Author Note: Harry Potter and company are not mine. I didn't create them and do not own them. They belong to Ms. Rowlings. As always I remind you this story is already finished. All I need to do is upload each chapter for you to enjoy. And I hope you do.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Christmas of Change
All the staff was told to remain in the Castle over the Holiday and several of them had to cancel their plans as they usually went home to their own families. Several students were staying as well including Harry since Dumbledore hadn't dared to carry through on his threat of evicting him for the season. Not that it really would have mattered if he had since the Dursley's weren't there. Harry had discovered he could use a glamour casting item on himself to make him appear in any condition he wished so long as he loaded the image into the item along with enough magic to power it for however long he needed the image. Glamours cast from items were much harder to detect though no harder to dispel. However, he was glad he hadn't needed to do it as it did run the risk of exposing the fact that the Dursley family were in the wind much sooner than he would like.
On the day after the carriages left the Castle, the staff minus Mr. Filch and the elves were pulled into a behind closed doors meeting. The staff minus Albus Dumbledore, who had slipped off to the bank for his bi-weekly haggling spree with the goblins, and Delores Umbridge, who was at the Ministry delivering her weekly report to Cornelius. The rest of the staff weren't surprised to find the full body of the School Board waiting for them.
But they were very surprised with what said Board had to say to them. Very soundly, all the staff was raked over the coals and berated for failing the students who were bored and often went looking for anything they could find to relieve that boredom. Having up-to-date and top of the line classes to offer the students was all well and fine but when there was nothing to do to fill their down time teenagers will find something to do anyway. Even if that meant going out of bounds or picking fights in the halls.
As it was, if you weren't a Quiditch nut or a bookworm, there was nothing here for the kids to do except study and fight with each other. And children will only spend so many hours a day in study before they throw the books into the nearest fireplace for burning. If Albus wouldn't approve any other venues of entertainment, the staff should have put their heads together and came up with something on their own.
Class project competitions for instance. Maybe a treasure hunt through the Castle finding different small treats left by the elves in out of the way locations by solving clues. Or even a chess Tournament in the Great Hall for those who liked playing chess. Or a Gobstones or Exploding Snap Tournament. They could even have found out which students had a vid globe and what shows they had loaded onto it and had a show night. Or if there was music loaded on to a globe or two, they could have had a school dance in the Great Hall. Not every school dance has to be a sanctioned Ball.
But the staff had done none of these things. All they did was complain about students breaking the rules and earning detentions which they then had to supervise. Then they went through the Detention and Points Gained/Lost Master book line by line since the beginning of the year. Severus was the only teacher not wincing as the reasons for said deductions and detentions were read out. It wasn't that he hadn't abused the system so much as it was he knew he'd abused the system and simply didn't care. He'd done what he did for a reason and it was a good reason so he refused to feel guilty about it now.
Minerva was in tears when they were finally released and several students stood together whispering questions of what had happened. None of them wanted anything bad to happen to the stern Scottish woman. And none of them had ever expected to see her in tears. That just told all of them something bad had happened. Sybil Trelawney was also shaken up when she came out of the meeting but no one really noticed since most the school did what they could to ignore her at the best of times. Filius and Pomona came out together and took charge of their own students while Aurora and Septima took charge of the prowling lions since Minerva hadn't even noticed them. Severus came out and nodded to Harry before going to break up the watching students.
Harry slipped away and went to his rooms. He had a signal to give and a final bird to catch in his net. A few seconds later a green eyed elf popped away from the Castle to Gringott's Bank. The elf spoke briefly to Ragnok who grinned showing his teeth to full advantage as he sent a runner back by a contingent of guards to intercept ToeScrape with his client. It was finally time to restore their lost honor. Lady Tonguelash should be pleased.
That night at dinner, which only Delores had made it back for, Lucius Malfoy informed the students of what had occurred that morning. "Over the last several years we, the School Board, have been hearing a lot of rumors. Rumors of impossibly high danger here at Hogwarts. Danger that has caused people to get hurt and some even to die. I'm sure I don't need to remind any of you about those incidents. When we asked questions after each occurrence, Professor Dumbledore always assured us he had everything under control and you students were safe. And every year when school let out for the summer, he assured us he had taken care of whatever problem had arisen whether it be a stone that never should have been brought here or an escaped criminal wandering the grounds."
"Recently, it came to our attention this was not so much an exaggeration as it was a tissue of outright lies on his part. Information came into our possession that shows us Albus Dumbledore was the reason so many bad things have been happening here in the past few years. As well as being the reason we, your parents, have never heard of your danger from yourselves as we should have been. It seems Headmaster Dumbledore was in the habit of casting a widespread confusion spell over the Owlery that had the owls delivering your messages to him prior to leaving the school grounds. This spell was tied to stones spread throughout the Owlery so when he cast the spell it would spread out in a net ensnaring every owl that entered or left the loft. In this way, he was able to monitor your mail and ensure we, your parents, learned of nothing he didn't want us to know. And that he would know everything about you from the letters we would write to you. This interference was highly illegal and we will be taking action on your behalf."
"But furthermore, we learned it wasn't actually he who kept all of you safe in these halls. For that you have to thank your peer, Mr. Harry Potter. We will, in recognition and honor of his efforts, be awarding him a special commemorative plaque in the trophy room as is often done when students show uncommon valor and concern for their fellow students. This award comes with a small trophy that will be yours to keep Mr. Potter. The trophies are done in the house colors and engraved in with the deed performed and the date on which said deed was performed. I do believe there will be at least two awards with trophies for you due to your actions in both your first and your second years here. Possibly more as I'm sure we don't yet know of everything you have done to keep our school safe. Congratulations to you from the School Board."
Harry stood briefly from his place at the end of the Gryffindor Table and bowed his head slightly to the applauding students before turning to include the staff in his thanks for the honor shown him. He didn't speak because Mr. Malfoy was still standing. Instead, he retook his seat as quickly as possible so the students could quit applauding.
Lucius turned back to the assembly of students and waited for the applause Harry was receiving to die down. "So these last few weeks, we've been conducting a very thorough indepth investigation. What we've found is shocking to us and has caused us to take steps we would normally wait until the end of a year to take."
"We found that he has been lying to us while making your school life a nightmare all to test and train one of your school mates. He has been endangering you as you try to study simply because he could. His games have forced Mr. Potter to risk his own life each year for your benefit and embroiled three other children in matters they should have been sheltered against. And when Mr. Potter should've been receiving your thanks for his actions, Mr. Dumbledore had the other three children spread lies about his actions amongst you while he quietly shipped Mr. Potter back to his muggle home. All four of those children have paid a very heavy price for their involvement in Headmaster Dumbledore's games and one has lost her place here amongst you. It never should have happened. Nor will it ever be tolerated again."
"As of today, Albus Dumbledore is no longer the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Your new Headmistress is Lady Augusta Longbottom who has graciously agreed to retire from her seat on the ICW so as to give her full attention to running the school. Her term in office begins now. Unlike Mr. Dumbledore, Madam Longbottom does not feel she can do two or more jobs at one and the same time. As she put it, 'I have one head. I can only wear one hat at a time.' I find I quite agree with that sentiment and am hopeful this school that I love will once again prosper under her leadership."
"Because our investigation also showed us a lot of the endeavors Mr. Dumbledore engaged in wouldn't have occurred had there been a full time Deputy Headmistress who had no other duties in the Castle, we have also decided to appoint a new Deputy Headmistress to the school. My Lady wife, Narcissa Malfoy, will be taking over the position. She will have an office here on the main floor of the Castle with rooms behind it while Madam Longbottom will be taking over the Headmaster's office. Beginning next year, Cissy will also be teaching an Introductory to Magic course for all incoming muggleborns and muggle raised children to help you adjust to our world. It was pointed out to us, the School Board, there are many things the incoming students from the muggle world do not know and they make many mistakes simply because they don't know they are. It was also pointed out that these children are never taught simple home running skills anyone born and bred to this society already knows so Cissy will incorporate that knowledge into the course she teaches to fill this gap between the cultures. Any of you who don't know these skills already are welcome and encouraged to join that class."
"For those of you who are seventh years now, the School Board stands by ready to answer any question you may have about how to find a place to live or a job in this world once you graduate. We can also answer questions on customs and traditions that you might have and will gladly do so."
"Professor McGonagal will still be the Head of Gryffindor House and your Transfigurations Professor. She's a good teacher and just because we have dismissed Mr. Dumbledore doesn't mean we found fault with her. It seems she's been so busy trying to do all her own work while attempting to do his normal work load as well, that she fell behind in keeping track of what mattered most. Really her workload was just too much for any one person. And the fact that the school has been operational at all is to her credit. So we have lightened her load and hope she will find it in her heart to forgive us for overworking her for so many years." Minerva smiled slightly and inclined her head acknowledging the apology.
"Because we feel we could've discovered this game of Mr. Dumbledore's sooner if she'd just had help in her tower, we've instituted a new policy as well. From now on all Heads of House will have a deputy head to help them maintain order in the tower. Given the reason we're here today, we've decided two people are needed to run a tower correctly just as a home needs two parents. So you'll have both a den mother or father and a Head of House to help you with any problems you encounter. It's also recommended to each Head that the den parent be someone of the opposite sex as themselves so as to further promote the idea of parenting the Towers."
"We hope this will not only prevent what happened in Gryffindor these past few years but also a lot of the bullying that goes on in the halls between and after classes. The den parents will be setting up game rooms and study chambers for all of you to use. Yes, we have been informed of your need for proper places to study outside of class, remedial study halls or the library. And for additional recreational activities. After all, not everyone wants to or can play Quiditch."
"Understand though, these new rooms will only be open to you when you are not scheduled to be elsewhere. In other words, no skipping classes or bending curfew. The den parents won't be teaching classes so you don't need to worry that their own teaching schedule will conflict with your classes schedules making it impossible for you to avail yourself of the game rooms or study halls. So yes, there will be some new faces around the Castle."
"We are also considering new courses to be offered here at Hogwarts as it was pointed out the current curriculum is lacking several basics a society is not a society without. That won't begin until next year or maybe the year following as it will take time to decide what courses are needed, find the funding and suitable teachers for each new course. We will also have to decide when said courses should be available to you. We may even be able to bring in some new sporting options for you to enjoy. We don't know yet."
From the gryffindor table Dean Thomas' eyes light up as he said, "Football?" He hadn't intended it to be heard by anyone but those sitting next to him but in the silence of the hall everyone heard him. Snickers to outright laughter met the unintended question.
Lucius gave the embarrassed boy a smile as he said, "I take it you can play this game and miss playing it while you are here?"
Dean nodded. "I do, Sir. But I didn't mean to interrupt you. I apologize."
Minerva leaned in and told Lucius who the student was. He nodded in thanks and addressed the young man. "Apology accepted, Mr. Thomas. I take it this football a muggle game? Team or single player?"
"Team Sir and yes Sir. It's played with a round rubber ball and two nets on opposing ends of the field. Only the goalie can touch the ball with their hands but the other players move the ball across the field any way they can without using their hands. It's a lot of fun and has a huge following in the muggle world. People play professionally and everything. It's big money these days and lots of people like it. Like Quiditch players do here."
"I see. We'll have to check it out. Maybe it's time for some muggle sports to be incorporated into our school since we are taking you children when you turn eleven from their world already. No reason why you should lose everything familiar when you come here. Finding a coach may be a bit of an issue though." Dean gave him a huge smile. He knew a squib who was currently a coach on rotation through the PeeWee teams from his home district that might be interested in the job if Mr. Malfoy was serious. He'd have to talk with him later and see.
"Another need was pointed out by Madam Pomfrey and we'll be filling that one immediately. Medi-Witch Jones is joining the staff as the mind healer/student counselor. She'll work closely with Madam Pomfrey and just as with the Madam any contact between yourselves and Medi-witch Jones is private and confidential. Sometimes a teacher may recommend you to Medi-witch Jones and sometimes it may be Madam Pomfrey who sends you to her. Other times it may be your Head of House or your Den Parent. In any case you are expected to show her the same respect you show to Madam Pomfrey."
"With a new Headmistress and a more even distribution of duties, it is hoped your school experience can be turned into more joyful memories for all of you. For the remainder of this year, we'll simply be working on clearing up left over problems from the administration of Mr. Dumbledore and assisting the Seventh Year muggleborn and raised to find security and happiness in our world."
With his speech finished, Lucius sat down and began to eat his dinner. Madam Umbridge immediately began hissing at him in a low voice so as not to be overheard. "What is this all about, Mr. Malfoy? You know Cornelius expected me to find the dirt on Professor Dumbledore and when he was dismissed, the position was supposed to go to me until Cornelius selects someone else for the position."
Smirking at her, Lucius quietly said, "We can't always get what we want, Madam. As a member of the School Board, I had no intention of allowing the Ministry to appoint a Headmaster here. This is a private school, Madam, and it will remain a private school. Now please do enjoy your dinner before it gets cold. After all, you do have a lot of packing to do tonight."
"Packing? What are you talking about Mr. Malfoy?"
"Well, you are leaving, Madam so I would suggest you spend this evening packing your belongings as you are not now, nor have you ever been, qualified to teach here," smiled Augusta who was sitting in the center seat where Albus normally sat. "You were told to remain in the Castle for an important meeting with the Board. Yet when the meeting room doors were closed, you were not present. Surely you didn't think you were excused from the meeting just because of your Ministry job title, did you? I have already spoken to Madam Bones about a qualified replacement for you and it seems she has several aurors in need of reminders who will fill the position until the end of the year."
"We may even make it a permanent thing," commented Narcissa also with a smile.
"Albus may have been alright with frauds teaching the children but I am not," said Augusta. "All my teachers will be qualified for their position which means Hagrid will be taking his equivalency exams to get his degree this summer. The only reason he's getting until the summer is because his lack of a degree isn't his fault and in no way indicates his lack of knowledge or ability."
"But he's . . ." Delores sputtered unable to articulate what she wanted to say.
"A disgraced former student wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit," interposed Lucius smoothly. "I will be handling the issue of his wand rights and by the end of the school year I do believe those rights will be restored with the blemish removed from his record."
"Thank you, Lord Malfoy. Thank you. Never thought I'd hear meself sayin' that but I do mean it," gushed Hagrid, tears standing in his eyes.
"You are welcome, Hagrid. Truthfully, Albus should have done it a long time ago as he has always known you weren't guilty of the charge that got you expelled. He knew it when you were accused and he pushed for your expulsion."
Hagrid froze. "He pushed for my expulsion?"
Lucius nodded. "Yes. Didn't you know that? I would've thought one of the portraits or Myrtle would've told you."
Hagrid shook his head furiously and looked angrier than anyone could ever remember seeing him. "No," he declared forcefully. "Always told me it was Old Dippet wanted me expelled. Said Dippet wouldn't listen to 'im when he tried to tell 'im tweren't me pet that did the girl in. Said it was all he could do to get me me hut on the grounds and the job as Games Keeper and Keeper of the Keys. But old Dippet wouldn't even pay me proper on a'count of me not finishing my schoolin' all proper like. He tole me Dippet said I could count me hut as my pay for my work and be glad o' it or get out."
Calmly Lucius inclined his head. "Well surprise, surprise. It seems we've caught him in another lie then. I will take a closer look at your pay packet, Mr. Hagrid and see if it needs adjustment while your are regaining your British wand right and getting your certification. As I was saying though, certainly, he should have done it three years ago when the Chamber was opened for the second time. Instead, he let Cornelius send you to Azkaban and let another innocent boy take the blame for actions he didn't take. I apologize for that, by the way. I fully expected Albus to step in at the last minute and save you from that place. He didn't and by the time I realized he wasn't going to, it was too late."
"Albus is a Great Man, yur Lordship. But he. . .well he makes mistakes sometimes. As do we all, ya know. None o' us is perfect, see." But everyone noticed Hagrid was frowning in confusion. They knew it would take time for the gentle giant to understand Albus had never worked in his best interest unless it was first in the best interest of Albus Dumbledore.
The next morning much to her dismay Delores Umbridge found herself and all her belongings forcefully removed from Hogwarts. The house-elves had packed all her things for her as she refused to do so since Cornelius wanted her in the Castle to keep an eye on things and to discredit that awful boy, Harry Potter should he start running his mouth. An awful boy who really wasn't any such thing as far as she could tell.
Not that she'd been able to do anything to discredit him. As far as she could see the boy was a model student. He came to class, listened attentively to the lecture or discussion, read his textbook and did his assignments. He was never late, never spoke out of turn or tried to argue with what she said. She'd never even caught him running in the halls. Let alone doing something dangerous she could take advantage of. And she'd watched him very carefully after what Albus had said about him added to what her dear Cornelius was expecting from him. Then those liars had begun targeting him and trying to rile her up against him by trying to convince her he said things he hadn't said or saw things he hadn't seen. It was so easy to tell they were lying when their faces would swell up like that.
She'd been on her way to breakfast with a full head of steam for whomever had removed all her belongings from her rooms when she suddenly found herself on the wrong side of the Castle Gates with her packed trunks and bags at her feet. When she'd finally gotten her bearings enough to look around herself she headed for The Three Broomsticks where she flooed straight to the Ministry to complain to her dear Cornelius. She brushed right by the aurors who had just exited the floo without noticing them.
Albus never showed up at the Castle for his belongings which the elves had gone through before packing. Many of the items found in his private rooms and office did not in fact belong to him at all. And more than a few had either the Potter name, crest or emblem on them. All of those items were turned over to Harry as he was the last of the Potters and no one believed he had given them to Albus. What was left was moved to the Come and Go storage room where it would slowly begin to gather dust equal to what covered everything else in the room.
Neither Ron nor Ginny had gone home for the holiday being too afraid to face their Mum with their scarred faces. But the twins had gone home after agreeing to pave the way so they could go home at Spring Break. They didn't want to but Harry had talked them into it because they'd have to go home sometime. Maybe if Molly had the rest of the school year to get used to the idea and was only exposed to their marks briefly during the Spring Break, by the time they went home for summer she'd be over the worst of it and actually do something constructive to help them deal with it.
Almost reluctantly, Augusta had moved into the private rooms of the Headmaster position and taken over the office. She was only reluctant because she had grown used to living at Longbottom Manor and had hoped this wouldn't be a long appointment. But even with the mere month she had been looking into Albus' handling of the school, she knew it would take a few years before everything could be straightened out and Hogwarts brought back to it's former glory. Because the Albus she was beginning to see through dealing with everything he'd been doing here was nothing more than a crook. A conman and a swindler who saw everyone as nothing more than a potential mark for him to fleece. Like the flimflam men of lore he talked a good game but that's all it was to him. A game and the only winner was Albus Dumbledore. Much to her disgust, one of her first visitors in her new job capacity was Molly Weasely.
On the day the twins told her about the rune markings, Molly had stormed the Castle. She was determined to see for herself what Harry had done to her babies and force him to remove the brands. She also wanted to deliver her own brand of justice on him for daring to mark them at all. She'd even brought her spoon to punish him for his atrocious behavior in marking her babies like that.
But Augusta refused to let her see any of them. Her own children didn't need to be exposed to her angry tirade when they were only just now beginning to come to terms with their disfigurement and Harry had had every right to mark them as she and Albus had put them into a place where they were his responsibility and everything they did reflected on him as their patron.
Augusta coldly informed her, "If you'd done a proper job of parenting them in the first place those runes wouldn't now be on their faces. As you didn't, they mistakenly thought they could do as they liked. Now they're paying for it when it turned out their patsy, who's also their patron, didn't like the game they'd been playing."
Augusta then pointed out that she was in no way Harry's parent or guardian and therefore had no right to punish him at all. One unkind touch from her upon Mr. Potter's person and Augusta would be forced to call the aurors to have her arrested for child abuse and assault. She didn't deny Harry had marked Molly's children. Nor did she point out the fact he did indeed have the right to discipline them as Albus and Molly together had given him that right by paying the children from Harry's vaults behind his back. She simply pointed out Molly didn't have the legal authority to do anything to Mr. Potter about his actions.
Author Note: Please review. As always I hope you enjoy my story. Happy Reading. As I stated at the ending note last chapter, I ran into a problem on my master copy of this story so it's taking me longer to get each chapter uploaded. It seems when I saved the Master copy to my computer, somehow my chapter breaks disappeared and so did some of the story. For these last couple of chapters anyway. So I'm having to rewrite as best I can remember. Most of this chapter was here but the last chapter was drastically shorter than what I originally had written. Hopefully there isn't any more problems with the rest of the story. That would be bad. Just bad.