AN1: Thanks to Miette and Ayonne for betaing this chapter!
AN2: This is the end of this short alternate ending to Severus' Choice. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it, what you liked and disliked :)
02/02/1981
I asked Dileas to bring me my diary so I could put my thoughts on paper while I'm sure they are unblemished by the twisting of my core. When I'm healed, I will have to read over my journal to check how it influenced me. My research books too.
Severus provided me with a guest room to rest while the specialised warding crew assessed Nather Manor under his and Dileas' supervision. The speed with which they agreed to work for me on his good word—and a fair amount of galleons—despite the limiting terms of their contract proves that Severus' connections run deeper than even I suspected. I knew he would be great one day, but he has grown beyond my expectations in a very short time. Lucius already had quite the nose for talent at seventeen.
I hope the warding team is as good as Severus sold it. Master Drunek is insistent that I cannot remain for too long in Caspian Manor because the manor is too young. As such, he feels there is a high risk that the longer I remain here, either I will unwillingly corrupt the wards or the wards will begin to see me as a threat and react accordingly. I have to agree with him.
He suggested that I remain in one of his clan's blank rooms in the meantime, but Severus categorically opposed the idea. I would not have been comfortable with the possibility either, they already have far too much power over me. Hence the warding team who is supposed to solve my living problem by adding wards akin to Caspian Manor's to Nather Manor. They will have to work fast.
The other proof of Severus' achievements is the meeting he arranged for tomorrow morning. All the specialists he contacted have sent back their contracts signed and have given their agreement to be at Caspian Manor at first light. Master Drunek will be here of course, as well as two other Goblin Masters from his clan, Master Wirkrund and Master Richtigk. Wandmaker Maverick will be here too. Rumours are he is a gifted but eccentric wandmaker who is peculiar about his clients and commissions he accepts.
Last but not least, Illitch will be here. It was Master Drunek's suggestion to ask for his help, both for his knowledge of the Dark Arts but also because he knew me when my core was not corrupted. I briefly considered asking Master Rowles to come too, but sharing my mistake with one of my mentors is more than enough.
Meeting with Illitch again will be a trial.
03/02/1981
The warding crew's capabilities are impressive. They swear the wards can be done two days from now because Nather Manor's wards already possess most of the right foundations for them.
I don't know why they seemed so surprised by it; Nather Manor was Salazar's home once.
I have arranged for Augustus and Master Rowles to cover for me during my absence. They will announce to the group that I am taking a two-week leave to meet with potential allies who may be able to help us break the stalemate in the polls. I hope it will be enough time for me to heal. It must be enough, we cannot afford to lose more time in the campaign.
They will implement Severus' proposed strategy in the coming conferences as well as adapt it depending on the localisation of the conference. Augustus was more involved in his answering letter than he has been in the most recent meetings. He approves of this new plan of attack, and so does Master Rowles. It confirms I must be healed as quickly as possible, even if the price is high.
This morning's meeting was something else. All of the masters present were as skilled as I am. No wonder Severus trashed Beltram in their mock duel if they are the ones who trained him. Even Bella may not be able to take him.
It was hard to keep my shields down the entire time so they could examine my core. My Khorlos as they call it. I made a mistake, but I'm learning much from it. I will have a lot to add to my research books.
Illitch came to speak with me privately. He said he could not shame me for testing Magic's limit, only for forgetting one of its cardinal rules: outside and inside magic never mix inside one's core. He also said he shamed himself for not making sure I knew exactly what I had done with my first Horcrux.
He asked when I would come back to spend time studying and duelling with him because I still was the most surprising dueller he had met in the past sixty years. He still sees himself as my mentor.
04/02/1981
Wandmaker Maverick brought in another specialist. I am once more amazed at how those people agreed to sign their contracts so quickly and so easily without meeting me first. It must be Severus' reputation and the thrill of the mystery.
Master Lovegood is nothing like the rest of the masters. I had read some of her excellent research papers before, but I had not realised why Maverick wanted to include her until I met her. Her eyes seem to pierce straight through my soul. She may be the scariest of them all.
She's also heavily pregnant. I wonder why she would put her child at risk.
05/02/1981
I am exhausted, but exhilarated and too full of energy to sleep, despite my lack of rest these past nights. I can feel the wards vibrate under my skin. They work.
Dìleas looks like the cat who ate the canary.
Starting tomorrow, the masters will remain in Nather Manor until I'm cured.
06/02/1981
The Gaunts' curse is active. I knew it deep inside.
What I hadn't realised is that due to its intent, the Gaunts' curse can only be active if there are at least two living Gaunt members. When only one member lives, he is the strongest of the house, but he also is in no danger of being killed by a member of his house.
We have confirmed that the second member of House Gaunt is my first Horcrux. The fact that it helped me survive Dumbledore's assassins so many years ago must have given it a kind of sentience. I had not realised it but they explained that in some cases, when the initial body is too badly damaged—for example, cut in hundreds of pieces buried in multiple places—the Horcrux will become the main body. However, it alters your core drastically.
It's not what happened to me, but they worry it came close enough to be a problem.
It means my adoption into House Slytherin is incomplete. I only possessed one Horcrux then, but I had already used it to survive. If that gave it some kind of sentience, it's a part of me that didn't swear Slytherin's Oath. My reunification should finalise the adoption and give me access to even more power and secrets.
07/02/1981
My Horcruxes are in the manor. I cannot feel them. Severus' boxes are truly ingenious. As is his antidote to the potion that protected the locket. A few more weeks and he would have been able to retrieve my Horcruxes without my help.
I wonder who helped him. As clever as he is, he can't have solved all my riddles in six months on his own. His Hogwarts' friends maybe. Augustus. Lucius and the youngest Black. I wonder if all of them wanted to save me.
The masters insist that I must reintegrate all my Horcruxes within my core. Master Wirkrund said that I would be better off taking the Ritual to gain a trusted defender—like Dhaal is for Severus—than keeping a Horcrux for so long. I realise Severus' Familiar must have been shadowing me the entire time I was in Caspian Manor. I never Sensed him.
The masters disagree on the order I should reunite with my Horcruxes because of the assassination attempt and because of the marks.
I can't tell them about the children I sacrificed needlessly.
08/02/1981
The Goblins believe that my first wand may be a problem. According to Maverick, it should be more bonded to my first Horcrux than to me. They worry my Horcrux could oppose the reunification and, with the help of my first wand, succeed in absorbing me instead.
I'm not concerned. I am better than I was when I created my first Horcrux and if we do the reunification in Nather Manor, it doesn't stand a chance. Illitch agrees with me.
The clock is ticking, we can't afford to lose time worrying over inconsequential details. I convinced them to focus on the marks instead.
Maverick warned me not to attempt the Ritual as long as I possess one Horcrux. He believes you cannot find your Familiar when you are incomplete. I don't know if I agree.
Severus is not the only one I'd like to work with when I'm free to research Magic once more.
09/02/1981
I believe Pandora and Severus will find a way to at least lessen the marks' impact on my followers. They have tested many things on Lord Wilkes, and it looks promising.
Severus suggested his friend as a guinea pig without any hesitation; Wilkes accepted immediately. It confirms he was at the very least in Severus' confidence about my Horcruxes. It also confirms he is deeply loyal to me.
Salazar would be proud.
The others are working on the other critical problem: how to pay Magic back without it killing me. They have entertained the idea of several rituals and oaths, but all of them are either ineffective or too dangerous. I think that Master Richtigk's latest idea has the most merit.
First, we need to create a way to block all magical flows during the reunification so I can integrate back my Horcruxes without Magic's interference. The Goblins say they know how to do it.
Then comes the hardest part: to find a way to pay back Magic one sacrifice at the time while ensuring my core doesn't exhaust itself. Master Richtick proposes to provide a steady intake of core replenishing potions while partially lifting the block so that only one small magical flow can reach me. They seem to think that will prevent Magic from taking all the sacrifices at once.
11/02/1981
We're almost ready. Only a few things need to be finalised, then we'll be able to begin.
I tested the blank circle. To be cut off from all outside magic is a peculiar feeling. If I had not been able to faintly Sense the manor in the back of my mind, I would have felt almost naked. An uncomfortable feeling.
Illitch and Maverick agreed on adding another row of blocking stones to ensure the circle will hold during the entire reunification.
In addition to the core replenishing potions brewed—and no doubt improved—by Severus, Master Drunek provided special cakes of his wife's invention. They seem renowned for their efficiency at sustaining inside magic. I am really curious to meet Severus' other non-Wizard acquaintances.
12/02/1981
It's time.
I sent letters to all my marked Death Eaters alluding to the fact that someone was trying to use the marks against us.
I warned them to remain behind the wards of their home until I sent them another letter. I told them to limit their use of magic, to wear the wristbands Pandora, Maverick and Severus created to help prepare the separation of the mark from their upper body magical pattern and to have trusted members of their houses cast the Patronus charm on their mark.
I'm ready. Soon, I will be whole and powerful.
25/02/1981
I haven't felt so weak since Dumbledore's murder attempt. Narcissa told me I spent eleven days in a coma. She may not be a certified healer yet but she's scarily competent.
She says I'm recuperating quickly from my ordeal, but it doesn't feel fast enough. I must be ready for the election in three months.
Severus and the other unmarked Death Eaters have kept on with the conferences. Severus told me that a few of my marked ones also fell into magical comas at the time the marks unravelled, but they recuperated more quickly than I did. The majority of the marked members of the group only suffered from mild core exhaustion that disappeared after a couple of days.
I'm glad.
I sent them all a letter to reassure them about my health, and explain what had happened. I could not tell them the whole truth, but I did not want to lie to them either. I revealed that Dumbledore had ordered my murder, and that the after-effects of this murder attempt lingered without my knowledge for decades and twisted the intent of the ritual I used to create and link our marks.
I hope it will be enough to convince them to keep following me until they can realise we are better now.
26/02/1981
Birkins and Dumbledore are despicable. The old man is really crafty to have succeeded in being once again elected Head of the Wizengamot.
I don't know how they became aware of it, but they tried to use the day after the removal of the marks, when my Death Eaters were at their weakest, to impose Auror raids under the pretext that they feared the beginning of a very contagious and dangerous magical illness.
Luckily, the Wizengamot now seems far more wary of the Headmaster's machinations, despite having chosen him as their Head. They followed Lord Potter's proposition instead: a joint visit from a Goblin healer and a Saint Mungo healer to those suspected of being infected. They are held under patient-healer confidentiality, and thus only revealed it was not an illness and was not a threat to our world.
27/02/1981
I am getting stronger. I should be able to call for a group meeting soon.
I can feel my house's power helping me now that I swore my Oath a second time as a whole man. It feels far stronger than before. It's exhilarating.
Despite expecting it, facing my first Horcrux that had developed a personality of its own was an ordeal I did not pass easily. My Phoenix wand broke after it reunited with me. I was right to listen to Illitch and reunite with this one last, so that my core was stronger. I fell into a coma right after it but Master Richtigk assured me that all of my sacrifices have been paid back. Severus agrees. It's true my core looks more solid than ever.
Illitch has taken to sitting with me and teaching me. I am fascinated by the differences between how each magical race considers prophecies.
Now that I know I was not a true Dark Lord—and can I become one now?—I wonder who the prophecy is about and why they got Magic's focus. I can't imagine them being anyone else than either Dumbledore, Grindelwald or Severus. Except that Severus is already helping Magic so it has no reason to want him defeated. I should reach out to Flennon and Marcus to ask them if they know of a Dark Lord on the American continent, though I'm certain I would have heard about them.
I wonder if they'll consider coming back when I win the election.
01/03/1981
Severus keeps on surprising me. He came to me with an unexpected proposal: to organise a meeting between Lord Potter and me.
He's adamant he can get the lord to listen to me for more than two minutes while I explain our program and why it's better than Dumbledore's. I'm sceptical, but if we manage to get House Potter on our side, we are certain to win the elections.
02/03/1981
I attended my first Death Eaters meeting since I became whole again.
The atmosphere was tense; I could feel that I had lost the trust of several of them. Yet, Augustus and Master Rowles did a good job keeping them all together and organising the conferences according to our new strategy.
We had a long debate over this new strategy, and at the end of the meeting, I could tell I had convinced them to keep following me for now. I will show them they are right to trust me again.
I just received Pandora's announcement that she gave birth to a girl. She helped me only days before giving birth to her daughter.
To think she was the one who called Maverick to propose her help. I should have a talk with her about the Prophecy.
03/03/1981
I met with Lord Potter at Gringotts today. He was surprisingly open minded for a Gryffindor, despite his obvious mistrust. He was so ill at ease at the beginning of the meeting, I can't imagine the kind of debt he owed Severus that could motivate him to accept my invitation.
I opened our discussion with the mentorship, the most neutral subject I could find to begin with. Unsurprisingly, Lord Potter was supportive of it but found it many flaws—some of the points he made were surprisingly pertinent. He thinks the mentorship should be more discerning and that one child should not be confined to only one mentor. He's obviously wary of the mentors grooming the children to manipulate them—as if Dumbledore has not been doing exactly this for decades. Instead, Lord Potter promoted the idea of a school for magical children under eleven so both children living in the Muggle world and those living in the Wizarding world could learn about each other. The main obstacle to this idea is that the only known way to identify magical children living in the Muggle world more than a few months before they are eleven is Hogwarts' registry book. Dumbledore will never allow us to use it.
Discussion of the subject lasted a good hour, and it helped Lord Potter relax. We then dived into the more difficult topics. We had a few heated disagreements, but I think I got him thinking about several matters of importance: the difference between a Dark Lord and a Pahuu, and the fact that dark magic is not the only dangerous and lethal magic; the fact that a better knowledge of the dangers of Magic can do more to deter reckless use of it than its ban; the fact that all noble and ancient houses are hoarding their knowledge of our traditions, even those who advocate for equality between Muggle-borns and purebloods.
We set up another meeting in two days.
04/03/1981
I told the group I had an opening with one of the light houses. My first impulse was to not tell them until the deal was done, but I'm still on shaky ground with them—for good reasons even if it chafes at me—so I decided it was better to risk the information leaking out as long as I did not give them any name. None of them could guess that Lord Potter agreed to speak with me.
I asked for their input about a possible compromise we could reach with them. The meeting took several hours. We spend a long time debating over one option and the other, taking far longer than usual to reach a consensus.
Everyone noticed even if nobody remarked on it.
The one decision which took no time to agree on was to change our name and become the Defenders again.
At the end of the meeting, I felt like the group was one step closer to forgiving me for my mistakes.
05/03/1981
Lord Potter is adamant that, to allow the practice of dark magic, strict control should be obligatory. He's talking about establishing a list of those permitted to practise the Dark Arts the same way healers or those having passed the Ritual are registered at the ministry. He also said that heads of house as well as ministry officials, healers and aurors should be checked for core-twisting regularly.
Those are reasonable demands. I want to add the same kind of check for Hogwarts' headmaster as well as those of the minor magical schools like Landmeer and Sparkhill. I know from Salazar's writings that the heads of the four houses are important to Hogwarts' balance, but he alluded there was more to it. Considering the curse Slytherin had in reserve for her headmaster and Hogwarts' current state, it's obvious her headmaster heavily influences the nexus.
Lord Potter agrees that Birkins and Baxter are hurting our relationships with non-Wizards, and that the various agreements need to be revised.
The stronger point of contention between us is the agreement between Muggles and Wizards. He still believes that we need to appease the Muggles and give them the responsibility over their magical children so that they won't begin the witch hunts again.
I proposed to change Hogwarts' curriculum following the last Defenders meeting's recommendations. Unsurprisingly, our children's magical knowledge has deteriorated since Dumbledore became headmaster and supported the cancellation of supposedly dark knowledge from Hogwarts, all the while being more interested in his political power than helping his students grow into their magic.
It seems to be a sore point between Lord Potter and him. Lord Potter agrees with a more global approach of various subjects to help students better understand the common points and the differences between all fields, but he wants to go even further: he wants to include some Muggle studies like Physics or Chemistry. I'm sceptical about what this could bring us, but when I privately spoke to Severus, my young genius agreed with Lord Potter. He says there are parallels that can be made between Muggle sciences and Magic. I asked him to prepare a detailed presentation about it.
If he was anyone else, I would have dismissed this foolishness immediately.
06/03/1981
Fleamont and I are close to reaching an agreement. He will support our movement and bring some other lesser houses with him. This could be the turning point of the campaign.
I told him about the prophecies and how I once thought the Wizards' Prophecy had been about either his grandson or the Longbottom child. It was a gamble, but as I suspected, the old coot had kept his cards close to its chest. Fleamont was furious against Dumbledore.
He asked for my forgiveness and confessed that Dumbledore had described me like a Grindelwald clone without any moral code or sense of honour.
07/03/1981
Fleamont was poisoned using Certa Mor. I can't fathom how he survived. House Potter possesses tricks I need to learn.
Who dared attempt to kill him? Was it Birkins? How could he have learnt of Fleamont's decision to support me? Or was it Dumbledore? Did Fleamont confront him about the Prophecy? The old man is supposed to be a good friend of the Potter family, but according to Augustus, he's closer to the younger generation than he is to Lord Potter these days.
08/03/1981
Severus has definitely decided to surprise me at every turn. He has adopted Andromeda Tonks née Black and her family into House Caspian. What a powerful political move as well as a very intelligent one: Andromeda Black will bring him knowledge and competences he lacks being a Half-blood.
The next Defenders' meeting devolved into an argument between Augustus and Orion about those who accept "weak Muggle blood" versus those who "condemn to death their own blood by renouncing them when they are underage" .
It gave me the opportunity to remind the group about the danger of the Dark Arts, and to ask for the examination of all the heads of houses to check for potential twisted cores. Curiously, I was met with far less resistance than I expected. I don't know if it's because of the marks or if it's because nobody expects to be corrupted.
The fact that it's the first step in holding my end of the bargain with Fleamont is an added bonus. It's always nice when they believe they made you do something when you had already planned to do it.
After the meeting concluded, I congratulated Severus once again about expanding his house, and he admitted that he was also going to adopt Pandora and her family. An excellent choice.
10/03/1981
It was Dumbledore. He used his damn Fae assassins again. He wanted them to frame Severus for the Certa Mor to undermine my campaign, but luckily, the assassins had their own plan.
Fleamont is incensed.
We think the words of the assassin will be considered as circumstantial evidence at best if we go to the aurors—and that's discounting the fact that most of the department are staunch supporters of the old man.
Fleamont suggested to do like Augustus did a few years ago and find a way to provoke an inquiry against Dumbledore, but in his private life this time. Apparently, Fleamont heard from Bathilda Bagshot—Grindlewld's great-aunt or something—some stories that made him think that Grindelwald and Dumbledore may have once been lovers.
How ironic.
11/03/1981
I decided to go see Grindelwald. I thought I could kill two birds with one stone: check how he could fit with the prophecy; and see if I could confirm his secret relationship with Dumbledore.
I did not expect to Sense something wrong with the Nurmengard nexus. Grindelwald is clearly plotting something dangerous. Too dangerous to remain alive. He's definitely the better option for the Dark Lord of the Prophecy.
I stopped to chat with Illitch on my way back.
13/03/1981
Healing checks are done. Most of my followers were completely sane, proving that one can safely practise the Dark Arts if they are careful and knowledgeable.
A few others will require some cleansing sessions to pay back missing sacrifices or to check Occlumency boxes. A select few like Bellatrix and Mulciber will need to be confined as long as necessary to heal them from Occlumency sickness and botched blood rituals.
Lords Black, Yaxley, Carrow and Mulciber stepped down from their position of head of house following their diagnoses of core-twisting.
I'm glad few of them gave true resistance to the consequences of their diagnoses.
15/03/1981
House Potter has officially announced its support to our movement, followed by House Longbottom.
I have been contacted by House Patil, one of the neutral houses strongly linked to Judge Amelia Bones, to discuss my program. The wind is turning.
21/03/1981
Grindelwald's dead. A potion accident according to the Daily Prophet.
I'm surprised there wasn't much dissension among the coalition responsible for guarding him. They quickly designated a group of investigators from various magical nations to look for those Grindelwald had bribed to smuggle potions ingredients inside the tower. Rumours are he was attempting to brew Certa Mor, but potions never were his forte.
Illitch possesses a peculiar sense of humour.
23/03/1981
Who would have thought that Grindelwald was the key to Dumbledore's weakness? The man is more focused on proving that his rumoured former lover was murdered than on the election. The newspapers are having a field day. Birkins is fuming.
02/04/1981
House Patil joining us seems to be the last nail in Birkins' coffin. The polls are predicting a large victory for us.
20/05/1981
We won.
21/05/1981
I named Ranee Patil and Edward Beltram my Councillors. Both of them are well considered by most, and they are clean of any reprehensible behaviour Birkins could think of accusing them of.
24/05/1981
Dumbledore has secluded himself in Hogwarts. I wonder what he's plotting now. He hasn't made any move to pressure Severus on the days he teaches at Hogwarts.
I need to find a way to free Baskos from his prison before Dumbledore thinks of using him to get to me.
30/05/1981
I've decided to follow Ranee's suggestion. I will dismiss the elected members of the Wizengamot to convene anticipated elections. I need to use the momentum of my election to replace as many of Birkins' and Dumbledore's supporters as possible.
Then, I will ask the Wizengamot to approve the creation of a special investigation committee to check for corruption of the ministry's heads of department, as well as throughout the department of justice and the Auror department. I need all of them to trust that I have their best interest at heart before implementing our reforms. I checked beforehand with the group that none of them had done any act of corruption that could earn them more than a fine. If one of them lied… Azkaban will teach them not to take me for a fool.
We also need to find Slytherins willing to become Aurors to better balance the department. Rosier , Lord Nott's nephew and even Euphemia might be good fits.
10/06/1981
Goblins are decidedly full of surprises. To think that jaunty Professor Flitwick was in Hogwarts as a spy.
In the name of the Conclave, he asked me to rescind Slytherin's curse. He thinks that because the old man found a way to redirect the curse, it's hurting the nexus instead of helping it throw away Dumbledore. I need to speak with Severus and Illitch.
Baskos cannot leave Hogwarts without Dumbledore's agreement, and Hogwarts still trusts her headmaster too much to go against his word. The Conclave put Baskos in Hagrid's care. I don't know if it was the right move.
12/07/1981
I'm as ready as I can be for the Ritual. I know I need my Familiar if I don't want to go crazy during these seven years. I believe it will also be a strong symbol of my strength and of my faith in Magic. It could unite my last detractors behind the changes I want to make, or at least earn me some good faith.
14/07/1981
My beautiful Nagini.
I understand better why nobody speaks of their experience finding their Familiar.
15/07/1981
Severus seemed surprised that I did not fall into a coma after passing the Ritual. Instead, I feel energised and ready to win the world over, Nagini draped over my shoulders.
17/07/1981
I knew taking the Ritual was the right move. Newspapers from all over the world and from every magical kind are asking for interviews.
18/07/1981
Nagini has convinced me: I will lift Slytherin's curse from Hogwarts. Let's hope she will finish healing quickly and then will swiftly renounce Dumbledore.
How I'd love for the old man to suffer the same fate as Grindelwald. Grindelwald's death was a relief for most, and the inquiry did not last long before concluding it was an accident. Dumbledore's death would raise different reactions, even if his reputation is tarnished since his close relationship with Grindelwald was revealed.
As long as he's Hogwarts' headmaster, he will fight tooth and nail against my reforms. Professor McGonagall is supportive of the changes we propose, as are most of the staff. We need him out of Hogwarts.
05/11/1981
The investigations over possible corruption in the ministry are slower going than I expected. Rufus Scrimgeour—the head of the Auror department, as incorruptible and as neutral as we get, though his rigidity and obsession with rules can be irritating—assured me they are going as quickly as they can, but that they need to be careful not to arouse suspicion if they want to catch culprits unaware.
It would be more efficient to dose all of them with veritaserum and be done with it. I'm sure Severus could brew an improved version that could not be resisted.
19/11/1981
I read the first Gringotts' treaty and its annotations from then Minister of Magic Porteus Knatchbull to prepare for when we will finally be able to begin working on negotiating the agreements.
It began as a commercial agreement between all magical users after several centuries of wars between one kind and another, but it's clear that Knatchbull expected the treaty to further evolve in the following years. It was supposed to be the first step towards building bridges between all magical races. We will have only waited for two centuries before taking the second step.
02/01/1982
House Caspian's power is growing quickly; Severus chose his members well. He's also running himself to the ground with his many projects: Eïleen's Apothecary— the revelation of Severus' relation to Augustus caused quite the stir as well as some indecisiveness on how to behave with him from some Purebloods and Muggleborns alike, which was quite foolish when he has proven himself over and over —developing the Vampires' equivalent of the Lupacem, working with Lily Potter on identifying magical children as soon as their magic manifest, supporting Professor McGonagall in creating a new curriculum for Hogwarts' younger years despite Dumbledore's opposition… We all work hard to improve our world, but he's an example and an inspiration for many.
01/02/1982
Rosier has surprised me. I knew he was adaptable, but he seems to have charmed Moody. Quite unexpected.
04/04/1982
Hogwarts still hasn't renounced Dumbledore, though Severus assures me she's healing. We can't hope to begin to change the curriculum as long as he's there. Flitwick told me that the all mighty headmaster rejected McGonagall's proposition for next year's new curriculum without so much as a glance. The deputy headmistress was livid.
If the investigation was finished, I could be more confident in using the board of governors to force the headmaster to implement changes in Hogwarts' program as well as change some professors without looking tyrannical.
At least, the minor schools are more open-minded, which may be because they have already had to adapt to their less powerful students.
In the meantime, Hogwarts is not the only major magical school needing to change. Oxfarer yearly ball will be the perfect occasion to speak with its headmaster. He is a Ravenclaw pureblood who should be more amenable than Dumbledore to changes that could improve his students' abilities. As for those who are past their student years, some courses could be offered to at least teach them about houses and magical traditions. The Wizengamot should approve the use of emergency funds for it now that I have the majority.
11/08/1982
Finally, the special investigators have rendered their conclusions. There were fewer truly corrupt members of the ministry than I thought. We will be able to move forward now. First, the renegotiation of the agreements.
03/10/1982
Dumbledore is blocking our every attempt to implement the new program. He got the board of governors locked in endless debates about whose responsibility it is to establish the program and choose its means of implementation, as well as the headmaster's prerogatives, his professors' and the board's. I've always known he was good, but I have won; he should not be a thorn in my side anymore.
In addition, while Dumbledore may not be the head of the Wizengamot anymore, he still sits on it and he still has allies.
10/10/1982
Auror Moody is looking into the deaths of older powerful Wizards over the last few years. I'll need to do an Occlumency session to look over my memories and check if I need to make some evidence disappear or modify someone's memories. I've always been careful, but with my Horcrux instability, I'd better check again.
I should also ensure I cann ot be linked to the Hufflepuff children either.
13/11/1982
Who thought it was a good idea to create a body like the Wizengamot to make vital decisions?
Wilkes finally put forward our proposal to expand the mentorship to half-bloods and purebloods without a house, as well as students younger than fourteen. He also added a suggestion to include children under eleven depending on the children's magical power level—which will require having access to Hogwarts' registry book, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
All necessary actions if we want to improve our children's knowledge of Magic. Yet, the Wizengamot has been debating it for two weeks already. What's so complicated about this?
15/12/1982
The Wizengamot finally voted in favour of the mentorship expansion, but with the reservation that it would only take effect once a list of mentors in sufficient numbers has been approved. They also added what they called a "safeguard condition": children under fourteen must rotate between several mentors before choosing one after fourteen, so they won't be influenced towards one Hogwarts house. Moreover, they asked that Muggle parents be provided with a magical means to defend themselves against Wizards should they be threatened.
It defeats the whole point of having mentors to protect Muggle-borns. We must find a way to satisfy this rule without truly endangering the mentors and the children.
05/01/1983
I think Auror Moody is suspicious of me, but he lacks proof.
21/03/1983
A new Korkein has been elected. He belongs to a clan allied to Severus'. It's a good omen for the new agreements. Illitch agrees.
02/04/1983
Birkins has been arrested by Auror Moody for ordering the murder of several prestigious lords over the past decade which were previously dissimulated as accidents. I have no doubt some of the deaths were the work of Dumbledore, but Birkins is ruthless enough to have ordered some of them as well.
I wonder if Birkins will offer Dumbledore to the Aurors, or if he was too stupid to get enough proof of the old man's involvement.
01/05/1983
Finally, the mentorship expansion can be implemented. It's a wonder we aren't all dead yet because of bureaucracy.
05/05/1983
Dumbledore refused both Severus' and Lily Potter's requests to access Hogwarts' registry book to help find children and watch over them as soon as they do their first magical act. He pretends it's a private Hogwarts' tool with a strict legislation and that using it another way than it was first intended would break the Muggle Agreement.
Lawyers are fighting over it. It's a right mess for something that is so obvious. In the end, they will realise that Dumbledore is wrong, but how long will it take?
15/06/1983
Lily and Severus were finally given access to the registry book. I may have helped speed up matters a bit with the lawyers, but the children need it.
02/10/1983
Lily and Severus worked quickly. The statute of Hogwarts' registry book has been modified. We now are legally allowed to look for and contact Muggle-born and half-blood children under eleven. We have also established rules of contact and an introductory book to the magical world, as well as severe penalties for those who don't respect those rules.
This success allowed Fleamont to present the next step of our program for children to the Wizengamot.
The suggestion of creating magical schools for all children under eleven as soon as they produce their first magical act has caused an uproar. The fact that it would offer courses both in magical and muggle fields did not help.
25/10/1983
The fools. I cannot believe some of my Slytherins are opposing the creation of magical primary schools because some muggle courses will be offered too. Have they forgotten you must know your enemy to vanquish them?
Some of the Muggle-borns are opposing the schools because it would teach that non-human magical races are equal to Wizards and, Salazar forbid, have non-Wizard teachers.
At the end of last session, Dumbledore looked like the cat who ate the canary.
13/03/1984
I met Lily's son while at Severus'. He's special. His magical capacities are already impressive. We played with his Sense. He was fascinated by Nagini and me. He seems to love Magic.
1 5/04/1984
Minister Birkins has been convicted of embezzlement, corruption and first-degree murder through use of a contract killer. However, Dumbledore has not been incriminated with him. The old man might be as good as I am.
18/04/1984
We're only missing a few voices to make the primary schools come true. We may have to give up on non-Wizard teachers for now to get them. The fools. I can't allow it. Not when it's the opportunity to help the renegotiation of the agreements as well as increase business between the magical nations.
I must be cautious in how I choose to act. To influence members of the Wizengamot is not the same as playing with the minds of a few lawyers.
25/04/1984
Moody is still looking into suspicious deaths in his free time, but he's focusing on Dumbledore and his potential alliance with a Fae land— I believe I am officially off the hook now . If we needed any proof that the old man is a danger for all of us, we have it. Too bad I can't make it public to protect the Auror investigation.
Dumbledore used one of the Slytherin mentors' misconduct to ask for a suspension of all mentorship. The Wizengamot voted against his request, but asked for more controls of the mentors. How a Slytherin worthy of our house could get caught grooming a Muggle-born child is beyond me.
Dumbledore uses every little slip of my supporters, any miscellaneous news to try to cancel the changes we took so long to begin to implement. When will Hogwarts finally kick him out? I need him out of Hogwarts or he will never lose his sway with the Muggle-borns who still support him fervently.
28/04/1984
Severus is betrothed. I did not see it coming. I hope it won't take him away from his research. Not when I'm so close to being able to work with him.
02/05/1984
The Wizengamot have voted for the primary schools in their entirety. But now, they must vote to include it in this year's budget.
06/06/1984
I met Harry again. Fleamont brought him to one of our work meetings. The child was fascinated by Nagini and our communicating in Parseltongue. I asked Dileas to bring one of my Fire Salamanders from Nather Manor to keep him occupied while I worked with Flemont. Young Harry did not bother us once, and Fleamont was impressed he had not disappeared while we were not paying attention.
I didn't understand how he could disappear while we were here, but Fleamont regaled me with a merry tale of Harry slipping out to admire Hippogriffs when he was still a toddler.
Harry asked to be allowed to come back and play with the Fire Salamanders sometimes. I did not say no.
28/06/1984
Severus is suspicious of how quickly the Wizengamot came together on the budget. I may have overdone it a bit. But they would have voted it in the end, I just helped not waste several months of fruitless discussions.
22/09/1984
I was not expecting this. A coalition of Muggle-born and pureblood elected members of the Wizengamot have pushed forward a proposal to remove the Dementors from Azkaban because they consider it an inhuman treatment of the prisoners.
I am perplexed. The Dementors are a deterrent to crime because of the fear they inspire. What could we replace them with? It would no doubt bring us an increase in crime.
We would also need to deal with the Dementors, either by relocating them somewhere they would be able to feed without endangering anyone, by imprisoning them or by killing them.
I noticed their similarities to the Dark years ago: legend is they feed on the emotions of others, but I think it's like paying a sacrifice to the Dark. The Dark can ask you to relive painful memories to take the magic you will create according to that memory. How can I use this to find a way to kill or at least weaken them aside from using a strong Patronus?
Are they even sentient, or covered by any agreement? Could we exterminate them forever without reprisal from the other magical races if we found a way to kill them?
10/10/1984
The Wizengamot is effectively divided over the Dementors question and has not worked on any other proposal since it was first submitted.
It's another of Dumbledore's plots to stall our reforms. While they debate over this, they are not available to examine the board's complaint that Dumbledore is not faithfully implementing Hogwarts' new curriculum and that he hired professors who teach beliefs contrary to our traditional values.
15/10/1984
Idiots! They are being manipulated, and they don't realise it!
I released a statement about the fact that the Dementors were a delicate matter, and that it required reflection and research before any decision could safely be reached by the Wizengamot. I suggested that the Wizengamot put this debate aside and instead assigned a special committee to study the matter on the magical and the legal sides until they were ready to present their conclusions to the Wizengamot.
Now, I'm being accused of callousness and cruelty. The Daily Prophet published an inane article saying I was interfering with the democratic process like Dumbledore always warned I would.
31/10/1984
The Wizengamot is composed of fools unable to keep steady under pressure. Even if the majority agrees with me, they have decided they need to appease everyone. Thus, they have voted for the removal of the Dementors from Azkaban, but with the provision that the ministry needs to find where to put them before it can be implemented.
05/11/1984
Fake news has been flooding us ever since the Wizengamot's decision on the Dementors.
The last one is a false rumour about releasing the Dementors in the wild where they would attack anyone unable to cast the Patronus. Muggle-borns pretend it's a plot from the purebloods to eliminate them while purebloods whine Dementors are attracted to the most concentrated magical populations, and thus will attack ancient houses first. All of them are against me. I have not yet found who I could influence to stop this.
Master Rowles and Augustus say it will quiet down once we have a plan. The research committee needs to work harder. I would be with them if my time was not filled with meeting incompetents. At least, nobody protested when I assigned Severus to lead them, and he assured me my insight on Dementors has given him several ideas to work with. He has gathered Maverick and Pandora with him, as well as Lily and Narcissa and a few others I don't know.
Illitch and Richtickg are unofficially helping too.
17/11/1984
They have a plan. Finally.
The Dementors are not part of any agreement with the other magical races. However, we found writings about a blood pact linking them to England. This is the reason why they can not be vanquished: they are not living beings, but Magic given form to protect the English kingdom during the Middle-Age magical wars.
Now, we must convince Magic to end the blood pact because it's not required anymore. I think we'll need the help of the royal family in addition to the members of the Wizengamot. As defenders of the lands, they are the ones who will be able to remind Magic of the blood pact that already binds them.
28/11/1984
I have announced the date of the Dementors removal from Azkaban.
Lovegood did a good job in his Quibbler article. The communication staff told me we have received much positive feedback since its publication.
04/12/1984
Ranee is definitely the best replacement I have found to this day. I thought Wilkes could do well too, but his recent relationship with Regulus Black and the incertitude of how it will impact House Wilkes in the future changed my mind.
05/12/1984
There was an accident with a Muggle-born's parents. They got scared when they found their child playing with a Werewolf in wolf form when they came to get her from her mentor's house, and used one of the defensive magical balls they were provided with. I knew those balls were a mistake. They can do far too much damage if you're taken by surprise. We are lucky Werewolves are hardy.
Of course, the Lestranges and a few other purebloods jumped on this opportunity to ask for better protection against Muggles and Muggle-borns, and to argue for separate primary schools.
I am surrounded by fools. What we need is to educate both the Muggle-borns and their Muggle parents.
Nagini will pay a nightly visit to my wayward supporters to remind them of their duty.
15/01/1985
Dumbledore will never stop. He supports Muggle-borns who petitioned for House-Elves' freedom. No matter the fact we have explained that the new agreement will restore balance in the relationships between House-Elves and Wizards, and that House-Elves need to belong to Wizarding houses, that negotiating the agreement takes time because all the magical races are involved, they won't listen. Dumbledore is once again manipulating those fools. He's still Hogwarts' headmaster, and that gives him an aura and an ascendancy on some of his old students that nothing seems to breach.
He keeps pushing me. I see my supporters waver at times. I cannot allow this, especially if I wish to officially retire from politics to research Magic. Ranee won't be willing to do what's needed to counter the old fool.
25/01/1985
It's done. Dumbledore is imprisoned at the heart of the Romanovas' territory, his Phoenix frozen within permanent snow.
Baskos, Phineas and Andersen helped. I don't think they told the rest of the Conclave.
26/01/1985
Severus is furious with me. He threatened to reveal all the times I have interfered with the system.
It's an empty threat. That would undo all our work.
28/01/1985
Rosier came to warn me that Moody suspected my involvement in Dumbledore's disappearance.
He implied he would cover for me if only because of what the old man had done to Slytherin—to Severus—but he was clear that it would be a one-time occurrence.
He's growing into a true Slytherin. Severus is lucky to possess such a friend.
04/02/1985
I understand Severus' fears. We have never been under so much scrutiny. I'm still surprised at the fervour the old man inspires.
05/02/1985
I swore to Severus I would not interfere with the voting process anymore. Dumbledore will be my last interference.
He's right that I can't risk our ideals failing because a fault was found in the proceedings. We've come too far to lose now, and it's only the beginning.
Moody's constant scrutiny is unnerving .
10/02/1985
I promised Severus I would release Dumbledore once Hogwarts denounced him and chose another headmaster. Until then, he's too dangerous to be freed. Severus thinks that it's foolish, that I will be found out.
I'm disappointed he's doubting my abilities. I have the time to find a solution.
10/11/1985
Hogwarts has chosen a new headmaster.
11/11/1985
Nagini did what needed to be done. Her venom is undetectable. From her memory, Dumbledore looked peaceful in Nurmengard. He died exactly where Grindelwald did. Poetic justice.
13/11/1985
The papers are having a field day with this. Everyone seems to believe the story that Dumbledore died of grief over his broken heart. As long as I do nothing else, they won't have reasons to doubt it.
The next two years will be long.
26/02/1986
I'm glad Harry is here to provide some much needed distraction and amusement. James Potter's revulsion at his son's familiarity with me is also quite delectable. I know Severus enjoys it too.
The boy would not come to visit me so often if someone else could stimulate his Sense and his curiosity as much as I do.
05/05/1988
I'm free.
Ranee won. Severus is expecting me tomorrow.
Magic, here I come.