Toppers Wallow

Sunday bells brought everyone to church; quite a merry throng wandered down Almoners Lane, Ginny and Daphne latched on to Draco’s and Harry’s arms for the brief walk to church.



*What does this mean?* they thought to each other. *However it does feel very comfortable.*



The singers went into the choir vestry with the Muggle trio. During the service Hamish and his group were formerly accepted into the choir as probationers and vested in the deep red cassocks the rest of the choir wore. The choir stalls were quite crowded, so the servers had to sit on spare chairs in the sanctuary. John’s sermon was about the joys of willing service.



On the way out Draco asked John: “Why did the new members not have those white shirts put on as well?”



“Ah well, you see Dear Boy, there is a probationary period when new singers join the choir. It really pertains to the young ones, but Hamish though it only right that he went through the same ceremony. In a month or two’s time they will take their vows of service, and then they’ll be invested with their surplices.”



“It’ll be quite crowded up front when the others join, won’t it?”



“Mmm … Yes … We’ll have to put benches in front of the choir-stalls. Then that’ll make the gangway cluttered for people coming up to receive communion.”



Griphook and Gertie were next in the queue to go out and were introduced to John.



“Some of the old churches used to have a minstrel gallery at the back,” suggested Griphook. “Why not use your back balcony?”



“Oh yes, there’s a church in Liverpool that does that,” John remembered. “I’ll have a chat with Dolores about it.”



Harry and Draco looked at each other and thought: *Oh no! Not her?*



“Here she comes with Hamish.”



Dolores was the organist and schoolmistress. She was willowy, black and had bushy hair; the fine bones of her face complimented her lively eyes. Harry noticed her strong keyboard player’s hands when they shook. Our pair, three goblins and Dolores climbed the spiral stairs to inspect the balcony, the one where the magic group had sat a couple of weeks before. Hamish sang whilst Dolores listened from the nave, giving the thumbs up.



“Did you say you had more recruits?” she asked, beaming beautifully, when they met again downstairs.



“About six extras so far,” Hamish replied. “They’ll be with us next week.”



While they were discussing the use of the balcony, Dolores observed: “There’s only one problem; that of keeping together. The acoustics could slow us down. Our present members know when to start because I nod in time.”



“Mirrors!” Draco snapped.



“What?”



“Draco’s thinking about two mirrors one of which would enlarge you enough for the choir to see.” Harry intervened. “Nothing would impede the line of sight as it would be over the congregation’s heads.”



“Oh yes! Good idea, but who to fit them?”



“Dean and Seamus,” Draco was feeling excited, Harry could feel the calculations of angles going on in Draco’s head. “Something on the lines of a big shaving mirror hidden I the beams up there; easily seen from the balcony, and carefully angled so it would reflect onto a plain one by the organ console.”



“I already have one for the processions.” Dolores looked slightly guilty. “But I never use it; I just stick my head out of the curtains. John doesn’t seem to mind. Hey Hamish, how about having the practice here this afternoon, see how it goes, Mmm?”



“Right! Good idea, say four o’clock?”



“Yes that’ll be fine.”



By this time the party had descended the stairs, Dolores had put her music in order and they had gone across the square to Richard’s pub. Dolores went to come into the back room with them. Being an automatic gentleman, Draco held open the door for her, then realised that she did not know about elves, but it was too late. Dolores’s eyes widened as she saw the small people with big ears.



“Oh dear!” she exclaimed, “Who are these youngsters?” Then promptly sat on the nearest chair looking bewildered.



Automatically Harry clicked into the conversation held with John, about different beings; altered slightly to suit the circumstances.



“But I teach the village children about fairy stories, how they hide a serious truth, but aren’t really true. Oh dear! Oh dear! No … I think you are just having an elaborate joke on my behalf. They’re just the village kids in fancy dress; not that I recognise any of them.”



“What would help you to believe?” Hamish asked. “Look at me carefully, am I really human, or does my shorter stature, longer nose and fingers mean something else?”



“Erm … So? I’m black, Draco’s got silver hair and is thin, John’s portly and balding. Those two mid-teenagers over there are from Indian stock and they look like twins, but we’re all human. Aren’t we?”



“Just take the concept a little further,” suggested Hamish slyly.



“Okay … I know … I’ve heard of pygmy tribes somewhere in my homeland … So pinkish ones could be on as well, not that I’ve ever heard of any.”



“You have another step to take yet, but let’s do that after lunch; that roast smells delicious.”



“Thanks Harry, It’ll give me time to adjust my perceptions. How small are their youngsters?”



“Next Sunday I’ll introduce you to my daughters. We’ll be staying over again, and I hope you’ll be their teacher, as I would want them to attend school in the village. They know some, but they will need all the basics so they can understand what they will be taught in secondary school.” Gertie smiled across the table.”



“Are some destined for Hogwarts, Gertie?”



“At least one is showing the signs, Harry. The other two are still too young to be sure.”



“Hogwarts, is that a private school?”



“Yes, Dolores, Hamish is one of the Professors, as are Draco and I.”



“You seem a bit young to be Professors, or is it more of this special race thing?”



“We are young, I have an emeritus master’s degree, and Draco is officially tutor in charge, with the qualifications to match. The college’s governors think we are the best for the job, so here we are.”



“Emeritus master’s degree, at your age; gosh! What in, may I ask?” Dolores looked diffident. “Or am I being too personal?”



“No you’re not. However I suggest that that revelation will be part of the next step, after lunch.”



Throughout lunch Dolores probed gently, trying to find out. Draco was the best one in defence, Harry usually stuttered. The intellectual fencing match was a wonder to behold, and kept their table on amused tenterhooks right through the meal. Dolores was invited to Magnet Cottage afterwards and the fencing match continued as they walked. John joined the group.



John and Dolores watched as the group of students was split and taken away to their practical training.



“You even teach on a Sunday?” Dolores was slightly shocked. “Your academy must be one of those crammers I’ve heard about. No wonder you have such a young master’s degree.”



“Are you okay with the idea of the different races, Dolores?” Harry asked.



“Yes! Got that one now, thanks.”



“Okay! How about different talents?” Draco asked



“No problem with that – basic teacher stuff, really.”



“Okay! Now I’m going to stretch your different talents perceptions. Are you ready?”



“Yes! At least I think so.”



“What do you feel about snakes?” asked Harry.



“Not screaming frightened, if that’s what you mean. Cautious is a better description because some of them can be dangerous.”



“Okay! I guarantee this one is not dangerous,” Harry said calmly.



Draco produced his snake.



“Where did that come from? May I touch it, please?” Dolores was obviously intrigued.



“Go ahead.”



Dolores stroked Draco’s snake for a minute, admiring the colours of its scales. Slowly, in front of her eyes, Draco made it melt away.



“Wow! That was some illusion. Is your academy for conjurers and the like?”



“In a way yes, but in a way well off the mark. Ready for the next step?”



“I like this! This is fun. A bit scary, but fascinating.”



“Carter, please come here?”



Pop: Kreacher appeared in butler form. “Yes Master Harry?”



“Would you become Kreacher, please?”



“Are you sure, Master?” Kreacher tried to mime Muggle.



“Quite sure, Kreacher.”



“Oh! Wow! That’s even better. Erm … How old are you Carter?” Dolores was smiling in delight.



“About a hundred-and-twenty, I think, my mother had difficulty counting. Please Mistress, use my proper name when I’m as I should be. It’s Kreacher, spelt with a K and I’m very proud of it.”



“I hope I didn’t offend you?”



“No Mistress. With my two peculiar Masters, I’m used to anything by now.” Kreacher gave Harry and Draco a mischievous wink. “I hope your lesson is fruitful, Mistress.” Pop.



“He just disappeared! Was he real?”



“Yes. Not one of my illusions.” Draco answered.



“Okay! So you can do real neat tricks. I bet you were doing those fireworks at the last dance when John blessed this house.”



“It was a couple of friends really. They’re better at that kind of thing; different talents again.” Draco smiled winningly.



“Accio broomstick.” Harry’s came at once to his hand. *Occludo wards.*



“I bet you’re going to ride that, but you’re a man. Only witches ride broomsticks.” Dolores eyes were alight in anticipation.



Harry did a couple of turns round the lawn and a couple of daring Quidditch moves.



“Where are the wires, Harry?” Dolores was grinning.



“Here, you find them.” Harry handed over his broomstick. “Care for a ride?”



Dolores felt all round Harry\'s broomstick. “Erm … you won’t drop me will you?”



“Of course not, though I’ll have to charm you first, and you’d better wear this medallion.” Harry thought through the charms, directing them at Dolores, Draco’s thoughts joined Harry’s.



He sat on the broomstick and invited Dolores to ride pillion. They wobbled a bit at first, but once Dolores felt safer they did a few circuits of the house followed by careful aerobatics at Dolores’s behest, before landing.



“Gosh! That was fun. I don’t know how you did it, but it was great. So what has this to do with teaching and your degree?”



“My degree is in DADA, Defence against the Dark Arts. Draco’s qualification is in potions. That is what we teach. We use magic – proper magic – for many things. In a way we inhabit a parallel world and yet we have to interact with this one too. The big fireworks display hid an attack, by practitioners of the dark way that would probably have wiped out the whole village. Our friends helped to disable the attackers and put them in prison. This cottage is under very special protection. Watch the sky for a minute.” Harry thought about removing the occlusion and it grew lighter again.



“Oh dear. How am I going to tell my pupils about this?”



“Probably never! You needed to know because you inadvertently saw the elves. Some of the farmers are aware too, as is Richard, John and probably Samantha. We entrust you with our secret, some of the villagers call it the old way; we think it’s rather apt. Most of us are likely to live at least two Muggle lifetimes. I’m not too sure about elves, but you saw how well Kreacher is, didn’t you?”



“What’s a Muggle?” Dolores asked.



“We are, My Dear,” replied John. “Us normal non magical beings. The great majority of people throughout the world.”



“How did you find out John?”



“You know I’m a trained exorcist, don’t you?”



“Yes?”



“Well I have the ability to distinguish magical people. So the first time Harry shook hands with me I knew at once. Then we visited and confirmed our status.”



“So how many are you?” Dolores was looking excited.



“We’re very concentrated here, mainly because of Harry and his parents,” explained Draco. “The group you saw are half the total first-year students for the British Isles. The others were here last weekend. Not so long back there were many more magical families living here, but some died out and others moved away. I daresay that we could identify them in the parish records even beyond the Rosmerta Nigrus of the plaque on the church wall.”



“Are you the good ones then? She must have been to have that commemoration.”



“We like to think we are. Like all people there are shades of light and dark.” Draco looked slightly worried, Harry mentally urged him on. “You see, I am a convert. My father is probably the most evil wizard around. He was a henchman of an even worse one that Harry killed in defence us and the school. Many innocents were murdered by him and normal police methods were totally inadequate. He infected the whole Ministry at one time making them to do things against their will. It was very difficult then.”



“You killed someone, Harry?” Both Dolores and John were aghast.



“Yes! And I still have nightmares about it. He killed me first, but I was sent back. He tried again but I reversed his curse, so in a way he killed himself.” Harry looked drawn and mournful.



“Don’t let Harry denigrate himself. I know I shall get into trouble from him, but you’d better know. Harry is the greatest wizard since Merlin, but for him most of Europe would be smoking ruins and you’d all be abject slaves.”



“Bloody hell, Malfoy. Shut up!”



“Truth will out, Potter and we all love you to bits, too.” Draco hugged his lover, fiercely.



Harry could do nothing but stammer and blush.



“All that Draco says is quite true.” Griphook affirmed. “Harry, Hermione and Ronald are champions of racial equality too. That’s why there are us goblins and elves supporting him, plus a few more other sentient beings. Harry and Draco are a specially bonded pair; acting together they could do almost anything, not that they will because they keep each other in check.”



“Do we, Griphook?”



“So Albus’s portrait in Minerva’s office says. You ought to meet her, Dolores; she’s the headmistress of Hogwarts.”



As if on cue, who but McGonagall walked in, followed by a bevy of governors.



“Hello Griphook, we thought you’d be with us.”



“Just keeping an eye on your two professors, Minerva. Is it debriefing time?”



“Yes! All your students are assembling in the practice area, Professors.”



*O hell, I’d forgotten about them coming,* Harry thought.



*No worries, Partner. We know what they were supposed to be doing. We can draw them out like yesterday,* Draco thought back. “Perhaps you would like to sit in the colonnade to observe, ladies and gentlemen.”



Harry was quaking so his first questions stumbled slightly. Draco helped out and soon they were in their stride, getting the students to realise what they had learnt, the ethical reasons behind their actions, and their needs in learning. As before the pair retired to the study to write their notes up, whilst the students splashed in the pool. As the pair were finishing Minerva looked in.



“Are you two free? We’d like to have a chat with you.”



Harry nodded dumbly, realising that he’d not done what he thought he ought to have done. Draco smiled bravely, catching some of Harry’s disquiet.



“Bring your notes with you. Please. We’ve commandeered Hamish’s study,” Minerva commanded.



During the short walk to Granary Cottage, Harry’s doubts filled his mind and overflowed into Draco’s, so two fairly fearful young professors faced a roomful of governors. To Harry’s surprise, John and Dolores were there. There was a quick-fire session of questions, which the pair tried to field and answer truthfully. Occasionally mind-feeding each other when they became stuck.



“Would you like to say why, after the feed-back session, you absented yourselves?”



Harry explained about making notes for future lessons, based on the knowledge revealed, their own expectations based on the agreed curriculum, and the voiced expectations of the students. Draco said that they knew what instruction was being given, and that the slight detachment allowed them to make a better judgement as to what the real situation was, not what the students thought it was. Harry used an amusing point based on what was real and what the Ministry said was real, from his own experience; thus illustrating Draco’s point. Their double act became more polished as the session wound on.



Amelia stood. “Professors, we were a little worried about your trust in others of about the same ages as yourselves to pass on information. However, what we saw in Tutors Thomas and Finnegan, totally affirmed your trust. Your two elfin instructors were patient and totally down to earth, if you’ll forgive the pun, and have shown us exactly what you meant by equality of races. Your mixed team here, including the Muggles is a real example of working together. Two of us managed to sit in on Kreacher’s literacy class and another two joined in the choir music class taken by Professor Holderness. However what impressed us most was your careful debriefing of the students, and above all the teaching notes which you keep. We do have one criticism, albeit a small one. We think that using your private abode as a dormitory for the students, is not in keeping with the standards of Hogwarts. We regard them as a temporary measure, until such time as Coach Goyle can make Milkwood into a fitting annex to the academy. To that end we have appropriated four thousand galleons from the Dumbledore bequest to support Coach Goyle and the four tutors in their plans for the practical annex to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Elder Kreacher will also be offered a suitable reimbursement for his efforts.”



Throughout Amelia’s speech Harry’s and Draco’s emotions were on a rollercoaster. They ended incoherently with tears in their eyes.



Luckily for them, Dolores was heard to whisper to John: “What’s a galleon?” and then “How much is it worth?” followed by: “Wow! Twenty thousand pounds just to do up the farm. Get them to help with the school roof.”



Magical ears being what they were; picked up on the supposed private conversation eagerly and a gubernatorial huddle took place.



“Headmistress Dolores, would five hundred galleons help towards the repairs?”



“What? Wow! Erm … That’s two-thousand five-hundred. Oh yes please.”



“There is one stipulation though.”



“Tell me?” Dolores looked anxious.



“That you agree with Headmistress McGonagall, the standards needed for student entry into Hogwarts. On her recommendation any student entering your school and showing magical leanings will earn a suitable support grant, on top of the aforesaid gift.”



John and Dolores had a quiet conference and then came to an understanding about the deal with a series of handshakes; agreeing to see to the legal niceties before absolute consent.



Minerva wandered over towards the two recovering professors. “Were you worried about the outcome? I wasn’t, I’d seen your notes from the tests, remember? I suspect you’d forgotten we were coming, hadn’t you? No! Don’t answer. It worked out very well, profits from the bequest will pay your five tutor’s wages, oh and you get another rise for becoming the supervising Professors. Yours will be the greatest Draco, because, although you’re getting the same add-on as Harry, we intend to pay rent for the use of the buildings and forest, so you will be almost on a par with Harry. Turn in a decent set of new potions and you’ll get your Masters as well.”



“W-w-what? M-m-me?” The tears now gushed profusely from Draco’s eyes. Harry hugged him and they stumbled up to their room to recover. Not long afterwards someone was hammering on the door.



“COME IN!” they quavered and sniffed.



“Harry, Draco, me mates. How d’you do it? What smashing news.” Seamus and Dean ran in and hugged the pair, Gregory wasn’t far behind either.



Dorothy and Kreacher were next. “Masters, what do we do, we’ve never been paid for working before? It’s just our duty. Knox and Kellie are totally overwhelmed by the offer.”



“Don’t refuse it, see Griphook and open an account. Later on you all may think how to use it. Think about Pullet and Phealey, how, if you\'d had some cash you might have saved them from a lot of agony. Maybe some special furniture for your rooms, or extra books for teaching. Save it and think about it. Okay?”



“Yes Masters, it shall be as you wish.”



“Dorothy, it your money, not ours. Have you been to see Dobby’s grave yet?”



“No Masters.”



“Well take a few days off and do so. Sit with him and see what he would have done with it, as a free elf.”



“Will tomorrow be all right?”



“Yes Dorothy, we’ll see you on Friday evening, Okay.”



“Yes Masters.”



The five magicians stayed in the bedroom; lolling on the bed or in chairs letting their excitement turn slowly into calm purpose. In a steadier frame of mind they went down to dinner. After the meal the Governors Apparated using the Apparemus charm and a medallioned Minerva in their centre. Hamish took the choir members back using the same system, once he was sure that the area outside the gates was clear of governors. John and Dolores wished the company goodnight also. Instead of the ethical debate, Draco told his story with Harry creating the illusions. Their mind melding became more proficient, and as Draco altered his telling, so Harry could make his images suitably pertinent.



Whilst showering, Draco and Harry congratulated themselves on covering up their absence, promising each other to do better next weekend. Their adrenaline rush during the meeting had drained their collective libido so apart from a few sloppy kisses nothing much happened. Contentedly cuddling, their conjoined comatose company enjoyed each other’s comfort.