Disclaimer – I solemnly swear that JKR owns everything Harry Potter. Whether or not I am up to no good with her characters is for you to decide.

-oOoOo-

The Fourth School

Chapter 4

"Ma, there's an owl here for you!" Colin called as he raced into the cottage, the door slamming shut behind him.

Ava Creevey looked up in confusion from the kitchen bench where she was in the beginning stages of making that night's dinner – in this case, a shepherd's pie. The notion of an owl delivering mail had seemed ludicrous two years ago when Professor McGonagall first introduced the idea to the family when she was giving Colin his very first introduction to the world of witches and wizards.

Even now, after receiving an owl a week for two years with Colin's weekly letter to them from school, she still hadn't completely become used to the concept.

"For me?" she asked.

Now if it'd been for Colin from one of his many friends, it'd make sense. But for her to receive one when Colin was home … ?

"That's what it says on the envelope," Colin replied. "And the owl won't let me take the letter since she knows that it's for you."

Indeed, now that she looked properly, Ava noted the owl perched on her eldest son's shoulder.

Dusting her hands off on her apron, Ava approached the boy and bird before reaching out and untying the letter from the owl's outstretched leg. As soon as it was in her hand, the owl flapped off, before perching on top on the curtain rail.

"I guess she's been told to wait a reply," Colin remarked.

Deftly, Ava extracted the letter.

Dear Ava,

We met the other day at Harry's place, Potter Haven, when Harry invited our children for the day.

I (Emma) recently had an interesting discussion with my daughter, Hermione, in relation to some facts about the standard of magical education that is on offer to our children at Hogwarts that she found out about at Potter Haven.

After relating this conversation with Beth, we decided that it could be quite beneficial to hold a larger discussion with a number of other parents about this topic. Therefore, we would like to invite you to my house this coming Saturday at two p.m.

We've instructed the owl to await your reply.

Kindest regards,

Emma Granger and Beth Pemberton.

After noting the address in Crawley at the top of the letter, Ava looked across at the calendar on the wall. Yes. Yes, she could make that work. She may not understand what Colin, and soon Dennis, were learning at Hogwarts, but as their mother, she was determined to make sure that she showed as much of an interest as she could. Especially if it related to the standard of education that they were receiving.

-oOoOo-

As could only be expected, Augusta found her grandson in one of the greenhouses of Longbottom Manor. They'd been his favourite haunt for years, his retreat, she knew.

As the years had progressed, she'd had to grudgingly admit that he had some talent in the area of Herbology. In that, he was much like his mother, Alice. And as much as it pained her to admit, Neville was much more his mother's son than his father's.

She'd been trying for years to mould him more into the direction that his father, Frank, had grown. She'd tried being disapproving of his need to hide out in the greenhouses while at the same time encouraging his duelling skills by enforcing a mandatory hour each day in the manor's duelling room.

When Neville had started at Hogwarts, she'd ceremoniously passed on Frank's old wand for the boy to use. Unfortunately, as good of a wand that it was, he hadn't produced the results and marks that she'd expected. Meeting Harry Potter on the very first day had also encouraged Augusta's hopes.

With The-Boy-Who-Lived, who also happened to be a centuries old alliance partner as a friend, she'd expected great things. And indeed, during those first two years at Hogwarts, there'd been the occasional hopeful sign.

And then had come the disaster of last year. And without Harry Potter's influence, Neville had slipped back somewhat to the point where it was more obvious than ever that he was going to take after Alice. Not that that was necessarily bad – Alice did have an extraordinarily good charms and herbology knowledge – but it wasn't what she'd always hoped for.

"Neville," she called as she stepped into the greenhouse.

Neville's head popped up half-way down the far left aisle and he blinked owlishly at her.

"Yes, Gran?" he replied.

Augusta waited to answer until they were in comfortable talking distance – there was, after all, no need to do away with the niceties. Obviously realising her intentions, Neville immediately came trotting.

One look at the boy caused her face to fall into its familiar frown. His hands, knees and face were covered in dirt. Splotches of alternating green and brown were strewn over his shirt, shorts and even, for some inexplicable reason, his hair.

"Neville," she began once he'd settled in front of her. "I shall be away from the Manor this coming Saturday."

At Neville's cocked head, she held up the letter that she'd just received.

"I have been asked to provide some advice to some Hogwarts parents. At this stage, I am unsure how long I shall be away. I'm certain that you can occupy yourself for the day?"

"Yes, Gran," Neville nodded. "I've got a lot of work to do in here after being away at school all year."

Augusta nodded absently. "In any case, Mippy will be around and I'll instruct her to watch over you."

-oOoOo-

Placing the tea-tray on the coffee table, Emma stepped back to survey her preparations. The lounge room provided ample seating for herself and her expected guests – there were three single arm chairs as well as the long three-seater set against the back wall. In the centre was her low cheery-wood coffee table, complete with the tea service and twin trays of pastries that she'd picked up from the bakery that morning.

Rounding out her preparations for the afternoon were the two things that she knew were no longer in the house – Dan and Hermione. At her insistence, Dan had taken the two of them out for some 'father-daughter bonding time'. She and Dan had both decided to keep these discussions from Hermione until they'd reached some conclusions.

The ringing of the doorbell brought her out of her ruminations and sent her towards the door. Dispelling her sudden inexplicable case of nerves, she pulled the door open.

"Good afternoon, Emma," Augusta Longbottom said with a small nod of her head.

"Augusta, it's so good to see you again," she replied. "Come in, come in. Thank you for coming."

She'd barely gotten the stately old lady situated in the living room when the doorbell sounded for the second time. Excusing herself, she rapidly made her way back to the door.

This time there were two ladies standing there. Beth, of course, she knew quite well. The other, Leanne Spinks, she'd only met for the first time a week ago.

Leanne, like Emma herself, was non-magical. The tiny lady with long brown hair had confided that it'd come as quite a shock when her then boyfriend, Julian, had revealed that he was a wizard. Over the years and especially after discovering that her only daughter, Fiona, was also magical, she'd grown used to the wizarding world.

She, Emma and Ava, who arrived a few minutes later, had all struck up an instant friendship at the party at Potter's Haven – the only three non-magical mothers there.

"Thank you all so much for coming," Emma began once all five ladies had been supplied with a cup of tea and their selection of pastry. "I'm sure that you're wondering why Beth and I invited you here today."

At their nods, Emma took a fortifying sip before launching into her explanation.

"A number of days ago, Hermione related to me something that she found out about last week at Harry's party. Harry had quite a number of brochures from other magical schools from around the world that he'd been looking into."

"Harry's not thinking of leaving Britain, is he?" Augusta gasped.

Emma shook her head. "Hermione says no. But it was what reading those brochures revealed that had, first Hermione, and now Dan and I, worried. It would seem that Hogwarts isn't as great a magical school as we've been led to believe."

"But I always heard that it's the best school in Europe, if not the world," Leanne stated, obviously confused.

"Apparently it is, but only in ten of the twelve subjects that it offers," Beth supplied.

Emma noticed Augusta nodding slowly, a hard look on her face. Not knowing what that meant, she ploughed on regardless.

"Twelve subjects," she reiterated, "twelve subjects out of about thirty that other schools around the world offer."

"As a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors," Augusta sighed, "it pains me to say that what you've discovered is true. Over the years, Hogwarts has been offering less and less subjects. In the subjects that they do offer, the standard of education has remained of the finest calibre. But every year, her reputation has been slipping. Soon enough, I fear that Hogwarts will become a laughingstock to the rest of the magical world."

The ensuring silence was broken after some minutes by the small voice of Ava Creevey.

"What other subjects do those other schools offer?"

"I've found some of those brochures since Emma and I spoke the other day," Beth replied, pulling out a bundle of brightly coloured brochures which she placed on the coffee table between them all.

She gestured towards them for the others to examine while she outlined her findings.

"The most common ones, apart from the ones also offered at Hogwarts, were Healing, Enchanting, Alchemy, Spellcrafting, Magical Studies and even a number of muggle subjects."

Emma's head shot up at that last bit from the brochure that she'd picked up. "Muggle subjects? Like what?"

"English, Mathematics, Science, Languages, as well as Art, although that one seemed to have a magical component as well," Beth replied.

"Why doesn't Hogwarts offer all of these subjects?" Leanne asked.

Augusta sighed. "I've been asking the Board that very question for years. The best answer that I can give you is laziness. The rest of the Board simply aren't concerned with spending time, energy and money to find a teacher and then to set up classrooms, extra timetables, source textbooks and then to fund the whole endeavour."

"But shouldn't that be the Headmaster's job?" Ava asked.

"One would think so, wouldn't you?" Augusta frowned.

"Didn't Harry study some of these last year?" Emma asked slowly.

"Indeed – Enchanting and Beginning Healing," Augusta replied. "Griselda Marchbanks was quite impressed with his progress." Then, seeing some looks of confusion around her, clarified. "Griselda's the Head of the Wizarding Examination Board and tested Harry's progress before his trial."

"So, it's possible to learn some of these subjects independently?" Leanne asked. "I can think of one or two off the top of my head that Fiona would definitely be interested in."

"I can see some that would interest Colin as well," Ava agreed.

"In theory, of course, it is possible," Augusta allowed after taking a sip of her tea. "Practically, though, it is a completely other hippogriff. I've seen Hogwarts timetables for years and there really is no place in it for independent study. Perhaps during the NEWT years, but even then, it may only put undue pressure on the students."

"Is there really no other school in Britain?" Ava asked.

"No, there's not," Emma stated grimly.

"The only other option for our kids to study some of these subjects is to do so with a private tutor," Beth added.

"Just like Harry did," Leanne mused thoughtfully.

After a few minutes of quiet while everyone was engrossed in the brochures, Beth cleared her throat, gathering all attention on to her.

"After Emma and I talked the other day, we saw two options for our kids if we wanted them to have the opportunity to learn extra subjects. The most extreme one that we toyed with was to start our own school where a wider selection of subjects could be offered."

Emma glanced around subtly to see that all three, including Augusta Longbottom, displayed varying degrees of interest in the idea.

"The other idea, and the one that we thought could be more immediate to us, assuming that you all agreed that is, was to talk with Harry himself to find out more about how well his independent study went last year," Beth continued.

"That's not a bad idea," Leanne nodded. "I'd be quite interested in finding out about Harry's 'home schooling'."

"Do we know if Harry's going to go back to Hogwarts in September?" Ava asked.

Emma shook her head. "Not definitely, although Hermione didn't think that it was likely."

"If that is that case, then your idea may be even more of interest than it even already seems," Augusta commented. "And as such, might I suggest a few others who might also be interested in that discussion?"

Emma gestured for her to continue.

"Amelia Bones, for one. Not only is she Susan's aunt, but as the Head of the DMLE, she may have a unique perspective to offer. Another is Cyrus and Penelope Greengrass. Like myself, Cyrus holds a seat on the Wizengamot and knows the pureblood laws inside and out."

"What about Harry's guardians?" Beth suggested.

"Yes, I think that it could be quite advantageous to have both Minerva McGonagall and Sirius Black there as well," Augusta agreed.

"What about our kids?" Ava asked. "Do we tell them what we're talking about?"

"Not right now, I think," Emma replied. "Until we know what we're going to do about their education, let's leave them in ignorant bliss. They are on holiday, after all."

"If you would like, I will write the people we suggested and arrange a time to meet," Augusta offered.

"Thank you, Augusta, that'd be wonderful," Emma smiled.

-oOoOo-

Minerva frowned thoughtfully at the letter that had arrived less than an hour ago before dropping it to her desk, rising and striding across to the small cabinet in her personal quarters. Normally, having a drink at this time of day would be unthinkable, however a couple of factors needed to be taken into consideration.

Firstly, it was the holidays. There were no classes to teach later, indeed no students at all in the castle to which she needed to provide as high a standard of role model as she could. And secondly, that sort of letter required a good stiff drink of gillywater before it could even be thought about.

Augusta Longbottom had been her friend for more decades than she'd care to count. Indeed, they'd been friends long before she'd taught Frank, and these days, she was teaching Frank's son. And in all of that time, through the good, the bad and the pig-headed arguments, their respect for each other had stayed resolute.

It was rare indeed to find a time where the two them had stood diametrically opposed. Rarer still were the times when neither could see the others' point of view.

This letter, though, had none of that. As she had done many, many times in the past, Augusta had seemed to see a need and proposed a solution. The only difference this time was that never before had Minerva been one of the solutions. Let alone the fact that what Augusta proposed may just be the solution to a problem that Minerva had told no one about, including Augusta Longbottom.

Pouring herself a dram, Minerva cast her eye back in the direction where the letter lay.

No, there was no way that she was going to miss that meeting.

The only thing, though, was that she was the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration teacher. And what she was now beginning to steel herself to do went against nearly forty years of steadfast loyalty.

And now Augusta had hinted of taking that solution to the extreme. The question was, if she was asked, as she expected that she would be, would she be able to accept, to take that step into the unknown?

Slamming back her glass, Minerva swallowed the gillywater and quickly poured herself another. She had some soul searching to do in the next couple of days and this seemed to be the perfect way to fortify her thoughts.

-oOoOo-

Harry looked nervously around the main dining table of Potter Haven. He'd never seen it so full – every chair of the sixteen seat table was filled. And for the life of him, he wasn't sure exactly why he was there, never mind that he owned the place.

After everyone had arrived and had trooped into the room, he'd been placed into one end of the table setting with Sirius and Minerva to either side of him. At the opposite end of the table, Madam Longbottom regally presided over the gathering.

As he waited for whatever this was to begin, he ran his eye around the table. To his left, seated beside Sirius, was Remus. Beside him were Dan and Emma Granger, with Ava Creevey, then, rounding out that side of the table, were Fiona's parents, Leanne and Julian Spinks.

Seated to Madam Longbottom's left, were Cyrus and Penelope Greengrass, followed by Lil's parents, Horatio and Alisa Moon. Next came Beth Pemberton, Amelia Bones and then back to Minerva.

"I'm sure that you're wondering why we asked to meet here today, Harry," Augusta began.

Harry gave a cautious nod before glancing to either side at Sirius and Minerva.

"To begin with, Harry, we were hoping to ask you some questions about your 'self-study' this past year," Augusta explained.

"What would you like to know?" he asked.

"How did you find learning magic away from Hogwarts?" Emma asked.

"In some ways it was hard," he began slowly, "but in other ways, it was much easier."

"What do you mean?" Cyrus asked, leaning forward.

Harry blinked a number of times as he tried to determine the best way to explain.

"There were times when I was trying to understand how to do some magic, like when I was first learning the draconifers spell, where I just wasn't getting it to work. It wasn't until I wrote to Minerva and sent along a wizarding photo so that she could see what I was doing wrong that it got sorted out. She was able to explain to me some theory and give me some pointers about how to fix it. So, yeah, I guess that that was the hardest bit – not having someone there to explain things to me.

"But on the other end of things, learning by myself meant that I was learning at my own pace; I wasn't being held back in learning something like I would be in a full class."

"I assume that you're talking about Muggle Studies and History of Magic?" Augusta clarified.

At his nod, she elaborated for those around the table. "Harry has been awarded an Outstanding OWL in Muggle Studies, a full two years early and is considered to be about nine months ahead in History of Magic."

"I understand that you've been studying some subjects that Hogwarts doesn't offer?" Julian questioned.

Harry nodded. "Yes. Beginning Healing, Enchanting, Mind Arts and Animagus studies."

The murmur around the table was cut off by Sirius. "I've also been helping to develop the swordplay that Harry's been attempting to learn; and that's not to mention the archery that he's been picking up locally as well."

"So many?" Beth murmured.

"What have you thought of them?" Cyrus asked eagerly.

"I've really been enjoying them, especially Enchanting," Harry smiled.

"What will you do about those subjects next year?" Augusta asked.

Harry glanced at Sirius before replying. "I'll keep studying them, of course. Well, except for Mind Arts and Muggle Studies."

He noticed the heads turning all around the table and the smiles being flashed between the adults.

"If we could clarify that, Harry, does this mean that you won't be re-enrolling in Hogwarts," Augusta asked.

"No," Harry replied. "We've decided that I'll keep studying here, but with Remus as my tutor."

"Alone?" Emma asked.

"If I may," Minerva spoke up for the first time, "I think that this may be the perfect time to ask what I've been contemplating for a couple of weeks' now.

"Harry has expressed on a number of occasions that the only benefit that he could see for returning to Hogwarts was his friends. And I must say that I agree with him. To that end, I would like to invite all of you, as well as a few others, to consider allowing your children to join Harry here."

Remus started to such an extent that he all but fell out of his seat.

"What?" he exclaimed. "Tutor Harry, definitely. One or two others, without a question. But a dozen or so?"

"How practical is it to have that many here?" Julian asked.

As unexpected as the idea of having his friends here with him was, Harry very quickly latched on to the idea.

"When the goblins had this place built for me, they included ten bedrooms. And every one of them is easily big enough for two," he stated eagerly.

"Twenty?" Remus gasped.

"It wouldn't be twenty, Remus," Minerva said with a half-smile. "It'd only be sixteen at most. A couple of rooms would have to be put aside for the supervising adults."

"Adults? Plural?" Remus asked, staring across the table.

"Sixteen or so students, learning together in the one place, away from their parents, doesn't exactly sound like a simple tutoring situation," Sirius pointed out.

"Very true, Mister Black," Augusta replied. "However, before we address that, I believe that it would be beneficial to see exactly how many students we may be talking about."

"Hermione will be in," Dan stated.

"As will Daphne and Astoria," Cyrus agreed.

"We will gladly send Lil," Horatio promised.

"You can include Colin and Dennis in your numbers," said Ava.

"Mickey as well," agreed Beth.

"Susan'll come if Hannah's also invited," Amelia pointed out.

"Hannah is one of the others on my list," Augusta nodded. "As are Tracey Davis and Luna Lovegood. Neville, of course, will be here."

"We will commit Fiona as well," Leanne promised.

"That's fourteen," Harry grinned, "if you add me as well."

"I have an idea for the two remaining places," Minerva stated.

"I must say that I'm very eager to hear this idea of yours," Remus stated, looking down the table at Augusta.

"Minerva is already aware of this, as are those of you who met at Emma's house last week," Augusta began. "One of the biggest drawcards for doing what we are proposing is that fact that our children will be able to learn extra subjects that Hogwarts currently doesn't cater for. And for that, we will need qualified teachers, or, at the very least, experienced tutors.

"And in order to entice such persons to us, a tutoring system will not be adequate. Instead, what I am proposing is that we establish a school."

"A school?" Remus blurted.

Almost everyone else at the table were obviously much more open to the idea. Most were nodding thoughtfully. One or two, like Cyrus, had sat back in their chair and appeared to be contemplating the ceiling with a small smile.

Slowly, one by one, everyone around the table, sans Remus who still appeared to be in shock at the idea, began nodding and smiling as widely as they could at each other.

"I know that there would be many, many details that would need to be thrashed out for such an endeavour," Augusta continued, "but I would like to make one proposal right now. I would like to nominate Minerva McGonagall as Headmistress of our new school."