(Authors Note: This story is pretty much a just for kicks and to explore all of my capital and city OCs! Prologue is pretty much just explaining the premace after that...enjoy the mayhem!)
Have Fun Storming the Castle
~Prologue~
A light tapping on the office door alerted McGonagall to the presence of her expected company.
"Enter." She called out, summoning three chairs to the front of her desk for her guests to sit in.
"Professor McGonagall, you told us to report the reconstruction progress when we found a minute."
McGonagall smiled tiredly at the three young adults standing just inside her door."
"Yes I did Potter, Weasley, Granger, come and have a seat and report."
Harry Potter and his friends came farther into the room and settled onto the three chairs set out for them. None of them were certain who should go first so after a long awkward silence, Hermione Granger spoke up.
"The astronomy tower is coming along well. So many of the roof tiles were completely obliterated that we've been having to recreate them, and the staircase is coming back together smoothly. There are just a few pieces left that we are having to negotiate with the Mer People to retrieve from the lake."
"Very fine job Miss Granger." McGonagall nodded, "I trust that you will have the astronomy tower back to the way it was in a few days time. And if you need help with the Mer People negotiations, just let me know and I'll come reason with them."
Hermione nodded and relaxed into her chair a bit, her task complete for the moment.
"Mr. Weasley what have you to report?"McGonagall enquired, turning to the ginger haired young man.
"The corridor is coming back together as well as could be hoped."
McGonagall nodded and sighed.
"I greatly appreciate your taking that most difficult task Mr. Weasley. Especially given its association with your loss."
Ronald Weasley stared back at her with great determination.
"Fred would have wanted me to make sure it got back to rights. I'm grateful to be a part of it."
Hermione placed a hand gently on one of Ron's while McGonagall nodded in understanding and turned at last to the final and probably most important person in the room. At the moment however it appeared that he was curiously preoccupied with something else.
"And Potter. You've most recently been involved in repairing the Quiditch Pitch correct?"
"Yes but professor, may I ask you something first?"
"McGonagall's eyebrows rose and she frowned a bit."
"I suppose."
"Who does that owl belong to? I've never seen it before."
McGonagall turned in the direction he was indicating and found an owl perched precariously on the tiny sill outside of her window.
"Now what ever is this about?" she murmured in confusion before going to the window and opening it for the owl to enter. Which it did gracefully, and settled on the old perch Fawx the Phoenix had inhabited.
Now that McGonagall saw the owl up close she instantly recognized it. How could she not, the Tawny had come to Dumbledore quite often during his last year as Headmaster, when the attacks caused a majority of his citizens to be in peril.
"What does Kirkland want?" She murmured quietly to herself and the owl "Is he simply writing to thank us for our services to his greater population and send his hopes and well wishes that the castle will be in proper condition again for the upcoming term?"
She turned the letter over to gaze at the special seal, a finely ornate lion with the kings crown on its head, if one looked closely you could even see the finely scripted A on the circlet section of the crown. Carefully McGonagall broke the seal and fished out the letter, or rather letters, and began reading.
The trio watched her curiously as her face took on a shocked and darkened look.
"Why that bushy browed buffoon !" She muttered, a little too loudly, "What a ridiculous idea! The castle isn't even half way finished and he thinks..."
She trailed off and Harry took the opportunity to remind her of their presence.
"Um, professor?"
McGonagall straightened and looked at them.
"My apologies, what is it Potter?"
"Um" Harry began, trying to think of a good way to word what he wanted to know and failing, "Who is a bushy browed buffoon?"
He wasn't certain but he thought he saw a light flush on McGonagall's cheeks at having been caught calling someone that.
"See for yourself Potter, he sent you a letter too."
She handed over a light cream envelope that had been contained inside her main one.
Harry accepted it and stared at the front.
Harry James Potter
Headmistress Office
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry stared in curiosity at the envelope before turning it over.
"Who has this seal professor?"
"I told you to open it and find out for yourself Potter."McGonagall said with a sigh, turning to the owl that was preening happily "Your master is proposing an impossible plan."
The owl blinked and gave a light hoot as if in agreement.
Harry shrugged and broke the seal carefully, pulling out the crisp parchment contained inside.
Dear Mr. Potter,
Firstly, I wish to convey my gratitude and great respect to you for putting an end to the fearful dark wizard Lord Voldemort. I and my associates will sleep more soundly knowing that he is no longer a threat to our people. I am currently in your debt for this great act.
"Who the heck is this guy? He's not the muggle prime minister is he?" Ron asked in confusion, reading the letter over Harry's shoulder.
"No, if he's who I think he is, then he's way more important than the prime minister." Hermione breathed excitedly, also reading over Harry's shoulder, "Read the rest out loud Harry."
"Secondly," Harry began, taking Hermione's advice, "I wish to offer you the position of temporary Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry until a permanent employee can be found for the position."
"He thinks he can just go behind my back and appoint who he wants for the position, simply because of who he is." McGonagall murmured once more.
"Well can't he?" Hermione asked a bit confused.
"Regrettably yes," McGonagall sighed, "He's the one that insisted Dumbledore instate Lockhart."
"But Harry's ten times better than that phony." Ron grinned.
"I agree with you Mr. Weasley," McGonagall responded back cooly, "That is beyond the fact though. I am greatly annoyed that Kirkland has the presumption to meddle in the school's affairs whenever he pleases."
"But the school's affairs affect him as well don't they?" Hermione asked once more.
"That also is beyond the point." McGonagall sighed and then waved a hand at Harry, "Continue Potter."
Harry was utterly confused by the conversation between Hermione and McGonagall, but he gathered that Kirkland, as McGonagall kept calling him, was an important person to the wizarding world, perhaps even all of Great Britain.
He took a breath and kept reading,
"I also offer the positions of temporary Transfiguration and History of Magic teachers to Ginerva Weasley and Hermione Granger. In addition I offer the position of Herbology professor to Neville Longbottom and the position of temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher to Luna Lovegood. And lastly the position of temporary Muggle Studies teacher to Ronald Weasely."
Ron gaped.
"Muggle Studies? Why do you all get the wicked positions, apart from Hermione, and I get Muggle Studies?"
"Shh!" Hermione interrupted before he could complain more, "Let Harry finish."
"Finally, I ask you to do me a favor in the upcoming summer months. Watch over my boys and make sure they don't get into excess amounts of trouble."
"Watch over his kids in the summer months?" Ron gaped and then grinned, "Who is this loony?"
Harry was staring in complete shock at the bottom of the letter.
"Finish the letter Potter." McGonagall sighed, "Before Mr. Weasley here says anything more about the sender that could get him into a good deal of trouble."
"Sincerely..." Harry took a deep breath, "Sincerely, Arthur Kirkland the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."
Hermione smiled brightly.
"I knew it. Professor, have you met him personally? Was he a student here at some point?"
"He was a student here when Hogwarts was first established." McGonagall removed her spectacles and rubbed her brow, "I only met him once, when he and Dumbledore were in a conversation and I had to convey important news to the headmaster."
"Does he really have as big of eyebrows as the records claim?" Hermione asked curiously.
"He most certainly does." McGonagall huffed, "Hence my comment earlier."
"Right..." Hermione trailed off and Harry spoke up.
"So what request did he make in your letter Professor? What did he mean when he asked me to watch over his boys?"
McGonagall placed her glasses back on her nose and placed her fingertips together peering at the trio over them.
"It would appear that Mr. Kirkland and his associates have children. How, considering the majority of the personified countries are male, and most of the pairs I know of are same sex, I do not know. What I do know however is that, as affairs in the world are tight at the moment and the countries are having to spend a good deal of time away from home, Mr. Kirkland has requested that Hogwarts play temporary home and family to these capitals and a few cities for the summer until term begins."
"Hang on a moment." Ron said, "You completely lost me. What's this about personified countries and capitals and what not?"
Hermione sighed and looked at Ron.
"Honestly Ron, didn't you pay attention to the name that Harry read at the end of his letter?"
"Arthur Kirkland is no clue to what you're talking about."
"Arthur Kirkland the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." Hermione corrected.
"His name and where he's from. I still don't see it."
"That's his entire name. Human and country."
McGonagall interrupted, "I appreciate your wanting to give Mr. Weasley a clue as to what's going on Miss Granger but may I remind you that I have a letter to respond to and have the need to formulate a better response to him than, "You bushy browed buffoon what a ridiculous request."
Harry couldn't help but grin at that before considering what McGonagall had said.
"You're planning to refuse him?"
"Potter, given the circumstances I can't fathom how you would think I would accept. The castle is, despite the efforts of the past few days, still mostly in ruins. The majority of the staff that is not helping with the reconstruction is away spending time with family. As it is summer, the instructors that have remained are expecting a rest from their busy term schedules. Given all of these reasons I can't imagine playing summer home to thirty eight personified capitals and cities. We don't even know their ages nor if they even have any aptitude for magic. One thing I can guarantee though is an aptitude for trouble."
"But professor, despite the reduction in staff members you have those of us former students that are here helping to repair the castle. And Mr. Kirkland seems to think that the majority of us are qualified to temporarily be teachers. The dormitories and other key important sections of the castle are still for the most part intact. I think we can actually successfully take care of these children for the summer."
Ron and Harry stared in shock at Hermione. She had actually questioned McGonagall's reasoning, a thing she had never done before.
"I mean...professor...I..." Hermione began babbling hurriedly, realizing her mistake but McGonagall sighed and smiled.
"I actually was hoping you would reason me wrong Miss Granger. I will write back to Mr. Kirkland at once informing him that we can indeed take the young ones in for the summer. I hope that your comments about the key sections of the castle being intact, still stand when the group leaves at the end of the summer."