It was gone half six by the time Limestone, Hermione and Scoti made it into the Great Hall for dinner. They had not even made it to the doorway before they heard the commotion going on inside.
“Pomona, you are one to speak. Two days and your first years are running riot around the school fighting anything they can,” Professor McGonagall’s voice echoed from inside.
“At least I listen to my students and try to resolve such issues instead of just ignoring them and hoping they go away,” Professor Sprout snapped back. “A head of house is supposed to be someone the students can come to in times of need. Poor Lavender is terrified of you.”
Limestone, Hermione and Scoti hurried inside. Despite the hall still being relatively full with dinner goers, no attempt was being made either to eat said dinners or make small talk with fellow housemates. Instead, everyone’s attention had turned to the front of the hall where a full-blown row had erupted between two of the most senior professors.
“How dare you question my methods. I am perfectly capable of looking after my students thank you very much,” Professor McGonagall roared back.
“Really? Then I am sure the medical Madam Pomfrey has conducted has not found anything amiss with her jittery nature, the heavy bags under her eyes and all the peculiar scratch and bite marks that cover her body,” Professor Sprout retaliated.
“How long they been going at it like this?” Limestone asked Leanne, locating the other girl on the Hufflepuff table.
“Nearly five minutes. Professor Sprout came storming in eyes ablaze and went straight to Professor McGonagall stating that they needed to have a talk about Lavender. Professor McGonagall did not look at all pleased at having her dinner interrupted and immediately put herself on the back foot by asking what Lavender had done wrong. It has just been going back and forth and getting louder and louder ever since. I am wondering how long it will be before Headmaster Dumbledore steps in,” Leanne explained.
“I am sure the girl is fine and just seeking attention,” they heard Professor McGonagall retort before seeing Professor Sprout rise from her chair.
“I can assure you she is not and if you are not going to listen to the advice of a long-time friend and instead be blinded by your own outdated, stereotypical, and prejudicial views, you leave me no choice. Headmaster Dumbledore I make a formal request for Lavender Brown to be removed from the Gryffindor dormitory and placed within the Hufflepuff dormitory on safety and wellbeing grounds,” Professor Sprout announced causing gasps of shock and hushed and uneasy murmurs to break out amongst the students in the hall.
“What! To even suggest such a thing is an insult to me and my capabilities not only as a head of house but as deputy headmistress,” Professor McGonagall exclaimed.
“I understand and I am sorry Minerva. My loyalty to you as a friend has never waivered and I have tried to settle this matter amicably but your hot headedness and arrogance…”
“Don’t give me that dragon dung, you just didn’t get as many students this year as you would like so decided to take mine,” Professor McGonagall interjected angrily as she rose to her own feet and towered over the shorter woman.
“Ladies, this is neither the time nor the place. As the only member of staff allowed to see a student’s medical records aside the school’s matron, I shall visit Madam Pomfrey and make my decision after dinner. For now, can we please settle down and enjoy the remainder of our dinners in peace,” Headmaster Dumbledore cut in from the head of the table, not looking the least bit concerned with two of his staff members arguing.
An awkward silence hung in the air as Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout continued to stare one another down. It was Professor Sprout who eventually backed down.
“Fine,” Professor Sprout said gruffly turning and walking away. “I shall visit the kitchens myself and get something to take back to the greenhouses. I will expect to see you later Albus to hear your decision on the matter.”
And with that she departed, every student in the hall trying, and failing, not to stare at the clearly aggravated Herbology professor.
“Well, that was something,” Limestone stated as one of the doors to the Great Hall slammed shut.
“You can say that again,” Leanne commented. “What do you think the odds are Lavender ends up in our dorm?”
“Cannot say. Professor Sprout seemed pretty upset but then Professor McGonagall seemed adamant she had done nothing wrong. One thing that I can be sure of though is that I am glad I am not Headmaster Dumbledore. Whatever decision he makes won’t be a popular one.”
*
Headmaster Dumbledore read over the report in his hands and proceeded to let out a massive sigh. It made for grim reading. “What would you advise me to do Poppy? There is no way the girl can continue to stay in such conditions, that is clear. But I cannot exactly banish every cat from the castle and if I transfer her to Hufflepuff, Minerva will be furious that I have undermined her authority.”
“That, unfortunately, is a decision only you can make. Minerva I feel has technically done nothing wrong but there can also be no denying that she alongside Severus strongly opposed allowing the werewolves into Hogwarts this year. Although understandable, I fear that these discriminatory views were imprinted on Lavender during Minerva’s visit over the summer. Thus, when Lavender was placed into Gryffindor, she felt unable to raise her troubles with the common room’s occupants with the one person she should be able to,” Madam Pomfrey divulged before taking a sip of tea from the cup on the desk in front of her.
She had been waiting for the headmaster’s visit all evening and as soon as he had appeared she had wordlessly led him into her office and sat him down on the other side of a desk covered in paperwork for the awkward conversation they were currently having over a cup of tea.
“And do you feel this bond can be mended?” Dumbledore enquired.
“No,” the school matron replied flatly. “Remember how Minerva reacted after discovering Remus was a werewolf? She was furious that you had gone behind her back and endangered the entire school for the benefit of one student. And even if she were to drastically alter her views, I fear the damage has already been done and the bond to broken to be fixed. Lavender is absolutely petrified of her. To leave her in such an environment could not only be physically disastrous but mentally to.”
“So, your verdict as a medical professional would be to remove her from such an environment?” Dumbledore queried.
“I feel that our duty first and foremost is to the care of our students and in this case the best option would be for Lavender to be around those who not only understand her condition better but know what it is like to be an outcast,” Madam Pomfrey explained.
“I understand. Is Lavender awake?”
“She is still eating dinner as far as I am aware.”
“Then may I speak with her?”
“As long as I am present and you do not stress her out. She is extremely tense right now fearing she will be reprimanded for speaking out,” Madam Pomfrey explained.
Dumbledore rose from his seat and finished his last mouthful of tea. “Understood.”
The headmaster hadn’t even made it to the door to the office before he heard the commotion brewing on the other side.
“Leave now or both of us will regret it,” he heard Susan Bones practically snarl.
“Miss Bones, I highly suggest you calm down and move aside. I have every right to visit one of my students in the infirmary,” he heard Minerva reply calmly.
“Yeah, no. She doesn’t want to see you. Just being here has sent her cowering under her bed cover. So, I will ask politely one final time, leave, or regret it,” the girl replied coldly.
“That’ll be quite enough,” Dumbledore announced opening the door to Madam Pomfrey’s office.
“Albus, I just wanted to have a word with the girl, make her see sense,” Minerva implored to her superior. “I feel like I am being persecuted for something that is not my fault. I cannot exactly control the actions of the cats in my common room and you know it.”
“Well maybe if you weren’t such a werewolf hating bitch, Lavender, yes Lavender, that is her name not “the girl”, might have consoled in you and you might have realised just how difficult our lives have been through no fault of our own,” Susan ranted, her head now resembling that of a wolf.
“Susan, please, I understand you wish to protect your friend but please calm down and let me deal with this,” Dumbledore pleaded.
“No, I have had it up to here with werewolf hating pricks like her. Do you think any of us want to be like this? The only family I have left thinks I am an abomination, Lavender is terrified that one day she will kill her own parents, while Leanne fears every full moon that her parents will end up in Azkaban. Yet we are supposed to act like everything is fine and put on a brave face otherwise the Ministry will deem us a risk and lock us up in Azkaban. We are eleven, mere children, but do the Ministry care, not in the slightest. They act like they are trying to crush the stigmatism surrounding werewolves but in reality it is all a sham to make themselves look good and cover up their massive fuck up. The sooner they have a reason to lock us all in a pitch-black cell and throw away the key, the better in their eyes. All I want is to at least enjoy a small proportion of my pitiful existence with the ones I love until that day arrives. Is that too much to ask?” Susan wailed, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed onto her knees.
A pair of heavily bandaged arms soon wrapped themselves comfortingly around the distraught girl. Professor McGonagall meanwhile looked on stone-faced as Lavender consoled her friend.
“Miss Brown, I shall leave the decision up to you but please think it over carefully this evening. Remember that the sorting hat placed you in Gryffindor for a reason and I believe that reason was so that you could forge your own destiny rather than remain in your friends’ shadows. I will not lie, it will not be easy as you have already realised. For one, it will take a lot to convince me that the risk of having you here is a worthwhile one and secondly, I cannot stop the cats from hating you in the common room. Although, this might help, it did a certain Remus Lupin who for years baffled me as to why the cats despised him so much.” She threw a small bag on the ground in front of Lavender. “It’s catnip, use it wisely and when you run out, please do come find me for some more rather than suffering in silence,” she instructed emotionlessly before turning to leave now that she had said what she had wanted to say. “And remember that you still have a friend in Gryffindor that will miss you dearly if you defect,” she added over her shoulder heading for the door until something hit her on the back.
It was the bag of catnip. “I see,” she uttered turning to pick it up. “Are you truly sure my dear? There is no going back from this decision or the shockwaves it is likely to cause.”
“Am I sure?” Lavender cackled like a loon. “Am I sure? YES, I AM SURE. Like Susan, I am done with people like you. In less than an hour Professor Sprout made more effort to get to know me than you have done in the past two days, which is simply to stalk me and criticise my choice of friends. To top it all off, you then have the nerve to come here, reduce one of my best friends to tears, admit you hate me and then try to bribe and blackmail me to return to Gryffindor before leaving without even letting me reply,” Lavender raged, eyes burning and her whole body starting to shake. “Well, have I got a response for you, GET FUCKED and pray you are never near me on a full moon.”
She stormed back to her bed, grabbed her robe that was resting on the end of it and proceeded to tear the Gryffindor badge of it before ripping it in half with her mouth and spitting the half in her mouth onto the floor before stamping on it repeatedly with her foot until the room started to spin.
“Woah, easy there Lav,” Susan said rushing to catch her distressed friend with her good arm.
“To much?” Lavender asked before letting out a massive yawn.
“Nah, perfect. I always wondered if you had that natural werewolf fire somewhere inside of you although it often does take a lot out of us so why don’t I…”
Lavender was already fast asleep. Susan lowered her gently onto the bed before turning to Professor McGonagall.
“You need to leave, now.”
To Susan’s surprise it wasn’t her who uttered those words, rather Madam Pomfrey coming up behind her.
Professor McGonagall paid neither of them any attention as she stood motionless by the doorway staring at the disregarded Gryffindor crest on the floor.
“Come Minerva, let us have a talk over a cup of tea and some biscuits,” Dumbledore offered politely walking over.
Professor McGonagall did not wait for him. Instead, she turned and left without a single word.
*
Meanwhile, in the Great Hall, Limestone had her own problem to contend with. To no surprise, Jasmine had found her before she had been able to sneak away after dinner and thus a rather tiresome conversation surrounding the history of Equestria and the species of ponies that populated the country had begun. This inevitably had led to a discussion surrounding the different types of magic each species of pony possessed and how, through working together, the country had grown and developed. The interview had ended with a more in-depth explanation of Earth pony magic, something which seemed to enthral Jasmine.
“Okay, well your thirty minutes are up so I’m retiring to my dorm for the evening for a nap before Astronomy,” Limestone stated rising to her hooves.
“Wait, please, just one more question,” Jasmine pleaded.
Limestone rolled her eyes. “Fine, but just the one,” she grumbled reluctantly.
“You stated that a pony’s role in society is predominantly predetermined at birth by their species,” Jasmine began.
“Yes, that is generally the case. What’s your point?” Limestone interrupted gruffly.
“Well, what if you say, do not want to be a rock farming Earth pony but, I do not know, a baker instead? I guess my question is, in Equestria is there any way to avoid your species determined destiny?”
“Shit, I totally forgot to mention cutie marks,” Limestone grumbled.
“Cutie marks?” Jasmine asked looking confused.
“Simply put, it reflects a pony’s individuality. It is a mark that appears on a pony’s flank when they discover their special talent. For example, one of my sisters got hers in event management or party planning, something that has absolutely nothing to do with rock farming,” Limestone explained.
Jasmine’s eyes lit up. “Have you got one?”
It was at that precise moment Limestone realised she had royally fucked up.
“Yes,” she replied preparing to bolt.
“May I see it. I want a photo for the report,” Jasmine replied with that crazed expression in her eyes that Limestone now knew only to well.
“How about I give you a photo tomorrow at breakfast?” Limestone offered trying to find a solution. “It’s on my hip and I’m not going to… HEY, what are you doing?”
Jasmine leapt across the table at her. “Come on just a quick look,” she pleaded barrelling Limestone onto her back and trying desperately to pull down her skirt.
Scoti and Leanne tried desperately and failed miserably to stifle their giggles as Limestone tried frantically to fend Jasmine of with one arm.
“Are you two just going to let her undress me or actually do something useful and get her of me?” Limestone cried.
“Pretty please, just one quick glimpse?” Jasmine pleaded once more, still trying to pull down Limestone’s skirt.
“What part of no do you not understand?” Limestone griped, refusing to give up despite her obvious disadvantage.
And then, all of a sudden, the other girl’s weight was gone from on top of her.
“You could at least buy her a drink first before trying to pull her skirt off,” Kendra quipped, restraining Jasmine in a bear hug. “Good thing Professor Sprout asked me to oversee the interview. Limestone said she would give you a photo tomorrow, take the offer or I will be having a word with Professor Flitwick about your actions just now. I am sure he will have no issue in having you confined to your common room outside of lessons for the entire first term for such disgraceful behaviour.” She let Jasmine go. “Now apologise and be on your way back to the Ravenclaw common room,” she ordered.
Jasmine stared at the ground before muttering glumly, “I’m sorry Limestone, I just got a bit overexcited is all and really wanted to see your cutie mark. It was wrong of me to act the way I did and I hope you can forgive me. Thank you once more for agreeing to the interview. I’ll be on my way… huh. OH MERLIN’S BEARD, IT’S BEAUTIFUL,” Jasmine practically screamed staring at the photo Scoti had just handed to her. “Can I keep it?”
Scoti nodded. I’ve got copies.
Jasmine squealed with delight.
Limestone looked concerned. “When did you take that? And why didn’t you produce it earlier.”
Scoti shrugged her shoulders. When you were getting changed yesterday morning. Thought it might come in useful. And we were enjoying the show.
Limestone glowered at her friend. “Right, you mean you had a bet with Leanne over whether Jasmine would be able to get my skirt of or not.”
Maybe.
“Definitely more like,” Limestone muttered under her breath as she turned to Jasmine. “Just don’t try it again,” she grumbled.
The other girl gave Limestone a massive hug much to Limestone’s discomfort and displeasure, and her friends’ delight.
A cough from Kendra made Jasmine slowly release her grip.
“No matter what, I shall make you mine,” Jasmine whispered into Limestone’s ear before gathering up her things and skipping away with a cheery smile across her face.
A look of horror crept across Limestone’s face.
“Huh, I think you might have a stalker Limey Wimey,” Kendra teased mercilessly.
“She’s worse than my sister!” Limestone whimpered realising she might have a new greatest fear.
*
Dear Mr Moody Pants,
How have things been since I left? I hope you haven’t been terrorising the servants again or I will have my new friend’s hellhound teach you a thing or two about manners you ungrateful and paranoid old coot. You know very well how difficult it is to get even half-decent staff these days. On a more pressing matter, our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is about as useful as your wooden peg leg against incendio and speaks total gibberish. I tried to warn them that you are an equally sized buzzkill who never lets me have any fun, although I may have avoided telling them about waking up on my eighth birthday to find myself being slowly constricted by a giant snake or the time you drugged my dinner and I woke up in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night and then had to try and find my way back home, to name but a few but they wouldn’t listen. So, I have now, begrudgingly, been forced to formally request your services for the position of private tutor for Defence Against the Dark Arts for all six of us, of which pay would be discussed upon your arrival at Hogwarts. Please politely decline, I really like my new friends and would like them, and the castle, all to remain intact until the end of the year, and instead provide me with some alternative options. Yours sincerely,
Scoti.
Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody smiled as he finished re-reading the letter his goddaughter had sent him before scrunching it into a ball and throwing it into the fire that he sat beside in an armchair.
“I wondered how long it would be before you requested my services Scoti. I promised your parents that I would protect and look after you if anything ever happened to them and that is exactly what I plan to do. So do not fear dear, Alastor will ensure you and your friends will be prepared for the Dark Lord’s inevitable return.”
He cackled wildly as he rose to his feet. “Do not worry Francesca about taking a return letter, I think I will accept the offer in person.”
He fed the owl several of her favourite owl treats before dismissing her and proceeding to grab a large, overfilled rucksack that had been propped up next to the armchair and lugging it onto his back.
Alastor Moody was on his way to Hogwarts.