Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

29) Good News! Wait, No, Now There's Malfoy

Dumbledore didn't say anything else, just stared up at Fudge expectantly. Fudge returned the stare, except it was a lot less friendly. Harry had stiffened completely in his chair, and was staring up at the whispering Wizengamot with a slightly green face.

"It'll be all right," I whispered to him, and he jolted in surprise. "This will end okay, you'll see." Harry swallowed thickly — he didn't believe me, but I sent him a reassuring smile anyway.

The whispering stopped all at once not long later. Harry didn't look up at them, and I turned to look at Amelia Bones.

"Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?" She boomed. Harry's head jerked upward, and I couldn't help but grin. There were many hands in the air, definitely more than half. I didn't get the chance to count, because Amelia Bones continued. "And those in favor of conviction?"

Fudge raised his hand, and so did the toad witch, along with about five others. Fudge looked around at the few hands in the air, his face turning pale. He lowered his hand, took to deep breaths, and spoke through clenched teeth, "Very well, very well... cleared of all charges."

"Excellent," Dumbledore stood up, and I did the same. He waved his wand and the armchairs vanished. "Well, I must be getting along. Good day to you all."

And without looking back, he swept out of the room.

Harry stared agape at the door, his eyes wide at Dumbledore's departure. I have Harry a moment to sit there in shock.

"Harry," I said, watching the Wizengamot climb to their feet. "Stand up."

"Are we allowed to leave?" Harry turned to me, his voice betraying his relief.

"Yes," I said. "Now come on, let's go."

Harry took tentative steps at first, seemingly prepared to be called back by Fudge saying Just kidding, Harry! You're expelled, yayyyyyyyy! but when it didn't happen, he broke into a quick walk, and took the last few steps through the door at a run. I stepped out behind him.

Mr. Weasley was waiting outside the door, looking pale and nervous, "Dumbledore didn't say —"

"Cleared," Harry said, not even giving me the chance to mess with Mr. Weasley, "of all charges!"

Mr. Weasley beamed at Harry and seized him by the shoulders, "Harry, that's wonderful! Well, of course they couldn't have found you guilty, not on the evidence, but even so, I can't pretend I wasn't —" He broke off, staring as the Wizengamot filed out of the door. He pulled us aside to let them pass. "Merlin's beard, you were tried by the full court?"

"Yeah," I frowned, watching them pass.

A few of the passing people nodded at Harry and greeted Arthur. Amelia Bones smiled at me, "Hello. Have you gotten the models for the Themis cabin? I know it's never gonna be made, but I'd still like to know what it would look like." She nodded at Arthur in greeting.

"Sup," Arthur said happily.

"Ah, he's still working on it," I said, smiling at Mr. Weasley. "He's, uh, been having to deal with some other stuff."

Amelia Bones' eyes flickered towards Harry, "Ah, I see. So he is there, then?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I imagine you've got actual important matters to attend to, Amelia Bones, so I'll see you later."

"You don't have to call me by my full name, you know," Amelia Bones looked a little annoyed, as she always did when I said her name. "Amelia is fine."

"But if I call you Amelia I'll think you're a Bedelia," I shook my head. "And I can't call you Bones because a) bones are icky, and b) I'll think you're Susan."

Amelia Bones was about to say something, but caught a glimpse of something in the courtroom behind her, and walked away without saying goodbye. A moment later, Fudge and the the toad walked out. Fudge didn't look at us, but the toad eyed Harry and I as if we had murdered her firstborn. She kind of looked like a monster, so maybe I did murder her firstborn. And second born. Who knows. The last person to leave the room was Perry Weasley. He completely ignored us, his gray covered head held high. Mr. Weasley's smile tightened a little bit, but other than that, he gave no indication that Perry had been there at all.

"I'm going to take you straight back so you can tell the others the good news," he beckoned us toward the stairs leading to the ninth level. "I'll drop you off on the way to that toilet in Bethnal Green. Come on..."

"So what will you have to do about the toilet?" Harry was grinning broadly.

"Oh, it's a simple enough anti-jinx," Mr. Weasley said, "but it's not so much having to repair the damage, it's more the attitude behind the vandalism, Harry. Muggle-baiting might strike some wizards as funny, but it's an expression of something much deeper and nastier, and I for one —"

He broke off mid sentence. There in the ninth-level corridor, standing a few feet away from us, was Cornelius Fudge talking in a low voice to Lucius Malfoy.

"Ew," I said. "Did you stick your head up your ass again, 'cause it looks like you've got too much lube in your hair."

Lucius Malfoy did not look pleased with me — I wasn't all that surprised. He knew I was dating his son (though he thought his son was dating me for power), and I'd stepped on his shoe a few too many times for it to be accidental.

"Well, well, well... Patronus Potter and his little sidekick," Malfoy's eyes narrowed at he looked at us.

"Oh, I'd love to kick your side," I muttered. The last time I had seen Malfoy had been when Voldemort had decided to become alive again. And then there was the whole situation with Draco.... That still pissed me off. "The Minister was just telling me about your lucky escape, Potter. Quite astonishing, the way you continue to wriggle out of very tight holes.... Snakelike, in fact..."

"Yeah," Harry said, his jaw tense. "Yeah, I'm good at escaping..."

Malfoy raised his eyes and looked at Mr. Weasley, "And Arthur Weasley too! What are you doing here, Arthur?"

"I work here," Mr. Weasley said.

"Not here, surely?" Malfoy raised his eyebrows.

"His name isn't Shirley, it's Arthur," I said helpfully.

Malfoy ignored me, "I thought you were up on the second floor.... Don't you do something that involves sneaking Muggle artifacts home and bewitching them?"

"No," Mr. Weasley said bitterly.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Harry questioned.

"I don't think private matters between myself and the Minister are any concern of yours, Potter," Malfoy said, smoothing his robes down. I heard the quiet clicking sounds of a pocket full of gold, but it wasn't really all that quiet, and I saw the slight smirk on his face as he glanced at Mr. Weasley. "Really, just because you are Dumbledore's favorite boy, you must not expect the same indulgence from the rest of us.... Shall we go up to your office, then, Minister?"

"Certainly," Fudge said, turning away from us. "This way, Lucius."

Power went out. We were told it'd be back on at 11. Guess what? It got turned on a lot earlier, which was super cool and sexy. Love that, it's quite gorgeous. Though I did have to restart my laundry. Sad. I have school tomorrow. I don't want to go to school tomorrow. I might just spontaneously combust so I don't have to go. That'd be nice. My little sister really likes the mobile Rocket League (I think it should have been called Pocket League instead of whatever crappy name it has), so we've been playing that a lot. I am really bad at it, but it's pretty fun.

Anyway, I hope you guys have had a terrific Sunday, and I'll see you on Tuesday CT. Love ya!