(Book 7 FanFiction) Harry Potter: The Last Horcrux

Chapter 17: Dolores' Decrees

November brought below-normal temperatures throughout the land, and the political climate matched the weather. Interim Minister Dolores Umbridge had imposed a strict curfew upon Great Britain. All witches and wizards not employed by the Ministry had to be in their homes by nightfall. Anyone wanting a special dispensation for work purposes had to request a waiver from the Ministry – in writing – in triplicate.New laws and Ministry Decrees were issued daily, some directly contradicting others, although no one appeared to care. The wizarding public was desperate for someone to tell them what to do, no matter how inadequate those instructions might be. They were afraid, and the new Minister wasn't above playing on that fact.

As Mr. Weasley had feared, the Daily Prophet had run a headline the morning after the murder of Rufus Scrimgeour with a full moving picture of the Dark Mark floating above the Minister's handsome home. Although the details had been sketchy, the expected response had been exactly as Mr. Weasley had predicted. Witches and wizards took to the streets in mass hysteria. Some tried to flee the country, and the Ministry had to close its International Portkey office for several days after a riot had broken out in the lobby.

Despite Umbridge's attempts to convince the public that Harry was merely an unqualified school boy and not critical to the defeat of Voldemort, the people held onto their hope that Harry would somehow stop the madness.

Each day, the Daily Prophet ran a list of Harry spottings and had several reporters assigned to the task of tracking his comings and goings. Every day that went by saw an increase in the public's demand that he break his silence and make a statement about his efforts to stop the war.

Mr. Weasley told them that Interim Minister Umbridge was growing increasingly frustrated by her failed attempts to tamp down interest in Harry. The public appeared ready for her to organize things, but it was Harry they expected to finally end Voldemort's reign of terror.

Umbridge quickly realized that her renewed smear campaign wouldn't succeed. She'd pulled back from her public attacks on Harry and instead concentrated on more covert attempts to dislodge him from the public's favor.

The Order already felt the strain of Umbridge's reign. Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had been working for the Muggle Prime Minister, was ordered to relinquish his assignment. According to Umbridge, the wizarding population was in far more danger than the Muggles, and she didn't have the resources to spare at the moment. She'd refused to listen to any arguments against leaving the Muggles defenseless, and told the Prime Minister she'd be in touch if there was anything he needed to know.

She'd left him without the slightest recourse for contacting anyone in the wizarding world for help in a war he didn't understand. When several high-ranking Ministry officials attempted to point this out,she argued that since the Dark Lord loathed the intermingling between the wizarding and Muggle worlds, distancing the two factions would actually help the Muggle population. When Mr. Weasley and several others had continued to argue, she'd threatened them with charges of treason.

Attacks on Muggles had been rising steadily, and several London landmarks had suffered damage, including Tower Bridge and Big Ben. The destruction had left the Muggles so preoccupied, they'd barely noticed the other strange occurrences throughout the city.

While Harry was worried about the damage Dolores Umbridge was wreaking, his main concern was Ron. Three weeks had passed since he'd been cursed, and he'd yet to regain consciousness. He remained confined to the Spell Damage ward at St. Mungo's. Hermione had visited each day and returned – pale and weary – to report there had been no change. The Healers still suspected he'd eventually come out of it, but none of them were willing to target a date – or if he'd suffer any permanent brain trauma as a result.