Ancestry 17 - Logic Is The Bane to Plots
Xander looked at the trio a few days later, shaking his head. "It's like a triumvirate of protectors and defenders with you three. One protects the people, one protects the reasons for the people, and one holds the anchor."
"Am I the anchor?" Ron asked.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Which is an important job to keep those two from slinging off into nausea-inducing spins of protecting things."
Ron looked at Hermione. "Would that be going to the International court?"
"Probably," Xander quipped with a grin and a nod. "But useful to make them finally stop it. The arrests even made US news. Muggle US news." Ron shuddered. "But it was necessary."
"I'd like to not have that on my shoulders," Harry said.
"Then we have to find a way to kill him so you don't have to."
"Can we undo the resurrection?" Hermione asked. "A final strike sort of spell?"
"Do you have one of those?" Xander asked her.
She shrugged. "Not intentionally picked but I know a few. A few are just wild ideas I found in fantasy novels."
"Some of those are real and some aren't," he warned.
"I know that." She grinned. "I've tried a few things before that didn't work at all and some that worked partway but a few worked very well. I was thinking a mass lightening strike sort of spell."
"Don't work the way you want. They're indiscriminate," Xander told her. "There's ways around that but that takes years of studying." He grinned. "Are you going to do that?"
"I hope not. I'm hoping for medical school and a slightly more normal life. And my kids going to school in another country so they never have to hear about anything I did. My mother reminded me they would some day."
"True," Ron said with a nod. "My mum reminded me of that too. I said at least I'd have kids some day and I was still alive." He shrugged. "Mum's not happy."
"They're that way often," Xander quipped. "Because no parent wants to see their kids in danger." Harry sighed but nodded. "So let's go over some ideas on what he's got planned now that he can't sacrifice that way."
"Can he not do any at all?" Harry asked. "Or just have to do it beforehand?"
"Do a massacre and take the souls from that?" Xander said, looking at him. Harry grimaced but nodded. "He could. He easily could. It wouldn't be as powerful probably. He probably can't get very many done. He'd have to do the main killing himself and capturing the spirits. That takes time and energy to do. He probably can't get over thirty at the most."
"Thirty?" Hermione demanded.
Xander stared at her. "Yeah, you can mass kill and then mass harvest but it takes a buttload of power." She grimaced. "He could do a few houses, but that much power you can't hold without an artifact doing it for you for very long."
"Could he use one of his horcrux to do that?" Harry asked.
Xander considered that then slowly shook his head. "It'd sacrifice that piece of his soul too. He wouldn't be able to distinguish when they're contained. He'd just have to loose it all." He looked at him. "How many more are there?"
"According to Dumbledore's journal, seven total. My scar and the journal were already taken care of. Quirrelmort was a ghoul so not part of that. The rest are known about but one's not easily found."
"Have we tried just summoning it?" Xander asked. Harry showed him the notes McGonagall had found. "Oh, that place. That's a fly in, grab, fly out." He stared at the list. "That's a proper name?"
"Of his snake," Ron sighed. "He likes her apparently."
Xander grimaced. "Great, just great. Perverts." He considered it. "What if we grounded the soul?" He thought about it. "Not my area of expertise but...I know someone I can ask. They'd know someone who'd know. Okay." He copied the notes for himself then handed them back to Harry. "Any new plots I need to help with?"
"After that last battle can we come hide with you?" Ron asked. "I can camp. I can teach Hermione how to camp."
Xander grinned. "We're having a huge battle for our graduation."
"We can get out of the way for that," Hermione offered.
Xander shrugged. "We'll see. There's already rumors that I've taken at least one of Harry's friends as a future mate."
"Yeah, about that and the one that was researching this last fall. How do I help him?"
"Have him reread the books and do the exercises?"
"He keeps getting frustrated."
"Have him write to one of them. He's got cousins on his mother's side."
Harry grinned. "I didn't know that."
"Yeah. I know one, she works with world leaders to keep peace going. Emilia. Have him write to her as a cousin."
"I can tell him that. Thanks. It's weird that I suddenly really loved the table one day and had to excuse myself from the library."
"You?" Hermione snorted. "I nearly pounced Neville, who was about to pounce Luna."
Harry nodded. "I saw. That's why I pulled Neville with me." She swatted him but looked amused. "There's rumors that you're taking my friends as a harem?"
"Yup."
"Well, I did have that weird thought," Harry decided. "I hope I'm not a seer. I'm not sure if you could deal with Draco or not. Or Ron and Hermione."
"I'm not touching her," Ron told him. "Even under compulsion."
She looked at him. "Thinking back, the one they wanted you to mate with was a weaker witch, Ron. They set up Charlie and Bill's with strong witches but not you. The twins weren't noted or Percy."
Ron stared at her. "What?"
"She's a weaker powered witch," Harry agreed. "Huh, I didn't think about that. They wanted you to prop up Goyle's bloodline, Hermione." She nodded. "They wanted to water down Ron's bloodline."
"We're an ancient family."
"During one of the earliest magical wars in England's community it was written that a Dumass, my line's originator, and the ones that were the first Weasley and Malfoy were there with a few others. They were lovers though."
Ron stared at him oddly. "We screwed a Malfoy?"
"Started a third bloodline." He grinned. "I have no idea who they were though. Or if they're still around."
Hermione shook her head with a sigh. "That's so weird."
"We can look that up," Harry offered, looking at Ron. "It'd be cousins."
"I have plenty of cousins, Harry." He looked at Xander. "What were they fighting?"
"It wasn't written down but the house elves all remember it. I've been told part of that story from one of the family ones that used to tell me stories at night." He shrugged. "No clue." He looked at Harry again. "How are you doing with all that stuff?"
"I'm not going to do a damn thing with it outside trying myself until after the war."
"Good." He nodded. "That's a great idea." He looked at Hermione again.
"Even if I'm married off I'll just go to medical school anyway," she said bluntly. "I can walk away from him or drag him with me." He grinned at her for that. "I would." She looked at Ron. "Going to hide with Bill??"
"He still wants to beat me for all this stuff." He sighed, feeling something. "Is there magic coming?"
"Yeah, that's veela magic, Ron. You're sensitive to it." He looked over as someone landed. "Hey, Malfoy. What's up?"
"How do I stop this?" he demanded.
"You do the work to put up shields."
"I've done that!"
"We felt you coming," Ron told him. "They're strong but leaky." Draco glared at him, pulling his wand. "Not a complaint, Draco. Just a note." He put his hands up. "Really." This wasn't the fight he wanted to get into today.
Xander walked over and tested him. "Someone put a curse on you to never find control." He undid it and Draco was much less emoting. "That's helpful. The guy who did it isn't in your life."
"That's great news. My father?"
"Can't tell," he admitted. He looked at his hand. "No ring?"
"Arguing with me about the bloodline. He's the one who was screwing her. He's done nothing but complain about it. He hates me."
"Then enact the apocalypse clause and let the family name die," Xander said with a shrug. "Your father probably pissed off the bank enough that they could do that easily."
"Probably." He sighed. "I don't want to. It'll lessen our family wealth."
"It'll also break all the treaties with your family and the bank or anyone else. Including any potential marriage contracts arranged for you. Is your mom the sort that'd do that?"
"I have no idea. I never thought she'd flee and leave me."
"She was probably trying to save herself when the hordes came down on you for the gifts. People get very gropey over veela gifts."
"I've seen. I hate it though."
"I hate it for you, kid." He patted him on the arm. "How did you find me?"
"Tracking charm on Granger." He grinned at her. "Your muggle things aren't shielded."
"I didn't think I needed to. I'll do that tonight. Thank you, Malfoy."
He looked at Xander. "The ring wanted me to hit on you."
"I'm sure it did since I could enforce a compulsion on your gifts without harming you." Draco stared at him in horrified awe. "Had to do it once to the former girlfriend, Draco. She had a flu and I had to hold her powers in her." He grimaced. "Sometimes gifts like that are not worth it. But you do have a cousin who could help you. Her name is Emilia Dorekson."
"I've heard about her work with politicians as a courtesan."
"Yeah, her." He nodded. "She's your mother's cousin."
"Huh. Can she help me with the shielding things?"
"I'm pretty sure she could. She's helped other young ones. It's either that or going to the home court in France to ask for a teaching session."
"I'll look those options up tonight. How do I make the ring mind me?"
"You don't. They're filled with a strong spirit who can help an heir with his or her duties. Even if they don't like it. It's to keep the family on an even keel."
"Which sucks as things get different as time moves on," Ron said.
Harry looked at his rings then at Ron, nodding. "They can have those fights. A lot. Mine do."
Hermione shook her head. "Another thing that sounds like more work than it's worth."
"It is," Xander agreed. "But otherwise you'd never be able to tell if it was faked or not." He shrugged. "Imbued means it's solidly what it says it is."
"I understand but it's still archaic," she said.
"Yeah but the wizarding world around here is years behind the rest of the country."
"I've noticed." She grimaced. "I'm so glad I don't have to wear a corset." She looked at Harry, who nodded he agreed. She swatted him on the arm. "Men didn't even wear proper underwear in those days, Harry. You just tucked your shirt around your privates."
Xander grinned at her. "You know this how?"
"Videos." She smirked. "Ren Faire dressing videos. I know the more common people wore union suits to keep their clothes clean from bodily fluids."
"True, and they itched," Xander told her. She gaped at him. He shrugged. "Played some dress up in my day, Granger." He looked at Draco again. "She's the lady at the peace conferences. There's one coming up in London. You could try to meet with her then if she'd allow it. She's probably had other students. I'd write instead of just showing up though."
"I can do that. Thank you." Xander imposed a shield and he sighed in pleasure. "That's nicer."
"It'll last for a week." He stared at him. "The second shielding exercise in the books, that's what does that one. The other is emotional control."
"You can try some yoga too," Hermione said. "That's how my mother started me on emotional control work. Plus it's good exercise."
Draco looked at her oddly. "What's yoga?"
"It's an exercise system from the Far East," she said. "Mostly from India as far as I know. It's a lot of slow stretching work. Makes a lot of people poot but otherwise it's good for you and helps you center yourself. I can find you a book if you want."
"I...." He looked at Xander.
"Never done it myself but I've heard others say it helps them. Including witches." He shrugged. "Try it, see if it works."
"I suppose. Thank you, Granger."
"You're welcome. I'm happy to have an idea to help." She looked at Ron. "I'll copy some so you can work on your temper?"
"I'm going to tie you to a goal on the quidditch field and leave you there," he said smugly then walked off to see what had moved in the bushes nearby.
"That's not nice, Ron. You know I don't fly!" she complained.
Harry patted her on the shoulder and looked at his cousin, who just nodded. "Some people don't fly that well," Xander agreed.
"I get air sick," she said.
"That happens a lot, kiddo." He looked at Draco again. "Go write to her." He nodded, going to do that. Xander followed Ron to see what that thing was. It turned out to be an old house elf. He stared at it. "You're Library's father."
"Alexander," it said, staring at him in awe. "Doorknob protects the houses!"
"I'm so glad you survived the fire," he said, giving him a hug. "Is your family safe?"
"Library misses her book nerds." He stared at him. "May she come back?"
"She can go to the castle. The library's dusty," Harry said. The house elf stared at him. He grinned and waved. "I'm Alexander's grandson Harry. You might warn her there's a freed elf who helps me named Dobby up there sometimes but now and then he goes to fuss over Xander in Sunnydale."
The senior elf stared at his master. "I will tell Library and other Dumass elves. We been hiding in houses." He kissed the ring hand and disappeared to tell them that the true heir was back. Library popped in to hug him and cry on him so Xander got her calmed down.
Harry walked Hermione off to look and see if more things had shown up. They found a few chickens that had wandered around and had baby chickens clucking at them. That was nice of them.
***
Dobby looked at the new elf, looking sad. "Great Harry Potter sir sends you?"
"Library was sent by Master Alexander. The heir." She looked around then at Dobby. "How?" she demanded with a point.
"Great Harry Potter sir not *let* Dobby clean. Or cook! Or protect hims!" He waved his hands. "Harry Potter sir said Dobby is not working as he is freed and is a friend!" He stared at her.
"Library say if Dobby is part of Dumass family Dobby can help her straighten up the castle." Dobby smiled and hugged her. "We clean. Start in library. Is always messy." She went to look and moaned at all the dust. Some places had been dusted and were clearly in use. That helped some.
They got some rags, some water, and went to work on the furniture first so they could move the books to do the shelves. Library was not the sort of elf to let her house fall into this sort of mess. She really had to have a word with her master about this. And about Dobby. He didn't need to be *that* free.
She nicely taught him how to shield against anything in a case coming out to eat him. There were still artifacts around. Cursebreakers just littered their things everywhere!
***
The day a priest walked into the bank, a few people took notice. He was in official work clothes. Had the collar. Looked serious. Was clearly not the one to screw with, even though he seemed nice enough. He bowed to the guardian on the doorway. "I'm Philip Callahan. I was sent for," he said in a quiet voice with an Irish accent. "May I speak to whoever sent for me?"
"We've been waiting on you, Father." He led him to where the King took visitors so his assistants could notify him.
The king opened his office door and waved him in. "Father, we've found some disturbing things."
"I've seen." He sat down, staring at him. "The note you sent gave me a place to look. There's two or three things he could have wanted with that artifact. Is it whole?"
"Broken. A former cursebreaker used a blessed axe on it."
Philip smiled. "Excellent news." The king handed over the information on that artifact. "That narrows it down to two definitely. The third was a long shot. He can still try."
"How do we block that?"
"We cut him off from the magic," he said. "Which I don't think we can do."
"Some cursebreakers do have earth sensing skills."
"Not the same. But could help. Can they find him with it?"
"He's somewhere protected that ley lines don't touch."
"Interesting. In the UK that's about ten places and another fifty Fae shrines." He considered it. "Is he hiding among the Watchers?"
"No but on that interesting topic a few of theirs are ours. The present watcher over the slayer is a wizard named Rupert Giles, Father. He's in Sunnydale. He had a few books that helped us look up things."
"Then may God have mercy on his soul for that evil being fought." He stared at him. "I can check with him." He looked at the books and pointed. "That's one that I found. The other is this." He let him see that note. "I can't rule it out."
"That may be. We know there's a rumor of a Death token or some such up there. The Elder Wand."
"The Peverell one?" The king nodded. "Potter has his family's things?"
"Not fully. Some Dumbledore stole."
"That man needs to go away."
"He's dead. Voldemort got him when he feinted to take down the Ministry and the school."
"He died defending the school?"
"He was under house arrest for harming some students and stealing from them."
Philip blinked a few times. "He did what?"
"Oh, yes," he sighed. "Which meant that the bank's problems came into the open and we've been rebuilding because of it." He let him see that file.
Philip looked then nodded at the end, handing it back. "Hopefully someone gave him a good funeral and burial." He stared at him. "I have no idea how to help Potter beyond telling him what it could mean."
"Can he stop it?"
"If he interrupts, yes."
"Can it be interrupted when not in person?"
"That I don't know. I'm a researcher. One of yours may know."
"We can ask ours and Mr. Giles then. He did chaos magic for a bit."
Philip smiled. "I remember Ripper."
"Someone wanted to know about the fealty oath at graduation being broken. Is there a way?"
"A blood binding oath. Moving would create a dual oath situation that would hang them between the two. A blood binding oath of some kind or another would overrule the old oath but it'd have to be the old style one. Messed with family magic?"
"Yes, of Weasley family magic."
"Poor Molly and Arthur." He smiled a bit. "I remember them fondly enough." He tipped his head. "Can he take a binding oath to someone else?"
"I'm not sure. He works in the Ministry. Wanted to before the oath though."
"Then he may be stuck. Not sure. That's the only way I know of." He stood up. "If'n I can help, let me know. I'll let some of my associates know about this so they can cover things up."
"Please do. We know there's wizards in your former side job's people."
"Yes, a few. One I went to school with." He smiled a bit and nodded politely. "Let me go tell 'em." He left, going to do that. It was a sad thing that the world rested on the weight of a child's shoulders. He went to the nearest Legacy house and got shown in to wait on William Sloan, who grimaced as he walked in reading a file on him.
"The bank would say hello, Sloan." The man kicked the door shut to stare at him. "I got asked to look up why Voldemort was capturing souls," he said quietly. "The artifact was broken with a blessed weapon. He's still gonna try."
"How soon?"
"He seems to act in the spring from what I've seen. This year's going to be bad."
"Oh, dear." He sat down. "They asked you?"
"I'm a known researcher in areas that border on weird rites. It looked like he was going to do one of these two." He handed over his notes. "The third long shot was ruled out when I talked to the King of the Horde."
"I've heard a bit about that."
"Dumbledore had stolen Potter property, had the Elder Wand." Sloan grimaced at that. "He died recently. Leaving little Potter alone."
"I doubt he's alone. The papers say he's got a few friends who have been fighting beside him for years. Did you read those books?"
Philip smiled and nodded. "They've been distracting Granger with all that anti-woman stuff to separate them. Probably figured the boys would have to pull away from her to protect themselves. Someone didn't look very well. The Potter boy is wearing a Dumass heir pendant." Sloan stiffened and moaned. "Exactly." He grinned. "And Alexander's not dead. That curse deaged him. It was written down in a chronicle. He's with a slayer. Beside Ripper."
"Oh, shit," the head of the Legacy said quietly.
"He helped them figure out what was going on."
"I'll talk to Rupert later, Philip." He stared at him. "Are you coming back?"
"I shouldn't. I take my vows seriously but I won't stand by and let genocide happen either. I protected the parish I'm in recently from idiots at the pub spouting off hate."
"Good of you." He sighed. "What do we need to handle?"
"We need to get Nick involved, Sloan. We went to school together." Sloan stared at him, stiffening. Philip smiled and nodded. "The whole Banes need to have a reunion. Dumbledore wanted ta but he didn't manage it before the lawsuit."
"Do that then."
"I cannot. You know that."
"Fine." He considered it. "I can arrange that. Derek will pout."
Philip shrugged. "He'll pout more if he has to fight a nazi bastard wizard. Mostly about turning into his father."
"Point. So would I. Is he going to come after us?"
"We're not in his way that he knows of. Why would he? He's went after Ancient Egyptian magics that he found laying around thanks to cursebreakers."
"That figures. There's a heavy layer of Norse magic around too though." He considered that.
"Hmm, all cursebreakers are vowed to Loki as their protector."
Sloan stared at him. "That's interesting to know."
"Figures too with how they draw trouble."
"Point. I always thought Mr. Boyle should've done great in that job."
"Nick's stubborn, but Sandburg...." Sloan smiled at that name. "Get them together, warn them. The kiddies have said often enough that no adults show up to help. That's why the Banes were formed. Because we were trying the same things." He stood up. "Be well and be safe. Let me know if you need my research help."
"I can do that." He let him show himself out while he went to call a few friends to find the other Banes. He had a few names to start with and a few who he had suspected were part of it.
***
Xander had the dream that night and sighed, sending a message to Ron to tell the twins. Then he went back to sleep. Library had already fixed this house up for him. There was even real food in the kitchen waiting on him to warm it up after patrols. And Dobby was stalking Harry to protect him. Xander had sent him a special gift recently.
***
The twins got the message forwarded from Harry since he had gathered it with Ron sleeping in that morning. They stared at it then nodded. They could meet the woman who was so much like them. They really had to meet her. They had wanted to. They just had to catch her being local to introduce themselves. Or catch her when she showed up to try a few new things. They hadn't realized who she was before then. Tipsy Ramvette was a woman they could swoon over.
***
Harry smiled at the cream next to his tea the next morning. "Thanks, Xander," he said quietly. He poured some in his tea and handed it to Hermione. "Cream?"
She added a few drops and sipped then moaned. "What is that?"
"Unicorn cream. Xander said it's a family trait. It's tangy if you're tilted toward chaos magic."
She sipped and moaned again. "So very sweet. Thank you, Harry. I may now have an addiction." He giggled but let her make herself another cup. Harry got a second one too and shared with Neville, who sighed in pleasure at the taste. Sweet to him too. Ron got a bit of tanginess when he got in there but it was still mostly sweet for him. Woke him up too.
Professor Flitwick came down, looking at them. "What is making the loud moans?" he asked politely.
"Xander sent me the family habit of unicorn cream, Professor."
"Ah." He nodded. "That was because they used to raise them." He added some to his coffee and went back to his seat. "Xander's sharing Dumass traits with Harry again." They all sighed at that. Snape got the rest of the cream to hoard as a potions ingredient when the trio got up to go to classes. Harry put it in front of him with a smirk then left again. Snape tasted a bit on his pinky and shivered. That was a very good thing to have on hand.
***
Pansy Parkinson was confused. Very, very confused. She hated that girl. She truly hated that girl and her ways and her loudness and her pushiness. But Granger was getting special attention and no one knew why. Pansy had twenty silver on it with a few friends so decided to be a bit bolder than usual.
She acted like a Gryffindor. She could ask her. The school's females were still at a state of truce after what had happened with the last headmaster. She looked at Granger across the library. "Why did the headmaster nag you about studying? You're always studying," she complained. "You make us look bad with all the studying."
Hermione looked at her, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "I took some tests early."
"Like retaking the OWLs?"
"No, I took my NEWTs."
"Why would anyone do that?" she demanded. "You could've flunked!"
"I got twelve." Pansy stared, mouth open, in horrified awe. Hermione shrugged. "Once you take them and you're over seventeen you're legally an adult in the magical community, Pansy. No one can say anything or force me to do anything."
"They were using that to distract you so you couldn't help Potter according to my mother."
"I realize that, or to cause us to split. Doesn't mean it worked." She smiled. "I was ready to take a few of them last year really. I could have maybe taken two more and gotten them as well." She shrugged. "I can take new ones, just not retake ones I've already taken. I took twelve and passed all twelve with at least an acceptable as my lowest score."
She pushed her hair back again and smiled. "If you get more than three, and you're over seventeen, you're an adult legally. That means that even your parents can't force you to do something like a marriage contract. They can guilt trip you or kick you out of the family but not force it or sign it for you."
Pansy swallowed. "You have to take three?"
"Pass three. You can't retake any but you can take new ones. Taking a few early means that you don't stress as much either. If you know you've passed a few, that's less to take at the end of your seventh year, which is what I planned on doing this summer anyway. I have three more I want to take next year if I decide to come back to an easy year.
"I'll have to take all the classes in one year but I can do that in new electives." She smiled at her shaking her head. "I could quit school right now if I wanted but I don't want to hear my parents being annoyed at me for a few extra months. Though they do know that I've taken my A levels early and passed them as well. I'm set for college, I just have to pick one."
"I had no idea. That's the law?"
"Yes. That's the law. I encouraged Harry to take a few this summer too. He's thinking about it too."
"I didn't even know that." She looked at a few of her friends, who were looking confused too. "Is it harder than the OWLs?"
"Longer, more detail needed, extra points still available for going beyond what the examiner wanted. The written parts were about an hour longer each. The practicals were brutal for me. A few things I had studied but struggled to do because even with practice it's hard to change a coat tree into a living simaculum." She shrugged but grimaced. "I managed a puppet at least. One that moved on his own. Still wooden. That's why I got an acceptable."
Pansy nodded at that. "Is that on every one of them?"
"I have no idea. You'd have to ask McGonagall. I know I managed it." She smiled. "I'm stubborn that way. The more you push, the more stubborn I become and I find a way to do what I wanted to do."
"I've seen that." She nodded. "Wow." She got back to her own work. Her friends were amused but horrified. They'd have to ask McGonagall if that was actually on the test or they had pulled that out for daring to take it early.
"Try history and Creatures, Pansy. They're the easiest on all the tests."
"Good point. I can do that and an elective." She settled in to look at what she could learn ahead to do that this summer. She could pass three if Granger could pass twelve. She really could and even if she didn't she didn't have to retake them next year. Six was a good high number for most of the students to achieve.
Hermione got back to her work. Luna was making that note for herself too. And a few others. They weren't seventeen yet but that gave them extra practice time.
McGonagall stopped Hermoine on the way back to the house at curfew. "They wanted you to change a coat rack into a simaculum?"
"Yes, that added topic in the seventh year books? That. I managed a puppet but it was still wooden."
"Show me," she ordered. Hermione did one of the student chairs. "That's not in the book, Miss Granger." She showed her where it was. McGonagall looked. "That's a much older version than we have now." She handed it back with a grimace. "You managed better than the seventh years must do most of the time." Hermione beamed at that praise. "Still a bit avant garde though."
"If you're seventeen and have three NEWTs, you're a full adult by community standards. No one can force you to do anything, Professor."
"That's meant for girls who were going to be...married..off," she realized. Hermione smiled and nodded. "Oh, I see."
"You make me find a way around problems and I generally will somehow, even if I do have to be a bit sneaky, Professor. My parents had me emancipated as well in case someone came after them again."
"I can see why. Are you seventeen?"
"I have been for sixteen weeks. We had my birthday party early so I could have it at the zoo." She smiled at her. "All I need now is my driver's license. I'll try for that this summer."
"Most of us don't use them."
"I might not get to live near the campus I choose."
"Oh, I see." She nodded. "Good job then. Excellent work." Hermione smiled and went up to the house. She wrote that examiner about his faulty logic of giving her something impossible to do. Her grade really should reflect that she managed a spell that the examiner himself had taken out of the books for no one being able to accomplish. She also noted that it was now known about the adult NEWT barrier. They'd have many more early takers probably.
***
Amelia Bones watched the new Minister rail about girls being pushy. "Sometimes we had to be," she said blandly. The man flinched, staring at her. She stared back. "It's how we get anything done with people standing in our way."
"That is not the law!"
She pulled out the law book and opened it to the first section. "By this Charter, the laws apply to the adults of the Ministerial district of the British holdings," she read. "That is: any being who is over seventeen, has more than three NEWTs, and shows adult skills. Those who are feebled of mind or body or those who cannot pass NEWTs due to some inferiority can be decided on a case by case basis if the law applies to their situation."
She looked up. "Children are beholden by their families upholding the law for them as they are under the laws that their parents give first and then ours." She shut the book. "That's the preface to our legal charter." He spluttered. "It's brilliant, and she's right. As long as you're over seventeen, have three NEWTs, you're considered an adult." She put the book aside with a smile.
"She's also right that you can't *retake* any NEWTs but you can take new ones you didn't try before. She could completely take more next year if she wanted to study something else. I'm told by my niece that she's noted that law to others, including some Slytherin females, who think they could probably pass three soon after turning seventeen.
"That gets them out of such incidences as they tried to force on Miss Granger to shut her up. Which she probably realizes. She is that smart as well. She's known to use logic very well. She strategized her options this time brilliantly."
"We can enforce a marriage clause at sixteen!" he demanded, looking at the others.
"No you cannot," she said. She pulled back out the law book to look up that section. "Marriages are only allowed between consenting adult parties. While arranged marriages will happen, both parties must sign the contract, which must have removal clauses by this law. If an underaged person is entered into an arranged marriage it is an engagement until they are of age and sign the contract before the Ministry and their families.
"If an underaged person tries to enter into a more traditional marriage it will not be granted as they are not adult enough to enter into contracts of their own free wills." She looked at him again. "So says the laws that have been around since our founding." She put the book aside again.
"The laws were written in the seventeen hundreds for that very purpose. To stop the fighting over who wanted to marry some young woman. It nearly started a civil war within the community so they formed the Ministry and created the laws to stop it when she ordered them to because she didn't want either of them." He spluttered. "We must go by the laws of the land, Minister. That is our job."
Mrs. Longbottom cleared her throat. "Yes, I found that law very useful when I was younger as well. My father wanted me to marry someone he liked more but I loathed." She stared at the Minister. "Also, Miss Granger is over seventeen I'm told. She took an exceptional amount of NEWTs at twelve. Did any of us get that many?"
"I got eight," Amelia offered. "I didn't try for more though." She smiled like a shark at the man annoying them all today. "As she's said, if you push a woman she'll push back and go around you." She waved a hand in the air. "You've failed. Move on with your life." He glared at her and pulled a wand. "You do that and the protections will down you," she reminded him.
"I challenge you to an honor duel," he sneered.
"Fine. Pick a location." He glared and pointed. "We can do that here and now if you wish." She pulled her wand as she stood up. "Let's go then." She pointed at the open spot in the floor area. "There good for you or do you need to trip over a desk?" He stomped down there and fired on her before she made it. She had blocked it and hit him once she was in place. She wasn't going to be nice. The man screamed as his skin started to bubble. "Witch's self defense class. Yay," she said happily.
"Do end it," the speaker ordered. She did that casually. "Thank you for not being lethal, Madam Bones, and for reminding him that honor duels have rules about how they're to start." He stared at him. "You breeched the rules, she's in her rights to torture you. Is your challenge answered to your satisfaction?"
The man tried to hit her again so she casually tripped him, body bound him, then stomped on his head physically until he cried for mercy. "I believe he just called mercy to end it," she said, walking away. "Pity. I need to spar more often. It took more than one hit." She sat down in her seat and put her wand back into her holster. "Did we have more business today?"
"We should perhaps find him a healer," Mrs. Longbottom noted. "Then find a new Minister for magic. We've had a bad run of them." She grimaced. The man glared at her as he stood up. She stared back. "I spanked Frank into good behavior, then Neville. I can do yours as well since clearly your ass hasn't been tanned in a long time." He stomped off to get an auror to arrest her. Two strolled in.
Bones smiled at them. "Did he tell you he challenged me to an honor duel and then broke the rules of them?"
"Nope," one said. They showed them the film. "Yeah, that's broken the rules of polite dueling. Boss, you need to lift weights. Your kick's weak." He went to tell him that and make him look like a fool in front of the reporters he was ranting to. The man was reveling in the attention. He was like Fudge lite only snide towards women.
"The proper way to duel is to do the honorable steps, then turn, *then* fire," he noted as he arrested him. "You broke the rules, that's illegal. You fired on a member of the Wizengamet in the stands, which is a felony. Even with a challenge in place. If she had been on the floor you wouldn't have that charge. You then made a false allegation to charge someone. Another felony." He bound his hands, took his wand, then walked him off. "He's sorry he bothered you lot."
"Is he marked?" one reporter called. "It's seemed to many like they were trying to get Harry Potter's support people away from him with all this messiness."
"Could be," he admitted with a grin for that one. "It's tactical. Not real practical because my sister would've just had their heads on a pike if they had tried her that way. We'll figure out if he's marked when we do his strip search." He walked him to the jails to do that. Yup, he was. That was interesting. They went to tell the judges about those charges and the added one of being dark marked. That wasn't technically a law but.... Should probably be a law.
***
Neville looked at the paper the next day. "Hmm. The newest Minister didn't even last six months. We've been through a number this last year. Oh, and he was marked."
Harry looked at him. "That figures. What did he do?"
"Challenged Madam Bones to an honor duel then broke the rules of how they happen." He looked down at Harry. "He got charged for firing on her when she was walking down to meet him on the floor." He went back to reading. "Hermione, where did you find that rule?"
"The charter preface of the law book. I slapped it down while reading it and it flopped open to that so I read it. The charter's foundation is built on it." She smiled sweetly at him.
"Ah. No wonder." He nodded, going back to reading. "My grandmother is amused at all that and warned me to only take a few I knew I'd pass or to take a few easy ones that don't have a practical."
"History is usually easy enough," she said. "Creatures too usually. I had to calm down a unicorn; it tried to nuzzle my chest and breastfeed." She shrugged. "The other two creatures in there wouldn't get near me as I'm not impure enough for them. It was a nice little test to see if I was virginal or not.
"I noted that the unicorn's horn was shedding so it was sick and had a slight fever then noted that we had seen an American vet over an injured foal because Species had no idea how to get it treated for a twisted ankle." She sipped her juice. "He said he'd call her later and gave the unicorn a sugar treat. The hypogriff I bowed to properly and got its respect.
"The snake being I petted like Harry showed me." Harry grinned at that. "The thestral I petted and cooed at like most girls do. I also preened his feathers and braided his mane for him. They were amused that I could take care of many creatures." She took another sip and ate a bite of breakfast.
"They wanted you to braid it?" Ginny asked.
"Wanted to see if I could see it," she corrected. "That was above and beyond when I picked his hooves and made sure he had appropriate food and water too."
"Huh. I can do that." She considered it. "Maybe I'll take that one early just before I hit seventeen." She made notes to herself about that.
Harry nodded. "I should take some too." Hermione smiled at him. "I can probably pass a defense one and a few other things. History maybe not."
"You can, you just have to reread things, Harry."
"Point I guess." He considered it. "This summer maybe. If I'm not in the middle of things." He got back to eating. Ron was nodding off in his seat. He had kept himself up last night by masturbating. He had kept the rest of them up too. Dean had finally body bound him so they could get sleep. She patted him on the hand. He looked at her. "What?"
"What did you do?"
"Ron kept us up," Neville said dryly. He turned the page again. "Dean finally had to body bind him in his bed."
"Nightmares?"
Neville looked at her. "No, Hermione. He was loudly having fun."
"Oh, that. Yes, some of the girls are that noisy too. We enforced silencing charms after our second year due to snoring. Including mine," she admitted.
Harry and Neville shared a look then looked at their roommates, who nodded they could do that. "Wish we had thought of that last year," Dean quipped. "Could've used it then." He dug into a second helping while the others finished up. "Neville, eat."
"I am. I can do two things at once. I'm as talented as a Dumass is," he joked.
Harry grinned. "I don't usually try to read and eat, Neville. I forget to read. Hermione forgets to eat."
"You are like a child between us sometimes," she quipped with a grin for their friend.
Neville shuddered. "Oh, that's a horrible thought, Hermione!" He glared at her. "That's mean!"
"Sorry, Neville," she said, giving him a gentle hug. "I didn't mean to upset you. I think of you like a brother."
Neville whined and shook his head. "I don't want that one either, Hermione. It makes our fourth year weird." She giggled at that, batting him on the arm. He put his paper aside and went back to eating to try to clear his mind of that bad thought. Someone at Ravenclaw's table yelped so he looked over.
"Oh, good, an emergency. I can quit thinking for a bit." He went to help that one since it was a plant that had just bitten her. "That's poisonous and will kill you after making your magic explode your organs. Let's get you treated, dear." He walked his buddy off to the infirmary.
Harry and Hermione shared a smirk and got back to breakfast. Ron snorted and woke himself up then dug into the food on his plate that someone had put there for him. "Did I miss anything?"
"Yes but nothing important," Hermione told him. "Eat, Ron. Classes start in fifteen minutes." He hurried up to slurp his food as fast as he could. He'd have gas later but that happened when you had to hurry up and eat then didn't chew properly.
The professors had heard that amusing thing and were still smiling about it. Neville's reaction was adorable and Ron Weasley clearly needed a bit of help for something.
***
"What good is a prostate?" Harry complained as he walked into the house after that 'adult topics' class.
"Well, it's fairly important in a few ways," Hermione said. "It gives off some of the fluid that helps ease the way for the semen. It's important to you getting an erection and for ejaculation both, and I'm told it's fun to play with thanks to a few trashy magazines I read while traveling." She smiled at him.
He blinked a few times. "What?"
"The prostate makes some of the fluid that comes out with your semen, when you ejaculate, Harry. It's what the semen floats in until it either dies or finds an egg to fight over. Also, if it doesn't work you don't get a stiffy." Harry blushed at that. "And according to Cosmo and the like, it's fun to play with now and then." She shrugged. "I have no practical experience in any of that but you did ask."
"We were told it sat there until it got cancer," Harry said.
"No, it has a function. Every part of your body has a function of some kind or another. Even your appendix." Harry still looked shell shocked. "I'll have my mother send the health book they gave us during our version of that class, Harry." She wrote her mother a letter and sent it via Dobby, who put it onto her car's seat instead since she was with a patient. She got back to her present homework.
Ron strolled in. "Why are you even bothering with homework, Hermione?"
"Because I have grades I must keep up," she told him, staring at him oddly. "It doesn't mean that I've passed the classes themselves and colleges will look at that, as well as employers." Ron grimaced at that reminder. "You should probably do some homework." He huffed but went to get it and came back down to study in the library instead so she couldn't nag him.
Harry grinned at that but went to get his own. After a short nap. He was still tired from Ron noises. She sighed and got back to work on the current paper due. She had to remind herself the college would want a grade statement. Otherwise she'd go find a pretty spot to read in.
***
Hermione looked at Ron at breakfast the next morning then at Harry, who was half asleep, then at the other guys, who were also half asleep. "Did we need to know the charm we use in the girls' dorms?" she asked quietly.
Harry snorted, shaking his head. "We had two things trying to get in last night." He looked at Ron. "He slept through it."
Ron shrugged. "Sorry! Should've kicked my bed."
"Did you need help?" Hermione asked.
"No, they ended up falling but we made sure they bounced," Harry said grimly. He looked up at the head table. The headmaster was staring at him. "Are they still floating out there?" he called.
"Mr. Potter, I was going to ask how that happened as Mr. Filch got quite peeved."
"They tried to crawl in our dorm window," Neville called. "They're lucky we made them bounce and float."
"No one summoned a teacher?" he demanded.
"We told Filch," Harry offered. "He didn't seem to care until this morning apparently, sir."
He sighed, looking at the head of that house, who shook her head. "I was not woken up by a summons."
"Filch wouldn't let us. We ran into him when we were trying to get you up, ma'am," Neville said. "He took points from me for sneaking around the school that late." He looked up there. "I told him and he snorted then stomped off and threatened me with his thumbscrews if I didn't hike back to the house right then."
"He did take points from him overnight," Snape said dryly. "It was on the tally this morning."
She went to look then came back. "Why didn't you come to get me up anyway, Mr. Longbottom?"
"I was stunned and carried up the stairs," he said, staring at her. "So politely, they can stay there since no one would let us tell you."
She huffed. "I'll be having a word with him."
"Good, have a word with him about kids who get sick in the middle of the night," Lavender Brown complained. "He took points off me last year for throwing up. Then more because I couldn't not throw up on him since I was on the way to the infirmary."
She looked at her. "Why was I not told?"
"Because you stuck up for it with another kid," she shot back. "Who had broken something and was limping to the infirmary during the class day." McGonagall glared at her. "You did. You stood up for Filch against Timmy last year as well, a few months before I threw up for three days straight. He had broken his foot and got told off for daring to go up there during the school day."
"I was not aware of that."
"You sure were since you said so in here," Luna said, looking at her. "Over lunch I might add. Many of us avoided coming down for dinner to make sure you didn't yell at us too over unreasonable things. We thought it might be the change of life."
She glared. "It was not!"
"Then you're just being a bitch?" she suggested.
"Twenty points off, Miss Lovegood."
She snorted and shrugged. "Fine, it's still the truth." She stuffed her mouth with her sandwich and chewed while staring at her.
McGonagall huffed but went back to her seat to sulk about that.
The headmaster looked at the students. "Does he often do that?"
"Take points? Yes," Luna said. "Try to make us miserable and threaten us with torture equipment? Often enough that most of us have heard it. Harry, did he ever use the thumb screws on you?"
"Not yet. Threatened me with the manacles though. Then he couldn't get them open, they were rusty." He went back to eating.
"Why does he have such things in the school?" the headmaster demanded.
"Because he likes them," Flitwick said. "He's always had them and Dumbledore allowed it as long as they weren't actually used on the students." He grimaced. "I've heard him threatening them with it as well. He's never used them as far as I know." He looked at his students, who shrugged. "Any of you?"
"No, not that I'm aware of," the senior prefect admitted. "Threatened a few times."
"He threatened me for not giving detentions for finding students snogging," Hermione said. "I told him it served no purpose and why make them mad at me. They quit doing it when I showed up to nag. That's all I wanted them to do." She ate a bite and chewed slower than normal.
"How do you handle that?" the headmaster asked.
"I stand in the doorway to announce I'm there, I want to see no naked body parts, and I'll be back in five or ten minutes. Then I walk off to warn another area and then come back. By then they're no longer naked, most have snuck off again, and they all learned to clean up after themselves because I'm known to banish things at them if they leave them. Return to sender works well on dirty things." She smiled and ate another bite to chew.
"I'd have liked that in my years," the headmaster admitted. "It's reasonable and if they're that slow they get actually caught they deserve the points off or detention. The banishing back?"
One slytherin second year looked up at him. "It was gross! Some boy's flappy, pale, dirty thing hit him on the face a few months into the school year, sir."
"When you're older, you'll understand what those are for," Harry called with a grin. "Make sure you clean up your own messes."
"Of course I would!"
"Good," Hermione said. "Because it's mean to make others do it." She stared at one constant one that got things sent at him. He shrank down and ducked his head. She smiled at the headmaster.
"That's mean but appropriate," he decided with a smile. "I like that idea. Means the house elves don't have to deal with it for you. Makes you responsible." He stared at the same boy then at the other tables. "I'd hope the rest of you clean up after yourselves as well. Gentlemen do clean up their messes, boys." They nodded and a few sighed at that.
Professor Sprout looked down. "They know to clean up the greenhouses. I put the sticker vines in the greenhouses that become popular and if they get too rowdy in there it wakes them up. They do so *love* to play with the students." He laughed but nodded. "Though I do keep certain herbs readily available in pots in the more popular areas, just in case they're needed."
"Thank you," a female called from Hufflepuff. "I had to tell a few students what they were." She huffed. She looked at Hermione. "How do muggles do that without herbs?"
"We have many things. Patches, pills, shots, implants, some with hormones and some without. Some are daily, some are weekly, some is every few months, and the implanted ones are often good for years." She smiled. "Very handy as well as they lower the female times."
"Oh, charming! Is there a mediwitch who handles that in London?"
"I went to a normal doctor."
"I have to look into that," she decided with a nod. "How many years?"
"Some IUD's and implants can last up to five years."
"Wow, yes, I need to look into that." She smiled at her for that.
"I know about girl times but are those necessary for that?" a first year asked.
"No, it's to stop pregnancy." She looked at her. "Saw your sister's?"
"Have my own," she said dryly. "For the last two months. I hate that. Can I do that, Hermione?"
"Yes. See a GYN, dear. They can talk to you about all that."
"Brilliant. I'll tell my mum." She wrote her a note right then and there before she forgot.
"You're a first year," Sprout said, looking confused.
"Ma'am, one of my classmates in primary now has a four-year-old child," Hermione said. "She's a few months younger than I am. There's stories about getting it at eleven and twelve and it seems to keep going down."
"Twelve?" McGonagall demanded. "Is that common among muggle borns?"
"Yes," a few called.
"My sister got hers at ten," one boy called. "Freaked her out."
Hermione nodded. "Yes they can. My mother told me about all that stuff and it nearly did me too." She ate another bite, shaking her head.
The teacher that did the health lessons looked at her. "You're not taking the class, dear."
"I took the muggle version and it was comprehensive." She smiled. "I'm having my mother send me the book because someone wanted to know something in it. You can look at it. I got it the year before I came here." She ate another bite and scraped her plate then put her fork down.
"They teach what?" she demanded.
"Everything you were and more, ma'am. My book will be here in a few days." That got a curt nod. She looked down the table. "I can proofread tonight unless we get a major paper in the last few classes."
"Thank you," Ginny sighed, handing her a few things. "Please?"
"Of course." She went over it and made notes in the margin about spelling mistakes, a problem with her formatting, and how she needed to switch a whole paragraph into a new spot. She handed it back and went to the others. A few more kids handed down papers for her to proofread. Harry took a few to do too since he was done eating.
The teachers gave them odd looks and so did the other houses but they didn't have nagging, supporting prefects like Hermione.
***
Hermione handed over the book. "That's what our health class gave us." She smiled. "It's very comprehensive. Including anatomy and reasons behind them for both genders."
The teacher looked it over, frowning at it. "We don't teach any of this." She looked up. "Muggle schools?"
"Yes. That's the national curriculum."
"Oh." She looked at one part she had just taught about. "That's...more invasive than I thought it could be. They have pictures?"
"They have tiny little cameras that can show the insides of the body," Hermione said. "The BBC even did one with pregnant women so you could see the pregnancy progress by week. Just a tiny little camera to peek at it." She smiled. "It was on the tele. Mom and I watched it together to go over how pregnancy worked."
"Oh." She slumped and went back to reading. "Who had a question?"
"Harry about prostates." She looked then turned to that section for her. "That's what I told him."
She looked. "It does that?"
"Apparently."
"Oh. May I have this for a bit?"
"For a few weeks definitely. Someday I look forward to sharing that with my own child when they're ready to talk about such things."
"That's a good idea." She nodded. Hermione smiled and let her read in peace. She started at the beginning. It was very informative and things she didn't know they could do. Their healers couldn't. She shared it with Mediwitch Pomfrey. Who had no idea some of that was possible either.
***
Pomfrey called Hermione up. "Dear, how do those implants work?"
"I have an IUD. That's inserted with a tiny little tube applicator like a tampon tube. Then pushed out into place. The ones in the arm I think are needle inserted. Coming out would be a bit more invasive I think but I have no idea yet. I know they'll have to dilate me to get my IUD out. I'm dreading it but it means I don't have to worry about daily medicines or how the hormones made me depressed."
"The copper coil thing?"
"Mine's plastic and without hormones. It came out last year."
"Oh. May I test it?"
"Of course. That way you can spot it in the future." She let the nurse sense her stomach. She smiled at what she saw. "It's tiny but effective."
"It appears so. It's very small, I could barely see it."
She held up her fingers. "The one they showed me was about that long."
"Yes it was. Shaped like the uterine structures too." She nodded. "Well, that's amazing." Hermione smiled at that and nodded. She handed the book back. "I can see why so many muggle born girls seem to understand everything already."
"It can help since we do hit puberty faster than the puerblood girls seem to."
"I've noticed that." She nodded. "Good job on avoiding that class." Hermione smiled at that, going back to put her book up. Then she went to her study hall. Madam Pomfrey made notes for herself and her fellow mediwitches about that and finding a good mediwitch in London who could deal with all that and teach them. Or maybe the States.
They had to know something about it over there. She wrote a formal letter to one of the mediwitch programs in Canada to see if they had updated information for them to train with. They were pleased to hand on information about their program and let them order books to go over for continuing education.
***
Mediwitch Pomfrey went to talk to the ministry board over mediwitches. "Hello." They smiled at her. "I've got a few questions to ask. I'm Pomfrey, up at Hogwarts. Thanks to some muggleborns we've talked to the mediwitch program in Canada about updating some information. They sent us things on their continuing education and their program plus some information I asked for about women's health issues." She put down the information on their program. "Theirs is built on top of a nursing degree apparently."
They came over to look. "That's a lot of schooling just for that."
"Nurses take a five year program then advanced training. Their mediwitches only have the four year. Specialization training is after that apparently like it is for regular nurses. But what I'm concerned about is we don't require continuing education? Or any updating classes? By what I learned I'm over twenty years behind them."
The head of the board looked at her. "How would you be?"
"Things have drastically changed. The students have medicines that I have no idea about. A number are on allergy medicines daily that I don't have to dispense but I know nothing about in case it would react to any potions."
"We can ban that."
"We don't have things to take their places. That would make the children absolutely miserable when they're suffering daily."
"That's usually only in the spring."
"No, I have some that are on allergy medicines against pet dander. That lets their roommates have their familiars." That got a wince. "We have no idea about any of this. I only had to take two years of education and we haven't had a requirement to update since I graduated over twenty-five years ago. I'm dreadfully behind and I need to correct that. Since I am, others that don't deal with students daily probably are as well."
They pulled out the requirements for their accredited program to compare. It had a sixth of the technical classes. They called in the program head to talk to them. They sneered about the Canadian program but the US one made them horrified since it was even more stringent and barely admitted anyone who applied. They had a ten percent acceptance rate that they bragged on. It was a four/five year program that was a nursing program with magic added in. They were farther behind than they thought.
Pomfrey stared at them. "We need to update about modern medicines too. I have no idea if some of their medicines will counteract any healing potions or even wand healing. If I have to heal an area that has a birth control implant, will that embed it or impede it working? Will it break it?"
They stared at her. "There's implants for that sort of thing?"
"Yes, apparently. I have six students who have IUD's and one that has little sticks in her arm that holds the hormones. Instead of taking a pill daily." She shrugged. "How do I handle those as a healer? What if I do something that breaks that?"
"I have no idea about any of those," the head of the program admitted. "Or any medicines. I saw the stuff on Potter's surgery."
"They excised and then pulled out the encapsulation by what the hospital I asked said. Then they sealed the scar using plastic surgery. He was on medicines that I've never heard of." She showed that slight record they had passed over through the aurors in case Harry needed treated in school.
"I have no idea what three of those are. That's an antibiotic."
She pointed. "That's the antibiotic according to Harry. He was on it for a few weeks afterwards. That's a healing potion that I could look up but it had no mention of how it was made, what it contradicts, what I can't give if they're taking it or how long it'll last in the body so I can't give those things until it's out of there. The book mentions it but nothing else. It was updated five years ago."
"Oh dear," the head of the program said. "That's a good worry, Mediwitch Pomfrey. I know you went through our program." She smiled and nodded. "We need to look at this."
"I need to know updated things about medicines that my students may be taking and how to handle them if they're injured. We had one student who would have come but she found out we may not be able to handle her long term heart complication that she's on medicine daily for. St. Mungos may not be able to handle it at all."
"No, that's a good thing to worry about. We must have our patients safe." The head of the program looked at the board. "May I look into this?"
"Gladly. Give us a report and recommendation about updating programs?"
"I'm going to the conference in Canada this summer. Should I bring back a report?"
"Please, Madam Pomfrey. That could help us greatly," the head of the board agreed with a smile and a nod. "Is it going to be expensive?"
"A tiny bit but it's in a beautiful resort for the weekend."
"That's excellent. Let us know."
"Of course." She looked at the program director. "If we do get to updating things, I need to know female problem ones as well. My girls have asked me questions I had no idea about. Including what a menstrual cup was and how tampons worked. I have no idea. I asked another student who may and she talked to them about her experiences with them. I had no idea we were back on reusable methods to control that bleeding."
"We are?"
She pulled up the information Hermione had given her on menstrual cups to show off. "That's what that is. Bit messy but apparently comfortable enough and reusable. There's multiple brands so you can find one you like the fit of."
"That's interesting. I had no idea we had more than pads." He handed it back with a sigh. "Are they going to a muggle GYN?"
"She does. She has an IUD as well. I got a good scan of it and it's adorably small but without hormones in her case. She said she had some depression from the hormones."
"I had no idea that it's common," the head of the board admitted. "Yes, we'll be asking someone about all that and about updating classes. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."
"It's not a problem. How is that one boy that I had to send on for the former headmaster idiotically summoning the pins in his legs?"
"I heard we have one that's a muggleborn we refer to and he was well through the surgery. I heard he's got some home schooling going on." She smiled at that. "He summoned the pins?"
"He was trying to get a girl's camera and summoned all the metal things. It took out Hermione Granger's tracking chip at the same time."
"Did it work up there?"
"Oh, yes, it was French magical made apparently."
"Oh. I had no idea." The two men shared a look then nodded. "Have we had many?"
"I've seen six. I don't note it."
"That's good." They shared another look then a nod. "We need to look at those interfering with treatments too."
"I know that it'll interfere with whatever a CT is."
"I think that's a scanning device to look inside the body," the head of the program admitted. He went to talk to his people about that. One was trained in France and he agreed, they were behind what France did and he did his updating through them. He asked him about all those questions she had, making notes for her. He didn't know everything but he knew about most of them. They went over the program out of Canada and their requirements. They really had to up theirs.
***
Chapter notes:
A slightly domesticated Bane peeks around a corner at the bank....."You summoned?"