Harry Potter: Love's Second Chance

Over the next half hour, Dolores Umbridge confessed to the murder of two people including Matthew Corrigan and attempting the murder of another three people who had refused to support Fudge in one method or another. She cleared Fudge of any knowledge of the attempts. She also admitted to the abuse and torture of students at Hogwarts. Further questions gave the names of four people throughout the Ministry who had helped her including one of the sitting members of the Wizengamot who had been in courtroom three but had not come down to courtroom ten.

When the questioning had ended, Amelia Bones looked around the room at stunned faces of the Wizengamot. "Members, I call upon you now to vote on whether Senior Undersecretary Umbridge should be removed from office. Those of you who believe she should be removed, please vote."

The wands were almost entirely lit.

Amelia turned back to the toad like lady. "Senior Undersecretary Umbridge, you are hereby removed from your office and will be placed under arrest for the crimes you have committed," She looked over at the Minister of Magic. "Minister, do you wish to say anything at this time?'

Cornelius looked around as he swallowed hard. "Only that my office supports the removal of the Senior Undersecretary and I wish to point out that...that I had no knowledge of the...the things she did."

"Thank you Minister," Madam Bones replied and then re-addressed the Wizengamot. "Based on this testimony I would like to immediately take Oswald Baddock into custody. Since he is a member of the Wizengamot, I need a clear majority to allow me to do that. May I ask for a vote to allow the arrest?"

Again almost every wand lit in the vote.

"Thank you," Bones said. She motioned for the Aurors nearest Umbridge to take her into custody. They confiscated her wand and led her away.

...

It was a very happy Harry and Hermione who exited the fireplace into the Headmaster's office. Once Flitwick and Snape had departed the office, Professor McGonagall asked them to take a seat.

"I presume by the happy expressions, there is good news?" McGonagall asked.

"I think we can safely say she will not be back here any time soon," Hermione replied.

"She confessed to..." Harry turned to Hermione, "three murders..."

"Two," Hermione corrected. "And attempted murder of three...four if you include Harry last year."

"She also implicated a Wizengamot member and a couple of Ministry workers who were helping her."

"Well it seems Amelia will have her hands full for the next few days."

"Wait for another week and she won't know what hit her," Harry thought to his wife.

"I just hope she doesn't die this time," Hermione replied.

"Maybe Voldemort will kill Fudge instead."

McGonagall shifted through some parchments on her desk. "I took the liberty of asking the Ministry for an updated list of muggleborn students currently attending Hogwarts," she said as she handed one of the parchments to Hermione. "I thought you would be interested in it Miss...Hermione."

Hermione looked puzzled at the Headmistress, and then started to read the names on the list. At first a puzzled look came over her face and then her eyes lifted to look at the Headmistress.

"If it is in order, I will offer my congratulations Mr and Mrs. Potter," McGonagall said with a smile. "It seems I was wrong last week."

"Th..thanks," Hermione replied. She looked again at the official list from the Ministry of Magic. She had first been confused and very concerned when she had not seen Hermione Granger on the list. Her first thoughts had been that Umbridge had in fact expelled her before she'd been taken away. She'd understood though, when she'd seen her name further down, in the P's. Hermione Potter. She showed the list to Harry and pointed at her name.

"I thought it would be safer to ask for a large list where a name is buried and out of context to what I was looking for," McGonagall explained on her method of delivery. "Of course you are more than welcome to ask for a Marriage certificate and they will provide one. If you do that, I doubt it would be a secret for very long," She looked over her glasses at the two of them. "I am to presume you do still want it to be a secret?"

"Yes professor. We...we aren't ready for that yet," Hermione replied.

"Besides I'm not ready for her father to kill me," Harry said.

"And Dumbledore?"

"No.. we don't want him to know either."

McGonagall studied the two students in front of her for a few seconds before finally asking. "May I ask about the sudden hostility toward the Headmaster? As it is, I will be in a bind when he returns to the school."

Harry looked at Hermione and the two of them discussed it silently for a few seconds until finally Harry responded. "Professor, what do you know of my childhood? My relatives?"

"What I know or what I can deduce?" McGonagall asked. She turned and stared out the window for several seconds and then turned back to her students. "I was there the night Albus left you with your relatives," She put up a hand to stall Harry's reply so she could complete her thoughts. "I spent the whole day there after your parents died. When Albus showed up later that evening, I told him they were the worst people I could imagine," She went on to explain the letter and Hagrid showing up and finally leaving him on the doorstep.

Hermione had been listening to the story and she became more and more confused. "Professor, that doesn't make sense," she said finally.

"What do you mean?" McGonagall asked. "I was there and I know what I did."

"But...WHY were you there to start with?" Hermione asked. "If you didn't know the Potters had died, I mean you just said it was only rumors and you also said you were surprised to learn that they were Harry's only relatives. So WHY were you there all day watching them?"

McGonagall was lost in her own confusion as she tried to think what made her go to Privet Drive to start with.

"Also as I understand it, the reason Harry is safe there is because of the wards surrounding the house are based on his Aunt's blood?" Hermione continued.

"Yes, that's right," McGonagall replied. "Albus explained that to me later when I started asking about protecting Harry."

"So when did Dumbledore put up those wards?" Hermione asked. "According to your story, he showed up that night and then proceeded to leave Harry on the doorstep and then left. I would have presumed putting up the wards would have been the biggest priority to protecting Harry."

McGonagall stared at the young witch in front of her but could not find an argument.

"Didn't the Potters live in Godric Hollow?" Hermione asked. She of course knew the answer since she and Harry had been almost killed there their last Christmas. But that was two years in the future.

"Yes.."

"But you said Hagrid took Harry from the Potters' house before the muggles showed up. If something happened that destroyed the house, they would have arrived fairly quickly. Why did it take Hagrid almost a whole day to travel a very short distance on a flying motorcycle?" She also knew that Hagrid and Harry had flown from Surrey to the Tonks' house which was even further away in just a short time the night they had 'escaped' from Privet Drive.

"I…I don't know," McGonagall answered truthfully.

....

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