Chapter 3 – Is that the Mona Lisa?

25 March 2010

Dagworth-Granger Manor Library

Sussex

Minerva McGonagall

I watch as Molly Weasley stands up abruptly and marches to the desk to demand her boxes from the lawyer. After a couple of minutes, she comes back to where we were sitting and takes the same seat next to me. I purse my lips. I learned at quite a young age if you do not have anything nice to say, to say nothing at all. I usually have quite a lot to say that isn't rather nice. My half century acquaintance with Molly, exercises my principles. This is not the place or time for a Molly Weasley temper tantrum.

"The nerve of that WOMAN!"

Augusta Longbottom, who is on the other side of Molly, looks up at her sternly whispers, "Molly stop making a scene. I don't feel like sitting through one of your tempers."

Leave it to Gussie. We were in the same year and house at Hogwarts. She's always been good at dealing with Molly's temper.

Molly huffs, "She called me a failure. I did everything that woman asked me to do! How was I supposed know what that woman was unleashing on my family?"

I shake my head and purse my lips, "unleashed" indeed. "Molly, I remember the howlers, the tears, and even breaking up a few fights that year. Your conditional love was a heartbreak for her that she didn't need at the time."

Molly sighs, "WelI, I was grieving and you read the Daily Prophet just as much as I did. Rita Skeeter would never lie about what she wrote and it wasn't the first time she wrote such things about that girl."

Augusta who has heard the same excuses as I have for years, appears to be just as aggravated, "We were all grieving. It was just after a war, a war with so many loses."

Molly fumes, "I lost my son!"

Augusta is barely hanging on to her own temper says, "Do you really believe I haven't lost MINE?! I visit him every week and he doesn't know who I am! Does that mean I still don't grieve him every time I leave that ward he and Alice are forced to live in? I didn't harass a poor girl with weekly or sometimes daily howlers! Neville owled me every time you sent one begging me to talk to you. I didn't treat someone like family and then turn my back on them when it became too hard."

Molly sighs and looks down. I can see her warring with herself. Good. She needs think about her actions, Molly is impulsive and hot-tempered, a dangerous combination.

I decide to speak up, "Molly that girl went through so much. There are things you do not know, that I was privy to. Yes, Ophelia was behind the majority of that. You know that as well as anyone. Miss Granger's training was discussed at Order meetings. Ophelia never trusted Albus, for a good many reasons, and she made damn sure that young girl had all the tools to survive, to make sure your son survived. Ophelia did what she did best, she connived and manipulated for the best results. She put too much on that girl, and you know it. It's a moot point now really. It's been a decade, and no one, apparently, aside from Mr. Potter, has seen hide nor hair of her."

Molly looks up with unshed tears in her eyes, "You…You're right. I guess I'll apologize to her should I ever see her again. I was only trying to protect my family. I should have at least talked to her. Maybe I shouldn't have taken on so much. Ophelia was never one to take no for an answer. She just swept through, made her demands and never let anyone deny her. Did you know after I had Percy, when she owled baby gifts for the twins, Ron, and Ginny, she would sign her cards with ' If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to exist.'-Epictetus" She laughs, "She really never hid her opinions very well."

Augusta laughs, "No. She never did."

No, she did not.

3 July, 1994

Dagworth Castle

Cornwall

Minerva

I received an owl earlier that day from Ophelia asking for tea. This was an annual meeting. The first time she contacted me was in 1957 after I finished my first year of teaching. We had an extremely polite conversation for about 10 minutes before she began her inquisition. In the end, she had me agreeing to inform her of any muggle-borns appearing The Book of Names. She offered pre-Hogwarts schooling if needed as well as Hogwarts tuition.

She explained, in the mid 19th century, Phineas Nigellas Black was headmaster. He changed Hogwarts policy to charge tuition for all students. Hogwarts was once maintained by the Board of Governors. The board paid all salaries to the staff as well as any necessary maintenance through personal donations from themselves and alumni. The tuition was three times the amount for muggle-borns than purebloods or half-bloods.

Mr. Black justified the change by stating most muggle-born students needed extra tutoring. The muggle lower and middle classes in Great Britain were highly undereducated prior to the twentieth century. Some of the children were so poor they were dirty and under fed. They couldn't afford robes, books, or supplies. These students usually needed large amounts of extra tutoring, including rudimentary education. The very term "mudblood" was used to describe these poor children. Centuries of purebloods and half-blood upper-classmen students tutoring first year muggle-borns that could not read or write their own names was fundamental in causing prejudices many purebloods had in the 20th century.

The muggles reformed their education policies, and by 1880's muggle schooling became compulsory for children ages 5 through 10. When Ophelia discovered this, at the turn of the century, she tried to use her influence to get the Board of Governors to change the policy. The governors were all men, and refused to take any woman seriously, especially one as young as her. In answer to their misogynistic attitudes, she started funding muggle-born education under everyone's noses. There was an unexplainable influx of muggle-borns during the 20th century. For about 50 years prior to her interference, it was rare to have more than one muggle-born going to Hogwarts each school year. Throughout the 20th century it was common to have anywhere from 3 to 10 muggle-borns in any given year.

She had me take a vow of secrecy, and that began our annual teas.

I dreaded this year's meeting, quite a bit. Two years ago Ophelia, took on a keen interest in Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Harry Potter. I had my suspensions as to why, but I learned decades ago not to question Ophelia. It was she who gave me the time turner to give to Miss Granger last year. She simply said, "I want her to take all the classes she requests. Tell her she has Ministry approval to use the time turner. Teach her how to be responsible with the damned thing. Albus will never question it since she is a muggle-born, and I know, you know, I am correct."

I flooed into Dagworth Castle. In the 40 years I have known Ophelia, I had never been here before. The Dagworth's were legendary for transfiguration and charms. They were the treasure hunters of the wizarding world for centuries. It was like stepping into a time capsule. It was rather opulent with various art, both muggle and magical, displayed on the thirty foot walls. Furniture from every era from all over the world was put together in tasteful displays throughout the very large room. Ophelia was seated in a Regency era ball gown with a small diamond tiara on her head. I have to admit she looked almost casual in comparison to our many meetings.

She stood and waited for me to come to her and she kissed me on both cheeks. "Minerva, it's lovely to see you today. We have much to discuss. I am just waiting for the other guest to arrive. We will have our annual meeting in a couple of weeks. I called you here today for a very specific purpose."

I sigh, and say. "As you wish Ophelia, it's just lovely to share an afternoon tea with you. How have you been?"

She smirks, "Oh, as you know I stay quite busy with Dagworth-Granger Potions and Holdings. I recently shortened the name to DG Potions and Holdings. Dagworth-Granger is such a mouth full and I'm much too old to be required to say all those syllables so many times in a day. The legal process was exhaustive, but fortunately I pay Bulstrode, Bulstrode, and Bulstrode enough that I had little to do, but sign my name. Did you know the muggles have little boxes that hold all your information? You just push down on buttons and it keeps all of it stored together. It's fascinating and someday I will research this to use with our company. However that is a discussion for another day. I apologize, I am rambling. You see, I have had a rather exciting couple of days. Oh here we are."

I look to where she is looking and there was Sirius Black there leaning against the doorway with his legs crossed and a smirk. He was wearing those muggle leather trousers and a black shirt that said "Guns n Roses". I immediately stood up and drew my wand.

Mr. Black smiles, the same mischievous smile he always gave me when he and Mr. James Potter were caught breaking the rules. The git. "Hello Minnie."

"What is the meaning of this?"

Ophelia stands in front of me and grabs my wand hand. "Minerva, put down your wand! Surely, you have learned not everything is how it appears! PUT. YOUR. WAND AWAY! I will not have anyone act so inappropriately to one of my guests. Sit down!"

I easily relent. I should know better. Ophelia always knows more than the most people. We all sit down and Mr. Black takes a seat in the chair beside Ophelia's settee.

"Minerva, you will sit there and listen to what Sirius has to say. As you see over to your left is a pensive. I have a plan and it involves Sirius. As you know, he never had a trial. I was the only one who visited him while he was in Azkaban. Dorea would not raise her son to be a murderer, maybe an idiot, but not a murderer. You knew her, Sirius was hers the day James invited him to Potter Manor. You also agreed with me all those years ago her death occurred suspiciously after her and Charlus started questioning Albus' motives.

"I have known Albus for 103 years. We started Hogwarts together. In those days, we had our houses, but not the separation there is now. The Great Hall was separated into years, not houses. We only sat with our houses during special events. The wizarding world was more social. Hogwarts offered a variety of classes such as art, music, alchemy, elemental magic, and muggle history. Potions, transfiguration, and charms were specialized for different branches. Instead of the 13 teachers today, when I was in school there were over 40. I digress. During our sorting first year, Albus was the longest hat stall in the history of Hogwarts. It had taken ten minutes for that hat to finally place him in Gryffindor, a mistake I might add. Even as an adolescent, he was power hungry. The Blitz during World War 2 changed so much for the wizarding world. The muggle war took the lives of so many Wizards and Witches. We began isolating ourselves even more from the muggles. They had weapons we couldn't protect ourselves from. Armando Dippett and Albus changed the curriculum of Hogwarts with pressure from the Blacks, Malfoys, and Notts. Albus' manipulations have caused so much strife in our society. I will not allow him to kill more innocents.

"There are dangerous rumors circulating. My dear, you have been isolated in that castle. I may have become quite the recluse in my old age, but what is left of our old society still invite me for tea. I do not like what I have been witnessing. Now you will listen to Sirius, and then we will discuss why you have been asked you here today."

Sirius stood up and started pacing. He began with how he and his friends became animagi to help Mr. Lupin with his full moons. I couldn't believe they did this under my nose. He then went on with how he asked Mr. Pettigrew to be James and Lily's secret keeper with Albus's Dumbledore's suggestion. As he broke down what happened that night, we were all in tears. I realized this young man was everything I thought him to be. I realized how wrong I was to not step in when I had the chance.

We went to the pensive and he showed me his memories of that Halloween night so long ago. He showed me the night at Hogwarts in the Shrieking Shack. He showed me how Miss Granger and Mr. Potter rescued him.

When it was over, I took that young man in my arms and we mourned all he lost. I knew I would do all I could to help him.

Once we settled and had a good stiff scotch. I asked, "Mr. Black how did you get here?"

He smiled, "A funny story really, while I was living in the cave near Hogwarts, I received a great many owls. They were persistent little things. They came night and day and would even perch themselves in my back. I took the risk of shifting back one night from my animangus form and read the letters. They were letters from Ophelia telling me to come to Dagworth Castle. She said the wards would let me in. So when I left Hogwarts that night, I flew here on the hippogriff. Buckbeak is currently in Ophelia's garden now raising havoc. He didn't get along with Ford the Thunderbird in the Aviary. "

Ophelia makes another cup of tea, and asks, "Minerva where is the time-turner?"

I reach into my pocket to hand it to her. "I have it here."

She raises her hand, "No, I don't want it back. I insist you give it back to Miss Granger. As you know, Mr. Snape works for DG Potions in his time off. The Princes are missed family, for generations they rivaled the Grangers in Potions. Brilliant family. Going forward, I have requested he try to develop three potions for me over the last year. One is a potion you can take to sharpen your mind, and allows you to retain more information while on the potion. The next potion is a pepper-up potion without the nasty side effects normal pepper-up gives a person. The last is a sleep potion that gives your body the effect of 8 hours of sleep in one hour without actually sleeping. He has succeeded with my request. You will give Miss Granger the time turner and these Potions. If she is friends with this Harry Potter, I want her to have the tools to survive. Albus is stuck with this notion to use Mr. Potter, and young Harry will need help."

I'm absolutely appalled, "You want to me to drug her, she is just a child!"

"No, these potions are safe. I have heard she is extremely intelligent. I simply want her to learn everything she will need to know so she may help herself and Mr. Potter survive."

"Yes, but…"

"Minerva, Lord Voldemort will come back. He's vile enough to cheat death. Albus insists this prophecy is true, and if it is, Harry Potter will die. If he is going to live we need someone he trusts to help him. This Miss Granger is brilliant from what I hear. You know I have my ears everywhere. Do you not think her capable of such an education?"

"It isn't that I question her ability. She is quite bright. I am just having a difficult time reconciling the need. You-Know-Who devastated our world. We were told he was gone."

"Minerva, don't think, just do. I have asked Molly Weasley to invite Hermione to her home on 15 of July. As you know, the young Mr. Weasley and her are friends. She will begin private tutoring for transfiguration, charms, history, potions, dark arts, defense, arithmancy, ancient runes, dance and etiquette, and I believe she already plays the piano. She will use the floo early in the mornings to come here to Dagworth Castle. Sirius and Mr. Lupin have agreed to teach her. She will then use the time turner so she can spend the day with her friends. Once she starts Hogwarts she will continue to use your floo and continue her lessons. Here is a bag of galleons to purchase the necessary floo powder. The potions will allow her to achieve all of this. My request is non-negotiable, make this happen Minerva. The girl will do so much good with the knowledge she will learn."

She had it all figured out and I knew Miss Granger would enthusiastically agree to all of it. That girl had a mind the likes I have never seen. Defeated, I say, "I will do as you ask, but if I see her too stressed and unable to cope with the additional stress this will have on her, I will end it."

We both stand, and she grabs both my hands and says, "Thank you, Minerva. I know I've asked a lot of you. I'll see you soon so we may discuss the muggle-borns."

I turn to leave, just to the right of the fireplace, see a very familiar painting, "Ophelia, is that the Mona Lisa?

She just smirked and said, "Good day, Minerva."