About Harry

Chapter 19 - Asking favours

The following day was going to revealed itself as a full one for Harry. He visited house after house of the most important wizards in the Wizegamot, to plead Ron's cause.
He started with the Minister of Magic, Harold Browning, a corpulent middle-aged man. He was always even too friendly with Harry, inviting him for dinner much more often than he would have liked. He tried to excuse himself most of the time, but it was an inevitable drudgery he had to endure at least once a month.
Not that he was a bad person, but Harry knew that it wasn't because of the pleasure of his company that he was invited, but because of the image he wanted to give of himself and the Ministry. An old story.
He didn't even dream to invite the other heads of department; it was just him that had this unwanted privilege.
Harry felt used after every meeting. He was very aware that the Minister, like everybody else, was really careful to show to the magical community that they had a good relationship with him, and that Harry supported him and the whole Ministry.
They were very well aware how important it was to be in Harry Potter's good book to be popular with people.
It was something that gave him a lot of power, he could have become Minister of Magic anytime, if only he would have wanted to. But he didn't want to. He was busy enough as it was with his job, and he didn't care for more responsibilities.
He never used the privileges he knew he could have, he felt it wrong and unfair toward his other colleagues. He always tried to keep at a minimum his friendliness with the Minister, adopting the same interactions any other employee would have had with him.
When young he had the opportunity to become an Auror, he had been overjoyed. Although he insisted on following all trainings and tests required by the other candidates. Many were willing to close an eye on him following the usual path; having killed Voldemort seemed recommendation enough, but him, who didn't share this view, had been unmovable. He wanted to get that position for merit.
He had been wise, he admitted it now. Already as it was, there were many people contesting his job and position, but they couldn't do more than scowl and talk behind his back having him passed, with very good results, every test submitted to him.
He had been sceptical however at first to be part of the Ministry. He didn't like the line of conduct towards him throughout the years and he still had the mark on his hand (a very peculiar scar that had created difficulties when the kids had asked him how he got it) reminding him this.
In the end, he had decided to silence his doubts because of the love for the job. And still now, he was overlooking many behaviours he wouldn't normally have accepted. Like the use of him to advertise the operate of the Ministry. He always tried to stay in the shadow, but he was always brought forward for everything.
It was not that he didn't approve of the Minister or his operate that, on the whole, he thought, was quite sensible, he just didn't want to be used to prove the point.
Because of his position, every wizard he visited that day welcomed him very cordially and all of them listened to him carefully and made promises to do what they could to solve the matter, obviously for something in exchange. Probably he could have just forced them to do what he wished but he didn't want to destroy the frail balance of powers in the Ministry.
He had to refuse many invitations for dinner and bear many empty words of condolence he would have gladly dispensed with. He had to shake hands, nod and answer questions managing to say nothing while speaking.
He tried to be as detached as possible to the whole of it but, nevertheless, it took him almost the entire day to speak with the most influent people. At the end of it, he was exhausted in spirit. He had hated it with all his soul. It was getting profit of his name to ask favours.
Despicable.
Especially considering he asked for something that, in reality, he didn't want.
However, there wasn't any choice.
Ginny had told him that as soon as Ron had been imprisoned in Azkaban, he had tried to commit suicide hanging himself. Only by sheer luck he had been saved. A guard was sent to his cell to take him to meet Hermione and had found him hanging from the window bar. He had shredded his bed linen to make a rope.
Hermione had reasoned with him. She had reminded him that he was a father. That his children needed him. She had made him swear not to do it again, but she was living in fear.
Harry had promised he would do his best. He would have done anything Ginny asked him anyway. He wanted to make amend for his behaviour toward her.
And he didn't want Hermione, Rose and Hugo to suffer as they were suffering.

When he got home, Ginny was waiting in agitation. 'How did it go?'
He shrugged his shoulders and slouched on the sofa beside her 'We must get tickets for the next Chudley Cannon's match for the head of the committee, that Kirsby guy and his family, and, most unfortunately, we have to watch the game with them, I must go to get a drink with Norton at the Hog's mead sometimes next month in a busy hour, and you are well aware how I detest the man. We must go to have dinner organised by Minister, and I don't even know what else...' he said tiringly 'But I think he will be out by next week.'.
She let out a breath of relief and hugged him 'I knew it! Thank you. I know how much it costed you and I appreciate it very much.'
'This is the last time I'm doing something of the kind. You have no idea what it has been.' He said fatigued.
'I do have an idea. But at least he is going to be out, and we can try to have a normal life'.
He sat up on the sofa suspicious 'What do you mean normal?'
'Well, like it used to be...' she answered hesitantly.
'Ginny perhaps you don't understand. I have done what I have done, for you. Because you asked me to and because of Hermione and the children but I haven't changed my mind toward him' he explained sternly 'I'm going to pick him up when they let him out to clarify this, but it's going to be the last time we meet. He is as good as dead to me'.
'But Harry...' she replied under her voice, with a pleading tone, her eyes shifting 'it was an accident.'
'I don't care. I don't want to see him again. I don't mind if you do, I do not understand but it is your choice. But to me from now on he is nothing. This that happened cannot be deleted, it cannot be as it was before.'
She lowered her gaze on her interlinked fingers resting on her lap that started to fidget. Harry witnessing the distress he was causing, felt sorry looked, but he was inflexible. He didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. Their friendship was at an end. It never really helped Ron's ego always feeling the competition with him. The only reason why he wanted to avoid him committing suicide was to spare the distress it would have caused in his family. He couldn't forget that because of his stupidity Lily was no more.
'But he is my family, he is going to be at every family gathering. Hermione is your friend; the kids are cousins. Friends. You cannot keep them apart' she tried to retort, but her words were barely audible, broken and wary.
He took her hands and softened his tone.
'Ginny, you can keep on living as before if you manage to. I won't, I can't. He can do what he prefers, going wherever he wants to, but I won't be there if he is present. I step aside, I don't care. I'm not planning to keep anybody asunder. Just myself. Rose and Hugo can come here whenever they want to, Hermione too but I don't want to see him again.'. There was finality in his words that silenced her for a while.
'Perhaps you will change your mind eventually...' she added though, almost in supplication.
'Perhaps' he said retracting his hands 'When I'll forget Lily, I will.' he added flatly, the softness in his voice completely disappeared.
'Lily wouldn't have wanted this. She loved Ron.' She added almost whispering.
'Maybe she didn't, I agree, but thanks to him we will never know for sure. Won't we?' and saying this he left the room unwilling to prolong the conversation any longer.