Hey everyone,
Well, this will be the second to last chapter taking place in England – and it will be AWESOME! It is exactly what, I think, a lot of you were waiting for and I can tell you, I hinted at it at the AN of an earlier chapter, when I hinted at a teacher who is outgoing and plays just as active a role as Hagrid and Dumbledore in the books.
There was, I am sad to say, only one person who tried answering the hint I gave you, yet while they gave a good guess, was it the wrong guess. No, I didn't mean Flitwick, though I have been bashing him in other stories. I meant another teacher and, well, let's just say that I will be turning a certain 3rd book cannon event – a little dark.
Hope you enjoy,
Venquine1990
PS. Check Chapter 01 for Rules.
Chapter 14
Testing the Teachers
24th of August 1995
Hogwarts' Great Hall
Albus' POV
It doesn't take a Seventh year Ravenclaw to understand why the teachers that are here with me have received their mysterious summons to assemble in the Great Hall, yet while I have no doubt that each of them have their suspicions, do I also know that I am the only one who actually knows where the summons have come from.
Severus, Filius, Rubeus, Minerva, Poppy, Remus – who had been summoned, he said, due to his brilliant results as a teacher – and Sybill have all been summoned alongside me, yet while I have no doubt that Remus and I both know who the summons have come from, has the werewolf pretended to be ignorant of this upon arrival.
Severus himself had definitely not taken kindly to seeing the old teacher of the subject he craves so badly, which in my eyes is kind of silly seeing how brilliant he is with Potions, yet while the man keeps glaring at what I can easily see is the newly appointed Alpha of the pack, does he keep quiet due to the stare I send him earlier.
And then the beings I have been expected arrive. Lord Zeus, his wife Lady Hera, his brother Lord Poseidon, his son Lord Apollo and his daughter Lady Athena all stride into the Great Hall, Lord Zeus actually holding onto a sword that is crackling and sparkling with energy, while his brother has an actual trident in his other hand.
Hera, at Zeus' side, has a large staff in her hand that has a gorgeous ruby at the very tip, while Lady Athena has an owl on her shoulder and keeps looking at Poseidon, who I now notice has a large chalice in the hand not holding his trident, whereas Lord Apollo holds his elbows with the hands of his other arms with a face of utter focus.
Just the power that rolls off of the five of them is enough to make the aura of amazement that usually hangs around the Great Hall feel like a sliver of sweetness or something and the eyes of both those that know they exist – Severus, Hagrid and Minerva, who are in the Order – as well as those who don't widen for various reasons.
The five gods move over to the Head Table where, while Apollo passes his gaze over each of my colleagues and me before he focuses on his uncle, Poseidon sets down the goblet before touching it with his trident, the magic of the weapon filling the chalice with water before both Apollo and Athena give it a tap.
The three of them then nod at Zeus and the man nods back, making me know that what will happen after this will be very problematic of Severus, not to mention shocking for all the others, yet I still wonder, just slightly, why Filius and Sybill have also been summoned as, other than the prophesy, neither of them really know Harry.
"I do not think it is just Filius Flitwick who, by now, has realized who it is that we are, but we will introduce ourselves nonetheless. I am Zeus, the Thunder God. This is my wife, Hera, my brother Poseidon, my son Apollo and my daughter Athena. We are here for the same reason as my brother and kids visited the Order earlier.
We have waited and watched the lives of my partner in heart, Sirius Black, and our son, Harrison Juno Black play out for the last fifteen years, as was told to us by my son Apollo as he predicted this was destined to happen and now – we have gathered the eight of you to either witness this testing or go through it yourself."
This is all spoken by the Lord of the Gods and while Severus had turned whiter than the snow that falls onto the grounds at winter, do I feel confused and for some reason worried as Filius and Minerva had actually shared a furtive, worried glance with each other at hearing this and then the Thunder God goes on and says:
"The chalice you see before you is filled with the purest water of this world, thanks to my brother, and has been charmed by the powers of Truth and Justice, each given to the water itself by my son Apollo and my daughter Athena. Only a single sip of this chalice will be enough, but it will also overpower your Veritaserum or Mind Shields.
And no, refusing to drink this is not an option. We are not just doing this for the sake of my son, we are doing this for the sake of Madam Bones, who has already consented that anyone who refuses this drink will be arrested and interrogated privately. Also, this agreement is now only known by those present in this room."
And while the man doesn't say it, do I understand the hidden message of his final statement and do I know he says this because of Severus, who has by now turned just as green as Harry's eyes and while I worry for the man and whatever it is that the Gods will decide to ask him, does Hera shock me as she speaks up and says:
"Minerva McGonagall, in name of my friend, Sirius and my surrogate son, Harrison, do I wish for you to be the first to take the sip. Also know that I have certain set of questions I wish to ask you in regards to actions you partook in during the boy's third year. And know I will live up to my reputation if the answers are not satisfactory."
And while I worry for my Deputy Headmistress, can I not shake off the idea that this meeting wasn't just something I could have expected, but that it was also planned much deeper by the Gods before me than they are currently letting off. Yet, it's mostly the year the female Goddess refers to that brings out my confusion.
And Minerva shares my confusion as she asks: "Why Mr. Potter – I mean, Black's – third?" Yet the Goddess keeps her silent and the Head of Gryffindor shares a look with me, showing a rare act of slight concern before she moves over and picks up the chalice, the others looking at her with trepidation as she takes a sip.
Instantly, thanks to the magic of Hogwarts that – often at my own choice – connects me to the magical personas of my coworkers allows me to sense how the fluid now coursing through the woman seems to be blocking one part of her mental capacities, does it also seem to power up another part that seems to be the rival of the former.
Realizing that the draught has done nothing but block her selfish pride and power up what I can only assume is her personal conscience, do I worry as it already seems to have some kind of emotional effect on her as tears start to shine in her eyes and I can tell, thanks to the bond, that this is because of the confusing topic.
The others also look worried, yet Hera seems satisfied with this and says: "Good, you subconsciously realize your mistake. That does prove my beliefs, yet it also makes me know you are not as selfish as I believed you." To which I decide to just get this confusing matter brought up and solved as I move forward and ask:
"Dear Lady, please. Indulge us all and tell us what happened in Harry Black's third year that you believe Minerva did wrong." Lady Hera nods, yet turns to Minerva and asks: "Professor McGonagall, what was the spell that you told Harry Potter you were testing his broom on and how much time had passed when you told him this?"
And while, for some reason that greatly worries, this makes Filius turn whiter than Severus had turned earlier, does the woman before me answer and say: "The Hurling Hex, which Filius had checked the broom for on the day after I confiscated it from Potter and which I told Potter about halfway through the second week of February."
And just this last part shocks me senseless and makes Hagrid and Sybill look at Filius and the questioned woman with utter shock before Apollo goes on: "And how much time surpassed between you finishing your spellwork and the date you returned Potter his broom?" And to my utter horror, the woman answers:
"We finished the spellwork the day after New Year. I gave Potter back his Firebolt a fortnight after he asked me about said broom for the last time." To which I cannot help but almost silently ask: "You kept a Christmas present, which wasn't even given to you, for yourself for almost two months?" And the woman nods.
To this I turn to the Gods and say: "Please tell me Harry doesn't know about this." But then a voice I hadn't expected sounds and says: "I do." I turn to the entrance and see Harry, his new blue eyes glowing and brewing with the power of a fierce storm, which to me further proves his relation to his father as he says:
"Professor McGonagall scared me when she stated the broom had to be stripped down, but then I borrowed a library book and read that stripping down is just another phrase for checking an item for certain spells. After this, I hoped to get as much info about my broom as possible, but the info McGonagall gave me confused me.
The book, which I had borrowed, had a segment that was a personally written report of a Rookie Auror Trainee in the middle of his first year of the Auror Training Program and he had apparently come across the task of checking a confiscated broom for all the possibly dangerous and lethal spells known to the Auror program.
Back then, I believed that because the broom I read about wasn't the same as the Firebolt, that it would take Professor Flitwick more time to check for said spell than it had the Trainee – or that because he was both a teacher and a tester, that the process just took longer. I had my suspicions, but – I really wished they were unfound."
The others all look shocked as they hear this and Harry moves into the Hall as he says: "Yes, I usually pretend not to be the brightest bulb in the bunch, but if you have a friend as dumb and simple as Ronald and one that is as ambitious in her studies as Hermione, it's sometimes just easier to dumb yourself down for their sakes.
However, this does not mean I do not have a bright mind – as the Sorting Hat said when he sorted me – nor that I do not love studying topics that are unlike the subjects studied here at school. I just don't always like showing that, other than the mysteries that have been going on at the school, I enjoy a good studying or a good book.
However –." The boy halts here, glaring at both Filius and Minerva with such angered hatred I am sure Severus could actually take some lessons from him as his powers as the son of the Thunder God show themselves, his longer hair now starting to float around him as if touched by a strong funnel wind, the tips sharp as thunder bolts.
Still, it's the eyes that the boy is using to glare at the Heads of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw House that actually scare me – something even Tom barely ever manages to accomplish – as their color has changed to represent the storm that terrorized the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff team during the first match of Harry's third year.
Dark, ominous and swirling with both the power I am sure is growing within the boy now that he has been determined by his father as well as the furious emotions that the boy feels within his heart and just this combination alone make me feel glad that I have never done something as selfishly stupid as two of my teachers have.
Then Harry brings up a new shocking topic as he turns to Filius and says: "I may not always represent everything you people remember of my old parents or live up to expectations you all had long before I even set my first step in this grounds, but I do have something. The confirmation that my parents do not believe me to disgrace them."
And just because of the power behind the boy's voice, as well as the mocking sound his voice takes at the last two words, do all my colleagues, guests and I turn to the diminutive man before Harry crosses his arms over his chest with a mix of anger and pride and says: "What can I say? Your test inspired me – the first time I took it."
He then adds spitefully and Remus asks: "Filius, what test is my cub talking about?" And the title my cub makes Filius whiten even more, making me know he had become aware of how Remus had barely behaved as a Pack Alpha around Harry in the boy's third, but has taken that role on him now before Athena says:
"I believe our fine professor should take the chalice before he answers that question. And remember, we and Amelia are the only ones who know of this meeting." And while I am amazed at how the woman can bring out a threat without using any words that can be considered threatening, does a reluctant Filius sip from the chalice.
Again, my connection to him makes me feel the same sensation as with Minerva, who I can sense is still under the spell, yet also seems relieved that her punishment – so far – has been left with just a minor reprimanding from one of her own students and while I know Harry won't hold that title for long, do I repeat Remus' inquiry.
And Filius' answer astounds and horrifies me. "Potter has never really shown any indication that he resembles Lily other than being friendly even to those who aren't really his friends and having two close friends. He definitely didn't show her enthusiasm in my class so when he scored higher than Mss. Granger, I believed he had cheated.
I had him and the rest of his class redo the test and then had him stay after class after they did so. I then explained to Mr. Potter the real reason why they had redone the test and told him exactly what I thought of him that day. How I believed that he had disgraced Lily's great sacrifice and brought shame to her memory.
Yes, the boy had tried to speak up for himself, but I didn't want to hear it and even now, I admit, I still do not." The man then strongly ends, the pride in his voice making me want to hit myself over the head as I just can't believe that the Head of the House of the Intelligent just can't see how faulty his own thinking is.
"And that represents a House that defines one of my strongest attributes. Thank goodness we have our little surprise ready." Athena then mutters to the other gods and while Harry raises an inquisitive eyebrow at this, does Zeus say: "Just a little longer, Starbolt." Which the boy silently accepts with an honorable nod of the head.
The gods then turn to the one man I had been worried about the most and Zeus says: "To be quite frank, these actions may have only been single events since my son came here, but their level of selfishness and the impact they have had on my son are far greater than anything you could have ever done to him, Severus Snape.
However, that does not – do not even try, you lowlife little mongrel." The man then suddenly snaps and I can only hope Severus will take the word of the Lord of the Gods as he had actually tried opening his mouth in his own defence, something I am quite sure is more because of his own ego than due to his lack of manners.
The man himself seems shocked to have been insulted so and then Athena makes it worse as she says: "Oh don't look so shocked. Calling you a mongrel is actually quite friendly of father, seeing what certain others think of you." And just the fact that she looks away from even Harry makes me know she doesn't mean him.
"No, even he thinks higher of you than others do." Athena then says offhandedly, making me look back at Severus, who had been glaring at Harry, but now looks shocked and then Athena reaches into her toga and robe and pulls out a roll of parchment as she says: "Your actions don't require our draught to be brought to the light.
Unlike the other two, you have constantly been out in the open, vocal and public with your harassment and – yes, I dare say it – childish bullying of one who has no memories of the people you claim are most valiant to you. However, I don't need Apollo's powers of truth to know that, when it comes to those people – you're delusional.
However, I have also seen enough of you and your methods of acting and thinking to know that there is only the word of one person who can get through the crazy barrier you call a mentality, so here. A letter written to you by Lily Rose Evans, who again became Evans upon her passing, which was written when she was alone in Elysium.
And before you even ask – No, James is also in Elysium, they live in a house together, they just agreed that James would be staying with his own folks while Lily wrote that letter. And I have here a written vow that has the same date as the letter alongside a copy of both their agendas, so you can't make the ridiculous excuse that he influenced her."
And while I am amazed at how well organized this all is, does Poseidon then say: "She finished her part of the surprise before we questioned your Order members and the others. Has been preparing for this ever since." Making me smile for the first time since the questioning and shake my head at the sheer brilliance of it all.
Severus, in the mean time, seems speechless and amazed that he is actually being given something that was written and owned by a person he long since believed lost and then, as if reading his mind, does Apollo say: "No, Hermes vowed on the River Styx never to take you with him when he goes on his almost daily trips down to Hades."
And while I have no doubt that this is part of the man's actual punishment, does Severus still glare at the God of the Sun and Truth, but the cheery looking man ignores this and turns to Harry as he says: "Sorry sport, we need to discuss some features of the upcoming surprise with your old teachers. Would you mind?"
But instead of objecting like part of me had been expecting, does Harry ask: "Mum's still at home, right?" To which Zeus answers: "Yes, and he too has a surprise for you and Hermione so you better hurry up." The boy nods at his father and the next thing I and my colleagues know a gust of wind makes his whole body vanish.
"He's definitely getting better at that." Zeus comments and Remus says: "Especially indoors, though London has also been helping with that. He actually thinks he can blow Walburga off the wall any day now." This I know will definitely excite Sirius, yet I focus on the whole reason the boy had been told to leave and ask:
"What exactly is this big surprise you keep hinting at?" And the answer makes me feel a whole myriad of emotions. Shock that the Gods came up with such a thing. Astonishment that the gods would think of accomplishing a feet like this. Happiness as it will mean a new start in Harry's life. And sadness as it will mean his actual departure as a student.
"We have build an almost exact replica of Hogwarts, from the Chamber of Secrets to the Astronomy Tower, but then further equipped with all that our Demigod kids know and love about Camp Halfblood, onto Olympus and plan to introduce them to it as soon as all of the Gods have had their weekend with their offspring.
It will mean that our school year will start later than yours, but Harry and Hermione, who I have decided to Champion as my own due to her incredible talent and everlasting friendship and loyalty with Harry, will get the chance to go there and continue their studies, both in the fields of magic and the fields of the Divine.
And of course, if any of Harry's other friends decide to join their Demigod friend, we will welcome them as they have already gone through the same process as Minerva and Filius and have proven their worth. We wish not to take you any students, we just wish that which had been kept from Harry for fifteen years; his happiness."
All of this is said by Hera as she looks at each of us, her eyes strong with how determined she is to not only make us understand what she is saying, but also understand the meaning behind her words and how strongly she believes in them and just the fact that a male can make a male-hating goddess say this says it all to me.
Harry has family. He has a mother who has spent twelve years in Hell on Earth, he has spent fourteen years believing himself an orphan. He has apparently spent the last four years trying to live up to ridiculous beliefs of others, even his own teachers. But now, he has a mother, a father and even a goddess who beliefs him her own.
And while I know that without Harry the war will be much harder to win, that Voldemort is not really the only problem thanks to what Harry's sister and her friends have told us and that Hermione might have trouble leaving behind four years of education, do I also know that Hera is right; Harry deserves happiness – all the happiness.
And with that, do I decide to prove my loyalty to the one person I know can make an enemy out of the gods to me if I do something wrong, even if I also know that the others might believe me a traitor for this and I say: "Lords and ladies, my colleagues await your punishment for their selfishness." Before I take my leave.
Okay, WOW!
That did NOT go as I had planned. I was really hyped about this chapter, because I wanted to bring out the teacher that went in the wrong back in Harry's third – or at least in the wrong in my perspective. But the fact that Filius was part of that whole messed up affair, made me bring back that first year fault I keep repeating.
Anyway, for those wondering: VENQUINE, WHERE'S THE PUNISHMENT? Trust me, I'm getting to that. And I have something AMAZING planned. I just need a little timeskip, the heroes back on American soil and the Divine Hogwarts revealed to them. And no, the teachers won't be the only ones punished then.
YES, I know that I let Molly, Ron and Percy off easy when I just grounded them without their magic and all, but to be honest, it was kind of a way to show that the gods had baffled the Ministry too much to make them come up with a competent sentence. Plus, I think people like Clarisse might be better punishers than Fudge.
Excited yet,
Venquine1990
PS. Check Chapter 01 for Rules.
