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"Canute was also a good one…" Remus continued, ignoring Harry's pointedlook to discontinue or suffer the consequences.
"Huginn and Muninn…"
"Yaahal…" Remus added. "But leaving mythology behind, you could choosesomething to do with the attributes of your form."
"Feathers!" Sirius cried triumphantly. Harry glowered at him.
"Beaky!" Remus suggested brightly.
"Claws?" Sirius mused out loud and shook his head. "Wings is too generic…"
"Snitch," said Harry firmly. "I'm calling my raven form 'Snitch.'" He had already decided but had held off telling them just to torture themfor awhile. He had named all his forms; the stallion he had called 'Lord PB' becauseit represented his future, the Head of House and leader he would become. Thelion and the snake were called Gryff and Sly respectively for obvious reasons.
He'd tried very hard to find another name for the wolf cub but the one that
stuck in his mind was 'Freak' because of the cub's representation of his
orphaned self who was so desperate for a family because he'd been deniedahome with love by the Dursleys. The bouncy puppy, on the other hand, wasand always would be 'Pronglet' as it represented his baby self who wouldalways be the son of Prongs, and of Padfoot since it was Padfoot's formit
imitated. But 'Snitch' fitted his raven form – at least he thought so. Sirius was outraged. "It's a piece of Quidditch equipment!"
"No, Padfoot," Remus said, staring at Harry with renewed pride, "it's perfect. What is the Snitch but a very fast flying entity whose sole purpose is to remainfree, tricking its pursuers and defending itself with speed and skill. It's just likea raven which is a free spirited bird that refuses to be caught and uses everytrick to fight and live." Harry started smiling. Remus got it, he thought proudly.
"When the Snitch is caught, the game is over," Remus continued thoughtfully, "and in mythology if ravens were to leave the British Isles, the kingdomwouldfall. It's a lovely analogy, Harry."
"Thank you, Moony." Harry said delighted Remus approved of the name. Heturned back to Sirius a little anxious about his father's reaction. Sirius heaved a sigh and nodded, but his grey eyes were bright and
mischievous. "Snitch it is then." He wagged a finger at Harry. "But if you call
my first grandchild Quaffle I will never forgive you."
"How about Bludger or Broomstick?" asked Harry cheekily. Sirius tossed a cushion at him as Harry laughed.
"I don't know, Padfoot," Remus joked, "Bludger Potter-Black has a nice ringtoit, don't you think?" He avoided the quill Sirius threw at himand raised his
hands in surrender. "I'm going for a shower and a change of clothes beforedinner. I'll leave you two to it." He escaped through the door as both Harry andSirius sent a barrage of cushions his way. Sirius shook his head at their dismal aim before he shifted to look at Harry
with an intent expression. "In all seriousness though, are you going to be OKgoing back to Hogwarts?"
"Yeah," Harry nodded, "I am looking forward to it in some ways, it's just…" hetook a deep breath, trying to find the right words, "it's been the best Summer
and I think a part of me is worried that when I go back to Hogwarts, I'mgoingto wake up and find it's been a dream or something…" he gave a
self-deprecating chuckle and dropped his gaze, "stupid, I know."
"Not stupid." Sirius assured him. "I have to pinch myself some days." He
fidgeted for a moment before turning to his desk. "Maybe this will help. It'sapresent. I was going to wait and give it to you on September 1st but…" Heopened a drawer and reached inside to pull out something wrapped in brownpaper. "This is your Dad's old communication mirror."
Harry couldn't stop the grin that split his face in two. He pushed out of hischair and took the gift. He held it reverently with one hand gripping it firmly
while the other played over the edges as though to confirmit was real. Heremembered Sirius telling him about the mirrors in the early days of their stayin the States when they'd exchanged tales of their school years.
"You just have to tap it with your wand and call my name – or rather 'Padfoot'. You can talk to me whenever you want." Sirius's voice was thick with emotion. "I probably should change your mirror to respond to 'Snitch' rather than
'Pronglet' thinking about it."
"No…" Harry said, trying to keep a hold of the swell of love that was bubblingup inside of him, "maybe 'Pronglet' can be your way of calling me son, likeweagreed 'Padfoot' is my way of calling you 'Dad.'" Sirius pulled him into a fierce hug. "I'd like that." Harry held onto his godfather, his father, and bit his lips as the words he sowanted to say, hovered at the back of his throat and the front of his mind.
"I love you, Padfoot." But he couldn't quite say them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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He wasn't ready. He wasn't sure why he wasn't ready but he knewhe wasn't. He knew Sirius knew that he loved him just as he knew Sirius loved him.
It was only words, Harry thought defensively, but as Sirius patted his backandlet him go with a push towards the door and a brisk instruction to go changefor dinner that belied the storm of emotion in his grey eyes, Harry made asilent promise. One day, Harry thought determinedly; one day soon he'd say the words.
..... August 30th 1994
Albus sat down in the chintzy armchair he had conjured and smiled
benevolently at the gathered Professors. He so loved the start of a newacademic year, the buzz of excitement as the castle became alive againinpreparation for the children arriving. He gazed around the room and felt his lips twitch at the Odd Couple of
Severus and Alastor sat in the same corner glowering out at the others. Hehad no idea what had spurred them to form a friendship of sorts (and he wasabsolutely certain neither man would say it was a friendship if asked) but hewas pleased. Both men tended to keep themselves far too isolated, andif thesmall thought entered his mind that both had contrived the relationship ontheprinciple that one kept friends close but enemies closer, he ignored it. Minerva sat beside Albus. She had assured him that, apart fromher pride, shehad fully recovered from her injuries incurred at the World Cup. She hadalso
informed him that she had accepted an offer from Sirius, Remus and Harry tomove into their home during the holidays going forward. Her delight was
evident and Albus would not spoil it with his concerns. Their relationshipcontinued to be frosty although both had strived to ensure the impact ontheschool's operations was minimal. He hoped they would one day regain their
former closeness, but he knew it would take more than a box of chocolatestosmooth over the decisions he had made, and forced Minerva to make about
Harry, without informing her of her own claim to the boy.
Filius was on Albus's left and chatting happily to the new Duelling Instructor, Tobias Hilliard – a bright twenty-eight year old with blond hair and startlingblue eyes who was sure to be the recipient of many school girl crushes. Filiushad embraced the changes to the school's curriculum and had helped Minervawith much of the administrative complications of the new electives. Albus's eyes strayed to the other new elective teacher, Doctor Helen Jordan;
she would take the Healing elective. He felt a warm glow of satisfactionat theresult of his reaching out to Noshi Blackhawk for assistance in filling a Healer
position within the school who would take over management responsibility for
the school infirmary.
It had been Poppy's suggestion for improvement. She had pointed out that
when she had first been hired Healer Gareth Baggins had been on staff, but
when he'd left Baggins hadn't been replaced and some of the practices suchas mandatory health checks for the students and the staff had fallen away
due to lack of resources. While Poppy's mediwitch credentials were secondtonone, she admitted that she sometimes felt out of her depth and the Healersat St Mungo's weren't always readily available for a consult; that with her
advancing years she was feeling the strain of always being on call. She wasdelighted with Helen's appointment and the two had become fast friends. Poppy had been extremely helpful to their new staff member who had
embraced the opportunity to work abroad for a couple of years. Pomona had also been extremely helpful after approaching Albus with her
suggestion for improvement; mentoring Hagrid. She sat beside Hagrid talkingquietly. She was ensuring that the animals he showcased in his classes wereage appropriate and keeping an eye over Hagrid's enthusiasm(and already hesuspected that they had dodged a safety issue over some breeding plansHagrid had concocted – Pomona had immediately put paid to those). Hagridhimself had been delighted at Pomona's mentorship; keen to improve his
teaching so he could convey more fully the wonders of the animals he lovedso much.
Indeed, Albus mused with delight, his existing staff had all been wonderful inembracing improvements. Even Sybill who had arrived last in a whirlwindof
brightly coloured scarves had agreed to the withdrawal of Divination as astandard elective, agreeing fervently with the view that it would allowher tospend quality time with those who had a real gift. The current sixth and
seventh year would continue to NEWTs; the fifth and fourth years to OWLsbut
the current third years who had opted for Divination would have to undergoatest before being allowed to take the subject and if they failed to showagift, they would have to take another elective. The basic theoretical parts of Divination would be covered in a foundationclass that all second year students would attend going forward. It was hopedthat the potentially gifted would be identified through the class. Albus hadsecured a different teacher for the foundation year – the centaur Firenze. It
was in his opinion quite a coup (although a bemusing one since it had beenFirenze who had approached Albus and informed him that he had been
instructed by the herd stallion to teach now the Raven had been found –andAlbus resolved to think again on what that meant because no doubt it meant
something). Sybill was happy because she felt the foundation class beneath
her while Albus figured Firenze would be competing with Hilliard on the
crushes front. Aurora Sinistra had warmly greeted the centaur and Albus washappy to see the usual stand-offish creature respond to the Astronomy
Professor's overtures of friendship. He let his eyes drift over the remaining staff members; Bathsheda Babbling, the Ancient Runes Professor, was engaged in a lively debate with the newMuggle Studies Professor, Alison Bunting, and the returning Flying Instructor, Rolanda Hooch. A second trio of woman sat together nearby but much moresedately, sipping tea and in quiet discussion; Irma Pince, the Librarian, Septima Vector, the Arithmancy Professor, and the new History of Magic
Professor, Matilda Memoire. Matilda had come highly recommended fromBeauxbatons. Her grandmotherly demeanour and story-telling approachwasacomplete contrast to Binns who had moved on rather than haunt Hogwarts.
The final staff member had taken up a position by the door and was gloweringat everyone; Argus remained firmly miserable and Albus's remonstrationstohim about his professional conduct and attitude with the students didn't seemto have made a dent. Albus sighed. He so hoped Argus would take his adviceto heart because if he failed to change, Albus would have no other choicebut
to let him go. He gave an internal sigh and pushed the matter out of his head to focus onthe meeting. He raised his wand and was happy when the entire staff becameinstantly quiet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 318
"Thank you," Albus said warmly, "and welcome to all! This is our first full staff
meeting of the year. In a change to previous years we will meet twice a term…"
"May I ask how often you met previously?" asked Matilda cutting in.
"Once at the beginning of the year and once at the end which clearly was not
enough." Minerva supplied. "The new regime is part of a number of
improvements we are making to the school this year."
"Indeed." Albus smiled gratefully at Minerva. "So, as I mentioned this meetingwill take place twice a term. The agenda will be to ensure all staff are
informed of school wide policy changes and initiatives, to have an open
discussion about the school's progress through the year, and to provide aforum for you all to raise any concerns about the school or individual
students." He was pleased at the satisfied and hopeful looks on the majority of the staff.
"Excellent!" Albus said brightly. "So firstly, our changes. Minerva, perhaps youcould give a brief overview of the academic changes." She shot him a disgruntled glare but she briefly outlined the changes totheexisting curriculum and the new electives.
"In addition, Albus and I will make random audits of your classes throughtheyear." Minerva said as she finished.
Septima's elegant eyebrows shot up. "Random audits?"
"It is our intention to sit in on one of your classes." Albus replied, gesturingwith one hand. "Nothing to be worried or concerned about. We will observeonly and provide constructive feedback in private to the individual Professor
afterwards. Nothing will be shared with your colleagues beyond that whichyou choose to share." There were a lot of unsettled looks from the existing Professors but the newadditions to the staff didn't seem perturbed.
"Any questions or shall we move to the next item?" Albus asked gently. Theyall shook their heads and Albus nodded at Minerva who swished her wand. Instantly, a parchment was delivered to each member of staff.
"This is a copy of the school guidelines for detentions and points." Minervaexplained briskly. "I'd like to give my thanks to Filius for his work in updatingthe former copy. It details quite explicitly what behaviour or actions are worthyof setting a detention and what kind of detentions can be set," her eyes
flickered to Hagrid and to Argus, "detentions that take place in the ForbiddenForest, for example, are disallowed. The guidelines also elucidate what
behaviour or actions constitute taking of points and how many, and the
opposite; what behaviour or actions constitute awarding of points and thesuggested number of points to be awarded. I will be monitoring detentionsand the points system daily and will reverse any decisions not in line withthese guidelines. Filius will act as my check in this matter and will monitor myperformance." A stunned silence enveloped the staff room.
"You are not seriously suggesting we comply to the letter of this?" Severusraised his parchment with disgust.
"We are," Albus confirmed, "since it has been noted by our Board of Governorsthat our disciplinary policies have fallen into disrepair of late, and the staff'sinterpretation has not been equitable leading to some students being
punished for behaviour while others are not, some rewarded for behaviour
while others are not. I do expect all of you to comply and these are not newguidelines; as Minerva said, these are simply a revision of our existing
guidelines."
"Well, as someone new to teaching I appreciate the guidance," Hilliard saidcheerily, "this will come in very handy." He waved his parchment gaily andignored Severus's sneer.
"A copy of these guidelines will be posted in each Common Room." Filius
added. "The students will have full access and can appeal to their Headof
House for any unfair detentions or points deductions as they could before. They will however run the risk of the punishment being doubled for any appeal
that is found to be malicious or mischievous in nature."
"If there are no further questions?" asked Albus gently. He didn't wait for thenods before he smiled and swished his own wand. A second piece of
parchment appeared. "This is our new Anti-Bullying Policy. I would thank
Poppy for her input here." Poppy beamed proudly.
"As per the discipline policy, all bullying behaviour is strictly prohibited fromname calling to physical intimidation. Students may confide bullying in any
member of staff with assurance of anonymity and any medical treatment will
also be provided under the same assurance. All reports should be forwardedto Doctor Jordan who will lead a weekly review meeting with the Heads of
Houses to determine the best way forward for the victim and the bully." Albus personally thought it was overkill but Sirius's admonishments still rangin his ears.
"Further," Albus continued gravely, "any reports of staff bullying the studentswill be dealt with most harshly. You will receive one verbal warning on a first
offence; a written warning for a second; and a third will lead to automaticdismissal. Any physical harm to a student will bypass the warning systemandlead to an automatic dismissal – there are obviously caveats for classes
where injury may occur in the course of teaching. If any of you has concerns, please discuss them with me."
"You should also note," Minerva added, "that the warning systemwill alsobeused with students who are bullying. A student causing deliberate physical
harm to another, outside of the duelling club or a class where minimal injurymay have been expected such as DADA, will automatically be expelled. Themuggles, I believe, call this a no tolerance policy."
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"Again, the Anti-Bullying policy will be posted in the Common Rooms andoutside the Great Hall to ensure the students' awareness." Albus added.
"I would encourage the House Heads to explain in face to face meetings
within the first week of school." Minerva jumped in. "This way none of thestudents can claim that they missed being informed. While there will be someleeway during the first week as older students adjust to the newpolicy, therewill be none beyond it." Filius nodded happily. "An excellent idea, Minerva."
"Excellent," parroted Severus but Albus knew the Head of Slytherin wouldkeephis House informed. Severus might not like teaching but he took his dutiesasHead of House quite seriously.
"We have one last policy change to cover. If you would, please, Alastor." Albusnodded at his old friend who heaved a sigh and swished his wand, revealingathird parchment.
"New Security Policy." Alastor said succinctly. "We patched some weak pointsaround the Forest and various passageways in and out of the castle. Thewards have been updated to notify the Headmaster if an animagus is onthegrounds in addition to Minnie."
"About time." Septima said briskly.
"Additional security wards have been added to the Infirmary Stores and thePotions Stores; these can only be accessed by identified staff members. AnAutomatic Recall ward has been set in the library for overdue books or booksrestricted to the library." Alastor continued gruffly. "The wards on the BroomStore and Quidditch Pitch are acceptable." Rolanda looked vindicated while Irma smiled pleasantly at Alastor, pleasedat
the addition of the new ward.
"Students will not be allowed out of the castle between the hours of nine
o'clock in the evening and seven o'clock in the morning. Curfewfor first
through third years is set to nine o'clock; curfew for fourth through fifth yearsis set to ten o'clock; sixth and seventh to eleven o'clock. Fifth year Prefectswill perform bed checks at ten o'clock for the lower years. All missing
students will be reported to the Head of House. Fourth through seventh yearswill not be given a bed time or a bed check as a privilege." Albus's lips twitched at Alastor's disgusted expression and Minerva's satisfiedone.
"Sixth and seventh year Prefects will patrol the main corridors and areas
between eight and ten." Alastor said. "This should enable themto be withintheir Houses for curfew with plenty of time to spare. Additional Prefect dutieswill involve patrolling on the Hogwarts Express; monitoring their own year andone of the lower years at the House table during meals; providing assistanceto any student during the Hogsmeade weekends outside of school grounds, and providing assistance to their Head of House as needed in administrativeor tutoring duties. The Prefects' Bath remains a privilege and we have alsoestablished an inter-House Prefects Common Room near to the library. The
Head Boy and Head Girl…"
"This year's Head Boy is Robert Ogden and the Head Girl is Natalie Warren." Minerva interrupted to announce. "Mister Ogden is a Hufflepuff and Miss
Warren is a Ravenclaw."
"As I was saying," Alastor threw Minerva a chiding look, "they will have their
own rooms and baths within their respective Houses as a privilege. They will
also have a study just down from the Prefect Common Room. One of themwill be expected to be present in that study between the hours of seven andeight in the evening to be available to students either for assistance in
tutoring or to listen to student concerns. Their old duties remain including;
assigning the Prefect rota and managing the Prefects; providing student
feedback to the Deputy Headmistress; performing duties for the Deputy
Headmistress as required; and, representing the school when needed. They'vereceived copies of the disciplinary guidelines, the Anti-Bullying policy andthis," he waved his parchment, "they are expected to brief the Prefects at a
pre-journey meeting at ten-thirty before the Hogwarts Express leaves King'sCross."
"The Prefects have been notified of their earlier rendezvous time." Minervajumped in. Alastor's magical eye whirled in her direction. "Finally, staff have no curfewalthough one was suggested…" Severus snorted.
"…final patrols will be between ten and eleven-thirty, and cover the usual
areas." A chorus of approval broke out at hearing that news. The old patrols hadlasted until after midnight.
"While I will remain in charge of overall security, there will be a Day WatchSupervisor who will oversee breakfast and lunch, and will generally makethemselves available to the Prefects if they require assistance through theday. There will also be a Night Watch Supervisor who will oversee the timefrom the beginning of dinner at six through to midnight. Rotas are at my
discretion and all staff will participate unless they have a signed note fromAlbus excluding them. They will be the first point of contact for any
emergencies during that time. It's expected that in-House emergencies duringthe night will be dealt with by the House Heads. New communication mirrorshave been affixed within the Common Rooms and the living quarters of theHouse Heads to allow the Prefects to contact them in a timely way. However, two former colleagues of mine; Mary Hartley and Kenneth Day will be
patrolling Hogwarts as night security staff from midnight until seven." He grasped the parchment tighter and sighed.
"Hogsmeade weekends will continue every month during termtime. Twostaff
will be responsible for providing a point of contact for students within
Hogsmeade itself; the Day Watch Supervisor will remain behind in Hogwarts." Alastor cleared his throat. "We'll discuss staff presence during Yule andEaster another time, but otherwise the final thing to mention is the floo
access. You've all got communication capability cleared for the floo in your
quarters. I've shut down the Common Rooms but they can be overriddenbythe House Heads. However, the transportation facility is no longer under your
control and it is locked down. If you wish to have a visitor, I will facilitate floo
access."
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"That's rather an invasion of privacy, isn't it?" Aurora complained. Albus notedthat a number of the Professors looked unhappy with the new rule.
"We can't have unknown people wandering around the castle." Alastor saidbluntly. "You may think you're inviting a friend to have a drink or a meal inyour
quarters but rumour has it there's an improved Polyjuice potion about andgiven the clear and present threat to Potter, we're monitoring who is allowedinside the wards."
"May I also remind you all that there is a professional code of conduct andguests should not be within the castle walls unless explicitly allowed by either
myself or the Headmaster." Minerva said sternly. "With the exception of theHouse Heads who are expected to remain within the castle at all times, youdo have the option of leaving if you are not on patrol or assigned as the Night
Watch Supervisor."
"Outward unrestricted floo access will only be allowed frommy office floo, Minerva's, and Albus's. Inward travel to mine and Albus's for the most part." Alastor confirmed. "The infirmary is restricted to travel between it and St
Mungo's only."
"If you're thinking of leaving the castle on foot and flooing fromHogsmeade," Albus said seeing unhappy faces, "you may, of course, choose that option. But
you will still need to leave word with Minerva to ensure that if an emergencydoes happen, someone knows of your whereabouts."
"And to check your identity on your return." Alastor commented.
"That's fair." Aurora said, conceding.
"That's me done." Alastor said with relief.
"Helen, perhaps you could cover the changes to the infirmary?" asked Albussoftly.
"Yes, of course," her American accent twanged exotically as Helen sat forward, "firstly, I'll introduce myself; I am Helen Jordan, a fully trained Healer andI alsohold a muggle Doctor's qualification. I specialise in paediatrics or children'scare. I've worked for years at The Valley Clinic in the United States but I'vehadtwo years abroad in France and Australia before and I am pleased to be herein Scotland." The rest of the staff were charmed by her forthright manner and Albus smiled.
"I am now in charge of the infirmary, allowing Poppy to fully focus on her
duties as the school mediwitch." Helen continued. "Poppy will continue tobethe initial point of contact for first aid and triage. She will determine whether I
am needed to provide addition treatments. I will handle on-going treatmentsand check-ups where there is extensive damage. We will split night calls
probably taking alternate weeks – a schedule will be posted. Neither Poppynor I will be unhappy if you make a mistake and contact the wrong personbut
we would hope that you will endeavour to choose the right one so we bothhave a chance of rest and a week of uninterrupted sleep." She paused andlooked around the gathering. "Any questions so far?" Everybody shook their heads.
"OK, then, as of this term we will revive the practice of mandatory annual
school health checks for all students. A notice will be sent to parents andguardians during the first week. They will have until the second week torefusepermission but if they do they must produce evidence that such a healthcheck has been performed in the last twelve months for their child and thereare no issues that we need to be concerned about." Helen said firmly.
"Some parents will be unhappy." Filius noted. Helen shrugged. "More often than not those would be the parents of the
children most in need of such a check. They will be informed that an attempt
to withdraw the child will mean a mandatory visit from Aurors. I have moreauthority as a Healer to deal with suspect cases than Poppy does as a
mediwitch. I understand we have twelve at-risk children? With another threewhose immediate situations have been resolved but may still require
assistance in coming to terms with their abuse and making a full recovery?" Albus nodded gravely. "I'm afraid to say that we do."
"I've engaged another Healer who specialises in mind healing," Helen informedthem, "he will visit as appropriate to the individual child's needs. A roomhas
been set aside in the infirmary. Healer Allen will be arriving and departingthrough the infirmary floo in line with new security regulations."
"Thank you, Helen." Albus said.
"A couple of other things to mention," Helen said quickly, "one, if you wishfor
a full medical check-up in confidence as staff you are entitled to ask for one, and; two, after much discussion with the house elves, the menus have beenrevised to provide healthier options – I'd be interested in your feedback. AndI'm done!" She sat back and held up both her hands.
"So, onto more pleasant things." Albus said briskly. "As you were all informedover the Summer, the Tri-Wizard Tournament will be hosted here at
Hogwarts." He smiled out at his staff and was bemused when he took inthelack of enthusiasm. "Come, come! This is marvellous news! And a wonderful
honour for Hogwarts!"
"Headmaster, as a historian, I am aware of the number of fatalities that haveoccurred in previous tournaments, what is being done to prevent a deathoccurring in this tournament?" Matilda prompted. Albus beamed at her. "Thank you for your very good question, Matilda. Thetournament has been revised. Only those of age by October 31st – seventeen– will be allowed to enter. The tasks have been discussed and designedtobechallenging with a hint of risk to the student but no danger of imminent death. Additional security measures will be brought in during the tournament –I'msure Alastor will brief us all at the relevant time."