a. dumbledore, b. bode
Location: Hogwarts Headmaster’s Office, sunny day, midsummer. Present: A. Dumbledore, B. Bode, phoenix (‘Fawkes’).
DUMBLEDORE: I fear we have a potential disruption. You’ve heard, I’m sure, of Scrimgeour’s recent interest in my teaching staff?
BODE: You’re referring to, the –
DUMBLEDORE: Quirinus, yes.
BODE: Do you – ? How?
DUMBLEDORE: My contacts at the Auror office.
BODE: Ah. [MEMORY ALTERED]. Of course.
DUMBLEDORE: You can imagine why increased DMLE scrutiny at my school might have a detrimental impact on our plan, yes?
BODE: I can, yes. God knows they’ve already done plenty to bungle things in Albania. It’s meat they want, you know that. Scrimgeour hasn’t had an arrest since he took office. The whole Shtrigë circle seems to be internals, there’s hardly a legitimate target among them. I doubt their case against your man is strong, but –
DUMBLEDORE: But it is not a matter of the strength of the case, is it? They want the arrest, and frankly I don’t have the staffing flexibility –
BODE: You want amnesty for Quirrell.
DUMBLEDORE: For the year, at least. I jest regarding my personnel troubles, but you know as well as I do, Broderick, that we can’t afford an investigation.
BODE: And you know as well as I do that Scrimgeour –
DUMBLEDORE: Yes. [MEMORY ALTERED] assured me that they are intent on making an arrest.
BODE: And you want DoM amnesty. [Pause.] I’m afraid it’s not possible. Not without ante.
DUMBLEDORE: If I’m not mistaken your men have engaged Quirinus in the illicit procurement and trade of a certain class-B –
BODE: I am not classified to that information.
DUMBLEDORE: But you know as well as I do that Quirinus returned to Hogwarts with explicit orders to harvest and send it back to Theth. Send my regards to Crane, it is a neat solution. Everyone gets something. Was it Gage who proposed it?
BODE: I am not –
DUMBLEDORE: No matter. I must say, however, that an arrest for the mere exchange of class-Bs –
BODE: Unicorn blood!
DUMBLEDORE: Perverse, perhaps, but not quite the splash I imagine that Scrimgeour would like for his debut arrest. Not much of a narrative, is it?
[Pause.]
BODE: Do you propose – further entrapment?
DUMBLEDORE: I wonder – our operation – perhaps –
BODE: You’ll have to speak plainly, Albus, I –
DUMBLEDORE: – were never much of a legilimens, I know, Broderick. I’m wondering if Gage has ever spoken, in the discussions that led to unicorn blood, of his and my mutual friend Nicholas.
BODE: Flamel?
DUMBLEDORE: Precisely.
BODE: I – I don’t know – how many times must I tell you Albus that I am not –
DUMBLEDORE: No matter. Quirinus returns within the month. I will write to Monsieur Gage, he is a not-infrequent correspondent –
BODE: You’ll have to – you must – I cannot – this is my operation, Albus, I – you’ll have to clue me in!
DUMBLEDORE: We’re shifting the impetus. Don’t you see, Broderick? We unite the plots, Scrimgeour’s hunt and our hero’s journey. Our target will pursue his ends, but he won’t do it alone – he’ll have a competitor.
BODE: Quirrell?
DUMBLEDORE: Precisely. Potter will be victorious, of course, but Quirrell will follow the same trail, to the same end, directly into a spectacular arrest.
BODE: Forgive me, I don’t know the man well but I don’t see him as much of a Quidditch –
DUMBLEDORE: Don’t you see Broderick, my dear boy, we’re abandoning the Quidditch intrigue!
BODE: Puddlemere won’t be happy about –
DUMBLEDORE: Minverva will handle that. But don’t you see, how extraordinarily neat it is? Scrimgeour has handed us a blessing.
BODE: I – I do not see.
DUMBLEDORE: The Philosopher’s Stone, Broderick. The Philosopher’s Stone.