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Author: BabyRuth Story: And Then There Were Twelve Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 15 Words: 19,672
Harry strode through the Atrium at the Ministry of Magic and headed past the golden gates and toward the lifts. As he exchanged greetings with other Ministry employees, his mind was busy with a myriad of ideas and tasks to be accomplished. Memos fluttered overhead as he waited patiently to reach the second level where the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Auror Headquarters were located. As the lift passed level four on the way, he made a mental note to meet with Hermione. As Head of the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, she would be an excellent source of input on the behavior of the rogue troll. He made another mental note to call a meeting with both Hermione and Nigel Adams of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures to discuss the whole matter. The papers rustling in his pocket reminded him to stop by the Department of Orphaned Magical Children to give the foster agreement to Parvati. Stepping off at the second level he headed down the corridor to his office. "Good morning, Enid," he greeted his secretary. Enid Pennywhistle was a spry, snow white-haired witch with a face lined with living. When she smiled, her eyes disappeared into her wrinkles. While she looked as though a soft breeze would knock her over, Harry knew she was as strong as an English oak. She had been the secretary for the various heads of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Harry was convinced she actually ran the place and just tolerated his presence in her space. "Enid, please ask Hermione Weasley and Nigel Adams to come down and see me this morning, say around ten. Is Seamus back today? Have him sit in on the meeting with us as well. I also need to speak with Meirs about rearranging some Auror schedules. Oh, and remind me later on that I need to take some papers down to the DOMC." "Yes, sir," Enid responded. "You've some personal correspondence on your desk, arrived this morning. Also, Mr. Diggory…" Before she could finish, Amos Diggory, head of the Wizengamot, came out of Harry's office. "Harry! Just the man I needed to see. Got a minute?" "Do I have a minute, Enid?" Harry asked. "You have thirty minutes before the Monday staff meeting starts." "After you, Amos," Harry said, gesturing for his guest to re-enter his office. "Enid," he started, turning back momentarily. "Tea's on the sideboard," Enid said promptly. Harry followed Amos into his office and stepped around to his chair behind the large cherry-wood desk, stopping to pour a cup of tea on the way. Shoving his mail aside, he watched with raised eyebrows as Amos carefully closed the inter-office door. "Harry, I'm not here in any official capacity, you understand. What I need to ask you is totally confidential," Amos said quietly, leaning forward in his chair. "All right. What's up?" "Harry, are you aware that Arthur has said he's going to retire this year?" "Yeah, he mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. Why?" "There is quite a bit of interest, both within and without the Wizengamot, in you taking his place." "What? Me be the next Minister of Magic?" Harry asked, sincerely surprised. He sat upright in his chair. "Think about it. You've worked your way up the ranks of the Aurors, becoming one of the youngest MLES heads in decades. Your success rate is impressive, and you've expanded the department by fifty percent. Your employee turnover is practically non-existent, reflecting your exemplary leadership skills. Not to mention that you brought an end to the second Dark War practically single-handedly." "That was a long time ago," Harry demurred. "Nonetheless, people have long memories. They'll remember what you did for them twenty years ago, and they'll see what you've accomplished working as an Auror. You're well-liked and well-respected, and you have a high level of personal integrity. And I think you won't be easily swayed to one side or the other over issues without weighing all options. You've got all the makings of a superior Minister," said Amos, looking at Harry earnestly. Harry just stared at him. He had never entertained the notion of becoming Minister. Amos stood and stepped toward the door. "Just think about it, Harry. There's no rush. Talk it over with your lovely wife. The deadline for declaring your candidacy isn't until August. Just keep it under your hat; we don't want to tip anyone off, do we?" Harry just shook his head in bewilderment as Amos let himself out of the office. Me, the Minister of Magic? Harry thought. That's either a really bad joke or a brilliant suggestion. Wish I knew which. Deliberately forcing the thought from his mind, he started reviewing his notes for his staff meeting. Schedule changes, policy changes, new Muggle Liaison Officer, the whole troll episode, he ticked off his notes. Me, Minister of Magic?! An hour later Harry and his assistant, Seamus Finnigan, were going over some notes following the staff meeting. As the last Auror left, Hermione Granger Weasley arrived a few minutes shy of their ten o'clock, tapping on the opened door as she walked in. "Good morning, Harry, Seamus. What's up?" she inquired. "Quite a bit, actually," Harry replied, "but I'm waiting for a someone else to join us. Have a nice weekend?" "Lovely. Ron took the twins to the Cannons/Wasps match and I had the house all to myself for a change." "Wish I knew what that was like," Harry said ruefully. Hermione just chuckled. This was an old complaint. "Some of us with normal-sized families can enjoy some peace and quiet when there are two children at Hogwarts and two at home who have a father eager to impart all sorts of Quidditch fever on them at any available opportunity," she said cheekily. "Hannah's what, five? So it'll be at least six more years before she leaves for school and thirteen before she leaves Hogwarts. Oh, wait, you're not finished yet, are you?" she teased. "All I said was I wanted a big family. Honest. How was I to know that would mean twelve children?" Harry sighed dramatically and looked very put-upon. Hermione didn't buy it in the least; Harry loved each of his children and each had been desperately wanted. "Twelve? At last count you had ten and Ginny was expecting only one. Or was the mediwitch mistaken and you're having another set of twins?" Hermione asked surprised. "It's a bit of a long story, and part of the reason I asked to see you both this morning. As soon as Nigel Adams gets here I'll tell you all about it." A few minutes later a very scruffy-looking wizard arrived, wearing a set of rumpled work robes with quills and parchment spilling out of the pockets. His hair was pewter grey and stuck up in all different directions as if he kept running his fingers through it. Large framed glasses made him look constantly startled and his overall appearance was one of befuddled disarray. But Harry knew that the outward appearance hid a mind as sharp as a tack. Nigel Adams had been in the Department of the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures for the past thirty years. During the last Dark War he had worked behind the scenes as others in his department were instructed to indiscriminately destroy all manners of creatures, either for pleasure or political gain. He had uncovered a plot to slaughter the goblins and was sent to Azkaban by the previous Head of Department for his efforts. When the Ministry was reorganized after the fall of Voldemort, Nigel's true work was recognized. Under his leadership, the department became a model of interspecies cooperation. Laws defining "dangerous creatures" were both enacted and enforced. No creature was destroyed without due process, and Nigel had developed methods of securely holding the creatures in a sleep-like state while under investigation. "Good morning, Nigel," Harry greeted him. "Harry, Hermione." Nigel nodded to both of them. "I don't know if you've ever met my assistant, Seamus Finnigan?" Harry indicated the deputy department head. "Morning," Nigel said, shaking Seamus' hand. A few quills fell from his bulging pockets to the floor but Nigel didn't seem to notice. "Everyone take a seat and we'll get started." Pausing briefly, Harry went on, "Yesterday afternoon we received a distress call from the Orkney Islands about a rampaging mountain troll," Harry said. "What?" exclaimed Hermione, looking up from the parchment on which she was taking notes. "Yes, a mountain troll on the Orkneys. We dispatched a team immediately but unfortunately found a witch and a wizard, Brian and Heather McFadden, bludgeoned to death. We also found their little girl, Bridget. The troll was subdued and brought to the Ministry for investigation. Nigel, do you have any preliminary findings?" "Not yet. The troll is in stasis and we've started running some diagnostic spells. We've found evidence of enchantments but haven't pinpointed what they are yet. It'll take a few more days." "Right. Hermione, is there a registry of mountain trolls?" "No, there hasn't been a need. We have mapped the populations, of course. The nearest colony of trolls is in the Highlands." "What are the odds of other trolls doing the same?" asked Seamus. "Highly unlikely. Mountain trolls aren't like security trolls and don't have it in them to be organized enough to work as a group in these situations. This is either an isolated incident due to some diseased troll or a wizard stirring up trouble, but I can't see how using a troll would prove anything." "That's what I thought," said Harry. "OK, Nigel, do the best you can as quickly as you can. I'll issue a press release that the incident is under investigation and in all likelihood an isolated occurrence. Seamus, make sure the other MLES officers on the team yesterday file their reports before the end of the day. I want this wrapped up as quickly as possible." Seamus nodded and left the office, followed by Nigel. Hermione stood as if to leave, then frowned. "Harry, what happened to the McFadden girl? Is she the reason your child count is up to twelve?" Harry nodded. "Little thing's about four years old and wouldn't let me go for anything. She wouldn't go to one of my female Aurors and she wouldn't let go for Parvati. So Ginny and I are fostering her for a while." "How did the other kids take it?" "Very well, actually. I was quite proud of them. She's sticking quite close to Hannah." Harry smiled at the memory of the two little girls walking hand in hand down into the kitchen for breakfast, Bridget dressed in a borrowed pink nightgown and holding a pitch black kitten draped over her free arm. "Lucky you found her, then. Can you join Ron and me for lunch?" she asked, changing the subject. "I thought he was traveling today," Harry said, looking surprised. "No, he's in his office. He's meeting with the National Association of Quidditch Referees this afternoon, something about new contracts, so he postponed the trip to meet with the American Games Commission." Harry smiled, thinking how fortunate they all were to be working at jobs they loved. Ron had started working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports ten years ago after being forced to retire from professional Quidditch due to repeated shoulder injuries. After a meteoric rise and averting an international World Cup strike, he was made Head of Department. "Let's meet in the Atrium at twelve, all right?" "See you then!" Hermione called as she left. Sitting back behind his desk, Harry turned his attention to his personal mail. Several invitations to various political functions (Why does Enid insist these are personal correspondence when I rarely accept?) were immediately binned. A long-awaited reply to his request of the Egyptian government for extradition on a smuggler was added to his in box. And then there was a letter from Jamie. Harry smiled at the folded parchment before he opened it. He loved getting mail from his children attending Hogwarts. He usually received it at the Folly, though, and not at work. Wondering what was going on, Harry opened it and read: Dear Dad, Term is winding down here and we're all getting slammed with revising for NEWTs. My eyes are so bloodshot they look like roadmaps. If I couldn't go outside for a fly every once in a while I'd go absolutely bonkers. I saw Bumbles yesterday. (Harry grinned. The first time Jamie had been introduced to Dumbledore he couldn't pronounce the name; now Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was known to the Potter children as "Bumbles" and treated as an honored grandfather.) He looked good, but kind of weird even for him. I think he was sunburned but that could have been the dim light. He had on this wild print Muggle type shirt and shorts, and had sunglasses perched on the bill of a Chudley Cannons hat. I think it's the one Uncle Ron gave him. Anyway, he said he'd been to Bermuda and had just come back to Hogwarts to visit. (Harry made a mental note to make sure he invited Albus to the "Finally Finished Hogwarts" party.) AJ,
Lily, and Molly are doing OK, I don't see them much except in the
common room since Quidditch is through. At least AJ's in the between
OWL and NEWT year, and the girls will face OWLs next year. Lucky ducks.
Brian tried to hex a Slytherin in the Charms corridor. Stupid git did
it right in front of Flitwick's office and he didn't even do the spell
right. Dad, how did you know you loved Mum? Love, James James, thought Harry with a small pang. Not Jamie, as the family had always called him. Calling himself James and asking about love. When did it happen? When had his little first born son grown up? Why hadn't anyone told Harry that it would hurt with such a bittersweet ache? Instantly Harry's thoughts flew back to the time before Jamie was born. The indescribable months when Harry's mood vacillated from wildly elated to horribly petrified. He hadn't known a thing about babies, children, fatherhood, pregnant wives or swollen ankles. Practically retching with anxiety in the garden of the Burrow while the Weasley women showered Ginny with baby gifts, he had felt a touch on his shoulder… "It's all right Harry," said a gentle voice. Arthur sat down beside him on the stone bench. "What am I doing, Arthur? I can't do this. I'm going to be a horrible father. What made me think I wanted children? What do I know about anything? He's going to be ruined for life!" Harry was panicking and he knew it. Arthur just smiled warmly and rubbed Harry's back. "Harry, it will be all right, you'll see. Do you love the baby?" "Oh, God, Arthur. I love him so much and he's not even here yet. I just know I'm going to bollix up being a dad. We don't even have a house and I'm not finished training yet. What were we thinking?" Harry groaned. Arthur's eyes twinkled as he leaned closer. "You sure you were thinking, Harry?" Harry snorted as his father-in-law continued, "You were thinking that you loved Ginny, and a baby would be visible proof of your union. Oh, sure, there will be mistakes along the way. Future children will reap the benefits of experience learned at this one's expense. God knows Molly and I did with Bill and the others. But when you get right down to it, when all is said and done, you just have to remember one thing." "What's that?" Harry asked miserably. "Remember the joy, Harry. Enjoy your children. Learn from them as much as they learn from you. Love them in all things. Everything else will come out right in the end if you do." Harry smiled. Truer words were never said. Picking up a quill he began to write. Dear James, I enjoyed your letter very much. I think I did hear that Bumbles took a break from writing his memoirs and went to Bermuda. Wish I could have seen him in the shorts! Thanks for the updates on the others as well, haven't heard from them in a month or so. Will have to have a little talk with Brian. There's a new addition to the family. A little girl named Bridget that we're fostering for a while. It's a long story but in a nutshell her parents were killed and we took her in. Let the others know there'll be an extra face at the dinner table when you all get home. I don't know how long she'll be with us but she's pretty upset right now and we don't want to cause any further distress. I didn't know why you wrote me at work instead of at home until I got to the last question. I don't think I'm the right person to answer it, though. Everybody knew I loved your mum before I did. Or maybe I just didn't know the label to put on my feelings. Everything was so chaotic in my life that last year at school that I think I buried my feelings so deep I didn't recognize them anymore. I don't know if I've ever shared this with you, but the night before the final battle I made out a will. I thought about your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, his brothers and your grandparents, Remus, and other friends I had made with the Order and at school, and then I thought of your Mum. I knew I couldn't hide it any more, and I didn't want to face the battle without her knowing what she meant to me. If you think of her all the time, if you imagine ways to make her smile, if you put her happiness above your own, then you're in love. If being with her makes you feel like your heart just came home after a long trip, then you're in love. If you can't imagine life without her, then you're in love. If you let her steal your socks and she looks kind of cute with them hiked up to her knees but your toes are frozen to the floor, then you're in love. I don't know how else to put it. I don't think I've told you enough how proud I am of you. I was terrified of you before you were born, or rather terrified I would make a horrible mess out of everything and scar you for life. Despite me, you've grown into one of the finest young men it's ever been my pleasure to have met. Good luck on your NEWTs and try to enjoy the end of term. We'll have the welcome home feast and fun waiting for you when you get home. Bring her with you. Love, Dad With a small wistful smile Harry addressed the envelope and put it in Enid's out box as he headed toward the Atrium and lunch with Ron and Hermione.
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