Chapter 51: The Big """"Truth""""
Minerva McGonagall sat at the desk of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, though she had not been named headmistress just yet. That would happen at breakfast in a few hours. Despite the earliness of the morning, or from her perspective, the lateness of the night, there were no fewer than eight people and one animal in the room, trying to ignore the constant chaos of noisy devices.
Expectedly, Harry Potter sat still in a small seat before and to the left of her desk. Impossibly, though not at all unwelcomed, Hermione Granger sat next to him. Unbelievably, a phoenix – not Fawkes – perched comfortably on her shoulder.
Amelia Bones sat across from Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, her chair and theirs and the headmaster’s desk forming an equilateral triangle. Alastor Moody stood behind Ms. Bones, wand out and ready as it always was. He'd arrived mere seconds ago. He almost hadn't come in the first place. It had taken Patronus messages from both Minerva McGonagall and Amelia Bones to insist that he be present, and even that had barely been enough to convince him.
This is despite the fact that even Alastor believes that guarding the probably-false graveyard was almost certainly a fool's errand. Even when the Dark Lord proved capable of reviving himself without it, Alastor STILL only left AFTER putting up wards that would alert him if anyone entered the premises. He was following Albus's orders, he had said, even if he disagreed with them strategically.
Severus Snape stood on Minerva’s direct right, his eyes moving between Moody's wand and Harry Potter. He looked as alert as Alastor, probably because he had actually gotten some rest this night, forced as it may have been.
Filius Flitwick stood on Minerva's left. He looked more exhausted than anyone. Among the adults in the room, he was probably the least accustomed to this sort of thing. He was not an official member of the Order of the Phoenix. He was not used to war and strategy and meetings that could be called at 4:30 in the morning. He was only here on the insistence of the final person in the room.
Pomona Sprout was not that final person. She was being tested for lingering Legilimency compulsions in St. Mungos. It felt improper that Hufflepuff's representative should not be here when the other three were. If they could not have the headmaster in Hogwarts's head office, they should at least have all four heads of house. But it wasn't to be, and Hogwarts business wasn't the purpose of this meeting in any case.
Professor Quirrell – or David Monroe, as he now insists on being called – stood well away from the group, next to a window. He looked entirely different, spoke in a completely new voice that Minerva didn't remember sounding quite like that on the few occasions she heard him speak in the distant past, though Amelia Bones had seemed convinced after a Floo conversation with him. To Minerva, his manner of speaking, cadence, style, and choice of words all reminded her too much of the Defense Professor for her to think of him as Monroe, even if his voice and appearance were different.
"Before we begin," said the man, half his face in shadow, the other half lit only by the orange light of the non-Floo fireplace next to him, "I would like to exchange reports of last night so that we are up to speed with each other. Professor Flitwick," he addressed, "are you capable of recalling last night's events well enough for a pensieve? I think a third-person perspective would prove best."
The Head of House Ravenclaw said nothing in response, only sighed and nodded. The Charms professor used a wandless levitation charm to catch the memory vial that David Monroe tossed to him, but his expression changed when the glass touched his fingers.
"There's something odd about this vial," he stated.
"It uses an enchantment that bypasses the need for a pensieve," said Professor Qui- ah, Professor Monroe. The man withdrew a rather large roll of parchment from his robes, of the size meant for large landscape paintings instead of 12-inch essays. He unfurled it and set it to float horizontally, facing them like a frameless portrait.
"I'm guessing," said Amelia Bones, "this will be like the time you showed us your armies?"
The man nodded, withdrawing another parchment, this one much smaller. "I would also like everyone to sign this while Professor Flitwick recalls the event."
As he floated it to her desk, Minerva could see words already writ upon it.
"Why?" Alastor demanded.
"It is a magical contract," said Monroe. "It will ensure you what I am about to say stays private."
"How do you plan to enforce it?" Moody snorted.
"It enforces itself," said Professor Monroe. "The magic is foreign. It is not nearly as powerful as an Unbreakable Vow, but just as useful. The Goblet of Fire punishes those who transgress its terms. This is similar to that, except a contract's punishments will prevent violations before they happen, not after."
"Foreign, eh? Where did it come from?" Moody continued to probe. "What country?"
"Equestria," said Monroe, a term that Minerva didn't recognize.
"Learned to make it while you were gone all those years?" Moody guessed.
The lips of the Defense Professor twitched upward. "That is correct."
"How does the contract deliver punishment?" asked Minerva, looking at the paper but not yet reading it.
"By paralyzing your body and freezing your magic for an hour," Professor Monroe explained. "Though since I created it, I can unfreeze you before then, if it happens in my presence. It activates whenever a genuine attempt at breaking the terms is made. If your life is in immediate danger, it will unfreeze you. But if you try to abuse that to violate the terms, you will freeze up again. Be warned that my contracts prioritize their purpose over your life, so please don't try to break it if you're in danger."
Moody's response was laced with paranoia and skepticism. "We're supposed to take your word for it?"
"A reasonable concern. Mr. Potter, if you would?"
Harry Potter exchanged glances with the Defense Professor, nodded, and said, "Emergo."
Minerva's surprise at the wandless magic was short-lived. Or rather, it was over-ridden by a different surprise. She had seen it yesterday, but she still had trouble believing it. The person-shaped Patronus - brighter than Albus Dumbledore's moonlight phoenix - appeared without words, without gestures, just with Harry's raised wand. Without being given instructions, without being told to say anything, the Patronus said, in Harry's voice, "Magical contracts work as he described them."
Amelia Bones was looking intently at the Patronus.
Almost as intently as Moody was looking at it. "The kid could be Confunded into believing that," he said. "Or that new fancy spell might be able to lie."
"Tell them that two plus two is five," Harry told his Patronus.
The Patronus looked displeased with him, like a teacher reprimanding a student.
"Tell them that two plus two is four," Harry said.
"Two plus two is four," his Patronus echoed.
Moody's stare was no less intent than before. "He could have instructed it to act that way."
"Enough, Alastor," sighed Minerva.
"No," Professor Monroe said to her. "It's fine. That Patronus is more intelligent than the standard kind. It is entirely new to every adult wizard in this room, aside from myself. Moody's right; it does operate in useful and unusual ways, though it still cannot lie, as you will learn if you ever cast it yourself. Caution is the word of the day, which is why I am having you all sign the contract. Please read it aloud, Headmistress McGonagall."
She wasn't headmistress yet, but she didn't argue.
"Wait," said Alastor before she could even open her lips. "What if just saying the terms-"
"Feel free to arrest me if anything happens to her from just reading it. I promise to come quietly if it does."
"What if just hearing the terms-"
"Enough, Alastor," Minerva repeated. "He opposed V... Voldemort, last night. Without his efforts, we would all be doomed. He deserves a modicum of trust, doesn't he?"
Moody snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Are you saying you'll never believe it?" Professor Monroe asked. He did not sound offended, just curious.
Moody grinned viciously. "Never trust the Defense Professor."
Professor Monroe's lips twitched upward. "Smart man," he said. "Though I should mention that I removed Voldemort's curse on the position. As with everything else, please don't take my word for it. A few years should prove that statement true. I am still here, am I not?"
"In a new body," Moody countered at once. "Your old one was dead to rights – you will explain how that happened, son – and you haven't been rehired yet."
"Technically, I haven't been fired yet. Or retired. Against my will or otherwise."
The conversation was interrupted by the large portrait-parchment lighting up with an image of the Quidditch pitch as seen from the stands. Or rather, it was an image of students arguing in the stands, with the Quidditch pitch in the background. A glance showed Minerva that Professor Flitwick had just placed his memory into the vial, the tip of his wand still on the glass's rim. Professor Monroe tapped his own wand to the parchment, which caused the scene to shift from a still image to moving ones, accompanied by audio.
While the screen played the early, unimportant part of what she'd seen last night, i.e. the arguing students and professors, she briefly explained to Professor Flitwick what was said while he was extracting his memory. He likely established a silencing barrier to help him focus as he remembered, and if not he still would have been lost to the world, so he needed to be brought up to speed. In particular, she told him about the contract. She also handed it to him to examine, since he was more knowledgeable at Charms and Enchantments than she.
Then students were falling out of the air, and her attention was involuntarily drawn to the memory. Filius would be able to ignore it, since it was his memory, and one that he'd just recalled. She trusted him to scrutinise the contract while she re-watched last night's disasterous miracle.
The parchment showed things she had not seen last night, for Filius had focused on things she hadn't. His vision briefly fixated on Bellatrix Black's missing arm, for example, which she heard about afterwards, but had not seen herself. Filius also focused on the subtle details that Voldemort's aging curse inflicted upon Professor Quirrell's body. Filius heard a quiet request from Harry Potter, then watched the boy take up a stance and wait for the moment that Voldemort inevitably cast his favourite curse. Filius looked at the ashes that were left behind by the dead Death Eaters.
The occasional glance away from the memory informed Minerva that Professor Snape, Alastor Moody, and Amelia Bones were even more enraptured than she, this being their first times witnessing the scene. When the memory ended in a crack of phoenix fire, there was a noisy silence in the room of mad objects.
"Well done, lads," Alastor Moody said at last, withdrawing a handkerchief and dabbing his face and forehead. "Well done," he repeated as he returned it to his robes. "Just to check, you're sure you got his Horcrux, too? And you're sure it wasn't fake?"
Professor Flitwick gasped, apparently familiar with the term.
"The Dark Mark is not faded," said Severus Snape in a neutral tone. "Though Mr. Potter has suggested that it might live on despite the fate of its master."
"What?!" demanded Moody, his blue eye flicking back and forth between Potions Master and Boy-Who-Lived. "Why didn't you tell me that earlier?"
"Because I only came to a few minutes ago," Snape drawled. "That is why I am here. I heard the original prophecy foretelling Voldemort's defeat. The events of last night, as they were related to me, and as I witnessed them just now, do not quite fit. If Mr. Potter explains how he truly defeated the Dark Lord to my satisfaction, I shall consider the matter concluded, regardless of the Mark's state, and I will gladly offer my thanks."
There was a pause in the room.
Harry Potter and David Monroe had been exchanging glances the whole time, though not words, while Hermione Granger fidgeted nervously.
"Voldemort had... rather a lot of Horcruxes," said Harry Potter.
Flitwick gasped again, louder this time, his skin visibly paling. But Harry Potter paid his gasp, and Minerva’s similar gasp, and Alastor’s and Severus’s profanities, and Amelia's curses, no heed at all.
"I had to come up with a different way of vanquishing him," Harry continued. "I came up with multiple ways, in fact, like Obliviating all his memories, or transfiguring his body into a pebble and maintaining it indefinitely, or torturing him into insanity, or dropping his wand into the Dementor pit in Azkaban, like what happened to me in January. Or dropping one of his horcruxes instead of his wand. A hundred horcruxes wouldn't have stopped those ideas from vanquishing him, unless he'd thought to safeguard against them, and all of those methods would probably have kept the Dark Mark alive... except maybe the Dementor one."
Alastor, Amelia, Minerva, Severus, and Filius were all staring wide-eyed at Harry. Ms. Granger simply looked confused, like she was having trouble following.
"And I did have the opportunity to do one or two of those things," the Boy-Who-Lived added. "But..."
"But then all the Dementors in the world were destroyed," Moody finished for him.
"What?!" said Minerva, Filius, and Severus.
"Indeed," said Amelia Bones. "That's what delayed me. I only just got Azkaban secured."
"That's-" Minerva began. "But that's impossible!"
"I would have thought the same at your age, dear. It seems we have a new kind of magical creature on our hands, one with a strong distaste for Dementors. The attack started at Azkaban, then moved on to the rest of the world. Naturally, the fools in the Wizengamot couldn't agree on a course of action without a Chief Warlock to guide them. The Line of Merlin wasn't where Dumbledore said it would be, and Bartemius Crouch doesn’t have authority to act unilaterally for something this major, so I didn't have permission to warn the other countries. We still have a Dementor in the Ministry, and I've received word that the Dementor in the ICW hasn't been touched, but all the other official locations have been purged. I'd guess that the wild Dementors are gone too, if the perpetrators were thorough. It's possible they're still hunting them down as we speak."
"When, exactly, did all this manage to happen?" sneered the Potions Master. "Overnight?"
"Yes, son," the retired auror said, his voice sour and serious in stark contrast to the sarcasm. "They used a Patronus Charm. Way bigger than anything the world's ever seen. You think the kid's is bright, just wait. Jamie saw it from shore. From Britain's shore. Probably violated the international Statute of Secrecy, even if the muggles dismiss it as rumor." His gaze fixed on Harry Potter again. "If you still need a Dementor for Voldie's horcrux, I think I can convince the Unspeakables to look the other way for five minutes."
Harry shook his head. "That... well, that wasn't what I was going to say. But..."
"But beyond that," said Professor Monroe, "It would be unwise to continue this conversation until you all sign that contract. Are you satisfied that it is not dangerous, Professor Flitwick?"
The Charms Professor, who until that point had been completely distracted by the conversation at hand, dropped his eyes back to the parchment. "I couldn't detect any hostile magic," said his squeaky voice. "Not even when I signed it."
"You what?" said Amelia at the same time that Moody barked, "You fool!"
"I trust the current Defense Professor," Flitwick said simply. "Keep in mind that if the curse means our Defense Professors can never be trusted, the extremely cunning Dark Lord wouldn't have made it. They can be trusted sometimes, otherwise we'd get to be certain the Defense Professor is always to blame. Besides, somebody would need to sign it to see that it's safe. And if I was only here to show my memory," he smiled wryly, "now I can stay and listen to what my fellow professor has to say."
"Curiosity killed the Ravenclaw," Mad-Eye recited. "You know that, right?"
"Of course," said Filius. "But it strengthens him when it doesn't. I'll be asking about how I could understand the names of the other signatories for that very reason. When we're not doing something as important as this, I mean."
"Oh, you can ask now," said Monroe. "They are written in the Atlantean script, like the words of False Comprehension. Except unlike those Words, Merlin's interdict is not preventing you from comprehending these ones, since they are not trying to convey powerful magics. Did you read and comprehend the terms before signing?"
The blinking Charms Professor slowly nodded.
"I swear I shall not," he said formally, "without their consent, act upon any secrets of the one(s) who is/are having me sign this paper. I shall not reveal their secrets to others, I shall not use their secrets against them, I shall not use their secrets FOR them. Unless I am in their private company, in the company of only those who already know the secrets, or I am otherwise given explicit permission by the contractor(s), I shall act as if I am completely ignorant at all times. The contractor(s) may release me from these terms, or certain parts of it, if they choose, but they must tell me directly if that is the case."
When Filius spoke again, it was in his usual, squeaky voice. "Though I still don't know what the secrets are." He floated the parchment back to the headmaster's desk.
"I'll tell you as soon as everyone else signs it," said Monroe.
"You want me to sign it, too?" asked the Boy-Who-Lived.
"No need," said Monroe. "You already know the secrets, and I trust your discretion." He addressed the wider room. "Mr. Potter is an exception. He already knows. If you sign and learn the secrets, you have my explicit permission to discuss them in his presence."
Minerva, upon hearing this, found herself staring at the Boy-Who-Lived. "You already know what he wishes to discuss?"
Harry nodded. "And some of the things he doesn't."
Professor McGonagall found herself staring at the Boy-Who-Lived like she would have been staring at Albus if he were still here. "Do you think I should sign this, Harry?"
The boy's eyebrows furrowed, seeming to think about the question. "I don't know if it's the right or wrong thing to do," he equivocated. "Only that it's the... expedient thing to do." He looked to his Defense Professor. "I imagine that anyone who doesn't sign will be kept out of the loop?"
The man nodded.
The boy sighed. "Then yeah," he said, answering her question with certainty. "We're going to be doing a lot of important things in the near future. It would be good to know we're not internally divided. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need this contract. But the real world isn't a perfect one, and at least this isn't as bad as the Dark Mark. When we get involved in bringing eternal youth to the entire wizarding world, it would help if we trusted each other. Even if that trust is forced. I assume you'll be helping me with that?"
That last question had been directed to the Defense Professor, who nodded again. "If they sign, I will ask Alastor to act as security consultant, and Amelia for help with the Wizengamot. If not, we might have to secede from Britain."
Severus, Filius, and Hermione said simultaneous "What?"s. Amelia Bones was looking at the Defense Professor like she desperately wished that he was joking, but knew he wasn't. Minerva's expression was much the same.
The man seemed to notice their expressions, then reached into his robes with both hands. One hand withdrew a lump of (transfigured?) gold, the other held three red shards of glass between four fingers. He floated the gold to her desk like he had the parchment. Bringing out her wand, she was surprised to see that it was the true metal.
"We would not want a Philosopher's Stone to fall into the hands of Ministry bureaucrats," said the Defense Professor, returning the Philosopher's Stones into his robes. "Or be subject to the whims of the Wizengamot. And yes, there is more than one, now."
Minerva felt faint. If she hadn't been sitting down, she would have fallen into a chair. More than one Philosopher's Stone?
"How is that possible?" she found herself asking. "Surely the alchemical formula cannot be performed overnight."
"The formula was a lie," said David Monroe, shaking his head. "I learned that the hard way, after many years of trying. Then I actually began thinking about the Stone’s history, and eventually deduced the truth. Flamel took the Stone of Permanence from the undying Dark Lady Baba Yaga, who could take any shape she pleased and heal any wound in herself. He then invented the story of the Philosopher's Stone for reasons that Mr. Moody can probably guess, now that he knows the truth."
Moody barked out a laugh. "Stone of Permanence, eh? So that's how you looked like Quirrell. Knew Polyjuice didn't sound right. So, Flamel is on the up-and-up? You gave him back his stone after you figured out how to make more?"
"Flamel is indeed in the loop," said the Defense Professor. "He has already signed the contract."
"I didn't see his name among the signers," squeaked Professor Flitwick, who until this point had been watching with the same wide-eyed fascination that he had when Amelia and Alastor had revealed the destruction of the world's Dementor population. "Only the name of his wife."
"That is because he is his wife," said David Monroe, to the confusion of most in the room. "The Stone of Permanence can be used as a shapeshifting tool. The entire persona of Nicolas Flamel was a lie, not just the recipe. The name of the Hogwarts student who stole Baba Yaga's stone was Perenelle, not Nicolas. But all this is distracting from the main issue. I think it's time for the ultimatum that if you are unwilling to sign the contract, you must leave. Only then will I start discussing important secrets."
The truth of the stone did not count as important secrets? Minerva dreaded to think what did.
After one last glance to Harry Potter, she signed her name beneath the other signatories – the first five of which, as Filius had said, she could read and understand despite not knowing the language:
Keen Eye
Twilight Sparkle
Fluttershy
(; !drOCsiD (This one was written in a multi-coloured hue and covered in glitter.)
Tia Sunrise
Autumn Query
Perenelle Flamel
Filius Flitwick
Minerva McGonagall
Hermione Granger signed next, followed by Amelia Bones. Severus Snape, after a visible hesitation, also signed the contract. That only left...
"I don't like it," said Alastor Moody. "Not one bit."
"Alastor..." sighed Amelia, though she didn't say anything else.
"He wouldn't be having us sign this if his secrets are good ones," said the man. "Maybe her," his blue eye flicked to Hermione, "maybe him," to Flitwick, whose wand instinctively rose into counter-position. "But not us."
"You'd prefer to be kept in the dark?" asked Monroe.
"If it means I can still raise my wand when the Defense Professor turns out to be evil after all?" Moody asked sarcastically. "My instincts are screaming at me to not sign that thing."
There was a pregnant pause.
"A fair point," said Professor Monroe. "It's always good to have more than one person watching my back. Let it be known that Moody is also an exception, like Harry Potter."
The man's eyes widened in some surprise, along with a few others. Severus gave an indignant shout, and Hermione said, "That's not fair!"
"You’re right," said Monroe. "It isn’t. But I think you'll be gratified that he, of all wizards, is not bound by the contract. He's already the closest to figuring it out for himself, according to Mr. Potter. I suppose you could say that he has earned the right to figure out the rest."
"You aren't the original David Monroe?" Moody demanded.
"I was not born to that name, no," said the Defense Professor of Hogwarts. "Though I did use it in the seventies. Yes, Madame Bones, I am the one you knew. That much, at least, is not a lie, and I would prefer to use the name henceforth."
Amelia Bones looked shocked, Severus Snape didn't, and Filius Flitwick was still fascinated. Minerva McGonagall was just weary by this point.
"You arranged for the House of Monroe to be killed so you wouldn't be noticed?" asked the manic man whose paranoia seemed to be spot-on for once. "Or just take advantage?"
"Imagine the worst possible scenario," was the Defense Professor's response.
There was a brief silence, but for the mad noise of objects.
Then...
"Avada Kedavra!"
The green bolt blazed from Moody's wand faster than Minerva could have reacted, faster than anybody save Filius Flitwick, former dueling champion, and the Defense Professor, who fought Voldemort, actually reacted. The Charms Professor, who was not in the spell's line of fire but nearer than anybody else, dodged to the side. The Defense Professor...
"Expecto Patronum!"
A blazing white humanoid blocked the unblockable spell. Unlike yesterday, the Patronus remained in place even after the killing curse dissipated against it. It was not nearly as bright as Harry's had been, Minerva noticed, but it was still slightly brighter than Albus's phoenix.
Before anybody could say anything, Moody barked, "Fool!" He sounded annoyed and angry. "You know better than to scare me like that!"
Minerva was torn between three feelings – the thought that that was her line, the worry that the Defense Professor had tried some surreptitious magic on the retired auror, and the overwhelming desire to reprimand-
"Alastor!" shouted Amelia. "What in Merlin's name-"
"He wanted to make me think he's Voldie," Moody interrupted Amelia without preamble. "Voldie killed House Monroe. Worst case, Voldie did that so nobody would notice him playing both sides of the war. If Voldie was David too, then he didn't care which side won."
While most of the others were absorbing that, Minerva…
"Did you have to cast the killing curse to test your paranoid theory?" she demanded. "There are children here!"
"Children who've already seen it and blocked it," said Moody without apology. "Nothing else would've proven it. Voldie would have dodged, and Voldie's a faster dodger than Monroe. My eye can spot the difference. If it looked like it was about to hit, I would have pushed him out of the way. Wasn't expecting the Patronus, but that proves it way more than the dodging would have. No way Voldie can cast it. Same as Albus not casting the Killing Curse."
Severus snorted at that. "Agreed."
"The first part of your test was not exactly true," said the man who was going by David Monroe, but who had apparently been born with a different name. He floated into the air, hovering there for a moment, then dropped back down. "The secret to Voldemort's dodging speed is his method of flight. Even if I were David Monroe, and everything you saw in last night's memory was true, then I already have an excuse to explain why I'm equally capable of dodging at either speed. But you're right that Voldemort could never cast the Patronus Charm. And if he somehow learned the true Patronus Charm, if he somehow managed to value the lives of others above all else, even his own life, then he would not be Voldemort anymore. There would be nothing left of him but a remnant. Decide for yourselves if you think that could even happen in the first place."
"No," said Moody flatly.
But the phrasing of what he said caught Minerva's attention. She saw that it had caught Severus's attention too.
The memory of the prophecy rose, unbidden, to the front of her mind. Trelawney's weighty words played automatically in her thoughts.
And either must destroy all but a remnant of the other, for those two different spirits cannot exist in the same world!
While she was still thinking, Severus drew his wand, then fell over.
"Ah, yes," sighed the Defense Professor. "I see that Professor Snape has volunteered for demonstration. That-" he pointed at the frozen form of Severus "-is what happens when an attempt is made to violate the terms of a magical contract."
He waved his wand and the Potions Master rose awkwardly into the air – awkward because his entire body was stiff. He was put into a standing position, then his body seemed to unlock all at once. He took a few deep breaths, looked at the Defense Professor again, raised his wand again, and then fell over again.
The Defense Professor sighed. "Well. I'm not unlocking you again, Mr. Draught. Now you shall just have to listen. Congratulations on figuring it out, at least." His gaze tracked to the rest of the wizards and witches in the room. "For the record, that is why I had you all sign the contract."
"Mr. Draught?" Moody barked out a laugh. "That Voldie's pet name for him? Your secret isn't something a Death Eater can tolerate, eh?"
The Defense Professor shrugged. "I imagine some could tolerate it."
Minerva was looking at Severus's collapsed form. Wondering. Trying to order her mind to think.
What secret could have caused the Potions Master to react that way? Severus was by no means what most people would call a good man, but he had a firm control over his temper. What would cause him to lose it in an instant? And why had the Defense Professor said that 'remnant' line about Voldemort and the Patronus Charm?
"Are you going to keep playing games, or can we just get this over with?" asked Amelia Bones. "I would prefer we stop wasting time. I'm too busy for Dumbledore antics. If we can count Voldemort as truly vanquished, then please skip to the part where you tell me what happened to the Line of Merlin Unbroken, like you said you would. On the chance that we get invaded, I would like there to be a Chief Warlock to rally the country, even if it's not me."
The Defense Professor looked at her, not saying anything for a few moments. "You are right, of course. I suppose I was delaying because I was nervous. Forgive me if I delay a bit further to inform you that the country is not under threat. If that is your biggest concern, know that ponies are... almost universally peaceful."
"Ponies?" Filius squeaked, mirroring Minerva's thoughts, but Amelia Bones and Alastor Moody were already in a whirl of overlapping questions.
"Yes, I know them," he answered the most prominent one. "I said I learned about contracts from Equestria, did I not? Equus. The Latin word for horse. In other words, a nation of horses. Or as they call themselves, ponies. And other magical equine creatures. As you can imagine, such creatures are almost unnaturally peaceful."
"They broke Azkaban," said Amelia. "We are to take that as an act of peace?"
"They intend to be friendly neighbors to Magical Britain so long as Magical Britain is not perpetrating crimes against humanity. They're insular, non-aggressive, and non-expansionist."
"They said they're declaring war on the whole world," said Moody. "That your definition of non-aggressive?"
"Ah," the man calling himself Monroe seemed to hesitate. He grinned. "Prince Excelsior has a flair for the dramatic."
Harry snorted. "Prince Excelsior?"
The Defense Professor's grin widened slightly. "Better than Prince Snow White."
Harry's expression switched from amused to absolute dread. "You didn't-"
"I didn't," he agreed. "But I could have. And I still could. And my own might not have been my decision. Keep that in mind."
Harry nodded apologetically. "Sorry."
"Your own what?" asked Minerva. "Professor, what is going on? How- when did you bring Harry Potter to a foreign country? One that, if I'm not mistaken, does not even exist?"
Monroe met her gaze. "The short version of the story is that Dumbledore's trap upon the Mirror was harder to deactivate than he thought. It was too late to stop, so Dumbledore tried to turn it on himself, as I said last night. He should have been able to turn it on himself, and in retrospect, he might have even succeeded. But for whatever reason, the Mirror still trapped Harry Potter, Quirinus Quirrell, and Lord Voldemort outside of time. Mr. Potter revived Ms. Granger about six months later, then they escaped on their own almost exactly one year after the initial entrapment. Mr. Potter is now old enough to be a third-year student at the start of next school year. The same for Ms. Granger, though I do not know if they should move up a year or simply be given advanced material during class."
"I'd prefer to stay with my friends," said Harry.
"Me too," said Hermione.
"We will discuss that later," said Minerva, who could hardly believe she of all witches was saying that. "How were the three of you aware of being trapped outside of Time?"
"Because it trapped us outside of this Time," Monroe explained, "but not outside of Time itself. The original setting of the full trap happened to Dumbledore, not us. On our end, the Mirror took us to the planet Equus, to a…" he paused in thought. "A civilization estranged from ours," he eventually said. "We were able to make progress on a number of things without wasting any of Earth's time. That includes Ms. Granger's resurrection, the Stone of Permanence, the Deathly Hallows, Voldemort, and my own researches. Voldemort's vanquishment and my own escape linked that world and ours together, which is why the first pony encounter happened last night. It took thirty-five years and Albus Dumbledore's assistance for it to happen, though he is still trapped inside the Mirror, in its original setting of frozen instants. He knew that would happen, choosing in the end for himself to be trapped so long as it meant Voldemort was gone. By the way, he said to tell you that Nancy Manson is to be returned to her family, though I do not know what that means."
Professor McGonagall tried and failed to absorb all that. But she at least managed to absorb... "It means the headmaster believes the war is over," she said, leaning back in her chair in relief, "and that Voldemort is truly vanquished, never to return again."
All eyes were on her now.
"Interesting," said Professor Monroe.
"Professor," said the tentative voice of Hermione Granger, addressing Monroe. "I thought we were going to tell them everything."
"We are," said Professor Monroe. "But how is a mysterious old wizard meant to amuse himself if he just comes out and says the truth directly? They don't need to know more about Equestria just yet."
"I was talking about the lie."
"Ah. Yes. I was getting around to that." He turned to address the group again. "Since he'd already been vanquished by that point, last night's midnight Voldemort appearance was a fabrication of mine."
"A fabrication?" Filius squeaked, with similar outbursts from Minerva and Amelia and Alastor. And probably Severus too, beneath his paralysis.
The Defense Professor nodded. "I used the Stone of Permanence to take the guise of the Dark Lord, then I used the Time Turner to play out the role of Professor Quirrell at the same time."
"That's-" said Minerva. "That can't be true! The Dark Lord was- Voldemort was exactly as I remember him. How could that have been fake?"
The Defense Professor shrugged. "I am an extremely good actor, and I knew him better than anyone. Notice that no bystanders were hurt, and the only killing curses were aimed at both iterations of myself. Ms. Granger's Patronus intercepted the one that went through the ground. The Cruciatus was only used on myself as well. I even managed to avoid stunning any aurors. Voldemort was never known to be that merciful unless he had a reason to be. And even then, he was only merciful to servants who had pleased him, or merciful to others by their request."
"I could see the Death Eaters requesting their children be spared," said Amelia. "But not my aurors," she agreed. "Or were the Death Eaters faked as well?"
"The Death Eaters who appeared were true Death Eaters," Monroe conceded, "but none of them made that request because none of the ones I gathered had children in Hogwarts. Except Bellatrix Black, but she either does not know or does not care that she has a son here."
Moody's gaze was as intense as Minerva had ever seen it. "And how'd you convince her to play along, huh?"
Monroe grinned. "I may have played a part in her liberation few months ago. All for the sake of last night, you see. I understand the Dark Mark. I've acquired Slytherin's lost lore. And that was enough to-"
"You're under arrest," said Alastor Moody, flatly and without argument.
Monroe chuckled. "Normally, I'd counter that with 'I'd like to see you try.' And while that's still on the table-"
There was a flurry of colors and flashes in the room that ended in two seconds with a stunned auror and a calmly standing Defense Professor. An innervate brought Alastor Moody back to consciousness.
"When I intend to come quietly," said Monroe to the unhappy retired auror, "I'll let you know. Until then, I recommend you heed the warning of the world's most powerful wizard before you try to arrest him."
"Just how much have you upped your game?" the retired auror asked warily.
"I was trapped with little to do but improve myself for thirty-five years," said the Defense Professor. "And before that, I spent ten years pondering ancient riddles and imagining how certain powerful spells and rituals might work. Above all, I may or may not have encountered what remains of the Atlanteans and scoured their private archives, which did prove fruitful. I should also note that Equestrians are more powerful than humans, in terms of raw magic if not creativity, and that's where I spent those thirty-five years of self-improvement. How much do you think I've upped my game?"
Mad-Eye said nothing in reply, instead taking a flask from his waist and drinking it.
"So this is why you had us sign the contract," sighed Amelia.
"One of the reasons, yes. My arrest would be inconvenient, as would the disseminating of this particular information. I'd rather not become a Dark Lord if I don't have to. I do apologize for the fuss," said the Defense Professor, sounding genuinely apologetic. "The outbreak was meant to go unnoticed. But to get back to my original point, with Bellatrix believing I was her Lord, it was a simple matter to convince the other Death Eaters as well. I avoided any Hogwarts parents as I gathered the worst ones I knew, but even so they were not killed. They were simply teleported to an Equestrian prison along with Bellatrix."
"But they were within the wards of Hogwarts!" Minerva objected. Though that didn't stop them from teleporting into the stadium, come to think of it...
"Equestrian teleportation can bypass our wards," said Professor Monroe. "Can't it, Alastor?"
The retired auror growled around his restorative flask.
"What, exactly, will be happening to the Death Eaters?" Amelia Bones demanded.
"They will lose their free will in Unbreakable Vows that swear them into the nature of law-abiding citizens," Professor Monroe explained, "after which the Equestrians will attempt to rehabilitate them as they serve out lengthy prison sentences. It shall be insufferable to them because they shall be surrounded by colourful, lovable, and happy ponies. Of course, that fact should not leave this room, though I suggest you recommend to the Wizengamot that the worst inmates of Azkaban receive similar Vows. The rest, especially the non-violent offenders, could be offered shorter sentences in general for binding those Vows. I'm sure some will volunteer."
"I'll need to see the Death Eaters myself," said Amelia. "Just for personal confirmation that you're telling the truth."
"Same here," said Moody.
"Done," Monroe agreed easily. "That can be arranged within the week. For now, will a Patronus message that I'm telling the truth about their whereabouts do?"
They nodded, and he complied. At the end of the message, he added, "Also tell them that, while I have left a few things out, I do not believe I have yet said anything that is false in this conversation."
"Technically, nothing he's said has been false," the Patronus said, using different words than Riddle did. "Barely," it added. Then it crossed its arms and seemed to glare at its caster.
"What's that about?" Moody demanded.
"It's disappointed that I'm lying by omission," Monroe answered.
"By massive, significant, glaring omission that will probably come back to haunt him later," his Patronus added.
"It wouldn't haunt me if I said it now?" Riddle asked in reply.
The Patronus sighed, but didn't reply.
"Why aren’t you telling us?" Moody said to the Patronus, perhaps thinking it would be more honest and straightforward than its caster.
"Tell them my reasoning," Monroe commanded the moonlight humanoid.
"It will expedite the saving of the world," the Patronus said, "saving as many lives as quickly as possible, which is the most important thing. That doesn't mean I have to like this part of the means."
"That thing got a mind of its own?" Moody asked.
"Not quite," said Monroe, dismissing his Patronus. "Think of it like a personification of my positive desires. Perhaps now would be the best time to mention that it is technically possible to fake a Patronus Charm under the right circumstances – to have my lips and voice shape the words, to have my fingers and wand make the gestures, to have the corporeal form take shape, all without my own happiness fueling the magic."
"How?" Minerva asked, utterly baffled by the assertion.
"The pieces of that puzzle are already available to you," said the mysterious wizard. "As they once were to me. I will confirm any correct guesses if you can figure it out for yourselves. But what I wanted to mention was that even if a Patronus is faked that way, it is never possible to fake the honesty of their messages. Not even with a Confundus charm. When we discuss other secrets in the future, keep that in mind. For now…"
From his robes, he withdrew... is that the Line of Merlin Unbroken?
"Mr. Potter, please grant control of Wizengamot-related functions to me until you say that you've taken it back. That will allow me to then transfer regency to another unless they are obviously unworthy." He turned to the wider audience. "The fact of his position should not leave this room."
"Albus passed the line to a first year in Hogwarts?!" Amelia demanded.
"Contingent on his vanquishing Voldemort, yes."
Heads now turned to face Harry Potter, who looked at the line for a moment, then mused, "Regency, huh? Is that Dumbledore's idea, or yours?"
"His," said Monroe. "Though I agree that it's a good one. Tomorrow afternoon I shall convene the Wizengamot, in which I will publicly appoint Amelia Bones as temporary regent until a certain Hogwarts first year comes of age and maturity." He stared steadily at Harry. "Neither of us quite have the temperament for the Chief Warlock position. Or for that matter, Supreme Mugwumpcy. Make sure to tell the Line that you are retaining it for the Department of Mysteries and anything else non-Wizengamot related, like choosing a successor."
Harry nodded, doing as his mentor instructed while Amelia stared at him.
"I feel like I should have had a say in that," she sighed when it was done.
"Dumbledore said you would hate it, and that you would do it anyway because you knew that everybody else would be worse."
"I think you have always been better at corralling the Wizengamot than I," she observed. "Why not do it yourself? I would not be opposed to that."
"I have other obligations," he declined. "Not to mention my teaching position. Swaying important votes will be all I can manage, and I can manage it better from within their ranks. Assuming I am not fired?" The last question was directed at Minerva.
"Of course not, Professor. But... but what are we to say to the students?"
He shrugged. "Exactly what you would have said if you were ignorant of everything I just told you. The basics of the story are still the same. Dumbledore sacrificed himself to ensure Voldemort's defeat. Voldemort is gone forever, thanks to Harry Potter. And in the seventies, I was known as David Monroe, whom the Death Eaters still curse to this day."
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Earth has a whole week of just Muggles verses Magic before Chaos Rains and Pinkie decends?
Or is that just when the meeting occurs and someopone just cant help sneaking an early peek?
Extremely convoluted and sidestepping meeting complete?
Perfectly in keeping with the rest of the style of the story.
Congratulations.
Didn't this story just start? 300k words already?
Is there a "Final Exam" coming up that I need to get started to have a chance to participate in?
That is fine, Snape have more change at figuring out than McGonnagall, due to being a dormir death eater, and moody, the patronus charm prevent him from considering it.
11281090
No, I think we’re both misunderstanding what the other wrote. I thought you were asking about why those people didn’t do something that made them happy when they were younger in the first place. Rereading your comment, it’s clear that this isn’t the case.
In response to the question you did ask, you don’t really know whether they are doing something for happiness in the present day, and as I understand the topic, we know about they regret from surveys and studies. In other words, people came to them and asked them what they regret. So the situation you seem to be implying (old people are sitting around all day dwelling on their regrets) isn’t necessarily the case. Either way, they’ve lived most of their lives already, and I don’t think you can avoid having regrets in that situation. And when you’re older, you have less opportunities to do the things that make you happy.
In that article, Eliezer argues that not all of his values are reducible to happiness. That is a statement about what he in particular wants. So what I was doing was discussing what I and most people in general value. Given that, I don’t understand your objection when this conversation with me started when you linked to that article.
Yes, it would be difficult to be happy without being alive.
This debate seems mostly like splitting hairs to me at this point. You obviously aren’t using the same definition of happiness as the author of this story. And in the context of this story, it’s not hard to see why Harry values Riddle’s happiness so much. Riddle isn’t sacrificing any of the other values we’ve talked about (life, the ability to think, knowledge about how things actually are) in the process of becoming happy.
Hmm, it now occurs to me that that last sentence isn’t necessarily entirely accurate. Harry’s happiness lesson to Riddle involved telling him to not be cynical, not because cynical worldviews are inaccurate, but because it’s an impediment to happiness. So Riddle is potentially sacrificing the accuracy of his model of the world for happiness. Did that have anything to do with your initial comment that sparked this debate?
Is Autumn Query a name I forgot about or a new one?
I guess Tom couldn't bring up the apathy to successfully kill harry
Who is Monroe?
11282717
Knowledge of HPMoR required.
TL;DR: Tom was pretending to be Voldemort, leader of the Death Eaters, on one side of the war and he was pretending to be David Monroe, leader of the opposition against Voldemort (though not a member of the illegal vigilante organization known as the Order of the Phoenix) on the other side of the war. No matter which side wins, he wins. Ten years later, during his tenure as Defense Professor in HPMoR, he was pretending to be David Monroe pretending to be Quirinus Quirrell.
Basically, Tom Riddle's whole goal with the wizarding war was to rule Britain regardless of which side one. David Monroe was a wizard from a noble house, and also "an annoyance from my time in Slytherin" that Tom killed soon after graduation, but he kept the murder private. David was on a vacation at the time, so the government labeled it a missing person, not a death. Tom assumed David's identity for the war and murdered the entire House of Monroe, which made Voldemort's name AND prevented anyone from finding out the truth due to behavioral/memory discrepencies AND gave 'David Monroe' a strong motive to publicly oppose Voldemort AND made 'David' the sole inheriter of the house's Wizengamot voting seat and wealth despite not being the eldest son. In the words of Amelia Bones, people were referring to him as the next Dumbledore. But eventually, Tom realized that it was incredibly annoying to be on the side of 'light' and incredibly relaxing to be Voldemort, so he stopped trying to be on the light side, despite setting out with the intention for David to win the war, not Voldemort. So he stopped being 'David', and people assumed 'David' died AGAIN, and when came back as Quirinus Quirrell ten years later, a few high-ranking members of the DMLE were clued in to the suspicion that he was actually David Monroe, based on a few speeches and lectures he gave to his students.
11281788
New
11281987
That's one possibility.
All caught up, and the story feels over, even though I’m sure there’s got to be a couple more chapters left. But I’m excited to see you play out the rest, especially since you’ve captured the essence so well.
11283781
Believe it or not, as far as authorial intentions are concerned, there's a lot more I wanted to get to. I wasn't going to end it at the same place as HPMoR, and the story wasn't JUST going to end with his redemption. Next up was going to be the actual impact on Magical Britain. The ACTUAL finale was going to be basically this chapter's title, but without the quotation marks.
But now that you mention it, maybe that would drag on. Or maybe I should split it up into a second story... though I'd rather keep it all in one place. We'll see.
11283781
They still have to actually save the world.
Just cus it wasn't done in MoR, doesn't mean this Author will leave everyone hanging like that.
Potentially, this story could last for years more.
11284104
Personally I’d love to hear about it all.
i love this chapter.
there is nothing better then rubbing some one's face in the truth.
Why hasn't contract also stopped Moody?
11281475
only now, when I decided to finish reading this chapter, I saw your comment. there was no notification
11281475
1 - Yes, I didn't mean to say that.
not all day. Even if they do it occasionally. the fact that they do it and this does not make them happy (on the contrary, unhappy) (and they know it) is important. There are many diversion from regrets. Less opportunity doesn't mean none at all.
2 - you said that this is the main thing, it is not the same as "most people in general value happiness".
3 - About that definition of "happiness, which is no different from just happiness?
sacrifices the ability to create more Horcruxes.
I understand why he appreciates. Yes, I'm sad that a Voldemort has to trade so much for happiness.
11281788
11283251
So yea, who is "Autumn Query", and why did Luna not sign it? (Or was she given a pass like Moody?).
Are you sure that no one else figured it out? Between his comment about only a fraction of voldy being left, and his whole "assume the worst", Snape figured it out, and Minerva had the same reaction as Snape. Minerva was told that "Monroe" was not originally Monroe (so that's an act), and was playing the part of Voldemort, and even heard Moody say that Voldie had destroyed house Monroe and was playing both sides in the war.
I really think she's figured out (A) the truth, and (B) better to NOT speak out.
"Snorted"? That's like other stories where the human-form ponies will "trot" over to someone instead of "walk" over. :-)
The last part needs rewriting.
"flare" should be "flair"
So wait is that Philomena or a random Equestrian Phoenix?
11701319
I hate to use the word 'random', but yes. In HPMoR lore, believing that you have a mission you need to go on, a mission only you can do, a mission that comes with a high chance of your own death, and then saying 'yes' when a phoenix comes to you and calls you to action (with the offer of an instant teleport to the evil you believe needs to be defeated), is how a wizard 'earns' a phoenix companion. It's called 'The Choice', and you can only make it once. Turn the phoenix away in that moment and it won't ever come back.
Professor Quirrell stated in HPMoR that it's rumored that phoenixes came/come into the (wizarding/human) world through the Mirror. Presumably a new phoenix comes through every time a wizard somewhere in the world is ready to make The Choice. My story piggybacks off that explanation by just outright having wild phoenixes exist in Equestria, which is true in MLP canon. So Hermione's phoenix is a new one come into the human world, from somewhere in the wilds of... probably Gryffonia specifically, because that's where I had Riddle hunt down his own sacrificial lamb from a flock of wild phoenixes. Not sure WHERE wild phoenixes are said to flock in MLP canon. Griffonia = land of Griffons, Gryffindor = House of bravery as symbolized by Griffons and phoenixes.
It wasn't writers block, it was the vow you took against revealing him and then obliviated the vow but not the knowledge. Now it's just an overwhelming feeling of not yet.
Got to love the knots they made to stretch everyone into neatly lining up to straighten out the world.