Chapter 71: Parents and Teachers

"…and lastly, I'd like to thank Edward Rose for providing the refreshments," Mrs. Granger said, giving me a nod. I nodded back as I popped a bit of cheese and cracker into my mouth. The others in the living room gave their thanks as well in the form of nods and scattered applause.

The Parents of Hogwarts was an organization that the Grangers had decided to create to get together with parents (and guardians) of Muggleborn and Half-blood witches and wizards studying at Hogwarts and discuss things with them.

The dentist couple had been thinking about this for a while now, after learning their daughter had nearly been squished by a troll in her first year and formally established after they found out about the Basilisk.

The Finch-Fletchleys had been happy to host, but for the first meeting it was decided that the Grangers should have that honor, since it'd been their idea and planning that made it happen.

To that end, I was sitting in the Grangers' living room with several other parents. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were there, of course, as were Justin Finch-Fletchley's, Dean Thomas's, and Sally-Anne Perk's mothers along with Kellah's and Seamus Finnegan's fathers.

There weren't a lot of us just yet, just the parents of some current Third Year students, but I had a feeling our group would grow as time passed and more ridiculous stuff happened at Hogwarts. We might even open the doors to people who lived in the magical world like Mrs. Weasley and Lovegood.

I could tell Mrs. Thomas was a bit nervous, as I was her boss and Mrs. Finch-Fletchley was a socialite from a much higher tax bracket, but she was being a good sport about it. Mrs. Perks was helping in that regard, chatting her ear off and keeping Mrs. Thomas distracted.

As for the snacks, I hadn't brought cookies or sugary foods since I knew the Grangers weren't fans of the stuff, so that was why I'd gotten a cheese platter instead.

"So, with all that minutia out of the way I'd like to thank you all for being here for the first meeting of the Parents of Hogwarts!" she said, earning another round of applause. "Does anyone have anything they'd like to go over or bring up first?"

Mrs. Finch-Fletchley raised a hand. "If I could, I'd like to discuss a few issues I've come across with the way things are done education-wise."

I listened with half an ear as Josephine listed off a few problems with the way Hogwarts work, namely how they seemed to completely ignore the core subjects of math, literature, and history taught by mundane schools.

There were a lot of nods from the other parents in the room. Math was completely ignored until their third year, and even then it was just an elective. History of Magic covered the magical side of history, but the ghost who taught that class only recited from the textbook and couldn't actually engage with his students. And there wasn't anything teaching young witches and wizards how to read and write, or about the famous literary works of their culture.

"…simply put, Hogwarts needs to have some serious changes introduced if we want our children to have a decent education by the time they graduate," Josephine said. "I've had Justin take tutoring sessions over the summer, but that can only do so much."

I nodded in agreement with her words. I hadn't been able to mentor Justin as much last year for a variety of reasons, and my time was dwindling even further as I was pulled in different directions so next summer I likely wouldn't be able to tutor him.

Other parents looked a bit worried by that information, and one of them raised a hand. "What should we do? Send our kids to summer school?"

"That's not actually a bad idea," another one commented. "If we find one in the area, then that'd be even better."

"I've looked into summer schools a bit, but I think the best idea would actually be something more like a summer camp," Mr. Granger suggested, adjusting his glasses. "Most children don't exactly like to study. Making learning fun is a better way to do things."

"I second that motion," I spoke up. "A summer camp style education experience would make the kids enjoy themselves more while also making sure they learn. It's not the perfect answer, though, but it's probably the best we can do for now until we bring our concerns to the School Board."

There was some more discussion regarding how they'd be able to get their kids to learn what they needed in order to be well-rounded members of society, but after a bit the topic drifted to something else. Namely, how to get more information about the magical world so they could stay up-to-date about what was happening on that side of things. Learning it all second-hand was not the best way to do things.

"Speaking of recent happenings in the magical world, I thought it might be important to show you all this," I said, pulling out a copy of last week's Daily Prophet.

"I remember that one," Mr. Finnegan spoke up, recognizing the headline. "The escaped criminal, yes?"

"I think I saw some news stories on the telly the other day about that man!" Mrs. Perks exclaimed when she saw the picture of Crouch Junior on the front page.

"Yeah, right now, things are in a bit of a turmoil within the magical world. It's a real mess, with a bunch of Dementors being released to try and find the guy," I said. "From what I understand, the Ministry of Magic is working with the mundane government to put the word out."

"Is this person anything like the last criminal that escaped?" Mr. Granger asked. "If I recall, there was a scare about a felon getting out a while back."

"Sirius Black was innocent, he was thrown in there on false charges," I replied. "This guy is the real deal, unfortunately."

"Should we do anything if we spot him?" Mrs. Finch-Fletchley asked.

"Keep your distance and contact me, and I'll call the Aurors," I said. "I don't think he'll be showing his face around here for a while, though. My bet is he'll be trying to leave the country and flee to the mainland."

I raised a finger. "What's more important is what you should do if you come across an unusually cold and dark place when it doesn't seem like it should be either. Dementors can only be seen by mages, but everyone else can tell where they are by the way they affect their surroundings. So, if you encounter something like that, leave immediately. The Dementors shouldn't try and chase you, but if they do, stay somewhere well-lit and crowded. They hate bright lights and won't try to attack a group of people lest the Ministry of Magic rescind their freedoms."

"Sounds terrifying," Kellah's father murmured.

"They are. Easily one of the worst things in the magical world," I said.

"And they use these things to guard a prison?" Mrs. Thomas asked worriedly.

"Mages have a skewed sense of danger. Understandable, given what even their equivalent of a school dropout can do with a wand," I replied with a shrug.

"I suppose when you can cast spells to heal wounds in a snap, I guess everything looks safe," Mrs. Perks hummed.

"True, though I also have to wonder how much isn't also due to… well, the wizarding world seems to be stuck around Victorian era sensibilities, and we can all agree about how little most people back then cared about safety," Mr. Finnegan commented, which earned a round of nods and mutterings about lead in the wallpaper.

"Speaking of danger and what not, I was wondering about other sorts of things our children might end up exposed to," Kellah's father commented. "I tried to read her copy of the Care for Magical Creatures textbook, but it tried to bite me."

"Yeah, those aren't the best option for students. Or anyone, really," I muttered. "Who the hell greenlit publishing a book that bites its reader?"

"Right? Well, there was this idea I had, about introducing other first-generation students to magic, as well as their parents, so they wouldn't be so overwhelmed," the dark-skinned man said. "But in a controlled environment. More so than what we got, at least."

"What did you guys get as a demonstration of magic being real?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I knew about magic beforehand thanks to my first husband," Mrs. Thomas said, a little sadly. "But Professor Flitwick showed off some charms for my son and daughter. And the first major experience I had with magic was Diagon Alley which was a bit overwhelming."

"It was Professor McGonagall for us," Mrs. Perks said. "And she transformed our ottoman into an otter."

"Professor Snape was ours," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said with a sniff. "He was rather brusque, and simply used a few color swapping spells on our furniture. Then he just handed us the letter and left with nary a word!"

"Controlled introduction to magic does sound like a good idea," Mr. Granger hummed. "How would we do it, though?"

"I have an idea," I commented.

"Oh? And what does the 'Rising Star of the Business World' suggest?" Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said with a teasing tone, and I held in a groan while a few other people tittered at my pinched expression.

"How cruel of you to bring that up," I sighed.

"I thought it was a lovely read," Mrs. Thomas said.

"Thank you," I replied.

The Sun, one of London's biggest tabloid newspapers, had done an article on me, and had made the claim I was a rising star. Which, yeah, okay, technically true, but it had such a patronizing attitude.

'Look at this child trying to play in the big leagues!' was the tone of the article. 'When do you think his little business will come crashing down around him?'

"You know it's better to avoid letting people make up whatever sort of nonsense they want about you," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley pointed out. "Doing the interview when they asked was the best choice. Regardless of how… unflattering it was."

"Delilah said the same thing," I grumbled. "Considering her own experiences with the media-vultures, I figured I'd take her advice and just let them print the damn thing."

"Yes, Delilah and her parents have had their fair share of… attention from the press in the past," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said diplomatically.

"There's a reason I've been ignoring the damn tabloids since the article came out," I stated. "Pretty sure at least one of them will try to write some asinine piece about me only dating her for her wealth or family connections or something like that."

Several people coughed awkwardly at that, and I groaned. "Ugh, of course. I knew it. Who was it?"

"Some rag in the grocery store," Mrs. Perks assured me. "Probably hasn't been read by many people."

"And knowing my luck, half the country has seen it," I said with a sigh. Oh well. Not like I cared about what some tabloid said about me. Unless it was really bad. Then I'd care. A lot.

Shaking my head, I decided to continue with what I'd been talking about earlier. "As I was saying, I was thinking we could host a sort of fair before the school year starts, once everyone had received their letters. The Americans have this thing called Homecoming, and it's a bit like a party for returning to school. We could do something like that, but for getting children and families more accustomed to the magical side."

"A fair might be a tad much. Though I like the general idea," Mrs. Granger said. "Anything else?"

"School supplies can also be a bit expensive," Mrs. Thomas mentioned. "I know the pound goes a little further in the magical side, but perhaps a charity drive to help students afford the necessary materials without worrying about breaking the bank."

"Should we be charging dues for admission into this parent's association, then, if we're going to be doing stuff like that?" Mrs. Perks wondered.

"I don't that's necessary," Mr. Finnegan replied. "We want to help people and make it easier for us folks who grew up without magic to understand the new world they're setting foot into. But a donation drive or bake sale could certainly help with the goals."

"Why not combine them?" Mrs. Finch-Fletchley said. "We can start helping people with a magical bake sale for new and old students. Sell simple goodies from the magical world to ease the newcomers into the whole thing, and use the proceeds to buy school supplies for those who might need them."

"I like it," I said. "Two birds, one stone."

The rest of the group also thought it was a smashing plan, and we spent the rest of the evening discussing how to get the whole thing set up for next year.

The main issue was finding out which people were going to be attending Hogwarts next year. We couldn't just stake out the Leaky Cauldronthroughout the summer, waiting for orientation day. We'd have to actually talk with Hogwarts, since only they had access to a master list of incoming students.

"I know somebody who is on the School Board," I said, thinking about Madam Longbottom. "If I bring it up to her, she could try and convince McGonagall, since as the Deputy Headmistress she'd have the authority for this."

"We'll leave it to you, then," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley replied.

I nodded, making a mental note to contact the woman who thought a stuffed vulture on her hat was the height of fashion.

"Now, was there anything else?" Mrs. Granger wondered.

The rest of the evening was filled with small talk as parents bragged about their kids. It was nice, and normal. After the business I'd been getting up to regarding the magical world, it felt good to have something normal to discuss.

"…and now I'm starting to wonder if Dean hasn't filled my daughter's head with ideas about Hogwarts," Mrs. Thomas said with a sigh. "Part of me is happy Lacy doesn't seem to be showing any signs of accidental magic, but I just know she will be inconsolable when she doesn't get a letter of her own."

"It can be quite bitter to miss out on that," I agreed. "But if she really is determined to do something about magic, I have some of my old books about runes and potions she may find interesting."

"I'll have to think about that," Mrs. Thomas said gratefully. "Thank you."

"Of course," I nodded back.

"One child is enough for me, honestly," Kellah's father admitted. "I love her, but she was very active growing up."

"Hermione was the opposite," Mrs. Granger chuckled fondly. "She always loved books, even before she could read. If she was fussy, I'd just put a book into her crib and she'd settle right down!"

"Adorable," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley giggled.

"At least it makes it easy to buy gifts for her," Mr. Granger nodded.

"Speaking of gifts, anybody got any plans for Christmas this year?" I asked.

"Ah, we are gonna have a nice time with family," Mr. Finnegan replied, before grimacing a little. "This year is the in-law's turn to host."

"Let me guess, they think their daughter could have chosen better than you?" Mr. Granger asked. From his tone, Hermione's grandparents on her mother's side weren't his biggest fans.

"Eh, they're not that bad," Mr. Finnegan replied. "I could do without the constant disparaging of my cooking skills, though. They're not much better!"

"Reminds me of my own parents," Mrs. Finch-Fletchley sighed. "They were so opposed to my marriage. Really, such sad old people, unable to see how happy some people can be!"

'This was a good idea,' I thought fondly as I listened to the complaints about in-laws.

When it ended, I was pleased that our first session together had been a surprisingly productive meeting. We might not have gotten much done, but it'd set the stage for future meetings, and that was the whole point.

'There's no better way to change something than have a bunch of irate parents shouting at the administration,' I thought to myself with a slight chuckle. Yes, my scheme to change the less-than-stellar academics of Hogwarts was proceeding as planned!

111 &&& 111

In a warehouse in the dead of night, I stared down at the carved ritual circle on the floor before glancing over at the only other person who was with me at the moment.

"It's time," I said, and Delilah nodded.

"Take off your clothes," she instructed, and I nodded, stripping down until I was left with nothing.

I regretted it slightly, as the cold of November nipped at me, but I did my best to not shiver and shake as my girlfriend carefully painted the runes and sigils necessary for the ritual onto my skin.

After so many months and not a single glimpse of any negative side-effects, I had no more excuses and swallowed my fears before preparing to undergo the process of turning from a Squib into a true magical.

I couldn't help but feel excited. Finally! The birthright denied to me would be brought back. Sure, I'd never be able to use a wand, but hadn't I already proven one didn't need a stick to do incredible feats of magic?

So there I stood in the ritual circle as Delilah applied the magic-infused ink, as I wished it wasn't so chilly.

"Should have done this somewhere warmer," I grumbled to myself.

"You're the one who wanted to do this now," she reminded me. "Aaand… done!"

"And I regret it already," I sighed, before eagerly taking the Warming potion she handed me after finishing up the body-painting session. The vial was filled with fiery red liquid that radiated heat, even through the glass. "Bottoms up."

I drained the potion and let the pleasant feeling of warmth fill me, even as the parts of me covered in ink began to tingle and itch. Beneath me, the soles of my feet started to heat up, like standing in a hot bath, and I dared not move as the magic within the potion I'd just drank triggered the ritual.

It did not hurt. In fact, it sort of felt nice. Light suffused the warehouse we were using, and when it faded the tingling stopped. Looking down at my body, the ink was gone, and I knew I was whole at long last.

"Feel any different?" Delilah asked curiously.

"No. But I have a way to check," I said, before calling out, "Inky!"

At my command, my House Elf appeared. When he saw me, tears sparkled in his eyes.

"Young master Eddy!" he exclaimed. "Youse…! Youse!"

He couldn't continue, and the ancient servant of the household wept in joy. I let him cry to himself, get it out of his system, while I put my clothes back on.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked him.

"Magic… you have magic, young master Eddy!" Inky declared cheerfully while wiping away his tears.

"That sounds like the ritual worked to me," Delilah said, shooting me a smirk. I rolled my eyes at her but nodded.

"Yes, it does," I agreed, before looking down at the House Elf. "So, what now?"

Inky simply stuck his hand out, and confused, I took it, giving it a firm shake, only for magical sparks to fly about as our palms touched! For a moment I felt Inky's magical energy within me. It was sluggish and thin, but it felt like my own magic revitalized him somewhat. It was incredible, truly and significantly! Because now, I knew I was fully bonded with Inky.

'How long has he been suffering like this?' I wondered, staring down at Inky with wide eyes, while he stared back happily.

"I thought you were getting magic from mother," I said, concerned. "Why do you feel so weak?"

"Mistress never formalized the bond after Master's passing," Inky replied simply.

"Wait… you've been working for the family without a proper bond for almost a decade?!" I gasped in disbelief.

"There was enough from the young masters and mistress for Inky to do his jobs," the House Elf claimed with a shrug.

I couldn't believe it. That shouldn't have been possible! The magical link between my scumbag of a father and Inky should have shifted automatically to mother. But it seemed like it hadn't been finalized at all. Inky was receiving the barest trickle of magical energy from her and Rudy.

'Why did mother not complete the pact? Did she even know?' I couldn't help but wonder, before shaking my head.

"Take some time to rest and get used to the bond," I urged Inky. "Don't strain yourself."

Unsaid was that I too would need time to get used to the change as well. As time passed, the amount of magical energy within me would increase and make things easier for Inky, but until then, I didn't want to rush things and strain the fledgling magical bond.

"Master Eddy is kind," the House Elf said, but he bowed and disappeared with a pop.

"That will never not be weird," Delilah muttered.

"Yeah," I agreed.

The sheer devotion a House Elf could show for the people they served was unnerving. And when I'd completed the bond, I'd been able to tell that Inky had been fundamentally broken, both physically and mentally. He was using the magic he gained from the bond as a sort of glue to keep himself in one piece.

'This explains a lot about Kreacher,' I thought to myself.

Had Sirius ever completed the bond after returning from Azkaban? Hell, had any Pureblood master done so? Since it apparently required a handshake – or perhaps just physical contact – I doubted many of the families who owned House Elves had properly sealed the contract.

I sighed and shook my head. In the end, I couldn't do much except help Inky. I had become a 'wizard' but was unable to cast spells directly. Focusing on what I could do was much easier.

"The experiment has been a success so far," I said slowly. "But it's not enough."

"What are you think of doing next?" Delilah wondered.

"The ritual works, but it is limited in scope," I replied. "We need to retool it so it can affect people without having them stand in the circle or get naked and tattooed. It needs an area of effect to ensure as many people as possible can be affected at once."

"That won't be easy," Delilah hummed. "We'll have to rewrite the entire ritual circle itself to accomplish that."

"Yes. The core components of the ritual won't need to be changed, at least, but it's going to take a lot of experimentation," I muttered.

"Something else to work on," she agreed. "But we have time."

"We do," I agreed, but I wasn't sure how much we actually had. Between the Dementors, Crouch Junior's escape, and Voldemort still being on the loose, there were a lot of dangers looming on the horizon.

'Time to get ready for the future,' I thought to myself. There was a lot to do.

111 &&& 111

Remus POV

"Minerva, you look tired," Remus said, nodding at his former Head of House as he sat down at his seat.

"I've had some long nights recently," she replied, running a hand over her face.

"Ah, I understand," he said with a grimace. "I hope Dumbledore has some good news for us."

The Transfiguration teacher inclined her head, before turning to speak with Professor Sprout about a matter involving the greenhouses. He didn't really listen in, too busy with some of his own thoughts.

Looking around the room as more people filed in for the bi-weekly staff meeting, the werewolf noted how all of the teachers were on edge. He was also quite displeased with how things had gone recently, and it had all to do with the incompetence of the Ministry of Magic.

'Who thinks it's a good idea to send soul-sucking monsters to a school for children?' Remus wondered.

It was mid-November, and despite the Dementors only being around the school for two weeks, they had already caused quite a few problems. Students who'd gotten too close to a patrol had fallen ill or even become unconscious, they turned the area around Hogwarts bitterly cold which had given rise to a rash of flu, and they absolutely terrified everyone. Didn't matter if they were Muggleborn First Years or Pureblood Seventh Years, the Dementors made every single person uncomfortable.

Sadly, it didn't seem like anything would happen. Perhaps the School Board could pressure the Ministry to remove them, but odds were that would be a longshot.

"Welcome, everyone!" Dumbledore said as he swept into the room, his teal and plaid robes causing everyone to wince and avoid looking directly at them. "So good to see all of you here!"

"Must you wear such an affront to fashion, Albus?" McGonagall asked with an exasperated tone.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, my dear. Now, does anyone have something new to bring up?" Dumbledore inquired, and immediately the teachers all began to clamor for attention.

"I've had two more First Years come in to me for acute night terrors and Dementor exposure!" Madam Pomfrey declared angrily. "They were fine after some hot chocolate and Calming Draughts, but this trend cannot continue! I've placed an order for more chocolate from Honeydukes, but they're having troubles supplying us because everyone in Hogsmeade is buying up their stock out of fear towards the Dementors!"

"She's not the only one to be bothered by those things," Professor Trelawny piped up. "The Dementors are messing with the paths of fate and leading to many of my students seeing their predictions get twisted and misled."

Everyone looked at the Divination Professor with mixed expressions at that. It was no secret that her class was something of a joke, and she was always predicting at least one death per year, but she was a popular teacher despite all of that. If her students were coming to her with their concerns it was clear that something was wrong.

"Headmaster, surely you can do something?" Professor Sinestra pleaded. "The children are absolutely terrified whenever they come to the Astronomy Tower thanks those shrouded abominations scheduling their patrols to occur at midnight in the area! It's too much! Simply too much! The Dementor's have to go!"

"Indeed, stationing over two dozen Dementors around the school grounds is overkill!" Flitwick agreed.

"The students can barely fly without some of those creatures getting too close! Almost had one of my First Years fall off her broom when they ventured towards the Quidditch Pitch!" Madam Hooch growled out.

"They also ruined a batch of Shivering Ferns! They're very sensitive to the cold!" Sprout added.

"Aye, and they're spooking the poor beasties in the forest!" Hagrid added. "The Thestrals especially aren't fond of their presence."

"I am sorry to hear that, but until the Minister rescinds the order, the Dementors are here to stay," Dumbledore said apologetically.

"Can't you have them move further away, at least?" Professor Vector inquired.

"I'll see what I can do," he replied non-committally. That answer didn't please anybody, and there was some grumbling amongst the staff. But the Headmaster deftly ignored it and looked around the table.

"Does anyone have any other suggestions for dealing with this unfortunate situation, or at least making this easier?" Dumbledore asked.

"I've been teaching my N.E.W.T level students the Patronus Charm," Remus admitted, though he was certain they already all knew this. "It's been slow, but a few can actually create silvery mist, which is decent."

"That's wonderful news!" Flitwick said happily. "A spell like would indeed be quite useful… do you mind if I teach it to my own N.E.W.T students?"

"Not at all," Remus replied. "The more who know it, the better."

That was something they all agreed with, even the prickly Snape couldn't deny it.

'And speaking of Snape, he's been very unpleasant recently,' he thought to himself, glancing towards the greasy-haired man.

To be fair, the Potions professor hadn't done anything to make Remus' life miserable. In fact, he was the one brewing the Wolf's Bane Potion while Remus was acting as the DADA professor. Yet Snape had been decidedly antagonistic, with multiple instances of the surly and bitter man snubbing him or making snide comments about his teaching credentials.

'Ironic, considering that the students seem to enjoy my classes more than his,' Remus mentally chuckled to himself. He'd taught the new security guards working under him, but it wasn't quite the same as giving out and grading homework while also having new lessons for hundreds of children.

The werewolf hadn't expected Snape to be nice, but he'd thought some degree of cordiality would be a given since they were coworkers. But no, it seemed that Snape's attitude had not changed since their Hogwarts days. If anything, it'd gotten worse, with the man oozing a quiet loathing every time he appeared.

'At least Sirius isn't here to make things more complicated,' Remus thought with a shudder. The two had always been like oil and water – or perhaps oil and fire was more accurate given how often they clashed. He could only imagine what the two would do if forced to interact.

"…and I believe there is a lot of work to do for preparing the O. and N.E. this year, so I was hoping that we could all discuss some plans for that."

Remus hastily tuned back in as Flitwick finished talking, and raised a hand to make it seem like he'd been listening the whole time.

"On my end, I've been looking at the previous exams issued by the Ministry, and I've managed to make a decent study list for the 5th and 7th years," Remus stated. "Since the actual content of the tests haven't been changed in years, I think we can try to encourage the students to make study groups in order to work on the practical portion of it."

"Perhaps we should try to revive the Dueling Club?" Sprout suggested. "I have a feeling it only failed last year because of Lockhart."

"Agreed," Flitwick nodded. "But perhaps some modifications to the club would be necessary to ensure the students only practice year appropriate spells."

"That could work," Vector said. "Certainly better than letting the students fumble about."

"Taking inspiration from Potter's little social gatherings, are we?" Snape sneered.

"A little," Remus freely admitted. "The Third Years have managed to make a very impressive and inclusive study group that has only been helpful."

"Yes, I have noticed that the students joining in have better grades than the rest," McGonagall claimed.

"They've also invited First and Second Years to join them, which has been nice," Sprout commented. "Increasing the number of study groups – or the scope of the current one – can only be a good thing."

"You talk about inclusivity, but it's most the Gryffindors," Snape uttered with annoyance.

"While it's true they make up the largest percentage, members from all Houses are happily working together which I think can only be a good thing," Sprout said with a pleased expression. "I have not been paying too much attention to it, but some of my students are happy there, and it seems like a wonderful idea to make it bigger."

"Jolly good!" Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "I also must admit it feels wonderful to see inter-House cooperation, just as the Founders intended!"

"We should let them use one of the old rooms in the castle if it's going to get bigger," Madam Pince said primly. "The library won't be able to accommodate all of them."

It took Remus a tremendous amount of monumental willpower not to roll his eyes at that. The Hogwarts Library was the largest collection of literature in Magical Britain and had more than enough space for a thousand people to sit within it. Pince just didn't like people in 'her' library.

"I'm sure we can find a place for them," Dumbledore said in a placating tone.

There wasn't anything else all that interesting brought up, just small matters. However, Remus had a feeling more issues would crop up the longer the Dementors lingered.

"Remus, please stay for a moment, if you wouldn't mind," Dumbledore requested as the meeting ended, and the werewolf nodded, even though inside he felt a flicker of worry.

"I understand you've been spending time with young Harry," the older man commented when everybody else had left.

"Yes, I've been speaking with him," Remus confirmed. "We have tea on the weekends. If there's a worry about preferential treatment, be assured there is none of that going on. His work is being graded properly."

"Good, good, I've not heard anything of the sort, but it's nice to know you're taking this job seriously," Dumbledore said.

'I highly doubt that,' Remus thought. He knew Snape had been complaining about that very thing at the last staff meeting.

"By the way, has Harry mentioned anything about a young man named Edward Rose? Or perhaps Edward Hunch during your talks with him?" Dumbledore inquired, and Remus blinked, hiding his surprise.

For a moment, old feelings of loyalty towards the leader of the Order of the Phoenix stirred within him, but Remus was able to keep his voice firm as he replied.

"Afraid not," he replied. "I've mostly spoken to Harry about his parents. Haven't discussed what his home life is like at all. Though I thought the Hunch child's name was Rudolf."

"Erroneous Hunch had an older son who goes by 'Edward Rose' these days," Dumbledore replied.

"I see," Remus replied, nodding slowly. "Still, can't say I've heard Harry mention somebody by that name."

"Well, if you could, try to ask him about that," Dumbledore requested. "I do worry if he's being influenced by… outside elements."

"Certainly," Remus assured the Headmaster. "I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent. It's for Harry's safety, after all," Dumbledore said with a grin before leaving.

Remus watched the famed wizard for a moment, mind awhirl with thoughts. 'What is he up to? Why does he want to know about Ed?'

He'd have to use the mirror to send a message again to warn Sirius and Ed that Dumbledore was starting to sniff around.

111 &&& 111

Author's Note: Happy Easter, folks! I hope you all have a wonderful day!