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
Meeting in the ChamberThe Wizengamot Chamber was packed with voting members, their spouses and adult heirs. There were no children – no one under the age of 17 was present today. When the appropriate hour arrived, Lord Ogden, Minister for Magic stood in front of his chair and made a formal request.
The wizard stated, "Chief Warlock Longbottom, the ministry asks that you allow the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to question Mr Albus Percival Dumbledore in this chamber, before the members, the heads of the many government departments, and the public concerning the events at Hogwarts leading up to and including 15 April of this year 1993."
Augusta rose from the throne where Dumbledore used to reign over the chamber and replied, "The Wizengamot will welcome the questioning, Minister Ogden."
Lord Ogden turned to Amelia and said, "Director Bones, if the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will report and question this wizard, we will listen."
Nodding her head, Amelia turned to the Head Auror, Alastor Moody and ordered, "Bring in the person of interest."
The doors opened to allow Albus Dumbledore to enter. The man was surrounded by Aurors but not restrained or cuffed. The wizard was dressed in wrinkled but clean robes – ministry elves had laboured over night to remove the stains and smell of the dung bombs the poltergeist had thrown at the man the day before. Keen observers noted the man's hair and beard were not as lustrous as usual, his gait was different, and the magic didn't seem to radiate from him.
Bones continued her declarations, "Members of the Wizengamot, Ladies and Gentlemen seated in the gallery, the DMLE took Mr Albus Percival Dumbledore into custody yesterday when Hogwarts expelled him from a cell where she had kept him confined for 90 days. No one from the Ministry for Magic was involved in the confinement of Mr Dumbledore."
"Last evening, the DMLE conducted a preliminary interview with the wizard, and we wish to repeat the interview for the public record this afternoon."
Lord Black stood with his wand lifted and light. Director Bones recognized the member and asked, "Yes Lord Black?"
"What charges will your department bring against this wizard in the deaths of 300 children and ten staff members at Hogwarts?"
"I am sorry to report that this wizard did not break any law that day. We will not lay any charges against him today."
The gallery erupted with booing and shout outs of 'Coward!' and 'Child Killer!'
When order was restored, Sirius Black shook his head and said, "I am sick – heart sick – to hear this monster will be allowed to walk among the good people of Magical Britain once again."
Seated on the floor with the Aurors, a young Auror trainee stood and raised her wand, requesting the change to speak.
"Trainee Nymphadora Tonks, what do you wish to say?" asked Bones, honestly surprised by the request from one of the first-year students in the academy.
Her hair a mousy brown, the young witch said, "I graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry last year with five NEWTS. I still feel horrible about the massacre that occurred. Might I approach this wizard and give him something to remember this day?"
Frowning, Bones said, "Granted but you will leave your wand and any other weapon – magical or mundane with your supervisor."
Nodding her head, the young witch handed her wand to Kingsley Shacklebolt. Then with her hair flashing through several different colours, Tonks pulled items from a pouch on her belt that included a muggle pistol, four knives, brass knuckles, and a cricket bat.
The man cleared his throat and held out his hand for the last item; the witch's hair turned bright pink with embarrassment as she reached into the pouch and pulled out a large water balloon.
There were more than a few snickers around the gallery and even the Chief Warlock smiled just a bit, before the young trainee walked across the floor and through the guards. When she reached Dumbledore's side, she bowed her head, pulled out an envelope and handed it to the wizard. She said, "Mr Dumbledore, you've been served."
Confused for a moment, Dumbledore opened the envelope and an avalanche of paper fell out, to cover the floor around him. The man grabbed one of the papers and found it was a personal liability suit accusing him of neglect in the death of Pansy Parkinson on 15 April 1993 at Hogwarts. Another paper listed the same charge for the death of Oliver Wood on 15 April 1993…
When he looked up, Albus noticed that every eye was on him again and the infernal metamorphic witch had returned to stand beside Shacklebolt who returned each weapon to her except for the water balloon.
~~~*** Point of View
Albus Dumbledore'How do I get my wand on top here?' wondered Albus. 'Augusta looks firmly planted on my throne. Alastor's magical eye never moves off me. I bet he checked on me while I slept last night. Horace Ogden never had a compassionate thought in his entire life.'
Dumbledore looked around the gallery, spotting faces from classrooms, meetings, trials, and newspaper photos. Few looked friendly – most of the people appeared revolted by his appearance.
'There! Molly Weasley! Molly looks compassionate and friendly,' Albus decided. He absentmindedly accepted the hundreds of pages of the lawsuits from one Auror guard – one large lawsuit – charging him with neglect.
'If I can make it to Gringotts and get into my vaults…no, that's why this spurious lawsuit was created – to lock down my vaults,' he realized. 'And the goblins will lock 'em all down – all my aliases won't help me today. I wonder if I can get into the Potter education vault. No, all the vault keys are gone – the castle took everything.'
Albus shuddered remembering the embarrassing moment from the previous evening when he tried to summon Fawkes to pull him out of the DMLE cell – magical phoenix chalk splattered his head and Alastor Moody laughed.
~~~*** Point of View
Alastor MoodyThe Head Auror listened carefully as Rufus lead Albus through the same questions as asked last night. With a projecting Pensieve showing the discussion last night, to back the current questioning, and the sworn testimony of Poppy Pomphrey and ward experts from France, Gringotts, and Magical USA, Dumbledore was unable to claim the wards didn't warn him about the rat, the horcrux, and the 'monster' wandering the halls at night.
Noticing Albus grew agitated, Moody queued up a spell on his wand. When Dumbledore declared, "It wasn't Pettigrew who brought…" Alastor flicked the spell without thinking. It silenced Dumbledore immediately.
"Mr Dumbledore, at this time do you wish to change your sworn testimony from last evening?" asked Rufus. "I must remind and warn you that if you change your sworn testimony today, that means you lied to law enforcement officers last night. Is so, we can charge you."
Voices in the gallery shouted, "Arrest him! Throw him in Azkaban!"
Shrinking back, Albus shook his head and when the silencing spell was removed, the man was prompted to verbally state, "No. I'm not changing my answers from last evening."
~~~*** CHANGE SCENE
Molly WeasleyWhen the questioning and review of Dumbledore's statement was complete, Albus tried to resume his place among the members. He attempted to take his seat in the chamber due to holding an Order of Merlin First Class.
There was an uproar and the Wizengamot passed an immediate resolution to deny Albus his seat in their chamber for a period of 300 years – one year for each child who died at Hogwarts. Only Elphias Doge voted against the resolution.
As Wizengamot members prepared to depart, Lord Ogden called for everyone to remain in their seats, and announced that two matters of honour would be settled that same afternoon. The minister waved his wand and papers flew from his desk into the hands of every member and visitor in the gallery.
The paper listed two honour duels to be conducted as soon as the piste was conjured by Duelling Champion Filius Flitwick on the floor of the Wizengamot Chamber.
First Honour Duel: Lady Augusta Longbottom, Chief Warlock and Regent for House Longbottom, will face Dolores Umbridge, (Formerly Senior Undersecretary for Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge."
Second Honour Duel: Head Auror Alastor Moody will face Bartemius Crouch, Sr. (Formerly DMLE Director 1970-1981) and then Secretary for the Department of International Magical Cooperation 1981-1993).
In the conversations and speculation that surrounded the announcements, Dumbledore attempted to slip away but the doors of the chamber remained locked. And Director Bones approached the wizard, her wand by her side, and hissed, "No one leaves until the duels are settled, you know that Dumbledore!"
With a team of Aurors positioned in front of the door, and the standard anti-portkey and anti-apparition wards in place, Albus would have to remain in the chamber. He considered making a statement about forgiveness but noticed that his friend, Elphias Doge wore robes that were covered by tomato bits and pieces.
Lord Sirius Black sat in his family seat surrounded by Andromeda and Ted Tonks, and Narcissa Black – the Daily Prophet reported that Lucius Malfoy attempted to hold onto the manor house that had been part of the dowry that Miss Black brought to the marriage, but Lord Black had viciously called back every coin, elf, and stick of furniture when he dissolved the marriage.
Glancing around the chamber, Albus found Lucius seated in the gallery with other wizards who'd supported the Dark Lord. But the whole group remained subdued – six Aurors stood guard over their place in the gallery.
'There aren't any children here today,' Albus noticed. 'Perhaps I can speak to Sirius about Harry Potter now.'
Walking past the other persons gathering on the floor of the Wizengamot Chamber who moved down from the gallery to watch the duels from a closer view, Albus tried to smile and bow his head at a few, but everyone hissed and drew back.
Except for Molly Weasley.
When Albus drew close to her position, she smiled and took on step forward. Albus continued walking toward her, not noticing that Arthur Weasley's eyes moved wildly in his head. Molly had petrified her husband because he would have prevented her from putting her plan into action.
"Molly, dear lady, I cannot tell you…" Albus began to say before he staggered back.
The resounding slap delivered to Dumbledore's face sounded throughout the chamber and Molly's voice rang out, "Albus Percival Not-Wulfric Nor-Brian Dumbledore, I declare you are a child killer and a wizard without honour. Thestrals would not feed on your carcass because you are a poisonous animal! I challenge you to an honour duel – here – today."
Nervous and uncertain what to do, Albus attempted to decline the challenge with the entire chamber silent and listening to every word exchanged between the witch and wizard. But then Molly Weasley – a simple house witch – laughed at the important Albus Dumbledore.
Not allowing Albus to retreat, Molly declared, "Albus Percival Dumbledore, you are twice proved to be a coward! You ran from a basilisk in the Great Hall, and now you try to run when a house witch slaps your face!"
With conviction in her voice, Molly said, "No, you will meet me on the duelling piste this afternoon and only one of us will walk away!"
~~~*** CHANGE SCENE
