Victoria
Thirty first October Nineteen ninety-three. Eight PM – Ministry for Magic
Emmeline Vance was an unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry for Magic. She had served under the banner of the department for the better part of five decades and fifteen years in that, she had raised the banner of the Order of the Phoenix in secret. She was Dumbledore's greatest spy.
Emmeline Vance had an eye in every part of magical Britain. Nothing escaped her notice for more than two weeks. That was all the time nothing had to hide.
During the rise of the Knights of Walpurgis, led by Dark Lord Voldemort, Emmeline Vance was the shadow cast by the great and revered bastion of good: Albus Dumbledore.
To the rest of those who knew about her, including the members of the Order of the Phoenix, she was simply Unspeakable Vance. In charge of cataloging the hall of prophecies.
Tonight. She sat in her office. Signing off memos to the department, authenticating prophecies. Waiting for the executioner of war to drop the guillotine on an unprepared world.
When she felt the slight tremor of magic only experienced wizards would feel, she sighed. "Good luck Ted," she whispered and then drew her wand summoned forth her patronus. "To Dumbledore," she told it softly. "It's happening. They've broken into the Ministry."
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Thirty first October Nineteen ninety-three. Seven Forty-Five PM – Muggle underground train station.
"We're about to cross a line," Ted said. He didn't bother to keep his voice down. The underground was noisy enough. "But these desperate times call for desperate measures. This is for our freedom."
They were about nine of them, all dressed in black robes with their faces, hooded and obscured.
Muggles passing by didn't give them a second glance thanks to the muggle repelling wards around the secret back door to the Ministry. It was meant for the Minister for Magic to exit the Ministry unnoticed.
One of the men was holding a bag that looked like it weighed quite a bit. He was the shortest among them and it was noticeable that he was tense.
"This needs to be done. It can't go on any longer."
Whispers of agreement echoed around him.
Ted took a deep breath and faced the uninspiring grey wall. "Omelette," he said clearly and immediately a crack appeared in the shade of a door in the wall. Dust bellowed out and it opened slowly, stone grating against stone.
Ted tried not to roll his eyes at Fudge's idea of a password.
He focused on the task at hand and quietly stepped into the barely visible corridor inside. Stepped in and found himself near the niche in the back of the Auror Office next to Director Bone's office.
Immediately he ghosted across the floor and hid behind one of the many desks in the large room.
He signalled his companions to do the same.
The Aurors closed office and six pm but there was still a chance of hard workers at work. They had debated when to initiate the attack and had decided to hit when the Ministry was almost fully closed for the day.
They wanted an audience and they didn't want to get caught.
Rubber soled feet ran through the office towards the exit.
A red robed Auror, on emergency floo duty, entered the office with a yawn on his face. He noticed nine black robes rush at him and his eyes widened, yawn caught midway. His arm shot to his waist where his wand was holstered and was too slow.
A quick stupefy dropped him to the floor, temporarily dead to the world. The nine didn't stop. They knew their way around the Ministry. They had been janitors there at some point of their life.
They stunned four more wizards and a witch as they bulldozed their way to the Atrium.
The atrium had more than a dozen people. Some were talking and some were moving towards the floo.
All of them froze in shock when the hooded black figures rushed into the Atrium with their wands raised.
A woman screamed and two floos flashed green as some tried to escape what was identifiable as an attack on the Ministry by hooded dark wizards.
"Stun them," Ted shouted and red flashed in the Atrium. Five Junior Aurors on security duty also fell to the surprise and mind boggling attack. The Ministry had wards that rivalled those at Hogwarts. Who were these people and how did they break in?!
"Hurry!" Ted urged. Two had escaped. Their element of surprise was going to be lost soon.
Nine wands pointed at the famous Fountain of Magical Brethren. The inspiring visage of the bonds of peace depicted by the golden figures of a wizard, witch, centaur, goblin, and a house-elf. The centaur, the goblin and the house-elf were looking up adoringly at the noble expressioned witch and wizard. It portrayed Man and Woman has the heroes who united the magical world together.
It was a gross lie about the reality of their world!
Bombarda!" they shouted in unison.
The monument exploded into a fountain of dust.
"Cattermole. Quick!"
The short wizard opened his bag with trembling hands and removed a statue. It was about two feet high and half a foot wide. Cattermole placed it in the centre of the destroyed space.
Ted then gestured and everyone to step back and focused on Vance's instructions. He began to mutter under his breath and move his wand through elaborate motions. Yellow mist began to pour out of his wand and slowly surround the statue.
A shrill whistling sound began to pierce through the tense silence of the Ministry.
"The alarms been triggered!" Cattermole gasped. "The Aurors will be coming soon!"
Ted concentrated. Sweat was forming on his forehead. He didn't let his focus falter. Forty-five seconds later he stepped back with a gasp and the statue began to grow.
A breath-taking moment later in place of the fountain was a ten feet, pure white marble statue of a woman standing on an uneven marble pedestal that seemed to resemble thousands of black tombstones. She was a young woman, wearing an expression of anguish and she was holding up a sign board, that in bold red letters had the words
No more discrimination!
No more subjugation!
Her white marble robes were in tatters and captioned across her torso in angry red font was a capital lettered word.
MUGGLEBORN!
The entire statue was pure white and except for the words. They were blood red.
Around the same time, Daphne Greengrass was doing her devious part in Hogwarts. Ted was not aware of it. Daphne's so called friends were not aware of it. Daphne was in the unique position of holding all the cards. It remained to be seen if the events would be tied up in the future like Daphne hoped they would.
The rebellion was not going to initiate violent physical confrontations. They were going to infect the magical world with a message. They dreamt of changing the foundations of the Wizarding World. Halloween Nineteen ninety-three was going to be remembered for years.
"Let's get out of here," Ted said wearing a victorious smile. He couldn't wait for the Ministry to try and remove the statue. Vance had promised the man who had enchanted it was confident it was indestructible and unmovable once the enchantment was activated.
Nine black clad men ran towards the floo just as the cracks of apparition began to resound through the Atrium and shouts begin to get louder. They were gone just as the first spell of retaliation was cast.
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First November Nineteen Ninety-Three: Hogwarts – Dungeons
The world around Harry progressed with the same haze it always had - Gossip, sports, which boy likes which girl, civil war, blood feuds, deaths, names, politics, manipulators, classes, detentions – all of it was a blurred and unrecognizable mess to Harry. All he saw was an entire world, sitting on the white sands of pure power and instead of digging into it, they sat and soiled it. A spike of rage pierced through the Void as he sat through another insufferable potions class.
"Is something wrong Mr Potter?" Snape asked silkily.
The professor's voice crawled through the void like an insect with too many legs.
"No Professor Snape," Harry said softly, his eyes unblinking as their stared into obsidian black.
Snape's eyes slid down to the yellow potion that was the correct shade of limestone and with a worthy sneer, he stalked towards Susan Bones.
Harry scowled at the man's back. There was something about the colour of his red and green that made him want to tear his heart out and bury it next to the werewolf. When the man spoke, Harry wished language had never been discovered and they were all just mindless herbivores.
Snape drew on Harry's hatred like water through a straw. Ever since he could see colours of magic, there was always something about Snape's colours that rubbed him the wrong way.
Suddenly a thought stream previously in the background over rode his general mental discussions while he was stirring his Draught of Healing. Prior to coming to Potions he was trying to make paragraphs out of the language of magic and was getting nowhere. It was leading him towards reaching for books on Enchantment. Maybe they would hold the clue to learning magic's language like a babe could learn his mother's language.
Snape had motivated him to look a clue with his nerve grating voice.
Magic is a language spoken with runes, he thought. English is a language spoken with alphabets. If magic has a source, then that implied language has a source. But language was created by humans. Was magic created by humans? Language could bridge gaps in communication. It could be learnt. By aliens if need be, Harry thought in brief amusement. So did that imply magic was created by aliens and they could learn to use it?
His brain paused for a moment and Harry felt like he was heading into the realm of idiots and stopped that train of thought and focused on the important threads of ideas.
He continued stirring the potion without his facial expressions changing. Sweat formed on his brow from the heat of all the smoke hanging below the ceiling.
The source of language was the need to communicate. Magic was a language on another level. It was not the need to communicate. It was the need to perform miracles. Therefore, from the above argument I could reason that the source of the need to communicate is the blue which is responsible for knowledge and the green which makes people want to connect with each other. And following that line of thought, we can make the hypotheses the source of magic, the need to perform miracles to be, the need to understand things beyond our understanding…
.
.
….
Harry froze. Suddenly the curtain of mystery around the white was lifted. The white, the source of magic, the goal of the Indian sage, the strangeness of Luna Lovegood – the source of magic was the white!
With the lightning strike of comprehension to his mind, Harry suddenly felt something uncoil at the base of his spine. He gasped. It felt like a fiery snake had awoken deep in his magic and was rushing up his spine. It came up to the top of his spine and harry felt a burst in the void.
A few seconds later the feeling cooled and Harry was panting. He had stopped stirring and was holding the edge of the table, bent over, knuckles white and breath a shudder.
"Hey. You okay Potter? Potter?" Susan Bones asked. She had seen Harry suddenly double over and grew concerned. She was tempted to call Snape but the man was busy tearing into Hannah.
Harry didn't hear her. He closed his eyes and took a slow and deep breath of control. He stood back straight a moment later and when he opened his eyes, they widened in surprise and wonder. There was a clarity in the void he had never seen before. He could see something invisible filling the space all around him, touching everything he could see, sinking into the living from the top of their heads. The same invisible touched him on the head, briefly activating the white and sinking into his colours like two strands of power entwined, right down to the red where it again began a swirling upward journey.
A smile slowly stretched the corner of his lips. His emerald eyes darkened with glee and mad laughter bubbled in his throat.
Susan felt something sinister.
Harry had found the source.
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Fifteen November Nineteen Ninety-Three: Hogwarts – Slytherin Girls Dormitory
Everyone was waiting for it. Since the news had broken out, all of Magical Britain was waiting for her version of the truth.
Rita Skeeter had made them wait sufficiently long. The title was ominous enough.
DAWN OF CIVIL WAR?!
Daphne sat cross-legged on her bed, in pyjamas, covered under her sheets. It was past midnight and she and her dorm mates had gossiped about the article long enough. The rest of the school had had a cataclysm throughout the day.
Her wand lay beside her casting a warm yellow glow under the covers giving Daphne enough light to devour the article.
Her fingers traced her favourite sentence. Was Hogwarts a part of the plan? Were the actions of Daphne Greengrass timed to perfect the message of the freedom fighters?!
Daphne laughed softly. She had timed it to perfection. She had put herself on the map. Her laugh was bitter sweet. Rita had also painted the tragedy of her family in the article as well. Daphne didn't know how to feel about that. She no longer felt the pain of being a victim. She didn't know if that was a good thing or sad.
Her cold eyes glazed through the details with vivid clarity.
Lord Marcus Greengrass, the champion lawyer who represented innocent victims and famous names died painfully and slowly surrounded by mysterious circumstances. No one was implicated and after his death his old cases were reopened and torn apart with new Wizengamot regulations. Convicted men walked free and his money was siphoned from the Goblins with careful precision leaving his wife and two children almost penniless and at the mercy of wronged Pureblood Lords.
Daphne's heart felt the squeeze of rage. She hoped Astoria would not read the article. Her sister had been carefully protected by her and her mother. She was going to ensure no one dared to talk about it in school after today. Those who did, she would make sure they'd suffer!
Hatred coiled through her blood and her desire- to see those who destroyed her family be reduced to a state of begging - grew fierce.
Hogwarts – Headmaster's office
When Dumbledore first saw the shock on the students faces when the read the news, he felt his heart hurt. There were many who began to buzz in excitement and a few who wore stoic expressions. They were the older student population who were products of the first war that ravaged Magical Britain. Harry was not the only one though he was one of the youngest.
He pulled his mind away from Memory Lane before he got lost down its twisting path in to dark and refocused on the Skeeter's article. The woman had done her research and produced the first article that was armed with information dripped in her acid tongue.
He glanced through the description of the statue and smiled.
When Emmeline had asked him to enchant it to be unmovable and indestructible he had wondered where the rebellion would possibly display it. He had never considered Emmeline would direct them into the heart of the Ministry! Of course if he had made in unmovable then, they wouldn't have been take it so he had modified the enchantment to allow them to carry it around and activate the enchantments with a nifty spell string.
Dumbleore had been feeling a little extra creative that day so he had also added a noticeable enchantment on the statue as well. People who passed by it would be compelled to look at it. To feel the sadness of it. To empathise with the cause of the Rebellion; the cause being 'equal right'. It was meant to motivate the Rebellion and those who wished to be a part of them. Instead they had changed it into a symbol of slavery and an ode to Civil War. No amount of covering it with sheets or hiding it behind walls would work. The enchantment would not allow it. The statue had to be seen.
He traced the picture of the statue gently with his fingers wondering if anyone would notice her name. It was engraved on her left foot in small fonts. It was Victoria.
It was a splendid move by the Rebellion, he thought. He didn't like it and the fact that his intentions for the magic to be used different but he knew it was an absolutely brilliant move by Ted. The statue is named Victoria, printed on her bare feet. To be mentioned at the end of the chapter. It was enchanted by Dumbledore. There was no way to destroy or move it. He had made sure of it.
Fawkes fluttered into the room from the window carrying a squirming Acromantula in his beak. It was screeching and Fawkes felt smug.
"Fawkes," Dumbledore exclaimed in outrage. "We have talked about this!"
The Phoenix felt smugger if that were possible. Suddenly the Acromantula burst into flames and in seconds was reduced to ash. Fawkes trilled happily when the energy of the creature became its own.
Dumbledore calmed his beating heart. He never understood why Fawkes thought it prudent to bring his food to his office to eat! He had felt Fawkes emote that his office was home but he didn't really believe that. He had a stronger feeling that the Phoenix just messing with him.
He sighed and chuckled. He ran his fingers down his plumage and Fawkes trilled again. "I can't believe another war is about to strike," he said glumly. "This one is going to be worse than the first and sure to leave behind causalities. It had already started. I can even begin to imagine how far the two sides will take this war."
He stood up and walked over to his window. He saw a few lights still on in the school dormitories, vibrant against the night.
"And once again I am on the side-lines, forced to act from the shadows. And when they come to be for help I wonder which side I will choose?"
This wasn't about good versus evil. This was about deciding who was right. And those were the worst kinds of war!
The Slytherin girl's dorm had a faint light coming from it and Dumbledore wondered if it was Ms Greengrass. His mind wandered to the last part of Skeeter's article.
It is shocking that fourteen-year-old Daphne Greengrass is being treated as a suspect by the Aurors who have twisted her heroic effort to unite the houses of Hogwarts into some calculated move by the Muggleborn Rebellion!
It was a contrast to her opening lines about Daphne, Dumbledore mused. The article almost painted her as an equal rights crusader. Dumbledore could see Rita already planning her next scoop about the Greengrass case files. Daphne was definitely someone to watch. Her name was entwined in Harry's and now it had taken root in the ranks of the Rebellion as well.
Dumbledore sighed. The December Wizengamot session was going to be quite dramatic, he thought wearily.
"I getting too old for this," he grumbled.
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First December Nineteen Ninety-Three: Ministry of Magic – Wizengamot Hall
"It is an eyesore," shouted Lord Gamp.
Murmurs of agreement reached the corners of the Hall.
"We can't even destroy or cloak the blasted thing," spat Lord Selwyn. Grandfather on his mothers side to Neville Longbottom.
"It's even got some dark magic on it that makes people feel sympathy towards mudbloods!" screeched Lady Parkinson. She had taken over the seat after her husband's death.
The Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot banged his hammer on the table, sending a pulse of magic through all members, forcing them to calm down.
"We must remain calm," drawled Lucius Malfoy. "I believe the biggest elephant in the room must be addressed first." His eyes fell on Cornelius Fudge who in turn looked to Dumbledore for help.
When Dumbledore was Chief Warlock, he had not once, used the hammer to instil calm in the Wizengamot. His voice had been enough.
"Pray tell, Minister. How are the efforts to capture the criminals who did this going?"
Lucius smiled darkly at Fudge. There was no more prolonging of the inevitable. Cornelius Fudge was going to be removed from the position of Minister for Magic. Lucius was going to ensure it.
"It would be going well if not for Lord Dumbledore blocking our every move to interrogate Daphne Greengrass!" boomed the voice of Amelia Bones who was sick and tired of serving under the incompetence of Fudge.
Fudge jumped in his seat at the unexpected interjection. He twirled his bowler hat around his head and with the desperation of a dying man, he summoned his political mask.
"Well," he laughed shakily, "You know the rules laid down by the Board of Hogwarts better than anyone Lucius." He shook a finger in Lucius direction as if amusingly reminding him of them. "You were the one who championed it after all!"
Fudge turned to Amelia.
"And you agreed to them Amelia," he said. There was disapproval in his voice and a hint of reproach in his eyes as if wondering how Amelia was stupid enough to forget.
Dumbledore, standing three rows below, resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Fudge was going to spin the thread. But it was too late. Even he knew today was Fudge's last day in office.
It was inevitable.
"All students at Hogwarts are under the jurisdiction of the Headmaster of Hogwarts! The Ministry cannot interfere. Under such circumstances, you blame me for not supporting your pointless crusade against an innocent girl? Dumbledore is well within his right to stop the Aurors from traumatizing that young girl Amelia!"
"She knows something," growled the Director of the Auror Department. There was murder in her grey eyes. Amelia looked at Dumbledore. "You know it too Dumbledore," she spat. "I don't know what the real reason for you to block us is. But you can gurantee I will dig it out."
"You're welcome to try Madam Bones," Dumbledore said with a polite smile. The truth was he did know Bones would easily find out about Ted from Daphne and Dumbledore could not let that happen. For now, he was leaning towards the cause of the Muggleborns. Amelia could not be allowed to find them. If it weren't for him, she would have found and crushed them within a week of the Ministry invasion.
"Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot!" Lucius shouted in anger. Even the Chief Warlock was allowed to express his opinion instead of just being a mediator. And when the Chief Warlock opinioned something. That opinion demanded to be followed. It was the power the special seat held.
"Rage festers in our world. Our beloved ministry has been invaded. The Fountain of Brethren destroyed! What are we talking about here? Instead of cracking down on the sect where these criminals come from, we are dancing circles around them!"
His cold eyes burned with a controlled fire as they swept and met with everyone as if conveying a personal message instead of a message to an audience.
"The Ministry has been violated and our Minister laughs," he hissed coldly.
All eyes turned to Fudge. The executioner raised his axe.
"If you, my dear Wizengamot members, have any sense. You will call for a Vote of Confidence in this man."
He held the Wizengamot in the palm of his hand.
"I call for a Vote!" Amelia shouted in agreement.
"Now just wait a moment," Fudge protested but his voice was drowned under the growing tide of ayes.
The shouts for Vote grew louder and louder until Lucius banged his hammer to send a pulse of magic again.
"The Chief Warlock acknowledges the plea. The Vote will be held now."
"You can't do this!" Fudge shouted. "Tell him, Albus!" His brown eyes were wide in disbelief. This was happening too fast. The axe was falling.
Albus said nothing.
Lucius drew his wand and tapped his table whispering a spell. Tables all over the Wizengamot began to glow and in seconds was replaced by a piece of parchment and quill. On his own table, a longer parchment replaced the glow on which the for and against votes would be revealed.
Fudge quietened and glared unhappily at the hall. His supporters were too few. Dumbledore, his only hope had all but abandoned him. His reign was at an end. His power, stripped.
Fifteen minutes later they were done. This was how the Wizengamot functioned. They met once a year and held the fate and future of Magical Britain in their hands. Whenever the sessions closed, their world always shifted.
"Cornelius Fudge," Lucius said softly. His voice carried as the Hall held its breath. "By a vote of Ninety-Six to Four. You have been found to be incapable of leading the Ministry…" The Hall exploded in noise. The Press Corner began to flash as cameras clicked away. Radio correspondents began to spread the news. "… and have been removed from your Post of Minister for Magic!" he finished, shouting over the noise, feeling exhilarated.
Then Dumbledore raised an arm and as if it were a beacon, everyone quietened down. Lucius felt furious. His perfect execution had been interrupted!
"I believe," Dumbledore said lightly, his eyes twinkling. "In the event of a Minister being removed from his post, an interim minister must be elected or else an immediate election is to be held."
Lucius's mind raced. Chief Warlock could not be Minister. And if he wanted to stand for elections he would have to resign his post.
In the Press and Radio Booth, whispered didn't stop. This was turning out to be an explosive Wizengamot Meet.
"I recommend an election," Lucius said to the Wizengamot.
Dumbledore smiled. Lucius might be a shoo-in for Minister but he would not control the seat of Chief Warlock if he contested.
Lucius could see it in Dumbledore's eyes. If he didn't contest, then Dumbledore himself was going to contest for Minister. And if he did, he would lose the influence of being Chief Warlock. Lucius cursed in his mind. He did not see this coming. Dumbledore was ready to sacrifice Hogwarts to counter his move.
"All those in favour of the motion mark your parchments," he added after waiting a moment.
It was a landslide decision. There was going to be a premature Election. The first in decades.
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Thirteen February, Nineteen Ninety-Four: Malfoy Manor
It was over.
The political battle had been tremendous. Amelia Bones, Rufus Scrimgeour, Amos Diggory and Elphias Doge had contested along with Lucius Malfoy. The battle had cracked fissures through their world until…
… at the end, when Lucius won.
Sure, Dumbledore had become Chief Warlock and retained his title as Headmaster of Hogwarts but he was the Minister for Magic. He was finally in a position to counter Dumbledore at the highest level. He was finally in a position to force the Pureblood ideals on their world.
He was finally in a position to root them out and seal their beloved world from muggle influence. It was not going to be easy but he was going to do it.
Lucius was sitting in front of his fireplace, in his armchair, with a heated blanket on his lap, covering the stumps that were his legs. They hurt. They hurt a lot. He couldn't sleep sometimes because of the agony. He hid it behind a mask of superiority but it bloody hurt. He was going to destroy all the muggleborns to compensate for his pain.
He was nursing a glass of Ogden's finest while awaiting the arrival of his son from Drumstrang. The son of the Minister for Magic of Magical Britain could not be seen in a foreign school no matter. Draco was going back to Hogwarts.
A knock on his front door distracted him. He wasn't expecting anyone. And why had the wards not detected anything? His pulse quickened.
"Dobby," he said sharply. A house-elf cracked into existence. It was wearing a pillowcase and looked miserable.
"See who is at the door."
Dobby the house-elf apparated to the front door and opened the doors with a curl of his fingers.
In the living room, Lucius saw the flash of green highlight the entrance hall.
His heart began to beat in fear. He quickly drew his wand and kept ready the hate needed to cast the killing curse.
A hooded figure walked into the living room. It was tall and broad.
"Who are you," Lucius asked, his voice a calm trigger.
"Why Lucius," the voice been the hood purred. Pale white hands rose and pushed the hood back.
Lucius dropped his wand and lowered his head reverently. He attempted to hide his revulsion at the sight before him but couldn't.
Cold red eyes burned into Lucius's head.
"Rise and meet the eyes of your Master, Lucius."
Lucius gulped and raised his head. Grey eyes met red and suppressed their horror at the man standing before him.
He didn't recognize the man. It was impossible. But he did recognize the voice and eyes that seemed to be growing from inside out on the man's face. His skin was peeling and rotting revealing putrid black flesh. He was smiling and the picture it painted was terrifying.
"Aren't you going to offer me a seat my Dark Prince?" Lord Voldemort asked mockingly. "Or is the new Minister for Magic placing himself above his Lord?"
Lucius gathered his wits and smiled. "I would stand to bow before you, My Lord. But as you can see, my legs are missing," he said dryly. "Please sit my Lord. You look like you need the rest."
Lord Voldemort chuckled and sat opposite Lucius. "Your humour has been missed, Lucius," he said. A piece of skin from his chin broke loose and fell with a splat on the floor.
Lucius pointed his wand at the fireplace and closed the floo connection.
"I'm sure you don't want to be disturbed my Lord," Lucius said smoothly. Draco was going to have to wait.
Red eyes glittered cruelly. "Yes," he hissed and anger began to turn the air heavy. "We have a lot to talk about."