For copyright and disclaimers, please see chapter 1
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21 – Classes, Week 37, First year
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Unknown date and time:
London, The Ministry of Magic, Minister's office
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"I know I can count on you, Weasley," the Minister said. "We need to lock the Wayne chit away for a while. Someplace safe, where we can play her card later, dead or alive, we'll decide what would be best then."
"Azkaban, then?" Percy said. "Some particularly heinous crime, perhaps," he mused. Nodding, he said, "I'll bring 'round the file and sentencing card for your signature later, Minister."
"Good, good. Have Dolores countersign, my boy. I think I'll arrange to get you on the Wizengamot, but I'll need to arrange a vacancy, first. Pity we can't get rid of that fool Dumbledore."
"Yes, you'd make a much better Chief," Percy said. "I'd best be about her doppelganger, then. You'll let me know how you wish to play it?" The Minister nodded, and Percy levitated the fresh corpse out.
Saturday, April 24, 1999:
Hogwarts, Great Hall, Slytherin table
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"Cancel the match."
"No," Karen shook her head, adding, "Mattie …" she choked, "Mattie would have wanted us to play. She … she loved Quidditch."
"I … I'm sorry about Mattie," Susan Fawcett said, leaning over and giving Karen a hug on her way to the Ravenclaw table.
"Karen," Abby Michaels said as she sat next to the Slytherin Captain. "We can postpone the match if you want; to give a bit …" she choked back a sob, "… a bit more time to grieve."
"Wha' I'd like ta know is one bloody thing," Ian said. "Why was she arrested for tryin' to assassinate tha' bloody half-wit Fudge, when we all had our wands confiscated, and who cast the killin' curse on who fro' the bench?" He took a breath, adding, "An' why was she killed 'resistin' arrest', when she was doped up on veritaserum? She could hardly walk!"
"That's three, but I see wha' you're sayin', brother mine," Frank said. "Isn't tha' normal dosage three drops, an' they gave her four?"
"Or five, even. Tha' mediwizard's hand was shakin' like a leaf," Ian agreed. "There's no way she could aim a curse, much less fight in her condition. An' for someone o' Mattie's size, tha' normal dosage is two drops. Three is an adult dose. Givin' her more because she's an Occlumens? Y'saw wha' the ministry was able to pull out o' her mind."
"What did you see?" Abby asked.
"What looked like a family graveyard," Karen said. "She moved up a path between the headstones, and behind what looked like a family crypt, there was a pile of rocks, with a waterfall and a pool. She sat there and put her feet in the water, and watched the waterfall."
"There was a few seconds of a Quidditch game," James said. "It looked like the Ravenclaw game in January. We saw her orbiting the pitch and the castle in the background, she dove, and it was back to the waterfall." He shrugged, adding, "Then the dementors came in, and tried to drag her off. Sprink and the Ravenclaw chaser …"
"Johnson," Abby said quietly.
"Right, thanks. Sprink and Johnson transformed into wolves and attacked the dementors." James asked, "Did you know they were werewolves?" Abby nodded, and James coughed, then said, "Well, another dementor dragged her off, and that's the last we saw of her. The courtroom was an absolute madhouse, of course."
"Of course," Abby said. She thought for a minute, adding, "The muggles have a saying, guys," Abby said. "Something's rotten in the state of Denmark. I'll owl mum tonight, she works for the ministry, and we'll see what we can find out. For now, though, do we play?"
Karen looked around, and said, "We play. For Mattie, Sprink, and Johnson."
"For Mattie, Sprink and Johnson," Abby said. She held out her hand, and said, "Good luck."
Wednesday, May 5, 1999:
Hogwarts, Great Hall, Slytherin table
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"Hey, guys."
"Sprink!" Ian jumped up and folded her in a rib-crushing hug. "Where ha' ye' been, lil' sis?"
"The bloody ministry, where else? First they dragged me off to 'Werewolf Control'; then they burned a bloody brand on my arm, along with a tattoo, and then they interrogated me, for four stinkin', bloody days! They seem obsessed with the idea there's some bloody conspiracy against that idiot Fudge!" She took a breath, adding, "Then, because it's two bloody days before the full moon, they chain me an' Johnson in cells. I told them I'd be fine if they'd only give me my potion, but no, there's no budget for potion! No budget for bloody food either! Then, after they unchained us this mornin', they kicked us out, and we had to raise a stink just ta' get our wands back! Pomfrey was burnin' our clothes in the fire when we snuck out." Sprink finally ran out of breath, and sat down, grabbing a goblet of pumpkin juice. She looked around, and asked, "Where's Mattie? Pomfrey excused us from classes for the day."
Karen just shook her head and started to cry, choking out, "We haven't heard anything, we don't know. The dementors…"
"No!" Sprink whispered, turning into a howl, "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Friday, May 7, 1999:
Hogwarts, Entrance Hall
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Cornelius Fudge looked at the faculty and students heading to their afternoon classes, and smiled at Professor Snape. "There you are! Just thought I'd personally return Miss Wayne and her property to you. Terrible thing, it is. Terrible." He patted the inexpensive pine coffin, and the battered trunk sitting next to it.
Sprink growled, and moved to open the coffin. She sniffed at the corpse; then spun at the departing politician. "Wait a minute," she called to the departing politician. Several crying students looked up. She sniffed again, and then strode over to Fudge, saying, "That's not Mattie."
"Why, of course that is! After all, she tried to kill me, I ought to know, and Dolores here saw her killed resisting arrest. That's Miss Wayne," he stated with certainty.
"What do you mean, Miss Tonks?" Professor Snape had looked in the coffin, and said, "That's Miss Wayne."
"No, it isn't," Sprink insisted loudly. "That's a glamour spell. The smell is all wrong. Mattie smelled like oil and burnt metal smoke, that person smells like mortar, sweat and pain. I'd put the entire Black family vault on it. Madame Pomfrey should be able to confirm it." She glared at Fudge, and said, "Where's Mattie's stuff, by the way?"
"What do you mean, Miss Tonks?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Sprink motioned, "Mattie used a Firebolt II, that's a Comet 110 that's so old I doubt it flies. Is there anything in the trunk?" she asked the watching students. One of the Hufflepuff students standing near called 'UP!" to the broom, which quivered on the floor. A Ravenclaw opened the trunk, and called, "There's nothing here. No clothes, books, or anything."
"This is absurd," Fudge said. "Here's the receipt for her equipment, it clearly states 'broom and trunk', that's what you've got! Dolores saw her fighting with the Aurors; of course that's her body!"
"Was there anything left in her dorm, Miss Tonks?" Professor Dumbledore asked gently.
She shook her head, "When they searched it, they broke her four-poster. They took everything, the posters on the walls, and even her alchemy books and new computer!" Sprink stalked over to Minister Fudge, telling him, "If Mattie wanted you dead, you would be, and it wouldn't have been with a Killing Curse." Agreement rippled through the watching students.
"Hem, hem," Undersecretary Umbridge said, "How can you be so sure, little girl? Are you calling the Minister and I liars?"
"Yes, I am, you arse! I can smell the bodies, and I can smell you lying. I'm a damned bloody werewolf!" Fudge suddenly turned and bolted for the door. Sprink transformed along with the other two werewolves in the crowd, then howled and gave chase, followed by the students and faculty.
Outside, the three wolves played, circling the puffing Minister as he ran to get out from under the Apparition shield. They herded him in circles in the grass, yipping and barking to each other. Two broke off, running to intercept Dolores Umbridge and herded her near the portly Minister. The two politicians collapsed to the grass, panting, where the wolves lay, watching them with tails wagging as the students and faculty formed a loose semi-circle, and watching the afternoon's entertainment.
"You should know better than to run with canines, Minister," Severus Snape said. "They do love their play." Umbridge levered herself up, drawing her wand. One of the wolves raised their hackles and snarled, crouching and staring at her. A quick 'expelliarmus' relieved her of her wand.
"You saw it! Those … animals attacked us!" Umbridge screeched.
"I saw nothing of the sort," McGonagall said. "They have not laid a paw on you. Why, look at them, tails wagging, they simply want to play. Isn't that right?" The three wolves yipped, and scampered over to her for an ear scratch, tails wagging.
"They're just puppies," Filius Flitwick said, and they yipped, bouncing over to greet him. One of the wolves was larger than the tiny professor, and gently knocked him down with a snout to the chest. Pomona Sprout reached down and helped him to his feet as he chuckled.
"I think it would be best if Severus joined us in my office, Cornelius," the Headmaster said with a twinkle in his eye. He looked around, and said, "Miss Bundy. Would you make the appropriate notice to your potions class?" He gestured, asking, "Cornelius? Dolores?"
Friday, May 7, 1999:
Hogwarts, Headmaster's office
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Cornelius Fudge was picked up by the collar and slammed into the wall by an infuriated Severus Snape, who hissed, "Where is my student? Where is Miss Wayne?"
"Now, now Severus," Albus chided. "Put Cornelius down, that's a good boy. Dolores, won't you sit down and have some tea?"
"If you think that I will politely sit and have tea while this idiot (he slammed Fudge into the wall again) thinks he can pass off a random body he's got lying about with a glamour spell (he slammed Fudge against the wall again), and we wouldn't notice, he is a larger dunderhead than you are, old man." Severus held Fudge at eye level, his pointed green boots dangling at the Potion Master's knees, and snarled, "Where is Miss Wayne?"
"Why, lying in that coffin, of course. Why, that student, a werewolf? They're all such dreadful liars. Comes from their condition of course," Fudge insisted.
"Neither Miss Tonks, nor the other two werewolves, nor indeed any of the werewolves I have known have been congenital liars Fudge," Severus hissed. "Unlike a great number of politicians I have had the misfortune to encounter. Public office may have addled your brains, but mine are as sharp as ever. What is Miss Tonks' motivation to lie about her best friend to her head of house?" He waited, then declaring, "I am waiting for your answer, Fudge."
"She must have wanted the new books and broom and whatnot you seem to insist Wayne had."
The potions master looked disgusted, "Not only are you a liar, Fudge, you are a poor liar. You forget that over three hundred people in this building have seen Wayne with that equipment with their own eyes; not only that, you accuse one of my students of not only lying, but theft. Were Miss Tonks in this room at the moment, she would have every right to demand justice from you."
"Severus, I think…" Albus said.
Severus ignored him, smirking cruelly; adding, "I believe she would have difficulty choosing among her seconds. I would stand with her myself if she wished, as would a number of faculty, including," he paused, "Professor Potter. Surely you have heard of him? Now, Minister, who would stand with you? Hmm? Perhaps … your delightful companion, Dolores Umbridge? Your other toady, Weasley? The one that has managed to alienate his entire family? Perhaps your good mate Lucius Malfoy?" Severus pursed his lips, adding, "No, I think not. You forget Lucius and I were housemates, Minister. Whatever dealings you have with Lucius are strictly business. Tell me, has he ever offered you a drink?" He sneered, saying, "You are not worth my time, Minister," and flung him away. The minister landed with his head making a loud 'crack' against the stone floor.
Dolores Umbridge was out of her chair, shrilling, "How DARE you say that about the Minister! I demand that you apologize immediately! This is a gross violation of …"
Severus picked her up by the front of her robes, snarling, "You are a gross violation of my oxygen, Dolores Umbridge. I would also like to know why you are still wearing Slytherin colours, when you have been expelled from my house. I demand that you crawl under a rotten log with your beloved Minister and the other slugs, you fat toad." He looked at the Headmaster, saying, "I will be with Poppy, Albus, assisting in the autopsy. Once we have determined the corpse's identity, we will arrange with her family for burial." He shook Umbridge, adding, "Idiot, you thought we wouldn't do an autopsy?" He snorted, adding, "You will, of course sign a proper death certificate for the poor girl." Dropping her to the floor, he told the worried Headmaster as he left, "Ply these two with your tea and lemon drops old man, and get what you can out of them. Some of us still care what happens to our students."
