The Course of Correction

SCOTLAND. HOGWARTS. DAY

The portrait of Dumbledore became unbearable. Not that it was ever easy with him. But before, the other late heads of Hogwarts only sighed and complained quietly about him to their now living colleague when Dumbledore was absent from the canvas. Now, in his presence, they were especially loudly discussing the collective protest and posthumous impeachment. All they needed before the quorum was the consent of the ever-sleeping Phyllida Spore and Phineas Black, who liked to show character, and besides, he could leave the director's office at any moment to his portrait on Grimmauld Place. The rest, including Minerva McGonagall, were forced to listen to Dumbledore's monologues, his ideas for the world order after Harry Potter's victory, and the consequences of punishing the Death Eaters too harshly.

This happened after the house-elf brought the Daily Prophet to the headmaster's office in McGonagall's absence and succumbed to Dumbledore's persuasion to flip through the pages in front of him. Unfortunately, on this day, there was a big article dedicated to the arrest of Draco Malfoy, listing all the recent Hogwarts graduates who ended up behind bars in Azkaban. Since then, the operation "Saving Draco Malfoy" has become Albus Dumbledore's fix idea.

Another meeting of headmasters’ portraits was interrupted by the tapping of a beak on the window.

- Finally!

McGonagall rushed to the window with the impatience of a young girl waiting for a letter from her lover. She swore to her brother and nephews to spend a vacation with them in July, but a whole week has already passed from the month, and she still has not solved the problem of Albus Dumbledore. Created by Albus Dumbledore, to be more precise. Sometimes Minerva McGonagall had a Slytherin idea to lock up the office and go to Malcolm, leaving everything as it is. But she couldn't do that with the portraits of the Hogwarts principals. After all, who knows how soon she herself will take her place among them.

The letter from Kingsley Shacklebolt was unexpectedly short, and she felt disappointed. After all, her own problem description was the size of Hermione Granger's essay. But after reading the note, she cheered up. The Acting Minister asked permission to visit Hogwarts to talk to her, accompanied by Daniel Savage, and suggested that she set a day and time. Grabbing a pen, Minerva McGonagall wrote back that she was waiting for Kingsley and Daniel at any convenient day and time, and hinted that she did not mind at all if they arrived however late that day.

Going down to dinner, the headmistress saw that of all the teachers in the castle, only Hagrid, Pomona Sprout and Rolanda Hooch remained. The rest went to see their loved ones when the main repair work in the castle was completed. The wards of Hagrid and the Sprout could not be left unattended, and Madame Hooch had nobody to go to. When the Death Eaters came to power, her beloved grandson left England for the United States, met the love of his life there and did not plan to return, but tried with all his might to persuade Rolanda to emigrate.

McGonagall regretted that Professor Flitwick, Dean of Ravenclaw, had left the castle the day before, whom she wanted to ask about Savage, a graduate of his faculty. Without much hope, she asked if Pomona Sprout remembered such a student, but the name "Daniel Savage" suddenly perked up Madame Hooch.

- Of course, I remember him, a very smart young man and an excellent strategist. Quidditch tactics he invented often led his team to victory, thought the Ravenclaw team was not strong then, — Rolanda Hooch went into the list of all the games that Ravenclaw played in the 1988-1989 season, and the director thought about the personality of the new director of “Azkaban for children” as he was called in the Daily Prophet.

After the death of Voldemort and the fall of the corrupt government, there was an obvious shortage of people in the Ministry of Magic who were not discredited by their collaboration with the Death Eaters. All that was known about the head of the prison reform project was that he had left the Auror department shortly after Scrimgeour's appointment as minister.

- Minister, Mr. Savage, thank you for responding so quickly to my appeal, — the headmistress said most sincerely, greeting the guests. - I can imagine how difficult it was to find time.

- Dear Minerva, you have no idea how timely your letter arrived. Daniel and I were discussing a problem with one of the Hogwarts students when your owl knocked on the window.

- Yes, I would also like to discuss the case of Draco Malfoy and others...

- Oh, it's not about Mr. Malfoy at all, Professor McGonagall, — Savage interrupted. — Our concern is caused by the behavior of Dennis Creevey.

- Creevey? — McGonagall was confused, — But what are the difficulties with him?

- Let's try to find an elegant solution to all problems, — Dumbledore's portrait intervened the conversation.

The other portraits whispered something about a taped mouth and a portrait turned upside down against the wall as the best solution.

The meeting in the director's office dragged on until late at night. Each participant had an unsolvable problem. Dumbledore felt guilty that he had not kept his promise to Draco Malfoy to protect him and his family. McGonagall understood that seventh-year Slytherins had not finished their school education properly, did not get the opportunity to take the NEWT. However, she couldn't allow them back, considering the feelings of all the other students. Shacklebolt was tired of receiving reports of the unauthorized use of magic by underage Creevey and did not understand what measures could be applied to a difficult teenager who was acutely experiencing the death of his brother. Savage managed to get acquainted with all yesterday's schoolchildren who were arrested for using the Unforgivable Curses, and did not see any prospects for their correction within the walls of Azkaban.

Snape's portrait was the first to lose patience. He considered himself a patient man - after all, he had waited 16 years to get revenge on Voldemort for the death of the woman he loved. But listening to the endless walking in circles suddenly became unbearable.

- Lady and gentlemen, you have already repeated the idea a hundred times that Slytherin graduates need to study, and not be in prison. And then agreed two hundred times that they shouldn't be at Hogwarts. Let's speed up the insight that Hogwarts is not the only school in the world.

- Are you suggesting we send them to Durmstrang? — McGonagall asked jealously.

- No. You don't need a school at all, one course is enough. Although, as for Draco, it is unlikely that he can be certified even for the sixth year.

- One year or two, but somewhere they have to study ...

Severus Snape frowned in the portrait, clearly reluctant to share these memories. But still he continued:

- As a child, my father threatened ... told me that children who misbehave at school are sent to a military camp. Somehow it helps them to improve.

McGonagall gasped.

- No matter how skeptical I am about such mundane activities, it cannot be denied that physical activity and discipline help to splash out aggression and restore order in the head.

Kingsley jumped up and pressed his fingers to his temples, remembering something.

- There is one place here in Scotland. When I was guarding the Muggle Prime Minister, they had the European Football Championship, and one of the training camps was mistakenly built far from the city, literally in the middle of the forest. Their Minister of Sports did not know what they would do with him after the championship. I'm sure there's no one there, and we can easily negotiate a lease.

- Very well, — said Dumbledore, satisfied. — I knew we would find a solution.

- “We”, indeed, — Snape replied tartly. — Well, since "we" came up with a course of punishment, or rather correction, let's discuss the list of the students.

- There's no problem here, — Savage interjected. — By agreement with the Wizengamot, I can include in the experimental project of prison system transformation only those offenders who were students at the time of the crimes. We have five of them, all from Slytherin.

- Also, I think it's appropriate to include young Dennis Creevey in the course. He has already violated the statute of secrecy three times, so we can neither leave him in the Muggle world, nor allow him to continue his studies at Hogwarts, — Shacklebolt spread his hands, catching McGonagall's protest.

- How do you imagine it, Kingsley? A sixteen-year-old Muggle-born boy is alone among...

- Before we all weep in compassion, I would like to remind you that there are at least three other Hogwarts students who used unforgivable curses last year, — Snape remarked suavely.

Everyone present looked at him dumbfounded. Severus Snape was obviously enjoying the effect.

- Are you seriously suggesting now that we send war heroes to Azkaban?

- Hermione Granger definitely can't be among… — McGonagall had to stop for the second time without finishing the sentence.

Everyone was silent.

- Severus is right, — said Dumbledore mournfully.

- No way Wizengamot would agree to blame Harry Potter and his friends after all they have done for the wizarding community!

- So, it is necessary to make sure that they themselves agree to undergo this course of correction.

- I can't imagine what the motivation for such a decision should be.

Everyone fell silent another time. Snape's patience was on the line again.

- If only you had an example of a person who had the opportunity to escape punishment, but voluntarily chose arrest …—  he said bitterly.

- Young Malfoy, exactly. — Savage slapped his forehead, then looked thoughtfully at Snape's portrait. — Excuse me, sir, maybe you will accept the offer of a one-year contract as a portrait of our new school, that is, the course?

- TAKE DUMBLEDORE! — the portraits shouted in unison.