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Chapter 41: The Sorting Hats Tale (PART 1)

Amelia Bones was not a happy witch.

No that was an understatement. She was well past the realm of unhappy. She was livid.

It had been a very long time since she was last a schoolgirl. Why then did her past professor see fit to tear into her as though she were an errant first year caught using a weeding charm on the professors precious flowerbeds instead of doing it the manual and loving way?

In the years since her graduation from Hogwarts, Amelia had gained a rather friendly and mutually respectful relationship with her past professors. Had gained a better understanding of them and their mannerisms. What buttons should and should not be pushed.

This however? This behavior from the herbology professor was so far out of what Amelia had come to expect from her.

Never in all of the years that Amelia Bones had known Pomona Sprout had she once heard her yell in anger.

To have that angry screaming directed at her?

When she was doing her job!?

"-JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING MISS BONES? YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE DEFENSES EMPLOYED WITHIN THE COMMON ROOMS OUTSIDE OF YOURS NOR, I'M SURE, WERE YOU WILLING TO LISTEN AS I'M POSITIVE MISS TONKS WOULD HAVE INFORMED YOU OF WHAT AN UTTERLY STUPID MISTAKE YOU HAVE MADE! ON TOP OF AN ALREADY NO DOUBT TRAUMATIZING NIGHT YOU DECIDE TO SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF MY BADGERS BY SENDING A STRANGER TO BURST IN!" Pomona stood huffing as she stared at the head of the DMLE, contempt radiating from her every pore before with one very deep breath she visibly gathered herself and continued on in a deadly calm and scarily pleasant tone of voice, "Now, I suggest that you come with me to the common room and collect your Auror's so that you can see just what not listening has caused to happen."

With that the kindly professor turned and began to make her way out of the infirmary, leaving the head Auror no other option than to follow after her all while attempting to make it look as though she had not just been chastised by the least likely person on the planet.

Two of Gringotts finest Warrior Goblins approached the large statue of a griffin which guarded the entrance to the headmasters office of Hogwarts. Lodbrok and Ivar, both of the Ironside clan, stared grimly at the large eagle statue which was eternally tasked with the protection of the Head of Hogwarts domain. Behind these warriors marched three of Gringotts Wardmasters, each of them weighed down with their own weapons of choice as well as a plethora of warding artifacts.

The statue itself had been a gift from the Nation to Hogwarts itself. The founders four had gained much respect from the Nation, each of them being a Friend of the Nation in their own rights. As such the Nation had taken a great and active interest in Hogwarts and her welfare.

Assisting yet another Friend of the Nation while doing so was merely a bonus really.

All goblins took a great amount of pride in their work and the reasoning's behind it. Their people and their culture were steeped richly in history. Not just their own either. The Goblin Nation took the lessons that all have learned over the years to make their people better. Wand users, muggles, creatures. They cared not.

Knowledge was power. Money was power. And to the humans, power was everything.

Few outside of the Nation knew of its true depths. The massive libraries containing at least one copy of almost every piece of literature ever made from a muggle child's book containing nothing but pictures to the lost tomes and scrolls that were once held within Atlantis.

Hell, not even most Goblins knew of their true depths outside of the theoretical.

Wardmasters however? Goblin Wardmasters knew almost everything.

A goblins natural affinities were shown early and cultivated from a young age. A basis in all disciplines and then expanding upon their affinities at a rapid pace. No natural talents were considered wasteful or looked upon with disdain. All were precious.

As such, those with certain affinities gained access to more knowledge faster.

It was only natural.

Why impede someones learning and natural strengths when they would eventually become yours as well?

Why the humans never seemed to grasp this concept the Nation would never know.