"And when are you going to declare your actions with the Deparment of Magical Law Enforcement?" Asked Perry. He gestured to Mordecai Hollingbury who represented the Department at the table so to speak. Greyfriar might feel good confessing his sins to the governors but they were not the wizengamot.

“And this has nothing to do with the sorting hat issue?” Gamp asked.
“I would not be surprised if it is. There has been a lot going on in the castle to make people angry.” Coffin concurred. Neither of them gave the impression they were huge supporters of Knox Greyfriar. Francis felt their comments were not useful at this moment, but the only suggestion outwardly to this belief was the crease in his brow above his nose.

“… It’s our role to do what’s best for Hogwarts.” That, Pepper agreed, was their role.

“… if the Sorting Hat were offended by the likes of me to the point of dysfunction, I think this will not have been the first time…” Knox assured the other wizards, and then went on to explain why he kept the wands for so long. It was out of fear and shame.

“… If my first duty is to surrender the wands, I have done it. If my second duty is to the students of Hogwarts, here I am.” Knox explained, “.. It seemed wiser than surrendering the wands and hoping this esteemed quorum wouldn’t notice.”

“And when are you going to declare your actions with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?” Gamp issued another question. This one, Francis felt, was more logical, though could have perhaps been phrased more delicately.

“I assume Greyfriar has already sought advice,” he interjected softly after his fellow unspeakable. “On the serious implications of this decision…” He glanced to the Headmaster with a look of gentle support.

"My colleague makes a compelling point," said Peter Coffin, motioning at Gamp. The two men seemed to have a common footing.

"This will involve Level Two eventually, and it may come to the Wizengamot. If we keep the Headmaster in his seat, it could expose the school to legal liability."

There was, somewhere in his head, genuine concern for Hogwarts. With Greyfriar's long history at the school, who knew how much his actions touched the place, how much his employment had acted as a shield from scrutiny.

"Granted, we could be exposed to liability even if we accept this resignation. It's quite the predicament."

"I have to this body admitted no crime," Knox Greyfriar stated boldly, "that would not be surmised by the presence of the wands in the capable hands at the Museum. You are not my confessors. I have not made Hogwarts a conspirator. Governor Gamp, I have no doubt the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will have questions for me and for the rest of you. But, because I have kept my presentation to this body brief and to the point of my disingenuous resignation, I can't imagine you'll have much to tell them. A very happy position indeed for those wishing to avoid scrutiny, I think Governor Coffin will agree."

Then to kind Francis Pepper would could be counted on time and again, he bowed his head. "I have indeed been advised. I would not blame this body in the slightest if it were to delay their ruling to seek similar counsel."

The topic of the Department of Law Enforcement was inevitable, but at being gestured to Mordecai physically brought his hand up to his pinch the bridge of his nose. Merlin, he hadn't brought it up for a reason, but he knew the others at the table were aware of his position outside of the governors.

"The issue I have is that eventually this act of the governors backing you up will be publicised. This matter will draw the attention of two parties outside of Hogwarts. The first is the parents, who may or may not have their own protestations once this matter comes to light. We would need a good reason for them to understand why we support you instead of approving your resignation, the latter with which some of them would no doubt agree. We can't expect every parent to agree, of course, but we should at least have a logical reason that can convince or stand its ground against the opposition, should there be one.

"Secondly we should be concerned about public image. Like it or not, the Daily Prophet and other assorted news tabloids and publications will pick up on this story and the public will not be so informed as we are on the matter. This may or may not give ammunition towards the school's image and associations. I will not elaborate further on the matter as it is a topic that deserves its own time and focus, but the reasoning is largely the same as my first point. We need a good reason to reject your resignation, Greyfriar, because if we do and we don't have a solid justification, the governors will also share the brunt of that image of liability."

He rested his hands on the table, looking towards the Headmaster respectfully. "In the interests of remaining neutral given my general stance on such matters I will refrain from suggesting such reasons. First and foremost we need to see to the public image of this school and our duty to the students and parents just as much as yours. We can worry about Level Two later, and as much as I may represent it here at this table I am in the interest of not speaking for them at this moment."

Peter Coffin was keen to look at it from the legal perspective of Hogwarts, which he was prone to do with his training. But Greyfriar insisted he had not admitted a crime. Francis let his brow crease in confusion.

“… I have no doubt the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will have questions for me and the rest of you…”

Francis shifted uneasily at that thought.

“… I have indeed been advised. I would not blame this body in the slightest if it were to delay their ruling to seek similar counsel.”

This didn’t ease Pepper’s worries, and he was happy to defer to Mordecai as a representative of the aforementioned department.

“As a parent, I would be more concerned if the Headmaster’s actions mean he cannot represent the school and take charge of the students. He hasn’t, to my knowledge, done anything more than retained wands of those who have passed, rather than passing them on to an occupied Ministry…?”

Knox Greyfriar had put his head in the lion's maw and now asked the creature to spit him back out. Mordecai Hollingbury voiced the folly of it splendidly.

"I assure you all," he said with the first note of a raised voice, "that I am the same man that you all have known for years, the same man that most of you have supported in the past. No one has ever come to harm by my hand or wand, and should the details of those years of my youth become public, you will not be disappointed in me. You will not regret having trusted me.

"If that one thing is not enough to believe in my request, then perhaps you will be motivated against being manipulated. Someone outside of our number has endeavored by blackmail to force me out. Someone out there thinks he knows something, thinks you ought not be given the chance at all to consider the matter."

He removed his hat to smooth his hair and then put it on again. "Defy chaos. Refuse my resignation. I think very much you'll be found sane to do so."

"Would it not look better if..." Proposed Perry pausing to ensure he had the attention of the others "if it does come out as you suspect that we make a play of suspending you pending an investigation? Then if nothing comes to light nobody need know more of this whole meeting?" Often the simplest way was the best way forward. If the public got to hear that the governors knew first and let Greyfriar stay without investigating? Then they would look just as bad in his opinion.

Mordecai lifted his hand to his bearded chin, resting his head for a moment as he closed his eyes in evidently solemn thought. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before opening his eyes and looked over at Knox.

"Would a unanimous vote be a little too suspicious for those not privy to this meeting?" His tone was neutral, gentle, inquiring. "What if I were to accept your resignation as it stands currently, Greyfriar? Will there be consequences for not acquiescing to your request?" Mordecai paused.

"What if I said no?"

It was an eventuality Greyfriar had thought of during these few intervening long nights, the the governors would want to know more of their own power, that they might set him out upon some thin ice while they made themselves comfortable with the facts.

But Mordecai Hollingbury took things to a dismal place. The Hogwarts Headmaster, such that he still was for the moment, furrowed his brows and tried not to bristle.

"I can't imagine you're referring to some kind of retaliation, Mr. Hollingbury," Knox said firmly. "Heed only your wits and hearts, sirs and madams, as I must heed mine. If you should all agree with Mr. Hollingbury I won't go to my bed regretting our meeting."

He was finding his long-winded steam again. "If I may say, Mr. Gamp's suggestion of Hogwarts' own inquiry would not be disagreeable to me. Then you may retain the public's trust in your judgement and learn all you care to find out."

As Greyfriar had suspected, some among the Governors' numbers will be scandalized by the heart of the matter, while others would be preoccupied by the optics of it all. He could only hope he'd begun to appease them both.

This had quickly become rather an uncomfortable meeting. Francis found himself wondering if he could turn back time, have a bit of a think and then return to the meeting better prepared. It all felt rather ambushed and that Knox, for all his benefits and qualities, was trying to force their hand into supporting him on a personal matter, rather than a Hogwarts one.

“… Mr Gamp’s suggestion of Hogwarts’ own inquiry would not be disagreeable to me…”

“Much as it may be difficult,” Francis added quietly, “I am inclined to agree with Gamp’s proposal too.” He gave Knox an apologetic look.