Cormac entered the Astronomy tower classroom. He had taken care to avoid Professor Sinistra's quarters at the fifth floor, the last thing he wanted with his history was to get caught near the living quarters of the youngest female professor of Hogwarts, especially someone as beautiful as Sinistra. He would be declared a creep and would be censured by even the most forgiving Hogwarts faculty.
Miniature replicas of planets revolved around the room steadily, almost looking like the real things he had seen in pictures from NASA as Liam.
Cormac couldn't help but give a sigh of admiration at the magical planetarium in front of him. He had seen it a lot of times before but this was the first time he had seen this place after his birth. He had not taken Astronomy for his NEWTS after all.
Though the most interesting piece of magic in the room was at its center. The replica of the sun around which . It gave off light that Cormac knew should have been blinding. Yet, while it looked like the real sun, and was as bright as the real thing. The whole room was still as dark as any other at night when not illuminated by century old torches and candles.
He wasn't here for it though, as interesting as the enchantment for such magic would be. No, he was here for the man that often haunted this part of the castle at night.
Alas! Albus Dumbledore was nowhere to be found for Cormac to ambush him.
"I knew he was here." Cormac couldn't help but curse. It wasn't out of question that the Headmaster had disapparated away from the tower when he had heard Cormac approaching for some reason.
He had already seen the man apparate on to the balcony on of his strolls three days prior. The man had a habit of wandering back to the balcony of the astronomy tower, yet it was empty.
"Definitely disapparated away."
"No I did not. Why you would even believe that someone can use apparition with such strong anti-apparition enchantments around us, Mr McLaggen?" Cormac stiffened as he heard the voice come from behind him. Of course, the man had been under an disillusionment charm.
"I deduced that if anybody had special privileges within Hogwarts it would be the Headmaster," Cormac answered with a grin before adding ,"Though these days, the High Inquisitor is also enjoying a lot of privileges," as an afterthought.
The man chuckled at his answer. Cormac having turned just around in time to see the old man come out of the charm with a small genial smile on his face, couldn't help but notice the Headmaster's eyes.
They were an unexpectedly bright shade of blue eyes. And they really did seem to twinkle.
"And I hope you understand Mr McLaggen how very lucky that it was the former that found you rather than the latter? Madame Umbridge is not tolerant of rule-breakers."
"It is a good thing than that this meeting is not the result of my good fortune sir but rather by my choice and design."
White, bushy eyebrows rose at his statement but Cormac quickly looked away from the headmaster's face. The eyes were a window to the soul, after all.
He looked out the tower's balcony at the Moon. A pretty thing. It had been ages since he had simply sat under its light and admired it. Cormac had never had the interest or appreciation while Liam never had the time.
Dumbledore chose to stay silent, perhaps wanting Cormac to speak, so he spoke, "A few months ago headmaster, you told the students of Hogwarts that the darkest wizard of our times was back from hell and the Minister of Magic did not like what you were saying. He has since then been trying very to make Magical Britain believe that you have gone senile."
Cormac heard the man slowly walk to his side. Taller than even Cormac who was already very tall for a sixteen year old student.
"Does it not make you angry that a man like Cornelius Fudge is all but destroying Magical Britain's chance of resisting Lord Voldemort?" This was something that had always baffled Liam when he had first read the books. The Ministry had been corrupt, but it had clearly not been unsalvagable. Harry's trial had been proof of this. Yes, some people were willing to bend to the influence of Voldemort and Fudge but a lot more were willing to do what they believe was right and just.
Dumbledore sighed as if he had answered that question a million times.
"Cornelius is the legitimate head of our Government. Whatever he has done was within his power. To question him would be to question the legitimacy of the laws of our government. At times of great peril, I do not believe it wise to bring into question the very laws that bind the people of Magical Britain together."
"Cessante ratione legis, cessat ipsa lex– The cessation of the reason for the law, ceases the law itself. A legal principle that iterates the fact all law is based in reason. Laws that allow for censure and slander of a fifteen year old boy by the government are not founded in reason, and thus should cease to exist." It was a very twisted reading of the principle but Cormac didn't care.
His response garnered a deep breath from Dumbledore. The man seemed annoyed and his next words proved it.
"Did Mr Scrimgeour put you upto this? No, he is a better man than this. Speak plainly Mr McLaggen, you are here in this tower to ask me to commit treason against the Ministry of Magic. Who put you upto this? Most men that suggest it often do it in a manner similar to you. They wrap it up in ideas of civil liberties and tyranny but it all boils down to a coup. I will not do it. Not because I am not tempted to, Mr McLaggen, I have considered it before but I will not give people like Cornelius to point at me and say that we were right to be worried about you. It would set a precedent that your magical brilliance is all that is needed to place you above the laws of men."
"The same laws that got Cedric Diggory murdered––" Dumbledore made to speak, but Cormac continued over him. "Let me speak, sir. I did not cut you off when you were speaking. The same laws that allow for the presence of Dolores Umbridge among children, when she should be rotting in a cell in Azkaban. The very same laws that even allow the existence of Azkaban! Is it surprising that I want change?
Who are we fooling sir? We are a rotting society. And I was not here to convince you to rebel against the Ministry. I am not asking anybody to go to war. As it is right now, the blasted institution is destined to fall at the hands of Lord Voldemort if you don't happen to stop him. What I am here to convince you of is for your to help me to bring change. Not to the ministry sir, but to our society.
I don't need you to do anything Headmaster, I need you to not be a hurdle in what I am going to do. I could try to find ways around you sir but I know that it would be ultimately useless."
Cormac and Liam were many things but no man could call them apathetic to the plight of those weaker than them. He understood and he did want to help. Maybe it was self-righteous but since when had he cared.
Cormac took a quick glance at Dumbledore and could see that the man was looking at him with a frown.
"And why do you believe that I will stand in the way of what you are doing, Mr McLaggen? If the changes are for the good of people and do not cause undue violence then I have no reason to oppose you."
"Because I am radical sir. I believe that our way of doing things is too opposed. War is coming sir and you are not the enemy, nor am I. However I strongly believe, unlike you, that in this war Voldemort is not the sole enemy. He needs to go but his ideology needs to go as well. There should be no Lucius Malfoys after this sir." Cormac was making this confession because he knew that he could not do any of the things he wanted without Dumbledore supporting him or turning a blind eye to him.
Cormac then added the final bit that he knew would allow him to setup for the Second British Wizarding Civil War.
"I plan to take the same offer to Harry Potter. And I am sure he is a lot more willing to listen me out than you sir. He has already shown a lot of initiative, we could do a lot more with some of the plans I have. Now, do I have your blessing?"
The man clearly recognized the olive branch and threat that Cormac was extending by bringing Potter in the game. Potter would agree with aggressive methods of countering Voldemort and the Ministry but he would also keep any 'wrong' actions by Cormac at bay.
"What do you plan on doing, Mr McLaggen?"
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/Author Notes/
Hope you all like the chapter. Cormac's actions might seem a little hollow on a superficial level but it needs to be understood that Cormac recognizes the fact that Dumbledore can be his greatest hurdle if he alienates the man while also being his greatest ally if he somehow convinces him that he is a nett positive for the Wizarding World.
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