CLXXXIII. THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

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It was the wedding day, and Mia was outside, helping set the tent up. She was levitating in the air, two red energy balls at her hands as she helped pull the tne tup with the twins, Ron and Mr. Weasley.

"How's it look on your end, boys?" Mia called, looking down at the tent. 

"Brilliant!" Fred called as Mia grinned. A second later, Rufus Scrimgeour had appeared out of thin air at the gate.

"Bloody hell, what's the Ministerof Magic doing here?" George asked as Mia floated back down to the ground and furrowed her eyebrows. 

"Dunno," Mia said, "but something tells me hedidn't come to give away thebride." She looked at Ron and the two of them grabbed Harry and Hermione and walked into the Burrow, seeing Scrimgeour standing there. 

"To what do we owe the pleasure,Minister?" Harry asked as Mia looked at him. 

"I think we both know the answer tothat question, Mr. Potter," he said as Mia furrowed her eyebrows.Scrimgeour sat himself in the sagging armchair that Mr. Weasley normally occupied, leaving Mia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione to squeeze side by side onto the sofa.Once they had done so, Scrimgeour spoke.

"What's this?" Mia asked as Scrimgeour pulled out a cloth bag and set it on the small wooden table. 

"Don't be coy, Miss. Potter," he said as Mia raised an eyebrow. 

"Then hurry up," the ginger girl said.

"Herein is set forth the Last Willand Testament of Albus PercivalWulfric Brian Dumbledore," Scrimgeour said as he turned to Ron. "First,to Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leavemy Deluminator, a device of my ownmaking, in the hope that whenthings seem most dark, it willshow him the light." 

Scrimgeour took something from the bag an object that Mia had seen before. It looked something like a silver cigarette lighter,but it had, she knew, the power to suck all light from a place, andrestore it, with a simple click. Scrimgeour leaned forward andpassed the Deluminator to Ron, who took it and turned it over inhis fingers, looking stunned.

"Dumbledore left this? For me?" Ron asked as the Minister nodded. "Brilliant. Er, what is it?"

After squinting atRon for a moment or two, he turned back to Dumbledore's will.

"To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, Ileave my copy of The Tales ofBeedle the Bard, in the hope thatshe will find it entertaining andinstructive."

Scrimgeour now pulled out of the bag a small book that lookedas ancient as the copy of Secrets of the Darkest Arts upstairs. Itsbinding was stained and peeling in places. Hermione took it fromScrimgeour without a word. She held the book in her lap and gazedat it. Mia saw that the title was in runes; he had never learnedto read them. As he looked, a tear splashed onto the embossedsymbols.

"Mum used to read me those!" Ron siad as everyone looked at him. "TheWizard and the Hopping Pot,Babbitty Rabbity and her CacklingStump."

"What the fuck are you on about?" Mia asked, looking at Ron like he was mental. 

"Come on, Babbitty Rabbitty," Ron said as the others stared at him blankly. "No?"

"To Harry James Potter, I leave my personal diary, in hope that when he needs a companion, it shall aid him." 

Scrimgeour now pulled out of the bag a small book that was thick and old. Its binding was stained and peeling in places as Harry took it. 

"This was Dumbledore's personal diary?" he asked as the Minister nodded. Mia looked at her brother and smiled. 

"To Miss Euphemia Lily Potter, I leavethe Snitch she caught in her firstQuidditch match at Hogwarts, as areminder of the rewards ofperseverance and skill."

As Scrimgeour pulled out the tiny, walnut-sized golden ball,its silver wings fluttered rather feebly, and Mia could not helpfeeling definite sense of anticlimax. She held out his hand, and Scrimgeour leaned forwardagain and placed the Snitch, slowly and deliberately, into Mia's palm. Nothing happened. As Mia's fingers closed around theSnitch, its tired wings fluttered and were still.

"That's it?" Mia asked. 

"Not quite," Scrimgeour said as Mia looked at him. "Dumbledore left you asecond bequest. The Sword ofGodric Gryffindor. Unfortunately,the Sword of Gryffindor was notDumbledore's to give away. As animportant historical artifact, itbelongs. . . ."

"To Mia!" Hermione said. "It belongs to Mia!It chose her! It came to her inthe Chamber of Secrets when shemost needed it!"

"The sword may present itself toany worthy Gryffindor, MissGranger," Scrimgeour said. "That does not make itthat wizard's property. And inany event the current whereaboutsof the sword are unknown."

"Excuse me?" Mia asked.

"The sword is missing," the Minister said. "I won't pretend to be your friend,Miss. Potter. But I assure you I'mnot your enemy."

"Forgive me, Minister," Mia said, "butit's a little hard to tell thedifference these days."

"I don't know what you're up to, Miss. Potter," the Minister said, "but you can't fight this war on your own. He's too strong."

Mia stared at the Minister and her eyes glowed bright red.

"Lucky for me, I'm stronger," she said. 

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