9.2: Faculty Meeting
Selected Listening: Dumbledore- James Newton Howard
It was the second faculty meeting after the writing appeared on the wall. Most of the hubbub had petered out, but there was still an ominous tone hanging over the teachers as they waited for Albus to appear and begin the meeting. He did so, with Minerva at his side and took his place at the head of the table. Snape sat amongst the teachers, hands folded. He waited to present a question to the table that had been on his mind ever since a particular Slytherin boy had come to office hours to pester him.
The meeting went on in its usual fashion. Upcoming events, notes, reminders, but no one paid any attention to the banal details of school. They were more concerned about the chamber being opened, and what it meant for the lot of them. Finally, Albus said—
"Are there any questions?"
"Have you found out anything more about who wrote the message on the wall?" Charity Burbage demanded.
"And who petrified my cat?" Asked Filch, hugging Mrs. Norris's petrified body to his chest. He refused to let go of her. While it begged sympathy before, the rest of the faculty now saw Mrs. Norris as a strange ornamental omen, reminding them of the horrors hanging over them.
"At this point, I have no more information than you do. Now if you don't have any other questions—"
Snape interjected, "One of my students came to me with an intriguing question concerning potentially targeted students."
"We have no proof students are being—"
"The student was concerned about how the, 'heir of Slytherin' whoever that might be, knows who is muggleborn and who is not. If the heir was some sort of ghost or poltergeist, then he or she would have some magical sense to detect who is and who isn't pureblood. Is that correct?"
Albus considered this.
"I highly doubt there is a magical sense that could give someone—even a ghost—that ability Severus, because there is no physical difference or marker between a muggle-born and pureblood student. As you should know, Severus."
"So, you admit we might be dealing with a mortal being whom may not know the blood status of every student, or rather, they are finding information as they go."
"That may be the case," he said, folding his hands.
"Therefore, if a pureblood student was hiding under the guise of being a muggleborn, that student would also be in danger," Snape said pointedly.
Minerva and Albus froze. Charity gave a pointed look at Severus. Lockhart laughed.
"Excuse me, but what pureblood wizard or witch in their right mind would be hiding that sort of thing at a time like this! Seems like an unfounded fear, Severus."
Lockhart's question came of as ridiculously blood purist, and the other teachers glared at him until his chuckles went silent.
"The student in question is Anastasia Green of Gryffindor house. I have suspected this student for a long time. She is unnaturally talented for someone who grew up without muggle parents, and she doesn't seem to have to put in as much work as a student like Granger. On top of that she's displayed unique alchemy abilities that are abnormal for any Hogwarts student to have."
Professor Sprout perked up at his words.
"She has Holly's necklace, Albus." Pomona said. "She hides it, but I've seen it."
"Holly? As in Holly Sinclaire—" Lockhart started.
"Friends, friends, I know that many at this table went through much pain during the war, and that we've lost many students that we cared dearly about. But that's no reason to go looking for explanations in muggleborn students who don't have anything to do with what happened before. Pomona, just because she's wearing a necklace like Holly's, doesn't mean it is Holly's. And just because she can do some advanced magic, may mean she found the right book at Flourish and Botts and read it, correct? I see no reason for concern…
"If I'm correct, headmaster. The magic she performed in my final last year- changing the structure of dragon's blood—is only taught in a seminar you provide to highly advanced scholars—"
"Who was the student who asked, Severus?" asked Albus,
"Draco Malfoy."
"Yer kiddin' me!" Hagrid banged his fist on the table. "That little snot's probably looking to kill her himself. You heard him when we found the writing on the wall. You'll be next, mudbloods, the most purist hogwash I've ever heard."
"I see no use for those kind of accusations Hagrid," said Snape.
"They aren't accusations if he's proved them, Severus," Minerva said.
"Hush!" Albus told them all, and they quieted down. "We've already researched the Malfoy family tree as a precaution, and we know that young Malfoy is not the heir. He has been raised in a traditional pureblood home, so he is likely to make off-color comments with no backing whatsoever. As for the student in question, Minerva has met with her parents before, and she is most certainly muggleborn. So, I will have no more conspiracy theories from any of you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, headmaster." Hagrid said gruffly and looked away. The others stewed quietly in dissatisfaction.
"Very well," Albus said, "Dismissed."