-0-0-« About the "Hand of the Father" »-0-0-
Hello I'm Wulf and Athy is my wife. We've enjoyed the Harry Potter series for some time. Athy has long enjoyed the fan fiction, but it wasn't until Less Wrong's 'Harry Potter and the Method's of Rationality' that I began to read them.
We both always intended to do a bit of writing. I like the possibility of getting my writing read and reviewed. So please feel free to review and let me know what you think or tips on how to improve our combined skills in writing. So thanks to thenoblestar13, for kicking off the reviews.
"Hand of the Father" will combine several ideas we've come up with, but mostly it is a 'For Want of a Nail' story. What if James Potter had been away from home when Voldemort came and killed Lily. Sirius would never have gone to prison, because James knew who was the secret keeper. James would have had the opportunity to raise Harry. So what if Harry not only had a father who loved him, but who also devoted himself to raising up a son to be all that is possible for him to be. If there is a subtle message in this story it is this idea that we parents have a duty to our children to train them in all ways we can, and that a parent is at their best when they are devoted to their children.
I intend to follow the canon as much as possible and will be relying heavily on the books and .com to do so. There are places where I will "add" to the canon to flush out the world. Some of these ideas will be a nod to other fictions that I thought had a good idea. Please take its use here as a gesture of respect it is meant to be. I will endeavor to keep a list of such things not found in the books or the wiki here.
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Noble Houses (Ancient Noble Houses, Most Ancient and Noble Houses)
At one time the governing body of British wizards were organized in a feudal society under various Lords and Noble families. Each family had one seat on the Wizengamot, votes could be cast by proxy, but would be cast in the name of the lord of that Family. Wizarding Britain (which included Ireland and Scotland), was originally divided into 108 lordships, ruled by these wizarding lords. Muggle History doesn't reflect this, because muggle historians were confounded after the statute of Secrecy. The Wizengamot may hold full sessions if more than half its members (or their representatives) are present.
These lands were originally the basis for Nobility, but later as feudalism broke down, the basis became the hereditary seat on the Wizengamot
As families have died off or disappeared, the number active seats began to dwindle. The Wizengamot has twice voted to add certain families to the ranks of the Noble Peerage in what was called the first and second Noble Muster to fill those seats. Today, those families that have had a seat from the Wizengamot's formation are known as Most Ancient and Noble Houses (Like the Peverells, Gaunts, and the founders), those families that were added in the first Noble Muster are known as Ancient Noble Houses (Like the Longbottoms and the Blacks), those added in the second and final Noble Muster are known as Noble Houses (like the Lestrange's and the Malfoys). Despite the naming difference, there is no privilege or rights difference between the three ages of Noble Houses.
In modern Wizarding Britain only about a third of the Wizengamot's seats are filled by hereditary seats. The remainder are now filled by candidates who are nominated by wizards and witches in the old lordship that seat represents, and then affirmed by a vote of the standing Wizengamot.
Also in modern wizarding Britain, most people view Nobility as a silly status symbol that has some required civil service with it.
Sea Elves
The Elves aboard the M.S.S Marauder are not house elves per se. Or rather they are elves under a different contract. Remus, at Sirius' request, wrote a contract for the elves to be loyal not to a family, but to the Marauder navy (which presently consists of one ship). This requires that the elves conduct themselves like proper sailors, and were given some books to help them understand what that means (the Horatio Hornblower series). Sea elves are too be in a clean uniform at all times when on duty. Sea elves are set free if they are given shoes, as it means that have been removed form the sea and must walk on land.