DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you've seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$
A/N: For those who read Chapter 14 during the first 18 hours after it was posted, I've reposted it 'cause I made big time continuity error that needed to be fixed. (I forgot Luna was already at school…)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: DUMBLEDORE'S MISTAKE
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd, 1991 – HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, SCOTLAND, U.K.
McGonagall now faced this week's meeting with the true Headmaster and was a little concerned about the troll incident to say the least. While it didn't fall squarely within the terms of his orders before the Wizengamot Sequestration for the Minister Election, it was sufficiently unusual that he might take issue with not being told before now. He had given up on full staff meetings a few weeks ago, feeling they were a waste of his time and had since just invited McGonagall to his office - it was still his, of course. Once again, he monopolized most of the time with his lengthy discussions about the continuing deadlock in the Wizengamot, bemoaning the lack of any significant agreement on anything. It was only in the last few minutes of his allotted three hours off that he turned to school matters.
"Anything happen this week of note?" he asked.
"During the Halloween feast, five trolls somehow gained access to the school…"
"Was anyone injured?"
"No, Albus. They all were dealt with without much difficulty."
"I'm sure that was disturbing for the students… They were aware, were they not?"
"Yes. They were informed. As the trolls were in the dungeons according to the report, we kept them in the Great Hall until the matter was resolved."
"Prudent," Dumbledore nodded. "I might have suggested sending them to their Common Rooms, but as the Slytherins need access to the dungeons… Who knows?"
"One of the Slytherin Prefects made just that point when I made a similar suggestion."
"Well, the problem was dealt with without injury or undue notice. How did those things get in? Last I checked, there were few if any trolls locally…"
"We're still investigating, Albus." McGonagall knew the answer as well as any who had been around Sensei. But she was not about to accuse Quirrell based upon that. "Professor Quirrell reported a troll in the dungeons, but not five. Figure he saw one and came to warn us. Obviously, there was some form of security breach. Someone must have left a door open or something. But so far…"
"I'm surprised you haven't asked Severus for his assistance in this matter given his skills."
"He was injured…"
"I thought you said…"
"Not by a troll! He followed your instructions and went to check on that room in the abandoned third floor corridor and that beastie of Hagrid's had a bit of a go at him. Nothing too serious, but Madam Pomfrey insists he take it easy for another day or so."
"Prudent, I should think," Dumbledore replied.
"Why that thing is here in the first place is beyond me!" McGonagall replied.
"The Cerberus is here to stand guard to what lies beneath the trap door…" Dumbeldore began.
"I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about the Stone for Merlin's sake."
"There is no place safer…"
"Than a school full of students? You forget the Weasley boys are here! No doubt they're training their youngest as a future successor…"
"I sincerely doubt there's a student who can get through all the traps once they are in place, Minerva. I sincerely doubt there's a wizard or witch alive who can, unless they know of all of them in advance which is why only I shall know of all of them. Severus's is in place - or at least it was - correct?"
"It is," McGonagall said, "as well as the security troll. The rest await Pamona's trap as it will take time for the Devil's Snare to reach nodded appreciatively. "Indeed. Few more months, I suspect."
"But do you really think our traps can truly stop…"
"Delay, not stop. A clever wizard can make it through if he bothers to work it all out. But the final trap is mine and it will befuddle any who seek the Stone for themselves. Of that, I'm certain."
"I still don't see why it has to be here and not somewhere else."
"It was necessary, Minerva. I will leave it at that."
McGonagall nodded. She did not agree with the man at all on that point. Even if it weren't for Sensei's insights she would not have agreed. She knew "Fluffy" and knew he was actually a rather kind thing - unless he was guarding something in which case he became a nasty and potentially lethal brute and Devil's Snare was potentially lethal as well. The only moderately benign traps in the plan were Flitwick's and her own, and they could kill you if you did not know what you were doing.
"Very well," she said thinking it better not to argue about this again at this time.
"Is there any other business to report?"
"Not at this time, Albus," she replied. It was arguably a lie. Two new students were arriving today to be sorted. But it was outside of his list of things to report so she said nothing. The Club was now not so secret, but it too was outside his list. Most of the Club now sat at their new table all the time and all of the ones who had been to Japan chose to relocate to their new dormitory as did many of the "Newbies." All of the Slytherins and Ravenclaws had as did all of the First Year Gryffindors as everyone of them was now in the Club. But this was not something on Albus's list of things so she remained silent.
Albus sighed looking at the clock on the wall. "And so, it's time for me to return. The one thing we all agreed upon was that if there's no selection by December, we get two weeks off to try and enjoy the Holidays. I shall use that time to finish the final trap…"
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10th, 1991 – HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, SCOTLAND, U.K.
"Quinerus Quirell is dead," McGonagall said to begin her weekly meeting with Dumbledore.
"Wh-what? How?" he asked in shock.
"A spell," McGonagall replied. "Well, three at least and maybe more but it was one spell."
"What do you mean?"
"Specially crafted," McGonagall replied. "It was a variant of the Patronus Charm - without the shielding or spectral effects. It was designed, as I was told and observed, to project very positive emotions at the target - love even. One might say it was a bit of a prank gone wrong. At least fifty were hit in the volley. All but Quinerus were reduced to a few minutes of blissfulness. He, on the other hand, was burnt to a crisp."
"Are you sure it was the same spell?"
"Department of Mysteries confirmed it this morning. Same spell. Should've been harmless to anyone - except maybe a dementor. Obviously wasn't harmless to him. The Unspeakables demanded live targets for testing and our students were more than willing to volunteer, as were some of the faculty myself included - and Pyth as well. No ill effects - aside from Quinerus."
"But he's dead?"
"Quite dead. Turned to ash. Had nothing to do with the number of hits, but the students were aiming at him…"
"Why?"
"And Severus…"
"Why?"
"Harry Potter was playing Seeker for Gryffindor. He was flying a Nimbus 2000..."
"But he's just a first year!"
"And perhaps the best Seeker this school's ever seen," McGonagall continued. "Won the match, he did, and that was after one of the two of those men spent several minutes jinxing his broom to attempt to throw him off - he was about two hundred feet up, I should suspect, at the time…"
Dumbledore gaped. "He could've died!"
"The students - well his friends, really - saw what was going on and fired into the stands at Quinerus and Severus. Most in the faculty box got hit, but only Quinerus was harmed."
"What spell? What could do that? Surely there was another spell involved if only Quinerus was harmed!"
"No other spells were detected," McGonagall said. "I'm sure you'll have a full report in the morning, but it seems that for some reason Quinerus was uniquely susceptible to that particular spell…"
"A targeted Killing Curse?"
"One that harms no one else, Albus? It seems to me you're paranoid!"
"Who fired it?"
"'Bout thirty wands to be certain. They were all … well … blank wands, according to the Unspeakables. Can't be used for anything else, not even a Lumos charm. They also had only a limited number of those spells that could be used. The Unpeakables are convinced it's a prank gone bad…"
"The Weasley boys?"
"Two were playing, Albus…"
"The older one?"
"Had a wand…"
"Who else?"
"'Bout twenty-nine others…"
"Do you know who?"
McGonagall nodded.
"I want to speak with them!"
"When?"
"Now!"
"They all won't fit in your office, Albus, and their Heads of Houses should be there as well. And I doubt you'll be done with them before your three hours are up…"
"But…"
"The Unspeakables cleared them of any wrongdoing. It was a harmless prank gone wrong's all."
"With a dead Professor!"
"Who's already been replaced…"
"BY WHOM? How could you do it so soon?"
"I am acting Headmistress, Albus. Unlike you, I lack … governmental distractions."
"WHO?"
"Here's the list of those who'll be taking over… Their credentials are included."
Albus looked at the list and paled.
"Are you sure this is not another of one of those 'harmless' pranks?"
"Quite sure," McGonagall replied.
"I want a meeting! I'll Owl you later this week!"
"Yes, Professor."
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14th, 1991 – HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, SCOTLAND, U.K.
"Harry?" Professor McGonagall said. When they were alone with family, he was Harry and not Mr. Potter. They were alone in her office. Harry was seated before her and suspected what this was about.
"Dumbledore wants a private chat tomorrow after lunch…," she continued.
"I suppose this is about Quirrell," Harry began.
"I would be surprised if that was not on his agenda. His letter was terse with few if any details about the topic…"
"Susan says her Mum has told her that he's been delving into the Ministry Archives during recesses of the Wizengamot," Harry noted. "My guess is Quirrell is the reason but the meeting may be about more than that, don't you think?"
"I've had my suspicions," Minerva agreed.
"Are you going to be there? Is anyone else?"
"My instructions were a private meeting between the two of you."
"That's not going to happen! Whatever he says will be in front of witnesses!"
"I tend to agree… But, well he is Headmaster."
"Of a school I don't need to attend, yes?"
Minerva nodded.
"I'm not his student! I doubt I've ever been! We'll hold it in the Club Common Room or not at all! I want Sirius to be there and Lord Black and probably the whole Club!"
"Prudent," Minerva nodded. "He's less likely to try something that way. Any others?"
"You, of course, Minnie. You're faculty rep. This will probably get into Club matters so I'd suggest the other Hogwarts reps at the very least. Much as I hate to suggest this, perhaps Professor Snape as well that way all Heads of Houses are in attendance. Your call if any others attend. What time again?"
"After lunch," Minerva said nodding and making some notes. "I can use your Comm Center?"
"You know you can for Club business," Harry nodded. "Two o'clock should work I should think…"
"Would this be a time to," Minerva began, "to expose…"
"The Heirs?" Harry asked.
Minerva nodded.
"We spoke about this," he said. "It would be best if we provoke him into forcing it … in public."
"And how…?"" Minerva began.
"Luna has a plan," was all Harry said.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15th, 1991 – HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, SCOTLAND, U.K.
"What do you mean he refuses to meet me here, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked seated in his office.
"There are many interested parties, Albus, not in the least of whom is myself. A private meeting is out of the question! As Acting Headmistress, this was my call and as the parties are here, I am told to advise you to accept this compromise."
"And who are these parties, pray tell?"
"Lord Arcturus Black, among others. Many have connections, as Lord Black instructed me to tell you."
Dumbledore slumped at his desk. This was supposed to be a private meeting to get Harry back on path towards his ultimate destiny and now it had become very, very political. Lord Black controlled a not so insignificant minority in the Wizengamot, one which while it hadn't put forward any candidate of its own for Minister for Magic, had successfully blocked what could've been the easy choice - Walter Fudge. His coalition was the main reason the whole thing was still deadlocked and he had never made any attempt to cross lines and - more importantly from Dumbledore's standpoint - work with the Chief Warlock to find an alternative. Was this an offer to do so? If so, what was the price? House Black probably wanted an open Voldemort supporter and that was unacceptable to Dumbledore. But was this a compromise in the offing? Long term, avoiding a private meeting with the Potter boy was not an option. But he couldn't truly focus on that now. Until there was a new Minister, he was stuck.
Dumbledore sighed. "Very well. I will speak with Lord Black."
McGonagall did her best not to smile. The Headmaster had fallen in just as Lord Black said he would.
"Come with me, then," she said.
Albus Dumbledore was led into the large room and saw a gallery of sorts filled with several members of the Wizengamot, high officials within the Ministry of Magic and to his surprise, all the current Heads of the other schools of magic in the British Isles. To say this was a surprise was an understatement even by British standards of such. What was worse, they clearly were not assigned seats within the "audience." There were clearly more to be filled. He began to move towards the gallery of dignitaries before and arm caught him. It was Percy Weasley.
"Your seat is over here, Sir," he said politely but firmly.
"Mr. Weasley, I have business with some of those people!" Dumbledore said.
"I'm sure you do, Sir," Percy said. "Now is not the time. Your seat is this way, Sir."
"But…"
"Your seat is this way. You can politic later, Sir!"
"I can have you expelled for this," Dumbledore began realizing that without drawing a wand he had no choice.
"From Hogwarts? As if I now care! Your seat, Sir!"
Dumbledore decided to take the seat, not realizing it may have saved his career. He was soon joined by his four Heads of Houses and another Professor of his joined the gallery. Then a load of young people entered. Not one of them was dressed in Hogwarts robes or anything like it. They filled in the seats behind him. Percy Weasley sat with them having doffed his own robes and was now similarly attired. A young woman he recognized, for she was a Seventh Year Prefect - not that it mattered as he had been overruled on her by her Head of House and his own Deputy… She walked to a podium before him, behind which there was a stand or throne like place with four chairs.
"Miss Luna Lovegood," she said. Dumbledore wracked his brain about that name as he saw a girl in Ravenclaw robes taking one of the seats. She had to be a first year. She looked too young to be anything else.
"Miss Lovegood has been a member of the Club since the fall of 1988 and has spent three summers in Japan…"
"Japan?" Dumbledore asked.
"At the Watanabe School of Magical Studies in Kyoto," the girl whose name he could not remember said. "She holds Masteries in Defense and Magical Zoology and has her degree in Journalism and is working towards advanced degrees in Communications and her Mastery in Spell Crafting.
"Miss Clarice Jameson," she continued as another very young student entered. "She is one of our founding members and has spent four summers in Japan. She has her Doctoral degree in Economics and her Masteries in Defense, Charms, and Healing with advanced Certification in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatric Healing."
"Miss Hermione Granger is another of our founding members and has also spent four summers in Japan. She has her Doctoral degree in Political Science and her Masteries in Defense, Transfiguration and Spell Crafting.
"Finally, Mr. Harry Potter. Mr. Potter is also one of our founding members with four summers in Japan. He as his Doctorate degree in Chemistry and Masteries in Defense, Potions, Curse Breaking and Warding."
The girl left for her seat as soon as the four were seated.
"Harry, I asked for a private meeting…," Dumbledore began.
"There's nothing that will be said here that is not generally known or shouldn't be generally known," Harry replied. "Besides, I was unaware that we're on a first name basis. Are you so casual with your other students?"
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, "I insist on a private meeting."
"Then you may leave, for that's not going to happen, Headmaster," Harry replied.
Dumbledore sighed. "Very well. If you insist…"
"I take it this meeting is supposed to be about what happened to Professor Quirrell," Harry began.
"It was originally," Dumbledore said. "Now I must include your attendance to an illegal school."
"Illegal for whom?" Hermione asked rhetorically. "Is there a special law in place for Harry here? The law merely requires us to attain our O.W.L.s! It does not say where we may go to do so, Sir!"
"Be that as it may, there are magics taught abroad which are illegal," Dumbledore began.
"The law here does not find that a relevant concern," Hermione responded. "All that matters is that magical children receive a magical education. A British Child is free to attend any school they can get into, whether it's here or abroad and without regard to that school's academic emphasis. You're wasting our time, Headmaster, with your concerns in this regard!"
"It is imperative that Harry receive his education here and nowhere else…" Dumbledore began.
"Must I remind you we're not on a first name basis, Headmaster?" Harry growled.
"My apologies, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore began. "Be that as it may, the Greater Good requires that Mr. Potter be under my supervision and…"
"Whose Greater Good?" Clarice asked. "Yours? How many have died for your Greater Good, Sir? How many orphans has that notion caused? We don't care about your Greater Good! Get that through your decrepit skull, Sir. Your Greater Good cost us our lives and families. There are a hundred and one students here and most of us lost family for your so called Greater Good! Your Greater Good is irrelevant and you can shove it!"
"Did God die and name you his heir, Headmaster?" a voice called out. It was Sally-Anne Perks.
"Do you intend that we should worship the ground you walk on just 'cause you say so?" Percy Weasley added. "Your Greater Good has cost thousands of innocent lives!"
"I cannot help that Voldemort and his followers were intent upon killing and mayhem…," Dumbledore replied defensively.
"No, that's not your fault," Harry said. "But it's everything that led to this is. How many of Voldemort's faithful followers and fellow travelers evaded justice after the War? Hundreds for certain and maybe thousands. Every death that occurred that could've been prevented, every criminal still at large basking in their so called pardons, they're on your head, Sir!"
"It was imperative we did not destroy the old order to…," Dumbledore began.
"To what?" Hermione asked. "Protect murders and rapists? To give them a chance to create another generation of the same? You place far too much faith in the past, Sir! You're looking at a generation of orphans! We all lost family in that War…"
"While you did nothing!" Clarice added.
"I assure you, Miss…?" Dumbledore began.
"Jameson!" Clarice finished.
"I assured you, I did all I could do…"
"Which was nothing!" Clarice said.
"Unless, by doing something you did your best to preserve the status quo," Hermione added. "Thus keeping us a backwards culture with no hope of advancement…"
"I will not be lectured to by a student!" Dumbledore said. "Certainly, not by one who knows not what she is speaking about!"
"There is an expression, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said. "It is best to keep your mouth shut and let the world think you're an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt - as you just have. The four of us here may lack your life experience, after all I'm only twenty-seven-and-a-half or so. But we have at least twenty years of formal education - magical and non-magical - as compared to your seven - and that assumes just your magical side. How many non-magical degrees do you hold?"
Dumbledore said nothing.
"Thought so," Harry continued. "And what has your so called Greater Good gained you other than graveyards filled with bodies?"
"Ten years of peace," Dumbledore began.
"If you call it that," Harry said.
"What's to stop the ones you let go from continuing their predations?" Hermione asked. "And that assumes they have not. How many Muggles have died during your 'peace' at the hands or wands of those you and others let go?"
"It was necessary," Dumbledore replied. "Redemption is something to be valued in any civilized society and to destroy so many more families…"
"Redemption is a laudable idea," Hermione said. "But it is never a gift. To gain it you must seek it, honestly and in your heart. To be given it is to be given a free pass to get away with your crimes … and to continue them. It seems you and others passed it out like business cards! It must be sought, and must be earned not given away at a whim…"
"It most certainly was not at a whim," Dumbledore began.
"Call it what you will, but it was," Hermione said. "You basically set loose a load of criminals who otherwise should've been hung for their offenses - or chucked away into the deepest, darkest hole imaginable for the rest of their lives!"
"The disruption to society would've been," Dumbledore began.
"Acceptable," Harry finished. "They were and are the disruption. They should never have been granted amnesty! There should've been no attempt to return to the way things were before! Their actions beg for the Muggles to get involved in our world, Sir. And we can't win that one…"
"The Muggles would never get the better of us…," Dumbledore began.
"Then in addition to being an idiot, you're a fool!" Harry shot back. "They have weapons that can end the entire world! EVERYTHING! You think they won't use them if pressed? They already have! One weapon, a million dead or more and they've got tens of thousands of them! We can't fight them. It's been centuries since we could and they've gotten better at killing people since then. We provoke the Muggles, we lose! You Greater Good be damned! Your Greater Good created a generation of orphans, and you still insist upon it?"
"Who are you to decide what is best for our society?" Dumbledore asked.
"That question works both ways, Professor," Harry said. "What gives you such authority?"
"As Head of the Wizengamot…"
"You are Head of that body, a body based solely upon heredity and patronage and not representative of the society it is supposed to lead…"
"Those are considered by some dangerous ideas…"
"By those who fear losing power they have not earned and status they do not deserve," Hermione interjected.
"Political discussions can be fun," Luna piped up with a chuckle. "But, I don't think that's why he or we are here, don't you think? Besides, for now it's all academic, right? I mean, you've got to be twenty-one to ever take a seat in our government…"
"You're right, Luna," Hermione conceded.
"So then, let's get back to the matter at hand," Luna replied. "Why did Quirrell die? It's not just because he was lousy at his job, you know…"
"Our Defense Professors in Japan were far better," Harry agreed. "And, from what I've heard this school's been going through Defense Professors every year or so. Mind explaining that one, Professor?" he added turning towards Dumbledore.
"I don't have to answer to you, Mr. Potter, regarding my faculty choices!" Dumbledore said almost losing control of his demeanor. "Besides, this meeting isn't about that now, is it?"
"We believe they're interrelated," Harry said. "What happened to Quirrell and this Club all stem from mistakes you made either as Headmaster of this school or in your other capacities."
"Explain…," Dumbledore began.
"There are a lot of orphaned witches and wizards in this room," Hermione replied. "I myself am but one. How many others? How many others lost parents because our supposed leaders - such as you - chose not to act; chose to do what was easy and not what was right? Hundreds, perhaps? Maybe thousands?"
Dumbledore paled at that thought. "I was unaware you were orphaned, Miss Granger," he began trying to make up lost momentum.
"I was born in your Time Chamber here, Professor," she replied. "My Birth Parents were both just beginning their Sixth Year of studies."
Dumbledore looked shocked.
"Did you honestly think this would never come to light?" she continued. "The new laws allow me and others like me access to some records - such as those that prove I'm not a Muggle Born as some think I am. But that shouldn't matter, should it?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No," he seemed to agree, "it should not."
"I was set up for adoption by my Great-grandmother who was and remains quite the accomplished witch," she continued. "She chose a Muggle couple who couldn't have children of their own and who knew about magic and who would've allowed my birth parents to remain a part of my life … and they did until not long after I was two when they were killed by Death Eaters; probably on Voldemort's orders, if you must know…"
"I take it you know your Great-grandmother and who your true parents were?"
Hermione nodded. "My father was a Muggle Born in all probability named Eric Puckle. My mother was a Half Blood named Erin Ryan…"
Dumbledore gasped and looked at Professor McGonagall who merely nodded at him. "You're Professor McGOnagall's Great-granddaughter?" he asked somewhat rhetorically.
Hermione nodded. "I assume you are aware that of Professor McGonagall's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren I am the only one who survived the war."
Dumbledore nodded. "I suppose you are. I was unaware there were any survivors of that line aside from Minerva that is."
"Actually, there are scores of survivors, at least of her mother's descendants," Hermione said. "Her youngest brother and his family left Britain well before things really got bad. We have relatives in North America, New Zealand and Australia, if you must know. We actually attended school with four of them: Steve and Erin McGonagall and Stacy and Lyle Donovan. I assume you know why that line was targeted for elimination?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"The line was targeted," Hermione continued more for the others than for Dumbledore, "because a daughter born to the line could claim the rights as magical heir of Rowena Ravenclaw. Of course, one can say Voldemort went too far. He only had to kill Professor McGonagall's children and grand children and such to succeed. His Death Eaters did that - mostly - but they also killed her younger brother and sister and their entire families."
"His mistake was not to kill the Professor," Clarice added. "Her mother died well before the War and thus the Professor was the 'Senior Claimant.' This means, it was her line that controlled the magical inheritance from a witch. Her primary heirs, those who would continue the line, were her children and grandchildren, many of whom were alive by then. Had she died without any surviving descendants, the line would've passed to her sister and if she an hers were gone, then on to her brothers."
"But had she died with any surviving descendants," Harry added, "then the line would pass to the next 'Senior Claimant' and it would've cut off her siblings lines completely. Voldemort would've been smart to go after her first, then her oldest daughter. This would've made the 'Senior Claimant' one of her grandchildren, cutting off the senior generations. The road goes back to the last female heir in female lines. It can't go back any further. Had he gone after Professor McGonagall and succeeded, her generation is as out of the picture as if they were dead! But he didn't…"
"And should I die without issue," Hermione added, "then the magical heir passes to the line of her youngest brother, Ben. And there are several children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to whom the line will pass. Perhaps he didn't truly understand how that works. Not surprising as that information is not even available here at Hogwarts. Perhaps he did, but couldn't get to the Senior Claimant. He was after the Founders Heirs. We make an educated guess that he wanted them gone so he could claim Hogwarts for himself. In which case, he failed to understand the magic involved. No one heir can claim Hogwarts! It takes all four working together to do so!
"I, Hermione Jane Granger, do hereby claim my rights by magic to assume the role as the Magical Heir of Rowena Ravenclaw!"
"I, Minerva Grace McGonagall, hereby cede any such claim to my Great-granddaughter!"
A loud bell tolled in the distance.
"The bells of Hogwarts!" Professor Sprout exclaimed. "They can only toll when an Heir claims their birthright!"
"I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim my rights by magic to assume the role as the Magical Heir of Godric Griffindor!"
The bell tolled again.
"My family was less well known," Luna said. "The Death Eaters did not count on the fact that magical lines could go dormant for generations and generations. I, Luna Celeste Lovegood, do hereby claim my rights by magic to assume the role as the Magical Heir of Helga Hufflepuff!"
The Bell tolled again.
"This is all well and good," Dumbledore began, "but without the Heir of Slytherin it means nothing whatsoever. Three of you can't take control of the school or the lands which belong to the Heirs! It takes all four! And that won't happen considering Voldemort is the fourth Heir!"
"I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim my rights by magic to assume the role as the Magical Heir of Salazar Slytherin!"
Professor Snape paled with the bell rang a fourth time and then bells began peeling in celebration for several minutes. Dumbledore paled.
He regained his composure fairly quickly however, much more quickly than many of the others. "If you honestly think I'm about to turn over control of this school to a bunch of First Years, you're sadly mistaken," he said.
"If we were to demand it of you, you'd have no choice in the matter, despite your other positions," Harry replied. "Your position of Headmaster is subject to our control now. The Board of Governors is now and irrelevancy. We may choose to keep some such board in an advisory position, but they no longer control this school. Your position as Headmaster is subject to our review, as you should well know seeing as such you should've known what could've happened had the Founders' Heirs reunited as friends and claimed their birthrights! But that's neither here nor there, Sir. As for your other positions, you should know that the Founders' Heirs reunited makes their former lands an independent Magical Country. As Chief Warlock, there's not a thing you can do. As Supreme Mugwump of the I.C.W., the best you can do is to deny us the right to appoint our own ambassador. We didn't do this lightly, Sir. Your failures forced this turn of events…"
"And what failures might those be?" Dumbledore asked.
"To innumerable to recount in a day, much less this meeting," Harry replied. "Suffices to say that when it comes to my life and a lot of other things, your mistakes and misjudgments are such that your opinion is of no matter … Sir."
"From your perspective, perhaps," Dumbledore seemed to concede, "but I do know far more about what has and is going on than…"
"Don't fool yourself," Harry shot back. "You've been too mired in the muck of your positions to know much of anything about what is really happening! Moreover, and as I said, everything that happened to lead to where we are right now is squarely on your head. You! Have! Failed! Utterly!"
"I am sure you are mistaken," Dumbledore replied trying not to be flustered. "It is not possible that you know…"
"Of what?" Hermione asked. "Horcruxes, perhaps?"
Dumbledore gasped. "How…?"
"Eastern Defense Masteries!" Harry replied. "Knowing about them, how they can go wrong and how to defeat them and all of that is part of the training. Here in the West, we really know little about them. But in the East, they've been 'round for well over two thousand years and they know far more about them than we do with our sources here. I learned about them from practically my first day at school there, given that I was a victim of a wizard who tried to split his soul one time too many. I was a victim of an inactive possession, but a possession by a soul fragment nonetheless…"
"They should not have told you about that," Dumbledore began.
"Why not? All it took was a ritual to drive the fragment from me."
"That's not possible!" Dumbledore gasped. "I'm certain there's more to it than…," he paused.
"More than what?" Hermione asked. "Don't tell me you actually thought Harry was a horcrux," she added with a laugh, one which was certainly joined by everyone in the room with a Defense Mastery. "It's not possible!" she added.
"I am quite certain…," Dumbledore began.
"The vast majority of the scholarly work on those things is still only available in the East," Harry interrupted. "The information here in the West is based upon translations from the Arabic of fragmented works from China. That information is limited to what they are, how they're made and what sort of magic might be able to destroy them. The works of Li Huan, the Chinese wizard who studied them in depth, and their numerous vile side effects, has yet to be translated into English - at least here. I'm told there are translations available in other parts of the world."
"He studied them during a time when there were many who were attempting that magic in China," Clarice said. "He was opposed to such magic and through his works was able to all but completely stop that evil from truly spreading. They are dodgy things at best. They do not truly create immortality and he proved it. Even with them, while you can outlive your original body, you cannot outlive a mortal lifespan whether your disembodied or not. It might gain you a few decades at best. And so much can go wrong…"
"The Western sources from the Arabic don't include his work," Harry added. "Voldemort cheated an untimely death at best, but not death itself."
"I am still certain," Dumbledore began.
"Your research is based upon fragmentary source material," Hermione said, "and therefore is woefully incomplete. Had you seen the primary source materials, you would've known Harry could never been a horcrux as we suspect you think!"
"Surely, your research is mistaken," he began again.
"It's not," Hermione continued. "The process of making a Horcrux, first of all, requires one full lunar cycle just to prepare the wizard to rent his soul and the object to house and anchor the fragment. Did Harry disappear for a month at anytime prior to his parents death?"
"Time compression," Dumbeldore began.
"Cannot cheat a lunar cycle or biological processes tied to external time in magically stable individuals," Clarice replied. "A pregnant witch is not magically stable, so she ages at the accelerated rate. This is because the growing child is not magically stable and will not be until it is four or five years of age, from a temporal magic standpoint. The mother will cease aging within weeks of weaning the child from her breasts, but the child will continue to age at the accelerated rate until it reaches stability. For those witches who are old enough to experience monthly cycles, at most they will experience two during their stay in Japan. That's two monthly cycles in thirty real days and two in fifteen hundred compressed days. You can't truly cheat death or external time."
"So, since Harry didn't disappear for a true lunar cycle," Hermione continued, "he could not have undergone the rituals necessary to make him a vessel for a foreign soul fragment. Moreover, those rituals purge all magic from the vessel and as you should know purging all the magic out of any living thing kills it. You cannot create a horcrux tainted with magic foreign to the horcrux magic. It is impossible. As Harry survived that night, it follows that he can't be a horcrux."
"But his soul was tainted," Dumbledore began.
"Inactive possession by a disembodied soul fragment," Clarice said. "It can happen when a wizard split his soul one time too many. The soul splitting requires a vile act of murder and each time it occurs, the remaining soul becomes less stable. Done enough times, potentially any act of murder could destroy the wizard, sever his primary soul from his body, and split off a fragment. That fragment seeks the nearest living thing to survive. It only has seconds to do so. If it succeeds, it leaves a mark on the victim. But, if that victim has a soul of its own, it can survive but never take over as the full soul is always too powerful. It survives in a state of dormancy, but its host's magic - even in a Muggle - sees it as a parasite. Muggles have some magic, not enough to survive such a possession for long. Wizards have far more, so their magic encapsulates the parasite - for lack of a better word - and keeps them alive although this does bind a portion of their total magical potential. Aside from the magical bind, the only other side effect of such a possession would be pain in the vicinity of the encapsulation whenever the 'possessed' individual is in close proximity to the primary soul of the encapsulated fragment…"
"The only time I experiences those symptoms," Harry continued, "was when I was in proximity with Professor Quirrell. This put him in our sights, as it were. We already knew from Japan that I had been a victim of a horcrux abuser. We already suspected it was and had to be Voldemort as he was the only wizard vile enough to do such a thing who was ever in my presence even if I was too young to remember. This meant that Quirrell was a vicitm of possible active possession by the primary fragment.
"You should've killed him, Dumbledore," Harry began.
"What?" Dumbledore exclaimed.
"It would've been the merciful thing to do to the poor man. Active possession is a death sentence and a slow and painful one at that. Quirrell's magic would've been fighting it even if Quirrell the man was accepting of it. In time, a year or two at most, it would've killed him. The active possession also makes it impossible to remove the parasitic fragment without killing the host. He was a dead man walking. The Quirrell you knew was dead before this year began! And yet you did not do the merciful thing, did you? You had to leave that to us!"
"The spell we used," Hermione said, "would be harmless to anyone not possessed by a disembodied soul of a horcrux abuser. It was based upon Li Huan's research and the Patronus Charm. Horcruxes are the epitome of hate and evil. My spell was its opposite, based upon love. Admittedly, the physical effects on the target were unexpected. But it was a new spell, so such things can happen. It's next to impossible to cast, which was why we used pre-charged wands that Miss Bones made for us…"
"Still, Miss Granger," Dumbledore began trying desperately to regain control of the situation, "was it truly necessary to kill him?"
"Did you honestly miss the part where we told you Quirrell was already dead?"
"That's not the point!"
"It's entirely the point! We could've used the spell some time ago! We chose not to!"
"Could've used it the night of the Trolls," Harry added. "He had an affinity for those things, didn't he?"
Dumbledore ignored the comment.
Hermione continued. "We chose to give him a slim chance and to wait until he forced our hand by trying to kill one of us, which he did just the other day during that Quidditch Match! Harry might've died by the hand of something only slightly more human than a dementor and you wished us to let that happen? Just who the hell do you think you are? Who made you God? Who died and made you King?"
"I can assure you I'm neither…," Dumbledore began.
"And don't you ever forget it!" Clarice shot out. "You ruined our lives through your actions years ago and you seem intent upon doing it again! For what?"
"The Greater Good," he replied weakly.
"And just whose Greater Good is that?" she shot back. "Yours? I suggest you get a dictionary and look up the word 'hubris' 'cause you're infected with it!"
"And just how did I ruin your life Miss …?" he didn't know her name.
"You separated me from my family," Clarice replied. "When my parents were killed, you had me sent off into the Muggle World! I don't regret that, but to separate be for years and years from my brother Harry … that's unforgivable!"
"You're Clarice Potter?" he gasped.
"Jameson! It's the only name I know for me and it's what everyone calls me and you will as well! But yes, Harry is my older brother by birth and more recently by our reconnection. We reunited not long after my adoptive mother died in a car crash…"
"You should not be together! You cannot be together! I will not…"
"Shut it Albus!" McGonagall said. "You're tickling the sleeping dragon every time you open your mouth! Have you forgotten who these young people are? They are the Founders' Heirs! Clarice may not be, but she's of that bloodline! They've claimed their birthright which - surely you know - means they now control this school and all the Founders' Lands! According to the Legend, they can cast you out if they so decide!"
"You preach redemption," Harry said, "so we'll give you a chance at it. For so long as the Wizengamot is trying to decide who the next Minister will be, you are suspended from your duties as Headmaster! You are of no use to this school while you're in sequestration and Professor McGonagall will act with full authority until such time as your duties in the Wizengamot allow you time to tend to your duties as Headmaster in an appropriate matter. Even then, you are on probation. You will confine your interests to this school! Any extra-curricular activities - such as trying to redeem Voldemort, will not occur at this school or on these lands. You have one hour to remove whatever it is you're guarding here! Failure to comply, and you will never be allowed to return! All in favor?"
Hermione and Luna raised their hands as most of the Club cheered.
"The Heirs have spoken," McGonagall said. "One hour, Albus! I suggest you get to it!"
"This is not something I leave to students!" he protested.
"The Founders' Heirs are no more students that you or I am! Mr. Potter is to be designated as Dean for British Students at the Watanabe School of Magic for next summer - in addition to teaching duties!"
"I am?" Harry asked.
"Gendasan sent me a letter to that effect which arrived today, Mr. Potter. Miss Jameson is to be offered a posting on the faculty of the Healers' College and Assistant Dean for Underage Student Affairs at that school. Miss Granger is to be offered the position as Headmistress of Primary and Secondary Studies for English speaking students, in addition to her own teaching duties. This is assuming, of course, the three of you accept…"
"We'll need to talk with Mum and Dad," Hermione said.
"And Lord Black and Sirius," Harry added.
"You've been that for us since the club was founded," Dora added.
"Who else could it be?" Millie and Ron said almost in unison - they were beginning to sound like Ron's older twin brothers … sometimes.
"I see I've been overruled…," Dumbledore began sadly.
"You were overruled the minute you stepped your do-nothing self into this room, Sir," Clarice said.
"Clock's ticking," Harry added. "Get your non-school related project out of here or don't bother trying to come back!"
A/N: This was both an easy and hard chapter to write. It was easy in outline, hard in execution. Dumbledore gets put into a place, but I didn't want him to come off as evil - just misguided. I thought about bringing in more about Horcruxes and what the three were doing, but decided that would just goad the man to try and take charge. I tried to strike a balance…