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Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Headmaster Flitwick pulls a surprise move on the Board of Governors.

Chapter 46

Harry watched as the knights exited the castle and made their way to the Forbidden Forest. He didn't envy their task; finding Quirrell and Pettigrew in such a vast forest seemed like looking for a needle in a haystack. Furthermore, there were many dangerous creatures living within its depths, the Acromantula being a prime example. Would they consider seeking help from the centaurs? Harry doubted that they would be willing to cooperate with humans.

He wished he could accompany them, as he still needed to complete the task assigned to him by the unicorns. But he still had plenty of time until the end of the school year. As a result, it might be best if the knights made the forest safer by apprehending and removing the two people who posed a risk to Harry. The only uncertainty was whether they would be able to locate them.

When he heard the unicorns' request, he was sceptical at first, but eventually gave in to the allure of obtaining materials from them. Unicorns were extremely intelligent and could communicate with humans. They could write by scratching words into the dirt with their horns, and they had a thorough understanding of the English language, which surprised him when he first witnessed it.

Just as Harry was about to enter the Great Hall for breakfast, Amelia called out to him. Leaving Kingsley behind, she took hold of his arm and led him away from the others, ensuring their privacy.

"Harry, I need a favour," Amelia said. "Your grandfather told me about a potential exit to the outside in Salazar's chambers. We should have asked Salazar directly, but he has already returned to his room in the chamber. Nonetheless, we need to figure out how to block this exit in case Quirrell tries to use it to enter the castle."

"Do you know who Quirrell really is?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Amelia nodded. "Croaker informed me. Given my position, I need to be aware of this information. Although I agree with him that, for the time being, it should remain confidential.

"When do you want me to take you to the chamber?"

"Is it okay if we do it after breakfast? Your grandfather will also be there, just in case we run into any difficulties."

"That's fine," Harry replied. He intended to visit Diagon Alley today, but his trip would be brief, leaving him with plenty of free time.

"Thank you. I will meet you here in an hour."

Harry gave a nod before entering the Great Hall.

After breakfast, Harry accompanied Amelia and his grandfather to the bathroom. He opened the entrance to the chambers and they made their way down to Salazer's secret chamber. They stood in front of the large door, which he opened with parseltongue, revealing the hidden tunnel behind it.

"Wait here," Charlus instructed his grandson. "Amelia and I are going to explore the tunnel and see where it leads."

The two adults lit their wands and walked into the tunnel. Harry fixed his gaze on them until the glow from their wands faded, indicating that the tunnel was quite long. After twenty minutes, a loud crashing sound echoed from within the tunnel, taking him by surprise. He squinted into the darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was causing the noise. Were the two okay?

Over the next thirty minutes, he heard the same noise, which got louder and closer each time. He didn't realise the source of the noise until it was almost upon him: they were deliberately causing the tunnel to collapse to obstruct the passage. The sheer audacity of their plan struck him—were they not concerned that the whole structure would ultimately come crashing down on top of them?

Harry felt relieved when he noticed their light source off in the distance. He waited as they gradually made their way back to the chamber. They collapsed the tunnel one final time, about twelve feet from the entrance. Only then were they truly satisfied.

"You could have told me that you were going to do that," Harry complained. "I was worried that something had happened to you."

"I apologise," Charlus said. "We decided to collapse the tunnel only after ensuring that it led to the outside."

"There was a door at the other end, and we could feel a breeze blowing through the cracks," Amelia said.

"Based on the distance and direction, it appears that the tunnel leads directly to the Forbidden Forest," Harry said.

"Which means we made the right decision by remaining cautious," Charlus replied. "The cave-ins will present a significant challenge to anyone attempting to enter. Nonetheless, we should remain vigilant and keep an eye on it, just in case."

"It is possible that the knights will discover the entrance on the other end." Amelia sighed. "We will deal with it if and when it comes up."

"Harry, please close the door so that we can leave," Charlus said. "We still need to visit Diagon Alley."

Harry closed the door and followed them out of the chamber. He glanced back one last time at the door leading to the library before he left. He would return soon to continue exploring the books, as Salazar had suggested he look into a specific topic that piqued Harry's interest.

His grandfather escorted him to Diagon Alley to meet with Guildmaster Alphonso. Their goal was to register a patent for the appraisal scroll schematic. The patent would prevent others from stealing and copying it for personal gain. Although theft couldn't be completely avoided, the guild's extensive reach ensured that the scroll wouldn't be sold in any major shopping districts.

Harry decided to take advantage of an additional service provided by the guild. This service entailed hiring other enchanters or artisans to produce appraisal scrolls and distribute them to all major markets around the world. By leveraging their business connections, the guild would help generate interest in his product, resulting in increased sales.

With the help of his grandfather, he was able to negotiate a deal that paid him a thirty percent royalty for each scroll sold. This deal included a down payment of twenty thousand galleons. Given that each scroll would sell for ten galleons, he stood to profit three galleons per sale. Though this may appear insignificant at first glance, when sales reach the thousands, the amount of earnings becomes quite significant. He would be making a lot of money without having to lift a finger.

Harry considered asking his grandfather if they could return to the gym for another karate training session. Two months had passed since his last visit, and he hadn't anticipated being away for such a long time, but the lockdown had disrupted his plans.

He decided not to ask, as his grandfather appeared to be in a hurry to return to Hogwarts. Maybe he could ask him to go next weekend.

9th February

Harry set the quill down and stretched. He was pleased with his progress over the last few days and felt more confident than ever that he could make the staff functional.

The last few days brought a sense of calm to the castle as things returned to normal. With the knights preoccupied with finding the two men in the forest, Harry found some peace, allowing him to focus on his interests without fear of another incident occurring.

Harry persisted in his training, wearing the suit Footshredder had given him. He was still having trouble focusing his magic on specific parts of his body, though. The goblin assured him that this was a significant step and would not be easy to accomplish. Once he overcomes this obstacle, however, it will become much easier for him.

He refocused his efforts on researching his bo-staff. After conducting extensive preliminary research, he compiled a list of enchantments required to replicate Gambit's ability. The list was lengthy, and if the staff had been made of ordinary metal, adding all of the enchantments would have jeopardised its integrity.

Feather

Object Reduction

Object Expansion

Kinetic Charge

Explosive Force

Targeted Direction

Metal Reinforcement

Safety Grip

The bo-staff would have eight primary enchantments. However, for all of them to function properly, over two dozen arrays would be required, including the standard obscuring and blood-binding sequences.

The feather enchantment would slightly reduce the weight of the staff. Not enough to affect the feeling of wielding the staff, but enough to prevent him from tiring out during a drawn-out battle. The next two enchantments would allow him to shorten and expand the staff, allowing it to be carried around more easily.

The following three enchantments took centre stage because they contained the key to replicating Gambit's staff's powerful kinetic force. With the kinetic charge and explosive force enchantments, he would be able to deal massive damage. The mere thought of striking the ground and causing it to shatter filled him with excitement. The third enchantment, targeted direction, would allow him to control the direction of the kinetic energy so he wouldn't hurt himself.

Adding metal reinforcement to the staff would improve its durability, which is critical given the amount of abuse it would receive. Finally, the safety grip enchantment would allow him to hold the staff's middle section, reducing the intense vibrations he would experience when striking something.

He had to ensure that the entire layout was designed in such a way that all of the arrays interacted seamlessly. Initially, he was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. However, he made a discovery that would greatly help him with the task.

When he returned to Salazer's library, he found the books Salazer had recommended. These books explored the various uses of parseltongue in magic. He was intrigued by parsel magic, which had the remarkable ability to amplify healing and protection spells. What piqued his interest even more was the existence of the parseltongue runic language. Although he was already familiar with the language because of the parseltongue wards in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, he had been unable to see them because the wards were concealed within the walls.

He had learned the new language after several days of study. The main issue wasn't learning the language itself, as his parseltongue ability made it irrelevant, but how it interacted with other languages to create arrays. The books mentioned that there would be a lot of compatibility issues initially, and he struggled to wrap his head around it. But he was able to learn the skill, which would help him in the future.

**Parseltongue Runes 1 [50/1000] - The Parseltongue runic language is a rather obscure art, as it can only be understood and used by individuals who possess the ability to speak this noble tongue. There are several advantages to using this language, particularly when it comes to optimising and improving arrays related to healing and protection. Additionally, any sequences formed using parseltongue runes are completely incomprehensible to those who aren't speakers, eliminating the need for any supplementary obscuring sequences. By improving one's proficiency in this skill, the host gains a greater understanding of how the language interacts with other runic languages.

The language had limited benefits when it came to enchantments on his staff, but its main advantage lay in its flexibility. It offered greater freedom than the more structured runic languages, such as elder futhark. This was particularly important for crafting items like the bo-staff, which had a narrow and lengthy surface area. It would take a complicated layout to be able to add all the arrays seamlessly over such a length.

"Where did you get those books?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked up to see his friends standing over him. They were in the Duelling Garden, a name they had given the room because they couldn't think of anything better. The lion in the portrait liked the name, so they kept it. The club was still going through the books found on the chamber's bookshelf. The books contained a wealth of historical information, albeit only snippets taken from Helga's and Godric's journals. While Harry had removed all direct mention of the true events of a millennium ago, there were still enough hints to pique their interest.

He had told his friends that for him to reveal his secrets, they needed to at least reach Level 3 Occlumens. This was a requirement set by his grandfather, not by him. It was already risky enough that Harry possessed so much knowledge, given that he was only a Level 2 Occlumen. Except for Daphne, none of his friends had progressed beyond level one. In the coming months, they plan to prioritise improving their occlumency.

There were also books with a wealth of information about spells, magical plants, and other esoteric magic. Hermione was already writing a list of spells she believed the club should learn. Meanwhile, Daphne and Neville planned to use Helga's plant knowledge to improve the productivity of their greenhouses at home.

"They were in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry revealed. "All the books are written in parseltongue script, so it would be impossible for you to read them."

"Why didn't you tell us about them sooner?" Daphne asked.

"I figured it would be best not to tell you about them and spare you the disappointment. I understand how frustrated bookworms can be when they cannot read a book."

"I feel like we were just insulted," Terry remarked. "Should we nerds band together and teach him a lesson?"

"Harry is also a nerd," Padma reminded him. She picked up one of the books and began flipping through its pages. She winced and closed the book quickly. "You weren't kidding. Just trying to focus on this script is making me dizzy."

"It's not like we should be complaining," Neville said. "We have an abundance of books to read already. Surprisingly, some of the information they contain is still relevant to this day. It's unbelievable."

They sat down with Harry and eagerly shared their exciting discoveries. As Harry began packing his belongings, his mind was preoccupied with something that kept him from fully focusing on their conversation, despite feeling infected by his friends' enthusiasm.

"The headmaster is probably meeting with the Board of Governors right now," Daphne said, as if she could read his mind.

"Don't remind me," Hermione sighed. "It makes my blood boil how Headmaster Flitwick is being blamed for all the incidents at Hogwarts."

"If he gets fired, who do you think will replace him?" Harry asked.

"Most likely your grandmother, given her experience and the high level of respect she commands," Daphne replied. "Unless, of course, Lucius Malfoy tries to install one of his candidates as headmaster."

Harry nodded, accepting the reality that Flitwick would be fired. Little did he know that things weren't going to go as expected.

Tracy approached him just as he was about to leave the room.

"Have you spoken with Blaise yet?" Tracy asked with a troubled expression.

Harry shook his head. "I have tried several times, but he always brushes me off."

"I get the same response," Tracy sighed. "It's frustrating. What really happened to him? Can't you tell me at least that much?

"Sorry," Harry said, patting her shoulder. "I wish I could. Don't give up on Blaise, as he will come around eventually."

"Shall we get the meeting started?" Lucius Malfoy drawled. "Do you want to lead the meeting, Madam Longbottom?"

Lucius Malfoy wasn't usually this gracious. Everyone in the room could feel the smugness emanating from him. The man was confident that he had obtained enough votes to remove Flitwick from his position as headmaster. Unlike the last time Flitwick was chosen, the majority of the other members agreed with him. The most important aspect was that Madam Longbottom no longer opposed him.

The meeting took place in a conference room on the seventh floor, which is where all important board meetings are held. The meeting included the headmaster, deputy headmistress, and board members. The latter consisted of twelve prominent wizarding citizens, with Lucius Malfoy and Madam Longbottom serving as the main leaders of the group. When making school-related decisions, the remaining ten members usually defer to them.

"Very well," Madam Longbottom replied, nodding sharply, causing the vulture on her hat to wobble. "First, let us talk about why we are here today. The board has serious concerns about the school's safety. We have already lost one student this year, and we are fortunate that we haven't lost any more. Headmaster Flitwick, could you please explain why you have presided over one of the most disastrous school years in history?"

"That is hardly fair—" Professor McGonagall began, only to be interrupted by Flitwick raising his hand.

"We have certainly had some turbulent times during my brief tenure," Flitwick admitted. "However, I inherited the position from Dumbledore, who left the school in disarray after taking some of the school's belongings. At the time, I was certain he had done something to the wards as well, as I was having difficulty controlling them. It was also during this time that the Enchanted Wall first appeared, an unexpected event that I could not have predicted."

"Are you suggesting that Dumbledore collaborated with the person responsible for all of the castle's incidents?" Lucius sneered. "Blaming someone who isn't present to defend themselves is an easy way to shift responsibility."

"I cannot say for certain whether Dumbledore was involved," Flitwick said. "However, it is very suspicious that the Enchanted Wall appeared immediately after he left the castle."

"What did you do when the wall appeared?" Madam Longbottom asked.

"I made the corridor off-limits to students and assigned Professor Babbling to investigate the wall," Flitwick explained. "When she couldn't figure out what it was for, I requested assistance from the artisan guild headquarters to assist her in deciphering it. At that point, I didn't believe it was necessary to take drastic measures to close the school."

"That would have been an overreaction given the information you had at the time," Madam Longbottom acknowledged. "Would you please explain the events of Halloween in detail?"

The questioning continued for an hour, and Flitwick and Minerva realised it was all a formality, as the board members had already made their decision before arriving at the castle. Nonetheless, Flitwick maintained his composure, glancing down at the two rolled-up parchments on the table before him.

"I believe we have gathered enough information to make an informed decision," Lucius said smoothly. "Let's have a vote on whether Professor Flitwick should be removed from his position."

His choice to refer to Flitwick as a professor rather than a headmaster demonstrated his confidence in the outcome. Furthermore, it demonstrated his complete disrespect for Flitwick. After all of the members raised their hands, it was unanimously decided to remove Flitwick from his position as headmaster.

Lucius' lips curled into a smile. "The board members have come to a decision. Professor Flitwick, you are hereby relieved—"

"Hold on," Minerva interrupted. "While we have taken note of your decision, it ultimately has no significance. The Board of Governors lacks the authority to intervene in the school's affairs. I'm afraid you have wasted your time by coming here.

"What nonsense is this?" Lucius derided. "The Board of Governors has the final say over who is employed at Hogwarts. It surprises me that you, Professor McGonagall, were unaware of this basic fact."

"I agree with Mr. Malfoy," Madam Longbottom declared. "Minerva, what is the meaning of this?"

"We discovered new information about the school charter," Minerva stated.

They had discovered the information thanks to Lady Hogwarts, and they intended to use it to completely remove the Board of Governors from their influence at Hogwarts.

Flitwick smiled and gestured to the two parchments on the table. "The school charter as we know it isn't genuine. After the founders died, Headmaster Dankworth decided to create his own version of the charter. Instead of following the founders' original intentions, he suggested involving an outside entity in the operations of the school. The headmaster kept the original school charter hidden away in the castle until it was found this week."

The board members rose in protest, their voices overlapping as they expressed their outrage. Only Lucius and Madam Longbottom remained seated, but their disbelief was evident. They hadn't anticipated such a move from the headmaster and were unsure how to react at first.

"You dare to fabricate such a ridiculous story in an attempt to save your job," Lucius said. "The fact that you would go to such lengths to undermine the founders' intentions for the school is truly disgraceful. I must confess, Professor McGonagall, that I am astounded that you are involved in this plot. Perhaps we should reconsider your ongoing employment at Hogwarts as well."

Minerva gave him a scathing look, as if he were a bug to crush beneath her boot. Lucius gritted his teeth at the disrespectful treatment.

"Take a look at these two charters," Flitwick said, passing them to the person seated beside him. "Note the differences between them."

The board members fell silent as they carefully read through each charter. As the headmaster mentioned, there were differences in one specific paragraph of the text. One version included an unmistakable directive that Hogwarts would always be independent, while the other stated something different.

After everyone had read it, Madam Longbottom expressed her doubts. "I hardly see how this is proof of anything. How can we be sure that you didn't create your version of the charter?"

The other members nodded their agreement.

"Please direct your attention to the opening paragraph," Flitick said confidently, standing up in his seat to emphasise his point. "Both charters explicitly state that it cannot be destroyed, modified, or removed from the castle. That is why the headmaster at the time chose to hide it within the castle instead. To determine which is the authentic copy, we must attempt to destroy both copies and see which survives intact."

The board members glanced at each other in consideration. It was a persuasive argument, as they were all aware that the school charter had some protections that prevented it from being messed with. They couldn't come up with a strong reason why they shouldn't use the headmaster's suggestion.

Lucius gripped his cane beneath the table. The half-breed sounded too confident, which meant that he was going to retain his position as headmaster. Furthermore, his position as a member would be rendered useless. He had spent a lot of galleons to secure the position, and he was unwilling to give it up.

"I don't believe a test like that is necessary," Lucius argued. "There is no guarantee that both charters are not forgeries designed by you to deceive us. You may have even enchanted one of them to prevent your preferred version from being destroyed."

"You are grasping at straws, Mr. Malfoy," Madam Longbottom said, speaking up against him for the first time since the meeting started. "Let us proceed with the test to determine once and for all which is the genuine charter."

It didn't take long to identify the fake charter. One of them was easily burned after one of the board members cast a simple Incendio spell on it. The other charter, which made no mention of the Board of Governors, remained unaffected by the spell. Once the outcome was clear, the room fell silent.

"I believe we have established unequivocally which document is the genuine school charter," Flitwick said. "As a result, your involvement in school management has ended. I will notify Gringotts about this and revoke your access to the Hogwarts account. I bid you a good day."

Lucius stormed out of the room, furious with the outcome. He had been so certain that he was going to remove the half-breed as headmaster. Flitick may be smiling right now, but it will not last long. No one got the best of Lucius Malfoy. The time had come to devise a plan to bring down the headmaster and a few other members of the school's administration while he was at it.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed as he set aside the newspaper, his mind preoccupied with the latest news from Hogwarts. He was taken aback by the number of revelations about what was going on at Hogwarts, and the fact that he had been kept in the dark annoyed him. He couldn't help but feel frustrated with Peter for failing to keep him informed, but he understood why the man hadn't been able to. Hogwarts had been under lockdown, making communication impossible.

Dumbledore was enraged that Harry Potter would receive an Order of Merlin while he was working tirelessly to save the magical world from extinction. Nobody understood the sacrifices he was making for everyone.

He had received a letter from Peter the day before, which contained information about Voldemort's recent activities. The news was deeply disturbing: Peter had kidnapped Master Karlsson, allowing Voldemort to interrogate him in an attempt to obtain information. When Voldemort's efforts to extract information from Master Karlsson failed, he killed him out of frustration.

Dumbledore absentmindedly stroked his beard. It wasn't Master Karlsson's plight that worried him, but the disturbing realisation that Peter was carrying out Voldemort's orders without his knowledge. This blatant act of insubordination was a sign of trouble, and Dumbledore couldn't allow it to continue. Perhaps it was time to summon Peter for a much-needed discussion.

Should he have Peter attempt another kidnapping of Harry Potter at the same time?

Dumbledore cocked his head, listening intently as if he had heard something. He reached down and retrieved the Elder Wand. He stared at it for a moment before placing it back down on the table.

"No, Harry Potter isn't the top priority at the moment," Dumbledore said, rising to his feet. "I must focus on setting up the Great Array. There is so much to do and so little time."

13th March

Harry entered his workshop, a bag slung over his shoulder. He had been granted special permission to return home for the weekend so that he could work on his first artifact. There were a couple of reasons why he chose to make it in his workshop. First and foremost, he required access to a blacksmith crafting station, as he was dissatisfied with the bo-staff he had created a few months prior. Furthermore, he could only earn workshop points by crafting the artifact in his workshop. It would award him an impressive one thousand points, bringing him closer to obtaining his first prize: a trunk workshop.

The previous month had been the most peaceful of the entire school year, with no dangerous incidents. The Runic Knights' only disappointment was that they didn't discover Quirrell and Pettigrew's hiding place. Which meant they hadn't found Master Karlsson either. By this point, nobody held out any hope that the man was still alive.

Even though the knights did not find them, they were still useful in other ways. During their search, they were able to exterminate the Acromantula nest located in the forest. Despite their superior numbers, the creatures were no match for the Runic Knights' power and brutal efficiency.

The majority of the knights had returned home after conducting a thorough search of the Forbidden Forest. Some, however, had stayed behind and would do so until the end of the school year. The Artisan Guild was furious about Master Karlsson's death and was willing to go to any length to bring the men who were responsible to justice.

Harry had approached the knights several times to see if he could buy a suit of armour, but he had been refused. He needed to become one of them to receive armour, as their manufacturing methods were closely guarded secrets.

On a sadder note, the headmaster was forced to fire Hagrid, or the giant would have faced criminal charges. In addition, he was served a massive fine that would take him years to repay. However, it wasn't all bad news, as Hagrid had been hired at a dragon reserve in Romania. The same one where Ron's older brother worked. It was the ideal job for the giant because it allowed him to play with dangerous creatures without having to worry about hurting kids.

Harry entered the blacksmithing room and set his bag down. He started arranging everything he needed to make the bo-staff and lit the furnace to bring it up to the proper temperature.

He rubbed his hands together. "Now, let's get started."

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Harry creates his first artifact.

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