Chaper 5

Chapter Five

Office of the Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hogsmeade, Scotland.

In the empty Headmistress' office, the portraits on the walls woke up and began to speak quietly amongst themselves.

"No good can come of it! A Muggle-Born witch to be head of school! Mark my words, no good will come of it."

"Which is it that bothers you more, Salazar; the witch part or the Muggle-born part?" That was Dilys Derwent, former Headmistress and noted Healer.

"In my day, the only witches who taught outside their homes were witches who couldn't find themselves a decent wizard. And I certainly didn't have any Muggle-born in MY house!"

The crotchety co-Founder of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin, could discourse for hours on his favorite topic, pureblood superiority. He had, in fact, done so many times. The other portraits on the wall had heard it before, and it hadn't been interesting the first time. Most of them didn't bother to reply; instead they went back to sleep or began conversing quietly amongst themselves.

The portrait of Albus Dumbledore remained awake, however, as did the one of Severus Snape.

"Amazing, really, how grown up they are, isn't it, Severus?" The portrait of Dumbledore was remarkably realistic; his eyes seemed to twinkle as he spoke to Snape’s portrait, across the office from his.

"To whom did you refer, specifically?” Snape looked up when Dumbledore spoke to him, an expression of long-suffering on his expressive features.

"Why, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, of course. I saw them in here earlier, when they came to open Minerva's desk, find her will, that sort of thing."

"Governor Malfoy, Chairman of the Board of Governors, and Madam Granger-Weasley, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, have turned out tolerably well. They both have made good use of their talents and station in life."

The twinkling-eyed old wizard, in the huge portrait directly behind the desk, chuckled as he looked across the office at the black-haired, sardonic younger one whose portrait hung on the wall above the sitting area.

"Tolerably well, Severus? I have not heard such effusive praise from you in many years."

A snort was the only reply from the black-haired wizard, but as the big office once again grew silent, the portrait of Albus Dumbledore chuckled and repeated, "Tolerably well, indeed. Yes, I should say so..." before nodding off to sleep once again.