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zelda_queenZeldaQueen: Time to see more people that the author hates! Including the Dursleys! Hooray!
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 6: The Next Potter Generation
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
August 17, 1979
In contrast to the light attendance of the inaugural session of the Truth Commission, this meeting was packed. The Commission had arranged to use the Diagon Alley Hall on the days when it had particular prominent people to question. The hall had been near to full when Orion and Walburga Black had been called to testify.
ZeldaQueen: Why would the parents of Sirius have to testify for anything? Canon says quite clearly that while they supported Voldemort at first, they never actually did any criminal activity and stopped supporting him when they saw how nuts he was. So basically they're like Germans who supported Hitler before finding out he was willing to commit genocide. Not nice, but not something you can call people to testify for
This day, the Hall was overflowing.
Albus Dumbledore would be testifying, under duress and the effects of Veritaserum. The audience was even willing to sit through the thirty minutes he'd been allotted for a public statement before the questions began.
ZeldaQueen: Ah yes. Because we must have as many people as possible watch the humiliation of Dumbledore
The witches and wizards were expecting blood – and secrets revealed – and the downfall of a revered man.
ZeldaQueen: Why? Even in Order of the Phoenix, when Dumbledore canonically was stripped of power and had his name dragged through the mud, there were still people at the hearings and the like who seemed happy to see him
Harry thought the whole thing a bit sad.
ZeldaQueen: Me too, though for different reasons
The old wizard entered the room and took a seat. The entire hall fell into silence. Then the seven members of the Truth Commission took their chairs. The old witch Marchbanks nodded at Dumbledore who then turned around and began to speak directly to the assembled audience. Very odd.
ZeldaQueen: Yes, very odd that someone would talk to the audience and make one last-ditch effort to defend their honor. Very odd indeed
"I must thank the Commission for this unusual opportunity to present a statement prior to my sworn testimony. I would like to clarify a few issues that are likely to be central in the question. As has been widely reported, I led until recently a group called the Order of the Phoenix to collect intelligence and act against Death Eaters throughout the country. Following the demise of Voldemort, the group broke up…"
That was the point when Harry knew that Dumbledore was going to try to lie to everyone. The group hadn't exactly 'broken up,' it had crumbled under the weight of the allegations against Dumbledore.
ZeldaQueen: Look, just shut the fuck up! The Order of the Phoenix wasn't Dumbledore's private army, it was a group of wizards and witches that he happened to run who were all united under a desire to defeat Voldemort. Why wouldn't they break up after the demise of Voldy? And why would the allegations against Dumbledore matter? The point was to defeat Voldemort. And I've already pointed out how the "allegations" are more or less sourceless and baseless without Harry coming forward and explaining who he is and where he's from (which I wish he'd do so that he'd be arrested and sent to a psych ward)
The man would try to couch and massage the truth. Would anyone catch him publicly?
ZeldaQueen: Unfortunately yes, since the author here hates Dumbledore and is willing to be puppet master to this twisted world to have his way
"…my role as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot has also come into question. I assumed the role approximately at the same time I became Headmaster of Hogwarts, in 1970. I did vote to confirm Bartemius Crouch as Head of the DMLE and I did approve many of his department's requests concerning the disposition of orphaned children and heir-less estates. I regret those decisions…"
ZeldaQueen: Okay, the orphaned children thing still doesn't make sense to me. Crouch's job was to get Death Eaters arrested. Why would he be involved with inheritance issues? Why would his department even be making those requests? Again, were they just greedy? Were they honestly mixed up? Were they trying to use the money to help other people? Author, will you throw us a bone, maybe?
Harry frowned. The old man regretted only that he'd been caught.
ZeldaQueen: Oh as if! Canon clearly shows that if Dumbledore didn't want to be caught, he bloody well wouldn't be caught! Jeez, first you make out like he's getting away with robbery and murder and now you're claiming he's so inept that he's being caught by such mundane and lame traps? Get real!
"…I wish, for the sake of all those he injured, that I had chosen differently, that Barty had chosen differently. I knew nothing about the doctoring of reports happening within his department nor had I heard about his Aurors' practice of killing the wounded at battle scenes…"
That Harry did believe. That sole fact probably angered Dumbledore more than any other concerning what Crouch had done: Dumbledore would have wanted them alive, indefinitely, in order to 'rehabilitate' them.
ZeldaQueen: Yes, how dare he not kill Bad Guys? I still don't get how this works, by the way. So Harry is angry when the Aurors kill Death Eaters on raids, angry when they are allowed to escape imprisonment, angry when they're thrown into Azkaban when he himself knows full well that they're guilty, and angry that Dumbledore would want to convince them of the errors of their ways. And Harry is perfectly justified in trying to convert Malfoy and then killing people. What?
"…the Phoenix, the members of the group have all consented to testify before the Commission in the coming weeks and months. I have already spoken personally with every member to ensure that we committed no atrocities. I feel confident that the testimony will prove this out. It will also prove that, even with Mr. Crouch's aggressive stance on combating Death Eaters, we were first on scene more than twice as often as the Aurors were. I hope to be able to discuss at greater length my very deep concerns about the how's and why's of this continuously delayed response. No doubt it cost many lives and the destruction of much property…"
The old man had gone from being defensive to sounding like a politician again,
ZeldaQueen: Rose Potter Alert!
trumpeting his own accomplishments, stumping for votes in an imaginary election. He was using the Aurors as his practice dummy. He was actually lecturing them when he was being called to account for his own misdeeds. Dumbledore really had planned this out: start deflecting attention from himself within the first five minutes. Masterful and sickening.
ZeldaQueen: Okay viewers, please remind me because I seem to have forgotten - when the bloody hell was there any indication in canon that this was what Dumbledore was like? Honestly? DW has gone and freaking well overestimated how much power he had. Canon made it quite clear that Dumbledore could have been Minister of Magic if he wanted to, but he turned it down. Because he knew he could not be trusted with too much power. In other words, he knew his temptations and weaknesses and tried to avoid them! Author, get that through your bony head! Thank you!
Harry only hoped that Marchbanks and the others wouldn't fall for it.
ZeldaQueen: I feel so sorry for Dumbledore and I want to murder Harry. Wow, that's a weird sentence
"…as for the distant past of the Dumbledore family, I assure everyone that it has no bearing on the present discussion of the recently ended war. I have received assurance that today's questions will not touch on these painful topics that have lately become of much speculative interest…"
Harry thought that Dumbledore was just putting off the inevitable conversation about his sister and that disastrous meeting between Albus, Aberforth, and Gellert that resulted in the death of an already damaged child. He would have to answer some of these questions eventually. Perhaps not at this Commission meeting, but eventually.
ZeldaQueen: Excuse me Mr. I'll-Do-Whatever-I-Damned-Well-Please Potter, but Dumbledore is right! It isn't anyone's business about that! God! He clearly feels terrible about it in canon and horribly regrets it! His worst memory is watching Grindlewalt torture Aberforth and Ariana! He screamed "Don't hurt them! Hurt me!" His greatest desire is to see his family, alive and together! LEAVE THE MAN ALONE!!!
"I welcome the Commission's questions. Madam Marchbanks?" Dumbledore turned around again and sat down.
The old witch nodded at Dumbledore and a Ministry representative appeared on stage and doused the old wizard.
ZeldaQueen: You know, I'd wager that Dumbledore would have trained himself to resist Truth Serum. Fail
Old Madam Marchbanks didn't bother to use any embarrassing questions to verify if the Veritaserum was working.
ZeldaQueen: Thank heavens. The poor guy's been embarrassed enough
"Mister Dumbledore, how well did you know Bartemius Crouch prior to his appointment to lead the DMLE?"
"He'd been a Lead Auror and headed up a brigade of Aurors for more than ten years. I had seen his performance while acting as a member of the Wizengamot for trials in which he participated and then had little more to do with him until his appointment."
"And did you conduct any research into his views or likely methods?"
"Yes."
"Describe the research you did."
Harry smiled.
ZeldaQueen: - just before I smashed him in the face with a baseball bat. Say goodbye to those pretty teeth, Potter!
The old witch was starting with a bit of conversation Dumbledore hadn't yet seen exposed to the general public, a bit of conversation that Alastor Moody didn't even remember because of Dumbledore's obliviation of the grizzled Auror. From what Harry had seen in other meetings, Marchbanks normally didn't dig down into details until she had established the preliminaries, but Dumbledore's statement had done much of that. She intended to have a showy beginning…and to falsify some of Dumbledore's statement and blacken his image from the start.
ZeldaQueen: See! They just admitted it! They're trying to "blacken his image from the start", drag him through the mud! How would Harry be alright with that after what happened during his fifth year? Or to Hagrid? Or Hermione?
Oh, and this is sounding just like what DW is doing. Lordy
"I asked other Aurors about Mr. Crouch. I asked some of the Wizengamot members who'd presided over cases he'd been involved in. At the time, the information I received painted Mr. Crouch in a very favorable light…"
"How about commissioning any research into Mr. Crouch's likely opponents?"
"I did not commission research of that sort…"
Harry kept his smile to himself. Dumbledore had just fallen into a trap.
ZeldaQueen: How? Thus far, all I've gotten is that Dumbledore knew Crouch by reputation only (and a good reputation at that) and wasn't involved in much regarding him
Harry had been sufficiently disturbed by the memories he'd stolen from Dumbledore's pensieve that he'd turned many of them into articles to be published in Ireland. The first article would cover exactly the conversation where Dumbledore and Moody discussed Mr. Crouch – and what had been done to ensure he rose to head the DMLE.
ZeldaQueen: We interrupt the interview for more of Harry's ego-stocking. Thank you for your patience
"Did you commission someone else to commission research into the candidates for the DMLE?" The question was worded perfectly.
"Yes." Veritaserum, used on powerful mind, could be resisted with weak and ambiguous questions. It worked better and better the more specific and damning the question.
ZeldaQueen: Ah yes, specifying a question like that, certainly no one else would think to close such a huge and obvious loophole. This is more typical bad fanfiction - "Oh look, a conclusion which is huge and very, very obvious and everybody with the IQ higher than granola could reach! The fact that my characters thought of it clearly shows that they are so smart!"
Madam Marchbanks smiled up on the stage. It was visible in the audience. She was unraveling his word games and the little bits of misdirection Dumbledore could plant even under Veritaserum. She was doing it in public.
ZeldaQueen: Yes, thank you DW, I know! I know that you're doing your damnedst to sully Dumbledore's name, even going so far as to make up ridiculous stuff! You can stop rubbing it in our faces now!
"Did you have one of your associates of the time, the current Head Auror Alastor Moody, place incriminating evidence concerning Crouch's predecessor and the other likely candidates?"
Dumbledore paled and it was obvious he was now trying to fight the drug. "How did you…"
By that answer alone, it was obvious that Dumbledore had done something.
ZeldaQueen: DW, I know! I am more intelligent than a lima bean, I can figure stuff out!
I also find this quite hypocritical, considering how Our Mr. Potter has had no problem with digging up and placing incriminating evidence about people he doesn't like
"I received an advanced copy of an interesting article slated to appear tomorrow in an Irish newspaper called the Magical Defender. Apparently they're reporting you had Mister Moody do these things for you…and then you obliviated him of the knowledge."
ZeldaQueen: Because clearly an article in an Irish newspaper with an anonymous author and no serious evidence to back it up is the be-all and end-all of information
Dumbledore sat almost choking in surprise.
ZeldaQueen: No. I do not believe this. This is Dumbledore. This is the man who remained perfectly serene while Fudge and Umbridge were in his office trying to get Harry expelled. This is the man who started kicking ass and taking names when he learned that the guy who he hired as a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher was a seemingly-dead Death Eater. He would not be getting all chocked up over this!
"It is true," he finally admitted. "He did the work, but wasn't happy about it… I removed his memories to prevent complications later on."
"Guilty conscience type complications?"
"Among others, yes."
"Why did you believe Barty Crouch was the right person for the job?"
"He wasn't scared, at first, to say Voldemort's name. He had the right idea on tactics…"
The room fell silent at that admission. Dumbledore had picked Crouch because of the things Crouch would permit the Aurors to do? The man had just leapt off the Astronomy Tower under his own words…
ZeldaQueen: (DW) "See that? See what I just did there? I went and had Dumbledore do something incredibly stupid and out of character, just to show how Evil he is! And look! I went and put in a reference to canon! You know, to the place he died at, sacrificing himself so that Malfoy's soul wasn't broken? Ha ha, he's Evil!"
"…and he would make sure Voldemort didn't win."
"And what gave you the right to interfere in the process to ensure Crouch's election?"
ZeldaQueen: Probably the same thing that gave Harry the right to traipse around, kidnapping and murdering as he pleased
"I am the most powerful magic user in Britain. Of course it was my right."
ZeldaQueen: You can put words in his mouth as much as you want, DW, I'm not going to believe it any more
The Hall fell silent for nearly a minute before Madam Marchbanks recovered her wits. She'd apparently never expected Dumbledore to say such a thing. It was, frankly, the kind of thing a Dark Lord would say.
ZeldaQueen: (DW) "SEE THAT? SEE WHAT I JUST DID THERE? I MADE A VERY COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT PARALLEL WHICH JUST SHOWS HOW EVIL DUMBLEDORE IS! HA HA HA, I ROCK!"
In polite company, everyone knew of Dumbledore's magical power, but no one spoke of it or the rationale behind his position of Headmaster of Hogwarts or the others he'd assembled and later lost.
ZeldaQueen: You know, why would Dumbledore believe such a thing? It's like McGonnagall said, he had a lot of power but was too noble to use it. Same thing as to why he never became Minister - he didn't trust himself with a lot of power
"Mr. Dumbledore," Marchbanks eventually said. "No one likes to believe that they don't live in a democratic world. But you're suggesting might makes power, not votes…"
"That is correct." A shudder rippled through the audience again.
"If you're so powerful, sir, why weren't you the one to kill Voldemort? You dueled him a half dozen times according to official records…"
ZeldaQueen: Erm, I'm pretty sure Dumbledore never actually dueled Voldemort. That would be, of course, because Voldemort didn't traipse around the world willy-nilly like the author here seems to think he did
"I tried, Madam. I tried but I could not fell him."
"Perhaps there is more hype than power in your actual self, Mr. Dumbledore…"
ZeldaQueen: Or maybe it's because he's not channeling the power of God Almighty, like DW seems to think he's supposed to be
Harry stayed only another twenty minutes. The questions got harder and harder on Dumbledore and he appeared a massive fool. Harry only imagined the entire situation got worse as the hours drug on.
ZeldaQueen: Because the author can't actually think of anything sufficiently damning since he's used up everything else. God, I hate this. Dumbledore's a tragic guy and just because he has an ambiguously moral history, everyone decides he's worse than Lucifer
Harry wondered about tomorrow's Daily Prophet headline: "Dumbledore the Dictator" or "The Puppeteer Emerges" or "Merlin's Memories: Might Dumbledore Have Erased Those Too?"
ZeldaQueen: You'll remember, of course, Rita Skeeter saying "The Prophet lives to sell itself". It jumps on the public bandwagon. I refuse to believe that Harry got it to "reform". And of course he's perfectly fine with it, so long as it publishes what he wants it to
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October 3, 1979
Harry breakfasted lightly while he read the Daily Prophet. His anonymous salvo into the new war to clean up the Ministry was located on page 11. It was small and easily bypassed.
ZeldaQueen: I find it hard to believe it was used at all except in those Letters to the Editor thing
He read the small advertisement and wondered who else might find it interesting?
ZeldaQueen: The Weekly World News, I'd wager. And that was a question?
Draft Harris Potter for Minister
ZeldaQueen: Oh, fuck me.
And who wants to bet that Harry didn't actually see if his grandfather wanted to be Minister before raising this up
He hasn't declared his intentions to run for public office, but the public needs him nonetheless.
ZeldaQueen: *sputters* "the public needs him"??? SAYS WHO? A WHINY MAN-CHILD BRAT WHO IS A TOTAL ENTITLEMENT WHORE? BULL, I SAY!
He has served in the Wizengamot off and on for forty-seven years and has a compendious understanding of the affairs of government. He's among the wealthiest wizards of our time and is incorruptible. He hasn't always sides with the Light (he voted against Dumbledore's ascension to Chief Warlock) and doesn't outright dismiss the Dark. He's firmly in the middle…an intelligent man's choice.
ZeldaQueen: Notice that Harry is quick to point out how his grandfather is right because he sided against Dumbledore. Of course. Because Dumbledore is Evil. And Harry, do you know why Dark Wizards are called "dark"? Because they're evil, that's why!!! This isn't like Fire Emblem, where Light and Dark magic are both good and bad! Dark wizards get their names because they mentally enslave people, torture them, and/or kill them! And considering that everyone just got out of Voldemort's rein of terror, I think that telling people how Harris Potter is at all sympathetic to "the Dark" would pretty much sink his chance of election. The only wizards or witches who ought to be appealed to with that would have supported Voldemort and probably are mostly in hiding or jail or are dead!
We need to convince Harris Potter to run for Minister of Magic. He is our best hope of reunifying our broken world.
ZeldaQueen: (Angsty Harry) "To hell if he actually wants to run."
It was appropriately bombastic.
ZeldaQueen: Harry doesn't use words like "bombastic"
Harry wondered which set of witches and wizards would glom onto the idea and run with it… Harris Potter would be a candidate, whether he wanted it or not, by the end of the month.
ZeldaQueen: *sputters again* I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? That, right there??? He just fucking well admitted that he didn't care if his grandfather wanted to run for Minister of Magic or not! WHAT THE HELL? HOW CAN HARRY INSIST THAT HE CARES ABOUT HIS FAMILY? HE JUST TREATS THEM LIKE PAWNS, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! "OH LOOK, HERE'S A GUY I KINDA-SORTA KNOW, BUT HE'S MY FAMILY SO HE MUST BE A SUITABLE CANDIDATE! I'LL JUST FORCE HIM TO RUN IN THE ELECTION, EVEN THOUGH HE'S OLD AND PROBABLY WANTS TO LIVE A NICE, QUIET, RETIRED LIFE!"
His poor grandfather. Instead of retirement, the man would be the busiest man in the country for the foreseeable future.
ZeldaQueen: DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULL! IF YOU CARED AT ALL ABOUT YOUR GRANDFATHER, YOU'D ACTUALLY TAKE HIS FEELINGS INTO ACCOUNT! THIS IS SO DISGUSTING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!
Harry did not doubt that the pale announced crop of Proudfoot, Kaleman, Spinnet, and Greengrass would fall by the way. Potter would surely win on the first balloting, even if he protested he didn't really want the job. Witches and wizards had a definite problem respecting each other's privacy.
ZeldaQueen: Is this kind of sounding like sexual assault or something? "Oh he's just saying he doesn't want the job! Just force him into office and lock him in the room and I promise you, he'll enjoy it!" Anyway, if Harris Potter doesn't want the job, then what if he just refuses the nomination? What if he doesn't campaign at all? What if he refuses to take office? They can't rightly force a guy to take a position? To repeat an earlier point, everyone tried to convince Dumbledore to take the position of Minister of Magic, but clearly they couldn't force him to because he didn't want to!
And Harry has no right to sneer at folks for problems respecting privacy, considering how he's been breaking into houses, stealing stuff including freaking memories, kidnapping people, and screwing with their minds
Harry folded the paper and then vanished it.
ZeldaQueen: Then made an origami crane out of it
He walked upstairs to the little room he'd set up on the second floor. It was where he fabricated the magical devices he'd need.
ZeldaQueen: For jerking off. Hey, he didn't have Ginny anymore. Maybe that's why he's been so screwed-up lately...
He finally recreated omnioculars for his personal use…
ZeldaQueen: Because those were so danged useful that it warranted actually inventing them early rather than, oh, enhancing regular binoculars, huh?
and he'd created quite an unusual necklace there too.
Today he walked over to the recording crystal that was tied to that necklace, a shiny bauble that had basically compelled Sybil Trelawney to wear it and never take it off once she'd found it. (The ramshackle old building inhabited by the Trelawneys had been very easy to enter.)
ZeldaQueen: Oh goody, more of his shameless breaking in and entering, spying, and magically screwing with the wills of innocent people just because he feels entitled
Harry made it a point to listen to the crystal every few days to see if Trelawney had said anything interesting – or anything at all. The mad woman could spend entire days playing with prophetic cards or rolling chicken bones around in a cup or staring at a lump of glass that had no relation whatsoever to the ethereal plane. She knew she had no gift for prophesy, yet she still spent hours and entire days trying to bring out 'her Inner Eye.'
ZeldaQueen: So you're spying on her to mock her. Lovely. And don't tell me it's because you're listening to say if she's prophesying either. Prophecies don't have to be fulfilled, so it doesn't matter if she does anything!
The entire project took only twenty minutes. The crystal only noted the things she'd said…and most of her conversations had been about haddock and the salad she didn't want to eat for lunch.
ZeldaQueen: I really love how everything is so bitter and sarcastic. I know it's been going on for some time, but I don't think there's been a seriously happy thought or action for most of this fic. What the heck? Even after Sirius and Dumbledore died, Harry wasn't this nasty
The only knew thing Harry learned was that Sybil's mother was quite inventive when it came to curse words…and that she was absolutely convinced that Sybil did have the gift of Sight. 'You're just holding back, dearie. You can't be lazy or you'll never be gifted with their Favor…'
Harry didn't agree with the old woman, but he couldn't afford to be wrong, either. Sybil hadn't said or done anything at the time indicated in the old timeline. Not a whisper. But Harry would keep monitoring the old fraud…
ZeldaQueen: Because he was a nosy bastard who enjoyed spying more than Edward Cullen.
And why doesn't Harry believe that Trelawny doesn't have any gifts at all? He knew that she gave accurate prophecies twice. He saw one of them. Just because she is kept from making one of the prophecies doesn't mean she won't ever make any
Fate would just love to play another trick on him.
ZeldaQueen: Because that's all this is about - Harry being a whiny entitlement whore who thinks everything and everyone is out to get him
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November 11, 1979
Today had been an 'important' day on the old timeline. The day that Petunia got married to Vernon Dursley in a dress that showed she was expecting. She was such a small woman and the child she was carrying would be such a large newborn…it was no wonder she had been the immediate victim of gossip leading up to this hastily arranged 'blessed event.'
ZeldaQueen: It's times like this that I'm glad my keyboard's well-made, otherwise I'd have shattered it with that *head desk*
Okay DW, let's have a look at this - Petunia and Vernon basically made it their life's work to be like those 1950s nuclear families. Why the bleeding devil would she go and let herself get knocked up before getting married? And even if she did, why wait until she's showing? There are several months before a woman shows and even then, one could still hide it for some time. So again, why wear a dress that showed she was expecting?
Oh, I know why all of that stuff happened! You don't like the Dursleys so you feel the need to bash them by making them look completely irresponsible and humiliated. Dudley hasn't even been born yet and you feel the need to mock him
Harry walked down Privet Drive where Vernon and his still living parents had just arranged for a small home at Number 4. It was as beastly now as it had been when Harry had lived here. The sameness, the uniformity.
ZeldaQueen: The canon deviations, oh wait...
Vernon and Petunia would be leaving for their honeymoon in the Cotswolds in a few hours. Vernon had only been inside the house a single time; Petunia had yet to see it.
ZeldaQueen: So wait, they wait until Petunia is showing to get married, they apparently aren't living together or have made plans to share a life together, and they seem to not have bothered arranging for their own living quarters prior to the wedding.
This is the Dursleys. The folks who map out exactly what they'll say and do, down to compliments and dessert, when the boss comes for dinner. The author is trying to imply that they apparently got married after a one-night stand or something and were forced to marry fast without any planning.
Bull, I say!
Harry walked, disillusioned, through to the backyard and unlocked the back door. He set foot inside the recently built home, one he hadn't seen since his hasty, disastrous abandonment of the home just prior to his seventeenth birthday.
ZeldaQueen: I'd hardly call it "disastrous", seeing as he freaking well lived
Harry hated the place.
ZeldaQueen: So what? He hates everything in this fic
He walked over to the cupboard under the stairs. He sealed the wood of the door into the wood of the frame surrounding it. Vernon or any future owners would have to physically cut into the wood to restore this tiny bit of space.
ZeldaQueen: Well that was a childishly spiteful thing to do
Harry wouldn't let this bit of his history be turned into a mere home for vacuum cleaners and scouring products. It would remain a mystery that Vernon and Petunia would never figure out.
ZeldaQueen: Yes, the people who have only been inside the house one time at the most will surely realize that a cupboard under the stairs has been sealed off so that it appears to be a part of the wall. That will have them scratching their heads.
Actually, I was kind of expecting this version of Harry to just burn the entire place down
As he walked through the rest of the house, even the basement, Harry decided on what he would do. He would cast a magic detection charm on something innocuous in the house: it would alert Harry in the event that Vernon and Petunia kept having children and one of them turned out magical. He also decided to cast a calming ward across the house and lawn.
ZeldaQueen: Wait, what? For god's sake, why?
To Harry, the house had always felt tense and strained. It had been filled with anger, bullying, and cutting words. Harry wondered if even a calming influence would keep Vernon from being a vicious sort of human; if it would keep Dudley from being spoiled and about as worthless as they came (even with his rather pathetic apology just prior to Harry's 17th birthday).
ZeldaQueen: Yes, that's right DW. Harry would just spit on what was clearly the most heartfelt gesture Dudley could provide. Listen, beans-for-brains, the entire reason the apology was clumsy was because it was the first time Dudley did anything like that! Meaning that Harry was the only person Dudley felt indebted enough to to be that kind to! Harry knew this in canon and wouldn't squash it like that!
He set to work on the house and was finished in twenty minutes. He was giving the Dursley family only one opportunity…if they ever crossed his path for harming a magical child or for ever saying the word 'freak' in his presence, they would have mysterious heart attacks in the night. Heart attacks the Muggles would attribute to stress and unhealthy eating habits.
ZeldaQueen: I really don't know what to say. This is honestly revolting. How could the author think Harry would ever be like that? How? Doesn't he think that any of the revelations in the seventh book would have meant anything to Harry? That the memories of young Petunia showed him that her anger stemmed from jealousy? That Dudley was, in fact, grateful for the rescue from Dementors and just didn't know how to show it?
And he's seriously going to kill them. For reasons they would never know about. They don't know about their magical nephew yet! They don't know that there's a psychotic killer who's spying on them and will off them all for the slightest offense. I seriously feel sorry for them. This is really reminding me of The Punisher, when the one guy is pinned and forced to hold a grenade so the pin doesn't come out
But he was willing to give them this single chance.
ZeldaQueen: OH HOW FUCKING THOUGHTFUL OF HIM!!!!
I MIGHT POINT OUT THAT HE ISN'T GIVING THEM ANY INDICATION OF THIS "CHANCE", NOR IS HE OUTLINING FOR THEM THE TERMS OR THAT HE'LL BE SPYING ON THEM OR WATCHING FOR THE SLIGHTEST MISBEHAVIOR!
Seriously DW, this is no different than if you dropped the f-bomb one day and then someone broke into your room at night and stabbed you to death. You didn't know that anyone was watching you or that you were doing anything worthy of death, but hey you were being given a chance! Wasn't your fault you didn't know it or that no one ever told you! Hope you enjoy being dead, along with your spouse and child!
Harry walked out of the backyard, relocking the door as he went. He continued down the path and eventually cut over to Wisteria Walk, where Arabella Figg had lived. Right now the house sat unfinished, waiting for windows to be installed. Given the weather, it was rather late in the year still to be constructing housing…
Then again, Harry wasn't a muggle construction manager. What did he know?
ZeldaQueen: And the point of this was what, exactly?
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December 14, 1979
Strange to say, but Harry Potter's favorite bar was the Busted Bucket in Godric's Hollow. It was located on a small strip of mostly magical businesses that used light repelling wards to protect themselves. Muggles could see the Busted Bucket, but none ever had the inclination to come to this bar. The occasional batty human who resisted the wards forgot about the bar entirely when they hit the second level of wards just at the door. The whole thing worked out just fine.
ZeldaQueen: Well my word, that sounds an awful lot like the Leaky Cauldron!
Seriously DW, stop making up cheap knock-offs of canon stuff. You aren't that good. In fact, you aren't good at all
Harry slipped inside because he wanted to listen to the Wizarding Wireless coverage of the last Truth Commission hearing of the year. He wanted to get a read of average folks, which is why he hadn't attended the session in person.
ZeldaQueen: And if things don't go your way, you'll kidnap and kill people until they do. Cheers!
He took his favorite stool at the bar. "Gillywater, please."
ZeldaQueen: Take my wife, please
He looked like an old, darkly tanned wizard. The bartender didn't pay him a second glass after he set the drink on the bar.
ZeldaQueen: And again with the ridiculous disguises, I - wait, "a second glass"? Ha! Either that's a spelling error or the bartender's a bigot who doesn't give second rounds to darkly tanned wizards
"Much obliged."
Harry set two sickles down, which was the price of the drink and a hefty tip included.
ZeldaQueen: Well thank you for that, DW. I'm a much better person for knowing that
He'd just intentionally marked himself as a wizard with means. He'd get good service here for the rest of his visit.
ZeldaQueen: Because heaven forbid he not get the best of everything.
And doesn't throwing around a ton of money make in a little, oh I don't know, conspicuous?
He then walked over toward the Wizarding Wireless. He wanted to be close by to get all the details. He took a seat in a booth with a good view of the rest of the room. There were quite a few folks already in attendance.
The music from the little box cut away to silence. Then a woman's voice filled the room. "Today the Truth Commission will begin the formal voting on granting of Amnesty for crimes committed during the recently ended war. Only those who've freely testified before us are at all eligible for Amnesty. A number of open cases cannot even be decided yet until all the parties concerned are heard. However, this first list contains mostly those held under the Imperius Curse…and all of the names have corroboration from the Death Eaters in Azkaban who testified under Veritaserum."
ZeldaQueen: Jesus, is this boring and pointless! Author, there's a line between "attention to detail" and "will you get on with it?"
And I still firmly believe that the Death Eaters have been only pretending to be affected by the Veritaserum and have been lying their heads off
The shuffling of papers was just loud enough to transmit over the wireless. It filled the room for a few moments before the woman began speaking again.
ZeldaQueen: And the point of that was what, exactly?
"Our first case will be Arthur Weasley of the Ministry's Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office…."
Harry heard a few exclamations from the bar folk. 'A good man, Arthur.' 'Poor, it's true, but he stands for his ideals.' 'Rather an odd head on that one, completely a-twittered with Muggles, you know.'
ZeldaQueen: *scowling* Leave Arthur alone! He's a million times more honorable and good than this twisted version of Harry is!
"…testimony and recovered memories suggesting that Mr. Weasley was under the Imperius Curse when he smuggled out Ministry records naming quite a few of the Muggleborn wizards in our world. Mr. Weasley freely testified on October 3 of this year. He has also sent a letter which he asked to be read into the record prior to our deliberations on his case.
ZeldaQueen: God, this is stupid! What is DW's thing against the Weasleys? Does he really think they were only friends with Harry because it was arranged?
"'Dear Members, I wish to thank you for allowing me to recount what little I could remember of my role in unwillingly aiding the Death Eaters.
ZeldaQueen: (Arthur Weasley) "I'm so sorry, a person named DW pulled the strings and made it happen"
To ensure this particular type of incident doesn't happen again on my watch, I have drafted legislation to do away with taxes and records that pertain specifically to Muggleborn witches and wizards. I have also drafted a set of rules requiring anti-Imperius wards to be erected at every departmental entrance.
ZeldaQueen: Erm, can he even do that? Mr. Weasley worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department. So far as I ever saw, he never had any authority or connections to tax laws or anti-Imperius wards? Also, anti-Imperius wards? Why would DW think those exist? If so, wouldn't they have been used a lot more in canon?
I cannot express how deeply ashamed I am at the actions I was forced to undertake, but I can help to prepare all of us for any unscrupulous types who might attack us at our weak points in the future.
"'I write today most specifically concerning my role in the Order of the Phoenix. Since the date of my testimony I have learned a great deal of additional information concerning that body that gives me great pause.
ZeldaQueen: *tiredly* Well, looks like the Order is going to be smacked around by DW also. Canon? Who the hell needs it?
I did not learn until late November of the Order's torture-questioning and eventual killing of the Death Eater Sturgis Podmore. I did not even know he had been a double agent of the Order until the newspapers broke the account.
ZeldaQueen: THAT NEVER HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look, I'm sorry for yelling so much, but this is just really fucking stupid! The author specifically stated that this was supposed to be a follow-up to the Deathly Hallows epilogue, which means it has to follow canon! I've already explained how Sturgis Podmore wasn't a double agent, but there is no way in hell he could have been killed by the Order of the Phoenix. Why? Because he's still alive the second time Voldemort rises to power! The fact that he's in the fifth book is a clue to the main conflict!!!! This is NOT that hard!
I do not condone that sort of conduct and I cannot understand how people I once trusted resorted to those measures. Even if Podmore's questioning revealed the names of two other traitors, I think there were better ways – legal ways – of handling the situation.
ZeldaQueen: Yeah, like kidnapping and mindraping them. Hey, Saint Harry does it, so it must be alright
"'Thank you for your attention to my concerns. I wish you the best of luck in your ponderous endeavors. May Merlin favor the brave.'"
Harry surveyed the barroom. A number of people were nodding; no one was scowling. It boded well… People could at least smell honest intentions.
ZeldaQueen: I love how Harry never suspects anyone but Dumbledore or the Ministry officials of lying. Even with the Death Eaters, he always takes what they say at face value, as does everyone else. This is just bull, bull I say!
The conversation on the Wizarding Wireless continued for five minutes before the voting started. All but one of the Commissioners – Sorcha McGoohan, who rejected Amnesty but declined to state why – authorized Arthur's official forgiveness for committing crimes under the Imperius Curse. The Amnesty was very specific about what was being forgiven; he could still come under charges for his role in the Order of the Phoenix.
ZeldaQueen: I still refuse to accept that the Order of the Phoenix engaged in torture. Oh yeah, wait, Dumbledore ran it and everything he did was Evil
"Next on docket for Amnesty: Albus Dumbledore's role…"
That was all the farther she got. A heavily accented voice, Spanish most likely, said, "I would like to table any Amnesty for Mr. Dumbledore until we've heard all the witnesses."
ZeldaQueen: Yes, no hope whatsoever of anyone actually forgiving Dumbledore of anything. The almighty Harry and DW have decided that he is worse than a child molester, so everyone else hates him as well
The woman took a second before responding. "We'll put it to a vote." It was unanimous for tabling the motion. Harry doubted whether a majority of the Commission would ever vote to pick the subject up again.
ZeldaQueen: Gahd, I hate this, hate this!!! LEAVE DUMBLEDORE ALONE, DAMN YOU!
"Moving on, the Amnesty request for Mr. William Pickering…"
Harry tuned out the rest of the meeting. Most of the others did, too. It was a relief that Dumbledore's gambit with the Commission had failed. The old man had proclaimed in the Prophet not one week ago that "I will receive forgiveness and official Amnesty for the things I've done to save our great nation."
It seemed not.
ZeldaQueen: The only reason I'm not screaming in frustration and tossing my laptop out of the window is that I know that Dumbledore can easily escape these twats if he wants to
Dumbledore only had his reputation and his dwindling influence at Hogwarts. He had been kicked off the Wizengamot completely in the last three weeks for his crimes against the state. He had fought the Board of Governors to a 6 to 6 split against demanding his removal as Headmaster.
He was in his waning days of influence…even with the Daily Prophet which had started in on the 'Dumbledore is a nutter' spiel a few decades early.
ZeldaQueen: And the fifth book shows that the Daily Prophet will run any story for a buck. Considering how easily they dragged Dumbledore and Harry's names through the mud, I don't see that as much of an indicator of anything
The positive attention the Prophet was dishing out was meant for Harris Potter…who had reluctantly decided he had to stand for Minister of Magic.
ZeldaQueen: Poor guy, his Gary Stu grandson decided he was going to be Minister and nothing could make it otherwise
Harry wandered back to the bar and got a second gillywater. He left a significant tip again. Good tippers got remembered, but not in any negative respects. Harry's persona of the day would just be the quiet man who came into the bar to listen to the Wireless. He wouldn't be skulking sort who demanded extra scrutiny…
ZeldaQueen: Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but a quiet guy who listens to the wireless every day while shelling out a huge tip for each drink would probably get extra scrutiny from someone, if only muggers who want an easy galleon
This time Harry sat down at the bar and sipped his drink.
The bartender started up the conversation. "Been following the campaigns?"
Harry smiled and nodded. "A couple of interesting folks…"
"Just glad that that Helfgott realized it was time to retire."
ZeldaQueen: (Bartender) "I've also been follower that psychotic serial killer who stuck Voldmort on a pike. Who do you think that nutter is?"
Harry sipped.
"I'm backing Potter, meself," the bartender said. "I'll floo down first thing to the Ministry and fill in my ballot…"
"Potter, eh? Don't know too much about the man."
"Very nice man. Owns a cottage on the other side of town. Spends a few weeks there every year, his son James was born there on one of Harri's vacations. I had him in this tavern here last spring. Bright chap and very kind. That's the best sort, you know. Too many smart folks get cruel and arrogant, you see, like You-Know-Who…"
ZeldaQueen: Or Dumbledore, go on DW, I know you're itching to say it.
And am I the only one who finds it a bit disturbing that the bartender knows so much about Harris Potter, especially since the guy doesn't want to run?
Harry nodded.
"You think this Potter will win?"
"I'm fairly sure of it. Some anonymous soul decided to draft him into the campaign, you remember. Three of the other folks left the race after Potter officially declared. Most of the ones I chat with think Potter'll do well."
ZeldaQueen: *sourly* Yes, of course the grandfather of Harry Potter is so damned famous and popular that three people drop out of the race because of him and everyone thinks he's the cat's meow. Bull, I say!
Harry raised his nearly empty glass. "Here's hoping you're right."
ZeldaQueen: *smashes glass against Angsty Harry's head*
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Onward to: Chapter 6: The Next Potter Generation (Part 2)
Back to: Chapter 5: The Birth Of Hope (Part 3)
Back to: Table of Contents
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-29 07:35 am (UTC)Look, DW, you can't accuse the Ministry and Dumbledore of meddling and perverting democracy if your character who we are supposed to like does the exact same thing!
And bugger off with your bashing of Sybil Trawnely DW, it says in cannon (not that they particularly care) that, while she is not as talented as her ancestor, she still has the gift! She joined in the battle of Hogwarts by hitting people over the gead with enchanted crystal balls! She is not a complete raving madwoman!
Also, is anyone suspicious of the person with the Spanish accent cutting in when Dumbledore's vote comes? It dosen't fit, but I don't know if DW is trying to use a herring or if its pointless detail.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-29 02:14 pm (UTC)And word to all you said! I read the reviews this tripe got and everyone's treating it like it's some wonderful thought experiment about what would happen if Harry went unhinged. Except (A) it's TOTALLY unbelievable, (B) it doesn't follow canon at all, even though it clearly is supposed to happen after the epilogue, and (C) it's just Harry wandering around like a Godmode Sue, conveniently dodging anything that would stop him and having every little thing he needs! There's no actual consequences, no one calling him out on his behavior, nothing!
(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-01 11:14 pm (UTC)So, like you said, Trelawney does have the gift. It's just that short of full prophecy mode, fortune telling is notoriously unreliable.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-29 08:22 am (UTC)I want Canon!Voldemort and Canon!Dumbledore to team up and take this fucker out. GRAH!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-05-29 02:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-14 05:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-11-01 11:22 pm (UTC)Yes, because having boatloads of money means you must be a good leader. That's why Donald Trump won the 2008 election.
Also, it's nice to say he's incorruptible, but considering the amount of corruption allegedly running rampant, how about some proof? Given that everybody loved Dumbledore and admired Crouch until Harry's shocking articles, you'd think people would be a bit wary.
Harry did not doubt that the pale announced crop of Proudfoot, Kaleman, Spinnet, and Greengrass would fall by the way.
Why? Why is Harris so amazing and these people so not? Disobedience has given us no indication on why Harry thinks Harris is so amazing.
Minor note: His constant use of the abbreviation DMLE bugs me. Took me forever to figure out what it stood for because nobody ever used it in the books.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-01-05 01:41 am (UTC)Replying late to this comment to say thanks for tempting fate. :P
(no subject)
Date: 2017-01-09 07:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2017-01-04 12:37 pm (UTC)"I believe Dumbledore's actions were motivated by the prophecy he so strongly believed in. He left Voldemort some followers instead of making sure they were all dead or insane in Azkaban, take Dumbledore away and you have a more secure world."
No Sherlock, take Dumbledore away and you have a DOOMED world! Dumbledore had no choice but to act on that prophecy, VOLDEMORT ACTED ON IT FIRST, SETTING IT IN MOTION! Dumbledore had to follow it to stop him! And this is the ONLY ONE VOLDEMORT FEARED, you're honestly going to kill him off?! Good job asshole, you doomed England and the entire world. And of course it's all Dumbledore's fault for not being able to imprison/kill HUNDREDS, POSSIBLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT ONCE because he's one man with a handful of followers and can't get rid of everyone who supports Voldemort. He was not "abetting Voldemort at every turn", idiots. Anyway he had Horcruxes, he'd just come back and recruit again. Amelia Bones of course has something against him. We take a side character who's been mentioned ONCE and she's become the fave Dumbledore hater of choice.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-01-05 01:26 am (UTC)(That's not even mentioning how as far as anyone could have seen, the prophecy was concluded when Voldemort was turned into a spirit by Baby Harry.)
And you're right. Without Dumbledore, the wizarding world would have been screwed, especially after Book 4. Dumbledore was the one who stepped up to plate when Fudge was a moron. He contacted allies, he gave people missions, he tried to build as many allegiances as possible, he reopened the Order, and he did everything he could to build a resistance.
Also, I hate suethors who think there's some conspiracy reason for why Death Eaters didn't get thrown in prison. Canon explains why. Some couldn't be proven (like the Malfoys), some used positions and money to bribe their way out, and some pretended they were magically forced into it. It's not like those are ways that actual criminals have escaped from prison.
I saw the stuthor for this also wrote some political thriller, so I think he has a thing for conspiracy theory thrillers involving taking on The Man.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-01-05 06:13 am (UTC)