It was a day full of paperwork, the kind of day she detested, but it needed to be done, especially since everything was almost done with the werewolf wing, and the bulk of her parchment pertained to this specific project. 

Leaning into her chair she took a break from bending over her papers and stretched her left hand.  After doing that she reached back and scratched Speedy on the head who pushed against her fingers, enjoying the moment of attention.  The whole day he felt like he had been ignored, but he understood that his human was just working hard.  The raven had seen how quickly the new wing had been installed, and besides being functional… he was mostly taken with all the shiny surfaces.

The bird wiggled as she ruffled the feathers on his chest, and with a huff he set to righting his plumage as she stood up to pop the bubbles out of her back, neck, knees and wrists.  Picking up a roll of parchment she began to walk around her office, her high heels clacking on the hard floor, unconsciously using her wand to take a pot of fresh coffee from her magically beverage drawer and pouring herself a fresh cup.

The flapping of wings distracted her from her work.  The sound was even, so it couldn’t have been Speedy, and a look at the bird still perched on the back of her chair combing his feathers with his beak confirmed her suspicions.  It had to be out of the Ministry too, since lavender notes normally didn't flap, they just flew.  Putting down the levitating coffee pot and her parchment, she prepared for the bird's arrival, searching one of her other desk drawers for a treat.

(The envelope is pretty standard, but the parchment inside looks like it has been handled and fidgeted with many times. Drops of ink dot the text in places where Fauna held the quill over the parchment, trying to figure out what to say next. Her handwriting is a bit shakier than normal).

Fauna Blake
Hufflepuff Table
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Ms. Covadonga Gertrudis
Dept of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
Ministry of Magic

Dear Ms. Gertrudis,

First, I want to say thank you so much for letting me have the internship with you over the summer. I learned a lot and I’ll never forget it. We had some exciting times (like the Runespoor!) and it all taught me a lot. I really look up to you.

I have some bad news unfortunately. I know you’re always so busy but I was hoping you could help? Since you’ve headed the new werewolf programs I thought… well, I thought you would know what to do.

My best friend Ollie is a werewolf. She’s the reason why I care so much about things changing for the better. But, about a week before school started, I found out that she’s not coming back to Hogwarts. What happened was, or as far as I know, Emma Foley (Ollie’s mum) sent the new headmistress Snark a letter informing her of Ollie’s condition and what they normally do to take care of it. Because Hea Mr. Greyfriar has always known, you know? He’s always s been so supportive and had figured out a way to keep her at school. But Headmistress Snark wrote back saying that Ollie couldn’t go to Hogwarts anymore because it was too dangerous. It’s I

I mean, I’m not sure if it’s because she’s new so she’s being extra careful and trying to do what she thinks is best. I’m trying to give her the benefit of    But she seems really determined about this. I know Ollie and her mother and it hurts them so much that Ollie can’t finish her schooling. It just doesn’t seem fair. I wrote to Mr. Greyfriar too and he said he was going to talk to you. I hope, maybe, if you have the time that something can be done. It’s a lot to ask but it’s really important to me (and Ollie of course).

I also thought I’d say that this girl I know at Hogwarts, Astrid O’Malley. She started a group called Students Against Werewolf Segregation. I joined and I hope it will help things a little. Ollie told me she wanted me to tell everyone why and what happened to make it so she can’t come back, because she said there’s no reason for her to hide anymore. I’ll let you know how the club goes!

Thank you for everything,

Taking up her mug she began to sip her coffee as she took the letter up and opened it.  After a few seconds of reading her left eye began to twitch, her body began to shake like an earthquake, and her lips stretched far back as if she were smiling.  Speedy had rarely seen Covi look like that, but he knew what it meant.  Keeping his head low he quickly flapped up to the highest bookshelf and hid in a gap between books.

This was not going to be pretty.

You see, when a gorilla smiles or any other animal for that matter, it is actually a sign of aggression.  The baring of teeth showed the opponent the lethality of their primary weapon, and unlike a mere hiss, this was in no way a defensive gesture.  Through her years working with beasts it was an expression Covadonga had used often to show who the boss when working with dangerous creatures was and gain the upper hand.  It was an expression that obviously had stuck with her so that it naturally came out even when out of the trees and plains.

From outside the office her employees’ eyes went wide when all of the sudden they heard what sounded like a mix between a bark, a growl, a roar, and a shriek.  Poking their heads out of their doors and up from the cubicles in the center of the department like meerkats to see what beast on the great green world could make such a noise, they were sent scurrying away when a hot cup of coffee shot out of their DH’s open office door overhead, bursting into an untold amount of shards as it collided with the opposing side of the hall.  This was followed by a huge inhalation and a blood-curdling scream as a full pot flew hard and fast in the same path as the mug, smacking someone (who had prematurely thought he was in the clear) on the side of the head before meeting the same fate as the aforementioned mug.

Then out stormed Department Head Covadonga Gertrudis, her heavy deliberate steps making more of a BOOM then a clack as she walked along, sparking wand in one hand and the letter firmly clutched in the other.  Thank Merlin she had been wearing dress pants and not a pencil skirt, or else her long strides would have ripped apart the seams.

After a very quiet lift ride to Level One—all other occupants pressed firmly against the walls, keeping as much distance between the angry witch and themselves—her march continued, completely blowing off Claudia’s protests as she barged through the doors of the Minister’s Office.

Walking right up to Marcus’ desk, she dropped the crumpled parchment, huffing and puffing like a dragon after a long chase, eye still twitching and teeth still bared, unable to utter a word.

With the wing developing nicely, and the paperwork almost all in order, Marcus was just about ready to jumpstart everything. Public opinion was a necessity when a reform such as this was underway. So he would take this to the public, but only after he had an honest meeting between his Department Heads. He had put a stack of papers in the OUT Box when Covi made her way rather angrily to his desk.

What was the problem? Would she stop? Is she going to crash through his desk? He prepared to grab his wand for a Repair Spell, when she came to a halt and threw down a crumpled note in front of him. She had done a fair job at keeping her composure, and she didn't start yelling or growling as soon as she entered, so it wasn't anything Marcus did. Then again, with Covi one could never quite tell. It's what made her so good with animals. 

Marcus picked up the paper and read it's contents carefully. It was indeed heartbreaking, but opinions needed to be halted for the sake of diplomacy. "Take a seat, please." Marcus looked up from the page and saw that Covi had not moved from her spot. Marcus stood up and walked to her, with a safe amount of hesitation. "Covi, let's talk about this." He gently put his hands on her shoulders to hopefully calm her down. The height difference was unavoidable. Even so, she was a powerhouse when she wanted to be. "Please, sit down. Somethig this serious needs to have some dialogue. You came to me, so let's talk about this."

Marcus walked to his door and closed it, unconsiously checking the hinges for structural damage. He then made his way back to his desk, and waited for Covi to regain some semblance of composure, and put away her wand. It wasn't going to be easy, but Marcus would be patient. The phrase 'Hell Hath No Fury...' kept repeating through Marcus' head during the tense waiting game.

Calming down somewhat, she stopped shaking, but shrugged away from his grasp, the touch awkward to her.  True there was a whole night they had spent together—yet that was all drinking and talking and making sure he wasn’t getting eaten by her Tavertan—but there was no touching involved.  Come to think of it, the human touch was always awkward to her, most of the time it was so insincere, so what was the point?  There were only a couple touches she could tolerate: like a hug from one of her brothers… or the one that’s left that’s capable of… hugging…

Quickly she pushed that thought out of her mind and began to pace, unable to take a chair as the Minister had asked.  If he knew any better he would not do so again.  At least, she was able to talk now.

It took some effort to bring her mouth back under control and quit her gruesome grin, “What…” she paused, running her fingers through her dirty blond hair, her wand sparking once, “what is the next… appropriate step?”  There were many options and paths she had thought of just during her trek here, but they were hardly acceptable.

Simon was in the office reading a book trying to keep his head about him. The situation seemed to fly into a flurry before him. Catching Covi fly out of the place she was sitting with the corner of his eye he dropped his book and followed her with quick strides behind his boss. As her right hand man, Simon was constantly there to help fight the battles though Covi was fully capable of cutting and burning those in her way.

They made their way towards the minister's office and he found himself scooting behind her rather close when they entered and she started in on him over the letter. The crumpled piece of parchment looked like a piece of litter picked up off the walk now that hurricane Gertrudis had it.

"Remind me not to upset you," Simon said under his breath as he moved to a bookshelf to lean on. Crossing his arms, Simon cocked his head to the side looking at her and the minister curious to how to react. Simon sadly wasn't informed before Covi blasted past him with such a strong stride she could have snapped someone's neck if they had been watching her. It wasn't likely that he would be forced to wonder much longer. There was an expression he could read on her face that said something was definitely about to go down and he wanted to be sure that he was ready if needed.

“What is the next… appropriate step?”

Marcus contemplated that thought as he closed the door to his office, her words dripping of venom not yet spewed. Simon Reid, Covi's ever-present assistant had followed close behind her, and made his way into the office before the door finally closed.  Marcus nodded in much the same way one would nod while at a funeral greeting an acquaintence. As he sat down, she refused to do so herself. Marcus was smart, and knew not to ask again.

"The next... appropriate... step? Based on what was written in this letter, I'd say you're right on the money with anger. It's no secret that you and the current Headmistress never got along, and she had a vague idea of the reform idea when she left the Ministry of Magic. Forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn, but to any onlooker it would seem as if she was doing this to spite you. Upon first glance, that what it looks like to me."

Marcus looked over the letter one more time, quietly cursing one of the few people he was truly fold of. Would she really do this because of a grudge? It was nearly impossible to tell at this point in time. "She may have jurisdiction over that school, but the law is the law." Marcus finally put down the note and stood up. He walked over to his bookshelf, taking a moment not to do anything brash like kick it and yell out some kind of curse word. "We'll investigate this, and find out what the real reason is."

"As much as you may hate to hear it, but it's entirely possible that the student in question made some sort of threat, thinly veiled or otherwise. This is why these matters are investigated though, to get to the bottom of it. I'll speak to Tamis Raynor, and see if she could send a couple of her people to do a little detective work. In the meantime, how about you take the rest of the day off."

It was obvious that anything he said wasn't going to be good enough. He knew that coming into it. This was politics, and it's never pretty. Especially when it involves something you take personally. "Something tells me you have something else in mind, and I feel sorry for whoever it is. Please though, speak freely here. What's on your mind?"

“To SPITE me?” she hissed the words back and cackled, “I seriously doubt that this is mere spite.”  Covadonga hoped that Analiza was incapable of stooping that low.  It seemed at every turn she was more and more reluctant to admit to herself how she once respected and admired the former Department Head for being a strong, powerful young woman.  Those days ended a few months ago, fairly soon after her promotion.

“And I am not so sure as to how much she knew about the developments happening on my Level,” from what she had seen Analiza had already begun to phase herself out by the time she really started doing any major moving.

The witch was about to shoot the Minister a nasty glare, but had been able to gain more composure as she had been speaking.  “With all due respect, sir, I think what is on my mind should stay where it is,” looking to Simon and then back to Marcus she added, “I believe it would be better for us all if it stayed that way.”

She finally stopped pacing and took a deep breath, taking out her pocket watch and flipping it open to take a gander.  Shutting it and putting her wand away, she cut to the quick, “I know that character witnesses will not be enough for Headmistress,” again with the hissing, “Snark.  I know Miss Foley to be a good and responsible witch; her mother has made doubly sure of this.”  She was getting pissed off again just thinking about how poor Emma was handling this.

Covadonga found this to be an excellent outlet to utilize her new resource, “Mr. Reid,” she focused her blue eyes right onto his steel ones, “I know all her Registry paperwork is clear, as well as any other information regarding impromptu evaluations,” of the young student’s Safe Room at home and other things the law required a werewolf to keep on top of, “but is there anything else you can think of?”

The way the note seemed to sit in the Minister's hands, he found himself even more curious than before. Having been described as Covi's 'lap dog' on more than one occassion, one might asssume that he already knew what was going on. Simon however found himself more and more out of the loop as the meeting progressed. When the minister made his way towards the book shelf, Simon peeled himself off the wall and headed to the desk towards the curious note which caused such an uproar.

Lifting the parchment to his view, Simon felt his face grow hot as he read down the list of travesties. To think a student was denied an education due to something she couldn't control. Simon bristled but maintained his composure, "Surely this is a miscarriage of right and wrong, the student has never hurt anyone before why deny her the right to learn so suddenly?" The heat coming off his body could radiate for miles if he let his anger erupt. Simon was so prone to going off the handle, it was something he promised Covi he would work on.

"There is no just cause to bar her from the school," he replied coolly placing the parchment back on the desk before he might rip it to shreds. "I think that it would be foolish to let a petty vendetta deprive her from schooling. When does it stop being discrimination because a student is a werewolf, to when they are part veela or perhaps part giant. Would Ms. Snark deny them access as well?" Simon was careful not to overstep his bounds, but he was now just as livid as his direct supervisor.

"No, there is no reason to stop her. As long as she is constantly evaluated, has a safe house, and takes the required wolfsbane, she is no danger to society," he paused and looked squarely at Marcus, "Despite what anyone else thinks this student is not the problem at that school." Clearly the new Headmistress had made yet another enemy in the Ministry.

"Well, let's not go that far just yet, Mr. Reid. There are several moves being played, and we're only aware of one of them. It's possible that this action is nothing more than a power trip from a woman who has never held such a position. It's also possible that, and I'm not going to rule it out, that it's out of spite. Scoff at that all you want, Ms. Gertrudis, but it's well documented that she didn't quite favor you or, as collateral damage, your department."

"Or it could be directed at me. Merlin only knows why though." The truth was, Marcus could understand exactly why it could be directed his way. They had a pseudo-romantic history that only one other person in the room knew about, and there weren't any kind words exchanged when him and Analiza left each other's company. To think that she could be that petty, based on some kind of grudge, was hard to think about.

"Anger isn't going to do any of us any good, that goes for you too Mr. Reid. We need to have some clarity when it comes to this very delicate subject." Marcus walked around back to Covi. Cooler heads needed to prevail, and it was time for Marcus to lead by example. "Ms. Gertrudis, can you think of any court cases that are similar in form? Are thare an y precedences set by other cases in the past?" Marcus turned to Simon, "Anything off the top of your head?"

“Of course!” she said automatically.  “Remus Lupin is a prime example.  I will go through all the records we have to see if there were any others.”  Running her fingers through her hair, her heels click-clacked a couple times as she took a few steps back and forth, the other hand rubbing her chin.  “I may have to ask permission to go through some educational records, though, to corroborate anything that I may find.”

The more she concentrated on how to rectify the situation logically, her anger faded.  It was all business now.  “Actually… most of the cases I can think of were all male,” looking up to Marcus she added, “Females are known to be a little more violent…” a sad truth.  “But I know Miss Foley is very good at keeping to her Wolfsbane, and for all the years of it she has built up in her system, reports from her mother say she is docile when she transforms.”

There was… one month wherein Mungo’s did not report a purchase of Wolfsbane by Emma.  Professor Greyfriar, as he would always remain ‘professor’ to her regardless of his current occupation, said that the Potion’s Master concocted the Wolfsbane that time for the young Hufflepuff.  It was still a very shaky record.  All she had was the owl to go off of for that one.  She had been held in the castle because her mother could not take her home that time.

However, in her case it was almost better than Lupin’s.  He would retreat to the Shrieking Shack, not totally off-grounds, which was still a risk.  And he was supervised by his peers, not an adult.  In addition any records of him in the Ministry were foggy.

“But… there is still a great possibility for winning,” or losing, depending on who the Education people sided with, but weren’t they the ones who appointed her?  What trickery did she do there?

The minister looked dead at him and asked for any court cases that he could think of. Granted Simon was in the position, but it was still a new one. Up until this point he hadn't even had a chance to read the bloody letter so he had no ammo when they came into the gun battle. Leave it to Covi to shoot from the hip and leave him in the dust.

To think he was the one with the short fused reputation in their office, hmph not by a long shot.

"I have to do my research, however it is a well known fact that Remus Lupin, as already stated by my supervisor here, was a student while suffering from the affliction. I am certain there were other instances, I just need to be able to do some research." Merlin knows if there was anything Simon hated more than going into that office, it was going in unprepared for the questions coming his way.

Simon had two strikes going against him already with the Ministry as a whole. One he was a former Auror disgraced because of his anger issues and temper problems. Two the reasoning for why he had those issues was his Lycanthropy. To be a short fuse was one thing, to be considered dangerous on a regular basis because of something you couldn't control was a whole other ball of wax.

"She is not a danger any other time then when the moon is full, there is no just cause to keep her from the school because of a once a month event. That is what the Late Professor Dumbledore thought of Mr. Lupin and that remains the same now." Simon winced when he spoke his name, the loss of a great Headmaster even now weighed heavily on those who went to the school or spoke it's name.

There was a plethora of information coming Marcus' way in this meeting. He was not aware that the student in question had skipped her Wolfsbane purchase. "Finding the previous cases will do us some good, but that doesn't change the fact that a month went by without her purchasing her Wolfsbane. This could cause some problems down the road."

"We'll have to introduce Knox Greyfrier as a material witness, because I know that he would have had no problems in providing her with what she needed if she missed a purchase. The problem with that though is that he's not the Headmaster of Hogwarts anymore, and can't be helpful in that regard." Marcus was now beginning to get angry, much in the same way that Covi had been not more than a minute ago. He had to control the tempo in his voice, so as not to appear like he is coming unglued.

"It's not as if Headmistress Snark is going to provide her with Wolfsbane. With that in mind, plus this new information I've been given about the month she forgot... I can actually understand why Snark made the decision she did." Marcus turned to his Department Head, "Which means that it's even more important to find something to use against her ruling."

"This is why we're doing what we're doing with werewolf legislation reform, so that anyone else like Ollie won't have to suffer just because something horrible was thrust upon them. What we have to do is very important, Ms. Gertrudis. Have Mr. Reid comb your department's archives, and cross-reference then with the Law Enforcement's case files. I'll contact our new Department Head and attempt to get the necessary releases. I'll also contact Tamis Raynor so you can speak to any Aurors that may come up in these files."

"Do either of you have anything you'd like to add?"

Covadonga sighed, now getting annoyed with him at how pissed off he was getting, hardly realizing how much worse than him she was just a while ago.

Pinching the bridge of her nose she said, “Come to think of it I believe the absence of Wolfsbane procured from St. Mungo’s or a reputable dealer while she was in Hogwarts will hardly be a problem.  The Potion’s Master there, from what I hear, is more than experienced in the matter,” she looked back up at him, “the people I get my animal medicinals from say he was actively brewing the potions when Mungo’s was shut down,” meaning back in the war.  However, it was hardly likely she would have to expound upon that for Marcus.

“It really would be no trouble to get a word from him, I am sure.  He was also present there when Miss Foley transformed.  Most Safe House supervisors hardly even do that.”  Mostly they just made sure their visitor was comfortable before turning about and locking the door.

As for Knox, “Do not forget he is an Elder now,” she grimaced.  Hopefully his new position may elevate his standing even higher.  However, if he was one of the Wizengamot Elders he could not be used as a witness.  It was a hard choice to either have him rule directly in the girl’s favor or convince his peers from the stands.

Tilting her head down, the Department Head mumbled to herself more than anyone else with a gloomy look in her eyes, “I wish Akiva was back…”  Last hearing from Tulo she was recovering nicely, but she would have been an excellent asset in helping Simon and her find all the files and references they needed for this kind of situation.

Knox Greyfriar strode down the corridor to Minister Annwyl's office, a letter in his hand. He'd been incredibly busy with the Wizengamot Elder selection process, the vetting, the interviews, the orientation and the nearly endless hours spent brushing up on the laws for the cases he'd soon be ruling on.  It had been gruelling.

But two horrible letters had found their way to him this month, and he was going to deal with at least one of them today now that he had a spare moment.  Greyfriar wasn't sure how most people handled their first few weeks at the Ministry of Magic, but the bearish old wizard wasn't interested in tip-toeing about.  He needed to speak with Covadonga Gertrudis.  Her assistant said she was with the Minister of Magic.

So be it.


The door was closed, but he could hear Covadonga's raised voice.  He looked to the receptionist who regarded him with raised eyebrows, finally gesturing him in with a shrug.  The receptionist was an old student and must have known Knox had good footing with both Annwyl and Gertrudis.

Inside, Knox paused.  Covadonga looked livid, Marcus Annwyl like he was trying to remain calm and balanced, and was that Simon ...Reid?

And they all looked at him as if he'd been conjured from thin air.  He looked from person to person.

"I've heard about Olivia Foley at Hogwarts.  I gather you all have as well.  Good fortune to Fauna Blake for her fantastic letter-writing skills or Snark might well get away with this one.  Where are we at on fixing this?"