part of the will," Ron interjected, "There's cake waiting for us upstairs."

Scrimgeour took a deep breath to calm himself, and then began reading the will. He gave Harry the snitch, which thankfully, did not open under his touch, much to the Minister's dismay. He went on to read the next part of the will, stating that Dumbledore had wanted to give Harry the Gryffindor Sword.

"Why do you think — ?"

"— Dumbledore wanted to give me the sword?" said Harry, "Maybe he thought it would look nice on my wall."

"This is not a joke, Potter!" growled Scrimgeour. "Was it because Dumbledore believed that only the sword of Godric Gryffindor could defeat the Heir of Slytherin? Did he wish to give you that sword, Potter, because he believed, as do many, that you are the one destined to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Interesting theory," said Harry. "Has anyone ever tried sticking a sword in Voldemort? Maybe the Ministry should put some people onto that, instead of wasting their time stripping down Deluminators or covering up breakouts from Azkaban. So is this what you've been doing, Minister, shut up in your office, trying to break open a Snitch? People are dying — I was nearly one of them — Voldemort chased me across three counties, he killed Mad-Eye Moody, but there's been no word about any of that from the Ministry, has there? And you still expect us to cooperate with you!"

"You go too far!" yelled the Minister.

"And I see no lie in his insinuations," Rhea snarled at him, looking angrily at the Minister. "Mad Eye Moody died with honour, died fighting Voldemort, and you dishonour his sacrifice! You are no better than Fudge!"

The minister looked at the two of them with barely veiled anger. Then he stomped towards Harry and grabbed his collar.

"Oi!" Ron snapped, raising his own wand at the Minister, ready to defend Harry no matter what.

"Let him go, Minister," Rhea said with deadly calm.

"It's time you learned some respect," hissed the Minister, still gripping Harry by the collar.

Harry looked at him coolly and replied with his usual attitude, "It's time you earned it."

Mr and Mrs Weasley came bursting into the room, having heard the raised voices. The Minister promptly left the Burrow, after expressing his regret that Harry wouldn't cooperate with him. But Harry was not one to give in without a fight, and he raised his fist which was covered in the scar that Umbridge had inflicted on him—I must not tell lies.

Rhea had watched the happenings with barely veiled anger, but her attention was turned to the diary Dumbledore had given her as per his will. She felt panic rise within her as she realized Dumbledore had placed a spell that enabled only Rhea to read its actual contents. Whatever the Minister must have must have been random facts about Dumbledore and boring routines of his day.