About that time, the sounds of a large crowd began to drift up to them. Blaise and Gin both looked out one of the openings and saw a group of reporters and their photographers approaching the castle.
"Well," Blaise said, "they're here."
"I was beginning to wonder what was taking so long," Gin answered. "You two stay out of sight, I'll talk to them." Without waiting for his reply, she went outside and leaned up against a pile of stones that used to be part of the front steps.
As soon as they were close enough to be heard they all started yelling questions at her. She tried to get their attention, but they all insisted on talking at once so she whistled loudly and they settled down.
"Why don't I start with a few essentials," she began. "First, I am Ginevra Weasley, and I have, in fact, returned." She smiled and waved at the crowd. "Second, I have learned a few things while I was away and I have set up my own special ward that effects only your cameras. Please, feel free to take as many pictures as you wish, but they will not turn out very well." She cocked her head in apology to the cameramen. "And perhaps most importantly, if any of you, any of you, gets in the way I will remove you all."
"So you do plan on rebuilding?" someone called from the crowd.
"I should think that is fairly obvious, but yes, I do," she answered and then nodded in the direction of another reporter that had actually raised his hand. This was turning into a regular press conference.
"Does the ministry know of your plans?"
"They will know when you tell them," she pointed to another.
"This is now their land, have you plans for seeking their approval?"
"Let me explain a very crucial detail, I do not require their approval because this is not their land. This land entered default when the school board disbanded. There was no single owner and the board did not sell the property before they all resigned. Had the ministry wished, they would have been well within their rights to sell the property for profit or use the land for their own benefit, but they did not. Since the ministry does not technically own the land as the board did not sign it over to them, it still legally belongs to the school which, as I said, is in default unless it reopens."
She paused to let all the magic quills catch up. "A new board has been formed and we have reclaimed that which is in our rights." She indicated the next reporter.
"A new board?"
"Yes. The bylaws of Hogwart's dictates that the board of trustees must consist of at least four adults at least thirty years of age, all of whom must be alumni. This has been achieved."
"Who are the members?" someone asked without waiting to be acknowledged.
"They are to remain anonymous at this time," was her answer.
"Why?" the same reporter asked.
She smirked, "Why, you of course. Most of the crowd laughed and she indicated another.
"What happens if the former board members reconvene and deny your right?"
She shrugged. "That, my friends, is irrelevant. They did, after all, resign, and with that resignation they surrendered any right to dictate the structure or activities of this institution." She choose another reporter.
"You were seen having dinner with the Zabinis and Mr. Malfoy last night, are they the other members of the board?"
"The Zabinis are old friends of mine. Blaise knew me well enough to know that I would return yesterday and came to meet me. I had dinner with him and his wife during which Mr. Malfoy arrived on business with Blaise. That is the extent of the relevance of last nights dinner." There was a warning note in her voice, she didn't like it when people pried into personal affairs. She nodded toward a man that had yet to ask a question.
"Will you be contracting outside assistance?"
She smiled. "As of now we are cleaning and assessing the damage, repairing what we can ourselves. There will be certain items, of course, that need to be replaced. Why, do you have a cousin who specializes in large, oak doors?" she indicated the doors behind her and the reporters laughed once again.
"Have you been home yet?" the same reporter that had not waited for acknowledgment earlier jumped in again.
Her face grew solemn. "If the business portion of the interview has concluded, so has the interview." When no one could come up with another relevant question to ask about her intentions with the school, she went back inside.
"I think that went well," Blaise smiled at her.
"Should be interesting to see what happens now," she answered.
"Why didn't you give our names?" he wanted to know.
"I couldn't reveal your connection without confirming Dray's by the way. Unless the leopard has learned to change its spots, he will want to check and double check the impact this endeavor will have on business before becoming openly affiliated with it," she explained.
He couldn't argue with that.
"So, where are you planning on living? You can't stay at the Three Broomsticks forever," Blaise asked while they ate lunch.
"The Room of Requirement is still as strong as ever. I figured I would just move in there." She really didn't want to impose on her friends, even though they would argue her deaf that it wasn't an imposition.
They worked for the rest of the day and the Zabinis went home after another dinner at Madame Rosemerta's.
The next day they worked in peace, though mid morning a large number of people began to trickle up from Hogsmeade. They learned that night that every room in the town had been let by people wanting to see the work being done on the school. Gin wasn't really sure what they expected to find; it wasn't as if they had massive crews crawling all over the place. Most of the work they were doing so far was inside. The Quidditch pitch was pretty much the only visible improvement.
Work the third morning was interrupted by the arrival of Draco. He marched up to Gin without greeting. "Where did you get your legal information?" he demanded.
She sighed and dusted off her hands. "You aren't the only one with connections, Malfoy." She stressed his last name, referring to both his current status and his family's history. This side of him always irritated her.
He sneered. "Yes, well, I had my lawyers look into it, and the statements were correct."
Her lips tightened and her voice thinned. "Thank you for verifying that which I already knew." She turned away from him.
He threw his copy of the Daily Prophet on the ground. "And what gives you the right to make me a member of the board without asking me?"
"You arrogant...In case you didn't notice, I left your name out of it and can very easily deny any involvement at any point on your part. I can even return that book if you like." She saw the look on his face and continued, "and before you twist yourself out of shape, I could just as easily credit you with the whole idea, after all, your notes predate my proposal. So why don't you just back the hell off and breathe!"
"And who would you get to make up your four without me?" he demanded mockingly.
"Neville, you can't tell me he would turn it down."
"LONGBOTTOM!" he yelled in disbelief.
"Yes! He's a good man who would work hard! Hell, I may ask him to replace you anyway!" she was getting quite angry. He did have a knack for upsetting her.
"What the hell is your problem?" he wanted to know.
"You haven't changed at all. You were caught off guard by the fact that I knew something vital you did not, and you came down here to settle the score. I don't have the time or the energy to deal with your condescending shite right now, or ever for that matter." She was yelling at him.
He never reacted well to being yelled at. "Condescending..." he began to contradict her.
"Yes!" she interrupted him again. "You come down here, demand to know how I could possibly know something you don't, and then inform me that your lawyers verified the statements? Not even my statements. You had to make it completely impersonal! It is impossible for you to say that I was right! Not to mention any of that other shite you just threw at me! Where do you get off insulting one of my friends?"
"Bloody hell!" he yelled back. "Fine! You were right! You. Were. Right. Happy now?" he ignored her last complaint.
"Overjoyed!" she turned her back on him again and lowered her head. After a moment of silence in which he contemplated leaving, she said very softly, "Is it possible for us to have a conversation without yelling at each other?"
He sat down on one of the tables. "I don't know," he answered his hands rather than her. "Anyway, I cannot see how involvement would be detrimental so feel free to release our names however you please. While we're here," he looked up and around, "where'd the others go?"
"Have you forgotten they're ability to disappear when the yelling starts?" she asked, looking up.
"Oh right," he said before calling the others in. "We need to have an official meeting of sorts. We need to choose a chair, a position that may or may not grow into Head when the school opens. I personally believe it should and I nominate Ginevra."
She looked up in surprise and Blaise and Luna seconded the motion simultaneously.
"Well," Draco continued, "I suppose that makes it unanimous, what do you say?" he asked her.
"I don't mind being chair, but I'll have to get back to you on the Headmistress thing."