Measure of a Man

MEASURE OF A MAN

Why do you ask him move to heaven and earth

To prove his love has worth?

Would he walk on water?

Would he run through fire?

Would he stand before you,

When it is down to the wire?

Would he gave his life up

To be all he can?

Is that, is that, is that how you measure a man?

Chapter 15: Plans for the Future

“ … and I believe that settles everything,” Kingsley Shacklebolt rolled a group of parchments together and put them into his robes, preparatory to returning to the Ministry of Magic.

“Aurors have already taken away the body of Bellatrix Lestrange,” he said. “Along with the remains of the Dark Lord’s wand. We found a great deal of blood besides hers, and both Rudolphus and Rabistan Lestrange were there. They have been arrested, and they confirmed Mr. Potter’s destruction of their Master. They’re being taken back to Azkaban, and they didn’t even protest. We found three other Death Eaters dead by their own wands: MacNair, Crabbe, and Goyle.”

“Tell the Minister that we would be grateful if he could station some Aurors to keep the press away from the school,” Dumbledore said. “No one but Harry and his partners know what happened, and according to Madam Pomfrey, they are in no condition to answer questions. I believe that Harry will present himself to select reporters when he is ready.”

“I’ll make the suggestion to the Minister, Headmaster,” Kingsley said. “I’ll have Madam Bones dispatch the Aurors herself. I don’t think she trusts Cornelius anymore.”

He inclined his head to Dumbledore and walked over to the Floo.

Dumbledore waited until he was certain that the Auror was gone, and then he stood up and made his way down to the dungeons.

***** *****

In the Snape/Malfoy quarters, Harry was stretched out on the couch, half asleep, with his head was in Snape’s lap. Draco was puttering around in Snape’s personal lab, making some replenishing potions and Pepper Up potions. Lucius was leaning back in one of the armchairs, with Hermione in his lap. Voldemort was in a cradle nearby, under Winky’s watchful eyes.

“We can’t call him Voldemort, Harry,” Hermione said. “We have to think of a name for him.”

“He can keep his first name,” Harry murmured sleepily. “His name is Tom. He’ll be Thomas Potter-Snape. He’ll never be mistreated or want for anything.”

“That’s nice,” Hermione said, and then turned her eyes to Lucius. “We are going to adopt some orphans, aren’t we?”

“If you like,” Lucius said. “There are ways to make them ours, you know.”

“I was sure there was,” Hermione said. “I was an only child, and I’d like a big family.” She settled more firmly against Lucius and closed her eyes, yawning.

Lucius smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He could not believe that his perfect match was the same age as his son. Sometimes, the Fates played dirty tricks on people.

A knock on the door heralded Dumbledore, who smiled at everyone as he entered, and then walked over to look at the infant in the cradle before moving to sit in the remaining armchair.

“The Aurors have taken away the Death Eaters that they could find,” he said. “They did not find all of them, though. I wonder why.” He looked towards Harry.

“I’m gonna be Minister,” Harry slurred drowsily. “I’m gonna fix what’s wrong, an’ they’re gonna help me. If they don’ help me, then Sev or Luc’s gonna tell on ‘em.” His voice drifted off in a soft snore.

“Sev?” Snape looked down at his sleepy lover.

“Luc?” Lucius looked over at the younger wizard in surprise, wondering what prompted Harry to say such a thing.”

“Relax, Lucius,” Dumbledore said, raising a hand. “Harry only gives nicknames to those he feels close to, and only in private.”

“He feels close to me?” Lucius asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Dumbledore said. “Since you are committing yourself to Miss Granger, Harry feels a bond with you, if only in your mutual care for her.”

“I see,” Lucius said, relaxing. “I think I am beginning to understand the power that the Dark Lord did not.”

“Indeed,” Dumbledore said enigmatically.

Draco came out of the lab with his hands full of phials. He handed two to his father, and then hunkered down next to the couch.

“Harry,” he crooned. “Time to wake up and take your potions.”

“Do’ wanna,” Harry slurred. “Nasty.”

“I’ll get Dobby to bring us some Super Fudge Chunk Ripple ice cream,” Draco promised. “Come on, Harry.”

Harry’s eyes fluttered open, and then he stuck his tongue out at his lover. He levered himself up and took the first phial that Draco handed him.

He downed the contents of the phial, shuddered, and reached for a Pepper Up potion.

“Give me that,” he growled. “Anything’s got to taste better.”

After he ingested the Pepper Up potion, he looked more alert, and then looked over at Dumbledore with a puzzled look on his face.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“I thought you would want to know about James, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “He is at St. Mungo’s. The healer in charge of him believes that they are going to have to amputate the hand holding the knife and then regenerate it. The knife seems to be cursed, and whoever picks it up cannot put it down.”

“Do we have any idea what happened?” Harry asked.

“Not really,” Dumbledore said. “We tried extracting some of his memories, but they are jumbled and fractured. We may never know what happened. James may never be sane enough to tell us. We have to accept that he may be a permanent resident of St. Mungos, along with the Longbottoms and Gilderoy Lockhart.”

“I bet nobody can understand why Voldemort got a second chance,” Harry said. “I don’t understand, either, but I’m going to make sure that he gets that chance, and every other Wizarding child that I can.”

“You will have a great deal of resistance to that idea, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “How do you plan to counter it?”

“By pointing out that Tom Riddle was raised in a muggle orphanage,” Harry said. “That started him on the path that led to his becoming the Dark Lord. I’ll see if I can get the Prophet to print the truth, based on a first-hand account of the destruction of Voldemort.”

“I have an idea, Harry,” Hermione said. “The Daily Prophet is in the pocket of the Ministry, and it has been for quite some time. Why don’t you get together with Oliver Wood and some of his friends, and start another paper? You could start with your account of Voldemort’s defeat and your conclusion that Wizarding children, or even Muggleborns that don’t have families should be raised in the Wizarding community. There is no orphanage for orphans of Wizarding families, and there are plenty of them; orphans, I mean.”

“That’s a good idea, Hermione,” Harry said. “I’ve always wondered what I was going to do with myself after school. I can’t say that being an Auror has any attraction, anymore.”

“A newspaper would be the perfect place to start changing public opinion, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “Before someone like you can become Minister, you need to show people that change is possible, without resorting to Tom’s tactics.”

“A newspaper would also give the public a chance to know you, as well,” Lucius said. “It is essential that people know your position on issues that matter to them.”

“Actually, Father,” Draco said. “Harry could become Minister just on the strength of who and what he is. The Ministry was helpless to stop Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Harry took care of everything in one fight. People would rally around him without knowing anything further, even with the way the Minister has tried to defame him.”

“Okay,” Harry said. “What do we call it?”

“How about the Wizarding Times?” Hermione asked.

“No,” Draco said. “The Enchanted Sentinel.”

“I like that,” Harry said. “We can have a policy of truth in reporting, no matter how ugly or embarrassing the facts.”

“That’s going to endear you to the public,” Lucius said. “It will also make you plenty of enemies among Ministry officials.”

“Who cares,” Harry said in a surly tone. His face was wearing a sneer that outdid Snape’s best.

“The Ministry won’t dare attack me,” Harry said. “Not after everyone knows that Voldemort is gone, because of me.”

“You have a point,” Lucius said. “Would you be adverse to my making it a joint venture? I believe that Hermione would like to have a forum for social reform.”

“Why not,” Harry said. “While we’re changing the world, we might as well change all of it.”

FIN?