Bab 87: Failed Oversight
"They deserved that detention, Severus," she said weakly, trying yet again to justify her reactions to that long ago event. "You know they did. Detentions are always given when the students openly break the rules like that."
Filius jumped in with his own two knuts. "So did Hagrid as it was him trying to raise an illegal dragon here. Yet you set him as the supervisor of the detention, careless of the message being sent to the children. I know I never would've sent any of my little Ravens into the Forest that late at night. I'd have set them writing me an essay about why dragons should only be handled by adults who know what they're doing. On what they should've done when they realized what Hagrid's intentions with the egg were. In the Common room. Not outside the Castle."
"But what makes your choice even worse is you didn't catch them with the dragon at all. Nor did you catch them outside the Castle proper. You caught them at the foot of the stairs to the Owlery where for all you knew they'd simply been going to visit Potter's owl so Granger could send a message to her parents.
For all you knew she could've had a nightmare or been suffering from homesickness. And he could've been trying once again to help her cope with it. They wouldn't have been the first years we've caught out of bounds for that reason. But you didn't know or ask any questions. You jumped to conclusions and just assumed he was breaking the rules for no good reason," sneered Severus.
Filius nodded thoughtfully. "That's true. What must they have thought when they realized it was more serious to you that they were caught out of bed after curfew than it was that Hagrid, an adult who should know better, was raising an illegal dragon on school grounds? Because even if you didn't realize, they did. I do believe you sent the wrong message there, Minerva."
Pomona nodded murmuring, "That was the first big detention for the year. All the children heard about it. I've never had such a well-behaved tower than I did in the weeks following that detention. The children were terrified. The message my first years got from that was:
Get caught out of bounds after curfew and we'll send you to the one place you were told on your first night here to stay out of because it's dangerous. Because you can get killed there. Do something dangerous to yourself and others and we don't care until someone gets hurt. And when that happens, we'll punish you for it."
Severus sneered at her not willing to let her excuse herself yet again. "The children were caught out of bed after curfew. Name one other child caught for that offence either before or since that time, who's life you've ever tried to throw away with that kind of a detention.
They were eleven years old. Children. Away from home and parental supervision for the first time in their lives. Of course, they broke curfew. So did the Marauders. So did I. But you never gave any of us a Forest of Death at midnight detention. You were perfectly willing to sacrifice both Mr. Longbottom, and Mr. Malfoy as well as the Granger chit to prove whatever it was you thought you were proving to Mr. Potter with that stupidity."
"Although I did hear you begged Hagrid to keep a special eye on Granger because you liked her. Because you felt she didn't deserve the punishment the way the boys did. You still like her. Even though you now know beyond any doubt she's not the girl you think she is. She never has been.
You're still wanting to find an excuse for her behavior. Something you can point to as the reason she stole from him that will make her bearing that rune not so bad. Well, I will tell you right now. I don't care what petty thing you dream up. I'll not see her as anything but what she is. A thief and a piss poor excuse for a friend. Not to mention a would-be murderer. Because I finally found out just who it was that set my robes on fire during Potter's first quiditch game. Your favorite little lion set me alight that day. Not that I expect you to care."
He threw down his napkin, deciding eating anything right now would likely not be a good idea unless he wanted to have a second helping of it later on. He turned on his heel to leave the dining hall, not noticing how thoughtful he had left the teaching table or that Albus hadn't yet arrived. Just before he reached the door, he paused and looked back at the table catching her eye again.
"While it was the Dark Lord in that forest killing the unicorns, Minerva, and who would have gladly killed the students as well, it wasn't the Dark Lord who sent them in there. Nor was it me or the Defense teacher of that year. It wasn't anyone you might believe corrupted by Dark Magic. It was you. You're the one who sent four eleven year old children traipsing into the Dark Forest after a known killer, strong and fast enough in their movements to catch and kill the Unicorn."
"So who is it again who's Dark here? Dark is as Dark does, Minerva McGonagal and right now you're not looking all that Light to me. I should also remind you more Dark Lords and Ladies have come from a strength in Transfiguration than any other field of study. Nor was it Mr. Potter or any of my Slytherins who openly tried to kill someone in the first half of that year.
That was your favorite girl whom you claim is a light orientated witch with no dark leanings. But Light witches don't jump to commit murderous actions." Then he pushed the door open and left the hall as she sat there pale-faced and slack-jawed, gasping for air.
Before she could recover Filius decided to attack her statement about Mr. Potter only getting injured when he was places he wasn't supposed to be.
Calmly he said, "As for your statement in regards to his injuries, I'd say that's not true either. I distinctly recall him getting injured pretty seriously during more than one game of Quiditch. A game I know Madam Pomfrey told you flat-out he was in no condition to be playing. But you wanted him on the team because you needed a good Seeker that year.
You didn't care one bit for his health or safety so long as it got you the trophy away from Severus' house. And every time he wound up warming a bed in the infirmary, Poppy told you it was why she didn't want him playing that game. But you wouldn't listen would you?"
"First season, someone in the teachers section of the stands was hexing his broom. Luckily, he didn't get injured then. But he could've very easily. I also recall you did nothing to aide him. Covering your mouth to quiet your gasps isn't in any manner helping save the life of your student. Nor did you even attempt to help Severus when it was clear his robes were on fire. You kept your eyes on Potter as he fought to control his broom."
"Second year, there was that bludger in the first game of the season. Again you did nothing but cover your mouth and gasp quietly. He suffered a fall from his broom and a shattered elbow if I recall correctly. But that was before the popinjay decided to lend his aide and vanished all the bones in not only his arm but his hand as well.
And where were you? Nowhere close if I remember correctly. Albus let you allow your house team removing him from the line-up before any other games could be played. But that wasn't because he was too small to be playing was it?"
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