This is the next chapter. This story is not going to be cannon so please don't read it expecting that. Please read and review, love Moon x
Because of Percy alone Arthur knew he'd have many changes to make at the school. The first change might be one people didn't like but it was necessary and he really didn't care whether people liked it or not. Percy himself inspired it. From now on everyone that got a prefects badge had to give a vow to their head of house in his presence that they would do their prefects job properly and help anyone who needed help when they needed help. They would also vow to not abuse their position of power in any way. Once Dumbledore had evacuated the office Arthur moved in. He saw that for some reason unknown to him and the board members as of yet the former heads of Hogwarts portraits had been destroyed! Had Albus done that out of pettiness? When he'd been in here before he'd been so mad he really wasn't looking at the walls to notice they weren't there.
The shelves behind the desk still held many books but hundreds which had belonged to Albus were now gone. He didn't mind the opulent chair in this office but it wouldn't do in the great hall. He needed to set an example that yes he was important but he was in no way more important than his staff which is where Albus had previously failed. He was also giving each member of staff a parchment to write down anything new they felt their department needed. He would be checking out the budget to see if they could afford these things and if not he would be finding out why. As it so happened Cuthbert Binns had been paid for all his years of teaching even as a ghost but that money had obviously not been spent so they really did have a lot of money to play with.
His first order of business was sorting things out around the school. He called on the local carpenter of Hogsmeade to craft new long dining tables for the great hall complete with new chairs to replace the silly benches and a new chair for him as the throne would be going immediately. The chair for him would be made of mahogany wood and would be the largest chair there but that would be all. He had new chairs commissioned for the staff as well. It would take the carpenter three days to be done but then everything would be ready. Going downstairs he found and entered the kitchens with the wards telling him where to go. The elves all stopped working to rush over and see what he needed. They knew he was now the headmaster of the school. He let them know when he'd be taking his breakfast, lunch and dinner and where he'd be taking them too. Every second morning he'd take his breakfast in his apartments. He would only be in his office working as long as he actually needed to. The students would be sure to see him out and about not hiding in his office like Albus had done. He asked them if they needed more things and allotted them one greenhouse of their own for growing their own vegetables and herbs. They were told to co-ordinate with Pomona when they needed to.
He'd be very hands on. In his office he hung various frames on the wall which were thick and had things like screwdrivers, rubber ducks and things in them. He thought it was humorous and besides which it made him very happy. On the corner of his desk he had a little rubber duck which had a golden crown on his head and wore sunglasses. It made him laugh every time he saw it and he thought that the students would feel more at home if they saw it too. He asked his personal new house elf Milly to get him some couches for his office but to thoroughly clean them first if they needed to be cleaned. Those couches would go by the fireplace and would be an informal place he could sit to council students who needed his help and guidance. He had already decided to offer each student that came to his office for help some hot chocolate to calm them down. He had always adored hot chocolate.
Percy, Ron, Fred and George were stunned to be asked to the headmaster's office all fearing they might be in serious trouble. When they saw Arthur there and he explained why he was there most of them were very relieved. "Percy I am personally sorry I kicked you before I was just so mad that Ron had managed to get hurt and you didn't even know about it. I was wrong and I say I was wrong because unlike some I can admit to making mistakes. Have you learned more about being a better person yourself because I find I'm learning that every day!" he said as Percy bristled. He'd done nothing wrong so he felt. Why was he even still being asked to care about Ron? It just wasn't fair at all.
"I'm good dad and thank you for apologising as it shows you know you were wrong and you're learning. As for me I did not know anything was wrong because I was dealing with my own problem of mass bullying from my whole house!" he snapped glaring at the twins.
"Hey don't look at us we told them to stop but they refused so that's on them. We're thrilled you got the job dad. You'll be a great headmaster you know. Actually we wanted to talk to you about something" they said both looking down and blushing heavily. It was quite clear to Arthur at least that they had something very important to tell him and they weren't sure how he'd take it. Their nervousness made him nervous but he asked them what it was about none the less.
"We need to tell you that when we grow up we um don't want Ministry jobs. We want to run our own joke shop which sells all kinds of wonderful things we're going to make!" they said happily but then their smiles fell again as he'd not yet expressed how he felt.
"Why the long faces lads? I looked at your records before you came in here and saw the wonderful grades you've been getting. If owning your own joke shop is what you want to do then I won't stand in your way just please for the love of merlin keep the great grades up in the meantime. I believe in you, in all of you!" he said shedding a tear and hugging them all. Ron was thrilled his dad was now so close to him that he could see him every day. He'd really been missing his dad a lot lately and now he could have him here all the time. Arthur explained to them that nothing much would change in their lives and that he'd always have time for them no matter what. They were more stunned to learn he'd not gone straight to the ministry to work after school either. He'd taken a gap year off to travel and find out what he really wanted to do. He told them that if their own paths looked like this than it was ok too. Naturally Percy was disappointed in him and told him that as well. He explained that taking a year off to find yourself was good but that it was disgusting Arthur had done this and then had the job he'd had for all these years. Arthur saw he'd never change the mind of Percy and that Percy would need to learn the hard way that getting your dream job was not always as easy as it first seemed.
Molly was stunned Arthur had gotten that job and even more stunned that the board itself had assigned him the job. That was no joke. She hoped he'd be able to keep cool and current with the kids. She had no real idea what kids these days liked. She was still finding it tough that to accept that Ginny simply didn't like Harry Potter in a romantic way. It truly baffled the mind. She couldn't help but think that if Ginny was left to her own devices in the love department she'd probably wind up taking to someone stupid. She would take a wait and see approach however as she could be wrong and if anything had taught her that the whole situation with Ron had. She had been foolish but still didn't think she was wrong. She merely thought her methods were wrong. She still believed that Harry should want Ginny. She was proud of Arthur though for getting his new job.
Elsewhere Albus landed in the mud. "Please Aberforth don't do this to me. It was an accident. I am sure they didn't mean to fire me. I'm sure I'll be hired again once they realise that the school cannot run well without me. I need the key Abe!" he cried out as Abe laughed at him on the ground.
"I always knew you were filth Albus. I mean you couldn't even keep the one good job you actually had. I will die before I give you that key however I am not cold hearted so you may stay at the lodge in Kenmare!" he said throwing a summoned key at Albus. Kenmare was the location for their family holiday cottage but it was in Ireland. He'd have to plan accordingly then. He'd make sure people knew he was still needed at Hogwarts. He was terrified as he still needed to tell Nicholas what had happened to his stone. Nicholas would laugh when he told him about it. At school Arthur had decided to take his first week in the school off to spend a few minutes speaking personally with each of their students about how school was going for them and what, if anything, they may or may not need. He felt this would be better. There were mountains of paper work which Albus had left undone. Arthur gathered himself and his work all at his desk and used a time chamber charm to enable him to get it all done in eight hours as oppose to the weeks it would take him otherwise.
Eight hours later he was all done and feeling exhausted. At least now all the paperwork was done and organised and he could sleep well tonight knowing he could start fresh tomorrow. It would be a good day tomorrow for sure. The great hall was abuzz with excitement as everyone waited to see who the new head of Hogwarts was. When he came out he was totally booed by Slytherin who were shouting about him being a blood traitor and everything else.
"To those of Slytherin house booing me just know when you get out of school you need to be able to do things yourself and leaning on your father or his accomplishments makes you weak. This is easy people. If you make a mistake in here while you're learning we can always fix it tomorrow. Out there you get one chance and if you blow it there many lives will be affected. I can see by your stunned faces you didn't think of that. Never judge the child by the actions of their father and kids stop leaning on your dads all the time. Strike out and be your own wonderful selves!" he said very seriously and everyone in the hall was quiet. He'd told them what it was without any filter unlike Dumbledore would have and a consequence they now valued him much more than they had. He was fresh and able to defend himself. He looked wary when Slytherin house clapped for him. Even Severus seemed stunned. Arthur hadn't held his first staff meeting yet and he was nervous about how it would go. That night in bed Arthur fell straight to sleep dreaming of his kids all having successful lives. What a great day it had been!