Chapter 56: To Sack a Teacher

It was roughly three weeks later that the staff received their evaluations in pink flowery scented envelopes at the end of the staff meeting. Minerva opened hers, read the comments, and then promptly threw the offending pink material into the fire and watched it burn.

"Was it that bad Minerva?" Poppy asked.

"She's an idiot," Minerva answered.

Margaret bid her goodbyes to the others and left. Curled up in her armchair in front of her fire with a glass of wine she opened her folder and took out her evaluation.

"Courteous but untrained….no clear cut view of proper lessons……rumor to have affairs with entire staff? As if!" Margaret exclaimed to herself, "It is advised she is best left to the Ministry she be put on watch and be asked to declare her loyalty to the Minister in order to keep her questionable past behind her…." Margaret laughed.

"Well if she wants to question my past so be it. I'll show her," Margaret chuckled to herself as she went to bed that night.


The following morning as she entered the Great Hall the teachers noticed Madam McGonagall holding a red picture frame.

"What have you got there Maggie?" Hooch asked.

"My evaluation. I found it so entertaining I wanted to show everyone!" Margaret stated.

"Why?" Filius asked.

"Because she's insane enough to think it would bother me. I'll show her though. There are more than one ways to annoy a witch," Margaret cackled as she sat down in her seat and ate her breakfast.

The rest of that day Margaret went around laughing and showing everyone her evaluation. People realized she was trying to prove that what Umbridge was doing wasn't bothering her in anyway and it seemed to be working. Umbridge appeared highly upset at Margaret's 'lack of decorum' as she had called it but Margaret continued on.

"Have you seen Umbridge? She's seething at your mum," Ron laughed at dinner that night.

"Yeah mum says she's not going to let her take over if she has anything to say about it," Harry laughed.

"I don't think the others feel the same. I heard Trelawney and Snape are on probation," Seamus stated.

"Well that explains why he was angrier in class," Hermione stated. Harry nodded as he ate.

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"Mum! Mummy wait up!" Stephanie called as Margaret was walking down the hall carrying a bunch of papers. She stopped and turned smiling at her daughter.

"Hey babe what is it?" Margaret asked.

"Nothing much. I just saw you and was hoping I could come with you," Stephanie smiled.

"Oh sure thing I was taking these to granny. The headmaster wanted her to look over them," Margaret grinned.

Stephanie smiled and trailed after her mother to Professor McGonagall's office where the professor was grading essays.

"Messenger delivering a cute granddaughter to hug and new decrees to snort over," Margaret said in sing song.

"I'll take the granddaughter but the decrees you can have," Minerva stated as Stephanie ran over and cuddled her grandmother.

"Nope sorry mother but the headmaster said as deputy you also had to know these things," Margaret replied setting the papers on the deputy's desk. "I'm very sorry but as I said I am only the messenger."

"Well the message is still unwanted," Minerva stated.

Margaret laughed as Albus busted into the room looking quite irritated.

"Minerva go outside and stall Umbridge. She's fired Trelawney and is trying to banish her. You know we can't do that," Albus stated.

"What do you want me to do?" Minerva asked standing and holding Stephanie's hand.

"Stall! Anything to stall! Margaret you're with me," Albus stated grabbing his daughter and dashing out of the door. Margaret was practically being drug by him.

Minerva looked at her granddaughter and the two shrugged as they hurried down to the main hall where the crowd was. The Deputy watched the pitiful scene for a few moments before rushing out and cradling the younger professor like she was a child.

"There now. Shush now it's all right," Minerva cooed softly to the professor.

"Something you'd like to say dear?" Dolores asked sweetly.

"Oh there are several things I would like to say," Minerva hissed. Sybil sobbed into a large handkerchief leaning against the Transfiguration Mistress.

"Sybil it's all right you're not going anywhere," Minerva soothed.

"Why is granny being nice to her?" Hermione whispered as she and Harry came up behind Stephanie.

"The headmaster told her to stall," Stephanie whispered back.

"And on what authority are you giving this order Deputy?" Dolores frowned.

"On my authority," Albus stated as the double doors to the castle opened and the Headmaster entered followed by Margaret with her arm around a handsome centaur.

"Need I remind you Albus that under Educational Decree 23 as enacted by the Minister I…"

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers. You do not however have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That remains with the headmaster as well as choosing anew divination teacher. Please meet Frienze," Albus stated.

"For now it does," Dolores stated as she looked at the centaur disdainfully and walked up the stairs.

"Misses McGonagall please assist Professor McGonagall in taking Professor Trelawney back to her quarters," Albus stated.

Stephanie and Hermione nodded as they levitated the luggage and followed the two women.

"Divination will resume on Thursday. Now don't you all have studying to do!?" Albus snapped. The students and other teachers dispersed as he headed up the stairs.

"Professor Dumbledore! Professor Dumbledore!" Harry shouted after his grandfather before sighing and heading back down the steps.

"What's wrong Harry?" Margaret asked. She stood by the centaur who was looking around the castle in annoyance.

"He's been ignoring me for the last few weeks now and I don't know why!" Harry sighed angrily.

"He's been doing it with all of us. If I'm any judge I think he's getting wise to us," Margaret stated, "But don't worry baby. You head on to class and I'm going to see about getting Frienze the classroom he wants."

Harry nodded running off as he pondered ways to annoy a certain witch.