Chapter Text
Monday, 3 October 1994
Twenty-eight days before the Goblet of Fire drawing
The Hogwarts Library
The time was after the last class of the afternoon but before dinner. Hermione had some research topics she wanted to research before she began her essays-marathon after dinner.
Harry had come with Hermione to the library—clearly less than enthusiastically, but Harry had come. Ron, meanwhile, either was flying a broom on the Quidditch pitch or was playing Wizard Chess in the Gryffindor common room. Either way, Ronald Bilius Weasley definitely was not in the library now.
Hermione saw at another library table, Susan Bones sitting, doing homework. When Daphne Greengrass walked past Susan, the redhead called Daphne over with a gesture. Then the two girls talked in whispers.
Oddly, each girl looked at Harry from time to time. Hermione could not begin to guess what they were talking about.
Then Daphne pulled a gold galleon coin from her pocket and held it up, whilst smirking. Susan pulled a galleon from her own pocket. The girls clinked the two galleons together, then each girl put her coin back in her pocket.
Next, Daphne sat down at Susan’s table, beside Susan. Now both girls, Susan and Daphne, were facing Harry and Hermione.
The two girls did homework—but they also sent many glances towards Harry, and sent whispers between themselves.
Hermione was sure that Harry never noticed. But Hermione definitely noticed. Hermione wondered whether two teen girls merely were fancying a cute boy, or something else was going on.
****
Later, at 4.57pm
Dinner in the Great Hall would be served in three minutes.
Harry and Hermione had walked about ten feet into the corridor outside the library when Hermione heard a girl’s voice behind them. “Heir Potter, a moment, please?”
Harry and Hermione turned about. Susan Bones was hurrying up to them; Daphne Greengrass just then was walking out of the library doors.
Once Susan Bones was a few feet away from Harry and Hermione, she took a deep, calming breath—which made the most enviable pair of breasts in the school even bigger; Hermione mentally sighed. Then Susan asked Harry, “Is it true what Ron Weasley said to me? That you don’t like me, and you never want to be friends with me?”
“WHAT?” Harry blurted. “Where did that come from?”
Harry looked at Hermione, who shrugged in puzzlement.
Daphne said, “Heir Potter, Weasley has told me the same thing, seven different times. ‘My best mate does not want to be friends with the likes of you.’ ”
Harry asked Susan, “When did Ron say this to you?”
“First year sometime, then again second year, when Granger was petrified in the hospital wing.”
Harry shook his head. “I don’t remember Ron ever talking to you even once.”
Susan snarled, “Oh, he definitely talked to me, believe it. Each time, he called me a ‘duffer.’ But neither time were you anywhere near.”
Daphne said, “Me he called a ‘slimy snake.’ To my face! You weren’t round for those talks either.”
Susan said to Harry, “So, back on topic. May I be friends with you, or do you want me gone?”
Harry, whilst rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, remarked to Hermione, “Don’t I have enough trouble in my life without Ron causing more?”
Then Harry replied to Susan, “I was plenty peeved with you second year, when you sneered at me and called me ‘the Heir of Slytherin.’ But when Hermione was petrified, you got smart and quit sneering at me. But if you had walked up to me after Hermione was petrified and you had said, ‘You look like you could use another friend. Can I be that friend?’ I wouldn’t have said no.”
Harry looked at Daphne. “I barely know you. All I know about you is that in Potions class, you’re quite self-contained—I never can tell whether you’re enjoying what you’re doing, you hate what you’re doing, you’re bored to tears by what you’re doing, or you’d rather be shopping for loo paper.”
Hermione said, “Daphne is much looser in Arithmancy class and in Ancient Runes class—at least, she’s this way round me.”
Daphne replied, “Because I know you don’t want anything from me, Granger.”
Harry looked at Susan and at Daphne. “I’ve never discussed with Ron or Hermione whom I would or would not be friends with if he or she asked, so I can’t imagine how Ron came up with rubbish like this. But thinking about it now, the only kids I would refuse to be friends with if they asked me are Draco, Vincent, Gregory and Pansy. Anybody else, talk to me and let’s see what happens.”
Daphne was staring. “You would be friends with anyone else in Slytherin?”
“Not with Marcus Flint or with Sam Flint, come to think of it. And Bulstrode?” Harry made the rocking-hand gesture. “She owns a cat, so points to her, but she put Hermione in a headlock, which was mean.”
Hermione said, “Millicent apologised for the headlock. She said she had been ‘daft and stupid.’ ”
Susan said, “So you’re fine with anyone and everyone in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor?”
“There are some shitheads”—Hermione smacked his arm—“in Gryffindor. Zacharias Smith in Hufflepuff is a pain. But otherwise? Pretty much, yeah.”
Harry looked at Daphne. “If Bulstrode apologised to Hermione, I guess I’m okay with her too.”
Harry cast the Tempus charm, then said, “It’s 4.59. This has been interesting, and I want to follow up on all this. But Hermione and I need to go to the Great Hall now. Ron gets annoyed when we keep him waiting.”
Daphne said, “So what? We all know that at five-period-zero-zero”—five o’clock exactly—“he’ll start cramming food in his mouth.”
Susan said, “But since everyone knows that Madam Pince closes the library during meal hours so Granger can’t be there, if these two don’t show up at the Great Hall soon, Weasley won’t figure out they were talking to a ‘duffer’ and to a ‘slimy snake.’ No, instead he’ll figure his ‘best mate’ has been kidnapped. Weasley will start screaming to call out the Aurors to search the castle.”
Harry blinked. “Ron could do that? Ask the Aurors to come to Hogwarts?”
Daphne replied, “Weasley couldn’t call them here, the headmaster or the deputy headmaster would have to invite the DMLE here.” Then Daphne sneered, “But if a Weasley asked, the Leader of the Lightheaded would make the Floo-call.”
Harry said, “So only Dumbledore can invite the Aurors here? And McGonagall? Professors can’t bring the DMLE here, nor can students?”
“Professor McGonagall,” Hermione corrected.
Daphne said, “Susan here can contact Director Amelia Bones anytime. By enchanted necklace, and by house-elf.”
Harry asked Susan, “So why haven’t you contacted her? Why in three years and a month, have I never seen Aurors here?”
Daphne asked, “Why should Aurors need to come here?”
Harry laughed bitterly. “Really, you need to ask?”
Harry counted on his fingers. “First year, troll in the castle. Voldemort-possessed Quirrell tried to jinx me off my broom during a Quidditch game so I’d fall to my death. At the end of first year, magic in my hands killed Voldemort-possessed Quirrell.
“Second year. The ‘Heir of Slytherin,’ who actually was Voldemort possessing a Hogwarts student, petrified Muggle-born students, a ghost and a cat. At the end of the year, I killed the basilisk that was doing the actual petrifying, using the Sword of Gryffindor. If not for phoenix tears, I would’ve been killed by basilisk bite.
“Third year. The ongoing drama with supposed ‘mass-murderer Sirius Black.’ Who is my oath-sworn godfather and is innocent, by the by.
“Fourth year...”
Harry was about to say Everything is fine so far, so maybe I’ll finally have a year of good luck at school.
But then a thought slammed into Harry’s brain: What is the worst thing that could happen this year at Hogwarts?
Once Harry asked that question, the answer was obvious.
So aloud, Harry said, “Fourth year. Voldemort is not as dead as everyone thinks, and I am sure that when Dumbledore hosts the Goblet of Fire drawing for the Triwizard Tournament Champions, on Halloween the thirteenth anniversary of my parents’ deaths, Voldy will make my name come out of the Goblet. Regardless of whatever ‘preventions’ and ‘protections’ Dumbledore puts up.”
Then Harry got another Dumbledore-bashing thought: “If nothing else, in our first year, when Dumbledore told us at the Welcoming Feast that there was something deadly on the third-floor corridor, right-hand side, why weren’t Aurors invading the Great Hall the next morning at breakfast?”
Daphne said, “I can understand why Dumbledore never Floo-called the DMLE for any of that. The bearded bloviator doesn’t want anyone outside the school knowing that life in Albus Dumbledore’s school isn’t paradise every minute.”
Then Daphne asked Susan, “But why didn’t you tell your Aunt Amelia all this?”
Susan’s voice got weird then, and her face got weird too. “Headmaster Dumbledore, who is the Defeater of Grindelwald, is able to solve every problem that arises at Hogwarts. There is no reason for me to notify the DMLE or to bother Auntie. Let the headmaster make such notification.”
“Shit!” yelled Daphne. “Susan’s been mind-whammied!” Daphne grabbed Susan’s wrist. “Susan, we need to get you out of the castle right now!”
Daphne, pulling Susan along, began to run through the corridors. Hermione had no idea what was going on, but it seemed that Susan had a big problem, and Hermione was not one to stand back and watch when problems came to other people. Hermione ran up to Susan, grabbed her other hand, and Harry ran behind the three witches.
Harry said as he ran, “Dumbledore, what you did to Susan was despicable. If something goes bad at school, nobody outside Hogwarts will know we need help.”
****
Minutes later, on the castle grounds
By now, all four students were winded and panting. Daphne gasped an explanation to bewildered Harry and Hermione: “Hogwarts wards won’t let me call a family house-elf in the classrooms, in the library, in the Great Hall, in the kitchen, in the common room or in the dormitories—which leaves only the castle corridors, and outside the castle. But you can bet your wand that Dumbledore has Listening Charms in all the corridors.”
Even before Daphne even had her breathing under control, she called out, “Bluegrass!”
A house-elf popped in, who was dressed differently than a Hogwarts house-elf. “Miss Daphne calls Bluegrass?”
“Yes. Tell me, can you pass on a message to Tibia, the House Bones house-elf?”
“Bluegrass can!”
“Pass on this message to Tibia, to pass on to Madam Amelia Bones: ‘Daphne Greengrass reports that Susan Bones has been mind-whammied to never notify the DMLE when crimes happen. I suspect Dumbledore of those crimes. Harry Potter is a witness to many of the crimes. I, fourth-year Slytherin Daphne Greengrass, and Gryffindor fourth-years Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, are witnesses to Susan’s mind-whammy. Please bring a healer who can remove Susan’s mind-whammy.’ Bluegrass, repeat back the message to me.”
Bluegrass repeated all the message, then Daphne sent him on his way.
By now, Susan was acting and talking normally again. “Daph, you think I’ve been mind-whammied? ‘Shit’ is right. What do we do now?”
Daphne replied, “I’m expecting a message in a few minutes from Madam Bones, to either you or me, Susan.”
Indeed, seconds later, a different house-elf popped in and handed a slip of parchment to Susan. Susan read the parchment aloud: “Go to dinner if you’re not already there. Help is on the way, for you and for Heir Harry Potter.”
****
In the Great Hall
Dinner already had started when Harry, Daphne, Hermione and Susan walked into the Great Hall together.
Ron was less than joyous. His ears were turning red when he demanded—
“Why were you talking to that duffer and that slimy snake? You’re Harry Potter, you don’t need to—”
The green-eyed former doormat got angry back.
“STOP! You bigoted, eats-like-a-pig liar, SHUT UP! It looks like you’ve been telling every student in the school—Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin—that I hate them! That I don’t want to be friends with anyone except you and Hermione. THOSE ARE FILTHY LIES! But you’ve got everyone believing those lies! So during the whole ‘Heir of Slytherin’ disaster, everyone figured that if nasty Harry Potter hated them, they’d go hate me right back! Second year was COMPLETE SHIT for the entire year, because of your lies!”
“Yeah?” yelled Ron. “Those ‘lies’ were for your own good! I was doing you a favour! Lots of people want to spend time with you just to get the fame that comes from being friends with the Boy Who Lived—I kept them from taking advantage of you, and you’re thick if you don’t see that!”
“Spare me, Ron. I’ve got better things to do than to listen to you make excuses why you lied about me. Lied about me to everyone. Some ‘best mate’ you are.”
Ron snarled, “You think you’re better than me, Potter? You’re just a stupid orphan who wouldn’t know what to say to Purebloods if not for me, and your Muggle family doesn’t even send you Christmas presents! You couldn’t even catch the Snitch without me!”
Hermione noticed that the Great Hall was quiet as a tomb. At the High Table, Professor Snape was standing up, but was saying nothing.
The silence stretched.
The Great Hall remained silent, as Harry silently glared at Ron.
Then Harry said to Ron—
“Do I think I’m better than you? I know not to talk when I’m taking in food or chewing. I eat only what I need to eat; I am no glutton. I despise liars, and have not lied to any student or professor here. I don’t boast, even when I’ve earnt the right to. I want to get along with everyone here, though I realise this isn’t possible. I sneer at nobody because of the colour of his or her robes. And yes, I’m an orphan—after Voldemort killed my father James Potter, and my mother Lily Potter stood in front of my cot and sacrificed her life for me. What is your mother famous for? Molly Weasley is well known for sending Howlers to her children that make Slytherins mock your entire family. As for your poor father, every hour here that you play chess when you haven’t completed your homework, you’re stealing galleons from your father’s vault.”
Now Harry laughed scornfully. “I catch the Snitch when I ignore everything you’ve ever told me.”
****
Ron began oinking like a pig. Soon Ron was oinking like a furious pig.
Ron’s twin brothers told him, “You’ve embarrassed our family—”
“—and you’ve embarrassed Gryffindor.”
“So we figure you should be—”
“—embarrassed in return,” the Twins said in unison.
****
Meanwhile
Lavender, with Parvati listening closely, said to Harry, “I’m confused. What just happened?”
Harry replied, “Today I found out, from Susan Bones and from Daphne Greengrass, that Ron has been telling everyone in the school, behind my back, ‘Harry hates you and refuses to be friends with you.’ Which is why everyone has been avoiding me.”
Parvati scowled. “Ron told me this very thing. I’m supposedly brave, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk up to you and say, ‘So you hate me, right?’ This is why I’ve kept my distance from you.”
Lavender asked, “So what’s the truth about you and friendship?”
Harry answered, “There are a few people in Slytherin whom I’ll never be friends with—you can guess who they are. One or two others in other Houses, whom I won’t name now. But everyone else? Talk to me and let’s see if we click.”
Lavender purred, “Are you shopping for a girlfriend now?”
Harry glanced at Hermione, then eyed Lavender and Parvati. “No. Which means I don’t plan right now for Susan and for Daphne to be anything more than friends.”
Parvati asked, “But do you plan for Hermione to be more than friends?”
Harry, instead of answering Parvati’s question, looked at Hermione. “Your choice, Hermione: Do we sit with my new friend Daphne or my new friend Susan?”
Hermione said, “Let’s sit with Susan for dinner, because she’ll need our support for you-know-what. Let’s eat with Daphne and the Slytherins tomorrow.”
Miraculously, Professor Snape made no objection when Harry and Hermione moved to the Hufflepuff table.
****
All but one of the fourth-year ’Puffs acted welcoming to the two Gryffindors who visited the Hufflepuff table.
As Harry and Hermione were sitting down at the fourth-years part of the Hufflepuff table, Harry said to the Hufflepuff fourth-years (and to everyone else in the Great Hall who was listening in), “Susan Bones of Hufflepuff did quite a Gryffindor thing. She walked up to Hermione and me, after Ron Weasley had told Susan that I hated her and didn’t want to be friends with her. Susan asked me, ‘Is that true, and if it isn’t true, may I be friends with you?’ Susan was brave, definitely.”
Susan grinned. “What can I say? The Hat wanted to Sort me into Gryffindor.”
Hermione looked at her yearmates in yellow. “In case you missed what happened over at the Gryffindor table, Harry now is friends with Susan. Daphne Greengrass was standing there, and asked the same questions, so Harry now is friends with her too.”
Justin Finch-Fletchley said, “And it’s obvious that the redhead oinker over there did not like hearing that news about Daphne Greengrass.”
****
Near the end of dinner
For whatever reason that Harry could not begin to guess, Susan’s Aunt Amelia did not enter the Great Hall soon after dinner had started, as her note had implied.
Roughly an hour and a half after dinner had started, Harry and Hermione still were sitting at the Hufflepuff table, whilst they and Susan waited for Amelia Bones to come.
By then, Justin Finch-Fletchley was saying, “...Soon after Hermione, I and the others were given the Mandrake Restorative Draught, Professor Sprout told me, ‘The problem has been solved,’ referring to the petrifications. She didn’t tell me anything more, no matter how I asked.”
Susan said, “When I talked to Professor Sprout, after I talked to Justin, Professor Sprout gave me the impression that she was not allowed to say anything more.”
Justin asked the Gryffindor pair, “Do you know why the petrifications stopped, and why they never have started back up?”
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. Then Harry said, “The petrifications were caused by a basilisk—”
“A basilisk?” Megan Jones blurted. “A look-into-its-eyes-and-you-die-instantly basilisk?”
“Yes, a basilisk controlled by a Hogwarts student who was possessed by the shade of Voldemort, who’s not as dead as everyone thinks.”
Hufflepuffs—and not only fourth-years—exclaimed in shock.
After Harry had explained that Voldemort was not dead, that Harry had killed Voldemort-possessed Professor Quirrell, two and a half years ago, and that Voldemort’s original name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, Harry told the story of the basilisk—
“Hermione figured out that what was petrifying students was a basilisk, and the basilisk was travelling through the pipes.”
Hermione blushed, hearing Harry praise her.
Harry continued, “What caused the delay between Hermione getting petrified and the victims being given the Mandrake Restorative Draught? One, the adults in this castle were idiots as usual; and Two, petrified Hermione had a note in her hand that it took me a while to notice, even with me visiting her in the hospital wing every day.”
Ernie Macmillan stared. “It was truly a basilisk causing all that trouble? Why was nobody killed?”
Then Ernie looked at Justin and at Hermione and said, “Not that I wanted anyone killed.”
Hermione replied, “The reason nobody was killed when they saw the basilisk’s yellow eyes? Because of sheer dumb luck every time. Nobody looked directly at the basilisk and was killed this way. Mrs Norris saw the basilisk reflected in a puddle of water. Colin Creevey saw the basilisk through the viewfinder of his camera. Nearly-Headless Nick already was dead. Justin saw the basilisk through the ghost’s transparent body. Penelope Clearwater and I saw the basilisk reflected in a mirror I was holding.”
Wayne Hopkins asked Justin, “Who was the possessed student who was controlling the basilisk? Did you see?”
Justin started to reply, then looked confused. “I,” he paused, “don’t remember. I remember the yellow eyes, my skin getting hard, and nothing else.”
Harry and Hermione looked at Susan. Hermione said, “Justin has been Obliviated.” Susan nodded.
Justin asked Harry and Hermione, “So who killed the basilisk? I think you know.”
Hermione replied, “Harry did. With the Sword of Gryffindor.”
“Bullshit,” Zacharias Smith said. “You can’t expect us to believe such a tale, Granger. For one thing, you’re weren’t there, you were a statue.”
Suddenly Hermione began pulling up Harry’s right sleeve whilst she was speaking. “If Harry was fighting the basilisk with a sword, he would have had to get close, right? Well, when he got close, a basilisk fang bit him. Look here, see the fang-bite? If Fawkes the phoenix hadn’t cried phoenix tears on the bite, the basilisk venom would have killed Harry, down in the Chamber of Secrets.”
Susan said, “That’s quite a big scar. Perfectly round, too. I believe Hermione.”
Meanwhile, Harry was glaring at Zacharias Smith. “Before you call Hermione a liar, Smith, use your brain. Surely you’ve noticed that Hermione and Prefect Clearwater were the last petrifications, hm? No more petrifications at the end of second year, none in third year, none so far this year. If I didn’t fix the problem, who did?”
Megan Jones quietly said, “I believe you killed it, Potter, though I can’t imagine how. How did you get to where the basilisk was?”
Harry replied, “The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is in Moaning Myrtle’s lavatory. Myrtle was the first—and so far, only—person killed by directly seeing the basilisk.”
Hermione said, “She died in 1943, becoming a statue and a ghost at the same time. The statue was buried in the Forbidden Forest, because Headmaster Dippet surely couldn’t return a statue to her Muggle family, could he?”
Harry said, “Anyway, the entrance into the Chamber of Secrets has a Parseltongue password. Only the student who was possessed by Voldemort, and me, could speak Parseltongue, so only we two could enter the Chamber. None of the professors could get in there, and Lockhart was a disgusting thief—long story—so the job of stopping the basilisk fell to me.”
Megan Jones asked, “Why didn’t Headmaster Dumbledore fight the basilisk, instead of you fighting it?”
Harry shrugged. “Wish I knew. Dumbledore sent his phoenix Fawkes to deliver the Sorting Hat, which had the Sword of Gryffindor in it, but the headmaster didn’t come himself. I think he was too busy sitting on his throne and having complete confidence in Professor Snape. Fawkes ruined the basilisk’s eyes—the rest fell to me.”
Then Harry shrugged again. “The same thing happened when I rescued Hermione from the troll—no adult was available to help.”
Hermione glared at Justin. “You were hateful to Harry in Second Year, because he was a Parselmouth. But if Harry hadn’t been a Parselmouth, the basilisk would still be alive now, and sooner or later it would have killed students, not merely petrified them.”
Harry said, “And/or Voldemort now would have come back to life after stealing the possessed student’s body, so Wizarding Britain really would have problems now.”
Susan sat up straight, took a deep breath, and said, “Harry Potter, when Mrs Norris was petrified, I thought this was strange, but I also thought, ‘Oi, it’s only a cat.’ When Justin got petrified, I blamed you, Harry, on flimsy evidence.” Susan looked down for a second, her face ashamed. “But when Granger was petrified, I knew that you couldn’t be the Heir of Slytherin, but I’ve never apologised to you for how I acted. Till now.”
Susan stood up from the bench—which drew the attention of everyone in the Great Hall, students and professors alike. Susan turned to face Harry and said in a serious voice—
“Heir Potter, two years ago, I slandered you by telling other people that you were the Heir of Slytherin and that you were causing the petrification of Muggle-born students. When I dealt with you directly, I was scornful and rude. Far from causing the petrifications in our second year, you ended those petrifications. In second year, I was immature, I was rude, I did not gather evidence before speaking, and my conduct was unbecoming of the Bones Heiress Primary. I apologise with regret.”
Those last two words, “with regret,” made every pair of Pureblood eyebrows raise—Susan Bones had humbled herself by making a public apology from the heart, not by making an insincere apology when required by Pureblood manners.
Susan underscored the seriousness of her apology by curtsying to Harry.
The headmaster stood up and took a breath to speak—
This was when grey-haired, monocle-wearing Madam Bones, also eight Aurors in red, a healer in green, and a witch in her forties, all rushed into the Great Hall.
One of the Aurors had pink hair. Hermione saw the pink-haired Auror briefly smile at Harry.
Madam Bones, meanwhile, set course directly towards the fourth-year Hufflepuffs (and towards the two fourth-year Gryffindors who were sitting with them).
Harry jumped up from the bench, faced Susan, and said loudly, “Apology accepted.” Harry bowed to Susan.
Then Harry pulled Hermione to her feet, because Harry knew that soon, Hermione would need to stand up anyway.
****
Every Auror, plus Madam Bones, each had a blue wand in hand; but at the moment, each blue wand was pointed at the floor.
“Amelia,” Dumbledore said jovially. By now he had left the High Table and clearly was headed for the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff aisle and the fourth-year Hufflepuff group. “What can I do for you today?”
Madam Bones replied, “A moment, headmaster.” She and the healer moved so that they stood between Susan and approaching Dumbledore, and turned their backs on him. Hermione saw the healer cast a diagnostic spell on Susan’s head, then the healer looked at Madam Bones and scowled.
Behind the backs of Madam Bones and the healer, Dumbledore said, “Amelia, I insist on knowing what spell you cast on Miss Bones, and the results of the spell.”
The healer turned to look at Dumbledore and said coldly, “Three words, Mister Dumbledore: ‘Healer-patient confidentiality.’ You are neither healer nor patient here, so you are entitled to no information. Madam Bones, not you, is Miss Bones’s guardian, so Madam Bones, not you, is entitled to know the scan-results.”
Madam Bones turned to look at Dumbledore. “My niece and ward is the victim of a crime, and Mr Harry Potter, Miss Hermione Granger and Miss Daphne Greengrass have witness-testimony to give. I shall be removing these four from the castle and shall be taking them to the DMLE for interviews. The four students shall be returned to Hogwarts before curfew.”
Hermione saw Daphne stand up from her piece of Slytherin bench, walk down the Slytherin-Hufflepuff aisle, then walk round the end of the Hufflepuff table till Daphne was standing behind Madam Bones in the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff aisle. Hermione noticed that Daphne placed herself so that Madam Bones stood between Daphne and the headmaster.
Meanwhile, the headmaster was saying, “I see no need to inconvenience the children, Amelia—interview them here at Hogwarts. I shall be happy to make my office available. By the by, of which crime is Miss Bones a victim?”
“Headmaster, Susan is part of an ongoing DMLE investigation, so I shall not answer your question. As for interviewing Susan, Miss Granger, Miss Greengrass and Mr Potter here at Hogwarts, this is out of the question.”
“Amelia, I insist that Mr Potter, Miss Granger and Miss Greengrass remain here at Hogwarts and be interviewed here.”
Madam Bones raised her voice, loudly enough that the entire Great Hall could hear her. “When I was a seventh-year here in 1977, I discovered that all three Hufflepuff seventh-year girls’ dormitories had Listening Charms in them, the Hufflepuff Common Room had Listening Charms in it, all three girls’ lavatories that were near classrooms had Listening Charms in them, and every corridor I checked was packed with Listening Charms. Of all the places I checked, only this room, the Great Hall, was free of Listening Charms. My question, headmaster: All the Listening Charms that were in Hogwarts in 1977, have those Listening Charms been removed?”
Hermione heard gasps from every part of the Great Hall. The headmaster, on the other hand, remained silent.
After several seconds of the headmaster’s silence, Madam Bones said, “I shall Floo-call Miss Greengrass’s parents so that one of them can act as her guardian during her interview. Mrs Aeleanor Carter here, from Wizarding Child Services, shall serve as Miss Granger’s and Mr Potter’s Acting Guardian during DMLE interviews.”
Dumbledore replied, “Minerva as Miss Granger’s Head of House is her Magical Guardian.”
“Professor McGonagall also is your employee. As such, she would be placed in a conflict of interest during Miss Granger’s interview, if Miss Granger were asked questions about you. Professor McGonagall shall not be accompanying us to the DMLE. Come, named students.”
“AMELIA! You may take Miss Bones with you, since she is your ward. But I insist that the three other children stay here. You may interview them in Professor McGonagall’s Deputy Headmistress office if you wish.”
Madam Bones’s blue wand still was pointing towards the floor, but now the wand-tip was drawing circles. Madam Bones said, “Headmaster, it is not for you to decide how the DMLE may conduct its investigations, nor may you place restrictions on witnesses. Warning: you shall be arrested for interfering with an Auror investigation if you continue your demands. Come now, Susan, Miss Granger, Miss Greengrass and Mr Potter.”
As Susan, Harry, Hermione and Daphne already were standing, the fourth-years did not delay at walking with the Ministry adults out of the silent Great Hall—
Silent, that is, except for the Weasley Twins—
“The Great Hall has no Listening Charms in it?”
“Brilliant! Thank you, Hogwarts Founders!”
****
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Canon is unclear what exactly happens to someone who sees the basilisk’s yellow eyes with his or her own eyes unprotected. Does he or she merely drop dead, as though hit by Avada Kedavra, or else does he or she turn into a stone statue, like if he or she had seen Medusa? I decided that Myrtle’s body was statuefied, though canon does not mention this. After Myrtle’s death, Headmaster Dippet, at Deputy Headmaster Dumbledore’s urging, did not bury Myrtle’s stone-statue body in Hogwarts’s little cemetery, but furtively buried the statue in the Forbidden Forest without a grave marker. (Returning Myrtle’s stone-statue body to her nonmagical family would have big-time violated the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, so this was never an option.)