Chapter 11
Alastor Moody himself came to the school in response to both Dumbledore's request; and also because a letter had been written.
"A child has written to me that she is certain she know who has destroyed a piece of work in the mistaken belief that it was done by a goblin" he said "She says he is racist."
"And why, one wonders, did this little madam write to you not come to me?" asked Dumbledore.
"She claims that as a half elf she feels put upon by all the school and that she thought you would believe the word of your secret police over herself" said Alastor.
"My WHAT?" said Dumbledore.
"Her description" said Alastor dryly. "Albus, you know with adopting Rose Riddle as I have, I have some bias towards a half elf."
"She's from that group with the three muggle mothers Draco heaved out" said Dumbledore having no difficulty in coming to the conclusion that it was Michelle Makepeace who was the writer. "Her older half brother is militantly anti slavery; but he at least has the sense he was born with; and nicer manners. Who's she accusing?"
"A boy called Zabini; Abigail was at school with a creep called Blaise Zabini."
"And that goes into your head in a negative way. The younger brother Darryl has made enough racist remarks and comments to earn him being jinxed into a ball regularly; but recently I fancy the Marauders have begun to make a project of him. Besides, the boy who was the supposed victim, Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak, says no potioneer would have supposed HIM to be the originator of the piece destroyed; Gorbrin's a fine potioneer and so is the boy Zabini. And Gorbrin also says it's not his style. That lad has his head screwed on; he's planning on joining his brother Draco in your office in a couple of years, him and his girlfriend. They're letting me run the investigation but I suspect they're doing their own gathering of evidence. Half the information Lucius dropped on your desk about goblin coursing came from their industrious snooping over various holidays."
"Did it by Merlin! I fancy I'd like to meet those two for longer than the brief greeting I expect I've had with them!"
Gorbrin explained concisely why he thought that he was the most likely victim – being a lesser being and more stinking rich than most jealous racists – with Stacey as second most likely and Mischa third.
"Pearl's parents are really nobody to annoy anyone" he said "They argue a lot with each other but don't go anywhere much. I'm certain she was NOT the intended target. That it was smashed violently shows a lot of hate; but the breaking of bits that hold it together deliberately and I think after the main smash argues for malice and spite. Zabini's malicious but not spiteful. I can't know who's out to get a daughter of Kordach; and so far as I'm aware, Hagrid hasn't put anyone's back up. Unless…." He hesitated "There's a fourth year Ravenclaw who we don't really understand; I can see him taking a huff over things most people wouldn't consider taking a huff over. Amos Leroy IS spiteful; and I have to say, so is Wilfrid Crabbe in our own year. Bobbin made a few nasty comments but I think it's between those two; Leroy might even have done it to Pearl for not liking his famous voice or something! Trouble is, I slept like the dead, because I always do; if I thought there was anything fishy there I'd wonder anew about Zabini being involved, for his potioneering abilities. I – Leo and I had been a part of blooding in new people; and it can take a day or two to catch up, because we had also been rather burning the midnight oil too to get my first piece done to exhibit. Leo's taking it to NEWT too and he's been working in the forge dungeon so I could have a prefect there to be allowed to. So we weren't about to wake up if anyone slipped out! Zabini sleeps soundly anyway; we've counted on that rather at times; and I doubt I'D ever get a straight answer out of Bobbin; or Crabbe for that matter. Can you just legilimens people?"
"Not young people without their parents present and giving permission" growled Alastor "And as well that's the law I suppose; after the trouble Dawlish made."
"Yes: and Mardo Monk finally got shut of him by being legilimensed by Draco" said Gorbrin dryly. "From what I've picked up, Zabini's mum doesn't even care if he exists; let alone being prepared to protect him by letting him be legilimensed."
Moody grunted.
"I'll see what I can pick up on the damaged piece; I've a couple of diviners along to see what they can find out; forensic divination is a pretty accurate thing."
"Oh my friend Albert wants to do that sort of thing" said Gorbrin "He's a dowser and a geomancer; and he's not half bad at Arithmancy either."
"well, sounds like he's a man waiting for a job to walk into!" said Alastor and sighed "Oh all right, you Malfoy pest, I'll talk to him. That suit you?"
"Rather, sir" said Gorbrin "His family reckon he's a squib and he gets lots of hassle from them. Talking to a famous man like you will buck him up no end!"
"Yes, the main trouble with most kids is their parents" growled Moody "I'll say that for Lucius, he's a model father."
Gorbrin glowed with hearing praise for his beloved stepfather!
The article in the 'Daily Prophet' about wicked and violent racists ready to destroy the property and beat on vulnerable and fragile goblin and elven children was about the last straw; at least the 'Prophet' had enough sense to name no names but it did hint that such a psychopath probably learned his violence at the hands of a parent whose spouses died with monotonous regularity.
Mimi slid unnoticed down the table using elf magic to grab Zabini's wrists as he was about to leap up and scream abuse at the article.
"Show me" she said.
He thrust the paper into her hands.
"This from the rag that a couple of years ago was printing about how terrible it was that wicked scheming conniving elves and goblins were taking the bread from the mouths of honest witches and wizards by taking their places at Hogwarts" said Mimi dryly "I can't take seriously any arse-wipe that changes from that to dear little fragile etcetera. And you shouldn't either, Darryl."
"Did you see what they wrote? They made it plain I'm the scapegoat and my mum being accused of murder!"
"Yeah, well, she has gone through rather a lot of husbands" said Mimi "THAT's an accusation that's almost bound to surface. They're too shrewd to name names, alas, otherwise you could demand to be legilimensed to prove you hadn't done it and then hit them with a law suit. You up for a bit of counter publicity?"
"I'm listening"
"Witch weekly is a sister publication; it prints as much trash but they claim to like a human interest story. I know you won't lie – and I respect you for that – but honestly, when you think about it hard, do you really HATE goblins? Or me?"
"You I have no trouble with; Makepeace is another matter. I'd cheerfully strangle her!"
"Oh you and about half the rest of the people who know her" said Mimi cheerfully "Me included. Even her brother says she's a pratt; he reckons if the Marauders believe you that's good enough for him and his gang. It's Makepeace and a few dippy Ravenclaws – should that be dippier Ravenclaws?" she mused "No, 'cos the Changs are okay and the two in the Mad Marauders. What about goblins?"
He shrugged.
"I'd be a fool if I didn't notice that the goblins here – apart from that brief Gryffindorish interlude – have been remarkably civil to me and disgustingly fair minded. I find goblins unpleasant to look at; like I said it's the fingers. I – there was this goblin woman worked for mother as well as the elves and – and I remember being dragged away from mama when I wanted to stay; Nelaka's fingers on my arms…..uggh!"
Mimi nodded.
"But you can truthfully say that you came to school with some racist ideas and have learned to overcome them?"
"I wouldn't go that far; I'd say I am indifferent to goblins. I think I am now; so long as I don't have to touch them."
"Learning to shake hands without revulsion might be good" said Mimi. "So we let them have a human interest story about how you and your girlfriend just want to be left alone."
"Who's my girlfriend?"
"Who are you taking to the ball, dipstick?" said Mimi "Laarvely picture of half-elven – as they'll see it - petite and pretty Mimi Snape leaning against handsome and clever Darryl Zabini, watch the birdie, smile please! And your half elf to trump that silly little piece of a weevil. You might try dancing with a half goblin at that; the fingers aren't quite so….. well, gobliny. It's mostly in the face of most."
He nodded.
"You're a devious and clever piece, Mimi Snape."
She grinned.
"I was reared a Snape with Malfoy complications."
Kazrael confronted Zabini with all the ebullience only a weevil facing out a lordly fifth former can muster.
"Look here, Zabini, are you sorry at all you tried to jinx me on the train? 'cos if you are, I reckon I might believe you over Makepeace only I'm not sure I do."
Zabini stared.
"Wretch of a weevil!" he said "Should I care what you believe? Personally I think people who attack the schoolwork of others are despicable. Am I sorry for trying to jinx you? As I recall I was insulting you not jinxing you; it's beneath my dignity to jinx weevils. Besides, you're Slytherin now; Slytherin goblins are higher life forms than any form of Ravenclaw and most Gryffs and Huffers. Though with Ravenclaws, that repellent brat Slugworthy's slimy pets are higher life forms. No I'm not sorry for insulting you; all weevils should be insulted."
"Lilith said you made remarks about Dunbar Finch and his parents. Do you ought to insult parents?"
"I hate rubbernecks" said Zabini "I don't much like goblins. I have some time for Gorbrin Malfoy because he's a potioneer. And a Slytherin and therefore a higher life form. I despise subservient elves. And I am especially un-fond of all weevils; so get lost kid!"
It had been unforgivably CHILDISH to get at that one; or the mudblood lad. They were only weevils; beneath contempt. Well except perhaps Lilith Snape who was too dangerous to ignore as one ought to ignore weevils.
Lilith Snape, whose adoptive sister was Mimi!
Whose larger form was lovelier even than the piquant look of her fully elven form!
Mimi started using her larger form in class; to the consternation of several of her form mates who did double takes.
The Belle Marauders acted like nothing was different.
Sampta Patil said it was disgusting that Mimi should be masquerading as something she was not, and acting like she was ashamed of being what she really ought to look like.
Mimi laughed.
"You can say that when you stop using cosmetics to attract boys and don't use zit cream to deal with something else that's a perfectly natural part of YOUR form" she said scornfully "I want to be able to DANCE at the Yule Ball, Patil, not be treated like somebody's teddy bear; and I want to be able to stand on my own feet if I feel like snogging a boy. It's a matter of practical consideration. Unless your concern for me being true to myself stops short of liking the idea of an elf snogging a human? If so I suggest you keep any such racist thoughts to yourself. You are a dipstick!"
Patil flounced off in a huff.
Bella did take Mimi aside when she got a calculation wrong in Arithmancy; Mimi being the only one of that group who actively enjoyed Arithmancy.
"Mimi, have you FALLEN for that creep Zabini?" she demanded.
"Inside his head he's most awfully mixed up" said Mimi "We've got a chance to stop him becoming a bit like the old you, you know; the spoilt brat with no real home affection you saw. He has more to have to deal with that the little princess Black; given everything he ever wanted except time and love. He's jealous of me you know; of having loving parents."
"You HAVE got it bad" commented Bella.
"I – I don't know if I have" said Mimi "He is attractive; and I guess I want to look after him; but I want to SHAKE him as often as I want t-to k-kiss him."
Bella groaned.
"Oh Mimi!" she said "Why can't you be uncomplicated and pick one of the Mad Marauders? Leo's up for grabs for one! Why pick someone so eminently unsuitable? At least MY love life is uncomplicated and only involves Assim's fluffy white tummy!"
Mimi laughed.
"There would be those who would say that falling for a rakshasa wasn't the wisest move" she said. "I notice you and he have been firmly avoiding each other."
"Trying to" said Bella "I don't want to get him into trouble for being illegally young; though I suppose technically I'm older than Narcissa. I can argue that if anything slips!" she added brightening.
"Ass" said Mimi amicably. "Look, I don't know yet if what I feel about Darryl is just attraction; and I'm not going charging ahead with anything, snogging or blooding in, until I AM certain. I know that if he was blooded he'd suddenly understand a lot more; and stop being snippy for knowing that he was loved; but he needs to unbend enough to be ready to be loved, and I don't even know if he can. I don't even know if he's continuing to chat me up to find out why we're powerful; or if he's just clinging to me as any port in a storm. Or really what he thinks about me. I – I rather think he did genuinely like my new form. It's more womanly; there's something almost paedophilic about fancying an elf that isn't unusually busty. Mummy's fairly shapely in both forms and I'm not FLAT but….well…..it's nice to be a bit, well, more."
Bella nodded.
"That's why Stripes and I are staying by tacit agreement out of each other's way; I sort of had a mammary explosion over the hols and it's a bit embarrassing, I'm learning how to drive them and they mesmerise Stripes when they bounce."
"It's the tiger in him" said Mimi wisely "He sort of wants to pat out at anything that moves and bat it about between his paws."
Bella went boss eyed and purred loudly.
"And you have the cheek to say that I have it bad?" Mimi said "Bella Black, that's a perfectly natural purr; have you actually changed?"
"Only in the privacy of my own bedroom at home" said Bella defensively "I'm not about to start smelling tigery at Stripes; it wouldn't be fair. But I wanted to know that I could."
Mimi sighed.
"You and me, we just like a challenge, I guess" she said. "We wouldn't be marauders if we weren't up for the difficult things in life."
"Is he really going to be a decent type?" asked Bella "I mean, we've been enemies for years!"
"Well, Dad fought a load with Lily Evans" said Mimi "And he had a rotten time with James Potter and Padfoot, and you can't say they haven't learned to get over a whole lot of crap!"
"Well I guess that's true" said Bella. "Growing up is so complex; half of me wants to do it in a hurry so I can find out what makes all the delicious feelings I get about Assim; and half of me wishes I could go back to being twelve forever."
"Yes, I know what you mean" said Mimi "Being good old fashioned enemies is so much less complicated than caring about other people's motives and how much of a victim they really are."
Once the reporter that Mimi arranged to meet in Hogsmeade had got over the fact that the egregious racist's girlfriend was a half-elf – as she perceived Mimi's larger form – she was happy to ask where the veiled accusations had come from.
Mimi gave a wry smile.
"I bet they weren't veiled in any letter the 'Prophet' got" she said "We've a shrewd idea who wrote it; the kid needs every sympathy because she's had a very disturbed background. Even her brother finds it all pretty embarrassing; he told Darryl that he and his friends believe him."
"Is the tale of destroyed work spurious then?"
"Not hardly" said Darryl "It's disgusting; anyone who damages schoolwork is a creep. I bucked out of a gang when I was younger because the leader thought it was all right to sabotage pens and such to stop people doing homework."
"There's always at least one" said Mimi "Either they're the really spiteful type that thinks any foul trick to a rival is fair do's, or they're the hearty type without a mind above quidditch and roast beef who thinks those who care about doing schoolwork at school are laughable characters and need to be punished for being swots; you know, the ones who would be hurt if you called them bullies." She judged the woman was of an age with the first Marauders.
"Oh I know the types" said the reporter in instant sympathy.
"THEY at least generally grow out of it; daddy suffered from some, but they're good friends now because they had the balls to say sorry" said Mimi not wanting to have Sirius castigated "But their damage is THOUGHTLESS; this is kinda nasty."
"Is it true the aurors' office has been called in?"
"I'd say rather" said Mimi carefully "That Professor Dumbledore, who is a great man and does not want to be unfair to anyone, has probably called in a favour from a friend in the auror's office; so if whoever has done this is merely deeply disturbed it can be dealt with quietly and in school and every help given to such an individual, for in that case it would be an attention-seeking plea for help; and if it turns out to be something more wilful, then the law can take its course. Teenage kids aren't at their most stable in life; hormones raging, pressure of exams, for some the first time away from home, it can lead to aberrant behaviour; such is almost inevitable in a closed environment like a school where we must associate closely with people we don't necessarily like. The positive side is that it teaches us social skills and how to live with people we really would quite like to send off to the moon on one of Weasley's Wizard Fireworks."
"May I ask, Mr Zabini, do you have any racist tendencies?" asked the reporter.
"What apart from towards lesser being likes first years and most Ravenclaws?" asked Darryl.
"We should be fair; the Ravers have a decent set of pre's this year and Mei is a good head" said Mimi.
"Yeah, but half the middle school are the weirdest!" said Darryl.
"I think it's a requirement for Ravenclaw" said the reporter "So the whole thing of your so-called racism is a fabrication?"
"It's hung on truth which is what makes it nasty; and in a way it's a sabotage of MY work because people often believe what they read and it's rather offputting – and in my OWL year too" said Darryl "My pre-school experiences gave me a despite of goblins; and since the boy in my class whose work is thought to have been the target is a goblin and he's protested belief of my innocence I have to revise my opinions. On the whole I'd say I was mostly indifferent to most goblins unless they're stroppy at me. I don't want rights for this that and the other shoved in my face; I find that puts me off whoever is doing the shoving. I have aesthetic issues. I don't think that makes me more of a racist than nine people out of ten."
"You're a very clever and devious girl Mimi Snape" said Darryl "Deeply disturbed – in need of sympathy – then dragging in that whoever did the sabotage may be disturbed – you just told that reporter you think Makepeace herself did it. Do you think she did?"
"No; but I don't see why she shouldn't realise that making wild public accusations is a dangerous thing to do and totally beyond the pale" said Mimi "If they run with that let her see what it's like; and she can't hardly accuse me of racism 'cos I'm twice as elf as she is. She's one who's going to rely on squealing racism for any disagreement with her; and it won't be good for her personal development. It was that or give her a good spanking."
"I think what I like about you is that you DON'T have an elf-oriented agenda" said Darryl.
Mimi shrugged.
"I have a people-oriented agenda" she said serenely.
The article, when it appeared, was everything Mimi might have hoped for; and maundered sentimentally about how it was a shame that sweet couples like Mimi and Darryl who showed the paradigm of racial tolerance should not be left alone just because jealous and disturbed girls felt like stirring matters for their own self-seeking ends. It hinted that such girls had been known to cause trouble in the first place just to start a furore that they might fan the flames of.
Michelle Makepeace was furious!
The paper was making her out to be a troublemaker and a liar and attention seeker! She said so, loudly!
"Well that could be because you are" said Mimi. "I too have serious issues with this article but most of mine are grammatical; you'd have thought that a reporter ought to be able to write English. Split infinitives are the least of the horridly glaring errors; and the spelling! Nice picture though; Darryl's looking particularly tasty in it. Is that why you've got it in for him, Makepeace, 'cos he's not interested in going out with a grubby little weevil like you?"
Michelle could never compete with any of the Marauders and fled, bested.
Most people – including Pearl, who was a sensible girl – tried to put the whole business out of their minds to get on with school work; and of course Quidditch.
Slytherin had already beaten Gryffindor and had a match with Ravenclaw; and on the pitch a hard-fought battle ended with Gorbrin just missing the snitch as Jack Murray jinked superbly in front of him; and Gorbrin shook his hand for the clever move.
It would not have made any difference as it happened; Mad and Chad were still far and away the best chasers in the
school and Slytherin lost an ignominious six hundred and ten to three hundred.
What was disgraceful was the fight amongst sundry spectators when Ravenclaws started accusing the Slytherin of harbouring and shielding racist saboteurs. Slytherin naturally made counter comments that as it was one of their own who had been the intended target such comments were out of line; it degenerated first to name calling and then to an all out brawl.
Mimi and Mortimer – who was on the second team – exchanged looks and started dropping petrificalis totalis on anybody fighting, regardless of house and Mimi sent Gennar for Dumbledore.
She then went to defend Darryl who was being beaten on physically as well as being jinxed; as he could hold his own against the spell attacks.
The six middle school Ravenclaws dropped silently in sudden bonds of green rope.
Zabini was bloodied but unbowed.
"Well I suppose I know something from the receiving end of unreasoning prejudice" he said grimly.
"Do you want me to fix it or do you want it to be evidence?" said Mimi.
"Evidence? They're acting under a mistaken belief; if they get ticked off for it, they're only going to see it as unfair, like I've seen it as unfair getting into trouble trying to keep contumelious goblins in their place before they start trouble" said Zabini harshly.
Both Ravenclaw and Slytherin lost a hundred points for that debacle; and Ravenclaw lost another thirty for starting the fray by leaping to conclusions that had no proof.
"And all we want now is if it DOES turn out to be Amos Leroy" groaned Mei "I kind of feel the Marauders ought to be finding out more; but I'm puzzled where to start, because we have to respect the fact that no-one is to approach the broken piece so we can't do a kind of engulfing charm to apport in the last person to touch it."
"It'd be a nice piece of chanting" said Lydia "And a great idea; but as Alastor's on it we can't really tread on his toes. I say, people, our Mimi's a bit gone on Zabini; if Gorbrin is wrong and it does turn out to be him, I'll bloody maim him."
"Legilimens him" said Chad.
"Brilliant" said Lydia and went off to find him.
Entering the Slytherin common room was no trouble for Lydia; and without even bothering to use the secret passage through the portrait of Ebeneezer Malfoy. She just asked the Bloody Baron for the password, the Slytherin ghost having always made a favourite of both Jade and Lydia and counting all Malfoys as spare Slytherin anyway.
"Hey, Snape, you're a Gryff: what are you doing in here?" demanded the older Baddock.
"Looking for Zabini" said Lydia "I SAY! You DID take a beating from those Raver oiks!"
"Gloating, are you?" said Zabini.
"Nope. Came to ask if you'd like this cleared up by having me legilimens you."
"you're a legilimens?"
"I kind of picked it up as I went along in the Voldemort years" shrugged Lydia.
Zabini nodded.
"So long as you don't pry other places."
"I'll try not too; try not to think too loudly about anything else" said Lydia. "Boys are such a pain to legilimens; their sex life tends to interrupt. If you try NOT to think about groping my sister for a few minutes I'd be obliged" and she winked at him. Zabini had been about to protest loudly but he was not sure what to make of the wink. "I'm going to ask you questions out loud because it brings things to the fore" said Lydia "Like, what do you know about the destruction of the piece of metalwork on Monday?"
"Only gossip and hearsay" said Zabini "Though bearing in mind who wrote to the 'Prophet' one can't help wondering if Mimi was right and this is a plea for help from a very disturbed little girl."
"Say, what?" said Lydia "Oh, I don't think Makepeace did it, she's not clever enough to slip out of her dorm at night."
"How DARE you accuse ME?" screeched Makepeace.
"How dare YOU, you rude little girl, be so lost to shame as to write to a sad rag like the 'Daily Prophet' with your own half baked ideas presented as fact?" said Lydia.
"You racist!" cried Makepeace.
"Makepeace" said Lydia "One of my sisters is an elf. Several of my much younger siblings are elves or half elves One of my best friends is Mort Bane, who's part goblin and another is Polly who's an elf. I took part in the eight hour chant that freed from all elves and half elves the compulsion to self punish. Eight hours solid chanting without food or drink, peeing in my pants because we couldn't afford to stop for anything like that, until I was too dehydrated to be able to pee any more; it was the hardest thing I've ever done and if you think that's a sign of a racist to do anything that tough for another race then I don't quite understand your definition of racism. You seem to be under the impression that anyone who disagrees with you is a racist; when frankly it's more to do with the fact that you're a rude, truculent, rather childish for your age little girl whose resentment of all the world is too big to allow those who have tried to make friendly gestures to you to succeed; you've pushed away anyone who tried to be nice to you."
"Nobody's been nice to me!"
"You little liar! Didn't my kid sister Lilith invite you to the MSHG? And don't say she didn't because she was quite hurt that you snubbed her in a nasty bullying way; and it IS bullying for a big girl of eleven to be so rude to a little girl of nine! And with your usual ill-informed sneer that it is childish; well let me tell you, the MSHG fights racism and Prince Gerhardt, the biggest racist born did NOT find us childish when we fought his werewolves and erklings and storm-wizards; you're going to find it hard to get people to be nice to you, my good kid, if you don't unbend enough to be a bit nice back when they first try. And I shouldn't be surprised to see YOU being racist for deciding that all humans are scum, which is just as much racism as a human who feels the same way about goblins! Go away, Makepeace; you're a silly kid and you irritate me. Oh and by the way, get this; Zabini has NO knowledge of how the article in question got damaged and he's as shocked by destruction of schoolwork as anyone. So put THAT in your silly and childish little pipe and smoke it!"
Makepeace stared at Lydia; and ran off in fury.
"CAN it have been her?" asked Meliandra.
"Don't think so" said Lydia. "Though I'm afraid I'd not put such an outburst of destruction against someone she believed to be racist out of her abilities. I wish you people would help to squash her a bit; she gives decent types like her brother Roger and my sister and my friend Polly a bad name."
"I'll sit on her, Snape" said Maia Pleiades "She's in my year; and I'm a half-breed too, even if the half is different. How by Merlin's multicoloured bedsocks are we half-breeds and goblins and elves going to prove we're normal decent people with types like Makepeace showing all the racists that she can be a silly little git who fulfils all their expectations? I bet she's eavesdropping actually and I hope she is because she needs to know she's sabotaging her own cause for having no brains and less manners."
"You'll do, Pleiades" said Lydia. "Ta for the time, all; and I'll spread about that I've stuck my eyes down Zabini's brain as my sister Jade puts it."
The forensic diviners had come up with the knowledge that the actual destruction was done by an elf.
Dumbledore summoned the castle elves and asked them if any pupil had ordered one of them to destroy the hard work of another. They all denied.
With a heavy heart he summoned Polly, Mimi, Kaur Freeman, Roger Blake and Michelle Makepeace to his study.
"My dears, I have to ask you to clear yourselves of the nasty destruction of Pearl Brocklehurst's work; since the aurors have discovered that the destruction was carried out by an elf or part elf."
"It's a racist calumny! They're lying!" said Makepeace.
Dumbledore looked at her in shock.
"Miss Makepeace, accusing the auror's office of lying is a serious and terrible accusation; and as I know the auror overseeing the forensic divination personally – and can tell you that his adoptive daughter is a half elf – I rather think that you are seeing racism where it does not exist. You are almost giving the impression of one who, ah, doth protest too much; and I do hope you are not yourself to blame for this!"
Makepeace burst into angry tears.
"Why does everyone keep accusing me?" she said.
"Maybe because," said Polly dryly, "it has been observed in the past that often a malefactor is the one who points the finger of blame at one they think they can shuffle the deed off onto; it's a more believable thing than that you're just such a vitriolic little busybody that you'd write to the paper accusing someone without any proof. Many of us think someone who'd do that has something to hide for themselves."
"But I didn't! Why would I want to destroy a goblin's work? They are brothers under the skin to us oppressed elves!"
"Speak for yourself" said Kaur, who was half goblin as well as half elf and was not keen on goblins in principle despite having several goblin friends. Which is to say, after his treatment by his father he was wary of those goblins he did not know.
"Besides" said Mimi "It wasn't a goblin's work that was destroyed; it's only a hypothesis that a mistake was made and that Gorbrin was the intended target. The work was that of a pure bred witch, and you're a bit racist against them, never mind that Pearl Brocklehurst is about as inoffensive as they come."
Dumbledore was gazing into the eyes of each in turn.
"I want each of you to swear to me that it was nothing to do with you" he said gently "And I, unlike some of my misguided pupils, will take your word if you can meet my eye to give it."
They all did so, even if Makepeace grumbled that she should have to.
"That means, if you've checked the castle elves, that it has to have been somebody's family elf" said Mimi quietly.
"Yes Mimi; I'm afraid it does. And that means we shall never find out who."
"Yes we will" said Polly "If you let the Marauders to a chant to apport in whoever was last to touch it."
"Ah" said Dumbledore "Unfortunately the last to touch it was the diviner who needed to handle and feel the destroyed pieces."
"Oh Merlin's bogies!" said Polly.
"Graphic but a reasonable sentiment" said Dumbledore.