Epilogue

"Dunderhead!... Dimwit!... Dolt!... Donkey!... Dullard!... Dummkopf!... Imbecile!... Idiot!... Buffoon!... Clod!... Lamebrain!... Tölpel!... Esel!... Pukhnastyy!... Motte!... Cretin!..." Pavel ranted, as he entered his quarters.

"Papa?" John called out through Oxsana's apartment door. Pavel continued.

"How does Britain even FUNCTION under such a so-called 'leader'?" Pavel rhetorically inquired, still with his voice at full parade ground volume, pacing the parlor floor, arms wildly gesticulating as though a bird navigating a stiff headwind.

"Papa! Stop!" John commanded, entering the room trying to calm his clearly enraged father.

"I'm telling you, Ivan," as Pavel swiveled to face his son, "That idiot has his head so far na yoho dupa, he could be his own proctologist!"

"Pavel Mykhailo Konstantyn! Be SILENT!" Ivan shouted, engaging his own irresistible command voice, finally focusing Pavel's attention.

Thus interrupted, Pavel finally regained a modicum of composure as he closed his eyes and his fists for a moment simply to breathe, then opened them again to see Ron, Hermione, and Harry staring at him wide-eyed from the doorway of Harry's bedroom.

Realizing for the first time that they were there and had witnessed this entire display, Pavel laughed at himself as his head dropped in defeat, and muttered, "Scheisse!"

"PAPA!" John exclaimed in what was only half-mocking shock, "That's ENOUGH!" He laughed, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but... That tore it. Corner, 10 minutes! Or, in deference to your dignity and rank, your room, until you can rejoin this family in an acceptable manner. Your choice!"

"My Study?" Pavel looked up hopefully, with a wry grin.

"No, sir. That would be a reward. This... is not," John slowly but firmly shook his head, with that same quiet determination Harry remembered from seeing Master Constantine deal with recalcitrant students.

"Yes, sir. Vell, my tantrum was public, not private, so should be its consequence," and Pavel headed calmly to occupy what had thus far been thought of primarily as "Ron's corner".

"Wait a minute!" Harry interjected, as he and the other children dashed to Pavel, putting their arms around his waist hugging him. He whispered to Pavel, "I don't know who you're talking about, Papa. But tell us who they are, and we'll take care of it for you!"

Pavel hugged them all back, laughing, and told them things were fine, that they should go back to play. He'd be with them shortly. John ignored this "irregularity" of normal "corner protocol", as he tried to keep from laughing at the entire situation. He could, of course, have mind-spoken all the mystery from this... but felt his father needed the "cooling off time", and it really was not a bad thing for the children to see and realize that mutual accountability worked not only downhill, but all the way to the top.

As Pavel made his way to his corner and the Tempus countdown began over the fireplace, the children exchanged a quick mutual look, then decided to take corners themselves.

"No, no, no..." John corrected. "This is not a matter of Solidarity. This is not a mutual action of misbehavior in which you all share responsibility. Come out of those corners. Papa is there because of failure to discipline his words and temper. You can wait for him, he will be with you shortly."

The children did not move.

"Children? Come out of those corners, please," John injected a degree of authority into his voice, making clear this was an order, not just random conversation.

They obeyed, approaching John with serious looks, as Harry said, "So, you want us to go spend this time wherever we want, doing whatever we want, right?"

"Yessss..." John responded cautiously... "Unless!" he interrupted himself as they'd all turned back towards the corners they'd just vacated... "Unless you're going to say you want to go stand in corners. That is PAPA's consequence for using unacceptable language! Not yours!"

"Well, John," Harry turned to him, "I don't know what's pissed Papa off, but..."

"ENOUGH!" John laughed, "I yield!" he turned to Ron and Hermione, "Don't cuss to qualify! Go ahead! The timer will chime when you're finished!" And the children all walked to corners, as Pavel closed his eyes trying not to laugh. "One snicker from you, sir, and I'm adding time," John promised his father. Pavel nodded in silence, smile still on his lips.

At dinner, joined by Albus, Minerva, and Severus, the "corner time" episode was not discussed. Nonetheless, it cast enough of a shadow implying repressed laughter that Minerva knew something was up. John tried to avoid catching either Pavel or Harry's eye, and the whole Konstantyn contingent seemed uncharacteristically quiet. No one yet knew what had so irritated Pavel, though John knew the surface reason. Nonetheless, he knew there was something deeper than the simple observation that Cornelius Fudge was a horse's dupa. He still didn't know why that fact had so angered his father. After all, they'd dealt with politicians before this... frequently.

After a couple half-hearted attempts at innocent table conversation, Professor McGonagall finally had laughingly had enough, "All right. I don't know who let the elephant into this room, but what is it? What is going on here?"

Laughing out loud, Pavel playfully tossed his napkin aside and stood up, turning to the children to say, "I owe an apology to some people sitting here. Children, I am very sorry that I lost my temper earlier, and you heard me express feelings that were quite inappropriate to your ears. Please forgive me," and he bowed to Ron, Hermione, and Harry.

The children acknowledged his apology in a combination of humor and shock, since they'd seldom been apologized to by any adult, let alone one of his stature. This prompted Harry to stand, look at Minerva, Severus and Oxsana to say, "Well, I owe you an apology as well, though I know this is being dealt with as my 'official Head of House' tomorrow... still, as we sit here in a collaboration team, I should heed your instructions better than I did the other day. I'm sorry, I apologize.

"That goes for me, too," Hermione rose, "I apologize."

"Me, too, I'm sorry," Ron joined in. "We'll get better at listening, I swear!"

"Oh, heck!" John laughed, as he flung his napkin down on the table, "Since this is some sort of 'group participation exercise'... I know I scared everyone here to death the other night with my Riddle stunt. I'm sorry I did that the way I did, and I apologize for any anxiety I caused," at which point he extended his hand, palm down, to Minerva... who laughed and gave it a stinging swat. "Sorry, Auntie," he looked down with a blush. "And you, too, Sev. Thanks for healing me up, and Uncle Albus for pulling us out of there."

"So, Papa," he turned and directed the children's gaze to follow his, "is our 'family correction' now successfully completed?'

Pavel laughed as he said, "I think those apologies were very apt, and bring closure to the issue. The question always remains the same. Given the same circumstances, would you behave properly, or as you did?"

Down the line came, "I'll go home when ordered."

"Yes, sir, me too."

"I'll not disobey."

And from John, "I'll not sneak off when I must loose the Beast ever again."

"Very well then, all of you are finished as to family corrections. Please take your seats... Now, Ivan, is MY correction satisfactorily finished?"

"I'm really not sure, Papa. For speaking out of turn, certainly. But for the attitude that prompted it? I'm not so sure," he laughed.

"Thank you, Ivan. I'll take what I can get. And I confess without shame, my attitude is still in need of some work. But I shall endeavor to maintain my composure, nonetheless."

"What vexes you so, Paul?" Minerva asked.

"Let us, for now, enjoy this excellent repast, and save that discussion for coffee after dinner. I'd not spoil my appetite right now," Pavel suggested, tucking back in to his sauerbraten and potato dumplings.

"Well, I must say," Albus chuckled, "this is a most extraordinary family. Is a Sunday evening 'congregate apology' a typical custom for your house, Pavel?"

John laughed as Pavel answered, "Well, yes and no, Albus. I wouldn't say it is a 'typical custom', no. But now and again, especially in a busy week, or when there's been some friction, dinner conversation can stall as it did here tonight. Too many words left unsaid, sort of thing. When we sense that kind of tension, and cannot be ourselves around one another, especially at Sunday Dinner, which was always my favorite meal of the week, then it was not unusual at all for someone to break the log jam, especially if all that was required was an apology or an admission of some simple fault. It just seems so much easier than trying to walk around on eggshells. It clears the air, so to speak."

"What a wonderful custom!" Albus admired. "I shall need to remember this. So, now with some clarified air, who has a topic to propose for discussion?"

"I may have a matter of some mutual interest," Severus volunteered, as all looked his way. "I stopped by to see our Noble Serpent this afternoon for a while, to ask how we could best coordinate and make use of his presence for the school now and in the future. I was unsure whether as 'Heir of Slytherin' for the nonce, I had any duties or responsibilities to address, or how I could make his stay more pleasant.

"He informed me of three fascinating things. One, he knew the Founders very well indeed, and of course Salazar Slytherin intimately. He would be delighted, should we ever offer an elective course, or a colloquium on them, or on the History of Hogwarts, to teach or collaborate in the teaching. Two, he would love to get to know students and faculty, and if Professor Konstantyn can provide a permanent solution to the language issue, he would be happy to set up something like 'visiting hours' or 'office hours' to receive visitors with or without appointment. But you won't believe the third thing he told me..."

And with infuriating humor, Severus cut a substantial chunk of his roast beef and took a healthy bite, effectively damming the flow of information.

After a more than adequate period for effective mastication, while everyone tried patiently to wait, Pavel spoke with a quiet edge to his voice... "Severus, m'lad... our patience is substantial, but not quite eternal. Pray, complete your thought."

Mischievously, Snape toyed with a second forkful of dinner, prompting John to say, "Don't even think about it, O Magistri Alchimia!"

"What?" Snape said, looking up with an expression of innocence, "Oh... the third thing?"

As everyone silently stared daggers at him, and said nothing.

"He mentioned that Salazar Slytherin's private study, office, and library are down there, untouched since he left it last," he spoke in a casual tone. "Apparently, Heirs of Slytherin have attempted to open it since his death, but none have yet succeeded. I thought that might be something of interest here." He put another bite of dinner in his mouth, looking amazingly like the cat who swallowed the canary.

"Oh, my..." Minerva was the first to find her voice.

Coffee, tea, cocoa, and pudding was served at the fireplace. The children reclined on warm furry rugs, while the adults lounged in comfortable armchairs, making the room look as if set up for 'storytime'.

"In the interests of both brevity and my continued civility... Albus? Perhaps you can summarize our meeting this morning." Pavel chuckled, as he poured some coffee for himself.

"My pleasure, sir. Well, it was a very productive and successful meeting. John is now officially an Auror/Investigator with the Ministry Department of Magical Law Enforcement, under the supervision of his liaison Auror Alastor Moody, with a secondary backup of Kingsley Shackleford. I can't wait to see how he and Alastor work out that partnership."

"Pfft!" was all John said.

"Oxsana has indeed been appointed High Inquisitor/Investigator for the Department as well. She will not only function in that role with the Department, but also identify candidates for further training and help them develop more sophisticated techniques for interrogation than simply intimidation, legilimens, and verituserum. Her skills as an accomplished Mind Mage, and understanding of the layers of human consciousness should help expand their capacities considerably.

"Further, Pavel's credentials as Inquisitor and Auror have been renewed and endorsed for jurisdiction here. All in all then, the meeting granted all the points we wanted to see, as the brief under consideration is to be Voldemort and related issues, not just general assignments and routine lawlessness." Albus poured and sipped some tea.

"None of which, Uncle Albus, explains why Papa is so disturbed this afternoon. What went on after Oxsana and I were dismissed?" John asked.

"Ah, that..." Albus sighed.

Pavel rose, saying, "If you would all excuse me for just a little bit, I feel a need for fresh air. I just want to walk off our delightful dinner for a little while, but I shall return shortly."

Harry looked at him with a face filled with concern. He didn't know what was upsetting Pavel so, and it worried him.

Pavel saw the look, walked over to Harry and tousled his hair. "Everything is all right, Harry. I struggle with my temper sometimes, and this is one of those times. Everything is fine. Everything will BE fine, and there's nothing to be worried about. I'll be right back, I promise." And Harry looked a bit more relaxed as Pavel walked into his Study and jumped out the window.

Albus continued, "Pavel does not suffer fools gladly, and was a bit surprised when the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, showed up about 45 minutes into our discussions, which was fine, as his signature is helpful in formalizing our treaty and agreement. However, the Minister has an astonishing capacity to deny anything he really doesn't want to be true. Such as, the existence of Voldemort. He was perfectly happy to see Pavel, John, and Oxsana become assets and resources for the Ministry, but maintains that there is no Voldemort, no issue of Death Eaters, no ongoing Dark Lord political concerns."

"Granted all of that, Uncle Albus. But we deal with such political animals all the time in our line of work. Why has this bothered him so?" John inquired.

"Well, because THIS time, our politician came with an agenda... he wanted a service in return for his agreement to all this. He wanted your father to return to the Bench. He's looking to 'hedge his bets' just in case there IS any ongoing 'Dark Lord' problem, and messiness dealing with Death Eaters who may be very well connected politically. Making your father a magistrate for the Ministry, rather than dealing with 'awkward' cases before the political Wizengemot, which Fudge has to preside over, would give him an excellent 'dumping ground' for disposal. Especially if he has jurisdiction, authority, over said magistrate. He thought he had a neat little 'hidden pocket' where he could hide inconveniences."

"Seriously?" John looked at him with upraised eyebrows. "Hasn't he ever MET Papa before? Like THAT's going to happen!"

"Well, of course Fudge had met Pavel before, but only in passing or at conferences and such. He knows him more by reputation: as an historian, as an Inquisitor, as a Jurist. But you know as well as I, most of what your father does isn't known or understood by anyone without a need to know. Frankly, Fudge has never really needed to know."

"So how did they come to agreement?" John persisted.

"Ivailo is a man of many talents, and many connections. Ivailo made up the contract/treaty covering Pavel's service as a judge for the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain, but Fudge failed to read all the fine print when he signed. Your father did not. Your father is satisfied, but not the least bit happy.

John just closed his eyes, refusing to prompt Albus further.

"Fudge wanted to appoint Pavel as a Magistrate, subordinate or parallel to the Wizengemot, so that the Ministry could 'manage' the court to its best advantage. Instead, Ivailo used his connections - Merlin knows how - to secure an appointment to the Queen's High Court, with jurisdiction over matters magical. He answers only to the two higher courts - who are not authorized to deal with cases of magic, so that's a non-issue - or to Her Majesty. A case adjudicated at the Wizengemot may be appealed at the High Court, and heard by your father. But your father's cases can be appealed only to Her Majesty - which is not likely to happen as long as Minister Fudge is in office, it could jeopardize his position."

Minerva shook her head, a bit confused. "That all sounds like GOOD news, not bad. Why is Pavel so upset?"

"We talked about this for a bit, after everything was signed, sealed, delivered, and all on their way back home. Pavel retired from the bench years ago, on purpose. He's now a teacher, a trainer, an investigator, yes, when he must be. But he never wanted to have to go back to the part of him that has to judge people. It's hard enough being an Inquisitor and bringing people before the bar of justice. But to render verdict, pass sentence, that's a whole further level of responsibility that he chose to step away from. It's as emotionally costly as battle. Perhaps more so, since in either case it can be a matter of life and death, but in court it's a matter of decisions made in cold blood. You have no 'fog of war' or 'heat of battle' to temper the pain when you must take a life.

"To be honest, I think what upsets him is that he does not want to do this. But he feels he MUST do this, because Fudge wields so much power with so little wisdom, there are few in our Ministry who can hold him accountable. It's just that this takes your father to a place he does not want to go, and that he thought he'd left behind him long ago."

"So there you are, children. We now have the Justice of the High Court, the Honorable Pavel Konstantyn, to be addressed in court as 'My Lord', and in private as 'Sir Pavel'. I'm sure it will all work out fine. Pavel just takes these things so to heart. And he's dealt with some cases in the past that were very... trying."

At this point, footfalls could be heard approaching from the Study.

"So, did I miss anything important?" Pavel asked, with a cheerful grin. "I feel much better now. It's lovely out. Quite cool, but clear and stars are twinkling merrily." Pavel renewed his coffee, and sat back down after taking off his cloak. "So, does anyone have any questions? Have you finished the explanations, Albus?" He acknowledged Albus' nod with a salute of his coffee cup.

Harry asked, "So, how will this affect your schedule? Will you have to go to the Ministry every day, or week, or something?"

"No, I don't plan to. Poor Minister Fudge. He thought he'd cage lightning in a bottle. There's an old muggle saying, 'Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.' He wanted a judge on a leash. Well, he's got his judge, but I have neither leash nor muzzle. I will pursue justice when and as I feel it is necessary, particularly on matters regarding Voldemort. Fudge cannot force me to consider a case, nor can he prevent me from considering one. For the time being, I'm going to let things settle, pursue the lines of inquiry we are already working on, and see where things go from here. Everyone good with that?" he looked about to see nods from all.

"Good. Now... when do we start on trying to crack the mystery of Salazar Slytherin's Salon?" he leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin.

"How about tomorrow?" Harry piped immediately.

"You, young man, are BUSY tomorrow," Minerva laughed, with a warning note to her voice.

"Oh, maaaannn..." Harry whined.

"Indeed," Severus contributed. "If I've understood everything aright, you wouldn't be available for any new adventures until Saturday. Is that correct?"

"Ah, Severus. That WAS correct, and you quite understood rightly. But Harry will be indisposed only through Tuesday now. He opted out of the 3 day grounding by selecting an 'alternate modality' for correction. The defiance issue is now well and truly settled, and forgiven. He yet has his detention with you in the morning, his detention with Minerva in the afternoon, and then he's grounded and restricted until Wednesday morning. By the way, Harry, did I mention that includes an early bedtime? No? Ah, well, consider yourself informed. It's 8:30 unless you're doing homework, when it can extend til 9:00."

Pavel's uplifted brow endured Harry's scathing look for a moment before saying, "Don't look at me in that tone of voice!" totally shifting Harry's mood as he tried to work that out. "Perhaps we can see about an expedition to the wilds of darkest Chamber of Secrets next Saturday, all together?" Nods all around.

"Fine then! If there are no further questions, I declare free time for the next 45 minutes! Then it's off to bed for the children, and probably for me as well!"

Albus affixed everyone's attention with a rapidly upraised finger. "Oh, and I forgot to say, I have an announcement to make. Just before we met today in my office, the Hogwart's Punishment Log informed me that the three of you have just tied a school record," as he looked over his spectacles at Ron, Hermione, and Harry.

"Do we want to know, Headmaster?" Professor Snape drawled in his smarmiest voice.

"Well, YOU may find it a bit satisfying, Severus... considering. These three Gryffindors will, as of tomorrow, break the school record for most days of detention for the fewest days of school. They've actually managed to serve MORE days of detention, than we have been in session. That's a truly amazing accomplishment."

"I've got to ask, though I am certain I already know the answer..." Severus droned... "WHOSE record will they break?"

"Well... the Marauders, of course."

"Of course," said Minerva.

"I knew it," said Severus.

"Way to go, Little Brother and kinfolk!" said John.

"JOHN/IVAN!," said Minerva, Severus, Oxsana, and Pavel in unison.

"Right, then... Chess anyone?" asked John, wearing his most innocent expression.

A/N Thank you so much for riding along with me this far, Gentle Reader. This has been great fun. The next installment is already in the works, but I'm going to try to get a few chapters ahead this time so I don't get all neurotic and obsessive when I feel like I'm falling behind in my rhythm. Comments, critique, ideas, suggestions... all welcome. I hope you enjoy this "family"! Grace to you! - Mort

Note Two: If you have enjoyed this story, and the Konstantyn Clan, the saga continues in Konstantyn Chronicles: Well Oriented Warrior. That story picks up right where this leaves off. Grace - Mort