Paragraph 2 - 38 : Declaration Of Independence

Judith woke up at 1pm. Brewing and drinking the potion might go unnoticed or unscrutinised by the Ministry, but without any possibility to use magic, she would probably not make much progress in her investigation. If she could solve this problem, she would face another : how to persuade her parents that looking for clues to once and for all clear of any accusation a Slytherin boy was a suitable idea, while the victim's disappearance might mean that she was after a murderer, and that she was in Hufflepuff. Her parents might guess the reason why she was so interested in Peter's fate. But her father worked at the Ministry. He was low in the hierarchy, yet it could make things easier. By that point, Judith had not eaten for seventeen full hours. She would have liked going to the restaurant. The second Intuition Potion had led them to the Ogre's Buffet. Judith hoped that hers would direct her to do something as enjoyable. And then it clicked. The Ogre's Buffet had a dispensation from the Ministry, to allow underage students to use 'Accio' there. That was what she needed. A dispensation to perform basic magic while under the influence of the potion. And now, her father's lowly position at the Ministry was nothing short of adequate. The plan was therefore entirely relying on her ability to convince her parents that her goal was the right one. If she couldn't make them understand that, not only they wouldn't let her brew the potion, but her father also would not introduce her to the right person at the Ministry. She needed a carefully devised speech. And the best way to have enough energy to make it up was to have lunch. Once Judith had filled her stomach, she gathered a few parchments and a feather, and she started writing down the arguments that could bring her parents to accept her choice. Finally, the time for showdown came at dinner. Both her parents were back from work. She had her address prepared, maybe excessively so, since it was obvious to whoever was listening to her that she was delivering a text she had learned by rote :

As a Hufflepuff, I think that fairness is very important, and the notion of fairness itself implies that it can't be just about Hufflepuffs being fair with other Hufflepuffs. A Hufflepuff should also strive so that a Gryffindor, a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin, whether boy or girl, could be treated fairly. I have read in the newspaper that a Hogwarts student, Peter Perklus, had been at the place of a person's disappearance. The Ministry hasn't found anything proving he committed any wrongdoing, and he is therefore free. On the other hand, they haven't discovered anything to exonerate him either. I would like to have the opportunity to use productively the rest of these summer holidays to try and find clues about this case, and hopefully help the Ministry's investigation without disturbing it. That's why I would like to have your approval, and to have Dad's help to get a dispensation from the Ministry in order to perform basic magic while I am helping the enquiry

Judith took then a deep breath and scrutinised the look on her parents' faces. The situation was clearly awkward, and Judith's motivations were probably not so difficult to fathom. Her heart was pounding, and her parents looked embarrassed, Judith's mother was seemingly repressing a giggle. Her father was more serious. After all, he was the one who, in Judith's plan, was supposed to put the credit he had among his colleagues at the Ministry on the line. After twenty seconds which were endless to Judith, her father spoke :

We are going to discuss this with your mother, and we will tell you our decision tomorrow

Judith's heart rate decreased without going back to normal though, and she said, while trying to keep a straight face :

Thanks

She finished her dinner, which was after her intervention extremely silent, and went to bed. This time, she was able to sleep, but not perfectly either. Sure, she had done her best and officially put her life at risk for Peter, but she was anxious about her parents' final decision, and about what they would think of her in the future, following this unexpectedly bold and definitely embarrassing move.