Violet Potter and the Basilisk Plague (Year Two)

Chapter Fourteen: The MacNair House Elf Debacle

Both Pansy and Malfoy were looking as though Christmas had come early that year. "Well, it looks like I didn't even need to tell Professor Snape anything after all." Pansy said to Violet and Victoria triumphantly. Malfoy simply smirked and held up a finger and thumb like a giant L to his forehead.

Professor Snape then said to Pansy, "That will do Miss Parkinson. Mr. Malfoy, you and Miss Parkinson are to return to the Slytherin common-room and remain there until you are expected at your next Defence class. As for you two---" Snape said sharply, "We shall see if you can even avoid the Child and Youth Discipline Registry at the Ministry of Magic. You'd better just hope Walden MacNair is in a mood for granting clemency. Merlin knows my own hopes would be very low, MacNair is not known to be a clement wizard. Get moving." Harry and Ron tried to protest against this, but Professor Snape then told them that they would be up the entire night cleaning out all the boys' lavatories in the castle without magic if they ever tried to interfere in Slytherin House matters again.

Victoria knew exactly what sort of wizard MacNair had always been for as long as she could remember. Walden MacNair also worked at the Ministry in the Department For The Disposal Of Dangerous Magical Beasts. MacNair, of course, was the man who did the actual disposing of them. But for Victoria Maynard, it had been more than just knowing what it was her father's old friend did for a living. There was a story there, and a tragic one as well. Though it did have such a wonderful beginning. But now, Tori realized, wasn't the time to be dwelling on what had happened before. She and Violet needed to figure out how they were going to explain what had happened with Tiny.

As both girls were being marched along to the famous golden eagle spiral
staircase that led up to Dumbledore's Hogwarts office and residence, Devon Wolfe, who had previously been gone to talk to Professor Sprout about the mysterious other four ingredients needed for the Mandrake Draft as well as the three Chambers other than the one belonging to Slytherin. And he spotted Professor Snape moving along with Violet Potter and Victoria Maynard straight to the Headmaster's office.

"Hmmm. What sort of trouble did the Slytherin besties end up in today?" Devon wondered to himself as he too, took off toward the golden spiral, right after the three disappeared completely as they turned upward. There was also a stone gargoyle sitting beside the golden staircase. As soon as it sensed Devon's approach, it awakened. And it spoke with a gravelly voice. "No one makes further passage without the correct password. The password please?"

And Devon replied, "Yes, yes, all right. I know it's some muggle sweet, has to be. Professor Dumbledore is said to have a weakness for so many, most especially of citrus varieties...might it be a Sherbet Lemon?"

"A knowledgeable guess, young Ravenclaw. You shall be permitted to pass!" Said the gargoyle, and at once, the wings of that majestic gold eagle began to open to reveal the staircase. "This is so wizard!" Devon said as the staircase began twirling upward from the very moment he stepped onto the stairs. And then, finally, Devon was at the very top of the highest height of all in all of Hogwarts. Not even the Astronomy Tower was built up so high as the Headmaster's Tower. And the arched medieval wooden door at the very top, Devon knew, was the door to Professor Dumbledore's office. But Devon quickly realized he wasn't alone.

"Isn't it rather nosy and rude to be listening in at other people's doors? That's what Daddy always says about eavesdropping." Devon turned right around to see that Luna Lovegood had quietly followed him there, this time with a necklace she'd fashioned out of old butterbeer bottle caps, as well as hot pink shell earrings that rather clashed with her Ravenclaw robes. "Luna Lovegood, I told you not to follow me around right now and to stay put in Ravenclaw Tower!" Devon Wolfe and Luna Lovegood were cousins, since both of their mothers, Pandora (Luna's Mum) and Miranda (Devon's Mum) were sisters.

But Luna only said this in her manner of stating uncomfortable truths as was one of her habits, "You wouldn't be so mad at me right now if you weren't up to something you know you're not supposed to be doing. But I suppose you can't help it Devon, it's so obvious that you like Violet Potter."

"I do not!" Devon said, while his face began to flush red. "Violet is really just more of a---a frenemy. It's complicated."

***

On the other side of the door, and rapidly losing patience, Walden MacNair wasted no time on letting his fury and frustration be known, especially since Professor Dumbledore himself was currently nowhere to be found in the Headmaster's office. "Tell me honestly, Severus. Of what use is a Headmaster to Hogwarts or any school at all if one can never find him when one needs him!" McNair directed the the question at the Hogwarts Potions Master in a sneering tone. "Even Lucius Malfoy was saying just the other day as the new school governor---"

"And what was the rat-faced Mini-Malfoy's father saying about Professor Dum---" Violet began to ask, but Professor Snape cut her off faster than her brother flew when in hot pursuit of the golden snitch. "That is very clearly none of your concern, Miss Potter."

"I should say not." MacNair said. "You girls ought to be more worried about yourselves for what you've already done." MacNair then decided to add, "I do still find myself wondering where your loyalties truly lie, Severus." But Snape chose to ignore this jibe.

"I might add you are heading for enough trouble as it is without further insulting any other students and their families. Do not test me." The look Professor Snape gave Violet, (while also glaring at Victoria as if he was daring her to speak one sentence in her best friend's defence) meant that not another word was spoken. And they waited.

Then, Professor Dumbledore finally reappeared in his office, having just apparated in, dressed that day in robes of burgundy. "You apparated! But I thought that---something Hermione always says---" Violet began.

"That no wizard or witch can apparate or disapparate in Hogwarts or anywhere within the grounds? That would generally be correct, Miss Potter. However, being me does have its' privileges." Dumbledore explained. "I do apologize if I have kept anyone here waiting for rather a long while." He looked over at MacNair, who then said, "Let's just get down to buisness here. It is a very serious matter regarding my youngest house elf, which involves these two troublemakers." MacNair once again shot an evil look at both Violet and Victoria, before continuing with the story. "It was just last evening that I had to summon the worthless elf in question to my presence, once it was clear the elf had actually returned where she belongs---"

"The elf has a name. It's TINY!" Tori suddenly cried. "And they are not worthless. They are all living creatures---"

"KEEP QUIET! The next words out of your mouth shall earn you detentions from now until the New Year Miss Maynard. And suspension will follow, if I ever hear of you harboring a magical creature which no longer belongs to you for any purpose again!" Professor Snape said harshly.

"Do you truly believe mere detentions and suspensions are sufficient punishments in this case, Severus? Perhaps you really have been growing soft all these years you've been living in Dumbledore's pocket. Perhaps you have never been a loyal---" MacNair began to taunt, however, Dumbledore was going to have none of it. "That will be quite enough of that Walden. Let us all turn to the matter at hand. The elf in question is named Tiny, I am to presume?"

"Yes." MacNair answered.

"And the house-elf in question has returned home to you and her own, has she not?"

"Indeed, she has." MacNair said sourly.

"Well then, you still have your house-elf, she has returned precisely to where she is magically bound to inhabit, and Miss Potter and Miss Maynard are very clearly not trying to steal Tiny away from you. So you see, there was really no need for you to be here at Hogwarts at all, let alone any need for these unnecessary complaints." Dumbledore said in his serenely calm way of explaining such things.

"Ah yes, and here we have it! The same Headmaster-champion of lesser beings and weaklings, of underdogs and no-accounts like the Weasleys, and meddlesome fools like the Potters. Always so cool, always standing so tall! Of course, who knows how much longer all of that will last." Walden MacNair then turned back to Violet and Victoria. "I'm warning the both of you now, that if I ever hear of either of you or any of the Weasleys meddling about with any of my servants again there will be consequences, that will mean more than detention or getting suspended. Of that I can assure you." MacNair said warningly before he departed.