"This is absolutely unacceptable!" Professor Dumbledore raged "A Wizengamot ruling forbids this woman to make any kind of contact Harry Potter unless in her official capacity!"
"I am well aware of that, Dumbledore," retorted an equally angry Madam Bones "I was there when you abused your position as Chief Warlock to coerce the majority of the Wizengamot into passing that ruling."
"I will not stand for this!" retorted Dumbledore.
"Your complaint has no grounds, Albus," said Madam Marchbanks, who was remaining relatively calm "As you rightly pointed out, Healer Abbott was forbidden to contact Mr Potter unless it was in her official capacity. Her official capacity is not just as a Healer to the Auror Office. She is also a certified potions mistress and is licenced to teach both subjects. Something that, I hasten to point out, your man Severus is not."
Madam Longbottom took up the thread "Mr Potter asked the Wizarding Examinations Authority to locate for him a qualified potions instructor and they suggested Healer Abbott. Those who sit on the Board of Directors for Hogwarts have all approved of her and so long as Mr Potter doesn't have any objections then there is absolutely no problem at all with her performing this new role."
"I don't have any objections to Healer Abbott teaching me potions," said Harry, deciding to speak up for the first time since this meeting in the staff room had begun "and if both the Wizarding Examinations Authority and the Hogwarts Boards of Governors approve of her then I see no reason for me to have any objections. I also assume that the DMLE would recommend her?" he addressed the last bit to Madam Bones.
"I would whole-heartedly recommend her," said Madam Bones "She is an excellent potions brewer and has the skill and patience required to pass that knowledge on to others."
Dumbledore could see the nails being banged into the coffin of his argument but had to keep trying. He attempted to appeal to Harry.
"Harry, this woman was banned from contacting you by the Wizengamot. Surely this must make you see that she is not a suitable candidate to be your potions instructor."
"Her being banned from contacting me has already been brought up," said Harry "but strangely enough, no one has yet explained exactly why she was banned from contacting me. Could you perhaps offer that piece of information, Headmaster? I mean if she is a danger to me then obviously I would not want her as a potions instructor."
Dumbledore spotted the verbal trap and knew that he was cornered. There was no way to answer that without doing even more damage. If he said no then Harry had no reason to turn Healer Abbott away. If he said that she was a danger to him, Harry would first of all what to know the exact danger and, second, would want to know how to take similar action against Severus and a good few students.
He had been left floundering and everyone else in the room appeared happy to watch him struggle.
After a short wait, Harry turned away from Dumbledore and held out his hand to Sarah. Acting like this was their first meeting so as to not tip Dumbledore off about where he had spent the summer he said "Hi, I'm Harry Potter. It looks like I'm going to be your new student."
With a smile she played along by shaking his hand and saying "I'm Healer Sarah Abbott. It's nice to meet you Harry Potter, but there is no need to introduce yourself as I know exactly who you are."
"You do?" asked Harry "The scar, right?"
"Partly," she said "But I also recognised you from when I saw you as a baby. You look very much like your father."
"Were you friends with my dad?" he asked.
"Yes, but my best friend was your mother."
"Oh cool. I've never met one of my mother's friends before."
Everyone who could see Dumbledore's face saw that he looked like he had just swallowed a particularly sour lemon drop.
"So," said Sarah, brightly, "how about we head to the library and work out where and when we can do our potions classes."
"Sounds like a plan," said Harry and the pair left.
"Well, it looks like those two have hit it off rather well," said Madam Bones, who was thoroughly enjoying the anguish being caused to Dumbledore.
"Agreed," said Madam Marchbanks "I think that we shall be seeing a definite upturn in Mr Potter's potions grades over the next few weeks and months. You know, I have always felt that a key part of the learning process is that the student and the teacher should get along."
Having heard far too many barbs directed towards Severus, Dumbledore asked "Are we done here?"
"For now," replied Madam Longbottom "But remember Dumbledore, we will be watching. We expect to see a major improvement of the education standards within this castle within the next few months, understand?"
Dumbledore could only nod.
.....
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