I certainly have no rights to Harry Potter, but this won't stop me writing this story. However, you probably already know this. As it is my specialty, and as in my other big stories, this shows how things go if something went different right at the beginning. Please note that I'm not a fan of bashing and also don't expect the two main pairings to differ from canon. However, the path to them certainly will be quite different. I also want to try and subvert certain plots and things that became common in the fandom over the years.
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Chapter 81: Poison in the System
The day of the journey to Hogwarts had arrived for its students. However, even on the train platform it was very obvious that things had changed from previous years. No one could miss that fact, since the signs were way too obvious. It not only was the intense security on the platform and in the train itself, but also how the crowd was significantly smaller than in previous years. many took that as a sign of things to come.
The atmosphere on the platform also was a stark difference to previous years. An air of grim spite and worry had taken hold, parents being way more tearful when saying goodbye to the younger students while many students looked very nervous. Also, this time there was a noticeable lack of something - or better, a certain group - on the platform.
The Six had seen all of that and were making their own conclusions about it.
"One thing is for sure: things are already off to a very different and depressing start," Ginny commented when they finally sat down in their compartment in the Hogwarts Express.
"And how. The crowd was much smaller than normal and I also didn't spot the usual sight of first-years being sent off by their parents. You think there even will be any?" Ron wondered while making sure that Pig's cage was covered with those ugly dress robes so the owl would go to sleep.
"Can you blame the parents for not wanting to send their eleven-year old children to Hogwarts under such circumstances?" Luna asked while looking out of the window into the train station. "Question is only, if the new year will be entirely empty or not."
Harry knew part of the answer to that. "Uncle Remus mentioned to me just yesterday that he's sure that all the children that were done with the preschool will stay away due to the preschool informing their parents what is going on. Minus them there wouldn't be too many left anyway."
"That also shows how the goals of the Death Eaters are delusional, since the part of society they favor doesn't sustain its own numbers," Luna remarked dryly.
"Kind of telling, isn't it?" Harry then gave out a short laugh. "You know what this means?"
That caused Ron to laugh without any humor as well while the Express started to move. "For all the effort they put into making us attend, this is already starting as a farce. And we are not even in the school yet."
"Maybe some more light can be shined on that during the Prefects meeting," Hermione remarked while giving attention to Crookshanks in order to pacify him after having to stay in the pet carrier. "As Headgirl I have to attend that as well, you know."
"Sounds good..." Neville scratched his chin, noticing that he had not shaved properly this morning. "I think we meanwhile should listen around and hear what everyone else has to say about all of this..."
They quickly agreed that this was a good course of action.
A little over half an hour later, the Prefects meeting was over and some interesting things had been revealed to them. They now were on their way back to their compartment, talking about what they had learned there. It was interesting and somewhat depressing, that was for sure.
"I had no idea that this many would be pulled out. Though, after what happened in Hogsmeade, I can't really fault their parents for doing so. After all, we wanted to leave as well," Ginny said, still trying to process the sheer number of students that would be missing.
"Yes, though interesting that the ranks of the DoH are far less depleted than the general student population. Could that be due to more confidence?" Hermione speculated, having done the math in her head.
"Well, the situation in Syltherin is downright absurd. You've heard what Dudley and Daphne told us, that in their year it's just the three of them being left. Dudley is not only Headboy but also Prefect by default, since he's the only boy in that year who is left." Harry indeed found that downright absurd. "Well, we'll get a nice visual of that once we are in the great hall and..."
He stopped when a compartment door opened and three second-year students peeked out. It was Mark together with his friends Marvin and Magdalena. "Oh, Harry!" Mark greeted Harry when seeing him.
"Looks like the three of you were not separated," Harry observed, knowing how Mark had hoped his friends wouldn't be pulled out.
"Well, it was a close thing. Marvin barely managed to convince his parents. And my own parents..." Magdalena blushed a little in shame. "They couldn't afford to pull me out."
"We got lucky..." Marvin then grimaced. "We listened around and it looks like there are no firsties at all on the train."
"None at all?" Ginny asked, hoping she had heard wrong.
Mark shook his head. "None. Many wonder what will become of the school without any new students this year. You... you think the school will close its doors if there are too few students?"
Harry honestly wanted to reassure Mark, but he felt the boy and his friends deserved the truth. "That's actually a real danger, though it's more likely something happens outside the school which makes keeping it open impossible."
The three twelve-year old looked a bit disillusioned before saying their goodbyes and retreating back into their compartment.
There was no more conversation on the way back to their own compartment. There were news once they were back.
"Guys, we listened around, and it looks like there are no new first-year students at all this year. Kind of telling that it has come to that now," Neville said.
"That's not news to us. We met Mark and his friends on the way back, and they confirmed what you have found out." The whole thing was a reminder to Hermione how magical society was falling apart. "The Prefects confirmed serious gaps in the student body; especially in the years below ours."
"The majority of the DoH is still present, which at least means they can prepare for the worst." Luna then looked thoughtful. "No new first-years... many students not returning... It does feel like things are moving towards the end. However, what comes after that..."
Luna left the sentence open, showing how she herself had no idea what would come next.
"We knew for some time this is bound to happen. It's kind of scary. For most of my life everything seemed so stable tht I thought it would stay the same until my old days. And now..." Ginny was a bit unsettled how fast things were changing.
Ron meanwhile shook his head. "Honestly, with so many students gone, school will be more a joke than anything else. You think most of those that remain will be geared towards learning?"
"As loathe as I am to say it, I don't think so," Hermione admitted, knowing there would be more pressing things on everyone's mind. "No, Luna is right that everyone is only waiting for the end to happen. By now everyone has an idea it's bound to happen soon."
"And we are in the middle of it, as usual," Harry commented with dry sarcasm.
o
There was an official confirmation of there no being any first-year students when they arrived - the train station due to being a bit further away from the village being the only building of Hogsmeade which had survived the blaze. Instead of waiting for new students to ferry them over the lake, Hagrid instead was acting as security for the carriages.
"Hello, Hagrid. Eh... does you being here mean our observation about there not being any new students is true?" Harry asked the tall man after spotting him.
Hagrid sighed. "Sadly, yes. The school was swarmed with letters from parents saying they feel sending their children to Hogwarts is too risky right now. At least most of them were really polite about it and hope to have their children attend once all of this nastiness is over. Of course, there were a number of nasty Howlers as well."
"Even with such a serious topic, some people can't help themselves to be rude," Hermione said, finding some people had their priorities seriously wrong.
"Emotions are running high with the teachers and you know, why." Hagrid then looked up to the castle. "No new students. This is the first time in all my years at Hogwarts this has happened. Not even during Grindelwald's War was it this bad."
"And not to speak of the students who did get withdrawn..." Ron added, as tactless as usual, earning him a sharp look from Hermione.
Thankfully, Hagrid didn't seem to mind. "Oh yes... The castle will be so much more empty... After what happened however, I can hardly blame them."
The ride to Hogwarts then happened in silence; no one feeling like striking up a conversation.
When they entered the great hall, the floating candles looked dimmer than in the previous years and there was no atmosphere of excitement. And when the students took their seats at the House tables, the serious gaps in the student body became painfully obvious. By a mental calculation from Hermione, if you included the fact that Hogwarts would have no new students in this year, the number of students had shrunk down to almost half of the number from the previous school year.
"This looks really depressing," Neville commented after taking a look around. "It's like the number of students has seriously imploded. Though it doesn't seem as bad in our year."
"Yes, but Lavender is no longer here, and Elizabeth was forced to leave as well," Parvati reminded everyone, feeling especially bad for Lavender leaving.
"I actually had to almost beg my Ma on my knees to be able to attend. It's not only Voldemort, but the Ministry crumbling apart is causing real unrest in Ireland and lots of old grief is coming back up," Seamus said, then looked around. "Looks like Ernie Macmillan, Anthony Goldstein and Sue Li are also gone... Not to speak of the Slytherin table."
"Talk about ridiculous," Kellah said with a snort. "Only three of them are left. I don't envy Dursley, Greengrass and Bulstrode. Must feel rather lonely."
Ginny meanwhile noticed Harry's mood. "Harry, what is wrong?"
"I can't stand the fact that he's still sitting at the faculty table..." Harry said, and they knew he meant Snape.
"It's a bit insane that Dumbledore is still holding onto him, even after the serious reputation loss he suffered from it. What is he playing at?" Ron wondered, not caring that they were heard, since rumor very much had concluded that the Headmaster's reputation loss was connected to Snape.
"I don't know... But it most certainly is not improving the Headmaster's current reputation." Harry gave a hard look to Snape, before trying his best to ignore the man. Instead, he looked at the other newcomer at the table. "That must be the new Defense professor for the lower years. Hmm... I know I've seen him before, but where...?"
Over at the Syltherin table meanwhile, Dudley voiced the obvious while fiddling with the Headboy badge, still wondering why he of all people had been selected.. "It feels a bit ridiculous that we are the only ones left in our year."
"Not only that. Take a look around," Daphne said, waving at the many gaps at the tables. "It would have been more honest to simply close the school instead of this here. I honestly can't see this working for long."
They knew of the three of them, Daphne was the most pragmatic one; especially when it came to such matters. "Yes, it more feels like a game of pretend than anything else," Millicent agreed, then looked to the faculty table. "Any idea who the new Defense professor for the lower years is? I don't recognize him at all."
Dudley did take a closer look. "Hmm, oh, now I remember! He was present when the Ministry tried to nail Harry with that trial. He presented the evidence of the defense."
"But no name?" Daphne asked.
Dudley strained him memory. "If it was mentioned, I have forgotten by now. Sorry, it simply was such a small thing..."
It was at that moment that Dumbledore asked for attention and the students fell silent.
"Now, may I ask for your attention? Thank you very much..." Dumbledore looked around and noticed the expression many students held. "You already have noticed, thus I will make it official. You have already noticed that a considerable number of your fellow students have been withdrawn from the school. That was done by their parents in light of the events in June."
Everyone knew what Dumbledore was talking about. "You can not fault them for that action, since they felt that was the best way of keeping their children safe. It saddens me to also confirm your observation that no new students have been admitted to Hogwarts this year. Their parents felt it unsafe to do so. I impress on you how this reflects the dangerous times we now are living in. Another incident, and the school has to be closed."
Dumbledore very much looked his age now. The events of the past months must have cost him a lot of strength, though it seemed he refused to show weakness in front of the students. His words also hinted that closing the school was a matter of when and not if. "I am sure you already have noticed our new Defense professor for the lower years. May I introduce Kingsley Shacklebolt? He is a professional Auror and his appointment sadly also is a reflection of the times."
Shacklebolt stood up to take the word. "I know you probably wonder why I am here, instead of doing my duty. I was asked that question many times and my answer is, that while I could do a lot on the field, ensuring that you can protect yourselves in these dangerous times is worth even more."
Shacklebolt's words had a hidden meaning that many understood. He felt that due to the Ministry falling apart, it was more important to protect those who were most vulnerable. Shacklebolt then continued "My lessons will be geared to towards conveying that knowledge to you, thus I ask you to give me your full attention during those."
He observed the reactions, before he added "Despite my new responsibilities however, I will continue to contribute to the war effort. It will not be my main focus, but I won't abandon the defense of our country entirely."
Shacklebolt sat back down, returning the word to Dumbledore. "I will convey more information to you after the feast. Since we won't have a sorting this year, the Sorting Hat asked to convey a message to you. Please pay attention to its words, since they have a meaning."
The Sorting Hat was brought in and put on a stool, where it then started to sing a song that was equally sad and yet uplifting. It did sing of the dark times they were in and how the darkness was bringing nothing but destruction and despair. However, it then countered to not despair and how united they were strong when taking up arms to push back the darkness and that the day would come.
"That was... oddly specific," Neville said after having listened to the song.
"Fascinating," Luna added, having listened carefully. "The hat indeed must be listening in on everything going on the the Headmaster's office and then make its own conclusions. This was actually very insightful."
Dean grimaced when hearing that. "Crap, so we have to expect the worst to happen?"
Harry however looked determined. "Perhaps. But that means we have to work hard to prepare ourselves, should that happen. All of you know what that means."
They did know. But after what happened with Hogmeade and them having went through the trial by fire, they knew schoolwork was unimportant compared to being as best prepared as possible.
...Hogwarts, three days later...
Only three days had passed since the arrival of the students at Hogwarts. However, three days were more than enough to get a good picture of the atmosphere in the castle and how radically things had changed even from the previous school year. The castle actually felt emptier than it already was and even after only three days students already had the feeling that this was more like going through the motions than anything else.
A number of students meeting up felt very much the same way.
"The school feels kind of spooky with so many students having left. Sir Nick even told me outright he had never before seen it so empty during the school year - and he's been here for centuries," Ron said while they walked down the grass.
"Well, lessons are not much better," Millicent added. "There are so many students gone that they have been forced to give up the usual only two Houses for each class in the lower years. And our classrooms are frighteningly empty as well."
Luna then spoke up. "I also observed that the students who are present are not giving the lessons their full attention. However, that is a behavior we are guilty of as well."
"This all feels more like a farce than anything else. And take that from me, who is taking school work seriously," Daphne said straight away after they had found a private spot somewhere close to the centaur camp.
"Well, it's a bit difficult to concentrate on school work if around you the nation is falling apart," Millicent added to her friend's observation. "I think part of all of this is the refusal to accept reality and a futile attempt to have some kind of normality."
"A huge play pretend?" Luna thought about it. "That actually would explain several things..."
"Well, Astoria told me a number of students in her year bailed out as well and classes now consist of all four Houses in one, but no one is concentrating on the lessons. No, they are more concerned with learning what they can to defend themselves," Daphne added, remembering what her sister had told her. "I honestly can't fault them, considering the times we are living in."
"The sick thing is, Mark and his friends told me that even the students way down in second year are more concerned with their own safety than anything else. I know we had to deal with that crap at their age, but I didn't wish it onto them as well," Harry cursed.
They fell silent for a moment, thinking about all of it, especially since Harry had looked somewhat bitter over preteens having to think of defending themselves. The Six honestly had been a bit surprised how many students were sharing their assessment of lessons having become mostly irrelevant compared to the real issues at hand. But the second-year students thinking so as well was a cold reminder of the facts.
Dudley then looked over to Harry. "This is honestly not how I expected all of this..."
"Trust me, neither did we. We honestly hadn't even planned to be here, but then things changed." Harry knew that his cousin hated this situation as much as all of them. "Considering everything, that title of yours doesn't feel that important anymore, does it?"
Dudley knew that Harry meant his position as Headboy. "To be honest, while that would have been a great honor during regular school, it now feels rather pointless. With so many students gone and me being alone in the dorm room..."
"It's not exactly your circumstances, but I understand how you feel." Hermione had not exactly been enthusiastic with her new position as well. "Considering everything else which is going on, I honestly don't think I can meaningfully fill this position. Kind of funny, since in my earlier years I dreamed of becoming Headgirl."
"I feel kind of bad that that dream of yours fell so flat," Ron admitted to his girlfriend.
However, Hermione didn't want to hear it. "No, don't be. Don't get me wrong, it's considerate of you, but I after all can get something new to strive for. Right now we have bigger worries."
"And with bigger worries, you mean the whole war, right?" Dudley asked.
"What else?" Harry said with a sigh. "You already know what happened with us."
"It's kind of impressive that you managed to twist the arm of the Order to force concessions," Daphne admitted, the three of them actually knowing of the Order of the Phoenix. "I have to admit, I wouldn't have been that bold. Must be a Gryffindor thing."
"Let's see now if they keep word." Ginny left unsaid that not doing so would get a strong reaction. "But honestly, we decided to only invest the absolute minimum into school work and mostly concentrate on training the Defenders of Hogwarts and try to make ourselves useful."
"That's also why we gave up on Creatures lessons. Hagrid actually understood that we have to set priorities, though he of course was a bit disappointed," Neville added. "Question is, will the three of you also invest that much into this?"
Dudley, Millicent and Daphne looked at each other, before they nodded and Dudley answered the question. "Count us in. We already discussed this and would feel really shitty if we shy away from the heavy lifting. We'll stand by your side up until the end."
"Also, it's not like we aren't targets as well. The Bulstrodes and Greengrasses are openly opposing the Death Eaters and Dudley has a huge target on him ever since those two traitors revealed his secret," Millicent added, looking ticked off at that final point.
Dudley for his part clearly was still pissed that Draco and Pansy had done that, though with all going on, he at least no longer was being annoyed with it. "Also, we were there in the DoH right from the start. We want to do our part."
"That's a relief, because we are getting flooded with requests about joining our lessons," Ginny said, remembering the past three days. "And it's not only from the upper years who can elect to remove themselves from Snape's lessons."
"You should have seen my surprise when Mark and his friends actually asked to join. Though to be fair, they also said they heard Shacklebolt is actually competent," Harry added to that. "But as far as I know, in our year no one is attending Snape's lessons in either Potions or Defense."
"Snape's reputation has tanked severely with the students, even though they don't know the specifics." Millicent left unsaid that the three of them also hadn't been told all details, but at least knew of Snape's role in the death of Harry's parents. "His, and the Headmaster's reputation for still holding onto the man."
They all looked at each other, not wishing to be in the shoes of either man - though it was hard to judge if things were worse for Dumbledore or for Snape.
o
Indeed, the reputation of both men had taken considerable damage and students had made up their minds even without knowing all of the details. Whispers were running rampant throughout Hogwarts about what could have happened. What everyone did know was, that Harry Potter and his friends had had some kind of serious falling out with Snape over something the man had done and it then extended to the Headmaster for covering for the man.
The students also had seen how the faculty had grown noticeably colder towards Snape, which they took as confirmation. While Harry and his friends were only giving vague answers, the picture that had formed in the minds of the students was quite alarming. The fallout by now could be felt, since Snape had lost all of his NEWT-students in seventh year in both subjects, while the ranks in sixth year had thinned dramatically. Right now would have been seventh-year Defense according to plan, but no students were left for that subject in that year.
After all, many students didn't want to attend classes which were conducted by such a man. Additionally, Harry and his friends were very popular in the school, their past actions having made the students look up to them. Considering that, they did side with Harry and his friends and against Snape. Worry also was, he could screw them over in his classes.
Snape of course knew all of that.
He was not ignorant of what was going on in the school and had already expected an exodus from his classes in sixth and seventh year. That however made the fact no less painful for him. Seeing his classes in Defense and Potions crumble away to almost nothing had been a painful reminder of how his past actions were now coming back to haunt him and destroy what he had built over the years.
The sick part of all of this was, that it was very much something that was working in Voldemort's favor. Voldemort must have reasoned that Snape losing the favor of students and the faculty would cause him to have to depend more on the Dark Lord. Voldemort only cared that Snape continued to have the confidence of Dumbledore.
Right now however, Snape was in the Headmaster's office, berating the man.
"See, and that's the result!" Snape said harshly, not bothering with being polite to Dumbledore. "I had even told you before that disaster to be more open about the circumstances to a small circle. Now the damage is done to both of us and can't be repaired!"
Dumbledore for his part had not defended himself, especially since he knew Snape was correct about what he'd said. "I'm not doubting you, Severus. However, I had not seen the sheer effects until..."
"Until the damage was already done," Snape finished it with a snort. "That's your problem - you believed yourself to be more clever than you actually are in that situation. I would have willingly revealed my role and the events between us all those years ago to show that we are not brushing this under the rug, but thanks to the pact, I couldn't. You however do not have that excuse when it comes to keeping silent about my actions."
"And those are all valid points..." Slowly getting up, Dumbledore looked to Fawkes and the phoenix gave him a telling look. "Severus, I fear I have reached the point where my age is becoming a serious problem; making me prone to make unwise decisions."
"Oh, truly?" Snape honestly didn't feel that was news.
"Yes. I think as much as my experience is valuable, it would be for the best to not involve myself as much as I did in the past. I fear, I can no longer trust my own judgment at all times," Dumbledore explained.
That was news to Snape. "And you think it's best to reduce your own role?"
"Yes, indeed. I think that's for the best." Dumbledore then asked "By the way, have you made any progress in regards to Nagini?"
"None. She's always close to the Dark Lord, and from what I heard from his inner circle, the only times she's not close is when he has some fun with Bellatrix." Snape tried very hard not to show how much the mere idea was repulsing him.
"So no way to get close to her without drastic measures..." Dumbledore mused.
Snape took in the Headmaster's expression and then understood. "I hope you know what you are doing..." He then quickly excused himself.
After he had left, Dumbledore looked to Fawkes again. "My friend, I got that lesson once before, that I have grown too inflexible. However, I fear after 16 years my age has erased that lesson from me and this time I can not re-learn it."
Dumbledore sighed while the phoenix gave him encouraging noises. "I know... I will not give up. However, after me completely misjudging the damage that could be caused by not explaining myself, I fear my time in the light is running out."
Turning to the window of his office, Dumbledore added silently, However, that does not mean I will give up on contributing to Tom's final downfall...
...at the same time, second-year Defense class...
While all of this was going on, the second-year students were sitting in a classroom waiting for the start of their first Defense lesson of the year. There were hopes that it would be like with the Lupins in the previous year, who had managed to give them very practical lessons. The class, unlike in the previous year, consisted of all the second-year students, since enough students had been withdrawn that the two classes had to be put together.
"I've heard rumors about Mr. Shacklebolt from the upper years," Magdalena told her friends while they were waiting. "They say he does have a very direct and hands-on teaching style."
"Did they also say anything about what he actually teaches?" Marvin wondered.
Magdalena then shrugged. "Well, they said he's staying true to his word..."
That moment the door opened and Kingsley Shacklebolt walked in. While the man did have a serious aura, he was not unapproachable like Snape was. The man then quickly checked if everyone was being present, frowning when seeing how low the number of students was. He then addressed the class.
"As you already know from my introduction several days ago, my name is Kingsley Shacklebolt and I will teach you Defense this year. Surely you wonder how I will teach you this year, especially since you must have heard already what second-year Defense normally entails?"
One girl raised her hand to ask a question. "Professor, does that mean you'll teach us different from the normal plan?"
"A good question, and the answer is yes." It seemed Shacklebolt liked being asked questions. "As I said at the start of the year, my lessons will be geared to help you get through these dangerous times. Therefore, I will skip the more esoteric parts of the subject and concentrate on useful and practical lessons."
Now another student had a question. "Last year the Lupins also concentrated more on practical lessons than theory. It's like you coordinated with them."
"Actually, I did ask them what they had taught you to be optimally prepared," Shacklebolt revealed, then saw the looks he was getting, and chuckled. "You didn't really think I would walk into this blindly, do you?"
The class finally relaxed when seeing that their teacher was not of a bad sort.
Kingsley then noticed the looks Mark was giving him. "Oh, Mr. ... Evans, is there something you want to ask me?"
Mark for his part blushed a little at being caught looking more closely. "I'm sorry, it's just that you have such a great resemblance to that American actor..."
"Oh, you mean Samuel L. Jackson?" Shacklebolt asked, then saw the surprise on Mark's face. "You are not the first person to tell me that - and all of them come from non-magical families. I actually feel flattered to be compared to such a good-looking bloke."
That fully relaxed the atmosphere and Shacklebolt then started his lessons.
At the end of the class, Marvin was whistling while they were packing their things "Really approachable fella, and he knows what he's doing. But man, he's not kidding around."
His friends remembered how Shacklebolt's very first lesson had already given them a good taste of what would follow. His lessons were geared to self-defense and he was not coddling them at all. However, it didn't mean he wouldn't give them help in case of problems - after all, they still were only second-year students.
"I like that he's not talking down to us and doesn't think that our young age means we are morons," Magdalena added while trying to ease a slight cramp in he wand hand. "Up until now we have lucked out with Defense teachers."
"I remember what Harry told me of some of his teachers... One actually had Voldemort stuck to the back of his head, one was an utterly useless fraud and one was outright malevolent..." Mark did remember the horror stories all too well. "Eh... regardless, I think his classes will be one of the few everyone will give their full attention to."
"But we still are going to ask?" Marvin asked.
Mark knew what Marvin was talking about. "After the scare I got when we were evacuated, I'll take everything I can get, and if I have to pester Harry for it. And... man, I would feel like a shitty friend if I didn't try to get you prepared as best as possible as well."
For Marvin and Magdalena this was a reminder of what a good friend Mark was. Going out of his way to help them get the help needed to protect themselves showed how much he cared for them.
...September 10th, St. Mungo's...
It sucked to be Dolores Umbridge, that much was for sure. It was so blatant that even she herself knew that it was a fact.
No healer had been willing to attempt serious work to repair her spine, and honestly the authorities didn't even bother to force anyone to do so. That resulted in her being confined to a wheelchair in order to get around. Her wand arm also had only gotten the minimum treatment, meaning she no longer could do any fine skills with that hand and most certainly not hold a wand. Her current prison due to her condition was not a cell, but a guarded isolation room in St. Mungo's was not much better.
Of course Umbridge found the whole thing deeply unfair. She found it even more rich that those in the Ministry who had went along with her schemes had quickly acted like they had nothing to do with all of it. At least she had the consolation prize of knowing that Fudge was a permanent resident in the psych ward, having seen him there as a shadow of his former self.
They think I'm done for... Oh no, I still have to teach them a lesson, she thought while waiting.
While she was still driven by over-excessive and malevolent self-interest, feelings of pure spite had taken deep root within her. To her it meant to tear down the very society which had not given her the proper appreciation. She was not even realizing that she was throwing a tantrum on a murderous scale with serious consequences.
Or perhaps she understood the consequences perfectly fine and just didn't care.
Finally, the door opened and in walked the man she had waited for. "Ahh, Mr. Stone. I assume nothing has happened, as usual?" she greeted said man in a completely false friendly manner. After years of doing so, it had become habit.
"Nobody recognized me and the guards are under the illusion that nothing is happening and will only snap out of it once I'm gone," Albert Stone said, showing little actual emotion.
Nobody had ever suspected that Mr. Stone was bound to her by an Unbreakable Vow, though she by now knew that even without it he would have helped her anyway. He was the kind of person who would do anything for a warm meal and the vow had been more of a formality than anything else. Now he was her proxy who was making sure that her wishes would become reality.
"Don't keep me waiting, as that's bad manners. How is it looking?" Umbridge wanted to know.
"I give the Ministry two more months, three at best, before it's being taken over.
"And you made sure to follow my orders so that it will be closer to two months, right?" Umbridge then asked him, wanting to make sure.
"I followed your orders to the letter to weaken the Ministry from within so that the Death Eaters can take over more easily. However, Madam, I still wonder why you are not using my services to get out of this...?" Stone wondered, waving at the room she was in.
"As much as I despise this place, it does have the advantage that no one would suspect me while I'm in here. Also, while I don't doubt your skills, smuggling me out of this place is a difficult task indeed," Umbridge said, shooting the idea down. "I know I will come out of here soon enough. Just some more patience."
Her plan was as simple as it was destructive. After having come to terms with how the wind was blowing, she knew that she had to make herself useful for the power that soon would take over the Ministry in order to give herself a good starting position with them. Even in the pitiful state she was in right now, she could do that by proxy through Mr. Stone.
His task was simple enough: make the Ministry weaker than it already was by causing damage from the inside of the system. Having someone at hand who was very skilled of getting rid of unwanted memories was a huge bonus for that task. It was impressive what kind of damage one man could cause when being in the correct position.
Stone then looked on his pocket watch. "I better go. While the guards are still oblivious, we should not risk someone else walking by."
"Good. Go and continue your work," Ubridge waved him off. "We both will reap the fruits of your labor soon enough."
Mr. Stone left quickly. Umbridge looked at the closed door for a few more moments. No, I'm not done for. It will be annoying to start from the beginning again, but making myself useful should give me a good starting place.
...September 15th, Black safe house...
"This must all be cutting into your day job..." Diane said, trying to relax while Andromeda was being busy with taking a closer look at her.
"It doesn't hurt me that I'm earning less than normal. My family is financially well-off," Andromeda reminded the other woman, playing at her share of the Black fortune - though in recent months she had either moved almost all of the fortune into non-magical banks or invested it into property. "Also, I want to be there for all of you, so don't worry."
Diane still felt Andromeda was being a bit too generous with her time while feeling the wand move over her exposed skin.
Diane had felt under the weather for some time time and today had suffered from a serious sick spell, causing quite the mess. It was at that point that her husband had convinced her to better get checked for illness. That was how she now was here, lying on on examination table - which Andromeda had pulled put of her bag of all things - only in her underwear, while Andromeda was being busy using her wand to scan through her body.
"Doctors would be jealous that they need expensive equipment for what you can do with your wand," Diane then commented.
"It might look that way, yes, but I'm also keeping myself well-informed. While magical medicine can do some real wonders, there are certain things where it is surprisingly impotent compared to mundane means. I feel that combining both approaches would give us the best of both worlds... Hm, oh!" Andromeda then stopped herself.
Diane saw her having stopped when the tip of her wand was gently prodding the hollow of her navel. "Is something wrong?"
"No, not wrong. But to make sure..." She then took something out of her bag and looked to the adjacent restroom. "Eh, you know what to do with this behind that door?"
Diane rolled her eyes. Of course she understood perfectly fine she was being told to pee into a cup. She also had a suspicion what this was about. If it's true... It would be a good thing, but the timing is not great. But then again we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Time passed while Sirius was waiting downstairs.
He was not nervous, since he knew Diane was in good hands, but the wait was annoying. He glanced to where Steve and Kathleen were keeping themselves busy, though it was clear they were also worrying about their mother, despite their parents reassuring them it wasn't anything serious. After the scare when they had left Little Whinging, their children had become more worried about them being safe.
Finally, both women walked down the stairs and Sirius asked "Is everything all right?"
"Nothing is wrong with her. Indeed, she is more than all right," Andromeda said, then looked to Diane. "You can tell him."
"Sirius I..." Diane knew it was stupid that she was hesitating. "I'm expecting. I know this is... Eeeep!" She was topped from saying more when Sirius suddenly hugged her, holding her close.
"This... is wonderful news." Sirius was not hiding how excited he was.
"But, the timing is horrible. Me being pregnant right now is not a good thing," Diane reminded him.
"Diane... don't let what's going on outside taint those wonderful news. Also, if you need to blame someone, blame me for not using mundane or magical protection."
"It takes two to do the tango," Diane reminded him, taking responsibility as well for her role in the lack of protection. Her husband's words did help to ease her fears.
"Dad, why are you and Mum so happy?" Steve wondered, him and his sister having watched the whole thing.
"We are so happy because we learned you'll have a new sibling in due time," Sirius explained to the children after separating from Diane.
The children did look excited, but then Kathleen asked the important question. "Uhm... Where do babies actually come from?"
Sirius and Diane looked at each other, realizing that they would have to give their children an understandable explanation. Andromeda meanwhile barely held down her laughter, really wanting to hear them explain that to their eight-year old children.
...after Divination class, September 18th...
"And this concludes out lesson," Trelawney said, then looked over to Celestra. "We again have to thank Celestra that she is taking the time to teach you more about the divination of the centaurs."
Another Divination lesson had come to a close, the seventh-year students not being in the classroom, but instead sitting on some benches in the centaur camp - though it by now could hardly be called a camp due to more permanent structures having been erected by this point. Trelawney's lesson plan had changed considerably since the centaurs had taken up residence near the castle, that was for sure.
However, she also knew since the start of the year that her class had become smaller and that the students were not very attentive anymore. Though, knowing the reason for that inattentiveness, she could hardly fault them. It was no secret on what the students were actually concentrating on, since it was blatantly in the open.
"-sigh- There is no way you can deny that things are moving towards the end," Trelawney told Celestra.
"Sadly, the signs are so clear, that no precognitive powers are needed for that," Celestra agreed. "These days I honestly dread looking at the stars and what they will tell us."
Trelawney sighed. "Knowing what the future can hold is not something enjoyable. That's what al those people who wish they could have our powers don't think about."
"Wishing for something feels always better than actually having it," Celestra remarked, having to think about how their abilities to have glimpses into the future had led her people onto a bad path.
"Excuse me?"
They saw Luna standing there. "Oh, hello young one. What brings you to us?" Celestra greeted her, being fond of Luna due to her great interest and understanding concerning peering into the future.
"I do have some questions. The lesson was very enlightening but I wonder... Professor?" Luna noticed something and saw that Trelawney had become rigid in a way she had seen before. "She is about to make a prophecy."
"Yes, we have to listen carefully." This honestly was the very first time Celestra would witness a prophecy being made by a human, thus she put her full attention to it.
Finally, Trelawney spoke it that weird voice which indicated a prophecy being made.
"Before the year dies, the deed will be done. ... The two snakes slither around the cup, know the where but not the why. Lies are etched onto them but the truth shall set them free. ... For the truth will turn into fire and burn away the lies. ... And save their souls... before the year dies..."
Trelawney then shook herself, coming out of it.
"What...? I..." Her training then kicked in and she pulled out her recording necklace, the flashing gem telling her what she had suspected. "I made a new prophecy. I almost dread these days listening to it..." However, she did so anyway, looking a bit confused. "An interesting prophecy. Not what I expected."
Luna, who had listened carefully to it, looked up. "Interesting. A lot of it makes sense once you make the correct connections..."
"Am I correct that you have an idea what this prophecy could be about?" Celestra asked, knowing of the mental flexibility of the girl. She had impressed her in the past and while Celestra was sad that the girl had no talent for actual divination, her conclusions often were enlightening.
"I think I do. Very interesting... You better show it to the Headmaster." Luna then left without any further word.
"If I wouldn't know her so well I would think she was being rude leaving like that." Trelawney looked at her recording necklace. "But she's correct that I need to show that to the Headmaster. Excuse me..."
She left as well, leaving behind a thoughtful Celestra, frowning because of the picture coming together in her mind.
Shortly later, Luna had gathered her friends and, after retreating into an unused classroom, relayed the contents of the prophecy to them. The others listened carefully - after all, prophecies had proven to be quite powerful things - and now were thinking about the meaning of the words. There was no way they would take this lightly.
Hermione had used logic to make her own conclusions. "All right, let's try to get things into order. Whatever the prophecy alludes to will happen before the year is over. Two snakes must mean two Slytherins, since once you are out of school age and not a teacher, that's almost entirely irrelevant - unless you make it an issue. Though I'm a bit stumped about the cup."
"A bit disappointing that you don't remember that important information." Luna's expression didn't change much, but she seemed a bit disappointed that Hermione had slipped like that. "You should remember the Headmaster showing us Voldemort stealing the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff."
It seemed Hermione remembered now, looking a bit embarrassed. "Now I remember. How could I forget...?"
"You mean the one he thinks Voldemort put part of his soul into?" Ron was still nervous about the idea, since cutting your own soul apart simply was that horrible of a concept to him. "This honestly feels like fate is throwing us a bone to give us a chance."
"Guys, maybe we should get back to the prophecy?" Neville said to prevent them digressing. "I mean, who could those two snakes be?"
There was some silence first, before Ginny spoke up. "Honestly, it's not exactly making the selection smaller. I mean, we know all the ejected Slytherins joined Voldemort after all. I'm scratching my head when it comes to the implication that they'll defect."
Harry for his part snorted. "Honestly, that prophecy is not very helpful, since we have no idea who it could be. I'm pretty sure however, it can't be those two."
They knew that Harry was talking about Draco and Pansy. Ron could only agree with Harry. "Yes, no way those two would do anything helpful for us. They relish in being utter bastards, so no way they would ever have a change of heart."
However, Hermione looked more thoughtful about the matter. "I wouldn't be so sure about that..."
The other gave her looks of disbelief (even Luna) before Ginny asked the important question. "Ehh, Hermione? Have you forgotten what happened in the previous school year?"
"Of course I didn't! I remember all too well how Parkinson tried to cause me serious harm. Nor have I forgotten their role in the attack on Hogsmeade," Hermione defended herself. "I'm not saying that they suddenly discover their good heart; since they without doubt are horrible people. No, it's something else. We don't know them."
"Please explain that one to me." Harry didn't sound convinced.
"We don't know them. Oh, we do know that they are horrible to anyone they don't like, but that was all they showed to us. I remember Dudley and Millicent telling us that despite having lived in dorms with them for five years, even they had little idea what those two were doing when not antagonizing someone," Hermione reminded them.
"So we actually know next to nothing about them..." Neville concluded.
"Great, so we finally get a hint about the cup, and now it turns out that we can't do much with it," Ron complained. "Feels like fate is having a laugh at our expense."
Harry then shook his head. "I should have expected that despite how important the news about the cup are, we hardly can do anything about it. Whatever will happen, we have no influence over it."
"That is the crux with many prophecies," Luna added, having read a lot about that particular problem.
"Well, I know things we can do something about," Ginny then said.
They knew Ginny was talking about the fact that they soon would for real start doing Order work as well. Of course they would not right away be sent to the front lines, since that would be insane. However, they still actually would do important work, especially since for each of them a field where they would be well-suited was determined. Not to speak of all the work they were doing to get students are ready as they could possibly be.
"It's just two weeks, but we just as well could have stayed out of school, considering how little actual school work we are doing," Neville then remarked, pointing at the obvious. "I did see the looks the teachers were giving us."
"Yes, but they know exactly why we are doing this and that any attempt at stopping us would fail." Ron found the whole thing somewhat ironic. For years they had forced themselves to follow the school rules, and now that they did their own thing, the teachers couldn't do much about it.
...September 20th, meeting of the DoH...
The Defenders of Hogwarts were holding another training session. And while they had done so in the previous school year as well, things had changed considerably. In the previous school year, there had been a silent agreement that the DoH would train out of sight, since the teachers feared that the school otherwise would more feel like military barracks.
Now however from the very first meeting - which now also were held much more regularly - it was clear that that agreement had been given up by the students in a rather spectacular way. No longer wanting to hide away, the DoH was now conducting their training in the middle of the great hall, tables and benches being moved to the side by the elves after a polite request.
While this did violate numerous school rules, the teachers didn't dare to do something about it. The Headmaster knew he was on thin ice with the Six and didn't dare to intervene. McGonagall remembered the threat of them leaving Hogwarts and also kept out of it. Snape of course knew to not make his own situation even worse. The other teachers knew how popular the Six were with the other students or even felt that in light of what would happen in the near future this was only a good development. Either they, they also did nothing against it.
Interesting how much things have changed. Just a year ago we wouldn't have dared to so blatantly ignore the rules, Harry thought, still a bit amazed they got away with it. But enough of that, looks like things are about to be decided.
"Yes, that's really good! Now to the left and try again!" Harry called instructions and then watched the result. "That's good, though I think she would now appreciate being unstuck from the floor."
"Oh yes..." Mark said, doing the counter-curse. After all, Magdalena was already giving him dark looks for her entire front being stuck to the floor. "How did we do?"
"Not bad at all for your first time in our training." Harry then watched them join their friend Marvin. "I just wish you wouldn't have the need to learn those things and just enjoy being kids."
"You are not alone with that wish..." Marvin said, knowing how messed up all of this was.
A lot of the second and third-year students had joined the DoH training out of sheer fear over the steadily worsening situation in Magical Britain. By this point society at large had realized that the Ministry was close to giving up the ghost due to having been run into the ground in earlier years. Everyone was preparing for that day in their own way by this point. It actually was kind of frightening to watch how much public order had already fallen apart.
"When I told my parents what I'm about to do, they were all for it. I guess they felt better when knowing their little girl is learning how to defend herself properly," Magdalena said. "Have you given him private lessons over the summer?"
"Well, I admit I did show him some things, but since he couldn't use his wand without creating attention..." Harry knew that the risk of the trace revealing the safe house had simply been too great. "What you see is all him. He's putting a lot into it."
"But it's tame compared to them," Marvin said and pointed to the far side of the hall.
There, Ron and Hermione were in a fierce duel and it was an interesting duel. Ron had proven to be very adaptable when it came to fighting, despite being less versed on the theoretical side. Hermione on the other hand knew a lot more spells and curses, but was hampered by the fact that she did not have natural fighter instincts. It was a classical performer vs. technician battle.
"Have you secretly taking dancing lessons?" Ron wondered when Hermione for the third time carefully avoided one of his spells. They of course were not using harmful spells - this was not a real battle after all.
"Would you believe me that it's some old ballet lessons from before I went to Hogwarts?" Hermione told Ron, but her curse was easily deflected by Ron.
That conjured an interesting image in Ron's mind. "OK, I know you've had them when you were a preteen, but I couldn't help but imagine you wearing a tutu."
"Tempted to see me in one for real? I could slip into one to give you a private performance," Hermione teased him.
"Of course I would," Ron said with a smirk, then knew he had her where he wanted her to be.
"Gah!" Hermione gasped when Ron's next spell was aimed not at her but at a puddle on the floor from one of his earlier spells. From there it was reflected and nailed her squarely in the stomach. "Oh no I... ha-ha-ha-ha Please stop it! ha-ha-ha-ha Please, Ron!" she pleaded while dissolving into a fit of giggles, working hard to not roll on the floor in uncontrolled laughter.
Ron did show mercy and stopped the spell. "I guess this point goes to me?"
"Oh yes... Very creative..." Hermione admitted while trying to get her breathing under control. "I honestly did not expect you to place that puddle there on purpose. You are really good at hiding how you can think ahead."
"Oh, thanks..." The Ron added "Uhm, does the offer still stand?"
Hermione needed a moment before she understood, then giggled for real. "Let's meet later in the room and ballerina Granger will give you a private performance." Of course she meant the Room of Requirement to get a ballerina outfit - though she also knew to take some of her potion as well, since this surely would result in more than just a dance performance.
"Kind of impressive that those two can fight and flirt at the same time," Harry commented.
"Yuck, please leave that stuff out of it," Mark told Harry before the three of them walked to the tables to get some water.
Oh, believe me, you are going to change your mind on such things soon enough, Harry thought, knowing from experience that it would happen.
"Harry, why not give everyone a real show?" Ginny, having just refreshed herself, asked her boyfriend.
"You are sure about that?" It wasn't that Harry feared his girlfriend, but he knew that while Ginny lacked in a natural affinity to magical combat like he had, she more than made up with sheer ferocity. Subduing a spitfire like her was quite difficult.
"Yep, let's give them something to look at." Ginny then gave Harry a warning look. "And don't you dare to go easy on me. I'm wearing my bruises with pride."
Harry knew she meant that literally. "I'm not that stupid."
Ginny then gave Harry a sly look. "Mhh... Give me a good duel and we'll this evening not only kiss our bruises better, but I really want to test out how it feels when you kiss my lips."
"But I've kissed you so often...?" Harry wondered.
Ginny came closer and then whispered into his ear "I mean my other lips... further south." While she said that she pointed at the area between her legs. "And I think in the spirit of fairness, I then would return the favor."
The prospect of them exploring each other like that gave Harry all the motivation to give Ginny a powerful duel. Harry did win, but he had to work hard for said victory, and Ginny kept her word. Later at the evening they discovered that doing that felt wonderful. They also admitted to each other that the taste was great as well.
Meanwhile Neville and Luna were not in the middle of a duel and instead were instructing Susan Bones on something particular which they had discovered.
"You mean you tried strapping your wand to your leg and cast spells that way?" Susan asked, looking at them in disbelief.
"I know, it sounds outlandish, but it actually works. Though, you need to be really nimble to pull it off." Neville then looked to his girlfriend. "It was Luna's idea and she can actually pull it off reasonably well."
"Oh yes, I'm very flexible..." Luna said, giving her boyfriend a certain look.
She's doing that on purpose...Neville thought, knowing that Luna had proven to him in a more private setting more than once how flexible she truly was.
"It can surprise your opponent and I even tried it while making a handstand." Luna then grimaced a bit. "Granted, not my smartest idea. First my glasses fell off and then I landed on my head."
"I think I take a pass on that style," Susan said, deciding that keeping her wand in her hand was better.
Some of the teachers watched the DoH training from the entrance, taking note how the older students knew what they were doing when instructing the younger years.
"Very, very impressive..." Flitwick said, again being in awe how far those students had come. The dueling champion in him felt quite at home at the sight. "I'm very tempted to give a little demonstration of my own."
"Of course you would," Sinistra said, rolling her eyes. After years of working at the same school she knew him quite well. "I'm more surprised that are simply let it happen. Well... actually I'm not. Our world is falling apart and the children decided that they have to prepare for their own safety."
"It's actually sad when you think about it," Rogers, the History professor, added. "We as the adults failed them and they now feel the need to prepare on their own. That's why we aren't doing anything to stop this."
That sobered up Flitwick. "Indeed, not even Mr. Filch is stopping them. He is more busy with tending to his hunting rifle. He says you can never know."
Everyone knew that Filch, due to not having magic of his own, had gotten a special permit to actually own a non-magical weapon. The whole thing had never come up in all those years he was working at Hogwarts. But now, in these uncertain and dangerous times, it had become frighteningly common to see him wearing said rifle over his shoulder.
"And the Headmaster said nothing about all of this?" Sinistra wondered.
"Not one word. However, since he seems to be on thin ice with Potter in particular, it's no wonder he's shying away from using his authority," Rogers said, then looked thoughtful. "I also think he accepted that trying to continue business as usual would basically be impossible after losing half of our students."
It left them with the reality that children were preparing for a time where they were forced to defend themselves, because the adults had utterly failed to keep them safe.
However, another voice then joined them. "They are taking this very serious. Very good." They saw that Moody had joined them and the man looked impressed at what the students were doing. "This is going better than I actually anticipated."
"Of course, you like the the school being turned into a military camp," Rogers said while rolling his eyes.
Moody seemed to take offense at that. "Don't presume what I'm thinking. Despite my reputation, I know this is not normal. We messed up the situation and they now have to step up due to it. Seeing them prepare for the inevitable crash gives me hope they come out of this in one piece."
Hearing that from Moody, they honestly could not argue.
...September 28th, London...
It was a small circle which was meeting, but each person at the table was fully in the know and thus nothing would be kept secret. For the magical side, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Sirius sat at the long table. On the other side sat Chairman Clifton, Mr. Morden and Prime Minister Blair himself. This meeting was the small circle, because many delicate topics were being discussed.
The one topic that was revealed right now had caused a lot of concern.
"You tell us Voldemort actually made himself immortal by cutting off pieces of his own soul and sealing those into objects?" Mr. Morden had grown up with magic, but that was the first time he was hearing of that one.
"Not truly immortal, since the soul pieces still decay. However, since we can hardly wait over 100 years for that to happen, for the time being that is indeed the case," Dumbledore explained.
Considering how much the situation in Magical Britain had already fallen apart, those in the know felt that it now was time to reveal to MI-X, what exactly Voldemort had done so that he managed to return. It was agreed that keeping that information secret by this point no longer made any sense at all. It also was a matter of trust as well, since both side pretty much needed each other.
Needless to say that the revelation had floored each of them utterly, since it honestly was something straight out of a horror story.
"And you tell us you already are in the process of finding and destroying said items, since you do have the means of destroying those otherwise very difficult to destroy items?" It seemed Mr. Clifton had taken it best, quickly regaining his cool.
"Yes. He has made six of them. Three are already destroyed, two he's keeping close to his person and one we have no idea where it is right at the moment," Sirius quickly tallied up what they had accomplished.
"I see..." Almost five months after his election victory Tony Blair felt how the pressure from all sides made being Prime Minister a thankless job. "So essentially all those items have to be destroyed, otherwise he'll simply flee, bide his time and then start everything all over again."
"Sadly, that's how it is," McGonagall admitted. "Shattering the Death Eaters will be pointless if Voldemort can simply return a few decades later."
"What are the remaining items in question?" Mr. Morden asked
Dumbledore knew it was his call to explain. "The first is a ring that once belonged to Voldemort's maternal family. He is wearing that one on his finger at all times. The second item actually is his pet snake Nagini..."
"You can do that with a living being?" Mr. Morden barely disguised his disgust at the idea.
"Sadly, yes. The last item is the Cup of Hufflepuff, an old relic which we sadly have no idea where he hid it. It also is that problem which convinced us to reveal this information. All of our efforts to locate the cup have resulted in failure."
There was some silence and the three men whispering among each other, before Mr. Clifton spoke up. "Considering the importance, we will enter the search as well. However, for that we also want a full dossier on Voldemort - or should we call him Tom Marvolo Riddle? Everything you know about him."
That was quickly agreed upon as reasonable.
The Prime Minister then took the word. "Now, in the interest of building trust and to coordinate the efforts, it was decided to reveal a safeguard that MI-X has been working on for over a decade by this point. To be honest, I was surprised myself when the plan was being revealed to me. I leave it to Chairman Clifton to explain."
"Thank you, Sir," Clifton said. "I first have to explain that the plan originally was developed in case of a conflict breaking out between the magical and non-magical side. It was before we could define properly from which angle the danger could come from. However, it was adapted properly for our current situation. We call it Operation Floodgate. It is an economic attack."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "How would you do that, considering how insular the economy of Magical Britain is?"
"The plan essentially involved flooding the economy of Magical Britain with Galleons until a hyperinflation has completely wrecked it," Clifton explained the short version.
"But... the untold suffering this would cause to the common people." McGonagall had understood the horrible effect that would have on the population.
Mr. Clifton knew how true that was. "That also was why we only see it as a nuclear option. The interesting part is, that it would be the goblins' own fault, since they gave everything needed to mint authentic Galleons to a representative of the Bank of England who is working for us."
"It's as scary as it is impressive, considering the normal attitude of the goblins," Sirius thought aloud. "However, the economy of Magical Britain is already falling apart and we advised basically everyone we are even losely connected with to either exchange their money into Pound Sterling or invest it into material goods."
"Oh, we are aware of that fact," Mr. Morden said. "We are holding the plan back for until after the Ministry has fallen."
The Prime Minister, who had kept silent, now again took the word. "Despite the nominal autonomy of Magical Britain, my government nonetheless has a responsibility to its people as well. That also is a reason why we have not implemented the plan yet. It was reported that confidence in the currency is already dwindling the longer hostilities go on, but the population has to be shielded as best as possible from the effects, which means for them to rid themselves of the currency that soon will be worthless."
Having listened to all of this, Dumbledore now had a good idea what this was about. "You are asking the Order to spread the word so that people will flee out of the currency for their own protection."
"Yes, in essence a slow-burning bank run, only that instead of trying to get the money out of the bank, they bring it to the bank to exchange it," Mr. Morden remarked, seeing the irony in that.
"Of course, the Death Eater families won't be warned and considering how stuck to the old ways they are, they are sitting on a huge pile a cash that will soon be worthless for them..." Sirius mused, then remembered something. "You know that your plan wil also cause the collapse of Gringotts, don't you? I don't think the goblins will find that very amusing."
"Ah yes, concerning them..." Clifton's expression darkened a bit. "Did you know that for years they were working towards destroying the economy of your society anyway?" He saw the looks of utter surprise and knew that they had not discovered that fact. "I see you don't. Let me enlighten you of what they are doing."
And explain he did. He told them how through careful manipulation the goblins were slowly reducing the amount of money in circulation, thus waging a secret war to hurt magical society. When he had finished with his explanations, all three representatives of the Order knew that magical society in Britain in its current form had been doomed for years already.
"That... does explain a lot." McGonagall had to leave it to the goblins that that was a clever and destructive plan - a plan that would have been impossible if not for the Ministry foolishly giving them a banking monopoly. "In retrospect it was foolish to give complete control over the money to people that waged multiple wars again the society they were told to serve."
"However, that now is no longer relevant, since it will all come to an end anyway," Dumbledore reminded everyone present.
"Ah yes, that." The Prime Minister looked a bit tired now. "While I appreciate that you did warn us what the Minister is planning, it caused us to sweat blood and water. We all know the consequences of such an act and there will be no going back once the deed is done. I'm constantly on the phone with the other European leaders, with the American president and with others. We are bracing ourselves for when it happens, but..."
"We know. There is no telling what comes after that," Sirius said, understanding all too well.
After all, how do you prepare for something that will change the world forever?
to be continued...
Next Episode:
"The End is Nigh"
Notes:
Here the notes.
Well, here we are with something only few authors do: our main characters actually do return to Hogwarts for the final year. However, things have changed considerably. I think it goes without saying that after what happened with Hogsmeade, no parent in their right mind would allow their children to attend Hogwarts as a first-year student, and even the numbers of the higher years have thinned out significantly. Ron put it best when calling the whole thing a farce.
The small mention of Ireland is me reminding everyone what a clusterfuck that will be.
How many of you guessed I would make Shacklebolt the Defense professor for the lower years? I didn't exactly want to write his lessons, so I hope the description was enough. What do you think of his approach to teaching?
Yeah, this chapter has a lot of character interactions between the Six and their friends. However we also see the situation with Snape and Dumbledore and how past decisions have now come to haunt them. We do learn a bit more about the circumstances, while Dumbledore...
Of course, Umbridge. You think I forgot that Mr. Stone is still out there, under an Unbreakable Vow? And we get proof once more what kind of a bitch she is. Now we see the consequences of the Ministry not finding him.
Yep, most guessed already that Diane is pregnant. Depite the bad timing, it's still wonderful news. Though, good luck for them for having to explain that to Steve and Kathleen. He he he...
Another prophecy. Many of you wondered how I would handle the cup, and this prophecy now gives big hints how that will go.
The Defenders of Hogwarts are training. Besides me using that for many small things, it does show how much Hogwarts has already fallen apart, that the faculty is actually simply accepting them training in the great hall.
And the Order and MI-X are exchanging information. Trust is a mutual thing after all. Thus we do learn a bit as well.