Harry Potter:Bonds of Hope

Chapter 15: The New Headmaster

There was a distinct, and yet almost terrible tension flooding the air the longer Harry and Severus were in the Castle. They could both feel it in the air, the magic, the walls. And it did not bode well for the meeting that would be held shortly, in which the new Head would be chosen.

"Something isn't right about this," Harry muttered, holding Draco close as he sat on the sofa, watching as Severus slid his teaching robes over the clothes he was wearing when they left the Bank.

"No," Severus agreed, his voice filled with concern, "Perhaps we shouldn't have come back after all, but I fear it is too late to leave. Are you feeling okay? Will you be okay whilst I am gone? Or would you like me to get Dobby to bring the others down here to visit?"

"I am feeling okay, other than this bloody tension. What the fuck has the bloody coot done now?" Harry gumbled, "But I would love to see them if they are able to come, yeah," he said, smiling slightly at Severus.

Severus nodded, his own lips twitching as he called for Dobby who happily agreed to bring the rest of the family down to their rooms if they were available.

Severus kissed the tops of Harry's and Draco's heads, looking at them worriedly.

"We'll be fine," Harry said with a smile, "You have to go. We'll be here when you get back. Just, look after yourself,"

Severus nodded, "I'll see you soon,"

"See you soon," Harry nodded with a nervous smile.

Severus left the rooms with a soft look back at his family, adding a few extra wards as he closed the door, not wanting anything to happen. The tension in the air was gripping him in so many ways, and yet mostly he was nervous. Because surely the fact that he could feel a strain on the magic of the Castle meant that there was something wrong. That this meeting wasn't going to go how it was meant to go, however it was meant to go. That something potentially terrible was going to come from this. But he had no choice but to go. And, if things went tits up, then he would do what he could to protect his family, and the students in this school.

He entered the staff room to find everyone else already there, with Minerva at the head of the table, ready and waiting to begin the meeting. He ignored the hard look she gave him as he sat in his spot between Filius and Pomona.

"Can you feel something wrong with the Castle?" Filius whispered to him and Pomona.

"Yes," Severus said, Pomona nodded in agreement.

"No one else seems to have noticed anything, though," Pomona said as the three of them glanced at their colleagues who were all chatting amongst themselves excitedly.

Just as Minerva went to shout for attention to be directed to her the door opened again, and the tension in the Castle lessened, though not by much, as one Aberforth Dumbledore sauntered into the room, his blue eyes twinkling much like his brother's.

And Severus' stomach dropped.

"Hello, how are you all today?" the man said cheerfully, arms wide and accepting as everyone looked at him in shock.

"Ab, what are you doing here?" Minerva asked, shocked, although she also seemed to be a tad put out.

"Oh, my dear, did my idiot of a brother not tell you? He, for some reason, made a clause or something that would make me Headmaster of this School should he die, be removed from the Castle, retire, or be arrested. I just had to put some things in regards to my pub in order before I could come and take over for him," the man tutted, shaking his head, seeming annoyed at the inconvenience, "Of course the bloody bastard wouldn't tell anyone. I don't even know why he did it, myself, but he came to the pub one day and dragged me back to the Castle to arrange everything," the man shrugged, walking to the seat Minerva was still occupying.

"Surely he can't do that," Minerva said, flustered, "You don't have a Mastery. You don't have the experience as a teacher. You-"

"Minerva, I have no clue how he did it, I just know that he did. And I know that I received the letter that all new Heads get when the bastard was arrested. Which was a long time in the coming, let me tell you," Aberforth said, coming to a stop next to Minerva and pulling a parchment envelope out of his pocket, handing it to her so that she can read it.

"We're meant to vote," she whispered as she took the envelope in her own hands and pulled out the letter within, reading the letter with intensity.

"I don't know what to tell you, Minerva. I'm sorry. I know you wanted the position, and perhaps even deserve it. But my brother is an arse and he decided that I should be the one to run the school in his place. For what reason, I do not know. But this is happening. And I do believe you are in my seat," Aberforth said, his voice gentle, confused, and perhaps a tad demanding.

She sighed, though Severus could tell there was an anger in her even as she accepted the new truth. And Severus watched with dread as she stood and made her way to her own seat, between Filius and Aberforth who sat in the Head's seat like he belonged there, althoug with some anxiety, too.

"Clearly I know nothing about running a school, or teaching, or whatever else my brother was supposed to do as Headmaster, so I hope you are able and willing to help me keep this school running smoothly. I don't want any of you to worry about your jobs, you are all going to continue working here, and doing what you have been doing. But I do want everyone in this Castle to be safe, and if I need to make changes to what my brother did to ensure that, then so be it. I won't condone bullying of any kind between students or staff, so please make sure that students that are bullying others will be punished accordingly," Aberforth said, his voice and face comforting, familiar, warm.

The man looked at Severus and smiled, "And I do believe we have a baby in the Castle. Congratulations, Severus, the Bonds of Hope ritual is a powerful one indeed. An incredible one. Allowing three people who need it the most to find a family they deserve. Allowing them to find love, companionship, safety, warmth and home. All very important things. I hope we can all help Severus and Harry adjust to parenthood, and keep young Draco safe, happy and healthy in his new home,"

"Thank you," Severus said quietly, his stomach and heart clenching as the tension still filled the air, the magic, even if it was a tad lesser than it was before.

He looked between Filius and Pomona and saw that they were both shocked, and nervous. Though based on the fact that they could also feel the tension, the struggle in the air, he wasn't surprised by their reactions.

He just hoped they could figure out what was going on and fix things, soon.

Because Aberforth Dumbledore should not be the next Headmaster.

Especially if it was what Albus wanted.

And actively insured would happen.

Thankfully the meeting didn't go on for too much longer, and Severus was stalking to his apartment faster than he perhaps ever had before. He needed to be close to his family.

The tension was still in the air.

He opened the door to find his family, including the twins, Neville and Luna, sitting around the dining table with some snacks and drinks that Dobby had prepared for them. They all looked at him, their intrigued faces turning to concern whn they saw the tension in him.

The tension was still in the air, the magic, the walls too.

"Sev, who is the new Head?" Harry asked, clearly nervous.

"Aberforth Dumbledore," Severus breathed, closing the door behind him and walking over to the table and sitting in the empty seat next to Harry, pouring himself a glass of juice, which he wished was something stronger.

"Dumbledore?" Harry said, his breath hitching.

"Albus' younger brother. He owns a pub in Hogsmeade. Apparently Albus dragged him to the Castle one day and did something to make sure that if he were to die, retire, be arrested, or be removed from the school, that Aberforth would automatically become Headmaster. He has the letter that each new Head automatically gets, he just needed some time to sort things out at his pub before he could come," Severus said, his voice a tad dull, tense.

"Right," Harry nodded, swallowing thickly, "This isn't a good thing, right?"

"I mean, they hate each other," Severus said, "Though I don't know why they hate each other. And he said he won't condone bullying and wants us to properly punish the students who are bullying others. But I don't know. Things aren't right. Filius and Pomona can also feel the tension in the air. I don't know about anyone else but everyone else seemed okay, so…" he trailed off, concern in his voice. And maybe even a little bit of fear.

"Things will work out in the end," Luna said whistfully, her eyes were a mix of dreamy and determined, and maybe something in them allowed something to relax in Severus, and throughout the room as a whole.

"I shalls keep an eye on things, and keeps you all safe," Dobby said determinedly.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry said, smiling slightly, even as he looked nervously down at Draco who was squirming in his arms, "But keep yourself safe, too,"

"I wills," Dobby nodded, "I need to take care of my family,"

"I mean, he can't be worse than his brother, can he?" Fred said.

"We can hope that he won't be. But there is something not right about all this," Neville said.

"I guess we just have to wait and see how everything goes," George said with a shrug, "And if things get bad, or things go wrong, or whatever, then we just need to fight to make things right,"

"You lot aren't doing any fighting," Severus said fiercely, looking at them all sharply, "You leave that to us adults. I am sure I can trust Filius and Pomona, I will see about others, and we have Kingsley, Amelia and the goblins too. We shall give him a chance for now, but keep a close eye on things. If anything happens then I will get you lot out of here, and I will work to keep the students safe whilst we sort things out,"

Harry nodded, "Are we all going to dinner then? We should probably be there for his introduction. Just in case,"

"Yes," Severus agreed, "But you lot are all going to stick together,"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Good," he breathed, "We'll be okay. Things will be okay. I will make sure of it," he said, as surely as he could.

He just hoped that he really could make sure they were all okay.

The tension was still in the air.