Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 64: American Politics

"You can't be serious," I said, eyeing the table. "Has the upper class gotten so out of depth that they can't see a dangerous situation for what it's worth? You-Know-Who won't differentiate between money and no money when blood lines are on the line."

"We get that," Elizabeth cut me off with a scoff. "We all know our History of Magic references front to back thanks to Professor Delaney. I just don't see why you have to be lecturing here."

"It's the drinks," Xander said with a twirl of Izzy's now empty glass on the table. "They're strong this year."

"Oh don't tell us you were at last year's Debutante Ball," Xander," Ingrid joked with a sly hand to his arm. Xander shrugged amiably at the girls who laughed at his poor attempt to seem coy.

"I'm sure I can guess who asked you," Elizabeth said, looking very focused now as she raised a finger up to conjure a name.

"Or I could just tell you," Xander offered innocently.

"This isn't a history lesson," I continued, cutting them all off from their jokes instantly. "I wasn't quoting a textbook. I was stating fact. You-Know-Who is back."

"Oh here we go," Annie muttered into her own drink before looking away.

"Ava," Xander started, looking me dead in the eye with humor that was border lining a pleading stare. "We get that you're in Europe living your best life and their Ministry is a pile of crap. But that doesn't mean you have to try and sell their propaganda to us."

"Propaganda?" Rosalie repeated in outrage. "It's not propaganda. The French ministry has ushered out an alert for his resurgence. He really is back, Xander."

"Ah the French," Annie snickered, turning back to us. "Yes, lets go protest with them as that's all they're good at. They've always been on the right side of wars. 

"What's that have to do with anything?" I questioned, feeling my blood rising. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"The French are great at only three things in life." She held up her hand and counted back three fingers with, "Perfume, Food and Fashion. Notice how politics aren't one of them?"

"That doesn't defeat the point that He-who-must---"

"Oh for crying out loud," Izzy exclaimed rather loudly, sending those at neighboring tables to turn towards us. I noted the glance Annie gave Elizabeth before Izzy spoke again. "That old wart of a man is old and dead! He couldn't possibly come back."

"He wasn't that old when he disappeared, Izzy," Ingrid commented over Xander. He was looking from Izzy to me with a growing frown to his brow. "He'd be a little over 60 now, if I'm not mistaken."

"Who gives a damn how old he is? The point is he's not around anymore so there's no reason why we need to talk about it," Elizabeth said in a tone that meant to end the discussion but I wasn't done.

"Didn't you all see the articles about the break in at the ministry in the spring? With Harry Potter..."

"You mean that embarrassing excuse of an attempt to hide the fact that teenagers got into a secret branch of their government?" Ingrid question to my great surprise. Annie snorted, as if she had just read the article herself.

"Pathetic."

"It's not Pathetic, it's true! He was there. I would know, I was—"

Xander moved in my peripheral but when I turned to look at him he was just undoing the tie on his neck, looking bemused in my direction.

"Ok let's play Ava's little game," Elizabeth said to the rest of table. "Let's say he's back—"

Xander made a booing noise like a ghost making Izzy giggle uncontrollably from her side of the table. Elizabeth blinked before continuing.