The Houses Competition, Round 2- And I Quote

House: Ravenclaw

Class: Divination

Category: Drabble

Prompts Chosen: (Dialogue) "You cannot do that!"

Word Count: 980

Warnings/Trigger Warnings: None apply

Author's Note: Assume the Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement in year seven didn't destroy as much as implied in canon.

Beta: Queenie, MarkReed

HHHHH

A wise woman once said, "If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It's much easier to apologize than it is to get permission."

And at one point in my life, I would have disagreed wholeheartedly. Rules are in place for a reason, procedures serve a purpose. But then I was thrust into a war and well. It changed things.

After Hogwarts, Harry had done what everyone had expected him to and went into the newly updated and renamed Alastor Academy for Aurors. I had decided, on the recommendation of Bill Weasley, to become a curse breaker. We both worked in our respective careers for about five years until an impromptu trip to a Muggle museum put us on a new path together.

Harry had been sent on a mission to London, and as a curse breaker, I was often assigned to accompany him for safety. He was armored with the knowledge to handle the people but not so much the items those people interacted with.

The heat was sweltering that day, so to cool off while waiting for the rendezvous with the rest of his team, we ducked into the British Museum.

As I read the plaque on a tiara the museum had displayed, Harry made an observation aloud from behind me. "I wonder why there isn't anything in the Wixen world like this?"

"Like what?" I asked, still distracted by the text in front of me.

"Think about it. Almost every Horcrux we destroyed was an object hundreds or thousands of years old. And where are most of them? Just sitting in the Room of Requirement, abandoned. It's a waste of incredible objects."

"Harry, that's brilliant!" I practically shouted in delight, turning abruptly to face him.

"What's brilliant?"

I loved him, but despite his intelligence, he wasn't always the best at combining ideas.

"One way that Muggles evolve socially and politically is by studying the past. The Wixen world is still in a stalemate since the war. Maybe we need something similar, a way to study the past. If even Tom Riddle could see the value in old artifacts, there's real potential there!"

"Someone would have to take on that task, though."

"I think I'd be willing to make a career change."

"You cannot do that!" Harry protested suddenly. "What about your job at the Ministry? What about me? I can't keep doing this without knowing you have my back."

"Resign with me," I said simply.

HHHHH

I turned in my official letter of resignation the following week, much to the chagrin of management. "You cannot do that! You're one of the best curse breakers in the Ministry, Ms. Granger."

I smiled politely. "I know it will cause a bit of a hardship for the team, so I wanted to give you notice and make myself available on a contracted basis if it's ever needed." Bill had suggested that line, and I thought it was brilliant. "But I'm pursuing a new path in curse-breaking."

When Harry resigned, he received the same reaction as I had, if not worse. "You cannot do that! Mr. Potter, think about your legacy, the legacy of your parents. Are you really willing to give that up in pursuit of a flimsy idea?"

I was overhearing the conversation, waiting outside of the office, and his manager's harsh words made my heart ache for him.

But Harry was strong, as he'd always been. "I already have my legacy, thanks. One I didn't choose for myself. So, respectfully, sir, this time, I'd like to choose my own legacy."

HHHHH

It was now summer, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was vacant, aside from the few professors who called the castle a permanent home. It would be the perfect place to start our collections.

Harry and I met Professor McGonagall in the Headmistress's office. "It's always a pleasure to see you two again," she gushed, hugging each of us tightly before we took seats across from her at the desk. "How are you both? How's Mr. Weasley? I must admit, it's a bit strange seeing you two without him."

"Ron is well, he's working with his brother, running their joke shop in Diagon Alley," Harry explained. He glanced over at me. "We're both doing well. We've recently resigned from the Ministry, actually."

"Well, of course I knew that Mr. Potter! It was all over the news. You two can make the Prophet with just about everything you do. You both resigned, Mr. Potter is engaged, and Ms. Granger is dating Mr. Malfoy of all people."

I smiled. "Yes, Professor. But the reason we've resigned is why we wanted to speak with you today." I explained our plan to create a history museum of artifacts from the Wixen world. "And we'd like to begin our curation here."

She looked aghast. "You cannot do that! Need I remind you, this is an institute of education, not a playground for treasure hunts."

"If I may, Professor, that's why we're here now. We already know where many artifacts we're looking for are located. Our search will not interrupt the academic year. And if we're successful, we could improve education for the entire community."

She surveyed us sternly. It was like being in her class all over again. "Very well. You have until the final week of August."

HHHHH

After months of hunting, collecting, and curating (thankfully, the Fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement had not destroyed nearly as much as it seemed), today was the day we'd been working for all year. The Marauder's Museum of Wixen History was opening its doors to the public.

After all the cries of, "You cannot do that!" on our journey here, Harry and I had pulled it off.

Our museum is small now, with only three exhibits: Hogwarts Founders, the Riddle Wars, and Muggles and Magic. But it's everything I'd dreamed it would be.