Title: Retrograde
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry's trial before fifth year goes differently because someone knows more than they should about Harry. Time Travel Fic.
"Mary, what's the damage?" Amelia asked.
She was still feeling a bit queasy but had come into the office as she was not sick enough to stay home. Out the office window, the bullpen was sparsely populated when it should have been full.
"DMLE averages about forty percent across all five divisions for personnel who were in yesterday. Prosecution and Dispatch were hardest hit. Across the Ministry it was closer seventy percent." Mary, Amelia's secretary, replied. "St Mungo's was inundated last night. Ninety admitted in a severe condition, three dead. None of the dead are DMLE."
"Right." Amelia asked, rubbing her head. "Get Dispatch, those who are in, to contact everyone except those on the Gold List. Everyone who is able is to come in to help prevent a panic. Those who were on night shift last night and the able but more affected can hold down the fort while the rest maintain order."
"Got it, Boss." Mary confirmed. "We have the culprit in interrogation one."
Amelia nodded and left the office headed for interrogation one. Auror Hammer, who was not on shift when the incident happened, was waiting outside and followed Amelia into the room. Amelia set up the dictaquill and tested it was working.
"Interrogation of Sarah Merchant. Interrogation by Master Auror Amelia Bones-Tenor, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Also present, Auror First Class Helen Hammer." Amelia said before recording the Date and Time. "I understand you have confessed. Please tell me your reasons for your actions yesterday."
"Look at me." Sarah Merchant said. "I was fifth in my year at Hogwarts. I scored the highest result on the Charms NEWT for the last twelve years, but I am a Muggleborn. The best jobs I could get were as a janitor or as a cook in the Ministry Canteen, because I would not suck up to the Purebloods. I went to school with three Purebloods who, on normal scoring, failed their NEWTs, but because they were Purebloods they were given the NEWTs regardless and are now incompetent Heads of Department."
"So why did you decide to poison the food in the Canteen?" Amelia asked. "Only a few Department Heads eat there and most of the patrons are Halfblood or Muggleborn. It is senseless."
"So is how I was treated." Sarah replied.
"Three people are dead. Two of them Muggleborn." Amelia informed. "You are being charged with three counts of murder, and one hundred and sixty-three counts of attempted murder. Auror Hammer, take Miss Merchant to the holding cells."
Amelia shook her head as Hammer escorted Merchant out. It seemed Merchant was either incompetent or careless with her use of the poison. Some people had gotten large does, others had gotten small doses. It seems Amelia had gotten lucky with one of the small doses
All of the students who had been involved in the previous day's exercise were sitting in the Great Hall, seated in their two teams, with the four Professors sitting at the front of the Hall.
"Alright, let's review the strategies that were used by the two teams." Harry began.
"Professor, they cheated." Megan Skinner said.
"How exactly did they cheat?" Professor Flitwick asked.
"They hid the flag." Allan Trent replied. "That was specifically forbidden."
"And they turned two of their members grey. They were only allowed to shoot blue colour changing charms." Megan Skinner added.
"Actually, you are both wrong." McGonagall said. "The restriction was they could not hide the flag with Magic and they could only use the colour change charm. Blue was to signify a kill, but there was no rule to say they could not use another colour."
"But it was unfair." Another red team member said.
"War is unfair." Harry countered. "The whole point is to do what the enemy does not expect. This is borne out by the two strategies involved, one good the other bad. Red Team, your plan was to go in wands firing to take the Blue Base and had a static group in an unfortified defensive position. You also had the Flag out in an exposed and easily visible location. Everything about the way Red Team operated showed both arrogance and lack of imagination. Mister Trent, you assumed that because you had more Seventh Year students that you would instantly overwhelm Miss Bones' team."
"When I ambushed your force, Mister Trent, there was no coordination or observation and your reaction time was pathetic." Professor Flitwick said. "I could easily have tagged your entire team before you responded."
"Let's now look at Blue Team's strategy." Harry mused. "Defence was inspired. The Flag was hidden in a muggle manner. It would not be obscured for more than a few minutes, which was what happened in the exercise, but it allowed time for the main defence plan to come into play. The Blue defensive team took up a concealed position, in this case in the branches of the trees above the flag, also giving them high ground and the element of surprise."
"Another thing was that the Blue Team did not loudly announce their spells, something that most people falsely believe increases the power of the spell, but instead whispered their spells to maintain their cover." Vector added.
"Correct. Stealth is an important part of combat." Harry confirmed. "As is distraction which is how Blue Team captured the Red Team Flag. The distraction was in two parts. First was the setup, in which Miss Lovegood risked herself to deliver the warning message. The second stage was the distraction itself, where two of the Blue Team members were camouflaged to appear to be Weeping Angels, to force the Red Team to focus on the distraction. Miss Bones, can you please explain how you used the distraction."
"Of course, Professor." Susan Bones replied, standing. "When we approached the enemy base, we saw that they were in a stationary defensive circle around the clearly visible flag. Luna recognised the leader of the defensive group as Skinner, who was… mean to Luna. Luna came up with the plan of the distraction. When they were focused on the fake Angels, and Luna had re-joined the group, we approached from behind them took them out. One of the Red Team tried to punch Katie Bell, so she subdued him physically and we retrieved the flag."
"Thank you, Miss Bones." Harry said, nodding as Susan sat again. "The Blue Team had two advantages over the Red Team. The first was lateral thinking amongst the leaders, coming up with ways around problems rather than trying to go through the problem. The second was situational awareness. Just at Professor Flitwick ambushed the Red Team, I ambushed the Blue Team. Their formation was similar to what Muggle Militaries use in combat zones and they reacted quickly to the ambush. So quickly in fact that they were almost able to tag me and caused me to strategically withdraw."
Harry looked over the assembled group.
"Your homework assignment is as follows. Red Team, each of you is to develop and describe a single way to try and counter one of the strategies the Blue Team used against you. Blue Team, each of you is to come up with a new way to use the environment you were in yesterday to fool an enemy." Harry ordered.
"For me, each of you is to come up with how you would have used transfiguration in the given scenario, if you had not been limited to the colour change charm." McGonagall added.
"For my class, I am not issuing written homework, though I suggest you all brush up on the charms we have previously covered, as we will all be doing a duel in your next class, restricted to Charms you have already leant." Flitwick added with a grin, causing several students to swallow nervously.
"Dismissed." Harry ordered.
All of the students began to file out, with Hermione and Susan chatting together as they left, as were Luna and Ginny. Skinner was glaring at Luna and Trent was watching Susan as they left.
TBC…