Disclaimer: I don't own. I only… hm-mm... lets call it that way, borrow. Though I'm quite good at… hm-mm… borrowing things. Yeah, really good. Except for the times I screw it up and get caught… Uh, lets just forget what I just said and just stick to that plain "I own nothing, don't sue me" formula.
Harry from the House of Wilyboldplotclaim
by
K a s y b l a c k
Chappy 3. From explanations to warnings
The conversation in the office continued…
The old man with the moon-shaped spectacles pronounced.
"The main rule of the Wilyboldplotclaim House is one stating our main quality is 'Veracity'."
"Veracity?"
"Yes, my boy. Our policy is veracity, or truthfulness. Though this rule concerns only the ones who are the current members of our house…"
"Our?.. Sir, you mean that?.."
"Yes, indeed. I am the one who was sorted in this particular house a long time ago…"
"But how can you belong to this house? I mean, you are the Headmaster and you had graduated a really long time ago, so you can not be the current member of the Wilyboldplotclaim!"
"But I am! You see, my dear boy, the Wily-house, as me and my friend called it, allows you do the great things, the marvelous things. You gain the knowledge, the power, the unique vision of the world around you and of what people around you might have been, and many other things… but what you have to pay for the benefits you get. Therefore, the price was set. It does not matter how old you are, and if you graduated from the school or are too young to participate in some of the activities your position may require, you can not stop being the member of this house. If you try to renounce your membership or to stop participating in the main and most dangerous class the members of our house have, the consequences of this defiance will be quite… dire…"
"Just how… dire?"
"You see, my boy, these consequences are quite bonded with the nature of our main class"
"And what exactly does that class contain?" – the quiet voice was signaling that its owner was suspecting something unpleasant but had no wish to have this suspicion confirmed.
"Ah, nothing more than the dimensional traveling".
"Oh, this stuff… I was almost afraid we'll have to fight trolls or incarcerate werewolves. That's definitely alleviating…"
"I do not think that you can perceive the information you just received, my boy".
"If that has got any similarities to the concept I got from the few fantasy books I managed to blackmai…khe-khe.. ask my uncle to buy… Anyways, if the concept is somewhat similar, I'll end up in the worlds where I was maimed as a kid, recently maimed, injured, never existed, where my parents might be alive, where you might be evil manipulative bastard, where Voldemort was never born, or where the ants have destroyed humankind and are the Prime Race of Earth…" – Harry finished with somewhat superior smirk.
"…Or where the Sorting Ceremony consists in dealing with the troll, as Mr.Weasley's brothers kindly implied".
Harry visibly paled.
"Is there any way to resort?"
"I'm afraid not my boy. And I would not develop that idea even in my imagination, if I were you, my boy".
"And why not, kind Sir?"
"Maybe the story of Grabby Grace-Zergrory shall teach you an appropriate lesson…" – Dumbledore sounded slightly amused. It certainly woken some of MY undercover fears and…"
"The story of who sehr gory?"
"That's the point, that's the point…"
"Wha-?.."
"She was the student of Hogwarts back in 1640s and got sorted to the Wily-house. But one day she decided to leave the Travel Class… That's when the magic of the House reacted, sending her BODY to the different dimensions… only this time without the usually automatic defensive spells that help us on our journeys… And the thing that returned to the Hogwarts afterwards… I'm afraid, it was, as you kindly described, VERY gory piece of something. Even the teachers were too sick to investigate what it was… So they just buried it somewhere in the woods… Out of sight, out of mind, as they say".
"Hm-mm… lovely, lovely. Guess I'll have to rethink the matters of leaving then."
"That's my boy! There is no use in dwelling on dreams and forgetting to live… cause there's no way you can affect the magic of the House… even I could not."
"Affect it… I-eeenteresting suggestion…"
"The few who managed were also sent away to the other worlds… and the gory piece of miss Zergrory was too neat comparing to what was left from them…"
Ron decided to come back to the devious Great Hall and try to fetch something tasty, when he noticed something was amiss. He should have already reached the feasting children, but halls of the ancient school around him were empty and silent. No, PLEASE no! He silently screamed in anguish. If he won't reach the Hall in about an hour… the Feast might end.
With the growing feeling of the total dread Ron shut his eyes and tried to make his breath steady. He will reach the Feast in time! He must!
"Gosh, a little more explaining and I'll be really sorry for arguing the Sorting Hat… So, no worries, it will be finished one way or another. Anyways, how am I supposed to act in the different world? What if I'm a grown-up there? What if I'm treated? What if I am a squib or something?"
"Do not worry, my boy. The first year's Travelers are supposed to feign amnesia. The defensive spells our House provides are perfectly fooling any means of locating your untruthfulness considering that statement. Though you may tell who you are to the ones you deem worthy. Of course, I'll have to warn you that not all information you get about people in the other world is applicable to the inhabitants of our world. Same goes for the information which is true in our world – it may be totally inapplicable to the people you meet there. And you must know that there are some worlds we call Dark Worlds. You'll have to use every bit of your Slytherin Part if you want to get out of there alive and untainted… Though you most probably will meet these worlds in the later years' Travel classes".
"So no trolls fighting at least for a year, right?"
"So, let us go back to our main topic. The first rule of our House is Veracity. Therefore, I must inform you of the weight lying on your shoulders earlier than I ever planned. That is the great burden you'll have to carry, but you are the member of the Wilyboldplotclaim, and I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. Have you ever thought why Dark Lord Voldemort wanted to kill you when you were a baby?"
"No offence, sir, but it had been barely a month since I knew my parents weren't driving a car drunk and were in fact killed… I just assumed that the Guy named Volde-moldy was something like Jack the Ripper, only with the team of the fan-boys and girls and a wish for power".
"It's a little more complicated than that though your idea is similar to the simple yet accurate description of the situation. You see, there are a lot of prejudices in the world of wizards. Some wizards believe that the muggle-born or muggle-raised wizards should not be allowed to enter our society. Most of the bigots in that group joined dark Lord Voldemort soon after he rose. Most of the bigots of that group also believe that the blood of the wizards must not be 'polluted' by the 'half-breeds' – the ones whose ancestors were not only humans but possibly belonged to other magical races – like goblins, veelas, giants and any other kind of creatures".
"Aha! I knew Hagrid was not a usual human! Noone can be THAT big without a reason. So he is a half-giant, isn't he? And the really small guy I saw at the Head Table must be half or quarter goblin!"
"You may be close to the truth in your assumptions, my boy, but it would be much better if you hold the truth you think you know to yourself. I'm afraid some superstitions are too old and are too well-known and accepted. Although I've met lots of decent magical creatures or people who were half-bloods, most wizards share the belief that, for example, all werewolves are bad though there are lots of really good people who just happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time or were condemned to this illness by the evil ones of their kind. Yes, Harry, the werewolves are just the usual people with the unusual illness. Their problem is that at the full moon the magical contagion they got activates and they transform into wolves and cannot control themselves. That's the only time the werewolves are truly dangerous. A lot of them just lock themselves in order not to hurt anyone. But after the attitude they got in our world and after hearing what Voldemort had to give, many of the derogated creatures and people joined the Dark Forces".
"So, the wizarding world is as full of the bigotry as our neighborhood in Surrey. Great! As far as I understand the situation, the stupid Wizardkind's Government always makes sure that there is a great support base to whichever new or old Dark Lord or other maniac desides to resurface. They belittle many creatures and even wizards for the things they've got no control about – like their parents' origins…"
"And they are trying to be marrying only amongst 'pure' families in order to maintain status-quo".
"So, they are all related and are practicing inbreeding to breed more prejudiced little bastards… sorry for a foul language, professor. And they pass laws that wold make the changes impossible, too, if my guess is correct".
"I'm afraid so, my boy. Many of the supporters of the Dark Lord managed to escape the conviction by bribing the officials or claiming they were under the Imperius curse and therefore could not do a thing against Dark Lord's orders. There are many real victims amongst their numbers but some of the 'predators' managed to hide amongst their 'prey'. Worst thing of all is that not all officials introducing the humiliating, offensive and injurious laws are the former Death Eaters or Dark Lord supporters. Some of them are just blinded by fears inherited from their families, or the fears induced by the bad magical creatures. Jet lots of innocents must suffer because of the bad deeds performed by the ones of similar blood".
"Wunderbar! You realize their ideology is similar to the one of the Nazis', right?"
"The who?" – Was the only answer a rather confused Headmaster managed to produce.
"Never mind, Professor. You still have not told me why the Dark Lord with the Mole-in-Sorts decided to maim a poor child and his parents. Now after I got a fragmental idea of the world around us it would be nice to know how I fit in the picture except for the survival by a lucky chance. And why were my parents murdered…" – he finished softly.
"It is a sad story, my dear boy. It begins with the prophecy that was given to me by the applicant for a job as a Divination teacher. Although she was a weak Seer and was considered a fraud, I decided to meet her. Unfortunately for all of us, the place she chose to stay in was not really secure and the day we met and she gave her first true Prophecy one of the Voldemort's servants managed to hear a part of it. He was happy to serve his master… until the day he found out that this Prophecy may include the woman he loved dearly. Even though she married the man he hated with great passion. So the Death Eater decided to warn her, despite the risk for him. The families who had children born on 31 of July and were involved in a war against Voldemort – the Potters and the Longbottoms – hid themselves. Your family chose the Fidelius Charm to be their guard. This charm locked the location of the house or any other place in the heart of one man who became the Secret Keeper. The location could be only taken from the Secret Keeper if he opened it willingly. I asked for the honor of securing their safety but your father decided otherwise. He did not tell me who that was, but everybody knows now he chose his best friend – Sirius Black. Unfortunately, that man was the servant of the Dark Lord. He as well as murdered his best friend in order to gain the Dark Lord's favor. The day after the Fidelius Charm was cast, Voldemort came after Potters. He killed your parents but the killing curse failed to separate tour soul and body, rebounding onto dark lord himself. There are many theories why that happened though I'm sure that happened cause your mother sacrificed her life for you – and her love covered you, helping to repel the hate which fuels the power of the killing curse… Next day Sirius Black was found by other of your father's friends, Peter Pettigrew. Unfortunately, Black killed him and thirteen muggles before the aurors – they are like wizards' Police – were there to stop him. He was acting creasy and laughing and telling he "killed them"… He's been in Azkaban, prison for wizards, since that day".
Harry did not know what he felt. It was as if a gallon of water was poured onto him at once. The new world he encountered was full of prejudices, just like the Dursleys' little suburban 'heaven'… It was not too unexpected but still hurt. They have magic, for God's sake! What else do they want? But his inner cynical – or Slytherin – self could accept this. There are good and there are bad things in the world. There are clever people and there are fools though the fools tend to prevail in number…
…there was a prophecy which made Voldemort go after him… He considered it stupid – trying to murder someone cause of the words of a fraud was not the most clever thing. Would that guy jump off rock if the woman prophesied he was the one able to kill himself? Or would he stop eating lamb if it was prophesied to bring his end? Would he chop off his hand if he was supposed to die by his own hand? Or would he stop bating if there was a Prophecy stating that the water shall bring his end? That idea almost made him snort.
…he was proud he was meant to do some great good by fighting the great evil and was a little ashamed of his pride. And he was proud of his parents. They died, but they were decent people who fought against darkness. They were parents to be proud of, not the drunkards with no job or residence to live at. It meant a lot to him even if he never really trusted the Dursleys' descriptions of them. Anyone who described Dudley's shape as decent had at least small disposition to exaggeration… and the dupery and deceit. Still, it was great to have the confirmation.
…and his father's best friend was the one who betrayed his family… They all died because one man chose to fail them… no, to betray them… That was the thing that really scared him… What if the friendship he dreamed about was only what it was before – a dream? What if no such thing really existed or was able to exist? But then he shook himself. Yes, he did not have the real friends yet, only acquaintances. But maybe dad just was not observant enough? Maybe his father was not attentive towards his friend and Black got angry and decided to avenge him like Dudley avenged Nataniel Samatman for ignoring him in the first grade /They became friends at first, but after Nataniel's Granny died the boy was really depressed and Dudley was not used to being ignored by anyone, so they became quite hostile by the end of the year/. And maybe he'll have to investigate this whole situation to know better… But for now, he'll make sure to be the friend nobody will ever want to betray!..
"I assume, my boy, that you need to think about everything you've heard, but I'm afraid we may not have enough time".
After a glance at his Headmaster Harry felt he was returning to his previous sarcastic self. God, Dumbledore himself looked shocking in so many ways that any other shock could not survive the contact with the eccentric old man.
"I guess it will be something really unpleasant thing concerning the Travel classes, won't it?"
"I'm afraid that it might be considered unpleasant, my boy. These classes are supposed to start on the first Sunday of the year and to continue every Sunday after that. And we really need to teach you at least some self-defense till then".
"But today IS Sunday! How am I supposed to learn anything before I'm sent to some place? We've barely got few ours till this day ends!"
"Do not worry, my boy. I will show you one or two nasty little curses before you'll have to depart".
"And if my other self has got no wand, I'm DOOMED…"
"Do not worry my boy, everything will be O'Kay in the end…"
"You know, that's one of the most intimidating encouragements I've ever heard… including the ones my beloved relatives used".
"And that were?.."
"Usually something like 'Don' you dare to die on the way to school, we'll never pay for the funeral' and similar".
"Huh?"
"And that one was amongst the most cordial ones".
"Oh".
"Anyway, lets' learn something before I'll have to leave".
"Of course, Harry. Let's start…"
A/N: It may sound a little depressing. But this kind of news cannot be considered very 'light' ones, right? When people die, you feel sorrow even if you will happily dance on their graves the day after. And even alittle cynical eleven-years-old orphan may miss his parents…
By the way, is there anyone interested in this or not. I would love to know someone's opinion. It is really difficult to continue if you are writing to the empty universe.