31 Chapter 31 - A week of news later

One week later, on a Thursday, the return of Draco Malfoy at the breakfast table of Slytherin shocked Ash out of a sort of trance he thought himself in. The young blonde sat in silence, isolated from his peers for most of it as he looked at everyone warily.

The sight gave Ash some time to ponder everything that's happened since his mother took him out Hogwarts after the revelations about Lucius' dark dealings and the divorce of Draco's parents. For one, Lucius Malfoy was set to be thrown through the veil of death at the Ministry on Hallow's Eve. Whoever thought of using that date was probably thinking he was being poetic, but Ash just thought of it as macabre.

His list of crimes was so long, the hearing took four full twelve hour days of court hearings. The dark faction worked overtime to reach a verdict on his already publically known crimes so that the rest will not be investigated and brought to light in court... but seeing his impending doom with none of his 'allies' coming to his aid, Lucius simply admitted to most of the crimes he was accused of and implicated a whole host of noble lords of all three factions.

The light faction apparently had many more black sheep than anyone would have thought as Lucius confessed to taking part in a ring of muggle slavers that abducted young girls and submitted them to the worst of fates as broken toys and ritual tools. The public outrage that followed when the court refused to act on this confession despite Lucius' vow on his life and magic to prove the truth behind his accusations sundered Magical Britain more than the Wizengamot session where Ash ripped apart the status quo.

Yet instead of civil war being on the verge of breaking out, the consequence of this revelation and inaction of those in power led to a quiet empowerment of female magicals in Britain. Almost every noble house recognized by the Wizengamot was patrilineal, but the many expulsions of lords and male family members to safe face - as well as the mysterious deaths of even more older wizards painted a grim picture for most of those accused by Lucius Malfoy.

Despite not acting on everyone involved, Amelia Bones, at the very least, managed to uncover these brothels Lucius described and caught, likely deliberate as scapegoats, some of the ring leaders. The public, as well as the head of the auror deparment, however, were not fooled.

It wasn't that Fudge covered for the illegal animagi. It wasn't his incompetence in ruling the nation or the many bribes he took. No, what made Fudge disappear with all his wealth leaving his family behind as penniless pariahs who faced the scorn he earned for him was actually this matter as well.

Two days after the hearing, Fudge was missing from his office. Even his wife hadn't seen him in over a week, yet his family vault at Gringotts was left untouched. Yet, it held less than five thousand galleons, despite Lucius admitting that he had bribed Fudge with a high six-figure sum of golden wizard coins over the years. It wasn't long before someone bribed a goblin who revealed that Fudge had opened a vault under a different name ages ago during Voldemort's reign of terror where he squirreled away artifacts he looted illegally from crime scenes. That vault was indeed empty now.

Through some insane bylaw ratified by none other than Cornelius Fudge, Umbridge was named acting minister until the election, though public outcry and the stormy mood in the Wizengamot likely guaranteed that she would be ineffectual in enacting any more heinous laws like she did as the undersecretary to the minister. If anything, it would simply increase the speed at which the election was held.

Especially because making Umbridge acting minister wasn't the only bylaw Fudge's disappearance activated. Court hearings could still take place headed by a judge appointed by the Chief Warlock instead of the minister, but no new investigations into ministry officials could be opened until a new minister was elected to steer the ship, so to speak.

To say that the auror department under Amelia Bones would be overworked due to this preposterous bylaw was an understatement. So many shady department heads and Imperio'd ministry workers were caught trying to destroy evidence of wrongdoing over the past week that the aurors barely left the ministry and instead focused almost fully inward.

A whole host of hitwizards were instead hired after swearing the most stringent of vows for the duration of their employ, all paid for by a fund called into existence by Sirius Black. These hitwizards were the ones that cleared these illegal brothels and detained many pureblood lords who claimed to be ministry officials, which stopped any case brought against them in their tracks and made the blood of many people boil. The holding cells at the ministry were still brimming at their seams.

Following Lucius hearing, Sirius used all of his influence to have the hearing for the illegal animagi brought forward. Since he didn't face many troubles to get this hearing started, Ash told him not to expect too much - and it was as expected.

One of the lords first accused among the eight exposed 'alleged criminals' cited that he had paid Fudge privately to register him as an Animagus, after which he thought he was in the clear with the law. When asked about why he did it like that, he simply said he wanted to keep his form under wraps instead of advertising it like it happened with Lord Starkey.

Once precendence existed, the other seven simply said the same thing, and since they were all purebloods, the court was not allowed to give them Veritaserum without consent. No vows were sworn either. It was bullshit, but for some reason, the Wizengamot banded together and voted these animagi innocent. Instead of being thrown into Azkaban, they were issued fines for not following procedure. The fines were on the low end, too, because the archive was burned down, and nobody could prove or disprove that Fudge hadn't registered them covertly.

It made Ash's blood boil, but he would try his best to focus on the next generation instead since the old ones were so corrupt.

"Thinking about what to teach those NEWT students?"

The voice of Pomona brought Ash out of his musings. He turned to his head of house to shake his head.

"No, thinking about everything that's happened since I last attended the Wizengamot," Ash declined. "But I'm not really teaching them, am I? Professor Snape and the headmaster found a loophole that allowed me to oversee a period of free study as any staff member would and I'm allowed to answer question as long as I don't make a class of it. Ridiculous if you ask me..."

"At least you're allowed in a classroom once more where you belong," Professor Sprout huffed. "For some reason, Severus even looked happy that he didn't have to teach them later. That's what we should be worried about."

"I think it's just the freedom to pursue personal goals he gained by teaching only half of his usual workload. Now that he's forced to take on my classes, he can no longer do the research he's been doing at his leisure or whatever else he does," Ash explained his thinking on the matter with a shrug.

"Hummm, true. That does sound likely... do you think we should hire additional professors for all the core subjects?" Pomona asked more or less rhetorically.

"Yes, absolutely. Imagine how much better we could help out those who struggle and how much more time we would have for all those who excel! Maybe once the new governors are elected and sworn in," Ash answered regardless of whether or not Pomona wanted to hear an answer.

"Are you even a staff member if you're suspended from teaching, Ash?" Flitwick eventually chimed in from where he sat in contemplation. All these happenings in Magical Britain made the usually ever-jovial half-goblin a little more somber this past week. It seems that even the cheerful charms professor had a moment where the darkness of their society could bring him down.

"Ha, that's the stupid beauty behind it. The governors were so incompetent they specifically named my position as potions professor as opposed to me as a person. And I hold two positions at Hogwarts. Professor for potions and healer-in-training under Poppy Pomfrey. It's my healer position that allows for this loophole," Ash barked out with a laugh.

"A more optimistic person might think that was on purpose, Ash," Filius countered with a smirk. Yet, both wizards just shook their heads with a laugh.

"While talking about healers, has the association already judged whether or not you're still allowed to pursue your healing mastery?" Pomona inquired with furrowed brows before Ash could quip back.

"Yeah, though they said in no uncertain terms that they were unhappy with my actions, and they will likely set the bar higher for me to gain the mastery," Ash explained with a helpless smile.

It was then that the discussions stopped because a visibly distraught Professor Vector, one of only four masters of Arithmancy on the British Isles, sat down at the staff table.

She was reassured more than once that her colleagues would not hold her fathers action against her, but Septima Vector still took the news that came early this week with a heavy heart.

Alistar Vector turned out to be one of the scapegoats chosen by the nobles running the muggle slave rings and the news came to Professor Vector without preamble. She was livid and inconsolable at the news of her father being involved in this nightmare. Under the instigation of Dumbledore, the arithmency professor swore a vow that she had no prior knowledge of this dealings, and since then, the staff at Hogwarts as well as most students stood by her side in unquestioning support. Still, the hearing yesterday seemed to have taken a lot of energy out of the raven-haired witch.

With seeing a few reassuring nods, Septima visibly relaxed and started whispering to her confidantes among the other professors, Aurora Sinistra - the astronomy professor, and Bathsheda Babbling - the runes professor.

Seeing the mood turning a little somber and partially seeing that he was the reason because he was the one to start the chain reaction they were currently living through, Ash was about to make a joke when a pristine black feathered owl landed in front of him.

"Oh, Sirius has news for me?" Ash mumbled as he offered the owl in front of him some food from the table. "Here, take a bite, Hedwig junior."

Why Sirius ever thought it prudent to name the owl after his godson's majestic white owl, Ash will never know. The most likely answer was either a bet between Harry and him or a joke only Sirius would ever understand.

The letter said:

'Sup, Ash, I'm writing to you because Andy said you might know some potions that would help out a pregnant lady and ensure the birth and the baby are as safe as can be. Don't hurry to answer, I reckon you have a few months before it becomes urgent. And even if you don't, Andy is still a certified healer, ain't she? Cordially, Padfoot'

Ash read the letter five times, but the content of the letter didn't change.

Sirius really got someone pregnant, someone he plans to keep in his life. He looked back up to see that Hedwig junior brought a second letter to Harry because why wouldn't the man-child share this premature news with his teenage godson.

Good on him, though. If anyone deserved some happiness in his life, it was the man who spent over a decade with soul-sucking monsters after a wrongful non-existent conviction.

Pondering on the many women this could mean Sirius got pregnant, Ash settled on a short list in his mind. Sirius certainly brought up Amelia Bones' name often enough to make the nature of their relationship suspicious. He did try to woo all of the Burke sisters, so they were naturally included as well. If any wizard Ash knew ever had the chance to pull off bedding all of them, Ash could only think of Sirius' audacious nature and playboy persona.

As he thought, Ash took out a piece of paper and a pen from his pockets and motioned for Hedwig junior to come back to him.

His reply to Sirius was the following:

'Hello horndog, I know plenty of potions that could help you. I haven't personally brewed it yet, but I even know one that guarantees twins if the witch drinks it before the act. Terribly illegal potion that needs, among other illegal things, the brain of a young unicorn, mind you. But I still know it. And that potion is too late for you anyway, if I read your letter correctly? Tell me the number of women you got pregnant and I shall start brewing a full course of nourishing potions beneficial to the witch in her initial stages of pregnancy as well as a potion that is said to enhance a baby's magical talent. Talent, of course, isn't quantifiable, but every potion master administering the potion has recorded zero squib births thus far. The data isn't big enough to guarantee such a result, but if you are superstitious, drinking the potion won't hurt - that much I guarantee. I still have a few open favors at the guild and will inquire about potions that would help you out even more, and I could use the remaining time of my suspension to look into the topic. Magical Greetings, ASS - PS: Congratulations will be held until you give me the number of future Black scions tumbling around in your manor.'

Looking at the letter, Ash immediately erased his initials at the bottom of the letter and simply wrote 'Ash' instead.

"How in the name of Merlin have I never noticed my initials write out 'ass'? Am I stupid?" the potions professor whispered under his breath and gave the folded paper to the black owl in front of him with the instruction to take it back to her master once she is rested enough.

While shaking his head inwardly and silently greeting the students that subtly tried to gain his attention, Ash made his way to the dungeons to 'not-teach' a class of sixth year students in potions.

Since the house divide made less sense for some NEWT level courses because of the reduced number of attending students - which was especially true for potions because of Severus Snape's admittedly attrocious teaching capacity, all students taking NEWT level potions were taught as one class.

He walked into Snape's usual classroom to find the words 'Free Study' written on the blackboard in elegant cursive - a font Snape only uses when he is in a good mood. It happened so little, Ash didn't feel proud to find out that little nugget of information.

Students kept filling the room until a little over forty sat down. Which was a lot less than half of the students of that school year, which made Ash inwardly scold his colleague. All of his effort in the Exchange Hall apparently wasn't enough, not many students managed to reach Snape's impossibly high standard when compared with the care he put into teaching anyone not from Slytherin.

Of those forty-four students sitting down, twenty-one were from Slytherin - almost making up half of the numbers of those present. Yet, to Ash's great surprise, Fred and George Weasley were among those sitting in the class with three additional Gryffindors - two of which were their girlfriends and Quidditch team mates Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson.

"Bollocks! Look, Fred! We still couldn't escape getting taught by Evil Overlord Starkey," George shouted in mock horror as they 'noticed' Ash only when they sat down.

"Quick everyone, hide under the tables before he tells everyone the last time you peed your bed!"

Many students chuckled, though many Slytherin's only did it darkly. Ash pressed his head into his palm and cursed the twins for their joke inwardly. They might have meant it to be amusing, but it also subconsciously showed those present the possibility that they couldn't trust Ash with secrets. It told them not to trust him fully, lest they become criminals.

"Rest assured, the only ones among you guys I'm keen to send anywhere close to a Wizengamot hearing are Fred and George. I took no pleasure in accusing anyone, and if I implicated your parents or family, please know I did it not out of malice or to avenge a perceived slight against my person or house. I simply did it because Magical Britain, in my opinion, was bound to head to a very bleak future if the status quo remained," Ash solemnly explained as Fred and George recognized their folly and shut up.

Their silence earned them a raised brow from their girlfriends, and the next time someone spoke up in the room, it turned out to be Hufflepuff's golden boy, Cedric Diggory.

"Professor Snape told us to use this period of free study to brush up on the knowledge imparted to us in our last lessons and strengthen our foundations... are we allowed to ask you?"

Ash nodded toward Cedric and answered, "Very astute of you. I'd award you house points, yet my suspension forbids me from doing that, apparently. I am not allowed to actively lead a class, but as a staff member who supervises the order in this classroom, I am allowed to answer any questions you may have. I encourage you to keep them on the topic of potions, but I couldn't discourage you from any other question that doesn't disrupt the class even if I wanted to."

"Do you know what our younger brother and this pot in front of us have in common, Professor Ash?" Fred asked immediately, and George showed a fake pondering expression at the question to immerse the students further into thinking about the question.

Ash felt like running out of the classroom already. It was the hundreths time the Weasley twins had told him the joke, too. At this point, the joke was simply telling it once more.

""They're both cauldron, professor!"" Both answered at the same time.

The worst part of it all to Ash was that a few students actually laughed.