So the trouble she was in, was trouble of her own making. He would, however, make sure she didn't become a larger problem for him in the future. One of his more suitable minions would handle her for him and make certain she could never tell anyone anything he didn't want anyone knowing. Because of course he couldn't do a memory charm in the Ministry itself any more than he'd been able to do one in his office at Hogwarts. Someone would realize she was under one and that would raise even more questions. Questions he didn't want to answer. Questions like what did she know that he didn't want them knowing. Because, of course, someone would realize he had performed it on her. He did have a lot of enemies here at the Ministry. You couldn't be a powerful political figure without having enemies.
Her parents hadn't been happy when they found out he had paid her from her very first year onward to exchange homework with another student to dummy down that student's work. For one, they caught on far quicker than Ms. Granger had that Harry was smarter than their daughter was since she was exchanging her own homework for his and receiving higher marks than he received. For two, they didn't like the implication that they couldn't afford to pay for their daughter's educational needs without said education being subsidized through an after school work study program.
Nor had they been happy to see her face was now scarred. Her father especially. They had demanded he tell them how she had gotten hurt and why he didn't have his school nurse just magic it away like he did any other injuries the students got. He honestly didn't understand how she came to be marked either as he hadn't yet had time to look into the matter so he had asked Kingsley to call in Minerva to explain it as Ms. Granger refused to do so without breaking down coughing for air.
Minerva had answered the call but unfortunately for him, she didn't come either alone or empty-handed. So he couldn't work on her to get her back under his thumb in regards to how he wanted her to see and treat his favorite puppet. Not for the first time he felt like cursing both her and Severus, who had come with her. Both teachers had proven to be a severe disappointment to him so far this term. He just didn't understand why they weren't following his program anymore.
Severus, upon seeing Ms. Granger's red face and gasping for air, smoothly said, "Lying again, Ms. Granger. Defaming your patron again, are you?" It hadn't even been a question. He had stated it as fact and none of the adults in the room had missed the point.
"Patron?" asked Daniel Granger. "What is this Patron and why does she have one? Where did this person come from and why weren't we asked about it before he/she became our daughter's patron? And if she has a Patron why is that person not here with her now?"
Severus raised a brow and replied, "Harry Potter is her patron and she has one because she chose to take the money Albus offered her from his vaults for doing things Albus asked her to do. Mr. Potter saved your daughter's life twice in her first two years of school and she repaid him by stealing from him and defaming his character behind his back. He isn't here because he had nothing to do with why she's here. Nor does he have any control over what will happen with her from here on out. As to why you weren't asked about him becoming her patron, you'd need to ask her and the Headmaster as I have no idea."
"That's quite enough Severus," said Albus gravely. "What's done is done and can't be undone. Right now, we need to figure out where we go from here and get things in order so Ms. Granger's life isn't ruined because Harry had a temper tantrum."
Murmuring just loud enough for Minerva and the Granger adults to hear Severus replied, "She isn't here because Mr. Potter threw a wobbly at all. She's here because she did and revealed things she shouldn't have."
Minerva rolled her eyes and pulled the Granger parents aside to explain the mark to them before handing over the booklet she'd brought for them. When they asked why the school nurse hadn't removed it like she did broken bones and things, Minerva had told them bluntly, "This is a magical punishment rune. It can't be removed by anyone but the one who's magic holds it in place. That's your daughter. Ms. Granger must own up to her bad acts that caused her magic to place it there. Then she must atone for them with a sincere heart. Until she does so, there's no magic on this earth that can remove it. It won't hurt her unless she tries to lie about how she came to get it or about the person who called for judgement upon her. If she tries to hurt him in any manner, the rune will punish her. Plain and simple. Nor is it in any manner life threatening. In short, it is a behavior modification rune. There are rules that go along with the rune of course. In the back of the book, I've written what the rune will punish her for as well as how you can tell when she is crossing the line."
Severus inserted himself into the conversation, "Think of it as the magical equivalent of your muggle juvenile justice system. When underaged people in your community break the law they are sent to court for their offense. They undergo a trial just as if they were an adult but the sentence they are given is lighter than an adult would receive. Correct?" Her mother nodded but her father was glowering with too much anger to bother. "We don't have that option because we only have one prison. Azkaban. You do not want your daughter there but if this had come out in the normal fashion that's exactly where she could've ended up. Because she knowingly stole from her patron. Not only was she stealing his completed homework, and signing her own name to it, but she was stealing his money to buy herself books and trinkets. This is in addition to the defamation of character he suffered at her hands. And all of that is just as illegal in your society as it is in ours and could've landed her in much worse trouble than merely being expelled from Hogwarts with a rune, that will fade away in time, on her face."
"And the person who did this to her? Is he being punished as well?" asked her father, his anger a nearly visible aura around him.
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