Disclaimer: J. is so unfair she claims it all belongs to her. :(

Harry Potter and the Speaker of Truth

Chapter 25 An Evening Argument

Yuki sat in front of the founder's portrait looking silently at them as they looked silently back, this had been going on for ten minutes. Finally Yuki sniffed and reluctantly broke the silence. "Still Mad? I lacked respect I'll admit, however the Hat ordered me to attend classes with the fourth years. Which was where I had been when you all yelled at me. Your attack was unjust and I had already half explained. So why...unless?You wouldn't." Yuki spotted the smirk Salazar didn't try to hide. "You bastard...you were trying to... well did you get what you wanted?" The smiles on all the founders faces convinced Yuki she was on the the right track. "So why aren't you speaking to me?"

They continued to look at her without speaking. Yuki stopped talking. She thought about that afternoon, her words and her actions. Her eyes widened. She snapped her hand to the portrait to check her conclusion and sure enough she found the residue of a spell on the portrait. "Oh my god, I didn't...well shoot I guess I did. Finite Incantatum. Founders?"

Godric grinned widely, "About time apprentice." he said proudly. He was very pleased with her because most accidental magic didn't last longer than 36 hours but it had been two days and the spell had been holding strong.

All four founders were pleased their apprentice had finally realized she had silenced them.

Yuki eyed Godric's grin and decided some paybacks were in order. "Serves you four right for that verbal attack, I don't like being manipulated. I told you that before."

"But if Salazar hadn't done that would you have shared your heart that way my dear?" Helga asked.

"Probably not."

"So you see, it served its purpose. Salazar smirked.

"Enough you three I want to speak to her now." Rowena demanded petulantly. "You're obviously a strong witch with the ability to create new spells. But your ignorance of what is proper is troubling to me Apprentice."

"Lady Ravenclaw-" Yuki began trying to be respectful.

"You will be quiet! I am not finished. You mentioned your masteries but then you distracted us with that contraption. You mentioned having a mostly muggle upbringing, however I require you to explain what the Hat said to you. I require to know what your education has been. And what in your personal history has led you to believe that the clothes you are wearing and the attitude you have thus far displayed would be at all acceptable."

Yuki bit back her initial response. As appealing as torching the portrait sounded at the moment, being responsible for the destruction of a painting she was sure was regarded as a national treasure was not something she wanted to explain to her aunt. She took a deep breath and held it for a ten count before slowly releasing it. Still not feeling calm she repeated her action ten more times. Yuki had always prided herself on keeping a cool head. Admittedly her stress level was absurdly high the last two months or so but keeping her temper would go a long ways towards keeping the peace with the portrait's occupants. So how to address the problem, as she had no intention of being a carpet for them to walk on.

"The Hat said very little to me . It ascertained my character as being a balanced mix, my talents, and my masteries. It proceeded to mentally plunk me into various high stress scenarios to see if I could maintain my balanced attitude. At the end of which it offered me a choice would I rather be a student or an apprentice. It added that if it had its way I would be an apprentice and that I would probably like the perks. I made the mistake of assuming it meant a modern apprenticeship rather than a Medieval monstrosity. So I chose apprenticeship. As I understood my duties I would be teaching first year potions, attending classes with the fourth years and possibly assisting Professor Snape in brewing potions for the infirmary. It announced that I was answerable to the Hat alone not the Headmaster and it didn't mention the four of you.

"I have been in charge of my own education in all ways since my mother's illness first became apparent three years ago. Before that I learned potions and basic magical theory from my mother and books, and mind magic from my godmother. I have let my interests and curiosity drive my education.

Growing up mundane as I did using complex spells or owls for communication when telephones and e-mail is so much faster and easier didn't make sense. I had the idea of making muggle tech work for magicals, to do that I had to learn a lot of stuff both mundane and magical, I did what I set out to do but it left me with a really skewed education. That's my primary reason for attending class with the other fourth years. I'm taking Ancient Runes, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms as an independent study, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, and Transfiguration for my classes her at Hogwarts. I am also using my computer to take two distance learning classes from a mundane school and thus am continuing my mundane education.

"As to my attitude I want to start with a bit of a history lesson. In your time and the time of your last apprentice mankind's society was feudal, oaths of loyalty and protection between vassal and overlord, apprentice and master. Power resided in the hands of the kings, the Wizards Council, and the Roman Catholic Church. All of whom exercised absolute authority and power over their subjects. Now days there's a saying absolute power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, History has proved this statement true many times. The church was never happy sharing power. It used propaganda, scare tactics, and ignorance to influence mundanes into distrusting and even fearing the magical. I imagine you were beginning to see the results of their tactics in your time.

"The prejudice resulting from that propaganda is why according to Hogwarts: A History in 1344 mundanes attacked the school. That attack resulted in the deaths of the Headmaster, a third of the staff, sixty students and sixty percent of the house elf population if the deaths weren't enough there was also the loss of its greatest treasure. A portrait holding all of the four founders one of the first painted with the technique of imbuing the personality and knowledge of the subject into the portrait. Sound familiar?

"One of the positive results of that attack was the creation of the famous Hogwarts wards. However prejudice and fear continued to take their toll. In 1692 the Wizard Council passed the International Statute of Secrecy. Simply stated the Statute of secrecy makes it illegal for for a magical person to perform magic in front of a mundane. It separated the magical world for the mundane. The only exceptions to this rule are when a witch or wizard marries a mundane or when a magical child is born to a mundane family where the spouse or immediate family is told.

"Eight years following the Statute of Secrecy the Wizard council pretty much disbanded as each country or in some cases small confederations of countries established ministries of magic that were responsible for the enforcement of the Statute of Secrecy. A hundred years after that the International Confederation of Wizards was established to smooth relations between ministries. There has not been a wizards council since 1700.

"Not content with scaring the mundanes into not trusting Magical folk and contravening the power of the Wizards Council, the Church tried to use it's influence against kings to try to control them. It met with limited success. In 1215 it successfully influenced some English barons to rebel against King John the First. They managed to force him to sign the Magna Charta the first of many documents that eventually limited the power of kings. The Church grew in power and influence until it imploded on its own hubris in the late 1400's to early 1500's and fractured into various groups. Today the Church as you knew it can still influence roughly fifteen percent of the worlds population but it lacks the power it once had.

"Remember how I said the Magna Charta was the first of many documents? Well now days there are many documents and guarantees governments have in place to protect the rights and freedoms of law abiding citizens and most governments are at least partly controlled by their citizens. The mundane culture has evolved due to the rights and freedoms guaranteed to its citizens. Some of those changes have resulted in a creativity and knowledge that exceeds almost anything found in the magical community.

"I am a product of that culture. I am used to speaking my mind and living with the consequences of my actions. My attire that you find objectionable is perfectly acceptable and reflects my taste and choices. In some most circles in which I have associated it is even considered modest. In that culture to gain respect you have to give respect.

"In the mundane world portraits don't speak. A portrait is an inanimate object. It has no power in and of itself to move or to do anything. I am tired of your expectation that I should view you as my be all and end all when you are a nothing but a portrait. A portrait that has no idea of the world I live in and in the end you have no ability to accomplish anything except give information and advice; advice which given the change in times may not even be pertinent. I will not honor those who give me none and so far all I have seen from you is thoughtless bullying, judgmental attitudes and undeserved smug superiority none of which engenders my respect. You seem intent on treating me like an apprentice of your time that is in your physical presence, but know this Founders. I am not. You rule me only as much as I let you. I demand respectful interaction and if you cannot or will not I have little to prevent me from silencing your portrait permanently.

"As it stands it's time for me to go to dinner. I suggest that you think about what I said and discuss it. I won't be back until late, I am meeting with the charms professor after dinner. Tomorrow I have other plans which are none of your concern. I hope that on Monday we can start fresh with fresh hearts minds and attitudes. And one last thing, My name is not Apprentice that is merely my title perhaps Monday you will address me properly by my name. Goodnight."

"Well done Rowena you managed to anger her again." Salazar said sarcastically.

"She controlled it though." Helga said. "She answered the questions. Her analysis of our society while brief was essentially correct. If the rest was as accurate, she was truthful when she said the world has changed. She will never give us the abject respect Geoffrey did to expect it will only serve to make matters worse."

"Precisely the reason I despise muggleborn." Salazar snarled.

"Helga, my lovely cousin, you've always had a better grasp of heart matters than the rest of us. What should we do?" asked Godric.

Helga pondered. "It's not that she is muggleborn alone. She is very independent. The trick will be to get her to work with us. She is correct when she points out we are in essence a powerless portrait. So I think we should abide by her demand for respect. She has been true to the schedule she sets for us in terms of her availability. She is younger than Geoffrey was, however she seems older more mature used to looking at a larger picture. That was something we had to teach him. She has clearly been studying. She was able to inform us of facts she didn't know only a few days ago. I would recommend we change how we interact with her not a master apprenticeship, perhaps more of a mentor-ship like a master journeyman."

"But she's a child!" Rowena protested.

"You're confusing what you see with what we know. She's an Apprentice cousin. The Hat would not have named her such were she truly a child." Helga reminded her gently.

"Truly Row, Sal. Seers who know their visions are never left a children long. I stand proof of that." Godric said. "To combine empathy with such a gift... I agree with Helga. She is no child for all she did accidental magic and got angry like a normal adolescent."

An hour later the portraits occupants were surprised when the older witch they had seen with their apprentice entered their view.

"Good evening Madam. Salazar said. "You are?"

"Minerva McGonagall"

The witch before them seemed torn and definitely unhappy. Helga decided to see if she got a better response. "You seem unhappy, why?"

"I...I..." Minerva despised herself for stuttering. She took a deep breath and tried again. "I am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts but I am not here in that role. I want to... I need to.."

"Spit it out woman." hissed Salazar.

"I want you to stop making my niece miserable." Minerva burst out. "Yuki has had quite enough stress in the last few months without you four making things worse for her."

"You take us to task?" Godric asked.

Minerva blushed furiously but continued." Yes, Yuki lost her mother two months ago, her father a month ago and she's moved away from everything and everyone she knows. She's a seer and an empath and she needs time to adjust. Not have a portrait pressuring her for its own benefit."

"What concern is it of yours?" Rowena asked.

"She's the last of my family. The daughter I always wanted but never had. She's had to be an adult the last few years but she's still a child. I want for her to be happy for the little time she has left as a child."

"Does she know you're here?" Godric interrupted again.

"No she'd be upset if she did. I know what we...I mean you four are the Founders and it's because of you that... but Yuki's my responsibility I just..."

"You care about her well being." said Helga.

"Yes."

"Well Deputy Headmistress, your niece has already taken us to task and pointed out that we have very little power to actually control her. She has cheekily pointed out that we only have as much power over her as she grants, and has rather demandingly commanded we treat her in a respectful manner. For a maiden of such tender years she's rather amazingly courageous. Dare I hope she's that strong in other ways?" Godric asked.

Minerva felt slightly dumbfounded, to hear that Yuki had apparently put the Founders into a position where she was dominant. It had taken her two days to psych herself into this confrontation. To find that Yuki had beaten her to the punch was disconcerting. She supposed Yuki's upbringing worked in her favor. Yuki had not been raised to revere the Founders since infancy. Uncertain of what her next move should be she stood there looking at the painting.

"Deputy Headmistress you are an educated witch of your time, perhaps you can enlighten us about..."

The next three hours turned into an interrogation more grueling than any debriefing she'd ever experienced. It ended only when Yuki entered her quarters shortly before curfew.

"Aunt Min what are you doing here?"

"I decided I needed to speak with the Founders portrait."

Yuki gave her a look saying she understood far more than Minerva wanted her to, before saying, "Ah. Feeling protective."

"Yes if you must know." Minerva answered defensively.

"Aunt Min, I love you, and I'll handle this. You are not required to do things like speak to the Founders on my behalf when it makes you this uncomfortable. I'm a big girl and as much as I love your concern, butt out." Yuki took her aunt's arm and pulled her to the door. "Tristan, Sorsha, Phoebe come."

Yuki stood on tiptoe and leaned over and kissed her aunt on the cheek a hug and a cheerful "Goodnight."

Minerva still somewhat stunned left for her quarters.

The Founders were both amused and perplexed by the exchange between the witches. Their apprentice appeared to both Honor the older woman and treat her as an equal; it was odd.