Chapter 35: An Emotional Roller Coaster
Thanks for all the reviews.
I took a break from writing this and all writing, after I went on a writing binge and wrote and extended 'Wait! That Isn't Right' and a few one-shots. Mania is a wonderful thing for creativity. Anyway, I took a break for health and mental reasons. I took a vacation and went to visit my father and his wife. It was a great visit. I feel much better now; however, I still am not up to writing every day.
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Star's upset tummy finally went away, and the fervor of Umbridge's disappearance died down. Not that she was truly missed, but she did just up and disappear. There had been an investigation that had encompassed the entire ministry and Diagon Alley. Everyone who had ever had anything to do with her had been investigated, and many of her secrets were uncovered. She had not gone out in a good light.
Her father's secrets were brought to the surface, and her muggle mother and squib brother were found and exposed. The fact that she was a half-blood had gone down like a lead balloon. She had tooted that she was pureblood so loudly for so long that everyone had believed her.
Fudge wasn't looking so good either. Her backdoor dealings were making him look bad. The bribes taken in his name, with and without his permission, labelled him an idiot. The fact that she had made people disappear to make him look good, was something that he had not known about, but that didn't help his reputation. The bodies were found, and families were told, but the damage was done, and Fudge took the hit.
His time in office was coming to an end and he was not happy about it. He was going to do something stupid to keep his seat, and everyone was looking out for it.
All in all, she had made many enemies that Star and Harry weren't even suspected of her demise. Siriusly was keeping her eyes open as to who was suspected of her disappearance, but she didn't think anyone she knew would be culpable. Right now, they were strongly suspecting Death Eaters since Umbridge was double dealing with them.
Siri was also up in arms about them attempting to strongarm Harry into giving up Ivy's location and she got them to back off. She made sure that he was never called without her being informed. She gave Sprout her number and the woman called her every time Dumbledore even looked at Harry sideways. Thank goodness that wasn't often.
It seemed that Harry's cute factor worked with the old man too. He made sure to keep it dialed low. He didn't want to control anyone. However, he didn't want the old man to think he knew anything about Ivy.
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Ivy was having the time of her life with her new friend Laurie. They met in the mall near the Xavier Institute in New York. She had gotten there simply enough.
"Daddy, can I go to New York tomorrow? I'll stay at the flat in the tower with Pepper," Ivy had asked Tony the day before. Pepper was there for a conference. She knew that the woman wouldn't mind her staying there for the weekend.
"Why?" he had answered, knowing why. She had hinted at it often enough.
"Laurie finally answered my letter, and she wants to meet this Saturday at the mall in Westchester County," Ivy said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. She looked so sweet. She was growing into her cuteness and was getting to be an adorable young lady and not his little bug anymore.
"If you take Gandr and Fenrir," he had said, knowing that the other girl's mutant ability was pheromones, which those two might not be effected with since they were aliens. He really hoped not anyway. That and they were so stoic.
"I have no problem with that," Ivy said, thinking along the same lines. "I'll take Goose too," she said, finally dropping the Mr. on Goose's name. She was getting old enough to drop it from everyone's name. She was going to be a teen soon and it wasn't quite the same.
So, there they were, in New York, with Goose tucked in a basket hanging off Ivy's arm. Gandr and Fenrir tagging along after the two girls as they were discussing the latest fashions displayed in the windows of the shops.
Laurie had declined to bring any of her friends from the school. She wanted to meet Ivy on her own terms. She didn't want her friends to scare the girl off, they were so protective of her. They scared off all those had hung off her when her pheromones acted up. It was heartwarming to have such good friends, but sometimes it was overwhelming too.
"My daddy would flip if I ever wore what you are wearing," Ivy said, looking at Laurie's ensemble which was a long black shirt and long-sleeved grey shirt. Ivy was wearing a nice yellow short suit and sandals. Laurie's clothes bordered on gothic, while Ivy's was sunny. They were a contrast in color and disposition.
It wasn't that Tony would disapprove of the cut; it was the drabness of them. And the low quality. They looked like they came from the secondhand bin. Ivy never thought of herself as a snob, but she was reevaluating herself on this trip.
"I try not to draw attention to myself," Laurie explained shyly. She was always trying to keep people from noticing her. Her pheromones were something that attracted enough attention, she didn't need her clothes helping her.
"I think you can get away with something more fashionable," Ivy said, hoping to get the girl to come out of her shell a bit. Since they had met, Laurie had let Ivy take up most of the conversation, and while Ivy did like to talk, she cared more about hearing what the other girl had to say.
"Sophia says the same," Laurie confessed, looking longingly at the dress in the window. She was not well-to-do like her new friend. She had a few dollars saved up, but that dress was more than she could afford. The dress was a nice green shade that would look good with her blonde hair. It was a modest cut and didn't cover everything like she was wont to wear.
"Let's go to the outlet store and see what they have," Ivy suggested, not wanting to try and buy her friendship. She was itching to buy it for her new friend, but she knew it wasn't the right thing to do.
Gandr and Fenrir groaned, and Goose sighed, poking his head out of his basket. They resigned themselves to shopping for the afternoon in a clothing store for dresses, which none of them wanted, nor needed.
So that's what they did, and they found some dresses that Laurie could afford that weren't drab. Ivy bought quite a few for herself. They hit it off, and Gandr and Fenrir didn't have such a great time being pack mules for the duo. Afterwards they all hit the food court, which made the male contingent feel much better. The men did get along with Laurie well enough and were not effected by her mutant ability. Their alien blood made them immune.
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After the shopping spree, Ivy went back to the mansion in Malibu a changed girl. She now appreciated more what she had. She had been living under the impression that she was spoiled, but now she realized just how much. Laurie had told her more of her life's story and it was a sad one.
She had lived most of her life not knowing who liked her for her, or who was under her power. Ivy felt something similar, but she was her cuteness, so it was different. Laurie had to fend off unwanted suitors all the time, while Ivy never had to do that. Then again, most people wanted to protect Ivy, not court her. They saw her and just loved her for what she was. They saw Laurie and wanted to possess her. It was different.
Still, it was put in to prospective for Ivy that she had it good. And now she was going to show those that protected her how much she valued it.
"Daddy, I love you," she told Tony. They were all sitting in the living room after dinner that night and she just had the urge to tell him that. She stood in front of him with love in her eyes. He was her world. If not for him, she would not be where she was in life.
"I love you too, little bug," Tony said, picking her up and putting her on his lap. She was getting too big to do this, but that was okay. He would do it as long as he could. "What brought this on?" he asked. "Not that I don't appreciate the love, but you don't normally show this much affection."
"I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you for all that you do for me and mine," she said, sighing and putting her head on his shoulder. She snuggled down into his arms and just soaked up the warmth.
"I know that, honey," he said, putting his hand on her head and looking at the people looking on.
They were watching the scene with open admiration. They didn't get to see Ivy be so openly lovey-dovey with her emotions often. She was always sweet and cute, but she rarely said that she loved someone.
She sat up and looked at all the Avengers and Asgardians and Magicals. "I love each and every one of you," she said, tears in her eyes. "I appreciate all you have done for me, and I will do my best to be my best," she said, getting up and hugging everyone. She gave her younger friends extra hard hugs. She wished Deadpool were here, so she could hug him too. That and Harry and Siriusly.
They all gave their love back and hugged her too. She then bid them good night and called Harry.
"I feel emotional tonight," she confessed to her twin cousin. She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to smile at him.
"Why?" he asked, seeing that she had been crying. He could tell they were happy tears and wasn't alarmed.
"I had a great time with Laurie, but she had such a hard life with her ability that I didn't realize how good I had it," she said, then understood just how hard Harry's life had been compared to hers. His Uncle Vernon had been a monster compared to her Aunt Petunia. She remembered that tiny little boy he had been, all scared and bruised.
"I get that," Harry said, seeing the understanding dawn in her eyes. He smiled at her, showing he was fine.
"I'm sorry," Ivy said, bowing her head a bit.
"It's alright," he said, smiling at her. "You are you, and you're still our little bug," he said, winking at her. He forgave her. He never wanted her to understand.
She smiled a megawatt smile at him and went on to tell him about her day, all melancholy gone. Harry was good for her ego. He knew just what to say to cheer her up. They talked until he had to go to sleep, and she snuggled down and read until it was time for her to sleep.
She dreamed of how life would have been if Tony had not found her and was happier when she woke that she was who she was. She was far more determined to use her cuteness for good and to make sure her family didn't suffer.
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A strange phenomenon started happening at Hogwarts. There were cellphones popping up everywhere. At first, they didn't work for long, until someone asked Harry how he kept his phone charged. When he pointed out his solar charger, they were more and more common. Though it wasn't easy in Scotland to keep them charged, until someone pointed out the sunlight rune. A room was set up just for charging the phones.
The teachers tried to get them banned, but they were not against any of the rules. As long as they didn't interfere with the classes, they were allowed. That and Sprout and Flitwick were staunch supporters of them. They said that they were a way for the muggleborn to communicate with their family and that the half-bloods and purebloods should be allowed to floo home or get cells of their own.
More and more people outside of Hogwarts were obtaining them and Tony's business was booming. Siriusly was running it, along with the goblins, and she was giddy over the prospect that the British were finally waking up to today's inventions. They were making money hand over foot with the investment firm, now that the magicals were on board. Thank the gods for Harry and his stubbornness.
"Well, Harry, you've started something great," Neville said, going over his own phone. Not that he had anyone to call at the moment. Luna was the only other person, besides Ivy and Harry, that he knew. She was busy with her mum right now.
Well, he had his gran. But he didn't want to talk to her. He had given her one for her birthday with a note on how to use it. She was wary at first, but once she discovered that she could talk to Sprout on a daily basis, she was all for it. She got reports on how he was doing in school, much to his chagrin. She would then call him up and tell him to do better. Thank goodness for caller id. He could avoid her calls and let it go to voice mail and just listen to her yell later.
"I would hope so," Harry said with a smirk. He was glancing at all the people who were talking on their phones. They were having animate discussions with whomever they were talking to. He hoped they were calling home. There were things that were going on at the school that parents needed to know. Like the bully that was Snape.
Oh, the man had backed off him, in that he didn't yell at him and call him names. He still banished his potions and marked his homework as Troll. He was a greasy git, and picked on all the first years like the weak man he was. There were other things that needed to be said, like the History teacher, and the DADA teacher. They were jokes. The History teacher would put you to sleep, and the DADA teacher would stutter so badly that you could not understand him. That was three teachers that were miserable.
"I wonder if we can get a PTA started," Harry said, thinking on what Ivy told him about the school she went to in the states. And his school from when he was in New York.
"Probably not," Neville said, knowing what a PTA was. "We have a Board of Governors," he added with a knowing nod. "My gran is on them, and she won't give that spot up easily."
"Well, they do a sucky job," Harry said, taking out his phone and calling Siri. "Mum, can you get on the Board of Governors?" he asked when she answered. "No? Why? Oh. Okay. I thought I'd ask. Okay. Bye. Love you," he said, hanging up the phone. "It's invite only," he said to Neville.
"I could've told you that," the boy said with a chuckle.
"There has to be something we can do," Harry lamented. He really wanted those teachers gone.
"Start a petition," the other boy said, thinking of something even if he thought it wouldn't work. Snape was well protected by the headmaster.
"Won't work," Harry said, voicing his thoughts. "He's too well protected. I think we should drive him from the castle," he stated, looking at Star.
"I'd just eat him," she said, licking her paw.
"I would think that he would give you an upset tummy," Harry countered, reminding her of Umbridge. She shivered and nodded. Not that either of them thought that Snape was evil, but he was unpleasant.
"We can get enough parents to complain," Neville said, interrupting their mental communication. "They will have a stronger voice than us," he added. "My gran hates the man and has been trying to out him for years. She's got a phone now and she's not afraid to use it," he said, going over who now had a cellphone and what they could do with it.
"I'll call Mum and get her started on that," Harry said, texting the woman instead. It was getting close to time for class. They were sitting at lunch, and it was almost over. "We'd better get to class," he said once he was done. He put his phone in his backpack, which he introduced to the school as well, and moved to Transfiguration. Neville followed suit.
Shuffling was heard as all the students were doing the same and everyone left the Great Hall including the teachers. There was a mass exodus and soon only the headmaster was there. He was playing on his phone and ignored the student body for the game he was playing. It was Candy Crush of course. If only he could just get past this one level.
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Siri was having a grand old time trying to get Snape out of the castle. She'd work on him and then work on the other two later. He was the most detrimental to the students at this time. He was a bully and made them cry. The History and DADA teachers were just incompetent. They could wait a week or two.
She was calling old students and getting their stories about the man's conduct as a teacher. How he had ruined dreams of being Healers and Aurors. With his lackluster teaching and his downright bullying, very few people passed his class and went on to become these professions. Or they had to take classes outside of Hogwarts, by paying out of pocket, and that was a strike against him.
She had compiled many testimonies and was ready to go before the Board. It was holding a meeting just for this purpose. She had called Augusta Longbottom, who she still didn't like, but they had come together on this issue, and had her call the meeting. Siriusly had a few people lined up to testify and tell their side of the story. they would even tell how the headmaster had dismissed their complaints and shunned their dreams as just that, dreams.
She marched into that room dressed to kill in a slick pencil skirt suit. She didn't care that it was for the business world, she looked like she would take names and leave bodies behind. She was representing the Black name and everyone there would know it.
Along with the former students' testimonies, she had the current students' petition. Harry's name might not carry much weight, but Neville's did, along with most of the heirs that signed the thing. There were also homework assignments that were mismarked, and testimonies of banished projects.
She took a seat in the front row of chairs. The Board was seated at a table in the front of the room, with chairs in front of them. There was a podium in the middle for speakers to air their grievances.
The Minutes of the Meeting were read, and the formalities were done, and new business was called. Siriusly stood and went to the podium. "I am here to announce that we want Severus Snape gone from Hogwarts once and for all," she started only to have Dumbledore stand.
"Severus has my complete confidence," he stated, like he had said it a hundred times before.
"That doesn't mean he's a good teacher. Hell, I don't think you're a good headmaster, so there's that," Siriusly said, waving her hand in his direction as if to say, 'so what'.
That caused many to sputter and start shouting at her. Until Madam Marchbanks slammed her gavel on the table and called order. "No matter what her opinion of the headmaster is, she is allowed to voice her grievance," the old woman said, waving for Siri to continue.
"As I was saying, Severus Snape is not a good teacher and should be dismissed forthwith," she stated, handing over the compiled statements. She floated them to the members of the Board in neat piles. They started going through them like they had never seen the complaints before.
"Dumbledore, care to explain why we are just now hearing of this?" Marchbanks asked, going over some of the old complaints. There were some there that were over ten years old. She knew that there were complaints, but not to this scope. These were overboard, there were horror stories here of blatant abuse of privilege. Points taken for breathing too loud, really? "Explain," she said, again.
"Severus must maintain discipline in his classroom," Albus said as if that was the proper excuse for everything.
"That does not explain the abuse of privilege," Augusta stated, seeing her own grandson's report in there. He was scared stiff of the man. Not that that was new, but still. "Neville states that he had banished every one of his and young Harry's potions without cause. Explain that," she demanded.
"Well, if the boys are not doing their work…" the old man said leadingly.
"I object. I know for a fact that Harry is good at potions. I taught him myself before he went to Hogwarts. I know he can brew up to third year curriculum," Siriusly stated, stamping her foot. "I can have them tested via an independent professional," she said, glaring at the headmaster.
"I am sure that will not be necessary," Dumbledore said, hurriedly. That would not be good. It would show just how incapable the man was.
"I think it will," Siri said, looking to the Board. "This just goes to show that the man is an incompetent. He is crushing the dreams of young people in Britain, and he needs to be removed. My Harry wants to be an Auror when he grows up and he can't do that with a man who won't even let him get any grade in his class," she said, holding up the written work that was turned in. It was all marked at Troll, even though it was Acceptable work or above. That was academic sabotage and was not tolerated.
The Board demanded that Snape be removed immediately, and Dumbledore was powerless to stop it. Within a week there was a new Potions Master teaching the students and Vector took over as Head of Slytherin.
Siriusly told Harry before it was announced to the school, and he told Neville. They were both ecstatic about it and held a small celebration. Harry called Ivy and Siri, and they had a tea party with Gandr and Sirius and Remus. Everyone was happy that Snape was no longer their concern.
Within a month the History and DADA teachers were also replaced. Things were looking up at Hogwarts. Siri was a force to be reckoned with.