~ooO Neutral: Filius Flitwick Ooo~
Filius Flitwick was by nature an observer, a watcher. He preferred to wait for the optimum moment before acting, use the least amount of exertion to generate the desired outcome. Part of it was due to his goblin heritage, the rest was due to his duellist training. But he had learnt through hard experience that battlefield duelling was very different from practice and formal duelling. If it wasn't for his goblin training and intellectual ruthlessness he would have died in the Battle of Hogwarts like hundreds of other witches and wizards, many of whom were under twenty years of age.
The Battle changed him like it had so many. It made him more determined to be proactive, to act on his beliefs than hope for the best and watch things to go down the crapper as Muggles would say. And he had started with Ravenclaw House. Rather than relying on the Prefects to bring problems to his attention and trust in their maturity, the Charms Master instituted a new system of randomly inviting Third Year and under students for tea and shortbread cookies. In reality the cookies were laced with relaxing potions and it didn't take much to make homesick nervous children blurt out suppressed truths. Because they wanted someone to know and take care of it. Filius always pretended not to hear it during their talks but he would always act on it in the weeks that followed, usually behind the scenes. It cut down on bullying in Ravenclaw House and the half-goblin wished he started doing it long ago, for poor Miss Lovegood. Maybe it would have taught some of his Ravens caution and the hefty price one could pay if one made a bad enemy.
Several had been arrogant enough to believe they could manipulate Voldemort, get their own way. They found out they were wrong the hard way. Filius had been initially surprised to find out the number of Ravenclaws in Death Eater ranks; but when he had the moment to think about it, it made sense. Voldemort was a master of manipulation and it was easy to manipulate someone who believed he/she knew everything. Filius mourned those lost students but focused on his current cohort, the living who needed his guidance.
The War had changed everything, destroyed so much, he was not surprised when Hermione Granger went beyond the limits, digging into old forgotten laws, publicizing the legend of the Sword in the Stone. It was a pity about Binns who specialized in repeating old prejudiced tales instead of inspiring ones that would teach young ones about magical society and traditions. Purebloods might pass the Traditions, tales of the Royals and the Crown through each successive generation but how would Muggleborns know? And the Purebloods would scorn the Muggleborns as ignorant and crude.
Filius shook his head slightly and sighed softly making a mental note to ask Minerva to look for a competent living History of Magic teacher. Maybe one from Beaubatons or Salem. Someone who could inspire students about history. Someone who understood the past shaped the present and future.
A faint smile curved his lips as he watched his old students gather around the Royal couple, around Hermione and Salazar Slytherin. Sometimes he had to pinch himself, to remind himself that it was real, that the Founder was alive and Fates-Matched, married and bonded to Hermione Granger. Many had forgotten and did not realize the true impact of a Fates-Matched couple but Filius did. He knew and was overjoyed to be alive in such a pivotal moment in history. For good or ill, Hermione Slytherin would change magical world -that much was certain- and Filius Flitwick was looking forward to witnessing it firsthand.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
AN: I think as a half-goblin, a duellist, Ravenclaw, Filius Flitwick would be more inclined to watch and observe before making final judgment calls.