Child Of Grace: Chapter 31 - Grim Mistakes

[zelda_queen]

ZeldaQueen: Before we begin, a belated Happy Birthday to gehayi!

Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
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Chapter 31: Grim Mistakes

ZeldaQueen: So we start right off the bat with Holly being an angsty little toad and going on about this stupid bonded thing. I really don't see how this is such a huge issue, since the two are joined at the hip most of the time anyway, but whatever. I'm just disgusted that this is what the suethor is using to replace Rowling's lovely suspense.

So yeah. Needless to say, there's angst out the butt and I'm going to spare you all the pain of reading it. Instead, we'll just skip ahead to the day of the first Hogsmeade visit and unlike that loser Harry, Holly doesn't care that she won't be going. I mean, how could you even think she'd be excited or envious about something like that? What, is she thirteen or something? Gawd?

Oh, and there's a ton of angst over how she's such a coward to block out all of the mental voices. Erm, what about the fact that it's BASIC DECENCY, HMM? Oh, and she also isn't reading any of Blaise's thoughts, since she thinks he deserves privacy. The hypocrisy of this all is making my head throb.

Anyway, Malfoy and Blaise are set to go out to Hogsmeade, and the suethor continues to beat us over the head with how Holly's friends are sooooo much more loving and caring than Ron and Hermione, with Malfoy offering to stay at the castle with her and Blaise asks if there's no way for her to come, even if it's sneaking out. Ignoring the blatant "I READ AHEAD" there, yes Holly, by all means sneak out of the castle. I'd just love to watch a Dementor suck out your soul, if you have one. Holly instead gives a weak excuse about meeting Lupin and Luna for lunch, all while angsting about this stupid mind bondage thing. Oh, and we're still beaten over the head with Blaise fussing and frowning at the mere mention of Lupin's name.

So they bid Holly farewell and set off and she's still worried about Blaise, but also thinking about the Samhain ceremony that night, in which she will bring her parents' ghosts back for the night to talk to them. What, did you actually think the suethor was going to drop it after only one time? The suethor seizes this opportunity to show how the Slytherin house is just filled with angsty little woobies, going on about how all of her friends had at least one dead parent and wanted to see if they're alright.

"Holly studied Theo as he smiled and sat down across from her, recalling that his mother had died when he was eight from a magically resistant strain of Goblin Flu. Both he and his dad had been at her bedside, his two siblings away at school at the time, and Theo still wasn't certain they would have survived it without the support of Gavin's mum, a friend of Mrs. Nott from their schooldays.

Her eyes flickered to Luna and then Daphne. Holly knew that the blonde's own mother had been killed when one of her magical experiments had backfired. That was opposed to Daphne's Muggleborn father. He had been visiting with his parents and had gone to the grocers for them one summer day, only to be mugged and knifed in the back on the return trip.

Of course, there was also poor Blaise, who had lost not one father but two, his own and his sisters'. He was also counting on her; he needed this to work so that he could finally put his mind to rest. For all that Blaise had done for her, she could give him this much."

ZeldaQueen: You know, I might find the "so many parents are dead" thing halfway believable if this was set while Voldemort was in power and everyone was being rounded up and killed. As it is, all I can think of is Lady Bracknall's phrase, "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness".

Anyway, we get more of that stupid summarizing, going straight through the lunch date with Lupin. That's right, the suethor took an opportunity to show Holly and Lupin's relationship and her bonding with him and learning more about her parents - which was what happened when canon Harry hung around with him - and squandered it. Oh, but we're briefly told about Snape showing up with the smoking goblet, which is kind of pointless since Holly already knows he's a werewolf, thus there's no mystery about whether or not Snape is trying to poison Lupin. Instead, this is used to bang us over the head with "ISN'T HOLLY SMART???", since she mind rapes Lupin and gets the word "wolfsbane" and how it lets him keep his human mind. Dur?

Skipping over that, Holly goes back to the Common Room and sees that Sirius has set up the ritual for the stupid raising the dead thing. She's all nervous, despite doing this last year. We jump to that evening, where all of Holly's little minions are either guarding the door (Malfoy and Blaise), making excuses for her absence (all of her other school friends) or giving sappy reasons for her to be alone during the ritual (Sirius). And I would be horribly denying you if I just summarized this, so I'll just go ahead and spork it instead.
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Holly glanced at her watch as she carefully set the framed photo of her parents on top of the runes at the western end of the circle, seeing that it was almost seven.

ZeldaQueen: - dwarves

Tom had concluded that this would be the best time due to the magical properties of the number.

ZeldaQueen: Didn't she do this last year? Wasn't this some great and famous ritual that everyone did? Why would they be guessing?

And oh yeah, he knows about the magical properties of seven. That's why he hacked his soul into seven pieces, which the suethor is conveniently ignoring

Sirius had seconded his opinion, vaguely remembering a similar ritual in his youth.

ZeldaQueen: Yes, I'd imagine that a ritual that temporarily raises the dead would only be remembered "vaguely". Idiots

The Black family had apparently wanted to contact a long dead relative in reference to an Unplottable property they had misplaced after the woman's death.

ZeldaQueen: Don't you just hate when you misplace an entire hunk of land like that?

The girl shook

ZeldaQueen: - it all about

the thought away, stepping back to look at her work. Everything was ready. All she had to do now was wait, and as the minutes stretch on, Holly silently recited the incantation in her head, praying to anyone who would listen that she would get it right. She watched the seconds tick by, and at exactly seven, Holly began the spell, silently grateful that the blasted thing was at least in English.

ZeldaQueen: Because it makes sense that a ritual which apparently is one cliche shy of killing a virgin baby goat is in modern English. Idiots

"Spirits of

ZeldaQueen: - rum

North, guardians of the gateway to earth, please heed my call.

ZeldaQueen: (Holly) "It's collect, do you accept the charges?"

I ask to speak to two people long departed on this most magical of days."

ZeldaQueen: There's something screwy about that sentence

Holly paused, and the chalice on the northern runes trembled, even as the writing underneath started to glow.

ZeldaQueen: (Nothern Runes) "Oh God help us, IT'S A SUE!!!!"

The water inside the cup rippled, no longer reflecting the ceiling above it

ZeldaQueen: COMMA!

but showing starlight, and she walked around the edge of the circle to the left.

ZeldaQueen: Take it back now, y'all!

"Sentinels of

ZeldaQueen: - the X-men

East, keepers of the path to magic, please heed my call.

ZeldaQueen: I'm waiting for "Mirror, mirror, on the wall" to show up at some point

I entreat you to guide two souls to me on this night of death and life."

ZeldaQueen: (Sue) "For I am hungry and I have already gobbled up most of canon already"

The athame in the east burned with a colourless light,

ZeldaQueen: Huh, I didn't know colourless light was flammable

its runes also glowing. The circle between the chalice and the dagger flared gold, the writing around it now silver.

ZeldaQueen: Mary Sue precious metals, ahoy!

Holly moved to the left again,

ZeldaQueen: You can't see it - it's electric!

now standing directly opposite where she had started.

ZeldaQueen: Yes, thank you, I think I could have figured that out on my own!

"Souls of South,

ZeldaQueen: - Park

keepers of the veil between worlds,

ZeldaQueen: Just because that thing was in the Department of Mysteries doesn't mean that it applies everywhere!

please heed my call. I implore you to deliver two beings from death for just this day."

ZeldaQueen: (Sue) "Just long enough for me to rape canon a bit more, all for angst purposes"

The unlit candles suddenly blazed on their own. The magic gathering

ZeldaQueen: The card game?

in the north and east spread to the south.

ZeldaQueen: And spring turned to summer, skipped fall and went straight to winter, before going back to fall

The circle was now half-activated, still an equal mixture of burning gold and serene white.

ZeldaQueen: Oh lord, shut up!

The Slytherin stepped to the left again,

ZeldaQueen: Put your hands on your hips, bring your knees in tight!

facing the athame from across the circle.

"Gods of West,

ZeldaQueen: (Sue) "Bend over, 'cause I'm better than you!"

guardians of the gateway to heaven, please heed my call. I beseech you to return my parents, Lily Rose Evans and James Meredith Potter, to me on this holy night of Samhain."

ZeldaQueen: "Rose"? "Meredith"? Great, looks like we're getting Sue versions of them. Shouldn't be surprised. And shouldn't Lily be referred to as "Lily Evans Potter" or something? I mean, she is married to James

The people in the photo stilled, completely frozen in time. The western quarter of the circle came to life, but one portion of it remained lifeless.

ZeldaQueen: What? So it came to life, except for one bit of it which didn't. That's great, suethor, thanks!

Holly walked back to her starting position and quietly sat on the floor, her legs tucked beneath her, eyes staring at the very centre of the circle.

ZeldaQueen: WHAT'S THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS?

"Great Maker, parent of all things, keeper of light and dark, I pray that you heed my call. Please allow me to once more see those I love, the ones who gave their lives for me."

ZeldaQueen: Yes, I know. Canon was horribly sacrificed for your selfish wants, little Sue

The summoning circle flared as the magic spread from west to north, completing it in awash of blazing gold and silver. Inside, the air positively glittered, like it was filled with thousands of tiny fairies.

ZeldaQueen: *gags*

Two glowing spheres suddenly appeared side by side, and they expanded to human-size with a flash, revealing the smiling faces of two people.

ZeldaQueen: It was Das Mervin and Mrs. Hyde. They grinned wickedly before impaling Holly with sporks

Holly gaped, pupils so dilated that the green was just a thin ring around the black.

ZeldaQueen: Oh my God, I was right! Hooray!

"Mum? Dad?" she breathed. If she hadn't already been sitting, the Slytherin would have undoubtedly sunk to the floor.

ZeldaQueen: Wow, she really is a character with no substance *rim shot*

"Holly," they said together, beaming at her with wide grins.

ZeldaQueen: (Lily and James) "We are the Borg. We are the future. We will assimilate you. Do not resist"

And "beaming with wide grins"? As opposed to what, beaming with wide frowns?

The girl was positively dumbfounded.

ZeldaQueen: In other words, business as usual

This wasn't at all like looking into the Mirror of Erised, where everything was foggy. They were clear, real. Her parents were actually here, seemingly alive, if not for the fact that they were somewhat transparent.

ZeldaQueen: OH, THAT'S NICE! Way to go, suethor! Way to trample on Rowling's canon, just to make your own stupid stuff look better! *is very grumpy*

Holly simply stared, almost in a trance, but she managed to recover somewhat, instead settling for watching Lily and James Potter with something akin to wonder. She gazed at them, studying her parents in a way she had never been able to before, trying to burn what they looked like into her mind as she did.

ZeldaQueen: *groans* Fuck me, this is going to be her meeting Sirius all over, isn't it?

Lily was just as beautiful as her picture, vivid red hair sleek and smooth as it curled gently down her back. Her eyes were exactly the same as Holly's, and the Slytherin could easily tell that they were related from the shape of their noses and most definitely their chins.

ZeldaQueen: Sue-ified Lily, at your service

She didn't look a thing like Petunia or Dudley, for that matter.

ZeldaQueen: Yes suethor, just rub it in how Petunia is EVIL for being unattractive. And why would Dudley look like Lily? Petunia doesn't look like her and Vernon doesn't, so why would he?

She was too petite with features actually proportional to her size.

ZeldaQueen: LEAVE PETUNIA ALONE! Seriously, you read Deathly Hallows and still have the stones to bash Petunia in relation to Lily?

Likewise, James looked as he did in the photo. His hair was dark, the colour between the deepest brown and black, and his cheery hazel eyes peered at her from behind his round glasses. Truthfully, he was scarily similar to Sirius physically, especially his build and the mischievous grin on his face, and Holly would have sworn that they were at least close cousins or possibly even brothers if she hadn't known better. James' face was rounder though and his coloration off. Still, there was a distinct resemblance, and the girl wondered if they were related.

ZeldaQueen: James and Sirius look alike? Riiiiiiight.

And folks, I honestly don't know at this point if this stuff about James and Sirius looking like they're related is foreshadowing or not. If it is, I'm going to be most displeased

In a daze, Holly stretched out her hand toward them, but it came in contact with something solid as she passed the boundary of the circle. A shield-like light flared underneath her fingertips, not forcing her back but not letting her go forward either.

ZeldaQueen: Yep, we're getting her being all dazed and confused again. Get on with it

Lily also reached forward, trying to touch her only child. However, as soon as her fingers crossed the summoning circle, they vanished, reappearing when she moved back inside. Both Holly and her mum stared for an instant, and the latter slowly withdrew her hand, James wrapping a comforting arm around her waist.

ZeldaQueen: GET ON WITH IT!

"Hello, dearest heart," Lily Potter said after a moment, eyes suspiciously very bright.

ZeldaQueen: Right. Hope everyone has had their insulin shots. This is getting very sugary

"You look so very beautiful," James inserted grin turning wistful. "Just like your mum when she was younger."

ZeldaQueen: Right. After she's been starved and beaten, she looks beautiful. Really

Holly just smiled with awe. "I can't believe you're actually here. Really here. I have so much to tell you."

ZeldaQueen: Didn't she do this last year???

"And we have so much to tell you," her dad responded back. "We've been watching you, Holly, and we couldn't possibly be prouder.

ZeldaQueen: (James) "You're such a little bitch of a tramp! It makes a parent so proud"

You fought a Basilisk! Saved Ginny Weasley.

ZeldaQueen: (James) "You were a complete jerk to her the entire time!"

Pulled Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat."

ZeldaQueen: (James) "Even though that really makes no sense. Um, why is that an accomplishment?"

James beamed wider than ever and winked devilishly. "You even gave Tom a chance when others wouldn't have."

ZeldaQueen: Yes, James would be over the moon about Holly befriending an alternate version of the guy who killed him and his wife. Especially since said alternate version is just as bitchy and selfish as Holly is. Bite me

"We're so very proud of you," Lily agreed, smiling softly at her husband's antics.

ZeldaQueen: What "antics"? He winked and smiled

"We're glad that you're finally back with Sirius. Even though

ZeldaQueen: (Lily) "You did it in a way which is pretty much impossible and completely ruined canon"

he's a bit irresponsible, he always has your best interest at heart; he'll take good care of you."

ZeldaQueen: Yes, just like he took good care of her for those twelve years when he was in Azkaban.

Yes folks, I'm aware of the fact that it wasn't his fault. Point is, Sirius is hardly the poster for a responsible parent, at least in canon. In this abomination...yeah...

She paused then, a shadow crossing her face. "But he also needs your help, love."

ZeldaQueen: (Lily) "He has a Mary Sue leeching off of him...oh wait"

"You mean with Pettigrew?" Holly asked, tilting her head to the side.

ZeldaQueen: I'm trying to remember, did he tell her about Pettigrew yet? Ah well, I don't want to read this any more than I have to, so we'll just assume she found out somehow

James nodded. "You need to find him, show that rat

ZeldaQueen: Oh I see what you did thar!

to Dumbledore and the Ministry to prove Sirius' innocence.

ZeldaQueen: I love how the Sue has to be told to do this. Harry was able to figure it out on his own, with the added bonus of wanting to spare Sirius and Lupin from being murderers

With him free, you definitely won't have to return to the Dursleys."

ZeldaQueen: Oh, I see. The whole "my dad wouldn't want you to be murderers" bit is completely shafted aside in favor of the Sue's comfort. How does that even work? The blood protection only lasts while Holly calls the Dursley residence home

He scowled at the mere mention of the family. "Sirius would never allow it. He probably won't even now."

ZeldaQueen: *rolls eyes* Fantastic, now we get James and Lily bashing the Dursleys. Even though I doubt James knew much about them at all and Lily wept when Petunia grew apart from her

The Slytherin frowned ever-so-slightly. "I'm not sure I understand. I have to go back, don't I? What about the blood protections? And aren't they my guardians; how could Sirius keep me from returning?"

ZeldaQueen: It's called "canon rape", my dear. Unfortunately, the morals of the book are being conveniently ignored so things can go the way the suethor wants them to

"He can protect you far better than Petunia ever could," James stated resolutely, grin replaced by a very serious expression. "Not to mention that he still has a well-warded house of his own, and with his family, he knows some powerful Dark magic."

ZeldaQueen: Um, no. No. NO, DAMMIT, NO NO NO!

Fuck it suethor, you're missing the point of the blood protection! It was a defining point for Petunia! No one made her take in Harry! Even though she she resented her sister and disliked him and favored Dudley, she still agreed to take him in and protect him! It showed that no matter how bitter she was, there was a tiny part of her that still cared for her nephew! It was tied in to the power of love! And you're ignoring it in favor of that stupid Dark magic!!! GOD!

"The blood protection is active," Lily continued, no longer smiling either, "but it's not nearly as strong as it should be… as it will need to be in the future. It's based on emotion, and Petunia-"

ZeldaQueen: *tiredly* See my above rant please. And no, Lily would not bash Petunia

"Doesn't love me," Holly concluded, crossing her arms over her chest.

ZeldaQueen: *points again to rant*

"Still, that doesn't explain how Sirius will prevent me from returning. Wouldn't the Ministry make me?

ZeldaQueen: Why would the Ministry care? The only reason Harry was sent to live with the Dursleys was because Dumbledore knew the blood protection was the strongest defense possible. If Sirius really could provide better protection, why would anyone care if Harry or Holly lived with him?

"Once he's free, they won't be able to stop him," her father assured. His face was very determined. "And Dumbledore won't either; blood protection be damned."

ZeldaQueen: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP ALREADY AND STOP PUTTING WORDS IN JAMES' MOUTH!!! STOP SPITTING ON THE BLOOD PROTECTION! GOD!

His wife ignored his language, choosing instead to answer Holly's questioning look. "Sirius is your godfather, dear," Lily explained slowly. "He is your caretaker, and the Ministry won't be able to keep you from him."

ZeldaQueen: (Lily) "The suethor won't allow it"

Makes me wonder how she's going to handle the fifth year story arc

She exchanged a very strange glance with her husband, something wordless passing between them.

ZeldaQueen: You know, Beano fixes that up quite nicely

Holly barely registered it, far too shocked to really care.

"Godfather?" she questioned faintly.

ZeldaQueen: So she knows Sirius is innocent and an Animagus and her dad's best friend but she doesn't know this?

"Yes, fawn," James carried on,

ZeldaQueen: No, no, no, we are not giving the Sue more cutesy nicknames!

"the person we wanted to take care of you if anything happened to us. Your legal guardian."

ZeldaQueen: Shoot me

"Sirius is my guardian?" Holly repeated like a broken record. "But the Ministry? Azkaban?"

ZeldaQueen: Well you see, legal guardian or not, the Ministry probably felt obligated to arrest his ass when he appeared to have committed mass murder

Her father sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Remember, he wasn't convicted. He was just thrown to the Dementors without a trial, so he's still your guardian legally. If he's freed, he can and will take you in."

ZeldaQueen: (James) "God, how did I get such a stupid daughter?"

"He never told me," Holly said weakly. "Why didn't he tell me?"

ZeldaQueen: Angst purposes

"He's afraid, sweetheart," her mother replied, leaning back into her husband's half-embrace. "Afraid of what you would think. He wanted you to get to know him first, but with things the way they are with Petunia and her husband and son…" She shrugged helplessly.

ZeldaQueen: For heaven's sake, why? In canon, Sirius just didn't have a chance to tell Harry at first and when he did, it was clear that he was worried that Harry would prefer to stay with the Dursleys! It's clear that Sirius has been with Holly all this time and knows she hates the Dursleys. What's the problem?

"And the Dursleys?" the girl asked, heat coming into her tone. "Why am I there then?"

ZeldaQueen: THEY'RE YOUR ONLY LIVING RELATIVES WHO AREN'T IN JAIL, YOU STUPID BINT! AND THE BLOOD PROTECTION! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN IT?

James was distinctly unhappy. "For one, you weren't supposed to be with those bast-" He was cut off as Lily's elbow firmly hit him in the ribs.

ZeldaQueen: (James) "You were supposed to be with the canon Dursleys, who were still rather unpleasant, but nonetheless three dimensional characters with redeeming features and some expression of caring"

"What your dad meant to say is that we never wanted you to go to Petunia," Lily said softly, face tightening at the mention of her sister. "You were supposed to be with Sirius. No matter what happened, you needed to go with him."

ZeldaQueen: I guess they wanted her raised amongst the Dementers then.

Seriously, what did they expect? That the Ministry would let the guardianship wishes of the Potters take precedence over handling a murderer, especially since said murderer was believed to be the reason the Potters were dead?

"Why?" Holly inquired, noticing the odd inflection in her mum's voice. "Why was it so important that I be with Sirius? Other than the fact that he's my godfather," the girl added the last with a hint of hurt, rather upset that he hadn't told her himself.

ZeldaQueen: (Sue) "How dare I not be let in only every single thing?"

Lily nibbled on her lip before answering.

ZeldaQueen: (Lily) "Tasty!"

"He is…" She shook her head, struggling to find better words to explain. "Sirius and you…" she trailed off, eyes going to her husband and begging for help.

"Well, you see, Holly," James began, running his hand through his already messy hair in a nervous gesture. "Sirius and you are-"

ZeldaQueen: I swear to God, if it turns out that the suethor really is trotting out the "you really are related" argument, there will be capslocks. Lots of it

However, he faltered then. Both he and his wife stilled, eyes flickering from side to side as the circle around them flared oddly. They exchanged a very surprised look, faces very tight.

ZeldaQueen: Hmm, I think I have a wrench just for faces. Hold on a second...

"Dammit, Sirius," James growled suddenly. "Not now, you bloody idiot." He turned to his daughter. "Holly, you have to leave now. Get to that fool before he's caught."

ZeldaQueen: Um, how does he know what Sirius is up to? Are the dead suddenly omniscient or something?

"I don't understand," Holly numbly stated, blinking very rapidly.

ZeldaQueen: As per bloody usual!

"You have to go, dearest heart,"

ZeldaQueen: What did I say about cutsey nicknames?

Lily put in imploringly. "You have to get Sirius before they find him. He's at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower."

Holly stood up. "But-"

"Go now, fawn,"

ZeldaQueen: AUGH!!!

James said desperately. "Go… and remember that we love you."

Lily agreed in a choked voice, "We will always love you." She leaned forward, hand reaching for Holly, but her fingers once more disappeared when they crossed the boundary. The circle flared again, and James tightened his arm around his wife. The couple smiled at their daughter with tears in their eyes before suddenly vanishing in a swirl of white light.

ZeldaQueen: Because LOVE NEVER WILL DIE!

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ZeldaQueen: So after that pathetic glob of sap, we get Holly racing to Gryffindor Tower to find Sirius. I honestly don't see why this is all so urgent, because Sirius is still a kitten and thus it's not like he's going to raise suspicion. Really, there are cats out the wazoo in the castle. Holly takes Sirius back to the Common Room and is all pissy because he interrupted her time with her parents, and she's put out, dammit! She also refers to him as her godfather and says that they'll "have words" about the matter. What a bitch.

At about this time, we reach the point in canon where Dumbledore finds out that the Fat Lady was attacked and tells everyone to sleep in the Great Hall. And of course, since we already know that Sirius is innocent and because Holly is a Slytherin, this ruins the red herring aspect of the scene, namely that everyone assumed that Sirius was breaking in to kill Harry when he was really going after Pettigrew. Actually, how do they even know that Sirius is in the castle? He was still a kitten and since he can't talk in animal form, it's not like he could have un-Transfigured himself. Even assuming that a kitten could slash a huge portrait, no one would think it was Sirius. They'd just think it was a random kitten. THE PLOT HOLES, THEY BURN US!

Anyway, we get some sugary filler as Malfoy is somehow able to pass around chocolate to everyone, even though it's lights out and they're all supposed to be asleep. Dumbledore and Snape have their canon conversation and Holly pretends to be asleep while listening in. This causes Dumbledore to "[smile] tenderly at how peaceful she looked". Then, we get our explanation for what happened, which his really stupid. In canon, Sirius slashed the portrait when she wouldn't let him in. We find out here that Sirius slashed the portrait to keep the Fat Lady quiet when he heard Holly coming. No, we aren't told how they know Holly was there, or that she was there looking for the kitten (which is Dumbledore's excuse for why she's there). We're also not told how Sirius Transfigured himself back into a kitten or why he didn't just go in as a kitten to begin with, sneaking in when the portrait opened for someone else. That would make sense, after all. Holly, of course, is pissy about this and decides to go at Sirius later about it.

One scene change later, Holly and her cronies are demanding explanations from Black, while Malfoy makes a swipe at the Fat Lady. They ask if he thought about the consequences of his actions, specifically how they would affect Holly. Of course. We get a ton of paragraphs in which Holly angsts about Sirius not telling her she's his goddaughter and Sirius begging for forgiveness, which I'll skip. The only vaguely important thing is that somehow, Pettigrew knows Holly is telekinetic but not telepathic, so that, by extent, is all Voldemort will be told.

Sirius finally spits out that Pettigrew is Ron's pet rat. Or rather, Pettigrew is "some boy's pet. A lanky redhead with a big nose". *growls* Holly comes to the conclusion that Pettigrew and Scabbers are the same, and the audience all screams "NO DUH!"
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AN: Just so everyone knows, while I am saying that Draco and Sirius are related, it is much more distantly than canon. I'm not using the official Black Family tree, which is available on Wikipedia, if anyone wants to go look. In my mind, Sirius and Draco are at the least fourth cousins.

ZeldaQueen: It's stated directly in canon how closely Sirius and Draco are related, you know. The fifth book clearly states that Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda are all Sirius's cousins, and Draco is of course Narcissa's son

Also, I realise that this is a very dialogue heavy chapter, but that can't be help. And the summoning ritual is something I came up with on my own.

ZeldaQueen: I can tell. It's complete bull pucky
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Onward to: Chapter 32: Mauraders And Maps

Back to: Chapter 30: Complicated Confrontations

Return to: Table of Contents

Comments

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the birthday wishes.

By the way, she totally ripped off The Craft with the Guardians of Compass Directions. (Yeah, this does exist in Wicca, but I have a feeling that the presence of the guardians here has more to do with this exchange the movie:)

Nancy: Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East - powers of air and invention! Hear us!

Bonnie: Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South - powers of fire and feeling! Hear us!

Rochelle: Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West - powers of water and intuition! Hear us!

Sarah (sounding bored, and sing-songing the words): Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North - powers of mother and earth! Hear us!

this holy night of Samhain

Since when is Halloween a holy night to the wizarding world? Since when does the wizarding world consider ANYTHING holy?

ZeldaQueen: It was Das Mervin and Mrs. Hyde. They grinned wickedly before impaling Holly with sporks.

Oh, YES. I like that idea!

ZeldaQueen: It's stated directly in canon how closely Sirius and Draco are related, you know. The fifth book clearly states that Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda are all Sirius's cousins, and Draco is of course Narcissa's son

Making them either second cousins or first cousins once removed, I forget which.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

You're most welcome! :)

Really? Huh, why am I not surprised? >_<

"Since when is Halloween a holy night to the wizarding world? Since when does the wizarding world consider ANYTHING holy?"

Since the suethor decided that "wizarding" and "wiccan"/"pagan" are synonymous. It showed up in one of Mervin's prior sporkings, in which Blaise and CO go on about how this stupid Samhain thing is just the cat's whiskers and how it was all those stupid Muggleborns who just don't care about their magical heritage and refuse to take part in it, so it's losing support. Bah.

[(Anonymous)]

1) Why can't the stupid Suethor decide whether it's Gryffindor's sword or Slytherin's?
2) If it's Gryffindor's, a) HOW THE HECK DID THE SUE GET IT and b) Why would this be at all desirable since we all know Gryffindors suck and Slytherins are the most ~*wonderful*~ people ever to exist? You'd think they'd have some artifact she could have gotten instead.
I guess I'm picking on minor details again, but it just bugs me.

Also, if so many Slytherins have dead parents, why doesn't Holly teach them the stupid summoning ritual so that they can see THEIR parents? She's being awfully selfish.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

1.) Apparently it was the sword of Gryffindor all along. She makes one reference to "Salazar's sword", but nothing more after that.
2.) (A) I. Have. NO. Goddammed. Clue. Seriously there is no explanation. At all. And canon says that only a TRUE GRYFFINDOR can pull it out! (B) Because the suethor's a lazy hack who can't be bothered.

The story earlier seemed to give the implication that everyone DID know it (or something), but very few actually spoke to the dead. Because Holly's special like that.

[das-mervin.livejournal.com]

WE HAVE A CAMEO?!

I'm so flattered. :D

Trust me. Hyde and I would GLADLY shove our sporks into this Sue.

You know what? I don't know if you've already gotten one, but even if you have, you deserve it again. *clears throat*



For those about to spork? We salute you.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Well, of course! Drive your sporks through her shriveled, black hearts. XD

O_O Really? Thank you so much!!!

[carmyn]

I think Das Mervin mentioned this in her sporkings, but did the whole concept in HP about how THE DEAD SHOULD BE LEFT TO REST completely sail over the suthor's head? Doesn't she think that Harry would give anything to have even a moment to see his parents? To have them tell him that they are proud of him? To finally have a chance to say goodbye? But no, he's a lewzer and Holly is so awesomesauce cause she knew about the (non-canon) Samhian ceremony.

I am hating the Dursley bashing. It's beyond stupid, even if they weren't redeemed in the later books. Yes, they were complete dicks to Harry, but do you REALLY think Dumbledore would have left him there if he didn't have a very good reason?

And nice Ron bashing at the end via Sirius. Canon!Sirius is too awesome to do something like that. Fuck you. He may have been a prankster in his youth, but he wasn't a douche.

Oh, and nice cop-out about finding out about Pettigrew, hack.

I want to hang Holly, along with Emily from HE. Holly for being a spineless, entitled bitch and Emily for being a preachy, naked, amoral whore.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Exactly. That was the difference between Harry and Voldemort. Voldy was terrified of death and obsessed over it and Harry just let it alone.

I just hate it because it's exactly the same as every other suethor fic - there's the characters that the suethor hates, and every "good" character starts hating them too, even against canon

Ohhh! Can I watch? :D

[slozar.livejournal.com]

Dude, let the dead stay dead. They do not exist just to be called back at the whims of schoolchildren.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

And, as Mervin pointed out, that particular point sailed right over the suethor's head. I've noticed that in a lot of HP fics - apparently people don't get that Harry misses his parents but knows that death is going to happen and the only thing to do is move on. Hence the Master of Death thing.

[slozar.livejournal.com]

And if it was that easy to call them back, where would the fear of death come from? Doesn't matter if you don't accomplish something, you can vicariously live through someone who summons you. It's not unknown, because you can ask them about it. It's not final, because there they are again. Sure, it's not a full revival, but who cares. Having something like that cheapens the whole thing.

[madamchaos.livejournal.com]

Plus, we should remember what happened in OotP (specifically, what Nick said to Harry at the end); ghosts are those who were so afraid of death that they literally could not move on, and so returned to the world of the living in a pale imitation of life.

Nick himself says that he may very well regret his choice, but he knew that Sirius (I guess he would have known him during his school years) wouldn't have been so cowardly, and that when it was his time to die, he would have moved on to that last great adventure.

Which implies, to me, that moving across that last boundary shuts the dead from the living in all but the most simple of forms; even the Life Stone could only summon shadows, and that was one of the most powerful magical artifacts in the world. The Priori Incantatem from GoF was just echoes; the Mirror of Erised, blind hope.

So to have some stupid ceremony that can call the dead back, in fully conscious capacity (and omniscience, apparently) is drek, pure and simple. Defeats the entire purpose. Even Harry knew that; that's why he let the mirror go, that's why he gave up on passing through the veil, that's why he drops the Lifestone into the Forbidden Forest and allows it to be trampled into the earth, where no human will find it again.

Sidestepping the issue is a CHEAP CHEAT and completely defeats one of the main themes of the book. God damn it, Suthor. God-damn it.

[slozar.livejournal.com]

You know, I often miss meanings and themes when I read books, but even I got the "leave the dead dead" thing. You gotta be pretty bad to miss that. I mean that's like watching Batman and coming to the conclusion he should carry a gun.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Keep in mind that the suethor later talks about how Narcissa and Lucius really love each other like the book vaguely implied it. I'm wondering if she has a really hard time picking stuff out.

[slozar.livejournal.com]

Well either that was a lucky guess, or I'm just an idiot. Or both.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Dumbledore says in the fourth book "There is no spell that can bring back the dead". No more clear than that. In the seventh book, Harry's brief desire to use the Life Stone to see his parents and Sirius again was shown as being strange and a bit frightening and distracted him from the quest.

Of course, that's kind of on par for the suethor. -_-

[white-wolf03.livejournal.com]

James Meredith Potter.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I think Canon!James would die of embrassment if that was his real middle name.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

I know, right?

I mean, I guess it's also a guy's name, but really! He's from an old, pureblood family. Who'd give their kid that middle name?

[sue-hunting-duo.livejournal.com]

"shouldn't Lily be referred to as "Lily Evans Potter" or something? I mean, she is married to James"

Well, for one thing, there is no legal requirement to change one's last name after one gets married, and there is quite a number of women who choose not to do so. Moreover - in Scotland it was traditional for women to keep their maiden name after marriage. In fact, on gravestones it was usually a woman's maiden name (with a side note explaining that she was wife to Mr. So-and-So) that would appear.

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. I was just annoyed that the suethor took the opportunity to give Lily and James Sue middle names. x(

[sue-hunting-duo.livejournal.com]

Ah. In that case - proceed.

[beacon80.livejournal.com]

Ignoring for a moment, that Nearly Headless Nick and Dumbledore both explicitly stated that nobody knows what happens to you when you die, there's two huge flaws I have with this ceremony.
First of all, showing her usual lack of cunning, she's completely missing out on an opportunity here. She can bring back the dead. Her parents can vouch that Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper (and therefore the spy). While that doesn't prove that Sirius didn't kill Peter and a dozen muggles, it should at least be enough to get him a proper trial.
Putting that aside, she just mentioned how sad it is that everybody's lost at least one parent, but only she's special enough to get to bring them back to talk. Everyone else plays guard for her, despite the fact that she got to talk to her parents last year. Give someone else a turn, bitch.

Adding to the plot holes, how much did Sirius know about Scabbers before hand. If he didn't know, why did he choose now to break out? The entire point was that he realized Peter was still alive, and that gave him enough unhappy motivation to break out of there.
If he did see the photo, then for starters, he should know that the rat's owner is Ron Weasley, and he should have told Holly right away so she could get the rat and prove his innocence. I shudder to think how Azar is going to drag this out for the rest of the year. I'm sure it'll all be Ron's fault.

On that note, what exactly where they planning to do with Sirius? They've made no plans to clear his name before now. Were they just going to keep turning him into a cat or a statue for the rest of his life?
I have the same questions for Tom, too. Given that he barely shows up in this book, it's increasingly clear that the only reason she made him good was because Slytherins can't possibly be bad guys.
And where is she keeping him, anyway? Because he can see out of his book, now, so keeping him in her room is majorly squicky, although I suppose she could just stuff him in a drawer. I don't recall if the other girls in her year know about him, or not. They probably don't, because Holly loves to keep secrets, even if it infringes on other people's privacy. Hell, especially if it infringes on other people's privacy.

[(Anonymous)]

But... But MY name is Meredith... *screams in fury*
Anyway, why IS she summoning her dead parents? Is it just for lulz? Or angst, as it most likely is?

[zelda-queen.livejournal.com]

Pretty much just for the angst. Something like apparently everyone can do it and only a few bother? Or only a few can? No idea. She just sort of...does it.

[katistrophe.livejournal.com]

James Meredith Potter? I don't know, that's not exactly a Sued name to me... more an Embarassing Middle Name. Despite the awesome-sounding meaning ("great lord" or "sea lord" or something, depending on where you look), outside of Wales it's mostly a girls' name, and that's the first thing I think of. "James Girlyname Potter". (Doesn't mean that I won't ever write a male OC who'd get saddled with that name... there's the meaning, and the fact that the name isn't a stereotypical cool thing, and...)
The looks, though... oh boy. Not even the dead are safe from her.
And I doubt they "couldn't have been prouder". I bet James was having some serious doubts if that was really his kid, or if Lily had to tell him something about Snape and her...