Chapter 86. Life Safety and Health. Part 1. Beginning of the Session
Ministry of Magic
In a large, rather gloomy room shaped like an amphitheater, a flat platform with a small wooden podium stood in the center, and around it tiers of seats rose in steps, gradually filling with wizards.
Most of them were elderly mages dressed in flowing robes, and scattered among them were younger Ministry workers and others connected to the department. Several notable figures were also present, including Chester Parks, head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and Barty Crouch Sr., head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Today's proceedings, though indirectly, concerned them as well. Crouch was shooting unfriendly looks at a young man sitting in the first row. That young man was Severus, who watched the arriving wizards with interest while completely ignoring the gaze of the man who, several months ago, had proposed using Unforgivables to beat potion recipes out of him.
Severus did not care about Crouch. The man's actions had even helped him get rid of Ministry officials pestering him, and why should Severus dirty his hands when Crouch would be punished by a son whose betrayal he couldn't yet foresee? Still, if the department head decided to keep throwing obstacles in his way, by the next evening the unpleasant man would be found dead in some alley. After all, Severus was not a saint.
For now, Severus kept surveying the entering wizards, feeling a touch of disappointment.
Total: seventeen Low-Rank Masters, seven Mid-Rank, two High-Rank, and one at Peak. Pretty sparse. And that last one looks like he could keel over any moment. He measured the old man with an indifferent gaze. The man was ancient. Now that I've gotten a better look at the Ministry's strength, it's terrible. No wonder they can't suppress a single Magistrate when they only have three old men at Peak among them, and that's if they can even raise their wands, which alone would be a miracle. Of course, not all their wizards might be here, but for now it looks disappointing. Shaking his head, he shifted his gaze to three chairs, two of which were already occupied by that same old man and another elderly wizard from the High-Rank Masters. Hopefully they start soon. Ugh, why are these classic suits so uncomfortable? For a moment, an image of Nagini flashed through his mind. She had made him wear a suit this morning, complete with a tie. This is the last time I'm wearing something like this. After this, it's robes only. Now at least I understand why Dumbledore is always in them.
Just then, a silver-haired man sat down next to Severus, pulling him from his thoughts. It was Lucius's father, Abraxas Malfoy.
"You surprised me, Mr. Snape, or Prince?" Abraxas asked with a smile.
"Whichever you prefer. I haven't given it much thought," Severus answered, and at that indifferent reply, the man's eye twitched.
"And what brought you here? You do not work for the Ministry, but for someone else?" The eye twitched a second time.
"Mr. Malfoy, I am on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and besides the Department of Magical Education, we also have the right to vote on adopting any law relating to education. After all, there is only one school in our country," Abraxas said, adjusting his jacket as he looked at Severus with disdain. The answer to the first question clearly had not pleased him.
"Right, I completely forgot about you. You also handle funding, oversee school order, and so on. As I understand it, only aristocrats sit on your council?"
"Only the most respected wizards," Abraxas replied, nodding, his chin raised proudly.
"Well, now it's clear why Myrtle's death was blamed on an Acromantula when she was found petrified by a Basilisk's gaze. No surprise, since Tom was the Heir of Slytherin himself, and she was just a Muggle-born girl. Most likely the Board of Governors pressured the previous headmaster, and he had to accept the version about that poisonous spider." A chill flashed in Severus's eyes, and it did not escape Abraxas's scrutinizing gaze.
But Severus did not dwell on it. What happened had happened; it could not be changed, and the previous makeup of the Board had likely already been replaced. Besides, he had already taken his revenge by killing the Basilisk that had caused the girl's death.
Noticing the dissatisfaction in Severus's gaze, Abraxas looked slightly surprised.
"So where are the Galleons?" Severus asked with a smile, meeting Abraxas's eyes. "The school needs major repairs, updated classrooms, new desks. Most Quidditch uniforms are already worn out, not to mention bathrooms and common rooms that have not been updated in over a century. And I have only mentioned surface problems. I will send you the rest in writing. You can resolve a lot at school, you could even replace the headmaster without much trouble, but you are not rushing to help. That is not right."
"So you are saying we do not help the school at all?" Abraxas asked, narrowing his eyes with displeasure, offended by the words of someone who, in his view, lacked life experience.
"That is right. In all my time studying, I have not noticed a single change, and I am not trying to insult or accuse you, I am just stating my opinion. You cannot even manage to buy brooms that are already a decade old, so what is there to discuss?" Severus tossed the words out with disdain, ignoring the family head's fiery gaze.
"Mr. Prince, do you want to quarrel with us?" Abraxas asked coldly.
"Is that a threat?" Severus looked at him with a mocking smile. "Go ahead. I do not care if I am expelled from school, but will you be ready to face the consequences of your actions?"
Those last words sobered Abraxas, and the consequences of the confrontation between the Dark Lord and Ihiros flashed through his mind, when the former had been forced to retreat. If it had not been a demonstration of what such a conflict could cost, the Death Eaters would not have survived that day.
Imagining something similar happening to his estate, Abraxas shuddered.
"What threat? I just made a bad joke!" He let out a nervous laugh, patting Severus on the shoulder. "Of course we will help the school. We just weren't informed about its problems. Everything always seemed fine, so we stayed on the sidelines. I will personally inspect everything tomorrow!"
"Glad you understood me, but no need to trouble yourself. I will send you the list of what needs fixing tomorrow. See how I have made your work easier?"
*Go to hell. Made it easier, he says. If it weren't for your damned teacher, you would be kicked out of that school tomorrow.* Deep down, Abraxas was practically cursing Prince, but outwardly his smile was so good-natured that if someone not skilled in Legilimency had been in Severus's place, they would have thought a saint sat before them. "Thank you, I will eagerly await it."
"I am glad I could help you. And by the way, you will support me today, along with the rest of the Board of Governors?"
"Of course we will support you." *Think I can refuse after that threat?*
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, I knew I could count on you!" Severus shook his hand with a joyful smile.
"Do not mention it." *May a poisonous snake crawl into your bed at night!*
"She is already there," Severus waved dismissively, shifting his gaze to the entrance. Finally, the star of the day had arrived.
Through the open door came Dumbledore, who immediately drew attention and headed for the three chairs. Though he held only a junior position, he was also one of Britain's strongest wizards, a First Class Order of Merlin recipient, and the headmaster of the country's only educational institution. He understood better than the others what children needed educationally, so he rightfully took his place.
As soon as he sat down, a young man stepped onto the platform holding a parchment. The moment he set foot on the wooden podium, he unrolled it.
"We thank all the gathered lords who found the time to attend this session regarding the introduction of a new subject into the curriculum." Some wizards began exchanging surprised glances, apparently unaware of why this meeting had been called, though there were those who did not react, already familiar with the documents. "Session number nine hundred twenty-two is declared open, and we would like to ask Mr. Severus Prince to come to this spot, at whose request it was convened."
Rising calmly, Severus descended the stairs, and stepping onto the platform, he stood in the vacated space and raised his gaze to the three old men in their chairs.
"First, I would like to echo the previous speaker's words and thank you for finding the time to hear me out." Two of the three nodded, while Albus simply smiled. "What I want to discuss is adding a new subject to the school curriculum: Life Safety and Health. As you understand, these are very troubled times. Wizards are dropping like flies; few even live to old age, and it is not only because of Voldemort." Some in the hall flinched at that name. "It is also because of their own stupidity and ignorance of many things. In Magical Britain alone, we wizards number no more than five thousand, and each year our numbers barely grow. Over time we could simply disappear if we do not start taking care of ourselves.
The subject I want to introduce into the curriculum will help us close the gap between deaths and births. Yes, there is a subject called Defense Against the Dark Arts, but do you really think that is enough? In life, we can be killed by more than just dark spells, curses, and the like. A wizard can easily die from slipping on a simple pebble and hitting their head on a stone floor, or get blood poisoning from pricking themselves on a needle, or even from sneezing. Dark wizards are not the scariest thing. Ignorance is the real problem." With a snap of his fingers, each person present received a written sheet.
"This is the percentage breakdown of wizard mortality from various causes. If you look carefully, mortality from dark magic is only five percent, while natural disasters account for seven, suicide accounts for five, bad habits like smoking or not knowing moderation when drinking account for another nine, and delayed medical treatment accounts for twelve. No one knows how to administer first aid before healers arrive from St. Mungo's, while others foolishly Apparate there with the victim, and only one in a hundred survives." As they read the statistics that Severus had personally obtained from St. Mungo's and the Ministry, the wizards were truly shocked. None of them had even considered this.
They had always blamed dark wizards for everything. But most of the causes listed had nothing to do with them. They simply couldn't accept it.
"Well then," Severus said.
After a minute of silence, most of the mages leaned forward with much livelier interest. I had expected this to be harder.
"I have prepared a plan for this curriculum for each year through seventh, though we could limit it to fifth but include it in the O.W.L.s. For first year, we could hold it once a week."
And for the next three hours, Severus spoke nonstop, while the wizards hung on his every word, having completely shed their previous disdain despite his age.