Gwyr stared at the inspector in disbelief. He wouldn't have thought he would ever hear such things reported about Minerva McGonagall. She had always seemed so caring and concerned about the members of her house to him "What are you proposing?"
"As I said before, that the teachers will no longer be Heads of House and that a former student be hired to fulfil that role for each House. Their sole duty will be to be there for the students in their House's needs whether it be as a sounding board because they are homesick, or to help with homework or a problem." Jessup told him. "As for the recommendation about the classes, we think it would be better if all four houses have classes together at each year level rather than just the current system of placing two houses together. Also to avoid the problem of having the classes be too large for the teacher to handle we suggest that the classes be broken up based on skill level or knowledge of the children being taught. This will insure that children who can learn the material more quickly aren't held back and those who maybe need extra help in certain subjects can get that help without being made to feel as though they are worthless or stupid."
...
On January 7th, as the students were finishing up breakfast in the Great Hall, some of them noticed a stranger dressed in muggle clothes quietly entering the Great Hall and nudged their friends to alert them to his presence. These days at Hogwarts, strangers wither meant something very bad or very good was about to happen. They just didn't know what this stranger was going to bring with him.
The wizard, at least they assumed he was a wizard in spite of his muggle attire given he had gotten into Hogwarts, had an aura of power around him and that combined with the way he moved made the students think of Mad-Eye Moody though a younger one with a much slenderer build and shoulder length brown hair. He also seemed to be looking for someone. After a few moments it was apparent that he found the one he was seeking as he headed toward the end of the Ravenclaw table where Harry Potter was again seated next to Luna Lovegood.
Those Ravenclaws closest to the pair were surprised to see Potter smile when this strange wizard greeted him. "Hello Harry."
"Liam, this is a surprise." Potter shook the other wizard's hand. "What are you doing here?"
"It's been a week since the end of Fudge's trial." Dantes reminded him.
"Oh yea, I forgot." Potter nodded. "The duel with Mrs. Weasley is supposed to be today."
"You're still going to be my second aren't you?" Dantes wanted to know.
"Of course." Potter assured him. "Wild Hippogriffs couldn't stop me."
The name Liam sounded familiar and it took the eavesdropping Ravenclaws a few minutes to place make the connection with the articles they'd been reading over the past few weeks. Liam Dantes! Despite his attire of muggle jeans and shirt, this was the Heir to the Ravenclaw line! This man standing near their table was the Heir of their Founder!
Word quickly spread down the table, but before one of the seventh year prefects could greet the Ravenclaw heir, Dumbledore walked up to him. "Lord Ravenclaw, it is a pleasure to see you again. If you will join me in my office we can have our discussion in private."
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Dantes countered dryly, "I did not come to meet with you. I have an honour duel today if you will recall with Molly Prewitt Weasley and it is to be fought here in the Great Hall at 10am."
"Lord Ravenclaw," Dumbledore spoke up trying to be conciliatory. "A duel with Mrs. Weasley will solve nothing and only create more ill feelings between you. One of you should be the better person and apologise and call off this duel."
"Then I suggest you speak to the one who made the challenge and not me." Dantes countered. "If she wishes to retract her challenge, I will have no problem with that, but I will not apologise for what I said regarding her daughter or her family since it is most likely true."
"Lord Ravenclaw by your own admission, you are duelling master, which puts Mrs. Weasley at a severe disadvantage." Dumbledore persisted.
"Which is why I insisted that this duel be a paintball duel." Dantes reminded him.
Aware of the eavesdropping students and not wanting to give them any more ammunition, Dumbledore used the only power he had as Headmaster over a Founder's heir and even then it wasn't absolute. "Lord Ravenclaw, as Headmaster, I must ask that you come to my office so that we can discuss this matter among others in privacy."
Dantes nodded. "Very well Headmaster, I will come to your office, but do not think you will change my mind. The mind that must be changed is Molly Weasley's."
...
"Lord Ravenclaw, why are you so willing to duel a woman who is nowhere near your equal? You do realise it makes you look like a bully." Dumbledore pointed out once they were in his office.
"I am not the one who offered the challenge to a duel." Dantes reminded him. "I am not the one who wanted to be magically bound appear and fight. Molly Weasley was the one who issued the challenge and magically bound us both to this duel. She either will have to see it through or if she does withdraw or fail to show up, then she will forfeit her honour."
"But we are not talking about a magically binding contract." Dumbledore persisted. "You do not have to duel Mrs. Weasley."
"Actually we are. A challenge to a duel that is made with every intention of it being carried out by the offering party and accepted by the party it was offered to is in fact every bit as binding as the contracts for the Triwizard Tournament, except in this case instead of a person's magic being lost, it's their honour that is." Dantes pulled out his watch and looked at it. "And Molly Weasley has thirty minutes to appear or forfeit the duel and her precious honour."
"But Molly wasn't thinking clearly when she made that challenge. You had just insulted her daughter and her families honour." Dumbles reminded him.
.....
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