//------------------------------//
// 109 — Balancing 
// Story: If Wishes were Ponies . . . . 
// by tkepner 
//------------------------------//

“I presume this wasn’t your idea?” asked Prime Minister Major, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

Albus shook his head and slowly placed his wand back in his sleeve. He kept his hands relaxed and in view. “Cornelius called for me only a few minutes before we came here. I didn’t know until then what he had planned.”

He knew the man who had collected the wands was standing a yard behind him. No doubt the Equestrian had a wand trained on him, too, now.

Blueblood just listened.

“I assume you don’t want a war between us? Especially because the Equestrians can bring across five thousand Guards to back us against your Aurors? And you know we know all of your public wizarding locations? And scores of private ones, as well?” The Prime Minister smiled grimly. “And we have agents inside many of them.”

How much of that was fact and how much was bluff? Could he take the chance it was a bluff?

He glanced at both Dolores and Cornelius, and could see the panic in their eyes. 

Albus shook his head again. He hadn’t considered until now that the Equestrians, with a six million population, probably had an Auror force that was at least sixty times bigger than anything the Ministry could put together. In fact, if ten percent of their population joined their Auror service in a conflict, as he had been told the English muggle population had done on their side of the war against Grindelwald, then the Equestrians would have at least ten times more Aurors than there were wizards and witches in England!

And if there was a war, and Equestrians were attacked, he had no doubts that the Princesses would get involved. Each of whom could probably handle all the English Aurors by herself. Or at least enough to render their defence of the country useless.

And that didn’t include the havoc that hidden muggle-sympathizer agents in their world could cause.

“What do you suggest?”

He sighed. He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t see any other way to proceed. “Obliviate the last few minutes and a confundus with the suggestion that because the Equestrians have broken no laws, if we were to take any hostile actions against them and threaten the Statue of Secrecy, the ICW would become involved directly. And bring their Aurors into England. A disaster that would see them both out of office almost immediately.”

If they hadn’t been petrified, he was sure Cornelius’ and Dolores’ eyes would have bulged out in horror.

The Prime Minister looked at Blueblood, who nodded slightly. “I will withhold action until I don’t see results,” Major said. “The only reason these two,” he nodded at Cornelius and Dolores, “won’t be locked up for treason is that their disappearances would lead to a messy war.” He shifted and leaned back. “We would win, but the cost for us all would make it Pyrrhic victory. We need them where they are.” His expression hardened. “You will, however, keep them both on a short leash.”

With the total destruction of wizarding society at stake, Albus knew he had no other choice. Albus slowly pulled out his wand and held it vertically. “I swear that I . . . .”

“Stop!” ordered Blueblood. “That isn’t necessary.” He glanced at the Prime Minister. “If things start to go wrong, we want him to have the flexibility to do what needs to be done without the constraints of an oath that would limit his ability to react. What might be an oath-breaking could be necessary to lay the ground-work that would resolve our problems.”

Five minutes later, their wands were restored and the wizards and witch had a slightly bemused look.

“Well,” Albus said, loudly, “I think we are finished here, Cornelius. Ambassador Blueblood’s explanations were quite thorough, were they not? The Ministry really has no reason to object to their relationship with the muggles, despite what some may say.” A suggestion he was repeating again to the four Ministry officials.

Minister Fudge blinked and nodded hesitantly. “Yes, yes, of course.” He looked over to the fireplace. “We’re finished here, let’s go.” He stood and headed for the floo. Rufus moved to accompany him and threw floo powder in the grating. Dolores followed the Minister. 

Albus indicated that Auror Dawlish should precede him. The Auror vanished into the floo. The Headmaster turned to the four remaining behind. “I used a rather powerful obliviate and confundus. They won’t remember what Dolores started to do.”

Blueblood and Major nodded.

He wanted to leave a listening charm, but didn’t dare because the Equestrians might detect it, either being cast or in use.

He stepped into the green flames and back into the Ministry. Cornelius and Dolores were waiting for him, still a little dazed. The spinning trip through the floo hadn’t helped that. Although it helped scatter their memories and settle the suggestions he had made under the confundus.

“I believe,” Albus said gently, after wanding away the soot, “that we should adjourn to your office to discuss a few things regarding the Equestrians.”

Cornelius looked at him and slowly nodded. “Yes, yes, we should adjourn to my office to discuss the Equestrians.”

Dolores looked puzzled for a moment. “Yes, Minister, that’s an excellent idea,” she said fussily.

Albus wasn’t sure how well the confundus suggestion that the Equestrians were people with pony animagi would affect her opinion that they were creatures, but it should ameliorate it temporarily, in any case. With a bit of luck, long enough for him to change a few laws in the Wizengamot. Or at least prevent the passage of more restrictive laws.

And if he could get Cornelius to remove Dolores from office, or even just demote and transfer her . . . .

The easy manner in which the Equestrians and muggles had trapped the wizards left him disquieted. That, and the anti-portkey and anti-apparition charms still on the building as they had left. Those charms had major implications if a fight with the muggles ever erupted. If the muggles, with the help of the Equestrians, started enchanting their important government buildings with war wards, the same way the Ministry of Magic did, it would tremendously complicate any actions the Aurors might want to take.

They would have to have expert curse-breakers assist every Auror mission. And there simply were not enough curse-breakers to do that. Meanwhile, the muggles, with squibs and a few half-bloods on their side, could cause untold damages to wizards and wizarding locations such as Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

And most wizards and witches would simply try to hide from the muggles once escape proved impossible. Just as they had done to the Death Eaters ten years before. With just as little success. It would be devastating.

Only, this time, the Aurors wouldn’t be fighting a force nearly their equal in numbers, but a force that vastly outnumbered them.

Something he would be sure to emphasize to Cornelius and Dolores. All he had to do was point out how being out-numbered in duel by two- or three-to-one usually meant losing the duel — even if the ones you were duelling were not as proficient with magic as yourself. And if you were out-numbered five or six to one? Only the most powerful and fastest of wizards or witches had any hope of escaping, never mind winning.

The muggle government might even be able to do it without the ICW noticing until it was too late for them to intervene. If the muggles firmly controlled enough of wizarding Britain, the ICW would have no choice but to accept it — there would be far too many who knew about the situation for an oblviate to work. Especially if the muggles had the support of dissatisfied squibs and half-bloods. As long as the wizarding world was not revealed to the general population, the ICW would maintain a hands-off policy. Just as they had not interfered when the Soviets and Chinese began their pogroms to eliminate their wizard and witch populations.

Today’s little incident had proved to the muggles that they couldn’t trust the Ministry of Magic to act reasonably. They would be preparing for a war, even as he tried to tell Cornelius and the other conservatives that it was a new world out there. And the odds against the wizards winning would worsen every day that the muggles had to prepare.

And, being outnumbered a thousand-to-one meant the muggles could throw resources into the conflict that the wizards couldn’t hope to match. If you were one-in-a-million at being extremely clever at solving puzzles, the muggles had fifty and the wizards had none.

Wizards would have to adjust to the new reality. Or else.

He would have to share his memories of the battle between Princess Luna and the basilisk with a few of the more moderate members, and persuade them that taking on an entire world of magic users, six million of them, would be a disaster. And definitely do the same with Cornelius and Dolores. Seeing a single being subdue a beast that would have taken a dozen Aurors would illustrate suitably how dangerous the Equestrians could be.

A select few would see his memories of Discord. Seeing that creature in action would be a very convincing argument in cooperating with the Equestrians.

The English wizarding world was going to be quite different in ten years.

One way . . . or another.


۸-~-۸


Things at Hogwarts had settled into a repetitious rut of study, classes, and study. And, for the Quidditch teams, one of study, classes, practice, and practice. Or, at least, that was the Gryffindor Quidditch team schedule. The other teams seemed to spend a bit less time in practice. In some cases a lot less.

The animagi found all the help they needed with schoolwork from their upper-years, especially the fifth and seventh years. Petting a studying pony while also studying seemed to be quite a stress-reliever. The only grumbling was when a pony went Book-walking. Which the upper-year students learned to head off by answering the question. The trade-off in lost studying versus less stress made it worthwhile.

It made for an unusual layout in the common room or library. The animagi were in a wide circle with upper-year students clustered around them like moons around planets — one hand on a pony, the other writing in a magically suspended scroll. A few had learned to use their magic to write, copying the actions of Sweetie Belle and Harry.

Every once in a while, a student would pull out a book and disappear in it for a time before reappearing and continuing his or her revising. Or a student who had been gone for some time reappeared and began his or her copious note-taking.

Book-walking had made assignments easier, so the professors had made the assignments harder and required more detail in retaliation.

On the other hand, the upper-year students were complimenting the lower-years on being so far ahead of the syllabus than they had been in the same year.

Every House except Slytherin was involved. Although there were a few Slytherin students who snuck in for some quality time with the ponies. Never the more conservative Slytherins though, so the Gryffindor Firsties never had to tolerate Malfoy and his toadies.

It wasn’t unusual to see one or two of the ponies had fallen asleep, usually Ron, Ginny, or Scootaloo.

Elly certainly enjoyed being on the periphery. While the stress was a bit of sour taste, the bursts of relief at seeing the ponies when someone new came in made up for that. Or they gave up on studying for a while and mindlessly petted a pony, broadcasting their contentment.


۸-_-۸


Anne Bourchier (formerly Starlight Glimmer, Bright Star, and then Breezy Dancer) was in the Leaky Cauldron. She was seated near the back, with several copies of The Daily Prophet and The Quibbler her the table. Her meal had been . . . as odd as she had expected. She had seen the reports about their transformed bodies being omnivores, but it was still more than passing strange to be confronted with it when she first saw the menu just a few days ago.

Today she had taken the plunge into a roast beef sandwich, eschewing the salads and fish she had favoured so far. The waitress had cleared it and she was sipping a tea, hoping it would soothe her stomach. Not that her stomach was the issue. It was more the thought of eating like a carnivore — and liking it — that was unsettling.

She had been, and still was, carefully researching the wizarding society, especially recent events. Today she had wanted see if there were any jobs that might help her in her quest. Hence the newspapers spread across the table and her notepad beside, quill at the ready.

At the moment, though, she was involved in the surreptitious study of a man seated by himself not far from her. She had immediately noticed the wizard when he had first floo’d in. He was tall with light skin . . . she still found their naked faces and tiny eyes somewhat disquieting . . . and had a short, lustrous black mane. His clothes were much more formal than anyone else in the place, which made him stand out from the rest of the patrons. 

He gave off an air of “casual elegance” not unlike the Canterlot nobles she had met. But without their ever present slight sneer towards those who were not as elegantly dressed or coiffed as themselves. Instead he had a slight, aloof smile as he surveyed the room. He also didn’t walk with his nose in the air.

The other patrons had also noted the wizard’s arrival, and were more than a bit wary of him, she saw, based on their reactions. Conversation had stopped and whispering started as they stared at the man. Several had abruptly finished their meals or drinks and quickly made their exits to Diagon Alley. She noted that none had dared use the floo while the wizard remained close to it. She hadn’t needed to be a Changeling to feel the tension his arrival had brought.

“Hey, Tom. A butterbeer, if you please,” he had called out casually, and ignored how the customers around him had reacted. He had spotted an empty table near her and had headed there. The wizards and witches at the nearby tables had all quickly finished their meals and left their tables almost as soon as he sat down. Soon, a ring of vacant tables had surrounded him. Except hers.

He had pretended not to notice the exodus.

She recognized him from the newspapers, naturally. 

The only living son of what had been a powerful and influential family. He was both a new and old player in the wizarding world of politics — only last month he had been released from an unjust imprisonment. The political pages of The Daily Prophet and Quibbler articles had given very conflicting views of the man. Some regarded him as a terrible Dark wizard who would go out of his way to hurt others. Others said he was a Dark wizard pretending to be Light. They claimed that his obvious dislike and disdain for Dark families was all a sham, as he prepared the way for the Dark families by fooling the Light one into complacency. Still others called him a Light wizard from a family with a Dark reputation, which coloured everyone’s views and expectations. He, in their opinion, was not as evil as so many declared. No matter which side spoke, however, they all agreed that he was a wizard that you crossed only at your own grave peril. 

There was even a book out, now, that detailed his misspent youth at Hogwarts. One reviewer and his followers said the book showed an evil Dark Wizard in training. Another reviewer said it showed an exuberant young man embracing the Light. The book was in her trunk. She thought him a bully of privilege whose own arrogance had landed him in dungeon deep.

She thought him a dreadfully spoiled foal. She felt he and his friends, the Marauders, had taken advantage of his, and their, notoriety to escape punishment. When caught out, they never even denied their involvement in the deeds. In fact, they seemed quite proud of themselves. The only thing in their favour, that she could see from the book, was that they weren’t braggarts. That was faint praise, if praise at all.

Many of his misadventures at Hogwarts, verified by multiple witnesses, would have had him reprimanded and expelled from a pony school. One or two might even have resulted in a stay in the Royal Dungeons! Which, while not nearly as severe as the horrifying wizard prison, was still a punishment of a level they had clearly deserved.

Although, considering the reputation the prison had, and their reasons for using it, she didn’t see all that much difference in attitude between the so-called Light and Dark families. One set was merely a bigger set of bullies than the other.

Azkaban had taken a toll on him though. He had a much more mature air about him. He now knew there were consequences to things that he did, or didn’t do. Severe consequences. Whatever he did now, she thought, if it wasn’t legal or had unpleasant consequences he would make sure he was not careless enough to be caught in it. And if he did, he wouldn’t be captured.

Still, he was back now, and no one knew exactly how much influence his control of the family’s many businesses and wealth would change the political climate. His recent votes in the wizarding equivalent of a legislature, assisting what some called the Light Block in repealing and changing certain laws in the Wizengamot, had already started having massive impacts. It would take time for the regular citizens to see those impacts, but they were there.

From what she could tell, those changes were needed improvements.

She had been trying to decide on the best way to approach him. From the news articles and his votes, he appeared to want some of the same things she did, that he shared the same ideals as she had. Or, at least, didn’t outright oppose them. 

He would make the perfect mug for her plans, especially with his apparent dislike of the status-quo and the power he wielded. He would be as interested in tearing down the so-called pure-bloods as she was. Only he would never suspect her of manipulating him, she wasn’t a political player! If she could work her way into his confidence, and gain his assistance, her plans would be greatly advanced. 

And, now, here he was!

He was clearly waiting for someone from the way he kept his grey eyes, now that she could see them, on the floo and the entry to Diagon Alley.

She pointedly did not look at the wizard, instead appearing to focus on her reading. And tried to make it seem as if she had only just started, not that she was about finished. She carefully manoeuvred a small ball of string from her pocket with her magic and rolled it across the floor. The tip went up the table’s leg to the table-top’s edge and stopped. A minor sticking charm prevented anyone from dislodging the string from the floor or table. A listening charm took care of the rest. He and his guest would never suspect she could hear their private conversation as clearly as if she were sitting at their table, between them.

He glanced at her, but she wasn’t doing anything of interest except reading the situation-vacant ads. He did a bit of a double-take, however, when he saw her quill take a note while she was obviously using her hands to fold the paper. She gave him a quick vacant smile, then returned to her “reading.”

They didn’t have to wait long. An old man, one of the stream of people exiting the floo for Leaky Cauldron dinning room or the one of the other restaurants in the Alley, looked around, searching the room for someone. Sirius raised his lit wand, attracting the man’s attention. 

She had a reason to look up, now, instead of using the corners of her eyes, so she did.

Sirius really must have the political pull attributed to him to so casually meet and greet the great Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock. Odd that he had so many names when most others did not.

They gave the waitress, who appeared almost as soon as the older wizard sat, a lunch order. After what seemed like an interminable wait while they exchanged a few pleasantries about their day — she had finished one newspaper and started another — they got down to lunch and business.

Headmaster Dumbledore drew his wand and made a motion. She could feel the silencing spell settle around the table. It was rather easy in this magical desert to detect directed magic when it was this close to her.

Sirius leaned forward, “So, Albus, when can I meet Harry?” he said intently.

He knew the foal staying with Sparkle? That was interesting.

It was a rather advanced privacy spell, she couldn’t clearly see his mouth move or expression. No one would lip-read their conversation! Fortunately, the spell didn’t cut out listening charms already emplaced. They never thought such a thing would happen to a random table in a public location.

The older wizard was relaxed. “I thought that was what you wanted to talk about,” he said calmly, and smiled genially.

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Of course it is, I told you that when I owled you.”

The Headmaster sighed. “It is much more complicated than you think, Sirius.” He pursed his lips. “Remember, on the day of your trial, that woman that was with me when you were first brought to hospital?”

Sirius nodded. “Yes, you said she was taking care of Harry. She’s a foreigner, though, right?” He raised his eyebrows, “Princess Sparkle?” he said a bit disbelievingly.

Dumbledore nodded. “Yes. She’s from Equestria. That’s where Harry has been staying for over a year, now.”

The old wizard began to explain the situation with Harry — the Dursleys, his failed spells, and how the boy had ended up in Equestria. It would not have taken the old wizard as long as it did without the outbursts and interruptions from Sirius. 

Sirius was not happy. He barely could contain his temper at some of the revelations. That the Dursleys were in prison only marginally tempered his rage. 

Based on what she heard, she didn’t blame him. And she admired his control.

“Now, Sirius, you have to keep calm,” the Headmaster repeatedly consoled him, and stroked his beard. “Losing your temper now will prove to your critics that you aren’t stable, and it will hurt your relationship with Harry in the long run.”

With difficulty, and many minutes glaring at the table, Sirius calmed down enough for Dumbledore to give him a brief overview of the things Harry had been doing at Hogwarts.

Black was delighted to hear that the boy was an animagus. He was astonished to hear that colt had actually said he wouldn’t attend without his Equestrian girlfriends. Who were capable students themselves, Albus made sure to point out. No rules were even bent to allow their attendance.

Dismissing the non-attendance threat as inconsequential — “He’s Harry Potter, of course he would attend Hogwarts,” Sirius said — the head of the Black family shook his head in admiration. “Three girlfriends already. James would be so proud!”

As the stories continued, he was positively glowing with pride at the end. “Five girlfriends?” he said gleefully, “And they’re all animagi? And he’s on the Quidditch team, already?” He leaned back in his chair and laughed.

Starlight could barely believe how mercurial the wizard was. From rage a few minutes ago to gaily laughing out loud, now. None of the other wizards were so fluid in their emotions. Was this normal for him? Or had it been something that came about as a result of his incarceration?

He was much less amused when the Headmaster explained how he was working towards getting the boy to stay with the Weasley family this summer.

The wizard leaned forward. “Harry is my godson, he should be staying with me,” he said with a hard, dangerous edge to his voice.

“And that is why it is complicated, my boy.”

Starlight felt he was pushing the “old grandfather” shtick a bit far, here. Given the circumstances she knew about the colt, plus what she had just learned, he would do far better to be more familiar and less patronizing.

Sirius, based on his leaning back and posture, seemed to feel the same.

Dumbledore sighed. “We must act carefully, here. The boy has what he feels is a loving home with people he trusts. He doesn’t know you, and he won’t trust you, at first. Not to mention your home at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place is not exactly a safe environment for a child, as we both know.”

Sirius had to concede that Dumbledore was correct. They argued for a short while before coming to a decision. The first step was to start to clean up the house. The second was to talk the Princess into letting him visit Equestria during the Spring half-break. That way he could be with Harry and Harry would be in what he thought of as a safe environment. And it would give him, Harry, and the princess a bit of time to get to know each other.

And third, he could broach the possibility of the boy staying with the Weasleys during the summer, with visits to the Black homestead once it was cleaned up.

After a few more minutes of discussing some minor points, the two got to their feet. The Chief Warlock cancelled the privacy charm and they said their goodbyes. He turned and ambled over to the floo, greeting a few people congenially as he did so.

While the two were distracted, Starlight reeled back her string and pocketed it.

Black watched him go with a thoughtful expression, then sat back down. He stared at the table-top for a short while, then he looked around.

۸-~-۸