I know I haven't been around a lot, and here I am posting a new one-shot. but technically this was something that I had half written months ago.
I have not abandoned any of my fics I am just terrible at sticking to a schedule.
So without further ado...
"Good afternoon professor's, I hope you have all had a pleasant break. I have called you in here to discuss some extra protection to the castle this year." Dumbledore starts as the last teacher walks into the room. The only person missing Trelawney, not that she ever comes to staff meetings.
"Extra protection, whatever for Dumbledore?" Flitwick asks sipping his coffee.
"I'm having Hagrid bring in something that we have to protect for an old friend." The headmaster smiles at the room, so happy to be back for another year.
"Ho ho how dang dang danger dangerous is is it." The newly hired defence professor Quirinus Quirrell stutters out. Spilling his drink as his hands shake uncontrollable. McGonagall looks between the new professor and the headmaster wondering what he was thinking hiring this man for the DADA class, the school rivalries would send him into a nervous breakdown, that's without taking the Weasley twins into account.
"Albus this is a school." She snaps unsure of his motivations, he has always had the children's best interest at heart.
"I don't even like children, and I think it's a stupid idea." Snape sneers, not looking up from his lesson plans. McGonagall swats his arm telling him to behave, she agrees it's a stupid idea, but his execution was poor. There is a certain way to talk to Albus and that isn't it.
"What is it you want us to protect?" Pomona asks all smiles, unlike the others she is willing to hear the headmaster out, always seeing the best in others her only flaw.
"It doesn't matter Sprout we are not doing it." McGonagall bites out abandoning her seat, finally having enough, no amount of eye twinkle will get him out of this one. He will not be using a school full of children to protect something. Protection means someone is looking for it. That would put the children in danger. The simple minded fool might be ok with his greater good outlook, but she's not, and she won't stand for it.
"Hog Hog Hogwarts, is the saf saf safe safest place." Quirrell whispers looking down at the table trying his hardest not to push too hard.
"The philosopher stone will be perfectly safe here." The items reveal sends the staff into an uproar. The philosopher stone in a school. That will not stand, not even for him, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. They would go to the school board if they had too, all those parents, he wouldn't last a day.
"It's perfectly safe in Gringotts Albus." Minerva declares slamming her hands on the table.
"This wouldn't be happening because of a certain celebrity starting this year would it." Snape asks. Referring to the young Potter boy starting this year. An angry noise escapes McGonagall. Like a lioness ready to protect her young.
"Albus." She shrieks. "It better not be." She advances on the man, "He has been through enough." She hisses through clenched teeth.
"He's just a boy." Sprout laments looking down at her hands sadly. "The children need to be our first concern not our friends."
"I don't like this." Flitwick says stand, abandoning his lunch the conversation turning his stomach. He stands to leave, with the help of sprout they usher the other teachers out of the room. Minerva and Severus would be the best to deal with Dumbledore when he gets like this.
"Albus tell me you didn't bring it here for him." Minerva begs.
"Voldemort." Severus flinches back at the word, if Albus hadn't been watching her so closely he would have missed the twitch of Minerva's eye.
"He has been gone eleven years." Severus argues clutching his arm tightly, the thought of that man returning, bleeds hit like a raw wound. He will never atone for his sins.
"Gone but not."
"Yes, yes your theory." Minerva hisses.
Severus yanks up his sleeve roughly tearing the fabric showing the faded dark mark. "Nothing is happening, nothing is going to happen. If he is alive, he's not coming for the boy."
"The stone."
"Albus Dumbledore, are you trying to lure that mad man back into this school the very year Harry Potter starts his education here."
"Now Minerva."
"Don't you now Minerva me. Trying to start with your great good prattle. HE IS A BOY. James and Lilly's boy Albus and you would use him as bait."
Her shoulders slump in defeat she had a soft spot for her marauders. What had become of them broke her, her boys all lost to the war in one way or another.
"The boy isn't even eleven yet, he barely survived the first encounter." Severus finishes for her realising she was trapped in the past.
"The boy." The headmaster tries again.
"Was a baby, it was Lily's magic that saved him not some special magic or fate it was lily." Severus trails off, unable to continue, she would still be alive if not for him.
"Albus you are taking that damned stone back to Gringotts." McGonagall, the man in question making no effort to move. "NOW ALBUS."
"It's not a request." Severus adds folding his arms his scowl deepening as his tattered sleeve plays peekaboo with his branding. "We will go to the board Albus. There are many pureblood heir in this school if one of them were injured."
"If you want numbers Albus, sixteen. Sixteen is the number, "At his raised eyebrow Minerva continues. "Families of the sacred 28, that have children at Hogwarts or that are starting this coming year. And if that doesn't put you off Edgar Bones's daughter is starting in September. You remember Edgar's daughter the lone survivor to the Bones massacre. Moody found her in a silenced cupboard. Her aunt is Amelia, you know her do you not?"
"Of course, I know Amelia." He mutters like a scolded child.
"Then why risk her wrath, Susan is the last living member of her family." Severus cuts his sentence short, they all know what Amelia would do to protect that child. Azkaban would be kinder.
"It's settled then." Minerva claps her hand as Severus opens the door. "Go get the stone."
"It's not here yet."
Clenching his teeth Severus demands to know where it is. When Albus admits Hagrid is retrieving it all hell breaks loose again. Minerva sends Albus to his office. Taking hold of Severus arm, she apparates them to Diagon alley. "We must find Hagrid."
Severus heads to the bank to see if they had already been as Minerva heads towards the leaky cauldron Tom knows everything that goes on around her, guess that's the good thing about dealing with the countries drunks.
Rushing towards the bar she misses the half giant tucked away in the corner.
"You alright Minerva, y' look a lil yellow."
"Tom, have you seen Hagrid, Its urgent."
"You must be in a right tizzy." He tilts his head towards the back wall, "You missed him when you walked in professor."
She mutters out a brisk thank you striding across the room. "Hagrid, where is the Potter boy. You are to escort him."
"jus been to the bank professor, felt a bit sick so I came for a pick me up while the boy is being measured for robes." The old witch purses her lips, she knew she should have done the potter boys introduction, but Albus wouldn't let her back near the Dursleys.
"Get back to him now, he should not be alone."
"The boy knows nuttin professor." The half giant admits to the woman.
"Nothing?" She asks confused, she knows she has no time, but something about Hagrid's tone has her settling into the seat across form him.
"About our word his parents, they told him they died in a car accident and magic wasn't real."
"I feared they would Hagrid. I feared they would. Told Dumbledore as much" After a few moments of silence, she speaks again. "Hagrid, I need the stone." No need to be diplomatic it's Hagrid.
"But professor Dumbledore."
"Now Hagrid, this is not up for discussion that stone will not come through the schools wards for as long as I stand."
"Yes professor." He mumbles pulling the package from his pocket.
Minerva guides him from the pub back to his charge, before heading to Gringotts, hoping to run into Severus on her way.
She finds him in the bank getting angry at a teller. "Minerva they are refusing to tell me if the vault in question has been emptied." He announces.
"We need a meeting with Ragnok now. It is of the upmost importance."
The goblin growls low in his throat, showing a hint of fang. "One second."
When he reappears, he motions them into a side room. Where the head goblin is waiting for them.
"We have a problem."
"We?" He asks leaning back in his chair steeping his fingers.
"Yes we, you see Albus Dumbledore seems to think this." She sets the package on the table. The Golbin picks it up. Upon realising what it is drops it back on the table wiping his hands. "Is in danger at your bank and so wishes to hide it bat the school."
"He thinks my bank is not secure enough." Ragnok leans forwards resting his elbows on the table. "This is a great insult if it is true."
"It's not an insult, he worries over he who must not be named. Paranoid really."
"The older the wizard the further they fall." The goblin smirks.
"We want you to take it back, put it back in its vault. Put it in a new vault. That stone should be nowhere near children."
"We shall take it back. But you tell Dumbledore, should he insult our fine establishment again we shall seize his vault."
"I would be happy to pass along the message." Severus smiles.
"Not a message a threat." Ragnok responds with a feral smirk taking the stone from the table. "I assume you can show yourselves out."
This is a part of my harry potter one-shots and a new segment I like to call teachers taking charge, cause lets be honest Dumbledore is terrible.
Let me know what you think
and what you would like to see next
T
