ᵖʳᵒᵘᵈ ᵖᵃʳᵉⁿᵗˢ ; ʰᵃʳᵐⁱᵒⁿᵉ

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter 33 - Knock Knock

Cornelius was finishing off his Sunday lunch, sitting at the Professors' table in Hogwarts. He'd arrived early, expecting to find resistance to his plan from the two foreign schools. Instead, they couldn't wait to go home and both would be leaving before dinner tonight. Putting his knife and fork down, it was time to disrupt their lunch. Knowing that cake and ice cream would be served after he finished speaking should help sweeten the impact of what he had to say.

Making his way toward the podium, Cornelius took out his list of points he needed to cover here today. There were rather a lot, and he couldn't afford to miss any. "Good afternoon everyone. I can't remember ever addressing Hogwarts students before like this but, after the events of the other morning, there really was no other option. I wanted you to hear these things from your Minister, rather than read some journalistic interpretation of what I was supposed to say. Firstly, Albus Dumbledore was arrested and is being handed over to the International Confederation of Wizards to face trial for his many, many crimes. He will never return to Hogwarts, which has now been placed under the control of the Ministry of Magic."

This was greeted by stunned silence, so Cornelius pressed on. "The new Headmaster of Hogwarts is Professor Severus Snape. I offer him my congratulations, as well as my promise of aid to wade through the mess Dumbledore has left Hogwarts in." When the Minister of Magic started clapping, the rest of the school joined in on the applause for their new Headmaster.

"I would also like to congratulate Professor Narcissa Snape on being appointed Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. The school now has a leadership team in place ready to make the changes necessary to take Hogwarts where it needs to be."

Again there was applause at this announcement. "I'm pleased to see Mister Krum up and about once more, after his efforts in the first task resulted in a short stay in Hogwarts infirmary. Miss Delacour was taken to the Potter Institute where Healer Pomfrey is confident she'll make a full recovery, and she too will be up and about in the next day or so."

Cornelius got to experience the difference in his audience's attention even mentioning the Institute's name invoked. "Now, due to the changes we need to make at Hogwarts, we find ourselves unable to host our guests from Beauxbatons and Drumstrang. They will both be leaving for home later on today, and returning on the date of the second task. This also necessitates the moving of our planed Triwizard Tournament Ball, from Yule to summer..."

The Minister had expected a reaction at that news, just not the one he got. Amos Diggory's son shot from his seat and raced to speak with a Gryffindor witch. The discussion seemed to be far more involved, rather than him asking her for a date, but he left the table with a wide grin on his face nevertheless.

Severus knew for a fact Cedric wasn't asking the Gryffindor chaser for a date, but that short conversation had seemed intense - that bore investigation. "Mister Diggory, perhaps you could enlighten us to what you thought important enough to interrupt the Minister's speech?"

Cedric now looked like a badger caught in a searchlight. "Eh, sorry sir. The Yule Ball being moved to summer freed me to do something else at that time. I was just checking that I hadn't missed my chance."

"Pray tell, what this something else is that has you so excited?"

Cedric was left with Snap staring at him, looking for an answer, in front of the entire school. "I'm free to spend the holiday with some friends... abroad..."

The Minister saved Cedric having to say anymore. "I'm going to take a wild guess here and say these friends are currently in Italy?" Watching the boy crumble in front of him, and a number of students heads going down too, convinced Cornelius he was right. It was time to put this distrust in his Ministry - and Hogwarts - to bed.