Chapter ten

The minister and the committee spoke over the next couple of hours about the plans for Hogwarts, but Pomona spoke about QMA. She explained when she left, because of her muggleborn mother, she was approached about teaching at QMA. She toured the school and even though she hated to admit it in front of people like Albus, she thought the school was just what was needed.

'So you give your loyalty to this other school over Hogwarts?' Minerva asked giving a look of loathing to Pomona.

'Simply put, yes, it's a much better school and offers more to the students.'

'You can explain that later. I have been sitting her listening to these plans for Hogwarts. I am in agreement. I did not want to leave here in case someone decided to put the wrong person in charge of Hogwarts. What I would like to know now is why Mr Potter is here? He has not said a word, yet he is here,' Albus said staring at Harry.

'The minister invited me.'

'Yes, but why were you, in particularly invited. I read the article you put out and I know you do not work for the ministry. So why are you here, Harry?'

Harry noticed Sirius giving him a smirk, 'Enough Padfoot,' he sighed, 'I am the headmaster of QMA and have been for five years. Before that I taught defensive magic to the senior students as well as taught and refereed quidditch.'

'He also started producing wands, which is where all the eleven year old's get their wands. Harry gave me a tour of the school and I was most impressed.' Amelia said. 'From that moment on, I wanted my daughter at QMA.'

'The Lightning Bolt,' Rolanda said staring at Harry.

'I helped start another business to make brooms, mainly so the school would always have updated brooms, for the safety of the students. Three masters in broom making work at the school. Since I gave them the start up money, they wanted to name a broom after me. It is the broom that is used by all the racing leagues around the world. We use them for our racing league, but we use the Firebolt for quidditch.'

'I know the Lightning Bolt is used by all the leagues, I've seen it and have to say, it is the best broom I have ever seen,' Rolanda said.

'So you're here to tell me about all the mistakes I made at Hogwarts,' Albus said.

'No, the minister asked me to come so I can tell you more about QMA and why it is the number one school in the world. Our teachers are thoroughly investigated before they can teach, they also have to prove they can teach. I had a lot of learning to do before I was able to take the position of the defensive magic professor. There will never be a Snape at QMA. But we don't have students firing curses at each. We are strict on bullying and we can monitor every part of the school so we will always know who began the trouble. I expelled two students the year I started. When they realised they could not use their wands out in the school, apart from classes and practicing in our dedicated rooms, they decided to use muggle fighting. That is the only time a student was hurt, but thanks to our security, the student was not badly injured. We have charmed camera's all over the school that record everything. The only places these camera's are not is in the bathrooms and dorm rooms. We have portraits in the dorm room in case fights start. We have portraits in the bathrooms but they cannot see a student while they are using the facilitates. Our security is all over the school and are to protect the students first and foremost, against anyone. They are even there to stop harassment.'

'Harry showed me around. I spent all day there and not once did I see even an argument between students. It's a happy environment, which makes it better for the students to learn,' Sirius said.

'Surely you have students who like to joke, just as you and James did,' Minerva said.

'Oh, Harry's two daughters are pranksters of QMA. But as Harry said, they have a strict policy about bullying.'

'Jamie and Lily know how far they can go before they ended up in trouble. So far they have only received two detentions, with their mother. She's harder on them then the rest of the staff. But our detentions are not writing lines or cleaning cauldrons. The students help in the hospital, the kitchen, the library or the gardens. Lily and Jamie did not like cutting up vegetables or weeding the gardens, so they toned down their pranks. They have my father's prank book, yet not once have they gone too far. Sirius was the most they have done to an adult.'

'Oh, it was quite amusing,' Amelia said smirking at her scowling husband.

'Forget the pranks. How do you stop students from using magic on others out in the school? I don't believe that would be possible,' Minerva said, but everyone heard she was still not happy about QMA.

'It's quite possible and easy to implement. We have crystal boxes inside the entrance way, one for each student and one inside each classroom. They cannot enter the school until they place their wand inside the box. The wards will prevent them entering if they have a wand on them. The wand will then get transported to the first class on their schedule. That continues throughout the day. When classes are finished the wand will be returned to their own crystal box in the entrance way. Those boxes can only be opened by the student whose name is on it. The wands can only be removed as they leave the school, or when they enter the classroom. We had one concern when we implemented this and that the students will get in the habit of not carrying a wand. We gave them all fake wands. As soon as they place their real wand in the crystal box they take the fake wand and place it in their wrist holders, which the school supplies. If students wish to practice spell casting of an evening, we have dedicated room, with security. They place a special coin in the box with their wand and it will be transported to the practice rooms. Wands are not allowed in the study rooms, the library, no where but class or the practice rooms. There has never been a student hurt due to magical fights. The students safety was our first priority. I was in talks with the queen and the committee she put together for QMA. She wanted to know more about Hogwarts, it's students and it's staff. Now so you don't think I badmouthed any of you, they watched my memories of my classes, but also how I was harassed. I also showed them how some students were praised and given more points than what another teacher would offer. For weeks they watched my memories, of different subjects over the years I was here. They asked for my opinion on how to make a school that would suit all witches and wizards, but one that will allow all students to learn what they need. Not just magic, but their muggle education.'

'Why would witches and wizards need a muggle education?' Minerva sneered again.

'I will answer that Harry,' Amelia said, 'If every graduating student from Hogwarts, I'm talking about before Voldemort's return. All those students would be looking for work. There is not enough jobs in our world to accommodate all of them. We naturally take away a certain percentage for people that may want to play quidditch, or woman who may want to start a family. There was only enough jobs for quarter of a year's graduating class. So many ended back in the muggle world because they could not find work. They had no muggle education and no proof that had been to school once they turned eleven. Most of those over the last fifty years went into the muggle military, where they got their education while serving in her majesties military service.'

'It was something I told the queen I planned to do when I left Hogwarts. I knew I would never work for places like the ministry, not with how corrupt it was. This was before the queen took control and Madam Bones became minister. I always knew I would live in the muggle world as it had more to offer. But one thing I did put to the committee was something that was implemented before it even officially opened. Students leave school at the end of the day. It helps the students, especially the younger students, it also helps the staff. We have sixty three students who are either orphans or their families don't like them because of magic. They remain at the school all year round. We have twelve students that have both parent's working full time so they remain for the week and go home on weekends.

'One other idea that worked better than Hogwarts was houses and points. If this new school was placed here at Hogwarts we would not have gotten rid of the houses, but we would not have separated the students into houses. My suggestion to begin with was to have all eleven year old's housed together, in dorms of two, then second, third, fourth year and so on. If we had traditions like the four houses then other rooms would have been named after them. But separating the students caused more trouble and more fights. People hated someone just because they came from one house or another. Ron Weasley is a good example of that. He hated all Slytherin's and believed only death eaters come from Slytherin. Peter came from Gryffindor. Two death eaters that I knew were captured by the muggles came from Ravenclaw. I know of another that was in Gryffindor. But the Slytherin's instantly hated everyone because they were the only house that had all pure bloods, or a half blood that had been in the wizarding world for more than a hundred years. The point system was a joke, Snape proved that. He gave Crabbe points for sludge and didn't give Hermione any when she made her potion perfect. Just so you know this, Dumbledore, I went on to become a master in potions and have invented quite a few. I finally had a teacher who could teach but was also fair. Yes I am bitter and I still hold a lot of anger about the way I was treated here, but that is not why I got involved in QMA. We needed a school that would suit everyone, not just pure bloods.'

'QMA offer individual points and the students can cash in those points for money or gifts,' Pomona said, 'Lazy students now study because they know just by handing in their homework in time earns them points. Helping in the library will earn them points. We offer the top three point earning students a large reward of money at the end of the school year, but they can still cash in their points which gives them more money. It works and it gives the students something to work for. Here and I'm sorry to say, so many students didn't bother working hard enough or finishing their homework because they felt they got nothing out of it. They would do enough to pass their tests but that's all. Sure, their house could win the house cup, but what did the student who earned the points get, nothing. Now they do and I have not had one student late with homework since I began at QMA.'

'Hogwarts worked a thousand years ago, even five and six hundred years ago. It doesn't work anymore, mainly because of the old traditions. We do not want to get rid of most traditions, only the ones that benefit pure bloods and not all magicals. Hogwarts had stood for a thousand years, at least now it can continue to be used,' Amelia said.

Albus, Bathsheba, Rolanda seemed to approve. Minerva and Sybil did not. Harry hoped Bathsheba and Rolanda agreed to work at QMA. He wasn't sure about Hagrid. He wouldn't have him as a teacher. But he could have Hagrid look after the animals, which would be normal animals and not large dangerous beasts. He would have to speak with Hagrid about that before he made up his mind.