Chapter seventeen

'Okay, I think I know where you're going with this Harry, but is everyone going to accept such a big change?' Arthur asked.

'All the staff have because they realise that unless we move forward then our world could die. Helga Hufflepuff used to have these dreams, like visions of the future.'

'Oh, I read about that in her book, she saw things that would happen but she never knew when,' Hermione said excitedly.

'Exactly and one vision was after a long and bloody war with a dark wizard, Hogwarts would end up deserted because all the children preferred the muggle world to ours. It's not really one world over another though, it's what the muggles have that attracts people my age, even Minerva said some things she likes. So we just trying to make our world move in the right way and not stuck in the last century but without changing our traditions or beliefs. Hermione and Ron know I hate robes but they are traditional and some traditions will always remain and they should.'

'Being headmaster you really have to get used to robes, that's all Dumbledore ever wore,' Ron said.

'The robes I have on did belong to Albus, he left me everything apart from a few personal items he wanted Aberforth to have. I always watched Albus when he was down in the school and I always loved his robes, they were him.'

'Okay, we got our letters and since we now know you're headmaster, what about quidditch, who's going to be captain of Gryffindor?'

'Another change that we're putting forth and this was not my idea, it was Severus' idea, it's a fairer idea as well. The captain will be chosen by the head of house, but the head of house will be at the try outs and they will have the final say on the line up. So many captains chose players because of friendships or they hate one of the players even if they deserved a spot on the team. Minerva, Severus, Filius, Pomona and I have been discussing captains, so far three have been picked, still deciding on one.'

'Which one, Slytherin?' Ron asked.

'No, Gryffindor, since I'm not playing Minerva wants my opinion on who should be captain. I'm still deciding at the moment. But if you want to play Ron, you're good; you're just out of shape for quidditch.'

'I'm not playing; I need to get my marks up so I can apply to be an auror.'

'That's your choice. Minerva and I probably won't decide until the tryouts though, see who has the right temperament to take on the captain's job. But there are going to be new rules for the team and captain, too many detentions, causing problems for staff, causing any major type of trouble and they're instantly off the team, no second chances. That was one of my idea's actually, some people don't deserve the right to play when all they did was cause problems. So even if a team and captain get's chosen, doesn't necessarily mean they will stay, so each player will have two reserves instead of one.'

'What about a quidditch coach, shouldn't the teams have one?' Charlie asked.

'It's an idea Charlie, I can think about it. You could do it, you played, but you will have a lot of work to do already.'

'We can talk it over with Minerva, Filius, Pomona and Severus.'

'Could you put your differences aside and train Slytherin Charlie?' Bill smirked.

'Maybe, that's why we would need to talk about this,' Charlie's smile slipped when he noticed his mother still scowling at him and Harry, 'Why don't we have dinner at Hogwarts?'

'But you were going to stay here, we haven't seen Harry in ages,' Ron said.

'Mum doesn't want us here, but you'll see Harry a lot soon.'

'True, but they can't call me Harry once they are back at Hogwarts, I'll be Professor Potter.'

'Blimey, I didn't think about that, I really can't say you're name, can I?'

'No, sorry mate, not until you finish. Naturally I am giving people time to get used to that, there's bound to be a few slip ups, even with Charlie. You have to call him Professor Weasley and not Charlie.'

'Professor Weasley, I bet you're going to be a tyrant, aren't you?' Ron glared.

'You'll see brother.'

'What you were saying Charlie, no, you and Harry stay for dinner,' Arthur said giving his wife a look, she never said anything just turned and went back to preparing her dinner.

'So my brother and my mate are going to work together and your both gay.'

'You can't predict how things turn out,' Harry said.

'Okay, you as headmaster offered Charlie the job, why?' George asked.

'I knew Binns had to go, so I started to look through the files of previous students to see who got decent marks in history of magic. When I saw Charlie's name I thought I would talk to him without saying too much.'

'Like normal with Harry, he was being very evasive. He asked me if I was just good at that class or if I actually enjoyed it. It is hard to believe with Binns, but I did enjoy that class. My class is going to cover a lot more than Binns ever did and if the headmaster will approve, I was thinking of getting guest speakers to join me, just occasionally.'

Harry grinned, 'You'll have to come to my office and discuss that Charlie. But tell me who you had in mind?'

'Well, giant wars are interesting even if Binns made them boring. So I thought I might be able to get Grawp to help but with Hagrid to explain some of their history. The goblin rebellions, maybe I can convince a goblin to come to the school. You also have the history of house elves; why not have a house elf talk about that, but also how they feel today. We would need a free elf and one that will be honest and not worry that they'll get in trouble.'

'I still don't like the fact Hogwarts has so many as slaves,' Hermione huffed.

'Hermione, they are not slaves, they get paid. Albus worked that out when he became headmaster, it's just not wildly known. He spoke to the house elves and told them that they can stay, work at Hogwarts but they would be free. They were scared at first, but they finally gave in. Now another thing, when a house elf's owner dies and there is no one left in the family or no will to say who gets the elf, they will be offered a position at Hogwarts, the ministry or St mungo's. That's why Albus put Dobby on when I freed him. I spoke to Kreacher, so he's now free but wants to stay at Hogwarts and he wants to serve me. It's there life and it's what they like, but they do get treated well and looked after.'

'Dobby said he got two galleons a week, is that still the same?'

'Yes, I spoke with them but they all refused to take more. So what I did was had more uniforms made up for them, all with the Hogwarts emblem on them. I also gave them some new bedding, little quilts for the little beds. Think about it Hermione, they live and work at Hogwarts, they eat and sleep there, they even have a healer who can see to them at any time. They take shifts so all of them get plenty of rest and they have a day off every month but so far not one elf has left the castle. They want for nothing but they're also happy. I had a good conversation with them a few weeks back and they are happy. But I did tell them that if they want to…join with another elf they can.'

'They don't marry is the same sense as us, but they join and when they join it's for life. Once they join, they can have babies, only up to four though,' Charlie said.

'Why only four?' Hermione asked.

'It's just the way they are; their little bodies can't handle any more than four pregnancies. There have been some that went further before taking the sterilising potion, they died during childbirth. The moment they have had their fourth elfling, they are offered the potion, but it is up to them if they take it.'

'I never heard any of this in history of magic or read it in any of the books about house elves.'

'That's why Binns had to go Hermione; he kept getting stuck on the same stuff. Giant wars and Goblin wars. Because of that, a lot of books didn't get bought, that has already been rectified. But now all the history of Voldemort has to be added along with Grindelwald. History of the chamber of secrets. Remember when you asked Binns, he said it was a myth, we know now it's real so it has to be spoken about. I took the rest of the staff down there and Pomona is very good at drawing, so she made some nice sketches of the whole chamber. From the hole under the sink right to the main chamber and Salazar's bit statue. Those pictures will eventually end up in the new history books that will come out soon.'

'So, if Voldemort is mentioned, it means there'll be a lot about you,' Ron said.

'Some will mention me, but you'll be mentioned, like everyone here that helped in the battle of Hogwarts. The three of us are known as the golden trio so we will be in a lot of books now. But people like Neville and Seamus, who ran the DA while we were gone. Things like how Charlie brought all those extra people which changed from them winning, to us. Fred, George and Lee with Potter-watch will be added and how they were able to help so many people and saved so many lives. How your mum killed Bellatrix, the worst dark witch in the last few hundred years. Everything from the time he was born to when he died will be added to history books and part of Charlie's class.'

'So you'll be talking about yourself Charlie, you'll like that,' Bill smirked making everyone but Molly laugh who still stood stiffly with her back to everyone.

One thing no one knew was Ginny was listening in on the entire conversation. She had planned on making Harry look bad so he would be forced to leave, but she realised if she did that he would kick her off the quidditch team and she always dreamed of playing professional quidditch. She knew she either gave up on Harry or quidditch and by the sound of Harry, he would never take her back, so quidditch was her goal. It was time to put her dream of being Mrs Harry Potter to rest and concentrate on her future in quidditch.