"Just call her on her lying. Usually if you call her on it, she'll stop. At least long enough for the mark to settle back down. If she doesn't just make sure she's somewhere she won't get hurt when she passes out. That's the severest reaction I've seen from it so far. It may begin doing more but I'm afraid I have no idea what that could be. This system of punishment hasn't been used in our society since the formation of the Wizengamot. Our court system. And there aren't any written records of what the judgment marks actually do to the people who received them."
"Ok. Thank-you. We don't like it but we also know she couldn't keep getting away with what she was doing. I only wish you adults had been paying better attention."
"So do I, Doctor Grangers. So do I," Severus said shaking each of their hands. Severus left the room to find Minerva waiting for him. As they walked towards the Ministry hearths, the Granger trio were walking Hermione through the auror department checkout procedures. They couldn't help but hear Hermione asking her parents, "So am I to go back to school now? I have tons of homework I need to get done. And Harry definitely needs me to help him with his also. You know I've told you he'd be failing out if not for me making him do his assignments. Are you going to get me punishment on him for what he did to me? I tried to get the Professor do it. I told them you wouldn't be happy with this mark on my face. But they wouldn't listen to me. Did they listen to you?" Thankfully they were soon out of range and didn't hear the rest of her monologue.
But back at Hogwarts and once again secure in his ivory tower, Albus was trying to decide what his next move should be. The life size game of chess had taken on a new dimension and he wasn't quite sure where his playing pieces were right now. The very fact that Albus didn't know exactly what Harry had done to his pawns had Albus tied to his office doing research into the spell when he wasn't running to the bank. Which he had to do more often than ever now. He had to know everything there was to know about the spell; how it worked and how it related to modern day law. How it could be countered and how Harry had found about it was important also. In fact, how it could be countered was perhaps the most important thing of all to know since if he had used it once, there was a damn good chance he'd use it again. And somehow Albus had a feeling he was no more immune to it's effects than the children had been.
That left him no time to speak with Harry personally. Which quite honestly now that he knew Harry knew this very dangerous spell, he didn't want to see his pawn until he had the counter to it ready to use. Not to mention, he feared seeing the boy right now while the money matter was still weighing on his mind for fear of what he might slip up and tell him. After all, last time he'd nearly told him his inheritance was more expansive than he'd led him to believe it was. And the last thing he wanted the boy to know was how wealthy he would become once he achieved his majority. Even if he didn't plan on the boy living that long.
Thirty-Six: Time Turns
Albus sat in his office enjoying a lemon drop and hoping it would improve his mood. He was severely disappointed and unhappy. None of his teachers were following his proscribed treatment for the boy. The boy was supposed to be uncomfortable here. Miserable and alone making him eager for approval and willing to do anything to get it. He wasn't. He was alone, yes. But that seemed to be by choice. Not because no one wanted to be near him.
In fact, a great deal of his staff seemed to be angry with him. Including Minerva. He didn't understand. Yes, he'd been away from the Castle a lot this year but it couldn't be helped. He had responsibilities outside the confines of the school. She knew that and it had never been a problem before. Why was it now?
He'd counted on Delores targeting his pawn thanks to the special efforts of his chosen children to bring him to her attention. He just knew she would be unrelenting and cruel to him simply because he'd confirm Tom had returned which the Minister didn't want to believe. He was counting on her adding pain to his misery over being isolated yet again from his peers and having his three chosen children making mountains out of gnome holes to trash what was left of his reputation with all the other children. His children were supposed to be playing up Mr. Potter's bad behavior and riling up Cornelius' woman in every class so she would be certain to administer cruel punishment on the boy. The only snag to his plans for the boy this year seemed to be no one was acting as they should be. With Ms. Granger not there to egg on Mr. Weasely, Delores Umbridge had no ready target for her animus because Mr. Weasely was keeping his head down and his mouth shut. And so it seemed was Harry. He'd heard no rumors of Tom's return from the student gossip mill or even the Portrait gossip channels. In fact the only thing any one was talking about was some set-to that took place in the Library back in September.
But Madam Umbridge was quite happy with how easy her job was and how well the children were accepting her words to them. Even that boy the staff had said would be a problem for her was turning out to be no such thing. Though she did try to bait him a few times. Just to be sure because that cheater girl had said he told her He Who Must Not Be Named had returned. But with Harry's refusal to bite her bait, and all the other students taking their cue from him, she found no one willing to argue with her version of events or the Ministry's ability to take care of what mattered in their lives. Not any more at least. Not since the Granger girl had gotten herself expelled.
Naturally Delores thought it was because of her own amazing oratory skills. When instead it was because the children were following the direction of their chosen leader, Harry Potter, who had said not to challenge her. Harry honestly didn't care what she said since he had already decided on a course of action for himself. He'd already read her book and based on the assignments she'd given for the first few weeks of class, done all his essays. So now he spent his free time either in the library or his room reading the books that interested him and practicing his defensive spell casting and potion brewing under the watchful eye of Professor Snape. When he wasn't visiting with either Hagrid or Mr. Filch and Mz. Norris.