And here's the twenty second chapter of "A Year Too Soon"! Enjoy!
* Review Response:
mwinter1, Clavyus, elvander72, Gabriel Herrol, Jostanos, orion0905, DarkRavie, Some Guy In An Ambulance, ObsessedWithHPFanFic, Yana5, Charles Ceaser, JPElles, geekymom, Harriverse, Jamnaz79, moonl337, Guest #1, Guest #2, BillBrink, nkh1, Silo666, thank you for your reviews, folks!
Wyrtha, unicorns are safe. Plus, Voldemort has been beaten even worse than in canon here, mostly through his own gamble backfiring. In fact, he probably won't recover enough to really do anything by the time canon's fourth year rolls around - there will be a (slightly) different plot going on during the Triwizard Tournament.
Innortal, well, I'm not a professional writer, so there will always be something that can be improved.
mizzrazz72, I actually don't intent to explain that presently. Let it stay a mystery.
magitech, heh. But I think he might take his chances even if his forces outnumber his targets at only five to one. ;) Truthfully, I think that giving Voldemort a moral myopia in that everything he does is 'good' and everything he doesn't like is 'bad' wouldn't cause too much of a derailment for his character. He's a Dark Lord with a soul split into pieces, after all.
Darth-Vulturnus, well, yeah those are tired cliches for Dumbledore and I try my best to avoid falling into them. I'm not sure I'm actually doing a good job there, though. My Dumbledore still isn't as visibly-proactive as he should probably be, and I don't really know how to change without splitting the story into "Dumbledore fixes things" and "Harry woos the Carrow twins" mostly-independent parts.
SpeedisArmour, thank you.
pottersparky, I'm making some noticeable changes to the CoS plot, so I currently don't have an idea how to include Dobby. The little guy needs saving though...
Aeroza, why would I do that? Or, to be more precise, what will be their role in this story? - I currently have no plotlines that could even use a new element such as the one you are suggesting.
Overfic23, in the original idea, the basilisk would kinda just remain down there once the diary is dealt with. I might be able to think up something different, though.
mab70, the answer to the first question is 'no'. As for the second - it will be resolved soon enough, so you'll have to wait and see.
* AN: As always, great thanks to my friend Skelekitty for his help in polishing this chapter.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own "Harry Potter" franchise. No profit is being made. Same goes for any books, video games, anime or manga I may or may not use for ideas.
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A Year Too Soon
Chapter XXII: The Changes Are Coming
"Good evening, Amelia." Dumbledore greeted as he reached the Director of the DMLE over the floo network. "May I come through?" He asked then. Madam Bones put aside a lengthy report she had been reading and gave the old warlock a nod.
"What can I do for you tonight, Professor?" Amelia asked, even though her gut feeling was telling her that this wasn't a social visit and that Albus was bearing bad news.
"I'm here to inform you that the situation at Hogwarts has been resolved." The Chief Warlock told her. "Furthermore, my investigation into the Dark Wizard behind late Mr. Quirrell and the compromised Ministry workers has finally born a fruit."
"Please share your findings, Professor. My people were unable to track this Dark Wizard down." Madam Bones said. "But before that, where is Senior Auror Mire?"
"About that,.." Albus began. "I'm afraid, I have some grave news for you, Amelia. Terence didn't make it through." Seeing Amelia rise out of her chair menacingly, he quickly clarified: "He had been possessed by a Dark spirit and his body couldn't handle the stress." This didn't placate the Madam Director, if anything it made her only angrier.
"You let something this dangerous near children?!" She almost roared. The aged warlock opened his mouth, but Amelia didn't let him say a single word. "Don't even try, Dumbledore!" The witch hissed. "I've known you for long enough to be sure that wherever you've moved your trap was still within a spitting distance from Hogwarts. You keep playing with people's lives, Dumbledore, and now your games have cost me an Auror."
"The appearance of that Dark spirit wasn't something even I could have foreseen. And, had there been anything I could've done to save Terence, he would've still been alive and well." Albus replied. His words were followed by a lengthy pause.
"What is this 'Dark spirit' you're talking about?" Madam Bones asked him. Dumbledore didn't reply immediately. Instead, he drew his wand and waved it around, testing the privacy wards around the office. Once satisfied that those wards were as strong as they could be, the old warlock finally gave his answer:
"Voldemort." Amelia shivered slightly upon hearing that name. No, she didn't have a panic fear of it like many witches and wizards of Great Britain did, but it did bring up many terrible memories.
"Are you sure?" She asked after a few long seconds of complete silence.
"I am, unfortunately." Albus replied with a nod. "I do not yet know what exactly he had become and how he managed to stay in this world after his failed attempt to kill young Harry Potter all those years ago, but that Dark spirit was definitely him. I've managed to send him fleeing tonight, but there is no doubt that he'll be seeking another way to return soon." This was followed by another period of uneasy silence.
"This… certainly complicates things." The Director of the DMLE said finally. "And, I believe you want this knowledge to be kept a secret. Or, at least restricted to my Department and, possibly, the Unspeakables." Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes, I'd prefer it if you keep the number of people who know that the Dark Lord isn't truly dead to a minimum, at least until we know more about the method he used to cheat death and the ways to get around it." He said. "The last thing we want is his followers learning that their Master is still around and aiding him in his quest for a new body."
"This is agreeable." Amelia said. "However, you still have to explain to me how the Dark Lord was able to get this close to Hogwarts. Didn't you repair and upgrade the wards around the castle after the troll incident?" She asked then.
"As I said, I don't know what exactly Voldemort has become, but whatever he is, it is something I have never encountered before." Dumbledore replied. "His current form has properties similar to those of a ghost or a poltergeist, yet different enough from them that wards designed to detect or contain those aren't triggered by him. I'm afraid, Amelia, that until I know more about what exactly the Dark Lord is right now, the only thing I can do to protect Hogwarts from him is be extra vigilant and personally confront him, should he show up anywhere near the castle."
"Then you better make sure you can keep this constant vigilance of yours up." The Madam Director said, sending the man a glare. "If the Dark Lord so much as touches a single hair on a student under your care, then Merlin help me, I'll do all I can to destroy you." She threatened.
"Don't worry, Amelia. I will do everything in my power to protect Hogwarts and her students." Dumbledore promised her.
"But can you keep this promise while also working as the Chief Warlock of Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of ICW?" The witch asked. "Recent events show that you might not be able to devote as much time as needed to your job as the Headmaster." Albus fell silent for a good few seconds. Then he let out a deep sigh.
"Perhaps, you're right, Amelia." He said. "I'm certainly not getting any younger. It might indeed be the time for me to step down from those positions and devote all of my time to bringing Hogwarts' students up into the best wizards and witches they can be." Madam Bones nodded.
"Don't forget that keeping them all safe and healthy is also your responsibility, one that you seemingly haven't been fulfilling recently." The Director of the DMLE told him. "If another incident like the one this past Halloween takes place, I'll be raising a question of replacing you with someone who can actually run the school competently with the Board of Governors."
"I'm sure, there will be no reason for you to do that." Dumbledore replied.
"I certainly hope so." Amelia said. Then, after a brief pause, she continued: "Now, if you excuse me, I have to make plans so that the Auror force is prepared, should the Dark Lord regain his body and start spreading his terror anew."
"Of course." The old warlock replied. "I'll be on my way then." And with that he walked up to the fireplace and flooed away.
~/ *** \~
As Harry took a seat at the Slytherin table the next morning, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad has happened at Hogwarts. Perhaps, the reason was that the entire with the exception of Professor Mire, who was nowhere to be seen, was sitting there with forced cheerfulness on their faces. Shrugging this off as a product of his imagination, he helped himself with some toasts and some scrambled eggs.
However, about the time he was half-through his breakfast, Headmaster Dumbledore rose from his golden throne-like chair and called for everyone's attention.
"Pardon me for distracting you from your meals, but I have to make an important announcement." The old warlock said, addressing the student body. Once everyone was listening to him, he continued: "Due to unforeseen and unfortunate events, Professor Mire will not be able to continue teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." This announcement caused a wave of disappointed groans. Professor Mire wasn't particularly well liked, but the students weren't thrilled by yet another change in Professors part-way through the year. "Since we have only a few months left, it was decided that I will take over the position for the rest of this academic year."
"The curse is particularly vicious this year. I don't think we've ever lost two DADA Professors in just five months before." Harry heard someone down the Slytherin table remark.
"Then hopefully it will strike the third time." The young Mr. Malfoy said in a droning voice. "It's about time the old fool removed himself from Hogwarts and let a better wizard take the reigns."
"Malfoy!" The previous speaker hissed angrily. "Stop bringing disgrace to the House of Slytherin with your stupid remarks. As much as I don't like the Headmaster's policies on certain things, openly wishing him harm is just dragging the Noble name of Slytherin through the mire." The blonde boy was about to retort, but before a single word could leave his mouth, he winced in pain: apparently someone had kicked him under the table to preemptively shut him up.
Turning his attention away from the scene, Harry asked his best friends:
"Why do think Professor Mire left Hogwarts so suddenly?"
"Well… He's an Auror, isn't he? Perhaps, the DMLE assigned him an extended mission away from Hogwarts?" Hestia said after a moment of silence. The green-eyed wizard nodded: this sounded like a reasonable explanation.
"Likely." Flora agreed. "But there is a rumor abound that he was in a fight yesternight and that's why he won't teach anymore." Harry gave her a look full of doubt.
"Seriously?" He asked. "Wouldn't there be some signs of a Magical battle if that fight indeed happened?"
"Probably." Flora replied with a shrug. "I only said that there is such a rumor."
"I know." The young Potter said. "I'm just astonished that people come up with such ridiculous ideas."
~/ *** \~
Later that same day, once the classes were over, Harry approached his upperclassman, Miles Bletchley, with a request of great importance.
"Let me get this straight, Potter, you want me to buy these sweets from Honeydukes for you?" The older boy asked as he read the offered list obliquely. "You do remember that things aren't done for free in Slytherin, right?" The green-eyed wizard nodded.
"Of course." Harry said. "I'm giving you enough gold that what you'll be left with should be sufficient compensation for your efforts.." Miles grumbled something under his breath, but accepted the money and the list of sweets the younger boy wanted him to buy nevertheless.
"Fine. Just don't hold me responsible if your girlfriends don't like these chocolates." He said, making the young Potter blush red and start making unconvincing claims that his relationship with Flora and Hestia wasn't like that.
...Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the Slytherin common room, the Carrow twins were suffering through something very similar as they were ordering some sweets for Harry through a female prefect.
~/ *** \~
The morning of February 11th was cold and sunny, and Harry was certain that it would be just another Tuesday. Then the owl post arrived along with his copy of the 'Daily Prophet'.
Albus Dumbledore resigns from Wizengamot and ICW
The newspaper's headline screamed. Putting his breakfast aside, the young Potter skimmed through the article. According to it, yesterday the Hogwarts Headmaster had unexpectedly announced his resignation from his positions of the Chief Warlock of Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of ICW during the scheduled session of the Magical Britain's parliament.
Dumbledore's stated reason for this resignation was his advanced age making it really hard for him to balance three full-time jobs and his desire to concentrate on one that he liked the most. The reporter of the 'Daily Prophet', however, speculated that the recent events at Hogwarts could have been a major influence for this decision.
The article then went on how Elphias Doge became the acting Chief Warlock while the election of Britain's ICW representative would take place during the emergency Wizengamot session next week. Not being particularly interested in who the potential candidates for that position were, Harry set the newspaper aside and was about to resume his breakfast when Dumbledore called for the student's attention. Once he had it, he made his announcement:
"As some of you are already aware thanks to the 'Daily Prophet', I've resigned from positions I held in Wizengamot and ICW in favor of devoting all of my time to guiding the new generation of wizards and witches as a teacher and the Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry." The aged warlock said. Waiting for murmurs to die down a little, he continued: "And as a teacher I'm proud to announce that starting with the next year Hogwarts will be offering a new elective course, the Basics of Alchemy. This course will be open for those students, who have mastered OWL-level Transfiguration, Potions, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy."
This announcements was met with an excited chatter, and it wasn't hard to see what the students, especially those from Ravenclaw, were excited about: Alchemy was an almost-legendary branch of Magic that only a handful of wizards and witches throughout the world were proficient at. Being given a chance to study even the very basics of this art would be a great honor. ...Dumbledore, however, wasn't done with his announcement just yet.
"In addition to that, I will be reading a series of public lectures on the history of Magical Arts, nature of various Magical phenomena, and other topics of interest. These lectures will be held twice a week and open for everyone to attend." He said.
"Don't know about you, but I'm definitely looking forward to these lectures." Harry whispered to his friends. And, indeed, while he might not agree with Dumbledore on many things, he'd never deny that the old man was both a very good teacher and incredibly knowledgeable about Magic. "It would be interesting to learn more about Magic and why things are the way they are." The Carrow twins nodded.
"Yeah, those ought to be quite interesting. I just hope those lectures wouldn't be too hard for us, then third years, to understand." Flora said in response.
"I don't think it's something we should really worry about." Harry said "Headmaster Dumbledore did say that those lectures will be public and open for everyone. He'll probably write them in such a way that even a muggle-born first year will be able to understand what he's talking about."
"I hope you're right, Harry." Hestia said with a nod.
~/ *** \~
Friday morning found Harry sitting in his usual armchair in the Slytherin common room, waiting impatiently for Flora and Hestia to join him there. Right next to him, carefully hidden by a pillow, were two boxes of chocolate candies that he intended to gift to the twins for the Valentine's.
And as various scenarios of what might happen played out in his head, the young Potter got lost in his thoughts and completely missed the girls emerging from the dormitories and walking up to him. Only when they called for his attention did he finally return back to the present.
"Is everything alright, Harry?" Looking up, he saw Flora and Hestia standing side by side in front of him. And even as distracted as he was, he couldn't miss the twins looking rather nervous themselves as they tried to keep something hidden behind their backs.
"Yeah, sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." He told them. This was followed by a period of uneasy silence, during which the girls became even more nervous, especially Hestia who was now shifting from one foot to the other diffidently. After a few seconds, Flora bumped her sister's shoulder and whispered something that Harry couldn't quite hear. Hestia nodded in response, encouraged by her twin's words.
"H-Here, Harry. Happy Valentine's." The twins said bashfully as they gave him a heart-shaped box of chocolates, deep blushes blossoming on their faces.
"T-Thank you." The young Potter said, his voice just as bashful, as he accepted their gift. Placing the box on his lap carefully, he presented the girls with the boxes of candies he had bought for them. "And t-these are for you." Taking the chocolates from his hands, Flora and Hestia immediately noticed that he remembered that they had slightly different tastes and got them the sweets they liked the best.
"Our favorites... Thank you so much, Harry." They said. Then, blushing a deeper shade of red, they leaned forward and kissed the green-eyed wizard on his cheeks, making his face turn as red as Weasleys' hair. And he just sat there, shocked motionless.
"C'mon, Harry, won't you join us for some breakfast?" Flora, now back to her usual self, teased him, breaking the young Potter out of his stupor..
That's all, folks!
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