Blood Vengeance

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Published 6/9/2021

"I'm sorry, Harry. I don't recognize him," Professor McGonagall said, holding the photo that Ron had sent her.

Harry's shoulders sank. "He doesn't look familiar at all?"

"Well," she hesitated. "He does, but I can't place it. Perhaps I taught a sibling? A parent? But I can't put a name to him off that. But there is something familiar about him, that is for certain."

Harry nodded. "Headmistress... I have reasons to believe that DEK is a muggleborn. Does that help at all?

She shook her head. "Not especially. We don't sort children by that. At least, I don't."

"If DEK wasn't a student... how... or could he learn magic outside of Hogwarts?"

"That wouldn't be possible, Harry. He couldn't learn spells if he was a muggleborn, not without help, anyway. He would have magic, but he'd need a wand to channel it, books to learn the spells and usually a tutor to guide them through it. Not to mention the Trace."

Harry nodded, again. "But the Trace could be blocked?"

"Yes, but the wards wouldn't travel with the minor and an adult would have to cast it, initially."

Harry grimaced. He remembered that in Auror training. It was an enchantment for the area, room or home. Usually, parents were able to ward the whole house to block the Trace, to teach their children, on their own, in the safety of their home. It was popularly used among the purebloods, not muggleborns, putting a wrench in his theory. Additionally, this put another person into the equation, either acting as a tutor or just putting up the wards. It takes years to develop magical skill, and by the time the Trace was lifted, DEK would have been too far behind. Moreover, Apparation was not an easy thing to learn.

"So, could someone, with a tutor and blocking wards, become proficient enough with magic to learn how to Apparate, abduct eleven people and set privacy wards?"

"I would say, yes, hesitantly. They would have to focus on those skills to build proficiency in certain areas, but would be lacking in others. One of the greatest advantages of coming to Hogwarts, gives students a wide range of spells and expertise that allows you to tackle new problems and situations better than narrow-focus tutoring."

Harry was starting to understand why DEK couldn't take down wards and had to resort to muggle techniques but could overpower and capture eleven people. He knew he would get a real feel of him when he watches the memory.

"Can muggleborns refuse to come to Hogwarts?"

"Deny their magic? They can, but you have to understand that without learning how to control it, they would have periodic outbursts all their life, and that is what the members of the Muggleborn Outreach Program try to explain to them."

"MOP?" Harry clarified.

McGonagall smirked. "Yes, they're part of the WEA. People usually volunteer for home visits."

The examinations committee had little power, but were the closest thing to regulatory control over education. Harry nodded and made a note to send Ron to pull records. "What about homeschooling? How does that work?"

"It doesn't, really. But sometimes parents want to teach their children, and you're right, DEK could be one of them. The parents would have to submit a request and get their education plan approved to suspend the Trace. It's a lengthy process, and I don't know who was approved through the WEA, too. Voldemort made attendance mandatory, but most muggleborns were smart enough not to come back during his reign."