Schooled

Screwed

At that moment, a furious pounding on his office door sent his startled gaze to the spy-mirror that sat decoratively atop Fawkes' perch. He was rarely surprised by the arrival of someone at his door; that was part of his apparent omniscience, after all. Peering at the small mirror, he suppressed his look of surprise and instead assumed a friendly, I've-been-expecting-you expression. "Come in, gentlemen!"

As Head Auror McLaggen and two of his aurors entered the office, accompanied by the Head of the MLE Marcellus Flint, Albus genially offered tea and biscuits and his ever-present lemon drops. All were abruptly rejected by a glaring McLaggen, who abruptly gestured to Flint and then stood, legs apart and arms crossed, glaring. With a sigh, Flint placed a supportive hand on the Head Auror's shoulder and then turned to Albus with a familiar-looking form. Accepting it, Albus looked in surprise at the Authorization to Arrest a Minor, and the attached Authorization to Imprison a Minor as Adult. Although he was shocked by the forms, he was stunned by the name written upon it.

"Your son, Head Auror? You are truly here to arrest and imprison your own son?" The falsely-gentle condemnation in Albus's voice immediately gained him the outraged glare of three aurors and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Despite himself, he flinched beneath the condemnation that was sent back to him fourfold. "I apologize if I seem surprised, Auror McLaggen. I am simply – surprised. What on earth could Cormac have done that would earn him a public arrest by his own father?"

The intensity of the four, outraged glares doubled. It was the youngest auror, surprisingly, who leaned forward and placed both hands upon the Headmaster's desk, staring menacingly into the twinkling blue eyes. He waited until the twinkling faded into surprise at the young auror's failure to be in any way intimidated by the magically and politically powerful old wizard, and then growled, "Can you not read, Headmaster? I always thought that would be a requirement for your position. Perhaps I assume too much."

At this, it was Albus's turn to glare, and once again, the young auror was unimpressed. A moment or two passed in silence, which was finally broken by the young auror's mocking, "Can't take a hint, however blatant, either, eh? Let me help you out. You see, my mocking you for not being able to read was a big, damn hint for you to READ. Preferably, the form in your hand that you seem to think gives you the right to question the Head Auror and the Head of the DMLE on their official business."

Albus stood up, outraged, and demanded icily, "I want your name, young man. You seem to misunderstand the dynamics of authority here."

The young auror simply smiled mockingly as he drawled, "No, I understand them fine. Here, in this office, you are the headmaster of a school. I am the an auror, which means I have every right to question you, challenge you, and even arrest you if I feel that you are in any impeding my duties. Apart from YOU, I have the least authority here, but compared to you, I have a great deal of authority. The combined authority of the four of us, compared to you, is roughly equivalent to comparing your phoenix to a canary. We win. But, because you apparently also can't read the name on my badge, let me help you out. My name is Auror Alastor Moody. I am not your student, not your lackey, not a member of your Party and not in any way intimidated by you. I am here to help arrest Cormac McLaggen, the seventh year Gryffindor who committed a sexual assault on a twelve-year-old student last year. In case you need a refresher, he is the boy who was found at the scene of the crime, supposedly 'helping' the victim. He is the boy you refused to allow the teachers to question, under the apparent law of your little world that 'Gryffindors wouldn't do such a thing.' He is the boy whose name you refused to release or allow to be released to us, using the very limited scope of your authority as Headmaster to protect the identities and privacy of the minors in your care, although you apparently employ that authority with deplorable whimsy. He is also the boy who wrote a detailed, written confession of the assault, including information that was released to no one but we four. In case you are wondering, Headmaster, the reason I am included in that is because, not only was I the investigating auror, but I am also the victim's uncle and godfather! Are you entirely clear now? Or is there something else that you don't understand, that you should understand even if you can't read?"