Disclaimer: I STILL do not own Harry Potter.
Sorry it's been a while since the update. This chapter isn't very long either, but longer than the last one and I thought it better to post something rather than nothing after leaving 2 semi-cliffhangers in a row. So enjoy! And if you don't hate me, click the little review button (I don't think anybody hates me, so I hope to see many pretty reviews please) Or do you hate me? People hate me? Great, now I'm going to go cry instead of writing the next chapter.
Replies:
SilverMoonLuna—Yeah, I truly loathe Harry/Ginny! I don't write it at all. Though I've written some Ginny/Neville I'm not sure how well that ship sails either. Me too! I love Luna/Harry. I knew I didn't like any of the girls we already knew about to be paired up with Harry. That's why in the fics I wrote pre-OotP Harry ends up with a transfer student (a little cliché I know) but she's got something of an attitutude problem and bosses him around and is great at Quiditch. Somebody to keep his ego down (which is weird since in OotP we find out that James had a rather high opinion of himself…) Anyway, I'm rambling, aren't I? Yes, you're right about the mirrors. After I posted the chapter about the mirrors and the D.A. I said to myself, "Shoot, Erin! You already gave that mirror to Neville!" So, I decided that before the meeting Harry spoke with Neville to get the mirror back for D.A. use and just never had it mentioned in the story. I'll go back and fix it eventually; maybe I'll fix it when I fix that contradiction about Ginny being a Prefect (chapters 10 and 45).
ocpawnmaster1—Thanks.
BlackBishop—Thanks, yeah, I think this chapter has more plot, but it's still kind of a bridge chapter, I hope you like it.
Surarrin—Yeah, I see what you mean. I was disappointed in him in the fifth book when I realized just how flawed he was. But hey, he's human like the rest of us and we can't get everything right, right? At least, I know I can't.
Emerald Flame—Yeah, I've got to go back and fix Quiditch to Quidditch in all my stories. Haven't gotten around to it yet, so for now it's still Quiditch, but when I get a chance I'm going to change it all.
dnd4ever—Friends again? Some of them were never friends. They don't even have to be friends as long as their civil to each other. But I wonder if they can even managed that.
star-pheniox—You'll find out soon enough about who's with Dumbledore. Hehe. Wouldn't exactly say I like cliffies, they just happen to be an easy way out when you aren't sure yet about what the next part of the story is supposed to be. And it keeps readers reading. Hehe.
Hrei-siesn—Yeah, it was a little extreme, but the thing is he did just sit back and watch it happen. For nearly a month he watched things get worse and worse until the past week that was mentioned and by then it was just so serious that he couldn't sit back and watch anymore.
LilyFlower14—hehe. Okay, here's the update! Thanks for reviewing.
Wytil—Just wait and see. *evil smile*
ILOVETOWRITE456—Thanks.
Katie Lupin Black—Thanks. You'll see.
phoenixdreams—Yes, actually. My evil plot is to kill off the world by leaving cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. Then I shall become Empress of the Universe and force people to read good books! Haha! Or maybe I'll just stick to sitting at my computer and writing fic. Hmmm, second option sounds less stressful. Think I'll stick to it.
jbfritz—Yup. Semi-fatal wounds. Doesn't Harry suffer some of those?
athenakitty—Yes. The behavior situation has indeed gotten that bad at our beloved Hogwarts.
kraeg001—hehe. Thanks. Hope you like the next chapter!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
CHAPTER 64: Reason for
Dispute
"She's not a Prefect! What's she doing here?"
"If you were not aware, Mister Malfoy, the one of the Ravenclaw prefects is in the hospital wing and shall likely remain there several days. Miss Lovegood here is taking acting as substitute for her."
"Can we move on with this meeting? I have other, more important things to do," drawled Draco Malfoy.
"Then leave," Harry spat.
"Mister Potter, Mister Malfoy has just as much right to be here as you do," the Headmaster said sternly.
Harry looked around to take a look around at all the people crammed into Dumbledore's office. He took a headcount, 26 students and 1 Dumbledore. Ginny and Colin were the 5th year Gryffindor Prefects and Ron and Hermione were the sixth. Dylan and Susie were the seventh year Prefects, but Dylan was also Head Boy. Harry was there as Quiditch captain. There were seven Hufflepuffs. Slytherin had all six of it's accounted Prefects, but they didn't have seven people since Malfoy was also the Quiditch captain. The seventh year Ravenclaw girl prefect was also head girl, there were 4 prefects beside, and Luna to fill in for the missing fifth year. Cho was there as the Quiditch captain.
"Professor, what did you call us in for?" asked Hermione impatiently.
"You might as well tell," Luna said in a singsong voice. "They've got to know."
"What do we need to know?" asked Harry.
"As Miss Lovegood has pointed out, you all need to be brought up to date on things. I'm sure you are all aware that you are not just students."
"We're authority figures," Ernie said pompously.
Dumbledore shut him up with a glare. "As I was saying, you are not just students. You are influential students. For various reasons, other students look up to you; they care about what you think and what you do. They follow your example. You must make peace with each other if the rest of the school is to be at peace."
Harry asked stiffly, "Sir, how do you propose we do this? Slytherin and Gryffindor have been fighting since Hogwarts was founded."
A fifth year Hufflepuff added, "Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws have never gotten along with Slytherins either."
"Don't any of you listen to the Hat's song?" Hermione asked in exasperation.
A general din of arguing broke out.
"QUIET!" a croaking voice cut the air.
They all searched around for the source of the voice, but didn't see anyone in the room who they didn't already know was there.
"None of you knew the Founders. I did." They finally pinpointed the source of the voice. Sitting up on a high shelf and looking rather miffed (if a hat can really look anything) was the Sorting Hat. It started to hop down the shelves, a very difficult process. It landed on the 3 legged stool on the floor. "The Founders got along. Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were best friends. The reason that the students I sort into Gryffindor and Slytherin fight so much is because they are so alike. Salazar and Godric were both stubborn, hard-headed, reckless, daring boys who loved to have their own way and always thought their way was best. Just like the students I sort into their houses. But unlike you prejudice creatures, they were friends and they got along. Pah! Control freaks never get along well together because they both want their own way all the time. They were friends. The school split because of policy differences, not because they stopped being friends first. But just like the hard-headed Gryffindors and Slytherins of today they held the grudge of the disagreement, wouldn't forgive each other, and caused the split! Stubborn pigs both of them! Stop looking so smug, Macmillan. I remember sorting you, highfaluting little brat that you were. Would you like to know just why Helga and Rowena sided with Godric? Helga was loyal. She stuck by where her first loyalty was. The school. If the school was going to survive to couldn't be split. It had to stay as whole has possible and it had to be a kind environment. It couldn't be prejudice and exclude people. And Ravenclaw! Rowena looked at it logically. If Muggle-born witches and wizards were left out with their powers untrained they would be dangerous to themselves and others. They would also be persecuted or abused by the other Muggles. Don't tell me it doesn't happen because I happen to know it does happen. So she sided with Godric. Godric himself was a quarter Muggle or something of the like. And so was Salazar. Cousins if I'm not mistaken. Godric didn't see why anyone should be excluded from anything for being born whatever he or she was born. He couldn't understand why Salazar would want to exclude anyone, especially himself being the same. Maybe he thought having more than half wizard blood made him better than those with no wizard blood. They were all friends. All 4 of them and the split was caused by disagreements, not lack of friendship or prejudice. I was there. That is what happened. If you don't believe me, ask the portrait of Allengoth the Ancient on the back staircase of the North tower. He's been here nearly as long as I have. Hmph!"
The students were speechless. They'd never expected something like this from the Sorting Hat. They thought the only time it was even remotely aware was when it sang its song and sorted the students.
"Thank you, Hat. Now as I mentioned on the field, severe action will be taken immediately. You will be removed from your house dormitories for the time being until I see fit to return you. As we speak, rooms are being furnished for you. You will spend this afternoon and this evening cleaning up the messes you allowed your housemates to create. Tonight, well I'll get to that in a bit. You will room together, eat together, and take classes together. This shall continue until I say otherwise. When you have learned to get along with one another and can set a good example for the rest of the school then you may return to your normal schedules. For the meantime, you will be handing in your badges. This week's activities, and the behavior leading up to this week, has indicated that you have proven yourselves unworthy of them."
All but Luna, had at least one badge: Prefect, Quiditch captain, Head. None of them wanted to give up these badges. Harry hadn't realized just how much be Quiditch captain meant to him until today. Now he realized it. Quiditch was a huge part of his identity. It was something that came natural to him, flying was something he could do on his own; how many teachers had told him that he flew as well as his father? It was something that connected him with his unknown past. Dumbledore couldn't take that away. He wouldn't. Harry looked into Dumbledore's and knew that he could and would. He felt his Headmaster had betrayed him again.
Hermione clutched her badge. He couldn't take it away! She was a Prefect! She hadn't broken many rules. Well as long as you didn't count the Polyjuice thing. Or flying to Department of Mysteries. Or going in the 3rd floor corridor in 1st year. Or…
Ron's face paled under his freckles. What would mum say if he lost his prefect's badge? She'd been so proud of him when he'd gotten it…
"What if we won't give up our badges?" asked Malfoy.
Dumbledore snapped. The badges all appeared on the desk in 3 neat stacks. "Dobby," he called.
A house-elf, most oddly dressed, flicked into sight. "Yes, Headmaster Professor Dumbledore, sir? What is you wanting of Dobby, sir?"
"You remember the instructions I gave you earlier?"
"Yes, Headmaster Professor Dumbledore, sir. Everything is ready."
"Good. Lead these students to their designated work spots. If any of you disobey the orders Dobby gives you, I will know a bout it."
"You want us to take orders from a house-elf? A Malfoy is above that sort of thing!" Draco said indignantly.
"Mister Malfoy, Dobby is a free house-elf and no one is above anything when it comes to self improvement," Dumbledore said. "Dobby, lead them away."
"What about Luna? She's not a prefect. Does she still have to be part of this?" asked Harry, worried for her. What if Pansy or one of the other Slytherins got to her?
"Miss Lovegood has her own instructions already. Don't worry yourself about them." Dumbledore turned away from them and looked out his window so no one could see how much effort it was taking him to control his face.
Harry patted Fawkes on the head as he followed Dobby and the others out. Draco refused to be outdone by Potter and attempted to pet the Phoenix as well but Fawkes snapped at him and tried to bite him; he missed only just barely, but he missed on purpose. Harry smirked at him and glaring at each other, they followed the others out into the hall.
"Professor Dumbledore is wanting every one of you to take down the banners and clean off the paint. Here is the tools." He opened a door where there was paint remover, brushes, rags, ladders, and other things they would need. He directed them in groups of three to grab the supplies they needed and led the group of down the corridor, dispatching them in different places in groups of threes. Harry was lucky that Ron and Hermione were in his group.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sorry the Hat's monologue is so long. Wow, I guess when you don't get to speak very often you can get a little chatty.