Harry Potter Morgendorffer FF Part Three
Daria is the creation of Glenn Eichler and is the property of MTV Viacom. Harry Potter is the creation of JK Rowling and is the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. I own neither, and neither expect nor deserve financial compensation for this story. I am writing for my own amusement and for ego gratification.
What if Minerva McGonagall had been able to persuade Professor McGonagall to place baby Harry Potter with different blood relatives instead of with Petunia Dursley and her husband: the Morgendorffers from MTV's Daria?
Harry Potter Morgendorffer*Harry Potter Morgendorffer*Harry Potter Morgendorffer
Austin, Texas November 1981 The Following Evening
Professor McGonagall found Austin's mid-November warmth pleasant but disorienting. If this was the Scottish Highlands, it would already be cold and as likely as not be snowing. But however pleasant mid-November Austin might be, both Professor McGonagall and Della Bradenn found themselves perspiring.
After having apparated in and out of the Morgendorffer home while both parents and their child were away and discovering no apparent signs of drug abuse of excessive drinking, Minerva McGonagall decided that her covert surveillance was over and done, and spent the rest of the morning visiting the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.
It was mid November but still surprisingly warm. Both Professor McGonagall and Della Braden found themselves perspiring. Having concluded that Jake and Helen Morgendorffers would make adequate, if not ideal parents, Minerva McGonagall decided that it was time to interview them personally. It was now in the late afternoon and both Helen and Jake Morgendorffer had returned to their rented house after work.
Della and Baby Harry had spent the morning learning the basics about riding Austin's Muggle bus-riding and visiting a equestrians' store called Capital Saddlery admiring horse tack. She'd spent the afternoon talking with officials from MACUSA's Bureau of Health and Human Services about the adoption process in the magical parts of North America and how to integrate MACUSA's processes with those of the Muggles. Della was uncomfortably aware that she didn't understand all the legal fine points, and that she and Minerva would need legal assistance in placing baby Harry with the Morgendorffers.
Now they stood together in front of the Morgendorffers' front door with Baby Harry. Neither were dressed in Muggle clothing; MACUSA officials and Minerva's experience had reassured them that this part of Austin was laid-back enough so that wearing wizarding wear would not arouse exceptional notice by the neighbors. If the Muggles pressed them for an explanation, a MACUSA official told them, they could claim that they were members of something called the SCA. Members of the Society for Creative Anachronism could frequently be found wandering Austin's more bohemian neighborhoods dressed in odd clothing.
Minerva McGonagall rang the Morgendorffers' doorbell. I am afraid that this might come a cropper, she said to herself, but nothing for it.
Helen Morgendorffer was the Morgendorffer parent that opened the front door. She looked at the two oddly-dressed women standing in front of her door. One of them, the brown-haired woman, might have been an aging hippy. The other looked like a stereotypical witch. The aging hippy held what looked like a baby boy about the same age as her Daria.
"Excuse me," said the old witch. "Are you Helen Barksdale Morgendorffer?"
"I am Helen Morgendorffer," the young auburn-haired mother replied.
"Permit me to introduce myself," said the old witch. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, this is Della Braden, and this little fellow is Harry Potter. We have important matters to discuss. May we come in?"
Helen wasn't the hippie of several years ago that would allow complete strangers into her home without thinking, but she knew of very few scam artists who made their pitches carrying babies. She decided to let these people in and have their say.
"Your father was Allen Barksdale, was he not?" said Minerva.
"The reason we came by is that young Harry here is an orphan, and you are one of his closest living relatives. This baby is your grand-nephew," said Minerva.
"I beg your pardon?" said Helen. "This doesn't seem likely. My father and my mother didn't marry until 1947 and they didn't start having children until 1950, when my older sister was born. I was born in 1952, and my younger sister Amy wasn't born until 1957.
"But your father was born in 1919, and he was in Britain when Harry's grandmother was working in London, so it is not only possible, but it did happen," said Minerva.
Helen thought about it and concluded that as outlandish as this old woman's claim was, it was on the truthful edge of plausibility. Her father had been in the US Foreign Service in Britain before the US formally entered World War II and had talked about his experiences during the early years of the war as well as what it was like being a civilian on the ground during the Battle of Britain. Like men of his generation, he did not talk about any romantic affairs he'd had while he was living abroad. He certainly wouldn't discuss the existence of any offspring he might have had as a result of those affairs with her and her sisters, and she doubted that he would have talked about them with her mother, either.
So, for the sake of argument, she decided to accept the existence of an unacknowledged older sister. So how could she end up with a grand-nephew? The boy looked about Daria's age, which meant that the boy's mother could have been born somewhere between 1955 and 1965. The hypothetical niece must also have been young when she gave birth to this boy's mother, and the boy's mother would have been around twenty herself when she gave birth to this boy. Helen pursed her lips in disapproval. It wasn't quite the same thing as a high school pregnancy, but it was still very early. So this McGonagall woman's claim could be true, although Helen wasn't sure she believed it.
"Something tells me there's more," said Helen.
"That's the other thing," said Minerva. "We're witches."
At that pronouncement, Helen looked at Minerva with the sort of glance Minerva had gotten from more than a few Muggle-born witches' parents just before they ordered her to get out of their houses.
Minerva had thought this would likely, so she drew her wand and turned Jake's footstool into a pig. The footstool ran around the living room oinking in disorientation while Helen's eyes bulged in surprise. Minerva then waved her wand again and the footstool-pig again resumed being sedate and stationary furniture. She had to perform two more spells and Della had to perform her color-changing butterfly spell before Helen was fully convinced.
Helen sat down. This was a lot to take in.
"You realize that these are still extraordinary claims," said Helen. "I can accept that you're witches, but I'm not fully satisfied that little Harry here is legally my great-nephew."
"I am all too aware how you could see that they would be, but they are nevertheless true," said Minerva.
"I suppose you have proof," said Helen. The baby boy, Harry was his name, was cute.
Professor McGonagall looked past the affable mask that Helen put on and saw the wary, razor-sharp mind underneath. She approved.
"We've interviewed your mother and your sisters. Your mother informed us that she was not willing to raise another child. Your older sister Rita was not willing to take in Harry and your younger sister Amy hasn't even married yet."
"Your mother was surprised to see that her late husband Allen had sowed some wild oats. Her attitude softened a bit when we told her about the stipend. I don't think she's quite ready to see little Harry as part of the family, but she may come around in time."
"You will forgive me if I choose to check on what you've said," said Helen. She stood up. "If you will excuse me, I should be back in a few minutes," she said with what looked like a reassuring smile.
Della had remained quiet in the conversation. She'd been minding Harry and listening to Minerva and Mrs. Morgendorffer go at it, but she had enough attention to hear the back door open and the trod of male footsteps in what must be the kitchen. She overheard a rushed but intense conversation between husband and wife, then the man stepped out into the living room and looked at the two women and the baby in surprise, his wife accompanying him.
"This is my husband Jacob Morgendorffer," said Helen.
"Uh, Helen, who are these women?" asked Jake.
"Jake, these women are Minerva McChronical and Della Braden," said Helen.
"Minerva McGonagall," said the Scottish witch.
"Della Braden," said the woman who looked like an older hippie.
"I need to make some phone calls," said Helen. "Jake, could you keep these ladies company while I make them?"
"So, Mr. Morgendorffer, how long have you and Mrs. Morgendorffer been married?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"We've been married about nine years," said Jake. "We married after we graduated from Middleton University."
"Have you lived here long?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"No," replied Jake. "We tried living on a commune in Iowa for several years, then gave up when we realized that it wasn't working out. We moved to Austin, I got a regular job, then my wife went to law school. She graduated last year. My wife passed the bar exam, so she's now a full-blown lawyer, but it's tough getting a job right here in Austin. We may have to move."
"Mr. Morgendorffer, may I ask where you went to school before you went to university?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"I went to Buxton Ridge Military Academy for six years," said Jake in as neutral a voice as he could manage.
"Did you enjoy yourself there?" asked Professor McGonagall.
Jake took measured breaths as he fought to maintain control. "No, ma'am, I didn't," he said.
Professor McGonagall wasn't the legilimens that Professor Dumbledore was, but she could tell that Mr. Morgendorffer hated his time at Buxton Ridge with passion. She hoped that wouldn't present problems for young Harry should the Morgendorffers take him in and the time came around for Harry to enroll at Hogwarts. Considering Mr. Morgendorffer's powerful reaction to his time at that Buxton Ridge place, it very well could be.
She decided to change the subject, and change it quickly.