The Potters took off their official robes and put on their muggle clothes which they used on weekends when the school robes were not needed. They met Neville on the way to the Great Hall. "Where have you spent this morning? I looked for you at the library but couldn't find you."
Harry smiled. "We had some private business to attend. We'll tell you later, but for now – we're hungry."
Hermione mock admonished him. "Hey, speak for yourself!"
He bowed in mock seriousness. "Of course, Lady Potter. A lady should never say she's hungry. She may admit that she wouldn't mind some food, though."
Hermione smiled. "Of course, Lord Potter."
Neville smiled. "Whatever business you had, I can see it didn't affect your mood too badly. Do you think we could have a study session after lunch? I think I may need some help with Charms."
Hermione smiled. "Of course, but I expect you to tell the other members of our study group. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."
Neville smiled. "That's alright. I don't mind being surrounded by girls. Gran told me I might even like it in a year or two."
"Your Gran is a smart lady," Harry said. He then turned his attention to the food. Since the healing of his scar, his appetite was much larger, almost rivalling Ron's. Neville smiled as he and Hermione did the same. After all, they were growing children too. They all needed food to grow up properly.
–..–
They spent the afternoon with their friends, doing homework and talking about whatever came to mind. The Potters refrained from mentioning the press conference and their friends were oblivious to it. Harry was sure it would become known one way or the other before nightfall and would be fully revealed during breakfast, the next morning.
Indeed, as soon as most students were at dinner, Professor McGonagall stood up and announced, "I'm sorry to inform you that Headmaster Dumbledore had a medical incident this morning while visiting Gringotts. The goblin healers gave him first aid and stabilised him to some degree before moving him to St. Mungos, where he's staying in the intensive care wing. The healers were not ready to say how long he'll be there and when we can expect him back. In the meantime, I'll shoulder his duties while Professor Flitwick will help with mine. We're all sending our beloved headmaster many wishes for complete and quick recuperation."
Harry could see she was barely holding back some tears. He didn't feel any sadness, though, and neither did Hermione. The things that Dumbledore had done and what he had confessed to made them unable to mind him. In a way, they felt they could be happier if he left their lives forever.
–..–
The friends reassembled after dinner. Neville looked at the Potters with some suspicion, "Weren't you at Gringotts this morning?"
Harry smiled. "Indeed, we were, but we didn't want to mention it before hearing McGonagall's announcement. You see…"
They told the group all that had happened that morning. The other members of the study group were silent long after the tale was over. It was quite overwhelming to learn that such an authority figure was unworthy.
"Do you think he'll live?" Daphne asked after a while.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. He seemed unable to cope with the facts when they contradicted his beliefs. A younger man could probably recuperate in a matter of hours, or maybe days, at most. Such an old man… I'm not sure he can recuperate at all, but he may prove more resilient. I'm sure he won't like what might happen if he survives, though. He confessed to some unthinkable deeds in front of the press, and it's probably going to look much deeper into all he had done before. He will lose all his political power and his influence, I believe, and people may despise him. I think that if he could choose, he'd rather die and keep some of his dignity."
"It's quite sad, whatever you may have thought of the man before," Susan said.
"Whenever someone we trust proves unworthy, it's sad, and the higher his position, the sadder it makes us," Hermione agreed.
They dispersed in a very pensive mood.
–..–
There was no new announcement at breakfast, but the morning owls brought the newspapers that were full of reports about how Dumbledore manipulated Harry Potter to turn him into a martyr so that Dumbledore could vanquish another Dark Lord. There were also some photos of Dumbledore, just before he collapsed, looking like a madman.
Another article exposed some more of Dumbledore's misdeeds, most of which were completely illegal and very immoral. The Potter press conference was only mentioned by the way in these.
They found their press conference on the back page, with both Potters standing proudly, wearing their official Lord and Lady robes. The article also pointed out how Dumbledore had wronged the toddler Potter Heir, illegally – of course, only for his own benefit.
On the inner pages, they found some more articles about how Dumbledore neglected the security and the quality of the school. One article even asked if he was really the leader of the light or just a disguised dark lord.
Harry noticed that Hagrid was reading the articles with disbelief, yet he was getting sadder. His handkerchief was already soaked before he finished reading even the second article. Harry pitied the large man.
–..–
Professor McGonagall looked more worried during lunch but had no announcement to make. It was different at dinner.
"I visited headmaster Dumbledore at St. Mungos and talked to the healers. They are currently unsure if he'll ever recuperate. They expect him to stay there for the rest of the school year, at least, unless his heart gives up. It almost did that when he had his medical emergency. As stated yesterday, Hogwarts will continue functioning even in his absence. That's all for now."
–..–
Unfortunately, for the Potters, some people have nothing better to do on cold winter Sundays than read the newspaper. One of those was Molly Weasley. With only one child left at home, she was quite bored. Reading seemed to fill that time. She happened to read the article about the Potter Press Conference and wasn't pleased. How could that child question the greatest wizard alive? As usual, when something raised her ire, she took some parchment and quill and sent a howler, expressing her opinion about the brat and his so-called wife very clearly (and vocally).
Unfortunately for her and the Potters, Arthur was busy in the garden shed and was blissfully unaware of the article and her letter. He should have been.
–..–
The morning mail brought the red envelope to Harry. He'd already seen such letters, mostly addressed to Fred and George. His first thought was to destroy it before it even started. Luckily, he didn't act on it.
Before he could act, Hermione cast a silencing charm on the red envelope – just in time. A fraction of a second later, it opened, formed into a mouth and started shouting. Even with Hermione's silencing charm, it was loud enough to be heard by most Gryffindor students, at least. Since the Potters were sitting quite close to the Head Table, Professor McGonagall also heard it, along with most of the staff.
After hearing a few of her "love letters" to her children, Harry wasn't surprised by what the harridan had to say. She berated him for not paying proper respect to the greatest wizard alive and for acting abysmally when bonding with a girl at such a young age. She stopped short of calling the girl a whore, but clearly hinted at that, also suggesting he should dismiss her at once and wait a few more years for a proper girl to marry, someone like her daughter Ginevra.
Harry chuckled when the howler finished. "Even had I not been married, I would have dismissed the idea of ever getting close to her just because of this howler," he said loudly, making sure that both Ron and his twin brothers heard that. Ron's face turned red, but he just filled his mouth with some more food. The twins also seemed to be embarrassed. A short while later, they approached the couple.
"Lord and Lady Potter, we're very sorry for how our mother acted. You should know that we completely disagree with her and we're quite sure most of our family also disagrees. Our Mum is not a very reasonable person, you should know, and she has a temper that easily ignites, not always for causes one can understand. We apologize for our family and assure you that we shall inform Dad and ask him to restrain her, although he may find it beyond his powers."
Harry smiled at the two. "I know it's not your fault, but since she insulted my wife, Lady Potter, it is my duty to respond officially. I suggest you inform your Dad as soon as you can so that my response will not surprise him."
Both nodded, seeming relieved. "We're going to send the letter as soon as we can," they promised in unison.
Minerva, who also witnessed the howler and the conversation, decided not to wait. As soon as she returned to her office, she used the Floo and called Arthur at his office to tell him all she saw and heard.
–..–
Arthur was surprised to get the Floo call from Hogwarts. "What have the twins done this time?" he asked in a worried and tired tone.
"They did nothing wrong, Arthur. It's about Molly," Minerva told him.
"Is anything wrong with her? She looked perfectly healthy when I left home." He was suddenly even more worried.
"Nothing wrong with her health, as far as I know, but she sent a howler to Lord Potter and berated his wife in it." She didn't think she needed to say more than that.
Arthur face-palmed himself. "That woman!… What can I do now, Minerva? Her habit of sending howlers is becoming a danger."
Minerva smiled understandingly. "First, I suggest you remove all the howler parchments and envelopes. Then, use your head-of-house authority with her. I know she's a stubborn and opinionated woman, but she's wrong at least as many times as she's right. She should learn to listen, understand and think first. Had any of her howlers ever achieved anything, besides letting her vent her frustrations? I doubt it. The twins make a joke out of them, as did Bill and Charlie, when they didn't feel embarrassed for their mother, but never for their deeds. It's time to stop it for good, I believe." She paused for a moment and added, as if to herself, "I think I can even make the wards refuse all howlers into the school. They should have been set that way long ago."
"I'll need to apologise publicly, I suppose," Arthur said.
"Probably. Lord Potter is going to send you a letter, I'm sure. I won't be surprised if he demands that Molly apologize first, and you should make sure she will never do it again. She needs to think first, way before acting."
Arthur sighed. He loved Molly, but she was sometimes very difficult to handle. Well, she had left him no choice. He'd need to put her in place. He could disown her, but he hoped it wouldn't reach that far. "I'll try my best," he said meekly.
"Better than your best. Lord Potter may be forgiving about himself, but is not forgiving about his wife, you should know. Not at all."
Arthur sighed again. "Thank you, Minerva. I think I should go home at once, then. Thank you for warning me."
–..–
Harry had no time to write anything before the lessons started. He also wanted to first consult with Neville, at least. Susan and Daphne also came to mind, After some thought he even considered Draco, but was still hesitant about him.
He wrote the letter during the afternoon session of the study group, with practically everybody helping. Aside from the formal text, the main clause was, "Since your wife attacked the morality and integrity of my wife and made her intentions doubtful, this is an attack against the honour of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I expect you, as the head of the Minor House of Weasley, to make her publicly apologize, just as she publicly attacked us, and to ensure that she would never act this way again."
Draco also suggested he check the family books in the library. Once he had a glimpse at them, it became very clear that the Weasley House was a vassal to Potter. Actually, the Burrow, where the Weasleys were living, was Potter property, let to the Weasley for one Galleon a year.
Harry added to his letter, "As a vassal of House Potter, I expect much better behaviour from your family." He didn't want to mention anything else. He was sure that the Weasley patriarch would understand. The twins thought that their father was quite smart, but too weak when concerning his wife. It was time he manned up.