Squib 29 January 1976 to Spring
Another bad Winter. Minerva congratulated herself on renting the flat in town. Minnie could not have walked to the village school, which was not open in bad weather. Aberdeen had plenty of heavy snow removal machinery, and the bus stop was very close to their door. There were only a few days the town school was closed, all clearly announced on the radio (monitored in the early mornings by her elf.) Those days Minnie spent in the Library, or just played in her room.
One day that school was closed, the school visitor dropped by. Minerva was alerted by her elf, who monitored the wards around the flat. She dismissed class and they were popped to the flat as the lady was descending from the bus. Minnie settled to work on her puzzle and the elf helped Minerva start some dinner. By the time she had climbed the stair a kettle of soup (brought from the castle) was going on the stove and muffins were in the oven. Minerva plugged in an electric tea kettle.
The Visitor was very glad of the tea! The roads were clear now, and school would meet tomorrow, but she was out in the cold making sure the children were all fine. Some people were not as well-off as Minerva, and children might need help.
She noticed the embroidery on the tray had progressed to show a large Loch near the castle, where green merpeople played with a black Cephalopod in the sparkling blue water. A few swans floated serenely in the reeds, and bright salmon and trout leapt high.
At Valentines, tiny crystal cupids joined the ornaments in the windows. Again, the diners sat together as study groups, but they were already doing that at most meals so the tables didn't look very different. Everyone dressed formally, but almost everyone seemed distracted and wanted to get back to their homework.
On Friday evenings, Miriam collected Mini from school while Asphodel would bring Eddie (he was home schooled) to meet them at the skating rink. They would have fish & chips or pizza as an early supper. James would join them after dinner. At 9, Asphodel would take Minnie back to the castle where Minerva was ending Detention. Some weekends, but not all, Eddie would spend the night at his sister's, because he didn't have to 'do school' on Saturdays as long as he finished his weeks' work by Friday. He loved his top-floor bedroom with the slanted ceiling just under the roof, and the huge triangular windows of one-way glass at each end. Minnie didn't think that was fair. Minerva explained to her that Life wasn't 'fair' and she might as well get used to it now.
Having finished studying for the day, Lily cleaned out her trunk and closet. She did this every year, passing her outgrown clothing to the younger girls in her House. The elves were happy to take any the younger girls didn't, assuring Lily someone else could use the things next year. The elves cleaned, mended, and usually dyed things different colors for the next user. This year Lily was particularly ruthless, keeping only what she absolutely needed to finish the year. She also intended to leave all her used books in the common room shelves, and her student broom in the locker room. After all, she had duplicates. She would keep her notes, projects, Artwork, and workbooks, but they would stay in her trunk until she could clean them of tracking and compulsion charms. While most students kept a collection of all the A, EE, or O potions they made, Lily never had. That seemed dangerous. Once she finished her last Potions revision, she would leave all of her extra supplies in the common room practice area, asking the elves to be sure everything was uncontaminated before anyone else used her leftovers.
Easter 1976
At Easter, Albus got something he didn't expect – a resignation notice, from Mr. Filch! Filch politely told him that he was going to work with his sister Arabella, who had taken over their mother's Cattery business. She had too much work for one person. Their mother had decided to remarry and emigrate. She had cats about to give birth and needed help! These kittens would be in the pet stores when Hogwarts let out, and many would be coming to Hogwarts next Fall. The cats had two litters a year, the second being ready for Christmas, but the wool was actually her major product year-round. She had elves whose entire job was combing and spinning wool into embroidery floss and yarn for the Craft shops. She also imported silk floss, which was of similar quality. Filch would help wherever he was needed, but would primarily be handling the wool..
Albus immediately checked with the elves to see if they had been giving Filch his 'vitamin tonic'. They had, to all the staff including the new Aides. He could only conclude that Filch must have really wanted to be with his family to break that compulsion! It wasn't that Albus really wanted the squib around, because the elves cleaned better. Filch was just one more piece of cannon fodder he was keeping handy.
On the train home, many students were nervous! Miriam had, again, sent huge boxes of biscuits. Lily and Alice nibbled happily! Alice was going to take her "O" tests, just to see how far she had progressed in a year. Most of the 5th year muggle born were going to try for their "A", even those who knew they had not done close to enough work. It wouldn't hurt them to try, and would help everyone plan their studies for next year. Quite a few 6th and 7th year students were going to try, and they intended to score well. The 7th year students were not sure they would ever get another chance, because most of their families were in the final stages of wedding negotiations. Some would get the chance to go on to college if they scored well. Some might have to settle for more correspondence work. Some were happy to be marrying, looking forward to starting families of their own.
Not all the tests were scheduled on the same day, or even in the same town. Most major cities had their own exam centers arranged at the town schools, which were out for Break. The tests were set over three days, with specialized ones like Pre-Med, Pre- Vet, and Pre-Law on the Thursday and Friday. Results would be mailed to their parents, so the return train was still full of nervous students.
Spring 1976
"Lily, your sister scored VERY well indeed on her "A" levels, and has been offered several different colleges. Your Father is looking them over. At least one is in a place he was considering for a new Shop, so if he can find a good house nearby we'll be moving over the Summer. It's a good thing we have already de-cluttered. We'll have a lot less to move! You and Sevi also passed, though your grades were not as high. We rather expected that, so we are pleased."
The muggle study group noticed something odd as the fifth and seventh year members packed away their correspondence work after the "A" and turned full concentration on OWLs. Lily and Sevi, who had always been study buddies, suddenly weren't. Lily now studied almost exclusively with Alice or Remus and the other muggle born. Sevi seemed to be staying in the Slytherin common room with the other 3 half blood and the minor pure blood 'A' students, when he wasn't in the Library. If they were ever in the Library or the study room at the same time, they simply ignored the other. Everyone was too busy to do more than note this in passing, though the pure bloods did quit reminding Sevvy quite as often that he was Betrothed to a pure blood and ought to start behaving properly.
Sighing, Lily slipped the latest page of her returned Astronomy homework back into the textbook, where the page merged seamlessly with the edge it had been separated from. The "Elementary Epicycle Workbook, Vol 5" had been a wonderful textbook, full of interesting readings from Plato, Aristotle, Hesiod and the Egyptians. The worksheets separated neatly to be turned in for homework. They were graded in an interesting way: Professor Sinestra simply stacked all of the class pages neatly, laid a master sheet on top, and tapped. A light green transfer appeared on each of the correct illustrations, a green mark checked correct answers. Red transfers indicated mistakes on your drawings, and wrong answers were removed and replaced with the right answers in red. The pages went back in your book to serve as a study guide. Interestingly, only you saw them. Next year's students could not copy from this year's answered sheets! This was another class where studying Art had helped Lily. Her drawings were neat, her lines smooth. She frequently received an 'O' when her sketch precisely matched the correct answer.
She would miss the night classes on the Tower. No matter what the weather, there was always a bubble of warmth on the tower, and a clear sky above that always showed exactly what they were to see that night. Over the years they had not only learned to use the old-fashioned telescopes, but had made their own. Lily was a good lens grinder. Her crystal lenses had almost no flaws, nor distortion. At home she had quite a nice electronic telescope, but there was so much light and pollution that she often had to use her Planetarium Pass to complete her homework! Even though Astronomy was only a 5-year course, Lily already had the last two Volumes of the Workbook, and intended to complete the set at home. The last volumes were largely illustrated with beautiful photographs taken by the American Space Telescopes. Sinestra was much annoyed that Dumbledore would not allow her to use them, or any other modern text. She could not say so to the students, but she did offer the use of the Teacher's Edition and Answer sheets if they came to her office. Lily had given her money and asked her to order a set for her, sent directly to her home since the book stores did not offer these to students.
Mr. Jones, the Defense teacher for the year, showed up at dinner quite happy one night after Beltane. He had finished his book, and sent it off to a Publisher. The Publisher responded that they were quite interested. He was a good writer. The stories were clearly organized, detailed, and accurate. The stories in it were from the Public Records, cases the DMLE had investigated while he was a file clerk. The Publisher thought it would be polite to write each of the people named in the book to ask for permission to use their names. The stories were more interesting with the names included, but they could remove minor names and just say something like 'a prominent politician' if asked nicely. Mr. Jones cheerfully organized a simple form letter for the purpose, and sent it off.
Some of the letters apparently touched nerves. Some people seemed to think he was blackmailing them, and one actually contacted the Aurors. Lawyers wrote, offering nice 'presents' if he would remove any mention of their client completely..
One night in May, Mr. Jones did not come down to dinner, which was unlike him. He did like regular meals! Albus went to check on him, and sent Fawkes to bring the Healer from the Hospital Wing down to the man's quarters, but there was nothing that could be done. He was simply dead, as though he had fallen asleep in his chair. When they packed up his belongings to send to his family, no one was really surprised that the manuscript and all of the cases of notes had vanished.
At the beginning of June. Flitwick got a message from his Grandfather, the Paterfamilia of his Clan. It was really quite polite, but insisted that it was necessary for Flitwick to come see him asap. Flitwick took the note to Albus, and said, "It really looks as though I have to go in person, but I can put it off until after the final exams are done and graded. I have two sets, again. I'll get my grades in as soon as I can, and then make a quick trip. Minerva can send the first letters and then take her vacation. I'll be back in plenty of time to handle the Replies. " There was really nothing Albus could do to hold him. The timing was as good as it was going to ever be. The two Aides could hold office hours to help the children get started on their Summer homework the last few days of school while the OWLs and NEWTs were given by the Ministry staff.
Flitwick assigned all years in both subjects sets of essays and readings on the application of their year's study toward Dueling. OWLs had no homework assigned until their tests were complete. They would receive homework for the 6th year with their booklists for the courses they qualified for. Newts, of course, had no homework at all unless they flunked completely and had to repeat the year, which was rare. Some students of rich families would take a small set of NEWTs their 7th year, and then come back on purpose to take a second, different set, but this was not common. Mostly, if you wished, you simply did home study with a tutor and took the extra tests directly at the Ministry..
The train had just left Hogsmeade with all of the younger students. Albus went to Minerva's office to give her the news. She was almost buried in paperwork. There was an elf fitting grades into envelopes as she finished collating each teacher's final Report, and another sorting graded work to return to the students. He could see her Aide working at a long table stacked with schedules, book lists, and partially assembled Registration packets. He had already gone over the Book of Names with her, and they had agreed on another large class. He could see the pen in the corner automatically addressing envelopes – and he could also see it regularly crossing out names and moving to the next on the list. That did not look good, but there was little he could do about it now. He knocked again on her doorpost, to get her attention. "Minerva, I need your attention for a few minutes." She looked at him and laid down her pen, looking as tired and gray as he had ever seen her. He knew her Contract was due soon, and thought he had better require her to get a check up.
"Filius is taking a few days off on Family business, so you'll need to finish the Grades and Letters before you go on vacation. Send Letters to any inquiry letters you have. We might as well take them all, again. From the looks of that address list we'll have plenty of openings. If your Aide doesn't finish the Enrollment packets before the Train goes, she can come back and help us in July."
Albus decided he ought to give a nudge to her Compulsions. "Filius said he will be back in plenty of time to help with Registration and Enrollment. He will need to sign his new Five Year Contract. You do, too. Do you have your copy of the new one from the Board? It has quite a nice Raise this year! But, I'd like to add that I will want everyone to get a physical. Poppy getting so sick really worried me, and I am thinking you are working too hard. I can't do this without you! Please tell me you are planning a restful vacation this year?"
"I have all my paperwork over there in that stack. I'll get to it after I finish the Grades and Letters, and the elves will file it. I'll make an appointment with a Healer when I get back. I'm taking Minnie to Egypt this year, on a cruise up the Nile, as soon as her school lets out. We'll see everything there is to see. I've promised her a ride on a camel. It really ought to be restful."
"Is Minnie going to be a firstie here this year? She's growing so fast!"
"No, her Birthday is mine, Oct 4, so she'll be too young for this year. Also, her parents had planned to send her somewhere else, and I'm not sure I have authority to change those plans. I'll be talking to the Lawyer again this Summer. We're still waiting on her Settlement from the airline company. He says sometimes these things drag on for years. They won't pay out until all the lawsuits are settled. Even though it was a clear accident, no one was at fault, and the Insurance offered a nice settlement, some families still sued! Americans are crazy!"
"If you find you can, I see no reason not to make an exception for her admission young. She's bright, and will be right here with you. As a Faculty child she can even stay in your flat instead of the dorms anytime you like. There's no tuition for Faculty children, either."
Minerva sighed, and looked pointedly at her stack of grading. "Nothing at all is going to happen until I finish this pile!" Albus took the hint and left her to it. Graduation was tomorrow and he knew she needed to finish the 7th year today. He had the Graduation Certificates to prepare and his speech to rehearse. He didn't offer to help her even though he had brought the news that she was doing the whole job alone. She would be up late tonight.