| Details for Support and Supposition |
| Summary: | Madeline and Miranda share some gossip, theories, hopes, and fears. |
| Date: | October 22, 1939 |
| Location: | Library, Hogwarts Castle |
| Plot: | Headmaster From Hell |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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As far as Madeline is concerned, hiding in the library is the best place to be, while the school is buzzing with excitement over the MLE's visit. Despite the fairly visible role she played in the fiasco, the young Gryffindor is keeping her head down - and buried in her books. Her Defense Against the Dark Arts book is in front of her, and a rabbit stuffed animal with a bow around its neck is in her lap, as she girl determinedly scribbles at a sheet of parchment. Almost done with another assignment. Maybe she will catch up in time!
It's therefore more by chance than anything else that Miranda happens to spot Madeline. Her arms are full of her own collection of reading materials, but as she's turning to peer curiously toward the windows, the topmost book slides off to clatter onto the table. With a quick glance toward the librarian, Miranda sets the rest of the stack on top of the fallen one before she can cause more disturbances, but it's at that point she spots the younger girl. Quite used to the quiet of the library, rather than say anything right off the bat, she just gives Madeline a wide grin, then promptly sits.
Madeline glances up at the thump of the book - and from the wary look on her face, it's clearly not the smiling Hufflepuff that she expects to see. The tension in her shoulders eases and greets the girl with a nod, along with a friendly, "Hello."
Miranda hugs her books to her chest, leaning into the table as she sends the librarian another furtive look, but so far, the coast seems clear. She therefore lowers her head a little to quietly asks, with no shortage of bubbling enthusiasm, "Is it true?" The "it" in question is left ambiguous, though by the still widening grin on her face, she's probably not asking about any of the more humdrum gossip that floats around the school in more normal days. She can't keep it in too much longer, though, and with a slight hop in her chair, she adds, "You fought the Magijugend?" This, in a slightly higher pitch.
Madeline looks a little uncertain in the face of the vague question - there are so many rumors that could be circulating right now - that are competely true. As Miranda clarifies the question, though, she gives a slight nod of her head. "Yeah. I, uhh… Launched a box out of Greengrass's hands and it hit him on the head. And I, uhh… filled Black's mouth up with soap. Err- Lucretia Black. Not… Alphard."
Miranda gives another little bounce, so undignified for a seventh year, but she seems unabashed about it. "I cannot believe I missed the entire thing," she says in a rush, leaning back for a moment just to ponder it all. The next moment she's leaning forward again, though, continuing in the excited whisper, "Was that the box?"
"Well. I dunno," Madeine admits. "I lead the MLE to a box in the dungeons that Abraxas Malfoy hid - and me 'n Colton found. And then when the MLE tried to get it out of a locked room, the door slammed closed and locked them in and I had to run and get help. And by the time Dumbledore and I got there, they were out, and they had the box, and they brought it into Flint's office, and it was unlocked when they came out again, and Rena said they had the contracts. So I guess, probably, it was either in my box, or Flint kept them in his office the whole time." It all comes out in a hushed rush. "I mean, they didn't bring up any other boxes with them…"
Miranda makes a high-pitched sound that might earn them a few shushes, but she pays that no mind, instead just wiggling a little. "It's so excellent, isn't it? I mean, with the MLE involved, all this other nonsense should come to a stop? … Right?" The last word is a little more subdued and uncertain, but only in relation to the excited tone a moment earlier. "That's all so exciting. It's like… an action story, isn't it!"
"Yeah. I think it will. I hope it will. But maybe not before I get shoved into detention. Or expelled," Madeline answers quietly. She's still anxious - and who can blame her? She'll stay that way, right down to the moment when Flint is gone, and she's back in her first class.
Well, that quells Miranda's enthusiasm slightly. She bites her lower lip for a moment, but a second later she's back to her grinning self. "I think we should publicize what you did somehow," she says, this time in a real whisper as she ducks her head again, looking conspicuous, but confidential. "It's seemed to me there have been far more supporters of the Muggle-born in the school rather than of the pure-blood fanatics. It's just that the other group had Flint's support, yes? It's… intimidating," Miranda admits, as spots of colour appear on her cheeks. "But now… I think we should… we should…" She gathers herself up a little, eyes going wide. "We should rally!"
"Yeah. We should," Madeline agrees. They should have been rallying all along! She taps her quill against the table idly. "Don't know that I wanna be anymore, I dunno… noticeable. Until Flint's gone, anyways. I think I, uhhh… Brought plenty of attention to me."
"Oh… yeah," Miranda replies, excitement again deflating as she considers that side of things. "I hope… that is, I mean… they can't expel you, right? You're adorable! And… even if there was rule-breaking, not saying there was, just if," she says, frowning in thought as she thinks out loud, "don't they need to take into account the reasons?"
"As long Flint's still in charge," and he still is, "the reasons count against me. And I definitely broke the rules - using magic on other students, when I'm supposed to be shining shoes. And, umm. I kinda wrote on the walls with a crayon. In the dungeons." Madeline looks a little sheepish about this.
Miranda can't help but giggle a little bit at that. "You didn't," she says a moment later as she hugs her stack of books again. "What did you write?" A bare pause before she adds, "And how can they possibly leave him in charge? The bleeding Wizengamot is involved now. Maybe this means the Board will be stepping in, too. I did hear the Malfoy bloke was around, too, right?"
"Oh, just marks to help me find my way," Madeline explains. "I got lost. So I started making which way I'd gone on the walls. You know?" She still suspects Pringle's gonna make her go down there and clean it off. "Yeah, he was here. He was with me and Professor Dumbledore when the MLE came out of the dungeons," she explains. "And he took them up to see Flint."
Miranda's "Oh" might imply she was hoping there were words involved, but she still gives a last giggle and shakes her head slightly. "Still. That has to mean a turn for the better. With everything else going on these days, Hogwarts needs to be a safe place." She gnaws her lower lip again and stares at the middle of the table for a moment. "I wonder if this means the Magijugend's authority has been revoked."
"I don't know," Madeline answers. "I don't know if they know, either. At least none of them have bothered me for studying yet. Eibon used to do that, you know. Bother me about reading from anything other than the MUD book." She's silent for a moment, then adds quietly, "What I really wanna do - if SCUMS is canceled - well. I wanna get all the MUD books together, and pile them up, and have a bonfire. With marshmallows."
"I support that idea wholeheartedly," Miranda declares quietly, back to her wide grin. "Normally just being a book might salvage the thing's value, but not this one. Actively refusing to teach someone? Misleading students? It's obscene."
Madeline fiddles with her quill before adding quietly, "I wonder what'll happen to Tash, though. I mean… He really does seem nice. He never mistreats us - even if his class is a waste of time. I guess he'll have to find another job, somewhere else."
"Well…" Miranda begins, then trails off to furtively look around the table for any eavesdroppers. Regardless, she drops her voice back to a whisper and leans toward Madeline slightly. "The thing is, there are witches and wizards out there who might… you know. Benefit," she says, looking guilty as she says it. "I mean… it's not like every magically inclined human being ends up in Hogwarts, right?" Not that she sounds entirely certain of the fact. "I just mean, what if there really are folks out there who can only attain that level of magic?"
Madeline looks uncertain. "You mean - people who have magic, but not enough magic to be a proper witch or wizard?" she asks. "There's such a thing? But… well. If we brought people like that here… they'd just get treated like we were, I bet. And that wouldn't be fair to them… No one should have to…"
Miranda nods quickly. "No, that's what I meant. If there were people out there who can learn but can't quite meet Hogwarts' standards, or something, then Tash's teaching might be just what they need. Like… like a tutor. Or…" That's as far as she gets, though, slumping enough to rest her chin on her stack of books for a moment.
"Well… maybe," Madeline says dubiously. "But don't you think they'd still get teased? 'Ooo. You go to Tash for tutoring!' You know?" She lets out a sigh. "I guess it doesn't matter, though. I mean, he's an adult. So he'll be alright, right?"
Miranda agrees with a small nod as she sits up again. "Teasing is still better than being forced to remain uneducated, though. Oppression, that's what that is," she adds in a dark mutter, then ends with a grimace. She taps her fingers against her books for a moment, then glances quickly toward the doors, then back at Madeline. "I should get going. I do want to say, though, regardless of what happens, well done, Evans," she finishes, complete with a grinning thumbs-up.
"Teasing's still pretty bad," Madeline mutters quietly. But as Miranda congratulates her, she does manage a smile at the older student. "Thanks, Goshawk," she agrees. "Umm. goodluck with your studies, I guess."