To say the families of the students who had left with the Tom and Harry were shocked would be an understatement. Those typically light families were both outraged and embarrassed about their children's actions and could not comprehend how they had gained dark abilities. Despite Dumbledore's best efforts, all explanations about the reality of the reasons that the children had been born with the dark affinity and had not chosen it, the prejudices that the light families had against the Dark had come completely out of hand and if it was not explained to them fully then havoc would break lose.
Sighing, Dumbledore stood and addressed the parents who were now sitting at various tables bickering among themselves over the recent events.
"QUIET!" Dumbledore commanded. "As you are all aware, various students left last night and those students that were present heard the explanation as to why. Those who did not, I will explain. The difference between Dark and Light Wizards is the type of spells they feel more at ease casting. There is a light and dark variation for every spell. Here at Hogwarts we teach the light version of a spell due to the affinity of most children within Hogwarts being Light. However there are many of the school population that are Dark and have trouble casting the spells on our curriculum. They do not choose to be Dark or Light. It is an affinity they are born with and it relates to what their magic is most in tune with. There are no direct links to Dark being Evil neither is there to Light being Good. This is something we have long forgotten and we need to address. We have oppressed the Dark and caused those with its affinity to abandon something that is a part of them, causing them to lose their potential and part of the magical inheritance.
"It needs to stop!
"We watched many friends leave Hogwarts yesterday due to the Dark's suppression and our ignorance of the real truth of affiliation. We need to band together to bring those with Dark affinities back to Hogwarts were we can coincide peacefully with both affinities and live together peacefully. We do not want war, we want peace."
"But, they will try to kill us," Ron burst out. He was still angry with those who he had considered friends and family for leaving and declaring themselves Dark.
"No they will not Mr Weasley. Do you really believe your own sister a killer? Do you really believe that your classmates who you have known for years would kill you because they are simply Dark? No Mr Weasley you are wrong. It is that kind of attitude that we have to change and it is the laws that we need to remove before my Grandson can come back to the place he called home."
At this people looked confused. Dumbledore sighed again and explained.
"I see Harry as my Grandson and have been close to him since he came to Hogwarts. He also considers me his Grandfather and I will do everything in my power for him to be able to return. We declared each other family last year…" He added, making sure that everyone understood fully. Those whom were raised in Wizarding society did immediately. To declare someone your family ensured that they were counted as your family and with Dumbledore heirless, Harry Potter was considered his heir in magic and law. Doing so he had also declared Harry his political heir and therefore the titles of Albus Dumbledore would be passed on to Harry upon his death.
"Now I am going to call a meeting of the Wizengamot to get these laws over turned and I would appreciate all of your help. While my Grandson has not declared himself dark, who he has gone to live with and chosen to stand beside is dark. Many of your children have declared and acknowledged they are dark and therefore you must stand with them and help them in any way possible."
The parents within the Great Hall nodded in agreement. They didn't want their children to be thought of as evil, mainly because they loved their children and did not want them to be condemned for something they were born with. Others however thought a Dark member of the family would look bad on their family in the eyes of the public and if the laws were over turned they would not be looked down upon and condemned for their children's actions.
Those families with a natural Dark affiliation were sat around the Slytherin table, many of who had been in contact with their own children and had already heard what had been done and said. They were in total astonishment at Dumbledore's actions since they had come in to the Great Hall and were supporting the actions that he would follow through with, all of them glad that their wish of a peaceful co-existence between Light and Dark would finally be possible.
Harry and Tom sat in the dining room surrounded by the Hogwarts students that had left with them, all discussing what would happen now that they left Hogwarts. Tom was determined that they would finish their studies, however he was also determined that they would learn the dark versions of the spells they had learned up to now. He had various students from each year compiling a list of spells that they were taught from their first year in order to determine which spells they still needed to learn.
There were many Death Eaters mulling about the room, helping those compiling lists with anything they missed and even helping to write a list of the spells which were considered neutral so they would not need to bother with those spells if many did not want to learn them. Other Death Eaters were talking to the students, gaining a feel of those who were staying with them and finding out what had gone on in Hogwarts as Tom had not briefed them due to being too busy with Harry in the bedroom to talk to his followers after Harry's 'Master' comment.
However now, most knew what had happened, or rather a shortened and edited version of what had transpired between their Lord and his new lover and they were now looking forward to whatever their lord had planned. There were a couple however who were wary of the new events, especially due to the number of children from light families that had entered their Lord's domain. They believed that they should be tested for the Dark affinity but they did not voice their thoughts to their Lord due to his possible reaction. Others believed that Lord Voldemort would not have allowed such a security risk without first ensuring that each child within his domain was of Dark affinity and had no intentions of betraying the Dark. These people were right. Each child had indeed been checked for the Dark affinity that they believed they had, and while almost all of the children did have the affinity, a select few did not. This did not make so much of a difference however as all of the visitors had offered to take an oath to stop them from betraying the Dark side from their excursion to the Dark Lord's manor.
Those without the Dark affinity had pledged their loyalty to Harry and the Dark cause due to their friend's affiliation to the Dark. However, the pledged loyalty of children did not help the Dark as much, after all these were not able-bodied fighters, nor were they budding politicians that could make a difference. But they had family members that were who were also loyal to them and that influence could affect the outcome of the so-called war the Wizarding World had been fighting for hundreds of years.
