Author's Note
Hey guys, sorry that this chapter is a bit late. I'm also sorry if you guys feel that this chapter is a bit rushed or short.
Thing is, I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick of the Chamber of Secrets. I've been writing about it for thirteen chapters now.
Thankfully, this will be the last. I'll be wrapping things up here. Don't worry though. This isn't the end of the story.
I'll pick up with the events of Prisoner of Azkaban after this. Anyway, enjoy guys.
The talk with Harry went as I expected. The boy seemed overwhelmed. Not that I blamed him. His life was about to change. Rather like mine.
The next day, Monday, went exactly as I thought it would. As soon as I entered the Ministry of Magic, I was nearly blinded by the flashes of cameras.
Turns out there were quite a few international publications that were interested in this story. Or rather, all of them it seems.
It's not everyday a basilisk is killed. Never one this old either. The famous ' monster ' of the Chamber of Secrets. Apparently, my age was a selling point as well.
I've had to give interviews to dozens of magazines that catered exclusively to witches. I wanted to decline, but this was actually positive press attention for the school and I'd be a fool to pass up on that.
Cornelius Fudge clearly planned this out. In the Ministry atrium, right infront of the Fountain of Magical Brethren, a stage had been set up.
There were thousands of witches and wizards in attendance. I wasn't focused on them however. I had to feign interest in the Minister's speech.
He went on about bravery and duty and pride. Things he'd know nothing about. But that's not surprising. Most politicians are hypocrites after all.
When the time came, an aide came up the stage and presented the minister with a flat ornate box made of dark wood. It's then that Fudge gestured me forward.
I moved towards him, stopping before him, facing him. A hush went through the audience then. He opened the box and removed a small shield, about the size of my palm.
It was made of precious metals and stones. Stones that were glowing with their own inner light. A stylised M, made of opal, took up the centre of it.
The fabled Order of Merlin, First Class. The Minister then pinned it to my chest. The moment it touched my robe, it glowed brighter and magically affixed itself to me.
Fudge then shook my hand. Both of us turned towards the audience. I allowed a small smile on my face. The crowd was cheering and the flashing of bulbs from the cameras were going off before us.
I gave a brief speech afterwards and then I had to shake hands with what felt like thousands of people. I answered a few questions from a number of journalists, but I left the Ministry in a hurry thereafter.
The rest of the school year thankfully went by without anymore issues. The only contentious thing that happened was when I informed the staff about the nest of acromantula that were spawning in the Forbidden Forest.
Unsurprisingly, they were horrified. Nobody paid Hagrid's words that they were misunderstood creatures any mind. I was able to calm things down however, by making two points.
The first point was that now that the wards were getting back to full strength, the creatures would not be able to leave the forest.
Secondly, the acromantula were actually an untapped resource. They had basically been living in the forest unknownst to the staff or students for decades now.
Thus, they've been living there untroubled. For that to continue being the case, they'd have to pay a ' rent ' of sorts. Consisting of their silk and their venom, both of which are highly valuable.
Considering I was accompanied by twenty of the staff, all with their wands drawn, the leader of the acromantula, Aragog, had no choice but to consent.
Once that was taken care of, I focused on a new project of mine. The confirmation that the Dark Lord would return, did not sit well with me.
I knew that the school and it's students would be targets. I'd read everything there was to say about the previous war and one thing was made readily apparent.
Both Dumbledore and the Ministry were reactionary. They took no proactive steps to deal with the threat and they suffered for it. I had no intention of allowing any of my students to become casualties.
To that end, I identified one glaring weakness. The Hogwarts Express. It is vulnerable to attack, both at Kings Cross as well as en route to the school.
What's more, with the advances muggles have made recently, having hundreds of children in their midst so often was a major security risk. As is Diagon Alley to be honest.
I can do nothing about the Alley, but I can do something about the express. My idea actually came from Mr Weasley, with his enchanted car.
Unlike him though, I'm an actual Enchanter. The only issue I faced was what to replace the Express with. I could enchant anything the muggles used for transport, but I wanted to do something unique.
Not only that, I needed something fast. Something that could move faster than any broom, faster than any of the muggle's planes in fact and was well protected from spells.
I realised though, that such an undertaking was a bit beyond me. Don't get me wrong, I could do it, but alone, it would take years to enchant the thing.
That is why once I'd decided on the form it would take, I had the Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts and the Charms Professors helping me.
I had decided on something that can fly. The shape I chose for it, was that of a dragonfly. An enchanted dragonfly large enough to carry a thousand students inside of it and then some.
It will therefore be massive. Thanks to space expansion enchantments, it doesn't have to be as long as the Hogwarts Express, indeed it won't be.
Unlike with the Express, it is my wish that there be more than two adults on board. With the train, only the trolley lady and the driver are adults.
With the Dragonfly, yes that's what I'll be calling it. Unoriginal, but I like it. There will be a dozen staff members on board during the journey to and from school. Just in case there are any issues with the construct, unlikely as it is to be, or if it should be attacked which is even less likely.
The abdomen of the construct will have levels and they too will have compartments. It will be far nicer than that on the Express, for each compartment will have its own bathroom. Soundproofed, naturally.
They will also be larger. Much larger. There is a reason for that. In the event of long trips, the compartments can become bedrooms.
I wish to give the students as comprehensive an education as is possible.
To that end, I've actually gotten a few ideas from the muggles that I'm keen on implementing. One of which, is the idea of field trips.
I wish for them to see the entirety of the Magical World. With this construct, I intend to see it happen.
Many of the staff are disbelieving that what I'm proposing is possible. They don't need to believe though.
This is more makes up the little things that vie for my attention. I know however, that there's one final confrontation that awaits me when the school year ends.
The issue of Harry Potter. I know there are vested interests at play, that will stop at nothing to control the boy. I won't budge from my promise to him or what I see as my duty as Headmaster however.
When the final day of the school year dawns, I send a message via house elf, to Harry Potter's relatives that he won't be returning. I have the elf place the letter on the kitchen table and leave before any of them wake up.
After their final breakfast at school, the students make their way to their dorms to retrieve their things. Harry however, comes to my office.
I allow him to stand by my window and watch the progress of the carriages from the school towards the station at Hogsmeade, while I go through my paperwork.
My lips twitch as the wards of the school ping. They send me a mental impression of what's wrong. A phoenix tried to flash through the wards, but was stopped.
Something that would have been impossible, if I didn't use the blood of my animagus form to alter the wards to stop it.
Next my floo chimes, but I ignore it. I can almost sense Harry's curiosity. I don't say anything though, because right at the edge of the wards, I feel someone appear.
After a minute, the gate opens and Dumbledore steps onto the grounds. I smile openly now. So it begins.