A/N Wergild is 'man price.' Part of the Old English code of kinship, traditionally each rank of society was evaluated at a definite monetary value. The price had to be paid to a dead man's kinsmen by the killer wishing to avoid vengeance. Money wasn't really the point as much as the proof that the kinsmen had found a way to satisfy their grief. This is the traditional meaning which is mentioned in this chapter. In a later chapter I will be adding a few other options on how to exact compensation for the loss of a kinsman.
I include wergild in my series of laws/codes making up the Wizard's Code.
Big thanks again to Maria, my beta.
Thank you for reviewing Laura Kay, Minerva Lea, Static-Filled Star, and CEA
Laura Once I decided I was going to have both of Minerva's parents and Armando Dippet be diviners, I just did a quick bit of research online to find a few divination terms to use for my story to make it more authentic. Personally I don't even bother to read my horoscope =) Grindelwald killed Artemisia for use in anthropomancy, divination using the entrails of a human sacrifice. If you reread the dinner scene you might pick up on a few small comments made by Artemisia that indicate she knew it would happen and found it well for lack of a better word, amusing. Let me know if that doesn't answer your question.
Also I fixed it so now I do accept anonymous reviews. Thanks for pointing that out to me.
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Sitting at his desk, Albus Dumbledore looked over the line of his half moon glasses to watch Tom Riddle. A professor should be unbiased. He frowned upon those professors who showed preferential treatment to students of their own house. Dumbledore felt confident he was not one of those professors. He treated all the students, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins with the same courtesy and respect. Well, all but one anyway.
Usually he couldn't place exactly what it was about Tom Riddle that he disliked. Sure there was the sneer of his face and the malevolent glint of his eyes. But both were quickly replaced by an eager to please, angelic expression as soon as Tom noticed the presence of an authority figure. Dumbledore, however, had watched Tom closely since the opening of the Chamber of Secrets a few years back. He had caught the expression more times than he could count. But then most students behaved differently when around the professors, so that couldn't be it.
Maybe it was Tom's smugness when he received the award for special services to the school. Or the condescending look he wore whenever passing the assistant groundskeeper. Perhaps it was caused by his certainty that Rubeus Hagrid would never knowingly harm anyone. And if Hagrid had not been the one to cause the attacks on the school, there were only so many logical conclusions as to why the attacks had stopped.
Well, whatever the cause usually was, he certainly knew what it was about the young man that he disliked at the moment. Having successfully completed his own transformation, Tom was keeping himself occupied by taunting the Ravenclaw in front of him for his incomplete transformation.
"Next time, you should try something a little easier."
As Dumbledore left his desk, the classroom door opened. Alastor Moody quietly found an empty seat in back. A glance at the auror was enough for Dumbledore to know there was no new information. Moody had gotten into the habit of visiting Dumbledore on a semi-regular basis.
"Your attention please, class. Let's try something a little more challenging since some of you seem to find this class so easy."
The students looked around in confusion. For one thing, most of them were struggling to keep up with the NEWT level work. For another, there were only five minutes left to the class. What could they hope to accomplish in five minutes?
Conjuring four teacups, he set them in a circle. He spoke the incantation carefully. When he swished his wand he attempted to mask his look of concentration. He wanted this to look effortless.
In a synchronized motion, the four cups began to rotate and transform. The NEWT level class combined all four houses and Dumbledore being unbiased as ever, they became miniatures of the four house mascots. The lion thrashed his tail and roared. The eagle's wings expanded dwarfing even the lion. The snake uncoiled to its full length. The badger arched its back to better sniff the air.
Still they moved simultaneously in a single fluid motion. The snake unhinged its jaw to capture the badger in its mouth. The eagle poised, beak and talons at the ready to pin the snake directly below its head. The lion's mouth was open, eager to consume the eagle in turn.
Without even the flick of a wand, Dumbledore held them all in place. Still animated, they were contained only by the force of his will. After waiting a full minute to allow the class to take note of the total control he had over his creations, he ended the spell.
Still carefully maintaining the outward appearance of ease, he mentally sighed at the exertion needed for the spell. The applause took some time to die down.
"The challenge is two fold. Transfigure all four simultaneously and keep control of your creations. Each has their own set of urges and desires. Your will must be greater. If you lack the power or concentration necessary for the spell, the result will be most … unpleasant.
He called Tom to the front of the classroom.
Tom rose from his seat and glared at Dumbledore. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he spoke the words.
The first teacup grew shorter and longer. Its color changed to green - a perfect snake. The second tried to be an eagle, but its tail and mane prevented it. The lion's loss of tail and mane was not the most noticeable thing about it. That would be the feathers that covered all of its body. The badger looked passable from behind. But from the front, when it opened its beak the fangs were truly disturbing.
They all stood silently for a moment. Then they noticed each other. When they began to rip and tear at each other, the malformed badger actually held up fairly well against the others with his new features.
The young Slytherin turned a Gryffindor color as he lost control.
Loud enough for the entire class to hear, Dumbledore spoke.
"Perhaps next time you should try something a little easier, Tom."
Dumbledore aborted the unsuccessful transformation.
The bell rang and the students filed out of the classroom.
"Tom. A moment please."
The head boy returned to the front of the classroom.
After watching the young man a full minute without saying a word, Dumbledore spoke.
"I do believe, I was fifty before I had the power and concentration required to maintain a spell like that."
Riddle's fury was evident on his face.
"So all that was just to humiliate me?"
"No, Tom. You are a very powerful and talented wizard."
Dumbledore regarded the young man for a minute before continuing.
"I did it to show you that no matter how powerful you are, there will always be someone more powerful than you. It's an important lesson to learn."
"Will that be all? Sir."
Riddle sneered, no longer bothering to hide his contempt for the older man.
"Yes, Tom. I'll write you a note excusing your lateness. Charms next, is it?"
"Don't bother," was the curt reply. Riddle headed out the door.
Frowning, Dumbledore began to wonder if that had been the best way to handle the situation.
"I don't think I need a psychic to tell me that boy doesn't like you," was Moody's amused contribution. "Little hard on him, or have the NEWT requirements increased dramatically since I took them?"
Dumbledore sighed. How to explain the whirlwind of thoughts and ideas going on in his mind. Instead, he decided to change to the topic that had originally brought the auror to him.
"Still no idea where Minerva is or even how she escaped?"
It was the younger man's turn to sigh.
"Not in the slightest. The house elves can't or won't talk. Technically, Grindelwald is still alive, so they are bound to him. No one apparated from the manor. Not the wizard way, not the house elf way, not the phoenix way. No port keys went off. The entire estate was filled with and surrounded by hit wizards. Even with an invisibility cloak no one would have been able to walk out of that house. All of the house elves are accounted for and confirmed to be house elves. I personally cast 'Finite Incantatem' on the kitten we found till my throat hurt.
In the past few months, at the cost of death to five fully trained aurors and loss of sight for two more, all the various traps and protective spells have been deactivated. The entire manor has been disassembled stone by stone. A series of hidden chambers were discovered - all empty. Quite frankly, I am beginning to suspect we kissed off any hopes of finding that girl when the Ministry let the Dementors… anyways, I think the time has come for you to take what Artemisia said seriously."
Dumbledore waved a hand at the auror dismissively. He had no idea how a seven year old girl had managed to exit a room in a house filled with dozens of aurors and closing the door behind her vanish from the world completely. Even so he refused to believe Artemisia's prediction that Dumbledore must find the child and destroy her. Artemisia warned if he did not, she would one day have the power to destroy him.
"If you won't leave the school, at least let us send some people here to protect you."
Dumbledore gave Moody an amused look. "Yes, I can see it now. Aurors patrolling the halls stunning every black haired, gray eyed girl who tried to approach me - even my students. No, I think I will ignore Artemisia's advice and continue with my life as it is."
Moody sighed again. "Yes, being in a school does make it more of a challenge for us, but easier for her. That's why I suggested you leave. She is getting older you know. Would be eight by now I imagine. In a few years, your enemies could just enroll her here and-"
Wham. Moody smacked his fist on the desk.
"Tell me Alastor, have you decided to follow Grindelwald's advice?"
Moody blushed furiously. "Well, he only mentioned a little thing to me so I didn't see any harm in it. The new trunk is nice."
Moody stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Seven compartments. Last one is as big as a cellar."
Dumbledore chuckled in amazement. Grindelwald's last act before the Dementor's kiss had been to tell Alastor Moody how much more enjoyable his later years would be, if he bought himself a bigger trunk. More to change the topic than anything else, he asked, "So what becomes of it all now?"
Moody shrugged.
"The Ministry has no plans to reassemble the house. Various families of Grindelwald's victims have begun to squabble over his elves and estate to pay the wergild. No official records exist for the girl, so even if she is ever found, she won't be inheriting anything through him."
Moody smiled bitterly.
"You know she disappeared so completely half the people who saw her have begun to wonder if she ever existed at all."
Dumbledore shook his head at this.
"If she never existed who exactly handed over Grindelwald's wand?"
After pausing for a minute to think on all that had been said, he asked another question.
"The kitten. What happened to it?"
Moody grinned shaking his head.
"Bloody thing bit my wand and then bit me when I was casting on it. Sent it off to make sure it wasn't poisonous. It wasn't. Not sure what happened to it after."
Dumbledore chuckled remembering the mischievous gray and black tabby kitten that repeatedly drove Grindelwald to distraction.
"Did you really think it was poisonous?"
Moody shuddered. "After seeing the way Grindelwald killed his own wife and the way some of the others died while taking the house apart, nothing would have surprised me."
Dumbledore sobered. "Well it's almost lunch time. Are you staying? I'm sure Dippet would like to hear the update from you directly."
Moody nodded and followed him to the Great Hall.
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Tom Riddle, Dumbledore later learned, never made it to Charms class that day. He also never bothered with lunch or his afternoon classes. Instead, for the rest of the day Riddle was in his room practicing the incantation over and over, unsuccessfully.
Years later, the other occupant of the Head Boy room told Headmaster Dumbledore that Riddle could be heard to remark aloud;
"Before I graduate, I will show that old fool Dumbledore that no one humiliates Lord Voldemort."
I include wergild in my series of laws/codes making up the Wizard's Code.
Big thanks again to Maria, my beta.
Thank you for reviewing Laura Kay, Minerva Lea, Static-Filled Star, and CEA
Laura Once I decided I was going to have both of Minerva's parents and Armando Dippet be diviners, I just did a quick bit of research online to find a few divination terms to use for my story to make it more authentic. Personally I don't even bother to read my horoscope =) Grindelwald killed Artemisia for use in anthropomancy, divination using the entrails of a human sacrifice. If you reread the dinner scene you might pick up on a few small comments made by Artemisia that indicate she knew it would happen and found it well for lack of a better word, amusing. Let me know if that doesn't answer your question.
Also I fixed it so now I do accept anonymous reviews. Thanks for pointing that out to me.
**********************************************
Sitting at his desk, Albus Dumbledore looked over the line of his half moon glasses to watch Tom Riddle. A professor should be unbiased. He frowned upon those professors who showed preferential treatment to students of their own house. Dumbledore felt confident he was not one of those professors. He treated all the students, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins with the same courtesy and respect. Well, all but one anyway.
Usually he couldn't place exactly what it was about Tom Riddle that he disliked. Sure there was the sneer of his face and the malevolent glint of his eyes. But both were quickly replaced by an eager to please, angelic expression as soon as Tom noticed the presence of an authority figure. Dumbledore, however, had watched Tom closely since the opening of the Chamber of Secrets a few years back. He had caught the expression more times than he could count. But then most students behaved differently when around the professors, so that couldn't be it.
Maybe it was Tom's smugness when he received the award for special services to the school. Or the condescending look he wore whenever passing the assistant groundskeeper. Perhaps it was caused by his certainty that Rubeus Hagrid would never knowingly harm anyone. And if Hagrid had not been the one to cause the attacks on the school, there were only so many logical conclusions as to why the attacks had stopped.
Well, whatever the cause usually was, he certainly knew what it was about the young man that he disliked at the moment. Having successfully completed his own transformation, Tom was keeping himself occupied by taunting the Ravenclaw in front of him for his incomplete transformation.
"Next time, you should try something a little easier."
As Dumbledore left his desk, the classroom door opened. Alastor Moody quietly found an empty seat in back. A glance at the auror was enough for Dumbledore to know there was no new information. Moody had gotten into the habit of visiting Dumbledore on a semi-regular basis.
"Your attention please, class. Let's try something a little more challenging since some of you seem to find this class so easy."
The students looked around in confusion. For one thing, most of them were struggling to keep up with the NEWT level work. For another, there were only five minutes left to the class. What could they hope to accomplish in five minutes?
Conjuring four teacups, he set them in a circle. He spoke the incantation carefully. When he swished his wand he attempted to mask his look of concentration. He wanted this to look effortless.
In a synchronized motion, the four cups began to rotate and transform. The NEWT level class combined all four houses and Dumbledore being unbiased as ever, they became miniatures of the four house mascots. The lion thrashed his tail and roared. The eagle's wings expanded dwarfing even the lion. The snake uncoiled to its full length. The badger arched its back to better sniff the air.
Still they moved simultaneously in a single fluid motion. The snake unhinged its jaw to capture the badger in its mouth. The eagle poised, beak and talons at the ready to pin the snake directly below its head. The lion's mouth was open, eager to consume the eagle in turn.
Without even the flick of a wand, Dumbledore held them all in place. Still animated, they were contained only by the force of his will. After waiting a full minute to allow the class to take note of the total control he had over his creations, he ended the spell.
Still carefully maintaining the outward appearance of ease, he mentally sighed at the exertion needed for the spell. The applause took some time to die down.
"The challenge is two fold. Transfigure all four simultaneously and keep control of your creations. Each has their own set of urges and desires. Your will must be greater. If you lack the power or concentration necessary for the spell, the result will be most … unpleasant.
He called Tom to the front of the classroom.
Tom rose from his seat and glared at Dumbledore. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he spoke the words.
The first teacup grew shorter and longer. Its color changed to green - a perfect snake. The second tried to be an eagle, but its tail and mane prevented it. The lion's loss of tail and mane was not the most noticeable thing about it. That would be the feathers that covered all of its body. The badger looked passable from behind. But from the front, when it opened its beak the fangs were truly disturbing.
They all stood silently for a moment. Then they noticed each other. When they began to rip and tear at each other, the malformed badger actually held up fairly well against the others with his new features.
The young Slytherin turned a Gryffindor color as he lost control.
Loud enough for the entire class to hear, Dumbledore spoke.
"Perhaps next time you should try something a little easier, Tom."
Dumbledore aborted the unsuccessful transformation.
The bell rang and the students filed out of the classroom.
"Tom. A moment please."
The head boy returned to the front of the classroom.
After watching the young man a full minute without saying a word, Dumbledore spoke.
"I do believe, I was fifty before I had the power and concentration required to maintain a spell like that."
Riddle's fury was evident on his face.
"So all that was just to humiliate me?"
"No, Tom. You are a very powerful and talented wizard."
Dumbledore regarded the young man for a minute before continuing.
"I did it to show you that no matter how powerful you are, there will always be someone more powerful than you. It's an important lesson to learn."
"Will that be all? Sir."
Riddle sneered, no longer bothering to hide his contempt for the older man.
"Yes, Tom. I'll write you a note excusing your lateness. Charms next, is it?"
"Don't bother," was the curt reply. Riddle headed out the door.
Frowning, Dumbledore began to wonder if that had been the best way to handle the situation.
"I don't think I need a psychic to tell me that boy doesn't like you," was Moody's amused contribution. "Little hard on him, or have the NEWT requirements increased dramatically since I took them?"
Dumbledore sighed. How to explain the whirlwind of thoughts and ideas going on in his mind. Instead, he decided to change to the topic that had originally brought the auror to him.
"Still no idea where Minerva is or even how she escaped?"
It was the younger man's turn to sigh.
"Not in the slightest. The house elves can't or won't talk. Technically, Grindelwald is still alive, so they are bound to him. No one apparated from the manor. Not the wizard way, not the house elf way, not the phoenix way. No port keys went off. The entire estate was filled with and surrounded by hit wizards. Even with an invisibility cloak no one would have been able to walk out of that house. All of the house elves are accounted for and confirmed to be house elves. I personally cast 'Finite Incantatem' on the kitten we found till my throat hurt.
In the past few months, at the cost of death to five fully trained aurors and loss of sight for two more, all the various traps and protective spells have been deactivated. The entire manor has been disassembled stone by stone. A series of hidden chambers were discovered - all empty. Quite frankly, I am beginning to suspect we kissed off any hopes of finding that girl when the Ministry let the Dementors… anyways, I think the time has come for you to take what Artemisia said seriously."
Dumbledore waved a hand at the auror dismissively. He had no idea how a seven year old girl had managed to exit a room in a house filled with dozens of aurors and closing the door behind her vanish from the world completely. Even so he refused to believe Artemisia's prediction that Dumbledore must find the child and destroy her. Artemisia warned if he did not, she would one day have the power to destroy him.
"If you won't leave the school, at least let us send some people here to protect you."
Dumbledore gave Moody an amused look. "Yes, I can see it now. Aurors patrolling the halls stunning every black haired, gray eyed girl who tried to approach me - even my students. No, I think I will ignore Artemisia's advice and continue with my life as it is."
Moody sighed again. "Yes, being in a school does make it more of a challenge for us, but easier for her. That's why I suggested you leave. She is getting older you know. Would be eight by now I imagine. In a few years, your enemies could just enroll her here and-"
Wham. Moody smacked his fist on the desk.
"Tell me Alastor, have you decided to follow Grindelwald's advice?"
Moody blushed furiously. "Well, he only mentioned a little thing to me so I didn't see any harm in it. The new trunk is nice."
Moody stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Seven compartments. Last one is as big as a cellar."
Dumbledore chuckled in amazement. Grindelwald's last act before the Dementor's kiss had been to tell Alastor Moody how much more enjoyable his later years would be, if he bought himself a bigger trunk. More to change the topic than anything else, he asked, "So what becomes of it all now?"
Moody shrugged.
"The Ministry has no plans to reassemble the house. Various families of Grindelwald's victims have begun to squabble over his elves and estate to pay the wergild. No official records exist for the girl, so even if she is ever found, she won't be inheriting anything through him."
Moody smiled bitterly.
"You know she disappeared so completely half the people who saw her have begun to wonder if she ever existed at all."
Dumbledore shook his head at this.
"If she never existed who exactly handed over Grindelwald's wand?"
After pausing for a minute to think on all that had been said, he asked another question.
"The kitten. What happened to it?"
Moody grinned shaking his head.
"Bloody thing bit my wand and then bit me when I was casting on it. Sent it off to make sure it wasn't poisonous. It wasn't. Not sure what happened to it after."
Dumbledore chuckled remembering the mischievous gray and black tabby kitten that repeatedly drove Grindelwald to distraction.
"Did you really think it was poisonous?"
Moody shuddered. "After seeing the way Grindelwald killed his own wife and the way some of the others died while taking the house apart, nothing would have surprised me."
Dumbledore sobered. "Well it's almost lunch time. Are you staying? I'm sure Dippet would like to hear the update from you directly."
Moody nodded and followed him to the Great Hall.
*****************************************
Tom Riddle, Dumbledore later learned, never made it to Charms class that day. He also never bothered with lunch or his afternoon classes. Instead, for the rest of the day Riddle was in his room practicing the incantation over and over, unsuccessfully.
Years later, the other occupant of the Head Boy room told Headmaster Dumbledore that Riddle could be heard to remark aloud;
"Before I graduate, I will show that old fool Dumbledore that no one humiliates Lord Voldemort."