I Know Your Secret

Fairytale has no Secrets

Hope smiled as she was invited into McGonagall's office later that day and felt bad for the haggard look the teacher wore as she gave a soft sigh. Hope had never seen her teacher looking so lost before and hoped she could help. McGonagall would have normally gone to Dumbledore if she had a serious problem like this, but this time he was the problem so that wasn't even an option.

"Miss. Potter, please take a seat," the old woman said crisply as she straightened herself up a little as she didn't want to show any weakness if she could help it. "You mentioned the possibility of getting extra funding for the school?" she asked as Hope took a seat with a soft smile.

"Yep," she agreed brightly. "I can get you enough money to give yourself and the other teachers a pay rise, plus triple the staff if needed. In addition, they're willing to give the school sponsorship for free advertising within the school, on say quidditch uniforms and brooms, in the stadium, nothing too tacky."

"A-and who..."

"Me," Hope said smilingly. "I am, Fairytale, and now we'll be taking full control of the Frontier and launching it as a daily newspaper to compete with the Prophet, and you'll allow me to use the students to make and write it. They'll of course get some payment out of it, and extra credit when they leave school and the school will gain too in the form of sponsorship and funds. We'll even make sure our readers know the school gets a cut. However, for some things we'll need older members of the club to leave school grounds. However, if it will make you feel better we could hire some adults of the field for outside of school, and if needed they can take students out of school, of course as long as it doesn't interfere with their education."

McGonagall leaned back in her chair in thought for a moment. "I had a feeling that you were Fairytale and you were funding the newspaper," she said after a few moments while shaking her head. "We'll get all the money we need?" she asked and Hope nodded with her smile still in place. "I... want to hire a replacement for me as transfiguration teacher and head of house as I won't have enough time, as well as a second to split the classes."

"You have the money Professor," she replied with a grin. "Also, I was thinking on my way over here that we should get rid of divination!" she said smilingly as that wasn't just a sudden thought. "Seers are born, frauds are taught."

McGonagall nodded at that before she realised what she was doing and straightened out. "I've already decided I would cut divination if I ever became headmistress because I also feel that way. Though, it's a truth."

"You could always replace it with... sports class," she suggested reasonably. "Looking around at all the students I have to seriously wonder whether half of them are going to die of heart attacks fat at forty with the amount of junk they eat without even picking things up from the floor when they can just flick their wands," she said laughingly. "It might be fun for the purebloods to learn something about muggle sports, and it would be nice for muggle-raised students to get the opportunity to fly, race brooms and play quidditch with everybody too."

"I-I'll think about it," McGonagall said was a tired sigh. "Well, if that's all, I thank you, but I have some more staff to hire."

"One last thing if I may Professor?" she asked and the teacher nodded. "Mr. Binns is a boring old fart that doesn't have a clue what he's doing, and I'm may be wrong but I don't even think he realises we're there at all. I would suggest hiring HISTORY teachers, not just magical history, and then just leave him be. He'll never know we're not there. Also... I would suggest looking into the books to find out where his pay was going because I doubt he collected it."

McGonagall's eyes had widened at this as she thought it over and nodded her head in agreement as it had never crossed her mind before. "That is a responsible thing for a new head to do... especially after Dumbledore's shown he can be truly... not nice."

Hope grinned and laughed out loud as she stood from her seat. "Don't forget Snape's replacement," she commented sweetly. "After all, Professor you and I both know he's useless and may be excellent at potions but he is not competent at teaching. Now if the school had a position for dipshit; he would win hands down; all bow out!"

McGonagall had to hold back a laugh and a reprimand for the cussing, as she thought about it, but knew it would take a short while longer because he had his uses, for now. Therefore, no matter how unfortunate, Hope knew he would stay on just for a little while longer. Anyway, watching him squirm and trying to be nice to her (as he wasn't as naive as Dumbledore and knew who was really in charge) was too amusing.

Hope left her office minutes later with a tired sigh. At least she pitched some ideas and got most of what she wanted as she knew McGonagall knew she was more in control than her, but Hope could care less about making demands, so McGonagall could have what she wanted as she was the trained educator with years of experience after all. She shouldn't push for more at this time, and if she needed to leave the school she could either sneak out or get Sirius to 'escort' her.

She shook her head. She would have to get him to come by sometime so she could get something she felt would be amusing to own. Well, there was a lot she wanted that meant leaving the school, so maybe they could make a day of it as it would be easier talking to the goblins in person rather than through male that certain undesirables would try to acquire. They couldn't get what she was up to as the magical people didn't use their money to get power; they used it to be given power because they weren't that bright.