Percy Jackson and Harry Potter are owned by Riordan and Rowling respectively, this is a not for profit writing.
Okay, so, I was challenged to write a M rated story, something I haven't done on here before. There are a few nasty sex scenes but you could probably skip them and know what is going on by context. Those chapters will have an addition warning so you will know. So far I have about 35 chapters and am generally enjoying it, but I need a break so I am going to publish what I have over the next several weeks, and after that see where it goes.
There is a rather severe time shift here. It takes place beginning in the summer after the Battle of Hogwarts, however the PJ characters are at a point in their lives of being in their late 20's. That puts it about 30 years out of whack. As always, I don't care much about cannon, although I don't necessarily disregard it either, except here with the time shift. All of the cannon pairings are messed up, some will work their way out.
Finally, parts of this are very dark. If you want a sunshine and happiness story this will at least initially disappoint you.
Please leave comments and suggestions.
Chapter One. Meet the New Boss
Administrator 1
"Please come in, and thank you for coming on such short notice" the headmaster said to Professor McGonagall. "Would you care for tea?"
"No, no thank you."
They sat on a sofa in the headmaster's spacious office, surrounded by the archaic devices and artifacts gathered by the preceding headmasters over the last thousand years. The room was warm and charming, but at the same time exuded a feeling that let visitors know it was the center of magical research and learning in the United Kingdom. First time visitors were always in awe, but Minerva McGonagall was hardly a first time visitor. She knew the room far better than its current occupant, who had arrived only in the last few days and to McGonagall's knowledge had never been there before then.
"Away from students I would like to take things casually, may I call you Minerva?"
"I prefer 'Professor'; I believe I've earned it." McGonagall replied roundly.
"I see, and I agree, you have earned it. If that is your choice, very well I shall call you 'professor.' I sense some, if not hostility, a great deal of apprehension on your part as to my being here. I would like to cut through that first. Am I correct in saying you feel you are more qualified to take this position than I?"
Professor McGonagall thought before replying, as she needed to guard her words in the current environment. The new headmaster could afford to be blunt, but she could not, and had probably foolishly overstepped her bounds moments before. Minerva McGonagall could retire and live comfortably whenever she wanted, and she had certainly thought about it lately after the insult the Board of Governors had inflicted on herself and fellow instructors, but she truly did love her work and loved helping young witches and wizards learn the craft of magic. It was her life's calling and she knew she was good at it. McGonagall was not driven by selfish ego, but instead by a love for the school and its traditions, even if she did feel she was best to fill the role at the present time. She was very much concerned as to the welfare of the students and the quality of their educations should she not be there for them at this trying time. All this considered, she did not wish to be sacked.
"I am concerned that the Board of Governors chose to bring in an absolute outsider, who as far as I know has little, if any, experience with the British magical education system, to lead its premier, and frankly only, institution providing magical learning to our gifted youth. In a thousand years only British witches and wizards have served in your position, and I think I speak for the entire faculty that this action by the board is shocking to say the least. It is generally a lifetime appointment and there were at least four candidates suitable and certainly more familiar with Hogwarts. I mean no disrespect, but you asked for my thoughts and I think I should honestly give them." McGonagall said with a mild feeling of satisfaction that she was finally able to vent her feelings.
"And yet your tone suggests a great deal of disrespect, or at least doubt, so let me put your mind at ease on that. First, you are free to express your doubts about myself, and my qualifications, to me and to any other faculty, privately, at any time. I ask that you remain professional and not try to undercut me by expressing them to the students, parents or alumni, or in front of them. I take no offense and will give no retribution. I want you to share them so they can be discussed openly. I think at this juncture transparency is vitally important if this school is to survive and prosper. Tell me your worries and I will do my best to assuage them. Tell me your doubts and I will try to overcome them," The headmaster said.
"However, you are mistaken about something rather important," the headmaster continued. "The Board of Governors did not appoint me; at least they had little choice but to affirm the recommendation of the ICW. You see, after the Battle of Hogwarts as it is called, half of the board was dead, and one of the surviving members was a known Death Eater. The Wizengamot itself was purged of numerous known supporters of the dark lord, and Minister Shacklebolt's position is precarious until such a time as those organizations are filled with persons, that if not loyal to the Minister, at least are loyal to the institution of British magic and its traditional place in society. It is believed that many of the dark lord's followers are still in the ministry and in the magical world at large. The ICW took notice of this and felt the security of the children and a genuine effort to locate and remove those dark artisans was necessary. I think that is why my expertise was seen as needed."
"In all candor the ICW probably would not have noticed the disappearances except it included one of our own. A new agent that had just transferred to London Station to work the Wales District disappeared shortly after her arrival. That got our attention, but by the time we knew and a major investigation was launched, Voldemort was dead and the war was over. And now we're here helping chase down the rest of his followers and helping rebuild the system. Of course we are also still trying to locate our missing agent."
"You should know Professor, that when the Board of Governors met to discuss the replacement for headmaster here, the eight remaining members were equally divided and apparently quite loyal to their old houses from when they were students. Professors Slughorn, Flitwick, Sprout and yourself essentially tied and after long debate and discussion, no majority or even plurality candidate could be chosen. So the board, acting under your laws, kicked it up to the Wizengamot and as I understand it they in turn kicked it up to Minister of Magic. Kingsley Shacklebolt does not want to draw the ire of anyone at present and has been around long enough to have seen a train wreck before, so he asked for the ICW's input. The ICW decided no one from the inside could unify the school and its support, in other words, any of the known candidates, if selected, would be hamstrung by supporters of the others, so the ICW looked through their agents, found one with teaching experience and an under grad minor in Public Administration, and said 'This is your new headmaster." So here I am. Apparently the ICW seeks to unify the population by finding someone all interested parties can despise equally. Understand this, I was perfectly happy working as an ICW field agent on the west coast and teaching college classes in my main line of work, but when I get orders, I follow them," the headmaster explained.
"Finally, you were wrong about it being a lifetime appointment. From my perspective it is interim. I have no interest in being here more than a year or two. I want to quickly get the school back up and running, streamline the organization, make it financially sound, overcome the doubts of the parents and alumni, then go home. Frankly, the climate here is terrible on me and my sinuses have been killing me since I arrived. Now, what other concerns do you have about me?"
"So it is not your intention to stay indefinitely? I must say I am surprised. You hold the most coveted position in British magic," Professor McGonagall asked.
"No, I do not. To others it is a coveted position, but to me, it is a mission. I have a job to do and when it is done I hope to be replaced by my Deputy, a person far more qualified to run the school after we get it back in shape. We will need to assure the parents that the school is safe, make sure every qualified student is able to attend, restore the financial wellbeing, and hire professors that are qualified for the jobs they fill. I understand that over the last seven years your Defense Against the Dark Arts instructors included three Death Eaters, another who was incompetent, yet another who was incompetent, hateful and loyal only to corruption and probably a Death Eater, one who was a werewolf and one who was a zombie controlled by Voldemort himself. Of those the werewolf was the best of the bunch. I hope we will can find a permanent replacement that is better."
"I'm not interested in that position, candidly I believe it to be cursed." McGonagall said, hoping to cut off any discussion of her taking it.
"It is, and it's about to get more cursed if that is possible. No, I would be stupid to move the world's greatest transfiguration expert from the position of teaching transfiguration, and I assure you I am not stupid" the headmaster smiled.
"Oh, I thought…"
"No, I want you to be the Deputy."
This openly stunned McGonagall. She had served as deputy to Albus Dumbledore but presumed any new headmaster would want their own person in the position.
"The students know and trust you. The other faculty and staff do as well. My transition here is going to be difficult enough without backbiting. I've reviewed all the personal files of the professors here, and you are far and away more qualified for this position than I am in so many ways. Hogwarts is wounded and dying and will cease to exist without immediate care. I am the ER doctor that is going to try to save it and stabilize it, but soon enough it will need a full time physician. That is you. I want us to work together with that understanding. I know little to nothing about the current system here except that Snape allowed his Death Eater friends to rampage through it and let them destroy both student morale and the trust of parents. I know Dumbledore, as skilled as he was as a magician, was hands off in his approach to running the school. I can tell from his limited files, and frankly his files suck, that you were the backbone and glue that held this place together. I know you led the staff and students at the Battle of Hogwarts. I know that the Board of Governors was stupid for not immediately offering you this position, and I know you are the best to replace me when I leave, and I will leave. I want to work with you as a friend, but if I must, I will work with you as a competent, professional, coworker," the headmaster said just as a glyph on the wall lit up, distracting them both. The headmaster stared at it in annoyance.
"Oh, that alerts you that someone is at the gate, Hagrid will greet them and take care of it. Albus put that up so there would be no unexpected arrivals. You can look through that scrying glass to see who it is" Professor McGonagall smiled as she pointed to what appeared to be a large magnifying glass in a stand on a nearby table.
"Oh. Thanks! That thing has been going off a couple times a day since I arrived and I had no idea what it was. Where were we?" the headmaster asked as she stood to look through the glass.
McGonagall absorbed all she had heard and decided she had perhaps been wrong about the American usurper. This was a magician she could work with, although she remained cautious. Certainly the headmaster said all the right things and seemed to be a genuinely nice, albeit seriously focused, person.
"I think I was about to ask you to call me 'Minerva'" she replied with a smile.
"Then please call me Annabeth. Annabeth Chase if you need to use a last name," the headmaster replied, before adding as she looked through the glass, "Oh. It looks as though our new curse has arrived."
