Chapter 25 – Are We Too Kind?

From the Journal of Headmaster Longbottom – 26 September 2013

I recruited Professor McGonagall, Ginny, Harry, and Ron as soon as mother told me about the attempt to seize control of Hogwarts' magical defences. I didn't mind showing the secret control room to any of these friends. I didn't understand how attackers could have broken into this room. The door was Goblin metal, the lock immense, and both the mechanical and magical keying was changed for the second time by me, personally and without help or consultation, only yesterday.

Yet, there they were. Two immobile bodies in plain sight as soon as I unlocked and opened the door. One tallish and thinnish, the other short and stout. Both were hooded. Both were very dead. Harry removed the masks. The tall one was Barnabas Cuffe, publisher, and editor of The Prophet. The second, was identified by Ginny's gasp "he's Veneran – not one of the guys I met before."

I told Harry "I know I said I didn't want to allow anyone other than this group into this most secret of Hogwarts spaces, but I think you need to message Director Shacklebolt and mother to come at once. It probably wouldn't hurt to summon one of your most trusted aurors."

Harry is a real pal. He went through the motions of sending those summonses. I knew full well that the initial messages had gone out before I even spoke. Of course, they had. Harry would be shirking his responsibilities had he not done so. He couldn't afford to spare my feelings or avoid offending Hogwarts' sense of decorum. A Veneran inside Hogwarts, during a major attack, was an excessively big deal in terms of state security as well as the security of Hogwarts and its students.

I shuddered to think that such a thing had happened. I couldn't explain how it could have happened. I did know for certain that the little skirmish we had fought inside the castle had been a diversion to allow these two a clear shot at this control room. How they knew its location was another minor mystery.

Harry was thinking the same thoughts. As soon as Shacklebolt arrive, Harry told him "we need a severely detailed search for spying devices inside and outside this room. They knew the new keying which Neville changed yesterday." He had previously asked Ginny to check if any of the Black Stones had helped these two Apparate into this room or if they could have dropped here from a seid-space travel ribbon. "I need to know if this was the work of Barnabas or the Venerans and I need to know instantly. We might be in the greatest danger. I am off to check on Ministry security."

Break

From the Journal of Ginny Potter - 26 September 2013

The sight of each of those bodies on the floor of Hogwarts' holy-of-holies brought back a flood of memories and triggered self-accusatory thoughts. I was feeling Harry's thoughts and knew that he was thinking much the same thoughts. This was Mr. Cuffe's second attack upon a Wizarding school. Both had resulted in dead students. A lot of dead students and an destroyed school when he attacked the satellite school in Wales over a decade ago. By rights he should have spent the rest of his life in jail. He was exactly the sort of murderous criminal for whom Azkaban was created to protect Wizarding society from its most dangerous deviants. For some reason, our government, Harry's government, and I agreed, thought it reasonable to keep him in prison for only three years. I didn't expect that he would be a political ally, or a friend, or even a good person. I wasn't surprised when he went right back to running The Prophet and printing the worst possible slant on everything we did. I knew his politics. But attacking school children again? I confess I didn't expect that. We were way too kind and merciful. Our desire to give a bad man an early second chance had resulted in at least one more dead schoolchild. We were lucky it wasn't worse. I still don't trust Slytherin, but without his help Fred, and Rose, and Scorpius, and their friend Elvis would certainly be dead. Neville was suspicious and called for help at the last possible moment. I feel as though our good intentions, and kindness, and reluctance to severely punish evildoers are sacrificing the lives of innocents to our own sense of good compassion, which is probably nothing more than squeamishness. I would have just used an 'Off!' on these two. Slytherin had killed them, instead. I wasn't sad they were dead.

A Veneran? Invading Hogwarts! Tony had wanted to deal very harshly with Venera. I had fought for gentler treatment. My view had prevailed. I thought we had left a good and friendly government in charge of that world. We've had truly little contact with them since that time long ago, before Fred was born. Would we have to battle them again? I needed to re-establish contact with the government. Perhaps travel to Venera. Venera is such an oppressive, heavy, smelly world and I am not in the shape I was before birthing three children. My Quest might have to make one last stop. I couldn't take Hermione. She was Minister. Aagog was Queen. Mafalda was dead. So was Victoria. How many of the old gang could I reasonably expect to join me. Percy had risen in the Ministry structure, now being equivalent to a Foreign Minister, but I suspected he would be willing to undertake a diplomatic mission. I just wasn't sure that was the best approach.

As if reading my mind, Harry spoke, almost as an aside, "Venera isn't your responsibility. Your Quest is over - successfully finished."

"I feel events prove that I left things unfinished."

Hours later I reported to Harry and Hermione that entry into Hogwarts' control room was down to the Venerans. There had been a skirmish on the main seid-path from Asgard to Terra. A fairly large party of Venerans had fought with the auror, Aesir, and Ancromantula sentries. A dozen Venerans were dead, but it was very possible that at least one Veneran got past the lone remaining sentry before reinforcements arrived. I also had to pass on the bad news about the dead and injured to Aagog. Anger against Venera was building. The Aesir also were none to pleased.

Break

From the Journal of Freddie James Potter - 26 September 2013

Does it make me a bad person to admit that despite being struck by how awful the events of yesterday were and how shocked I was to find five dead bodies in front of me and Scorpius looking half dead, that I was embarrassingly pleased with myself. Everyone has tried their best to jolly me along, but since my uncontrolled trembling in McGonagall's class, I have worried that at heart I am a terrible coward. I mean real, knot my guts worried. I didn't tremble yesterday. I did not hide my head from the attack. My wand was steady. I dropped at least two, I think probably three, attackers with 'Off!' curses. It felt good. I didn't want to kill anybody. But... it felt good to learn that I had that much calm, self-control, and fight in me in the face of the most danger I am ever likely to face in my lifetime. I heard the 'Avada Kedavras'. Like Scorpius, they did not stop me from fighting back. They didn't make me shrink beneath the ridge line or run for my life. I was brave. I had hoped that I could be brave, but I wasn't sure. I really feared that I didn't have that much bravery in me. Despite all those who died, I selfishly feel good about myself.

I know that Mum hates and fears Slytherin. I know that her greatest guilt is that she released him upon all of us. Her greatest fear is the damage he will do to our people, the number of thinking beings he will kill. In particular, she fears that he will kill her children and Aunt Hermione's children. She believes that's just who he is. He saved me. He saved my friends. We fought bravely, but without Slytherin we would be dead. Rose said he also stuck up for her. Mum would be angry if she heard me say this, but I'm beginning to like Slytherin. I'm grateful to him for my life. I can only imagine how difficult and painful it must be to live as little more than a ghost. I've heard that Mr. Ollivander wasn't harmed by Slytherin. That they came to get along well and to do what they could to help each other. Slytherin could have left him to die. He risked being seen by abandoning Mr. Ollivander's sick body at the Emergency Room entrance of a big hospital of the nonmagicals. That was a good thing.

I couldn't help staring while Dad removed the hoods of the attackers who had died in front of me. They were all Wizards. One was Dad's age, one about ten years older, and the other three Shacklebolt's age or even a little older. I had seen one before. The Dad's-aged guy was a clerk in the pet shop in Diagon Alley. He had seemed ordinary and friendly enough. Why would he try to murder first-years? What had any of us ever done to him? When we were in his shop, was he thinking 'someday, very soon, I'm going to kill these kids?'

Mum and Dad won't be pleased, but there are things I must do for myself. I must learn of my prophecy. It has made me a target. It might be very vague, as Mum says, but it has made me a target. It might not even be about me, but others think it is, so it has made me a target. I understand me better than Mum does. Maybe I can understand more about my own prophecy. There, I said it! I really do believe it is my prophecy. If it isn't, why were all these people trying to kill me? I must learn more about and from Slytherin. Mum will be afraid if she learns that I want to talk to Slytherin. If he wanted me dead, I'd be dead. I don't think he can turn me into a bad person. I'm stronger than that. My time at Hogwarts has already taught me that. I'll start by talking to Mr. Ollivander. He understands Slytherin better than anybody. Mum's view of him comes from her guilt. Slytherin said that was all a big mistake. He did save my life.

From the Journal of Rose Weasley - 26 September 2013

I felt sorry for Freddie, because of the problem he had with Professor McGonagall. Now I really understand. During the attack yesterday, I couldn't stop my wand hand from shaking. I fired some 'Off!' curses, but I'm sure I didn't hit anybody. I ducked my body down at the end. I think it was not so much fear as knowledge that I wasn't able to help the fight. My hand just wasn't steady enough. The lads and Slytherin saved me. I've always believed that Witches could be as brave and as good at fighting as Wizards are. Mum is. Unfortunately, not this little Witch. I must learn to do better. I saw yesterday that Freddie's arm didn't shake. Same for Scorpius and Elvis. Just me. I am so good at learning magic, including all the charms and curses. But, when it really counts, I'm useless. I don't know if I can talk to Mum about this. I don't know whom I can talk to. Maybe Freddie will understand after the problems he had with McGonagall. Everyone told Freddie that he didn't shake because of fear. I didn't completely believe that back then, but I helped Freddie to believe. Now I know Freddie doesn't fear. He might have shaken from anger. Possibly from shame. I have a lot of thinking to do.

From the Journal of Hermione Weasley - 26 September 2013

A Minister must be able to delegate. I try to do that. Some things I must see and hear for myself. Little details can drive my thinking. Ron, Harry, and Director Shacklebolt wanted me to stay away from Hogwarts today. I just couldn't. I had to talk to Ollivander. I had to decide whether the best thing was to ignore all the advice everyone was giving me and meet directly with the Slytherin ghost. It was possible they were right. Ron was most insistent - this might all be part of a Slytherin trap to lure me close enough for it to kill me. I have aurors to protect me, but a Minister must be willing to take a risk, when a risk is needed to learn what must be learnt. As a compromise with Ron and Harry, I met with Ollivander and agreed to leave the Slytherin ghost for another day, after they had been able to talk with him more.

Ollivander backed Slytherin. He told me that Slytherin was most apologetic when he seized his body. Slytherin was careful never to push the body beyond its limits. Ollivander was old, his health wasn't good when he met Slytherin. Slytherin had tried his best to keep him comfortable and in decent health. The minor Gods who were with Slytherin objected to Slytherin's kindness toward him. Speed was important. It didn't do to pamper me. They could find a more appropriate body easily enough. Slytherin told them "this one is wise. I can put up with his weak body for the sake of his mind. I have much to learn. I have slept overly long. That was not my plan. Something went wrong. This is not the World of Wizards I left. I see that my original plan cannot work. This wise one can teach me, and I can make a better new plan."

"The God's were not happy. Finally, Slytherin told me 'if you are to live and if I am ever to be free to do what must be done, then we must escape from these evil little Gods.'

"That's what we did. Aurors found us. While the Gods fought them, we escaped. Slytherin and I were just barely strong enough to Apparate far enough to get away. Prior to that battle, one of the Gods was always focused upon us enough that Apparation wasn't possible. We tried once. I think the Gods knew that we tried. The one guarding us was more careful after that. I think that they needed Slytherin for some purpose. I don't know what that purpose is. I'm convinced that Slytherin didn't know either, although he was desperate to figure this out.

"Leaving me at the hospital was a risk. He could have easily left me somewhere that nobody would find me until I was long dead. Doing that might even convince the Gods that Slytherin also was done. Leaving me to die was the smart move for him. He chose to save me, instead."

Mrs. Longbottom asked if I wished to over-rule her decision to have the aurors search the home and Edinburgh apartment of Barnabas Cuffe, as well as the offices of The Prophet. This does raise a sticky issue of freedom of the press. But Cuffe's dead body was found inside the Hogwarts magical defences control room, along with the dead body of a Veneran, at a time a hundred hooded attackers were trying to breach the school's defences. I told her that I trusted her and the aurors to know the difference between evidence and plans for treason and assisting an invasion from another world on the one hand and legitimate reportorial research and documentation for a news story and to not take or read the latter.