My Life Is Going To The Dogs

On the Friday before the first Quidditch match of the year, Harry was called out of Potions class by one of the fifth year prefects because Professor McGonagall wanted to see him.

Harry left the class with some regret because Professor Wilmot was a huge improvement over Snape. Then again, even Fudge would have been an improvement over Snape; always assuming the idiot knew anything about Potions, which Harry doubted. Professor Wilmot was a very pleasant and knowledgeable woman who was able to maintain order, without terrorizing the students, while teaching a complex subject. She was also able to make the subject interesting to the students no matter what their skill level.

It's a pity that we didn't have Professor Wilmot or someone like her at Hogwarts for the past seven years. Harry thought to himself. It certainly would have made Potions a lot easier for Neville and I. And who knows maybe Neville would've been better at potions given his skill with herbs.

When he appeared in her office doorway, McGonagall ordered, "Come in, Mr. Potter, and close the door behind you."

Harry did as she asked. Then without waiting for an invitation he sat down in front of her desk and waited quite patiently to see why she had summoned him.

"I called you here to undo the spell you placed on Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall placed a cage holding a snow-white ferret on her desk.

"You mean the spell he cast on himself." Harry reminded her with a smile, pleased that Malfoy was still a ferret. He'd always thought the blond Slytherin made a better ferret than a person. "He cast the spell, I merely sent it back to him."

"Well whatever you did to the spell when you returned it to him, has prevented me from undoing the change." McGonagall told him crisply.

"You mean that a Transfiguration Mistress can't undo the spell that Malfoy cast?" Harry glanced at the caged ferret. "Damn Malfoy, you're good!"

The ferret chattered angrily at him.

"I'm not the one who acted without thinking, remember Malfoy?" Harry reminded the angry ferret. "You definitely aren't living up to the qualities of your House, which I believe include cunning and patience. Are you sure you weren't sorted into the wrong house? I mean you are acting more and more like a Gryffindor every day."

If it were possible for a ferret to give someone a death glare, ferret Malfoy managed it.

"Beyond returning the spell to Mr. Malfoy, did you alter it in any way?" McGonagall was fairly certain he had, but wanted to get it confirmed.

There was a pleased look on Harry's face as he contemplated the ferret. "Maybe just a little," he admitted. "Malfoy had intended the change to be permanent. I altered it to give him an out if the spell he'd cast couldn't be undone."

"What kind of out?" McGonagall asked since Malfoy couldn't.

Harry shrugged. "He simply has to admit that he was wrong and truly believe he was in the wrong for attacking me in the Great Hall, not just say it because it will undo the spell."

"Since it is doubtful that Mr. Malfoy will ever admit such a thing, can you undo his spell?" McGonagall wanted to know.

Harry looked at the ferret for a moment his gaze slightly unfocused as if he were seeing something she couldn't. "I could but I won't."

"Why?"

"Because he wouldn't learn anything if I did." Harry told her.

"And what is it he has to learn?" McGonagall inquired.

"He, in fact the whole of the wizarding world, needs to learn that actions have consequences." Harry told her. "For years if not centuries, witches and wizards have attacked each other because of petty things or over their view of how the world should be. What you do to yourselves doesn't matter." Harry's once vibrant green eyes were cold as ice as he continued. "You can totally destroy yourselves for all I care, as long as you don't try and bring others into your fights. The problem is that you don't care about who suffers because of your actions. The last two Dark Lords brought your squabbles out into the muggle world and nearly destroyed it. You also involved or tried to involve other magical creatures in your fights down through the years and then once the battles were over, you broke the promises you made to them or made them pay because they chose the wrong side."

"Those were Deatheaters, Mr. Potter." McGonagall pointed out. "Most wizards are quite content to live and let live with regards to muggles and other magical creatures."

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "Did you have Binns for History of Magic, Professor? I mean you can't be that blind to how the wizarding world treats those they consider inferior to themselves. Personally I was amazed at what you can learn about magical history, if you don't have to rely on a Professor who is fixated on the goblin rebellions and is so boring he could put a hyperactive child to sleep for your information. I've learned that up until about 1945 muggle and squib baiting was quite common among the members of the magical community and considered only a minor offence. I personally think that the only reason the Ministry has made it a crime is because of how quickly muggle science have advanced and they've realised just how dangerous the muggles can become if pushed into a corner. In my opinion, I think the ministries want to avoid provoking the muggle people, given that they out-number you by at least a hundred to one. Even with the change in policy though, I've noticed that even when a witch or wizard is caught using their magic against a muggle in a harmful way, they're not really punished. They receive a slap on the wrist and the muggle who was attacked is oblivated so they don't remember the crime perpetrated on them."

He paused for a moment waiting to see if she would comment. When no comment was forthcoming he continued, "I can't help wondering what will happen if a witch or wizard attacks a muggle who can't be oblivated. Will it spell the end of the wizardkind? Will the Ministry order the defenceless muggle killed because they can't block the memory? Or will the Muggle pretend that it worked and then come back to wreak vengeance on the wizarding world because of the actions of one witch or wizard?"

At her expression of disbelief, he told her. "It is entirely possible for them to do so, you know. In the last fifty years muggles have shown they can be quite ingenious when they need to be or there is a great enough threat. I know for a fact that muggle science is working on a way to modify cells to target specific diseases like cancer and AID's, because I've invested in several of them. It wouldn't take much effort to turn that into a weapon of war, if there were a good enough reason and a non-magical person were to get a sample of magical blood. They could probably tailor a disease that would wipe out anyone with magical ability and leave those without magic completely alone and they wouldn't even have to find the places where you live to make sure you are infected by it. All they would have to do is infect a muggle-born and they are fairly easy to find, given that they go to platform 9 and 3/4's every year to go to Hogwarts."

Harry didn't bother to conceal the smirk on his face at the sight of McGonagall stunned into silence by his words. Apparently she like the rest of the wizarding world had never considered that muggles could and would find wizardkind and wipe them out if given sufficient reason.

When she remained silent, Harry asked her, "Was there anything else you wanted to discuss with me, Professor? If not then I need to get to my next class. You wouldn't want me to lose any more points for your House now would you."

McGonagall finally managed to recover her voice and said crisply. "I don't know why you are so eager to get to class. According to all your teachers, you just sit there and do nothing."

Harry shrugged. "It gives me something to do while I'm locked up in this prison of yours."

"Hogwarts is not a prison, Mr. Potter!" McGonagall snapped offended. "Hogwarts is a place of learning where students receive the very best education they need to make it in the wizarding world."

"I'm certain that the other inmates would all agree with you about this being an institute of learning but I do not. There is nothing being taught here that I need to learn, unless it is how to betray others." Harry told her coldly. "And I do have express my doubts about the quality of education received here given the teachers I have had in the last almost seven years. If those teachers are an example of the quality education students receive, it's a wonder more of them weren't killed by Moldyshorts."

"How dare you!" McGonagall's anger was clearly visible. "You have no idea what you are talking about! The Headmaster always does his best to insure that the students have the very best teachers available to teach them."

"Then let's look at these teachers shall we." Harry was unphased by her anger. "I can only speak for the past seven years of course, but in that time, this supposed exemplary learning institution only had two, count them, two competent DADA teachers; Lupin and the polyjuiced Deatheater, Crouch. The rest were a joke and shouldn't have even been allowed to teach because they all turned out to be tremendous wastes of time and space. No wonder they never lasted more than a year."

"They were the very best available." McGonagall repeated then added, "Until Professor Quirrell met up with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, he was an excellent DADA teacher. Professor Lockhart and Professor Smithering were as well."

"I can't confirm or deny Smithering's qualifications to teach given I wasn't here long enough to form an opinion on him, but given that he is no longer a teacher here, he must not have been good enough to break the curse that seems to hang over the DADA teachers." Harry countered smoothly. "And the only thing Professor Lockhart was good at teaching the students was how to preen for the cameras… the stupid fop. He was also good at making the girls and women go gooey-eyed and gooey-brained. Personally I think that Filch would've been a better DADA teacher than Lockhart."

McGonagall said nothing remembering all too well how her fellow female teachers got all mushy at the sight of Lockhart. She had been largely immune to him, having better things to do with her time, especially once the basilisk was let loose.

"Let's move on now to what could be termed the more permanent staff that I have had for classes," Harry continued with an evil grin. "First we have a Potions Professor who for at least the last twenty years loved to terrify the students and favoured his own house so much that only heaven knows how many potential Potions Masters were destroyed by his teaching methods. I won't even mention the grudge he carried over to me because he hated my father."

"That matter has been resolved." McGonagall reminded him. "Snape is no longer teaching here and can never teach again."

"But not before the damage was done." Harry countered. "There were a number of complaints about his teaching methods, but the Headmaster never removed him."

"And you know very well why he was not removed." McGonagall retorted.

"The Headmaster could have found another kind of work for him to do that would have kept him close and a viable source of information on Moldyshorts." Harry pointed out. "The Headmaster made no attempt to rein him in or force him to change his teaching methods and if he really had cared about the students he would have done so. But as you pointed out, Snape is no longer an issue, thanks to me."

He held up one finger "Let's now turn our attention to the current Care of Magical Creatures teacher. While I have nothing against Hagrid personally, I can't help wondering how many students who might have had an interest in magical creatures were frightened away, because of the creatures Hagrid chose for them to study. That particular class is both similar and the opposite of Potions, because unless you have a love from the very beginning for large dangerous creatures, it is not a class you want to take. Hagrid is a half-giant, so there is very little that can be a threat to him. Unfortunately he is in love with large and dangerous creatures, and thinks that everyone will see them like he does as harmless puppies and kittens. Instead of starting with small, harmless, nice looking creatures, he brings in the biggest, most dangerous and sometimes the ugliest of creatures to have his students learn about. He needs to learn to gauge his classes to the students he is teaching. In other words a third or fourth year student shouldn't be expected to be able to handle a Hippogriff or a blast ended Skrewt. A sixth or seventh year might be able to, but nothing earlier. Third through fifth years should be exposed to relatively harmless animals like unicorns, then gradually work up to the more dangerous creatures. And don't even get me started on that fraud Trelawney who predicted my death every year I had her class or Binns who is so boring, that it's a wonder no students have died in his classes."

McGonagall looked slightly annoyed at him for pointing out the flaws in the school's teaching staff. "While I will admit we have some problems with a few members of the teaching staff, Hogwarts is internationally renowned for providing the very best magical education a witch or wizard needs to succeed in the magical world."

Harry snorted at this claim. "Yeah I'm sure that being able to turn a porcupine into a pin cushion is really going to help me succeed. I bet it's something I'll be doing every day. Who knows maybe someone will be elected Minister for their ability to do it."

As McGonagall bristled at the implication that her class was a waste of time, Harry continued, "I'm not stupid, I know why Dumbledork forced me to come back and it wasn't to complete my education. He thinks that with time I will forgive my former friends as well as the rest of the wizarding world for what you all did to me last year, but I told him and now I'm telling you, that isn't going to happen. Nothing I learned before I went to Azkaban will be useful once I get out of here, unless it is just how treacherous and backstabbing witches and wizards can be. I learned that lesson the hard way in my second, fourth, fifth, and sixth years. Like a fool after each occurrence, I expected people to learn from their mistakes and not repeat them, but they didn't. Now I have no intention of allowing wizardkind to betray me again. I am just marking time and taking care of some unfinished business before the end of the year. Then once I turn eighteen, no one will be able to force me to do what I don't want to do ever again."

He left her office without waiting for permission to go.

McGonagall shook her head and wondered yet again if the Headmaster might not be too optimistic about their being able to get Harry forgive his friends and be willing to stay in the wizarding world. She knew the Headmaster was right about one thing though, there were so many problems in the wizarding world that given the current divisions would never be resolved, especially with someone like Fudge in power. However if the Daily Prophet was to be believed, Fudge was to face a vote of 'no confidence' in front of the Wizengamot before the end of the year and in interim Minister would be appointed to fill the remainder of Fudge's term which would end in 2000. She knew that Dumbledore hoped to have Harry run for the position as Minister in the next election, because it would take a wizard of great power and popularity to heal the divisions that had existed for a long time now in the magical world. In spite of the way his relatives had treated him, or perhaps because of it, McGonagall knew that Harry was one of the few who saw no difference between a wizard and any other magical creature and treated everyone equally.

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The day of the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match dawned clear and cold. Everyone agreed it would be good flying weather and nearly every one agreed this was going to be an interesting match, given that the traditional rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin had escalated to fever pitch.

Over the past week, the Gryffindors and Ron Weasley in particular had again been providing a source of entertainment to the other Houses, whether they'd intended to or not. Rumours had been running rampant that the Gryffindors had tried to bribe Potter into becoming their Seeker again by replacing the Firebolt they had burned up the previous year. Apparently they weren't all that confident about their ability to win against Slytherin, even though Malfoy was not playing because he was still a ferret. Rumour also had it that Potter had turned them down flat. There were also reports that the Firebolt he had been given was currently stuck to the wall in the Gryffindor common room and that all attempts to remove it by his fellow Gryffindors had failed.

Weasley had made at least one attempt a day to try and convince Potter to play, usually in-between classes. Potter had begun wearing a badge after the first attempt that either said: I see your mouth moving, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah., or I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. The sight of the badge would make Potter's former best friend go red in the face, but he was so determined that Potter was going to play that Weasley persisted in spite of it.

The question about whether or not Weasley would make a last minute attempt to convince Potter to play, even though he'd had no time to practise was answered for the Ravenclaws as Weasley followed Potter into the great Hall.

He was practically shouting, "Harry, you are a Gryffindor. I can't believe you would want the slimy Slytherins to win the Quidditch cup. It should be ours."

Harry continued to walk away from him until Ron darted forward and grabbed his arm and swung him around. "For the honour of Gryffindor, we need you to be what you were and are: A superb Seeker and the finest one Gryffindor has ever had."

Several members of the other houses moved in to surround the pair along with a few of the Gryffindors. They all wanted to see the confrontation that had been building for a week now between Potter and Weasley.

Harry jerked his arm free of the Weasel's grasp with a growl and the expression on his face was one of contempt. "I am not a Gryffindor!" Harry's voice was cold as ice. "As for being Gryffindor Seeker you don't need another one. You already have one, remember, your psycho stalker sister was playing Seeker for Gryffindor last year and has supposedly been training to play this year as well."

Ron was gaping at him like fish as he turned to leave, but Harry had one final parting shot to deliver. "Of course, if she plays like her brother, she won't be that good a Quidditch player."

Ron's face reddened as he registered the insult to himself and his sister. To hell with making up with Potter! he thought to himself, lunging forward.

He grabbed Potter's upper arm in a strong grip and whirled him around a second time. Once Harry was facing him again, he punched him in the nose.

Harry retaliated by punching him in the stomach and with all the force of his anger fuelling the blow Ron flew back several feet to the floor.

The group surrounding them had to back up to avoid his crashing into them.

As Ron crawled back to his feet, he heard a voice he recognised as Zabini's say, "Five galleons on Potter." This enraged the red head even further and he charged at his former friend, intent on taking him to the ground.

The two young men were rolling around on the floor of the Great Hall exchanging blows as McGonagall pushed through the crowd of cheering students.

When she saw who was fighting, McGonagall shouted, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, stop this at once!"

The two young men were so involved in exchanging blows and venting their anger towards one another they didn't hear her order. Pulling out her wand, McGonagall pointed it at the combatants, "Petrificus Totalis!"

Harry and Ron instantly froze in place, fists drawn back. The crowd around them quickly dispersed, before McGonagall could turn her attention to them. She unfroze the pair and they got to their feet. They stood silently before her, Ron looking at the floor and Harry meeting her glare with one of his own.

"Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall decided to start with the prefect. "I expect better behaviour out of a seventh year prefect and yet I find you brawling like a common street thug in the middle of the Great Hall. Why did you feel the need to get into a school yard brawl with your best friend?"

"He's not my friend!" Ron told her hotly, still angry about the insults to his Quidditch skills and to his sister. "No true friend would insult you and another member of your family."

"Well you've never been a true friend, Weasel. A true friend wouldn't be interested in someone solely for the use that they can make out of them. The only thing about me that ever interested you was being the best friend of the Boy-Who-Lived." Harry countered. "And you turned on me the minute you thought I was trying to take the glory without you or you thought you could gain the spotlight without me in the picture, by denouncing me as an evil, Dark wizard."

"Enough!" McGonagall broke in before the fight could start again. "Mr. Weasley, what happened?"

"I was trying to get Potter here to agree to play Seeker today and he insulted me and Ginny." Ron told her.

"Is that essentially correct Mr. Potter?" McGonagall was certain a lot had been left out.

"Essentially," Harry agreed, "but he forgot to mention that I had already turned him down at least fifty or sixty times this week. I told him I had no interest in playing on a team of traitors, but he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

"Who threw the first punch?" McGonagall wanted to know.

Ron looked back down at the floor and said nothing as Harry told her. "The Weasel did."

McGonagall looked very disappointed. "Twenty points each for fighting. Mr Potter, you will also be serving detention." Harry snorted at this but McGonagall continued. "And you Mr. Weasley will be turning in your Prefect badge for conduct unbecoming a prefect…"

"That's not fair!" Ron interrupted. "He started it!. Why are you punishing me?"

McGonagall glared at him. "Be grateful, I don't remove you from the Gryffindor Quidditch team as well, Mr. Weasley. I notice that you didn't deny throwing the first punch. You need to learn to control your anger, young man. Apparently seven years at Hogwarts hasn't taught you that control and it should have. Life is very rarely fair and you will occasionally encounter things or people who upset you. However you can't continue to act first and think later the way you have been these past seven years, or your chances of earning a decent livelihood will go down considerably once you leave school given that your grades are barely acceptable right now."

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The Gryffindor-Slytherin game lasted until evening and probably would have gone on longer if Ginny Weasley hadn't finally caught the snitch. It proved to be a hollow victory for the Gryffindors though because the game had ended in the first tie in Quidditch history with a score of 510 to 510. Usually catching a Snitch gave the team whose Seeker got it the victory, however the World Cup during the summer of Ron's fourth year had proven that wasn't always the case when Krum caught the Snitch but Ireland won the game. Madame Hooch had declared Gryffindor the winners because of Ginny's catching the Snitch, but Slytherins were requesting a rematch since they had been ahead by 150 points until it had been caught and no game was supposed to end in a tie. Madame Hooch had refused. Pointing out that the rules never said that a game couldn't end in a tie, just that it never had before.

Ron, instead of being pleased with Gryffindor's victory over Slytherin, had been spent the better part of the evening snarling at his sister telling her she should have held off long enough for them to get another goal, so they would have been the clear winners. It had taken Ginny cursing him with her favourite curse, the Bat Bogey Hex to get him to shut up. While he was suffering the results of Ginny's hex, Ron spent the evening glaring at Potter, certain that if he had just co-operated, their victory would've been a clear one and not just one won by default because they gotten the Snitch. He wisely kept his thoughts to himself though not wanting to get in any more trouble with McGonagall, Hermione… or Merlin forbid his mother. He winced when he thought of what his mother's reaction would be to his no longer being a prefect.

Hermione had made it clear that she was disappointed that he had lost his Prefect's badge because of a fight over Quidditch. He would have thought she would be on his side given the fight had been with Potter but she hadn't been. She had just told him it was stupid to lose his Prefect status because of a stupid game. Even after all this time she still didn't understand that Quidditch was just as important to him as her books were to her and he realised she probably never would. Just like he would never understand her obsession with books and learning.

He found Hermione's obsessive need to know everything about anything new she encountered very unsettling, especially when she expressed her annoyance because no one else, usually meaning he and Potter, wanted to do the same. They really had very little in common and it had only been their both being friends with Potter that had brought them together in the first place. In fact he was beginning to rethink his idea of asking her to marry him once they got out of school. He cared for her, he really did, but he didn't think he could live with her for the rest of his life.

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Alexander Boet was finishing up his argument in front of the wizarding tribunal, "as you can see from the documents in front of you, gentlemen, Gareth Weyland was indeed found innocent after he was Kissed and his property confiscated. Yet no attempt was ever made by the Ministry of the time to return his family's property to his heirs as it should have been under the law even when Kerr Weyland tried to get it legally returned to himself and his sisters. The sole remaining Weyland heir, Mr. Dantes has asked that the current Ministry honour its obligations, by arranging the return of all of his family's property"

"According to Ministry records, the only remaining member of the Weyland family was Kerr Weyland, who died without producing or naming an heir." One of the tribunal members, Mr. Barthold reminded Boet. "Therefore this person can not be the heir of the Weyland family."

"The Inheritance ritual performed by Gringotts on Mr. Dantes and is legally recognised as valid by the Wizengamot because it samples both a person's blood and magic says otherwise. It named this previously thought muggle-born wizard as the heir to the Weyland family and its property." Boet countered. "Ministry records also show that Kerr Weyland had two sisters both of whom vanished during the time of the Dark Lord Grindelwald. It was presumed that they died because of Grindelwald, but it now appears that Kerr took them out into Muggle London, probably after a bombing and left them to be found. Given the fact that Mr. Dantes has thought all this time he was a muggle-born it is reasonable to assume that at least one of the sister's was a Squib and survived to have children of her own, and it is plausible to assume that Mr. Dantes is her grandchild. Mr. Dantes simply wants his family's rightful property returned by those who have no right to it since Gareth Weyland was proven innocent. Or adequate compensation of his choosing if the property is no longer in the possession of the person or family it was given to."

"Given the amount of time that has passed, we have no way to tracked down who received what from the Weyland properties when Gareth Weyland was wrongly sentenced and his property confiscated." Another tribunal member, Mr. Lumari disagreed. "It has been over sixty years after all."

Boet shook his head and produced a sheaf of parchment from his briefcase. "I have here a list provided by the Ministry Records Department of all of the property taken from the Weyland family at the time of Gareth Weyland's conviction and who that property was given to." He scanned the list and then said in seeming surprise, "Mr Lumari, Mr. Barthold, you should not even be sitting on this tribunal due to a conflict of interest. You both knew from the initial brief I submitted that this case was going to involve the Weyland Family estates and should have made arrangements for someone else to take your place given that at least one member of each of your families have in their possession items that were confiscated from the Weyland family when Gareth Weyland was convicted and said items were never returned. Would you have ruled against my client so that your family's dishonourable behaviour would never come to light? After all when Kerr Weyland tried to get his family's property back just after Grindelwald's defeat the Ministry of that time stalled and delayed until he was dead. It was this in all likelihood that convinced him the only way he could get justice from a corrupt Ministry was to join Voldemort. Would you have tried to do the same? Probably." Boet gave them a look of contempt. "Your families stole from children over sixty years ago. Then the Ministry, probably at their instigation treated the Weyland children like they were little better than werewolves, so what's a little corruption of your honour now when compared to what was previously done to the remaining members of this family."

The third tribunal member, Mr. Capran looked at the other two in disappointment. He told the court clerk, "Let the record for these proceedings show, that as Eldest member of the panel, I am disallowing the votes of Mr. Lumari and Mr. Barthold due to a conflict of interest that should have been reported before the hearing started. I also do not intend to allow the British magical justice system to remain a laughing stock among the rest of the wizarding community as it has because of that travesty of a trial that the Boy-Who-Lived received. Let the record show that since this matter has been pending for over sixty years, there should be no further delay in its resolution until say the current heir is dead, allowing those with no right to the items they currently hold to keep it by default, I am exercising a little used statute and casting all three votes in favour of Mr. Dantes the legally recognised heir of the Weyland family."

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A knock at the door interrupted Molly Weasley as she was preparing her husband's breakfast. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see a rather primly dressed wizard standing at the doorway to the Burrow.

"Molly Weasley nee Prewitt?" He asked before she could say anything.

"Yes," she confirmed her identity baffled as to why he would be asking. Nearly everyone knew who she was because of her relationship with the Boy-Who-Lived.

"My name is Darryl Mastres from the Ministry." He handed over a folded piece of parchment stamped with the seal of the Wizengamot. "This is for you."

Molly broke the seal and read the contents and became even more confused. It was an order for her to bring the goblin made tiara that had belonged to her Great Aunt Muriel Prewitt and that had been bequeathed to her at her aunt's death to the Ministry so that it could be turned over to its rightful owner. That made no sense though, she was the rightful owner and Ginny would be after her. Hoping for an explanation, she told the younger wizard, "I'm afraid I don't understand. The tiara is already with its rightful owner. I inherited it from my aunt this past year and I am the last of the Prewitts."

"I'm afraid that is not correct, Mrs. Weasley," he told her. "That tiara is one of a list of items that was confiscated from the family of Gareth Weyland after he was convicted for the murder of then Minister Alphonse Sebastian by use of the Killing Curse among other crimes as a supposed follower of the Dark Lord Grindelwald. It is listed in Ministry records as having been given to Muriel Prewitt as compensation for his crimes against her family. However when it was proven that Mr. Weyland was innocent of the crime, no attempt was made by Muriel Prewitt to return it, even when his son Kerr made a request to the Wizengamot and the Ministry to have his family's possessions returned."

"You're wrong!" Molly flared up angrily. "Great Aunt Muriel wouldn't have done that. She was an honourable woman. The tiara belonged to her and to her mother before her!"

"If you have proof of this you will need to bring it with you by no later than 10am on December 21st." Mastres was unphased by her angry declaration. "I should warn you that whatever proof you bring should include at least one photo or painting of someone in your family line wearing the tiara prior to the 1880's since there is proof of Annalysse Weyland and her mother wearing it from that time forward, so any proof you provide for your claim of ownership must be from prior to that time period. Have a good day Mrs. Weasley."

Mastres apparated out before she could say another word.

As Molly returned to the kitchen the parchment decree clutched tightly in her fist, Arthur joined her there.

"Who was at the door dear?" He wanted to know.

"Darryl Mastres," Molly told him.

"From the Wizengamot's tribunal offices?" Arthur recognized the name. "What did he want?"

"To deliver this!" She thrust the parchment into his hand.

Arthur read the parchment and commented. "I didn't know your family had received any compensation from the Weyland family in the 30's."

"We didn't!" Molly growled. "The Ministry has made a mistake. The tiara was Great Aunt Muriel's and it didn't belong to any other family but mine!"

"Someone probably just made a mistake when they were writing up the original list." Arthur attempted to soothe his angry wife. "We'll get it sorted out. You'll see."

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As the morning mail arrived, four strangers entered the Great Hall. Three remained by the doors while the fourth walked up to the Head table and handed an envelope to the Headmaster. Those closest to the Head table saw the Headmaster pale slightly before getting up hurriedly and escorting the four visitors out of the Great Hall.

The silence that followed in the wake of the Headmaster's rather abrupt departure was almost deafening. It was quickly followed by the excited babble of the students trying to figure out what those four people were here for. From the expression on the Headmaster's face it probably wasn't anything good.

Dumbledore led the four who had been sent by the Wizengamot up to his office. Gesturing to the seats around his office he said somewhat distractedly, "Have a seat, gentlemen and ladies."

Once they were seated, a wizard who appeared to be almost as old as Dumbledore told the Headmaster, "My name is Adam Jessup. My colleagues and I are here to conduct the first of the periodic inspections the Wizengamot requested. We are from the American Department of Magical Education."

Dumbledore stared at him surprised "I have been expecting someone from the Ministry, since the hearing several months ago. Can you tell me, Mr. Jessup, why they chose to request assistance for this inspection from America?"

"It's quite simple, sir," Jessup told him. "The Wizengamot wanted to make sure these inspections were fair and impartial for all concerned, so they requested inspectors who didn't have an axe to grind with you, or who might choose to ignore things they see because of who you are, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding, but was not pleased by it. He had been hoping to get someone at least moderately sympathetic to him and who had gone to Hogwarts previously. "Very well, Mr. Jessup. How do you wish to proceed with this inspection?"

"Actually Headmaster, the Wizengamot has asked us to conduct this first inspection without any input from you or your staff. They have also given us full authority to do what needs to be done, including the right to get access to all areas of the castle we may need to go into." Jessup coughed as he handed over a sheaf of papers to the Headmaster. "This covers some of what we will be inspecting on this trip. Also you are not to tell anyone other than your Deputy Headmistress why we are here. We will also be visiting classes randomly. Don't worry there will be no disruption of the classes. In fact neither the students or teachers will know that we are there, that should allow us to get a better idea of the teaching methods used by the individual teachers. Once the students have dismissed for the Christmas break we will be talking to the teachers individually. We do need a list of those teachers who will be leaving Hogwarts during the Christmas break, so that we can arrange to see them first."

While Dumbledore managed to control his expression, inside he was seething. He was not pleased by this turn of events. Not pleased at all. He didn't like the idea of strangers having full access to his castle and he couldn't fathom what the Wizengamot was thinking in allowing total strangers full access to Hogwarts.

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As the four strangers took up residence in Hogwarts, rumours flew fast and furious about what they were doing there. The Headmaster hadn't even introduced them or explained their purpose to the students when they joined the teachers at lunch that day and everyone agreed that was not like him.

A few days later, those with family in the Ministry had smug looks on their faces when they revealed to their friends the fact that the Wizengamot had brought in inspectors all the way from America to check out the school from top to bottom, including the teachers. Once this information had made the rounds, the only students who tried to keep up with any new information on the inspectors were those who still had a year or more to go at Hogwarts, and they couldn't help wondering why the Wizengamot had chosen to bring in someone from America to inspect Hogwarts instead of using their own people. Some, mostly Slytherins, thought despite their claims of impartiality that the inspectors were there to find something on Dumbledore so he could officially be removed as Headmaster, unlike the way Delores Umbridge had tried to remove him a few years ago.

Unfortunately, that was all they were able to learn because other than the rumours going around the school, there was no other information forthcoming from any official source. One thing was for sure though. No one saw the inspectors except during meals and that made a lot of people nervous.

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"Miss Lovegood," Hagrid called to the sixth year Ravenclaw as she started to leave the last Care of Magical Creatures class before the Christmas break. "Would you please wait just a minute?"

"Certainly Hagrid," Luna smiled at the half giant. She really liked his classes. She just wished he would teach about the more uncommon creatures like the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

When Hagrid came back out of his hut, he was carrying a wrapped present. "Would you please give this Christmas present to 'arry for me?"

Taking the present, Luna told him, "Hagrid, you know you could've given this to him yourself? Harry still likes you, you know, unlike the Weasleys."

"'M not so sure a that meself." Hagrid told her. "He asked me ta leave 'im alone, so 'm trying ta respect 'is wishes. I just thought he might like to have that."

"I promise I'll give it to him today." Luna assured him as she headed back toward the castle.

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Luna finally caught up with Harry as he was coming out of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She didn't bother asking why he'd been in there. She was fairly certain he went there because it was probably one of the few places in the school he wouldn't be bothered, given that Myrtle wasn't very fond of many people. She knew this because she too had spent time in Myrtle's bathroom, just talking to the former Ravenclaw ghost, when the others in school became too much for her to deal with. "Harry, wait up please."

Given that Luna was one of the few people Harry actually liked at Hogwarts, he did as she asked.

"I'm glad I was finally able to catch up with you." Luna told him as she got closer. "I have something for you."

When she handed over the wrapped present, Harry told her, "Luna, you didn't have to do this."

Luna waited until he had opened the present and was looking at the photos in the album before softly telling him, "I didn't do it… Hagrid did."

Harry looked up startled but smiling. "Hagrid?"

Luna nodded. "He wanted you to have something to remember your family by and asked me to give it to you. He didn't think you would accept it from him."

Harry ran his finger across the moving picture of his parents, Sirius, and Remus before admitting. "I don't hate Hagrid. I'm just not fond of him right now."

Luna gave him an understanding look. "You might want to at least tell him thank you for all the trouble he went to."

Harry nodded before reaching out and giving Luna a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

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Ginny seethed as she saw Harry smile at Luna. It was the kind of smile that lit up his face and reminded Ginny of happier times when he'd smiled at her like that. As if he really cared about her.

When Luna got a hug and kiss from Harry because of the present she'd given him, Ginny saw red. How dare she! Harry is mine! Well she's not going to get away with this! No one takes what's mine!

Pulling her wand out, Ginny conjured a jar with a live bee in it. She knew from prior conversations that Luna was allergic to bees, though she didn't know just how allergic. Shaking the jar gently to agitate, but not kill the bee, Ginny unscrewed the lid and took it off. Using a levitation spell, she sent the angry bee over to Luna and watched as it landed on her neck.

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"See you later, Luna," Harry told her as her hand came up to slap at something on her neck.

Luna suddenly stiffened her mouth and eyes wide open then collapsed to the ground. As Luna collapsed, Harry caught a glimpse of a person with long red hair scurrying away from the area. He recognised her as Ginny Weasley. He would deal with her later something told him that if Luna was to survive, he didn't have time right now.

He summoned his staff from the dorm and it appeared in his hand instead of flying to him the way ordinary wizards would expect something summoned to appear. Though he had heard no spell spoken, he was certain that Ginny had cast some kind of spell at Luna that was slowly suffocating her. He could see that she was starting to have trouble trying to breath. He needed to buy her time and the only way to do that was to try and put her in a state that science fiction books called suspended animation. It would hold her between life and death indefinitely.

Getting back to his feet, Harry tapped the butt of his staff on the stone flagging and then pointed the glowing green capstone at Luna's body. Channelling the magic around him through his staff Harry focused on suspending all life functions and yet keeping her alive. It was a delicate balancing act and Harry was fairly certain that no other wizards could have done this. The light that came from the staff instead of being the usual green was a blinding white and came out as a ball instead of a beam of light. It engulfed Luna's body and seemed to seep slowly into her. Once the light was gone, Harry could see that to all intents Luna appeared dead, but he knew she was still alive. Now to get her to Madame Pompfrey and then find out from Ginny just what it was she'd done to Luna.

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"Madame Pompfrey!" Harry shouted as he floated Luna's body through the doorway to the Hospital wing.

The mediwitch came out of her office looking slightly annoyed that someone would be yelling in her domain, but her expression quickly changed to one of shock when she saw the floating body. "What happened?"

"I think Ginny Weasley attacked Luna." Harry settled Luna's body on the nearest bed.

Madame Pompfrey waved her wand over Luna trying to find out what curse was used and was stunned when she got no readings back.

"It looked like she was dying," Harry told her before she could ask any questions. "She stiffened up then collapsed to the ground only I didn't see the colour of the spell being cast. Nor did I hear the spell. She started having trouble breathing almost immediately. I've got her suspended between life and death until I can find out what hex was used on her."

Madame Pompfrey looked thoughtful. "It may not have been a spell, Mr. Potter."

"What could it have been, then?"

"Miss Lovegood is allergic to bee stings." Madame Pompfrey told him as she started checking for the site of a sting. "According to her father she is deathly allergic."

"But bees aren't active in winter, especially here." Harry pointed out.

"Ordinarily you would be right, but if a hive located itself in a warm place, it could be active year round. And there it is." Madame Pompfrey found a red swollen area on the back of Luna's neck.

"Can you help her?" Harry wanted to know. He felt at least partly responsible for what had happened to Luna. He had no doubt that Ginny had attacked her because she saw her as a threat to her possession of him.

"I have a potion similar to what the muggles use to counteract it that I keep on hand for her and a few other wizards and witches who have the same problem." Madame Pompfrey headed to her potions cupboard.

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All the doors in the Great Hall slammed shut with a loud bang startling the students, teachers, and inspectors, who were eating dinner, into silence.

Looking around expecting it to be some kind of attack, they saw Harry Potter standing near the closed entrance to the Great Hall and what scared them all was the murderous expression his face and the fact that his staff was covered from head to foot in a glowing emerald green sheath of power.

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!" Potter's angry voice echoed off the stones of the Great Hall. "STAND FORTH AND FACE JUDGEMENT FOR YOUR ACTIONS!"

Those sitting at the Head table tried to get up but found that they couldn't move. Apparently Mr. Potter intended to allow no interference in what was about to happen.

When Ginny Weasley failed to appear, he said sarcastically, "so much for Gryffindor bravery."

A spell shot from the staff, and headed toward the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindors shrieked as they tried to scramble out of the way, not knowing what would happen if that spell hit them. The yellow beam of light zigzagged around them until it found the one it had been sent for and wrapping itself around her, pulled Ginny away from the Gryffindor table and out into the middle of the aisle.

In the deathly silence that followed Ginny being pulled away from the shelter of the Gryffindor table, Harry stalked toward her and the students could hear his staff thud as it came down hard against the flagstones of the Great Hall with his every step.

"Did you or did you not attack Luna Lovegood and try to kill her?" The volume of Harry's voice had dropped, but it was still echoing off the walls.

Ginny stood there, determined not to show her fear. She hadn't expected him to find out that it was she who attacked Luna and even if he had she hadn't expected this level of anger. He shouldn't care what happened to that weird little nobody. Luna wasn't anybody important. He should only care about what happened to her. She was after all going to be his wife. She'd had it all planned out from the day she first met him.

Several of the students gasped as a pale blue light surrounded Ginny Weasley. They also noticed that right next to Ginny the colour of the light was a deep, pulsing red.

"I'm waiting, Miss Weasel." Harry hissed, "but my patience is not limitless. Did you attack Luna?"

Ginny opened her mouth intending to deny the accusation, but what came out was, "Yes, but I didn't intend to kill her, just warn her off. I knew she was allergic to bees and that it would make her sick. She has no right to you. You're mine. You've always been mine and you would realise it if you could see past your anger over how you were treated last year. We belong together and you know it."

"Luna nearly died because of what you did!" Harry growled, circling her like a wolf. "You attacked your best friend because you saw me give her a kiss on the cheek and somehow in your warped little mind, you equated that to her taking me away from you! Would that be an accurate statement?"

Ginny tried to keep her mouth closed, but "yes," came tumbling out.

"Well listen and listen well bitch because this is the last time I'm going to say this! I am not yours! I will never be yours! I want nothing to do with you! Get that through your empty head. I want you to stay the fuck away from me!" Harry was now back in front of her and the light coming from his staff was pulsing even stronger. "And if you ever attack anyone ever again under misguided notion that they are somehow taking me away from you, you won't have to worry about living to regret it!"

Harry's eyes glowed the same colour as the aura surrounding his staff. "I think you need a reminder of just what I can do to you if you don't heed my warning. I'm going to make your outsides match your insides."

Before Ginny had a chance to run, a grey light engulfed her and a moment later everything in the world was taller than she was, even the seats at the tables.

Opening her mouth to demand an explanation, she was surprised when what came out was not words but barking. Ginny looked her body over and found she was a tiny red poodle.

"Yes," Harry told her. "You are now what you have always been, a real little bitch. I should also tell that you are in heat so you will be attracting every male dog for miles around. If you get caught by any of them, that itch of yours should get thoroughly scratched. I would suggest you start running now if you want to avoid Fang and Fluffy because they will find you."

Harry vanished silently from the Great Hall.

As soon as he vanished the teachers found they could move and McGonagall quickly moved down the aisle to pick up Ginny before someone stepped on her.

In spite of the evidence before their eyes, everyone heard Hermione Granger say, "but you can't apparate or disapparate inside Hogwarts."

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"Where is he?" Molly bellowed. "Where is Potter? He had no right to attack my baby!"

Before Dumbledore could say a word a brown owl flew in his window, deposited a letter on his desk and flew back out again.

Opening it, Dumbledore began reading it silently and then realising that the Weasleys would want to know at least part of what it contained, read those sections aloud.

"By now I'm certain that the Weasleys, among others are in your office and out for my blood. Well they won't find me. I have already left for the Christmas break. I saw no reason to ride the school train back to London and be forced to spend time with those hypocrites, so I left early to spend time with my loving family. Note the sarcasm there. Actually I'm going to oversee the only gift they will ever be giving me. As for the angry mob of Weasleys in your office, they should actually be on their knees thanking me for what I did, because I persuaded Luna's father to let me handle Ginny instead of having her arrested for attempted murder. You see Ginny knew that Luna was allergic to bees, but she didn't know how allergic. The sting from the single bee Ginny sent to attack her would have been enough to kill her if I hadn't acted. Be warned though Weasels if Ginny doesn't learn her lesson and leave Luna alone there will be even more severe consequences. Also Mr. Weasley, Mr. Lovegood will be speaking to you in the near future about reparations for the harm done to his daughter by your psychotic daughter. I would strongly recommend that you get your daughter some psychiatric help before she really does kill someone."

"How dare he call my baby girl psychotic?" Molly yelled. "She was okay until she met him. If she has become a little mad it's because of him! I demand you bring him to undo what he did to my Ginny!"

"As for what I did to Ginny…" There was a moment of silence before Dumbledore continued, "it is only temporary. It will last until she returns to Hogwarts after the Christmas break. Once she sets foot or I should say paw on the same flagstone she was on when she was transformed, she will be returned to normal."

"Two weeks!" Molly shrieked. "He's leaving Ginny as a dog for two weeks. I want him out of here, Dumbledore! He is a threat to the other students. I want him expelled!"

"Actually," Adam Jessup spoke up. "Mr. Potter can't be expelled, because he is not listed on the rolls of Hogwarts as a student this year. It is only by virtue of a law enacted by the Wizengamot that he was forced to come back, but because of his expulsion during his sixth year he was not magically put back on the rolls."

"And just who are you?" Molly glared at the man who told her she couldn't have Harry Potter expelled.

"I am Adam Jessup, one of those sent to inspect this school by the Wizengamot and the Department of Magical Education for the British Ministry." He told her then added. "Actually Madam, you should be more worried about your daughter's actions, because they are going to cause her to be expelled."

"Expelled!" Molly's voice got louder and more piercing. "My baby was attacked by Potter and you tell me you are going to expel her!"

"No," Jessup told her softly. "Your daughter is going to be expelled for her admitted attack on the person of Luna Lovegood. Since her wand was transformed with her, her expulsion will have to wait until she is returned to Hogwarts after the end of the Christmas Break."

Arthur spoke up for the first time. "Dumbledore, you can't allow this to happen! Ginny is a good girl. I'm sure it was an accident."

"I'm afraid that he has no choice. He has been lenient far too many times in the past to Gryffindors and if he were to give your daughter preferential treatment after what she admitted to in the Great Hall in front of too many witnesses, he would be removed as Headmaster… permanently." A woman sitting beside Mr. Jessup spoke up. "The rules governing Hogwarts and its students are quite clear. Unless the student has been attacked by another, any fatal attack, nearly fatal attack, or attack that leaves another student disabled, requires that the attacking student be expelled and compensation be provided to the student or their family if the student doesn't survive the attack. It was put in place over four hundred years ago to keep the hexes and curses being used by the students from being fatal. The only reason there may not be Aurors at her expulsion will be if Mr Lovegood as Head of his family confirms that he agreed to let Mr. Potter resolve this matter for him except for the matter of the compensation for your daughter's attack on his only child."

"Whether he can be expelled or not, I want Potter removed from this school." Molly insisted. "He is a danger to all the students. He has shown he doesn't care about us or anyone else in the Wizarding world. He is slowly destroying my family in the process of your trying to get him to forgive us. Because of his actions, Ron is no longer a prefect and Ginny is facing expulsion. Why are you insisting on keeping him here?"

Ginny the dog barked angrily and growled the thought of not having access to the man she loved. Even though he was angry at her now, she knew there was one thing she could give him that he had wanted all his life, a family, and she would put that plan into operation once she was back in human form. All it would take is the potion she had hidden in her trunk. She had gotten Dung to buy it just in case and with the hope that she would never have to use it, but it now looked like she would have no choice, if she was to get her man.

"I'm sorry Molly, but that can't be done." Dumbledore had a look of regret on his face. "While I know it doesn't appear that way, it is for the good of the Wizarding world in the long term. Mr. Potter has to realise that he belongs here among us."

Molly crossed her arms over her chest and snorted. "I don't see that happening. It has been over four months since you began this grand plan of yours, but there are no signs of him beginning to thaw toward the wizarding world or us over what happened last year. You mark my words Dumbledore, you may be good at getting people to do what you want, but this time you are going to fail and we in the wizarding world are going to pay the price for it."

(AN: I must also thank Lady Stormrider AKA Lady Foxfire for helping me determine the right dog for Ginny to be)