Dec 17
The members of the Board of Governors read the expose on the past five years at Hogwarts in stunned disbelief. A multi-paged accounting of the dangerous happenings that had been kept secret from them and the public somehow. Even Lucius was shocked. He hadn't known of all of this. Why hadn't Draco told him?
An emergency meeting was called. Four members, one from each House, went to Hogwarts to collect three students from each House to corroborate the horrifying account sent to them anonymously.
Dumbledore looked up in surprise when the four Board members strolled in at breakfast time in the middle of the week. He stood from his seat. "May I help you?"
"We received a disturbing accounting of happenings in the school, Headmaster. We are here to collect members from our respective Houses to corroborate or deny the events."
"What type of happenings?" Dumbledore asked with a concerned look.
"You will be informed later. Now, Headmaster if you would make sure all the students are present."
Dumbledore nodded and reluctantly accessed the wards. His voice echoed through the castle calling all students to the Great Hall. He had heavy suppression and loyalty wards wove into Hogwarts wards. They wouldn't tell a thing.
Fifteen minutes later the Hall was full.
"I am Sidney Alexander, Ravenclaw, one of the Board of Governors." He explained to the gathered students. "A matter has come to the attention of the Board that need clarifying. Each one of us represents a House. We are calling three students from each House to come speak to the Board of Governors to verify or refute what we have been told. If you feel uneasy speaking with us you may request your Head of House or parent be present as well. I call Eddie Carmichael, Padma Patil, Rasmus Alderforth."
"I am Jillian Jewels, Gryffindor. I call Neville Longbottom, Callidora Hooch, Andrew Kirke."
"I am Grace Yaxley, Slytherin. I call Draco Malfoy, Harper Hastings, Alicia Septnum."
"I am Alice Iceler, Hufflepuff. I call Susan Bones, Zamira Penrose, Brett Nicks."
"I would like my aunt present." Susan stated as she joined Madam Iceler.
Madam Iceler nodded. She pulled a prepared note out and called a house elf to deliver it to Madam Bones. "Anyone else?"
"I would like Professor Flitwick." Padma said nervously.
Flitwick stood and hurried down to the group. He petted Padma's arm reassuringly.
Sidney looked at the furious Headmaster. "We will have them back before curfew this evening." They ushered the students out of the castle and down past the gates. Each Board member pulled out a portkey and once their small group was touching it, spoke the activation word.
The group appeared in the Board of Governors meeting room. The students looked around nervously.
"Aunt," Susan hurried over to her aunt, Amelia Bones, when she appeared. "Do you know what is going on?"
"No."
Draco moved to his father's side as well.
"Answer the questions honestly," Lucius murmured.
Draco blinked up at him and nodded. "Yes, Father."
"Please everyone be seated. We understand your trepidation. Be assured that none of you are in trouble and nothing you say here will be held against you. Even if you admit to wrong doing today, it will not be held against you." Sidney waited until everyone had settled and he had their undivided attention before continuing. "Yesterday each Board member received a quite detailed accounting of the school years from 1991 to the end of the 1995 school year. It was disturbing to say the least. What you are here to do today is corroborate or deny what we were sent. Everything corroborated will become highlighted in yellow on our copies. Refuted items red."
"Before we begin we are going to cast over all of you a spell to neutralize any suppression or loyalty compulsions."
Three of the Board members wove the spell. It fell gently over the students making them visibly shudder as years of compulsions melted away. The Board exchanged glances. That was disturbing in and of itself. The older students had shook as compulsions leeched from their body.
Madame Bones glowered at her niece's reaction.
"Mr. Longbottom would you tell us of anything out of the ordinary in the 1991-1992 school year, your first year at Hogwarts."
Neville gulped. "Ah...well...at Halloween a troll got into the dungeons."
The members all looked down at the sheaf of parchment as yellow highlight appeared on each of their copies.
"Go on."
"And there were rumors of Professor Quirrell dying mysteriously at the end of the year."
"If anyone has something to add, please speak up."
"I was in the infirmary at the end of the year." Eddie Carmichael muttered. "Potter and Weasley were brought in injured. I heard the Headmaster and Professor Snape talking about a Philosopher's Stone."
"Mr. Carmichael." Flitwick called him down sharply.
"Professor Flitwick, you really don't want to be found to be covering up any of what we have in this report."
Flitwick stared at them a moment then sighed and slumped slightly. "Nicholas Flamel had requested the headmaster hide the Philosopher's Stone in the castle. It was secured behind several traps."
"And what happened to it?"
"We were never told for certain. I do know that Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger and Ms. Potter were involved somehow and the two were injured protecting it from an unknown thief."
More highlights.
"Second year...
"Wait," Draco spoke up nervously with a glance at his father. The barest of nods encouraged him. "Potter, Weasley, Granger and I had detention first year with the groundskeeper, Hagrid. He took us into the Forbidden Forest at night searching for dead or injured unicorns." Draco shuddered remembering that night. He had had nightmares for months. "Potter and I were given Hagrid's cowardly dog and sent to search separately from the others. We stumbled across a dying unicorn something was drinking its blood. When it saw us it...flowed across the ground toward us snarling at Potter and saying that no one could protect her from it. A centaur showed up and drove it away."
Several whole paragraphs was highlighted.
Lucius paled. His son had been in serious danger and he hadn't known it.
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Now second year?"
"The Chamber was opened." Susan Bones offered up softly. "Students were being petrified by something in the school."
"What?!" Her aunt shouted. "Why didn't you tell me this?"
"I...I don't know...I...it never crossed my mind to." Susan frowned.
So did all the other adults. How heavy were the charms that they had removed if it keep students from reporting something this frightening to parents?
"A lot is just speculation. Potter, Granger and Weasley were involved in most of it." Neville murmured. "Hari has left and Hermione and Ron have turned against her so I'm not sure they'll tell the truth if you ask them."
"We know that Ginny Weasley ended up in the infirmary for a week at the end of school. Rumor was she was taken into the Chamber of Secrets and almost died. Rumor is Potter saved her life."
Lucius shifted uneasily. He cleared his throat. He had permission to bring this up if necessary and it seemed it would be since none of the students knew about it. "I can shed a little light on the matter," he murmured.
Everyone turned to stare at him. He flushed slightly. "I am sure most of you are aware of unfortunate events in my past."
"You are speaking of being Imperioused and Marked against your will?"
Lucius glared at Porpentina Whitby. "Yes, Madam. Thank you for the blunt recap. It turns out that there was a Dark artifact of His stashed within my library amongst other volumes he had asked me to keep there. I found myself with it in Diagon Alley one day. When I returned home I didn't have it. I don't recall a large portion of that day. The next I saw it was in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts at the end of the year. Apparently, the diary had been..." he swallowed hard and looked distinctly ill. It wasn't even faked. He was exaggerating the effect of the diary on him but it had coerced him into getting it back into Hogwarts. A horcrux had been in his home near his son. Horcruxes were foul magic even to most Dark wizards. "It was...ensouled...somehow and had taken over the Weasley girl forcing her to open the chamber. I do not know how Potter defeated it. I can only be glad she did. I do know it had a rather large hole through its center."
Even Draco was staring at him aghast.
The pages blazed with yellow highlight.
"Hari was severely injured. Does...does the parchments say what..." Neville's voice trailed off.
"A Basilisk, Mr. Longbottom." Oberon Spinks murmured.
Gasps filled the room.
"Are we ready for third year?" Sidney Alexander asked after a moment.
"Dementors," all the children who were there that year said at the same time, shivering.
"Yes, we were aware dementors were at the perimeters of the school."
"Perimeters," Draco snapped. "The bloody things were on the Express. One entered the compartment Potter, Granger and Weasley were in. If Professor Lupin hadn't been in the compartment, they would have been Kissed!"
Now everyone was staring at Draco surprised he was so vehement about Hari being in danger. He glared back. "What? Potter and I may not be friends, but she doesn't deserve to be Kissed by dementors. I heard her say she hears her mother die." He swallowed hard thinking how horrible to have that be your only memory of your mother. The idea was horrible enough that he hadn't even teased her about the dementors.
"They were on the Quidditch Pitch too." Callidora Hooch spoke up. "They nearly got her when she was Seeking the Snitch. I remember she fell off her broom from cloud height. The Headmaster barely stopped her from hitting the ground."
"Yeah and Sirius Black got into the castle too. Ripped up the Fat Lady guarding Gryffindor." Zamira Penrose spoke up.
"What about having Lupin as a professor? He's a werewolf."
"He was also the best Defense teacher we've had." Draco huffed refusing to look at his father as he said it. It was true. Lupin had been smart. He engaged the students. He actually taught them not only the third year curriculum, but caught them up on what they missed the first two years.
"And Potter and Weasley was in the infirmary again at the end of the year." Padma murmured.
Yellow glowed on the pages. The Board members frowned. It seemed that their anonymous tipster was telling the truth and had details these children didn't. Details only someone involved in the incidences would have. Like Potter.
"Okay. Fourth year."
The children began filling in the details of the fiasco called the Tri-Wizard tournament. How Potter had been coerced into participating when it was obvious she hadn't entered herself. The blatant shunning and harassing. The lack of help. The stress fractures that began to show up in her personality.
Before they started in on the final task. The Board called a break and had lunch brought in. Amelia Bones pulled Susan aside and spoke quietly with her the entire time they were eating. Draco sat near his father, but the other Slytherins crowded around them as well so they didn't speak of anything of importance.
Flitwick ate silently and thought about everything that was coming out into the open. When involved in it year after year it was easy to brush it off in the hustle of teaching, grading, detentions and exams. Hearing it like this though he realized that they had failed Potter just as she had accused them of doing. They had let Dumbledore test and mold her. Her life had been at risk every year.
Finally, lunch over they covered the final task. No one really knew what had happened, but Potter had appeared with Diggory's body clutching the Cup and crying out that Voldemort was back. She had been called a liar and attention-seeker and unstable all summer in the Prophet.
Amelia Bones spoke up to the fact that Barty Crouch, Jr. had indeed been polyjuiced all year as Mad-eye Moody.
A Death Eater teaching their students all year and Dumbledore hadn't noticed that one of his dearest, oldest friends wasn't really his friend.
Fifth year brought Umbridge, the Inquisitorial Squad, biased harassment and Blood Quill detentions.
"Potter and Weasley said they went to Professor McGonagall and tried to tell her about the Blood Quill. They were told to keep their heads down and stay quiet and out of trouble." Neville said angrily. "Hari has 'I shall not tell lies' permanently etched into the back of her hand from that cursed quill."
Lucius inhaled sharply. The Dark Lord was going to go ballistic over this. Umbridge had better be in hiding.
The Board Members flipped through the pages asking questions, verifying points in contention until finally Sidney Alexander sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I want to thank you all for your time and cooperation today. It is obvious that something very wrong is going on at Hogwarts. There was heavy compulsions on you all to not say anything to any of your parents or the Prophet about these things. That alone would be very alarming. What we've heard today is appalling. You are all free to return to the school. Professor Flitwick you are charged with making sure nothing is done to them between now and when a decision is made by the Board."
They were given portkeys and the children and Flitwick disappeared. Madam Bones was scowling as she apparated back to the ministry.
Sidney looked at his fellow Board Members. "Does anyone think we should not dismiss Albus Dumbledore?"
No hands went up.
Sidney rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Then he is dismissed. Lord Malfoy and I shall deliver the formal notice in the morning. Professor McGonagall will assume the position temporarily. We will convene tomorrow at one o'clock to submit nominees for a new headmaster."
FORKS
As expected, Hermione leaped on them when they returned.
"What is going on? What did the board want? What kind of rumors have they heard?"
Neville eyed her steadily. "They've heard about everything that has happened the past five years. Quirrel and the Stone, the basilisk, the dementors and Sirius Black, the Tournament, Umbridge and her blood quill."
The Gryffindor common room was silent then everyone began asking questions at the same time.
"That's not all!" Andrew shouted. "They had to remove multiple compulsions from every one of us."
"Compulsions?" Half the room shouted angrily.
Andrew, Neville and Callidora all nodded grimly.
"Layers and layers of compulsions. The older students shook as they dissolved. They didn't say exactly what they were but looking back it was definitely to keep what happens at Hogwarts silent. None of us told our parents what's been happening."
"Why would we? Dumbledore has everything under control." Hermione huffed.
"That is the compulsions talking." Neville growled. "A basilisk was in the school petrifying students and not one of us contacted a parent. Susan Bones aunt is head of the DMLE and she didn't even think to tell her that students were in danger."
"The Board is not happy. I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore is fired over this." Callidora said.
"They can't fire Dumbledore!" Ron shouted. "He's the greatest wizard ever! Without him here You Know Who will attack and kill us all!"
"And there are those pesky compulsions again. What makes you think You Know Who is going to attack a school full of children? I'm sure he has more important people to attack." Neville ridiculed.
In Slytherin, the house was gathered around Malfoy, Hastings and Septnum.
"Someone sent the Board of Governors and expose of the past five years. Since no one has heard about any of this, they checked us for tampering." Draco's furious gaze slid over the silent crowd. "Compulsions – layers upon layers of them to keep us quiet and who knows what else. The Board is furious."
Snape moved from the shadowy corner to stand in front of Daphne Greengrass. With a furious swish of his wand he checked for tampering. Bands of color appeared around her.
Indrawn breaths and narrowing of eyes were the only indication of the fury racing through Slytherin House.
Snape performed a more precise spell. He studied the magic before him for several minutes. "You are correct there are compulsions to not tell anyone what happens within Hogwarts walls. There is also a suggestion to trust Dumbledore and tell him information on Potter. There is also a mild dislike of the other houses."
"Trust Dumbledore, not likely." Someone in the crowd snorted.
"No, I doubt that compulsion found much hold here. Do note that you are all still unlikely to believe truly horrible things about him."
The group of students paled slightly.
Snape dispelled the diagnostic spell and looked around the room. "I shall notify your parents."
FORKS
Lucius found the Dark Lord on the back lawn taunting a cougar with a rat. The small dog of Potter's was napping beside Nagini.
He stared in shock. He really needed to stop wandering the manor without being announced.
The cougar pounced on the rat with a hate filled snarl. The rat squealed and disappeared with a soft popping sound.
So...conjured. Lucius quirked an eyebrow. A rat hating cougar. A cougar patronus. Potter.
Lucius stepped out onto the lush lawn. "My lord, Lady Potter."
The cougar looked over at him and snarled warningly.
Lucius remained very still.
The large feline eyed him for a very long moment before stalking over to where the Dark Lord lounged. Reaching him, the large cat shimmered into Lady Potter. She glared at Lucius.
"My pardon. I thought you would like to know that the inquiry into Dumbledore's misdeeds was fruitful."
"He's fired?" Potter asked sharply trying to shake off the predatory instincts of the cougar.
"Yes." He eyed her sharply. "It seems the report was missing something about Delores Umbridge and her blood quills.
Hari stared back at him silently.
"Hari?" Tom asked glancing between the two.
"It's nothing. Not worth reporting." Hari murmured turning to pick up the glass of lemonade on the table.
"I shall not tell lies." Lucius murmured.
The glass slid from her grasp and shattered on small patio.
Tom jumped to his feet seeing how pale Hari had gone. He reached for her. "Hari?"
She twitched away and drew her wand to repair the glass.
He turned to Lucius when it became obvious Hari wasn't going to say anything. "Tell me." He snapped.
"She had so many detentions that the phrase, 'I shall not tell lies' was etched into the back of her hand."
Tom stared at his livid follower. He turned to Hari and grasped her right wrist. He brought her hand up and glared at it. He hissed in parseltongue and the glamour broke.
There on the back of her delicate hand was the silvery scarred phrase.
Hari jerked her hand away and refused to look at either of them.
Tom turned burning red eyes on Lucius. "Find Delores Umbridge and kill her painfully," he hissed furiously.
Lucius' eyes glinted with satisfaction at the order. With a curt nod, he turned and strode to the foyer where he could disapparate.
Tom turned toward Hari. "Are you hiding anything else from me?"
"I wasn't hiding it from you." She snapped. "I never let it be seen. It was made by a Blood Quill. It can't be removed like normal scars."
"Tipper," Tom snapped as he remembered something about Blood Quill scars and the house elf appeared bowing low before the Dark Lord's fury.
"Go to Lucius Malfoy. Tell him we need Umbridge here breathing and with blood left in her body."
"Yes, Master." Tipper disappeared.
"You know how to get rid of it?"
"I'll have to refresh my memory. I know I have the book that tells me how to remove it."
Hari nodded.
"What else are you hiding beneath glamours?"
Hari remained silent. She hated thinking about it much less talking about it.
Tom touched her back gently. "Look at me Hari. Please don't hide from me."
Hari turned into him with a soft cry.
Startled, Tom wrapped his arms around her.
"I was covered in scars." She murmured against his chest. "Scarred horribly. Badly remodeled bones that had to be vanished and regrown. I had to sneak out of the Dursleys to get to a healer. I would spend hours in agony since he had to speed up the healing since I had to be back before dawn. It took him a month, twice a week to remove all the scars and repair my badly mended bones. Carefully hidden potions repaired my eyesight and my damaged organs in between those visits. Extra-strong nutrient potions began to put weight on me. I finally got a growth spurt this past June and grew four inches in three weeks. It hurt."
She shifted in his embrace and sighed. "He couldn't remove the blood quill scar or the basilisk fang scar."
Tom stiffened. "The basilisk bit you?" Horror leached into his voice. "Hari...where?"
She held out her left arm and dropped the glamour. A shiny oval scar the size of a large egg appeared.
Tom staggered back dragging her with him. He dropped into his chair pulling her onto his lap. Hesitantly he touched the scar. "How...?"
"Fawkes cried on it."
Tom shook as he held her close. For the first time since he was a teenager he shed tears.
Hari looked at him, startled when she felt tears against her neck. "Tom?"
"I caused you so much pain." He swallowed thickly. "How can you forgive me all that I've done to you?"
Hari raised her hand and gently stroked his hair back. "I don't see you and Voldemort as the same person. To me he was a totally different person. I don't hold anything he did against you."
Tom raised wet eyes to stare at her a moment then drew her down to kiss her gently.
Dec 18
Lucius could barely contain his glee behind the aristocratic mask he spent a lifetime perfecting as he strolled up from the castle gates beside Sidney Alexander. What an excellent Yule gift. He would have to purchase Potter an extraordinary gift in return.
"You practically radiate glee," Sidney murmured in amusement.
Lucius smirked. "Dumbledore has been a thorn in my side for decades. He shows obvious bias against Slytherin House. I shall be overjoyed to have someone in charge of the school that is not ruled by rampant prejudice against any child."
"Hmmm," Sidney laughed softly at his friend. "Yes, I am sure it is the quest for unbiased treatment that has you...bubbly today."
"I am not bubbly." Lucius hissed, glaring at his friend.
Sidney smirked at his irate manner as they approached the gargoyle. "As members of the Board of Governors, you will let us pass."
The gargoyle slowly slid aside.
The two wizards climbed the stairs and entered the headmaster's office.
"Mr. Alexander, Lord Malfoy are you here to explain yesterday's events?" Dumbledore asked sharply.
"We are." Sidney nodded. "Each Board member received an in-depth expose of the past five years happenings at Hogwarts. We called various students from various years and from each House yesterday to verify or disclaim the events."
"I am sure they reassured you that nothing untoward has been happening at Hogwarts." Dumbledore murmured confidently.
"To the contrary, Headmaster," Lucius murmured silkily. "They verified startling and horrifying events after heavy compulsions were removed from them. Events kept from their parents, the Board and the public which leads us to assume you have suppression wards woven into Hogwarts protections. Perhaps even potioning their food and drink."
Sidney held out a scroll tied with a black silk ribbon. "You are hereby dismissed from the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts by the unanimous decision of the Board." He waited until Dumbledore belatedly reached for the scroll before continuing. "Deputy Headmistress McGonagall will assume the position until a new Headmaster or mistress is hired. You are to vacate the premises within the hour. We will remain in the castle until you do so."
Dumbledore stared uncomprehendingly for several minutes then he shouted, "You can't fire me. I am Albus Dumbledore!"
"We can. We have." Lucius murmured with a small, vicious smirk. "One hour, Dumbledore." He turned and strode from the office with Sidney at his heels.
They made their way to the Great Hall where they found Professor McGonagall. They called her to the staff room and broke the news to her.
"But...but...Albus...we need him. Albus Dumbledore is a great headmaster!"
"He has put the students and the staff of this school at risk year after year and hid it from everyone outside the walls of the castle. It is not up for debate, Professor. He is fired. You are temporarily Headmistress. We will remain until he has left and he will be removed from the wards so he cannot return. We are meeting this afternoon to nominate a new Headmaster or mistress. We hope to have a decision before the end of the winter break."
McGonagall stared at Sidney. She visibly gathered herself. Finally, she nodded. Then she turned and re-entered the Great Hall.
FORKS
After a very satisfying morning where they had to threaten to call the Aurors out in force to oust him, Dumbledore finally left the castle. They stood silently beside McGonagall as she informed the students and staff of Dumbledore's termination.
Most of the students stared at them in shock. Some, mostly Slytherins, grinned. A lot cried.
Snape sat stoically, but inside he danced the jig. He whooped and hollered and tossed confetti in the air. Dumbledore had been laying compulsions and suggestions in young minds for generations. He had lied to him about Potter's home life. Lied to him and encouraged his false beliefs in her personality. Her defection from England and outing of Dumbledore's secrets had cost him his position on the International Convention of Wizards. Snape had no doubt that Potter was somehow behind the Board learning about the past five years and getting Dumbledore fired today. Not that he liked the girl suddenly, but he would take victory over Dumbledore where he could get it.
McGonagall reluctantly banned Dumbledore from the grounds and hoped to have a qualified headmaster before classes resumed or she would be teaching and administrating until they found a new Head. She was exhausted just thinking about it.
FORKS
Tom swept Hari up and whirled her around. "Out! Dumbledore is out of Hogwarts!" He crowed.
Hari laughed as she bracketed his face and kissed him soundly. "Revenge is sweet."
"Mmmm," Tom murmured against her lips. "In celebration, I have locked down Westmoor and you and I are going somewhere warm." He called Kipper and the house elf appeared with a large basket which he handed to the Dark Lord.
Hari's eyes rounded. "That's a..."
"Picnic basket." Tom kissed her nose. He picked up a bright orange crystal from his desk and held out his palm.
Hari trustingly put her hand over his cradling the crystal between them.
:Activate: he hissed and she felt the tug of a portkey pulling them away from the manor.
When they landed they were outdoors on a lush hillside and the sun was shining down brightly. She looked around delightedly. "This is beautiful," she murmured as Tom sat the basket down and pulled out a blanket.
"This is Hawaii." Tom murmured.
"Hawaii? Really?" Hari whirled around taking it all in.
Tom nodded, loving her enjoyment. He toed off his shoes and knelt on the blanket.
Hari dropped down across from him and helped him unload the basket – cold chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, cut fruit, cucumber sandwiches, bottles of chilled water and slices of treacle tart.
Tom contentedly watched Hari as the afternoon wore on. She was flushed with happiness. They talked of many different things none of which related to the war he was waging. They even touched on their childhoods. It was the first time he ever remembered being willing to tell anyone of that horrid orphanage or the way he was bullied and hurt as a child. It was healing in a way knowing she understood; knowing she could relate to the brutal treatment and understood his need for revenge.
They talked of music and books and places. She lay in his arms content just to spend the day with him quietly. She laid her head on his stomach and waved her wand lazily conjuring beautiful butterflies just to watch them flutter about in the bright sunlight.
At one point, she propped herself up on her elbow and gazed down at him, drinking him in before lowering her head and kissing him softly. The lazy kisses soon became heated and she was soon under him, naked and moaning softly as he tenderly made love to her.
They returned to Westmoor sometime after the sun set in Hawaii. They showered and slipped into bed where they made love again before falling asleep.
Dec 20
The Board had met the nineteenth and twentieth going over possible candidates before breaking for Yule. There were five nominations for the headmaster position. They put forth the credentials of each candidate and what they thought each witch or wizard come contribute to the illustrious school before taking their leave to spend the holidays with family and to reflect on the different candidates.
Dumbledore fumed in the study of his family home. His carefully constructed world was falling apart around him.
His sacrificial lamb had wised up and escaped his clutches outing his less than Light actions in the process. How had she broken the compulsions he had on her to believe in him, to hate Slytherins and to only tell him what was going on? How had his carefully crafted plan to mold her into the perfect sacrificial weapon failed?
He still hadn't narrowed her location down further than the Northern coast of North America. She was disrupting everything with her proxy votes and the innovative education bill. How was he supposed to guide the masses to his vision of a better world if they were educated enough to think they knew better than he did?
He wasn't too certain that bill originated with her either. It sounded similar to what a few of the Dark sect had tried to advance earlier in the year but hers was better thought out, the approach more altruistic. If he didn't know better, he'd swear she was in cohorts with Voldemort.
And speaking of Voldemort...the Dark Lord had been very quiet since she abstained from the war. And who was this Lord Slytherin he was beginning to hear rumors about the past few weeks? He had yet to catch the man's actual name and hadn't been invited to most of the functions the man had been too. Of the three he had been invited too, he had only made it to one and had barely managed to catch a brief glimpse of broad shoulders, dark hair and youthful features before the crowd had hidden him and some of his own allies had distracted him.