Professor McGonagall was already waiting outside Professor Sinistra's office when they arrive.
"What's she doing here?" asked Lucius with a scowl.
"I asked her to come," replied Professor Sinistra "She is, after all, the Deputy Headmistress of this school."
Neither Malfoy argued that point, but both were worried. They were used to working with Severus. This Professor Sinistra was a virtual unknown to them, but having McGonagall there to back her up could not be a good thing as far as they were concerned.
Just as the group was entering the office the fireplace in the corner roared into life with emerald green flames. Two women stepped out one at a time, the first being Augusta Longbottom and the second Griselda Marchbanks.
"Thank you for the alert, Professor Sinistra," said Madam Marchbanks.
"Thank you for agreeing to help clear up matters," replied the Astronomy Professor.
Lucius felt his stomach clench painfully. He had been hoping for a word with Severus to get this little issue fixed up, but now he was going to have to deal with McGonagall, Marchbanks and Longbottom, as well as this Sinistra woman.
"Can we begin?" asked Narcissa.
"No, we're waiting on one more," replied Professor Sinistra. A moment later there was a knock at the door.
"That'll be him," said Professor Sinistra before calling out "Come in!"
Lucius saw red at the sight of the person who entered the room.
"Potter! What on earth are you here for?"
Harry affected a puzzled look before asking "Why Lucius, surely you must know about my new role within the castle?"
Lucius's mouth snapped shut. He was aware, of course, of Potter's new role as student advisor, but that didn't mean that he had to like it!
"Perhaps we should all take seats?" suggested Professor McGonagall.
Agreeing to this, everyone sat down; Harry, Professor Sinistra, Professor McGonagall, Madam Marchbanks and Madam Longbottom on one side of the desk, the two Malfoys on the other.
"Right then," said Professor Sinistra "I presume that you are here to enquire about your son's loss of his prefect status."
"We are," replied Narcissa.
"Starting this year," said Madam Marchbanks "a full scale review of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has begun. This is being done in an attempt to bring standards at the school to a much higher standard. As a part of that, Mr Potter was chosen to become the student advisor. Amongst his tasks that relate to this role, he is required to assess all prefects to make sure that they are up to appropriate standard."
Harry took over "During the first prefects meeting of the year, I presented to the prefects with this," Here he took a roll of parchment out of his robes and unfurled it before placing it onto the table for all to see.
He continued "It is a copy of Educational Decree Number 25. This decree was personally signed by both the Minister for Magic and the Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority, and it clearly explains about my new position and what it means for the prefects. That they were now being held to standard was made crystal clear to them and every prefect present indicated that they fully understood the situation."
Professor Sinistra began speaking "The first prefects meeting of the year takes place on board the Hogwarts Express near the beginning of the journey. Before the journey was over, Mr Potter, with the assistance of several other prefects had been forced to intervene in a situation of severe bullying. Your son and his fellow fifth year prefect, Pansy Parkinson, were both the aggressors in the situation and as such, both were awarded a strike against their name."
Narcissa tried to refute this with the same line she had used at the Ministry "My son is no bully!"
Lucius however, tried to shift the blame elsewhere "Obviously Mr Potter here got a little over-zealous with his new position of authority and blew a mere disagreement between students out of proportion."
"Eight other prefects and the Head Boy can all attest to my description of events on the train to be accurate," replied Harry, calmly "Only your son and his little friends seem to think that outright intimidation, name calling and physically striking someone does not count as bullying."
Professor Sinistra moved on "Your son earned his second strike by refusing to co-operate with Ministry officials who were conducting a review of the behaviour of a member of Hogwarts' staff, namely Severus Snape. This is in spite of his position of prefect requiring him to do so."
Having already gone through that one with the Minister, neither Malfoy parent argued. They knew that there was no wriggle room there.
Privately Harry wondered if such a rule existed for prefects in schools located in the Muggle world. He wasn't sure of the answer.
.....
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