It's All Just Temporary with a Bit of Necromancy

Chapter 31: Again, Potter

"When is the next meeting?" Amelia asked, looking at a calendar that Harry had laid out on another table.

"December 11th only a few days before Harry's Faction Ball," Sylvia replied. "Which will help drum up more support before the final vote. I must admit, Harry, I was quite surprised to see that you had Narcissa Malfoy organizing your Ball. I expected Lady Pyrites to have sunk her niece into you already."

"Lady Malfoy is a very accomplished hostess and I trust that under her meticulous eye, the Ball will be an incredible hit. Perhaps next year, after I'm more established, I will let Lady Pyrites' niece organize it."

"I'm still surprised," Sylvia pressed. "From my understanding, you and the Malfoy family do not share many warm feelings."

"We don't," Harry agreed swiftly, a pleasant smile in place. "However, this is my first Faction Ball and as a new Faction Leader, and with such an important piece of legislation that I wish to see pushed through, I need to set aside my personal preferences in order to see the very best product produced. And Lady Malfoy is the very best."

"Rather mature of you," Augusta commented.

Harry smiled before his memory caught up with him. "Wait. You said December 11th is the next Wizengamot meeting?"

"Yes, why?" Sylvia asked with a frown. All of them were staring at him with concern now.

Mentally Harry was cursing and running a frantic hand through his hair. "Oh no. How easy is it to change that?"

"Next to impossible," Avery said. "The calendar is decided before the start of the Wizengamot year. The next calendar will be sent out at the beginning of the next year."

"Why does it need to be changed?" Tiberius asked, no longer leaning against the liquor cabinet.

Harry pulled at his hair and began frantically pacing. "I meet Death on the night of December 10th. I'm always drained and exhausted the next day." He couldn't go to the Wizengamot, hardly able to stand and present an influential case. There was silence as Harry pulled harder at his hair and began to pace. No this couldn't be happening, no!

"Can you...reschedule it?" Nott asked hesitantly.

Harr y snorted. "Have you ever tried rescheduling with Death? Doesn't go over well. Plus, Death was a bit angry during our last chat, I definitely can't reschedule it."

The memory of Death angry and the terrifying petrification holding him in place, struggling to breathe, his mind overloaded with angry, screaming voices flashed through his mind. Harry remembered Death's parting words: 'Your endeavors are important to you but if they detract from my path they will be disbanded'. No, Death would not approve of skipping a monthly meeting simply because he wanted to be fresh for the Wizengamot the next day.

"Is it possible to just wait till the next Wizengamot session, the one in January?" Harry asked, desperately looking at the six adults in the room.

Their faces answered him before Sylvia did. "Not if you don't want to change your school opening date. If you still plan on it opening a year from January then you can't wait until the next session. Too much needs to happen for everything to be pushed back. You need to start repairs and construction in January and you can't do that until you have Wizengamot approval."

"If you wait until January to propose the legislation then you won't get a proper vote until March, February meetings are typically only held if absolutely necessary since it is so short," Avery continued to explain. "Following that timeline your school would be pushed back until the following summer or fall."

"If you don't wish to continue this legislation through the Wizengamot and just set it up on your own time and dime, you can do whatever you please," Tiberius countered. "There is no rule that you need to start up this new business venture with Wizengamot approval. However, without legislation backing it up, there isn't a guarantee you will have students."