Chapter 7
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Hope.
That was what Hogwarts and its students were to him, as the shadows of war loomed over the wizarding world once more. Albus had seen this happen before, years ago, when Grindelwald and his men had risen up across Europe, and what had followed afterwards had been a war unlike any other.
Thousands had lost their lives, and while love had bound his hands at that time, regret chained them again for now.
Albus was no soldier, and against Grindelwald, he had failed as a soldier; this time, he had failed as a teacher. He had failed a young, troubled boy. He had failed to nurture him and his talents, and now he was set to destroy the world in his rage.
"This has to be a joke," Minerva's voice was screeching, and if it was anyone else but him sitting in front of her, the Transfiguration Mistress would have screamed, yet Albus was more than just a senior and a colleague. He was also her teacher, hence the restraint.
"I am afraid not," and he saw the betrayal and rage appear on her face as he announced his verdict, and he was quite unsatisfied with it as well, but the matter was simply too complicated, and with the School Governors getting involved, his hands were tied.
"One suspension. One," she asked again, and it broke his heart to see the very school that was to be the hope for the future turn into a battlefield as Tom's influence began to creep up within the House of Salazar Slytherin.
"Yes, Rudolphus Lestrange will be suspended, and his wand will be snapped," yet it was not an appropriate punishment for the crime that he had committed, and it was a crime.
"Rebastan and Lucius shall serve a year of detention, and Mr. Malfoy will also be stripped of his position as the Slytherin Prefect," and Minerva was shaking her head.
"Is that all?" she asked angrily as Albus nodded.
"I am afraid so," and he hoped that the boys would learn their lesson and see the error of their ways, yet Tom had always had a way of blurring the lines of morality and honesty. Even now, he played on the emotions of fear and inadequacy as he stirred up the Pure-bloods against their fellow witches and wizards, and took advantage of an age-old divide to further his own power.
"That is not enough!" and perhaps she was right, but his hands were tied.
"They used an Unforgivable!! Expulsion should be the least punishment that they should suffer," and the governors, or more specifically, Abraxus Malfoy, had called it a mistake of youth, yet Albus knew that it was anything but.
The unforgivable were not so easy to cast, and though Lucius Malfoy and the Lestrange brothers were brilliant wizards, casting an unforgivable required more than just magic and practice.
It required intent and hate. It required malice.
And according to Poppy, their magic had contained it all, for it had taken quite a toll on another one of his students.
"Rudolphus accepted his mistake and claimed that he was the only one who used that spell in the heat of the moment," even though Albus had it on good record that he was not the only one who had used it.
"In the end, the governors expelled him and only him," and Minerva was shaking her head, but she also knew that their hands were tied.
"What of a trial?" she asked, and his lips thinned for they both knew that it would be futile.
Alder Evans was a brilliant wizard, and despite his rather stubborn nature, Albus had great respect for the boy who refused to back down against the prejudice of the pure-blooded gentry. For years now, the purebloods had preyed on the young and naive Muggle-born witches and wizards, and as much as Albus had tried to rectify that condition, he was unable to get rid of the deep-rooted prejudice prevalent throughout their society.
In these conditions, Alder Evans had become a beacon for his peers and had revived the age-old practice of duelling as he tried to help his fellow wizards and witches. It was antagonistic and troubling in some ways, but showed the courage of a true Gryffindor.
"You and I both know how such an endeavor would end," for despite the heinous nature of his act, Rudolphus Lestrange was a young and pure-blood wizard, and the Wizengamont would never punish him any more than he had already been.
"They could have killed him," Minerva's voice softened as she spoke of her fears.
"And for what?" she asked, and he hoped that they would ponder this very thing, but with Tom's shadow looming over them all, it would not be easy.
"Still, I wonder how exactly did three out students get the chance to learn one of the Unforgivables from the school," he asked, and it was a question that needed to be answered.
"Their homes, of course," Minerva answered without much thought, but Albus doubted that.
"Maybe, but I don't think so," he answered, but refused to say anything more, for he had other matters to handle.
"Still, this matter won't end here," she whispered, and Albus knew her to be right, for Alder Evans served as an inspiration and role model for many and would not let this settle down.
"You will need to warn the students. Dissatisfied as they may be, this is the ruling, and they must accept it," he warned as the Transfiguration Professor nodded.
"I will speak to teh Prefects and the Headboy and Headgirl," and that was a good idea, but he should have expected nothing less from his former student, who rose up from the chair, angry and dissatisfied but aware of his own dilemmas.
"How is he?" he asked, as her face softened.
"He will be fine," she answered with some relief.
"She kept him in the Hospital Wing for the night, but expects him to leave by today," and Albus could hardly imagine the effects of the tragedy that had struck her pupil, and how it must be affecting her, for he knew better than most how fond of Alder she was.
And for good reason. The Evans twins were a testament to everything that was wrong with Tom's claims, for they were Muggle-borns yet had been the top of their class ever since their first year, and the boys' magical prowess surpassed every student at school, and a few teachers as well.
"Have the staff take it easy on him for a few days," and she nodded, for that was the least they could do for him.
"I will speak to the others," and with that she left leaving him alone to ponder his misgivings and fault in this entire scenario, for he had hoped that time and care would be able to mend the minds of the young generation but Tom's poison had now penetrated into his own halls, poisoning young immature minds even before they had reached Hogwarts itself.
Had he been wrong once more? Had his inaction led to this devastation for one of his students?
But if so, then what was he to do? What could he do?
And as such questions tore at his conscience, the fireplace in his office lit up in that green fire once more, as one of his friends and comrades from the war against Grindelwald stepped out with his usual grunt.
"Albus!" he called out, his eyes scanned the room quickly on instinct as Albus smiled, though he knew in his heart that he was not going to like what was about to be said soon.
"Alastor, what brings you to my humble office..."
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ALDER EVANS
"One suspension," Lily's outrage was shared by him, as he lay there in the Hospital bed as Tonks told them about the decision of the Governors, and the Headboy was clearly frustrated with it as well, yet he was helpless as he and Lily were in the matter.
"I tried to argue against it..."
"They used an Unfogivable! They used Crucio!" and the mere mention of that name sent a shiver down his arm, and Alder had known and read about the power and the dangers of the unforgivable curses.
He had even hoped to be strong enough to counter all three of them one day, yet the test had come too soon. He had overestimated the time he had, and the enemy had struck.
He had not expected the Lestrange brothers to use that curse. He had expected evil from them, but to cast an unforgivable with such proficiency.
It spoke of hate and anger, and most of all it spoke of practice and experience, which they could have gained in but one way—torturing muggles.
"Rudolphus took the blame," Ted told them, his own fists balling up in rage as he spoke of the Lestrange boy.
"So, the Headmaster had little choice in the matter. They suspended him, and took away the prefectship from Lucius, and gave them detention," which was nothing in comparison to what they deserved.
"But it was unforgivable! They should be rotting in Azkaban for that," and unlike him, Lily harbored some semblance of belief in the political and judicial system of the wizarding world, though both he and Ted knew the truth that Rudolphus getting convicted was near impossible.
"It's fine," he spoke to his twin, who refused to listen as her head snapped towards him.
"Fine! You call this fine," and rarely had he seen her so angry as she stormed at him.
"They put you in the Hospital Wing, and are getting nothing but a simple slap on the wrist. They should be locked up in Azkaban for all eternity," and if only things were ever so simple.
But this did not mean that he was going to forget this. Any of this.
"I am sorry," Ted apologised, blaming himself for the light punishment.
"I should have cursed those bastards myself!" Lily stomped angrily as he turned towards Ted.
"It's fine. I know that it's out of your hands," and it was, but he had expected better out of the Headmaster, troubled by his legacy and burdens as he was, he had not expected the man to be so lenient and uncaring about his suffering.
"What time is it?" he asked, as Lily frowned and gave him the time.
"It's just past two," and that meant that the orientation for the new Duelling club members was in an hour or so.
"Well, then I guess it's time for me to leave," he said as he pushed himself out of the bed, as both Lily and Ted shouted in alarm.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Where are you going?"
They asked at once as he began to put on his socks and tidy up his clothes.
"To the orientation," he answered with a frown, for it should have been obvious.
"For the Dueling Club," and Lily was the first to shake her head.
"You are still going to hold the orientation," and she was not having it.
"Never. Get back in the bed, or I will call the Matron," and he was quick to react.
"No!" he answered because he was getting tired of lying in bed all day and wanted to get out of the place.
"I am fine. She just kept me overnight for observation, and now I am as good as new," he said as he finished putting on his show and jumped up a bit, and while he was fine indeed, as good as new—that was an exaggeration.
"You are not fine," Lily was not convinced, but she also knew just how stubborn he could be.
"I am," he lied as he looked into those all too familiar green eyes, and she saw through his lie.
"I will be," he assured her.
"But I cannot spend another day in here," he said, and he hated having his freedoms impinged upon, and though Pompfrey had good intentions, he had too much to do and very little time to do so.
"I am going to need you to make me a few promises," she offered, and he smiled as he slapped her on the shoulder.
"Whatever you say, witch," and she rolled her eyes at their inside joke, as Ted frowned.
"It's become old now," and they ran out of the Hospital Wing, as he shrugged.
"Aww! I miss my little sister who would throw a tantrum any time someone would call her a witch," and Ted finally chose to chime in.
"But you are a witch," and Alder chuckled as Lily nodded.
"Ten-year-old me did not know that," and he finally understood the point, as they ran through the Halls.
"Shit!" Lily suddenly cursed as she looked at him.
"Those bastards! They tore up the classroom. We have no dummies or books for the orientation," and that was some trouble.
"Well then, we will just have to go old school," and they had not always had dummies, chalkboards, and such.
"But I am not letting those damn bastards think that they can scare me off..." for that would make it so that they had won, and he would never let them win.
Not now.
Not ever.
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