Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Forty Two - Hogwarts Recommences
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―==(oIo)==―
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On the Hogwarts Express, Ron was finally starting to relax in the compartment with Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan and the two 'Puff girls - whose names he still couldn't remember - when the door was yanked open by Malfoy.
"Malfoy!" Ron snarled at him, jumping to his feet and drawing his wand. "What do you want?"
With a look of glee in his eyes, Malfoy smirked and said, "No Potter and the mudblood, Weasley?"
That was a far as he got before he suddenly almost completely doubled over with stomach pain.
He then had a look of painful shock on his face, before he turned and ran off without another word.
Ron, surprised at what had just happened, heard one of the 'Puffs ask, "Would you mind closing the door, Mister Weasley?"
When he turned to look at her, she asked, "Well? Are you going to close the door, or not?"
Still a little shocked by Malfoy's behaviour, he turned back, closed and latched the door and sat back in his seat. Then looked to her.
"What just happened?" he asked, confused.
She grinned back and said, "Mister Malfoy had a very sudden urge to use the toilet. I believe he'll be occupied for a while."
When Ron still appeared confused the other 'Puff said, "Lilith doesn't like people who use the 'M' word around her. She has a knee-jerk reaction to hex them."
Lilith said, "Megan tends to exaggerate a little. I only save the hexes for people like Malfoy. Him, I hit with a bowel loosening charm. He'll be in the toilet for a couple of hours."
Finally understanding what happened, Ron grinned back and said, "That's wicked!"
Megan said, "I don't know why your so-called golden trio puts up with him so much. We don't."
Lilith said, "Learn the bowel loosening charm, learn to cast it surreptitiously and silently and you shouldn't have anywhere near as much trouble with him in future."
Ron thought about that for a moment before he leaned forward, adopted a begging expression and pleaded, "Teach me?"
Both 'Puffs laughed, which had Ron and the other two Gryff' boys join in a moment later.
"Alright, Mister Weasley," she eventually said. "However, you're going to owe me a favour, if I do."
Warily, he asked, "What sort of favour?"
Still smiling from the laughter, she shrugged and replied, "I don't know yet, but it's not going to be something that will offend you having to do it."
He thought about that, before he gave a firm nod back and said, "Accepted."
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―==(oIo)==―
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Ron was so focussed on learning the hex the Fourth Year 'Puff, Lilith Moon, was trying to teach him that he didn't hear the door to the compartment being opened.
He didn't even notice anyone was there until Dean asked, "Need something, Angie?"
That had him looking up and seeing Angelina Johnson, shadowed by Alicia Spinnet, standing in the doorway, looking at him.
As soon as he did, though, she firmly asked, "Where's Potter?"
"Not on the train," he replied.
Confused, she asked, "What do you mean?"
"We received a letter from him a few days ago saying he might not be attending," he explained. "Something about he and Hermione might be taking up the option of having personal tutors, instead."
That he didn't say it with an outward sign of jealously was thanks to his Aunt Muriel. He was prepared to answer that question. However, he didn't know that and he was still jealous, anyway.
"Really?" she asked, surprised.
"Really," he near-snarked.
She thought about that for a moment before she said, "You said 'might'."
"Might," he repeated.
"Does that mean he might also turn up?"
He shrugged. "I hope so."
Clearly frustrated, without another word she stepped back, pulled the door shut, latched it and walked away.
"At least she closed the door," said Seamus, also trying to learn the bowel loosening hex.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Immediately returning to his office apartment after having just been fired, Dumbledore made no effort to begin packing his personal effects. Instead, he immediately used the floo to contact members of the School Board. Or, rather, attempt to contact them.
His intent was to get immediate support to suspend his termination, so he then had the time to work his skills more thoroughly and get the decision to terminate his employment more permanently overturned.
However, no matter how much he begged, demanded, attempted to blackmail, threaten or otherwise, no one was budging. Even those he thought he'd still have support from were refusing.
What he didn't know was that, once the time reached three thirty and while he had his head yet again in the flames, the castle's house elves were quickly and quietly packing his effects.
At 4.00pm, on the dot, he found himself ripped out of the floo and magically transported to outside the school's main gates. He was then sitting on his bum on the cobblestones of the path. His packed personal effects joined him moments later, about him.
Shocked, he was a few seconds in disbelief before he jumped to his feet in a rapidly building rage, shrunk his effects and levitated them up so he could grab them and shove them into his pockets. Then he attempted to angrily stomp his way back in through the gates, but was rudely banished back from them to again land on his bum where he started as soon as he hit the ward boundary.
Again, he surged to his feet but, instead of trying to stomp his way back in through the gates again, drew his wand and began casting powerful ward breaking charms at them.
It was as much a waste of time as it was when he lost the Headship and, in the back of his mind, he knew it. It would take hours of work of hundreds of witches and wizards working in concert to bring down the wards. Even he, at his most powerful, had no chance of accomplishing it.
After a solid minute of trying and which he knew was just him venting his rage, he eventually lowered his wand, glared at the castle where he knew the Headmistress's office to be, turned away and stomped up the path to the village. He'd be taking rooms at the Three Broomsticks until he could figure out what to do next and get back into the castle.
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―==(oIo)==―
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After organising a room, Dumbledore then donned a strong disillusionment charm and made his way to Honeydukes. There, he silently made his way down to the basement, located the hidden access to the underground tunnel that led back to Hogwarts and slipped within.
Once inside he dispelled the disillusionment charm and lit his wand with a strong Lumos, light, charm. And firmly strode down the tunnel.
However, just as he reached the ward line above, he smacked into an invisible wall - a ward. It caused him to break his nose in the collision and send him ten feet back up the tunnel the way he'd come to yet again land him on his arse.
Shocked, he climbed to his feet and cast his best detection charms. They immediately returned to him the same ward signatures as the main, above ground, wards at the gate/fenceline. Someone had extended the wards far enough below ground to also block the tunnel.
"Gods... damn it!" he snarled in anger, lowering his wand.
With a minor healing charm to his nose first, he gave a final huff up the tunnel towards the school and retraced his steps.
There was no point in trying the one in the basement of the Shrieking Shack as the tunnel between there and the whomping willow was the same depth as the Honedukes tunnel. It, too, would be blocked.
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―==(oIo)==―
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As dinner was winding up at the Grangers, Harry looked to the clock in the kitchen and said, "The Express should be arriving at Hogwarts about now."
That had everyone else look, too.
Hermione, again fretting a little, asked, "Do you think people would have already noticed we're missing?"
"The other Heirs would have, of course," he replied. "So would the Weasleys." He then gave a snort and added, "So, too, might Malfoy and his pet bookends."
He'd forgotten about Luna, but so had Hermione.
She gave a sigh and said, "At least Madam Marchbanks knows what's going on."
He gave a firm nod and turned to one of the aurors sitting at the table with them.
"If what I think is going to happen, happens, we should expect Dumbledore trying to get in here... in about half an hour to forty five minutes, tops."
The auror looked back, smirked and said, "Then I'm glad we'll be able to finish dinner in time."
From the expression on Harry's face, the other auror chuckled and said, "You timed it that way, didn't you?"
Harry suddenly sat up straight, raised his left hand as if to give a muggle oath and firmly said, "Guilty, Your Worship!"
Wendell nearly coughed out his mouthful of cheesecake in amusement when he reflexively snorted. And had to rapidly resort to using a napkin to cover his mouth while looking over it with eyes filled with mirth.
While Harry grinned at him, he said, "Please, don't do that. It gives me the sudden urge to pick up my gavel."
That just made Harry grin even more.
After a few moments he turned back to the auror and replied, "Yes; I timed the meal so that there should be about fifteen minutes between finishing it and Dumbledore's earliest likely time to get here and try to get in."
Smirking back, the auror softly said, "Clever."
With his own smirk Harry shot back, "Planning."
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―==(oIo)==―
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After demanding and getting the 'best' room in the Three Broomsticks, Dumbledore had tried to visit his brother. However, as soon as his brother, Aberforth, saw him step in through the door the old man had to duck a thrown metal tankard thrown at his head before his brother then snap-cast curses at him liberally sprinkled with intervening invectives.
He immediately retreated back out the door, knowing there was no talking to his brother when he was in this sort of a mood.
Returning to the Three Broomsticks, he then spent the next couple of hours preparing things elsewhere, or trying to figure out what to do with his immediate future.
As the sun was setting, he had a fair idea.
Since trying to visit his brother he'd already been to the Dumbledore Cottage in Godric's Hollow and quickly set his personal house elf to cleaning it. He prepared it for him moving back in with an 'unwilling' guest. He'd had to erect certain security wards, used by the DMLE for the temporary restraint of prisoners 'in the field', but erected overpowered and rune-based to be permanent.
Now, he was standing just outside the small picket gate to Hogsmeade Station, but under an invisibility charm with an overlaid Notice-Me-Not charm so even the slight ripple in the air that was a sign of a disillusionment charm to those trained to see one would not be noticed.
What he had no idea about was that Alastor Moody was standing under an invisibility cloak and his own Notice-me-Not charm not far away, but also obscured by a tree as he stood behind it. And was keeping an eye on him with his magical eye.
With years of experience, Dumbledore knew just when the train would arrive, as did many of the long-term residents of Hogsmeade or the castle.
While he stood there Hagrid, riding in a smaller, single-axle buggy up front, led the lead Thestral-drawn carriages out onto the station external concourse, just outside the gates. The Thestrals followed along and lined up one behind the other and three deep behind him, ready for students to board.
Once sure the carriages were ready, the big guy moved through the gate and onto the platform to make sure the station was clear and ready for the Express to pull up. He had no idea just how close he had come to Dumbledore as he walked through the gate, but did wonder why he had the sudden scent of lemons in his nostrils for a moment.
He gave one last look about before he walked back out the gate and made his way back to the smaller 'buggy' wagon.
A quick "gee-up!" and he was returning to the castle.
He also had no idea Dumbledore had cast a quick compulsion charm on him to do just that; in case he had decided to stay until the students had arrived, out of a sense of obligation. Dumbledore wanted him gone, so he couldn't see something the old man didn't want to half-giant to see.
Hagrid was only a quarter of the way back to the castle when Dumbledore heard the train's whistle in the distance. It signified there was less than two minutes before the train pulled in.
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―==(oIo)==―
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As they felt the train slow down the last few hundred feet before coming to a stop at Hogsmeade station, Ron was grinning at Lilith Moon and gushing with praise for the girl. He'd never been able to learn a spell - whether it be a charm, a transfiguration or a hex - so fast before.
"Thank you, so much!" he exclaimed. 'Just wait until Malfoy mouths off to me, again,' he thought. 'I'll laugh and say, "Toilets are that way, Malfoy".'
As he'd been thinking, the five in his compartment all moved out into the narrow hallway and into the sudden press of humanity all trying to get out the door at either end.
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―==(oIo)==―
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As students started to alight and the first few hurried quickly out the gate and towards the carriages, Dumbledore was keeping careful watch as they passed by. He already knew he had the best position as, with the necessity of getting out through the gate, the students had to pass through in single file.
He watched as the prefects who'd been in the first rail car, their privilege, also moved to ensure none of the students got up to any mischief on the platform or as they moved out to and boarded the thestral-drawn carriages.
As they tended to occupy the first couple cars after the prefects', most of the first students out through the gate were Slytherins.
A lot were talking and he'd occasionally hear the name 'Potter', but the students were moving too quickly through for him to catch more than just snippets. All he managed to catch were what sounded like no one could find him on the train. But, that couldn't be right; 'young Harry' thought of Hogwarts as his home.
Still scanning the crowd with his eyes, waiting for his opportunity to grab the Potter boy and side-along apparate him away and back to his cottage, he missed paying attention when Longbottom and the other four Heirs of the Alliance all passed through the gate.
Thinking that more than half of the students had already passed through, he was beginning to get a little concerned when he finally remembered that the Potter boy often rode in one of the rear carriages. Therefore, he'd likely be in the last ten to twenty percent of students to pass through. And calmed again.
When the crowd of students started to slow down to a trickle, he saw the youngest Weasley boy walking with two other Gryffindor boys and two Hufflepuff girls in his same year. But, the Potter boy and the Granger girl were not with him.
Looking past them he couldn't see his quarry; so he quickly cast a Confundus charm on the group the Weasley boy was travelling with, dragged the boy off to the side and hit him with a disillusionment charm.
With his eyes still watching the last few students walk through, he realised he'd missed his quarry.
Still tightly holding the youngest Weasley boy he hit him with a more powerful Confundus and demanded, "Where's Harry Potter?"
Dazed, Ron slowly replied, "He.. wasn't.. on.. the train."
Angry, Dumbledore cancelled the Confundus, obliviated the boy of the last thirty seconds and shoved him towards the carriages.
Then he waited for a gap between the final students still exiting through the gate and strode onto the platform. He'd be searching the train.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Ron staggered a bit as he walked towards the carriages, blinked and looked around. 'Where'd everyone go?' he thought.
Realising there weren't many carriages left, he hurried forward and jumped on one about to leave.
'Why'd they leave me behind?' he wondered.
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―==(oIo)==―
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When Dumbledore grabbed the youngest Weasley boy, Moody was about to abandon his concealed watching of the old man and charge forward with his wand blazing.
However, as he started to move, the old man suddenly half flung the boy towards the carriages and stepped through the gate and onto the platform.
Watching the reaction of the boy, he realised the old man had obviously questioned him then obliviated him of the last minute or two before releasing him again.
As the boy hurried to board a carriage and was therefore safe, Moody moved to follow Dumbledore.
Of course, everyone used the single gate through the white wooden picket fence. However, it was no hassle to approach the platform from where the trees encroached over the backside of the platform and simply hop over the four foot high fence there. That's what he did.
Peeking around the corner of the station house, he was just in time to see the old man jump onto the back carriage and start to search it.
Pulling back into concealment behind the building he chuckled to himself and went back to where he was first watching the old man and the gate.
Once he was sure the last of the students had boarded the last carriage, and it was through the gates and moving at a fair clip to the castle, he apparated away.
He had a report to give to the Bones lass.
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―==(oIo)==―
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Over at the Granger residence, Harry was monitoring the time with a Tempus charm. His last was about a minute after the previous one.
Wendell was watching him with amusement and finally asked, "Isn't there a finite amount of magic you can cast before you run out?"
Harry gave him a sheepish grin back and replied, "There is. But, I could probably cast about a thousand Tempus charms before I'd reach the point of magical exhaustion. Different charms and the like use different amounts of magic. The Tempus charm uses about the lower end of average.
As Wendell gave a nod and returned to quietly reading a medical journal, Hermione softly asked, "Where do you think they'd be about now."
"From previous experience, they'd be riding the carriages from the platform to the castle about now," he replied. "I'll alert the aurors to get ready. By my guess work, Dumbledore should be turning up here within the next few minutes."
He rose and headed for the lower ground floor.
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―==(oIo)==―
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As Weasley entered the Great Hall, he was about to head for his 'normal' spot when he realised Harry and Hermione wouldn't be there. Instead, he turned to go sit with Finnegan and Thomas. He needed to find out why they left him at the station.
As he spotted them and walked over, he was about to ask them just that when Thomas asked, "What happened to you? One moment you're walking off the platform with us and the next you just disappeared."
Surprised, he sat next to them and replied, "I don't know! I remember walking off the platform with you, then I'm standing there on my own! I though you'd hit me with a confusion charm, or something; and left me standing there while you all took off!"
"Nope!" replied Finnegan. "Sounds like a mean prank, though." He then looked towards the twins and asked, "Think your brothers might have done it?"
Ron immediately glared in his brothers' direction before he turned back and mumbled, "They might have. But, it's not the sort of thing they'd normally do. They're all about being 'flashy' and 'noisy'."
"True," said Thomas, casting his own look at the twins.
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―==(oIo)==―
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After spending over fifteen minutes quickly searching the train from one end to the other, with no sign of the Potter boy, Dumbledore stood on the platform for a few minutes wondering what could have happened.
'Either the boy turned up at the castle by portkey or floo; or he's not gone there,' he thought. 'That means, he's likely still at the Grangers.
'Even if he isn't, the aurors won't be there and I can compulse the Grangers into doing my bidding.'
With a decision reached, Dumbledore transfigured his robes into the height of 90s muggle fashion - for the early 1890s. A three-piece muggle business suit with matching low profile top hat and shoes. The gold chain leading to his pocket watch was a nice touch. However, even then, they never wore violet-purple with indigo pinstripe.
Then he apparated away to Wimbledon
Learning from his previous error, this time he chose not to attempt to apparate directly onto the property. He changed his apparation point to the front lawn of the property next door. And appeared there with a light crack.
A quick look around for any muggles that might have seen him - he didn't see any - and he stepped through the neighbours' front gate onto the footpath, before walking closer to the boundary fence of the Grangers'.
He stopped just shy of the corner of the property, took another quick look around and drew his wand. Then he silently began to cast detection charms ahead of himself.
It took him only moments to determine where the ward line was. But was surprised when he discovered the ward was an unusual shape. It was almost four sided with rounded corners.
He paused. 'Strange,' he thought. And then began to cast more detection charms.
What he didn't know was there was a very faint but telling ward buried within and between the powerful anti-portkey and anti-apparation jinx wards he'd detected. The glow he saw from the second and third masked the first.
That ward detected when the ward set was being analysed. And a quiet alarm went off within the servants' quarters on the lower ground floor of the residence.
The auror monitoring the wards was immediately alerted and tapped a specific set of runes on the back of his auror badge that alerted the aurors on-site to what was going on. Next, he sent the same detection alert to the on-duty auror at the DMLE.
The aurors on-site wasted no time and began to move.
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―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The Granger household was quiet, but somewhat tense. All four residents were in the parlour at the time. The aurors asked them to be together in one room until it was time to go to bed.
The two Granger adults were reading professional journals or doing business paperwork, Hermione was sitting on the floor trying to meditate while she was experiencing heightened stress and Harry was reading a text on magical combat and pretending to cast the charms and curses he came across with a pencil and memorising them.
Suddenly an auror ducked into the room and said, "Someone's casting detection charms at the wards."
A moment later he snatched out his auror badge and looked to the back of it. "The magical signature is Dumbledore's."
Then he looked at Harry in surprise. While Harry had explained to the lead auror how he came to the conclusion Dumbledore would turn up, even they were doubtful. However, they respected his intelligence enough to know he seemed to accurately predict these sort of events happening.
Harry smirked back for a moment before he slid a bookmark into the page he was reading, snapped the book shut and stood up.
A second auror, a Senior, stepped in and said, "I'd like you all to make your way down to the Quarters, please - the servants' quarters, that is."
"We understood the reference, Horatio," said Wendell as he and Monica stood.
Monica had to give Hermione a tap on the shoulder to break her out of her meditation state. "We need to go downstairs, dear."
"Oh!" said Hermione. "I take it Harry's right and Dumbledore's here?"
"He is," said the auror, trying to chivvy them into moving quicker.
With all four on the move, the Senior Auror hurried out the back door, donned a disillusionment charm and peeked around the corner of the house towards the front, where he knew the old man's charms were impacting the wards.
He was shocked to see him simply standing on the path, not even masking his presence other than to wear the most godawful-coloured muggle suit he'd ever seen and waving his wand as if conducting an orchestra.
Pulling his head back he sighed and muttered, "What an idiot."
Tapping his badge he was soon joined by another two aurors, two younger, one male and one female. Both were dressed muggle.
Curiously he looked at the two before he smirked and motioned both back from the corner. Once clear, he quietly asked, "How well do either of you know if Dumbledore knows you on sight or not."
The male shrugged while the female just shook her head. The male quietly replied, "I was a 'Puff. He tended to ignore us. And I didn't get into trouble while at Hogwarts."
The witch softly replied, "I was in Ravenclaw. I don't think he ever said one word to me, directly, the whole time I was there."
Grinning even more the Senior said, "Here's what I want the two of you to do..."
As he explained, the two junior aurors grinned.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
A couple minutes earlier, Alastor Moody was sitting in Madam Bones's office giving his report as to his surveillance of Dumbledore, when a young auror gave a quick knock on the door, opened it and stuck his head in.
"Excuse me barging in, Madam Bones," he said. "But, we've just received word from Golf Romeo that Dumbledore's just outside the wards out the front and casting detection charms at them."
"Send the back-up, right now, via floo," she immediately ordered. The back up already had the floo address and temporary password for just this situation.
"Yes, ma'am," he said and immediately yanked his head out, firmly closing and latching the door as he did so.
Bones smirked at Moody and said, "Well, well. Potter was right again."
She cast a quick Tempus, read it and added, "And only a few minutes after he guesstimated the old man would turn up."
"That's not bad," said Moody, clearly impressed.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
In the Great Hall at Hogwarts, there was a fair bit of excited chattering between students going on.
One of the main topics was all the new Professors, for those were who the folk clearly were, sitting at the head table talking between themselves just as the students were.
When it appeared that everyone who was going to arrive, had arrived, Madam Marchbanks stood from her chair and walked around the head table and, cane tapping away, approached the big golden eagle lectern.
She did have to transfigure a large set of steps before it, though, as she was such a little thing. But, once she stepped up on them she could see clearly above it and across the four House tables.
As she did, Professor Sprout used a little hammer on a chime bar and rang it. That had everyone who was still making a bit of noise quiet back down.
As soon as she had silence she began to speak. "For those who do not know me because they left the school before I arrived and did not know me from my work with the WEA, I am the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, Lady Griselda Marchbanks. Before I worked at the WEA I was the Professor of Charms and Acting Deputy Headmistress here.
"Now, bear with me. I have quite a few introductions to make before we can start dinner."
Ron gave a wince and an almost sub-audible groan. Only Seamus heard him, though.
"First," she said. "For those who do not already know, we no longer have the services of Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Sybill Trelawney, Cuthbert Binns, Poppy Pomfrey or Barty Crouch Junior posing as Alastor Moody. Rubeus Hagrid is also no longer a Professor.
"That means a lot of permanent positions needed refilling.
"So, I shall introduce them all to you now. I know you won't remember all their names, but they'll remind you as you each have classes with them. I won't, however, cover all their achievements. Instead, I will leave that to them.
"First, I present our new Professor of History and Deputy Headmaster, Professor Ebenezer Goodstone."
A middle aged wizard stood and bowed to all four house tables before sitting again, as applause sounded throughout the Hall.
"Next, I'll cover the new Heads of Houses. Please save your applause for all four, together. Otherwise, we'll be here all night.
"For Hufflepuff, Professor Pomona Sprout remains your Head of House; the other three are all new. For Gryffindor, we have Professor Bathsheba Babbling; for Ravenclaw, Professor Aurora Sinistra; and for Slytherin, Professor Septima Vector. You may congratulate them now." And led the applause while all four stood there.
A quick gesture from Marchbanks and all four sat almost as one, which also brought the applause to a near abrupt halt.
"I now have one re-tasked and a further six new professors to introduce. Please hold your applause until I've introduced them all."
After giving that a moment to sink-in, she began.
"First, I need to mention Professor Charity Burbage has moved from Professor of Muggle Studies to Professor of Wizarding Traditions, a new course.
"Second, I present our new Professor of Muggle Studies, Professor Phyllis Claystock.
"Third, I present our new Professor of Potions, Professor Doris Grimfield.
"Fourth, I present our new Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Ian Murdstock.
"Fifth, I present our new Professor of Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Oliver Senkinhall.
"Sixth, I present our new Professor of Divination, Professor Rebecca Brottingwell.
"Seventh, I present our new Professor of Transfiguration, Professor Johnathan Biffingwater.
"I'll add him in now, because he's the only other new member of staff. I present our new medi-wizard, Journeyman Healer Peter Robinson.
"That is all the new staff we have starting with us. Please join me as we give them all a round of applause for taking on their roles."
As all the new staff, except the new Deputy Headmaster, stood the entire student and remaining staff population applauded them. Marchbanks let it go on for a while.
Finally, Professor Sprout rang her chime again and everyone settled.
"That's staffing," said Marchbanks. "Now for new rules..."
Once she was finished describing them she said, "You'll find a list of these new rules, in written form, affixed to the noticeboards in each of your common rooms. That document is not to removed for any reason other than under my direct order. Breach that rule and you will be suspended on the spot... and sent home.
"I'll also announce that the temporarily suspended school Inter-House Quidditch League is now reactivated. However―"
That was as far as she got before almost every student suddenly starting celebrating. She let it go on for about fifteen seconds before she signalled Sprout to ring her chime again.
When they all calmed again, she said, "Let me finish before you celebrate. As I was saying... However, because there is only six months of the school year remaining, the number of games is also reduced. Instead of playing each House once... meaning three games for each House team... you'll only be playing two of the other House teams. The draw will take place as to which team will be playing which in my office between me, Madam Hooch and the four Team Captains. We'll carry out that draw on Tuesday evening.
"Finally, though the Tri-Wizard Tournament is not yet cancelled, discussions are still being held as to if it will or will not. So, for the time being, it is still on.
"For those who do not receive, or otherwise manage to read, a copy of the Daily Prophet while you've all been away, you'll notice that the contingents of both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are not with us. Both school representatives have returned to their schools. However, together with their respective Headmistress and Highmaster, they will return on the evening prior to both remaining events and stay for that day and evening. The next day they shall leave us, once again"
"That is all. I now call on our House elves to serve the meal."
Before the students could start celebrating or otherwise making noise, the tables immediately filled with food.
For almost all children, filling hungry bellies took precedence over celebrating.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Dumbledore had been analysing the wards for about five to ten minutes when he heard someone coming up behind. Quickly sliding his wand up the sleeve of his off-arm, he turned to see who it was.
In the gloom of the early evening he saw two young adult muggles walking towards him and quietly talking, as proper the young lady was on the left. By the way the girl was using both hands to grip the young man's left upper arm and kept leaning her head on his shoulder, it was easy to see that these two were 'lovebirds' out for an evening stroll.
As if seeing him for the first time, the male of the two saw him and grinned. As he walked closer, he pulled something out of his pocket.
Thinking it might have been a weapon, Dumbledore at first tensed and readied to snap draw his wand, before he saw what it was and relaxed. The man had pulled a packet of those horrid muggle cigarettes from his pocket.
"Hey, gramps!" said the male, as he slipped a pre-made cigarette between his lips. "Got a light?"
"Errr... sorry, no," replied Dumbledore, wishing they'd go away. He had not even realised how close the two had approached.
As the male seemed to sigh in disappointment, he withdrew the cigarette from between his lips and quietly said, "Oh. Damn."
Then he gave it a flick into the garden of the house next door in a high arch.
As Dumbledore's eyes were drawn to follow its trajectory, thinking what a disgusting thing to do, there was a sudden flash of red light and his lights went out.
As Dumbledore slumped to the ground from a stunner fired by the female from a range of about eighteen inches, both young aurors quickly separated. The young witch auror flicked her wrist, causing her wand to slip back up her sleeve into the auror quick-draw holster and reached for her hidden magic-resistant manacles that were hanging on her belt at the back. As she bent down to manacle the old man, the male summoned the flicked away cigarette back to the packet, then vanished the lot, before drawing his badge out and tapping a set of runes.
While the female was finishing manacling Dumbledore's hands behind his back, after first bodily flipping him face down on the pavement, there was a quick flurry of activity as half a dozen aurors came from the front doors of the Granger residence and from down the side of the house.
Master Auror Robards was leading the pack, so to speak. He was grinning away. After looking around to see if any muggles were watching, he asked, "Who's idea was it to pose as a couple of canoodling lovebirds on a midnight stroll?"
The male immediately, but softly, replied, "Senior Auror Cummerbatch's, Sir."
Looking about, Robards quickly spotted him. "Well done, Senior. Expect a commendation for this."
Cummerbatch smiled back and replied, "Thank you, Sir. But, Aurors Watkins and Cupperman flawlessly executed it." Then he turned to look at the male, Brendan Cupperman, and said, "Nice distraction trick with the muggle cigarette, by the way."
Cupperman grinned and gave a nod.
"Alright," said Robards. "That's it for the due pats on the back for jobs well done." Looking at the two young ones he said, "Since you two bagged him, you get to process him. I'll let The Boss know you're doing that. Expect her to join you while you're processing him."
"Right, Sir; thank you, Sir," said Cupperman as he and Watkins bent down to each stick a finger on the manacles affixed to Dumbledore's wrists. A moment later and they portkeyed away.
Robards then said, "The rest of us, inside to the Quarters for a quick debrief. And we can let Lord Potter and the Grangers know we've got him."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As the aurors re-entered the house to relieved joshing between them, MacNair, who watched the whole thing from the other side of the road in his favourite spot under the tree of the opposite house's front yard, was feeling quite excited. 'Dumbledore tried to break in through the wards and was arrested!' he thought. 'I'll finally have something for the Dark Lord!'
However, as the front door on the house was closing, there was a close by flash of pale blue light behind him and everything went fuzzy.
A few moments later and he was blinking his eyes awake and feeling sleepy.
'Another boring night,' he thought with a mental sigh. 'I'll never learn anything, this way.'
A few moments later and he was quietly packing up his set up. And, a few moments after that, he apparated away.
The on-duty Unspeakable watcher from the Knight's Shadow team, Owl, stepped out from behind the tree and took another long look around. When it was apparent MacNair was definitely gone for the night, she returned to her watcher's nest and settled down.
As soon as she was comfortable, she settled into her alert state meditation pose and began to write her report of the event and the action she took all in her mind.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Back at Hogwarts, Neville was being questioned as to where Harry was. He'd just smile and say, "He has important family matters to take care of. He'll likely be along, once they're out of the way."
When anyone tried to press him for extra information, he'd say, "As I said, he has important family matters to take care of. He'll likely be along, once they're out of the way."
By the time dinner was finished, he thought he'd given that same response a good dozen times.
Susan and Hannah, together with Daphne and Tracey - for those who knew of the Alliance and knew them to be Heirs of that Alliance and asked them - also answered the question the same way. However, between them, they still answered the question less as many times as Neville on his own.
Once everyone finished dinner the Headmistress had one final announcement to give them before she released them to go to their dorms. Because of changes to classes, new class schedules needed to be handed out.
"Meeting the same time-frames as the second of September," she said, "All students are to be in the Great Hall, tomorrow morning, no later than 8.00am, so new class schedules may be distributed."
After everyone rose to make their way out, the word quickly spread among the rest of the student population about Harry (and Hermione) being delayed. By the time they all reached their dorms, almost all of them knew the alliance Heirs would only give that answer and that Potter and Granger would 'likely be along' somewhat soon - maybe.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Moody was still in the office with Bones when the same auror stuck his head in the door again. "Albus Dumbledore's been arrested and is currently in processing. No muggles saw anything. I believe you wanted to know?"
She smiled back and replied, "Thank you, Auror Preedy. We did."
He said, "Yes, Ma'am." And again withdrew.
Looking to Moody she started to rise and asked, "Shall we?"
Moody grinned back and replied, "Lets!"
They were very quickly in the cell area and were just in time to see the old man guided, almost shoved, into a cell. Unsurprisingly, it was the same one he'd been in the last two times he was in her 'care'.
Bones and Moody gave it a few moments before walking up to the two aurors who'd brought him in. Cutting right to the chase, she asked, "Who caught him?"
"We did, Ma'am," replied Cupperman. "Henrietta and I."
"Well done," she smiled. "He's been fully processed?"
"He has," replied Cupperman. "Henrietta and I were about to head out to the bullpen to write up the arrest report, Ma'am."
Bones gave a nod and said, "Get it done quickly and bring it to me. I'll should be in the cell with Dumbledore, giving him an initial interview to start with. If I'm not there, I'll be in my office."
"Yes, Ma'am," replied Cupperman. And the two left to get on it.
Once they were on their way, Bones chuckled and said, "Eager."
Moody, who heard it, replied, "So they should be."
Turning more fully to the older and officially 'retired' Master Auror, she said, "Come on." And walked over to the cell. After first checking through the peep-hole to ensure the old man was visible and clear of the door, she unlatched it and stepped within.
Dumbledore, now enervated again, was sitting on 'his' bunk with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. The manacles had been removed.
Only his eyes flickered in her direction and he quietly said, "Amelia."
"Prisoner Dumbledore," she shot back.
With a huff of annoyance he asked, "What am I supposed to have done wrong, this time, Madam Bones?"
"I have quite a few charges to file against you, this time, Mister Dumbledore."
When his eyes shot to hers in somewhat surprise, she snickered and said, "Yes, I'm aware you've finally been fired from Hogwarts. Headmistress Lady Marchbanks advised me of the situation, earlier today."
She gave that a moment to sink in before she said, "The matters I have on you so far this evening are: You assaulted one Ronald Weasley just outside the gate of Hogsmeade Station. Yes, I know about that, too. And you were caught in the act of analysing the wards on the Granger residence. Naughty, naughty, Albus.
"With the list of new crimes beginning to pile up against you, I think I'll have more than enough to take you trial, once more, at the February sitting of the Wizengamot.
Dumbledore just glared back.
"So," she said. "I'm offering you the chance to have the charges dropped. All you have to do is be honest with me and tell me why getting hold of Lord Potter is so important to you. What do you say, Albus?"
"The information I have is so sensitive I'm afraid I cannot speak of it with anyone except Mister Potter," he huffed again.
"You mean Lord Potter, don't you, Albus?" she asked. "Is your mind starting to fail you and you're beginning to forget important details?"
"Yes, I meant Lord Potter," he snapped. "And, no, my mind is as sharp as ever."
"So, you're just being deliberately rude then," she said. "That's grounds for an honour duel, Albus."
When Dumbledore just frowned even more and glared at her, she chuckled back.
When the old man still wouldn't say anything further she stood and said, "Get yourself comfortable, Albus. Since you won't answer my questions, I'm adding a charge of 'Failing to comply with the directions of an auror'."
Moody watched her back for her as she turned her back on Dumbledore and walked out. Once she was out the door, Moody said, "You're no longer in a position to decide what is and is not 'For the Greater Good', Albus. You're no longer protected from due justice by hiding behind the offices of Chief Warlock, Britain's Ambassador to the ICW or Supreme Mugwump. When you refuse to co-operate with a DMLE investigation, you're going to face the consequences for it."
Then he let himself out, making sure to properly lock the door behind himself.
Dumbledore, gave a huff of annoyance, then gave a soft sigh and closed his eyes with a pained expression on his face. 'Damnation!' he thought.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After Dumbledore's capture and assurances he'd be spending at least the night, probably two, in the DMLE holding cells, Robards was as good as his word by informing Harry and the Grangers the risk was over for the time being.
The extended auror contingent were given a quick ten minute debrief, told to note down their recollections of what happened and then sent away. That left their 'normal' three-auror standing detail.
Once they were gone, Wendell gave a sigh and said to the two teens, "Well, we're back to work tomorrow. So, we're off to bed. If you're going to stay up, don't stay up too late."
A quick cheek-kiss good night where applicable - not Harry and Wendell - the Granger adults headed off to bed.
Once they trooped upstairs, Hermione looked to Harry and said, "I'm too keyed up to sleep. The meditation only helped up until we were sent down to the servants' quarters. Do you know of anything we can do that'll mentally tire me out enough to sleep?"
More comfortable with their relationship now, Harry leered back with a cheesy grin and waggled his eyebrows at her.
Hermione looked back in shock for a long moment before she blushed and stammered a moment.
It took her yet another moment before she suddenly stamped her foot while glaring at him. She loudly whisper-snapped, "Harry! We can't go doing that! What about my parents?"
Harry chuckled at her, letting her know he was teasing her.
When Hermione realised what he'd done, she girl-punched him on the arm and said, "That wasn't nice!"
"Sorry," he said, pretending to cringe away while snickering. "I couldn't help it. It was too funny not to use."
"Just for that," she declared, "You're now definitely responsible for coming up with something for us to do."
He shrugged and said, "Come into the dinette and I'll make us some warm milk. I'm told it can help you feel sleepy."
Surprised, Hermione said, "Yeah. I've heard that too."
The two headed for the kitchen only to find Dobby had overheard and already prepared it. He indicated the dinette and said, "On the dinette table, Master Harry, Miss-tress Herm'nee."
Not bothering about it, they both said, "Thank you, Dobby." And went and sat at the table, picked up their cups of hot milk and talked about what they thought they'd missed at the welcome back feast at Hogwarts.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After being yet again badgered by his dorm-mates about just when it was that 'Harry' would be returning to Hogwarts, Neville had taken to simply continually repeating the same answer over and over again, word for word.
Then, once up in the Gryffindor Fourth Year boys' dorm, the first thing the four noticed was that there were only four beds. And the others had been better spread out.
"Hey, we're missing a bed!" declared Thomas.
"No, we're not," said Neville. "If or when Harry gets here, he'll be going into the Lords' Quarters.
"Lords' Quarters?" asked Finnegan; muggle-raised, but halfblood.
"Yup," said Neville. "Now that it's public Harry's taken up his Lordship, he's entitled to move into the Lords' Quarters. He'll be doing that."
On hearing Harry would be moving into what he thought would be private and, worst still, luxurious accommodation, without thinking it through first Ron had instantly reacted and snapped. "That'd be right! Bloody Potter! I suppose he's going to have Hermione move in with him, too?"
― ― ―
At that moment, Ron's hand on the Weasley family clock shifted to 'In Danger'. 'Dong!'
Hearing it, Molly rushed downstairs from the main bedroom and hurried into the kitchen. The time was not beyond the time the Burrow would all be in bed and asleep.
She stared at the clock for a few moments, appalled, before she suddenly got quite angry.
Grabbing a sheet of Howler parchment she wrote off a quick message to her youngest son before trying to simultaneously stomp up and quietly climb the stairs to where Errol and Hermes slept.
― ― ―
Back at Hogwarts, Neville immediately turned a glare on the red-headed idiot, braced himself up, stalked across the room until he was right in the face of the other boy and angrily hissed, "You will watch your mouth, Weasley! If you don't be careful of what you say, I'm well prepared to stand as Lord Potter's second in a duel against you! And Lord Potter has already told me he is no longer prepared to put up with crap form anyone; especially, coming from you!"
Ron stood in shock as the usually very placid and shy boy got in his face and scared the Hell out of him.
"Sorry!" he squeaked.
"'Sorry' won't cut it, Weasley," snapped Neville. "If you disrespect Lord Potter in my presence again... Harry might not get the chance to duel you, as I'll have already done so.
"Lord Potter is responsible for the recovery of my parents from over a decade of long term care in Saint Mungo's. As far as I'm concerned, I stand ready to defend him to the death any who come after him. And that includes those who verbally attack him - just like you did.
"My father, Lord of my House, has publicly named him a Hero of House Longbottom. And that's all the excuse I'll need to kill you.
"Do it again in my hearing and I'll call you out. You'll be dead by nightfall! Got me?"
Ron rapidly nodded his head as he was cowering back. He didn't know it yet, but he was about to have a night plagued with little sleep. Neville had scared him that much.
― ― ―
Quickly giving the now charged and folded red note to the elderly owl, Molly ordered it to deliver it to her youngest son the next morning, opened the window and sent it on its way.
Then she returned downstairs to watch how long it took for the hand to move back. It was already back to 'At School' before she got there.
― ― ―
Back at Hogwarts Neville rounded on the other two of his dorm mates and said, "I have answered your questions as to when Harry is likely to rejoin Hogwarts. Just because it is not the answer you want is irrelevant to me; it is the only answer I'm prepared to give. Don't push it!"
That had both other boys quickly nod back with Thomas adding, "Yeah, right-o! No problems, alright?"
Neville just gave them all a final glare before he relaxed again and said, "I'm going to bed. Have a bit of respect for others and try to keep the noise down." Then he quickly began to get ready to go to sleep.
As Neville grabbed his toiletries and ducked into the bathroom to brush his teeth for the night, Thomas rounded on Ron and said, "Merlin, Ron! Are you an idiot, or something? What got into your head to do something like that?"
Ron sagged down onto the side of his bed, sighed and said, "I don't know! I just can't help running off at the mouth. Both Dad and Aunt Muriel said if I don't get it under control soon, it's gonna get me killed!
Looking up and back at them, he whined, "But, I'm try-ing. It's just not work-ing."
A few minutes later, a small beetle flew out the cracked-open window.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Over in the Ravenclaw Third Year girls' dorms, Luna was just walking in when she was confronted by the other five, who were clearly waiting for her.
Shirley Fawcett, one of the ones arrested and charged when Flitwick stood and outed them in the middle of the Great Hall for being thieves, was again leading them.
"Look," she sneered. "It's little Loony Lovegood."
"Look," said Luna, right back. "It's the stupid muggleborn girl, who is one wrong word from me to a professor away from finding herself rearrested, charged, taken back before the Director of the DMLE, found guilty, having her wand snapped, obliviated of all knowledge of the wizarding world - together with her parents and siblings - and tossed out of it on her arse."
Fawcett stared back in shock and looked ready to faint. "Y-you wouldn't!" she gasped.
With an expression devoid of emotion, Luna stared back and said, "I could go right now, if you like. You, standing there in a threatening manner and trying to intimidate me, is all I need."
Letting her gaze sweep over the other four, she continued, "It's also enough for me to have the rest of you before our Head of House. You four, standing with this very stupid bitch, means you are aiding her in bullying. You can and likely would face the same punishment."
Starting to walk forward, Luna walked up close to Fawcett, who was now starting to cringe, and said, "This is your final warning from me, Fawcett. One more word or action against me from you... One!... and you're gone!
"What you don't seem to realise or know, a person's memories can be extracted from their mind and placed in an object that allows others to watch them. It's called a pensieve. Memories can be submitted as evidence in an enquiry. My memory of this event is, therefore, submissable as evidence. That means, whether or not you get to stay in Hogwarts, is now in my mind.
"You and your ignorant friends will leave me alone, Fawcett. You will, from this moment forth, treat me with respect. If you do not, the next thing you will need to do is pack. Do you understand me?"
As Luna stood there and continued to stare the other girl in the eye, Fawcett eventually and fearfully nodded.
Right then, Luna knew that the nice mind-healer lady had not led her wrong. She'd told the little blonde that bullies are, at heart, cowards. If you stand up to them, they will cower away. Fawcett was doing that right now.
She now knew her remaining time in Hogwarts would not be the nightmare she'd experienced for her first two and a bit.
"Good," she snapped. "Now, get out of my way."
Fawcett hurried to 'get'. So did the other four.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ