ᵖʳᵒᵘᵈ ᵖᵃʳᵉⁿᵗˢ ; ʰᵃʳᵐⁱᵒⁿᵉ

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞

Chapter 12 - Blood on the Floor

Bathsheda Babbling was reading a rather disturbing scroll from Dumbledore, offering her the position as Head of Hufflepuff - without mentioning why her friend Pomona was no longer filling that particular position. Pomona had made it quite clear she had no interest in taking over from Minerva as Deputy, and also that she had no idea why Min had so suddenly left Hogwarts in the first place. What in the name of Merlin was going on at the castle?

While quietly pondering this conundrum, another scroll arrived by owl. That this owl was from Pomona should have cleared most of this mystery up, but instead this new information just added to the confusion. Here was another job offer, from Headmistress Sprout no less - and the pay was almost the same as the Head of House position Dumbledore was offering

The scroll apologised for the lack of information, including the name of the school Pomona was apparently Headmistress of. Presenting this scroll in Gringotts though would see the goblins supplying a portkey - allowing Bathsheda to visit Pomona and have all her questions answered. Since she had many, many questions, one of the youngest yet top rated Ancient Runes Professors in all of Europe reckoned she might be talking with Pomona for a while.

The ping of the floo alerted Bathsheda there was an incoming call. Seeing it was from Septima, she accepted and her confusion just reached new heights.

"Bathsheda, I've been offered Filius' Head of House - then a scroll arrived from Pomona offering me a position at a school she's apparently now headmistress of. What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, but I think we'll get far more information by going to Gringotts for this portkey to Pomona than Albus is likely to tell us. If Pomona, Filius and Minerva have all left Hogwarts, then I think we need to treat Pomona's offer seriously - and at the very least find out what's going on."

Both quickly made plans to meet in Diagon Alley later today. They needed to reach a decision on this matter as quickly as possible. Albus' note was phrased in such a way that he was already pressing them to make a commitment to Hogwarts.

-oOoOo-

Lucius was livid, his anger growing with every minute that passed - and also every stupid question Edmund asked.

"How could a muggle house possibly have wards?"

This was at least the fifth time Edmund had asked this very same question, and Lucius had learned from those previous times that not giving an answer was simply providing an excuse for Edmund to speculate on answers of his own. Since those speculations got wilder and weirder the longer they remained outside the home of the mudblood, Lucius did not wish to offer his partner on this venture another such invitation. It was also another opportunity for Lucius to try and renegotiate their current deal, in his favour of course.

"I don't know, but it's costing me a family heirloom. The Malfoy wardstones will create a hole in the wards, but also set off any alarms attached to those wards. With these people being muggles, it's who those alarms might bring to the house that we need to worry about. We won't have time to collect the stones after grabbing the mudblood bitch. Have you any idea how much gold it will take to buy a replacement set?"

An old hand at dealing with Lucius' greed, Edmund simply fobbed him off. "With the gold we're going to make from this, you could buy dozens of sets..."

All talking ceased as a vehicle turned into the Grangers' driveway. With tinted windows, neither Death Eater got a good look at the occupants. The garage door opening automatically saw the vehicle drive straight into that opening - again denying them any information on who would be in the house.

With time running out though, they'd wasted hours standing here waiting on some sign of life coming from the house, both Lucius and Edmund knew they had to take action soon.