JK Rowling owns all the rights to the books and the amazing characters she created. I write only to satisfy my imagination and use my creativity and make no money from my writings.
Peeves has been attacking my e-mail capabilities. I've tried giving reviews on other people's stories but nothing goes through as it is "undeliverable" so I will answer some questions here.
To daithi4377: In regard to Ginny's magic being bound/unbound, Britain is too conceited to think that someone would ever want to leave their shores, so when Ginny is released and leaves Britain, someone (like Bill) could unbind her magic and she'd be a practicing witch again just not in Britain.
McGonagall has constantly been compromised by Dumbles and she has been given one last chance because of this. She is an acknowledged as an excellent teacher and knows she is on shaky ground. She is safe at Hogwarts away from Dumbles' control.
Fawkes is stunned and in a magical box so he is "on ice" until released. I am debating freeing him and pushing him into a burning day and asking him if he wants to return to Dumbles or have his freedom. Should I? Please vote. As to your other review, yes things are "SNAFU" or just usual for Magical Britain.
To teedub: Harry and Voldie will start a correspondence in a future chapter so you will have to wait and see. In my other stories, sometimes the Goblins are good and pro-Harry or bad and are out for what they can get. You'll have to wait and see what they eventually do.
There will be two or three more chapters and depending on reviews, there might be a sequel if people feel I haven't tied up all the loose ends. Thanks for reading.
Chapter 10 – The Sins of Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore was a wanted man. He was banned from Hogwarts and his vaults were closed and confiscated by the Ministry. However, he still had his freedom, faithful followers and a few hiding places, protected by a Fidelius he had cast himself with him as the secret keeper.
He had supplies and money stashed away thanks to managing Harry's finances and he had had his own faithful house elves "acquire" supplies and other useful things from Hogwarts for just this type of emergency. Also, Molly had been correct when she said "supplies had gone missing" as it just hadn't been Kreacher taking them, Dumbledore had also acquired special potions and/or their ingredients for his own use as well as fine liquors and expensive Muggle booze.
Like Harry had been doing for the past year, Dumbledore was in hiding – but in much more comfort than Harry. Dumbledore was still plotting, planning and doing research and keeping up with news so that when Voldemort finally revealed his comeback, Dumbledore would be ready. Then the Magical World would realize that only Albus Dumbledore could protect, defend and lead them.
He decided he really didn't need Harry Potter – at least for now. Voldemort could be killed – hopefully by him this time. A grateful nation would once again give Dumbledore all the praise and honors he deserved for defeating a Dark Lord and they would never know that Voldemort could be once again resurrected.
Although Voldemort could be resurrected, it would probably take him more time as there was no one he could trust and in that time Dumbledore was certain that he could find and destroy all the Horcruxes and Voldemort wouldn't be able to resurrect again.
Potter would be the very last Horcrux to be destroyed and he would eventually be forced to come out of hiding to claim the Potter and Black Lordships. It would be then that Dumbledore would arrange for him to die and then no more Voldemort and no more Potter and Dumbledore would be a living legend, greater than Merlin.
Yes greater than Merlin because Merlin, no matter how great and powerful he had been, was dead - dead, dead, dead, dead. Dumbledore, however, would be alive and keep on living.
You see Dumbledore knew things which practically everybody else didn't. Voldemort and Nicolas Flamel hadn't been the only ones who sought, and found, immortality, so had Albus Dumbledore. And more importantly, he had found it.
Actually he had found several ways to live forever. He had tricked Nicolas Flamel once, but once was enough. As his apprentice he had been unable to break through his mentor's numerous wards and safeguards. He had, however, snuck up on Flamel while Flamel was doing research in Asia, had managed to knock him out, give him Veritaserum and asked him how to make his own Stone. He had then obliviated Flamel so that his mentor was none the wiser and "never knew" he had given away his greatest secret.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore lacked the most necessary ingredients to make his own stone and never would be able to acquire them. However, the information gave him food for thought and he had spent decades researching through the various tomes and rituals he had managed to acquire by means fair and foul, and had come up with a type of stone, or at least one which he could use.
It was terrible dark magic but worth the price paid. Unfortunately, he had only perfected it after he was already "old" and couldn't reverse the effects of aging. He was incredibly spry and healthy for a wizard his age and would continue to be so – as long as he continued with the rituals needed at least once a year. Looking on the bright side, he rather liked his grandfatherly persona and it served him well and NO ONE SUSPECTED A THING because you trusted your grandpa didn't you, especially if he resembled Father Christmas and Merlin.
He had also made his own Horcrux. Yes Dumbledore had a Horcrux, but just the one as he had soon realized the toll on took on his life, magic and SANITY. He also had the same problem as Voldemort – who could be trusted enough to resurrect him? No one, he trusted no one and that was the problem. But now he had the leisure to finally work on that so hopefully that problem would be solved.
He had one problem concerning the Horcrux, namely which resurrection ritual to use. When Voldemort resurrected, he used a spell which Dumbledore had finally found. Unfortunately it needed the bone of a PARENT, preferably the one of the same sex of the person being resurrected.
His father had been buried in the Azkaban cemetery over 100 years ago. He had only lasted 17 months in that hellhole before he died. An Azkaban prisoner was lucky to get a land burial as most of the prisoners where simply thrown into the sea to become food for fishes.
However, if the prisoner had a family who cared about him, as well as money to spend, a land burial would be done. Kendra Dumbledore had paid the G100 fee to have her beloved husband buried. Unknown to the grieving relatives, for that lofty amount the prisoner was merely thrown in a hastily dug hole without a casket or even a shroud. He was simply thrown into a hole dug two feet deep in the frigid, damp climate of Azkaban and the excavated dirt thrown on top and stamped down. The price did include a cheap stone marker with the name and dates of the life and death of the deceased, but that marker, like the body, soon crumbled and was swept away in the merciless wind and weather of that wretched rock.
At any time, especially in the last century, G100 was a substantial sum of money. Last year that amount of money purchased all of Harry Potter's school supplies, gave him his spending money (which he used for a few sweets and to buy all the presents he gave for Christmas and birthdays) with enough left over – had he been allowed – to purchase a respectable wardrobe including much needed underwear and shoes.
The bodies of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore were now bones and in an emergency could be used. But since his mother was a filthy Mudblood and his sister's magic had been damaged, Dumbledore would not risk it or, if the truth be known, sully his own amazing powers. His paternal grandfather and been lost at sea and his great uncle had been cremated because he died of a contagious disease.
If his brother Aberforth was dead, his bones could probably be used, but so far an Imperiused Aberforth was his main candidate to resurrect him. But there were just too many variables and risks to use that resurrection method especially since Aberforth was also over 100 years old and could die at any time.
No Dumbledore had to find another resurrection ritual, make foolproof arrangements to be resurrected and a few other things. So the only logical option was to just keep living, not be caught and jailed, become a hero again, win back his offices, get some better followers and keep doing the rituals to live longer.
Sigh! Nothing was ever as simple as it should be no matter how intelligent, talented and powerful one was.
While Dumbledore pondered his fate, others were trying to take control over Magical Britain.
Amelia Bones was content to remain in her position as Head of the DMLE just as long as there was a Minister of Magic who was competent, not a follower of either Voldemort or Dumbledore, and would back her up with sufficient money and manpower so that she could have a viable, competent, loyal, functioning Auror corps and, as the Muggles said, catch the bad guys, put them in jail and throw away the key.
Rufus Scrimgeour was competent and loyal, but mostly loyal to himself. However, he was the best candidate for the position of Minister of Magic besides Amelia Bones and he would see that the DMLE was well-funded and that Death Eaters would be tried – with Veritaserum – and punished.
On the downside he was very ambitious and totally ruthless and if he was Minister there would be an unspoken understanding that Amelia Bones would be subservient to him. No matter how much he, and Magical Britain, needed her, he would brook no insubordination from the woman and it would always be his way or out she'd go without a second thought.
Assassination as a tool was not beyond him. He would also use blackmail, intimidation and would not hesitate to use any means at his disposal to gain what he wanted. Amelia shuddered at the thought what he would do if he had access to Harry Potter. He would use the boy mercilessly and probably be almost as bad as Dumbledore in that respect.
After careful consideration Amelia decided to let fate decide. There was a very good chance that Scrimgeour would not be elected. There were still many candidates vying for the job. Some were good like Amos Diggory and others were bad or just plain unscrupulous. She would wait and see who won. If "a good guy" won, she would support him as long as he cooperated with her and was willing to provide the funds needed for the DMLE.
If "a bad guy" won, she would wait and watch for about a month or so to see what his intentions were and, if she didn't approve or he was another Fudge or potential Lucius Malfoy, then she would leave. She would just quit her job, lock up her family manor and join her niece in America.
She hadn't let Susan return to Hogwarts as it was just too dangerous. Once she had finally found out all of Dumbledore's manipulations for the past five years as well as the many things he had done, there was no way she was going to let her niece return. Instead, she had convinced her dearest friends the Abbotts to take their daughter Hannah and their young son Matthew and to leave Britain.
They were also Susan's guardians should something happen to her and even though she was breaking protocol by telling them much of the secret information she knew about Voldemort, Dumbledore and Harry Potter, she knew it was the only way to convince them to flee their home.
She also made them swear sacred oaths to protect Susan just in case Dumbledore or the Ministry tried to circumvent her will or use Susan to control her actions. Like Mad Eye Moody and now Harry Potter, she didn't – and couldn't – trust anybody not even her dearest friends. But they understood and swore the oaths, took their children and Susan, and left Britain. Hopefully one day they could all return but not now as it was just too dangerous and uncertain to live in Britain.
Both the Order of the Phoenix and the new Order of the Griffin were in tatters. With Sirius' murder, the exposure of Dumbledore's "sins" coupled with his hasty escape and the fate of the Weasleys, the remaining members were lost, leaderless and trying to decide what their next action should be.
Remus Lupin was inconsolable. Not that he would ever have admitted it, part of him had always known that Dumbledore used people for his own ends. But he personally had "owed" Dumbledore for too much to go against him even when he knew that some of the things Dumbledore did or was going to do were wrong. He had no choice but to obey.
Even James and Sirius had been the same. Dumbledore had used them starting their first year. He carefully "reeled them in" and manipulated and used them mostly without any of them even knowing it was being done. All of those "pranks" and certain behavior Dumbledore allowed them to get away with, all eventually came with a price.
The pride and hubris which James and Sirius possessed due to their heritage, position and wealth prevented them from seeing that they had slowly but surely become actual vassals of Dumbledore. Most of it had happened when they were in school but after they became Aurors and joined the Order, Dumbledore's hold on them had been unbreakable and they danced to his tune with unquestionable obedience. All of them had.
Now James and Sirius were dead, Peter had long been a Death Eater and traitor and Harry was in hiding and fearing for his life. Remus truly hoped that Harry would never be found as that was his only chance for survival. Dumbledore had plans for the boy and Remus had always sensed that they were not good and would probably cause Harry's death. He could not say that out loud even to Sirius, but he thought that Sirius had known but had been powerless to escape the web.
Remus was tired and disillusioned. There was nothing left for him in Britain, at least not now. Being a werewolf in Britain was almost a death sentence and there was never anything done to help werewolves, especially by Dumbledore.
Dumbledore had always preached "equality" and "love" as being the answers, yet Remus watched as over the years more and more laws were passed depriving werewolves and other "magical breeds" of any basic rights.
Dumbledore had always told his followers that he had and always would fight for the rights of "magical breeds" but Remus had only recently found out that Dumbledore had used his own vote as well as the proxy votes he held (like the Potter vote as Harry's magical guardian) to vote against reform. Why Remus would never know and now he didn't care.
At the moment the only things Remus cared about was Harry remaining free and Tonks staying alive. He had fought hard to ignore his feelings for the girl, due to the age difference and his "furry little problem" but Tonks hadn't let him. She went after him and was determined to win him over. She wanted to marry him!
Despite all of his logical arguments, she refused to give up on him and his resolve had weakened and he had allowed himself to fall in love. However, he wanted her safe and for her to be safe she had to leave Britain. Thanks to Dumbledore and the Order, her career was ruined, she was a Half-blood and a target by not only Voldemort but her dear Auntie Bellatrix for simply being alive.
Her only hope was to leave Britain and start a new life somewhere else. In America, with their lenient and humane laws concerning werewolves, there was a chance that Remus and Tonks could actually have a future together. The only problem was her "patriotism" and refusal to leave her native land to the horror of the war between Voldemort and Dumbledore.
He wouldn't leave without her and she wouldn't leave. If she didn't leave, she would die, it was as simple as that. If she didn't leave, he couldn't leave either. It was a terrible dilemma made doubly so as that idiot Kingsley Shacklebolt was trying to keep the Order in operation and despite everything which had happened, he had convinced Tonks to stay and fight for "the Light" if not Dumbledore.
At the moment Tonks wouldn't listen or speak to him unless he first swore to remain in the Order and fight for the Light. Remus wondered if Tonks had been potioned or Imperiused but since he couldn't get near her to cast diagnostic charms, he had no way of knowing.
None of it was logical. Her own cousin Sirius, who she had adored since childhood, had been a victim of Dumbledore's nefarious plans yet she was still "following" him. That didn't make sense, hence the reason for thinking she had been hexed into submission.
In desperation Remus had gone to her parents who informed him that they too had tried to reach her but had been prevented because she refused to talk to them unless they first swore to join the Order and did so. Andromeda Tonks agreed with Remus that her daughter had to have been hexed but until they could find her and get near enough to test her and/or rescue her, there was nothing that they could do.
So the three people who loved her plotted and planned to save Tonks or die trying.
Arthur, Fred and George Weasley were also at a loss. Fred and George had never "officially" joined the Order but Arthur had and the price he paid was too much. He had lost everything he held dear from wife and children, job and pension, to sacred honor and good name.
Fred and George's dream of owning their own joke shop had been so close. Harry had given them his winnings and they had everything almost ready to start once they graduated but then…things happened…and their family had been destroyed. At the moment, they still had their supplies and mail order business but due to the scandal "business was slow" and until they regained their good name, the shop was put on hold.
Besides, their father needed them…and the money. Arthur had no income and no savings. All he had was the Burrow and the supplies which Molly had gotten for the Order's use thanks to Sirius. Kingsley had tried to bully Arthur into using the Burrow as Order Headquarters and also using the supplies but Arthur had refused, officially resigned from the Order and had Bill cast a Fidelius on the Burrow just before he was sent into exile by the Goblins.
Arthur had discontinued the floo service as it was too dangerous and also he could no longer afford it. There was a yearly connection fee for each floo but as a Ministry employee the fee had always been waived as a Ministry (or rather Pureblood) perk. Without an income Arthur had become a bit eccentric, and he carefully watched every knut.
The Twins couldn't use owl order at the Burrow because Arthur thought it was too dangerous. Therefore, to continue their business they made arrangements to use their neighbor, Xeno Lovegood's owl delivery service which he used to distribute The Quibbler, the magazine he published. Everything would go through his address and owls.
Meanwhile, Arthur carefully tended the vegetable garden, took care of the chickens and talked about purchasing a milk cow so that they could become more self-sufficient. "We could even raise a few pigs for bacon and ham" he had told his sons.
Arthur didn't want to leave the Burrow. He didn't want to belong to the Order or get another job. He still tinkered in his shed with his Muggle items and started teaching himself how to cook and bake. Much to the Twins' delight, he wasn't that bad a cook, especially after he found out that Molly's cookware, which was part of her meager trousseau, and had been specially enchanted to always cook fantastic meals.
He also found the stash of the Weasley family recipes, which Molly had hidden away as she couldn't destroy them as they were a Weasley Family heirloom, but she didn't want to use them as she wasn't a blood Weasley and they had been spelled to work for only a blood family member otherwise the food would be ruined. Such were the lengths to which a woman would go to safeguard the family recipes for her blood.
No Arthur Weasley was a different man. Bill and Charlie were out of the country and both had very dangerous jobs. Percy had managed to keep a Ministry job but not a good one but he had ambition and drive and Arthur knew he would survive and probably prosper. However, he would probably never forgive his family and disowned them to have any chance to move up the ladder. He changed his name to Weatherby.
Ginny would survive and Bill had sent a message to him telling of what her three oldest brothers were going to do to help her. Ron was ruined and despite his youth the things he had done due to greed, jealousy and ambition, well Arthur thought it was Karma.
Molly he refused to think about and the betrayals had been too deep and he could never forgive her. Karma would see to her fate also. He did wonder if mother and son were in a cell near each other to give comfort or to plan their futile revenge.
All he had left were Fred and George. They were good boys and would survive. If they had to leave him he would understand but he prayed that if they left it would be to join Charlie, Ginny or Bill and not to get involved with politics or wars.
But here at the Burrow Arthur would stay and live out the rest of his life as best he could.
So many followers of Albus Dumbledore had been ruined and even without his "guiding presence" more would continue to be destroyed through their misguided loyalty to the malevolent "Light Lord."