The Sallow Saga - Vol. 1 - In the Shadows of a Legacy [a HL fanfiction]

Chapter 12. The Humbling of Professor Black

"Ensure you have covered the walls! They'll be weak against the heavier spells!" Sharp ordered Cassy.
Together they raced across the grounds, ensuring their concealment and protection charms would be high enough to prevent any of the charging witches and wizards from scaling them. As the rest of the faculty joined them, the shield of protection rose to the height of the castle, surrounding them all in a safe bubble of protection. Both Cassy and Sharp gathered with the faculty in the main school grounds and looked on as the hoard of enemies charged toward them, casting jinxes and curses which bounced off the surrounding barrier.
Sharp sighed, "well, that should stall them somewhat."

Professor Weasley looked around her, mortified. In all her years at Hogwarts, she had never experienced anything quite like this before. Many of her colleagues were of the same opinion, Marvolo was waging war on the school, but why?
"What in Merlin's name is the meaning of all of this?!" Professor Black stormed out on to the grounds. His face was contorted with rage, but quickly quailed at the look he received from Professor Weasley.
"How nice of you to join us, headmaster!" She scolded. Her fury was such, that she shook with suppressed anger; "perhaps you might enlighten us, seeing as you are such close friends with Marvolo! Why do you think he has chosen to send his army of followers to storm the castle?"

Professor Phineas Nigellus Black had been appointed as Headmaster to the school several years prior, a move which had caused much debate among the faculty. Black was a staunch believer of pure blood witches and wizards being the best source of magic wielders, and preferred to keep his company with the more wealthy and powerful of his kin. He was above all, however, a sly and wily coward beneath his pompous exterior. During Ranrok's raid on Hogwarts in Cassy's first year at the school, he had purposefully avoided supporting his faculty in defending the lower foundations, opting instead to lock himself in his office. He had even had the audacity to stand his house-elf Scrope on guard duty outside his office's door, ordering that he only use spells against any potential goblin or troll who might try to bring him out of hiding. It was an action which had lowered many of his colleagues opinions of him further than before.

At Professor Weasley's accusations, Black babbled on the spot, his eyes staring wildly at the gathering witches and wizards in the distance, hurling curses at the shield surrounding him.
"I assure you Matilda, while he had mentioned... I had no idea... I never imagined Marvolo would stoop to such..." he blustered, then caught himself before he divulged more.
Professor Abraham Ronen, the Charm's teacher moved to Weasley's side. Normally, a jovial character, notorious for encouraging games and laughter to ring around his classroom, the look he fixed Black with now, caused even Professor Weasley to raise her brow.
"You mean you had an indication that Marvolo Gaunt was up to something, headmaster?" He growled fiercely, he tightened his grip on his wand.
Sharp stepped forward, "Professor Phinneas Nigellus Black, I am quite happy to place you under arrest for being in league with Marvolo Gaunt and for conspiring to the kidnapping of muggle-born children..."
Black gasped and started to tug at his collar, "really Aesop, there is no need for that. I had no part in this, no part I tell you!"
Professor Hecat calmly raised her voice, "if I may everyone. I'm inclined to believe that Professor Black is (for the most part) being honest..."
Professor Black pointed happily at Hecat, beaming dotingly toward her, "Ha! You see! Thank you Hecat... Now then, if..."
"However..." Hecat cut across him, "I would like to know what part you did play in all this Phinneas? You have been in regular contact with Marvolo Gaunt of recent. In fact, if what has been reported to us all here by young Professor Ominis, you were even threatening his termination of contract, if an invitation to the school was not issued to Marvolo, immediately. As Ominis rightly provided no such invite, I am inclined to believe that you issued out the invitation instead?"
Professor Black's colour drained from his face, a few beads of sweat dripped down his temples. He swallowed hard as his teaching team glared down at him, all the while the jinxes and curses ricocheting off the castle's protective charms reverberated around them.
"Oh for crying out loud..." he erupted, "yes, I invited him, but it was not to wage war on the school! I was getting frustrated with his harassment and thought if Ominis was unwilling to serve as host, I would do the job myself!"
"YOU BLITHERING IDIOT!" Shrieked Professor Kogowa, the flying teacher; "you banned Quidditch under the guise of promoting safety to students, five years ago, a move which forced me to reach out to the Ministry of Magic to get you to revoke! Then you go and invite a deranged pure blood fanatic to the school, five years later?! You really are the worst headmaster to have ever had the audacity to take office here!"
"Enough Chiyo," soothed Aesop Sharp, "there will be time enough later for this pathetic excuse of a wizard to answer for his part in all of this. For now though, I fear our shields won't hold out much longer." Indeed, as he said this, one particular jinx hit the shield so hard that a tiny tear in the magical fabric appeared. Taking charge of matters, Sharp started to issue out orders.
"Chiyo, Ronen – please escort your disgraced headmaster to his office and stand guard, he is not to leave, nor is anyone allowed to enter!"
The two professors nodded and relished in almost lifting Professor Black off his feet as they hooked his arms and dragged him back into the castle, ignoring his cries and pleas to be understand and adhered to.
"Professor Howin," Sharp turned to the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, "I don't suppose you have any creatures who might be good in providing extra assistance in a tight spot, as such?"
Howin considered, "I do not approve of the idea of bringing endangered magical beasts in to battle. However,..." she looked kindly at Cassy, "our young Miss Weaver here, was able to rescue a number of creatures for her various vivarium's in the Room of Requirement. While I have seen to the safe release of many of her creatures since she left, the greatest of all graphorns, The Lord of the Shore, is particularly fond of the castle grounds and its students. I will bring him around now." So, saying, she hurried off.
Turning to the herbology teacher, Aesop smiled at her fondly, "Mirabel Garlick, how is your supply of mandrakes, Chinese Chomping Cabbages, and Venemous Tentaculars looking?"
Professor Garlick beamed, "healthy and flourishing – I will grab as many as I can, I think I have a few bouncing bulbs and prickly bushes I can bring to the fray. I'd like to see these hooligans tackle those!" She rallied off a few more violent sounding plants as she hurried off the greenhouses.

Sharp turned to the rest of the remaining faculty, "the rest of you, sweep around the grounds, position yourselves where you feel our defences are weakest and stand your ground. These brutes are not to be reasoned with. They can and will harm anyone who stands in their way, they are no where near a full army though. I fear the worst is yet to come, but if we can at least put a chink in their armour, I'll be happy."