By dinnertime the entire school knew what had happened in Potions, and speculation was rife as to what sort of punishment Harry and Ron would receive. However, speculation was further aroused when there was a commotion out in the hallway, and when Professor McGonagall went to see what was going on, a furious looking Lucius Malfoy was in the front hallway, demanding to see his son and the headmaster. With him was a pensive looking Fudge, and as the adults headed up to the higher levels of the castle, The Great Hall will filled with rumours about what would happen next.
What did happen next was a flying visit to the hospital wing from Lucius, where Draco was still residing despite only having a bruised shoulder rather than a dislocation. After reassuring himself of his son's health, Lucius then stormed into the headmaster's office, Fudge trailing behind him, hoping that the blond wizard wasn't going to cause too much trouble.
"Lucius, Minister," Dumbledore greeted with an incline of his head, not looking at all perturbed by the unexpected interruption. "This is an unexpected honour."
"Don't try that nicety-nice stuff with me," Lucius snapped. "I want to know why I wasn't informed of my son's injury."
"If you're here, clearly you do know about it," Dumbledore remarked.
"Only because his friends sent an urgent owl to inform me," Lucius retorted. "Tell me Albus, did you plan on telling me that my son is in the hospital wing with a possible dislocated shoulder?"
"Madam Pomfrey has diagnosed a simple bruising," Dumbledore argued. "In fact, he was well enough to join the other students for dinner, but he insisted on staying in the hospital wing for longer."
"That is because he is in agony," Lucius hissed. "I've just come from the hospital wing, and while Draco's shoulder might not be dislocated, it is still troubling him. I'll have you know that his arm has never been the same since that incident in third year."
Dumbledore arched an eyebrow, but chose not to comment. In actual fact the incident Lucius was referring to had almost cost poor Rubeus Hagrid his job. Dumbledore had been forced to fight tooth and nail to hang onto Hagrid as a Professor. And as for the injury Draco had supposedly suffered, Madam Pomfrey had been unable to find anything seriously wrong with him. Not that it had stooped him walking around in a sling for weeks afterwards. In Dumbledore's opinion the entire injury had been put on, and he felt it was the same thing happening again.
"When I leave here, I will be taking Draco with me to see a healer," Lucius announced.
"That is your prerogative, but I have every faith in Madam Pomfrey and her diagnostic skills," Dumbledore said.
"And I'm sure she's more than happy to say whatever you want her to," Lucius snapped. "My son is hurt, and I intend to get him the treatment he has obviously been denied here."
"And when will Draco be returning to school, tonight or in the morning?" Dumbledore asked.
"That will depend how long it takes for us to be seen by a healer," Lucius replied. "But before that, we have some further business to discuss."
"We do?" Dumbledore questioned with a puzzled frown, wondering if this second reason was why Fudge was with Lucius.
"Yes, we do," Fudge said solemnly as he stepped forward. "We want to know more about this incident."
"It was a potions accident," Dumbledore replied with a shrug. "You both know how dangerous potion making can be."
"Yes, potions can be dangerous in the wrong hands," Lucius retorted. "Accidents are more likely to occur in the first couple of years. A sixth year lesson should not be disrupted by such an incident."
"Lucius is right," Fudge said with an agreeable nod. "What went wrong, Albus?"
"Severus is looking into that as we speak," Dumbledore admitted.
"In that case, call for him and we might get some answers," Fudge ordered as he took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk and a smirking Lucius settled down beside him.
Left with no alternative, Dumbledore contacted Severus via the floo and asked the Potions Master to join them in his office. Within two minutes, Severus alighted from the fire, showing no signs of surprise to find Lucius and Fudge in the headmaster's office.
"The Minster is here to discuss today's incident," Dumbledore explained. "I take it you have found the cause of the explosion?"
"I have," Severus replied with a nod as he took a seat next to Lucius. "Poppy seeds were added to the potion."
"Poppy seeds?" Lucius questioned with a frown. "Very few potions use poppy seeds as they can be so dangerous."
"You never add poppy seeds to a potion that still needs stirring," Severus agreed. "The few potions that use them, add them at the very end."
"So what should have been added to the potion?" Fudge asked.
"Papaya shards," Severus answered. "I can't say if there was Papaya shards on the workbench to be added to the potion due to the damage that was caused in my classroom, but there were none in the potion."
"So it was a simple mistake," Dumbledore said with a relived smile. "Maybe a misread label."
"Only an idiot would misread poppy seeds for papaya shards," Lucius sneered. "And shouldn't sixth years know the dangers of poppy seeds?"
"They should," Severus agreed with a nod. "And I would swear that bar the two students involved in the accident, the rest of the class knows the dangers."
"But these two involved in the accident don't?" Fudged frowned. "How is that possible? I hope you're not letting tour standards of teaching slip, Severus."
"Can I be honest with you Minister?" Severus asked.
"Of course," Fudge replied.
"It was not my choice to allow Mr Potter and Mr Weasley into my potions class this year," Severus explained. "Neither of them have the ability to cope with the workload. Their potions are average at best, and quite frankly this was an accident waiting to happen."
"If they weren't good enough to take your class, why are they?" Fudge demanded.
"I didn't make that call, Minister," Severus replied, letting his eyes drift towards the headmaster.
"You did this," Fudge hissed at Dumbledore. "You forced Severus to take students into his class who weren't up for the task?"
"I have every faith in Harry and Ron's abilities," Dumbledore defended. "And I had faith that Severus would be able to impart some of his wisdom on them," he added, throwing the Potions Professor a disappointed look.
"I told you at the start of the year that neither of them are cut out for potions," Severus argued. "Their N.E.W.T scores will be the lowest my department has seen for years. And their scores will certainly not be enough to get them onto Auror training."
"Auror training?" Lucius scoffed. "That is what this is about? You've flouted a rule Severus has had in place for years, just to get your precious Potter and his dumb sidekick accepted into Auror training?"
"Albus, please say that isn't true," Fudge hissed.
"Potions is a required element to get into Auror training, and I know how much Harry has set his heart on joining the Ministry," Dumbledore explained. "He would be an asset to the Ministry, Cornelius. He's just the sort of wizard you want training to be an Auror. His Defence work is second to none, isn't that right, Severus?"
"He does excel in that subject," Severus reluctantly agreed. "Sadly, he is sorely lacking elsewhere. I know that Potions is not the only subject he struggles in."
"But he will get the required grades in every other subject," Dumbledore argued.
"Maybe with a lot of hard work," Severus conceded. "But all the hard work in the world won't change his potion ability. He is simply not cut out for the complex potions my sixth and seventh years are required to make. And don't get me started on the disaster that is Ronald Weasley."
"I think both boys need removing from Potions before any further accident occur," Fudge decided.
"Please don't do that Cornelius," Dumbledore begged. "You're taking away their future if you remove them from the class."
"And if I allow them to stay in the class, I am risking the lives of every other student," Fudge retorted sharply. "My mind is made up, Mr Potter and Mr Weasley are to be stopped from participating in Potions lessons."
"And what about the fact they were in a lesson they weren't competent enough to deal with?" Lucius asked the Minister. "As a parent, I am not happy that my son was put in danger by taking lessons with two people not good enough to handle the work. Draco could have been seriously hurt this afternoon."
"It is a regrettable incident," Fudge said with a solemn nod. "Especially given recent events and decisions. I'm afraid I have no choice but to ask you to leave your post today, Albus."
"What?" Dumbledore's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and he very almost fell off his chair at the announcement. "You can't be serious, Cornelius. I will be leaving in a few weeks anyway."
"And there is nothing I would have liked more than to have had you get to the end of the year without further incident," Fudge replied. "But this incident cannot be overlooked. It is better for all concerned, if you pack up and leave Hogwarts this evening."
"If that is your final word on the matter, it appears I have no choice," Dumbledore said stiffly as he rose to his feet. "With your permission, I would like to prepare Professor McGonagall for taking over my duties, and give a farewell speech to the students."
"I'm sure a farewell speech can be arranged," Fudge said. "But there is no need to talk to Professor McGonagall about taking over as headmaster. I have decided to go with someone younger to fill the post."
"Who?" Dumbledore demanded, considering his staff and dismissing most of them out of hand as suitable candidates for headmaster.
"I hadn't yet approached him, since I thought we had until the end of the year," Fudge said as he turned in his chair to face Severus. "But I would like to offer Severus the job."
"Me?" Severus queried, genuinely shocked by the request. Although judging from the lack of surprise on Lucius's face, it was a move his friend had been expecting, or more than likely a move he'd had his hand in.
"Yes you," Fudge said with a short nod of his head. "I think you're the perfect man for the job, Severus."
"In that case I would be honoured," Severus replied with a smile.
"Congratulations, Severus, I just know you're going to do a good job," Lucius said, smirking at a shell-shocked Dumbledore. "Don't you think so, Albus?"
"Yes, of course," Dumbledore replied, forcing a smile onto his lips.
Even though Dumbledore trusted Severus, and knew whose side he was really on, he still would have preferred McGonagall to have taken over from him as to keep up his act as a spy, Severus would have to be seen to favour the Slytherins and do as The Dark Lord asked him to. The appointment of Severus as headmaster certainly wasn't the best news for certain students in the castle, and as far as Dumbledore was concerned, it was more important than ever that they defeated Voldemort and his wicked daughter. Although Dumbledore was in no doubt that Severus also felt the same, and would be looking forward to the day he no longer had to hide his true colours.
"Well then, I think I should go and get Draco and get him off to the hospital," Lucius announced as he got to his feet with a spring in his step. "I will let you know when we're coming back, Severus."
"Of course," Severus replied with a nod. "And I hope he's not too badly hurt."
"It's just a sodding bruise," Dumbledore muttered, unable to stop himself from sneering at Draco's so-called injury.
"And you wonder why so many people will be thrilled to see you leave this place," Lucius spat, throwing Dumbledore a look of pure contempt. "Your lack of concern for my son, is very revealing, Dumbledore. Yet, I bet if it was your precious Potter in that hospital wing, you would be fretting at his bedside. Talk about your double standards."
With a haughty snort, Lucius said his goodbyes to Fudge and Severus and headed back to the hospital wing to pick up Draco. When they reached the ground floor, he allowed his son to go into The Great Hall and tell his friends where he was going. Of course he also allowed Draco to let slip about Dumbledore's immediate departure, which meant that by the time the Malfoys left the castle everyone knew Dumbledore was packing up to leave. As such, there was no big surprise when Dumbledore announced his departure, and aside from a few tearful Gryffindors, not a lot of people were sad to see the back of the old headmaster.