If anyone actually likes the Albus or Molly characters, you won't like this one, so I suggest that you skip it.
Usual disclaimers, no rights to any HP characters portrayed, and this is neither the real world nor a Disney Princess tale, it's fiction but not a kid's story. There will probably be changes made over the first hour or so as I find things that didn't come out quite the way I wanted.
None of them ever thought that they'd ever be saying these words, but they could have kissed Rita Skeeter. There was so much fallout from her article in the Daily Prophet about his role in the abuse and death of the Boy-Who-Lived that Dumbledore was running around like a headless chicken, trying to repair his shredded reputation and his ties with his supporters.
This gave Minerva and Filius the opportunity they needed to go through Filch's 'Confiscated and Highly Dangerous' cupboard to find and retrieve the Marauders' Map. They also located and collected a fair number of actual dangerous items (covering the purported purpose of the exercise), and quite a few Heirloom items that should have been returned to their houses immediately, not that they should ever have been taken from their owners. They drew quite a bit of satisfaction from turning these Heirlooms over to Amelia to be officially returned to their rightful owners, knowing that Filch would be facing charges for stealing the Heirlooms of Noble, Ancient and in some instances even Noble and Ancient Houses, and so would Dumbledore for his part in covering it up, because Filch made a point of telling them that the Headmaster had agreed that these things needed to be locked away properly.
Dumbledore would have been horrified if he knew that they'd actually stunned Filch and took him to Gringotts to have the goblins' masters of Mind Magic go through his head and harvest the memories of everything he'd done at Hogwarts before his trial. They found a compulsion to take any special items he confiscated to Dumbledore and never tell anyone about it. They also found many instances where Dumbledore had kept those items and obliviated Filch so that he wouldn't remember anything about them.
The problem with that was, over the past few hundred years, most Witches and Wizards had become inherently lazy, so they generally did the absolute minimum required to get their desired result. That was why all the 'Obliviate' memory charm actually did was prevent the subject from accessing those particular memories, they were still there in their heads if someone had another way of finding them, and the goblins' masters of Mind Magic did! The memory of Dumbledore taking James' invisibility cloak was just one of many instances where he'd taken rare and priceless Heirlooms belonging to everything up to and including the Noble and Most Ancient Houses and tried to ensure that no-one remembered.
While they were discussing this, Alastor shared the trick he'd started using during the war when he first discovered that his dear friend Albus had been Obliviating him to cover up the things he was doing that he didn't want anyone else to know about. He carried a supply of vials suitable for holding memory strands with him at all times, and whenever anything happened or he saw or heard anything that could be significant, he'd quietly take a copy of the memory and store it. When he got home, he'd compare the stored memories with what he could remember to see whether anyone had managed to Obliviate him of anything, and he regularly checked his memories against the ones he had stored. The sad thing was, as paranoid as that sounded, the risk of it happening was very real, so all of the adults at least started following Alastor's example.
They had used the official reason to start this search to kill two birds with one stone, because Minerva had a letter from the Head of the Minor House of Tonks (as with Sirius, Lord Arcturus Black hadn't actually cast Andromeda out of the House of Black as everyone believed, so she'd retained her status as a daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, which served to automatically infer 'Minor House' status on the Tonks family when she married Ted, even though Ted was a Muggleborn wizard) advising her that their daughter Nymphadora had admitted to having been caught misbehaving at school, and that some of the items which Mr Filch had confiscated from her could actually be quite dangerous if not handled with proper care and practices. This was ample justification to commence a search of the confiscated items, and they found plenty of items which could have been what she was referring to so they didn't need to create any (the records Filch kept were so sloppy that the fact that she'd never actually been caught by him wasn't likely to come out).
The other part of that letter was used to set detentions for Dora for the rest of the year at Ted's request to teach her a lesson not to do anything so thoughtless and dangerous again. Once school started back, Dora would be serving detention at least twice a week, with these detentions alternating between Pomona, Minerva, Filius and other professors who they trusted with their secret to give her extra training, and she used the goblin floo in Minerva's secured chambers to go to Potter manor for training with Remus, Sirius, Alastor Moody and others quite often as well.
They ensured that the guiding family members of the Hogwarts Governors Board were the ones who were present at Argus Filch's Wizengamot trial and his subsequent sentencing to nearly six years in Azkaban's minimum security cells (one month per minor stolen heirloom, up to several months for significant heirlooms) The fact that Dumbledore couldn't be contacted to answer questions about his part in the Heirlooms' theft was noted, but the court ruled that the evidence presented didn't support criminal proceedings against him, so determination of his punishment was delegated to the Hogwarts Board.
The Hogwarts Board members present proposed that as Filch needed to be replaced immediately, and the Headmaster obviously couldn't be trusted to select a suitable person for the job, the Caretaker's duties should be rolled into the existing roles of Hogwarts' Gamekeeper and Keeper of Grounds and Keys, Rubeus Hagrid, with the Caretaker's pay being added to his existing pay for the extra work. They officially called Hagrid to the Ministry to request that he accept the Caretaker's role being added to his existing duties, but the main purpose was to get him out of Hogwarts so they could get him into Gringotts to have the goblins' healers give him a thorough examination and deal with whatever Dumbledore had done to him. Hagrid had the same occlumency skillset as the others loaded into his head (to help protect his mind against Dumbledore and try and regain access to all the memories that Dumbledore had set adrift when he repeatedly obliviated him over the last forty five years) after the bindings, compulsions, memory charms and the like that Dumbledore put on him had been removed, so he was the epitome of a bear with a sore head by the time he returned to Hogwarts.
Minerva, Filius and Pomona lit up with vindictive glee as they watched Snape get his just deserts at last when he tried to take out his usual foul mood on Hagrid by deriding him when he didn't get out of his way fast enough. "Watch where you're going you stupid oaf! What are you doing tracking mud through the castle like that anyway? I think it's time I threw my support behind Mister Filch's demands to the Headmaster that you not be allowed inside the castle any more, that should teach you your place, if something like you can be taught!"
That got him lifted by his robes and slammed back against the wall with his feet four or five feet off the floor. "Shut your gob you 'orrible little git! Filch won't be making no more demands because that thief is in Azkaban and I'M the caretaker now, so if you want any of those messes you make down there cleaned up you better be polite from now on! The members of the Board asked me to take on this extra job for the good of Hogwarts personal like and they told me to come to them if anyone gave me trouble, so don't give me trouble unless you want to answer to them!"
Snape saw the professors watching and demanded that they get this oaf off of him immediately. Minerva's mirth disappeared instantly as she bit out. "Are you hard of hearing Mister Snape? As Mister Hagrid has just told you, the Board has personally requested him to take on the duties of Caretaker as a favour to them because Hogwarts cannot afford any more incidents of staff stealing from Noble and Ancient Houses, perhaps even Noble and Most Ancient Houses, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement are still investigating other possible thefts…. and they have the utmost faith in Mister Hagrid's Integrity and Honesty. The Board no longer has any faith in the Headmaster's preferred staff, seeing as one of them has just been sent to Azkaban for stealing from Hogwarts' students, so given that you are one of the ones that the Board will now be watching closely, I would strongly suggest that you take heed of Mister Hagrid's warning to be polite and not cause any trouble Mister Snape, because the Headmaster will not be able to save you if the Board decides to dismiss you, I can assure you of that!"
She looked at him for a minute or so, and when she decided that he understood the way things were now said. "I think he's gotten the message now Mister Hagrid, could you let him go please?"
She nodded grimly when Hagrid looked at her, so he just let Snape go to fall to the floor. Snape was white as a sheet as he limped away as fast as he could while Hagrid and the others went into the Great Hall for dinner, banishing all the portraits near the High Table so that they could talk in private.
Of course, as soon as Dumbledore returned and Snape whined to him he summoned everyone to his office and screamed at them, telling Hagrid that he was most definitely not Hogwarts' Caretaker and that nothing could be done for him when Professor Snape quite rightly had him charged with attacking him. It was at this point that Griselda Marchbanks, Augusta Longbottom, Amelia Bones, Cyrus Greengrass and the other Hogwarts Board members in their group walked into the Headmaster's office. It had been agreed that Amelia would be their spokesperson, so she started in on Dumbledore. "It's about time you appeared Headmaster, where were you when you were called to answer the charges against you at Argus Filch's trial?"
"What? You can't charge me with anything, I am the Chief Warlock!"
"Not when you're acting as the Headmaster of Hogwarts you're not! Haven't you ever heard of separation of duties? For your information, the Wizengamot decided to let the Board determine your fate, so with that I must change my hat from Director of the DMLE to a Hogwarts Board member… Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Board has fined you a thousand galleons for each instance of you knowingly allowing Argus Filch to steal a House Heirloom from a student of Hogwarts, as accepted by the Wizengamot court. The total fine levied against you was forty seven thousand galleons. Furthermore, you have been placed on probation until the end of the school year with Professor McGonagall overseeing all your actions and reporting to us. That probation will be reviewed at the end of the year, at which time the available options will be that the probation may be lifted, it may be extended by whatever period the Board deems appropriate, or your employment at Hogwarts may be terminated if your behaviour is found to merit that action. Do you understand the penalties imposed by the Hogwarts Board?"
"You can't do this! I will appeal this decision!"
"Just who do you think you can appeal to? This decision has been agreed by the majority of the Hogwarts Board, and we can and will do what I said if you give us a reason to! Don't test us Headmaster!"
Dumbledore obviously wanted to scream at her, but bit his tongue.
"Now, we have been advised that you have attempted to revoke our appointment of Mister Hagrid to take on the Caretaker role in addition to his other duties…. This is your one and only warning Headmaster, do not try anything of that nature again! One of the terms of your probation is that your rights to hire and fire staff at Hogwarts have been revoked, the Board will do any and all hiring and firing on the advice of the staff, with Professor McGonagall as their spokesperson. From reports received from the students and staff of Hogwarts, and as proven by the behaviour of Argus Filch, Severus Snape and Sybil Trelawney in particular, your ability to select suitable staff for Hogwarts and her students is patently inadequate, therefore you will no longer have any role in these decisions…. We have also voted to overturn Mister Hagrid's unjust expulsion of forty four years ago, so his wand and magic rights have been reinstated and Professor McGonagall and the other professors will be helping him finish his education. While the primary reason for this is the long overdue righting of the wrongs done to him, by you among others, being able to use magic will also allow him to perform his duties more effectively, because what kind of idiot puts people without magic in charge of maintaining a magical school?"
She turned a cold look on Snape. "Severus Snape! You too are on probation, but you shall be on a much shorter leash than the Headmaster! If the Board receives even one more report of abuse of students, favouritism, discrimination or even failure to teach appropriately, you will be dismissed. Your right to give or take points or assign detentions has been revoked, effective immediately, if you believe that there is a strong need to assign points or detentions you must make a case to Professor McGonagall and she will determine whether your case is merited or not. The reports of your teaching ability make it apparent that you are not devoting enough time or effort to teaching, so effective immediately you are no longer House Master of Slytherin, your role is purely professor of potions and you will devote your time and effort to that role. On the advice of the other heads of house, Professor Vector is now House Mistress of Slytherin at Hogwarts, the Headmaster will announce this when the students return to Hogwarts, along with the other changes. One other thing Mister Snape, Mister Hagrid agreed to take on the Caretaker's role at the request of the Hogwarts Board. You should know that the Board values him over you so if we hear of any more incidents of you deriding Mister Hagrid or treating him as your inferior you will be dismissed immediately! Do you understand what I have told you Mister Snape?"
He sneered at her, but quickly discovered why most of the wizards in Magical Britain were afraid of this witch when she was suddenly right in his face and her expression almost made him lose control of his bladder. "I asked you if you understood? I warn you Snape, the only one in this office who believes that there is any such thing as a reformed Death Eater is the Headmaster! I'm watching you, and so is just about everyone else! Now for the last time! Do. You. Understand?"
"Yes! Yes I understand!"
Amelia nodded at him. "Good!" then turned back to Dumbledore. "A few final points Headmaster. If you want to have any chance of surviving this probation, you will either get that drunken sot Trelawney dried out and teaching something worthwhile in Divination, or get rid of her and scrap that useless course altogether so we can replace it with one of the worthwhile courses that the students and the Board have been requesting for years.… If we hear that she's been seen drunk during school hours again, especially in the classroom, she's gone and we'll vote for the new course. You will also get Binns out of here and replace him with a living teacher who will teach the proper curriculum to get the students through their exams, rather than just repeating the damned Goblin Rebellions over and over again, and you will get the Muggle Studies course updated to teach students something relevant, rather than material which is over a century out of date, and have it taught by a Muggleborn or at least Muggle-raised teacher, it is unacceptable to have a course taught by someone with no real knowledge of the subject matter! Do you understand what is required of you Headmaster?"
Dumbledore had learned his lesson on this at least. "Yes Madam Bones."
She nodded again and looked at the other Board members. "Is there anything else I've forgotten?"
They looked at each other and Cyrus Greengrass spoke up. "What about the fact that the DMLE will be coming through to search for more stolen Heirlooms, pointing out to the Headmaster that anything that could possibly qualify as criminal activity must be reported to the DMLE for them to determine whether they will take it over or allow it to be handled as an internal matter, the fact that Professor McGonagall will have overriding authority on all punishments because of the Headmaster's history of showing excessive leniency to bullies, and the fact that the students need brooms that won't kill them rather than gold plates, so those damned plates need to be sold off to get the money to buy new school brooms that are suitable and safe for beginners. "
"Thank you Lord Greengrass, I had forgotten those points as I was concentrating on what I told him… Did you get all of those Headmaster, or do I need to repeat them… No, actually we don't have time for that. I am certain that Professor McGonagall got them all?"
Minerva nodded. "So she can remind you when you're going over things with her in your daily business meetings…. Oh yes, you will ensure that Professor McGonagall has full access to the Headmaster's office at all times and that the floo in her office has the same functions as your's Headmaster..." She cut Dumbledore off when he went to argue. "That wasn't a request! Do as you're told or you won't make it to the end of the year Headmaster!... Professors, Mister Hagrid, Mister Snape, I do hope that our next discussion will be more pleasant because improvements have been made. Good day."
With that, the Board members all left by Dumbledore's floo, he was still reeling so it didn't occur to him to wonder that they hadn't arrived that way.
When the students returned a few days later, few of the changes were obvious until Dumbledore got up to make the announcements. He looked as though he'd sucked a lemon when nearly the entire school cheered when he announced that Filch had left, and didn't look much happier that the cheers for Hagrid taking over were at least two thirds as loud. His aggravation continued when he announced that Professor Snape had given up being head of Slytherin to concentrate on improving the Potions course, because well over three quarters of the school cheered louder than before. The interesting part of that was that a notable number of Slytherins joined in. The response for Professor Vector was more muted and polite, because few of the students knew her well enough to get worked up about it.
The response to the news of Bins' departure wasn't as loud as Minerva had expected but Pomona snorted beside her and pointed out that most of the students had enjoyed having a nap in his classes, and the brighter ones would have worked out that History of Magic becoming a real class would mean that they were going to have to work a lot harder to catch up. She snorted again at Minerva's disapproving look as she took that in and said "What was the Hat doing, putting you in Gryffindor Minerva? You're a Ravenclaw through and through."
There was obvious disappointment that the Divination elective had been cancelled, and that Muggle Studies was getting a major revision to make it a serious course teaching contemporary Muggle technology and culture, though many of the Muggleborn students were excited about the new Culture of Magic course that was to replace Divination, and the fact that Muggle Studies would actually teach something relevant. Minerva just looked at Pomona, who shrugged. "It's much like History of Magic Minerva, those electives were easy ways to get an OWL without much work, and a NEWT if they went on. Now, the easy OWLs are gone as Culture of Magic will be a serious course, as will Muggle Studies once it's revised, though students from Magical families should know much of the material in Culture of Magic, and Muggleborn and Muggle-raised students should know much of what's in a real Muggle Studies course, and on top of that they'll have to catch up, just like they will in History of Magic…. It's only the ones who actually want to learn something who will welcome these changes, and you know as well as I do how common that is."
It was Minerva's turn to snort. "Yes, those students are few and far between, but hopefully the others will appreciate it later on when they realise that what we made them learn actually helped them."
Pomona chuckled. "Much later on."
Filius nodded with a chuckle as he listened in, as did their new House Mistress for Slytherin, Septima Vector.
When Dumbledore went to sit down without finishing the announcements, Minerva hissed at him to tell the students that the days of leniency were finished, so unacceptable behaviour would be punished. He got his back up and told her to tell them herself, seeing as she was trying to take his job from him. He glared at Pomona when she smiled, saying. "Ooh I can't wait to see the Board's reaction when you report this to them Minerva! I thought he told Madam Bones that he understood the terms of his probation? By the way, do you have full access to the Headmaster's office yet?"
Minerva had an angry gleam in her eye as she responded. "No! I was locked out when he had Severus in there yesterday!"
Dumbledore tried his old tricks. "Now Minerva, I was having a private discussion with Severus, I couldn't have you barging in!"
He suddenly found out that the mild mannered Mistress of Hufflepuff had serious backbone when Pomona spat at him, not bothering to keep her voice down. "You don't get to have private discussions in the Headmaster's office Albus! You were ordered by the Board to give Minerva full access at all times because she has oversight of all your activities! What part of that don't you understand? Have you forgotten Madam Bones telling you what would happen if you don't do as you're told? For that matter I am formally advising you that Hogwarts rules about interactions with students will be observed from now on. Students will be disciplined by their Head of House and you as Headmaster will only be involved when the case has escalated to the point where their remaining at Hogwarts is under debate. In those instances their Head of House will be present at all times. Do you understand?"
His kindly grandfather façade cracked as he glared at her, how dare she speak to him in this manner?
"Pack your bags woman! I will not take such disrespect from my staff!"
He was cut off by Minerva's bitter laugh. "Apparently you have forgotten that you no longer have any say in hiring or firing staff at Hogwarts Headmaster. Perhaps it's right, what people are saying about you being spread too thin with all those positions you hold, that being Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards is too much for one wizard to take on. Oh well, we can relieve you on one of those burdens at least, I recall Madam Bones telling you that that was your 'one and only warning', so your attempting to fire Professor Sprout without just cause will definitely see you out the door as soon as we advise the Board of this."
Dumbledore went white. He couldn't allow that to happen! Even with the Potter boy gone he still had the Longbottom boy who could qualify as the child of prophecy but he had to be here to shape the boy when he arrived, the compulsions on his grandmother to ensure that he would be afraid of his own shadow so that he wouldn't learn anything useful were only the framework, there was a lot more work to be done to make sure the boy did as he was told so he needed to be here, and to do that he'd have to placate these bitches. "No stop, please! I didn't know what I was saying! It's just been so much to take in over the past few days and I'm afraid that my temper got the best of me. I'm so sorry Pomona, surely you know that I didn't mean that?"
Pomona turned to Minerva to avoid laughing in his face, the stupid old bastard couldn't really believe that she'd fall for his twinkling eye trick, could he? "What do you think Minerva? After all you are the one the Board has given responsibility for overseeing the Headmaster's actions."
"But you were the one who he insulted Pomona, so the decision as to give him another chance or report his actions to the Board should be your's."
Pomona nodded thoughtfully as she turned back to Dumbledore. "Alright Headmaster, this is your one and only warning from me! If you ever try that again with any of the staff, we'll make sure that the Board has you out of here so fast that your head will spin. You will ensure that Minerva has all the accesses that the Board ordered you to give her before the hour is out, and you will allow Minerva and Filius to examine any and all measures you've taken to ensure that that access can't be revoked if you want to have a 'private discussion' with anyone. As I told you before, you will not have any 'private discussions' in the Headmaster's office as that is a place for official Hogwarts business, and under the Board's orders it is Minerva's responsibility to oversee that. As mentioned earlier, Hogwarts rules will be applied for any and all interactions with students, so you will never have any student alone with you, at a bare minimum the student's head of house must also be present. Now, as per your instructions from Minerva which started this… get back there and tell the students, the poor children that your pet Death Eater has corrupted especially, that the days of leniency are over, any and all bad behaviour will be punished in accordance with the rules, and if it is severe enough the DMLE will be the ones dealing with it!"
Even Minerva and Filius were taken aback by the way Pomona's eyes flashed angrily at Dumbledore because they'd never seen their old friend like this before. Apparently she had a temper to rival Minerva's buried under the kind character that they all knew and loved, and it left scars when it lashed out. Minerva reached over to take her hand and Pomona nodded to indicate that she was back in control after she'd taken a deep breath. Dumbledore was still standing there, staring at her in shock, but her low, menacing "Well?" sent him scurrying back to the lectern.
Septima looked at Pomona with a troubled gaze, as her comment about the Slytherin students being corrupted by a Death Eater was a forcible reminder of her responsibility to take steps to reverse whatever path he'd set them on. She was grateful of the reminder, but dreaded what she would learn…. For that matter she remembered her own time in Slytherin, and that there had been problems before Snape…. she'd have to talk to the girls in her house because she expected that the old school Purebreds of Noble Houses had told their sons what they had the 'right' to require of girls who's station was below theirs'.
The reaction from the Slytherin table at this announcement was expected, but Minerva and Filius were frowning at the students in their houses who showed anger at this news, even Pomona had a few students who she'd be having words with over that.
They were leaving the Great Hall when Pomona remembered that she had something else to set in play and made her way to the Hufflepuff table. "Miss Tonks"
When Dora turned to look at her she continued. "Please come to my office as soon as you finish dinner, we have to make arrangements for your detentions for the rest of the year." Dora nodded, saying. "Yes Professor Sprout" and she left, smiling to herself at the storm of questions erupting behind her.
When the questions died down, Dora gave them the story that they'd come up with. A couple of months ago she'd tried to pull off a big prank to get a boy to notice her, but she'd gotten caught by Filch. The filthy old pervert had tried to search her so she showed him all the items she was carrying for the prank to stop him and he confiscated them. Over Christmas, she'd admitted what she'd done to her parents because if they weren't handled properly, the things he'd confiscated from her could cause a lot of damage, but her Dad had written to Professor McGonagall and, as well as asking her to make sure that those items were properly secured, he had asked that she be given detention for the rest of the year to make sure she learned her lesson, so that's what was happening now.
There were the expected comments that that wasn't fair, but when one of the older students scoffed at the idea that a third year like her could have created anything truly dangerous she just looked him in the eye and reminded him that her mother was a daughter of the House of Black. There was some muttering that she'd been disowned, which Dora didn't bother to correct, but in general the reminder that she was descended from the House of Black, which was generally regarded as one of the truly Dark houses, was enough to shut everyone up.
While Dora was settling into the rapidly changing Hogwarts, Hermione was introducing Henry Evans, Harry, to her class at Crawley Primary School. They stuck to a story which was pretty much the truth, that Harry was an orphan and the Grangers had adopted him after he came to their care following an accident. The other kids lost interest in the new boy when they saw that he was a bookworm like Hermione, so it was pretty much just the two of them together most of the time.
The ones who liked to pick on Hermione because she was different quickly learned that Harry wouldn't let anyone hurt her though. The teachers had to change their tune pretty damned smart too after they called the Grangers to the school to have Harry punished for knocking down a number of the older boys who'd tried to pick on her. When Harry told them exactly what had happened in great detail, and at Roger's insistence they got other students in who corroborated Harry's version, rather than the bigger boys' version that the teachers had accepted without question, Roger ripped into them for trying to punish Harry for doing what they were supposed to be doing, protecting their students!
After word got around that the bullies had been punished, some of the other students came up to quietly thank Harry for stopping them and his and Hermione's time at school became a little more pleasant. They did have problems with the Headmaster and some of the teachers though, because they blamed Harry for them getting black marks on their records over the first incident with him at the school, which held back their advancement, but after one was dismissed for unfairly marking him down on all his tests to punish him after that, the other staff decided that it would probably be safer to leave him and Hermione alone, at school anyway. (Roger had taken Harry's tests to the Department of Education to have them confirm what Harry's perfect memory had told him, that his correct answers had mostly been marked wrong, and point out that this teacher had already been officially reprimanded over her actions in an earlier incident involving Harry. After the hearing, the Department of Education decided to make an example of the bitter old woman to put other teachers on notice that this type of behaviour would not be tolerated, so she was fired.)
It was stupid really, because Harry and Hermione were the school's star students and their results were impressive enough to actually improve its reputation, but the Headmaster and two others who had been reprimanded had chosen to blame a six year old child for what had happened when they failed to control the bullies in their school.
After the first teacher was fired, the other teachers and parents of the bullies tried to blacklist the Grangers' dental practice. This made Roger and Jean laugh at how pathetic they were, but it also pissed them off so Ted, as a 'concerned parent', wrote to the local paper about it, telling them everything that had happened, and how the guilty parties were now trying to interfere with the livelihoods of two upstanding people who's only 'crime' was to take in and care for a lovely boy after he had been orphaned.
The upshot of the article in the paper (the facts of the matter were easily confirmed) was that as there wasn't enough direct evidence to fire them, the Headmaster and the other teacher involved were both transferred to rather less prestigious schools at the other end of London, which meant that they had to move closer to the schools to get to work, and the families of the ring leaders of the bullies were laughed out of town too. Roger's joke about "Don't mess with a dentist!" when people asked how he'd achieved this became something of a catch phrase that caused a lot of laughter when it was repeated around town.
Aside from the problems with bullies, Harry and Hermione were having the time of their lives, they spent half an hour before school exercising and an hour after school learning about magic (mainly goblin and elf magic as their magic was changing and growing too much for them to match with wands yet) at Potter Manor most days, and spent most weekends there as well. The other children of the Guiding Families, Neville Longbottom, Susan Bones, Luna Lovegood and Daphne and Astoria Greengrass also spent quite a bit of time at Potter Manor.
Roger and Jean could understand why the kids loved Potter Manor so much, they did too because it was a wonderland. The manor house itself was more magnificent than anything they'd ever seen, in person or in pictures. It was set in a picturesque valley with rolling hills and a river that meandered down to the loch, where there was a damned castle on an island that was separated from the shore by a drawbridge. Remus had told them that this was Bran Holm, and that it had been the family seat before they built the manor house.
And it wasn't just the scenery that was incredible, there were unicorns, thestrals (he was of mixed feelings about being able to see them, as they were remarkable but it was a stark reminder of the people he saw killed in the engagements he was in during his time in the Territorial Army. He was so glad when his time there was up, he'd gotten far more of the excitement that he signed up for when he was young and stupid than he'd ever wanted), hypogriffs, griffins, dire wolves and dragons, because the goblins spelled their dragons at the Potter Estate so that they could get some time out in the sun and wind. How could the kids not love being in such a magical place as this? It was apparently the only place in the British Isles what was well enough warded for creatures like these to roam freely without any risk of being discovered. It was also the home of a fair few goblins, elves and centaurs, and the unique Potter familiars, the Mngwa and Bennu.
The Mngwa had two forms, one looked like a large tabby cat with dark brindled fur, but the other was a ferocious donkey sized panther like creature with the same colouring. Mngwa were considered XXXXX creatures by most, like the Nundus they were related to, because nearly all encounters with Mngwa were fatal, but Henry Potter had picked up some Mngwa cubs while exploring in Africa back around the turn of the century and they had bonded to the Potter line. Once they'd bonded with a Potter, they were generally fine around their friends and family, and in fact anyone who didn't have ill intent towards their master or mistress, but they were fierce protectors and few things could stand against them.
Henry had also found the Bennu in Africa, in Egypt actually. They had the appearance of a shorter legged Great Egret and were related to the Phoenix. Some said that they were the predecessors of the Phoenix, some said that they were a parallel line, but the important thing was that they shared all the Phoenix's qualities, always female, being reborn in fire, having their own form of apparation that could be used for others (though the Bennu transport it wasn't a fiery as the Phoenix one), able to carry people holding their tails, healing tears and the like. The Bennu did have a couple of extra tricks over the Phoenix though, they could cough/spit fireballs that were as hot as dragon flame at an enemy, and they spoke human and other languages. The Bennu were exceedingly intelligent and became great companions to the ones they bonded with, and in the Potter family it was common for a Mngwa and a Bennu to bond with the same master, this allowed the Bennu to transport the Mngwa to their master if they needed help.
The first time Harry went to Potter Manor, his familiars (Crookshanks, the Mngwa and Hedwig, the Bennu) recognised him as soon as he appeared within the wards and sought him out to bond with him (Crookshanks was a juvenile like Harry, but he was still quite capable of being a protector in his Mngwa form), but there was a strange development in that Crookshanks and Hedwig didn't just tolerate Hermione as someone connected to Harry, they bonded to her as well as Harry! There was considerable debate in the 'family' about how this had come about, but no-one could really explain it (well Andi and Gringott knew how it happened because Hedwig had confirmed it when Andi asked, but none of them were going to discuss it with anyone else).
Minerva and the others were disappointed that the Marauders' Map didn't reveal Pettigrew when they found it, but they kept checking it regularly, in hope that he would turn up. Meanwhile, they were busy getting the changed Hogwarts settled down and working well.
As expected with a predominance of arrogant, over-privileged Purebloods in Hogwarts' student population, they had to make an example of a few of them before the others accepted the fact that they would be punished if they ignored the rules and continued to do whatever they felt like. As expected, their families tried to use political pressure to have their sons' (and daughters, but mainly sons) punishments overturned, but while they generally managed to get the criminal charges dropped, they came up against a brick wall when the controlling block of the Hogwarts Board of Governors from the guiding families said that the Hogwarts rules were quite clear and immutable.
Most of the ones who were cast out of Hogwarts ended up going to Durmstrang, because the half giantess who was Beauxbatons' new headmistress apparently knew and agreed with the ones at Hogwarts who had pushed for their expulsion. Dumbledore lost some of the limited number of supporters he had left when he failed to have their children's expulsions overturned, so he was one of the small number of hold outs against the growing enthusiasm with the direction Hogwarts was going in. Mind you, the fact that his pet Death Eater hadn't even lasted a month before getting himself fired for trying to cover up evidence of an attack against a couple of Muggleborn Second Years by some older Slytherins could have explained some of Dumbledore's anger and bitterness.
Albus was worried, because Severus had been his last supporter at Hogwarts, even Fawkes was disappearing without notice for longer and longer periods. He was also furious that it was Lucius Malfoy who had taken Severus in, giving him both a home and a job, because that would put Severus out of his reach when Tom returned… as he had made it quite clear that he felt no compulsion to assist him if he could no longer protect him as per their agreement.
He couldn't work out why nearly everyone had suddenly turned against him like this, Minerva and Alastor had been the biggest blows, but most of the others who had been part of the Order of the Phoenix in the war had turned their backs on him too, he was left with nothing but the dregs now…. Was it those hideous stories that that Skeeter woman made up about him? No, she'd made up stories about him before…. There had to be something else going on, and he was sure that it wasn't happen-stance, that someone was behind it….
Oh no, it couldn't be him could it? Alas, that was the only thing that made any sense... Tom's people must have somehow got past his protections at the Dursleys... no, they probably tracked down Petunia's husband away from the home and and took control of him to make him do it! But what had they used Harry for? Some kind of ritual obviously, perhaps to bind Tom's shade into a host to bring him back... He had been hoping for another decade to properly prepare his champion for the confrontation that was to come but it looked as though Tom had taken that option away from him now.
But where could Tom be? No-one in any position to do anything at the moment was making any moves, well things were happening at the school but that was all obviously coming from outside… That's it! Tom must be infiltrating the school to build an army again!
But the only new teachers they had were that Muggleborn witch for Muggle Studies, Bathilda Bagshot for History of Magic and Culture of Magic and Horace Slughorn back for Potions, and none of them could be running a recruitment drive for Tom… No, it must be a student, but who could it be?
Of course! The Tonks girl! She had been a quiet little thing, a stereotype Huffepuff, and then all of a sudden she gets caught with dangerous dark objects which she was supposedly going to use for a prank? He'd also heard that she'd been heard threatening other students with the fact that she was from the House of Black….
Oh, well played Tom! A pretty young girl who can use her body to enlist young wizards to your cause, and she can use the fact that she's from the same house as your strongest supporters to help sway the ones that sex won't work for. She's old enough to use her body as a bribe but young enough spend years here building up your army for you…. yes, you couldn't have chosen a more perfect host Tom….. But I'm afraid that I'm going to have to turn the tables on you and get rid of that host, I need time to prepare for you….
Now who do I have that I can use against Tom's new host? Damnit, I've lost most of my supporters who have sons that would be suitable…. But wait... yes, Molly Weasley has two sons here… Charles is in the same year as the girl but he's too young to suddenly start playing a ladies man believably. No, William is a better choice, he's two years older, he's also popular with the other students, in fact I hear that many of the female students fancy him so he'll be perfectly believable as a ladies man.
After everything he'd had to do to cover up the boy's mother's mistakes, she'd do whatever was necessary to get the boy to cooperate, or else! He'd had to obliviate Arthur hundreds of times when he caught her out or began to suspect what was going on… Hells, he'd had to start covering up for her before she even finished at Hogwarts, because people had found out that she'd used love potions on Arthur to snare him... maybe if she'd spent as much time researching his family as she did making those potions she would have discovered that the Weasley fortune was all gone by then.
At least he hadn't had to do much more than occasionally obliviate Arthur over the next four or five years and it was starting to look like she was settling down, she and Arthur had two fine boys and Arthur's prospects at the Ministry were looking better, but then the stupid little trollop had to set her sights on Barty Crouch, never mind the fact that she and he were both married with children! Memory charming Arthur to make him believe that the new baby was his and obliviating everyone who saw her trying to convince Barty to leave his wife and son for her and their baby had exhausted him, so in the end he'd made her handle Arthur herself. It probably would have been better to instruct her on what to use for that though because having a bright, powerful wizard suddenly turn into a bumbling fool like that had made a lot of people question what was going on, and that required far too much effort to cover up. Of course, Molly had been the only one who was surprised when Barty told her that he wanted nothing to do with her and her son but she fell apart and he was too busy covering up evidence of her to deal with Arthur so they just left him on the potions. By the time she was finally back on something like an even keel, Arthur had been like this for a couple of years and it would have just started all the questions again if he changed back to himself so once again they left him on the potions.
He thought that things would settle down after she had the twins to Arthur, but then she decided to go after Cornelius Fudge! Barty he could understand to a degree because the man was a powerful and intelligent wizard, but Fudge? And of course, while Fudge was an idiot, he was a political idiot and knew that a scandal of that nature would end his aspirations for the Minister's office, so he did the same thing as Barty had and there was another couple of years of cleaning up after her.
It was her last effort that made all the previous ones pale into insignificance though, because the stupid bint went after Barty again! This time she had to use the same type of love, fertility and loyalty potions that she'd used on Arthur at Hogwarts because she'd lost the looks she'd had when she was in her early twenties. To make matters worse, she had a daughter this time, when there hadn't been anything but boys in the Weasley family for at least three generations. That had been one hell of a mess to clean up!
Oh yes, Molly Weasley owed him, and she'd make sure that her son did as he was told or all of her secrets would come out! She and their family were far less important to him than dealing with this host of Tom's and as stupid as the woman was, she knew what would happen to them if she failed him in this. At least her one talent would be useful here, because she was quite capable of brewing all the potions they'd need to turn Tom's host into William's willing slave, in fact he'd let William use the host's body as he wished until they got rid of it as his payment for this, after all it was nothing more than a vessel for Tom now.
A/N: I realise that I've used the Mngwa before but I love the idea of a cat that can transform into a fierce protector. I came across them when I was looking for a dangerous animagus form. As noted above, the Bennu are an Egyptian Heron version of the Phoenix, so I thought I'd make them the other Potter familiars. ;^)