An Unlikely Savior ~ (Edit) COMPLETED

Chapter 33 ~ Mum?

On Monday morning, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall sat in her office staring down at the letter she’d received from the Board of Governors this past Friday, informing her about the arrival of a Board Investigator to question Eileen Snape and her teachers. She was instructed not to say anything to the girl about the upcoming visit in order to lessen the chance of her possibly being “coached” by someone.

Coached? What did they mean? Minerva was still out of the loop about the suspicions of the Board, because she never heard the details of Eileen’s somewhat magical conception. The other staff was aware of it, but Minerva discouraged staff members discussing the personal lives of the students among themselves. So of course, no one clued her in as to what was going on. If they did speak on the subject and Minerva swept into view, they’d quickly change the subject. Falling silent would only make her suspicious.

Well, according to the letter Eileen would be questioned about her marks, study habits and anything related to her academic standing. Minerva wondered about this. Eileen made excellent grades. Not since Hermione Granger did a student show such a grasp of the curriculum. But unlike Hermione, Eileen Snape was a very quiet student and unassuming. Nothing about her said Know-It-All. Minerva assumed Severus ran a tight ship.

Well, the interviewer would arrive during lunch. The Board requested she find them a quiet place to talk. Sigh.

Minerva didn’t feel good about this at all. Eileen was still underage and by right her parents should be notified beforehand and not when an interviewer walked in on them. They were also going to be interviewed on their lunch hour. That way, all of them would be occupied and couldn’t change their stories.

At least, that’s what the Board was thinking.

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Heartened by Eileen’s response to Hugo’s request yesterday to talk to him, Rose wrote her a note too, but she took out much more time on it than Hugo did, coloring it prettily in pink and baby blues. At breakfast, she waited for Eileen to arrive then sent the note fluttering across the great hall in the shape of a butterfly.

It was beautiful, and sighs of appreciation rose from some of the witches. Eileen looked up and saw the lovely butterfly note winging toward her, catching an imaginary breeze.

Oh, sweet Circe.

When it was clear the butterfly was coming towards her, Eileen whipped out her wand and flicked it at it. The butterfly began to fly clumsily as its tail smoked and then ignited. It zoomed forward, nose-diving for the table with a little buzzing noise. A tail of fire and black smoke trailed behind it as it lost control, crashed with a little “boom!” in front of Eileen’s porridge and burst into flames before turning to a neat little pile of ash.

So much for pink and baby blue butterfly notes.

Eileen went back to eating as the Great Hall erupted into laughter. Rose sighed and rested her chin on her hand as Hugo looked at her sympathetically.

”It’s going to take more than a fancy note, sis,” he said to her encouragingly.

”Looks that way,” she responded sullenly, popping a piece of bacon into her mouth and looking over at her slightly smirking sister as she chewed. Eileen really wasn’t going to make this easy, was she?

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As directed, three investigators set out in synchronized timing to interview one Eileen Snape, one Hermione Granger and one Severus Snape as ordered by the Board.

The first one’s name was John Pettibone. He was to go to Hogwarts, speak to the Headmistress, then escort the young woman to a private room where he could grill her about her marks and entire tenure at Hogwarts. He didn’t think he’d have a problem.

The second investigator was Abigail Diddles. Hermione Granger was her mark. She would meet her at her place of employment and get the answers she needed.

The third fellow was Horatio Bedlam. He was going to interview Snape. He had been warned about his disagreeable nature and decided he’d show a bit of muscle if he had to do it. He was making inquiries on behalf of the Board of Governors, after all, so had authority.

At ten to twelve, they all Disapparated, clipboards and quills in tow.

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Snape heard the door to his shop open, and in walked a rather burly, tall wizard with a slight frown on his face and a clipboard in his hand.

”I don’t have time to do a survey,” Snape said as a brush off. “So kindly leave my shop.”

“Are you Mr. Severus Snape?” Horatio said in a deep bass voice.

“None other. Now, depart my premises. I will only say this twice,” the wizard replied, dusting powder off his hand.

”My name is Horatio Bedlam. I am here by order of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, Mr. Snape. I need to ask you some questions,” Horatio declared.

“Questions? Concerning what?” Snape asked, walking around the counter. He was as tall as Horatio, but not as broad. He picked up his robes, slipped them over his arms and began buttoning them up.

”This is an inquiry about your daughter, one Eileen Snape, Horatio replied, looking down at his clipboard as if he didn’t know her name already.. “Some question concerning her marks and how they were acquired.”

Snape’s eyes narrowed.

”How they were acquired? By hard work, that’s how they were acquired. What is the Board trying to imply?”

Snape looked a bit dangerous now, his black eyes glinting. Horatio straightened to his full height, trying to cow the wizard. But Snape was in no mood to be cowed.

”It seems there have been complaints that your daughter may have been given a magical leg up because of her conception. The Board is not aware of the conditions under which she was conceived and wishes details in order to decide if there will be a hearing or not. If your daughter is found to have been given an unfair advantage, her grades—‘

Several Knockturn Alley regulars passing by Snape’s scattered, running for cover as the door flew open and a wizard came flying out of it, landing on his arse. His sudden appearance was followed by a clipboard, a quill and one very irate Severus Snape.

Horatio clutched at his nose as Snape stood in the doorway, shaking a fist at him, his wand at the ready in his other hand.

”You tell those idiots on the Board of Governors, if they have anything to ask me, they’d do well to ask me themselves. The next envoy they send me will not leave under their own power! Now, good day, Mr. Bedlam. If you dare darken my door again, there will indeed be bedlam, I promise you!”

Snape went back inside and slammed the door.

Horatio stood up, clutching his bleeding nose and mouth.

That hadn’t gone well at all. He’d have to make a recommendation that no more investigators be sent to this wizard. He was too violent.

Horatio felt his front teeth wriggle loosely.

He’d have to stop by the dentist as well. Blast and Bother.

Sometimes they just didn’t pay him enough for this job.

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Hermione was in the lunchroom about to take a bite of her sandwich, when a blonde woman in a business suit and glasses carrying a clipboard was ushered into the cafeteria by Harold.

”She’s right over there,” he said, pointing to Hermione, who stared at the woman. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and she looked like the epitome of efficiency. The woman strode over, and offered her hand.

”Mrs. Hermione Weasley?” she asked Hermione, who wiped her hand on a napkin and shook the witch’s hand.

”Yes,” Hermione replied, frowning slightly as the woman took a seat without invitation.

”My name is Abigail Diddles, and I am here to ask you a few questions about your daughter Eileen Snape. I’ve been sent by the Board of Governors to make an inquiry.”

”What kind of inquiry?”

”It’s just a formality, Mrs. Weasley, I assure you. We’ve received some complaints from other concerned individuals—“

”What concerned individuals?” Hermione questioned, not liking this already.

”Er—other parents, Mrs. Weasley. There seems to be some question about—how can I put this delicately—“

”I don’t need delicacy, Miss Diddles. Just tell me what this is about,” Hermione replied.

”Well, there seems to be some concern that your daughter has an unfair academic advantage and her academic skills might be less than natural, Mrs. Weasley, due to some odd matter of birth. We are just trying to gather information—“

Hermione frowned at her.

”Before you say another word, Miss Diddles, since this is concerning my daughter, I’d like to know who else is being questioned. I am well aware that I am entitled to full disclosure.”

Miss Diddles frowned slightly at Hermione. She might look blue collar, but this witch had some smarts apparently.

”Very well. Miss Snape’s teachers will be questioned, every one she’s had since starting at Hogwarts to see if they noticed anything—er—unusual about her work. Mr. Severus Snape, her father, you and Eileen herself,” the witch told her. “Now, if you don’t mind.”

But Hermione’s eyes were flashing dangerously.

”Do you mind telling me when these other inquiries will be done?”

”I don’t know what that matters, Mrs. Weasley, but if you must know, the inquiries have been synchronized. Investigators are at Hogwarts and Mr. Snape’s shop as we speak. Now then—“

”What? You mean to tell me that my daughter is about to be questioned without parental permission or anyone there to represent her?” Hermione said in a low, dangerous voice.

Miss Diddles looked taken aback.

”Mrs. Weasley, she’ll just be asked a few simple—“

”No! The Board has no right to do this!” Hermione snarled. “Eileen is a minor and permission has to be given for anyone to question her in any manner! And I forbid it! Forbid it!”

Hermione stood up, her face twisted in anger. Miss Diddles pushed back in her chair, rising as well, afraid she was about to be hexed.

”You go tell the Board I said to stuff themselves, and if they want to question my daughter, they will have to go through me! Now, get the hell out of here! Now!”

Miss Diddles nearly fell over herself running out of the cafeteria. All of Hermione’s co-workers stared at her in amazement. Her brown eyes turned on Harold, who paled a little.

”Tell Hazel I had an emergency,” Hermione said, running to the cloak room to get her traveling clothes. “Tell her I had to go to Hogwarts!”

Everyone watched as Hermione flew out of the room.

”What a temper,” Harold said with a low whistle. “I’d hate to get on the bad end of her wand, that’s for sure.”

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John Pettibone hummed to himself as he walked across the Hogwarts grounds to the castle. It had been years since he’d been here. He was a Hufflepuff and had worked for the Board for more than ten years.

He preferred questioning young people. They always gave more information than necessary because they thought they were in trouble. Usually, they were. He hadn’t questioned one young person who didn’t receive some kind of reprimand from the Board. This assignment was interesting. This young woman was at the top of her class in marks and there seemed to be some scandal brewing as to how she managed it. Well, he’d get to the bottom of it. He always did.

A little threatening always loosened the tongue as well as the lie that he was trained to detect the subtle changes that occur in the body if he is lied to. Of course, he couldn’t do that any more than a polygraph “specialist” could determine truths or lies with his machine. It was all smoke and mirrors. The good thing was, the people questioned didn’t know it.

He entered Hogwarts castle and turned into the Great Hall.

All the students looked up as the wizard walked through the Great Hall importantly, looking neither left or right as he walked up to the dais and addressed Minerva.

”My name is John Pettibone. I believe you are expecting me, Headmistress?” he said crisply.

Minerva scowled a little.

”Yes, I am Mr. Pettibone,” she said tightly.

She still didn’t like this.

”Well, where is Miss Snape?”

Everyone looked at Eileen, who looked up with a little frown. Everyone had gone silent when John entered, so what he said was clearly heard.

”She is at the Slytherin table, Mr. Pettibone. You may use the small room off to the right,” she said, pointing a long finger at a side door. “That is where our first years wait to be sorted.”

”Fine, fine,” he said impatiently, turning toward the Slytherin table. “Miss Eileen Snape, come with me!”

Eileen had no idea why this man with narrowed eyes wanted to see her. Hugo looked at her worriedly as she slowly rose, looking perplexed. He felt something was very, very wrong. Alsop was frowning too. What was this about?

Eileen picked up her backpack of books and slung them over her shoulder, then started walking toward the investigator.

Suddenly--

”Just bloody hold it right there! Eileen isn’t going anywhere!”

”Mum?” Hugo breathed as he saw his mother standing in front of the double doors. And man, did she look pissed off.

Startled, everyone turned to look at the door and saw Hermione standing there, pointing at John Pettiibone with one finger as she snatched her Weasley hat off her head.

“Eileen, you sit back down and finish your lunch,” she hissed, her eyes on the offending wizard as she stormed up the aisle as if marching off to war. “I’ll handle this!”

Rose and Hugo stared with their mouths open as Eileen, wavered as her mother marched by her, anger seeming to pour off her in waves. She returned to her seat, staring at Hermione as she walked up to the wizard and poked him in the chest with her finger. Her mother was short, but right now she looked as if she were ten feet tall as the man cringed.

”You’ve got some bloody nerve—“ Hermione began

She began to browbeat the wizard, tapping him in the chest and backing him up as he tried helplessly to explain he was just doing his job.

“Well, I’m just doing my job. Protecting my daughter from unfair interrogation, you dolt! She’s a minor! Just what the hell is the Board thinking not getting parental consent? What? What?”

Eileen watched in amazement.

Damn, whatever was going on, her mum seemed to have it under full control.

And gods, what a temper!

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A/N: My little polygraph statement is in fact, true. A lot of people believe those things work. A polygraph “professional” goes to school about 14 weeks. It takes longer for a barber to graduate. Polygraphs are the biggest dupes going. I could rant for hours but you can check out Anti-polygraph dot org for yourselves. Anyway, thanks for reading.