Chapter 17
Peter White thought today's Prophet would finally get the ministry off his back, and relieve some of the pressure coming from the paper's owners. The picture of Lucius Malfoy, now modeling the latest fashion in magical restraints, being led away by a couple of serious looking aurors would be a great deterrent to any of his former colleagues contemplating similar actions.
Rita's exposé would also be a reminder to the magical community that the death eater problem hadn't been completely eradicated. It was now clear that there were those for whom time in Azkaban wouldn't alter their extreme, and certainly no longer tolerable views. While those accompanying Malfoy on this raid could be classed as young and impressionable, their leader had just spent the last decade in that no star offshore resort. The Prophet was calling for Lucius Malfoy to be given the final solution, a kiss by a dementor. With Barty Crouch as Minister of Magic, Peter knew there was a very good chance that fate already awaited Lucius. By putting it in print first though, the Prophet would be ahead of the game once more and could claim a moral victory when the deed was finally carried out.
Peter had placed the Prophet at the forefront of the battle for changes in the British magical community, riding the wave of popular support for the reform measures that the ministry had pushed through. Those had been heady days and he could admit to himself they'd gotten complacent since, resulting in that disastrous report on the Dumbledore/Snape meeting. The fallout from the ministry and paper's owners was bad but the editor was shrewd enough to understand it would be the rift with PMP that could hurt the Prophet more in the long run.
The immediate financial loss of their advertising was a hard blow to adsorb yet it paled into insignificance when Peter considered the story opportunities this rift had already cost his newspaper. Peter glanced down at the magazine lying on his desk, a magazine that Peter would hardly admit to himself was in a large part responsible for the look of today's Prophet. He'd never considered the Quibbler to be a serious threat to his business before, it was after all a weekly publication, though the Prophet's editor was perfectly happy to copy the innovative designs and layouts Lovegood had pioneered. The latest issue had set mental alarm bells ringing, having just outsold their sister publication Teen Witch Weekly. One glance at the Quibbler and it wasn't hard to see why.
Their lead story, covering PMP's recording of the professional quidditch game and subsequent broadcast to the students of Hogwarts, was on the front, back and five pages inside. Peter really had to take his hat off to Lovegood for covering all the angles, something else he was happy to tuck into his subconscious to be used later.
The live WWN radio broadcast from the Hogwarts event had certainly caught the magical public of Britain's imagination, and here was the only place they could read reports of the event, interviews with people there from students to the minister and view pictures of it. That the Quibbler also contained a full page advert for the new PMP communication mirrors just rubbed salt into the open wound that was the Prophet's lost business.
Peter considered it a major part of his remit as editor to keep his newspaper at the forefront of everything that was happening inside magical Britain, something hard to do when their society's most innovative company declared them persona non grata. It was only after studying the paper's files on PMP that it hit the editor just how big a gaff they had actually made, that and Remus Lupin's comment to Madam Bones about 'the Family' meeting gave him the clue needed. A quick crosscheck on the head of the DMLE's file supplied the final answer.
It would appear the children had all been raised practically as one large family and, with the inclusion of the Longbottom boy and Lovegood girl, it all began to make sense. The Prophet had used many column inches over the years painting Albus Dumbledore as black as any dark lord, only to then unthinkingly give this self same criminal vital information on what were apparently his two main targets. That these targets were two young boys that all members of PMP also considered family left the paper totally screwed, and its editor with no idea how to repair the damage.
The Prophet had applied for a pre-production set of their company's mirrors with the intention of publishing a review, the reply was short and not so sweet, the word 'no' was the only answer received. They would be reduced to having someone stand in line to buy a set on the day they went on sale. It could hardly be classed as innovative if the Prophet staff were reduced to writing a review of a product that had the potential to change their world after everyone who wanted them had already made their purchase. Peter would also bet his pension that there would be a large and positive review of the product in the Quibbler at least a week before their launch, pushing Lovegood's sales figures up even more.
Peter had no idea how to proceed on this matter, he did know however that using the Prophet to attack PMP or their products would be extremely foolhardy. Messer's Lupin, Black and Potter were all very wealthy and had important political allies. He also expected these communication mirrors to be a smash hit. With that, and this new broadcasting technology PMP were pioneering, Peter expected them to rapidly become three of the most important and influential members of their society. He also thought the Blacks and Potters Hogwarts exploits as professors was nothing short of sheer genius. Where else better to conduct market research on products than a captive audience of teenagers?
With threats and bribery not viable options in this situation, it would appear his only option was to try and cajole the Prophet's way back into the good graces of PMP. Unfortunately Peter could only think of one thing he could possibly do that with, serve them up Dumbledore's head on a plate. Nothing would please the editor more than to be involved in the old goat's capture, which hurt all the more as he now realised the opportunity he threw away.
Rita was going to be getting a lot of plaudits for her undercover work on the Malfoy case, he would just have to dangle the carrot of the deserved praise she would receive if the Prophet's top reporter uncovered magical Britain's most wanted criminal. Peter would sweeten the deal by placing all the resources of the Daily Prophet firmly behind her.
Peter covered the copy of the Quibbler with Rita's next installment of the Malfoy story. With Headmistress McGonagall banning Prophet reporters from Hogwarts after endangering two of her students over that Dumbledore/Snape story, papering over the cracks was the only option Peter had available to him at the moment. Out of sight though was definitely not out of mind. He would congratulate Rita on her Malfoy achievements later, before offering up her new assignment.
-oOoOo-
Draco was a distraught young wizard, desperately looking for some direction in his life. All his beliefs were centered around one brave and noble figure, a figure that the young wizard had been raised to believe was a freedom fighter who'd been unjustly imprisoned. The picture and story in today's Prophet destroyed that cherished myth once and for all. His father had been arrested after casting an unforgivable curse on a muggle, muggles they were there to rob. No noble pure blood cause to soften the blow this time, his father had been arrested as a common thief.
He could hear his mother crying in her bedroom yet didn't have a clue how to help. His problems at Hogwarts now paled into insignificance, what house he was in there hardly mattered when he and his mother could end up homeless. Draco was well aware that the ministry had hit the Malfoy's hard financially the last time his parents had been arrested. This time though, there was very little left for the ministry to take. His mother had explained the financial restraints they were now forced to work under, restraints that meant he was restricted to Hogwarts for his education.
The house they were currently living in may not be much but it was at least a roof over their head. The one thing his old aunt had hammered into Draco's head was that one day, he would become head of the family. She would talk for hours on the responsibilities this would bring, along with the respect.
More than anything else, Draco Malfoy craved the respect of others. It was a bitter blow to discover that just being a Malfoy was no longer enough to be held in high esteem anymore. Draco was left to ponder what else his old aunt had told him where real life was not the way she painted it. His only crumb of comfort was that his suspension from Hogwarts had just paid an unexpected bonus, Draco would have hated to be in school today.
-oOoOo-
The Malfoy story was of course the main topic of discussion inside the castle, that was except for a couple of redheads who also happened to be twins. Fred and George had their heads together, working on an entirely different and much more important matter - their future careers.
"So whatever we pull has to be big, we're talking whole school here?"
Fred was nodding in agreement but had a proviso. "We need to tread carefully though, it needs to be funny without being offensive in any way." Unusually, he had then to explain that comment to his twin. "If we can make it harmless fun, McGonagall is less likely to ban us from the quidditch trips and watching the broadcasts in the hall."
George understood and unhappily agreed with his twin, the degree of difficulty had just increased by a large margin. "Ok, let me see what we've got here. A prank on the whole school that won't see those privileges revoked. Said prank to be carried out under the noses of two marauders, who just happen to be heads of house."
"Don't forget the junior marauders, catching them out is not going to be easy either. They've been raised by the marauders and are going to be alert for any of our normal stuff."
"We need something new, something never tried before, it has to be out of this world..."
Both received the bolt of inspiration at the same time.
"That could work..."
"But we would have to..."
"No problem, do we go for the big prize though?"
"Absolutely! We want this to be memorable so professors too."
"Oh it will certainly be memorable."
"Yeah, we'll either be the talk of the castle or home early for Christmas."
Neither twin wanted to think about their mother's reaction to that outcome so both concentrated on ensuring their prank would work perfectly. Their voices dropped to barely above a whisper. This was totally unnecessary since no one else could ever follow a conversation between the twins. Just listening in was usually enough to give anyone unfortunate enough to eavesdrop a splitting headache.
-oOoOo-
With Dudley spending the night at the Lovegoods, Emma had been surprised when Dan offered to take her out to dinner. Sitting in their favorite restaurant with a fine bottle of wine on the table, she knew her husband was buttering her up for something big. Emma wasn't wrong and didn't have long to wait before Dan brought up what was on his mind.
"The company has asked me to consider taking on a full time job as head of their new media unit. They've now proved their system works and see this as the next step in the process. We've got some time to discuss this but I think we really need to give an answer in the next few weeks. What are your thoughts?"
Emma let the waiter deliver their starters before beginning to run the potentially life changing decision through their usual pro/con process.
"I don't see any point in building our practice up as we're both fairly certain Hermione will never be a dentist. I think it's also fair to say the kid's futures will be financially secure no matter what we decide here. Both Harry and Dudley will be wealthy and it's fair to say the future Lady Potter will not be hurting for money."
Dan got the gist of what his wife was hinting at. "You're suggesting we take the kids out of the equation and make the decision based on what we want?"
"Selling the practice will see us financially secure, can we assume any job you take with PMP will have a salary that at least matches what you earn now?"
"I think the figures would be a fair bit higher than that."
"Ok, so we've taken the financial side out. I'm also assuming Dudley's continual involvement in the project is guaranteed? Anything that allows the kids to spend more time together gets my vote, especially next year when Luna is at Hogwarts too. I think that just leaves what we ourselves want to do? I've seen the way your eyes sparkle with excitement when you're working with Remus, dentistry hasn't done that to you for quite a while."
Her husband's eyes were sparkling now as the excitement of the potential new challenge shone through. "I feel like some of the early film makers must have felt, like a pioneer. This is all new and we're all learning as we go along. Quidditch coverage is only the first step on this journey, there are other magical sports that could benefit from coverage like this. It's not even just sports though, most of the magical community have never even seen a news bulletin before. Then there are musical events, plays..."
Emma leaned across the table and silenced her husband with a kiss. "I don't think we need to wait those few weeks to let them know you're taking the job, do you?"
Dan reached across and held his wife's hand. "What about you though, the practice is something we built together."
"You know I've always wanted to paint, perhaps try my hand at writing, this could be my shot. With Hermione and Harry away and you in a job you're going to love, I won't have to feel guilty in the slightest at spending hours indulging myself in something I really enjoy. Dudley is no bother at all and growing more independent by the day."
Dan could only smile at the woman who made all his dreams come true those years ago when she said yes. He saw a small opportunity to repay some of that love and devotion she had shown him, an opportunity to help with her own dreams. "We could have the loft converted into a studio for you, some large windows to provide as much natural light as possible. We've both seen what magic can do and the room could be to any specification you want, and probably completed in under a day."
With decisions made, they could settle back and enjoy their meal. The excitement was like the early days when they opened their practice, without any of the financial worries that went hand in hand with that venture. Dan would contact Remus tomorrow and then they would call their lawyers. That was all for tomorrow though, tonight Dan's only thoughts focused on the beautiful woman sitting at the table beside him, and the fact that they had the house to themselves tonight.
-oOoOo-
Since his father had received a dementor's kiss for leading that attack, Draco dreaded the knock at the door that would signal the ministry coming to call. He was now head of the family, a family that appeared destined for infamy with destitution thrown in just to finish the Malfoy's off. Therefore it was with a great deal of trepidation that he opened their door, only to find the last person he expected to be standing there.
"Professor Black, what are you doing here?"
"Hello Draco, I would like to speak with your mother, if I may?"
Draco stood to the side to allow their guest to enter. As Sirius passed the boy, he felt compelled to say something. "I was sorry to hear about your father. He and I had never seen eye to eye, probably since we were about your age, but I would never wish that fate on anyone."
"Thank you professor, mother is through in the other room."
He found Cissi sitting straight up in her chair, ready to face whatever came through the door. She relaxed her posture slightly after spotting just who her guest was. "Sirius, to what do I owe the pleasure? I dearly hope you haven't come to gloat at my late husband's demise?"
Sirius gave her a weak smile. "Maybe once upon a time you would have been right with that thought Cissi, but not anymore. I have a wife and daughter who would be severely disappointed in me if I were to do something so crass as that, I never want to let them down. As I told Draco, Lucius and I never saw eye to eye on anything but I still wouldn't wish that fate on him. No, my visit here today concerns you and your son."
Sirius was invited to sit and politely turned down the offer of a drink before getting down to the real reason he'd made the journey. "It's no secret Draco hasn't settled in at Hogwarts, and I can't see this latest development helping that. With this in mind I have reconsidered my decision to fund his education." Sirius could see this almost had Cissi in tears so pushed on with his offer. "I think it would be beneficial to you both if Draco attended school elsewhere, and I'm prepared to fund it. Fees and any other expenses involved."
Cissi had to remind herself to breathe, she had thought for one awful moment there that Draco wouldn't be able to attend school at all. This offer could solve a lot of their problems but something was troubling her. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful Sirius, but why the change of heart?"
Sirius could hardly say that he didn't want the little shit anywhere near his family, next time Harry might do some permanent damage. He considered any extra expense involved in Draco changing school to be money well spent, the peace of mind alone would make it worth the extra gold involved. "Draco hasn't made any friends at Hogwarts, quite the opposite in fact. We both know children can be cruel and I fear the first argument that Draco finds himself involved in would escalate into spellfire the instant his father's fate was mentioned. As he's already on his last warning from McGonagall, I feel this is the best option for him."
Cissi's emotions had taken a real beating recently and this act of kindness saw her fighting back the tears. "Thank you Sirius, a fresh start would be the best thing for Draco. We'll look into our options at once and hope he can start elsewhere after the Christmas Holidays. I will ensure he knows how generous an offer this is and that I expect him to grasp it with both hands. You have my assurance his behaviour and academic performance will be closely monitored."
With phase one complete, Sirius now pushed on to the second reason he'd come calling today. "Cissi, I also have a job offer for you..."
"Sirius, you have done more than anyone to get us back on our feet but I won't accept more charity. Once I get Draco settled into his new school, I can then start looking for work."
"I think we need to be realistic here Cissi, with your prison record and Lucius' last escapade, you would struggle to get a job that wasn't serving food and drink in some of the seedier establishments along Knockturn Alley. The job I had lined up could certainly not be considered charity, you'll earn every Knut and do so using that keen mind I know you possess."
It was a deflated Cissi who used his own argument against him. "What you say is true Sirius, which is another reason to turn down your offer. I don't have any skills, Lucius would never stand back and allow his wife to work."
"You possess all the qualities we're looking for, this job could have been designed with you in mind."
She was now intrigued and urged Sirius to continue. "Our company is branching out to cover broadcasting sports, with other events already in the pipeline. You may have heard this?"
Cissi could only nod in exasperation, "Modesty doesn't suit you Sirius, the entire country knows that."
She reconised the twinkle in her cousin's eyes, this usually proceeded one of those stupid pranks of his. Cissi wasn't far wrong.
"What the entire country doesn't know is just who the person we intend to run the entire division is, his name is Daniel Granger and he's a muggle."
Even though Sirius had just guaranteed her son's education, Cissi couldn't keep the exasperation from showing in her reply. "That's a prank too far, even for you Sirius. Are you nuts?"
"I am in full control of my faculties and this is no ordinary muggle. Dan has been aware of our world for over a decade now, and his daughter will be the next Lady Potter. Harry is still my heir at the moment as Joy can't head the family. Dan Granger is already considered family but that's not why we appointed him, he also happens to be one of the smartest men I know."
"He may very well be smart but he can't possibly understand the complexities and idiosyncrasies of our society, even after a decade of contact. He's an outsider and will be treated as such by most of our society, you must know this?" Sirius now had that infuriating smirk going full blast.
"That's why I need you to be his assistant. You will be able to steer him away from making unnecessary foul ups and also be there in any situations that require magic used. I think you would have to agree Cissi, you possess the skills needed to meet the job description that I just outlined. The only reservation we have is whether you could or would work for a muggle?"
The once proud pureblood princess had to take a couple more calming breaths before answering. "I agreed with your earlier assessment of my job prospects. A short skirt and low top while serving rot gut whiskey and slops to grasping wizards in Diagon seemed to be in my immediate future. If you think I wouldn't prefer working with a muggle to that then my earlier assessment of you was spot on - you're nuts."
"Good, oh and a word of advice. Give the low tops and short skirts a miss, Emma Granger is not a woman you want angry at you."
She knew this was his idea of a bad joke but Cissi couldn't be anything but incredibly grateful to her cousin at the moment. Sirius had been there for her from the instant she'd stepped off the boat from Azkaban. Andi had told her it was purely down to his intervention that she got out of that hell hole early in the first place, her sister also went to great lengths explaining how Sirius was ensuring the Black name was once more one of the most respect in magical Britain. He'd chosen a route that was the exact opposite to that pursued by the Malfoy family, it wasn't too difficult to judge which was the more successful. His best friends included a werewolf and a muggle, yet both appeared set to succeed in a society that would once have shunned, if not outright despised them.
It also didn't escape her attention that Draco extolling the traditional Malfoy line in rhetoric was the main reason her son was sitting next door, and not currently inside Hogwarts with his peers. The mother would be having quite a few heart to heart talks with her son before he left for whatever school they chose for him. These thoughts were going through her head as she showed Sirius to the door. He may have departed but his visit had left something unexpected and precious behind, it was called hope.
-oOoOo-
After recording the latest quidditch match, Dan, Dudley, Luna, and of course Emma were joined by the rest of the Hogwarts contingent in the Potters' quarters after dinner. Dan had already told them all he was changing careers so the excitement levels were higher than usual. What was unusual was Remus calling for everyone's attention, apparently he had something important to say.
"As you all know, Mr Daniel Granger here has decided to join PMP as head of our newly created media division. We welcome you to the company Dan." This resulted in some good-natured cheering.
"Now our new mirror viewing systems should be commercially available by Easter so that's how long we have to iron any bugs out of our procedures. There has been a lot of speculation on what this system should be called, I'm pleased to say we have resolved the matter. Ladies and gentlemen, it will be known as the Dynamic And New Omnioculars Vision System."
This was James' cue, "That's a bit of a mouthful to put on an order form Moony?"
"I couldn't agree more Prancer, henceforth it shall be known and marketed as Danovision!"
This had everyone laughing until Padfoot revealed their logo. The two letter 'O's were clearly images of omnioculars lenses that actually reflected back at you while the lettering continually morphed from one colour to another. The name might be something of a family jest but the logo was very professional. The name Danovision though still had the power to have the six friends chuckling all the way back to the Slytherin dorm at the end of the evening.
Little had changed between Harry and Hermione since they officially became a couple, one difference though was they now said goodnight and good morning with a kiss. Neville led Dudley up to their dorm to give them a moment of privacy while Susan did the same with Luna.
Once again Dudley was greeted warmly by the rest of the Slytherin first years and he was glad of an opportunity to repay their continued hospitality. "Guys, thanks for having me here again. I was telling mum how welcome you had made me here and she came up with a suggestion. How would you guys like to spend a few days at Potter Manor over the Christmas Holidays?"
Harry entered just in time to catch the end of this offer. "Dud, that's a brilliant idea. You guys need to come, we will have such a great time. What about the girls though, I would hate for them to be left out?"
"Luna's asking them now..." Three mirrors all went off at once as the girls called from their dorm, minutes later it was confirmed that everyone would be writing home for permission first thing in the morning.
-oOoOo-
This was it, the big one!
Breakfast time inside a busy great hall on a Sunday morning, both twins felt that tingle of anticipation expected when waiting for a prank to unfold. They'd scaled their original idea back considerably as the complexities of the charms work involved soon got beyond what they were confident they could achieve. Instead of having the hall full of characters from the Star Wars film, they had reduced it to two. There was still a fair bit of charms work involved though and both had quickly realized they would never have coped with the original, more complex plan.
Not that this one wasn't demanding, it was easily the most complicated prank they'd attempted. Sneaking into the great hall last night allowed them to place charms on all the student benches, and staff chairs. The beauty of this prank though was that the charms were completely benign until someone sitting there ingested the twins' specifically designed potion, and what a potion. Again, easily the most complex they had ever produced and it was even gender specific. As much as the twins would have enjoyed seeing their head of house with a bun of hair either side of his head, they much preferred the thought of Professor James Potter transforming into a wookie.
As the first few people began to transform, the sound of laughter ringing out around the hall was music to their ears. George was in the process of toasting his twin with their tainted pumpkin juice, about to partake in their own prank when the first scream of agony halted his hand in mid journey. All eyes now swept around the hall to identify who was in that amount of pain, only for another scream to ring out.
Lily was well versed in spotting pranks unfolding, she immediately put down her as yet untouched tea and turned to ensure Emma did the same. The first scream though saw Emma's coffee go all over the table, dropping her cup as she dived to be at her husband's side while Dan convulsed in agony. Lily herself had barely reached Dan when the second scream created chills down her spine and sent a dagger through her heart, the screaming was coming from Dudley.
Fred and George could only stand and watch as the intended fun had quickly descended into a horror show. Both twins hoped their senses were playing tricks on them and this really wasn't happening, especially as two enraged Princess Leia's were now racing in their direction from the Slytherin table. The potion had copied the distinctive hairstyle while the charm had changed their clothes to that reconisable white smock. Where the lightsabers both Leia's were wielding came from was a complete mystery to them. They soon got a close look at said weapons when the blond and the brunette began whacking them both about the body, it stung like a bitch!
"How long before the effects wear off?"
Fred only needed one glance at the little blond to know that, had that been a genuine lightsaber, his life would have been over. She was clearly in no mood to be pissed about, he quickly and honestly answered her question. "It's only timed to last for breakfast, you should be back to normal in under an hour."
"Me! You think I give a shit about looking like this? Didn't you hear that screaming? Harry had to stun Dudley because he was in agony."
A Hermione/Leia who was equally as angry took over from Luna to question George. "Did it ever occur to you that we have three non magicals at breakfast this morning? What about little Joy Black, how does your potion affect toddlers?"
Luna was struggling to keep the tears at bay as she continued from where Hermione had left off. "Your potion forces our bodies to change but it's our magic that allows the change to take place. Neither Dudley nor Uncle Dan have magic. You two poisoned them with a potion that's still trying to change their bodies, I can't imagine how painful that must be."
All thoughts of breakfast were long forgotten about amongst the students amid the unfolding drama now taking place around the hall. The occupants were torn between watching the staff trying to help the two people suffering sever reactions to the prank and the confrontation taking place at the Gryffindor table. That all changed when the red furred wookie wearing a Gryffindor's prefect's badge decided he just had to have his say on the matter. This was now prime time soap opera.
"I agree the twins should never have pulled this stupid prank but they can hardly be blamed for these unintended and unforeseen consequences. After all, this school is for witches and wizards."
Hermione went very quiet and completely still at this, a sure sign to anyone who knew her of an impending explosion. They didn't have long to wait. "I'm really sickened that you feel that way Mr Weasley, that attitude disgusts me. My father and Dudley may not be magical but they spent yesterday recording a quidditch match so you could all sit here and watch it for free today. There only payment for doing so is to visit the castle and spend some time with their families."
Hermione spun round and pointed at the big screen, a bolt of energy left her hand and an almighty crash signaled the Hogwarts window on the wider world was no more. People around the screen's vicinity were ducking with their hands protecting their heads, expecting shards of broken mirror to be raining down on them, it never happened. The amount of energy Hermione had hit the big screen with ensured there wasn't a piece of mirror bigger than a grain of sand left.
"If they are not welcome in Hogwarts then neither is that, you don't deserve it…"
Hermione was cut off mid-rant by a shout from the other side of the hall. "Hermione, Luna, we're heading to the infirmary."
Harry's call had an instantaneous effect on both girls, they wheeled away from the Weasleys and raced to follow the group heading out the hall toward the infirmary.
A wrinkled version of Princess Leia was not something the twins wanted to see either, but that's who detached herself from this group and made her way over to the Gryffindors.
"Although Professor Potter is your head of house, since you just put his son and one of the professor's best friends in the infirmary, I will be dealing with your punishment in this matter."
Prefect Percy could see the distinct possibility of an injustice being done here, and he so wanted the girl who'd just made a fool of him pay, so spoke out. "I agree the twins should be punished for what they did here this morning but what about the punishment for those girls Headmistress, who will be handling that?"
That steely gaze sandwiched between two doughnuts of grey hair was even more off-putting than usual though it was McGonagall's tone of voice that indicated how angry she was here. "And just what did they do that broke the school rules Mr Weasley?"
"What? Surely those weapons of theirs must be against school rules? Why did they even have them in the great hall anyway?"
"Those weapons as you call them are aids to teach fencing, Professor Sirius Black tutors them every Sunday directly after breakfast. They use them because they are not as dangerous as real blades, delivering only a mild stinging hex when in contact with a body."
Both twins winced at the word 'mild' but neither was stupid enough to provoke McGonagall when she was in a mood like this. Percy though was not to be denied, the rules had been broken and he wanted those guilty to be dealt with. "What about casting spells out of class and destruction of school property?"
"Did anyone hear Miss Granger cast a spell, or see her use a wand? That appeared to me to be a case of accidental magic, brought on by her reaction to the potions attack on her father and the boy she considers a brother."
Percy couldn't bear the thought of those to girls getting off Scott free. "Surely destroying the screen deserves some form of punishment?"
"It might, but not from me or Hogwarts. That screen was not school property, it was here on loan from PMP. The very company that has just announced who is in charge of their new media division. That important post is held by Daniel Granger, Hermione's father and the muggle your twin brothers just poisoned."
Fred and George wished their elder brother would be quiet but they were now discovering another downside to their latest prank. The potion not only changed their victim's cosmetic appearance, but physical stature too. How do you tell a six foot ten wookie to shut up?
Whatever punishment McGonagall dreamed up, it couldn't be as bad as the poisonous stares shooting in their direction from the rest of the school at the loss of the big screen. It was easy to see they were going to be blamed for it. The way Percy was carrying on though, he appeared certain to be joining them at the head of the school's shit list. This was an amazing turnaround, leaving Ron as the most popular Weasley inside Hogwarts. Not that this was saying much though.
-oOoOo-
Harry stood beside his father inside the infirmary, he was deep in thought as he surveyed the scene in front of them. Dudley was unconscious with his mum and Luna sitting either side of his bed. In the bed right next to Dudley the same tableau was repeated with different players. Uncle Dan was the one unconscious with Hermione and Aunt Emma at his bedside.
The pranks effects had worn off the magical people effected which was a great relief. Susan had been struggling to contain an enraged wookie Neville from marching over to the Gryffindor table and ripping some Weasley limbs off. At one point Harry thought he was going to have to stun his best friend too. Neville watching Luna and Hermione set about the twins with their lightsabers was probably the only thing that stopped a stunning spell being necessary.
Harry's thoughts had reached a conclusion so it was time to air his views. "Dad, I think coming to Hogwarts was a mistake. Can we go back to school with Dudley?"
This jolted James out of his own thoughts. "What brought that on son, I thought you liked it here?"
"Since September we've had Dumbledore breaking into the castle looking for us, Dudley challenged to a duel, Hermione hospitalized after being hit with a dark curse and now Uncle Dan and Dudley are lying there unconscious. There are parts of Hogwarts I really like but standing here helpless while our family are in the infirmary is not one of them."
James knew he had to choose his words carefully here. If Harry decided he wanted to leave Hogwarts, it was a given that Hermione would go too. Luna would then certainly not want to come here next September and there was a very high probability that both Susan and Neville would follow their friends' lead, following them right out of Hogwarts. Looking again at what was in front of them, it wasn't hard to see how his son had reached that conclusion.
"If this was a deliberate attack on our family son, we would already be packing. For all the Weasley twins' faults, they are not bad guys. They shot for the stars without properly thinking through the consequences. Had it been you and me who drank that potion, instead of Dudley and Dan, we would all have had a great laugh about it. Had Joy drank tainted juice and Sirius been a wookie, I don't think any of us would have been able to stop his rampage."
"I know it wasn't deliberate dad but the results are just the same, first Hermione and now Dudley. It's as if we're being told we're not wanted here."
"It may seem like that at the moment son but stop and think of all the friends you've made since coming here, friends we hope can spend part of the holidays at the manor with us. Dumbledore would be an issue no matter where you went to school so your mother and I both think you and Neville are safer here. The Malfoy issue has been taken care of and you better believe the marauders will be having a talk with the Weasley twins. That is of course assuming Minerva leaves anything for us to talk to."
James then placed his arm around Harry's shoulders, pulling him close. "It isn't any easier for me standing here so I perfectly understand how you feel. How about this for a plan? If you still feel the same at summer then we'll have a family meting to decide what to do next. Dudley will be moving on to his new school then and, should you wish to join him, I would be ok with that. I think a year at Hogwarts will put us all in a better position to make that decision. Will you give it that long?"
"Okay dad, that's fair. If one of our family gets attacked again though…"
"We'll kick their arses through the nearest window on our way out the door."
Harry nodded at that before noticing Hermione matching his head motion.
She'd been listening to the conversation and agreed with Harry to give Hogwarts one more chance. Hermione also agreed wholeheartedly with Harry's earlier point, just because something wasn't intentional didn't lessen the pain suffered. Malfoy might not have meant to hit her with that curse but it still hurt worse than anything else in her life. Her dad and Dudley were going to be unconscious until at least lunchtime and would find any movement painful for the next few days.
Part of her so wanted to get the hell out of this castle and back to safe, dependable Crawley. They had made friends here though and that was the only reason she had for staying. Hermione consoled herself by silently promising that the next person to hurt a member of her family was going to be very, very sorry.
Chapter 18
Dan slowly emerged from the stunner imposed darkness to discover that he was in some kind of hospital, and both his girls were sitting fretting by his bedside. He attempted a reassuring smile but could only manage a grimace, absolutely everything hurt like the devil. "What happened?"
Emma was so relieved she couldn't help but smile, seeing her husband once more back with them. She held his hand before answering his question. "The Weasley twins tried to pull a prank on the whole school, they didn't take into account there were people without magic present."
The concern in Dan's voice was instant and unmistakable. "Was Dudley affected?"
"He's in the bed next to you but hasn't stirred yet."
This almost had Dan crying, one of the boy's he considered a son was going to wake up to this amount of pain. A single glance at his daughter though had his thoughts going in a different direction, Dan hadn't been head hunted by PMP because he was stupid. He addressed his next remark directly to Hermione. "Can I assume the twins have had the error of their ways pointed out to them?"
She hung her head and only nodded in answer.
"What happened sweetie?"
"Luna and me had our lightsabers with us, we set about the twins with them."
Dan was really trying not to laugh at that image, he rightly reckoned any laughter at the moment would be very painful for him. Dan knew that Hermione and Harry's control could slip when they were very angry but this didn't sound too bad, nor like the entire story either if he was reading Hermione's demeanour right. "What else happened?"
Hermione fought back the tears at the next bit but a few still leaked out. "Their brother Percy jumped in to defend their actions. He basically said non magicals had no business being inside Hogwarts in the first place, I'm sorry but I kinda lost it then dad."
Wondering just how bad this could be, Dan waited for Hermione to tell the rest.
"I acted like a spoilt little bitch, taking her ball back when she didn't want to play anymore. I told the entire hall that if you and Dudley weren't welcome here, then neither was all the work you do for them. I blasted the big screen into tiny pieces!"
At that Hermione could no longer hold back the tears and her father opened his arms to her. It was painful when she hugged him but comforting Hermione was his top priority here.
"Hermione love, your dad will be sore..."
"Oh, I wasn't thinking, Sorry dad I ..."
She was cut off from saying anymore by Harry's arms wrapping around her as she drew comfort from him now. "All those people were coming to watch the match this afternoon too. I've embarrassed myself, the school and my family."
Dan could only smile at the young couple before looking to James for some answers, he wasn't disappointed.
"Our girl did us proud Dan, before getting caught up in the moment. Remus left to fetch a new Danovision screen, he and Sirius should have had it fitted long before the quidditch people turned up. Miss Granger's pocket money is going to take a hit for a while though."
Everyone saw the wink James gave at the last remark, everyone but Hermione that is. She was too busy flying into his arms.
"Oh Uncle James, you're the best! I was so worried how I was going to face our friends again, and of course I'm willing to pay for the screen I destroyed."
James kissed this wonderful girl on the forehead, the girl who would one day officially become his daughter, and reckoned he couldn't love her anymore than he did at the moment. "You just did kiddo, wait until I tell Padfoot and Moony that you said I'm the best. Coming from Hermione Granger, that's better than gold." He passed her back into the arms of his son before going over to check on the awakening Dudley.
Dudley woke to his mum on one side of his bed, and Luna on the other. That made everything alright in Dudley's world.
-oOoOo-
James was leaving the infirmary when he discovered a pair of redheaded twins hanging around the corridor.
"Hello professor, how are they?"
"We just wanted to see they were alright, perhaps get a chance to apologise?"
James knew he was going to have to face this so just decided to get it over with now. "I want you two in my office, follow me."
It was a thoroughly cowed Fred and George that followed on behind their head of house, both wondering if this day could get any worse.
James had no trouble maintaining his stern expression as he invited/ordered the twins to take a seat, he was a marauder after all. Sitting behind his desk and facing the two teens brought back fond memories, only he was on the other side of the desk now.
"Today's fiasco leaves me with no option other than to contact your parents." He decided to turn the screw a little more. "For what I have planned for you, I'll need their signed permission."
The twins were almost too afraid to ask the obvious question but, with Professor Potter sitting there and not saying another word, George bravely took the plunge. "What are you planning professor?"
"I'm planning on taking your Christmas Holidays and making you work your fingers to the bone every single day of them."
This drew audible gulps from both of them so James relented and threw the twins a bone. "The underage employment laws state I need your parents signed permission to do this, you think they'll sign?"
Confusion reigned until the marauder put them out of their misery. "You pair seem hell-bent on becoming pranksters, I intend to ensure you learn how to do this properly. I can assure you gentlemen that there is nothing that's more serious than attempting to be funny, and PMP are very serious about their joke products. You pair are going to work for us over the Christmas Holidays and hopefully we will be able to install some of that seriousness into you both."
Neither twin could quite believe what they were hearing, and then their head of house threw in the kicker. "You will of course be paid for your time and work."
Faced now with two very excited but still confused twins, James held his hand up to stop the questions as he tried to explain. "The prank you pulled today had one glaringly obvious flaw, a flaw that could have seen the aurors paying you both a visit. I'm not talking about Dudley and Dan being inside Hogwarts, that was an understandable mistake."
James had to make sure they understood the following piece of information, next time there could be a disaster. "I'm assuming you worked out the dose on yourselves, then calculating a plus or minus margin of error to account for different ages and sizes?"
Both could only nod at how quickly the master prankster had worked everything out, it had taken them days to come up with that.
"Taking those calculations into account, what would be the result of someone less than a tenth of your body mass and with an as yet undeveloped magical core drinking your potion?" James gave that a minute to sink in before answering his own question.
"I'm betting you don't know, because I don't know either. No one knows what the effects would be, as only a lunatic would actually test it on a toddler."
Fred and George were experiencing the full gamut of emotions today. From an unbelievable high of hearing one of their dreams would come true, straight to feeling sick at the possible nightmare that could easily have become reality this morning.
James decided to lay it all on the table for the boys, before the rather green tinged twins threw-up onto it. "PMP are going to be expanding into areas even we never thought were possible, for this we are going to need bright young minds. There will be a Hogwarts apprenticeship programme starting next year, but there will be pretty strict conditions. To even be considered for the programme, we're looking for a minimum of five OWL's at outstanding."
The Gryffindor head of house knew that was well within the twins' capabilities, if they applied themselves. James was merely giving them an incentive. "Once a candidate is accepted into the programme, PMP will meet the costs of their education to NEWT's and further if they wish. For that, when their formal education is completed, they're obligated by contract to work for the company for three years. After those three years, we certainly hope they would continue their employment but are free to strike out on their own if they wish."
George asked the all-important question for both of them. "You would consider us as PMP apprentices?"
"If you meet the criteria, then yes. You both have a flair for this that reminds me of the marauders at your age, what you need to consider is that times are now different. Even in third year, we were very conscious of fighting against the evil creeping into Hogwarts. The marauders had what we considered to be legitimate targets, refining our skills against people who went on to become death eaters. It's wonderful to be sitting here and able to say those days are gone."
James then focused on the two pranksters. "While we can't have a repeat of today, I don't want to choke off the creativity your prank displayed. What I'm hoping for is to provide you with a more commercial outlet for your talents. If you have ideas, we can help develop those ideas into products. If those products reach the stage where they have a PMP logo on them, you would both be in line for a share of any profits they make. Over the holidays, we hope to be able to demonstrate to you both the detailed and rigorous processes required for an idea to become a product on a shelf."
Both boys were now on their feet, shaking their professor's hand in gratitude. The twins knew their parents would go for this scheme in a big way, apprenticeships were exceedingly rare and highly prized in their society. That both of them would have to work their socks off to gain the entry qualifications would be a massive plus in favour of their parents accepting this, the last two years of their education paid for would certainly clinch the deal.
Fred and George knew there were people at Hogwarts who would give their right arm for an opportunity like this, they certainly would. To even be considered was an honour they were now determined to prove themselves worthy off. Hogwarts was about to see a whole new side to the Weasley twins. Percy could work at the ministry if he wanted, Fred and George now had a career path all mapped out. It was two very happy redheads who left their head of house's office, only Professor Potter's request to keep it quiet until he had a chance to talk with their parents stopping them from shouting with glee.
James watched them go with a smile on his lips, helping to shape young minds and lives was what teaching was all about to the marauder. He briefly considered intervening in Percy's punishment but decided to let it stand. The lad had always been a bit officious and pedantic but the prefect's badge his academic scores saw him awarded appeared to have brought those traits to the fore. A few detentions might just take the shine of his ego, before his head of house had to consider taking the shiny badge off Percy's robes.
-oOoOo-
Everyone in the great hall now understood the phrase 'pre-production model'. The new 'Danovision' screen was sleeker, slimmer and, if a product could possibly be classed as this, sexy as hell. When Professor Black was heard to say that there were now two models of their screens, this and a smaller one for home use, not a single person thought they would have any trouble selling them.
Both professional quidditch teams immediately placed pre-orders for the big screens while a few of the players wanted dibs on ones suitable for their homes, all without even asking the price and before seeing the screen in action. After watching today's broadcast, Sirius was certain the pre-orders would increased dramatically. He didn't even have to let slip that the minister of magic had already put his name down for the first system off the production line.
With their communication mirrors systems due for its imminent launch, the company really couldn't get 'Danovision' to market any sooner than Easter. This would also give them longer to build up a bank of recorded programmes for new owners to watch. They were still quite a bit away from broadcasting to all the screens at once, though Dan was already working with Remus on that. The company really didn't want to get into the business of building a broadcasting company, rather hoping other innovators would fill that gap. They had no interest in becoming magical society's equivalent of the BBC, their collective vision for PMP saw their company evolving more along the lines of something like Sony. The broadcasting company would produce the programs using PMP equipment to film, broadcast and watch the final product.
The broadcast had started but Sirius was immediately drawn from quidditch when his mirror alarm went off. This was not the Dumbledore warning though, rather one they had practically forgotten about. While Pettigtrew had still been unaccounted for, the rat had his own dedicated alarm. The marauders also thought it might be a good idea to assign an animagus alert, and that was what had just triggered on his mirror. With two of them being able to transform into animals, it was quite easy to programme the map to tell the difference between whether someone was in their animagus form or not. Then it was only a matter of setting the screens so that Padfoot, Prancer or Minerva's pussy didn't trigger the alert.
Sirius had his mirror out and could see Remus was doing the same, both relaxed after seeing who had entered the wards in their animagus form. Technically, that should be their unregistered animagus form. The mirror also showed James had sprinted to the main staircase, and was now waiting there to see how this played out.
He was between their unannounced visitor and the kids currently in the infirmary, able to head the intruder off if that was their intended destination. If they headed into the great hall, James would be able to arrive behind them and block the uninvited guest's exit. With the kids' mirrors not being keyed to this alarm, the marauders didn't have to worry about them becoming involved.
The reporter in Rita was drawn to the noise coming from the great hall like a moth to a flame, being inherently nosy was a definite plus in her chosen career. She was shocked out of her mind at the sight of hundreds of people all sitting around a screen, shouting encouragement at the quidditch match currently being shown there. Rita was initially actually quite hurt. What was the point of sneaking in here if no one was paying the slightest bit of notice? Her form could have been an elephant and they wouldn't have cared a jot, unless she walked between them and the screen.
If Rita wanted to discover a lead on Dumbledore, she figured this would be the place to start. If she was honest with herself, sneaking into Hogwarts and praying for a break was all she had left. It was a pity she couldn't report on the phenomenon she was watching in front of her. Her editor would love the story but it would blow her cover, not something she wanted to do. Even as a bug, Rita found herself being drawn into what everyone else was watching. She landed on a beam about fifteen feet up and settled down to watch as well, there were certainly worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Rita felt as if her last comment must have tempted the gods because suddenly she was in a lot of pain. Hitting the floor in her human form only saw that pain increase, it felt like she'd broken her collar bone. That the reporter now had three wands in her face didn't bode well for how the rest of her day was going to turn out.
The marauders had Rita's location pinned down and all three cast the animagus reversal spell at the same time. Rita clattering to the floor brought Minerva and Barty running to discover just what was going on, the headmistress couldn't quite hide her glee at the trespasser they'd caught. Putting any of her students in danger was always going to earn you a place near the very top of Minerva McGonagall's shit list, Rita was right up there and now deep in it.
By the time Rita was taken to the Hogwarts infirmary, there were two aurors accompanying Amelia and waiting on the unregistered animagus' arrival. That those two aurors both had the last name Longbottom ensured there wasn't much sympathy for the reporter, Alice did at least wait until Poppy had fixed the broken collar bone before slapping cuffs on Rita.
Barty had every confidence in his head auror so was content to stand in the background and let Amelia run the show. That most of the people Amelia considered family were already inside the infirmary would only focus her determination to get to the bottom of this.
"Rita, we're going to have a little chat here that will determine just what we charge you with. Being an unregistered animagus brings its own charges and penalties. That you were using your form to trespass on a school full of vulnerable children could see those charges and penalties go through the roof. Now, what were you doing inside Hogwarts?"
The reporter had plenty of experience on just how ruthless the ministry could be with criminals, she'd covered quite a few of the death eater trials for the Prophet. Rita had no wish to read headlines about herself being shipped off to Azkaban, she thought only the truth could stop that. "I was looking for any clues that would hopefully lead me to Dumbledore. My editor has me searching for him but, after days spent going through every article and report I could get my hands on, I had nothing. Desperation brought me to Hogwarts."
Amelia knew she had this bitch bang to rights, she wanted to get her hands on the big prize though. "Just what were the Prophet's intentions with this move?"
"I think our editor is desperate to make up for the mistake he made after printing that Dumbledore story. The Malfoy case was one where everyone benefited, I'm sure he hoped to do the same with Dumbledore. The ministry gets to arrest him and the Prophet gets the story."
The interrogation had almost reached the level of a friendly chat, this was deliberate as Amelia slipped in the all important question. "How did your editor expect you to be able to find Dumbledore? Does he know about your animagus ability?"
"Oh yes. Years ago he wouldn't print a story of mine unless I revealed how I got it, Mr White didn't want the paper sued. When he discovered what I could do, I was the paper's top reporter within eighteen months."
All present knew that the Prophet's editor was now seriously implicated in his reporter's illegal activities. That they were, in this case, using those abilities to track down magical Britain's most wanted wizard only bought them a little leeway. The editor's main objectives here were clearly to sell more papers, and hopefully worm the Prophet's way back into PMP's good graces.
Barty was mentally weighing up the pros and cons of these revelations in his head. The Prophet had been very helpful in those early days just after the dark lord's demise, there could be no denying that. While the rest of their society had moved on from there though, the paper was still stuck in the pre-Voldemort days and hadn't developed the way it should have. This was being borne out by the steady circulation rise of the far more innovative Quibbler.
The minister wanted to leave the country in good hands when he eventually stepped down but thought Peter White was too old school to help drag their community where it needed to go. Barty had no burning desire to see the editor heading off to jail though, providing Peter's early retirement came along in the near future. He also thought Rita was far too useful a resource to be rotting her arse off in Azkaban. He would speak to Amelia about the possibility of recruiting the soon to be ex-reporter, Rita could be a useful addition to the auror department's undercover squad.
Barty had been serious when he told Minerva that the ministry held no attraction for him anymore, he would retire tomorrow if they caught Dumbledore tonight. That Headmistress McGonagall had hinted heavily she might have a job for him when he left the ministry was another incentive to retire soon. Teaching history to young minds would be imminently preferable to some of the crap he had to deal with at the moment. Barty would happily spend the rest of his life ensuring that no youngsters were ever seduced by delusional dark nutters, not while he was working in the castle.
In direct contrast, the minister had been briefed on PMP's proposed apprenticeship programme and thought this could be the best opportunity for Hogwarts students in many generations. He couldn't help but wish some of these things had been available when his own son attended Hogwarts, perhaps Barty junior would have turned out differently.
That Amelia would be his recommended candidate to be the next minister of magic should help her secure the post, that she would undoubtedly have the backing of her 'family' should all but seal the deal. She had no serious competition for the top job from within the ministry, and the Potter - Black - Longbottom support should end any threat from those outside that establishment. When you factored in Lovegood, and even Granger with the advent of Danovision could become a player, that should be enough powerful backing to win any election campaign.
The wizard Barty really admired though was James Potter, and he personally thought Lord Potter would make an outstanding minister of magic some day. James was such a contradiction in terms yet also one of the most grounded individuals it had been Barty's pleasure to meet. From an old pureblood family yet married a first generation witch and has a werewolf as a best friend. He's currently head of Gryffindor yet his son gets sorted into Slytherin, along with Harry's betrothed who was also a first generation witch. It was in his treatment and raising of the other son though that most drew Barty's admiration. The lad was a muggle yet was clearly at home in the magical world, he also couldn't help but notice that Dudley's group of magical friends appeared more than comfortable in the muggle world too.
The concept that there actually was only one world was so alien to British witches and wizards that most muggles might well have been from another planet. For generations the ministry and the wizengamot had forced through polices and laws to reinforce these barriers that existed. Barty truly believed that by the time Harry and Miss Granger's children made it to Hogwarts, those barriers might be gone forever. To the group of friends, those self-same barriers clearly didn't exist. Yes they respected the secrecy laws and refrained from performing magic in front of those they shouldn't, it didn't stop them from enjoying whatever the muggle/magical worlds had to offer. It was also blatantly obvious their beliefs and views were rapidly spreading amongst their peers at Hogwarts.
The minister of magic still had trouble believing he'd lived to see a muggle child being made welcome inside Slytherin House. This miracle in itself offered Barty serious hope for the future of their society.
-oOoOo-
It was dinner time before the group of first year Slytherins returned to the great hall. Madam Pomfrey had allowed Dan and Dudley to leave but wanted them both to remain in the castle for another twenty four hours, no one was going to complain about that. Where Dudley went, Luna was sure to follow and their youngest member would attend classes with them tomorrow, along with Dudley.
Hermione was holding on to Harry's arm, unsure of the reception she would receive from the rest of the school. The other first year Slytherins weren't slow to show their support, relaxing Hermione's fears until the twins showed up.
"Dudley, we're really sorry about what happened this morning."
"Same with your father Hermione."
"You were right, we just didn't think."
"I was wrong for attacking you both, and for that I'm sorry too."
Susan could see this turning mushy and wasn't about to let that spoil a perfectly good dinner. "Yeah Hermione, it should have been that perfect, sorry prefect brother of theirs you and Luna should have set about."
This drew a few laughs, prefect Percy wasn't well liked even in his own house.
Pansy though had another complaint. "Hey, how about apologising to us. Because Dudley's stuck inside the castle under Pomfrey's orders, we're missing movie night."
Harry had a surprise for them. "Actually, you won't miss anything. My dad is going to Crawley and will put on a movie before he has to take care of some business."
Hermione never could resist not knowing something. "Why's Uncle James going to our house tonight?"
Harry appeared embarrassed to answer because of the present company. He finally relented as it would be all over the castle by tomorrow anyway. "He's stopping there before going to visit the Weasley's. He apparently wants to talk to these two's mum and dad."
The twins releasing whoops of joy and high-fiving each other was not the response any of them expected. They returned to the Gryffindor table in great spirits to finish their dinner, before practically skipping to their detention.
The movie James chose was also unexpected, but went down a storm. Disney's 'The Sword and the Stone' had everyone laughing and cheering at the on screen antics and cartoon portrayal of magic.
The headmistress though showing Merlin teaching the young boy was a stroke of genius, as was the so-called transfigurations shown in the movie. Merlin changing himself into a bug to make the dragon ill was very funny, impossible but it got the children thinking on the possibilities. That's why Minerva thought these screens were such a great educational tool, anything that could inspire the children think for themselves was worth its weight in gold as far as she was concerned.
-oOoOo-
James was leaving the Burrow while trying to hold his laughter in, at least until he got away from the Weasley parents. This was the first time he'd met Arthur and Molly since the days of Dumbledore's old Order of the Phoenix, apart from listening, along with the rest of the school, to those loud and rather frequent howlers the twins' received from their mother. After Dumbledore's manipulations had become public knowledge, distancing yourself from the self appointed leader of the light was a priority. Not that the Potters were ever really close friends with the Weasleys, more like acquaintances with mutual enemies.
James still knew them well enough to understand that rendering Molly Weasley speechless was a marauder worthy achievement, and the main cause of his current hilarity.
Both parents had been understandably worried when the head of Gryffindor turned up at their door, that the visit would be concerning Fred and George was already a given. James didn't bother mentioning the trouble the twins had caused this morning, Minerva had dealt with the situation so he didn't see the need to drag it up again.
For Arthur and Molly, to discover that their problem pair weren't in trouble was a great relief. The Christmas holiday job offer came as a sharp surprise, that it could possibly lead to a full apprenticeship further down the line was a complete and utter shock. The Weasley parents were all in favour of the conditions laid down for acceptance to the programme. Both knew their twin sons had loads of potential, it was just motivating them to unlock their potential that had always been the problem.
When their daughter set off for Hogwarts next September, there would be five Weasleys inside the castle. With money already tight, sustaining that would cause severe financial hardship. The possibility of George and Fred winning apprenticeships wasn't just some light at the end of the tunnel, it was more like the dawn of a new day. They could go from having to pay fees for five children down to just two after the twins sat their OWL's, an unbelievable and life-changing saving for the Weasley family.
Arthur had trouble with his own laughter when Molly eventually recovered from the shocking good news. It was funny as she then attempted to hug their potential benefactor, while Professor James Potter shot out the door as quickly as courtesy and manners allowed.
-oOoOo-
Albus was mentally revising his plans for tomorrow, yes it was the umpteenth time he'd gone over them today but it wasn't like he had anything else to occupy his attention. The former headmaster was certain Voldemort would strike soon, he needed the monitoring charms on those boys so he could rush to the rescue. Only then could he defeat the dark lord and reclaim his rightful place in British wizarding society.
The ministry, Hogwarts and that blasted newspaper must all reckon they were being so clever, working together with their ruse to get Albus Dumbledore down into the Hogwarts dungeons. Albus though had very different plans of his own. His elf had managed to 'find' him a first year Gryffindor timetable so Albus now knew exactly where both boys would be at any given time. They must really think he was going senile with that 'both in Slytherin' rubbish, it would be a cold day in hell before a Potter or a Longbottom were sorted anywhere but the house of lions.