When one individual panics in the spring of 1992, he triggers a cascade of changes to the events of Harry Potter's second year. The results are tragic for Magical Britain.
DISCLAIMER! This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.
~~~*** Author's Note: Children are dying in the Middle East. The world has moments of great pain. I think that's where the darkness in this story originated.
~~~*** CHANGE SCENE
RemembranceIn July, while the Wizengamot listened to reports and ideas for the creation of a 'Day School' for the surviving students and firsties who would begin their education on 1 September, a movement began in Magical Britain to officially recognize the heroes of the Battle in the Great Hall. Lady Longbottom remained silent about the awards – her political capital was invested in the creation of the Day School.
There were many questions about the notion of recognizing all of the staff or giving equal recognition to each of the dead. On the date scheduled for the debate, Amos Diggory brought his son, Cedric who had witnessed the beginning of the battle, and Narcissa Malfoy took the seat for the Black family without any sign of her husband. Lord Ogden, the Minister for Magic, welcome Professor Flitwick to sit in his family box while he remained in the chair designated for the minister on the floor.
Regent Amelia Bones was joined by her niece Susan. Ambrose Bulstrode's daughter Millicent sat with her father after being visited and hugged by Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Luna Lovegood, and Astoria Greengrass before the chamber was called to order. More than one person noticed and paid attention to the children from different houses interacting with each other openly without paying attention to the adults.
From her seat above the members, Chief Warlock, Lady Augusta Longbottom, openly smiled at her grandson and ward, who started off sitting in the Longbottom seat but moved to sit with Lord Sirius Black when he arrived just before the doors closed. Lord Black's cousin, Narcissa Malfoy, welcomed the two boys and openly approved of their robes and manners.
When Lady Longbottom asked the members for any new business, Amos Diggory rose and was recognised. The Undersecretary immediately stated that his son would present the bill to the Wizengamot. Cedric rose, paused to steady his nerves and began.
"On that terrible day in April, I survived only because the professors stood and fought the monster. They attacked the basilisk with their magic even while they knew they were going to die. The few students who survived do so only because the professors and staff fought without regard for their own safety.
There was loud applause from the gallery and many members of the Wizengamot. Every child in the chamber rose to their feet to applaud, many with tears on their faces remembering the adults who fought to save them.
Cedric continued, "With great sadness but overflowing pride at the bravery shown in the memory of Professor Flitwick, I nominate Professor Minerva McGonagall, Professor Severus Snape, Professor Sybill Trelawny, Professor Aurora Silvestri, and Keeper of the Keys Rubeus Hagrid for the Order of Merlin First Class in recognition of the sacrifice of their lives."
This time the applause and whistles continued for several minutes and only fell silent when the Chief Warlock used the magic of the chamber to bring silence. Cedric continued, "In recognition for his part in the fight, I nominate Professor Filius Flitwick for the Order of Merlin Second Class."
He grinned at the diminutive professor and said, "He only survived because of his goblin good luck."
The applause was heartfelt again but ended naturally after two minutes. With prompting from Lord Sirius Black, Harry Potter stood and lifted his wand into the air with the end glowing with a bright light.
"Not so bright, Heir Potter-Black-Slytherin," Lady Augusta said, pretending for a moment that the light blinded her eyes. "Your magical power is too great."
"Yes, ma'am. My apologies," Harry said with proper pureblood poshness. "I would like to endorse the nominations by Mr Diggory without reservation. And I would ask everyone to consider, if the professors had not killed the beast in the Great Hall, how many more people – students, Aurors, and Hogsmeade town folk – would have died when the basilisk continued its rampage and broke out of the castle? How many more persons would have died if this Dark Lord Flees-From-Death had been brought back from the dead by his follower, Peter Pettigrew?"
This notion set the kneazles loose among the nifflers as many undecided members shivered considering those possibilities for the first time. Ambrose Bulstrode rose and seconded the bill without any further discussion.
Cantankerous Nott pinned three of his vassals with a look to be silent. After fifteen minutes of debate among the members, Lady Longbottom called for a rollcall vote in alphabetical order.
Lord Avery led the voting for all the nominations by signalling 'No'. This traditionalist lord could not vote to award an OMFC to a half-giant, a half-blood, or women. And he would never vote for any award for a creature bearing goblin blood.
Lord Black rose from his seat and motioned for his cousin, Narcissa Malfoy to stand beside him. Mrs Malfoy lifted her wand and voted 'Yes.'
Regent Bones stood with her niece at her side and Susan's wand voted, 'Yes'. There was applause from the gallery and then Lord Bulstrode stood with his daughter at his side. Millicent raised her wand and voted 'Yes'. This generated even more applause from the girl's new friends.
When the scribe called out 'Butterfield', Lady Longbottom nodded to her grandson. Neville rose and as Heir Butterfield, lifted his wand and signalled 'Yes'.
When the name Greengrass was called, Edmund rose and offered Astoria his hand. The young witch held onto her father's hand, father, lifted her wand and signalled 'Yes', while calling out, "For my sister and Tracy!"
The rollcall continued with Neville voting 'Yes' for Longbottom, and Harry Potter voting 'Yes' for Potter. There was some grumbling when Lord Cantankerous Nott surprised everyone by voting 'Yes'.
At the end of the rollcall, the scribe hesitated for a moment before he called out, "Slytherin."
No one had been recognized by the Ministry for Magic or Gringotts as the Heir of Slytherin with the right to vote the seat in three hundred years or more.
Everyone watched as Harry Potter rose from his seat and raised his wand. But before he could cast the vote, Elphias Doge, a light lord who had voted 'No' for the same prejudice reasons as Lord Avery, stood and protested with a blue light shining from his wand.
"Point of order Chief Warlock! Point of order!" Doge called out. "How can this…this boy vote for Slytherin?"
Lady Longbottom caught the eye of Narcissa Malfoy who glanced at Sirius who could barely contain his glee to be witnessing a prank delivered on the snobs in the Wizengamot, before she nodded in agreement.
Then Augusta, in a regular tone of voice explained, "As one of Heir Potter's guardians, I will reveal that Harry Potter is a descendant of the true line of Salazar Slytherin through his mother."
There were exclamations throughout the chamber as Augusta continued, "A muggleborn witch, Lily Marie Potter's father was a squib in a continuous line of true descendants of the Slytherins as certified by magic users at Gringotts Bank."
This ended the rollcall of votes and the bill passed with only three members having voted 'No' – Lord Avery, Lady Griselda Marchbanks, and Elphias Doge. The other members of the Wizengamot united in their recognition of the debt owed to the brave staff members at Hogwarts.
Order of Merlin Winners (July 1993)The Daily Prophet published a special edition with the announcement of the awards, photos and profiles of each winner, and the list of how every member of the Wizengamot voted.
Professor Minerva McGonagall – OMFC
Professor Severus Snape – OMFC
Professor Sybill Trelawny– OMFC
Professor Aurora Silvestri– OMFC
Keeper of the Keys Rubeus Hagrid – OMFC
Filius Flitwick – OMSC
There were many demands for reprints of the article listing the awards and small portraits of these winners. In the following days, there were numerous letters to the editor praising the awards, sharing memories of the dead (mostly good) and scathing letters denouncing the individual members who voted against the awards.
~~~*** CHANGE
The Nay SayersIn the face of mounting public opinion against their votes, Lord Avery and Elphias Doge were interviewed by the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler. In the articles written and published, both wizards admitted their prejudices against the half-giant and half-goblin. Under more pressure from reporters, the men admitted they didn't believe the witches deserved the awards.
Doge stated, "Only wizards fight well enough to kill such creature."
For the next month, the man was pelted with rotten tomatoes whenever he stepped outside his home. (Narcissa asked her cousin for permission to assign an elf to make certain the man's robes were covered with tomato pieces and juice for at least thirty days.)
Lord Avery discovered his wife and mother could both duel at his level when they sent him to Saint Mungo's to have limbs reattached at least once a week for the next month. The healers advised him to move out of his home for at least a month to allow the potions that reattached both legs and both arms to complete their work and exit his system.
"If they removed another appendage, the potion might not work to reattach it," the healer said as she glanced at the man's mid-section.
Lady Griselda Marchbanks argued rather viciously with her children and grandchildren. Her great-granddaughters cried and decided that Granny wanted them to be killed by the giant snake like Cousin Beth and refused the woman's hugs and kisses.
Professor Tofty presented Griselda with a letter stating they believed she should retire as head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority because of her advanced age and seeming detachment from what was important for the welfare of children. The witch raged for a second time against idiot young people and collapsed.
Saint Mungo's Hospital began treatments and confined the elderly witch to her bed for a month. Griselda's eldest grandson (58 years old) took over the family seat in the Wizengamot as Heir Gregor Marchbanks.
