...and the Root of All Evil, conclusion

[subplotkudzu]

Chapter 13: Hitting the Books

Digging through the back room they find the true account books. Pollux & Theo head to the board meeting – moving at a stately pace to recover their breath and look presentable – while the rest head up to the infirmary with Castor.

The board meeting is nominally closed to outsiders, but Pollux is able to make eye contact with his mother and indicate that this is really, really important. Trusting her sons to not play a prank at so critical a time she waves him in. Scotog demands to know the meaning of this interruption, and the young Hufflepuff faces him down, politely saying that he is returning the school’s stolen, proper ledgers.

This throws the entire board into a tizzy – Scotog’s plan has called the honor of Gringott’s into question. There is considerable debate as to the veracity of these books rather than the others, and whether any amount of money overrides the Goblin’s right to the school since the last heir of the founders is dead. Pollux counters that historically the goblins were paying off their gambling debt by making the building, not accruing a debt from Gryffindor. This sounds good to the humans but carries little weight with Goblin property law, though it gives time for Alyssa & Owen surreptitiously send one of the Gringotts house elves to search Scotog’s office. Before the argument can play out too much farther the house elf returns, carrying the duplicates to the books Pollux produced. This effectively cements Scotog’s culpability and seals his fate as someone who would risk the honor of the Gringotts establishment.

The goblins apologize for the unpleasantness, and assure the board that Scotog will be dealt with. With that, they leave.

Pollux gets a big hug and kiss from his mother, while Theo gets one from the vindicated Professor Vector. Dumbledore offers his thanks to Mr. Dee, Mr. Trindle, Mr. Mardling and Ms. Aerie for their quick thinking, but alas he can only award house points to the ones who are still students, therefore securing a Hufflepuff house victory this year. “Now then” he beams, “what about a feast?

In the infirmary, Night hovers over Castor (Rowan has not left his side, nor relinquished his hand, since the battle), berating himself for his hot-headedness in bringing children into a fight. His self-anger becomes coldly directed when Manny arrives, obviously hunting for Night to put his own positive spin on things. Night freezes him with a glance, “Save in Manny. I don’t care.

“I don’t care about our money problems, or how you used me to solve them. I don’t care about the show or any other scheme you and Scotog have cooked up. What I care about is that when this little girl,” he points to the still comatose Peri, “Came across you, Knarlhump and his monster, and Knarlhump ordered the beast to kill her You. Did. Nothing.

“Get out of my sight Manny. You don’t work for me anymore; you’re not associated with me in any way. And when I tell you you’ll never work again in Britain, believe that I can make that happen.” He glances over at the tight lipped Fontaine sisters, “I’m willing to bet their parents can extend that to the rest of the world, and the Sea of Tranquility as well. Now get out of my sight before I lose my temper.” The ashen faced agent practically flees the room.

His bearing changes a little, as if a weight has been removed, “That done, Jasmyn, Rowan, I’m sorry to say that it will be impossible for the serial picture to go forward. I know you were hoping for parts in it….” Jasmyn shrugs, knowing that the casting was more or less a farce anyway.

Rowan grins beatifically, “That’s OK. I was mostly doing it because it was important to Castor.” The Dee boy sputters and goggles at this bit of retroactive continuity in Rowan’s life story, but keeps his peace. The students are feted as being heroes of the school at that night’s feast and everyone brightens at the news that Madam Promfrey was able to restore the ghosts. There were cheers as they floated through the hall, the Gray Lady favoring them with a smile.

Peri also recovered to learn that her & Luci’s follies had cost Slytherin house 50 points each from a Professor Snape irate at their overreach with the homunculus (and more from the no-longer-memory-charmed Regan), driving the Slytherin house into an ignominious fourth place. The points may not matter much to Jasmyn and Juliet, but never has the system been quite so sweet.

Since Alyssa & Owen did as promised and moreso besides, Daisy sends them six tickets to her parents’ London performance on Midsummer’s eve, with after show drinks at the Oberon theater. Regan taunts her for showing her Slytherin again, to which Daisy replies that there’s nothing wrong with paying a debt in advance. “I learned from the best,” she adds with a grin.

Besides, this serves to distract her from her guilt over the death of so many house elves and goblins. Yes, it was a battle, and the younger (less ethically formed) students are taking it more in stride, but Daisy cannot sleep but to see the images of their pain-contorted corpses. The guilt is eating away at her, and feels like she has no one to talk to.

Eventually she wanders to the end of the wood and Firenze joins her. The centaur listens to her unburden her soul, holding her in a close but now more avuncular way. While his discussions about borderlands and the centaur philosophies of guilt, predestination and life give her solace, she trades it for a new ache of knowing that this is not meant to be. Having dried her tears she hands him a sheaf of her music – songs designed to elicit the sense of being on the cliffs of Scotland, a Moroccan bazaar, the trackless deserts of Egypt and a dozen other places besides. She might not be able to give him her love, but she can give him the world.

The Over Sea, Under Suspicion performance is a success, with Rowan’s solo being a stand out and Daisy’s music driving the claustrophobic Juliet from the theater. Fortunately the performance is not as dramatic as last year’s, with no attacks marring opening night.

To everyone’s surprise the Witches Bowl is held – albeit a little delayed – as the headmasters of the other two schools decided to chip in the funding rather than skip a year. That aid no longer being needed, there are extra funds to turn the affair into rather a posh do. Led by Wolf Rhyordan the Hogwarts team scores a solid second place to Greenlaw. Glasscastle, the returning champions, got trounced. Daisy, fresh off of her break up with Firenze, is polite but distant to the Glasscastle youth who asks after her, who is cute, in a button-down sort of way. Jasmyn & Juliet watch and snicker.

The Greenlaw girls are brainy and earthy or ethereal by turns. It’s clear that Theo is smitten with one. The Dee brothers are unaffected – though Rowan stares at any who approach Castor with clear dislike – but happy that they helped their school stomp Glasscastle. They’re shoe-ins for the next bowl at Glasscastle – when the girls might have more of an impact.

Night finishes out the term as teacher but declines Dumbledore’s offer to continue in the role – he’s just an actor, after all. He does invite his “bloodied and battle heartened crew” and their parents to join him for a Midsummer’s party in London. Juliet is thrilled. Anything to keep from summering at her Aunt’s.

Well, anything other than making a homunculus. Tempting though it is. “We do have the formula….”

End