The Cupboard Series 4: The Fourth School

Chapter 5

"I would like to nominate Minerva McGonagall as Headmistress of our new school."

Harry's eyes snapped to the right where his guardian sat, the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. Harry's eyes narrowed. Unless he was widely off his mark, then Minerva had been expecting this.

"I'll second that," Cyrus Greengrass laughed, slapping his hand on the tabletop in emphasis.

Around the room, murmurs of agreement could be heard racing up and down the table.

"Thank you, Augusta, but need I remind you that I am currently the Deputy Headmaster and Transfiguration teacher of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Minerva asked, tipping her head to the side.

"Then quit," Madam Longbottom stated flatly. "I've already tended my resignation to the Hogwarts Board of Governors. And I don't mind saying that it comes as a relief, to be honest."

"We need you here, Minerva," Sirius stated sincerely.

"As Headmistress of a brand new school, think of all the good you could do: the new classes that you could implement, the standard of education that you could raise in Magical Britain," Ailsa Moon emphasised.

Minerva held up a hand to stem the mouths opening all around her, all obviously intent on trying to entice her to take the position.

"Thank you all for your confidence in me," she said. "And to be quite honest, Augusta's nomination isn't wholly unexpected. Nor is it unwanted. I would be incredibly honoured to accept and to become the Headmistress. However ..."

Here Minerva had to hold up her hands to stop the excited babble that had broken out.

"However," she continued, "I cannot accept until after I tender my resignation."

"So?" Sirius prompted.

"Give me a week," Minerva smiled.

Applause erupted around the table, barely drowning out the cheers that Sirius and Cyrus were giving.

"As soon as you officially accept, Minerva, we'll go to the Department of Magical Education and get our new school registered," Cyrus stated once the group had quieted.

"We'll need a name, though, for when we fill out the forms," Augusta pointed out.

"And an official address," Horatio Moon added.

"Potter Haven," Harry piped up. "That's where we'll be studying."

"True, Harry, but this is your place," Minerva pointed out, "and really, sixteen students will be pushing the boundaries of comfort as it is."

"You could build a couple of buildings or something," Harry suggested.

"That's very generous of you, Pup, but I don't think that we want to spoil the land that you have here," Sirius told him, patting his arm.

"What if we use this coming year as a ... a testing ground," Emma suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," Dan agreed. "We use this year to find an appropriate place, build facilities if we need to, and work out a curriculum for the students that will allow them to catch up to the rest of the world."

"Not to mention find appropriate teachers or tutors," Amelia added.

"Well, I think that I can start us off there," Minerva said. "I'm sure that I'm not doing this correctly since I am not yet officially Headmistress, however, Remus, I would like to officially hire you as the first teacher of our new school.

Harry beamed at the sandy haired man blinking owlishly across the table at the new Headmistress.

"I'd be honoured," he said in his quiet voice. "As long as appropriate precautions are taken to account for my ... condition."