I'm not a kitten... Okay, I'm Kitten

Chapter 20 - Pt.2

"I wouldn't mind Albus," Professor Bathsheda Babbling said slowly. "But I can't accommodate Bear. My rooms aren't big enough."

Koty understood that completely. He hated having to confine Bear when they shared the closet last term.

"I have space for them." Fillius squeaked out. As a Head of House, his rooms were quite a bit larger than the other teachers', and being so small himself, it was more than he required.

Koty's eyes widened in hope. "So you'll take us in? Really?"

"Of course!" He exclaimed happily. "You, Master Malfoy, are already the embodiment of a Ravenclaw, and I would be proud to aid you in your educational journey."

Nose scrunched at the title, Koty cocked his head. "You're not gonna call me that all the time, are you?"

"In public settings, whilst not in our apprenticeship lessons, yes." Filius nodded solemnly. "It is an ultimate form of disrespect to address you otherwise, as you worked hard for the title. If you were to run into Bathsheda, Minerva, or even Hagrid in a non-school setting, you would refer to any of us as Master."

"Hagrid has a mastery?" The Headmaster asked, dumbfounded. "He has no wand, nor a diploma."

Narcissa gaped. "You mean that you hired a man with no legal credentials to teach a class?! Tutoring is one thing, but this? Nevermind, we will sign Koty up for Uagadou. He received an invitation before his birthday, and their classes begin in two weeks. It will be no issue to accept this late."

Koty had gotten an invitation?! What?!

"Lady Malfoy, excuse me," Filius interjected politely. "While he may have believed that to be the truth, it simply isn't. Over the past several years, he and I have left for weeks at a time to have summer lessons, fully sanctioned by the MAP. Hagrid is a graduate through self-study. He has also received his Mastery in CoMC faster than anyone before. Hagrid has been a Master for three years. It is why Wilhelmina finally retired after so many years. She has been training Hagrid to take over. Headmaster, how could you not know this? It was brought up when the switch was made."

"Must have slipped my mind," he spluttered.

Along with your sense, Severus mentally added.

"If you didn't know, Professor," Koty began awkwardly, twisting his fingers. "Then why would you hire someone that you thought was underqualified?" He really liked the gentle giant, but if what the Headmaster believed to be true, he would have never agreed to stay in the class. While Koty wasn't a coward, he could not understand people who put themselves in danger without reason. Having an undereducated teacher in such a potentially dangerous subject was just begging for lawsuits and a possible death toll. Some of the creatures that were on the syllabus were classed as XX, XXX and one or two XXXX. The potential for injury and/or death was too high to risk for grades, no matter how much he adored the creatures.

The Headmaster blinked, shocked for a moment. "Well, my boy, experience is the best teacher in many cases."

Just as Koty opened his mouth to respond, he felt his mother's dainty hand on his shoulder. His mouth quickly closed.

"Given what you have admitted," she said conversationally. "Then I have to wonder about the qualifications of the other professors you've employed. Master Flitwick has already provided the names of those with Masteries, which is rather alarming, as all professors are meant to have Masteries in the fields they teach."

"That is one of the reasons that Uagadou, along with nearly all other schools, allow students to leave every month. The Masters' Guild holds meetings, only two or three specialties at a time, so that not all of the staff would be away at any given time. I know that Severus and Master Flitwick attend a few of them every year, as they are always held in tandem." Lucius' brow raised in disdain.