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
Dumbledore Returns!The headline across the top of Daily Prophet was matched by a large magical photo of the former headmaster's face outside the gates of Hogwarts as he learned he had lost all three of his jobs. On the inside of the paper were pictures of Lady Hogwarts dressing him down before he was levitated out of the castle with a single trunk of belongings.
~~~*** CHANGE
Harry and NevilleAt Longbottom Manor, Augusta noticed both boys barely gave the newspaper a glance before they ate breakfast and then hurried to begin their lessons for the day. If their English tutor approved their homework and lessons today, Lord Black was going to take them to a muggle carnival park for the afternoon and then a 'moviedrome' this evening. Lady Longbottom wasn't quite certain what either marvel entailed but Mr Tonks endorsed both items.
She'd hear all about these new adventures at breakfast tomorrow. Today, she would work with Professor Sprout to complete the plans for Fleamont Day School and the budget. (Lord Black donated the whole of the award he'd received for eleven years of illegal incarceration so there weren't any shortfalls in funding for teachers and supplies.)
Poppy made herself available to act a Matron in the much smaller infirmary yesterday and the house elves were completing the renovations to the manor house for student lockers, classrooms and offices. The library was a marvel with card index that could access the titles present in the library at Hogwarts and with the aid of a helpful house elf deliver any book to Fleamont Day School in three minutes.
No one wanted to talk about Dumbledore while planning the new school. The only topic to decide was opening day – 1 September. Augusta thought they should have orientation days for the older students on 27 August and then a two-day orientation for the students on 29-30 August. The staff would have 28 and 31 August to rectify any problems.
~~~*** CHANGE
Hermione GrangerThe young witch studied the newspaper photos dispassionately. Letters from Susan Bones and Millie Bulstrode were filled with questions for Hermione about English Literature, and she was more than glad to help them with the meaning found in different stories.
'I like having lots of friends,' she realized. Letters from Harry Potter had begun in June, and she'd been coached by her mother and father not to ask invasive questions about his current situation beyond 'Are you alright?'
Her father had been invited to join the Board of Governors for Fleamont Day School and he had spent several days working with the goblins(!) about wards, and Aurors(!) on ways to keep the school safe and capture relevant information about bullies or creatures.
~~~*** CHANGE
Fred and George WeasleyAt the Burrow, the twins asked if they were allowed to attend the session for the Wizengamot where Albus Dumbledore would be questioned about that day. Arthur hesitated but Molly considered things for a moment before she endorsed the idea.
"I don't want to see the man again," Molly confessed. "But it might help me to see everyone united against him. Do you think they'll let us throw tomatoes at him?"
Percy grinned and said, "Penny's father told her that Eliaphus Doge still can't go anywhere without being pelted with rotten tomatoes."
Arthur leaned closer and whispered, "Lord Black has an elf dedicated to supplying rotten tomatoes to the crowds around Doge."
"He's seems to like pranks!" George said.
~~~*** CHANGE
Poppy PomphreySurveying the new infirmary – only one floor above the dining hall at Fleamont Day School, Poppy took a moment to consider several things from the tumultuous spring – Dumbledore could not explain away his neglect at Hogwarts that led to the death of so many students and staff members. The castle was planning something but even while she held the wards for three months, Pomphrey didn't know what Hogwarts planned.
But the day school would be wonderful – there were lessons for student interested in healing that Poppy would lead next spring.
Pomphrey glanced at the calendar and decided she would not attend the Wizengamot session where Dumbledore was questioned. She would spend that day visiting her sister, nieces and nephews in Plymouth.
~~~*** CHANGE
Sirius BlackIgnoring the second letter from Albus Dumbledore making inquiries about Harry Potter, Sirius gave his full attention to his family this afternoon. Andromeda wanted to be fully returned to the family – she believed the family magics would aid her daughter Nymphadora with her balance and metamorphic abilities. Narcissa wanted a divorce from Lucius Malfoy and a chance to build a cadet branch of the family with a decent wizard as a new husband the year mourning the death of her son.
As Lord Black, Sirius granted the requests of both cousins and went one step further, dissolving Bellatrix's marriage to Lestrange and then disowning her. The Unspeakable had said the loss of the family magic would most likely end the witch's life after eleven years in Azkaban but Sirius remembered that cousin's continued devotion to the Dark Lord and believed Bellatrix was too determined and stubborn to die.
~~~*** CHANGE
Auror ShackleboltKingsley Shacklebolt admired the legend that had been Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore – genius innovator in his younger years with the twelve uses of dragon's blood, defeater of Grindelwald, devoted professor at Hogwarts, and then headmaster, leader of the Wizengamot and sage for the whole wizarding world.
After a dressing down by Director Bones followed by a screaming evaluation by Head Auror Moody (where he learned his distraction from his duty would cost him the job of Head Auror next year), Shacklebolt took the time to read the articles in the Quibbler and Daily Prophet that revealed the human side of the man.
Like all humans, Albus Percival Not-Wulfric Nor-Brian Dumbledore had faults. But the wizard had turned a blind eye from dangers in the school and allowed events to culminate in the disaster in April. The deaths of children and staff could have been averted if Dumbledore had acted at any time before that day.
And now, during the questioning in the DMLE interview room, Albus Dumbledore's arguments grew louder as they grew wilder.
"Everything that occurred was for the Greater Good."
"The Dark Lord will return, and I must be there at Hogwarts to guide Harry Potter to his destiny!"
"The Unspeakables don't know the secrets of the Dark Lord. They can't remove him…"
"They missed a piece of him! There's one in Harry Potter!"
"You can't remove it without killing the boy! I know!"
"I don't care what you think Saul Croaker, you missed the soul! Some piece of the soul! Tom's fooling you!"
When Alastor Moody forced Albus to watch the memory of the ritual in the Department of Mysteries where the different pieces of Thomas Marvolo Riddle's soul were summoned and cast into Oblivion, Dumbledore cried, "No! No! How could you do this? I wasn't there!"
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Dolores UmbridgeThe final papers were approved for Fleamont Day School and with the minister's signature, the vault at Gringotts would begin to pay salaries and letters would go out for the open house – a new muggle innovation the Board of Governors had adopted for the late afternoon of 1 August.
Aurors and Professors would use portkeys and apparition to move every muggle family from their home to the school for the first meeting in the dining hall. There were over 100 students scheduled to start school with the class orientations in late August.
Lady Longbottom planned to relax in the Chief Warlock's office until it was time for the evening session of the Wizengamot where Albus Dumbledore would be questioned – he couldn't be charged with anything criminal, but Director Bones intended for the wizard's personal liability to be laid bare to help the lawsuits filed by the families.
The witch's mind was on the possible challengers who might appear tonight to challenge Albus Dumbledore to duel because he had caused the death of their child. She knew that Lord McMillian's daughter-in-law intended to push her way the crowds to slap the man's face and issue her challenge. And since she wasn't paying close attention, as she left Lord Ogden's office, the Auror security detail proved unable to prevent Dolores Umbridge from reaching the older witch and making demands.
"Longbottom! Give me a job! I'm experienced with all the skills necessary to get people to vote however you need!"
"Go away, Umbridge," Longbottom said, dismissing the witch.
"No! Cornelius depended on me! You can too!"
"I have nothing for you, Madam Umbridge," Augusta stated firmly. Her glare at the Aurors who remained lax was misinterpreted by the desperate witch as being aimed at her.
"You've got time for all the muddy brats from muggle world!" complained Dolores. "You're spending galleons like water to throw together a school when there's a perfectly good one in Scotland!"
Augusta frowned but didn't comment, so Dolores felt emboldened to yell, "Your son's a gibbering fool in Janus Thackery, and your grandson's a squib. That's why you wanted a new school! So, no one notices the Longbottom brat is a squib!"
Lord Ogden appeared at the door to his office, scowled at his security team, but signalled them to stand down. Words had heated the air too hot to ignore.
Observers swore the vulture atop the hat worn by Augusta Longbottom moved to watch the witch who just insulted the two men that Augusta loved more than her own life. The older witch took two steps forward and slapped Dolores Umbridge across the face with her wand.
The older woman declared in a cold, emotionless voice, "Witch, I challenge you to duel of honour! I say you have none and are worthless to the world. It will be my goal to remove you from among the living!"
"What? No! No!" shouted Dolores. "I just lost my temper…I misspoke."
"Tonight then, after the hearing in the Wizengamot Chamber," Augusta replied, acting as if the witch had answered appropriately. "Yes, I agree. That location will do perfectly well."
The Chief Warlock turned to the Minister for Magic and made a request, "Lord Ogden, if you will ensure that this toad appears at the appropriate time, I would be indebted to you."
"There is no debt, Lady Longbottom," Ogden replied. "My security team will guard her for the next hours with their lives if need be."
"NO!" screamed Dolores. "It's a misunderstanding!"
~~~*** Change Scene
Bartemius Crouch, SrWhen the discovery of Peter Pettigrew's body at Hogwarts in April generated unanswered questions about the arrest and incarceration of Sirius Black without questioning or trial, Alastor Moody had arrested his old boss, Bartemius Crouch, Sr.
After three days in custody and extensive questioning with spells but no truth serum, Crouch had been released and returned to his home. In his free time in the 90 days that followed that day, Alastor made a point of apparating to the neighbourhood where the Crouch home stood. When confronted by Bartemius Crouch on the street, Moody replied that he was investing rumours of misdeeds. Each misdeed would support Lord Black's lawsuit against Crouch, Dumbledore, and Bagnold.
The same morning as Dumbledore's hearing, Alastor Moody was in a terrible temper – the old wizard refused to admit he'd been wrong about Tom Riddle's soul jars and continued to argue that Harry Potter was a threat to Magical Britain.
At lunch, Moody apparated out of the Ministry and found himself in Wimbledon, the area where the Crouch home stood. He'd hobbled back and forth several times along a path covered by muggle repelling charms when he heard a wizard and an elf fussing as they approached the path.
"Master Barty comes back inside and does his exercises!" demanded the elf. Alastor recognized the elf had been empowered with 'nanny' responsibilities and could discipline the child if necessary.
But it was a man's voice that replied, "Winky, no! My father's imperious has faded at last and I can escape! After eleven years locked in the basement, I'll run away. I'll steal someone's wand."
"No's, please Mr Barty, Jrs," the elf pleaded, identifying her master as a monster long thought dead in Azkaban. "Your mothers said for Winky to cares for youse!"
"Winky! Mother is dead! She took my place in Azkaban and died!" the man shouted. Gripping his wand tightly, Alastor restrained himself to watch and listen.
The man had removed a glove and threw it at the elf, "Winky, I give you clothes! You are free!"
"No! No! No!" screamed the elf before she lay on the ground, withering in pain.
When Barty Crouch, Jr turned from the elf he'd just condemned to death, his face was hit with Alastor's most powerful stupefy spell followed by three incarcerous spells. When the body dropped to the ground, Alastor stepped close enough to levitate elf.
"Elf – Winky Elf," Alastor said, calmly but forcefully, when he took the elf into the palm of his hand. The tearful elf looked up; her shoulders slumped in defeat as her magic already began to slip away.
"I need a loyal, talented elf," Alastor stated. "I have a house in dire need of cleaning and many potions I must take each day to remain alive. Will you become my elf and help me live another thirty years?"
Nodding her head, Alastor pushed some of his magic into the elf and then said, "Come with me to the Ministry for Magic. I need to hear about your old masters."
~~~*** CHANGE SCENE
At the ministry, Alastor deposited the unconscious and anonymous prisoner into a cell that only he and Director Bones could open. After locked the cell and threatening the guards with permanent assignment to duty at Azkaban if anyone even asked about the prisoner in the cell. Then he stumped along the hall, seeking Amelia's counsel.
There was a tense conversation in Director Bones' office where they watched Moody's memory of the conversation between the elf and Crouch, Jr. The elf provided more background - Bartemius Crouch, Sr had cast the imperious spell on his son for eleven years after spiriting the boy out of the prison – and leaving his mother behind in Polyjuice to take their son's place and die.
Dreading the hearing scheduled in the Wizengamot that night, Amelia Bones refused to allow this problem to provide a smoke screen that Albus Dumbledore might use – would use – to hide or deflect attention from his situation. She cursed for several minutes, and then wrote out an arrest warrant for Bartemius Crouch, Sr with special conditions.
"Alastor Moody, we must not give Crouch reason to flee tonight – Albus would capitalize on any chaos. You can do anything up to physically sitting on the man until after the hearing is done."
Alastor Moody grinned and replied, "I have just the thing. Earlier this afternoon, Dolores Umbridge insulted Augusta Longbottom so crudely and harshly, the Chief Warlock challenged the toad to an honour duel."
"A duel?"
"Yes! And I'll challenge Crouch to a second one. That'll keep him here until we are done."
~~~*** CHANGE SCENE
Bartimaeus Crouch was seated in his office and wondered if he had time to slip out and visit home for a few minutes before the afternoon's Wizengamot meeting. Junior had fussed more lately, and Barty found himself wishing he could bring himself to kill his son. But there were too many promises to his dead wife to save their only magical child.
There was a large blast outside his office door, and Barty rushed up from this desk. In the common area of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Alastor Moody stepped up to Crouch and slapped the man across the face with his wand.
"Crouch, you're a coward and a liar! You've impugned my honour too often and today; I challenge you to an honour duel!"
"Are you out of your mind?" shouted Bartimaeus.
Moody smiled. "So, you admit you have no honour?"
Beginning to lose his temper, Crouch roared, "You're the wizard without honour, Pegleg! Yes, I'll meet you one the duelling piste!"
"Good, there'll be a duel after Dumbledore's hearing and we can use the same platform as soon as the first duel is complete," Moody said. "Don't leave the ministry! I am going to put you down on the piste."
~~~*** CHANGE SCENE
