Chapter 037

Barty wasn't that much of a loss as, due to the inherent danger of his task, the information about why he was at Hogwarts was protected by both a Fidelius and a compulsion charm. No, young Barty would not be 'tattle-telling' anyone his true mission. Instead, he'd be telling them about how he was the sole planner and instigator of the Potter boy's name being submitted. He'd be telling anyone who pressed him for information he'd done it in order to see the boy killed through not being skilled or powerful enough to survive.

However, if they forced on him Veritaserum or some other truth telling potion or compulsion charm, the Fidelius and Veritaserum would conflict and cause young Barty to lose his life. They might suspect more to the story, but would not have the evidence to act. Instead, how he managed to get free of the prison in the first place would be promoted. In that way, Voldemort hoped the DMLE would be... misdirected... into investigating only that and not the plan for Potter now they had a 'red herring' to follow.

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―==(oIo)==―

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At Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall had spent the time since her return to the castle, including deep into the night, in personal reflection.

After taking her breakfast in her rooms the next morning she finally decided she now needed to speak to someone and used her floo to contact her best friend and fellow professor, Filius Flitwick.

Taking a deep breath to steel her fortitude she dashed a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace. "Hogwarts, Charms Office," she firmly called.

Kneeling as soon the flames turned green and sticking her head within, she tentatively called, "Filius? Are you there?"

Stepping into sight from the side, Flitwick quietly but firmly said, "Step through, Minerva." The way he worded it sound almost like an order. However, with her mind elsewhere, McGonagall didn't recognise it and simply stepped through.

Almost relieved she stepped in and almost immediately stepped out into her friend's office. "Thank you for seeing me, Filius," she said.

As she was talking, Flitwick was walking around his desk to sit in his elevated office chair. Then gestured to one of the chairs opposite and said, "Take a seat, Minerva." Again, he used that flat commanding voice.

As she was already moving in that direction, unconsciously led by Flitwick heading for his desk chair, McGonagall again didn't recognise the lack of warmth in her friend's voice.

"I need... we need... to apologise to Mister Potter, Filius," she began. "I hadn't seen just how bad we've let that boy down until it was all laid in front of me by Amelia's aurors―"

"Stop, Minerva!" Flitwick snapped out, raising his off hand in the international accepted stop gesture of a flat hand with fingers together raised vertically with the palm facing out.

It immediately silenced McGonagall, who stared back in shock.

Knowing he now had her full attention, Flitwick continued to stare at her for a moment longer before, still using the same quiet but firm voice, said, "You do not need to apologise to Mister Potter, Minerva; you just want to apologise to Lord Potter. And, even then, it's for selfish reasons."

When McGonagall looked to be about to respond in defiance with hackles almost visibly raised, Flitwick's expression hardened and almost appeared as if he was going to growl back. Finally recognising the expression for what it was, McGonagall's whole attitude immediately changed and she almost cowered back into her seat in fear. "F-Filius?" she plaintively asked.

"The entire staff of this school have failed that boy, Minerva," he said, returning to the same flat commanding voice. It was a voice McGonagall now recognised as issuing from someone who had their occlumency shields at maximum in order to control their emotions. Once she recognised it, it was then easy to deduce that the emotion her long-time friend was trying to control was anger.

Continuing, he said, "For some - such as Bat and Septima, who have no direct contact with the boy - it was because they weren't carefully watching. And no one could, or should, expect them to given that there were other staff in more direct contact.

"For others - such as me, who does interact with the boy as one of his teachers - we weren't watching and were not alert for anything wrong, as we bloody well should have been.

"Then there's you," he snapped, with his anger starting to again bleed through his barriers. "You were supposed to be the boy's Head of House. Let alone also being the Deputy Headmistress it was your responsibility to ensure the boy, as with all other students, was safe. You failed!

"From the boy's memories I also came to the realisation you were partially responsible for the boy being placed into the supposed care of abusive muggles. That makes you guilty of child endangerment and child abuse by proxy. That you did it in collusion with Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid adds the charge of conspiracy. And that was all within hours of the boy becoming an orphan.

"That you did it while Deputy Headmistress, irrespective of whether you were acting in that role at the time or not and that it was crimes against a child, makes you now ineligible to hold a position of authority over any child, let alone as a professor over students at this school.

"Until I was made aware of the level of abuse that's been hurled at the boy, even before he entered Hogwarts and was systematically abused here, I held both you and Dumbledore in high trust. Obviously, I was a fool to do so. My trust in either of you became less than floating dust in the shaft as of the moment I learned of it."

Lifting a finger into the air and pointing it at her to highlight his point, he continued, "Have no doubt, Minerva McGonagall, you failed that boy and, in the process, failed yourself. From that I firmly believe you're going to lose your job because of it. Then, because of my clearly misplaced trust in you and the old man, I believe I'll be losing my position as well.

"At the very least we're both going to be reduced to only professors. I already know I'm going to be losing Head of House status; and you're going to be losing both your Head of House status and Deputy Head positions."

Dropping her eyes as they began to moisten with unshed tears, McGonagall softly asked, "Perhaps if I can talk to him and apologise?"

Flitwick immediately replied, "Before you managed to say more than one word you'd be arrested again and charged with witness tampering. Then you'd lose your professorship, as well... if that's still on the table."

As McGonagall hung her head further in shame, Flitwick sighed and more softly said, "Actually, Minerva, I don't know if you're going to survive this, let alone remain a teacher.

"From what I've learned you were with Dumbledore and Hagrid when young Harry was pretty much literally dumped on the doorstep of his muggle magic-hating relatives. That, on the death of his father only a few hours earlier, he became the titular Head of a Noble and Most Ancient House at the time... as Dumbledore had no right to take the boy away from his rightful guardian... means you were an accomplice in the kidnapping of such a Head. And that could easily mean - should you be found guilty, of course - you're bound for a trip through the Veil or a kissing date with a dementor."

That she hadn't even twitched at mention of being executed, though she did squirm a little, meant McGonagall also realised the chance of her being executed was quite possible.

Finally, she looked back at her old friend with an almost pleading look on her face. She was wearing her heart on her sleeve.

"What do I need to do?" she practically begged. "What can I do? I'd hoped that... by at least apologising to the boy... it probably won't stop me being sentenced... but, it's still the right thing to do."

"That may be," he replied with a single nod back. "However, this has all now become an ongoing DMLE investigation. And that means you are not permitted to approach him in any way, shape or form. I've no doubt that, like me, you were warned not to do that by the aurors."

She nodded back.

"Then you cannot approach him to even apologise," the half-goblin firmly stated. "If you do, you harm your own defence. And that means any possibility of you escaping execution is reduced."

"I need him to know," she softly but just as firmly stated.

"Then, we shall raise it with the aurors and ask them first," he returned. "We will not, however, approach him directly."

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