Author's Note: At the same time as I post this, I'm posting the revised version of chapter four. You may wish to go back and take a look at that.


Chapter Seven High Inquisitor Longbottom

Headmaster Dumbledore was not expecting the arrival of Augusta, the Dowager Lady and Regent Longbottom. As a member of the governors, she was allowed to visit any time, without warning, of course, but Dumbledore knew her general pattern. She visited mainly to see Neville, on his parents' birthdays. He suspected that she would have visited on Neville's birthday, if it had been during the school year. Otherwise, Dumbledore rarely saw her in the halls of Hogwarts.

"Lady Longbottom, what brings you to Hogwarts?" he asked, as the well dressed grandmother entered with her vulture hat on.

"Dumbledore, the Board is less than pleased with recent appointments, and has appointed me High Inquisitor," Augusta Longbottom said without preamble. "I have all the powers that the title entails, though I prefer to be working in cooperation with you."

Seeing the serious expression, and knowing the title, Dumbledore sobered from his usual jovial expression. "I see, and what in particular drove the Governors to appoint a High Inquisitor for the first time this century?"

"The Governors are worried about Ministerial interference at Hogwarts. The transcript from the opening feast first gave us pause, but when I, and other members of the board began receiving messages about certain teachers' behavior, especially the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor provided by the Ministry, it became clear that we have been derelict in our duties. As we began digging into the complaints of the past few years, it has become clear that is beyond time that we take a firmer hand in the running of the school.

"We understand that the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts has been notoriously difficult to fill. However, some of the recent professors in the post have been quite insufficient. Where you aware that Gilderoy Lockheart has been accused of raping then obliviating several young ladies under the age of fifteen, including at least three during his year teaching here?"

"I was not aware," Dumbledore said, shocked. "Nothing came up when I asked the DMLE, they returned an absolutely clean record. I'm afraid that none of the staff, prefects, or students reported anything, either, during his year here. If they had, rest assured that he would have been fired on the spot. Such behavior can not be condoned in any school."

"I am reassured to hear so," the High Inquisitor said stiffly. Then with a slight off center smile, she continued. "The Governors were disturbed to hear of the recent investigations following his loss of memory. They have been investigating all of his books since a letter from Mr. Potter arrived at the DMLE. It seems that his method of operation was to find someone who had done something extraordinary, write it, and then obliviate their memory. The board regrets it's own actions in the matter, especially in the case of Miss Caldwell. We have rescinded her expulsion, and you may expect her to return at the beginning of the Winter Term. Please make sure that all assistance is provided to assure that she completes her NEWTs on time."

"I shall personally see to the arrangements," Dumbledore said. It was always sad when a girl left Hogwarts early in such a condition. He preferred a more liberal action for such cases, instead of expelling the poor girl who gave birth without the benefit of marriage. He had been providing Miss Caldwell with a tutor so she could eventually get her NEWTs out of his own pocket.

"We are aware of your actions in the matter, and they do you credit," the High Inquisitor said. "Inform Miss Caldwell that House Longbottom will be providing a nanny for her daughter, should she require one."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Continuing on the subject of Defense Professors. We find that Professor Lupin may have been the best hire you have made in the last two decades. While it is regrettably that his condition makes it difficult to employ him again, he was a solid professor which you should feel free to employ in a limited fashion during daylight hours away from the full moon. In the case of Professor Moody, we do understand the nature and the reasoning presented for you not discovering his replacement. We understand that he is requiring time to recover from his captivity, or he would have been this year's professor. This is understandable, if regrettable.

"The current Defense Professor, on the other hand, has caused great consternation among the governors. I personally have made it a point to not just follow what is reported to me by my grandson, as it does not look good for a member of the board to step in on the behalf of one's child, as Lucius Malfoy was known to. However, Neville, knowing this, rarely brings up a complaint. When he does, he does not stint with the evidence. Where you aware that the seventh year text book she chose is a first year text book from 1973? Or that there has been no permitted practical exercises in any Defense Against the Dark Arts class this year? Or perhaps worse than that, Professor Umbridge is teaching that everything should be left up to the Ministry?"

"Most unfortunately, with Professor Umbridge, I lack any power to curb her current teaching, given the Ministry's recent slander."

"Yes, the Daily Prophet has been rather denigrating to yourself and Mr. Potter recently. The Governors are not amused. In any case, I suggest you look very closely at the law passed to get Professor Umbridge into Hogwarts. I particularly point out that Hogwarts has three terms, and there is still plenty of time to find someone for the Winter Term."

"I'm afraid that I have only one applicant, and I need Professor Snape where he is."

"Speaking of Professor Snape ..."

Dumbledore sat back in his chair. This was liable to be a long meeting.


Harry Potter wondered where Ginny Weasley had acquired her grip. She'd taken his hand the moment that they'd entered Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. It hadn't been really tight, however, until he'd opened the door to the chamber.

When they entered the chamber, her body had trembled, and Harry found himself holding her. He'd never seen her quite that way before. The chamber was chilly, but Harry knew that Ginny's trembling was not due to the low temperature. Since he'd rescued Ginny, and Hermione had noticed that Ginny was actually speaking to him about stuff that she wasn't talking to her family about, Hermione had passed along a few psychology books on the effects of traumatic events. It had explained a lot, and not just about Ginny.

He was not surprised about the trembling, nor when the sight of the still quite uncorrupted body of the basilisk caused Ginny to bury her face into his shoulder. He held her close, while she composed herself again. He could hear her whispering to herself.

"I am not afraid. I will fear nothing. It is dead. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me," she whispered before turning back to look at the basilisk that while possessed she'd commanded, the beast that had almost killed Harry.

From the depths of memory, Harry continued the verse that Ginny had started, as she took a couple steps. "Thy rod and thy staff comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies ... so Ginny, want to call Dobby to deliver lunch."

"Lunch!" Ginny cried out. "You want to bring down lunch? Are you insane? This is the Chamber of Secrets. That's a dead basilisk."

"No," Harry said. "Though if we did, it might start a new rumor. And yes, I know what that is, I killed it remember?"

"Stop being so ... flippant, Harry," Ginny said, moving so she was just inches from Harry, "This is a serious place. We both almost died here."

"I know Ginny," Harry replied, placing a hand on each of her shoulders, and taking a step back. "But we're not here to be serious. We're here because you want to confront the fear you associate with this place, not wallow in it. Come on, Ginny, let's climb up on top of Slytherin's head. We can look down on the basilisk from there, and the ink stain from the diary."

Harry felt Ginny's brown eyes burn into him, but he kept matching her gaze. Then her gaze dropped down to the floor. He pulled her close for a hug, then drew her over to the path around the side of the pool before the still open mouth of Slytherin.

Together, they helped each other the side of the head of Slytherin, until they were standing on top of his head, next to a large chip created during Harry's fight with the basilisk.

"It kind of looks different from here," Ginny said, sitting down, her feet in the chip. "You know when I woke up, back then, I kind of thought that the basilisk was going to roll over on top of us, but it didn't.

"I remember how you protested that it wasn't you when you woke up, and then you suddenly noticed that I was hurt," Harry said, sitting down beside her, with a smile.

"It wasn't funny," Ginny replied. "You were my hero, and suddenly I wake up, with you having rescued me, and you're dying."

"I didn't think it was funny, Ginny," Harry said. "It felt good to have someone concerned about me for once. I'd never heard anyone be really concerned for me. My Aunt Petunia never really felt concerned for me."

"I know, they'd be furious with you if they knew that all the times that you could have died, just in my first year, and didn't..."

"You're going to keep bringing that up, aren't you," Harry said, running his right hand through his messy hair.

"Of course I am, it's just too great of a line, not to," Ginny replied. "You know, you could get something for those basilisk parts. It doesn't look like it's decayed, at all."

"Maybe we should talk to someone about it," Harry said. "You know, when I saw you lying there, I was so afraid I was too late."

"You weren't," Ginny said. "It was close, but you rescued me just in time. Just..."

Then in unison, both of them said, "... like all the books."

"By the way, what's the latest plot in those books," Harry said. "Don't think I didn't see you flipping through that one that Romilda left near the fire in the Common Room."

"Apparently you spent your first week of the summer flying a hippogriff to the Moon," Ginny said. "You apparently had to rescue a 'flame haired maiden' from the Dark Lord Oogabooga."

"They've got to get more creative with the Dark Lord's names," Harry replied. "I think I read that in name in one of those comics you showed me."

"The Snowdon's based on real life," Ginny said, stridently. "There really was a Dark Lord Oogabooga. He was the bane of South Africa until he was defeated in 1947."

"I'll have to look him up, then," Harry said. "You know, according to Madam Marchbanks, I can take my NEWTs in any subject any time I want now. I got the Defense NEWT just by asking for it, but the rest I have to take the test. I think something like History might be the easiest to take next."

"No practical, at least," Ginny said. "I wouldn't want to go through what you did to get it, but I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous of what you got."

"Oh, Weasley jealousy! Please spare me," Harry replied, raising his hands.

"I'm not my brother," Ginny replied. "I can be lived with while suffering from a bit of jealousy."

"That's true," Harry said. "Ron's unbearable when he's jealous of me. Sometimes it's impossible to get through his head that I really didn't want what ever is stuck in his craw. I mean, he's normally the best friend anyone can have, but sometimes." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Some day he'll have his day in the Sun," Ginny replied philosophically. "I think I want to go down and look at the ink stain from the Diary. Coming with me?"


Next up: Harry Potter's Defense Practicum, from the points of view of Harry. Ginny, and Dumbledore.