Prof. Karkaroff justifies himself to Harry
Genre: General/Angst
Rating: PG for minor dark themes and unhappy tone
Summary: Prof. Karkaroff has become the DADA teacher at Hogwarts, and he
ends up talking to Harry about Life, the Death Eaters, and Everything. A
monologue in Karkaroff's voice.
"Why, hello, very good of you to come in, very good indeed."
"Well, there are some spells I thought you should learn"
"Well, for one thing they're not on the curriculum Mr. Potter, and for another they aren't the sort of spells everyone deserves to learn."
"Your friends, which 'friends'?"
"Weasley and Granger! I, the former Drumstrang Headmaster provide special tutoring to that redheaded dolt and."
"My apologies, Mr. Potter. I spoke in haste."
"Yes, I do suppose it's my own fault that I'm teaching DADA at Hogwarts rather then running my own school. For that matter, I never wanted to teach at Durmstrang. I was born in England, schooled at Hogwarts, and I would never have left England voluntarily."
"No, Mr. Potter I was not a Slytherin. You need to get the silly notion that only Slytherins are Death Eaters and dark wizards out of your head before someone you trust casts the Avadra Kedarvra on you!"
"What, oh I was a Ravenclaw, for what it's worth now."
"Pure craven cowardice, I suppose. You must understand that back then it looked like victory was imminent for my former Dark Master, and most purebloods equivocated and paid lip service to him, as well as the Ministry more out of fear then out of loyalty to his cause."
"Yes, Harry I did indeed do more then pay lip service. I am afraid that I was convinced early on that Voldemort would win, and he offered me the opportunity to peruse my researches unhindered by regulation. I decided to 'get in on the ground floor' if I did not mangle the muggle expression I picked up second hand from Arthur too badly."
"What about the Weasleys? No, Harry I don't like Arthur, Ron or most of the other Weasleys. They seem to be our version of the Lestranges - fanatics with all the subtly of an enraged Hippogryff. Percy is a notable exception, as is Virginia."
"Did I say something funny, Mr. Potter?"
"Well, Care of Magical Creatures seems to have changed quite a bit! I can't believe that Draco whined that much, though. Lucius wouldn't have."
"I see we agree about that, at least."
"Lucius was considerably older then I was - I was in the same year as your father, and "I didn't know your father that well - I had my friends, he had his, and we didn't bother each other. Being caught in the crossfire of a Gryffindor/Slytherin prank war was quite annoying, but that was actually more Snape's fault then anyone else's."
"Lucius was some years above the both of us. As a prefect he favored Slytherin, but subtly. There was none of the "beware my Death Eater father" nonsense Draco is so fond of uttering."
You only know him now- when I came back to Hogwarts for the tournament the only thing I recognized about Professor Snape was his nose. He has gone sour in his old age- which is most unfortunate, as humor will be needed in the dark times ahead."
"Well I certainly didn't intend to sound like Prof. Trelawney. not that she isn't a wonderful woman and teacher. Your father put us all to shame, of course, us craven equivocators. He sacrificed himself for a cause that gave him no personal benefit. It was a sharp shock when I heard about it. That's when I turned myself in and betrayed my more committed fellow Death Eaters to the Ministry."
"Yes, now I'm fighting for something I believe in, not for greed, but my cause is not as abstract as Muggleborn equality."
"Freedom- for myself and all other purebloods. As long as Voldermort exists there will be only two choices, Black or White, Dark or Light, submission to the Dark Lord or Dumbledore's utopianism. After he is gone we may rediscover shades of grey."
"Why, hello, very good of you to come in, very good indeed."
"Well, there are some spells I thought you should learn"
"Well, for one thing they're not on the curriculum Mr. Potter, and for another they aren't the sort of spells everyone deserves to learn."
"Your friends, which 'friends'?"
"Weasley and Granger! I, the former Drumstrang Headmaster provide special tutoring to that redheaded dolt and."
"My apologies, Mr. Potter. I spoke in haste."
"Yes, I do suppose it's my own fault that I'm teaching DADA at Hogwarts rather then running my own school. For that matter, I never wanted to teach at Durmstrang. I was born in England, schooled at Hogwarts, and I would never have left England voluntarily."
"No, Mr. Potter I was not a Slytherin. You need to get the silly notion that only Slytherins are Death Eaters and dark wizards out of your head before someone you trust casts the Avadra Kedarvra on you!"
"What, oh I was a Ravenclaw, for what it's worth now."
"Pure craven cowardice, I suppose. You must understand that back then it looked like victory was imminent for my former Dark Master, and most purebloods equivocated and paid lip service to him, as well as the Ministry more out of fear then out of loyalty to his cause."
"Yes, Harry I did indeed do more then pay lip service. I am afraid that I was convinced early on that Voldemort would win, and he offered me the opportunity to peruse my researches unhindered by regulation. I decided to 'get in on the ground floor' if I did not mangle the muggle expression I picked up second hand from Arthur too badly."
"What about the Weasleys? No, Harry I don't like Arthur, Ron or most of the other Weasleys. They seem to be our version of the Lestranges - fanatics with all the subtly of an enraged Hippogryff. Percy is a notable exception, as is Virginia."
"Did I say something funny, Mr. Potter?"
"Well, Care of Magical Creatures seems to have changed quite a bit! I can't believe that Draco whined that much, though. Lucius wouldn't have."
"I see we agree about that, at least."
"Lucius was considerably older then I was - I was in the same year as your father, and "I didn't know your father that well - I had my friends, he had his, and we didn't bother each other. Being caught in the crossfire of a Gryffindor/Slytherin prank war was quite annoying, but that was actually more Snape's fault then anyone else's."
"Lucius was some years above the both of us. As a prefect he favored Slytherin, but subtly. There was none of the "beware my Death Eater father" nonsense Draco is so fond of uttering."
You only know him now- when I came back to Hogwarts for the tournament the only thing I recognized about Professor Snape was his nose. He has gone sour in his old age- which is most unfortunate, as humor will be needed in the dark times ahead."
"Well I certainly didn't intend to sound like Prof. Trelawney. not that she isn't a wonderful woman and teacher. Your father put us all to shame, of course, us craven equivocators. He sacrificed himself for a cause that gave him no personal benefit. It was a sharp shock when I heard about it. That's when I turned myself in and betrayed my more committed fellow Death Eaters to the Ministry."
"Yes, now I'm fighting for something I believe in, not for greed, but my cause is not as abstract as Muggleborn equality."
"Freedom- for myself and all other purebloods. As long as Voldermort exists there will be only two choices, Black or White, Dark or Light, submission to the Dark Lord or Dumbledore's utopianism. After he is gone we may rediscover shades of grey."