Harry received the papers from Margaret Pentridge regarding the setting up of the Lily Evans Memorial Scholarship Fund, and read through them to make sure everything was still as he wanted.
Along with them was a note informing him Ackerman and Co were happy to interview the staff for the Board and employee positions. Remus would be thoroughly interviewed, told he'd been recommended for the opportunity of winning the position, and then given it a couple of days later.
First chance he got he signed the papers and sent them back.
It was time for classes before they headed to the Room of Requirement to practice his silent and minimal wand casting once classes ended. Then they'd be returning to the apartment to, again, plan.
At least, since Dumbledore had come down hard on the behaviour of his pet Death Eater, Potions was now a much nicer class. Harry even found that he enjoyed it as it gave him time to think.
What surprised Snape were the major improvements in all the other classes, bar Slytherin. He was even giving consideration to realigning the bars for what earned an Outstanding, Exceed Expectations and down. Students across the board and across the ages were now doing much better in the subject.
While Madam Bones was in the process of finding Death Eaters, wannabes and blood bigots within the ranks of the Aurors and Hit Wizards, Madam Longbottom was keeping the Minister and his staff hopping. This was something Madam Bones deeply appreciated, as it kept the Minister and his flunkies from finding out what she was up to.
While Madam Longbottom was berating a flunky, the one who wasn't quick enough to run for other parts of the Ministry building, the Minister was holed up in his office with his Senior Under-Secretary. Even Dolores Umbridge was unwilling to face the wrath of Augusta Longbottom when the woman had the support of the majority of the Wizengamot behind her; and seeing the Potter-brat receive the Order was definitely something the majority of the Wizengamot wanted to see happen.
"What do we do, Dolores?" the Minister practically whined. "Lucius and Dumbledore, both, are adamant Potter not receive the Order of Merlin. However, both the Wizengamot and the public want to see him receive it. If she goes public that I'm seen to be blocking it..."
"We need to find something else to concern her, Minister," Umbridge simpered. "Something that will take all her attention."
"But, what?" he begged.
Umbridge practically paced in the expansive office; thinking hard.
She suddenly stopped and looked to the Minister. "Her son and daughter-in-law," she said, an idea coming to her. "That's her weakness."
"What about them?" he asked.
"They're in the permanent spell damage ward at Saint Mungo's," she said. "Yes, yes; I know that," he said, a little exasperated. "Get to the point."
"If either of them shows an improvement..." she said, "The old hag will dash over there to be at their bedsides."
"And how are we supposed to accomplish that miraculous feat?" he asked, going from worried to irritated.
"One of those little tidbits of information I've discovered is that both are being regularly dosed with a senility-inducing potion," she smiled.
Stunned, the Minister sat there for a few moments, still confused, he asked, "But, why?"
"Dumbledore wanted them out of the way, for some reason," she replied. "And he wasn't up to just killing them, or having them killed."
"He's both providing the potion, and bribing a healer, to see to it the Longbottom couple is kept in a near-comatose state."
"But, why?" asked Fudge again, completely forgetting he'd just asked that same question.
"Unknown," replied Umbridge. "But, does it matter to us? You?"
While Fudge tried to figure that one out, she continued. "If we... discover... the healer has been dosing the Longbottoms with the senility-inducing potion, we can see him arrested. I don't know if it's possible or not... not being a healer myself, of course," she simpered. "But they may soon thereafter 'wake up'. Of course, after so long under the effects of the potion, both are going to need long term care to help them regain their faculties..."
"... And our Madam Longbottom will dedicate her time to providing that care!" exclaimed Fudge, finally understanding. "I'll be her hero for discovering the truth!"
"Of course you will, Minister," simpered the Pink Toad. "At the same time, it'll get the woman to stop pushing for the Potter brat to receive the Order; and she'll feel beholden to you."
"Yes!" said Fudge, quite gleefully. "Get it done, Dolores. It's time the Longbottoms received justice."
Umbridge detested having to give up one of her little known secrets, as it rendered the knowing of the secret useless as a tool for blackmail. One as big as this may have eventually been used to bring the Great Dumbledore to heel. But, sometimes, it was unavoidable. This was one of those times.
Back at Hogwarts, the three were putting final touches on their plan to have Dumbledore find out about the ring horcrux.
"It's going to take very good acting on the part of all three of us to pull it off," said Hermione. Looking at Harry, she said, "You, to show confusion and a little fear. Not too much, mind. And us, to show worry and concern for you."
"It has to be enough to show a reason for actually talking to the old fool," said Daphne. "He has to believe it worries you, and us, so much that you're willing to... overcome... how much we detest the man to actually tell him something we might consider personal."
Harry nodded. "We'll need to practice that," he said. "I don't think I can pull it off without us role-playing it a fair bit."
"Agreed," replied Daphne, while Hermione nodded.
"In the meantime," said Hermione. "How goes your practice at maintaining and controlling the Aguamenti Charm?"
"As much as I don't like to blow my own trumpet," he replied. "I think I've mastered it. That is, mastered it enough to make it quite effective as a form of propulsion for the second task."
"It actually propels you through the water?" asked Daphne. "It does," he replied. "I practiced it in the Prefects' bathroom. Even I was surprised by how well it works."
"And minimalist wand motion and incantless casting?" asked Hermione.
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