"Then what I am saying is that the wizarding world is corrupt, because a number of you see nothing wrong with the abuse of muggles, or of those who are weaker in power than yourselves. You all see yourselves as somehow better because you can work magic and they can't." Harry's gaze swept the room before returning to Fudge. "And Fudge in particular has abused his power in ways that would remind any muggle or even the muggle-born, if they bothered to think about it, of Hitler."
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore spoke up trying to get the situation under control. "Surely you are not comparing the Minister of Magic to the insane muggle who was under Grindelwald's control during the thirties and forties."
"Oh, but I am." Harry confirmed. "He not only had Barty Crouch Jr, who could have given testimony about the fact that Voldemort was indeed back Kissed without a trial I might add." Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "Would that make him number five to be treated to the wizarding world's peculiar form of justice? Maybe not, given that he was indeed guilty of supporting the Dark Lord. Fudge also spent the whole of my fifth year here at Hogwarts doing everything he could to squash the truth. Edict after edict that controlled what we could do, how we could assemble, even what we were allowed to say or read. Manipulating the press for his own ends."
Harry shook his head. "No, I should rephrase that because they were his willing accomplices in trying to destroy my character and good name after all just so they could sell more newspapers. They didn't care who they hurt as long as they could make a profit out of it and still don't for that matter." He glared at the assembled reporters for a moment, and they wouldn't meet his stare. After a moment his attention returned to Fudge and Dumbledore. " He was a dictator in every sense of the word and it took Voldemort getting in his face in the very halls of the Ministry of Magic before he would even consider that he was wrong. And even then he didn't remove Umbridge from her position of authority in the Ministry."
Potter paused for breath. "He was more concerned with retaining his position as Minister than in doing the right thing. Even now, I'll bet that's what this award ceremony is meant to do, solidify his position, because it is probably very shaky right now. If he is seen honouring the Hero of the Wizarding World then maybe he can hang on to his job. Well no thanks Minister. I've had my fill of being used by you and the Wizarding world. From now on you can sort out your own messes. Leave me out of it."
Harry stormed out of the room before another word could be said.
One Down
Hermione came into the common room from the Gryffindor Head Girl's suite with an armload of books.
From her seat in an armchair near the fireplace, Ginny could see that she was looking around for a place to sit. While the armchair across from Ginny was unoccupied, Hermione clearly wanted or needed to sit at a table.
Ginny stiffened when she realised that her friend had spotted Harry sitting at a table in a slightly shadowed corner of the Gryffindor common room. Ginny had been keeping an eye on that table and had watched him drive off several Gryffindors who tried to join him there, no matter what year they were in, and couldn't help wondering if Hermione would have better or worse luck than the others if she tried to join him. Probably worse, Ginny reflected as she saw Hermione nod and head over to where he was seated.
Harry ignored Hermione as she set her books down in the only clear space available on the table and set her school bag on the floor. It was when she started to clear a space for herself by moving his scattered books into a pile that he started paying attention to what she was doing.
Ginny noticed that Harry did nothing to stop Hermione, until she opened one of his books and started looking through it. Hermione's curiosity must have gotten the better of her, Ginny thought as she watched Harry snatch the book out of her grasp before she'd had a chance to look at more than a couple of pages.
In the sudden silence that filled the common room, everyone heard Harry growl, "I warned you, Granger, to keep your nose out of my life and out of my business."
"I was just curious about what you were reading." Hermione tried to defend her actions. "Those didn't look like school books."
"And they aren't," Harry told her. "But you lost any right you may have had to poke your nose into my affairs last year, remember . Then again the smartest witch of the age seems to be remarkably dumb, because she can't remember what she has been told several times by me. So perhaps you need a more permanent reminder of what can happen if you continue to try and poke your nose into my business."
Ginny had trouble seeing the gesture that Harry made in Hermione's direction before he waved his hand over the table in front of him. The books and papers on the table shrunk down and flew into his open book bag. Throwing the book bag over his shoulder, Harry told Hermione, "you can have the table," before leaving the common room.
Ginny saw the look of anguish on Hermione's face as she stared after the departing Harry. Closing her book, Ginny went over to join Hermione. Wanting to cheer her up, Ginny told her, "It'll get better. You'll see."
"I'm beginning to doubt that," Hermione disagreed. "Harry and I were the best of friends for almost six years, but I destroyed that friendship by not being willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I should have known better. The story was too pat, especially given the way Sirius had been framed, but I ignored that in favour of believing the Headmaster could never be wrong."
"Harry's got a lot of anger to work through before he will forgive what we did." Ginny told her, unwilling to accept that she might never get back the man she loved and wanted.
Laying out her books, Hermione reminded her, "Harry seems to be unwilling to let go of his anger. I'm fairly certain that one of the reasons Dumbledore forced him to come back here was so he could work through that anger toward us. He… I want Harry to be able to move on… with us as friends again. I want him to be able to get on with his life in the wizarding world."
"It's only been a few months," Ginny pointed out, sitting down opposite her. "It's just going to take time. What we need to do is continue to show him that we are here for him if he wants to talk… or anything."
Hermione noticed the blush that spread over Ginny's face. "You still want him don't you?"
"I have ever since I saw him that first time in King's Cross Station." Ginny told her.
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