the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 70 - The Price of Valor

The urge to leap out of his seat, grab Harry and shake him was almost overwhelming to Severus. And for once he suspected that he, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were entirely of one mind.

His hands were clenched into knuckle-white fists as he watched Lucius Malfoy take a seat on the Wizengamot and be welcomed by a gently smiling Harry. Had the boy gone mad? They had all warned him - over and over again. Even Draco, he suspected, had warned him - Lucius Malfoy could not be trusted. He would promise them the moon with no intention of ever delivering it. He would lie, cheat, steal - do anything in his power to forward his own agenda. And if it served his gain, he would stab Harry in the back the first chance he got. Why would the boy offer him such an opportunity for mischief? Why wouldn't he simply order the Aurors in the room to take him away? With Harry's current position in the Wizarding World he could easily expose Lucius as the Death Eater he was and have him sent to Azkaban no questions asked.

Severus found himself glaring at Dumbledore, silently urging the old wizard to do something about this. Surely Harry would listen to reason if Dumbledore just spoke up. It was bad enough that Harry seemed to think that the Vampire sitting on the far side of the room was little more than a harmless victim of circumstances - at least Werewolves were only Dark Creatures for a single night out of the month. Vampires were dangerous every day. But that at least Severus could understand - a disease should not fate a person to a life of slavery.

Lucius, however, was a far different matter. Lucius had earned whatever fate befell him. He did not deserve a second chance - Harry truly didn't understand what the man was capable of doing. And if he honestly believed that anything in this world would make Lucius champion the cause of Vampire and Werewolf civil rights, he was completely deluded.

Despite the glare Severus was sending him, Dumbledore only had eyes for Harry, and while Severus could see some vague sense of disbelief in the man's twinkling eyes, it was overwhelmed by sheer amazement. Dumbledore believed in Harry - utterly. For whatever reason, Dumbledore was willing to give Harry his complete trust on this issue.

Merlin! Could none of them see the way Lucius was looking at Harry? Could they not see the lust in the man's eyes? Lucius was an extremely beautiful man, but surely Harry was not swayed by that! Severus' stomach twisted at the thought.

"Is there anything else, Headmaster?" Harry asked quietly as he stood in the center of the room.

Dumbledore looked momentarily startled by the question before glancing swiftly around at the rest of the Wizengamot. Many of them looked equally stunned by the display they had just witnessed. "Ah, yes," the old wizard remarked. "Perhaps an interim Minister?"

Harry did not seem particularly surprised at the request but Severus wanted to shout in protest yet again. What were they all doing? These decisions should not be put on Harry's shoulders. This was not his responsibility!

"Madame Bones will serve as interim Minister, if she pleases," Harry stated, nodding briefly toward the woman in question.

Amelia looked startled at his words, but before she could respond, Madame Umbridge leaped to her feet in protest. "But that will give her an unfair advantage in the election?"

Harry frowned at that, glancing briefly at Umbidge. "Perhaps," he agreed. "Or she may decide after a few weeks that she does not want the job at all. Considering the nonsense that goes on here, I can't say I would blame her." He glanced back at Amelia. "Will you accept?"

Amelia nodded her head in agreement, looking briefly toward Albus as if seeking his approval. The old man smiled at her in encouragement.

"Well, then that settles it," Dumbledore exclaimed. "Now I understand we have a large number of foreign heads of state and ambassadors who wish to speak with us as well as a few Muggle officials. We should proceed to the audience chamber and attend to them immediately. The sooner things can get back to normal around here, the better."