Renouncing Magic's Child

The next morning, everyone kept to themselves at breakfast. Several people seemed to be in especially bad moods. Augusta wasn't surprised by Hermione Granger's reaction to being related to the Umbridges. She wouldn't particularly want to be related to Delores Umbridge either. Although, her uncle wasn't so bad. A bit of a pureblood bigot but a decent enough man other than that. At least, he didn't share his niece's more extreme views. She was surprised to see how quiet her grandson's friend Seamus was being. Normally, the boy rarely shut up but so far she hadn't heard a word out of him. They were just gathering in the main chamber to continue reading when she noticed Neville watching his friend in concern.

She wondered if he hadn't liked what he found in his Inheritance Test. She could understand that well enough. She was a Flint by birth after all.

There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom ... school robes on the Hogwarts Express.

Everyone eagerly sat about listening to the book. They were excited for Harry to return to Hogwarts.

He, Ron, Fred, and George ... "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"

Amelia grimaced. She didn't like hearing that the ministry had been in such a shambles.

Harry flattened himself ... flames licking its ears.

Young Harry blinked in confusion. Why was there a head in the fireplace?

"... Muggle neighbors heard bangs ... if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur -"

Rita frowned. What hadn't she known?

"What does Mad-Eye say happened?" ... but was ambushed by his dustbins. "

Moody raised an eyebrow. What was that about his dustbins?

"What did the dustbins do?" ... when the please-men turned up -"

Moody frowned at that. Why would his dustbins do that? He'd never even considered spelling his dustbins. He lived in a muggle area.

Mr. Weasley groaned... covered in potato peelings.

Several people laughed at that idea while Moody rolled his normal eye. If he said there were intruders in his garden, there were bloody intruders in his garden.

But if the Improper Use of Magic ... what are exploding dustbins worth?"

As much as Amelia didn't want her friend to get in trouble, she didn't like the way ministry employees were playing around with the law. This wasn't how the system was supposed to work.

"Might be a caution," ... there aren't any casualties. "

Moody growled. There would have been casualties if there had been intruders. He didn't let people attack him and get get away with it.

"All right, I'm off," ... Why he had to choose last night. . . "

"New job?" Moody asked. Surely, he was enjoying his retirement.

"You were due to start at Hogwarts as the -" Kingsley began.

"Defense teacher," Moody growled. He'd always promised himself he'd never take that role.

"Never mind, Amos," ... vanished.

Young Harry could hardly believe what he was hearing. You could send food through the fire?

Harry could hear Mr. Weasley ... taking the kids to King's Cross?"

Molly rolled her eyes. She'd been taking the kids alone for years. It was rare that Arthur had the time off to accompany them.

"Of course I will," ... "Isn't he that nutter -"

Mad-Eye glared at George.

"Your father thinks very highly ... "Birds of a feather. . . . "

The muggleborns in the chamber laughed. Yes, collecting plugs was a bit... odd.

"Moody was a great wizard in his time," said Bill.

"Still a great wizard, I'll have you know," Moody growled.

"He's an old friend ... he's a genius and everything. . . . "

Most of the chamber were laughing now, Albus included.

"Who is Mad-Eye?" ... Azkaban are full because of him.

"Well, maybe not half," Moody muttered.

He made himself loads of enemies ... Sees Dark wizards everywhere. "

Moody glared at Bill and Charlie. He did not see Dark wizards everywhere. He saw criminals everywhere. And based on these books, he was right.

Bill and Charlie decided to come ... "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me. "

The Weasley children all rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, ... "I reckon he'll know your name soon. "

Molly gave George a frightful look but George didn't even bother to look repentant. 

Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone ... Hogwarts trunks into their cars.

"Why didn't you shrink them?" Amelia asked.

"But there weren't any to spare ... Pigwidgeon was making an earsplitting racket.

"Should have released the owls," Luna said. "They could have flown to Hogwarts. I imagine they'd have preferred that."

Nor did it help ... clawed his way up the man's leg.

The aurors shook their heads. It really was a miracle the muggles didn't know about magic.

The journey was uncomfortable ... into the station.

"What time did you leave?" Lee asked. The Weasleys lived in Devon and that was ages away from London.

"Seven in the morning," Mrs Weasley said. "Barely made it in time."

All the purebloods looked perplexed. Why hadn't they taken the floo?

Harry was used to getting onto platform ... he hugged Ginny good-bye.

Several people eyed Charlie with suspicion. What was he talking about?

"Why?" ... the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all. "

That made the aurors nervous. Something was happening at Hogwarts...

"Yeah, I sort of wish ... come and watch a bit of it. "

Amelia frowned at that. She had a bad feeling about this. Fudge had been trying for years to bring back the Triwizard Tournament. But surely, he hadn't actually succeeded. Had he?

"A bit of what?" ... "Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.

Narcissa nodded approvingly at Harry and Hermione's manners.

"Oh it was my pleasure, dears," ... one thing and another. "

Amelia's heart sank. Dress robes. That had to mean a ball. It was becoming quite obvious that Fudge had gotten his wish at last.

"Mum!" ...  I'm very glad they've changed the rules -"

They better have! Amelia thought to herself.

"What rules?" ... Won't you, Fred? And you, George?"

"Love how she presumes," Fred muttered.

"That we'll be the ones," George continued.

"To get into trouble," Fred finished.

The pistons hissed loudly ... she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated.

Draco smirked. His father had done the same thing to him. Luckily Draco had always been good at eavesdropping.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione ... Pigwidgeon's cage to muffle his hooting.

Luna did not look pleased.

"Bagman wanted to tell us ... not just the defense rubbish we do. . . . "

Lucius frowned. That wasn't true at all. For one thing, he was no friend of Igor Karkaroff's. "More like I threatened to send you to Durmstrang when you trampled all over your mother's rose garden," Lucius said to his son.

Hermione got up ... emphasis on the Dark Arts. "

"That's not really fair," Krum said. "It teaches both dark and light magic. It just doesn't lie about what is dark and light the way Hogwarts does."

"I think I've heard of it," ... how are you going to hide a great big castle?"

Everyone gaped at Ron. Was he stupid or what? "Hogwarts is hidden," Percy said, staring at his brother in disbelief.

"But Hogwarts is hidden," ... Hogwarts, A History, anyway. "

"No. Trust me, everyone knows that," Dean said. "Don't have to read a damn book to know it either..."

"Just you, then," ... DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE. "

"It's a lot more than that," Dumbledore said. "It's supposedly unplottable - although the maurader's map proves that can be worked around, there are muggle-repelling charms... Even the train is charmed. Only a Hogwarts student or teacher could have done what Mr Weasley and Mr Potter did in their second year. The train cannot be followed by just anyone."

"So Durmstrang'll ...  if you say so," said Harry.

Lucius groaned. It worried him how little the Prince had understood their world even after three years at Hogwarts. He promised himself to help rectify that.

"But I think Durmstrang ... fur capes as part of their uniforms. "

Everyone looked to Krum for an answer. He shrugged. "We have to vow upon entering the school to keep it's secrets. That includes the school's location."

"Ah, think of the possibilities," ... Shame his mother likes him. . . . "

"RONALD!" Mrs Weasley screeched. "That was a horrible thing to say."

Ron hid behind Hermione.

The rain became heavier ... started trying to learn a Summoning Charm.

Several people rolled their eyes.

Neville listened jealously ... It sounded amazing though. "

Augusta frowned. She should have taken him... He had really wanted to go.

"It was," ... first and last time in your life, Weasley. "

Narcissa could make a reasonable guess whose voice that was. She gave her son an unimpressed look.

Draco Malfoy had appeared ... about eighteen ninety. . . "

Narcissa bit the inside of her cheek. She would not lose her temper with her son. Especially not in front of other people.

"Eat dung, Malfoy!" ...  some decent robes if you won. . . . "

Lucius's eyes snapped to his son, knowing instantly that he'd been eavesdropping.

"What are you talking about?" ... chance to show off, do you?"

Draco grimaced. He hadn't known then how wrong he was.

"Either explain what you're on about ... important stuff in front of him. . . . "

"I don't particularly like having my private conversations listened into son," Lucius said severely. Draco blushed.

Laughing once more ... the glass shattered.

Minerva tutted. While she agreed that Draco was out of line for what he said, that didn't give Mr Weasley a right to behave like that. Destruction of school property was not acceptable.

"Ron!" ... back into the door.

Minerva smiled at the girl. At least, she had enough sense to fix it.

"Well ... squashing it into a pulp.

Arthur sighed. His family really needed to work on their anger issues.

Ron's bad mood continued ... crossing the lake in this weather," said Hermione fervently,

Everyone in the chamber agreed with that sentiment.

Tonks however laughed. "Remember our first year Charlie," she said. "The lake was actually flooded. The boats nearly capsized."

Charlie was grinning but he thought Tonks might have been the only one to enjoy that particular trip.

shivering as they inched slowly ... the track toward Hogwarts Castle.

Sirius grinned. His pup was finally back at Hogwarts. He hoped that it would mean that he'd be safe but he had a horrible feeling that that was far from the truth.