Squib 32 Corsica Conversation
When they returned to Corsica at the end of July, there was a huge pile of mail. That, she had expected. What she didn't expect was to find Nick and Penny watching for her. They hurried over as soon as they saw her taxi pull up, and helped her carry her suitcases and shopping in. She nodded at Minnie that she could go play at the Park, but had to stay away from the beach. After putting the groceries into the kitchen storage, she handed everyone bottled lemonades and led the way to the porch, where she could watch Minnie. "Now, what has happened? You look about to burst!"
Nick spoke first, "You really haven't heard the news? I hate to be the one to break it, but Albus Dumbledore is 'assisting the Aurors in their investigations.' Translation – he's under arrest and not likely to be returning to any of his positions. A great many of his family and associates are also being questioned on their own charges. Even Minister Bagnold is facing charges! The Queen's Consort will be standing in as Chief Warlock for those hearings.
The Board and the DMLE are going to want to talk to you as soon as you show your face in Aberdeen – they've already discovered you no longer live in the Manse, but they know about your flat. They think you are in Egypt. They don't know about this house. The Goblins don't tell anyone anything, and we may be the only ones here who know who you are.
I have been offered your old position as Transfiguration teacher. Penny is going to teach Charms, and we will jointly teach a Seventh Year Elective in Alchemy. About half of the staff is not expected to return, for various reasons, and the Board is scrambling to fill the positions"
Minerva carefully set her lemonade down. "You are Wizards? Never mind, that's obvious now. They finally caught up with the old coot? I was so glad when I got out of there! So that's why the Goblins told me the DMLE would want to talk to me? I had better make arrangements for Minnie, send her to Malcolm, before I let them know where I am. I've been Albus's coerced puppet for years, arranging Betrothals and Marriages from lists he provided, as well as running the school as his personal fiefdom! I wonder how many places he was meddling?"
Nick put up his hand and began ticking off fingers. "He was the Chief Wizard, which means he had a lot of political influence on Legislation and in almost every Department of the Ministry. He controlled far too many votes, so many of the Wizagamont are also under investigation. All are being required to undergo medical purges before questioning. Much legislation is likely to be reviewed and repealed. Even Minister Bagnold is facing charges. The Prince Consort is standing in as Chief Wizard, and the Royal Wizard is serving as Minister until new officials can be appointed. The Snowden is vetting the staff. HRH is most annoyed!
He was the Leader of the Political Light, including 'managing funds' for an expected War he and his partner seem to have been arranging between the Light and Dark, including setting up the current little Dark Lord with the fake name. The DMLE is dealing with him and his followers as well.
Dumbledore was the Delegate to the ICW, which means he oversaw almost all International affairs – and it seems, for the ICW, he was the Warden of Numengard Prison. He got quite a luxurious apartment with that, for supervising exactly ONE prisoner. His partner Grindelwald lived in the apartment at the top of the empty prison which he had built, though he apparently came and went as he pleased in disguise. Now they will both be living in prison, but neither will be in Numengard. That is, until the Goblins get their trials finished. The ICW was much embarrassed that there are actually new charges against their supposed prisoner. That prison is being destroyed, carefully, because it seems to be full of secrets and traps. It's both an arsenal and a Vault, set up to become their Headquarters.
The French are also filing Treaty violation complaints on behalf of the Veela."
Penny spoke up, "Minnie will be fine, and so will you. They don't want to arrest you. Arranging marriages is perfectly legal and quite traditional. You committed no crimes. Though you weren't always ethical in how you got your signatures because you were also under Compulsions and Vows, you did try to arrange good Matches. They want your testimony about the administration of the school, including compulsion of the parents. I believe the Board wants you back rather desperately. Call Augusta Longbottom as soon as you get to London! There is probably a letter or twenty from her in that pile on your table. She's the one trying to sort out the Registrations and she needs help! Filius never came back."
"Who will be coming back?"
"Slughorn won't. He's a Potions Master, so he'd been eating Bezoars for years, and he's a Mind Master! He's the one who was making the altered potions for the school, including the loyalty and attraction potions. They didn't affect him, so he didn't care! He believes in controlling others by any means possible, so it was just business as usual for him. He only cares about how much influence HE has with rich and powerful pure bloods. I'm told he laughed when he found out ALL of his little Snakes were eating Bezoars like candy. He always assigned essays about potions Bezoars would not counter, to keep people from realizing how much they could do. I don't think the DMLE has even finished the list of charges against him.
Pomfrey won't – she's innocent, but was heavily controlled by potions, compulsions, and mind magic, and her vows to the school forced her to conceal health issues that normally ought to be reported to the parents or the DMLE. She even concealed violent assaults, attempted murders, rapes and pregnancies! She's resigned her Healer vows. She will be testifying in many cases.
Filius was trapped as badly as Poppy was. He was under Mind Compulsions and potions and those school vows, and his job was to deal out strong Compulsions using Goblin magic that few wizards could resist. His Grandfather managed to get him free this year when his Contract expired. He is another that won't be back, but will be testifying. The Goblin Nation has officially notified the Ministry and the ICW that Albus and Slughorn violated a number of Treaties. They are not holding the Ministry or the ICW at fault as long as Albus and Sluhorn are prosecuted in THEIR system for those violations. They are willing to wait out the other trials, but they want them badly!
Meanwhile, the Goblin Clinics are busy! Albus' breeding program notes have been leaked before the trials even happen, and almost every family in Britain is scheduling checkups and purges. The muggle National Clinics are closed while the muggle Policemen are checking records, but it is clear many Midwives named Meadowes are going to jail. St Mungos OB and Nursing training programs are in shambles. Happily, the rest of the staff seem to be all right, so the Hospital is hiring all the muggle born, half-bloods, and even Squibs they can find who have taken muggle medical training, especially Nurses. The Hospital Potions Damage Ward, and the Prince Potion Company, have turned over to the Aurors tests and records of his potions efforts.
Pomona is innocent. She also took Bezoars because she worked with dangerous plants, so Albus was never able to control her more than minimally with her Vows to the school. She's naturally resistant to Compulsions. She also fed Bezoars to any student who went into the dangerous greenhouses, or seemed affected by any plant. She might be back.
CoMC teacher Kettleburn was relieved to be able to retire once he was purged. Losing one leg was enough. Most of the lesser staff were trapped in loyalty vows and/or potioned, but Albus never paid much attention to them. He just wanted no questions! Once the Healers cleaned their systems some wanted out of their Contracts even though Albus is gone. The Board has been releasing anyone who wants out. New Contracts without Vows are being offered to everyone.
The half-giant, Hagrid, will be back. He can't be mind-magiced or potioned due to his background, but he isn't very bright, either. He truly considered Albus to be a 'great man' based on his being given a place here when he had nowhere else to go. His expulsion has been examined, and he will be reinstated as a student. He'll be taking third year courses, but only one or two subjects a year while he keeps his job. He'll need a lot of tutoring for many years to earn his OWLs, but the Board feels he was badly served and they feel responsible to help him. However, they are removing his more dangerous 'pets' from the Forest. Most are going to Zoos where he will be able to visit them. The Forest belongs to the Centaurs, not Hogwarts, and they have been asking the school to remove them. They like Hagrid and didn't want to hurt him by killing them.
But this leaves the Board desperate for teaching help! It looks as though all 12 will have to teach something until they can hire more staff. Many classes will have to be taught as mass Lecture classes instead of by individual Houses, though the Practical sections will remain small groups for safety."
"Weel, I suppose I had better go to London. It really looks as though Minnie and I won't get much time here this year! Her school will be starting in two weeks, and we need to get her new things. I suppose I will be helping Augusta get the paperwork straight, as well as talking to the DMLE.
We will be here on Minnie's school holidays, and live in the flat during the school weeks. I will deal with this pile of mail today, and have the Goblins set up appointments for me." She picked up her lemonade and took a very long drink. "You say you will be teaching? I hope I get to see you, then."
"I'm sure we will meet again. We're taking a couple of young Apprentices, who will be coming with us. They haven't taken their NEWTs yet, so they will be taking regular classes as well as private lessons with us. They are taking time to finish the 'A' level course as well. They have already passed that one, but they wish to try again to see if they can improve their scores.
The Board has declared that ALL Hogwarts students are going to be taking the National Exams. The new curriculum for Muggle Studies, which is now required for all students, is the National Course, and they have hired seven Tutors, muggle-born with assorted Degrees and Certificates to teach it. There will be a new weekly Lecture in Wizard Traditions, which I think Augusta is going to teach, required for all Students. I'm afraid all of those schedules you worked so hard on are having to be re-done.
Many of the old Electives are going to be restored as soon as the Board can find teachers. Albus had discontinued them, and diverted the intended salaries (as well as what he was shorting the staff) into his own accounts. Every student used to choose three Electives every year, with optional advanced classes available. Misappropriation of funds is only one of the investigations, but it's one that has the Board fuming! They had seen on the Books that the salaries had been paid out, but didn't realize there were no teachers or classes! They are determined to return Hogwarts to Premier status under the Charter! The Castle and its' equipment are being heavily refurbished or totally replaced as we speak."
"You have Apprentices? In what subjects? Will they be working as Aides?"
"You really are shaken. No, we'll also have Aides, though we may have our Apprentices help with demonstrations or Proctoring. They have a heavy schedule already. We've accepted them early, and they will be doing an intensive year or two after their NEWTs with us so they should have Masteries before going on to college. You already know them from Hogwarts, because they were students there before we accepted them. They passed their OWLs but didn't intend to go back.
I'll let you guess what the Apprenticeships are in – our last name is Flamel. I'd be offering YOU an Apprenticeship, except you don't need it. You have figured it out on your own, which is what everyone has to do. Happily, Albus never did. He took the fwoopers seriously. We thought he would see, but he's been too busy plotting. He calls himself an Alchemist, but he's not even an Animagus. Oh, here, you might like to look at my fwooper." He levitated a red stone out of his pocket. As he turned it, letting the bright tropical light hit the many facets, Minerva realized it was shaped rather like two golf balls stuck together, and about that size.
"Is that...?"
"A rather nice chunk of Garnet I bought at a Rock Shop in Albuquerque. I have been using it as a Magic foci. Garrick says it tests as quite Magical and he really wants to install it in a staff for me to use at Hogwarts, as a demonstration for the Wand Crafting Elective he's going to teach. I like to use it as an ice cube to chill my drinks because it doesn't melt. Albus was always fascinated by that, though I never explained why it was in the pitcher."
"What about your Grandparents? He always mentions his partnership with them. Are they going to be involved in his trials?"
"Albus worked with us, though he was a student, not a partner. He would not know us if he passed us on the street. We will be testifying, wearing the faces he knows. Most people think we are separate from my Grandparents. Wizards know who they are, but they pay no attention to us, which is the way we like it. You are doing a good job with Minnie."
Minerva was stunned. "You figured it out? I wasn't sure I had it right, because it was so easy. Studying Transfiguration wasn't one of my inhibitions, so I could do all the work I wanted in that area. I was taking Bezoars already. The potions didn't bother me. Minnie broke the Compulsions, and my vows expired with my Contract. So, now I'm an Alchemist? Are there many more, real ones?"
"Not self-declared like Albus, you mean? There are a few, but none will say so. There are as many ways to work this as there are types of Magic. I suggest you pay attention to the new History teacher the Board has hired. We've known him for quite a while. He's a very interesting fellow, teaches History as though he was there. The kids will love him. He's just published a very popular book, 'From Tintagel To Avalon; Walking in the Steps of Arthur'. It's not a textbook, but many students will have read it this Summer. You should get a copy."