Subtle Support

Chapter 45

Molly barked the special password Albus had given her for frequent visits if she didn't simply speak with him through owl or floo, "Peppered Treacle Tart!"

She quickly turned around on her son, "Stay here!" she snapped and stomped up the stairs.

"I'm not a crup," he said under his breath as he waited for his mother to finish speaking to the Headmaster. It was bad enough she was acting like Ginny when she had one of her temper tantrums.

He knew something was going on, and after this tournament he wasn't going to be anywhere near his mother. Somehow he knew it was going to blow up in her face, and he didn't want to be caught in the aftermath. Grandmother Cedrella warned them, and for once in his life he was going to take her warning to heart.

xoxox

Molly marched up the stairs and knocked loudly on the door. Normally she would have barged in, but with so many officials being about she knew that would cause unnecessary attention.

"Come in," he said grandfatherly.

She threw the door open with a loud bang and glared at the elderly wizard as though it was all his fault.

"Ah, Molly. What a wonderful surprise, aren't you supposed to be spending time with Harry?" Albus said, while his eyes twinkled.

"That's what I thought was supposed to happen, Albus," she hissed at him, "You told me that the muggles weren't going to be here! Well guess who waltzed into the room where the families were meeting up!"

Albus's eyes stopped twinkling as his eyebrows furrowed. He knew he asked Minerva if she had sent the muggles an owl and she had said no. However he didn't add a compulsion spell afterwards that would prevent her from doing so in the future. That and considering that he obliviated his deputy about the meeting entirely he wasn't able to give her directions on not to send the family a letter. He wasn't sure how they would get the letter though since he intercepted all of their owls, so he didn't think he had to worry about it. Aside from their first attempt at muggle post, which didn't go overly well, he didn't think to check their muggle post... While it threw a stone in his plans, he couldn't be as upset with Minerva for doing her job. It simply meant that she was still doing all the menial tasks that he didn't want to do.

It was a lack of thought on his part and now he had to work through this mess. He should have assumed that Minerva would be thoughtful enough to consider trying muggle mail before owl mail. He took a calming breath and looked up at the irate matriarch.

"They weren't informed last I checked, Molly. It was a minor mistake on my end since I was not clear with Minerva about sending out invitations to the Champions' families," he said calmly.

It was the truth. He had simply informed Minerva that the Champions' families had to be owled invitations before the final task. Normally they didn't owl the Dursleys anything, so he didn't believe that he had to do so involving this. He was the boy's magical guardian, however he wasn't the boy's family. His Deputy was an intelligent witch, those details simply slipped his mind this time.

"Well then get them out of here, Albus! Muggles do not belong in Hogwarts! It's a school that's supposed to be safe from them! It is a travesty that should be seen to immediately!" she shrilled.

Albus looked at the redheaded woman coldly.

"Molly, I'm afraid it is not against the rules for a Champion's family member to be on the grounds, muggle or not. If it was a normal Hogwarts event, I would be able to enforce this. However, TriWizard Tournament rules allow for the family of the chosen Champions to spend the day with them before the third task. With it being such a dangerous tournament normal rules are overridden for cases like these," he sighed, "I'm afraid my hands are tied, Molly. Have you tried asking the family if you could spend the day with them anyways?" he asked kindly.