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On normal occasions, the view of the domain under his charge was sufficient for a smile to come upon his lips. A small fifteen-minute walk was necessary from the emplacement of the first wards protecting Hogwarts to the great doors, and this trip was normally the occasion when he found the time to observe the architecture and the splendour of his school.
Today it was not the case. Today the half-kilometre separating him from the marble stairs was an obstacle in his path. The doors and the stairs leading to them were visible from his position, but they might as well be on the moon for all the good it did.
Fifteen minutes ago, he had emergency Apparated here when he had felt the outer wards of the school being activated for a lock-down. Those wards were the ones he had temporarily given to Minerva's custody per the terms of his suspension. Going on a lock-down was a serious sign that something incredibly grave had happened; given that his Deputy was unable to answer his Patronus, the Headmaster of Hogwarts had arrived rapidly to the conclusion Minerva had been incapacitated.
But then the Head of House Gryffindor was not the only formidable witch or wizard teaching the students nominally under his charge. He had tried to contact Severus and Filius...with the same absence of results. Moving further down the list of teachers he considered reliable, he had sent Patronus after Patronus to be met by the same absence of answers.
The conclusion was obvious: the 'Heir' plot Lucius Malfoy and his Death Eater friends had somehow activated to help their political agenda in the Wizengamot was out of control. In the sanctuary of his mind, the Chief Warlock swore the Malfoy Lord was going to regret it, oh yes. Several 'anonymous denunciations' were going to lead to an increase of the raids on notorious Dark Houses' manors. The Malfoy home was by the way going to be at the top of the list.
Lucius Malfoy had crossed an unacceptable line. As long as he kept his plans far from Hogwarts, the game of politics could be played. But here he had attacked his supporters, his bastion of Light, put in danger the new generation he had carefully mentored. This was unacceptable. The Malfoy patriarch was going to be kicked out of the Board of Governors by the end of the week. Several Ministry commissions Lucius was member of were going to find themselves regretfully announcing his departure. Hagrid, a half-giant who was the personification of innocence, was going to be released at once and several of these so traditional pure-bloods would take his place in Azkaban!
Outwardly he wasn't able to show his wrath of course. Instead a concerned face was projected, with the calm and dedicated leader persona he had created for crises like this. It was particularly needed, because the small task force forming at the edge of Hogwarts' walls was not entirely made of his supporters.
There were several of his Order of the Phoenix wizards and witches perambulating on the grass next to him, having loyally answered his call in this difficult time. Sirius Black had been the first to arrive, followed by Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore, Neal Peakes, Bart William, Kurt Kensington, Violet Pettus and Tyler Marsham. With them, Albus felt sure they could retake the control of Hogwarts when the wards were reset to his control in a bit less than three hours.
Unfortunately, they weren't going to be alone when the imminent time of reckoning came. Lucius Malfoy and a dozen of his minions had come, and this was anything but a surprise really. Albus didn't know if this presence was more motivated by the desire of the Death Eater to see the object of his ambition or to reclaim whatever Dark Artefact he had unleashed inside the walls of Hogwarts, and he really didn't care.
A large number of Aurors had Apparated to Hogsmeade too. The Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot had been exceedingly furious when Minerva had communicated him the names of the idiots assigned to Hogwarts; Fudge apparently had listened to the wrong crowd again and some of the Corps' worst elements had been selected for the boring patrol duties. The DMLE force which was present was far more potent however, with Kingsley and a few of his supporters included in it. According to the communications his agents had overheard, Amelia Bones and a bigger task force were on their way.
And then there were the goblins. Fudge had somehow got the idea that if the legendary monster of the Chamber of Secrets was roaming inside Hogwarts' walls, then it was best to call the best monster-hunters available on short notice. No consideration had been made to the precedent caused by such a demand. There was a reason goblins-in-arms were forbidden outside their sovereign territory of Gringotts! The vicious little beasts were going to take advantage of it, Dumbledore was sure of it.
Goblins were a true and permanent danger threatening the institutions of Magical Britain. Unlike werewolves and skinchangers in general who were cursed to transform three nights a month, these creatures had never been human. They had bloodlust levels similar to the vampire race, but without the impetus to feed on it and the few morals of centuries-old beings. They were not slow-witted like the giants. They controlled the magical economy, which by right should be a human's prerogative!
No, the goblin race was too dangerous and unpredictable to be a productive part of Wizarding society. Like the vampires, their expansion had to be limited at all costs. Their influence over the common wizard had fortunately decreased following the war, with Dumbledore and the Light being able to pass the necessary laws against the bloodsuckers and the warmongering bankers.
It was best however not to rest on one's laurels: that over two hundred goblins armoured from head to toe had been gathered at Hogsmeade was a firm reminder these little beasts remained a threat.
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