Howlers, News Articles and Lynch Mobs
September 1st
Kings Cross Station
After crossing through the barrier to get onto Platform 9 ¾'s, Molly Weasley looked around for Harry. She hadn't seen or heard from him since that day in Dumbledore's office when she and Arthur disowned Ginny. They knew he wasn't at the Dursleys' because they went to Privet Drive and found no sign of him there. She sent Fred and George to look through the train for him before it left, but they couldn't find him. There was also no sign of Hermione. She knew what had happened to her family and was outraged that the Ministry tried to palm her off on the French Ministry. When it came time for the train to leave and there was no sign of Harry, she began to cry.
#
Wellington Academy of Magic
Harry, Ginny and Hermione were in a room with several first years having a few things explained to them.
"The Sorting will take place momentarily," began Sanderson. "Unlike Hogwarts, you don't sit down on a stool and wear a hat. We use a wand created using Maori magic for our sorting. I will aim the wand at you and use the sorting spell. A magical aura will surround you, and when you have been sorted, you will be surrounded by the specific colour aura of the house. White is Otago, Blue is Waikato, Yellow is Wairarapa, and Red is Twizel. When the aura has settled, you will take your seat at the house table. House points will be awarded for excellent work and behaviour while points will be deducted for bad behaviour."
#
Hogwarts Great Hall
All the students from second to seventh year were sitting at their house tables. Percy Weasley had walked into the hall as if he owned the school wearing his Head Boy badge on his robes. With the exception of Professor McGonagall's seat, all staff members were at the staff table. Dumbledore had hired a young woman as the Defence teacher. She came to Hogwarts looking for work, and he offered her the Defence job. He looked towards the Gryffindor table, but could see no sign of Harry, Ginny or Hermione. His chain of thought was broken when Professor McGonagall led the first years into the hall for the sorting. She wasn't worried about Harry. He'd sent her a message via Dobby five days before telling her what was going on. She sent a reply back, promising to visit him during the holidays. It took half an hour to do the sorting, but when it had finished, Dobby appeared and walked up to Dumbledore.
"Master Harry requests I give this to Professor Dumbledore," he said, passing the red letter to Dumbledore. Within moments, it had exploded.
"ATTENTION STAFF AND STUDENTS OF HOGWARTS! YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHERE I AM ALONG WITH GINNY WEASLEY AND HERMIONE GRANGER. DUE TO THE ACTIONS OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE WHO SEEMS INTENT ON LEAVING ME WITH ABUSIVE MUGGLES, WE HAVE DECIDED THAT FOR OUR OWN SAFETY, WE HAVE WITHDRAWN OURSELVES FROM HOGWARTS AND WE HAVE LEFT THE COUNTRY. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, CHECK THE DAILY PROPHET EVENING EDITION, WHICH YOU WILL RECEIVE IN ANY MOMENT NOW. WE ARE NOW ATTENDING THE WELLINGTON ACADEMY OF MAGIC, WHO SENT ME AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER LONG AGO, BUT DUMBLEDORE SAW FIT TO ENSURE I NEVER RECEIVED IT. DUMBLEDORE, YOU HAD BETTER NOT TRY TO BRING ME BACK TO ENGLAND, BECAUSE BOTH THE ACADEMY HEADMISTRESS AND THE NEW ZEALAND MINISTRY OF MAGIC HAVE PROMISED US PROTECTION FROM YOU, AND THEY TAKE THEIR OATHS SERIOUSLY! THIS IS GOODBYE FOR NOW!"
The Howler then turned into dust. Everyone looked gobsmacked, and then looked up to await the owls delivering the Daily Prophet. They came flying through moments later and dropped copies of the paper to everyone. A picture of Harry was on the front cover with the headline
BOY-WHO-LIVED ABUSED BY MUGGLES.
It has come to the attention of the Daily Prophet, thanks to a statement made by Harry Potter, that due to the actions of Albus Dumbledore, Mr. Potter was denied the guardianship specified in his parent's will and placed with his mother's abusive Muggle relatives who hate magic in every way shape and form.
Until he came to Hogwarts, Mr. Potter endured ten years of physical and mental abuse. When he came to Hogwarts and made friends for the first time, his best friend, Ginny Weasley, urged him to come forward, and he went to the Hogwarts matron who fully documented the effects of the abuse. With Mr. Potter's permission, she forwarded this information to the Prophet. Besides his famous scar that he got when You-Know-Who tried to kill him, he had over FORTY scars resulting from knife wounds and shattered glass. He was also malnourished. He was seriously underweight for someone of his age.
Miss Weasley informed her parents, who had applied to adopt Mr Potter after his parents died, and they were able to force a guardianship hearing. With the evidence, the Weasleys gained guardianship and custody of Mr. Potter.
At the end of the first year, Dumbledore arranged for Vernon Dursley, Mr. Potter's abusive uncle, to kidnap him from Kings Cross station. Harry was found chained to a bed and Dursley was about to pour acid in his eyes, with the intent of blinding him and making Mr. Potter not want to return to Hogwarts. Thankfully, he was rescued by the Weasley children.
The Aurors arrested the Dursleys, who were questioned. Vernon Dursley admitted to all the abuse under the influence of Veritaserum, and admitted that it was because he hated the boy and wanted to beat the magic out of him, but also stated that Dumbledore had requested some mild abuse. The charges against the Dursleys were mysteriously dropped.
Dumbledore had kept Mr. Potter completely isolated from the wizard world until he was able to attend Hogwarts, but Dursley was insistent that Mr. Potter would not learn he was a wizard. Thankfully, despite the fact the Dursleys were his illegal guardians, the fact that James and Lily Potter stated that Harry was to attend magical school despite the objections of any guardians carried more weight. The Dursleys were still insisting that Harry not attend Hogwarts to the extent they dragged him all over the country to prevent it. Dumbledore sent Hagrid to give him his letter and take him to Diagon Alley. After this trip, instead of leaving Harry in the temporary care of a wizarding family for a month, on Dumbledore's orders, Hagrid returned him to the Dursleys. Before he was returned to the Dursleys, Harry left his magical belongings and owl with his neighbour Arabella Figg, who Hagrid identified as a Squib hired by Dumbledore to watch over him. She knew of the abuse but did and said nothing.
On a trip to Gringotts after his second year, Mr. Potter found out that Dumbledore had placed charms on him ensuring that no mail could reach him, and that he had actually been stealing Mr. Potter's mail. Thanks to the goblins, Mr. Potter was able to have his property returned to him, and was finally able to find out about his inheritance.
Mr. Potter's godfather was the infamous Sirius Black. Apparently he updated his will just before he was killed by the Aurors. In it, he emancipated Harry and made him the Head of the House of Black. The catch was that he had to take two brides within a month, otherwise the inheritance would be void. Mr. Potter has told us that in a private function at an unknown location, he married his best friends Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger.
(A lot of girls began to cry after reading that bit of news. Susan Bones was seen to break down uncontrollably. Her best friend Hannah Abbot (who also sent Harry a love letter) had to console her.)
During the holidays, Dumbledore kept trying to take Mr. Potter back to the Dursleys, but kept failing and the Potters disappeared towards the end of July. He has informed the Daily Prophet that following a review of the school acceptance letters which were returned to him that Mr. Potter and his wives were accepted into the Wellington Academy of Magic in New Zealand.
(Molly Weasley was reading this and she gasped. Why didn't Harry tell her about his plans?)
Both Headmistress Samantha Jackson and the New Zealand Ministry of Magic have promised total protection for the trio from Albus Dumbledore.
Everyone here at the Daily Prophet wishes Mr. Potter and his family a happy life in New Zealand away from the manipulations of Dumbledore. However, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister Delores Umbridge has declared Mr. Potter an attention seeking liar despite all the facts of the abuse at the hands of the Dursleys being verified by Veritaserum and Pensieve memories. She is calling for the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge to send Aurors to New Zealand to bring Mr. Potter back to England by force, have him expelled from the magical world, bind his magic, alter his memories and make him face certain death at the hands of the Dursleys as a Muggle. Mr. Fudge has refused to carry this out. In a statement, he has confirmed that Mr. Potter is a legal adult in the wizard world, and is free to attend any magical school he so wishes.
Molly Weasley was outraged at this information, and was determined to get revenge against the Dursleys. Within an hour, she had fire called everyone she could trust (40 parents of Hogwarts students). Arthur, taking a leaf out of the Muggle book Frankenstein, gave each person a pitchfork and fire torch, and they apparated to Privet Drive where they saw other witches and wizards firing curses at Number 4. One of them was yelling: "DOWN WITH CHILD ABUSERS!" Vernon stumbled to the door, still weak from his stab wound.
"GET AWAY FROM HERE YOU FREAKS!" he shouted.
One wizard stepped forward and aimed his wand at Dursley and shouted "CRUCIO!" Dursley fell to the ground as he was tortured by the curse. Several other witches and wizards did the same. Petunia and Dudley came to the door. Dudley was there because he had been expelled from the Smeltings private school. Both screamed.
"Did you abuse your boy like you did your nephew?" one witch asked. She fired the crucio curse at Petunia. "Our world does not take child abuse lying down!" They did nothing to Dudley. They refused to stoop to the Dursley's level by torturing and abusing Dudley. Vernon fell to the ground clutching his heart. The people using the crucio curse dropped the curse and checked on Vernon – he was having a heart attack.
#
Wellington Academy of Magic Great Hall
The Potters and the first years were waiting to be sorted. Jackson was making a speech.
"As they are transferring from Hogwarts, Harry Potter and his wives will be sorted first followed by the first years. For those of you who do not know the story, Harry's legal guardian was the infamous Sirius Black, the only person who escaped from England's Azkaban prison. In his will, Mr. Black emancipated Harry and named him head of the Black family. The catch was that he had to take two brides within a month, so he married his two best friends Ginny and Hermione," she said. There was a round of applause.
Sanderson began speaking. "When I call your name, please step forward to be sorted." The trio, along with the first years, were nervous.
"POTTER, GINEVRA." Ginny stepped forward. Sanderson aimed the sorting wand at her and cast a non-verbal spell. She was surrounded by an aura which looked like it was flashing various colours. About ten seconds later, the colour settled on blue.
"Waikato House," Sanderson said. Ginny went and joined the Waikato table.
"POTTER, HERMIONE." She stepped forward and the spell was cast. It took longer for it to sort her, but she was sorted into Waikato House. She joined Ginny while the rest of the house welcomed her as well.
"POTTER, HARRY." Harry stepped forward and had the spell cast on him. The aura, unlike for Ginny and Hermione, flashed through the entire spectrum in sequence for a full thirty seconds before ending on blue. "Waikato House." Harry sat next to Ginny at the Waikato table and gave her a kiss. The first years got sorted next and then Jackson started a little speech.
"Welcome to a new year at the Academy. We have two new staff appointments. Professor Remus Lupin from England is taking over the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher while Madam Nymphadora Tonks, also from England, is now in charge of Quidditch." There was a round of applause.
"I would like to remind our students that leaving the premises without permission is forbidden unless officially sanctioned by staff. Dates for Third Year and above visits to Maori Alley will be announced next week. Quidditch tryouts will also be held next week. Please give your name to your head of house if you would like to try out. Let the feast begin."
Food appeared on the plates, and everyone began eating.
#
Overnight – Dumbledore's Office
Dumbledore twisted and turned in his bed. Normally his occlumency would help him get to sleep but tonight, it was no good.
He was in a cottage at Godric's Hollow. It was the wreck Hagrid had described to him. He had never seen it. Two people materialised in front of him. Dumbledore instantly recognised them – James and Lily Potter.
"But you're dead!" he protested to them.
"Oh we are dead, Albus, but we decided to pay you a little visit," James said.
"Why did you leave my son with my sister and her abusive husband? You witnessed our will, and it said that Harry was NOT to go to them under any circumstances!" said Lily.
"It was safer for him to be isolated from the wizard world and live as a Muggle. It will be safer for him to be isolated from the wizard world during holidays, and his only contact with our world to be when he is at Hogwarts."
"If his only contact with wizards is when he is at Hogwarts, then what is the point? What is the point of him making friends when he can't contact or see them out of school?" James said.
"We know of what Vernon and Petunia put him through. Thanks to the fact we saw our son and daughters-in-law discuss the letter to the Prophet, we now know everything YOU caused Harry to go through! James and I saw some of what they did to him but not much because of the wards you put up! I used to have a lot of respect for you, Dumbledore, but I don't have any now," said Lily.
"We're pleased Harry made friends who saved him from the Dursleys as soon as he began Hogwarts. We're not pleased you frightened him away from Hogwarts and England." James said, beginning to adopt a not very nice tone of voice.
"We saw Harry marrying his two best friends. We only wish we could have been there. We may not have been pleased that he would have to do it at this age, but Sirius warned us this may happen when he named Harry as his heir," Lily said in her best fussy mother's tone.
As if he could hear his best friend and his wife, Sirius Black appeared next to them.
"How could you condemn me to Azkaban, Albus?" he began, "You knew I would never betray James, Lily and Harry. You could have pressed for Veritaserum and a trial but no! Anyone would think you deliberately had me sent to Azkaban so you could keep Harry in for a very abusive life at the Dursleys. Did you know that the day before James and Lily were due to get married, Vernon Dursley abducted Lily, beat her up and sexually abused her for a week before we were able to find her? He actually tried to use the law to keep her there, but thankfully he lost. I may not have joined the forces of Voldemort but I enjoyed using the Cruciatus curse on him for it. James and I decided to block his memory of it, and for Lily's sanity, we blocked her memory of the whole incident."
Dumbledore began to look ashamed of himself for a moment, but then he composed himself. "Harry has to go to the Dursleys for his own safety!"
"HE IS NOT SAFE THERE, DUMBLEDORK! They kept abusing him and tried to kill him!" James shouted.
"I HOPE HE NEVER HAS TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Sirius shouted.
"James, Sirius, I never endorsed violence unless it was necessary. I believe it is necessary, now," Lily said.
James went to Dumbledore and punched him in the face. Sirius walked over to him and did the same. Dumbledore fell to the ground. The trio got their wands out and aimed them at him.
"CRUCIO!" they all shouted. The torture curse hit Dumbledore with so much pain he screamed. The shock of the curse in the dream forced him to wake up. He was unable to go back to sleep.
#
September 2nd
Dumbledore's Office
Things were going from bad to worse for Dumbledore the next day. Following Harry's Howler and the outrage from the Daily Prophet article, Amy Madsen – the new DADA teacher – along with Professor Sinatra (Astronomy teacher) and Professor Vector (Ancient Runes teacher) had resigned in protest over the fact Dumbledore was responsible for the abuse Harry suffered and for literally chasing him from the country. The rest of the staff members were barely speaking to him.
He had heard about the lynch mob who stormed the Dursleys. He got the Minister to send Aurors to protect the Dursleys, and they had attended. The Aurors took one look at the Dursleys and conjured themselves pitchforks and torches as well. Dumbledore had no choice but to save the family himself. He used magic to heal Vernon after his heart attack. He found them a new home and promised to keep the address a secret. He was determined to get Harry to them. He knew Headmistress Jackson and the New Zealand Ministry of Magic had promised him protection, but he was not going to let that stop him. He would find Harry and take him by force to the Dursleys. He would need the support of Delores Umbridge. He knew she hated Harry. But how to get to him long enough to snatch him was the question. He also needed to find some new teachers.
Dumbledore went down to breakfast. Minutes later, hundreds of owls flew into the hall and dropped Howlers in front of him. One by one each letter exploded. Lots of witches and wizards told Dumbledore exactly what they thought of him over what happened to Harry because of him. He had to put up more than one shield to protect him from the curses some people sent him. Some young witches received their copies of Witch Weekly – the front cover had a huge colour photo of Harry with the headline: HARRY POTTER MARRIED – GIRLS ALL OVER ENGLAND CRY! (which appeared to be the truth for once considering the reputation of Witch Weekly)
After breakfast, there was a staff meeting. Dumbledore entered the staff room to find Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Snape waiting for him, along with Minister Fudge and Delores Umbridge. There was also a witch in a cloak. Dumbledore sat down.
"Dumbledore, your obsession with the Potter lad is beginning to cloud your judgement," Fudge began. "You keep using blood wards as an excuse to try and force him back to the Dursleys. I've spoken to the Unspeakables about this, and they tell me that they only work if there is love involved, and from what I've read in these reports, there was only hatred involved."
"It is for his own good that he remains isolated from the wizarding world when not at Hogwarts," replied Dumbledore, "He must return to this country and resume his education at Hogwarts."
"There is no law saying a witch or wizard in this country must attend Hogwarts. If they have an acceptance letter from another school, they are allowed to accept it if they choose," Fudge countered.
"I hate the boy, Dumbledore, but you are beginning to take things too far. Minevra here is under the impression that you will take any steps necessary to bring Potter back to England," Umbridge said.
"I have been in contact with my New Zealand counterpart, Dumbledore," Fudge started. "She has told me that the New Zealand Ministry, along with Headmistress Jackson of the Wellington Academy of Magic, have promised Harry protection from your attempts to bring him back here. They have their Aurors on the lookout for you and the Muggle security at their airports are instructed to arrest you on sight. On consultation with the Muggle government there, the Dursleys are banned from the country. The New Zealand branch of Grunnings has been closed down on Government orders. If the Dursleys attempt to enter the country, they will be arrested and sent to jail."
"The Unspeakables have come up with a new invention. It is an anti-apparition collar which you will wear," Umbridge said.
"And if I refuse?" Dumbledore asked.
"Then you will be sentenced to time in Azkaban. Steps will be taken to ensure Mr. Potter's protection," Fudge said.
"Very well. I will wear it," Dumbledore said.
The witch put a collar around his neck and touched it with her wand. "You are now unable to apparate. You will need to use the Floo network for as long as we see fit. You will not be able to use your magic to remove it. Only the wand of the Unspeakable here can undo it," Umbridge said. She and Fudge decided not to tell Dumbledore about the health hazards of using Portkeys in New Zealand.
Dumbledore mentally cursed everyone in the room and decided to bide his time before he retrieved Harry. He considered using a Portkey. He'd get one of his agents to use the Portkey and scout about before going himself. He was not going to let the New Zealand Government and either Ministry of Magic intimidate him. Fudge, Umbridge and the Unspeakable left the school to return to the Ministry while the other Professors left the office in order to go to their classes. Dumbledore went to his office and sent notes to someone who was very useful to him – and who hated the boy. Little did he know that Vernon Dursley had already sent someone out to retrieve Harry.
A/N:
Another chapter for you to read, and the last of the "Happy Chappy" release period. From now on, I am going to start re-writing the fic in my way, whereas I have only been doing it with minor edits. Now is where I get even more evil then the original – if such a thing is possible!
Harry and group are at New Zealand and ready to learn new things, and they have already made many new friends. This is going to be the last we see of Dumbledore and England for a while, but as a clue for the next chapter… which Dursley have we not yet seen?
For those wondering about "I'm Not Going"'s Chapter 17… I am assured that it is being done now… The chapter has been done, I just sent it to someone else to check. If I haven't heard of anything by the end of the week, then I'll do it myself…
Regards
Pixel