Chapter 106

When the man was unmoved, Dumbledore gave him another disappointed look, turned and made his way up a bisecting lane-way in the direction the man indicated. He didn't need to turn around to know he was being closely followed to make sure he didn't deviate from the direction he was forced to take.

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If Dumbledore had chosen not to try and rush things and took his time to first contact his ex-deputy via floo or owl, he would have at least checked his mail. That scroll with the red seal of Hogwarts upon it that sat in the middle of his desk was a missive sent on behalf of the Chair-wizard of the Board of Governors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Bartholomew Creston. It was to inform him that an emergency Extraordinary Meeting of the Board had been called for the Board to discuss what to do from there with he, Dumbledore, unexpectedly not being incarcerated as a result of his trial. And that he was required to attend.

That meeting was scheduled only ten minutes after he apparated out. But, even then, with the advantage of near instant travel through the floo or via apparation or portkeys, that was hardly a problem.

That meeting went ahead, as scheduled.

Dumbledore did not like the Board entering the grounds of the school and holding their meetings there as 'they could cause disruptions in the students' days' (read: they could find out about something he didn't want them finding out about), so he came up with an excuse to get them out. During Riddle's reign of terror, he had what he needed - student security. So, the meetings had been moved from Hogwarts to a boardroom set aside for them at the Ministry. He just never let them back.

As the Board waited past the appointed time before carrying on with the business of getting the meeting started, Dumbledore still had not turned up.

The chair-wizard, Creston, after starting the meeting finally said, "Well, he's either just being 'Dumbledore', or he's being arrogantly rude. You'd think, with the disruptions Lord Potter's actions have caused the school, he'd put in the effort to want to help resolve them. I say it's time to vote on whether we want to keep him as Headmaster or not."

"I so move," said one of the Board members, Thistlethwaite.

"And I second," another immediately said.

"Very well," said the Chair-wizard "I need a formal motion."

Thistlethwaite said, "I move that, 'Due to the actions of the current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, that the position of Headmaster hereby be deemed vacated. And that the School Board of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry immediately seek to fill that vacancy with all haste.'"

"I second," another immediately stated.

"I'll accept that motion as two as I believe we need to vote upon the first before we vote upon the second," said the Chair-wizard "Therefore I accept that the first motion be, 'Due to the recent actions of the current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, that the position of Headmaster hereby be deemed vacated.' Member Thistlethwaite, do you so move?"

"I so move," declared Thistlethwaite.

"And I so second," said the original seconder, Paulson.

"Accepted," declared the Chair-wizard. "Do I have a speaker against?"

When he was again greeted with only silence, he said, "There being no speaker against the motion I move to the vote."

The result was a unanimous decision to declare the position of Headmaster vacant, effectively removing Dumbledore from the position.

"With the motion agreed, we now move on to the second part," said the Chair-wizard "'That the School Board of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry immediately seek to fill the vacancy of Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with all haste.'"

"I so move," declared Thistlethwaite.

"And I so second," said Paulson.

Again, there was no speaker against and the vote was unanimous 'For'.

"Then let us now move to discussing candidates and filling that position," said the Chair-wizard

Of course, it is very rare that a matter comes before the Board where the decision is not already known. And filling the position of Headmaster/mistress was no exception. Lady Griselda Marchbanks, also in attendance, was the Board's chosen successor.

However, that was not because she was the best of a bunch. No, she was the only one who could fill the position at short notice. And she and the Board all knew it. With the dismissal of Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick - the only ones, except Sprout who flat-out refused it, who had the qualifications to ascend to the position - they had to either go to a retired member of staff who had at least Head of House experience, or seek a competent replacement from overseas. Marchbanks, as a retired Head of House (Ravenclaw), plus adding to that experience as the Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority within the Ministry for the past two plus decades, was the only one both available and willing to take the role; albeit reluctantly. She was even, for a time before McGonagall was ready for the role, Acting Deputy Headmistress.

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