Chapter 17 - CompromiseEmma Granger walked bleary-eyed into the kitchen to get a drink of water before she started her morning exercises. To her surprise, since Hermione had written to her only two days ago, Hedwig was sitting in the kitchen next to their family owl, apparently having arrived last night and come in through the special owl door Hermione had created.
Walking over, she petted Hedwig and removed the letter. As a reward, she pulled out an owl treat and gave it to the white owl, who accepted it gratefully. Then, just because, she gave their owl - Archimedes - some loving with attentive petting.
Opening the letter, she started reading it, each sentence shocking her a little more as well as making her angrier. She was fuming by the time she finished the letter. The fact that she would soon get something she had wanted for over a year meant nothing at the moment. If a certain old man was in her kitchen right now, she was sure he would not be able to walk away from her when she was finished "sharing her feelings" with him. The fact that she did not like to commit violence, while the contents of the letter inspired her to harm the Headmaster, made her that much angrier.
Grabbing a pen and some paper, she scribbled two hasty notes and gave them to Hedwig. "When you feel rested, please take this one to Hermione first, then the other to Headmaster Dumbledore." The owl immediately took off.
Writing another note, she gave it to Archimedes. "Please take this to Sirius Black." The tawny owl hooted and took off, flying out through the owl door.
Picking up Hermione's letter, she hurried upstairs and into the master bedroom. "Dan!"
"Wha-" he slurred as he suddenly sat up in bed, startled awake by his wife.
"Look at this!" she said angrily, thrusting the letter at him, her arm shaking with her swirling emotions.
Seeing the look on her face, he steeled himself and pulled the letter from her. He mumbled as he read, "… Dumbledore's protections didn't work … Harry entered without his knowledge … forced to compete or lose his magic … he'll have to stay here all year … we'll help him as much as we can … will search the rules for a loophole … will definitely keep our promise about Beauxbatons … next year."
He looked up at his wife and was sure he looked as angry as she did. "That bloody bastard!"
"I've already sent a note to that bloody bastard to be here at eight tonight to discuss this. I've also sent a note to Sirius inviting him to dinner at six and then to stay for the evening."
"Yes, good idea. We can strategize with Sirius," he said approvingly, losing a little of his anger as a plan came together in his head.
"I've also sent a note back to Hermione to keep us informed, but it will probably be a few days before we hear from her."
Dan nodded. "You're probably right. She'll want to research the rules before she writes back." He stretched and swung his feet out of bed. "I'm glad Harry is in our life, but life - or fate - is really unkind to him."
"It is, isn't it?" She shook her head. "I'm going back down to exercise. I need to work some of my feelings off before we head to work."
Dan stood and gave his wife a hug. "We'll get through this somehow."
Going back downstairs, Emma saw an owl arrive, delivering the Daily Prophet. She took the newspaper and opened it. There on the front page was a story about her Harry being picked as an unexpected Triwizard Tournament champion. She mentally promised Hermione an extra hug for sending the note, rather than letting her find out via the newspaper.
Damn that old man, she thought as she went to do her morning exercises.
Harry had barely sat down for breakfast when the Headmaster walked up to him. "Here are the rules, Harry. You can keep those." He handed a thin roll of parchment over. "Oh, you'll probably want to know that we found a Confundus charm on the Goblet of Fire. We believe that's what allowed your name to be entered and picked."
Harry slowly took the scroll. "Do you know who cast it?"
"No, I'm sorry we don't. There is so much magic on the Goblet that it was difficult to find that one extraneous spell, much less detect any sufficient magical residue to determine the caster. However, we are still investigating and hope to have an answer later. I shall inform you when we get more information."
"Uh, thank you." Harry was filled with disappointment as he watched the Headmaster walk to his place at the head table.
"What do you want to bet they don't find out who did this, or if he does, that you don't get told?" Ginny whispered to him.
Harry snorted. "No fair betting on sure things," he told her a little sarcastically.
Hermione relieved him of the rules so she could look at them as soon as she had a free moment.
Sirius Black Apparated to the Grangers' back garden, easily guessing what this evening's discussion would be about. Between Emma's note about Harry needing his help and the article in the Daily Prophet this morning, there was no doubt in his mind what they wanted to discuss. He also fully expected Dumbledore, and possibly McGonagall too, to visit tonight.
He knocked on their back door to get Emma's attention so as not to scare her.
She waved him in. "Sirius, thank you so much for coming."
"It wasn't hard to guess why, and if you're feeling anything close to what I am, I want to be present to see the fireworks. I assume we'll have another visitor later?"
"I sent the Headmaster a note that I expected him here at eight."
"I can hardly wait," he said with an almost evil grin. "Where's Dan?"
"He mentioned something about giving his hunting rifle a good clean, but I believe he's really freshening up after work today. I generally don't believe in violence, but part of me right now wouldn't mind seeing if magic is really good enough to save a person from a gunshot at close range," she said a little venomously.
Sirius snorted. "While I am aware of guns, I've never seen one used so I can't comment. However, I'm very willing at the moment to turn a blind eye to Dan's experiment."
"Why thank you, Sirius," Dan said as he walked into the room, without a gun. His wife handed him a casserole dish to take to the dining room while she grabbed the drinks.
"This way," Emma called over her shoulder to Sirius.
After they each had served up their food, Emma looked at their guest. "Hermione sent a letter this morning with some … interesting facts." She pulled the paper out of her pocket and handed it over. She watched him read it, his face becoming grimmer as he went.
"That…" Sirius choked his words off and looked at Emma.
She and Dan laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure we said worse when we read that this morning."
Sirius grinned at her and put the letter down. "I assume our present discussion is about what can be done?"
"Yes," he got in stereo.
"As you can see, unless Hermione finds a way to remove Harry from the Tournament, he's going to have to stay at Hogwarts, no matter how much all of us don't like it. However," Sirius gave one of his mischievous grins, "that doesn't mean that we can't use this to help Harry."
"How?" Dan asked. "Personally, I want to punch Dumbledore's lights out, but I can't think of a way to directly help Harry by doing that."
Sirius laughed. "I think you'd be joining a queue for that. Dumbledore may be well liked by many people, but he does have his enemies as well as those who do not think highly of him," he said a little aggressively. "One thing I can tell you, based on his past actions, is that Dumbledore wants Harry to be attending Hogwarts, and he wants that more than many other things. Can I assume that Harry and Hermione will not be attending Hogwarts after this year?"
"Definitely not! As you saw in that letter, they've even said they should be ready to transfer next year," Emma told him.
"Right, I thought that was what they were referring to, but I wasn't sure. So, we use Dumbledore's desire to our advantage. Even though you have no plans to let your children go there again, you can still dangle that in front of him. If he does certain things and everything works out perfectly, you'll strongly consider changing your minds and let Harry go to Hogwarts next year."
Dan looked at his wife and they both chuckled. "I like it," he said. "So, what do we ask for?"
"First, we ask for a room for Harry to train in. Second," Sirius gave his biggest grin yet, "we ask for unlimited access to the Restricted Section of the library for your children."
"I understand a room to train in," Dan said, "but why the access to the library?"
"Because Harry's going to need all the help he can get, and Hermione, bless her genius little brain, can make use of the restricted materials to help Harry. Lastly, I happen to know that they plan on having a Yule Ball over Christmas and that they will cancel the Christmas trips home. So you want to ask for special permission for Harry, Hermione - oh, and don't forget Ginny - to come and visit you on Boxing Day, and to stay until the day before the Spring term starts. I will, of course, volunteer to help them travel from the school gates to your home and back again." Sirius looked very pleased with himself.
Dan and Emma looked at each other for a long moment. "I can't think of anything else."
"Me neither."
"There is one more thing you need to know," Sirius told them, suddenly very serious. "Albus Dumbledore knows a lot of things and a lot of magic. He can be very persuasive when he wants to be, and he definitely wants Harry to stay at Hogwarts for some reason. All of that means that he will use every tool short of magically compelling you to make Harry stay. That definitely includes using Mind Magic against you."
"What?" They both looked horrified.
"That means that he will attempt to use a subtle magic to detect whether you are telling the truth or not, which includes being able to figure out if you are bluffing or truly mean what you say." Sirius was not going to mention reading their current thoughts; there was no need to frighten them that much. "That means you need to avoid looking him directly in the eye, and you need to honestly believe what you say. So, you need to believe that if he could make the rest of Harry's year perfectly safe, Harry would stay at Hogwarts."
"But…"
"Yes, but…" Sirius stopped Emma with a grin. "There is almost no hope of that happening given that Harry is in the Triwizard Tournament, but you must believe you'd let Harry stay if things went perfectly. Again, I don't believe that has chance in hell of happening, so it's a safe thing to believe."
Dan looked at him very thoughtfully. "But won't Dumbledore know that he can't promise that Harry will be perfectly safe?"
Sirius chuckled. "That's the great thing about Dumbledore. Over the years, he's come to believe what everyone says about him, that he's so great and can do anything. In the back of his mind, he'll know and even admit to you that he's not perfect, but on something like this that he really wants to get his way on, he'll believe that his scheme to make it work can not fail. So take a few minutes and work into your minds that you believe you could let Harry return if everything went perfectly. I'll take a few minutes to think about how to word it so Dumbledore will take the bait and yet can't get out of the agreement when he fails."
Dan and Emma nodded. The three sat quietly, taking a few minutes to work through their thoughts. Sirius also asked for some paper and a pen, knowing the Grangers did not keep parchment and quills. He wrote down his idea and looked it over, making a few small changes. He handed it to the Grangers.
"Ah," Emma said with a smile afterwards. "I can see how this would appeal to him, as you've described him."
"Sirius? I do have one other question."
"Go ahead, Dan."
"When you mentioned coming home after the Yule Ball, why did you suggest asking for Ginny to join them?"
The old Marauder chuckled. "Because I don't think I've ever seen them not be together when they could, so I was trying to avoid problems."
"What do you think is going on between them?" Emma asked. "I've never seen anything like it. It's like they're dating or something, but I've never seen anything more than hugs and the occasional chaste kiss on the cheek, plus they've been doing this since Hermione and Harry were in first year with Ginny joining a year later. That's too young for a relationship beyond friendship."
Sirius raked one hand through his hair and sighed deeply. Personally, he suspected something magical was happening or had already happened, but he did not feel he could say that without proof. "I'm not sure I can really say," he said slowly. "The easiest answer is the most obvious one. Harry has saved each of their lives and that has created a very special friendship. I've met Aurors - magical policemen - that went through some very traumatic things together in the last war. They never knew each other before they worked together, and after their shared experiences, they became closer than brothers." He shrugged, not sure what else to say.
"Could magic cause something to happen between the three of them?" Dan asked.
Only years of being a Marauder allowed Sirius to shrug casually, as if the question were of no importance, as he could prove nothing and did not want to scare the Grangers. "Who can say? Magic is a wondrous thing and, according to the theory books, capable of many incredible things given enough power. If it will make you feel better, I can honestly say I've never heard of anything like this, not even any legends or fairy tales."
Both of the Grangers gave him a relieved look, which he mirrored, despite that fact that Sirius would not be surprised if someone told him that magic was doing something to those three teens to bring them closer together.
Dan, Emma, and Sirius sat in the Grangers' living room waiting. There was soft, soothing music playing in the brightly lit room, a nearby table held a teapot that was staying just below boiling on the heating pad, and Emma had her best tea available. It may not have been much, but it was her way of stating that they had the fine comforts of home without the need for magic.
As the grandfather clock struck eight, Sirius said, "Be prepared for him to bring Minerva McGonagall."
"Why would he?" Dan asked.
"Don't you feel a little less confrontational when you're dealing with someone you know and have a good relationship with?" Sirius asked with a grin. "Don't forget, Dumbledore's been dealing with politics for longer than I've been alive. He knows how to do the little things to help himself." He shrugged. "Of course, she might not be here, but be prepared for it."
"Is that along the lines of having you here to help us may make it harder for him?"
Sirius grinned. "Something like that, Dan, although I will say that it is truly hard to unsettle him. You probably don't realize it, but Albus Dumbledore is around one hundred and thirteen years old. He's seen about everything there is to see."
"But … he doesn't look more than about seventy," Emma said.
"That's magic," Sirius said, his grin continuing. "Barring accidents or disease, your daughter should reach that age, or near it. And she'll also age very slowly. To put it in perspective for you, how old would you say Minerva McGonagall is?"
Emma paused to consider it. "Late forties or maybe fifty."
"To the best of my knowledge, I believe she was in school during the early years of World War Two, which would make her close to seventy now. To me, she's hardly changed at all in the twelve years I've been gone, and I wouldn't expect her appearance to change much for the next twenty years."
"That's amazing…" Emma sounded slightly shaky.
A knock sounded on the front door and Dan went to answer it. A moment later, Dan returned with a smile that was not entirely suppressed as he looked at Sirius. Behind him, Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall entered the room.
"Good evening, Mrs Granger." Dumbledore paused ever so slightly as he caught sight of Sirius. "And a good evening to you as well, Sirius. I'm surprised to see you here."
"Harry is my godson and I care very deeply for his well-being."
"Of course."
"Good evening, Mrs Granger, Sirius," McGonagall acknowledged them.
"Good evening, Professors. Would anyone like some tea?" Emma offered.
"Yes, please. Would you like me to heat it?" Dumbledore asked, starting to pull his wand out.
"No need," Emma said with a smile. "Our little hot plate here keeps the water at the perfect temperature." She supplied everyone with refreshments and then sat down, ready to make her feelings known.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we might as well get on with the main topic. As you know, Harry's name very unexpectedly came out of the Goblet of Fire last evening. It is the arbitrator and final judge of the Triwizard Tournament, at least in a manner of speaking. It is certainly the judge as far as who competes. When it chooses a name, it creates a magical binding with said champion such that they must actively participate. Unfortunately, if a champion changes his mind later, he can not get out of the requirement for active participation."
"And what about when someone's name comes out that never wanted to be in the Tournament to begin with?" Dan asked pointedly.
"I'm afraid," Dumbledore said a little slower, "that the Goblet of Fire can not distinguish such intentions. To it, a name entered is someone who will compete if chosen."
"Then you're saying that Harry has no recourse, no out, no way of avoiding this dangerous idiotic misbegotten competition?" Dan queried with some heat.
Dumbledore stiffened slightly. "I wouldn't put it quite that way, but you do have the essential fact correct."
"Then I wish to withdraw my son from your school immediately. That will stop this lunacy, will it not?" Dan saw both of the professors become uncomfortable now.
"No, Mr Granger," Dumbledore said firmly, "I'm afraid that's not possible and if you did, then Harry would lose his magic because the Tournament creates a magical contract and bond with the chosen champions. To break that magical contract is what would strip your son of his magic. I'm sad to say it, but it happened once about three hundred and fifty years ago when a champion backed out and refused to participate in one of the assigned tasks. He also died about three weeks later, because a magical person's body must have magic to survive."
Emma now entered the conversation, and she was angry. "So, for the third time, or perhaps fourth time depending on how one counts, my son's life is in danger because he is at your school. Please explain to me exactly how you are fulfilling one of your two main goals as a headmaster - that is keeping your students safe. Because to me, it looks like you are failing abysmally."
"You have my sincerest apologies, Mr and Mrs Granger," Dumbledore said solemnly. "I took precautions to prevent the younger students from entering, but my precautions were sabotaged and the enchantments on the Goblet of Fire were even tampered with."
"So once again, you have lax security at your school, although it's not a deadly magical beast this time." Emma looked at her husband.
"Our daughter will stay with our son to help protect him, but we want all of their school records and everything else required to transfer them to another magical school as soon as this Tournament of yours has finished," Dan demanded.
"Mr and Mrs Granger, there is no need to be hasty over a minor problem…"
"Minor? Do you call being stripped of your magic minor?" Emma shouted at him, finally losing her cool. "If that's a minor problem to you, then Professor McGonagall, I request you remove the Headmaster's magic and let's see him deal with it to show us how minor it is."
Dan put his hand on his wife's arm to stop her, not that he really wanted to, but custom demanded that shouting should not happen. "Headmaster," he said into the following silence, "my apologies for the delivery, but I happen to fully agree with her point. If this is minor, then please give up your magic and demonstrate what my son would have to go through and how to have a long and normal life after that." Out of the corner of his eye, Dan noticed Sirius's mask break for the first time this evening as the man put his hand in front of his mouth to cover a nonexistent cough. He also noticed that McGonagall was staying very quiet and she did not look comfortable.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Are there any other questions I can answer for you before we leave?"
"Yes, Headmaster, you can answer the standing question. Can you show us how you give up your magic and have a normal life for years to come?" Dan did not back down.
"I'm afraid that's not possible…"
"Then you, sir," Dan said heatedly, "had better make sure my son finishes your damn Tournament as healthy as he is right now, because if you don't, I will take this matter to every court in the land to see that you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of every law available and thrown into the darkest hole they can find. I don't care if I have to go to the Queen herself, I will see justice done."
"I understand your feelings, Mr Granger, I really do; however, the Statue of Secrecy on Magic will prevent you going to the Queen…"
"I don't particularly care about your secrecy, Headmaster, if you can't be bothered to keep my son safe. You created this mess; you will carry the blame for it."
"Nevertheless…"
"Nevertheless, Albus," Sirius suddenly spoke up, "I can and willpursue it through all magical courts, British and international, as required. If you fail to keep my godson safe, I will see your reputation ruined. Your legacy will be that you killed The-Boy-Who-Lived. I will walk every step of the way in this matter with Dan and Emma."
In the silence, Emma looked at the other teacher. "Professor McGonagall, I would like you to send us a copy of Harry and Hermione's current school records. We will need them when we talk with other schools about our children attending there next year, or at least I'm being hopeful they will be alive to do that, as the alternative is too horrible to contemplate."
"As you wish, I'll send a copy to you..."
Dumbledore held up a hand to stop his assistant. "Mr and Mrs Granger, I do apologize for my choice of words a few moments ago. You are quite right that this is not minor. I merely meant that this difficulty is not so large as to create problems that we can not surmount. Harry is a very resourceful young man and your daughter is a great help to him. I fully believe he will come through this Tournament with flying colours and perfectly healthy, just as he is now. Given that, I see no reason to remove him and your daughter from Hogwarts. I'm sure that next year will be just fine and without difficulties again, like last year was."
"Despite your glib assurances, Headmaster, I see no reason to keep them there and every reason to remove them," Dan replied.
"Mr Granger, I can and will keep them safe." Dumbledore sighed. "Perhaps I should return to a question I asked a few years ago. At that time, I asked you what it would take for your children to stay at Hogwarts when we had a disagreement over Professor Snape. We reached an agreement and that has been going well, has it not?"
Dan and Emma both grudgingly nodded, although they were both surprised at the accuracy of Sirius guess as to how this meeting would go.
"Then let me ask the same question again, as I believe I can make the situation better here as well. There are a few things I can not do, such as give Harry direct help with the Tournament, or have my staff help him directly. The rules of the Tournament forbid that. However, there are other things I could do to help keep Harry safe. So what do I need to do to ensure that your children return to Hogwarts next year?" The kind grandfatherly look was back as Dumbledore looked at each of them.
Sirius's advice about avoiding looking into the man's eyes suddenly hit them, so they looked at each other, as if debating on what to do.
"Harry's safety is paramount," Emma told him. "I would need assurances that he would be as healthy and safe at the end of the year as he is now, if I were to even consider my children returning next year."
"I understand and I think that's very reasonable," Dumbledore agreed easily.
"That means no life-and-death situations and no having to save other people's lives, which pulls him into deadly situations. He, and my daughter too, will need to finish the year just like they started it, with no extra complications in their life."
"I understand, Mrs Granger," Dumbledore told her without apparent worry. "There will be some danger associated with the Tournament, but I feel relatively certain it will only be of the minor variety like cuts or a broken bone, all of which are easily fixed with an overnight stay in the care of our school nurse. The worst he could face would be magical exhaustion, which two to five days of rest will fix. Magical healing is very good and far in advance of the healing you're familiar with. So other than danger directly associated with the Tournament which he can not avoid, I can agree with that."
"Harry can't possibly protect himself unless he is well prepared," Dan said. "He will need a place to train and practice whatever he needs to practice for."
"That is also easily solved." Dumbledore turned to his assistant. "Professor McGonagall, there are several empty classrooms near Gryffindor Tower, are there not?"
"Yes, we could assign one for Harry's use. To be fair, we should offer the same to Cedric Diggory," she answered.
"You have a point. Please take care of a room for Harry and work with Professor Sprout on one for Mr Diggory." Dumbledore turned back to the Grangers with his usual smile.
"If you're going to expect Harry to keep up with older students, then he needs to have the knowledge to do so. My son and my daughter will require unrestricted access to the library," Emma demanded.
"Mrs Granger, there are some very dangerous books in our library, and some are restricted to the older students for a reason."
"Headmaster, you've put our son, and by extension our daughter, into the position of an older student. Therefore, I expect them to have all of the same resources, especially if they have to deal with the same problems while they are three years behind in their schooling," Emma said, not backing down.
They all sat there for a moment in silence. "It seems like a reasonable request to me and I believe Mr Potter and Miss Granger will hand the privilege responsibly," McGonagall said quietly.
Dumbledore did not look like he agreed, but he nodded. "Very well."
"If you do all of that, and Harry and Hermione finish the year like they are right now, then we will allow them to return to Hogwarts next year," Dan begrudgingly said.
"The children will be home for Christmas, will they not?" Emma suddenly asked.
"Actually, there is a Yule Ball on the evening of the twenty-fifth and Harry will be required to attend," Dumbledore informed them.
"But I can meet them at the gates and escort them home on the twenty-sixth as well as back again before the next term starts," Sirius said. "That would be my condition for this lunacy you're putting them through, Albus. Oh, and that includes Ginny Weasley too, since she is their best friend."
"That would require the Weasleys to give their permission," McGonagall pointed out.
"I'll secure that from Arthur and give it to you before then," Sirius agreed.
Dumbledore wondered yet again how he found himself in another one of these negotiations with the Grangers. He looked at Dan and Emma. He could sense their reluctance to support their children returning to Hogwarts, but they also seemed hopeful. A brief Legilimency scan of Dan showed he thought their children would not be going to Hogwarts next year, but it was because he thought Dumbledore would fail to keep his end of the bargain. He gave them his patented smile. "Very well, I will agree to all of that, if you will agree to sending Harry and Hermione back to Hogwarts next year if I fulfil my part."
"We will," Dan said, a little forced and not in a friendly manner.
"Excellent, I'm glad we could find common ground. If there is nothing else of importance, I believe we should call this evening to a close. And thank you for the very fine tea, Mrs Granger." Dumbledore stood after a silent moment and McGonagall joined him.
"Thank you for coming, professors," Dan returned.
"Oh, if you would please give this to my daughter this evening?" Emma asked McGonagall as she pulled out a sealed envelope and held it out.
McGonagall took it. "I'll give it to her as soon as I return."
"I would also like a copy of the rules for the Tournament," Sirius requested.
"I will owl you a copy. If you don't mind, we'll leave from here?" Dumbledore asked. With agreement from Dan, the two Apparated away with soft cracks.
The three remaining in the Grangers' house practically wilted as the stress bled off.
"We did it," Emma said quietly.
"We did." Dan looked at Sirius. "You know, towards the end, there was a moment where I found myself thinking about Dumbledore not keeping his promise and the children not having to return next year while I was actively thinking about if there was anything we needed to talk to Minerva about."
Sirius frowned. "And that is why you don't look Albus in the eye. I'm sorry he did that to you."
"He would do that to anyone he wants?" Dan asked in outrage. "Aren't people's own thoughts private?"
"There is a defence, but it takes magic. I know it, although I'm not a master at it. But to answer your first question, he would tell you he doesn't do it all that often, but if the stakes are high enough, he would do it for the greater good. And no, before you ask, I don't know why he thinks having Harry go to Hogwarts is that important. I have a few clues, but they don't make sense to me."
"So now we just wait?" Emma asked.
"Well, I'll secure a permission note from Arthur for Ginny's Christmas visit when I see him at the Ministry tomorrow. Otherwise yes, about all you can do is wait, and write a letter to your children telling them what has been agreed to."
"Right." Emma took a deep breath and looked to be filled with purpose again as she got up to write a letter.
Dan stood and held his hand out to Sirius. "Thank you so very much. We would not have come out nearly as well without your help."
"It was my pleasure. We have a common interest." Sirius looked at the man carefully for a moment. "You're not James and Lily, but you're both a damn fine replacement and probably a better one than I could be. Thank you for caring for Harry." Sirius left with a faint crack of his own.
The Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress had Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and were walking back towards the school.
Minerva noticed that Albus had a smile firmly fixed on his face as they walked. "What do you find so amusing, Albus? It sounded like to me that they just told you that you are failing as a Headmaster."
"Oh, in a sense you're correct, but it really doesn't matter. When one looks at the bigger picture, I believe it will all work out just fine. Harry will remain here where I can guide him as needed, and that is as it should be. One must keep one's priorities in place and ignore the minor distractions."
"Albus, I believe you are forgetting the agreement you just made."
"No, not at all, Minerva. I suppose that is partly what I find so amusing. The Grangers seem to think that I will fail and they will be able to transfer their children anyway. However, I will not fail. The consequences would be unimaginable."
She gave it some thought, but could not come up with anything so earth-shattering should Harry Potter change schools, other than some embarrassment. "I'm sorry, but what would be so problematic if Mr Potter were not here?" She also thought his belief that he would not fail to be misplaced, but that was his opinion and he was entitled to it.
He glanced at her for a moment. "I believe Harry has a bigger role to play in our world than the average person. Voldemort picked him for a reason those thirteen years ago. The uncertainty is how that will play out in time, but I believe we will all be better off if he is here where we can help him grow into a fine young wizard."
Minerva thought that was a bit dubious, but she decided to keep that opinion to herself. "I shall assign Mr Potter a training room that will open only to him and the staff, then I shall offer the same to Mr Diggory. I shall also give library passes to Mr Potter and Miss Granger. I believe that's all I need to do this evening?"
"Yes, that will be very helpful, Minerva. Thank you for coming with me, I believe your presence helped. Have a good evening."
"You're welcome. Have a pleasant evening," she returned. She was not so sure her presence had helped, but perhaps it had in ways she was unable to see.
She stopped by her office to prepare for her next task. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was only a little after nine o'clock. She was slightly surprised, as the last hour had felt very long. McGonagall considered what she needed to say and do as she made her trek to the Gryffindor Tower. She also wondered if perhaps she should be more involved and stop by more often. As she made her way up the last set of stairs, she decided to bring that question up at the next meeting with her Prefects.
The Fat Lady smiled and opened her portrait for the teacher.
Inside, McGonagall looked around and saw most of her Gryffindors were studying, although a few were playing games. She hoped they were all caught up with their homework. It did not take but a quick moment for her to find the ones she was looking for, studying at a table. Again, it was the three of them together and no one else.
"Mr Potter, Miss Granger," she said as she approached them. All three at the table looked up at her in surprise. She pulled a letter out and held it out. "Miss Granger, your mother sends you this."
"Thank you, Professor."
"Also, if you two will come with me for a few minutes, we have something to discuss." She looked at the third student. "I'm sorry, Miss Weasley, but this is only for the Grangers' children."
"I understand, Professor." Ginny looked at her bond-mates. "I'll watch your stuff while you're gone."
Harry and Hermione smiled at Ginny as they got up and left with their Head of House. McGonagall led them out of the common room and to a nearby classroom.
"Mr Potter, if you will put your hand on the door and hold it there please." When he did so, McGonagall pulled her wand out and silently cast a spell on the door. "Follow me, please." She opened the door and walked in. When the students were in, she closed the door. "The Headmaster and I had a meeting with your parents this evening, which I'm sure they will inform you about. One of the things we agreed upon was giving you a room to prepare for the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament. This room is now yours and it will only open for you, Mr Potter, and all of the professors. I hope I don't need to go into detail about how you are to use it wisely, not abuse this privilege and you are not to be here after curfew."
"No, Professor, I understand," he said quickly. It was easy to imagine Snape checking this room on his nightly rounds to try to catch them out of bounds. "Thank you, I believe this will be very helpful."
"You should thank your father, as it was his idea. Another agreement was that you would have unrestricted access to the library." She pulled out two passes and handed one to each student. "This should help you to research the knowledge you need to learn for the Tournament. Again, please do not abuse this, or it will be removed."
"Thank you very much, Professor," Hermione said breathlessly as she looked at the pass which she was holding gingerly as if it was the most precious thing in the world.
Harry smirked at his bond-mate. "Thank you, Professor."
"While I can't answer questions specifically about the Tournament, if you have general questions about magic, feel free to come and see me," she told them with a calculating look.
"I understand, and thank you again," Harry said.
McGonagall nodded. "Curfew is almost upon you, so please do not tarry long here. Have a good evening."
"Our own room," Harry said with a grin when they were alone.
"It's probably a good thing we're not two years older," Hermione said with a matching grin. "Still, I think this will be very helpful as we can learn new spells in here without hurting anyone else." She looked at the door. "I wish I could open the door without you being here, though."
"I have an idea." He led her over to the door and out of the room, closing it behind them. He tried the handle and found he could turn it easily. "You try," he said quietly, motioning to her. She tried and the handle refused to budge. "Now, think about your magic," he whispered to her, "and call it up, but think about pulling that magic from me and not your magical core."
"But why would…" She suddenly gasped. "You think it works by reading magical signatures?"
Harry shrugged. "Don't know, but it's worth a try."
Hermione tried and failed several times. As she was about to give up, she tried pulling harder, as if doing a Patronus spell. There was a clicking sound and she pulled the door open. "Brilliant," she told him and pulled him back into the room.
"What?" he asked just before she kissed him soundly. "Err, thanks," he said when he could talk again.
"I'll teach Ginny how to open the door later," she told him. "I wonder what's in the letter from Mum?" She pulled the latest letter out and opened.
"Well?" he asked after she looked like she had finished reading.
"Mum says they and Sirius are working to transfer us from Hogwarts and she'll send more information soon. She also said to carefully look at the rules, to try to use all of them to our advantage, even if you can't get out of having to compete."
He nodded. "It makes sense. A lot of Wizarding things seem to overlook the obvious, and maybe that will make the difference between staying safe and getting hurt."
"I agree. We'll look them over for that sort of thing as soon as we can." She put the letter up and then led them back to Gryffindor Tower.
Ginny was excited about the practice room and the library passes, even if she had to rely on one of the other two to get books for her. The thought of having a room only for them gave her another fun thought, one that created an impish grin.
The next morning, Archimedes flew to Hermione and brought her a letter.
"From Mum?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Hermione answered absently as she quickly read it. "It explains the meeting they had last night with the Headmaster." She handed it to him, and he handed it to Ginny when he was done with it.
"What do you think the odds are of him being able to keep his promises?" Ginny quietly asked.
"With my luck?" Harry asked with an amused snort. "About zero."
Hermione carefully folded the letter and put it away as she thought. "I think I have to agree with Mum. There are entirely too many opportunities for things to go wrong. All three of us need to study our French … diligently."
A few days later, Archimedes delivered a package. Ginny was thrilled to see a permission note that allowed her to visit the Grangers during the Christmas holidays. Harry and Hermione found a folder for each of them which contained a copy of their school records, as well as a suggestion on how they might be useful. The only problem was that they had to convince Professor McGonagall to give Ginny a copy of her records.
Ginny solved that the next day after a half-hour conversation with her Head of House, where she convinced the professor to not tell her parents she was thinking of changing schools. McGonagall understood why, but wondered how Ginny would accomplish convincing her parents to agree.
For the next three weeks, Harry did his best to spend every extra minute he had learning new spells that might be useful. The problem was, they did not know what Harry would be facing. They also continued to work on their French lessons, although they did shorten them a little to make time for Harry's training, which the girls helped with.
To make matters worse, Gryffindor had a Quidditch game against Ravenclaw shortly before the first task. Angelina was most upset with Harry when he tried to come to only half the practices. They solved the problem by sending Ginny in his place. Angelina was less than happy, but had to admit that Ginny did a reasonable job as Seeker and would probably have a good chance at beating Ravenclaw's Seeker, Cho Chang.
Equally problematic was the position of Keeper, now that Oliver Wood was no longer attending the school. Ron tried out, but Angelina gave the position to sixth year Cormac McLaggen, who did slightly better in tryouts.
Practices were hectic and Angelina almost broke her broom when she beat McLaggen with it at their first practice. The git kept trying to act like the captain and tell everyone what to do. After Angelina almost damaged her broom, she hexed him twice with strong stinging hexes that both came very close to his crotch. He finally shut up and became more focused on being a better Keeper.
The day of the Quidditch match was only a week and a half before the first task. After a meeting between Angelina, Harry, and Ginny, they decided that Harry would play. So Harry suited up and joined the team. Ginny suited up as well, in case she had to substitute for him for some reason. Hermione worried over both of them.
Harry was a little nervous that Viktor Krum was in the stands watching, but when the game started, he quickly forgot about the audience.
The Ravenclaw Keeper was better than McLaggen, but the Gryffindor Chasers had better teamwork and more shots on goal. It was only because of Angelina, Alicia, and Katie that the score stayed close. Chang followed Harry most of the time. She went after his first couple of feints at full speed until she realized what he was doing and stopped following him on dives, and that gave Harry an idea.
He continued to search for the Snitch and eventually found it. He started off like he was on another feint and Chang did not fly hard as she had not seen the Snitch. Harry changed directions at the last moment and captured it easily. Gryffindor won 260-100.
When he reached the ground, Ginny was there first and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. To keep up appearances, Hermione only gave him a hug. However, she also whispered, "I have something for you later." Harry grinned broadly.
After the rest of the team congratulated them, Cedric Diggory came over. In their game last month, the Hufflepuff Seeker had caught the Snitch, but Slytherin had still won the game.
"Good catch, Potter."
"Thanks, Diggory."
"I look forward to playing you in February. I'd like to see if I can beat you this time," Diggory said with an easy grin.
Harry chuckled because he had barely captured the Snitch before Diggory last year, when it was Diggory's first year to play. "You can try," he said good-naturedly.
To Harry surprise, Krum walked over. Delacour was not far behind.
"Good game, good catch," Krum said slowly in his thick accent. "How long you play?"
"Thanks," Harry said brightly. He tried to talk a little slower, but it was hard when he was still so excited. "This is my fourth year. I hope I'm as good as you are in three years."
Krum nodded. "You have chance. Your team play our team after Tournament?"
That surprised Harry. He looked around, but no professors were near. "Uh, sure, that would be fun."
"We talk later." Krum nodded and walked away.
Harry looked over to Delacour. She stood just far enough way to avoid being drawn into the conversation, but there was no doubt she had overheard the conversation with Krum. She gave him a sincere look and nodded before she left. Harry supposed he now had a little respect from those two. He hoped he did not lose it in the first task by performing badly.
Diggory gave Harry a smile. "Again, good game," the Hufflepuff said as he left.
"Blimey, you talked to Krum."
Harry almost laughed as he turned around and saw Ron standing behind him.
"Ron, if you practice a lot, maybe you can replace McLaggen and then talk to Krum yourself," Ginny said.
Ron got a very thoughtful on his face and then pointedly looked at her.
She rolled her eyes. "Of course I'll help, when I have time. I just don't know how much time I'll have."
"Thanks, Ginny," he said happily.
Harry smiled at Ginny and she returned it. Ron was so easy to please sometimes.