Second Chances~ Harry Potter

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Two weeks after their high-flying, broom joyride, everything around the house settled into a routine of strange normalcy. During the day, Bailey, with the help of an interested Hermione, attempted to educate Ellie on the ins and outs of Wizardry. Harry spent the days writing, and then crumpling up, letters to Minister Lane in an attempt to be vague but curious; who knew who would intercept the letters. Ron and Hermione spent most of the days together, despite Hermione being more than willing to help Ellie. Mrs. Weasley was delighted that the two were finally together. Mr. Weasley, though loved having a raised Muggle girl in his home was hardly there to interact with her; between long days at the ministry and hard nights on watch across the country, he was lucky to get a moment alone with his wife. George continued to act as if nothing had happened between him and Angelina, though the entirety of the household noticed when her visits became brief and infrequent. But despite everything, Mrs. Weasley found her greatest joy in Fleur and Bill; they were expecting their first child.

Across the globe in America, the nation's Wizarding government was beginning to slowly crumble. Ministers were pulling away from one another, undoubtedly worried over the reign of Death Eater terror. Daily, the death toll was rising. There were prison break outs, murders and attacks almost hourly. It was stressful on all fifty of the Ministers from the nation, but Minister Lane, by far, was the one taking the heat for it. The chaos had started in her district, therefore she was to blame. Every day there were more meetings with other Ministers to discuss and debate proper security measures and the possibility of an impending war.

Minister Lane was in fact at a meeting late into the night while Ellie, Harry and the others slept soundly in the Burrow far away. She sat at a large, circular table that held fifty-six chairs; one for each Minister and six for the Muggle ambassadors. Her posture was stiff and her hands were in her hair, pulling at it out frustration.

"We need to lock down the country." Her voice was firm, despite her stormy eyes. It was what she had been telling them for days. "No Apparitions in or out. No spells cast or potions brewed without us knowing about it. There is no other way to ensure the public's safety."

"This is America, Minister." A gruff looking man from Kentucky stated firmly. "We aren't going to invade people's privacy."

"But she has a point!" An eclectic man from New York stated with a nod. "I'd rather be watched than dead."

"I'd rather be dead." The Kentuckian muttered and crossed his arms.

"Then resign!" Lane shouted angrily, slammed her hands on the table. "I'm sick of being the bad guy."

"You should've controlled what was happening in your district, Minister." The Arizona minister said matter-of-factly.

"I just need you all to listen." Lane said, she was becoming even more frustrated than before.

"Go for it." The female Maine minister said kindly, giving her a knowing smile; everything political was dominated by men who doubted the ability of every female Minister.

"These attacks aren't going to stop until Voldemort rises, then all hell will break loose." She spoke slowly, attempting to make her point. "Voldemort isn't going to rise until the Death Eaters find what they want."

"What do they want?" The sour-faced Kentuckian clipped.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush," Lane said, throwing a glare at the man. "I don't know what they want. All I know is that Harry Potter and the Catalyst Ellie Winter are what stand between us and hell on Earth."

"That was lovely." The tanned, Californian man said with a look of disgust on his face.

"Bite me." Lane scowled at the man, earning a few hushed whispers from the others.