Krait book 15b but to be read first Shakeups in Scotland

by slytherinsal

David Fraser is instituting new changes to Hogwarts in his capacity of Headmaster, including a school stable for playing Quiddpolo, and bringing in new staff to increase efficiency. No longer as new a headmaster as he was, David still faces challenges from the behaviour of one the seniors in Ravenclaw. The good news is that Bella has a tiger and she knows what to do with him.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"How were ye planning on managing the incrrreased intake the noo since the numbers are picking up after the Voldemort years, Headmaster?" asked Minerva McGonagall in the sort of tone of voice that had David Fraser feeling as though his old house head was asking him how he intended putting right some mischief he had been in the middle of "As weel as the general increase, there's the wealthy goblin families and Lucius paying for several scholarships for those who'd no' manage the fees ordinarily. There's fifty four due to start this year, ye ken."

David considered. It was the first day of the Holidays and he and the rest of the staff were just tidying up before the long summer break; and he had not yet looked at the Book of next year's pupils; perhaps remiss of him, but it had been his first year and had not been entirely uneventful.

"How was it done before?" he asked "Before the Voldemort years eroded numbers?"

"The classes were aye split by house" said Minerva.

"I can see that being a problem with the greater inter-house co-operation we have these days" said David. "Personally" he added "I think it's better to stream by ability; regardless of house. It OUGHT to work out that mainly Ravenclaws and Slytherin are in the top stream; but there's plenty of clever Gryffindors, and plenty of dim Slythers; and the odd Hufflepuff could make an upper stream by sheer hard work, like the Moorcrofts would have, and Albert MacMillan."

"Streaming in general or by subject?" asked Minerva, her tacit approval of the idea showing in asking more about details. David was glad; Minerva's good opinion meant a lot to him.

"I'd LIKE to stream by subject" he said "Though timetabling is going to be tough. I really think, Minerva, that the time may have come to expand deliberately and double up on teachers for the first two years at least while the kids do their taster classes, before they pick electives; because I am loath to drop the idea of taster classes. Picking electives in my day when you were not that sure what was involved in the classes was a bit hit and miss; you could end disappointed or finding yourself struggling with a subject that was harder than you realised. Padfoot had a huge dropout from those in the first voluntary Geomancy classes because of the amount of Arithmancy involved. And then when the electives are chosen, the classes diminish significantly in size anyway, solving the problem and giving decent sized classes for even the less popular electives; it's ridiculous that Septima had often enough no more than half a dozen students taking Arithmancy to OWL. Divination is different; I'm not averse to Rosemary having only the few with real rare talent, though to OWL I fear she'll still end up with those who think it a soft option until we can get the exam tightened up a bit."

"Electives or no, for the OWL the five core subjects will still hae fu' class sizes" said Minerva.

"Hmm, yes, there is that" said David "Then perhaps the second stream can go through to OWL in the core subjects; and we'll just have to have the tasters in large classes, which is NOT good for practical classes like Metalwork – I'm an idiot. We already do half a term Divination and half a term Metalwork; we could have half the class doing each and swap at Halloween. And that COULD be split by house as a temporary measure."

"Aye, I concur; it would mak' the numbers a mickle mair manageable" said Minerva.

"And there's no reason" said David, excited, "That it shouldn't be done the same with other classes – History of Magic with Arithmancy for example; I never yet met an arithmancer who liked History except Jade Snape, and she's a law unto herself and only reads history for pleasure, never studied it. And I believe we'll make either Care of Domestic Beasts OR Care of Beasts OR Herbology compulsory and team them together; if anyone wants to take both Herbology and Care of one kind of beasts or other we can negotiate that, Hagrid's flexible enough and so is Pomona, and Wilhelmina Grubbly-Planck is obliging enough. Severus is of the opinion that Herbology is a better core subject, though as a potioneer he IS biased; more skill needed for a potioneer to deal with plants, because generally all the animals he deals with are dead and don't exactly need much care in the way it's taught."

"Could we do the same thing with other elective subjects?" asked Minerva "Say Comparative magic with Astronomy?"

"Yes, that would work; Geomancy with Enchanting, Ancient Runes with Muggle Studies – they used as I recall to run at the same time as electives, with Hermione Granger haring around like a mad thing to fit in too many subjects with her time turner. That leaves chanting as a full class; but that doesn't actually matter. It's a very communal practical and the first couple of years are about voice control and rhythm anyhow so quite controllable. Tony had a huge voluntary class when it first started anyhow so it's nothing new for him. And the other four core subjects are taught by senior professors who I doubt would have any discipline problems anyway – because really they all need to be taught together in order to be able to stream them, at least for the first term."

"Weel, ye repose a grreat deal o' confidence in Filius, Remus, Connie and mesel', David; and I'm sure we'll a' try not tae let ye doon."

"Oh but of course I have every confidence in you all" said David in surprise "Not one of you has discipline problems; and that is what dealing with classes of fifty or more is about. Perce Dweemer would hate it and the little beasts would rag him."

"Aye, weel, he's a nice creature forebye and no' verra stern at a'" said Minerva with a touch of complaisance over the thought that none of her pupils would ever dare to even TRY to rag HER.

"Right, that's settled; thanks for helping me sort that out by bringing it up" said David. "And I'll see about getting in four subsidiary teachers for the second streams. They'd be on a lower pay scale of course; since the senior staff will still be teaching to NEWT. I suppose – so long as it doesn't muck up our kids too much – that it would be a good opportunity for those wanting to go into the ministry; to NOT have to teach to high level, and too, not have to introduce a subject. With the good grounding at first of my senior teachers they couldn't really make too much of a mess of it; and it's not like we didn't have a change of teacher every year when the DADA position was under curse. Or seventeen days in the case of that Umbridge woman."

"Weel, it's a possibility" said Minerva cautiously. "And syne they turn oot tae be gormless ye can aye send them packing so they cannae then louse up the ministry. I mean, louse it up ony the worse."

"That WOULD take some doing, mind you" laughed David. Minerva gave an austere smile.

"Ye ken, David, I've been feeling ma age recently; and I'd no' mind if you gave me the training of a possible replacement for a few years time serving meantime as junior transfiguration professor; which thought sprang tae mind, as a means o' training a new senior to Hogwarts ways" she said. "And had it not been for wanting tae help ye through a new post I might hae retired with Albus; and I DO want to see Lilith through school" she added.

"Why Minerva! How thoughtful of you!" said David. "And of course I should never dream of engaging any junior teacher without the approval of the senior for that post, you know!"

"That's verra ceevil of ye David. Forbye, ye should write tae the Mineestry; and tak' interviews in the holidays. And they could maybe be classroom assistants with the first years at first tak'in oot the slow yins tae bring them on should ye wish."

"Well if you'd find that helpful I'd certainly be ready to give it a go, perhaps with a classroom next to each of the main classrooms for a little separate tuition but close by for that first term" said David. "Connie has been making noises about retirement for a number of years now as well; which might be just her way of letting off steam, but I have to consider that she might be serious. And who'd be head of Slytherin if she left I've no idea; Sirius would obviously be head of Gryffindor in your shoes but more than half the staff are ex Gryffs!"

"Weel, ye never know who may come as juniors" said Minerva, philosophically "Though for replacement staff I'm thinking ye shouldnae be considering the types that would want tae be in the mineestry."

"Too true" said David "I'm considering the concept of stealing Rom Snape for Potions and Senagra Konal-Snape from the free school for Transfigurations as a first thought."

"Weel that would do verra weel" said Minerva "And in young Romulus a replacement Slytherin."

"As young Stuart would say, Bonza!" said David "My father's name was Stuart" he added. "I'd have to help Neville get replacements; I could recommend Jardak gan Torlo who's from the neighbourhood of the free school and will be respected; and he could perhaps teach History and Comparative Magic as voluntary subjects on the side; and he's marrying Jazka who has metalwork to NEWT, another class for them."

"And better to teach in a school they've not just left too" said Minerva.

"I'll chat to Neville; he was worrying about how to juggle wives wanting to teach, whose best subjects clash…. I'm a fool, Minerva. Better to leave Rom and Senagra in place and steal Hawke and Lynx, which means Neville no longer has such a superfluity of Professors Malfoy. Hawke's such a good all rounder there's no reason HE shouldn't be junior Potions Professor; and he's Slytherin. It's just that Rom was so firmly a Snape in his potioneering after he got adopted. And Lynx could be junior Transfigurations Professor; Abraxus could take over his twin's charms class and Senagra his transfigurations in the free school. Sorted; the New Marauders and Prowling Marauders are wildly talented all round."

"Wee hellions they a' were" said Minerva fondly. "It would certainly erode the high proportion of Gryffindors; for Lynx is a Slytherin a'so."

oOoOo

David contacted Neville and the New Marauders right away; and found Neville glad too to have Jardak and Jazka recommended to expand his curriculum. Jardak could teach history with comparative magic as an optional class, and Jazka could take metalwork – an important subject in an industrial area like the Umbrous Alley complex – and chanting as an optional subject, being the first qualified chanter, even though all the others had taken it up. Francis Davenport, who was a fairly skilled diviner, had volunteered a voluntary class in divination for the few talented; and to OWL at least the free school did not lag behind.

The girl Jocelyne who had been a possible contender for Hogwarts along with Storm and Zephyra, which pair had transferred in their OWL year, had elected, Neville said dryly, to stay on at the Free School to take NEWTS; as she was the only likely contender for the Triwizard next year, that she was hoping that he would enter the school into. Neville could have wished she was less personally ambitious and was more interested in doing it to make her school look good rather than because she was a big fish in a small pool; but that was life. She WAS part goblin and it DID highlight that she would be good enough to make a fair showing.

Hawke and Lynx were delighted to be asked to be junior professors; and though they would miss their fellow marauders, there were other marauders in Hogwarts.

oOoOo

They were not the only new members of staff; Arkott, a goblin, was the new head groom for the new quidpolo stables. Lucius had put David in touch with Madam Laurentia Fletwock ("NOT Flitwick" as she said firmly), who bred flying horses; and though she had disparaged brooms, wanting to see more people ride horses, David got on well with her and found her a no-nonsense, practical woman who was delighted to see more young people being exposed to riding through the new policy of Hogwarts to encourage quidpolo. She promptly had her nephew put his children down for Hogwarts. David strongly suspected that she was having a relationship with her head groom, Arkott's father, a widower, since they acted like an old married couple – she removed a piece of straw adhering to Rankott, her groom, when they visited David's stables to see whether she approved of letting her horses go to Hogwarts – and she murmured something about half breeds not being likely to be in for a hard time now. She was no longer young; but witches were fertile for longer than muggles so David strongly suspected there would be some half siblings for Arkott soon. It was a shame, since Arkott was a year or two older than David, that he had been too old to take advantage of the changing policy towards goblins at Hogwarts; but David had told him that it he cared to study on his own time to take at least a DOE he could then carry a wand on the continent if there were ever international matches. Arkott was considering that VERY deeply.

oOoOo

"You know, Alastor" said Severus, having dropped in on the Moodys in Orme Court "It's absolutely daft for you and Abigail and your kids to be in a rather exclusive little blood group that Abigail started to cure your leg with; and though there are more than four of you now you have enough children it's not what I'd expect of old 'Constant Vigilance'.

Alastor sniffed.

"Well I wasn't given any choice in the matter when she sapped me and cut her own leg off to grow to mine and negate the curse with blood magic; and then the fact that she loved me was enough to make the risk worth it. I'd have suggested not having children too, only I appear to be a little henpecked; YOU ought to know about that, Severus" he growled.

Severus laughed.

"Just a little" he agreed "And I guess neither of us nor Lucius would have it any other way. Well, Salazar chose to join the main blood group; Lilith always hoped he might because he IS like a brother to her."

"Yes; and as a supporter not a marauder. Which in some ways takes more balls" said Alastor, trying not to sound proud.

"Indeed" agreed Severus. "Well, will you? Join with the rest of us, you, Abigail, Rose and the babes? I often wondered why you never suggested it yourself."

"I didn't think you'd want me, Severus" said Alastor "I did push you rather hard; as that snippy and loyal little wife of yours reminded me at the time. And then proceeded to hide random knickers and underpants around your office for me to find. I had to question everything and everyone; Albus likes to look for good in everyone. And I knew what very few people did; that he had made an error of judgement before over Gellert Grindelwald."

"You knew about that? Then you've been a true friend keeping it quiet" said Severus. "Albus learned a lot from that error; we all make errors and if we survive to walk away from them we usually learn from them. I learned truly what Voldemort was when he was ready to kill Lily and literally could NOT understand why that made me balk. And I learned to love Albus as a father; and yes, he's flawed, as we all are. But he's nobody's fool about READING people any more; just not always so great at giving them credit for the strength of mind he had to learn. He could have made Harry's task a lot easier by beating me over the head with how like me the boy is, and made me share my unhappy experiences with James to show him what NOT to do – not that he ever did, despite my silly beliefs – and got us talking from the word go. And he could have told Harry more earlier. But he was NEVER wrong about who to trust. Of course, I suppose in retrospect it's easier to say. And I haven't approached you because I've been a little nervous of my reception as you don't like me; which doesn't matter if we work for the same goal. And I'm deucedly fond of Salazar and I know he'd like his parents and siblings to be a part of it all, as he IS the only one who's related to all your kids."

"Don't mistake a one time distrust with dislike, Severus" said Alastor "I don't really know you well enough to like OR dislike you; you're too reserved to easily get to know. Personally I think it's a sensible thing to spread the risk; and I'd be more than willing to be in – especially as it means I can keep better tabs on my two maddest Aurors."

"And some of your new trainees" said Severus dryly "Gorbrin and Meliandra. Not Jordan nor Mardo though; they never were quite right somehow."

"What, and I am?"

"You're one of the staunchest fighters against evil and campaigners for justice that I know" said Severus simply.

"Then I agree; so long as Abigail does" said Alastor "What of the children?"

"We've brought in children before; and it won't be a shock to the youngest three who can already feel each other and you and Abigail. Rose should perhaps be given the choice; but I suspect when she knows Salazar and Lilith are both part of it she'll be in."

"I don't say you're wrong at that" said Alastor, his face softening at the thought of his adopted daughter. Rose was no relation of either him or his wife, but was the half sister of Abigail's son Salazar. "When?"

"Bring everyone over just before tea; we'll do the blooding and then eat to recover from it" said Severus. "You'll be surprised just how many and who comprise it now; and we needed every last one to free the elves from the self punishing compulsion in Europe I can tell you."

"Well, if we come, Abigail agrees; if we don't she didn't" said Alastor.

Severus nodded; brusque was just Alastor's way.

oOoOo

Salazar came with his parents, with Rose by the hand, Horace and Alastor junior dancing along and Imogen holding tight to her mother's hand. At three and a half she was the baby of the family.

Baby or not, Imogen was well primed and only cried a little bit when Abigail used the cutting spell to open her palm for them all to join; Severus had assembled a random selection of people, mostly those who lived in Orme Court and their closest friends, which was, as Alastor murmured, rather a surfeit of Malfoys.

The look of wonder on his face as he assimilated just how many people he was joined to showed that this was enough to dissipate any snippy thoughts.

"Lucius too?" he marvelled "TIGERS?"

"Nothing wrong with tigers" said Krait prosaically "Bella's planning on marrying one and half the marauders in Hogwarts – well a significant minority – are tigers. It's sort of a purry growly counterpoint to those of us who are snakes; they seem to congregate in Gryffindor for some reason, save the odd couple who are Huffers."

"Hmmph" said Alastor.

"Professor Khan says 'Hrrrr' in the same tone of voice as that, dad, and it means the same thing" said Salazar "'Hrrrr' is a very useful word; it can mean almost anything you want it to without actually committing to an opinion while you think."

"Well, it's a very wide group" said Alastor "And I see why you look so damned sleek these days Severus; you don't have to ask if anyone loves you, I can feel how many people do. So many possibilities! And don't you two go trying to put one over on me and presume on a blood bond" he added to Harry and Draco, who both laughed and slapped him on the back.

"Was it going to be time to eat soon?" asked Salazar hopefully.

"Right now" said Severus.

Krait guided Abigail and Severus took Alastor's elbow – the weakness was worse for those newly brought in – while various Snapes and Casimir Malfoys helped the younger children; and Mimette and Albie, the elves who worked for the Snapes, Sirri's parents, had prepared a slap up meal that the younger elements fell on, as Severus put it, like a plague of locusts, only louder.

oOoOo

Seagh and Victor were to be off the morning after the blooding; they were teaming up with Irmi and her Sebastian to mark out and acquire a good place for a day school in Munich for the poor and for goblins. Next September, not the coming one, the school would be fully operational, for they would be joined by Mimi and Darryl – Darryl was teaching for a year in Beauxbatons from this September – and Elsie Blackwood. Elsie was spending a further year in the good air of Prince Peak and doing post graduate studies this year to come. Victor realised with some surprise that he was going to rather miss Elsie; and thought that perhaps he might write to her regularly and see how it went. Seagh would be missing his Silvina, who was not going to be leaving school for another three years; and they had had a long and passionate embrace before Seagh left. They were to be joined by Fabian Ramage, who would be missing his Maud until she left school at the same time as Mimi. And it was just as well, reflected Victor, that they had Irmi as a chaperone; some goblins might be rather funny about letting their daughters be taught by males without a female in the school. This holiday could be used to accelerate some older children who, with that and the next two and a half terms might be able to catch up enough to take ZAPs, the German equivalent of the DOE. Each of the few who were going were, as Seagh put it 'a muckle load o' knowledge forebye' and would be able to cover all basic subjects easily; the only one on which they were deficient was in care of beasts. They had however worked out who was to teach what formally; Seagh as headmaster – by popular acclaim and because no-one else wanted the job as Victor had laughed – was to teach Transfigurations and too chanting as a voluntary class. Sebastian would teach Charms, being one of the few of them who had an 'O' at NEWT in it, Victor having only gained an 'E' and it being silly to change a basic teacher when Elsie was joining them later.

Mimi would end up teaching potions, with Fabian filling in meantime, and teaching Herbology as botany almost alongside potions, which subject Fabian would teach formally later unless Rory Staines joined them as a gardener and Herbologist when Fabian would teach Comparative magic. Elsie, when she came, would take over Transfigurations. Maud would be teaching DADA which Irmi would fill in with in the mean time; she would teach History when the school was up and running properly, being very keen that nobody should repeat the mistakes of history.

Victor was to teach Arithmancy and if anyone had place sense to coach them in what would be a voluntary subject when they were straight, Geomancy. Sebastian was the other Geomancer, but as Victor had taught Herr Müller how to teach it, he had a bit of a head start on that! It was all very exciting, and they had been promised too help, meeting people from Jade's Munich contacts, Neric and Torik, fathers respectively of Fyra and Alrik, of the youngest group of marauders in Prince Peak.

Jade's business manager and lawyer, or Anwalt as the Germans called it, met the new would-be professors; they had been busy pursuing a policy of ruining unfair owners of factories and buying up property in Jade's name; and as one of the factory owners had been killed in an attack on Jade and Wulf's school, Schloss Adler, Jade had been able to purchase a mansion house he had owned that, as Herr Ruprecht Schutzmann the factor said, was rather a nice cock of the snoot at other mansion owners nearby.

"And stuffed with antiques to sell to fund stuff too" said Herr Albericht Kesselring the Anwalt "Though you might want to keep some to teach your pupils about beauty and caring for things; the Baronin has."

Jade had mostly stuck to tapestries and paintings and a few ornaments that might be seen when on a trip to the staffroom for now; but she planned to introduce more breakable beauties into a special room where the children might go just to feast their eyes and learn a little about antiques.

"Are we not more likely to come under attack from other wealthy men?" said Victor.

"Och, awa' wi' ye, we probably shall be anyway" said Seagh cheerfully "When you say mansion, what are you talking about?" his German was accentless.

"There's a wizarding world-owned – though not in Wizarding space – road, very quiet and secluded with muggle repelling spells on it, with some eight large houses, set back from the road, large grounds, a dozen bedrooms plus attics and cellars" said Kesselring.

"Well that's bigger than the free school in London" said Fabian in satisfaction "If that's six rooms to the floor, and we have to knock two rooms into one that's a classroom each and the head's office and we can sleep in the attics; dining room's a problem."

"You mistake, if you excuse me pointing it out" said Kesselring dryly "The ground floor has reception rooms and the ball room; six sitting rooms above then the twelve bedrooms on two floors above that."

"Potions in the cellar; got to be done" said Seagh. "The rest of the cellar for storage. A couple of the reception rooms for my office and a staffroom. And THEN a minimum of nine classrooms. THAT big a mansion. Some industrialist!"

"They were rather self complaisant before we started helping out the ministry by prosecuting them on behalf of individuals" said Schutzmann smugly. "You may have my sister applying to work for you next year too if Jade's not needing her; she's good at quidditch but doesn't want to be a pro, if you're looking for a teacher."

Looks were exchanged; and some thoughtful nods.

It was all going very well; and the mansion proved just perfect for a school, with a bit of alteration!

oOoOo

Back in England, David had read the list of children due to come in and did a bit of searching over one; because a child named Ramsey Corbin was the son of Peverel Corbin, expelled when David was in his first year for experimenting on his cousin Grace; Grace who was subsequently adopted by Severus and was now Madam Draco Malfoy. David made a trip to see Peverel Corbin.

"Fraser!" said Corbin "Who'd have thought a stolid little boy like you would end up as a Headmaster! I shouldn't have said you were at ALL academic."

David made himself smile; it was rather a thin smile.

"I imagine that my six 'O' grade NEWTs count for more than the opinion of someone who did not actually take any" he said. "I need to talk to your son; because I'm not sure I want any of your spawn in my school."

"Good grief! Are you STILL upset because some of us operate on a higher plane of experimentation?" said Corbin.

David looked him in the eye.

"I've done levels of experimentation in potions and other things with the world's pre-eminent potioneer that you couldn't even dream of you little inadequate" he said coolly "Severus said that had you been a half decent potioneer it would still have been unforgivable, but as you were a ….what was it? A half-baked potion-poker with delusions of adequacy, that was it. And if you EVER use phrases like 'a higher plane of experimentation' in relation to poisoning your cousin again I WILL call you out. Now stop wasting my time; I want to see your son."

Corbin shrugged insolently.

"Well you'd better go to see him then" he said "He lives with his mother in France. A little place I own there."

"Ah? Then there's a chance he's not a sub-human like his father then" said David.

oOoOo

Modestine Leblanc and her son lived in a chateau; and Ramsey was wildly excited that so famous a man as Professor Fraser had come to visit.

"Oh M'sieur le Professeur, I so am looking forward to going to the famous Hogwarts school!" he cried. The 'h' was a little exaggerated and obviously learned.

"Well I hope you will get on well" said David "I wanted to meet you because I was at school at the same time as your father."

The child looked apprehensive.

"Was – was he a friend of yours?" he asked.

"No; I loathed him" said David "I helped lay the evidence that got him expelled."

The child's eyes widened.

"He was EXPELLED? He told Maman and me that he left to pursue higher studies at his Uncle's school. Why was he expelled please?"

David hesitated; then decided to share the truth. Ramsey did NOT seem to be disbelieving or defending his father.

"He tested a potion – a badly made potion – on his little cousin who was in my class; she was one of my friends" said David. Actually it had been the incident that had made him be friends with Grace, but that was a bit complex. "She was very ill and might have been sent insane. And she got adopted because of it by Professor Snape; and then she married another of our friends, Draco Malfoy."

"Madam Draco Malfoy is my COUSIN? Oh but she is such a sweet-faced lady!" cried Ramsey. "And she looks so well on a horse!"

"Ah, horse mad are you? We'll be having quidpolo lessons for those who want them" said David. "Yes, Grace Malfoy was born Corbin but changed her name to Snape."

"If only I could change my name to Leblanc and just be Maman's child!" sighed Ramsey "But Papa pays the fees; and too he permits us to live in Maman's old family chateau."

"Is he then unkind to you?" asked David.

"N…no….he is hard and strict; I do not see much of him, only once a year when he checks my progress and questions me on the knowledge I should have" said Ramsey "But I hate him; because he hits Maman if she has not made me be as knowledgeable as he thinks I should be, and I do not think he should have killed my baby sister."

"What's this?" asked David.

"He used Scarpin's Revellaspell on her when she was born; and she was a squib so he cast a spell that killed her in a burst of green" said Ramsey. "Maman said we could have cared for her, loved her even if she never COULD do magic!"

This was the moment at which David knew he ought to get Peverel Corbin indicted for murder by the Killing Curse and actually decided to kill him.

After all the boy would be Peverel's heir; if he was NOT then it was an interesting law suit. And his mother might have her home in perpetuity. Modestine Leblanc was a quiet, dignified woman, cowed by her treatment but putting up with it so her son might have advantages.

David took his leave of the pair and went to see Lucius.

oOoOo

Lucius listened to David ranting with a grim face.

"I'm very fond of Grace" said he "And if this child is NOT the heir, MY Quaestors will know the reason why – because he sounds like a cousin Grace might be prepared to acknowledge. And I think an accident is the best."

"I'll bite; what would you suggest?" said David.

"If you want to kill a muggle you use a car" said Lucius "If you want to kill a wizard you either use a broom accident – or a riding accident. The Corbins ride; Peverel does point-to-point and Gorbrin makes a point of steaming him because he's also good at snide racist comments. A heart attack whilst flying; dead before he falls off his horse, but actually nobody's going to check if he died and fell or if he died as a result of fall."

"How do we do that? And that's cheeky to say 'we' as it was my idea to kill him" said David.

"Oh I was hoping you'd let me in on it" said Lucius. "I haven't done that much dark magic lately and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms, though the weddings should help alleviate that. I'm serving baked beans in a chicken casserole and baby sprouts so the fluorescing farts should be fairly gorgeous."

"I do love you Lucius" laughed David "You take simple pleasure in minor wickedness."

"It keeps me young" shrugged Lucius. "I thought a ritual sending; because Severus and I are probably the only people in the world – the western world anyhow – who know about it. It's quite a tricky little ritual, and I need hair or something from Corbin, but that's not a problem; I can get Dobby to filch some from his flying hat. Then we chant over it, and set up a chant to, let me see, reverse the flow of everything within; having the blood going the wrong way through his heart ought to set up something fatal I should think."

"Rather!" said David. "That's moderately undetectable too; no direct spell, no poison; not a lot to show on the revellaspell."

"Not unless anyone's as good a chanter as me" said Lucius smugly "And most of them are other Malfoys or Snapes. And who would suspect foul play? In fact, dear boy, it might be better to occur when you've a cast iron alibi in the school; after all you ARE known to dislike him."

"Well if you don't mind, Lucius; I hate to abrogate responsibility but…."

"Leave it in my hands" said Lucius. "I've a sullied enough soul already after all; though I can't say I look on this as murder, but as somewhere between execution and the removal of a menace to life."

"Justifiable Germicide" agreed David.

David left feeling comforted; Lucius was a pragmatist. It was what made them such friends, pure blood wizard and muggleborn, despite the age difference and difference in backgrounds.

Lucius would do it with efficiency and despatch, and although he would have liked to have been involved he knew Lucius was right; there must not be a shadow of suspicion attached to the head of Hogwarts.