Noticing Sato's silence, and rather impatient at this point, Mrs. Bly in a forced tone of voice said, "You have yet to voice your opinion, Sato. What do you have to say on the subject?" The board members turn their heads towards the solemn wizard including Lucius Malfoy.
"A great warrior of my land, Miyamoto Musashi once said, 'Observation and perception are two separate things; the eye that observes is stronger, the eye that perceives is weak," Izuki Sato soberly said with a slightly accented voice. "If we see only the surface then Mrs. Bly exerts beyond her means to ensure perfection, but if we see past, we see that Mrs. Bly has muddled the waters until not even the depths of the river can be seen."
Izuki Sato paused as he raised his gaze to meet the board members. "I say that it is far better to see the depth of the river than not to see through the murky river waters at all."
"There we have at," Lucius Malfoy said with a smug expression. "All those in favor of the immediate removal of Mrs. Bly from the Board, please raise your hands?"
Instantly all hands go up as all board members jump on deck except for Mrs. Bly, and Garrick Arnold. "It is a majority vote against two," Lucius announced with a cold smile of personal satisfaction. "We thank Mrs. Bly for her many years of service, but you are dismissed from your post effective immediately with all rights revoked in correlation to the board. We bid you, the widow, Mrs. Bly, a good evening and a fond farewell."
Mrs. Bly shakes with fury and narrows her eyes dangerously. "You will all live to regret this, mark my words," she viciously threatened, before grabbing her cloak from her seat and storming out of the chamber. The door loudly slams shut behind her leaving the board members staring at each other in surprise.
Who would have ever thought the well-composed witch could ever comport herself in such a manner?! They must have been wrong about her character all these years. And like Sato had said, they were not truly seeing that which was before them, but merely looking.
After a brief momentary lapse of silence, Lucius interrupts the board members' contemplations and says, "Well, now that has been taken care of, we should discuss the appointment of a new board member in Mrs. Bly's place. I would like to appoint Secundus Wilkes to the position."
"It would seem that the Chairman has been planning this for some time," Garrick Arnold darkly grumbled but quiets down at not seeing any of the board members protest at the nomination.
"Secundus Wilkes, you say?" Leif Amundsen muttered out loud. "Yes, a pureblood, but more of a moderate. And though his firstborn son, S.R. Wilkes was caught up in all the treacherous fiasco-." He paused and sent Chairman Malfoy an assessing glance.
Lucius caught Leif Amundsen's glance as his icy, blue eyes remain calm as he says, "Secundus Wilkes was much as a victim as my own father was of his son's duplicity. And for that same reason alone, he will work all the harder for it." (That and it would redeem the Wilkes family honor and allow them to rejoin polite wizarding society again. Which in other words meant that they would Lucius Malfoy a favor to be called in at any time. He wasn't that charitable.)
Leif Amundsen slowly nods his head as Maxwell Zheng says, "If that is indeed the case, Secundus will be an excellent addition to the board. He is a member of the 28 sacred families, and more importantly a true friend of the Potion Master Damocles Belby. It will be an excellent political move as well and gain the board far more sponsors and parents in our favor."
The board members chime in agreement one by one until Lucius calls for a vote. The vote is unanimous, and says, "As such, Secundus Wilkes will formally be instated as a board member at our next meeting. Now moving onto the next pressing piece of business, I am certain that we all received this morning's letter stating that Professor Zephyros has mid-term abandoned his post of Divination from the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore."
There is a grimace on several faces as Lucius Malfoy's upper lip curls up with a bit of a sneer. "Considering that the term has already begun, it will be very difficult to find a replacement. Might I suggest that the archaic class be removed from the Hogwarts curriculum as it does not seem to serve any purpose to the students beyond a waste of their time?"
Several board members seem to be in agreement by the expressions on their faces, but Francesca interrupts, "Mm, be as that may be, it is still a tradition. And there are those who consider Divination to be a true art form, Chairman Malfoy. There are those that can truly see, and it is for those alone that we ought to keep the subject open for."
Izuki Sato nods his head in agreement as did Frederick Livingstone, and Garrick Arnold. These three wizards did not usually agree, but occasionally they did. For tradition was an important subject to them and if it could be preserved by them, they would elect to do so.
Seeing the board so equally divided on the subject, Lucius Malfoy says, "Seeing as we are equally divided, we shall proceed in this manner. The Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore has until the start of December to find a replacement before the start of the Winter Holidays. If a professor cannot be found, then Divination will remain as a subject at Hogwarts. However, if Professor Dumbledore cannot, then we shall take it as Fate has spoken, and the class shall be removed. Are we all in agreement?"
The board members unanimously voice their agreement as Lucius Malfoy makes note of it, before proceeding onto the next subject of discussion, Muggle Sports. With bit his lips slightly curled, he says, "It has come to our attention that the children of the Quattor Academies participate in recess and a muggle class termed PHYSICAL EDUCATION."
The board members murmur to each other with some concentration. Ever since, the subject of Physical Education had been introduced to the children at the Quattor Academies more than just the squibs, muquibs, but other wizarding children were intrigued by said games. Even the purebloods, who were a bit dubious at first quickly approved at seeing their more wild, unruly children become far less energetic and far more obedient upon returning home after wasting their energy at school. As such, some parents especially the parents of strenuous children already at Hogwarts were clamoring for similar clubs or even a once-a-week class to be held for all students to throw their energy into.
"With that being said parents and other patrons of Hogwarts wish for a similar class to be implemented at Hogwarts for all students at least thrice a week for first and second years, and twice a week for third years and fourth years with the class becoming an optional requisite 5th years and above," Lucius Malfoy grumbled. "I must admit I don't understand half of the games nor muggle sports that the parents are writing about especially called Footie or FOOT-BALL. What is that? A murderous muggle sport where one uses a cadaver's foot to play some sort of twisted muggle game?!"
The pretty Spanish descended witch, Francesca lets out a giggle, before covering her mouth to hide her laughter. With an impishly gleam in her eyes, she good-natured says, "No, Chairman that is not what the game entails. Rather it is called Football or Footie for short because it is a game where solely feet are used to kick and score with a quaffle-like ball. The usage of either hands or arms is absolutely forbidden except for that of the goalie."
"How utterly barbaric!" Lucius grumbled looking slightly intrigued. "So how does one go about scoring in such a game. And what is this GOL-EE that you speak of?"
"Well, a goalie is the Keeper for the match," Francesca explained as understanding falls upon the members of the board including Lucius. Soon, the Spanish descended witch launches into a passionate explanation describing the many astounding merits of Football, (aka Soccer). By the end of her passionate speech, even Lucius seems to be more than interested in the muggle game.
"You mean to say that these muggles hold a World Cup for FOOT-BALL too?" Frederick Livingstone asked in disbelief with his bushy brows arched high.
"That is correct," Francesca explained. "Just like in the Wizarding World every four years." She was a half-blood and her father; a Spanish Muggle had loved the sport to death. As a child and during the summer holidays when they returned to Spain, they regularly attended the matches of Real Madrid and Barcelona as her father was from Barcelona. Even now a great rivalry existed between the two teams and she was proud to wear the colors of their team, blue and marron!
"Goodness me, it would seem that they hold some measure of common sense after all," Frederick Livingstone murmured with great astonishment as other board members in agreement. It would seem that the muggles were not as savage as in the past but actually bore some semblance of a proper society.
The board members feeling more at ease with the subject delve further into the discussion and after some time finally, come to an agreement that such an idea would not be a terrible implementation. They would need time to hire a new professor, a muquib or squib to teach Physical Education and find a class schedule that would work for every single grade year, but the plan would be feasible for the start of the next school year in the Fall. It was a slow process, but the wizarding world was slowly, but surely changing for the better.