Chapter 89: Best Laid Plans
At this depth, the ground felt as though it had a soul of ice. The occupants of the subterranean room, however, knew that the planet had a heart of fire. Many generations earlier, their forebears had learned to leech off the heat. The room's rich tapestries and plush carpeting, when coupled with its comfortable warmth, were almost enough to make one forget just how far beneath the surface the room was.
Seven leaders from around the world, each representing a goblin capital, stood in a ragged circle and conversed as equals.
"They are ignorant of the dominion they have over our kind," said the overseer of Gringotts. "They do not show the aggression or greed of a worthy goblin lord. They seem more than content with the pittance we have provided them. Their orders have been benign in nature with little or no impact on how we conduct ourselves."
The leader from Oceana snorted, "Their mere existence is an insult! The last goblin lord at least made an attempt to be a proper goblin."
"How did such weaklings amass such power?" demanded the leader from Kilimanjaro harshly.
“That is unascertained,” the Overseer said. “Neither is the type to covet the power they possess, let alone seek it out. However, it would be unwise to label the younger as a weakling. The whelp, nowhere near full growth, has recently joined in battle against a werewolf. A strike team was nearby to assist, but she and her allies triumphed without support.”
“No honor was shared with the warriors?” the leader from the Andes asked. "Was this some pup that she overpowered?"
Shaking his head, the Overseer replied, "This was as dangerous as they get. Our strike teams managed to keep it contained, but they could not capture or kill it."
Grudgingly, the leader from the Andes replied, “She may yet prove worthy of her position.”
“We will accept nothing less,” said the leader from Appalachia.
“You speak as if we have a choice,” said the leader from the Orient, easily the largest in the room despite being stooped with age. His white eyes were unseeing yet, somehow, they missed nothing. “We cannot even keep them ignorant, if they but ask.”
Hopelessness saturated the chamber. The attendees each contemplated the import of those words. There could have been bickering. There could have been criticism, swearing or accusations. There could have been a knock-down, drag-out battle. There could have been any act in reaction. There would have been no difference.
Those gathered showed enough wisdom to avoid any rash action.
Those gathered stood helpless in the face of the inevitable.
Any pretense of a winter wonderland was shattered after just one glimpse of the churned ground. The snow was no longer a pristine white blanket. Roughshod hooves scraped out a dirty brown line while clattering pawls marked a funeral cadence. In their wake, a trail of gritty slush marked their passage. Only a hard freeze prevented the ugly scar on the mountain from turning to mud.
Applejack confidently cantered through the grimy slush as she made her way up the switchback with a large boulder balanced on her back. Humming cheerfully, she approached the lead wagon, which seemed to be oozing rather than rolling. With a slight grunt, the farm mare sent the rock to enjoy the ride with its brothers.
“Not another boulder,” Ron whined.
“Y'all should have thought of that before picking fights,” Applejack said, making her way to the front of the wagon to check on the four earth pony foals laboring in their harnesses. “Y'all might want to save yer breath fer the pulling.” Smirking, she said, "When the thaw comes, y'all will help put the dam together."
Lavender spat, "Nemo me impune lacessit."
"Say what?" said Applejack.
"No one hurts my herd and gets away with it. I still say it was worth it," replied Lavender as she took the extra weight without complaint. Neville grunted in agreement while Apple Bloom held her tongue.
Silently, Applejack sighed. The filly had just confirmed what her new cutie mark declared to the world; there was little she wouldn't do to protect those she considered to be under her care. Instead of arguing with the stubborn filly, Applejack turned her attention to the wagon's twin, which lagged noticeably. The unicorn foals struggled with a much lighter load, but their expressions were no less defiant than those of the ponies bearing the heavier burden.
Shaking her head, Applejack looked up and checked the airborne wagon being drawn by six winged foals. Hopefully, the charms to keep the boulders seated there were as foolproof as Remus Lupin insisted. Briefly, she considered adding a couple boulders to all three, but decided that the axles would break long before their spirits. Worse, she was positive that the foals were all aware of just how much danger they had put themselves in and that they would do it again without any hesitation if they deemed it necessary.
A lesson was being taught; sadly, it wasn’t the lesson intended.
The locals often joked that Mellow Yolk was the local egg breaker. In truth, she was far more than a mere broker. Her job was important, if not particularly glamorous. Most ponies suspected that she was part bat pony since her day started at the Demon's Hour. In a remarkably short time, she would visit each farm and household on her supplier list. At each location, she silently and swiftly collected all the eggs from the hens. She would then take those eggs to a drop box, where she would leave both the number of eggs requested on a note inside and payment for the balance, less her fee.
It was rare for her to find another pony awake at that hour, let alone one of her suppliers. In fact, she hadn't even had a word with Fluttershy in two years, despite the fact that the Element Bearer's coop was one of her most productive stops.
Earth pony magic kept the birds laying year-round, even during the short winter days. Thus, she always had enough stock to supply the local businesses, such as Barnyard Bargains and Sugarcube Corner. Despite their voracious appetites, she would generally be left with a gross or so that she would sell from her pushcart in the market square. Usually, her workday ended before most ponies started their shifts.
Sometimes, however, her harvest was large enough and the traffic slow enough that she would still be peddling her wares into the noon hour. This was just such a day. Mellow brightened when she saw an unfamiliar green earth pony stallion swaggering toward her. On further reflection, she decided that 'staggering' was more accurate. His gait was a cross between the tentative steps of a newborn and the loopy dance of somepony in the midst of their first firewhisky experience.
Mellow Yolk smiled welcomingly. “Good morning. Here to buy my last two dozen eggs of the day, I hope.”
The stallion gave a splendid smile in return. “Yes ma’am. We’ve got a gathering happening over at the Apple farm, and the cooks have found themselves short on eggs.”
“Oh?” Mellow frowned slightly. If this stallion did come from the farm, she’d be obligated to sell the eggs at cost. “I was there earlier, and their note didn’t ask for extra eggs to be left.”
The stallion brightened slightly at those words. “You are Mellow Yolk then. Granny told me to tell you that it was unexpected, and she would leave you a fresh apple pie for your trouble.”
Mellow's smile returned; such an offering was well worth the loss of profit. “So, you’re an Apple then?” she asked, producing a wicker basket for the stallion to carry the eggs since he wasn’t wearing saddle bags.
“No ma’am.” The stallion shook his head. “I’m a Weasley.”
Mellow paused in her work. “A Weasley? Like those twins Dull Roar and her friends have been going on about?”
“Fred and George?” the stallion asked. “If so, yes, those two are my younger brothers.”
Mellow abandoned any pretense of packing the remaining eggs. “I didn’t get your name.”
“Bill Weasley, pleased to meet you.”
“You’re a human then?” said a mare who had been walking by.
“Why, yes I am.” Bill Weasley answered the unanticipated addition to the conversation.
“I’ve heard good things about human stallions,” the mare from the next stall over commented.
“Oh? Really?” Bill Weasley asked.
“Yes!” came the seductive drawl from every mare in earshot.
In the Sleepy Saguaro Sanatorium, two ponies looked up at their patient with no small amount of worry.
A tawny mare with an airy voice asked, “Are you feeling any discomfort?”
“Dearie,” said the patient as she studied her new two-legged form. “When you get to be my age, it’s just one discomfort after the other. This ain’t nothing I can’t handle.” She sighed. "I kinda wish teeth came with the transformation."
“I’d like to go over the risks one more time,” said a mustard-colored mare in a firmer voice.
The old ex-mare laughed until she started to cough. After regaining her composure, she said. “This here is a hospice. We all know why I’m here. ‘Risk’ has lost any meaning.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” the tawny mare asked, making a last confirmation.
“Sure and eager. After all these years, if I survive, I'll have the memory of a lifetime. If not, I'll go in a blaze of glory."
“Okay then.” The mustard mare came over to help the ancient female walk. “Let me take you to his room and introduce you.”
“Thank you, dearie; I can hardly wait.”
The mustard-colored mare rapped sharply on the door and called out, "Peter! I have your next appointment!"
A resigned groan came from the other side of the door as it slowly opened. "I really need a day off."
'"You're an incubus. You know there's no rest for the wicked."
"But . . ."
"No 'buts'. We agreed to hide you from the hunters, and you agreed to provide service with a smile. Don't make me use the necklace."
With a forced smile, Peter opened the door and led the patient in. The mustard-colored mare jumped when the door was slammed in her face.
The tawny mare sighed. A new voice said, "Is something wrong?"
The mare almost jumped out of her skin. After collecting herself, she replied, "No, not really."
“Something has you worried.”
“It’s just that sooner or later somepony is going to come asking why half our filed certificates have hyperpareunia as cause of death.”
On the outskirts of the earth pony town of Ponyville, a somewhat unusual procession made its way toward the ugly brown scar that marked the switchback. In terms of calories, 76,000 led the small parade, with two unicorns trailing, line abreast. The food was held in a reunion-sized wicker picnic basket, held aloft in a magenta aura. Spying their objective, Twilight and Emma called out a greeting as they rapidly gained on Applejack and the three slow-moving wagons.
“Howdy, Twilight, Emma,” Applejack returned. “Just in time with them thar vittles. Tha foals need to keep thar strength up fer the other half of the mountain.”
“We got that covered,” Twilight said, producing a scroll seemingly from nowhere. “Granny and Molly made every item on the checklist. Those two are a sight to see in the kitchen; Dinner is going to be a meal to remember. In the meantime, the foals can enjoy a midday meal prepared with love.” Then, somewhat more softly than the Royal Canterlot Voice, she said, “Okay, everypony, unhitch yourselves! It’s time to eat!”
“Cutie Mark Crusader Food Critics!” Seamus declared, freeing himself.
“Yay!” came the traditional interjection.
“I can see you have all worked up an appetite,” Emma said as two red-maned foals darted past while the others stayed behind to help everypony else get unhitched. As Twilight spread the blanket that was atop the basket onto the snowy ground and centered the basket on it, Emma continued. "I'm sorry that we have to punish you like this, but you need to understand just how reckless and dangerous that stunt of yours was. That monster could have mauled you, or worse."
“We understand,” Neville said for the herd and left it at that.
“Wait a minute,” Scootaloo said, helping Luna from her harness. “Didn’t we already try for our food critic cutie marks?”
“That was back when there were only three of us,” Sweetie replied. “We might get lucky.”
“I don’t think any of us are that finicky when it comes to eating,” Hermione said, staggering slightly after being relieved of her load.
“A little help here,” Harry pleaded from where he and Abigail had got themselves tangled together.
“How did you manage that?” Ginny asked, gaping at her friends.
“Are you trying for your knot tying cutie mark?” Dean asked dryly. “I watched you do it and I still think it's impossible to do in only three dimensions.”
“I’ve got to say, that takes some talent,” Lavender said, moving to help.
That’s a right Gordian knot,” Emma said, following Twilight to assist.
“That’s my tail!” Abigail admonished when Harry gave a tug.
“Hey! Leave me out of this!” Parvati yelled when she got out of her own tack, only to be ensnared by her fellow flyers.
“I said, that’s my tail!”
“Lift your bum,” Harry commanded. “I need to get this over it.”
“Stop trying to get some tail! I only have the one!” Abigail countered.
“He’s going after mine now.” Parvati grimaced as she felt a tug.
Twilight sighed as she approached the tangled foals. “Let’s do this the easy way.” There was a flash of magenta light, and the trio tumbled away from each other as their impromptu bindings materialized on the other side of the cart.
“It didn’t take y'all no time to get yerselves into bind,” Applejack commented. “Now that yer done playing around, it’s time to eat.”
Ron pulled his head from the picnic basket and swallowed. “We’re going to need more food.” He then plunged his head back into the side of the picnic basket which he had claimed.
Apple Bloom pulled her head out of the other side to comment. “Yeah, there ain’t much left.” With piranha-like voracity, she returned to her meal.
The remaining ponies watched two red tails point toward the sky as the basket's payload was swiftly metabolized.
“You two are becoming worse than Sweetie with a meat-covered pizza,” Parvati called out.
“Is that normal?” Emma asked, mouth agape.
“Nope.” Applejack shook her head. “Normal would be Apple Bloom helping her friends before thinking of filling her belly. An’ she’s been taught ta share.”
“That was beyond rude,” Scootaloo said. “It’s not like her.”
“They were just as bad at supper last night,” Hermione added.
“So . . .” Emma said. “Tapeworms?”
“Tapeworms?” Twilight snorted. “There was enough food in there for fourteen hungry foals and three adults.”
“Hungry tapeworms?” Applejack suggested.
“With leftovers,” Twilight added.
“So . . .” Emma said. “Magical tapeworms?”
“Mighty hungry magical tapeworms,” Applejack said.
“That would explain the famished parasprite impressions,” Sweetie said.
Applejack shuddered. “Granny is goin’ ta be mighty upset if’n they start belching up great grandfoals.”
“Well, I see a thorough exam in their immediate future,” Emma said.
“Ah kin see the wisdom in that.” Applejack trotted forward to seize Apple Bloom’s tail in her mouth. “Grab Ron an’ Ah’ll show ya tha way to the hospital.”
“Twilight, could you take the rest of the foals back to the farm for something to eat? I’ll help Applejack,” Emma said before gingerly taking Ron’s tail in a similar manner.
I’m on it,” Twilight said. “Scootaloo, fly ahead and ask Big Mac for a couple bushels of apples. We’ll go to the orchard and set up a campfire. That way we can have some roasted apples and not bother the cooks in the kitchen.”
“I’m hungry, and that sounds like a lot of work,” Abigail said. “We could just hit a restaurant in town.”
“Nah, it’ll be fun and I’ll teach you all a spell for lighting campfires.” Twilight said, herding the remaining foals back toward the farm.
"I can hardly wait," said Seamus. The other Crusaders carefully backed away from him.
A quartet of would-be gourmets wandered into the farmhouse's kitchen. Under ordinary circumstances, the three who walked in on two legs would have had the best perspective, but the fourth hovered above them, taking in all the sights and smells.
Without looking up from the bowl where she was stirring some batter, Pinkie Pie called out from around the handle of her whisk, “There are some cookies on the counter to tide you over.”
“Thanks Pinkie,” Rainbow said, making a beeline for the proffered treats. “I know we decided to cancel the surprise party for the humans' Hearthwarming Day, but I’m glad we’re not stopping all of the festivities.”
“This was spontaneous,” Arthur said. “but welcome. It is a pity that the children’s actions have caused us to abandon our original plans.”
“They did ruin the surprise factor,” Sirius said, reaching for a cookie of his own. “Now they know you and your wife are back in the country.”
“Speaking of wives,” Arthur said. “Molly, I know that smug look. You’re up to something.”
“Smug look?” Molly said, waving her wand and muttering under her breath to direct her knife to coarsely chop ten pounds of carrots. “It must be your imagination. I’m just helping with the cooking while I fish for grandchildren.”
“That doesn’t sound mischievous or anything,” Dan said. “How exactly does one fish for grandchildren?”
As if on cue, the back door opened and a green stallion rushed in, carrying a wicker basket. After putting it down, he declared, “I’ve figured out how to run in this form.”
“Did you get the eggs dear?” Molly asked, wandering over to inspect the basket.
“I’m lucky that’s all I got,” Bill said. “I almost got the eggs' seller with them.
“Mellow Yolk is a good respectable mare,” Granny Smith said. “Right reliable, that one.”
“Or the spice seller,” Bill continued. “Or the mare walking by with the white bags. Or the waitress from the café. Or half the ladies within earshot.”
“You’re using the wrong word,” Sirius insisted. “Replace ‘or’ with ‘and’.”
“You’re old enough to start thinking of settling down,” Molly said, removing the eggs from the basket with another wave of her wand. “Get a nice safe job at the Ministry and raise a family.”
“I am perfectly happy with the job I have,” Bill said. “I refuse to work at the Ministry.”
Molly frowned. “What you do is too dangerous, and you never are home. Now, we’re running low on yeast, so I’m going to send you back to the market.”
“What?” Bill squeaked. “I just got propositioned by a dozen mares, five cows, two stallions, and a goat. Send Charlie instead.”
“I’ve already sent him out to look for the twins. He has always been good at keeping those two out of trouble,” Molly said.
Open Secret looked up at the roof of the town hall and called out, “You do know that earth ponies aren’t supposed to be that good at climbing, either.”
A stallion who was quite obviously Fred's older brother looked out over the edge and said, “You two have been having an eventful break, haven’t you?”
“Eh, nothing to write home over,” George said.
“You do know I’m old enough to be your father,” Charlie called down to the gathered fillies.
“Well, then, my heart belongs to daddy,” Sad Smile called back.
“Wait.” Random Order said. “You’re like only four years older than us. Can human’s really have children that young?”
“I think he’s just exaggerating.” Icy Hot said.
“You do know it’s only a matter of time before Minor shows up on a broom,” Fred warned, looking over his shoulder.
“Y'all got that?” Granny said. “Rapid Rise is the mare you’re looking fer.”
“Pony names are starting to scare me,” Bill grumbled as he closed the back door behind himself.
“You do know there is another container of yeast on the shelf back there,” Pinkie said.
“There is?” Molly asked innocently. “I didn’t realize.”
“At least you’re using the right bait,” Rainbow said, reaching for another cookie. “All you need is to tie a bow around him in keeping with the season.”
“Diamond Tiara has already done that,” Pinkie argued. “You need to be more original. Slather him in frosting and hang a sign around his neck saying ‘yummy’.”
“How is that original?” Sirius asked. “Andi tells me they are still talking about your visit to St. Mungo's.”
“Why you’re at it, why don’t you chain an iron ball to his leg so he can’t run?” Arthur said. “Molly, I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“I’m not doing anything dear,” Molly said. “It’s not my fault if he makes a special friend or three while shopping. If he meets someone who can take his mind off curse breaking, well, so much the better.”
“Besides, y'all don’t want to hamper his running. The best daughter-in-laws are the ones who can catch a healthy stallion,” Granny opined.
The front door announced a new arrival, and Twilight soon joined the gathering in the kitchen. Sirius took one look at his wife and gasped. “What happened to you?”
Twilight stood there with her right side blackened and burnt. The stench of scorched fur wafted from her. “We're going to go with the classic good news, bad news model here,” she said.
“What’s the good news?” Rainbow prompted.
“Dean Thomas just got his cutie mark. He’s going to be able to have a joint cutcenera with Lavender,” Twilight said.
“And the bad?” Granny asked.
“You're going to have to replace twenty-seven trees in the orchard. There is no way they’ll be bearing anymore fruit,” Twilight said. “We’re changing the punishment. Big Mac has the foals helping him collect the charcoal and removing the stumps and roots.”
“Were any of the children hurt?” Molly asked worriedly.
“They were all standing behind him,” Twilight said. “I’m the only pony who got caught.” She paused to consider her next words. “It’s amazing how fast you can move when you see a ball of fire headed your way. If I didn't know Merry Monsoon's Concentrated Cloudburst, the entire south orchard would be burning.”
“So, they are all right?” Dan said with relief.
“They are all happily celebrating the new cutie mark. Except for Seamus Finnigan, he’s really upset it wasn’t him who got the fire-based cutie mark.”
“Oh?” Asked Sirius.
“He said something about trying for his explosions cutie mark. It would be a good idea to keep an eye on him.” Twilight insisted.
There was a moment’s silence then Owlowiscious flew into the kitchen. Perching on the back of a chair, he fixed his worried gaze on Twilight.
“Well, here’s my ride. I’m going to mail myself to Andi and get some burn cream,” Twilight said. “We’ll be back in time for supper.”
Albus Dumbledore was not a happy man. The day had been an unmitigated disaster. The new Minister did not regard him with the same reverence that Fudge had lavished. It didn't take an empath to notice the disdain that Lovegood projected during each visit. Clearly, the ponies were a bad influence; he still could not fathom why they held him in such low regard. Minister Lovegood seemed determined to strip him of his accumulated powers; he had unequivocally delineated the duties expected of the headmaster of Hogwarts, the Supreme Mugwump, and the Chief Warlock. He had tried to convince Dumbledore that any one of those positions would be almost too much for one man to handle. He had all but promised that he would put forth a resolution at the next Wizengamot meeting to codify the changes.
It seemed that with every turn, the reins of his power frayed a bit more. It did not take a clairvoyant to see that the plans that he had so carefully groomed over the decades were now on a one-way trip on the handbasket express. Still, all was not yet lost. He still had the freedom to act before he was left with Hobson's choice. He just had to strategize how to accomplish his goals with less than a third of his original resources.
If he were being honest, he would admit that he had already lost control of the school. His once-loyal friend, Minerva. seemed to be thwarting his every move, all in the name of advancing education. The changes she was making would make the once-proud institution completely unrecognizable. If he were to keep his post as headmaster, he would be little more than a figurehead. The newly-formed board of governors seemed determined to assert their independence; those who met with him did so with great reluctance. They all but declared that he was a problem to be removed. He had no doubt that the next generation of magic users, bereft of his guidance, would be doomed to mediocrity. His relationship with the boy-who-lived was almost assuredly unsalvageable.
How could something so simple have gone so horribly wrong? His muggle puppet had no right signing away her responsibility like that. Why would a foreign witch agree to adopt a complete stranger, sight unseen? How could anyone have uncovered a secret known only to him? Dumbledore wasn't convinced that even with all the time in the world, he could groom his designated martyr to lay down his life for the greater good.
His position as Chief Warlock was almost as tenuous as his post as headmaster. By itself, the loss of the Potter proxy could have been overcome. The Rutter woman, however, had obliterated the status quo with the zeal of a crusader. She had stuffed the chambers with her cronies. Freeing the felon Black had denied Dumbledore control of that seat in addition to the Potter proxy. The former inmate was now literally running the asylum in all but name. All Albus could do was to try to stem the tide. However, change was coming so swiftly that the wizarding world was doomed to descend into madness.
The only post with even a hint of its former glory was Chief Mugwump. There, at least, he had some influence in both domestic and international affairs. However, with the collapse of the Statute, the extent of his power was less than certain. The muggle governments were already integrating their magical brethren into an abomination of muggle and magical. No longer could the International Confederation of Wizards stand on its own; without the shield of secrecy to protect it, the body would have to cooperate with the muggles or be forced into irrelevance.
Only one outcome was certain. Dumbledore's clout and importance would be a mere shadow of itself after the next meeting of the Wizengamot.
Lamenting his fortune, England's most powerful wizard entered his office at the Ministry to develop a strategy to exploit his quickly-dwindling power and to adapt to the new reality. The only saving grace was that the day could not possibly get any worse.
For the second time in recent memory, Dumbledore found the space already occupied. A blond witch was perched on the arm of a visitor's chair. She seemed to be in the guise of a squire; the coat of arms she displayed was a single black spade.
“Hello young lady.” Dumbledore said as he surreptitiously reached for the backup wand hidden in his sleeve. “I don’t believe we’ve met. How may I help you?”
The witch gave a predatory smile. “Hello Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,” she said silkily. “My name is OB. My queen sends her greetings.”
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So we've offed this particular Dumbledore? Took long enough, this was getting farcical.
Guess Dumbledore heard fate Never say something can't get worse that's Murphy's cue to show his face.
In the cover Apple bloom looks terrifying, like down right scary.
Damn skippy, they're going to ask. According to the Internet, there IS no such thing
Dumbledore is about to learn the difference between "bad" & "worse"
Given the lead up for this Dumbledore I'm not quite surprised. But the question at the moment is . Which Queen? Is OB still working for Chryssy or did Cadence exert her power as Queen. And if so i have a feeling Dumble might be brought before the sisters.
10158963
given that Obvious had a black Spade as part of her get up...the Queen of Hearts is making tarts, and wishes to speak to the Knave...
The extended Crusader herd clearly shows they're growing up, too bad none of the adults are accepting it yet. Accepting consequences without giving up the ideals that brought them on.
Also, Molly is showing a true lack of respect for her older children here.
Sorry, I know it is being played up for laughs, but it still bothers me sometimes.
10158931
I doubt the author's done with him yet. OB works for Cadance at the moment, and Cadance has been looking for something to vent her many frustrations on for some time now. I have a feeling that Dumbledore Beatdown #564 is on its way.
10158963
I do hope this is the case!!
10158947
Indeed, just ask Twilight who has already learned this lesson MANY times XD.
There are so many plotlines that I'm getting lost.
I don't get the hate dumbledore gets in this story, seems like the author has it out for him or something. Despite his flaws Dumbledore IS a good person, doing his best in a bad situation in the original timeline. the amount of krap he's getting in this story is just dumb at this point, either kill the poor bastard or stop torturing him. It's overdone at this point
10159283
Dumbledore is not as good a person as many think. Even in the original novels having Harry prefer the wizarding world over the muggle world so he would sacrifice himself to save it was always part of his plan. Another major issue is that he let his pride and ego make him believe that his plan was the only way to deal with Voldemort instead of relying as much as he should on his allies which he admitted before he died. Dumbledore was a manipulator going for what he believed was the best possible outcome and compared to many of the other characters he may have been better but he wasn't a good person.
10158963
The true question is: Does OB serve Chrysalis/ Cadance, or a dfferent queen entirely? More than one changeling queen is out there. It's also a question of if they intend Dumbledor harm. Or intend to use his remaining influence for their own ends.
The fact that today is April 1st does not fill me with confidence for the validity of the chapter as a whole.
Harry Potter and The Time He Got Some Tail.
Most excellent.
One word of advice...
10159383
It was mentioned there is a hive that focuses on taking evil doers and the like. Helping reduce crimes and they managed to passthrough. I do not believe they are affiliated with Chrysalis. I also think this takes place after a canterlot wedding. Then again this is the third hp mlp universal xover story ive ever read
(One quick Google search later....)
Essentially death by snu-snu. Yeesh.
10159326
We must remember many people insist the world is black and white, that people, especially fictional ones, must either be ONLY right or ONLY wrong. That Dumbledore can only be bad or good, not a good person who made bad choices, and he can't possibly grow or change his views they must be static. While I like this story the excessive bashing is starting to wear thin, and the fact the classicly forgiving Equestria's are unwilling to try and change Dumbledore's mind or show him why his plan was overall foolish grows less credible. There is this underlying feeling the author sees Dumbledore as not just misguided but actively evil. I think perhaps a bit of reflection is needed as to why they hate Dumbledore as I don't feel his depiction in any official Harry Potter media justifies his condemnation to this degree.
I really like this fic and the growly overt hate for Dumbledore is starting to effect my enjoyment, it's not really enjoyable to see him mercilessly punished, all his allies turn against him, and really gregarious characters respond him with so much anger.
I repeat.
10159326
Perhaps, but it seems as if all and sundry are intent on inflicting revenge-worse-than-death by driving him to suicide. He's outmatched, he's outmatched on an existential level in every possible arena. Magical power, political power, sociological power, cultural power, wealth, knowledge, age, everything.
He's gathered up the personal, violent ire of a vast combine, and yet he still exists in some limbo of not-quite-undone. There's no apparent logical reason for this, save a common agreement to inflict sustained torment. It's just, out of character.
“Hello Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,” she said silkily. “My name is OB. My queen sends her greetings.”
welcome to your end.
10159564
Seems perfectly reasonable to me, to have him stripped of his power and brought low. He rose to fame on the back of his defeat of Grindelwald, who he didn't even kill, didn't even have him sent to Azkaban. He imprisoned that foe within his own fortress, rather than end the man who murdered ever so many 'for the greater good'. During the war against Voldemort, he was so frequently wrong in so many ways, and he's mismanaged a school for the entirety of his position as Headmaster solely because 'it's the way things are', pretty much allowing the rot to fester within Slytherin House for at least two decades. His decision that Harry should have wicked step-parents was unconscionable, and that's to say nothing of his meddlesome behaviour in the Wizengamot, letting the dark side maintain their power base instead of allowing for a perfectly legal revolution, just because he worries things might move too quickly.
As Alice Rutter put it, "I am doing your job."
It's unlikely that the ponies would ever make him commit suicide. Reducing him to a mere shadow of a figure which once towered over all would be more than enough.
And it's nice that Cadance gets to have her share of the fun too, now.
Oh, and one more thing. Being stripped and brought as low as can be is usually the first step in a redemption arc. I wonder if that's what the author is going for?
10159676
Removing a dangerous/incapable person from a position of power is one thing, taking every opportunity to get the boot in for your own satisfaction is another. Luna's been cursing him with nightmares this entire time, what does weeks or months of chronic sleep deprivation do to a man's sanity?
Is it just me or does anyone else ship Bill and A.K. Yearling now...
While Dumbledore's misery is funny, it is about time to put an end to that joke. It be awesome if the changelings replaced Dumbledore and started using his power to help the tides of change.
We already know Changelings kill murderers and rapist and replace them to do good in the world. It be interesting if they tried replaying someone as influential as Dumbledore.
10159700
Nothing good, I will agree, but how much worse to do it to a child?
I suspect that if Dumbledore (in this fic) showed one shred of honest contrition, the ponies, even the Princesses, would back off at least a little. He is, however, still in the mindset of believing that he alone is the guiding force behind the sacrificial lamb, and that he alone can position the world into the state it needs to be.
It is also fortunate that the ponies have not yet shown the CMC Herd the contents of those documents, possibly out of concern for their youthful innocence. Were they ever to get ahold of Harry's medical reports, there would be a reckoning which would shake the Earth.
For those dumping on Dumbledore, I have two points.
First, I believe in the more positive interpretation of Dumbledore's character. He was wrong and mistaken, and he was far too convinced of his own superior intellect, but he wasn't a stone killer or happy manipulator. He was trapped into an odious plan of conduct by a magical prophecy (in which he put far too much trust). And although he did indeed have an agenda, he also honestly cared for Harry Potter. Yes, he set Harry up to sacrifice himself to defeat Voldemort... but at the same time, Dumbledore was also setting HIMSELF up to die, possibly years in advance, for the same purpose.
Second (and this is the main reason I read the books once and never went back to them again), Dumbledore's character is just part of a trope that Rowling follows with only a single deviation: namely, that in a young readers' book with child protagonists, all adults, without exception, must prove either evil or incompetent. (The sole exception, of course, is Snape, who was very competent indeed.) Dumbledore could never be permitted to be genuinely helpful or disinterested, because if he were then he would displace Harry, Ron and Hermione as the hero of the piece. There had to be a good reason for him to not be able to lead the final victory, and in his case the reason was that Dumbledore misinterpreted a prophecy and committed himself to a wrong-headed plot because of it.
So I don't share all the hate for Dumbledore so many other Potter readers feel.
10159723
Well, that's perfectly fair and good, and from a canonical standpoint, well. Obi-Wan was never going to defeat Anakin, and Gandalf was never just going to summon up an arc welder to melt the One Ring. And the Dumbledore shown here is not, in entirety, the same as he was in canon. There are points in the original canon where he did show contrition for his mistakes, where he was not completely immune to fault, and where he did admit to Harry that he made errors. If anything, this Dumbledore is somewhat flanderized towards the point of needing to be torn down.
I'd say only a bit, though. I have enjoyed those PotterFics where Dumbledore is somewhat more reasonable, where for example his mad behaviour is all about following prophecy to the letter, but those diverge from canon in the other direction.
Also, making stupid decisions solely for the point of the story makes a character a lot less interesting. You've got to have driving forces and motivations, motivations which make sense based on a character's frame of mind at a given point. While I hate this fic's Dumbledore as a person, I like him as a character a lot more than just as a plot element.
10159707
Are you kidding? Any Auror worth their salt would see through it in a New York minute. I can see it now. *waves hands in a dissolve wipe*
It would be fun to see the fallout, though.
10159495
No, you won't find any official writing that depicts Dumbledore as a person who is in any way flawed. And yet he is flawed. He is deeply troubled by the death of his sister that he himself had a part in. He is directly linked to Grindelwald and Tom Riddle and seemed to serve as some form of catalyst that would start both men on their campaigns of terror. The fact that he is linked to both villains is troubling, but it's not really the fault of the character so much as the fault of the writer. Take into consideration the traps intended to stop Voldemort from accessing the Philosophers stone. Not only did Voldemort have no trouble getting past these traps, but three first years were also able to get past the trap. After all, it was the intent of the writer to create a compelling youth adventure book where the hero, a young boy, saves the day. Had the traps truly been capable of stopping Voldemort, Harry, Ron, and Hermione wouldn't have even made it beyond the front door. Everything in the stories that are designed to move Harry along the path he must follow in turn cast shade and doubt onto the character of Dumbledore. Therein lies the curse of fan fiction. The more we analyze the story in order to do a retelling, the more glaring the various issues with the original source become. This then leads to characterizations that are less than flattering and can be especially egregious when we set out to lampoon the original. My advice then is to try to remember that Dumbledore in this telling is nothing more than a caricature of all of the character's worst flaws and is not to be taken seriously. This is after all meant to be a comedy.
Dumbledore hasn't realized that his plans no longer matter.
Harry no longer has part of Voldemort in him. Hasn't for THE ENTIRE TIME HE'S BEEN AT HOGWARTS.
Dumbledore, here, is the last of the Old Guard that refuses to accept the changes to his way of life that time has enacted.
Oh, and the reason that the Equestrians basically want him dead: He not only allowed a child to be harmed, He PLANNED for a child to be mentally and physically abused.
And when the Muggle government learns of it... Dumbledore shall become one of the most hated people in Britain, if not the world.
So, for his sake, let us hope OB is there on behalf of Chrysalis, offering him a way out.
10159806
Fanfic does suffer the double edged sword of hindsight. While it can give you idea why a character did something in the Official work often we assume because a decision the character made was a mistake in hindsight that that decision was made with malicious intent. That because we know better now the one who made the decision also knew better at the time. On example if the whole "The fact hewas a heocrux made the Dusely's mean to Harry". Some will use that to point it's there fo Dumbledore's fault, but no where is there evidence Dumblemdore knew Harry was a horcrux or that it would effect how the Dusely's treated him. We have the same issue in real life, often person will be treated as if they knew a bad decision was wrong before hand, when in truth they made what looked like the right choice based on what they knew. The idea Dumbledore knew exactly what his choices would lead to is silly, we shouldn't judge the choices of the character as if they are all knowing, that makes their mistakes not errors in judgement but purposefully choices to cause harm. If I where to judge Dumbledore as if he knew everything that would happen I would agree he was horrible, but he doesn't have that power. In the context of the story universe even Discord, who can bend reality, does not have the power of absolute foresight.
10159854
Oh, no. Chrysalis is no longer in charge of the Changelings: Chrysalis is on vacation. Cadance is. And she's read that medical report, and has more than enough power to have him stripped of the first few layers of skin in retaliation.
She won't, but she could.
And OB is probably more than willing to follow through, either way.
ETA: I should perhaps make clear, as per my prior comments, that none of this is on Canon Dumbledore... outside of a taste of mild discontent. This Dumbledore has seen carefully-laid plans, tied to dozens of prophecies, dissolve into a fine powder of rainbow mist. He is terrified. He clings to the familiar, and that is the worst thing for him to cling to in what might well be a calamitous experience.
None of this stops his previous errors from coming to light, but it at least informs his current actions.
Out of all the plans in this chapter, I'd say Molly's was the best laid plan.
10159878
They were mad at him because of his spells that increase the Dursleys' aggressiveness toward Harry. They didn't add the effect of the Horcrux into the account since only Twilight would understand such thing. Did you confuse this story with the Gate? Because that was the story where it clearly mentioned Valdy's fragment in Harry caused Dursleys' behaviors.
10159979
Sure. It'd best get her sons laid, or she'll be disappointed.
10159428 10159383
You both seem to be forgetting that OB was the 'child' who freed the child slaves. And when the operation was interrupted by the authorities, a changeling informed Cadance about what happened.
That last line can be interpenetrated as
Also this takes place around the same time as the wedding. Chrysalis replacing Cadance. The crystal empire returning.
10160286
like I said I was having difficulty with the time frame as I'd also started reading if wishes were ponies a little bit before I started reading this. so what happened is I managed to get the time lines crossed now when it says cadence I get what you're talkin about thanks
Blind predictions, GO!
I think that they'll be found 100% healthy, baffling doctors and nurses from both worlds.
That's not Dumbledore.
You've slapped the name of him on Dumbledore but the way you're writing him with the words, it's not him.
This is just excessive hate (as if it wasn't already before). There are no portions of this story as thoroughly unenjoyable to read as anything involving Dumbledore because of it.
Well... This is unexpected. What does the Queen want with Dumbledore?
Also, what is wrong with AB and Ron that they eat that much?
And will Twilight be missing some fur?!
I hope we find out, on the next episode of Magic School Days! *Play DBZ outtro music*
10159760
I'm veering completely off topic here but I can't help myself but comment on one of your examples. I don't think destroying the One Ring ever had anything to do with the temperature of the fire involved. The basalt lava we see at Mt. Doom averages 950 Celsius. The temperature for forging iron (iron, not steel) is over 1,000 C. And we see them doing plenty of that throughout the trilogy. Mt. Doom is linked to Sauron's power as much as the One Ring itself. Only by Sauron's own power can the One Ring be unmade. The destruction of the One Ring in the fires of Mt. Doom is a play on the idea that "evil inevitably destroys itself".
...
Do you think before speaking, Purplesmart?
Well, at least it ended in a cutie mark.
The redheads' improbable metabolism does make me wonder what could be the cause. Imminent growth spurts?
As opposed to the one that featured Lucius Malfoy as a member and would be set on opposing if not outright ousting Dumbledore at every turn for the next several years?
Dumbledore continues to be the weakest part of the story. I really hope you're almost through with him. Put bluntly, it just isn't funny. The ravenous mares of Equestria are getting a little old. Dumbledore is Methuselah comparison shopping for a better smartphone.
10159723
Thank you for putting into words what I have struggled to for years.
10160880 I think you meant to say 'melting point of gold', which is 1060 Celsius. Iron melts above 1500 Celsius.
That said, you're quite right. Gandalf made it clear that the One Ring specifically could not be unmade anyplace else in the world except the place where it was forged. The other rings could (and, presumably, had, in the case of four of the Dwarf rings), but not the One.
That said, it completely avoids the point Schismatism was making, regarding the limitations of canon.
10161117 "Methuselah comparison shopping for a better smartphone"
HMMMMMMMMMM.
(Not Dumbledore hmmmmmmm, but something else HMMMMMMMM.)
10161148
My mistake was referencing forging temp instead of melting point.
And I am aware I was going off on a tangent, but the "It would have been so easy to destroy the One Ring with a plasma torch" train of thought is just one of those things that bugs me far more than it rationally should.
10161169
Star Swirl would make an exceptional case study by Twilight in adapting to new technologies.
10160880
That's a really good point, and thank you for bringing that up. Indeed, the artifact was infused with the power of that Maiar, as was the volcano, and so you are absolutely right -- it could only have been destroyed with his own power. Plus, Gandalf couldn't bring it there himself because, I guess, of the reverberations of the song? Resonance? Something like that.
It was a poor example, and I'm sorry about that.
I still think there's something simply wrong with an artifact which can only be destroyed by, and here I'm shouting with reverb, THE HERO! above all others. Sam and Frodo had some pretty great strength of spirit, but even so, there could have been a dozen other schmucks Gandalf could choose amongst Bag End alone. (Though none of them would have appeared at Bilbo's 111th birthday bash, except for the cake and vittles.)
Plus, it might not make for a heroically epic tale if everyone just takes basilisk fangs, fiendfyre, and Avada Kadavra to every dark artifact they find, but wouldn't the story of that be fun in its own right?
10159806
The problem is that the story goes beyond playing up his faults into creating new ones e.g. he put spells on the Dursleys specifically to mould Harry into someone who would die for the greater good yet at the same time gives someone like Belatrix an unrepentant villain who happily tortures and kills an easy out by creating a bride obedience curse "It's not the woman's fault she was a victim of mans magic". Dumbledore with his faults emphasized could be accepted, Dumbledore with new faults and personality changes could maybe be skipped/ignored. Dumbledore with personality changes and new faults created at the same time villains are literally being given get out of jail free cards is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way. I for example am one I've been skipping scenes invokving Dumbledore and I'm going to be doing the same with Belatrix simply because the humour/concept invovled is not one i like.
10159878
When it comes to placing Harry with the Dursleys not only can it be argued that Dumbledore didn't know about the scar, but it's doubtful he would have known about the protection Harry had from his mother's sacrifice. Dumbledor's reasoning as given in the first book was to protect Harry, not from Voldemort's followers but to protect him from his own fame. McGonagall also cautioned Dumbledore concerning what sort of people the Dursleys were. Dumbledore knew he would be placing Harry in a home where he'd likely be neglected and possibly abused for no other reason, apparently, then to protect Harry from his own fame. And then a short way into the first book we also find out that Harry's whereabouts weren't entirely unknown by the wizard community which kind of negates any argument about hiding Harry from Death Eaters. Harry could have been placed with a loving family, his location kept secret, and we still could have had a series of books that could follow the same basic path. JK chose to give us Harry the tragic hero when she could have just as easily taken the story in many other directions.