Even More Famous
Monday, 14th August, 9:12 a.m
2 days, 1.2 hours after the start of Harry's trial Still in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic
Amelia heard Miss Granger say, "...I want to state publicly that beheading Walden Macnair, this was me; and beheading Voldemort, this was me too. Reporters, don't ask for details."
Amelia thought, You are a true Gryffindor to say that.
But even as Amelia was mentally praising Miss Granger, a woman's voice came from the crowd: "Miss Dagworth-Granger, I pity you now, I truly do."
Amelia looked at the witch who had spoken. Late twenties or early thirties; hair that was chocolate-brown, straight, and shoulder-length; chocolate-brown eyes—and a chest like Susan's. The buxom witch's witch-robes were cut traditionally, but were made from tan denim, a Muggle fabric. Her robes' shoulder-covers were bleached-white denim cloth. Another clue to her background: She wore no hairnet.
This witch who had pity for Miss Granger was a Muggle-born.
****
Hermione asked the witch, "With whom am I speaking?"
The witch shook her head. "I won't tell you or these reporters my name. This way, I can speak freely."
"What did you mean, seconds ago? Why do you pity me?" "Because like you, I'm Mundane-born."
Hermione heard growls, and words of scorn, from onlookers.
The witch continued, "Like you, I'm intelligent. I scored nine NEWTs—six Outstandings and three Exceeds."
Hermione said, "That's brilliant." "I agree," said Madam Bones.
The witch looked at Hermione. "But once you leave Hogwarts, NEWT scores won't matter. When you go on job interviews, all that the Pureblood wizard who interviews you will care about is, you're a Mundane-born. Since Harry Potter turned down the Order of Merlin, no way will the Ministry be handing out an Order of Merlin to a mud-person. When you're fifty, you'll still be working at whatever job you were hired to do when you were eighteen. To your Pureblood bosses—who I guarantee will all be younger than you—you'll be known simply
as the office girl who happened to behead You-Know-Who—now pour my tea, witch, and be quick about it!"
Harry said, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't realise that by me refusing the Order of Merlin, I was hurting your future."
The witch said, "Lord Potter, you misunderstand me. Being a Mundane-born trumps 'Medal or no medal?' Even if they gave Miss Dagworth-Granger a 'Merlin First' and she wore it to work every day till she retired, she'd spend all the years of her working life passed over for promotion, again and again, because when you're a bloody Mundane-born, nothing else matters!"
A male voice in the crowd said, "If you don't like our world, mudblood, quit your job and go back to your Muggle world that you love so much!"
"I can't," the witch snapped. "In the Mundane world, I'm unemployable. Thanks to Hogwarts's completely one-sided education, in the Mundane world, it's as though I dropped out of school when I was eleven."
Harry asked the witch, "Why didn't you transfer to MMA?" "What's MMA? I've never heard of it."
Hermione replied, " 'MMA' is Manchester Magical Academy. They teach both magical and nonmagical subjects. They refuse to admit wizard-raised students."
"Outrageous," said someone in the crowd. "Unfair."
"MMA is one option," the witch admitted. "An even better one would be if I had stood up in the Great Hall right after my Sorting, and had sworn on my magic that 'two plus two equals five.' I'd have lost my magic, I'd have been taken back to my parents and siblings, and I never would've had to deal with baby Death Eaters for the next seven bloody years!"
Hermione saw Madam Bones's jaw drop. Madam Bones said, "At age eleven, you truly would destroy your own magic with a deliberately failed oath, if you had it to do over again?"
The brunette witch said scornfully to Madam Bones, "You have no idea what life is like for a Mundane-born, do you? Minerva McGonagall, who made tonnes of beautiful promises when I was eleven, is as big a nobbler," con artist, "as someone trying to sell me London Bridge."
Hermione stared, shocked.
The witch continued, "Listen, when I was a second-year, I beat a fourth-year Pureblood at the anvil-summoning tug-of-war. So I'm at least a little bit magically powerful, besides being smart. Yet now Purebloods in my office who can barely make their wands light up, get promoted, whilst not once have I been promoted. Bloody hell, I regret becoming a part of this ignorant, prejudiced world."
Then the witch looked at Hermione and said, "Hermione Granger, get out now, whilst you still can."
****
Amelia listened as the older Muggle-born witch warned the younger Muggle-born witch Hermione what her life would be like if she stayed in Wizarding Britain. Hearing those words, Amelia was as shocked as the first time she had seen a microcomputer in use.
The justification for all the blood-purity laws and customs, Amelia had learnt as a child, was that generations of magical ancestry had made Purebloods more magically powerful than half-bloods, and half-bloods more magically powerful than Muggle-borns. Purebloods also— so it was claimed—knew more spells than Muggle-borns did, by the time they were seventeen, because Pureblood children began learning about magic as soon as they could talk.
Such was the theory, anyway, and Amelia never had questioned it. But the Muggle-born witch in the tan denim robes officially knew more about magic at the end of her Hogwarts years than did most Purebloods, and this witch was more magically powerful than at least one Pureblood. Either the witch was lying, despite no body language to hint she was lying, or the theory that the British Purebloods had used for centuries to justify their privileges was wrong.
Then Amelia realised that the theory was definitely wrong. Purebloods were not automatically magically stronger than other magicals; nor were Muggle-borns automatically weaker than other magicals. Of the three most powerful wizards in modern-day Wizarding Britain—Dumbledore, Harry Potter, and Voldemort—all three were half-bloods; and Voldemort had been the child of a Squib and a Muggle! On the other hand, Amelia easily could recall Purebloods who were magical weaklings.
Amelia was shocked to realise what this meant: Muggle-borns and half-bloods were just as deserving of fine treatment as Purebloods—but the Muggle-borns sure as hell weren't being given the fine treatment!
So what were the Muggle-borns doing about this injustice? Some were staying in Wizarding Britain, but were feeling trapped and resentful, such as the tan-denim witch. Some were moving away, to the States, Canada and Australia/New Zealand. And some were returning to Muggle Britain—
Merlin on a mushroom. Amelia now remembered that Hermione Dagworth-Granger knew all about a school that would teach British Muggle-borns how to live and to work in Muggle Britain, if they chose. Maybe Granger was planning on leaving Wizarding Britain? Certainly if she left for the Muggle world, Harry Potter would go too.
Amelia's first thought was, What a scandal this would be, if Harry and Hermione left the magical world!
Amelia's second thought was, Can you blame them?
Amelia's third thought was, I need to be elected Minister for Magic, so I can fix all this!
Back in 1970, the Sorting of little Amy Bones had caused a Hatstall. The Hat had wanted to put the witch-child in Gryffindor, because of her bravery; but she had insisted that she be put in Hufflepuff, the House for those who were fair-minded.
Because fairness was Amelia Bones's passion.
It was only fair, Amelia realised now, that Muggle-borns be given an equal place at the table, and Amelia resolved to make this happen, even when 99 percent of other Purebloods would scream.
But the Director of the DMLE could not grant equal rights to British Muggle-borns; only the Minister for Magic could grant them rights. Amelia now had a new short-term goal.
****
Whilst Amelia Bones was resolving to get herself elected Minister, a fat wizard in his fifties waddled up to the witch in the tan denim. "Tidwell, why aren't you at your desk by the lift, instead of watching this—this whatever-it-is?"
A wizard in the crowd said scornfully, "She's been standing here the last ten minutes, telling anyone who'll listen how her life is boo-hoo, so terrible, because she's a 'Mundane-born.' "
"You mudblood ingrate," the fat wizard said. "Heather Tidwell, you're sacked. And your pay is forfeit."
"No it isn't," Amelia said. "Wizard, whatever she has already worked in this pay period, you
shall pay her for, or you'll spend part of this Friday in a chains-chair in Courtroom Ten."
The witch in the tan denim—Heather Tidwell—said, "I worked five full days last week." Then Tidwell looked at Miss Dagworth-Granger and said with emphasis, "At the MM-1, over thirteen years, pay rate." MM-1 was the pay rate for Ministry employees who did menial, unskilled work.
The fat wizard said, "Very well, Tidwell. You may pick up your bank draft today after lunch."
Amelia held up a hand, to stop the fat wizard from leaving. "Two things I wish to say. First, Miss Tidwell, I am Amelia Bones, Director of the DMLE. After you pick up your bank draft, come by my office. I'll pull out the relevant pay chart and we'll make sure you've been paid every knut you're entitled to."
The fat wizard scowled, hearing this.
"Secondly, Miss Tidwell," Amelia said, "when you come to my office, I'll put you to work. I don't know yet what you'll be doing, we need to talk about that, but for sure your pay rate will be better than MM-1."
Amelia looked at the fat wizard and said, "Miss Tidwell is a treasure, and I'm excited to hire her. Too bad you can't see past her genealogy."
Miss Heather Tidwell looked at her former boss and said, "You need to lose about fifteen stone, Scabior. Plus, your breath stinks."
****
After the press conference
Kenneth Clark, the New York Wand reporter, interviewed the foursome in a room in the Leaky Cauldron.
Both Harry and Hermione had much to say, that they had not said during the press conference
—
Hermione told the reporter she now was worried that for her, a Muggle-born, her Hogwarts education might turn out to be a complete waste of time. However, neither Hermione nor Harry mentioned to the reporter that they were hoping to transfer to MMA.
Harry described, in detail, how Albus Dumbledore had ruined Harry's life, starting when Harry was a toddler who just had been orphaned. Hearing Harry's words, Sirius and Remus looked like they could not decide whether to weep or to kill an old bearded idiot.
When the interview ended, and the foursome returned to Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Dobby popped in and handed Harry a letter, computer-printed on paper, from Manchester Magical Academy—
14th August 1995
Mr Harry James Potter,
Miss Hermione Jean Granger,
I am Mersey Norwood, Headmistress of Manchester Magical Academy (MMA), replying to your request for information about transfer from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry to MMA.
Both of you have reputations that have preceded you, and I assure you that you would be
more than welcome to attend our school. Nothing prevents Mr Potter transferring here at his written request, because he is emancipated; Miss Granger needs a written request that is signed by both her nonmagical parents or by her magical guardian, if she has one.
MMA offers the following nonmagical subjects, which Hogwarts does not offer: English, Mathematics, Science, Nonmagical History, Computer Literacy and Physical Education. MMA does not offer the magical subjects of Divination or Care of Magical Creatures.
Ancient Runes is a required subject here, beginning at first level.
MMA does not used a fixed-year system for classes, as Hogwarts does; instead, subjects are set at seven different levels. A student does not have to wait till the onset of summer, or wait until twelve months after beginning a level for a subject, to request the end-of-level examination for that subject. Assuming the student passes the examination, he may
immediately begin studying that subject at the next level. Thus it is not unusual for a student who begins his or her time at MMA as an eleven-year-old who is taking first-level courses in all subjects, to have completed all seven levels, and be sitting his or her A-levels and NEWTs, by age sixteen.
Please note one exception to this rule. To take a sixth-level class in a subject, the student must have sat and have passed the end-of-fifth-level examination for that subject, and also must sit and pass the O-level or OWL examination for that subject. O-levels and OWLs for single subjects are given every Monday during the school year, and during the first Monday
in July and August, provided the student gives the headmistress's office two weeks' advanced notice.
Please note that whilst there is no limit to how quickly a student may move through levels, there is a limit to how slowly he or she may move through a level. A student who begins a level in a subject on 1st September, and who has not requested to take the end-of-level
examination early, must take the end-of-level examination in mid-June. A student who begins a level in a subject on a different date than 1st September, and who has not requested to take the end-of-level examination early, shall be scheduled to take the end-of-level examination
twelve months after the date he or she began studying at that level.
We at MMA have a unique teaching system, of which we are quite proud. Each subject/level
class is taught by a live professor, but the classroom also has many enchanted photographs of that professor. Each enchantment is similar, in depth and complexity, to the enchantment on an oil painting at Hogwarts. These enchanted photographs, each one having a sound- dampening rune-sequence in the picture frame, enables each student to get the equivalent of one-on-one private tutoring during class time, but the live professor always is available in
the classroom for questions.
All students transferring to MMA from another magical school must take placement examinations, in both magical and nonmagical subjects, before beginning their MMA education. Recent transferees from Hogwarts score at a level equivalent to their Hogwarts year for Charms, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Arithmancy; score at a level below their Hogwarts year for Ancient Runes, Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic,
Astronomy, and Potions; and score at first-level for nonmagical subjects.
If you two and Miss Granger's parents wish to tour the school, I request that you please make the appointment soon. Our school year, like that of Hogwarts, begins on 1st September; and
the closer the calendar gets to this date, the more harried are we adults at MMA. Sincerely,
Mersey S. Norwood
Hogwarts Class of 1946 (Sorted into Gryffindor)
Mastery in Enchantment, Ilvermorny SOW&W, 1949
When Harry read the letter, he looked at Hermione and laughed. "Just think, if you had started at MMA at age eleven, you'd have been sitting your NEWTs at twelve!"
Hermione smacked Harry's arm. "Prat! I'm not that much of a swot."
After Harry and Hermione conferred with Sirius, and after they used Dobby to pass notes to and from the parental Grangers, Harry and Hermione wrote back to Headmistress Norwood, requesting a tour of MMA the next day (Tuesday, 15th August).
Two minutes later, Dobby returned with their note. Written at the bottom, in different handwriting, were the words "Approved. Does an arrival time of 10 a.m or 11 a.m work better for you?"
****
After Harry and Hermione again had conferred with everyone involved, they had written Headmistress Norwood a note that they preferred to visit MMA tomorrow at eleven o'clock. Once Dobby elf-popped away with that note, the teen couple wandered Grimmauld Place in search of the Twins.
When the Twins were found, Harry and Hermione told them about yesterday morning's adventures at Malfoy Manor—including offing Voldy, killing Snape, disowning Draco, and rescuing a damsel. Then the Twins were told about this morning's press conference.
After hearing Harry and Hermione's tales, Molly Weasley would have lectured Harry, Hermione and Sirius for endangering themselves, and for not trusting the headmaster to handle everything. Ron would have been jealous that he had been left behind when the foursome went to Malfoy Manor yesterday, so would never share any of the fame. Ginny would have been angry that Harry and Hermione had announced at the press conference that they were betrothed, which would make potioning them legally risky from now on.
The Twins, however, high-fived Harry, and each Twin gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek.
****
5:49 that evening
Headmaster's office, Hogwarts
It had been forty-eight hours (and one minute) since Albus had flooed away from Sirius Black's house at—wherever he lived—lest Albus be subject to the notoriously painful Black wards if he stayed.
Sirius had told Albus at the time that Albus's name would not be written back into the Ward Ledger for "at least forty-eight hours."
Now Albus Dumbledore waited expectantly. Any second now, Sirius either would Floo-call Albus, or would send his surly old elf, to let Albus know his house's Secret.
Thirteen minutes later, at 6:02, Albus felt a little disappointed in Sirius—which was nothing new. Sirius's behaviour at that last Order meeting had been deplorable! But still, Albus fully expected Sirius to drop whatever he was doing, then to do whatever was needed so that Albus
could come to his house, simply because this was what Albus Dumbledore, the Leader of the Light, wanted Sirius to do.
At 8:17, Albus looked over at Fawkes and said, "I am so disappointed in that boy. Fawkes, I need you to flame me over to Sirius Black's house."
Fawkes did not fly off his perch. Instead, Fawkes gave Albus a long look, then made a mournful cry.
At 9:53, Albus stopped waiting for Sirius Black's Floo-call or for an elf-pop by Kreacher. Instead, Albus went to bed.
****
Meanwhile, in the Leaky Cauldron, in London
Sirius Black and Amelia Bones walked into the pub from the door to Muggle London. They were holding hands, after having spent a romantic evening on the Muggle side of Charing Cross Road.
Sirius drew his wand and cast the Tempus spell. The time was 9:53. He chuckled. Amelia raised an eyebrow.
Sirius, grinning, said, "I told Dumbles, a bit over forty-eight hours ago, that I wouldn't let him back in my house until 'at least forty-eight hours' had passed. I'm sure he's been waiting for my Floo-call all evening. I wonder how long it will take him to realise that 'forever and a day' is 'at least forty-eight hours.' "
Sirius then walked Amelia to the Leaky Cauldron's Floo fireplace, and they said their goodbyes to each other. They gave each other a quick kiss, then these two Purebloods hugged
—
Which to the onlookers, was even more shocking than the fact that the Director of the DMLE had kissed an escaped prisoner. Because Purebloods never hug.
****
The next morning: Tuesday, 15th August, about 7 a.m
Copies of this morning's Daily Prophet were owled to every part of Wizarding Britain. Harry Potter's press conference, and offshoot news stories that expanded upon things said during Potter's press conference, took up half of Page 1, all of Page 2, and part of Page 3.
One of the offshoot news stories in the Prophet said that Gringotts had announced Monday that after Sunday morning's deadly adventure, Harry Potter had become Head of House Slytherin, House Gaunt, and ten more dark Houses, by Right of Conquest.
****
At the Burrow
Harry was quoted in the newspaper as listing seventeen people for whom he had killed You- Know-Who, in order to avenge or to protect them.
Two Muggles were listed. Arthur Weasley and Molly Weasley were not listed, and Ron Weasley was excluded by name.
Ginny smiled smugly, because she was sure that she was one of Harry's four unnamed Pureblood friends at Hogwarts whom Harry had fought to protect.
Not only was Albus Dumbledore not listed as a person protected by Harry Potter, but the boy spoke bad words about the heroic headmaster.
No surprise, outraged Molly sent Harry a Howler.
Soon after the time that the Howler would have been flown to Harry's residence in London, Kreacher elf-popped into the Burrow kitchen—with a counter-Howler from Harry, Hermione, Sirius and Arthur.
****
In Greengrass Manor
Lord Cyrus Greengrass was eating his breakfast—as were his wife Opal and his younger daughter Astoria—whilst his elder daughter Daphne was chewing on toast as she read this morning's Prophet. Suddenly Daphne exclaimed, "Merlin's beard!"
Daphne read aloud, " 'Three days ago, after Thaddeus Nott and Lucius Malfoy each tried to kill Harry Potter in Courtroom Ten, he killed them instead, becoming presumptive Lord Nott and presumptive Lord Malfoy. Potter, already emancipated because of his forced participation in the Triwizard Tournament, claimed the Head of House rings for Potter, Nott and Malfoy, sometime on the 12th. On the morning of the 13th, Potter, Black, Lupin and Granger entered Malfoy Manor and killed You Know Who and thirty-two Death Eaters. In the process, Potter became presumptive Head of twelve more Houses, by Right of Conquest. Harry Potter will not become a fifth-year student till a fortnight from now, yet now he is the Head of fifteen Houses. And rightfully so, we say.' "
Daphne put down the newspaper and looked at her father. "We've talked about you betrothing me to Sam Flint, though you wouldn't begin to negotiate my betrothal contract for another year. Father, I beg you now, with every fibre of my being, to bin any such plan. I want to marry Harry Potter. Even if the marriage contract says I'm the fifteenth most-senior wife and I'm Hermione Potter's unofficial chambermaid, I want to marry Harry Potter."
Astoria said, "If Harry Potter gains another House besides the fifteen he's got now, I'm willing to be his sixteenth most-senior wife, right behind Daphne."
Cyrus looked over at his wife. Opal looked meaningfully at Daphne, looked back at her husband, then nodded.
****
After breakfast, when Cyrus was writing a letter to Lord Potter, Daphne stood by Cyrus's chair and said, "Father, be sure to tell Potter that if he had asked me to the Yule Ball, I would have said yes eagerly."
****
In Manchester, at Manchester Magical Academy
MMA's headmistress, Mersey Norwood, read the Prophet and felt amazement, and mounting resolve. She would steal these two heroic teenagers away from the long-bearded idiot, if it was the last thing she did!
She promptly sent an e-mail to the Muggle-born law firm that handled MMA's legal affairs. Her message to the lawyers boiled down to "Dumbledore will cause problems if we accept these two as students, but bringing Harry and Hermione into MMA is something I'm keen to do. Be ready."
****
A half-hour later
In Grimmauld Place
Harry received dozens of owl-letters from Heads of Houses about young witches in their family, or from the young witches themselves.
The letters from Heads of House enquired about possible betrothal contracts, since Harry was now Lord of three Houses, and Lord-presumptive of twelve Houses more.
The witches' letters often included knickers, and offered Harry no-obligation shags. "I want to shag the bad boy who killed the Dark Lord"—written in purple ink—was a typical note.
Sirius read the witches' letters and grinned—but wisely said nothing in Hermione's hearing.
Hermione murmured, "If we ever find ourselves in Hogwarts again, I swear I'll walk into the Great Hall and set both Slytherin benches on fire—whilst all those strumpets in green are sitting on them!"
Harry read a new letter and said, "Hoo boy, this is awkward."
Lord Greengrass had written to Harry, "Thank you for the kind words you said about me in the Prophet. However, my wife and my daughters inform me that I am no 'saint.' In any case, the main reason I write to you is about another matter. May you and I begin negotiations to betroth my elder daughter? Daphne is not fussy about which House she would become Lady of, though she notes she 'would enjoy the delicious irony' if she would become Lady Malfoy."
Harry passed Lord Greengrass's letter to Hermione, who read the letter, then passed the letter to Sirius. When Arthur and the twins also had read the letter, Harry said, "I think I'll pay
Lord Greengrass a visit, sometime before school starts. He deserves better than an impersonal 'No thanks' owl-letter."
Then Harry added, "Besides, Lord Greengrass deserves to be told why I'm saying 'No thanks.' "
Twin A said, "We're confused, Harrikins."
"Heiress Greengrass," said Twin B, "is not one of the Ferret's lapdogs—" "—and Merlin knows—"
"—she's lovely enough."
Arthur nodded. "I expect the girl is a beauty, since Opal Bulstrode is her mother."
Hermione huffed. "Daphne is a beauty, yes, and one who wanted to go to the Yule Ball with Harry."
Harry put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, pulled her close, and kissed her on the cheek. "Listen to me. You've no reason to be jealous of Daphne."
In unison the twins asked Harry, "Why are you saying no to marrying Daphne Greengrass?"
Harry lowered his voice, to thwart any undiscovered listening charms. "The fourteen Right of Conquest Houses I have? I've decided to declare them all extinct. So Daphne will never become Lady Nott or Lady Yaxley, because no witch will ever again hold those titles."
Arthur asked, "Isn't one of the Houses you plan to declare extinct, House Slytherin?" "Yes. So?"
It was Remus who answered: "Harry, you've told us repeatedly that you hate seeing your name in the paper. What the bloody hell do you think will happen after you end Slytherin House? Hint: the write-up won't be one column inch on Page 16."
****
At Hogwarts, at the High Table during breakfast
Minerva, Filius and Pomona, after giving Albus a sideways glance, put up a privacy bubble and discussed why Harry had not listed any of them as someone whom Harry Potter had killed You-Know-Who to protect.
The three professors eventually decided that during the months the basilisk had been petrifying Muggle-born students, who were these professors' magical wards, the professor- guardians had mindlessly followed the headmaster's wishes to keep the crisis secret, rather than do the right thing for the petrified students, which was to send them to Saint Mungo's.
Minerva felt even more guilty when she realised that there was no reason for Harry Potter to have any good feelings for her. Every time she had dealt with him, outside of Transfiguration class—beginning with her allowing Albus to leave the little toddler on the Dursleys' doorstep
—she had failed the boy. Just as bad, she had believed Severus on some level, that the son of a notorious troublemaker had been the cause of his own misfortunes at school.
****
Elsewhere at the Hogwarts High Table, during breakfast
I'm a has-been! Albus couldn't stop himself from thinking.
Albus's plan for the past fifteen years had not changed one whit, since Alice and Lily had given birth to sons in late July of 1980: "Organise for Tom to fight the Chosen One who, thanks to my sabotages, is weak and unprepared. Tom kills the Chosen One. I kill (or secretly imprison) Tom, then grab the glory." But Harry had not followed the plan—Harry had killed Tom, and now Harry, not Albus, was receiving showers of glory. Nor, unlike Albus, had Harry spoken any blarney to make a gullible public think that Harry had killed Tom when in fact Harry had not. The severed head of Tom, shown to reporters, then photographed, then given to Amelia, ended any doubts whether Harry had killed Tom.
This morning's breakfast felt like lead in Albus's stomach. Albus read the articles about Harry Potter in today's Prophet and felt blindsided. Albus hated feeling blindsided; he hated not knowing that something unpleasant was coming, before it hit. Actually, Albus hated not- knowing anything.
Almost as much as Albus hated not knowing things, Albus hated other people knowing things that Albus intended to keep secret. Harry clearly knew the Prophecy. Harry knew that Tom had made horcruxes. (And Harry, unlike Albus, had known how many horcruxes were out there, and where they were, but had not told Albus—and that was galling!) Harry knew that his forehead-scar contained a horcrux, and had removed the horcrux. Sirius, at that last Order meeting, had known that Tom was living at Malfoy Manor—except that Sirius, unlike Albus, knew that Tom was already dead by then.
I'm a has-been! a voice in Albus's head screamed in panic.
It would have been nice, Albus mentally complained, if Harry had credited at least a tiny bit of his success over Tom, and over Tom's misguided minions, to Albus's wise guidance. After all, did not the wizard who had been working for the Greater Good for over fifty years, deserve some credit? But no, not only had Harry shared no credit for his accomplishments with Albus, but during the press conference, Harry several times had spoken badly about Albus. Worst of all, Harry has defamed Albus as not really having destroyed Gellert. (Which was uncomfortably close to the truth. Had Harry heard a reliable rumour?)
Now Albus had plans to make. First of all, Albus needed to overturn Harry's emancipation in the Wizengamot, to return control of the fourteen Right of Conquest Houses to their Heirs by blood, and to get the Wizengamot to declare that Harry could not assume the Potter Lordship until he was twenty-one. Once Harry again was a minor and Albus was restored as Harry's magical guardian, Albus needed to prevent Sirius Black's acquittal, so that Sirius never could
become Harry's magical guardian—or if Harry remained emancipated, so that Sirius never became Harry's trusted advisor. Albus needed to convince either Harry or Miss Granger to end their betrothal, which would free Albus, as Harry's restored magical guardian, to write a betrothal contract between Harry and Ginevra.
Damn that boy. Why did he not wait for me to tell him what to do, and when to do it? How long before British wizards realise that Harry, not I, is now the Leader of the Light?
Then Albus got an idea. Maybe he could tell everyone that Harry was not of the Light, that Harry was a multiple murderer who was going Dark. Had not Harry himself worn a shirt that boasted, "No longer the Golden Boy of Gryffindor"? Albus nodded in satisfaction. Yes, that will work.
I'm a has-been! the panicky voice in his head screamed.
****
Still at breakfast in the Great Hall
In six days, Albus had to chair this year's session of the International Confederation of Wizards in Bern, Switzerland. Before then, Albus also had much glad-handing to do with Wizengamot members, in order to neutralise Harry, Sirius and Amelia.
To do all this, Albus had to lighten his workload. He turned to Minerva and said, "I need you to prepare the Hogwarts budget for the next school year. Have the final parchments on my desk by the evening of the 20th."
Anything budget-related was a duty of the Headmaster, not the Deputy Headmaster; but Albus had other things he needed to spend his time on, for the Greater Good.
"Not happening," Minerva replied. She glared at Albus. "I can't decide who has caused the most misery in Harry Potter's life: You-Know-Who, the Dursleys, or you. I've neglected Harry Potter in the past, because I was doing your work. This stops now. From now on, you do whatever work is required of you as Headmaster, and you do whatever work is required of you as Supreme Mugwump."
"Minerva, I do not have the time—"
"Then hire assistance, or quit one of your positions!"
Albus realised that Minerva did not respect him, at least for the moment. And why did Minerva no longer respect him? Albus's brain answered, I'm a has-been!
****
After breakfast
In the headmaster's office, Hogwarts
Minerva walked into Albus's office with surprisingly forceful strides. She placed a half-foot of parchment on Albus's desk, as she gave him a cold look.
I, Minerva Kirstie McGonagall, resign from the Order of the Phoenix, effective immediately. This ends my oath of personal obedience to Albus PWB Dumbledore.
"Minerva," Albus asked, his eyes twinkling, "what is this about?"
"The polite answer, and the answer I'll state if anyone else asks, is that with Voldemort dead and with his most faithful Death Eaters dead or in Azkaban, the Order no longer has a reason to exist."
"Minerva, the Order still is needed, so long as even one Death Eater runs free—"
"My impolite answer, Albus, is that Sirius pranked you, and he showed me that the Order has become a cult. A cult in which the members all worship the wise and grandfatherly Albus Dumbledore."
"Minerva—"
"Why do you think Sirius told you that Voldemort was at Malfoy Manor, when Miss Granger and either Sirius or Remus already had killed the Dark Lord at Malfoy Manor? Sirius was testing you, and you failed the test."
"Minerva!"
"First of all, it's clear in hindsight that you didn't know that Voldemort was dead. Secondly, as soon as you were told 'Voldemort is at Malfoy Manor,' your obvious response should've been to coordinate with Madam Bones how we were going to attack Voldemort."
"Minerva! Stop—"
"Instead, you admitted you already knew about Malfoy Manor, then you said pompously, 'I have decided to not act on this knowledge till a later time.' " Minerva sighed. "And all of us except for Sirius, Remus and Auror Tonks let you say something so ridiculous. Thus proving that the Order is a cult, you're the cult leader and we're the cult followers. But I don't want to stay in your cult, because it means I keep hurting Mr Potter—who did the dirty work that you can't be bothered to do."
"Minerva, there is a Prophecy made about Voldemort and Harry. I do not know that the Prophecy is fulfilled. And if it is not fulfilled, Harry still has a job to do, and the boy still needs the Order's guidance and support."
"So, because the great Albus Dumbledore doesn't know that this Prophecy is fulfilled, the Order should go back to imprisoning Mr Potter with the Dursleys, at the command of the aforementioned Albus Dumbledore? I'm sure if you try to carry out such a boneheaded plan, Mr Potter, Sirius or Miss Granger will get you sent to Saint Mungo's, Albus."
So saying, Minerva rushed out of the room, not waiting to be dismissed.
****
About 3½ hours later 11:00 a.m
Somewhere in the city of Manchester, Greater Manchester County, England
The rope-Portkey took Harry, Sirius, and the three Grangers to a dodgy place. By Harry's right shoulder was a boarded-up building with peeling yellow paint. Ten or twelve feet to Harry's left was a rusting chain-link fence that ran parallel to the yellow wall of the building. Harry's feet stood on cracked concrete that was covered with broken glass in several colours, and paper rubbish. In short, where Harry was now at was not a place where he would want to be after dark; though Dudley might fit in perfectly.
But in contrast to the shabbiness of wherever the five had arrived, in front of Harry, Sirius and the three Grangers stood a man in his forties, who wore a suit. The man's blue tie, white shirt and grey pinstripe suit all fit him well and looked professional.
Since September of 1991, Harry was not used to seeing men in suits up close, other than Vernon Dursley. (Dan Granger had worn either dental whites or casual clothes, every time Harry had seen him.)
"Hello," Emma Granger said to the man in the suit. "Are you our greeter?"
"I am. I'm Charles Meadows, the Deputy Headmaster at Manchester Magical Academy."
Harry, Sirius and the Grangers introduced themselves. Then Dan Granger asked, "Where are we?"
"We could have set the Portkey to take you directly into the school; but to get the full experience, we've portkeyed you to this place off-campus. You've arrived behind a petrol station that is no longer in business. I've cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm here, so that nonmagicals don't notice the odd manner of your arrival, and they won't notice us till we've walked twenty yards away from here. From here, the walk to MMA is a short one, but memorable."
Then Deputy Headmaster Meadows smiled at the five visitors. "Shall we walk to Definitely- Not-Hogwarts?"
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