Chapter 13: Repercussions
Once it became known by the whole student body that Professor Flitwick overturned punishments assigned by Professor Snape, several of the non-Slytherin ones made a line in front of Flitwick's office. "Silencio!" He shouted once he realized there was no other way to make them stop. "First of all, I can only review punishments assigned to students from my House." He explained. "All other students must seek their respective Heads of House or, if they're not available, the Headmaster or his Deputy."
All assembled students not from Ravenclaw started leaving until he said "Wait!" All attentions turned towards him again. "If the complaint isn't considered well-founded, the punishments will be increased."
To the annoyance of Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout, several students from their Houses had complaints and, to their lack of surprise, all complaints were about punishments set by Professor Snape. The real surprise was the fact the list of complaints included incidents from past years but the Professors told them it's too late to complain about punishments from before the current term. Most students left but the ones left were still more than the Professors expected.
Later on, the two Professors were discussing the latest development with Professor Flitwick. "How could things change so suddenly, Filius?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"It wasn't sudden, Minerva." Professor Flitwick explained. "Mr. Potter and Ms. Black are merely the first people in years to have the courage to make a complaint and it seems practically everybody else didn't believe that was an option until then."
"Don't they read the rule book?" Professor Sprout asked.
"Usually those who do are afraid of challenging authority figures, Pomona." Professor Flitwick explained. "Mr. Potter and Ms. Black are exceptions."
"Black must have taught them to hate me." Professor Snape muttered.
"You make it easy." Professor McGonagall replied.
"I was just putting two spoiled brats into their places." Snape argued.
"You failed to come up with a good enough reason to declare them guilty of what you were punishing them for, Severus!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed. "Now we have no choice but to review several complaints."
After all complaints were reviewed, Ravenclaw was on the lead, with Slytherin in second, Hufflepuff in third and Gryffindor in last. "We told you to only make well-founded complaints, Smith." A Hufflepuff Prefect scolded a first year named Zacharias Smith. "What would Helga Hufflepuff say?"
"She would be upset at how her descendants are being unjustly mistreated." Smith replied.
"Or at you breaking the hard work and fair play policy she championed, Smith." A ghost intervened.
"With due respect, Grey Lady, it's a Hufflepuff House matter." Smith argued.
"One of the founders is being discussed and the Bloody Baron and I are the only ghosts who've been around long enough to have personally known them." The Grey Lady counter-argued.
Due the sudden increase on the number of complaints, Headmaster Dumbledore summoned the Heads of House for an emergency meeting. "Professors, I believe it's obvious what's happening here." The Headmaster commented and then waited a few seconds before continuing. "All of this is because of Sirius Black."
Snape nodded in agreement while the others asked why the Headmaster believed it to be Sirius' fault. "Anticipating that Severus would judge Harry and Acquila based on their fathers' actions, Black instructed the kids to react in a way that'd make the other students provide a distraction that'd keep up from making Harry and Acquila that Black is a Death Eater."
"Albus, you cannot believe Black could have anticipated such a reaction." Professor McGonagall argued. "At worst, any warnings he gave about Severus are part of a plot to pretend to be good."
"Or maybe Sirius Black is innocent." Professor Flitwick suggested.
"His tale includes Peter Pettigrew being alive and the real mass-murderer." Professor Sprout replied. "And Black's brother suggested Headmaster Dumbledore could be behind Athena's death."
"Probably so the Moody is her killer theory doesn't sound so ludicrous in comparison and I never understood why people found that hard to believe." Snape commented. "After all, he did manage to keep the McKinnon fortune for as long as the lie about the Black brat's death lasted."
"Several people are so biased against the Blacks they blind themselves to any scenario where Sirius Black is innocent." Professor Flitwick stated and then glared at the Headmaster. "Some even think he'd order his own daughter killed. Convincing me that he's guilty of the other crimes wouldn't be enough to make me think that he'd do such a horrible thing."
The Headmaster was relieved that he had the foresight to order headache potions from his Potions Master.
End chapter.