The Ceiling Comes Crashing Down
Ted Tonks’ POV -
Sometimes, just sometimes, Ted wanted to kill his fellow members from the former Order of the Phoenix. Make no mistake, they are great friends. Molly’s delicious cooking made him feel like he was back home with his parents whenever he ate it. Moody was a powerful auror who trained his daughter and was like that overly paranoid uncle everyone had. You know, the one who is always raving about Aliens coming to attack the planet. But you’re putting out 10 fires at once, you get pretty annoyed, pretty fast.
Moody acting like an absolute fool, got him arrested, and now, as a favor to Dumbledore and to his friend, he had to get him pardoned, somehow. Or a plea deal. But with the way things are going, being granted a plea deal or a pardon was not in the picture. The Malfoys were out for blood. And with Lord Malfoy being a lawyer himself, it’s only a matter of time before Moody ends up in Azkaban along with all those Death Eaters he threw in there.
And Molly? Molly was a train wreck waiting to happen. Her overbearing nature and stubbornness led her to where she is today. Madam Bones is desperate to get her hands on a warrant to search the Burrow and is only one meeting away from getting it. And Ted, he couldn’t do anything about it. If he did, it would look suspicious, which would only encourage Madam Bones.
Ted was fighting a war that he was losing. And there was no hero in shining armor coming to save him from the hole he dug. All he could do now was try to salvage what was left of the destruction. Maybe Moody could get off with house arrest or parole. After all, he was a war hero. Molly was doomed for Azkaban unless the one charing her, Hadrian Peverell-Potter, saw fit to help her. However, that was more unlikely than being able to pass through the sun in one piece.
Third Person POV -
The next morning, there was a new author featured on the front page of the Daily Prophet, Qubblier, and Witch Weekly.
Hogwarts, Losing Their Touch?
By Veritas
Since its founding, Hogwarts has been a pillar of learning The brainchild of Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, has given birth to geniuses for centuries. Teaching the likes of Newton Scamander, and Severus Snape, both considered geniuses in their respective fields. But has time changed the Hogwarts we all once knew?
Since Albus Dumbledore took the helm of the great school, everything has been going downhill, particularly in one subject. History of Magic. Since he became headmaster, the history OWL score has been the lowest in history. The average in the past year was poor, with most students choosing to drop the class despite there not being a required score for the class.
History of Magic is considered by many to be one of the most important subjects. Yet in the very institution, we are sending our kids to, they failing in that class. Perhaps, the fault does not lie with the children, but rather the teacher.
According to reports, Cuthbert Binns has been the History of Magic teacher since Dumbledore became headmaster. He is reportedly the most boring teacher there, droning on and on without end. Maybe now is the time to change the guard. He has been given 50 years to prove he is a component teacher, and has failed.
We were silent before, giving him the benefit of doubt for far too long. Now is the time to be proactive in our children’s lives.
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.
Hadrian’s POV -
Hadrian was once again in his formal robes, sitting down in the Wizengamot. Moody’s trial was today and would be a sight to see. There was reason after all, why you don’t mess with the Malfoys. And Moody, he was going to learn why.
The Minister entered into the chamber, with Umbridge following closely behind. He sat by the gavel and banged it, being the trail. Moody was brought in. He was wearing the same thing he wore the night he was arrested. A tan coat, cackies, and a polo.
“Lord Malfoy, the floor is yours,” The Minister said. Lucius nodded.
“As I’m sure many of you saw that night, Mr. Moody barged into my home, without a warrant, and reason. He trespassed on my property and abused his status as an Auror to get back at me for being a political enemy.”
“Mr. Tonks?” The Minister asks, giving the floor to the man.
“While Mr. Moody did do all of the things Lord Malfoy said, he understands his mistake and thus would like to take a plea deal. House arrest for a reasonable amount of time of 5 years. To send him to Azkaban would be like sending him to his death, as many of the Death Eaters he captured, are sentenced to life there.”
“Lord Malfoy, do you accept that deal?” The Minister asks.
“I refuse. Instead, I propose he spend either 5 years in medium security, or 10 in low.”
“7 years in low.”
“Acceptable.”
“In that case, Aurors, please escort Mr. Moody to the low-security cells in Azkaban,” Madam Bones ordered them from her seat in the Wizengamot. The Aurors grabbed Moody and took him to Azkaban.
~Later that Day~
“Did you read the books I gave you?” Marvolo asks. Hadrian nods. “Wonderful, in that case, please cast one of the spells you learned on that dummy over there.”
“*Mutatio Skullus*” Hadrian cast. Several other heads grew out of the dummies before exploding.
“Very good. You purposely used too much magic to make the heads explode, right?”
“Yep.”
“Smart.”
“Anyway, would you like to have our annual game of chess now or later?”
“Now would be nice.”
“Alright.” Marvolo wordlessly and wandlessly summoned a chess set, table, chairs, and some food.
“You read that book about chess I hope.”
“Yep. Though I’m still hopeless at this game compared to you."
“You just need practice.”
“So you keep saying.”
“It’s true.”
After a short game of chess that swiftly ended in Marvolo’s victory, Hadrian and Marvolo went over chess strategies and did some general scheming.
Fred’s POV -
~At the Burrow~
The day was going great like normal. Fred and George woke up at 5 in the morning, had a quick breakfast, and were on their merry way experimenting with new ideas and potions.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Fred looked at George. The duo runs down the stair into the living room. Where they see their mother at the door, in front of some people in long dark tan jackets.
“Mrs. Margret Weasly and Ms. Ginerva Weasley. You two are under arrest for attempting to use love and compulsion potions. We have a warrant to search the house. Everyone needs to get out of the house, now, or risk being charged with obstructing justice,” One of the Aurors said. An auror behind Molly mouthed something to her.
With that announcement, all the Weasleys evacuated the burrow, with Molly turning red with anger and Aurther trying to comfort her. The only reason she wasn’t yelling was because she was under a silencing charm after trying to spell one of the Aurors. Ginny was crying a river right next to her mother.
George went up to the Aurors and warned them about their room. No need to get arrested because of a few pranks. Percy was sitting on the lawn reading without a care in the world and Ron was chomping down on food, like always.
Third Person POV-
~Hogwarts Board Meeting Room~
The governors of Hogwarts were all sitting in their chairs, waiting for one man to start the meeting. The one man who was always late, and dressed atrociously. That man, of course, if Albus Dumbledore. And when Dumbledore entered the room, he wasn’t aware of the fact that he was walking to his death. Not literally of course.
“Albus Dumbledore, why in a million years did you think it was okay to keep a ghost on the staff?” Samuel Parkison, one of the governors asks
.
“He is a wonderful teacher,” Dumbledore responds.
“He has the highest drop rate, even higher than potions, which requires an O to get into.” Christopher Newman said.
“And he has the lowest grades.” Amber Zabini said.
“That’s just children being children,” Alexander Millys says.
“That doesn’t matter. Simply put, he is an incompetent teacher. And we demand you fire him,” Lucius Malfoy says.
“I can’t possibly fire him after all he’s done for us over the years,” Dumbledore answers.
“You mean making our children fail his class?” Abraham Markeley asks.
“He has been loyal to Hogwarts for so many years,” Dumbledore answered.
“Loyalty is worthless when it hurts the very same people it is supposed to be helping,” Erasmus Grenefeld said.
“The point is, that we order you to fire Binns and find someone to exorcist his before we do it ourselves. We aren’t here to argue with you. You will do it or you will find yourself without a job.” Malfoy says plainly.
“Anything else?” Dumbledore asks warily.
“Yes, actually,” Zabini says. “Why have you not approved any clubs?”
“Pardon?”
“The Dance Club, the Music Club, the Chess Club, the Cooking Club, the Yoga Club, the Book Club, and so on have all given you numerous applications, yet you reject them all. Why?” Parkison asks.
“Because the children have very busy schedules and I do not wish to overwhelm them,” Dumbledore says quickly.
“Please, they have 4 classes a day for an hour each plus lunch. Entering a club or two would still leave them with more than enough time for homework,” Markeley says plainly.
“I agree,” Malfoy says, “which is why we are approving the clubs now, not you. You will have no power over them.”
“What?” Aquila Braunstone asks. “We don’t have the power to do that!”
“Aquila is right. We don’t. Plus, what clubs do and do not get approved has always been at the headmaster’s discretion. Why change it now?” Millys interrupts.
“It doesn’t matter what you two think. You have been outvoted. We will be doing that now.” Zabini said, ending the conversation there. “That is all Dumbledore. Go and find an exorcist and a new history teacher.”