(no subject)
Who? Hermione Weasley and the Minister of Magic
What? Trying to be heard above the storm
When? Right now in grownhp6words
Where? The Ministry
Why? Because everyone's too busy beating their drums to LISTEN.
Author's Notes: For hp_random Bi-weekly challenge 'Listen'.
"Mrs Weasley? You're going to want to hear this..."
"Paul, I've told you a dozen times--call me Hermione." Hermione closed her eyes briefly. Somehow she doubted that whatever her aide was going to tell her would be something she'd be glad she heard. "Come in."
Paul was 17, straight out of Hogwarts and Hermione was eternally grateful she'd snatched him out of the intern pool before anyone else had a chance. He was smart, he was savvy and he'd grown up in the Ministry so he knew someone in every single department and seemingly had no qualms about sharing information with her.
"Close the door." Hermione shoved a stack of books off of a chair...right onto another stack. She was starting to run out of room for bookcases in her small office. "What is it?"
"It's going to be announced this afternoon 'officially', but the Minister had appointed Matthias Heim as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor."
Hermione reached into her desk and poured a healthy dose of headache cure into her tea. "Damn. Alright then..."She downed the tea, her mind already racing a mile ahead of her. "I need a meeting with the Minister before he makes his announcement."
"I don't see how, his office has been keeping him under lock and key since the attacks happened."
She nodded. It was a knee jerk politico response to trouble - duck lest they get their heads shot off. More than once the Ministry reminded Hermione of the old 'Whack-a-Mole' game. Nervous beuraucrats popping their heads out of holes and as soon as someone tried whacking them--they'd vanish back into their holes again.
"Send a message that I need to discuss the findings of our department's latest audit..." Hermione smiled. "Tell him that we discovered a budgetary surplus. Greed is an excellent motivator."
Paul grinned. "You know, that's only going to work once."
"It only has to work once. I need to speak with him before a bad situation is turned into something far worse."
Two hours later Hermione was standing in the Minister's reception area. She was deliberately not pacing even though she would have appreciated the movement. Instead she stood in front of the tall windows and watched people come and go in the courtyard.
"Mrs Weasley? The Minister will see you now."
"Thank you." She took one more deep, slow breath, schooled her features into an impassive mask.
Once she was in the inner office and all the pleasentries were exchanged, Hermione went directly to the heart of the matter.
"Minister, surely you can understand the concerns I have regarding appointing Secratary Heim. He is not, nor would anyone reasonably expect him to be able to carry out his duties in an objective manner."
"I have know Matthias Heim for many years. While I wouldn't have immediately considered him for the position due to ... recent events, he is most qualified for the job and isn't the sort of man to allow his personal feelings to get in the way of his professional duty. I feel quite secure in this decision."
"Secretary Heim's grandson was attacked by werewolves. The Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts is a werewolf. You don't see any conflict of interest here? Heim is already telling anyone who asks that his grandson is dead. Is this really a man that you trust to deliver an unbiased inquiry?"
"Yes, he is. Hogwarts has been accountable to no one but their own board of governors for far too long. Every boy and girl of age in our country attends Hogwarts. Every effort must be made to ensure their safety. That task does not fall to the Governors. That falls to the Ministry."
Hermione bit her tongue. "I was under the impression that duty lay with the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster."
"And if they have been doing their jobs then that will be reflected in Matthias' report."
As she listened Hermione couldn't help notice the note of panicked determination in the Minister's voice. It was the tone of someone who didn't have a clue what the right thing was so they were going to pick an action, any action and stick with it. She'd grown accustomed to it in the past weeks since the attacks. It was the same voice everyone who might have been on the fence when it came to werewolf rights - the voice of people who were falling off the fence...and landing on the wrong side.
"I want all of his findings. Every bit of evidence, every report he files. It all comes across my desk or else it will give the illusion of impropriety on the part of the Ministry. It will look as though Secretary Heim is on his own personal Ministry endorsed crusade. If Hogwarts is accountable, then so to must be the Ministry."
"Who precisely would be aware of this illusion of impropriety?"
Hermione's gaze was level. "I will be and I will make sure that it is made public."
"Your words will be taken into consideration Mrs Weasley."
She knew a dismissal when she heard one and immediately took her leave.
The first thing she did upon returning to her office was to sit as her desk and compose her letter of resignation. She left it undated and unsigned, but she liked to be prepared for any eventuality. The situation between the Ministry and Hogwarts was only going to get worse. And if the time came she was being torn between the two...well Hermione always knew where her loyalties lay.
What? Trying to be heard above the storm
When? Right now in grownhp6words
Where? The Ministry
Why? Because everyone's too busy beating their drums to LISTEN.
Author's Notes: For hp_random Bi-weekly challenge 'Listen'.
"Mrs Weasley? You're going to want to hear this..."
"Paul, I've told you a dozen times--call me Hermione." Hermione closed her eyes briefly. Somehow she doubted that whatever her aide was going to tell her would be something she'd be glad she heard. "Come in."
Paul was 17, straight out of Hogwarts and Hermione was eternally grateful she'd snatched him out of the intern pool before anyone else had a chance. He was smart, he was savvy and he'd grown up in the Ministry so he knew someone in every single department and seemingly had no qualms about sharing information with her.
"Close the door." Hermione shoved a stack of books off of a chair...right onto another stack. She was starting to run out of room for bookcases in her small office. "What is it?"
"It's going to be announced this afternoon 'officially', but the Minister had appointed Matthias Heim as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor."
Hermione reached into her desk and poured a healthy dose of headache cure into her tea. "Damn. Alright then..."She downed the tea, her mind already racing a mile ahead of her. "I need a meeting with the Minister before he makes his announcement."
"I don't see how, his office has been keeping him under lock and key since the attacks happened."
She nodded. It was a knee jerk politico response to trouble - duck lest they get their heads shot off. More than once the Ministry reminded Hermione of the old 'Whack-a-Mole' game. Nervous beuraucrats popping their heads out of holes and as soon as someone tried whacking them--they'd vanish back into their holes again.
"Send a message that I need to discuss the findings of our department's latest audit..." Hermione smiled. "Tell him that we discovered a budgetary surplus. Greed is an excellent motivator."
Paul grinned. "You know, that's only going to work once."
"It only has to work once. I need to speak with him before a bad situation is turned into something far worse."
Two hours later Hermione was standing in the Minister's reception area. She was deliberately not pacing even though she would have appreciated the movement. Instead she stood in front of the tall windows and watched people come and go in the courtyard.
"Mrs Weasley? The Minister will see you now."
"Thank you." She took one more deep, slow breath, schooled her features into an impassive mask.
Once she was in the inner office and all the pleasentries were exchanged, Hermione went directly to the heart of the matter.
"Minister, surely you can understand the concerns I have regarding appointing Secratary Heim. He is not, nor would anyone reasonably expect him to be able to carry out his duties in an objective manner."
"I have know Matthias Heim for many years. While I wouldn't have immediately considered him for the position due to ... recent events, he is most qualified for the job and isn't the sort of man to allow his personal feelings to get in the way of his professional duty. I feel quite secure in this decision."
"Secretary Heim's grandson was attacked by werewolves. The Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts is a werewolf. You don't see any conflict of interest here? Heim is already telling anyone who asks that his grandson is dead. Is this really a man that you trust to deliver an unbiased inquiry?"
"Yes, he is. Hogwarts has been accountable to no one but their own board of governors for far too long. Every boy and girl of age in our country attends Hogwarts. Every effort must be made to ensure their safety. That task does not fall to the Governors. That falls to the Ministry."
Hermione bit her tongue. "I was under the impression that duty lay with the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster."
"And if they have been doing their jobs then that will be reflected in Matthias' report."
As she listened Hermione couldn't help notice the note of panicked determination in the Minister's voice. It was the tone of someone who didn't have a clue what the right thing was so they were going to pick an action, any action and stick with it. She'd grown accustomed to it in the past weeks since the attacks. It was the same voice everyone who might have been on the fence when it came to werewolf rights - the voice of people who were falling off the fence...and landing on the wrong side.
"I want all of his findings. Every bit of evidence, every report he files. It all comes across my desk or else it will give the illusion of impropriety on the part of the Ministry. It will look as though Secretary Heim is on his own personal Ministry endorsed crusade. If Hogwarts is accountable, then so to must be the Ministry."
"Who precisely would be aware of this illusion of impropriety?"
Hermione's gaze was level. "I will be and I will make sure that it is made public."
"Your words will be taken into consideration Mrs Weasley."
She knew a dismissal when she heard one and immediately took her leave.
The first thing she did upon returning to her office was to sit as her desk and compose her letter of resignation. She left it undated and unsigned, but she liked to be prepared for any eventuality. The situation between the Ministry and Hogwarts was only going to get worse. And if the time came she was being torn between the two...well Hermione always knew where her loyalties lay.