Chương 69: Strategic Diplomacy
Tonks nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's a wonderful idea, Neville. They would also be a valuable inside resource if they could be convinced to join Harry."
"Do any of you care to give them a shot?" Harry asked.
"Don't look at me." Snape said sourly.
"I'll do it." Tonks said resolutely. "I'll even have a memory charm on hand in case they decide against you."
Harry smiled. "That might be good protocol for approaching anybody. How is Potter's Legion doing, Neville?"
Neville grinned. "We're all learning quickly and our growth is exponential. Everyone is getting a little impatient about not doing anything in the way of fighting though."
"That leads to a key part of my plan." Harry announced with a smile. "All of the members of Potter's Legion have parents or guardians. A great many of those parents are involved in the wizarding world. Convert the kids and the parents will be forced to listen. Especially if their kids can testify without a doubt that I have nothing to do with Voldemort's attacks?"
"Attacks?" Tonks echoed.
Harry nodded. "Yes, attacks. Voldemort won't stop with that one attack. From now on, whenever his Death Eaters lead a raid or make an attack on someone, they will be wearing gray cloaks. I'll be blamed for every single thing he does."
"So how do they know you have nothing to do with the attacks?" Moody probed.
"They'll know because they'll be right there counter-attacking this summer. Assuming of course that they're interested in helping out. I can't guarantee that none of them will get killed, but I can provide armor and weapons that will greatly improve their chances." Harry outlined.
Neville sat up. "You can count me in. I'll even lead the counter-attacks for you."
"That would be appreciated. You'll need a new name so that you aren't associated with me though. Potter's Legion must go."
"I'll come up with something by the time the term ends at Hogwarts. The week or so after the final exams would be ideal for organizing everything before people are sent home." Neville said.
"Good." Harry said, grinning. "That should do it."
Snape leaned forward, "That won't be enough, Potter. The Ministry can still cause trouble."
"That's why there's another part to the whole plan." Harry rebutted. "While Neville and his band of merry men and women are off doing their thing against Voldemort this summer, I'll be working from behind the scenes to smear and discredit Fudge in the public eye. As Fudge's reputation sinks, I'll be promoting some else's reputation. Once Fudge falls, the new person, my ally, will be a shoe-in and become the Minister of Magic."
"That's an excellent plan." Tonks said. Snape, Moody, and Neville also nodded. "Who are you going to make Minister of Magic though?"
Harry smiled at them. "Do you really want to know?"
....
"What kind of proposition would anyone like you have for me?" The man demanded, seemingly insulted that a person of Harry's reputation had deigned to contact him. "I'm no Death Eater, neither do I condone what you have done."
Harry shrugged and waved his hand, causing two inviting chairs to appear near them. "What I have to say will take more than a few moments . . . Cuthbert, do you mind if I call you that?" He sat down.
Mockridge eyed the chair across from Harry suspiciously before gingerly sitting down on it. As it was, he still looked as if he expected the chair to explode at any moment. Perhaps if the twins were around. "I prefer 'Bert,' and I suppose you can call me that."
"Wonderful." Harry said cheerfully. "You can call me Harry. Now as I said, I came her tonight with a proposition for you. But first, I might as get some things out of the way."
"Like your current hobby?" Bert jibed.
Ignoring Mockridge's attitude, Harry carefully explained his story to the Ministry official, mostly concentrating on the facts that he was innocent and based on his past reputation, he would have no reason to commit the crimes he stood accused of.
Bert, who was a generally polite person by nature, listened to Harry's story and was even somewhat inclined to believe Harry innocent of wrong-doing. "I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt, somewhat." he said to Harry warily. "I don't understand why you are here though."
Harry chose to work around to his topic carefully. "You are the head of the Goblin Liaison office, are you not?"
"That's what I do."
"Would I be correct in assuming that you had nothing to do with Minister Fudge and his assistant, Percy Weasley, attempting to order Gringotts to surrender all of my assets to the Ministry?"
Bert Mockridge studied Harry with arched eyebrows. "So, you know about that. You must get around, considering that fact that Fudge is doing his best to cover his tracks in that regard." He then sighed. "I had nothing to do with it and was very offended that he went over my head in that respect, not that I would have done what he had his mind set on doing though."
"I wondered why the Ministry Chronicle was so fuzzy about the cause of the closure." Harry remarked.
"The Minister's reputation must not be stained." Mockridge said caustically, seemingly forgetting whom he was have the conversation with. "No one is openly blaming me for the problems with Gringotts . . . yet, but as purses and pouches get lighter, the pressure on me to negotiate a re-opening increases. Everybody is desperate for the bank to reopen and that desperation is exponential. Next week I could be out of a job."
A slightly predatory gleam sparkled in Harry's eyes. "One of the main reasons that Gringotts closed its doors in response to Fudge's unconventional demands is that I'm their ally. I signed a treaty with Lord Gold a couple of months ago."
"Glad to hear that someone in this world has brains." Bert grumbled. "I've been trying to convince Fudge to sign a broader and more equal treaty with them since the day I became head of the office. What does that have to do with me and the Ministry though?"
...
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